Sliding Into Fun

On Saturday, August 22nd, we went to the Parker Family Reunion. They had a pool with a sliding board, and of course Katy was the first to go down! Uncle Tony was right there ready to help, but Katy wanted to do it all by herself! Can you tell Jonathan is so proud of his Katybugs? I love her free spirit and her fearlessness!

But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 1Samuel12:24

Katy's New Smile

Our energetic little Katybugs was playing hard on a playground on August 15th and hit her tooth on a metal handle bar. Needless to say it chipped her top tooth. It broke Mommy and Daddy's heart when it happened, but we've gotten used to it now, and Katy is so very proud of it! She's finally wanting her picture made!

I took her into our new Dentist, Dr. Darryl Phillips at Children's Dentistry (He is wonderful if any of you are looking for a new dentist!), and they did x-rays on her tooth. Thankfully there was no damage done to her nerves and her permanent teeth that are starting to grow. Praise the Lord! He said that since she is just 2, they couldn't really fix it right now since she would have to lay very still. With all of her energy, in order for her to lay still they would have to heavily sedate her which is not recommended. So, we are leaving her tooth as it is right now. It kinda fits her personality! We love you and your new smile, Katybugs!

I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. Psalm89:1

A Slice of Fun

Maddy's first day of preschool was on Wednesday, August 19th. She was very excited to go especially since Lily had already gotten back into school. Maddy is attending West Hills Baptist Church Preschool & Kindergarten again for the second year in a row. She is in the 4's class this year and is going on Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 8:30-12:30. We were thrilled when we found out she would be having the same teachers that Lily had, Mrs. Hurley and Mrs. Bartram. Maddy picked out her first day of school outfit the night before and was so proud! (She is my fashion girl!)She's using her same red backpack as last year :Her teachers decorated in an ocean theme. Here she is right outside her classroom door. And in front of the bulletin board.

I know that Maddy is going to have a great year of fun and learning!

Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs23:12

Parker is All Ears Now!

Parker had a Tympanostomy on Tuesday, August 18th. A Tympanostomy is outpatient surgery to put tubes inside the earsdrums. After numerous ear infections and continuous fluid in Parker's ears, we were referred to the ENT to get evaluated for tubes. Dr. Little recommended that Parker was a good candidate, and since he was beginning to lose some low tone hearing we had the procedure done yesterday. We arrived at Children's West Surgery Center at 7:00am and Parker was ready to play even though he hadn't had a thing to eat or drink since 8:30 the night before.When they called us back, Parker was given his own hospital bed. They gave him some "happy juice" to help him relax, and after about 10-15 minutes, he was feeling good!After about 30 minutes, he was starting to get very relaxed and sleepy. The surgery only took about 10 minutes and Parker did great! He actually had a lot of drainage and mucus built up in his left ear, so it would've only been a matter of days before he had another ear infection. When Parker woke up in the recovery room we were called back to see him, and he was recovering very well. He was so drowsy and snuggly. Jonathan was thrilled to be able to rock his baby boy again! Once he woke up and took a couple sips of juice we were ready to go. He was pretty nauseous when we got home, but by the afternoon he was back to his normal self. Thank you all so much for praying for my Little P. I can't wait to see how much his speech and hearing improves in the next couple of months!

Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help. Psalm30:10

The Apple of My Eye

Today was Lily's first day of 1st grade! She was so very excited, but a little nervous too. When I tucked her in bed last night, she gave me a big hug and said, "I'm going to miss you tomorrow, Mommy!" It melted my heart! The kids and I had such a great summer together, and I was not looking forward to sending her off to school this morning. I knew I would miss her dearly! I have shed lots of tears, but have prayed for her and feel at peace knowing that God is always with her and is holding her in the palm of His hands. Here is Lily before we left the house wearing her new apple dress and watch: She was so proud of her new butterfly backpack: Her teacher's name is Mrs. Davis and 1st Grade's theme this year is "Wild About Learning." The hallways were decorated so cute. Here is Lily outside of her classroom door:Every morning that she arrives before 7:40am, she'll sit outside her classroom and choose some books to read while she is waiting. Reading is Lily's favorite thing to do, so she will be looking forward to that every morning. Unfortunately, parents weren't allowed in the classroom this morning so I don't have any pictures of her desk and room (very sad about that!), but when we visited last Friday, her room looked very warm and inviting and everything was neat and organized with everything in its place (my kind of teacher!) I know that God placed Lily where He thought was best for her and that she is going to have a great year. We love you, Lily, and can't wait to see all that you learn this year in 1st grade!

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! Proverbs 16:16

SIX is Sweet!

My sweet Lily turned six on August 7th. Lily is our sweet natured, warm-hearted, and very thoughtful first born daughter. She is our blond haired, green eyed, tippy toe walking, gets the giggles a lot, little princess. Lily is a Big Sister x3 and Mommy's little helper. She is a rule follower and a perfectionist. Lily loves school, reading books, doing arts & crafts, going to church, taking ballet, eating pizza, hiking with her Daddy, drawing rainbows and butterflies, and the color pink. My favorite thing about Lily is when she smiles, she smiles with her whole face!
Lily had her Six Year Well Visit today and she weighed 43 lb. and is 45.5 in. tall.
Please be in prayer for our Lily. I had our pediatrician look at some moles on Lily's skin that had significantly changed appearance over the last year. He is concerned about them and is referring her to a pediatric dermatologist. We should find out tomorrow when her appointment is. Other than that she is perfectly healthy which is a huge praise. God is so good!
Lily, you are such a blessing to me. You are my daughter and friend. I love you, sweet girl!

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 1Timothy 4:12

Oceans of Fun

Here are my Beach Babes enjoying the ocean:

And the love of my life who I am so blessed to have as my husband and best friend:Thank you Jonathan for taking us on an amazing vacation that I will never forget!

We love because he first loved us. 1John4:19

Seashells By the Seashore

Before we left for the beach, my parents sent the kids a special seashell book called Seashells of the World. It got them so excited about seashells, that when they got to the beach, they spent hours and hours looking for them.Even Parker joined in. He chose all the big ones:Parker carried around the net looking very serious like he was on a mission:

We found some great shells which the girls looked up in their book and now know the names of them. It was a good learning experience! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for the wonderful seashell book!

I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Genesis 22:17

A Walk on the Pier

One of Jonathan's favorite memories of the beach when he was little was going out on the pier. He loves history, so when he found out that we were staying close to the longest pier on the East Coast, he wanted to take us to see it. It is called the Apache Pier, and is around 1,206 feet long. While we were there, a man caught a baby sharkand he let the girls touch it before he threw it back in. What an experience! Parker loved the breeze and looking out into the ocean: The sun was going down so I took some pictures of my three girls: And this one is my favorite:

Sisters and Friends Forever!!!

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Adventures at Barefoot Landing

One night during our vacation we headed out to Barefoot Landing. First stop was some yummy ice cream cones! Katy saw "horsies" from far away and all she had to do was tell Gramps that she wanted to ride and of course he treated everyone to a ride on the carousel! Katy wanted to make a silly face at the camera: Gramps holding on tight to Lily and Maddy:Parker and Daddy rode in the coach:As we were walking around to the different shops, we heard a DJ playing music and saw lots of older kids line dancing. They started playing the cha cha slide, and Maddy jumped right in and joined the group! We were so proud of her!

I love this sweet picture of Lily rocking with her Gramps:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1John 4:7