Woman vs. Spider Cricket

6:30 a.m. getting in the shower

Pull back shower curtain and see biggest spider cricket I've ever seen.

It jumps.

I jump back, close the curtain, ascertain it is not on my person.

Get paper towel from cleaning supplies in bathroom closet.

Open curtain, attempt to kill spider.

Miss.

Jump back, close curtain.

Try again.

Miss.

Give up, go down hallway to get reinforcement.

Usually valiant husband sleepily gives some strategies, "Try turning on shower to wet it down..."

I think I see a slight smile on his face.

Go back to bathroom, take deep breath, try again.

Only manage to injure cricket. That's worse. It keeps jumping. I consider gagging.

One last try. Succeed in catching/killing cricket. I do gag.

But I won. I'm not a fan of spider crickets, can you tell?

Wedding Weekend

It was perfect and an honor to be a part of! Congratulations, Matt and Michelle- thanks for including us in your FANTASTIC weekend!

Michelle and I before the rehearsal dinner at a gorgeous yacht club overlooking the harbor...

Bridesmaids (minus Maggie, who was the most amazing maid of honor I have ever seen in action, and sweet Tyra, one of Michelle's Stuart friends) with the couple before the sweet night began.

Michelle was the most glamorous, beautiful bride in every way! We got ready at the Mansion where the reception was held, which was THE most incredible place and made for a magical reception!

The girls had SUCH fun playing around all weekend- we have collectively been in a cumulative 75 weddings or so. ALSO, our dresses had POCKETS- best thing ever for lip gloss, phones, and cameras. If you are planning a wedding right now or know someone who is, choose dresses with pockets!

My precious Jake and I had the greatest time having two fabulous date nights- great friends, conversations, setting, food, wine, music, and dancing!

Some of the wedding party at the reception...

Matt and Michelle right before being announced at the reception.

Beth and I got in some great time over the weekend- and we were the only ones with little ones there- her Bella Grace is a month and a day older than Blythe and Joy, so we were both juggling feeding our girls around the weekend schedule! There were some funny moments, Blythe spitting up on Beth's bridesmaids dress being one...

Blythe, Bella Grace, and Joy at 10:00 pm when we picked the girls up after the wedding.

MAJOR SHOUT-OUT TO MARIA AND LAURA ANN, Beth's sisters who flew in for the weekend and definitely watched all three babies from about 1 pm to 10 pm on Saturday. Words do not express our gratitude for their incredible gift of self, time, and love for our girls!

On Sunday we got to have a few hours to play in Stuart before catching our flight from West Palm Beach. Here we are by the water. Have I mentioned before that Jake and I LOVE WATER??? Therapy, pure therapy.

I had big plans for getting a six-month photo shoot of the girls in their cute smocked bubbles on the beach. That didn't work out as the hour we had on the beach was smack dab in the middle of their naps. We pulled them from their carseats long enough to snag this, then they let us know that was it.

I can live with that, though, as they were AMAZING troopers for us all weekend! Sweet baby girls...

Over the river and through the woods...

To Mimi and Bop Bop's house she goes... for the whole weekend! Can you tell she's ready?

The other four of us are flying down to Stuart, FL, in the morning for my sweet friend Michelle's wedding! It's such a delight to get to be a part of celebrating my dear friend's big day.

Fun fact- all of our girls will have been to the Pacific Ocean before they were three months old (Abby Jane only beat the twins by a month even though she lived there) and all of them will have seen the Atlantic Ocean for the first time the week they turned six months!

Crazy Arm

Joy's crazy arm, Blythe's thoughts, and Abby Jane's shenanigans with Joy...

Meeting Maggie

On Saturday afternoon, Abby Jane and I went up to Chattanooga to meet the newest addition to our family! Jake was a bit under the weather at the end of last week, so he stayed home with Blythe and Joy.

Maggie is DARLING!!! Here she is with her mama...

It was such a treat to get to lay eyes on that precious 12-day-old, and I even got to hold that little baby for a while! There's just something amazing about such a brand new baby!

Abby Jane was thrilled about getting to see Maggie, but I think playing with Katie and Ian and their toys ended up being a little more exciting (thus no pics of her and Maggie). Katie is taking to being a big sister like a duck to water (they had been to a festival that morning where the face painting took place!)...

When All Three Cry...

I sing "Jesus Loves Me."

Really loudly.

It's not for my girls' benefit.

It's for mine.

The words are truly profound...

"Jesus love ME [mom inadequate to meet all my kids' needs]

"This I KNOW

For the Bible tells me so.

[My] Little ones to Him belong

They [and their mama] are weak

But He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! For the Bible tells me so."

Yesterday, I sang the song once or twice. I should have known it would be one of those days when Jake snagged this picture at 7:45 a.m. of me drying my hair IN THE KITCHEN so I can unload the dishwasher, monitor AJG's breakfast and try to stave off the twins from their oatmeal for another few minutes while preventing my hair from giving into Atlanta humidity. (Do you see all three girls? In the spirit of brutal honesty, I didn't even crop down this photo to keep from showing you my junky rental kitchen in fully-not-cleaned up-from-morning-dishes glory!)

I have heard a lot of praise from folks recently who read this blog- I thought I would throw in a dash of reality so you didn't all think that every moment in our home is baking cookies, painting, and picnics! There's a LOT of that- God is good- but I do sing "Jesus Loves Me" a few times a week.

Because I need to hear it.

Today has been every bit as smooth and lovely as yesterday was not. But it's still nice to know that Jesus loves me. And you!

Weekend Recap

Friday night was leaving the little ladies here with Ken and Sandy while Jake and I went down to Auburn for a great evening of hearing what the Lord is doing through Crusade on campus and overseas, as well as some ways Jake and I are incredibly excited about being involved. We had an extra hour before the dinner began in which we soaked in that heaven which is Auburn in the spring.

Saturday was a precious day of being with dear friends for both Jake and I. Jake went back down to Auburn and had a great time taking Abby Jane to our sweet friend Kirkley's fabulous 3rd birthday party! I was there in spirit- it sounded like and looked like a fantastic time.

Then they went and took in A-Day, making a stop at the Farmhouse crawfish boil before going on to the game for a little while!! Here is the girl on their way home- notice the change in wardrobe post massive water spill...

On Saturday afternoon, I left the twins with Sandy and went to celebrate a bachelorette afternoon and evening for my dear friend Michelle, who's getting married in two weeks! It was a sweet time with sweet girls and a fabulous dinner at Two Urban Licks!