Love at first sight...

Every night before going to bed, Trey would pray for Baby Spikey (a.k.a. Shaefer). He couldn't wait to meet her in person. The day finally came...

This is one of my very favorite pictures of Trey & Shaefer. The way they are looking at each other brings tears to my eyes!

I know the day will come when the smiles and belly laughs are replaced with bickering and tattling, but for now I am hanging on to these moments...the moments that I pray are etched into their memories. The memory of Trey jumping up and down just to make Shaefer laugh. The memory of Shaefer "chasing" Trey around the living room. The way they cheer each other on when they try something new. There are many, many more...

My prayer each night while putting Trey to bed is that I would know how to nurture and cultivate a healthy relationship, a healthy friendship between my children. I know God will answer my prayer just like He answered Trey's.

I can't believe it's been a year!

I am stunned! This past year has totally FLOWN by. Our sweet Shaefer turns 1 today. I enjoyed my trip down memory lane...I hope you will to! :)

Here I am in all my pregnant glory at about 37 weeks. Off to a birthday party and a wedding!

One last picture before I was wheeled in for my c-section. We found out at 36 weeks that she was breech. There was no turning her...believe me...my doctor tried! :(

Shaefer Kay arrived at 2:15 pm on May 24th. She was 7 lbs. 9oz. and 21 inches long.

Sweet Shaefer Kay!!

I always said I was a "boy mom." I always said I wasn't quite "girly" enough to have a daughter. I always said I wanted to be the only girl in our house. I am SO glad God planned something different for our family!

Trey knew from the moment he found out there was a baby in my belly that God was going to give him a baby sister. He promptly named her "Baby Spikey"! I've never prayed so hard as we walked back to the ultrasound room at 20 weeks. I begged God that this baby I was carrying was a baby girl...not for me, but for Trey. I wanted him to know without a doubt that God heard his sincere, 4 year old heart. God answered and it's been love at first sight ever since...

(More to come soon!)

Just being real...I'm Not Alright

This song really illustrates where I'm at right now. I am struggling. I feel alone even when I am not. I want this time to push me closer to God. I pray it does. I really need it to. All I know is that depression sucks...

(I'm still new to this & I couldn't get the YouTube video on here)

Easter 2008...a week late :)

Trey & Shaefer

The Evans Clan

Alf & Shaefer (a.k.a. Baby Alf Clone)

Me & my kiddos

Hebrews 11:24-27

All I read: Hebrews 11:24-27

Best thing I marked: Hebrews 11:27 - "By faith he (Moses) left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he (Moses) persevered because he (Moses) saw him (God) who is invisible."

How it impressed me: The latter part of verse 27 hit me hard. It says, "he persevered because he saw him who is invisible." Moses encountered the One, True God. We are not always privy to why God does what He does. But I can hold on to and trust God's character during those times. I think Beth Moore said it best today in my devotional: "Remember that most of what God does is invisible - totally outside our realm of observation or understanding. We cannot base our faith on what He appears to be doing or how dramatically He answers our prayers - because faith founded on God's apparent actions is not faith at all. Attempting to exercise our faith according to what we can see cancels out that very faith." I desperately want this to be true in my life. I don't want to ride a spiritual roller coaster based on God performing tricks like a trained circus animal. I don't want to have the attitude of "Well, God didn't give me what I wanted/prayed for, so He must not be real." As his child, I have come to believe and understand that He, as my spiritual father, only desires the very BEST for me. He desires that my heart and my character be purified so that I can be used in the lives of others and be an accurate reflection of who He is. Some of what He allows to happen or gives me in my life may not seem like the BEST from my human perspective. But when I prayed, "Lord, do whatever it takes to make me like you!" I meant it! I don't always know WHY He does what He does, but I know WHO He is. That is enough for me!

God - I love you! I am nothing without you! Help me on my journey to know you better. Help me know who you are when I don't understand what you are doing. I trust you!

Another critter!!

We must have some sort of animal rescue vibe going on around the house...Alf found this little guy in the street in front of our house. Trey named him "Squirrelly".

We found a few pecans for him to nibble on. Trey was SO excited! He couldn't keep his sweet hands off of him!

All the animal rescue organizations were closed last night, so this was the little guy's bed.

Another adventure in the Evans' home! I wouldn't change it for the world!

Quite a surprise

The morning began like any other Thursday morning. Alf left early for work. The kids and I left a bit later to drop Trey off at preschool. Shaefer and I ran a few errands. As I pulled into my driveway, THIS is what greeted me:



Yup, that is a raccoon in my pecan tree. When I first pulled in, he/she (who really knows??) was at the base of the tree probably pretty bummed that the trash was already taken by the city this morning. It took off up the tree. I'm sure it felt pretty trapped...Holley & Brock (my two "guard dogs") on one side of the fence and me in my Honda on the other. Luckily I had enough time to run inside to get my new camera. I knew Trey and Alf would LOVE it! I wish I would have gotten a few pictures of Brock. He was so proud!! He was strutting around like he was saying, "Look mom! I treed a coon!"