Giggles

This is that video I promised from Adeline's 10 month birthday. Can't resist those giggles!

Atlanta

Jess travels a lot in his current job, which, we don't mind because 1) It's not to extremely hot, sandy places where people try to shoot you 2) The kids and I can sometimes tag along and call it a vacation and 3) our favorite hotel chain has a great government rate.

Even with all this travel, we had yet to visit Atlanta (although sometimes, "just passing through" takes hours and hours, so you might call that an unpleasant visit). So, as a Valentine's Day/Birthday present, we joined Jess in Atlanta and had a WONDERFUL time. Our hotel was right on Centennial Olympic Park--this convenience was KEY because Jess had to take the car to Fort Gillam and actually work. The kids and I enjoyed our yummy free breakfasts (best hotel breakfasts EVER are at Embassy Suites, maybe cause they're free. Then we walked across the park to the Georgia Aquarium. I hesitated going there, the world's largest but a bit over-hyped aquarium, but then I saw this great deal and decided to surprise the kids. We LOVED it! On a Thursday morning, we felt like we had the place to ourselves. We wandered in and out of the exhibits one, two, sometimes 3 times. We sat in front of the 23 feet tall by 61 feet wide viewing window for almost an hour. My camera took horrible pictures (ok, ok, maybe it was partly my fault) but you can get an idea. . .

Josiah was scared at first, but loved it after only a few minutes.

this ray was smiling for the camera

inside the 100 foot long tunnel

sliding out of the whale's mouth

my favorite, the belugas

After some pb&j at our room and a little rest, we headed out to the park for ice cream and play on this really neat little playground.

Birthday dresses--but not for me.

I enjoyed a low-key 32nd birthday yesterday--thanks for the calls and emails and like, 45 facebook wallposts! Jess has a business trip this week, so one thing I was happy to do (because when he's out of town I stay up waaayyyy too late) was finish the girls' "2-days-after-Valentine's Dresses". They're pretty cute--the girls and the dresses.

We couldn't get Addie to sit still. . .

Ella Rose LOVES to carry her sister around.

Tonight or tomorrow I"ll show you pictures of our Valentine's/Birthday trip to Atlanta. It was really fun.

PS. As I listen to the crying from the baby's room, I think I kindof glossed over the fact that Adeline doesn't go down for her naps well (in yesterday's birthday post). Let me make it clear. She HATES naps. As soon as I walk in her room and turn down the lights she starts screaming and wiggling and pushing herself away from me. She won't snuggle, won't rock, just tries to get out of there. She screams and screams for about 15 minutes or so before she finally settles down. Good thing she's so stinkin' cute.

Happy 10 month Birthday, Addie!

Ooooh, she is getting so big! And soooo fun! Here are some videos from today--I tried to catch all her tricks. She gets distracted by the clowns siblings around her.

Here she demonstrates the clap, the point, and the eating with her fingers. She also loves to wave bye, and will say Momma when asked. She is MUCH better in the nursery and a trooper in the car. Still cries at EVERY naptime for 5-15 minutes, but sleeps better than anyone else in the house at night.

I'm having a hard time loading an adorable giggling addie video, so how about some crying addie pictures?

I promise I don't sit and take pictures of my crying baby often, but it was just too cute.

Disney World

Disney was tons and tons of fun. We LOVED sharing it with our kids AND my parents. We went for 3 days: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. That was PLENTY. I was exhausted at the end of each day, and I couldn't imagine how tired my kids and parents must be! Although Adeline had too much stuff to lug around, and Josiah was scared of EVERYTHING, the kids were absolutely wonderful, patient, cheerful, obedient, content--THAT is the magic of Disney.

The first character we met. Sweet Sam has tears in his eyes. He gets pretty insecure about things, and this was no exception, although he's learning to wipe it away and move on, especially when he had to have this picture for his joke: (They're learning about the solar system at school, so Sam said "Hey, Mrs. Barrett, I'm going to see Pluto next week!)

I don't know if you notice, but we're not exactly wearing "Florida gear". It was dad-blasted COLD. I mean, maybe for you Minnesotans it would have been shorts weather, but 50 degrees and windy is COLD at Disney. The good news was, 2 days of cold and one day of rain meant absolutely no lines. none. nice.

Then, of course, the princess must meet the princesses. Now, the only "non-magical" part of this is that we've already ruined our kids' sense of awe and wonder when we chose not to "do Santa." So our kids did not arrive at Disney ready to meet "the real Mickey" or Cinderella. Believe it or not, they had a good time anyway.

Animal Kingdom was probably my favorite. Jess and I took Sam on an easy roller coaster. I LOVE roller coaster, so it was fun introducing Sammy to them. Speaking of roller-coasters. Ella had a blast on the kiddie coaster in Magic Kingdom and begged for us to find her another. We had no luck.

Hollywood Studios was COLD. Sam really enjoyed the animation attraction, where they taught him how to draw Donald Duck. Everyone loved the shows, and Jess and I got to ride the grown-up rides.

At MGM, our timid boy joined the characters in a block party dance. I was impressed!

We ended our stay with a dinner at T-Rex. You know, since Si hadn't been quite terrified enough on Buzz Lightyear or Indiana Jones' Stunt Spectacular. I mean, sure, he screamed and begged to leave them, but was he really that scared? Nah. So we took him to the restaurant where a giant moving, growling T-Rex greets you and you eat in a forest, which, every 20 minutes or so, gets dark and loud and the dinosaurs around you become restless. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

he actually did OK, once we got him through the entrance and tied him to the high chair so he couldn't run.
boy, we were glad to have Mimi and Papa with us!
this Lego store was as good as a ride any day for Sam.

and that was Disney.

Oh, wait.

Mom, you didn't think I'd forgotten, did you?

There are just a couple of other pictures.

There's YMCA

And the Twist. . .

And the Hustle. . .
And I'm really not sure what this was. I think she's out here cause Dad was trying to convince her she was too old for the roller coasters. She showed him.

A Hymn of Grace

I love this hymn. And today, like MANY days, I need to stop and be reminded that I can do nothing in my own strength and power. I get very very busy and forget. That God saved me. Through His own power and for His own purposes.

Horatius Bonar, 1861

Not what my hands have done
Can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.

Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God,Not mine,
O Lord to thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest
And set my spirit free.

Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy pow'r alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
No other work, save thine,
No other blood will do;
No strength, save that which is divine,
Can bear me safely through.

I bless the Christ of God;
I rest on love divine;
And with unfalt'ring lip and heart
I call this Saviour mine.
This cross dispels each doubt;
I bury in his tomb
Each thought of unbelief and fear,
Each ling'ring shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace;
I trust his truth and might;
He calls me his, I call him mine,
My God, my joy, my light.
'Tis he who saveth me,
And freely pardon gives;
I love because he loveth me,
I live because he lives.

(TITUS 3:4-6) But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

PS I know you want to see some Disney pictures--they're coming soon, i promise.

Hello Mickey!

We're here at the magical world of Disney. Every kid's dream come true. So far it's been awesome, exhausting, stressful, fun, and we haven't lost a kid yet. More to come. . .