the mcg family

Caters is three!

2012-01-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

My Cato-Potato, my sweetie girl...

THREE years old.

I blinked, and here we are.

Never ever have I known another quite like you.

So full of spunk. All or none. Bursting with joy and life.

You, my girl, are a treasure.

A precious gift.

So perfectly little girl. Oozing with tenderness and pink and princess.

You are a nurturer at your core. You tell me often of your plans for 'when I'm a mommy like you...'

You are my go-getter, my belly laugher, my let's color all day-er.

You sing from the moment your eyes open, have an imagination that never stops, talk vividly and descriptively all day long. You love to dress up and mix and match and pretend.

Mama loves everything about you, my girl.

You've changed so much this past year.

From a toddler to a little girl. Stunningly beautiful. Wildly imaginative. A dreamer.

As I watch you grow and change, this Mama's heart can't help but to pray. I want more than anything for you to know and trust in the love that God has for you.. baby girl, HE is love.

And though you are indeed prettier than a princess... that matters so little. The Bible tells that beauty doesn't come from what's on the outside, but from what is inside of us-- our hearts. People might look at what's on the outside, but God looks at our hearts. It took your mama a long time to understand that, and I pray everyday that I could help you learn that simple truth.

And my baby girl-- your inside...your heart... that which makes you YOU...

that is one of the most beautiful thing I know.

My Caters... I am so proud to be your mama.

I love you so much!

tents

2012-01-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

Oh, friends...

How I wish I could erase the hurt and the ache and the pain caused by that dreadful 'c' word.

It's all around me and suddenly so fresh in my face again.

A new bride, a day shy of her two year anniversary to the man of her dreams...now a widow.

Parents to one child, whom they cherish, treasure, lavish with love... now watching ports implanted and waiting on blood results, becoming friends with hospital staffs and sanitizing their house top to bottom in hopes of a new normal.

My heart is so heavy.

I can't help but ache for my brother. All that he endured. All that we've endured without him.

We are nearing two and a half years, and that makes my heart so sad. It's hard to move further and further from the day we last saw him. It still feels so fresh, the details so vivid...

Do you know what I keep thinking about? A moment I've scarcely shared... so private and precious... nearly sacred in this heart... but life changing and eye opening.

I watched my little brother take his last breath. We slowly filed out of the room to allow my parents moments to themselves, and then I came back in.

What I saw forever altered my view of life and death:

I saw JD, laying in the bed exactly as he had for the past three weeks. Dressed the same. Positioned the same. Even still hooked up to some monitors. But never ever ever in my life had I been more sure of this truth:

This body is just a tent.

Though physically his body was present... that there on the bed... was not my brother.

It was only what housed him.

For me, there was an incredible, amazing, mind-blowing peace in that. The Bible tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord... To be present with the Lord is to experience the fullness of joy and at his right hand pleasures forever more. Seeing firsthand the absent body and knowing what JD believed and lived his life for... there was tremendous peace in that.

On this side of things, though... there's a great challenge. A responsibility. Never have I been more aware of the reality that this life is not all there is. Or of the reality that we're not promised another day. Or ease or health or heat in your master bedroom. How are we living? What are we living for? What do our actions- the way we spend our time, money, talents- say we are living for?

The answers to those questions, for me, are a gross distance from what I want them to be. I want my life to scream of my Savior, His death and resurrection, the precious new life offered to me... grace. I get so caught up in the things of this world-that-is-fading. I put my trust in money instead of Jehovah Jireh- the Lord will provide. I waste my energy worrying and planning and scheming, falling prey to Daniel 5:23, "and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified." My heart is all twisted up, so desperate for change, echoing that which has been prayed for months in this home, "Lord, send a revival, and let it start with me." Oh, to trust Him... to really trust Him, His goodness and love for me, His sovereignty. We've lived mountain tops and we've lived valleys and God has always, always been faithful... but yet I still wander. still doubt. still look for the here and now instead of trusting His perfect timing.

I'm praying that this year would be one where I follow Jesus with reckless abandonment... no holds barred, take it all, this life is Yours.

A sort of jumbled post full of my quiet afternoon heavy-hearted thoughts...

Would you please join in praying for our friends, the Millers? You can read their story here.

and I'll leave you with a CS Lewis quote that I've found to be spot on in my own life:

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

The Lord bless you and keep you...
-Kristen

recap

2012-01-10T21:27:00.000-08:00

Eleven days into a new year...

I've made my bed for four days in a row. That is more than a combined total of like... my whole life.

Just ask my mom.

I also drank nearly 90 ounces of water today. Fo' real. Camelback water bottles are my best friend.

And on sale for $11 at Target this week.

Certain family members of mine who have teeth and are not my husband chewed holes in the tops of my last two.

I plan to keep this one far, far, far from their little mouths. ;)

I began a new daily devotional-- my quick fix for the morning, to tide me over until quiet time in the afternoon. It's working well for me... I knew it was the right one for this year when day one talked about living intentionally, purposefully following hard after Jesus.

I'm still looking for a workbook type book to assist in my Bible studying. I just do better with that sort of structure at this stage in the game. I'm open to suggestions... hint hint.

I still need to sit down and make a budget. I have...four days remaining before I need to have it ready.

I read the Help last week and it was excellent. Really enjoyed it.

We continued our house purge over the weekend and it is absolutely unbelievable how much we've removed from our house. Disgusting, honestly. But-- it's freeing to have it gone. It is so nice to have order and structure, a place for things to go. To not have to shove and pile to make things fit. Ah. Relief.

We celebrated our girls' birthdays this past weekend! It was fantastic-- a wonderful time with friends and family that we love so much. I'll have pictures to come, but I have my computer on overload right now, as I am moving 50 GB of pictures to my external hard drive at the moment.

Nora had her One year well baby check up this week.

A peanut! :)

19 lbs, 10 oz, 28 inches long... 25th percentile across the board.

Other than the double ear infection, all was perfect with my sweet girl.

Lastly, my time off of 'work' has ended and I am SO glad to be back at it. I really, really, really missed doing it-- and that's a good feeling.

However, there are serious parameters in place so that I can continue enjoying it instead of being overwhelmed by it, and most importantly, so that I can do wife and mom well.

And on that note, if I have any plans of keeping up with the kiddos tomorrow, I better head to bed.

Better posts to come soon- ha!

hearts and love and mush and gush.

2012-01-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

I'm resolving to blog more-- can you tell?!

The sweetness of this pictures melts me.

Yep.

I'm a puddle.

Juuuuuuust kidding.

But seriously-- these little girls... sisters... oh my heart is so full.

Happy Monday!

birthday girl

2012-01-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

My sweetie girl... Nora James..

one year old today.

Unbelievable to me.

Oh sweet girl, you are such a precious gift.

I cannot believe a whole year has passed by...

The day you were born is so fresh in my mind--

a girl! I just knew you were a baby girl growing inside of me.

You've been pleasant from the moment you arrived.

Easy going.

Content.

Peaceful...

Everything I ever imagined a 'Nora' to be.

I love watching you emerge, your sweet personality.

You love people. Have the sweetest giggle. Love to jabber.

You really love Mama. Love to be in my arms, in the sling, at my legs... wherever I am.

I love that, sweet Nora James.

(Oh, but you love your daddy, too! You light up when he walks in, jump from my arms to his. You are so loved... not just mama and daddy, but Corban and Caters, too. They love their baby sister, have from the moment they met you.)

I'm in no hurry, my sweet girl, for this age to pass.

The days go too quick...

just my newborn baby, and now, already, my one year old little girl.

Baby girl-

You are a daily reminder of God's sovereignty and goodness

and kindness and love.

Joy does come with the morning.

I hope that every day of your life you will know that you are treasured and you are loved.

Such a gift...

My Nora James.

I am so thankful and so proud to your mama.

I love you, sweetie girl.

Happy First Birthday!

bring it on.

2011-12-30T21:21:00.000-08:00

Mmhmm.

It's almost here.

Already.

January always seems to catch me off guard--

another year...over... already.

My baby girl turns one on Sunday and we open up a brand new year.

A fresh start.

2011 was good.

Full. Busy. Overwhelming. Full of change. Exciting.

We added and expanded our lives with the birth of Nora James. We road-tripped 20 hours with a 6 week old, 2 year old, and 3.5 year old. We left the country for two weeks with 30 something high schoolers. We sent Corban to school. We broke Cate of her paci. Started a legal business. Photographed four weddings, seven engagements, fifteen seniors and thirty one families. Learned a lot about mis-management of time. Re-floored the kitchen, gutted the master bath, and destroyed all major storage from our upstairs. (Just kidding. Sort of). We watched kids fall in love with Jesus and lives change as a result. We watched lives and marriages go from broken to restored. We fell more in love, grew more as a family, and recognized our need for mercy new every morning.

A good year, in all.

So... now what?

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions.

They don't work. At least for me.

Goals, however... that I can do.

As I mentioned last post-- intentional seems to be the word for the year.

I want... no, need, to be much much much more intentional.

With my time, money, effort, service, prayer, so on and so forth.

But on a more specific note...

some random and small, some more life-altering note, here are some

Things I'd like to do in 2012:

drink more water. and less pop.

make and keep a flexible cleaning schedule.

budget. and stick to it.

be a runner.

give more.

buy less.

make my bed daily.

sell our house.

right now:

2011-12-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

(I'm ripping this off from my friend Katie over at jkrush.blogspot.com... thanks for the idea, Katie!!)

Right now, I am:

Watching: my computer screen... but my husband is watching a war movie of sorts.

Eating: popcorn. my daily afternoon snack of choice!

Drinking: Cherry Coke zero. It was on sale, so I splurged. Thinking the pop is going to go with the new year though... My h2o consumption has been incredibly lacking, and I think that's probably contributing to my lack-of health!

Wearing: new yoga pants! my mom uniform.

Avoiding: picking up the same new toys for the twelfth time today. Someone said on facebook, "Picking up toys after Christmas is like shoveling snow while it's still snowing." amen and amen.

Feeling: Excited. I'm purging again everywhere in this house... and the thought of simplifying our lives-- less stuff, less mess, less busyness- has me really excited for a new year. I managed to find a whole garbage bag worth of rogue pot lids and tupperware and junky pans to rid our kitchen of today, and I cannot believe how nice it feels to have a little bit of order. Sigh. Freedom.

Missing: Sunshine. Already. Indiana is so grey these winter months!

Thankful: for family time. Wonderful time spent with both of our families, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents over the weekend. A whole week of just the five of us at home. Time just together. Much needed. I'm really thankful for that.

Weather: Unusually warm for this time of year, with just a dusting of snow yesterday.

Praying: that 2012 will be a year of intentionality-- of time spent, of words, of finances, of discipleship, of parenting.

Needing: to finish throwing away empty boxes and ridding the toy room of old 'stuff' to make room for the new. Needing to find a new method of organization for all of the art supplies and games... but so out of space?! Needing a strike of genius to figure it out! ha.

Thinking: of ways to rearrange this house to make it better function for our family. Also thinking that selling it would be really awesome right about now. :)

Loving: the way my big kids play together. this stage that Nora is in. this week of just family time.

monday monday

2011-12-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

It was above freezing today, and I know those days are numbered, so we pushed naptime back and enjoyed soaking up some sun while we could.

These babies... I love who they are. Their quirks and differences from eachother. Their joy and zeal for being alive. I, every single day, want to remember what a privilege it is to be Mama to these kiddos. Nothing sweeter...

my girl... a month shy of 3. She fills this house with laughter and spunk... Incredible, she is.
Dancing below:

my boy, digging away.

Loves pretend play, has an incredible imagination and wants to marry his mama. I want to keep 4.5 years old forever.

sassy pants:

bff's.

Cate's first question every morning upon waking:

Where's Corban?

and my sweet baby Nora James...

walking.

Never have I met a more pleasant little girl.

Oh my sweet, sweet boy.

and dress up time:

(Don't be fooled by their costumes, they were actually Jasmine and Aladdin today).

What a gift today is, huh?

Hope you had a great Monday!

dreaming...

2011-12-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

As I've spent way too long pondering paint colors to neutralize this house of ours, I've found myself dreaming of the things I'd hope for in our next house.... assuming this one will one day sell... and depending on us finishing the many, many loose ends of the billions of projects we've mostly completed. Really- it's all small things now, which is crazy. I can only imagine the emotions we will feel if/when it comes time to move. This place was a DUMP. We had burnt orange, gold, green, turquoise shag carpet rainbowed all throughout the house. Carpet in the kitchen, carpet in bathrooms. Rotting wood on the exterior. Green appliances inside. A room that reeked of cat urine. Nasty light fixtures. Dark paneling everywhere. So on and so forth. But slowly and surely, over the course of almost exactly four years, we've turned this place into a home.

I do love it here, love many things about this place. BUT- there are many things I'd desire of our next home. Not necessarily deal breakers, but a girl can dream, right?!

-A basement. Oh, the glory of a space like that! My plans for one are many, but ultimately, we'd love to have a space we could offer should someone need a place to live for a bit. And if I were dreaming big, I'd really love a walk-out basement. :)

-A laundry room. I nearly would say this is non-negotiable. Laundry is the most difficult thing for me to keep up with and if I had a space for it all... even just a space for baskets that wasn't in a hallway.. do you know how much simpler life could be?! My washer and dryer are currently in the garage. There are so many things flawed with my current system, but I know a designated space for it all would at least help.

-Lots of windows. I like sunlight. The more, the better.

-A bigger kitchen. Not an alley. Eat-in. An island with bar stools. A refrigerator with an ice maker. (I've been dreaming for that one my whole life...) Butcher block counters. Windows. Oh happy day... Really, I just would love a kitchen that I could fill with people, not one that my family alone overflows. :)

-An open floor plan. We entertain. A lot. 20+ teenagers every week... and we try to cram them all into our little living rooms. Open space would be really nice. What we have works, but I'm dreaming.. remember? :)

- Access to a pool. Okay, now I'm being frivolous, but it would be SO much fun. :)

Okay, enough dreaming for tonight. We had found our dream home months ago... and it sold right away. We were no where near having our house ready to list at that point in time, but it sure put a little fire under us to get going. Anyway, I'm sure there'll never be anything to compete with that house (haha), and I've stopped the hunt for now. It just makes me anxious-- I'll find something I like and it'll sell. Or there will be nothing I'd even want to look at. Ultimately- the Lord knows, and will provide a home when the time comes. And in the mean time, I'm going to be content with what we have and continue to work to improve it.

But it's fun to dream, right?! What would you love to have in a home?

a little photo fun

2011-12-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

I've loved all of the pictures I've seen lately with the Christmas lights hanging in the background, and Cate had dressed herself in her twirly black tutu skirt before even leaving her bedroom this morning, so I thought why not give these pictures a whirl?!

A little festive fun, right?!

We finally decked the halls last night (tree included) and the kids are ecstatic. We even strung a row of lights in each of their rooms, and they are thrilled.

I've spent too much time playing around this morning and need to get some housework done --- lots of friends to be filling it the remainder of the week! Much to be excited about!!

eleven months.

2011-12-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

That's her--

my eleven month old bundle of joy.

Weeks away from ONE year old.

Already.

You'd think the third time around it would come as less of a shock, but man, the time goes by fast.

Nora is just over 19 pounds, and I'm not sure how long. She took her first steps a few days after 10 months old and now will do 7 or 8 steps before falling. She really, contrary to our other kiddos, is very cautious. She doesn't like heights, doesn't want to hang, doesn't want you to let go of her hands. This mama is quite alright with that. :)

She gets crazy excited about animals, dogs most specifically. She says 'Doddy' and barks, too.. 'oof, oof' she'll say. She's busy- no shock there- and likes to empty my cabinets and shred toilet paper. She also has mastered going up and down the stairs. If you make eye contact with her, she will light up with the sweetest, most beautiful crooked little smile you've ever seen. She loves people, oranges, and her mama, and is the sweetest baby girl I know.

In other news--

we got an amazing Christmas tree this year. The prettiest, fullest, most nicely shaped one we've ever had. Unfortunately, we haven't had any time at home as a family where we were all awake since buying it Saturday morning, so it's strung with lights right now, and that is all. SOON, though.

I've also been the worlds worst camera rememberer and have taken hardly any pictures the last few weeks. That's going to be changing immediately. :)

Lastly, I've got just a few sessions left to edit to round out the year, and I NEED to get them finished so I can really rest and not have things hanging over my head. So... to work I go.

start

2011-11-30T21:36:00.000-08:00

I had a long post going and just had a hard time putting thoughts together like I wanted.

My heart is overflowing, bursting tonight... full of thankfulness, excitement, joy, contentment.

But I'm stirred, too.

I'm ready to step it up, to go deeper in my walk with the Lord, to be bold.

There's fresh vision and fresh excitement

and it is good.

It's been the week of prayer and fasting at our church. We gathered corporately multiple time over the last few days just to pray. Such a sweet, sweet time-- I am so thankful for our church and thankful to be a part of a body that sets aside time to just pray. As we gathered, though, and prayed for different countries, for marriages, for healing, for the persecuted church, so on and so forth, my heart kept going back to the same things.

We want revival.

We want a church excited about praying. Excited about the Word. Excited to serve. We want to see God move mightily, to wake up believers and put a fire under them, a new boldness and excitement about the love of Jesus.

but wait a minute...

it's got to start somewhere, right?!

I remember my husband quoting someone from somewhere at some point (ha), and it is so where my heart is, sums this all up.

Lord, send a revival... and let it start with me.

Can I get an amen?!

Will you pray with me... for yourself, for me, for believers across the world, that He would revive our hearts? Starting right here, right now-- Give us a love for people? Passion and boldness? A hunger for the Word? That we would be filled to overflowing... that it would start here and spill out, trickle down to our homes and our churches and our communities and our cities and states and further out?!

He can.

He hears our prayers, and is able to do 'exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or imagine'.

That, my friends, has me quite excited tonight.

(So much so that it's after midnight and my mind is still firing strong.)

With that said... I must try and sleep.

Goodnight!

photo booth fun.

2011-11-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

Some of our youth group kids were playing with photo booth on my computer Sunday night. My kids hopped in, and then Corban took over once they left. I was cracking up as I looked back through these pictures that he took of himself:

What a boy!! He did the effects and everything... hilarious.

Also taken in photobooth:

We might be related, right? :)

and aren't we cute?! haha.

Oh so silly, but so fun, too!

Have a great day!

catch up + thankfuls.

2011-11-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be too lazy to recap every day or even to include pictures.

The rest of staycation was really great.

My bathroom is amazing.

amazing.

seriously. amazing.

It's not 100% finished, but it has 97% of a floor, an installed and working double sink + vanity (re-plumbed by my amazing husband from one sink to two!), a fancy new toilet, a working shower, mostly painted walls.

Though we're not quite done, it is fully functional.

I just want to know:

Why didn't anyone tell me to finish our master bath four years ago?!

Anyway, the rest of the week was full of just being a family, a trip to the museum, several parks, dinner with friends, sleeping in, and working on the house. It was good.

And now... a quick thankful list:

-my monday night bible study girls

-Cate's newfound love of coloring and drawing

-hearing my son pray for our missionary friends

-Nora taking her first steps

-homemade pizza... three times in one week (We were on vacation!)

-holiday traditions... like black friday shopping with my big brother and sister-in-law

-an easy fiction read.. and time to do so

-Lightroom.

-Indianapolis. And it being home.

-scarves and boots

-70 degree mid-November days

-my 7d.

I hope to be back with regular posts now that normal life has resumed. Hope you're having a great November-- ours is off to a wonderful start!

day 8 and 9 thankful

2011-11-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

day 8:

While not as productive as we'd hoped, it was still a really great day. Seventy degrees and sunny, actually. The most perfect November day ever. We had dentist appointments for the big kids and then had a picnic and hours of play at the park. The sweetest part of the day for me, though, was the evening.

Growing up, we play a LOT of Uno. Whenever my grandparents would come in from Mississippi, we'd have huge games that lasted hours. I have so many sweet memories of those times... Anyway, last night we taught Corban how to play. And we played and played and played. He was getting so excited, threatening 'skippers' and hoping to make us draw four. It's so crazy that I'm at this stage... I've always dreamed of doing those things that I treasure so much from my childhood with my own kids, and here we are.

Where does the time go?!

This 'thankful' is multi-faceted: I am so thankful for a family that enjoyed being together growing up. I loved that time with family, the uno games, hours of aggravation, scrabble, tetris euchre, etc. We did a lot of it, "QFT" as mom called it, and I think it's so important and good. I'm thankful for my Grandma and Papaw... I can't play Uno and NOT think of my Papaw. He is an amazing, incredible man... If there was ever a man to make this girl feel treasured and beautiful (prior to my husband), it was my Papaw. And along those same lines, thinking back to having just watched Courageous... I am so so blessed to have had such amazing men so present in my life. I am still floored, in awe of who I consider my dad, Jack.. a twenty six year old man at the time coming in and loving me and my older brother as if we were his own. I don't remember ever once being referred to by him as his step-daughter... always his daughter. He loved me and raised me as a father should a daughter, though he didn't have to. I recognize now how incredible this really is, and I am more thankful than I could ever express.

And now, I have this husband... the boy I fell in love with half my life ago.. now a man... and an amazing one at that. And watching him be daddy to our kiddos, especially those little girls... not a day in their life will they have to wonder if they're special.

I have so much to be thankful for!

day 9:

Do you remember my mention of massive to-do lists?

Yes, I might as well throw them out the window.

You do remember, too, that we have three small children?

That's right.

And that I've been struck by a plague of sorts and can't get well?

Mmhmm.

"Blessed are the flexible, for they are not easily broken."

Right?

I say this all jestingly. Sort of. I'm not really down about the lack of progress being made on my list. I AM bummed that it's already Wednesday night, but I keep telling myself that we have until Monday morning. Still five more days. Keep trucking along. Keep having fun.

Progress has been slow today. This bathroom project is much more of an undertaking than anticipated, but it's moving along. It's now 100% empty of anything original, praise the Lord! The new shower base is down though not installed, but PTL again, it fits!

A funny story: We bought a new toilet today.

Not in our original plans, but we found out it was necessary once we actually tried to flush the been-stagnant-for-three-years one. Three years of rust and calcium made a barrier unbreakable so...

we are now the possessors of a two flush option toilet.

Toss that thought around for a moment...

Have you ever heard of such a thing?! Ha!

After all these silly details, I'm thankful for the provision to be able to finally remodel our bathroom! :)

Anyway, I'm going to be too lazy to insert pictures at appropriate places and just attach them all at the end.

the removing of the beautiful green speckled tile!

(Oh I forgot to mention... the beautiful floral border that was up before? Ladies and gentlemen, it was TAPED on. Easiest wall paper removal of all time!!!!)

Sweet Nora James-- with a BOW! That means.. HAIR! :)

My boy playing UNO. :)

Jordan cutting the shower in half so that we can get it out of the bathroom:

He ended up having to cut up the floor in order to remove the old drain. He first cut the whole shower out around it:

... and it's gone! :)

Enjoy your day!

day 5, 6, 7 thankful

2011-11-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

day 5:

An afternoon spent with my in-laws. Watching Jordan's youngest brother play football and then hanging out at Taylor University. The most perfect fall weather. Being nearly caught up on editing. Sleep.

Nasal spray, decongestant and cough drops. Amen.

day 6:

A quick and easy one year old session. Kicking off vacation. Pumpkin spice latte. Bonfire. Our youth group.

day 7:

Ahhh... day one of REAL vacation, with no commitments or responsibilities. We spent the bulk of our morning home improvement store hopping. It was melt down city in Menards and Home Depot left us with the first 'accident' since being potty trained, but we arrived home with a new shower, other bathroom fixtures, and wood to repair the 'death deck'. Glorious.

Not one day in the almost four years that we have lived in this house have we used the master bath. Let me remind you again:

Yes. I mean, I love green as much as the next guy... but let's be honest:

Never ever EVER is shag carpet in a bathroom a good idea.

Needless to say, I might miss my spare storage closet just a tid, but I am GIDDY about a bathroom! In my bedroom! Amazing! We loved the master suite of this house.. one of the selling points for me, but it has been sooo neglected-the last room to be worked on, the same things half painted as they were 3.8 years ago. It's time to finish and my goal is this week.

Now, I know nothing about installing vanities and showers and toilets (all of which will be brand spanking new!!), but I married a handy man who's not afraid to try things out. He's also pretty good and demo-ing, too:

(I was reminded that my new camera has video.. might as well try it out, right?!)

And in case you're curious as to what happened here:

Nasty sink/vanity was thrown off of the death deck, which is off of the master bedroom. I don't think I have a picture of said deck, but I will soon, as it will hopefully lose it's name in the very near future.

Anyway- the bathroom is now empty of carpet (if you want to call it that...), the green sink, and the calcium and rust filled toilet. Next up: operation rip-out-shower.

We rounded out the night with some killer smoothies and a few intense games of princess memory. Jordan was twice the victor, and Corban legit-ly took the crown (or belt, in my family) the third game.

QFT at its finest. A good week is ahead. :)
much much much to be thankful for.

day 3 and 4 - thankful

2011-11-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

day 3:

Remember our friend Jacob? Who was once our housemate? And who worked at starbucks and brought me lattes last year while I was writing 'thankful' lists?! Well... he's made the list again! (And he has no idea! Yay, Jacob!)

Our dear friend who is like family gave my husband and I the luxury of an evening out last night. Every once in awhile, we have him come over after we put the kids to bed, and Jordan and I slip out for appetizers or something of that nature. Last nights' outing was a trip to the theatre to go see Courageous.. our first trip to the theatre in YEARS. We definitely enjoyed and would recommend the movie. It was nice to have an evening out with my husband and to be furthered challenged on the privilege and responsibility of being a parent and raising our children up in the Lord. Thanks, Jacob!!

day 4:

Twice this week we have had students at our house working... just to serve. We have a team in at our church from the Horizon School of Evangelism in San Diego for their practicum. They are helping all over our church and are doing more than I could even list while they are here. Anyway- we got contacted to see if we needed any help around here (it's no new news that our house has a never ending list of projects...) and had a van full show up just to work early in the week, and then today, two men from our bible college came over for their service day. They have raked leaves and picked up sticks, chopped wood, painted a bathroom, helped with the kids, laundry, dishes, etc. They would finish something and find me to see what else could be done. How incredible is that?! And, oh, so timely for this overwhelmed, exhausted, and SICK mama. :) (i'm going on two straight weeks now, and feeling worse than ever. blah!)

That leads into the other part of my thankful for today-- we are officially on 'stay'cation! This years fall break includes a loooooooooong to-do list, as we hope to wrap up projects to get our house ready to put on the market. Number one goal for this week is to finish (well, start-ha) our master bath.

A reminder: green shower and sink. Green and blue shag carpet. Flower border. Scum. Gross.

And on that note... I'm desperately trying to wrap up all my editing/disk making/packaging/mailing by Sunday so that I can rest and relax with my family this week. That's not really a contradiction... we've got fun planned in and being home and just together IS relaxing, even if it's working around here.

This is long, wordy, and I need to get back to work. Happy weekend!

thankful- day two

2011-11-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

After a month of extreme busyness, a month of me being much more working mom than stay at home mom, I praise God and am so so grateful for the privilege of being able to stay home to train up my children.

I am thankful for the provision that enables me to do so, for a husband who encourages and desires for me to be home, for a life-long dream coming to fruition.

Not that it's easy.

Or even always fun.

But after a month of priorities being way out of whack, I recognize and know that there's nowhere else and nothing I'd else I'd rather be doing.

Thank you, Lord, for providing a way and opening my eyes to the gift, privilege, and responsibility you've given me in being able to be home to raise these babies!

"Every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change!"

james 1:17

thankful.

2011-11-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

I don't want to claim that I will do 30 days of thankful, because you know as well as I do that the chance of me blogging every day this month is slim. Real slim.

BUT-

I do want to blog often, and have the emphasis be thankfulness this month.

So - day one:

Today my heart is bursting with thankfulness that it's November.

Really and truly.

There are many reason that I'm thankful that October has passed, but we'll leave that for some other day.

November means vacation (er, staycation), house projects, rest, family, thanksgiving, black friday... It means a fresh start. A new month, a new beginning. A chance to do things right.

Today, it meant closing the computer, pausing the editing, and trampoline jumping and leaf throwing. It meant tickling and giggling and enjoying those babies who once really were babies but now... how the time goes too quick.

Thankful for a fresh start. A new month. Rest.

"Rejoice always.

Pray without ceasing.

In everything, give thanks..."

(1 thes 5:16)

oh you know.

2011-10-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

just some pics of my sweet babies.

Things are busy around here. I'm hanging on until November... and then things calm down a little. This week holds five photo session (4 of which are tomorrow), and the next two weeks have weekend weddings (that I'm photographing) with multiple sessions mixed in. But November is looking calmer, and I'm not taking much in Decemeber, so rest is coming.

Also- Everyone is fighting colds around here.

anyway...

Nora turned 9 months old almost two weeks ago. She continues to grow sweeter by the minute. It's incredible... so incredible.. to be her mama. I really and truly have never known a happier, more content baby. She's crawling and cruising like crazy, waves, gives sweet kisses, likes food- all of it, and loves her big brother and sister an amazing amount. She can be a little bashful sometimes and seems to lack that fearless gene my other two have (not complaining). :)

Caters will be 3 in 3 months, and how that is possible I am just not sure. She is a mystery to me, my little girl... She is wired and works in a way that I have yet to figure out. But we're pushing through... we'll get there. :) I stand firm in my belief that 2.5 is the hardest age to parent, in case you're wondering. :)

Cate loves all things princess and wedding and babies. She also loves dirt and mud and bikes. She is as strong-willed as ever and can give the fiercest looks you've ever seen on a face so sweet. She operates a little like this: ON. OFF. No middle ground with her. She also thinks naps are for the birds, much to my dismay. She's so sharp, though, and picks up things quick quick quick. She can spell most of the words her big brother can (Corban, Cate, Mom), and loves to be read to and do puzzles. She really is a sponge and is eager to be taught. I love her enthusiasm and energy and I love her desire to do whatever mama does. She's my girl--- and the Lord is using her to streeeeeeeeeeeetch this mama's heart. :)

Corbanator is SO big. A kid. It blows my mind. He is absolutely thriving in school. His behavior has been excellent the entire year and I am blown away at how much and how quickly he is learning. I think it's just a matter of time before he's reading-- and he is SO eager to get there! I'm looking forward to hearing what his teacher has to say at our first parent-teacher conference on Monday. It seems a little surreal to me that I am attending a parent/teacher conference as a parent. I'm really a mom now, right?! haha. He is growing and changing so much, though... He's got a sweet and tender heart, and is very much a people person. I so love the little boy he is... am so proud to be his Mama.

Okay. That's all I've got for a quick summary. I need to do a 'cate says' post soon... the girl keeps me laughing-- she's hilarious! I've spent too much time not being productive and my big kids are jumping around instead of resting, so I better get back at it!!

two years.

2011-10-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Laura Story summed it up best in her song, "Blessings":

The pain reminds this heart that this not our home.

Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to write more.

but today... my heart is too sad.

Tomorrow marks two years since we said goodbye.

I miss him more than ever...

I'm holding onto the comfort and peace found only in and through Jesus...and the hope of heaven, the endless time of no more tears and heartbreak, eternity in the presence of the Lord where there is the fullness of joy.

but it still hurts.

I'm stuck in this land of 'what could have beens' and 'what ifs'. I can only imagine how amazing of a young man he would've been, all the fun things he would've done with us, how much his oldest nephew would've cherished their time together, the kind of truck he'd be driving in a week (his 16th birthday would have been the 9th)... how excited he would've been about Nora James, how much he would've enjoyed the spontaneity of Caters. I'm sure he would've tagged along to St. Kitts with us, would be paint balling with Jordan right now, would come back and want coffee with his sissy and mexican food.

My heart aches... just aches.. for what could have been, and what never will be.

I miss my little brother more than words could ever say and those words seem so shallow compared to the ache of this loss.

I'm left reminded though, that we don't get do-overs. We aren't promised tomorrow with those we love. We don't have another life to live, another chance to get it right.

I don't have regrets on the way things were with JD and I... I just wish there was more time, more pictures, more memories.

JD lived his life so well. He was bold in his faith, quick to express his love, made what was important to him his priority. His eyes were fixed on Jesus, and he made sure that was known. On his death bed he proclaimed that "God is good. We can trust Him and I do trust Him." I'm so proud that he's my little brother, and I am so proud of the example he set in the way he lived.

It's a hard few days. two years tomorrow, and what would have been sixteen years next sunday.

The numbness is long gone and the reality is hard, but God has been always faithful and an ever-present help in time of trouble.. He's been near to my broken heart and has given peace that surpasses understanding. The Word has been so true and real to me in the thick of this grief, and I have never been more sure of where (and in Whom) my hope lies. I'm holding onto those things tonight, tomorrow, forever...

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

joshua 1:9

few

2011-09-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

My heart is heavy

and tonight,

my words few,

but this...

this can brighten the darkest days...

sister brother

2011-09-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

I put Nora in an outfit of Cate that I remembered having pictures of her in, in hopes of comparing the girls and finally concluding that they look alike.

However!

I was wrong.

The girls... look nothing alike. Truthfully. Nothing!

But Corban and Nora...

definitely related.

Very similar.

As I looked through Corbans baby pictures, I saw Nora in so many of them.

She definitely very much favors her Daddy's family. (I think she looks an awful lot like her Uncle Isaac's baby pictures... now. At one point it was her daddy, and then her uncle Taylor, but now it's Isaac. She's definitely a McG!!!)

It's fun to look back and compare... and so incredible to see how differently they are all made.

five on friday

2011-09-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

1. After saying, 'no' or 'don't do that' or 'sit down' or 'stop poking Nora' a gazillion times today, and after trying all safe and legal forms of discipline following those statements, I have decided two things:

2.5 is the hardest age ever, and it's time for me to read, 'The Strong-Willed Child.'

MmHmm. That little girl... I love her crazy spontaneity, the way her brain fires and fires and fires, her fierce determination, her tender and sweet heart, but man oh man oh man... I've never met another like my Cate Taylor. Except for my husband, perhaps. :)

2. We experienced a birth and death within twenty four hours this week. Both stopped me in my tracks and reminded me how fragile life really is... how tomorrow isn't a promise.. and how good God still is. Our best friends who are home from St. Kitts for the birth of their son gave birth to a precious and perfect little boy, but the Lord's grace and protection are all over the story. Long story short- Wendi's placenta was beginning to abrupt-- lots and lots and lots of blood... got to the hospital, realized what was happening, was taken back for an emergency c-section and all are fine now. Praise God for his protection. and for Mr. Keaton Lee!:

(with his Daddy, Brandon)

Just a few weeks ago, it was discovered that Jordan's uncle Kevin had a tumor on his liver. Just over a week ago, they did surgery to remove it... which ended up being incredibly complicated, lasting over 12 hours, etc., and he didn't really recover. Just one week after his operation, he passed away. My heart is so broken for our Aunt Dee (and for the rest of the family). I really really really despise cancer. Still.

3. On a lighter note, the 3rd annual JD Taylor golf scramble is this weekend! A forecasted 72 and sunny, a COMPLETELY FULL roster (36 teams!!!), and time spent honoring my brother and blessing another family in need... should be a perfect day. I'm so thankful for all the hard work that goes into this and they way the community comes together to help another family and to remember JD. So thankful (and a shoutout to Jill!! You're amazing!!)

4. It's cold. I like it. I also really like pumpkin spice lattes. And hoodies. And all those other things about fall.

5. A hodge podge of pictures, because I'm out of time:

(grown in our garden! Best I've EVER tasted!)

Happy Weekend!

up to date

2011-09-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

I just spent way too long looking back at blog posts from the last few months. I really am thankful to have this blog to document our lives, even though my postings have been so sporadic as of late. I have much much much too much to do right now, but it's so close to bedtime and I'm too tired to start something new, so why not take a few minutes to update?!

Let's see...

we've been busy. Such is life, right? :) The past two weekends have been really refreshing, though, and I'm thankful for a little lull in the busyness.

Corban is really and completely adjusted to preschool, and he loves it. I am simply amazed at the rate that he is learning! Everywhere we go, he reads all the letters... Before we know it, he'll be reading. I think he's going to love it (and love learning) like I always did. That makes this mama glad. I don't know if I mentioned it on here yet or not, but he has also learned to bike without training wheels recently and has developed a love for rock climbing. (Wonder where those hobbies come from!? just kidding. Have you met my husband?) We've transitioned from baseball to football season, so all waking moments involve the pigskin. A lover of sports my boy is. And I wouldn't want it any other way.

Cato Potato is loving her mornings with just mama. She spends lots of time with me, doing whatever I'm doing. I'm really thankful for that... for a lot of reason. Of course, I love the sweetness of the time with her, answering her millions of questions, showing her how to fold towels and clean tables, but I also love the lack of worry involved in my mornings when she's only by my side and not emptying her dresser or dumping cereal on the kitchen floor. ;) She's doing a gymnastics class right now, and really enjoys it. She (like most 2.5 year olds) has a hard time staying on task, waiting her turn, etc., but she gets really excited about going and likes to try all the new things.

Nora James is the sweetest thing since... I don't know?!.. chocolate cake? :) She's wonderfully sweet and charming. Seriously. Spend a few minutes with my baby girl and you'll be smitten. She's crawling all over the place and pulling up and cruising. Already, yes. She has the CUTEST wave I've ever seen and started saying 'hi' to accompany it today. She also claps now, too. Approaching 9 months old. I wish I could freeze frame this time with her. I've never met a calmer, more content and pleasant baby. What a precious gift she is. They all are. Oh, how I love being mama.

Let's see...what else?

The pumpkin spice latte is back.

We've had lots of the kind of weather that makes me remember that I love Indiana.

This weekend brings the 3rd annual JD Taylor golf scramble.

I got a pair of Gap jeans for 99 cents this weekend, from the gap clearance store.

and $6 pink boots for Caters.

More importantly, I had an incredible weekend on the women's retreat with some very dear friends.

God is good. And faithful. and working and stirring. It's good.

I have had lots of photo sessions and am so so backed up with my editing.

I don't love deadlines looming.

I do love/hate procrastinating.

Why must I be wired this way?!

I often wish I was one who loved order, who naturally had a life of organization, who always had a schedule under control and life mapped out.

No such luck.

Dang.

I always go to bed too late.

And I must stop this random non-sense.

Goodnight!

labor day

2011-09-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

As I said yesterday, we took the day to just relax and enjoy. We normally have youth group Sunday and a Bible study on Monday, and we called both off and just had the days as family days. Much needed, and we all feel relaxed and refreshed. I'm really thankful for that.

Sorry for the picture overload- I'm trying to do a better job documenting our days.

SO- tons of pictures.

Hope your long weekend was great as well!

2011-09-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

I'm still alive, in case you were wondering.

Busy.

Working.

Adjusting.

Settling in.

Lots of 'new' around here.

New routines, new roles, new school.

But it's good. We forced some time off this weekend, a chance to be a family, to enjoy one another, to simply relax... and it's been refreshing.

We're finishing off the weekend with a date tonight, just my husband and I.

There's so much we could be doing around the house, so many projects lined up, but this weekend, today.. the down time is more important.

That picture above?

I'm in love.

Those babies, that man, the joy...

so blessed, so thankful.

Back to editing...

(it's hardly working, as I'm snuggled up next to Jordan, laying with a blanket on the couch while he watches a movie. I AM relaxing, don't you worry.)

Happy Labor Day!

overflow.

2011-08-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

I started this post thinking it would be a quick summary of some major events happening the last few days... but my heart was bursting... I had to write more.

First:

Saturday marked 6 years of marriage with this man.

SIX years!

I had hopes of writing a whole post about this, but I'll sum it up quick for you:

I've never loved him more.

I've never been more sure of being loved.

I've never enjoyed another person like I do this man.

Marriage, while a far cry from what my original expectations were six years ago, is one of the sweetest gifts that God has blessed me with. Jordan has loved me through the greatest moments and darkest days of my life... and loved me well. He's an amazing man-- the most real, consistent, genuine person I know. And hilarious. And patient. I know I'm getting cheesy on you, but hear me out.

Our marriage is a long way from perfect, but there's been a shift this past year... and there's a sweetness to it like never before. Jordan is such a gift- I recognize that and I am so thankful for the man he is. He is compelled to love by His love for Jesus. He loves Jesus first and foremost and as a result can love me, love our kiddos, love the youth, love people so well. I learn daily what it looks like to follow hard after Jesus by watching my husband live-- and I know that is an amazing, amazing gift.

So much for short and sweet.

Moving on! Secondly:

My boy...

He's in school.

Can you believe that?!

He started Tuesday. So far, so good.

Not much to say about it, as it's still so new. He likes it, but I do think he's missing me and his sisters, and he's tired. It's hard to get up and moving early every morning and to not have our normal time together. He still naps nearly every day, and is pretty cranky by lunch (which is right after school). I know it'll just take time to adjust to a new schedule. As crazy as it sounds, I hope that he drops the naps soon so that he and I can enjoy some time in the afternoons while the girls sleep. I can't wait to watch him grow and learn throughout this year. He really loves to learn, and really thrives with structure - I know that this is the best thing for him right now, and I am excited for him!

It's just crazy to me that we are here, at this stage of parenting. Bittersweet, you know?!

Speaking of growing up...

#3:

What's that, you ask?!

Cate's reward... for GIVING UP HER PACI!!!!!

It's a miracle, really. I thought for sure that it would take months for it to happen, but it was like she just made up her mind, and a story about Cinderella and her Prince eating hotdogs together was far more important than a little paci, and the hopes of picking out nail polish the next day was just icing on the cake.

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised-- once her mind is made up, there's little hope of changing it. She napped today without it, and at bed tonight whispered to me that she didn't want to be a big girl anymore, that she'd really like a paci. I told her she could be a little girl still, and sleep with her soft blankie and stuffed monkeys and she said okay. just like that.

Another chapter ends.

While I have no qualms about bidding farewell to the pacifier, it was the last 'baby' of my baby girl. No diapers, no pacis... all little girl.

And what a sweet, sweet little girl she is.

She marched into Kroger with her sequined doggy purse on her shoulder, holding Mama's hand right up to the nail polish display. She knelt down on her knees and touched them all before deciding on the purple sparkly one. "Dat one, Mama. With the spa-ka-lies in it." We splurged on some nail stickers, too, and she proudly carried her plastic sack out of the store.

We parked on a picnic blanket at church (while we waited for Corban's school to be over) and painted our nails, just us girls. (Nora played around us, investigating the grass and leaves and toys.)

------

This is a really sweet season of life.

I am so blessed, so thankful to be here, to be here now.

I remember reading a quote in college and it's always stuck with me-- simply profound, and very applicable to these days... these days that pass all too quickly:

"Wherever you are, be all there."

I'm praying daily... hourly, even... to live in these moments.

To be present where I'm present.

To give my husband and kiddos the best of me.

To let my life reflect what I believe.

For how I spend my time to reflect what I believe is most important.

To love and to serve like Jesus did.

Yes...that's it.

Simply to love like my Jesus loves.

To set my mind on things above. To hide His word in my heart. To be constrained by His love....

The rest will follow suit, of that I'm certain.

Nora James, 7 months old

2011-08-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

This little girl of ours...

She's incredible. The happiest, most pleasant and content baby I've ever known.

Anyway, she's at that age where it's new tricks daily, and I've been a terrible documenter of her life- so I'm fixing that right now.

As of last week, Nora James now sits up unassisted.

As of Sunday, she army crawls.

She says, "mamamama" only while crying, and 'dada' all day long. She also whines 'eeeeeeeeeeeeee' (eat) when ready for a bottle and said, 'baba' the other day.

She nursed for the last time while we were in St. Kitts. She drinks many 6 oz. bottles of formula a day, and eats purees twice a day. I'll know next week her height and weight, but she's finally growing and filling out and looking her age, as opposed to a newborn.

She recognizes and will find with her eyes mama and daddy, Corban and Cate. She LOVES her siblings-- lights up when they're around. And it's really mutual... One of my most favorite things about being a mom is watching my kids love on one another.

(Nora watching Cate)

She barely takes a paci, and I think we're going to kick the habit now, while trying to do the same for her big sister. (After all, the girl rarely cries! She doesn't need a paci!) She has a little square soft lovie with an elephant (and another with an owl) that she sleeps with. She loves to be in the sling. She loves to be with her Mama, but does fine with other people.

She melts me a million times over every day...

Such an amazing gift we've been given. How I love love love my Nora James!!

blackberry pickin'

2011-08-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

It's good to be home.

Even better to be Mama to these babies.

day 6 & 7

2011-07-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday -- we first went to church at CCF, which is predominately made up of Ross students. Our group lead worship, several youth shared about their experiences and what God was doing in their hearts during this trip, and then Matt shared from Matthew 28, on 'the great commission'. I was so proud of our kids (and encouraged and challenged), listening to them share their hearts. Matt shared right along with what I've been challenged with this week anyway-- getting out and sharing Jesus, wherever we are.

We then went to Grace Gospel Hall, a traditional gospel church. It was really different than anything I'd been to, but was a really neat experience. It started with communion and a cappella hymns, and then more worship. Then Chase (from our group) did a few worship songs and a group did a skit, and then Jordan spoke.

After church, a woman, Mavis, invited us all (yes, all 30 of us!) for lunch. We had a fantastic homecooked meal and enjoyed hanging out. A few people walked around the property and picked coconuts, starfruit, and mangoes from the trees. So different than Indiana!!

We came home and relaxed for a little bit and then headed out to the boys basketball game -- boys from our group verses the team that Brandon coaches.

beautiful Audri Jaye

a group of us watching the boys play.

Have I mention that we've had INCREDIBLE weather?! In the evenings, especially... upper seventies with that perfect ocean breeze. No complaints from me, especially with the heat wave taking place at home.

the guys playing-

the Kittitians won by 7 points.

and then today:

I don't have many reports, as we were all different places, finishing up our work projects. Most places wrapped up or have little things left to finish, which Brandon, Nick, Brett and Christa will try and finish the next few weeks, before returning to the US.

A few groups finished early in the day and then spent the rest of the day at the beach.

The group that I was in (building the play ground) were at the hospital working from 10:30-6:30... but we finished!

Casey and Layla with their giant juice boxes.

in progress...

Megan climbing the rock wall..

the first Kittitian on the play ground!!

Finished views! (Brandon and the others will come and seal and stain it this week, so it won't look like 908 different shades of wood.)

I'm going to brag on my husband a little-- we tore down the old, termite damaged playground, and Jordan designed this playground in his brain. He'd instruct us on what to do, and we'd do it- with no idea where things were heading. But today, it all came to fruition-- and I am so impressed! :)

Anyway, again, it's late and I don't have access to others cameras right now, so these are just pictures from the places I was. I've heard wonderful things about the turn out of the ladies' house that was painted, the park that was finished, the school that was also painted. I look forward to seeing the others' pictures and seeing the work!

Tomorrow begins our 'downtime'. We have a rain forrest hike planned for the morning, souvenir shopping and maybe the beach. Wednesday will be our day at the Marriott, a nice dinner out, and worship on the beach- which we are ALL looking forward to. It'll be a really sweet time- we're expecting many locals and Ross students, and there will also be baptisms.

Sorry if this is really scatter brained- there's conversations going on all around me and this has taken me forever to even get this far.

It has continued to be a really sweet time and lives are being changed... I'm really excited for the work that God has began here and seeing change take place once we return home. Please be praying for us as we wrap up our trip and prepare to return to the busyness of home.

Goodnight!!

beach day!

2011-07-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful section of beach, totally secluded and all to ourselves.

The water was warmer than the air and everyone went right in.

sweet Nora James, hanging out at the beach.

Some of our girls, lounging by the water:

AND THEN....

rain.

lots and lots of rain....accompanied by strong gusty winds.

We had packed a tent, anticipating a full beach day and a need of a spot for the girls (as in, our daughters) to nap. Little did we know it would be our refuge from the blowing sand and strong rain! Wendi and I sat in the tent as Mark Canada held the cover over and the rest of the tent flapped about, staying put only by our weight. We were laughing hysterically in the picture above.

Anyway, Brandon drove as close as he could to the beach and took us girls and babies back to the house, and then shortly returned home with a few other girls. The rest of the group stayed and played in the pouring rain and waves and waited on the bus-- which was to return 3 hours later. Us girls at the house enjoyed a quiet afternoon and the group that staid at the beach raved about the fun that they had.

All in all- a good day for all.

Tomorrow, our group is leading worship and sharing at two different local churches. A local woman, Mavis, has invited us all to her house for lunch, and then in the evening, there are some basketball games scheduled.

Please pray for our time at the churches- that we would be bold as we share what God is doing in our hearts, that we could minister to the locals and to eachother, that God would be glorified in the time we have there.

Off to bed! Goodnight!

(It's so hard -- there is so much to share, so many amazing stories, so many testimonies of God's sovereignty, His faithfulness... but there is little time to write (and focus while writing). Be sure to ask us more when we get home-- the things shared here barely scratch the surface!)

day 4 - quick update!

2011-07-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

(Nora, trying her first bite of fresh local pineapple. She's also had fresh, local mango and starfruit this week!)

Finally--- they are painting at the park! I showed pictures the other day of the walls that were covered in graffiti. After much hassle, they finally were able to powerwash and scrub the walls and then begin painting today. :)

I know it's hard to see from this perspective, but our playground is REALLY shaping up nicely. We've been doing step by step whatever Jordan asks of us, totally lost as to what we were doing- but now, we can finally see where it's heading, and it's going to be awesome!

It was the last day of VBS, and it was a bittersweet day. Over the course of a few days, our group has grown to love these children, and it is so hard to say goodbye. We are hoping to see some of the VBS kids at a few different things throughout the remainder of our time here, though.

We ate a delicious dinner and had a relaxing evening. We went down to the basketball courts and the boys enjoyed playing. A few locals jumped in towards the end... now we're waiting on the guys to return to do a Bible study.

Tomorrow--- THE BEACH!!!!

Sorry this is so quick and short, but I want to go hangout with our group! Please continue to pray for us! Thank you!

day 3

2011-07-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

Man. I don't even know where to start! We just finished a time of 'bless ups' and 'yay God's'-- a time to reflect and share with the group things we see God doing and orchestrating, a time to give shout outs to your teammates that you've seen God using and working in and through. Tonight was a really, really sweet time... my heart is overflowing

I just want to share a few little stories with you that I heard tonight from the group. It was very well summed up during our time of prayer, as a youth prayed, "God, I came here wanting You to use me to change lives... but instead, it's my life that is being changed." Hearts are being softened, lives are being changed- and it is an amazing thing to witness and be a part of.

VBS... just a little reminder- before we came, we were anticipating around 250 kids.

We had to make a store run tonight for more candy and craft supplies... as we had a total of 450 kids today.

Wow.

I could tell countless stories that kids have shared. Our youth have fallen in love with these kids, and I've heard countless times how sad they are that tomorrow is the last day. Incredible.

An amazing story, that starts back before we even left the Horizon parking lot:

We were getting ready to load up the vans and Vince runs up to Jordan, saying he forgot his little orange Bible at home, and wondering if he could run to Jordan's office to get his little brown Gideon Bible.

Fast forward to today.

A group was sitting at VBS in a classroom, when a man walks up to the open window. "Hey, excuse me... I desire to have a Bible. A Gideon one.. you know, one with Psalms and Proverbs and the New Testament. Do you have one?"

Jordan responded that he did, but not with him today, that he'd bring it tomorrow.

The man, as he's walking away turns and adds, "Hey, and, I'm kind of particular about the color. If you have a brown one, I'd like to have a brown one."

Certainly not a coincidence!! Amazing!

Another story from today:

There was a group that was supposed to be painting at a school. They arrived there at the scheduled time, to find the building lock and no one to help them. After waiting and debating for a bit, they decided to walk to the house where another group was painting.

Kristen (who is in the bottom picture) was supposed to be at the school. Quickly after arriving at the house, she was approached by some kids who told her they liked to paint, too, so she let them help out with painting the house. While they were painting, long story short, she ends up sharing Jesus with this little girl, who says she wants to know Him and wants to go to Heaven and prays right there to receive Jesus. Incredible, right?! Even more incredible-- she goes and tells her sister about it, who then comes over and says she wants to pray too!

I was blown away as I listened to example after example.

Jordan shared at the end the of the night tonight. He said, "Yes, this is a mission trip... but all we are doing here is living a Christian life." As Christians, we should be serving. We should be out in our communities, helping wherever there is need. We should be sharing Jesus with those who walk by, wondering why we are doing what we're doing. He challenged us to let this be preparation for going home.

My heart is stirred, friends. It is relatively easy when our sole purpose in being here is to serve.

Why should our lives be any different anywhere else?! All we've done is step out, get out of our little bubbles, get into the communities here, and God has opened door after door after door. I have no doubt that the same could happen at home.

Please pray that God would continue to stir our hearts, to give us hearts to serve, to give us boldness.

I'll conclude this with words that we sang during worship tonight... words that seem to collectively echo the hearts of this group:

What can I say

What can I do

but offer this heart, Oh God, completely to You?

day 2

2011-07-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hello! Day two is winding down... last minute vbs prep is happening in the kitchen, air mattresses are being brought back out, people are beginning to head to bed. It was another busy and full day in St. Kitts, and this (10:35) is the first free time most of us have really had today- aside from eating meals and showers, of course.

The buses arrived and shipped the different groups off to the VBS's. Numbers rose, as anticipated, and things went very well. One of the groups has a large number of teenagers, surprisingly. The VBS curriculum is definitely geared towards children, so they've had to improvise a little. Christa and Ashley were able to share their testimony with some of the girls and have some really awesome conversations. Be praying for those relationships, that they would see the difference in our girls, the joy and love and desire to walk rightly as a result of their love for Jesus. Pray that our girls would be able to minister to these who are more peer-aged, and that the teens would recognize their need for a Savior, and have a desire to know Him and His word!

I (Kristen) have been staying home in the mornings with Wendi and Audri. We wash breakfast dishes and get things back in order, hit the grocery store, and make preparations for lunch. I cannot tell you have much I'm enjoying those few quiet(er) hours with my sweet friend. I've missed her SO much... and even if it's conversation between bottle making and dish washing, I am so thankful for the time with her. :)

Anyway, a few VBS pictures:

Everyone we returned from VBS and we had a quick lunch of grilled hotdogs. Our wonderful grill master (and baby Keaton) :) --

We stopped by the park where one group was working. Still some hiccups today, but there is high hopes of actually beginning what they had planned tomorrow. They're power washing these graffiti-filled walls and then painting over it.

We continued work on the playground today. We have the framework done and tomorrow will continue building it. Jordan and I were able to have a neat conversation with a hospital employee today... At the very beginning of our conversation, it was mentioned that we were married. Her immediate follow up to that was, "Are you guys Christians?" Pretty interesting. She had a lot of questions-- wanting to know if being a Christian made a relationship easy, if there were still hardships. She wanted to know if there were still struggles and temptations even though we were Christians. Please pray that we see her again and continue to have conversations with her and point her to the Lord... whose love is endless and perfect, so contrary to the love that this world demonstrates.

Lastly, we had a fantastic meal and then prepared the house for Bible study tonight. There around 10 Kittitians here-- and two small children! Brandon was able to share his testimony with us all and share on some verses from 1 John 4. It was awesome to be a part of what God is doing here, to hear these locals speak so highly of Brandon and Wendi. It's amazing to see the favor, how God is working and moving. Please continue to pray for these relationships that are being established.

We appreciate your prayers! The kids have had little to no access to the computers, as our days are so full (and let's be honest--- it's really good for us ALL to unplug a little for a little while...), but I've been passing the comments along to the youth as their parents comment on the blog.

Tomorrow will be a busy day, but a calmer evening. I hope to continue to update daily. All the best!!

day 1

2011-07-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hello again, from St. Kitts!

What an amazing view, huh?! Anyway, my hope is to pull pictures from all the different locations for these posts, but I only have a few minutes to post tonight and I can't find my camera cord, and the others' whose cameras I wanted to use are currently at the other house or watching basketball games. So- the pictures tonight are courtesy of Matt Hawkins, the youth pastor from the Ft. Wayne group that is with us.

Today was, as anticipated, very full.

The day started with breakfast (pancakes-- thanks, Wendi!) at 8 a.m. We ate and loaded up in buses at around 8:45ish. (Brandon told them at 8:15, expecting them to arrive on "Island time".) The three different groups went to three different parts of the island. The VBS that had started on Monday had 230 kids show up today. DOUBLE what was there the first day!!! Another VBS had 100 kids for the first day, and the third had around 40. Awesome!!

There were so many good reports from the time at Vacation Bible school. It was crazy and busy, we were told, but our kids loved the Kittitian children. I heard several times that they were just really sweet, and very smart. They also love having their pictures taken and taking pictures. :)

All three groups return to the same locations tomorrow. If history repeats itself, there will be a LOT of kids there. Please be praying for our youth as they share (and show) the love of Jesus to these precious kiddos.

Have we mentioned that one of the church just celebrated its 50th anniversary of being a church... and not one time has there ever been a VBS?!

Exciting things happening here on the island!!

After VBS, we scarfed down lunch and got ready for our work projects. We have 6 groups, and 5 go out to different locations around the island. The 5th stays at the house and works on things here, cleaning, dinner prep, etc.

The group I was with got to go to a local hospital. It was set up unlike any I've ever been in. And I'm pretty sure it was not air conditioned, as the windows were open and people were leaving with their fans. Our job here was to tear down a playground that had been set up near the Pediatric ward, but was no longer safe for children. It was tilted, had rotting wood, swings had been taken down. We took it all apart, threw away the wood that was not salvageable and will spend the rest of the week building a new one! (I have pictures, but can't upload them...)

There was one group who went to a local elementary school and were painting classrooms on the inside. Another group washed and then began painting the exterior of a residents house. The third and fourth groups were supposed to start things to build the park, but had some hiccups and ended up mostly cleaning up trash. We will be at these same spots, finishing the projects we began the rest of the week.

Tomorrow I will post more pics of the different going ons around the island, but it's now time for worship and I don't want to miss it!!

Please keep praying for our group! Unity, energy, love, servant hearts, changed hearts....

Thank you! All the best!... as the Kittitians say. ;)

We've arrived!!!

2011-07-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

After hours of final sorting and stuffing and weighing and organizing, we loaded up the trailor with 38 bags to check and carry-ons for each of us.

We brought down the majority of the food we will eat while we are here, along with soccer balls and t-shirts to give away and all the supplies we need for the 3 VBS's we will be doing while here.

(They started one of the VBS today-- and for the first day, 100 kids showed up!! AMAZING!!)

Anyway, we hit the road around 4:30 and arrived in Chicago around 9.

We managed to sleep a few hours on the floors of Calvary Chapel O'Hare and woke at 3 a.m. to arrive at the airport at 3:45 a.m. We all got our tickets and ALL the luggage checked without a problem-- thank You, Lord!

Our first flight was from Chicago to Miami and went smoothly. Our flight from Miami to St. Kitts was delayed an hour and a half, but they gave us to time to grab a bite to eat (and coffee!!), and relax a little.

It was a beautiful 2.5 hour flight and all went fine. Just before landing, I happened to glance outside and see a BEAUTIFUL rainbow. It was only visible long enough for me to snap a quick picture and then it was gone... but I was excited about that. :)

Jordan and I sprinted off the plane, wanting to be the first to greet Brandon and Wendi-- completely unaware of how long it would take to get through Customs. After opening and checking every last piece of luggage, we were finally able to step outside of the airport, breathe in the Caribbean air and hug our dear friends.

It is SO good to be here.

The team is doing wonderfully-- currently doing last minute prep for the vacation bible schools, which take place at three separate locations tomorrow. The next four days will be jam packed- VBS starting at 9 (meaning we leave the house at 8:30) and lasting until 12:30, lunch, and then out to the different work sites (a hospital, a home, a park, and a school).

Please pray for our team, as we will be potentially seeing 300 kids each day the remainder of the week. Also, it is HOT, as I'm sure you are all aware. We want to be a blessing here, to minister and love on the Kittitians (and the Graysons). Pray for energy and strength and unity.

I'll keep you updated as the week goes on!!

(our view of sunset during dinner!)

and....

2011-07-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

WE'RE OFF!!!

St. Kitts bound TOMORROW.

(Technically today, I suppose, as it's 1 a.m. Sunday morning.)

I'm nearly all packed.. just a minor malfunction or two, the greatest being the suitcase that has disappeared from our home.

No big deal, right?!

Anyway- church in the morning will be an exciting time.

First- our daughters are being dedicated. Our parents will both be joining us at church, which is always a nice treat. And then, the church body will pray for us as they send us off on our trip!

I'm absolutely dreading saying goodbye to Corban and Cate. Eleven days without my kiddos?! I don't think I've ever gone more than two days without seeing them. (not to mention, I spend nearly 24 hours a day with them). They'll be spending most of the time with Jordan's parents, and a few days with mine. They've got lots of fun things planned- a zoo trip, water park, swimming play dates, etc. I know they'll enjoy and I'm sure it'll probably much harder on Mama than it is on them. :)

We leave around 4 p.m. to head towards Chicago, will rest for a few hours at a local Calvary Chapel, and then arrive at O'Hare International at 3:30 a.m. We'll fly from there to Miami, and from Miami to St. Kitts!

After months and months of planning- I can't believe it's finally here! I'll be trying to update fairly regularly while we are there. I added a button to the right hand side of my blog so that you could sign up to receive the blog posts in your email account, just fyi.

Please pray for us tomorrow, as we are traveling with a large group and an incredible amount of luggage. I will update when we arrive!!

weekend trip to Cleveland

2011-07-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Lots of pics-- but I want to document. We left Friday afternoon and went to straight to the Indians game. It was a wonderful time-- the kids did really well, overall.

Corban and Uncle Brandon

My parents were also in Cleveland to go to our cousins graduation open house. My mom has the most amazing group of girl friends from high school, and one of her dear friends Laurie lived just 20 minutes from our cousins house. Laurie (and her husband, Art) were kind enough to open their home to ALL of us. Not a small undertaking. :) We were showered with the most welcoming hospitality, and it was wonderfully relaxing-- a perfect time!

We got up Saturday morning and our group drove a few miles down to the beach on Lake Erie. We were there for a few hours-- everyone enjoyed.

And then from the beach, we went to a just-built public water park and it was incredible. If you're ever near Avon Lake, OH-- you MUST check this place out. It had something for everyone-- a lazy river, high dive, water slides, splash pad, 3 ft. whirl pool, no entry area with a giant water playground. It was incredible. We were there for several hours and just had a blast.

We left there and went to the graduation party, where we got to see more family. It really was just an excellent weekend all around! We plan to make our Cleveland trip an annual thing, always hitting an Indians game with my brother. (We did so last year... I blogged about it, but am too lazy to look for the link right now!)

Anyway- things are BUSY, getting all sessions edited and mailed out (plus shooting two engagements this week, too), final details for St. Kitts, packing, making a trip to Marion to see some dear friends, and then a family reunion this weekend. It'll be a whirlwind, I'm sure-- but this time next week we will be ST.KITTS BOUND!!! Ah!

Okay. Time for bed.

Goodnight!

today and soon:

2011-07-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

tomorrow...

we bid adieu...

to that fantastic

amazing

head of hair.

Did I just write a blog about a hair cut?!

Okay, fine. Maybe I just wanted to show off those luscious locks before they are no longer.

Isn't he a beautiful little boy?!

I started to write this sappy post about my sweet son-- but I figure I'll save it for his FOURTH birthday, which is just a few weeks away. Man!

In other, world shaking news:

-I washed dishes for approximately two hours today.

-We attempted a run right at bedtime tonight. Those girls of ours made sure it was a short one-- but 2 miles is better than none, right?

-We are TWELVE DAYS from heading to St. Kitts!!!! Lots of smoothing out of details now. So much effort went into fund-raising, and now the focus is much more on preparing for what we'll be doing once we're there. We've got 3 different vacation Bible schools set up - and they're approximating that we'll see 150-200 kids between the three locations. We've got several work projects in order, ranging from local clean-up to painting a house to building swing sets. We will be working with a Boys Club, a nursing home, prison, church, etc. We will be fitting an incredible amount in a short amount of time (10 days!). I am SO excited and cannot wait to be there. Please be praying for our team to be unified (23 youth are going with us), for us to be a light on the island, for us to be an encouragement to Brandon and Wendi, for the Kittians hearts to be open to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like I said- I am so excited!!! I WILL be updating while we are there, just fyi.

- I am really nervous about 10 days away from the big kids. That's a long time for a mama to be away from her babies!

-Nora said "mama" AND waved this weekend. She's an all-star. :)

-Cate is potty trained. You may remember me mentioning it awhile back, but then we had a baby and out the window that went. Anyway, only 1 in diapers?! Yes, please!

-I really need to be editing right now, and not blogging. So.... this pointless list (and post, really) ends! Goodnight!

love.

2011-07-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love love love being Mama.

Nora James, six months

2011-06-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Oh little girl of mine...

You have no idea, not an inkling of the joy you bring and add to our lives.

You are the perfect reminder that God is good and sovereign, that He has a plan and it is good.

My heart is overflowing with that reminder as I watch your sweet personality emerge. Your playfulness, smile, contentedness... simply, YOU...

You are such a gift, my Nora James.

Six months you've been here now.

A perfect addition to our family.

A perfect, tiny (11lbs 11oz) fit.

I'm so thankful to be your Mama, my beautiful brown eyed girl.

Little Nora James, you are so loved!

corners

2011-06-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'd been writing a post in my brain since Saturday about how we've turned this corner...

...that there was starting to be an ease to things.

that everything wasn't seeming so hard.

Neither a miracle nor a leash are wished for during every outing.

but today?

that feels like a bunch of lies.

Mostly because I was up too late working last night

and I've far over-extended myself.

And...

I have three kiddos who think naptime is for the birds today.

Those things make me a far too impatient, far too stressed, far too not-much-fun kind of Mama.

Oh, to have balance...

All of that to say-

A few days ago, I felt like we'd turned a corner.

Jordan had a mountain bike race.

and I?

I had all three kiddos by myself AND without a stroller---

and had a blast.

They ran and jumped and practically swam in every mud puddle they saw.

They were filthy, muddy, soaked to the bone, but oh, did they enjoy.

I don't know why I'm usually so uptight. Why is it so hard to just let my kids be kids?!

It was such a sweet time...

I need to learn to say 'yes' more often.

Even if it means a little mess, a little more effort, you know?

Anyway...

Somedays, things DO seem easier.

Smoother.

Calmer.

And I treasure those days.

I love being Mama to these kids.

These wild, energetic, curious kids.

Such sweet gifts they are...

treasures.

Oh Lord- Help me to have a heart of gratitude always...

And now, back to work I go. Playing catch up from being computer-less! Happy Longest Day of the Year!

(and oh, does it seem long! ha!)

quick catch up

2011-06-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's summertime.

You know, in case you've missed the memo.

Summertime around here means:

staying up late

waking up early

(yaaaaaawn)

lots of water play

hours and hours outside

gardens!

curls

St. Kitts prep

(just over a month until we're there...)

lots of photo sessions

open windows

evening runs

family time

picking berries

trampoline jumping

splash pad!

DRIVING!!!!!

(I'm FREE!!!!!!!!)

lots of time with our youth

lots of time with our babies

So much to be thankful for.

So much we enjoy.

So much love.

Overwhelmed today by the goodness of God.

Grateful. Thankful.

Amazed.

first engagement session

2011-06-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

I try to not post much of my 'business' photography over here... this is my family blog, and I want it to stay that way- BUT- I had my first engagement session last night, and I am thrilled with how it went... and hoping for many many more in the future. I was telling the couple that I really love to photograph senior girls because they love to be photographed and are excited about getting pictures done, and I love to do families because of the emotion and love you see... A couple engaged combines these two elements, and seriously, it was one of my favorite sessions I've ever done.

This couple are friends of ours from church with a sweet, sweet love story of waiting on God's timing and peace.. a beautiful, wonderful example. I can't wait to see what God has in store for them... and I also can't wait to photograph their August 13th wedding!! Thanks, Josh and Nicole, for letting me be a part of this exciting time in your life!

an MRI for Nora

2011-05-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

I've hesitated on what to say or write...

The human in me has been a tad bit too emotional.

The mama in me has been scared something fierce.

The Jesus-follower in me, though, is wanting to rest and trust in His goodness and His sovereignty, and I know that it's not a weight that I have to carry on my own.

I'm hoping that in a few short days, I'll look back and laugh at my anxiousness, but I can't help to have some fear when MRI's are concerned. Our track record with them is none too easy, full of heartbreak and bad news. The one we are encountering is mostly precautionary... but still... it's my baby, you know?!

I noticed when Nora was just a few weeks old that her pupils were different sizes in certain lighting. I mentioned it at an early (2 month, I think) well-baby check up, and after a handful of doctors examined her eyes, they confirmed that they, too, noticed the difference, and while they suspected it was normal, they wanted a specialist in that area to make that call. I was told that they'd make the referral, but it could take awhile for us to be seen. I never heard anything else about it.

At her four month check-up, I mentioned again the difference in her pupils, but to a different doctor this time. She did a few quick tests and agreed with the first doctor, a pediatric ophthalmologist should take a look. This time, I received a phone call the same afternoon notifying me of an appointment just two days later.

I had consulted 'dr. google' on the matter and didn't think too much of it. She had no symptoms indicating Horner's Syndrome, so I assumed I would be told that she had aniscornia- basically, just meaning that her pupils are different sizes. I expected the doctor to tell me as much and to be done with it all.

At her appointment, they measured her pupils, dilated her eyes, waited, measured again. I wasn't given any information after any measurements, before or after any of the waiting. I was starting to get a little nervous. A long story short, and avoiding the little details that add to my anxiousness for tomorrow-- the difference in her pupils is greater than that which they usually consider normal (for the abnormality, that is).

The doctor ordered a 24 hour urine collection and an MRI of her head, neck, chest, and abdomen.

My heart hit the floor.

I guess I was probably easy to read, as he quickly reassured me that his 'gut is that everything is fine, but he wants to be sure that it is.' He promised me that if he expected the tests to show anything wrong, he would prepare me for that. His nurse assured me when he left the room that he is known for being proactive, and I told her that given our family history, I'm a big fan of proactiveness.

Anyway, the MRI is tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m.

On top of all that, it's taking place at the same place we always took JD. I'll be checking Nora in and sitting in the same waiting room as I always sat, anxiously awaiting news on my little brother. It's hard to be there anyway... but at the same time, there's no where else I'd rather my children be taken care of.

Please do pray for peace as we wait, and for conclusive results... I've had reminder after reminder this week of God's goodness and faithfulness and love, and I know that none of this has caught Him off guard. I keep thinking of the quote I chose to write in the front of my 'one thousand gifts' journal, that I thought was a good cornerstone for the notebook-- months before any of this arose:

"And I can always give thanks because an all-powerful God always has all these things- all things- always under control."

and then the lyrics from a new Chris Tomlin song,

"I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart, these things I remember
You are faithful, God, forever..."

and lastly, the verse we've held onto over and over again:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. The LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
(Joshua 1:9)

It will be 24-48 hours before we have results. Please, keep us in your prayers as we wait. I've got Phil 4:6-7 on repeat in my mind... and am holding on to the promise of peace that surpasses understanding to guard my heart and mind as a result of not being anxious but instead praying with thanksgiving!
Thank you in advance for praying!

(And I apologize if this seems dramatic. Like I said, I hope to soon look back and think I was silly for being worked up about an MRI... but after all we went through with JD, an MRI is a scary, scary thing...)

a big day!

2011-05-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

this guy....

is officially registered for preschool.

Wasn't he just....this??

...and this?

and not that long ago..this?

but now-

(above photo courtesy of kelly allen photography)

My boy.... is a boy. An almost-4-year-old, almost-school-going little boy.

It's nearly more than this mama heart can bear to think about. I remember like it was yesterday the day we found out we were expecting him, the day we found out 'it's a boy!', the day he (finally) entered this earth. I've barely gone to bed but a night or two since he started calling me Mama, taking steps, loving footballs.

But now...suddenly...

this boy dresses himself in the morning, pours his own juice. He carries my stuff and loves to help. He plays with his oldest younger sister and would do anything to take care of Nora James.

...and in just a few short months, he's off to school.

I've put off registering him, put off considering all of this for as long as I could, but as of today, he is officially registered, and will be attending the school that our church runs and that his Daddy works at.

It's hard and so sweet to watch your babies grow, huh?

Anyway. Sigh.

More exciting news!!

This lady...

(above photo courtesy of kelly allen photography)

(That's ME, fyi.)
(and man, my husband is good looking!)

is now the possessor of a domain name!

Meaning... I'm so close to having a real (photography) website!!

'Tis exciting.

AND

we got family photos taken last week.

Kelly is an amazing photographer, and I love the images we've seen so far--

cannot wait to see the rest!

Jordan and I took several just the two of us... and I am really excited about those. We didn't do engagement pictures, barely have wedding photos, have so few shots of the two of us. So I'm pumped.
It was interesting to be on the other side of the camera, and fun to feel the anticipation of seeing the pictures. Gave me a fresh perspective on what I do.

:)
And...
I did an hour spin class at the gym this morning. Holy Moly.
I think that's enough excitement for one day.

Happy Tuesday!

what a difference... (Cate version)

2011-05-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

One year makes.

Caters, last May:

and today:

...and a few more of my approaching 2 and a half, wild, tender, free-spirited little girl:

(time out. when did this happen!? So big, so fast...)

Isn't she lovely?

And to know her, to be with her, hear her sweet voice, listen to her rapid-fire thoughts... amazing...

she's incredible.

I've said it a million times over, but what's one more time?!

I have blessed beyond measure.

Pics of Corbanator coming next!!

today:

2011-05-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

It was 80 degrees.

We went outside as soon as we got dressed.

We took a 20 minute walk-

big kids in the NEW double jogger,

Nora riding in her favorite place... the sling.

I would've been content to walk much longer, but 20 minutes is the perfect amount of time to eat an apple and raisins and ask Mama questions about heaven and Jesus and why we take walks.

We then got some gas station coffee...all four of us, the big kids holding hands and being told not to touch the 'beautiful fings' (aka the pink lighter at checkout-- per Cate).

In case you're wondering, it's no easy task to carry two coffees (one for my friend), a baby in the carseat, and to keep a 2 and 3 year old within arms reach simultaneously. You must be in a daring mood to attempt. Just a warning.

We play for hours at my dear friends' house who has three the same ages as my 3.

We got to talk and drink coffee and worry about tanlines and sunscreen.

Perfect.

The kids mostly got along and Cate was exceptionally not nice... very unusual for her.

I may or may not have scrounged up change to sneak through a certain fast food chain for a certain beverage of choice that may or may not consist of 'diet' and 'coke'.

We came home and I laid the kiddos down for naps... all three.

That was about 45 minutes ago, and only one of them is sleeping.

I went up to address Cate's non-sleeping-ness, to find her WITHOUT CLOTHES (and diaper), and trying to pick the lock to Nora's room with the clippy that was in her hair.

Sigh.

I've removed everything with plugs and any sort of metal already. Who knew I even needed to check her head for potential lock pickers.

Now- her big brother snuck out and opened her door (which is child proofed from the inside), and they're giggling in Corban's room.

I'd been attempting to sew, but with the 19 trips I've had to make upstairs, and running out of thread, it's just not happening today.

Rain is quickly moving in, and I've got a photo session scheduled with one of my favorite families for this evening. I'm hoping the weather passes by then.

All of this to say-

this weather has me SO looking forward to summer.

I'm so ready for long days outside (like today) and suntan noses and water fights and sand castles.

Soon, my friends. Soon the forecast won't have 9 days of rain in the next ten, and maybe just maybe we'll have consecutive days with sunshine.

Won't that be grand?

Until then, I'll soak up these moments we do get.

And try to enforce naptime for the sake of us all.

Adios!

4 months old!

2011-05-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

sweet baby Nora James...

4 months old!

So so happy, smiley, content.

She loves to coo, reach for Corban, snuggle her blankie or whatever I'm wearing. I want to always remember the way she curls her fist as she grabs it and holds it to her face... those little things that too quickly become a blur. She arches herself sideways when she's ready to eat, rolls from belly to back, loves her bouncy seat and to be carried in the sling.

She's still a peanut, weighing in at a whopping 10 lbs, 0 oz, and is 23.5 inches long.

This age is so fun- starting to see so much personality...

I love love love being a mama to this sweet baby girl.

MISSION TRIP!!!! :)

2011-05-02T20:09:00.001-07:00

Just a quick blurb here-
We're working as a youth group to raise support to go to St. Kitts this summer.
In case you're wondering... I hate fundraising. BUT- with three of our five member household going on this trip, it's necessary.
I've never been on a mission trip before, and I am beyond excited about this opportunity. I've previously mentioned our best friends moving down to the island to start a church--- it was really really sad for us to watch them leave, it was a major role change in Jordan's job, etc. etc. etc.- Now, we're getting a chance to go down and be a part of what God is doing in St. Kitts. They've already gotten plugged into SO many things- coaching a basketball team, serving at a Boys Club, leading a Bible study. We'll be helping with these things, running a vacation bible school, beach clean-up, whatever other needs arise between now and then. I can't wait to be down there with our dear friends, to see life as their experiencing, and to serve the people that are now part of their home, their lives.

To read more about what Brandon and Wendi are doing in St. Kitts and what we'll be a part of this July, check out their blog here.

If you're interested in contributing to our team financially, you can click on the following link to do so:
Marathon Event Marketing - Indianapolis Fundraising - Horizon Youth Group - Kristen McGaughey

Most importantly, please be praying for our trip. We're taking an incredible group of kids down to serve alongside incredible people. We want to be used to spread the love of Jesus to the Kittitians and to bless and encourage Brandon and Wendi and their growing family. We covet your prayers for our time now as we work and serve as a group to prepare to go their to work and serve the locals!
Thanks, friends!! :)

bullets.

2011-04-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

I have too much to do to be blogging right now... yet, here I am.
It's rained at least 673 straight days.
That last bullet may be an exaggeration. But I sure am missing sunshine.
I have mastered my homemade carmel macchiato. And it is good.... Only further enforcing my latte addiction.
Easter weekend was jam packed and included two trips to our hometown, riding to prom in a limo, three church services, two easter egg hunts, and a tremendous appreciation for a Savior who died and rose and gives me life abundant.

(In case you're wondering about the 'sling'--- Cate's Uncle Isaac broke his wrist last week and is in a sling. Cate fell and scraped her elbow, and wore hers for the next two hours, refusing to take it off. ha!)

I woke Cate up at 10:15 this morning. That's incredible, in case you were wondering.
I'm slowly-but-surely trying to convince the aforementioned little girl that at 2.5 years old, it's time to kick the paci habit. She's not buying it.
I'm working on lots of little changes round these parts- starting tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. with a get-in-the-Word-and-pray date with my husband. Have I ever mentioned that I like to sleep? and I don't like 6 a.m.? It'll be good though. I am excited about it.
We got a new, second double jogging stroller! We initiated it last week with a 16 minute (slow) run on the track. I LOVE that my husband will run with me...and I hate being so out of shape. :)

Corban serenaded me this morning, singing "Happy Birthday" while holding a yellow sand bucket filled with grapes he picked off their vine, and a giant pretzel rod sticking out of it for the candle. It's not my birthday, but I loved it anyway.
We bust out of this house and played in the downpour in our front yard for an hour this morning. Nothing better than those giggles erupting from my kiddos...

Jordan was home for lunch and made homemade pizza covered with peppers and onions and mozzarella. Delish!
I'm reading One Thousand Gifts. It's a life-changing read.
My baby is approaching four months old. Someone- please! slow down the time:

I must actually accomplish things now... back to work (studying for tonight, editing, cleaning) I go!!

Happy rainy Monday!

real quick

2011-04-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

It's been two whole weeks since I last blogged.
Whoa.
This seems to fall by the wayside with the arrival of sunshine.
It's been amazing outside this week. I could do all year of days like today- not quite 70, bluest blue sky. We spent hours at the park this morning and it was wonderful. Perfect. The fresh air wiped all three out and my house is silent-- messy, but silent. I like the quiet of naptime. I like the rustle of wake-time, too, but these two hours of quiet make way for refreshing...especially when the windows are open and the cool breeze is blowing the curtains. Perfect.
I don't really have anything to say right now - I've got a to-do list way too long to actually sit and write right now, but I want to post something on this long-neglected blog of mine. So, here I am, telling you that we're busy playing outside and having people over and making our house a home. And when I'm not doing those things, I'm probably taking pictures or editing the pictures taken. Things are busy for kristenmcg photography right now- and it's wonderful. Still learning balance, a schedule, etc., but I enjoy doing it unlike anything I've ever done.
On that note... better go clean my kitchen. I'm behind on all areas housework related, and this next week is crazy busy with photo sessions- I've GOT to learn how to better manage my time (and to suck it up and do what I don't want to when it needs done, not when the mood strikes... ). Hopefully I will be back in the near future with updates!

two more reasons:

2011-03-31T18:17:00.000-07:00

two more reasons:

that I'm thankful

that I love being a mama

that cause me to recognize God's sovereignty and goodness to me,

how perfect His timing is.

These two..

they're peas in a pod.

BFF's.

Partner's in crime.

They keep me on my toes, exhaust me, and bring more joy to my heart than I ever dreamed possible.

'tis so sweet to be a Mama....

especially to the three we've been given.

pretty in purple :)

2011-03-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Sweet sweet sweet Nora James

we're back!

2011-03-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing, amazing time on our vacation. So relaxing, refreshing...

just what we needed.

We've been back for over a week now- but last week was full, jam-packed.

I just didn't have time to blog.

It was an excellent week though, a nice welcome-home from another, different excellent week.

We're settling back into routines, establishing new ones, loving having more time together as a family.

I'm choosing to say 'no' to this screen more, 'yes' to my munchkins more.

I'm trying to conquer some home projects that have been in the works for far too long as well.

Anyway, we are back.

And now, I'm just waiting on that spring weather to return...

5

2011-03-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

loving every minute of our time here...

just the five of us.

two more days!!

2011-03-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

We leave for Florida in TWO DAYS!!!!!!!!!

I am unbelievably excited.

so pumped.

I've been looking at our pictures from last trip we made...

such a timely trip, much much needed.

only three weeks after my little brother died.

after spending a month in the hospital.

best week we've ever had as a family- seriously.

Now, we had a baby and Jordan had a role change in his job, which up until now has had him working an incredible amount. I've had my heart junk going on and am currently, and for what feels like an enternity,

stuck in this house.

oh vacation...

the timing is perfect.

again.

(not saying the situations are the same- not even close. but a vacation after a hard period... yes, ma'am, I'll take it.)

we so need this time as a family, time just the five of us.

FIVE!?

that's still a shock to me.

a wonderful shock.

Sweet Nora James.
I'm excited to add her to our family beach pictures.

We have no pictures of the five of us together.

A shame, no?

I can't wait to see the kids' excitement about the ocean

and the sand

and the sun

and a week with daddy.

Oh Florida...

I'll be seeing you soon.

"You are good, and what you do is good;

teach me your decrees."

ps. 119:68

Best face in February--- iheartfaces

2011-03-07T19:31:00.000-08:00

This weeks theme at iheartfaces is 'Best Face in February'.

I love this of our sweet Nora James!

2 months

2011-03-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

Nora James, 2 months old

wonderfully sweet

quiet, calm, content

weighs approximately 9.5 lbs.

sleeps 10 hours straight at night

so in love with this sweet girl!

heart again.

2011-03-02T18:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday came and went. Fairly uneventful, for all the anticipation I felt towards it.
Everything was fine, but it didn't really go as planned... we weren't able to do exactly what he was wanting to do. Prior to the procedure, it took seven seconds for my defibrillator to charge up to shock me. With the type of rhythm my heart does during an episode, seven seconds will have me completely passed out. He wanted to program the defibrillator so that it was using a lesser voltage to shock me, thus enabling it to fire more quickly.
He tried. He lowered it to the number he was hoping to get it to, sent my heart into ventricular fibrillation, and then waited for the defibrillator to shock it. It did... the first time. He then re-tested it, and the defibrillator failed to correct my heart. Dang. He bumped it up higher (but lower than it was) and was successful- but it barely is any faster. What used to take 7 seconds now takes 5.5, and he seemed to be under the impression (or I thought I gathered in my awaking-from-anesthesia-ness) that that amount of time would still cause me to pass out.
Oh well.
I'm just grateful that I have it- and even if I do pass out, I'm still alive, right?
The most unfortunate part of yesterday was something I knew was coming but was hoping wasn't.
The doctor says that I should be doing no driving in this post-partum period. As in- NO DRIVING.
until Nora is 9 months old.
Which is 7 months from today, in case you were wondering.
SEVEN MONTHS!
That would be fine and well if.. you know... I had a horse and buggy. Or a personal chauffeur.
But alas... homeward bound I shall remain, I guess.
(Just a little reminder: I have three kids under age 4. A really busy husband. And a photography business. Who needs to leave the house. Ever. Right?!?!)
Okay, I'm being dramatic.
I know, it's not the end of the world.
Seriously now though... it really does bum me out.
.But- it'll be good, I suppose. I have dreams of finishing up home projects, planning and planting a serious garden, having flower beds, etc. It'll make way for more consistent routines, force me to get creative with the kids, eliminate unnecessary trips out, leave me no choice but to make meal plans and grocery lists. These things will be good, very good, for our family. We'll survive. :)
Also, my doctor had me start taking medicine a couple of weeks back. I thought that it would just be for this nine month postpartum period also, but he said after my procedure that he thought I'd need to be on it indefinitely. Not a huge deal, though. If Caters can take medicine (and not complain!) three times a day, surely I can handle it, too. :)
Okay. Enough heart talk. Happy Wednesday night to you!

my heart

2011-02-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world."

(john 16:33)

Some days... I stumble upon these amazing blogs with powerful words and inspirational ideas and I wish that my blog was like that- that I had the time to write like that. But some days, too, I reread my old entries, reread my posts not posted, and I'm so thankful that I have my words, my thoughts, my memories of our hard times and sweet days and precious kiddos. So today... again, still.. it's just me, my thoughts, my life.
Life hasn't been a cake walk as of late. In almost every arena that I identify myself with- mom, wife, daughter, friend- things have been difficult. It's a culmination of multiple things- the three biggest being a role change in Jordan's job, the addition of a third child, and my heart (both literal and figuratively.). I'd like to think that I'm more resilient than I've shown this past month, but I'm not. No excuses, just honesty. I've had a rough month.
But we are on an upswing--- hallelujah, thank You, Jesus.
As I've eluded to, I've had some issues going on with my heart. I've been warned with each child that the first nine months post-partum risked more episodes, but prior to now, never had any problems. Three (or was it two?) weeks ago, I walked up the stairs to give Nora her paci, and as I walked into my bedroom, I felt my heart begin to race. I remember thinking, "Is this going to slow down?" and "Am I going to get shocked?" Next thing you know, I awake sprawled out on the edge of my bed, completely disoriented and unsure of what had happened. It's never happened that way before, where I couldn't recall what had happened or how long I was out. I had no idea if I'd gotten shocked, etc. Clueless. It scared me.
I called the doctor the next day, who brought me in to read my defibrillator and see what had happened. Sure enough, I had gotten shocked. They (the ladies who read my device, not the doctor) showed me where my heart flipped into 'v-fib', how it was beating around 300 beats per minute, how it wasn't really pumping, but rather quivering during my episode. I attributed it to being post-partum, and knew that this was just a possibility because of the condition that I have. It bothered me, scared me, but there was nothing I could do. I scheduled my normal visit with my electrophysiologist for April and went about my way.
Two days later, I got an urgent sounding voicemail from my doctor. I called him back immediately and had a somewhat upsetting conversation. He started by telling me that "Quite honestly, if you didn't have your defibrillator, I don't think you would've lived through that." He went on to tell me that he thought it was necessary to start me on medicine to try and prevent further episodes, and that the medicine would make me feel fatigued and lousy. He then told me that we needed to schedule another procedure (which will be taking place on Tuesday, March 1st, at 6:30 a.m.). Right now, it takes approximately seven seconds for my defibrillator to charge up to shock me. He wants to get it so that the shock will be delivered more quickly and with less voltage. The unfortunate part of this is that to determine how low of a voltage will still be effective, they have to test it out. I will be put under with anesthesia, and they will put my heart into cardiac arrest to shock it in order to test the defibrillator. Thankfully, I'm not opened back up or anything, and the only effects I will have are that of the anesthia... but it definitely makes you stop and think to be told that you would've died without this man-made device and then that they're going to send your heart into cardiac arrest.
All of that to say... I've been doing a lot of thinking, and it's time for change. I don't want to be the kind of wife or mom that I've been as of late. I don't want my kids to remember me yelling or on my stupid i-phone. I don't want to have meaningless conversations because it's easier than having the hard ones. I don't want to sit comfortably anymore... I want to impact this world with the love the God has for us. I want to comfort others with the same comfort that God has shown me. I want my eyes to be on the hope we have in Jesus, the hope His promises bring.... because if that's where my focus is, those other things are just a natural reaction, right?
I know this: The Lord has kept me here purposefully, and I don't want to waste this life I've been given.

Have you not kept my feet from falling

That I may walk before God in the light of the living?

(psalm 56:13)

my four favorites:

2011-02-18T20:23:00.000-08:00

blessed

beyond

measure.

Thank You, Jesus...

I like:

2011-02-18T06:37:00.000-08:00

warm weather.
going to the park.
picnics outside.
not wearing winter coats.
breathing fresh air.
warm weather.

These last few days... downright glorious. Indiana has been good to us, providing a much needed break from the ~~misery~~ winter. We've gone to three different parks on three different days. Yesterday, we were there for over two hours, ate our lunch in a little cubby of the playground. Oh, yes... we are not made to be cooped up in this house.. which suddenly seems much smaller than it did three years ago when we purchased it. I guess going from one six month old baby to a 3.5, 2, and newborn will do that to a place, huh? Either way, we welcome the chance to get outside.
It's been a chaotic week-- I had three photo sessions in four days and am trying to get all my editing done. Additionally, I've had some stuff going on with my heart which has been an unexpected stressor. But- all is well. This unusual weather was the perfect distraction and we are all feeling refreshed and more sane. :)
Nora continues to be amazing. And by amazing I mean nearly perfect. Sleeps 8 hours most nights, as content as could be when awake. I'm a big fan of that sweet girl. :) Corban and Cate both love her so much... I'm blown away by the tenderness and protection they both show towards her. Corban currently is curled up on the floor next to Nora, 'reading' her stories from a new book. Cate doesn't fully grasp the concept of 'gentle' yet, but she's learning.:) The girls just had their 2 yr (C) and 1 month (but at 6 wks, N) well baby checks. Cate was 30.75 lbs, 35 inches and in the 80th percentile for everything. Nora was on the opposite end of the spectrum at 9lbs 3 oz (what Cate weighed just days old! ha!) and 22 inches long, in the 25th-ish percentile for everything.I've given up on keeping up on baby books, so I want to make sure I have this stuff written somewhere for future reference, you know. :)
Okay. While the kids are nicely building with their bristle blocks, I'm really trying to limit my computer time while they're awake...so off to build towers I go!

RED- iheartfaces challenge

2011-02-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

The theme this week at iheartfaces is RED.

Caters, bundled up to go play right after the icestorm that hit earlier this month.Head on over to iheartfaces to view other entries!

bullets

2011-02-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

- I am sitting here, milking this carmel macchiato for all it's worth, putting off putting my house back in order. It's no longer remotely warm but somehow still satisfying. I like starbucks. Too much. ahem.
- We've been ~~snowed~~ iced in since Monday afternoon. It's messy in here.
- I drove to the aforementioned coffee joint juuuuuuust to get out of the house. Seriously. I loaded up and strapped in three children for a twenty minute break and $4.52 drink. Worth every minute AND penny. Just saying.
- I am majorly dreading tonight. We say goodbye to some of our very best friends as they head to St. Kitts to be missionaries. I don't have the words right now to talk about it or them or all that they are to us. I am thrilled for them and what God is doing in and through them, but selfishly- it makes me (and my husband!) so stinking sad. BUT- it is nice knowing we'll see them this summer (for our mission trip) and again this fall (when they come home to have their second baby). Sigh.
-I was thinking today about all the life changes the last few months have brought. We acquired a housemate and then a third child. Our best friends are moving away. Our housemate is moving out. My husband is in the middle of adjusting to a pretty major role change at work - he went from teaching three Bible classes at the school to teaching one, and from being over 'just' the junior high and working alongside Brandon to being in charge of all the youth group. That right there makes for a lot more little changes within our life, too. All of it is good, though most of it is not easy. I'm thankful to see God's hand so evidently in the midst of it all, though.
- I had a photo session last week, one next week, two more being scheduled, and a wedding booked for July. It was nice to have a little break, but even nicer to get back at it. I just love photography, plain and simple.
- My husband set up a tent in the middle of the ice storm. His intent was to sleep in it, but it was 'just raining and 33 degrees'... obviously not inclement enough for my pioneer. :)
- We lost electricity for 2 hours and that was all. It was fun to have dinner by candlelight and then hang out by the fire, but I was thankful when the power kicked back on so I could put the kids to sleep in their beds.
- Our housemate, Jacob, and his amazing girlfriend were snowed in with us. We ate a lot of yummy food and played a ton of speed scrabble. AND, Jordan was off of work, too. It really has been a fun few days.
and now... my drink is gone.
long gone, actually.
The procrastinating must end... but first- some pictures!

i heart faces: 'Best Face Photo from January 2011'

2011-01-31T10:36:00.000-08:00

This weeks theme at iheartfaces is 'Best Face Photo from January 2011'.

Choosing just one was SO hard, as I gave birth to a beautiful new baby girl this month, but this picture of my 2 year old Caters is probably my all-time favorite of her- captures her crazy, wonderful, full-of-joy personality.

Hop on over to check out other entries!

four weeks!

2011-01-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

Sweet Nora James turns four weeks old tomorrow...

Can you imagine?!

I feel like she was born yesterday... but that she's always been a part of our family, too.

Oh, friends... she is wonderful.

I'm so glad that we named her Nora.

I've always pictured 'Nora's' as sweet and pleasant, simple kind of girls...

and that's exactly what our Nora is.

Easy Peasy. Content. Peaceful.

She's a magnificent sleeper- probably our best yet! She's consistantly doing 6.5ish hours straight at bedtime, nurses for around ten minutes, then sleeps another four.

When she's awake, she's bright-eyed and peaceful. Likes to squirm her long, skinny limbs and look towards the bright windows. You know, normal 4 week old type stuff. :)

Her favorite place is still on my chest. And that's still my favorite place for her to be.

She's a little peaunt, wearing all newborn sized clothes with room to spare in many of her outfits.

She weighs approximately 8 lbs, plus or minus a few ounces.

(I did the weigh myself, then weigh myself + her trick).

Basically... she's amazing. We're all pretty smitten by our newest addition.

The 'big kids' still love to love on her and Corban is so protective of his littlest sister. They both call her 'Baby Nora James' almost every time they refer to her... and I love love love that. I call her Nora James majority of the time, too, it seems. I love that she has my little brother's name in hers, that though she's never met him, she'll get to tell people for the rest of her life that she was named after her Uncle JD. I love telling people that-- almost anytime someone asks her name, I mention JD.

Anyway. Just thought I'd throw a little Nora update up.

I've got to do some quick packing for the older two- Corban is spending the night with Jordan's parents, and Caters with mine tonight, and then they'll return tomorrow afternoon for Cate's second birthday party (finally!). I am so thankful that our parents were free to do this- I think both of them will benefit from some solo attention, and this Mama will benefit from a few hours to run errands with only one baby, and then all night and morning to clean and party prep. I am SO thankful for our families and how good they are to us and our kiddos! We are so blessed!

2011-01-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

Sometimes...

an hour out of the house

by yourself

and with a white mocha

do your heart all sorts of good.

amazed.

2011-01-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

As we were worshiping during youth group last night, I sat amazed...

Just eight months prior in that very room, I fearfully confessed to one of my best friends that I was seven and a half weeks pregnant... but that things didn't look good. She cried with me, prayed with me. Over the next few weeks, I watched our baby grow, and watched the blood clot grow right along with it. I was put on bedrest, told that there was a 50/50 chance that I would lose the baby.

But then one week, the blood clot was a little smaller,

and then just like that-

it was gone.

And now, here... amazingly, we have our sweet baby girl.

I'm amazed by the Lord's goodness to us, choosing to bless us again with another precious life.

My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude.

Nora James... you are such a gift. Such a sweet and miraculous little gift!

happy birthday, Caters!

2011-01-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

It's amazing to me that my beautiful, wonderfully wild, life-loving little girl is two years old today.

My Caters...

You've changed our world, little girl.

Never have I known one who loves like you do.

You're wild and crazy... a free spirit, so much an individual.

Oh, how I pray that you'll always be this way.

You've got an amazing imagination and a strong, strong will.

Strong willed, yes, but you're tender, too.

You're my snuggler, my apologizer, my 'are you okay?' asker. You're as sweet as they come... usually. :)

Baby girl- I'm so proud of you. I love watching you grow, love watching you learn, have loved watching you become a big sister. You've amazed me with your self-potty-training and your sentence speaking... but even more so with just who you are, that amazing little heart of yours. I love everything about you, Cate Taylor- and we are so glad you're our little girl!

What a gift you are to us!!

(pictures taken by me... kristenmcg photography)

2011-01-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

It's amazing to me how... right... it seems for Nora to be here, to be a part of our family.
Things continue to go smoothly over here.
The 'big' kids really love their new sister. They spent the night with my cousin Monday night and when I walked in to pick them up, Caters came running towards me- just to bend down and kiss her sister, "My baby No-wah" she said. Corban loves to hold her, and usually checks in on her every so often. He'll stop playing for a minute, run to the couch to kiss her, and go about his business. He wants to know where she is at all times... a good protector, that boy of mine. :)
Our days really have been good. I was much more overwhelmed by the thought of handling three kids than I actually have been in handling them all. Really, our days don't look too different than our old normal- You forget how much a newborn sleeps! Nora spends a lot of the morning in the moses basket zonked out, and the rest of us eat and play and watch Curious George- you know, 'normal' morning time stuff. :) We have lunch, and then (so far, anyway... I know she's just 10 days old) all three nap around the same time. Part of me not being overwhelmed has been doing more planning and organizing than what is typical for me, and I've been really trying to stay up on the house. So nap time has allowed for me to get laundry and morning mess picked up- and then today, I took a nap with my sweet baby girl on my chest. It was really wonderful... until the projectile spit-up covered me and everything but the burp cloth! Ha.
Oh we've had hard moments- don't get me wrong. It's not a cake walk, by any means, but the transition is going much more smoothly than I ever anticipated. And I'm praising the Lord for that!
Nora continues to sleep mostly well. She's had a fussier two days, but overall is really a very content baby. Get this-- she REFUSES a pacifier. What's a mom to do without a paci!??! This is whole new territory for me. :) She sucks her hands often, but has a hard time finding them. I really think she'll be a thumb sucker once she gets the coordination down- whenever she DOES find it, it's there for a good while, and usually puts her right to sleep. We went for her one week well-baby check up yesterday, and she, at 9 days old, was already 5 oz. above birth weight! Another first for me... We've always had to do a few weight checks before, but Nora is growing like a champ and we don't need to go back until she's one month old!
My (other) baby girl turns TWO this Sunday. Yeah, seriously. When did this happen?! I'll do a full Caters post here in the next few days, but I can't believe how this has crept up on me. Corban is at a really fun stage- he loves to learn and we've spent a lot of time working on letter recognition and the sounds letters make. P is favorite, of course, because of pizza, poop, and potty. Ha.
Okay. Time for bed. Boring update, I know, but I want to remember these things.

OH- one more thing, if you're in Indianapolis- do you have any good ideas for a place to do indoor pictures?? I am wanting to do Cate's 2 year pics, not in our house and not in a studio... hmm....
Goodnight!

i heart faces: smile

2011-01-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

This weeks theme over at iheartfaces is "Smile". I immediately thought of this picture:

Oh that boy of mine... such a joy-bringer. I love, love, love that smile.

1 week old

2011-01-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

sweet baby girl, one week ~~old~~ new...

So in love with our sweet Nora James!

also, my one-week-shy-of-2-yrs-old little girl got her first HAIR CUT today! Just a trim, but it helps a ton.

we're continuing to adjust.

we're being fed lots of delicious food.

still sleeping great.

'real' life starts Monday, when Jordan resumes a normal (but different!) work schedule and I manage three kiddos at home.

it'll be good. we'll make it.

right?

it's hard to type while nursing. thus the lack of capitals.

with that- hope your weekend is great!

...and then there were THREE!

2011-01-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

These are shots taken by my big brother when we brought the kids in to meet Nora at the hospital:

They're pretty taken by her- always want to know where she is and what she's doing. Both enjoy holding her, and I melt watching them love her in their own ways... Caters offering blankies and pacis (which is like handing over her heart), Corban whispering sweet 'I love you, Baby Nora's and 'You're my lovebug's as he kisses her little head.
The two of them, though, are doing some adjusting. Corban is majorly protective of Nora, and doesn't want Cate near her. Cate is handling sharing her Mama way better than I imagined she would, but it is still hard. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't completely overwhelmed by the thought of all three by myself come next week. We'll learn and adjust, I know, but it seems daunting looking ahead. Three kids! :)
With that said, though, I am so completely taken by this baby girl! She is so content and pleasant. I hesitate to even say this for fear of jinxing myself and lynching from other parents of newborns, but three nights in a row she has slept five hours straight (!!). She'll eat, and then sleep another three. (Can I get a 'Praise the Lord'!?!?) When she's awake, she's very bright eyed, just looks around and sucks on her fist. Her favorite place is upright on my chest, and she has loved the sling whenever I've put her in it. She slept on me the first two nights, but last night was just next to me, and she has napped today by herself in the moses basket. I know she's still brand new and all of this can change, but so far- I couldn't ask for a better newborn.
Lastly....
I decided to join along with the thousands of others who do so and have started a 'Photo a day' blog. You can find it at themcgfamily365.blogspot.com . You can follow it and comment the same way you do this blog. Just fyi. :)
Alright... my house is now silent. Jordan is at a meeting at work, and I successfully and all by myself got three children to sleep simultaneously. I feel like that's worthy of a medal or something... but I'm just 5 days post partum and anything more than getting dressed feels monumental, you know? :)
I am off to re-sort baby clothes, gotta weed those little blue numbers out. :)
Happy Thursday!