5th Birthdays are SO special, but especially when shared with cousins!

Adele with her cousins, Vinnie (to the left) and Erin on the right.

In deep conversation, no doubt!

We made hats...I love this pose of these sweet girls.

Time to open gifts!

Babies Elizabeth and Meredith enjoyed the festivities as well...Grammy was our baby bouncer!

Surprise!  Adele had no idea we were having a surprise Tea Party for her birthday...she really didn't know what to do with herself!

Above are some the treats we had, along with the flowers and tea set, thanks to Aunt Becky who let us borrow hers....complete with musical lids that played Just a Spoonful of Sugar and I forget what the tea pot played now!  The girls LOVED it!

Later, we celebrated with the men and boyfolk...and here she is blowing out the candles on the 5 layer cake she requested...I was just happy it didn't fall over!

Her new doll...Jasmine (she named her) who likes to ride horses!  It was a most special day...for a most special little girl!  I love you Adella-Bella!

Moments with Mommy

I've decided to try to post every Monday for my Moments with Mommy snapshots that I get throughout the week with the kids.  Most of these pictures aren't going to be perfect, but at least it will chronicle, for my kids' sake, that I was around!

 Coloring with Adele.

 Kisses with Elizabeth...love those cheeks!

 Tickles with Elizabeth.

 We hit the beach one day last week...snag this picture with Calvin and Elizabeth.

 Reading with Adele and Elizabeth.

Why, yes, we do crank up the volume from time to time!

Snuggling, she's growing too fast! Look at that face!


  And I realize I need to get some of PJ and me together...he's doesn't sit still too long, though!  That can be my goal for next week!

Moments with Mommy

Generally, I don't like being in the picture.  I love getting pictures of others, however, especially my kids.  Recently, however, I was encouraged to Embrace the Camera and I am working on a list of 50 shots to take with my kiddos...so, here's my first attempt at this challenge!

 We traveled to Pennsylvania in August to attend two weddings and visit supporters.  While there, our family went camping and Calvin and I took a little walk in the woods...and this is us together.

Adele and I baking something together...can't remember what it was now, but it was something yummy, I am sure!

long overdue

I have to apologize for the lack of blog writing as of late.  It's not that there hasn't been "stuff" to write about...there's always something we can talk about.  It's more like I have had a bit of writer's block...or maybe just no desire to do it.  Anyway, I don't want to keep that habit up and so I am forcing myself to write this tonight.

So much has happened in the past two months, it's quite hard to decide where to begin.  I probably won't really begin anywhere, except with Christ.  He is the beginning and the end, anyway, so where better to begin!  And, as I begin with Christ, I am recalling AGAIN, how He loves me.  How He loves US, His Bride, His church...ah yes.  This is a great place to rest...and truth we can hang our hats (and hearts) on.  The more I grow in Him...and it just seems that I've only scratched the surface of His love for me...the more I realize how Biblically illiterate I am and as I look about the country as I see things people write and say, it just astounds me, time and time again, how little WE know the Word of God. How little we hold it as final authority for our lives.  People who claim to have been Christians their entire lives...and they're left fumbling and grumbling and doubting our good and great God.  I don't know and I am left feeling like an idiot.  Maybe I am wrong?  Maybe I have the poor theology.  I don't know.  So, as I have grappled with this for a couple months now, I have come to a place of rest in my Lord.  I can pray and I can read His Word, it gives me comfort and it gives me hope...and I don't think there is anything wrong with hope.  Without hope what do we have?  Maybe when I'm 70 I'll be hopeless and doubting...but I really hope not. =)  The Scripture that I continually come back to concerning God's love and hope and glory and weakness is Romans 8.  And, if you're not familiar with Romans 8, I would highly encourage you to go get your Bible and read it and read it and read it and let it sink into your skin and into your heart and cry out to your Lord if you struggle to believe it.  "For God works all things out for good to those who are CALLED according to His purpose (v.28)"  Now many teachers of the Bible claim this as a prosperity verse...but I highly disagree with that.  If you read all of chapter 8, you'll quickly see that Paul is talking about suffering and weakness and so the word "good" does not mean "good" as in nothing bad is ever going to happen to me, but more like, "good" in the sense of my ultimate good...which only God knows.  Therefore, we can TRUST Him.  He is good and He loves and only desires good things for us.  But, as James is quick to remind us, sometimes those good things are brought about by suffering.  You can't get too far in the Bible without seeing this played out again and again...and really, you can't get too far in life before it's played out in our world as well.
So, I guess I just want to point you, you who are reading this, keep those eyes fixed on Christ.  He is faithful to complete what He started in YOU...He is good, the Father is good and we can trust Him.  Don't doubt His love, and if you are, tell Him, cry to Him and be like the father of the demon possessed boy in Mark 9 who cried out, "I believe, help my unbelief!"
I will leave you with this song by the David Crowder Band that I just love...may you be encouraged today in whatever you might be facing, big or small, joyful or mourning, that Christ loves you.

Elizabeth turns 1!

 Saturday evening we celebrated the first year of Elizabeth's life.  I say it every year for each child, but honestly, this time I mean it, Where did the year go?  It seems she was just an infant and now she's a toothy, spunky little explorer, soaking up information and a quick learner.  We are so blessed by Elizabeth's life...and I can't imagine life without her.  Yeah, I know that is cliche as well, but it's true!

 We had an intimate party for Elizabeth.  Grammy and Grampy, who have never been around for a first birthday of any of our children, came over to help us celebrate.  I made some carrot cake with cream cheese icing...and this kid LOVED the icing.  There was a good bit of the actual cake all over the floor near her chair...but the icing was devoured!

 Paul gave her a pretty good sized piece and when that piece was all gone, she asked for more...so of course, we indulged her!

 We then moved onto the gift giving/opening time.  Of course, the older kids had just as much fun as Elizabeth did helping her open her gifts!

 She LOVES her ball.

 And her duck!

 PJ made her this sweet card, it says, "faith, hope and love but the greatist of these is love." amen, PJ.

 Opening her gift...I apologize for the Christmas wrapping paper...but hey, she doesn't know the difference and it was all I had! Inside the box is a baby swing for her. This child loves to swing!

And, Grammy and Grampy gave her this adorable back pack along with a beautiful dress and some new big girl sippy cups.  The backpack is for all our upcoming travels...what a great gift! Thank you!
It was a fabulous ending to a fabulous day.  I will post more about what we did earlier on Elizabeth's birthday.  She was well celebrated and loved.  We are so thankful for this little girl.  I can't wait to see her personality blossom more in this next year.

Tham Morakot

 We had a free day while we were down south and so we went on a tour boat for a day of snorkeling, swimming and cave exploration!  Okay, not really cave exploration, but close!  We swam through Emerald Cave.  After you swim through it and through a dark passage as well, you come out through that opening that is there behind PJ and me in the picture.  It opens up into this circular "room", covered with greenery and a white sandy beach as you see in the pics.  It's beautiful!  Paul and Elizabeth stayed on the boat and allowed me the opportunity to go.  Paul and his Dad swam through the cave a few years back when Paul's folks came for a visit.  So, I was thankful for the experience.  It was pretty crazy entering the cave with waves smashing against the rocks and all...but it was worth it!

 PJ and me

NaamFon and me.
The cave is called Emerald Cave because when you first enter, on the other side, and you look back out through the opening of the cave the water and the ceiling all look a beautiful emerald green color. It is really quite spectacular!

A Farewell Party

 Since it's a good idea to have markers for our kids, Paul and I decided to have a simple farewell party for our kids.  We invited all their friends

PJ and his best buddy, Joseph with Joseph's pet snake, a baby rat snake.

Drake, Calvin and Nathan posing for the camera.

Nathan, Kaelin and Adele waiting for cupcakes!

Paul and Robert, our dear friend and brother in the Lord.

Elizabeth and her buddy, Teddy.

Cupcakes and Juice time!

Hannah...such a cutie!

All the kids on the playground ecquipment.

Funny face!

Women from our church and me...sorry about my hair...I look like I'm sprouting wings!

Brooke, Elizabeth and me.  Brooke is a fellow seminary wife...and good friend.

Sally, me and Elizabeth.  Sally is Robert's wife. They were our neighbors in the first neighborhood we lived in...sweet sister and friend.

Kimberly, Malachi, Crystal and Elizabeth. Kimberly is also a seminary wife...with a huge heart for the lost and the poor.  I am challenged by her love for Christ and her servant heart.

The men folk!

Having a grand time.  It was a special evening and our children felt super loved.  Thank you to all who came out and loved on them.  We miss you!