God's Girl

Audrey truly has a heart for the Lord. In all of her innocence, she really does try to seek His way.

When she prays, she tells God that she loves Him more than her mama and daddy. Then she looks at me to assure me that she still loves me, but she is supposed to love God more :) I'm ok with that...and try to learn from it myself.

I am at fault for expecting my girls to act perfect. Recently, the Lord has been laying it on my heart that they were born sinners just like me. And when I am far far far from perfect, how can I expect them to overcome their natural tendency to sin? It is my job to show them how to deal with that tendency and accept God's daily forgiveness.

Once again, Audrey was used to teach me...She had an incident of telling me a lie (really about nothing significant at all). I told her to stay in her room while we played outside if she couldn't tell me the truth. When I returned a few minutes later, she was laying in her bed reading her Bible--not a picture Bible, mind you. Her NIV, red-letter Bible. She knew where to turn, precious baby.

She developed an i-phone screen that looks like this:

One of the apps is for feeding people across the world who do not have food. You just push it and people get food. Tear...

The last few weeks, she has won a treasure box prize in her classroom, and she has chosen toys for her two new baby cousins instead of something for herself :)

And another favorite story for this post...She drew this little image on her new writing board. It is Jesus in a boat with lots of waves. He's holding his arms out and she wrote "PES". Peace.

 Wow, I hope I can guide this little heart the right way in seeking Whom it is already hard after!

Season of Showers

It's raining babies around us, so there have been many beautiful showers we have been a part of over the last few months!

#1---Tynlee Grace born in February:

Sweet friends in Comanche

Danica is the big sister, thus the head present-opener ;)

Love seeing this blanket wrapped around this beautiful baby girl...

#2--Paislea Kate born in October in Abilene

Friends from Eastland High School (the mama is Ticia in the middle)

Aunt Nancy is usually in charge of the decorations in Eastland and she is a pro!

#3--Chelsi Jo born in February, shower also at the Connellee Hotel in Eastland

Friends from high school with our babies and mothers...Chelsi's mama Candi is on the far left

#4--Noah Kyle Harrison scheduled to be born in April...

 My Granny will have her 13th great-grandbaby this year!

 The girls loved helping hand presents to Ann Maree.

 Another cousin...Camden won't be the baby anymore!

 Beautiful hostess gifts...

 My cousin Hayden and his beautiful wife Ann Maree...we are so excited to meet this sweet little boy!

 We still have Aunt Sydney's wedding shower to go, and then we MAY have a shower break for a few months. These have all been very special events for very loved babies, family, and friends!

The girls have been very sweet at each one, but I think they are showered-out :)

Crazy Campout!

 My sister threw an awesome campout party for Layton last weekend!

 It was complete with birdhouse painting,

 tents,

 hayride at sunset,

(Here's Awpa adding suspense about cliffs and falling rocks ;)

 yummy food,

 cake and kids,

 a campfire and smores,

 movies,

and a crazy big sleepover in Granny's house! 16 kids...wow.

It was a great time and just perfect for this 6-year-old sweetie!

Cousin-ness

How can these two cousins be 6 already?

Aren't they supposed to still be these small squishy babies, the first of the grandbabies?

How can they already be almost done with Kindergarten?

 Wasn't it just yesterday when we could hold both of them in our laps at the same time and pose them for a million+ pictures and dress them like little dolls?

How can they already read and play baseball and have sleepovers and be.so.big?

We loved this particular afternoon of celebrating Layton and just being cousins...

...because believe it or not, we can't get them to pose for these cute little pictures anymore...and life gets too busy to spend as much cousin time together as we used to.

But believe me, they are still just as precious as ever in our family.

And we can't forget the baby girl cousin :) Yea, you, Baby Brenna!

 This is one of my favorite pictures from 4 years ago. Albany had told Layton to hold baby Brenna and this is the shot she got....

 She was so loved by the big two-year-olds!

 And is still adored by the now six-year-olds!

We are so excited to add a new baby cousin in the next few days!

This may be the last picture of the era of three cousins...and then we will have a new little one to pose and squish and love and adore!

Happy Birthday, Layton! You will always be such a special part of our lives.