"Awwwww...."

"You guys are soooooooo cute!!!".  I should have warned My friends that those are the words they would hear ALL DAY LONG when they asked me to take their engagement photos.  I warned them that I had no idea what I was doing and that I couldn't guarantee anything, but I didn't know they would be subject to my gushing all day long as well. 

I've known Justin and BreAnna since they were little kids (yes BreAnna, I remember you arguing with Sarah about who got to sit on my lap!), and it has been such an honor to be a part of their lives as the Lord has led them together.

Awwwwwwww!  I'm saying it again.  I just can't help myself!  They are sooooooooo cute!!!

Baby #3

I'm long over due with this update (of course pun intended!).  The third baby cousin to join us this year was born on July 1st and yes, IT'S A BOY!!!  With eight King grand daughters the first grandson was born to Benjamin and Melissa. 

Here is our ADORABLE nephew, Micah William.

I'm a heart broken auntie over here as I have yet to smooch this precious little boy.  We love you so much Baby Micah (or "Mitah" as Ella calls you!).

One more baby to come, but this time we know who's coming!  Andrew and Hannah's baby is due mid September and we can't wait to see this little blessing!

I Love Camping!!!

Last week we went camping.  Just our family and my sister, Anna.  It feels like it had been ages since we had been camping.  I love camping.  I think I could live in a tent and cook over a camp fire all summer long.  There is something magical about stripping away all of the "extras" in life and just enjoying every moment with the people I love most in the world.

Esther was just an infant last time we went camping so this was the first trip she was really "participating" in it.  She was a great little camper except for the fact that she did not like sleeping in the tent.  By the end of the trip I felt a bit like a zombie from lack of sleep.  A happy zombie though.

We camped up at Yellow Bottom which has a great water area.  Plenty of deep swimming with tons of shallow play space.  Also an endless supply of rocks to throw into the river.  The girls loved it and we spent two full afternoons at the river.  Miraculously no one got sunburned!!!

Camp life was great!  There were lots of trails to explore and great places for hide and seek.  The girls loved roasting marshmallows, riding bikes and drawing the trees around them.

There's nothing as great as a "Morning Bethany".  With her great big grins and her head of curls she makes every day start fabulously!

One of the best parts of camping for all of us are DOUGH BOYS!!!

My friend Theresa introduced them to be when I was a teen and now we have them for EVERY breakfast EVERY camping trip!

The most wonderful thing about camp is of course, spending such fun, quality time with my favorite people in the whole world.  Nothing brings me more joy then being with my family.

It was such a blessing to have Anna with us.  She is one of my best friends, a super Monopoly player and a great hair washer.  Yep, no showers.  Next best thing is a sister to wash your hair for you!

My favorite, FAVORITE part of camping was hanging out with my very best friend.  David left the day after we came home for a week of camp, so it was so precious to have this extra time with him.

As our family grows and our campsite fills up, camping in no way becomes more hectic and draining.  It become more fun and enjoyable every time we go as more and more of us catch the camping bug.  I can't wait until next time!

Drive By Posting!!!

Today is an example of drive by posting!!!!  After the conference we hit the ground running and the next couple of weeks are not slowing down much.  Last week we were,

Cleaning up the house...



Enjoying crazy hair day at VBS...

Eating pink oatmeal (food coloring makes everything more fun!)...

Rolling down the hill in a barrel with Daddy....

And learning to CLIMB!!!

In the next week we are planning on visiting great-grandparents, picking blueberries and raspberries, going grocery shopping for the month, painting the house, swapping the girl's bedroom, going to the parade, going camping, getting ready to send Daddy off to camp and stocking up on artichokes and chocolate to get Mommy through a week without Daddy.  We'll see what actually gets done!

During the summer months I am notorious for being scarce on my blog.  I'm hoping to do better this year, but we'll see how it goes.  Hopefully I will at least be drive by posting as often as I can!!!

Thank You!!!

Thank you all for your prayers for me at the conference this weekend.  I felt totally covered in peace and the Lord really blessed that time.  I was so encouraged by the entire conference and am so excited to implement the things I was challenged in!

Welcome to those of you I met at the conference!  You were such a blessing to me and I can't wait to get to know you better!

It feels so glad to be back home with my girls, where I belong!

Taking Advantage of the Pre-School Years~ Part 9

There are a few more random ideas I'll be adding, but that is mostly what I'll be sharing.  Here's my brief sum up;  Remember~

• Remember and believe that children are a blessing and a reward from the Lord.  Don't let any other way of thinking come into your mind!
• That we are aiming our children towards a goal.  Our goal should be children who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and to love their neighbor as their self.
• That nothing else should take higher priority over our ultimate goal.
• The pre-school years are the foundation of your children's lives.
• Train obedience as top priority
• Build in them a heart of obedience as you draw their heart close to yours
• Tie those heart string!  And beware of cutting them!
• Love your children, and teach them what real love is.
• Teach your children to learn.
• Teach them the truth.  Make sure they know the truth about God.
• Teach your children scripture.

Please be praying for me as I speak at the conference on Friday.  I really am not a speaker and am feeling dreadfully nervous.  For some reason my body thinks I should stop breathing while I speak and that never turns out very well.  All I want is for God to be glorified and for other moms to feel encouraged.  Please pray that the Lord can use me however He desires!

Taking Advantage of the Pre-School Years~ Part 8

Yesterday we talked about the importance of teaching your child to learn, how using the "whys" are a great opportunity and what not to teach your children.  Today we're going to talk about what things we should purpose to teach them!

The first thing that we purpose to teach our babies (yes, I said babies!) is that God made them.  And not only them but the world around them.  When our girls are very first learning to talk we ask them at every opportunity, "Who made you?". "Gaaaa!" they reply (meaning God!).  "Who made the stars?" while pointing at the stars. "Gaaaa!".  "Who made these flowers?".  "Gaaaa!".  "Who made your toes?".  "Gaaaa!". 

We want our children to see God's hand in everything around them.  Many children grow up feeling that God is separate from their own personal lives, then they have to work as they get older to believe that God truly cares about them and every detail that goes on in their lives.

 Children learn by repetition, so we must purpose to repeat over and over and over the things we want them to know without a doubt.  Tell them all the time how God loves them, how He made them with purpose, how He died for their sins.  Don't wait.  Teach them the truths about God before any other way of thinking settles in.

You would be surprised how early children are ready to start hiding scripture in their hearts.  In fact it is usually the littlest ones who pick up the new verses the quickest.  When we are consistently working on verses it is astounding to me how easily they can learn God's word.  Take advantage of this amazing opportunity to fill their little heads with scripture!  Nothing could be more valuable.  It is so helpful when it comes to training your children too.  "Why do we work diligently?  Remember how Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord"?  This is a "whatever you do" so we need to work at it with all of our heart!". 

Faithfully learning and reviewing scripture is so valuable, not only for the kids but for Mom too!  Take advantage of this time!



There are many ideas or thoughts that we want to be "normal" for our girls that are not normal in the world around them.  We want our girls to enjoy each other and be best friends. So we talk all the time about how much we love our sisters, how blessed we are to have friends built into our family, how much we miss each other when we are apart.  If we teach them that their sisters are annoying, they will believe their sisters are annoying.  If we teach them their sisters are a blessing, they will believe their sisters are a blessing.

Be careful what you are teaching.  Regardless of what our words say, our attitudes and actions say much, much more.  I feel like I'm telling my girls constantly to talk nicely to each other.  Yet over and over I'm catching them talking bossy and impatiently and in a voice that sounds a little- wait! Like mine. 

No matter what I tell my children, what I live out will be what they really learn.

So to sum up, teach, teach, teach!  But make sure it is the same thing you are living!