Happy Fall Y'all!

We're trying to take advantage of every day we have with Livi and Brooks before our lil' Butterbean gets here! Can't believe we're 7 weeks (or LESS) away! Here are some pics to show what we've been up to lately!

 Auburn vs Clemson = Heartbreaker!

 Weekend in Charleston - courtesy of Aunt Fox!! :)

 Cheering on (some) of the WA War Eagles @ Homecoming!

 10 year high school reunion!

 Swinging @ the park :)

 Brooks' favorite thing to do :)

 The boys!

 Ballerina OR Karate master?

 33+ weeks!!

 Harmon's Tree Farm

Squinty kiddos :) 

Off for another adventure! 

 Time to rock! :)

 Taking a breather!

 Ready for the hayride!!

 The girls :)

 Great beginning to a GREAT game! USC 35 - Alabama 21

Butterbean's 1st USC game! :) Go Cocks!

"I Will Rise" - Chris Tomlin

I cannot listen to this song without crying. It just speaks to me. To know that no matter what comes our way, no matter who puts us down or disappoints us, no matter who comes in to power or changes our way of life, we already have victory in Jesus Christ - what an amazing freedom we can have, not to worry, "It is well"! As my granddad (my dad's dad) is in surgery today, I'm reminded of losing Papa (my mom's dad) last year. Had I known this song, it would have been such a comfort. "The grave is overwhelmed!" "I will rise when He calls my name!" Will YOU rise when He calls your name? Will YOU hear the angels sing, "Worthy is the Lamb"? I pray you will! :)

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name

No more sorrow, no more pain

I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise

I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near

When this darkness breaks to light

And the shadows disappear

And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome

And the grave is overwhelmed

The victory is won

He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,

"Worthy is the Lamb"

And I will rise when He calls my name

No more sorrow, no more pain

I will rise on eagles' wings

Before my God fall on my knees

And rise

I will rise

Miss you, Papa!

A few new pics!

Cute Things

New sayings/happenings:

*Watching the kids pop bubbles while running into one another - lots of laughter!

*Livi wanting to play with Brooks by crawling with him under the table or letting him chase her.

*Livi leading Brooks upstairs to play in the playroom (mommy free time?!)

*Livi quotes: I'm just hangin' out, He's my sweetest brother (though she says "bruvver'), You're my best friend, I think I'll just stay right here, He needs a nap, Take your time, Don't be afraid, Be happy!, Did you get out of your bed? (to Brooks), Did you have a good nap? (to Brooks), I can't wait to meet that baby!, What did Livi do during her nap? (when she knows she didn't sleep at all and wants to brag about it!), Mommy I love your cute belly!, I love that baby!, I'm so sick - I need juice to make me feel better!, etc etc etc - This child is a talker!

*Brooks is starting to show some signs of wanting to communicate! (Who can talk with Livi always rambling?!) He's saying Mama, Dada, bye bye, bubble, apple, gorilla (WE know what he's saying, and it pretty much sounds like it:), balloon, ball, dog, and a few others I can't seem to remember (imagine that!;). He's such a doll - blowing kisses and waving bye bye. He LOVES to be thrown around, dropped, spun in circles til he's dizzy, and he's into everything! He NEVER stops! :)

*Sweet baby #3 is moving and shaking like no other! I love having him/her moving all the time (though mostly when I'm trying to sleep!) At first I was kinda annoyed, not gonna lie! I'm tired at night and my ribs can only take so much punching! BUT, as this MIGHT be our last baby, I'm really focusing on all the little things, trying to soak it all up and enjoy all the stages! I mean, when we're done, we're done! I'll never feel another kick (from the inside;) again! We're going for our 32 week appt next Wednesday, the 29th. It's flown by SO fast! I can't wait to meet this lil' booger! :)

"Forgotten God"

Matt and I have been fortunate enough to be in a new Bible study with some friends in Lexington. It's called "Forgotten God" and it's by Francis Chan. It's all about getting back to the basics. Remembering how we felt when we were first filled with the Holy Spirit and finding daily opportunities to express our love for Him. It describes believers and churches as empty, mostly known for their talent, preschools, and eclectic programs. It's been so challenging to see myself as filled, but not effective. What a contrast from what God wants for me to be. The Holy Spirit was sent to us to be our guide, in daily life and in the "big moments"!

Notables:

*In John 14:16, Christ says, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever". Not for today or tomorrow, but forever!

*James 3:11 "Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?" How then can I claim to be in the Spirit but pour out "salty" water?

*Just a question to ask yourself: When was the last time I undeniably saw the Holy Spirit at work in or around me?

* The Spirit helps us speak when we are in precarious situations and need to bear witness (Mark 13:11, Luke 12:12).

*He guides us in the way we should go (Ps. 142:10, Acts 9:31, 13:2, 15:28).

*The Spirit not only initially draws people to God, He also draws believers closer to Jesus (Acts 1:8, Rom 8:26)

*The Spirit sets us free from the sins we cannot get rid of on our own (Rom 8:2)

*Why should we want the Holy Spirit to be alive and well in us?...To become more like Christ! Isn't that part of our goal afterall?

I could go on and on and on. But I won't This is a really challenging study. It's very Bible-driven, not just one of those feel-goood/self-help types of books. It penetrates my heart and humbles me minute by minute. Even now I'm seeing how I've not done my best today. I've done better at leading a Spirit-filled life, but it's only 2:12pm and I can feel the enemy tugging at my mind.

Summer 2010

I can't believe Matt's summer is almost over! I feel like he just went to graduation, and here he is talking about registration and teacher work days! Ahh! The he still works M-Th during the summer, that 1 extra day to make it a 3 day weekend is so refreshing! With the promise of a new baby in November, this school year is going to be the most hectic year of our lives! If you know me and Matt, you know we're not hectic people! Don't get me wrong, we enjoy time with family and friends, we love taking the kids out and about and doing fun things, but most of all we just love being together, around the house, relaxing! I have a feeling this year will be anything BUT relaxing! :) This is why I'm so glad we've had such a wonderful summer - - at the beach, at the pool, in the mountains, etc. It's been the best summer of our lives and here are a few pics to catch you up! :)

Here We Go Again!!

So the day was March 21, 2010. A day like any other. I had a feeling. Matt wasn't so sure. 1 minute and 1 pregnancy test later we were both laughing, crying, and scared! Ahh! 3 kids in 3 years! God is so good to provide such rich blessings to those who are so undeserving. I sin daily and take His love for granted, yet He still sees fit to provide another sweet baby for our family! I will never grasp the fullness of His love, His mercy, His daily grace. We're so excited to be expanding our family to 5...we can be a basketball team!

Brooks' 1st Birthday!

So finally I can sit down and add some pics from Brooks' 1st birthday party! We had the celebration at Virginia-Hylton Park in Lexington. We could not have asked for better weather (thank You Lord!), as it was sunny, but cool! Matt found an awesome picnic area in the shade with plenty of seating and a view of the creek...it was perfect!

Bruddahs :)

Grammy was the entertainment for the day :)

Livi was so excited for Brooks' birthday!

Yummy cake that Livi...I mean Brooks...picked out :)

Brooks' HUGE smash cake!

So generous to share with Gramps!

Brooks thinks he's pretty funny! :)

Brooks Turns 1!!!! Pics to come ;)

So I know it's been a while, like since NOVEMBER, since I've posted! We've been just a little busy! I promise I will post pics after Brooks' birthday party on Saturday, but I had to take a minute to reflect on the past year of his life.
It was a life that started out with strife. I was sick and didn't know it. He was on his way to catching my illness and we had no idea. With God's guidance, the doctor led us in a new direction; one that would steer Brooks from harm. To this day I still marvel at God's mercy. I am amazed that He would see fit to save MY son from potential sickness, even death. If you've ever wondered if God cares, I can tell you that He does! And the even more comforting thought is that even if something had gone wrong, He would have seen us through that as well. While I am so truly grateful to have a healthy, curious, getting-into-everything little man on my hands, I'm also relieved to know that God sees us through all circumstances, good and bad, big and small. The very God who created this Earth cares about me...and you!
So about Brooks - he's crawling/cruising everywhere. There are blockades all around the house! It's like a construction zone! He loves to be asked what a lion says - he'll roar a cute little roar :) He loves pushing things...anything...chairs, stools, trucks, pillows, anything that moves gets bulldozed around the house! He's got 2 teeth on bottom, the 2 middle on top, and 1 right beside his top left tooth is poking through. He is so easy to tickle, all you have to do is look at him and he knows it's coming! His tubes are holding up perfectly - he's sleeping better and is no longer in pain! He is truly such a joy, my little man. My little snuggler. Oh he's so snuggly!
As I said, pics to come...gotta run!

Livi Turns 2!!!!

I can't believe it! 2 YEARS! I remember being amazed when she turned 2 WEEKS, 2 MONTHS! But 2 YEARS! It's amazing how quickly it goes! All amazement aside, we had the best time celebrating with our lil' Sweet Pea. We went on a great trip to the park, ate ice cream at Cold Stone, had a reunion of sorts with Matt, Merrill and the boys in town, rode horses, held and fed animals on the farm and enjoyed a hayride! We'll never forget it! :) Here are some pics :)

Livi LOVED riding the horses!

"Is this hayride for me??" :)

All the kids waiting patiently to pet the bunnies!

Livi finally got a turn :)

Talking to the goose with silly Uncle Matt :)

Gettin' all sugared-up with cake, ice cream, and Capri Sun!

Brooks is already a ladies man with Grammy and Gigi :)