our sweet girls

We love them...aren't they fun? And Ashley stopped by while we were playing...and isn't she cute too?

And dance is fun!...I will have to tell you about it for sure...but tonight I am tired :)

And for all of you who like to pray...go to my friend Lisa Smith's blog and PRAY FOR HER please!

prayer, dance and a very cute baby

This week we have all been struck by the suffering of the Haitian people...and we have been sobered once again that life is truly a precious gift. In light of that, I want to start by saying LET'S really PRAY for them...the children and mommies, the pregnant women, the men who are broken, the women who have been widowed...Jesus, be very present in their time of need!

This weekend we will officially kick off "Talitha" dance company which means that all 15 of us will be dancing from Friday at 5:00 until Sunday at 4:00 (with only a few breaks to eat and sleep in-between!) I want to ask for your prayers for this as well...for us to really connect on a deep level with one another, for the dances to come together beautifully, for joy and freedom as we dance, and for Jesus to really enjoy our worship this weekend! Also, on a more personal note: I am 11 weeks post prego body...so please pray for my physical strength and stamina to dance this much! I am the "leader" of this group of dancers, so please pray that I lead well too. I want to love them like my own daughters and I really do consider this opportunity as a gift to me....I really want to bring these "daughters" to Jesus this weekend.

In light of this, I think my family has been a bit attacked with sickness and mental/emotional fatigue. Specifically, please pray for Kiva's little tummy. She is having a hard time going poo...and we just need her to be relieved! Yep, potty talk, but real life! Thanks for that!

And to finish off...here is a really cute baby Kiva on the way to the park yesterday. Seriously! Her cheeks rest on her chest they are so squeezable!

around here...

Sister fun...

Boots, Kiva and Jada

Jada was pretending to "drive" Kiva to the "poke" translated park

at breakfast in her "princess dress" of course...thanks Kat. Phinney!

Jada in her princess dress in the hallway doing "beautiful turns"

...and thanks for your encouragement about my bangs...you are all too sweet! Someone pointed out that my hair kinda looks like the Hannah Montana wig worn by the rest of my family...that was definitely not the goal! Ha!

ok already...

So, my sweet friend Sarah Brown took a photo of me while we were eating lunch to pacify the wonder of all of you who live away from here...

So....

mommy said no and a chunky baby!

In this moment as I sit to blog for the first time in 2010 I am gladly holding a very chunky baby sleeping in my arms and listening to a very tired 3 year old crying "mommy said no and that makes me sad."...I told her that rest time is not over yet :)

Why do I start with that?...because truly this is a wonderful life! I feel like time is flying by and there will be oh so many days ahead that I will look back with joy and remember this season of our lives...

Anyway...thought I would post some random facts about the holiday season and our current state of affairs!

• Jada had an excellent Christmas...she wanted a piggy bank to paint and some walgreens brand fake my little ponies (which she received) along with her first tricycle and train set from mimi and papa

• I have bangs...alot of them...and it is a fun change
• Kiva had her 2 month appointment last week and has almost doubled her birth weight and only grown an inch in length! Told you...chunky baby! Love my 11 1/2 pounder!!
• Grammy got our family season tickets to Sea World and we already went...Jada loved it and pretends to be shamu!
• Jada went to a very precious "Happy Birthday Jesus" party...Julie was so creative with crafts, story time, and of course a birthday cake!

• Brian and I officially started the new year on a paleo diet! We are actually trying to change our lifestyle so we plan to be straight paleo for 4 months...so ask us about it if you want to help keep us accountable! So far we have lost 10 lbs between us!
• We received lots of fun Christmas cards with photos from you guys...that is one of my favorite things about Christmas!...and without getting hyper-spiritual, I have honestly looked at many of the faces of your children with a humbling excitement of their generation...may they usher in a heightened awareness of the presence of Christ in their peers and change the world forever! Lord, help us to parent them well and daily show them the reality of Christ in our lives!
• Com Group Christmas party was fun...you know, you can always count on good times with White Elephant exchange and lots of yummy desserts!

• Brian officiated a wedding and did a great job! Our sweet friends Chester and Jen Blessing are hitched!!!

• Our good friends, the Cavins came in town and we all had so much fun! We are so grateful for them!

• Kiva is officially not a spit-uper! Since Jada was, I want all of you moms with spit-upers to know that I am not taking this for granted!!!
• Jada made her dance performance debut at our church with her "Mary had a baby" dance...instead of dancing, Jada just entertained the crowd by twirling her baby Jesus and falling down on purpose! All of the little ones were really precious!

• My mom wants to fluff my very straight bangs...no, mom, they are supposed to be straight and flat :)
• I realized while we were at sea world that I was living out a dream of mine!...carrying Kiva in a sling close to me while Jada rode in the wagon. Seems small, but that has been a dream of mine since I was pregnant with Mia and that was actually something I grieved not getting to do with her...and there I was with Kiva! I was crying happy tears while walking around sea world :)
• Jada loves her cousin Madyson...and we found out that they have matching jackets! :)

• Kiva met her Great-Grandmommie on Brian's side over Christmas...I thought this picture was precious!

• And I will leave you with this deep thought, thanks to Hannah Montana and her wig: Jada, Mike, Jason and Brian all have something in common...all of them are much better as brunettes!!!