Todays

Isla Rose was seven months old yesterday--how did I let that slip by me? Blessed third child. And don't get me started on the fact that in a little over two weeks Asher will be FOUR! When did that happen?? I have to try really hard to live in my children's "todays". I refuse to spoil this day by grieving what has passed or consequently longing for what has yet to come. I constantly live in that tug of war between anticipating the future and longing for what has been, with being ready to have a baby that sleeps through the night or eat table food without being fed to watching my little boy grow up much too quickly, running, jumping, doing flips (sometimes I think where did this big kid come from??). So I am committed to living in today. I don't want to regret anything about this time of young motherhood. I know before I blink, this time will be over.


Things are our normal every day crazy. We stay pretty busy just with all these little ones running around our house hah! Asher is learning to write his name! It is so neat to watch him hold a pencil and write the letters to his name and actually watch him learn! I have plans/dreams to homeschool so I know there will probably be lots of days like this, but I marvel at watching something finally click. I decided a while ago that I wasn't going to push him to learn letters or writing before he was ready because I really want him to have a joy for learning. He will have many many years to be in school and write his name. I'm excited that he is beginning to show some interest in it (as long as he can write with his super hero pencils :))

Don't you adore this handsome face

Honor is about as sassy as a little two year old can get. We are constantly laughing at her little personality.

See what I mean?

Beauty

She will do anything that Asher does. My mom kept Honor this past weekend while Zack and I were out of town for a wedding and she was asking me what she liked to do. I honestly thought, I'm not sure. She just loves to be with Asher. She follows him every where. She plays what he plays, says what he says, jumps when he jumps. It is so sweet what good buddies they are. An answer to my prayers.

At story time

Playing police officers. I was informed they were fighting bad guys and bears.

Cat face buddies

Big brother including Isla in the fun

The three amigos

 

My whole heart, right there in a wagon

 I remember praying before Honor was born that she and Asher would be best friends (and again when Isla was born) and the Lord heard my prayers and blessed us with children that have fun together! (We'll see if this is still the case in 10 years hah!)

And then there's sweet Isla Rose--by far our sweetest baby...I mean for real people, she is the sweetest thing

Like a little baby doll

 She babbles and giggles all the time. She is sitting up by herself, but doesn't seem to have any interest in going anywhere yet. If I lay her on her tummy to try to get her to scoot around, she just rolls over on her back and laughs and coos.  Asher was sitting up at 5 months and crawling at 6; Honor was sitting at 6 months and crawling around 8 months, so I guess Isla will follow Honor's pattern. She is so easy going. We took her with us this weekend out of town to a wedding and she just went with the flow. We were out until after 10 oclock Friday night and she stayed happy.

Wedding weekend with Mommy and Daddy

 She is content as long as she has something/someone to watch. She is going to be so observent. Even last night at our connection group, we were led in Bible study by Jay and she just sat in the floor and watched him while he talked for most of the time. She is such a joy. I guess after the first two, I earned a calmer baby. I'm sure that will change when she can move around and follow the older two. But I'm not rushing that. In other happy news, we went to the ocularist last week and they told us she will get her painted shell (prosthetic eye) at our next visit in December! I'm excited to see the process. It will be interesting. But at the same time, I will miss her look. Her sweet little eye is so endearing to me. but this was always our goal right? I read something on a friend's blog of mine a while ago. She was blogging about her daughter who is in a wheel chair and said that the world sees her daughter and says she is disabled, but God has seen her daughter and declared her wonderful. WOW! I speak that truth over my precious Isla Rose. God has seen you baby girl and declared you wonderful! I remember blogging about this before she was born, before I knew what she would look like or how her personality would be so precious that I could literally eat her up! I think even then God was preparing my heart for this girl. I believe with everything I am and all that is in me that God is going to use her little life for HIS glory and to share His good news. (I believe that and claim that for all my children) Ok didn't mean to go into all that.....but sometimes I can't help but share how the Lord continues to give me so much grace and work in my heart!

Other news: Zack's birthday is on Friday--entering his last year in his twenties! If I don't mourn over my children growing up, can I still be sad that we are getting older?  ;) I'm only halfway kidding--cherish the present--right?