Happy 5th Birthday, little man!

Today my little man is turning 5 and it just doesn't seem possible!





One of my favorite pictures!

He comes up with the silliest things and bring us so much JOY!

He loves camo.

He loves Ohio State.

He loves the beach - building in the sand, jumping the waves, and going crabbing at night.







He loves to swim and look under the water with the goggles.





He loves trains, planes, and John Deere.

Pensacola Naval Museum - 3 years old

On the train at the Zoo - 2 years old

He loves riding with his daddy in his truck!

Riding with daddy - 2 1/2 years old

He loves pizza, legos and lincoln logs, riding his bike, fixing stuff, and taking things apart, BUT he loves his daddy MORE than anything else!

He is his daddy's helper no matter what the task!

Although he is a daddy's boy, he does love his mommy too. He likes to take care of me and do things for me. He gives me the BEST hugs and kissses. He has had a great example from his daddy on how to treat his mommy. He will make a good husband some day!

Our little bedtime routine has always been "extra, extra night-night sugars" ~ you know you never can have too many of kisses!! As I am about to leave from his bedroom, I say "I love you" one last time and I add, "moon back don't you forget it!" He tells me, No mommy I love YOU to moon back and YOU don't forget it!"...and it melts my heart everytime!

I cannot wait to see the man he will become one day. I pray that God will use him for His glory. That his heart will always be tender and willing to serve. That he will never loose that sweet, energetic spirit that makes him, our little man!

Happy Birthday! We love you, B!

Thursday Nights

I overheard a conversation today while my three oldest children were eating lunch. I couldn't help but laugh at what they were discussing, but I also was reminded of an important lesson!

One of them mentioned that "tonight mommy is going to Bible Study" and another yelled, "Yeah, daddy is watching us and we get to eat pizza and watch ...(a show that they watch with daddy). The others said, "yeah! and we can go outside, play football, jump on the trampoline, play with the little legos, play ball on the wall".....and the list went on and on. They sat there for several minutes making plans of all the things they were going to do with daddy tonight.

Thursday nights have become a night full of daddy-and-the-kids traditions. Scot decided he wanted to be responsible for supper - so that usually means pizza. (Of course, there is no complaints from the kids with that one!) They also have their own special games and activities that they do with him. Now don't think this is the only night he plays baseball outside or jumps on the trampoline with them or drags out his 20 year old legos to create masterpieces, he does these things regularly! I guess there is just something about doing them when mom is not home and it is just them and daddy!

It warmed my heart to hear them plan their evening. It also made me laugh at all the things they thought they could fit in a two and half hour period. Because in reality, they listed enough stuff to fill a ten hour day!

Their little conversation also reminded me that it is not all the things we do for our children, it is the time we spend with them that matters to them the most.

14 years ago

It was 14 years ago today, that I was a 20 year old college student sitting in The Grill. That night my life, my relationship, and my future changed...forever.

It was that night, as Scot and I shared an order of chicken fingers and fries, we finally said those long awaited words... "I love you!"

He actually said it first, but we both had been feeling it for a long time. I knew in my heart that he was the one God had chosen for me to spend the rest of my life with...we both did, but our relationship was only 6 months old and we were taking things slow. We both had been hurt before and wanted to make sure that the next time we said those words to someone, that it was THE PERSON.

But still, those were the words I longed to hear from him and I longed to say them to him! But I patiently waited for him to be ready to express a deep committed love.

I am so glad I did. It was so worth the wait!

I am so thankful that we became friends first. That we allowed our relationship the opportunity to grow deeper even before expressing our love for one another.

The beauty in it all is I knew once he said he loved me that he was committed and that he knew in his heart that I was THE PERSON.

Now, this many years later, that same love we expressed that night is deeper and stronger than I ever could have imagined. I only thought I knew what love meant back then ....I never realized how much it grows and changes and gets better and stronger and I that I would fall in love over and over again...it is just so amazing!

The reasons I love him keep multiplying! The way he looks at me across the room, the playfulness he has with our children, the husband and father he is, the big and the little things in life, the important and the mundane tasks..doing it together with him, it ALL just makes me love him more.

The love we have shared so far, seems like just a drop in this vast bucket of love that isn't quite full yet...I guess we still have many more years to go before that happens! And even then, I dare say, it will never be full. Because with each new day, I love him more and as long as I live, he will be the only one I love, the only one who has my heart!

Scot, thank you for loving me like you do. Thank you for keeping it fresh and new and exciting. I look forward to loving you now and forever...always!

She Finally Has a Name

M loves her baby as much as she loves her shoes.


For weeks, M has taken her baby with her everywhere. Morning, noon, and night her baby is in her arms, in the stroller or laying on a pillow covered with her blanket.



It is so sweet to see her cuddle her baby, feed her, shoosh her when she is "crying", talk to her, and snuggle her close at night when they are both going to sleep. She is such a good mommy to her baby!





On several occassions, I have asked her what her baby's name is. She had always replied "baby" until now....M finally officially named her baby!

Meet Ally.



We are not sure how she came up with the name. But it is rather cute, huh!?

There is nothing like a little girl and her first baby!



I am sure for many years, we all will remember with fondness, M's first baby named Ally.



Just as a note of interest, E named her first baby Annie and S named hers Ashley. I guess the girls have a fondness to "A" names.

Free Entertainment

Look what has been entertaining the kids this week!

The man standing is controlling the machine in the trench with a remote control. B thought this was the coolest thing!

The Lid

I love decorating for fall and because I do, I have tons of decorations!

I have more pumpkins than I can count. Pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, colors, and types. When I came across this cute little pumpkin the other day, I knew he had to come home with me too! Especially since he was only 54 cents!

So he, along with 4 of his friends, are the newest additions to my ever-growing supply of fall decor.

This year, I wanted to add in some other natural, woodsy kind of things to go along with my new pumpkins. I knew my mom had a lot of acorns in her yard and I wanted to get some to put in a jar to display.


Knowing how much S loves to help do these kinds of tasks, I asked if she would help me fill up a small bag to take home.

She was so cute gathering them in her shirt and dumping them in the bag. As we sat on the ground picking up these little acorns, we talked about the beauty of fall and the little things that God created for us to enjoy. Such sweet moments....then she said the funniest thing!

She asked if it was OK to put the lids in the bag. It took me a second to realize what she was talking about.....
you know, the lid.

The Shoes

M is obsessed with shoes. It doesn't matter what they look like or whose shoes they are. It doesn't matter if they are real shoes or dress up shoes...she just loves shoes!

Right now, these are her favorite.

These "doggie shoes" came from a yard sale for 50 cents.

She LOVES them. When she wakes up, she says "I need my doggie shoes!"

When we are going somewhere and I ask the kids to get their shoes on, she says "I need my doggie shoes."



I bought the shoes because I thought they would be great to wear outside - quick and easy to get on and off.

Helping plant trees on the land while wearing her shoes

Instead, she has worn them everywhere...even to church!

Hey, it was Sunday night and at least they matched her dress!