Tag You're It...

I love these forwards too. Here's what you're supposed to do:


1. Go to the 4th album in the place you store your pictures on your computer
2. Select the 4th picture in that album (no exceptions)
3. Post it in this post with an explanation and link it back to your tagger (which I don't know how to do so I just linked her blog through her name above)
4. Tag 4 people to do the same thing

Here's my picture:





This is our home in 2007, Justin, TX! Leah loved it, and we relished feeling like it was Christmas time. If memory serves me correctly, Logan was about 2 months old so this was in the middle of February.
I tag Kara, Katie, Vanessa and Christi.

"Arctic Blast", Texas Style

No school today! It's 19 degrees outside and as you can see from the pictures we have a little rain that froze. Although i'll admit that all of the crazy overpasses and busy Dallas and Ft. Worth roads probably aren't the safest this morning, it pales in comparison to how the North lives. Knowing and having experienced for many years how it is possible to not only function when it rains and snows, even ices, we tend to get irritated with the brake-slamming and 2 mile an hour driving down here. I'm glad they've cancelled the city for the day. It's safer for me without lots of dummies driving around on the ice. They don't know how and Texas really doesn't have the manpower or machine power to deal with ice. Ryan and I get such a kick out of how the news covers cold weather and sleet and freezing rain. They pull out all the stops and break in to previously scheduled programs to tell us that it's cold outside and that the rain may freeze. I guess it's comparable to unusually hot days up north. Warnings to use sun screen and hydrate well.
Down here, the first aid kids start flying off the shelves in Walmart, along with the water faucet covers for the outside of the house. Residents are told to let their faucets drip inside so they won't freeze up overnight. My favorite signal that the weather is going to get unbearable is that just inside the doors at Wal Mart, a rack is almost blocking the entrance doors, loaded with mittens, scarves, hats, instant hand warmer packets and what some would consider, "boots". Plastic and cotton, fluffy for fashion +40 degree boots.
We'll profit from other peoples' innability to drive on the ice and we'll stay home, drink hot chocolate again and enjoy having Ryan for a FULL day!!!

Bounce House, Cousin and Bumped head

We've had a busy last week. I got to take the kids to visit my parents in Austin. We were lucky enough to spend part of one day with my cousin Nicole and her daughter Ellie. It's nice for them to get to play together and even nicer for me and my mom and my grandma and my aunt and my cousin to get to chat. I'm greatful to have them close by. While we were there, my parents surprised Leah with a trip to the "Bounce House" store in the mall. She loved it, and Logan even got to sneak in a few times.
This morning, Logan fell and hit his forehead on the corner of an oak table we have. He was running around playing shortly afterward, but it looked pretty nasty to me. He's probably got a headache, and I don't know if the camera will do the bump justice. But he seems fine so for now, i'll be fine too:)
There is another picture of me and Logan wrapped up in the blanket that Jeff and Leslie gave me for Christmas. I LOVE it and have already made it out of bounds for the kids and Elmer. I really don't want to share it with Ryan either, but I make exceptions for him!
We're snuggled up today, it's icy outside. Our local schools are closed but Ryan had to make the trek in. The kids and I don't have to work today, so we'll stay in our jammies as long as I can stand it. Maybe we'll drink some hot chocolate and watch a movie later. WE'll look forward to having Ryan home early, I'm assuming his game will get cancelled. Maybe i'll make stew? MMM.

Reflections

Sunday night- Brothers and Sisters
Monday night- The Bachelor
Tuesday night- The Biggest Loser and sometimes American Idol
Wednesday night- American Idol
Thursday night- Grey's Anatomy and The Office
Friday night- Supernanny (hehe)
Saturday- football, soccer

I've got a show for every night of the week. Granted, i'm home alone after the kids are in bed, so it's really my dose of adult conversation for the day. I've started to realize recently that I've really got to be careful of what i'm putting into my heart. The truth of the matter is, it's very easy to forget to read my Bible for the day, and many times I use up the little energy I have at the end of the day to sit and watch a show instead of reading or spending some time in prayer. And i'm supposed to be taking care and nurturing my babies and husband....on words of encouragement from one of those shows?!
I used to laugh at "Christian" music, thinking it was cheezy. I also thought that those who couldn't make it in the industry resorted to playing Christian music. I'll be the first to say I still have my preferance to which i'll listen to. I've reached the point where I realize that I've got to intentionally put God's word into my head and heart. If I don't make an effort to put the knowledge of his words into myself, they're not going to be there! What will the fruits of my life look like without them? Osmosis doesn't pertain here.
I certainly can't do enough works to make me clean before God. His grace is all that saves me. "Set your hearts on things above." Col 3:1
So if turning off the tv and turning on the music is going to help me set my heart on things above, I need to do it. I'd much rather have my ears and those of my kids hear Jesus' name set to pretty music, than someone taking the Lords name in vain all morning. Afterall, as I walk through the living room and hear the music and voices singing of Jesus and his love and God in his infinate wisdom, I can't help but think of things above! And if that means someone couldn't make it in the industry, then i'm glad they're singing about the stuff that really matters. I challenge you to listen. I bet you'll think on things above!
Amy
(Shane and Shane) are some of my new favorite artists.

January

Well, it's January and we've been busy. Mostly busy getting healthy. These poor kids have both had it pretty good. Leah got a stomach bug first. As she was recovering from that, Logan got croup cough...which morphed into bronchitis and an ear infection. It took three doctor visits to diagnose this one, including a trip to urgent care and chest x-rays. He's on the mend now and as fate would have it, Leah has the cough. We're doing the best we can trying to keep her from going down the bronchitis road, we'll know more in the next few days. I will say, however, that this morning she asked me to give her some, "antibiotics" for her cough. Yep.
Logan loves helping me with the laundary, i've included a video. Turn up the volume and listen to him talk. It's pretty cute. He says the words, "more", "pew" and "poopie". See if you can pick them out.
There are also a few pictures of Leah the last few weeks. She loves her dresses. The one she's wearing in these pictures is the dress that Ryan's grandparents gave her for Christmas two years ago. She won't let me pack it away! Look how short it is! The arms are hilarious. I call it her Shirley Temple dress.
Ryan's doing well, he's well into soccer season. We've been able to make it to quite a few games, so we don't feel as distant from him as we have the last few years. It's amazing how enjoyable the games can be when I'm not pregnant, or toting around an infant! We're his biggest fans. And i'm doing well too. I haven't been to work in a few weeks because of vacation and then the kids being sick. I've loved being home with the kids and for Ryan. I've loved keeping the house together and all that being home full-time entails. We're so blessed with our kids and with each other.

A word...

"Mommy, I need to have a word with you, " Leah said. Ryan and Stephen and I all looked at each other and asked her to repeat what she had just said. "I need to have a word with you." Again, she says this with a twinkle in her eye. I decide to play along. "Ok, let's talk. What do you want to have a word with me about?"
Without another thought, Leah says, "And I had such high hopes for you." We all cracked up and tried to figure out where she had heard those terms. I realized quickly that it was from the Tinker Bell movie she loves. The leader fairy tells Tinker Bell that she needs to have a word with her and that she had high hopes for her as a new Tinker Fairy.
Our little Leah. Seems as though when the days get tough, she comes up with something like that. I love you, Leah.