Memorial Day Weekend 2009

We had such a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! It was literally one of our best trips with the kids in well probably ever! We left Sunday right after church and headed here:

This is our sweet little cottage that we absolutely LOVE! It is on Andrew's parents land in Grandbury, TX. They have worked very hard to make it such a beautiful and peaceful place. It is just the perfect spot with a wrap around porch and a lakeside view. I wish we could go every weekend! It has been difficult in the past because as most of you know, it is great to have schedules and such until you try a new place where your 2 toddlers and and infant have to either sleep in pack and plays or a new bed. It usually makes for not a whole lot of sleep, but this time we weren't woken up until 6:30 a.m. (and that was a great improvement from last time when we almost packed all 3 kiddos up to go home at 3 in the morning b/c we hadn't slept yet.) So, it was a much needed little break for us. Things are so crazy at the church right now that it is hard to shut your brain off and we actually managed not to have a church conversation until the drive home. That is WAY good for us as we are always trying to be every body's hero and hate it when we can't be if that makes since. SO, here are some pics of our lake stay:

Walking out to the dock (for Audrey's first time.)

Daddy and his girls.

Our sweet cousin Peyton having some Ainsley time.

Audrey wanted to just be in the boat and not in the "yucky" water as she called it. She is always our little princess. :)

This was such a fun part of our weekend! Austin and Audrey got to ride jet skis for the 1st time! Here is Audrey with Grandpa about to take a ride. She wasn't so sure about it at first, but funny story - we were out on the lake riding around and I look over at Audrey and she has completely fallen asleep! Who does that?! It was too funny, but also just like something our little sleeper would do! So, her first ride put her to sleep! Ha!

Two very happy boys at this point. Austin thought he was driving the whole time and he was so proud of himself!

Right before the napping jet ski ride with Grandma and Grandpa Werley.

This was right before Andrew and I got to go out on the lake by ourselves. We had a blast and it was almost equivalent to a date night! So fun!

I just love this pic! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Werley for making the lake such a wonderful retreat for our family. I have a feeling that we will have many amazing memories at this place and we are looking forward to coming back asap!

Thankful Thursday - Ode to the Bumbo

I don't know why I have been in a super sentimental mood these past few weeks. (No, I am not pregnant again!:) I think it is because we are celebrating both Ainsley's 1st year milestone and our 10 year anniversary this coming month. I always kind of get this way around my kiddos birthdays because it is another year to celebrate the Lord's enormous blessings and faithfulness in our lives and our family. So, that is why a lot of mushy blogs will be coming out this summer. I am just so amazed at the way God moves in our lives and the many victories we have had because of His incredible grace! Anyways, I love when my fellow friends who blog do flashback pictures of their kids so I thought I would do one in honor of something that has been like a staple in our home the past 3 years. The Bumbo seat. This thing has to be one of my favorite "things" that we have used with all three of our children. It is a wonderful seat that they could begin using at about 4 months old to give them a new perspective on life even before they could sit up on their own. It has a deep seat and there was almost no way (unless you put it on top of a counter top or table) that they could come out of it. (Yes - our sweet Audrey who has fallen off of every surface in our home did fall out of it - no surprise to those of us who know and love her. :) It has been WONDERFUL and we have even taken it many times to restaurants and have used it has a high chair until we were ready for the transition to the "real" high chair. Just about 2 weeks ago we put it away for possibly the last time or at least for a while and I was sad. Silly I know, but like I said before - I am an emotional basket case these days. So here's to you - bumbo seat. Thank you for the many fun memories and for being literally a part of our family for the past couple of years. Here are some fun pictures of the 'A' team in both the beloved bumbo and in their high chair for the 1st time. Enjoy!

Austin at about 5 months old the day of his baby dedication.

One of his first days in his high chair. Time is FLYING folks!


Look at that sweet face!! Audrey at about 5 months old.
She loved the Bumbo seat the most I think.

This is pretty much what Audrey's face looks like at the end of every meal we give her - even today! She is our eater and enjoys the "full" meal experience.

Here is Ainsley posing for some Christmas pics in what other else than the Bumbo seat?! We took this thing everywhere!

And here is her sweet face in the early morning in her high chair seat for one of the 1st times. She is pretty much telling me here to stop snapping pics and feed her. :)

My sweet little musicians

On Mother's Day a couple of weeks ago our children's minister snapped a couple of really cute pictures of Austin and Audrey after church with her really nice camera. I think we have a few future musicians on our hands!

I am pretty sure that a drum set in my house is in my near future. Austin loves pounding away on these things and he looks so cute sitting behind them!

All sweet Audrey wants to do is sing Jesus Loves Me (her fav song) into the microphone.

I love this pic b/c it reminds me of his daddy! :)

The duet...

I could just eat up that sweet expression on her face!

Ainsley is 11 Months Old!

I can't believe that our little sweetie is less than one month away from turning one!! Let the 1st birthday preparations begin! :) It has been such a fun month for our family. We just love it when the weather turns warmer and the days are longer so that we can pretty much live outside and enjoy every minute of it. Ainsley's little personality is in full force and she truly is the sweetest easy-going little princess. We have made several transitions this month like moving from the bumbo seat to the high chair, eating more table food than baby food, and taking a bath in the "big tub" (which she loves b/c she can hang out with Austin and Audrey to join in the splashing fun!) Our little girl is talking more and more and she loves to cry at/for mommy when she needs some attention. We STILL are not officially crawling or pulling up or anything of that nature, but Ainsley is the rolling queen and can get anywhere she wants to by using her own method of the roll. Yes, I am freaking out a little bit that she isn't crawling yet and she is almost a year old, but what can you do? We work with her constantly, but she has decided that she isn't interested in being mobile yet and we just can't force it. (Also part of her little personality coming out.) So, please pray that we start crawling soon so that mommy can stop worrying about it. :) Ainsley has the most amazing smile and the cutest dimples ever! She loves stuffed animals, oranges and green peas and of course her blanket that she can't sleep without. She is such a beautiful girl and we are so blessed that she is our gift from heaven!

This is a pic from when Ainsley decided to boycott baby jar food. :)

Big girl food and big girl chair!

We will do anything to see this girl smile! So cute!

Ainsley's Baby Dedication and Mother's Day

Mother's Day 2009

This year was a very special Mother's Day like each one has been for me. This was my 4th year to celebrate being a mom and the 1st one to celebrate being sweet Ainsley's mommy. I know so many people look at me and Andrew and think that we must have completely lost our minds having 3 babies in 3 years, but at this stage in the game we just don't know any different. What would I do without each one of my precious babies?! They are each so wonderfully different and every year I am humbled and amazed that the Lord has given me such incredible and beautiful gifts. I will be the first to tell you that life at our house is pretty wild and crazy. Andrew and I are COMPLETELY exhausted both physically and mentally at the end of each day. It is more than worth it though and I praise God for our beautiful chaos! And to think that I spent almost 4 years wondering if I was ever going to have the pleasure of experiencing Mother's Day?! Praise the Lord!

To make this year even more special, we had the opportunity to dedicate Ainsley to the Lord. I can think of no greater joy (and huge responsibility) than that of training our children in the way of the Lord and making the commitment to do so in front of our church body. Andrew and I gave Ainsley over to Him long before we ever even saw her sweet little face. This day simply allowed us to ask our church family to join us in praying for and raising Ainsley to follow hard after Jesus and that we would be the examples that she needs to do just that. I love that Andrew had the privilege to do this in front of our church. (Sometimes it still blows me away that he IS the lead pastor! I am more than proud of my amazing man!) Mother's Day ended with me coming down with strep of all the random things. (It was the sickest I have been in forever!) Not fun, but somehow we managed for no one else in our fam to get sick. Thank you, Lord!

Here are some flashback pictures from past Mother's Days. :)

Mother's Day 2008 - 5 weeks from delivering Ainsley

I couldn't find a pic of Mother's Day 2007, but this was taken like a week after. (Look at Audrey's precious face!)


My first Mother's Day 2006 - And I thought I was tired then!! :)