H&R Blog

Sunday, May 10, 2009

M4 Dedication

M4 was dedicated to the Lord on Mother's Day 2009. It was a great day to celebrate life and God's bountiful provisions. Thanks to all who were able to attend!

Pastor T reads through M4's birth stats, name meaning & Bible verses while the family waits on stage.

Pastor T prays for M4 while M3 reminds us all why nap time is non-negotiable.

Everyone was able to hear/see M1 sing with the Children's Choir for a special song. M1 obviously knows how to work the camera.

Great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and the cousin were able to make M4's special ceremony/day.

Once we got back to our house for a meal and fellowship, M3 was able to ''share'' his toys with Cousin B. They were also able to compare foreheads and show off the "pipes".

M2 decided to doll herself up for the special day (thankfully after church) by putting on her own lip gloss. As you can see, it goes on very easily!

"What do you mean it's too much!?"

As has been the trend of recent gatherings, M3 has learned quickly that Papa is not good at saying 'no' to his grandchildren. Here is M3 "helping" Papa finish off his delicious dessert. (Of course, smiling for the camera.)

M3 getting one of Papa's last bites. Notice that M3, while taking the penultimate bite, is already eying up the last morsel on Papa's plate.

M3: "Papa ran out of his dessert much too quickly. What is a growing boy to do? Is there another person I can "help"???"

NANA! She can't say no either.

"Nana!! Stop laughing and let me "help" you! ...Marco is ready to 'help' M3 if needed.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

M3 has a 3M Moment

I can't remember the exact story, but somehow M3 ended up with his jacket on backwards. Of course we zipped him up and took pics.

"Sure I'll smile for a picture!"

"What's so funny, Daddy?"

M3 misunderstanding the phrase "Packer Backer"

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Picture Potpourri

M3: That's hilarious!
M4: Seriously, I don't get it...

Oh yeah, I'm cute.

Marco: Is THIS too close?

M4 smiling at Daddy

Who are these people? They're so weird!

Is THIS too close? -OR- Message from the Big Head!

First you make this face...

And then you smell something nasty!

Check out the pipes! All natural!

Ooo, excuse me!

Hi!

Say CHEEESSEEE!!!

It's been a while...how 'bout some pics?

Nothing major, just some more recent pics of the kids. Hope you enjoy!

M3 has a big kid bed (and a very cool one at that!). We tried it a few nights and quickly realized that M3 wakes up a few times in the middle of the night. We will pursue this change more aggressively once the summer roles around and he gets his own room upstairs.

M3 put his new hat on all by himself and of course smiled very well for the camera. What a cutie, even if he is "juiced". We also thought he should cross the arms for better street cred. word.

M4 is really starting to show some personality (esp. smiling!). Of course, his best smiles occur when there isn't a camera in his face. But hey, we'll keep trying!

Here M4 is showing us that, despite no teeth, he is ready for the dentist.

It's never too early to start working on your clarinet embouchure!

M3 shows off his rudiment chops(ticks); he's faster than our camera! Typical boy; 'the world is my drum.' Happy when he gets to hit stuff.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Easter Family Pic

Alright everybody, say "Happy Easter I'm too tired let me do what I want to please!"

"Wow, dude. I am SOOO good to go."
M4 was very content after a feeding (in the parking lot...this wasn't while the car was moving) and we felt the need to take a picture.

Easter "Hop"penings (HA! What a funny bunny!)

We had an Easter Eggs-travaganza on Saturday at Aunt C1 and Uncle D's house. As usual, Aunt C1 went overboard (but the M&Ms had a blast).

L -> R: Aunt C2 holding M4, M1, M2, Aunt C1 holding Cousin B, M3

Cousin B wants all the ladies out there to know that he is "available" (despite the fact that he still lives with his parents). He does like to hit the bottle though...

Do you ever get the feeling that you're being watched!?

I know it's hard to tell, but look closely at this picture. M2 is literally going head-over-heels with the egg hunt (you could also say that she is performing an impromptu somersault).

What kind of birds does Aunt C1 have around here?

M2 & M1 smile during the hunt.

Ok, Papa, just follow me...

M1, M2, Nana, & M3 smiling after the hunt.

Check out our loot!!

Please can I play with the bubbles!?

Is THIS too close?

Nothing celebrates the resurrection of Jesus like WATERBALLOONS! (uh, what!?)

What do you mean we've had too much sugar and not enough sleep!?!?!?!

Meanwhile, M4 was in the house smiling at who ever would look.

Marco celebrated Easter with...a camo bib!?
Marco, what do you think?
"Seriously, take this stupid bib off!"

Nicknames

M1 is our oldest blessing. Her main nickname is "DQ" which stands for Drama Queen. She can also be called "Harley" due to the sounds that escape her tuckus at randomly inconvenient moments.

M2 is our second blessing. Her first nickname was "BP" which stands for 'boy preview' (she was much more rough-n-tumble than M1). M2's nickname now is "Tonka" b/c she's 'Tonka tough'...she takes a lot of pride in this fact.

Marco the dog is often called "Marco Barko" for obvious reasons. Yes, we use to have a "Polo" but he was not a good fit with our family so we gave him to a cousin. Now Polo is not a good fit with another family.

Now That's Funny! (From Our Computer To Yours)

Friendship Bread is an Amish pyramid scheme. It's a little known fallacy that originally it was called Fellowship Bread, but the starter kits came in sackcloth; success was minimal.
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings
My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money. -Joe Weinstein
If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them. -Phil Pastoret
"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that It is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end." -- The winning entry in an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term: This year's term was Political Correctness.
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director how do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized. 'Well,' said the Director, 'we fill up a bathtub - then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.' 'Oh, I understand,' said the visitor. 'A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup.' 'No' said the Director, 'A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?'

Quote Tote (A Mixed Bag)

We fall into temptation when we don’t stand against it.
Pride is when someone overvalues himself by undervaluing others.
First make sure you are with Him, then you can be sure He’ll be with you.
He who abandons himself to God will never be abandoned by God.
“God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” -- Hudson Taylor (Missionary in China)
Trials make us think; thinking makes us wise; wisdom makes life profitable.
"What we try to do is pass it on, to make the gifts and kindnesses that come to us the kind of human currency that goes on traveling. I will try to preserve it, transmit it, I hope refreshed, to another generation of the American republic, which is the inheritance of us all." --David H. Souter after being appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court
God’s love cannot be explained—it can only be experienced.
The trials of earth are small compared with the triumphs of heaven.
Without Christ we can do nothing. With Him we can do everything He wants us to do.
We know almost nothing compared to the infinite amount there is to know.
The richest person is not the one who has the most but the one who needs the least.
The happiest people don't have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.
"Life is the hot chocolate...your job, money, position in society are the cups; they are just tools to hold and contain life."
Invest your life in what pays eternal dividends.
God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.
To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart.
Love people and use things; don't use people and love things.
Integrity means never having to look over your shoulder.
When you find time on your hands, put them together in prayer.
The treasures of truth in God’s Word are best mined with the spade of meditation.
Spend your time counting your blessings, not airing your complaints.
An offense against your neighbor is a fence between you and God.
Doing what’s right today means no regrets tomorrow.
Tomorrow’s world will be shaped by what we teach our children today.
A good test of a person’s character is his behavior when he is wrong.
When Christ is the center of your interests, life will be in focus.
"The successful person is the average person, focused." -Unknown
How foolish to worship the creation, when the Creator is so much greater.
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:21)
Contentment is not getting what we want but being satisfied with what we have.
The measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out. —Macauley
Unexpected changes are opportunities in disguise.
Satan doesn't care so much if you're a Christian as long as you don't act like one.
We always have enough when God is our supply.
The purpose of prayer is not to get what we want, but to become what God wants.
To guide your children on the right way, you must go that way yourself.
May our lives be a “show and tell” for God’s glory.
Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it.
Count your many blessings and you’ll soon lose count.
It seems that most of our struggles revolve around wanting something we don’t have or having something we don’t want.
The motive of giving reveals the character of the giver more than the gift itself.
You can attract people to Jesus when you have His light in your life.
Someone has said, “What the caterpillar thinks is the end of life, the butterfly thinks is just the beginning.”
Joy comes from the Lord who lives in us, not from what’s happening around us.
Aspire to inspire before you expire.
God’s work in us isn’t over when we receive Christ—it has just begun.
One good reason for doing the right thing today is tomorrow.
The choices we make today produce the consequences we reap tomorrow. It’s far better to avoid sin in the first place than to struggle to overcome its consequences. —Bill Crowder
Our works and words should say the same thing.
I’d rather see a Christian Than to hear one merely talk, I’d rather see his actions And behold his daily walk. —Herrell
“Faith moves from belief into conviction, then to certainty.”
Where God guides, He provides.
You can teach more with your life than with your lips.
Gratitude should not be an occasional incident but a continuous attitude.
Praise is the song of a soul set free.
Treasures in heaven are laid up as treasures on earth are laid down.
Through prayer, we can step into the calming presence of the Lord and find strength to go on. As we bring our heartaches and needs to God, He meets us where we are and gives us His peace. He is an ever-present help who cares for us in every situation.
Our heavenly home is our real estate.
“It is true that for several days after you die, your hair and fingernails keep on growing, but the phone calls taper off.” -- Johnny Carson
It is better to suffer for the cause of Christ than for the cause of Christ to suffer.
When you look at someone else’s life, Thinking that it’s better than your own, Just remember what God’s given you Was designed for you alone. — Hess
"God may send a load, but He never sends an overload!" -- Ron Hutchcraft
Lord Chesterfield wisely said, "Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable; however, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable."
"There are no secrets to success-don't waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence." --- Colin Powell
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” — Goethe
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." ---John Jones
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” —Aristotle
"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." - Marian Wright Edelman