A heart of gratitude...

Since this week is Thanksgiving and I haven't posted in three weeks! I'll take a quick minute to write down things I'm grateful for right now....

*I'm grateful for Jesus.  More and more and more each day.  I'm so easily swayed and He is so consistent and good and more kind than I deserve.  I  need more rescuing and redeeming than all the people!

*Patrick.  I'm so grateful for him. The way love grows and deepens is amazing to me. He is the champion of my heart, my best friend AND such a perfect companion.  We may be exactly opposite, but it works so well. As an added bonus, last week was our 10th anniversary! TEN years!!! {I will post more on that later...}

*Benjamin, Andrew and Elise.  These babies make me so full.  They are such treasures to me.  And since I was "suppose" to never, ever have babies -- they are that much more special.  The Lord uses them to teach me, humble me and sanctify me on a daily basis! I love them truly and deeply.

*I'm grateful for our new home.  We moved in this past weekend and it was crazy -- but wonderful!  God has extended great kindness to us through this whole process and has answered so many prayers!  I can't wait to write about what a journey it's been.  But we are so humbled to be living here!!!

*Family.  We may not have family around, but they are sweet to love on us from afar! A special shout out to my dear mother-in-law who came down for ten days to help us with the kids and moving and to regulate my stress levels. :)

*Friends.  I have some really great friends.  Truly, it's such a gift to be surrounded by people who love you and support you and care for you and pray for you and walk with you.  We had TEN guys helping us move.  We have had meals brought for us as we settle in and unpack.  We have little gifts show up at our door.  We have friends to share out things with.  We have friends who are praying great prayers with us!  This community that God has given us is delightful!

*I'm grateful for Patrick's job that he enjoys and provides for our family in great ways.  And allows him to really use his strengths and gifts to work well for the Lord!

*I'm grateful for my coffee grinder and french press that provide delicious coffee daily :)

*I'm grateful for our van.  Back and forth.  Here and there.  That thing is a champ.

*I'm grateful for The Academy, the school Benjamin and Andrew attend.  I could go on and on about how incredible this school is and how humbling it is for my children to be given a Classical education.  But I won't.  I will say this, though:  The things they learn and the community we have there is beyond words and so, so wonderful.

*I'm grateful for a healthy body.  These days of littles are tough and long.  Add in moving and school things and life things -- and that 's a lot for a body to endure! I' glad that my body is strong.  I'm glad I enjoy working out and eating {mostly} healthy.  And I'm glad that, by God's grace, this is true.

Now that I think about it -- none of this would even be without the grace of God.  And that is what I'm most thankful for.  Grace upon grace, upon grace, upon grace...  Happy Thanksgiving week, friends!

Christmas 2013

Our Christmas was low key and relaxing, as it is most years.  We love being at home and enjoying each other.  It's sweet to be together and play and laugh and rest and make memories.

I am a firm believer that Christmas with children is about the most wonderful thing ever.  If you don't have kiddos around -- come to our house next year.  I am also a firm believer in the saying "the more the merrier".  A full house is a happy house. 

Aunt Kate was here for a whole week and it was wonderful. We all love having her around.  She is a great help around the house and with the boys.  But she's also great company and good fun. 

The boys were sick all day and that was sad.  And Andrew pretty much cried all day.  Benjamin got a bike and was happy to ride around the block as many times as he could convince Patrick to take him.  We ate delicious cinnamon rolls pretty much all day.  We drank coffee a good portion of the morning.  We laughed at the differences in Benjamin and Andrew as they opened presents.  We smiled through dinner while Andrew cried sitting on my lap, Benjamin slept on the couch {he crashed just minutes before we sat down to eat} and Elise bounced in the bouncy seat.  We made memories indeed...

Anyways, here are way to many some pictures from our Christmas...

We matched!!

Ice storm -- 4 days before Christmas!

Christmas vacation nap and snuggles

Dry brining the turkey on Christmas Eve

Brotherly love...

Three babes. Three smiles. Win!

Family picture

Silly faces

We made a scavenger hunt for Benjamin to find his bike...

Stockings were stuffed with cut PVC pipe and connectors...and they loved it so much!

Breakfast snuggles and hangout before we opened presents...

B loved this blanket

Pretty much sums up Elise's feelings about Christmas...

Soccer Balls!

Andrew got a train set!

French cookbooks make me smile!

Aunt Kate with a little blue box, from the siblings...with love.

Elise opened her presents later and was pleased to get some clothes!

And we read her new book...

Aftermath insanity...

The bike!

Elise's first Christmas!

Cute first Christmas under the tree picture...

Learning to ride...

Such a big guy!

Clearly delighted!

Merry Christmas -- love the McBrides!

Another Father's Day {2013}

Each year that we get to celebrate Patrick is sweet, to me.  As long as I waited to be a momma, he waited to be a daddy.  And Patrick is the kind of guy that kids flock around.  I joyfully watched how his nieces and nephews adored him and surrounded him anytime we were around. That makes a girl fall more in love, I tell you!

But then our own children came along.

Sweet mercy! Patrick is so great with the boys.  They want to be near him constantly and are always asking when he will be home from work.  They adore and treasure their daddy! His relationship with Benjamin and Andrew melts me and I simply cannot wait to watch our little girl fall in love with her daddy.

These little things -- they are beautiful and humbling things! I love having a front row seat.

Patrick disciplines well -- with such humility and integrity and with such a heart to see our boys grow and thrive.

Patrick plays well -- he laughs as hard as the boys sometimes and everyone has fun when they play.  He is so good at including both boys.  And he takes quite a beating from our little guys!

Patrick loves well -- he is constantly telling the boys how much he loves them and how proud he is of them.  He asks questions about their days and gives them kisses and hugs without limit.  Those boys will grow up knowing that their daddy deeply loves them.

Patrick leads well -- my husband is a man of incredible wisdom.  He teaches the boys {and me!} with great joy and fervor and desire to see them grow and be better versions of themselves.  He teaches the word of God to our boys without holding back and leads by example on how to walk in the ways of the Lord.  He also teaches them how to shoot a bow and arrow, how to mow the lawn, how to clean up after themselves, how to serve me and each other.  He includes them in his life and allows them to learn with him and from him!

I long to let Patrick know that he is forever appreciated and loved and thought so highly of in our home.  He is our rock and stability.  He is an incredible decision maker and I rarely disagree with the plans he makes for our family.  I would follow him to the ends of this earth and I know the boys would too.  In fact, they may run to keep up with him!

And as an added bonus, here are some questions Benjamin answered about his daddy :)

My daddy's name is: Patrick McBride
How old is daddy: 5
How big is daddy: as big as a giraffe 
What color is daddy's hair: He has NO hair.
What color are daddy's eyes: Blue

Daddy's favorite drink: Crystal Light
Daddy's favorite food: beef and fried casserole {???}
Daddy's favorite vacation: camping
Daddy's favorite dessert: ice cream
Daddy's favorite restaurant: places at work {restaurants at Chesapeake}
Daddy doesn't like: coffee

Daddy knows how to: hammer stuff and jump in pools good
Daddy lets me: go to the pool and snuggle with him
Daddy likes to: read and shoot bow and arrows
I love daddy because: he snuggles me and takes me to the pool and plays with me


Happy Father's Day to the most incredible man I've ever known.  It's a joy and privilege to be a parent with you and journey together. YOU are my favorite thing, Patrick McBride -- and I know our boys would whole heartedly agree!

Preparing for Holy Week...

There are certainly so many great things you can read to prepare your heart to celebrate Easter weekend.  It's a week full of reminders of all the incredible truths from this painful and joyous event.  Our church, Henderson Hills Baptist Church, put together a devotional for this coming week.

Check it out here!

You can also go to this page and listen to the songs the worship team wrote to remember and rejoice in the death and resurrection of Jesus! The lyrics are at the bottom of the page, too!

SO this is Christmas...

As they say -- nothing is over like Christmas.  I believe this more and more each year.  We took down our decorations today and Benjamin cried for several minutes because he didn't want to take down the tree.  Presents are all unwrapped and put away, new clothes are washed {and will be put away at some point before March}, and all of our leftovers have been eaten.

And we are just four days out.

On the 26th we were eating dinner and Benjamin exclaimed, "When is it Christmas again?!?!!?"  It's always heartbreaking trying to explain an entire year to a three year old.  He has no clue how quickly years will go by...

Christmas was sweet and the boys were so excited.  They are so different and it's just a joy to watch them be who they are.  Benjamin would tear into presents and squeal loudly and excitedly at whatever he opened.  Andrew, on the other hand, slowly opened a present and demanded that it be taken out of the box so he could play with it.  And then, as B ripped through three more gifts, Andrew would contently play with his new toy.  We would hide that gift so he would open another one.

And so it went for an hour.  Benjamin and Andrew would open a few gifts.  Aunt Kate and Grandpa next.  Daddy and then Mommy.  We all took turns and were glad to see what the other received.  All in all, a very successful morning.

I made a crock pot breakfast casserole and homemade cinnamon rolls.  We grazed most of the morning.  I made a turkey breast, homemade mac n cheese, dutch oven bread, sauteed vegetables and carmelitas for dinner.  I love holiday meals!

We were suppose to get a "winter storm", but it was not stormy at all.  Although, it was so very cold -- a nice change to our mild weather so far this winter.  And then -- it snowed.  It flurried, really.  And there was not much accumulation.  But for this native West Virginia girl, snow is snow on Christmas!

Playing in the snow!

Patrick made this snowman for Benjamin!

Andrew was clearly not a fan of snowman making or snow playing...

Benjamin got a pirate ship from Gramma and Pap-pap and he and Andrew played with that ship all day.  It was strangely quite at times because they would just sit and play pirates.  They still play with it pretty frequently.  

They both got sleeping bags and Benjamin has slept in his every night since Christmas.  He's too funny.  He also got a tag reader and we are loving it.  Although, I am more excited about it than he is right now :)  Andrew has enjoyed playing with all of his trucks and cars and Little People.   Plus, they couldn't get enough of Aunt Kate.  Benjamin barely left her side.  And Andrew warmed up quickly and would sneak into Aunt Kate's arms if Benjamin wasn't around!

Pirate ship playing.  And obviously near {a napping} Kate.

This year Benjamin and Andrew were such fun ages for Christmas enjoyment.  Still so small and so awe struck.  Big enough to know a little more and to do more together. I can only imagine that each coming year will have it's own sweet treasures.  These boys bless my heart!

And here are just a few {and then a few more} pictures of our Christmas.

Christmas morning family picture.
 I have squinty eyes, but everyone else is looking.
Sometimes you just take one for the team, you know? 

This picture pretty much sums up Kate's week with us.

A little family picture action!

Head bonking.

This is just too cute for words.  And that really is Benjamin's {fake} smile.

Some family picture action.

And this is the time that I was posing for the camera and David and Patrick stood on my feet so I would stop moving.  

I love this girl.

So... Merry, merry belated Christmas!

GGCH {ghetto graham cracker house}

I'm usually all over planning fun things for us to do. 

 And this year I figured I would be on top of things because I'm not pregnant OR nursing a baby.  My mind is all my own!

It's kind of nice.

Except, I'm not on top of it.

In fact, I ran to Target the other night to return something and while walking around {alone} I thought to myself, "Oh my soul! I don't have anything planned for Christmas Eve or Christmas day dinner."

If you know me, you know that this is extremely unlike me. 

Either way.  

I'm in-it-to-win-it with my boys, so I came up with something fun to do on Saturday.  I made some frosting {powdered sugar, vanilla, milk and cream of tarter} that would get pretty hard, but be edible and searched high and low for a box of graham crackers.  Which was very successful -- because I found TWO boxes.

The boys helped with mixing the icing and I unwrapped uneaten Halloween candy.

I absolutely and truly thought that putting together graham crackers to make a house would be so easy.  

It's not.  

I was simply incapable of making decent looking houses.  

So we decorated a tower house and a sleigh.

Make lemonade, right?

I happily call them the ghetto graham cracker house and sleigh.

And I'm perfectly okay with that.

My little helpers.

Working hard.

Andrew grabbed some crackers and ran. Then came back to watch us and do a little dance.  I was sad to have missed it in it's entirety, since my back was turned.  Oh well. Thanks to my sweet husband for taking some pictures!

Decorating!

My sweet B. He LOVES to help me in the kitchen.  And I'm so grateful for that.  I deeply desire to pass down my love of cooking and creating in the kitchen to the boys.

See the Starburst in his mouth?  He was so anxious to eat the candy.  And he only put the candy on because I told him he couldn't eat ANY of it until we were done decorating....

So, any other great and festive ideas I can do last minute?  ;)