life in the city:

blythe gets a camera.

2012-01-26T18:54:00.000-08:00

jeff had {genius} idea to teach blythe to use our old camera.

here she is in action.

reviewing her shots....

and some of her work:

eve in her highchair...

....her olivia doll.

...and my favorite: her delicious feet.

ten. months.

2012-01-24T19:51:00.000-08:00

so hard to believe we are closing in on her big UNO. eve is such a lively, fun, and snuggly little person. she is quick to give super tight hugs to your neck when you pick her up, loves anything the little people in our house do, and is trying her hardest to join the walking club. she's such a great eater, readily gobbling up any crazy meal her parents put in front of her, and any object found on the floor too, much to our dismay. she says, mama, dada, ba-ba, and has discovered her fingers strumming her lips make a really fun sound, and oh the spontaneous clapping, she'll crawl, crawl, crawl, and then just stop and clap {way cute.}. this girl gets her point across: in the way of SCREAMING, much like a bird squak if for instance, your food delivery is a little pokey, or you don't wipe her off soon enough and get her out of her high chair. she is not exactly sleeping through the night. we are working out these kinks that make us all quite fatigued...and hope to be on the other side of needing a TON of help to go to sleep very very soon. we love this little wonder, more than we can say......

what we've been up to...

2012-01-18T20:50:00.000-08:00

it's been far. far. far. too long. i could rattle off excuses, but my only legit one is the fact that eve stopped sleeping well right after my last entry. she's back on trackish, and so are we. she has grown and changed so much, and so has blythe. stay tuned for more updates. i promise they are coming....

guess who can sit up??

2011-09-21T12:32:00.001-07:00

things 5 month olds do:

2011-09-07T05:47:00.001-07:00

1. go to the zoo and get all hot and sweaty in my floppy hat.

2. have a crazy good time in my new johnny jump up.

3. Ride with the seat all the way up in my double stroller. {do not recline me!!!}

4. Sit in my high chair!! i just play with toys for now....but soon i'll be chowing down!

5. Sit up with a little help from my boppy, or unassisted i lean way over, and support myself with my arms. {big girl.}

6. Love some time in my exersaucer, drooling of course, & watching my big sis's every move!

someone found their feet.

2011-08-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

scrumptiousness.

2011-07-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

our baby has gone from snoozing newborn to a persistently smiling, drooling, babbling, rolly polly nearly 4 month old, and we adore every stinkin' square inch of her. period.

sisters.

2011-06-01T11:42:00.001-07:00

Three.

2011-05-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

"bLyThe'S pInKaLiCiOuS 3rd bIrThDaY!"

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snip-it...

2011-05-06T13:20:00.001-07:00

four weeks.

2011-04-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

two weeks

2011-04-10T13:17:00.001-07:00

eve hazel is now just over 2 weeks old. she visited dr. bootin on thursday, and tipped the scales at 7#9 oz....exactly 1 # over her birth weight!! she measured 2o inches....2 inches over her birth height. eve loves to eat. she doesn't cry much, unless it is time to do so. she loves being held. she has a lovely but quite small amount of strawberry blonde hair?! she makes great eye contact. she has started smiling when you talk to her. she is starting to hold her head up. she is a perfect little dream, and we are smitten!!

eve's first picnic in the park...

2011-04-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

....and basically she lOvEd every minute of it, as you can see;-)

whatcha think???

2011-03-29T13:05:00.001-07:00

eve hazel webb graces us with her lovely presence...

2011-03-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

eve hazel webb very swiftly joined the outside dry world in the early hours on thursday march 24th....so swiftly that daddy almost had more of a role in her delivery than he intended;) my water broke at 1am...we got in the car at 1:30....in our hospital room at 1:50.....time of birth 2:06a. our hearts overflow at the miracles that surround the events of her birth, including the miracles of: our lovely and most favorite midwife theodorah(who delivered blythe) being on call, daddy being home and not 45 minutes across town at work, going into labor naturally without induction...grandma and grandpa arriving that very day....they seem unending. our hearts truly can't even handle the drenching rain of love that has been ours in the last 3 days. she is lovely. she is perfect. she is the amazing little lady that we have prayed and prayed for....and her big sister COULD not be more thrilled. to watch them together brings tears. i love the potential that their relationship holds, and the true affection that blythe has for her sweet sister eve.

we thank you all for your kind words of congrats....we feel all that love in excess in this sweet sweet time.

jeff, monica, eve hazel & blythe eden

nearing the end...

2011-03-15T18:29:00.001-07:00

......we sure are, in this journey of our newest little love hanging out inside her mama. i continue to feel really good, and not yet desperate for her to leave me quite yet. today we had great apt with dr. carpenter, who feels we needent pressure this girl out of her happy home. she's doing great in there, and there she'll stay for another couple of weeks, unless she decides otherwise, which could be the case (since i'm 3cm and 75% effaced!....) we are thrilled about her making her entrance when she wants to. blythe continues to just blossom into the sweetest little girl and big sister impressing all with her awareness of the "baby sister". constantly talking about future fun and chores in store for her in her new role. keep cooking until you are ready lil' sister....and we'll be ready to meet you face to face:)

rOdEo!!

2011-03-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

yep. we made it to the rodeo for the first time since we moved to houston, and had quite a nice day there. for those of you not familiar, the houston rodeo and livestock show is basically like a state fair, and has so much fun stuff for kids. we did the petting zoo, saw all the animals, went to the horse arena, attempted a pony ride (but MAY have chickened out when it came time to get on), and of course saw a lil' mutton bustin. mutton bustin' also for those you not aware...is when lil' kids try and hold on as long as they can to a runnin' sheep. they inevitably fall off, and without unsuspecting parents foreknowlege SCARE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS out of lil' 2 year old girls. yeah. we WON'T be checking out the mutton bustin' again for quite some time, let's just say that. all in all a fabulous day, minus a lil' childhood wounding....

33 weeks

2011-02-15T12:19:00.000-08:00

our newest little is growing, growing, growing. ultrasound last week puts her at 4# 9oz! she is moving around like crazy, often startling me with the strength of some of her kicks. we are closing in on the finishing of "their" bedroom, and are so excited to be making room for her. next step is washing all of her clothes is the wickedly lovely dreft soap....ahhhhhh. blythe is just so excited for her sister is so hard to put words to it. Next entry i'll put some pics up of the before and after of the room....stay tuned:) mucho love to you all!!

Park Fun....

2011-02-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

progress...

2011-01-06T12:45:00.001-08:00

oh what a difference 10 short weeks make. i am a new person compared to who i was at 17 weeks. goodbye nausea. goodbye fatigue. hello growing belly, growing baby girl. just had an ultrasound this week, and baby sister is doing great in there, growing like a champ, and in the 58% for her weight. we are getting ready for her, preparing to make blythe's room THEIR room, and of course agonizing, researching, searching, and deliberating on her NAME. here's to hoping the sweet girl will have a name by her first birthday;)

Toddler Bed

2010-12-08T14:21:00.001-08:00

our little girl is indeed not a baby any longer. the big move to the toddler bed (now about a month ago...) was very smooth. we anticipated much strife, with a new found freedom surrounding bedtime. strangely enough, blythe came out of her room only once in this past month, but otherwise, she still cries or yells for us and waits for us to come get her. we were shocked. we wanted to make this transition WAY before baby sister comes so there was no associating the new bundle with blythe's displacement out of her crib---she wasn't climbing out of her crib, or anything--but turns out she was quite ready for this next step into big-girl-land. the pics reveal her crazy positions she ends up in....as jeff and i sneak in with the camera to capture her wildness on film....

a tradition in the making...

2010-11-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

the rain may have postponed this adventure by one day, but we had a CrAzY great dose of weather today for this tree hunt. for a midwestern girl, 34 degrees is the perfect temperature to find the best tree out of the bunch. it was such a great time, and many memories were made. here's a snapshot: the kids are in varying degrees of sniffles, viruses and coughing, so there was plenty of those sounds, there may have been a time out in front of a pine tree(BLyThe eDeN), a lot of ugly, skinny trees, and a LOT of searching for a full LOveLy one, a few scary moments with a saw, 3 boys wrestling with pine needles all over them, 2 tractor rides, 3 boys sawing down a tree believing that that was indeed the coolest thing they'd done in awhile, some fun moments in a port o' potty, and more smiles and laughs than you can count. just lovely, i tell you, just lovely indeed.

a silly mOnKey!!

2010-11-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Grandma Terri and Nana come to Houston...

2010-11-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

as you can tell by the photos: we had a great few days when grandma and nana came to visit!! we played dress up, had a great day at the zoo, shared meals together, and had lots of time to just be together. we love you grandma and nana!!

2 quiet 2 year olds= baad news

2010-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

17.

2010-10-24T14:56:00.001-07:00

i think i may be getting my life back. one. day. at. a. time.....i feel a bit more like myself. this baby has paved a different pregnancy path than it's big sister. like nearly doubled the sick/yucky weeks, and given a whole new meaning to fatigue. blythe is pretty stoked. she talks about them sleeping together, riding in stroller together, and sitting in carseats together. she's dying to give it a bottle. in the next several weeks we will know if it's a lil' girl or boy. stay tuned....

Blythe's First Fair

2010-10-16T17:39:00.001-07:00

We ventured out of our concrete jungle today for a lil' county fair. Yes, in Texas alot of fairs are in spring and fall due to the summer swelter. I grew up going to county fairs with some of my 4H pals, and so fairs are a pretty sentimental part of my childhood. Hence, the desire to expose Blythe to a bit of this wonder. As we've learned as parents, you often get so excited about an experience your child will have, and their reaction is a bit less than what you might have dreamed. But blythe really loved it! We talked to and petted every horse. She loved letting the little chicks peck her hand. She warmed up to sitting on the tractor. She adored every unhealthy morsel of fair food/drink that she tried. She walked around in her cowboy boots (thanks cuz ashlin!) as if she owned the place. She confindently stuck her lil' arm in every cage wanting to touch every furry creature she could. All in all we had a fabulous day...

ps: we'll pretend this isn't my first blog entry in like oh....6 months....;)

two. (better late than never....)

2010-05-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

our newborn is two. i'm pretty sure we just held her for the first time, like yesterday...?! parenthood is full of paradoxes. it has flown, and creeped all at the same time. there are moments forever etched in my heart, and moments i've already sadly forgotten. we have learned so much about her, about each other, and about the duty of caring for another, and yet i feel like i have no clue what i'm doing at the same time. she has grown so much and yet so many threads of her remain as they were on that first day we held her. we've taught her a few tricks; yet she has taught us multitudes.

she says "wuv ewe". she climbs up in her high chair by herself. gives smooches like she has a bottomless pit of them. she loves horses, and says "neighneigh" so cutely. life just billows out of her. there is so much i want to bottle, so much of her natural beauty that i want to remain in it's innocent state. there is much loveliness in her two-ness. so much she doesn't know that i never want her to. and in the same breath there is so much good for her to learn. so many practical things that will help her in life to communicate, to reason, to make her own smart decisions, i want desperatley to equip her with those morsels. and i know in this push and pull, it begins. the letting go, of the illusion of control i have over her.

oh parenthood how it's wrecking ball is so lovely and hard. blythe eden: we love you.

Texas Wildflowers and Our Little Natural Beauty....

2010-04-22T12:20:00.000-07:00

Grammy Terri!

2010-04-11T19:52:00.001-07:00

My mom came to visit for a week over her spring break. she beautifully jumped into our life with both feet. we went to church....my mama's book study...grocery shopped.....sat in the sun....ate frozen yogurt...drank iced tea....planted an herb garden.....talked for hours..... played at the park....ate at our favorite breakfast place.....my poor mom read "Baby Dear" (Blythe's FAVORITE book) until exhaustion;).....went to the zoo....colored eggs....and just generally shared the beauty of the mundane-ness of life, which turns out isn't so mundane when shared. Jeff and I snuck away one night for a date while my mom did bedtime routine with Blythe. Blythe scored a new baby doll, and some killer bath crayons. I could go on and on....

People ask all the time about how we live so far from our families, while it's not easy and has it's definite cons---there are these great weeks of togetherness. 7 days day in and day out(that may not happen as often if we lived close) sharing a bathroom, and your every thought, talking about big things and those cherished small things. We text, talk, and email....but these weeks together bridge the gaps. We love you Mom & Grammy! Come back soon...

Our lenten journey has begun...

2010-02-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

and we are as individuals, couples and a house trying to embrace all that lent is. it's a humbling time of inward refection, and examination, as we embrace the fullness of what Jesus saved us from....on the turning point day: Easter. here's a prayer that i loved and wanted to share.

God we have scattered ourselves

Looking for pleasure

We are dissatisfied with wanting, tasting and getting

God we have exhausted ourselves

Running after wealth

We are drained by long hours of pressure and stress

We have diminished ourselves

Seeking glory through our own efforts

We are disillusioned by self centeredness and fleeting happiness

We have not found joy

In self-love, self satisfaction or self exultation

God have mercy and forgive us

Restore to us the joy of your salvation

Renew a right spirit within us

May we live well and enjoy productive and righteous lives

May we find our joy in serving you

And discover real happiness in loving others

May we find in the you the way, the truth and the life

Amen

--christine sine

serious concentration required.

2010-02-16T18:02:00.001-08:00

Happy V Day from our little Love...

2010-02-12T12:01:00.001-08:00

a new look

2010-01-28T21:35:00.000-08:00

blythe has a new favorite look. it's the furrowed brow. she uses it when necessary, and she kills us each time she pulls it out....enjoy.

beach weekend

2010-01-22T09:11:00.001-08:00

what a great long weekend we had at the beach. the harts came to town, initially so the Guys could run the Houston Marathon (sadly injuries sidelined them both.... future race goals in the works....) and then had plans of resting after the race at a nearby beach house. blythe got a fever the very night we got there, and proceeded with feeling pretty bad, the whole time. the harts helped us to laugh a lot over the raw realities of parenthood, as we played in bodily fluids, slept very little and tended to our needy little sick mama. it was a bit chilly, but we still got a few cherished moments on the beach, soaking up the loveliness the water crashing, peeking at shells, and hearing the seagulls overhead. we always love the real conversation, and sharing of our journeys that naturally comes when we spend time with will and cassie. we love the harts, and will never forget our weekend at surfside:)

the 30 year old dress....

2010-01-12T09:20:00.001-08:00

christmas 2009...

2010-01-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

"midwest christmas adventures..."

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Advent

2009-12-09T15:46:00.001-08:00

we have been embracing this season, and the beauty of advent. the word kinda seems to get overlooked in the holiday buzz, but advent is as sacred of a time to christmas as lent is to easter. the anticpation of the coming king. the longing for a savior. a sacred holy time of waiting. eagerness for the completion of God's promises. a couple of sundays ago an amazing benediction was shared, and it moved me nearly to tears (despite my squirrelly busy toddler in my arms) and i wanted to share it. you might need to give a read a few times, (i did:) but i think you'll love it.

Burrowed in the liquid secrets of our beginnings:

A subjugation, disguised as a serpent,

An unrecorded gasp,

The earth splintered from its divine origins.

Waiting is the hardest thing.

Sunrise and sunset gathered days into a bottomless hourglass.

The earth curled into anticipation,

Surviving without air,

Straining toward Bethlehem,

Where the newborn cries of love fulfilled

Reunite the universe with itself.

An infant God balls his fist,

Gurgles in a divine language,

And the lungs of the earth fill with breath once more.

---Benediction for Advent I:

Genesis, by Jayme Yeo

too cute not to post.

2009-12-05T18:47:00.001-08:00

this shirt was really hard to get off her head last night before bathtime. the funny part is that while it was stuck on her head, i told her to go show Daddy, and she ran to show him, and even stood still while we scrambled for a pic. cute. cute. cute.

monkey see...

2009-11-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

the LAUGH one year later....

2009-10-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

We caught Blythe in a belly laugh tonight, and managed to get it on film. As we watched we couldn't help but remember that same laugh almost exactly one year ago that we caught on film for the very first time. It was crazy for us to compare the two.

We love to see the situations or things that just totally make her lose it. We LOVE who she is, and are seeing more and more every day. Here's a smidgin' of today's laughter...

unending debt.

2009-10-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

the phone line outside my house wonder

what words it has seen,

what would happen if they all spilled out

and i got the lovely ones for free?

tie them in a bow and send them your way,

on the fastest train i know...to get to you.

do i really need a reason besides i want to?

cause i've got an unending debt to love you.

if you were to say that you love thursdays, i'd do my best to plan,

i'd find a way, convince them to escape,

from their usual weekday clan.

i set them right so they're side by side,

on a calendar for you, throw the old one out.

keep a yellow storage house of

sunny saturdays too.....free for you to use.

tie them in a bow, send them your way,

on the fastest train i know to get to you.

do i really need a reason, besides i want to.

cause i've got an unending debt to love you.

~jillian edwards

"july and june"

i just adore these lyrics. they have spoken volumes to me in the past day. they speak of a love that you can just never repay, or gift back in return. they focus on such a tremendous debt to repay that you can't possibly do it. i feel that in so many relationships in my life. of course my God, and then my amazing husband. jeff and i are about to celebrate 8 years since our first date. which was for those of you who know us well, it was nothing short of a cymbal crashing experience. we were both smitten, nearly instantly. each day since, i have learned more and more about this man. i feel i know him so well, he might tell you maybe a bit more than he knows himself, and just let me tell you, he is good. he is true. he is pure and loving. he's patient. he's gentle. his strength is powerful. his servant hood humbles me. he works so hard, to provide for his girls. i am so often caught taking his love and amazingness for granted. today i wanted to share the beauty that lies in 8 years of partnering in life with this phenomenal man....

Baysil Peace

2009-10-09T17:02:00.001-07:00

baysil is growing so fast. she is quickly approaching her big birthday. it feels like she has always been a part of our family, and yet i remember vividly carving pumpkins last year, and wondering if jenni's water would break at any moment. she is taking steps, saying dog, mama, dada and quickly trying to close the gap between her and blythe. her and blythe are so fun to watch. they certainly have their share of cat fights, we have to break up, as they learn the tough lesson of sharing, but they have so many sweet moments.....handing toys to each other, or spontaneous hugs, and snuggles, which are to die for cute. baysil is so full of life, and passion and smiles, and has this addictive little laugh....check it out for yourself, in this short video of chase we played today. we love you, bay.

striped tight+skirt combo=delicious

2009-10-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Lastest Happenings.

2009-10-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Blythe is crazy about each of the boys. There are countless cute moments of bonding between them, but her & justice get to spend some extra one on one time together a few days a week,

before the brothers get home. This day we stopped at a park after picking justice up from school.

This past weekend we celebrated (a bit early) Boaz and Kiah's 4th birthday. Jason's family had come down, and there were lots of presents, and fun to go around. Blythe loved it. She helped them unwrap, and played with all the new goods. The chocolate cupcake with cool whip "icing" was a huge hit with all the kids. Blythe liked it better than her birthday cupcake!

Living in community's only downside is ILLNESS!! We've yet to fully keep the kids from sharing germs. Once one kid goes down, and we quarantine them, they have been together, and sharing germs all the previous days before, and despite our best efforts the other kids usually get it. We had a little bug torment the kids last week, and Blythe spent one day with a fever, and hanging out in our little area...(aka quarantine.) She loves to read, and that day we read and read and read...

Lastly is a few shots from our latest trip to the park on Monday when Jeff had off...

it's still hot down here, ya'll...

2009-09-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

kitchen duty.

2009-08-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

blythe and i made breakfast cookies. they were fun to make and delicious to sample....try them for yourself.

Spoon Skills.

2009-08-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

blythe is learning to eat with utensils.

it's a messy operation to say the least.

here's a glimpse...

15 months and fabulous...

2009-08-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

blythe is now 15 months old, and boy is she growing up. These last 3 months have seemed to bring much change in her. she is leaving the baby behind, and becoming a little girl. Some of her favorite things to do are:

color with crayons, chalk, even better MARKERS! she loves drawing boards, the easel or coloring books...

she LOVES playing with the boys and baysil, especially OUTSIDE. she points to the door, many times throughout the day, hoping it's time to play outside. she plays with trains, and cars, and makes vrrooom noises, as the boys do.

she now says, "mama", in what feels like an almost constant stream as she follows me around the house, and of course dada, which was her first word, long ago. she talks quite often in her own little language in a quite conversational style. she LOVES to sing, and if you ask her if she wants to sing she immediately hits this cute little high note to start off the singing. (quite delicious, if i may add) Anytime she hears music, she claps, and looks around as if to question why you aren't clapping too.
she loves sprinklers, and the spray water park at the pool. she knows to to say cool in this hot city!

she loves to look at books, and will sit by herself and do so. she points constantly at her bookshelf in her room, wanting you to pull books off and read to her.

she loves to head bonk. instead of a kiss, which she used to do, she has replaced it with a little head bonk, followed with a huge smile. (the pic below she had just head bonked justice)

she has started going to daycare at mommy's gym, and church. it was a bit of a transition at first, but now she rarely cries when we leave.
she loves to chase birds. luckily they are way faster than her....

she has this trademark squeal, that erupts countless times a day as she is thrilled over her many new discoveries.
she loves shoes. she tries to put her own on, or anyone's on who has left them in her path. ironically, in her car seat, they come off faster than you can believe, but she then wants them back on again.
she still does her lil' squint. she does it just to be coy, and it's just really cute. she likes you do return the squint, and ping pong back and forth.

we're loving this journey. she's just tooo much. we think you'll agree. blythe eden webb you have stolen hearts. period.

Summ-Summ-Summertime...

2009-08-05T16:30:00.001-07:00

what a fantastic summer we've had. it's kinda crazy, how much we have played, slowed down, traveled, laughed, read, sweated in the houston sun, swam, tickled, sang, and just had time to be a family. we love our summers in the webb family. last summer was a bit unique as we learned what it meant to be a family of 3....i recovered....and we basically sleptwalked all day.

this summer has been quite different. we started out the summer with our fabulous trip to the beach with my family. restfully reinvigorated. then in july we celebrated 6 years of marriage, and enjoyed a FULL DAY alone, doing whatever we wanted, while the shaffers kept blythe. community astounds us. the middle of july, was the college roomie reunion weekend, where blythe and I, and my 5 college roommates, and their kids reunited in Peoria, Il. a weekend packed full of laughter, reminiscing, and bringing each other up to speed with our life journeys. beyond special. 6 women; 7 kids one and under; 3 of whom are still cooking:). the next thrill was our friends, the Harts, visited from denver. we chased butterflies, ate many many gourmet cupcakes, shared about our girls, and how they've changed us, and talked until way past our bedtime every night. sacred fellowship. then we took our last hoorah. a lil' 3 day trip to san antonio to say goodbye to summer freedom. we spent most of our time on the riverwalk, saw the alamo, and went to an ol' western town, loved watching our new experiences through our 14 month old's eyes, had some great veggie food, even better sushi and whispered during our dinner dates while blythe slept in the crib a few feet away. above are just a few snapshots of more fun than we could catch on film, but tried anyway...

the new "squint".

2009-07-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

our little mama is growing and changing, daily. it's just unreal. today, she started squinting at breakfast, just randomly she would close her eyes, definitely in this experimental/intentional way. jeff captured this tonight at dinner, and we both just thought it was too great not to share. enjoy.

blythe the artist.

2009-07-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

BIG Girl...

2009-07-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

wAlkInG!!

2009-06-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

a few fun videos...

2009-06-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

myrtle beach, sc.

2009-06-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

Bathing Beauties.

2009-06-04T06:14:00.000-07:00

Steps in the right direction...

2009-05-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

blythe is on her way to walking, and has always used 2 hands to help her cruise on furniture, this lil' clip shows her using one hand, and looking a bit more confident as she learns to walk. (how cute is that little look over the shoulder, when i told her she was a doing a good job??:)

Ice Cream!!

2009-05-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Gramma Karol and Great Aunt Eileen Visit

2009-05-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

      chocolate yumminess from The Chocolate Bar
   Blythe on the see-saw with a random girl at the park...
     Gramma Karol and Blythe
   Blythe's first taste of chocolate....she didn't like it:(
What a fun weekend we had celebrating with Gramma Karol and Great Aunt Eileen who made the trip from Ohio. We enjoyed the weather by walking to the park, eating some yummy mediterranean food, making homeade (soy) ice cream, and hanging out at home. We had a great time and Blythe loved having her gramma in town. Come back soon!!

the BIG PArtaY!! Blythe turns one!

2009-05-26T09:47:00.001-07:00

Long overdue is the essential recap of blythe's big day! Our baby turned one May 15th, and we of course, had a house celebration, along with Gramma Karol and Great Aunt Eileen who flew in for a few days surrounding the event! Blythe wasn't so sure about the whole thing, but loved the ability to pick up her sorta healthy pumpkin-vanilla cupcake with macadamia nut creme, that her mama made for her. She took a few bites, got her fingers super sticky, and hated her dang cute birthday hat! She loves some new toys she got, especially her push walking toy from Uncle Blake and Shelby, and the fun car she can ride from mommy and daddy. She is really close to walking now, and yesterday took some steps of her own! She is clapping! Doing (so cutely by the way) the motions to the wheels on the bus, and making a lot more conversational sounds, with tons of inflection. Wow, this year has flown, and yet i can remember days that never seemed to end, along this journey of the first year. We LOVE discovering who she is, and are so grateful for this little love.

Bye for now, Aunt Debbie.

2009-05-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

The day before our daughters birthday, we got the phone-call you never want. My tearful mom on the phone about to deliver horrible news. My Dad's oldest sister, Debbie had been killed in a car accident, just hours prior. Such shock, and sadness, and the sickening feeling that you've been punched in the gut overwhelmed me. In that moment you feel so much. You wish so much. You regret so much. You want time back. You want moments back. You want a chance to say goodbye, and express all you felt.

My aunt's journey was not an easy one. She sustained a spinal cord injury as a teenager after a diving accident. This injury eventually confined her to a wheelchair. She had as a result many many surgeries, and WAY too much time in hospitals, and nursing care facilities. In the last 15 years though she lived alone, and had a van that gave her much desired independance. The freedom to pursue what she loved. Anyone who knew her at all, knew she LOVED to garden. It was her passion. She saw God in the miracle of a seed blooming to a tall lovely plant.

I loved her so much, and have so many fond memories with her. She had an irish setter named, Shanda when I was a kid, she loved her and trained her to be the best dog. She loved our crazy dogs. She would always try and get Bella to put her paws up on her chair, and Bella in all her obedience knew that wasn't allowed, so we had to coax her to put them up there, to give Debbie kisses. Most recently, she was hopeful of getting a helping hands dog to give her even more independance. She talked about that often.

We traveled to Indiana this week to be with our family, and to say goodbye at her Celebration of Life. She touched so many on her days here. Countless nurses stood up, and spoke of the honor it was to care for her, and all that she taught them about life, gardening, and love. Her spirit allowed her to triumph over so many odds, and that gives those who are witness to it, the strength to stand up to whatever holds us back in our life. I wished I had a few moments even, to sit with my Aunt, to describe to her what she meant to me. To have her hold my daughter again, to see how big she is. But I don't have that chance, I won't until we are all together in heaven. I am sure that she is up to her elbows in heavenley dirt, crouching down, and gardening with her healed body, not held back by the confines of her chair. You made it, sweet Aunt Debbie, you are home. I love you so much. Bye for now....

Blythe's new carseat=HoURS of FUN for The boYS!!

2009-05-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

the imagination and creativity of the three little boys who live in our house, takes very little to inspire. a simple box will be enough to provide HOURS of fun. beautiful. blythe, is in her big girl car seat now, still rear-facing until we hit that birthday, and 20# mark, but both are right around the corner....hard to believe.

I think it's safe to say the dogs like their new beds...

2009-04-29T19:53:00.001-07:00

These Hills do sing...

2009-04-26T17:54:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed a beautiful getaway to the hill country this weekend. The Webb and Shaffer crews headed to Singing Hills West of San Antonio along with 230 other people from our church, Ecclesia. Despite a little rain here and there a great time was had by all. We spent all of Saturday in the Frio River and around the camp. Always great to escape the concrete of Houston and enjoy a little peace and quiet in the hills of Texas.

She's Jeff Webb's girl, for sure....

2009-04-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

Justice & Blythe

2009-04-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

these two have so much fun together......

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T16:18:00.007-07:00

(l-->r baysil, kiah, boaz, justice and blythe)

Super Baby

2009-04-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

First Trip to the Zoo

2009-04-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

   daddy and blythe at the sea lion exhibit
   she loved crawling on the elephant statue!!
   and cracked up at the petting zoo....
   blythe loved having grammy terri along...
   and a fam shot, of course :)

Swingin' with Daddy

2009-03-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

Some Video Love (you just gotta tilt your head, sorry...)

2009-03-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

DeNvEr or bUsT!!

2009-03-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

we got everything we need, right???

nice to meet you lil' olive kate....you are so sweet.
   blythe in her "little beetle" portable high chair
mommy thinks i look more and more like my daddy everyday
   sweet gunner was a definite hit with blythe, here they are imitating one another
     the dads and their ladies

blythe loves holding hands!! (ollie is tolerating it at this point!)
mama cassie and her devastatingly cute ollie kate
my mom put me in a hat and it's in the 60's....waaaah!
The Webbs took their first family road trip to Denver this past week. Roughly 20 hours in the car(one way!), to reach our way-worth-it destination where our friends, Will, Cassie and the newest member Olive Kate live. We had a great few days of reconnecting, including lots of yummy food, a bit of time enjoying the lovely weather, and great conversation. Will and Cassie hold a very special place in our story. They introduced and set Jeff and I up on our first date, about 8 years ago. awwwww.....

Cute Ladies.

2009-03-05T07:05:00.000-08:00

Blythe:"you look left and I'll look down."
Blythe: "This strap thing is good, you should try it, Bay."

Blythe: "As soon as you get a little older, you can eat leaves, like me!"

Park Fun

2009-03-01T18:07:00.000-08:00

It was an amazing blue skied, sunny, but cool day in Houston, and we took Blythe to the park for the first time. She loved the swing, was less than impressed with the slide, and generally was really interested in all the kids running around. It's really wild to think we are less than 3 months from her 1st birthday. She has changed so much, and we love each new glimpse of who this little crazy mama is.

Familiar Scenes in Our World...

2009-02-24T11:57:00.001-08:00

   we use our big, strong muscles and pull up....
     and we stand!! YEAH!!!
   but then we fall.....waaaaaaaah.
and then the thumb goes in, to help us recover, and do it all again.

Let the little children come to me...

2009-02-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

we were challenged at Ecclesia today, with the passage of Luke 17. the discussion turned to our kids, and our responsibility/honor in bringing them up. what they teach us, and remind us about This Big Love, is humbling. on the other hand, what a huge responsibility to point them towards living in the light of reconciliation, forgiveness, and sweet gentle Love. our goal is to be there to interpret this world alongside our daughter, to hesitate to making things "bad" or "good", without explanation, but to communicate, and explore with her why we believe the way we do. we will fail, and that reality is hard to swallow. yet our hearts long to embrace this tension between, protecting her and letting her go, which began the day she was born, and will be a lifelong process.

*somehow i managed not to get a shot of cute-as-always baysil peace today:(*

Crawling, too...

2009-02-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

yeah, i'm not just pulling up, i am crawling too, which i learned on subsequent days. here's a few shots of me in action...

Up she GoEs..

2009-02-03T13:40:00.001-08:00

blythe started pulling up on her own today. i found her standing up in her crib, and then she pulled up repeatedly all day long on various items. she loves it and is SO proud of herself when she gets up, it's pretty cute, for sure.

Baysil and Blythe bond...

2009-01-30T15:58:00.000-08:00

there's no doubt we all look forward to watching these two little girls forge their relationship, and make their mark in this boy populated household (little people that is). they are both growing and changing so much, and it's so fun to watch them discover each other. baysil loves to watch blythe do what she does, sit up, stand, squeal, and grab for everything in sight (including bay's face at times). she sits so sweetly and just smiles her huge gummy smile at blythe, and will often kick her arms and legs together in excitement. blythe loves to look at baysil too, and would love to get her hands on her a little more than she's allowed. i think she's especially fond of those beautiful locks she has:) Here's a few shots of them together, enjoy!

MLK Day Parade...

2009-01-22T11:14:00.001-08:00

We, as a house, went to the MLK parade in the city to celebrate the life of this very influential man, who sought justice all of his days. We long to impart the importance of the celebration of his life, into our daughter, so she grasps the history of what has gone on between races, and what still needs to be reconciled. We had a great day, followed by a picnic, at a park nearby, it was a gorgeous day, and sure to be remembered for a long time.

Better late than never....

2009-01-15T10:55:00.001-08:00

some shots of monica's side of the family at christmas....we had a great time in the midwest, and treasure moments of togetherness as a family.

Christmas Shots....

2009-01-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

here are a few moments captured from our time with jeff's family. we had a full full 2 weeks in the midwest, seeing all of our family, and a few friends. blythe was more than a hit, and has a lot of fans who adore her all over the globe. she did great during plane rides, car rides, new faces, new places, new sleeping arrangements....she rolled with the punches, and is now back on schedule after a confusing couple of weeks. we feel grateful to be a part of a family who loves us so much, and adores this little girl exponentially. (we hope to be posting more shots of some time with monica's family too, but are having some technical difficulties.)

7 months old!

2008-12-15T21:39:00.001-08:00

Blythe Eden is 7 months old today. ( *And this outfit is finally going to be retired. I felt a bit abusive today as I snapped it, and decided we were done.*) She is 15#14 oz (exactly 10 pounds heavier than at her 2 week check-up!!), and 25 3/4inches long, and we are convinced, sheer perfection;) We are just so proud of her, and continue to marvel at her daily discoveries. Today, yes, I said, Today, she learned to sit alone. We have been practicing for months, and has done a few seconds at a time, until today when I sat her up she stayed, and continued to show off her skills throughout the day. She, also, had her first tooth finally break through several days ago. We have had a rough month in our house, as some psychotic bubonic plague has swept through and not a soul was untouched, including Blythe, who hung on to her health until the end, but is on the mend after her first ear infection, and a bout with a lower respiratory infection, diagnosed last thursday. She is busy and likes to do lots of things, including, reading books, and her new favorite, singing songs, when we sing some of her favorites, she seems like she is trying to harmonize with us.....very cute. She continues to overall give solid food the thumbs down, although we have had a few days sprinkled here and there, when we are sure she was sold, we continue to offer and try new things, knowing she won't be on a liquid diet for life:) We are preparing her for her 2nd plane ride, and visit to the midwest, to see family and friends for the holidays, and we look forward to sharing this special time with our newest love!

Yes.

2008-12-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

This is what I found last night when I snuck in to check on Blythe. Documented evidence of the trials and tribulations of a baby born to a pediatric-nurse-mama, whose eyes have seen SIDS, and therefore refuses to use a crib bumper. so sorry little lady....

thanks.

2008-11-27T18:37:00.001-08:00

a warm day. a big hug each time we talked to our loves in the midwest. pudgy arms, and kissable cheeks. our savior teaching us daily how radical He was. a newborm sleeping like a rock during chaos. 2 lovely new faces around our thanksgiving table. 3 boys in light up christmas socks dancing, and chanting "pumpkin pie". a whole day to rest. grace abudant. yummy healthy eats. great conversation. sharing chores, burdens, and mundane life. charlie brown thanksgiving special. a warm walk in the evening as a trio. pondering the meaning of advent, and how to respond. a great breeze. the insane love of a family....biological, and spiritual. seeing friends and neighbors celebrate together as we walked. a baby drifting in peaceful sleep. popcorn and apple slices. another year of partnership fleshed out. 2 redeeming birth stories, and women here to tell them. two curious dogs safely at rest in our home. laughter in the trials and joys. unwavering trust and understanding from a spouse. the cry of a child only because she wants to be close to you. a good cup of joe in the morning and conversation. loving grandmas and grandpas. occupations that have built in vacations. a long run. friends across the country and globe. hope. good music and someone to share it with.

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

2008-11-19T12:23:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Honey. Today is a celebration, since your life has brought life literally and figuratively this past year. Each day you remind us, what it is like to have such a strong, yet gentle & compassionate man love on us. Blythe and I feel honored to be your ladies. We are first in line in your fan club, and could never fully express all that our hearts contain. We adore you, and all you are, all you work to be, all you dream of becoming, all of it stems from this unbelievably good heart that is inside of you, and we thank you for giving it to us so completely every day. Happy Birthday.......We love You!!

Mmmmmm.....Avocado

2008-11-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

blythe turned 6 months old today. We celebrated with her first taste of solid food. We asked her what she wanted, and she clearly said, "avocado." We agreed because it is a fruit loaded with natures best including tons of great fat for our growing girl. Here are some shots of the tasting. She wasn't quite sure what to think, but liked shoving that spoon in her mouth, for sure.

Blythe vs. the book

2008-11-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

Baysil Peace

2008-11-05T20:21:00.001-08:00

     uncle jeff finally holds baysil
     the daddys and their girls
   the community minus the cherub trio
     the sistahs and sweet baysil
   aunt monica gets a snuggle
     mama jenni and her newest love
     sweet sleepy baysil
      justice is so proud

   mama justice, and kiah blythe gets a good look, and thinks she'll be great playmate material
   we love you precious baysil peace shaffer!

Wisdom of a Child

2008-11-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

Since Jenni and Jason are at the hospital, I have gotten the honor of taking the boys to school. Car rides involve lots of conversation, usually, about airplanes seen, or other items with wheels. But on Wednesdays, just the biggest brother, Justice, goes to school, and the twins stay home. Today on the ride home, we talked about school activities, and then he was quiet for a while. I said, "Justice, what are you thinking about?" Justice replied, "Just Jesus cuz he died on the cross......and it makes me sad." I love your heart sweet Justice. Can't wait to watch you live from it.

We are thrilled....

2008-11-04T20:07:00.001-08:00

that our beautiful niece, baysil peace shaffer,(8# 2oz and 19in.) was born yesterday at 8:50pm. she's breathtaking, and so is her freakin' storm-trooper-laborer of a mama, her servant-hearted daddy, and her proud brothers. she comes to add to the beauty of this radiant family, and we are overwhelmed with joy. these pictures are from the shaffer's blog, more of ours to come (i left my camera cord at the hospital, today....suffice to say i had better things on my mind!!)

It's Labor Day....

2008-11-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

Jenni & Jason are at the hospital, with Jenni in labor, as of 5 am. We covet your prayers for a beautiful story to unfold today.

Belly Laughs

2008-10-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

last week, blythe was about to have her bath when this video was shot. she loves being in her diaper, and seems to be excited consistently before bathtime. she's been known to crack up before at her daddy, but we'd never seen it quite like this before. we love her excitement, and could listen to this giggle ALL day. enjoy.

cold nights in houston require...

2008-10-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

this reindeer polartec outfit, which we are borrowing from our sweet friends the Ritcheys. the last few nights it has dropped into the low 40's, and her rooms seems to be the coldest. blythe does not sleep with a blanket, and so we have to layer her up for warmth. when her diaper leaked at 4 am soaking her sleeper and her sleepsack, i resorted to this number on top of her pjs. she's irresistible, and it feels like i'm holding a baby marshmallow in my arms. yummy.

Fun day with the Grandparents!

2008-10-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Grammy Terri and Grampy Brent came in for a visit on wednesday night. We have had a great time, and they have really enjoyed loving on Blythe. Today we went to Discovery Green park, and had a great walk, and explored this great green space right downtown Houston. We ended the day with a great campfire, and some yummy smores. We have 2 more days with them, and are looking forward to it!

some resemblance?

2008-10-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

I'm 5 months old!

2008-10-15T08:19:00.001-07:00

2 weeks old

5 months old (yes the outfit still snaps, but each month is getting more difficult!)

our baby is 5 months old today. it's really hard to believe. she's got quite a personality. if she wants something, you better believe she'll let you know. she is doing a lot of talking, with some consonant use, now. she can pick up toys, and put them in her mouth. she can roll over both ways(but prefers belly to back). she does really well in her bumbo chair, and is getting better at sitting up. she is still only nursing, and we plan to wait to start solids at 6 months. she has started being interested in the dogs, just watching them very closely, no pulling tails yet. she is going through sleep drama, she needs rocked, and then at times will scream and arch her back, but still continues to soothe herself with her thumb, which is great. she smiles and giggles, but you have to work for them, she doesn't hand them out for free. we love our little natural beauty and feel so proud of her. happy 5 months, blythe eden.

Welcome Home, Love.

2008-10-13T08:53:00.001-07:00

this and a few other shots are about the extent of the photo journalism that occured on jeff's guys trip. that's what happens when guys hang out, they hang out, and don't see each fun moment as a photo opportunity. either way, we had a great day yesterday, as i got to hear each detail of his trip, and time in ft. lauderdale. this group has been doing this trip since college, and continues to make it a priority. jeff had a great time reconnecting with true brothers. we are so glad to have this amazing man, i call, honey, and blythe calls "gaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuoooooooow." (that's 5 month old language for daddy) home.

we miss you daddy....

2008-10-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

jeff is on his annual guys trip with good friends from college. he missed last years due to our moving across the country, so this was long overdue. we love that his heart is better after spending time with men who he adores, and look forward to his return on sunday!