Friends For a Lifetime...

My lifetime best friend, Amy and I.
Jake, and his stroller with cookie monster...so funny!

Hayden and I with his present...it took me nine years to open.

Baby Rex and his present.

Aunt Amy and Sadie Jane

doesn't she look like she needs another one???

my old neighbor Amy and Rex, so cute!We are so cute I accidentally loaded it twice:)

Our boys playing together! Hopefully two more friends for a lifetime!

Mom and one of her best friends Melinda, and SayJ

The boys decorating cookies!

I couldn't get one of all of them looking.

Last night we reinstated an old tradition. Since as long as I can remember my parents and a group of their friends got together for Halloween and Christmas and every year went to the beach together. Most of us kids were around the same age and grew up together...etc. After us kids started having kids of our own the group stopped meeting and some moved away got busy, etc. I loved having a group of people to grow up with and have really fond memories of all of our get togethers so I decided to try to get everyone back together. Almost everyone made it and the kids seemed to have a great time. I had fun too and the kiddos all drew names and exchanged presents. After dinner I discovered just how old I really am... Hayden came running up to me and said "Can we open presents now????". This was the first time I have been the one asked not the one asking! At times I forget that I am supposed to be grown up but now with two babies of my own plus Hayden parttime:) I guess I am.

Bubba

Funniest Photo Shoot Yet...From SayJ's Perspective:Here I am feeling smiley, so Mommy started taking some pics...
Then she calls Bubba over and asks him to hold me...Seriously, Momma, what were you thinking? He tried to help me smile!

Then he starts to drop me...Help!

Did I mention I heard Momma bribe Micah with a green M&M to take these pictures...maybe that is why he was almost strangling me here.

Ok, I am so over it! Let me go!!

Please someone? Where is my Daddy?

I can't take it anymore I must cry now...

Ok, I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of Sadie Jane and her Bubba tonight. We went out to dinner for Mick's birthday, again:) and then went to Aunt Betty's 70th Surprise party. We had a fun night and Mick put up all of our lawn ornaments in the freezing rain this afternoon. We are not catching up with his parents yet but I can see it coming. Just had to put these pictures up because they were too funny. They show SayJ's personality. She is pretty easy going but you can see as it progressed the girl can only take so much. Micah isn't in to picture taking these days so yes, I bribed him with his beloved green m&m! I wish he would poop in the potty for one but that is another post for next week!

Happy Birthday Daddio!

Just some pictures of my three most favorite people. Last night we went out as a family for Mick's birthday because we have a weekend full of parties and wont be able to celebrate then. We (ok, mainly me still) made Mick his third book. The year Micah was born I started writing a book using pictures from the year and writing from Micah's perspective. So I carried on this year but writing from Micahbird AND SayJ's perspective. If I can figure out how to download it here I will...for my Mom:).

Anyways, Happy Birthday Honey! We love you and hope that your day is as special as you are!

December Supper Club

Couples picture plus SayJ
Boys...

Girls! SayJ was beyond hungry.

Sweet friend and hostess with the mostess Anne Marie. Still hungry SJ.

The two new babies. Brittany is nursing too so I at least to got to talk to her some of the time.

Nice. Mick and Justina.

Justina. Always with the silliness.

Thank you Ms Anne Marie for letting me love on your moose...

He was fun to hang out with...I had to make the most of the place where we spent most of our time. :)

Last night was our December Supper Club with friends. It was at the Underwood's and they served us Christmas dinner. It was delicious and a beautiful set up. Unfortunately I spent a great deal of time in their guest bedroom feeding and trying to figure out what Sadie Jane's deal was...she was a bit grumpy and didn't want to nurse well. Until it was time to leave then she nursed for 30 minutes. I hope one day she appreciates all my sacrifices of socialization so that she could have breastmilk:) Some days it seems formula would be so much easier. But I know there is pros and cons to both. But for those that know me you know that the sound of friends socializing through the closed door is torture for me. I wish nursing in public was more acceptable and that it didn't creep so many guys out, I would whip it out most anywhere this go round.

Since we were going to be out late, and Uncle Mickey had been begging for Micah to sleepover he had his first sleepover at Uncle Mickey and Aunt Wendy's with Bay and Charlee Ray. He did pretty well but I missed him bad. He slept with Uncle Mickey and only cried to come home once. Which is pretty good since I did that in first grade. I didn't make it through a party til second:) We really want the girls to come stay with us now! Thanks Eidsons!

Joy comes in the morning...

So most of my deep posts are usually pretty depressing...so I wanted to document a gift that God has given me lately because I am so grateful. Things circumstantially have been a little rough lately...not anything life threatening but in the small world of Stephanie...big enough to cause one of my breakdowns at the least. You've all read about a few:) But even though things haven't been all rosy. God has just been filling my heart with His joy! It has been a long time quite honestly since I have experienced it so personally but it is so good. I am reading a Beth Moore book...not attempting one of her in depth bible studies at this season of life. It is the get out of the pit one and there is some hard stuff in there. But even in that God is reminding me that I have so much in Him. Just the little things like being around Christians at church, learning in Sunday School and really enjoying the teaching, having a baby sleep through the night, getting girl time, being willing to ask my momma for help and enjoying time with her, spending time in prayer, feeling no condemnation in Christ, laughing at silly stuff, talking to people on facebook who I would never talk to otherwise, planning things for Christmas. I mean I could go on and on. And I need to because in a few days or in a few hours or in a few months I will so quickly forget the Joy that only Jesus brings and trade it in for some self pity or pride. But God is good and I wanted to share that in the same way I share the tough stuff.

Speaking of blessings and little things...we trekked off to an 830 dr appt for SayJ this morning in the monsoon. No umbrella and just me and the kiddos. As I carried a car seat and Micah in to the office I asked Micah if I was supermom? because I was so proud of getting all of us there by well...839! He reminded me to be humble by saying You are not! He was dressed like an elf...green footed pj's a size too small with red crocs over them because I didn't have time to change him...he looked like an elf but wouldn't let me take a picture. Yet another reason I am not supermom, she surely wouldn't have let her child out of the houses that way and she would have had a shower. Major digression...the point being...stats...Sadie Jane was 13.2 lbs (95%) head size 95th percentile and height-22.5 inches (50%) and the pear shape continues!! Love this rolly polly baby girl! Thank you, Jesus!

Her Sunday Best

Mick is still sick today so I have quarenteened him from us. The kiddos and I were stir crazy and after my last post I really just wanted to go to church and be around fellow believers. So we headed out in our Sunday best and SayJ wore pantyhose for the first time. I wanted pictures of both Micah and SayJ but to no avail. Sweet victory is what it was at church. We made it through Sunday School, church and lunch with her asleep and no tantrums from Micahbird. Thank you, Jesus. I know for a fact it was seriously a gift from Him. So thankful. Yet another reason I am a good momma...I just doctored up a Totino's pizza for dinner. I know you are all so impressed. Just a little snippit to help you all feel better about yourselves in comparison:)

So, what are you up to?

Last night, at one of our thanksgiving dinners someone asked me this question and I had no answer. I mean I seriously drew a blank. I answered in a dazed way, "I guess just having babies" Nice. We came home fed, bathed and got everybody to bed and then Mick headed out to play cards. I got really lonely feeling laying in bed and I started to think about that question. I know, I should have just gone to sleep, right? But I didn't and I spent sometime talking to the Lord. And being still before him. And I realized my identity as a mom has completely overwhelmed my whole life. Now, don't worry I know I just had a baby 8 weeks ago and all of that...but it is true. I will wake up in the night to feed a baby, I'll go sit and read a book with Micah, I'll change thirtysevenmillion diapers...but sit down and spend time with the Lord...notsomuch. Which would lead me to understand why my identity is so skewed. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a momma and I would not trade it for anything. BUT God reminded me last night that my relationship with Him is still first. And of course by putting that relationship first I will be a better momma, wife, friend, etc. I am struggling alot with sadness, aloneness and worry; not because things are neccesarily that bad...which is why I wondered why I couldn't answer such a simple question. So I need to figure out what I am up to...and I think God will help me do that. This isn't meant to be a downer post but I needed to type out my thoughts, what's new. I also don't want to belittle the role of being a wife or momma at all and I am the first to defend its importance, which is partly why its so easy to get consumed and sucked into thinking it is all that there is...but if you put ALL of your value in that anytime things go wrong you feel like such a failure; that definitely isn't what God intends for His children. So I am commited to spending time with the lover of my soul so that I can be who God wants me to be...not mother of the year, martha stewart, or a super model...which might be nice, but I want to be who God created me to be, and I have to spend time in His word to know who that is...sadly something I have seriously neglected.