Bidgie's Third Birthday

This was one of my all-time favorite birthday parties. Maggie and I began planning a few months prior to the party via email... bouncing ideas back-and-forth off eachother. (I always say we make a great team.) ; )
We began the celebration with doggie ears, collars and face painting, and sang a few "doggie songs" to put us in the puppy mood. My niece, Kathryn, recently became the proud owner of a poodle-mix puppy, and brought him over as the guest-of-honor. The children were thrilled to play with a real, live, (very-active) puppy-dog. Next, Maggie led the children in Obedience School, where all the little "puppies" learned how to sit, beg, roll-over and speak. Then they enjoyed some "puppy chow" and milk shakes in their own little doggie bowls. Following the snack, we read a little story and all the children ran off to dig up some bones, which they later used in a game of Fetch. Lastly, we had the most adorable cake (Maggie's discovery online) and opened presents.
Some of my favorite moments were during the gift opening, as Lauren cheerfully thanked each person who gave her a gift, and even allowed another child to open one of her presents for her. She was simply delightful. It also was a joy and honor to have Jamie and Linda celebrate with us and the opportunity to introduce them to some of the people we love most.
Lauren's birthday, as each of our children's birthdays tend to do, was another reminder of the many kindnesses God has so graciously bestowed upon us. It was a reminder of the many people: family, friends, and church members, that He has placed in our lives. I am so grateful for them all.
Can you believe our sweet girl is three-years-old?

The Conclusion of Noah's Birthday

It feels like Noah's birthday was a two-week event! First celebrating as a family, then hosting a pool party, and finally his trip to Carowinds with his buddy, Chris. Here are a few clips...

Goggles

I didn't know whether to title this "Goggles" or "Ready, Set, Go" or "Sweet-Little-Baby-Girl that I Love to Watch".

Julianna Turned Six

For those of you who are wondering, our pool is "finished" and we finally celebrated Julianna's birthday with her little mermaid friends...

Friends?

Friday Friend Highlight

John and I have recently been discussing what a wonderful servant my friend, Lindsay Gibson, is. I've been wanting to honor Lindsay on here for the last several weeks.

Lindsay, I remember several years ago, Jen Patterson raved about what a wonderful woman of God you are. She specifically mentioned your love for the Word of God; how much you enjoy reading godly publications; and how easy it is to fellowship with you. I couldn't agree more. I believe the fruit of fellowship is a result of the time you spend/have spent soaking in Truth. I am grateful to be a recipient of that fellowship, and for the blessing it is to be your friend.
Your humility is another characteristic that is evident in your life. Your recent blog series, focusing on the sin of anger, was filled with humble examples. There have been numerous times you have shared your struggles with me and asked for counsel. You are quick to confess sin and specific when sharing your heart. You also pursue relationships with older women for accountability and wisdom, a perfect Titus 2 example. It should be no surprise for us to observe so much fruit in your life, as God rewards the humble with grace.
Opening your life up to others, has no doubt won you many friendships. I recently mentioned to John I don't know of anybody who has as many close relationships as you do. I know if I read all of the scrapbook entries from your birthday, I would be nodding my head in agreement with all of them. You are a grand friend to have indeed.
One of the greatest kindnesses you have displayed to your friends is in your gift of service. The night Mickey appealed to the church about caring for the pastors' families with young children, you immediately offered babysitting for our caregroups... willing to take them all, in addition to your own two children. So I took you to task by asking you to watch my girls while John and I had a night away with the Freases. Your resounding "yes" blessed me, not only because I knew the girls would be well-cared for, but also because they would be enjoyed. : ) (When I picked up my girls on Tuesday, you were caring for the Balts's daughter as well. It literally was a Girl Party!)
It really was no surprise as I saw you join hands with Laura Hutchinson to bless the Childress family with meals and updates in the middle of their crises. You have been a true friend to Lori. Just weeks later, the Balts's twins were prematurely born, and once again I saw your emails circulating: updates, meals, shower... Even more profound, you do these things in the midst of your own physical challenges. Battling migraines each week, juggling doctor appointments, trying new medications and dietary restrictions do not stop you from laying down your life for your friends.

Lastly, you are a lot of fun to be around! Whether it is late night scrapbooking; an overnight shopping spree with a group of us; or chatting about beads, blogs and babies, I love spending time with you.
Thank you so much for your example, Lindsay.
For those of you who want to see how cute our girls are together, here's a short slideshow:

VanLandingham

Frolicked around town this week with the Freases. Doug and Kristin joined us for a fancy dinner at Sullivans and an overnight stay at the prestigious VanLandingham Estate in downtown Charlotte. We had a marvelous time.
Thank you, Lucases and Gibsons, for caring for our children. (They had a great time, too!)

Love is...

Sammy is Spencer's best buddy. Recently, Sammy's Mom gave me a copy of a writing assignment he had done in school. Can you decipher the phonetic spelling?

(Don't worry, it took me a minute, too.)
Here's what Sammy says about his great pal, Spence:

"Spencer is 7.
And fun.
He is also funny.
He is nice.
He is second biggest on our team.
He is very friendly.
He is my best friend."

(Now, don't you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?!)

Love Thursday...

Love is...
keeping eachother warm on a chilly autumn day. (Julianna and Zoe are sharing John's jacket.)


Eccl. 4:9-10 "Two are better than one...""...If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"

All the Way from California

We had visitors for the past week. My dear friend, Lisa came to visit with her new baby, Chase, and his big brother Skye. Lisa comes about once a year, and we love it when she's here. Skye plays great with Julianna and Spencer, and everyone doted on the baby. Of course, I'm running on very little sleep as our only real "talking time" is late at night after the seven little ones settle down for the night.
Lisa and I met about thirteen years ago when her husband (only her fiance´at the time) came to CrossWay looking for a church. Even though they only attended CrossWay for a few months, we became fast friends and have kept in touch through the years... maintaining a long distant friendship while they lived in Texas and now in California.
I miss my friend, but I am so grateful for her dedication to our relationship and willingness to travel many, many hours with two small boys just to see me.
I love you Lis! Thank you for coming!

Retreat

For those of you who have been wondering where I have been, we just got back from a Pastors' Retreat in Bryson City, NC. Had a wonderful time making memories as a team.
Thank you to all who served us here with childcare. We literally could not do what we do without each of you...
A few pictures...





And if you want to see MORE pictures of this fun event (isn't that why everyone's visits these blogs??? For the pictures???)... go to Jeanie's, Reba's, or Jess's blogs too... : )