And Now We Are Six

**Still having computer issues, but I snagged a couple pictures off my mom's camera to share.**

Titus Josiah

1/13/11

7 lbs. 5 oz.

19 1/2 in.



All the kids were born in different months, but they have maintained sequential dates.  Craziness!  Caleb was born on the 10th, Samuel on the 11th, Abigail on the 12th, and now Titus on the 13th.  

Our welcome committee, minus my mom

The kids absolutely adore their baby brother!  We have to pay close attention to make sure Abigail doesn't love him too much. *grin*

We were so blessed to have my mom come and stay with us for a little over a week.  She arrived two days before he was born, went home to grab one of her dogs and then came back for another five days.  I cannot imagine making it through this first week without her!  Thanks, Mom, you rock!

I hope to share more later, but I wanted to get something up about our newest little one.  He has been a pure delight!  He has been a wonderful newborn and I cannot get enough of this bundle of sweetness. 

Titus, you are a complete joy and I am so happy to be your mommy!  We all love you and cannot imagine our family without you!

Blast From The Past - Part I

I've recently had the experience of being reaquainted with a few bits of my past. The most enjoyable of which was dressing Abigail in an outfit from my girlhood.


Girlhood? That word makes me feel old.

Anyway, as a surprise for my mom who was visiting for Abigail's birthday, I dressed her in the outfit.


It was so much fun and I am so thankful that my mom saved some of my dresses so that I can have fun like this!

The Wonderful World of Skype

Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!

I cannot even begin to say how thankful I am for Skype - where you can "talk to the world for free". This is one of the ways my family has been able to communicate with my lovely sister (pictured below with my niece) who recently moved to Eastern Europe.

It has been such a blessing to see all of their smiling faces while we try catch up with each other. I can't say that I am always that thankful for technology, but this is one instance where I can shout praises! *grin* I am so thankful to have this resource during our separation. What must it have been like before computers? Wow...

So today, I am thankful for Skype because I can talk to my sister in another continent for free and see her while we chat. I am thankful for their smiles and the comfort it brings to me when I see them. I am thankful for their continued safety and provision. I am thankful that they have been obedient to God's call on their lives.

And seriously, if you have a webcam and some loved ones that don't live nearby (like my whole family!), Skype has been great. It has been fun to have the kids talk with my mom and other sister as well. What a fun way to stay in touch!

You can see what others are thankful for at GratiTuesday over at Heavenly Homemakers.

Hard Workin' Man

This past weekend was one of the first weekends in a long time that we had to just be at home. And we put it to good use. We were able to complete several projects around the house and that feels so good! The to-do list still looks daunting, but it is shorter now.

And mostly thanks to Richie. Even though he had a workday on the baseball field, he still got a lot accomplished around the house. I squeezed in a few extra things with the normal kid wrangling and cooking, etc., but I know without Richie's help we really wouldn't be a couple steps closer to being organized again. (If you need a refresher, you can click here, or here, or here for a small taste of what I'm talking about.)

Anyway, I'm thankful to be married to such a hard working man.

Who makes time for his kids, too.

Real men do push ups with their kids on their backs. :)

Helping Samuel dig out a canoe when we visited Jamestown.

A daddy and his girl. Does it get any sweeter than this?

Wrestling time with Daddy. An almost sacred time around here.

Thanks for all you do for us, Richie! We love you.

You can see what others are grateful for at GratiTuesday hosted by Heavenly Homemakers.

A Weekend Away

I am so thankful that I got to attend our church's women's retreat this past weekend! I went expecting and God met me exceedingly and abundantly. He's good like that! :)

I had the wonderful privilege of sharing a room with my dear friend, Joy, this past weekend. Joy has been such a blessing in our lives and through her actions I feel like I know what it would be like to have family that lived close to us. She's a sister.

And straight up, I would not have been able to go this weekend if it weren't for her. I can't tell you enough, Joy, how thankful I am for your generosity, your friendship, and your love. In addition, she helped with Abigail, put up with her 1 am fussiness, laughed at my goofiness, and supplied oreos with milk. Need I say more... ;)

As the retreat began Friday night, I was in awe at the beauty of it as I took in all the different women that were there. Each unique creation with her own story to tell. I am thankful that God weaves the most beautiful tapestry out of our lives and knits us together as His Body. I am so thankful to hear other sisters in Christ share of His goodness, faithfulness, and mercy in their lives.

There's so much to share and to give thanks for...fellowship, healing, revival, laughter, comfort, love, restoration, peace.

And being able to take a shower without anyone knocking on the door or asking a question. Something I happen to be very thankful for right now.

My actual post got delayed, but you can still check out GratiTuesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Sisters

I am so thankful that God blessed me with two wonderful, little sisters. They both inspire me so much! And I am priviliged to not only call them my sisters, but my friends.

I love you, Jessica and Jaclyn!


You can check out more Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers.

A Blessed Detour

While we were heading home from vacation, we had the wonderful opportunity to visit my sister, Jessica, and her family. It was short, but oh, was it sweet! I am so thankful that God allowed us this special time to visit with them! The cousins all got to play outside and it was fun.

Jessica and her husband, B.T., will be leaving with their children very shortly for the international mission field. It has been postponed by a month or two, but will be here before any of us know it. They complete their training and have commissioning tomorrow. I'm proud of you guys!! If you'd like to see their blog/website and learn how you can pray for them, click here. If you go, make sure you check out their blog entries, good stuff! :)

There are so many pictures I could share, but I am restraining myself. I especially wish I had a good one of Caleb chasing Uncle B.T. on tricycles. Too funny!

My sister, Jessica, with Abigail (left) and her daughter, Lorelai

Samuel (right) and cousin Brian

You can find GratiTuesday at HeavenlyHomemakers.com.

I Salute...

...the local Girl Scout chapter where we live. We went to the County Fair today and they have a small building there for mothers with young children. They call it the Children's Comfort Center. You can change diapers, nurse, etc. and I took advantage of it this year! It was great to have a private place with a chair (that had a back) and feed Abigail. It's nothing fancy, but it is a blessing! I didn't have to stand in a dirty bathroom stall or sit at a picnic table with hundreds of strangers passing by staring until they figured out what I was hiding under the blanket draped over me. Thanks for your thoughtfulness, Girl Scouts!