A day at White Lake

Monday, we spent the day at White lake. It was beautiful! Nice breeze, not too hot....perfect! The children loved the sand and were so content to just sit and feel it between all their "nooks and cranny's." Another memory we'll all treasure.

Meeting little brother

Savannah was so excited to see what her new little brother looked like! She was asking daddy what everything was in the photos, then she brought the photos to me later saying, "Mommy, that's his stomach." Don't you wonder what goes through a young child's mind when they are told that mommy has a baby in her tummy? I'm sure questions like, why can't i see it?, and can't we take him out? keep them quite curious.

This was a special moment for us...to share our first photo of our 3rd child with his big sister and big brother...and Papa and Nana were there to experience the joy!

Beginnings

Yesterday, Dolan and I spent the morning in a dark room at the doctor's office. This day was a beginning. A beginning of a new life growing ever so swiftly in my womb. To watch this baby move around was as if it was our first child. We are filled with joy as God has blessed us once again with our 3rd child. It's a boy!!! And here is his first picture.

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectId=1342069&productId=20&projectSponsor=442549

You can click on the link above and see this "postcard" that I made using the Heritage Makers studio software. I plan to put it in a 5x7 frame in our home. A great reminder to pray for him daily!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,I know that full well.

Psalm 139: 13-14

Notes on Noah

Our little Noah is going on 11 months old. He brings us all so much joy every day! I thought I would share a little of what is going on in his little world right now.

• he has three little teeth (all on bottom)
• he is ever so patient....most of the time
• he loves mum mums and sweet potato puffs
• he loves to try to climb into the dishwasher

• he adores his big sister
• he enjoys pulling ALL the books off of big sister's bookcase
• he is persistent in attempting to bite the vacuum cord while mommy vacuums
• he has a fascination with savannah's little potty and would live in the bathroom all day if we did not close the door
• he has the bluest eyes and the most beautiful....yes, beautiful smile
• noah is his middle name (first is dolan after his daddy)
• he likes to hold his bottle all by himself
• he crawls like a marine on a mission (legs flat on the floor and sways from side to side as he dashes to his destination)
• he loves bananas....what baby doesn't?
• he loves to see what he can find in the fridge when given the opportunity

• he can stand alone for a few seconds
• he grunts when he wants your attention (a cute grunt)
• he has the best belly laugh
• he weighs 17 pounds
• he always does well in the church nursery
• he loves to be held
• he loves LOVES his paci
• he wakes every morning between 6:30 and 7:00 for bottle then right back to sleep
• he takes 2-3 naps every day and is ready for bed by 8:30
• he is a precious gift from God and we feel so honored for him to have been placed in our care

It doesn't seem like it has been almost a year since Noah entered our life. He is a joy to watch and we look so forward to watching his little personality develop more and more with each passing day. Thank you, our heavenly Father, for Noah. We believe he is a gift from you. We pray that we honor you as we attempt to "train up (this) child in the way he should go." Proverbs 22:6

Make your home a heritage home!

Wow! I received this link today and was so inspired! Surrounding myself and the others who dwell here with photos of cherished memories turned into priceless art!! Another reason I am a Heritage Maker!! Watch this 9 minute clip and be inspired as I was. And, of course, comment or e-mail me if you want to create one of these awesome projects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx6GUxDRBUM

I love you to pieces...

"I love you to pieces," a phrase I often say to Savannah at bedtime, has turned into something more precious than I could have imagined. One night, not too long ago, I went into Savannah's room late in the evening after she had long been asleep. For several months now, we have been getting her up before we head to bed in order for her to potty once more for the night in hopes of avoiding a nighttime accident....something my mom suggested and has worked really well. Each night, we gently pick her up and carry her into the bathroom, setting her on the potty. She never once opens her eyes. We love to watch her as she tries to maintain balance while she sleepily sits. On this particular night, I carried out the routine. She pottied. I picked her up and carried her tired body back to her bed, covered her, and quietly turned to leave. As I reached her door, I heard the most precious sound. "I love you to pieces, Mommy." My heart melting, I replied, "I love you to pieces, Savannah." And I couldn't stop smiling for 30 minutes. This child had been asleep, so I thought! Truly, it's the little things that mean the most....even to children!

Just today, Savannah and I had an "argument." It sounded a little something like this. Mommy~"Savannah, I love you to pieces." Savannah~"No, I love YOU to pieces!" Mommy~"No, I love YOU to pieces." Savannah, giggling and with a much louder voice~"NO, I LOVE YOU TO PIECES!"

Just another memory from my nest that I'll cherish for always! Good night.

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones ~Proverbs 17:22

Great Family, Great Fun, Great Fruit!

Today really was all that.....great! I love family days.....especially when they last ALL day. We spent the morning with my in-laws celebrating mother's day with Dolan's mother. A wonderful time catching up, laughing, eating....being together! Savannah and Noah always leave exhausted from all the excitement and play! Fortunately, they fell fast asleep on the way home and Dolan and I.....talked!......to each other!.......without interruption!........without toddler tunes coming through the speakers! It was.......great!

After arriving home, we got the children in and thought they might go back to sleep! They did! The house was quiet. We were able to check some things off of our mental to-do list. Savannah and Noah, like most days, woke up within a few minutes of each other. I love it when they wake up with smiles! Dolan suggested we have a snack on the deck. Great idea, I thought! A perfect chance to eat this fresh pineapple I've had for 4 days sitting beautifully on my counter! He raised the umbrella while I cut up fresh pineapple! Even Noah gets a taste! He loves "real people food."

Savannah enjoyed playing with her new ball....compliments of Uncle Fred. "Thank you, Uncle Fred! I love it, Savannah."

The beautiful sun slowly setting behind the trees was a gentle, beautiful reminder that....I had not been to the grocery store!!!! Snatching up Noah and heading inside to make out my list, Dolan volunteered to keep Savannah with him while I went to the store. It wasn't long before I heard giggling in the front yard.....loud giggling! A knock at the front door, and I was on my feet only to find sweet Savannah.....SOAKED from head to toe. Daddy had set up the sprinkler to water the lawn, when little miss adventure decided to run and stand in it....laughing all the way! She's a funny girl!

Smiling, I handed out a towel and headed out the door.....that is AFTER I took the picture, of course!

After a grocery run, we finished the evening off with grilled chicken stuffed with ham and provolone, grilled corn, salad, and grilled....you guessed it....pineapple! We had a great afternoon enjoying family, fun, and....yes, fruit!

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16

Heritage Makers

I've been feeling a little guilty lately. Guilty because I have thousands of photos and very few of them are "telling their story." So so so many memories...memories lost as of now. Who doesn't love to look at a photo book/album of a loved one...be it a parent, grandparent, or even themself and learn the story behind the memories staring back at them on the page? I want my kids to know as much as possible about their childhood, but I also know that I am one woman with 2 children and another coming very soon! I simply can't keep up. So I feel guilty!

Recently, a friend shared with me her knowledge of a company called Heritage Makers. "Never heard of it," was my reply to her. She shared more. I came home, curious. Typed in the url and within 1 hour, I was not only ready to make a project, I wanted to be a consultant too!

I am so excited to now be a Heritage Makers consultant! While I have always loved to scrapbook, I never find the time to pull everything out anymore. Heritage Makers makes it easier for me to preserve the precious memories being made daily in my household! I can create beautiful story books online with the awesome Heritage Makers Studio software, as well as greeting cards, swatch books, wall canvases, posters, calendars, recipe books, daily planners... It's so great! When my kids are in bed, I can work on a project for a while and when my bed is calling me, all my work is saved in my Heritage Makers account (and it doesn't take me 30 minutes to clean up!) Don't get me wrong, I still love a traditional scrapbook, but I've learned that a completed album/storybook is better than a jpeg!! So, with Heritage Makers, perhaps I won't have to feel so guilty all the time!!

Discounts, specials, and free publishing credits are available for the taking to those who wish to invite a few people into their home and allow me to show what Heritage Makers is and how it works! Or, if I can personally help you with a project, I'd certainly love to! Stay tuned to my blog posts to see the book I'm currently working on. In the meantime, check out my website, www.capturecreatecommunicate.com. Here, you can see some of the projects that others have made and just a glimpse of all you can do if you can upload pictures, drag-n-drop, and get "just a little" creative.

So, just check it out!

Capture a memory...Create a keepsake ...Communicate the story!

Strawberries

Picking strawberries.....just one of the many must-do events in the spring! And this year was a first for my almost three year old daughter, Savannah. We planned our day to visit Smith's Nursery in Benson. A friend had recommended the farm after taking her children and having such a memorable experience. We didn't mind the 40 minute drive from Pikeville because we knew a good time would be waiting for us! And a good time we had!

It's much simpler to drive to your local grocery or roadside fruit stand to purchase a container of the juicy red fruit. Chances are, however, no lasting memories will be made. When we arrived, the parking area was full of minivans....a tell tale sign that moms/dads with children were present. Looking out across the rows of thousands of strawberries, little heads bobbed up and down as buckets were filled. Standing not far off, adults with camera in hand gave endearing remarks to their youngsters as they made a lasting memory together!

The experience with Savannah and me was no different! She sauntered down rows and rows of ripened strawberries as the sweet, fresh aroma permeated the entire farm. You don't get that experience in the grocery store. I followed close behind, with my camera of course! I had to smile as a few unripened green strawberries found their way into our bucket. And then, after picking all she wanted to pick, I watched as her hand reached in the bucket. She pulled out a strawberry and threw it back! She did this a few more times and I finally asked the obvious question, "why?" She simply said, "Mommy, I need to put 'em back." We talked about how we would enjoy eating these at home and that they would...well...rot if left on the ground. She didn't like that idea. So off we went to pay for our fruit! But our day wasn't over. We enjoyed a long walk down the farm to see chickens, goats, and even enjoy a leisurely swing! Savannah was a tired toddler, but I think we both agree that everything was well worth the energy spent! We have so many memories from our day, ending with a bowl of fresh strawberry shortcake after supper!

So, skip the store and make the memory!