Addisons birthday was thursday and we went to Chucky Cheese but she calls it "Yucky Cheese".  Nay-Nay, Pop, Aunt Esther, and Mommy went with her.... We are having a painting party with her friends at our house tomorrow afternoon after church.  She has been singing to Keaton and I all day today.  It is so funny to hear her talk more and more each day.  She now tells me what she is and is not doing and always talks in 3rd person.  Rachel is over and she loves having her aunts around.  Esther bought her a Tinkerbell tent that takes up my entire kitchen but Addie LOVES it!  We are enjoying her so much at this stage in her life! PTL for a healthy adorable loving child!
last night Dad and I went to dinner at Firebirds for my 25th birthday.  Where have the last 5 years gone??? i feel like i just graduated from Union but time has flown by since then and so much has happened.... We went shopping and came home to snuggle under the covers and watched a movie b/c it was too cold to stay out! :)
I love my family and I am so blessed to have such a loving and caring husband, family who helps with my kids, and kids that light up my world with a simple smile!
Pics are coming of Yucky Cheese and of the paint party after tomorrow!

I am currently stretch as thin as I have been in a long time and in need of a vacation! Keaton is almost 7 months old and still gets up at least once most of the time twice a night which is keeping me from any rest of more than 4 hours. Addison is talking so much and spoiled me by sleeping through the night at such an early age! Esther comes over alot and helps out PTL! Mom watched them this afternoon for me to run to the grocery since it was cold and yucky outside. My plate is full with school, work, teaching sunday school, mom bible study, marriage small group, motherhood, studying, cleaning, cooking, and being a wife.... Whew! I love it all I just need to find a way to balance without crashing and burning....
I start a new job (same field just different doctor's office) in a week and I hope and pray that helps with some of the stress that I am under at my current office....
I am so blessed to have healthy kids! I keep hearing about illness and death from friends and families that we are close to... It is giving me a new appreciation for my life and the lives of those I love.
I have some great friends who are helping me study into the wee hours of the morning and a husband who has been walking this thin rope with me every step of the way!
I had a scare last week with a positive pregnancy test but my doc confirmed that I am not prego... I took another test yesterday to confirm again and it was negative THANK GOD! I would die with three kids under the age of 3!
I love them but i need a break before the next one arrives!
I am praying for healing in my family right now.... The Lord created each and everyone of us and I pray that we remember that we are His and so are they! Fearfully and Wonderfully made! Thank you Lord for not giving up on us and for graciously putting us back in place when we start to try to take control of situations that we should leave at the foot of the cross...
We are reading LOVE and RESPECT at church and doing a study that is amazing! No matter what my husband does I have NO RIGHTS to disrespect him and no matter what I do he has NO RIGHTS to not show me agopy love! We are on the same team and have to remember that when we think the other one is attacking us! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD!
pics to come soon! my camera will not upload ... i will have to see what is up with that...

It is interesting how people talk about things they do not know anything about....but feel that they are experts on the topic at hand....
I am learning that the more I listen and the less I say the smarter I am.
I am enjoying our marriage study at Central Church... Pastor Ernie has sent us home with questions to ask and answer and it has provided Mark and I with some great conversation pieces....
I am so grateful for all of his hard work to provide me the opportunity to be home with our children! Keaton will be here in 4 weeks and I am getting excited about the additional changes to our family!
Addison is getting so big and looking more like a little girl everyday rather than like a baby!
In 2Tim we (M2M) are studying how to pass the baton of faith to our children and I pray that what I am learning will be seen in my kids!
For Valentines Addison and I each got our own bouquet of flowers and we love them!!!
I had a great dinner for Valentine's with the love of my life and dessert night with some dear girl friends!
Have a great week and know that the Lord loves you and will not ever give you more than you can handle.....

Addison's vocabulary is growing.... it used to be mama, da da, dog, NO, and alot of Chinese giberish.... now she says more, teeth, cheese, goodness, excuse me, honey, earm eyes, several animal sounds (duck-quack, pig-oink, horse-nay, rooster-doo, sheep=baa, etc...), and she is copying more sounds everyday... before you know it we will be having conversations back and forth that I can understand....
Mark is in TX visiting his family and Addison and I just returned from a 3 yr old b-day party... it was madness but a blast! Keaton will be joining us in less than 2 months and we are so over joyed!
I cannot believe that I am about to be a mother of two and i feel like I am barely an adult.... I am praying for our house to sell so we can get our home situation settled for the indefinite. All in God's timing....
I thank God for great friends and family. We had a good Christmas and a great visit with extended family even this week .... Addison is napping so I better go get my house work done before she rises and wants to play, play, play... She is going to stay with Aunt Esther and Pop tonight while I host Bunko so she will have a blast!

My husband read to me last night from Max Lacado's book Greatest Moments in the life of Christ. Prior to that we enjoyed dinner at Mom and Dad's... it is nice to have family close by....
Tonight Whitney came to visit with her dog Bella.... Addie cackled at Mia playing with Bella.... Addie was really happy and delightful today.... we played outside and went shopping.... it was really cold yesterday but tomorrow it is going to be 72 degrees!
I am so grateful for old friends who always care.....
Whitney commented on how low I am carrying this baby.... It is strange how different my two pregnancies are.... With the first I carried high, was sick, gained a TON of weight, had major hot flashes, etc. With this one I am carrying low, have not been sick once, have not gained any weight, but rather just shifted weight around, and have had a stable body temperature.
I am nesting early... I started cleaning out the attic today and not the attic looks great but upstairs is aweful b/c of everything i pulled out of the attic! I hope to make a dent in the upstairs tomorrow b/c tonight I am relaxing under my electric blanket watching TV.... it is quiet and peaceful..... Addie reached for her bed and went straight to sleep.... I am afraid she has spoiled us with sleeping so well and consistantly..... Our next child will probably be as inconsistant as the weather. Lord give me genuine rest anytime I do get to sleep once this next baby is here.
As I cleaned out the attic i found two rocking chairs.... Mark told me tonight that they were his and his late brothers.... I am so excited that my children will get to have them. At Mom's Addie loves to rock in Mom's old rocking chair that she used as a child (as well as I used).....
I need to get the video camera out more often b/c she is changing so much everyday and I want to capture these moments that have touched my soul!
I am off to a land of dreams ..... Have a blessed evening!

I am grateful for the prayers, phone calls, emails, and family and friends who have ministered to us. Yesterday we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon hanging outside with our neighbors, and we have enjoyed this evening (after I got home from work)... we are currently watching the Titans and Colts play with my electric blanket turned on b/c I am COLD....
Mark had an interesting situation today.... He went to take the hospital bed down for his mother and he told her that he moved Brandon to TX permanently. Expecting drama he was shocked when she said she understood that it was alot on he and I and that she hoped we would be able to have stability now. She commented that she knew something was going to happen b/c of all of the problems. As Mark left, she stopped him and asked him to pray with her. Never in 40 years has his mother prayed with him. He was amazed! Miracle never do cease.....
we have not believed all of her claims to have rededicated her life, etc but it difficult times where she has chosen to remain calm and composed it has definitely told us that something is changing within her.
I need the Lord to give me forgiveness towards her and towards Brandon. Brandon started school today in TX. Lord please bring someone into his life in this new place and touch his heart through your missionaries in that region/school/neighborhood....
I think the Lord is teaching me what perserverence is.... I feel stronger even though I feel weak with everything that has happened. I have laughed today and it felt great to smile!
On another note... our confirmation ultrasound is Thursday but we KNOW it is a BOY!
Boy names in the running...
Cameron, Keaton, Brody, Jackson, Sutton, Grayson, Peyton, Houston, .... if you cannot tell i really like "on" endings b/c we already have Brandon and Addison.... any suggestions??!?!?

ITS A BOY!!!!!!!!!