Zeke and Ben mischief

 

 

Party Time

Ellie celebrated her birthday with all things pink, polka dot, and stripes.  We kept it small with just family (but let's be realistic, with our families it is plenty big).  We loved celebrating our girl.

 

I had her outfit for MONTHS and pieced it together from different resources but everything matched perfectly!  Thanks to Grams for the bib and inspiration for the whole thing :)

Seriously, people, this is the best of like 12 pictures...

I only included this because I think Zeke was a bit overwhelmed with all the girly things

 

Waving to her cousin Maddie

People, just stop and stare at her for a second.  I do it all day long

 

Birthday Girl!

Our Ellie girl is one!  I can't believe our sweet laid back babe is getting so big.  She is taking a few steps, but doesn't seem too interested in really taking off.  She wears size 3 diapers and 12 month clothes.  She says almost anything we say, except Ben.  She refuses to even try to say Ben and instead just shakes her head and says no. Zeke she tries and actually does really well.  She sleeps 2 naps still and goes down easily at night.  She is so laid back and sweet.  It's so funny to see the differences between her and the boys.  She loves babies and snuggling. 

 

Happy Valentines!

 

 

Spence in India

Spence and a couple other guys from the church got an opportunity to go to India and teach some local pastors.  It was a really cool trip for him to go on especially because some of our sweet friends happened to be there for the upcoming birth of their daughter.  Hurray for getting to see and love on some of our international church planting friends.  Craig and Spence worked together at the church for a couple years and we were also all in small group together before any of us had kids. Spence had such a great time with them and well, we missed him but survived here at home :)

 

 

Spence and Levi

Spencer and Craig

Garrett, Spence, and Daniel

Danielle, Levi, Craig, and Spence

Highlight of any day daddy was gone was getting to FaceTime

O'Brien's Moving Party

Our sweet, dear friends Brad, Jena-Marie, Calliah Grace, and Elsa O'Brien are moving to Baltimore to start a church in a city that desperately needs the gospel.  We are a bit heart broken to lose them here if I am being honest.  Brad performed our wedding ceremony, so he holds a special place in our hearts.  (Yes, that was the super fly guy who was unfazed by the passing out groomsmen in the middle of the ceremony).  And Jena, gosh, I don't even know how to begin to talk about my friendship with Jena-Marie.  It literally hurts me that she is leaving.  We became close through a very special small group that we were a part of.  Our hearts are forever knit because God saw fit for us to walk through some of our toughest days together when we both suffered losing babies.  Verses texted to me from her in the middle of her own crisis, were some of the sweetest that I recieved because she was literally in the depths with me. 

We are praying for God to be glorified and the city of Baltimore to be blessed with Redeemer City Church.  If you or someone you know is in that area, please find out more here.

 

Ellie gave Elsa some baby love

 of course the kiddos just wanted to sit and read the Bible.

OR kids had to be broken out of rooms becuase they locked themselves into offices...