We're Back!

Have mercy. This blog doesn't even know Shelby Grace who was born March 1, 2012. I could beat myself up for the fact that there is no pregnancy blog documentation, no documentation of how beside ourselves we were to meet her, to find out we were having her, etc... However, I am still black and blue from all the mental beatings I have given myself already over the fact that my kids actually request high fructose corn syrup (They're denied), have rolling brawls in public places over important matters like "you just looked at me" and that just today I am addressing Shelby Grace's birth announcements so I can get them out before she turns 7 months.

Here are a few stories you missed...with more to come in the future...

Payton decided to declare publicly that Jesus Christ was and is his Savior. It was beautiful and perfect. The times of talking with him leading up to that day were treasured conversations as he told us, "now is the time...I need Jesus, I love Jesus and I want everyone to know it." One night after one of these conversations Benjamin came in and asked if Payton was indeed being baptized and we told him that he had made that decision. He them said, "Well then, I guess I will be too, if Payton isn't going to hell, I am not going by myself." Back to the theological drawing board with our Benj...

Nearly 2 months after Payton's big day of baptism...Benjamin made the decision to be baptized as well. In the process of our studying, Tony told Benjamin, "Son, one day you will take your last breath here on earth and take your first look at heaven, you will meet the Lord. If in that moment He asks you , "Benjamin- why should you come into heaven?" what will you say? Benjamin looked at us, smiled big and said, "I love your son Jesus and I'm supposed to meet my family here." I love that we have the ultimate meeting place.

After her brothers were baptized Eden kept thanking the Lord that they got to keep their skin. She said she had learned in Bible class that when you get baptized Jesus washes all your skin away.

Benjamin knocked a squirrel out of one of our tall trees with a golf ball. The squirrel literally dropped to the ground. We all screamed. Benjamin could not believe he did it. Payton began to yell  "He is dead! YOU KILLED HIM! How could you?" I told Payton he had to calm down and quit screaming because everyone in the neighborhood might think something terrible had happened in our back yard. He then yelled, "Something terrible has happened. OPEN YOUR EYES!" We might need to steer Payton towards drama. As we got everyone calmed down the squirrel came to and crawled up the tree like he had just aged 60 years. Benj and Eden  have now made it a bed of leaves and leave half of the produce section of Kroger out every night as a peace offering. 

Eden took intense swim lessons this summer. She can now swim like a fish. The first day she got tossed in the pool and did not like it. She got tossed again...like I said, intense. When we got in the car she said, "wow. my teacher obviously did not learn self control when she was a child."

We went to the beach this summer on vacation and loved it. We realized Payton had spent too much time at the water park when we walked onto the beach and he screamed, "Quick! Get in! The waves are only on for 15 minutes!"

Eden expresses herself through Shelby Grace. The other day as we were walking in to a new place Eden said, "Shelby wants you to know if she doesn't make friends in here she will be all kinds of angry. She will scream, she will kick and you will turn red from being embarrassed. We just want you to know." I let Shelby Grace know real quick what our family expectations were in new situations. Eden said, "She hears you but isn't sure she feels it in her heart." Such an articulate 7 month old.

Sweet Shelby is a sleeper. She is forever being lifted out of a deep sleep and placed in her car seat. The other day on the way to school Benjamin said, "Shelby looks confused." I replied, "She is probably wondering how she got here. (meaning in the car) Payton looked at me incredulously and said, " Seriously Mom, she is 6 months old, I hardly think she needs to know how she was made."  

We have the fattest squirrels in the neighborhood because everywhere we go Eden collects food for them and leaves it at the bottom of their trees, all they have to do is come down pick up the food and bury it, which they do. The other day we were trying out a new chiropractor. On the way in Eden must of found 100 acorns and promptly filled her pockets for the squirrels. When we we went in the chiropractor was asking her questions and then asked her to crawl up on the table. She looked at him with her big blue eyes and said, "you can work on my back but whatever you do, don't touch my nuts." I almost passed out.

There's more...but I'm out of time. I hope I do a better job of documenting our lives. I want to always remember in the midst of the craziness how much laughter there was...and is. I am forever thankful to the Lord for this life I lead.