Meet the newest members of our family; Edward (orange) and Bella (brown). I'll give you a cookie if you can guess how I picked their names! ;)

Madeline spends some quality time with her uncles...

It's time to speak some truth-not to convince others, but to remind my own head and heart of the truth that I should be living 24/7 (...and I am constantly falling short).

God WILL provide. God WILL protect me through my life's struggles. He is always there, no matter how alone I might feel. My job is a blessing from Him. My coworkers provide a variety of personalities for me to learn from. I am a light for Him in this environment- a Godless work environment only means that I need to shine BRIGHTER! He has called me here for a reason. I am not to be hardened; I am to be a leader, even if I have never envisioned myself in such a role before. I am certainly not a leader on my own accord- I will fully trust that God is the one working through me, and never the other way around!

I am a mother through God- he has blessed my life with the 'loan' of this beautiful child, and I am to "train [her] in the way [s]he should go". She is not mine to keep; she is HIS creation and HIS child.

I cannot cry for the things I do not have or for things that I cannot do; I need to rejoice in the abundance of rich blessings that He has already poured out on me! The perfect, sinless love of Christ was beaten, ridiculed, tortured and hung to die- all for the sin in my own life.



Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:5-7)

I figured it was time to post some Madeline updates...!

She hates veggies now. I guess it's just a natural thing for most kids- they don't have to ever have eaten it, but they can see it coming, and they don't even want to try it. She used to love them, but one look at a carrot or piece of broccoli and her lips are sealed. I now blend veggies into everything- veggies blended with cheese for mac n cheese, with eggs for a casserole, veggies blended into spaghetti sauce... it even gets my husband and brother to eat them, too. ;)

She just recently started saying "Rachel". She still refuses to say anything close to "mommy" (she used to say 'mama', but I guess that got boring!) but of course she can say "Rachel" just fine! The little stinker...

She said her first real sentence (that she put together herself instead of us teaching it to her)! A couple weeks ago Brian was walking out of the room, and she started crying and said "Daddy don't bye! Don't go! Don't go away!" We were both completely stunned... it came out of nowhere. Then, of course, Brian swooped her up and smothered her with kisses. She has him completely wrapped around her little finger!

She feeds herself now- utensils and all. What a big girl. Of course, when she feels impatient, she tosses the spoon and starts grabbing handfuls. It's cute for now, but hopefully she will outgrow that. ;)

Marilyn and Papa came to visit a few weeks ago. As I was uploading these pictures, Madeline pointed at the screen, looked at me with a smile, and said "Papa!" She wouldn't say it when he was here (even though Marilyn tried hard to teach her!) but now she seems to have caught on. ;)

She has also taken to calling my dad Papa, as well! We are still working on using 'grandpa'.