Let Me Down Easy

For the past few weeks Jason took up playing the guitar again. He always says that he's sad God didn't give that gift because he loves music so much.  It's been neat to see him pick it up and work at learning different songs.

This is one of our favorite songs right now. We dance to it, listen to it a million times over in the car and as loud as the kids will allow us.   Yes, I know...it's SO country...but I seriously could not love this song more.

Just a little memory to take with me. :)

Love

I used to hate Valentine's Day.  I remember thinking in high school how lame it was except for the one year when I got roses. It wasn't lame that year, but every other year, it was lame. ;-)

This year was a little different. I don't have pictures to tell the story or a poem to show you, but I will be forever grateful of what I learned this Valentine's Day.

Our Valentine's Day looked a little like this:

Breakfast with my 3 little valentine's. Chocolate sweets from their daddy and I. Kisses, hugs and lots of "I love you's".  A Valentine's Day party at Jackson's school with Jason.  Lunch with Jason.  I broke out my great-grandma's pink table cloth and we dined on a delicious dinner courtesy of  Macaroni Grill (and a gift card).  Jason and I ended the night with a 2 hour episode of Downton Abby.  It was an easy day. Simple. Lovely.....Perfection.

And the greatest thing about it? 

February 14th was no different than February 13th....or July 1st. 

It may not look like parties or take-out every night, and it certainly doesn't mean we live a life in fantasy land, but what is the same is....us. As I looked around our table I was filled with joy that we get to do this every day.  I was humbled and grateful that God has blessed us with 3 amazing, beautiful and precious children. I was truly grateful for the man who sat across from me (even when he can drive me bananas ;-) ) and that he NEVER fails to tell me how much he loves me. I was overwhelmed with the fact that THIS was my reality.

Not a perfect reality, but who wants that? It's our reality. It was with a grateful and happy heart that I accepted that reality.

-Valentine's Day 2012. 

Madi's 1st Birthday Party

  For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 

  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
 

What a fun time we had celebrating Madi. It was spent with family and friends. 

The birthday girl enjoyed her cake and presents.
A huge thanks to Jenn for making the amazing cake!! 

 We are grateful for her first year and look forward to many more! :)

Rest

It's weird that Breanna posted about rest yesterday because it's all I have been thinking about for the past 2 days.  My one year bible has me in Exodus right now and I have been reading a lot about the sabbath.  It is  command from God.  Rest! Sunday is kind of a work day for us and since we have Monday off we try to make sure we protect that day. However, I haven't been great about just resting on Monday's. I usually wake up, take Jack to school, come back and start going on a cleaning frenzy or  asking...okay, telling Jason what I'd like for us to do that day.

I have forgotten how to rest.  So, yesterday I woke up, took Jackson to school, came back home to spend some time in the Lord's presence and climbed back under my down comforter. I just rested.

And it was REALLY hard for me. Like, really, really hard.  I had to fight the urge the entire day to not have an agenda for the day. I found myself actually getting annoyed with the fact that we were just sitting there.  I know the point in this is to not get legalistic, but to truly just rest in the Lord's presence.

This change stuff is hard. I am being pruned in so many areas. I'm still learning. I fear that I have a long way to go, but at the same time I am seeing God in a bigger way than I ever have before.

In other news,  (and REALLY off the subject, but I don't care because I am a random person) I had to show you this video of Reagan and her best bud, Luke.  We were in the carpool line waiting for Jackson. I especially love how Luke continues to dance while Reagan demands. So hilarious.

Also, I'm pretty sure that Luke and Reagan are following after in their father's footsteps.  Jason and Galen are pretty exciting to watch on the dance floor.  Jenn, I'm sorry, but I know that you love him a lot and won't mind.

Madison Joy is 1

This is a tough post for me.

My baby is 1.   When we thought about having another baby,  we were both scared of what that would look like. We liked our family of four, but I really felt like we weren't complete. At the same time, though, I was scared about what a new person would do to our little family. Of course, the lack of sleep is a little intimidating and then, of course, throwing up for 5 months is not my idea of fun.

But, never-the-less, I got pregnant and when we found out we were having another little girl we were both (once again) scared out of our minds.  Little Miss Reagan was the "girl of ALL girls" in our mind. Ha!    We got over that pretty quickly and began to pray and get excited about meeting her. We went BACK and FORTH a million times on her name. Kennedy. Madison. Madeline.  I even had contests on face book about it.  I went crazy over her name.

But I knew one thing. I was supposed to have her middle name be "Joy". I was certain about that. So, when I went into labor at 11:00pm and ended up having to have an emergency c-section because she was breech, I told Jason that he could pretty much give up on picking the name because I was having my way no matter what.  Yes, I played that card.

And then Madison Joy joined us at 6:38am on February 2nd. She was beautiful. I immediately forgot about the horror of my surgery (another story for another time) and was filled with joy.  Unspeakable joy.  I thought that by the third child I wouldn't be so stunned when I saw her, but all I wanted to do was just hold her.

It's been a year. A great year with Madi. She was the easiest, most content, joyful baby. She slept good from the start. I got to breastfeed her and didn't get to do that with my others really. I was so grateful for that time of bonding.  Madi was our earliest walker. She loves any kind of food, really. She is in love with her daddy and besides saying his name all the time, the only other word she says is "daisy".  I guess that could be daddy too. ;-)  She loves her family. Literally lights up when her brother and sister come around.

I could not be more thankful for Madison. Madi. Madi Joy. Also, Biscuit (as her father so affectionally calls her).  We are so blessed. So grateful that God choose us to be her parents.

Thank you, God. Happy 1st Birthday, Madi.