Happy Leap Day!

Today Makayla is three weeks old! It has already gone by so fast. Our family and household has been all out of sorts but we are surviving and I think we are starting to (sort of) figure it all out. We still have a ways to go but we are hopeful! :) Here are some pictures from her first three weeks...

1 week

2 weeks

First bath!

3 weeks

And of course, the rest of my sweeties... we needed a family outing by week 2, so we loaded up and went to the zoo! Makayla too (oh, the differences between your first and second...), but we didn't get a picture of her.

Makayla Alexandra

Born February 8, 2012 at 10:20 am, weighing 8 lbs. 6 oz. and 20.5 inches long. Makayla came two days before her due date and quite unexpectantly. I was a little bit in denial, thinking that I was probably not in labor. Thankfully, Rob got me to the hospital just in time to have Makayla an hour and twenty minutes later. We are so blessed and grateful for the gift of a third child! Life, as we knew it would be, has gotten just a little bit crazier.

Thank you to all our family and friends who have been such a huge help and encouragement to us!

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Psalm 127:3

Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy New Years!

I know I'm a little late, but I thought "better late than never", right? This year went by really fast and especially the last month or so. I was disappointed that I never got a Christmas card out. That was one thing that I had set my mind to do every year since Rob and I got married. A couple days before Christmas, when I still hadn't ordered one, I decided I would just do a New Years card and use some Christmas pictures... Well, I just had to forgive myself and let it go this year. It was pretty impossible to get a good picture of the kids, let alone our family. This is what most of our attempted photo sessions turned out like (and this is one of the better ones!):

At least Louis can sit still to take a good picture! :)

Handsome boy...

This was the best of the two of them...

And here is our one and only family picture. Sadly, it was right after the kids changed into their pj's... but at least we have one of all of us!

Here are some of our favorites from the last couple weeks...

And this is a picture from a little over a year ago that I thought was fun to compare...

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years!

Kinsley Jane

My little love...

so sweet...

Ready for some Kinsley overload??

we don't go anywhere without these sunglassess...

happy girl!

little lady...

My little helper (what did I tell you about the glasses? Yes, even at the grocery store!).

the newest "cousin", little Winston... how cute is he?!?!

As I am trying to prepare for another little girl, I can't help but feel a little emotional about how fast Kinsley is growing. She is at such a fun stage in her life right now and I want to just soak up every moment! I know it is going to fly right by. She is such a goof ball, full of energy, busy, busy, busy, and is the happiest little girl and loves to make people laugh. Recently she has just started laughing out of no where just to get you to laugh! She still isn't talking very well, or I should say, she isn't talking where you can understand her yet. She has lots to say and knows exactly what she is saying! Wherever we go, she wants to say hi to everyone and is such the social butterfly. She brings so much joy to our family...

This is why...

...it took me a little longer to have lunch ready this afternoon.

"Can I go back out, pleeease??"

Life...

...is moving ever so quickly. The verses in Psalms (39:5-6) have never been so real to me:

"You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain..."

Our life has seemed so crazy and busy in the last year and I know that most people feel this way. I struggle with being the mom and wife that I'm supposed to be. Our kids are growing so fast every day and I take each day for granted with them. Louis just turned 10 and I know this is the time that we have the most impact on him, that we should be jumping at every opportunity we have, but I struggle with it. Parenting is hard and I am so selfish... and here we are, about to have our third child, another girl, by the way! We are so excited and scared at the same time. I am in awe that God would give us another child when I feel like we aren't doing all that we should be with the two that we have. Children really are one of the greatest gifts!

I hope that sort of explains the lack of posts in the last couple of months. Here are some pictures to fill you in.

In August we went on a family vacation to the mountains!

Yes, Louis has a black eye.

We got to hang out with Rob's brother and his wife and meet sweet little Mina!

Baby Mina

Boating with cousin Danny

Turtleback falls with uncle John!

Louis finished up football (and started soccer!)

He made some good tackles and several touchdowns!

Playing outside...

... dressing up...

... and hiding in cabinets.

Playing with cousins and getting to see baby Caiden again!

We celebrated Louis' 10th birthday in September!

Oh and we can't forget the "little sister" who can wear her hair in pigtales now...

they don't last long though.