Homegrown Beans

A Pirate Birthday Party

2011-05-14T21:13:00.017-05:00

This year (since we are in the process of moving) we had a joint Birthday party for Joshua Stephen and Caleb. They picked a pirate theme and a jolly ole' time was had by all!

It's hard to believe my two Little Swash Bucklers are turning four and six years old this year.
They sure do grow up fast!

The mandatory Birthday boys with their cake picture.

I like to take lots of family pictures in front of the cake- can you tell?

Don't they look Tough!

A picture with some of our favorite party going swash bucklers.

Mary Beth sporting her Loot bag.

Caleb trying his best to blow out his big 4 year old birthday candle.

Joshua Stephen blowing some smoke now that he is 6 years old.

Getting ready for some pinata fun!

Joshua Stephen hanging with some of his favorite buddies- McKenna and Asher.

Opening all of their Loot.

We are sad to say that this was our last birthday party at our beloved Log Cabin. For the last 5 years we have been celebrating Bean Boy Birthdays Log Cabin style. Our party agenda is always the same: Cake, pinata, presents and some fake tattoos. One things for sure, we couldn't pull off a Bean Boy Birthday party without the help of some great friends. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for blessing our Boys with another very special Birthday party!

A Star Wars Halloween

2010-10-31T22:45:00.004-05:00

This year we had a Star Wars Halloween. Everyone dressed up as their favorite Star Wars character.

Here we are before all of the Trick-or-Treating festivities begin.

Joshua Stephen showing off his clone trooper protection skills.

Me hanging out with my favorite Trick-or-Treaters.

Daddy corralling the troops.

Ready to go collect some candy!

Princess Leia

2010-10-31T22:18:00.004-05:00

Here's our little princess dressed up as the beautiful Princess Leia.

My favorite part of her costume was her felt bun head piece. (Can't be Princess Leia without the buns.)

Snuggling with our little lady while doing a little trick-or-treating.

Daddy toting around his little princess. Next year she'll be walking, but this year she preferred to travel via our arms.

Here she is pointing to a piece of candy she wants.

Now she is expressing how bad she wants it.

A sweet picture of Mary Beth with her Daddy.

Jedi Anakin Skywalker

2010-10-31T22:12:00.003-05:00

Here's our cute little Caleb Drue dressed up as Jedi Anakin Skywalker.

He was supposed to dress up as Yoda, but he didn't wake up from his nap in a very good mood, so he decided that changes had to be made to his costume.

Here he is making his demands.

"I won't wear those Yoda ears- I just won't."

Good thing we think he makes a pretty cute Jedi Knight.

Our Clone Trooper

2010-10-31T22:09:00.005-05:00

Joshua Stephen dressed up as his favorite clone trooper Captain Rex.

Earlier this year when we asked Joshua Stephen what he wanted to be when he grows up, he said a Star Wars guy.

Here's our fearless clone trooper.

This year Joshua Stephen picked the theme for our Halloween- Star Wars. Once he decided to dress up as Captain Rex, Caleb followed suit and decided that he wanted to dress up like a Star Wars character also. (It seems like somebody wants to be just like their Big Brother.)

The Loot

2010-10-31T21:57:00.008-05:00

Here's just some of the Loot we collected this Halloween.
(Of course some of it disappeared before we even made it home.)

The boys taking inventory.

Trying to decide which piece of candy to have for their bed time treat.

Mary Beth had to examine everything very closely.

She had so much fun playing in our huge pile of candy.

Sampling some of the goods.

Trying to get a hold of Big Brother's favorite.

Herding Cats

2010-10-31T21:27:00.016-05:00

So what's life like with three kids age 5 and under? We often say it's a lot like herding cats. The pictures below give you just a little glimpse into what that sometimes looks like.

Kay-Kay really wanted to get a picture in front of this beautiful tree with it's gorgeous Fall colors.

Of course we couldn't get the boys to pose with us in the picture. But here's a closer view of us girls with the boys playing in the background.

Here's us trying to get a family picture. I think Kay-Kay and Dawson's faces express it best.

Upon closer look it looks like Caleb may be the instigator.

Surely I don't really look like that when I am lecturing my children about proper picture taking etiquette.

Here's the best family picture we could get: Caleb throwing a fit, Joshua Stephen in action, and Mary Beth looking the other direction.
(I think I need to learn how to do photo shop if we want some good family photos.)
I must say that even though life can be a little chaotic with three Little Ones, I absolutely love it!
I have come to learn to accept a certain level of chaos at all times. Life goes well when I openly embrace the chaos (knowing that it will only last for a season), and not so well when I expect everything to look and work out perfectly. I am so thankful for each of our kiddos. I love that they are close in age and also close with each other.
It may make for some crazy pictures, but it also makes for some fun memories along the way.

We did manage to get one good picture of Mary Beth with her biggest fans.

Thanks for a great visit Paw-Paw Kenny and Kay-Kay!

Delighting in our Darling

2010-10-31T21:27:00.011-05:00

Mary Beth had so much fun getting to hang out with her Kay-Kay.

She was so excited to show her Kay-Kay all of her new tricks and favorite toys.

She loved having some undivided attention.

Of course Paw-Paw Kenny had to get in on some good Mary Beth lovin'.

Mi Mi's Visit

2010-10-31T21:19:00.002-05:00

We were so blessed to have our Mi Mi come for a visit. Mi Mi came on a weekend that Dawson went out of town for a men's retreat and she was so helpful with all of the kids.

We had fun building a camp in the living room and then we even tried to get a little shut eye in our homemade bunks. But it didn't last long before we decided that we liked our real beds better.

Of course we had to make smores to go with our camp out theme.

Tom Boy in the making

2010-09-26T00:25:00.005-05:00

I just love this picture- it shows Mary Beth crawling through the dirt in one of her Sunday best dresses. My favorite part is the adorable bloomers she is showing off with her name monogrammed across the bottom.

Big Brother Joshua Stephen came and scooped up Mary Beth and took her to play in his fort (that he and his friends had just build) under the playground slide. And of course Mary Beth loved every minute of it.

Looking to Big Brother for direction (and some smiles).

Enjoying a little time digging and exploring.

Showing off her cute little pig tails.

I just love those bloomers!

The cutest little pig tails

2010-09-06T22:01:00.004-05:00

Aren't these the cutest little pig tails you have ever seen!?!
I think they look just adorable on our Sweet Little Mary Beth!

Today when she woke up from her nap, I decided to try putting pig tails in her hair for the first time. And to my amazement they turned out super cute.

As Mary Beth's hair grows it can some times looks a little wild and crazy. When Mary Beth is sporting her fly away hair look, we call her "Wanda the Wild Woman"- which always makes her smile.

Now that she has these cute little pig tails, we have been calling her our own "Little Pippy" (after Pippy Longstocking).
(Try to ignore the little boo-boo she got near her eye from accidentally bonking the coffee table.)

As I was finishing putting the pony tails in her hair, Dawson looked at her and said "She's going to look like a girl today". Of course, he had to do some explaining because I think our little Mary Beth looks like a cute little girl everyday.

And here's how cute her pig tails look from the back.

First Camp Out

2010-09-06T21:42:00.006-05:00

Tonight the boys are having their first real outdoor camp out with Dad. The boys practiced sleeping in the tent (which we set up in Joshua Stephen's room) last night, and they did great.

Here's the boys with their survival gear for their night in the great outdoors.

Camping just wouldn't be complete without a gun, a bow and arrow, a personalized bag full of sticks (homemade arrows) and an "All about alligators" book. Sounds like a Guys night to me.

We'll see if they get any sleep.

A date with Fire

2010-09-06T21:35:00.003-05:00

Here's Joshua Stephen with his favorite gal pal McKenna. It seems the sun rises and sets around McKenna (at least in Joshua Stephen's mind anyways). It's not often we make it through breakfast without Joshua Stephen asking when he will get to go and play with his favorite girl.

And it's easy to see why Joshua Stephen likes McKenna so much. Beside being an all around great girl, they have lots of the same interests. They both LOVE adventure and the outdoors (including all of it's wild life).

Here they are enjoying a fire they made together (with a little help from the Dads). This has been a long time dream for the two of them- to make a fire using sticks and leaves.

Caleb's First day of school

2010-09-06T21:05:00.002-05:00

Well, it's hard to believe my Baby Boy has started "Big Boy School". This year Caleb is doing the Little Pelican (3 year old) class at Big Brother's school. He was a little reluctant to get out the door, but excited all the same. He was not up for posing for pictures on his big day so I had to sneak some along the way.

My boys heading into school on Caleb's first day of class.

Caleb sporting his new back pack (that is just like Big Brother's big boy back pack).

At this point, Joshua Stephen turned to me and said "I'll take him into school Mom- you can go ahead and leave." I had to insist that I wanted to come with them for Caleb's first day of school. It is so sweet to see how Joshua Stephen looks after his brother. He is super excited to have Caleb at his school, and every day when I pick them up Joshua Stephen gives me a report on how Caleb did at school.

Caleb looking in the window at school.
When I took Caleb into his class for the first time I got to see just how different he is from his Big Brother. (Joshua Stephen is seldom shy and is always ready to jump into situations with new people- he is Mr. Outgoing.) Caleb on the other hand is a little more shy and reserved. When Caleb's teacher came and greeted us at the door he immediately hid behind my legs. He wouldn't go into the class room without me by his side, and he had no intention of letting me leave (I had to sneak out after he was playing happily with some new friends).

A fun picture Caleb's teacher snapped for me as I was dropping him off at class for the first time. I am so excited to have a picture of me and my baby on his first day of "Big Boy school".

Caleb enjoying the train table in his new class room.

Caleb talking with his teacher, Mrs. Kugler, and some fellow classmates.

One year portraits

2010-07-16T17:54:00.002-05:00

Waiting on God

2010-05-26T01:29:00.004-05:00

A little boy plays contently at the indoor playground. Every so often he looks up to find his father and occasionally he checks in for further instructions. “Don’t wander too far, or “make sure you are kind” are the words his Father echoes before the little boy is off to chase his friends around the playground equipment once again. Then the announcement is heard over the loud speaker “the playground will be closing in 5 minutes”. Parents swoop in and begin collecting their belongings and their children. Children begin to scatter in search of their parents. As his friends begin to depart, the little boy begins to look for his father. But he is no where to be found. Panic sets in. Where is his father? His Dad is the one who brought him here and now it’s time to go home. How will he get home without his Daddy?

A kind parent notices the expression on the little boys face and she stoops down to comfort him. She is a family friend, she knows the boy and his father well. “Oh, I am sure you’re Father will be right back Honey. You know he would never leave you all alone.” But her words do not comfort the boy. He begins to cry. Before long another friendly face has surrounded the boy speaking comforting words about the father’s great love for the boy. But again the boy refuses to be comforted and his weeping grows all the louder. The boy wants his Daddy, he refuses to be comforted by any other. He knows his Daddy’s character, that his father has never left him before but this time seems different. Why is he all alone?

The announcement is heard over the loud speaker once again, but this time it reports “The playground is officially closed and everyone must depart.” The little boy’s heart sinks further in his chest. Where is his Daddy, and why hasn’t he come for him? The kind friend stooping to comfort him assures him that he is more than welcome to come home with them until they can find his Dad. But the little boy longs for his Daddy, he wants only him. He wants to be comforted by the man who lovingly brought him to this place. Under normal circumstances the boy would be delighted to go home with his friends. If only that had been his father’s instructions, then the boy would leave with delight. But his father has vanished leaving him no further instruction. So the little boy sits and sobs and waits for his father to return. The longer he waits, the more he begins to doubt his father, and his love, and the character of the man he knows so well. He is confused and bewildered and he longs to be comforted by his father’s arms and warm embrace. Only his Father can right this situation and explain why this has happened.

And that is the picture of our lives right now. As I sat in the bathroom stall of our church sobbing, this is the image the Lord brought to my mind. How I am like a little child, powerless to do anything, longing for my Father to come and rescue me from my current situation. I could see it all so well through the eyes of the child the pain and disappointment I am feeling. Now more than ever I need my Father God to show up and comfort me. I feel like we came to seminary four years ago following our Father’s leading. We have seen His hand provide for us every step of the way, but now our time in seminary comes to a close. As we realized that the end of our time here was approaching we began asking our Father “what are we to do next”?

We have tried our best to discern his leading, we have worked hard to find a job/ calling for after graduation, but nothing has worked out. We have heard the announcement that the playground is officially closed. We have watched many of our friends pack up their belongings and leave. They have comforted us assuring us that our Heavenly Father has a plan for us. But here we sit, longing to hear from our Father what He has for us next. For a while we are comforted because we know the character of our Daddy. We know that He has never left us all alone. We know that He is working all things for our good.

But there are times when I feel like that little boy sobbing on the playground, wanting only to be comforted by my Father Himself. Why doesn’t He show up and tell me what His great plan is? No amount of hearing from others seems to comfort the way my Father would Himself. All I can say at the moment is that I don’t know what my Daddy’s great plan is, and I long to know. I long for Him to come and make my situation right as only He can.

And now is when the rubber meets the road- the playground is closed, we must go somewhere, action is called for on our part. But we haven’t received any instruction from our Father. We feel like powerless little children. We are not able to get up and go to the next place on our own. We are completely dependent on our Father’s provision and providence. Our Father must provide a way for us or some sort of instruction to get us to where He wants us to go. So we sit here and wait. We wait for our Father to tell us what to do next. We offer to our Father many great suggestions about what we think we should do next, and we see our Father thwart our plans again and again.

And the longer we wait to hear what His good plan for our future is, the deeper my heart sinks in my chest. The more I doubt His character and His love for me. If He is so good then why has He left us all alone? Why has He allowed the playground to close without giving us further instruction about what we are to do next? Where is the care and compassion I am so accustomed to receiving from my Father? I must walk by faith. And it is hard. I am a little child whose security has been crushed. Where does my hope come from? And why has it not proved itself trustworthy this time?

As we sit waiting at a stop light, Joshua Stephen announces “I want to live near Kay-Kay”. A few seconds later he adds “Or at least near one of my friends. Can you make that happen Mom?” Tears come to my eyes as I drive the car and try to squeak out an answer. I begin by telling him that “you know Mommy and Daddy are not in control.” Then I ask him, “Who is in control?”. He pauses for just a moment before he answers “God”. My eyes well up with tears, and I try to fight the emotion from coming through in my voice. “Well, Mommy and Daddy are waiting for God to show us what He has for us next. We have let Him know where we would like to end up, and we’ll just have to wait and see what His good plan for us is.” He is comforted by my response and moves on to the next topic of conversation, but the pit in my stomach grows larger and my longing for my Daddy to comfort me becomes all the more real.

I long for my Daddy to come and show me what His good and perfect plan is for this heart ache I am feeling. I know I will be able to look back and see how He has used this time for His glory and to mold me more into the image of His Son. But like the deserted little child on the playground, I long for my Father Himself to come and comfort me and let me know that everything is going to be all right. Praise God that He came in the flesh of a man to comfort me and know my great sorrow. I rest in Jesus and lean on Him alone. Where else can my hope come from?

Mother's Day Tea

2010-05-05T22:33:00.005-05:00

Today I was blessed to be invited to Joshua Stephen's class for a special Mother's Day Tea,

My Sweet Boy presented me with a beautiful flower in a special pot that he had decorated just for me.

The whole class did a special Mother's Day presentation for us. Here they are singing the King Kong song.

Jadon helping Joshua Stephen remember his line in the story presentation.

Joshua Stephen's class has the coolest class pet- Janie the Rat.
And the Best teacher- Mrs. Byars- who we just adore.

I think we may like Janie better when she's in the cage.

Having fun with his friends.

Real Food

2010-05-05T22:29:00.001-05:00

Well, leave it to Mi Mi to introduce Mary Beth to real food. It seems I was depriving our Little Lady by only giving her baby food. I leave her with Mi Mi for a couple of hours and she introduces her to a new world of food- which she just loves.

Her first real food meal at Mi Mi's was strawberries and meatloaf (a tasty combo).

She just can't get enough of this real food.

Looking for her silly Mi Mi.

Mi Mi doesn't discriminate- she was willing to share just about anything she was eating with our Sweet little Mary Beth.

Mary Beth had so much fun with her Mi Mi.
(I think you may say she was just a little spoiled.)

MiMi and Uncle Coby

2010-05-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

The Big 5

2010-05-04T14:36:00.008-05:00

Well, it's hard to believe that my Little Baby just celebrated his 5th Birthday!
How did he get so Big!?!
Here's some highlights from his Star Wars Birthday party.

Lots and lots of friends helped us celebrate this special occasion.

The boys stuffing the Darth Vader pinata full of candy.

Joshua Stephen with his future bride Maya.

Caleb sporting the classic "Two year old Face" we all know and love so well.

On The Go

2010-05-04T14:16:00.007-05:00

Mary Beth is really on the go now a days.

Every time I turn around she is in to something new

(like playing with her brother's shoes).

She's about as cute as can be.

Spying out what she can get into next.

On the go to her next destination.

I just love this little outfit (given to us by our Kay-Kay).
The bum ruffle makes it super cute.

Standing up like a Big Girl- oh my!

Reach for it!

Birthday Packages

2010-05-04T14:16:00.006-05:00

Several times a year our Kay Kay and Paw Paw Kenny send us packages filled with surprises. Of course they couldn't forget a Birthday so here are the boys opening up Birthday packages to help celebrate Joshua Stephen's Big day.
(To keep things fair, Kay Kay always makes sure to send Caleb a little package of this own .)

Joshua Stephen was so excited to find his package filled with Star Wars stuff.

Joshua Stephen has gotten into Lego Star Wars and Kay Kay couldn't have picked a better gift.

Showing off all of his new Lego Star Wars men.

Big Girl Teeth

2010-04-02T09:30:00.008-05:00

Our Sweet Little Mary Beth already has 7 teeth. Which we call her "Toothers".

She is nine and a half moths and she has four "Toothers" on top and 3 "Toothers" on the bottom.

And they are the cutest little "toothers" you've ever seen.

We just love her little smile.

She's good at putting her toothers to work.

Such a cute toothy little grin.

Celebrating Ella

2010-04-01T23:33:00.002-05:00

Our Mary Beth

2010-04-01T23:25:00.002-05:00

First Cupcake

2010-04-01T23:22:00.001-05:00

Mary Beth got to try her first cupcake tonight thanks to Ella's 2nd Birthday party.

She just loved it. So much in fact that she didn't want to share with her Daddy.

I think she may have a sweet tooth.

The center of our Universe

2010-04-01T22:58:00.001-05:00

The center of our universe is without a doubt our kitchen table. We work, play, eat and do so much more all around this little table.

This is a common sight around the Bean household- to see all three kiddos at the table (quite often you will find two Little Ones happily seated in containment units).

We usually have at least one person being loud or crazy at all times.

And we all feel free to express our needs with a little shout out.

Our Little Artist

2010-04-01T22:55:00.001-05:00

A very common sight in the Bean household- to see our Little Artist at work.

Joshua Stephen just loves to draw pictures. It is one of his favorite past times and it keeps him busy for hours each week.

And we just love his work.

Such a talented Little Guy!

Greeting Beau Dog

2010-04-01T22:51:00.000-05:00

Story Time

2010-04-01T22:50:00.000-05:00

Our Little Flower

2010-04-01T22:44:00.000-05:00

Big Boy Underpants

2010-03-29T00:23:00.004-05:00

Guess who's wearing Big Boy underpants.

That's right none other than our Big Boy Caleb Drue.
We are so proud of him!!!

We started about a week ago and Caleb has been doing such a great job!

(I just want to know what happened to my baby? It seems like all of my Little People are growing up. All I have left is my Sweet Little Mary Beth and even she is starting to get big. Before I know it they'll all be going off to college. Sometimes I just wish I could press Pause so I could keep em' little. Where did all my chubby little cheeks go?)

Big Brother is super proud of Caleb, and he is especially excited because he too gets a reward every time Caleb makes potty.

Potty Rewards

2010-03-29T00:21:00.005-05:00

Caleb is really in to Buzz Light Year and Toy Story right now. So we decided to use Buzz to motivate Caleb to get started with his potty training. Caleb pooped in the potty 5 times to earn this super cool Buzz Light Year.

Big Brother even made him a chart to help him celebrate his Big accomplishment. Joshua Stephen drew a different Toy Story character on his potty chart every day that Caleb pooped in the potty.

And of course potty training wouldn't be complete without some Buzz Light year underware.
(What can I say- we are not above bribery in the Bean household.)

Mickey and Minnie

2010-03-11T10:09:00.001-06:00

Cinderella

2010-03-11T10:04:00.000-06:00

Cinderella 2

2010-03-11T10:03:00.001-06:00

Princesses

2010-03-11T09:54:00.001-06:00

Peter Pan

2010-03-11T09:52:00.003-06:00

Cinderella's Step sisters

2010-03-11T09:52:00.002-06:00

Snow Whites

2010-03-11T09:48:00.002-06:00

Toy Story

2010-03-11T09:45:00.001-06:00

My favorite Castle

2010-03-11T09:12:00.002-06:00

Mickey Mouse

2010-03-11T09:11:00.001-06:00

Front Talk

2010-02-27T20:22:00.002-06:00

Ahhh, the joys of growing up. At the moment we are learning about respect and not talking back in the Bean household. The other night we had a fun friend over for dinner (the ever so sweet Kami Jones), and I had to point out to Joshua Stephen that he was talking back, which is strictly prohibited in the Bean household. Joshua Stephen thought to himself for a moment and then in a very upset tone he said "I am not talking back, that is front talk". He wanted so badly to make his point, he just didn't know how to do it politely. Of course, I tried to respond appropriately, but I just couldn't keep from laughing. Then Joshua Stephen broke into a big smile and started to laugh.

Who knew I could learn so much from my four year old. And to think I didn't even know that "Front Talk" existed until I was blessed with this creative Little Man. Ohh, the joys of parenting- at least my kids keep it fun along the way.

Star Wars Book

2010-02-27T20:16:00.004-06:00

Joshua Stephen is working on the most incredible Star Wars book (not that I am at all biased). Our Little Man just loves to draw pictures, and lately he has been drawing lots of Star Wars pictures. So I decided to put them all together in a binder and call it his "Star Wars Book". He also loves to share his Star Wars book with others, but often times people find it a little too long (since he has currently drawn more than 40 pages for his book).

But our Sweet Little Mary Beth just loves to watch her Big Brother show off his book. (But then again she likes just about anything Big Brother is doing.)

Mary Beth makes such a great little Padawan for Joshua Stephen. She is a very attentive audience.

My Sweet Heart

2010-02-10T22:38:00.014-06:00

My Joshua Stephen is so sweet- he melts my heart daily. He delights in loving on his little sister and he is such a great protector for her. He loves to give her kisses and he will go to great lengths to make her smile and giggle. He gets so excited with each of her new developments and he points out to me everything new she is learning each day. Anytime he sees a pink or girly toy (or any item of the like for that matter) he says "Hey Mom, we should get that for sister. I think she would really like it." I find him giving Caleb spontaneous hugs and encouragement (as well as tackling him and wrestling him to the ground).

He is quick to share his treasures and prized possessions with those he loves. He has gotten into the habit of saving his favorite part of his school snack to share with me- which always just melts my heart. It is so sweet to pick him up from afternoon Pre-K and hear him say "Hey Mom, I saved you your favorite color fruit snack from snack time today". (And he smiles from ear to ear as he hands it to me.) He came home from school today and decided to share all of his Valentine's treats with each member of the family. He picked out a special Valentine and pencil for each one of us from the treats he had been given during his class Valentines party. What a sweetheart!

I am so encouraged by Joshua Stephen's sweet and caring nature. (Sure we still see our fair share of the not so kind and caring stuff, but I just praise the Lord when I see how wonderfully He has made my son.) It is so sweet to see how God is growing a kind and caring spirit in my Little Man. Praise the Lord that He is constantly at work in our hearts. We are so thankful He is in the business of molding us into the image of His Son.

Daddy's Littlest Hunter

2010-02-03T21:52:00.003-06:00

I just couldn't resist getting Mary Beth this cute little camo onesie. I mean who can resist camo and lace, especially when your Daddy likes to hunt.

Mary Beth just loves to get "sugars" from her Daddy.

Talking about all of the big outdoor adventures they're going to have.

Look out deers here they come.

Camo Crawl

2010-02-03T21:36:00.004-06:00

Mary Beth is just t starting to crawl. She has been getting around for awhile, mostly by rolling, but tonight she decided to show off some of her crawling skills.

Doesn't she look cute in her camo and lace
(especially with a little bow on top).

Taking a break to strike a pose for the camera.

Having fun making a turn.

Look at those incredible push up skills.

I guess I better keep the vacuum handy so I can keep up with all of her new exploration.

My favorite monogram

2010-02-03T21:17:00.004-06:00

I just love, love, love monogramming things. And I think Mary Beth looks absolutely adorable wearing her monogram (which makes me want to monogram things all the more).

Here she is at almost 8 months old showing off her adorable chubby cheeks.

Such a sweet, happy little lady!

Look at those big girl "toothers".
(She has two bottom teeth and one top tooth.)

I must confess that when we started taking pictures Mary Beth wasn't in the best of moods. But Big Brother Joshua Stephen can always bring a smile to her face and make her laugh.
(Thanks JS for helping us get some great pictures of little sister.)

Daddy kisses

2010-01-10T01:08:00.001-06:00

This is one of my favorite pictures- Daddy loving on his girl.
We are so blessed to have such a great Daddy (and husband).

Snuggling

2010-01-10T00:58:00.004-06:00

Mary Beth got so much love and snuggles from her Kay Kay and Paw Paw over the Christmas break.

She was so well loved that she fell asleep snuggling with her Kay Kay.

What fun snuggle buddies!

Beau Claus

2010-01-09T22:30:00.001-06:00

The boys loved getting to see their Beau Dog over the Christmas break.

We always have fun dressing up our sweet little pup.

Beau is such a good sport!

Our Little Santa Beau.

Thanks Paw Paw and Kay Kay for taking such good care of our Little Beau Dog for us!
We appreciate you so much!!!

Caleb's Snow Day

2010-01-09T22:00:00.004-06:00

Caleb was most excited about the snow and he lasted the longest outside.

He was so bundled up that he had a hard time walking and getting up when he fell down.
(He reminded us a lot of the little brother in the movie "The Christmas Story". It was Adorable!)

Who can resist that face?
(Definitely not his Mommy)

Mary Beth's Snow Day

2010-01-09T21:55:00.007-06:00

All bundled up and ready to go outside and enjoy some snow.

Mary Beth was outside for less than 5 minutes before we decided it was time to come back inside (there was a mean wind that made for some cold little cheeks).

When Mary Beth came back inside she was pretty upset. Joshua Stephen decided it must be because her ears were cold. So he was quick to come to the rescue and let her borrow his hat until her ears warmed up.

Big Brother is such a great protector and playmate.

Who says a girl can't look cute in a camo hat?

Joshua Stephen's Snow Day

2010-01-09T21:52:00.002-06:00

Joshua Stephen didn't last too long out in the snow this year. He decided he would rather observe it from inside rather than play in it outside.
(Please note just some of the winter gear that is scattered about on the floor behind JS.)

Celebrating life with friends

2009-12-16T00:58:00.003-06:00

These are my closest friends who have made helped to make our time here in St. Louis so sweet! We have had so much fun celebrating the ups and downs of life together over the last three years.

Getting ready to go out for a Girl's Night to celebrate Mary Ann's Birthday.

Hanging out with Santa and Mrs. Claus during one of our weekly "Saturday lunches out".

During our second Thanksgiving feast at the Log Cabin.
Oh what fun to have thirteen little kids running about.

Not Fair

2009-12-16T00:39:00.001-06:00

Well, this face says it all.
One of Caleb's favorite things to say lately is "It's Not Fair".

Who knew a two year old could be so opinionated?

Well, our little Caleb isn't at all shy about sharing his opinion.

Caleb saying "It's Not Fair" with a little gusto.
Good thing we still think he's super cute,
(mainly because we know this little phase will pass all too soon).

Powder, Powder Everywhere

2009-12-16T00:17:00.002-06:00

The other day while Dawson was home studying during nap time, Caleb very stealthily climbed out of his crib and grabbed the bottle of baby powder (our BIG bottle).

He then proceeded to empty the powder bottle all over his room. When Dawson came in to check on him a little later he was sitting quietly in his crib, but Dawson was overwhelmed by the scent of baby powder. So he turned on the light only to find white powder EVERYWHERE.

Caleb was a good sport about helping me clean up his room.

Our Little Powder Man.
I just wish we would have snapped a few pictures of him covered in powder (white hair and all).

The Many Faces

2009-12-14T00:44:00.002-06:00

These are just some of the many faces of Joshua Stephen.

He is such a fun and quirky little guy with so much personality.

We just love our Silly Little Guy!

Our Tough Guy

2009-12-14T00:30:00.001-06:00

Here's Joshua Stephen showing off his Tough side.

He can be very intimidating.

He's got some BIG muscles.

He means Business.

We just love our Tough Little Guy!

What's Caramel?

2009-12-14T00:23:00.002-06:00

The other night we gave Caleb some caramel dip to eat with his apples.

After he finished eating I told him he had caramel all over his face.

He then proceeded to ask me "What's caramel"?

I then took him to the mirror and showed him the caramel all over his face,
which he thought was very cute.

Tummy Time

2009-12-13T22:48:00.004-06:00

Mary Beth has been rolling over for a while now and she just loves to spend time on her tummy.

It looks like she may be ready to crawl.
Uh Oh- no more growing up allowed.

Too Cute

2009-12-13T00:13:00.001-06:00

Here's some pictures of Caleb being his adorable little self.

We just think our little Caleb is too cute!

He's so much fun!

And he just loves to play with squirt bottles.

Our newest Baker

2009-12-13T00:01:00.001-06:00

Here's Mary Beth joining us for her first time baking.

She was very observant of everything her Big Brothers and Mommy did.

The boys were so excited to have Mary Beth join them for one of their favorite activities.

I think she may just have a future with this whole Baking thing.

Leaves

2009-12-12T23:54:00.001-06:00

Caleb had so much fun playing in the leaves this year.

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-12T23:44:00.002-06:00

Here's just some of this year's Christmas pictures. Let me just say, getting professional pictures of three kids all by yourself is no small feat. We all left the portrait studio exhausted (especially me), but thankfully after two different portrait sittings we got some cute pictures.

So sad I couldn't get my favorite picture of Mary Beth to upload.

Two (and a half) year portraits

2009-12-12T23:40:00.001-06:00

We finally got Caleb's two year portraits done now that he is two and a half years old.
(I guess it's better late than never. )

Don't you just love Caleb's bowl haircut?
Let's just say I am working on my hair cutting skills :).

Our Sweet Little Caleb- dimple and all.

Our Little Man is getting so Big so fast!

No Fear

2009-12-12T23:33:00.001-06:00

Caleb has no fear when it comes to our pet snake (or really when it comes to most things in life).

Caleb is our brave and adventurous Little Guy.

And he thinks our pet snake is pretty cool.

And he loves to show him off.

Pet Snake

2009-12-12T23:31:00.001-06:00

Well, much to my dismay we have a pet snake living in our house. Dawson insists that as the mother of two little boys I simply must allow them to own a pet snake.

Joshua Stephen just loves his pet snake, but he is very cautious when it comes to holding him.

He enjoys sharing his toys with his favorite reptile friend.

The lovely snake that my husband found in the parking lot and some how talked me in to keeping, also known as Our favorite Pet Snake.

Ready for winter

2009-12-12T23:20:00.002-06:00

The other day when we were out shopping I tried this little hat on Mary Beth. I thought she looked so cute I just couldn't resist buying it for her. (Or should I say it was purchased for my viewing enjoyment.)

You can't really tell in the pictures, but the hat makes Mary Beth's cheeks plumb up so cute.

And we are officially all ready for winter. Mary Beth now has all of the cold weather gear she needs for her very First winter.

Curious George

2009-12-12T23:18:00.002-06:00

The other day when we were visiting the Magic House we ran into Curious George.

Caleb was so excited to meet Curious George. Joshua Stephen wasn't all that interested in George (I guess he's too big for all that monkey business).

Caleb tried to take George all over the Magic House. There was so much he wanted to show his new monkey friend.

And I was so excited to meet Curious George (and to finally get to be in some pictures with my kids).

Caleb's ER Visit

2009-12-12T23:14:00.004-06:00

Just the other night (November 29 to be exact), our Sweet Little Caleb slipped while climbing one of our bar stools and got a nasty cut on his eye. My first response whenever there is an injury is to squeeze and comfort my Little one, and then to immediately call Dad to come and assess the damage. I hate examining injuries to find out just how hurt my children really are.

Well, after Dawson examined Caleb's eye we realized he had a pretty big gash on his eye, but we weren't sure what to do. But just then we realized that some of our closest friends, who are also our neighbors, had their Grandma who is an ER nurse in town. So we rushed upstairs, to get an expert opinion on what to do. She recommended that we take our sweet little Caleb to the ER to get some stitches. So off to the ER we go, but not before my Sweet friend Maggie packed Caleb an ER survival kit filled with snacks and lots of lollipops (every kids dream come true).

I ended up being the one who got to take Caleb to the ER and let me just say it was such a fun night for us. Who would have thought? What made it so fun was getting to spend some one on one time alone with Caleb. It's not often when I get to do things alone with just Caleb, and so often I only get to see Caleb when he is with (and being influenced by) Big Brother. So it was such a treat to spend some quality time with just Caleb and to see what a fun little guy he is. I just love his sweet little personality. He is so happy and silly and he loves to flirt with anyone who will give him attention. Really he is just super cute and adorable when you get right down to it. We got to have lots of fun playing and talking while we waited for the doctor to come in.

Here he is enjoying some of the snacks that Maggie put in his ER survival kit. Without a doubt, that little treat bag made going to the ER a fun experience for Caleb. He couldn't wait til we got inside the ER so he could open one of his treats.
(Thanks so much for the thoughtful gift Maggie!)

And the really good news is that we didn't have to get any stitches. Yeah!!! Of course, that made the whole ER experience way more pleasant. The doctor said that the cut should heal up nicely on its own, because of its location. And praise God she was right- his eye has healed up quite well.

The Grocery Store (with 3 kids)

2009-12-12T23:12:00.002-06:00

I am often asked how I do my grocery shopping with three small kids in toe. And let me just tell you it is no small feat. I have a strategy for conquering the grocery store.

First we start with a lecture in the car about how we behave and what is expected of us while we are in the store. Then once inside the store, my strategy revolves around the grocery cart.
My rule is: If I am shopping for more than 3 items then I must have a cart that can contain all 3 of my children.
Sure both Joshua Stephen and Caleb can walk, but I have found that things run a little smoother when everyone is contained, and at times everyone may even need to be strapped down.

You can't really tell, but the boys are showing off their cookies.
I am not above bribing my kids, and it just so happens that most grocery stores give out free cookies to kids. Plus I always carry some extra snacks in my bag to help thwart off any unexpected melt downs.
Ahh, behold the power of Treats.

At the end of our grocery shopping experience the boys are always eager to help me put the groceries on the check out counter. Often times this is a chaotic experience (and many a loaf of bread or an egg have been lost in the process). At some point, one or both of the boys usually rush away to enjoy a little freedom from the cart. Here they are exploring an eye sight machine right next to the cash register.

And I have learned to take all of the help I can get.
I used to be quick to tell the cashier I didn't need any help getting out to my car, but now I think it is such a luxury to have someone help me load my groceries into the car while I buckle up Little Ones. And if people want to smile at my kids and entertain them while I am distracted looking for just the right brownie mix, then I say thank you for helping me to accomplish what used to be a simple daily task, but what is now a major feat of courage. Thankfully, I am always rewarded with the praise of my sweet husband when I return home.
(Dawson has ventured into the grocery store with me and all 3 children on several occasions and every time we leave he says he appreciates me all the more.)

Swimming with Dad

2009-12-12T23:04:00.001-06:00

Our boys just love to play in the pool, and it always such a treat when Daddy gets to join us. Caleb couldn't be happier to have Daddy by his side.

The boys get especially excited when they get to play in the jaccuzzi. They think it is a little pool made just for them. And of course the warm water is an extra fun bonus.

Who knew a ball and water could equal hours of fun,
(oh yeah, don't forget the Daddy to make things extra fun).

First Swim

2009-12-12T22:57:00.001-06:00

On November 28 Mary Beth went for her first swim.

Here's Daddy giving Mary Beth her first swim lesson.

Dad was really impressed with her floating skills.
"Look Mom, Dad's not even holding me."

And of course, her Big Brothers were there to cheer her on.

Playing with sister

2009-12-11T01:32:00.005-06:00

Joshua Stephen is such a great Big Brother! And oh how he loves his sweet Little Sister. He is always looking for ways to play with and engage her.

Here he is getting down on her level and trying to see what makes her smile.
Mary Beth is such a lucky Little Sister!

(On a side note, I did hear Caleb tell Mary Beth "No" for the first time today.
I was helping him open a bag of pretzels when Mary Beth inadvertently reached for the bag and Caleb instantly said "No, No, sister those are mine". It was cute all the same.)

Sleeping Beauty

2009-12-11T01:28:00.001-06:00

Mary Beth has always been a great little sleeper, which we are so thankful for. We just love to watch our babies sleep so peacefully.

Our Little Ballerina

2009-12-11T01:16:00.002-06:00

Here's Mary Beth in her first too-too and ballet shoes. Isn't she cute as can be ?!?!

Joshua Stephen and I went to our first dance recital this week (to watch some of our favorite little girls perform), and we just couldn't resist dressing up Mary Beth to help celebrate the occasion.

It won't be long before Mary Beth is taking dance lessons herself.

Our future ballerina
(with her biggest fan- Daddy).

Bed time stories up high

2009-12-11T01:11:00.001-06:00

The boys just love bed time story time. And they especially love it when they get to do story time on the top bunk.

Recently we've been reading our pop-out Jungle book.

Gotta love story time!

Please pray for my sweet Daddy

2009-11-09T01:06:00.005-06:00

Please pray for my sweet Daddy, Poppa Larry, who is battling the late stages of terminal cancer.
My Dad is a non-Chrsitian and I have been praying for years that he would trust in Jesus as His Savior. Please pray that the Lord would me merciful and do a miracle in his heart even now. I am so thankful I get to be by his side (thanks to an incredible husband and friends who are serving me back home). My Dad's condition has worsened dramatically in the last couple of days and it appears as though he only has hours to days to live.

We took these fun pictures two weeks ago.
I am so thankful that my kids will have some fun pictures and memories with their Poppa Larry.

Psalm 103: 8-14
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

GOD IS GOOD.

I'll say it again, My Savior is Good.
Thank you God that you are a loving Father.

Because of the Lord's great promises I am not consumed. (Lamentations 3)

Halloween Fun

2009-11-01T00:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T00:24:00.000-05:00

Mommy and her Little Princess

2009-11-01T00:23:00.000-05:00

Trick-or-Treat

2009-11-01T00:20:00.002-05:00

Ready to go Trick-or- Treating.

Just enough time to snap a quick picture together on the couch.

Showing off just some of their goodies.

Look out dentist here we come.

We have enough candy to last us all year long.

Buzz Light Year

2009-11-01T00:03:00.003-05:00

Caleb dressed up as the fearless Buzz Light Year this Halloween.

He was so into character that I called him "Caleb" at one point in the evening, and he told me "I'm not Caleb- I'm Buzz Light Year". (Oh yeah, our Little Caleb is talking in full sentences.)

Our happy little hero!

Enjoying the rewards of his hard work.

Bumble Bee Transformer

2009-10-31T23:58:00.004-05:00

This Halloween Joshua Stephen decided to dress up as Bumble Bee, his favorite Transformer character.

He actually hasn't watched all of Transformers, but I think he likes it because the "Big Kids" think it's cool.

Our Super tough little guy!

Princess Mary Beth

2009-10-31T23:49:00.004-05:00

We dressed Mary Beth up as Snow White for Halloween.
We chose Princess Snow White because she has dark hair and fair skin just like our beautiful little Mary Elisabeth.

Our Little Princess!

Our Little Snow White.

Such a happy Little Lady.

What a doll.

Our pooped little Princess. She fell asleep before we even finished with our Trick-or-Treating.

Mary Beth's Baptism

2009-09-14T00:51:00.001-05:00

Such a special day in Mary Beth's life and the life of our family. Praise God for His promises to our family.

Caleb Lovin'

2009-08-31T21:50:00.002-05:00

Who can resist a little Caleb loving- especially with that cute smile!

Adored

2009-08-16T23:01:00.001-05:00

I just love the way the boys adore their little sister. They are both so sweet with her.

Cutest little smile

2009-08-16T22:58:00.002-05:00

We have been enjoying Mary Beth's smile for a several weeks now and I just can't get enough.

She is just cute as can be!!!

Her personality is really starting to emerge and we are loving every minute of it.

Our first thumb sucker

2009-08-16T22:50:00.003-05:00

Well, it's official Mary Beth is our first thumb sucker.
She found her thumb all by herself and she has found it to be quite soothing.

Dawson and I were discussing why Mary Beth is our first thumb sucker and he concluded that it's because "we've never had a child so neglected".
I guess that's what happens when you get to number three- they find ways to soothe themselves.
But in any case, she's not neglected when it comes to love.

Messy Man

2009-08-16T22:42:00.001-05:00

Do you think Caleb liked his dinner tonight?

Well, the answer is yes.
In fact he liked it so much that he ripped his bean burrito open so that he could savor every last black bean there was. The evidence is all over his face (and hands).

New Tricks

2009-08-16T22:37:00.001-05:00

Mary Beth is getting bigger and cuter every day.

Here she is showing off two of her new tricks: sitting up and smiling.

She's so precious!

Sleepy Heads

2009-08-16T22:34:00.001-05:00

Aren't these two little sleepy heads just adorable?

We're having a...... GIRL!!!!

2009-01-25T22:49:00.004-06:00

Well, it's official we're having a Baby GIRL!!! We are super excited, but we were a little shocked when we found out. After having two boys we kind of got used to the idea of boys and wondered if having a girl was even a possibility for us. But it looks like God has a precious Baby girl in store for us. I am now 21 weeks pregnant, so we are looking forward to meeting this precious little lady some time in early June.

One fun note is that for a while now Joshua Stephen has been saying that he wants a "Girl Baby" since he already got a "Boy Baby" with Caleb- he decided he wanted one of each. Shortly after the sonogram lady told us it was girl, Joshua Stephen said "See Mom, I told you it was a girl baby". So for now we are getting into girl mode and loving every minute of it. I can assure you that our sweet little girl will probably have a double name and that she we will be adorned with pink, toile, bows and lots of monograms. I can't wait!

One of our first pictures of our precious baby GIRL!

Our new pet

2008-11-12T22:38:00.006-06:00

Well, thanks to Poppa Larry we now have a new family pet- Koda the Dinosaur!

My Dad saw an article about this fun dinosaur in the newspaper a couple of months ago and called and told me he wanted to buy it for the boys for Christmas. Which is way to sweet. Joshua Stephen often thinks of Poppa Larry as the dinosaur grandpa because he always takes the boys to the dinosaur museum when we go home to visit.

So I looked into it and realized that Koda would be a pretty big addition to our tiny little apartment. But when I saw him on sale at Target, I just couldn't resist bringing him home to see what the boys would think of him. And of course the boys just love him!

Koda is by far the coolest family pet! The boys love riding on him and when you bounce on his back he plays music. The boys also have fun talking to Koda because he responds to your words and touch with cute little roars and head movements.

But you also have to take care of Koda just like a real pet. And the boys do a good job of making sure Koda gets plenty to eat.

Don't you love Joshua Stephen's impersonation of what a dinosaur sounds like?

When we first took Koda out of the box the boys were a little scared of him. It took them a little while before they wanted to get too close to him. But now we can't keep them away.

The boys are so excited about the newest addition to our family. And I just love that it reminds them of their Poppa Larry.

My Robin Hood

2008-11-10T09:00:00.005-06:00

I just couldn't resist sharing these pictures of my cute little Caleb dressed up in his camo pretending to be Robin Hood.

Caleb just loves to do what his Big Brother does. So if Joshua Stephen wears a Robin Hood (a.k.a. Peter Pan) hat then you can count on Caleb to do it too.

Who could resist that sweet little smile?

(Surely not his Mommy)

Jack-o-Lantern Fun

2008-11-10T08:57:00.016-06:00

This year Dawson carved a Jack-o-Lantern with a little help from the boys.

Joshua Stephen had fun helping Daddy draw and cut out the face.

Both the boys had so much fun inspecting the finished project.

Jack did a great job of greeting all of our visitors.

The boys thought it was so fun to hide things inside of our little Jack-o-Lantern.

Caleb thinking, "Gee, I have a silly Big Brother". (We think he's right.)

Trick-or-Treating

2008-11-10T08:57:00.009-06:00

We had so much fun getting to take the boys Trick-or-Treating on campus. We live in the perfect place to get a ton of candy in a short amount of time, all while getting to see lots of friends in the process.

This year Joshua Stephen dressed up as Peter Pan.
(Some people thought his costume looked like Robin Hood because of the colors, but he was still Disney's original Peter Pan none the less.)

Our cute little Caleb dressed up as Pooh Bear- all stuffed with fluff.

I just love this picture.
It shows the reality of trying to get your kids to do fun things. Sometimes they are just not up for it until you put a lollipop in their hand.

Joshua Stephen practicing his "Trick-or-Treat". Who could resist that smile?

My boys out on the Trick-or-Treat trail.

Caleb says "I hope Dad doesn't think I'm going to share these goodies with him".

Joshua Stephen with his twin Alex.

Enjoying a little lollipop to ease the stress of a hard night's work.

Mommy loving on her little characters.

The boys going through all of their loot.

Watch out cavities, here we come!