Texas Christmas 08' Part II

Karis, Noah and I arrived in Texas on Wednesday, Dec. 3. We had a nice relaxing afternoon with my parents that night and then a good talk and visit with my brother. Thursday, we went shopping at a new outlet mall by my parents house, it was great, it has every store a girl could want and more!! Thursday night, my mom, my sister-in-law, Tanya, and I went to the Woman's Christmas party at my parent's church. As we were about to pull out of the driveway, my niece Madison comes running out saying that Noah threw up. I was very distraught. Since we had all dealt with the virus the week before, I was praying that we weren't all going to get it again. My wonderful Dad encouraged us to go ahead and go, so we did. Noah was fine the rest of the night, but my mom got sick that night. She spent all of Friday in bed, so my dad and I ran a few errands with the kids and hung out. Friday night, I went to watch Madi play softball after my kids were in bed. My dad got sick that night. The kids and I decided to go shopping on Saturday so my parents could rest.
Sunday, we went and spent a few hours with one of my good friends, Mandy, and her family. We had great time letting the kids play together and catching up. Monday we picked Justin up from the airport and went to Orange. Thursday we headed back to my parents. We did Christmas with my parents and brother's family on Friday night and watched Madi play some more softball on Saturday. Sunday after church I got some more good Mexican food!!
I always enjoy our time in Texas, time just always seems to fly by. Being with my parents is such joy and I am so glad that my children love playing with their cousins!

We pray everyone has a very Merry Christmas celebrating the special and unique birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. May we all find our hope in Him this year!

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

Texas Christmas 08' Part I

Christmas in Texas is always a blast, being with our families, but this year, it was even more special. We got to see and play in snow, yes, I said snow in southeast Texas, which literally never happens. Justin said the last time he remembered it snowing was when he was very little.
Karis, Noah, and I left for Texas by ourselves on Wed. Dec. 3. They were both wonderful on the plane. We then spent the next five days with my parents and brother's family. More to come on this in part II.
Monday, Justin flew in. After we picked him up from the airport, we went straight to Orange. We had a wonderful dinner with his Dad, Susan, and Courtney, his sister. Both of Justin's grandparents are in a nursing home right now, but while we were there, his Papou was in the hospital in Beaumont. Our next few days were spent between Beaumont, the nursing home, and Pop Pop and Grammy's. We had a wonderful time of opening gifts for Christmas, eating Mexican food, and having Noah's 1st birthday party, cake thanks to Aunt Courtney. We also let Karis open up some early presents for her birthday next month from Aunt Courtney!
Here are some pictures of our great time together. Spending the holiday with family is always fun, and I am so glad that my children get to have this time with them.




Part II of our Texas trip coming soon!

Noah's 1st Birthday!

Since we were in Texas for Noah's first birthday, I was unable to post. We had a great day with Justin's family and of course, there was cake! Noah really enjoyed himself eating and licking his fingers. Justin's sister make Noah's cake, and she did a great job!
Here are some pictures to let them show you how much Noah enjoyed himself!





I honestly can't believe my sweet Noah is one. He is growing up so fast and is now starting to know what he wants. He is very cuddly now and loves his daddy the most. When he wakes up in the morning, he has to have his milk and then his daddy.
We are so thankful and blessed to have you in our lives Noah John, you are a joy and so much fun. Thank you for making us laugh all the time. I love you so much!

Back from Texas

Just wanted to let you all know that we are back from Texas. As soon as I can, I will post pictures of Noah's first birthday and our Christmas' with both families. We had a wonderful time, and now it is back to real life! Hope everyone is having a great day!

No Turkey for us!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Our family was thankful for many things, but was without the turkey and trimmings. Karis got the stomach bug on Monday night. She seemed to be doing much better after a day of rest, but Wednesday night Justin and Noah both got it. It was only a night bug for Justin, but Noah continued to be sick, only at nighttime, for the next two nights. It seemed very strange for him to be sick only at night, but he is on the mend now!

God showed us many things to be thankful for despite not feeling well. We were thankful that our sickness was last week and not this week, since we leave for Texas tomorrow. We were thankful for the Lampheres and our neighbors bringing us food. Most of all, we were thankful to just be together as a family and to put all our hope and trust in our Savior.

I hope you guys have a great few weeks. I will post after we get back from Texas, we will be doing Christmas with the families and celebrating Noah's first birthday!

A little early for this...

Just a few minutes ago, I heard Noah sucking on something. I found him sucking on the soap dispenser from the bathroom. What a silly boy! I think it is a little early to being washing his mouth out with soap.

I distinctively remember getting my mouth washed out with soap one time when I was little, I know that I never said that word again!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Saturday Fun in the Leaves!

Bless the Lord

Psalm 103:1-5

Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

God forgives not some, but all my sins. He has redeemed me out of the pit of sin and crowned me with love and mercy, that is only found through Christ. What a lofty goal, not to forget all his benefits, here's just a few: salvation, steadfast love and mercy, being satisfied, a relationship with my Savior, no fear of death, amazing grace, etc.

It also says he heals all your diseases, now we now that this doesn't mean that we, as Christians, will not die from sickness or have a chronic illness all our lives. We must read this verse in light of other Scripture, we are called to suffer, and Deuteronomy 32:34 says, "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand." God is speaking in this verse, so we know that he uses diseases and sickness to sanctify us.

Thank you, Lord, for forgiving all my sins on Calvary. Thank you for reminding me of my need for you and the gospel today and every day. O, to love you more than yesterday is such a sweet thought! Thank you for your grace and for opening my eyes to your truth in your word!

More to come on the rest of the verses!

Whinning and God's grace

How much whining and fussing can a mom take? How is it that it seems to last all day when my children are whining or crying about everything, but oh the sound of silence, except the dryer and washing machine running! Silence is golden if only for a few moments or an hour. In the midst of my children's whining, I am overcome sometimes by my own complaining nature. I hear Karis voice or scream her desire over and over, especially when I have already told her no. I realized today that I am like this so often: selfish with my time, complaining about my circumstances, ready for the next big thing instead of living in the moment just thankful for each day.
Through these long whining fits, God has really showed me my continual need to cling to Him and His grace to teach Karis how to respond to her circumstances without getting angry or whining. He has reminded me that she is sinful and cares only for herself, which is exactly who I was and would still be apart from my saving knowledge of Christ's sacrifice and my won sinfulness. I am teaching her what her sin is, and God is showing me my own sin.
Thank you Lord for the gospel and allowing me the daily opportunity to preach it to myself and my children. Oh what marvelous grace!

I CAN DO IT!

Noah at 8 months old tackles the slide in our backyard, he is just like the Little Engine that could!

Okay, here goes, I can do it!

I'm trudging along nicely!

Whoa! This is harder than I thought, I'll try again later.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Chicken, I mean turkey!

Karis and I have started our fun fall crafts, here is the one we did today!

Karis wrote "Happy Thanksgiving" all by herself, it is a little too spaced out!

She colored a turkey at the Y this morning, and she kept calling it a chicken! Close enough I guess!

Late Birthday Visit with Parents!

I have noticed lately that I do look just like my mom, what a blessing, she looks so good to be 62 years old. I love sharing a very close birthday with my mom, which also makes it difficult not having her around for my birthday. Thankfully, my parent still got to come visit.

We had a wondeful late birthday visit with my parents. Because of hurricane Ike, my parents did not get to be here for my mom's and my birthday in September. Their trip was delayed over a month, but it was well worth it. They were here for a week. Here's a recap of all our fun!

They flew in on a Thursday around lunch time so we ate lunch at the mall in Raleigh and went jeans shopping for me, this is always a task for me. We then came home and enjoyed being together, playing with the kids and off course going to the grocery store.

Friday, Justin and my dad played golf, so Mom, the kids, and me went to the outlet mall. We had a successful trip and ate good food at Zaxby's and ice cream at Dairy Queen, both kids were very good.

Saturday, it rained so we just stayed close to home! Sunday was church and more fun together. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we spent going to the park, going back to the outlet mall with my dad along this time, eating at Chili's for our late birthday dinner, and being together. I love just spending time with my parents and so do my children! Here are a few pictures of our fun week.

Clarification: There are not very many pictures of Karis, she is in the no pictures stage right now!

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Tagged !?!

This is the second time I have been tagged, so I guess it is time to pay my dues! Sorry Lori, when you tagged me I think Noah was like a month old, now you can read my random thoughts.

So thank you Courtney for tagging me!

Below are the rules.

1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is UP.

Here are six random things about me:

1. I knew since seventh grade that I was going to marry someone in the ministry, be it a pastor, music minister, etc. Somehow, the Lord showed me early in life!

2. I have a terrible fear of roaches and spiders, especially since at one time or another, I have had both in my hair, not on the same occasion. One very early in the morning and one while my poor little girl watched me scream my head off!

3. In high school, Courtney (my friend who tagged me) and I had an Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea marathon in the spring and a Gone with the Wind marathon during the Christmas holidays every year. We would watch them in a single setting, eating popcorn and tuning out the rest of the world for that one Saturday. What fun times!

4. I love Blue Bell ice cream. They don't have it in North Carolina so I eat a lot of it when I am in Texas. Almost every Saturday night, unless I had a tournament, my dad would go down to the store and buy us each our own pint, I usually got Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, or just plain vanilla. Those times with my dad were very special! We would eat our ice cream and watch a movie together.

5. I have never been snow skiing but hope to one day.

6. My favorite color has always been pink, even though I am not a girly girl! My bridesmaid can attest to this and so can my close friends. Too this day, my eye always gravitates to pink when clothes shopping, however, I have never wanted a pink car or house, which I have seen both!

Sorry my friends, but it is your turn to be tagged, I will probably be tagging some of you for the second or third time!

1. Mandy
2. Tiffany
3. Laura
4. Shelley
5. Michelle
6. Keri

You will have to excuse me, I am not very computer savy when it comes to linking to others blogs or sites. Hope you all enjoy my random thoughts. I have my husband to thank for showing me how to do the links, maybe this time I will remember!

I also pray that everyone has exercised their right to vote! Voting is important!

Ever Seen One of These?!

A few weeks ago, Noah received the most unique gift from sweet Mrs. Nancy, a very dear friend of ours who loves my children dearly. To say this gift is unique is just not giving it enough credit. When I opened the gift, my first thought was "What?" Along with a good giggle, I brought it home and put it on Noah.
Here are a few pictures of Noah's "full body bib!"

A good picture of the front, what a cute lion!

It even has straps for his legs!

Another frontal view!

It was pretty hot for a few days so I decided after Noah had spit up on his last two shirts to just let him wear the bib with his diaper, he didn't seem to mind. Hey Calvin, always getting into the pictures! Check out Calvin's hair cut, he really needs a better groomer! I usually groom him in between hair cuts!

So for those of you who are now in the loop of what a full body bib is, maybe you should get one too. I really do like it, it catches all the slobber and spit up. I know that one day Noah will stop spitting up!

Thank you Mrs. Nancy for your unique, sweet gift, it was perfect for my sweet boy who seems to soil all his clothes and bibs!!

What We've Been Up To!

The last few weeks I have been racking my brain, along with Laura's to try and figure out some inexpensive ways to help Karis play by herself. Karis loves for us to play with her, and she is very much lacking in the imagination department, I am sure she gets that from both her parents! I bought some felt and felt pieces and cut out some shapes and things for her to have her own felt board. She loves playing with the one at the library and her Sunday school teacher uses one every week. Karis is very proud of it and loves to play with it! Thank you Laura!

Okay, so the bear is a little bit too BIG for the house, as you can see I am not a professional cutter especially without good cutting scissors, which I now have!

Noah is officially walking all the time as of a week ago. He no longer crawls unless he is really tired or mad. He will be just be ten months on Thursday and continues to move too fast for his mommy! He is all boy, climbing on everything, pushing toys on the floor like trucks, and never sitting still for longer than a few seconds. What a difference from his sister. He is so fun and happy, what a blessing both of these little people are in my life.

Noah climbing up the bathroom cabinet. He enjoys being naked after his bath, thankfully he hasn't gone to the bathroom on any of us or the floor.


Classic Noah! Smiling, mouth open, and holding onto whatever he can find.

Happy Anniversary Justin, WOW 9 Years!

At 2:00 pm nine years ago, Justin and I stood before our family and friends and pledged to love, honor, cherish, and serve each other only by God's grace for the rest of our lives on earth. I am so thankful for how much the Lord has grown both of us in these last years.
I love Justin more everyday, I love the way he loves me and challenges me to know and love Christ more, I love the way he teaches and loves our children, I love serving along side him as he shepherds the flock the Lord has given him, but most of all, I love the way He loves Christ in all things. The passion that Justin had for Jesus is what made me fall in love with him ten years ago and that has not diminished at all, in fact, it has only grown stronger.

Our engagement picture, nine years ago! Wow, don't we look like babies, oh yeah, we were. We were both only 20 at the time of this picture.

Today we are older, have two beautiful children, and are more in love than ever. Love really does grow stronger with time. I can't imagine a day without Justin. I love you and cannot wait to see what the next nine years hold for us.

Glorify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 34:3

County Fair 2008

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Oh the county fair! I don't know why I enjoy the fair so much, but it is one of my favorite once a year traditions. Maybe it's the really greasy, totally bad for you food, which we didn't eat this year, except dessert of course! Really, I think it is the rides. I have always loved to ride rides, especially the ones that go around and around and around, however, this year I realized after riding my one ride by myself that I am really 30! It wasn't so much fun to have my stomach in knots the rest of the evening.

We had a fun time petting the animals, watching our big Karis ride rides by herself, riding rides with Karis, and watching Noah be Noah! Hope you enjoy the picks. I think I will try my luck again next year with a ride, just maybe I will stick with the Ferris wheel and not a ride that twists while going around and around!

Beach and Birthday!

My parents were supposed to come and be here for mine and my mom's birthday on the 16 and 17, but because of hurricane Ike, they didn't get to come. We had planned to go to the beach on Sunday after church and stay until Tuesday, which was my birthday. Justin and I decided at the last minute to go ahead and go to the beach. We were excited to see how Noah would like the beach. Karis enjoys anything to do with water, so we knew she would be excited to be there.
We had a very relaxing time. Karis had as much fun as a three year old can in the sand and water. Noah was skeptical at first, but after he ate about three handfuls of sand, he was good to go. We ate at our favorite restaurant for lunch on my birthday before we headed home. It was a very fun trip. Justin and I kept thinking that it didn't' seem right for us to be relaxing at the beach when our families were without power.
Here are some pictures of our fun time. One disclaimer: the pictures are not very good because we left our camera at home and had to use a disposable. I can't remember the last time I have had to look through a little hole to take a picture!

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Reflections on turning 30!

Yesterday I turned 30 years old. As I reflected on 30 years of life, God brought a wonderful realization to mind, I have been a Christian for the last 20 years of my life. WOW! By God's grace, I have spent the last 20 years being sanctified by Him into the woman He desires me to be, sometimes with ease but mostly with great difficulty. I have felt His presence and love for 20 years. I am sitting here without words but with an overflowing heart of thankfulness.

I thought it would be fitting to reflect on 30 things that my Savior has taught, shown, plucked out, changed, etc. in my life in these last 20 years.

1-Christ opened my eyes to see my need for a Savior.

2-Christ put godly examples in my life to show me more of Him.

3-Blessed me with two godly parents who have loved me unconditionally.

4-He gave me strength to withstand all the temptations of high school.

5-He showed me that He was all I would ever need.

6-He allowed me to witness and share the gospel with my friends without fear.

7-Gave me a glimpse of what a live who passionately pursues Him looks like.

8-Blessed me by allowing me to marry that man, Justin, in 1999.

9-Daily reminds me of His grace ever pouring out on me as I confess and put to death sins in my life.

10-Joy is found only in Him!

11-Allows me to see, know, and love Him more through His Word.

12-He has given me a passion to know His word and realize that theology is very important.

13-He has shown me that predestination is Biblical and true, I am so grateful that He has predestined me.

14-He will not forsake His own.

15-He is faithful even when I am not.

16-He delights in His children seeking Him.

17-His love is unconditional and always the same.

18-Blessed me with my first child, Karis Ann.

19-Blessed me by allowing me to be a pastor's wife.

20-He cares about all our prayers, even the small things that seem insignificant.

21-His blood has washed away my sins.

22-Jesus paid it all! There is nothing left for me to do but cling to Him and Him alone.

23-Blessed me with my second child, Noah John.

24-Blessed me with many godly friends to embrace this journey with, thank you all for allowing Christ to work through your life.

25-His grace is sufficient.

26-I need His grace daily to love, train, and discipline my children.

27-In the storms of life is where I can feel His presence most.

28-Singing praises to my Savior allows me to get the focus off myself and onto the one who deserves it.

29-He has shown me how selfish and prideful I am, and then He reminds me of His saving and sanctifying grace.

30-Blessed me with 20 years of being His child and knowing and falling more in love with my Savior.

Wow, I still can't believe that I am 30. God is good, and He never changes. I am thankful that He can and has changed me in a million different ways in the last 20 years.

Coupons and Craziness

I was so excited today to go the Harris Teeter and bring my coupons (triple coupon) time. I had a few things that I was getting for very cheap, and I just needed a few other things for the rest of the week. The sale paper came out yesterday, so I plotted out all the things I needed and how much I was going to save, since they send us $20 off of a $50 coupon for every week this month. After waiting ten minutes for the manager to find an item I needed, for coupon purposes, Karis, Noah, and I proceeded to check out. As I proudly pulled out my coupons, about $35 in all, I realized that I left the $20 coupon at home. A very disappointed and frustrated feeling fell over me. I had already celebrated my saving victory before I checked out only to discover that I only saved $20 instead of $40.
I guess this will teach me to be so prideful about coupons and saving money! Maybe next time I shouldn't be quite so organized!!

9 Months Old and Walking, Genius Book of World Records?

Noah just turned nine months old yesterday. He has been taking steps for awhile now, but just in the last few days, he has started doing it without our prompting. Wow, is this a world record, walking at nine months? He is not very sturdy as you will be able to see, but he is so cute. I am so blessed to be his mom. He is a mess, never in one place very long, but so much fun and always so happy. He loves playing with his sister, eating, and laughing. Here are two short videos of Noah displaying his walking skills. By the way, did you know that you can't walk without your arms straight up in the air?

I still can't believe he really is walking, where has the time gone, and why doesn't he just slow down!!!

Four Days Alone!!

Monday Justin left for his fall retreat, the kids and I alone for four days! We had a great time, we stayed busy and got a lot of things done. I am so thankful that my husband cares enough about his ministry to take these retreats to focus on his sermons and the future of Christ Baptist Church. I am also thankful that he didn't return home with the flu like last time.
I wanted to send a special thank you to our church family. Thank you to the Skinners for opening up your home for dinner, thank you to Sondra for going to Rocky Mount with us, thank you to the Noonan girls for coming to play with Karis, thank you to Nancy Tucker for dinner and for loving my children. It was a great week and I am blessed to have such a loving church family.
On a side note, Noah has decided that pull ups are fun. He is so strong! I would never have imagined. He is also taking about three or four steps at a time now. He will be walking before we know it!
Have a great weekend!

"School"

Karis was very excited to get back into "school time." I can't tell you how many times she asked me to do school this summer, but we both needed a break. I am not doing anything much different than I did last year. We started with the letter E this week and number 4. Here are a few pictures of her learning how to write her letters.

Tracing "E" in her Pooh book.

Letters A-E written all by herself.

This year I have decided make a few goals for her for school. We will complete the letters and numbers. We will learn our months, she already knows her days, and we will enjoy learning a little about each of the 7 continents. I hope to show her the different way people live and how God desires for all people to be saved as we learn the continents and about missionaries living there. Maybe this will spark a love for an unreached people group even at an early age, and it will also teach her (and remind me) of all the comforts we have here that we should be thankful for.

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of our school day!

Fun at the Park!

Last Monday, on Justin's day off, we decided to take the kids to the park to play and feed the ducks. We have been to this park a few times, and Karis really enjoys it. I also like the fact that she can't really hurt herself because the ground is made of rubber, but it is a little hot. Noah always has fun in his stroller watching his sister play and eating!

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Clorox and Joy: Two Random Thoughts

I know that I am not the most intelligent person in the world, but sometimes I wonder how I could have graduated in the top 10 percent of my high school class and with a pretty high grade point average in college. Monday Justin and I cleaned off the front of the house (the porch rails and siding, using a mixture of clorox and water). I had already done one whole side before I realized that I forgot to take of my wedding band, thankfully this is only the one I wear when I am working out or just around the house, it is not my diamond ring. I looked down and realized that it was totally black, dug, clorox bleaches everything, including silver. I have also for the past two days endured some very soar and sensitive fingers. I guess next time I should wear gloves it I don't want to the clorox to eat away at my finger tips!!!
Sometimes I wonder if I am even capable of being a mom! God always reminds me that no I am not capable of anything apart from Him!!

This morning the Lord has again reminded me of my lack of joy in Him.

Psalm 4:7 says:

You have put more joy in my heart

than they have when their grain and wine abound.

Do I find more joy in Christ than in all the other things of life? Lately my answer to that question would have to be no. God is convicting me of my lack of joy and passion for Him. I am thankful that His mercies and promises are new every morning.

Fun Around the House

This month I am trying really hard to stay in the budget, it seems that every month I always go over, even when we are out of town. I keep wondering where all the money goes? I have been more diligent about staying home more and trying to be creative about what we do. Karis has had a good time playing in her fort (these where always a hit when I was growing up). Karis enjoyed reading all her books in her fort and tried taking a nap in it but that didn't work.
Noah has recently become intrigued with Calvin. He is always intently watching Calvin, trying to find the right time to pull up on him or grab him! It is very amusing to watch Noah interact with Calvin. I am so thankful that Calvin is so good with Noah, just like he was with Karis.

Karis' photographer debut. What a sweet close up of her brother!!

Karis decided that her feet were cold one day, it was only 98 degrees outside!

Noah and Calvin interacting through the door.

Karis reading in her fort. I am so glad she enjoys reading as much as her parents do!

Karis and I are starting our fun "school" this week. I am ready to be on a bit of a routine. We will still go to the pool a few more times before it closes, and do a few more fun summer activities.

God has really been teaching me these last few weeks. I get so overwhelmed thinking of how to "school" Karis. I don't have these manipulative's, I don't know what to do, I can't do this, why is it so hard to think of an activity for a three year old, etc. I have really had to lay down my perfectionist side and realize that Karis is only three. Doing something is better than doing nothing. Sometimes I just want to be more creative and have other talents than I have. I have to remind myself that I can learn new things and that my talents can aid in that, I just have to be patient and willing to try new things. I am thankful for the talents the Lord has given me, and I am continuing to learn how use them in different ways.

Knobs: Noah's new discovery

I never in my wildest dreams thought that a knob, any knob, would be something one of my children liked to chew or suck on. Noah has recently discovered every knob in the house and will anything he can to get his mouth around it. I have seen him put his body is very crazy positions in order to get his mouth around a knob, in the bathroom, kitchen, on the computer armoire. Does anyone have any explanation for my son's fascination with knobs, it's not like he doesn't have toys to chew on!! Here are a few pics to show you how much fun he is having!

The knob in my bathroom, he is just about to get his whole mouth around it.

"Look Mommy, this is good!"

The knob on the computer armoire is too high for him, so he wil pull himself up in order to get his whole mouth on it.

When I tell him, "no, no," this is the face he makes at me most all the time.

When I thought about the things I would have to clean, babies bottoms, spit up, hands, mouths, I never once thought that I would have to daily sanitize the knobs on all the furniture! Boys are so much fun!!!!

Choc-o-later

Did you know that a calculator is actually a "choc-o-later." Karis has recently been very excited about playing with our choc-o-later. It is so funny to hear her say it and laugh. Kids are so funny. I was trying to think if she ever ate a piece of chocolate that looked like a calculator, but I can't think of any time. Maybe that is really what she hears when I say calculator.

Growing BOY!

Noah will be eight months old on the 10 of this month. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone, he is everywhere and into everything, so unlike his sister. By this time she wasn't even crawling yet! He has been crawling since five months, pulling up on everything (including Justin and I), and is now transferring from one person or thing to another. He really enjoys pulling up on Calvin! I am amazed at how fast he can get somewhere and into something, like the dog food. His other favorite thing to do is chew or suck on knobs, like on the kitchen cabinets or drawers. Where did that come from? Frustration is now becoming evident when he can't get somewhere or a toy he wants. Karis is learning to be helpful with him, even though most of the time she just wants to take out his paci or take the toy he is playing with away. God is good, and the kids are learning to play together a bit. There is just so much playing a three year old can do with an eight month old!!

Noah's favorite time, BATH TIME! We always know when Noah is happy, his mouth is open wide!

The pack-n-play is a great thing for Noah when we are outside. He likes making funny faces.

Our little man standing up. What a sweet boy!!

Computer Crash

Our computer has crashed and my wonderful husband is trying to fix it. I am on his laptop at the moment, so I just wanted everyone to know that we are all doing good, listening to Noah jump in the jumper and Karis is doing a puzzle. I will be back in the blogging world once our computer is fixed or we get another CPU. Our week has been good, lots of fun with friends and family. Have a wonderful rest of the week, and I hope to be back online soon!
We asked Karis who broke the computer, and she said, "God did." Maybe there is a lesson in there about our reliance on the computer to communicate with others, maybe we should get back to the old way of communication: the phone and letters!!

Who am I?

I have been thinking a lot lately about who I am in Christ. Reading, Because He Loves Me, is reminding me of finding my worth and success only in Christ and what He has done for me on the cross. All of my accomplishments and successes are only that because Christ has paid my penalty of sin on the cross, what a freeing and challenging truth to mediate on daily. It is freeing because it reminds me that my self-esteem, self-worth, and self-love can only truly be found at the cross. The gospel should bring all these to light as only found in my Savior who loves me. It is challenging because it reminds me that ALL things are related to the gospel.
My identity for most of my life has been found in relation to someone else. I was "Coach Adams' daughter, Shawn's sister, Mrs. Adams daughter, Jeanna the athlete, then I became Justin's wife, for awhile I was Coach Childers' teacher/coach for two years, then I returned to Justin's wife, Karis' mom, and now I am the pastor's wife, and Karis and Noah's mom."
My identity is still in someone else, Christ. Every dirty diaper I change, every time I discipline my child, every dish I wash, bathroom I clean, floor I mop, etc, these are all things that I do bearing the identity in Christ. If my day seems mundane or ordinary, it is because I have allowed the world to try and dictate who I am and not who Christ says I am.
I am so thankful to be able to go to the Word to remind me who I am:

"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin." (Romans 4:7-8)

Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)

... and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that...he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:6-7

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. I this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10)

These are only a few verses that have really reminded me of who I am in Christ and what His love has done for us. Sometimes staying home and raising my children leave me to feel like I do not have a my own identity, I am only the wife, mom, maid, cook, disciplinarian, etc., but Christ is my all, so I don't need any other identity but His. Hallelujah, what a Savior!!

Calvin likes to slide!

We discovered a few months ago on our own slide in the back yard, that Calvin, our dog, likes to slide. We thought it was so funny and had a great time watching him. I thought you might enjoy seeing Calvin slide with Karis. This is at the park down the street from our house. Justin, Noah, Calvin, and I all went for a walk, and Karis rode her bike, thus the helmet on her head. Lots of times at home when she is riding her bike, she won't take her helmet off when she goes to do other things. I hope you enjoy this, it really is a funny sight!

Texas Summer 2008

I am glad to be home after our two week and four day vacation in Texas. We had a wonderful time with both our families and with my mom's extended family. We flew into Houston on Monday June 23 and were met by my parents. They let us borrow their car to for our time with Justin's family on Orange. We shared a brief hug and kiss and were off to Beaumont to see Justin's sister, Courtney first. We then spent the next few days in Orange at Pop Pop and Grammy's house with Aunt Courtney.
We ate good Mexican food, went to the water park, and visited Mamou and Papou as much as we could. Noah meet his great-grandparents for the first time and slobbered and spit up on everyone! Here are some pictures from our trip. We already miss you all!


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More to come later from our time with my parents and the family reunion.

Sitting Up, Crawling and Learning to Share

My sweet Noah is moving way too fast for this mommy. As I have shared before, he is totally mobile now, crawling, sitting himself up, and going after whatever he sees. The word "no" has now become a word in his vocabulary. Not only is he mobile, he is now teaching his sister how to share her toys. Karis loves having Noah around, as long as he isn't messing up her toys or playing with them. She is having to learn that her toys are not hers, they are God's, which she tells me all the time except when Noah is trying to get them. I am enjoying seeing them interact. Karis really wants to teach Noah how to do things, she just wants him to leave her "creations" alone.
At six months old, aren't babies just supposed to be learning how to sit up? I am going to have to start baby proofing everything pretty soon, he is already crawling into the kitchen. I never really had to baby proof anything with Karis, she didn't get into things. I can't remember her opening cabinets or getting things in the bathroom, I think Noah is going to be my explorer!
What a blessing these two children are. I have learned so much from them, and God continues to show me His unending love as He gives me love, patience, and wisdom in raising these precious gifts from Him!
We are getting excited about our trip to Texas in just five more days!! I cannot wait to see everyone and let them meet Noah!

Recent Pics

Here are two recent pictures. Noah is sitting up pretty well, with help from the Boppy or a pillow behind him. Karis is having fun interacting with Noah now, she likes playing with anything he is playing with and reading him books! It is fun to watch them interact, especially when she tells Noah no for some reason. I have to constantly say, "is it kind to talk to your brother that way?" She usually says, "no, mommy, I'm sorry Noah."

Karis helping Noah sit up.

Noah decided that he would just sleep on Daddy while we were reading to Karis before bed. It must be nice to be able to sleep anywhere.

JOY Part I

I have really been struggling the last few weeks in having joy in all situations and all during my day. I searched the Bible for verses with the word "joy" in them, and God pointed out some sins to me and encouraged me with His Word. Here are a few things I was reminded and learned about joy:
1. Joy comes from being in God's presence-
"in your presence there is fullness of joy" Ps. 16:11
"you make him glad with the joy of your presence" Ps. 21:6
2. Joy comes in the morning-
"but joy comes with the morning" Ps. 30:5
This really convicted me to get up earlier to have an unhurried time with the Lord before my children wake up. Lately, I have felt rushed in my time, and it causes me to already not be joyful because my time was interrupted. This also goes with point 1 because if I don't have an unhurried time with Him, than I am not resting in His presence.
3. God should be our "exceeding joy."
"to God of my exceeding joy" Ps. 43:4
4. Joy comes from praising God.
"Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous." Ps. 35:27
5. God's creation shows us joy.
"beautiful in elevation is the joy of the earth" Ps. 48:2
"you make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy." Ps. 65:8
"The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills girl themselves with joy" Ps. 65:12
6. God's Word should be the joy of my heart.
"Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart." Ps. 119:111

Wow, I was so reminded of how joyless I can be when things are not going the way I think they should be. Who am I question anything when even the creation sings for joy to the Lord! I am so much better than I deserve, thank you Lord for reminding me of my need to be in your presence all the time. I will not exude joy if I have not spent time with my Savior.

Stop Noah Stop!!!

My precious Noah is growing up so fast, literally. He has decided that a five month old should be crawling already, or attempting to. I am not ready to have him every where, but I guess that I don't get to decide! He is such a sweet boy and a joy to be around. I love watching him and Karis interact, he really loves his sister. I also am enjoying that he is now on an eating schedule pretty close to ours, only four bottles a day with two baby food meals. He loves to laugh, roll over both ways, grab anything and everything in his path, and smile. What a blessing he is to us! Here are a few recent pictures of our almost 6 month old!

I just thought this was cute, him sticking out his tongue.

"Stop Noah, Stop!" I am not ready for this!!

What a sweet smile and how much more precious to know that he is smiling at me! Being a mom is so much fun and such an incredible blessing.

Sweet retreat!

This weekend, I had the special privilege of meeting my best friend, Michelle, in Williamsburg, Virginia for some girl time and shopping. Michelle's birthday was Saturday, and we were both blessed to have someone watching our children so we could have our girls weekend, which this will probably be our last one for a long time since they are moving back to Texas in a few weeks. Last year, Michelle and I spent a whole day seeing the historical sights of Williamsburg, so this year we decided to forgo the sights and just shop. We were both very successful in finding some things that we needed and getting a few things for the kids for next year. My favorite steal that I got was a pair of jeans for Karis from the Children's Place for $4.45.
We spent a lot of time talking about what God has taught us these last few months. What a joy and blessing to see how much has grown both of us since we first met at Sam Houston State University over 10 years ago! We will both celebrate our 9 year wedding anniversary this year.
I was also blessed by my wonderful husband this weekend. He did a fantastic job keeping the kids while I was gone. He was so joyful and loved spending time with them by himself. Thanks Justin for serving me in this way, a few days away always brings a new and refreshed perspective.
Thank you Lord for a serving husband and Michelle. Thank you for renewing my spirit and giving me new patience and joy to raise my children. Thank you for reminding me that our time is short and to preach the gospel to myself and my family everyday.

The Word

I read Mark 2 yesterday during my time with the Lord, and I was floored by verse 2, "And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them." My first thought was WOW! Jesus is preaching about Himself. In John 1:1-3, 12, John tells us that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Can you imagine listening to Jesus preach the Word to them. He was standing there preaching the gospel, Himself, to them. How in the world could the disciples and the people listening to him understand all that He was proclaiming. Oh, how joyous it will be to stand and listen to our Savior one day just like the people did when Jesus was alive on the earth.
I long for the day to see my Savior, the Word, face to face.

Mother's Day Surprise!

I was very surprised on Thursday to receive a double jogging stroller from the UPS man. I asked my husband for one a few months ago, and wow, was I excited. Karis and I put it together that night. On Friday morning, I loaded the kids in the stroller and set off for my first jog. When I started jogging, the front swivel wheel started shaking terribly. I knew something was wrong. To make a long story short, we had to get a few new parts for the stroller. What a wonderful surprise. Karis really likes it because she gets to sit by Noah, and he really enjoys pulling her hair!



What a blessing it is to have a husband that helps me do something that I enjoy, exercise. Thank you Justin for the jogging stroller.

On Sunday morning, Jonathan Brooks, an elder and associate pastor, did a tribute to mothers during our second Scripture reading. He made a comparison between mothers and pastors. He said,"Mothers cannot take the credit when their children get saved or produce fruit in their lives, that only belongs to God, but mothers get blamed for everything bad that happens." I thought that his quote was exactly right. I will never be able to take credit for my child's salvation or sanctification because it is an act of God alone. Thankfully, I do get to teach Karis and Noah the gospel everyday by living, speaking, and learning more of it everyday myself. What a privilege to teach them of their greatest need, Jesus, our Precious Savior. I really had to look into my own heart and see if I was cherishing Him like He really deserves. Oh that I would never take lightly the sacrifice of our Loving Savior. His grace is the only reason I can be the mother I need to be to point my children to Christ. How desperate I am for Him!

This and That

My two little ones have grown up so much in the past few weeks. Noah is now rolling over from his back to his tummy, he has been rolling the other way for a long time now. He is awake a lot more and is really enjoying playing with his sister, more like watching her play, sitting and listening to us read books, and jumping in his johnny jumper. He is also starting to wean his way off a bottle, which is nice. He is adjusting well to the cereal and I will start some veggies and fruit tomorrow. I am enjoying our days as we play, cook, clean, and laugh. Karis is also growing up and being such a helper. I have a hard time cooking dinner these days without my faithful assistant. We baked homemade honey wheat bread this week, and she had the best time. Here are a few pictures of our last few weeks.

Karis is helping me make dinner.

I am trying to get Karis to have free playtime in her room by herself. She was very quiet the other day when I was cleaning. This is what I found when I walked by her room. She was building a castle, who knew it was going to take every toy and book she owned to make it right. She had a blast, and we had fun cleaning it up. I am thankful that she is usually a very good helper when it is time to clean up.

Here's another: Can you guess who?

I am going to leave this one up for comments. We will see who can tell which is Noah and which is Karis! Try to guess before looking at the date on the picture!! Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Dad, you are another year old today. God has given us another year with you. I am so blessed to have you as my dad, and my children are so blessed to have such a loving Papa John. Thank you for being constant throughout my life. Thank you for always listening and offering your wisdom. I pray you have a very special day. WE LOVE YOU and wish we could be there to celebrate your birthday!

Papa John with all his girls!

Papa John with his first grandson.

Karis sang you happy birthday this morning, sorry she didn't want to sing it on the phone! She said, "I love my Papa John, he is 20 years old today!"