To Noah,

Has it really been 15 years since you came to join our family?

It was a rough delivery, and you didn't seem to handle the shock of being on the outside very well.

They gave you full CPR to bring you back.

It was just the beginning of you stressing your parents out!

A little boy who always did the opposite of what he was told and had to see for himself if bad things REALLY would happen!

But now you've grown (a lot!), and we will continue to pray for you!

For your happiness, for your safety, for you to follow God's will....

because we know He must have big plans for you!

Happy 15th Birthday, Noah!

We love you!

One Month

My little sweetie turned 1 month old yesterday.

I am amazed at how quickly it has gone by!

She is a beautiful blessing through and through....

and we all are enjoying her very much!

Ethan,

Yesterday we celebrated the day you were born. My 7th child, we love your contagious laugh, your happy heart, and those cheeks!! You have brought so much happiness to our family. We love you so!!

Happy 8th Birthday, Ethan!

Flying Solo

Thank you so much for all your wonderfully kind comments you left about the arrival of Anna! They meant so much to me!

Today my husband returned to work. Sigh....

You know, no matter how many kids I have, knowing that I am on my own never feels less than overwhelming! Thankfully though, this little one seems to be very mellow! So we survived!

Anna is 2 weeks old today!

She weighs 8 lbs 9 oz!

Here are a few images from her first two weeks!

Don't you love grumpy scrunchy faces? :)

Finally,

after nine suspenseful months,

30+ very long, hard hours of labor,

an intense delivery,

a traumatic birth,

the removal of the cord wrapped 4 times around the neck,

and some much needed resuscitation,

we are completely thrilled to receive:

a beautiful baby girl!

Introducing:

Anna Noelle Mack

born 11/14/11

8:38 AM

8 lbs. 8 oz.

20 1/4 in.

She is a total blessing!

A Small Project, Finished!

Quite awhile ago, I bought these:

You know, those pre-cut letters you find at any of the craft stores?

And then I also picked out these:

Some coordinating papers that match the theme of Josiah's room.

Well, that part was easy.

Thankfully, I stored these project pieces in the new baby's bassinet. So when it came time to get everything ready, I had some forced motivation! :)

I traced a letter onto the back of each paper,

and carefully cut each one out. Then it was just a matter of using some decoupage medium to attach each paper to its matching letter. Two more coats painted on top of each attached paper and strung onto some twine,

and hung on the wall above his crib!

Was he impressed with his decoupaged letters?

He pointed at them and said, "Wow!"

Worth every minute!

Megan...

A beautiful baby girl delivered by her Daddy's hands,

a feisty little girl with a strong sense of determination, a black and white view of the world, and a need for justice.

(Where could you have gotten such traits? *wink*)

You touch my heart with your compassion and your desire to always do right.

I pray for your happiness, but mostly?

I thank God for you.

Happy 16th Birthday, my Megan!