Fall Festival.....Take 4......ACTION!

This was one of the best years we have had at the ol' festival and I was thrilled! See, this little outing has become quite a "task" over the past few years. Let me explain:

Year one: Mayce and Bryce are 3 and 4, it is VERY cold and they both have a runny nose! We endure because we really wanted them to have fun, but I think it ended up being harder on everyone in the end......"next year will be better" I say:) Well.......

Year two: Mayce and Bryce are 4 and 5 and I am 8 months pregnant with Blake and SHOULD be on bedrest. I just can't resist seeing the kids and the weather was a little better than the year before, soooooo, I haul my lawn chair from event to event and sit and watch. Towards the end, everyone was tired of waiting on me, I'm sure, and my poor father in law was sweet enough to carry my chair around the entire stadium! HA! "Next year, we WILL enjoy this!" Well.......

Year three: I am pregnant, AGAIN, with Brayden, yet this time only 6 months:) About 45 minutes into it, I decide to walk about 10 feet from my family to get some popcorn for Blake. As I sift through the masses, wait in a LONG line, and head back, I quickly realize they have left where they were. Of course, I did NOT take my phone, and I proceeded to be lost for the next 45 minutes, only to finally catch up with them as all the kids were getting fussy and we were ready to walk out!! The only "watching" of the kids I managed to do was on the camera in the car on the way home:( "Next year HAS to be better!" Well.......

Year four: Yayyyyy! Finally, a success!! Now, don't get me wrong, I have loved being with the fam every year, but we have certainly made some sacrifices for the good ol' festival, and I was ready for an easy, fun outing:) The weather was perfect, the kids were happy and well, let's just say, I NEVER left for popcorn, Ha! Plus, we were able to do all they wanted to before the number of children reached 15, 000!! :) So, here are the pics from this year......Hallelujah!!

Daddy and Blake (23 months)
Ropin' for candy:)


Mama and Brayden (7 months)
Blake LOVED the toddler area....He thought he was big stuff:)

Mayce and Bryce waiting for a ride

And finally, the kids doing what they do best......"seeing who can go the fastest!" :)

10 Years....

......Hallelujah! 10 years and 4 kiddos later, Monty and I are closer than ever before, more in love and stronger than we could have ever imagined.....and all glory belongs to our Father!! What a beautiful journey this has been so far, and although there have been some deep valley's, I could not imagine one second without this sweet man and his indescribable love for me!! Monty out did himself this year and planned an entire 4 day trip without me having any idea what was to come! We ended up in Beaver Creek, CO at the most incredible resort I have ever been too:) He organized dinners at some fantastic restaurants, a horse back ride to a remote mountain top restaurant, a 3 hour spa treatment, ridiculous shopping (haha), and golfing (of which I don't do, but LOVE to ride in the cart and watch him because I never get to do that anymore:)!! This man just continues to amaze me with his love and kindness. of which I do not deserve. The Lord has used Monty's unconditional love throughout these years to literally heal my heart and break through some major unlovable walls I had. So, Monty, there are no words....."thank you" is just not enough, but you are everything I could ever dream of, and as long as I am this earth, I want to be beside you!!

"His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my lover, this is my friend." (Song of Solomon 5:16)

Plane ride to CO

View from our room
Flowers waiting for me when we arrived:) They were exactly like the ones he gave me when he proposed 11 years ago...two red and one white, representing the union of our lives and Christ being the constant center of it all. I cried like a baby then and I cried again on the trip! HA!

Golfing

Right before horse back ride

Monty's dream home:)

JUMP!

Let me just start by saying a big "Hallelujah!" that Brayden James is here and I am no longer hauling this pregnant body up and down my stairs! :) He is one of the most beautiful, sweet spirited children, and we have enjoyed him so much in the last 2 weeks. It just feels like we are complete now, and by complete I mean, "run mama ragged between 4 little ones" complete! HA! That's a great feeling:)
The last few months have certainly not been without their challenges, and I will be the first to say that choosing to fight sometimes made me weary. The details are just details, and not really needed here, but as a whole, I will say that I welcomed this new season with open arms......and alot of green energy tea:) We are settled in to our home and grateful to be passed the moving in stage. Monty is managing his office now, and walking in so much grace it's mind blowing. Let me take a few sentences just to say what an absolutely incredible man he is! You know, many people lose sight of treating their family as good as they treat those around them, but I can honestly say, that man treats us better than anyone I have ever come in contact with. When he's here, I just want to be right next to him, and when he's gone, I miss him like crazy. He is amazing.....never have I met anyone who loves the Lord with such purity and humility.

So, back to life. Monty is enjoying this new position and doing rather well at it, if I do say so myself;) We are currently taking a "break" from homeschool until we get on a better schedule with little man, so the kids are trying to see if they can set a world record by how long they can stay outside! Seriously.....I told Monty if we chunked a tent and some food outside, they would never come in:)

Finally, on to our current season, the "Brayden/Nana" season, as I like to call it:) My precious mother quit her job in February because she wanted to be the hands of Jesus to us.....and I mean that! I don't think she even knew how much the Lord would use her, she just knew her heart stirred to be here more and help me, and she was more than obedient to that call! I don't know what I would have done without her, and will forever be grateful for her heart. In February, she started coming for 3 or 4 days, every week, just to help around the house and be an incredible mama and grandma! She is still coming currently, and I am not sure if we remember how to do life with out her now:):) Nana, you are a gift from our Lord, and words cannot express how you have blessed us.

So, here we are. Brayden joined us on March 22nd, after going into labor during an incredibly anointed service, and laboring all night in the most peaceful setting I have ever felt. The Lord gave me a very vivid picture during that service, of me running and jumping over this large canyon. Now, I have never done the Long Jump in track, but that is exactly what my body looked like. It felt as if He was saying that in order to move into this new season, I had to run and jump, and never look back. I felt that there are times that we walk, times we run, and times we sit still, but then there are some seasons that move you to a completely different spot, and you just have to JUMP! It was right after that when the contractions started and Brayden arrived at 5:15 in the morning, after never having a contraction closer than 2 minutes apart. We pushed one time, and he came with ease. Monty and I savored every moment of his arrival, and words can't express the beauty of the Lord in the room that night.

Here are a few pics from the last few weeks. Please, please remember.....there is a Mighty, Mighty Maker who designed you with intention and certainty! He is the Defender and Victor, and no matter what the enemy intends or pretends, we have a beautiful choice to walk hand in hand.....trusting all the way. Trusting through the pain, the heartache, the exhaustion and the rejoicing. You were MADE to worship and, I am of the opinion, will find little satisfaction until you know that. Bless you....may He stir your heart to JUMP and never look back!