Elisha is 3 months old!

Our sweet baby boy is three months old, and I am so in love!

Elisha is really into smiling these days. 😍
He has found his voice, cooing and squealing all the time.
He can roll from belly to back somewhat easily, and he rolled from back to belly on the kitchen table once! Eek!
He doesn't eat quite as often ... closer to three hours between feedings. So he still eats all the time. 😉
He is growing so long ... he will be in 6-month clothing in no time!
He has started watching and engaging with Baby Einstein some.
He is very patient with his crazy sisters and seems to enjoy their hugs and attention. ❤
He's still not sleeping through the night ... falls asleep early, so even when he gives a good stretch, he's up in the middle of the night. Sometimes twice! 😱
He's looking less like Haddie and more like daddy.
He lights up almost every time he sees his mama ... I'm so thankful ❤

Mama is fairly exhausted every single day but loving this life!
I'm so thankful to be home with my babies everyday!
Lately, I've been getting excited for a new year and new study with my Tuesday night Bible study, setting some goals for 2019, doing crafts with my girls, and growing in every way all the time. 😊

Elisha is 2 months old!

Elisha is 2 months old! Time flies just like everyone says.

This boy is the cutest ever! I kiss him all day long! 😍 Here are some things he's been up to lately ....
- Sleeping less throughout the day
- Hanging out on his own more ... he still likes the dining room table best, but he does well in his rock 'n play, pack 'n play, or a blanket on the floor.
- Smiles in response to our facial expressions or tickling
- Sleeping about 6 hours a night ... sometimes closer to 8!
- He's pretty patient with his sisters, even when they they get all up in his business, hugging and poking him 😉
- Still eats about every 2 hours

Mama is still so very thankful for motherhood. But I have been struggling with some burnout while Darrell catches up on some studying. I'm excited for my Bible study in 2019, growing in renewing my mind on a daily basis, and just thankful for the challenges, blessings, and grace I'm experiencing in this crazy season of life.

Haddie is 3-and-a-half!

I forgot to post Haddie's three year post, so here's three and a half!

Her favorite shows: Dora and Friends ("Older Dora"), Puppy Dog Pals, My Little Pony, and "new" episodes of Little Einsteins
- Her favorite things to do: Crafts, painting, playing outside, going to the library, Sunday School, trips to the store - especially Wal-Mart and Dollar General, one-on-one dates with mommy or daddy, sleepovers at Granny and Grampy's house, telling people what to do, and giving her ponies to the people she loves so they won't be alone.
Some of her favorite foods: Plain cheeseburgers, apple sauce, strawberries, mushroom chicken, and pork chops.
My favorite phrase that she says right now: "It's ok, buddy." She says it in the cutest voice to her baby brother multiple times a day.

Haddie is my little firecracker. She is strong-willed and wants to be in control of everything and everyone. She can't stand the word no or being told to wait for something. Needless to say, she is in constant training. 😉 Haddie is also full of sweetness, and she has a tender heart. I have a love-hate relationship with her desire to give her ponies and other toys to everyone so they won't be alone. She doesn't like to be alone, so she doesn't want anyone else to be alone. So sweet! She likes playing with Bethel and picking on her. If she's not hugging and kissing Bethel, she might be hitting and kicking her. And she is smitten with her little brother. She loves showing him books, touching him while he lays around the house, and giving him kisses. She is the most amazing, strong-willed Haddie girl in the world, and I wouldn't trade her for anything. ❤

Bethel is 2 years old!

Bethel turned two years old last Friday! Gosh, it is exciting! Exciting for so many reasons! But mostly because life is awesome and crazy for us right now with Darrell working on an online degree and us maneuvering through life with three kids under 4. And it's exciting to watch Bethel grow. Here's what she's been up to lately ...

- Her favorite shows: Little Einsteins, Dora the Explorer, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
- Her favorite things to do: Draw, drink tea out of a tea cup, sit in her high chair, look at books, play outside, play with glue, paint, and carry around tiny objects like coins.
- Some of her favorite things to eat: Macaroni and cheese, chocolate chip cookie dough Larabars, oatmeal, broccoli, cucumbers, strawberries, cantalope, watermelon, and apple sauce.
My favorite phrase that she says: "Oh, my dear!"

Bethel is super passionate and talkative. She cries at the drop of a hat when she's tired. She is not someone you want to wake up from a nap ... she needs a good 30 minutes on her own before she greets the world, or everyone will regret it! She likes giggling and running around with her sister until Haddie starts getting too rough or picking on her. And she likes holding her little brother. Bethel is a doll! So, so thankful she is mine!

Elisha is 1 month old!

Well, I'm guessing that all of Elisha's posts will be late because life with three kids is cray cray! But here it is ...

Our Elisha Daniel is a dream boat, and here's what he's been up to ...
- Not the best sleeper out of the three kids ... gives us a lot of 2-hour stretches, but he has given us a good number of 4-hour stretches, and maybe three 8-hour stretches.
- Very much our biggest piglet of the three kids ... he eats 4 ounces of formula every hour and a half!
- Loves to be held
- An early tummy-sleeper like the girls
- Likes laying on his back on the dining room table for decent lengths of time
- Started sleeping in his crib but has slowed down with his newborn nose congestion going in full-force
- Smiles but not quite in response to stimulus yet

He's pretty much the cutest ever! 😍

What mama's been up to ...
- Praying a lot! 😉
- Growing in my faith and as an individual more than ever before!
- Striving to be thankful in all circumstances, pray without ceasing, and tap into the power of the Holy Spirit so that I can grow and overcome each day as a wife and mama and Christ-follower
- Reading the book of Psalms, The Confident Mom by Joyce Meyer, and some mama devotionals on YouVersion.
- Loving my mamas' bible study group on Tuesday nights
- Hanging with the kids more while Darrell works on his Business Management degree
- Living in thankfulness for this incredibly tough and amazing season of life! ❤

Season of Sanctification

Well, being a full-time stay-at-home mom is definitely not helping my blogging presence. Ha! That's ok. I'm a mama first. And about to become a mama to THREE kiddos! Any day now, our Elisha Daniel will arrive on the scene. It's super exciting and scary! I can't wait to try mommin' a boy.

I've been thinking a lot about my outlook on life over the past year, and I think about it all the more with baby #3 arriving any day. I am in a season of hardcore sanctification! Motherhood is definitely THE hardest thing I've ever done. My perspective about pretty much every aspect of my life has been tested since becoming a mom.

Every single day I have to ask myself ...
Am I gonna choose joy today even if I'm exhausted, grouchy, burned out, bored, and just plain tired of putting my kids needs before my own?
Am I gonna be thankful no matter what?
Am I gonna choose to be selfless even when it's the hardest choice of my day?
Am I gonna do my very best to cherish the moments because I know that this season with my children is like a vapor?
Am I gonna press into Jesus through prayer and His Word in some capacity and keep growing that quality time with Him so that I can be the most powerful mama possible?
And so many other questions!

Some days, I really do a good job keeping my cool, being thankful, and taking deep breaths when needed. Some days, I wanna crawl into a hole because I know how I responded to that lip from my 3-year-old and the hitting back-and-forth from sister to sister and the fit thrown at bedtime. But everyday, I am learning to hold tightly to God's grace, ask for forgiveness and repent when I mess up, believe God is working in my momming and in my life for my good and His glory, and keep at it! I AM making progress. I AM becoming more like Jesus everyday. I AM chosen by God to be Hadassah and Bethel and Elisha's mama. And it may be the hardest thing E.V.E.R. But it is also THE most rewarding, fulfilling, and sanctifying thing, and I am so thankful for the privilege that is motherhood.

Help me, Jesus! Empower me with your perspective each day. Teach me mightily. And shower me with your grace and mercy to continually practice in all things rather than aim for perfection.



"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness. His mercies begin afresh each morning. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him.'"
Lamentations 3:22-24

2017 and beyond!

Hello, 2018! Wow, I am excited to see you! 2017 was an amazing year full of new (and continued) lessons in my faith and about who I am and who I want to become. And I am looking forward to this year with joy, thankfulness, determination, practice, and excitement!

In 2017, I renewed my perspective about my physical health and lost 30 pounds!!! I started learning how to parent TWO kiddos under the age of 3. I took a step further in learning that I have to take care of myself spiritually, physically, and emotionally if I'm gonna take care of my family and reach out to others well (started practicing regular self care without guilt ... ok, with far less guilt ;)). I grew in my understanding of God's grace and took a step further in learning to practice in all things rather than be perfect. I finished out my first year as a Bible study group leader of young moms, and in 2018, it will become a Bible study based on Titus 2, where all women are welcome, and we will hopefully minister to each other, older to younger and younger to older. ... I know there is more that I'm forgetting.

So watch out, 2018, 'cause I'm ready to grow and change and overcome even more!