A Tribute to Toni

We are giving a tribute to Toni, our babysitter and friend, because she is leaving for college on Friday. I am SO sad, I cannot tell you. But I'm also so excited about her opportunities at State to grow and to develop relationships there! Toni has been our babysitter for the past two years for EVERYTHING! She started babysitting for us once a week every Wednesday night while Jeffry and I were taking a discipleship class at church. Since then we have used her every time we needed a babysitter, which is pretty often with our crazy schedules.

Toni is the person we can call to pick up the boys from daycare in case we are late from a doctor's appointment or decide to eat out for dinner at the last minute. She's the one who is probably more cautious of our children than we are. She is the one who taught Brayden to spell his first and last name. She is the one who made t-shirts for her and I to wear to Bray's baseball games. She is the one who bought canvases and painted color wheels with the boys when another babysitter may have just stuck them in front of a TV. She is the one who let me use her camera when my battery died at Brayden's graduation. She is the one who consistently asked the boys to say their numbers in Spanish. She is the one who bought snacks for Brayden's soccer team when Jeffry forgot to buy some. She is the one who I can call at the last minute to help get me out of a bind. She is a caring person, who loves my boys for who they are! She is also one of my dear friends, and I am so happy and sad that she is moving away. I know that she will ALWAYS have a special place in our hearts. My boys are better people because she has loved them like her own!!

Tone, I can't wait to see what God has in store for you. I love you like my sister, and I truly cannot thank you enough for loving our boys the way you do! I know that God will open doors for you to become successful in school, in work, and in relationships, and I pray that He sends a godly man your way to make you incredibly happy.
We love you so much!!
Jeff, Morg, Bray, & Caleb

New House Photos!!

Sorry it has taken so long for me to add pics. For some reason, it takes forever for them to load on my computer at home so I have to add pics at work. Here are a few pics from the new house!


This is the front of the house. We used a light green hardiplank siding, galvalume metal roofing, and Old Chicago brick. I really love how it looks like and old farmhouse. It definitely fits the land! I love the big porch...now I just need some beautiful rocking chairs!!


This is the right side of the house. The little porch is where we will come in all the time. We aren't building a garage/carport yet, but will eventually. Also, in the next few years, we will add our "master cottage" which will be our bedroom, bathroom, HUGE closet!, craft room, etc. I can't wait!



This is the left side of the house, which everyone thinks is the front because of the French doors. However, this porch will be enclosed for a screened in porch. I don't know if you can tell but we have an outdoor fireplace on that porch. I think it's going to be great! I'm so ready to move out here!


These are two of our favorite calves! The cream colored one is Genesis...she was the first calf born on the farm after we bought the land and the cows. Her name is so fitting. The black and white one is Oreo. They are best buds...always together!

I need a hobby

I don't know why I feel this way, but I really do! In my few spare moments of free time when I just do NOT want to watch television or clean my house (although it always needs cleaning!), I want something to do with myself! Something I can just sit down and enjoy that doesn't involve oodles of energy or thought. Haha. Normally, I scrapbook, but I haven't done that in ages because it requires TONS of paraphanalia spread out on the table. And did I mention we're trying to sell our house? Therefore, scrapbooking has gone by the wayside. I'm so behind.

Since I'm moving to the country maybe I should learn something useful like churning butter. Or maybe you guys should give me some suggestions so I don't have to resort to such insanity. :)

Back to School!

I can't believe this week is here. Brayden has Kindergarten orientation on Wednesday, and his first day of school is Friday! It's obviously a bittersweet time; I know he is so ready and capable for school, but at the same time I am a little shocked that he is old enough to be attending real school! We have all of his supplies together including his new red backpack which he loves. :)

On Friday, Jeffry and I took the boys along with my brother to "float the creek". (I didn't know that term until I moved to Wiggins, but basically it just means canoeing.) We left around 9 that morning and finished up about 1. Jeffry and I were in a canoe with Caleb in the middle, and Evan and Brayden were in another canoe. We packed a picnic lunch and had a really great time just playing in the water and spending time together. I told Jeffry that we needed to make it our annual back to school family outing! Thankfully, I didn't see any snakes or other random wildlife, and the creek was up so I didn't have to paddle too much, haha. I may live in Wiggins now, but I'm definitely not a country girl!

So you may have noticed that I have a new layout!! I got it from leelou blog designs. I will link her site tomorrow; for some reason it's not working right now. Hope you like it!!

In baby news, we still haven't picked a name. Thanks to everyone who has given suggestions! We are talking about possibilities! My next appointment is Wednesday, but I'm pretty sure it's nothing super exciting. The baby is moving SO much these days, especially around 10 at night! Haha...I hope that's not a sign.....

House News

Well, our house is still on the market with no potential buyers in sight! However, Jeffry and I have not been completely satisfied with our realtor's efforts in advertising our house, so the realtor is enlisting the assistance of another realtor from the coast. I think this is a great idea! They are both coming by today to take photos of the house. I woke up early this morning and organized everything, trying to make the house look perfect! Potential buyers will see these pictures! Not to mention that they will be used in newspaper advertising and online.

I humbly ask that you join with us in prayer to find the right buyer for our house. Our hearts are already out at the farm...even the boys! Whenever we have to clean up, I tell them we are cleaning so someone might like our house and buy it; then we get to move to the farm! They really cannot wait to get out there. I know that God is faithful, and that He will bring the right person at the right time. My flesh feels like the time is NOW! Haha...my patience is definitely being tested. I just keep thinking of all the things coming up:
Brayden is starting Kindergarten on August 8th, and I will have to drive him to and from school (about 20 minutes which is far for our small town) until we move to the farm because the bus won't come to our house now. (It's in a different school district)
The baby is due December 2nd! Which is only a week after Thanksgiving...which means who knows what my house will be like around the holidays. I would SOOO love to be settled into our new home by then...(God, are you listening!?)
Along this same vein, WHEN will I get Christmas shopping done?? People keep telling me to shop online, but really...I'm not that kind of person. I'm the person who LOVES stores at Christmas time; I can't WAIT until they start decorating for Christmas (never too early in my opinion!). And I can't help but being afraid I may miss this special part of my favorite time of the year because who knows when the baby will make his debut!?
Maintaining the farm is fun, but we have to drive out there everyday to feed the cows, dog, and cats. How great it will be to just walk out across the field to do all of this.

Obviously, I have a lot of things going through my brain right now! I am so thankful that God is still giving me words of faith and sustenance. I KNOW that He hears our prayers, and I firmly believe that He is working things out. How great it is to know that nothing is impossible for our God!!

It's A.....

BOY! We are so excited and blessed to have a healthy baby boy on the way! We are kind of shocked that we will have three little boys running around! Brayden will be almost six when the baby is born, and Caleb will be 3 1/2. I keep saying I don't know how we will be able to feed three teenage boys someday, haha! Since I'm sure you're wondering, no we have not picked out a name. We have had a girl name picked out since we had Brayden so we were kind of waiting to see what we found out at the ultrasound. But he's definitely a boy! He weighs about 1/2 a pound right now. So tiny! Anyway, as soon as we have some name ideas I'm sure I'll be asking for your opinions! Thanks for your prayers!

Expectations!

Our ultrasound is scheduled for Thursday, and I cannot wait! I have definitely been feeling the baby (who we are calling Tinsel since my due date is December 2nd- my best friend, Kisha, came up with that!) kick and move for the past several weeks. It's not consistent enough for Jeffry to feel yet, but I can't wait til he does. He is getting really excited too. Babies are such miracles and bring so much joy to your life! We have decided to bring Brayden to the ultrasound with us, which also really excites me. He was too young with Caleb, and I think Caleb is too young this time around but I can't wait to see wait Bray thinks about it all.

Speaking of which, I've been asking the boys if they want a brother or a sister and what we should name the baby if we have one or the other. The other morning at breakfast, I was again posing these questions and after giving me one name, Brayden looked at me, exhaled deeply, and said, "Mommy, can we just talk about this AFTER the baby gets here?" OHmygoodness, I was trying so hard not to laugh....this kid can be so serious when he wants too! It was the funniest thing.