Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Bus Stop

There's something about these photos that I love.  I have made it a habit to try to capture some decent photos of the kids getting on the bus.  Granted, I haven't taken any with my big girl camera, but I do have these memories captured with my phone.  I love the way the mornings make everything seem fresh and new.  I love the way the kids are excited to go to school.

To start it off, I wanted to share this one.  This was a few years back when Randy wasn't in school yet!











Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Missing this place

Yes, it has been a long, long time since I have posted.  It's been crazy.  I can't even begin to tell you how crazy life has been.  Busy. Busy. Busy.  I miss posting about my kiddos.  I have been coming back to my blog a lot here recently to look up certain things, remember dates, and just to look at my sweet tiny babies.  Those tiny babies aren't tiny babies anymore.  They are growing up on me.  They are full of energy, loving, crazy, babies.  Yes, still my babies.  Always my babies.

I wish I could say this posting thing is going to happen more often.  I can't say that, but I do want to make an effort.  I'm not a comical blogger.  I'm not a perfect tidy house blogger.  I am just me wanting to document life for myself.

Life is good.  Better than good actually.  Randy started kindergarten this year!  YES!  KINDERGARTEN!  Crazy huh?  I am very pleased to say he is excelling and loving every single minute of it.  He has a great teacher and he is enjoying school.  He played flag football this year and let me tell you.....this mamma is now a huge fan of football.  I never really liked it before.  I think it's because my high school didn't have it.  I never learned the ins and outs of football.  Give me baseball or basketball any day.  Until now.  I feel in love watching him play football.  He loved every single minute of it.  He found his game, his passion.

Ruthie has turned into this crazy girl!  She is so fun, goofy, and hilarious.  Sometimes I can't even explain what she does that makes me giggle, but she is a mess.  She is just like her dad.  She never takes a serious picture anymore. She is always wanting to be a clown.  I love her for it too.  She keeps us going.  This smart little whip just got Student of the Month too!  Such a proud mommy!

Randall and I are still teaching the youth and maintaining our jobs.  I finish college with my bachelor's degree this December!  It's been a long time coming and I am so grateful to be finishing!  We are still working on getting our house ready to foster/adopt.  This is still a huge dream for us and we pray it happens soon.

I am hoping to pop back on here soon.  I miss blogging.  Until then- enjoy my beautiful babies!



Monday, May 12, 2014

Mother's Day 2014

Let's just say this weekend was PERFECT!  Randall and I enjoyed a perfect float trip on the Mulberry with friends.  It's times like that, that I wish I had underwater housing for my camera.  I would love to capture the beauty of the Mulberry!


The two precious babies who call me Mom:


After church: Mom, me, Ruthie, & Randy


Mom carried us for so many years, we decided to carry her!


On the way home from my mom & dad's, Randall let Ruthie drive!



Needless to say, it was a perfect weekend.  I needed the time outdoors and the time spent in God's Creation! Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Once again.....it's been a while

Whew.  It has been a long time since I have updated this thing.  I was sitting down looking through all the memories, and remembered how much fun it is to put all my thoughts into writing and look back on all the memories that are on here.  It reminds me of how truly blessed I am!

It's been a crazy winter here.  We have been hit with some major snow and ice, which put us out of school more than I can ever remember.  I know this much though, I am SICK AND TIRED of this cold!  I am ready for warmer weather, shorts, t-shirt, and baseball!  We are signing up Randall for t-ball once again and I couldn't help but look back at my old t-ball posts and smile.  He has grown so much.  They both have.  Ruthie is turning in to such an amazing, loving, kind young lady.  She amazes me every.single.day.  She has such a huge heart.  She cares for "the least of these", just like Christ tells us to.

Everything is really going great with us.  I can't complain.  Youth group is growing like crazy!  We moved to a room upstairs.  Ended up having to break down a wall and combine two rooms into one for more room and I almost think we need even more room!  What a blessing!  I love our youth.  Those kids amaze me.  They are so inquisitive.

Randall and I have always felt a calling on our hearts to foster.  We went to an informative meeting with the CALL and it only made us feel even stronger about the issue.  We KNOW it is something we will do.  I at least need to finish college- which I PRAY happens within this year.  Then, when I get a job teaching, we will be able to fix our house and make it ready to take in more kids.  We have the room, just need to get it ready.  The night we went to the meeting I laid in bed reading the booklet of information.  Thoughts were going through my head.  It's such a big step to take and it will ROCK our world.  But I know that God has laid it on our hearts for a reason.  We know we are called to do it.  It's times like these that I get frustrated with myself for not finishing school earlier b/c if I would have, we could have been fostering already.  However, I know that this is God's plan.  Our bio kids need to be prepared as well.  I think Ruthie is pretty much there.  She keeps asking, "When will we foster, Mom?"  If she sees me reading information on fostering, she gets excited thinking it's sooner than it really is.  It brings such joy to my face that she is excited about it.  Randy isn't quite sure what any of it means.  I think he will adjust well.  He loves big kids and little kids, so I am not as worried about him.  It's more Ruthie that I worry about b/c she's.....I don't know how to put it other than emotional.  She will become attached and get heartbroken.  She will question why.  This will be the hardest part.  It's easier for Randall and I to understand why, but not for her.  Speaking of the question "why", if you have a chance, check out this blog and read her post on fostering.  Randall and I always struggled with answering some questions and this lady's words answer those questions perfectly.  Once I read it, I felt like she had been in my mind and knew exactly how I felt.  Please pray for us as this journey is upon us.  We are ready  and willing to jump through that door when the chance arrives!

I can't wait to share some photos soon.  We celebrated Ruthie's 8th birthday.  Yes, EIGHTH!  Where has the time gone?!  I can't believe she is already 8.  She is such a beautiful girl!  Speaking of b-days, we are so close to celebrating Randy's 5th!  That's even crazier!  My baby boy is about to turn FIVE!




I want to leave you with these lyrics to a song that has touched me in so many ways:

"Was I love, when no one else would show up?
Was I Jesus to the least of us?
Was my worship more than just a song?
I want to live like that.
And give it all I have.
So that everything I say and do points to You."
(Song titled: Live Like That by Sidewalk Prophets)