Happy Birthday Aiden

Birthday Breakfast -He's a whole hand!

Tough guy in camo

Aiden's Build A Bear date with my parents, and his new friend Sam.

Happy Birthday Aiden!

Burning some of that sugar off.


Wow, my oldest child just turned 5...that makes me a mom for 5 years now. Time has gone by so fast. I am teary as I reflect on our time together. I just knew I was having a girl, before we found out we were having you at 20 weeks, and I am so glad I was wrong. God had such a sweet plan for our family Aiden, as He made you the big brother of 3 little sisters. You are such a great example to your sisters (most of the time). You are kind, and compassionate. You really try hard to do the right thing. You have a servant's heart, just like your Daddy. You love people, and are sensitive to other's needs. You are passionate and fiery just like your name. You are a deep thinker, always stumping me with your questions, mostly about God. You are a learner, and that excites Daddy and I so much. We see your wheels turning all the time. Daddy and I talk a lot about what you're good at and what you might be when you grow up. What we hope most for you is a vibrant, growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We pray that you will follow God's leading in your life above anything else. We pray that you will lead a life of integrity and purpose. Aiden you are so dear to us. You have taught us so much as your parents. You have shown us what unconditional love looks like. You have put a face to sacrifice. You have shown us our deep deep need for God's love and mercy. You are a treasure and we praise God for the gift of your life. Thank you for making us parents 5 years ago. We are better for it. We love you son. Happy 5th Birthday little man.

Happy Birthday Grier 3/9

She just opened her tea set. She's pretty excited.

Suddenly bashful as we sang Happy Birthday to her at breakfast.

Her fake smile.

She didn't want me to take pictures...yeah, she's only 2.

Enjoying her birthday cupcake.

Camp out in their "tent"

Happy Birthday my sweet Grier. You just turned 2, and mommy can hardly believe it. I remember your birth like it was yesterday...maybe because my epidural didn't work. You are a complete joy for Daddy and I. You make us laugh on a regular basis with your goofy faces, and dances. You love to be the family clown, and you brighten our day with your smile alone. You want to be a big girl so badly, doing everything that Gracen does. You are a quick learner watching your older siblings. That is not always a good thing. You really like to use the word "no" and we are continuously showing you that that is not a good choice. :) On a positive note you have learned to undress yourself already, and you walk like a pro in your dress up high heels...even better then your big sister, and probably Mommy too. I love to listen at the door when nap time is over and hear the little conversations you have with all your little "friends" in your crib. You are such a character...and so quirky. I can't wait to see what God does in your life little firecracker. I pray that you love God and enjoy going to church with your family. I pray that you make a decision early on to place your faith in Jesus. I pray that you have a love for people, and you let your little light shine. I am so proud of the big sister you have become. You are so sensitive to your baby sister's needs, and I love the way you try to help me all the time...burping Evan, bringing me a diaper or her burp cloth, trying to put a pacifier in her mouth...and even rocking her in her carseat. Our family would not be complete without you, my precious Grier. Happy Birthday...You are loved.

Smiles

Could that smile be any bigger??? Her shirt is so fitting. Evan is a happy girl...she is the sweetest baby! God has blessed us tremendously. She smiles all the time. All of our kids as babies smiled so easily and frequently. But Gracen was the smiliest of them all...until Evan came along...she might just give Gracen a run for her money.

Found One

Gracen and my dad

Gracen and AidenWell, I was trying to find a picture of Aiden and Gracen together at Evan's age, so you could see how weird it looks. I'm telling you..Evan looks like Gracen. Is it just me or can you see it too? Gracen was quite a bit bigger...my little chubs...but I can still see it. Well anyways, you might think I'm crazy but I prayed that Evan would like Gracen. Every time I say that I get strange looks, but I wanted Evan to look like her, b/c Gracen has some middle child issues. I wanted her to feel like she fit in. I figured if we had 3 bright red heads and then her, well....she might be sensitive about the differences. It's obvious at this point that Evan doesn't have bright red hair like Grier and Aiden...and I'm just blown away that God would answer such a seemingly silly request...that He would listen to me go on and on about my concerns for my middle child, and show me in such a sweet way that He not only listens but He cares. Isn't He so cool?

Before and After

BEFORE

AFTER


The days are getting warmer and we thought Aiden could use a change. So we said good-bye to his "mop top" for now. I don't know how well you can see it, but he got a "faux hawk", and it is really too cute. Although, he looks older, and I'm kinda sad about that. But he is turning 5 in a few weeks, so I guess it's okay. He asked to hold Evan the other day...and the picture is really strange for Blake and I b/c she looks SOOO much like Gracen. But all the pictures of Aiden with Gracen at this age are of him as a baby too. He was just 13 months when she was born. It's kinda playing tricks on our eyes.

Blog Banner Props

I just wanted to give a shout out to my BFF, Kendall who is seriously one of the most talented people that I know. She created the new banner on my blog and broke into my account and did a little makeover. How fun is that?! She has an amazing eye...and I'm so glad that I'm a recipient of her talent.

My Little Girl

So I started the "Project 365" after seeing other people's pictures. It seemed like a fun project to take on. I've only been doing it for about a week, but it makes you look at everything differently...everything is a potential "moment". Anyways, Gracen was at the table finishing up her lunch-side note: she is the SLOWEST eater that you have ever met. We are all done and gone and she is still at the table finishing up.-So I was in the living room and I glanced at her, and she seemed like such a big girl to me. Something about her pony tail, sitting on her feet, and eating a whole apple, just seemed really surreal to me. I can't believe she is about to be 4. Where has all the time gone? My first born daughter is getting bigger, and I think I just noticed for the first time. I'm not so sure I'm ready for this. I tell her often that she is never to leave me...she's pretty loyal...she tells me that she'll live with me forever. I love it! Aiden on the other hand says "Mommy, I have to go and get married and live in my own house." We'll see about that. ;)

Guess That Baby Mystery Solved!

Okay, so this is the correct order of my babies:

1. Gracen

2. Aiden

3. Evan

4. Grier

Ya'lls comments were so funny. There were only three people that guessed correctly. I know it was tricky so I won't give my "BFF" a hard time for guessing wrong. ;)

Way to go Marissa, Cristy and Stacey! And might I just add a special props to Marissa and Cristy. Marissa has only met the first 3 kids like twice. And Cristy has only met Aiden...and he was 3 days old. That was so fun! Thanks for humoring me.

Guess That Baby

I'm just curious to see who can tell my babies apart. Write in and let me know who you think is in each picture.

Bethlehem

They were mesmerized by the wiseman talking to them near the manger
It was a late night and Grier was DONE!
They couldn't wait to see Baby Jesus in the manger.

I know this is blurry...but I really liked this picture of them talking to the townspeople.

Gracen and Aiden had a blast petting all the animals in Bethlehem.

I know I'm totally going out of order on all these postings, but I have a lot of catching up to do. Before Christmas we went to Burnet, to see a re-creation of the city of Bethlehem. Wow, it was unbelievable! It was so realistic and surreal to be there. We went out to dinner first in Liberty Hill...it was just one of those great nights, where everyone gets along...we're having fun, we're excited to see Baby Jesus. So we head to Burnet on the last night of this thing, thinking we would just whip in. Wow, were we wrong. Okay, this is literally days before I am due. We have all three kids, the stroller, and lollipops...but we still weren't prepared. We had to wait in line for almost 2 hours!!! This was apparently the place to be. Did I mention that I was days away from giving birth!? Yeah, we got some stares. I think I made people nervous thinking they might have to assist in delivering my baby. Anyways, this thing was amazing, and so worth the wait. We decided it will definitely be a tradition every year. The kids thought it was so neat, and it was a really great reminder of what we are truly celebrating. I was watching "Mary" cradle her baby in her arms in a cold, damp cave, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by men...and at that moment I realized how blessed I was that in a few days, I was going to deliver my baby in a warm comfy room, surrounded by my loved ones. It really put things in perspective for me. I would encourage everyone to check it out next year. You will not be disappointed.

Pregnant Shots

My BFF Kendall, came and took some tummy pics of Evan right before she came. These are so special to me! I wish I had thought to do this for my other three kids, but I'm so glad I have them for Evan. I absolutely love them! Thank you Kendall!

Christmas

Going through their "stockings"

Couldn't get a good picture with Grier in it. She was a little fussy.

See...

Check out her chipmunk cheeks...stuffing candy in her mouth, when she thought we weren't looking.

Christmas was a little different this year with a brand new baby. We stayed at our house and just relaxed. It was awesome. Blake's parents came over for lunch, and mine for dinner. We spent a great day just enjoying our newly expanded family, and our many blessings!

Gracen's Christmas Dance Performance

Big Brother trying to be supportive.

Gracen looking embarrassed



Check out that tongue

She's so proud


Gracen had her Christmas performance a few days before Evan came. It was a really cute dance. Unfortunately her grandparents that came to see her, didn't get to see much of the dance. She made it through about 30 seconds and then ran off "stage" crying. It was pretty sad...but pretty hilarious too! Blake caught it all on video...this will be priceless footage some day...I'm thinking rehearsal dinner. She wasn't feeling good, and all her loved ones were staring at her...and Mommy was about to have a baby...all those things combined, she just sort of had a melt down. But she sure was cute!

Evan Lane Magee

I know this is SO late...I am learning to juggle every day tasks with our bigger family. So here it is...Our beautiful little girl made her way into the world on December 19th...just a few days before Christmas. Evan Lane Magee came bright and early at 5:41 A.M. and weighed 7lbs. 10 oz. She measured 20 1/2 inches, the same as the other three kids. I had started labor on my own and went in to the hospital for a scheduled induction. They let me progress on my own for a little while before giving me some pitocin to speed things along. I had mentioned that this pregnancy had a lot of firsts in a previous blog, and it continued in labor. For the first time ever I allowed someone else in the room besides Blake. My best friends Kendall and Jo both came and Jo was there for the WHOLE thing. I also invited my Mom to be a part of it. She was there until about 2:30 in the morning, but got pretty tired and realized that she had to be awake to take care of our 3 kids in the morning. It was a pretty smooth labor. I labored for a couple of hours without the epidural...and when I finally got it, I was so glad! When it was time, I pushed 3 times and she was out. It was a great experience...Her labor reminded me so much of Gracen's...so easy, peaceful, and even fun! And when she came out, she even looked like Gracen...dark hair, dark skin, almond shaped eyes...although she was more then a pound less then Gracen! Gracen was our chunker. Evan is a sweet and cuddly girl. We love her so much, and are so happy she's finally here! We are blessed!

Elton John Magee

Can't eat a meal without my shades
I said, "Grier look at me"...this is what I get.

Second pair for the evening.

Grier really keeps us laughing around here. She is our goofiest child so far and we are constantly surprised at what she comes up with. She is really into accessories...sunglasses, purses, bows, shoes, and jewelry...you name it, she'll wear it. Notice she is wearing the sunglasses at the dinner table. She put them on before she got in her chair, and wore them the entire time, without even batting an eye. She's not trying to be funny...she just likes her shades. And doesn't she have a freaky resemblance to Elton John??