Amazing isn't it?

Doesn't it just amaze you how fast a child grows in just a few short years?

We bring home a new baby with hope and anticipations of who they are and who they will become. We love to hold them and feed them. We get excited when they get their first tooth or when they start reaching all those milestones. Sometimes it seems like we hurry them through each of those milestones...I have come to realize after having my fourth child that I find myself saying stop, wait, no don't grow so fast. Hunter is already 4 months and moving right along and I have enjoyed each of those milestones he is hit but at the same time I know each stage doesn't last long and I want to savor it as much as possible.

Lucas, my first son, my how you have grown. Such a sweet natured little baby to such a big boy!
Here he is just a few weeks old, so tiny and new.
Here he is soon to be three in February...


He went from tiny babe to a potty training big boy who likes to: hug and kiss...sing Jesus Loves Me...talk to everyone...wave to everyone...just full of personality...slow to boil but when he does watch out! I can only hope and pray for him as he grows that he will continue to have such a loving spirit and that he will come to know Jesus and share Him with that loving spirit.

Some good friends of mine, Sandy & Diane, threw me a baby shower while I was pregnant with my second son, Hunter. They gave me a book "Bless your Children Every Day" by Dr. Mary Ruth Swope. The book is a compilation of blessings which the author put together as she blessed her grandson. I have enjoyed reading the blessings and using them to bless my own children in the different areas of their lives. What I enjoy most about this book is that there are scripture references to go along with the blessings.

So today I will write the blessing from the book that I prayed for my son Lucas today and maybe it might just encourage you to pray and bless your own children and grandchildren.

"In the Name of Jesus Christ: I bless you with the deep desire to love God with all your heart and with the will and the ability to do so all the days of your life. I bless you, too, with the deep desire to love both your parents with true affection for as long as you live. Loving God first and your parents next will undoubtedly lead to your loving yourself and your neighbors as yourself. I bless you with this kind of love. I bless you with the understanding to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ for you. Today I flood you with the knowledge of how precious you are to God, to your family, and to your friends. Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12, John 3:16;15:10, Ephesians 3:17-19, Romans 8:38-39"

Where have the past 4 1/2 months gone?

I really let time get away from me...So much has gone on in the past 4 months and the last thing I do is update this blog! I guess in the age of facebook most people already know what the coming and goings of my life are...but for those of you still following let me update...

As of July, my last post, we have spent a lot of time getting to know the ins and outs of our newest blessing Hunter! God has truly blessed us with 4 amazing children and each one of them very different in their own special and unique way. Hunter is a very laid back baby and so observant of the things around him. July 4th we spent with friends at Parris Island! Hunter did not seem to mind the fireworks! We also spent the July days at the pool for Hannah, Lilly, and Lucas' swim lessons! They love the water and it shows!

The kids and I spent most of August traveling around! We visited with friends and family in Virginia. We took in the beautiful scenery of Sideling Hill in Maryland! The kids got to see their Great Grandma Victoria in West Virginia. Then we traveled the country roads of West Virginia and Ohio to go to a cousin's wedding in Dayton. The kids got to spend some time with the Gonsorcik side of the family! After the wedding we drove to Kentucky and went to the Creation Museum! That was a lot of fun! It was cool watching Hannah put together the pieces of History according to God's Word that we spent learning about in her 1st grade year come to life. After that we drove back to Ohio to visit the Cincinnati Zoo! We had loads of fun feeding the giraffes! We continued our journey back to Virginia then back to good ol' SC ! Daddy missed all of us! He did get to play some golf while we were away!

In September we started back up with all our seasonal activities! Hannah began her 2nd grade school year! Lilly started doing some Pre-K level work! Awanas, Kid's Life, CBS and Children's Choir began! Also this month Hannah started cheerleading for the county and Lilly started playing soccer! Our days and weekends began to fill up! Hannah enjoyed cheerleading and Lilly has found that maybe soccer isn't the sport for her! Both girls are doing an amazing job at learning and memorizing God's Word through Awanas! Hannah is loving the art and home economics class through Kid's Life! And Hannah and I both are discovering so much as we walk through our lessons in Revelation at CBS! Lilly is loving Genesis Choir! She loves singing and music and it makes my heart melt to hear her lifting to praises to our Almighty God! Nothing could be better than to her the voice of a child praising the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! On another note...it was also in September that we learned that we would be taking orders to Norfolk, Va in the Spring of 2010. Wayne is to be heading to the USS Iwo Jima. This brought a lot of emotions in our household. We are very touched that Wayne is headed to this particular ship because it holds many memories of person we lost just a little over a year ago. We also struggle with the idea of leaving a place and the people in that place that we have come to know and love dearly! This is where we built our lives and have grown but on the other hand God is moving us for His Purpose and His Glory and I hold onto that for comfort. It is also nice that we will be a lot closer to friends and family. That 8 hour drive one way was beginning to take a toll on our van!

October began just as busy as September. The kids and I took a quick trip to Virginia to attend a 1yr old costume birthday party! While we were there we visited the pumpkin patch and apple orchard! We beat feet back home and Lilly had her very first choir performance! Mommy and Daddy are super proud of her! Hunter continues to grow by leaps and bounds and has even cut three teeth! It is hard to believe that he is four months! He isn't the only one growing...Lucas is becoming such a boy! He is potty training and doing quite well! We have just really enjoyed spending time together as a family! Wayne and I went to the Navy Ball and had the opportunity to meet Philip Brashear. Philip is the son of Carl Brashear, the first African American to become a Navy Diver. October was filled with many activities and fall happenings!

Now we move into November and our schedule begins to fill up again. The adult choir has really begun to prepare for the Christmas Musical, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and before you know it it will be Christmas! I continue to reflect on God's Work in our lives. I am reminded that God's Hand is in everything and I should do all things for HIS Glory! I am not perfect and never will be and apart from God I can nothing but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So I leave you with this...

Philippians 2:1-18

¹Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

²make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

³Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

⁵Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

⁶who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

⁷but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

⁸Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

⁹For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

¹¹and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹²So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

¹³for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

¹⁴Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

¹⁵so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

¹⁶holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

¹⁷But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

¹⁸You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.