A Few Maternity Photos

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The baby loungin' on Braden while he watches a movie!! Doesn't she look so cozy in that fluffy blanket??!!

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Watching the Nativity Story as a family tonight, since we didn't get to on Christmas Eve like we usually do!!

The Nursery

Alison's Nursery!

I am fearfully & wonderfully made!!

This is the tree and birds that a friend of mine(Kim) designed for her wall! Each bird represents a member of the family!!

Top to Bottom: Gabe, Ethan, Ben & I, and Jake

Braden, Madi & Alison (in the nest)

Here's the full view

Changing station and closet half filled with clothes half filled with diapers!!

It's been over 11 years since I've gotten to decorate a nursery. I only did one for Braden and the other kids used the same gender neutral theme (teddy bears). So while Ben was working 80+ hrs/week, I was having fun planning and decorating a baby room! It was a blast!!

Alison Week 2

As you can see I didn't decide to do this until she was 2 weeks old so I'm missing quite a few days so far!!

9 days old

A favorite of mine from her photo shoot!!

10 days old

Not the best pic but it's the ONLY one of her this day!!

13 days old

Her sweet little fingers holding daddy tight!

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Super cute napkin holder that I found to hold my cloth wipes in the nursery!! Works great!!

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Madi and her sister!!!

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Out-take during a photo session with baby Alison. Oh our Jakey keeps us smiling!!

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Madi with her new ZuZu Pet on New Years Day as we celebrated

Christmas with Ben's family.

Alison Year1 Week1

I'm going to attempt to get a pic of her every day for her first year to look back on and see the how she grows and changes!! I'm sure I'll miss a day or two.

BIRTH-DAY

Alison's Birthday!!! She arrived safely on her due date!!!

1 Day old

Family photo in the hospital!!!

2 Days old

Gabe unbuckles his newest sister and He and Jake welcome her home for the first time!!

3 Days old

Christmas Eve!! Daddy lovin' on his girls!!

4 Days old

Christmas Day!!

Two pretty girls in matching hats made by their talented Aunt Tianne!!

What about me??!!

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

How many ways do you tell your kids you love them? We have many, but one that has been passed down a generation is "All the Ducks in the World". As we were growing up my dad would often say "I love you more than all the ducks in the world" to which we would come back with "I love you more than all the ________ in the world"! It would go on and on with whatever we could come up with that we thought would beat the previous line! Of course when we were kids we kept it simple with animals, trees, sand, water, etc. Now all grown up my dad still tells me this and of course we quickly jump to stars, galaxies, asteroids, universe, and finally infinity!

We've always enjoyed this little expression of love and the other night as I was laying down with our youngest, Jakey, we were sharing how much we loved each other. I usually say "I love you whole bunches" and he repeats. Then (with actions) "I-Love-You-THIS MUCH!" Finally I said "I love you more than all the ducks in the world" and his response was so serious and sorrowful, "Why you wuv all da ducks in du woyold, Wha 'bout me?" His voice was sweet as can be as he was trying to figure out why in the world I would love all the ducks and not him! I couldn't stop laughing and as I was trying to reassure him. Then of course I had to call my dad right then and tell him!! He thought it was very sweet as it reminded him of the silly things we would say as little ones.

However you tell your little ones you love them it's always fun to have your special way that they'll remember for years to come!!

The Broken Heart

Looking at my life from the outside I don't feel I have much reason to have a broken heart. I could make a lengthy list of the many blessings I have been given, but looking into my heart it's obvious. If I don't consistently examine my heart and my place before a sovereign God I can easily keep focused on the many blessings God has graced our family with and forget to praise the one whom all praise is due! I read through the prayers of puritans in Valley of Vision almost daily and sometimes I'll read the same one for many days in a row if it touches or stings my heart. This particular one tugs at my heart, this line(though all are great) really jumped out at me tonight: I am guilty, but pardoned,

lost, but saved,

wandering, but found,

sinning, but cleansed.

Give me perpetual broken-heartedness,

Keep me always clinging to thy cross,

Here it is in full, enjoy and may your heart be stirred to cling to Him in good times and bad:

The Broken Heart

from Valley of Vision

Or LORD,

No day of my life has passed

that has not proved me guilty in thy sight.

Prayers have been uttered from a prayerless heart;

Praise has been often praiseless sound;

My best services are filthy rags.

Blessed Jesus, let me find a covert in thy appeasing wounds.

Though my sins rise to heaven thy merits soar above them;

Though unrighteousness weighs me down to hell,

thy righteousness exalts me to thy throne.

All things in me call for my rejection,

All things in thee plead my acceptance.

I appeal from the throne of perfect justice

to thy throne of boundless grace,

Grant me to hear thy voice assuring me:

that by thy stripes I am healed,

that thou wast bruised for my iniquities,

that thou hast been made sin for me

that I might be righteous in thee,

that my grievous sins, my manifold sins,

are all forgiven,

buried in the ocean of thy concealing blood.

I am guilty, but pardoned,

lost, but saved,

wandering, but found,

sinning, but cleansed.

Give me perpetual broken-heartedness,

Keep me always clinging to thy cross,

Flood me every moment with descending grace,

Open to me the springs of divine knowledge,

sparkling like crystal,

flowing clear and unsullied

through my wilderness of life.

The Name Game....

And the winner is...

Well we didn't really play a game. On the way home from our family reunion this July we wrote down about fifteen names we liked. Then we went through them with our middle names we picked out and quickly crossed off a lot of them. This name and a couple others really stuck out to us. So after saying them time and again we decided Alison Claire was the ONE!!! We can't wait to meet her!!!

Berry Sweet Girl!!

Madi turns 5 today and I can't believe how fast it's gone!! I was just telling her this morning of when she was just 2 weeks old and I remember her little pink and white outfit with circles on the top, and a cute little bib. She was so cute and little with big round eyes!! She was a wonderful surprise for our family 5 years ago today at 6:15pm! Our house was overcome with pink, purple, and flowers. A nice change from bold striped polos, and sports themed everything!! She has become quite the little girlie girl! She changes her clothes five times a day and wears all sorts of combinations of outfits and layers. Her style is one-of-a-kind. She wants to be a mom when she grows up and I pray that will out-mom me! Most of all we pray for her heart to be changed by the Lord Jesus and that she would desire to please Him in whatever He has planned for her. We are so thankful for her and sparkling eyes!!

For her birthday party she wanted Strawberry Shortcake! We scored a great deal on party supplies at Factory Card Outlet and bought a ton of stuff for her 'girl' party!! She was so excited to have her girlfriends over to play! They decorated cupcakes, played pin the strawberry, and girlie things!!!

And no I did not make this!! Ben's cousin did and didn't she do a great job?!!!

After Madi's party we had a family party! We grilled out and enjoyed the wonderful weather while trying not to get run over by Jake!

Seriously he is a great driver.... hits his target every time!!!



When the kids opened their presents their brothers read the cards for them it was soooo cute! I love seeing them love and help each other!!

A great time was had by all!!!

Growing up!

We are all surprised that Jake has made it to the age of 3 today!! He is always full of energy, curiosity, adventure, mischief, intensity, etc... You could come up with many colorful words to describe our Jakey, but we think of him as a gift!!! Yes he tries our patience, surprises us daily with his antics and wears us out with his energy, yet he is so full of joy and has such a twinkle in his eye. I see all of it as just another thing the Lord is using to shape and mold me to be more like His Son,(though I have sooooo far to go).

For example: One day we were sitting in the living room and out Jake comes from the bathroom. He very nonchalantly stated, "there's a waterfall in the bathroom" My mom and I look at each other and check out the bathroom and sure enough the toilet had overflowed covering the floor and going down through the vent to the laundry room. So we all grab a towel to clean up the mess and couldn't figure out what he put in there that made it overflow, i'm sure a bath toy of some kind! A few days later my mom and I were recalling that incident and just couldn't stop laughing. We thought, well at least he looks at the brighter side of things, to us it's a mess and to him a waterfall!!!

I should also state that he is officially potty trained!! I was a bit worried about #2 as he got #1 down pretty quickly. But I figured if he could get outta bed pull his diaper down, open the lid to the step stool by his bed and do his duty in there then surely he should be able to do the same in the toilet right??!! It took a few weeks of messy pants but last night while I was up on the couch I heard the toilet downstairs. I called down and sure enough he had gotten outta bed and went #1 & 2 all by himself. I knew once HE set his mind to it it would be no big deal and that's exactly what happened!! I expect we'll still have a few accidents here and there but he's doing great and for that we are thankful!!!

So today we are celebrating a gift that was given to us by God 3 years ago today at 7:03pm on a Sunday evening. It was a long wait that day for him. I was expecting to have a quick labor like the others, but after waiting hour after hour for my contractions to kick in after my water broke I succumbed to pitocin! I was very nervous but it was actually more controlled than the two labors before him. So after about 11 hours total (from water breaking, waiting, pitocin, actual labor) little Jacob William Russell was born weighing in a 8lb 5oz! Jakey we love you more than all the ducks in the world!!!