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These first few pics are for my Aunt Monica who sent AK a gift all the way from across the big pond...I had to put her in it immediately because I don't know how long she'll fit in it!

Thank you, Great Aunt Monica and Uncle Dan!

And just another day that Rody is feeding his bear...

Hanging out on a Sunday afternoon, chewing on my fingers

Rody being really silly and me trying to get one decent shot of my crazy two year old

Contentment

I'm learning that life doesn't always look like you thought it would. That you'll be in situations that you never dreamed you'd be in. My dear friend Laurin and I have been discussing this as of late. CONTENTMENT. How do you be content no matter what your circumstances are in life?

How can you be content when life doesn't look like you'd thought it would?

My husband---Randy. This is a picture of what his life is like day in and day out right now. And he (nor I) ever thought life would look like this. He is a holder of a masters degree in divinity, wrote a 160 page book, and is now a stay at home dad/part time hood exhaust cleaner. And we are being real and not hiding the fact that our apartment is more often than not a complete wreck...we have no space for toys...toys live in our living room. We try to creatively organize, but that is destroyed the minute children get up in the morning. This is our life.

We never thought that Randy would be the one staying home with our kids. Frankly it is difficult most of the time. Randy deeply desires to be employed in a job that can provide for our family. But it hasn't happened yet. I don't know if it will happen anytime soon. He takes care of our kids during the day while I go to work and he works 1-3 nights/week cleaning hoods...usually getting in around 2 or 3am and getting up with our earliest riser anywhere from 8am-9:30am...
He is currently working on potty training Rody
And spends much of his day cooing at our darling daughter...receiving all her precious smiles. I would rather be the one doing this. I want to see the smiles at 11:30 in the morning. But, I don't. How do I accept this and remain content?

I don't mean for this post to be a downer. I am simply in a seeking/searching mode. Randy and I did not envision this when we got married. We are going on our 5th anniversary, still live in the same 2 bedroom apartment, have 2 children, and one main job. Life wasn't exactly supposed to look like this. Randy was supposed to get a good job...maybe 2 jobs to make it work...we were supposed to live closer to some of our family...we were supposed to be in a starter home by now...I was supposed to be joining a MOPS group or something...maybe leading a ladies Bible study...but our life looks nothing like this...

I am truly trying to live in my moment...be content no matter my circumstances because I truly have so much to be thankful for. Randy is an incredible dad...he is so good with the kids...he is playful, loving, and has good boundries with discipline...our kids do not have to go to daycare...I have a job at an incredible school and love what I do...I get about 15 weeks off/year...our kids are healthy and precious...we are currently paying off a lot of debt (cars, etc...) and are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel....(and I'm adding this since I first posted...) Why is it that so many times the grass seems greener? For example, the single, successful, has her own money and can do what she wants girl, desperately wants to be married and a mom....or the SAHM who loves her kids/family desperately wishes for a brief stint in her world where she didn't have so much responsibility? It is just wanting what we don't have? Or is it something deeper?? I don't know...just pondering these things...I am certain that God has apportioned our lots...that He is a giver of good things, blessings, and has a plan for us...just the plan wasn't supposed to look like this..

At the end of the day, I get to come home and hug my babies tight knowing that they have been cared for by their daddy all day. How many dads get to do this? I'm sure most dads once their children are grown wish that they could go back in time to when they were little and get to do it over...Randy is getting so much quality time in with them...

I'm learning to be content...living in my now...while praying for our hearts desire...that Randy would get a job that fulfills him and provides for our family....for community to surround us...to be closer to our families...for me to stay at home or work part time...would you pray with us too?

Motherhood

Mother's Day was nice. We went to church, Rody made it through the whole time in the 2 year old class without his number getting called, we went out to eat, we came home and then took naps...

Anna Kate and I got some extra hang time while the boys continued to sleep...

Her little features are so sweet...and big blue eyes...of course...not a brown eye in the gene pool on either side...

Classic picture these days...my hair in a pony tail, children crawling all over me while I try to multitask (see the boppy nursing pillow and laptop??)

Rody in a mood and AK just kinda in zone...

Motherhood...it's not for the faint of heart!

You're Simply The Best

Don't judge me. I didn't send my mom a mother's day card this year. I know...I'm terrible. But sometimes it is all I can do to remember to brush my teeth these days. However, I wanted to put together this post to honor my mom. I hope it shows how I've thought about you tonight, mom, and how many wonderful memories I have of us throughout my life...

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It all started in 1979...I'm my mom's third child...third daughter...and I was 11 days late. And was a terrible labor for her...so terrible they were done having kids, until you know Caleb surprisingly came along :0)

Here are my parents just about a month before my arrival...

And really, who can blame my mom for loving this face so much?!

And here we are on my first birthday. I just love this picture. I know that I don't actually remember my first birthday, but this picture just shows me how special my mom is...and I've made a conscious effort/decision to have a picture like this with each of my children on their birthdays...

My mom and I have had some fun adventures together. One of our first trips together was when I was in highschool and we went to Boston for a national track meet for me to throw the indoor shot put. I remember seeing the weight throw there for the first time and saying outloud that there was no way I could ever throw that...ha ha..God must have been laughing!

Then throughout college mom and I traveled to California a bunch for NCAA meets and USATF track meets as well. Sometimes we'd make it a big trip--going to visit family in San Diego one time or driving out through Yellowstone and stopping for a hike...swimming in Lake Tahoe...you name it...

We've also been out to Europe together...serving on a missions trip in France for two weeks, going to Poland to meet family, and spending one night in Paris visiting the Eiffel Tower...On one of those long trips on a plane ride I was getting a little nervous. At some point in my life I developed a fear of flying..I don't know when this started b/c it didn't really bother me in college when I flew a lot...but I was very nervous due to some turbulance...and it was just my mom and I on the plane...she reached over and touched my hand and said "mommy's here, mommy's here"...such encouraging words...and I felt safe...thank you, mom...

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How could I forget the ski trip to Squaw Valley? You amazed me with your ability to take a ski class and ski down the mountain all in one day...and with such fashionable style!


And of course when you decided to throw on your wetsuit and raft some river I cannot pronounce while we were in France...I'll never forget the words "Security...Security..." and seeing all of us crouch down low in the boat...

Or riding a gondola high in the French Alps together.....

And sitting in the memorable chair in Tahoe...

But I can honestly say I never truly understood the heartache, fullness, and love that come with motherhood until I became one myself...and you became my children's grandmother...

Rody in March of 08

Anna Kate February 2010

I could say so many things...but I overwhelmingly feel thankfulness right now. Thankful that you are my mom...thankful that you are my children's grandmother...thankful that you are a prayer warrior...thankful that because of the Lord Jesus Christ I'll never have to truly ever say goodbye...I love you, mom. Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Birthday, Randy

Happy 29th Birthday, Randy! Our sweet neighbor, Jerry, made Randy a delicious cake which we enjoyed together on the porch. Rody loved "nanny 2" as he calls her...

I hope you had a wonderful day, Randy. I also pray that your 30th year is full of blessings and that all our dreams will come true!

And now all that is left to say is "Get behind me Satan" to the leftover cake sitting in my kitchen...

Anna Kate: 3 months old!

Am I really typing the words "3 months old"???!!! I absolutely cannot believe it...really...where does time go?

She continues to be her jolly old self...and is so sweet. She has started to grab at things...necklaces, beads on a shirt, etc...she is very aware and is so squeezable I can hardly stand it!

She loves to suck on her fists and her fingers

She is getting so big...especially in the chunky department...but I LOVE it!

She enjoys her tummy time and rolls over frequently now

And is simply adored by her older brother...

Happy 3 months, Anna Kate!

Weekend Getaway

Pigeon Forge is a great 1/2 way meeting point for us and Randy's family. So, we often will meet there for a weekend. We had a great fun and relaxing time with Randy's parents and his sister and her family...Most of my photos from the first day are on a different memory card, so I will have to upload those later...

Rody and I playing in the river...he loved it and talked about it the next day too...about the cold water and the rocks...here we were singing "ring around the rosy"

Uncle Randy and Lily
Chilling with the granddaughters

LOVE this picture...so sweet

Stephanie and her baby

All the grandkids

AK chillling out while we ate breakfast

We stayed in a really nice 3 bedroom "cabin"...it was so relaxing...

Ready to go!