Steven is four!

WOW, it seems like it was just yesterday when I was living in the unfinished basement dreaming of the finished house and the start of our family with a child. Here he is another year older. He is a quick witted guy, and most of the time, Justin and I are out smarted before the battle begins. He is courageous and kind and serious. One of our friends uses the word stoic to describe him but he doesn't seem to be void of emotion when he dislikes some thing.


His birthday day was an entire day for Steven. He planned his menus for his birthday meals and all he wanted to do was watch TV so he watched Thomas, Thomas and more Thomas. Then he rode his Thomas bike and helped prepare the house for his birthday dinner of queso, and quesadillas. We decorated cups, blew up balloons, invited Big Frank and our neighbor Rose over to join us.

Steven and Andrew had 3 gifts unwrapped before anyone even knew what was happening. We hadn't even started the party but the party had begun. He was elated to get a baseball bat, glove and ball. We have had lots of fun in our backyard playing with them already. We are now saving for the broken window fund, if you would like to make a contribution..LOL


He was as excited , you could tell he really enjoyed opening his presents and having the attention. Here are some of the birthday party photos and cute Steven stories.

He loves singing and sings all the time. When something comes on the radio and it happens to be his favorite, the grin and the jammin' that commences is fun to watch. He loves HAPPY by Aiesha Woods but has moved onto one of the new VBS songs for his favorite, 'I get down but he lifts me up.' is often heard in the car, the shower and while playing cars.

Photo to the left is after Steven's 1K. His reward was a chocolate donut. I think he and Kobe enjoyed the refreshments the most.

If you ever get the treat of having Steven being tickled deeply by something in your presence, you will no doubt feel joy as he lets loose his belly laugh. When it happens it's all Justin and I can talk about for days because it's so great!

I have been having painters come and give us estimates on painting the interior of the house, with both of us working full time, it's not a project either of us wants to handle. Well, one of the painters I thought was great so I wanted to talk to Justin about it and I excused myself from the table to call Justin at work, mean while Steven climbs up in my chair and begins telling the man the resurrection story(unannounced to me) and as I am coming back to the table he says, "wait a minute mom, I am not done, Then Mary was bringing back the spices to put on his body and when the angel rolled the rock away he wasn't there. Jesus is alive for you and me! That's great!" He gets down and goes and plays, I am so pathetically evangelical I say, did you just get a bible lesson and he says "yes, I believe I did." I told Justin I needed another chance to talk to that guy because I had done such a poor job initially so we need to hire him.
Mr. No nap passes out after an afternoon of bike jumping:)

He learned to ride a balance bike this year and about 4 weeks ago I thought he was ready for a bike with pedals and no training wheels. We posted on Craigslist for a Thomas bike as that was the motivator to even get him to ride the balance bike and we received a response to our ad. We brought the bike home and after 3 push starts from dad, he was off and riding. The scary thing is the whole wide world just got a bit smaller:) Wish I was smart enough to download video. We have some great footage of him.


This is after nearly a month unscathed...then he gets a good face scrape when he has a wipe out, trying to jump(hop) the curb.


I am going to end this post with a prayer for Steven. Lord, I thank you so much for Steven. I thank you for the way you use him to make Justin and I better parents. Father, I ask that you would let his heart be courageous for you and that his life will be lived honoring you. I thank you for his heart, the depth of his understanding and care for others. Please help us to guide him in your ways, let him come to love you and commit his life to you at an early age Father. I lift of the special lady you have chosen for him, I pray that she is being raised to love and serve you father. I thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for Jesus, it is in his name I pray. AMEN.

Burnt Bacon

So Wednesday, I am making a BLT salad for CBS brunch and I over cook the bacon. I wouldn't eat it,in fact it's burnt by my standard. My kids however who rarely eat the stuff are snarffing the charred nasty down. The next round of bacon comes out and it's perfect and Steven says 'mmm this is good mommy.' I need the remaining 'perfect' bacon for the salad so I have to cut them off after a piece each. I muse as they decide to go ahead and have another piece of the burnt stuff but they never quite finish it as they had the burnt piece before.

Kind of how my life is sometimes. God gives me a good wash in the word, reveals some sin in my life, I didn't even know I had. It is like that burnt bacon, if it's the only thing you know, it's good to you, you've even acquired a taste for it that way, but then God shows you how life is meant to be and gives you a taste of the 'perfect' batch and you realize how wrong you have lived. Maybe some old habbits creep in and the next thing you know you are eating burnt bacon but this time you realize it for what it is, take it to the cross, repent and move forward in His grace, not wanting to finish the whole piece.

I love God's word, only it can do that. You can have others tell you how badly you are living or how wrong you are all day and it's ugly and makes you feel bad but NEVER, NEVER has the Lord hurt me or offended me as he leads me through some tough things. He loves me and the washing feels like a refreshing, invigorating shower and how beautiful it feels when I am finished. Now if we could just start praying for those struggling and give up our own attitiudes of "I will fix them". Maybe Jesus could radiate and not have such a tainted appearance to those who don't know his love.

Have you been in God's word today? Join a study so you have some accountablity, try one study I dare you! I haven't a doubt you too will be hooked.

Andrew AKA Batman turned 3

The entire day was devoted to Andrew's special birth day. We had birthday cereal for breakfast, you know the high sugar kind that every kids wants because of the picture on the box, birthday sandwiches at lunch, and I loved it when Steven asked, "did you get any birthday drinks?" Andrew wanted to have spaghetti for supper so we had birthday spaghetti. We had a fun afternoon getting ready to celebrate his special birthday dinner. We blew up balloons, decorated cups, made the cake and just had a wonderful afternoon working together to throw a party. The excitement built all afternoon and when dad got home from work the party started!

I was so moved by Andrews thankfulness the day after his Friday evening family only party. He woke up and said, "Thank you so much for my party, I loved it! I loved my presents too." I wept, which isn't unnatural for me:) His thankfulness filled my heart with so much emotion. As I think about it now, I wonder if that's how our Heavenly Father feels as we pour out genuine heart felt thanks for what he does, he must be moved by that. How important it is to realize where our help comes from, our blessings and our purpose and praise in thanksgiving for them.

Here are some of the birthday photos and some sweet stories of Andrew lately.

We are having the baby at the Family birthing center in New Braunfels and during our first visit there, one of the midwives let Andrew listen to his heartbeat with the stethoscope. She asked him if he could hear it, he shook his head yes and she asked him what it sounded like. He said, "I love Jesus, Jesus died on the cross for me, I love Jesus." She said is that really what it is saying, Andrew replied, "I fink so."


I am not sure why he likes batman so much but he does. Since there hasn't been a Batman movie for awhile t is difficult to find anything batman. The only request he had was party hats but dad couldn't find batman ones or plain ones so he got these...

Andrew 3 Steven 3 :)

When Andrew prays, I love his ending. It's always the same. I need to get it one video before he starts pronouncing it correctly. I am going to type it as best I can but it's not as cute. God bless Daddy, mommy, Steven, Andrew, Grandma Jean, Grandma Monica, GG GG GG and all our ankles and unkies and cousins. In Jesus name. Amen

I want to end this post with a prayer for my sweet son. Lord, thank you for blessing our lives with Andrew. Thank you for the gentleness in his heart. Lord I pray he would come to know you at an early age and they he would live his life to serve you. I lift up the girl you have chosen for Andrew, may she grow up knowing and loving you father. May your name be stamped on their hearts and right below it eachothers. Thank you for loving us, for providing us a way to know you. Thank you for you living word, may Andrew have an appetite for it. Blessed be your name Lord. We love you. In Jesus name, AMEN.