2:52 Update

‘And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.’ – Luke 2:52
I can remember several Bible studies, sermons, and teachings on this verse relating it to all the areas of life that Jesus matured in, and how we need to focus on all areas of our life – not just one. 
wisdom – mental
stature – physical
favor with God – spiritual
favor with man – emotional
(terribly brief description of wonderful teachings, but it makes the point for this post.)
I was thinking on this when I was doing laundry, and I though to myself
‘why don’t I update this blog on how we grew/what we did in these areas daily (as possible)?’
So…here goes the first post with our 2:52 Updates. 
Feel free to copy and do your own!  
It really helped streamline my thoughts!
PHYSICAL
Cleaning was my workout today.  
I cleaned bathrooms and discovered the genius idea of mopping our bathroom floors with old socks.  It cleaned them up so great! I put them on my hands like mittens after I dampened them, sprayed a fine mist of cleaner and mopped it up.  
My Favorite Cleaner in the World!!!
I also folded about 4 loads of laundry – great workout for my arms! 
photo credit

EMOTIONAL
Kissed the cheeks of my sweet boys a million times today while knowing in the back of my head their sweet cheeks won’t be around forever to kiss.  They still have such sweet, round baby cheeks.  Sweeter than peaches.  Just yumminess!
Maverick and his sweet cheeks (kind of googly eyed in the pic – lol)
Held Harper’s head in my lap, stroked her hair, covered her eyes with a warm cloth and sang to her while being nurse mommy to her pink eye. 

Look forward to time with Chris tonight.  Finishing up this blog to go spend time with him.
MENTAL
Reading this about the Amish 
Amish Peace
I’m prepping for my Mom’s birthday trip at the end of May.  My mom, sister, and I will be traveling to Pennsylvania to visit Amish country!  While we are there we are going to stay at a beautiful, Victorian bed and breakfast, ride in horse and buggies, eat with two REAL Amish families, and drive through the countryside.  Can’t wait for the cool life experience, but also for time 
with two of my favorite people!
SPIRITUAL
Jesus has really been challeging me to trust Him with everything.
All of it.
None of it is in my hands.

Have been challenged to pray out loud over my children.
It helps me concentrate if I place my hands on
Harper’s head when I pray for her,
Warner’s head when I pray for him,
Crews’ head when I pray for him, and
Maverick’s head when I pray for him.
I sometimes do this when they are watching TV.  

 

Way Back ‘Whens’day: ‘Multiple’ Roommates

I saw this idea over on Rachael’s blog, and since I’ve been cleaning out photos on our computer, I ran across these.  Here are my roommates from Liberty my Senior year.  
Me, Kristin, Brooke
 I moved off campus the summer Chris and I got engaged.  I took 2 summer classes so I could have just one class to complete my spring semester when I was swimming in wedding plans.  Brooke got engaged a month before me, and Kristin had started dating the guy she would eventually marry.
Our first home to decorate for Christmas
Snow Day at LU
 Want to know a weird fact about us?
Brooke is a triplet (2 girls and a boy).  She has older brothers who are twins…her mom is my hero!  Was then and DEFINITELY is now!
Kristen was the first of us to have a baby…make that babies.  She had twin boys!!! 
And well, you know about me… 
Who would of thought we were such ‘multiple’ friends :-)  

Welcome Back to Me!

Hey There!

We are just now surfacing after a month of sickness in our house.  Stomach virus for 2 weeks, colds, strep throat, high fevers, pink eye.  I didn’t want to blog for fear you would catch it.   But I am back!

{wrote this Sunday afternoon, computer died and I lost all the pics I uploaded.  Was going to re-load pics and post yesterday, but then Crews threw up.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!  Thankfully, after a rough morning, lots of prayers and popsicles…he is fine. So is everyone else.}

Quick catch up…
The month of January was filled with lots of fun snow days.  However, we only took the kids out once, maybe twice.  I felt like such a snow-scrooge, but dressing 4 little ones in multiple layers was so difficult. The first one dressed would be roasting by the time the 3rd one was almost done.  Once we finally made it outside, everyone was happy for about 3 minutes, then a glove would fall off.   Or someone would face plant into the snow.  It was the equivalent of about 18 workout in 30 minutes. Thankfully, Chris and I laughed about it until we brought them inside and the volume from their crying shrieking was so loud we thought the windows would break.  We then declared it was naptime.  Here are some pics from our fun.


Crews

Maverick not having any of it.

Warner enjoying the snow!

Maverick decided to taste the bird feeder Harper made. 

The way Chris and I felt. HA!

I don’t remember February at all.  Proof to myself this is WHY I BLOG!  Oh, I do remember that Harper turned 3.  Yay!  We had a ‘Pink Party.’  Pink Lemonade, pink cupcakes that everyone decorated, pink balloons, pink nail polish, oh and per request of the birthday girl… everyone had to wear pink!  It was lots of fun. No pics for the blog right now (Aunt Nancy couldn’t make it, so it was just me and the camera.  Needless to say, I took about 4 pics.  So sad.  I was incredibly overwhelmed by the way the boys FREAKED OUT when everyone came to our house.  Crews threw up he was so upset.  Warner wouldn’t eat because he was crying so hard.  And Maverick, well, he just loved everyone).  Just envision lots of pink and a happy little Harper girlie!  Note to self: Aunt Nancy CANNOT miss next year!  We will plan the party around her schedule.  :-)

March….Month of sickness.  You do not want details. 

Back to April…
Beautiful month of spring!

Chris and I circa 2003 – a year before we were married. Oh my hair!

Chris and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary this past Friday (real Anni was on Sunday) by eating at Cracker Barrel – where our first date took place at Liberty.  We then went to the mall to do some shopping, but the power went out – at the mall!!- due to all the bad storms.  So, we went to Sweet CeCe’s (yummy yogurt with any topping!  We shared birthday cake yogurt with fresh strawberries and reese’s cups.)  Deep thanks to the Strothers for taking on our gang!!  We try to trade up babysitting with them every month – it’s only worked out twice. ha!  They have 4 kids and we have 4 kids, so it works out great!


We went to church today (Sunday), and I forgot how much energy it takes to get 4 kids ready to go to church by myself (since Chris has to go in early.)  Sheesh.  3 1/2 hours to be exact.  And that was with no breaks.  But we made it AND I was on time.  The favor of the Lord  must have been upon me.

Going to work on loading up some pics tonight to have some grand blogging material!

It’s good to be back~

The Inevitable

Well, the inevitable  has happened…the kids got the stomach flu – all at the same time.  We just woke up from a nap, and I am enjoying the quiet while sipping a London Fog.  It is really rainy outside & a perfect day for sleepies.

The boys slept in until 8:15 – which is NOT normal.  I went in to check on them and was about knocked out by the stench.  Two boys had thrown up in their cribs and all 3 had very yucky diapers.  They were miserable.  Thankfully, we got them all cleaned up and changed in time to start changing them again.  I think we changed around 25 diapers before 1pm.  Their little bottoms were so raw.  Naps went well, and everyone is just waking up.

Harper is snuggling with me on the couch, and she has a fever and runny nose.  I best be signing off to help be nurse mommy.

Please pray for protection over Chris and I – that this bug will pass us by.  Chris has a retreat he would really like to be a part of this Friday – Sunday.  He has missed it the last 2 years – due to babies and sickness.  If either one of us come down with it, the chances of him going are slim to none (all of our babysitters/ anyone that can keep them are invovled with this retreat).  Thank you so much – I know that you prayers can move mountains!  :-)

Love & Lysol,

My 3 Year Old Sunshine

 You are my sunshine


My only (girlie) sunshine


You make me happy, 

 when skies are gray,


You’ll never know, dear

 How much I love you


Please don’t take my sunshine away.

Happy Birthday, Sunshine Girl! 

We are so blessed to have you in our lives.  
You were chosen to be 
our daughter 
and 
triplet brothers’ big sister. 
There couldn’t be anybody more perfect than you.
We enjoy you now, 
and look forward to seeing God’s plans He has for your life. 
We love you with every bit of our being.

Love,
Mommy, Daddy
Warner, Crews, & Maverick