Our Tree

Well, Monday night we decided to finish our tree.
It had been sitting like this since Saturday...

After dinner and David's bath it was tree time.  We turned on Christmas music, opened the boxes with ornaments when David asked for a snack.  This was our first interruption of tree decorating.

After retrieving David a snack it was time to get back to work.  David found the ornaments and dropped one.  Glass everywhere.  Mommy vacuumed while Daddy entertained David.  Then as Mommy and Daddy finished stringing the lights we looked over to find our monkey at the top of the ladder.

After snapping this picture to remembe all of this famiy fun we weer having Mommy took David upstaris and we read books.  Tree decorating was going to wait, this was not the family fun Mommy had been dreaming about.

So, again Mommy finished the tree by herself for the third year in a row, except for the fact that after 12 years our tree topper no longer lit up.  So, it is still not quite finished... but this looks better than it did Monday morning.

Bubbles

David has new bubbles for his bath and his loving bath time even more this week!

Christmas Tradition

Saturday we were up early for our annual Christmas Tree Cutting.  This is the 10th year we have cut down our tree and David's third year.  We tried to explain what we were going to do, but we are not sure David truly understood.  However, he seemed very excited.
Here is David coming downstairs ready to go

a pose with Daddy

and then Mommy

And we were off, but not to Elgin.  We first went to Ghost Town in Manor for a Ghost Burger.  David thought it was great.  It is a place Daddy has been wanting to stop for over a year.  Angie had to admit it was better than expected.  Here are Daddy and David after ordering our Ghost Burgers.

David had a great time running from building to building to see what may be inside

We got stuck in the maze and had to turn around to find our way back out.  David thought it was so funny to be stuck.

Then on to Elgin to find our tree.  Here is David watching some chickens and a donkey at the farm.

waiting for the tractor to drive us to the trees...

On the tractor ride

David is never far without his lawn equipment,  here he picked up a "blower" and "weed eater."

On the hunt for a perfect tree...

David found one, he actually picked our tree this year:)

Guarding our tree

Ready to cut it down

watching how Daddy uses the saw...

Next it was David's turn to cut...

and timber....

On the hayride back to our car David waved and yelled, "Bye Everybody." 

Pictures of our tree coming soon.  It is still yet to be decorated, some things never change!  We cut it early, but it takes at least three days for us to get it decorated!  Merry Christmas.

Cousin Fun at Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving with Greg's family Wednesday night.  Some how the entire night got away without one single picture.
Thursday morning we headed for Houston to celebrate with Angie's family.   David loved all of the cousin time!
Game Time!

Being Silly...

Trying for a cousin picture...

Snack time... cousins sneaking into bed with a late night snack

Play Time!

David spent lots of time in Gram's play room toy closet:)

Rest time with Uncle Brian

30 Months of Thankful

Today, on this Thanksgiving our little boy celebrates his half birthday.  He turns two and a half today, or 30 months as Mommy counts.  We are so incredibly Thankful for this little boy that has brought continuous joy and love into our home.
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Half Birthday David!

Faith and Blessings

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

Because it took us 4 years with many doctors, treatments and procedures involved, to become pregnant with David when he was 8 months old we began fertility treatments again.  We knew we wanted more than one child, we are both close to our siblings, and we wanted that for David as well.
To every ones great surprise, after only 7 months of treatment, Angie was pregnant with our second child.  This baby was due the week of David's birthday.  So, our babies would be exactly two years apart.
After 10 weeks Angie lost our baby.
This happened again and again. 
It was a time of prayer and patience.  We knew God had a plan and we had faith that he knew the desires of our heart.  During the next 12 months Angie was pregnant for 33 weeks with no baby in our arms.  God drew us closer to Him and closer to each other. 
After the loss of our 4th baby Angie found herself pregnant with our 5th baby just two weeks later.
Again, we were surprised and thankful.  This baby, our 5th baby, is also due the week of David's birthday.  There have been complications with this baby as well, but God has taken care of us and this newest blessing.  We are planning for a full term pregnancy!  David will turn 3 on May 22nd and this baby is due to arrive on May 24th.
So, as we finish up Angie's 14th week of pregnancy with our 5th baby we are thrilled, grateful, and amazed at what joy we have been given.  
There has been brokenness and hurt along the way.  However, we know that God took our babies because He could take their hurt away.  They would have had to endure suffering on Earth and one day we will meet them.  For now we will remember those babies in our hearts and rejoice for the babies we have!
We are also hopeful that after spending the last year in a first trimester Angie will soon be feeling like herself again.  During the past year Angie has had weeks where she did not feel well; David took great care of his Mommy!

Thankful for all that we have been given!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34

A Favor

Lately after Greg reads David his bedtime stories and Angie begins to rock him and sing lullabies David has been asking, "Dad, before you leave can you do me a favor?"  Usually the favor is something silly he thinks of off of the top of his head such as, "will  you move my bead?", or "Will you turn on the fan?"
This morning as Angie was leaving for work, after dropping David off, he went through the routine with her....
David: "Before you go can you move that?"
Angie: "I think Mimi wants that (pumpkin) there"
David: "Mom, let me walk you to the door."  "Mom, before you go can you do me a favor?"
Angie: "Sure, what do you need"
David: "Mom, can you move your suburban so Mimi can pull in the garage?"
Mimi's car was already in the garage, but nice to know he was planning ahead!
He makes us smile:)

Gobble Gobble

This morning at the park we hunted for leaves and turned them into a Thanksgiving turkey. Mommy suggested his name be Tom the Turkey. David says, "No its not." - Gobble Gobble

David decided to take his lunch and make a picnic in the family room when we returned from the park.  He pulled out his own place mat.  He even asked for a second sandwich, ate all of two sandwiches and all of his apples. Gobble Gobble!

 Then he found a sweet treat that he is amazed with... a Ring Pop.  Don't tell David that is what it is called.  He will correct you by telling you, "No, it is a ring lolli-pop."

 Gobble Gobble! 

Such a fun Mommy David morning!

Learning to Give

Our church takes the children that have been placed in foster homes or group homes in the Austin area and adopts them for Christmas.  There are about 4000 children that our church provides gifts for each Christmas.  For the past 11 years we have taken two of these children and purchased items on their wish lists. 
This year we really wanted David to try and understand that there are children that have no homes, no family, and no toys.  He had lots of questions.  So, Angie took him with her to do the shopping.  With many warnings of "David we are not buying anything for you.  We are buying toys for these two children", which we would name for David.  The church does provide us first names of all of the children because the first thing we are asked to do before purchasing anything is to pray for these children.
David knew in his mind that he was not getting anything, but the reality meant a few hard moments in the toy isles at Target.  However, by last night as we were wrapping the gifts David was interested in telling Daddy that these things were for the little boy and little girl that need toys.  And this morning he insisted on helping to carry the gifts into church. 
We are trying to teach our little one that when we are blessed as our family has been the best thing we can do is give some of those blessings to others.  This is the best way to say Thank You for all that we have.

 

WonderWild

We traveled to The Woodlands this past weekend to celebrate Luke and Lila's 6th and 2nd birthday's.  David was thrilled to see his cousins again!
We woke David up early Saturday morning to make the trip, he was so excited to go see Luke and Lila!

 David insisted on carrying Luke's gift in all by himself. He told Mommy she could carry Lila's.

 There was so much fun inside of WonderWild for all age groups!

 David worked up an appetite and even ate a little:)

Time to sing to the birthday boy...

 and birthday girl...

 David had a little surprise on his cupcake... turned out he was not thrilled

 Uncle Brian made it better

 David loved his new stickers from Luke and Lila.  He literally wore them all day, through his nap and play time, and all the way until his bath Saturday night.

 Time for presents...

 Lila was more interested in the cards, especially this one, she found Lila that Cousin Hannah drew

 Lila played more on the stairs than opening her presents.

Happy Birthday Luke and Lila we had a great time!