Little Morties

Birthday Reflections

2012-01-05T20:55:00.016-06:00

Today my darling baby boy is 2 years old!! Celebrating him and looking at old pictures leads me to reflect on the day Samuel was born and the following 6 days he spent in the NICU.

This is the first picture (and only picture) I have with my third born child, my firstborn son, Samuel on his birthday. There I am fresh out of surgery and wheeled in next to him, only able to touch his foot. I was smiling on the outside but hurting on the inside. I had no idea what was going on or what had happened. Was it something I had done wrong? Was it something about the c-section? Was it something inside his little body?

These are ones Matt took later because I wasn't able to get up and walk down to go see him that first day. To be honest, these are incredibly hard for me to look at. They remind me how close we came to losing him that first day. The doctors said a lot of things, but I remember tuning in (through my post-surgery fog) to the words, "He is a very sick little boy." Whew...even now the tears are close to the surface.

My father-in-law (pictured above) was very wise and suggested we take pictures these early days, even though they would be hard to look at later. He knew having them would help us to process, remember, and even praise the Lord for His faithfulness. So true!

Eventually I did get to hold my boy. Here his nurse is showing me his face right before I got to have him in my arms for the first time!! And as you may imagine, tears flowed freely that day.

He was so responsive to my voice. His little eye contact was heavenly.

Fast forward a few days, and Samuel got to come home from the hospital, a healthy and very loved little boy.

This is the first time the girls saw or met their brother. Needless to say it was a long 6 days of waiting for them as well.

Since then, Samuel has grown and been healthy. He celebrated his first birthday and today will celebrate his second. He is a precious, affectionate, cuddly little boy, and we all love him dearly. I'm so thankful that God chose us as his family and grateful he is alive.

Below is a little something I wrote for a women's event at our church. It gives a few more details and the verse God specifically gave me for this child. It has provided such hope and comfort on so many different occasions.

If you've read this far, thanks!! And if you're one of the ones who prayed for Samuel during those early days, BIG thanks!!! We are so grateful for all of you!!

Happy birthday, my baby. You are a treasure!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE GIFT OF SAMUEL

It occurred to me the other day that each of our children's lives has a unique beginning. With Elizabeth, we had no idea there were serious things out there like infertility and miscarriage. We wanted to get pregnant, and two months later we were. It was certainly God's perfect plan.

With Abigail, we became very well acquainted with the idea of infertility, making many trips to various doctors and asking the LORD for many months in a row to create life. Nineteen months later, we were pregnant. Again, it was God's perfect plan.

As we asked the LORD about a third child, my heart felt heavy because I didn't want to go through so many months of waiting and hoping. That cycle can be rough. But through a conversation in the middle of HEB, God challenged me to begin praying a bold prayer. One that He did not promise to answer, but one that He wanted to use to grow me in my faith and TRUST in Him!

So we gathered a group of very dear friends and asked them to pray with us that God, independent of all the doctors and medicine, would create life inside of me. That He would accomplish it this time so that His name could be made great!

Imagine then how hypocritical I felt when later that month we were once again sitting in the doctor's office preparing to start all the routine tests you do before you begin the actual treatments. While we were waiting, God's word came off the page. My reading for that morning came from the book of Acts, specifically Acts 17: 26b-27, "[God] determined the times set for all men to live and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him though He is not far from each one of us."

From Paul's great speech in Athens, God spoke comfort, peace, and trust over me. He quieted me.

Well, the results of all the medical tests indicated that I would not be getting pregnant that month. I was crushed. We went home and began the wait for my monthly cycle. (Some of the initial treatments are dependent on that.) And we kept waiting and waiting and waiting. It finally got to the point where I broke down and bought a pregnancy test, even though the doctors told us it was impossible this month. And would you believe, when I took that test at home in the early, early morning hours, it came up positive!! In God's perfect timing, He HAD created life inside of me AND increased my faith in Him at the same time!! Our praying friends and family rejoiced with us.

As the baby grew, it was a joy to feel him move and kick inside of me. When we found out we were having a boy, Matt beamed. We began thinking of names and preparing the room.

Then he was born! We were so excited to see his face and count his fingers and toes. But there were complications, and Samuel wasn't breathing very well. I could see Matt out of the corner of my eye, and I could tell he had stopped taking pictures. The look on his face told me so much. The NICU doctor was called "STAT" to the delivery room, and then they whisked Samuel away to the NICU.

Each day we visited him in the NICU, God would remind me of Acts 17:26-27. I could trust God because HE had determined the times set for all men to live and the exact places where they should live. He had already given Samuel his initial life and would sustain it if it pleased Him to do so. Either way, God is good.

After six days in the NICU, Samuel had made enough progress to safely come home. And his homecoming was a celebration. His sisters, who had not gotten to see him while he was in the hospital, greeted him with homemade art, lots of hugs and kisses, and offers to hold him...all the time! It is a memory I'll cherish forever.

We thank God again and again for the gift of Samuel's life. His story is one that still brings me to tears and reminds me of God's lovingkindness and abundant mercy.

Happy Birthday, SamSam

2011-01-09T08:38:00.022-06:00

My baby turned one year old this week, and in lieu of a big party, we opted for two smaller family parties. The first one we celebrated on his actual birthday; the second one we did this weekend with our extended family.

I dressed Samuel as a fireman for his birthday because I thought it was very manly and because I like this shirt! :)

Here's the back of his shirt...too cute, right? It looks like suspenders. Precious!!

After dinner, SamSam got to open his presents. He needed a little assistance, but once they were out of the bag, he was real excited to look at them.

Just doing a little light reading...

True to form with most one year olds, SamSam liked his presents, but he equally liked the gift bags and wrapping paper. So funny!!

The family party was wonderful,too! Here are some highlights:

We ate dinner at a Mexican food restaurant the night before the cake. The strolling mariachi band came to our table and sang a "Happy Birthday" song to SamSam. He was mesmerized, and I had tears of joy. So fun!!

We ate at Chick-fil-A right before the cake, and they had a face painter and a balloon artist there. The girls left with some beautiful detailing and two crazy big balloon things. It really was like a party!

We sang "Happy Birthday" to SamSam right before the cake, and he just beamed the whole time. He knew exactly what the cupcake was and was eager to pounce on it. So cute!!

Now for the pictures!!

I know there are times when you only have a few minutes to look at a blog, so I have the skinny version of Samuel eating his first cupcake right below. For those with a few extra minutes, feel free to read on to the detailed version.

The skinny version...

BEFORE...

AFTER...

The detailed version...

We sang "Happy Birthday" to SamSam, and he loved it. He looked around at each face and kept smiling and smiling. I was holding the cupcake close enough so he could see but not close enough so he could touch. I will confess that concept only came to me seconds after I lit the candle. Previously I was thinking of putting the lit candle on the tray. (Bad idea, right?)

First BITE! Chomp...Squish!!

I have affectionately dubbed this one "cupcake beard." Love him!

He really loved his first cake! All that remained is what you see here. He more or less ate it all. But he didn't cry at the end (Elizabeth did.), and afterwards he took a pretty good nap, even with a sugar rush!

Some of the partygoers...

Can you see that the girls' faces are painted?

My heart is so full of joy when I think about the past year and the events of this week. We really love Samuel and pray for him to become a godly man, whose life is used as an arrow for the LORD. We love him and are so thankful for him.

Can't believe it's been a year...

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-24T08:46:00.003-06:00

This Christmas season, we wish you

the hope, peace, and joy that Christ alone can give!

With love, Matt, Shannon, Elizabeth, Abigail, and Samuel

First Day of Kindergarten!

2010-08-24T16:23:00.008-05:00

My baby is officially a Kindergartner!!! She has now been to two days of class and is SO excited for more. She loves her teacher and plays well with her classmates. She even sent this email to her Siti and Ghido(pronounced sit-TEE and zhi-DOE) about her first day:

dear siti and ghido i had fun at kindergarden miss marshall is a good teacher the names of my friends are davis grant and chayan emma fulton anna joy asher joshaua and daniel i can t remember any more names

So fun!!

Now on to the pics, which is probably why you're reading this post at all...I mean, I know I would!! :)

Elizabeth and her teacher. E is in the "frogs" Kindergarten class. Ribbit!

BONUS:

Updated pics of the other two little Morties on Sissy's first day of school. So fun!!!

6 Months Old!

2010-07-16T16:11:00.007-05:00

Little Man is officially six months old. He's been to the doctor, and he's had his photo shoot.

The doctor says he is a healthy 18 lbs., which leaves him at about 75% for weight. (he is also 75% for height.) He got three shots and something injectable into his mouth. Hmmmm...

He's rolling all over the place, which reminds us of Elizabeth; that was her mode of transportation. He's making more sound effect and getting louder. In fact, the other night in the car, I was driving home with all three of them, and they were all talking/humming/making sound effects. Whew! I do believe SamSam is going to hold his own with his very vocal sisters. Probably a good thing. :)

As for his photo shoot, well...feast your eyes on this!

A Quick Word

2010-06-24T10:33:00.002-05:00

We've had a very fun and full summer so far.

We've visited with dear friends from out of town, traveled to Houston, gone swimming, had a cookout, tried new restaurants in town, celebrated Matt's birthday and Father's Day, and watched lots of softball games. :) It's been truly wonderful.

I've also been working on my photography and just took pictures for a sweet family last night. :)

In just a few weeks, we will get to see Matt's older brother and his family. They are coming in from Boston and will spend their 10 days or so in Houston with Matt's parents. We are pumped to see them, and the girls are excited to see their cousins. This will be the first time that Samuel will get to meet this side of his family. Precious!!

The only other big thing to say is that Samuel is now a proficient at rolling over. He almost immediately rolls over whenever we lay him on his floor gym, and he even prefers to sleep on his tummy than on his back.

He's also started solids this week!! Rice cereal was a hit and with no allergic reaction, so today we are on to avocado!! Yum. :)

I've got some pics I can share, so I'll put those on the next post. For now, feast your eyes on the new ones on the side bar to the right.

A Dance Recital, A 4 Month Old, and Some New Glasses

2010-05-10T09:51:00.013-05:00

Well, so sorry for not updating. I did say I would only update on the weekends, but I didn't intend for you to wait this long. Sorry!

Perhaps after this post, you'll think it was well worth the wait. I've got LOTS of pics to share. We've been busy here for the past three weeks. Read on, my friends!!

Dance Recital

The weekend of May 1st, Elizabeth had her second recital. She was a lovely dancer!!

These are here sweet little classmates, and you can get a look at her full costume. So pretty, I think!

Elizabeth LOVES dancing and wants to keep taking classes. She is developing poise and grace and an understanding that her body is made to worship the LORD. Perfect!! (Siti and Ghido are BIG fans!!)

4 Months Old!

Last week, sweet SamSam turned 4 months old! We can hardly believe it. He is really beginning to show his personality as well as his love for his family, especially his sisters.

I know this is not a happy picture, but I LOVE the cheeks!

New Glasses

Yesterday was Mother's Day as you are well aware! :) We celebrated by dedicating Samuel to the LORD at church and then going out to lunch with Siti and Ghido. While at lunch, little hands found their way to some new glasses. Ghido was a good sport.

Future librarian or 7th grade English teacher? (ha!)

Naturally, Little Sister wanted a turn!

A Little Shout Out

2010-04-23T15:45:00.003-05:00

Friends, are you in need of some new eyeglasses or even a fun case for your eyewear? Well, look no further. An old college friend has a great site where you can get great glasses and such. And you will feel very Posh in the process. Even if you don't need 'em, bookmark 'em for later. You never know, right?

P.S. Here are the super sweet ones my mother-in-law won in a recent giveaway!! Aren't they so posh? Love'em!!

Why Abigail Makes Us Laugh

2010-04-16T13:50:00.005-05:00

This is Matt writing today...I rarely update this blog, but just could not resist posting some fun conversations we've had recently with Abigail. She is quite the comedian around our house and keeps us in stitches. Here are a few little slices from our past week or two:

-After naptime one day, Elizabeth was watching a video and Abigail woke up and asked for a snack. I picked up Abigail, threw her up on my shoulder, and started toward the kitchen when she looked back at Elizabeth and said, "Sissy, won't you come with us? We're going to have a SNACK!" We chuckled at her polite grammar and her enthusiasm to pull Sissy into the food action.

-At breakfast this morning Abigail began closing her eyes while drinking her milk. Here was our conversation:

Me: "Why are you closing your eyes?"
Abigail: "So you can't get me."
Me: "You know I still see you even when your eyes are closed."
Abigail: (Silence. Closes eyes again.)

-Last night while we were entertaining guests for dinner:

Abigail: "Dere (There)was a wasp on my swing so we ran back inside."
Guests: "That's a good idea to run away."
Abigail: "We ran back INSIDE."
Guests: "That's a good place to go."
Abigail: "Dere was also pooh bird (i.e. bird poop) on my swing."
Shannon: "Abigail, we don't talk about that at dinner."
Abigail: "But dere WAS pooh bird on my swing!"
Shannon: "Abigail, we don't talk about that at dinner. Let's talk about something else. (pause) Hey, your shirt has a tea party on it!"
Abigail: (Long pause. Looks down intently at shirt.)

-The other night right before bedtime:

Shannon: "Dear God..."
Abigail: "Dear God..."
Shannon: "Thank you for..."
Abigail: "Thank you for..."
Shannon: "Abigail, would you like to pray?"
Abigail: "No."
Shannon: "OK. Dear God..."
Abigail: "Dear God...I want to pray."
Shannon: "OK. Go ahead."
Abigail: "Dear God. Thank you for Mommy and thank you for Daddy and thank you for Samuel that he would believe in Jesus and thank you for Sissy and...(long pause for thought)...thank you for ME. In Jesus Amen."

Hope you enjoyed this little window into the world of Abigail! She is quite the blessing to us and keeps us entertained for sure!

Bluebonnets 2010

2010-04-10T21:03:00.003-05:00

Friends, this will be a simple post. We had a blast this weekend taking lots of pics in the bluebonnets. The kids were precious, and the bluebonnets smelled WONDERFUL!!! Enjoy!

For a little comparison, here is the post from 2009.

Our New Header Picture

2010-04-09T11:07:00.003-05:00

Just this morning we went out and took some pictures in the bluebonnets. There were some good ones, even of all of them looking, but I love this one for the story it tells.

Elizabeth is the leader and an EXCELLENT big sister. She helps me so much by doing what she should and helping the others do the same.

Abigail looks up to her, literally and metaphorically. She loves Elizabeth and is often repeating everything E says like a little magpie.

Samuel loves his two big sisters and especially enjoys being held by Elizabeth who, with close supervision, is able to pick him up and carry him places.

Such sweet little ones. More pics to come!

P.S. Samuel's hair is not really that RED. It just looks that way because of the sun and some photo editing I did. :)

Breaking News...

2010-03-27T20:27:00.007-05:00

This just in...Elizabeth Morton has lost her first tooth! On Wednesday, Matt helped her by wiggling, then pulling out, that tiny little baby tooth, leaving her with a fun space to stick her tongue. She was so proud (I would even say she was beaming) as she went up to her preschool the next day and showed off her bottom gum line. She was especially eager to tell everyone how the tooth fairy came to visit her and left her a little surprise.

We've been reading this book:

So E had some fun ideas about who the tooth fairy is and why she would want E's tooth. My baby is such a big girl now! I just can't believe it.

In other news, Samuel laughed for the first time yesterday. Oh my goodness, it was just precious. I was taking off his clothes to give him a bath, and as I was pulling his arm through his sleeve, I must have inadvertently tickled his little armpit because he giggled. So what did I do? The same thing any mommy would do, I think! I did it again hoping to hear another giggle. And he DID giggle. Not one to be too selfish, I quickly went and got Matt and the girls who were reading bedtime stories. They were excited, too. So it was so nice of SamSam to oblige and giggle for them as well.

It was one of those family moments you live for. So precious and so hard to replicate. I really just wanted to live in that moment for a long time.

Later Matt and I agreed: We really love our little family. :)

Two Months Old

2010-03-12T21:19:00.004-06:00

Little Man is now two months old, and this week had his official doctor's appointment. They weighed him, measured his head, and made him cry. Sad. He had his first round of shots, and I cannot tell you how hard it is for me to look into his little face while they begin to administer the sharp pokey things. Of course, they ask you to hold down his hands, so you're right there next to his face. And he's looking at you, with lots of trust and smiles. Then they give the first shot, and his face makes that shift from perfect contentment to squinty eyes and redness. Eek! Now don't get me wrong, the nurse was great and went as fast as she could, but still it was aWfUl!!

Anywho, would you like to guess how much he weighed? If so, I'll put the answer at the bottom of this post. That'll give you a chance to think about it and come up with your answer. Be sure to think of an answer that includes lbs and ounces because if you're up to date on the way we grow our babies, you'll remember that they come out big and keep growing that way. Not fat mind you, just healthy. :)

In the meantime, feast your eyes on this little cowboy. Presh, no? My mom got this cutie outfit from Gymboree, whose clothes I love by the way because of little details like the ones featured here. Notice that at the bottom of his outfit, instead of featuring plain ol' footies, they made them into little "boots." Too cute. It looks like he's wearing shoes without the fuss of actual shoes or even socks that look like shoes. Awesome in my opinion!!!

Okay, here's the answer to his weight: 14 lbs, 6 oz! Did anyone hit it right on the nose?

FAQs

2010-03-06T20:34:00.008-06:00

Hey, everyone! Thanks for being so patient and gracious while I've been getting up on my feet with our new little one and life with three kiddos. We're all doing great and loving life as a family of five.

I'm hoping to update the blog on the weekends, so check back in when you can. For my first time back, I thought I'd answer a few frequently asked questions.

1. How is Samuel doing?
He's great! He is now 8 weeks/2 months old and becoming more alert. We're seeing smiles like this all the time these days, and especially does he give sweet smiles to his sisters. He eats well and sleeps well, only waking up once a night these days. He has also begun cooing and talks to all of us. This is important since he'll need to be willing to speak up for himself in this household; he's already got lots of competition. :)

2. Have you cut his hair yet?
As it turns out, no. However, we are quickly approaching the day. Little Man definitely has himself a "do," and my guess is I'll be getting pretty good with the clippers. I'm assured by many that they are easy to master. Good thing!

1. How are the girls doing?
They are doing great! They absolutely love Samuel, also known as "SamSam" or "Shazam." They give him lots of kisses and hugs, sometimes these turn into squeezes, so I step in for Samuel's sake. :) Abigail in particular likes to bring Samuel her very beloved lovey, "Bunny." There are very few places that Abigail goes without Bunny, so to sacrifice him to Samuel is a big deal.

1. How are girls doing (cont.)?
Elizabeth is like a second mommy to Samuel. She is, in fact, a huge help to me, especially when Matt is gone. And I can say with almost 100% certainly that she has not complained even once when I've asked her to do something for me that relates to Samuel (get a burp cloth, pick this or that up, get his paci, etc.). She is so dear in her love and care for him.

2. Is Elizabeth excited about Kindergarten next year?
Absolutely! This past Monday we went to her potential school for next year for her "assessment." It was so precious to sit like a fly on the wall in the classroom as the teacher asked Elizabeth questions related to Kindergarten skills. She did really well and was so excited to be in an actual classroom. We really feel good about the school we've chosen and think Elizabeth will excel there. We can't believe we're moving into the "school age parent" category. When we first had E, I would meet parents with kids in that category and be in awe. I just couldn't imagine being in that stage of life, and here we are! It's so cool!!! :)

1. Whom does Samuel favor more?
Well, I'll let you be the judge of that, but the most continual comments we hear seem to indicate that he is in fact a small version of Matt. Of course, big Matt eats that up. He loves his Little Man and is so excited to have such a great ally in this otherwise female-dominated household.

2. How are YOU doing?
Well, aren't you just so nice to even ask? :) I'm doing great. I really am. I've felt 100% better from my surgery for a few weeks now and am learning how to manage three kiddos at one time. I will say I am super thankful for the sweet friends and college girls who have helped me each week. I have about four different helpers whom I cycle through from week to week. They come over and play with the girls, give Sam a bottle, or stay at the house so that I can go to the grocery store or wherever.

You're totally right if you think I don't go out very frequently with all three. I'm not that recovered. ;) I do have a hoss of a double stroller and have definitely done it, but I think I prefer being creative and trying to manage my errands, etc. without all three at one time.

So that's a bit of an update, except to say one last thing. It looks like Elizabeth has a wiggly tooth. That's right, on top of all this other change going on, my precious five year old is about to lose her first tooth! Our lives are so full, and so are our hearts!

Thanks for checking in. Be sure to stop by again soon!

Samuel Robert Morton!

2010-01-12T16:03:00.003-06:00

Hi everybody! We are thrilled to announce the birth of Samuel Robert Morton, born January 6, 2010 at 12:36 PM. He was 9 lbs, 12 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long. He spent a few days in the NICU, but God was gracious and he is home and healthy! Here are some photos of him and the family for your enjoyment!

Hallo-wEeN

2009-11-07T18:31:00.011-06:00

Last week was Halloween, and we were visited by Cinderella and her "fairy godmother." At least that's what Cinderella called her. :) See below.

Look at my beautiful Cinderella. She's gotten so big so fast!

This is what Abigail does when she's getting tired. She sucks her thumb and rubs her favorite fabric. Usually it's attached to her bunny...fortunately for her, it was attached to her costume.

Funny story: On Halloween night, when all other children fill their pumpkin buckets to the brim with candy, Abigail was the epitome of self-control. In the group with which we were traveling, Abigail was the youngest, so she and Matt brought up the rear. Mostly she rode around in her stoller, save the couple of times she got out to go to the front door. She collected a few pieces, put them in her 75-item capacity bucket, and then promptly told Matt she was all done. She had had enough and didn't need any more candy. Amazing! Stupendous! What self-control!!

I have to admit I fought off my selfish desire to have her collect more so that I could eat it, but I realized this was wrong. Right? I mean, how much candy can one person eat anyway? And isn't it wrong to use your toddler to meet your need for chocolate?

Biggest Week of September

2009-09-21T08:19:00.003-05:00

So sorry for the belated post. I was so excited to share pics from E's 5th birthday, the girls' first day of school, E's first day of dance class, and E's birthday party (all in the same week), but then I got sick last week. Eek! So please forgive me. I think for this post, I'll just put up lots of pics and not a lot of words. Enjoy!!

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th: We've got a 5-year-old girl!!!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH: The girls attend their first day of preschool.

E's teacher, Mrs. Staci!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH: E's starts dance class for her second year.

E's teacher, Mrs. Suzanne

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH: We celebrated E's birthday with Matt's parents and brother and wife; it's also Matt's mom's birthday!!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th: E requested a princess party with a few of her friends.

We had our Big Ultrasound Today

2009-08-26T14:20:00.000-05:00

And God has given us a SON!!! We praise Him for this healthy and precious gift!!

These are the verses we've been dwelling upon since before we even knew he was here!! God placed these on my heart during a visit to the doctor, and we absolutely know that God has determined that this is the time set for this little person to be around. Our faith has grown, and we are excited to meet him!!!

P.S. No names yet!!! We'll let you know as soon as possible. :)

Acts 17: 26-28
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

Abigail at 18 mos. (updated)

2009-08-06T17:34:00.008-05:00

Just because

She's such a big girl as she walks/toddles!! :)

Probably my fave

Abigail is now officially 18-mos-old. She got her shots today and everything!!! (So hard to look into her eyes as she's getting that first shot and see the pain and confusion and tears begin to well up. Eek!!!) Anywho, she also had her 18-mos. photo shoot. I took these pics myself and am having a great time editing them. I'm putting up the first few and hope to put up some more in the next couple of days! Enjoy. :)

Loved the spontaneous shot of Abigail looking at her toes

"Silly Monkey"

P.S. I'm needing more practice with my camera and my editing. If you live in College Station, I'd love to take some pics of you!! Just let me know. :)

In other fun news, on Monday I felt the third Mortie kick for the first time. And then again on Tuesday. It is so reassuring to know that he/she is doing okay in there. Speaking of he/she, we have our big ultrasound scheduled for August 26th. So exciting!!! We can't wait, and Elizabeth is seriously hoping for a little brother. We'll see...

Prepare Yourself...

2009-07-14T13:40:00.011-05:00

...This post contains shocking pictures from the events of yesterday. :)

Elizabeth got a major haircut!!! We have been prayerfully wanting to develop in her (and us) a heart of service this summer, so we've been introducing some different ideas. One that we introduced a couple of weeks ago was the idea of donating her hair through the wonderful agency called Locks of Love. E definitely had the required ten inches necessary to make a donation. But when we first talked about it, she was reluctant (read: opposed) to the idea of giving away her hair. By God's grace, I realized it would be wrong to coerce her into it, so I let it drop. Interestingly, a few days later, I overheard her talking to Matt about donating her hair. She talked about it as if it was already a done deal. Precious!

Then just yesterday, she asked if we could cut her hair that day. Totally wanting to seize the moment, I agreed. So that afternoon after naptime, we all went as a family to see E get her new do. (Side note: for those of you attached to E's beautifully long hair, the following pictures might be shocking, even scandalous. I'll admit that I started to tear up a bit as the lady started cutting. Eek!)

E has been so joyful since her haircut; she likes her new do and loves showing it off. What a joy to be her mom and see the changes in her life, both on the inside and out!

A Week of Firsts

2009-07-08T17:35:00.008-05:00

It's been a banner week for sweet little Abigail. She saw her first fireworks on Saturday and seemed to enjoy them (at least for the first few minutes). She also got lots of ice cream and popcorn that day, so it may have been the snacks talking.

My sweetie also started using a spoon on her own for the first time on Monday. She loves her "Nee-nee" and gets excited to use it. We decided to use applesauce as our teaching tool, and so far it's working great. Abigail definitely gets a lot on herself and her placemat, but I'm thinking a fair amount is also making it to her mouth. I WILL say that that little cutie is pretty smart, too, because when she's finished with the lesson for the day, she hands me the spoon and waits for me to feed her the remainder. Clever little, Queenie!!

In other news, I'm trying to improve my skills as a photographer. I took the class Matt gifted me for Mother's Day and have also had my first tutorial with a talented friend here in town. I'm determined to get better and not always use the basic mode on my camera. So, keep watching!! You just might see some improving photography on this blog!

I let Siti feed my girls whatever they want. I know I could intervene, but I feel I'd be ruining a sweet grandparent thing.

Siti and E

Aunt Jennifer and (not so) little E

Oh yeah...she also had apple juice and was VERY sad when it was gone.

Taco!!!!

2009-06-27T11:10:00.005-05:00

Hi, this is Matt blogging today; this is what happens when I'm home alone with the kids. When Elizabeth was very little, I used to wrap her up in a blanket and tell her that she was a taco. She LOVED it. Seriously, LOVED it. Apparently kids like being wrapped up tight inside a hot blanket. Frankly, she still loves it. More than you can imagine.

So today, while Shannon was out doing something very important and spiritual, I made a double-stuft taco right here at the house. I love these things. Check it out.

Shamefully Behind

2009-06-15T20:35:00.002-05:00

Friends, I do apologize that time has slipped by me so quickly. As you may suspect, there has been a flurry of activity since "Blackberry Picking." Some of those activities include: Matt and I went on vacation (alone) to Chicago. Wonderful!!! We celebrated Matt's birthday...for a whole week. We like to call this "Birthday Week" as a tribute to our dear best friends the Malones who originated the name. Super fun! Abigail has a new tooth...number 13 to be precise. This past weekend, one of our current interns got married, and we were a part of the celebration. Beautiful and glorifying to the LORD. And today, Elizabeth started swim lessons. These run every night for two weeks. Whew!!!

I promise that I'll post pics soon, but I thought you'd want to know a little bit of what we're up to. Really, we're just lovin' life and the chance to be low-key (?) at home for the summer. :)

Blackberry Picking!

2009-05-25T08:16:00.009-05:00

Matt's dad owns some land in East Texas. We affectionately call it "The Ranch" because there are in fact some cattle who live on the land. Although another guy takes care of the cattle, Matt's dad takes care of the land, including a fine garden where he has planted corn, squash, carrots, tomatoes, white and red onions, blackberries, raspberries, and lots of fruit trees. It's pretty impressive!!

Interestingly, there are also lots of wild blackberry bushes growing along his fences, and this weekend was a prime time for pickin'! So we invited our dear friends the Uptons to come with us for a day of fun in the country. I didn't get too many pics because we were having so much fun, but here's a few:

Then Maxwell took this pic of Elizabeth...

And she took this one of him.

In the end, we yielded about a cup of blackberries (we ate some, too), about a dozen white onions, and four sleepy kiddos. We had a blast and can't wait until the peaches ripen next month!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T09:47:00.007-05:00

I know this is supposed to be Wordless Wednesday, but I just had to say that Abigail actually brings me this apron and asks me (in her own way) to put it on. She loves working in the kitchen. Mostly with that fish!

A Kiss!

2009-05-14T15:36:00.004-05:00

Today, for the first time in her wee little life, Abigail gave me a kiss on the lips. We've been practing. See, I'll say, "Keeeessss," and at first I would get nothing...a blank stare. Then she started kissing the air in my general direction. But today, she turned and looked at me, leaned towards me and planted one right on my lips. Oooh weeee! I was so excited; I cheered and cheered, and Abigail just smiled. Next I did what any reasonable mother would do...I asked for another kiss!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-13T18:01:00.005-05:00

Snapshot

2009-05-05T18:51:00.004-05:00

Sitting at the table tonight and savoring my Jell-o chocolate pudding, I realize I have a really good life. I have a husband who loves the LORD, me, and his darling daughters. He takes an active role in their lives and makes them (and me) laugh hysterically. I also have two precious daughters. The oldest had her first dance recital this weekend and now has been bitten by the dancing bug. She talks of almost nothing else and is so, SO eager for her next chance to be on stage. Then there is the youngest, who just found a book on the living room floor. It's about 1/4 of her size, but she faithfully carries it into the kitchen and looks for someone to read it to her. Matt (remember my previous comments and the fact that I'm thoroughly enjoying my Jell-o) volunteers to read. Abigail toddles over, gives Matt the book, and sits down on command to hear her favorite book being read for the 100th time.

P.S. She has it memorized. She can say certain words like "ball," "-gon," for wagon, and kisses at the kitty in the picture. This is sheer bliss, and I couldn't be more grateful to God who gives good gifts to His children. How blessed am I to be one of these?

Wordless Wednesdays

2009-04-08T19:38:00.005-05:00

Friends, I saw on another person's blog the idea of a "Wordless Wednesday." This is similar to its cousin "Flashback Friday." The name of the day tells it all. I think I might do some of both, but today after seeing Elizabeth enjoy a piece of chocolate chip dessert pizza, I had no doubt which to start with. Thus, I give you, "Wordless Wednesday":

Texas Traditions

2009-03-26T17:43:00.008-05:00

One of the greatest Texas traditions is cute kids and bluebonnets in the Spring. Yesterday, my dear friend Amber and I (along with a new friend, Diane) took our babies out to a great patch near Independence, TX, and took lots and lots of pics! Amber's baby, Carson, is a cutie. He has a killer smile, and he's super friendly. See below!

Amber is an awesome mommy! She really loves Carson, and he knows it!!

Then, my kiddos had a great time. Elizabeth took off her shoes and scampered in the grass and flowers. Sadly, she wound up with many ant bites. She's doing much better today, just red little marks on her feet where those nasty ants had a field day.

This last one cracks me up. Amber brought a bunny as a prop for the pics. Elizabeth took a real shine to the bunny. ( I must say he was very life-like.) She put him out in the "field" and asked us to take a picture. So creative and funny!

The Chick-Fil-A Cow!!

2009-03-17T23:44:00.011-05:00

Friends, allow me to begin by apologizing for how long it's been since my last update. I knew it'd been a while when I went to type in the address of my blog, and had to stop and think about what it was. EEK! Thanks for your patience and (gentle?) prodding to get back in the game. It is much appreciated. :)

And without further ado, allow me to tell you what we did tonight. Some of you know that Matt is out of the country. He is in East Asia getting the awesome opportunity to meet with and teach national believers. He and a couple of other pastors have been there since last Wednesday. He returns this Friday. A long time, you say? Well, not when you have awesome friends like the Uptons who invite you out to dinner, not just to eat but to see the Chick-Fil-A cow!! Seriously, this was such a sweet and fun evening. We couldn't have asked for a better evening: good food, good friends, a 6-foot cow decorated for St. Patrick's Day... Check it out below!

This one's for Daddy!

Here you see Maxwell and Elizabeth lovin' on this cow. Seriously, their joy for him was contagious. :)

Then, somehow they got the cow to dance with them.

Not wanting to be outdone, Abigail also interacted with the cow. Frankly, I was impressed that for one so small, she had no qualms about getting cozy with something that was quite literally 5x her size.

The Doctor is In

2009-02-08T14:21:00.009-06:00

Meet "Dr. Katie."

Dr. Katie is skilled in many health-promoting and life-saving techniques, which she learned at medical school when she was only three! If you are sick, you definitely want Dr. Katie around to diagnose and treat your malady.

And it's good that Dr. Katie was around last Tuesday, because she had a seriously ill patient on her hands.

Dr. Katie immediately set to work. First, check the reflexes:

Now, examine the lungs and the heart. Either of these could be the source of the sickness.

Now, make sure to write everything down in your chart. Otherwise there will be no record of the treatment or the patient. You don't want to forget anything!

Ultimately, Dr. Katie determined that her patient was "very very sick." She gave her some shots and a band-aid and within a few minutes the patient was up and around.

Thanks, Dr. Katie! (Also, a special shout-out to "Nurse Melissa," who is sometimes known as "Daddy." Why he had to be a female nurse, we're not certain, but it gave everybody a laugh).

Mommy Confessions

2009-01-31T16:36:00.002-06:00

Some things have been rumbling around in my head for a few days, and I think it's because I need to come clean.

1. I have no idea what Abigail does in her crib at naptime. Seriously. She might be sleeping; she might not be sleeping. I really don't know. See, Abigail can hear the carpet crunch, so when I put her in bed for a nap, I close the door all the way. I don't go check on her at all. Not at all. She broke me of that habit a long time ago. I used to slowly open the door to peek in on my precious sleeping baby, only to find her looking back at me. When I closed the door, the crying commenced. Eek. Then, I used to prop her door open ever so slightly with a small, squishy purple letter P left intentionally at the bottom of the door. But the Child would look through the small slit in the door to see if anyone was around. So now we find ourselves where we are now. I would love to see my sweet one in respose; however, I am left to this pattern.

2. Abigail loves beans, but she will likely never eat them at home. I can almost hear her grandmothers' responses as they read this, "Send the child to my house. I'll feed her beans!!" And that's exactly what may have to happen because right now the child only gets beans when we are out at a Mexican food restaurant. Poor thing. It's true that whatever the Momma doesn't like usually doesn't make it onto the dinner table. This is the fate of beans, chinese food, and asparagus in our house. Who's with me?

3. I eat like a toddler...and I like it. This week, my lunches included pizza, chicken fingers, and french fries. And I'm eating pizza tomorrow for lunch. (I already know because we have plans with our Aggies.) I really prefer comfort food to healthy stuff that may contain something green. I eat green stuff because I know I should and because I feel better when I do, but secretly inside I just want cheese and bread.

Whew! I feel a lot better after all this cyber-honesty. But I fear that if I keep confessing like this, you just might lose respect for me. So I'm gonna cut it off here. Thanks for reading. Feel free to confess, too. They say it's good for the soul.

An Open Letter To Abigail

2009-01-25T16:01:00.010-06:00

My darling Abigail, this past weekend, we celebrated your first birthday and thanked God for this first year of life with you. Because you are so very loved, many people came to see you and be with you.

First, your Uncle David and Aunt Jennifer came. They kissed you and hugged you and even played lots of games of tea party with your sister. (See below.)

Your Grandpa and Grandma Habgood also come. They drove from a far away city called Bedford to celebrate with you. They were so happy to see you and didn't even mind when you cried.

Next, your Siti and Ghido arrived, and they had nothing but hugs and kisses. They are some of your biggest fans and couldn't have been happier to be in your home on your birthday. Your Ghido even brought you a penguin from Antartica. You'll have to ask him about that trip one day.

Sweet girl, God has given you such a loving family; you are truly blessed. May you always be thankful for the gift of a kind and loving family, and may you learn to give back to this family that has given you so much!

Abigail's First Word

2008-12-30T17:10:00.002-06:00

If you don't count "mama" or "dada" as a first word, then I have to say that Abigail's first word is "cracker." True to Morton form, little A loves carbs in all their incarnations. Actually not only can she ask for a cracker, but she also recognizes the Ritz cracker box and will even come crawlin' when she hears the wrapper being opened. Man, she's got some good hearing! Soon I'm wanting to catch all of this on film. Until then, imagine my little peanut snacking on a nice round Ritz.

Just a Little Funny Story

2008-12-14T21:13:00.006-06:00

Abigail continues to go through some important changes. The most recent was moving from her high chair to a booster seat at the table. Now this might be a little too soon, but that high chair definitely took up a lot of my kitchen space, and Abigail is sitting up so well. So we thought, "Why not?" So as of this week, A now sits in what was Elizabeth's old booster seat, and Elizabeth now sits in a big girl chair at the table. She seems to like the switch.

This detail is only moderately important, but it helps you to picture where the following story happened. Tonight at dinner, we gave Abigail some Ritz crackers. She loves theses things (and so do I). They are steeped in rich, buttery goodness. So, naturally, I gave her three whole crackers, not parts of crackers. I was actually experimenting to see what she would do. (Don't worry, Siti and Grandma, I watched her like a hawk to see if she would shove the whole thing in her mouth or if she would take little nibbly bites. Would you believe she took little bites?) I'm so proud of her. It was very cute. But perhaps the cutest part came next. She had two Ritz crackers, one in each hand. She had been eating one and was about half finished with it. She looked thoughtfully at the other whole round cracker in her opposite hand. With little fanfare or care, she tossed aside the half-eaten one and went to work on the whole one. Matt and I saw the whole thing and laughed at how her mind must have been processing that little scenario. Matt thinks it's just another clue of how similar she and I are. But who wouldn't prefer a whole cracker, to some ol' half-eaten one?

And now a picture to reward you for reading a story that may have been funnier in the moment than it was just now ;).

Recent Developments

2008-12-09T21:44:00.004-06:00

Did you know that Abigail will be one-year-old in about 5 weeks? Just FYI! Not angling for a gift, just marveling at the rapid speed of time.

On a different note, this morning, Abigail, Elizabeth, and I had one of those moments that is etched into your heart for a long while. We were all in E's room. A was on the floor with a toy. E was scampering about the room. (This verb accurately describes her movements.) And I was folding a flat sheet for E's bed. All of sudden, an urge came on me to play "parachute" with this flat sheet. Do you remember that game from elementary school? You know, where you hold the parachute down on the ground, then you and all your short little buddies lift it up as high as your arms will go. You enjoy the rush of wind on your face as the parachute comes back down to the ground, or you quickly scamper (that word again) underneath and hold it down under your bottom. Loved this as a kid.

Well, it seemed like the perfect moment to do this with the girls, so we did. Ah, we laughed and laughed and hugged and laughed. And then, a mommy discovery: Abigail twists her tongue around in her mouth whenever she is truly tickled by something. I mean, I had seen her twist her tongue, but today I made the connection. She was (we all were) having a purely delightful time. I feel so happy even now as I tell you about it. In fact, I thought about getting my camera to take a picture, but I just couldn't leave the moment. So, I'm afraid you'll have to imagine what we must have looked like. :)

P.S. Abigail now has 6 teeth. She cut two more on top the week of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Pies!

2008-11-18T22:03:00.003-06:00

This evening, Elizabeth surprised us with a new and very exciting song. This video was Encore #3, when we finally decided to take out the camera and record it! Also, if you watch carefully, you will see little Abigail looking for her moment in the sun, in the bottom right corner of the video. Enjoy!

By the way, here are the words:

"Pies in the oven, yum, yum, yum,
I can smell them, oh what fun,
One is pumpkin, the other is berry,
They will make Thanksgiving merry,
Pies in the oven, yum, yum, yum,
Soon they'll be in my tummy, tum, tum!"

Time for a Change

2008-11-16T18:01:00.004-06:00

I simply LOVE the fall. There is something in me that longs for it, and every year I'm delighted as the leaves change color (sort of), the weather gets cooler, and the season turns to Thanksgiving. So, naturally I needed a change in blog background. I hope you like it, too. :)

Speaking of changes, it seems that my little baby no longer stays in the same place I put her. She is BUSY crawling around the house and finding me and other things. Eek! I realize it's time to train her. The old words "No touch" are quickly coming back to me as I follow her around the house.

The older one is changing, too. Her head now comes up past my waist, and she is so helpful around the house and with her little sister. She has discovered a new love for puzzles and will put the same one together over and over again. Also, she and Matt have been having a fun time doing math problems on their hands. (Are puzzles and math related?) Anywho, it's cute to hear them count together during bath time.

Okay, I know there aren't any pictures this post, so I promise more to come!! Thanks for reading!

Halloween

2008-11-01T14:57:00.013-05:00

We had a sweet time last night with our little bumblebee and her pumpkin of a sister. We went around with our good buddy Maxwell, and it was quite the time.

Not sure what happened here, but it probably reminds my dad of me when I was this age. My lower lip was constantly sticking out.

The face painting was Matt's touch. Look at his fine handiwork! Isn't he awesome? And isn't my little bumblebee so beautiful?

Pumpkin Patch on the Other Side of Town

2008-10-27T16:45:00.013-05:00

Last year we went to the pumpkin patch with some new friends. We both had pre-schoolers with babies on the way. This year, with those same pre-schoolers and the babies in tow, we ventured out again to a great pumpkin patch. This one happens to feature a maze and a 500-lb. pumpkin!! Here are the results:

This one features our little friend Miller.

Then we added our little friend Colin. He seemed to like Abigail.

Finally, we added our little friend Hallie.

Abigail really liked the hay. Yes, she did try to eat some, but Mommy was quick on the scene.

Can you see that their shirts say "big sister" and "little sister"? They were the talk of the town!! (Thanks, Mom Morton, for these precious duds.)

Our Little Puppy Dog

2008-10-17T12:08:00.004-05:00

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-16T08:15:00.010-05:00

We got to the pumpkin patch, and we were all business!

First, some pictures of my little pumpkins. You may have noticed that E's hair is all brushed to the side. It's because she was sweating, but I actually kinda like the look!

Then, we tried for a family pic. This is our favorite since everyone was looking! Special props to our photographer Amber Roberts for taking these!

Out takes!

Alert! Alert!!

2008-10-14T23:01:00.001-05:00

We went to the pumpkin patch today with our dear friend Amber and her new baby boy, Carson. As soon as I have some more pics, I will post them!! Stay tuned. :)

Look What I Did to Abigail's Hair

2008-10-07T11:19:00.013-05:00

Since she is growing out of her "mullet phase" and into some seriously long baby hair, I thought it would be fun to put it up in little pig tails. Here are the results:

Tiny Dancer

2008-10-04T14:20:00.014-05:00

Friends of Little Morties, I am pleased to tell you that after a week and a half without internet, we are now BACK up online!!! Hooray!! Yea!! OmigoshIcan'tbelieveit!! We just want to thank a great tech in California named George who really pushed our problem through and got it back up and running. Without him, we would likely still be talking to various people in the Philippines who were working the night shift. God bless 'em!

So, without further ado, let me show you some sweet pics of little E from the first day of her dance class. (Hey, no ribbing about about the fact that these pics are four weeks old. Did you not read the first paragraph? ;)). Enjoy!

The lady in the blue top is E's teacher, Mrs. Suzanne. She owns the dance studio and also goes to Grace. She is absolutely gifted as a dancer and instructor. E likes her a lot!

At the end of each class, they get a sucker and a stamp if they listened well and participated. E loves both of these treats! (Bonus points to you if you noticed the change in shoes from the previous pictures to this one. In her class, they do ballet for the first 30 minutes, then tap for the last 15 min. )

Funny story about these suckers: each week Elizabeth has gotten a sucker and each week she has only finished half of it. If you know her, you know this is unusual, and really, what kid only eats half of a sugary treat? Anyway, the first week she did this, she announced what she wanted to do with the other half: save it for Daddy! Did you just say, "Awwwww!" I totally did, too. Nobody prompted her to do this; she just came up with the idea on her own. So often she floors me.

So now each week, she hands it to me, half-licked, and I put it in a safe place in the kitchen for when Daddy comes home.

Just for fun!

P.S. Daddy came to dance class last week to watch Elizabeth. I could tell she was beside herself with happiness!

My Four-Year-Old Girl!

2008-09-23T00:14:00.013-05:00

You wouldn't believe it, but I now live with a four year old. She is cute, sassy, and chomping at the bit to be independent. Her newest thing is to incorporate being four years old into everything.

"Can I have some more milk? Because four-year-old girls need to drink a lot of milk."

"I wanna go outside by myself. I can because I'm four years old."

"Four-year-old girls have a lot of work to do..." Preach it, sister!

You get the idea. Anywho, here's some fun pics from her party:

Sweet princess dress given by the grandparents! Someone is way into dressing up and being a princess. And Elizabeth is, too. ;)

Here she is discovering the princess dress. Her joy was unparalleled. She was SO surprised and giddy!

Suffice it to say, the rest of the day's activites were all done while wearing "the dress!"

Somethin' just seems right about this pic. The princess on her faithful mare.

Me and my girl. I threw this one in for you, especially Steph, so you could see my braces!! :) They're actually clear on top, but if you look hard enough, you'll see 'em!

Had to give a shout out to some of E's favorite peeps. Love you guys!

We're Still Here!

2008-09-19T10:48:00.004-05:00

To all of our faithful blog readers, we apologize for being out of pocket for almost two months. Suffice it to say, we have had a full plate, so I have had a bit of a hard time getting to my blog to update you all! So sorry!!

However, I have SO many pictures and fun stories to tell. I didn't want to overwhelm you, so I am going to add them a bit at a time. Check back often since I'll be updating more frequently!

Let me entice you with a few sweet stories about Abigail. First of all, she now has three teeth with a fourth one beginning to poke thru. You may be saying to yourself, "I didn't even know she had ONE tooth." Well, the first one came thru on September 8th, and since then, she has been pushing thru one after another. She has also been a bit fussy (perhaps obviously), because on top of the teething she caught a little cold from the nursery. Poor baby!

On the upside, Abigail is really beginning to move around. She now flips easily onto her tummy (a position she did NOT like even as recently as a month ago) and even prefers to sleep on her tummy at bedtime. She is also occasionally getting up on all fours and showing a desire to MOVE!! Sometimes, she sits on her hiney and leans way forward to try to reach things.

All this to say, last night we put Abigail in her bed at one end and on her back. Since I didn't know if she was too observant, I put a large, soft teddy bear my parents had given her at the other end of her bed. Well, when Matt and I went to check on her before our bedtime, as we always do, we found her on her tummy at the opposite end of the bed, snuggled up to the teddy bear. Like my friend Emily says, it's the little things. :) We laughed and delighted in the thought of her rolling onto her tummy, getting up on all fours as she does, and somehow in the twilight seeing that little bear in the corner of her bed, then, ooching herself down to that end of the bed and falling asleep in the comfort of its cuddly paws. She is too precious. You just have to come see her!!

That's all for now. Pictures to come in the next post!

A Visit to Illinois

2008-07-28T09:15:00.012-05:00

Last week Abigail completed a major rite of passage for every Morton baby: her first visit to Illinois to meet her great grandparents. To get there, she also happened to take her first airplane ride. Needless to say it was a big week!!

Abigail loved meeting her great grands, for whom she had many smiles and happy grunts. It was especially sweet to have Abigail's smiles since we were there for my uncle Jim's funeral.

This is my darling Grandma Appel (pronounced "apple") with my sweet baby. Everything I know about pies is because of this lady!

This is my beloved Grandpa Appel, who made me laugh and laugh.

My sweet parents. They love Abigail so much!

Best picture of my dad from the whole week!

Like my friend Gwyneth (another mom of two girls), I have discovered that I am a "matchy-matchy" mom. I may not look identical, but I have fun coordinating my outfit with theirs. (I didn't know I had it in me!)

July 18, 2008. Six months old today!

Abigail's Dedication

2008-07-15T18:42:00.007-05:00

This past Sunday was a big day for sweet Abigail. It was the day we publicly declared in church our desire to raise her to know God. It was the day we committed to follow the LORD so closely ourselves that she would see an example in us. And it was the day we asked for the support of the other members of our church family.

With joy, we brought Abigail before the church body and had the pastor read 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 over her:

"May our LORD Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed."

We were indebted to each person who came to the dedication to support us and hold us accountable to raise Abigail well. We love you guys!

Our dear friend Stephanie Harrison took these pictures of the day.

OUR FAMILY

OUR FRIENDS-WHO-ARE-LIKE-FAMILY

Also, to those who couldn't be there, we missed you all as well: Mom and Dad Habgood, Uncle Dan and Aunt Amanda, Josh and Emily, Joel and Heidi, Lauren, Allie, and Marty and Andrea.

Progress with the Sitting

2008-07-03T14:05:00.003-05:00

Uncle David Got Married!

2008-06-30T11:07:00.008-05:00

This past weekend in Lake Charles, Louisiana, we celebrated with Matt's younger brother, David, as he got married to a lovely young woman named Jennifer. We had a great time with all of the family, including Matt's aunts and uncles who traveled from far-away places just to be there.

To give you some idea of what the weekend was like, I came up with a little countdown. It came to me at 5:30 this morning as I was spending some time alone with Abigail (i.e. nursing) ;)

10...Mortons who caravaned from Houston to Lake Charles on Friday.

9... Hours round-trip spent in the car from College Station to Lake Charles and back

8...O'clock in the morning... the glorious hour at which all three of Matt's girls woke up on Sunday after a big wedding day! (usually it's 6 something)

7...Various meals, ranging from stuffed snapper (awesome!) on Friday night at the rehearsal dinner to hamburger (lukewarm) from What-a-burger on the way back on Sunday.

6...Hanging outfits that we kept free from dirt or wrinkles.

5...Hours of wedding festivities for my girls on Saturday.

4...Precious cousins who played and played and played. The youngest one (Abigail) played a little bit less and slept a little bit more than the others. ;)

3...New locales added to my list of most unique places I've nursed my babies.

2...Loving individuals joined in Christian marriage.

1...Happy couple off on a honeymoon to Banff.

And now the pictures (since I know that's what really matters!!)

Rachel had a very sweet fascination with Abigail. Frequently when I was holding A, Rachel would come up and just look at her or very gently reach out and hold her arm. Here, she came up while I was trying to dress Abigail for the wedding and wanted to assist with her shoes.

Apparently, cousin Joshua is really into items of a mechanical nature. I feel certain his parents will help him learn not to poke people's eyes out. :)

Addendum to "Moses"

2008-06-24T20:01:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, one of Elizabeth's greatest joy is to assume an alter ego. If this is new info. to you, then please read this post.

Anywho, as you may also suspect, since Elizabeth is also a three-year-old, her ego changes frequently. So to keep you up-to-date with her latest "self," I have added a category to Elizabeth's faves - see sidebar. Now you will know what to call her when you see her because you sure wouldn't want to call her by her given name. ;)

Early Attempts at Sitting

2008-06-24T18:31:00.007-05:00

So while on vacation last week, Matt spent time with Abigail, helping her learn to sit up. Here are the results:

Contrary to what this looks like, Matt is not pushing her down. She really IS this flexible!

Then...finally...victory!

Bathing Beauties! :)

2008-06-03T12:46:00.005-05:00

We went to the pool last Friday as a family, and my what a glorious time we had. It was a GREAT day for the pool, and we loved being there all together. As you may have guessed, it was Abigail's first time to go to the pool, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of everything. To Elizabeth, however, the pool is an old friend, so we watched with delight as she splashed around, slid gracefully down the slide, and made a new friend, Nakia. Enjoy!

(Matt insisted on me being in this pic. He wanted one of all of his girls!)

Splish, splash!

MOSES!

2008-05-30T10:37:00.003-05:00

Elizabeth loves to imagine; I mean she LOVES to imagine that she is other people. In the history of her imaginations, she has been "checkout lady," "Julia"- from Veggie Tales, "Megan,"-my hairdresser, and even someone named "Shinta." ?

Well, now she has taken up the beloved biblical hero Moses and not only asks, nay demands, to be called "Moses," but also plays around as if she were Moses.

For example, yesterday in the front yard I was working on our flower beds, and Moses (read: Elizabeth) was looking for her staff. She found one for herself and then one for me. (I thereafter became "Aaron.") We then went over to the large rock our neighbors have in their landscape and sure enough, Moses struck the rock and waited for water to come out. My faith is too small because I didn't believe it would come out (and it didn't), but Moses thought it would.

One day last week, I came into Moses' room and found her playing with her animals and tea set her Siti had given her for her birthday. (Thanks, Siti!!) At first glance, I marveled at how perfectly appointed the tea party was. Each animal had a plate in front of it. In the upper right-hand corner there was a cup and saucer for each one. Elizabeth...sorry, Moses...had then used long lincoln logs as silverware. But probably the best part was the item she was serving for the tea party. Moses announced, "Look, Mommy, it's manna. I'm giving my animals manna from heaven." That's right!! My little Moses had used the small lincoln logs to serve as her manna. It was a beautiful blend of Scripture and imagination. I was speechless.

Four months old

2008-05-21T14:10:00.005-05:00

Today, sweet Abigail went in for her four-month appointment. That means shots! Abigail did great and cried for maybe 10 seconds. She is some kinda champ. ;)

They also took all her measurements, and I thought you might be interested (read: grandmas info ahead!)

Length: 25 inch. (90th percentile)
Height: 16 lb. 12 oz. (95th percentile)
Head circumference: 42 cm

She is proportional though definitely ahead of the curve. (P.S. I thought I should make a note about the percentile business. It simply means that 10% of babies her same age are longer than she is and 5% of babies weigh more.) Interestingly, our beloved Dr. Matthews says she is about the size of a 6 to 7 month-old baby. No wonder those 3-6 month jammies are a bit tight.

Fifteen-week-old Fashionista

2008-05-03T11:14:00.004-05:00

E Sings and A Rolls

2008-04-30T20:37:00.004-05:00

From the kitchen, I could hear Elizabeth singing a song she must have learned at school. I loved the sound of her singing her own version of "I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy Joy Down In My Heart!" So I scooped up the video camera to capture it, and it turned out I got a two-for-one. Watch carefully behind Elizabeth, and you will see Abigail's latest mastered skill. That's right, she's rolling over consistently now! So glad we caught it on tape. Enjoy!

Things I love about Abigail

2008-04-28T09:48:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I've had a three-month-old baby living in my house, so needless to say, I had forgotten what it's like. Sure there are CrAzY times with lots of crying (mostly me), feeling overwhelmed and inadequate, and loads of laundry. But there are definitely sweet times that fill my heart with joy. And since I don't want to forget THOSE times, I thought I'd write them down here. I am writing these mostly for me, but I knew you'd enjoy reading them as well.

Things I love about Abigail:
-- the way she smiles with her whole body. From her head to her toes, she lets you know you are one of her favorite people. More specifically, she stretches out her legs and curls her toes when she sees me, and she squinches up her nose and smiles when she sees Matt.

-- the sound of cooing. Just the other night we finally got it on videotape. As soon as I figure out how to upload it, I'll put it on the ol' blog. She is also experimenting with her voice and entertaining herself (and us) with all of the new sounds she can make.

-- the smell of her hair after bathtime. We use this lavendar shampoo, and she just smells yummy! Cuddling is no hardship, my friend!

-- the fact that she already needs a haircut, specifically her bangs. Now I recognize that this is not typical for most three-month-olds. However, our girls come endowed with oodles of hair.

-- the fact that she has found her hands and tends to stare at them for long stretches. She is also figuring out how to get her little thumb in her mouth, and when she does, the sound she makes as she is sucking on it is pure cuteness. Even as I write this, I realize that this might be hard to imagine as "cute" for my male readers, especially the single ones. ;)

-- the way she has discovered that someone is holding her. Normally, she looks out when I am holding her on my shoulder. However, just last week, she looked in and to her delight (and mine) was pleasantly surprised to find my face looking back at her. She looked at me for a long time then began smiling. Ah, I love it!

-- the way she loves Elizabeth and delights in her. In fact, the first laugh Abigail uttered was due to Elizabeth's shenanigans around the house.

These are the ones that come immediately to mind at this time. As I think of more or observe more, I'll be sure to update. Sorry there aren't any pics for this post. But I promise more soon.

Feedback, please!

2008-04-20T21:57:00.002-05:00

Just for fun, I changed our template for the blog. I'd love some feedback from you all about readability, navigating, cuteness, etc. ;)

P.S. for those interested, I found this background (and many others) at www.cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com. Many of them are free, including this one!

The Bluebonnet Festival

2008-04-12T19:38:00.013-05:00

This post is dedicated entirely to Matt's parents who were unable to meet us this year for our annual trip to the Bluebonnet Festival in Chappell Hill. They were greatly missed!

It's possible that E was getting tired of taking pictures because to entertain herself she started trying to lick Matt's neck. :)

Pure JOY!

Quick story about E: Although we didn't leave the house in a terrible rush, we still didn't take the time to clean E's room. Normally, we do before we head out in the morning to school, errands, a friend's house, etc. This makes it tons easier when we come home to get ready for naptime. Anywho, we didn't today by choice so that we could get to the Festival. When we got home, Matt and I were both doing various jobs: unloading the car, taking care of Abigail, directing E to get ready for naptime. E disappeared for a brief bit, and when we made our way back towards her room, we found her beaming. "I cleaned my room," she announced. As per her normal routine but without being prompted or asked, Elizabeth Morton had cleaned her room all by herself (and thoroughly, may I add). We were floored and amazed. We, of course, poured out praise and thanks to this little girl whom we have been training to be a blessing to others but who today blessed us instead.

Our Greatest Hope

2008-03-27T08:51:00.006-05:00

It is our most fervent hope and our most repeated prayer that these two little girls would come to have a relationship with Jesus. That is to say that they would come to recognize their need for a Savior and that Jesus is that Savior, who was mercilessly beaten and bruised for their sins, hung on a tree in shame, and died alone. We want them to know that He then rose from the dead in victory over every element of this world that attempted to defeat Him. He saved us, rescued us, and gave us freedom from these same enemies. We are redeemed!! Hallelujah!

It is with this same joy and hope that I share the following story that took place innocently last night at bathtime.

Elizabeth: Who rescued me from the darkness? (in a voice that was asking a question but also already knew the answer)

Matt: Who? (wanting her to answer)

E: JESUS!! (loudly and with enthusiasm)

M: How did he do that?

E: He died for my sins.

M: Then what?

E: He rose from the dead.

M: And what happens if you believe in Him?

E: I will go to Him (with great joy in her voice)

PAUSE - thinking, thinking

E: I already believed in Him, Daddy.

Are you kidding me? Is it possible that my darling three and a half year old daughter is also my sister in Christ? As the tears come to my eyes, my heart is full of hope.

Easter Bunnies

2008-03-23T20:58:00.015-05:00

Here are the precious ones in all their Easter finery. Speaking of which, E's new Easter dress gave us a great opportunity to talk about Jesus. She asked why she got to have a new dress, and it was wonderful to explain that on Easter, Jesus made all things new. His death on the cross and resurrection gave us new life and new access to God. So to remember those truths and to celebrate them, we wear new clothes. Bonus: I added that our new clothes are often white to symbolize Christ's purity and the purity of His sacrifice. (Not sure if she was still listening at that point, but I liked the thought.)

Anyway, here are our two little bunnies.

We also got to spend some precious, wonderful time with Matt's family who drove up to spend the day.

E really liked these chairs and wanted to be a big girl and take her picture in one. She also really likes her Siti and insisted that she sit in one of the chairs, too.

She also LOVES her Ghido and spent 20 minutes playing tickles with him.

E had a special treat: Uncle "Doo" came in town with his fiancee Jennifer. They had some sort of game that involved their heads and squeaking. Not sure how to play, but it made E giggle. :)

And of course, there was the wee one who gave her Siti and Ghido some much coveted smiles.

As a special bonuse, here is a final pic of our little fam. We LOVE being a family of four and thank God frequently for the gift of these precious girls. We also thank Him for the opportunity to tell them about Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us. He truly is good!

Two Months Old

2008-03-19T18:58:00.009-05:00

Happy Birthday, darling Abigail. You were two months old yesterday. We love you so much!!

(Every Texas girl needs a big bow - the bigger the better. If at all possible, it needs to take up one side of her head!)

So Abigail's two-month dr.'s appointment was yesterday, and she is doing great. As a quick update, I'll tell you that her reflux is on the mend. The dr. informed me that all babies have reflux, but they only treat the ones who are clearly uncomfortable or are not gaining weight. Since A is definitely growing, we are now only treating her to help her be more comfortable, and I believe she is getting better. Thank you to each of you who prayed for us and asked how we were doing. It was definitely encouraging as well as reassuring to know that we have so many people we can rely on.

Abigail also got her first round of shots, and I totally forgot to have any infants' tylenol on hand. EEK! Last night was a long night with Abigail up frequently, crying and needing comfort. So first thing this morning I popped out to Walgreens to get the necessary meds...She has had a much better day, poor thing.

In spite of all of that, she still gave us so many pretty smiles today. She seems to be a sweet-natured little baby, and we thank God for her frequently!

Milestones

2008-03-10T19:32:00.011-05:00

I know you will find this hard to believe when I tell you that my 7-week-old baby rolled over from her front to her back today. I know, I know, that is the kind of milestone that an older baby usually achieves. I'm not sure why this baby has been endowed with superior lower body strength, but I can assure you there is a reason why we call her "Kicky Legs."

Don't worry yourself with her angry, crying face. Instead, focus on the lifted leg. Though this wasn't the official roll over (yes, we did try to restage it for the photo opp.), she was still lifting that leg and pushing off the ground!

Also, you may remember that I mentioned a while ago that Abigail smiled at me and Matt on the same day. Although I have thought about trying to capture that smile on film, I have to be honest that in those preciously short moments when she is actually flashing her toothy gums, all I really want to do is sit there and bask in the joy of her recognizing (and liking) me. :) Today, however, I noticed she was particularly enjoying her swing, so I was able to snap a few. Of course, I think she's darling, so I hope you don't mind if I put up more than one of this series!

Answers to the Test!

2008-03-07T16:53:00.002-06:00

Okay, it's 4:53 p.m. on my clock, so it must be time to publish the answers to the test! I am so glad that so many of you got a chance to test your skills with this little challenge. Some of you used your clever intellect to deduce which baby was which based on certain context clues. Way to go! Now, here are the answers!!

1A. THIS IS ELIZABETH!! (Context clue: date and time in the bottom right-hand corner. Elizabeth was born on 9-7 at 9:19 p.m.)

1B. THIS IS ABIGAIL.

2A. THIS IS ABIGAIL. (Context clue: We painted our room and bathroom a year after Elizabeth was born. They were green and now they are brown.)

2B. THIS IS ELIZABETH.

3A. THIS IS ELIZABETH.

3B. THIS IS ABIGAIL. (A little shout out to Emily Malone for helping me stage this photo!)

4A. THIS IS ELIZABETH. (Context clue: Definitely Matt's darker hair but also Elizabeth's onesie is short-sleeved. September is hot in Texas.)

4B. THIS IS ABIGAIL.

5A. THIS IS ABIGAIL.

5B. THIS IS ELIZABETH. (Context clue: My father-in-law, who shall go unnamed, says I am worn out in this photo. It was 12 hours of labor after all, Glenn!)

Hope you guys enjoyed this fun test.

A Little Test

2008-03-02T17:00:00.015-06:00

Have you ever said to yourself, "Hey, Abigail sure looks like Elizabeth?" or "Those Morton girls could be twins!"? Or perhaps you've done a double take when you see them, remarking to yourself that Abigail sure looks familiar. If you're really bold (or perhaps a doting grandmother), you might find yourself bragging that though these girls favor each other, YOU could definitely tell them apart.

Well, wait no longer, friends! It's time to test your ability to distinguish between these precious ones. In the following set of pictures I have assembled, you'll have a chance to challenge you're keen eye. I'll post the answers on Friday, but if you dare, leave a comment today with your answers in order to claim your right to boast later!

1A.

1B.

2A.

2B.

3A.

3B.

4A.

4B.

5A.

5B.

Wednesday

2008-02-28T09:50:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was a very difficult day for me and Abigail. On Monday, the precious one and I went to see the doctor because we suspected that she might have some issues with acid reflux. The doctor (whom we give great thanks for all the time) confirmed that she probably has a mild case and so prescribed a med that will help her during feedings. We started her on it on Monday night, hoping by Wednesday or today she would be doing much better.

Eek! She had an awful day yesterday. She was up off and on from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., crying, inconsolable, and not eating well. She did nap some, but not enough to really feel rested. Picture lying in your bed trying to go to sleep and just after you've been asleep for 20 minutes or so being woken up by noises, hurting tummy, general discomfort and sadness, etc. So I cried yesterday...multiple times...and felt very tired by the end of the day. Fortunately, Elizabeth was VERY gracious to me during the day and even at dinner (when I cried again), she suggested that we pray that God would make me feel better. I asked her if she would pray for me (not desiring to train her but sincerely asking her because I had no words left for the day). She did. She thanked God for me and asked Him to make me feel better. Short. Sweet. But incredibly soothing to me. Also, Matt was very gracious to me, holding Abigail to try to soothe her and offering helpful suggestions of things we could do to make it better. He is amazing. At 5:30 p.m. the LORD was gracious to me and soothed Abigail to sleep. She slept on her tummy in her crib, like a baby as they say, until about 9 p.m. I fed her then went to sleep myself. It was a good night in spite of the day.

So now we have begun today with prayers of dependence, patience, and grace. I have no idea how today will go, so I am trusting God to be here with us.

The Little Mama

2008-02-28T09:10:00.004-06:00

So it's been remarkable to watch Elizabeth blossom since we've had Abigail home with us. She is very interested in all things baby, including but not limited to changing the baby, feeding the baby, bathing the baby, and even soothing the baby. E knows that when Abigail cries there are a handful of possible solutions, including giving her her pacifier (aka pacie). Fortunately, the other morning I had my camera handy to be able to snap these pictures quickly before the moment passed.

When Abigail started crying, E took it upon herself to run (literally run) to the bassinet, scoop up the pacie, and run back to patiently hold it in A's mouth until she stopped crying. As I watched, of course, I thought to myself, "That is NOT what Abigail needs nor is it the reason why she's crying. That will never work." But just to keep me humble, Abigail actually did stop crying once her big sister stayed with her for awhile. I stood corrected (and amazed!).

Bathtime pics

2008-02-21T18:06:00.004-06:00

Just for fun here are some pics we took around bathtime.

1. Sometimes Abigail is not quite ready for bath.

2. Afterwards, she and Mommy are happy she is clean.

3. However, it gets cold without any clothes on.

Hijacked!

2008-02-16T21:28:00.002-06:00

As the dramatic title suggests, I , Matt Morton, have temporarily taken over this blog. Just for the evening, of course. Why this act of virtual violence? I had to tell a story about Elizabeth and Shannon, and write a bit about my dear wife. I know the blog is called “little Morties,” and is of course intended to focus on our two daughters. The following involves our daughters , but is more about Shannon.

Tonight at the dinner table, Elizabeth looked up at Shannon and said, “Mommy, I want to be like you.” The statement was unprovoked, very poignant, and of course brought tears to Shannon’s eyes.

As I reflected on that moment, it occurred to me that while Elizabeth enjoys playing with me and crawling on me and being chased by me, she wants to imitate her mommy. I may receive the laughs, but Shannon receives the genuine admiration.

I know most husbands feel that their wife is the best mother ever, but I honestly cannot imagine a better person to raise these two little girls. A friend of Shannon’s recently told her that when she thinks of mothers, she tends to put Shannon on the top shelf, in a league of her own; not that other moms are deficient, but Shannon is somehow exceptional. I agree.

For one thing, she seems to have an innate sense of what our children need at any given time. Not just physically, although I am still amazed at how she can tell which cries communicate hunger, or fatigue, or frustration, or just plain gas. But I am more amazed at how she seems to constantly have the pulse of the spiritual and emotional and intellectual needs of our daughters. Tonight at bedtime I listened in awe as Shannon and Elizabeth together recited 1 John 4:19. Seriously…she’s only three years old and memorizing Scripture. Thanks to Shannon’s patient and diligent effort, Elizabeth and Abigail are growing each day into women with a love for Jesus and an inner character like His.

Not only does she faithfully do all these things for our daughters, but she does them with generous helpings of grace and joy. The security with which E carries herself is a direct reflection of the kindness and love and laughter that Shannon pours onto her every day. Shannon strikes a wonderful balance between love and discipline, humor and seriousness, grace and truth. I am confident that Abigail will reflect the same poise and security, largely as a result of Shannon's dependence upon the Lord as she raises her. Those who know her have seen these qualities in action, but I felt compelled to share them here.

Alright, I should move along now…Shannon thinks I am studying for my sermon tomorrow, and she will no doubt be embarrassed by my post. Nonetheless, I just had to take over this little blog tonight to tell you what I see in her as a mom. I think the authorities will let this little hijacking pass, once they understand my reasoning. :)

Just Duckie

2008-02-13T19:28:00.010-06:00

When Elizabeth was a newborn, we used to dress her in this precious white sleeper that was dotted with little yellow duckies. At the top sat a little duckie with the moniker "Just Duckie." This is why for a long time we called E our little duckie. We both LOVED this sleeper (I think my mom gave it to us.). Anywho, of course, we kept it for the next one and will likely keep it even after we have no more duckies to wear it. This is huge for me since I am not an overly sentimental person when it comes to possessions; I tend to be very utilitarian.

Sadly, I have no photos of E in the just duckie sleeper, so I decided last night to take some of Abigail so as to preserve this moment in pictures. :) Here you go:

For these, I turned the flash off.

Smiles!

2008-02-11T08:14:00.000-06:00

Though it's a little difficult to fully tell with a three-week-old, Matt and I feel fairly confident that Abigail gave both of us a little smile last night. It's so hard to put into words how wonderful that first little smile makes you feel. To have someone so small and innocent recognize you and feel such a joy and love towards you in her heart that it comes across on her face touches you deeply. It is such a special moment.

Not Sure What to Call This Post

2008-02-04T19:16:00.001-06:00

So sorry for the less than clever title for this post. I was trying to think of something eye-catching and enticing but just couldn't come up with anything; however, I am open to suggestions. :)

I just have some odds and ends to catch you up on regarding Elizabeth, who has been saying some very precious things of late. In fact, last Friday, E prayed for our meal for the first time in her wee little life. We usually pray and thank God for our food because He truly does provide for us in everyway, and it is our joy to remember that by praying. Sometimes we ask E if she wants to pray, and she usually says No. Of course, this is fine; we certainly don't intend to force her to pray, for heaven's sake! Sometimes she teases us and says Yes, but then when the time comes, she backs out. Also, fine. However, last Friday was completely different. Not only did she volunteer, but she followed through. This was her first little prayer before mealtime, "Dear God (we were expected to repeat)...thank you for our lunch...we love you...in Jesus' name...Amen!" We totally attribute it to her wonderful preschool teachers, who so faithfully love her and guide her. (We wish we could take credit.) After the prayer, E immediately commenced to eating, and Matt and I just looked at each other, overwhelmed by the tenderness of her little heart. May God grant us grace to encourage her love for Him!

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

On a different note, while Matt's mom was here last week, we all marveled at E's diverse and complex vocabulary. It is true that she lives with an former English major/English teacher, and she is surrounded by books. Yet, we're not really sure where she picked up some of these words (or how she is able to use them correctly). For example,

**crumpled - as in "My napkin is crumpled (barely). May I have another?"

**actually - as in "Actually, Daddy said I could have another brownie." Do I really look that naive?

**comfortable - as in "If I wear my pajammies to naptime, then I will be more comfortable."

**argumentative - as in "I am sorry I was argumentative, Mommy." Though the apology is endearing, I would much prefer not to deal with the arguments! :)

Remember, too, that as she says these words, she can't quite articulate them as an adult would, so they sound too cute coming out of her mouth. Well, maybe not "argumentative."

One-week old photo shoot

2008-01-27T19:29:00.000-06:00

For Abigail's one-week birthday, I set her up for a photo shoot. I thought bears would be a fun backdrop. Here are the results:

Lest you think she loved the whole thing!

Elizabeth was eager for me to take some pictures of her with Abigail.

Speaking of Abigail...

2008-01-26T15:10:00.000-06:00

We thought you'd like to know why we gave her the names we did.

“Abigail” means “my father rejoices” in Hebrew. We loved the idea of raising a daughter who would be a blessing to her Heavenly Father as well as her earthly one. The biblical Abigail was a woman of great wisdom and diplomacy, and we pray that our little one will share those traits. (See 1 Samuel 25; of course, one of my primary jobs as a dad is to chase off any “Nabals” who might come around.)

Her middle name is Hope, as a reminder to us of the hope that God provides, even in circumstances that are sometimes difficult. We rejoice that in Him we have a hope that is eternal and cannot be taken away, because of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:35-39)! She is also a reminder to Shannon and me that sometimes God fulfills our hopes even now, as an expression of His mercy and kindness.

Also, I thought you'd be interested in some things I've noticed about Abigail:
--She has long feet and fingers (just like her dad).
--She has a little dimple in her chin (just like her mom and sister).
--She has the "Morton" cheeks!
--She is a very contemplative baby, content during her wake time to look around or right into your eyes.
--She likes to sleep!!
--She likes to cuddle, positioning herself neatly into the crook of my neck. (LOVE it!)

Abigail Hope is a precious gift from God, and I find that I am already deeply in love with her.

Introducing...

2008-01-23T20:32:00.000-06:00

ABIGAIL HOPE!
She arrived at 11:36 a.m. on Friday, January 18th, weighing 9 lbs. 5 oz and measuring 20.5 in. It was a quick delivery, and I knew the LORD was answering all of the prayers for her and me.

This precious one has a thick mane of black hair and resembles her big sister, Elizabeth.

We were so blessed to have our families and friends come by to visit us in the hospital. Elizabeth was SO proud to show off her baby sister! She loves her and wanted to hold her and kiss her everytime she was there, which was usually twice a day!

More pics to come!

Christmas!

2008-01-12T19:43:00.000-06:00

Abigail comes this week, so I thought I would do a quick update to the blog here and let you see some pics from Christmas! We had a lovely time as a family and a great time with extended families.

Our traditions begin on Dec. 1st. We go to the tree farm and pick out a nice round one. This year E was particularly excited about the tree and kept noticing them in various places throughout the entire Christmas season!

Later that afternoon we decorated the tree. E was very enthusiastic about helping and was able to place the ornaments on the lower levels of the tree though most ended up very close to each other. :)

In early December, we made a visit to the George Bush Museum, where they were having "Christmas in the Rotunda." They offered crafts, cookies and punch, a balloon artist, and in a clever twist, MRS. CLAUS!! Interestingly, E was a bit nervous initially around Mrs. Claus, so I ended up in the pic as well. For my part, I found Mrs. Claus to be quite nice. :)

Now we jump to Christmas Eve when we were able to take some pics of our family and our little Christmas elf.

On Christmas Day, I dressed E up in her "Mrs. Claus" dress. She is way into dressing up, so one of her gifts from us was more dress up paraphenalia: high-heeled shoes with feathers at the toes, a beaded necklace, flashy earrings, and a tiara! The girl loves it! See for yourself!

She loves this stuff so much we've actually had to limit how much she wears it so that she'll go outside and play. Picture her also dancing in her dress, pretending to be a ballerina. Her friend Miss Julie even taught her how to curtsy. She is darling in her attempts to show me how she can do it.

That's all for Christmas. It's entirely possible that the next post will be about Abigail's birth. So keep watching!!

My Two Front Teeth

2007-12-30T09:21:00.000-06:00

Elizabeth had her first visit to the dentist this month, and I am so thankful for a GREAT visit! The hygenist was fabulous at helping E to feel comfortable with the whole process, and she even introduced E to a new friend, "Mr Thirsty." It's the little water sucker thing that gets out all the excess water and toothpaste. E even got to hold it; she LOVED that thing!

For those interested (like Grandma and Siti), the dentist said her teeth look great. She has all 20 like she should at this age, the alignment is right on, and there is good spacing, all the better for brushing. She does have a bit of an overbite, but that will be easily corrected in a few years. Yeah! I was so proud of her, and she was so proud to tell Matt how well she did. They gave her a pencil, a cool new toothbrush, and a balloon.

An Ode to Jeff and Stephanie

2007-12-17T09:13:00.000-06:00

In a previous post, I gave you a quick reference guide to all of Elizabeth's friends. There was one huge gap in that post: her dear friends Jeff and Stephanie Harrison, whom some refer to as "Jeffanie."

There really are so many things I could say about this sweet couple and what they mean to our family and to Elizabeth in particular, especially Stephanie. We long ago adopted Steph into our family. Before she even lived with us for a summer, our individual relationships with her were each so precious to us that she became in some senses a daughter, sister, and aunt. (To my knowledge she doesn't sign "Morton" after Harrison on her checks and official documents, but in our hearts she is definitely a part of our family.) We really love her so much!! If you know her, you know why. Steph is so good at loving others, encouraging them, being open and honest, and being your fan. She laughs easily and is incredibly easy to be around. We couldn't be more blessed to be in HER life!

And her relationship with E is priceless. We pray that there would be godly older women who would befriend E throughout her life and lead her closer to Jesus. Steph is one of those women and can probably claim to be the first one!

Here's a little story to illustrate their relationship. This past weekend, we all celebrated as our dear friends Ricky and Sarah got married. Steph and I were both in the bridal party and had spent the night at Sarah's house as well as the next day getting ready for their 5 p.m. wedding. Because of this, I had not seen Elizabeth for almost 24 hours. Certainly, she would miss her mom!!

When we got to the church and she saw me and Steph, do you know whose hand she wanted to hold first? STEPHANIE'S!!! I mean, can you believe that? Though I sound offended, and honestly for a moment I was, there was also another part of me that was so happy that E still holds Stephanie so close in her heart.

This pic pretty much sums it up.

Here are some more pics of them together from a previous weekend. They illustrate the relationship that Steph and now Jeff have with our darling one.

Okay, not sure what happened to these pics, but I think you get the idea of their fun friendship. We love you, Stephie!

Boston #2

2007-12-05T13:04:00.000-06:00

So sorry for it taking me so long to put up the last pics from Thanksgiving, but here are they are! Great memories from our great time in Boston! These are from Friday when we went to the mall all together, and the girls got time to cavort at the indoor play area.

Elizabeth and Rachel began hesitantly on the slide.

Soon they were pros!

Even teaching each other new tricks.

The laughter was infectious. :)

Even Joshua got to play!

Peek-a-boo

Can you believe how limber she is? Her foot is close to the same height as her head. (I miss those days!)

The end of a successful climb

Finally, all the cousins together. Yea! They're all smiling, and Elizabeth is putting her full weight behind her "Cheese!"

Boston #1

2007-11-27T16:20:00.000-06:00

These pics are from Wednesday, our first full day in Boston. We went to the best Children's Museum I have ever seen (and I have definitely been to a few in the past year or so). Seriously, it was three stories high and full of things that little kids would love to do. We took only a few pics because we were having so much fun playing with the stuff and watching the girls play.

Elizabeth and her cousin Rachel pose with cut outs of characters from the kids' show _Arthur_.

The girls made their way into the cowboy exhibit.

In the special exhibit on cowboys, the Museum offered a pretty authentic campfire, minus the fire naturally!

Rachel served up some fine bacon with a bagel.

There was time for a picture with Daddy before E rode off into the sunset.

After all this hard work, it was time for some water from the fountain. This is actually one of E's fave new skills. She absolutely LOVES being a big girl and getting her own drink of water. She always asks if we'll let her do it herself.

Now for my favorite pics from this day: the cousins getting water together. Notice E's hand around Rachel's neck. She was hugging Rachel and looking after her as they enjoyed some sips together. Too, too precious!

Giving Thanks!

2007-11-26T14:48:00.000-06:00

We could not have had a better Thanksgiving! We traveled up to Boston, along with Matt's parents, to spend the holiday with Matt's older brother Dan and his family. We really had a wonderful time enjoying their company and watching the cousins, especially Elizabeth and Rachel, become friends. (We missed having Dave, Matt's younger brother, with us, but he was up to very important business! On Thanksgiving Day, Dave proposed to his girlfriend Jennifer. And on June 28, 2008, we will officially welcome a new sister-in-law!!)

We give thanks for

1. Our relationships with Jesus Christ, who has saved us completely and given us abundant LIFE!,

2. Our dear and darling family,

3. The kindness and generosity of Matt's parents in taking us to Boston so that we could all be together,

4. The new addition to our family, Abigail, who is growing and thriving in "Mommy's tummy,"

5. And the beauty of friendships near and far that encourage us and support us.

"Are All the Children In?"

2007-11-09T08:47:00.000-06:00

I came across this poem again from James Dobson's book called _The New Dare to Discipline_. Because of how meaningful it is to me, I thought I would share it here with you all. The first time I read it, it touched my heart so deeply that I found myself sloppy with tears. As I read it again, I really hope to be this kind of mom who cares for all aspects of her children, including their little hearts. I hope you like it, too. :) (This one goes out especially to my dear friend Sarah B. who will one day make an excellent mother, as the LORD wills.)

"Let me leave you with this wonderful old poem written by Alice Pearson. It focuses on the most vital responsibility in parenting - that of introducing our children to Jesus Christ and getting them through this dangerous and turbulent world. That should be, after all, the ultimate goal for every believing parent the world over.

Are All the Children In?

I think oftimes as night draws nigh,
Of an old house on the hill,
And of a yard all wide
And blossom-starred
Where the children played at will.
And when the night at last came down
Hushing the merry din,
Mother would look around and ask,
"Are all the children in?"

Oh, it's many and many a year since then,
And the old house on the hill
No longer echoes to childish feet,
And the yard is still, so still.
But I see it all as the shadows creep,
And though many the years have been since then,
I can hear mother ask,
"Are all the children in?"

I wonder if when the shadows fall
On the last short earthly day;
When we say goodbye to the world outside
All tired with our childish play;
When we step out into the other land
Where mother so long has been,
Will we hear her ask,
Just as of old,
"Are all the children in?"

Fall Festival

2007-11-04T14:15:00.000-06:00

Fall has arrived here in College Station, and though it may not be in the 70s for a high, at least it's not in the 90s. :)

We've joyfully marked Fall's arrival with pumpkins and mums on the front porch, a visit to the pumpkin patch, and our church's country fair last Wednesday. Enjoy these recent pics!!

In this pic, she's holding a little toy mouse that kids could hide among the pumpkins.

For this one, it's important for you to know that it took us ten tries to get her peeking from behind the hay. Due to my older digital camera and her quick "peek-a-boos" we had many takes of this shot! But it is one of my favorites after all that work. :)

This last pic is from the Country Fair at our church. E was dressed up as a "flower girl." I know, I know. You're thinking, "But hasn't she actually BEEN a flower girl?" Yes, but I am much too practical to go out and buy a costume when we've got such great stuff around the house!

School Pictures!

2007-10-24T08:15:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, I thought you'd be interested in seeing E's school pics from her preschool program. The photographer was amazing and got E to pose and smile genuinely for the camera. So darling, if I do say so myself.

I guess the only thing left to say is, "Who wants one"? ;)

P.S. I know there are the super-observant among you who will ask why I covered one up. Well, it's at a perpendicular angle to the others and a little too small to see. But there are three other great ones. :)

Hair Matters

2007-10-14T20:29:00.001-05:00

Elizabeth, in the course of becoming more independent, has discovered a love for playing dress-up. Not only does she layer new clothes on top of her existing outfit, but she also loves to fix others' hair!

Case in point this past weekend: I left her basket of bows and clips on the counter in her bathroom as I was rearranging and reorganizing her room. She quickly found these, and the accompanying hairbrush, and went to town.

Then, our dear friends John and Allison came over, and E had a real live subject to test her skills on. Allison graciously agreed. (It should be noted that Miss Amber was actually E's first guinea pig earlier in the week, but we have no pics of that hairdo!)

E made quick work of Allison's hair. Here's a pic of the final product. (Notice also that E had layered some more clothes on top of her actual outfit. The result was surprising stylish, all things considered.)

And the final pic is a keeper! E gives Allison a hug while keeping an eye on her bows. "You know you don't get to take those home, right Miss Allison?"

Elizabeth's Friends: A Pictorial Directory

2007-10-07T15:15:00.000-05:00

I realized recently that I refer to different friends of Elizabeth, but that some may not know who those people are. So, I thought it would be extremely helpful to have a brief reference guide right here on the blog to refer to when in need.

To begin with, E has two distinct group of friends: peers and young adults. Her two best peer friends you may remember are Maxwell and AnnaJoy. The young adult friends are mostly those with whom we labor in the college ministry. Below is a quick reference and tidbit about each. :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miss Amber is a beloved friend and sometimes babysitter. Because of her confidence with and love for E, she is really more like an aunt to her. She is married to Mr. Daniel and has a great Beagle named "Wrigley."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethan. What can one say about this young man? Last year, E had a bit of a crush on Ethan, but this year it has developed into a friendship. She loves to play with him, have him chase her, and be silly with him. E is quick to pick up any passing reference to Ethan and is probably his biggest fan, save his own parents. Ethan is a godly young man and one of our beloved interns.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Jamey (on the left) is like a rock star to Elizabeth. Since he leads worship at church on Sundays and plays the guitar, she is very intrigued with him. He also is very sweet to play with her and sometimes let her hang all over him like a monkey. Mr. Jamey is married to Miss Heather, and E loves them both.

Mr. Trey (on the right) is one of E's newest friends. In the first few years of her life, E would cry at the introduction of any new male figure in her life. (Her dad was happy about this, hoping it would continue for awhile and delay dating for many years.) However, Mr. Trey is special because she immediately took a shine to him when she met him just this past August. She quickly adopted him as a friend and loves to see him whenever he is there. Mr. Trey is married to Miss Marci (see below).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ahhh, Miss Julie, a long-time friend. E has known Miss Julie and her husband, Mr. Blake, her whole life, and they were some of the first non-family to take care of her. E enjoys talking with Miss Julie and telling her all of the latest happenings in her life. Miss Julie is a GREAT listener!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miss Marci, as mentioned above, is Mr. Trey's wife and an immediate hit with Elizabeth. Because of Miss Marci's sparkling personality and joyful greetings, Elizabeth has come to love her and want to see her as much as possible. I predict a great friendship for these two. :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"No, no, Mr. Marty," is one of E's frequent refrains when around one of her dearest friends, Mr. Marty, not because he's necessarily done anything wrong but just because she likes to be silly with him. E absolutely LOVES playing with Mr. Marty and will even run to him and give him a big hug. He makes her giggle and smile every time they play, and their friendship is so sweet. He is dating one of our favorite people, Miss Andrea. But alas, I have no picture of her.

There are a few more friends whose pictures I don't have right now. As soon as I have more, I will add on to this post. But I hope this gives you a better idea of who these folks are. We love each one and are truly thankful for the godly, mature, and loving influence they have on our daughter. We are so fortunate to know them and have them in our lives and hers.

"Am I Having a Baby Bruda or a Baby Sista?"

2007-09-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

So this has been Elizabeth's continual refrain since the time we found out that we were having another precious one. We told her only God knew at that point and that He had already decided. It actually turned out to be a great way to teach her trust and contentment because our mantra around the house became, "God knows if the baby's a brother or sister, and I can be happy with what He gives me."

Well, the same week of Elizabeth's birthday, we also found out the gender of this new one...

IT'S A GIRL!!

We were SO pleasantly surprised because Matt and I had truly expected a little boy. We had a name, a nursery theme, even some boy clothes...the whole works. :) So hearing that it was a little girl brought unexpected tears of joy to my eyes because in my heart I had really hoped for another little girl. (Maybe because we have been so blessed by this first one.) Elizabeth, though perhaps not fully aware of what was happening, was briefly interested in finding out it was a girl. But to explain, she was also distracted by some cool toys the sonographer kept in her office.

Perhaps she also felt the confidence of knowing she had predicted correctly. She kept saying she wanted a sister and that the baby was a girl. That makes her record. 1-0. Matt's is 1-1 (he correctly predicted Elizabeth). And I am 0-2.

Anyway, enough typing, below is a great pic from the ultrasound.

I rotated the picture for you so that you could look directly at her face. Though she looks a little like a skeleton in this pic, it's cool because you can get a general idea of the shape of her little face. We think she might have a more oval-shaped face like mine as opposed to E's round-shaped face like Matt's.

Elizabeth's THIRD birthday!

2007-09-16T14:55:00.000-05:00

Before I begin, allow me to first say a quick apology to all who have so faithfully come back to our blog and wondered why there had been no updates since JULY!! Of all things, Shannon, what have you been doing? :) I do humbly ask your forgiveness and hope that I can make it up to you by turning a new leaf (a little fall joke!). I hope you will see more frequent posts in the future. Thank you to all of you who asked me personally for more pics of E. Your love for her is so dear to me.

Now back to the matter at hand! I simply cannot believe it, but Elizabeth turned three years old last week! Of course, we had a party, complete with balloons, lots of friends, and CAKE!! In fact, it's hard to say what Elizabeth was more excited about: the friends or the cake. As friends began to come one after another, Elizabeth became more frenzied. She definitely knew it was her birthday party! The first pic is of her literally bouncing off the couch in our living room with heaps of joy . Her pal Maxwell casually looks on and is probably wondering, "What go into her? " :)

We got her to stand still long enough to take some family pics. (That's our dear friend Maria in the background. She is not technically a Morton, but we love her lots! She's also Maxwell's mom.)

Before we had cake, Matt and I gathered everyone and publicly told E one thing we really love about her. Matt said he loves how she is so joyful and so much fun to play with. He told her how he loves being her daddy and coming home from work to see her. I told her how I love her tender heart towards the Lord. She really loves to sing, read the Bible, and ask about people who are hurting. She is a compassionate, thoughtful little girl. After Matt prayed for her, we sang "Happy Birthday." (Sadly, E cried through the whole song. Perhaps it was too loud! We're not sure.)

Then it was time to eat the cake! I actually put together a "cupcake tree," which is on the table in the center.

Elizabeth's favorite girlfriend, AnnaJoy, helped E eat the cupcakes.

Then, they played in the kitchen; no doubt, making more cupcakes! :)

Then, they played outside on the jungle gym which my parents got her for her last birthday. Here, E is truly delighted to be swinging. I think she could do this for hours if I let her.

Sadly, the party had to end and our guests began to leave. I took these last ones of her as some of the last guests said their goodbyes. (Yes, she's wearing a play stethoscope. Matt and I got her a little "doctor's kit" for her birthday. Also, if you look closely, you can see that she is sweating. She really worked herself up during her party. :))

Bye-bye, everybody! Thanks for coming to my party. :)

That Little Creamery in Brenham...

2007-07-31T08:33:00.000-05:00

...is not only big on taste, but also big on generosity. Two weekends ago, they celebrated their 100th anniversary by giving away over 2000 gallons of various-flavored ice cream! We went with Matt's family out to Brenham, TX to help them celebrate. Here are some of our favorite pics from that weekend!

Is this not a dreamy picture? Elizabeth's Ghido Ghido(great-grandfather) sharing his ice cream with her?

Of course, Daddy shared his ice cream with her.

After the ice cream, we walked around to see the various exhibits, including this one featuring the actual cows who have been in Blue Bell commercials. Here Elizabeth posed with her Siti (grandmother).

Elizabeth really enjoyed making this old-fashioned pump work.

An emu? (I think Elizabeth is thinking the same thing!)

She got a little washable tattoo to remember the day by.

Finally, some good clean fun as Elizabeth played in the jump house.

You know, Blue Bell claims it is the best-tasting ice cream in the country. Not having traveled widely across the US, I'm not sure if their claim is true. I can acknowledge that there might be better ice cream out there. However, what I can say is that there is no better ice cream in Texas than Blue Bell, and when it's on sale, I stock up!

Lesson Learned

2007-07-29T19:31:00.000-05:00

As new parents, we are constantly learning what we should be doing, what we could be doing better, and what our little girl does and doesn't like. Well, here's a quick lesson we learned while in Austin.

It happened on the day we were planning on going to Whole Foods. Elizabeth was particularly interested in playing with the toys in the house where we were staying. In fact, she was so interested in them that even when we told her there were fun new foods to try at this place, she actually told us that she didn't want to go. This continued for an unusual amount of time. (Note: Elizabeth is a friend to all foods; there are very few foods she won't try or eat.) Anyway, the conversation ensued thusly:

Matt (M): Well, I guess Mommy and I will have to go and eat all those foods by ourselves, and we'll leave you here to play.
Shannon (S): Yeah, Elizabeth, we'll have to eat all those foods without you.
Elizabeth (E): (in her tender high-pitched voice) Wait! I want to come!!

Yes! A parental victory of sorts!! We got in the car and began driving south towards downtown. There was no need to discuss our superior parental strategy since it worked like a charm. However, about 15 minutes into the ride, Elizabeth asked us a question after having been silent that entire time (also highly unusual).

E: (with a note of concern) Mommy, y'all weren't really going to leave me at their house?

Eek! Are hearts breaking out there? Mine and Matt's definitely were. We looked at each other and knew we needed to correct our mistake as well as E's understanding of the situation. We would never leave her all by herself.

Well, it gets better (story-wise)/worse (parenting-wise). The next day as E and I had a girls' shopping day, we got in the car and drove off to Kohl's and Target. E's first question for me was...

E: (mixed concern and confidence) Mommy, you're not going to leave me at Kohl's, are you?

Then, after shopping at Kohl's and getting back in the car not an hour later...

E: (same notes of concern and confidence) Mommy, you're not going to leave me at Target, right?

Each time, I did my best to reassure and comfort Elizabeth and also to affirm the truth that we would never leave her somewhere. However, suffice it to say, our parental blunder had made a huge impact on our precious almost three-year-old. Whew!! Note to self: never threaten to LEAVE my little one! Hurt, confusion, and sadness will follow.

Austin Vacation

2007-07-16T08:50:00.000-05:00

After our illustrious trip to Paris, we came back to Houston and to a teary-eyed reunion with Elizabeth! We love her and missed her so, so much. She and Matt's mom met us at the airport. We then spent the night in Houston and the next morning left for Austin. If I had to sum up our vacation in two words, they would be eating and resting. :)

TUESDAY, JULY 3
We arrived in Austin and picked up the key to our home for the week from my dear friend Heidi Cook. She had arranged for us to live in the home of a very generous Crusade staff family that was in Colorado for most of the summer. It was the perfect set-up for our family because they had an upstairs playroom, stocked full of girl toys. Elizabeth was able to sleep in a twin bed just like at home, and Matt and I stayed downstairs. We were able to do a bit of laundry and buy some groceries for the week. We were hugely grateful for this wonderful blessing!! While we were settling in, Matt used the computer to locate the nearest Chuy's, a legendary Mexican food place. (I suppose he was done with French food. :)) I have to admit it was very good, and E ate her fair share of chips and queso.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4
We spent the morning of Independence Day exploring all the new toys in the playroom. It was actually raining, so it made it extra easy to stay inside, take it easy, and wear our pajamas until noon. Later on in the day, we did take showers and venture out to a cookout with Heidi and Joel's small group from their church. They grilled ribs and chicken, and they had even bought chips and dip from Chuy's. It was some of the best food we had EVER had at a cookout EVER! (Is that too dramatic?)

THURSDAY, JULY 5
Matt planned our activities in Austin, and the first place he wanted to take us was to Zilker Park. We visited the Nature Preserve which featured some native Texas animals. We then ventured over to the kids' playground and rode on the train!

I know she looks nervous here, but she really did have a great time on the train.

Loves to drive! And yes, she has already asked us if she can drive our cars.

We then went to Kerbey Lane, an Austin "must-eat" restaurant. It was there that we took this (blasphemous perhaps) picture.

FRIDAY, JULY 6
We visited Whole Foods, a great organic supermarket, and really enjoyed looking around at all the choices of yummy foods. This was our second visit, so we felt more comfortable with the store and found some of our old favorites, unique salsas and "Barbara's" cookies. We also ate lunch: Matt had Indian food and I had salad; E had something in-between. Finally, we went outside and up to the second floor, where E could play on the playground. Awesome day!

SATURDAY, JULY 7
Elizabeth and I had a girls' day: we went shopping while Matt prepared his sermon. Since there's not much more to say about shopping, I'll leave it there. Later on that night, Joel and Heidi kept Elizabeth overnight so that Matt and I could have a date night in Austin! We went to Macaroni Grill and then saw Oceans 13. It was wonderfully unique to have a date in a different city. :)

SUNDAY, JULY 8
Matt had been asked to speak in the morning services at a great church in Austin called Grace Covenant Church. From this particular ministry, we get a lot of our best student leaders, so it was a real treat to be with them. As a special bonus, we connected with some old friends from college and young married life in Dallas. We loved having lunch with them and catching up.

MONDAY, JULY 9
This was our last official day in Austin and the only other day we took pictures. Matt wanted to take us to the children's museum because he had heard that it was good and also because E loves going with her Siti and Ghido to the one in Houston. E explored everything, but by far her favorite place was the kitchen. I tied an apron on that girl and she was off!

Then it was necessary to go to the grocery store to get more food for the kitchen!!

Other highlights include:
Fixing, not playing with, the chess pieces that had fallen down,

And now the black pieces...,

Playing doctor,

Pretending to be on a work crew with Daddy,

And my favorite, driving the bus! (Note: not a real bus!!)

Overall, we had a great time in Austin. What a treat to spend a whole week together with almost nothing we HAD to do. We thank God for His provisions and for our family!