running... 

And landing! 

Daddy takes a break to have some fun with Caleb 

Caleb wanted to make sure that Luke enjoyed his first experience 

After I snapped this happy shot Luke Bear sunk to the bottom of the pile and you couldn't see him anymore...you could only hear his muffled cries! 

And here is Caleb...enjoying his first experience in the leaves.  

Soccer season has ended

Caleb had his last day of soccer yesterday and got his FIRST trophy! Whoo-hoo about both of those things!!! He was so cute and waited so patiently for them to call his name. Another milestone reached and like all of them it was bittersweet. My baby is growing up. And with growing up comes growing pains. Yesterday morning and early afternoon was painful for both Caleb & I. He is 3 and demanding, delightful, defiant, & delicious! And I am a momma that is a slow learner, impatient, & demanding but trying to raise boys that love Jesus. Caleb and I butt heads all morning and then we went to soccer and I saw how small he is and how hard he is trying to grow up. He looked so little in a class of boys that are older than him, but he was also one of the most well-behaved. Seeing him in that setting was a great way to end such a hard day. I'm not doing the worst job ever and he isn't the worst kid ever. God's grace is so good and his timing is perfect. I needed to see a glimpse of his grace and he showed me that grace at soccer. It also reminded me that at the end of the day his grace is what I should be leaning on.

Jesus said, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'
~2 Corinthians 12:9

Caleb showing his trophy to his daddy 

Caleb's First Soccer Trophy! 

Ephesians 5:1-2

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

~The Message

Happy Birthday Lovey!

Today is my Joseph’s birthday!! As I was laying in bed this morning I was thinking about how blessed I am that God created Joseph for me. He is amazing and there are so many things that I love about my hubby. So many things!! I love that my husband loves Jesus and wants to model that for his boys. I love that my husband prays for me everyday & is always asking for new ideas on ways to show me he loves me. I love that my husband calls me throughout the day, will send me an e-card just because and leaves me prayer-notes all over the house. I love that my husband is so smart and knows how to do so many different things. I love that my husband reads, sings and prays with my boys every night. Okay, there isn’t a whole lot I don’t love about my husband---He’s a rockstar!! And I love him. And I pray that I am able to show him that on his special day.

Peace

Commentary written by Max Lucado based on James 3:17 - 4:3

'Want to see a miracle? Try this.
Take a seed the size of a freckle. Put it under several inches of dirt. Give it enough water, light, and fertilizer. And get ready. A mountain will be moved. It doesn’t matter that the ground is a zillion times the weight of the seed. The seed will push it back.
Every spring, dreamers around the world plant tiny hopes in overturned soil. And every spring, their hopes press against the impossible odds and blossom.
Never underestimate the power of a seed.
As far as I know, James, the epistle writer, wasn’t a farmer, but he knew the power of a seed sown in fertile soil.
“People who work for peace in a peaceful way plant good crop of right living.”
The principle for peace is the same as the principle for crops; never underestimate the power of a seed.
How good are you at sowing seeds of peace?
Pause for a moment and think about the people who make up your world. Take a stroll through the gallery of faces that are significant to you.
Want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heartdeep in a person’s life. Nurture it with a smile and a prayer, and watch what happens…Never underestimate the power of a seed.'

~Written by Max Lucado in Experiencing the Heart of Jesus.

Happy Halloween

Here are the much anticipated pictures of our annual pumpkin patch visit as well as our Halloween activities. We went a couple of weekends ago to the Pumpkin Patch and had a wonderful time! There is an orchard 30 min. from our house that does a great festival with hay rides, ponies, bouncy castles, face painting and tons more. Caleb loved it and was so excited to be there and Luke – well, wasn’t as enthusiastic. It was his nap time. He did perk up while we were picking pumpkins and when we gave him a baby pumpkin to hold. Unfortunately he kept throwing it on the ground thinking it was a ball.
For Halloween this year Caleb was a Cowboy and Luke was an Indian. We had a Halloween party and trick or treating last week at Joseph’s school so it was fun to do a dress rehearsal. By the time we went out on Monday night Caleb was a pro at getting the candy and Luke was a pro at eating it. The weather here was perfect for trick or treating.

Joseph carved the pumpkins with our kiddo's 

I don't think that we ever gave Caleb candy at this age... 

'do we have to take another picture???' 

my first homemade costume! 

And this is Caleb's 'chasing indians' face! 

the cutest little cowboy! 

The trick or treatin' Indian