My overflowing cup

So much to be thankful for...

I'm sitting here, while my kids are napping (which is the ONLY time I can blog) thinking about how adorable they are. Last Sunday we got to hear Noah's sweet laugh for the first time. It was so perfect and even better because it was his sister that made him laugh! He loves his sister. He hears her voice and turns his head all around to find her. Gracie adores him too. I love that little man. If I'm not paying attention he has this "coo" that he makes to get my attention. He'll continue that sound until I look down at him then he smiles so big. Man, he's already competing with his sister for attention. But, oh how it melts my heart. Gracie came up to me today while I was cleaning her room and said, "I love you" just out of the blue. How sweet is it when your children are old enough to say "I love you" on their own without prompting. Those 3 little words spoken by my daughter make up for the daily tantrums that turn my house upside down!

As hard as being a stay at home mom is (some days more than others) I feel so incredibly blessed and lucky to be able to be home with my kids everyday. I remember when I had to teach and leave Grace with someone else, it completely broke my heart. And my heart would continue to break daily. I envied the moms that got to be home with their kids and tried so hard to come up with all different kinds of ideas/plans that would let me be home with her. None of them worked. But now, 2 years and a baby later I am home with them. I get to wake up to their sleepy smiling faces and know that I don't have to leave them in a few hours. I don't have to shove them in front of a TV so I can get ready for work. In fact I can wear pj's all day! I don't have to try and manipulate their nap schedule to work around my job. I don't have to worry that someone is not taking care of them how I would. I get to be home with them all day, everyday! I get to kiss them whenever I want!

ALSO....I am so proud of my brilliant and hardworking husband. Levi made SOC (student of the course) at school. This is a really big deal at UTI as all the companies that recruit from there request students that have been awarded SOC. So proud of him and all the time and effort he has put into this. That man is going places! And lucky me, because get to go with him! :)

My cup is overflowing. I love my family so much. I am so truly blessed. God is good!

Hope in Christ

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul
In you, O God, I place my trust
Do not let me be put to shame
Nor let my enemies triumph over me
My hope is in you
Show me your ways
Guide me in Truth
In all my days
My hope is in you
I am, O Lord, filled with your love
You are, O God, my salvation
Guard my life and rescue me
My broken spirit shouts
My mended heart cries out...

Sometimes I let the worries of life and the day to day drudgery get to me. Today as I began to stress about things beyond my control, I found myself singing the song above. I wasn't really thinking much about it, just figured it was the song of the day that randomly got stuck in my head, as one usually does! It wasn't until I sat down, after the kids had gone to bed, that I actually started to think about the words. How perfect for that song to come to mind today. I'd like to think that it was God signing over me all day. And in a very loving way, asking me, "What are you placing your hope in?" Because if my hope is in the things of this world, then I have every reason to worry. But if I place my hope in Christ, what is there to fear? "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." (Is 40:31) There is something so freeing about giving it all up to God. Letting him take all the burdens and worries and knowing it is out of my hands. He has given me so much and continues to answer all my prayers. He provides and has never left me needed anything.

So, I once again place my hope in Christ and trust in his promises.

hmmm...no creative title

Every single day, in between my moments of craziness, I look at my sweet children and am reminded at how truly blessed I am.

There are also moments when I sit back and think, I could really use a glass of wine right now!

Today is one of those days.

But there is the promise of after naptime. The hope that my rambuncious but adorable 2 year old will wake up and decided that it is not necessary to cry at the sight of a crumb on the floor or the wrong color sippy cup.

My fingers are crossed!

Anyways, here are some pictures from the last few weeks...

AND, Noah is 3 months old today! My sweet niece, Julia is 2 years old today. My beautiful and extremely young mom is ___(I won't say it) years old today. Happy Birthday! Love you all so much!

Last week I decided I had enough of this heat and being stuck indoors so the kids and I went up with my mom and brother to the cabin in Pine. Carolyn and her two girls came up for the day too. It was so much fun. Grace had a blast spending as much time as possible outside and Noah did well, as long as no one tried to hold him but mommy. It's so weird, he would rather be in his bouncer than have someone besides me hold him! Anyways, we spent 5 days at the cabin. Levi met us up there on Satuday and we were all estatic to see him. I felt rejuvinated and refreshed! Think Gracie did too because up until yesterday she has been so happy and has needed very little redirection.

Okay, my OCD daughter is obsessed with lining up and stacking things perfectly straight. When Levi tries to play with her he does things a little more sloppy and Grace gets so upset. She tends to sees things as black and white, no gray in between. Hmmmm, I wonder where she gets that from...

Kambra's (our cousin) cool car. Gracie LOVED this. As they drove around you could hear Gracie's squeals of delight at Kam's crazy driving. Yes, I was a nervous wreck the entire time, but played it off very cool!

My favorite thing to do at the cabin is get up early and sit out on the porch and drink coffee. We are doing just that, with some of mom's sticky coffee cake! Yum.

Levi and Gracie are off to go bug and lizard hunting. (Levi dressed her, by the way) :)

Back at home.... Playing in a box. Seriously why do we even buy our kids toys when they have so much fun with everything that is not meant to be a toy?

Noah is now strong enough and very willing to sit in a bumbo. He loves it and sits there for decent periods of time just playing with his toys. Yes, Noah is sitting in a a pink bumbo. It was Gracie's and is still pretty much brand new. How could I spend money on another one just for the color? The less practical side of me is really worried that I'm causing Noah some type of emotional scarring from the pink bumbo...

Gracie, Julia and Savannah playing hide and seek, more like just hide, in the closet while Gracie hoards the sippy cups. Good thing she has such forgiving friends!