Can you tell we've been busy??

With fall in session I feel like it's been ages since the last time I blogged! Sadly, I've also been quite lacking in the picture-taking department. Here are a few random things we've had going on lately -

*Beauty and the Beast - we got this movie recently and let me just say, I can now recite the entire movie without even looking at the television screen. ;)

*Hailey's "stall-itis" at bedtime has been getting a little better, although she has also stepped up her game in the creativity department. Gone are the days of the simple request to "try and go potty one more time" or "get a drink of water". Now we're dealing with "I'm scared of Pirates" and "Mommy, I don't think I had my vitamin today". It's pretty funny, actually.

*Owen is getting so much more grown up these days! It's like every day he's doing something new! Most recently he has started sitting on the rug in our kitchen when he's hungry. It's so incredibly cute. He just sits there and waits for a snack. :)

*Todd just finished building his first house start to finish! This is quite exciting, especially since it was sold months ago just days after it was listed. This kind of thing does NOT happen these days, so we know that the Lord had His hand in it.

*I'm still involved in Young Life, a full-time mom, and doing the books for our business (which has been stepped up a notch since building our first spec home...and just trying to do a better job at it) - our CPA, Wendy will be proud! The Lord has really convicted me of taking our job for granted and laid it upon my heart to be a better helper to Todd in this area. Hence, the lack of blogging lately...

*We're also gearing up for a fun trip to South Carolina here in the near future to see the Frys and CAN'T WAIT! Hailey is literally chomping at the bit for some good time with her cousins Gabby and Mason.

Well, that's about it for now! I promise, I'll work on some pics soon (if I can get Owen to sit still long enough)!! :)

first meeting

So, by now everyone knows of the arrival of my sweet niece Maggie Rae...she's literally the cutest thing you've ever seen! Don't believe me? Check the Camps blog...no joke.

Anyways, I was privileged enough to be IN the delivery room for her arrival! Which, to be honest, I thought would be a little longer than 4 minutes, but Christy is a champ and she was out in 3 pushes...crazy. Sharing that moment with Chris and Christy as they met their daughter for the first time was the sweetest thing I've ever experienced. Thanks for that, you guys, it was unbelievable...and now I'm crying as I type. :)

Sadly, the day of her birth, both my children decided to come down with colds. Seriously?? You can't have a cold around a baby, so we waited, and waited, and waited for them to be well so that they could meet their new cousin. Hailey's wait was finally over last night and she got to meet Maggie. She's enamored!! Owen couldn't come since he's still got a runny nose, but to be honest, Owen's kind of a "Nana-hog" and will not be excited one bit for her to be holding Maggie... ;)

I didn't bring my camera (I know...I know), but Christy got some pics that I'm sure she'll share soon. Hailey couldn't wait to get her into her swing, so after my mom and I each took long turns holding her, we put Maggie in her swing for Hailey. Hails covered her in a blanket, gave her Sweet Pea (Hailey's build a bear) to hold (which was hysterical since Sweet Pea is 3 times the size of Maggie) and was talking sweet "baby talk" to her. In the end, Hailey declared that Maggie is her best friend.

So sweet.

I'm cute.

That's all. :)

fall is in full-swing...

Well, as you can tell from the title of this post, fall is in full-swing at our house! Here is yet another bullet-formatted post. :)

*As you all know I'm sure, Hailey started preschool last week. Although the drop-off portion of the morning has yet to be tear-less for her, she is so excited about the morning when I pick her up. She especially loves the arts & crafts. Wait, whose kid is she?? :/

Here are pics from her first day -

*Owen is getting more and more personality every day! He was eating a lime yesterday and here's the face I got -

*Young Life is gearing up to start in just a few weeks and we are so excited about this upcoming year! When we showed up at the first football game at FWHS, I was asked by probably 20+ kids when club was starting up! I love having that kind of momentum going into the new school year... :)

*BSF started yesterday and my soul has been SOOO ready to go back! We're studying Isaiah this year, which should be challenging, but so good. I must admit, I mocked BSF when I was younger and said more than once that I would never do it, but it's been the best study I've ever done. Such good solid teaching and such good structure. Wait...I'm thankful for structure?? ;)

Well, so far that's the gist of what's been going on this fall...I'll try to be better about posting pics (mostly for the grandparents) and keeping people in the loop.

Happy Sweater Season!! :)

Wait...How old are you, again???

Here's a few tidbits of my conversation with Hails at bedtime tonight -

Me: ...and we pray all this in your Son's Holy Name, Amen.

Hailey: Did you just say sun?

Me: Yeah, why?

Hailey: Why did you say sun?

Me: I was talking about Jesus. Jesus is God's Son.

Hailey: Jesus IS God, silly!!

This, in turn, led to an explanation of the trinity...to my 3-year old. And surprisingly, she seemed to understand it to some degree?? :/

Later in the conversation I passed along a greeting from Auntie Sheeshe...here's how that played out...

Me: Oh, and Sheeshe told me to give you a big hug and tell you she loves you "DIIIISSSSSS" much.

Hails: Wait, why did you say "Dis"...you should say "this"...

Me: Auntie Sheeshe always says "DIIIIISSSSS" much.

Hails: Oh, so "Dis" and "this" are the same, like "purple" and "purpur" are the same...

Me: Yep. Wow, you're too smart for your own good.

Then a few minutes later she asked how the scratch on her cheek would heal...here's how trying to be cute was really confusing to my literal thinker...

Me: In the night while you're asleep, Jesus will kiss it for you and it will get better and better until it's gone.

Hails: Wait...He will come out of my heart and kiss my cheek?

Me: Ummm...er...yeah...sort of.

Hails: Will I see Him?

Me: No...you won't see Him with your eyes. We will see Him when we go to Heaven, though!

Hails: Oh. What does He look like?

Me: He has kind eyes, smiles a lot, and has long hair. He has the kindest face of anyone we've ever seen!

Hails: When I see Him, will His back be better?

Me: Huh?

Hails: From when He died on the cross?

Me: Uh, yeah. His back is all better, Hails.

Seriously...she's smarter than me most of the time.

15 Months

15 Months...


"Owen, make the face!"
At 15 months old, Owen...

*is 20 lbs and 31 inches tall. This puts him in about the 5th percentile in weight and the 50th percentile in height.

*has at least 18 teeth! The doctor looked in his mouth at his check up and could NOT believe the mouth full of teeth this kid has. He loves having his teeth brushed, but giggles through the whole thing! I think it tickles his gums or something. :)

*is finally walking...no, I take that back...he's running! It took him a while, but in true Owen form when he was ready, he just took off...

*is talking all the time...he just doesn't speak English. :) He's babbling all the time, but nothing is recognizable. I asked the doctor about it and his response was, "he's a second-born boy". He'll figure it out...in his own time.

*is getting LOUD! He yells all the time...especially at meal time. Todd's folks took the kids to the Auburn Library the other day. Their report? Owen's not a library kid. :)

*loves people! No one knows where he gets it... ;)

Summer Update -

Hails is sassy as ever!!!

She's got "Bieber Fever", a "very sophisticated palate", and will be starting pre-school in less than a month!?! Craziness...let the weeping begin...

P.S. John Travolta called...he wants his "Saturday Night Fever" pose back.


Owen is crazy and into everything!!

He's walking, climbing, and more curious than Hails ever was!

Life is fun... :)