While They're Sleeping

Happy Birthday, Halley Raye!

2012-01-27T08:27:00.000-08:00

"But Jesus said, Allow little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14

Someone once asked me if we were trying to "replace Halley and Porter" by trying to have more children. To that person, let me just say, you can never ever replace your baby. There is no substitute that will ever take the place of our sweet Halley Raye. She's the baby that made me a mommy. Eight years later we miss her just the same, almost more. The memories fade a bit, her smell, her noises, her baby movements--but the emotions and connection to that little girl will never lessen. I can't believe it's been 8 years. It doesn't seem possible. At times that seems like a different life millions of years ago. Other times it feels like just yesterday...still so raw. Because of this little life of 2 month we will never be the same. We feel a little deeper, hug a little tighter, love a little stronger, think of heaven a little more.

I received a note in the mail this week. A friend from high school wrote to say how thankful she was for our children. Just a short note about how God's provisions in our family were so evident to her. I couldn't agree more. God didn't have to give us 3 healthy kids. He would have still been God and still been good if He hadn't, yet in his mercy and grace he chose to bless us more than we could ever imagine. Is this God's best for us that Halley died? I believe it is even though I don't understand it or always like it. What I do know is that God has gotten glory from her short life and he will continue to use her for His mission.

Happy Birthday, sweet baby girl.

The difference having friends make

2012-01-21T19:38:00.000-08:00

I just had one of my best days since moving to Grapevine. A few weeks ago when Nate and I went away for a weekend of goal setting and reviewing 2011 I told him how one of the best things going on in my life was that I was starting to have friends again. Moving is hard as far as friendships go. I should know--I moved a ton growing up and that hasn't stopped now that I'm married. In Temple friendships happened fairly quickly due to the Medical alliance and the family friendly nature of Temple. After 3 years in Temple we knew our time was coming to an end. One of my newer friends at that point told me she really didn't want to be my friend because she knew I was leaving. She said it in jest, but we both knew it was true. I'm glad she didn't hold true to her word because she is now a close friend.

To move again after only 4 years was hard, but we are slowly making friends again. I struggle with how to handle my long distance friendships. There's so many friends and so little time. I want to hold on, but I also want to dig my roots into where I'm at. That brings us to today. Nate sets his alarm for 7am. He heads out for an early run with his friend. This makes me smile because he has a friend! Not that Nate isn't friendly or hasn't had friends, but in the past Nate has been so busy with work that he felt guilty for going out with friends. It was pretty much work and family for the past 5 years. I love that he now has guys that he does stuff with and enjoys hanging out with. These aren't just guys--these are MEN who love God and lead their families. So...he runs 8 miles with his friend. Comes home and we head out with the kids for family time. Family time included looking at a steal of a deal couch we found on craigslist. Then I met my friend for lunch and goodwill shopping. We have an 80's prom thing coming up that we needed outfits for. No luck this time, but I enjoyed the time with Denise and goodwill laughing anyway.

We got home and decided to go for a run for ourselves. It was the first time I'd run with someone else in a long time. We ran 3.7 miles. What??? The difference a friend can make. We came back from running and our husbands went to pick up our new couch. Nate and I like to put our friends to work. After everything was unloaded and set up Nate and I loaded up the kids and headed to Costco. Who knew Costco closed at 6pm on Saturday? So we went to Kroger...ate there (which is weird in itself), let the kids push the kiddie shopping carts around and then headed home. I'm now snuggled up on the couch with the love of my life. Good friends, good conversation, good day.

Why am I blogging all this boring stuff? I never want to forget this "boring" day. I love my life.

Smith Time

2012-01-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

It was long overdue...like 6 years overdue. After med school, our friends the Smiths moved off to Charleston, SC and we moved in the opposite direction to Temple, TX. We flew out to Charleston twice and then we met them in Little Rock a few times. Soooooo finally they got to come visit us. They now live in Springfield, MO. It's so nice when someone visits you and sees your life in action.

We went to Legoland and it was actually more fun than I thought it might be. The Hogs played in the Cotton Bowl that night---so we decked ourselves out and tried to not get in a fight with all the KState fans that were in town.

The big kids are Corban (7), Finley (6), Shepherd (5), Piper (4) and Owen (4).

These two are two peas in a pod...so cute together.

Thanks Smiths for making the drive to Texas. We had a great time.

Arkansas Christmas

2012-01-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve...opening stockings

Brown eyed girls...Marla, Marty and Joy.

Is that Nate or Brooks? They are looking more and more a like. (It's Nate btw.)

Joy and Alex

The Grandkids: Shepherd (5), Owen (4), Bella (4), Sadie (2) and Marley (2).

What a cute family---all grown up.

The girls!!

The original 4...

Marley looking all cute.

Shepherd giving Grandpa a high five for his new camera. "Is it Real??"

Off to Chick fil A to see the Binns.

Reagan saved something I gave him 13 years ago...we took a picture and then threw it away. Freedom.

Best buds...Byron and Owen

We had a great time in Benton. Our time always flys by and leaves us wanting more. I'm thankful that it's only a 5 hour drive. Thanks, Livers, for a wonderful time.

Christmas in Texas

2012-01-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

We made it a tradition last year to visit downtown Grapevine in December, for this is the Christmas Capital of Texas. The kids love seeing the lights and dancing to the music. I especially enjoyed hearing these words loudly sung on Main Street:

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

Come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

This made me laugh...the boys were so concerned...who killed Santa?

The boys made homemade playdough and were so proud.

Somehow we always hit the neighbor jackpot! In Temple some of our best friends lived 2 doors down. We also scored with a neighbor who worked for Oakley and provided us with free sunglasses. And then there was Linda, who babysat Marley whenever I needed. Well, Grapevine has not disappointed. Our cul-d-sac here has been just as awesome. We had Christmas with the next door neighbors. They are so sweet to our kids...and our kids prefer them over the neighbor kids.

The kids on Christmas (23rd) morning. We celebrated early as a family since we would be in Arkansas on Christmas day.

And then onto the Heminway's for more Christmas fun.

Praise God for a reason to celebrate!!!

December...party party party

2012-01-03T11:22:00.000-08:00

The boys did great singing at our Church Christmas program. They're so cute and both get a little stage fright.

We had several play dates with friends. Since the boys are so close in age, Shepherd's friends quickly become Owen's friends as well. Owen has started wearing a Faith uniform every day to be just like Shepherd.

We had several parties at Shcpherd's school.

I love how Marley captures all the attention of the 4th graders. They were going around the table saying "Marley say Madison"..."Marley say Alexis".

Then on to a party at Chuck E. Cheese. Again...Marley hangs out with the big girls.

And then on to jumpzone. party party party.

Shepherd's class Christmas party. I'm one of the class room mom's so I get to help plan and execute his class parties. I love watching him in class and interact with his friends.

We went to several light shows and journeyed to Bethlehem. I just love this time of year and the excitement of the birth of our King.

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-02T13:54:00.001-08:00

We had a fun time hanging out at the Hemingway's for Thanksgiving this year. Lots of food, fun and playing. Indy (the dog) always keeps the kids entertained.

Then later on Thursday night we had a special treat---our good friends from medical school came to visit. We really haven't hung out much since life in Little Rock, unless you count me "helping" deliver Amanda's twins last Christmas. Okay, so maybe I didn't really help, but it was my first time to ever watch a c-section. They have 5 kiddos...so it was a fun full house. The kids played so good together, it almost made me want 8 kids---almost. Look at all those cuties.

Nate and Rusty had the smoker going all day making ribs and pulled pork for the HOGS vs. LSU game. We had a party...and it was a really fun one the first half of the game.

Owen and Lucy...

Marley loved pushing Lucy around. It made me laugh.

We have so many things to be thankful for. Good friends are at the top of that list. Thanks, Geidls, for coming all this way. We loved having you here.

2011-12-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun doing our little family photo shoot. Aunt Laura has gotten quite good with the camera. Everyone was pretty cooperative, only Marley didn't want to smile, which is very unusual for her. When I look at these pictures I'm overwhelmed with a gratitude to God, these aren't just cute faces...these are answered prayers...a sign of God's goodness and provision. His goodness to us isn't dependent on His provision of these 3 healthy kids...He was good before they came and would continue to be even if they never were. But I'm sure thankful that He decided his best for us would be Shepherd, Owen and Marley Grace. My heart swells.

And...not only are they adorably cute...they're hilarious too. There is no lacking of personality in our household. Lots of laughter and tears around here. Lots of chasing, pillow fights (Marley's latest favorite), cuddling (Owen said to me last night "let's just cuddle mommy"), kisses ("I make it better, I kiss it"--Marley), crafting, cooking, and telling stories (ask me about Georgie and Porgie sometime).

Capturing just a glimpse of time, we're not perfect, but it's fun to have a few pictures that make us seem put together! I'm in love and never want to forget this stage with 3 little ones.

I'd be amiss if I didn't mention Nate and his strengths as a dad and husband. He's had some ~~really late nights~~ early mornings of working until 4am delivering babies. I didn't hear him complain or notice any slacking off in the helping with the kids/house/cooking. He just gets home and jumps in. He has a lot on his shoulders with work, upcoming Oral Boards, being discipled by our pastor, leading our small group, ~~managing his fantasy football stuff, watching his teams~~, etc. etc. He just does it...with JOY. I am blessed.

Our little redhead, an unexpected blessing during an incredibly hard time. This boy is sweet.

This little girl loves her daddy. She's our first kid to request daddy over mommy most of the time. And I don't mind one bit!!

And Owen Conley, he's our rough one! He loves to run, throw, hit, kick and go go go!!! He makes us laugh and even though his quiet when you first meet him, he'll probably be pretty quick to start showing off, especially if it makes you laugh.

Outtakes

2011-11-26T14:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving...from our fun family of five!

You're Invited!!!

2011-11-16T09:46:00.001-08:00

Holiday Trunk Show
Host: 14 talented and creative vendors
When: Thursday, November 17 from 6-9pm (drop in)
Where: Home of Kelly Strzinek1401 Clark Springs DriveKeller, TX
http://holidaytrunkshow.blogspot.com/
http://marlaink.blogspot.com/

My Beautiful Birthday Girl

2011-10-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

Is it possible that my baby girl is already 2? How have 2 years flown by so quickly.

2 years ago we welcomed this crying little baby into our lives. Oh the blessing of a good hearty cry. I cried too, and then asked repeatedly if she really was a girl.

Marley was and is beautiful. She gets comments wherever we go about how pretty she is. It's not just her outside appearance, her inside is just as beautiful and she has a personality that attracts people to her.

She's a rough girl. Her brothers have helped her in that area. She can carry and purse and a baby and in the next moment be tackling her brothers on the floor.

Her brothers love her so much. They look after her and protect her. And she loves them. As we dropped Shepherd off at school Marley yells "I wuv you Sheppy! Bye!!"

We're starting to get a taste of the girl drama. Marley can pucker her bottom lip with the best of them. She is sensitive to correction. Quick to forgiveness. And loves to snuggle.

For her birthday we got her a bike so she could keep up with the boys. She does a pretty good job!

At 2 years old:

you speak in complete sentences all the time. I can actually carry on a conversation with you and I love that. You pronounce most things very accurately. We love to ask you to say "water bottle" "just joking" "it's raining".
you love sweets, especially gum (which you always swallow), icing, coke, etc. We've probably given you too many sweets, but you are the third!
You love baby dolls the most. You are a good momma, feeding, swaddling and rocking your baby Diane.
At night you lay in bed and say good night to everything and everyone. "Good night Rusty" "Good night eyeshadow" "Good night Aunt Jess" etc. etc. This lasts for at least 10 minutes.
You are everyone's friend. I'm amazed at how many people know you that I don't even know! This is especially true at church. People remember you. You call most people by name and yell hi across the street to the neighbors. You're very friendly.
You love animals, especially dogs. Jackson, the mean dog next door, is nice to you and only you.
You're smart. You notice things that I don't notice. You love to draw. You'll actually sit and listen to a whole book. You're very different from your brothers in the area of sitting still.
You are 34" tall and weigh 27 pounds. In the 50 percentile for both height and weight. You were so excited about the 4 "pretty bandaids" that the nurse brought in before your shots. You quickly figured out that those bandaids came at a high price.

Marley,
I'm so blessed to be your mom. You are the perfect addition to our family. You are fearfully and wonderfully made and God is going to use you big. He's gifted you in so many ways and I'm excited to see you grow. You are beautiful inside and out. I'm so proud of you. I love you forever. Mom

Fall Fun

2011-10-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

My beautiful kids on a beautiful fall day. Had I known there was going so many great photo ops at Nash Farm's family day I would have dressed this kids more fallish. Not that the HOG gear doesn't scream fall...since that's what we do all fall. I digress. The kids look beautiful no matter what they're wearing. I'm enjoying getting off the manual setting on my camera and having some fun.

Marley is our joy. She's full of energy and personality. She says hi to everyone.

Shepherd is our free spirit. He loves to always be doing something and has his own creative ideas of how to do it. He kept asking if he could go sit in the middle of the pumpkins. He's just plain cute!

Owen, our little thinker. He's serious and guarded. But it's a good thing. It was his idea to go to the farm and I'm so glad we did.

Real life photos: "hey mom, take my picture while I make a funny face"

Digging for something?

Life is hard...sorry sweetie but sometimes you have to stand in line to ride ponies.

All 3 of our kids are so brave and ready to take on new adventures.

I love my life, so blessed.

It's the little things

2011-10-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

I don't claim to be the best bargain shopper or couponer or budgeter, but I do work hard to save a buck here and there. I thought you might like to know a few of the little things I do that save us money and add up over the years. I'd also love for you to share some of your saving money ideas.

The wet jet: I love my wet jet but I hated buying the disposable pads. I was using at least 2 pads every time I mopped. So...an old towel and some velcro and bam...more than a buck saved every time I mop.

Along with the wet jet I watched this youtube video and started refilling the refill bottle myself with a much cheaper solution. I love the smell of Mr. Clean too.

Okay, having chickens isn't for everyone, but we have enjoyed having some "free" eggs everyday. The pet that gives back...a novel idea!

I make my own laundry detergent. It's easy and has worked great for me. I do use a fabric softener or scent booster . That's not grated cheese...it's Fels - Naptha Laundry Bar Soap. I get mine at Wal-mart for $1.

We tackle projects on our own. No hiring a handyman around here. Nate and I work together to replace ceiling fans, walls, texture, paint, etc. We are known for watching youtube videos and then tackling it ourselves. I'm sure this saves tons of money over time. But that does mean that our house is in disarray at any given time.

Every week I make a menu and usually stick to it. Do you see eating out anywhere on that board? That doesn't mean we didn't eat out...but we had a plan so eating out is always the exception. This saves a ton of money.

Don't be afraid of shopping at goodwill. The chandelier in our dining room was a $35 find from shopping at goodwill. It was new, in the box. But I didn't buy it at goodwill. While I was there a random lady saw me pick up an ugly dumpy chandelier. She asked me if I was looking for one. I said not really, but I'm always looking for a good deal. She then gave me her phone number and said she had a $200 new in the box chandelier that she'd sell to me for $35. It was so random that I had to go see the light. It was an awesome deal and a perfect light for my space. So I bought it. The trees in this picture came from a trash day curb find. My artwork on the right was an ugly painted canvas I bought for $1 and repainted. I have fun with the trash to treasure finds.

Have you tried using vinegar instead of jet dry? My dishwasher is old and I found that using jet dry made a big difference when it came to spots on dishes. jet dry is expensive. I've found vinegar to be just as good at a fraction of the price.

Rags rags rags---We use rags for all our spills. We do have paper towels, but they're not our go to for wiping up things. All the kids go right to the rag drawer when there's a mess.

Curtain rods can get really expensive when you're buying 110 inches of them. So...PVC pipe $2 for 100 inches, oil rubbed bronze spray paint ($7) and we're ready to go. Haven't hung them yet...but for the price I think I'll be happy.

So, there's a few of my tips. I'm sure there's more ways I save day after day. How are you a good steward of your resources?

Flu Shot torture

2011-09-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

We gave the kids a flu shot...glad we had the neighbor record it. Wow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPjAN5RIw6M&feature=colike

My Little Livers

2011-09-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've actually written more than a few sentences on the blog. Call it laziness or busyness one, but it's about time I give you a word picture of what our life is really like.

Shepherd (5 1/2 years): He's our laugher. He laughs about anything and everything. His laugh is contagious. He always has a smile and a positive outlook. He also loves to talk. He'll talk your ear off about the most random things. We've started letting him answer our telemarketer phone calls and it is HILARIOUS!!! He's quick to become attached to random "treasures" such as stacks of papers. He LOVES paper...mainly blank pages, but has also been known to carry around my old OBU sewing pages. He took those to church today which resulted in his teachers asking me if I went to OBU...and probably wondering why I was letting my kid carry around 12 year old paper. Shepherd loves to ride his bike and scooter and play with his friends. I'm wanting to remember the good things, so I won't write about the temper that comes with his red hair. He's our most strong willed kid to date.

Owen (4 years): He's our serious one and a bit on the shy side. Owen usually doesn't talk to someone unless you've hung out with him longer than an hour. Owen is strong and agressive and doesn't realize it yet. He still thinks he's a baby and will jump up on you and almost knock you over. He loves to play tackle with daddy and Shepherd, but usually ends it in tears. And when Owen cries he wails!! It's loud. Owen is such a good helper. He is very protective of his little sister and helps keep her out of trouble. He also helps us keep good care of our chickens and he's our main egg collector.

Marley (almost 2): How is it possible that she's not a baby anymore? Our little socialite. She loves to talk to everyone and I'm amazed at how much she's aware of. She talks in sentences and seems to understand almost everything we say. She's very aware of the world around her and wants to tell us all about it. She loves our neighbors dogs (Abigail and Jackson) and Marley is one of the few people that Jackson is nice to. If your around Marley for any bit of time she will win you over with her sweet personality. She's quite spunky and keeps up with her big brothers with no problem whatsoever.

I know these crazy days will pass so quickly. I want to cherish and remember these sweet moments.

Grapefest 2011

2011-09-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

A Lego Dog...

Wow...this Cowboy is really tall.

Owen looks thrilled to have his picture with the giant grapes.

Inspired

2011-09-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

It was this wall hanging in the Pottery Barn catalogue that started it all. Made of wood and not even for sale. Not that I would have bought it. Ever since moving into our new house we've needed big wall art at a very inexpensive price. The wheels started turning...maybe I could replicate this for free.

Step 1:---find some old wood laying around in your neighbors yard that he'll give you for free.

Don't be scared of dirt, gunk, and critters.

Step 2: find a small person to help you clean the wood. A brittle brush and a cute kid is a plus.

Step 3: let wood dry.

Step 4 (not pictured): decide how big you want it to be. Saw boards as needed. Screw into 2 boards going vertically along back.

Step 5: decide on saying/verse/quote/motto and get out some black paint and letter stencils (I already had both.)

Enjoy final product and be proud for turning trash into treasure all for FREE!!

UPDATED: I did sand the final product with a small hand sander. Sandpaper would work find. This gave the letters the distressed look and also helped rid the boards of splinters and dirt. I didn't wax, stain or seal anything. I might regret that later, I don't know. I've also eyed some old fence pickets to use, and I probably would stain them until they reached a desirable color. The pickets I have have aged differently and are a more gray color vs. the rich browns of my Micah project.

The question was also asked when I had time to do this. As you can see from Owen "helping me" clean, most of the time the kids were awake and "helping me". This project didn't just happen over night, it was more of a month of minutes here and there.

Our new family members

2011-09-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

It's been in the making for a while...I've wanted chickens...yes, me, city girl wanted chickens. Mainly because I'm cheap and also liked the idea of some entertainment around here, as if 3 wild kiddos isn't enough! In my opinion chickens are on of the few pets that earn their keep.

When Nate came home one day saying that he'd had a conversation with another doctor who said we could have some of his chickens I jumped on it. We wanted to do everything very inexpensively because that's where we're at in life and because our HOA says "no Chickens" so we have to be willing to get rid of them at any time therefore we didn't want to sink a bunch of money into their coop.

Ahhh...their coop. I pinterested and googled some ideas and came up with the idea of turning the kids plastic little tykes house into a coop. Brilliant!! It was free to us and almost free to remodel for chickens. We bought chicken wire and boarded up the windows. We also put a perch for them to roost. We also bought feed and a water feeder. We spent less than $50.

We've had so much fun. We've trimmed their wings to keep them from flying out of the yard---yes, they've escaped a few times. They lay about an egg a day per hen. The kids love finding the eggs. Their names are Keeter and Agnes and they're very kid friendly. They eat the bugs in the yard and fertilize the grass. They definitely earn their keep!

Agnes laying an egg...

Owen locking up the house for the night..

The chicken coop next to the compost pile...who am I?

Keeter--not the smartest place to hang out.

Owen teaching them tricks.

Mini update

2011-08-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

So....I guess summer's over?!? But it's still 105 degrees outside!! With the start of school comes the hope of cooler weather. So what have we been up to? a little of everything.

Lots of sitting on the potty for Marley, but no successes, but also very few accidents. She can hold it like a champ.

Shepherd can't keep his pants on to save his life. His pants can be really tights around his waist and yet still manage to slip down and show his crack. Maybe plumbing is in his future? He also has started playing the wii, which he loves. We definitely have to monitor this boys tv time---he is very drawn to that sort of thing.

Owen loves playing trains and playing with his sister. He's so kind and helpful with her. Definitely the protective older brother.

Marley is just growing up so quickly. This is a first to have an almost 2 year old and not be pregnant. I feel like I'm able to watch her life quickly pass because I'm not as busy with a newborn or tired with a pregnant belly.

Shepherd loves taking pictures. I periodically let him use the camera...here's the world through Shepherd's eyes:

Is it tomorrow yet?

2011-08-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Shepherd has been so excited and ready to start school. God directed us and we decided to let Shepherd repeat pre-k 5 days a week this year. He was a little hesitant, but also excited to be with Mrs. Kercheval again. He also has another friend who is in his class again. So they're the leaders together. I'm praying that this is a huge year for my little guy as he matures socially, academically and most of all spiritually. We are so proud of Shepherd and are excited to watch him grow this year.

July in a nutshell

2011-08-10T13:37:00.001-07:00

Oh, blogger, why do you always do my pictures in reverse order? Here's July...in reverse!

Owen had a face injury with the concrete. He fell off his scooter, face first. Ouch! He's tough though.

Lots of popsicles and ice cream for these kids. It's been a hot summer. We're on our 40 straight day of temperatures over the 100s.

Shepherd has taken up Photography. He loves being behind the camera. It's so cute. He's been that way for a while and I'm letting it bloom. Here's a picture he took one day. I love seeing things from his perspective.

Owen had his well check and got 4 shots. He was so brave, but still cried. He weighs 43 pounds. Solid kid.

Marley got hand/foot/mouth disease, which is actually a virus. It was bad for a few days...and she had her first fall asleep on the couch in the middle of the day. Overall, it was a fairly mild case. The boys didn't get it, which is kind-of amazing.

We went to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History with our friends. I think that's where Marley got her sickness as I found a random piece of gum in her mouth. Yuck!!!

Owen Conley turned 4!!! How is that even possible. What a sweetie he is! I definitely have a post coming about my new 4 year old and how special he is.

We scored a Groupon for over half off at a swim school, so that's where we had his party. It was so much fun, and fairly easy on me. Except making the cupcakes...that my friends, was not easy! But I took great joy in seeing Owen's face and watching him show them off to his friends.

Shark cupcakes, life rafts and fish!

We had company come visit!! Nate's brother, his wife and their 2 girls came to visit from Arkansas. We had fun watching the kids play, going to Ikea, eating, and catching up. Here's Shepherd and Bella.

I had some major CURB scoring this month including this trunk. I've been working on her and will post after pictures when I'm done.

FREE Chick-fil-A...oh yes we did!!! And yes, we ran into one of Nate's patients. That was real cool!! Who doesn't love a doctor that is thrifty and humble enough to dress like a cow??

Shepherd's not in the picture because he was embarassed to dress up. really? at age 5?? Is he really my son? I told him it would make his meal free... and he asked "what's free mean?" Oh yeah, I forgot ALL of his meals are free to him!

4 of July Party and Fireworks...we had a bunch of people over for pizza and then headed to Lake Grapevine to watch the show! It was awesome and so much fun. Fireworks have not phased Marley at all.

Me and my new friend Julie

Lots of crashing after long days!!

And last but not least we started July out by celebrating my most favorite person. Nate's birthday is July 1st!! So glad that miracle baby Nate came into this world 32 years ago. I'm so proud to be his wife and friend. July also marks Nate's 1 year anniversary for being a practicing OB/GYN. I'm so proud of his hard work, determination, friendliness, intentionality, and care for his family and patients. This has been a changing year for Nate and he's taken it head on and made it one of our best yet.

It's been a month, what?

2011-08-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, I have a blog! I also have 3 kids...we're having a great summer. Lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of late nights and we've started training for a half marathon again. So much fun, but not a lot of time for blogging. I'll work on that.

It's wedding time!

2011-06-27T19:22:00.001-07:00

Love is in the air. Nate's brother, Brooks, tied the knot this last Saturday with Stephanie. We are so excited to welcome her into the family. They're a beautiful couple and their wedding was so much fun. Congratulations love birds!

Shepherd loves taking pictures. I thought this was so cute. It might even be their first candid as Mr. and Mrs. Livers!

The boys rang bells announcing "the bride is coming" right before Steph walked down the aisle. Brooks had a dollar for each of the to bribe them. It was really cute.

Beautiful Bride and her beautiful flower girl.

Aunt Joy and Marley.

These pictures are from the rehearsal dinner.

All the Livers girls!!

Staying Cool.

2011-06-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

It should be a crime to live in Texas and not have a pool. It's been so hot here lately. So...since we don't have a pool we work hard to try and find places where we can get cool. Last week we got to take advantage of Laura's friends' pool. It had a slide which was tons of fun.

We've been busy...

2011-06-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

Our good friends from Temple came to visit. Shannon had a baby in April and Max is just a cutie! I'm not sure why I didn't get a picture of him and Marley, but I didn't. Here's a picture of the cute older kids. They played so well together that day and it was great to get to catch up with Shannon.

Friday night lights: Marley got to experience her first fireworks! She was really good considering that it was way past her bedtime. The noise didn't seem to scare her although she did want to be held the whole time.

My brother Dave and his fiancee Heather.

Owen and Chloe.

Silly girl Marley is growing up!

Father's Day

2011-06-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's no surprise to anyone that my kids have the best dad ever. He constantly amazes us with his energy and patience. He works hard and plays hard and he loves his kids! Each kid has a special relationship with their daddy. It's been fun to watch their relationships grow. I'm thankful that Nate's the dad he is to our kids.

This year for Father's Day we had some very special friends come for the weekend. Reagan and Kristy and their 2 boys came all the way from Pittsburgh for a fun visit. Owen and Byron are the same age and they always have so much fun together. It was a great visit and we wish they lived closer.

Beach Vacation

2011-06-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

We packed up everything except the kitchen sink and headed 13 hours away to Destin, and yes, we drove, and yes, we're crazy. It was worth it though. We met some of our best friends and their 4 children there. To have all 11 people in one house get along great for the week was almost a miracle. We had so much fun and want to do it again. All 3 of my kids loved the beach, sand, sun and water. I was amazed. Marley Grace is a fish! She was practically swimming by the end of the week.

Owen and Piper (both 3) were instantly best friends. It was so cute to watch them. They were almost always together.

Nate and I celebrated 10 years of marriage while we were there. They got a cake for us and we had a little photo shoot out on the beach-just the 2 of us.

Melissa and Cannon: this boy loves his momma!

CRABS!!

I love my man!

Donuts--a Livers/Smith tradition

The night we left little Laura graduated from high school. I can't believe she's that old. So glad we could be there to help her celebrate. She's headed to Abilene Christian U in the fall! I'm gonna miss that girl.

Our Violet

2011-04-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don't fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?

Luke 12:27 (The Message)

7 years ago we buried our first child, our daughter Halley. On that day we weren't the only parents grieving. I'm not just assuming that, I know that. Two of our friends from high school lost their precious son while he was still in the womb. Christie had to deliver her baby knowing that he wouldn't be alive. They got hours, not days or months...only hours with their son. So different than us, but in ways so similar. So that spring day in March both our kids were laid to rest next to each other. Not really something you want to have in common with your friends. That day not only did Daniel's parents come to Halley's funeral, but they had an african violet delivered to our house in memory of our little girl. They didn't know this and probably still don't, but my great grandmother loved african violets and one of the few memories I have of her home is the window with the stand of probably more than 10 violets each blooming beautiful purple flowers.

We got many flowers that week, but the violet was my favorite. After a few weeks all the plants and flowers died, but not the violet. It lost it's blooms, but remained alive. I, too, seemingly lost my blooms. I was alive, but definitely not blooming. Fast forward a year, another loss, another burial, more flowers given to us in memory of Porter. They all died, but not our violet. Fast forward another year, our son, Shepherd comes home with us from the hospital. We move. Another year, our son Owen is born, the violet is alive, but doesn't bloom. Another year, Marley Grace is born. The violet looks like it might bloom, it has a small bud that never flowers. It's alive, wanting so bad to produce a flower. Another year, another move. I placed the violet in my new bathroom, by the window. It gets just enough sun and just enough water. A reminder everyday of my past, my loss, the loss of my friend and the grace of God. This spring for the first time in 7 years our violet blooms---not just one flower but two. I can't help but think about Halley, Daniel and Porter. And I think about my own life, am I finally starting to bloom again? After all the pain and all the hard years? Could God really be using this for beauty in my life? Yes, He is. He's desired it all along, but now it's coming to be. I still don't understand it all and wouldn't ever have chosen it, but God is making it beautiful. And I'm grateful.

and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Isaiah 61:3 (The Message)

Arkansas and Easter Eggs

2011-04-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

Grandpa gives Marley some egg hunting advice.

Marley pushes her cousin, Sadie, who's actually older than her!

Grandpa takes over.

Shepherd and his loot.

Owen and his loot.

Marley hunting.

Very difficult to get a good picture with so many kids!! Here's Grandpa and Grandma with all their grandkids.

Swim time!!

2011-04-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

I'm loving this Texas weather! So beautiful. The kids are loving it as well. I've also been practicing more with my camera and working on getting off "auto" mode. I'm quite pleased with how I'm doing.

Please vote

2011-04-18T13:59:00.001-07:00

Please take 20 seconds and vote for my photo (#1). I think it stands a really good chance at winning. http://blog.purpletreestudios.com/2011/04/mops-photo-challenge/

I could really use the free photo shoot and $50 towards prints! Thanks.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

book writing

2011-04-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

I like the title "book writing" a lot better than "blog to book". I'm taking all my posts...dating from 2005 until now and turning them into a hardbound book. This is a lot of work but I know it'll totally be worth it. It's been fun remember some past memories, both good and bad, and seeing how far God's brought us.

Have you turned your blog into a book? If so, how'd you do it? I'm using blurb/booksmart.

Bluebonnets 2010, 2009, 2007

2011-04-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

We moved to Texas in June of 2006...so our first bluebonnet picture took place March of 2007. Here's Shepherd at 1 year old...looking so cute.

I can't find a 2008 picture. Here's 2009...What sweet baby boys.

They sure change a lot each year. Here's 2010...

Bluebonnet bloopers

2011-04-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

Strange head in the field.

Is this called frolicking?

HELP!!!!

check out Owen's nasty foot...

Are we done yet?

Get your hand off me!!!

Don't eat the bluebonnets!!

Bluebonnets 2011

2011-04-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

Since becoming Texans... (it feels weird to write that!!!) We have attempted to take bluebonnet pictures every year. Here are some of my favorites from this year. I love how when you capture your kids on "film" life stands still and seems so picture perfect. I look at these picture and forget the most frusterating moments and just remember the sweet precious ones. I remember how my kids love each other, not how they fight. The giggles and smiles, not the yelling and crying. Each moment is fleeting but precious. Oh how I hope I can remember them all.

He's 5!!

2011-03-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Shepherd. (These pictures are from his party 2/26)

Legos!!!

My best attempt at an Imagination Movers Cake. This was his only request.

Aunt Laura!!

Pops and Grammie.

So big!!

Real Life in photos

2011-03-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

3 kids falling asleep at the same time is a near miracle. Of course when it does happen it's in the car and I can't take advantage of it, except smile and enjoy the cuteness.

My big 5 year old. Precious Shep.

Be still my heart...I love when all 3 kids play together. A rare moment of game playing that I had to capure.

Baby girl is growing up. She goes around to other kids her age (or even older) and says "baby" and tries to tickle them. I keep telling her that she's the baby, but she's not buying it.

Snow day tiredness....Owen just gave up in the middle of the living room.

Contemplating a hard day over a cup of hot cocoa.

Just precious. Watching the snow come down.

Daddy hugs are the best. You can tell these two have a special relationship.

And tackling daddy is even better.

Breakfast making...

These two are special friends. Owen takes good care of his sister.

These kids are the best. Each one so different, yet so special and fun. Each one makes up who we are as a family. We have so many crazy moments in a day but I wouldn't have it any other day. I love being a mommy to these 3.

Sisters

2011-03-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

I have two of the best sisters ever. I'm 3 years older than Jess and 15 years older than Laura. Both Laura and Jess are so different and my relationship with each is so special and so different. Jess and I grew up together. We have childhood memories and sister secrets. She was my only friend when we would move and we spent all our time together. Jess has been that consistent rock in my life. She's sensitive and caring and is a good listener. I love seeing who God has created her to be.

Laura and I have become closer friends in the last few years. Laura and I are a lot a like. Living close has been so much fun for our friendship. Laura is an encourager and a seeker of God. Not a week goes by that Laura doesn't let me know that she's praying for me. She's the only person in my life that constantly lets me know that.

I love my sisters! We're having a sister weekend this weekend and I'm so excited. Jess is flying in to the DFW and we've got some fun stuff planned, including a night in a hotel. It's coming at a perfect time for me. I can't wait.

Laura was "Chip" in Beauty and the Beast and to say it was amazing would be an understatement. Laura nailed her role.

Laura as a baby

Marla and Jessica at Christmas

This is love

2011-02-26T08:29:00.001-08:00

The deepest losses offer the widest openings for us to receive the miracles in our midst.

~Tami Lynn Ken

Before you had a name or opened up your eyes
Or anyone could recognize your face.
You were being formed so delicate in size
Secluded in God's safe and hidden place.

With your little tiny hands and little tiny feet

And little eyes that shimmer like a pearl
He breathed in you a song and to make it all complete
He brought the masterpiece into the world.

You are a masterpiece
You are a masterpiece
A new creation He has formed
And you're as soft and fresh as a snowy winter morn.
And I'm so glad that God has given you to me
Little Lamb of God, you are a masterpiece.
And now you're growing up your life's a miracle
Everytime I look at you I stand in awe
Because I see in you a reflection of me
And you'll always be my little lamb from God

And as your life goes on each day
How I pray that you will see
Just how much your life has meant to me.

And I'm so proud of you
What else is there to say?
Just be the masterpiece He created you to be

Lyrics by Sandi Patty "Masterpiece", a song I love to sing over my babies as I rock them at night.

Shepherd Nathan Livers,

You are our spunky, fun-loving, laughing gift from God. From the moment we heard about you, you have brought joy and hope to our family. Your life is truly a gift from God and your story is one that brings honor to God. The name "Shepherd" means leader or teacher. "Nathan" means "God has given". Our prayer is that you would become a leader to Owen and Marley, to your friends, neighbors and to the world. God truly has given you much. We pray you will use your gifts to glorify Him. Happy 5th Birthday, Son. Love, Mom and Dad

Things about Shepherd:

He's not shy. He loves to talk to others and ask about their life.
He's bilingual. Yesterday at the car shop he immediately said "Adios Amigos" to the 2 Mexicans who were leaving. The whole waiting room died laughing.
He loves music. He knows the names of most instruments and wants to play them all. He also loves to sing and makes up his own songs.
He loves his brother and sister. He is so good to Marley and talks to her in his sweet baby girl voice. He also loves to play with Owen.
He loves paper and work stuff. He finds treasures in most anything and will be seen carrying around random objects for days.
He laughs, like all the time. It's a contagious giggle.
He remembers everything. Stuff that I don't remember from years ago, Shepherd remembers.
He's sensitive to heaven and the things of God. He asks us often about heaven and to tell him about Jesus dying on the cross.

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
--Ephesians 1:5,6

Let it snow...

2011-01-31T18:21:00.000-08:00

Since the predicted temperature for Wednesday is 12 degrees....yes, 12, and yes, we still live in Texas, I thought I'd dig out our snow pictures from early January.

Amazingly they were able to build a snowman.

Someone loves the cold...

Someone doesn't love the cold...

Someone looks cute in the cold...

Time for a warm bath...

Thoughts on grief and healing

2011-01-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

Today makes seven years ago that we gave birth to our first child. Little did we know that she would change our lives forever. All babies change you, but Halley Raye impacted more people in her 55 days of life than most people do in 55 years. Here's my bullet point thoughts on the past 7 years regarding grief, healing and Halley Raye:

God uses brokenness. God met us at rock bottom and used it for His glory.
Sometimes giving God glory maybe all you can do in a situation. We had nothing left to give, only our desire for God to use the situation for His glory.
It's okay to admit when things stink, really really stink. Wrestling with God is good.
Grief shows up in the most unsuspecting places...even 7 years later. When I can pin-point my jealousy/bitterness/anger as grief in disguise then I can being healing.
It's okay to move on. I've struggled with this now that I'm super busy with 3 little ones. I was sick today, we didn't make a cake or do anything very special for Halley other than talk about her precious life. I will not live in guilt. There will be times that we reminince a lot, and times that we don't. That's okay.
Talking about Halley and Porter in normal life is so good for me...actually fun. Today I got to share her story with a lady at the park. What an honor to talk about her legacy on her actual birthday. I love getting to still talk about her as much as I do about Shepherd, Owen and Marley.
It means so much when people ask about your kids--living or not. I love that my good friends easily let the name Halley and Porter roll off their tongue. It also means a lot when people remember.
My prayer life increases when I'm in a valley. I don't want to only cry out to God when I'm desperate.
And like my dad always said "sometimes you just fake it til you make it". There's value to this. Somedays I just needed to put a smile on...and once that smile was there my attitude and outlook would start to change. But...
being real in a fake world is invaluable. It's important to let people know where you're at and as a friend, it's important to ask how your loved one is doing.

If you still actually read my blog...thank you. Thank you for caring and thank you for helping us along in this journey.

Happy Birthday, Halley Raye. We miss you and love you.

New Year Love

2011-01-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

I love the start of a new year. It's so fresh, no mistakes, a clean slate. I just enjoy the redemptive qualities that I feel. So far 2011 hasn't let me down. Nate and I usually like to get away for a quick weekend of goal setting and marriage renewal at the beginning of the year. The more kids we've added the harder this has become. This year we might have to settle for a long date night. So I haven't set out my goals for the year. I like to set goals. It give me something to aim for and I'm not usually one to feel defeated if I don't complete each goal. The main areas I will be focusing on this year will be Marla as a daughter of God, wife, mom, friend, and manager of our Home. Each of these roles will have specific areas that I want to do better in. I'm in the season of life where if it's screaming it gets attention. Sometimes things that don't yell don't get dealt with. I need to change that.

So...happy 2011!

Hemingway Christmas....

2011-01-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

Marley's hair is getting so long!

watching the first annual Christmas video that Laura made.

Christmas Day at our house with my sweet little family:
We read the Christmas story and then put baby Jesus in the manger.

Can you tell he loved his trumpet???? He carried it around for days, even sleeping with it. It was so cute!

Random pictures

2010-12-15T12:51:00.001-08:00

Just cleaning up my pictures on my phone. These are so random. But depict our real life.

Nate and marley at the Christmas parade downtown.

First movie in the theatre, Toy Story 3.

Our elf, Kenny, made by me. It's really funny.

Cutie pig rocking the pigtails.

One of Nate's partners 1929 Packard. He has 6 cars this old.

Texas sunsets are awesome.

I made a ton of Carmel corn. It was so yummy.

Owen fell asleep in the chair like this.

Black Friday memory making with the sisters.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I love my man.

2010-12-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

I got a good man. I have no doubt. It's really cool when I think of all the moves my family took before moving to Arkansas (I think about 6 or so from when I was born). How God had Nate planned out just for me. How we'd meet at our tiny little high school and start dating at such a young age. Then God called me to go to a different college and then called me to transfer to OBU where Nate was. What a journey. Nate is faithful and consistent. He loves me. He loves our kids. He's devoted. His priorites are right on. He's a hard worker. He loads the dishwasher--with out me. even. asking. (yah, he's that good). Nate keeps our family laughing. When I'm stressed and uptight, Nate's that guy that does everything to try and make me laugh. It usually just makes me more mad, but I appreciate his attempts.

Today, I'm extra thankful for the One that God made just for me.

Tis the Season...

2010-12-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

Has it really been almost a month since I updated? Shame on me. I try to update often enough so that I don't lose my readers. Now that I only have about 5 readers, I'm not sure I should stress about it.

I love this time of year! Last year I kept reciting Luke 2:19 "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." I think that's just my Christmas verse in general, because it has spoken to me again this year. I just don't want to get so busy that I miss it. I want to sit and play with the kids. I want to drink hot chocolate and talk and laugh. I don't want to be so stressed and running around that my kids just remember that instead of peace.

Does a Christian Christmas and Santa mix? The great debate. Nate and I grew up thinking different things about Santa. Neither way was right or wrong--just different. Now as a family we get to make our own traditions. We're very excited. Concerning Santa, we tend to take a relaxed approach. First and foremost we want Christ to be honored and at the center of our Christmas. We do this several ways: birthday party/cake for Jesus on Christmas eve, went to a journey to Bethlehem live nativity, Family Life's What God Wants for Christmas every night before bed, obviously talking about Jesus' birth, and reading the Christmas story, baby Jesus isn't in our nativity manger--we will open him as the first gift on Christmas day. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but you get the drift.

Secondly, we want this to be a magical season with lots of fun traditions. That's why I did the Elf thing. We have fun with it and it adds suspense and surprise. We talk about Santa---you can't really ignore his existence. I ask the kids if they think he's real...and leave it at that. We don't really say our gifts are from Santa, but Nate's parents do and we think that's great. We do stockings, we don't do pictures unless it's free (I'm cheap like that), at the same time I don't want my kids to "ruin" it for other kids.

We know lots of people that did Santa...and obviously now know that he's not real...and they aren't scarred and they love Jesus...I think there's a balance.

Hummm...what are your thoughts?

Fall is here...finally.

2010-11-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

I feel like my blog has become more of a picture blog. It's sad but I don't always have that much to say. Someone asked me the other day what I liked to do. I couldn't hardly think of what I liked to do that didn't involved kids, family or Nate. That's the stage right now and I am loving each of the kids ages and stages. When I'm not with them I feel out of place.

Last night we got to go to John's basketball game against Dallas Christian. John plays on the varsity team for Wayland Baptist in Plainview. We won't get to see him over Thanksgiving because of the team's schedule. The kids loved watching the game and were really good considering it was past bedtime.

The leaves have started to fall...and it's a little cold outside. We are loving the cooler weather.

Nate's parents came in for a quick visit and we lit up the firepit for some smores. yummmo. I was really glad that the previous owners left us their pit.

a rare family picture of all 5 looking at the camera.

Love this boy. He was Super Cub this week and got to be in charge of Leo the Lion. He's so much fun and loving school.

It's giveaway time...

2010-11-11T20:02:00.001-08:00

at JELBY'S.

It's a must check out!!! I'm so lucky because I have such talented friends. And for all those who don't know what to get my kids for Christmas...I'd, ahem, I mean, THEY would love some Jelby's shirts!!

Trumpets and Guitars

2010-11-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year, when the mailbox is full of Toyland Catalogs luring the kids with the shiny toys and well known action figures. They boys love to flip though each page talking about all the toys. But no toy sways Shepherd's 8+ month request for a trumpet. Yes, a trumpet. He has asked since February for a trumpet. He says it over and over and then he adds that "Owen wants a guitar". I'm not sure if Shepherd wants a guitar too, or what. Owen's never asked for a guitar, but Shepherd is convinced that he needs one. They crack me up. Nate and I will be a hero this Christmas if there's a trumpet under our tree.

Speaking of tree...Nate sold ours for $10 at our last garage sale. There's a family out there that's saying how lucky that are this Christmas that some idiot sold their pre-lit 7 foot tree for $10. I have no hard feelings towards Nate, but it's going to be awfully hard to find a replacement for $10. But, my thrifty self will enjoy the challenge.

We got a $10 Kohl's card in the mail for a promotional thing. You didn't have to buy a certain amount, so today I went...got exactly $10 worth of stuff and walked out without spending a dime. I couldn't have gotten that close if I tried. It was awesome. I got Marley a pair of shoes that were 90% off of $24 (so $2.50). It was so cool. I love a good deal.

Marley's One

2010-11-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

Remember that day? October 23, 2009? Do you remember where you were when you got the phone call, the text or facebook announcement that Marley Grace was born and came out screaming?!? I remember where I was and I can recall just about every little detail from that beautiful day. I can't believe that she's already one. What a fun life-changing year.

Marley, you are our little miracle. Your life is such a blessing to us and we're so glad God blessed us with you. We couldn't imagine life without our little princess. Your brothers love you so much. You are beautiful inside and out. We can't go anywhere without people commenting on how cute and friendly you are. One of your first words was "Hi" and you use it often. You now say "dadda", "mamma" (finally), "Hi" "Buh", "Uh-O", and a whole lot of jibber jabber. I love when you sing. You love your brothers and especially when they're giving you attention or laughing at you. You also love animals, especially the neighbors dogs. You really should learn to kiss with your mouth CLOSED.

You already walk so good and can climb to the top of the stairway with ease. You play with toys so different than Shepherd and Owen do. You sit quietly and hold the people in your hand and move them back and forth. I'm not sure I've ever seen you throw something, besides your dinner. You do love to eat, but when you're done you'll slowly throw each item onto the floor. It's okay though, because later you pick it all up and eat it.

We Love you. Happy Birthday!! Love, Mom

And now...

Park day with my Presh...

2010-11-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Owen took this...

and some indoor tent time...

Good friends, Good times

2010-11-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to get a good picture of 5 kids...even if 2 of them are strapped in carseats!

Our friends, Reagan, Kristy, Byron and Carter came all the way from Pittsburgh to visit us. It was such a refreshing fun time. I was definitely in need of some good girl time and real conversation...and that's just what I got. Reagan even babysat the kids so Kristy and I could go to lunch one day. Thanks for that Reagan! Byron and Owen played so well together and really enjoy each other. I hope they have a lasting life long friendship, just like their dads.

What a weekend.

2010-11-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

Parties at church

Roller skating party

Hay rides

Pinatas

scary hair mommas

parties downtown...

Wow...I'm tired.

We've been busy...

2010-10-28T12:58:00.001-07:00

Cooking...and....Cleaning.

We

2010-10-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

More of the same

2010-10-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

more cleaning, more stressing, more breaking up tackles, more worrying, more cooking, more laughing, more cleaning, more laundry, more praying, more giving, more cleaning, more stressing, more laughing, more late nights...

Right now we're in a cycle of raising kids and all that it entails. My days are spent playing, cleaning, scrubbing, and more playing. Lots of laughs around these parts.

Shepherd: He's into papers and bags of "his work stuff". Seriously, he carries around grocery bags of random papers. He becomes attached to different objects and will have that one thing with him for the whole week. He excites easily and I love that. He's the Prayer leader this week at school and I love to hear him pray. I've noticed a difference in his prayers since he started school. I'm thinking his prayers sound more like his classmates now. Tonight he prayed for his mommy and daddy. Shepherd has changed a lot in the last months. He's learning that actions have consequences and he has started making better choices.

Owen: he cracks us up constantly. He likes "choc-LICK" milk. He eats everything...veggies, meats, fruits anything! Both boys always want my "sour" coffee. Owen is really into baseball, hitting the ball and being the "thrower man". He loves to call us "Mr. daddy or Mr. Mommy" and then he and Shepherd burst into big giggles. Owen looks out for both Shepherd and Marley. Today he helped Shepherd get dressed and unbuckle his seat belt. Sometimes I wonder who's the oldest! Owen also calls Marley "Marley sweetie" or "Marley Grace". He loves her and she loves him. He is my helper. He helps unload the dishwasher, make his bed, clean up, run and get something for me, etc.

Marley: I feel like she changes every day. She's walking but still drops down to crawl when she wants to go fast. She waves constantly and says "Hi". She loves having attention and demands it if we're not giving her enough. If you say "where's Marley" she immediately covers her eyes or ears to play peek-a-boo. If you say "yaaay" she starts clapping. She's cuddly, cute and so much fun. I'm enjoying having a girl to dress up. Yesterday at wal-mart a man stopped me and was talking to Marley. He said "her bow matches her socks. She's adorable. Way to go mom!" It's nice to be appreciated every now and then, even if it was for matching my kids bow to her socks.

So, I've not abandoned my blog!

my princess

2010-10-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

baby girl is sick. We went to the doctor today, originally for Owen, and discovered the Marley Grace has a double ear infection. She also has a nasty eye caused by her sinuses. Poor girl. I hadn't even noticed her acting more fussy. She's always so happy. Praying for a quick recovery before her big 1st birthday party a week from Saturday!!

Park time

2010-09-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

Check out my man...pushing 2 kids while holding another. He's a good guy and a great dad.

my favorite...

AR vs. Alabama

2010-09-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

man, what a game!! We were so glad we got to be there, but what a heartbreak.

Grandpa and Owen

wooooo....pig sooie

sorry, ladies, he's mine!!

Livers guys...

Livers gals...Steph is my sister in law to be!!! yay! and Joy is my sister...

Fullness of Life

2010-09-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, now that you've seen where we live I feel like you know us a little better. The home is such an intimate place. A reflection of who we are as a family. Our house is full of life. It's dirty, loud and fun, and I wouldn't want it any other way. This is the place that we can let down our walls, be crazy, laugh and cry. We've got lots of room, so come on over for a visit!!

So..6 months ago I was saying that I couldn't wait for September and October because that would hopefully mean that we were in our new routine and starting to feel settled in this new home of ours. Well, we're in a pretty good routine. The kids have made major improvements in their behaviors and sleeping habits. I attribute this to "settling in". I've come a long way since my summer sadness. I still don't completely feel settled, but more than I did even a month ago. I'm still missing friends and haven't quite found any new ones. Isn't that always the hardest thing about moving?!? In this season though, I have found a closeness with my Father and with Nate and the kids. We spend all our time together instead of being bogged down with activities and social events. I'm looking forward to finding some friends, but want to keep life simple. (is that even possible with 3 little ones?)

I'm planning a 1st year birthday party for a very special girl. Is that possible??? Where has time gone? Someone sent me a text after watching Marley for an hour and she hit the nail on the head...she said "that Marley really is something special". I couldn't agree more. Marley is bubbly, friendly, funny, cute and contagious. I'm loving every minute of her little life. I can't believe I'm on this side of my life. Thank you Lord!!

Outside and laundry room

2010-09-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Front of house.

we have an extra "house". we plan on making it a guest house type thing. Right now it's got stained concrete and tons of toys dumped in it.

yard

laundry room...very pink, but I love it (it was already painted this way). The floor is black and white checked.

Dining room, kitchen, great room

2010-09-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

dining room...was purple, even the ceiling. we painted it, but haven't done much more.

Great room...my favorite room and where we spend most of our days.

The kids can run and play...so much room.

kitchen. the area on the right leads to pantry and then dining room.

one day we plan to replace the counter tops and backsplash and update appliances. For now we're enjoying not worrying about it!!

Master Suite

2010-09-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

When I say suite I mean suite and sweet! Here's our closet and bathroom:

closet is awesome. It's huge and full of the container store organizers!

It needs to be repainted...maybe one day.

Our bathroom still needs some updating, but I am really loving it.

Our bedroom is too big, but it works! We have 7 doors in our Master.

This is my craft room right through the french doors. Right now it's disaster area.

back to master. 2 doors lead to the balcony.

nothing on the walls...yet.

Miscellaneous

2010-09-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have miscellaneous rooms...lots of them! The kids bathroom...

one side is orange (not painted by us)

and one side is purple. Instead of repainting I just bought a shower curtain and went with it. I actually like the bright colors here and there. The actual bathroom is a light brown color.

The loft/future game room/extra space for a king bed and big shaggy bag.

This upstairs between Marley and Shepherd's room. One thing I like about this floor plan is that none of our kids bedrooms share a wall. So...it makes it a little harder for them to hear each other screaming and crying (if they did that...).

Loft...looks over entry way, across to Master. Another thing I like about this floorplan is that all the bedrooms are upstairs including the Master. We like to be close to our kids...atleast right now.

Kids Rooms

2010-09-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

Owen's Room...long and skinny

His room was completely blue...including the ceiling. We didn't want to repaint the ceiling so we added the high chair rail (is that what you call that?) and painted the khaki below. I like how it turned out.

He has 2 ceiling fans...weird. And he has access to the balcony. Need to get a high lock for that! Navy chair in corner will eventually be hanging.

Shepherd's room: we've done absolutely nothing to it. Random things hanging in random spots on the wall. He has nails everywhere (from previous owners). Don't you love the black trim (hear sarcasm). He has dark wood floors which are some of my favorite. This house sports about 4 different shades of wood laminate. real nice. not a stitch of carpet.

Oh, and the faux leather curtain...that was there when we moved in!!

Marley's room

Such a big miracle in such a little girl. couldn't be more true.

We also put the high chair rail in her room. that was to cover up all the holes from the train track that used to be hanging there. I love how her room turned out...and I don't think I spent a dime on decor. Thanks to hb for the bedding, sb, morrison and candace for the pom poms, carla for the letters and bow holder and joy for the fabric.

Perfect for a princess...

The Office

2010-09-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

It's right off the entry way. Nothing on the walls yet.

Desk is from the Floods, the 2 chairs we bought at a garage sale for 6.50 each and had them recovered with upholstery grade fabric we bought at another garage sale!

Pictures from our trip to Arkansas

2010-09-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

House Pictures!!!

2010-09-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

I keep meaning to put up house pictures...and I keep meaning to get a little more done so that the house will be picture worthy. Haaa. well, I'm just going to post pictures no matter what the house looks like!

Here's the playroom. It's about the only room in the entire house that we didn't have to paint or fix anything. I love the color, the size and feel of this room. Thanks to Ikea for furnishing it!! The playroom is right of the living room and kitchen.

back wall looking into the kitchen area.

Looking into the playroom.

Next...the office!!

Owen's First Day

2010-09-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

Breakfast for a Champion...

He was so excited and so proud. He picked out his entire outfit, including the shirt underneath the shirt. He insisted on that even though I thought he'd be too hot. He looked so cute!!!

He loves school and talks about Mrs. Holly all the time. I couldn't be more proud with how he's adjusted.

On his first day it was pouring rain. They encourage you to drive by and drop your kid off (they have teachers out there to get the kids out of their carseats). I asked Owen if he wanted me to take him in or drop him off. He asked for the drop off. He's so big!!

Pictures

2010-08-28T19:15:00.001-07:00

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Owen

2010-08-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Owen: weighs 38 lbs. Height is 38 3/4 inches blood pressure is 90/60.

He loves Shepherd, but seems especially close to Marley right now. Maybe that's because she doesn't beat up on him. He is such a helper. He loves to help all of us and does a really good job with what we need him to do. he can fully dress himself and gets the clothes on the right way and his shoes on the correct feet. He is always moving, jumping and falling. He hurts us alot, not intentionally, but because he's so big and strong.

He's smart. He can count to around 12, he knows all his abcs and most shapes. He can recognize things and put together matching colors or like objects. He'll eat anything, or at least try it once. He loves salad, broccoli, and mac and cheese.

He says things like "mom, you look pretty today". "Marley, guess what? I love you". He's a total sweetie...but if he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed...watch out. This kid can be grumpy with the best of them. We're seeing more and more opinions and attitudes.

Owen, we love you so much and are so proud of you!!

Pre-K is OK!!

2010-08-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

Student orientation day.

Shepherd with his teacher

Shepherd with Aunt Laura and fellow schooler.

He was so so excited.

The best classroom ever!!

Picking him up Owen was so chatting, telling Shepherd everything we did without him. Shepherd couldn't stop looking in his notebook!

Big boy---1 day down!

Lack of updates

2010-08-23T20:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry for my lack of updates. My kids have gone on a napping strike, especially napping all at the same time. I feel like I can barely catch my breath all day. It's go go go for this momma. If I'm not watching then someone might move a chair and find where I've hidden all the sharpies and grab them along with the scissors. Or grab my make up and "play" with it. Or chew up all my gum. Or mess with the laptop. The list goes on. I'm busy. Why do my kids not like playing with toys?!? So "while they're sleeping" never really happens until late at night. Owen...he's our night owl. He takes a nap most days and definitely needs that nap! But then he doesn't want to go to sleep at night.

Anyway this wasn't meant to be an update on our lack of sleep and parenting frustration.

Shepherd starts school on Wednesday and he is so excited!! He asks everyday if he can go yet. I'm so happy for him. I'm praying that this is a growing up year for him. I'm ready to see some positive changes in him in the area of obedience. Gods going to use him in great ways, but first we need to harness his energy and strong will.

More to come.

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Guess who

2010-08-23T20:31:00.001-07:00

Is now 10 months old??? Yup, Marley Grace!!! Doesn't seem possible.

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Go Cowboys

2010-08-12T21:20:00.001-07:00

We decided to take the family to a pre season Cowboys game since it's actually affordable at $6 a seat. We brought Laura along to help and because we like her!! The game started at 8pm. I was a little nervous about how the kids would do so late, but they were awesome. They loves watching everything going on. Marley would dance with the music and in true Shepherd fashion he would ask if it was over after every time the crowd clapped. Haaa. Owen just smiled!! My confidence in taking all 3 kids out in public to an event is slowly growing. Maybe there's hope for our social life one day!!

Pictures.

Dan (a season ticket holder) came by to say hi!!

We were in the nose bleed section and it even filled up.

Can you see the excitement???

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Twins

2010-08-07T12:40:00.001-07:00

You know the great debate, who does the baby look like?!?

Well when Shepherd was born everyone said he looked like Nate (which I loved)! He still gets that a lot.

Then Owen was born and all Nate's coworkers said he was Nate's little twin and my friends said he looked like me. I think as a baby he looked more like me (during his cute stage of course) and now he looks more like his daddy.

And Marley, we'll I'll let you decide. Let's play guess who's who!! I think we might be twins!!

This next picture is one of my favorites. This is my dad's dad, Jess. He died not too long after this picture was taken. I don't remember him but I love hearing stories about the man he was. He will always be remembered in our hearts. I wish my kids could have known their Hemingway great grandparents. If I look long enough I feel like it's Marley sitting in his lap.

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