Spring.....

I love how Sam looks in pastels! This was a garage sale find, it fits perfect and he looked adorable in it. He loves to pick through the rocks outside and pick out his favorites! Occasionally one goes in his mouth but not to often. :)

Sentimental Sunday....

A couple of years ago we went on a trip to the Hill Country. I am really wanting to take a weekend to go again. It is beautiful and an escape out of the day to day routine sounds lovely!!!

Our skater....

Jacob is thrilled with his new hobby! It flows into many areas of his life and something he has really enjoyed. He is outside for 3-4 hours a day and is enjoying it on his own or using it around the neighborhood and finding other boys to hang out with. He often ends up playing football or basketball but enjoys his new way of getting around when it is time to come home. His dad got him a cell phone for Christmas so we can stay in contact while he gains the freedom of being out in the neighborhood.

Brothers....

Sam has started going over to a picture of Andrew and Jacob and talking to his brothers! It is sweet to see. Most of the time their lives are faster than his and he can't keep up. They do find ways to connect but not as often as Sam would like!

Grace....

I like to have gentle reminders in our home of truth. More importantly my heart is to walk it out and become more like Christ and display those things in my life and relationships. Only with Christ can I do that.

9. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV

Grace…expresses two complementary thoughts: God’s unmerited favor to us through Christ, and God’s divine assistance to us through the Holy Spirit. Jerry Bridges

Wordless Wednesday....

One of his favorite things....

One of Sam's favorite things is his ears. Actually he likes ears in general. As a young infant we saw him rubbing his ears from time to time. Sometimes we would notice while we were driving he would reach up and start rubbing them and than he would fall asleep. He finds something comforting in it and we joke that he might end up a ENT Dr. or perhaps he will have a ear for music!

Immense gratitude....

Trae and I were having one of our long talks this weekend and I told him how grateful I have been to be able to stay home for so many years. I have officially been a sahm for 18 years! God is good and he provided for me to do that even as a single(7 years) mom. Only with God could something like that be possible. I started staying home one week before my oldest son was born and he will be 18 very soon. I love the daily aspect of life and relationships. The pictures above are not from a lovely family photo shoot, a holiday or anything that might appear to be grand. However, I think the daily is grand! It is where memories are made, lives are changed, an impact is made and love is walked out. It is an honor to have the blessing of these lives and know that the Lord entrust them to me at least temporarily. My heart is full and I am a blessed woman.

Snow again....

I think I have lost count! It is the first day of spring and we have snow. God sure does have a sense of humor. It wasn't much snow but enough to give some beautiful flakes and a light ground cover. We left church and were blanketed in this beautiful gift! Honestly, I am ready for some warmth but we are trying to enjoy it while we can.

Peace...

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.

—Isaiah 26:3

Wordless Wednesday....

Silly pup!

Our pup liked to think he was human. He really did pose for pictures too. When I would get out the camera and take pictures of the boys he always would go stand in line next to them. He was such a silly pup. We miss him so much. We will never forget our dear pup and friend.

Spring Break....

This week is our spring break. We have a few things planned for the week and are looking forward to less school work, less driving and spending time together. Today I am going through Jacobs clothes with him to see what we have that works and what doesn't. He nows cares about his clothes so that makes it a little more challenging! Tomorrow Jacob and I will have some one on one and go out for the day while Sam stays here with our sweet sitter. Grandma will be out on Wednesday and is taking Jacob and his good friend to Incredible Pizza for some fun. While we don't have major plans we do have somethings to look forward to and I have a few home details to tend to that I would love to accomplish too! We are blessed with weather in the 60's this week so I know we will enjoy some outside time too.

The simple things...

My man is very happy with meat, potatoes and greens! Yes, I cook my chicken upside down!!! It makes the breast very moist and so that is what I do. I make asparagus different than Trae makes it and he really likes it. I love to try new recipes. Cooking for my family is something that blesses them and I really enjoy. In my dreams we would have our own garden but we haven't done well with that. I have done the best with growing my own herbs and I look forward to that again but our tomatoes last year totally bombed. We might try again but we need to figure out what we did wrong.

Family.....

Trae and I love this picture. We spent last Thanksgiving (Sam's first) in Sequin with his family. It was a grand affair and full of love, laughter, family and lots and lots of yummy food! Everyone was very warm and inviting and this precious aunt and cousin were just precious to us. She held him while I ate and they just loved on him. We are grateful for the picture and most of all the hearts behind it.

Family updates

Just a mini update on our family and what each of us are up to this season.

Trae-Hoping to finally put an end to our muddy walkway on the side of the house and wants to put stones down to have a walkway. That will be a project that he will love having done and hopes for some beautiful weekends to accomplish it. Working hard at work and blessed us by winning a trip for us this spring! We both turn 40 this year and it was our hope to go on a trip and the Lord provided in a big way! Going to 2 mens group each week and really values that. One is a small group and the other is a group of praying men at 5:30 AM. I am a blessed woman to have a praying husband.

Julie-For the first time in many years I have been buying some new clothes! It has actually been fun and I have enjoyed the hunt! Clothes are just not my thing and I am good with that but it was time to update a bit. You will still see me in my denim skirt (sometimes!) because that is just me and at nearly 40 I am good with being me!!! I am very blessed by my Titus 2 group and grateful for close relationships in my life. Loving being a wife, mama and taking care of my family. I hosted a weekend scrapbook retreat for some close friends and that was a wonderful girls time away! Trae and Sam did great without me and updated me via email on how things were going.

Andrew-Andrew is coming close at finishing up his Jr. year. He works at Best Buy and was promoted to the computer dept. Those of you who know him are not shocked by that as he is very good at computers and loves it! He is enjoying friendships and what free time he has outside of work and school. He has his colleges narrowed down to where he would like to go and we are hoping to make some visits to those this spring. He did really well on his PSAT and will take his SAT very soon. He is also hoping to go out to his uncles house this summer in LA again. He also found out recently that his dad and his wife will be having a baby and that he will have a baby sister later this summer. Andrew has wanted a baby sister since he was 3 or 4 years old.

Jacob-His passion right now is skateboarding! Actually he has a board called a pump rocker but I am not exactly sure what that means. It has 3 wheels and he LOVES it!!! It keeps him outside, moving and having fun. He is still homeschooling and goes to a school PT 3 mornings a week. He loves the PE class we do each week too and has already asked that we continue it until they tell him he is too old. :) Jacob loves the color black and for the first time enjoys picking out his clothes and has a sense of style and what look he is after. It is fun to watch. He is already talking about Pine Cove this summer and can't wait!

Sam-He had 3-4 weeks of sickness but PTL he is doing well now!!! It was a rough month but our boy is recovered and busy again. He has basically learned the DVD player too. He is loving building with blocks, pushing anything around the house and being outside. He loves to go on walks and go to the swings at the park. He is eating solids well and we are so grateful! He is finally off moms milk and onto organic cows milk. Not a easy transition but we made it 13 months of the good stuff!! We are really enjoying seeing his personality. He is a very happy baby, busy but can be still and enjoys connecting. He loves to cuddle and loves to be held.

Lovey...

All my kids have always had a special lovey. Andrews was this little Oshkosh bear. He named him, "Bear" and we had a 2nd one in case of emergency and we named him, "Cousin." Cousin still hangs out at our house and Sam likes him. I think Sams lovey will be a blanket but it is sweet to see him love on our old friend Cousin.

Wordless Wednesday....

The boy is better than ever!

After a really rough couple of weeks we are thrilled and rejoicing that Sam is well! He showed off on Sunday by building with blocks up to 6 high. It was so much fun to see and we are thankful that our family is all well again.

Dad, nurse and worker....

Last week when Sam was sick Trae worked from home one morning so I could take Jacob to school and not have to take Sam since he wasn't well. I returned home to one sleepy boy and one loving, caring and working daddy! He slept in his arms for over a hour and although it was a rough week for him that was a special, sweet time for lots of cuddling time. Trae was able to work one handed and I am sure Sam enjoyed the sweet time too. I am so grateful for a husband that is a wonderful father to our boys.

Helper...

Trae installed cabinet locks recently. We were trying to not install them but our curious little guy was getting into lots of non-child things and for our sanity and his safety we got busy and got some installed.

One of his loves....

Sam loves basketball! Many a nights he goes in with Trae and Jacob and they play it in the bedroom. He has done that since he was very young and he is giddy being able to go in the room! We have his goal that he got for his birthday low enough that he can reach it. Jacob will love having a brother in a few years that is big enough to play on the court with him.

A sad day for us....

Today was a very sad day for us. We had to say goodbye to our Sparky. He was almost 15 and the best dog ever. He lived a long, good life and we are grateful for the many years we had. Tough day, lots of tears and we are grateful for all his years and that he is peaceful now. This picture was taken about 5 years ago during one of our many cuddle times. We love you Spark and will never forget you.

A Parting Prayer

Dear Lord, please open your gates
and call St. Francis
to come escort this beloved companion
across the Rainbow Bridge.

Assign him to a place of honor,
for he has been a faithful servant
and has always done his best to please me.

Bless the hands that send him to you,
for they are doing so in love and compassion,
freeing him from pain and suffering.

Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss.
Help me remember the details of his life
with the love he has shown me.
And grant me the courage to honor him
by sharing those memories with others.

Let him remember me as well
and let him know that I will always love him.
And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,
please allow him to accompany those
who will bring me home.

Thank you, Lord,
for the gift of his companionship
and for the time we've had together.

And thank you, Lord,
for granting me the strength
to give him to you now.

Amen.

Wordless Wednesday....

Sams favorite food...

We are hoping Sams food interest grow! He is offered many different foods but for table food hasn't found many that he is really loving. Luckily he does like chicken, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, banana's, natural applesauce, saltines, oatmeal, blueberries....see how does like more than I tend to remember! He likes it even better if it is pureed and on a spoon and we are weaning off that and stretching him to eat them mashed. One week we needed an easy dinner and comfort food. It was your basic chicken casserole with pasta, cream of mushroom, cheese and chicken. That boy couldn't eat it quick enough! He loved it! When he is all better and recovered I will have to make it again so he can enjoy something he loves!!!

Under the weather....

Well, we not only have rain today but 3 out of the 4 of us are sick. Last month the boys were both sick several times and Trae and I escaped it each time. We are praying it passes soon and that Jacob stays well. Lots of cuddling, shows and crackers is our game plan! I love the cuddle time with a little one who is often on the go but being sick is not the way I would want to get it. Hoping and praying we are well very soon!!!