It's just a blueberry kind of morning :) Girlfriend tried this super messy fruit for the first time and they are a hit. There really was never any doubt she wouldn't like them, the proof of her love for food is all in her cheeks :)

 Auntie is staying with us this week while she's kicked out of her dorm room during Spring Break. We mixed sleeping arrangements up. Usually we bring Aubrie into our room (well our closet actually, don't judge!). Well we always have talked about the 2 kiddos sharing a room. So Aubs and Brod are giving this idea a test run and it's going great! They both love it. In fact sleeping better then usual (these 2 REALLY adore each other!). I'm surprised I haven't found B in the pac n play with Aubs yet :)

 

I will leave with a nugget of truth that I just read from Acts:

"I saw the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also live in hope, because You will not abandon me to the grave, no will You let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence." Acts 2:25-28 

How I needed to be reminded of his constant guidance today! How true that He does fill me with joy each time I sit and open His word or just simply talk to Him.

Brody LOVES basketball! In fact I kinda think he's pretty good at it. I know I'm his momma and am a tad biased, but he's sort of known for his hoops. Sometimes that's how others in the nursery remember him. They will saying something like, "Oh yea that's the boy that plays basketball" or "Oh yea Brody! He made those crazy shots last week!" His daddy is pretty proud to say the least ;)

 Uncle Spencer came to visit last week during his Spring Break! Uncle Spenc loves basketball also so, goodness, thats all they did! To top it off it was March Madness time. I'm pretty sure we dreamt of basketball for a week :) Really though, it was such a fun time of having him down. Brody was is udder despair the first few days after he left :( Every time the garage door would open he would jump up and down yelling, "Uncle Spenc is back!" Heartbreaking when he would find out the truth.

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Mike and I have been following the Dave Ramsey financial plan sense last October. Last Friday we made out very last school loan payment that took us out of debt! (Well of course we have our mortgage). We worked so hard for this accomplishment! So to celebrate we entered into this century with getting I Phones! Technology throws my brain to mush but I'm so excited to be able to take pictures and videos of my kiddos! Really and honestly thats the reason I wanted one :)

 My Grandpa was a barber right up to a few weeks before he went Home with Jesus. He had his own barber shop that was such a staple in our family. We would simply go to the barber shop for haircuts (well the guys would, he never liked cutting girls hair. But the gals often times tagged along because it was fun). Anyways, while we were home I went through some of Grandpa's barber shop things. Immediately I knew what I wanted. I cut Mike's hair and hope to cut Brody's soon and I always talk about needing a "cape" so that's what I took a hair cutting cape :) We used it over the weekend and it was a really neat time filled with lots of emotions. I'm glad I have it and I look forward to every hair cut I get to give my boys because it brings up so many memories. This will be one of the many ways Brody will get to remember his Great Grandpa :)

What a special time of celebrating my Grandpa's life last week. Gosh how we all miss him so much. Will it ever seem real, that he is gone? I do celebrate knowing He is pain free, but goodness, I just simply miss him. At his visitation he had requested that all of us family wear his absolute favorite team, Chicago Cubs. Afterward we all went out for pizza. You would have thought we just walked out of Wrigley Field with all the blue and red we were sporting, it was great! We know Grandpa would have been so proud :)

 

Brody and Aubrie were such troopers though the whole thing, we were so proud of them. We did decide to keep them with a sitter on the day of Grandpa's funeral. Selfishly I really missed those two kiddos that day because they've been such a much needed distraction though the sadness and just two really sweet faces to look at through tears.

 

Those dark,big brown eyes! I just can't get enough of them!!

So we are home now and have vowed that we will not be taking anymore road trips for a really, really long time (not even to Tulsa!). We are staying here in the 'ville. No one here is complaining! 

So anywho.......the Aubs girl is 8 months! I've done a terrible job at doing her monthly updates, so here are a few:

• Sits up like a pro
• Rolls over like a pro
• Perfers standing to anything else
• Loves eating Puffs
• Wearing 6-9 month (but more on the 9 month side) clothes
• Sleeps with her 2 monkeys, Rain and Molly.
• Dropped the 3rd nap. She now just takes 2 two hour naps a day. One at 10 and the other at 2, conveniently when B takes his afternoon nap.
• Really is not liking her bottle much anymore, she much prefers the source of her milk :)
• Continues to have such adorning eye's for her brother.

Mike and I got away on our yearly "get away" trip earlier this month! We went to Wichita, Kansas for a marriage conference that was 2 nights! Goodness how I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE getting away with my husband. Did I miss the kiddos, yea not really (don't judge me, I really don't even feel bad). Of course it was really fun and exciting to come home to them, but it's just so nice to just date all weekend. I mean really we are the reason they are here, right. I'm so glad we've made getting away at least every year a top priority. Already looking forward to next year because I wont be so bound to our frozen milk supply. Really excited for the year we can be gone for a week :)

Grandpa

I love being a daughter of Jesus. I love being known by Him and my deepest prayer is that all of our kiddos will one day decide to follow Him also. Today my sweet Grandpa left us to go be with Him in all His glory. I celebrate in knowing he has heard those words, "Well done good and faithful servant." I celebrate in knowing he is right now bowing before Jesus, I celebrate also knowing that he is in no more pain, all his sickness and pain are gone. 

The selfish part of me, however, is grieving uncontrollably as I find myself a upset with the Lord. I've found myself these last few weeks questioning God's plan. I find myself wanting so badly to know why. Why did he have to take our Grandpa? Did he make a mistake? This wasn't supposed to happen, not like this, not ever, he is my Grandpa! I call these my David moments. In the book of Psalms David shares his deepest sorrows and his extreme joy. He doesn't hold back telling the Lord how upset he is with Him but also doesn't hold back with how happy he is also. 

In the midst of this bone hurting pain, the endless tears and the confusion, I will continue to cling not to what my flesh tells me but  to the words that are treasured in my heart, "Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge me and I will direct your paths", "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." I will continue to shout from the top of my lungs, "Great is Your faithfulness, Your mercies are new everyday!" I don't get this at all and frankly yes, I'm pissed that I will never get to have my Grandpa's arms around me on this side of heaven, but I KNOW that He is good, He is good, He is good! Jesus You are good! I'm thankful we've had these few weeks of saying goodbye. I'm thankful Meghan and I were able to go up to Iowa earlier this week and spend hours next to Grandpa's bed. I'm thankful we got to sing around him, pray around him, read scripture around him, reminisce, look at countless pictures and laugh over some great memories. And I'm so thankful I got to witness first hand the incredible love and devotion my Grandma has shown to her husband of 55 plus years. She hasn't left his side. Her hand has been constantly on him for the last few weeks. What a wonderful and perfect example of "though sickness and health" she has shown. 

We will leave early Sunday morning to return back to Iowa to begin Grandpa's celebration of life. Please pray for safety for everyone traveling in from Colorado, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Below is one of many priceless pictures we took of Grandma and Grandpa. Gosh, he is so missed!