Sorry for the neglect!!

Life has been a little crazy around here lately! John is out in the "field"...again, he had a 2 week break and we are SO thankful for that! He has been coined, our Brave Bearded Leader because let me just tell you that he has an awesome beard and he is so brave to be sleeping in a sleeping bag on a mat, under a plastic tarp with mosquitoes biting his face!!! What an amazing husband I have?!! (I know that is what you are thinking) This is a pretty hard season of life we are in as we didn't think that he would be going out for a full 6 weeks. But it just goes to show that God (almost always in my experience) has different plans than we do. We are totally being refined, that is for sure! Dang I love my man! Okay...so...the boys. Eli and Noah.

Eli: He is 2. Through and through. I love him! He is full of attitude and testing boundaries. ALL DAY LONG! Well, except for when he wakes up-he is a snuggle bunny! His favorite thing to do every night as I put him in his crib (yep, crib...still) is say as he sweetly lays his head on my shoulder, "Go sleep in Dada's bed?" I say, "Sorry, but you get to sleep in your bed in the room with Noahbear!" This goes on for about 5 minutes! Seriously. And then, I rock him while I pray over him before I put him in bed. His newest thing is to say, "Pay for dis room. Pay for Dada. Pay for Eli." And he quickly says, "Amen. Night night Mommy. Lub ewwww." Oh darn that boy steals my heart!

Noah: He is almost 8 months old! Holy smokes, I KNOW! Where did the last 8 months go?! He is pulling up on EVERYTHING. Walking around his crib railings! Smiling and giggling all day long! And watching his big brother like a hawk! He is a joy!

We are getting ready to head to Texas for 8 days to visit my family! I am really thankful we are getting to go. I will get to see ALL 7 of my siblings at once...with no agenda! Last time we were altogether was for my little brother's wedding and it was a crazy time-I was VERY pregnant with Noah. We're also going to get to visit John's brother, James, and his wife in Austin while we are there too! We are looking forward to spending 10 days together as a family!!! Gosh, he has been gone for 2 weeks and it feels like 10 years. God is good. We are just living in a state of BELIEVING God. :) Here are a couple of pictures of the men in my life :)

Our Brave Bearded Leader on top of the highest peak in Northern Idaho...this is what he wears, the same exact clothes for 6 weeks straight...seriously...he is outstanding. I am proud of him.

Eli...full of energy and life and 2 year old-ness!

Noah(bear) :) he really as sweet as the picture depicts!