A Lifetime of Love

This was on my friend Renee's blog, and I totally had to steal it because it's so true! LOL!! Happy school year!!! :)

Homeschooling has been going well. We started on Tuesday and completed a half day. We did the other half on Wednesday and then began full days on Thursday. It has been exciting, fun, and, at times, challenging. With my girls being so young, I have to find things for them to do with us at the table so they aren't getting into stuff. Plus, Ta was sick so he was home with us, too. I had to juggle my roles as teacher, mom, and nurse this past week. Not an ideal way to start the year but it went well and we pushed on! Overall it's going to be a great year! School, on average, takes us between 2 1/2 and 3 hours to get done. I like the routine that we've started but more importantly, the flexibility is great! Plus, since I'm home for a dedicated amount of time, I can get stuff done around the house while Th is completing assignments. Most of the housework and laundry is done during the week, freeing up our weekends to spend time with TJ. It's been great! We've been fol...

Taylor Ann is five months old today. She is getting so big so quickly! She, like her sisters, sucks her left thumb. I don't know what it is about that left thumb, but it must taste extra-special for all 3 of them to do it! She is also rolling from side-to-side now that she has discovered her feet. I must say, I just love this age! She is, for the most part, a very content baby who greatly enjoys watching the others play around her. T.G. just simply adores her and affectionately calls her, "That baby." Ironically enough, today is also the one-year mark that I found out I was pregnant with twins. I have very mixed emotions today. I am sooo thankful to have this beautiful, healthy, happy baby girl but I am saddened by the fact that her twin is not on this earth with us. I still look at the ultrasound picture and remember the shock and disbelief of it all. My, how my life has changed in a year! God has been so good and gracious to me, but in getting to this high-point in my...

I love Teagan very much! She has brought so much joy to our family and we are grateful the Lord gave her to us- what a blessing! As many of you know, she has a developmental delay and has been receiving various types of therapy for almost a year and a half. She has "graduated" from all except speech. She is making great progress, except I've started to notice something that concerns me a little. Growling. When she doesn't like or want to do something, Teagan growls. Loudly. I guess maybe growling is easier than trying to say, "No," which she can't say. I'm not really sure, but I am going to talk to Susan, her S/LP, about it tomorrow when she sees Teagan. Just another confirmation from the Lord how truly special Teagan is! =)

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post so I thought I'd share some of what I've been up to. We went to the beach and had a fabulous trip. We actually stayed a little longer than planned because we just love the ocean and really didn't want to leave. :) Since getting back, I have been working on lesson plans for homeschooling next year. I finalized my curriculum and am now transferring the lessons for each subject into my lesson planner. It's time consuming and I am really only able to do it for a little bit in the afternoons while the kids nap. But, Lord willing, it's getting done and I am thankful. There are still boxes in almost every room that need to be unpacked, but motivation is small and honestly it's just too difficult for me to unpack with 5 small children. We've done some little projects around the house, one of which was putting plywood sheets up in the rafters of the attic to expand our attic space. We still have a storage unit full ...

TJ and I are celebrating 11 years of marriage today. Where has the time gone? We've been through so much in our 11 years, more than some ever experience in a lifetime. God has been so gracious to us, bringing trials into our lives that have helped us to grow closer to Him and to each other. In the past year alone, we've lost a baby, gained a baby, and moved into a larger house, among other things. This time last year I would have never expected any of those things to happen, and thankfully they have as we have learned a few things in the process. Now, for those of you who knew us when we were dating, I have this to say to you, "See, we made it this far, and we will continue to make it only by God's grace." To those of you who have known us for only part of our marriage, I have this to say to you, "See, we made it this far, and we will continue to make it only by God's grace." Marriage is hard work but so worth the effort. *Thank you, Lord, for TJ . ...

We are getting ready to go to the Outer Banks this Friday. The kids and I are so excited! This is our FAVORITE family vacation spot and we haven't been there in 3 years. The past 2 years we have gone to Topsail Island, and although it's nice, nothing compares to the Outer Banks. Plus, my mom is meeting us there so we'll get to visit with her! The kids are already making a list of things to bring such as their "boogie boards," kites, crab nets, and sand toys. The last time we were there, we went searching for crabs on the beach at night. TJ and the boys caught quite a few of them (and released them, of course) and the kids are most excited about that. I am excited about getting some sand in my toes and some sun on my back! LOL! Nothing is better than seeing God's beautiful creation at the beach: the ocean's boundaries, the beautiful skies, and all the life in between the two. *Psalm 19:1~ "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the wo...