A Life of Gratitude

Yesterday a few of my friends posted some beautiful pictures of their kids at a sunflower farm. I absolutely love sunflowers so I immediately wanted to take my kids to the sunflower farm and take their pictures also. So, this morning Bryan and I took the kids to Dewberry farm. The sunflowers were beautiful and it was a gorgeous morning. We kept trying to get a good photo but these were the best we could get...... They're lovely, huh? I'm not gonna lie, I was so aggravated. My friends that posted the pictures also have 3 or 4 kids, and they ended up with stunning photos in front of the sunflowers. Why were all of my kids screaming, crying, and hiding their faces in our pictures? Why can't I get one decent picture in front of one of my favorite flowers?  The more I've thought about these pictures throughout the day, the more I realized that these are true expressions of real-life with my family. Yes, we often have great days, like the perfect, po

Over the past few days, my little lady has started smiling!!! It's the most adorable thing ever! She especially loves her big brothers and smiles repeatedly when they talk to her. And of course, they love getting a response from her. They've been crazy about Allison since the day she was born but they can't get enough of her now that she smiles at them! Today I am grateful for that sweet smile! Allison has already sweetened our lives so much! Her adorable grin just brightens our home even more! I am thankful for all the smiles we've seen so far and all the ones to come. Our God has blessed us abundantly with this little girl and her brothers! 

Tonight, as I rocked Allison to sleep in her nursery, God brought some specific memories to my mind. I looked around the room and I was taken back to the days when I rocked Tyson in his nursery. It had once been painted lavender and contained all the same pink bedding and decor that Allison's room now has. When he was born we got the shocking surprise that he was a boy, instead of the girl we had been told we were having. So his room quickly went from lavender to blue.  As I rocked Tyson in that little blue room, I remember God comforting my heart and telling me that one day, I would have a daughter. At the time I figured that I was just telling myself that and brushed it off. Tonight, God reminded me of His words to me. My heart filled with gratitude as I felt Allison's little hand brush against mine. My God knew that our family wasn't complete with just three 3 children...we needed all 4. He blessed us with 3 precious boys and then fulfilled his promise with a beaut

KEEP's annual conference was held in Las Vegas this year! I'm so thankful my husband and Allison could travel with me! Over the past 5 days Bryan, Allison, and I have been in Las Vegas. The purpose of the trip was to attend KEEP collective's HOOPLA. I had an incredible time with all of my KEEP sisters and I learned so much that I can't wait to implement into my business! I also had a blast with Bryan and Allison. We went a day early to explore Las Vegas and each night, after my sessions, we were able to go to dinner and shows, and just have a tremendous time together!  Allison was a perfect first time flier! We stayed at the MGM KEEP is what brought us here, so this picture seemed fitting. Riding the Gandala at the Venetian  I gambled and lost $6 (Big Spender, huh?) This slot machine made me laugh and laugh! It must be for the hard of seeing! My sweet KEEP sisters, Lauree and Lydia! Allison was such a trooper du

Each time we've had a baby, Bryan has been able to take 6 weeks off of work to be home with us. Since Allison will be 6 weeks old on Tuesday, Bryan's time off is almost up. Bryan and I are going to Vegas next week for KEEP's national conference but when we get back, life will go back to "normal." We've had a wonderful time while Bryan has been off with us. Not only have we gotten used to having a 4th child in the family, we've also done lots of fun things together like the Train Museum and Great Wolf Lodge. It's been nice to just do whatever we've wanted to do as a family for the past month and a half! Today I am thankful for Bryan's job. When God blessed him with a job at Duke 13 years ago, we could have never guessed it would be such a blessing to our family. Bryan has been able to spend the first 6 weeks at home with each of children's births. We know this isn't typical for most dads so we don't

 Yesterday we celebrated Independence Day with our 3rd annual 4th of July party! We invited family, friends, and neighbors. We had a full house!!   All the kids ate outside.  They had fun together! My sweet Tyson The kids enjoyed sparklers! And icee pops! Allison was held by everyone! Everyone sat in the cul-de-sac for fireworks. I think the dads have more fun than the kids! Fiona with her sparkler. Isn't she cute? Valerie and me with our matching babies! Allison and Isabelle, best friends already!    Daddies with their daughters Our family of 6! Hugo and Dylan. They had a sleep over after the party! Today I am grateful for friends and family to celebrate with. It has become a tradition to get together for a cook out and fireworks every year. We always have a wonderful time! It is such a blessing to have so many special people in our lives! I am also thankful for the privilege of livi