Home to a new home

We came home like a freight train Saturday night at 10:30 to our "new" house. While we were gone we had the contractor come and blow out the fireplace/wall and put down the new baseboards and floors. Here are some before and afters (I can't seem to find any before's except for this one):

The old carpet and linoleum are gone! The appliances are in, now all that's left to do is paint the cabinets, put on the new ss handles and paint!

pregnancy pictures

Ha! Do I have your attention??
I was going through my pictures while uploading some new ones and found this album my wonderful friend Jen took the day before I was induced with Ben. At the time I had no idea he was, well, a HE or that he would be making his debut into the world the day after these pictures were taken! I was just anxious to meet the person I had been incubating for 9 months :)

I thought I would share since they haven't ever been posted.

xo

after church drive home conversation

Me: So, when I picked Ben up from the nursery they said "wow, he's a busy one". Remember when he was born and we thought he was going to be our mellow, easy child? Maybe we need to go for #3 so that we can finally have that easy baby, #3 would have to be easy right?

Matt: No, #3 would be even harder, the hardest of them all. You are being fed lies, and don't try that jedi mind trick stuff on me lady, it isn't gonna work.

Me to Brooklyn: Brooklyn, what do you think, should mommy and daddy have any more babies? Would you like to have another baby in the house?

Brooklyn: (with the most serious tone ever) God made our family, no more babies mom.

Me: You don't want another brother or sister? That would be fun wouldn't it?

Brooklyn: No. I don't want anudder brudder or sister. No more babies.

Matt: Good girl Brooklyn, you speak the truth. I love you sweetie.

Me: Well, thank you all for your input, however, I will be making the final decision :) (totally joking)

Matt: It's like living with a dictator, our opinions will be heard, but they don't really matter. It's three against one...but our votes don't count. :)

I was laughing so hard I had the hick-ups.

*** We are not planning for any more babies, sometimes I like to tease Matt about this. I just never want to forget this conversation though because it was SO funny to have Brooklyn's teeny tiny 3 year old voice tell me "God made our family, no more babies". My husband is also the funniest person I know.

father and son

I put benny in matt's old vintage track suit and hat! Benny REFUSED to put the shoes on, stubborn little boy :) What do you think? Do you see the similarities?

great quote

"God let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am." -David Brainerd

This says it all. Everything I'm feeling these days. Days where I feel so small and helpless in the big and small things I am called to. I am so very unqualified. But I'm not. None of us are. We are equipped with everything we need! We just have to think bigger (God big) and beyond ourselves and our own scope of need.

A friend and I were talking the other day about our mundane lives, how there is such a lack of big stuff happening right now, and how often we can translate our own monotonous lives into a lack of God moving. When the reality is, this friend and I, are both so conditioned to seeing major things (trials and joy's) happening, through nothing short of God's almighty hand, that we might totally miss the places He is placing and using us in OTHER people's lives. Ummm, convicting.

I just kept thinking about that conversation, and then saw this quote and thought yes! That is what I want, to be used in big ways for causes He has groomed me for. To go where I'm sent with my eyes wide open.

Just had to share this quote.

Also, if you haven't listened to this song, do! Her voice gives me chills.

Happy almost Friday.

developments, big and small

We've got some major changes happening right now.

Ben took his first step Sunday night! I wasn't even here when it happened, but truthfully  I think he took his real first step last week (like a good boy for his mama). He realized last week that if he tried reallllly hard he can balance on both feet. He was so proud of himself the first time I took my hands off him and he looked down to see what he was doing. The smile on his face was incredible. Here he is utilizing the walker (sorry for the poor footage).

Brooklyn has begun to understand concepts that blow me away. Coloring, for instance. Doesn't seem like much, but she can color inside the lines and she gets such a thrill and sense of satisfaction out of seeing a fully colored picture as the product of her work. She loves to have mommy or daddy just sit and color with her. She (true to her style) is a bit bossy-- "no mama, use the pink for her dress", but man oh man does coloring together bring a smile to her face.

She has also begun to show a great deal of interest in getting ready to read. We are working a lot on what sound each letter makes, then playing with words to string the sounds together.

Make believe is big in this house. I have been over hearing the two munchkins play together and these days they are playing house or picnic and Ben is always the "daddy". He sits watching  her move around him organizing plates of plastic food, laying out a blanket for the picnic and then giving him all his accouterments for a gourmet picnic. I get such a kick out of her calling him "daddy".

Brooklyn and Ben, you both amaze me daily. I would not trade one second watching you grow and learn for anything.

Boo!

What a fun halloween we had. Lot's and lot's of parties and candy.

Friday we had a halloween breakfast pj play date (say that 5x fast) with some of our favs. 

B, B, Tatem, Wes, Olivia, Mikayla

Then Friday night our little family headed to the harvest festival at river west. The kids plowed some hot dogs then Brooklyn set out to win some prizes playing ring toss, bowling, tic tac toe, bean bag toss. She was loving it!

Saturday we had Brae's birthday party at Lee Farm's which I forgot my camera for, but B had a ball there, then home for nap and off to a great party with some dear friends from mom's group. 

This was not even all the kids!

Then finally it was actual halloween :) Taylor, Remi, Kali & Kinley (& their parents ;-) came over for dinner and then the mama's took the girls out to trick or treat while the dad's stayed back with the babies.

Ben was a lion, Brooklyn rapunzel. Little man only lasted about 10 minutes in his costume, but hey, that was enough time for mommy to get him to smile for the camera.

this cracks me up. seriously this was the best of the lot.

geared up, ready to head out!

Counting the fruits of her labor



Halloween has really become a time of sweet memories. I was looking back on pictures from last year, and Brooklyn was still so little. Just barely potty trained and clueless about trick or treating. So much can change in a year. This one was extra sweet.