Easter in Pictures

Valentine's Day

We had a great Valentine's Day.  The boys know me well.  They bought me flowers, which Bryce picked out (I think he did a great job), mint chocolate chip ice cream, vanilla ice cream, a butterfinger and a heath bar.  Then they made some adorable cards for me.  My boys know the way to my heart. 

They also made an "I love you more than..." list for their daddy.  It was so cute to hear what they wanted me to write on their list.  Then Bryce drew a picture of all of us (including Hallie) on the back of Bryan's card. I love the humpty dumpty looking people he draws.  

The boys and I made a heart-shaped pizza for dinner, along with heart brownies and chocolate covered strawberries. Yum!

 

Shiner

Jayden got his first black eye.  Poor little guy. He and Bryce were running for the ball, he fell and hit his eye on the side of the kitchen chair.  It bled and bled.  I wasn't sure if we were going to need stitches, but thankfully we did not.  The next morning, his eye was swollen shut and purple.  This happened weeks ago, and he still has that scratch next to his eye.  He looks so tough. :)  

Faith Like a Child

I want to write this down so that I have it documented. Many of you who read my blog already know this story.

My precious little (at the time) 4 year old kept talking to me about how he wanted to have a baby sister. This was when Jayden was one and all that we had gone through with his heart was still fresh on our minds and we were thinking we were not going to have any more kids. Bryce said he wanted a baby sister so many times to me that I finally told him that he needed to pray about it. So, he did. He prayed for six months straight, not missing a single day, sometimes praying multiple times a day for what he wanted so badly. Here is how his sweet little prayer would go:

"Dear God, thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Bryce, and Jayden. Thank you for Grammy, Pappy, and Mama. Thank you for [insert his favorite toy of the day, or a fun thing we did that day]. Please bless us with a baby sister. I will protect her and raise her. Thank you, most of all, for Jesus. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Wow. First of all, I am not sure how he knows about the word "raise." But when he asked what that meant (after praying it several times), we sure did explain it to him. And he was still excited to help do that if his baby sister were to ever come. Second, I know this is my kid and I shouldn't be bragging about him, but that is an impressive prayer coming from a four year old.

He prayed this prayer for six months.

We were not trying to have another baby.

God and Bryce wanted us to have this baby. :)

During these six months, Bryce would make comments like, "When my baby sister comes..." or "When I am big, like 5, and my baby sister is a baby..." or "Is my baby sister going to have dark hair like me or hair like Jayden?" He would even tell people at church that we were having a baby sister. People asked me all the time if we were pregnant. As a parent (who is not planning to have another child at this time), how do you respond to these things? I am not sure how I responded every time, and I am sure I didn't say the right things to him because, at the time, it wasn't in my head to be having another child. I know, however, that I didn't squash his thinking, or his faith. For that, I am extremely grateful.

Six months after his prayers began, I started feeling sick. I finally told Bryan that I was either pregnant or there is something wrong with me and that I need to go see a doctor. It takes a lot for me to say that because I don't like going to the doctor.

Come to find out, we were pregnant. And shocked.

We told the boys, and Bryce said, "It's my baby sister!!"

I wanted to be sure and prepare him just in case he was having another brother. I told him we aren't sure if it is a boy or girl yet, but we are excited either way.

He still would go around telling people, "There is a baby in my mommy's tummy and it is my baby sister. " Then sometimes he would add, "We don't know for sure yet if it is a boy or girl...but it's my baby sister."

Bryce would still pray every day for a baby sister.

When we found out it was indeed a girl, everyone was so excited! Bryce acted like he always had, knowing it was a girl, and was surprised at how shocked everyone else was acting. It was as if he was thinking, "You should have listened to me all along."

Bryce has since changed his prayer to "...thank you for blessing us with a baby sister..."

We are so excited to be having a girl, and to have received her in this way. What a blessing from the Lord!!

There are so many things I have learned from my precious boys. This one has wowed me. To have such persistence in praying every day, and to have such faith in knowing that God was going to "bless us with a baby sister."

We have God to thank for our wonderful gift. We have a sweet boy with amazing faith to thank for this gift as well. :)

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.

Mark 10:13-16