My Pretty Princess

My precious baby girl is 4 months old today! This is one of my favorite ages for babies because it is when you start to see so much of their personalities and they really start interacting with you and their surroundings.

Here are the latest updates on Emery:

*She weighs 17 lbs. 13 oz. which is off the charts in percentile
*She is 26.5 inches which is also off the charts in percentile.
*She loves looking at patterns, so whenever she is wearing a dress she lifts it up so that she can study it.
*She doesn't take a pacifier, but she LOVES sucking on her hand and watching it.

*She is super ticklish and laughs really hard when you tickle under her chin.

*Emery can roll over (it is so cute because Moses cheers her on by pumping his fists in the air while saying "wool Emmy wool"). This is a picture of her as she is rolling over.

Here is a picture of the babies together:

It's All Part of the Plan...

So Moses likes this show on Playhouse Disney called "Special Agent Oso" and it has this funny little bear that helps kids solve problems. He always gets into situations when things don't go exactly the way he planned and he says, "It is all part of the plan...more or less." I love it because I feel like that is such a good motto for life in general. How often do things really go according to the way we plan them or think they should go.

As most of you know, over a year ago we moved to Redlands, California so that Jarrell could take a job at Forest Home (which is a Christian Camp and Conference Center). We had certain expectations for our new home and situation and were completely filled with hope. I only needed to work about 15 hours a week for us to be set financially, which shouldn't have been a problem. One month went by...no job, then two, then three, and so on. As each month went by, each resume went out, each interview yielded nothing, my hope diminished more and more. When we found out I was pregnant again (with Emery) we were filled with joy but were a little nervous about the added financial stress in the midst of our already uncertain situation. I knew that God had a plan and purpose for us but I felt lost, confused, and disappointed.

Well, God did have a plan, a PERFECT PLAN. I am not sure why He waited over a year to let it play out, but at this point and time I don't really care. I have learned so much the past year and I know that I wouldn't have grown as much as I have, if I didn't experience this time in my life.

There have been so many blessings that have flown out of this trying time. I was able to stay at home with my kids for a really long time. Even though it wasn't under the best circumstances, I wouldn't give that time back for anything.

Next Tuesday I will be starting at Forest Home as the Retail Manager. I am beyond excited to be part of an amazing ministry as well as doing something I am passionate about. I could not think of a more perfect job.

So remember when life gets tough, "It is all part of the plan...more or less."

Changes

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become." -unknown

Change. It is inevitable, necessary, hard, and growth. These are just some of the words lately I have found to describe it. I feel like I am in a constant state of transition. In some ways we all are. We are either growing to be better people or we are becoming worse people. You can't just be. Every choice, every word, every thought moves you in one of these directions. Which direction are you moving in?

I have dealt with a large amount of change in the past couple of months and I am finally sitting down to evaluate where it has led me. Thankfully, I am becoming a better person. (By the way, I do realize that is loosely defined). I have seen tremendous growth in myself over the past year, but more specifically in the past couple of months. I am more content with my circumstances, I can find joy in the midst of pain, I am more grateful for the things I do have and less aware of those things that I am lacking, I have realized how amazing the people I have in my life are and how much we truly need others, and I am more confident in who I am, not as a person, but who I am in Christ. Trust me when I say this--->I still have a lot of room to grow.

19 Months

Today has been such a great day already, but one of the best reasons is that Moses is 19 months old today. I can't believe that he is closer to two than he is to one! Also, I am amazed at the fact that I am writing this post on time :)

Moses has the best personality ever. I know that I am a little biased, but really I don't think that Moses has ever met a stranger. He smiles at everyone and makes them engage with him. I can't even express the amount of joy this little person has brought into my life.

A little update on Moses:

*His vocabulary is continuing to grow rapidly. His most recent words include: Matt, Lee (Liz), bowl, and outside.

*Jarrell recently taught him how to spit over a railing, so now every time hesees a railing he wants to lean over it and spit.

*He has developed quite the love for ketchup and BBQ sauce.

*He loves songs that have motions and he does well imitating them. My favorite is watching him try and make the itsy bitsy spider.

*I can't believe how strong willed this child is. He is so determined to do things the way that he wants, when he wants, and is extremely persistent in this.

These pictures were taken yesterday at Big Bear, CA.

What is Your Story?

So recently we went to Family Camp at Forest Home where Jarrell works. It is a week long camp that has different sessions for each age group and a lot of activities that help you spend intentional time as a family. We were blessed to go with several of our friends and their families, which made the experience even richer. The speaker for the evening adult sessions was Albert Tate and let me tell you, he is an amazing speaker. You can listen to his sermons from Family Camp on the Forest Home Website. I really encourage you to check them out. Anyway, one thing that he spoke about really stuck out to me and I have been thinking a lot about lately. He talked about Revelation 12:11 which says, "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death." Albert was saying that the blood of the Lamb is an extremely powerful, important thing. When it comes to the blood of the Lamb it could be the end of the conversation for us in how we overcome, but note what the verse says. It says the blood of the Lamb AND the word of their testimony. I was really challenged by this. Albert asked when the last time that we shared our story with someone. So often I am ashamed to tell my story. Afraid that people will misunderstand or judge me. Afraid that they will look down upon me, because this has happened in the past. However, none of that should matter. God has done some amazing things in my life and it is about time that I share them with others. When is the last time that you shared your story? How many people do you live life with each day that really don't know much about you? What you have gone through can be such a tremendous source of encouragement for someone going through the same thing as you, or for someone facing a trying time.

Here are some pictures of our week that highlight the time we spent as a family and with friends.

This is Moses and his friend Hailey

The Kids Table

The Gang without the Kids

Moses' First Horseback Ride

Playing at the Lake

Daddy and Emmy

Daddy and the Babies

My Beautiful Babies

Life has been crazy for us lately and I will hopefully be able to blog more consistently again. Once again, I am late on the baby updates.

Moses is Eighteen Months Old:

I can't believe my "baby" is a year and a half old. He is growing up way too fast.

*He is developing really funny preferences like the color of bowl that he eats out of or the sippy cup he uses. He definitely has his favorites.

*He has finally tripled his birth weight and weighs 24 pounds. (25%)

*Moses loves animals. When we are out and about he points out every animal and imitates the noise that they make, it is so fun!

*He is learning so quickly right now, he learns a couple of new words everyday and even uses mini sentences now. His must recent words include:shoes, water, squirrel, stairs, and the phrase Where Go? for when someone leaves or he is looking for something,

*Moses will not stay in his crib anymore which is super challenging for nap time. He just climbs out and opens the door. Here is a video of him escaping.

Emery is three months:

*She is 17 pounds, which she has already doubled her birth weight!

*She continues to become more verbal and really observes what is going on around her. Her favorite things to watch are Moses and her hand.

*She loves it when you sing to her, especially if you are doing motions.

*She is such a big smiler and is almost always content.

Here is a picture of them together: