A takes care of her little sister

Yesterday morning A woke up before M.  R and I were downstairs getting breakfast ready listening to A enjoy her morning in bed singing and talking to her blanky.  M woke up and shorty after began to cry.  We then heard A say, "M don't cry.  Let me pray for you and make you feel better."  She then said a short prayer, got down from her bed (which by the way was a first for her), picked up her Bible, sat down on the floor next to M's crib and started "reading" the Bible to M.  M stopped crying and was silent listening to A read to her for 10-15 minutes until R and I couldn't resist and went upstairs to see for ourselves what we heard play out over the monitor. 

There are many days when parenting is utterly exhausting but it is in these sweet, sweet moments that God sends us refreshment and encouragement. 

A's Prayer

Throughout the last few months A has started to pray out-loud as she repeats what we say.  Recently she has started to pray by herself and we have been abundantly blessed by the people and things she takes the time to pray for.  Along with some inner laughter and lots of smiles A has given to us through her prayers, R and I have been reminded of how many things God has blessed us with that we never stop to think about and thank God for.  Today I'm thankful for A's prayers, her child-like faith and her thankful heart.  Here are some of things she has prayed for this weekend:

Thank you God for MOPS.  Thank you God for Jamaica, citizenship, courthouse and gum even though your not supposed to (referring to gum she saw in a water fountain).  Thank you God for the colors on my shirt, vents and smoke detectors.  Thank you God for mommy, daddy, M, and me.  Thank you God for Auntie Carrie's phone chimes.  Thank you God for noses, eyes, mouths, chins and giraffes. 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17

R is a US Citizen!

After living in the US for 24 years R decided to make the leap from being a Permanent Resident to becoming a United States Citizen. We went as a family to experience R's swearing in. A thought it was pretty cool and decided to follow her daddy up to the front to receive his official document and shake the judges hand. The video is A helping R prepare for his citizen test. :)

A Surprise 40th Wedding Anniversary Celebration

My parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this April. My siblings and I decided to surprise them with a day at the Bronx Zoo with all 20 of us! We had the grandkids sit on the park bench holding up this sign for when they entered the zoo. It was so much fun!!!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Thanks for demonstrating what it means to have a loving,strong, Christ-centered marriage!

M at One Year's Old

A few facts about our 1 yr old, M:

+She weighs 21lbs 12oz & is 30.13 inches long
+She loves to squint her eyes as tight as possible when she smiles big
+Even though the sound of the TV turning on scares her, she still likes to turn it on (she hasn't figured out turning it on causes the noise just yet) :)
+She is the only baby I've ever met that doesn't care for Cheerios
+She loves to dance and scream with her big sister
+She has deemed the nickname Jamaican Crawler for her slow paced, easy going stride that she takes. She will, however, race her way to the front door when R comes home from work and yells with a big smile, "Hi Daddy!!"
+She hates to have her diaper changed and will flop all over the place to keep us from doing so
+She is smart, funny, sensitive, curious and melt in your mouth sweet!

We love you M!

M's 1st Birthday Party

It's hard to believe that our little baby is already ONE year's old!! M has given our home an overflow of love with her infectious smile and hefty laughter. We were very blessed to celebrate her Birthday last month with both sides of the family. During her party we also had a little dedication at our house instead of at church. R and I wrote her a letter that we read to everyone, gave her a Bible verse that we pray she will hold close to her throughout her life (I have set the Lord always before me because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8) and had God-mother, Aunt H, pray for M and our family.

Happy 1st Birthday M! You and your sister are the two greatest joy's that God has ever blessed us with. We love you so much!!

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa (aka mom and dad) in their new digs

The girls and I went down to Florida to visit my parents and R came down a few days later for all of us to get away from the winter New England weather and enjoy some warmth, fun and relaxation! The first pictures are views from their balcony. You can't beat having breakfast with a view like that! On a "cold" day (low 70's) we went to a local children's museum.