The Pickle Family

Jake and the Neverland Pirates Birthday Party!

2011-11-27T22:28:00.001-08:00

Blake, my (almost) 4 year old, LOVES Jake and the Never Land Pirates! So what am I to do when they make no birthday party products? I searched all over and came up with a few ideas I hope can be helpful. I haven't blogged in a while but I hope this can help any moms out their scouring the Internet like I did!

You can watch the scrapbook to get some visual ideas, but here are a few pointers:

Jake Costume:

Blue t-shirt from the dollar store (vest)
White t-shirt from the dollar store (shirt)
Yellow duck tape (vest)
Black string (I used curling ribbon!) (shirt)
Husbands black tie (with permission of course!) or black fabric (waistband)
Strip of red fabric (headband)

Just cut the sleeves off the navy shirt and outline with the yellow tape! I used a bottle cap and box cutters to make the buttons. You can make the collar "pop up" by folding it and laying a book on it overnight. I cut a small v in the top of the white shirt and laced the black string in it. Also cut slits in the arms. I did get the vest idea from this website. I just simplified it some because I'm not that handy. :)

Cake decor:

I printed pictures of the characters and laminated them leaving a "V" shape at the bottom to dig into the cake. I read on the Disney site that they allow Jake pictures to be printed! I asked Wal-Mart to make a cake with a beach scene and it worked out fine.

You can go to this website from Disney to print off hats and other fun stuff. I laminated the hats and put them together with brads to make them more durable.

The tableware is from Target. I love it! It's cheap and the pirate theme isn't scary! The pirate banner is from the Dollar Tree. The pirate in the middle was a little intense so I covered it.

A free scrapbook design by Smilebox

I hope this is helpful to someone!!! It was a ton of fun. If you buy the Jake and the Neverland Pirates on DVD it comes with a music CD with lots of fun songs on it.

Hilton Head Trip!

2011-06-21T05:47:00.001-07:00

This free scrapbooking design made with Smilebox

Our 2010 Christmas Card!

2010-12-06T08:45:00.001-08:00

Berry Merry Christmas

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Mighty Mighty Savior

2010-08-14T13:22:00.001-07:00

These two songs are incredbile. They are adapted for kids, enjoy!

Full Lyrics

Mighty Mighty Savior

(use link & click the title for partial song)

No one is good

No one is holy before God

I need someone to cleanse me

No one is pure

No one is righteous in Your sight

I need someone to save me

But I’m so glad You died and rose again

For helpless sinners like me

What a mighty, mighty Savior You are

You can wash away my sin

You can change my heart within

What a mighty, mighty Savior You are

Sin is too strong

For me to conquer on my own

I need someone to help me

I am too weak

I cannot change my evil heart

I need someone to save me

But I’m so glad You died and rose again

For helpless sinners like me

The Gospel Song

(use same link as above)

Holy God, in love, became
Perfect man to bear my blame
On the cross he took my sin
By his death I live again

Sweet Blake!

2010-07-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

Blake is getting so big, especially compared to Halle! He is the sweetest big brother. He always wants to check on her when she cries and give her her passy. He has started saying the funniest things! If I won't let him have something he says "aww...please?". If he doesn't want to take his nap he says "I just wake up... I sleep good!" On a sweeter note, sometimes he opens the door for me and says "here you go, mommy!" Blake has become scared of things lately, so he will say "I not scared of (fill in the blank)" That's how you know he's scared. :) It's usually dinosaurs, snakes, or giants. Quite the assortment.

He always fills our days with laughter. Greg loves his baby boy! He brought him home a baseball glove the other day and I was surprised at home much Blake loved it! He LOVES music. He always wants to sing in the car and sing the songs he learns in Sunday school. We say he does the Jesus Loves Me rap. :)

My little noise maker.

Blake and his glove!

Catching grounders with daddy!

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
(Psalms 127:3-5 ESV)

Using our time wisely

2010-07-17T12:43:00.001-07:00

Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the

most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:15-16

I've been convicted lately by the lack of discipline I have in using my time wisely. I know that I am no prioritizing what I should or completing the things I know are important. I remembered a message in seminary wives that was helpful and found the document she handed out that is EXTREMELY useful. Not to mention convicting! I don't just stay at home to be at home, it is a God given task and I need to see it as such. There are specific things I need to be doing.

Click here to see the worksheet. It'e the one entitled A Disciplined use of our Time . It's very practical and I hope it's as helpful and encouraging to you as it was to me!

The picture, by the way, is of a life clock. It measures by years. I thought that was cool!

Addicted to Habitat

2010-07-12T08:03:00.001-07:00

One you move into a bigger space, there is more space to fill! I have really enjoyed going to the Habitat for Humanity Home store in town to get some good deals! All it usually takes is some sanding and paint! Here are my latest finds:

I went expecting to buy a wood table and treating it for outdoor, but they had this patio table in a ugly cream color and the chairs were just plastic. I bought some Krylon black plastic/metal paint spray cans and that did the trick! I paid $60 for all of it, that's a little more than I usually would pay. But, we needed some outdoor furniture! I experimented with the grass skirt type things, but they are gone now.

I bought this for $15, it was a weird cherry color with lots of damage. I liked the large size and drawer on front.

This is why I liked the size. Usually all surfaces end up like this. :) Oh, and I got that little people's barn for $1.

Gotta love a bargain!

Our sweet baby girl

2010-07-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

The pictures say it all.

Knoxville Zoo!

2010-07-07T10:30:00.001-07:00

Last week Blake, Halle, and I went to the zoo with my friend Alisa and her 3 girls. Blake had a great time, except being a little afraid of the animals! He didn't understand at first that the glass was between him and the animals. :) He loved the monkeys and zebras best. Halle did great, she mostly slept the entire time. Alisa's two youngest daughters, Selena and Marie, were just adopted from Haiti! Blake loves them.

Blake is slightly unsure of the snake behind him.

Lovin the zebras!

Elephants!

Hmm.... giraffes...

Kid's new bathroom!

2010-06-23T06:40:00.001-07:00

Our guest bathroom has been bothering me for a while. I decided to make it more of the kids bathroom without making it over themed and cheesy. I used the paint I already had and made the artwork. So I got by with only buying the curtain! I did later get a lamp on clearance at Target that couldn't have been more perfect! It was the same blues/greens with sea creatures on it. It's nice to have a dim light when Blake goes potty at night. :) The bathroom is brighter than it looks.

As I told Greg, as much time as I spend in that bathroom I

would like to enjoy it!

Monday, Monday!

2010-06-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

We always look forward to Monday. My mom is off and she keeps my niece Aliza, she is Blake's age! They always have so much fun together! Chik-fil-a is one of our favorite things to do. Lately the kids have enjoyed this big pool my mom bought at Wal-Mart for $18! It's actually the size of a kiddie pool. That was a definite advertisement. :) I'm so thankful to have family nearby!

Big Hugs!

Halle is safe in her seat.

Fun in the pool!

We love summer!

Fun with sister!

2010-06-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

Blake loves to be wherever Halle is, especially when she is laying on the floor! He always lays beside her. It's so sweet! It makes him seem so big.

I love the terrified look on Halle's face! For those of you that are concerned.. she didn't nap there. :)

Lovin' his Halle!

I didn't realize till I loaded these that they have the same pose!

This is just a cute picture of Halle and her famous jellies!

What a joy!

2010-06-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little crazy... so I haven't posted very much!

Halle continues to be such a joy and blessing to us. Blake loves her so much! She went in for her two month (that's right... two months) check-up this week and had some shots. Blake saw her band aids and said "Halle have boo boo, I help her!" This week she was 12 lbs! She is 81% in weight and 34% in height! As Greg said "she's a little teapot!" I can't believe I have a child that's short! She actually slept 11pm-6:45am the other night. What a blessing!

Blake is doing great. Growing so much. He has tapered out a bit. :) He's been having nightmares a lot at night so please be praying as we discern what to do. Sometime it seems he just wants to get in our bed so we need wisdom in knowing how to handle his genuine fear and also sometimes the use of manipulation just to sleep in our bed. :) He has started saying the most hilarious things! He is so incredibly precious. I thought I would be sad that he is growing, but this is so much fun!

Greg just came back from summer camp! He spoke on sanctification from Romans 6-8. He was greatly blessed by his study of it and it seems to be returning some fruit in the campers. Praise the Lord that His Word to so powerful to change hearts!

Here is a link to my web albums, I will continue to load pictures there. Although, I'm almost out of space! I just can't bring myself to delete any albums!

Just click on the slide show and it will take you there.

Halle Grace is here!

2010-05-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

Make a greeting

Halle's room!

2010-04-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

Above is an ultrasound I received at 36 weeks. Look at those cheeks and lips! She seems like she is going to look like her big brother, but you never know! I can't wait to squeeze her. Sometimes I just sit in her room. Perhaps for a pink retreat from the world of trains, cars, and sports, but also to think about her. :)

I keep thinking about the verse James 1:17

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."

This perfect gift is completely from God. How awesome is He that He would show hHs grace to all fallen mankind and allow us to have the great blessing of children. But, as the verse says, there is no variation in Him. Now it seems that Halle will be born a healthy little girl, but it wasn't always that way. And yet God was just as good when we thought she wasn't going to make it as He today. What an awesome unchanging God we serve!

Easter

2010-04-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

What a great day to think of the Resurrection of our Savior! It was really convicting though to think about how I don't live everyday in that amazing reality that he died to conquer sin and rose to be our living sacrifice. And yet, I choose to live in sin and be conquered by it so often.

Greg sang in a men's choir on Sunday morning. They did so good! I love to hear men sing together. The rest of the day was also fun with family!

Oh Spring!! Yes... it's been a while.

2010-04-14T05:39:00.001-07:00

So, things have been a little busy! Baby Halle is still in the belly and Blake is growing big! He actually had ear tubes put in yesterday. The surgery went great and he is recovery like it never happened! Halle has been acting like she wants to come for a while now, but is still hanging on in there. :)

I forgot how beautiful Tennessee is in the spring! We are enjoying the warm weather! We actually had to buy a lawn mower for the first time. Below are some pictures of our family enjoying this awesome season!

Greg is still loving the internship! Our church is a huge blessing to us! Greg will actually be going to Washington D.C. this summer to be the youth camp speaker. Although I am sad he will be gone for a week, I'm thankful for the opportunity for him to dive into God's word and encourage the students. Having our families nearby continues to be such a blessing.

Playing some baseball! Greg has blake swinging a bat and golf club with two hands!

Making Easter cookies with cousin Aliza.

First dip in the kiddie pool!

Blake "mowing" with daddy!

Cutting grammy's dandelions with scissors.

Snowy Fun!

2010-02-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

We had a great time this past weekend! On Friday the news called for serious amounts of snow. So I went and fought the Wal-Mart panic crowd to get milk. The other top purchases I observed? Dog food and beer. Just thought I would share that.

Anyways... Blake had a great time watching the snow start falling! He calls snow "snowman". It is too cute to correct. :) "Daddy! Snowman...cold...". We let him sleep with us Friday and Saturday night because we heard there would be a good chance of power outages. All the night kicks in the back were worth it when Blake woke us up with kisses! Saturday wasn't a good day to play outside because it was a rain/snow mix. Greg and Blake played all day. Blake was in heaven. I must admit I felt a bit rejected when Blake actually pushed me out of the room one time to be with daddy. :)

Sunday we bundled up and took on the snow! Blake had a blast throwing snowballs at daddy. It was so cute! He wasn't so fond of Greg pulling him in the sled. He almost tipped off once and that did it for him. Greg also decided it would be a great idea to push Blake to the top of the hill in his little car and let him roll down. I was a little nervous.

Here's the snowball fight in pictures:

Gonna get daddy!

Running to mommy for protection!

Blake has daddy running scared!

Daddy prepared to cream an unexpecting Blake.

Friends again

---------------------------

Blake and mommy!

Going up the hill!

Now we're ready for summer!

Easy little project!

2010-01-30T16:55:00.000-08:00

So, as stated before, Blake is getting so big. His little bath towel we've been using since he was born isn't cutting it! He's was getting out of the bathtub shivering! I've almost bought a bigger one several times, but after seeing how it was to make one I decided tried it out!

Below is a link I thought was really helpful...

http://www.makeandtakes.com/easy-hooded-bath-towel

Blake's came out great! I was so excited I decided to make matching ones for my pastor's daughter and 2 new daughters from Haiti! I sewed little pink squares on the green girl ones since I am not talented enough to applique anything fancier. :)

He's getting so big. 26 months today!

2010-01-30T16:42:00.001-08:00

I am so glad another is on the way! Blake is becoming such a big boy. He can eat soup now and sleeps without his rail on the bed! He loves to play with trains (specifically Thomas) and sing all the songs on his favorite DVDs! He still likes to cuddle his mommy and daddy. We let him sleep with us last night (supposedly a big snow storm was coming and we were afraid the power would go out) and he woke us up by "kiss mommy", "kiss daddy". It was so sweet!

Here are some fun photos of the past couple weeks!

At least he's still to little to reach the pedals. :)

Look at that hair!

Caught! Bubbles was almost bye bye.

Chick-fil-A!

Like father like son.

He is such a blessing and we are so thankful!

Catch up!

2010-01-05T06:02:00.001-08:00

Well, it's been a crazy couple of months! We have celebrated Blake's 2nd Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, our 5 year anniversary, moved into a new house, and found out we were having a girl! I won't attempt to post for all these occasions, but here is a link to all the photo albums for these events! I'll try to do better now that things are somewhat settled!

http://picasaweb.google.com/tpickle

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Cades Cove!

2009-11-10T15:58:00.000-08:00

Greg and I went up into the mountains the other day to enjoy the fall leaves and have some family time! The trees were so pretty and Blake really enjoyed running through the falling leaves! He also enjoyed throwing rocks into the stream, that was his favorite. :) We even saw some deer! We made some stops on the way at the welcome center.

Rocking away!

Running through the leaves!

Finding "wocks" in the stream, to throw back in the stream...

Blake is excited after daddy threw the "big rock" into the stream and it splashed all of us.

You can click any of the pictures to go to the online album. :)

This is at Mr. Gattis on the way home, what you can't see in this picture is the cheese all over his face and stuck in his hair. :)

Foothills Fall Festival

2009-11-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

Blake and I went to the Fall Festival several weeks ago. I didn't have very high expectations since I have never been. Blake had a blast! Everything was free and he enjoyed the games and kiddie play areas. His favorite was the train. We rode it twice! He would say "choo choo" during the ride. :) I must say the most interesting part was Twiggy, the water skiing squirrel. :

Blake wanted to pick up every duck.

Wow...

Blake running through the mini maze!

Strong Man!

A visit to KY!

2009-11-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

We went to visit our good friends Chase and Sarah in Ky a few weeks ago! I've been a little behind on blogging! We had so much fun and are so thankful they are only 3 hours away! Blake had so much fun playing with Grace and "baby" Hannah! We were able to go to their church on Sunday and hear Chase preach. It's kinda funny, the Sears, Smith's and us all go to Grace Community Churches in 3 different states. :)

Hiding in the curtains!

Fun with daddies!

I love this picture, Blake is one of the football watching, chip eating boys.

Giving Grace a flower. :)

Playing with the girls!

Dancing machine...

2009-10-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

So, Blake loves Mexican music. We were in a restaurant the other day and he danced the ENTIRE time he was there.

I apologize for the disgusting display of eating.

Kyden Isaiah Parker!

2009-10-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

Little Kyden came into the world on Tuesday weighing 8lbs 11oz and was 20 1/4 inches long! He is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE and I couldn't wait to get my hands on him! He is doing and extremely well and Olivia and Phil couldn't be happier!

I was going to take him and make a run for it but security was pretty tight..

My brother and sister-in-law with the new family!

Blake looks like a monster now!

Big boy bed!

2009-10-04T20:45:00.001-07:00

His first night!

Blake is now sleeping in a big boy bed! I wasn't planning on putting him in it yet, but due to a complication I am having with the pregnancy I can't lift over 10 lbs and him being able to climb in his own bed is helpful! He is doing awesome! It is such a blessing. We laid with him the first two nights and since then he does it all himself! He hasn't once climbed out before I went to get him. He get's in and out when we are playing in there, but I think he is just used to laying in bed when he wakes up until I get him! He is so adorable. My brother came over and helped Greg set everything up and move things around so that made it even more special!

His new sheets! He loves to point out the balls and stars. Now that the furniture is rearranged I need to fix all the wall decorations!

Blake's Announcement!

2009-09-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Welcome back to the craziness... GO VOLS!

2009-09-21T11:21:00.001-07:00

Our little family enjoyed our first Big Orange game of the season a few weeks ago! A win 63-7 is a great way to start off! Although it's been a little rockier since then, it's always fun to enjoy a good game together! I forgot just how CRAZY people are here about Tennessee football. It's like a ghost town during the game! I went to get lunch at halftime and one restaurant had a waitress leaning on the door looking outside because nobody was there! We don't want to be Tennessee "mad" and care to much, but at the same time it sure is fun!

My boys...

2009-09-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite things in the world is watching Blake and Greg spend time together! They absoultely adore each other and it doesn't take long to see it! Blake always wants to see his daddy and get's the biggest smile on his face when Greg get's home! Greg is such an amazing father and I am so thankful for the blessing these two are!

Myrtle Beach!

2009-09-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Blake and I spent the week at the beach with Grammy, Aliza, and Kyla! We had so much fun spending time at the beach, pool, and shopping together! Not to mention eating! Blake and I were sick a lot of the time but we still had so much fun! At night after the kids went to bed we watched movies and had ice cream!

Playing in the fountain! Aliza loved it... Blake not so much.

Here is a link to all the pictures!

Myrtle Beach 2009

A trip to Atlanta!

2009-09-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends, Brooke, was in Atlanta a few weekends ago so Blake and I drove down on Friday morning and came back in the afternoon. It was so nice seeing her since I haven't in 4 months! We met at her hotel and went to a big park then to Chik-Fil-A. We laughed about how we could barely talk with all the kids. But it was such a good time!

Jumping on the bed!

She is so precious!

They have so much fun together!

We love and mis you guys!

Aliza Mae

2009-08-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to be near family now. Blake has especially enjoyed his time with cousin Aliza! He get so excited when I tell him we are going to see her! He starts saying "I-YAH"! My mom has Aliza on Mondays so we always go spend the day with them. They are so competitive and fight like crazy but they sure do love each other. I always love to see Aliza's face when we get there. She runs to the car screeching "BAKE!" and giggling.

Hiding!

This week Aliza was teething so they let her have her passy. Of course Blake wanted one too even though he's never used one. They were so cute!

Saturday Fun!

2009-08-17T14:10:00.001-07:00

Saturdays are always so much fun! This past Saturday we hung around home for a little while and then took Blake to Dick's Sporting Goods and Pet Smart. They are right next to each other so we walked from one to another. Blake loves going to the sports store! There are balls EVERYWHERE for him to play with and this time Greg helped him put on the little green. Although, I think that was more for Greg than Blake. :)

After that, we went to Pet Smart. It's like a free zoo. He loved all the fishes, birds, hamsters, and cats! I am going to get him a fish soon!

This picture is from Sunday, but I had to ad it! We go to lunch sometimes after church with our good friends the O'Dell's. They have 3 kids that Blake loves! Brittanie and Maddie are always so attentive to Blake. This was walking out to the afterwards and I HAD to take a picture! He loves Ron Ron too!

Piano...Hero...

2009-08-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Another instrument for Blake to be obsessed with! I am going to take piano lessons soon so we set up our keyboard! Blake can't get enough of it. He always wants to play! He LOVES Elmo and whenever Elmo play his piano at the end of the show Blake runs to the piano, climbs up his slide to reach the keys, and starts banging away! It is so precious. Blake isn't the only one banging on the keys though, Greg is a pretty frequent visitor to the piano! Greg is very naturally musically talented so he can just start picking songs out!

Playing "with" Elmo!

Daddy and son making racket together... how sweet.

Guitar Hero!

2009-08-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

So, Blake always plays the air guitar whenever music comes on. I kept saying that I was going to buy him one and yesterday when I got to mom's she had bought one. He wanted it so bad that he started crying while I was trying to get it out of the package! Needless to say, the entire evening you never saw Blake without his "ah-tar". We laughed and laughed at how he plays it! He just bobs his head and rocks out! Mom ended up just telling me to take it home. :)

Very serious about his music.

Greg says this is a "Tracee face".

Even as I write this he is standing beside me playing it.

Babies and Ice cream!

2009-08-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

My sister and her husband Phil are expecting a little guy next month! I am SUPER pumped about meeting Kyden and really enjoyed her first shower! Little babies are such a blessing and I am antsy to meet him! He's going to be tired of Aunt Tracee kisses by his second day of life!

Mom, Olivia and me at the shower! I told mom her shirt makes it look like there is a fire beside her. :) Blake had a great time there playing with the other kids and the plethora of other toys around! He found a fake ice cream cone and licked it for about an hour! I guess he thought if he licked it long enough some ice cream would show up. Grammy felt bad for him, of course, so we went and got him an ice cream afterwards.

The fake cone

Blake and his cone! He feels so big now that he can hold it.

Feeding mommy!

Hilton Head Island!

2009-07-28T09:57:00.001-07:00

Our little family just got back from a great week at the beach! Hilton Head Island is one of my all time favorite places and we enjoyed being there with some of our favorite people! Greg's family rents a condo there every year and this year they let us tag along. Hilton Head is a small island and you can basically ride a bike to most places. Our condo was awesome and right on the beach!

Blake wasn't so sure about the beach, but he LOVED the tide pools! One day we noticed he was occupied with something and by the time we got to him he had pulled two legs off a starfish! Don't worry, they grow back. :) It was his treasure, he was so proud of his find! Almost every night we went to a new fun restaurant and then to get ice cream! Blake loved spending time with Grand-D, grandma ("menaw"), uncle Eric ("EH"), and aunt Annie ("A")! We saw turtles, alligators, dolphins, and lots of fish and crabs! Blake has grown to LOVE Nemo so he watched that a few times. :)

On the way down we stopped in Atlanta to see my cousins and aunt that we haven't seen in over 4 years! My cousin Austin happened to be playing a baseball tournament there so it worked out great! It was so so good to see them.

Obviously, for those who know me, I took WAY to many pictures to post. So, below is a little slideshow. You can click it to go to the online album.

Greg is 27!

2009-07-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Greg's birthday was Sunday and it TOTALLY snuck up on me during a busy time! I felt terrible that I didn't do a big hoopla over him, but we had fun! The day before we went to Texas Roadhouse and for him a present, and on his birthday my mom picked up McCalisters and a cookie cake for us to eat at her place after church! It was nice to go there and eat so Blake could nap! Greg's mom and sister are out of town so we are going out with them when they get back! It's hard to believe that little 20 yr old I met is now 27! He is "officially" in his mid-2os!

Greg and Blakey!

Crazy Blake!

So cute!

Family self-portrait :)

I couldn't resist adding this one. His hair curled up on the top of his head after his bath!

Mountain Swimming!

2009-07-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went up into the Smokies (about a 1/2 hour drive) with my brother, Kyla, Aliza, and my mom for a little stream swimming! It was a ton of fun at a great little spot! "The babies" loved throwing rocks and finding sticks and leaves.

Grammy helping out!

Snack time.

Skipping rocks with daddy!

The fog was so pretty!

The streams there are always so beautiful and peaceful. Reminded me of the song:

Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.

Blake's little boy bedroom!

2009-07-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

Blake's room is, as always, my favorite room in the house. Thought I would share how it's evolving. :)

I just found these star pegs for .99 per star at Hobby Lobby! I got the idea from Land of Nod, where they were 9.95 per star. Just some .67 cent paint!

Thanks to Greg's fam for the awesome furniture!

Thanks MiMi for the awesome pictures and Rachel for the rocker!

Some art from tissue and construction paper.

I want to paint the red part of the ring blue. I was going to make him one and after I
had all the stuff in the cart I saw this for cheaper!

Eternity

2009-07-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

At least 3 times a week now I drive by a church whose sign says "Life has many choices, eternity only has two". Usually, church signs are only a source of a amusement and bad theology, but this one is an exception. Lately I have been thinking alot about heaven and how it should be affecting me everyday. Sometimes thinking about living forever scares me and last night I woke Greg up in the middle of the night and said "I don't want to live forever!!". He assured me that God knows best and our finite minds cannot understand and we can trust Him because he loves us. If it is intimidating and scary to live forever at the feet of our Saviour, worshipping Him purely for all eternity, then it should be absolutely terrifying to us that people who don't know Christ will live forever in a Godless hell.

I guess then, ultimately, life only has two real choices as well. Either you are an enemy of the cross of Christ, or you are under His grace living to bring Him glory. Some would be hesitant to call unbelievers enemies of God, but that is exactly what the Bible calls them. You are either a servant of the most High God, or a servant of Satan.

"For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;"
Philippians 3:18-20

If this doesn't motivate us towards evangelism than nothing will. We need to be praying for those who don't know Christ and giving them the gospel! Don't assume that you can just live in front of people and that's enough. Smiling at strangers won't save them. As Romans 1:16 says:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

The gospel is what God uses to save. They must hear and believe. And so must you to be saved. Do you think often about which eternity you are headed for? Walking aisles won't save you. Believing in a "god" of your own design won't save you. You must believe in God as He has revealed himself in Scripture. A holy God who demands righteousness to be in His presence. And that righteousness ONLY found in Christ through His death on the cross. Don't rely on your good works to save you. Hebrews 6:1 calls those "dead works" and calls you to repent from them. It's either God or Satan. Take your pick.

Blake's Dollywood Adventure!

2009-07-08T09:47:00.001-07:00

Greg and I took Blake to Dollywood the other day for the first time! He HATED the rides. Most of them aren't designed for the parents to ride along so Greg and I had to SQUEEZE into tiny spaces. He was fine after they started moving for a minute but was terrified when we strapped him in! Towards the end we found a new little section with a "stream" and playground that he LOVED! It was worth it just for that section. It also had a outdoor mini mine shaft that you could put disks in and watch them float through all the little obsticles to the bottom. He was asleep within 5 minutes after leaving the park. :)

Not so happy.

Coming around!

My legs are twisted like a pretzel...

Shooting some water at the treehouse!

Racing daddy!

Running in the stream!

We love our Greg!

2009-06-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

We had a great Father's day Sunday! Blake and I picked out an Under Armour golf polo for Greg and made him some pictures to take to work. I could not be more thankful (well, actually I could!) for such an INCREDIBLE husband and father! Blake is a total daddy's boy and even cries in the mornings when he sees Greg putting his shoes on because he knows he's leaving. It is so sweet how much they love each other. I am amazed and blessed to have a husband who will do whatever it takes to take care of his family in every aspect of our lives. He cares not only for our physical needs but very deeply for our souls. It's awesome knowing my husband prays for me and our family. We love him!

We also spent the afternoon with Greg's dad (Grand-D to Blake). What a blessing to spend time with two very important men in my life!

I think he likes it!

Summer Fun!

2009-06-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

The summer sure is blowing by fast and we have been enjoying it! Blake is looking more like a little man every day! We have been swimming and going to the park pretty often. Greg and I actually went to Dollywood by ourselves the other day! It was a blast and we are hoping to take Blake soon! Blake also loves hiding now. Curtains are his specialty. He will be quiet for a little while and I'll walk into the room and say "where's Blake?" and hear him start screeching laughing from behind the curtain!

Gotta Love it.

Pool kisses!

Blake and Aliza!

So handsome!

Greg's a Graduate!

2009-05-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

It's official! Greg is now a graduate from The Master's Seminary. We are so thankful for what the Lord has done and will do. God has been so faithful to us and we are excited to see how he chooses to use Greg for His kingdom!!

We flew out on Tuesday, May 7th and came back the 12th. We stayed with Brooke and Cooper and spent most of our time there just hanging out with them and the Sears. I might as well say Chase and Sarah stayed there since we were with them all day everyday anyways! The trip was INCREDIBLE and we can't believe it's already over. Greg and I were so very sad to leave our great friends, but are looking forward to seeing where the ministry will lead them. We actually went a few weeks ago to visit Chase and Sarah in AL. Blake and Shepard had so much fun playing together and Blake loved Mercy. He would keep saying "ba-by" and put is head on her and pat her head. It was so sweet! The boys (Cooper, Chase, and Greg) played Mario Kart on the Wii every free moment. It was so great spending all of the special events with them.

There are to many great pictures for me to load here, so I am putting a link to my album with all of them!

Graduation

Also, here is the link where you can watch the student's walk in and the commencement address (which was AMAZING!).

http://www.tms.edu/video.aspx?videoid=1

Thawing out!

2009-03-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day after the rain cleared. It seemed like it should have been Easter! The flowers and grass were all so bright and it was warm with a cool breeze. After Blake and I went to the doctor, a more common occurance lately, I took him over to my mom's to play outside since she has a nice yard where I can sit and watch him. He loves to run around and pick up branches and leaves! It is so precious to see him love the outdoors!

The pitiful Pickles!

2009-03-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

As many of you may know our little family has had a string of illnesses that seem like they will never end! It started with Greg getting the flu a few weeks ago, then me, and then Blake broke out in a rash caused by a viral infection. I wish that were the end of the story! I wasn't getting better so I went to see Dr. Andy (our doctor and church friend) and found out I had Mono...that's right... MONO!! Apparently when you have Mono your immune system is weak and you easily catch other things. I was taking an antibiotic for another infection and I broke out in a rash all over from it!! So then I had to go on steroids. No voice lowering thankfully but it did have some emotional affects on me. The worse part of all was last weekend my tonsils were ginormous and I could barely swallow or talk. It was horrible! Thankfully, dear Andy, he gave me lots of medicine that helped! So now I am seeing the daylight at the end of the tunnel! I am trying to fight off a sinus infection and getting rest! Blake seems to have something else bothering him as well.

It might seem like a horrible experience, but it has really made realize how little I really do suffer. I was basically stuck in bed with a bad sore throat and some chills for 3 weeks. There are people who genuinely suffer everyday, and while my pain can not even be compared to theirs, it does make me more sensitive to them and their needs. We need to be constantly searching the church body for those we can serve and take these opportunities to learn how!

Also, my husband rocks. I have a entire new appreciation for him. He has done EVERYTHING for me day and night for almost 3 weeks. He even rented Jane Austin flicks for me. :) My mom to has kept Blake countless times and our church friends have brought us yummy dinners!

THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE BEEN SO GRACIOUS

IN SERVING IN DEED AND PRAYER!

And...we're back!

2009-02-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

We aren't dead yet! Although the past few months have been so crazy I sometimes look forward those days were all I will do is praise my Savior!

Blake is getting SOOO big! Size and smarts! He is actually filling his 18months clothes now and wearing a 6.5 extra wide shoe! We say he as Flintstone feet. :) He says "Choo, Choo" when we say train and loves to say "QUACK, QUACK" which sounds like "cack, cack" whenever he sees a duck! He loves the park and now that I am free during the day (no aparment managing!) we go almost once or twice a week! He loves his cousin Aliza and all the kids at church! There are a few girls at the church who are Blake's "fan club" and just love him on! He still dances (puts his head sideways and bobs up and down) every time he hears music and sings with me when I sing to him! He gets more precious every day!

We couldn't love our church here anymore. The people have been exceedingly kind to us in every way. We didn't downgrade in quality of preaching when we left John MacArthur and came to Chris's church! His heart has been what is most impressive though and I can see that our souls will grow greatly under him. He meets with Greg one morning a week at McDonald's just to keep up with him and challenge him spiritually. Greg will start the internship at the church in June and then being teaching in various capacities, reading books and writing position papers, and going to conferences. Wherever you are is what God has planned, and we certainly can't image being somewhere better!

More to come....

The Trios last night together...

2008-12-17T23:41:00.000-08:00

Good times at the Cheesecake Factory!

So, our time out here in California is coming to a close. We have enjoyed so many aspects of our life here, but our favorite is our dear friends! There are two couples that we love so much and have become close with (and I'm sure you know who they are if you've read my blog at all). The Sears moved to Alabama Sunday, and the Smith's will be done in a little over a year. So, we are all separating. We knew it was coming, but had no idea how hard it would be.

The girls!

Me and Mercy! I think we resemble.

Greg uses Tide with color safe.

WE LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

He's a walker!

2008-12-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

Blake is walking now! It has been a very gradual process, a few steps at a time, and it's been so cute to watch! The other day I went to the mall and Blake was getting a little fussy in the stroller, so I let him play around in one of those mall playgrounds. It was SO cute! He walked really well!

Having fun getting lots of germs!

Our Family Christmas Photos!

2008-12-09T15:35:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Mercy Anne Smith!

2008-12-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

Our good friends Brooke and Cooper had their little girl on November 29th, one day before Blake's birthday! We had a great time watching their little boy Shepard for a couple nights and I was able to go see Mercy the night she was born! Blake had so much fun playing with Shepard and going to the hospital the next day (his birthday) to take his buddy to see his new sister!

Blake's birthday ended up being more special than I could have planned, he had his first sleepover and met a new friend!

Blake facing forward in his car seat for the first time! On the
way to the hospital.

Blake seeing Mercy for the first time!

Ah Thanksgiving!

2008-12-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

This year was one of the best Thanksgivings of all time. We spent the day with some really close friends and ate good food! Booke and Cooper has us and the Sears over to their place (a few steps from mine!) for lunch. After lunch we let the food digest (and the boys play Wii) and we took the kids to the park. They have so much fun playing together!

Below is a link to my album with all our fun Thanksgiving pictures!


Thanksgiving 08'

Blake's Birthday Party!!

2008-12-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

I can't believe just had a Blake's first birthday party! It was so much fun! We had a pumpkin patch theme and his little friends came. He was soo cute!

Blake eating his cake! He wasn't so sure at first but he definitely dug in after a while!

Blake and daddy!

Crazy Boys!

2008-11-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

The night Hannah was born Greg and I watched Shepard so Brooke and Cooper could take Sarah's mom (in from KY) and Grace to go see Hannah. Blake and Shepard had SO much fun. It is hilarious to see how they respond to each other. For some reason Blake thought it was funny that Shepard was throwing this diaper in the air. He laughed so hard he almost fell over!

Hannah Joy Sears!

2008-11-20T08:25:00.000-08:00

Our good friends Chase and Sarah just had their second precious baby girl! We are so excited for them. I was able to go the the hospital the day she was born and hold her. She seems so little (7lbs 11 ounces) now that I am used to Blake! She as the sweetest little patch of hair on the top of her head. She was so sweet and just looked around the entire time I held her.

It is going to be hard to move away from our friends here. Even though Chase and Sarah will be moving to AL the same time we move to TN! Only 4 hours apart.

Look at that hair!

Bringing Hannah a stuffed monkey and balloon!

Diaper Days!

2008-11-19T23:28:00.000-08:00

The other morning it was really hot so I let Blake play in his diaper! He had lots of fun. He LOVES music and dancing!

Blake's First Halloween!

2008-11-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

We had such a great time on Blake's first Halloween! We went to a friend's house for a hayride and lots of other fun! You can click the Smilebox below to see a Scrapbook I made for the occasion. :)

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Here comes trouble.

2008-10-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

So we have this lamp that Blake is not supposed to pull on, that he LOVES to pull on. I heard a crash the other day and when I ran around the corner this is what I saw.Blake isn't falling, he is climbing down...off the luggage he knocked over... and the lamp...somehow.

Excited over his conquest.

Greg's Grandpa's funeral.

2008-10-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Greg woke me up at 8 in the morning to tell me his Grandpa had passed away. To make our flight, we had to leave our apartment at 9:45. Needless to say, we felt a tad rushed. Not to mention that the night before I had been in the ER with my back and was on muscle relaxers and hydrocodine. Also, our Accord wouldn't start, and we couldn't fit our stuff in the Civic so we had to find someone to drive us all the way to LAX!

God has gracious granted us no shortage of amazing friends. My sweet friend Amy unhesitatingly said she would drive us to the airport, and Brooke cleaned up the whirlwind of our apartment so when we cam home it was clean. Nice surprise to come home to! Our flights were good and Blake slept most of the time. When we wasn't sleeping he was entertaining everyone on the flight with smiles and his porpoise laugh. :)

I didn't really know Greg's grandpa, but it was amazing to hear of God's grace in His life. Granting him a calm spirit, heart for service, and determination to work hard to take care of his family. It is always nice to see family, and this trip was especially great. Both of Greg's brother's were there and they can make any event seem like a party. All Greg's aunts and uncle's were around and had a great time with Blake. I was even able to take a little time to see my family.

It's always sad when someone passes away. But it is so amazing that we can rejoice in death, being reminded of man's frailty and the promise of resurrection in Christ.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

Blake in the Houston Airport. I let him crawl around to get some energy out.

Blake and Uncle Eric!

Blake and Uncle Christopher and Cousin Aliza!
Blake in the Knoxville airport. I love the rocking chairs!

Ephesians 3:13-21

2008-10-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

I am reading through the NT right now and came across this passage yesterday. It is definitely an amazing passage (as they all are) to pray for yourself or someone else.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Blake's First Haircut!

2008-10-15T13:22:00.001-07:00

Greg has been mentioning for a while now that Blake needed a haircut. While I knew it was getting long, I still thought it was cute. The problem was, his hair grows thicker and longer in the back than the front. So, after a mullet comment from someone, I decided it was time. :)

I took this picture a few days before I cut his hair.
It was so long on the sides that could make it into horns. :)

Baby Pickle's first pickle!

2008-09-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this ended up being way funnier than we thought it would. We went out to eat to Claim Jumper's with our good buddies the Smith's. I got a pickle wedge on my plate and gave it to Blake to see what he would do. He LOVED it. I thought he would hate it (like me and Greg). He would not let that thing go and somehow ate the middle out. He had juice and seeds all over him. He ended up having two. We laughed so hard! He is so much fun.

Momma and Baby Pickle

This looks like some sort of slug.

Clap Clap Clap!

2008-09-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Blake claps ALL THE TIME now. It is so precious!! Whenever I say "yay", tell him to clap, or wave bye bye he does it. It is SOO cute. He even does it when music comes on.

Bible Study Retreat- Frazier Park!

2008-09-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Our Bible study went to Pine Mt. in Frazier Park, CA for our college department's annual fall retreat! It was so much fun to be in mountains with like 50 college students talking about the topic "how to be an excellent church member and not just a member of an excellent church". It was really good! Greg, Ian, and Bob taught us what the Bible says about it and we had girl/guy breakout sessions as well.

Greg and Bart picking teams for stickball!

They played Mafia 3 times. I don't really get the game,
but they seemed to have a great time!

Here is a link to all the pictures:

Bible Study Retreat - Frazier Park

Fences

2008-09-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months I have been reading Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges. Today I read a pretty incredible chapter. The book fights hard against legalism . Today’s chapter addressed Christian Liberty and those who fight against it with legalistic man made rules (“fences”).

He opens it up with Mark 7:6-8

“And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'
Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."

(bold added by me)

People put their own convictions equal with God’s commandments and force them on other people as sin issues. People’s own self appointed “oughts and ought nots are usually communicated by people in such a way that the favor or frown of God is tied to our compliance.” He makes another good point that “it also diverts us from the real issues of the Christian life by focusing on external and sometimes trivial rules.”

Bridges is very careful though to warn against using your liberty as a license for ungodliness.
The main verse of the chapter is Galatians 5:13

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

It was really interesting reading this after reading through Romans 14 a little while ago. Romans 14 deals a lot with Christian liberty and the abuse of it. While we do have freedom in Christ, we can’t abuse it or cause others to sin. The example given is meat sacrificed to idols. Although it is not sinful to eat it, a person who was saved out of idol worship might think it’s wrong, and if eats “not from faith” (14:23) it is sin to him. Leading someone to do something against their conscience is leading that person to sin and is being a stumbling block. (1 Cor 8:9)

Romans 14:21 “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.”

There are things I choose not to do, but if they aren’t written in or from scriptural principles it is wrong for me put those convictions (“fences”) on other people or judge them. On the other hand, I shouldn’t force or urge someone with convictions to violate those. All things should be done in love to edify other believers. (Rom 15:2)

The Crinkle Face

2008-09-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

Blake has these little quirky things that come and go. A newer one is "the crinkle nose" face. It makes us laugh every time!!

Lessons from a cow..

2008-09-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

So, I usually wouldn't use a Far Side to illustrate a Biblical truth, but this was the first thing that came to my mind last night when Greg and I were talking about contentment! Most people when looking at this cartoon laugh because how ridiculous is it that a cow that should be out in the field eating grass isn't content with a home, pearls, and wine?

From a Christian perspective, how even more ridiculous is it that sinful humans who are but dust are discontent when they are blessed with endless spiritual blessing, their sins covered by Christ, and the God of the universe who they can know? Hebrews 13:5 says:

"Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR
WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

It's more understandable that the cow wouldn't be content than the Christian. The cow knows nothing but seeking contentment in worldly gain. Christians are left without excuse. We have the source of true contentment. So convicting!

Little Faker

2008-09-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

So, the other day Blake started acting really unusual. He cried for like and hour straight! He even put his head down on his high chair while screaming. He sounded like he was in so much pain! I was worried so I took him right away to urgent care. Above is a picture in the examination room. Booger. He became the happiest baby in the world the minute we walked in. The nurse was reading my description of the problem "crying uncontrollably, in pain", and looking at happy little Blake. I felt so dumb. Then the doctor came in and Blake just giggled as he examined him. The doctor said "he's the happiest one in the room!". Anyways, I thought I would share this funny little story with you. Glad he's okay! Greg and I are so thankful for the health Blake has been granted so far!

Another Semester Begins!

2008-08-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well, Tuesday started Greg's last semester in the M.Div program. It's hard to believe we have lived in California for 3 years! While I am excited for all the fun things that go on during the semester, I am also going to miss having Greg around as much. He started off his first day back leaving at 5:30am and not getting home till after 8:00pm! He has a wonderful job that allows him to go in early and work late so he can get his 8 hours of work and his class time in! It also helps that he works on campus. To many blessings to even mention!

Pray for us as we make many decisions to chart the course of the next year. We talked the other day about James 4:13-15:

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit."

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

We are looking forward to what God has in store for us and relying on Him to grant us open and grateful hands!

He's a crawler!

2008-08-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that our little baby is crawling! We are having so much fun watching him grow. He is everywhere! He is slowly gaining speed and expanding his "crawling territory"!! I rearranged the furniture to block him in :)

Blake's favorite thing to do is crawl over to the couch and stand up on it. He gets so proud of himself and does this dolphin sounding laugh. So funny!

Blake's Adventures

2008-08-02T11:31:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Blake talking.

2008-06-25T21:29:00.001-07:00

This started while grammy was here. Blake started saying more big boy sounding words! It now sounds like dada sometimes!

A visit from Grammy!

2008-06-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

Mom came out a couple weeks ago and we had a blast! We had a great time together locally, and we also went to Ventura Beach for a couple nights. Blake had a great time playing with Grammy! The beach was colder than we expected, so we had fun going to dinner and shopping some.

Grammy holding Blake at the Simi Valley Town Center.

At Huntington Gardens. Blake had a good time being outside and was a a great sport about a long day in the heat! We laughed so hard while we were in the quiet museum section. He would just squeel and spit being so silly.

At our hotel in Ventura Beach.

Blake's first time at the beach! He loved the water.
Little toes in the sand.
Grammy and me.
Blake has good taste.

Swimming in the big pool!

2008-05-31T16:01:00.000-07:00

Shepard let Blake borrow his float.

Our apartment pool is heated, so Greg and Blake went for a little dip the other day! Blake loved it. He kicked and kicked. He was pretty determined to lick up all the water in the pool.

I bought him this little car float. But he wasn't really in the water enough so he was cold, plus the horn scared him to death!

So Happy Together!

2008-05-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

Greg took me to the Melting Pot as an end of the semester treat. We had a great time enjoying some AMAZING food. The chocolate was unreal. Since neither of us like strawberries, we had them put extra brownies. YUM! It was nice just being able to walk holding hands, something not really doable when someone is pushing the stroller. We couldn't wait to get home and pick up Blake though.Lots of meat!

Before...

After!

Our sweet buddy.

Little Giggles

2008-05-20T16:14:00.001-07:00

Nothing melts Greg and I more than Blake's little giggles. It is so funny what he gets cracked up about! Watch this video till the end!

Blake's getting so big!

2008-05-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to me how fast Blake is growing and learning! You don't really realize it until you look back at older pictures. My loving husband has comforted me on several occasions when I get so sad about my baby boy getting so big. Honestly though, he's more fun now than ever, and my job is to help him grow up so he can go on his own! It's still hard though!!

The other day I took him to Costco (like Sam's club). Of course, like everything there, the cart was HUGE and his little cart cover wouldn't fit. It was one of the first times he rode this way, so he needed a little extra support on the sides! It was so precious. He loved looking around and smiling at everyone. Greg calls him the little ham & cheese because he pretty much owns everyone.

Time for "solids"!

2008-04-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

So, we tried to feed Blake rice cereal the other night. Not successful. He HATED it!! It was still really cute though! He spit it all back out. Maybe we'll try again soon. :)

Soo sweet! He was really excited about it at first. Then...

YUCKY!

Blake laughing!

2008-04-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

Please ignore me. :)

Blake can stand! (Kinda....)

2008-04-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

Blake can now stand up for short periods of time while holding on to the coffee table! He is SO adorable. Greg and I never get over how cute he is. Greg probably says "Aww.. look at the buddy" about 5 times a night. He has really turned a corner. He can really grab things now and play with toys. He loves to watch baby Einstein! He is partial to the puppets. He laughs and talks to them. Below is a video of him standing and a picture of him watching Baby Praise (Christian version of Baby Einstein). They are actually really good.

Learning the creation story!

Look at that little face!

Understanding Grace

2008-04-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

Generally, this blog is a online scrapbook about Blake (because he is the "main event" after all). But I wanted to encourage people with some things I have been learning lately. I have been reading the book Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges. This book so far as been one of the best books I have ever read in explaining the grace of God.

I often struggle with thinking that somehow my spiritual "merit" of the day will affect how God listens to my prayers. In my eyes, if I had a more "honoring" day to the Lord I am more confident to pray, and vise versa. Some would call this a lack of "spiritual self-esteem". God calls it sin. I am basically saying that I can somehow earn favor in the sight of God on my own (Romans 3:20, 4:4, Isaiah 64:6) and that what Christ did on the cross is not sufficient. Paul says in Galatians 5 that if we say we must do something to earn favor, than Christ is of no value to us. How awful is that! In his book, Jerry Bridges writes:

"In fact this misconception that we must pay our own way is more than a mistaken theological notion. It actually springs from the perverse disposition of our hearts- the disposition of pride."

There is nothing that can change our lives more than prayer and God's word. This misconception hinders both. By God's grace, my prayer life has grown so much now that I am starting to scratch the surface in understanding His matchless grace. Bridges also talks about that when Christ died on the cross, He purchased every blessing and every answered prayer we will ever receive. That is so amazing to me. I'm so thankful it's not up to me, or else I would be in big trouble!!

I wish I could quote the entire book, but just read it!

We're still alive!

2008-04-07T17:17:00.001-07:00

It's been almost a month since I wrote anything, but we are alive and kicking (for the moment)! It's been a busy time for us. We had a wonderful trip to Knoxville end of March. Blake was able to meet almost all of his aunts and uncles! Below are some pictures. Greg finally met his precious niece Aliza!

Things are going wonderfully out here in Cali! Greg is still loving school and his job at the church. He will actually be teaching this week at Bible study and tonight at a basketball outreach. He is learning so much! I am definitely a benefactor of that.

Grammy seeing Blake at the airport!

Greg meeting Aliza! Doesn't she look thrilled?

Four Generations of Pickle men!

Gary feeding Blake.

Blake can play!

2008-03-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

During his third and into his 4th month, Blake really started noticing and grabbing toys! It is so cute! Here are some pictures of him having a good ol' time.

Valentines Day

2008-02-16T22:41:00.000-08:00

Blake's first Valentines day! I think he had a good time :) Brooke and I made a valentines day card for Grace Sears from Blake and Shepard. Sarah and Grace were unable to come because Sarah was sick. We also made some Valentines for the dads from the boys. It was a lot of fun! It is hilarious to watch Blake and Shepard together! Greg and I went out to the Cheesecake factory on Friday night for Valentines Day dinner. It was very yummy! Unfortunately, I came down with the flu that night and we had to come home we early. I always say that sometimes I feel like I would do anything to get 8 hours of sleep in a row. I finally got it for the first time since Blake came along and I couldn't even enjoy it!

Shepard turns 1!

2008-02-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it's been over a year since our great friends Cooper and Brooke had baby Shepard. He has been a huge part of our lives and a joy to me almost on a daily basis. We were a little afraid we wouldn't love our own as much as him! But, after having Blake, we realized that wouldn't be a problem. His party was loads of fun with lots of our good friends. The night before was aslo fun. Brooke, Sarah, and me had a little girl's night since our husbands were at a conference. Brooke and Sarah made the cake while I watched the babies!

This is a video of Blake the day of the party. He was excited!

Blake Pictures

2008-02-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

I took Blake at 7 weeks to get his pictures taken at JCPenney. They are all so cute! He did so good and didn't cry at all. It was so hard trying to decide which one I wanted. Below are some of my favorites. These pictures aren't printable off here. I paid to have thumbnails of all the pictures that I could keep electronically. He is such a precious boy!

It's amazing how much bigger he is now from just 2 weeks! I took him to his 2 month appointment and he was 12 lbs 14 ozs and 24 inches long! He is in the 90 percentile in weight and height!

Some family photos!

2008-02-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

Our friend Jessica came over and took some pictures of us with two other very good couple friends. I t was so much fun!

Bath Time!

2008-01-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

An increasingly fun time with Blake is bath time! At first he would cry the whole time like it was the worst thing of all time, but now he just looks at me with this curious look on his face. He is so precious! I usually give him a bath every other day. Sometimes more than once a day if he makes a mess :) I am amazed at how big he's getting.

Blake Elijah Pickle

2008-01-23T09:14:00.001-08:00

Blake was born November 30th at 7:20pm. He weighed 8 lbs 5 ozs and was 21 inches long. Since his arrival on the scene, Blake has been a constant joy to Greg and me! I never knew I could love a baby so much. I have so much fun with him during the day and miss him so badly when I actually do get a chance to go out on my own!

Blake is such a fun baby. He is just starting to laugh and coo a little bit. Below is a video of him at 7 weeks in his spider bouncer. Only recently has he began to notice the little spiders and talk to them!

Back to the Blog again!

2008-01-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

So, I thought I had escaped the world of blogs forever. But, since so many of you wanted to be able to see the little videos of Blake and have updates that I decided it was time to try try again! Hopefully I will be better this time about posting.