pretty pink things...

Elizabeth is turning 4 this month. Her birthday is actually at the end of the month but we are having a Princess party this next Saturday, she is so excited. She also has a Ballet recital this Saturday.

I doned it!!!!

I threw away his paci! Jesse has been pacifier free for 3 weeks now! There are two more that I have to find and get rid of.
There was not a single problem with no longer having it, no fits like I expected. And he has only asked for it one time, he said wheres paci? I told him it went bye-bye and he was a big boy. And he agreed!
This is a pic of his "cheese" face.

Life is good

I am sitting at the computer typing listening to my 2- 2 1/2 year olds singing Shine, Shine Shine, Jesus. (they are on their bed drumming on something) they are supposed to be sleeping. There is a song by Hillsong that we play often in our house called Let it Shine. You should so check it out- love it. my friend just had a baby and I am supper excited for her. daddy is gone but things have run REALLY well here and that is awesome.
Love Chels
Oh and I will try today to post some pics from last weekend and other random things after I eat some lunch and get some laundry done.

on the road we go...

We are getting ready to leave in about 1 hour to head over to St. Joe to see Paka and Gma Grinnall, kids are excited as they say, Yea Paka swimming. We have not seen Pa, Gma and Aunt Trinny in 2 years so we are pumped. I will post how the weekend went Monday. :) Have a blessed weekend to all. Enjoy the blessings God has given you this weekend as we will be. Chels

Hi

So I have been on a really long vacation, no just kidding I have just been busy with life and realized I have not blogged in over 1 month! Gasp...I really will try to do batter. The boys are potty trained- like for real and both moved up to the T-3 classroom and even stay dry overnight several nights but not all nights. They are learning so much more and saying new words all the time. I will try to get a video off of Joe's touch and post it in the coming days.

Potty prayers

Tonight the boys prayed that Uncle Peaches can go potty, also prayed for Daddy. They are doing really good at potty time. They are starting more so to let you know when they need to go potty, especially at night time, when they don't want to go to bed, Jesse will try and demand(after he has already gone once) that he needs to go potty- when in fact he is just trying to stall bed time.

A memory

This picture brings tears and smiles at the same time. This is Jesse holding Gma Bernie's hand 1 month and 11 days before she passed away. Today marks 2 months since her funeral. Bernie was a coworker but more than that she was my friend. And she loved my kids as if they were hers.

Still going..

Jachin is still working on potty training and do fairly well, he will be moving up to the big boy class with Elizabeth soon while Jesse stays behind in the other class until he starts going potty and staying dry. To move up to the big boy class you have to stay dry for three weeks (including during nap time) an occasional accident does not set you back.
I have gotten out of the sync of blogging but will try hard to write more often.
Chels

A very important message....

Jachin has started going potty like a big boy last week and today (7/12, at least I think it is Tuesday 7/12) even wore big boys to school and stayed dry at school until we got in the van at Noon and then he had an accident on the van floor, but its cleanable.
Way to go big boy, we are so proud of you!
This is Jachin looking at us with his Paka (Grandpa_

I am still here...

Just have had a lot going on in life and seemed like no inspiration to write.
I have some funny things coming in days to come.

Something for you to enjoy

This is from our snack time together on Monday, Memorial day...



Psalty is a play that our kids do here and Elizabeth enjoys to watch. Risky rat is a bad guy in the play and the church mice love Jesus. Elizabeth is talking about when she gets bigger tonight she is going to be in Psalty.

Thoughts from a 3 year old

Elizabeth: "Jesus died on the cross"
Elizabeth: "Uncle Peaches didn't die on the cross, only Jesus"
Mom: "That's right."" Jesus died for us"
Elizabeth: "Why did Jesus die for us?"
Mom: "Ask Jesus why"
Elizabeth: "Jesus, you die on the cross?"
Mom: "What did He say?"
Elizabeth: "He say He died on the cross"
Mom: "Why did He die on the cross?"
Elizabeth: "Jesus, why you die on the cross?"
Elizabeth:"He said He loves me"

Now those are some pretty good thoughts...

Good news

Yesterday, May 18th Jesse went potty for the first time at school. He came to my office to share the news with mommy. :)

I am proud of you

JP and Blake,
I want you to know that I am proud of you. Keep growing in God.
You are some handsome young men and your character is growing. I believe in you and so does God- He so for you!
Your cheerleader sister :)

Oh, Mom...

(My little dancer, you look good in pointe)
You forgot to give me a kiss. This was what Elizabeth said to me as I was walking out of her room tonight. Trust me I did not forget as I actually was really proud of her cleaning her room amazingly for a 3 year old and had given about 10 kisses. right now she has become my snuggle bug- loving to get and give tons of hugs and kisses- I'm definitely not complaining though! It is hard to resist when she also tells me while patting a spot on her bed that she "has more room for me" meaning mom will you sleep with me.

Watch Out New York...

These boys have style you can not even touch...you need to learn some lessons from them.
So the boys both wanted to wear a specific pair of shoes (they light up). So I used the wisdom of Solomon and each child got to wear one of the shoes and they were happy.

Another haircut

Sorry, I didn't get any pics since I was the one giving them the cut. They moved around too much to get it short but at least it is above their ears and off their neck like I want it. I was also a little afraid to mess it up so I stuck to just a little cut.

A Message

So I have not posted for a while. Yesterday we made peanut butter playdough and wanted to write a message to Uncle Peaches. Love to all and hopefully some more posts soon.

Amazed

Dont get me wrong, my three year old is not perfect, rather she can be bossy and get an attitude, whine and love to pester her brothers. But today she blew me away. We got out her piggy bank and I explained about penny wars that the money was going to kids that had no clothes, shoes, etc. I asked Elizabeth to give me the money she wanted to donate. She gave me a decent amount of her money and then told me it was enough. I asked her to ask God if He thought it was enough and she did and told me that He said it was. Then she decided that she wanted to give more. After we bagged up her money she told me: Mom I am happy for Jesus to come back.

What a morning

So I have a little girl with 104 temp and one little boy with a little scratch on his forehead resulting in blood and a bloody toe nail. Not sure what exactly he did. Jesse is crying not because of his toenail but because I put a band-aid on it. I am laughing as my daughter insisted that she needs popcorn. (Which she did not get)
I really do love my life, sick kids and well. Though I do prefer them well!

Love

Today is Joe and I's 4 year anniversary!

Two- Two year olds

So Friday night Joe did night shift and came home Saturday and went to sleep. At 9:45 I went in the room to get changed for dance class. The boys were playing nicely so I went real quick to change. But right as I was getting ready to open the bedroom door to come back out I hear a little boy knocking on the door whining for Mommy. I open the door to Jesse standing there with red all down his shirt- I start screaming that Jesse is bleeding and realize Jachin is silent so it might be his blood so I run over to find Jachin only to discover that they had gotten in the fridge and it was tomato sauce all down his shirt. I can laugh about it now.
The boys head straight to the fridge when we come home from anywhere- and believe me they are fed well- they just really like to eat.

Courtney...

I just want to say Happy Birthday to you on your special day. Bro, you are getting old! Almost 30. You are an awesome big brother and I am glad to have you in my life. Happy Birthday!
Love
Joe, Chels, Elizabeth, Jachin and Jesse
By the way Courtney is the tall white young man, and believe it or not the cute little Hispanic woman sitting down is our beloved Grandma!

Happy Birthday to...

My little brother. Happy Birthday (yesterday to you). Though you are around the world from us, our hearts are with you and we are SO proud of you.
We will have to have a huge fiesta when you get home.
Love you Uncle Peaches
Joe, Chels, Elizabeth,Jachin and Jesse

His enduring promises...not a kid post

I needed to dwell on the hope that Christ brings- I watched a sappy girl movie (One of the Love Comes Softly series) and I have been thinking about life- and different people I know or know of have had some hardship lately. Chemo, children and parents or grandparents passing away, spouses separating. For a bit I just felt overwhelmed with sadness but we have an enduring promise from Him if we are faithful, man I want to be faithful. Without Him we would have no hope. People die from lack of hope and vision. But Christ brings life. I know I want to be found faithful, what about you?