Thursday, February 28, 2013

Where is SPRING?!

I am not a fan of cold weather.  I like to feel the warm sun on my face with a cool breeze.  I like to run barefoot and not worry about my toes freezing off.  I love to look outside and smile because my kiddos are playing out there and enjoying life as I remember it!  Well, I am praying it's right around the corner, because here lately, it's been cold, windy, rainy, snowy, and icy.  NOT my type of weather!  I am ready for spring, but even more ready for summer time!  Here's some photos from our winter time weather!

My kids LOVE to eat snow.  (I do too!)




Isn't it odd how something that is just there, turns to beauty in the ice/snow?!



My sweet girl posing for me!





















Even though I am hoping that time is right around the corner, we are going to enjoy life as it is now!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

My baby girl is.....seven!

That's right, my baby girl has turned seven.  Where.in.the.world.has.the.time.gone?  Any answers?  I don't have any that is for sure.  This little girl has grown up so much.  She graced us with her presence on Feb 10th, 2006.  She came to us after I was scared to death thinking I would have to have a c-section.  I was induced on January 27th, and it didn't take.  I went home for two weeks and we tried again.  Thank goodness she was ready to come out then!  It wasn't a hard labor, and I happen to think birth is the most amazing process ever.  I loved meeting my little girl!  I was overwhelmed with love for her.  I had no clue how she came from me, but I am beyond thankful for God's gift of her.  Today, she is a kind, loving, funny, goofball, motor-mouth, crazy, shy, smart as all get out, beautiful brown-eyed girl.  She looks like her daddy, acts nothing like me at her age, but yet, she fits right in.  She made us parents.  Seven years ago, I saw Randall become a dad, and what a great daddy he is.

Ultra-sound-











Me @ 36 weeks-










Birth-


One year:





Two years:




















Three years:













Four years:

Five years:
























Six years:











And last but not least, her seven year photos.  These I just took really quickly today.  Sniff Sniff....she's officially seven.  Yes, I am aware the headband doesn't match!  I didn't bother arguing today!

 

Wordless Wednesday {2.13.13}

Not wordless but I just can't help it!

Celebrating Ruthie's bday with some yummy Italian sodas!


















My sleeping baby girl!


















Silly boy!











Love these eyes.  They melt me.





All taken with my Samsung SIII.  Too lazy to get out my big girl camera.....

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Life, it's blessings and struggles

I have failed at updating this blog.  I doubt I have many readers! (maybe just Mari!  She is the only one who comments!)  However, I still like to blog to look back on the memories!  I LOVE looking back at my old blog and seeing Ruthie, little itty bitty Ruthie!

As always, things are crazy around here.  I wish I could say we have learned to slow down.  Nope.  Even though we are not in any extra curricular  activities, we are still busy!  I don't think I have mentioned my praise on here yet!  A while back, Randall was asked if he would be willing to work Monday-Thursday, 7-5.  His old crazy schedule, was three days on, three days off, with each shift switching nights.  He jumped on this opportunity.  I am so happy too b/c god blessed us with it!  Randall has always wanted to be able to attend church each and every service.  When we took over the youth, we realized his old schedule was quite hard.  I would teach when he worked, but I had to find a male to fill in.  It was much easier when he was there and then we didn't have to burden anyone.  Now, he is able to be right there, every.single.service!  The kids are loving it too.  He also gets off at 5pm instead of 7pm!  Makes bedtime much easier and dinner time too!

We are loving leading the youth group.  We really see their growth.  We recently knocked out a way and joined two rooms together to make one larger room.  Let's just say if we wouldn't have, last Wednesday night would have been SQUISHED!  We were so thankful to have a room full of youth!  To top it off, we had an amazing young lady and her brother teach a lesson on forgiveness.  Wow.  It was so moving and so amazing to see God work in these young people's lives and see them grow, all for His glory!  She moved many of us to tears.  I truly believe when you can learn to forgive, you have reached a very high spot in spiritual growth.  Especially when it's something like this situation was.

I am still doing a few classes at college.  I am struggling b/c it is not my main priority, but I know it's for the best.  Just hard to deal with it all.  This semester I am taking an Organizational Leadership class (what I am majoring in) and Social Psychology.  The funny thing is, I am enjoying my Social Psych class!  I do find it interesting.  It's just hard to find the time to study and do my work.  I usually wait until the last minute. 

My baby girl turns SEVEN tomorrow.  SEVEN! Where has the time gone?  She has amazed me lately.  She challenges me in every sense, but that's just who she is.  I recently talked to her teacher and I was confronted with a hard situation.  Raising kids is not as easy as it seems.  I want to raise her in God's way.  I hope we are doing just that.  The situation is- Ruthie seems to always believe everyone should be kind at all times.  She gets her feelings hurt very, very easily.  This in turn, breaks my heart.  When my baby girl comes home crying, I feel like I am failing her.  I can't help but wonder if I have failed her.  I really don't know how to handle this situation.  Of course we tell her others are mean and we have to rest in the fact that we are weird (just using Bro. Travis' terms!) b/c we follow God in all that we do.  Or at least we TRY!  She expects more out of people.  I see this as a positive thing, but yet I see her heart being broken over and over.  It's such a fine line, and apparently I struggle with finding that line. My heart just aches for her. 

Life is a constant struggle and times are only getting worse.  I just pray that God tells Jesus, "Son go get Your children" soon.  I have always wanted to see my grandbabies, but yet, I don't want them to suffer in this world.