Chocolate milk and pizza...

Yep. That's what I am dealing with around here... those semi-crazy pregnancy cravings. My dinner last night consisted of both chocolate milk AND pizza but today, well, that combination sounds disgusting. I have been trying to really pack in the protein and thanks to South Beach Diet and HEB's mootopia, lasts night's dinner was enough protein for an entire day.
I really have nothing to complain about with this pregnancy so far. I have days that I feel a little sick and then I have days that I feel great. This past weekend, however I can honestly say that I felt miserable. I am sure that I had that green sick look. The week started and thankfully I feel fantastic. Tired and constantly feeling hungry, but fantastic.
I have my guesses already with what I am having...boy or girl. I had a gut feeling with the last two pregnancies and was right on from the beginning. I guess before I get too excited to find out what we are having I should at least find out how far along I am. According to my last cycle, I am at the end of my 10th week and the baby would be due on April 3rd. I have some feelings about this as well...maybe I should go to the doctor:)
The emotions this time around have also been extremely different so far. I guess you could say that I have not been as emotional. I am also so excited, really thrilled that we are having another one. I think that honestly the only time I find myself fighting a bad attitude is when I realize I can't zip up my shorts and be comfortable. I always struggle with getting big...looking at the maternity clearance rack at TARGET today with some time to kill left me in awe of how big I can get. I really don't get THAT big, do I? I mean, the waist on those yoga pants I was looking at today looked as if I could fit at least two of me in them right now. But hey, they were only five dollars.
Well, my tummy is rumbling once again, and ever since I wrote the words "chocolate milk," the container in the fridge has been calling me...but I will definitely pass on the pizza. Those two just don't seem to mix:)

The Very first day of Summit Christian Academy and first grade!!!!!

Yesterday Caitlyn went to her very first day of school in the first grade! Not only was it a special day for her, but it was a very special day for our family. We have been blessed to be a part of the three founding families to start Summit Christian Academy and it was VERY exciting to see it all come together yesterday. It was very emotional. The ride has been long and challenging, but very exciting. I don't think Greg and I realized in FULL what we were getting into and all of the amazing details it takes to put something like this together. Through it all we have been blessed, no doubt. The hours of long meetings, phone calls, paper work, discussions, decisions, policy making, staff interviews, hiring, parent interviews, and worldview tests were all worth it. May the Lord have all of the glory because without Him it would be completely IMPOSSIBLE. I really saw Him at work as He pulled together an AMAZING staff.

This has been one of the hardest and most challenging summers for me as I have balanced what seemed like a job along with the responsibilities of being a wife, mom, and home-maker. God is always so good and through it all He showed me His grace is enough and more than I need on a daily basis. Thankfully, from the hours of meetings we held in our home with 11 kids attending most meetings, my house is slowly getting back into shape. I also want to take a family vacation soon!!! We spent the last four months with our weekends filled with meetings and workdays so we are in desperate need for some good quality family time!

Summit Christian Academy is a University-Model school, where the students attend classes on Tuesday and Thursday and work from home on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We finished our school work for the day and Caitlyn thoroughly enjoyed it all. She loves her teacher, loves the principal, loves her classmates and her school books.

I am so excited to see what the Lord has in store for the rest of the school year and pray that He continues to bless the school and lead us in the road ahead.

Check out our school website!!!

http://www.scatx.net/

1 year old girl!!!

Well, I am a day late in sitting down to write about this incredibly special girl. We didn't exactly celebrate her 1st birthday the way we had planned. The kids passed around a virus this past week and all but Caitlyn had high fevers and sore throats. Dakota was the last to get it so she spent her birthday yesterday feeling sick and grumpy. At least she didn't even know it was her birthday! Caitlyn had big plans of decorating with balloons, making a birthday banner and cupcakes...she's my party girl. She spent what seemed like the entire day working on little projects for Dakota. Dakota did manage to smile a few times in the day but overall she was feeling miserable.

Today we spent the day outside and thankfully she was feeling much better.

As I went through the pictures above I was almost in tears. OK, maybe it was just the pregnancy hormones kicking in, but I could not help but think once again how fast the first year of her life flew by. She is turning into a little girl and obviously showing quite the personality. I love how each picture reveals a little bit of who she is. She actually reminds me a lot of my baby pictures...especially the funny faces. HA!

I cherish every moment that I am blessed to share with her. I am blessed, indeed, and so thankful to have the chance to mother her. I pray for continued guidance and grace in learning how to parent her even better as the years go by. That really is an overall theme here in this house...grace. I need it every moment! And, although she looks incredibly fun in all of her pictures she can definitely be one little stinker. She is very verbal...especially when she doesn't get her way. Something we are definitely working on around here. In watching her development, she reminds me so much of her big brother. She is definitely a climber, which at times is so scary. She loves to climb up onto the kids table and really is learning to climb more and more. Thankfully she is also very cautious and careful with every step...that doesn't remind me so much of her brother!

I pray that the Lord would continue to watch over her little life and reveal to her the incredible love that He has for her. She truly is one loved little girl. I though back yesterday about Cailtyn's first birthday party. We had a lot of family and friends that came and very much enjoyed the time together. Dakota obviously didn't get a party her first year, but one thing kept coming to my mind as I watched each of her siblings really try to make her day special... and that is, how much she is loved. We had a family party and there was more than enough love to go around. How incredibly thankful I am for our family and pray also that they would continue to love each other and grow closer over the years.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY DODA!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Where's Dakota?

All of my kiddos have loved to play "Where's baby?" You know, the classic game of peek-a-boo where they cover their eyes.

Dakota has always been full of energy and personality. She decided to invent a new twist to this classic game after months of mastering it.

When I say, "Where's Dakota?"
She quickly covers her ears and laughs like crazy.
I say "where's Dakota?" louder and louder, to which she only giggles more.

I guess she just thinks it's funny that she can't hear me.

Let's just hope she doesn't keep this up for too long.
It could make for a complicated discipline situation if she learns at a year when to tune me out.

YEP, This little girl is full of P-E-R-S-O-N-A-L-I-T-Y!

Quotes for the day...

My kiddos love to play duck-duck goose. We were getting ready for a quick game after breakfast when I heard the following conversation:

Caitlyn: "Hey Micah, I want to be the ducker first. Is that OK?
Micah: "Well, I wanted to be the gooser."
Cailtyn: "I'll be the ducker first and then you can be the gooser."

Micah: "Are you sure I will be the gooser after your the ducker?"

At this point Cassidy chimed in: "I'm the ducker and the gooser!"

I was lost at this point. But, apparently they were all on the same page with these terms because it turned out to be a great game of duck duck goose.

"Many are the plans in a man's heart...

but it is the Lord who determines his steps."

This is without a doubt my life verse.

I always seem to come up with plans of my own.
Plans that seem convenient, easy, and safe.

I honestly planned on not getting married.

I planned on not having kids.
I had dreams of traveling, being a missionary to some far off land.

When the thought of marriage entered my head I determined that I would not marry a red-head. (This was only due to the fact that I had 2 boys in the elementary years who tormented me...both had red hair.)

I obviously married a red head man, and a man who sharpens me more than any other person.

The first months of our marriage we talked and decided we wanted to wait to have kids.

Two pink lines.

Pregnant? Shocked.

Many are the plans in a man's heart...but the Lord determines his steps.

Every pregnancy has been a shock.

We have now hit shock number five.

Yes, you read that right.
I found out that we are expecting once again.

This time, instead of two pink lines it was a cross.
Times have changed.

But, YES...we are excited! Shocked yes.
Definitely excited.

God is good and He is faithful in all that he does.

And I know without doubt that the steps He leads me in are perfect in timing...they are perfect because of Him. And, they are perfect in the fact that every step leads me closer to Him.

Although things do not always go "perfectly," His still gives me all that I need and more.

His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

And He is and will always be faithful in all He does.