In continuation with my photo dump for the month of February, I saw the need to incorporate all the pictures I take on Sundays.   It is such a hassle trying to wrangle two babies, but I know that one day I'll look back and be thankful that I put in the effort to get pictures of them dressed up since it only happens once a week. Without fail one of the kids refuses to cooperate. Usually Ellie is fussy and ready for a nap.  Meanwhile Eli just hates getting his picture taken.  Not to worry.  We go back and forth between threatening him and bribing him.  Usually Monster Trucks are involved.  "Eli, is you don't sit still and smile, you're going to get a Monster Truck taken away."  or "Eli, if you smile big, you can take two Monster Trucks to church."  Finally, he smiles and Ellie looks like she hates the world.  Maybe it's just the bows...who knows!  I've given up on both kids smiling or even cooperating.  In fact,

So yesterday I did the most boring post in the history of blogging.  Let's face it, I have been a slacker all month long.  I was thinking about writing several highlight posts, but my life just isn't that exciting, so I thought I would compress it all into one review post with lots of pictures.  Sound good?  Ellie is walking up a storm these days, so my afternoons are spent making sure she doesn't eat off the floor, fall off the furniture, play in the toilet or hijack the electronics...all of which have happened at least once. Eli's obsession with Monster Trucks seems to have manifested this month.  He got several for sleeping better, and used Christmas and Valentine's money to buy more.  Lovely. I'm fairly certain that it is not safe to have so many small toys on the floor, however, it is great entertainment to watch my husband stumble on them...I joke.  I've spent some time raising this girl up as a good and proper southern belle.  Sh

Another week has come and gone, and I can't even remember if I blogged at all last week.  The winter has been so long...literally and figuratively, and I am just so ready for the seasons to change....again, literally and figuratively. Since writing has become so scarce, you should follow me on Instagram.  I update it much more often.  Honestly, I still write.  I just don't hit "publish."  There are literally dozens of drafts waiting to be posted.  Eventually I'll get to them, but for now, you get the highlight reel. Last Monday was a dinner banquet for Toys For Tots.  I worked a bit with the charity through the holiday and was so honored to be included in their awards ceremony.  I truly can not say enough about the volunteers in our community. Tuesday I had the chance to hit up a consignment sale here in town.  I practiced much self control, and only bought three things. For those of you who know me, that's a major accomplishment!! Wednesday was a

1. This is one of those weird posts that no one other than myself cares about, so feel free to skip.  I'm just jotting down a few things I don't want to forget. 2. My blog is so, so outdated.  It needs a major face-life, and it would probably be a good thing to go ahead and add Ellie to the side bar...just sayin'. Eli was two when we had those last pictures taken. 3. In less than one month (ONE MONTH, ya'll)  Ellie will be a year old.  My goodness, that blows my mind.  We're planning her a very low key celebration with family and a few close friends.  Bless her heart, I think a new carseat will be her big gift. 4. I've been such a slacker with baby number two.  She doesn't sleep through the night, I haven't weened her from the bottle, and she spends the majority of her days in a sleeper. 5. Along those same lines our little "Bucket List" is usually completed by early February, but we've yet to check anything off this year.  Oh well,

**This is probably the longest post I have ever written, but the Lord laid it on my heart.  I put start and stop point below for the important stuff.  Happy reading** My woman's group at church has been doing Beth Moore's study on Deuteronomy.  It's amazing!  After our lesson last night we started talking about the importance of sharing our stories of faith, bondage and redemption.  Here's the thing, testimonies can be tricky.  Some people have profound moments where their whole life turns around.  Their stories are powerful - from redeemed drug addicts and saved inmates to dramatic healings and saved marriages, and those stories are so amazing, so incredible, so beautiful that they must be told.  For the rest of us, especially those who grew up in the church, our testimonies can seem boring and stale, but let me be clear about this, there is nothing mundane about the transforming, redeeming love of Christ...NOTHING!! I've thought a lot about my testimony, and

I'm not a fan of bedtime.  By 8:30 I'm just done with the day.  I'm over it.  Good, bad, whatever, I'm done.  I lay with Eli every night until he falls asleep.  It's a habit that started when he was a no sleeping baby. I was depressed and the more I fought him to sleep the more worked up we both got.  Our doctors (his AND mine)  suggested I lay with him until he drifted off because it would be more soothing for both of us.  It worked.   Over the years I have had a love/hate relationship with this bedtime ritual.  I love our talks, our stories, our snuggles.  I hate that I almost always fall asleep too.  I hate that it takes away from my time with Eric.  I hate that what was once twenty minutes has turned into an hour because Eli just has a hard time falling asleep.  I hate that it's a habit that needs to be broken as we begin to transition from the preschool years to the school years...interject muffled sobs.   We're trying, and I don't know how