My Bear is 3

*WARNING - Long post ahead*

My sweet girl turned 3 on Friday. I can barely tell you where the time has gone, but it has been good, real good. I feel blessed to be able to stay at home with my children and thank God everyday for the privilege of being their mommy.

I can't imagine how quickly the next few years are going to go, but I am betting it will be FAST (like the "Zall down the Hall" - Dr. Suess, I will hardly be able to keep it in focus). With Gods help, I want to hold onto each moment with them and cherish them, not wish them (the moments) away, as I sometimes tend to do during a meltdown. I want to, instead, count each of those tantrums as a "teachable" moment and call upon the power of the Spirit to guide me as we raise them up. God have mercy and give me what I need! Forgive the many, many, many times I have failed you and them. Somehow, God let them see YOU in us, and give them what they need to show YOU to others. Give us Love.

Side note: This will be my last post with pics of my sweet girl in them. Troy has requested, in the interest of the safety of our girl, that I do not post anymore pics with her in them. So, I will try to be creative in how I keep everyone updated on our comings and goings. It is a scary world out there and I understand his decision, and will honor him.

We woke up Friday morning and picked up our buddy Mya, who is 5 wks older than sweet Ems.

Then headed over to KK to begin the sugar drip...

Our buddies Sara and Katie met us there too...

Daddy's have so many job requirements...

Then onto the park for a little fun (although my sweet girl, who was already showing the effect of too much sugar, was not in the mood for a photo)...

Next we went home to setup for the par-tay. When this arrived! Thanks Auntie Stac and Robyn!!

Wow, life is tough!

Waiting for the guest!

Cupcakes

Benny Boy and his post for the day.

Kids, are you ready for more candy that you have ever seen before??

While we sang Happy Birthday to sweet Ems

She got a tad overwhelmed and started screaming (again, effects of too much sugar, I suppose)

Mys, thoroughly, enjoyed her cupcake

Noah, thoroughly, enjoyed the candy, and I am thankful he did not choke!

Augh, cuteness abounds!

Mom watch...

Candy is still good off the ground as long as you pray over it first!

Letting a few balloons go that night...

The next morning we woke up at 4am and headed to Mtgy for the second annual Mtgy 1/2 Marathon...

Mile 5, still smiling...

Ems at mile 9, you don't want to see the pic of me at mile 9, bad, bad, bad...

Its over and I can still muster a smile. I did have a PR, and was pretty stoked about that.

Ems and buddy Davis running around on the grass. Pretty sure she will marry him one day...

Sunday we took advantage of the great weather and enjoyed a picnic after church...

Ems is getting so good at catching and throwing.

Always making new friends. (funny story: yesterday we went to the park and there were a bunch of boys there. Ems tried to play, but they told her to "go have a tea party", she was heartbroken and so was I (although I snickered just a bit), augh being a mommy is hard. I want to shelter her from meanness, but I have to trust my God, my Abba and hers, to do that for me.

Lastly, we gave Ben cereal Monday. Yea, he pretty much hated it. Threw up everywhere.

Washing it down!

P.S. Finished reading "radical" by David Platt. Great book, I suggest everyone read it. Please pray for us as Troy reads it and we, then, try to sift through what changes God would have us make in our lives as a response to Truth. That we would be on the same page, and that God would keep our lives "changed" forever, Amen.