A Note From Mom: Little Buddy is TWO.

This little guy is two today. He's a character. He loves to sing and dance. He's ready to do just about whatever it takes (even if it gets him in trouble) to make his sisters laugh... and they always do. 

Judah has such a sweet, tender soul already. He's the first to go get one of his sister's blankets off their beds if they need comforting. When he says he's sorry, he'll hug you and rest his head on your shoulder. He's just sweet.

He can also be SO naughty. A different kind of naughty than his sisters. And it's cute and frustrating all at the same time. It's different because he knows already that he is a man... a little man, but he is a man. And a man protects and provides and leads those around him... which can be difficult to do when you're only two and the youngest. But it's in him and I love to see it come out in different ways.

Judah, you're the only boy that has ever even come close to having a place in my heart comparable to the boy I love most, your dad. And it's because you're just the tiny version of him. The version that I can pick up and squeeze and hug and kiss and love on and you can't do anything about it because you're still smaller than me. The kindness and generosity you already show people gets me so excited to see how the One who created you will continue to use those gifts throughout your life. Your little heart already leads you to serve others in ways that blow my mind. 

Little Buddy, I love you so much and everyday I find more and more things that I love about you.

Happy Birthday, little man!

Guest Post: Elly Belly aka Little Sister

Hello, it's me, Elly Belly! Lucy asked me to write a little something so that you all knew we were still alive over in these parts! We've been out and about, here and there, doing this and that... we just haven't captured a lot of it with a camera... and we all know that words are so much more fun to read if there are pictures to go along with them! At least that's how I feel. Sometimes, I even like to make up my own words and not even read the words that are connected to certain pictures. It's fun. You should do it sometime.

So, anyway... we're here; we're all still alive; and we're all still running circles around Mommy. Lucy should be back soon. TTFN!

A Note From Mom: Five Years.

It's been awhile since we've written... and we're sorry. Life has just been happening and that's that.

But today... my baby turns five. 

The baby who made me a mom. The baby who changed me. The baby who laughs just like me.

It's unbelievable.

She's a human being... and she keeps growing and learning and figuring life out. And it's sad and wonderful and mind boggling to me.

She wants to pour water into her cup and milk into her cereal bowl... by herself. She claims she's a big kid. How is that possible because we just came home from the hospital the other day???

And her brain amazes me. She soaks things in and spits them back out likes it nothing. She recognizes things from seeing them one time. She listens intently to all her favorite songs memorizing the words and then just sings them to herself as she sits and build towers with her blocks.

She exercises her freedom to have an opinion quite often. She likes to dance and has some really great moves. She can be the naughtiest thing you've ever seen and two seconds later be the sweetest thing you've ever met.

Lucy Jo... my little Love... you are such a beautiful creation and I pray that you always know that. I'm going to let you dream big, and pray that you follow closely to the One who gives you those dreams. I'm going to let you be a big kid, but I'm always here to hold your hand and give you a hug when life may get a bit to big for you. I love you so much, my little Lucy, I just want to squeeze you 'til your head pops off!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

This is such a sweet shot because Lucy really wanted her own umbrella and Elly really wanted to be the one that gave it to her.

A Note From Mom: Bad Guys

Last Friday, our house was broken into while the kids and I were out. A lot of things were taken, but we were protected. In the last several days, Lucy hasn't been fearful at all of the "bad guy" that came into our house, but I can tell she's trying very hard to wrap her mind around this. This has been my favorite conversation about it so far:

Lucy: "Mommy, I think that bad guy that came into our house thought our house was a garage sale and that's why he took our stuff."
Me: "You know what, I bet you're right, Lucy... he probably did think our house was a garage sale."
Lucy: "HAHAHA Yeah, Mommy... that's silly. What a silly bad guy."

She's definitely helped me work through some of my feelings about the whole thing.

PS
Our computer and camera were both stolen, so no pictures for awhile. :( But don't worry, we'll be back with a bang soon enough!!

Elly Belly's BIRTHDAY!!!

If she heard me say this, she would say, "I NOT E-ee Beh-ee!"... hehehe, good thing she can't read!

Elly turned three and celebrated with style having a birthday party over the weekend, a birthday lunch date with Mommy, a surprise birthday party from Great Grandma, and lots of fun in between!

I love you, little Sister... so, SO much. Thank you for always pretending to be a lion, a prince, Taddy (the boy) when I'm Angelina (the girl); thanking you for letting me babysit your babies when you have to go to the store or on a train ride; and thanks for always being SO forgiving when I'm having a rough day. You are my BEST friend in the whole world!!