Summertime

How do I catch you up on the last 3 months of our crazy life? Well here goes.....
(these are in no particular order)


Keeton's first trip to the beach, Daytona Beach.
Sleeping Beauty and Reese

Cinderella

Reese's face when she first saw the princesses! This made the whole trip to Disney worth it!

Disney World 2010

First airplane ride

Hollywood

First day of K-4

Swim Lessons

Reese cut her own hair.

We went to the Cabbage Patch Hospital in Georgia.

We got to watch a baby being born.

Reese picking out her baby from the cabbage patch.

Reese and Keeton with their babies. Reese named her Maleigha and Keeton's is Molly.

Full of Life

I'm posting this late, as usual. Keeton celebrated her first birthday July 17th. I can't believe a year has flown by. I remember the night before my scheduled C-section, staying awake all night because I was so anxious to meet our precious baby girl. She has been such a blessing to our family.

She started walking at 11 months and she is fast! She is into EVERYTHING! My house constantly looks like a tornado has hit. She enjoys pulling everything out of the drawers.

She is a wonderful eater. She loves to eat and eats a lot!

She is very ticklish and has this contagious laugh.

She absolutely loves her paci. (This is going to be a problem later). We've started trying to take her paci away from her when she is awake. She does fine without it, but occasionally she starts whining and looking for it. She doesn't talk much, and it is probably because she has had the paci in her mouth all of the time. She says, "mama", "dada" , "bye bye", "bite", "hello" and some other things we can't quite understand yet :) She has said, "sissy" before, but she doesn't say it regularly. Her favorite words lately are , "dog" and "uh-oh". She says these over and over..

She is a wonderful sleeper! She sleeps about 10-11 hrs at night. (This is the number 1 reason I dread taking away the paci).

Every time she hears music, she starts dancing.

She gives "five' and she holds her hand out for you to give her "five".

She loves to play with phones and will hold it up to her head and say, "hello". I would say a phone is her favorite toy.

She shakes her head no (very dramatically, I might add). For example, if I am holding her and I say, "Do you want to go to Daddy?" she shakes her head (as well as her whole body) no! It is so funny.

She is relating objects to their uses. For example, she tries to brush her hair with the hair brush, she knows sunglasses go on your head.

She is now trying to feed herself with the spoon/ fork. She makes a huge mess, but she does pretty well.

She LOVES to give kisses! She will give a kiss on command. They are the sweetest open mouthed kisses.

She is such a happy baby. Her teachers at daycare say that she is "full of life". I love that.....

Here are some pics...

Keeton in her hot pink and zebra tutu.

Family photo

Her birthday cake

She is loving her cake.

She was sharing her cake w/ Reese and anyone else who wanted a bite.

Sweet Summertime

We have been really busy since my last post. Reese turned 4 years old. She had a great birthday. She took cupcakes to school and after school we went and played at the park before going to church. When she got home from church she got a new bicycle!! She was so excited. Her birthday party was the weekend after her birthday. We rented a caterpillar jumpy/ slide and had planned to have the party at home. Due to the threat of bad weather we moved it to Mt Olive First Baptist, and the kids had a blast playing on the inflatable in the gym. Her party was a big hit!

These are pictures from the park on Reese's birthday.

Here is Reese blowing out her candles on her Mickey Mouse birthday cake.

On May 10th Keeton had tubes put in her ears. She did great! She is such a little trooper.

Look at that happy baby!!
Reese has been playing ragball and having a blast. She played in Morris this year and before their game they would say, "Goooo Blue Devils!". Reese asked me, "What is a Blue Devil?" So that was interesting to explain.

On May 25th Keeton went to the doctor for her check up. She is doing great. She weighed 19 lbs and is 27 inches long. She is in the 38% for her weight and the 28% for her height. she is smaller than Reese at this age. I looked back and Reese was this size when she was like 8 months.

With the end of May also came the end of another school year. I am also thankful for the summers off to spend more time with my kids.

So far this summer we have been: going to birthday parties, going to pool parties, going to vacation Bible school, Reese is taking swim lessons, Reese is taking ballet, going swimming, and hanging out at home. Jonathan and I are both playing softball with the church leagues, so that has been quite interesting.

Sickness, Milestones, and A Birthday

Hello all! It has been awhile since I've blogged.

A couple of weekends ago Keeton was wheezing really bad, so I took her to the after hours doctor. They were also really concerned about her breathing because her oxygen sats were low. They gave her two 45 minute breathing treatments, diagnosed her with another ear infection (this makes her 5th one), gave her two prescriptions - antibiotic and a steriod.

We went the following Monday to the pediatrician and she said that Keeton definitely needed to go and see the ENT to see about getting tubes. One week later we were back at the pediatrician because she had developed a terrible cough and that was while she was antibiotic. The doctor said that she now had a double ear infection and that she needed to get a series of rocephin shots and that we needed to move up the ENT appt. to as soon as possible.

So, we go this Wednesday to see the ENT, Dr. Levine. We are hoping that they will schedule tubes ASAP. Despite all of her sickness, Keeton is a very happy baby. She started crawling about 2 weeks ago and is now into everything!! She can wave and say "bye-bye" and she says "da-da" and "na-na" (which is "ma-ma"). She is starting to pull up to her knees, so I know it won't be long until she is pulling up all of the way.

Reese is playing ragball again and she is loving it! She is doing a much better job this year. I think she is definitely going to be a little ball player. Also, just 3 short days from now she will be 4 yrs old. I can't believe it!!! I tell her all of the time that I am so sad because she is growing up, she lovingly rubs my back and tells me not to be sad. She is such a little grown up. We carry on adult conversation and she is an excellent helper. She has adapted to being a big sister wonderfully! She does tend to "mother hen" Keeton and she sometimes drives her crazy (which I know that one day Keeton will do the same to Reese). As she said her prayers tonight she prayed - " Dear God when I am an adult please put babies in my tummy." She loves being a mommy and taking care of her baby dolls and her little sister.

Reese in the hospital.

Reese at 3 mths old.

I am so blessed to have two beautiful girls. They keep us running and very busy but they are SO worth it.

Beauty from the Ashes

I am currently doing Beth Moore's Breaking Free (updated edition) Bible study. Last week's lesson was awesome and I wanted to share it with you! This is from my viewer guide/notes:



God never allows or appoints a fire unless He can bring beauty from the ashes.



First Peter 1:3-9

1. We cannot avoid fiery trials. (John 16:33, Acts 14:22, 1 Peter 4:12)

A. God is much more interested in our callings than our comforts.

B. Even faithful people have tremendous difficulties.

Genesis 18:25~ We need to remain faithful during to give God the glory.



2. The purpose of the refinement is always to make us:

A. Objects of beauty. 1 Peter 1:7 ~ These trial burn out all that is fake in us and leave what is true. Isaiah 61:1~ A crown of beauty instead of ashes.

B. Recipients of reward.~ Compare 1 Peter 1:4 to Isaiah 61:7.

* You are never more beautiful then when you keep the faith when the devil comes for it.

* When we do not give in to our despair, eh says, "Isn't' she gorgeous!"



Allotting a double portion was sometimes a recognition of status (Deut. 21:17). Sometimes it was a compensation of damages (Ex. 22:4, 7, 9)

*We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

***** For all of the shame and all of the trials - we are co-heirs with Christ and we will receive a double portion. (For every trial that the enemy puts your through) - Everything the son receives, we receive.



3. One primary purpose of fiery trials is to surface the dross.

* During our trials he takes the part of us that is unhealthy and brings it to the surface so he can scrape it off.

*Hebrews 12:5:&6, 11-13... Even when we've brought trials on our self; God is still after healing.



4. We cannot often refuse the fire, but we can refuse to be refined.

* Don't go through pain in vain.



5. Sometimes our fiery trials are absolutely necessary to fulfill our callings.

*1 Peter 1:6

* If God allows Satan to put us through a trial; it will be only because God thinks it is necessary four our calling.

I just thought I would update you all with some pics.

Here is some pics of the girls wearing their tutu's they got for Christmas.

Keeton loves taking a bath!

We went to Stone Mountain Georgia(which is called Snow Mountain in the winter) and the Georgia Aquarium a couple of weekends ago. We had a great time.

Look at this huge turtle.

Look at her face!

Reese & Michael

Keeton at Snow Mountain. She loved just hanging out in the carrier.

The three musketeers.... Michael, Reese and Emma had blast.

Reese having a blast.

Reese with her snowman.

Valentine's Day

Keeton's first Valentine's Day. (yes she is wearing Christmas pj's.)

Here are some pics from the snow we had February 12th.

Pretty girls all dressed up for church.

Keeton with numbing cream on here ears... getting ready to get her ears pierced.

Dr. Harris getting ready to pierce her ears.

After getting her ears pierced.
Baby Blues