Springtime Memories

Liliana looking at a bug on the bay window sil.

Playin' in our yard.

Liliana's camera face. Ugh.

We made her first real sand (dirt) castle together in the back yard.

The kids left me in the loft on the third floor and 2 minutes later, I found them in the kitchen. Liliana had gotten each of them a yogurt and a spoon. The spoon she chose for Noah was a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon. So sweet!!! Liliana LOVES her shades!

Busy Boy!

These last few were taken today. We were outside for HOURS. It was in the low 80's today - wow! Here the kids are splashing in a container of water that Liliana was putting rocks in.

Mommy always joins in on the fun! :o)

Seranading Noah

Here is our night - night routine:
Daddy helps when he is home, this helps it go much smoother.
He helps Liliana brush her teeth and gets her pj's on while I change Noah's diaper and get him cozied up for bed... he is still nursing... I am weaning him... so I think! Ha!
Daddy tucks Liliana in and we coach her through her bedtime prayers and pray over her and Noah and sometimes we sing "Jesus Loves Me"
Daddy gives her a big hug and kiss and leaves the room and then I lay Noah down, give Liliana a big hug and kisses on the cheek and sneak out quietly to not disturb Noah from falling to sleep.

Well, we have embarked on a new routine last night. Noah is now at an age where he is not so easily distracted from falling asleep... we don't have to tiptoe and whisper so much. I laid Noah down last night and Daddy came over to pat him, pray over him and love on him and then just lead into singing "Jesus Loves Me", so I joined in and he LOVED it. He just laid there looking at us in amazement as if to express "wow guys, this is so special, I love it". He batted his eyes, smiled and sweetly giggled while he laid there as we sang. We then said another "Nite-nite" to them both, left the room and basked in the sweet experience we just had with Noah. Wow! Donnie commented on it continually, it was a very special moment for us!

Bum & Ice Cream Cones

Mine and Liliana's favorite gum is Orbit Strawberry Mint. Well, Noah has been trying to learn how to chew gum, so when he sees me chewing gum, he tries to reach in my mouth and get it... I don't let him, but I do give him half a peice to practice with... he grins so sweet and chews it for about 2 minutes and then it is gone. Liliana usually gives me the report that he swallowed it. He often asks for "bum" when we are in the car as that is usually when I pop some in my mouth or treat Liliana for good behavior as we run errands, etc. :o)

The other night we enjoyed a fun time at Never's Park with friends, then hit DQ for a late unhealthy dinner and ice cream cone - YUM! Noah had a good audience as he showed them just how to put down an ice-cream cone with no mess at 17 months of age! He is such a neat eater, very careful and maticulous. Our friends were amazed and said they hadn't seen anything like it. Too adorable. He just ate it all up and didn't mind the fans. Such an easy-goin' guy. Nothin' bothers him... Liliana can be sitting in the car carrying on whining and he will just sit there like he doesn't have a care in the world, staring out the window focusing on the bugger he his trying to get a hold of. :o)

Noah Talk

Noah says:

Again - when he wants to do something again

He says "play praise" when he plays with my phone... it activates the MP3 player on it - ha! :o) (he doesn't know the button to push though)

He calls me mommy now! He hollers for me from his bed when he wakes up. It sounds kind of like money. :o)

Lots more words, just can't think of them now.

What a Big Girl

One night, almost two weeks ago, as I was getting Liliana ready for bed I said "Liliana, get a pull-up so you can go to bed" and she said "I don't need a pull-up, I want to sleep in my panties". Well she has slept in panties and been a full-time panty wearer ever since with not one accident! What a big girl! :o) She knew she was ready!

Family Time!

The past few weeks have been so busy at church with the Passion of the King and Easter weekend... well, the business of church never sleeps because it is the people business. :o) Needless to say, not only has daddy been working nearly round the clock, but the kids and I were extra busy too with our involvement with the toddler room.

Daddy had a couple extra days off this week, so it was so great to spend time as a family - nothin' fills my love tank like having Donnie around. :o) I told him he is like the chemicals in the fish tank that keep everything balanced... the kids are less whiny, mommy is less grouchy - ha! It is just extra wonderful when he is home!

Yesterday we just chilled out and did a lot of catchin' up around the house. It was fun!

Today we went to the Roger Williams' Zoo in Rhode Island. Noah just went with the flow, but Liliana, being 3 now, really loved it.

We were all fascinated by how the flamingos sleep. They stand on one foot and tuck their heads on their backs under their wing (see the one on the right). Tonight Liliana stood beside her bed on one foot batting her eyes closed to sleep like a flamingo. So innocent! :o)
The red bear was so adorable!!! Liliana held onto the map throughout the entire day and at one point said she wanted to find him and pointed to his face on the map... well, we found him. :o)
After the zoo we headed just down the street to Carousel Village and rode the carousel together. It was Noah's first time on one. Look at those sweet hands holding onto the bar! Awe!
Noah loved the Mr. Potato Head at the park there. Cool, huh!?

We headed home and stopped by our favorite restaraunt for a delicious meal. Texas Road House - of course! Just like home. :o) We learned tonight that Tuesday nights from 5-7 pm is kid's night. They do face painting, ice cream sundaes and the life-sized Armadillo Guy is there. Liliana liked him a lot! She gave him a hug good-bye and on the way out asked if he could come to our house and babysit! She kept calling him an octopus! Ha! :o)

A Priceless Day!

Good Friday Egg Hunt

Jack, Will, Nick, Alley, Liliana, Nkailu and Noah is running arounds somewhere. :o)
We had a small egg hunt with some friends at Bethany Groves house. It is so sweet watching all of them grow up in church together. What a wonderful blessing!

Noah Talk

My Love Bug - oh, he is the cutest!

Noah's cutest words lately are nite-nite... when I lay him down to go to sleep he says "nite-nite" and gives me the sweetest cozy, content smile and when I begin to walk out the door he says "bye-bye". So sweet!

He knows all about going bye-bye... when he sees keys, shoes or my purse, he runs to the front door saying "bye-bye".

When he is done eating, he says "done" and after I wipe his hands and mouth, he says "down" so I will get him out of the highchair. :o)

He loves keys! He says "keys" to ask for my keys.

He says "pop-pop" to ask for a lollipop. He asks for them more than he gets them. :o)

A Most Favorite Time of the Year

I LOVE EASTER TIME. For me as a Lover of Jesus it is the most joyous time of the year! Yes, it is sad to watch what our Jesus went through for our redemption and it is good to have those moments of reflection and heartfelt sorrow for what our PRECIOUS, PURE, INNOCENT, PERFECT, TENDER, SWEET, SWEET JESUS had to go through :o(, but I reside where He is now - rejoicing with us that IT IS FINISHED and our salvation is paid in full and there is nothing in this world that we have to do to earn God's love, grace and forgiveness, but to recieve, rejoice and bask in His amazing LOVE FOR US and fall in love with Him the way He is so in love with us!

Dear Jesus,
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.......................................
I am so in love with you and am amazed by your PERFECT unfailing limitless, unconditional love for us. Thank you that you simply love us... you love me.... not the good parts of me, you love all of me, shortcomings and all, you love me and you embrace me and you are not ashamed or afraid or disgusted or frustrated by the imperfections of me, but you love me and it is that love that sets me free to be all that you created me to be. :o) I love you! Help me to always walk in the light of your boundless love for me and for everyone around me. May I be an unhindered vessel of your love my Precious Jesus. :o)
Amen :o)

The Things Every Kid Says...

On the way home from church tonight Liliana said to Noah

"Noah, look out your window"...

I looked back and saw that, sure enough, he was looking out her window so I started cracking up and suggested "honey he can look out your window too"

and she kindly said "no, he can look out his window".

WAY TOO HILARIOUS!!! I cracked up!

These are the moments vehicular DVD players steal from children... the simple things in life that are so special - like looking out your sister's window.

L&N's First Easter Egg Hunt

Today Liliana and Noah had their first Easter Egg Hunt. It was at the grounds where we live. They had a good time. Liliana was just stuck on her first egg. She kept asking me to open it and I kept encouraging her to pick up more. So cute!!! I love her innocence - how everything is so new and things like the easter bunny are not yet common knowledge. I love it! There is nothing in the world like spending time with your children and teaching them new things! BTW - I don't waste my time teaching her about the easter bunny... he is pointless... we do love bunnies though & Jesus - the real reason to celebrate Easter! :o)

Liliana looks tired - we have been busy with the Passion of the King. Here she is asking me to open the one egg she found. Look in her basket... the jelly beans are ones that she picked up one by one off the ground from an opened egg. So sweet!!! She took a big, cozy nap today! :o)

Noah left a little evidence of the chocolate donut hole he had from the easter egg hunt gathering. This is our back yard.