Abby is 5!!!

Oh my goodness my baby girl is officially 5! We had two weeks of celebrating her! No idea how it turned into such a celebration. Abby continues to amaze us with how much she learns and knows. She is a bright girl with a huge personality. We started her with TK in a homeschooling setting. She is doing really well on the days she wants to work on school work. She has changed so much this year. She used to be so shy and now talks to just about everyone and loves being dropped off to Awanas and her Sunday school class. She meets new friends everywhere we go and wants to tell them all about Jesus. It has been a huge blessing! She absolutely loves her baby brother. She could just eat him up! She talks to him in the same tones I do. She is very artistic and loves coloring still and crafting. All she wanted for her birthday was clothes. This time around it was long dresses, long skirts, shoes.... She got her nails done which was something she wanted to do. She is such a girl! She is still extremely strong willed. She has been acting like a teenager too. It has been a bit of a hard parenting season. Praying constantly I would be patient and loving. I want for her to look back and see she had a godly mommy. I feel I am failing at that constantly. I just struggle to have patience in these times. I do love her and pray for her constantly. I pray she would become a wonderful woman of God who loves the Lord with all of her heart.
This birthday as the last two was princess themed. She still loves her disney princesses. She had a princess tea, went to chucke cheese, had her friends sleepover and so much more:) So thankful we got to celebrate well!

Happy 5th birthday beautiful!

Aaron is 4 months old

This nugget turned 4 months on October 8th! Almost 17lbs (70th percentile), 93rd percentile head size, height is 88th percentile. This gorgeous guy is all smiles, wears size 9 month clothes, wakes up only a couple times a night, and is just all around sweetness! I am seriously so in love with him!!! I can not handle it! He is the happiest and calmest babe around! 

Asher Turns 3

My sweet, funny, thankful babe turned 3 September 20th! Yes I am just now getting around to writing all about it! And believe me I have been stressed about not writing this blog since then. I want to have fond memories to look back on some day! I want my children to be able to read a little about their personalities in different stages of life. Asher truly enjoyed his birthday this year. It was the first year he was so excited for presents and cake and the whole shebang. We had only been living here a month by his birthday but have been so blessed with friends really quick. We had a wonderful pool party on a super hot day. We enjoyed the entire pool and playground to ourselves with our friends. Asher is truly a comedian. There are no words to describe how funny he really is. Everything he does is comedy. I am so thankful for the laughs he brings and the dancing! He is such a boy! He loves Nacho Libre, the New Jungle Book movie, he loves motorcycles so much, he loves trains and blocks, he loves snacks (nacks), he loves life! He is still my good sleeper and napper. Three has started pretty whiny but he for sure does not throw tantrums and go crazy as we have experienced with Abby. He is a busy boy and has some difficult moments but I would say he has been pretty good. We love hearing him talk. So much of it makes no sense but it is hilarious. He loves to act out lines from the Chipmunks and other favorite movies he has. He loves to wrestle his daddy. We adore him so much!

Happy 6 year Anniversary

         Six years ago I married my better half. I know that tends to be such a cliché statement, however it very true! The Lord is so gracious to Brian and I. We have gone through so many trials with children, family, and other things. We have lived through a lot in these six years. Those hard times and the current ones God has used to grow and strengthen us individually and in our marriage. I have learned so much by watching my husband wake up at 430 every morning to spend time praying and reading the word since the day we met. He is so devoted to the Lord and it truly makes me want to grow closer to Jesus daily. I see what being devoted to the Lord in a deep way does as you live life. He is not only devoted to the Lord but to his family and the church. He helps in every way. He sets such an amazing example to our unbelieving family and friends. They watch him around our home and see something different in him. As we have gone through hard trials he is a rock. I am truly better in Christ because of Him.

      I have had a couple friends recently say they think Brian and I must have no issues and a perfect marriage. While we do go through trials, I have to say that you will never hear me talk bad about my husband and I am so blessed to see women around me speak highly of their husbands regardless of what is happening at home. We have the Lord at the center of our marriage and have gone through so much in our past that we can understand what is really important. I do not live by any love language books or principals. It is not a biblical concept, contrary to what the world tells us. The bible say's,

           

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

(Philippians 2:3-8 ESV)

           

       If we live out our marriage in this way and think about our other half always than there is nothing that we truly need more than pleasing the Lord first and foremost and then our spouse. Yes as a woman I would love to be romanced more and surprised in different ways. I would love for Brian to communicate like a woman so we are always on the same page☺ But that is not what marriage is about biblically. What we need is a mind like Christ. If I am thinking as Jesus did than I am asking myself all day long how I can serve my beloved.

And of course working through verses such as this:

 “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” 1 Corinthians 11:3

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” (Ephesians 5:22-24 ESV)

    These verses can be so hard as a woman. Submitting to our husband is not always easy. Sometimes it is so hard. I fail at this often. But at the end of the day this is a call. One we must live by if we want to honor the Lord and have a sweet marriage.

    What I am thankful for as we celebrate our marriage is being in Christ and being one with my husband. If you are struggling in your marriage may I suggest some books for you or seeking out biblical counseling. You may feel there is no hope for you but there is. You can pray your heart out daily the Lord would change you and your husband and your marriage. You can pray that you will set a godly example to your children of what a marriage centered in Christ should look like if you have children.

IBCD is an amazing counseling center in San Diego County

Books: When Sinners Say I do by  Dave Harvey and What Did You Expect by Paul Tripp

So thankful for Brian! So thankful he turned my ashes into beauty! Every year we near our anniversary I am reminded of my past before Christ and even the first few years of being a Christian. I never imagine I would be married to this man and be filled with so much hope and joy daily because of a Father in Heaven who loves me. 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GORGEOUS MAN!

     

Aaron 3 months

Wow where has the time gone. It is so true that with each kid you take less pictures, document their growing years less, etc....

Aaron has been such a doll! We truly treasure him! I had no idea we would have a good sleeper on our hands. He typically only wakes up once at night and sometimes sleeps through the night. He's a great napper! He is most definitely a mommy's boy! Loves to nurse, does not like bottles, we finally found a binkie he will sometimes take, loves to be in the ergo, smiles constantly. 

Abby could play with him all day! She has the cutest voices for him! She says " oh my goodness I can not even look at you because you are so cute." Ha! Does she sound like me or what!!! 

Buddy we just adore you!!!!! 

Aaron Barnabas is here

As most of you know this pregnancy has been so difficult and long. I have anticipated this day for 9 months. I have slept barely a wink! What I can tell you is that this sweet child from the Lord was worth all the tears and hard times. 

Yesterday (Tuesday) I was 3cm 50 percent effaced and Dr. Sandoval stripped my membranes at 1030. I was up all night having mild contractions. Apparently I have a very high pain tolerance. So Brian stayed home today and we came in just to be safe. I was about 4.5 cm so we stayed. We got here at 845am and started pitocin at 1130. Doc broke my water at 130 and from there I labored super hard till 430pm. I did not want an epidural this time because my last was not a good experience. But by 430 I was stuck at 8cm and baby was still pretty high. The pain was crazy! Brian said I handled it amazing and he could not believe it. I am glad he was not watching my crazy faces! I would turn away:) 

Epidural went in and that was a major game changer. Glad I finally got to experience tough labor though. At 6pm she had me push a couple times, called my doctor, and Aaron came out in one minute or less! Such a long and amazing day!!!! Born at 614pm, 7lbs 12 ounces, 19 in long! 

This week his name changed from Aaron Daniel to Aaron Barnabas. Brian wanted a Barnabas so bad. We plan on this being our last so he had to have the name. It's such an amazing strong biblical name! 

I was super honored and blessed Dr. Steele who delivered my first two came in to see us. It was a huge blessing he remembers everything. We thought he was retiring as he did as well so we had to pick a new doctor. Dr. Sandoval was wonderful! She is probably under 5 feet tall and close to my age and so sweet. She happens to be leaving to a new practice in August. Love how God allowed her to be our doctor in time before she left. 

The team here at Grossmont is amazing. We love everyone. 

And oh my baby Aaron is seriously such a huge gift from God. He is gorgeous in every possible way and so peaceful. He just melts my heart in pieces! I am so thankful God allowed me this priveledge. What a joy! I am so undeserving of anything. Thank you Lord for salvation and all of your blessings. 

We can not wait to introduce Aaron to the kids in the morning.