Finally...

After 4 weeks of saying that we need to get a picture of our new family of 5 we finally got a picture taken at the lake before we headed home. Now why was that so hard!?

Week at the Lake

This past week the kids and I were at my parents lake house on Lake Gaston. It was a sweet time to be with my grandparents and parents and to also briefly see my sister and brother. Jeremy joined us later in the week for a few nights which was really good since he has been so busy lately. I am so indebted to my mom for helping me in this transition to 3 kids. We got home yesterday and it was the first time we had all 3 kids by ourselves. It's pretty demanding but time we learned how to do it as a family of 5! Here are some pictures of our time at the lake.

Jeremy, Carson, Grandpa, Grammy & Bryn

Jeremy loves to fish at the lake. Here are 2 catfish that he caught.

This was Lydia's first time at the lake.

Bryn & Grammy swinging

The toy motorcycles are a popular item at the lake

Carson & Jeremy going for a jet ski ride

Grandpa reading a bedtime story to his grandsons

Lydia's first boat ride

Carson enjoying his ice cream cone on the deck

Jeremy and I went for a kayak ride together on his birthday

Jeremy & Carson shucking the corn for dinner

Bryn melting Grandpa's heart

I love watching GG with Bryn, too sweet!

the little boys table

we had most of our meals out on the deck, it was great!

Aunt Andi & Bryn enjoying their sweet corn

Happy Birthday Jeremy

Jeremy turned 35 on August 28th and we celebrated his birthday at the lake. I am so thankful for his life and hope for many more years with him. I am blessed to call him my husband! I love you buby, happy birthday!

Lydia meets more family

Lydia has met many more of her family members this week.

Aunt Leigh with Lydia

Uncle Jon with Lydia

Great Grandma Smith with Lydia

Uncle Michael with Lydia

Grandpa Great ("GG") with Lydia

Papa with Lydia

Lydia's 2 week stats

I took Lydia to the pediatrician yesterday for her 2 week check up and am so thankful that she appears to be healthy and growing! Here are her stats:
Weight: 9 lbs. 5 oz. (90%)
Length: 22" in. (95%)
Head: 15" (90%)

I guess I shouldn't expect any different with our babies. We seem to produce big babies:) The crazy thing is that Lydia is still smaller than Carson was when he was born. He was 9 lbs. 14 oz. and 23 in. long.

Falls Park

Yesterday we went to Falls Park in Greenville for a picnic lunch. It was a fun outing to do with Grammy here. I'm thankful, once again, for Grammy being here this week to help with the kids especially because we have 3 doctors appointments this week!

Welcome Back Festival

Monday night was the Welcome Back Festival in Clemson. Freshmen moved in on Saturday and our little town of Clemson is bustling again! It's an exciting time of year around here as students return and things gear up at our church. There is much anticipation in the air. We did a quick stroll through the festival downtown and got a couple pictures with the Clemson Tiger.

Carson had to keep his eyes on the Tiger....not so sure about this.

Bryn on the other hand was trying to figure this thing out.

Sweet Friends

Last Sunday some of my sweet friends came over to meet Lydia and hang out. It was a sweet time of catching up on their lives. I'm so glad the college students are back in Tiger Town!

Peg holding Lydia. Peg graduated from Clemson last May and we miss her lots!

Madeline holding Lydia

Meredyth holding Lydia

April holding Lydia

Girls

This week Susan Alexander (good friend from church) came over with 3 of her girls to meet Lydia. Susan just had her 6th baby 8 weeks ago so her youngest (Ansley) is 6 weeks older than Lydia. Susan's oldest son is 16 and then she has 5 girls. I think I'll be going to her for some girl advice over the years! I'm so thankful for her friendship and that the Lord has allowed us to be in this season of having a newborn together.

Susan getting lots of "help" from Lindsey, Bryn and Emily to change Ansley's diaper

Lydia & Ansley

I finally got up the nerve to let Bryn hold her little sister, she did a great job!

Proud big sister

Alone?

I have found that one of the most challenging things about this season of life (being a wife and mom of small children) is that you can feel pretty "alone" at times....feeling isolated from the world in the confines of your home. As much as I love my family and home this is a very real challenge, some days more intensely than others. These are the years of feeling very "home bound" and there are good things about that and hard things about that. There is also the challenge of spending time with the Lord in this season. When I first started walking with the Lord in college I defined my relationship with Him by the time I spent alone reading my Bible, praying, and journaling. Those disciplines are still extremely necessary now but as I've grown in my relationship with the Lord and as my season of life has changed dramatically since college I'm learning that walking with God encompasses much more than those moments of reading my Bible. I'm seeing that walking with God is responding to Him appropriately throughout the day and being in constant communion with Him as I go about my day. I do still need those uninterrupted times with the Lord (much harder to come by) and crave those times that I had with Him in college when there weren't people demanding things of me and my time. But, I am seeing that to walk by faith and abide in Christ is so much more and I am so thankful for this season of life to show me how badly I do need Him! All this to say, I have to share this entry from "Morning & Evening" by Charles Spurgeon from yesterday. It so spoke to me and brought much encouragement that I hope will encourage you. Here it is...

"Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide."
- Genesis 24:63

"Isaac spent his time in an admirable pursuit. If those who spend so many hours in idle company, light reading, and useless pastimes could learn wisdom, they would find more profitable society and more interesting engagements in meditation than in the vanities that now have such charms for them. We would all know more, live nearer to God, and grow in grace, if we were alone more. Meditation chews the cud and extracts the real nutriment from the mental food gathered elsewhere. When Jesus is the theme, meditation is sweet indeed. Isaac found Rebekah while engaged in private musings; many others have found their best beloved there. Isaac's choice of place was admirable as well. In the field we have a study hung round with texts for thought. From the cedar to the hyssop, from the soaring eagle down to the chirping grasshopper, from the blue expanse of heaven to a drop of dew, all things are full of teaching; and when the eye is divinely opened, that teaching flashes upon the mind far more vividly than from written books. Our little rooms are neither as healthy, as suggestive, as agreeable, or as inspiring as the fields. Let us count nothing common or unclean, but feel that all created things point to their Maker, and the field will at once be hallowed. Isaac's choice of time for meditation was also wise. The season of sunset as it draws a veil over the day befits that repose of the soul when earthly cares yield to the joys of heavenly communion. The glory of the setting sun excites our wonder, and the solemnity of approaching night awakens our awe. If the business of this day will permit it, it will be well, dear reader, if you can spare an hour to walk in the field at eventide; if not, the Lord is in the town, too, and will meet with you in your house or on the crowded street. Let your heart go forth to meet Him."


I am encouraged that there is great value in being alone and meditating on the Lord...yes, even in the house amidst needed precious children! And they too point to their Maker and teach me so much about my heavenly Father!

Miss Bryn

We are learning much about our little Bryn these days. She is a girl with many moods and it can be hard to keep up with the shifting of those moods. She can be singing and dancing one moment and rolling on the floor having a tantrum the next. The challenge with this age too is that we cannot reason with her and explain things. All she knows is what appears to be true in that given moment. And then there is the constant questioning as a parent....is this just a phase she's in, is this her personality, is this disobedience, is this her transitioning to a new baby in the house...the questions go on and on. There truly is nothing like motherhood that has so intensely reminded me of my need for Jesus! God give me the strength and wisdom to parent these precious gifts well, for Your glory! I was encouraged by this post from http://girltalk.blogs.com this week about raising daughters. What a great task is before us as we seek to raise our daughters (and son) unto the Lord. I am not able in my own strength but I cling to the Lord and His Word.

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

"And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

So, I choose today to look to the Lord and take Him at His word and trust in His sufficiency and not my insufficiency.

More friends to meet Lydia

Today Sage & Walker (her 3 month old) came over to meet baby Lydia. Sage and I have this tradition going where we come to visit each other right after one of us has a newborn baby. It's great to be a part of each others lives in this way. It was good to get this time with her today. We tried really hard to get a picture of us and the babies using our timer on our cameras. This is the best I did with mine....maybe hers are better;)

Robin meeting Lydia

Pastor Ken reading Bryn a book

Time with our girls

This week Carson is away with my parents and will spend most of the week at my sister's house. We are thankful for them taking him to give us this special time with our girls and for him to have this fun time with his cousins and get rid of some built up energy. We are enjoying getting focused time with Bryn and Lydia. We hope to have opportunities over the years to get special time with each of our children to make them feel special. We are missing our little man but know that he is having a blast at the lake right now!

My girls

Bryn brought this book to Jeremy to read to her...I couldn't believe it, she hardly ever sits through a whole book being read to her. She is enjoying the extra attention.

Lydia helping Daddy work on his message for Sunday

Snugly girls