Olivia-9 months old

Miss Olivia is growing up fast! She is now 9 months old, weighing in at 18 pounds 7 ounces. I can't believe how she's changing every day. She is crawling like crazy and has even taken her first step! In no time she's going to be running, chasing her brothers and sister all over the house. It's cute watching her search for me all over the house. I can hear her sweet "mama...mama" and the pitter-patter of her crawling knees towards me. When she spots me she lets out a "hi" and smiles her huge one-tooth smile!
Livie's favorite foods are cheetos and pizza crust. Healthy, huh?! She'll eat just about all baby food, with the exception of peas...she hates peas. But, give her a cheeto or pizza crust and she's happy! Of course, I watch her carefully while she eats these things. It takes her a while to use her one tooth to gumb through her new found treats, but she doesn't give up. She has recently discovered Oreos and Nilla Wafers, too. This girl has learned early wht the good stuff is!
My little mermaid has learned what swimming is all about and she loves it! Her little feet kick like crazy and she squeels a happy squeel as soon as she hits the water! I picked out a cute little tie-dyed, purple swimsuit (since her daddy's favorite color is purple) that she looks super cute in!
I am so excited to see what this little wonder will do next. She rarely slows down, or skips a beat, so whatever it may be, it'll keep me busy!

Collin's Baptism

Tonight was one of the most special moment I know I will ever have in my life. It was a night I will carry close to my heart forever. Tonight, Collin, made is Public Profession of Faith, and was baptized.
Collin has always been drawn to church. He loves reciting scripture and talking about Jesus dying on the cross. He has already begun spreading the Gospel! Mark my words, he's going to be a preacher one day!!! One example of his preaching abilities took place this past year in his Kinder class. One of his classmates made a comment (no idea what the comment was) and he stood up and proclaimed, "and that's why Jesus died on the cross"! AMEN! Who could argue with that?! He looks forward to going to church every week, and when asked what story he wants to read before bed, he always grabs his Bible. His favorite song is "Lead me to the Cross". He is my special little man, and I am so blessed to have him as my son.
Two weeks ago Collin started talking about wanting to get baptized (or as he calls it, "bap-a-tized"). I asked him if he understood what that meant and sure enough, he was able to tell me all about it. So the following Saturday night, June 12, at the end of the sermon, he said he wanted to talk to someone about being baptized.
Now, tonight was amazing. Like I said, it was a moment I will cherish forever, but the time we spent in the Hospitality Center at Lakepointe,the time when he poured his little heart out and accepted Jesus as his LORD and Savior is a moment that I hope is forever burned into my brain. I cried as I watch him pray like such a big boy. It was all I could do not to pull the camera out to capture every second!! But, I didn't. It wasn't the time or place. It was just a special, sacred moment, that we shared.
The other kids were so excited about Collin's decision. For the most part, they understand what he is doing, but none of them can say it. Caleb says Collin is being "avaporized" and Taylor says he's being "appatized". I love it! It makes me smile hearing them just as sincere as can be talking about his "avaporizing, bap-a-tism, appatized".
Sean was able to baptize Collin tonight. All of our family and friends were there to celebrate with us. I cried as I watch him. It was such a beautiful time! Collin was full of smiles for the entire evening!
Afterwards, we all came back to the house and enjoyed pizza, salads, and cupcakes. We sang "Happy Birthday to You" in honor of his new birthday! The kids played, the adults laughed, it was one of the best nights I've had in a long time.

Thank you, Jesus, for my wonderful, special gift, Collin! I am so proud of the decision he has made and I know he will do great things for the glory of you!

Happy 6th birthday!

Happy Birthday, Collin! How could I have ever known that a little man, that is now 6 years old, could hold my heart in the palm of his hand. Collin is the first of my many blessings. I am still in awe of how amazing he is and what a miracle he is.
His 6th birthday was special! He celebrated at school (May 28 was on a Friday this year) with his classmates. Gram brought sports-themed cupcakes for him to share. He wore the biggest grin around all day! One of the perks to being a teacher's kid is that just about everyone in the building knows it's your birthday. So, everywhere he went he was showered with, "Happy Birthday, Collin!" He popped his head into my classroom at one point and my entire class started singing, "Happy Birthday to you" to him...he felt like a celebrity!
Friday night at our house is normally spaghetti night followed by a pig pile. Things were different on this special night. We ordered pizza and celebrated his birthday along with Caleb's birthday (June 9). Gram, Dink, Brandie, Jason, and their kiddos joined us. They opened presents and played!
Last Thursday we took Collin and Caleb for a day just for them and their 6-year-old selves! We were going to go to Wet Zone, but it was raining, so onto Plan B we went. We went to Northpark Mall (yes, they chose this...keep reading). The boys wanted grilled cheese sandwiches from Sonic, so that's what they had! We let them chose where to have lunch and this is what they wanted. I guess their sandwiches are just that good!?! Then we played in a random toy store on the way to our destination, the Lego Store. I'm not sure who had more fun in this toy store, the boys or Craig. This store had tons of Star Wars things. Action figures, statues, alarm clocks, Christmas tree ornaments, light sabers, etc. Craig was in his zone!! To top it all off, there was a Batman statue and a Superman statue at the entrance to the store that the boys (yes, ALL the boys) had their picture taken with.
Once we reached the Lego Store the boys were overwhelmed! They ran from side to side, choosing between Toy Story, then Star Wars, then Treasure Island, and on and on. Their main goal, however, was to build more Lego men before they left. They could not do that fast enough! Their final selection was actually fairly easy, and a great decision. They filled large cups with various Lego pieces that they got to pick themselves. They got tires, and bricks, and windows, and flowers, and random other things. They were so happy!! They have been building with these daily since.
The last part of their birthday was new bikes! It is so awesome watching them ride big boy bikes up and down the street!
The past 6 years have been filled with more love than I can describe. I love you, Licious! Happy 6th birthday!

Ahhhh....

I think I'll take a moment to breath. I am almost to the pint where I can relax. I say almost because I still have quite a bit to do. And to be honest, I think I'll be in this "almost" state for then next 18 years. But for now, I feel fairly confident that I am in a small state of "almost".
The new house is coming along nicely. We've had a few hiccups, but nothing major. At some point, I will finish painting. Daily I stare at my half-painted wall and it drives me crazy!! I do realize that since I am so OCD, the wall will be completely painted in no time. I visualize myself painting at midnight one night, when all the kids are asleep. I'm a strong believer in getting things done in the middle of the night. It seems to be one of the best times, in my book. It's one of the only times my house is quiet and someone is not needing something. Until that sleepless night comes, I'll just look at the half-painted wall, where my large cross will hang (see, I have it decorated...that's a good step, right?!).
Olivia is resting now in her swing, and Craig has the other kids out running erronds. I have taken this precious time to finish the dishes, and to start a load of laundry. I could not resisit a moment to blog. It's probably not the best way to spend these hard to come by minutes, but seeing as how we just got internet and cable today, I have some catching up to do!!
As soon as I have more complete around the house I will post some pictures. I have so many projects to tackle over the summer. If they turn out half as pretty as they look in my head, you'll all be impressed!

Kinder Awards

My little boy has completed Kindergarten! He is one smart cookie! He is reading on an almost second grade level, loves math, and most important, he is excited about school!
His award's assembly was bitter sweet. I can not believe how fast he is growing up, right before my eyes. There are many times when I want tom freeze time and hold onto him forever as my little man. I've convinced him that he needs a minimum of 100 kisses a day in order to grow. He has totally bought into this, with some wonderful help from friends and other teachers! I am now able to kiss all over his adorable little face whenever I want...afterall, I'm helping him grow!
He earned the Computer Award, Super Scientist Award, Writing Award, and of course, his Kinder Certificate of Completion. He was so excited when his teacher, Mrs. White called his name and awards. His face lights up when he smiles!
Now, we'll enjoy our summer before First Grade is tackled. I do, however, have to call him "My Big First Grader" now. This is the name is prefers at the moment. And I figure, if I am getting my 100 kisses in, I can handle a fabulous name like that!

Happy 4th Birthday, Taylor!

Happy 4th Birthdy, Princess! May 17, has come and gone once again. I can not believe you are 4 years old! It feels like just yesterday I was bringing home my first little pink bundle. (Yes, Collin's the oldest, but he was a blue bundle) You have been 100% girl, 100% pink since day 1. I love your smile, your laugh, and your sassy personality that is sometimes a little too much like my own.
I had so much fun celebrating your birthday with a special "girl's day". I know that you will not want these specail days forever, so I will shower you with them until that day comes. I am so proud of how brave you were getting your ears pierced! The flower earrings you picked out sparkle like your pretty blue eyes.
And your finger nails and toes look beautiful! (Now, if we can somehow keep you from biting them?!?!)Everything about you is my favorite. I think God picked out all of my favorite things and put them together when he was creating you. I am so proud of the young lady you've become. You're a great big sister to Olivia. She is going to grow up lookin up to you, and I know you're going to teach her tons!
I love you more than you will ever know, Lovie. You light up my world!

Tiny Dancer

Taylor's dance recital was on May 23. She was great! I must say, she has some natural talent, that I am pretty sure she got from me. She was so excited all morning as we got ready for her big performance! I even let her wear some makeup!! Her hair was full of spray glitter, too...don't you worry! She was 100% ready to perform.
Her first performance was a ballet number. She wore a black leotard with a frog costume on top. She was the best little frog! She twirrled on count, and smiled on cue! Yep, like I said, she's a natural!
Her next number was a tap dance to "Colonel's March". She wore an adorable pink and purple tutu with silver "sparklies". The "sparklies" were itcihng her so we sprinkled some fairy dust..aka baby powder, on the itchy spots.
The finale summed up the theme, "We're going to the Zoo". She wore a zebra print hat. Tay earned a metal for 2 years of dancing. She wore it around proudly all day!!
I am one proud momma! I love watching my little girl twirl around on stage, enjoying every minute of it. Each time she took the stage, tears started to form in my eyes. I can't believe she is such a big girl!
The recital ended with Tay being showered with flowers, like every dancer should be after a fabulous performance! Now, I've just got to find a way to keep her from wearing the outfits every single day?!?!?