The Sharbono Family

Life with 5 Babies...

2011-04-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

It's almost Easter time!! What a glorious time of year! The obvious reason to celebrate is the fact that Jesus conquered death on our behalf so that we may have eternal life with Him. Thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice! But there are other...still God-given, but slightly smaller...reasons to celebrate. Little budding leaves, bright blooming flowers, gorgeous blue skies...all things that make me do a little happy dance every single time I walk outside. :o)

Melissa and I have had fun adjusting to life with five kids between the two of us. There are many, many hectic moments, but life is brimming with joy, and I wouldn't change a thing. Since we both stay at home, we have to be majorly creative with ideas for entertainment and learning. Some days, we don't have to entertain at all...the kids take care of that....
Other days, we actually brush our teeth and put eyeliner on, and then we go off on excursions in our lovely town. This day, we went to the zoo....

Feeding the crazy goldfish at the Alex Zoo....nightmares are made in this pond.

Looking at the big turtles.....

Singing "The Itsy-bitsy Spider" while we looked at the spiders....

Callie's shocked expression....

This was my scary face while we were hanging out with the snakes....Nathan did NOT get the memo for this picture.

Shanny Baby along for our latest journey. She's an ultimate jam. ;o)

This is what it looks like when all three kids need their faces jammed into the small opening for the picture boards.

Sliding together...these two really do complete one another. Love these girls more than life.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Andrew had enough of all the excitement...

The never, ever, ever successful pictures in the azalea bush.

Back at the house. We have some real farm girls in Sharbono-ville. Rylie won't go anywhere without her "shrimp boots."

Our garden. It's MASSIVE this year. We are doing it with several of our church friends. It's about 23 x53, and if it does well, we will be able to feed the community. This means I will have lots of veggies in the freezer, and I'll be canning a ton this year. You can't imagine how much this excites me! We loved eating our homemade jams and apple butter this past year, and I can only imagine what it will be like to open up jars of the produce from our garden. Pickles, relishes, jams, tomato sauces...it's really never-ending. This is my ultimate hobby, and I'm getting my girls in early. Everyday, they help me cook Nathan's supper. They even know how to operate the Kitchen Aid mixer. I love it.

Callie's first big-girl bath. We had a splashin' good time.

The girls helping Nathan take out the trash....they will do ANYTHING if it means hanging out with Daddy. I married a good man, and I thank God for him daily.

Priceless.

Sadie has very dramatic expressions. This is the eye-roll. She does it to be funny right now...Lord help her if it ever turns into sass. ;o)

We played hide-and-go-seek in the stroller today. It's a great game when you get to find these two faces!

I hope everyone is as blessed as we have been this year. The more I learn about the Lord, the more I want to abandon all earthly pursuits just to chase after Him. May my desire always be to build His kingdom and not my own! Love to all!!!! :o)

March Madness

2011-03-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

How wonderful it has been to have spring arrive!! At our house, we spend the majority of each day outside, so winter days can be really long. Once spring gets here, we go nuts outside...swinging on the swing, riding the tractor, picking flowers, taking walks, petting horses (not ours, our neighbors!!), and this year....cracking pecans. It's been a neat experience to have this year completely with the girls. Last year, I taught for two hours each day, and our days were filled with lots of running around. This year, we have been much more relaxed and calm....really able to soak in some sweet moments. I'm really aware right now that the girls will start school soon, and my time to have all day with them is quickly coming to an end....forever. It sounds a little doom-dayish, I admit, but after they turn 4/5, I will never again have so many days where it's just us. We'll have school, ball games, sleep-overs, field trips, homework.....life will get busy, and time for cracking pecans together won't be as readily available. But instead of mourning what will be gone, I want to embrace and anticipate what lies ahead. So when I think about what's coming, I realize that this is a good thing....we'll have school, ball games, sleepovers, field trips, and homework...all evidence that God is allowing my little girls the opportunity to grow up and become young women. I just pray that I don't waste moments on frivilous pursuits, but that I parent and discipline with an eternal perspective. I'm grateful to be a mom. It's taught me so much about Christ and His relationship with God, the Father.
Thankfully, we didn't have any sick bugs running around our house this year. I was especially nervous with Callie being so new, but the Lord protected us, and we stayed healthy during this flu/rsv season. Nathan didn't feel well one day, but I think it was a 24 hour thing. Anyway...here he is resting, and there's a little snuggle bug tucked underneath. We used to take baths in one side of the sink. For whatever reason, I threw them in the sink instead of the bathtub, and this is what we got. Giant little girls who can no longer fit in one side.

Callie hung out with us while we had bathtime....

Yay...all clean!!!

They look like 8Os babies. We went to see Emillie Collins for the Grant parish garage sale....and we went in high fashion.

The first time Callie stood up!!!! Monday, she pushed herself to a sitting position from her belly. Tuesday, she pulled up on this thing-a-ma-jig from Aunt Mandy. Wednesday, she said, "da-da." It's her official first word. I'm so thankful to be home and not miss any of these sweet moments!

My little adventure racer. Nathan's first race is in April, and he's been working hard to get in shape. Sadie found his gear, and she decided to get dressed up. Scarlett, does Damon need a partner???? ;o)

Enough pictures, Mom.

Rylie's turn. I like what she's done with the sunglasses. ;o)

Such little hams. I love them.

More pictures to post, but I have kids to play with, so it will have to be later. ;o)

LOVE!

The Poole Party Is Expanded

2011-02-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

Here are some "night before Andrew is here" pictures....

You can take a guess at what Savannah has smeared all over her face....

The sweet family of three...Melissa is 41 weeks pregnant here....every woman's favorite place to be. :o) I love this beautiful family!

The little muffin, fresh out of the oven!!!!! This is about fifteen minutes after he was born.

Lissie and Vanda (that's what the twins call her).

Hezzy with the two newest babies in the Brinker clan...Callie is a giant baby. There's a lot to love on that little munchkin!!!!

Andrew has been such a wonderful baby. He sounds like a little lamb when he cries, but that never happens when Aunt Jen is holding him. ;o) Mandy is next to have a Brinker boy...she is due in June. I'm hoping he comes on the twins' birthday!!!

The girls and I got to take a walk outside today for the first time in a thousand years. They were so excited, and they sang to Callie as we soaked in the sunshine. I can't wait for spring/summer. I'm thrilled about planting our garden and canning our vegetables. I did a little canning this past year (jellies, marmalades, relishes, preserves), and it has become my new favorite hobby. I envision a sparkling white pantry, with shelves bulging from our garden's produce...maybe a little ambitious, but one day, I hope that's reality.

Have a very merry weekend!!!!!!

I'm Starting Slow

2011-02-08T09:29:00.001-08:00

It's been a long time since I've blogged. I think I've stayed away because I always felt like it was just WAY too much to catch up on, but I'm really going to try to get back in the game. I actually miss it. I decided not to succomb to the pressure to catch up from July, but here are the highlights....

1. I had Callie. She is a divine baby. She rarely fusses, and she has been a true delight to our family. She has big sparkling blue eyes and fat, fat, fat cheeks. I'm crazy about her.

2. I'm still married to a great man that I adore. I want to walk hand-in-hand in every sunset with this guy. He's a great dad to our three girls, and life would be no fun without him.

3. I have a new nephew, Andrew Paul Poole. He looks so much like Savannah. He is snuggly and warm and delightful. I love that baby like my own.

4. We have made the adjustment to a family of five!! I can't believe we have three kids, and yes, we still want another one. No, we are not trying for a boy. Nathan and I are certain we will have four girls, and we are 100% delighted with that. As mom says, I'm having my future best friends....you know, like in 25 years when it's ok to be friends with your kids. :) I can't even imagine the shopping trips with these three.

Thanks for reading!!!! I really, really, really hope to see you soon!!!!!

Playing in the Rain

2010-07-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

It's raining this morning, and I could not resist taking these pictures and hurrying to put them on the blog. What sweet, simple joy!!!!

Sunny Babies

2010-07-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

It has been such a HOT summer; however, due to recent bible studies, I am learning that I need not complain, but REJOICE in all. So, I'm rejoicing as I sweat! :o) I'm 33 weeks pregnant today and really anxious for Callie to get here. I keep wondering what she'll look like, how the girls will adjust, how Nathan and I will adjust, how I'll grocery shop with three kids....that sort of thing. Such a mood of anticipation around here!!!! Callie will be here September 2, presuming I don't go into labor before that. It's Nathan's and Mr. Billy's birthday, so we're keeping the date going. :o) Hooray for new babies!!!!!
Here are some pictures of my "older" babies......life doesn't get much sweeter!

I'm sure this is the way they want kids to stand in the highchair manual.....

Divas headed outdoors....

I mean, seriously.....I just melt.

Off to play in the water with my girls!!!

June Blooms!!

2010-06-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Been such a busy month around here!! I know I always say that, but it just seems like everyday is filled with more and more things to do. Here are some highlights from June!!

Eating with Dad at Olive Garden while we wait for Mom to get home from Vancouver....
At the airport......Vana, Sadie, and Rylie had a BALL entertaining the visitors WAY past their bedtime. :o)

Picking up golf balls in Thibodaux...they seem to enjoy dumping the balls MUCH more than picking them up.

My tan babies...the pool has been our hideout this year!!

Sadie Bug FINALLY smiling for the camera....

Our new bench from our sweet neighbors....

PURE JOY.

We can hardly CONTAIN our excitement!!! :o)

CUPCAKES from Lauren Johnson...the greatest snack ever.

Rylie...that little smile could launch a thousand ships...or something like that for my literary friends. :o)

The girls turned two on June 20th! We had a birthday party here at the house with our lifegroup and other friends. Instead of gifts, we asked everyone to bring donations to help our dear, dear friends, Eric and Lauren Johnson, adopt their son from Ethiopia. It was the most special party in the world!! I hope we are able to teach them that giving really is better than receiving. In other great news, Melissa is PREGGERS! She and Wade will have another munchkin in January, so our Callie will have another cousin her age. HOO-RAY! :o) We are going to Illinois this weekend to see my grandpa, so I'm pretty excited about that. It's a long drive, but it's SO worth the precious moments we get to spend with him. We also landscaped our house with the fabulous work of Grammie!! Mom did an exceptional job, and I can't wait to post pictures of her hard work....she is the greatest landscaper in the world!!!!! Hope everyone is staying somewhat cool in the midst of this heat...love to all!!!

Uh-oh!

2010-06-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

I should be kicked off the blogger for not blogging in a month, but now that school is over, I think it's going to get better. This is a little of our lives right now....
Sadie Bug...not sure what's going on here... Rylie and our first "craft" that we made for summer. It was a fan with crepe paper glued on it to flutter in the wind. :o)

It's tough being this fabulous, but somebody's got to do it. :o)

"You talking ta me????"

Love them.

Quick update for all of us...life is grand! Nathan and I just got back from New York, where we had fabulous adventures and a grand time, but it's good to be home. He is loving work, and I am loving summertime. We got a pool membership, and we haven't missed a day yet. :o) I am now 26 weeks pregnant, and I've had a marvelous pregnancy. We are having another sweet baby girl, and at this time, her name will be Callie Marie Sharbono. I'm so excited about our new baby, but I'm very anxious on how our current babies are going to handle it. I think they'll be GREAT big sisters, but I don't know how much they'll enjoy my divided attention. I feel so blessed that God has given us three girls. I know how much I adore my sisters, and I know that Sadie, Rylie, and Callie will be equally blessed to have one another as best friends, shopping buddies, clothes stealers, etc. Our plan is still to have four kids...I know some people think we're nuts, but we delight in our growing family, and I am so excited about our future together with our precious children. I want to grow old surrounded by Nathan and our kids and their kids. The Lord has been teaching us a lot about seeing people as souls (not just empty bodies) and praying in FAITH that God will do what He has promised. I pray that if you are reading this, you know Him as Savior and Lord. It's the only thing that truly gives life. I love my sweet Jesus, and I love all of you! Have a blessed week!

A Month of Pictures....

2010-04-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

I am frantically trying to get these pictures up before we leave for school, so I have no time to post. Boo on a 24 hour day. I need a 34 hour day!!! Here are Easter pics, tractor pics (yes, we have one!!), Stella Pourciau's B-day pics, and other events from the past month. We have had such a busy month, but it's been a ball!!! I am 20 weeks pregnant today, and we are finding out whether it's a boy or girl at 1:00!! God has richly blessed our family this year, and I'm overjoyed--and a little nervous--about our new bundle. I hope you all have a wonderful week!!!

Random Moments

2010-03-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

We are finally getting back outside, so hopefully, I will start taking a LOT more pictures of these little love bunnies. Here is Rylie bundled up with her juice....

And Rylie with her apple....

And Sadie not getting her way.....

Guess who has an easier personality??? :o) They are learning so much everyday...new words, motions, dance moves (eek!!), etc. I had a "freak-out" moment the other day when I realized they would start school in THREE years....a little early, right??? I just don't know where these two years went, and knowing that the girls won't be the "babies" anymore is a little bittersweet. I can't WAIT to see how they react to the new baby. They LOVE Savannah and Carson, so I hope that love flows right over to our new baby. Ought to be fun to watch. :o) Hope everyone has a happy week! LOVE!

There will be more when I have Time!!!!!

2010-03-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

A couple of pictures from time with the family. I don't have time to post captions, but I got these uploaded, so here ya go!!!!!

For Your Viewing Pleasure... :o)

2010-03-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

Hope this makes you smile today. :) I'm going to be MUCH better about blogging in March.

My First Book Review!!!

2010-02-08T18:16:00.000-08:00

How to Reach Your Full Potential for God by Charles Stanley

For those who want to live a life of purpose, Charles Stanley has written an encouraging, Biblically-sound book to help! First, the gives the reader the foundation of living any sort of life with purpose, which is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus, purpose has no meaning, and Stanley makes it clear that this is the first step in pursuing one's potential. Second, one must realize his role as a servant to truly honor our Lord who lives within. It is only when our God-given skills become our SERVICE that we are able to live lives in full submission and with glorious purpose! Stanley's principles of "success" vary greatly from the world's definition of success (but doesn't it always work like that!!). Servanthood, sacrifice, surrender, and submission are not admired qualites in our world today, but they are essential to serving Jesus. If we will sit at His feet and find rest, our purpose will flow from that, and our lives will be fulfilled...TRULY fulfilled. We don't have to wait until heaven to experience the love, passion, and peace of Jesus Christ; He offers that to us as a free gift as His sons and daughters. THAT is our purpose, and Stanley does an incredible job of encouraging the believer as we wait for the best that is yet to come! Enjoy your reading!!

In other news, life has been good and busy for the Sharbonos. Had a BLAST watching the Saints win the SUPERBOWL!!!!! I know the Lord probably wasn't TOO concerned with the outcome, but I was still praying hard for our guys to win!! :) I usually don't get nervous about games, but it just felt like it was for our state, and I don't know...we needed it, maybe?? Anyway....what a fun football season! Church has been really amazing...I have been learning so much about grace and rest, and we recently found out that the Lord has blessed us in another way. We are going to have another baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) The fifth Sharbono will be here around September 8. I can't believe our family is growing again...and I also can't believe I will have three kids, ages two and under! :) I will need EVERYBODY'S help, so you can sign my sign-up sheet whenever you're ready. :) Thanks for loving us and for walking with us in this journey of life. Love to all!!!!

Licking the Beaters...

2010-01-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready for a baby shower, so I can't write much, but I HAD to update the blog. Here are the beauties before church. They are playing grocery store or something like that... Poor Sadie. She's had a tough month. She is entirely broken out in a rash from amoxicillin....seriously...it looks AWFUL. Thankfully, it's not anything contagious or really bad, but the girl has got some whelps. AND she chipped her front tooth. I'm not sure how, but there's a definite piece missing. I talked to the dentist, and they don't think it's really necessary to fix since it will fall out anyhow, but I'm not yet convinced. I'm not getting it done yet, since she's still so little, but in a year or so, I think we'll definitely be taking a trip to get a tooth repaired. Poor kid.

Delightful little police officer. :)

And the final shots...licking the beaters for the first time...every kid's favorite thing to do!! :) I made a no-bake cheesecake (gross) for a friend (who likes them), and the girls LOVED it.

I know they look like they need haircuts, but I'm trying to let the bangs grow out, so don't fuss me. :) Happy Saturday!!!!!

Bye-Bye 2009!!!

2010-01-02T17:13:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Chrismas season this year!! It was very busy, but we had a lot of great moments with friends and family, and I'm very sad to see it gone for another year. Maybe we'll have a huge Valentine's Day celebration this year so I can look forward to the next holiday. :0) To start out the holidays, I had some of my girls from school over to bake cookies and play Dirty Santa. The cookies were great, the decorations were precious, and the game was hilarious. I LOVE my girls!! Ash eating a little cookie to help her finish her final exam. :)

We had our first slumber party with Savannah!!! The girls had SO much fun taking their first bath together. Vana was so excited, and she kept grabbing for Sadie and Rylie. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and by the end, it was a big splish-splash fest. And yes, I had to clean it up all by myself. Worthless sisters. :)

Grammie and Pop came up for some baby time. When they are here, the girls go out with them to the property EVERY day. You can tell they are pumped about the trip!

Pop... :o) ....every day with him is better than the last!

Nanny and Rylie at the bonfire in our backyard. The girls love their Nanny!!

Lis, Hez, and Savannah snuggling to stay warm. This is because I kicked them out of the house for not cleaning up earlier. :)

The house on Christmas morning. The floor was covered!! Sadie and Rylie were old enough to open their gifts AND everyone else's. Poor Carson...stinking girls messed with all of his stuff. ha!

Our new rocking horses from Aunt Lissie and Uncle Wade!!!!!!!!

They didn't get to play enough when they were kids. :o)

A couple of dinner time shots...this is usually when we have the most fun. The girls love lunch ALMOST as much as their momma does!

Our new white table from Grammie and Pop. It's perfect for coloring pictures (which they do now! EEK!) and for playing with their pots and pans. The girls LOVE it!

Our New Year's gang at the house...we were packed out! It was the BEST New Year's EVER!

The Brinker girls...the Brinker man was asleep in the back. I guess that's what happens when you hit 50.

Totally divine!

Vana's serious face...you do NOT mess with this baby!

2009 was amazing...I just don't see how 2010 can top it! We have a lot to look forward to this year, and our girls will be 2. Where is the time going????? It reminds me of how diligent we must be in sharing the gospel. I don't make serious resolutions, but I am committed to sharing Christ in unique ways this year. I want the girls to have an understanding of missions and what it means to be servants of Christ. I figure you can never start too early on that. I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas, and I pray God's greatest for you all in 2010!!!

To My Friends Who Love To Read!!!!!

2009-12-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

This is just a short little note for my friends who love to read. I found this thing for bloggers on the Thomas Nelson publishing website. If you will apply (it's FREE!), they will send you one book at a time (FOR FREE!) that you get to read and write a review about on your blog. You also have to list your review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. You can request anything from fiction to children, and it's a Christian publishing company, so you can be confident that you're reading something worthwhile. I just ordered my first book...it's one by Charles Stanley...and I'm SO excited about reading and writing again!!!!!!!! :) If you're interested, I put the little button thingy on the bottom of my blog. I think it will take you to the application page. Anyway...let me know if you do it...I'm REALLY excited about it!! :) Merry Christmas!

In Our Neck of the Woods..

2009-12-21T08:01:00.000-08:00

We have been running around like crazy the past week or so. Today, we are going to stay home and bake and decorate sugar cookies at the house, so it ought to be interesting. I'm so ready for Christmas to get here; I already feel like this is going to be the slowest week of my life. I have ten books from the library that I plan to delve into into after the house is clean and the cookies are baked. I am reminded of how blessed we all are to have jobs, families, joy, and peace in the midst of a very uncertain world. I know Jesus gives those blessings, and I hope we all remember to thank Him as we celebrate His coming. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the presents and the music, ESPECIALLY when there are two 18 month old babies to enjoy it, but I want my focus and their focus to be on the One who gives life meaning and purpose.
Here are a few pictures of the girls from our past week...hope you enjoy!

Loving on each other...

Rylie acting silly and crawling around in the kitchen....

Sadie wondering what her sister is doing...

The view from the top....it's a good one. ;o)

At our first LC basketball game of the season....LOVE me some mini LC cheerleaders. They were definitely the hit of the stands.

Sadie is starting gynmastics on her own, apparently. I randomly catch her in the "downward dog" position for you yoga people.

How stinking cute is this??

Rylie is my crouching tiger. :)

And here are two of our favorite people ever...Aunt Lissie and Savannah...look at the eyes on those two!

I'm off to clean house...praying that your joy is Jesus!!! Love to all!!!!

Countdown to Christmas

2009-12-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

This week was a lot of fun with the girls.:) Christmas has always been a ball, but the joy of Christmas is SO real for Nathan and me this year as we celebrate Jesus with our girls. Every part of the celebration is filled with laughter and excitement, and I'm so thankful for my kids. As with everything, life is just better with them in it! This week, we built a fort in the living room to play under. What fun!!! I remember doing this when I was a kid, and it was just as fun with Sade and Ryles.

Here we are getting ready for church in our new dresses from Nanny and Papa .... I think we were still waiting on Daddy to finish blow drying his hair. ;o)

Have more delightful gingerbread "girls" ever existed????

Going to the Jena High School "Most Beautiful" pageant to see Hannah...awfully sleepy eyeballs!

A GORGEOUS Hannah Randall with the girls...she looked amazing!! So proud to call her ours!

On Saturday, we had Christmas with the Sharbs, and we came home with so many wonderful treasures. Mrs. Dixie made aprons and scrapbooks for the girls, and they were perfect! I am blessed with wonderful in-laws who have supported and loved Nathan and me since we started dating. I am SO thankful that my girls have two sets of grandparents who love them and will teach them about Jesus and that HE is our treasure. Thanks Pop, Grammie, Nanny and Papa!! You are irreplaceable in our lives.

Saturday evening, we went to see the lights in Natchitoches. It was a little drizzly, but the girls had a great time. They were thrilled by the fireworks, and their expressions were hilarious. I'll try to post a video so you can hear the sweet screams! ;o)

Thanks, Hez, for our fuzzy vests...you keep us in high fashion!!!!!

Wade, Kurt, Mandy, and Carson...we missed you!!!! Here is the clan...my how the Brinker family has grown!!!!! I love you all more than words can express.

Looking forward to a great week! The Randall family Christmas is Saturday, and we are already looking forward to seeing all of our cousins. I can't wait to see how much all the kids have grown...hooray for the holidays. Thanks, Jesus, for being born!!!!!! ;o)

SNOW!!!!!

2009-12-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

Okay..if you hate snow, you should skip this entire post!! There are alot of scenery pictures on this post because I wanted my family to be able to experience the snow with us.

Last night from the back deck... Haiden's gigantic snowball!

The view this morning...you would NEVER know you were in Louisiana! Talk about spectacular...totally takes your breath away. We ran around taking pictures before it melted.

The view from the front door...

My house minus landscaping. :( Hopefully, this picture will have trees and bushes in it next year!!

Down our road......

Off to the right of my house...

The view of our backyard.....

The pond at the end of the road...

The cows across from mom and dad's property....

Mom and Dad's 8 acres!!!!!!

Sadie and I driving in the front seat. Totally illegal, but it's in our driveway. :)

Sadie seeing the snow when she woke up!

Taking off to Mia's house...

I love little baby footprints!!!

Our fresh-out-of-bed snow picture! :)

Learning to throw snowballs....

What a great day so far!! Now, I am snuggling up with some coffee and a good book. Thank you, Jesus, for this life!!!!

Savannah Snowflake ;o)

2009-12-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

We have a couple pictures of the girls, but most are of my sweet Vana and her first snow!!! We just took this, and I was so excited that I had to post them immediately. It's snowing AT THIS VERY MOMENT!! Sadie and Rylie are sleeping right now for the snow, but when they get up, we'll have picture time again!!!!!! ;o)

Rylie being silly with her straw cup...

Sadie Bug getting ready for breakfast...

Sadie pushing her own high chair out....it's a tough life around here. You have to work to eat. ;o)

The three musketeers!!!!!

Vana and her momma....

Vana with the snowdrops on her nose....

Me showing Vana the snowflakes on the ground. They actually stuck for a second or two!

We expect it to be covered in snow tonight!!!

Hooray for the SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Girls

2009-11-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple pics of my little girls who are growing SO fast and changing everyday right before my eyes.
The last bottle picture.... :( ....makes me sick just to type that. How can this be the last bottle??? Bathtime fun...Rylie's goofy face...

Sadie's goofy face....

Had a long, hard day...need a little rest. :) How cute is this?

My lovely Savannah...love her like she was my own. She kinda is. :)

Drinking from our straw cups. We went straight from bottles to straws. They never really got the hang of the sippy cup. I guess it's just another thing I won't have to break them from.

Santa's little elf....This is SOO gonna be under my tree for Christmas. :)

Santa's little elf NOT so happy with her cousins. This pictures does not show it, but Rylie and Savannah are fascinated with one another. They lick each other's fingers....hug, pat, and slobber on one another....it's pretty hysterical to watch. Me and Lis love it! :)

Look at those "running track" legs. This girl is going to be an athlete like her momma!! Keep the chuckles to yourself.

The girls LOVE to be thrown in the air by Daddy. If you can get a close-up on that face, it's totally worth it. :)

After hanging up our Christmas lights outside, we had a little bit of mud to clean up. Thankfully, Sadie used her tail to clean up most of it. :) Look at all the little footprints! When I was pregnant, I had a book that showed the size of the feet starting at 20 weeks and going to 40 weeks. It's hard for me to believe I get to see two sets of footprints in real life now. :) It's the greatest thing ever.

That face says more than I ever could.

Our new dresses from Stella Pourciau, who has FABULOUS taste might I add!!! She has a thug-style popped collar in this picture, but when I tame her down, she's quite the dainty little girl.

Rylie reading...she is SO my child. Sadie was standing behind Rylie and preparing to hit her. Sadie is SO Nathan's child.

Getting ready for our lunch date with the girls. I'm desperately trying to make them keep bows in their hair. By this picture, you can tell that I've only won half the battle.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I have so much to be thankful for. My life could not be more wonderful, and I praise the Lord for it. It's not to say my life is perfect. No, it certainly has its share of sorrows. We have come against many trials in the past few weeks, but God's mercy knows no bounds. How is it that the Creator of the heavens can take the time to hear the pleas of a little insignificant girl in Pineville? How is it that He knows me to my very depths and still chooses to love me? Not only am I His creation, I am His child, His daughter. He delights in my salvation, and I find rest in His love. He is my strength and my portion forever. Storms will come, but I will praise Him, trusting that He is faithful and keeps all of His promises. He is my reason for this Thanksgiving and for all my Thanksgivings. Have a beautiful, Christ-filled day! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

What a month it has been!! Our first weekend of this month, we had an adventure race with Furlow and Lance. The guys did great and really enjoyed (I use that term loosely for those who know adventure racing) their last race of the year. They are already gearing up for next season's races. Hopefully, one of the races will be held at the Azalea Trails so we can host the traveling teams at the Sharbono house! Our next weekends were birthday parties, and today we went to Texas to celebrate Thanksgiving with Nathan's side of the family. It was a wonderful day of food and family, and I ate my first fried turkey, a truly marvelous experience. We have a lot more celebrating to do this week, and just writing this reminds me of all the things I have to be thankful for. My home, my family, my husband, my children, my salvation...just a few of the things that my gracious Savior has poured out upon me. I truly am nothing with Him. I have some sweet, sweet pictures of the girls to put up, and thankfully, I have a week home from school, so I'll get to take lots more!! :) Here are some from our recent days together...

Look at the tiny little muffin staring up at her daddy as he tries on his vest for work. Makes my heart break in a good way. :)
Sweet Rylie at breakfast.

Nathan and Rylie for our first Sunday at The Gathering Place!

Rocking around the living room! They will be rocking around the Christmas tree next week!!!!!

Loving one another...watch the progression from here...

I love it when they wrestle!!! We are all looking forward to the holidays. I know they still don't really get the idea of Christmas presents, but I can't wait to see them open them anyway. :) There will be lots of music, hot chocolate, singing, decorating, baking, and worshipping. I'm already geared up for the best Christmas EVER!!

Love to all!!

New Pictures...Hip, Hip, Hooray!!!!

2009-11-02T21:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to narrate this set of pictures, because it's SOOO late, and with the time change, the girls are waking up extra early, but I wanted to get these posted before I went to bed since I have been a TERRIBLE blogger as of late. Hope you enjoy some of our adventures over the past month. If you don't get to see the girls often, hopefully, we will get to see you all during the holidays. Christmas is coming!!! Here's a shot of my brand new mirror!! Excuse the tacky tags hanging from the sconces. They are gone now, Minnie Pearl!! :)

Hope you enjoyed Rylie, Sadie, Savannah, and Carson. My dear sweet family, I love you! Night!

Quick Note...

2009-10-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

I left my camera in Jena, so I can't post my new pictures!!!!!
Quick update...life is wonderful! We are enjoying the fabulous cool weather and footed pajamas. :) Nathan tried out for SWAT...still awaiting the results. Halloween is this weekend, and we have got some CUTE little ladybugs ready for some candy (which their mother and father will eat). The girls are growing TOO fast, and they mimic everything we say. They are learning different signs to help them communicate, and hopefully, the sign language is teaching them some manners as well. I am ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas to get here. Obviously, I love the cooking part of the holidays, but I'm also ready for some time to hang out with the family. Church is great...as most of you know, we are switching locations in the upcoming weeks. We will be moving to a smaller location and relinquishing a lot of the debt that had kept us tied down. I'm THRILLED to see the ministry opportunities that will come available, and my mind is running with ideas that we can start in our community. For Pineville being CENTRAL Louisiana, it is painfully lacking in avenues and resources for people to find help for an array of issues. Hopefully, our church can begin to change that. We will no longer have the name Donahue. It's a little sad, but very, very good. The name needs to die with all the history and baggage attached to it, but it will always be an important part of our lives. I could go into some of my memories, but it's a little emotional for a "quick update" post.
I'll get my camera back soon, and I'll post the pictures of our weekend in Jena. May you all have a blessed Tuesday!!

Sneak Peak....

2009-10-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a little sneak peak of our sweet Halloween girls!!! Talk about the cutest little ladybugs ever!!

Life has been very full this past week! We have started a bible study in our home on Wednesday nights, and it's been a great time of fellowship. Of course, we HAVE to eat when we pray, and our theme for tomorrow is "breakfast foods." I wish I could relay my excitement...we are having waffles, bacon, sausage, jalapeno cheese grits, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, hash brown casserole, and more...yum!!! This weekend is LC's homecoming, so I'm sure we'll be headed to the game with our little cheerleaders. The girls had their wellness visit this week. We are scratching the door of 30 inches, and they are both a little under 20 pounds. Still tiny little muffins but BIG personalities. Sadie said another word this week, and it was.......coke. She does NOT drink the stuff, but she heard me say it, and she walked around for 30 minutes saying, "Coke." Other fun things....If you pull their hair on top, you can make a tiny ponytail, and they are HUGE fans of Raising Canes. They can throw their diapers in the trash, and they are pretty obedient to most basic commands now. When I change one diaper, the other baby gets the wipes for me. They give giant hugs, and when they don't want kisses, they only offer the cheek for you to kiss....a little exasperated-ly (if that's a word). They are crazy about Nathan and a little impatient with me. But when they are upset, they still want momma, and that's the best feeling ever. I'm pretty proud of my little munchkins....and we are hoping to add to our family soon! I'm NOT preggers, but hopefully, we will have an announcement sometime next year. I TOTALLY get why the Duggars keep having them..... :o)

Off to bed....love to all. Come to Bible Study tomorrow night if you get the urge!

Dat's Some Sweet Babies, Chere!

2009-10-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

Lissie and Savannah in Lafayette as we were on our way to see cousin Carson!!! Sadie and Rylie are hugging everything in sight...here is Rylie with Bear.

I have no idea what is going on here...Nathan took the picture...

Fighting over toys...this is ridiculously funny to watch! ;o)

They love to have the water spout going while they throw water around the deck...look at those little personalities!

Blowing kisses...this is my favorite new thing they do.

At Casey's wedding...she was GORGEOUS!!!!

Nathan and some of our favorite people EVER.

Nathan and Maria....this is the daughter of one of his life-long friends. Aren't they cute together??

We have been super busy lately. We went to Austin, Texas, this past weekend for a marriage conference, and it was INCREDIBLE. We went with our best friends from church, and I don't know if I have ever laughed that hard. We are already planning our next trip to fabulous Las Vegas!!!! I say this a lot, but I feel it a lot...God has given us some incredible relationships. Eric Johnson said it best...we experience koinonea with one another...true annointed fellowship. This is not just my Sunday School class...we live LIFE together. I have lost/been separated from friends in my life through tragedy, deception, or just distance, but God has restored my heart to love FULLY, and these friends have been a part of my healing. It's amazing how having Christ as one's bond means you are NEVER truly separated...so to my sweet friends who live far away, I love you, and I'm so thankful that we'll live close in heaven. We can hang out at the pool behind my mom's mansion. :)

Pray for mom...she is traveling to Tennessee to be part of a conference with David Platt and Kay Arthur! We are so proud of her and her love for the Lord. Mom, you're amazing! I know that the Spirit will speak through you, and I can't wait to hear all the stories from your conference...and I'm also excited about surprises from Tennessee. No embroidered shirts, Dad! haha...I'll post pictures of Austin soon....you Texas people get excited! ;o)

My Little Rays of Sunshine

2009-09-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

The girls hugging....

Sade actually climbed in here on her own after removing all the kitchen utensils. She is SUCH a rascal.

Our own little Richard Simmons....

Click on the last picture to see it close up....THAT is a ray of sunshine! :)

Have a great Sunday!!

Life Lately....

2009-09-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

I have a million pictures to post, but here are a few from Casey Randall Knotts's wedding this past weekend.
My sweet family....... The beautiful bride with two very lovely little girls ;)

Thanks for our dresses, Jo-Jo!!!

Playing with their cousins...young and old....

Sweet baby girls!!!

I have a million more to post from the wedding, but Nathan says that it is time for bed, and you all know that I am a submissive wife. ;o) See ya tomorrow!

Update Coming Soon....

2009-09-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted in forever, but one is coming soon!! We just got a new computer, and I have been trying to figure the thing out. The girls are great, life is great, and I can't wait to catch up. Love to all!

Morning Time with Sadie and Rylie

2009-09-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

This morning, the girls and I went outside to enjoy the cool breeze. They immediately went to work touring the driveway. Here is Sadie shoving a leaf in her teapot. She began to eat the leaf after...silly girl. Rylie found pipe insulation, so she went to work getting us ready for the winter. :)

We then went inside for breakfast. Sadie desperately wanted the camera, and I wouldn't let her have it. This is the despair that ensued afterward.

Here is Sadie disobeying the "sit down" rule.....

And Rylie disobeying right after....

After that, we got ready for school. They are madly in love with my girls at school! Nathan came up to see us today, and needless to say, the girls AND my female students were pretty excited. :) We are off to play volleyball! Love to all!!!

Nathan's Birthday and More...

2009-09-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

Nathan's birthday was Wednesday, and my dear husband turned 29!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dad kindly let us both know that if life was divided into seasons, we were halfway through summer. WHO SAYS THAT????? Anyway, we had friends and family over for boiled shrimp, potatoes, corn, mushrooms, sausage, and chocolate cupcakes. It was a wonderful time....we should so do it more often. Here are the girls as the party was getting started....thanks to Uncle Kurt and Aunt Mandy for the fabulous chairs. Rearranging the deck furniture....

I loved this sweet picture of Sadie's face....

Rylie deciding that the food was taking too long, so it was time to start eating something else...

Nathan's BIG glasses from Lis and Wade...it's a family joke.

His nacho plate from Heather....he made the comment, "Now I just need a wife who makes nachos..." after he opened this. That's what I'm getting him for his birthday...a wife who makes nachos. :) Anyone interested for the job???

His DIPLOMA and frame from Nathan and Brit....he is SOOO proud of this one.

The boys hugging...this picture was quite hilarious. I wish the picture could talk.....

Hez and Savannah....I couldn't get her to look.

Rylie is SUCH an affectionate little girl. Here, she is hugging Sadie. Sadie is actually patting her head, even though it looks like Sadie is pushing her off.

Mom took the girls for a walk in the wagon. This is what we found when we went to put Rylie in...Buttons was taking over!!!!

Me and Rylie...We both look CRAZY in this picture, but we were having so much fun giggling and rolling on the mattress. I LOVED the moment, even if the picture is a little goofy.

Nathan and I are getting a new (PINK!!) laptop for our birthdays, so I'm really excited. Ours has been acting up a little, and it was time for an upgrade. He did the pink as a surprise for me....he's great. ;) Kurt is ordering it, so hopefully, it will be here soon, and I'll be able to start posting more videos. Tomorrow, we are going to LC's first game this year on the new field. The girls have their cheerleading outfits ready, so there will be LOTS of pictures. I'm more excited about that than I am the actual game. :)

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!!

Lake Charles Adventure Race

2009-09-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we went to Lake Charles for our third adventure race of the year. It was at Sam Houston State Park, and it was soooooo much fun. The park was gorgeous...truly a beautiful picture of Louisiana scenery at its best. Nathan raced with Furlow and Lance Lopez, and they had a GREAT time together. After this race, they have decided to do the entire series next year. Nathan and Furlow have been running everyday, trying to get their times down, and I'm just having a good time watching. ;) On to the pictures....

This is at the first mystery event...the real mystery was trying to figure out where Damon was. :)
Yay, he was found!!!

Our boys racing in....

Sweet Stella having a jolly time with the twins...

My favorite picture of Scarlett in adventure racing history!! She is always SO pleasant during the race, much unlike the boys. Way to keep smiling, Scar. :)

Our boys back and ready to go to the next checkpoint...notice there are no smiles. I don't even think they knew I was there.

The next mystery event...they had to get water from the river and dump it in a bucket without touching the ropes. I think our bucket got dumped twice for accidentally touching the rope. There were some VERY eager judges there on Saturday. :)

Pourciaus and Kirk getting their water....

The two teams crossing one another....

Off to canoe!

Back at the camper in the cool air conditioning....isn't she so pretty???

I don't have any from the end of the race, but needless to say, it was a great day! Sorry I don't have any of Sadie and Rylie...they will be back soon! :)

My Little Flower Girls...

2009-08-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

I'm SO very tired, but I wanted to post these delightful pictures of the girls. Our favorite time with them is in the morning (actually, it's all the time, but we REALLY love the morning). They are squeally, giggly, girly-girls, and we have SOOOOOO much fun together. Today, we went to the park and then off to McDonalds for ice-cream cones. I love having kids!!!
Carson Allen Brinker is coming soon, and we are anxiously awaiting his arrival. We had Mandy's shower this weekend, and it was beautiful. I'm so proud of Kurt and Mandy...Carson is so blessed! Thanks you guys for giving the Brinker family a little boy! :) This weekend, we have another adventure race in Lake Charles. Nathan is racing with Furlow and Lance Lopez...I'm really excited to see how the guys do. I've never been to a trail race before, so this will be an adventure for all of us. Pourciaus....can't wait to see you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy the babies!!!

Card Sharks

2009-08-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Today, we have a short break from Sadie and Rylie to tell you about CARD CLASS!!! It's a new ministry the ladies are starting at Donahue, and it's fabulous. Basically, the idea of the class is to make cards to send to the unchurched, hurting, etc... We have two ladies (who are brilliant at making cards) who have cards set up for us, and we each get to make 4-6 cards per class. It's FREE and it will be held at church the second Friday of every month from 6-8 p.m. We had the BEST time...I haven't laughed that hard in a while, and I was SOOOOOOOOO proud of my little cards. I'm showing the four we made this past Friday...If you would like to come, please let me know! I'll sign you up...can't wait to see you!
It's hard to tell, but the flowers are 3-D.

We frosted the cupcakes with WALL PLASTER. Everything on these cards is textured and dimensional, and I can't get over how cute the ideas are. The ladies doing our class truly are creative marvels.

Back to my kids tomorrow.... :)

Little Bit of Ponca....

2009-08-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

I don't have the majority of the pictures yet, but I wanted to post some from my camera. Ponca, Arkansas, is in the middle of the Ozark Mountains. It is an extremely rural area with some of the greatest scenery I have ever seen. From our cabin, we had a spectacular view of the mountains. Dad cooked breakfast every morning, and then we would head out for some great day adventure. Here is Sadie with her new Minnie doll from Branson. We took one day and headed to Branson...it was okay, but I would MUCH rather be at the swimming hole. Here is the spectacular swimming hole of Ponca...the water was crystal clear, and we ALL became expert rock skippers by the end of the week.

We went to another swimming hole at Steel Creek, two miles away. This one took a little more effort to reach, but it was unreal. The bluffs surrounded us, and we felt like we were in paradise. Here is Nathan throwing one of the girls out of the water...

Grammy and Pop with lots of trouble... :)

The bluffs...this picture makes me want to go back. :(

We did lots of hiking, exploring, eating, and card-playing, but more about all that later. It's bedtime for Jenny Girl!!!!

We're BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

We spent last week in Ponca, Arkansas--land of trails, waterfalls, caves, bluffs, and chiggers. It was an AMAZING vacation with my family, and I'm sad that it was over so quickly. I have to get the majority of my pictures from mom's camera, but I wanted to post these two of my sweet little monkeys. Here is Rylie girl in her short jean skirt....

That skirt actually belongs to one of her teddy bears, but it is kind of cute that she can fit in it now. :)
Here is Sadie whining for food.....

They are both walking everywhere...the crawling stage is gone forever. :( They can shake their little heads "no", which is about to drive me nuts. They give delicious little kisses and sweet loving hugs....I just love my girls so much. Melissa and I were talking this week about how fast they grow up. I feel sometimes like I've forgotten so much of the baby-baby stage, and I just PRAY that I hold on to all my memories from this stage. Nathan looked at me last night and said, "Jen, WE have toddlers." When did that happen????? They are sleeping right now and then it will be craziness around here until bedtime. I guess that means I have to go clean my living room before they get up...:(

Love you all!!

Old Times, New Times!!

2009-08-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

This is our last post for a week because we will be without internet for a little bit. :( But I'll have lots of pictures when we return! Here are the girls trying to watch some sporting event with their daddy. I am BLOCKING the tv, and yet, they are trying to look around me. I hope they love books this much. :) This is from a while back, but here is where we found out that Uncle Kurt and Aunt Mandy were having a baby boy. Hooray for Carson Allen Brinker!!!!!!!!!!

Last week, some of my very dear friends from college came in town, and we all met up for dinner at Cracker Barrel. These girls and I had SO much fun at LC. We had a ball remembering old times and marveling at where life has brought us thus far. It was a little funny when we went to reserve our table at CB. We had to get seats for four adults and SIX kids. When did that happen???? Ashley, Amber, and Kimberleigh....I love you all, and I'm so thankful for the season we had together. You all will always be a part of some of my greatest memories. We must do this again soon!!!!!!!!!!!!

My girls in the candy...

My pitiful attempt to get everyone in the shot....

Ash's baby Payton holding my little Sadie Bug...

Amber and Samuel, Kimberleigh's son...what a hunk!!!

Sadie resting her head on Samuel. This was not staged!

Kimberleigh loving on Rylie...

The four girls!! I love these ladies!!!!!!!!!!!

I have some REALLY exciting news about life....I am going to be teaching two classes this year!! I couldn't bear to leave the girls for a fulltime position, but CCA gave me the opportunity to teach junior and senior English. I will only teach from 10:00-12:00 everyday, and the girls get to come with me!!! That way, I get to still be a stay-at-home mom, but I also get the opportunity to minister to my students. I can't imagine a more perfect job, and I was speechless when it presented itself. I have been praying about a way to reach these kids for Christ, and God just totally orchestrated this whole thing. The girls will get to take their morning nap at school while I'm teaching, and I still get every moment of quality time with them. God gets all the glory for this...I'm still in amazement! This will be my only year to do this. I hope to have another baby next summer, so I'll be back at home next year, but I hope to make the most of the time God has given me with these students.

Thanks to everybody who has been praying for us!! Love you guys!!!

Adventure Racing!!!!

2009-07-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Nathan and I went down to Baton Rouge for the Baton Rouge Urban Adventure Race. Nathan competed with Scarlett (his faithful racing partner) and Nathan Furlow (his faithful Spades partner). We left our kids with Nanny and Papa, and we headed down for a day of illegal driving, chin splints, dehydration cramps, Scarlett jokes, and sun. This is our illustrious team as they were headed to the start line. Because we have two Nathans in this story, I will refer to them as Sharbono and Furlow. Sharbono began cramping early in the race...his legs were all knotted up as a result of NOT drinking enough water before the race. We will be sure not to make this mistake again. Here, Scarlett is running with Sharbono to give him the motivation he needs to succeed. :)

One of the checkpoints was on the U.S.S. Kidd. Here we have Furlow and Scarlett, looking like they are on a morning stroll while Sharbono fought hard to keep from crumpling in pain. It sounds like I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. His cramps really were that bad.

On the boat...Furlow and Scarlett are navigating, while Sharbono looks like he is praying for angels to carry him away.

There were no angels, but I did hear tell of a delicious water fountain inside. Ah, the simple joys of adventure racing.

At Magnolia Mound...If you look closely, Scarlett's fist is pumped in exclamation. That or she is telling the boys to hurry their tails up! :)

Brittany (Furlow's girlfriend) and I were across the street waiting to turn in so we could get a good picture.

Sharbono drinking his gatorade.....

Furlow giving me a rather interesting face....

Scarlett had left these two and was headed toward the transition area!!! Headed off to the canoe portion.

Scarlett, how are you THIS happy after running and biking a ridiculous amount of miles?? This girl is a beast!!!!!!! Look at the two Nathans trying to keep up. ;)

Getting in the canoe....

THE FINISH LINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Sunday, the Pourciaus came for a visit with some of their friends from college. Here is a VERY sweet baby girl playing at my house. This is SO a picture of the future when Stella comes for a week to Uncle Nathan and Aunt Jen's house. :)

And some of my babies! :) Rylie and Sadie love boxes more than anything in life. Sadie was trying to crawl into ANOTHER empty diaper box.

Rylie getting in there with her....

Do you think this is what the ark looked like when Noah called in the animals???

Sadie's had enough of this ship....

This ended in tragedy when Sadie toppled out of the box with Rylie on top of her. It was quite funny, but I felt like a bad mother for taking pictures while they cried, so I helped them up instead. :)

I'm off to clean house. We are having game night here tonight because volleyball has been rained out. Can't wait to see everybody!!!!

Muddy Babies...

2009-07-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day of VBS...:( The kids did SOOOO great, and I really enjoyed having it at the house. Here is a picture of my kids doing their VBS song. We are performing Sunday night at the church...don't miss it. ;) Aunt Heather and Uncle Wade are lots of trouble, as evidenced by the picture below. Here, my darling dolls are splashing in the MUD!

Guess who had to clean them up.....

Yes, momma did. Not the troublemakers...but momma.

Nathan is doing an adventure race in Baton Rouge tomorrow. Please pray that he does not die!!!!!!!!!! :) Have a great weekend!!!

Pool Time!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

This is our fun pool from Aunt Heather!!! She is a great gift-giver!!! :)
What a big girl. :( I'm glad they are growing, but I miss my baby-babies...know what I mean?

Just a little bit chilly!!!

Back in our pink Barbie car!!!

Loving on our handsome daddy!!!!

I know I'm not very wordy today, but we are having VBS at my house this week, so it's a little nuts around here. I need to go prepare my lesson for tomorrow, so I hope you all have a great week!

Volleyball tomorrow night at 6:30!!!!

I LOVE Cheesy!!

2009-07-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

You will see some of the cheesiest, SWEETEST smiles in the world if you look at these pictures! :)

Nathan is watching a bridge getting blown up today; I am working on my lesson for tomorrow's conference. It's rainy and gray outside....a perfect day to snuggle up with a good book and a cup of coffee. I think I'm going to brew a pot now.....

"Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid nor dismayed for the Lord your God is with you WHEREVER you go!" Joshua 1:9

Mini-Shrek

2009-07-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Alas, this is our only picture today. The girls are TEARING the house up. They both can walk from room to room (EEEEEKKKK!!!), so nothing is safe. They are not "accomplished" walkers just yet, but they are making great strides everyday. Yesterday, I was blow drying my hair, and Sadie just walked right into my bathroom. Talk about freaking me out!!!!!!
Hope this makes you smile. :) May the JOY of the Lord be all over you today! Muah!!!

Over the Hills and Through the Woods....

2009-07-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

There are probably about thirty pictures on this post, but I couldn't leave any of them out, so you get them all!!! :)
Last week, we decided to go to Illinois to see my grandpa. He had been down to see the girls once, but they have grown so much since then, and Mom was ready for a trip back to the farm. The farm holds really special memories for us growing up. We (the kids) would always get a two-week stint to the farm during the summer, and that was the HIGHLIGHT of our year. Grandma would give us quarters for doing chores, and we felt like kings and queens with that kind of money jingling in our pockets. When I think back now, I realize how fair she was with all the grandkids. Heather couldn't do as many chores as the big kids, so she would get a quarter for tying her shoes correctly, while Kurt and I got quarters for chopping down trees. :) That way, she could give us all the exact same amount of money. They had horses, dogs, kittens, and giant fish in the pond. The garden was massive, and we would go out every morning and pick the fresh vegetables that had blossomed overnight. My grandma was the ultimate hostess...it is truly one of my greatest memories. My grandma died two years ago, and my grandpa still lives nearby in Marion, IL. He lives in an apartment in town, but he goes to the farm everyday and then visits my grandma's gravesite. You can see how much he misses her, and it felt so good to be able to see him and do those things with him. I know he was excited to see us, but he was REALLY excited to see Sadie and Rylie. He played and played with them, and I got some really good pictures of them with their GREAT-grandpa. So...here goes the slideshow.....

Arriving at his apartment in Marion after a ten hour drive....
You can see the glee on his face...and the curiosity on Sadie's face...

Out at the farm. We were sitting on the porch in front of the spring-fed well. We have never used the well (that I can recall), but it's a throwback to the olden days.

Mom, Grandpa, and the girls...I CANNOT get them to look at the camera!!!!

Dad in the yard with Rylie...this is before we went exploring on the farm.

My grandpa and my daughter...what a legacy of love!

This is my MOM's tricycle!! We found it in the smokehouse, and we put Sadie on it. I have a picture of my mom riding this when she was 1 1/2!!

The view of the backyard....You can glimpse the barn to the right and the shed to the left. Behind my dad (if you squint), you can see the outhouse that Grandma had built for us grandkids. Kurt, Melissa, Heather, Sarah, David, Sybil Ann, and William Dan....you KNOW you used it. :)

The barn and Rylie on the tricycle...

Etherton was my grandma's maiden name...that's the name on the top of the barn. Do you see the square above the door?? It used to be open. When I was a kid, I would sit up there in the hayloft and play with the kittens. Mom remembers sitting up there as thunderstorms would roll in. EVERYONE should get a chance to experience farm life!

Sadie and Rylie experiencing a little bit of it!

The loft with all the hay.....

The view out....

In front of the pond. This is where I caught my very first catfish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Loving on my babies...

This is the same place I learned to drive!!! Rylie taking a shot at the wheel...

While Sadie has the gear shift.....

Back at the hotel...the girls were on the luggage cart.

Still on the luggage cart, though they look like they are in prison...

Mom going back to her roots. She will KILL me when she sees this posted. :) Love you, Mom!

Grandpa kissing the girls goodbye.

Our last picture until our next trip to the farm.....

The farm has changed alot since I was a kid. The animals are gone now and so is the garden. It makes me sad, but I look forward to showing my girls where THEIR grandma grew up and reliving so many of the adventures we had as kids.

Thanks for a great visit, my sweet family! Can't wait till next time!

Nathan and the Girls

2009-07-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

We are home safe and sound from Illinois!! It was an amazing visit, and the girls traveled so well. I was so proud of them, and to see Grandpa's face when he saw them was a memory I will have forever. I am not posting the farm pictures just yet...gotta get them all together...but here are a few from the vault. This is my bathroom floor...Nathan and I usually decorate it with dirty clothes and towels. :) This is before Savannah got here...we were apparently having pedicure day in the Sharbono tub. I will not try to explain Wade's face here.

My little munchkins are trying to get in....

And here is sweet Savannah!!! This was last week on my couch.

Yay for tummy time!! I have this exact picture of Sadie and Rylie. She is doing such a great job holding up her head. The little munchkin just made two months, and she gets her shots tomorrow. :(

Nathan started snuggling with Savannah, which made Rylie start snuggling with Nathan. :) The girls are really starting to love on her. BFF 4 Life...(That's a nod to my junior high years.)

Look at her little cheeks...they are such kissing cheeks!!!! However, it does kind of feel like you are kissing a mini-Wade.

Sadie pushed Savannah out of the way, and she got on her Daddy's lap.

Sadie and Rylie are two wiggly little girls. They cannot stay still for ONE second!! We are all over the place with these two. I love when she "play-wrestles" with Nathan.

Total delight! :) Nathan has taught them how to headbutt, so anytime you pick them up, they bang their foreheads against yours. Cute trick, Baby.

They are both now walking across the carpet rug....it's a little wobbly, but totally amazing. It won't be long until my life will turn upside down again!! Rylie makes the "L" sound with her tongue. She tries to repeat the words "love you" anytime we say them. My heart melts every single time. Both of them will hand over anything they have in their hands if you hold out your hand and say, "Thank you." It's so, so, so sweet. I have a women's conference at church that I am speaking at this weekend, and then VBS starts next week! We are doing backyard Bible clubs, so if you have kids, bring them over to the house next Monday at 9:00. Nathan has an adventure race on July 25, which is also our SIX year anniversary!! Maybe we will have another muffin on the way for our seventh. :)

Anyway...enough rambling...have a blessed week! Tell someone that Jesus loves them!!!!

Watermelon Fun

2009-07-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

We ate watermelon at Papa and Nanny's for the Fourth. Here are the girls, naked and happy. :) Sadie doesn't think she is close enough to the watermelon...so she goes for the whole pan.

Sitting in the watermelon pan. I'm going to have to fix this before they go to a restaurant. It won't be as cute when they climb in the salad at Olive Garden. :)

Jonas and my two pot-bellied pigs....

Time to clean up! This is the expression that Rylie makes when under the "shower" part of the nozzle.

Sadie Bug!

I'm excited to say that the hearing tests went great! And she did confirm that they should also hear the word NO!!! :) Tonight, we are headed to Dry Creek to hear Eric preach with our friends from church. Totally excited about a little church camp!! :)

Also, the girls and I are headed to Memphis tomorrow! Mom, Dad, Hez, Sadie, Rylie, and I are going to see our grandpa in Illinois, and Memphis is a little pit stop on the way. Barbeque is probably my most favorite food in the world, so I plan to eat a LOT of it tomorrow. So....if you don't hear from us, it's because we don't have internet. I'm interested to see how the girls will react for their first hard-core road trip. The longest we have gone is about six hours, so hopefully, they will cooperate, and we will get to explore Beale Street tomorrow evening.

Going to pack and clean house!!! Nathan will be home alone, so feel free to invite him over for supper so he doesn't starve!!!! :)

Love to all!!!!

Happy Fourth!!

2009-07-06T06:29:00.000-07:00

There are a LOT of pictures on here, but I needed to catch up! First, we are trying out the sippy cup. I just put water in it because the contents of the cup end up all over my kitchen, and water is much easier to clean up than juice. Here is Rylie doing it the right way... And here is Sadie's version of drinking from a sippy cup...

Here we are at the softball field getting ready to watch Daddy and Uncle Russ play ball.

We went to eat at Joe's Crab Shack, and here is our sweet Sadie in her July 4th outfit...

Here I am with my little Rylie Jean...

My July 4th dessert...and yes, I was VERY proud of it. :) I took more pictures of it than I do of my children. ;)

Popping fireworks with Nanny, Papa, and Jonas. The girls were a little scared, but next year, they will be helping Jonas pop them. This was their SECOND July 4th. Can you believe they are that old????

Papa's sweet girls...

Nathan and his mama...What do you think Sadie is going for??? Yes, it's the pacifier in Nathan's hand.

Jonas lighting a fuse...He was SO excited to pop the fireworks. We love him!!

Uncle Wade showing his awe at the colorful nighttime display...Uncle Wade's a little goofy. ;)

Nanny and Papa with the sleepy little babies....

Aunt Lissie and SWEET Savannah...Savannah was not scared at all during the fireworks. She just snuggled right up to her mama. It was precious! Look at Wade in the background.....

Me and my Wadie Boy.....I could not have a better brother-in-law!!!!

The sweetest niece in America. She has the prettiest little blue eyes, and she is so curious. GREAT head control. Hard to believe that she is almost two months. Kids sure do make time FLY by.

The girls have hearing appointments in the morning. It's a follow up visit since they were preemies. I think I'm going to tell the doctor that they can hear everything but the word no. :)

We had a great church service yesterday. Our life group leader, Eric Johnson, does an amazing job of laying out God's word and using it to challenge our hearts. He always makes me think, and I'm SO excited about all we learning. We are studying the book of Phillipians right now, and it's so rich with truth and life and hope. If anybody is in the area and does not have a church home, let me know. I promise you won't be disappointed. This group of believers is just another blessing from our Lord. We love you guys!

Have a great week our dear friends!

M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I

2009-07-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

Before we go to the Mississippi trip, here is one picture from my trip to Dallas this weekend for Wes Cooper's wedding. Wes is a dear friend of the Sharbonos, and we spent MANY hours together in college and out. Nathan was unable to go, so Heather and I loaded up and made the trek to Frisco. The wedding was SPECTACULAR. There was not a detail missing, and it was truly an event to remember. This was my first weekend away from the girls, and I sobbed for about an hour when Nathan left to take them to Thibodaux. I thought my heart was going to break....the Dallas shopping helped to ease the pain. :) Wes and Kelsey are now in Hawaii, and they get to watch the fireworks at Pearl Harbor for their honeymoon!!!!! To my sweet Cooper family...I love you all. Can't wait to see you again VERY soon!!!!!

Me, Wes, and Rebekah (Wes's sister).....
On to our Mississippi trip.....The picture below will not mean much to most of you, but it's the most beautiful picture I have ever seen. :) Tuesday morning, Nathan and I woke up trying to figure out what we were going to do with our day. On a whim, I suggested a mini roadtrip to Natchez, so we got dressed, threw everything (including our daughters) in the car, and took off. We wanted to eat at Cock of the Walk (weird name, I agree), but it was not open yet, so we went to the souvenir shop next to it. We walked in and there was an entire room full of Junior League cookbooks. If you know me even a little, you know I have an obsession with cookbooks, but Junior League ones are the greatest in the world. I LOVE them. I almost passed out when I saw this room, and I took a picture so I could sleep with it at night. ;) I think the girls ate all the dirt on the floor while I browsed through cookbooks (oops!).

We decided to try a different restaurant, so we went to Pearl Street Pasta. FABULOUS food. Here are the girls tasting our lemons....we had everyone around us cracking up (...or calling child services :) )

After a great lunch, we went to do a little historical sight-seeing. There are signs everywhere for something called "Forks in the Road." I thought it would be really interesting, so we went to find it. Well, Folks, here are the forks. Save yourself the trouble.:)

We then went to the National Cemetery. This is the view from the top of the hill overlooking the Mississippi River. Vidalia on your right...Natchez on your left.

This is the cemetery with thousands of unknown tombstones. It's very humbling to think that these men and women all died for our great nation. We owe them a mountain of gratitude.

On our way out, Nathan had to get donuts from the Donut Shop. He says they are the best donuts EVER. It was so cute...he was like a kid in a candy store trying to pick out his favorite. In the end, we got two glazed, one cinnamon/sugar, and a pecan roll. Nathan ate his four pastries in four minutes...I only got one measly bite.

Returning home to Pineville...we had such a great day together, and the girls were very well behaved. I'm totally returning for some Christmas shopping. I found some really neat stores downtown, and I bought a beautiful pewter cake dome that I have been wanting for ages. Can't wait till our next road trip, sweet husband!!!

And for those of you who know the game, Nathan won July 1st. GRRRRRRRRRR........

Going Green...

2009-06-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

These pics are a little old, but I haven't downloaded any new ones yet. We took a little family trip to Natchez today...had a GREAT time. I will post that stuff up tomorrow, but here are some very sweet girls in their little pool. Playing volleyball again...Wednesday night...Tudor Hall...7:00 p.m...be there if you can handle it. ;)

Yes, we need to mow our grass. Happy July 1st!!!!!

After the Party...

2009-06-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

After the party, we tried on our new outfits and went for a spin in the car. Here is Aunt Hez matching outfits with her two little nieces...we are big on that around here.:) We survived the first birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok...these pictures are fabulous if I do say so myself...and I do. We got this Barbie Mustang (practically brand new!!!) from our neighbor and friend, Mia. Her daughter rarely used it, so Sadie and Rylie were the recipients of this fabulous gift. It plays music and goes two miles per hour. They stayed under the speed limit, so Daddy didn't have to give out any tickets.

Fifteen years from now, I will be looking at this same picture, and I probably won't be this excited about it. :) Oh, but there will be one exception...it will probably be a Ford Taurus because everyone should get one of those. Right, Dad????

I love kissing the tops of these heads...

Sadie actually put her arm up to back up. Is driving a genetic or learned skill??? Hopefully, she does not learn to drive from her Grammie...or her Uncle Kurt...or her Aunt Lissie/Uncle Wade. You all know why! :)

Jonas driving the parade car...

Ready to roll!!!

Volleyball was a BALL, but I'm whipped. Too much exercise is not healthy. :) Have a great Thursday!

Jumping Time!

2009-06-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

So, Sadie has discovered a new trick in her bouncy seat. Although she and Rylie both hated it when they were tiny babies, Sadie now LOVES crawling in it, holding on, and bouncing up and down. It's like she is on a mini trampoline, and it is soooooooo cute. Look at her excited face!! :)
If you want to see pure glee, look in those little brown eyes. DEE-lightful!!

Total concentration...yes, we stay close so that she doesn't topple over.

While I was blow drying my hair, the two rascals were having a ball. I can always tell when they are misbehaving because I can't hear them at all!! They are some sneaky little felons!! Here are our DVDs lovingly tossed around the living room floor. Rylie ate the corner off the Andy Griffith box....great taste if you ask me. ;)

We have volleyball tonight in front of Tudor at 6:30. Last week, we had an enormous amount of people, and I expect there will be more this week. We played for FOUR hours last week. It is one of my favorite events...can't wait to see everybody out there!

Let Them Eat Cake...

2009-06-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Ok...here are a few party pics!!!! First, I wanted to post some pictures of the nursery which was completed the evening before their first birthday. :-/ (That's a look of dismay.) I am SO proud of the results. The room is a creamy yellow, and with the curtains up, it feels like you are walking into a fluffy pile of cotton candy. It's now my favorite room in the house. Thanks to everyone who helped to get this done!!!!!

Ok...here are the ONLY pictures from my camera during the actual event...I'll post some more of other people's pictures later. To see more party pictures, you must check out Scarlett's or Melissa's blog. They are infinitely more organized than I.

Here the two girls sit before the cake came out....look at the fabulous array of presents. Another great reason to have twins!! :)

Daddy bringing out their first birthday cakes!!!! They had candles, which both girls tried to grab, so Nathan and I blew them out.

Their first taste of sugar...how sweet it is!!!

Ryli e eating her cake like a man....

Sadie was quite dainty as she ate her cake.....

We had sixty people at the house, and I have only one picture of one guest...do not ask me to be the photographer at your special event. :) Sweet Stella, you are the lucky winner of Mrs. Jen's one-shot-of-the-birthday-guests contest. I love this girl.

I will post some after-party pics later. Sadie and Rylie are hollering at me. Love, love!!

Birthday Party....

2009-06-21T05:26:00.000-07:00

I don't have any pictures downloaded yet, and since I'm a terrible mom, I really don't have that many on my camera. Grandmas....send me your pictures!!! :) The party was so much fun. Our dear, wonderful friends were here, and we had the best time celebrating with them. The girls were SO sweet eating cake for the first time. It's back to peas today!! :)
To everyone that was here, thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming. Each and everyone of you made it special, and it wouldn't have been the same without you. All of you have been so special to our family, and we are better people for knowing you. I was going back through the gifts last night, and I was overwhelmed by how much people have done for us. The prayers, food, clothes, time, and wisdom that you have poured out on us---I hope you know how much it is noticed and appreciated. Yesterday was just another example of God's lovingkindness. I love you to the moon and back!!!! :)

In One Day...

2009-06-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was thinking about a year ago today. I went in for a regular checkup, and I came out with two kids!! :) I could never have imagined how much Rylie and Sadie would change me as a person. They are my legacy...my contribution to the future, if you will. Everything that is good (and maybe some of the not-so-good!) about me and Nathan is wrapped up in two tiny little 16 pound bodies. I was in Limited yesterday (without the girls), and the saleswoman and I got to talking about kids. When I told her I had twins, she gasped and said that she thought that was God's punishment because having just one was so hard. It's funny because when I was pregnant, I would hear that same response at times. Well...for all the naysayers...twins are the most perfect joy in the world. It is excruciatingly hard...in the middle of the night, when you have just finished feeding one, and there's another one hollering...it seems impossible. Oh, but it's not. It is truly glorious. I actually feel sorry for people who only have one baby because they miss watching the beauty of friendship that I think only twins can share. Sadie and Rylie--their little worlds revolve around one another. They consult each other through babbles and giggles, and if one crawls, the other is right behind her. They laugh at each other, cry together, poop together....sometimes, when I walk in at night, they turn their heads at the exact same moment while sleeping. They are endearing and enchanting, and God saw me fit to be the mom of these two. I don't know if I have ever felt more blessed. I love you girls.

We will be ONE tomorrow!!!

In Three Days...

2009-06-18T06:33:00.001-07:00

Aunt Allison and Jonas at our first slumber party with the Sharbonos!!

Jonas got the girls this teddy bear. They adore it to this day! Sometimes, this is the ONLY thing in the house that they will play with!

Jonas and Rylie at her very first church service in Jena.

Our trip to the zoo!! Loved the carousel!!!!

Touching an elephant with Pop for the very first time!!

I think one great thing about kids is that you get to experience life all over again. The great thing about having twins is that you get to watch them experience everything together, and that just doubles the joy. As I write this, Nathan is holding the girls by the hand and walking them around the living room. We are not walking on our own just yet, but we take steps everyday! We are now leaving to take the girls for a morning stroll....Nathan is glaring at me to get off. :) Adios, Friends!

In Four Days...

2009-06-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I was on a picture-taking spree in January because I had gobs and gobs of pictures, so here are just a few.

Sadie Bug...I think she looks like a little model baby here. :)

Tellling secrets...I wonder how often I'm going to see this picture!!

Right before we went to Sadie's MRI....

Aunt Lissie was pregnant with Savannah!!!

Love to all!!!

In Five Days!!!

2009-06-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here was our first Christmas together!!! It was the greatest Christmas of my life because I had the two sweetest gifts in the world. :)
Here are the girls picking out their first tree....
Rylie was ready to leave... :)

Our hardworking daddy!!!

Our fabulous outfits from Damon, Scarlett, and Stella. I absolutely adored them...I wish they could wear them forever!

Hanging out on Aunt Lissie's bunny!

We have a busy week this week getting ready for our big celebration!! It's only Tuesday, and my mind is RACING with all the things I need to get done. It's hard to believe that a year ago, I was still pregnant. Unbelievable!

I'll post more this evening....off to wash dishes!!!!!!!!!!

In Eight, Seven, Six Days....

2009-06-14T15:48:00.001-07:00

If you are thinking I have done a terrible job of keeping up with our months, you would be correct. But I am now focused and ready to be on the ball this week!!! :) This is a combination of pictures from September until right before Christmas. They turned six months on December 20, so we'll do Christmas pictures tomorrow for their seventh month.

Daddy playing cards with his sweet girl...we are some BIG spades players around here. I think we literally played fifteen hands of spades this weekend, and at two hours a hand, that's a LOT of wasted time. :) Oh well, I guess everybody needs a card-playing weekend every once in a while.
The girls began to interact with one another during this period. They would hold hands and steal pacifiers. Not much has changed since then...

Heather is one mean aunt.... :)

Nathan is one mean daddy....:)

Here is the day we found out Savannah was a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Papa T with his cousins....Wade, you can explain that one. :)

Look how BALD they were!!! I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO glad we have hair now. :)

We had a great weekend, and we are so excited about next weekend!!!! The girls will be ONE on Saturday, and we are having a big first birthday party!!! Can't wait to see everyone!

Love to all!

In Nine Days...

2009-06-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Our fourth month was filled with lots of football and Sports Center.:) School began again, but I got to stay home with my girls...the greatest thing in the whole world!! I have said this before, but the sacrifice does not even compare to the reward. Life is soooo good!

Here is Sadie poking out her tongue at Uncle Wade.....:)

Learning to sit up in our Bumpo seats!

Snug as a bug in a rug!!

Our first trip to the mall...and a stop in front of a fabulous store!! :)

Pop and his girls...I think he likes them more than he likes me now. :)

Does life get any better????

In Ten Days...

2009-06-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

This one is going to be short because I have to go do P90X. I know..you should feel very sorry for me. Nathan and I are doing it together...I'm not quite as devoted, but it is interesting to see how much you can do. Anyway, these pictures were taking when the girls were three months during Hurricane Gustav. This was a nightmare for us. I was still nursing, and we had no electricity for one week. I lost about 250 oz. of breast milk....any mom can tell you that that is DEVASTATING. Nathan told me I couldn't cry over spilled milk...or defrosted. He lost a tooth after that one. :)
Here is Aunt Heather with a chubby Sadie. Do you see the fan in the background? We had a million of those going throughout the house with the generator. Here is Aunt Lissie. Do you see all the chairs on the porch??? We spent many hours there discussing SAVANNAH!!! We found out during Gustav that she was coming. That's a good story for another time! :)

Uncle Wade....love this picture....

Her first LC football game!!! We got to meet up with a bunch of old friends here. The school has a new stadium, and we are SO excited about the games this year. It totally changes the atmosphere of the games to have it on campus...makes it actually feel like college! Some of our dear friends, Eric and Lauren Johnson, work up at school, and we love getting to hang out with them when we go visit.

My little muffins on the couch. This was one of the last times we were able to do this before they began to roll!!

Looking forward to a great weekend!! Nathan is off (Hooray!), so there will be lots of yard cleaning time for sure. :) Love to all!

In Eleven Days....

2009-06-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

We brought the girls home one month and one day after they were born. July 21 was a joyous day for the Sharbonos!!!! Here is the group at the house that welcomed them when they came home. My tiny little 5-pound munchkins in their LSU caps (signed by good 'ole Les Miles!)

Uncle Wade snuggling with his new niece....

For some reason, I ADORE this picture....They would just squirm around on the blankets. It was so cute!

My little toads on the couch...sometimes, I wish I could get them to stay this still! :)

Thug Life....;)

Look at those double chins!!!

They don't even look like this anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's sideways, so I'm sorry about that. This is when the girls would sleep in our bed.

Sadie kicking at her daddy....already working on those little abs.

Snuggle Bunnies!

Bath time for the babies...we don't fit in here anymore!!!!!!!!! :(

Our first visit with cousin Asher!!!! We really are excited, even though we're a little sleepy. :)

This was an interesting month, as we tried to adjust to having two babies at home. We did not get a lot of sleep, and there were times when I thought I couldn't make it another day. But we did!!!!!!!!! Thank the Lord!!!!!!!!! :) I love you, Sadie Grace and Rylie Jean!

In Twelve Days....

2009-06-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

I already posted today, but I'm stealing an idea from Scarlett for the girls' birthday, and I have to start today! Twelve days from now will be June 20, the day my life changed for the better. I wanted to post some pics from our last twelve months together...a little brief biography of our year. Every day, I'll do a month so you can see how they have grown.

Here they are together for the very first time. The girls were about two weeks old here.

My first view of Sadie and then Rylie...You can't imagine how my heart smiled and cried at the same time.

Nathan and his daughter...truly divine.

Look how tiny....my little three pound monkey....

Rylie Jean...can you believe she is my little calm, sweet baby now??

Smiley Girl!!!

Mom and I would go in and read the Bible to the girls during the day. God's grace was all over these two.

Our first family photo! ;)

Okay....I decided to post this story. It's quite long, and I wrote it while I was still pregnant with the girls, but it's the story of how God moved in our lives. I hope it blesses you!

In August of 2007, I found out I was pregnant. What rejoicing there was in my family! After being married for four years, I was certainly feeling the desire to have a baby, and after many months of being disappointed, my dream had come true. Immediately, we began to conjure up images of a dainty nursery filled with ruffles and bows for a little girl or trucks and planes for a little boy. Hours were spent scouring the Internet for strong Bible names, and I was already trying to find an outfit for our baby to wear to my sister’s wedding the following year. God had blessed us abundantly, and oh, how we praised Him! Life was perfect, and our future was seemingly cloudless.
One Sunday morning in September, I was at church during our normal worship service. As I sang the songs on the screen, I felt an unusual prodding on my heart. A still, small voice spoke to my heart saying, “You need to pray. You need to get down on your knees and pray.” I tried to ignore it at first, but then, the prodding grew stronger. I sat on my pew quietly, asking God exactly what He was trying to say, but it wasn’t enough. “On your knees,” I heard again, so a little uncomfortably, I went to my knees. I was soundly aware of the people around me, all wondering what in the world I was doing, but I had no choice. I could hear nothing but the voice speaking, “Get on your knees.” As soon as I hit the floor, there was an unmistakable prayer that fell over my heart and mind. It was for this baby. God wanted me to give this baby and her future to Him. So I did. I pleaded with Him to mold her future, to create in her a spirit that would love Him. I remember saying, “Lord, as Hannah offered Samuel to you, so I want to offer you this baby. Take her life, her future…take everything and make it yours. I know she is not mine. She is Your child, Your creation, and You have entrusted her life to me. May we honor You as parents, and may her life be in total service to You. I trust You completely.” I quietly stood up as the greatest sense of peace and calm flooded my spirit. I knew I had been in the presence of the Lord, but I quickly forgot as I went home and began to prepare for the upcoming week.
That night, life changed drastically. I began to bleed, and my earlier peace turned to sudden panic. It was too late to do anything that evening, so I prayed throughout the night, asking God for a positive word from the doctor the next morning. I scheduled an emergency sonogram, and I sobbed inwardly as the procedure took place. I felt like a piece of me died when I heard the news. There was no heartbeat. The baby was gone. My spirit was crushed; my dreams shattered. I clung to the only One I knew could help. He held me as I sobbed; but all I wanted was her. All I wanted was my first daughter, the one who was going to change my world forever. Sadly it was not to be. God took her home, but He reminded me of the time He and I had spent together the day before. “She’s my baby, Jen. I have her here with me, and I will take excellent care of her. Yesterday, you trusted me with her future. Now, I need you to trust me with yours.” Such powerful words. At times, I spoke them with teary-eyed confidence to those around me. In private, my soul begged God to show me why this storm was necessary. But through it all—the doubting, the tears, the screams—He never left. I began to realize that I may not know why, but His grace was sufficient. That was all I had, but it was all I needed. She was with her Father, and I knew He was holding her until I could. But the story doesn’t end here. No, God restores, and as always, the best is yet to come.
I found out several months later that I was pregnant again. I told my husband and family, but our joy was more subdued this time. Certainly, we were thrilled, but our previous loss was still very tender, and we were unprepared for a similar situation to occur. Then, at seven weeks, the unimaginable happened. I began to bleed again. Every bit of spiritual growth I had done seemed to fly right out the window. It was another late night, and I couldn’t see the doctor until the next day. So, in the floor of my bathroom, I hit my knees again. Desperately, frantically, I cried out to God for mercy, begging Him to save this little life. “I couldn’t do it again. I couldn’t go through this again,” I thought, but even as these words passed through my mind, I knew that if I lost another baby, He would be there. Through every moment, He was teaching me that His grace was sufficient for whatever storms may come, even another miscarriage.
I went in for another emergency sonogram. I was praying for life, but I was prepared for the opposite. The young lady administering my sonogram was quiet, and I just prayed, feeling the forces of heaven petitioning in my behalf. She turned the screen to me, and said the most beautiful words: “Your baby looks good.” Tears of joy immediately began to stream down my face. But it didn’t end there. “Here’s her head, her arms, and her legs….and here’s the other one!” At first, I was confused. “The other, what?” I asked. “The other baby,” she chuckled. Yes, you are reading correctly…it was twins! In one moment, I thought I had lost everything, but God—being the magnificent God He is—restored life in my body! I had not one, but two beautiful blessings. God restored two-fold what we had lost, and I knew at that very moment that our lives and the lives of our children were nothing without Him. I guess I had always known it, but at the moment, I grasped the truth of it. The beautiful, unimaginable, unshakable love of Jesus is real and living, and it’s for all of us, if we just grab hold of it! He is a God of healing and restoration. Our Lord did not just move and work in Bible times; He is alive and moving now. He is a God of miracles. He did not come, so we could just have life. He came so we could have life and have it more abundantly!
I’m happy to tell you that our twin girls, Sadie Grace and Rylie Jean, will be joining our family this year. I’m busy putting together their nursery, and I can’t wait to see their sweet faces. They are a constant reminder to me of God, his faithfulness, and the true joy that storms can bring. His timing is perfect. He wrote this story, and as the Almighty author, I praise him for this next chapter and those that will follow.
I have learned more about God during this time than I ever thought possible, and I can truly say that I am learning to praise him in the troubled times. There is a little girl in heaven waiting for me to hold her, and her two sisters will know of the impact she had on all of our lives, showing us the beautiful character of our Savior. Through her life, God changed me, showing that His blessings for my life are greater than any I could imagine for myself. Truly, what a mighty God we serve!

See you tomorrow for our 2nd month!

More Jackson...

2009-06-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

My pictures are a little out of order, so I found and wanted to throw in these shots of Savannah. Here she is at the house...you decide if she is having a good time. ;)

Sadie was trying to see what was making all that noise!!! Savannah has the cutest little wail in the whole world...I'm sure Melissa and Wade are tired of hearing it, but we love it! :)

Okay, so we got to Madison, MS, and we checked in to our hotel. The girls were so excited to play after three hours of riding. Mom chased them all over the bed playing the "I'm-gonna-getcha game." (I know you know what I'm talking about!! ) The girls went nuts!!!! They squealed and scrambled all over the place...it was delightful!

And then...DAD got back from work!!!! Boy, we were excited when he walked in the door!!!!

We are all clearly transfixed by him. I don't know what he was saying, but apparently, it was interesting. :)

Hope everyone has a Happy Monday!!!!

We're Goin' Ta Jackson...(Part 1)

2009-06-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

The day before we left for Jackson, I did MAD cleaning around the house. I had folded seven loads of laundry, and the girls kept wanting to mess it up, so we put them in the buckets instead. :)
Me getting ready to go...my sweet girls not sure what they think of my headwear.....

There are multiple avenues from Pineville to Jackson, but my favorite one is the Natchez Trace. It's a little slower than other routes, but it's SO much prettier that it makes it totally worth it. I have made this trip a couple times in my life, and I love to stop and look at the historical markers on the Trace. There is SO much history to be found here, and it's quite fascinating to think of the thousands of people that lived on this land before us. We stopped in a a little ghost town called Rocky Springs. This is the sign at the entrance...

If you just read that, I'm immensely proud of you. :) This was apparently a thriving town before yellow fever and boil weevils hit the area. The town never recovered. All that is left is a church and two old safes from the post office. Here we have Mom and Sadie making their way up the trail. You can actually walk along the area that used to house the town.

Me and Rylie girl....

Here is the church...totally spectacular. They still have services here every Sunday.

My little front row Baptists in some STRAIGHT-back pews. I don't know how people did it back then. It was horribly uncomfortable, but it keeps you from sleeping in church!!! :)

The big picture....

The girls and I leading worship....this is the biggest balancing act EVER. You can't imagine what it took to keep them still for the picture.

Look at Rylie's face...I love it.

I'm also a big fan of old cemeteries. They are so quiet-- almost sacred. Nathan thinks it's morbid, but I love to explore these. They tell stories of families, and they have the most beautiful inscriptions. This one was truly beautiful.

More to come...this was just the first hour and a half of the trip. :)

Swimming Babies

2009-06-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

We are still in Jackson, but I wanted to send a quick post. The girls went swimming for their very first time, and they had an absolute ball. Here are just some of the pictures from our little jaunt...can't wait to tell about our whole trip. It's been WONDERFUL!!!!

Clearly, I did not know to look to the right for this shot. I think they are staring at Dad....

Busy Bees

2009-06-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to Nanny for this wonderful picture of my two angels!!!

It has been an entire week since I posted updates on my little monkeys. We have been busy bees around here!! Thursday, we had our NICU appointment to check developmental growth. I'm extraordinarily happy to tell you that we are at eleven months for gross motor skills (pulling up, walking holding on to furniture...)!!!!!!!!!!! This is major because it was supposed to take two years to catch up, and they are right on target with babies born at the right time. We are at nine months for fine motor skills (picking up objects with thumb and first finger...turning pages of a book...)which is were they are expected to be. The NICU nurses were so proud of them, and you can't imagine what an excited mom I was. We were invited to speak for the Children's Miracle Network on TV this past Sunday. We went in for a live interview (yes, I wanted to throw up before we went on! :) ), and the girls did great. I got to tell their story, and the world got to see them!! Ok, maybe just central Louisiana got to see them, but it was so exciting. If you haven't given yet, please consider giving to the CMN. They were instrumental in the lives of Rylie and Sadie. SO...after our TV debut, we went to watch it with our new cousin Savannah. She is scrumptious--totally delicious!! I'm so in love.

On Monday, we went down to Lafayette to find out that we are definitely having a BOY cousin in September!!! Carson Allen Brinker...I love you already! You had the most perfect face in your pictures, and I'm so excited that you are joining the family. Kurt and Mandy...get ready for the greatest adventure of your lives!

Today was a MARKER day in our lives. Rylie took her first STEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, my sweet baby girl stood up on her own and took a step toward her toy box. I ran around the house hollering after it happened. She did it once more this evening, and it was just as exciting as the first step. Sadie doesn't think it's too interesting, but Rylie definitely knows she is doing something right. :) Hooray for growing girls!!

We head out to Jackson, MS, in the morning with Grammie to go see Pop. I feel confident that there will be lots of shopping and pool time...Sadie and Rylie insist. :)

Lots of pictures when we get back Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love to all!!!!!

PS....Welcome to Shylah Claire Fusillier....We are so glad you are joining this massive clan of girls. You are beautiful!!! :)

Polka Dot Pretties

2009-05-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here are the girls in their Sunday dresses....

How well do you know Sadie and Rylie??? Who is who??? :)

Family Time

2009-05-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some cute pictures I got off of Heather's camera...

Uncle Kurtie with his nieces...Uncle Kurtie is going to be a dad in 3 1/2 months...watch out world!!!! :)
Aunt Hez with the girls...That's my tanning chair behind them
. :)

Bear (our very sweet cat) loving on the babies.

Bear is VERY protective of Sadie and Rylie...she loves them, and they can't take their eyes off of her.

Rylie has had enough...she's going stair climbing.

Playing with the dandelions...how I love my baby girls.

All tuckered out after a day of fun....I bet the troopers would love this picture. :)

Savannah came to see us today!!! We ate potato soup, and then Nathan and Wade played

7, 987,456 games of horseshoes. Nathan made sand pits and everything, so if you're in the mood for some horseshoes, come on over. We also got a volleyball net and a kickball...it's like third grade all over again. We are having a big Memorial Day fish fry at the house tomorrow, and I'm DYING to eat the giant watermelon sitting here in my kitchen. Hope everyone has a great holiday, and a HUGE thank you to our troops who are fighting or have fought so that we may live in the greatest nation in the world. Uncle Dan, Uncle Tom, Daddy, Kurt, Glenn, Dennis, and Orvalle...We are so proud of the men in our family who have been in our military!!! Love you all!

On the Boardwalk....

2009-05-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the girls decided it was time for a road/shopping trip. Sadie and Rylie have not been to too many stores since birth because I have been so anxious about them getting sick. Now that RSV season is finally over, we have a LOT of catching up to do. I'm planning on these two being my shopping buddies for life, and if that's the case, they must have extensive training. When momma shops, she SHOPS. I don't necessarily have to buy, but I do like to look at EVERYTHING, especially if the name of the store is Nine West. :) Some of my oldest, dearest, and best friends live in Shreveport...Josh, Candace, and Sydney Rivet. We all went to high school together (Thibodaux High, Class of (gulp!) 1999), and Josh is now in med school at LSU-Shreveport. Candace has a fabulous bow making business (Yay, Chicky Girls!), and Sydney is their adorable little girl. We met up for lunch at Cheescake Bistro, and then hit the stores. The girls racked up...seriously, how can you pass up a Carter's kids store??? We went to the Rivet house after, and the girls got every color bow imaginable. They got a little grouchy toward the end, but overall, I was really proud of how they behaved. We did have one little incident. While in Gap, Rylie grabbed two tank tops that weren't really her size. I guess she wanted them bad enough to steal them because they sure did go out the store with her!!!!! Heather quickly returned them once she realized, but I think it's lovely that they girls are stealing before they are one year old. Nathan will have to take them in a trip in the back of his car to see how much they REALLY like stealing. :)
Here we are leaving early Tuesday morning....Aunt Hez and Rylie....

PUMPED about the elevator...they loved it.

Yay for our new friend, Sydney!!!

She was so sweet with the girls!! She even fed them Puffs!

The pretty dancing fountains at the Boardwalk....

Sydney taking a great picture...Sadie and Rylie, not so much. :)

Can't wait to see you guys again!! Thanks for a wonderful day!!!!