Flashback.....7 months ago

Flashback....

Ignore the ridiculously terrible face and puffiness.  This is a picture I stumbled on and its a keeper.  This is me.....2 weeks before the boys arrived.  Just close your eyes and imagine I had 2 weeks more to go.  Ouch.

  And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb…

 Duet. 7:13

New Family Portraits ....xo

Almost two weeks ago we had our family pictures updated. The boys just recently hit the six month mark. We knew that this first year was going to be one with amazing growth, one we would regret not capturing in all its glory. If you look back to where this journey began, the changes are just wild. It had taken so many hurdles and years to build The Gregg's up to where we stand today so we are doing our best to document it all. I could write a book......

George Lee....how I love those mischievous eyes and that joy filled smile.

He is delicious. Couldn't you just eat him?!

Loving the crazy hair too. He is a very unique looking little man.

The dynamic duo.

Andrew Lee.....the sweetest little soul in the house.

This is my view. Even on the cruddiest nights sleep I wake to these little minis all sleepy and wanting Mommy cuddles, it feels good. Man does it feel good.

This boy is like a faucet I tell you. There is always something dripping from it. I am very use to wearing stained shirts and most who know and love Drew are with the understanding that they WILL leave his company with some kind of spot on them.

A thinker for sure. He is often pondering something but the second he catches you looking his way he returns the love with a dimpled smile.

Why can't they stay like this forever?

The joys of teething have come to our home.....times two.

You can see just by the pictures how different their personalities are. George loves a camera. He will perk up for it instantly. Drew would rather be chewing his fists.

New favorite thing, playing in the grass.
Love at first sight. I wish I knew what she is thinking in that little head of hers. Addy you are simply the coolest child on the planet.

My little ham.

The outdoors are her thing. She would be outside sun up to sun down. This is Addy.

They really interact now which is such a hoot to watch. They adore her. Matt and I could be doing the funniest faces and being absolutely the most fun parents you could imagine and everything stops when she enters the room. They take off like its their jobs just to be closer to her.

One of the best gifts you can give your child is a playmate for life. This is what joy looks like.

So there is is. My blogs are all the same and I imagine they are pretty sicky annoying with me speaking and writing about how amazing my children are ALL the time. I get it. If you understood how hard this road has been or walked any portion of it with us..... you would get it. This took years,money, blood/sweat, tears and a team. My hearts desires became reality with the help of some pretty wonderful medical staff and a God that saw us through. There is not one day, even on the worst of the worst, where I don't get on my knees in gratefulness.

I will give You thanks, for You answered me; You have become my salvation.
Psalm 118:21

If you are looking to find a very reasonable photographer to capture where you are in your lives, this woman is amazing. You won't regret it.

http://momentsofjoyphoto.blogspot.com/

...hair on my legs

Sometimes something is said that absolutely tickles my bones. Being a Mom, it is very difficult to keep these moments fresh so I figure I would add them to my site. The number of things one must remember on any given day will surely erase all these moments of cuteness at one point or another from my half brain.

Addison was swinging on her new swingset that her Daddy is so lovingly constructing for her. Daddy was getting a little tired and silly. The pushes were getting higher and more ridiculous. I swear he forgets she is a wee four years old. Anyways.....I eventually gave the Mommy warning that the wicked pushes must come to an end. Daddy laughed in delight that he was able to rouse me but Addy was highly disappointed. Her swing came to a sudden stop, she looked at me in swing position , from behind a wall of bangs.

"Mom. I am a big kid now. I got hair on my arms AND my legs."

Who can argue with that. She is quite hairy...... and very clever. I waved my white flag and gave my ok for them to act as moronic as they saw fit. Andrew was laying on me in the hammock so I just held to him because I am so obviously losing the coolness quality I thought Id wear as a parent......the least thing this boring , fun destroying mother could do was rock the minis to sleep. Im so totally good at being THAT kind of mother.

How did Addy go from a tiny Andrew sized infant to a back talking four year old with a quick wit? When did she get an opinion? When did she learn to be a real kid? I'm in big trouble.

Thank you God for allowing me to back down sometimes and trust in the little things. Thank you for allowing me the ability to wave the 'white flag' sometimes and just go with life. Pretty sure Jesus would have given His consent to swing away and have fun.

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Who Whooo are these guys??

I ran across this picture this morning and smiled. Who are these boys??? They have grown so much in the past six months. If memory serves me right they had to be about 6 weeks here. Those adorable outfits have long been passed on to the next little ones.

In my pregnancy I had gathered a few of these crazy looking outfits much to my husbands dismay. He thought they were girly. He called them leg warmers.....they did not make him happy because they are his 'men' and instead of rugged boys they looked like sissies. Mommy did not agree and am actually sad to have gone past this stage. Daddy made a deal long ago that I could dress our little soldiers anyway I like UNTIL their first birthdays. At that point he has general rule over how 'cute' they can be on any given day ;) Yeah , right....we shall see.

These are the boys now....6 months!!! Time is whipping by. Much to Daddy's approval on the cute meter too. Simple boy clothes, crazy hair and covered in dirt and grass. He is in his glory and so are they. I'm enjoying this very much as well.

They are eating a variety of foods and are even beginning to pick up cheerios and having a blast with it. Neither one is consistently crawling on their hands and knees but are getting where they need to go and very fast. It is a matter of days before all heck breaks loose. Not that things are not already in utter chaos at any given moment.

So there it is. A flashback.

The passage of time scares me, but the view God has given me cant help but put an almost permanent grin on my face. The Lord showers us with His love and mercies each day. Hope your view feel like a beautiful gift too.

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk , that by it you may grow up to salvation- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:2-3)

Congratulations Jess and Greg!

Last weekend my baby cousin ( who is also a twin) married her long time love Greg. It was b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l.....there really isn't a way to describe how perfectly it all came together and how AMAZING all the food was. It was the first time Matt and I have been away from the boys and it was perfect. Thank you Jess and Greg for having us be a part of a memorable day. We love you so much and wish you a blessed future.

Mimi and Addy waiting for the bride( princess according to Addy) to appear. This little girl was so excited to be invited ....maybe this will be her first memory. How cool would that be!? A day with undivided attention from everyone in her family on a day celebrating love. She came equipped with her Elton John glasses. Only the best I tell ya.
Mom brought Jesus. Fairly certain He was already deeply connected to this love story, but Mom brought Him ( she brings Him everywhere) as her special date.
The dress was itchy. Go figure...left the tags inside. Only I would do something like this. My siblings thought I was doing it on purpose so I could return the dress and get my money back. Nope. I am really just that unaware of whats going on around me. Sleep deprivation can be source of a good laugh. Even if its at my expense :)
Very excited, emotional and nervous Greg. He is THE definition of a good catch. He is also a candy man. For real. He owns candy.com so if you ever have bulk orders of candy etc for an event he is your guy.
Mom and step Dad of the bride, aka ' Aunt Beth and Uncle Murray'. Aunt Beth is one of my mothers 6 siblings. Her and my mother have developed a beautiful relationship over the years and stood beside each other through many difficult obstacles. Their relationship has stood the test of time. Uncle Murray is Aunt B's love....its never too late to find it. They are living proof that love is possible if you are patient and wait on God.
Jess is about to make the short walk, with her Dad, to her husband to be. She is truly Gorgeous in every way. Inside and out.


Proud parents. She raised three cool and successful daughters.
Our little family getting ready to head to the reception.
A shot of the Beckler kids.
A normal shot of the Beckler kids.
Just the girls. Our family just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Will there be more girls?.....time will tell.
Like mother , like daughter.
Dancing for the first time as husband and wife. Real love can be beautiful. Real love stands the tests and trials of time. May this always be true for them.
My husband Matt and Mom dancing away. He looks like a giant next to my tiny mother. He looks like a giant next to most :) So handsome...just as kind.....just as much a pain in the rear xo.
First night out. Success. Thank you for sharing this very special occasion. We love you and will continue to pray for you in this interesting and joy filled journey together.

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Song of Solomon 8:6

Happy Birthday Uncle Ty Ty

Uncle Ty Ty is my baby brother. Hard to imagine, I know, when you see him as a grown man. He turned 23 yesterday and I feel very very old. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday and considering how horrible my memory is....it must of been a very special time. The day he was born I was ten years old. Mom and Dad caught the baby fever and started again. Dad always joked that they messed the first two up, older brother and I, so they decided to give it another try. Whether there is any truth to that, not sure, either way I am so glad they did. It didn't end there because two years after Ty we welcome baby sister Courteney so we were blessed again.

Last week Uncle Tyler surprised visited us. The kids love it when their family does this. The boys were able to get in some rumble and tumble time. Addy was able to get some well deserved silly filled attention. He is so good with them. You can see how deeply he loves them. He wears it well.

Looking at Ty's pics you can obviously tell that he is a real softy from his loving eyes and sweet smile. He is covered in tattoo's and often sporting Harley Davidson gear, but from my personal experience these are typically the kind hearted people, despite the rough edge we see.

After his guy time with the boys he took a hand in hand walk with his buddy Addison to a local restaurant. A very cute sight! He is going to make someone very happy someday and will be an outstanding father. I have been known to try and take on the role of matchmaker......If I happen to see a cute/ sweet young woman, I often inquire whether she is looking for love. This has resulted in some pretty fun stuff! lol. Always trying to find a special someone for him so he can hurry up and bring me some more nieces and nephews!



So here is to another 60 plus years growing old as siblings together. May your life be blessed more so around every corner. You are a stand up, loving and kind man. I am so very proud of you and wish you the best this side of heaven has to offer. We love our Ty Ty.


And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:21

Christian Dedication

And they were bringing children to Him that He might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, " Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs to the Kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them. Mark 10:13-16

This scripture warms my heart. To picture God pulling my children closer to Him to embrace them. To see the smile on His face and the giggling smiles of my kids. Hopefully it would be followed with the good Lord looking into the eyes of my husband and I with the words, " Job well done". What a sight!

We had the children Dedicated at church on July the 10th. This is kind of like our version of an infant baptism. We believe that we first make this promise, dedication, to the Lord that we will raise our children in this faith until they can choose for themselves to commit. At that time they will do a full immersion Baptism and give their lives to the Lord. At this service Pastor Peter prayed over us all as a family and prayed for our children's Christian walk. It was beautiful. My husband and I hope that all three will grow to know the love of Christ and in turn raise their own families with God as the center. We look forward to the day they can declare in their own words and become Baptised.

My gorgeous children on our important day.

This is the arrangement we were presented with. Each flower represents a part of our life. One Representing God, one for my husband Matt, one for the presence of The Holy Spirit in our lives, one for me: the Mommy, then one for each child.

The boys all dressed in their Gregg boy attire. Its so funny to see them beginning to wear big boy clothes like their Daddy. Matt is a good sport and lets me have my fun when it comes to this :)

Love. Their futures are endless in possibilities...what a joy to sit back and watch it unfold. 6 Months ago these boys were inside my body. It still blows my mind.

The Gregg girls. Addy has a zest for life and real love for the Lord. She is known to comfort others in times of sadness with the simple reminder that God loves them. How beautiful to have truth at the core of who you are at only four years old.

May God continue to be a present guide in our lives and watch over us with a jealous love. We declare, "As for our home, we will serve the Lord!"

He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord. Psalms 113:9