As I sit down to write this, I’m thinking about time.  I’m thinking about how much I have to get done in the few hours left in the day.  I’m thinking about how little time we have and how fast time goes by – which leads me to thinking about my precious family.  My boys, who are equally my heart, my everything!  I could write about all the new and exciting things we’ve been going through, like all the cool things Evan does now and Caden’s first lost tooth, but all that will have to wait until next time.  Right now I am on a mission to lift up my first born, Caden (and yes, we call him our first born because he is.  You can read all about that here.)

Caden started VPK last week and he’s done amazingly well.  When I walked him to his classroom on that first day, I was more nervous than he was.  I leaned against the door frame, while he rushed over to his seat.  I stood there for a moment just waiting (and maybe hoping) for him to turn around and run back to me, to cling to my legs and ask me not to go.  In a way, I wanted him to need me like he once did. As I watched him engage in child conversation with his new friends, I could see all the wonderful things he’d grow up to be.  It was a beautiful, bittersweet moment.

Soon I accepted that he would be okay and with a last wave goodbye, I turned and started down the hallway.  A few seconds later I heard a sweet voice yell “Mama…”, followed by small but loud footsteps coming toward me. I turned around only to be met by a little boy clinging to my legs, hugging them as tight as he could.  He looked up at me and said, “I want YOU to pick me up after school is over.”   That moment was a gift from God – a sweet reminder that he’ll always need me, even if his needs change.

Our sweet Caden is growing up and even though he is still only four, we realize more than ever that these little boys we are raising will one day be men with families of their own (God willing).   Our actions today will help mold them into the men they’ll become.  Even the most insignificant things are building blocks to their morale structure.  So while time continues to fly by, my goal will be to stop and enjoy the small moments in life!

I can’t believe 2010 is already here. I feel like I just finished putting up all the beautiful Christmas decor. I love transforming our home into a winter wonderland (despite living in Florida) that glorifies Jesus – the reason for the season!

There is something magical that happens when the family gathers around the tree to place all the beautiful ribbons, ornaments and little trinkets that remind us of years gone by.

Christmas arrangements, garland, and mistletoe fill our home for the holiday season!

I love to use scented candles to help complete the Christmas feel.

I absolutely adore this beautiful and unique nativity set. This year I displayed it within our china hutch. I love how it looked at night with just the overhead light.

Caden is doing quite well. He’ll be turning three in February which means he’ll be ready to move up in school. He went through some extensive testing and we learned that we have a little genius on our hands. Considering that Caden was premature and expected to have some learning disabilities, he’s proven once again that God is the ruler over all!

Baby number 2 (who has a name that we are keeping a surprise) is still baking. He’s quite healthy and is very active (especially at night). He loves to cuddle up to his daddy and he gets quite excited when mommy sings on Monday’s and Sunday’s. We feel incredibly blessed by our children already – God is SO good!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures of our Christmas Open house! We wish each and every one of you a safe, happy and healthy 2010!

We took our young adult church group (YACHT Club) from FCCS to Rock the Universe this year.  It was another great year of listening to some pretty awesome christian music…Casting Crowns, Group1crew, Plumb, Barlowgirl, Toby Mac, Pillar and so on…

We attended all three days of the concert shows, filling our mornings with the attractions at Universal and Adventure Island.

Again, Caden was super excited to see the cool characters they had roaming around.

Cassie, Caden and Spiderman.

Cassie volunteered to take Caden up, since he was a little scared to go on his own.  Caden didn’t get the memo to look at mommy’s camera!

Eric, Caden and Dr. Suess

Caden’s grandma Tracy got him a few of the Dr. Suess books, along with the stuffed animal of the Cat in the hat and Mr. Brown cow.  So, he was quite familiar with these characters.

Caden, Eric and the Grinch

Overall, it was a fun time and we were so blessed by the entertainment and the fellowship.  It’s always great to see your kids happy, and to have a renewed heart through praise and worship!

Caden, enjoying some good music!

Eric and I celebrated 5 years of marriage this Saturday. We had a lovely time just focusing on each other. Eric booked us a night at the hotel we stayed at on the beach the day after we got married. It features a lovely restaurant that overlooks the entire beach strip and ocean. It actually spins (quite subtle) and is quite expensive but definitely the spot to celebrate L-O-V-E!

Plus, we got a night alone because a good friend stayed with Caden overnight in our home so that was extra nice!

On Saturday we celebrated by going to the Melting Pot – fondue galore! Yummy stuff. We told each other next time we’ll just get dessert! (It was so delish!!!!!)

I can’t believe its been 5 years! They have flown by but I wouldn’t trade them for the world – even with all the ups and downs.

Love you Eric!

Please check out the blog my family set up for my uncle Paul who endured a tragic accident this month. http://pauldhamilton.wordpress.com/

Prayer Needs:

- The Lord will comfort the family as they continue to stay by Paul’s side.
- The Lord will keep Aubin (who is expecting a baby very soon) calm, positive, and healthy!
- The Lord will comfort Paul and show mercy on his body and mind.
- Paul will recover from all the surgeries he’s had to endure.
- For the family of the person who lost their life in the accident.

(There are more and you can view them on the site!)

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy Valentines day.

While many couples focus on their love for each other, we need to remember to take time to thank our Lord for the divine love He has for us. Each and every day He shows His love in ways we could never imagine. It’s hard to believe that a love like that exists – but it does!

So happy V-day friends!

(On a side note, my hubby had a beautiful vase of flowers sent to the office. They looked amazing but he got an A+ for picking out an arrangement that came with a super cute vase. I’ll try to post pictures once I upload the photos I’ve been stocking away!)

Wow, it’s been a while since I last posted. Life has certainly kept me busy. If it weren’t for the fact that I am very sick I probably still wouldn’t have found the time to post. Caden brought home a lovely stomach virus that has all of us sick, including some of our close friends – I feel horrible!

Anyhows, there’s been a lot that has happened since my last post. Here’s a quick update:

- Trip to Michigan: We went to Michigan to visit our sister Lori. It was so nice spending Thanksgiving with her, Mike and Faith. Caden and Faith connected instantly and it was so nice just watching them loving each other. We decided we must make plans to move closer to each other – we’re thinking Tennessee…Georgia…or somewhere…anywhere but HOT Florida!

- Christmas: Our first Christmas with Caden- what a joy! Satan was surely at work this year trying his hardest to distract us but we couldn’t be detoured. Our focus stayed on Jesus and on our family & friends. What a blessing it was to share that moment with Caden. We spent time with family and friends. The day after Christmas we had a huge game night with a house full of friends. It was just what we needed considering the things we had endured earlier in that week. God DOES work in mysterious ways! Praise Yahweh!

- New Years: We didn’t do a big party this year. We just had a great time hanging out with some of our closest friends. We watched a movie and let off a few fireworks once midnight hit. Caden didn’t make it until midnight by the way – oh well!

- My Birthday: I have to give my hubby some mad props here. He planned a whole getaway trip for my Birthday. I wasn’t expecting anything really because we had already been off of work for like 2 weeks but Eric had something else in mind. He planned a trip to Disney Land and we stayed at the new Animal Kingdom Resort/Lodge. OH MY GOSH THIS PLACE WAS A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! We had animals right outside our balcony, giraffes, and zebras, etc. So neato. Caden was so excited to see all the neat animals. We also enjoyed Disney World. We went to the hollywood park since Caden is still a little too young to enjoy the rides. Next year will be different though!

If you look real close you can see the giraffe. I was on our balcony and they can literally come right up to you. I didn’t get any close up shots though – bummer!

That’s about it! Hope all is well with everyone. Until next time, be blessed and bless others!

Well, we are home! The trip was lovely. I was in absolute happiness driving and seeing all the scenery. The trees are so beautiful this time of year. Once your near the Florida state line, it starts to remind me of Kansas a bit. There are green fields, some hills, horses, cows, and trees that are more familiar. Not to mention that the temperature actually felt cooler. We got to wear jackets! Can you believe it?!?! So nice!

I told Eric on the way home that it would be nice to just pack up and move there. We had decided Savanna would be nice, until Eric reminded me of their crime rate! (How does someone know crime rates off the top of their head?!?!) So we’re staying in Florida, at least for now! (Wishful dreaming.)

Anyways, we’re happy to be home! The new van made the trip beautifully and Caden picked out a souvenir from Georgia. Surprisingly it made it home in one piece. (I’m talking about the leaf, in the rather blurry picture below!) What do you think?

When Caden first arrived, I converted to a huge (and I mean huge!) purse. I knew I’d have to carry a lot around and it would be so much easier to just be able to pack it all in my purse (since the diaper bag was full to the max already). It did come in handy but it came at a price. It was always heavy and very disorganized. If you know me well, you know that I am an organized person, I have OCD and enjoy things being clean. So while the purse was big it wasn’t convenient overall.

Now that Caden is a bit older and doesn’t really require as much, I decided to convert back to a medium sized purse. My back is so appreciative.

Here’s another snapshot of my new fall inspired purse. I’m going to attempt to keep this one receipt free (as I usually love to keep all my receipts stacked in my purse!) Look at how organized it is…just my style!