Joy in the Journey – Essie

So our sweet Essie has been having a little independent streak.  So last Sunday after leaving Boston Market our favorite lunch location, she decided not to get right into her seat.  So we said we would have to wait there until she did.  So Bryan and I closed the doors.  She was screaming in protest still.  But no hint of obedience evident.  So we unbuckled Adeline and left Essie alone (we went to the rear of the car as she was in the floor board.).  No change in the direction of obedience, but she did climb into Adeline’s seat and began reading books.  So then Adeline and I try to make an obvious movement over to look at flowers.  She didn’t seem to mind.  Bryan took the books away.  There were some tears shed and then Bryan calls Adeline and I back over.  She was in her seat.  Bryan asked her why did she get into her seat.  She replies,

“God told me to!”

Hallelujah, because we certainly teaching her anything.  Now to pray harder than ever she continues to obey Him all the time :)

We love you Essie, no matter what!

Joy in the Journey – say WHAT!

Bryan!!  So many of you may not have seen just yet, but bryan removed his excess facial hair.  We were talking about its recent disappearance and he said “It (his face) is as soft as a baby’s bottom…without poop”.  Say what?  why mention poop? I just don’t get it! I actually had just took a sip of water and sprayed bryan with it.  It was funny!  Had to share :)

Awesome weekend!

Friday our epic adventure began at Hollywood Studio catching up with Bell and Ariel of course.
Though notable is that Adeline went on Tower of terror ...falling from 30 stories and wanted to go again.
Then to Ft Myers to stay with my folks in their new location. We hit the pool, girls picked oranges, hung a fan, and had more Christmas with Andy and Sandy.  That was all in one day! 

Needless to say …
they were very tired girls. We had a super blast and look forward to going back soon.  The pool had its own splash park ...crazy fun!
We want to check out the imaginarium down there.
 

Fun at the pool.  Essie now does circles all on her own with the water wings on. She jumps in from the side of the pool and goes under with no issues (with goggles on of course):

Lovin on GrandPa!

Andy being super cool.  I hate I missed a pic of Sandy :(  We had an awesome Christmas though!  Thanks guys!

We love their new home and hanging out at the bar in the tall bar stools.  Essie can get up “all by myself”. 

Potpourri with the Shunks

The trip all started with us arriving in N. Charleston, beloved South Carolina, just before Midnight.  The next fun adventure was waking up for a 6am garage sale.  It was amazing what all sold and what didn’t.  In the pulling of stuff out we found lots of memories and even my Strawberry Shortcake baby dolls, cheer leading sweater from when I was 4 yrs old that Adeline now loves and so much more.  It was a very successful day of selling, dropping items off that were sold and Bryan’s favorite thing – going to the dump.  I forgot to mention it was 22 degrees outside when this all started and only got up to 40 for a high that day – brrr.

Then next on the list was a Bridal Shower honoring Sandy and Andy by my Mom’s good friend Sandra.  Yes there was a Sandi, Sandy, Sandra, and even a Sandee.  We had lots of fun.  Here we are arriving:

My future sister-in-law is georgous, sweet, and super smart (a nurse of course… and she is marrying my brother – love ya Andy):

Here are the girls (wish we had on with Mom in it, but my battery died – ugh):

Then after the shower and then dinner we had a Christmas celebration. 

The next day was filled with fun, from making cookies with Sassy to plain ole fun:

 

Here is even the obligatory family photo!  Bryan mentions as we are leaving to be sure and take it all in as this is the last time I will ever be back to this as my home.  My folks are moving 9hrs to be 1.5hrs closer to us (just 4 hours in the opposite direction)!  We are looking forward to all of our immediate family being in FL.

Since this (on the 27th)  my Dad has had surgery to remove his bladder cancer and is doing great!  Thank you God!  Now for him to go back for frequent check ups.

Christmas with the Conrads & Overmans

Do you see Baby Henry?  Thats right, he is still in Annie’s belly!  Something the girls love to talk about.  Adeline even drew a few pictures of Annie with Henry in her belly. 

Girls ready to go and such good Mommies!

 

I thank God for you Bryan!

 

A cute couple…. about to enter the club of parenthood.  So many miracles and blessings!  We thank God for you lil Henry.

Esther is 2.5 yrs old!

Oh, Esther how I love you :)

We do the I love you with our fingers.  You can get 2 of them, but that third one is a little hard.  You randomly tell me I love you about once a day.  Your smile lights up a room.  You are a sweet, sassy, and independent girl.  If it is something you don’t want to do you demand “you do it”.  So we typically hear “Essie do it”  or “you do it”.  You lately have started counting in Spanish (mainly saying tres and cinco).  cute, cute!  You love your baby doll and pushing her in a stroller.  We go on bike rides pretty regularly, which means I push you in the tricycle while you pedal your feet round and round.  We love playing on the hill chasing balls.  We have sweet friends we play with regularly.  Kate loves to hold your hand and give hugs.  You really love it, but pull away acting independent.  You stay up way too late… like 9 or 9:30 always.  Frequently calling “Mommy, pencil”.  Meaning for me to tuck you in like a pencil (something your Daddy taught you).  Though I think you staying up late is just a product of how good of a napper you are.  You sleep with your “lanky” and made me “fix it” when you found a hole in it (sewing it up).  Though you can sleep without it just fine you like making me look for it.  EVERY night we sing “all the childrens” by your request.  Your next song would probably be Victory in Jesus.  You know Proverbs 3:5 from just listening to Adeline and I practice…. so smart!  You know your shapes, most colors, and you find “E for Essie” everywhere.  When traveling you see it in signs, in the Pepsi in the gas station.  So smart.  You love Elmo.  This Christmas you carried around Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus just about everywhere.  I found them in purses, in your bed, in the car… it was amazing.  You can jump so high and love for your Daddy to “catch me”.  You color with itty bitty marks, so precise.  You have to do everything Adeline does :)  You are very much looking forward to your next birthday, since the day after yours in reality.  So now you say, Essie’s birthday after Grandpas!

Esther I thank God for you and how much He blessed us for bringing you into our lives.  He has great plans for you.  I love praying over you, though you don’t hold very still or seem too interested.  As Adeline asks me to get the prayer cards out as she calls them.  I count it a blessing to by your Mommy!

These are a few of my favorite things…

 

 

Oh how we all love Christmas.  The JOY of celebrating the birth of our Savior who came to this earth as a precious baby to deliver us from sin by death on a cross and defeating death to reign forever. 

What fun to have 2 girls so very excited about the same thing.  Every day Essie carried around Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus.  Sometimes she did so very much we couldn’t find them by the end of they day.  We have multiple sets and some days we seemed to have lost all of them.  If that is the price to pay I will buy more.  However the beloved have all been found (over and over and over again)!  Right now resting in time out for not being picked up when asked actually.  Hmmm… never thought before now about putting Jesus in time out.  anyhow!

We got our tree up Thanksgiving weekend.  Adeline loves to decorate.  She was a busy little bee putting all kinds of decorations up.  Bryan even hung lights outside on a tree we have in the yard that held a large wreath that he also covered in lights.  The girls loved it.  The first night we came home I had to run up and plug the lights in, leave the house and arrive again so they could see what it looked like driving up to our home.

Went to Disney Fort Wilderness and were exposed to so many displays of Christmas lights and wonders.  The girls went with Martha and Annie to see lights at a state park near Lake City.  It was a wonderful adventure of popcorn, lights, seeing Santa (who promised Adeline a baby doll – say what!), watching egg art, roasting marshmallows, and have a violinist tell us Essie’s amazement with music would make her perfectly suited to start lessons very soon.  

We have gone on a few neighborhood light adventures.  Adeline fell asleep on our first outing, so we had to do it again that week.

Here is some of Adeline’s art work (Jingle Bell Bracelet, Jesus wrapped in a blanket, and Mary’s belly from where Jesus came from):