Jaden's First Soccer Game!

This fall, my Jaden started playing on his first little league team, playing soccer. There are 12 kids on his team, ages 4-5 years. And his Daddy is one of the coaches. Jaden has played in 3 games so far and is getting better at soccer with each week. He is loving it, and his Dad is helping him get better as well. Take a look at some pictures from his first soccer game, below.

 Coach Erick giving instructions

 Go Jaden!!

Jaden looking cool in his soccer uniform with his water bottle.

Jaden Starts Kindergarten & Loses a Tooth!!

Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything. But that doesn't mean we haven't been busy. My life has gotten crazy and so blogging has taken a back seat. So I will try to catch up on a few posts.

The Biggest News...

JADEN STARTS KINDERGARTEN!

I can't believe my first born son is a kindergartener now. He is so big and so smart! I am so proud to be his mom. It has been an adjustment for us as he goes to school every day now. Jaden had to adjust as well...new friends, new teacher, new school. But after a month he really seems to enjoy it.

 Jaden and Mommy on the first day of school

Jaden with his new Kindergarten Teachers

JADEN LOOSES A TOOTH!

And if Jaden started kindergarten wasn't enough proof that my boy is growing up, then he looses a tooth. His first missing tooth. So just in time, Memaw sent us a cool new pillow to put the tooth in for the tooth fairy. Jaden was so excited to put his tooth in it and have the tooth fairy come visit him. Jaden got a dollar for his new tooth! Take a look at my son with one less tooth.



Ethan the Explorer!

Well, here is an update about our sweet little Ethan. He is 2 and all 2. He is our little explorer...always into everything, trying to figure it out. He is a fun little boy...but such a handful at times! He likes it to be his way, or no way. But he is learning...

He is very much into trains! In fact the other day, while he was eating a snack, he stood up on his booster seat to see the TV when he saw that Thomas the Train had come on. He was shouting "tain, tain, tain!" I finally got him down and he ran over to the TV set and started pointing and getting all excited. (Normally he doesn't care at all what's on TV.)

Ethan loves to play with trains, especially the geotrax set we have set up in their room. He also loves books about trains. For a while, the only book he wanted to read was an Usborne book with flaps, called "Trains." But Ethan loves to sit in mommy's lap and read all kinds of books, but that Train book is definitely his favorite.

He also like to stack blocks, and play in the tent with big brother. And you can still catch Ethan playing in other people's shoes and dressing up in the many play hats that we have.

Ethan is still trying to learn how to say his words. He can sign some words, and is now saying a few...such as "pig", "tain" (for train), and "cow", as well as "ma" and "daee", for mommy and daddy. I'm hoping that when big brother starts school, he will start to speak more.

But in all that Ethan does, he really does bring many smiles to our faces. We are so thankful for our little Ethan!

Hope you enjoy the pix below!



Playing Dress-up...What a cute pirate!
Ready to go swimming!

"Want to play blocks with me?"

Such a great smile...makes me wonder what he's in to now?

Baby Colton--Three Months and Counting

Here is the summer update...

Colton is doing so well at the ripe old age of three months. He is sleeping well; however, he is a nightowl. He likes to stay up late and sleep into the morning. His brothers did that when they were babies as well. Colton is a happy baby and adores his brothers! He loves to get attention. He has started smiling and has discovered how to stick out his tongue. He is also kicking his feet and holding his head up while laying on his tummy. He's even rolled over a few times, from his tummy to his back. Yea for Colton!

Look at my tongue!

Holding my head up, looking around.

I'm so cute with my cool sun hat and sweet baby smile!

Hanging out in style!

Ethan's New Hair Cut

I don't usually sit down and write about about an experience from the day, mostly because it takes me a while in the midst of my busy day to get to the computer to blog about it. But I wanted to make sure to get this experience posted while it is fresh in my head.

Today, I took all three boys to the hair salon to get Ethan's hair cut. Ethan has had his hair cut many times before and it hasn't been the best of experiences. During our last hair cut, the lady began by covering Ethan's eyes and spraying his head with cold water. Of course this upset him, as he had no warning and couldn't see what was happening. So he cried through the whole ordeal. So before beginning this hair cut, I told the stylist about our previous bad experiences. She was very sympathetic, which helped out tremendously. I must say going into this, that I had never met this stylist. I was going on a recommendation from the receptionist at the salon.

So we sit Ethan in the chair and try to put the cape on him, which he refuses and begins to cry. I'm sure it brought back the bad memories of the last hair cut. So after a few unsuccessful attempts we decide that it would be best for me to hold Ethan in my lap, and then to take his shirt off, so to avoid the cape all together.

As the stylist begins to cut Ethan's hair, we try every distraction possible, because he is still not very happy about getting his hair cut. Big brother Jaden helped out when possible to distract him as well. She was able to cut the top of his head, and somehow we got the back as well. But he was very fussy and squirmy at this point, moving too much to try the front and the sides. So the stylist gets him a sucker. Ethan decided he liked the sucker. He got so into the sucker that he forgot about the lady cutting his hair. So the stylist was able to cut the front and some of the sides of his hair. Yea for the power of sugar!

So picture this... Ethan is sitting in my lap, half naked, his red hair all over me and him, sucking on the grape sucker. As he is sucking, purple drool begins to cover him and me. It was lovely! Actually it was very yucky. But the stylist was able to cut the rest of his hair, even the sides around the ears. I wish we could've gotten a little more off the sides, but we didn't want to press our luck. I also wish we could've gotten a picture of this mess as she was cutting. Many were commenting on how cute he was...I'm sitting there thinking what a huge mess my son is making. But at least he wasn't crying anymore through the hair cut. He's was too into the sucker.

So after that I was able to take him to the bathroom and clean him up. Praise God that Baby Colton was happy watching the sights of the salon from his car seat and then fell asleep.
I must say that this stylist was so great! I think she tried every trick in the book to distract Ethan and she was very patient. I'm sure I will be back.

So that's the story of Ethan's hair cut. It's funny how Ethan can turn any normal experience into a "hair-raising" adventure! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

The pictures below are the before and after shots.

BEFORE...

(Notice how long it is on the sides.)

AFTER...

Sweet Little Colton...

Tiny little fingers,
Tiny little toes,
Look at Baby Colton,
Grow, Grow, Grow!

(Here is Baby Colton at 2 months)

Jaden's 5th Birthday!

I can't believe my Jaden is 5 years old. He is growing so much, both in body, in mind and spirit. And I am so priviliged to get to watch him grow into the amazing boy God has created him to be. I know God has big plans for him. He had a fabulous time celebrating his 5th Birthday! Check out the slide show of the pics below!
Click here to view photos

Spiritual Craziness

I haven't written a post about my spiritual life lately, because in all honesty, it's been very scattered. With the physical demands of a newborn, coupled with my toddler and preschooler, I don't seem to have much time to spend with God. Now I know what they say, "the busier you are, the more you need God." However, when I am physically and mentally exhausted--from nightly feedings, dealing with toddler tantrums, and directing a preschooler who is known to wine and argue with his mommy on occasion--it's really hard to find quiet moments to focus on God's word and pray.

All that said, I want to share a few things that God has given me in random moments spent with Him. I have come unglued many times and needed God to hold me together. These are the nuggests of truth I have clinged to in the last several weeks. I pray they encourage you as well.

1. Revelation 4:8

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
"Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

2. "How can anyone be arrogant when he stands beside the cross?"
--Carl Henry, evangelical theologian, from the book Humility, True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney

3. "All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size."
--John Stott, also from Humility, True Greatness

4. "Tension is who I think I should be, relaxation is being who I really am." --Unknown

5. John 14:27

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Way to Go, Erick!

This is dedicated to my awesome husband, Erick. I don't talk about him much, but he is a big part of my life, and I know God is leading us down a very specific path, for His glory.

Recently, Erick has been working three part-time jobs to continue doing what he loves and what God has called him to do, which is minister to college students. Well, some things happened, God blessed him, his ministry grew, people took notice...and now he doing what he loves full-time and was able to quit one of the jobs. God has given him the perfect job to utilize his talents and abilities. And he is so very happy doing it. Erick loves to hang out with college students, and help them to see how God can work in their lives. It's amazing to see the impact he is having on students. I'm so proud of him for working so hard and allowing God to use him, despite the stress and fatigue.

Erick is also an amazing father...giving so much to our boys and to me. I really do appreciate all he does for us, for how he loves us and takes care of us. He truely makes us all laugh! He's amazing with the grill (his hamburgers are the best I've ever tasted). And he is incredibly smart in so many ways, from computers to cars to arranging flowers (yes I said flower arranging). But the best moments are when I see him teaching our boys...whether he is teaching Jaden how to kick a soccer ball, or teaching Ethan how to pray. I'm so grateful, for so many reasons, that God chose to put Erick in my life!

Thank you Lord, for our amazing Erick!

Daddy and Baby Colton

Riding the rails

Daddy with his boys (notice Colton's smiling face!)

Wrestling with Daddy!

Answered Prayer for Jaden

Today was a good day for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons was because Jaden had a simple prayer answered. He had swimming lessons scheduled for today, and there was a looming threat of storms all day. Well this afternoon, we prayed...Jaden prayed for God to hold off the rain so he could go to swimming lessons. The thunder loomed and then the rain came and then it all ended. And Jaden got to have his swimming lessons!

And it reminded me, and taught my son, that God cares about the little things in our lives, as well as the big things...and we can take them ALL to God in prayer, and we can trust Him for his provision.

"Thank you, God, for ending the rain so my son could attend his swimming lessons."

Ethan's 2nd Birthday!

Yummy cupcakes!

Ethan's new wheels...

We celebrated Ethan's birthday a litte late this year, due to Colton's arrival. However, my mom and dad were here to help out, and it was a fun little party to celebrate my baby's second birthday. Mema and Grandpa got him his first new, shiny red tricyle. And mommy and daddy got him some fun new toys as well, which Jaden insisted on "helping" him learn how to use. However, I think Ethan's favorite part of the celebration was the cupcakes. We are so thankful for Ethan and his fun-loving, curious spirit that he brings to our family. He always keeps us moving, and smiling!

Sweet Little Colton...

Here are some sweet pics of Colton in his first days with us. In the days to come, I hope to catch up on some posts. It's taken me a long time to get my routine down since Colton joined our lives. I've had to take time to recover, both mentally and physically, as well as spiritually. I'm happy to say that I'm gaining a lot of ground and hope to post more soon.

So for now, enjoy these fun pics of our sweet baby boy! Isn't he cute??

Look at those sweet baby feet!

Jaden's Random Comments

Our little Jaden is getting so big. Check out his random sense of humor...

In the car, he asked me... "Mommy, does God have 100 eyes?"

Another time he asked while I was driving by some trees, "Mommy, is that a forest?"
My response, "I don't know."
Jaden asked, "What lives there? Can we go there?"
I said, "Well snakes, bugs, and maybe other animals."
Jaden said, "I still want to go in there. Can we go there sometime?"

At the college student meeting that Daddy took him to, Erick asked him to pray. This was his prayer...
"Dear God, Thank you for this food. And thank you God, that Daddy gave me pizza. Amen."

One evening we were outside playing in the driveway and Jaden decided he would gather some sticks and make a "campfire" (a pretend campfire) on his pretend camping trip. He said we were going to fix hamburgers. I asked him if he wanted Daddy to grill them. He announced that he was going to grill the hamburgers. I said ok. Then Jaden saw a rolly polly on the near his campfire. He then said, "Look Mommy, we can eat this bug also. I asked him if we would have that with breakfast, lunch or dinner. He responded, "I will cut it in half, we can share it. It will be our vitamin."

As we were driving to go out to eat one night, Jaden saw a sign for Red Lobster Restaurant. He asked if we could eat at "The Lobster" so he could eat some yummy sea creatures.

Announcing COLTON!

We are pleased to announce our newest addition!

Colton Jared
Born April 12
weighing in at 7 lbs 11 oz, 19.5 inches long

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this posted. It's been quite an adjustment caring for a newborn along with our two other boys, and allowing time for me to heal from birth. But we are so thankful for our new little boy! He is a wonderful baby, and we are so blessed to have him with us.

More posts to follow soon with some really cute pictures, as well as the whole birth story of how Colton was born.

But for now, I hope you enjoy the birth pictures. We continue to rejoice and give thanks to God. Please pray for us, as we adjust to life with a new little one.

Easter 2010

Here are some pics to celebrate the Easter Egg hunts. It was fun teaching Jaden about why we celebrate Easter...not just for eggs and candy, but to learn about Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead. And the other day, he even wanted to read the story again weeks after Easter was over. It was sweet to know that is one of his favorite stories in his Bible. And a good reminder to me that I need to read the amazing gospel story throughout the year.


The Backyard Egg Hunt

Egg Hunt with Mom's Group

Egg Hunt at Gigi's House on Easter Sunday

One Hard Week

A few weeks ago, my husband decided to get on a plane with 20 other college students and go to New York, therefore leaving me with two young active boys while pregnant...30 weeks pregnant! Needless to say it was one hard week for me--probably one of the hardest weeks I've had. But I'm happy to say that we all survived. There were some days I wasn't so sure that I would. However, we all made it out alive!

I did have some help that week. And I want to give a HUGE thank you to the people that encouraged me along the way. Alissa and Megan joined us for some playdate fun. It was so good to have some good conversations and be encouraged by their great attitudes toward motherhood...and to have a listening ear from them. And my mom's group also had a play group that week to celebrate St. Patty's Day. It was so good to be encouraged by other moms, and to run down some of my boys' endless energy.

Thank you to Tiffany, who shared dinner with me one night, as well as bringing me some amazing ice cream. Her encouragement was priceless as well. It was great to hang out and enjoy some down time together.

And then my mother in law, Janie, helped me almost every day in some way, from cooking dinner for us, to playing with the boys, and so many other things! Her help was so amazing and I don't think I would've survived without her.

I'm so thankful for all these people, and the many more who were praying for me and encouraging me, such as my family and my small group bible study.

There was a good reason why my husband and the college students left. They went to help a growing church plant in New York...where there are hardly any churches at all. They passed out flyers about the church, which may not seem like a big deal, but it was. It would've cost thousands of dollars for them to do a mailout, but instead our willing college students passed them out door to door. I think they passed out over 12,000 flyers...and within the first day the church had over 50 new hits to their website. It was great to see God move in the college studnts lives'.

And it's good to see how God provided greatly for me along the way during that long week...through his patience, strength, love, and caring embrace. It wasn't easy by any means, but I'm so glad to be able to look back and say "wow! thank you God for taking care of me" and "thank you God for bringing back my amazing husband!"

Visit with Pop

In February, we went to visit Pop (Erick's grandpa), and Aunt Diane. It was a good visit as we got to see Pop's new apartment, and the boys got to spend time with their great grandpa.


It was fun for the boys to sit on Pop's walker. Daddy even pushed them around on it for a little while!