Moved

Yesterday I had the privilege to help raise money for the North Carolina Children's hospital at the Children's Promise Celebration. According to the Daily Tar Heel they raised $780,794!!! That's $150,000 more than last year. I am so thrilled at their success!! News 14 covered the telethon all day which provided me the opportunity to meet families whose lives were touched by the care they received at the hospital. I still get choked up thinking of those I met, from the family who recently lost their teenage daughter to leukemia to the mother who just found out she is a perfect match for her year old son's liver transplant. On an even more personal level, I had a chance to pop into the NICU and was flooded with memories when William spent his first month of life there. The event made me thankful, hopeful, and even more determined to support the Children's hospital in whatever way we can. Thanks to all who participated!!

It's Tough Being a Little Sister!

Sadie:

I just can't seem to win.

Big brother's faster than me...



gets all the cool toys...



heck, he even manages to take my toys!



What's a girl to do?

Oh, wait... I have an idea!



While big brother's away little sista will play...

with all his toys!




Ahhh! Sweet victory!

;)

Prayers for Kimmie

Whenever you think of it, please lift up a prayer for my sweet cousin Kimmie. She was recently diagnosed with hodgkins lymphoma and starts chemo next week. She is such a strong and courageous 22-year-old woman. Pray that the Lord would give her comfort and strength as she goes through her treatment as well as wisdom for the doctors and nurses that take care of her. We love you, Kimmie!!

Florida Trip Recap and More...

Is it just me, or does time seem to be slipping by way too quickly these days? I mean, you blink and it's less than two weeks from Thanksgiving! Glory. Anyhow, we received some great news last night. My -entire- immediate family will be joining us here in North Carolina for Thanksgiving! That's right- Mom, Dad, Matt, and the newest additions, Katie and Jeff, will fill our table for some turkey and good times. We cannot wait! I spent some time this morning clipping recipes from Southern Living, Cooking Light, and Martha... we'll see how it all turns out. Needless to say, I'm a little pumped about it all!!!

Before we embark on the holiday season, though, we had a great trip to Florida to visit Rob's family and I'd love to tell you all about it! So if you've got a minute or two... or three, here we go:

Our trip began with a day of driving and by God's grace we made it safely with our sanity, no less, to Boca. Susan and Bob met us with hugs and Will and Sadie were ready to explore their new surroundings. After a good night's sleep we were up and at 'em. To start the day, we took a nice walk to a park nearby. Will and Sadie loved it!! A little bit of exercise, a little bit of swinging- it was excellent.




Things only got getter from there! That afternoon we packed up and spent some time at Deerfield beach-- a mere 3 mile drive from Grandma Sue and Grandpa Bob's house. (If only my in-laws could have picked a more enjoyable place to live -ha!) I, the beach lover of our little clan, was in heaven. Little man, not so much! Tropical storm Noel was on its way and the waves were a little more intense than normal. Needless to say, Will was a little intimidated by the crashing waves (let's face it, so was I!) so he and his sister spent their time playing in the sand. All in all- a fun jaunt to the beach. That night Bob made us a delicious dinner and we were off to bed!



Sunday morning I had the wonderful opportunity to sing at Rob's home church. What an honor! I love visiting First Presbyterian of Boca; they are such a wonderful group of people. I always leave feeling so loved. Susan, thank you again for setting that up! That afternoon we took a dip in the pool, watched some football and baseball, and master Chef Bob served up another tasty meal!!



Monday afternoon while Susan had a doctor's appointment Bob, Rob, me and the little ones went to Gumbo Limbo nature center. We enjoyed the beautiful butterfly garden (courtesy of my hubby's Eagle Scout project), going up the observation tower, and a walk on their elevated boardwalk through God's beauty. (Notice William is wearing the hat of the World Series Champions- the Red Sox. Sorry Dad! ;) That night we had the chance to catch up with the Wynens and Lois, Susan's friend from church, over dinner.



Tuesday we said good-bye to Bob as he had to make his way to Detroit for work. Meantime, the rest of the crew spent the day with wild animals as we took a trip to the Palm Beach Zoo. There William and Sadie came up close and personal with, among many other things, a tiger, Black Bears, and William's favorite- an Eagle Owl. He loves to immediately point out that they sleep during the day. :) Thanks for taking us, Grandma Sue!!



Wednesday we spent the morning playing inside with some blocks that Rob's Poppy made. (Rob also spent some time searching through the garage for some of Poppy's old tools to take home. He was like a kid in a candy shop!!) Later we made our way to an amazing park that's just minutes from Bob and Susan's house. If Will had his way we'd still be there!



After that we had lunch at a great Mexican restaurant and then it was time for naps as the children needed to rest up for their night out. Yes, it was Halloween and we decided it might be fun to take Will and Sadie trick or treating for the first time. "Fun" might be stretching it, but they did look really cute in their costumes and William eventually warmed up to the idea once he had a taste of some of the treats (we're horrible, I know!). Through it all we enjoyed seeing some of Rob's old neighbors. Funny story: One of William's newest obsessions is the American Flag (very patriotic, eh?) Well, at our last house William seemed more interested in the American Flags on their front porch than the candy. We laughed about it and made our way back to Grandma Sue's house. Minutes later, the doorbell rang and there was a sweet little visitor with an American Flag just for William. Needless to say, Will's Halloween was complete!



Thursday was pretty much a down day-- recovering from our sugar high the night before! Friday, our last day in Boca, was magnificent! We spent the morning at the beach-- Will did a little bit better. :) Below you can see our bathing beauty reading and catching some rays! After that we returned to Grandma Sue's where -all- of us took naps! It was heavenly. Later, we cleaned up and had dinner at the Cove, a great restaurant on the Intracoastal. William enjoyed eating next to the big white boats. The night was complete with a walk on the beach and ice cream. Doesn't get much better than that!




We had a tearful goodbye the next morning. It was, indeed, a great trip and we can't thank you enough, Grandma Sue and Grandpa Bob, for your love and hospitality. We can't wait to see you again over Christmas.

Well, as you can see from the pic of our little lady below, we're back home now- enjoying some cooler temperatures and ready for the holiday season to begin!



Love,
Jamie

Happy Birthday Mom!

This special birthday post goes out to my Mom who turns 21 again this year! In honor of her special day, I thought I'd share 21 reasons why I love my love my Mom!!! There are more, of course, but since she's turning 21, it's only fitting! ;)


1. She is not only my mother, she's one of my closest friends. (Couldn't always say that- but that's what makes her such a good mother- when I was younger she didn't try to be my friend!)



2. Her love for Jesus. (What a legacy!)

3. Her unconditional love.



3. Biggest fan. (Next to my hubby!)

4. Her listening ear. (Mom -willingly- listens to me talk about just about anything no matter how many times I've hashed it out before! What a gift.)




5. Her creativity. (I think becoming a Mom, myself, has opened my eyes to just how creative my Mom is. From family traditions, cake baking, sewing, cooking, her sense of style, to the way she decorated the house, my Mom has the gift of creativity! Hands down!)

6. She's a hard worker. (She did all of that while working as a labor and delivery nurse! Whew! I get tired thinking of it all!)




7. Mom always pointed us to scripture. (From the devotionals before school to sharing scriptures with us when we were going through hard times, Mom helped us learn more about the Lord through the word.)

8. She is a prayer warrior. (Thank you for all of your prayers, Mom!)




9. Her involvement. (Mom is involved in all of her children and grandchildren's lives! It started when we were just little ones. Sometimes it was initiated by her children, too. I love the story my mom tells of when I 'volunteered' her to be my room mother without her knowing! But she did it!)

10. She is such a phenomenal MiMi (aka. Grandma)! (It is so beautiful to see the way she showers love on Will and Sadie.)




11. Her honesty. (Not afraid to share her own shortcomings in order that other may see Christ's grace in her life.)

12. Her generosity. (Mom is -always- looking for ways to give to others!)



13. Her sense of humor. (My Mom and I can laugh and laugh over the silliest things. It's just so fun to hang out together!)

14. Her love for Dad. (Mom and Dad's love has stood the test of time and trials...through it all they are such an example to all three of us kids.)






15. Mom thinks out of the box! (My mom is always thinking of these great ideas. From when our next trip will be to simply how we can minister to someone. She is always full of great ideas!)

16. She taught me to dream big while never making light of the smaller responsibilities it takes to get where you want to go! (You still gotta make your bed! :)



17. She believes in God's power to do great things through my life. (Enough said right there!)

18. She is one of the most caring, considerate people I know. (And that caring and compassion leads her to action.)



19. She taught me that my main goal in life is to glorify God, not try to please man.

20. She, among -many- other things, taught me never to compare myself to others because I am comparing what's going on in my life on the inside to what I see of someone else on the outside. There's no comparison there.



21. She truly desires to see her family: #1 Walking closely with the Lord #2 Enjoying everyday life!

Thank you Mom for all of these things and the countless other reasons I love you!

Happy Birthday!

Love,
Jamie

Sneak Peek

Hey everyone! We're having a great time here in South Florida with Rob's family. Can't wait to give the full recapp!!! For now, here are some quick pics of Will and Sadie in their Halloween costumes!

Our Sweet and Sassy Pink Leopard


Sir William, Our Knight In Whining, uh... I mean, Shining Armor! (Ha! Let's just say our warrior wasn't thrilled with the idea of wearing his armor. ;) He warmed up to the idea once he started getting treats though!)


More pics and commentary to come!

Love,
Jamie