4 Years Ago...

I love you sweetheart. Thank you for these 4 wonderful years. I can't wait to spend another year with you! (and a gabillion more after that!!!)

The love of your life,

Jessica

Sneak Peek of 1st Birthday Splendor!

My USB ports are out on our computer so I can't upload any pics. Which means...no birthday pics, no anniversary trip snapshots, no house rennovation pictures. AHHHHHH.

Thankfully, this picture was sent to me via Sandra. I will be posting more about her birthday later, but I thought you guys might like a little taste of what's to come. :)

And So...Today Being A Mom Means:

...getting poop on your hands three times in one day. Joy joy.



Check back often for details on an upcoming contest that I will be hosting! (My first ever might I add)

Sunday Morning Glory

One of my very favorite moments about Sunday mornings is seeing my two kiddies all dressed up and ready to go to church. The moments before they have a chance to slobber, drop food, potty, or the fifty other things that kids can do to their clothes happen.
So, yesterday morning I took a couple extra minutes and grabbed the camera. For the first time since she's blessed us with her little presence, we were able to get a bow to stay on the side instead of on the top like Pebbles from the Flinstones. Thought I would share a couple of those moments...

Macie is playing with corn on the cob (plastic of course).

Ok...I took just about a dozen pictures of them together and never did manage to get a shot of them BOTH looking at the camera and smiling at the same time. So, I decided to scrap the idea of finding one where at least one of them looked "the best" and posted the one that I thought was funny. :)

Macie's got a rash on her bottom, so you can pray for her. I'm thinking teething is probably underway. Poor baby.

Simply Macie in all her Sunday morning sweetness. Thank God for my precious family and babies! He is SO incredibly good to me, even in the hard times.

Do you ever?

Do you ever just sit and ponder the way that your life is...whether you're doing the right things, whether you're making the right choices, are you making sure that you slow down enough to enjoy the time that you have now.

During our day to day scuffle, we so often forget to slow down enough to think about what we're doing, make sure that it's pleasing to God. Do we even try to include Him in our day unless it's something pressing or just because it's something we want. I find myself so many times forgetting to make God first and foremost in everything that I do. It leaves me with an empty feeling at the end of the day, like I have lacked the most important part. I sit in the evening pondering the things that I've said and the actions that I've done during the day and wonder just how differently my day would have gone if I had stopped just a moment to consult God about what I was saying and doing.

It pleases God when we pray to Him giving thanks and praise, but how often do we neglect Him until we need something?

God has blessed me with an AWESOME little family! I love my husband *miss him TERRIBLY right now while he's working midnights* and I adore my two beautiful children. I couldn't have asked for a better family. The thought of having more children thrills my heart. God has fulfilled the desires of my heart and continues to pour out His blessings to me even when I neglect to give Him my all.

Rather than being known as a person who does whatever they want at the time or acting out hastily...I would like to be known as a woman of God. I want to be a testimony so that someone could say, "She really loves the Lord and puts Him first in her life." I want to teach my children the importance of serving God and putting Him first in their lives.

I anxiously await the day when they can be saved. The mere thought of it alone is enough to make my heart leap. To witness the salvation of your children has got to be one of the most ultimate joys on earth.

There needs to be a more fervent stride to pause and put God at the beginning of our day, our plans, our everything. At the same time, I don't mean to say that anyone should go about all day acting as if there is no fun in serving. I believe that christians can have the most fun and joy of anyone.

Note: The above picture...yes...I'm being stabbed with a putter during a "fencing" match and I was putting forth my best effort to "die" as gracefully and girley as I possibly could. haha

Slow down today and consult with God. Take time before you answer and think about what God would have you to say. Enjoy the time you have with your family. Don't brush the kids off because you don't feel like playing, play with them. Give them the little attention they need. They don't stay young for anytime at all. Ty is growing up so fast that it scares me. Macie is already under 2 weeks shy of being one year old.

There are times when the kids NEED me to play with them and I really don't feel like it. I'd rather take time out for myself, flop on the couch and chill. BUT, I ALWAYS feel better when I make myself stop and think of them before myself and play for a while with them. It scares me when I look at them and can't remember what they were like just a year ago. What did they really look like then? I carried Macie past a mirror today and stopped and looked and then completely freaked out when I saw how big she has gotten over what seems to be just this week. I don't want to miss my kids childhood by rushing around.

So, slow down, put God first, and enjoy your family!

Long midnights...

Have I ever mentioned that I really don't like it at all when Ryan has to work midnights? As many of you know, Ryan works swing shift so every week he works something different which makes it a little hard to adjust.

This evening he is working the midnight shift so the past few hours went a little like this:

1. Ryan trying to play with the kids and spend time with me.
2. Ryan going outside to mow the lawn.
3. Me rushing around trying to pick the house up a little.
4. Me getting things set out and ready to cook for supper.
5. Ryan coming in and spending more time with me and the kids.
6. Ryan taking a hurried shower.
7. Me cooking spaghetti and juggling the two kids around.
8. It's getting late so we sit down for a rushed supper.
9. Ryan running out the door for work at 6:00 pm.
10. Ty and I standing on the back deck waving him off and feeling sad that he's gone.
11. Ryan yelling to us from the truck to tell us that he'll call home soon to talk to us.
12. Ty and I heading back inside to finish up supper, clean up, wind down or wind up for me.
13. Put the kids to bed after a long evening with them by myself.
14. Sit up late missing Ryan and hating to go to bed by myself.
15. Still sitting up until I wear myself out to where I fall in bed and pass out.

That's just about how it goes every time he's on midnights. He'll get back home 7:15am. Until then, we'll be here missing him.

Macie's 1st birthday is fast approaching. Mommy is not to certain on how she feels about her little baby girl growing up so fast. Ryan and I both noticed how much she had grown today. She's getting so tall.

Ty will probably get spoiled ridiculously tonight since Ryan is gone. I will more than likely be guilty of letting him stay up way too late and then rock in the chair with me till he falls asleep. :)

Depending on how this evening goes, I may possibly be back on here LATE this evening since I'll be here with fifty thousand other things to do, but not wanting to do any of them. :)

Summer Post # 4....maybe?

So, it's been a while since I've posted. Yes peeps, I know I've done a terrible job of keeping my blog up this summer. But believe me, when you're a stay-at-home mommy, then you're forced by necessity to be away from your family, then suddenly you have the opportunity to be back with them full-time again, let me just tell you, it's hard to tear myself away and make time for the computer. PLUS, we're STILL having computer issues, so it's hard for me to get online and stay on for extended periods of time without it locking up on me.

Anywho...Well, since it's been FOREVER since I've talked to you guys, my latest news would be that I'm singing in a wedding tomorrow *which by the time most of you guys read this...tomorrow is Saturday.* I could use prayers...it always makes me nervous to sing at peoples weddings. You've got a one shot deal to make their wedding wonderful. Ugh.

Macie is growing like a weed. Woe! All of a sudden she's hit a growth spurt. Ty has too. It's crazy how they grow so fast. It's cool to watch them learn all new things.

This was Ty cheesing it up on the 4th of July. :)

I was so excited about this picture. Most of the time these days our pictures consist of mostly the kids, or us as a family. Ryan and I never have our pictures with just us anymore, so I was pretty excited when Eden emailed this one to me after we went out to eat one night.

Ryan's grandparents celebrated their 60th Anniversary, so all of the family that could make it went out to eat to help celebrate. :) Ryan and I left the kids with our friend Deanna so we could have a nice dinner out by ourselves. Afterwards we all went and played putt-putt. Fun!

Brittany took this picture and posted it on her blog, but I HAD to put it on mine too. I love her beautiful eyes. She could win just about anybody over with those little doll baby eyes.

This past Tuesday came and went and left me 26 years old. :) I had a good birthday. Ryan took me shopping and bought me a new STYLIN purse. lol...some cool shades...and upgraded my wedding rings.

I have so many things that I need to blog about, but as soon as I sit down to write, I can't think of a single thing. I'll try to jot some things down and come back and post when my brain is in actual working gear. All for now...

By the way...I was meme'ed by Karen, so here it is:

Here are the rules:

List seven songs that you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your Summer of 2008. Post these instructions in your blog, along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what their favorites are this year!

1. Deep and Wide (Ty loves that song, so I've sung it to death this summer)
2. When the Rain Comes - Third Day
3. If You Want Me To - Ginny Owens
4. All That Thrills My Soul is Jesus
5. Beauty and the Beast
6. VeggieTales theme song
7. Beyond the Sunset

:)