WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE!

WOW, I FIRST WANT TO PRAISE GOD FOR KEEPING ME ALIVE AND WELL! OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN VERY BLESSED TO HAVE NOT GOTTEN SICK AT ALL YET. THE KIDS HAVE HAD A LIL RUNNY NOSE AND A LIL SNEEZING BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT! WE HAVE ALL GOTTEN OUR FLU SHOTS AND WAITING TO GET THE OTHER H1N1 SHOT! THIS MORNING WE WENT AND GOT SOME FAMILY PICTURES MADE BY MRS. EMILY PEYTON COOK. WELL I FIGURED OUT TRYING TO GET TWO KIDS TO SMILE AND LOOK AT THE EXACT SAME TIME IS IMPOSSIBLE! SO NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! CARTER WOULD NOT SMILE FOR ANYTHING. THINK WE SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT AUNT EM TO GET HIM TO SMILE! SHE ALWAYS GETS HIM TO SMILE AND ALWAYS GETS THE BEST PICTURES OF HIM! JAYCIE DID SO GOOD! SHE SMILED ALMOST THE WHOLE TIME. SO WELL THIS IS OUR BEST FAMILY PICTURE THIS TIME THAT SHE COULD CAPTURE! PRETTY GOOD CONSIDERING I GUESS! THERE IS ALWAYS NEXT TIME. THE KIDS ARE GETTING MORE PICTURES MADE IN THEIR CHRISTMAS OUTFITS THURSDAY WITH MATT KING. ANXIOUS TO SEE HOW THOSE GO.

ANYWAY..ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE IVE UPDATED YOU ON HOW THE KIDS ARE GROWING! I HAVE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! JAYCIE IS SLEEPING IN HER OWN BED IN HER OWN ROOM THROUGH THE NIGHT! SHE HAS SLEPT FOR 12 HOURS STRAIGHT WITH OUT MAKING ONE SOUND TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW. SEE BOTH KIDS WERE SLEEPING WITH GENE AND I, AND WELL....THAT WAS NOT GOING TOO WELL. WE QUICKLY FOUND OUT THAT OUR KING SIZE BED FELT LIKE A FULL SIZE BED WITH ALL FOUR OF US PLUS A DOG! GENE WOULD HAVE ABOUT A FOOT  TO SLEEP ON ONE SIDE OF THE BED, CARTER WOULD BE RIGHT NEXT TO HIM SPREAD OUT TOUCHING ME WHICH I HAD TO SLEEP ON MY SIDE WITH JAYCIE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ME WITH ENOUGH ROOM SO SHE WOULDN'T FALL OFF THE BED! YEA...TELL ME HOW ANY OF US GOT ANY SLEEP...I DON'T KNOW EITHER! SO JAYCIE WAS STARTING TO WAKE UP ALMOST EVERY HOUR AND SHE WAS SO RESTLESS AND FIGHTING HER SLEEP SO BAD. I FINALLY GOT ENOUGH AND DECIDED THAT SHE WAS GOING TO HER BED IN HER ROOM. SO THAT'S WHAT I DID. ONE NIGHT I PUT HER IN THERE AND LET HER CRY HERSELF TO SLEEP. YES, IT TOOK A WHOLE HOUR FOR HER TO FALL ASLEEP AND QUIT CRYING. THE WORST HOUR OF MY LIFE AS A MOTHER I THINK BUT GUESS WHAT...SHE WOKE UP ONLY 3 OR 4 TIMES THAT FIRST NIGHT BUT CRIED HERSELF BACK TO SLEEP. I REFUSED TO FEED HER. SHE HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN HER BED FOR ABOUT A WEEK NOW! I AM SO PROUD OF HER. SHE SOOTHES HERSELF RIGHT TO SLEEP NOW. SHE FLIPS OVER ON HER BELLY AND SLEEPS SO SOUNDLY! ITS THE CUTEST THING! WE ARE ALL GETTING SO MUCH BETTER SLEEP. CARTER STARTS OFF IN HIS BED AND BY THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT HES BACK IN OURS BUT WE ARE WORKING ON THAT TOO. ITS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I KNEW WHAT MORE THAN 4 HOURS OF SLEEP FELT LIKE! ITS NICE BUT MY BODY IS STILL TRYING TO GET USE TO IT! JAYCIE IS NOW SITTING UP ON HER OWN! SHES SO PROUD OF HERSLEF TOO! AND GUESS WHAT...HER FIRST WORD WAS DA DA ! YEP. CARTERS WAS TOO! BUT THAT'S OKAY! WHEN JAYCIE WAKES UP IN THE MORNING I CAN HEAR HER ON THE BABY MONITOR SAYING DA DA, DA DA ! ITS SO CUTE! ITS AMAZING HOW FAST THEY GROW AND HOW QUICK ONE PHASE GROWS INTO ANOTHER IN JUST A DAY OR TWO! I'M ALWAYS THINKING SOMETIMES WHEN IT GETS HARD TO DEAL WITH BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME ,  "MAN THIS IS GOING TO LAST FOREVER, WHEN WILL THEY GROW OUT OF THIS", BUT WITH IN A DAY OR TWO IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE DONE WITH THAT AND ON TO SOMETHING ELSE! PEOPLE ALWAYS TELL ME THAT THIS WILL ONLY LAST A SHORT TIME AND BOY ARE THEY RIGHT! IVE LEARNED NOT TO WISH ONE SINGLE DAY AWAY OF MY KIDS LIFE! THEY WILL BE OUT OF DIAPERS SOON ENOUGH AND IN SCHOOL AND THEN OFF AND MARRIED TOO QUICKLY! I'M ENJOYING EVERY SINGLE BREATH OF THEIR PRECIOUS LIVES! I KISS THEM AND HUG THEM 100 THOUSAND TIMES A DAY! I WANT TO LOOK BACK ON THIS AND NOT HAVE TO ASK MYSELF DID I KISS THEM AND PLAY WITH THEM ENOUGH. I KNOW IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH BUT I SURE CAN COME CLOSE!

I KNOW I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT MY HOUSE BUT IT ALWAYS SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE STOP OVER WHEN MY HOUSE IS AT ITS WORST. I SWEAR I CLEAN MY HOUSE AND IT DOESN'T ALWAYS LOOK CRAZY BUT I JUST DON'T KEEP MY HOUSE SPOT-LESS ALL THE TIME. I CANT! WE LIVE IN OUR HOUSE! WE ARE ON THE GO SO MUCH THAT SOME DAYS WE ARE JUST IN AND OUT 2 OR 3 TIMES AND STUFF JUST GETS PILED ON THE TABLE AND I GET TO IT LATER! I WASH ALL THE LAUNDRY AND JUST PILE IT ON MY DINNING ROOM TABLE AND WHEN I GET A CHANCE ( WHICH MIGHT BE A WEEK LATER) I FOLD IT AND THEN WHEN I GET ANOTHER CHANCE ( WHICH MIGHT BE ANOTHER WEEK LATER) I  PUT IT ALL AWAY! MY POOR MOM HAS BEEN FOLDING MY CLOTHES FOR ME WHEN SHE STOPS OVER FOR A VISIT! I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MY MOM. NOT BECAUSE SHE FOLDS MY LAUNDRY BUT BECAUSE SHE IS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY! SHE DOESN'T JUDGE US IN ANY WAY, SHE LOVES US UNCONDITIONALLY AND HELPS US IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE! I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THOSE LITTLE MOMENTS THAT  SHES THERE FOR ME AND HELPING ME! SHE HAD 3 OF US ALL WITHIN 5 YEARS SO SHE KNOWS HOW HARD IT IS WITH SMALL CHILDREN TOO. IF SHES NOT FOLDING MY LAUNDRY SHES GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE WITH ME OR GOING TO TAKE THE KIDS TO THE DOCTOR WITH ME OR COOKING US DINNER OR TAKING TIME TO READ MY CHILDREN A BOOK AND ROCK THEM TO SLEEP! THE LIST COULD GO ON AND ON BUT THE POINT IS THAT I LOVE MY MOM SO MUCH AND I JUST WANTED HER TO KNOW THAT SHE MEANS THE WORLD TO ME AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE THINGS SHE DOES FOR ME AND OUR FAMILY!  THANK YOU MOM!!!

OKAY SO CARTER IS AS WILD AS EVER! HES GETTING SO TALL! HE CAN ZIP UP HIS OWN JACKET AND P-J'S ! HE SAYS I ZIP, I ZIP!  HE LOVES TO ZIP. HE ZIPPED MY NECK UP IN MY JACKET THE OTHER DAY AND MAN DID THAT HURT. HE CAN COUNT TO THREE! HE LOVES LOVES LOVES TRACTORS!!! HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY WILL BE DONE IN TRACTORS THIS YEAR! I AM SO PROUD OF HIM BECAUSE HE IS STARTING TO LISTEN TO ME PRETTY WELL. WHEN ITS JUST ME AND THE KIDS OUT SOMEWHERE IT CAN BE PRETTY HARD TRYING TO GET BOTH OUT OF THE CAR AND IN SOMEWHERE ALL IN ONE PIECE SO I ALWAYS TELL CARTER TO STAND AND HOLD ON TO THE TIRE. AND HE DOES! HE STANDS THERE AND HOLDS ON TO THE TIRE UNTIL I GET JAYCIE IN  OR OUT OF THE TRUCK. I HAVE GOTTEN LOTS OF COMPLIMENTS FROM PEOPLE ON HOW HE JUST STANDS THERE AND DOESN'T MOVE UNTIL I GET TO HIM ! I LOVE GETTING COMPLIMENTS ON HOW WELL MANNERED CARTER IS! HE LISTENS TO ME AND HE ALWAYS SAYS THANK YOU AND PLEASE! SOMETIMES I HAVE TO SAY " WHAT DO YOU SAY" BUT HE ALWAYS SAYS IT! I AM VERY WELL PLEASE ON HOW WELL HE IS DEVELOPING! MY MOM ALWAYS REMINDS MY THAT HE'S NOT EVEN TWO YET AND LOOK AT ALL THE THINGS HE CAN DO AND SAY AND HOW MUCH HE KNOWS! HES SO SMART! OH I GOT A FUNNY STORY TO TELL ABOUT CARTER. YESTERDAY KRYSTLE ( MY SISTER IN LAW) HAD ON THE SAME SHOES AS I HAVE AND WELL CARTER DID NOT LIKE IT. HE SAW THOSE SHOES ON HER FEET AND HE STARTED SAYING MOMMY MOMMY. HE TOOK THEM OFF HER FEET AND BROUGHT THEM TO ME AND WAS SAYING MOMMY MOMMY. HE WAS GETTING VERY UPSET WHEN WE WERE ALL TRYING TO TELL HIM THAT THOSE WERE HER'S AND MOMMY HAD SOME LIKE THEM. I HAD TO GO GET MINE AND PUT THEM ON BEFORE HE WOULD GIVE HER'S BACK TO HER! HE STILL WASN'T TOO HAPPY ABOUT IT! IT WAS SOOOO FUNNY!

SO YES THERE IS SO MUCH MORE I NEED AND HAVE TO SAY BUT THE KIDS ARE UP NOW FROM THEIR NAPS! HOPEFULLY ILL GET TO BLOG MORE NOW THAT JAE IS SLEEPING ON HER OWN!

WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE! HE NEVER FAILS US! I LOVE MY LORD AND IM SO VERY THANKFUL FOR MY WONDERFUL FAMILY AND FRIENDS! GOD IS GOOD!