Happy Anniversary!!

One thing I wish people talked about more is how much you lose your mind when you have chilren and especially when you are pregnant! Yesterday morning I was excited to call my parents and wish them a Happy Anniversary, made the kiddos sing and then happily hung up the phone. All the while thinking yesterday was today! Well, needless to say--I called yesterday afternoon to say that I am basically functioning on limited brain power and the fact that I am due to give birth soon should not be over-looked. So to make up for my placenta brain!

Happy

Anniversary

Papa Joe

and

Grams!!!

Here's To MANY more!!!

Crazy Pampered

Today after a long day and with the end of our year quickly approaching not to mention a new babies arrival, my son, Silas sweetly "fixed" my hair for me. Not quiet sure what all went into my hair. I saw lotion, body spray, hand sanitizer, spray gel, straightening oil, baby soap, body soap, body lotion and several other items. And while this would normally make me freak over the thought of having so many crazy things smushed into my amazing mane (I hope you are laughing along with we now) it was super sweet of him to try and beautify me. He was using things that he had seen me use in the bathroom and thus chose those items for my "makeover." While he isn't really into watching me get ready in the morning (thats PD's department) he still notices small things about me. And he also has certain notions about how things make me smell nice and look nice. I am unconvinced whether I actually look like a hair model now, but I sure feel just as pampered as when I go to the salon. I was even offered a pedicure! Imagine that! Boys are pretty amazing! But I have to admit that this pampering was liberally spersed with a dose of CRAZY! But that's par for the course!

Babies and Why I Love Them

Gresham @ 6 mon, July/August 2007

Petra Newborn August 2008

Silas nearly 4 years, spring 2008.

Gresham 18 months, spring/summer 2008.

Kace 2 years spring/Summer 2007.

Kace 3 years and Petra Newborn, August/September 2008.

Grams with me and Silas when he was 2 weeks old, June 2004.

Will and Larissa, Kansas City 2007.

I have been thinking alot about this up coming addition to our family. The boys are excited, Silas is counting down the days and hoping our littlest girl arrives on his birthday. Petra is convinced she will give birth along side me to a set of twins named, Sissie and Baby. Gresham is determined to prove he is really big enough to hold and rock a baby, after all he is four people! And Kace, well those of you who know Kace will understand he's 100% male, is lucky to get our girl's name right twice in one day, but he is happy to add to the family none-the-less. I am remembering that although it has been 3 years since we had a baby that I just LOVE babies! I have missed not having one in my arms!

Almost exactly a year ago, we were told that I had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. My first thought was not about treatment hardships or death, but about the consequences of Chemo treatments, that I would have to undergo, stopping me from having any other children. In many ways the thought of never nursing another baby was devastating to me. The thought of never holding another baby that I had carried (although I HATE being pregnant and it is a constantly humbling experience to me) was probably one of the saddest moments in my life. I know that this little girl has been hard to come by, she was not anticipated. She was a gift from the Lord. We are excited, especially in light of the past year and a half, to add this amazing blessing to the life of our family. She really is a marked redemption in our lives, where a year ago we were hanging on for dear life to endurance, struggling through the hard time where our character has been moulded  more than ever,  and now today we are reaping the fruit of that which is hope. I thought for certain this day could never come. I was enduring because the Love of Christ had so constrained my heart that I could never forsake Him for anyone or anything, even cancer or persecution. But I also could not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Today I am 35 weeks along in a pregnancy that we were told would not and could not ever happen, if I lived at all. We endured together because of Him and the work of the gospel in our lives and hearts and today with the life of this baby and in so many other non-tangible ways we see the hope that the gospel has granted to His people. How can the Word come alive for you? Like Paul says in Romans 5:1-6  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,  and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

When we walk in the truth, no matter the cost to us, we will see the fruit of that life in evidence. Maybe not today and maybe not for years, but eventually Hope will spring forth in all HIS glory and we will remember that the truths of the gospel are really the only thing we can ground ourselves upon.

Reading List Update

Larissa's bookshelf: read-2010-11




More of Larissa's books »

Number read to date: 35
Number left to read: 19

Spring Time Memories and Funnies

Nannie (Will's grandma) and Petra with Her easter bunny from
 Poppop and Chickie. This was while celebrating Easter as fam,
with our crowd, Will's folks, Will's brother and his wife
 and Nannie!

We enjoyed the bunnies, even during nap time in the living room!

Our handsome man!

both pretty tired, but we were supposed to be rocking
 together. I guess Petra missed the notice! :D

Silas' mad photo skills while his brother acts like
a monkey, not to big of an act I might add! :D

Say What?!

"Now you can have some quality time together to Kissy kissy!" -Silas, after waking us up from a dead sleep and then leaving our room with this quirky grin! Sheesh! Kid is a piece of work!

"Would you sell Petra for a million dollars?" -Daddy to the boys after driving in Virginia Beach and seeing all the HUGE and expensive houses! "YEAH!!!" -Gresham's response (can you tell they are close in birth order?).

"Momma, if your belly gets much bigger your skin is gonna fall off!" -Kace, reminding me very kindly that this is an obvious side effect of birth and child bearing! Unforntunately I think my belly looks more like it should have fallen off without actually doing so!

"Girl, when are you gonna use the potty?!" daddy to Petra after changing yet another poopy mess. "Next week, daddy, next week!" Petra, matter of fact and without any hesitation! Where do you get these things from?!