have you ever thanked God for your two front teeth?

have you ever thought about all of the things that we are able to say and do because we have two front teeth? i hadn't.

i walk around all day everyday taking for granted the ability to make the "th" or the "s" sound.

the ability to bite into a big crunchy pink lady apple or a sweet delicious buttery corn on the cob. the ability to smile without my lip getting caught on my canines :) or people looking at me funny...

what is completely horrible is that i have come to expect all these wonderful gifts as normal...

but last week God gave me a great opportunity to thank him for a lot of the things I have been taking for granted.... I will list a few ... :)

-- the ability to eat food and have it properly digested by my GI system

-- the strength and mental capacity to care for my children without fainting or passing out

-- my children's ability to sleep through the night without being plagued by sickness and poison ivy covering their body (yes even on the private parts :)

-- my brain's ability to calculate depth perception between my teeth and an approaching object...

-- having milk in the house both to drink and to soak my broken teeth (who knew?)

having an amazing dentist right here in my own home!

who takes such good care of us... in sickness and in health :)

so wonderful...

so talented and patient... in and out of the office :)

i have the greatest dentist and husband in the whole wide world :)

I have come to appreciate him and so many other pleasures after last week :)

God has been so so good to me!

In His presence there is fullness of joy! At His right hand is pleasures forever and ever! psalm 16:11

so so sweet, at the beach!!

noah and dad building a castle :)

both so excited about this picture :)

precious girl!

love her!

notice noah and the stick :)

noah and the shovel

bubbles!

of all the things we could find at the beach... shells, sand dollars, hundred dollar bills....

noah finds a disgusting previously used flosser in the sand and attempts to use it ... definitely a dentist in the making... "only floss the ones you want to keep"

a flowered hat, the sun, a towel. a real girl :)

a shovel, a ball, the sand :) a real boy

i love them both so much :)

"and from the fullness of God, we have received grace upon grace." jn 1:16

And then there was her...

it seems like we couldn't find this sign fast enough :)

I never thought I could love another precious little baby as much as I love my little Noah guy, but the moment I saw her, I was in love :)

She is so completely precious

just perfect

with such a sweet angelic disposition.... she must get that from her daddy :)

my amazing husband. the incredible dad who delivered the baby...

with a little bit of help from our nurse, Thanks, Susan :)

our wonderful parents !

the happy grand dads-- pop pop

and dedah

we think she has long toes like me :)

but a precious face like her daddy

Noah meeting his little sister for the first time...

Noah is having a little bit of trouble adjusting to the new baby in mom and dad's arms....

phrases I have heard a lot in the past two weeks... "all done with eden," "put eden back please" "all done with big brother"

I love you, my sweet precious little boy. You're going to be a great big brother :)

Why Eden Grace? Our hearts were made for Eden, the Garden of God (Ezek 28:13). We were made to live in His presence, to know His glory! but we exchanged His glory for a lie (Rom 1:25). We gave our lives to something less, and received in ourselves the due penalty for our sins: death, destruction, and separation from God (Rom 1:27).. but God being rich in mercy because of the Great LOve with which He loved us, even when we were dead, made us alive in Christ Jesus. for it is by Grace we have been saved!!

...and why Noah Christopher? and he named him Noah saying, God will send a Comforter to save us from the curse (Gen 5:29)... and He did Jesus Christ our cross bearer (Christopher), God made flesh and dwelt among us!! (John 1:14)

So there you have it, my precious Eden Grace :) and little Noah guy :)

Since the Fair :)

so, I have gotten a couple of comments from people wondering about our very long sabbatical at the fair :) here is a little update on the last 2 months since our journey to the fair :)

eden grace at 34 weeks!!

a trip to charlotte to see matt and steph and sweet lucy

noah picking out his very first Christmas tree!!

decorating with mom :)

noah reciting Exodus 2:25 "God heard the groaning of His people and God remembered His covenant... God saw and God knew." Christmas: a celebration of God's fulfillment of His covenant... in Jesus!

Aunt Tuck teaching Noah and Lucy how to play the piano!

Noah's first Christmas in Charleston!

Christmas Morning!!

new red radio flyer tricycle with a bell :) !!

... since our feet can't quite touch the peddles yet....

now we are anxiously awaiting our new little bundle of joy who should arrive in the next month!! can't wait to see you my little eden grace :)