Christmas Open House

If you are local, you have GOT to go to my friend Dina's Christmas Open House. She is amazing and has some amazing friends, ahem I am one of them. Anyway, she is having an open house this weekend and if you hop on over to her blog you can get directions. She is asking that no crazy people with criminal backgrounds or mean behaviors come over. She is cool like that.

Enjoy her blog and if you attend her Open House, tell her Keri sent you!
http://marcusanddina.blogspot.com/

On like Donkey Kong

Ok people. It is on like Donkey Kong. ( I really have no idea what that means.) I think I am now ready to start blogging again! Aren't you excited?!?! I mean really, all three of you should be jumping up from excitement!
I will be back soon...I am off to nap since my three little babes are napping so soundly:)

The Precious Reason My Blog Has Not Been Updated...

I LOVE being a mommy!!

Happy Halloween!

Seriously, I have been AWFUL at keeping up this blog:( As with everything else lately, I blame the pregnancy:) I have about one more month to do that, so I will take each chance I can get! Soon, I will post another belly photo, since the last one I posted was at 24 weeks!! Just look up at my ticker and you will see that I am waaaaaaay behind! My fundal measurements were about 2weeks ahead and at our sono almost two weeks ago Ben was measuring 2weeks ahead. He measured right about 5pounds at 31weeks! Which would put us at about 10pounds if we went to the full 40weeks. My doctor is graciously going to induce at 38 weeks...and I can't wait to get my name on the books!!

Enjoy our photos from Halloween. The kids had a TON of fun and received a TON of candy...and they have shared a TON with mommy and daddy:)

Cross My Heart...

A sweet friend of mine is making and selling t-shirts. She and her husband are adopting a precious little girl from Russia. As you may or may not know, it is quite pricey to travel internationally:) Jennifer has come up with a creative way to raise money to cover their traveling costs.
Her company is called "Cross My Heart Designs". The name comes from the fact that there is a cross on every shirt. The "heart" comes from the fact that their little girl is already in their hearts.

Jennifer makes shirts for all sizes. She makes them for men and little boys as well. She also has baby onesies and bibs that are just adorable.

This family is so precious and we are so excited for them to meet their daughter.

Please visit her site(below) and purchase a shirt!! Tell her that Keri sent you;)
CrossMyHeartDesigns

A moment~

Would you please take a moment and visit the link to the left under "Pray For..." labeled "Jessi's Mom"?
Jessi and Dustin Bynum are some of the most amazing folks we know. We are abundantly blessed to call them our friends.
A little over a week ago, Jessi's mom was in a serious car accident. She has been in a coma since, but is making progress.
We were able to drive to Austin today to visit with them. It was a sweet time for our family to be with our friends in need. It is so hard to be here in the DFW area and not be able to physically be there with them through this.
Please pray for Cindy, for Jessi and Dustin, for her other four brothers, and for the doctors.

Psalm 30:1-51 I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. 2 O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. 3 O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. 4 Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name. 5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Almost 24 weeks:)

It is very obvious to me and everyone else that there is a sweet child growing in my belly. (I know, I know he is not actually "in my belly". But, it doesn't seem as cute to say "in my uterus")

I feel little Ben kicking and punching all the time. I am growing to love it. Of course, I loved the first couple of flitter~flutters that I felt, but as this guy has been growing he is getting much more aggressive. There are times that I am so engulfed with appreciation of this baby that I want to feel him punch me, I love to feel him hiccuping, I long to feel him twist and turn. This may be our last biological baby, and I don't want to take any of this time for granted. Sadly, I think I may have done that in the first two pregnancies. Knowing that I would have another. Then, when we had a miscarriage and the thought of maybe not having another became a reality, something switched in my mind. A true desire to appreciate and be thankful for every single day and minute swelled and became my desire. How grateful I am that the Lord saw fit to grant me the desires of my heart. Because of Him, these precious desires are becoming part of my reality.

The kids are getting more excited everyday. I think seeing my growing tummy has made it more real to them. It is a sweet time. They always come up and talk to their baby brother, telling him about their day and that they love him. It is fun to watch their love for an unseen baby brother grow. I can't help but be reminded of our Heavenly Father. We can't see Him, but we can see the works that He is doing. It is undeniable that He is here, and we can feel His moving at times, just as the children can reach up and feel Ben moving. They can't see him, but they know he is there. At first, it was a trust that what we were saying was true. That there was indeed a baby growing within me. Now, as we have continued to teach them and they see with their own sweet eyes, the progression of their trust has turned to a full on knowledge. And with wide eyes and joy in their voices, they tell others of this life that they are hoping for in December. Speaking of Ben is something that we do everyday. Talking to him, singing to him and telling others of him. It is such a beautiful picture for them of who our great God is. It is such a joy for David and I to show them Jesus in everything that we do. To talk to Him and sing to Him. To be drenched in His love and share that with others. To speak with open eyes and true joy in our hearts of the Hope that is to come.

Thank You, sweet King, for the chance to show our children who You are. Thank you for the many opportunities that you give us daily to see You, to talk to You, to sing to You and tell others of You and Your amazing love for us. Because of you, we live. Because of you, we have hope for things unseen. How great is the love You have lavished upon us!