The Agarwal Family

Wishing You A Merry Christmas!

2008-12-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

Well, as you're aware it's been a busy couple of months, with The Dream Calendar, lots of photography sessions, Christmas Card designs and orders all coupled with a pregnancy that's had its share of bumps along the way! However, God has been faithful and we're finally relaxing as a family and enjoying this wonderful season as we celebrate the greatest gift of all... Jesus!

In the midst of the whirlwind that swept through during November and now December, we managed to take some family images, design a Christmas card.... but low and behold, never got it printed! So, here is our digital gift to you!

Better than just the greeting card, you're also getting a comical look into the life of our family these days... complete with 2 wild, funny and musically talented little boys and a nearly 2 year old princess who has discovered every parent's dreaded word: "No!"

We pray this video will bring you laughter and joy, but mostly that it will remind you of the sweetest, most precious gift we've ever received, the birth of Jesus, which in return lead to the promise and hope for an eternity that we can spend with Him.

May your Christmas be blessed beyond measure! We love each of you so much!

P.S. Don't forget to leave some comments on the blog- the boys are excited to see what you think of their "performance!"

The video is a little long, so you may want to let it load before viewing! I think it will be worth the wait!

The Agarwals' Digital Christmas Card from rahul agarwal on Vimeo.

Exciting Update!

2008-11-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, there are lots more personal blog posts that I need to catch up on, but I couldn't help sharing some awesome news... THE DREAM CALENDARS ARE HERE!

It's been a pretty exciting journey and to finally have them in my hands is a great feeling! What a blessing the children and their families have been in my life. I pray that as we begin to sell all 1,000 of these calendars that lives are impacted and touched, as we strive to help a dream come true for these children!

I'll post more later, but for now, visit: www.thedreamcalendar.com for all the latest information!

Thanks!!!

Pumpkin Patch 2008

2008-10-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

After the sonogram, we decided it would be a great time to take the kiddos to the Pumpkin Patch.

I remembered how much all three of them enjoyed walking or crawling through the rows and rows of big orange pumpkins last year, so I didn't want them to miss out!

This year, the boys were pretty funny! Collin wanted to buy a huge pumpkin! He attempted to pick up many of them! However, since they already carved one with Grammie, we settled for some smaller ones for painting!
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This year as I was watching them, I started to think about the amazing growth they've experienced since our last visit! I could seriously still remember moments and conversations we had one year ago! So, I thought it would be fun to include some pictures from 2007 as well!

2007- "Then"

2008- "Now"

2007- "Then"

2008- "Now"2007- "Then"

2008- "Now"

Isn't it amazing the difference a year can make?!

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Here are a couple more from our time at the pumpkin patch that I couldn't resist sharing:

For some reason, Griffin was not interested in taking pictures at all! I am lucky I even got one of him alone! I wish he had jumped in for this fun shot with his daddy too!!
Daddy stealing another kiss from his little girl!

It's A...

2008-10-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Yep! There's the evidence!! There is no mistaking that Baby Agarwal # 4 is indeed a boy!
Although I've been feeling all along that this was a little man, all the evidence: extreme morning, noon and night sickness, craving sweets, chocolate, fruits and having aversions to all the same things I did while carrying Eden made me think that perhaps, I was wrong! Collin was also pretty convinced that it was a girl and finally had to let go of that thought in the tiny ultrasound room. After asking if the tech was sure he was having a brother,
Collin said, "Ok, now I think it's a boy!" Good thing! :-)
So, now the hunt is on for a perfect name for this little guy! We're taking any suggestions!
We are so excited that God has given us another blessing and are thrilled to see how He uses him during his lifetime!

Here is my favorite picture from our sonogram today! I love his little profile! He's so cute!! He measures perfectly for our March 19th due date and is completely healthy! I think he looks a little "chunkier" than our others at this age! Ok, is chunky possible when he only weighs a pound?!

This is my other favorite image of the day! Recently, I've developed such a love for tiny little toes (if you've been following my photography blog, you'll understand), so when he kept pressing his foot right up for us to see, it made me smile!

Here's another fun shot as well! As the tech was trying to get some good images, she kept saying "Wow! He's an active little one!" Suddenly, the reality of having 3 boys started to sink in! Then she said, "God will only give you what you can handle!" What encouraging words from an unsuspecting source! I know that this little baby boy has a grand purpose and that God has blessed our family with him! Now, we've just got to wait it out to meet him!!

The Name Game

2008-10-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

I started to respond with all this info in a comment, but realized it was getting a bit too long! I decided to switch it to a post!

It's funny because lots of you have asked about a name ending with the "n!" In fact, that's been our discussion thus far... how to keep that going! Ha! I never imagined myself trying to coordinate kid's names, but it seems like we've set a standard and we can't turn back! I wouldn't want little #4 to feel left out!! So, we're searching for that perfect one that ends with the same sound!

We've also tried to make sure that all our first names either have a family tie or a great meaning (Collin- my Papa's surname; Griffin- with great faith; Eden- delight, and we loved that it was the place that God originally created as perfect!"); and then we like our middle names to be something Biblical : (Isaiah; Nathanael; Grace)!

Gee, I bet you didn't expect to get all that information!!
So, play the name game with us!! See what you can come up with!

Our Exciting News!

2008-10-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post these pics for weeks, maybe even months, but time has gotten away from me and with the calendar project, I've really been behind on blogging! So, I wanted to share these images that my cousin Sarah captured, the night we told our kids about baby #4! It was certainly a hilarious event! It went something like this:

Annie: "Does anyone know what this is a picture of?"

Collin: "It's your belly button Mommy! Or is it a jellybean?"Collin, now abandoned on the couch by his other siblings, who have found more entertaining things to do, "Oh, it's a baby. Are you faking us out Mommy?"
Griffin, while playing with Eden, "Yep, she's faking us out!"

Collin, then realizing it was truth, expresses his excitement! "Mommy, will your tummy grow this big?"
Annie: "Probably!"

Griffin, coming in for a hug. Collin snuggling with his sister since he thinks he'll be getting another one, he needed the practice!

What a fun moment in the life of our family!

Ever since that evening, Collin has repeatedly shared that he's been praying that God would give us twins! YIKES!!! I'm assuring him that the Lord will be giving us just one, since we've already seen a few sonogram images, but he's holding out hope!

Tuesday afternoon, we have our official half way "20 Week" sonogram, so we'll know for sure whether it's a boy or girl... at least I'm hoping the little one is cooperative!
Right now, the guessing stands this way in our house:
Rahul - girl
Annie- boy
Collin- girl
Griffin- boy- but switches to girl often
Eden- girl

Hmmmm....... what do you think it is? Leave us your best guess AND a couple of cool names that you think we should consider!

I'll be updating tomorrow, to fill everyone in!
Please keep us in your prayers as we anticipate this exciting day in our lives.

Dream Calendar Update!

2008-10-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

I have totally slacked in my blogging, due to the late hours I've been pulling as I edit sessions and work on logistical stuff. I actually feel like a college student again, as I've seen the clock hit 1 and 2 am a few times, unfortunately no caffeine is allowed right now, so it's pure will power to keep my eyes open! But, I wanted to let you know, it's going great!

The sessions have blown me away and I fall in love with each child who comes to have their pictures taken. They are each so precious and adorable and come with stories that are often unbelievable!

The calendar is however, in need of some more sponsors and so I'm plugging this on all my blogs in case I've forgotten to ask one of you in person, via email or on the phone. If you or someone you know may be interested in purchasing an ad to help fund the printing of the calendar please let me know. The sponsors are so vital, as they will insure that 100% of the proceeds will go directly to Clouds of Hope!

If you think of any info that may help me out on this endeavor, please send me an email or leave a comment here!

Thanks again!
I'll keep you posted as it gets closer to production!

I Just had to Share!

2008-09-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

So it's pretty late and I'm pretty exhausted, but one of my dearest friends has finally shared some incredible news on her blog and I am so excited I can hardly stand it! Sleep no more- it's time to blog! Well, really, I'm just going to link you to hers because reading what God has done in the life of her and her husband will blow you away! Get ready to be amazed at how big and absolutely amazing our Lord is!!

And then... join them in prayer as they begin an incredible journey, one of obedience and growth! :-)

Love you Heather Ann!!

The Dream Calendar is Official!

2008-09-22T12:45:00.001-07:00

I am so EXCITED to announce that I've started a charity project to benefit Clouds of Hope and their new adventure in rebuilding 2 local playgrounds for children with life altering illnesses. You can check out all the info on my photography blog or The Dream Calendar Blog !

It's a huge endeavor, but I am so excited about all that this project entails! I'll be shooting images of children with disabilities for each month of the calendar and will be providing their families with free enlargements from the sessions. Community members and businesses are sponsoring ads to help cover the printing costs, so that when they arrive and are sold, 100% of the profits can go towards Clouds of Hope and their playground project.

If you want to get involved, please check out the links above or email me! But remember, prayer is important too! I'm trusting that this is going to be way more than just a "project," but that we'll be able to minister to the families we'll be working with and to the community at large.

My first session is tomorrow, with a set of twins! I am so excited to meet them in person and to capture some sweet images. Be sure to check back to the blogs for a sneak peek at those pics as well!

Thanks for all your support and of course, for the prayers! I'll keep you posted as The Dream Calendar progresses!

Wow!

2008-09-17T10:56:00.001-07:00

I can not say "WOW!" enough times at the amazing things God has done as a result of the last blog post! I am still responding to emails from dear friends and even strangers who have come across this post and are full of questions, prayer requests and affirmations that the Lord is working in the lives of many young married couples on this particular issue. It has been incredible to see His hand moving in hearts and marriages! For those still awaiting a response, I promise, it's coming! Thank you to each one who has continued the discussion, started to research on their own or left a comment from their heart. I know that God is not done with this topic by any means!!

I did want to share with you something else that's really exciting! Today, the USF Oracle, the campus newspaper, featured an interview with Rahul and one of our interns regarding life and ministry. To have an article in the university newspaper that discusses a topic like this is pretty amazing. You can read it by clicking here!

I'll be posting more pics and more info on Baby 4 later this week!

Keep checking back!

The Truth

2008-08-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

“There is something distinctly precious and unique about human life. In God’s estimation, it is so precious and so unique He commands that it must be protected, it must be preserved. It alone represents ‘the image of God.’ This precious human life is not to be treated violently by other human beings. The One who creates life certainly has the right to appraise it. Simply speaking, it is God’s way of saying, ‘Life is so important no one has the right to murder it. Don’t end it. Let it live. Because all humanity represents my handiwork; it is Mine to do with as I please. My image is, in mysterious ways, stamped into human life.” - Charles Swindoll

With all of the well wishes and congratulations that have been coming our way, we’ve heard our fair share of “Have you guys figured this out yet? Do you know where babies come from?” and the list could go on. While nearly 100% of these comments are coming from dear friends and family and are meant in a joking manner, those questions have been ringing loud and clear. Not because of the words, but because of a decision that Rahul and I made during our first year of marriage. One that I am almost positive few people know or understand.

So with some prompting from the Lord and some current information from a dear friend, I’ve decided to share with each of you a fact that revolutionized our marriage and thus, our family.

During one of our first semesters in seminary, Rahul and I were enrolled in an Ethics course. We had this incredible assignment of writing a 15 page paper on a “hot moral topic” plaguing the world today. I chose abortion, something I’ve always been passionate about since seeing the beautiful blessings of adoption lived out in my own family. As I began to pour over research and books, papers and scientific information I began to see a common 3 word term arising in much of the literature: birth control pills!

Confused and searching, I went down the halls of our married dorm to visit a counseling major, whom had also become a close friend. As if ordained by God himself, she pulled out her current research assignment, an entire paper on just that, the birth control pill. We started comparing our sources, researching more in depth and made a discovery that was both haunting and chilling, yet one that led to freedom and a more complete trust in the Lord than I had ever imagined possible!

My friend and I began a journey of discovery that day, one that led to a finding that blew me away and it may do the same for you: birth control pills do have the ability to cause early abortions. Yes, read it again. It’s true. Although I’ve had many discussions with doctors who will not budge despite the evidence, what we found on our ethical adventure so impacted my life that Rahul and I knelt before our Lord and prayed for guidance, strength, wisdom and trust as we removed the very birth control pill from our marriage.

This is why it hit so close to home. We never even considered doing a thorough study on this particular form of medication. Why? It was simply what you did when you got married. No church leader ever counseled us against it, we never heard it discussed in our Sunday School Class or amongst anyone in our circle of friends. Why? Because the truth is hidden, it’s buried somewhere in the standards of the world and sadly, it’s one of the biggest lies that we as Christians are fed.

Randy Alcorn has devoted a complete book to this topic entitled, Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions. This quote is taken from him:

“In summary, according to multiple references throughout The Physician's Desk Reference, which articulate the research findings of all the birth control pill manufacturers, there are not one but three mechanisms of birth control pills:
1. inhibiting ovulation (the primary mechanism),
2. thickening the cervical mucus, thereby making it more difficult for sperm to travel to the egg, and
3. thinning and shriveling the lining of the uterus to the point that it is unable or less
able to facilitate the implantation of the newly fertilized egg.

The first two mechanisms are contraceptive. The third is abortive.

When a woman taking the Pill discovers she is pregnant (according to The Physician's Desk Reference's efficacy rate tables, this is 3 percent of pill-takers each year), it means that all three of these mechanisms have failed. The third mechanism sometimes fails in its role as backup, just as the first and second mechanisms sometimes fail. Each and every time the third mechanism succeeds, however, it causes an abortion.”

Furthermore, Alcorn addresses those individuals who deny such research:

“I have received a number of letters from readers, one of them a physician, who say something like this: "My sister got pregnant while taking the Pill. This is proof that you are wrong in saying that the Pill causes abortions-obviously it couldn't have, since she had her baby!"

Without a doubt, the Pill's effects on the endometrium do not always make implantation impossible. I have never heard anyone claim that they do. To be an abortifacient does not require that something always cause an abortion, only that it sometimes does.”

And that is just a brief synopsis! The evidence is staggering and alarming. I could spend so much time trying to put this information in my own words, but yet feel so inadequate to do so. That’s why I’m going to point you towards two amazing web sites that will provide you with all the information, statistics, scientific and medical findings, as well as a Christian perspective that you’ll need to begin your journey of understanding.

Finally, why did I share all of this?

Simply put because what we discovered reminded us that we are to honor God in every part of our life and that we are to trust Him in ALL things. It’s easy to give Him control over some parts of our life, while holding on to others. After all, we start to reason, that we know what’s best for us. But, we don’t. We never will. Thankfully, He does. And in our family He’s decided to bless us with four, and we’ve decided to trust Him and His timing, always.

I also shared because undoubtedly many of you have never heard. I’m not asking you to jump on board, I’m not writing this to judge, I’m not signing you up for natural family planning- I’m just asking that you prayerfully consider the evidence and allow God to lead you. I’m convinced that He’ll take you to a place that will bring Honor and Glory to Him. A place where you’ll find peace and freedom and you’ll begin to trust him with ALL!

Link One- Perspectives on Birth Control Pill

Link Two- Synopsis of Randy Alcorn's Book

Miracles!

2008-08-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

There are only two ways to live . . . one is as though nothing is

a miracle. . . the other is as if everything is.

- Albert Einstein
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I've pondered this thought and wondered, how do I see things? Do I look around and second guess God or do I trust Him completely? Do I see the smallest of blessings as sweet miracles sent from above or do I sometimes chalk them up to happenstance? Do I thank the Lord for things that are seen and unseen? Do I honestly believe that even when I don't understand the large picture that He's still the painter and designer of it all?

So, it seems to reason that about a month ago, when Rahul and I stumbled upon a sweet miracle in our lives, I started to ask these questions. I knew as we approached this discovery that there would be many comments and perhaps even concerns, but as I sought out the Lord, waves of peace washed over me. I realized that yes, in fact, I do trust Him completely, I do see His hand in the smallest of blessings, I thank Him for things seen and unseen and that even though the picture isn't quite clear right now, I know that He is the designer of this all- in fact He alone is the designer of our precious little Agarwal #4!

Yes, that's correct, another blessing from above!

I'll have to admit, that when my brother pulled me aside during our beach vacation, informing me that he thought I was pregnant, my response was nothing less than laughter! However, 2 weeks later when we saw this:

I began to wonder how he could have possibly known!
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So, the shock has worn off and we're so excited to see where God is taking our family on this journey! We know that He has amazing plans for our newest little one and we're asking that you join us in prayer as we begin to ponder life with 4 precious blessings!

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Don't you see that children are God's best gift?
the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
Like a warrior's fistful of arrows
are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
with your quivers full of children!
Your enemies don't stand a chance against you;
you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.

-Psalm 127:3-5, The Message

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We are blessed indeed!

Griffin's 3!! (And he has been since May!)

2008-07-03T20:41:00.001-07:00

I realized, after all these posts, that Griffin's 3rd Birthday Frog Celebration never got posted on our blog! They've been on Facebook for awhile, so many of you have already seen them!

Here are a few pictures from the big day, for 2 complete albums click here and here.

The birthday boy! I can hardly believe Griffin is already 3!

The table ready with lots of frog decorations!

Frog cupcakes, a cupcake cake and oreo frogs! A total sugar high!

Since Griffin finally got to move up to a big boy bed, he also got a really cool new sheet and comforter. He picked this out, straight from the IKEA catalog! That's my boy! ;-)

A happy birthday boy!

His favorite foods, chicken enchiladas, black beans and cheetos (but he only got the latter because it was his birthday)!!

Clearly his favorite present of the day, the ESPN Better Batter set! Thank you G.G.!

Blowing out the candle!

Exhausted after a long day of partying!

Congratulations Matt! Your Party was a Photo Shoot...I Mean... A Success!

2008-07-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

We had a family get together to celebrate my cousin Matt's graduation a couple of weeks ago. It was a really neat day, getting to meet so many new people, including Matt's birth mother and grandmother, amongst other family and friends. It was such a beautiful reminder of our own adoption as sons and daughters of the King. We also had loads of fun, munching on yummy food and enjoying lots of great conversation!

When it came time to pick out a gift, we knew something traditional wasn't going to cut it for Matt! So, we gave him a snow cone maker, complete with all the trimmings. A college guy needs to have something like this in his dorm room right?!

His parents surprised him with this nice gift! Rahul says I need to get one, I'm just worried I wouldn't even know how to use it!

During the party, Eden enjoyed swinging on Aunt K.K.'s front porch and I got a chance to snap a few sweet pictures of her in the process.

I'm always a sucker for sweet little toes!

Little smirks!

And yes, big brown eyes!

I even managed to get a good one of the two of us together, which usually never happens since I'm always behind the camera! Thanks to my parents for getting this sweet one of the Agarwal girls!

Eden's favorite animal is officially the bunny, so when she saw this on the front porch she was so excited. Currently a bunny is only a "hop, hop!" but when she sees one she gets so excited!

Eden loves her Grammie and I love this picture of the two of them together!

Sarah and Shelby spent some time swinging with Eden too. Here's Eden gazing up at Shelby with such adoration!

I love this one of them having some girl talk! Can you see Eden's tiny hand on the back of the swing?

Finally, I was able to convince the boys to join Eden for a few minutes- few is the key word- but I did manage to get this awesome sibling picture!

And... I couldn't leave this one out of the post either. It's actually one of my favorites from the day!

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Congratulations Matt! (And thanks for all the photo opps too! Now if I could only get ahold of the one of all of us together this post would be complete!)

Did You Ever Wonder?

2008-07-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

This post is probably the strangest thing I have ever posted- the deconstruction of a baseball!

One evening while Bill was here, he and Rahul were talking about baseballs and decided it would be fun to cut one open. Guys?! Apparently, this isn't the first time Bill's done it to an old worn out ball, so he was quite experienced! (Can you actually be experienced at something like that?)

After the leather, there is string...

The remains turned inside out!

I think I must have fallen asleep for the rest of the science experiment, but I heard there's a little ball in the center too!

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Gee, I wonder if this is the kind of fun I'm guaranteed to have as the mother of 2 boys!

113 Years?

2008-07-03T19:29:00.001-07:00

I once heard this story about some girls who thought it had been 113 years since their parents had been out to a movie! That just didn't seem right! So, we had the pleasure of spending the evening with Abbie and Allie while their parents enjoyed a well deserved date night!

I'm starting off the post with my favorite picture from the evening, one of the three girls all cuddling up together. Aren't they so sweet? It's funny how girls just kind of gravitate towards one another. Eden started playing and following them around almost instantly. They were playing with babies and bunnies, pushing shopping carts and doing all kinds of girly things. It was great for Eden, who was no longer "forced to play" with boy toys! :-)
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Now, here's how the rest of our evening went...

We started off by making some Very Hungry Caterpillar Books. In my mind, it was a great idea, (especially because I knew it would be a safe activity for Allie), but put 4 kids all at varying skill levels to the table for one project and it can be one crazy experience! I think Griffin ended up illustrating his book, but never actually nailing down the storyline. Oh well, they all seemed to have a blast!

Eden started saying "Abbie" while the girls were here, so this picture is fitting. Don't worry, Abbie wasn't even close to dropping Eden. (I promise Renee!) She was well supervised and in all truthfulness, Eden was only about an inch off the floor!

Next, it was time to make homemade, individual pizzas.

Allie really loves her cheese!

While the pizzas were baking, we passed the time by making butterfly sugar cookies- remember we made caterpillar books?!

Griffin actually got into the pizza making process a little late, since he was still cleaning up a puzzle mess, so he was working his Italian magic, while Abbie was perfecting her baking skills!

Renee, you should know, they totally bragged on what a great cookie maker you are!

But eventually, Griffin got his turn!!

He loved it! Can you tell from that smile?

The kiddos went nuts with the sprinkles! They turned out to be beautiful butterfly cookies though, with all those layers of sugary crystals!

Collin wanted to show off his multi colored creation too! I have no idea how he ended up with black sprinkles on one of those, but I should have known they might be a little "dangerous!"

Still trying to convince the girls there was simply no more room on the cookies for sprinkles!

The big taste test....

Look at that face!

Yum!

I told you black sprinkles were "dangerous!"

Check out the bottom of the pan when all was said and done!

After some cleaning up, it was Wii time! Just imagine the combination of sugar and video games! Whew! I was exhausted! :-)

We have been so blessed to meet some pretty special families since we moved to the area and the Blains are one of them! Their love, strength and passion for our Lord never ceases to amaze us! Renee pours into Collin on Sundays and he comes home singing and talking about all he has learned from her. The boys adore Abbie and Allie and Eden just loves having girly company!
We are so thankful that Allie and Abbie got to spend some time with us just hanging out and having fun!

Wally and Renee, please don't wait another 113 years to have a date! Our doors are always open for your sweet girls to come and play while you escape for awhile! Thank you for sharing them with us!

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Thanks to Bill too, who was the official "photographer" for all the messy projects! I still have no idea how you managed to stay clear from all the flour!

Adrienne's Buggy Bash!

2008-07-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we started off the morning by helping Adrienne celebrate her 2nd birthday. She had an awesome buggy party with lots of family and friends!

Adrienne looks like she's a woman on a mission, hand on her hip and all! How cute is she?!

The birthday girl with her mom, Heather, a special friend of mine indeed.

Everyone singing to the big 2 year old...

...just before it was time to blow out the candles!

Present time! We gave Adrienne a Barbie Vet dress up set and the boys picked out the dog to go with it, so she'd at least have one "patient!"

Then there was a really special gift from her Mommy and Daddy!

I think she might have been a little excited!

Trying out her new wheels!Taking a minute for a "pose!"

Getting a little help from her big sister!

I love, love, love this picture, but not nearly as much as I love, love, love this family!

Happy Birthday Adrienne! (and Heather Ann too!!)

There's a Trend!

2008-07-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

If you scroll down to the post below, you'll know why this is starting to become a trend! Funny thing is, the first picture was clearly a "fall off," where as this one appears totally planned!

One of Those Days!

2008-07-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

Do you ever just have "one of those days?"

Hat Time!

2008-07-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

One of Eden's new words is "hat." Anytime she sees someone wearing one, she pats the top of her while saying the word. It's pretty cute. Well, Grammie got the boys these adorable hats for the hot days of summer and one afternoon, Eden took out her flower and decided she needed to wear this with her sundress instead!

She thought it was pretty funny!

She wanted more I guess, since she is clearly signing it here! "More hats?!"

Here's Griffin after finally getting it back from Eden.

And of course Collin wearing his hat on two different days!

Thanks Grammie!

My Gran is so Cool!!

2008-07-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

Most of you already know how cool and talented my gran is, but these hats she's been making really are the icing on the cake! They are amazing!

I can't wait to take some pictures of a newborn baby in them with these vibrant colors and textures!

I love the feathery feel to this one! It just seems to have a vintage flair that I can hardly resist!

Know any one who would love to have a few for their sweet little bundle of joy? Just email me! I bet she could totally hook you up!

BUILD-A-BEAR! FINALLY!

2008-07-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest rites of passage is being potty trained and in our house, when you're completely there, Grammie takes you to Build a Bear! So after months of Griffin being so very close, he finally made it all the way, including staying dry at night and going potty in public places! Hooray! So, off we went for the big event! Collin pondered over which bear to get when he had a choice. Griffin was just the opposite. He walked in, picked one up and said this is it. I barely had a chance to get my camera out!

Then it was time to wait in line with Grammie!

So sweet and patient...

...and shy!

Griffin would barely speak! I'm not sure if he was so excited he was at a loss for words or if he was so shy he just refused to make eye contact with anyone!

Hmmm... he was definitely pondering something here!

Picking out the heart,

then a little rub,

and a little kiss,

then in it goes.

Finally!! Griff had his own bear!

You can almost see a smile in this one!

Then as he ran past me, I almost caught that smile again!

He was ready to bathe his new friend!

Then it was time to pick out some clothes. Collin was begging for the Dolphin football set.
Shelby was trying to persuade Griff to go with Batman instead...
and G.G. thought he needed some big boy underwear!

Griffin was set on the baseball uniform, complete with glove and ball! (And of course was bummed that they had no more Seminole jerseys! I guess those Noles are too popular!) G.G. treated him to the Dolphins uniform as well (you know Collin was happy about that!) ...

...which was great because when it was time for a name, Griffin selected "Dolphin Bear!"

Introducing the newest member of our family, Dolphin Bear, with Big Boy Griffin and Super Awesome Grammie!
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Soon after the Build a Bear ordeal, we went to Macy's. Eden had made it through the entire time sitting patiently in the stroller, but was having one of those "if you don't put me down on the floor to move, I am going to go nuts" moments, so I got her out for a few seconds and she instantly made a friend. He guided her over to the window to take a look outside- seeing as how I had my camera, I quickly pulled it out to snap this precious little moment! Oh, did I happen to mention it was a boy...and he was 2!!! Yikes!

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Then on the way home from our mall excursion the rain let up some and an amazing double rainbow appeared. Imagine that I was sitting in the middle row of seats in the mini van, squished between 2 car seats taking this! Makes you appreciate the rainbow picture even more! :-) It was so neat to hear our kids talking about the promise of the rainbow and to be able to see it in such a clear and vibrant way! God is so good!

Callie's Boz Party

2008-07-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

Rob was a good friend of Rahul's in Tallahassee and he and his sweet family live just down the road from us! Just the other weekend, their little girl celebrated her birthday Boz style! My boys, especially Griffin love Boz and they were so excited to go! There were carnival games, but because of the horrible rain storm, they ended up inside. What a blast the boys and Eden had playing with all the children. I took only a few pics though because when there's a house full of little ones, a mom must be a mom! :-) Carrie setting up the ring toss while the little ones patiently wait.

Collin figuring out his strategy!

The birthday girl enjoying her cake! It was finger licking good!
Kudos to Rob and Carrie who handled all those little ones underfoot with patience and joy!
What a fun day!

The Daily Stuff!

2008-07-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Almost every day, I'm running for the camera trying to catch something silly my kids are doing. They aren't always the best pictures, but they usually capture the best moments! So, I decided to show you a few of those from the "daily grind" here at the Agarwal house!

These pics came about because Eden wanted to wear her new shoes. Since they hadn't been worn outside yet, I agreed. Yes, she picked out the multi colored socks (in other words, ones that didn't exactly match). The funny part is that as soon as the shoes were on, she thought we needed to go somewhere. She ran and found this purse in our bedroom and then began gathering up some things to take on her journey. I laughed that she was concerned about the fire engine and the block, not just the baby.

In the end however, the baby did win out! Yep, she was ready for a day on the town!

One afternoon, Collin walked out of his room with a book and his magna doodle, informing me that he had homework to complete. Homework? I have no idea where this came from, but within a few minutes I found him like this in the living room... Practicing his writing skills by copying word for word his library book, A Nap in a Lap.

Hmmm... maybe I'll pull out these pictures when he's 15 and complaining about homework being "boring and a waste of time!"

Then there was the day I needed to do the dishes and laundry without kids underfoot. I thought I would let them paint some cards to pass the time. When I heard Griffin say, "I'm going to do my handprint" I should have been alarmed!

30 seconds later, this was the result- they went far beyond handprints and decided only the entire arm would do! Thank goodness for washable paint!

Finally, one evening Eden was so tired she just couldn't make it through her dinner. She had however, indulged in her vanilla soy milk (since she refuses to drink regular milk) and apparently that's all she needed to send her peacefully to sleep. So sweet!

Father's Day - The Real Deal!

2008-07-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

I think one of the most fun things about Father's Day, besides celebrating Rahul, is seeing what creative things the kids and I can come up with to help make the day great. This year, we started a new tradition. I took each of the kiddos pics and we made several pages in a scrapbook, adding a hand print and an interview that I had with each of them individually. (Actually, this year, I just interviewed the boys, I don't think Eden's answers would have been clear enough for me to record!) Each year we will add a new pic, new handprint and new interview! I think it will be a neat way for Rahul to watch his children grow and to see the impression he is having on their lives.

The boys wanted to decorate the wrapping paper for their daddy. Collin drew a computer on it and Griffin made a roller coaster. Getting them to pose was another story, so I pulled out the- "just make a silly face card." It worked!

Sunday morning, we got up nice and early and decorated the kitchen table, walls and made this awesome breakfast the boys picked out in a Rachael Ray magazine. It's actually chocolate peanut butter french toast with homemade grape jelly syrup. Imagine!!! Per my picky kids requests, Collin's was made minus the peanut butter and Griffin's without the jelly! Funny kids! Anyways, here's a picture of the yummy treat. I joked that we actually gave our kids dessert for breakfast! I was kind to the Sunday School teachers though, by adding only a few chocolate chips to theirs! :-)

After church, it was time for some pics with Daddy. There always has to be a silly face, followed by a sweet one!

I love this pic of Collin with Rahul- he looks so grown up!

Funny face!

Not sure what face this is, but it's the best we got!

Eden wasn't up for the silly face pose yet, so we settled, very happily for this sweet one instead!

Then it was on to the presents! (We ran out of time to open them before heading out to church) Rahul was opening the book we made.

The boys also picked out a baseball devo to do with their Daddy each day.

Then there was the water gun!

A very BIG water gun! Can you tell who picks out the presents around here?!

I happened to find a full season of Psych on DVD and thought it would be perfect, since we love to watch this show together.
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After a very short nap, we headed to Orlando to meet Rahul's mom, aunt, brother and Carmen for dinner with Goofy and Pluto.

I still think Griffin is learning to warm up around them!

It took alot of coaxing for Eden as well!

But she finally offered a quick and I do mean quick kiss!

Rahul and I took Eden and Griffin for a walk, while Collin finished up his dinner and hung out with the family.

Then we found this beautiful fountain inside The Swan Hotel where we ate.

Eden thought it was amazing!

I love this picture!

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All in all it was a very busy Father's Day, but it was worth it to take the time to celebrate a wonderful man of God, who loves our children and leads them every day. What a blessing Rahul is! In fact, as I interviewed the boys, one of the questions was, "What does your daddy teach you?" Collin's response was, "He teaches me something about God every day."
That pretty much sums up Rahul as a Father!

I'm a Big Girl Now!

2008-07-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

Eden FINALLY passed over the 20lb mark, so we got to move her car seat to forward facing! She loves it and so do we!

MOSI!

2008-07-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

To start off our Father's Day weekend festivities, we spent all day Saturday at MOSI. Magic Matt, one the BCM Interns was able to get us all free passes, so that made it even better! Thanks Matt! For weeks, the boys had seen the dinosaur exhibit highlighted on the outside of the building and were by this point begging to go in to see for themselves what a T-Rex "really looks like."

Here are the kids with their Daddy just befor starting our big day!

Right away Collin and Rahul went to see the dinosaurs. Griffin was terrified by the sounds and wouldn't even consider going in for a peek.

Rahul made sure he got some shots of Collin with the big dinos, since I had to miss out on the moment.

Ah, but alas, we convinced Griffin to go in. He buried his head on our shoulders when it came time to pass by the T-Rex, but other than that eventually seemed to enjoy the experience.

Rahul was pretty impressed by this Hollywood Squares remake!

There happened to be an India exhbit while we were there as well, so Rahul got to talk to the boys about their heritage a little.

There was also a body exhibit going on, this was one of the boys favorite parts! A bodily function piano. I did mention they're all boy right?!

This shot is for my brother! He'll no exactly why!

Future Doctor?

Or pilot?

Eden in awe of the world!

The boys having some Daddy time.

Since it was Father's Day weekend, MOSI had all kinds of crafts and activities set up for the children to participate in- the boys grew a dinosaur sponge, won some cheesy little prizes and entered the coloring contest. Here they are hard at work.

I can't believe they didn't take home first prize!!

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After we spent a couple of hours in the museum itself, we decided it was time to introduce the little ones to Kids In Charge.

In case you're wondering:

Kids In Charge! The Children’s Science Center at MOSI is uniquely designed
space for children twelve and under. Based on cutting-edge theories about learning
and skill building, Kids In Charge! emphasizes the value of learning through play
by bringing together science, creative thinking and inspire the imagination.

Here is Eden playing a great game of checkers!

Rahul vs. the boys! I wonder who'll win?

Right after this, Collin and Griffin started recruiting other children and "took their Daddy down!"

Eden enjoyed the light table,

Rahul had some time to teach Griffin some domino tricks,

and then Eden and Collin spent some time thoughtfully considering what to make with all those shapes.

For a good bit of the time Eden showed some engineering skills,

while Griffin and Collin seemed to have a blast working in the fruit and veggie stand.

Then Eden decided to take a back seat trip until

her Daddy promised to give out driving lessons!

I think she's mastered it completely!

This was an all boy game! Shooting air and balls- you can't even begin to imagine how long it took to get them away from this spot!!

As we were leaving we made a little stop by the butterfly garden which also has a small inside pond. The boys enjoyed seeing the fish up close!

Eden was thrilled too, as her favorite new words happen to be "fishy and turtle!" She was a talking machine while we were observing them!

Our families shadow- minus Eden- the stroller didn't show up so well.

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At the end of the day we were super exhausted! We grabbed a quick bite to eat and within 5 minutes in the van, the kids were sound asleep... for the night! Now that's a successful day, from beginning to end!!!

Quick Update!

2008-06-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

Well, since I last posted so much has happened!

Griffin turned 3 years old and celebrated with a frog party, our entire family came down with Rota virus (don't ask, it was terrible!), I've shot my first wedding, lined up a few more, taken some engagement pics, we've hunted out some preschools for Collin, Eden has started to talk more and more and even utter little prayers! Collin has started to read, Griffin is mastering everything about his letters and the sounds they make, and finally - FINALLY- has mastered the potty (Even in public places)!!!! Rahul has prepared for orientations at USF and is working towards the Fall semester getting geared up for lots of new students. It's truly been a whirlwind. I've got a billion pictures it seems to share, but for now, I thought I would just give you a peek at what the kids gave their Daddy for Father's Day (ok, this wasn't it- a giant water gun was wrapped up too), but this is way cuter! Once we finally get a frame for it, Rahul can hang it in his office!
Hope you all had awesome Father's Days too, being thankful not only for your Earthly Dad, but your Heavenly one as well.

So Behind!

2008-05-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I feel like these posts about "I'm so behind, It's been forever since I posted" are getting pretty common around here! I apologize. I mean, you guys haven't even seen Eden with her super adorable pig tails (at least not yet) or the boys playing baseball in our backyard, complete with bases!

Slacker? Yes!

Well... maybe.

God's been doing some pretty incredible things the past couple of weeks and it's just kept me so busy. Beyond being a mom and all the daily events that entails, I've also been doing alot of photography stuff and really seeking out how God wants to use some things that have been happening in my life to glorify Him more.

That being said, one of the coolest things that's been keeping me busy- literally hours and hours in front of the computer (I am not exaggerating on the hours part- just ask my patient hubby Rahul, who's been holding down the fort at night so I can work)- is a really neat organization called Project Childhood. You have to go check it out!

Then go visit my photography blog, to see some of the pictures. (Not all, at least not until Sunday, when Julia's mom gets the big surprise!) From this single session, God put some serious ideas on my heart and as a result, I am launching a special project all my own. Don't worry, I won't keep you in the dark on that for much longer!

Until I can really, really update this blog, I'll include a few pics "to hold you over!"

This was totally worth the wait- right?!

Watch what I found...

2008-04-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

I'm not typically into posting lots of videos (probably because I always have some technical difficulty that creeps in, like not being able to find this without subtitles), but tonight, as I was browsing through some photography sites/blogs, I came across this incredible clip. There just aren't words to describe it!

After I watched it, I did a little "research" and found some additional links about Nick's Life Without Limbs.

Be Inspired!
P.S. It's a little long, but it's worth it!

The Bridge

2008-04-15T05:50:00.001-07:00

In my Easter post, I mentioned a video that our Pastor showed during the service that really spoke to my heart about the sacrifice that was made for us. I encourage you to take a little time and watch it, reflect on it's meaning and thank the Lord that He was willing to do something so extravagant, something so life altering that it's given us peace, hope, joy and the promise of eternal life.

THE Bracelet!

2008-03-25T10:24:00.001-07:00

Most of you already know that Eden is a girly girl! She loves dresses and jewelry, hair bows and fancy shoes. I have no idea how this happens at such a young age, but Eden is proof it can be a reality! One afternoon, we were playing in her room, when Griffin dropped his "Caleb bracelet" on the ground. She quickly ran over to it, determined to get it before her big brother. She succeeded!

Then came the task of trying to figure out exactly how to get it on.

It took a few minutes, but she figured it out!

She wore that bracelet all afternoon long, refusing to give it up! I thought it was super precious!

Here's one more adorable pic from that afternoon of playing! She was sporting some rosy cheeks that day too!

Noles' Visitors

2008-03-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

I know this is going to be completely out of order, but I wanted to post these pictures because I just thought they were so cute! Friday afternoon, the FSU BCM Director and his family made a stop by our house on their way back to Seminole Country. Eden immediately took to all 3 of them! She crawled up in Rachel's lap time and time again to hug her! I missed almost every one of these sweet moments running for the camera! But, I did manage to catch a few "action" shots of Eden playing with Lee and Amy! She (and the boys) had such a blast and it was great for us to be able to spend a little time with them too!

Sneaky Little Thing!

2008-03-25T10:13:00.001-07:00

Sunday afternoon, I started to "miss Griffin." I wondered where in the world he had gone, especially since he was sooo quiet! This is how I found him!! On the couch, digging into his chocolate!

"Caught"

Notice his hand in the bag! He was going for some more!!

Doesn't this face say it all?!

The Great Egg Hunt!

2008-03-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

All the Easter festivities at church left Eden exhausted. This is how she fell asleep. I thought it was pretty adorable that she had cuddled up with her baby!

After nap time, we got all the little ones up for an Easter Egg hunt. Eden would have nothing to do with the basket or the hidden treasures! She merely wanted to carry around her keys... and watch her wild brothers!

Here are the boys racing for another find!

Griffin was serious about the egg hunting! He had a little practice with his Sunday School class, so he wasn't letting anything (or anyone) stop him! :-)

Griffin and Eden going for the same egg- uh oh!

The end results...

The boys counting their findings...

While the boys begged for us to hide the eggs again, Eden was more concerned with asking for a snack. So, we brought her high chair outside so she could enjoy her fruit while the boys started the search all over again.
I took this pic of Eden's sweet feet in her Easter sandals, but couldn't decide which I liked better- the black and white or the color. I am truly a sucker for little toes!

See what I mean?!

The boys decided at the last minute that they wanted to hide the eggs for their Daddy. Above is Griffin's idea of "hiding!" Creative right?! :-)

I messed with Rahul because he selected the pink basket to collect his eggs!

In the end, the boys joined in on the race with Rahul. Not quite as fair, since they knew all the secret hiding places, but fun nonetheless!

Easter 2008

2008-03-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Easter is one of my favorite Sunday's of the year! I love celebrating our Risen Savior, I enjoy all of the prep that comes before- like reading the Story of Easter to my children and of course, I adore dressing them all up for church! This Easter, Collin woke up quite sick. He was actually up almost all night long so we knew he was going to have stay put and rest. Rahul volunteered to be Dr. Dad, so that I could go to the service with some of my family and with Griffin and Eden. He was able to attend the Late Nite service at our church that evening. It was a great day, despite the sickness. We were able to celebrate, spend time with family and remember the sacrifice the Lord made for us. Our pastor showed a powerful movie clip that really helped me gain a greater perspective about God willingly giving up His only Son. It moved me beyond comprehension! I pray your Easter was filled with that same awe, as you spent time reflecting on the joyous news- Jesus is alive!

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Without further ado, here are our Easter pictures!

Eden looking so sweet!

She was so expressive!

I loved the back of her dress!

She enjoyed carrying this pink bunny all over the place. She truly thought that basket was a purse!

Eden and Mommy- Rahul missed this "dressing up opportunity" since he had to stay home with Collin! :-(
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Griffin has developed this silly face that he makes every time I pull out the camera now!

My mom and I had to work to get this smile!

He enjoyed his Easter basket and eggs!

A quick shot with Mommy!
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Ok, so these pictures are a little confusing. I've told you all that Collin was sick, and he was. But for some reason, the thought of getting dressed and walking outside, really perked him up. Although he still had a fever and could barely breathe, these pictures show no signs of illness! Amazing!

This was a little of that 4 year old attitude shining through I suppose!

Great smiles!

Another snuggle with Mommy!

6 Years!!!

2008-03-24T20:53:00.001-07:00

After the big birthday bash, Rahul and I got ready to enjoy a pre-anniversary celebration. This year, it actually fell on Easter Sunday, so we decided Saturday evening would be a good compromise- and we had lots of family in town to watch the kiddos! We started off our evening at Outback. We had the most amazing steak dinner ever. (Ok, it doesn't beat Houston's Hawaiian Rib Eye, but it was pretty close!) Then we headed over to The Cheesecake Factory for some delicious dessert! Could it get any better? Yes! Being married to Rahul for the past 6 years has been amazing! That's the best gift of all. I thank God every day that He has blessed me with someone who loves me unconditionally and who is passionate about serving Him! I have learned so many things from my hubby over the years and I am constantly reminded why God put us together. It's so neat to think that 7 or 8 years ago, when we were just buddies at the BCM, that God knew the future and He was weaving our lives and our hearts together in unique and profound ways. I can't wait to see all of the things that He still has in store for us as we journey together for many many more years!

Collin's Peter Pan Celebration!

2008-03-24T20:13:00.001-07:00

This year, Collin decided he wanted a Peter Pan Celebration for his 4th birthday. I thought it was a super cute idea, though it be a little random! Here are some pictures he took for his invitations:

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This Saturday, we set up Never Never Land in our backyard. It was complete with the nursery, where "Wendy" entertained all the little ones with her tales of Peter Pan.

My mom and I created a pirate ship cake for the event. Collin informed us the night before, that it wouldn't be perfect until Peter Pan and Captain Hook were fighting on the top! Thanks Sarah for your artsy skills to fix this "problem!"

Grammie really came through for us ... again! She made an awesome treasure chest ...

...and hand-painted some incredible decorations!

We made some super fun Peter Pan hats too!

It wasn't long before the games began! Here is Collin's attempt at pinning the feather on Peter Pan's hat!

And Abbie's...

And Allie's...

And Hunter's...

And then there was Griffin. Ever the shy one, he was convinced the "blindfold" might be a little scary! Thankfully, we had two great encouragers to assist him! (I love Abbie's face in this one!)

Just a little guidance is all he needed...

...and a helping hand! :-)

The birthday boy!

Some super awesome wrapping paper designed by 2 sweet girls!Gift time was so much fun. This was the first year Collin has really had friends he's selected come to his party. He was so excited! I was so proud of him for "sharing" this time! He didn't flinch once when the other boys and girls chimed in with some helping hands to rip the paper. I actually think he enjoyed it! These are some of my favorite images simply because the expressions are 100% priceless!

Check out Allie and Hunter in this one!

How about the maternal face in this one! :-)

And the excitement caught in this one!
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Then it was cake time!

What a sweet friends picture.

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These are a few "non-Collin" related images that I just love from the day!

For the past several months, Eden has developed a deep love for Abbie and Allie's mom. At church, if she's ever fussy, Renee can usually calm her down. She'll leap into her arms from mine and cuddle up to her so sweetly. Hannah has the same affection for Renee, so this picture is pretty special. Here, Renee's got both of "her girls!" Funny thing is, I'm not so sure if Hannah was digging the competition! It looks like she's giving Eden the stare down! :-)
---------------------------------

Hannah and her Mommy

Hunter showing off his blue tongue!
Beautiful Abbie!
Adorable Allie!
Gran and 2 of her girls!
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Collin had such a great time at his party! He was surrounded by family and friends who love him so much! The perfect closing to the day was this picture, where "Peter Pan" posed with all his "friends!"

Collin Loves Baboo Too!

2008-03-24T20:10:00.001-07:00

I had planned on posting this image all on it's own yesterday, but just ran out of time. I figured since we harassed Bill so much about not posing with the birthday girl at our last party, that this one of him and Collin deserved it's own space! So, here's Collin, post blue icing, with his favorite Baboo! And yes, he loves him like crazy!

Collin Loves...

2008-03-23T18:26:00.001-07:00

Here are just a few of the people that Collin loves and who helped make his big day so, so special!

As Promised!

2008-03-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here are the other pictures I promised so long ago from our weekend journey to Lake Yale. The Chris Kuti Band provided the worship music.

My boys became quick fans!

Then Erica took Collin up on stage so he could share one of his memory verses with the students! He definitely has his Daddy's personality! I would have found it quite difficult to get up there in front of all those people, but he wasn't scared at all!

Here he is quoting Proverbs 3:5

During that weekend, Eden was sick and the boys were so excited and so exhausted that they had the hardest time settling down to rest! One evening, when Rahul made it back to our rooms (we had 2 adjoining ones so the boys could have their own beds) he found the 4 of us like this! Griffin is on top of me, you can just barely see his hair, Eden was in the middle and of course, Collin looks like he was posing in his sleep! After I finally got everyone calmed down, there was no way I was going to move them at all!! The things you'll do for your kids and for some shut eye!! :-)

On the last day of the conference, the boys went back up on stage to help Erica pull out prizes for some of the students!

Would you believe that out of hundreds upon hundreds of students, one of the names they pulled was Bill's?! How funny!

Lake Yale 2008

2008-03-06T20:42:00.001-08:00

This year, the BCM's State Student Conference was held at Lake Yale. Rahul had a big part in the planning, so he had to arrive early, which left me with the 3 kiddos and a pretty long drive! Thankfully, Sarah and Bill were able to join me on the never-ending and at times very confusing journey there! The kids were oblivious to the horrible Google directions, which was probably a life saver! At any rate, the weekend was amazing! Rahul led a seminar on Solarium and I taught one based on the book Gift Wrapped By God. Loy's wonderful wife Glenda and dozens of other Florida BCM'ers watched the kids while we were in our sessions. That was a huge blessing!

The boys had a blast getting to know other students and loved all of the outside time they had to run, play, slide and get dizzy on the merry go round! (Old school style!!) Eden however, got sick while we were there and was pretty pitiful! If it hadn't been for Sarah, Bill and Erica, I have no idea how I would have survived!!

God did some incredible things in the lives of students during those few days! The speakers were fantastic and so was the music! It was a phenomenal weekend! I have a few other images from the conference that I really want to share (my kids on stage)!! But for now, I wanted to put up some of my favorite images taken on one of many weekend walks, which gave me the perfect opportunity to hang out with my precious children at one of my favorite places of all time- Lake Yale!

You know, every time we end up there I think back to all the things I learned as a high school student over summer breaks. Those were great seasons of spiritual growth for me. I'm also reminded of God's provision, as I think back to that momentous occasion where we were interviewed by the board and voted in as staff following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Lake Yale is full of so many memories and I am so excited that my children are getting to experience it at such a young age!

One of my favorite places of all, right by the water. I've had many conversations with the Lord here!

It was beautiful outside for my hour long walk with the kiddos!

One of the best views!

The famous "fountain and bridge." The boys begged to play here forever. Thankfully, I convinced them otherwise!

I was so excited that I caught this moment when Collin reached over to hug on Griffin right after they walked off the bridge. It's one of my favorites ever!

Another view from our walk.

We saw this really interesting bug!

Collin took a little break! He was walking, while Griffin and Eden enjoyed being pushed in the stroller!

The boys spent a lot of time here on this merry go round. Collin always wanted it to go fast, while Griffin pleaded for a much slower pace! It was pretty comical! If you look closely at Collin's face, you'll see the battle wounds from his fall off the incredibly high slide!

Collin enjoyed riding from this angle!

Griffin only wanted to pose for the picture like this...

...but then he had to sit up for the ride!

Outside was about the only place Eden was happy, unless she was in someone's arms!! So, we walked and walked and walked! I love that she put her legs up like this! That's my girl!! Check her out- doesn't she just make your heart melt?

Check this out!

2008-03-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

For those of you who follow Allie's website, this might be "old news," but I wanted to share it with each of you anyways. A local basketball team is hosting a fund raiser to help out the Blain Family as they begin a new journey of reaching out to others who suffer from blood disorders.

Check out this article to see what cool stuff is happening in the life of Allie and the organization they have founded!

Renee, Allie's mom, shared that "Clouds of Hope is officially a non profit incorporation in the State of Florida! We are working toward federal status now!" How exciting is that?

If you live nearby, I encourage you to purchase a ticket for the upcoming breakfast, volunteer your time and resources for the Friend for Daisy benefit and most importantly, lift up this new endeavor and this precious family in your prayers- asking the Lord to pour out His blessings upon them in a powerful way!

Thanks!!

Happy Birthday Pop Pop!!

2008-03-05T08:06:00.001-08:00

Just a little message from the grandkids! Happy Birthday Pop-Pop! We'll have to celebrate soon! We love you!!
Collin, Griffin and Eden Grace

Keep Checking!

2008-03-04T11:08:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to let you know that I've added 2 links to the right side of this blog:
"We Love Caleb!" and "We Love Allie too!"

Just click on them and you can read updates about how God is working in big ways in the lives of some of our awesome friends!

This Sunday at church our pastor began an "I" series. He is going to be looking at the root of sin: selfishness. He said something in his sermon that I wrote down, primarily because I wanted to share it with all of you. He said that God will use people ten times more in their suffering than in their successes and that in these times He provides the greatest witnessing opportunities and platforms ever.

I couldn't help but to think of Caleb and Allie and their families. They have each taken their unique situations and are using them to spread the love of Christ, the Hope of the Lord and a peace that passes all understanding to each person with whom they come in contact!

I pray that you will keep up with their stories and more than anything keep them in your prayers as they battle hardships, knowing that ultimately the battle is the Lords'!

So Much For Ideas!

2008-03-04T10:54:00.001-08:00

For awhile now, I've had this idea in my head about a picture I wanted to take of my boys and their sis! I attempted to take it right before nap time, which was a bad idea all together. It took about 1 second before meltdowns with our little princess started! I tried to bribe her into cooperation with a paci and book, thinking I could whisk them both away long enough to capture the image! She wasn't going to be fooled! So, here is the result!

The boys were a little more willing to "work" with me! Here are 2 of my favorites! I just love little feet, even though if I were completely honest with myself, they aren't that little anymore!

The Littlest Princess!

2008-03-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

I realized soon after posting the birthday pictures that I never shared Eden's Birthday Portraits on our blog! I think you'll like them! I took her to the park with the boys one day and dressed her up as the little princess that she is! After a few pictures, I handed her a cupcake and the rest was history! At first she wasn't so sure I was actually going to let her eat something with icing, but once she got a taste, there was no turning back! She enjoyed it to the point of licking her hands! What a "Sweet" little princess!

I love this little princess!

This one takes my breath away!

Future royalty for sure!

She's got some cute little smiles!

The introduction of the cupcake!

The beginning of the mess!

I love the way she sat in these pictures! I couldn't have planned it better!

The up close images!

What a personality!

Hard to believe these feet used to be so tiny!

The licking of the hand starts!

Thank goodness she didn't try to lick her feet!

Yummo!

There she is our cupcake princess! It was good all the way to the last lick!

Eden's Cupcake Party! She's ONE!!

2008-03-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

Eden's party was this weekend! It was so much fun! We had a cupcake theme, since she is after all our precious little sweet cupcake! It took us awhile to get it all together, especially since I waited until the last minute to get the decorations and baking completed! Sarah and I worked on the cake for hours on end. My Gran worked tirelessly on a cupcake tree! It wasn't until 4:12 am that the lights in the kitchen got turned off! It was an all nighter, but it was worth it! The party was beautiful and just what I had imagined. There are thousands of pictures, so I'll just post some of my favorites! If you need more just click here !

Sarah icing those cupcakes!

Gran working on the cupcake tree- when the night was still young!

The clock! Yikes!

The big day!

The awesome cupcake tree- the boys painted the yellow ones!The Martha Stewart decorating job!
The set-up!We had to pose with the cupcake cake, once it was finally finished!
Us, with the birthday girl!

Eden was really excited about the party!Taking a family moment before digging into the cake!Present time! Eden totally enjoyed it!Our little gift from above!Here's her priceless smile!

And a little birthday spunk (attitude) too!

Thanks to everyone who came, celebrated and made this an extra special day for Eden Grace! We sure do love you all bunches!

Here's the Big Catch Up! Christmas!

2008-02-26T10:55:00.001-08:00

So, when I started to think about how long it's been since I've blogged on normal every day events in the life of our family, I realized it's been a good bit! I haven't even posted Christmas pictures for crying out loud. In an attempt to "not let you down," I've put together these collages, to give you the big picture, without 450,000 posts!! Click on them to see them a little larger, especially this first one, which shows Eden's great dislike of the man in the big red suit! (Surprisingly, my first Santa image is remarkably close to this one!)Santa pictures, Gingerbread houses with Daddy, Grammie's Birthday breakfast!

Christmas Eve at Granny and Granddaddy Shack's House- Eden got lots of dolls to snuggle with and the boys were surprised to see a train table!!!

Christmas morning with Grammie and Pop Pop, then at GG's house! Yay! Check out Eden's first Cabbage Patch Doll and other fun babies to kiss on. Collin got the fishing game- the ONLY thing he asked for and really, really wanted. Griffin enjoyed lots of Diego stuff and check out their suitcases with Personal Rescue Packs that Santa brought them. How fun! The older "kids" enjoyed entertaining everyone with Bill's rockband set! Check out my drummer hubby too! :-) Bet you didn't know that about him!!

It was Eden's first Christmas, so she had to have a few pictures taken at G.G.'s house to remember the big day. I love that in the middle of the "shoot" she picked up the wood chips to munch on- I guess all that teething was bothering her!

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Well, that does it for the first part of our Christmas break. Next, I'll tackle the Miami and Disney pictures. Then, I'll just have January and February to fill you in on! Whew! This could take awhile!

The Meeting

2008-02-08T21:59:00.001-08:00

Today was a big day for the boys- they finally got to meet Caleb. They have been praying so hard for him, literally all day long for a week or so now. I'll find the boys playing in their room, talking about him. They'll ask me if we've gotten any updates online. They remember him at every meal, during car rides and always at bedtime when we kneel at their beds to pray. It's been really interesting to see how they've grown to love him because of the conversations they've had about him with the Lord. A few days ago, Collin was asking God to protect Caleb from needles because he knows they hurt! Today, on the ride over he mentioned that Baboo must be really sad because his friend is sick, but that we should let him know Caleb will be alright because God is taking care of him, only to be reiterated by Griff's comment that God will make him all better. They seem to understand so much, way beyond their years! I find myself in awe of their faith and their complete trust in the power and strength of our mighty Lord!

As we were approaching All Children's Collin was quick to remind us that in order to spot Caleb, we shouldn't look for gold in the hospital, but only garnet! I had to break the news that he wouldn't be glittery today! The boys both got over that disappointment when they loaded up his care package with beef jerky (something they've been wanting to give him for awhile) knowing they were going to get to watch him open it in person!

Children are funny though because for as much as they talked about this moment in the car, they were pretty frozen in the speech department during our visit! Collin just stared, I think in amazement that he was in the room with a "celebrity!" And I mean that with complete seriousness! Just to prove it, the one thing he asked on his own was something along the lines of "How do you get all that glitter on you?" With a little prompting, he also chimed off the memory verse they learned this past week, as we talked about Caleb's trust in the Lord, even during the hard times. That was pretty special!

Griffin, who was not in the stroller put on a pretty good circus act for Caleb, his family and his "boo" Gator friend! Please don't request details! I suppose that our afternoon of running errands, which equals being in a car seat for a pretty long time also means that there's alot of energy to be released in a 2 year old!! :-)

At any rate, the boys and Eden were all dressed up in their Nole's gear. What else could they meet Caleb in right?! Here are a few pics from the visit- note Caleb's smile, something that apparently can not be shaken, even if surgery had just been performed a few hours before! Amazing!

I turned the pictures to black and white and then using a Photoshop action, called Take Action on Cancer Awareness, placed a lime green ribbon over the image, to fight Lymphoma. The creator of this action was deeply touched by cancer and asked that whenever you used it on a photograph that you say a prayer for her relative who was recently diagnosed and for those in your own life who are also battling the illness.

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Not sure what Griffin was doing at this point! But Eden was glad to be out of the confines of the stroller!

This is my favorite pic! Eden and Caleb have clearly locked eyes and I think their expressions are priceless.

Before we left, Caleb's mom, who is completely amazing and an obvious tower of strength, gave us each a green lymphoma awareness bracelet. The boys put them on right away. During our walk back to the car, Collin asked me what it said and I read it off to him, "Say it, Fight it, Cure it." This unleashed a discussion that touched our hearts so much! He began to ask how cancer can get into your body and how you can fight it, to which we explained in very "theological terms," that a 2 and 3 year old can understand, that God can give Caleb strength to make it through each day, but that ultimately, God will fight the battle for Caleb. That seemed to satisfy them both. As we were making our way to pick up some food for dinner, Rahul and I heard Collin in the back praying over and over, "God, please fight the cancer for Caleb. Please fight the cancer for Caleb." I'll admit it, I just cried! How could I not?
Here is an amazing guy, that really, we just "met" today, but he's touched our hearts and our children's hearts in ways that words couldn't even begin to explain. He has given them a new perspective on prayer and trusting the Lord. He's shown them that you can display strength, concern for others, love and joy even when life isn't perfect. He's shown them, in fact, he's shown all of us, that Jesus is enough- He's all we need- no matter what! Most of us know that down deep, but to see it being lived out so vividly is encouraging and challenging!
Once we got home I was thinking about the course of the day and was reminded of a verse that my brother loves.

It's found in Exodus 14:14 and it says, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." As I glanced down at the words on the bracelet I was wearing and reflected back on the conversation I had with the boys earlier, I thought, this is the next verse they need to memorize! The picture above is going to be our visual reminder for the week!

And of course, for Caleb, I couldn't resist taking one with the good ol' garnet and gold!

"You got to fight, fight, fight for FSU!"

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We're going to keep praying for Caleb and we ask that you do too!
Don't forget to visit his site!

We're Still Praying!

2008-02-02T10:57:00.001-08:00

The boys have really grown to love Caleb over the past week as we've been praying for him. They think he's the #1 best garnet guy ever, even though they've never met him, and since we just found out Caleb is going to be staying at All Children's in St. Pete for a little while, Collin and Griffin are already asking if they can go meet him!!

Sharing Caleb's story with the boys has been a wonderful way to explain faith and trust in the Lord! We've shared with them how much Caleb loves Jesus and how he's trusting Him to do great things. Today, they memorized Proverbs 3:5 as a reminder to always trust in the Lord, just like Caleb. The boys wanted me to post these pictures to remind you to keep praying too!

You can visit Caleb's website to get more updates!

www.caringbridge.org/visit/calebhall

The Kiddos

2008-02-02T10:39:00.000-08:00

So, I've gotten alot of emails asking for blog updates, new pictures of the kids specifically! Since I'm a little swamped right now trying to get ready for a photography event on Tuesday, I thought that these quick collages might hold everyone over until I get a chance to do a serious update!

Here are a few of Collin! Notice he's so busy running around, he can hardly stop long enough for a picture!

Some of Griffin- he even wrote his name in a birthday card- check out the first pic in the last row!

And of course, here's Eden Grace... Notice hers are all in one outfit! She just cooperates so much better! These were actually taken a few weeks ago, BEFORE she started walking! Picture taking isn't so easy these days!

Hope this helps!
I'll try to post more soon!

Pray. Pray. Pray!

2008-01-31T09:41:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it's been awhile since I've updated the blog- I haven't even posted Christmas pictures yet!! But, more important than playing catch up, is this post about my brother's good friend Caleb- seen in the picture- he's FSU's garnet glitter guy! Caleb has just been diagnosed with Lymphoma and has had to withdraw from school in order to return home for treatments. They are still trying to identify the type and the stage, so I don't have tons of specific information to post- but I would like to ask you to begin to pray with us! If you are willing to commit to pray for Caleb throughout this journey, don't just let me know- tell him yourself! He's got a website, just like the one for Allie that so many of you have visited. You can keep up with his story, his progress and his prayer needs there, and you can leave him encouraging messages too!

On Caleb's site he says this:
"Whatever it is, no matter how severe, no matter how widespread, no matter the outcome, God is in control. I am not scared, I am not worried, I know I am in God's hands.
What Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:27; 'Who of you by worrying can add but a single hour to your life?' means that all the worrying in the world is not going to make a difference. God has a plan for this whole situation, we just have to find it!"

We are trusting the Lord to work in great and mighty ways! Join us in asking God to provide peace and strength for Caleb, his family and his friends- for healing, for wise doctors and for His name to be glorified through all of this!

(Just in case www.caringbridge.org/visit/calebhall)

Boo Boo

2008-01-07T20:09:00.001-08:00

During our visit to Wauchula, my dad and I were standing in the kitchen one afternoon talking when we heard the loudest shriek, followed by screaming and crying, coming from the bathroom. I have never seen my dad move so quickly- he was jumping over toys and running at warp speed- We discovered that Collin had fallen off of the Mickey Mouse stool trying to wash his hands and in the process had busted his chin on the counter. We got him calmed down, cleaned up the blood, prepared a bag of ice and then he politely asked if he could watch some t.v. because it would make him feel better! :-)! Kids! So, here is how he spent the next 30 minutes! My dad went to town and bought a much larger and sturdier stool so there would be no more crazy accidents and little boo-boo's like this one!

My Griffin

2008-01-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

A cute one of Griffin looking out at Grammie and Pop Pop's yard.... actually, he was probably looking for Jake, the neighbor's dog!

My Eden Girl

2008-01-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

While we were in Wauchula Eden was playing in my brother's room, which has amazing natural light and I got a few super cute pictures of her. These are two of my favorites!

Visiting Grammie and Pop Pop Again!

2008-01-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Just a week or so before Christmas, Rahul had staff week at the convention in Jacksonville, so we packed up and went for another visit to Grammie and Pop Pop's! One of the many blessings of living so close to your parents- a couple of extra sets of hands whenever you really need them!!

The boys love going to Grammie and Pop Pop's for many reasons, but outside time there is always better than at our own house! For one, the yard is like 4 times the size of ours and then my parent's neighbors, Mrs. Kay and Mr. George, have a dog- which the boys talk about all the time!

One afternoon we took the kids outside and that of course meant a photo opp! My mom and I traded off shooting pictures and playing, but she got such great images of the boys I had to post them here!

Griffin mastering the art of catching!

These pictures of Collin are just so fun to me!

Check out the action in this one!

He must have needed a rest!

And then Griffin decided he must have one also!

It gave him some more energy for sure!

But then he was distracted by the acorns... again! Remember the Tallahassee post?!

Eden, who carries around this teddy every time we visit, wouldn't even let go of him outside!

Collin always wants to climb this tree in my parent's front yard- and he always wants me to take a picture of him in it to prove to his Daddy what a big boy he is!

Up until this point Griffin hasn't been quite brave enough to try it, but lately, he's been in a "monkey see, monkey do" stage and repeats EVERYTHING that his big brother does. That meant that he HAD to climb the tree. And he did (with a little help from his Mommy)!

But, on the way down, he ended up with this nice scrape!

Park Time

2008-01-07T19:06:00.001-08:00

One December day we packed up the kids for a little park play time. I was appalled that during the 12th month of the year, my children could run around in shorts!! They had a blast, although Griffin was a little camera shy for some reason. I love these pictures of Eden. She had such a great time swinging! The smiles just kept coming! Once I got home and downloaded the images, I noticed that her legs were really looking long! That was super exciting for me! Oh and for those of you wondering, she doesn't have shoes on because she simply doesn't like wearing them! On one second, off the next! I figured until she's walking were gonna be mainly a sock girl! It sure will save me a ton of time!

Traditions?!

2008-01-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

I am sure many of you have one of the same traditions as us- watching those old school Christmas movies- Frosty and Rudolph at some point during the month of December. Well, several years ago we purchased a DVD on sale after Christmas, that was to contain this collection, probably even before Collin was born. Collin is now 3 and a half and we seriously just took off the plastic wrapping this year!

Here are my boys, ready to start this new tradition...

...and then the intro shows us this is in fact, an updated edition!

You might be thinking- oh that's good- better animation! While that might have been the case, it was was completely scary to our kids!! We turned it off (and then back on) multiple times, until we finally were able to just fast forward through some very odd sections. This will not be a tradition!! ha! My Gran quickly gave us the old videos that I used to watch as a kid! Thank goodness G.G. came to the rescue again!

2008-01-07T18:22:00.001-08:00

Allie and Abbie
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If you've been reading my blog, you'll probably recall the story about a precious family we have grown to love here in Tampa. Their youngest daughter, Allie, was diagnosed with ITP in 2006. She is absolutely precious and has such a spunky personality! For their family, this year has been one full of many ups and downs, but their faith and trust in the Lord is unwavering!

Abbie is their oldest daughter, and is incredibly smart and beautiful too! She is so thoughtful and concerned for her sister that it brings tears to my eyes as I realize how strong she is for her age. Abbie is in our Wednesday night kid's group at church and is a complete joy to be around.

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On this particular day, Allie was at the hospital receiving another treatment, and we thought it would be great to give her big sister a special girl's day, full of one on one attention, some pampering and enough stuff to keep her from worrying about Allie. So, we brought her to the BCM and gave her a "spa" treatment! She picked out makeup, fingernail polish, hair clips, the works and some of the girls from my Bible Study loved on her for the entire afternoon. It was a blast and blessed our hearts far more than we think it could have ever blessed hers!

The first activity - and the only one I allowed my boys to be a part of: making snowmen out of Oreos, marshmallows, red hots, twizzlers, pretzel sticks and icing, which I discovered Abbie is not a big fan of! The icing that is!

The boys working hard...

The final product... a little scary I know. The Kraft test kitchen did not perfect this recipe, I promise! Otherwise, it wouldn't have looked this frightening!

Abbie getting the treatment and talking on my cell phone with her mom all at once!

Enjoying getting her hair all styled!

How beautiful is she?!

Seeing the finished product for the first time...

So cute and such a sweet smile!

Then it was time to make a scrapbook (to put all these pictures in)!

Showing off her work of art- after the glitter was removed from her clothes! :-)

Posing with the girls and her new bear from Miss Rachel!

Finally, we asked Abbie where she wanted to go for dinner- any where - it was her pick. I was expecting her to say something like McDonalds or Chick-Fil-A. Normal responses for a kid her age!
Do you know that she asked to go to Longhorn?! This girl's got some taste! She cracked me up when she told me her favorite things there were the sweet tea, the bread and a baked potato- all of which she gobbled up!
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Spending this time with Abbie was such a joy! Please continue to pray for her as she works so hard at being a good big sister, as she waits expectantly with her family for God to heal Allie and for her tender heart to be full of joy and peace. Pray also for Allie's platelets to rise, for her continued protection and for her parents, Wally and Renee, as they provide, sustain and bring up their girls in a Godly home, as they walk this difficult road please pray that they will find strength, peace, hope and rest in our Heavenly Father.

Purity Celebration

2008-01-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

Here I am again, trying to catch up on all the missing posts for the past month or so... this one is always a super special one to share. These are the precious girls from the Gift Wrapped By God Bible Study that I lead. On our final evening together, I pull out the china and we celebrate all that God has done over the semester. I am always amazed at how close we become and how much the Lord challenges us and stretches us during our time together! These women really are presents, wrapped by the Creator and worthy of being treasured all the days of their lives!

My incredible hubby took these pictures before our evening officially started.

There must always be one silly one!

The table- with grape juice! :-)

Each setting had a mat that was signed by the girls with words of encouragement and reminders to wait for God's timing and God's best.

The random picture that took many attempts. Can you see us in there?!

Catching Up....Again!

2008-01-03T10:55:00.001-08:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted something! I decided to start playing catch up by posting Eden's weekly pictures from the past 4 weeks!

Here she is at 42 weeks in her poodle outfit from her Dadiji. She was super cute in it, despite the fact that the weather didn't really call for a jacket! At least she was cooperative and had some pretty sweet smiles to share!

Here's our Eden Grace at 43 weeks. I was trying to take some pictures of her with flowers and ornaments. This is about as good as it got though! When there is only one person trying to keep her still, it can get a little difficult, especially since her debut of standing up and trying to walk started this week! It's almost impossible to keep her seated now!

At 44 weeks, the pictures were even more difficult to come by! There were actually 3 different attempts in one day before we got something! Thankfully her Baboo was in town for Christmas, so I had an extra pair of hands to help manage this "session!" We later discovered that her fussiness was to be blamed on a developing ear and sinus infection. Still she was a pretty"little princess!"

By this point, the medicine had really started to work. We couldn't have been happier. I had spent at least a week sleeping with Eden in either the rocking chair or propped up on the couch. These 45 weeks pictures were taken in Miami, after a 4 hour trip the day after Christmas. I was surprised that she was pleasant for them simply because she had been a little antsy in her car seat on the ride down. Eden's beautiful dress is from her G.G. I think she is darling in it!

And finally, week 46! This adorable get up was a gift from her Grammie and isn't she just so cute in it?! These are some of my favorite pictures to date! Since week 45 she's cut her 4th tooth and is "talking" so much more! She is really a chatter bug lately. She's over the sickness, is back to sound sleeping and is getting braver and braver with her steps each day!

Merry Christmas From Our Family!

2007-12-20T20:31:00.001-08:00

A couple of weekends ago we set out after church for an eventful afternoon of picture taking! Crazy as it is to try to get 3 kids to cooperate, we got some cute pictures. I love looking back and seeing how we've all changed! Just for fun, I've included one from 2006- take a look at the difference a year makes!!

2006- "Then"

2007- "Now"

Eden gives a thumbs-up for pictures!!
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Here's Collin- our big 3 year old!

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Griffin at 2!

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Eden's First Christmas and Christmas Dress!

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With Grammie and Mommy! Thanks for the awesome dress and bow Grammie!

Mommy with her boys!

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Daddy with the kids...

My favorite pic of the day! Look at her smile!
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Grammie and Pop-Pop with the grandchildren.Going for a stroll.

Another one of my favorites!

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Merry Christmas!

BCM Christmas Party

2007-12-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get so carried away posting family stuff, that I "forget" to share some of the other things going on in our lives. God has been doing great stuff at the BCM! Lives are being changed, people are accepting the Lord as their Savior and of course there is always room for some fellowship! Here are just a few fun pictures from the BCM Christmas party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Swope, an awesome couple who volunteer their time, their resources and give from their hearts all the time!

Food!!

Gifts for the white elephant exchange!

Eden enjoying time with Tiffany and my cell phone!

Pool anyone?

Getting instructions for the gift exchange.

Rahul ended up with this fine elf hat!

Eric wasn't as lucky! :-)

O Christmas Tree...

2007-12-16T22:09:00.001-08:00

Well, finally I am getting around to posting our Christmas Tree decorating adventure. I say adventure because anytime you try to do something as tedious as this with three little ones, three years and younger, it's always full of twists and turns that you weren't expecting! Our first decision this year was to switch back to an artificial tree. In our 5 years of marriage, we have never had an artificial tree! Many years ago, while a student at FSU, I had purchased one for my apartment. So, out of storage it came. The main reason we made the "big decision" was because of one curious little 9 month old! Eden has to put everything in her mouth. If I turn around for one second, she has found something to chew on or eat! Shoes, toys, lint, paper, and the list goes on. We thought it would be much wiser to have something artificial hanging out in our living room for a month, than a beautiful shedding green tree! At any rate, here are a few images from our experience!

Eden got to go first, since it is after all her first Christmas.

She was putting on an ornament before the lights even made it up, primarily because I thought it was going to be too late for her! In other words, she'd be super fussy and ready for bed. She surprised us and made it all the way to the end of the whole ordeal!

I think she enjoyed it just by the sweet expression on her face.

Collin was busy trying to get the lighting situation straightened out. Every year I am very organized about the lights, but they were borrowed for a shower and came back a little knotted up. Being a tad O.C.D., Collin thought he could fix the problem without any trouble. Turns out, he needed a little help! :-)

Finally, he got to put on some ornaments!

Griffin wanted to reach way up high with his Daddy!

And way down low too, all on his own! I think I must have moved dozens of ornaments off of these 5 branches once the boys were in bed!

Collin looked so tall during all the decorating!

Here's Griffin posing with the tree!

I was just playing around with some exposures and post editing. This was a fun picture, but now that our homemade ornaments are up and presents are slowly getting wrapped, I think I'll take another one and post it soon too!

Another First

2007-12-16T21:52:00.001-08:00

One day, while I was all alone with the little ones, I decided to be one brave Mommy! I allowed all three kids to take a bath... TOGETHER! It was probably one of the funniest and most precious things I have seen in a long time! I will preface this post with- "I apologize, I couldn't narrow the pictures down to less than 13!" Bear with me- I am after all, just one proud Mom!

The boys introducing Eden to a bubble bath- "big kid style." Eden was more interested in her belly button!

She loved it! Check out that smile!

Funny hair dos!

Eden ended up with one that looked more like a bow!

Perfect right?!

Trying to give her another special do!

Griffin was getting a little carried away! :-)

But, Eden liked all the attention!

Griffin as Santa!

Collin looks like he has a bonnet on here! ha!

Eden thinking her brothers are nuts!

A bit more serious when she realizes she's related!

Finally, she reciprocated all those bubbles in her hair by giving Collin a few new hair styles of his own!

I may have been soaking wet by the end of this cleaning up activity, but it was one experience that was completely priceless and brought more smiles and laughter than I could have ever imagined!