The day you turned 3

Dear Jacob Lee,

They day you turned 3 was on Tuesday August 21st. You stayed home with Mimi & Pawpaw. Actually you got to stay home with them the whole week! You left for a short while and your Memaw and Gramps came to pick you up. They took you shopping and you picked out a few birthday gifts for yourself and you even picked out a little something for Abigial. Always thinking of your sister :) You wore a blue shirt that said I AM 3 and it matched your eyes so perfectly. Mommy and Daddy got to meet you along with Memaw and Gramps for a lunch date at D.B. Pickles in Ormond Beach. It is a restaurant that serves mostly sandwiches and salads but the selections in the bakery are perfection! Your Memaw asked you three different times to go and pick out your favorite dessert and each time you went back to the same one. Red Velvet with cream cheese icing! You were certain this was the birthday cake for you! After lunch you went to visit your Auntie Jennifer and Cousin Auntumn at their new house. Auntie even gave you a Dallas Cowboys hat for your birthday! After leaving their home Memaw and Gramps brought you back home and when Mommy and Daddy got home from work we had more cake and a nice birthday dinner. Also, we ended the night with a Skype date with your Cousins Kinsey and Kasen! You got to talk to both of your Uncles and Aunts as well. You are so very loved Jacob, I hope you always remember that. I never want to forget all of the funny things you do. You are very particular about things and you always remember everything (wonder where you get that from??). You love for Daddy to take you to school in the morning and you love for Mommy to give you a bath, and help you put your PJ's on. You love to go in Abby's room and give her night night kisses before she goes to bed, and you cant wait to go and tell her hi in the mornings. She loves to laugh at you and now that shes walking she is right behind you every where you go! I hope you always look after your sister like you do now. You love lunchables but you mostly just like them for the giant cube of cheese inside. At your 3 year check up you weighed 35 lbs and you were 40 inches tall. Pretty soon you will be riding rollar coasters! After all the presents you have received for your birthday you like to come up to us and give us presents as well. I am glad you are starting to recognize the importance of giving.You are such a sweet little man most of the time and I truly cherish all of our special moments we share. Thank you Jacob for all of your love and mostly for giving me the gift of being your Momma!

Love you to infiniti and beyond,

Mommy

Prayer Requests and Birthday Fun...

For some reason all I can think about lately is all of the things we have to protect our children from. There has been many tragic events going on in this world of ours and I believe this is the cause of these repetitious thoughts of mine. Due to these thoughts it has made me an overly emotional momma! All of these tragedy's made me hug my babies tighter and for longer than I ever have before. I will play monster trucks for a little longer or just rock my baby for longer before putting her down for the night. Finding a church home has also become a priority of mine, and I think I have succeeded! This church is one that my sister in law told me about. I have been twice. I have enjoyed the message and the music and mostly the refreshed feeling that I get when I leave the church. There is a present energy in that church that is very addictive! I have so much to thank god for and I love being able to take that message and think on it all week.

I am praying for many right now and I ask (if you are the praying kind) to join me. A dear friend in Texas has lost a coworker and friend and she is hurting. The coworker has a wife, and two small children and I just pray that god give them strength during this difficult time. Another friend from high school has lost her 3 year old son in a very heartbreaking accident. This sweet boy had 3 brothers and two sisters who are are struggling in a way that no one but them can understand. I know that god has his hand upon them now and they are dealing with this one day at a time with his guidance. The mother of the children is a woman of god who continues to glorify god even through this tragedy. She continues to hold her beautiful family together with such grace and therefore I continue to lift them up in prayer. I am also praying for friends that are waiting for the perfect job opportunities and also for perfect timing in fertility. We just never know when will be the right time in any situation and there is only one that does, our gracious god. Until then, we continue to pray and give thanks for all that we have. My sister in law Kelly has an ongoing headache that they are having trouble finding answers about. Two twin toddlers and one giant headache are not a good combo and I pray that this will come to an end soon. She still continues to be a good mommy and keeps searching for an answer when many would just give up. I admire her for that. One more request for someone very special to me, Abigail's first teacher, Mrs. Flo. She is having a hard time right now and dealing with some things that are making her struggle. She is very faithful and very giving and she knows that we are never given what he thinks we cant handle so I know that - this too shall pass. She is strong and her faith will shine through any struggle.

You know that light of my life Jacob? Well he turned 3 on Tuesday August 21. We took him to Disney's Magic Kingdom on Saturday and he made lots of memories there. He even met THE Mickey Mouse and Buzz Lightyear! It was an overcast day and did rain a little but not enough to stop all the fun! He loved Its a Small World and was scared on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. We stayed all day and into the night for the electric parade. He took a nap in the stroller for a while and Albert and I just walked around and enjoyed the scenery and our time together. We got lots of great pictures too. Mimi and Pawpaw are in town this week and Jacob and Abby are staying home from school with them to play all week. On Sunday we are having his actual Monster Jam birthday party!! He pretty much is getting a week long celebration but if there is anyone that deserves it, it is my Jacob. :) The pictures above are pictures of pictures that's why the quality is not that good but you get the idea. I am ordering the pictures from Disney to frame for his room soon. I always want to remember this special time that we had together celebrating him.