A New Year is here!

A new year has arrived and I am hopeful. Last year was hard. I don't want to whine, so I won't go into it all, but life just didn't go as I planned it. I had a lot of change and like one of my children in particular I do not adjust well when I have had a lot of change in a short amount of time. So there were two of us in the house struggling to make sense of life...funny how God will give you the exact right child to bring to light the things in you that need some refining! Hmm, more on that another time. So as I look ahead to 2010, a year with some very BIG changes coming our way, I am hopeful that God used the last year to prepare me for this year.

My 2010 Resolutions:

1. Have an open heart to what God is teaching me and allow Him to change me instead of being resistant.

2. Spend true quality time reading and praying through God's word, instead of rushing through my morning quiet times.

3. To be a better wife to Colin......let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly]. Ephesians 5:33 (emphasis mine - Amplified)

4. To figure out how to parent 5 children and survive.

5. Find time to exercise after these babies arrive, and start chipping away at this baby weight.

So what are your resolutions?

Belly Shots...23 Weeks

This is just for you, Jenny, to prove that I am not exaggerating!

Here I am hours before I delivered Bethany at 40 weeks and 6 days.

Here I am at 23 weeks with the twins.



So there you have it! I'm HUGE!

Love You All,
Abby

Coming Late March 2010

to our house!

A baby GIRL!!!!

and

A baby BOY!!!!




I always wanted bookend boys and now I get them! :)

Yep we're pregnant with TWINS!! Number 4 and Number 5!

We are thrilled for what God is doing in our lives and in our family, but we are also overwhelmed (I'm just being real). The thought of 5 kids 6 and under is...uh...well...there just aren't words. So we are genuinely asking for your prayers. For healthy babies and for God's peace as we enter into a VERY chaotic season in our lives.

May God multiply your blessings, like He has multiplied ours!

Much love,

Abby

Favorite Restaurant

So I read It's Almost Naptime religiously since I found it on The Bearded Lady's blogroll and I love it! The gal who writes this blog make me laugh until I cry and then some. So when I saw that she was having her Friday Faves about restaurants I had to participate. Especially because I've been doing a lot of thinking about restaurants since I read Mandy's post about all the yummy places she went to eat at in NYC.

Mexican Food. We LOVE good mexican food at our house and I think Chuy's is our absolute favorite, with Pappasito's coming in a close second and then of course we love Gringos and our local Los Generales (they are especially kid friendly, they don't glare at us when we leave the place a total mess and they are nice when we return...I think we eat there to much because the hostess knows Bethany by name!)

Italian Food. Again, this is some food we love! A few of our favorite places are Collina's, Gugliani's and Maggianos on special occasions.

Steak. This is really Colin's deal, those who know me, know that even though I am carnivorous now and have been for a while, dead cow with any amount of pink in the center GROSSES me out. People tell me to really love steak it has to have some pink in the middle, but I'm not sold on that. I guess that means I'll never really love steak, but I'll go along and enjoy it because my hubby is there. His favorite is Morton's with Perry's being a close second.

Chinese Food. We aren't big fans, but when we eat it we go to Pei Wei or PF Changs.

Hamburgers. We love Mel's in Tomball! Yummy!!!

Coffee and dessert. If we want to stay close to home we go to Rao's, but if we are down near my brother, we grab him and go to Ruggles in the Village where we pretend we're hip and cool like all his CTK friends!! Date night's usually involve cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.


Another place we go with my brother and pretend we aren't old and totally uncool is Shade in the Heights. We love it and we'll be visiting there more when he actually moves to the Heights. Also while in the Heights, we have to visit Penzey's, it's not a restaurant, but it's such a cool spice shop I have to mention it.


So those are our favorites...what are yours?

Abby

Happy Birthday Aubrey!!

Happy 4th Birthday Sweet Aubrey!

Four years ago today our sweet Aubrey Ann made her appearance amidst some pretty dramatic circumstances. Hurricane Rita was headed toward Houston and while everyone else was evacuating, we were at the hospital having a baby!

This is her then:



On her 1st Birthday with her Mamo, who she almost shared a birthday with!



On her 2nd Birthday at Johnny Rockets, eating ice cream...it's in her genes!



On her 3rd Birthday at Aunt Debbie and Uncle Gary's after yet another hurricane!




Today on her 4th Birthday at Sweet and Sassy!



Aubrey Ann, I love you more than there are stars in the sky sweet girl!

Love,
Mommy

P.S. Mama, I wish you were here to celebrate with us, you were supposed to be Birthday buddies with Aubrey, but it just wasn't meant to be. I'll always cherish the one birthday you two had together! ~Stars in Sky, Lally

Pray

I read a post on Mrs. Marler's blog today that has my heart aching, I know what it feels like to get devasting news, but GOD IS BIGGER than that news!!! Please head over to her blog and read her post and PRAY!

Dear Father,

I pray that you, the God of hope, fill this sweet family with all joy and peace as they trust in You, so that they may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

In Jesus Name, amen.

The Kiddos

I've neglected my blog for long enough. Here are some pictures of the kids...


They really "wuv" each other!



Aubrey waltzed into the waiting room at Aspire with these on and there were only a few chuckles, because they know Aubrey...and if you know Aubrey, you know this is just how she rolls.