Keeping you posted...

Ha, sorry it's been so long... I have written out what I want to update, just haven't had a good hour to sit down and do it! Hopefully today will be that day :) Just as a teaser....

In just a couple hours 16" will be gone :)

That means no more pulling ridiculously long hairs out of everything-- and I mean everything!

Reading his Valentine

Bentley loved his Valentine's Day card and kept reading it over and over again. I was able to catch one! Enjoy!

L-O-V-E Celebration :)

Often we treat our guests better than our family. Establishing the habit of treating our family as we would guest will assist us in communicating our love to our family. Extending hospitality to our family allows them to reap the same blessings our guests receive in our home. Also, we are modeling for our children how to honor guests-- they learn from our example. Treating our family as guests also reinforces the concept of family first. - Practicing Hospitality

I'm currently in the process of reading Practicing Hospitality and loved the chapter on practicing hospitality to your family :) So, for Valentine's Day, I wanted to make all of them feel special and loved! I always have so much fun making things for all of them. It was a good excuse to use cute paper and glue sticks!

Breakfast: Heart shaped eggs and toast

She loves kisses!!
Abbi made Bentley this cute bow-tie!
We brought these cards to the NICU that Bentley was in and sent some to another NICU.

Lunch: Heart-shaped pb & strawberry jelly

Kids' dinner: Heart-shaped calzones -- they ate by candle light... they love that!
Homemade cinnamon sugar soft pretzels.
Our dinner: steak, potatoes, homemade pretzel garlic knots, She Crab Soup with a heart shaped bread/ cracker, and salad -- it was too much food!! It was sooo good :)
Our room :)
I love to decorate the mantle... it's the only thing it's really good for!
XxOoOOOx -- Our Nacho inspired banner of love!
The large hearts had our names on them :)
Our Valentine Cards
I hope my family felt L-O-V-E-D!!!

Restless

(This was the first time I got to hold Bentley after his birth. Feb 19th --15 days after he was born.)

Yesterday, I received a phone call from a dear friend that has brought back a flood of memories. It has caused my mind to be restless and prayerful. Yesterday morning, a friend from church gave birth to a baby girl named Adah. Immediately they noticed she was struggling to breathe and called EMS.

Adah has a tear in her lung and the hospital they were at did not have the machines needed to repair this tear. They transported Adah to another hospital last night, to perform a very serious surgery in which the lungs are bypassed and oxygen is put directly into the lungs. Sound familiar? All too familiar. Though we did not have to transport Bentley to another hospital, and the extent of the tear in his lung were fixable through inserting tube to pull out the excess air being leaked out of the hole, it's still close to home! Odd, providence, that we just celebrated Bentley's 3rd birthday last Friday, and I was looking at all the pictures of him in the NICU remembering. Remembering the smells of the hospital, all the beeping, the large machinery, the nurses, the tubes, the doctors, the time. Now, just 4 days later, we have a family in our church going through the "same thing".

I'm having to cool my jets, there are so many things that I want to say! So many things, that I am remembering. One of the things that came to my mind immediately was all the animosity towards those who chose to birth outside of a hospital. Every time I walked through the NICU doors I felt it. We were the gossip at the nurses station-- it's true, a year later at a OB appointment for Marseille they told me so. I questioned our choices by the comments and the looks on family members faces. These things were just as hard to endure as not having Bentley with me.

My heart is heavy for Jennifer. So many emotions and thoughts that I had when Bentley was born have become so much clearer now. I'm praying for all of them, for healing, but so much more for peace and grace. I know that all of them will come. God is so good. Even if Adah were to leave this earth and be with God, that is healing. As I continue to have a restless mind, I have a peace because He will take care of them so much more than my thoughts and words can.

Happy Birthday, Bentley!!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Bentley! We love you so much and are so grateful to have shared the past three years with you. We hope to have many more!! You are a blessing to our family. We are excited to see all that God has planned for your life :)

Birth:

1st Birthday:

2nd Birthday:

Yesterday, having a tea party with Marseille:

Bentley and Music

Bentley rocking out to his toe tapping music!

Our little boy loves music. And when I say love, I mean LOVE! Two instances in the past two weeks have confirmed this truth.

Last week, I put Danny's piano cd, the one he made when he was a teenager, on for the kids to go to sleep to. Bentley woke up sobbing. When I asked him what the matter was, all he said was, "The music."

"The music is making you sad?" I replied.

"No." he answered

"Is the music making you happy?" I asked just because.

"Yes." as he shook his head to confirm.

"Oh, but if the music is making you cry, how are you happy?" asking, but not knowing how he would respond.

"I love the music, it makes me cry." he said as he looked up with puffy eyes.

"Oh, I understand." I said and pulled him in for a hug.

I asked him later if he wanted me to put the same cd on for his nap and he said, "Yes." But he woke up crying again, so I haven't put the cd back on for him! Sweet boy, is just like his Daddy!

Here are couple of funnies:

Bentley: "What are we listening to?"

Me: "Bach"

Bentley: "Ah, Bok Choy!"

Last night Bentley was crying very hard after we put him to bed, which is not normal. We thought he was crying because we put band-aids on his thumbs so he will stop sucking them. Boy were we wrong! I walked over to his bed and softly told him, that he need to get self control so I could understand what he was saying.

"It's not Bok Choy!" he wailed.

"What?" Confused, I stopped and listened. We forgot to change the cd from their play time music to their sleeping music! He wanted Bach!

Bentley: Can we have Walking to the Wise? (Note: the cd is called Walking with the Wise)

Me: Yes

Bentley: Where is Walking to the Wise?

Me: I'm getting it.

Bentley: I love Walking to the Wise.

Bentley has his own Grooveshark playlist of all the songs he repeatedly asks me to play. Mind you, I had to figure out what songs he was talking about based off his titles! It took a while!

- Our God- Chris Tomlin (Bentley's title: The God is Stronger Song)

- Your Name High - Hillsong (Bentley's title: Ahh, ahh, ahh Song)

- Everyday - Sovereign Grace (Bentley's title: Thank you for the try Song)

- Praise the Lord - Sovereign Grace ( Bentley's title: Praise the Lord Song-- yay!)

- Taste and See - Sovereign Grace (Bentley's title: Taste and See Song)

- You Gave Your Life Away - Paul Baloche (Bentley's Title: You Gave Song)

- Stronger - Hillsong (Bentley's title: God is Stronger Song -- not to be confused with Our God!)

He is so much like Danny in that he wants to have music on at all times! Yet, I can not believe that actually listens to the words of the songs and tells me about them. I pray that he uses this gift and talent! Can you believe that he is going to be 3 of Friday?! I can't!

Molly Flanagan Photography Giveaway- Closed

Please like Molly Flanagan Photography on facebook and vote for a winner!!

My friend Molly is having a giveaway. As soon as you see her pictures you'll know that she's talented. I just entered and there is time for you to enter to. Check out all the details at

http://mollyflanagan.com/

Here are a couple of my favorites that she has done for me!