G hits the pool

Griffin had his first trip to the pool this week. wouldn't you know that this mom of four didn't realize that he did NOT have a swimsuit until just before leaving the house. oops!
so you do what you can and make it work. :)

this was his first dip
(enlarge the pic and check out that bottom lip... too cute)

he had enough of the water and just wanted to be held

and then he had just had enough!

meet claire

aka "apple, eesh good?" (that is her camp name for those of you that are confused) the kids call her "apple."

she is one of our summer staffers, a sweet friend, and a great support to our family.

i figured i would introduce you since she may be popping up in pics from time to time!

summer plans

it's that time of year again!

i sat down with the kids and came up with LOTS and LOTS of things to keep us busy this summer. there are alot of repeats from last year, but whatever they mentioned doing we added it! to see last summer's list click HERE.

allie came up with most of the list. caleb contributed basketball, football, soccer, and the fire station. HA! :) the activity that they got most excited about was watching cars 2.

i hope we inspire you to enjoy your summer! LIVE IT UP!!

chillin' out

maxin',

relaxin'

all cool

and all catchin' some rays outside of the pool...

a little fresh prince.... anyone? :)
we bought this pool at target for $30. it's big enough for everyone and even if it only lasts for one summer... i'll pay $10 a month for summer fun in our backyard! woohoo!

cyber style venting

not that anyone needs to know or even wants to know, but i've got some suff that i just need to say...

i could LIVE WITHOUT a few things:
potty training
sibling bickering
the incessant desire for kids to put things in their mouths (like a pick from the high school gym bleachers)
public restrooms with four kids
sticky floors
peeling oranges
used band aids in random places (floating in my coffee cup)

some days i can't see the forest for the trees or maybe it's that i can't see the trees for the forest?? either way there are days that i just shake my head and wonder how i got here.
the fact is... love got me here!
a love for a God
that lead me to love a man.
our love lead to four kids
that we hope will love their God.

when it comes down to it... there are so many things i could do without, but there is the other list.

the list of things that i would NEVER give up:
giggles and tickles
"snuggle with me, mommy"
kissing ouchies
singing worship songs in the car
sibling team work
bear hugs
reading stories and watching imaginations soar
watching my kids grow and mature

the job is not clean, orderly, or easy and most days i think i would be happy to throw in the towel. the second list keeps me going.
God, give me grace to focus on the joys of being a mommy and not the things that easily frustrate. may love continue to be what drives us... a love for you and one another!

bring it on

we are welcoming 1100 college students to the tyler area today! pine cove orientation kicks off in about one minute! please join our family in praying over pine cove, it's ministry, and all the lives it affects! to God be the Glory forever and ever!

friday

thursday

wednesday

tuesday

monday

A Pic a Day

this week i will teaching life guard training to our pc staff. I LOVE THIS! the only draw back is being away from my kiddos for so long. now don't get me wrong... i will love the break, but by wednesday i am usually ready to play on the floor, read books, give baths, and dish out lots of snuggles. the training starts tomorrow night and i will be done on friday (mimi will be here to keep the kids in line).

but just so that the blog lives on, i thought i would post a pic a day! i have many random photos of our children that are precious to me, but i am unable to group them for a post... this is my way of squeezing them in. hope you enjoy!

and, if you think about it, please be praying for:
1. our family during this busy time of transition from conference season to summer.
2. our staff as they travel here, bond together, and pour themselves out
3. the health of each member of our family, especially lance. when you're weary you are more likely to be sick and we usually witness this every summer.
4. allie as she prepares for kindergarten and the teacher that she will receive.

thanks friends! love you all!

the "go away party"

our sweet friends, the hanveys, are leaving pc to take a job in austin. we threw them a party to wish them well as they follow where the LORD leads. before you think us too rude... the title of the post is because allie kept calling it a "go away party" instead of a going away party. :)

this is matt and kristen during our prayer time

we hung lights and banners in the yard
made yummy treats

and took pics of their friends well wishes for a photo album that we are putting together for them (thanks to matt for being my example pic here. hee,hee)

we are super sad to see these three (they just had their first baby in february) leave, but we are waiting to see what the LORD has in this new adventure.

my BIG blessings...

it isn't often that we can get all the kiddos to take a picture and even rarer still when mom is in it too! on sunday, despite everyone still being a little sick... we did it!

my amazingly sweet hubby got me a WONDERFUL present.... another kid! :) We are now the proud sponsors of Julius Namany... you can see him here. i am still anxious to share my new mission to support this ministry, but i'm waiting to have all my ducks in a row for a reveal! :)

and just to make sure that everyone knows that even on mother's day... kids will be grumpy... i included this pic! This is the response we got when we turned off the cartoons to go out to LUNCH!
after lunch at Fish City Grill (so yummy, and no wait) we headed to Orange Leaf where mommy got her dessert for 1/2 off (double yummy)!

i can't write this mother's day post without recognizing that their are many women out there that don't have kiddos, but serve in a mommy role! thank you to all the women that have loved me like a mom and love my kids like a mom too! i continue to pray fervently for my friends that are gracefully waiting to have their own kiddos one day.

Happy Mother's Day!

i saw a button flower bouquet on a friend's desk last week and knew that was what we would send mimi and grammie for mother's day.

allie did almost all of it herself. we added some glittered pompoms and yarn flowers too.
aren't they cheery?

we attached little note and got them in the mail

no better way to say, "we love you" than with an EVERLASTING bouquet! :)

we love you moms! have a happy, colorful day!

sick

boo for sick days!

especially when we went through a spell of rainy days and now the kiddos have fever... feels like we may never leave the house again!

A has fever/cough/congestion... you can't tell from the photo, but she woke up with her hair soaked.

R has the same, PLUS this really cool hair! HAHA!

Caleb has the same, PLUS vomit and diarrhea... but isn't it nice to know that he NEVER loses his sense of humor even when he feels awful.

we needed a pick-me-up mid afternoon and popsicles did the trick!

in BRIGHTER news... guess who is smiling?

G is healthy and happy and we are hoping it stays that way!

random thoughts/pictures...

1. i hope you got a chance to watch the video that i posted yesterday. God has really been working on my heart and showing me a way that i can help this ministry. i'm excited to share it in the days to come! :)

2. i wish every moment of parenting could be like this one! at least these moments help you survive the not so peaceful ones! HA! 3. we are starting to gear up for the camp season of our lives. it helps to have things organized around here so that we can welcome our nannies with open arms and hopefully less chaos. HA! seems like any quiet moment is spent in prayer for lance, pc, our staff, and the LORD's will in the lives of these kids.

4. allie starts school in just three months! WHAT? seems crazy.

5. it will be strange to have just boys at home... good thing these two get to be better buddies everyday. on this day they were superman and baby superman! :)

The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and i have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.
Isaiah 50:4-5

i want to do something

something bigger than myself

something that will require massive faith

something that would be so big it would have to be the LORD!

do you want in?

see how HERE.

visiting friends

while we were in dallas for my sister's dinner, we stayed with our sweet friends - the penuels! our kids have NOT stopped talking about how much fun they had and they were ready to go back immediately!

here is a pic of five of our six kiddos.

before we headed home, they took us to watermark church to play in the "mat room." what a cool place... they jumped, rolled, ran, and had an altogether great time.

this is cole, 18 months old
and chapman, 3 years old (and a little camera shy... he kept putting his feet in the way).recognize this cute face? he really DOES smile! yeah!

when the mat room lost it's newness, we headed outside and i got some great pics of our kids!

have a happy monday!