fun at the park

Thanks to Larry and Susan Parks for helping us get a group shot on the greenway!

Jake's first swing time!
HE LOVED IT!!!!!!
Here with both Jake's and Sydney
I got to see the children I used to nanny for before my Jake was born. We had a good time at the park. My little Jake really seems to enjoy being around them. I think he is amazed at how animated they are.....hmm......maby time for siblings? :)

Spurgeon

I read from ''Beside Still Waters'' by Spurgeon this morning and really loved this passage. Thought I'd share.

''The way to a stronger faith usually lies along the rough path of sorrow. ONLY AS FAITH IS CONTESTED WILL FAITH BE CONFIRMED. I do not know if my experience is similar to all of God's people, but all the grace I have received in comfortable and easy times could lie on a penny. The good that I have received from sorrow, grief, and pain is incalculable. What do I not owe to the hammer and the anvil, the fire and the file? What do I not owe to the crucible and the furnace,the bellows that flamed the coals and the hand that thrust me into the heat? Affliction is the best bit of furniture in my house. It is the best book in a minister's library. We may wisely rejoice in various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces patience(James 1:2-3). And through this we are exceedingly enriched and our faith grows strong. An old puritan said that if you go into the woods and you are very quiet, you will know whether there is a partridge, or a pheasant, or a rabbit in it. But when you move or make a noise, you soon see the living creatures. They rise or they run. When affliction comes into your soul and makes a disturbance and breaks your peace, your graces rise. Faith comes out of hiding and leaps from it's secret place. I remember Mr. William Jay saying that bird's nests are hard to find in the summer, but that anyone can find a bird's nest in the winter. When all the leaves are off the tree the nest's are highly visible. Often in prosperity we fail to find our faith. Yet when adversity comes, the winter of our trial bares the branches, and we immediately see our faith.
"Before I was afflicted I went astray'', said David, ''but now I keep your word.'' He found his faith was really there by keeping God's word in the time of affliction.''

Jake's room

Here are the pics of Jake's room. They would not fit on post before.

New dishes

I forgot to post pics of the dishes so here they are. The pics don't do them justice.They are very simple. Any suggestions on colors of napkins and I need to get napkin rings. I saw something on a craft website on making your own rings...I just might bust out some ''suzy housewife '' on ya'll and make them myself!!!!Scary. Any suggestions of what you all do to decorate and make your home purty is very welcomed and very needed! And here are some pics of Jake's room. Everything cool in there is either made by James or thought of by him, he is soooo creative. I feel like I need a bathing suit and sunblock when I go into his room.

So.....I have the best hubby ever! Not only did he take me out to the Melting Pot for fondu for our anniversary but, he surprised me with new dishes too! I had been thinking about starting with a nice formal looking dish set from target and had expressed a desire to start investing in finding deals on household decor.This new ''hobby'' of mine started by reading books on how we as women can bless our husbands/family with making our home more like heaven.It also was encouraging for a dear friend who excels in this area to take the time out to meet with me and give me pointers and ideas. I learn so much from her!......Anyway , come to find out that JAMES WAS LISTENING to all my ramblings about centerpieces and dishes and napkin rings and blah, blah, blah! He even surprised me with putting together a centerpiece idea I had told him about months ago!!!!I love him so much and too often I can assume uncharitably that he doesn't really care to hear about things like that...so, the dishes are BETTER than the target ones...they are from world market and are perfectly my style. they are white and kinda modern and formal like. What a nice surprise!
I did do something for him too, I snuck in to his car at work and trashed his car with balloons and sticky notes everywhere with little saying on them.He was very surprised...I know....his was better!!!!

Mommy is sooooo funny!

I was playing with Jake and snapped these.They are too cute so I had to share! He must really think I'm hilarious!

Jake's first Valentines Day!

This morning we met a lot of my friends for breakfast at chick-fil-a to partake of the cute little heart shaped biscuits they were serving. Then the older children played while the moms got in their morning chats. I hope we can make this a yearly tradition, we just might have to eventually rent the place out if everyone keeps getting pregnant! Rebecca if you read this I hope you and little Kathryn can join us next year! Although we might have to put a blocker on any more girls attending...the boys are being taken over!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

I love you James! Thanks for a wonderful soon-to-be six years of marriage! I look forward to MANY more!

Party Boy

Over the weekend we all went to our friends b-day party for her daughter Alathea.It was very cute! The theme was princess and frog prince. Unfortunately we could not stay long, Jake was very tired and fell asleep in the car right away...we will have to work on his social skills :) These pics are the ''before meltdown'' pics.

FREE STARBUCKS!

!!!!Attention all coffee lovers!!!! From 10-12 on March 15,receive a FREE tall cup of coffee at any Starbucks. I don't think you have to be a mom to be included(the article never said).

Jake and Godiva

This is our other ''baby''. Her name is Godiva. She is five years old and her favorite things include eating dropped food off the floor, barking at the cows in the back yard, cheese at maw maw's and visiting with her brother Merlin and noni. And most of all, licking her buddy Jake!

For all of you who don't care to hear about the dog, Jake is really rolling over now!!!!!!!!!!He likes to do it in private, he is not one to show off and be prideful of his abilities , so therefore I only catch him after he has rolled over from belly to back in his bed. Ah, my humble son:)
He is almost 6 months now which I CANNOT believe! God has taught me so much in these last 6months about truly laying down my life for my child and what that looks like. But man! it's so worth it! Especially when he looks at me with those big blue eyes and gives me that dimpled smile!
I am seeing so much more of James in him everyday. The way he lights up when I throw him in the air (carefully,of course) or bounce him on the bed. He laughs and laughs so hard! He is an adrenaline junkie like his dad! He takes after James sense of style as well!(cute shirt in pic huh?)

Reminder

A great reminder from Ginger Plowman's book ''Heaven at Home''. She says to remember that being better wives, mothers and homemakers does not make us more worthy of God's love. ''Our acceptance before God is not based on our conformity to human standards or our perfect obedience. Jesus has obeyed in our place and paid the full penalty for our disobedience. There is nothing left, either in terms of obedience or judgment, for us to get credit for. We are not justified on the basis of our successful obedience. We must hold this truth continually before ourselves lest we become prideful in our successes or defeated in our failures. We must have the glorious message of the gospel through the lens which we see all of life''.

I need this constant reminder that I cannot ''do'' anything to add to what Jesus has done. Praise God!!!!!!!!!

"Hey Ma! Could you fetch me a bottle?"

Jake's morning paper

I thought I would join in on the blogger thing too. Stay tuned for pics, it might take a while to learn how to do all this computer savvy stuff, seeing how I really only know how to send e-mails:)