Girlfriends

Who can live without them? Not me. My friends are the BEST. My birthday was Sunday and my friends never let it pass without making me feel very special. On Friday I went to M's house for a "play date" and it turned into a birthday lunch. A came with her kids and a box of DD Munchkins. Who can ask for more? There was a sign that said "Happy Birthday Gina" and we ordered pizza and ate yummy cupcakes. Thanks D!
Last night was my birthBay night out with the camp girls. Coffee, homemade dirty dessert and bowl game at Starbucks complete with the famous "Happy BirthBay" sign. Now THAT is special. J,B,T,D,R,SS and A were all there and it was the perfect get together. Lots of laughs which is so good for my soul. Thank you girls.

I think

we bought a house. My mind still has not grasped the idea, so I choose to leave it as a dream-like experience rather than a concrete reality. We still have to go through the 100 page contract over the phone with the sales rep and then it will be official, but for all intents and purposes, we bought a house.
Now, let me clarify. The house does not exist.... yet, though we do have an address. We are building a house and we don't actually close on it until it's completion, sometime in June or July. Preferably the latter given the expected arrival of baby #3 May 8th. Further clarification, no, Mike is NOT building it. KB Homes is building it in Cary, NC. We have been contemplating this house for about 4 months now and it has been a long and twisting road up to this decision. It is a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath on a corner lot. I will have to go down there in a few weeks to start choosing colors and materials. How awesome is that?
We are excited... I guess. Remember I have yet to grasp the enormity and reality of the situation. Please pray for us as there are still many decisions to be made and a lot of changes happening in our lives all at once. Mike needs to find an engineering job down there in order for it to all work out. Please pray for me as I will more than likely be a bit on the hormonally imbalanced side throughout the moving process. I will try to post a picture of the outside of the house soon.

Something to consider

So as I loosely explained in my previous New Year posts, I find it HUGELY beneficial to rise early each morning (anytime before the kids). "Early" is defined differently for each person and can change with each stage of life. I felt God leading me to do so in September 07 and I tell you, it transformed my life. I then read a book by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters that talks about their philosophy on this particular discipline. They explain a bit about it here. As you can see they feel the Spirit's leading to expand their club description. I read it and thought NO WAY as depriving myself of food is one of the hardest things for me. But, I commit to reading their daily perspective and to prayerfully consider this step. Whooo. Not a fun thought by any stretch. But I know, even now, what amazing things God can and will do in the lives and hearts of anyone who would do this. So read, consider, pray along with me and let us see if God wants us to become club members together.

Bye Bye Christmas

My back aches, my feet throb and my legs hurt.... a lot! "Why" you ask? Well much to Sammy's dismay, Christmas IS over and it was long past time to take down the decorations. So we did it tonight. I think this is the first time in 5 years that Mike was around to help me. It was great. But still painful for a pregnant woman.
Now, back to Sammy's dismay. He has relentlessly been trying to convince me that Christmas is NOT over so we CAN go to Target and/or ToysRUs to buy more toys. More toys that he can barely play with. AMAZING!!

It's a .............

Well folks I woke up the other day and decided I wanted to know if our baby is a girl or boy. Mike had already told me he wanted to know, so we found out today. Unfortunately I cannot post it since some people or PERSON does not want to know. If you want to know check the comments! We are excited!!!! The bay weighs 1 lb.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!!!!!

Hope you have a great day. We will call you later after we get to know our baby a little better. Love you!

In My Shoes

I took this picture because she is so tiny, my shoes looked huge and she looked cute. But as soon as I snapped the shot, I was struck by a very convicting thought. She is wearing MY shoes. All day long, my little girl follows me around mimicking me, repeating my words and mostly watching my every move. She is a sponge that is learning how to be a woman.... from ME. That grounded me. Life has been tough around here lately. I have been exhausted and cranky with a limited amount of patience. I have been blaming it on the pregnancy, which IS largely to blame, but I have done little to combat these negative symptoms. I have not been disciplined in getting enough rest and enough Word. Not to mention letting the thief back into my home (see blog entry Aug. 29). I will begin there. After all, I can't take a break from being Mom just because I'm pregnant. Ironic thought huh? It is the New Year and I will start fresh. I will go to bed earlier to rest my body and mind and rise early to be refueled by my loving Father asking for His patience and love to flow from me before my daily chores begin, always being mindful of the privilege of mommying these "3" precious gifts. I cannot do this (life) on my own and that is precisely how I have been attempting it since early Fall.
So the sight of my daughter in my shoes sobered me. Made me think of all the work that needs to be done in my heart and mind to make my shoes worthy to be worn by my children. Overwhelming at first but then I remember that little of the work needs to be performed by me and much of it by the Holy Spirit. As I said though, the first step is mine. DISCIPLINE to be rested and refueled.
I looked here after I wrote this post and I was greatly encouraged. What an awesome God we serve!
Happy New Year!

Our Christmas Vacation

We had a great Christmas vacation in North Carolina. On Christmas Eve we went to church and back to the Lee's for some yummy food and visiting. Then we spent the night at "Grandma's House" (Mike's mom). We didn't get to sleep until after midnight, including Sammy. He slept with Grandma in her bed and was entirely too excited about the slumber party and the many promises of Santa's visit. At promptly 7am Sammy and Grandma came out to look for Santa. He thought he would still be hangin' around. Cathi said she thinks Sammy must have just been lying there waiting for 7:00, because at 7 on the dot he whispered "Gramma lets get up the 7 is here." We waited for Uncle Dave and Aunt Marisa and started opening our gifts. So much fun. Christmas is a brand new experience when I see it through the eyes of my kids. Sammy had a blast and was so fun to watch. Thea had fun too, but doesn't quite grasp the concept yet. Jenny and Mike made us an amazing breakfast. And the coffee pot was working overtime. Presents and fun were in full supply but sleep was fleeting.
Later it was off to the Payne's for lunch aaaaaaand...... a special visitor in a red suit. So exciting! Thanks Uncle Don for being Santa's helper... again. The kids got their picture taken and Santa got a special surprise when baby Olivia lost her lunch all over his lap. Pretty funny.
We had a great time and great memories were made.

He Done It.

Mike is officially a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Engineering. WooHoo!!! The commencement ceremony was boring yet thrilling. The kids did great. They behaved unbelievably for 2 hours. With the exception, of course, for the VERY MINUTE Mike walked across the stage. No lie. They were both fussing and/or crying. And as soon as he sat down..... silence. That's all for now.