Flowers and Rings

I am happy to say that three weeks ago my brother got engaged! I'm still trying to process it. It seems so surreal that my little brother is getting married. It seems like yesterday he was graduating high school, and soon he will be a married man. It's hard to believe that over seven years ago he was walking me down the aisle at my own wedding, looking so handsome in his tuxedo. I could go on and on, but I won't bore you with my memories. It's looking like they will be getting married at a courthouse in February, then having an actual ceremony in 2011, after Luis gets back from deployment. Curtis has been asked to be the ring bearer and Lauren the flower girl. I can't wait to see them in their outfits. I've already been looking at dresses for Lauren and once I find out the exact color of the bridesmaids dresses, I can go to town. The next year is going to be busy with wedding planning!

Five Months

Today Claire turns five months. It has gone by fast, but I've enjoyed every minute. Her two bottom teeth are really coming up now (I'm still trying to get a picture of them). Her top gums are swollen and it looks like the top ones could be poking through any time. I still can't believe that she has teeth already, but it doesn't really surprise me. When she was born, it looked like she was getting teeth. Kevin and I kept staring at her mouth saying, "No way!" Claire also likes to roll all over the floor and scoots backwards when she is on her tummy. So far she has gotten stuck under the couch and entertainment center. Her personality is starting to show. She is such a happy baby and LOVES to laugh! She is very ticklish on her knees, elbows, thighs, and armpits. Whenever we are in the car, she jabbers up a storm and laughs at Curtis. She loves rice cereal and I just introduced her to applesauce, but she doesn't care for it to much. She scrunches her face and spits it out. She still wakes up once, sometimes twice, during the night. She has been going to bed at 7:30 p.m. and waking up between 2:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.. I am so looking forward to her sleeping through the night. Here are some pictures of our big girl.

Waiting to eat.

Our happy girl!

Sitting in the big tub for the first time.

Family Update

I just wanted to update everyone on how our family is doing. First off, we finally received Kevin's PSA results and they are normal. We are so relieved, thank you all for praying. Lauren hasn't had any bleeding for three months now. She still has to see the GI next month for her, hopefully, last appointment. We are still giving her the Miralax, but only as needed. I have started potty training with her and she is doing good. She loves to sit on the potty, but doesn't go a whole lot. Her vocabulary has really taken off as well. She is nowhere near Curtis' vocabulary at this age, but she communicates with us very well. The big news around here is...no, I'm not pregnant...Claire has two teeth! I can't believe it!! I've never heard of a four month old with a tooth, let alone two! I felt something sharp on Saturday and figured she had one tooth, but when I looked on Sunday, I saw both bottom teeth poking through the gums. She has definitely been the best teether of the three. Claire has also been on cereal for the last week and she LOVES it. My baby girl is growing up way too fast! So that is the latest news with us. Hope you all have a wonderful week.

The Love Dare

Kevin and I watched this really awesome movie last week called FIREPROOF. If you haven't seen this movie, you really need to see it. I won't tell you what it's about, but the main character gets this book from his father called The Love Dare and he follows the dares in this book for 40 days. Well, while watching this movie, Kevin and I were saying that the book is a really neat idea. Well, come to find out there really is a book called The Love Dare. So we got really excited and bought the book on Monday. I started the book yesterday and even though our marriage isn't in trouble we want to make our marriage stronger because there is stuff that we need to work on. I am excited to see where this book takes us and today's dare is to do an unexpected act of kindness for your spouse. I'm having fun trying to think of what I can do for him that's unexpected. If any of you want to strenghten your marriage, I suggest you get this book. Do you dare to love?

Baby Dedication

Last Sunday we dedicated our sweet Claire to the Lord. All three have now been dedicated, but Claire's has effected me the most. Standing up in front of the congregation and listening to our pastor speak just brought tears to my eyes. Maybe it's because of everything that has happened with Jon & Ali that's made me look at my children differently. After Emmalee went Home to Jesus, I held onto Curtis and Lauren tighter than ever. I was afraid of losing them, and with the loss of Owen & Cooper (who would be very close in age to Claire) it's really made me aware of how fragile life is. I looked up the definition of dedicate in the dictionary and this is what it says: to devote to the worship of a devine being specifically to set apart (a church) to sacred uses with solemn rites. When we dedicate our children, we are giving their lives back to the One that created them. My children are not my own, they belong to God, and I am just here to teach them. I am so thankful for this privilege, and I'm not afraid of God asking for them back. Does this make sense? When I was pregnant with Curtis, I was afraid of losing him, and once he was born, I was afraid that he was going to die of SIDS. I wasn't as afraid with Lauren, but the fear was still there. Now with Claire, I'm not afraid. Do I want the Lord to take my children while they are young? No, but if the Lord were to ask that of me, I would accept it. We pray over our children and leave them in the Lord's hands. That's all we can do. Thank you Jesus for blessing us with three children here on earth and one in Heaven.