Gracie is 1!

Just yesterday, daddy looked at me and said, "Now, the fun begins." It's so true. We are really enjoying life with you and are starting to see more of your personality. You are so playful and love being included in everything. You are social but only with your family. You still scream and cry when a stranger approaches you and cling tightly to my sleeve.  You can just sit near your siblings and are content watching them. You love when I crawl and chase you and tickle you, and I love to see your big dimples. You love to sit and eat what we are eating. You actually observe everyones plates and refuse anything that doesn't look like what we're eating. You love being outside and going on walks. You are crawling everywhere, getting into things and tasting anything you find :) We definitely keep the area you play in clear of legos, but soon you will be building too. You are pretty determined and make your will known at times, but also still relaxed and easy going other times.

The past week you have been sick and not feeling great, and I have thoroughly enjoyed holding you every moment that I could and snuggling with you.  Every night either Dad or myself had to lay next to you to keep you comforted. It pained us to see you so uncomfortable. I love that you are small with lots of chub and so easy to cuddle with. I love how you love me and how quickly you stop crying when I hold you. People say you are like a light switch when I appear. You are a very sweet and pretty little girl, and we are looking forward to more giggles and snuggles with you. I am so grateful for your life and can't imagine it without you.

Happy first birthday, our dear little Grace! We all love you so much!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Those dimples!

I am so bummed it came out blurry, but I love your little face adoring your daddy, and he adores you too.

The things you say...

  We were all wrestling on the family room floor,  and Chloe got really scared at one point and started crying when daddy pretended to wrestle me. And daddy stopped immediately to comfort  her and assured her that daddy would never hurt mommy. And Noah chimed in with all seriousness and all wisdom, "Chloe, why would daddy hurt the person who cooks all our breakfast, lunches and dinners and folds all of our laundry?"

  I was telling Chloe we need to pray to Jesus to ask for patience.  With a smart look on her face, she responds, "Can't we just call God? Why doesn't he have a cell phone?"

And then there's Eli who will  periodically throw in a a big vocabulary word. There was quarreling over who was going to sit where for dinner, and Eli proudly responds, "Noah, Chloe, sit in your assigned seats!" 

Right now the big thing with Eli, is every time we leave or you have to go take a nap or pretty much anything, you always ask (and sometimes cry) "Can you go fast? I really like you! Can you set the timer?"

  You guys are all actually pretty hilarious. I really couldn't keep up with all the things that you say, but every once in a while I like to jot it down. I know there are many laughs to come...

Happy Father's Day!

Danny,

I was going to write you a card, but I need to organize our card box right now and it's pretty full. Plus I thought it would be fun for the kids to read the things I appreciate most about you in this season...

In this past year most of my time and energy was committed to Gracie. And I was most grateful for the dad that you were to the kids during what felt like a mental absence combined with physical exhaustion.  So when I think about what I love about their daddy, here are a few things that come to mind....

how you include whoever is available in your errands just to spend time with them, 

how you teach them to bless me by cleaning the house and picking up flowers (and they do it joyfully), 

how you faithfully worked on Noah's memory verses and spelling words on the car ride to school, 

how you taught Chloe how to ride (and stop) her bike and respond to all her "tickle me! tickle me!" 

how you let Eli handle all your tools and let him help you fix things and mow with you,
how you work wonders and get Grace to sleep and eat when I can't!, 

how after days of travels you come home with more energy for us and are intentional with the time you have with the kids,

how you never tire of playing (competitive) games and wrestle with them,

how much you love to coach them in whatever sport they are learning, 

how you patiently train and instruct them when they are lacking self control,

how you tuck them in and pray for them at night,

how quickly you are humble to ask their forgiveness when you've sinned against them,

how you teach them to pray for each other,

how you model that reading Gods word is priority in your days,

And to sum it up, how you show them Jesus in your heart through all that you do for them!

You love them so much and pour all of your self into our family, and in this past year you often took on a part of my load to give me rest.  I often ask you, "Aren't you tired?" or "Where do you get the energy for all this?!" Your response is pretty much the same- "I love coming home and coming home to you guys."  I love hearing that. I am so grateful for the way you love us unconditionally and how joyful you are when it comes to serving your family. I love the leader that you are and the man that my boys have to model after. Happy Father's day!

I remember picking out this rug with extra padding, 8 years ago when we bought our home, for this reason! You've made all my dreams come true :)

Yummy Father's Day dinner at Vintage

Lots of love,

Mom

Sutton OBX trip

super heros and sweet sisters

wanting to pause

Now that Grace is sleeping through the night, I wish I could slow down the time...

 

Not my ideal set up for our foyer and formal living room, but I'm loving it.

Ying did a great job capturing some fun in our only real snow day.

 These 2 use to be much closer in height, but Noah hit a MAJOR growth spurt. You don't eat much for lunch, but you sure make up for it during dinner.

 Over Spring break you guys named yourselves the "polar bears in underwear" and ran around the house chanting it.

 I think this has happened before...

 These 2 melt my heart. I love their relationship. Eli loves spending time with Chloe when she comes home from preschool and Chloe does a great job caring for him. 

 And I love this relationship too. Gracie loves. loves, loves how Noah plays with her. He is so sweet and gentle with her.  She too is very excited when he comes home from school.

S'more time with our dear friends! We are blessed with wonderful neighbors!

We got hit pretty badly with sickness for 3 weeks straight in March. Danny was the first to go down and this was Noah's "get well" notes for him. I really appreciated Noah's gospel message to him!

 So this is Noah and Chloe's toothbrushes suctioned to the bathroom ceiling. I'm not sure how this came about. Maybe mommy has been to OCD about keeping them away and separated after 2 rounds of strep?

A busy spring break. Easter craft, egg coloring, and our first fairy garden (thanks to Ms. Lauren.)

 First Costco trip with 4. 

 You guys picked and arranged all these flowers for me after being outside on a cooler morning. Noah said, "Mom we picked so many because you are so beautiful." You guys are so sweet. You made my year! 

 Snuggling with Eli on the porch swing because he wanted to wait for the recycle truck.

And last but not least, this baby is 10 months old!!  I can't get enough of you and your dimples!!



After a post like this, I want you kiddos to remember that I blog all the wonderful memories and graces in our lives. These are just times that I am grateful for, and it is very helpful for me to appreciate and remember these things in the midst of our craziness. We are blessed, but our lives are not always picture perfect. I obviously don't have pictures of the name-calling, pushing, throwing, yelling, complaining, and the list goes on... Our hearts are messy, but God is greater than our heart. His love compels us each day in the midst of ALL the joy AND in ALL the times were we feel like we are striving for each moment.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."  -1 Peter 1:3-9

truth

"The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, indeed I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken." -Psalm 16:6-8

This season has been far from easy, but the Lord has positioned me where I need to be fully dependent and aware of my need for him for EVERYTHING. I am a weak and weary mother in desperate need of God's grace.  It's a fight to believe sometimes that my limits and boundaries are "pleasant" as the psalm says. Often times I struggle with being a mom. I struggle with the way I look, with always feeling depleted, with feeling inadequate, and with being in a season where everything I do feels so repetitive and mundane. I never knew how sacrificial mommy-ing would be and how hard it is to fight for joy in the midst of pouring out your life even if it's on those you love. I can't imagine doing this without knowing the God who poured out his life for me. It is his care and love for me that strengthens me and enables me to care for you. I never knew how we would make it this far but his hand has been faithfully guiding, always helping me to fix my mind on him and his many promises.

And when my mind is set on the Lord, all things that are mundane have purpose, all the repetitiveness become perpetual blessings, all my inadequacy seems sufficient if I am in Christ, and all the depletion is filled with the truth that he will make all grace abound to me to do His work.  And as far as not looking my best, having my soul happy in the Lord is what I want people to really see. I am looking forward to the days to come.  The more I get older the more of Christ I have to look back up on.



Some recently favorite moments:

An attempted Christmas picture (taken 2 weeks after Christmas to be honest)

Danny and I had to miss his work trip to Mexico. Instead we took the kids to a surprise family trip to Great Wold Lodge and celebrated El's birthday. It was a very memorable time. We had so much fun as a family together and everyone had a good time. Eli was fearless and did anything he was allowed to do.

i just love her

Noah had his first season of basketball, (with the amazing coach daddy:). He scored 2 shots his last game, and I just love how he immediately looks at me to make sure i saw it.
 He also likes to show people how he "dabs."

I love the seeing the sunrise outside the kitchen window in the morning. I stopped the kids from eating breakfast to let them see a glimpse of God's glory. Chloe really likes his artwork :) One time Noah came yelling inside as I was preparing dinner and told me to hurry outside. He led me to the porch and wanted to show me a beautiful sunset just because he knows I love to see it. 

crazy hair day

that smile

breakfast date with mom

one of my favorite valentines

big girl food