17 lbs and 10 oz (By far our biggest baby!)

25.5 inches

Every baby needs a lap.  ~Henry Robin

Six laps + friends laps + extended family laps = spoiled baby

He is so fun!  Interacts more and more.  Loves to laugh, rolls, grabs his toys, knocked over sister's drink, jabbers "mama" "dada", plays with hands and feet, pulls off socks, sits without support, pulls knees under tummy and lunges forward (pre-crawl), likes peek-a-boo and tickle tickle.  His first tooth is poking through with three more suspicously close. 

Still doesn't sleep through the night.  I should have known after four good sleepers, I was due for a nonsleeper. ;)  

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one.  ~Leo J. Burke

He is in a hurry to be big.  I just want him to stay little. 

Isn't it neat when you meet new people and God uses them to remind you of an important truth? 

I had the pleasure of conversation with an older gentleman who just happened to be from my mountains.  He shared a story about a friend of his whose son came home drunk.  He said his friend looked his son up and down, then looked toward the heavens and said, "Lord, looks to me like you have a problem."  He turned around and went to bed.  Two weeks later, his son got saved and never came home drunk again.  And there you have it.  The profound truth. 

The man couldn't do anything about his son's choices.  Worrying wasn't going to change it.  Being upset wasn't going to change it.  He did the one thing that would change it.  He gave the problem to the Lord. 

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"  Matthew 6:25-27

My husband recently had a worry offering at our church.  He gave everyone the opportunity to write their worries on a card and give them in an offering to the Lord. Perhaps you'd like to offer God your worries?  Give them to Him and rest easy knowing He's got it. 

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator."

Waterfront, Beaufort, SC

I have a thing for banners.  I have one in my dining room, over my kitchen sink, in our guest room and now on our headboard.  Not to mention, I really want to make one for our front porch. 

To be honest, I wanted to make one for our headboard ever since I saw them on pinterest.  I had even pinned one to my boards but later deleted it because I felt I was teetering near banner overkill.  Then, I had this piece of burlap left that was just big enough for four squares...

My "Love Banner" -

You'll see these all over pinterest in different shapes and sizes.  Seriously.  Just search "love banner".  I made my letters with hotglue, black ribbon, and black buttons because I'm cheap  I wanted to use stuff I already had. 

Since I've dove right into banner overkill, the front porch will probably get bannered too. 

I've tried a lot of baby carriers and my absolute favorite is the Moby Wrap.  My cousin gave me one as a gift when our first baby boy was born.  He loved it!  Once he outgrew it, I gave it to a friend who was fostering newborns of mothers with addictions.  Great therapy for those little ones. 

That left me needing one for our new little guy.  I discovered how to make my own.  Isn't the internet wonderful?  Information at our fingertips! 

He loved the "newborn upright" and the "cradle hold" when he was a newborn but now he thinks he is a big guy and he likes the "kangaroo hold". 

But don't be fooled he is still a little guy who falls asleep in his moby. 

P.S.  Moby Wrap Instructions found here.

"My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather."  

Founds these whimsical red birds and just knew I had to give them a home.  The little yellow bell = extracited!

"Monday, Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be"

I hope you all have the Monday of your dreams!  May your hair be good, your mind extra-sharp and creative, your children sweet and mannerly, and your husband dear as ever!  Blessings beauties!  

Chubby baby.

Her strawberry shortcake. 

Our kids love to make their own bday cakes.  She decorated hers with whipped topping.  It was yummy!

He made his own cake too (mommy helped).

We took him out for a 5th birthday lunch.  The restaurant treated him to a bday dessert. 

Sun was in his eyes.  Maybe my fave 5th bday pic.

My baby holding my baby. 

Another of my babies holding HER baby.  (Her vivid imagination brings that baby to life.) 

Happy Friday everyone!  May your weekend be abundantly blessed! 

It's hard to believe it has been fourteen years since I first held her in my arms.  Long after friends and family oohed and ahhed over her, in the quiet of the evening, I scribbled these words,

Our lives are changed forever.  Katie Madison Trent has entered the world.  Katie gives meaning to "bundle of joy". 

Sweet baby, I have never felt joy like the joy that flooded my soul the instant you took a breath.  God has given you, a perfect little being, to us, imperfect and unpracticed parents.  

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

The words of a young momma with so much to learn and so many mistakes to make.  She is my firstborn.  She made me a mother.

In honor of her 14th birthday, 14 things about Katie:

1.  She loves and I mean really loves to play a good prank. 

2.  She has always been "happy go lucky".

3.  She can thrift shop like no other.  The girl's got a good eye for a bargain.

4.  She likes to make her own birthday cake.  (Usually strawberry shortcake.)

5.  This year she made two birthday cakes.  Strawberry shortcake and caramel cake.

6.  She loves to paint.  She is blessed to have an art mentor who is teaching her so much.

7.  Her socks NEVER match.  On purpose.

8.  She is a little momma.  Takes care of her siblings, her friends... Her youth group nicknamed her "mom".

9.  She loves loves loves her baby brothers.

10.  Her sisters are her best friends.

11.  Anne of Green Gables is her favorite movie ever.

12.  She can name all the Duggars.

13.  She is almost taller than her momma.

14.  Her favorite candy is Hot Tamales. 

1.  Obedience leads to honor. 

"Nothing is really lost by a life of sacrifice; everything is lost by a failure to obey God's call."  Henry Parry Liddon

"Greatness in the kingdom of God is measured in terms of obedience."  John Stott

2.  Obedience leads to blessing.

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

"You will be a blessing...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."  Genesis 12:2-3

3.  Obedience leads to joy. 

"If you obey my commands you will remain in my love just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."  John 15:10-11

Sometimes the Lord asks us to do things that seem impossible.  Be confident that with the Lord all things are possible.  Obey him!  A miracle is ready to happen in your life!  Obey him!  Your breakthrough is on the other side of your obedience!