A having fun on her new slip 'n slide

Time for a bike ride

A the Baker turns THREE!

A chose to have red velvet cupcakes for her birthday party with some of her friends. This is her baking away. The red velvet has less to do with the taste and much more to do with the fact that her favorite color is RED!

M's First Steps

My mom was visiting for the day when M decided to take her very first steps.  I think it was a thank you to her Grandma for sitting in traffic for two hours. :)

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. :)