As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2: 4-5

Sunday, April 3, 2011

This morning, I woke up earlier than my alarm clock, like usual. ( Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with it, but the first time I don't set it, I oversleep.) So I trudged upstairs for my diet coke and my morning computer time. The first post on my facebook page was a reminder from a friend to be thankful today, to give thanks with a grateful heart. (It was a general reminder, mind you, not one aimed specifically at me!) And oh, how grateful I am for my beautiful family.
For my husband, Daryl. God sent him to us right when He knew we needed him. He is my rock and my very best friend. He is an amazing father and the hardest worker I know. He works three jobs and does so willingly, just so we can have what we need and what we want. He is honest and loves the Lord and sets a great example for our children. He has taught our son how to treat the woman he loves, and our daughters to set their expectations high. My boy. What an amazing young man he has grown up to be. He is such a mini-me, with all of his little quirks and worries, but such a good good man child. Yes, the momma in me is not willing to give up the child part. He loves the Lord and wants to serve Him with his life. He is going to school and working many hours a week without too many grumbles. He treats his girlfriend like she is a princess, and still makes time to let his momma know that he still loves her too. Love him, love him, love him!
My Sarah. People always say that she looks just like me (neither of us see this, btw), but I see in her so many things that I wish I could have been at her age. She is wise beyond her years and such a little nurturer. She has confidence in herself, and realizes her value as a daughter of the King. She has set high standards for herself, and refuses to accept less. She has a beautiful voice and beautiful hair and a beautiful spirit. I am proud to call her my daughter and my friend.
Maddy, Maddy, Maddy. My sweet little Maddy. She wears her heart on her sleeve and loves with her whole heart. Her biggest love is Jesus, and she steadfastly works on being a better servant, better daughter, better witness for Him. She isn't afraid to speak her mind, and she doesn't accept no for an answer. She is up one minute and down the next, but I can always count on her to do everything she does with purpose and passion. She is unpredictable, but she makes things interesting and fun!
This picture just sums up Hannah perfectly....jumping for joy. She is our long awaited blessing who keeps us smiling every day. She is nonstop chatter, even in her sleep. She finds the wonder in every situation and makes me remember what fun it is to be a kid. She loves God and believes with the innocence and passion of a child. Her favorite thing to say to me is, "I love you too much, Mommy. More than anything in the world, except God." She has kept that sweetness close, but is starting to come out of her shell to others.
My Char Char. My unexpected blessing. My sweet sweet, laid back child. The baby who allowed me to enjoy infancy one last time. She is cuddly and spunky and is starting to love books. She has a little naughty streak in her lately--coloring on walls, throwing sand and anything else that isn't nailed down, but she still lights up my day, every day. I love the way she loves her sister, the ow-tie (outside), and her "ba."


Thank you, God, for these amazing blessings in my life. I am so undeserving, but so grateful for the chance to be their wife/mommy!

15 comments:

  1. What a lovely blog you have here--and a darling Family.

    This is my first experience with the Ultimate Blog party--what a delightful way to meet new Friends with like interests!

    Have a wonderful day!

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  2. Thanks for stopping by!

    You have a beautiful family and I would imagine that having the two little ones keeps you on your toes. :)

    I look forward to reading more in the future. It was nice to "meet" you!

    -cheryl

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  3. Hi there! Just stopping by from the UBP and I love the photos of your family... I look forward to reading more from you!

    joy & blessings to you all,
    Alida

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  4. Good to see another older mom with a baby! We had an unexpected blessing three years ago as well. He keeps me on my toe. :) Came over from the UBP...
    Jenny

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  5. What beautiful children! I'm so glad you stopped by! Very nice to meet you!

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  6. Thank you for stopping by A Grace-full Life and commenting. I hope we can follow one another and become good friends. It's wonderful to meet you. BTW-Sarah does look like you! :)

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  7. Your family is beautiful. It looks like our three oldest kids are about the same age. :) It's good to meet you and I look forward to reading more.
    Christa

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  8. Nice to meet you ... and I think we are going to be good friends (LOL). :) I am SO happy to see someone else who appreciates Diet Coke ;) All my friends seem to be on this health kick where they tell me how bad it is for you; but I say, everything in moderation! :)
    Your little bonus blessing is so adorable (I have one too so I know how that is!) - as are your other children. How wonderful to see them growing in the Lord! :) God bless you.

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  9. Hi! I'm stopping by from the UBP! You have such a beautiful family! I love meeting new bloggers, so stop by and visit if you get the chance and see how I am creating a healthier home for my family. I'm your newest follower!

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  10. Hi there,
    Thanks for stopping by my blog! You have such a beautiful family!! I taught first grade here in the States (I'm Australian by the way - I don't think I mentioned that in my post....I've lived here for 7 years) for a few years before becoming a "house parent" - I hope you can find some useful things to use with your first grade kids :-)

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  11. You do have a beautiful family, and you seem so close. My family was tight growing up, and I hope that ours will be one day, too, should we be blessed with little ones one day.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  12. Thanks for visiting my blog! Your comment was so sweet. All of your children are absolutely adorable. As you already know I just have one son right now, but I think having 5 is such a blessing!

    P.S. May I use your ABC's about me on my blog? It was so fun to read and gives an easy way to introduce yourself to people.

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  13. Thank you for the UBP11 visit, I'm now following you, too!
    Cheers,
    Krista, Mostly Mommyhood

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  14. You have great looking family. I can sense your pride in each one of them. It's great to meet a fellow blogger with a small cozy blog.

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