Never a Dull Moment

{daily delaney} where's waldo edition

2011-12-12T13:35:00.000-08:00

delaney got to sing in her christmas program this weekend at church.

let me tell you. this was her shining moment. she was looking forward to this for {weeks}.

can you find delaney in the photo below?

in case you are having trouble finding her...

let me help you out.

she is {such} a tiny little thing

and the sweet muffin girl standing in front of her was just happy to stay in front

thankyouverymuch

despite a teacher asking her to step behind.

{ha!}

it's just such irony.

laney looking so forward to wearing her red christmas dress and red bow headband

and being on stage singing

and then not even being able to be seen.

pride comes before the fall, right?

or before the getting placed behind the tall kid i guess.

pardon the red-eye...i'm not photo keen enough to fix it...

here is a shot of her before the bigger girl came onto stage. you can see how serious she was about singing.

hands folded neatly together, ready to perform.

oh. i love this girl.

{dear you...}

2011-12-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

i've been gone a while.

it's been a long {faith increasing}, {knee bending}, summer, fall and winter.

but thankfully it seems that we are settling back into life in Ft. Collins.

we're still busy with parenting, spending time with friends and family, homeschooling, holidaying,

and other such things.

delaney started kindergarten.

amelia started preschool.

remi started walking.

as much as i'd love to update you on our lives...i've been convicted to do something else.

i need to talk to some people.

i want to write an open letter.

here goes:

dear woman,

whether you are a wife. mother. single woman. girl living at home. whatever you are.

(i'm sure this applies to men too, but i'm gonna speak directly to the ladies today.)

stop comparing.

stop looking through the window of the lives of the other women around you.

chances are, it's not so glamorous on the inside.

i'm not saying that everyone's lives are a wreck, i'm just saying it's probably not what you expect.

we are all fallen, stumbling sinners.

not a single one of us has it all together as a mom, as a student, in our marriages.

i've done plenty of comparing.

"oh, look at her! she's so together. i'm sure she is the best most engaged self sacrificing mother. i'm sure she is the best most selfless and giving wife meeting all her husbands needs with never a nag. i'm sure she is such a faithful friend, never forgetting to return that phone call, write that email, send that encouraging text message. i'm sure she never misses a quiet time and certainly she has the book of james memorized. i'll bet she's consistently in prayer throughout the day, never being anxious about tomorrow.

{if only} i could be more like her."

if only.

if only we would choose to hear what our dear Savior is trying to tell us...

my sweet sweet friend, liz, talked a couple of times this summer about how much she was impacted by Jesus words to Peter in the end of John 21. and her words and her passion to believe truth has inspired me numerous times.

John 21: 20-22 (emphasis mine)

"Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following the, the one who had been reclining at the table close to him and had said, 'Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?' When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, 'Lord, what about this man?' Jesus said to him, 'If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!'"

so women, you follow Jesus. {what is it to you} what other women are doing?

Jesus has individually called us to individual lives.

i am accountable for myself.

not for that woman who seems to have it all together.

i'm not accountable for the faith that that woman seems to have.

i'm accountable for my own faith.

if you look into my window, i can guarantee i don't have it all together.

so let's stop comparing and let's ask God what He would have for each of our lives individually.

much love,

the girl who doesn't have it all together.

{bitty girl}

2011-08-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

i cannot even fathom how the time goes so fast.

when i was young, i remember adults telling me: oh, you grow so fast! the time goes so fast!

and i remember thinking: wow, this person is crazy. time {drags} by.

but it's true.

i heard a quote once that really stuck with me-

"these are the longest days and the shortest years"

it's SO true.

my bitty girl, my millie may, my little bits of love is 3.

3 stinking years old today.

this girls is my daily dose of challenge and affection.

she is unique to the core.

and i adore her.

happy birthday baby girl.

{running for Jr.}

2011-08-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

hello friends and family!

some of you know, i started running a few months back and i really really like it.

geeze, i never EVER thought i'd day that.

ever.

anyway, i'm running a race for a {great} cause.

do you remember my post about a sweet little man named Jr.?

you can refresh yourself here.

Jr. has certainly come a long way since his original diagnosis, and that is no small feat!

when his mama invited me to run in this 5k i didn't hesitate for a second.

this is something {worth} running for.

do you want to run too? or perhaps walk?

would you consider donating to the

Colorado Pulmonary Hypertension 5K Run for PHun 2011?

Even the smallest donation means a lot to the people affected by this and their families.

and if you cannot donate money, would you consider praying for them?

pray that they would raise a lot of funds, that Jr. would continue to grow healthy and strong.

that his doctors would have wisdom on how best to treat him in the future.

you can donate through my page at

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/robinegger/ColoradoPulmonaryHypertension5KRunforPHun2011

or through Matt and Marie's page.

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/MatthewWrightJr/coloradopulmonaryhypertension5krunforphun2011

Here is a little more info from Marie:

This is VERY near and dear to OUR HEARTS! Our little man "Jr.", has a long list of Cardiac and Pulmonary problems! Pulmonary Hypertension being near the top. Please join us to celebrate how far our little man has came and not to forget we has a very long road still a head of us. Bring the family for a 5K Walk/Run, learn a little bit more about Pulmonary Hypertension, help raise much needed money to continue research, and meet the most amazing medical team and some Awesome Kids!

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA), The University of Colorado Denver, and The Children’s Hospital, will be hosting its second annual Colorado Pulmonary Hypertension 5K Run For PHun on Sunday, September 18th at the Anschutz Medical Campus.

Visit: Team Matthew Wright, "Jr." at the link below to join in on the 5K walk/run, show your by donating or both!
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/MatthewWrightJr/coloradopulmonaryhypertension5krunforphun2011

Visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/phassociation/colorado5k

For more information, registration, donation, and more!!!

{can it really be true?}

2011-08-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

really? can it really be true that he has already been with us for a whole year?

this mighty little man, he is a joy and a delight to us.

he has grown to be full of life.

handsome.

determined.

affectionate.

we are so thankful for his life.

Happy 1st Birthday Remington David!

{the monster inside me}

2011-08-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

i am truly {terrifed} of that monster.

which is why i want to share it with you.

things seem less scary when they are in the daylight, right?

a lot of people know this about me, so it may sound redundant, but i struggle in an eating disorder.

i can pinpoint the start of my skewed self-image perceptions to about the age of 5.

i can pinpoint the incident.

my actual bouts with anorexia started when i was about 16.

i can recall working as a lifeguard, sitting up on my stand feeling intense hunger pains.

and what was my initial thought?

not, oh, i better get something to eat on my next break.

that would be logical, right?

well, nothing is logical in the mind of a person trapped in the disease of an eating disorder.

my initial thought was,

yay! this feels good! i'm proud of myself for not eating anything today!

it feels good to feel in control. and that's how i feel in the midst of my battles. in control.

when life seems hectic, and there are so many things one can't control....what goes into my mouth is something that i can.

why am i telling you all of this?

because it's important that you hear what it's like for a girl like myself.

it's easy enough for you to say, well, just make the choice to eat.

but it's not that easy to do.

it is an obsession.

a sick compulsion to starve my body of nutrition in order to look "skinny".

to feel comfortable in my own skin.

for girls with an eating disorder, we have a terribly skewed perspective when we look in the mirror.

you look at me and see a girl who has a little softness to her weighing in at about 125lbs.

totally average and normal. (for my height, at least)

when i look at me, i don't see a little softness.

i see mounds and mounds of excess fat.

i see stretch marks from having 3 babies.

i see flabby arms.

i imagine myself as carrying the weight of a 5'1" girl weighing in at 150lbs.

that's what i see when i look in the mirror.

if i try {really} hard to be logical (which as i said is nearly impossible) i realize that my perception is skewed.

but i don't care.

i want to control what goes into my mouth and get rid of an excess 20lbs.

i've gone through peaks of success in fighting this monster and deep depressing valleys loosing to the monster.

right now is a deep valley.

after i had reminton, i was determined to loose the extra few pounds using {healthy} methods.

plus the benefits of breastfeeding.

so i started swimming again.

i did a couch to 5k training program and ran a 5k in june.

i average a 3 mile run about 3 times a week.

i struggled at first with practicing self control with eating.

which was hard to do with all the delicious desserts that people brought when bringing us a meal after having remi.

those meals are such a blessing! and so are the desserts!

i just lacked the self control to not over eat. or to ask them to not bring me dessert.

i read a book that was gifted to me by my sweet sister in law called

The Diet Alternative.

i really enjoyed reading it, and felt like the author had some really sound advice.

basically just eat when you feel hungry. learn those hunger and full signals.

she also suggested fasting one meal a day.

what ever meal would be hard for you to give up.

as a means to place a sacrifice before God and as a means to learn self control in eating.

because i was still nursing, i decided it wouldn't be wise for me to give up an entire meal.

so i choose to give up snacking.

i'm a big snacker.

or used to be, because praise God i gave it up.

so after remi bit me while nursing and drew blood and i promptly weaned him,

i decided it was time to sacrifice that meal.

i started giving up lunches.

at first it was a battle, it is hard not to eat when you are in the habit.

so it had been about 2 months of not eating lunch.

and i enjoyed the feel of choosing not to eat.

it was my choice.

my choice to control.

recently my dr. has brought up some concerns with me about my risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

(i had gestational diabetes twice, and i have family members with it, which greatly increases my risk despite diet and exercise)

because of that concern, my loving husband asked me to stop fasting lunches.

and i had a loving friend share her concern with me as well.

so under submission to casey, i have started to eat lunch again.

and this is when the monster began rearing it's ugly head again.

from day one of eating lunch, i obsessed about the calories i was eating.

how many extra miles would i need to run to counter them?

i can already feel the addition of weight on my body.

i can already feel the anxiety it causes me.

i can already feel myself mentally preparing to begin starving myself behind my husbands back.

and that's why i'm telling you this.

not for the sympathy votes.

please friends, i don't want your sympathy.

i just {have} to be open and honest about it.

because it's dangerous.

it's not something that i {ever} want my daughters to see in me and mimic.

and if you have daughters of your own, make yourself aware.

talk to them about their bodies.

tell them they are beautiful.

help them to make healthy food choices.

teach them about self control.

and if you would, pray for me.

{Then Sings My Soul} a book review

2011-07-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

Then Sings My Soul is a great collection of hymns sharing the historical facts and background surrounding each hymn. This book does a great job of compiling a wide variety of well know, and not so well known hymns. The aesthetic style of the book in and of itself is beautiful. The pages are nice and think, and the edges are given a faux worn and rustic feel. I received it back in December and gave it as a gift to my father in law, who is a lover of hymns.

I suppose the one thing I might change, or that I didn’t really enjoy about this book, is that it does not provide the entire hymn. It only gave a piece or a selection of the hymn and not the whole thing.

It is fun and exciting to be able to learn the historical background of a hymn. If feel like it simply enriches and brings depth to the hymns and generally heightens the experience.

Overall, I would give this book an A- on the grade scale, deducting only for the lack of full hymns. I think it is the perfect coffee table gift for any parent, grandparent, or hymn lover.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the www.BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisdx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

{crazy aunt millie}

2011-07-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

it's been a while since i've had anything to post on my {crazy}girl.

her hair is pretty long, so it's been surprisingly {tame}.

until last week.

she is a hot sleeper, and often wakes up covered in sweat.

this is how her bangs dried the other day.

totally 80's.

how rad is she?

of course, i couldn't resist turning this photo into {pop art}.

{Hillybilly Bone}

2011-07-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Press play on the video, but don't watch it, just listen while you read and enjoy the pictures of remi d.

with a daddy from {sterling}

and

a mama from {lochbuie}

remi couldn't help but have a little {hillbilly bone} down deep inside.

he worked on this tooth for several day.

several days of fever, diaper rash, and pure {cranky} baby.

but i have to say, it's so worth it.

every single time i see this tooth i can't help but giggle.

he's such a hillbilly with his hilbilly tooth.

please, mom, no more photos.

oh, ok. just one more.

this kid. he is so great.

he is a {wild} man.

at 11 months old:

he is obsessed with his bottle.

he has several words:

ba ba (for bottle, of course)

mama

dada

hi! {with exuberant arm waving thrown in}

aaahhh-dun (all done)

he is a crawling machine.

he always has a bruise on his forehead (from trying to stand up on his own too near tables)

he attempted his first step a few days ago.

he is {terrified} of the bath.

i mean, i know boys like to be dirty, but geeze!

when i say terrified, i mean full body shaking, screaming at the top of his lungs to the point of nearly vomiting.

so right now bath time is few and far between (stinky boy!)

and when we are forced to plop him in, it's a 2 man job. one to wrestle the boy still and the other to quickly soap up and rinse off.

oh. and he LOVE love love love's his mama.

and i'm ok with that.

{daily delaney}

2011-06-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

so yesterday i told delaney that we were going to poop scoop in the back yard.

little known to me, this would be a thrill unlike one she had never known before.

seriously, she was so {excited} to go on a poop hunt.

like, she was so excited to do it, that at nap time yesterday we had this conversation:

"ok lane. if you do not ignore amelia (millie can be a bit of a pest during sleep times) and go to sleep right away, you will not get to help me poop scoop the yard."

lane: "but MOM! i WANT to scoop poop."

me: "ok, then you need to obey my instruction and go right to sleep."
lane: "ok!"

and she did. man, she's never taken such a great nap before! all at the prospect of getting to pick up dog turds. {weirdo!}

so this morning we headed out on our poop adventure in the giant back yard.

as we were walking searching for poop, lane says:

"mom, i think i saw something black. must have been poop. or a butterfly."

WHAT? a butterfly?!?! how do you mistake a butterfly for turds!?!? or vice versa?

oh, that kid. she blows me away. i have so much fun hanging out with her.

the next time you see something that resembles poop, take a close look, it just might be a butterfly.

{rourke jonathan and remington david}

2011-06-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

6ish years ago, my sister Sam had a little boy and they named him Rourke Jonathan.
Jonathan after David's dear friend in the Bible.

unknown to us, roughly 5.5 years later, i would birth a little boy whom we named Remington David.
David after Jonathan's dear friend in the Bible.

it is my prayer and my hope that these two little boys carry on the honorable attributes of their namesakes.
Rourke and Remi are already good friends.
i'm eager to see how their friendship will grow!

{embrace the camera} May 9, 2011

2011-06-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

a quiet morning before we closed on our house and moved out.

without mornings like these....i'm not sure how i would have handled the roller coaster of emotion that has been the last month

emily reposted the rules this last week, so go read them here before you participate.

and have fun!

{women and modesty}

2011-06-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

"As women, clothing and appearance are some of the most powerful and important means we have of sending a message about our hearts and our values. So here’s the question. What do your clothes and your appearance communicate about you? What message are you sending? Unfortunately, this issue represents an area where too many Christian women have accepted the secular world’s way of thinking, with the rationalization that 'Maybe it’s okay so long as we just don’t go to the farthest extremes.' That’s why we have to go back to the Word of God and ask, 'What is God’s way of thinking about all this? What message should we be sending? And how can we send that message with our clothing and with our outer appearance?'” Nancy Leigh DeMoss

i was struck pretty deeply when i first read this quote.

i am a woman who has struggled since roughly the age of 5 with my body image.

i experienced about 8years caught in the traps of an eating disorder.

i learned over the years that my body and the clothes i choose to wear speak many

words about my character.

we as women wear clothes to be noticed.

or not noticed.

i don't care who you are as a woman, you use your clothes to place an identity on yourself.

you wear them to say, "look at me. i'm sexy."

"look at me, i'm trendy."

"don't look at me, i'm insecure."

and so on.

i was (and still very much am) the girl who falls into the "look at me" category.

i know. get over myself, right?

and it's this funny thing for me, because though i want people to look at me, it's not because i'm confident....it's because i'm immensely insecure.

i want to come off as girl who is trendy, and confident, and well, attractive.

i use my clothes to do so.

recently, though, i've been rather convicted on the choice in clothing i make.

the trend right now, is really one that lends to modesty.

most tops are loose and flow-y...

bremuda type shorts and far more popular then the short little hoochie ones.

i guess my big struggle is to wear those flow-y type tops and not feel fat.

or not want people to think i'm fat.

my insecure flesh wants to wear tighter fitting clothes, so i can prove "i've lost my baby weight, look how great i am!"

uugghhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gross.

then only person who needs to know what my body looks like is my husband, and if he is well satisfied in me, then that's all that should matter!

i'm getting there.

really, i am.

what are your clothes speaking about you?

{what'sa goin on?}

2011-06-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

yikes. can you say neglected?

cuz, that's what this blog has been these last few months.

i have some good excuses, i promise.

so have you ever prayed that God would refine you?

well, let me tell you...this is not a request that is going to go unnoticed.

(not that any do, really, but you know what i mean).

really, if you pray that God would refine you....expect refinement.

and expect it to be hard.

and tiring.

and well, refining.

over the last months, i have run the grommet of:

*planning to move in Feb. and delaying that move until our house sold.

*serious skin issues and working through figuring out that i apparently have allergies to

both purex laundry detergent and eggs.

*multiple friends experiencing high-risk pregnancies and miscarriage.

(you might wonder why this is refining for me, but these are women that i love dearly and grieve for and share in the emotions of their experiences on an incredibly deep level....one of the challenges of having the spiritual gifts of compassion and mercy)

*financial stress beyond anything that casey or i have ever experienced in our entire marriage.

*realizing that some friendships are friendships of convenience--meaning that if it's convenient for them, then they are my friend. and dealing with the fact that this has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with their own selfishness.

*emotions dealing with our house finally going under contract and planning our move to Manhattan, KS

*having my husband experience hesitation and doubt in moving...and the emotional impact of seeing him waver in his confidence---he's an INCREDIBLY confidant man and it shook me to the core to see him struggle.

*losing the money we thought we were going to have after closing.

*deciding that it was in fact not in God's will for us to move.----the day before we closed on our house.

*being homeless (not in the sense that we are living on the streets....we have generous friends and family who are letting us crash on their couches and in their basements).

*grieving not moving to Manhattan.

*experiencing feelings of being displaced and out of sorts in Ft. Collins.

just to name a few of the things that's we've had going on.

and yes, i have been refined. and refined. and refined.

it's been good for me to step out of my comfortable american lifestyle .

to lean on my husband, my friends and God.

it's been a roller coaster of emotion...but i'm certain i'll look back and see God's hand.

i'll see what i can do to post a little more as i continue to couch and basement hop over the next months.

{for aunt radene}

2011-05-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

aunt radene,

in anticipation of getting to see you after nearly a year

(and in remi's case, ever)

we dedicate this blog post to you.

much love,

laney and millie

{doing the "aunt radene"}

and remi is so excited to meet you, he wanted to pass on a little hello as well....

never mind that mild {self-inflicted} chocking in the end of the video.....he was perfectly fine!

we {love} you aunt radene!

and are {so} excited to see/meet you!

{joy in laughter}

2011-04-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

a little back story for you:

in 6th grade, my best friend Leah and i decided that i had a really terrible laugh.

like we thought it was so bad, that one night, we sat up for

probably 20mins straight {practicing} and trying to come up with a {better} different laugh for me.

we did not avail.

hence:

i tend to not laugh out loud.

we decided that since we couldn't find something better for me, it was just better if i laughed silently.

i'm like this girl:

oh man. it's {lame}.

i feel almost certain that i've annoyed quite a few people by saying "that's so funny" instead of just laughing.

i've also come to realize that people might interpret my quietness for being {humorless} which is just not so.

the truth is, i {love} to laugh.

do you know who makes me laugh the most?

this guy:

it's no wonder delaney's so funny with him for a daddy!

casey had done many great things to aid in seeing me grow as a woman and grow into my own identity.

he's helped me countless times work through insecurities, find their roots, and battle them down.

i am so {thankful} for him.

casey makes me laugh more then any other person or thing...and it's a darn good thing he loves me...

because boy oh boy, when i let loose with my laughter, it's all kinds of:

snorting

crying

wheezing

and just plain {crazy} sounds.

and i have so much {fun} laughing with him.

even during some of the most inopportune times, thankyouverymuch mr. egger.

i'm finding the {joy} in laughing.

laughing out loud and having fun with it.

and not caring what people think.

so be prepared.

i just might let loose on you someday soon....

maybe, i'll even put my guard down enough to let casey attempt to get it on video.

to be continued...

{embrace the camera}

2011-04-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

i'm not feeling very wordy today.

so i'll just post this weeks {embrace} photos without remarks.

this is from easter.

enjoy!

go! {embrace the camera} today!

{daily delaney}

2011-04-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

somebody got a {sewing machine} for christmas.

well, she got one for christmas that was for kids....and it didn't work.

so we (my mom and i , since the gift was from her) decided that instead of wasting money on another insufficient kids machine, we'd just go with a {very} basic real machine.

delaney's {manga} brought the new sewing machine to her a week ago.

needless to say, lane was {quite} excited.

so that day, i let delaney go {shopping} through my fabric stash and pick out

some fabrics to make her very own bag..

of course, she picked out several different {purple} fabrics.

she fully designed this little tote from which fabric went on the outside, inside, what fabric was the pocket and the handle. she was quite proud of herself!

since this is a real machine we talked a lot about how to operate it.

i explained the pedal and how she needed to control the speed.

i pressed her finger on the needle so she could feel a little pain, and learn that she needed to watch her fingers,

and be self controlled in working the speed.

i showed here where to hold her hands, and how to guide the fabric.

i showed her how to put down and lift up the foot.

and you guys....

she did {incredible}!

she did it, almost completely by herself!

every now and then she would go a bit too crooked, and i'd stop and re -adjust her fabric,

but other then that, she did it all on her own!

i was so proud!

at one point, i needed to take over because it was a bit tricky, and as i quickly sewed away, delaney exclaimed:

"mom! you sew like a REAL girl!"

HA! i laughed pretty good on that one....i'm sure glad i sew like a real girl!

i love that she loves to do something like me.

i think i have a sweet little seamstress on my hands!

i'm excited to teach her more, and see her hobby grow.

{daily delaney}

2011-04-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

as our kids get older, we slowly add responsibilities for them.

lane's first was to help unload and re-load the dishwasher.

since her sister has graduated into that role, her new {responsibility} is to get herself and her sister dressed in the mornings.

now let me share a little about myself.

i'm prideful.

i'm a people pleaser.

i like for my kids to be well dressed, fashionable, and put together.

i know, it's ridiculous.

well, let me tell you.

allowing delaney to {select} her own outfit is some days a great challenge for me.

days like this day.

yep. it's true.

that is a long sleeve shirt (cuz it was cold).

a shorts jump suit.

leggings.

cowboy boots.

this ain't no {april fools} joke.

and she was {so} proud of herself.

i like that she's defining her own style.

i like that she is creative.

i like that she is getting herself dressed so that i don't have to.

it's just a good lesson in pride for me.

i love this girl.

{embrace the camera}

2011-03-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

i promise to do better about posting other then just on {embrace the camera} days.

but aren't you glad i'm posting at all?

maybe you don't care.

anyway.

here's this weeks {embrace}.

this was yesterday, a family affair in the bathroom

millie on the potty.

remi taking a bath.

lane {helping} me to bathe her brother.

me. organizing the chaos.

i love my life.

your turn! {embrace the camera}

{embrace the camera}

2011-03-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

i have so much fun with these girls.

they are sweet, silly, affectionate, daring, confident, loving ...

and truly a joy to my heart.

i'm so thankful to have daughters.

now go! {embrace the camera}!

{amber van, betty lou, and casey egg}

2011-03-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

the 3 people in the title are who i have to thank for inspiring this post.

i'll explain each.

amber inspired me with a blog she wrote the other day called "i heart dresses".

you can read her post here.

one thing she mentions, is that she had a goal to wear a dress a day all summer. i think this is so fun!

i like amber. she is the one who encouraged me to wear lipgloss....even if i didn't need to be dressed up.

so thanks for that am!

inspiration number 2 is my grandma betty lou o'neill.

i was thinking about her a lot this week (as it was st. patrick's day yesterday, and likely her favorite holiday).

my sweet grandma passed away this last year, but i was blessed to be able to spend some quality time with her in her last months.

one time we were sitting at her kitchen table and she was telling me how every day before my grandpa would come home from work, she would mow the lawn (if it needed it), tidy up the house and put

on a little makeup.

i love that she would both mow the grass and put on makeup.

she was one of the funnest and quirkiest women i've ever know, and i admire her greatly.

i love that she would do her best to make both her home and herself attractive and welcoming to her hubby.

inspiration number 3 (and my biggest inspiration) Mr. Casey Egger.

my handsome man.

he is all about the girlie girl.

he loves all things lipstick, long hair, dresses, peep toe heels, dangly earrings...

on a woman...on this woman to be exact.

if i wore peep toe high heels and lipstick every day, he'd be the happiest man alive.

however, so often i can get in the mindset that i don't really need to put effort into how i look because, who's gonna see me anyway?

then, when i go out into public, where there are total strangers, i put in an effort at my appearance.

what matters more?

that strangers find me attractive, or that my husband finds me attractive?

there is such a temptation for men to be looking elsewhere rather then at their wives.

though i love summer and i love warm weather, i dread the clothing that appears (or disappears) along with it.

so if i can do a few {simple} things to help keep my husbands eyes on me, and not give him an excuse to look elsewhere, then why the heck wouldn't i?

plus, dresses are a great way to look cute and stylish, while being modest and helping out a brother.

so what i've decided is:

thanks to amber, i'm going to attempt to wear a dress a minimum of 5 days a week this summer.

and thanks to my grandma, i'm going to make a conscience effort to put on a little lipgloss and tidy up the house before casey comes home.

and thanks to casey, i'm going enjoy putting effort into my appearance, feeling like a girlie girl, and helping to keep my husbands eyes on me.

{embrace the camera}

2011-03-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

ok.

i know it seems like a post a lot of photos of remi.

he is just so darn cute, i can't resist busting the camera out on him!

i'm gonna try and get myself behind the camera with lane and millie a bit more in the coming weeks.

so keep posted.

anyway, here's this weeks {embrace the camera} shot.

we were outside on the deck watching casey practice his {archery}.

while delaney was admiring her daddy and lovin on the dog.

and millie was swinging away.

i love warm days.

and i love my family!

go {embrace the camera}!

{daily delaney}

2011-03-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

yesterday, we were driving over to a friends house and delaney asked which direction we were going.

i told her, "we're heading north."

"then what way will we turn?" she asked.

"then we will turn left, and go west." i said.

quickly, she responded, "but i want to go towards easter!"

at first i had to giggle at her miscommunication.

obviously, she meant that she wanted to go east...

though i'm not sure why.

but the more i thought about it, the more i realized how profound her words were to me.

i want to go towards Easter {too}.

the direction i want to face in my life is alway towards Easter, towards the Cross.

over these last few weeks, i've realized that the direction i set myself towards in life

is not always going to be in the direction that God wants for me.

i've made plans to move to KS.

plans to parent my children better.

plans to be a better wife.

plans to never own a minivan.

plans to be physically thin and spiritually fat.

and i'm realizing, thanks to my sweet daughter, that unless i'm facing {Easter}...

i will always be going the wrong direction.

{crazy aunt millie}

2011-03-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

the other morning, millie woke up with her hair looking like this.

she was so {cute} and {crazy} looking, that i left it like that all day.

this face she's making in the photo below, is {very} typical millie.

delaney calls her, "my wild girl."

i love it. i love her.

{embrace the camera}

2011-03-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

this weeks {embrace the camera} is all about the boys.

i sure do love my guys.

of course, i can't forget {toby}.

have you {embraced the camera} yet?

{my photog in training}

2011-03-02T08:05:00.000-08:00

here are some fun new photos that delaney has taken.

i especially love the one's she took of remi with his papa g and nana.

btw, remi is her new favorite model.

"Princess"

"Papa G"

"Smooch"

"Come Back!"

"The Grinning Bugger"

"HUH?"

"Quick Rest"

"Adopted"

"Brother"

"Reach"

"Peek-a-Boo"

"One"

"Nom, nom, nom"

"El Gato"

"Mouth Breather" :)

"Tummy Time"

"Wild Girl"

"Lounging Mama Captures"

"Eye"

{oh no! my bricks!}

2011-03-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

for whatever reason, delaney calls these dress up heels, {bricks}

for the life of me, i cannot figure out why.

i've explained to her numerous times what they are called.

regardless, they are bricks to her.

well, there are two things in her life that she is in love with:

shoes

and

remington

well. now that remi is fully mobile, she has a conflict of interest.

he likes to drool on her precious bricks.

this makes her sad.

so we've had many a discussion on, if you don't want your brother to drool on your things, you need to do a better job of picking them up and putting them away!

i have a feeling the romance of having a little brother is going to wear off {pretty soon}.

{the prince and the princess}

2011-02-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

i don't know why, but for some reason i'm totally and completely in {love} with this photo.

delaney took it a few weeks ago.

what i love about it:

*it has 2 of my favorite people in the world in it.

*the contrast between casey's work boot and delaney's princess heels.

*the big foot and the tiny foot.

*that delaney took it.

*that casey works hard in those boots to provide for us.

*that delaney loves shoes as much as her mama.

and {so} much more.

{embrace the camera}

2011-02-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

delaney captured this photo.

i know it's blurry.

that's part of why i love it so much.

she's so artistic. :)

the camera, go embrace it.

{friend, not freaky}

2011-02-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

i have a confession to make.

...

i read blogs of people i don't know.

and i've never admitted it, nor bothered to "follow" them publicly because i was afraid.

afraid of what?

that i would seem {freaky} and not {friendly}.

then i realized, hey, if a perfect stranger read my blog would i think they were freaky?

no!

just friendly!

so i'm going to boldly step out and list here the blogs of strangers who i read and tell you why i read them.

and i would challenge you to come out of hiding and "follow" me

or just leave a lil ol comment letting me know you're there.

because, i've got somebody from {ireland} who read often.

and somebody from {russia} who reads often.

amongst many other foreign readers

and TONS of US readers.

and i can't help but be curious....

friend, who are you?

i promise, i won't think you are freaky!

*disclaimer* i may be totally diluted, and the only people who may read this blog are my parents, in-laws, siblings and a few friends.....then i might feel like an idiot for challenging {nobody}.

but, oh well.

anyway.

here's my {secret} blogroll.

i've never met any of these people....

and if i list your blog, remember, i'm not freaky, just friendly!

I'm Just Sayin http://rmfo-blogs.com/brandy/

*so i like this girl because she seems to be following after the Lord pretty hard, but she's not afraid to admit her shortcomings, or her struggles along the way. she's done some overseas work for Compassion (where she works) and has written some incredibly moving pieces about her different experiences. also, she writes REALLY funny open letters.

Rage Against the Minivan http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/

*ok. so if you know me, you know my {hatred} for minivans. so clearly, i was drawn to this blog right away. what i like about it is her "what i want you to know" pieces. she has guest writers come in and write about various (sometimes super uncommon) topics. she and her husband have a big heart for adoption, and i've enjoyed reading her raw experiences in having a multi-racial family, her adoption process, fertility issues, and various other "close to the heart" topics.

The Anderson Crew http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/

*you already know i read this super cute girls blog because i participate in her embrace the camera challenge.

however, even though i want to participate from the very start because it's such a fun concept, i didn't, because she's the friend of a friend and i didn't know if that would seem freaky that i'm reading my friends, friends blog. but lo, i couldn't resist embracing the camera.

she mostly just writes up fun little updates on her family (sort of similar to what goes on here @ never a dull moment). but she's a talented writer, pretty funny, and {hello} trendy. and i'm a sucker for trendy people. i wanna be just like em'. i'm a follower people. a follower.

Baby Bangs http://babybangs.blogspot.com/

*i like beth moore. she's fantastic. as a result, i read her Living Proof Ministries blog and upon reading that, i stumbled over her daughter, melissas', blog Baby Bangs.

i figured, beth is rad, (clearly, we are on a first name basis, as beth makes every gal feel like her best friend) so i'm sure her daughter is probably rad too! so i started reading. i like that she is {read} about her experiences in motherhood. she shares the good, the bad, and the ugly....and it makes me feel good to know i'm not the only one going through some of these similar things.

and that's about it for the perfect strangers-other then the gazillion crafty/sewing/homeschooling blogs that i check into every once in a while.

so, please remember, you are {friendly} not {freaky}!

unless you really are just freaky.......

follow me or leave a lil comment letting me know you're here!

who knows, i may begin to follow you.

cheers.

{finally!}

2011-02-21T13:09:00.000-08:00

ok.

so let me just tell you about my little 6month old bugger.

remi is a {smiley} guy.

super smiley.

but he very {rarely} laughs.

i will do anything to try and get him to laugh.

i'll snort like a pig.

pop up and say "boo" over and over.

act like a {total} idiot for even just {one} giggle.

finally.

i really got him going the other day.

enjoy!

and please note the adorable little sound he makes at the end of every giggle.

{spoiled}

2011-02-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

i have something that i have to admit.

and i'm not ashamed to do so.

am.

{spoiled}.

my incredible husband, spoils me {way} beyond what i deserve.

take the other night for instance.

he told me we were going on a date and that i needed to be ready by 6:30pm.

mmkay. {ready}!

wanna know what {rolled} up to my house to pick me up?

a {rolls royce}.

and a sweet old gentleman opened the door for me and ushered me into luxury.

then he drove us to {bisetti's} a fantastic italian restaurant in old town.

where i dined on {delicious} food and a tasty glass of wine.

and stared lovingly into that handsome man's eyes.

{spoiled} i tell you.

thank you, mr. egger, for an incredible night.

i admire, respect, and love you so much.

{embrace the camera}

2011-02-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

smooching my millie may.

i LOVE this girl.

have you started {embracing the camera} yet?

GO!

{forward motion}

2011-02-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

from the time i could feel him move inside of me...

remi has been super duper active.

at just 4.5 months old, he began the on off on off on off play time while nursing.

he started rolling from his tummy to his back at about 3 months.

and from his back to his tummy at about 5.5 months.

he likes to "jump" if he is standing while you are holding him.

and he's got the swimming action down when he's on his tummy.

he is all boy as far as go go going.

then.

yesterday.

i put him on his tummy and he got up on his hands and knees and rocked for a couple of seconds.

moment later, this happened.

and i went into the bathroom and threw up.

just kidding.

the video is pretty uninteresting once he reaches the pillow at about 50sec's in...

so feel free to stop watching there.

i have to say, there are parts of raising a boy that really excites me.

and there are parts that make me want to pee my pants.

i'm up for the adventure i guess!

{for my valentine}

2011-02-15T09:35:00.001-08:00

for those of you reading, i know yesterday was valentines day.

casey and i are celebrating today, so i waited to post this until today.

dear casey,

i'm so thankful you are my valentine.

here is my public proclamation of my love for you.

these are the top 15 things i love about you.

you are:

1.chivalrous

2. prayerful

3. gracious (especially when i don't deserve it)

4. generous

5. handsome

6. a good leader

7. a great lover

8. full of integrity

9. strong

10. valiant

11. my beloved

12. hard working

13. funny

14. my best friend

15. my sweet valentine

you are each of these 15 things, and more!!!

all my respect,

the one who admires you

{the manhattan project}

2011-02-04T09:49:00.000-08:00

after casey's announcement yesterday over at The Manhattan Project, of our delaying our leaving, i weighed in with some thoughts.

feel free to hope on over and read them.

and thanks everyone, for your incredible support and love.

http://eggers-themanhattanproject.blogspot.com/2011/02/lessons-on-pride.html

{illness}

2011-02-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

the egger household has been {sick}.

the sickness that's raveged myself and my children for the last 4 days

has been one of the worst i've ever experienced.

casey has been a {rockstar}.

he has been my nurse, my friend, my helper, our kids nurse...and so much more.

in the midst of exhaustion, nearly uncontrollable raging 103.8 degree fevers, chills,

coughing, congestion, runny noses

our whole world has been out of whack.

however, {one} thing has remained steadfast.

unwavering.

faithful and true.

amelia still thinks {toots} are hil.arious.

she could be shacking with chills,

her sweet little body would be racked by coughing.

and in the middle of all that, she will let it {rip}, sheepishly grin, and say,

"hehehehee. i tooted!"

oh, she's {crazy} alright.

and makes being awake at 3am....seem a little funnier.

{new manhattan project}

2011-02-03T13:47:00.001-08:00

hey folks.

casey wrote up a new post over at The Manhattan Project.

we are delaying our move week by week until our house sells.

casey explains why.

thank for all of your love and support!

http://eggers-themanhattanproject.blogspot.com/2011/02/arrogance-of-man.html

{how gladly i will do so...}

2011-02-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

for the last 3 days, i've been living in a house full of

fevers, runny nose, coughing, sickies.

myself included.

this is exhausting. and disheartening.

however i read this quote from Martin Luther today and it encouraged me.

it's written to fathers, but think it applies to mama's just as well.

if you are having a hard day, changing those diapers, staying up nights, etc. be encouraged.

Now observe that when that clever harlot, our natural reason . . . , takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and says, “Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores. . . ?” [LW 45:39]

What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, O God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? O how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight. . . . God, with all his angels and creatures is smiling—not because the father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith.[LW 45:39-40]

{pillow nemesis}

2011-01-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

here's the thing.

i like pillows.

throw pillows to be exact.

my sister, sam, teases me about them. and how i'm always arranging and re-arranging them.

i particularly take painstaking care to arrange the pillow on my bed.

there is just something to be said about a well made bed.

here's how i like my bed to look.

pretty right?

well. i have a pillow nemesis in my home.

not casey.

not the kids.

the dog.

it can be a matter of {seconds} from the time i finish making the bed, to when he decided to

jump on up and {RUIN} my pretty pillows.

leaving in his wake, destruction.

please, notice, he messed up the blanket as well.

he does this to my couches.

the guest bed.

*sigh*

it's a good think i like this dog.

most days.

{good friends}

2011-01-22T07:46:00.000-08:00

recently a few of my {besties} have posted about our friendships.

they are sweet and sentimental reads...

to me at least.

if you are interested in reading them they are

here

and

here.

thanks hannah and kayt!

{crazy aunt millie}

2011-01-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

this girl.

oh, this girl will charm you.

to add to her {craziness}, she is indeed a lefty.

mmmm, i just LOVE her!

she likes to play footsie with me under the table.

and finally, you know how people tease that if they don't have a crib,

they'll just put baby in a drawer?

well, laney and millie were playing that laney was the mom and millie was the kid.

i'll let you come up with your own narrative on how their play time was spent.

{mama needs a day off}

2011-01-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

being a mama is a whole whirlwind of emotions sometimes.

it has shaped and shaped and shaped me.

i used to look like a square, and now i'm sort of circular shaped...or heart shaped.

metaphorically, i mean.

though, i suppose i'm a bit rounder then i used to be...

anyway.

i don't know about you other mama's out there, but sometimes you have one of {those}days.

the kind of days where if you hear one more {fussy}voice.

if you have to scrape {poop} out of one more pair of panties.

if you have to fold one more sock...

you might just pull your hair out.

i had one of those days this week.

i was feeling like i just so {desperately} needed a day off.

i needed to {get away} and take a break from being a mama.

casey came home from work and i let loose with my woe's of the day.

i asked him, could i get out for a bit?

go to a coffee shop and read a {non-fiction} book for a few hours?

my generous, patient, and understanding husband said, of course.

so after dinner and getting the kiddo's to bed i headed out.

i got my delicious {mexican mocha}.

and started to read.

aahhhh.

then do you know what happened?

guess. just guess.

just a few short minutes in, i started to miss

casey

cricket

itty bitty

and magruter.

even if they were at home sleeping, i wanted to be home.

to be in proximity with them.

i am not {me}, without {them}.

as challenging as some days can be, i'll take it.

to get to be married to casey, mama to my 3 little's... i'll wipe every boogery nose.

i'll wash poopy panty after poop panty.

i'll play pretend for hours on end.

i'll get peed on while changing diapers. {actually, this has never happened to me, but i'd take it!}

it wasn't until i had kids that i realized what a selfish and lazy person i am.

i used to be a square.

but being a mom has rounded out those rough edges, and i'm now more circular. i'm more complete.

cheesy. i know.

but you know what else i know?

i am {blessed} and {privileged} to live the life i do.

these children of mine, they are a gift.

Psalm 127:3-5

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

So are the children of one’s youth.

5How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;

{crazy aunt millie}

2011-01-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

my {crazy} girl is at such a fun and silly age!

she is potty training and she's doing {really} well for the most part.

i'm really proud of her.

i wasn't quite ready to tackle potty training, but she left me no choice.

she would de-pants herself, remove her diaper and beg to sit on the potty.

so i went for it, and we've for the most part had a lot of success, praise God!

even though a while back i cut bangs to try and control the {madness} that is this girls hair,

i still can't seem to keep her looking sane.

she is just so silly, so {go go go}.

i love her energy.

please note the photo below.

if you've known our family since amelia was born, you might recall that she preferred a paci.

around 18-20 months of age she began to be {really}attached to it.

i had friends who waited too long to pull the darn thing and then

battled for {months} to get the child to get rid of it.

so i decided to get rid of it.

after 3 sleepless days (sleepless for millie) it was gone!

no more paci!

she went to sleep just fine.

{then} about a month ago, she started sucking her thumb.

out of the blue.

and i cannot get her to stop.

{eerrggg}.

this girl is so crazy.

and i love her so so much.

{a first taste}

2011-01-14T08:42:00.000-08:00

the boy had his first taste of cereal this week.

this is his story.

{silly girl}

2011-01-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

new post over at The Manhattan Project about delaney and packing up to move.

click here to check it out .

{embrace the camera}

2011-01-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

this week remi and i got behind the camera and in front of the mirror.

he especially had fun chewing on my nose, pulling my hair, and grabbing the camera.

mmmmm. don't you just want to eat this boy up!?!?!

go {embrace} the camera!

{an interview with delaney}

2011-01-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

*disclaimer*

i am an unoriginal copy cat. i stole this idea.

that being said, it's still fun.

1. What is something Mommy always says to you?

Do you love me? Huhuhuhu?(sort of giggled this)

2. What makes Mommy happy?

That I love you.

3. What makes Mommy sad?

That I don’t love you. That I don’t obey you, I mean. That you actually don’t like to discipline me.

4. How does Mommy make you laugh?

when you’re tickeling me. hehehehee

5. What was Mommy like as a child?

Me.

6. How old is Mommy?

3 years old? *not quite* I don’t know how to guess that.

7. How tall is Mommy?

As big as 2 lines. Bigger then dada. *hmm*

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?

You like to play with me!

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around?

Cry.

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?

mommy, I don’t know what famous is. *I explained* does Hannah know who you are? *yes* oh. then you ARE famous. *apparently, if hannah doesn't know who you are, you are a nobody*

11. What is Mommy really good at?

at playing.

12. What is Mommy not very good at?

playing.

13. What does Mommy do for her job?

look at things. *maybe we shop too much*

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?

cereal?

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?

doing the dishes.

16. If Mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Stuart Little.

17. What do you and Mommy do together?

clean up.

18. How are you and Mommy the same?

we are both small.

19. How are you and Mommy different?

I’m little and you are really big.

20. How do you know Mommy loves you?

you hug me.

21. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?

the beach.

22. Who does mommy love the very most?

You love me.

photo credit Illumination Photography

find them here and here

{embrace the camera}

2011-01-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

i've come to realize something really important.

it's better for me to stop what i'm doing and play with my kids.

i'm sure that {so} many of you mom's can relate.

it's so hard to let the dishes sit in the sink.

to let the laundry sit there unfolded.

to let the beds go unmade.

to wait on picking up all the toys.

but the other day, delaney had been {begging} me to play ponies with her.

and i just couldn't seem to fit {her} into my busy schedule of up keeping the house.

in a moments break to take amelia to the potty, i opened up my potty treat.

(yes, the girls {and} i get potty treats, because well, i think potty training can be just as hard for me as it is amelia, and darn it, i need a treat too!)

this is what it said on the inside of {my} potty treat.

i mean, do you {see}that!?!?

i popped that delicious piece of dark chocolate into my mouth,

let the mess of my house sit there for another hour,

and spent the next chunk of my day being {cherilee} the pony.

and i opened my eyes to all the love around me.

and i realized {how} much it meant to the girls that i got down on the floor and played with them.

i would rather them have memories of laundry piled up, dirty dishes, {and} a mommy who played with them.

who communicated with them, that i {wanted} them

that i {enjoyed} them.

they are never going to remember those dishes in the sink.

they will remember me {washing} those dishes {instead} of playing with them.

and i fell a little more in love with my cricket and itty bitty that day.

what are you showing to {your} kids to be your priority?

what are they going to remember?

{daily delaney}

2011-01-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

oh daughter.

you've no idea what's coming to you.

let me just inform you, that you do in fact have a little brother.

a conversation from this morning:

lane: hey mom, wanna play dinosaurs with me?

me: lane, i'd love to, but i need to get ready for our friends to come over.

lane: who's coming over?

me: sarah and emery.

lane: MOM! NOOOO!!!!

me: uhhhh, what's the problem?

lane: but, emery is a {boy} and he will {chew} on my dinosaurs!

me: do you see that little person, over there sitting in the blue bumbo seat w/ drool running all down his front?

he's a {boy}. and he will {chew} on your dinosaurs.

lane: *passes our on the floor from shock.*

just kidding about that last part....but her face. oh her face upon realizing that her

sweet smiling little brother will soon {torture} her.

friends with little boys, you are good for my daughters life.

testing

2011-01-03T19:29:00.001-08:00

{embrace the camera}

2010-12-30T16:22:00.000-08:00

it's late in the day, i know.

and i've already posted twice today.

apparently i like to post in spurts.

deal.

anywho! me and the littles were cuddled up on the couch watching a movie after nap and casey snapped this.

i thought it would be perfect for joining in on embrace the camera today.

thanks, emily, for spurring us on to do this!

of course toby the dog had to be snuggle up with us too.

isn't it funny how my big ol weimaraner can curl up and look like a such a little dog?

have a great night all!

{the manhattan project}

2010-12-30T12:51:00.000-08:00

i wrote a new post over at our other blog

{the manhattan project}.

go read it.

if you want.

link below.

http://eggers-themanhattanproject.blogspot.com/2010/12/going-and-leaving.html

{crazy aunt millie}

2010-12-30T11:39:00.000-08:00

a few end of the year {crazy aunt millie} photos for your viewing pleasure.

she would never allow her crazy hair to get in the way of eating. not this {crazy} girl!

who needs your hair out of your eyes during playtime, especially when chewing on a wooden spoon?

for sure not our dear {aunt millie}

not even cutting {bangs} could control the crazy.

over halloween, she had an {especially} crazy day.

let's not stop at the crazy hair. let's add some nose picking.

oh dear. there's just something about this {crazy aunt millie} that i can't get enough of.

{embrace the camera}

2010-12-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

this friend of mine, hannah is friends with this girl emily...

one gal i {know} is super cool.

the other gal is {presumable} super cool based on her fun blog and the fact that she's friends w/ hannah.

and anyone who is friends with hannah, is cool.

thus, i want to participate in the coolness.

so this is my first week, {embracing the camera}. go here for details on why she begin this little tradition.

what a great concept, right!?!

said cool friend {hannah} took this beautiful photo of me and my littles.

check out her website, she does an amazing job!!!

now go {embrace the camera yourself!}

{free christmas cards? yes, please!}

2010-11-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

this is likely the umpteenth blog you've read about this on....but who are we kidding, this is too good a deal to pass up!

shutterfly is giving away {50} free christmas photo cards. i LOVE shutterfly. i've used them in the past for several different projects: just plain ol' photo prints, photo books for the girls....they've always had great customer service, and been quick on processing and delivering my orders. i think that once we've settled down in KS and Remi has his own room, i'd love to print some photo's on their canvas to decorate his nursery. i also am really tempted to order some of their holiday thank you cards this year. we are {SO} incredibly blessed by our families at this time, i'm often overwhelmed with thanks.

in the past i've always made handmade christmas cards. i love the charm and love that goes into them.

however, this year with adding a new baby, preparing our home to sell and move to KS, creating and selling flowers....i just don't know where i'll find the time. but please know, that i will be picking out a {charming} design and send it to you with lot's of {love}.

here are some of my top choices (but, stealing the idea of a friend, i'm not revealing my favorite pic!):

i love the simplicity of this one

joy is one of the best words to express this season!

i like the sweet little christmas tree on this one.

{and} there are so many more to choose from! go have a look yourself! and sign up here for your own 50 free!

merry christmas!

{daily delaney}

2010-11-29T15:08:00.000-08:00

my sweet {cricket} loves to play dress up.

yesterday she was all dressed up when i asked her to pick up her clothes off

the floor and put them in the hamper.

she proceeded to walk over to her dress up suitcase, pull out an apron and asked me to put it on.

you might know where this is going.

i asked, "why do you need your apron to clean up your clothes?"

"because mom, you are treating me like cinderella."

oh, my poor poor daughter who has to do chores.

{the manhattan project}

2010-11-18T06:23:00.000-08:00

some of you know this, some may not.

casey and i are packing up our family and our home and moving to the {little apple}.

manhattan, kansas.

this is a bittersweet time of joy and excitement and sadness {at leaving behind our loved ones}.

we started a new blog so that if you desire you can follow our journey and time there.

it's called, {the manhattan project}.

the very first post is an introduction written by my {beloved} giving you and idea of why we are going.

there are a few ways you can help us in this adventure, prayer being of the utmost importance.

check back there often for updates {i'll let you know here, when we've updated there}.

{With Thanksgiving}

2010-11-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

i'm being {hammered} right now with Gospel Truth.

our pastor has been beating it into our heads.

i'm reading a great book about it.

and the other day, my brother in law wrote a post about it.

the truth of the {Cross} is never something that i feel like i can forget.

but it can become familiar to me. and that makes me sick.

the reality of Jesus dying on the Cross is {never} something that i want to be just {familiar} or {comfortable} with.

i want to {crumble} at the idea of Jesus dying.

because of me.

because i should be the one dead.

and i'm not.

i tried this morning, to think about this in the same way that anthony did.

(click here to read his blog post)

the idea of, choosing to let remington, my precious, valued, {only} son die for the sake of my {enemies} lives, and not only letting him die, but {abandoning} him at the time of his death is just not something i can say i would be willing/able to do.

i heard a floating internet story (fictional, obviously) once along time ago about this outbreak of some sort of disease or sickness and everyone in the world was dropping like flies. then, they found that this one little boy could give of his own blood (somehow his blood held the cure) and save everyone's lives.

so his parents had the choice to selfishly keep their own son alive and everyone else would die, or to sacrifice their son to save all of mankind.

in the story they choose to sacrifice their son.

valiant. loving. unselfish these parents were.

but.

can you imagine if you had to sacrifice your {only son} for the sake of every murderer.

child molester.

rapist.

thief.

adulterer.

your son, who is {perfect}. he never had to have a spank. he never refused to eat his veggies.

he never back talked, or hit his sister.

can you imagine if you had to sacrifice this perfect son for the one person on earth who hated you the most?

this, this is what God did for us.

for me.

for you.

i. cannot. get. my. brain. around. this.

i wouldn't sacrifice remi for

my next door neighbor who i get along fine with, let alone my worst ememy.

not. a. chance.

but this is what God did for me.

and i {crumble} at the thought.

as i should.

but also, i {rejoice}.

because of this mighty sacrifice, i will not spend eternity in hell.

i'm always reminding delaney, "you need to love others, more then you love yourself."

Jesus chose to love me more then He loved Himself.

and because of this, i {rejoice}.

Psalm 95:1-7

Oh, Come, let us sing to the LORD;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

In his hands are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

i am the sheep of His hand.

i come to Him with thanksgiving.

i praise Him, for the LORD is a great God.

{daily delaney}

2010-11-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

at dinner tonight:

me: delaney, you need to eat your chicken nuggets.

delaney: i'm sorry mom, i can't hear your instruction, my ears are being silly.

me: excuse me?

delaney: my ears, they are being silly.

uh, huh.

{crazy aunt millie}

2010-10-28T13:58:00.001-07:00

she did this all on her own.

must have been a raging party in her bed.

{The King's Christmas List} a book review

2010-10-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

“The Kings’s Christmas List” is a sweet short story for children. It is about a little girl Emma and her “Gentle Dog” Shu-Shu, who can magically talk. It’s the Christmas Season and Emma discovers a mail box that is shining “like the Christmas star” with a golden letter. The letter is an invitation to attend the King’s birthday party. Emma decides the perfect gift to bring to the king, is a homemade cake. Along the way to the party, she meets two families who are in need and Emma chooses to love them more then she loves herself by giving away things she holds dear, a cake, cape, and teddy bear. At he Kings birthday party, Emma realizes no one is giving a gift to the King, and goes to tell Him she had a gift for Him, but gave it away. She shares a conversation with Him and learns that the best gift she could have given Him, was to give to others.

This book is just long enough for a younger audience, and it’s illustrations are sweetly composed (aside from the stereotypical, fair skinned, blue eyed Jesus). It offers a good lesson on selflessness and giving to others.

{crazy aunt millie}

2010-10-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

please know, we refer to my middle child as {crazy aunt millie}

in the most {loving} and {endearing} way.

this girl is fabulous.

and what spurred this special nickname, is her {hair}.

from a very young age

(about the time her hair started to re-grow in after if all fell out when she was a newborn)

it began to be pretty wild.

it stood straight up, no matter what.

as it got longer, it got crazier.

i {try} fixing this girls hair.

every morning, i put it in cute pig tails, or barrettes, or flower clips.

it starts out something like this:

or this:

but, by the end of the day, it almost always looks something like this:

aww.

you know not the joy, this girl, and her {crazy} hair brings to my life.

stay tuned for more.

{daily delaney}

2010-10-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

upon learning that i made her a {ball gown} for her birthday:

"but mom! i don't want a ball to wear my gown, i want to wear it!"

{and yet He loves me}

2010-09-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

the other day, i was commenting to casey how {crazy} i thought

it was that though remi requires {everything} from me, and yet does {nothing} for me

i do not begrudge him, or get irritated with him for always needing me.

i simply {adore} {love} and {gladly} give of myself to him.

then, casey chose to {rock} my world...

...in a good way...

with this comment-

"oh yeah? you should thank God for the same."

it's true.

it's {crazy}, that though i require {everything} from God, and yet do {nothing} for Him

He does not begrudge me, or get irritated with me for alway needing Him.

God simply {adores} {loves} and {gladly} gives of Himself to me...

...and to you.

{daily delaney}

2010-09-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

delaney loves all things to do with a {camera}.

taking pictures.

having her's taken.

desperately wanting to {see} the picture after it's been taken.

she'll look at photos on the computer or my phone for {hours}.

one day we decided to play with the camera.

here are the many {faces} of delaney.

{The Prophecy Answer Book} a review

2010-09-14T16:46:00.002-07:00

Upon reading The Prophecy Answer Book, I find it’s great to have a small book with all of the questions that many Christians have about our current events and how they intertwine with end times prophesy. It is even better that they are answered with Biblical reinforcement . Dr. David Jeremiah does a great job covering the rapture, the tribulation and the second coming. He also discusses some of the more controversial current affairs in our world today, such as the demand for oil, Russia’s relationship with the middle east and the Islamic religion. All of the information is well organized into a small, easy to read and easy to carry book. Israel’s history is also covered as well as their role in the end times scenario. Dr. Jeremiah does an excellent job ensuring that no subject is left uncovered and he makes the Biblical prophecies much easier to understand and process. The question and answer layout is fantastic and it’s really easy to navigate. This book is readable by both the biblically well versed and the novice. The Prophecy Answer Book would make a great gift for anyone with questions about the book of Revelation and the end times.

**Please Note**

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com http://BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

{one more fun thing!}

2010-09-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

in all of my posts about remi's birth and the update...i forgot to tell you all a super fun fact!

one of my best friends, hannah, and i were preggers together.

she was about 3 weeks further along then me.

hannah was pregnant with her 3rd {beautiful} daughter.

seriously, you should go to her blog and look at these girls...they are stunning.

anyway, and since i was preggers w/ a boy, i've had all these dreams of them one day getting

married and living happily ever after.

hannah had this condition during her pregnancy that caused her to have crazy amounts of amniotic fluid. so this poor woman measured full term when she was not even 30weeks along!

can you believe that!

at one point, hannah shared with me that if i went into labor before her (since i have a history of going early and she has a history of going late) that she would be, and i quote,

"pissed".

in the most light hearted friendly kind of way. i think....

teeheehee.

so hannah was scheduled for a c-section on 8-9-10.

cool date huh.

recognize it?

yeah, that's Remington's birthday.

and he was born a few hours {before} her sweet daughter, Jetta Monroe.

so i did in fact, go into labor and have a baby before her....

thankfully only a few hours, or she might have really been pissed. :)

we had rooms next door to each other all week.

when i wasn't able to hold Remington yet, hannah let me borrow Jetta.

she was a great encouragment and support for me in those hard days.

it was nice to know one of my best friends was right next door.

our older 2 kids are just a few months apart, and aside from the occasional girl fight, they are great friends.

i hope the same for remi and jetta!

{remi d}

2010-09-10T07:53:00.001-07:00

remember a while back when i did posts about casey, the girls and i?

well, it's time you get to know the little {man}.here's installment #4.

this little man is 4.5 weeks old.

crazy. it goes by {way} too fast.we like to call him:

remi d

toots

mr. man

magruter

tin

rem rem

let me tell you, this sweet boy is easy going and handsome.

and he really likes to fart.

he is an incredibly {gassy} baby.

thankfully not in the fussy, his tummy hurts all the time way...

he just toots {all} {the} {time}.

he is easy going and laid back.his sisters are in {love} with him.

mind you, so am i.

he has crazy good {head} control.

he has {pimples}. poor boy.

he's starting to fill out and his legs are looking less chickeny.

since he's still a little cross eyed and basically eat, sleeps, and {yes} poops...

i don't have much else to report on his personality and character.

but we are sure thankful to have him around.

{daily delaney}

2010-09-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

i think most mothers' hope for their relationship with their daughters is that

they will always feel {confidant} and {comfortable} coming to us for anything.

this morning as delaney crawled into bed to watch some cartoons with her daddy, she

asked me for {help}.

last night, she slept in a night shirt and panties...and as she slipped under

the covers, an {issue} came up.

"mom, can you, can you, can you help me get the panties out of my bottom?"

yes daughter. i will pick your {wedgie}.

again, i'm thankful she feels comfortable talking to me even about the {embarrassing} things.

{karly}

2010-09-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

on tuesday, we choose to put down our sweet and beautiful

german shorthair pointer, Karly.

for those of you who aren't "dog people" you probably won't understand, and i won't be offended if you just stop reading this right now

it feels bitter and unfair to me that we had to do it.

she was only 6 years old....and lived only half her life.

a couple of months ago, we found out she had cancer in her mouth.

it quickly grew and started to close off her nasal passage, making it hard for her to breath.

she couldn't really do any of her favorite things (chasing squirrels, swimming, playing with our other dog) w/out struggling to breath.

it was a hard decision to make, and i didn't think i'd struggle

with the loss of her as much as i have.

anyway, i won't start getting all sappy on you.

i have to remember she was just a dog.

a great companion with lots of personality....yet still just a dog.

i just wanted to pay some sort of tribute to our lovable and goofy "puddin".

{daily delaney}

2010-08-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

For each of my kid's births, i prepared a "labor" cd.

mind you, i didn't {stay} in labor long for any of them, however, my doc's are fantastic and let me bring music into the O.R. to listen to.

on Remi's labor cd, i have two songs by " The Unlikelies".

if you don't know their music, {you should}.

anywho, i like to listen to the cd before the baby is born and one day the girls and i were listening to it in the car.

delaney {loves} to sing, and she picks up on lyrics quickly.

{ahem} like a certian song by olivia newton john that has to do with....ummm, we'll say

{exercising}.

anyway, back to The Unlikelies.

we were listening to a song called, "Almighty".

the lyrics say,

"Almighty, the world will see you are the one. Almighty, the one who is and is to come."

{however} delaney was singing it as,

"Alrighty, the world will see you are the one. Alrighty, the one who is and is to come."

and i corrected her, that she needed to sing {Almighty} and not {Alrighty}.

i explained that God was Almighty and what that meant.

she thought for a moment, and said,

"well, i think God is Alrighty."

i agree.

He is indeed Almighty {and} Alrighty.

{Remington David Egger} long read

2010-08-19T09:10:00.001-07:00

so God is good.

and we have a {son}.

and i'm blown away at how {present} and real God was through the whole thing.

silly me, sometimes i can {forget} that God is in and overall all things.

i can sometimes think that {i'm} in control.

i'm not.

i know it's {SO} the blog trend to blog your {birth story} right now.

i'm not really into that, and i didn't do it with the girls.

but this needs to be heard.

Remington is our 3 baby. our first boy. and my hardest pregnancy.

i was so {sick} from the very beginning.

and i was still throwing up the day i went into labor.

that's just a side note, though.

so anyway.

about 3ish weeks before i went into labor, i started feeling funky.

i couldn't pinpoint why. or what.

i felt silly calling the dr. to say, "hey, i feel funny, can i come in to be checked out?"

so i called my dear friend, kayt and asked her. was it silly of me?

immediately she encouraged me to go ahead and call, she didn't think it was silly at all.

and she hesitated, but also shared with me something significant.

she has been feeling an intense urging from the Lord to pray.

these are her words,

"Basically about a month ago the Lord spoke to me to pray for my friend's pregnancy. As mentioned in a previous blog I have lots of close friends having babies right now so I just kinda shluffed it off as a good reminder to pray for all of them. But no. God made it clear that he wanted

me praying specifically for this friend- the baby, the pregnancy, and the delivery."

you can go here to read more of her side of the story.

at first she didn't want to share this with me. she didn't want me to worry.

please remember this specific part of the story, as it is {significant} later on.

so anyway, i went to the dr. and they found nothing wrong with me

we monitored the baby and his heart rate and movements looked good.

so i went home wondering, why i still felt {off}.

schooch on forward about 3ish weeks to last sunday at {9:30pm}.

i started having contractions about 3-4mins apart. i wasn't sure if they were real, because with

delaney and amelia my water broke and so i knew i was in labor.

so i waited and just timed them.

they consistently came for 3-4mins for 4 hours before i called the dr. at about 2am.

well, dr. said to head on in to the hospital and we'd check things out.

got hooked up to monitors and checked.

definitely having real contractions. i was 1cm dilated, 50% effaced, and stationed +1.

the dr. decided that since i wasn't quite 37 weeks, he wanted to try and stop the labor.

so they gave me a shot of {Terbutaline} a drug that generally stops contractions.

well, instead of stopping, my intensified.

so finally, the dr. got out of {bed}, seriously, they told me he was sleeping.

and he checked me.

i had in a matter of 20ish mins. progressed to 2cm, 80% effaced, and +2 station.

doc said, well looks like we're having a baby this morning!

via c-section.

{OK!}

we're gonna have a baby!

so they got things rolling. catheter, iv (after 3 tries), antibiotics injected and anti nausea drugs.

answered all the {annoying} admittance questions.

and then, my labor stopped.

didn't taper off. {stopped}.

and i started to cry.

how disappointing! casey's parents were already on their way from 2hrs away.

my parents were on their way.

my brother in law was watching the girls.

and darn it, {i wanted to have a baby!}.

the dr. said he wanted to back off. he really wanted the baby to have more time in the womb to mature. he said he might have breathing problems, or problems nursing.

he also said, it was likely i might be back later that day. or in a couple of days.

and folks, i did not want to have to have {another} catheter. they hurt. just being real here.

the or was prepped and waiting for me.

so the dr. decided to leave it up to me.

i had about 8 people staring at me, waiting for me to make a decision.

do i make the {unselfish} choice and say, ok. let's call the whole thing off. give the baby more time to grow.

or do i make the {selfish} choice and say, no, i want to have a baby today.

i don't want to go through all of this admittance stuff again.

i started to bawl. i'm not sure it was even really audible, but i said, i want to have the baby.

i don't want to wait.

thankfully my dr. was totally on board!

he basically clapped his hands, and said {OK!} let's have a baby!

i was thankful for his enthusiasm and support.

so we headed into the O.R.

i'll spare you the details, but it wasn't easy.

basically, they couldn't get me completely numb and the anesthesiologist was {dumping} morphine into my iv.

at one point i was in so much pain, i had to focus on the worship music i had playing and just try to tune out.

{finally} i felt this intense relief of pressure and heard two incredibly loud cries come from the other side of the curtain.

and then the cries stopped.

he wasn't breathing and was turning purple.

they sounded an alarm and about 10 people rushed into the O.R. at once. (anyone who is available comes, only a couple of those people needed to stay).

but is was still {freaking} me out.

and i began to cry, thinking i made the {WRONG} very selfish choice to deliver early, and now they were having to help Remington breath.

they brought him over to me for just a brief moment and then

took him to the NICU to get more breathing help.

thankfully my mother in law stayed with me and was a

{huge} comfort when casey and the baby left.

they finished cleaning me out and stitching me up and rolled me into the recovery room.

i was {SO} doped up from all the morphine, that i don't remember much of

anything from the whole rest of the day. which might be God's kindness

that i wasn't totally aware enough to really freak out about how sick my son was.

once they had him in the NICU they discovered he had an infection, had really low blood pressure, still wasn't breathing well on his own.

he was severely anemic and needed a blood transfusion.

so they opened up his belly button, and put a central line from an artery to his heart, and one to his stomach.

they administered his blood transfusion through this, and gave him iv fluids.

based on his red blood cell count, the dr. was able to determine that the

infection had started roughly

{3ish weeks ago}.

right around the time that i started feeling funky, and that Kayt was urged to pray for my baby, my pregnancy, and deliver.

{AND} that had the baby stayed in longer, he would have continued to get {sicker} and {sicker}.

do you understand the significance in those to revelations?

before he was born, before we knew anything was wrong, God was prompting

someone to pray with intention for my baby.

and even though at the time i felt like i had made a {selfish} decision to go ahead and deliver the baby early, God was over that as well. had i decided to do what i though was the {unselfish} choice, Remington would have been born even {more} critically ill.

i didn't get to see him for {hours} and i didn't get to hold him for {days}.

probably some of the longest hours and days of my life.

Remington was in the NICU hooked up to all the crazy monitors and all i wanted to do was pick him up and smell his newborn smell. we couldn't hardly touch him, because the stimulation messed with his blood pressure.

but God was there.

we prayed that he would come off his oxygen, as this was the first step to getting better.

he was born on monday morning. he came off his CPAP (heavey duty oxygen) on tuesday and just used his nebulizer for oxygen. we prayed that he would be off that by the next day, and on wednesday he was breathing totally on his own.

because of the infection, he developed a high fever, but stabilized within 24hrs.

he came off his blood pressure meds on tuesday, but had to go back on, however for

only 24more hours.

i know there was a {crazy} amount of people praying for him.

his cultures from his infection came back and looked so good, they didn't

even bother to give him his 3rd round of antibiotics.

{finally} on wednesday, they were able to take the central line from his artery to his heart out.

and i got to {hold him} for the first time.

and smell his newborn {smell}.

on thursday, he had to go under photo therapy lights for jaundice, but his numbers started to go down before the first 24 hours were even up.

on friday, they took out his other central line.

and i had to {leave} him.

there is no preparing for having to leave your child behind.

casey was {amazing}. his support and compassion for my broken heart was incredible.

God is {amazing}. and God is {comforting}.

when i was up in the nights pumping, i just though about how he was awake taking his feeding right then. and that made me smile.

after only two nights away from my baby, Remi came home on Sunday.

i had a few, ok, a lot of moments of {distress} through the whole thing.

but in it all, i felt {peace} and {comfort} and {knowledge} that for as much as i loved and was concerned about Remi, God was more.

and God was in control.

and God knows his days.

we prayed that he would come home by monday.

he came {home} on {sunday}.

it's been tiring. doing a 3 step feeding program with him.

but i'll do it to have him home with me.

he is doing really well. he didn't have to come home on a bili blanket.

he is nursing well.

his sisters adore him.

i'm totally in love.

with both Remington and God.

God was in it and over it all.

God was in it prompting Kayt to pray.

God was in my decision to deliver, instead of holding off, because the longer he stayed in the womb, the sicker he was becoming.

God was in the quick answer of each of our prayers while he was in the hospital.

God is in it now, having him home. gaining weight. nursing well.

friends, please, don't doubt how big God is in your life.

in every life.

born and unborn.

Remington means {devoted}

David {for the man after God's heart}

we are praying that our little boy will be a

{devoted} man after {God's heart}.

and we are thankful for your prayers over his life.

{daily delaney}

2010-08-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

just a quick daily {delaney}.

we like to tell our daughters that they are {princesses}.

not in the fairy tale kind of way, but really and truly, they are {REAL} princesses.

they are daughters of {the} King.

one day, at the dinner table, casey told delaney she was {indeed} a princess.

she responded with:

"actually, daddy, i'm really just a turd."

hmmmm. i {swear} i've never called her that before in her life.

nope.

never ever.

Introducing, {Princess Turd}

{daily delaney}

2010-08-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

so basically, my nearly 4 year old daughter {delaney} is a comedic genius.

and sometimes just has crazy cool {thoughts}.

i thought i'd attempt to share them here as they roll off her tongue.

i'll sure be trying for consistency in posting.

here's one from yesterday:

delaney: "hey mom. let's play pretend."

me: "ok, what do you want to play?"

delaney: "let's play, you be the mommy and i'll be the kid."

yeah....really stretching your imagination there, kiddo.

{my itty bitty}

2010-08-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

finally, installment #3. amelia.

now this girl. she is one of a kind.

she will be 2 years old this month.

she is one of the biggest {turds} i've ever met. we call her a {turdler} instead of a toddler.

she also has me so tightly wrapped around her little finger it's starting to turn purple.

i cannot get enough of her, and and sometimes i cannot wait to get a break from her.

she is cuddly. she is not very brave. she has a mullet. she always pulls her pig tails out.

{i guess she's proud of her mullet}.

she is starting to pray on her own, and as w/ delaney, this delights my heart to hear her sweet little voice say Jesus name.

she is a:

mockingbird

she loves babies

she hates meat

she loves broccoli

she can put her own shoes on

she talks all the time

she is obsessed with airplanes

she likes to be read to

and so much {more}.

just get a load of this cuteness:

she likes to paint, and color, and make messes

she likes being in water....so long as she doesn't get splashed.

she has blond hair. and looks just like her daddy.

we very {lovingly} refer to her as, "crazy aunt millie"

i love this girl. love her.

{my little cricket}

2010-08-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

here is installment #2. all about {delaney}.

let me just tell you, i {adore} this girl. she is on of my best friends. seriously.

delaney is:

beautiful

smart

sensitive to others

creative

a mini photographer

a builder upper to those around her

a comedian

and so much {more}.

she will be 4years old in october.

she is {thrilled} about having a baby brother, and obsessed with the fact that the dr. is going to {cut} him out of me. she informed casey one day, that after the dr. cut him out, she was going to hold remington. and when she was finished, he could have a turn.

she is already a great big sister to amelia {who can be a challenging little sister}.

she loves her cousins.

she especially adores an 18year old guy named, michael.

she has a heart to pray.

and her prayers are some of the most {tender} and {genuine} i've ever heard spoken. faith like a child people, there's really something there.

she loves taking photographs.

i love letting her.

here is some of her brilliant work:

and here are some fun updated photos of my little {cricket}:

she is learning to

write her

name.

i'm seriously impressed with the neatness of her handwriting.

she was very proud of herself this day.

her only struggle, is that she want's to put about a {million} extra lines in her letter E.

can i blame her? it does make the E extra fun.

she likes all things water. sprinklers, the pool in the back yard, the big pool where she likes to dive in and swim

underwater.

she really likes to fish. she and her daddy practice {casting} in the back yard.

she's not afraid of worms. in fact, she thinks they are pretty great.

and i think {she} is pretty great.

{my man and i}

2010-08-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

this is installment #1 of {hello, i never post to this blog, let's change that now}

this one will be about my man and i.

i like him. a lot. i sort of {crush} on him.

he's so handsome, can you blame me?!? really.

any who.

we found out in december that he knocked me up.

and then in may, we found out we were having a {boy}.

i'm pretty certain that casey is still high 5ing people about that one.

he is still running his business Fine Edge Paintless Dent Repair, and God is still blessing our socks off in regards to that business. my man is a {hard} worker with a ton of {integrity} in his work, and this just keeps dealerships calling him back. i'm so proud of him and the way he {supports} our family.

we are looking forward to celebrating our {7th} wedding anniversary this month.

i'm still in awe over the fact that of {all} the women on this earth the {chose} me to be his wife. crazy cool.

i've been taking a breather from my business, Rag-a-Muffin Totes. i got totally burnt out on sewing after christmas time. don't get me wrong, i had a TON of business and that made for our being able to bless with christmas gifts huge. i just really needed a break after all that sewing.

also, because we found out i was preggers, i decided i needed to change up my business a bit. i am no longer offering {custom} made bags. someday, i will just have stock built up and posted for sale on the website and peeps will have to purchase totes as is. i hope you all still like what i come up with!

in the meantime, i've just been enjoying life with my 2 {sweet} daughters.

enjoying air conditioning.

enjoying feeling my little man kick the {crap} out of my insides.

and i'm looking forward to getting to meet mr. remington sometime in the upcoming weeks.

Per Request of the Lovely Amber Van

2010-08-03T12:21:00.001-07:00

My {sweet} friend, Amber, pointed out to me today that i have not updated this blog in a LLLOOOONNNNGGGG time (aside from my book review the other day.

So i'm gonna create a few new blogs this afternoon, while i still have time before the

{love of my life #4}

enters this world and i no longer function as a normal human being.

hope you enjoy.

here's a teaser pic.

Resurrection in May

2010-08-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

A few months back, my friend Sela tuned me on to BookSneeze . It's a website that gives you free books to read, so long as you submit a 200 word review on your personal blog and on a consumer review site. I couldn't pass that up. So below is my first review.

Resurrection in May by Lisa Samson is the story of a girl called May. Along May’s journey to learn that there is much more to life, she meets and develops relationships with numerous people, though not evident at the time, strategically placed by God.
In part one of the book, May meets a gentle old farmer named Claudius who helps May to learn that life moves on despite the past. May needs time to heal and learn to believe that God is present in all circumstances and Claudius is willing to offer her that time. Part one, in my opinion, reads slowly and simply; very much a reflection of life on Claudius farm.
In part two of the book, after nearly a decade on the farm, May begins to move forward in life with a little help from Eli, a murder on death row. They share numerous conversations about what it means to forgive and to seek forgiveness. The irony is not lost on the reader that an attempted murder victim and a murder are developing a life changing relationship and understanding of who God is and when He is present.
The book was overall a good read and recommendable.

{i am a whore, i do confess}

2010-02-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

i am. it's true.

but i'm thankful that Jesus loves whores.

and all other people as well.

i am Jesus bride, but i whore myself to so many things.

to gluttony.

to sexual immorality.

i lie.

i give myself over to anger.

i gossip.

i recently found myself back in a sin i though didn't exist for myself anymore.

i made confessing to my husband. to God.

but, i was disgusted with myself.

i didn't want to read my bible.

i didn't want to approach God's throne and lay myself bare, my whoring self before him.

so i didn't. i avoided prayer. i avoided reading Truth.

i started to feel like i was drowning.

really, i was.

every moment of my days were spent remembering my sin, and condemning myself for it over and over again.

casey kept asking me, is everything ok? and i'd say, yeah, i'm good.

a lie.

this morning, i forced myself to open my Bible.

God is so good.

after reading several affirming and convicting pieces of Scripture, i felt my heart

tenderly open up again.

and then, i had a realization.

it's one of those things, that i'm not certain i would be able to come up with, or understand if i weren't a parent. if i didn't have daughters who are sinners.

i was thinking about how much delaney absolutely delights my heart.

how beautiful and joyful amelia is.

i discipline them daily for their ugly, sinful nature.

and when the discipline is over, i look at them and i don't see their sin.

i see their beautiful faces, their stunning hearts.

and i had to come to realize that it's the same for me.

God knew i would sin over and over and over and over.

that's why the Cross.

and when my discipline is over, God doesn't remember my sin.

He sees my beautiful face, my stunning heart.

He know's i am a whore....

but He married me anyway.

watch this video. listen to the words.

realize His grace for you too.

Wedding Dress

by Derek Webb

{sometimes}

2010-01-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

{sometimes} as a mommy i wonder if my daughters pay any

attention to the things i am saying or doing.

i want to be an example to them of a woman:

who {adores} her Savior.

who {prays} constantly.

who loves their {daddy}.

i try and help delaney memorize scripture.

she knows {6} verses.

we sing songs.

i wonder if they really take in {anything} that i am saying or doing.

this is proof that delaney pays more attention then i think i was aware of.

amelia and i were playing in the living room and delaney was in her bedroom playing in the dollhouse. i began to hear some curious sounds coming from the bedroom.

wondering if the stomach bug had {attacked} our family again, i go into her room to investigate.

the photo above is what i found.

"delaney, what are you doing?" i asked.

"i'm making the mommy throw up in the potty like you do, mama".

aaawweee. isn't she {sweet}?

this daughter of mine, she delights my heart.

side note.

at dinner tonight i told casey i though i needed to take some tylenol pm so i could get some sleep because being sleep deprived makes me a bad mommy.

my little cricket chirped in on the convo.

"you are a good mommy, mama".

once again, let's hear it.

aaawwweee. isn't she {sweet}?

Never a Dull Moment

{daily delaney} where's waldo edition

{dear you...}

{bitty girl}

{running for Jr.}

Colorado Pulmonary Hypertension 5K Run for PHun 2011?

{can it really be true?}

{the monster inside me}

{Then Sings My Soul} a book review

{crazy aunt millie}

{Hillybilly Bone}

{daily delaney}

{rourke jonathan and remington david}

{embrace the camera} May 9, 2011

{women and modesty}

{what'sa goin on?}

{for aunt radene}

{joy in laughter}

{embrace the camera}

{daily delaney}

{daily delaney}

{embrace the camera}

{embrace the camera}

{amber van, betty lou, and casey egg}

{embrace the camera}

{daily delaney}

{crazy aunt millie}

{embrace the camera}

{my photog in training}

{oh no! my bricks!}

{the prince and the princess}

{embrace the camera}

{friend, not freaky}

{finally!}

{spoiled}

{embrace the camera}

{forward motion}

{for my valentine}

{the manhattan project}

{illness}

{new manhattan project}

{how gladly i will do so...}

{pillow nemesis}

{good friends}

{crazy aunt millie}

{mama needs a day off}

{crazy aunt millie}

{a first taste}

{silly girl}

{embrace the camera}

{an interview with delaney}

{embrace the camera}

{daily delaney}

testing

{embrace the camera}

{the manhattan project}

{crazy aunt millie}

{embrace the camera}

{free christmas cards? yes, please!}

{daily delaney}

{the manhattan project}

{With Thanksgiving}

{daily delaney}

{crazy aunt millie}

{The King's Christmas List} a book review

{crazy aunt millie}

{daily delaney}

{and yet He loves me}

{daily delaney}

{The Prophecy Answer Book} a review

{one more fun thing!}

{remi d}

{daily delaney}

{karly}

{daily delaney}

{Remington David Egger} *long read*

{daily delaney}

{daily delaney}

{my itty bitty}

{my little cricket}

{Remington David Egger} long read