Humble Happenings: It's been a loong time....

I know, I know, it seems I've taken a hiatus from all things internet related. Shocking, I know. It's not to say that my Facebook, blogger and mommy board consume my every waking hour, but spending a little less time here made for more time out there. And by out there, I mean my front yard. Ryan and I are in the process of planting strawberry plants where the evil thorn bushes once were.

*Side note: Whoever thought that rock was decorative and enjoyable has not spent 3 days digging out said rock. I digress.*

It's been back breaking, tedious work but I would not change it for anything. Working alongside my husband and watching my children explore the front yard (and occasionally attempt to run in to the street-Daniel) has been refreshing. R and I are tackling a project together and working side by side to better our front yard and yield (hopefully!) strawberries. It's filled me with great joy and accomplishment. This is good considering we've been dealing with Grandma Nancy's hosital stay. I won't go into too much detail but we're all praying for a healthy recovery. She has a long ways yet, but we're hopeful.

The boys have been great-for the most part. There are still plenty of moments in my day when Daniel exceeds my patience and I really have to step back and take a breather (and am still working on stretching my patience more) but it is so fun to watch them. Jake especially. I think my favorite age to date is 1 year old. They're mobile, inquisitive and wanting to test boundaries and it so much fun to see them connect. Jake has taken to saying "vroom, vroom" when he plays with his cars and it cracks us up. Daniel has also become more interactive with his little brother and it is so heart warming to watch them play together. Daniel gets a big kick out of making Jake laugh.

On a more serious note, it's not a secret that I have struggled with my faith. Well, not so much struggled in believing in Him, but finding the time and energy to give more of myself to Him. I've been reading 'Real moms, Real Jesus' and it's really helped me take a moment to analyze myself, my faith and my role as a mother. I have been connecting with my Bible more and my spiritual self and relying more on prayer to get me through tougher times and I can feel the change within me. It's nice. Also, there have been changes around me that further deepen my faith. R can call it coincidence or hard work on our part, I call it faith. Believe me, we've had that discussion. Jake no longer needs surgery and we've been able to refinance our house. Little changes to some, but well needed to us.

I leave this now with some newer pictures of my men. Tomorrow I will be sure to post because my little Jake turns 1!!!! Hard to imagine a year ago today I was still pregnant with him..