Happy Birthday Logan

The Saturday after Logan's birthday we had a 'small' party for him at home.  It was just for family and family friends but when you deal with our families it's never actually small!

I did a bear theme obviously because of my sweet Logi Bear.  We had teddy bear cupcakes and #1 cupcakes, pbjs cut in bear shapes, chex mix, my favorite apple dip ever, and teddy bear snack mix which consisted of teddy grahams, honeycombs, marshmallows and choc chips.

The plan was pretty simple.  We just hung out outside, ate our yummy snacks, let the kids build a fire and play on the fort.

We came inside to let Logan open his presents.  He received some fun things but definitely preferred eating the paper...per usual!

Next was birthday singing time and watching to see if he would like the cake.  My guess was yes and he didn't disappoint!  It took a few tests but after that he dived in and demolished his cupcake.

After cake all the kids went back outside to play and made up a great game called riding down the slide with Logan.  He thought it was awesome!

So thankful for all the people who have been a part of Logan's first year.  He is a blessed baby boy!

12 months = 1 year

A year.  A whole year.  If it's possible this was the slowest and quickest year of my life though I'm sure I thought and said that during the first year of each of our sons' lives.  It's been a year since Logan Zachary May was born into our family and made me a mama for the 3rd time.

In the last month Logan has...

*taken his first steps
*started sleeping through the night!!!
*mimics sounds after you and will attempt a word after you say it but doesn't have many clear words
*says uh uh, muh for milk
*grunts and points to get your attention to what he would like
*gotten two more teeth so there are 6 in all now
*can climb the ladder to the top of the fort by himself.  It nearly gave me a heart attack the first time because I didnt know he could and I just looked over and there he was on the third rung!
*had his first sick visit at the doctor and ended up on antibiotics, a steroid and an inhaler for his double ear infection and chest cold

Logan Zachary May I love you with all my heart.  You are a precious, cuddly, smiley, brave and adventurous boy.  Not one second has gone by since the moment I saw you that I was not head over heels in love with you and grateful that God saw fit to give me three boys to help guide into amazing men of God.

It has been a challenge and an unbelievable joy learning how to be present for three children this past year so that you and each of your older brothers feel love and attention.  It is a lesson I am sure I will continually be learning and am beyond grateful blessed for the opportunity.

I can't wait to see what the next year of your life holds and can't wait to watch you learn to walk, run, and communicate.  I can't wait to see what activities you begin to love and how you will set yourself apart from your brothers as well as how you will join them in the activities you have had to sit on the sidelines for so far. You were created for a special purpose that no one else in this world can fulfill and even at one year old you can be totally sure that God has known it before time began and will be faithful to complete it in you!


Happy Birthday my Logi Bear!

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my kingdom thanks

We had our annual Thanksgiving Service at church today.  It is my favorite Sunday service and second favorite CCC event behind our Good Friday Concert.  It is a day where we are seated with family and friends and do nothing in the service but worship through songs and words/testimonies of Thanksgiving.  After that we eat a Thanksgiving meal together and follow up the whole morning by packing our boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

I remember very clearly the first one we ever attended.  We had been living in Conyers for five short months and were overwhelmed with THANKS for what a wonderful church and how many amazing friends God had blessed us with in such a short time.  Zach stood up and shared the very cool fact that CCC started in the Crandall basement around the time Zach and I started dating and praying for a church the two of us would love.  That divine timing is amazing to me and is just one infinite ways God has shown himself and his complex planning in my life.

I all too often lose focus on the feeling of Kingdom Thankfulness.  There are no shortage of things in my life to be thankful for and in trying or frustrating moments of the day I wish I could say I at least focused on even the simplest of those things instead of just reacting to whatever situation it is that is throwing off the moment.

Unfortunately, for a girl who loves consistency and organization the smallest thing can cause me doubt, anger, impatience and every other sinful reaction that can cause my heart to turn away.  Fortunately for a girl who loves consistency and organization, I serve a God who NEVER falters.  Who is ALWAYS the same yesterday, today and forever and LOVES me unconditionally.  He, His plans, His creation and His love are consistent and that is the kingdom thankfulness my heart can cling to.

sunday song: thanksgiving

Great is Thy faithfulness, oh God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

sunday song: thanksgiving

Help Me Thank YouJason Gray
The two best prayers I knowEither one is always aproposLike my oldest friendsThey know just what to say
Some days my cup of blessing fillsOther days I trip and when it spillsI'm not guessing either wayI know just what to pray
Help me, help me, thank You, thank YouWhether you're riding high or feeling lowThese are the two best prayers I knowHelp me and thank You
The more life I live I findThe two prayers intertwineLike my fingers doWhen I bow my head to pray
Blessings can be so confusingWinning when I think I'm losingThe wounds of yesterdayMight be my saving grace today
Help me, help me, thank You, thank YouWhether you're riding high or feeling lowThese are the two best prayers I knowHelp me and thank You
With eyes wide open at the wonder of it allOr with broken wings when I'm spinning in free fall'Hallelujah, deliver me'
They're rising up inside of meRolling off my tongueBefore I thought to bid them come

trick or treat

We had lots of trick or treating fun Wednesday night with the Cardozas and Moons.  Two Spidermen, a butterfly, a cheetah/leopard, R2D2, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vadar walked up and down the streets of Matt and Leslie's neighborhood collecting yumminess.  

It was very chilly but the kids held up great. The highlights of the evening were Zach teaching Connor how to say Happy Reformation Day instead of Trick or Treat, Connor also peeing in someone's front yard while Zach was trying to find an inconspicuous spot for him, the creepy smoky driveway with the scary music that my boys actually went down, running into Kaiden at one house and getting to watch my boys be so adorable ;)

R2

R2, Princess Leia, Storm trooper, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vadar

An attempt at all the big kids

Spider hands

Following the leader

Spoooooookkkkkyyyyy

Micah and Kaiden

sunday song: Thanksgiving

Don't You Want to Thank Someone
Andrew Peterson

Can't you feel it in your bones
Something isn't right here
Something that you've always known
But you don't know why

'Cause every time the sun goes down
We face another night here
Waiting for the world to spin around
Just to survive

But when you see the morning sun
Burning through a silver mist
Don't you want to thank someone?
Don't you want to thank someone for this?

Don't you ever wonder why
In spite of all that's wrong here
There's still so much that goes so right
And beauty abounds?

'Cause sometimes when you walk outside
The air is full of song here
The thunder rolls and the baby sighs
And the rain comes down

And when you see the spring has come
And it warms you like a mother's kiss
Don't you want to thank someone?
Don't you want to thank someone for this?

I used to be a little boy
As golden as a sunrise
Breaking over Illinois
When the corn was tall

Yeah, but every little boy grows up
And he's haunted by the heart that died
Longing for the world that was
Before the Fall

Oh, but then forgiveness comes
A grace that I cannot resist
And I just want to thank someone
I just want to thank someone for this

Now I can see the world is charged
It's glimmering with promises
Written in a script of stars
Dripping from prophets' lips

But still, my thirst is never slaked
I am hounded by a restlessness 
Eaten by this endless ache
But still I will give thanks for this

'Cause I can see it in the seas of wheat
I can feel it when the horses run
It's howling in the snowy peaks
It's blazing in the midnight sun

Just behind a veil of wind
A million angels waiting in the wings
A swirling storm of cherubim
Making ready for the Reckoning

Oh, how long, how long?
Oh, sing on, sing on

And when the world is new again
And the children of the King
Are ancient in their youth again
Maybe it's a better thing
A better thing

To be more than merely innocent
But to be broken then redeemed by love
Maybe this old world is bent
But it's waking up
And I'm waking up

'Cause I can hear the voice of one
He's crying in the wilderness
"Make ready for the Kingdom Come"
Don't you want to thank someone for this?

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallalujah! Hallelujah!
Come back soon
Come back soon