Psalm 127

Unless the Lord builds the house,

it's builders labor in vain

Unless the Lord watches

over the city

the watchmen stand guard

in vain.

In vain you rise early

and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat

for He grants sleep to

those He loves

Sons are a heritage from the Lord,

children a reward from Him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

are sons born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to

shame

when they contend with

their enemies in the gate.

Happy Birthday Mary Elisabeth

What a difference a year makes!!! This morning Josiah and I went into Mary Elisabeth's room and sang Happy Birthday! I can not believe she is one. It seems like only yesterday I held her in my arms for the very first time. I dream of the days when we will be able to have mom and daughter talks, spend daddy's money, get our nails done, shop for homecoming and prom dresses, and many more experiences! I know that it is a long time from now, but I can not wait to see my baby girl in her wedding dress escorted by daddy to the altar. I pray that the man that God has chosen for her will be a man after God's own heart who loves the Lord and lives to serve Him. I know I am getting ahead of myself...haha! I am enjoying her as she is now and I am not wishing her away, but I can not help but dream and imagine :) 
For now, I will enjoy her as she is.... She is walking on her own, has a mouth full of teeth, and is so fearless. I thank God everyday for blessing my life with this beautiful baby girl! I thank God that he has allowed me to experience being a mom. At times it drives me crazy and I feel like I can not go on, but I know that God is with me every step of the way.

Leaving the hospital

This morning

Fun in the Sun

Joseph and I took the kids to the pool! It was our first time going to the pool with the kids so it took us a little longer to pack and plan. Almost an hour later we were off to the pool. We went downstairs to put the kids in the car and realized my tire needed air so.....off we went to the gas station to put air in my tire. After waiting very patiently for the guy in front of us (who by the way was slower than a turtle!!!!)we were off to the pool! We were finally there and took the kids out of the car. I put sissy on my hip and realized she was dripping wet (note to self: do not use two years old swimmers diapers....they do not work!!!!) So we changed her swimmers and headed to the pool. As soon as we came to the top of the hill I realized that I had left our towels at our house!!!! No I am not kidding.....so me and sissy got back in the car and went to pick up our towels. After almost another thirty minutes we were at the pool!!! The kids had a blast and we are looking forward to our beach vacation in a couple of weeks. Here are a few pictures of our afternoon at the pool.....ENJOY!!!!

A Few Pictures

Josiah is growing up so fast. He is talking so much and is a smart little boy. I love the way he can brighten my day by turning to me and saying "love you mommy." He is a mess and I love him to death!

My baby girl! She is the sweetest prettiest baby girl I have ever seen! She is so precious and full of life. She has two teeth coming in and a smile that can light up a room! She is my little lady bug!

We put her in a new seat and she loves it. She started getting fussy in the infant seat just like brother did around this age. We figured it was time to switch her into a bigger seat and it has definitely made car rides a little quieter! Thank you mom for buying it for her!

I was so nervous to put him in a "big kid" seat, but Josiah has proved to be ready. We made sure he met all the requirements and is doing very well. He even reminds me to put my seat belt on before we pull out of the driveway!

For God's Glory

So it has been quite a while since my last post. I have tried to write, but every time I sit my mind goes blank. As you all know we have had quite a year! My husband's father past away in February and a couple of weeks later my daddy lost his leg. I know you all know most of the details and know that we are going through a terrible time, but I do not want to post about the bad things in our life I want to post about the good things. I firmly believe that through all of our pain and suffering the Lord Jesus Christ has been and is still faithful to us. Yes times are tough, and there are days where I do not know how to go on, but I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family, amazing church family, and great friends. You all have been a huge support and I am so very thankful that my family and I have all of you in our lives!
God has taught me so much through all of this. I have learned that He makes me strong and that He has made me stronger than I thought I could ever be. Through all of this Joseph and I have felt so love and have grown closer to our family and our friends. 

In the past few months I have learned a lot of things and have discovered that I am so special to God. I am His daughter and He knows my name. He knows every detail about me, every thought that I have, and all of my desires. I fully trust in Him and know that what I am living right now, does not compare to that prize in the end. I know many of you are going through a hard time as well, and all I can tell you is to put your trust in the Lord and surround yourself with Him. Times are crazy right now and we are living in a world who makes us think that what we have, makes us who we are. That is so not true and we need to take a look at our lives and examine ourselves. God has taught me that as a christian and daughter of God I should lead by example. I know I am human and I do make mistakes, but I want to strive to be more like Him. I want to live a life of integrity, but I know that it does not happen by accident. I have to be deliberate and make a decision each morning to live a life of integrity. Beth Moore said, "Integrity not only calls us to live inside-out, it keeps the outside from coming in." We have to be consistent in our walk and in our talk. Another Beth Moore quote that I love is "Life becomes so much simpler when there aren't so many costume changes." Be who you are and not who the world wants you to be. I have also learned that as a woman of God I have to be modest and I have discovered that modesty can still be cute. God has called us to obey Him in every area of our life. In the small things and in the big things because when we obey God in the small things, it becomes easier to obey Him in the big things. This is when God shows up and just like he protected Daniel in the Lions Den he will shut the mouths of lions and protect you and I from the flames!!! This is the God that I serve and I am so in love with Him!

This is why I do not want to dwell in the bad things because I have a God in who I trust and know that He has everything under control. Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: REJOICE!"