ha! ... AND need some FREE Christmas cards?!!!!

Just popped over and am laughing that I haven't posted since July...thought I'd be so good about posting since I had begun when Ruby was newly born (she's now 10 months old and the last post she was 6 months old)...so wish I was better about it. Its not for a lack of perusing the internet world...uugg.. *conviction*...really want to be a better blogger and a worse timewaster...

anyway, thanks to info from katie at becauseiliketotalk.blogspot.com , I will be getting 50 free holiday cards from shutterfly....and if you are a blogger, so can you! Just go here and fill out the information....shutterfly is simply trying to spread the word about many of their new designs...many many to choose from. Personally, I like this one and this one.
I also think that these make WONDERFUL gifts for grandparents for ANY occasion!

love those Christmas cards I get in the mail every year....believe it or not, I have begun to keep them...have a large box with all of your mugs on your holiday cards. If you take the time to make one and put our name on it, its going to stay with me for a while! I treasure it. Thank you!

Promise to blog more and catch you up! I have lots going on...homeschooling, cooking and baking all of the time to provide nutrient dense food for my family, learning to sew and hope to begin photography too! God is just filling me to the rim of overflowing with excitement and opportunity to learn new things that enhance my role as a wife, mother and homemaker. I am so thrilled that I have embraced it! Wow, He knows best.

Now...just to add blogging to the list so that I can keep record and maybe inspire someone else...or just keep you from making the mistakes I make...because that is pretty likely.

Get your free holiday cards on girls....maybe you can send more out because of this....and don't forget me!

5 year old in the house!!!

We celebrated our Henry's 5th birthday in June...the 14th....wow! Just like we all say, its flown by. What a remarkable kid he is. Loving, sincere, honest, dependable, fun-loving, silly, INQUSITIVE, and thoughtful are all words I'd use to describe him. I am amazed at the difference a year makes in a child and what they are capable of and are ready for. He's become much more adventurous this year and has really built his confidence in trying new things. He's more thoughtful than one just to jump in and try it...and that's ok! I see him as the voice of reason for his younger brother! God has blessed us with an amazingly, loving little boy that we are doing our best to train into a man who will love Him. I am so grateful that Henry has a heart that is responsive and already has a love for the Lord. When I think of my hopes and dreams for him, there are many, but the greatest is that he have a wonderfully real, exciting, adventurous relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ....all else will be handed to him, if he seeks first the kingdom of God.
How many hours did I rock this sweet tiny baby in my arms? How many times have I kissed his sweet face? How many times have I hugged his precious frame? How many times have I sung to him his special Henry song? The Lord only knows and I have enjoyed every single moment of it.
When I think of my life before him and how it has changed, I am amazed...My Jesus is who has changed me and my Henry was a catalyst for most of it. Children that you love do that to you, don't they? They make me search for what is real and what is lasting. Thank you Jesus for giving up your life, that I may have an abundant life NOW, here on this earth, with my husband, my children and my family and friends. I am so grateful.

In this first pic, I asked him to show me how excited he was for his birthday party that day....pretty excited, I'd say.

We had a rocket ship themed party...with rocket ship shaped invitations, jet packs, rocket shaped birthday cake, alien crafts and even an outer space room! Brent worked so hard on our basement, turning it into outer space. He built a rocket ship, hung stars from the ceiling, hung white streamers and put up black lights everwhere, so that it would all glow in the dark! The kids had a blast!!!!

Jet packs...so cute!

Here he is with many of his friends....

rocketship cake that was DELICIOUS.... Alison helped me make it!

I love having birthday parties...a focused day on each of the kids once a year isn't too indulgent and what great memories it builds. Each of their actual birth days were such a blessing to our family and we want to celebrate that!! HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY HENRY!

musings, by henry

well...I have a million and would probably have 10 million if I had written them all down...which my mom told me to do...of funny things that Henry has said. Why didn't I listen to my mother?!! Just wanted to share a couple of recent ones here. Henry is a funny, thoughtful guy and has somewhat of a flare for the dramatic. I don't have a clue where he gets that from (wink, wink).

He told my sister recently, with a very serious tone, "I have something serious and very true to tell you" and then he swung his arm in front of himself like someone on THE PRICE IS RIGHT, to direct our attention where he wanted us to look, and said "Tupelo ate all of the food off the table!" Yes, our dog had eaten all of the food off of the kitchen table. I fixed our plates and went out to get everyone from outside...when I came back in, the dog was almost on the table, finishing off the last plate! I was so angry at that dog!

Then the other morning we were eating breakfast...yogurt with granola and bluberries -yum, and he sneezed. "Mommy, I have have something SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO funny to tell you. I had yogurt in my mouth and I 'bless youed' and it came out of my nose when I 'bless youed'!" I love that he calls sneezing 'bless youing' and he has started this whole description thing when he wants to tell us something. He also must say to me one thousand times a day.."mommy, I need to tell you something"..and my reply, all one thousand times is "I am listening..."

More to come under the heading of 'musings, by henry'. I may even play catch up and plug some in as I remember...Mom, I wish I had listened to you.

4 month old ruby

Here she is, Miss Ruby...Rubes, Peanut, Peanut Butter, Beans....all the names we call her in a day. She is already 4months old and almost 5! She has had an eventful month as she's learned so many things!
She's learned to 'gurgle' and it's her favorite sound! She sounds like the 'Wookie' from Star Wars (chewbacca)...I have NO IDEA how to spell that)...its quite funny.
She also has begun reaching for her toys and playing with them. She is putting them in her mouth now and is chewing on anything that she can get...our fingers included. She can even put her pappy (pacifier) in her own mouth!
Miss Ruby is also trying to roll over...she can get almost all the way over, its just that her arm keeps getting in the way! Its very frustrating!

She's is still up a couple of times at night, but we are working on that! We'll get there...I just keep encouraging her!








She is still in love with her two big brothers and I am delighted with the attention they give to her. Henry calls himself her 'tector' (protector) and Harry loves to share her toys. they both love to make her laugh and she just squeals with delight! Gosh, I just feel so blessed! We love you peanut butter.

ruby 3 months

My sweet baby girl is already in her third month of life here on this earth. She is such a blessing and we are having the most fun with her. In fact, Henry said yesterday that he wanted another Ruby! We shall see...

She is such a good baby. She just smiles so easily and is going to be a talker! She coos all the time and is becoming a talented bubble blower.

She's still in our room with us, ending up most of the time in our bed. We have a beautiful bassinet that she is supposed to sleep in and she does for her naps. I am trying to get her in there at night as well, but sometimes I just fall asleep while I am feeding her. It doesn't bother me if they all get in our bed, but I absolutely do sleep more soundly if the kids are in their own beds. It'll happen one day... no hurry. Everyone always starts out in their own beds, but many nights, we end up with more bed partners than we started with.
Back to Ruby...she's spending more time on her tummy and can hold her head up quite well and for a while. She doesn't love it, but that's ok. She's had some time in her exersaucer with a blanket propping her up and that has been helpful when I am trying to get supper done or laundry folded. She's also begun just this week to play with her toys...she has a bouncy seat that she sits in upstairs and she began to reach for the toys hanging down...and she did the same thing on her floor gym. It's very exciting! oh! She's also found her feet...she loves lifting them up and kicking them around. so cute!


She still isn't sleeping through the night and this week is up every 3 hours again to eat. I am beginning to better get her on a schedule during the day with 2 naps, so hopefully, that will help her sleep longer at night.

So, I took her 3 months photos as you can see...only about 300 or so. GOT TO EDIT!

happy 3 month birthday Ruby!

owen

I was thumbing through my recent photos and came across this one of my nephew Owen. His full name is William Ray Owen Hancock, named after our awesome Uncle Billy. I just love this photo. He was playing in the balloons that we had for my mom's 60th birthday party and he was having a blast. He is a funny little guy with the sweetest raspy voice. His eyes have the prettiest shape and just make me melt. He just turned 2 in April and although we missed his party, we thought of him many times that day. I know he had a riot at his Mickey Mouse themed birthday party.

Its amazing to see our family expanding...exponentially. I love my family. They are the most important people to me. All of them.


Happy Birthday Owen. Uncle Brent, Aunt Cameron, Henry, Harry and Ruby love you bunches!

APRIL AT OUR HOUSE!

Well, its been a busy month! So much so that in trying to find a family picture taken of us this month...there weren't any. So, I ran across this one....its one of my favorite from our wedding pics...a little staged, but I love our reflection in the water...and we did celebrate 7 years together this month.

April has come and gone and I still am wondering what happened to New Year's Day! I mean,

the saying "the older you get, the faster it goes", is SO TRUE! Its been a great month, just a fast one. Brent has been very busy this month. He's traveled a couple of times for meetings and was gone for almost a week for one of those meetings. He's had some late nights preparing for some of those meetings as well, but is satisfied that his preparation paid off. All is well there. He's also had lots of fun getting his boat ready for the fishing season. He's counting down the days. Seriously, yesterday he said "28 more days until I can get my boat in the water"...I have never seen anyone love fishing like he does. He's made a permanent storage box and covered it with outdoor carpet, he has made holders for all of his umpteen (I think that's a southern word for 'one million') fishing rods, so that they can 'be ready to go and I can just grab them!' He's had a ball using the circular saw, hammer, glue, drill, etc....he's really been digging into his design this month more than ever!

The boys are doing well too. Henry has taken on more responsibilities at home. He's in charge of feeding our dog, Tupelo and letting him outside in the morning. He also helps me set the table, when I remember to ask him to do so. Sometimes, I forget! He loves being responsible and even tells me when "my responsibilities are done!" Harry is talking more and more...I am no longer "ommy", but "mommy"...he's saying "down" "to get out of his chair. Eat, puppy, nana, baby and Jesus are all new ones this month. He still dances everywhere he goes and keeps us all laughing.

Ruby is well,...not sleeping through the night. She's almost 4 months old and I for sure thought we'd be there by now. She has done it, but nothing is consistent. I've really learned to let it go and not to make an idol out of a perfect sleeping schedule for her. It would be nice, but we still function. I know that it will come eventually like it did with Harry...just hope its before 18months of age!

We had some very dear friends visit us from Wisconsin...Yvette, Bella and John Michael. Bella and Henry were so happy to see each other and Yvette and I were as well. They were here the week that Brent was gone, so it worked out well! I wasn't alone for a week and Brent didn't have to be engrossed in all things girly! We had a wonderful time and were all thoroughly worn out when they left!

I am keeping busy as well with lots. I love my life as a wife and mom and am embracing all things 'wifey and mothery'...another post soon to elaborate on that. I've been very deliberately planning and journaling my days and duties as a wife and mommy and am loving the process. Its really helping me to 'get it done' and to not waste so much time! I am so great at that! are you? I hope I'm not alone!

As we look ahead to May, I am excited to start some unit studies with Henry and Harry, to get together with neighbors...outside and to continue to find ways to simplify our lives.