Morning Smoothie

1/2 Cup Yogurt
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Banana
1/2 bag frozen fruit
Blend and....

Yum! Yum! Delicious Mama! This is actually my smoothie she is finishing after she slurped down her own. Cutie pie...

Precious Kiddos

Here are some more recent pics of our wonderful, precious kiddos. Grace is really learning to pose and say "cheese" for each photo. She has so much personality. She also helped make the 2 month sign for Elijah that she was very proud of . They are such a blessing!

Poor buddy

Cheese!!!

Watching the US Open

This is all Grace's creation. Poor Emma.

Wildfires

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

Matthew 5:1-6




Horrifying. Devastating. Tragic. The wildfires across Texas and surrounding us leave my heart aching. Aching for the people who are hurting in so many ways. I have seen so much destruction on the news over the past few years, but nothing has hit closer to home. Maybe its because Bastrop is a place we frequently visit, maybe it is the smell of burning wood in the air, or maybe it is the eerie haze in the sky that hurts my eyes....but whatever the case these wildfires leave my family watching wide eyed as the fire continues to eat up the land without any resolve...

So yesterday my husband explained he couldn't sit and watch. He had to do something. But what to you do when you are not a first responder, fire fighter, or red cross volunteer? My husband began making phone calls hoping there was a church or organization he could jump in and help serve. He finally connected with one church that welcomed his company, so we gathered what little we had to donate and he drove off to Bastrop with a friend from church while I watched the kiddos at home.

Not knowing exactly what they were going to do when the got there, my husband and his friend dropped off the donations at the church contact and drove to the Catholic Church where hundreds of families were seeking shelter from the fire. Hoping they would let them in, the church received them with welcome arms. They gathered some gospel tracks and began talking to the people inside hearing story after story of homes and job sites burned. Some with and without insurance. Some not knowing if they would still have a job. Some losing everything they own. Some not knowing if they have a home to go back to. They were so hungry for encouragement and prayers. They welcomed any smile, any hug and anyone they could talk to. One lady from the church cried when they left just because their presence alone was an encouragement.

My husband didn't do anything special. He didn't organize a big crowd, donations or fire relief. He simply showed up, encouraged and shared Jesus.

I know there are so many ways we can show our support for the victims of this fire, and I know I become quickly discouraged because I feel so helpless. But if nothing else, our compassion speaks volumes. Whether in person or through prayers, these people need our love, need our encouragement and need to know someone cares. We would be amazed what a difference it would make.

2 months!

Time goes by faster and faster. Elijah Ray is 2 months today, and he is growing up way too fast. I tell people often that I try to cherish every little moment I have with him because they went by so fast with Grace. He is so much bigger, longer and more alert. We went to the doctor today and he is 12.6 lbs and 23 inches. He is in the 50 percentile, but he seems so big to me. He is no longer looking like a newborn. Why are we so silly as moms? We want them to grow up healthy and strong, but it is bittersweet when they do. We want them to hurry up and crawl, walk, and go off to school but when they do we are so sad that that time is gone. I am starting to appreciate more and more every moment I have with both of them. I quickly forgot how precious each stage was with Grace, but now with two, Elijah reminds me to cherish every day because it goes by soooo fast! Thank you Lord for a healthy, happy, alert and smiling 2 month old. Happy 2 months Elijah!

Bath Time

Grace loves bath time. She loves practicing her swimming skills, giving her bath toys a good cleaning, splashing water all over her, me and the the bathroom floor, and trying to sing rubbery ducky with her toys. After a long day, it is always a fun time we both look forward to.

The other day, Cliff was away to a bible study and Elijah was crying in his crib during our designated bath time. I had a great idea...it was time for a brother and sister bath! That way I could keep in eye on both of them. Well, I wasn't the only one excited, Grace squealed with joy when she understood Elijah was joining her. We sat him in his tub and Grace helped me wash him while she also shared her bath toys. Elijah sat and watched carefully as her big sister showed him the "ins and outs" of bath time. Pretty soon, Grace, your little brother will be able to splash and play with you in the bath. Until then, you so sweetly take care of your little brother.

Dance

Grace has been fascinating with dancing. She spins around singing "dance" as she makes up her own moves. We just had to capture this precious girl on video.

Days at Papa's house

Last week we took our last summer trip to Austin for one of Cliff's basketball camps. Grace LOVES going to her ALL of her grandparents' homes. So the car ride there when she was having a hard time we would remind her we were going to Papa's and her whining would quickly turn into a grin. Papa (my dad) took some time off to spend with the kids, and we had a blast. Her some pictures from the week.

Swinging on the big swing. Her first time by herself! We were monitoring close but it didn't prevent a small fall backwards.

Learning to play catch. Her new friend was much better at participating. Grace sometimes would throw the ball back and other times take the ball away for herself.

This was one of those times she took a break from playing catch. Sometimes is hard to trust new friends with your stuff. Right?

Her first trip to Toys R Us. This car ride was before we even entered the store. It took us a while to convince her that there was so much more to see.

Our little buddy as he meets new friend, Caroline. Our good friends, Kristin and Phillip stopped by to visit. He missed the introduction.