Easter 2014 ~late~

Only a little late, but here is the recap of our Easter.  I say this every year, but Easter has become my favorite holiday.  I love how Christmas is the birth of our Savior, but how amazing is it that Easter is not just that our Jesus died on the cross, but that he arose 3 days later and is alive today!!!  Hallelujah!!!

Our weekend was so very crazy and busy and full of fun Easter festivities.  Ninnie bought resurrection eggs, so we loved going through the Easter story Friday night, and then we dyed eggs.  Taylor and I have been burdened about how holidays are so commercialized.  We are teaching our children the true meaning to each holiday first and foremost, and then letting a little bit of the bunny, santa, etc. come through.  Their knowing and having a personal relationship with Jesus is most important.  Anyway, back to the festivities...

Lucy Cullen had more dye on her than the eggs did, and we all had a great time.

Max (and Taylor) was not interested in anything that was going on Friday night.  He just wanted to sleep. He must have some Brown in him!

Saturday we went to Mt. Moriah's Easter egg hunt...

Ella, Anna Beth, and Ava Kate came too!

My Easter babies.  Thanks Juju for such cute baskets!!!

Then we flew to Clinton for a birthday party.  Watch out, here is your next pro-bowler haha...

Bowling + snow cones = a fun birthday party!

We went with Mimi to eat at Cock of the Walk.  This was Max's first time in a high chair.  Where is time going???

I love the reservoir, and want to remember this picture in my mind forever.  I love these girls so much.

We woke up Sunday morning to this...

Lily Kate kept asking who brought all of this.  She asked who stayed with her last night, and where Taylor went the night before.  She asked where I went and we told her that nobody left, we were home all night. She finally just dropped the subject and started playing with her new toys.  Not much gets past that girl!

We went to our church service and then to Mt. Moriah's cantata, and then we went and ate lunch.  After lunch, you guessed it, time for pics.

I won't even tell you how many bazillions of pictures I took at P-up's house and none of my 3 kiddos turned out worth a toot.  So when we got to our house I made them take pics again, and I am so glad I did.  I love this pic of my 3 sweet babies...

and I love this one of Mr. Max...

 

and I love this of my girlies.  I pray they are always this close.

Our babies just melt my heart, thank you Lord for them...

Happy ~late~ Easter!

Happy 4th birthday my Lily Kate!

My sweet Lily Kate officially turned 4 years old this past Sunday.  Thank you Lord for these 4 precious years with her, what a blessing she is.

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be."

Psalm 139:13-16

She has grown up so much here lately.  She is soaking in everything, learning so much, and asking a bazillion questions.  Her little mind never stops, and I love it.  She loves to pray, and to go to church and sing, and she loves reading her Bible story every night.  She loves to help me cook, and help with Max, and with ~some~ of the household chores.  One thing that hasn't changed, she still loves to be silly...

She is ready for this summer, to go swimming, and to the beach, and to spend hours playing outside.  I can't wait for the spray parks to open, and to take her to the water park.  This little girl loves life, more than anyone else I know.  I pray she always has this genuine love of people, and for going places and having fun. But more than anything I pray she comes to know the Lord at a young age.

"The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine

upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance

upon you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

And you know I had to take a pic of Lucy Cullen and Max too...

 and this is the best I could get of them together...

For I know the plans I have for you,

declares the LORD,

plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

We had a tiny party at Chuck E. Cheese's.  Yes, I was completely crazy when said yes to this.  But she had a great time, which made it all worth it...

And here is a recap of birthday pics...

Newborn Lily Kate

Our new family

~ 1 ~

1st Birthday Party, with baby Lucy Cullen on the way

~ 2 ~

2nd Birthday Party

~ 3 ~

3rd Birthday Party, with baby Max on the way

We love you Lily Kathleen Gibson!

Houston, we have a crawler!!!

Max is now 6 months old, is so very happy, and has so many new tricks.

I love seeing this baby boy learning and progressing daily.  He has been trying for about 3 weeks to crawl, scooting anywhere he wants to go.  But this last week Max was promoted to "crawler".  He is so funny though.  He doesn't have a normal crawl like either of the girls did, but has his own way of crawling.  Poppy says he looks like a silver back gorilla, many people say he looks like a worm, and I have heard a few times that he looks like a frog.  Whatever he looks like, it is the cutest thing ever.  See...

This past Tuesday was the first time that he crawled and then sat up.  And he now crawls over to me and gets in my lap.  My heart MELTS when he does this.  He has been the youngest crawler of our babies.  Lily Kate crawled at 7 months, Lucy Cullen was almost 8 months (no surprise that she was the slowest, she's a Gibson!) and Max was right at 6 months.  At this age, both girls had teeth, were waving, and said Mama. Max has not done any of those yet, but I am sure he will soon.  I love how each child is different!

He had his check up this week.  He has grown a little, thank goodness.  He is 15 lbs 2 oz and now in the 8th percentile for weight.  It still bothers me that he is so little, but the doctor assures me it's part of his genetics. He said Max looked like a string bean, long and skinny!  Max is loving his baby food, is now strictly on formula, and has had juice once.  He is a terrible sleeper, which keeps Taylor and me not sleeping.  I guess I can't complain too much, the first 4 months of his life that's all the boy did.

 

 
Max Christian Gibson we love you!

5 month Max...

My baby is 5 months old.  Actually he is 5 months and a week.  I say it all the time, but how does this happen?  Why does time fly so fast?  Please time, slow down.  I need more hours and more days of my kids being little.  Very little.  Not growing up as I blink.

Max is so very happy, and look at those eyes.  SO blue, with long and beautiful lashes!  See...

He only cries when he is hungry, which is quite often these days!

Our big boy is sleeping in his crib, and not in his bouncy seat anymore.  He has been having teething issues lately, but most nights he sleeps all night long.  What an angel...

Again, so happy.  Even though he hasn't had his paci in about 3 weeks.  I know, I know.  So mean of us.

Who could not love this sweet boy...

More pics from last Saturday's photo shoot...

All three Gibson babies L.O.V.E their blankies...

We love you Max Christian!

A beautiful weekend and Monday...

We had another beautiful and fun filled weekend.  Saturday the girls played outside a good bit, sliding and swinging and riding in their silly car.  Gage and Ella boo rode the 4-wheeler over and played too.  Gage and Taylor played a little ball, Lily Kate hit a few balls off the tee, and Lucy Cullen and Ella boo had fun on the see-saw.  Max enjoyed being outside too.  Here he is looking like a frog...

Saturday night was the fair.  The fair is right behind our church, and Lily Kate says almost every week that she wants to ride the Ferris wheel again.  So we all loaded up and went, Mimi, Johnny, Kasey, and Walt too.

The first ride Lily Kate wanted to ride was the Ferris wheel.  Lucy Cullen kept saying she wanted to ride, until we actually got close to it.  Then she started shivering with fear, and refused to ride.  I knew that was going to happen, she is not adventurous and fearless as Lily Kate is.  Lily Kate LOVED it.  She would look over the side to wave at us and smiled the whole time.

Next was the carousel.  Both girls loved the horsies...

Next was the scrambler.  Taylor made Lucy Cullen ride with him and Lily Kate, and I was not very happy. The safety bar was eye level with her, which meant that I could not see her face the whole time.  I saw Lily Kate laughing and smiling and having fun, but I couldn't tell if Lucy Cullen was happy, mad, screaming, crying, etc.  It made me so nervous, that ride was so fast, twisting and turning.  I was one happy Mama when it was finished.

The last ride Lily Kate rode was the Swan.  By the time it was over, Taylor was a bit green.  He admitted that he's getting older and can't handle the rides like he used too.

I didn't let Lucy Cullen ride the Swan, so to make her happy again we went to the kiddie cars.  This girl is a professional driver I tell ya.  Thank goodness I got this pic before they started, because once she took off she barely glanced our way.  She had her eyes on the road and her hands on the wheel.  No texting and driving for this girl.  She wouldn't even wave at us, just gave us a grin a few times.  Good job Lucy Cullen, keep that up when you start driving a real car!

Sunday we went to church, napped, and played outside.  Taylor must be getting stir crazy, because out of the blue he asked if we wanted to go see Grandmommy.  I said yes, of course.  So we went to Grandmommy's and visited with her Sunday night.  Uh oh, no pics :(

I had an eye doctor appointment Monday in Clinton.  Ninnie was supposed to go with me, but canceled last minute.  It turned out to be a good thing, cause Taylor and the 3 kids took me!  They dropped me off, went to Mimi's, and then Taylor picked me up.  We picked up a pizza for Mimi, our kids, Whitney, and Sophie. Then Taylor took me on a lunch date, yay!  Then we visited with Mamaw and I took some pics at her lake. Some of my favorite pics are from the lake across from her house, it is just beautiful.

Such a good weekend.  I can't wait for more spring and summer days ahead.  You will find us outside, looking as unkept and unmatched as possible.  Playing in the dirt, in the water, in the rocks.  No bows, maybe no shoes, just as dirty and natural as can be.  Those are the best!