The Happiest Place On Earth

Finally I'm posting our Disneyland pictures, it was a little overwhelming because I have so many pictures!  And I didn't realize I only got like one of Reese.  Estelle got to meet lots of princesses.  We've never done that so it was really exciting for her!

 Ingrid and I even got in a couple them.

 Lane and Estelle in the forest adventure area.  Can't remember the name.  It's a fun place for the kids to fun around and it was right next to our hotel.

 My sweet pea Ingrid and I, she did so good.  Really easy going most of the time.

 Kristen and girls met us a couple times because they live so close by.  It was great to see them and for them to meet Ingrid!

 Kyle and Leah's family met us for a half day as well.   I am so excited for all of our girls to grow up together!

 Watching the World of Color show.  I love that show!

 The last day Estelle had a Elsa makeover in the Anna and Elsa Boutique.

 Gorgeous!  And then we went straight over to meet Anna and Elsa!  They were so fun and talked to Estelle a lot.  She was loving it!

 Me and the kids on the Cars ride.  I love that one.

Lane, Ingrid and I on the carousel.  He was pretty pumped about it ;)

Our trip was fun and much needed.  Disneyland might really be the happiest place on earth.  Our family loves it there.  Lots of great memories were made, and Estelle was at such a great age for it.  It's really magical for her!  Lane loves all the big rides and Reese takes him on all those while I take the girls to princess stuff.  It works out well.

San Diego, How I've Missed You

We decided to stay home for Christmas, but we left on New Years Eve for Southern California.  We spent the first half in San Diego and the second half at Disneyland.  We flew into Orange County and let me say that the sun on my face as we drove to San Diego that day was glorious!

 Me and my boy in Old Town San Diego.  I have many memories here.  On Sundays we would sometimes just head there, have lunch, go to a candy store etc.  Lane loved to roam around in the little park area and climb trees.  Reese and I actually spent our "honeymoon" in Old Town.  I met him on a long weekend in San Diego for our honeymoon, a month after we were married :)

 We got to our hotel that afternoon.  This was our view from the room.  I will never tire of looking at San Diego bay.

 The next day we headed over to our old stompin' grounds!  We met some friends at the park in housing that we used to play at all the time.  It's just outside of our old house, the house that holds so many memories.  It was just nice being back, among friends.  Lane and his buddies, Daniel, Seth and Max got to hang out.  As well as my good friends Katie's kids Paige and Blake, Lane hadn't seen them in 4 years!

 Estelle and her buddy Cara and Katie's daughter Reese, who we all got to meet for the first time!

 Me, Susan, Kelly, and Katie.  These girls saw me through some very hard times in my life, as well as some very joyous ones!  I love each of them for many reasons and they hold such special place in my heart.  I was so excited for them to meet Ingrid too! Oh and that is my old house in the background :)

 Then we headed over to my friend Kaysia's house.  Estelle and Emmy picked up right where they left off!  And so did the older kids for that matter.  And they all loved Ingrid :)  We planned a big surprise for Emmy.  She had no idea Estelly was coming and Estelle went and rang the doorbell.  Emerson seemed a little shocked and confused more than surprised :)  Emmy didn't want much to do with Ingrid, she told Kaysia she didn't really care for babies, but it looks as if she put a "baby in her tummy" before  I took this picture.  But that is the last memories she had of me before they moved, big and pregnant!

 The next day we headed over to our friends Kyle and Leah's.  We were so excited to see how our girls would play together!  They hadn't seen each other in 2 years.  They are 4 days apart and they had great fun together! And I notice Estelle's hair had been styled by Lucy before the picture!  Charlie and Lane hung out a bit too.  Charlie always loved coming over and hanging out with big boy Lane back in the day.  Now Charlie is a big boy!  Hard to believe.

 Lucy loved Ingrid, she also loves her little sister Evelyn who is about 6 months older than Ingrid.  I think those girls will have lots of fun together in the year ahead!

 The last morning we were there we took a walk from the hotel to the park that we had spent a lot of time at.  Lane played baseball there and I took lots of walks with the babies in the stroller etc.  Oh and Lane checked out the skatepark that he would like to frequent when we move back :)

 Estelle just couldn't wait to walk barefoot in the sand!  So we headed down to the beach later on that day.

 I think she'll fit in just fine in CA when we get back!

 Cool kid on the rocks, that kids has always loved climbing on rocks!

Me and my sweet Ingrid.

Christmas 2014

This was the first Christmas that we haven't spent with family in WA.  We decided to stay home and although we really missed seeing everyone, it was nice and relaxing.  We started off the Christmas season with Reese's work Christmas party on December 6th.

 Then we had the kids party for all the kids from Reese's work.  Santa made an appearance this year and brought Christmas jammies for all the kids.

 Lane had a part in the Christmas program at church.  He was a towns person and a shepherd.  This was one big bonus of staying home for Christmas, Lane has never been in a church program, because we've always been gone.  I loved watching him!

 We had a gingerbread house making party at our house with some friends.

 On Christmas Eve we went to church and that night Lane read Twas the Night before Christmas for us. :)

 We decorated Christmas cookies...

 And Christmas morning was super relaxing. In fact I stayed in my pajamas all day!

 Lane got a skateboard ramp and Estelle got a Easy Bake Oven.  Just to name a few...

 And it was this sweet girls first Christmas.  Reese's Grandma Barbara has made these special stockings (socks) for everyone in the family.  They are special to us, and I love that I have one for Case.  We always hang his up.  My heart and my sock hooks are full now...  I love my family from here to heaven, and although we have many trials, I am counting my blessings!

Ingrid 4 months

 Well, better late than never is what I always say!  Ingrid will be 5 months old next week, but here are her 4 month pictures.  She is such a sweet baby.  At her 4 month appointment she was 26 inches tall and 15 lbs 14 oz.  She's a big girl, growing like a weed!  She is pretty much in 6-9 month clothes now.

 She is very aware of things around her now.  She was trying to grab the sign in this picture.

 I just adore this picture of Ingrid.  Her chubby, chubby cheeks!

And EVERYTHING goes in the mouth.  She drools a lot and wants to chew on stuff, so I'm pretty sure she is teething early like Estelle did.  She really likes to sleep in the bassinet next to our bed but she is getting way too big for it!  She the last 4 nights we've been making the transition into her crib.  This has made for a few nights of me getting up and down a lot.  She's been sleeping through the night for quite a while now, so it's hard since she now waking up a lot, but I think she's starting to adjust now.  Love this girl!  She looks so much like her brothers did and even gets the rosy cheeks like Case did.  

Matters of the Heart: Peace

I went to Anchorage last week for my recheck. I was feeling good, confident, peaceful. They did an echo and I sat through that 1/2 hour test very calmly. I met with my doctor and waited for her to tell me the number. Now I had told myself as long as I am in an upward swing I will be happy. I told myself, if I am in the 30's I will be ecstatic. The doctor came in, she told me that the echo read that it's at 38% and by her estimate it was around 30%. Yes! This is what I hoped for! But she thought the numbers should be higher... Okay. She continued on with my appointment. My physical exam looked good. She told me to get in contact with a heart transplant center. Not because I need one, but because I need to make these connections now, while I am "healthy." I left my appointment with such mixed feelings. I felt my joy was stolen from me. Maybe the doctor had a bad day and didn't "feel" like being quite as encouraging as she had before. Maybe satan saw an opportunity to steal my joy. In the last week I've had anxiety, so much so that my body shakes and my teeth chatter. I am being real right now, honest. Why? Because I have dark days and I need prayer. 

"God favors the darkest places so you can see His light the brightest." Ann Voskamp

I am reading "The Greatest Gift" by Ann Voskamp. It is a devotional book for Advent. It is a powerful book for me right now. So much truth is spoken and God shows up when I read it. 

Some days I have to try hard to seek Gods peace. Other days it comes easily. I know it's there for me if I just seek it.

"When you are brave, you give yourself the gift of facing and touching the torn places. The places where we're torn to pieces can be thin places where we touch the peace of God." Ann Voskamp

I have to allow these torn pieces of me to be touched by Gods peace. Beauty can come from ashes, but I have to allow that to happen.

"Faith is the gift of God. So is the air, but you have to breathe it; so is bread, but you have to eat it; so is water, but you have to drink it." D.L. Moody

This Christmas season my eyes have been opened to what Christmas really is. It has to be found, not bought or decorated. I am trying my best to find joy and peace in Christ this Christmas season.