Sweet Little Lila

I took this picture today and couldn't help but share.

My, how quickly she has grown!

The payoff!

I rejoined the YMCA today. It is something I've been putting off for a few months. As soon as Andrew got up, we jumped in the car so I wouldn't change my mind. I did 25 minutes on a new cardio machine...and I FEEL GOOD! My blood is pumping. I have energy to do all the things "on my list". Exercising refreshes me and gives me the energy for each day.

It reminds me of how great it is to spend time with God daily. When I'm out of the routine, it is hard to take the first step...to open up my Bible and seek God. I find a million reasons to procrastinate. Yet He's always there, with open arms, waiting to fellowship with me. Just like when I exercise regularly I see the physical pay off; when I spend time with God daily, I begin to see the spiritual payoff: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control!

Galations 5 (from the Message)

22-23But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

23-24Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

25-26Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

Happy Resurrection Day!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Today was a fantastic Resurrection Day. After Andrew & Lila got their treats from the Easter bunny, we were off. We had an amazing praise service led by the Eleven Eleven band. We are blessed to be a part Second Baptist church. It is truly easy to love the Lord with the encouragement we receive from our church family. After church, we headed to Drew's Dad's to spend a day relaxing with family, food, and fun.

A family pic! Granted, we aren't all looking in the same direction, but we are in the same frame.

Lila Grace on her first Easter Sunday.

Andrew in his Easter best.

Thanks to the grandparents, we have 2 new family members..we call them Red & Blue. Andrew is squeezing Blue in the photo above.
Andrew consumed more sugar today than he has his whole life.
Andrew, Luke & Ainsley enjoyed a COLD dip in the pool...Drew jumped in with his clothes on for a recovery as well.

Million $ Pacifier!

My children take pacifiers. Yes, I know I've set myself up for a big ordeal (our golden age is 2...we'll see), but pacifiers help me get a few extra hours sleep each morning. Lila often wakes up at 5 a.m. Drew or I will go in and give her her special pacifier and it's like a snooze button for us. We have this special pacifier for Lila. It's a NUK Starlight. We got it when Andrew was a newborn, but because it was purple we didn't use it. And since my kids are so close together, I still had it when Lila was born. So Lila takes this purple paci when she's fussy, in the car, and when she wakes up before the sun is up. I've searched high and low and Target and Babies r Us for more Starlights. It's the worse feeling when it is time to go to bed and no one can find THE paci. Yes, we have others, but this one is gold.

Well...evidently it is going to take gold to buy more. They are discontinued. My friend, Christine, suggested I look on ebay. They are selling on ebay for $10 each pacifier (that's $20 for the pack of two that usually sell for $5). So if anyone spots one of these sleek NUK Starlights, grab it!

Cookie Monster!

Andrew has a new attachment. It's to an economy-size tub of animal crackers. He's carried them around all morning. If you visit, I would advise against accepting his offer to share his crackers...this tub is now just for Andrew!