The Blessing Family

Aspen's first real haircut-Ever!

2009-12-28T15:23:00.000-08:00

Aspen has been begging to get her hair cut so I promised her after the wedding she could get it cut. She has never had a real haircut so this was HUGE for her. I was a little sad, her long hair was so pretty. She looks so grown-up with her new cut. They cut 9 inches off! She really enjoyed getting to show it off on Sunday!

Before

Before

Proudly holding 9 inches of her hair

That's a lot of hair!

After

Christmas Day

2009-12-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas. God has blessed us with 4 great kids
who didn't ask for much for Christmas and were very happy with
what they got. I love that they know that they focus of Christmas is
about Jesus and not gifts. I pray that their love for the Lord continues to grow
and they continue to want to seek Him!

My Chrismas Eve Cuties

2009-12-28T15:07:00.000-08:00

I was SO excited to learn that I could get the kids matching pjs at
The Children's Place. I had to get a few pictures Christmas Eve
because I knew there was no hope to get them to sit still when there
were gifts under the tree!

The boys

The girls

The kids with the HUGE cookie for Santa.

Christmas Lane

2009-12-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

We always enjoy visiting Christmas Lane and the Abilene State School. The kids look forward to seeing Santa and getting to talk to his "Elves" on the phone.

Elijah was SO excited to talk to Santa's Elf
on the phone

Aspen telling the Elves what she wanted
for Christmas

Harrison requested a Wii and remote
control motorcycle.

Daddy and his girls looking at the model train

The kids and Santa-Tabitha started screaming the second

Drew sat her down.

Elijah LOVED Santa and didn't want to leave. He cried later

that evening because he wanted to see Santa again.

Fun in the Snow

2009-12-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

The kids had fun playing in the snow the day before Christmas. The wind was SO cold so they didn't last long. Elijah didn't like it at all so he stayed inside where it was warm. They are hoping it snows again tonight so they can build a snowman this time!

Chester and Jen's Wedding

2009-12-28T14:22:00.001-08:00

Chester and Jen's wedding was beautiful! Jen looked AMAZING in her dress. Aspen did a great job and was a beautiful flower girl. She was so cute. She didn't throw all of her flowers on the way down the isle and was very concerned so she walked out after Chester and Jen just so she could use the rest of them. Here are just a few pics from the weekend. Congrats Chester and Jen! May God bless you as you start your new life together!

Elijah wanted to be a flower-boy!

Elijah, Harrison and Uncle Chester

Aspen-practicing throwing the flowers

The red shirt was keeping her warm

before the wedding

Daddy and his little princess.

Harrison finally smiled for me.

Elijah and his Cheese-face

Elijah and Uncle Baylor

Aspen and Uncle Baylor

Mr. and Mrs. Chester Blessing!

Aspen and Uncle Cliff

Aspen

Aspen-my future model

Tabitha and The Nutcracker

2009-12-01T18:45:00.001-08:00

Tabitha is such a precious little girl! I love these pictures of her in the cute tutu!

Aspen, Harrison and I had a great time at the Nutcracker again this year.

Next year Elijah will be old enough to come with us! It is a great Christmas

tradition!

Harrison thought this guy was the best! He did ballet/hip hop.

And man he could jump high!!!

Family Pictures

2009-12-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

My sweet soon-to-be sister-in-law took our pictures when they were down for Thanksgiving. She did a great job and got some awesome shots. These are just a few of the best ones.
Thanks Jen!

Fun on the Farm

2009-12-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

While we were out visiting my parents a few weeks ago I decided to try to get some updated pics of the kids. It was very cold outside so I had to work fast. Here are my favorites.

Our New Baby

2009-09-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Meet Jasmine..the newest addition to our family. She is a Jack Russell Terrier (mix?) and is a sweet little girl.

2009 West Texas Fair and Rodeo

2009-09-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the rodeo and had a great time. We indulged in funnel cake, cotton candy, hamburgers and some yummy A&M fries. The kids enjoyed the petting zoo and we all had a great time watching the rodeo. The older the kids get the more they get into yelling for the cowboys.

Feeding the animals

Draft horses

Elijah raising his hand for a freebie that was being handed out.

Aspens princess pose

Tabitha enjoying the rodeo

Tabitha dancing to the music

Aspen and the "princess"

Aspen's First Day of Ballet

2009-09-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

Texas State Aquarium

2009-09-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the Texas State Aquarium on day while we were in Corpus. We had a great time and they all enjoyed getting to see everything up close. I think the best part for the kids was getting to see the sharks.

Elijah was listening to the ocean

Pencil urchin

Elijah with the pencil urchin

This is one on my favorite pics...and it wasn't staged!

Harrison was a little scared that the shark was so close

The kids with the diver

Harrison got to volunteer for one of the shows. They made him put on heavy gloves and goggles and told him that the animal that was coming out was big, had sharp claws and smelled terrible. They then made a lot of noise in the set behind Harrison. His eyes got very large, and I thought he might run! Next, they brought out a box that said Danger in big red letters...they let the "Wild" animal out and it was an anteater. Harrison got to feed it some yogurt, he was amazed at how long it's tongue was.

The kids at the underwater viewing area of the dolphins

U.S Coast Guard

2009-09-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

We met some sweet new friends while we were in Corpus. He is a swimmer for the U.S. Coast Guard. He took us on base and the kids got to try on his equipment, sit in the helicopter and plane and learn about his job. Thanks Dave and Amy! We had a blast and it was great getting to know you!

Aspen trying on the mask and snorkel

Aspen with the helmet

Elijah is under there somewhere!

Sitting in the basket, they really wanted to be lifted

up by the helicopter!

Harrison learning about the controls

He wanted to know what all of the buttons were for.

Elijah testing out the front

Aspens turn

In the cockpit of the plane

Looking at all of the computers

Harrison was pretending to be work

U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter

Beach Pics-Part 2

2009-09-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

Aspen and her new pet...a hermit crab

Harrison enjoyed ridding the waves

Ryan, Aspen and their HUGE Irish wolfhound, Maggie.

Tabitha's favorite part of the beach was getting

to eat the dirt!

Corpus Christi pics

2009-09-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

Tabitha and Maggie

The following pics were at the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens

Family Pictures at the Beach

2009-09-18T09:10:00.001-07:00

Our friend took some great pics for us. These pictures haven't been edited yet but they are still great.

The Beach-Part 1

2009-08-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

We have some sweet friends who offered for us to come visit them down in Corpus. We had a great time. We went to the beach everyday and the kids loved it! Here are just a few pictures from our time. Thanks Ryan and Lauren for a great vacation that we will cherish forever!

Plains Rodeo

2009-08-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

We went out to my parents this weekend for the Plains rodeo. It is a very small rodeo, but the kids had fun. Harrison and Aspen got to participate in the calf scramble. They let 3 calves loose that have ribbons tied on their tails. The goal is to get the ribbon. Harrison said he touched the tail, but missed the ribbon. Oh well, maybe next year.

Tabitha watching the horses.

She was confused and thought we were at the circus.
This girl LOVES to be upside down.

Elijah watching the horses. He would move back very
quickly when the animals came close to the fence.

Elijah enjoying the rodeo.

Harrison getting ready for the calf scramble.
He is in the center in the green and white shirt.

Aspen and Harrison walking back after the calf scramble.

Dining Room Remodel-Stage 2

2009-07-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

Woohooo! The priming is done! It looks so much better!

And...a peak at what's to come

Dining Room Remodel- Stage 1

2009-07-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

We are remodeling our dining room. Drew took out our old railing and pole and replaced it with a new one. We will put new railing across later on. We also pulled up the carpet and I have spent most of the day removing staples that held the padding down. I have a new respect for people who do this for a living! My body is sore! This is just phase 1. We are going to paint and then put down laminate flooring in the dining room and kitchen. It already looks so much better. I am so excited to see the end product. It will make the soreness all worth it!

Railing before

Pole-after Railing will come later

Carpet-before

After-no carpet! Yeah!

Rockin Hair!

2009-07-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

Harrison has been begging us to let him get a Mohawk. I finally got around to taking him to get his hair cut. He thinks he is So cool with his hair like this! Elijah wanted a Mohawk also but that wasn't going to happen! He got his hair cut where we can spike it so he still thinks he is cool. Aspen wants a "GirlHawk" but I am not quite ready for that :)

Frogs, frogs and more frogs

2009-07-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

We were out at my parents house when it rained a few weeks ago. These HUGE toads came out and the kids really enjoyed playing with them. Well...not Elijah. He was terrified of them! I thought my little girl wouldn't want to play with them but she reached right into the bucket and picked a really big on up and posed for a nice picture. So much for having a girly-girl!

I love suckers!

2009-07-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

My mom gave Tabitha a taste of her sucker and she wouldn't give it back. She enjoyed it and was a very sticky little girl when she finished.

Our new "pets"

2009-06-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

A sweet little bird made a nest in my hanging basket. The kids are excited to wait and watch the eggs hatch. So far the birds haven't seemed to mind me taking the basket down to check the eggs and to carefully water my plant!

Superhero kids

2009-06-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

My superman boys and supergirl princess

My strong Super Man boys!

Summer day fun

2009-06-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

We have an above ground pool now and have really been enjoying it. Here are some pictures of the kiddos after we finished swimming today.

Two of a kind!

Me and my sweet little girl

Harrison helping Elijah ride the bike.

Smile :)

Tabitha

2009-06-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

Tabitha is almost 9 months old and she is such a sweet girl. She is happy most of the time and is crawling very fast now! She can disappear down the hall in a few seconds.

Gotta love those puppy kisses right in the mouth!

Daddy's Little Helper

2009-06-17T19:19:00.001-07:00

I love when the kids help Drew mow. Elijah walked on his tip toes the whole time. So cute!

Gymnastics Sports Center

2009-06-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

We went to a playdate at the Gymnastics Sports Center. The kids had a great time and I enjoyed visiting with friends.

Tabitha-she liked the trampoline

Elijah-it takes lots of focus to jump!

Taking a little break to smile

Aspen-my little cheerleader!

Harrison in the foam pit

My baby is Crawling!

2009-05-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

In the last week Tabitha has learned how to crawl AND pull up! AAAHHHH! I love when they learn to do new things. I will now have to keep stuff picked up and keep my eyes on the little mover a little bit better!

Not cool, but funny!

2009-05-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

-By Drew
Aspen climbed into our bed, as she often does, about 4 am on my side. Her stomach was contracting, like dry heaving, but she was not acting like she was going to puke. I don't handle that too well, so off to the bathroom we rushed. After a couple of minutes and a little reassurance that she was ok, we returned to our bed. I went off to find a little trash can to empty and put by the bed just in case. About the time I was about to go back to sleep, Aspen said, "I think I'm gonna throw up." So, needless to say, I frantically picked her up and moved toward the little trash can. Before we could make it there, she covered her face and giggled while saying, "I'm just kidding!" I heard Jen laughing from her side of the bed. Not cool, but stinking funny!

Mother's Day

2009-05-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

I had a great Mother's Day with all of my little blessings.

Me and all my kiddos

Me and my sweet Aspen

Harrison and Tabitha

Dallas Arboretum

2009-05-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

Drew and I got to go to the Dallas Arboretum. We had a great time and I got some great pictures of flowers and of course of my sweet little girl. We are planning to take the rest of the kids back sometime this summer.

A very cold and wet Airshow!

2009-05-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

The airshow this year was very cold and rainy but I think the kids had a good time. They didn't get to fly because the clouds were to low but the kids and Drew enjoyed looking at all of the airplanes.

Landscaping and Birthday Flowers

2009-05-25T18:53:00.001-07:00

Drew designed these flowers from me for my birthday. Aren't they pretty!

Front flower bed before and after.

Drew is available for all of your landscaping/flower designing needs..just call!!

Random Pictures and Events

2009-05-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

Sleepy Girls

Sweet Little Tabitha

Slip n Slid Fun and Bubbles

Elijah in Drew's Grandad's hat

Aspen and Daisy in the tree

Easter 2009

2009-05-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

95 years!

2009-05-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

My Grandma Lollar aka Peg Leg turned 95 in April. She is an amazing women and it was great to be able to celebrate her birthday with her.

4 Generations...My grandma, Dad, Me, and the kids

Me and Grandma Lollar

Peg Leg and the Kids

Wildflower Farm

2009-05-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

These were taken at the Wildflower Farm in Fredericksburg. The kids loved running on the paths through the flowers. It was a great pit-stop on our way to San Antonio.

Just Life

2009-03-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would post some random post from this past week. Enjoy!

Cool hair

Harrison and Crash

Harrison and Daisy

Mom and sweet Tabitha

Mom, Harrison, Aspen, Elijah & Tabitha

(It sure is hard to get them to all look at the camera and smile!)

Elijah pushing Aspen-He is one strong little boy!

Tabitha-she is just so cute!

Happy Birthday Aspen

2009-03-25T19:43:00.001-07:00

This is a little late ,but better late than never right?

Aspen is now 4! Where has the time gone? She is turning into such a beautiful young lady and it is a joy to watch her grow. She is very full of passion & spunk. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger and can usually get him to cave when she wants something...especially if I am not around! She loves her brothers and sister and is quite the little mommy. She has little fear and loves adventure. I am so thankful for my sweet little girl. I pray daily for her and that God would fill her full of his spirit. I pray He uses her spunk for His glory! Happy Birthday Princess! May you continue to grow up loving God and living your life for Him! I love you!

My beautiful Princess!

Party day!

Aspen and Panda the Pinata

Daddy and his little girl

The girls-Mom, Aspen & Tabitha

Haircut Time

2009-03-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

Eljiah and Aspen both got haircuts today. This was Aspen's second haircut and it was Elijah's first. He did very well for his first time. He only fussed a little and sat pretty still. He looks like such a big boy with his hair short!

Smiling for the camera

Trying to sit still

What are you doing to me?

No! Not that!

Handsome 2 year old!

Such a big boy!

Pretty long hair

So Long

Just a little shorter

I'm so cute

I LOVE balloons!

2009-03-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

Tabitha had so much fun playing with this balloon. It kept her entertained for around 20 minutes! It was so much more fun than the pictures show.

Elijah and Luke

2009-03-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

Elijah and Luke were born one day apart. Luke is older but has always been bigger. I am so thankful they are getting to grow up together. Happy birthday boys!

Luke, Magen, Elijah & Jen-The boys were 4 months old

Luke & Elijah at Luke's 2nd birthday party

Happy Birthday Elijah

2009-03-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Time sure does fly. It seems like just yesterday that Elijah was born. He is growing up so fast and is a great little boy. He is very mischievous and always finding something to get in to. I pray that God uses his curiosity to do amazing things! Elijah is such a blessing to me. I love how he will crawl up in my lap and just cuddle. When I put him to bed he will ask me to lie down beside him. He will slide his hand under my neck and hold me. I love the special time we share together. Happy Birthday Chunky Monkey!

Birthday cake?

2009-03-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

Smile for the camera :)

Happy Birthday boy

I'm Two!

For Me?

Blowing out the candle

Funny Story: Elijah's birthday was Sunday. We always have cinnamon rolls for breakfast and I hadn't made a cake so Drew decided just to stick a candle in the cinnamon roll. We sang to Elijah and he blew out his candle like a big two year old. He was very proud of himself. Then Drew told him to eat his cake. Elijah looked at him like he was crazy! With his eyes he was saying, "Dad you are insane. That is NOT a piece of cake. I KNOW what cake is. That is a cinnamon roll!" It was so funny.

Haircut

2009-03-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

From this:

To this:

Keep in mind that it is not fixed in this picture.

1st try at rice cereal

2009-03-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

Tabitha is 5 months now and is starting to be very interested in food. She is starting to really enjoy her cereal. Here are the pictures from the 1st time she tried cereal. Priceless!

After-bath Pictures

2009-03-03T10:03:00.001-08:00

Tabitha loves her baths and she is so happy afterwards. It such a perfect time to take pictures of her.

Beautiful Children

2009-03-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

Just like mom

2009-03-03T09:46:00.001-08:00

Like mother, like daughter! I am sure my mom has pictures of me like this when I was little.

Valentines Flowers

2009-03-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know I am SO far behind in posting. Here are the BEAUTIFUL flowers that Drew bought and arranged for me. They were waiting on me when I got home from a wonderful girls weekend away. He watched the 3 older kids and I took Tabitha with me. I had a great time with some great friends. Drew had some good "bonding time" with the kids and I came home to a clean house and one very tired husband! I am so thankful he will take the kids and give me a break. Thanks honey!

Photo Shoot

2009-03-03T09:33:00.001-08:00

I had some fun with Tabitha a while back taking pictures. I think she is a natural!

My dear sweet Elijah

2009-02-03T18:46:00.001-08:00

Wow! This kid keeps me on my toes. The past two weeks he has managed to dump all of Harrison's shampoo out all over himself right before we were leaving for church, eat toothpaste multiple times and use it to paint the bathroom & make mud from the puppies water and cover himself several times. Today he got into the cabinet, got out the malted milk mix, dumped it out and ate several handfuls before I caught him. He has also eaten dog food multiple times. I am sure I am forgetting many other things he gotten into. He is so much fun but he drives me crazy getting into stuff. I have considered putting a tracking device on him so I know when he is getting into stuff! Just kidding! I am praying his curiosity will pay off one day! Maybe he will find a cure for some disease or invent something great!

Here are a few pictures of the events that I remembered to grab my camera to capture.

Just having fun

2009-02-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

These are just some random pictures of the kiddos having some fun.

Circus practice with Brandon

Aspens turn to practice

Daddy and Elijah

Wheelbarrows are so much fun!

Tabitha-4 Months

2009-02-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

Time has gone so quickly, it is hard to believe that my precious little girl is already 4 months old! She has such a sweet personality. She loves watching her siblings and being right in the middle of all of the action. Her smiles will melt your heart and her beautiful blue eyes will captivate you! I love watching her grow and pray daily for God to use her in mighty ways!

Harrison fell asleep holding Tabitha

My pretty little girls

Crash & Daisy

2009-02-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

We have two new puppies, Crash and Daisy. They are 2 month old Beagles. They are great dogs and the kids love them.

Daisy

Crash

Harrison & Crash

Harrison & Daisy

Elijah, Crash & Daisy

Tabitha & Crash

Aspen & Daisy

New pictures of Tabitha

2009-01-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

Tabitha just started laughing...it will melt your heart!

Tabitha flirting with Brody Burkhalter

So sweet!

Hi mom!

So pretty

Harrison put her to sleep.

Picture time with mommy

2009-01-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Service

2009-01-13T20:48:00.000-08:00

Our church had a wonderful Christmas Eve Service. I love singing Christmas songs and how beautiful the church looks with all of the candles burning. I put Aspen and Tabitha in their beautiful Christmas dress and Harrison decided he wanted to dress fancy also. Here are my wonderfully fabulous kids!

All smiling!

Sweet sibling love!

We love our sister

Such a great big brother

My beautiful Christmas Baby

My honey and I..this picture was taken before

a Christmas party but I thought it was great.

Christmas Eve and Morning

2009-01-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

The kids are at such a fun age. They were so excited about leaving Santa cookies and milk. They had fun opening their gifts and playing with their new toys before we went out to Drew's parents house. They were so thankful for all that they got. Santa brought Harrison and Aspen new Bibles and they were thrilled!

Cookies and Milk for Santa

Santa came and everything is ready

Wow! Look at those presents!

I am happy, but I just woke up

Elijah wasn't to sure what was going on.

Elijah opening his toys

Harrison with his new remote control car

Princess Aspen in her tutu that I made

Christmas at the Blessings

2009-01-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

We had lots of fun at Drew's parents house Christmas Day. They kids loved getting more gifts! We were blessed with a beautiful day so the kids got to play outside. All the kids had a great time on the zip line. Aspen had no fear going alone!

My brave little girl!

Elijah getting in on the action

Harrison loved going FAST!

Aspen in her princess dress from Cliff and Alli with her Tinkerbell Movie

Harrison and his dart board.

Christmas with the Lollars

2009-01-12T15:30:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas! Here are a few pictures of the fun from Jen's parents house.

My mom and dad

Grandmommy and Aspen

Uncle Jeffrey and his favorite little girl

Aunt Paige and Tabitha

Help! Uncle Jeffrey has me!

Elijah working hard

Aspen and her fur coat

Harrison the Handyman

Blankets from Aunt Paige

Disco Dancing Blessings

2008-12-19T08:54:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Tabitha

2008-12-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

Tabitha is now 11 weeks old! I took her to the doctor for her shots last week and she now weighs a whopping 8lbs 5 oz! She is starting to really be fun. She is cooing, smiling and squeaking. She can also pout which you will see in the following pictures! I love watching her grown and develop and enjoy every bit of cuddle time that we get.

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

Drew got me a new camera for Christmas so I decided to get the kids pictures. It was quite challanging getting them all to look at me and smile!

Cuddle Time

2008-12-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

Enjoying the fire with my sweet girl!

Elijah loves his little sister!

Gingerbread Houses

2008-12-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

We let Harrison and Aspen decorate a gingerbread house this year. Harrison entered his in a contest down-town. We had fun and it is amazing that there are any decorations on the house, the kids kept eating the candy!

My Sweet Boy

Harrison working hard

Aspen hard at work

The girls

The Boys

Tabitha worked hard and was exhausted

Aspen's finished house

Harrison's finished house

Baby Dedications

2008-12-04T12:51:00.001-08:00

We had such a sweet time at church on Sunday as we dedicated Tabitha to our Lord. I pray that she will come to know Christ at a young age and follow Him with all of her heart.

The Blessing Family

Praying over Tabitha

Sweet picture of Aspen

Pretty Christmas baby

I know she is small, but look at her double chin!

I think she was telling me she was tired of the dress!

Sweet socks from Aunt Allie and Uncle Cliff

Decorating the tree

2008-12-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

I love this one of Elijah.

My Pretty Little Girl

2008-12-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of Tabitha. She has started smiling and cooing. It will melt your heart!

The Nutcracker

2008-12-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

Growing up my grandparents took me to the Nutcracker almost every Christmas. I loved getting dressed up, watching the Nutcracker, and then going to eat "Smokey Ice Cream" afterwards. "Smokey Ice Cream" was Ice Cream served in a special dish that had dry ice underneath it so it looked like it was smoking. So cool when you are little! I decided that I want my kids to experience the Nutcracker and hopefully love it as much as I do! Last year it was just Harrison and I but this year Aspen was old enough to come along. We had so much fun. Harrison loved the Rat King and the fight scene (what boy wouldn't) and Aspen loved Claire and the Sugar Plum Fairy. She is still dancing around the house like a little ballerina! Here are a few pictures from our fun evening.

My Glory Baby

2008-11-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

Wow! Time sure does fly. Levi would have been 5 years old today. It seems like only yesterday that we were hearing the words that would change our lives forever. We never imagined that at such a young age we would experience the loss of a precious child. As I remember the past I love what God continues to show me. He has shown me all of the angels and miracles He placed in our paths. He has shown me lives that were touched and perhaps changed because of this precious child. He continues to show me how to love my children more, be a better mother and raise them to Glorify His name! I wouldn't trade those few sweet days we had with Levi. I still miss him so much and long to hold him again. I am so thankful that I can cling to the sweet love of Jesus and the promise that I will see my precious son again! I have held tight to the words from a song by Watermark.

Glory baby you slipped away as fast as we could say baby…baby..
You were growing, what happened dear?
You disappeared on us baby…baby..
Heaven will hold you before we do
Heaven will keep you safe until we’re home with you…
Until we’re home with you…

Miss you everyday
Miss you in every way
But we know there’s a day when we will hold you
We will hold you
You’ll kiss our tears away
When we’re home to stay
Can’t wait for the day when we will see you
We will see you
But baby let sweet Jesus hold you‘till mom and dad can hold you…
You’ll just have heaven before we do
You’ll just have heaven before we do
Sweet little babies, it’s hard to understand it ‘cause we’re hurting
We are hurting
But there is healing
And we know we’re stronger people through the growing
And in knowing- That all things work together for our good
And God works His purposes just like He said He would…
Just like He said He would…

BRIDGE:
I can’t imagine heaven’s lullabies
and what they must sound like
But I will rest in knowing, heaven is your home
And it’s all you’ll ever know…all you’ll ever know…

I love picturing my little baby resting in the arms of Jesus! He will forever get to praise and worship his maker and never have to live in the sin in this world! I pray that my life and all that is placed in my life will praise God and glorify His name. I pray that you will cherish every moment with your kids because we are not guaranteed tomorrow! Thank you for remembering my precious Levi! Give your kids an extra hug and kiss today and tell them how blessed you are that God placed them in your life!

Harrison's new talent

2008-11-17T16:57:00.000-08:00

Harrison discovered a new talent. He can wiggle his ears! It is hilarious! You have to watch closely...it is much better in person. Enjoy!

Family Pictures

2008-11-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

We had our family pictures done. Most of them didn't turn out very good. Here are a few of the kids that were okay.

I just like Aspen's face in this picture. I think

she was looking at me. I was giving them candy

to help them smile.

Tabitha

2008-11-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

Here are some random pictures of my little princess.

Christmas dress # 1

Pretty in Red!

Christmas dress # 2

Such a beautiful face!

This almost looks like a smile.

So sad, but so cute!

Pretty girl!

This was Aspen's Easter dress.

Cute outfit from Sherry

Warm and cozy

My girl!

My little babies.

Dress-up time

2008-11-06T11:55:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of the crazy kids playing dress up.

Harrison & Aspen (H was trying to look tough!)

A bunny with pink hair?

A ninja, bunny and Elijah not so sure about the Ninja!

Little police man!

Pajama time is great!

2008-11-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

The kids all have footy pajamas and the love them. A few weeks ago it was cold enough for them to wear them. Here are some pictures.

My cute girls

Spiderman and a Princess/Ballerina

Cute kids

Sweet brother and sister

I love Harrison & Aspen's fake smiles

Aspen & Elijah

Look out..it's spiderman!

Pretty little princess

Elijah's O Face...Love it!

They love me!

2008-11-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

Harrison, Aspen and Elijah all love Tabitha so much. Harrison always wants to hold her as soon as he gets home, Aspen is a "mommy in training" and doing great. Elijah has decided he is big enough to carry Tabitha around.

-Funny Story..

I was cleaning up the house and laid Tabitha down in the playroom floor. I left her in the floor while I took some toys back to the boys room. I heard her fuss a little but she stopped so I just left her. A few seconds later Elijah comes into the bedroom carrying Tabitha. He was so proud of himself. Needless to say, I can no longer leave Tabitha on the couch or floor if I leave the room. Elijah feels the need to pick her up and bring her to me. Yikes!

Yes, he is standing up holding her!

Loving sister

Cuddle Time after school

Bubba and his Princess

How can that be comfortable?

The Girls

Baby Shower

2008-11-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

My friends blessed Tabitha and I with a great baby shower. Tabitha got lots of diapers, wipes and cute outfits! We had so much fun hanging out, drinking coffee and loving on Tabitha. Thanks girls! I love you all!

My Girls

Cute and Yummy Ice Cream Cake

Hostesses

My friends

Sherry & Aspen

Glendy & Tabitha

6 Week Pictures

2008-11-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

Here are Tabitha's 6 week pictures. I can't believe she is already 6 weeks old! She is still a great baby. She is only waking up once a night! The other kids love her so much. I am so blessed to have her, she brings such joy to my life.

These are my favorite pictures.

Her eyes are a little crossed in these and she has a double chin!

Such a cutie!

I LOVE Bathtime!!!!

2008-10-21T21:12:00.001-07:00

Tabitha takes after her momma...she loves bathtime. She usually sleeps until I take her out of the water. It is precious!

Aaahhh....so relaxing.

Baths are so exhausting

Such a cutie

Bedtime!!

A day at the farm

2008-10-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Our MOPS group had a play date at May Farms last week. It was a lot of fun but VERY cold. Aspen's favorite parts were holding the bunny and going on the fast trailer ride. She came home and told her daddy that she needed a pet bunny. Elijah LOVED the little donkey. The donkey was so sweet and Elijah just loved on her and feed her food. I thought he might get his fingers nibbled but she never once tried to bite him. I am so thankful my kids love animals!

The fast, fun trailer ride

Elijah and the bunny

Aspen was a little afraid of the pig
he kept trying to nibble her pants!

If this goat could have reached Elijah I think he would
have tried to butt heads with him!

Elijah and his friend

The donkey really needed Elijah's help eating

Aspen and the bunny

The Lineup Answers

2008-10-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

Here you go. Thanks to those of you who posted your guesses. It is crazy how much the look alike isn't it? Here is the correct order...

Tabitha

Aspen
Harrison
Elijah

Thanks for playing!

The Lineup

2008-10-10T11:42:00.001-07:00

When people comment, "Tabitha looks like another Blessing baby"; it's the truth. See if you can figure out which baby picture goes with each of our kids. Good luck.

Leave a comment with your guess and we will reveal the answer at the end of next week. Enjoy!

Week 2

2008-10-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Tabitha is such a great baby and we have really been enjoying her. The older kids fight over who gets to hold her and Elijah wants to smother her with kisses constantly. Aspen thinks she is mommy #2. I looked into the living room the other day and she had picked Tabitha up and was standing up rocking her. It is amazing that she has the mothering instinct at age 3! I am so blessed to have such great kids and I am enjoying watching them grow and change.

Harrison surprised me on Friday and brought me home some beautiful roses. He is learning from his daddy well! He was so proud of himself.

Happy 7th Birthday Harrison!

2008-10-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

My little boy is growing up fast! Harrison just turned 7! His birthday was October 5th, I am just a little slow at getting this post done. It is so crazy how fast time flies. He is growing up to be a great kid with a large imagination. He has such a giving and compassionate heart. He also LOVES to talk. I am so blessed to have him in my life and watch as he grows into a Mighty Man of God. I look forward to the years to come and seeing what God has in store for him. Here are a few pictures from when he was born and also from his surprise birthday party we had for him a few days ago.

Surprise!

My little clown...he thought of this pose all on his own!

Harrison 7 years ago.

Harrison is also playing soccer. He got to be Team Captain on Saturday. He thought it was pretty neat. He is finally starting to figure out the game and learning what he is supposed to be doing. His daddy is extremely happy that he is developing a love for the game.

1 Week old

2008-10-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

My little girl is already 7 days old! Time goes so fast. We are really enjoying Tabitha being here and the lovely addition she is to our family. She is eating and sleeping well and loves to snuggle! The kids all love holding her and giving her lots of hugs and kisses. Here are a few pictures from the last week.

Such a pretty princess!

Sweet Dreams

Kisses are great!

Elijah looks so big

Sweet kids

Proud big brother

Sweet sisters

This has to be my favorite picture yet.
She was so comfortable in her bath that she slept. Priceless!

My first friend

2008-10-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

This is Creed Kirles. His mom and dad are Jeremy and Crystal Kirles. He was born the day after I was. It was really neat because his mom was right across the hall from my mom. He was 1 whole pound heavier than me! I know we will be great friends and it will be so much fun playing at church together. I am so glad we are friends Creed! Welcome to the world!

Tabitha and Crew

2008-09-27T20:47:00.001-07:00

Such a pretty girl!

Not so sure...

What is that sound she is making? This is a priceless picture!

Such a beautiful baby girl!

1st photo of brothers and sisters. Such sweet kids!

My little angel!

So sweet!

1st family picture of all 6 of us!

Sweet sisters!

This is MY baby sister!

My silly boys and their new princess!

Tabitha is here!

2008-09-27T01:55:00.000-07:00

We welcomed the beautiful Ms. Tabitha Rose into the world on Friday September 26th at 11:34 p.m. She was 19 inches long and 5 lbs, 12 oz. She is absolutely beautiful! She has pretty pink skin, cute little toes and fingers, and a head full of pretty brown hair. She is just perfect!

I ended up having to have another c-section since my doctor was out of town. The doc on call wouldn't do a VBAC but the most important thing is that Tabitha is here and very healthy. I am feeling pretty good considering I had to endure labor for several hours and then had my tummy cut open!

God is so good! This did not go like I had planned in my mind at all! God continues to show me that HE is in total control and I am just along for the ride! I feel so honored that He calls me his doughier and blesses me with my kids. I just love newborn babies and the peace and love that they bring into this world. I love wrapping them up in my arms and holding them, just like our Heavenly Father holds us.

I will post more pictures when I can. The kids will be so excited to get to hold their new baby sister. We hope you will come see us if you are in town.

Thank you all for your prayers and love! We can't wait for you to meet Tabitha! She will steal your heart!

Love,
Drew, Jen, Harrison, Aspen, Elijah and Tabitha Rose

Confession from the heart

2008-09-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

I HATE being patient! When it comes to certain areas of my life I can be very patient but other areas I have little to no patience. I want what I want, when I want it! I truly desire to grow in all areas of my life. I wish it could be easier! I am so ready for Tabitha to get here. Other than being ready to meet her, I am ready to get back to "normal" life. I keep trying to convince God that my timing would be great and I hear him laugh a gentle laugh and gently tell me over and over He knows what is best. Why is it so hard to just let it go and trust His timing? This isn't the only area that I struggle with patience but right now it seems like it is where I am struggling the most. I know that when Tabitha gets here and life is normal again I will be able to look back and see that God's timing was best. It always is! I pray as I work through this and grow in my trust and faith others around me will see God being glorified.

Rodeo Fun

2008-09-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

We took the kiddos to the Rodeo and they had a blast. Elijah liked the "Moo's", & Aspen & Harrison liked the wild horses. Aspen has decided she wants to be a Cowgirl Princess and ride horses. She was thrilled when the REAL Cowgirl Princesses walked in front of us, so of course we had to take a few pictures.

And the countdown begins...

2008-08-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

Miss Tabitha Rose is gearing up to come. I had my last sonogram today and she is a nice 4 lb, 7 oz and still growing strong! She is already being a very good girl and has turned head down! Praise God! My due-date is October 13th, but I am guessing she will arrive around the end of September sometime if she follows in the footsteps of all her other siblings! I am so excited to meet her and she what she looks like. I have been praying over her, just like I did with the others and I can already tell she is going to be totally different. With 3 other active children in the family I have been praying for her to be a calm, peaceful child. What is really cool is that I have had other people pray over her and pray those same things not knowing what I was praying into her! She is so gentle and her kicks and punches are so light, unlike the others who at times I thought were trying to kick their way out of my stomach! I know that God has mighty plans for her, just like He does for Harrison, Aspen and Elijah. God is so awesome to give us the honor of raising His children to be a witness to all His people. Children are a true gift from God and I look forward to meeting our new addition in a few short weeks.

33 weeks

1st Day of 1st Grade

2008-08-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

1st day of Kindergarten

1st day of 1st grade

I can't believe we have a 1st grader! Time goes SO fast. Everyone always tells you when you start having kids to cherish every moment because they grow so fast. It is so true! I was thinking about different moments in Harrison's life. It seems like just yesterday he was born, learning to walk, or starting kindergarten. Now he has officially started "real" school. We were so blessed with his teacher last year. Mrs. Stremmel is a wonderful Christian, and loves the kids and her job SO much.

Here is a picture of Harrison with Mrs. Stremmel last year.

Harrison has another great teacher, but he found out quickly today that 1st grade is NOT kindergarten! He loved having the play-centers, snack time, and lots of crafts in kindergarten. He came home saying that 1st grade was boring and that all they did was work. He wanted to go back and be in Mrs. Stemmel's class again. I know that once he makes friends and things settle down he will start enjoying school more. 1st grade will be an adjustment for all of us.

Here is a picture of Harrison with his new teacher Mrs.Gray.

The other two kiddos have grown since last year also. I managed to get a picture of all three kids before we left for school this morning. It won't be to long before Aspen and Elijah are starting school! It just reminds me even more to cherish every day with my kids and enjoy the stage of life that they are in.

Here they are last year before Harrison's first day of school.

And this year before Harrison's 1st day of 1st grade.

As I pray over each of my kids, I pray that God pours out his blessing on each of them. I pray that they learn to live their lives for Him and show others around them His love. I look forward to sharing with you as the kids continue to grow and change. Please pray that our family will show God's love to those He places in our lives this school year.

Family Pictures

2008-08-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

I had to admit, we have been terrible about having nice family pictures taken. I know that our family if fixing to grown by one, but I thought it would be nice to have some pictures taken before Tabitha arrives. These are just a few of the pictures our friend took, I haven't seen the rest of them yet. I will post some more when I get them. Enjoy!

Photography by: Scott Burkhalter

Camping in the Living Room

2008-08-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

Drew decided it would be fun to camp with the kids. We set the tent up in our living room and let the kids stay up late to watch some Olympics. I am not in camping condition being 31 weeks pregnant so I choose to sleep in my nice comfy bed. They had a lot of fun and even slept late on Saturday morning! It is a good thing they decided not to camp outside because there was a HUGE thunderstorm during the middle of the night.

Here are a few pictures from Saturday morning.

Princess Aspen and her new puppy

2008-08-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

Harrison has his dog, Radar, so Aspen decided she needed a puppy of her own. Some of our friends had some Heinz 57 puppies that they were giving away so we went to take a look at them. They just had one little girl left. She was very cute and seemed laid back so we brought her home. Aspen decided her name would be Princess. Radar and Princess are learning to be friends and it gives Radar a playmate. Aspen gets very concerned if Radar plays too rough with Princess, she told me today that Princesses aren't supposed to play rough. Elijah loves giving the puppies hugs and letting them lick his fingers. It will be fun to watch them grow up together.

How fast they grow

2008-08-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

I decided to go move Elijah to a big boy bed before Tabitha arrived. He has done amazing and thankfully even though he can crawl out of bed, he doesn't yet! He loves going to bed and getting in bed by himself. He is growing up so fast!

Aspen is becoming interested in "girl stuff." She is into princess movies, make-up and pretty dresses. Yeah! She still loves dirt, worms, lizards, and wrestling with daddy.

Harrison will be a 1st grader in a few short weeks and is becoming a great Child of God. He has so much compassion for others and it is so cool to watch him grow in his love for God. He is a great big brother and a good helper around the house.

We are so blessed to have such great kids. We try to cherish every stage, even though some are easier to cherish than others! Tabitha will be joining us in about 7 weeks. We can't wait to meet her! Aspen is so excited to have a sister to share her room with. I will try to post pictures of their room and my growing belly soon.