It takes a Godly village...

Our church has usually held a dedication service for babies on Mother's Day.  I've always loved this service even before I had my kids.  There's nothing greater than looking at families who are making a commitment to raise their child in the church and to teach them about Jesus in their homes.  We did this with Cade when he was just a few months old and we got the privilege of standing in front of our congregation again with Lyla.

Lyla had stomach bug the week before so it was my biggest fear that she'd just vomit on the stage.  That would be a first!  

Anyways.  Enjoy the pictures and at the bottom I put what the commitment said.

Beautiful picture taken in front of new sanctuary.  (Thanks Beck for taking these pictures)

Most of the families.

As each child was called up there was a picture collage of the family and child.  Great idea!

Reading the vows.

Prayer by Pastor David.

 We didn't get to go celebrate afterwards since Lyla was still sick.  Y'all owe me a Mother's Day lunch!

Parent Commitment

Leader: Do you recognize your children as precious gifts of God and give heartfelt thanks for God’s blessing?

Parents: We do.

Leader: Do you now present your children to the Lord surrendering all worldly claims upon their lives in the hope that they will belong wholly to God?

Parents: We do.

Leader: Do you promise that with God’s help, you will bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, making every reasonable effort to build the Word of God, the character of Christ, and the joy of the Lord into their lives?

Parents: We do.

Leader:  Parents, will you, to the best of your ability and with God’s help, provide a loving family environment in which your child can grow in love and obedience to God?

Parents: We will.

Congregational Response

Leader: These parents have expressed their commitment to God to raise their children in the nurture of the Lord. Will you pledge your support and presence in times of joy and sadness and in times of growth and frustration. And will you partner with them to love, teach, and pray for their children.

Congregation:  We will.

Shaving Cream Fun!

When Lyla takes her morning nap I try to do something just with Cade.  I was brave this morning!  I pulled out some shaving cream I bought for such an occasion.  I took Cade's clothes off...I thought I was so prepared.  It never really started off innocent.  I thought he'd just like to smoosh the cream around the table  and play with it.  Well it went straight to his tummy.  Then he started to smack the globs on the table which sent shaving cream flying across the kitchen!  Really!  It went all the way to the sink.  At least it smelled good...something that my kitchen could use.  

 

Cade said he wrote his name.  C-A-D-E!

How does it get on his nose and eyelash?

He's starting to get a little more adventurous...I'm getting worried!

Thankfully he's pretending to eat it...

 I turned around and then the shaving cream had been rubbed all over his legs and feet...So I picked him up and put him outside.  I've learned my lesson.  We'll start outside next time.

Now, this is fun!

just about every inch of him is covered.  He liked to make hand and footprints in the grass!

Unfortanetly, he didn't pretend this time.  He put his finger in his mouth...then used his other hand (which was full of shaving cream) to wipe it out.  I got a squirt bottle of water and cleaned out his mouth.  YUCK!

Handprint!

What I came back to when we came inside!! 

May Photo Challenge!

I've seen other people do monthly photo challenges and they always looked so fun!  I really hope I can keep up with it.  Basically, someone out there creates a list of things you need to take photos of on certain days.  I'm trying not to look ahead so that I can try to appreciate what's around me rather than searching for the "right photo". I'm probably going to use my IPhone to take the pics so I don't have to "plan" my photos when I'm out and about, but I will have fun changing the setting with Instagram!!  It's amazing what you can do with just a phone.  Here's the link if you want to join me.  It's not too late.

May1: Peace. So I found out about this photo challenge at 10:30 pm on May 1.  So Ithought hmmm...what's the most peaceful thing right now.  Oh yeah, my kidssleeping!  I actually turned on the lights in both their rooms so I couldget a good picture.  Neither moved a  muscle.  Praise the Lordfor great sleepers!  I check on them before bed every night.  I couldstare at them sleeping all day.

May2:  Skyline.  Thisphoto was taken on McKinney Falls road.  It's where my school is and wherethe Police Academy is.  This is my 6th year at this school and I havealways loved the views.  There are always fields of beautiful flowers(weeds as my dad likes to remind me).  These are just some of thesunflowers.  On the other side of the street is a view of downtown, but Ididn't want to go across traffic.  This looks more calming anyway

May 3: Something you wore today.  These are my all time favorite sandals.  I wore them today with old jeans and a t-shirt and sometimes I've worn them with formal dresses!  They can dress up or dress down any outfit!! Fave!!

May 4:  Fun!.  Cade's friend, Bishop came over to play today and boy do these boys know how to play!!  It always involves fighting over toys, but they still giggle.  Bishop things everything Cade does is so funny. 

May 5:  Bird.  There was no way I was going to get a picture of the beautiful birds in our backyards with just my iPhone, so I decided to use my little man for this picture.  We taught Cade lots of sign language that I had learned in college.  He has remembered it so well.  This is his version of the sign for bird.  It is really supposed to just be two fingers that look like a bird's beak, but he's always used his whole hand.   

May 6:  You.  So, I didn't feel like taking a picture of myself today, but I did take a picture of one of my favorite pictures of myself.  I've never been more joyful than when I was pregnant.  This is when I was 8 months pregnant with Lyla. 

May 7:  Someone that inspires you.  I was going to sneak in and take a picture of Ryan while he was studying, but I wasn't sneaky enough.  I knew that this time would be rough while Ryan was in the Academy, but his attitude about this time has been great!  He wanted to do this and he's really doing it!  He studies so much and plans time to be with the family as well.  There isn't "extra relaxing" time that Ryan used to enjoy alot.  I know one day this will all pay off!

May 8:  A smell you adore.  This is a gardenia from my dad's bush in his front yard.  Both houses I lived in as a kid had gardenia bushes.  When they bloomed we used to love to cut the flowers and give them to friends and neighbors.  My dad brought several to my house and they make my kitchen smell great!!  So much better than dirty diapers, spit up and vomit!

May 9:  Something you do every day.  Think about my mom!  Some days I think about many of the positive things my mom taught me and the things that I plan on teaching my children.  I also think about all the things I never got to ask her.  As a mom I have so many more questions for her. 

May 10:  A favorite word.  I found this Bible verse that my mom had written down and put in my softball bag when I was in high school.  These words speak volumes to me now!  I know she meant for me to find this today!  So, my favorite word today is "The Word. The Holy Bible"

May 11:  Kitchen.  I would have been crazy to take a picture of my kitchen since it only stays clean for about 3 minutes a day!  So, I took a picture of my 3 walls in my kitchen.  I painted these a while back while Ryan was working at the Fireworks stand and I just needed a change.  I love it!  People ask me about it all the time.  I'm not sure if it's because they like it or don't like it, but I really like it!

May 12:  Something that makes you happy.  These are my friend Angela's boys.  I've loved these boys before I had my own kids.  I love watching them play with Cade and Lyla.  They are so sweet to them.  This is Spencer driving a Jeep with Cade in the passenger seat and Dawson sitting on the "trunk"  Cade was really having fun he just hates taking pictures right now.  Spencer prentended to turn on the radio and all the boys were singing and dancing!  I am going to miss them so much!

May 13: Mum.  I'm so thankful for these two "tots".  They are my life and my joy!  Happy Mother's Day to me!

May 14: Grass.  I've never been more thankful for grass in my life.  Cade loves to play in the water and in the sand.  Last summer it meant lots of mud because some of our grass had died.  I'm so thankful that Ryan put some seed and some new grass down!!!  This summer will still be full of water but no MUD!!!

May 15: Love.  That's my man!! :)

May 16:  What you're reading.  Thanks to one of my many English teacher friends, I'm reading The Help on my iPad!

May 17:  A Snack  Lately Cade has wanted peanut butter and pretzels for his snack.  He puts them on his giraffe chair and then sits on his little stool. 

 

 

Lyla 8 months

Even though Lyla's baby book is only a little bit filled out and Cade's is ridiculously thick, I have done better at capturing photos of the different stages.  Since the kids are exactly 18 months apart I wanted to take a picture of them together so I could look back and compare.  I started when Lyla was 1 month old and Cade was 19 months.  He cooperated much better back then.  It's so hard to get pictures because I'm worried about Lyla falling off and I can't keep Cade there...but it does make for some fun pictures.  (These pics are taken on my desk from when I was a kid.  It's turned on its side so it can be a bench)

I put Lyla there thinking she'd lure Cade into sitting by her.

Well he got close...notice the chalkboard is already out of the picture.

I put the chalkboard back real quick and then they were both trying to escape.

And, now they are both standing up.  Can't believe she was able to stand up and stay there.

Lyla loves to climb.  Here she is climbing on Cade's "new road".  She has also started climbing up the stairs.  I guess it's time to start closing our baby gate again.

All she wants to do is crawl.  She doesn't care where she is.  So, if we are outside she wants to play in the dirt, grass, sand, water, and mud.  And of course, eat it all.

I also take pictures every month of Lyla by herself in the nursery chair.  Boy has she grown.  She also loves her baby doll that she got for Christmas.  Notice her tongue.  She has started this weird tongue face...odd and cute.

And, the monkey picture.  I have a picture of Cade with the monkey as he was growing and I also have one with Lyla every month.  Most of them she looks like this...crying.

Here's a happy face.  She loves to laugh at Cade.

Lyla:  8 Months

I put everything in my mouth.

I can crawl super fast.

I like to bear crawl, too.

I eat table food and love it!

I had my second stomach bug and second ear infection this month.

I started shaking my head no and Cade likes to copy me.  Or maybe I'm copying Cade.

I sleep all night long and take 2 naps during the day.

I was dedicated at church this month.

I can stand for a few seconds at a time without holding on to anything.

I flew a kite.

I like music.  I bounce up and down and shake my "booty" as Cade calls it.

I like to take Cade's toys and put them in my mouth.

 

Watch me grow....