Carving Pumpkins

Faith works on her little pumpkin.

Grace's turn to scoop.

They tried using their hands but preferred the spoon.

Pure joy for Grace.

Dad places them on the fountain.

We love our little pumpkins!

Posing with their finished work.

The whole family.

All lit up.

Gorgeous Grace.

The day after we got back from Riley's Farm, we carved up our pumpkins with the girls' help. They enjoyed scooping out all the seeds and watching how daddy created various jack-o-lanterns. Great job, daddy! Instead of placing the pumpkins outside our front door, we decided to place them on our fountain, in the courtyard- another brilliant daddy idea. That way, the girls could see them anytime. This age is loads of fun because they can communicate their thoughts and remember the details about everything. I love that we are starting new family traditions and creating fun memories along the way.

We took several great videos but they were all too long to post on blogger.

This was the only one under 1 min. Enjoy! We sure did!

Walk 4 Life

This year's theme was, "Hope and a Future."

Gracie in her favorite spot.

A family event.

Kristen, Shannon, & Kerri.

Hailey, Vivien and Derek.

The girls try out the bounce house before the walk.

Smiling Sisters.

Stretching out to the music before we begin.

Once again, the girls have the best seat.

Hi Teagan!

Derek & Morgan cheer us on!

Can't argue with that.

Having a blast.

Faith tries the hula hoop.

They played games and won a sweet prize. Thanks, daddy!!

Grace shows off her other prize, a flower ring.

The family photo.

Cute t-shirts to remember the day.

It was another fantastic morning for the annual Valley Walk for Life. We had a great time supporting this wonderful event. Thank you to all those who generously donated to help the Crisis Pregnancy Center. Your pledge will go towards giving young women and their babies a hope and a future. The girls enjoyed seeing their friends, walking with me, jumping in the bounce house, and playing games. Next year, I think they'll be walking themselves!

*While I was walking with the girls, I heard the sweetest sound. I heard them singing Jesus Love Me in the jogging stroller. They sing it everyday and it warms our hearts every time but hearing it this morning was especially sweet. Yes, beautiful ones, Jesus does love you.

Scripture

Ever since we put Jeremiah 29:11 on the girls' bedroom wall ( about 3.5 months ago), we have made it a nightly routine to say it together as a family before the girls go to sleep. Over the last couple of months, we've heard them repeat most of the words with us but just this past week, Grace has been saying it on her own, loud and clear.

I must admit that at first, my hope was that they would be able to recite this verse in a couple of years. That's how much I know! I guess repetition really does pay off. It warms our hearts to hear our sweet girls repeat one of God's greatest promises. Our hope now is that they will not only learn to fully trust in God's word but that they would also keep His promises tucked deep in their hearts.

Here's Grace with her speedy version...

For I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord.

Plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

Plans to give you hope and a future.

- Jeremiah 29:11

3rd Annual Valley Walk for Life

This Saturday, we are looking forward to participating in the Valley Walk for Life. Once again, the girls and I will be walking and Morgan will be volunteering at the event. All the pledges that I raise will go towards helping the Crisis Pregnancy Center. The CPC is a ministry of our church that provides free services and support to women and families in our growing community. They offer counseling to women who are faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Some of the services include ultrasounds, information about parenting, adoption resources, and spiritual support.

We hope that all women who find themselves with an unplanned pregnancy choose life for their unborn baby but unfortunately, that's not always the case. This is obviously something that's near and dear to my heart. We are so grateful for the fact that Faith & Grace's birth mom chose to give them life. I cannot imagine what she must have felt or what she was going through. All I know is that it took an enormous amount of courage and selfless love. In some small way, my hope is to give other young women the opportunity and support they need to make informed decisions regarding their unborn children. Life begins at conception and every life has a purpose!

I hope that you will consider partnering with me in this important cause! The Walk for Life will be held this Saturday, October 25th at 9:00 a.m. There's still time to send in your pledge. Your tax-deductible check can be mailed to me and made out to the Crisis Pregnancy Center. We look forward to another fantastic morning! Thank you!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

This is an unusual birthday for Grandpa and one that we will never forget. Not many people have open heart surgery on their birthday. In light of what happened last week, we know that Grandpa considers it a special gift from God. He has been given another opportunity at life. A healthier and more energetic one at that. We are all so very thankful!

Last Tuesday, Grandpa said he had chest pain before collapsing and passing out in front of Grandma. It was a scary time for all of us, especially Grandma, but thankfully, the Lord is good. It just wasn't your time, Grandpa! He will be having a valve replacement and bypass surgery this afternoon. For the last year or so, he has been feeling tired and lacking energy. Well now, we know why.

We are praying for wisdom for the doctors, a speedy and comfortable recovery, a renewed heart and soul, and many more years of life with Grandpa. We love you!

*This picture was taken yesterday when we visited Grandpa in the hospital. The girls have been praying for him everyday and wanted to kiss his heart ouwie. :)

Sea World Part 2

Looking for the perfect spot to make sand castles.

Faith says, "See, mommy?!"

I see a possible sand box in their future...

Grace and Mitchell.

Grace and Kyle.

The girls play tug-o-war with Snowy.

Poor Mitchell.

Snack time waiting for Shamu.

Mom & Gracie.

Faith claps along to the music.

It's Shamu!

"See, daddy! He's jumping!"

Twin flamingos.

Faith thinks about feeding the sea lions her peanut butter sandwich.

Daddy gets her some fish to feed them instead.

A hungry seal.

A family photo.

Excited to see the pet show.

Grace entertains herself before the show.

"Hi, puppies!"

Having fun with dad.

The Pets Rule Show.

The girls meet a talking fish.

The Grouch is the one in the trash can! :)

The girls wanted to say hi to Shivers, the polar bear.

The holidays are fast approaching and our weekends are getting busy so we decided to use our free second visit to Sea World this weekend. The girls have been asking about Shamu and know that he lives at Sea World. They've also been asking to see their cousins, Kyle and Mitchell, and of course, Snowy, their dog. Faith and Grace are already well aware of what a vacation means. They also call it "Special Family Time." They know that it often involves sleeping in a hotel, going to the beach, swimming, making sand castles, and getting to stay up a little later than normal. Although they didn't actually go in the ocean this time (it was a little chilly), they did get to go to the beach and make their beloved sand castles. We also had dinner with our family in San Diego- Jennifer, Bryan, Kyle, Mitchell (and yes, Snowy, too). We stayed the night at Homewood Suites in Del Mar (a GREAT family hotel!) before heading to Sea World the next morning.

At Sea World, other than the Shamu show, we tried to hit everything that we didn't see last time. It's only been a month and a half since our last visit but we could already tell that the girls understood more and knew what the day was all about. When we asked them what they liked best as we walked out of the park, Faith exclaimed with a big smile, "Whole thing!" It cracked us up and made us laugh out loud. I guess that pretty much sums it up. We had a blast!