Baby Carson Dedication

Our children are never really ours.

We have prayed for each of our children, whole-heartedly wanting to share our home, faith and experiences with the next generation.  Our prayers for Siena became much more desperate as time dragged on without a child so when she arrived, it was only natural for us to turn her back over to the Creator who gave her to us, just as Hannah did in 1st Samuel Chapter one.

And we prayed for God's timing with baby #2 as Carson arrived at God's appointed time in our lives, spacing out the kids exactly three years apart.  Now that they are both here, what kind of children will they be?  What kind of people will they become down the road?  Will they bring joy and laughter or anguish and pain?

This weekend as we dedicated Carson back to our Lord and Savior, we prayed that he would grow into a boy and some day a man of courage and integrity, displaying his kindness, faith and heart of peace to all he meets.  As Pastor Jim Weidman prayed over Carson on Sunday night, we were surrounded by great friends and a fantastic uncle because it takes a village to raise a child up right.  No one person has all the answers.  Thank you to all of you who have been involved and shared in loving our precious gifts.  They are not always angels but they are always loved unconditionally.

Halloween Fun

Autumn; my favorite time of the year!!  The leaves show off their gorgeous hues, Indian summer temperatures linger in our part of the country with a nip in the air in the evenings for bon fires and hot chocolate and there is the fun and excitement of dressing up and asking for treats!  This year was no different as we hosted our 9th annual Halloween party.  It's been interesting to see how our friends and the dynamic of the party, mainly the ending time, has changed.  We are no longer carrying on until late in the night; this year, the house was empty by 10pm.  But that doesn't change all the fun and laughs we had.

Trick-Or-Treating is always a hoot!  We have never visited the same area twice.  This year we were on the Public Square in the afternoon with some of Siena's friends.  The weather was nice and what a great parade of kid's costumes and friendly businesses to mingle with.  Carson napped the entire time but woke up in time to meet his first Ninja Turtle, aka, Uncle Dave.  He and Lashon spoiled Siena with some larger treats that will last longer than her sweet tooth (A book of poems, a light up necklace, spider rings and so much more).

In other news, Siena has taken another step and is 100% potty trained, on her own.  She decided one night that she didn't want to wear her pull-up.  We found the dry diaper and her pjs on the bathroom floor with our big girl asleep in her big girl bed and changed into big girl panties.  Her parents can take no credit; she has completed this big step on her own.  When we stopped pressuring her, she did it all herself!  And Carson must have been amused because he has began smiling at us.  He didn't want to be left out of the joke.  His cheeks are round and chubby so a smile is the perfect accent for our little man.