Trip to MO (1) - Hawn State Park and Baby Audrey

We spent the last week in Missouri visiting my family. We had a blast...here come the photos! Mike ran 10 miles one morning on a trail at Hawn State Park, so we all met him there for a picnic lunch following his run (he's training for a 50K in July...nuts!).

Going down the slide together...

Cute cousins playing together at the park! Oh...and I had to throw in one or two of my dad...he doesn't get much blog press! :)

We were SO excited to finally meet baby Audrey...my newest niece. Adam and Jenny make cute babies! She is the sweetest little thing and I miss her already.

Happy Easter!

Our traditional Easter family photo...complete with Nattie's cheesy grin! It is so hilarious and makes me smile every time I see it. Oh..and I told Mike that he needed to learn how to hold a girl in a dress...not the most ladylike position for my little babe. :)

Ben and Nattie had fun opening their Easter baskets from the Easter Bunny (aka the great-grandmas!). I tried to take some cute pictures of the two of them together...this is as good as it gets.

Just a few other pictures from the day... We enjoyed spending the afternoon with Mike's family at Mamaw's house.

We are so thankful that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and, ultimately, conquered the grave so that we could live forever with Him in Heaven. Happy Easter!

Heat wave and LeBron...

The sun is shining and it's in the upper 70's here today. PERFECT! Too bad there are no buds on the trees yet and our yard is still super soggy from all the snow and rain recently. Oh well, we had fun playing outside for awhile this afternoon.

I know I've said this before...but I love this little lady in blue. :)

Fun in the sun...Ben had the squinty sunshine smile going on today.

Last night we got to go to a Cavs game with our friends, Don and Monique. It was a close game, but we had great seats and it's always fun to see LeBron. I was hoping to see Shaq, but I guess he's out with a hurt finger. Thanks for inviting us, friends! It was fun.

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! :)