Shutterfly!

As I have been preparing for Christmas, I have found some great ideas and great deals through Shutterfly! They have a large selection of Christmas cards, and this year they give you the option of printing them on cardstock (as apposed to photo paper) which I think is a very sophisticated look. You can find the selection of holiday photo cards here, and if you are running out of time, you can view their selection of new years cards here. I'm a fan of the square shape card, but I also like the folded ones too.

Also, Shutterfly has great gift ideas for those who enjoy photos. (Who doesn't?) I have a friend who just ordered a puzzle for her husband with a picture from their wedding on it. Great idea! Of course, Shutterfly's photo books are always a great choice! You can make them playful or elegant. Another neat idea (even for yourself) is their Christmas ornaments. You can put a picture on an ornament and have a memory of this year hanging on your tree for years to come! I may have to implement this tradition for our own family!

Although I haven't used Shutterfly a whole lot in the past, I am planning on trying something new in 2011. I take too many photos and had the goal last year to get up to date with all my printed pictures. Well, I had to buy six photo albums (holding 250 pictures each) just to catch up over the last two years of not printing. I don't think we can afford to continue buying this many photo albums, nor will we have a home large enough to house them all. So...I've decided to make photo books (hopefully i condense it into one or two) for each years' photos. I'm excited because I can work on it all year long (saving it online), and then order it at the end of the year!

Happy shopping!

Remembering the little things

I have been accused before of being overly sentimental. It's true-I can be. But, when it comes to children, can you be too sentimental? Just yesterday as I was cleaning up around the house, I was reminded of how horrible I've been lately with recording all the kids' latest and greatest. Everyone knows how quickly time flies and how swiftly children change, but I also know how clumsy my memory is. I don't want to forget how Sam says "kichen" for chicken and "catchet" for jacket. I don't want to forget how he laughs and says "that funny mama". I don't want to forget Cole's look when he gets caught eating his toes or the sweet way he holds my face when we lay side by side. Oh, how i treasure these little things!

Thank you, Lord, for my children! I love them so much...

and to think that You love them even more.

Cole at 5 months

Cole is already five months old!

Here are some of his latest and greatest:

• He is still the most content and happy baby I've ever met. What a blessing that he is MY son!
• Cole is now refusing to take bottles. That little stinker is mommy-dependent, so mommy doesn't go too far for too long. I keep thinking, "it's just for a season."
• He is officially a thumb-sucker! He found it pretty early on, and is now attached.
• He found his toes about two weeks ago. I forget about these fun little milestones.
• He's a big boy (compared to Sam)-now wearing 6-9 month clothes.
• I have been soaking in more sweet moments than i did with Sam, knowing how fast these little guys grow. My favorite is after his last feeding at night, he falls asleep in my arms. We linger together before i put him in his crib.
• No one can make him laugh like his big brother...no matter how hard i try.

Sam continues to grow and change as well. However, he is still just as silly! He is in the midst of the "terrible two's," trying to prove that the stereotype is every bit real. It's wearing us out--extremely sanctifying! He continues to love music (playing his guitar, his drums, and singing...i love to hear him sing). I've learned over the last few months that he has a very serious shy streak. When he enters an unfamiliar environment, his little body gets paralyzed. I used to think he was being defiant, but now I am trying to offer patience. How could i forget, Sam is now wearing big boy underpants! I didn't know if we'd make it through the week of potty training, but we survived...barely. Sam also eats up every minute his daddy is home...mommy's boy turned daddy's boy? Nah!

I love that he loves to read his Bibles...

The following is a video of Sam and Cole having some brother time. The second video is for laughs...

Our happy baby...

Cole is such a content and happy baby--what a joy! He has been smiling a lot lately and is starting to coo. His little noises never get old! After watching Sam grow into a little boy, I know these tender moments with Cole will wisp away way too fast. I'm trying to enjoy every second, even if that means the laundry piles up and the house is left messy.

Thank you, Lord, for my two precious boys!

Sam is TWO!

So hard to believe that my baby boy is now two. We planned a party in Georgia but decided to nix our trip when Cole was in the hospital. Scott and I made sure he had a BIG day here in MB. Sam woke up to decorations and airplane pancakes (he loves airplanes).

Scott took him to "Wee Jump", an indoor playground, before lunch then brought him home for a big bubble bath to wash all the germs away.

When Sam woke up from his afternoon nap, we gave him a few gifts including a tricycle!

He was excited to get on it...

...but not excited to get off.

Our friends, Kevin and Kelly Hill (and Olivia), had us over for dinner to continue the celebration. It was a fun-filled day!

A tiny glimpse into our day...

Sam is enjoying inside activities during these cold winter days.

A New Year

We did not anticipate greeting the new year from Conway Medical Center. Cole was struggling to breathe New Year's Eve, so Scott and I took him to the ER. After lots of tests (blood test, urine analysis, x-ray, and spinal tap), we were admitted in the hospital. It was a scary experience seeing Cole so weak and watching his little body be poked and punctured all over the place. It was a sight no mommy ever wants to see. Cole was diagnosed as having RSV (a respiratory virus) and was given antibiotics, breathing treatments, and kept on oxygen for a couple of days. He was taken off oxygen early Saturday morning, and we were released to go home Sunday. We will be going back for a follow up appt. tomorrow to make sure we are

in the clear.

God was so gracious throughout it all and gave us sweet reminders of His presence in our lives. For example, the male nurse's name (that we saw in the ER) was Tobias. I asked him about his name-where it came from, what it meant, etc. He shared that its origin was Hebrew and meant "one who knows the Lord is good". How appropriate. My sweet husband had just been reminding me of this truth on the drive to the ER. God IS good ALL the time. Our circumstances do not change that fact. God is also committed to our sanctification, and He knows my attention is quickly gotten when it comes to my children. So... although I would not choose to go through this again, I cannot doubt my God's faithfulness. He has proven it time and time again.

Of course, I have given Cole extra love these last few days and squeezed Sam a little tighter. Ultimately, I have had to reevaluate my heart and ask myself: Do I cling to the gifts God has given me more than I cling to the giver of the gifts-God Himself? Also, I am reminded that my children are really His children given to me for a time. I must trust Him with their lives.

Nothing like starting a new year with a sharpened awareness of who God is and how helpless I am without Him.