Random Thursday

Just for you curious ones (like me!), the post-it notes are from Jason. My main love language is words, so any little thing Jason writes to me I keep. 

The list on my mirror consists of women I am praying for to get pregnant. On the left side are their names, and on the right is a praise list of women who have become pregnant. I love moving the names from the prayer to the praise side!

Yes, please hang on if you have a 2 or 3 year old! I'm still hanging on with you I promise, but I do feel we are finally seeing some fruit from our labor. Being a mom (or dad) is not easy stuff. A hard high wondering calling.

I had to take a picture of this when I got out of my car at the gym. Crazy! I felt like a big tank next to this little car. ; )

I also think this is too funny. We kept running out of milk, so Jason told me to buy several gallons. Problem solved! My boys like milk just a little bit.

Saving the best for last. ; ) I take absolutely no responsibility for this!

For You, O GOD, are my place of safety.

Psalm 59:9

Haircut

A few years ago I decided I was going to cut Zach's hair. I thought why not save a little time and money? I was determined and didn't think it could be all that hard. Ha!

The first time I tried I was nervous and Jason hovered tried to help a bit too much so I gave the scissors to him. ; ) He did a great job and continues to cut the boys' hair. There have been a few funny haircuts, but I won't be sharing those pictures. ; ) 

 Pitiful face! I promise he is happy. Colson and I are usually in there distracting him.

 He actually can be still sometimes. ; )

I love this!

I want to remember something cute he said in Walmart yesterday. I was rushing around while the boys were happy and must have told Zach I wanted to get "one more thing." Since we were close to something else I wanted to see, I said it again. He said, "But I thought this stop was your one last thing." 


That boy doesn't miss anything! He is in such a sweet stage, and I am loving every minute. Two and a half to 3 1/2 about did me in. ;)

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.


Matthew 10:30

Little Birdie

 Last night Colson and I were on the deck watching Zach play and Jason work in the yard. After a few minutes Zach walked up with this little guy. I kind of panicked, but I am trying to get used to Z and his critters. I just hope he never walks up to me with a snake!

  Look at that detail in his furry feathers! Z was very gentle with him, but I decided quickly we needed to return this baby to his parents (who were flying above us very upset). So off we went across the yard and Z reluctantly put him back on the ground where he found him.

That baby bird ran away so fast on his little legs I had to laugh. He was glad to be free. ; )

I love warm summer nights.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29, 31

Friday

How is it Friday again? 

I'm thinking we all need to bust out with our high school prom/banquet pictures. Isn't it fun to laugh at yourself sometimes? I need to do it more often. ; )

Jason and I went out to eat for our anniversary, and we talked about our last nine years. These years have gone quickly, but we sure have lived a lot of life in them. Nine years and three beautiful children later. I'm so thankful I married my best friend.

This little cutie is one big reason we smile!

Melts my heart

Bath time pictures are the best.

Showing off for the camera. ; ) He is chewing on Reese's rubber duckie.

Whenever I do this to Colson's hair Zach says, "Hey, Colson looks like a porcupine!"

Last night our friends Kyle and Candy came over for dinner. They just moved to NWA and have two boys close to our boys' ages. Kohen and Zach hit. it. off. So sweet. Two handsome cutie pies!


Have a great weekend. ; )

Oh, what a wonderful GOD we have! How great are His riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His methods!


Romans 11:33

9 Years

Happy Anniversary, Jason!

I still feel just like this about you. Happy, silly, alive.

 You still make my heart skip a beat. 

 You still are the most handsome thing I've ever laid my eyes on.

 Thank you for being the man of my dreams.

And just to make you (and anyone else reading this) laugh...

Remember this?
Junior Senior banquet 1998
Bahahaha!


I've trusted you with my heart from from the beginning and always will.

I love you.




Love never fails...


1 Corinthians 13:8

Snow cone

Zach really wanted a yellow snow cone. I tried to talk him out of it all the way to Frozen Tung (the place we always go). I just didn't think he would like it because of the flavors. The girl told him what flavors were yellow, and he chose lemon. I was still doubtful. ; )

 His first snow cone of the summer

He really did get most of it in his mouth. ; )

 He liked it! It really was good. Next time he said he wanted to try yellow and green. I always get the same thing...strawberry/cherry. Love it!

Colson wanted to say hi, too. I just love his legs. My baby will be 1 in almost three weeks!

LORD, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You are the potter. We are all formed by Your hand.

Isaiah 64:8

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day!

I'm so thankful for my dad. He's wonderful and kind. Wise and funny. He's so encouraging and always knows the perfect thing to say. I love you, Dad!

 We started off our weekend with a 5K. It was hot! But fun. ; ) It was for a good cause, so that makes it all the better.

Our sweet friends Clint and Ashley watched the boys while we ran.

We also went to the pool with Jason's parents, Shannon, Cody and Dubs. So glad his parents came to visit!

Last night we grilled out at Shannon's house and took the boys to the park. They have it so easy. ; )

 Zach made a little friend. He loves frogs and any other kind of animal or bug. It works well for me because I am scared of spiders (and most insects), and he doesn't mind killing them for me. ; )

My handsome boys before church

Jason is an amazing dad. Zach and Colson adore him and light up around him. He's a Godly example to our boys of what a man should be. He's gentle, silly, and so sweet with them.

I love you, babe.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him...

Psalm 103:13

Friday & Friends

Yea! We made it to Friday! What a fun crazy week. 

Zach is describing to me how you can't see fish underwater before his first swimming lesson of the summer.


I definitely got a workout being in the pool with Z. I'm a little glad this was my last year to be in the water with him. ; ) That boy is wild.


Every day Zach laughed all over himself and it got me so tickled. All of the other parents laughed, too. He absolutely loved it. He talked at the top of his lungs (about a ladybug, the swimming toys, going under water), and he had no idea he was doing it. 

Ms. Kim was a wonderful swim teacher. She is soft spoken, encouraging, and calm. Just what Z needs. ; ) 

A few funny things that happened this week...

On Monday Ms. Kim asked Zach, "Do you know what slow motion means?" Not a chance.

On Tuesday Z asked Ms. Kim, "Why you tell me to slow down?"

Throughout the week he kept telling me, "I want to go talk to Ms. Kim!" while she was teaching. It was too funny.

Yesterday his lesson was cancelled because of rain, so we got donuts to cheer him up.

It worked. ; ) Since I already had a sitter for Colson, Z and I shopped for some things for Colson's birthday party. I have a lot to do!

Zach "passed" his class this morning.

Katie (Kim's helper) & Ms. Kim


I'm so proud of my little swimmer!


Lauren (one of my BU roommates), her husband James, and their son Parker were driving through NWA and spent the night with us last night. We loved spending time with them. I hardly ever see Lauren, and I think taking a few pictures was the only time we weren't talking.

 We lived in the same tiny room for two years. This girl is a gem.

 Her hubby James with Cols and Jason

 Parker & Z

Parker is precious and such an observer, and Z loved having a playmate his size. Come back soon!


Have a wonderful weekend ya'll. ; )




Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.


Psalm 139:16

Busy Week

We are in the middle of swim lessons and Vacation Bible School, and I am worn out. ; ) It's a fun good kind of tired. I'm so thankful for the good weather this week!

On Zach's first night of VBS he met this panda bear, and it's all he talks about. I think this bear is why he goes. Ha!

Our "superhero" friend Clint & Z

One night I asked him what he learned at VBS, and he said, "I didn't learn anything." I asked him if he sang any songs, and he told me he sang the "Walkin' Song," the "Heart Song," and "Jesus is the Light" song. Too cute. 


He is hilarious at his swimming lessons, and a mother told me today the class just wouldn't be the same without him. ; ) I hope that's a good thing!

I have to share something amazing the LORD did this week. This story has a few parts to it.

After Reese passed away, we noticed there was a dad and three young boys who were buried in the same Memorial Gardens. There were pictures of the boys on their headstones. We just couldn't imagine the mom of this family. Who is she? How is she living? How did she face each day? What is her life like?

We have thought about and prayed for this family countless times the past 22 months. Every time I drove through the Memorial Gardens I pass by where this man and his sons are buried and see those little boys' smiling faces. Their mom has felt my pain times three and at the same time lost her husband.

As many people can't imagine losing one child like we have, I can't in a hundred years imagine what this woman faces each day.

We recently started using a new sitter to watch the boys. I like to have a few who really know the boys so when we need a sitter it's not a big deal. Our other ones just graduated from college. Anyway, we have known "Sarah" from childcare at the gym, and I asked her a few weeks ago to watch the boys for me. 

Sarah kept Colson Monday, and we talked about Reese and her pictures in our home. She then shared with me that she lost her three younger brothers in a plane crash. I knew but immediately asked if her father was killed, too. She said yes.

I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe I was meeting the other part of this family I had ached over, thought of, and prayed for. I never imagined another sibling, but here she was the oldest of four standing in my kitchen. She had lost her dad and three younger brothers in an instant. 


We talked for awhile, and all I could think of was how amazing she and her mom are. I'm so thankful Sarah is a bigger part of our lives now, and I hope to meet her mom, too. It's still so fresh on my mind.

I now wonder why I hadn't thought to ask Sarah to watch the boys before, but of course it was GOD's perfect timing. Even though I had known her for a few years, I didn't know what great tragedy had happened in her life. 

Monday was June 13th, twenty-two months after we found out about this family. I never thought I would meet the mom much less a daughter who lost so much. Sarah is such an encouragement to me, and I'm so glad she is "ours" at least for awhile. ; )




Be still before the LORD
   and wait patiently for Him...


Psalm 37:7

11 Months

 Colson is 11 months old today!  It just seems like I was writing about last month and the one before that and the one before that. ; ) I have loved using Picky Sticky monthly stickers. I want to do something special with all of them, but I have no idea what. Hmmm...

 Colson, you only have one more month until you are ONE!

I still can't believe you are here and you are ours. You are a wonderful, bubbly, sweet, cuddly, happy baby boy. You're such a wiggle worm, too!

 You adore your big brother, and he can make you light up like no one else. Zach is always telling us you want to crawl so he can get on the floor and sit on play with you. He loves to tell me what you are doing and give you hugs when you're upset.

Your smile melts our hearts. You are a precious gift, and we love you so much. How did you get this big?!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands...

Isaiah 49:16

Busy Saturday

Today was a wonderful busy day, and I have no idea why I'm still up. It's way past my bedtime. ; )

This morning we went to Ava's birthday party. Z gave her a Dum Dum, of course. He LOVES these suckers.

It was a beautiful day, and the kids stayed outside most of the time.

Colson was content crawling from person to person. ; )

Sweet friends Jill, Stacy, Abby (Ava's mom), & me

After the party, I went to Hillary's Sip and See. Kelly and Laurie did a fabulous job! I love Hillary to death, and I was glad to see Sadie again. She has already grown so much.

The little star of the show. What a cutie pie!

When I got home I was SO happy to see our hay bales. Go ahead and laugh. They are not really our hay bales, but they surround the land around our house, so I call them mine. ; ) 

I have no idea why I like them so much. I think because they look so nice and picturesque. Every year our neighbor mows the fields and puts all the hay into bales. I don't know what I'm talking about, but I really like the end result.

Tonight we met our small group at a park. Z went straight for the playground. He was starving when we got home at 8:30 because he had been too busy to eat dinner. He never wants to miss anything. ;)

Cutie pie Westin

Love love love Jason's face. It's priceless. Why do I know this look so well? Ha.

Shannon & me with our boys

 And it's time to go home. ; )

 One last cute kid pic ~
Bench - Kellen, Zach, Adeline, & Dubs
Ground - Colson, Payton, & Parker


It's so much fun watching these kids grow up together.

Such a beautiful sunset tonight. Love these summer days. Guess who is going to be 11 months on Monday?! I can't believe it.

Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love,
   that we may sing for joy...

Psalm 90:14