There's a First Time for Everything...

THIS is what Austin found in our hallway this morning!!!

It is the first time that we have ever "discovered" a snake inside our house and hopefully it will be the LAST! Austin actually touched it! It was in a darker part of the hallway and he thought it was a big worm. When he touched it, the snake snapped at him and scared him half to death! We washed his hands and immediately called Daddy, aka "hero of the day" to come and take care of our new little friend. Not quite sure what kind of snake it was, but he was mad and aggressive striking at us several times. (Pretty sure he wasn't a gardener snake.) He was a small little fella, but I was DEFINITELY NOT going to get too close, my job was to just make sure he didn't slither off into hiding until Andrew got home. Good times! Daddy came home and saved the day and somehow we managed to turn the whole thing into a learning experience. :) Austin's letter of the week this week at school is 'S' and I don't think he will ever forget that Snake starts with the letter 'S'. He was so excited to go to school and tell his classmates about having a snake in the house! That's my boy! Andrew didn't waste any time and went straight to Lowes to by new weather stripping for the front door and I have been walking around the house very carefully making sure our little friend didn't bring a buddy along. Praise God that my 3 year old found it and not my 15 month old! Never a dull moment in the Werley house!

Our Little Princess is 2 1/2!

Today marked Audrey's half birthday and we celebrated by driving to Grapevine to have dinner with Andrew's family for his dad's birthday. (Happy Birthday, Grandpa Werley! We love you! :) As I sit here and think about my little girl and the many ways the Lord has made her with such a beautiful heart and so unique, I am absolutely in awe of the blessing of Audrey. Don't get me wrong, she has hit the "twos" head on where we struggle with tantrums when she doesn't get her way and the emotions that we didn't have to deal with when Austin was her age, but for the most part, she still loves exploring her world and is such a fun little girl who brings us such joy.

I just love this pic! It shows a lot of Audrey's personality and how adorable she is!

She is talking now more than ever and she loves to sing and dance and be silly. She is constantly saying, "Hey mom and dad, look at me or watch me do this." And then, "Did you see that? I am so silly or that was so funny" with a big smile on her face. So precious!

Like most little girls her age, Audrey LOVES anything princess and pink. Just tonight she was talking about how she wants a pink princess fire truck! She has many dolls that she carries around the house and cares for throughout the day and she is very concerned and aware that everyone needs a family. When she plays, there as to be a mommy, daddy, brother and sister. I love watching her be a "mommy." She has such a nurturing spirit and compassionate heart!

Audrey is also a girl who doesn't mind getting dirty. She loves digging in the dirt, collecting rocks and on most days, she still ends up wearing some part of her meal. :) She has started taking some bigger risks by climbing up and sliding down the big curvy slides at Chick-fil-A and the park, riding her bike more and running and hopping all over the house with her brother. Audrey is also the kiddo that can fall and get hurt ANYWHERE, so we kiss a lot of boo-boos and she is constantly asking for a band aid. She still adores her big brother and is building a neat relationship with Ainsley on the days Austin is at school. We are just so in love with this little girl! We are still loving every moment of this parenting thing - okay, MOST moments. ;)

Now if we could just get Audrey potty-trained...

Thankful Thursday - Great Escape

Great Escape - This is one of the places in my Christian life that the Lord used to impact my life. When I was a college student at Stephen F. Austin (Ax'em Jacks!:), Great Escape was the event I looked forward to each and every week. It was a time where 400+ other college students who loved Jesus or just wanted to know Him more came to worship and be encouraged to make it through another week on their journey the same as I did. It was definitely a social event, but also a place where there was always incredible worship music and people who were like-minded. It was the place where my hubby asked me out on our 1st date (or to just hang out;). It was the place where both of us had the opportunity to lead worship together. It was the place that put your heart and mind back on track at a school that was more lost than found. It renewed, refreshed and refined who I was in the Lord. You getting the picture? So, you can imagine the emotions that were going through me and Andrew when he was asked to speak to the college students at Great Escape last week. It really was an amazing honor and a true full circle moment for both of us to come back and be on the "other side" trying to encourage and inspire these students, many of them at a crossroad in their journey of faith as both of us were at their age. Andrew did an incredible job as I knew he would. I was so proud of my man standing up on that stage! I can't even put it into words! So proud and humbled by the Lord's grace! Worship was awesome and the energy and spirit of those students left us hoping that Andrew would be asked back again, but even if he doesn't - we had a BLAST! Thanks to Aunt Zuzu for driving up to watch our kiddos during the event and then driving home so late. Love you! Here are some pictures from back in the day at Great Escape. Enjoy the ride down memory lane! :)

This picture pretty much sums up Great Escape for me. Loved the party every week and LOVED these girls! So fun! SFA might be a state school with quite the reputation, but the Lord also definitely placed incredible Christian people there to reach it for Him!

These girls were with me at Great escape every week sitting on the front row most times. (Yes, we were those girls!:) 4 of these girls were in my wedding and 3 of them were my roomies before I got married. Great times and great memories!
Love you, ladies!

This is the band and some friends at the last Great Escape we were part of and lead worship for my senior year of college. We had many fun times with this crew! Oh my!

This is my little bro and sis on our last night together at Great Escape before I graduated and moved into the "real world." I absolutely LOVED that all three of us went to the same college and were able to make awesome memories together for a year before I left. I praise God that I was able with so many other people to experience Him week after week in a place like Great Escape. The Lord used that time and place to strengthen and mold me into who I am today and I am forever grateful and thankful! I hope and pray that my kiddos will have something like this on the college campus they choose! Thanks for reading!

Labor Day Fun

I know that it is nearing the end of September and boy has it been a crazy month! So crazy that I haven't even blogged about our wonderful/relaxing Labor Day trip to Lake Grandbury! We had such an awesome weekend! It was a success on so many levels! We were able to "get away", the kiddos did great sleeping out of their beds at home for a couple of nights, we were able to play and rest at the same time and refuel our hearts a little bit as well. It is definitely a place where we love to go! Thanks so much again to Andrew's parents for making the lake such an amazing and beautiful place! Here are some pics:

This picture doesn't look forced does it?! ;) Austin and Audrey pretty much know the drill by now!

We got a chance to borrow these jet skis again for the day and as always it was a blast! The kids love them and Andrew and I LOVE our ski dates where we drive the jet skis all over Lake Grandbury! So fun!

Off they go...

The kiddos also loved riding around in the golf cart!

Andrew took Sunday morning off for the 1st time in a full year! We had a wonderful morning of "Church" as a family. "By Him all things were created." We had fun with the sidewalk chalk as you can see!

Andrew found a turtle and the kiddos loved watching it make its way back to the water. We even named it, but I forgot what it was. :)

Mr. Turtle - he was a good sport...

Sweet Ainsley had a blast at the lake too! How precious is that smile?!

My Brother is a Married Man!

On August 29th my little bro married an incredible woman who is one of the most loving and servant-minded people I have ever met. We were so excited when Cory started casually dating Kristin a little over a year ago and to watch them fall so easily in love with each other has been so fun! They were definitely created for each other and compliment one another very well.

Here is my version of their story: Cory and Kristin (and my sis Suzanne) were good friends in college and they dated for a very brief time at one point, but Cory decided that he wasn't quite ready for an official "girlfriend" since he was just coming out of a different relationship that didn't work out. It was a good and bad thing since Cory did need more time to grow. Kristin, Suzanne and I weren't too happy about it, but for the most part we understood. Kristin and Cory remained friends and graduated from SFA and went their separate ways. After baby Ainsley was born last year, Suzanne was staying with us for a while to help us adjust to 3 kiddos under 3. (Bless my incredible sis!:) Kristin was living close by and Suzanne met her for coffee one night in McKinney. When Suzanne got home we began talking about where Kristin was in life and as we were talking we realized that Cory was kinda in the same spot and that they should talk and reconnect a little bit since they didn't live too far from each other. I texted Cory that night and pretty much told him that he let Kristin get away and that he needed to hang out with her asap. (I definitely pulled out my big sis card!;) With a little coaxing, he called Kristin and the rest is history! Suzanne and I like to say that we got to hand pick our sis-in-law! Kristin is such a beautiful person from the inside-out and we are more than thrilled to have her in our family as our new sis! Here are some pics from the fun wedding weekend that we had. I didn't take the best pics, but they are still fun! Enjoy!

Here is the bride and groom-to-be at their rehersal dinner. Aren't they so cute?!

Two of my favorite people in the world!

With our new sis!

Bride and Bridesmaid shot before she walked down the isle.

My parents look so great in this pic!

Sisters

One last pic with Cory before he is a married man!

Andrew performed the ceremony and he did such an incredible job making it so personal to Cory and Kristin. Weddings are such an awesome way to praise the Lord for the amazing people He puts into our lives to shape and mold us! (Def not the best pic!)

Our Nana was such an awesome help throughout the weekend! (As always!)

Thank you, Nana! What would we do without you?!

My boy being silly.

Austin and Audrey hung out on the dance floor all night! We love to dance! ;)

Ainsley got in the action on the dance floor too.

Audrey as cute as ever.

He was having a blast!!

The newlyweds

Not a good pic, but I LOVED Kristin's cake! So pretty and so her!

Mother/Son dance

LOVE this pic of Ainsley with Papa! They look so much alike to me.

My cousin Brad with his beautiful daughter Hallie. It was so fun hanging out with family that we don't get to see very often!

And here is our attempt at a family pic at the end of the night... Just not happening, but E for effort! ;)

Cory and Kristin,

We are so proud of you guys and love you both so much! We can't wait to see how the Lord uses your marriage to shape and to impact other people for His glory! Thanks for letting us pour our little bit of marriage advice into you and for asking us to be a part of the 2nd biggest decision you will ever make in your lifetime! It was such an amazing wedding and weekend!

blessings,

andrew and angie

Austin's Big 1st Day...

...of Preschool! I just can't believe it!


In my mind he should still look like this.

or this...

or even this...

But instead, I am having to come to grips that my sweet little boy is growing up. He has been so excited for the 1st day of school for weeks now and it was so fun for him to pick out his new Spider man backpack and for him to ask EVERY DAY if it was the day he gets to start school. (He even had a hard time going to sleep the night before!) So, we brought the whole family up to his new school to get some pictures and to drop him off for the 1st time.

Sweet brother and sis pic! Audrey didn't quite get that Austin was going to school and she wasn't, but she was excited all the same to be a part of the process. I can't believe that we will be doing the same thing next year with her!

All three kiddos before we marched into the school.

Daddy giving Austin his last pep talk for the day as they walk into the school.

Austin with one of his new teachers, Ms. Glory.

Austin walked right on in the classroom and began exploring all the toy options. Here he is with one of his buds, Hudson. We are so excited that he gets to be in a class with such a fun friend!

Austin posing with Daddy...

...and with Mommy. We said our goodbyes and then we left our boy for 5 hours. What next? I didn't even think what we would do past the drop off! It was SO different in our house without Austin. All I kept thinking was how QUIET it was with just the girls. We sat on our living room floor for almost 45 minutes and read books and played dolls! I have NEVER been able to sit in one spot for that long and play! Austin is a very busy and active boy. He brings us so much joy and laughter, but also a lot of noise from train and car sounds to running and playing screams. So, all three of us girls didn't know quite what to think about the quiet and calm day. I will take it though! It is going to be a great year of me being able to focus a lot of attention on my two sweet girls while A-Town is having a blast a school 10 hours a week. Going from 3 to 2 kiddos makes such a big difference! I might even be able to go shopping more often! ;) So, when I picked Austin up I asked one of his teacher's how he did and she said great except that he didn't eat or sleep during nap time. Typical Austin. He is too busy to eat and sleeping with 12 other kiddos in a room is going to be quite the adjustment for him. When we got into the car I questioned him all about the day and it sounded like he had a very fun day with new toys and friends. The one thing he said that absolutely melted my heart was, "Mommy, I missed you." I mean - talk about your heart swelling up with emotion at those precious words!

Austin,

We are so very proud of you and how big you are getting! We love how excited you are about beginning a new chapter in your life and we can't wait to see all you learn and experience this year! Remember to 1. Love Jesus 2. Work Hard 3. Be Respectful 4. Be a Leader and 5. HAVE FUN! We love you!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy