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Not So Happy Birthday

As most of you know Dawson's birthday was on Tuesday. We planned to have a small party in the evening for him. All the boys were so excited all day and couldn't stop talking about eating "birthday" (which is the same thing as cake). Dawson had been feeling a little run down over the weekend, but things had been looking up, and it seemed like he was getting over whatever he had. Well ..... Tuesday afternoon right before nap time he spikes a fever. NO FUN!!! So I have to call all his little buddies and cancel the party. I decided to still pick up the cake and have the grandparents over since Dawson really doesn't understand why he can't have a birthday party. I picked up balloons and we still had fun. He is finally over whatever it was and now Noah has it. STINK!

Here are a few pictures of that night at the next day as they enjoyed cake leftovers:):)

Precious To Me

Here are some very rare shots of my kids and I. Usually I am the one who takes the pictures so I never get to be in them. I like that, but I do cherish the couple of times I capture moments with them. Here are a few. I took them just playing around so they aren't the best, but they are fun.

The Big 10lb Mark!!

So I am very thrilled and sad all at the same time. I have reached my fist ten pounds of weight loss. A very big deal in most cases. However, I started to get discouraged because when I looked at it along with how much I still have to loose it seems like nothing, and it only looks like I lost weight in the one place I would rather keep it (my boobs:-).

Aside from the sudden disappointment i felt for a while yesterday. I now feel thrilled and I am very thankful to the Lord for his strength and grace during this time. I am gonna post a picture of my face in this one. I usually never put up pictures of me, but I will every couple of months so we can all track the progress through my face which tends to make the biggest change as I loose weight.

Hope everyone is well.

Happy Birthday Dawson!!!!

My baby boy is growing up. He is the great big 2 today. He is such a beautiful boy and will always be "my baby" to me. He is my last boy and still cuddles with me, and I wish that would last forever. He has such big blue eyes and giving, sweet heart. You can really tell he cares about others already. I just love him so much. Dawson I hope you have the best day ever!!!! Love Mommy

Open Windows

Yesterday was the first nice day since the hot days of summer began. There was no humidity, beautiful sunshine, and a cool breeze. First instinct was to open the windows. My most favorite thing to do in the fall. What a perfect day. I love fresh air. It is so energizing. It smells wonderful in this house. The summer funk is gone. The closed up house is no longer. It was in the upper 70's and is suppose to be like that all week. I am so excited.

As a side note. Last week our leaves began to fall and our back yard looks amazing. I don't rake because I love the look of the leaves covering my lawn. It is the look of Autumn. It brings a million thoughts rushing through my head. I think of nice cool evenings with a blanket and a cup of cocoa, I nice cool day at the park with the kids, The sound of the wind blowing, Homemade chicken soup and tons more. I guess I don't have to tell you Autumn is my favorite season huh?;-)

My little artists

Fun with veggies

Love

The Lord has been speaking to me about love in it's entirety, so to break it down and go into detail about everything would be hard. Here is one of the scriptures that he gave me concerning it.

Passage 1 John 4:7-21:

God's Love and Ours

    ⁷Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

    ¹³We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. ¹⁶And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. ¹⁷In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. ¹⁸There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹We love because he first loved us. ²⁰If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. ²¹And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. 

My favorite scripture

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James 1:27

Exciting Update

A while back I wrote a blog about getting organized. Since then, I have been sticking with it and things seem to be going smoothly. I have had my days, of course, we all do. However, God has really given grace where I need it most. In addition to that I have some very exciting news. I started Weight Watchers  two and a half weeks ago and joined a gym at the beginning of this week. So far I went three time this week. My goal is to go on Tues. and Thurs. since I have Physically therapy on Wed. and Fri. Besides that, I have lost a total of 7.5 pounds. I am so excited. My goal was to loose 30 by summer next year, but I think I am gonna go with loosing the 50 by the summer. Shockingly I have to loose about 75 to be at a healthy weight. I can't believe how big I have gotten. My doctor seems to think loosing the 50 is a good goal, so here goes. It seems like I am off to a good start. It is only by the grace of God I know. I really struggle in this area and this time I have had an easy transition. Thank you Lord!!

and.....Thanks Ashleigh for your encouragement and answering all my questions:):)!!

Amanda- thanks for letting me call you like every five minute with questions hehehehehe!!!

I weigh in every week but I will probably just update you guys once a month or so.

MOMMY I DON'T WON'T TO SWIM!!!!

Peek-a-Boo

A Beautiful Get-away

Last week I took my boys and baby girl on a much needed get away. Mommy was very stressed and needed to go have fun with the kiddos. I went to Williamsburg. While being very busy due to having four kids I had a blast and so did they. It was much needed for all of us and it was fun to have some "mommy and me" time with the kids. What a special week I won't soon forget.

We went to a park a couple times that week the kids loved it. I took a few pictures that came out beautiful. I love capturing shots of the kids playing.:):) Hope you enjoy!

A very pretty Sadie

My heart hurts

I just received really bad news yesterday. A friend of mine, who lives out of town, was due to have a baby in September. I was told that she gave birth last week but her baby had passed away sometime prior to the birth. My heart is just aching so bad for her and her family. My prayers go up for her. I pray that comfort and peace just surround their home and their hearts. I don't know the details , but I do know God can heal their broken hearts. I can't imagine what they might be going through right now. Please if you have a chance please pray for them please do. They have three other children who also need the Lord to bring understanding and peace to their tiny hearts. They are young and probably very confused. I know God will see them through.

Doesn't get better than this.....

As a mom you often find yourself in your day-today routine doing your normal day-to-day chores. Dishes, diapers, sweeping floors, diapers, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, diapers. Oh! did I mention diapers:):) hehehe. Anyway, the other day while in my daily routine of diaper changing I get to Noah's diaper, I lay him down play with him a bit talk to him give him a kiss or two and so on. Normally I would then change the diaper and the child would take off and go play as if he was being held captive by an Evil Villon who was taking away from his play time (mom's are so cruel) :):). As a mom I usually don't think twice about this being a thankless job and one that can be very trying I just do it because I love my babies and love what I do. However, there are those days, come on mom's you know you have them, when you just wish maybe for a thank you or some type of recognition. Anyway today wasn't one of them. I was just simply enjoying my day and being a mom. I get to the diaper changing part with Noah and as he stands up and gets ready to take off and go play, he stops............ He looks at me and he says............ Thank you mommy. My heart melted at that moment and that reminded me of why I do what I do and why I try my best to do it without complaint and with a thankful heart. Not so I will get the thanks, but that my kids will learn to be thankful in everything they have and do. My son blessed me so much I am beside myself. Ever since then both Caleb and Noah say thank you after diaper changes. They are some sweet boys.