My Kaleigh Faith's 1st Birthday

June 18, 2012, the world welcomed a beautiful, blue-eyed babe. Her gentle, sweet spirit makes us smile daily. She watched her big brother and sister closely for a few months rarin' to go and join them! Within 3 months, she was crawling. Within 6 months, she was standing and cruising so she could keep up with them. She loves to clap and giggles while she does it. Her bottom 2 teeth came in when she was 4 months old and her top 2 teeth just came in 2 weeks ago. Since then, she pokes her 2 bottom teeth out and grins real big. She is the only child of mine will eat almost anything! She is the only one who likes pasta. She likes all fruits and vegetables, pastas and most meats. She gets really loud and squeals a lot when she is excited. She loves, loves, loves holding baby dolls and she kisses and hugs on them. I adore my pretty little princess. Her beautiful blue eyes glisten almost when you look into them. She had a clogged tear duct and she had to have a procedure last week to unclog it. It worked beautifully and there are no more tears constantly streaming down that dimpled cheek of hers! Here are a few pictures of my precious one. Praise You, Father, for my best surprise EVER!! 

Noah's Storm

Yesterday, we had a storm. As the storm was heading our way and the skies became darker, I checked on my sleeping girls. I returned to Noah's room and he said, "I just prayed." I inquired, "Well, that's great! What did you pray about?" He answered, "I prayed God would help me to not be scared of the big, huge storm." I was so impressed with his knowledge and desire to pray to God it took me a second to respond! I asked him if he knew who created storms. He simply said, "God does." I then asked him, "Who is with us always?" He immediately said, "God is." I explained to him that God is always with us whether we're scared, happy, sad or even lonely. I got up, slid the curtains aside and asked him if he would like to skip naptime and watch God at work. He excitedly said yes. As we spent the next few minutes watching the sky grow darker, the lightning flash, the trees bend nearly to the ground and as we listened to the thunder clap, God answered prayer. Noah was no longer afraid. He was excited! He would say, "Cool!", "Awesome!", "Did you see that?!" and "Wow!" 

Little minds and hearts cling to our every word and action. I am so grateful God is teaching my children how to love, cherish and pray to Him. It was a beautiful storm.

2013 Summer Fun in the Sun- Noah's 1st Time Camping and S'mores

For Memorial Day this year, we decided to let Noah have his first camping experience. The trip was a short one--straight to the back yard. We roasted marshmallows to make S'mores and even though daddy said, "I will let Noah fall asleep then I'm bringing him in," I went out there several times to check on them and Randy's snoring told me otherwise! Randy and Noah came in the following morning thrilled, happy, rested and ready to do it all over again. 

Top 17 Things I Found Out On My Own Experience In Becoming A New Mom

Here's a list of my personal "Top 17 Things I Found Out On My Own Experience In Becoming A New Mom..." I mean, let's face it, there's some things you just have to learn with experience. Some things you read and read about and you never experience it and then there's the things no one talks about. Here's some of each:

17. It has always amused me that the first question a person asks when they meet your child is, "How old is she?" They rarely even ask the child's name. Pay attention to strangers when they ask. What is their first question? It's strange but true.

16. As a new mom, you become SO proud of those daily milestones your baby will have. Unfortunately, even baby's grandma isn't going to be interested in each little thing. So posting each day, several times a day, about your baby isn't a great idea. Save those tweets and facebook statuses for the BIG stuff....like first poopy in the potty, first time standing, first time rolling over, etc. If you have a grandma who is out of town and wants to know everything, email it to her! I've sent pics of poopy, too! Haha.

15. Do not debate with other mommies on what is best: Breastmilk or Formula. This argument has been going on for decades. Just agree that everyone has an opinion on the matter.

14. You can make your birth plan for the hospital, but the baby is the ultimate decision-maker. It may work out just the way you plan or want it to, but sometimes, you just have to have a Cesarean.

13. How you have a baby will NOT affect who they become! If you have a baby screaming your head off due to the pain because your birth plan included natural childbirth, then your baby will not grow up stressed and over-anxious about everything. Your baby will not remember. Seriously.

12. Anxiety about your child's well-being is natural. Try to relax and know that their screaming in a car seat while you drive to the store or church is okay. It actually means they're healthy! They have wonderful, POWERFUL, and working lungs. They have a desire to be heard and a strong will to survive. That soothes me. I even love hearing babies cry now. It's precious.

11. You will find yourself wearing pajamas and old tees around the house daily. Not only because you yearn comfort but also because you know your child will either spit-up, throw up, wipe snot on you and/or wipe dirty hands when finished eating. I have found that all of my "good" clothes come right off when I get home and go right on just before running out the door.

10. Whether you give birth vaginally or via Cesarean  your life will never be the same. You will lose all dignity in those moments. On the other hand, the hospital staff does this for a living and they've seen so many births, they all probably look the same!

9. No one will ever look you in the eyes when you are carrying your baby. They will only stare and make goo-goo eyes at your baby. YOU no longer exist. And that's how it should be...

8. Start the discipline EARLY and stay consistent! Most children are willful at a certain age. They KNOW right from wrong early, too. Find out what discipline works best for that child and stick with it.

7. Your true personality- one you may not have even known you had- comes out when you have children. Do you have a temper? You may soon find out! Do you cry easily? You will now! Do you panic with emergency situations or do you get through them smoothly then break-down afterwards when the coast is clear? Only time will tell!

6. Your heart will break when they are sick or in pain. Period.

5.Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a full-time mother, your children need some one-on-one time with you each day. Sometimes the laundry or dishes are piling up but which is more important? Take at least a few minutes a day to spend with your babies. One at a time.

4. Each pregnancy is different. You may have a perfect pregnancy throughout or each day may be exhausting, terrifying and/or sickly. Sometimes, you do not get the pregnancy "glow." Sometimes, your glow will be the beautiful child you hold in your very arms.

3. Clothes, clothes, clothes EVERYWHERE! Once you have even just one child, it seems the clothes are never-ending! Just. get. used to it.

2. If you feel you don't pray enough for your children, praise God that Christ intercedes for us. Besides, it's not up to us to "save" our children. It is through the Spirit alone. Yes, your testimony is a large part, but you cannot save your child(ren).

1. The very first time they say, "I love you," without being prompted is the most heartwarming experience you will ever have. (Mine are too young to have accepted Christ into their hearts. I assume that will be the number one heartwarming moment).

Bonus: I highly recommend this study for new and old parents, alike! I heard these ladies in person and their insight was amazing. So Biblically sound and necessary! A new way to look at parenting, for me. I recommend the DVD, CD, book and/or study guide. And no, I do not get anything for recommending it.

http://www.amazon.com/Give-Them-Grace-Dazzling-Jesus/dp/1433520095/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369545241&sr=1-1&keywords=give+them+grace

Please share with me some of your experiences!

1st Time Strawberry Pickin'

This month has been insane! I am just now getting a chance to write. I hope to get caught up on here soon! It never ceases to amaze me when I see a mother of 4 or 5 with another on the way, blogging daily! I mean, how is that possible? Does she get 25 hours a day? I "squirreled"--sorry! Now on to one of our special days earlier this month: I try to have a special family day or weekend at least once a month. This is a day where we go out as a family and do something we've never done, something we love to do or just spend the entire day together. This month we got to try something new! I'd never been and neither have my babies! We went to the opening day of strawberry pickin' at Yoder Farm, here in Virginia. It was beautiful out there! I love Virginia's mountains and land. I say it almost daily: "What a beautiful sight!" "Thank you, Lord for the beautiful mountains we get to see daily!" The kids had a blast!

Autumn picked so many "white" unripened strawberries it wasn't funny! I had to put them in the window for a couple days. They turned out beautifully!

She sat and took it all in, like she usually does. All smiles and rarely puts up a fuss. If all of my babies are like her, I'd love 20 more! 

Autumn kept coming to us and showed us her treasures. It is so precious to watch our little ones discover new things! 

Autumn ran up and down one aisle to and from her daddy and I.  It was a great day. 

Yes, the sun was right in our eyes. There's Autumn showing her treasures again. 

It was opening day at the Strawberry Farm so they had several activities. Noah and Autumn were so excited to ride the train! AND they got to ride in their own car without mommy or daddy? BONUS! 

It's hard to get a picture without gorgeous blue eyes and a 2-toothed grin! She is my lil darlin'. 

Waitin' on her brother and sister, we decided to get a lil photo of us. I think she was saying, "Dada." And he just happened to be snappin' the pic! 

Noah and Autumn both grinned from ear to ear while they rode their lil ride. It brings my heart great joy to bring a little joy to their life. 

She loved it so much, it was hard to get her out...you know...the whole kicking and screaming scene? That's us!! 

Here's the beautiful view I was talking about. I'm so blessed to have these 4 in my life. God is so very, very good to me! 

What Would You Grab?

I was watching a heart-warming, good, clean romance movie that pinned the question: If your home were on fire and you had 60 seconds, what would you grab? The lead character in the movie did not know until the end, of course. In the beginning, as she is facing her life-altering self-analysis, she pulls the fire alarm during a party. She stands there looking around. I assumed this was because she didn't know what to take or that she was watching all the others run away. Her unexpecting fiance is barking orders to grab belongings like computers, phones, etc. She just stands frozen while the sprinklers soak her hair and clothes. Yes, it was a little melodramatic but it made me think. What would I grab?

Before Randy and I were married and I was still living with my parents, we were in my room watching a movie. I had always said I would grab all of my pictures if I ever found myself in a fire. As I left my room to grab us a snack or something, I looked in my brother's room, next to mine, to find an entire wall up in flames. I will never forget the beautifully terrifying sight. I calmly told Randy that Blake's room was on fire, walked up the stairs to let my parents and sister in on this situation and then kind of stood there wondering what to do next. My dad and Randy practically fought over the extinguisher while all the ladies made sure kids and animals were out of the house. (We had a cat and a dog). I believe our men got the fire out before the fire department arrived. The house had severe smoke damage, my brother's room was destroyed and my things were covered in black. Not one time during the fire did I think of my pictures. I still wonder why. I still say that if I were to face a fire again, I would reach for those beloved photos, computer containing the photos and/or the camera itself once I know all my loved ones are safe from harm. But will I? I hope to never find out.

I've often said to Randy that possessions and belongings are just "things" and there's no reason to treasure them more than the people we love. When you have young children, you learn that lesson quickly. They can destroy things in a matter of seconds!

1. My precious ones.
2. My computer with photos on it.
3. My camera.

Because pictures say 1,000 words, right? I love looking at old photos and laughing or crying as I remember the day and situation in which it was taken. I feel like I'd "lose" all the precious memories and moments if I lose the photos.

What would you grab? The question in the movie was what THREE things would you grab. The lead actress stated in the end that she knew she was with the wrong man because during the time she pulled the alarm and watched people flee, she looked around and saw nothing she would need or want to take with her from the fire. I guess she was willing to watch it all burn. I'm so grateful God has blessed me with a life and family in which I cherish all of them and our moments together.

Refer to Him as The Boy in the Blue Shorts...

As we were leaving Noah's preschool, Noah pointed to a couple of classmates and said, "Can we have Caleb and Carter come over and play at our house?" As we continued to walk, I told him that we can certainly ask their mommy or daddy. He pointed at a van and said, "There he is! There's their daddy! The big fat man over there!" I wasn't really shocked at this because my son does not have a filter, but I did look around to see if I needed to perform damage control. I am not skinny. In fact, I am a "fat woman" if you ask Noah.

As we are leaving a store, Noah asked if we could play with the little black boy. Now, some people may not take offense to this. Maybe that little boy was asking his daddy if he could play with the little white boy. I now knew that this is the time I need to sit down and teach a short but effective lesson to our boy.

God made each person different. We are all "red and yellow, black and white..." and "precious in his sight." Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I created you in the womb, I knew you." and Luke 12:7 says, "Even the hairs on your head are all counted." Why do we refer to one another as the black man, the white woman, the Indian, the Mexican, the red-head, etc. I have taught my son these things. I have asked him not to refer to them by their outer appearance, but by their name or maybe a piece of clothing they are wearing that day. If you don't know their name, ask it. If you don't know their name, say you want to play with the "boy in the blue shorts."