Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Welcoming Baby Shelton and Introducing a new Mr. and Mrs!

My good friend Charisse and her sweet fiance, Mike, are getting married this weekend!  I am so excited for them!  They started coming to our church a while back, and we have just become really close friends, I love her so much!  Their marriage is such a testimony and example.  They have been together for a while, and have children together, but since growing in their walk with Christ, they have decided to get married for spiritual reasons.  I just admire that so much!  Their big day is Saturday, and I just can't wait!

We're having my friend, Erin's baby shower this Sunday afternoon.  Erin and her husband Brian have a sweet daugther, Abby, who will be in kindergarten this year.  They had been praying for a baby, and in less than a month their prayers will be answered with a sweet baby boy!  I wanted to share a diaper bassinet I made.  I got the tutorial here and it was just so cute and easy to make!  I think I want to make one for every single baby that comes along!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

10 Little Things...

10 Little Things I love about my children:
1. When Asher says, "Mama, I need you"...so sweet...melts me.
2. The way Katie's fingernails are painted pink, blue and green with silver on top, she did it herself, and it's just creative and colorful.
3. The way that Claire slips that precious thumb of hers in her mouth when she's really sleepy.
4.  Asher saying, "I wuv you Mama"...again...melts me.
5.  Katie's beautiful hair...just gorgeous colors in the sunlight.
6.  Claire's sweet smiles, she just has no idea that every person in our family craves them.
7.  How Asher's face lit up when giving Kris his father's day present this evening...so happy and completely glowing!
8.  Katie's desire to help people, especially strangers, she has such a gift to know what people need.
9.  How it feels to just hold Claire close and breathe in the miracle of her.
10.  Seeing how much these three love each other, they really truly do.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Summertime...

...and the living is easy busy!  We've been so busy this summer so far.  Katie is playing softball, and had three games last week!  She's doing a great job, and still learning about the game!  We have really enjoyed going out to the ballpark in the evening for her games...just wouldn't seem like summer without it!


I've been able to spend some time with friends and I have enjoyed this so much.  We have a little group of younger-ish moms at church who spend time with each other.  We all have kiddos and share so many things in common.  I think my favorite thing about spending time with these girls is that we just feel comfortable sharing everything... our pasts, our present, and we look into the future together as well!  It's really nice! We had Charisse's Bachelorette Breakfast this past Friday, and her Bridal Shower on Sunday afternoon.  They were both nice, and it was such an honor to have these for her!  I am just so very thankful for her!  God blessed me so much when he brought her to our church family!

Emmalee, Me, Kim, Charisse (feeding Miss Claire), and Sabrina

Claire is growing so fast.  She is just a joy, full of beautiful smiles and sweetness!  All of us just adore her!  We couldn't imagine life without her if we tried, it just feels like she's been with us forever.  We took a few pictures of her in her little hat, and I just loved this one with her beautiful blue eyes!


We were getting ready to head to the lake for a little beach trip, the kids were all in their swimsuits (even Claire!) They were excited to go, but I think we all decided to save our swimming for the pool next time...the beach was not pretty (or sanitary! Ha!) 


Sometimes I still get goosebumps and truly, truly can't believe how blessed we are to have three children!  Some days are harder than others, and when they are all three crying at once, I just feel like joining in, but they are still such an incredible blessing.  It is such a privilege to be their mama.  I feel blessed.


Sunday, June 05, 2011

Lately...

Lately I've been worrying about our finances.  That is part of the reason I haven't blogged.  I have been just too busy worrying, and trying to figure out ways to make money for our family.  We had a garage sale.  I sold a lot of things I didn't really want to sell.  I have tried selling clothing and scrapbooking items on Ebay, only to have undercharged for shipping, therefore losing money (Ugh.)  I have been reading and listening to tutorials about extreme couponing (Double Ugh.)  I have been looking on Etsy to see if there is anything that I can make and sell.  I have listed our bedroom furniture on Craigslist.  I have been praying for Kris to have the desire to sell his boat.  I have been thinking about part time and full time jobs.  I have been thinking about things around our home that I can sell.  I've been completely obsessed with finding money.  Now that I've listed these all out, I feel even more silly.  Is making a few extra dollars more important than having a relationship with Jesus?  Does our checkbook being balanced and being secure in that compare to being completely secure in Jesus?  Is spending hours trying to "find money" by rearranging our budget and refiguring our bills a dozen times worth not spending that time being a Mama to my precious children or a Wife to my husband or even more importantly reading the Bible? 

As I was scrubbing the kitchen floor tonight, my mind completely preoccupied with having some "control" over *something* (the kitchen floor's cleanliness) I realized that the Lord has really been working on me lately about the control stuff and the perfection stuff and the finance stuff.  I wonder if those are three things he would like to cleanse and free me from if I would allow him?  As I was thinking about this and scrubbing away, the Lord reminded me of the passage about worrying and His provision:
Matthew 6:25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Lord, Thank you for you, for your sacrifice, for your son's death for my salvation.  Thank you for my beautiful children, thank you for everything you've given me.  Lord, I want to pray right now for you to free me from my worry, from my control issues, and from my lack of faith.  Please, Lord, just cleanse me.  I love you, Lord.  I pray all of these things in Your Precious Name, Amen.