January Picture Post

My eldest took it upon herself one morning to write a lunchbox love note to her kid sister. Biggest heart ever, that one.

Em's P.E. sharing program at school. Her biggest fan came to watch. And be held awkwardly.

They did some legitimately cool things with that parachute.

Celebrating Grandpa's and my birthday in Muskogee. Handmade cards all the way around.

Basketball season is so much fun!

Grammy was honored as an Exemplary Elementary Music Educator by the OK Music Educator's Association. We were way proud!

Hayden at her friend E's Little Dollhouse birthday party. Such a fun place!

This boy is in love with his Bible. Got it for Christmas and reads it almost every morning. #cavetime

December Picture Post

We started the month w/ Em's Christmas dance party.

A few candids from the school's galleries... 

Oh don't mind me. I'm 3 and I act like I'm 12 and I roll my own jeans in the morning.

One of their favorite all-time games. Throwing the ball up and down to each other. We are high-tech around here, people.

Post-bath crazies.

Hugging Mr. H good-bye. Hot Sauce and I had the best lunch visit with my friend Leslie at her gorgeous new home in Owasso. Every time I'm there, I never wanna leave.

Lost his first tooth!

Coach Van. Hot.

Christmas program at church. I choreographed this sucker again. Halfway through our months of practice, I wonder what I was thinking, then at the performance I'm near tears from how well they all do. Each of these kids is so precious to me.

Hayden's preschool Christmas performance.

Em's Christmas program. Here she is w/ Miss M.

Hayden's Christmas dance party.

 Pigtails out. Cookie in.

More b-ball.

Coach Leyva. These girls are really good!

Rhema lights with the Leyvas!

 Celebrating Velvet's birthday!

Christmas Eve - driving around with hot cocoa and crazies in the backseat, looking at Christmas lights.

I didn't take any pics of Christmas morning at our house. Here are a few from Grandma and Pa-Pa's.

My siblings and their families came to town the week after Christmas! I am realizing I took like 5 pictures the whole time. #camerafail

Miley and Eric. Silly as ever!

Addie and Emerson. Cutest cousins ever.

Sass.

All of the grandkids love to sing along with Grandpa's music.

Such a fun month of family and friends and eating too much. Clean eating and lots of cardio have begun!

End of Another Year Already?!?

I don't even know how to process how quickly 2014 flew by. I feel a little overwhelmed by the speed at which the days, weeks, and months are passing. Sheesh! Can someone please slow time just a bit?

Every now and then I look back at the early days of this little blog and smile at the stories and pictures that I captured. I rarely have time for stories anymore, but I'm thankful for memories through pictures. I know years in the future I will be glad I took time to chronicle our growing babies.

We've entered that phase of life in which kids' activities are increasing, and so the busy-ness of it all often seems suffocating. I'm of course incredibly grateful for three healthy and active little people, but I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes crave quiet and stillness. 

2014 was a year of a lot of stress. There's no way around that. It was just plain hard in a lot of ways. But you know what? It was also a year of the stark reality that God is good. And God is faithful. He continued to show up this year and prove how much He loves us.

I had a health scare this year. The left side of my face went neurologically a little nutso for about three months with left eyelid twitching (two weeks straight...I almost lost my mind), chin twitching, nose/cheek spasms, and neck spasms/cramping after yawning. The only remaining symptom is the neck spasms, and the rest have gone away. What a testament to the power of prayer...especially from my warrior husband. When I was in college, I had some symptoms that prompted me to see a neurologist, and an MRI showed some lesions on my brain, but not enough to warrant a diagnosis of MS. The enemy tried to use these recent episodes to bring fear for a short time, but I can say with confidence that I don't worry about my health or my brain. God is good. And God is faithful.

This year we saw growth and prosperity with our companies. But of course with any growth comes a lot of work. To say my husband has poured himself into our livelihood is the understatement of the century. The man works so, so hard. But you know what else? When he comes home, he plays hard. And loves hard. And every night when I'm heading to bed, he is facedown on the living room floor, praying hard and diving into the Word. God is good. And God is faithful.

I truly believe 2015 holds great things. I am believing for less stress and more margin. I am reminded daily to continue drawing nearer to my Savior. It's never been more apparent to me that He's really all we need. The things that distract us in this life—the petty and the insignificant—pale in comparison to the simple, daily walk that He desires with each of us.

God is good.

And God is faithful.

Blessings to you and your people.

Family Pics '14

I love our photographer. We've known her for over five years, and she has captured so many milestones in our family. Check her out at Kelly Stocksen Photography. I love how easy our fall sessions are. Is it because our kids aren't toddlers anymore? Probably. But having someone as talented as Kelly makes all the difference. The way she captures the light? I can't even take it. I love her work.

Here are some of my favorites: