Rainy Days, Waiting and Pizza...

Shelby and Avery hiding in the fort

Avery, too sick to play

Annalee working diligently...

Shelby, ummm... not so much.

We have been in the house for a long time. I have been busy, busy, busy and very distracted until...today. It all came to a screeching halt and here we sit. The kids were all a little sick, cranky and bored. Well, very bored. Frankly, so was I. The rain keeps coming and I refuse to allow anymore movies so we tried to take naps, not happening. Then we tried to cuddle, nope. Then I tried to send them "away" to the playroom, definitely not. But, alas! A fort!! Well, why didn't I think of that? Then my wonderful mother called and offered to bring over pizza and come entertain us all for a while. Turned out to be a pretty good day. Enjoy the pics and thanks to my little sister, Liz for the great camera!!!!

'Cause you asked

So it is totally against my nature to share something like our new house before I have "finished" it, but since everyone has been asking... I will give you a before shot of the outside. Of course, I have been working diligently to clean up the outside and put personal touches everywhere, so new pics coming soon... I promise.

Shane is 30!

What better than a Chipolte burrito cake?! And Carl's ice cream, yummm!

A Real Snow Day

We woke up to this... and then Shane didn't have to go to work so we had this...

and then we did this...

Then we came in and did this...

Oh what a day!

Ball

My parents invited us to a ball. I think my daughters were more excited and than we were. They spent the day helping me get ready. We painted nails, did facials and played with make-up. Then everyone met at our house, and the girls had a so much fun seeing everyone dressed up. My parents hosted us for the pre-ball reception. My mother is an amazing cook, I say that all the time. She made all sorts of little finger foods and virgin drinks for us pregnant girls. Yumm!!It was a good time and I can't wait to go again next year.

Shower

My sister has been throwing me showers for every major event in my life. She is so good at it. I sure hope she has fun, because she has done it alot. She is really sweet about all the decorations, favors and food. My mom helps a lot too, and her food is amazing! I was so blessed by all the gifts and friends. I loved every moment of it.

And This Little Piggy Stayed Home...

Who needs the gym?

And this is why we have dads...

Another snapshot of my home

Here is our living room, or at least part of it. I can't really get a good picture of the wall with the big window, but you get the idea. I laugh because I always end up decorating so vintage. I don't even prefer vintage. But, when your shop at the Goodwill, it kind of defaults that way. So here you go...

Snow Day!

Doesn't she look thrilled?

The girls have been waiting all year to make snow angels. You can imagine their excitement when they woke up to this. I got them dressed. It took 20 minutes. I sent them out the door, took a 10 minute shower and when I got out they were already inside. They probably would have stayed out longer had I been able to go out with them and roll a fat snowman or build an igloo, but this bowling ball in my belly was not up to that idea. So much for a day in the snow. It was pretty to look at though.

A Glorious Day

Yes, Annalee can vacuume. All by herself! Oh, the joys. Yes, she has on only one ballerina shoe. It was all that she could find, along with the Snow White headband. Some days I ban dressing up just so I can see them in normal clothes. This is her way around the ban.

We love the Children's Museum

Annalee rings up an apple for my mom.

The Richmond Children's Museum is so cool. It has an open floor-plan, so if you are a 7 mth prego mother like me, who prefers to watch her children play rather than actually play with them, it is perfect. I can sit on the bench and keep an eye on all three curious minds. Annalee is pretty much obsessed with all sorts of dressing up and pretending. She was a firefighter in the ambulance, a cashier at the grocery store, a banker at the ATM and of course, a ballerina on the stage. Shelby spent the entire time by herself digging in the fossils. Avery was a wander ending up in the corner eating gluesticks in the art room. So much for being able to keep an eye on her the whole time, Oops. P.S. The day I get a decent camera is the day I will stop appologizing for such HORRIBLE pictures. Sorry.

Another Sunday

Please excuse the yellow picture, but I refuse to use my flash.

You know how much I cherish Sundays at our house. Here is another snapshot of a great day. Most members of our family were recovering from the stomach bug. So we stayed in and ate homemade chicken noodle soup with fresh bread from the bread maker, built a fire and napped, alot!

Life Point

Ice sculpture, perfect touch... Awards being presented.

Goals printed on each table.

Cool LifePoint background for photo ops!

Fun times with great friends!

I absolutely love our church. I love the vision, the boldness, the heart, the passion, the outreach, I could go on and on. I have a special heart for the pastoral staff, many of them are Liberty raised, which makes me smile. I also really appreciate how they do everything first class. No slacking or cutting back here. They take the things they do for God seriously and seem to run full speed ahead in the creative department. I am continually amazed at how they share a timeless truth and powerful message while seamlessly merging it into a relevant delivery. There is no watered down, weak message of God's love, grace and mercy. Pastor Daniel shares with passion, boldness and truth every time.

Last night we were invited to the volunteer banquet and yet again. I was amazed, and blessed to say the least.

Details that scream the LifePoint touch:

Childcare provided on location (a big plus for us!)

Red carpet rolled out upon arrival, literally

Music playing outside upon arrival

Photo ops with a cool Lifepoint background

Beautiful atmosphere, dark and romantic

LifePoint Church ice sculpture

Catered by Carabba's, yummy!

Lots of free stuff to go home with

Professionally cut videos of memories throughout the years that produced both laughter and tears

Semi-formal attire, makes for a great date night!

Guest speaker, Jonathan Falwell

Adamantly against using any volunteer help for the entire event. this a a major big deal for a few pastors and their wives to pull off with no extra help.

The list could really go on.

But I really just wanted to share how much of a blessing this church has been to us. We love them and love being part of God's work in this community.

Hike

There are some days God reminds me how utterly blessed I am. This weekend, I has one of those days. We had a relaxing morning at home with a delicious breakfast of egg casserole, (I am determined to find a recipe I LOVE and stick with it) hot fresh banana bread, and fruit salad with homemade whipped cream. Thank Mom. Yes, that would be me:)

Then we did a little Christmas clean-up. After naps, we went to the park for a spontaneous hike. It was a beautiful 50 degree day, perfect for a little exercise, even for the pregnant mom. Shane led the way while the girls searched for the perfect walking stick, put their shoes on the right feet, again, and tried hard not to fall. One the way back Annalee took over the lead and we used the opportunity to teach her about being a servant leader. She was very diligent in making sure her troops were aware of what was expected of them, the order they needed to walk in, songs we needed to sing, encouraging the lagers, and reminding everyone that they could do it and that we were "almost there!" They had fun, and we had a memory to file away forever. I love the family God has given us. We really are so very blessed