Everyday kinda stuff...

We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory last night and it was yummy (and have you ever noticed how massive the portion size is there?!). We somehow ended up in matching outfits, which we didn't realize until we were out of the house. Oh...and how do you like Ben as Mona Lisa? I told him he had nice cleavage. :)

Just a few pictures from this afternoon. We go from Nattie carrying her baby on her back and holding her purse, to her holding a rifle. What can I say...she likes a wide variety of toys!

Things that make me smile...

Can you tell they love bath time?

This was another one of those nights when they both ended up in our bed. We aren't sure how either of them found this position comfortable...but they were both sound asleep!?

Nattie emptied the dish drawer (again) and is, apparently, very proud of herself. This is her lovely, new cheeseball grin.

Benny learned a new Bible verse tonight before bed...Proverbs 3:5-6 (sorry about the nose pick at the end...he's a boy...what can I say?). Oh...and funny story...we bought him a new children's Bible last weekend and he's been very interested in reading stories each night before bed. One morning this week he came downstairs, sat down on the couch (in nothing but his Lightning McQueen undies, I might add) and said "Mom, can you hand me my word of God? I want to read it." I laughed outloud. Guess we don't call it the Bible anymore? :)

Dedication...

The dictionary defines dedication as "an act or rite of dedicating to a divine being (God)" or "a devoting or setting aside for a particular purpose." I think both of these definitions of dedication describe what today was all about for our family.

Today, we dedicated Natalie to the Lord and we publicly committed to daily dedicate ourselves, as her parents, to nurturing her (and Ben and the new baby) in a household that aims to keep Christ the focus. We will, inevitably, make mistakes and won't always model a Christian example...after all, we're only human...but, it's our hope that she learns to put her faith in Jesus and trust in Him, because He will NEVER fail her. We pray that as she grows, so also will her love for Him. What a blessing she is to us!

As part of the service today, the pastor had asked each of the fathers to write a letter to their child and read it aloud. I had read Mike's letter to Nattie in advance but, of course, I still cried.

Dear Natalie,

When your mom and I found out that our little "it" was going to be a baby girl, I wasn't really sure how to react. The Moser family I grew up in was so very dominated by boys, so what in the world was I going to do with a girl? Well, that was all answered clearly from the moment I laid eyes on you. I saw something familiar in that face, only to realize that you looked exactly like my own baby pictures. I truly feel that God used this to immediately develop a special bond between you and me.

As you grow, my love and affection for you also grow. I can honestly say that I've never felt more welcome when I come home from work than you make me feel. Two hands waving wildly in my direction shouting "Da da", instantly wipes out any thoughts of a rough or long day that I may have had. One thing I also believe is that you have been a personal "gift" from God, to me. I know He gave you to me so I can catch a glimpse of how He feels about me. Having you has truly made me love my Father in Heaven more than I ever have. I know you don't understand a "thank you" just yet, but I tell you now - thank you for opening my eyes a little more and strengthening my bond with my Father. I understand that right now in life you need your mom and me the most for survival, and that helps me to realize that what I need most for survival is my Father, Jesus Christ.

My hope for you is that you always keep your childlike heart. I pray that you will always approach Christ as a child would, with ultimate faith, acceptance and trust. One day I hope you too will say "I want Jesus to live in my heart", just as your older brother did a few weeks ago. There can be no greater feeling as a dad than to know that his children will live forever in God's grip, protected in eternal life with the God of the universe.

Your mom and I are dedicating you today as a way of giving thanks to God for the gift he has given to us. I pray that we will always keep Him as the focal point of our family and that we, as parents, will lead our house as He would have us. I love you with all my heart.

Love, Da da

Papa and Nana were there with us but, of course, we missed our other family and are so very grateful for the huge role each of them play in our children's lives. We, ourselves, are blessed to have parents who were dedicated to teaching us how to have a personal relationship with Christ.

Just a few other random pictures from the weekend...

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth." 3 John 4

Blue sky...

It's so nice to have some warmer weather and see blue sky after what feels like years of winter. Tonight we had a fun, family outing to the park. We played on the playground and walked on some trails. Spring is here and I'm happy! :)

The gut, the babe, and the nut!

So, I guess when you are pregnant with your third you show a little sooner than normal? I don't know, but that's what I'm telling myself because I've had a belly for well over a month now (I'm 17 weeks along this week). I heard the baby's heartbeat on Monday...160 beats per minute...maybe Ben will have another little sister?! I'll find out on April 12th!

The gut..

Here's my snuggle bug after her bath tonight. She is in love with this Elmo hooded towel and has to snuggle with it before bed (she gets mad when I hang it up to dry). She's in love with everything Elmo right now. She just lights up whenever she see's his face on anything. Why is that furry, red monster so appealing to the one-year-old crowd? Somebody at Seasame Street is a genius.

The babe...

1 - We like to stick her in boxes to keep her occupied for a moment. 2 - She discovered her reflection in the bathtub faucet and had fun giggling at herself. 3 - She is so cute with her baby dolls. She likes to carry them places, rock them, and pat their backs...adorable!

Last, but not least, here's a video of my crazy kiddos in the tub together this week. If you are overly concerned with germs and/or general cleanliness you may not want to watch this video. I realize how gross this may be to some, but Nattie doesn't seem to mind...ha ha! At least they are related, right? She thinks her big brother is hilarious. (Oh...and pardon the big scab on Ben's face. He said he fell down the stairs on his face?? Not sure how or when that happened?!)

The nut (aka Ben)...

Finally...

..the sun decided to come out and the temps rose above 20 degrees! It was actually in the 50's yesterday and we jumped at the chance to be outside for awhile...even if there is still lots of snow on the ground. Ben had fun riding his bike until he would come to a patch of unshoveled snow on the sidewalk and get stuck. Oh well...we tried?!

Just a few random pictures from the last few days...the bottom left picture is a typical scene in our bed on any given morning. For some reason BOTH of my children end up in our bed at some point in the night. I love them both and cherish these days when they are little...since they will soon be gone...but I much prefer my bed to myself! At least they are cute all snuggled up together...right?

A little Benny story from today....I came home to find out that he got a stick taken away at preschool. They get sticks taken away for disobeying the teacher. Apparently he was told not to touch an electrical outlet and he did so anyway. The note from his teacher said he was "very upset" because he thought they (the teachers) were mad at him (Mr. Sensitive!). When I asked him tonight why he disobeyed he told me..."Mom, my brain was just not turned on today. I couldn't think and I couldn't listen. Sometimes it just gets turned off." WOW...great excuse, Benny?! At least he's creative...

The smiley, little terrorizer...

I had a lot of random pictures of Nat on my camera, so I thought I'd post them. She is such a smiley girl and I love that about her. The bottom middle picture of the collage is what she does when we say "Where is Nattie's belly?" :)

Here she is looking a lot like one of her Daddy's baby pictures...

Finally, this is what my cute little one-year-old will do if ignored for any amount of time. Mike and I were relishing just lounging on the couch this morning and didn't have the energy to stop the little terrorizer from creating messes all over our house. She would just go from one thing to the next. Oh well, sometimes it's just worth it for a little relaxation! :)