Family Pictures

Last Fall, we got all dressed up and met at the park for pictures.  This was before I got my "clicker" so I was still hoofing it back and forth for each picture!  I LOVE how they turned out! 



Great family shot...

Love Dane and Paul's faces in this one.  I don't know if you can say "boys will be boys" as much as it is "Dane is just like his daddy"  :)

Hadley was not into the whole holding hands thing...

The "cousins" shots turned out adorable!

Hadley again, "why are you in my bubble?" look...

This one is my favorite...

Coloring

You know when you finally go through that stack of papers that have been piling up and find that wonderful coupon that expired yesterday, or that box in the back of the closet that your just not quite sure what's in it....well, that's where I am.  I am in the process of a good purge/spring cleaning that is taking up most of my free time these days.  One of the perks is you stumble upon secret treasures like this one.... 



While I was managing our finances, Hadley and Ross got to spend some special time together coloring.  I am doing an online photography class right now that has been so wonderful!  What a perfect picture opportunity to practice, a father/daughter date  :)  We have not gotten real in depth yet, but one thing we have talked about are angles.  Most people shoot straight on, like this first photo.  I thought I would practice shooting from different angles and I love the result!! 



My absolute favorite of the two of them coloring. 

What is coloring if it's not all over you by the end...



This "spring cleaning" has set me back in my pictures/blogging so I am hoping to get all my Christmas pictures sorted this week!  I guess that is one down side to the learning process of photography...you have to take 800 pictures to make sure you get at least 10 good ones...literally!

Urgency

Sunday morning is usually rushed...getting ready and out the door for church...dropping Hadley off at the nursery makes me want to cry...but hearing the Word of the Lord spoken, I know I'm exactly where I should be. 

This morning the pastor spoke on urgency.  The topic was Hell.  He explained it in a way that I have never heard before and in a way that spoke directly to my heart.  Don't worry, I'm not going to "preach" to you...but I love my family and friends so deeply that I am not afraid to "offend" or "hurt feelings" on a subject that is literally life or death. 

There is a Heaven...There is a Hell.  Jesus did NOT come to earth, to die on a cross, to make me a better person, or better cheerleading coach, or to deliver us from bad habits.  He simply came to save me from an eternity in hell.  That's it. 

Hell is a place of torment.  No peace...No rest...No water...No learning to endure it...No end.  It is a place of fire and pain...for eternity...forever. 

Now everyone has heard this before...and so have I.  But when I really let myself think about it, and think about someone I know being in Hell for eternity, it crushes me. 

Some say, "why would God send anybody to Hell?"  Well, he doesn't.  He came to die for all...we make the choice whether to accept Him and live forever with Him in Heaven, or deny Him and live in Hell for eternity.  Either way, the choice is ours. 

Sitting in the service this morning, I saw faces of people I love, that I'm not sure where they will be when they die.  We will close our eyes in death, and when we open them, we will either see Jesus or the pit of Hell...and by then it's too late to change our fate.

There is every reason/excuse in the book as to why you don't want to accept Christ into your heart:  I don't want to go to church...I like to drink and party...I want to do what I want to do...Hell will be one big party.  I don't care about the technicalities.  And like my pastor said, Jesus did not come to make you a better person (although that will be a result of having the Holy Spirit live within you)...He came to save me from an eternity in Hell...a forever in Hell...a never ending torment in Hell. 

When he put it like that, it seems so simple...and that's because it is.  I made a decision when I was 15, to ask Jesus into my heart and save me from my sins.  I know that when my eyes close for the very last time on this earth, when I open them, I will see the face of Jesus.  I pray that I will see my loved ones as well.  I plead with the Lord in prayer every day for my nephews, nieces, and my sweet baby Hadley, that when they reach the age of understanding, that they will choose to accept and love Jesus too.     

This post was on my heart today, as well as all of you!  It is simple and it is your choice.  I love you! 

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 6:2

God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. – Romans 10:9-10

A simple prayer if you choose...

“Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that You died for my sins and rose from the grave so that I might have eternal life in Heaven with You. I willingly repent of my sins and ask You to come into my heart and life. Take control of my words, thoughts, and actions. I place all of my trust in You for my salvation. I accept You as my Lord and Savior, and this free gift of eternal life. Amen.”

                       

Jellybean

You know that point, where people don't acutally tell you what you look like, until you don't look like that anymore...

I started back with my trainer this week after our two week Christmas break.  I was eager to get back into our routine and start seeing some change.  I feel like I am putting A LOT of work into our sessions, which is great!, but I want to maximize my results by eating right etc.  My trainer is always full of helpful tips and encouragement, which is wonderful.

Today, he asked me if I have seen any results so far, which I replied, "I feel better!"

He then replied that he could see a change in my body....Me:  "REALLY???"

Trainer:  "When you first came in your looked like a jellybean..."

Me:  "WHAT?  A jellybean?"  (thinking: are you kidding me right now?)

Trainer:  "Now your waist is trimmer and you have a little more hourglass figure." 

Me:  "WOW...I do don't I"  (Ok, No I did not acutally say this, but I thought it!)

I feel accomplished and encouraged to keep going...plus on days that I can't go to the gym for cardio, Hadley helps me out by letting me chase her.  :)  

OKC Thunder Game!

We had the awesome privilege of getting to take Hadley to her first ever NBA Thunder Basketball game and it was amazing!  Yes, I did go picture crazy, so I will let the pictures speak for themselves.  :)



Hadley sporting her Durant jersey...

One of the many perks for working at Chesapeake is they own the arena...hence Thunder Tickets!  Thank you so much Laura and John for sharing your perks with us...we really appreciate it!!!!   The seats unfortunately were not together, but we spotted them from a few sections over.  BEST SEATS EVER!!!  

Mom, B, Ross, Hadley and I sat together...

Even after a really late night, Hadley was a happy girl in the morning...

Thanks again to Laura and John!  Hadley really did enjoy herself at the game and so did we!  Daddy, I'm sorry you had to miss this one...we were thinking about you and wishing you could have been there with us! 

Hadley 17 Months

It amazes me that in a mere 17 months, you have become this little, somewhat self-functioning, tiny human! 

 

Happy 17 months my angel...



I love your innocence and gentle spirit.  AND your crazy bed head hair in the mornings. 

You are the most polite little girl that I have ever seen.  You say "Thank you" when appropriate, and you have been doing that for several months already!  We are working on the word "yes" right now.  Sometimes, I have to prompt you by asking a question and ending in "yes?"...then you will say "yes"  :)





You are fascinated with your bellybutton.  It was hard to get you to take your finger out of your bellybutton long enough to take a picture.  

Over this Christmas break, you have definitely become a "daddy's girl"...not that you haven't always had him wrapped around your finger.  Every time he comes into your room in the morning, you greet him by YELLING "HI...dadda....HI"   It makes our hearts melt.



You are wearing 18 month clothing and a size 4/5 shoe.  You love to wear jewelry, and you actually leave the little bows that Mommy puts in your hair alone.  If you do take it out in the car, you proceed to say "bow, bow, bow, bow, bow" until Mommy or Daddy turn around for you to hand it to us. 

 You love to eat.  I will feed you lunch, and not 5 minutes later you want a "nak" a.k.a. "snack."  You are starting to put words together...my favorite is "love you momma" which usually comes out "lovwa momma"  but I'll take it! 

You love love love to play "mommy" with your new baby doll you got for Christmas.  I'm afraid you are going to be a little rough though.  Every time you hug baby, you grunt as if you are squeezing her head off...I think you get that from me.  :)

You are great at giving "muahs"...which is the sound you make when you give kisses...just precious!  

We love you baby!  I can't wait for you to wake up from your nap so I can squeeze you!