The Thomas' Train: Photo Dump

Showing posts with label Photo Dump. Show all posts

Friday, August 1, 2014

Summer Time Photo Dump.... (seriously over due)

Posting on a blog (or anything on the internet) is REALLY difficult when we don't have a working computer at home in addition to no internet... this is NOT a forever situation, and I am determined that I will get back to regular posting. SOON!

Photo Dump BOMBARDMENT

Here we go...

May 2014: Brayden had his first haircut(age 2 years 3 months),
June 2014: Landen turned 4! On his actual birthday we went out to Johnny Rockets and ate dinner. He had a Super Hero party and (among other things) received train tickets, we rode the train to Tuscaloosa (but didn't take any pictures once we arrived there), Declen turned 7 months old and decided to sit up on his own
July 2014: We went to Oak Mountain State Park for the Fourth of July and went fishing (for the first time ever for the kids) and Landen caught two tiny fish, Keith and I celebrated our 5th anniversary and took a spontaneous family vacation to Panama City Beach (as in, "I wanna do something" "Like what?" "um... lets go to the beach" "OK..." and we made reservations as we packed). It was our first EVER vacation!! IT WAS AWESOME and we took like three pictures the whole time.... yeah. We got to go out fishing/boating/island hopping with my cousin who owns Salt Shaker Charters and that was AMAZING! Our car keys are in the Gulf of Mexico down there, so if you find them, please return them! Keith turned 28! We went to dinner at a mexican restaurant and took pictures outside and with the sombraro on his head :). Declen turned 8 months old and decided to belly crawl. He's currently learning to crawl on hands and knees, but sometimes just ends up either planking or with his bottom straight up in the air! He feeds himself all the time... eating just about anything he can get his hands on (except ham. he hates it!), and finally, Declen has 2 teeth! WOOHOO!

Enjoy the pictures!

Baked beans

My life... everyday!

we dress alike at the park so I can find them

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Easter & Mother's Day + Photo Dump

Easter - a celebration of the most amazing gift ever given to mankind; something no one could ever deserve or earn despite all our efforts

Mother's Day - a celebration some of the most amazing people on this planet; something I have a hard time believing I could ever deserve or earn despite all my efforts

It's interesting to me that these two celebrations are back-to-back. I cannot imagine my life without my children and yet Christ was sent here as Mary's child, only to be the greatest sacrifice of all time. What an overwhelming sensation to think about! How would I react if I was told that one of my children would be crucified for EVERYONE ELSE'S sins!? I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be a very pleasant reaction... and that's when it hits home. I am ~~pretty~~ really selfish. I think of my children as my own; and yes, they DID live in my belly for 9 months and they DO have my genes, some of my personality traits, some of my features, etc. in reality they are not mine. I did not create them in my womb. I do not control their brains or how their bones grow or what color their eyes are or how their food changes into energy. These children are a gift that God has put into my life for me to raise, rear, instill values, etc. HE is in control of when they came into my life and when they will depart. HE knit them together in my womb and HE has their steps in life numbered. HE knows their every thought and the exact number of hairs on their heads. So really all this stress I have, trying to get everything right, to control every moment, to look (or at least have my kids look) put together, etc is kind of ridiculous. This job called motherhood is something that I need to completely change my attitude about. God paired me with these children and I am the mom THEY need and they are the kids I need to help fulfill HIS plans!

So... when I spend the time I need to utilize a teachable moment... when I take time to hold/rock/kiss my kids... etc... I'm going to try to savor the moments that I have and try not to stress over the superficial parts of life/stress over the parts of life that God didn't intend for me to control anyway! It's a mother's (and father's) love and selflessness that molds a child's life so much!

It was selfless obedience and love of Mary (Christ's mother) that God (Christ's Father) utilized to rear Christ and change the world. Mary sacrificed her reputation, her own life plans, and her own child (Jesus Christ) to follow God's will. God knowingly sent his son (Jesus Christ) to be the ultimate sacrifice for the world through persecution and all forms of suffering. By their examples, in a much less intense scale, we (as mother's and father's) are supposed to do our best to rear the children God put in our charge who in their own right will one day change the world.

So to all the mother's, who in some way shape or form, sacrificing themselves for the growth, enrichment, and life of their kids... You have earned it! Happy Mother's Day!