1-4/52

have you heard of that challenge to take a picture every day for a year? well i know myself and that would quickly turn into a chore but i still like a little encouragement to get out the good camera and take some pictures. over {here} i saw the challenge originally {here} to take a portrait of your children every week for a year. i can handle every week. so here's the first 4 from this year:

1/52 - last days in MS

 2/52 - a partial nose scrunch 

funny enough, i think the scrunch only lasted a couple weeks

 3/52 - playing guitars

some of my very favorite times

4/52 - sprinting 

11 months

11 months

we got back from spending christmas in ms and i felt like he'd grown a foot while we were gone! he was into everything! he was pulling thing down that he hadn't even noticed 2 weeks before. 

this month he's...

waving

scrunching his nose when he smiles

clapping

clicking his tongue

playing by himself in his room (which makes me happy/sad)

pulling up on everything

standing for a few seconds longer every day

jumping

getting his sixth tooth

sprinting toward the bathroom if we forget to close the door

eating anything

laughing  (best sound ever)

he is so. much. fun.

He is faithful

God is so faithful

that's the biggest thing that the Lord has taught me in all of the unexpected adventures of the past couple years. He is so faithful and he will always provide.

this past summer - for the third summer in a row - i was looking for a job.

when we moved to chattanooga, i applied and applied and applied for months but didn't hear anything. then i got 2 interviews on the same day in july and ended up getting to teach at a magnet school with the best girls ever.

when we moved up here, we totally accidentally stumbled across harvest christian academy where i got to teach last year. teaching at a school where the  main goal is to share Jesus was amazing.

so this year, we were looking for something closer to wheaton - it took me about an hour to get to hca - and part time, so for the first time, i didn't even know where to start looking.

but God is faithful.

late in august, i found a little homeschool group that needed a part time kindergarten teacher. kindergarten is my very favorite. 6 little girls, covington and lots of crafts. it doesn't get better than that.

covington and i also babysit a couple days for 2 different families (and i've asked God to cancel all my prayers for twins - one day a week with 2 the same age is enough for me :)

                            

 it's so neat to see how God knew so much better than me what we would need - covington loves getting to be around other kids and playing with different toys and we're gone just enough to keep us from getting bored at home. i'm so so thankful for all the time that i get to spend with covington and am soaking up these sweet days that are going way too fast. 

i love my kid so much...

have you seen the movie 'what to expect when you're expecting'?

my favorite line is

"i love my kid so much, i'm sometimes afraid i'm going to eat him."

i get it :)

christmas a little late

we had so much fun spending 2 weeks in mississippi. on the way down, we did it all in one day for the first time - we left at 1:30 and got there just before 3am. thankfully, covington slept most of the way, which was our plan. im pretty sure adrenaline and excitement about getting there drove us :)

covington was all smiles on christmas eve but 2 hours later he melted down with his first ear infection, cough, and fever :(   after crying from 10 to 2, james slept with covington out on the porch for a couple hours and then on the couch with the door open so he could breathe better. best dad ever.

just chilin, obviously not doing so great on christmas morning, but james and mb are always great entertainment

 after a couple days of meds we were doing much better

 poppy, mia, and the boys always have a lot of fun. don't you love how hayze and c are playing with water bottles instead of the toys? this is a great age!

covington attacked mary brooke with a big sloppy kiss and she said "awkward!" i love that girl.

granddads, gigi, our little family, and swinging

james picked up a new hobby in the 2 weeks and is really good at it. we were so excited to be outside with sunshine that we might have rolled in the grass the first day we go there :)

poor covington got sick again on our way back but with the second round of antibiotics, i think we're finally recovering and getting back into the swing of things. we so loved being with family and had a great christmas, sick and all :)