CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

Don't be too impressed, it has actually been 2 days of staying in bed with flu type stuff and a fever that prompted me to realize I could at least be productive enough to update our blog picture! I loved this one of Jayce tickling Gabe's feet because it SO captures them at this age and how much fun they have with each other!

And, yes, time to catch up... I love the fall... The boys and I did the Florence County Fair for their good buddy Wallace's bday, we met their buddies Landon, Owen and Ian. We had a fantastic time! As nasty as the fair is, I LOVE it, love the smell of elephant ears and funnel cakes, and most of all to watch their faces when they taste that first bite of cotton candy! This year, they got to ride together, which was super for mommy, who does not much like rides or the way I feel afterwards! Glad Gabe could help me out this year!

Also, are pics of Gabe's first field trip to McLeod Farms. We visited a pumpkin patch and he got to pick out his very own pumpkin, as well as sample their homeade peach ice cream! We had a great time! I LOVE field trips!

and Gabe wants to go too :)

We were singing one of Gabe's and my all time favorites, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!" Last verse, "Let it shine till Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine..." Gabe said, "Mommy, WHERE IS JESUS?" I said well, he is in Heaven. Gabe said, "Well, I wanna go see him tomorrow..." I said, "Well, he is really high up in the sky and you can't really just go on your own..." He said, I can climb up there ALL BY MYSELF!

How do I get to Heaven mommy?

So, for a 5 1/2 year old, Jayce has always been very intrigued with and in tune to the things of God. We have always talked about God together but only in the past few weeks has he really begun to ask me questions specifically about Heaven and how he can go.
The first conversation started after he was at church and we have this Christian Magician Mark who goes to our church and is kind of famous with the kids around town for doing bday parties and stuff... well, he had visited them on Sunday and did a trick with a deck of cards where he held out the King and kept getting rid of all the others (this is how Jayce explained it at least) and then he asked "Who is the King?" Jayce said the King was Jesus and that all the other Kings are false gods. He went on to say that all the people who believe in these false gods are not going to Heaven but to hell. Sounds harsh, but I confirmed that yes this is true. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven (I am THE way, THE truth and THE light, no man cometh to the Father but through me...John 14:6)
Over the course of a few days, Jayce went on to ask me repeatedly if he was going to Heaven and about numerous other friends and family members and their status. I explained to him that God would cover with his grace any child who was not of age to understand how to make a choice about Jesus Christ. As for all the others, I said that only God really knew their hearts. I said of course that I hope so, and yes they will if they are saved.
He asked me what it means to be saved and how he could know for sure he was going? I explained to him that first he needs to realize that he is a sinner and did he know what that meant (for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God...Romans 3:23). He said "Yes, like when I do bad stuff....mommy, do you sin? does daddy?" "Yes, Jayce, we both sin, everyone does... Jesus is the only person who never sinned." I went on to explain that because we are so sinful, we deserve to go to hell. But the good thing is that when choose to be saved, we do not have to pay for our sin by spending an eternity in hell, but we our sins were payed for by Jesus' death on the cross, his blood covers our sins (But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us...Romans 5:8). When we are saved, we get to spend eternity with Jesus Christ in Heaven. I explained that once we tell God we are sorry for our sins (That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved...Romans 10:9) and we want him to be our Savior, and come into our hearts and stay there that He will (For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved...Romans 10:13). And THEN, we can know for sure that we can go to Heaven. "Well mommy, so we don't deserve to go to Heaven?" "No baby, we don't, we deserve to go to Hell because our sins separate us from God but we can go to Heaven because of His sacrifice on the cross for us." "Well mommy, so Heaven is like a gift God gives us?" "Yes, I think you got it, it is a gift!" (...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ out Lord...Romans 6:23)

"Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I do wrong things. I am sorry for my sin. I want to accept the gift you gave us by dying on the cross for my sins. I want you to come into my heart and I want to give my life to you." So mommy, (BIG SMILE)... "Jesus is in my heart now?" Yes baby, HUGE SMILE, Jesus is in your heart! "Well mommy, can Jesus be lots of places at once? Like in Heaven, and in my heart, and around the whole world?" "Yes, only Jesus can be all those places."

Now THIS is a moment I had to record asap so as never to forget all the precious details! THIS as I told Jayce, is what I've prayed for since he was a tiny tiny baby... as he said "even when I was as small as a worm?" Yes, even then!

Some may say Jayce is too young to truly understand this. I do not believe so. I know that for now, he may not be the most mature Christian in the world, but the seeds are planted and his Christian journey has begun. It is my hope and prayer that the seeds planted in his heart will remain throughout life no matter where he goes. I pray they will not only remain, but grow and grow into a life that shows his love for Jesus ("Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.")

First Day of School

Ok, so Gabe has started 3K half day... remember he did NO mother's morning out! So this is big! I am glad I've waited a few weeks to write just because I might have sounded like I was in a deep depression the first few.... or maybe just one.. it's actually really nice now. I do miss him alot BUT, I am loving having some quiet time in the mornings to work, run errands ALONE, clean out closets that have needed to be cleaned out for 3 years... and just kind of catch my breath after the last 3 years! And, I am SO ready to see them when I do get them! Jayce is in a full day now, which I DO NOT like... I really would love to have him with us from noon on, but that's not an option for 5K.. I miss my other little buddy at lunch but it is nice to have some 1:1 time with Gabe too!

It does help that Gabe LOVES school, he told me "mommy I love my school." His first words to Jay when he sat down at his table for orientation were "Daddy, the girls are so pretty here." I KNOW Jay had to have been just like him as a 3 year old...

Jayce is loving school too although he won't admit it... I just know because he would have TOLD Me if he did not like it, he told me that so much last year! He used to dread going and he seems to look forward to it now. He is making a + s! I am SO excited! Jayce has always been very real world smart but has not cared much for his school work... it's like something has clicked this year and he's really getting it, and he's so proud of himself, it makes me happy! He has had a green card every day for behavior except for one day of yellow for too much talking. We took away tv for the day and have not had a problem since, he loves his Backyardigans. So, we are off to a great start! Hope it continues ! Starting Upward football now so will have some cute pics to post soon I'm sure!

PS The little girl in the pics is Hallie... Jayce LOVES Hallie... don't be mad at me Jayce if you read this years down the road... he is very defensive about it... but he gets this look when he talks about her, he grins so big, gets really shy, and denies everything... but he loves to chase her at recess... and today told me he was her "guard" at recess, walking back and forth in front of her to make sure she didn't get away!

911

So, how embarrassing it was Saturday that I had a little fender bender... actually I hit a legally parked stationary car in the TJ Maxx parking lot... simply because I was paying absolutely no attention at all... The most embarrassing part however was that I had to call the police to come do a report and Jay brought the boys up there to meet me and talk to the police... Well, see, we are always telling Gabe that if he takes his straps off in his car seat we will take him to the police... So, the first thing he says when he sees me is "Mommy, is that police man gonna take you to jail? Well, I won't let him!" I explained that no, I just had an accident and he wouldn't take me to jail for that... I kind of thought he was over it and then today, during a prayer he wanted to pray for his teacher... it went like this "Dear Jesus, Thank you for Mrs. Thompson, please help her feel better, and I pray for 911, that they won't take my mommy to jail and that she won't get in another wreck, in Jesus name I pray amen." So, I have scarred him for life I think!

However,the other reason I am writing this is I am so impressed with his prayer ! Not only did he pray for Mrs. Thompson to feel better, he started with thankfulness for her! That is how God wants us to come to him, with praise and thanks for who He is and all He has done for us. The lessons learned from a 3 year old are truly priceless.

umbrella

Boys are doing great, school is going awesome! I will post pics as soon as I download them from my camera but wanted to write this story down real quick while I remember! Today, Gabe and I were in the garage preparing for our yard sale... He was playing with an umbrella and was saying "help mommy, they're after me..." loves to play that game... then he switched to "Mommy, I'll come help you... they're coming, I'll protect you under my umbrella..." he ran over and put it over my head. I said, thank you Gabe for protecting me. He continued with his role play and said "I am Jesus, I'll protect you." I thought, how amazing is it that my 3 year old just described so beautifully the love of Jesus. He will protect us from whatever storms we have in life under the umbrella of His love and grace.

Happy 3rd Birthday Gabe!

Yesterday was Gabe's 3rd birthday, tears, tears, sniffle, tears, tears... It happens each birthday, mommy gets so excited for them and to celebrate and then come the tears! But this birthday is BIG, 3... I'm looking at the baby strollers in the garage, the swings in the attic... not knowing if I'll ever need them again. I told Jay last night, as we are pondering Gabe starting 3k this year, mind you Jayce will be in 5k a full day, I just cannot believe it is time for this. I have done this thing for 5 years now! It has been so hard some days, but oh how I've loved it! I guess I just thought they would stay little forever somehow. Those stages that seemed they would never end, the sleepless nights, the nursing, the baby food, the spit up, the waiting to crawl, the waiting to walk, the learning to talk... where did they go? I guess because I went directly from Jayce moving on, to Gabe getting into them it was easier somehow. Now that Gabe is moving on and I'm not going through them again, boy that's hard! At the same time, I realize I MUST BE PRESENT and excited in the stage we are in now! 2 boys, ready for sports, more traveling (maybe), movies (or at least sitting through half of them by now), eating out, riding bikes and tricycles around the neighborhood,t-ball, upward football... we've got some exciting things coming up! And I AM excited. But it does not make me any less sad to leave these baby years behind. I have been so blessed to be here with my boys for these past 5 years. I never knew how much a girly girl like myself could LOVE having 2 messy, loud, ACTIVE little boys!!! It can't last forever but oh how I want the memories of these 5 years to stick around for always.

Ok, less about me and more about Gabe... We had an great birthday party this year! I had a pool party for Gabe at his nanny's new pool! We had several of his closest little friends and their siblings and family of course! We had a great time! Gabe LOVES ice cream so I made him an ice cream cake and we had the ice cream truck come to visit the kids too! They played Happy Birthday to you as they pulled in the drive and the kids all got to pick their favorite ice cream treat! So we really sugared them up this year!

Yesterday we spent his actual birthday with the family back at Nanny's house for lunch after church. We tried to do the swimming thing again but Gabe was WORN OUT from the weekend and instead he came home to take a good birthday nap! Last night we went for a bike/tricycle ride and he opened his big birthday gift from us, his own real golf clubs! He practiced his swing with daddy!

Gabe at 3...
LOVES girls ... and thinks they are all "pretty"... He will say, nearly every time we pass a girl "Mommy look at that pretty girl!"

Has a HUMONGOUS crush on "Miss Anna," who is my age, and he sees at the gym...who Jay tells me I must get a picture of as she really must be something the way Gabe talks about her! I'll try to post one on here!

Loves to sing and dance, and THINKS he's got some rhythm!

Loves his "bubby" or "brudder" and cannot stand to be away from him for one minute... Which should make Jayce's full day at school very interesting!

Is a very picky eater... cereal, grated cheese, spaghetti, pizza, yogurt, applesauce, fruit, raisins, and any junk food he will gladly eat... other than this, good luck!

Loves noggin, way more than his brother did at this age... I really have to limit him! Favorites are Dora, Diego, Wonderpets and Backyardigans!

Is pottying MOST of the time, but still struggling with a few accidents a day!

Drinks ALL DAY LONG-could have something to do with his accidents!!!

Sounds so grown up sometimes, telling me "I love you mom"... yet at others, "I love my Mommy"-like this one much better!!! He told Jayce a few days ago, "Jayce you are so weird."

Is the life of the party and total entertainment at most family functions! He LOVES to be center stage! He is truly hilarious!

Is SO PRECIOUS and I want to freeze him in this stage forever! I asked him the other night while rocking him if he could stay little forever and he said "Ok mommy but my muscles are getting big!"

a pencil

So,I was trying to organize my desk somewhat and came across some notes I'd jotted down on what I intended to blog a WHILE ago... This is why I do this, I had already forgotten these stories and it's only been a month or two... I never want to forget, it just happens... That's why I'm so glad I can look back at these stories so that even as they grow, I can remember the sweetest stories of when they little!

This one was back when school was in... embarrassingly...Bear with me as this is a long story but something that I feel God would want me to share so maybe it can help someone else... Jayce had seen me crying one day, one of those days... I had been struggling with a really bad pulled hamstring that I've now had for almost 5 months... although it is HOPEFULLY on it's way back to normal after much therapy!!! I was in that poor me stage where I was asking why why why... I can't chase my 2 year old around and he's a runner...it was frankly dangerous... I can't run races with the kids and jump on the trampoline with them, I can't even go for a walk around the block or keep up with them as they ride their bikes... the grocery store was way too much walking for me, as was church...I can't work out which is what I love to do not to mention my stress relief and my outlet... why why why Lord??? One day at my breaking point, I opened my Bible just searching for some comfort. The Lord led me directly to these verses... "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 28-30
At this moment, I gave this burden to the Lord and started asking, "Ok, WHAT Lord, do you want me to take from this?" That Sunday, one of my very best friends and SS teachers shared an acrostic that followed right up on this. "JOYFUL"
J-Jeddesin (which I'd never heard of) but it means to get rid of (my burdens, negative thinking, problems, to give them to God)
O-Omit (my worries by replacing them with God's word and choosing to say scripture verses when I worry)
Y-YIELD TO GOD's HAND (this was key, this is HOW I said, ok God, you are in control and I don't really like these circumstances but I CHOOSE to acknowledge your hand and that you have something for me to learn through this)
F-Focus on what's good (OH how many blessings I have and I was not even thanking the Lord for the ways he's blessed me)
U-Use your life as an encouragement
L-Let God be God

SO, Jayce was later asking me what was wrong and I explained to him that I'd had a problem I was very upset about but that I had given my burden to the Lord. He said, "burden, what's a burden????" It just so happens that we were in Gabe's room and he has circus animals on his curtains and I saw a cart with a mule pulling it behind him, I showed him that is his burden he's carrying and that when ours is too heavy, the Lord will help us carry it. Perfect analogy at a perfect time! So, the next day, he goes to school and comes home with a frown on his face. I said, Jayce what is wrong? He said, "mom, I asked God to help me carry a burden today and he didn't and I don't understand why not??" I asked what his burden was and he said, "my pencil was too heavy and I asked God to carry it for me, but he didn't." OK, so maybe my analogy was not so good :)

In any case, I LOVED this acrostic and hope some of you can use it if you've got anything weighing YOU down!

BTW, it is on the mend, not there yet, but it's ok now. God has truly done some amazing work in me through this, as ya'll know on my own I'd be looney by now for sure! I spent 3 months with mono and now 5 months with this..not the course I'd have chosen for myself. BUT, He's helped me focus on the positive and remember what's MOST important in my life!

bedtime prayer

The other night Gabe was praying and he bowed his little head, clasped his hands and said "Dear God, thank you for me, thank you for my mommy, thank you for my daddy, thank you for Jayce, but most of all thank you for Gabe. Amen!"

Father's Day

We had a fantastic Father's Day! Church, lunch with Jay's family, and their daddy actually gave them their baths and wanted to put them both to bed on Father's Day...that is what makes him a great father! I thought that was pretty sweet! He never reads this so there's no point in going to many details but Jay really is an amazing dad to our boys. I've told him many times that he is one of those dads it just comes so naturally to. It is not something he has to work at, he loves it and it shows! I am so thankful to have him as a husband and even more as father to my children.

Tonight when he was putting Gabe down, Gabe told him "I love my family with all my sweet heart." The boy melts my heart each time he says to me "mommy, I love you with all my sweet heart" but the whole family thing, unprompted... pure sweetness!

"Jonup" and the Whale

Gabe is finally at the point that he likes to sit still through stories, and especially when they are in his Bible. He loves to read from his kids Bible and especially likes to look at the pictures! Last time we were reading about Jonah, or "Jonup" in his words, he said, "Mommy that big fish ate Jonup?" I said yes Gabe and he said "Why, because he was yummy?" in the most adorable way!

Gabe's First Haircut :(

This was Gabe's first REAL haircut... as in more than just a snip here and there by me...Unfortunately these pictures are going backwards in sequence, didn't think about it until I'd already uploaded them all... so look from the bottom up!
I've included morning of and after pictures of these major haircuts for both boys! I wanted you all to be able to appreciate the hair face each morning when they come downstairs! I'm convinced I could handle a girl after working with their do's all this time!

I would have been balling if I had the time to! I was trying to manage both boys by myself getting haircuts so needless to say I did not have time. I told the lady a half inch to an inch on both, and I"m not sure where she was when I told her but she surely did not pay me much attention! Both of them just look SO old with shorter hair... And Jayce's only has curls now when it's long, I really prefer it longer and thinned out. But, he was ready for a short cut. Every day when I was fixing his hair, he would say "Mom, I don't want curlies, they are so Bor-ring!" (that's just how he says it). I tried to tell him curls are fun and NOT boring! But he persisted and I knew he was hot... The first thing he told mimi about his haircut is that it only took mommy a minute to fix it! He was all about that!

Gabe did really well and looked super cute in the zebra print smock! He was impressed by the cool chairs and kept asking me to bounce him more on it. They both had a special ice cream treat afterwards though from their clothes it looks like most of that chocolate ice cream ended up on their outfits!

This was a big day for me. It all happened so quick and then that night in bed I was lying there, so sad. Did I really just cut my baby's hair? He is almost 3, I realize this, but he is so still my baby. I cannot believe that was his little baby hair and it is gone! I guess it's got to happen some time, I am just realizing all too quickly he is growing up and I am not ready!

more beach pics