.

walker smiles!

2012-01-25T09:52:00.003-06:00

walker is smiling all the time now. some of our very best friends, Ellen and TJ, just had their first child, and i can hardly remember when walker was a curled up little newborn.

at nearly 12 weeks old, she has found her hand and is loving sucking on her fist. she eats great and sleeps great, loving the symphony of sound that river and flora create for her. we have a lot of space, but technically only 3 bedrooms. i am thinking of moving out of my walk-in closet and making it her sleeping nook. her fat little neck makes her look a lot like river to me.
it always makes me so sad to think about the moms who have to go back to work after 12 weeks because this is when all the smiling and the cute cooing really gets going. her precious face is just so happy to see me smiling back at her. oh how i love this daughter of mine.

easiest dinner

2012-01-15T10:20:00.004-06:00

oven nachos. set oven to broil. put kids on stools to help. put corn chips on a cookie sheet. top with beans, spinach, tomatoes, olives, meat (whatever you have in your fridge) and cheese. put it in the oven until the cheese melts.

kids were delighted to be helping, snacking while they worked. i was happy cause dinner was ready in minutes.

january is george's busiest month with games every tuesday and tournaments every thursday and friday. we have breakfast for dinner a lot. it was 5:45 the other night and i had no plans for the fast-approaching dinner. this is what i came up with and i am adding it to my rotation.

such a treat...

2012-01-13T23:18:00.003-06:00

we got to go to george's game tonight. it was such a treat getting to be in the stands cheering him on again. the kids loved yelling for daddy and the bulldogs.

elf

2012-01-04T22:57:00.002-06:00

on the afternoon of his first day off, george made this picnic table for the kids. he made it without building plans and without a trip to home depot. i honestly didnt even know where he was, he just disappeared for a couple of hours and then showed up on the backporch with a table. surely he was inspired by buddy the elf.

christmas in wichita falls

2012-01-04T22:48:00.003-06:00

christmas in dallas

2012-01-04T22:24:00.003-06:00

walker girl

2011-12-22T00:33:00.005-06:00

she is a dreamy little baby. people keep asking me how she is doing and i have nothing to say! no news is good news- she does just what she is supposed to do...eats, poops, sleeps, eats again. i cant believe she is just 6 weeks old. i have embraced more movie-time with the kids these past 6 weeks. george has been to the store more times these past 6 weeks than he has our entire marriage. tonight we treated ourselves to dinner out for the first time all together. and the best way i can explain having 3 kids in 3 years & 3 weeks is that there is no mirage of control. its pretty much chaos and i am learning to be ok with that. my hope is that i make sure and squeeze alot of joy out of all that crazy. its a wonderful life after all.

flora wanted to be wrapped up too

river

2011-12-18T23:56:00.002-06:00

since he is only 3years old, it has amazed me every day this december when river asks to watch "george bailey" aka its a wonderful life. george reminds me that he IS his son and so loving and appreciating the movie is surely in river's DNA.
lately he has also been learning everyone's full names. we love hearing his voice and hearing him talk. today, he let flora tackle him a half dozen times and hug him over and over. he is a copy cat and laughs harder than anyone i know. he is funny and he is tough. he loves walker's nose and eyes. he rubs her head and hugs her dearly. he is a great big brother and loves going on adventures with daddy and cuddling with mommie.

flora girl

2011-12-18T00:40:00.005-06:00

our sweeter than sweet daughter flora is 19 months old. after their bath tonight, she ran with arms open wide down the hallway and hugged river...twice. she is eager to say thank you. she is eager to help. she loves to clean up, wipe up, dress up, and lately has loved asking for "money" from daddy. she loves to sleep and loves her bed and her bobbi, the bunny. she loves her little sister and shows it by kissing her, hugging her, holding her hands, tickling her feet and checking on her "walker girl" as she calls her. she loves singing and my precious alarm clock every morning is her pretty voice singing sweet songs from bed. and this christmas as we await the birthday of jesus, she has loved mothering the baby jesus from their nativity toy. so sweet. we love her

my kids

2011-11-25T22:46:00.006-06:00

(walker's legwarmers handmade by sweet shelly)

the oldest

2011-11-17T22:18:00.005-06:00

our kids have always gone to bed at 7pm. they get up at 7am and i like to give them a chance to get 12 hours of sleep. however, this fall it has been so fun to let river stay up a little later and be the oldest. george, river, and i watched the whole world series cuddled up on the couch. we so looked forward to those nights with our son. and when we have everyone over for taco thursday, river knows he gets to stay up and charm his adult friends. among our close friends here in dallas, he is the oldest and that is fun to think about...

oh! and my sister, bridget, posted some

her eyes

2011-11-16T11:02:00.000-06:00

we are seeing more and more of her bright little eyes!

heaven on earth: a brother and his sisters

2011-11-14T22:32:00.004-06:00

it has really been heaven on earth. we love having 3 children...george said the first night that we were home that it felt more right. of course we have had our share of tough stuff. our big boy river is waking up in the middle of every night crying out for mommie and during the day he is carrying around monkey and puppy even though he knows they are supposed to just stay in his bed. flora cries "up" and wants me to carry her nearly every time i am holding walker. i apparently cannot keep 3 children groomed, seeing that teeth havent been regularly brushed and flora's hair is looking crazier than ever. but i wouldnt trade it for anything...all of this love and cuddling on our sweet newborn daughter.

heaven on earth: the hospital

2011-11-14T22:05:00.005-06:00

walker rose berre

2011-11-11T22:25:00.002-06:00

meet our daughter...walker rose berre
born early sunday morning, november 6th, at 5:48am
we introduced her as bliss walker berre and called her bliss while at the hospital. we knew it wasnt quite right and left the hospital monday afternoon without a birth certificate.
she is our walker...named after her daddy. we are all in love. there has been lots of couch sitting and hugging and kissing and cuddling this week. george stayed home all week! oh its a wonderful life.

mickey and minnie

2011-10-30T22:28:00.004-05:00

river's mickey mouse costume was made in 1983 by his grandmother, sherril berre, for george. kinda snug but ever-so-cute. he loves the tail. flora's minnie mouse costume was lovingly made by me one evening last week...after she went to bed...the ears are kinda out-of-control big.

state fair

2011-10-26T22:23:00.007-05:00

some people take family pictures at the pumpkin patch every year. we take them at the great state fair of texas. we love it. we go a handful of times each year. i had high hopes of taking a newborn to the fair this year but i guess this new baby will have to wait until 2012 to try a corny dog and meet big tex.
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2009
2010
2011

embrace the camera

2011-10-20T20:39:00.002-05:00

their love cups

2011-10-18T23:38:00.006-05:00

with a new little one arriving soon, i am paying alot of attention to my children's love-cups. are they full? are they getting enough cuddle time with mommie? are they getting enough wrestling and flipping with daddy? are they being chased, tickled, and read to? its time to leave the dirty dishes in the sink and crumbs on the floor...and cuddle with my babies.

i highly recommend the book One Thousand Gifts. it is {maybe} the best book i have ever read...because it is changing me, slowing me down, teaching me the learned skill of being thankful. it has been cool to see that somehow God has got George on that same journey...with a desire to slow down, be at home, and relish in this time when our kids are so small, needy, and OBSESSED with us...it wont be like that forever. do less. play more.

reserve it at your library, order it online, or run into your nearest bookstore and START READING IT... i'm an underliner, a write-in-the-margin reader... here are some of my favorites:

"thanks is what multiplies the joy and makes any life large and i hunger for it." pg 48

"in this counting gifts, to one thousand, more, i discover that slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything in my life leaves me deeply thankful for very few things in my life." pg 57

"the slower the living, the greater the sense of fullness and satisfaction." pg 76

he made me a mama

2011-10-15T09:54:00.002-05:00

36 weeks

2011-10-12T08:59:00.008-05:00

36 weeks pregnant with river
36 weeks pregnant with flora
36 weeks pregnant with baby berre threewhat do you think? boy or girl?

and the boy who was that first bump...

happy birthday river

2011-10-12T00:00:00.005-05:00

happy 3rd birthday river. you are so full of joy, so kind, and so brave. three years ago today, you made me a mama. i love you. it was so much fun celebrating with you. you are so special to me and your daddy and to so many friends and family who love you.

preparing

2011-10-03T22:40:00.003-05:00

we are preparing for baby three's birth day here at the creek house. we had a garage sale this past weekend and test drove a minivan this afternoon. we are doing some serious training and discipline at naptime and bedtime with our sweet almost-three-year-old. i even got another glimpse of our baby during a recent sonogram and now have a sweet photo on display of this baby's profile. and after 3 weekends working hard out-of-town, george is home for good... we arent going ANYWHERE until christmas! and that feels so good to know that my little family is back together under one roof, patiently awaiting the birth of this new little life. its a wonderful life.

2011-09-25T14:44:00.008-05:00

photo from a date night last month with george. i made him go see Crazy, Stupid Love on opening night. he loved it nearly as much as i did. the previews dont do it justice. there is a brave and valiant fight for marriage. new favorite movie.
being big and pregnant, i loved reading the birth story of her 6th child from katy at no big dill. i actually started reading her blog after reading the beautifully written story of the "perfect birth" of her 5th daughter.

proud

2011-09-25T14:26:00.003-05:00

embrace the camera

2011-09-22T10:56:00.007-05:00

emily at the anderson crew hosts embrace the camera every week. its all about moms getting out from BEHIND the camera and getting IN the pictures. i want my kids to know that i was there too!

our children

2011-09-16T15:05:00.004-05:00

i love noticing the little things that make our children uniquely them. sure, they look alike, with their light eyes and sandy blonde hair and curls from some unknown source. but God has truly made them
so sweet and strongly RIVER and
so wild and beautifully FLORA.

river cuddles. everyday he wakes up from his nap and calls out for me. i go back to him and lay down, our limbs intertwine and he falls back asleep, comforted that i am there. he fell back asleep today even though i was still on the phone. the talking didnt bother him. he sleeps so soundly like his mama.

flora wakes and is immediately asking for Ya-ya (river) or Daddy. when she is up, she is up and ready to go. no cuddling, no snuggles...she is busy so get out of her way. she sleeps so lightly just like her daddy. i have woken her up dozens of times when i go into check on her before i go to bed.
it just makes me wonder and dream...who will this 3rd baby be? is it a son or a daughter? is it a sister or a brother for my sweet river and flora girl? i cant wait to meet this baby.

mason jars + candles= perfection

2011-09-13T16:00:00.005-05:00

it was so fun celebrating ellen's 30th birthday!

if ever you have the need to celebrate, dozens of mason jars filled with tea lights are all you need to set the mood. it was a great celebration with good friends and delicious food. candlelight made everyone look lovely and in love.

we are rich!

2011-09-12T07:07:00.002-05:00

"there is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich." marlene dietrich

my cup runneth over...

2011-09-10T22:42:00.000-05:00

wonderful

2011-09-06T09:25:00.001-05:00

ceremony

2011-09-05T09:17:00.006-05:00

with the passing of a big birthday, and the start of school, and another baby's birth day around the corner, i have been thinking lots about traditions. i love traditions and i want my family to have lots of them. they are those BIG things we do to make special events monumental or LITTLE things we do to make a regular day a bit more special.

with a 2yo and a 1yo busy at my feet, i see how they thrive on a daily routine. i can tell time by the their disposition. i see how, no matter the repetition, their little faces light up each and every evening when daddy comes through the door with a smile and his arms open wide. they dont mind monotony...they thrive on it!

this morning, i read a great post about the beauty of ceremony on the online journal from the author of the book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. i havent read the book yet, but it keeps popping up on my radar.

"And yet, isn’t every day important? Do not all of our acts warrant ceremony?

Each moment God generously bestows is momentous. If we embrace each day as gift, then isn’t each event noteworthy? And if each moment lived is important, could we not then live in ceremony, celebration wrapped around each bead of time?...

Ceremony changes us: the single become married, the soul emerges baptized, the birthday christens another year.

Ceremony offers us the opportunity to change our everydays too."

red river, NM

2011-08-21T14:56:00.007-05:00

a nice family vacation
with some very best friends
to the mountains
to the cool weather
we ate good meals
we threw rocks into the river
we hiked
we fished
we enjoyed ourselves

30

2011-08-14T15:05:00.007-05:00

30th birthday.
celebrated with a small handful of girls and good food and special little details.
celebrated with george with an afternoon at the pool and a night at the belmont hotel.
celebrated with my little family by going to the splash park and by making (much anticipated) cupcakes with river. he sang me "happy birthday". i didnt even know he could sing. it was the sweetest song and the sweetest voice my ears have ever heard.

am now 30 weeks with baby number 3. what?! 10 weeks until i see this sweet little face?! i am talking to flora everyday about the new baby and being a big sister. she loves babies. she also really is a mama's girl.

am i a bad mom?

2011-08-09T10:45:00.001-05:00

funniest picture ever. look at his face!?! am i a bad mom?

populating the neighborhood

2011-08-08T21:00:00.005-05:00

july 2010
august 2011

summer

2011-08-01T23:48:00.004-05:00

oh how i love the freedom that comes with summer. wet swimsuits always by the back door, ready for the next adventure. sprinklers in the shade in the front yard, cause being wet is the only way to be outside in the afternoons. siblings laughing at each other one minute, and crying the next. staying in our pajamas until noon. knowing that my kids dont have to have a bath every night and enjoying that. road trips and vacations and time with cousins. staying up late. reading alot. playing with daddy all day long. oh what a wonderful life!
in case you havent added ashley ann campbell's under the sycamore to your google reader, you need to go read the neat story that she shared today. very neat. go.

the rhythm of motherhood

2011-07-18T22:59:00.006-05:00

all you good mamas out there, go read this perfect letter on being a mother. it puts in words just what my heart feels about being a mother. i was going to just quote parts of it but there is just too much goodness

ribs

2011-07-16T20:28:00.002-05:00

we ate every meal (including a delicious 2nd breakfast) at barbara and jack's house the week that bridget was here. we had picked up BBQ one evening. she had her own plate of food in front of her but saw ribs on barbie's plate that she wanted, so she slid the plate over and got what she wanted. this girl is a carb-lover and ever so particular when it comes to what she will eat.
God gives me a child who is a picky eater to humble me and remind me that He is who made Flora just the way she is and He is in control...not me.

cousin leica

2011-07-14T23:40:00.007-05:00

dustin and bridget brought leica on his first road trip to dallas. we loved seeing them and we loved how fat little leica is. they are great parents and a great couple. we loved seeing them at the beginning of their parenting journey. oh isnt this the hardest- most heartbreaking- wonderful job there is?!

they are chronicling their journey on a blog, road trip. add it to your reader. isnt bridget pretty?

sweet flora girl

2011-07-01T22:08:00.002-05:00

on my mind lately

2011-06-21T14:36:00.005-05:00

(river in time out, and flora just had to come see him)

i have been thinking alot lately about HOW TO parent. so much of the parenting i have done so far has been tending to my children's physical needs. river is 2.5 and so we are now well into shepherding his little heart. this job is so hard and so huge!

how do i raise good kids? how do i insure that they love jesus? how do i raise them so they know Jesus loves them NO MATTER WHAT!? how do i raise them so that they like each other? when they are 18, 17 and 15 how do i make sure that they will still want to spend time as a family?
we went to wichita falls this weekend and i even got talking to my sister in law, carlye, about raising kids. its just been on my pregnant brain lately. God promises us ASK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE...so of course today i came across some good answers on how to raise children you like, written by Edie of Life in Grace

california cousins

2011-06-17T20:42:00.005-05:00

i am obsessed with these kids. i love seeing my kids love on (and fight with) my siblings' kids. i hate it that we live so far away and wish we saw them more.
i also have played so hard and gone so much this week that i am nearly immobile. my sciatic nerve is causing me so much pain. it has happened all of my pregnancies but never this early! thank goodness for george. he has been good to me.

to a long and happy marriage

2011-06-14T14:21:00.003-05:00

last sunday evening, one of my best friends married one of george's best friends. it was so much fun to see their love story continue into marriage. i wrote about their engagement a while back. their wedding was a beautiful picture of Jesus' love and pursuit of us.
george and i love hosting celebrations, big & small...planned & impromptu, at the creek house. one guest that i was nervous to have was whitney's wedding dress. what was she thinking keeping it at a house with a 1yo rug rat and a 2yo wild man? right after this picture was taken (6:45am, wedding day) the beauty was shuffled into a closet to hang until i took it to the church. river was intrigued. all in all the weekend was wonderful and love was shared.
to a long and happy marriage for allen and whitney flack...

MY favorite things

2011-06-09T09:19:00.004-05:00

i was so excited when a great friend of mine, KK, asked me to share my favorite things on her beautiful, interesting, and honest blog, smalltown lovin. go read it...you'll want to stay awhile, she's got great things to say

2011-06-08T22:12:00.002-05:00

great idea for father's day

2011-06-02T10:59:00.006-05:00

ashley of Under the Sycamore is one of my daily reads. she is utterly creative, a fun mom, and a total stranger to me. isnt it funny how the blog world is? i am reading the daily happenings and GREAT IDEAS of a woman i dont even know.

anyway, her fathers day gift is so CREATIVE and PERSONAL and i just had to pass it on! (i did mine on shutterfly)

get going on something for your baby daddy...father's day is june 19th

this day in 2006

2011-05-28T16:18:00.006-05:00

it feels like a hundred years ago...but this day in 2006 george took me to be his wife. thank goodness he did.
we have fought hard but loved harder.
we have been selfish but have been forgiven.
we have changed but we have grown together.
we have made a happy little family and i cant wait to see what this next year brings. i know it'll be our best year yet.
i love you george

i have loved looking at wedding pictures and thinking back to all the fun that was had that weekend. today we celebrate our marriage AND the people that stood by us and promised to love us and to fight for our marriage. thank you for loving us even though we are selfish and imperfect. we love you right back and we are thankful for you.

2011-05-26T23:14:00.001-05:00

having a daughter

2011-05-25T17:38:00.002-05:00

so this is what its like to have a daughter? she helps me. she literally LOVES to help me. loves to accomplish something. loves to hear me tell her thank you.
oh how i love this daughter of mine.

sprinklers

2011-05-24T22:39:00.010-05:00

this afternoon was the first time this year that we played in the sprinklers. it was hot and really humid. and the kids were covered in sand. it was a must and such fun.

and a couple of ideas too good NOT to share...

great way to give kids a FUN little responsibility when you have to be out running errands

smart AND FREE sticker charts to reward your little ones. easy to customize for your child's favorite treat. i'll start one for river tomorrow!

i have been daydreaming about more updates to our kitchen. i love a good before and after.

pretty in pink

2011-05-18T21:15:00.012-05:00

you know in Pretty in Pink when molly ringwald cuts and crafts and sews her dress to make it just how she wants it? thats one of my favorite things to do...take a perfectly good article of clothing and make it mine.

perfectly good white dress
made into my dream wedding dress
perfectly good dress (that came from whitney's closet purge, in anticipation of moving in with her husband as of june 5th)
made into flora's 1st birthday outfit

the very best mother-in-law

2011-05-12T09:47:00.001-05:00

she has a never-ending supply of diapers in every size. and wipes. and each grandkid has a toothbrush at their house and a fun towel for when they get out of the bath. all small things that make a big difference to a mother with small children.

river celebrates flora's birthday

2011-05-06T23:59:00.002-05:00

happy birthday flora

2011-05-05T23:35:00.004-05:00

i love this picture because flora looks as little as she really is.

big stuff...

2011-05-02T23:22:00.007-05:00

aunt val sent a pretty mexican dress for my cinco de mayo baby
cheering on the mavs
flora learned how to cuddle on the couch
enjoyed an egghunt

had a visit with aunt nadine
blew out granny's candles

had 4 teenage soccer players bunk upstairs for 8 days
met bridget and dustin's son, leica
found out we are having another baby in november

flora and florence

2011-04-21T21:17:00.002-05:00

granny's 90th birthday party is this weekend and her birthday is next week. florence eileen wolfe is one great woman. i'm glad my girl gets to spend time with her great granny.
sept 2010
april 2011

flora-11 months

2011-04-20T18:12:00.002-05:00

half birthday

2011-04-11T22:36:00.006-05:00

river,
you are 2 and a half today and your birthday really seems like so long ago. you are such a joy to be around. you love your sister, giving her big hugs several times a day. you are very into puppies, both real and stuffed. you are so into counting and you beg to watch your elmo counting video almost immediately upon getting out of bed. you love to swing. you love to jump down steps. you are speaking more and more, even tonight saying "we" for the first time when we prayed at bedtime. you have started the typical 2yo thing of asking "why?" whenever i ask you to do something. you like shooting baskets and your creative little mind can make anything a basketball and hoop.
your daddy and i love you so much. we all think you are a sweet sweet boy.

3 dinners everyone loved

2011-04-08T20:37:00.004-05:00

with the weather warming up, we spend every afternoon out in the front yard. we love the sunshine and our neighbors, the swing and the sandbox. i hate missing out on the fun when i have to come inside to make dinner. so here were 3 QUICK dinners this week that everyone at my house loved...

salmon salad
bake salmon fillets marinated in S&P, 1T. dijon mustard, 2T. oil, 1T. balsamic vinegar, declared the best by our friends the Corbetts. (it got an audible "mmm" from the boys)
fresh baby spinach
blackberries
shredded carrots
diced cucumbers
feta cheese
Ken's Sweet Vidalia Onion dressing, recommended by my friend KK and so tasty

taco salad
saute onion. brown ground turkey. add taco seasoning packet and drained can of black beans and simmer on low.
fresh baby spinach
tomatoes
shredded cheese
avocado
a few tortilla chips

fancy store-bought pizza
thin crust pizza from your grocery store
topped with chopped fresh spinach, chopped kalamata olives, and feta cheese. add 5+ minutes to cooking time because of the water from the veggies. my very pregnant sister bridget takes all the credit for this crowd pleaser

a big squeeze from my daughter

2011-04-07T23:11:00.001-05:00

my two little monkeys

2011-04-07T09:21:00.001-05:00

george's 30th

2011-04-03T20:24:00.003-05:00

the oldests

2011-04-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

best friends

2011-03-24T22:08:00.001-05:00

the front yard

2011-03-18T00:09:00.002-05:00

austin

2011-03-17T23:13:00.002-05:00

he loves her

2011-02-23T21:46:00.005-06:00

river really loves flora. three times a day we go get sister up from sleeping in her cozy little crib. he laughs & squeals and she laughs & squeals like its the first time theyve ever seen each other. then he squeezes her and hugs her neck and she smiles so big. i love it.

allen loves whitney

2011-02-23T21:38:00.008-06:00

our best friend, allen the heroasked our best friend, whitney the beautifulto marry him. the holy event happened last saturday in the middle of white rock lake on a baby blue sailboat this is the look of abundant lifeshe said yes and theyre getting married! (soon)
greeting their adoring public

allen, thanks for including us in this wonderful day
"it was a top 10 life moment for me." -george berre

an update on naptime

2011-02-16T15:37:00.005-06:00

my dad and river napped in the rocking chair yesterday for an hour. then he laid him in his crib where he slept another 45 minutes while my dad sat in his room. thank you dad.

at lunch today i decided that i would sit and read in the rocking chair while river napped. it is exactly the kind of crutch that i didnt want him to need. BUT he hasnt slept for naptime in WAY TOO LONG. so i decided i would read him his favorite book slowly and softly, let him snuggle for a good long hug and lay him down, telling him that i wasnt going anywhere. this eased the look of panic that was on his face and he was asleep in minutes.

i sat down and opened my daily devotional, Jesus Calling, and read today's entry:
"Thank me for the conditions that are requiring you to be still. Do not spoil these quiet hours by wishing them away waiting impatiently to be active again." wow. i'll worry about the crutch later, this is clearly where we both needed to be today.

best friends

2011-02-15T21:43:00.001-06:00

and my girl

valentines day is my favorite

2011-02-14T20:57:00.004-06:00

three years ago today we found out i was pregnant (with who came to be known as baby berre aka river redding)
it was a pleasant surprise and the very best way to celebrate valentines day. valentines day is my favorite day of the year.
that morning when the smile on my face tried to hide the nerves in my stomach, all i knew was that i had peed on a stick and saw two pink lines. what i didnt know was that God was already making me into someone's very happy mama.i couldnt have imagined how much i would love the baby that God was already forming. and three years later, i couldnt have imagined how much more i would love my two best ever gifts, river and flora. becoming a mother is the very best thing that has ever happened to me.

2011-02-08T22:47:00.000-06:00

the week dallas froze over

2011-02-07T22:26:00.002-06:00

our neighbors must think we are crazy...the whole city was covered in ice last week and we somehow had 3 or 4 cars at our house every night.

two year molars

2011-02-03T16:44:00.007-06:00

the two year molars are the culprit of all the sadness, tears, tantrums, and ridiculousness around here. i almost dont want to document this season of our lives cause it has been so very challenging BUT i know it is just temporary and in a few months i will have blocked it out of my memory.
river hasnt taken a nap in 17 days. i cannot believe its been that long, poor guy. oh we read a book and i kiss him goodnight, but there is no sleeping going on. just jumping up and down screaming for mama or daddy. i have read him a 2nd book, made naptime earlier, made naptime later, given motrin around the clock, given motrin+tylenol around the clock, left him alone to cry it out, slept on the floor next to his crib, spanked him, prayed outside the door, prayed over his bed, and supernanny-ed him laying him down over and over for an hour and a half...geez. not even going to mention his nighttime sleep interuptions.
and now that his bottom two are just about all the way through. guess what? i can feel his top two molars just under his gums. wow.
the wonderful thing is all the sadness is confined to naptime. which makes me think it all started with pain from his molars and now has turned into good ole two year old stubbornness.
its been SO MUCH FUN having george home this week because of all the ice. river and flora are LOVING it. and i loved the TWO HOUR NAP that george let me take this morning cause he knew i needed it. we have stayed in our pajamas and played and chased and laughed and read and jumped on the bed and sled down the driveway and shared meals with best friends. its a wonderful life. teething and all.

dear river,

2011-01-18T22:29:00.007-06:00

when i picked you up from the nursery at bible study this morning, your teachers told me that you had been sad. they said you were frozen most of the hour, didnt say a word and didnt laugh once...so unlike the joyful boy we all know with the best laugh in the world. the moment that you saw me you sobbed and tears squeezed out your eyes.

you dont yet have the words to tell me what was bothering you today, so i'll never know. what i do know is that there will be many more days when your feelings get hurt, your heart gets broken, and your spirit seems it cant be mended. i am praying now that you will know our savior named Jesus who loves you in all of your pain, brokenness, and imperfection. i am praying that you know that He loves us with an Unchanging and Never-Stopping Love. i am praying that when you are sad, you know of the Great Sadness that jesus had on the cross for us.

its a wonderful life

2011-01-13T20:23:00.002-06:00

the perfect size piano
smiling girl after a good long nap
river's crazy bed head. i call him kramer
elbowing each other to get in the bath first
"crunchy carrots!" vegetables get cheered for at our house

2011-01-10T14:50:00.004-06:00

dustin, nicest guy in the world
aka, bridget's boyfriendflora wanted a picture with her cousin...coming in may. my sister bridget is 5 months pregnant and we are so excited. oh you can get her cute shirt here. the proceeds go to help our friends heather and aaron adopt their son from africa.

christmas cards

2011-01-05T13:39:00.006-06:00

keep last year's christmas cards
on your dinner table all year long.
i heard of a family that every week prayed for a different family using their picture or card. then they would mail the family a note telling them of the prayers on their behalf. what a great idea! better than the recycling bin.

keeping me busy

2011-01-05T13:07:00.003-06:00

these two are keeping me busy. no one feels quite so good around here. there is alot of holding and cuddling going on which i dont mind at all.

I hope my children look back on today
and remember a Mom who had time to play
There will be years for cleaning and cooking
But children grow up when we are not looking
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
Cause babies grow fast, we learn to our sorrow
So settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep
"Song for a Fifth Child" by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

flora's new years resolution

2011-01-04T23:30:00.004-06:00

she wanted earrings for the new year!
george went back and forth on whether or not i could have them pierced. on his way out the door for soccer practice he said "i just dont want to hear about her crying."
i was prepared for a few minutes of crying. a crowd had formed around us at the mall. river was silent, sticky, and happy eating an ice cream. the gal told me how to hold flora and before i could chicken out, her ears were pierced. she cried of course and i cried of course. but as soon as i could pick her up and squeeze her tight she went from sobbing to giggling in an instant. cried for 30 seconds at the most.
then she literally posed for pictures. looked at the camera but turned her pretty little head.when i told a friend that i had flora's ears pierced she said, "oh did you get it done at your pediatricians office?" um no. i had it done at claire's at the mall... with a group of tweens watching and the holiday crowds there to hear her cry. oops. didnt even know you could do it at the pediatrician?!
reminds me of when i had valerie on the hunt for dry shampoo and she asked the girl at cvs where it was and the girl said, "oh like to use on an older person in a nursing home, or during a hospital stay, or on a camping trip?" um no. just a lazy stay-at-home mom who doesnt make showering a priority.

christmas 2010

2011-01-04T22:46:00.006-06:00

"God knew if they ate the fruit they would think they didnt need him. And they would try to make themselves happy without him. But God knew there was no such thing as happiness without him, and that life without him wouldnt be life at all." the jesus storybook bible

jesus was born so that we could have life, and have it to the full! we had a christmas full of life and love and family and friends

THE BERRE FAMILY CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITION

2010-12-24T21:30:00.006-06:00

i ended up getting an advent calendar going on December 3rd or so. And yesterday, after three weeks of checking it everyday, River went unprompted and opened it up and looked at that curled-up slip of paper like he could read. it was so cute and made me smile and so happy that we had started this tradition.

we have had fun doing all kinds of to share the joy of jesus. i asked my wonderful mother-in-law, Sherril, to record the story of why we go to the hospital every Christmas Eve...one of the very best traditions we have.

In December 1981, Carlye was 2 ½ years old and George was 9 months old. George had been sick with the flu for a couple of days, then he was hospitalized on Dec. 22nd. He was dehydrated and had to have IV fluids. He kept getting sicker even with the IV. He had thrown up so much that putting the bottle to his lips would cause him to throw up again. The diarrhea was so often that the nurses did not want us to put a diaper on him, just a disposable pad under him and the fever continued. He had gone from being a crawling, standing, happy, jabbering little boy to a baby just lying still on the bed. I never left his side.

Pete & Carlye both got sick after George went to the hospital. They were at home with Carlye throwing up and having 104 fever. Pete was throwing up and had fever too but was still taking good care of Carlye. I couldn’t help them because I couldn’t leave George. Pete & I would talk and pray together on the phone.

On Christmas Eve, the doctor came in and examined George. He asked me to sit down so that we could talk. He said that there was nothing else that he could do. He told me that George was losing fluids faster than the IV could get them into his body. He said that if he wasn’t better by morning that they would care flight him to the Children’s Hospital in Ft. Worth. I said “Well, let’s go now. If there is something they can do there, then let’s go!” The doctor told me that they wouldn‘t be able to help him either, but they had a pediatric ICU. The only thing that any of us could do is pray.

The hospital had been a very cheerful place during the days before Christmas. There were lots of decorations and people coming and going everywhere. But in the evening on Christmas Eve, they sent home every patient that could possibly go and cut the nursing staff back to a skeleton crew so that as many people as possible could go home for Christmas. On Christmas Eve night, only the sickest patients were left and the hospital was very quiet and depressing. I was sitting by George’s bed praying when a nurse came in and gave me a little bottle of hand lotion with a bow on it. It had a note with it but no name. It was from a Mom whose child had been in the hospital on the Christmas Eve the year before and she just wanted me to know that she knew how I felt. I started crying. It really touched my heart that some Mom knew I was there and was thinking about us. It was then that I told Jesus that I would be at the hospital on Christmas Eve next year.

I prayed all night. I fell asleep with my arms and head leaning against the rail on the baby bed. I woke up the next morning because George was standing up in the bed, hitting me on the head, and saying “Ma Ma, Ma Ma”. I was so excited! His fever was gone, the diarrhea and vomiting had stopped, and he was well! After holding, hugging and kissing George, I called Pete to tell him the great news and found out that he and Carlye were better too. That was the best Christmas ever!

The next year on Christmas Eve, I was pregnant with Val. After we had gotten the kids to bed, Pete stayed home with them while I went to the hospital. I took magazines to the Moms in Pediatrics and visited with each of them. For the next couple of years on Christmas Eve, we would put the kids to bed, Pete would stay home with them and I would go to the hospital. I started calling the hospital ahead of time to see how many patients were there and took little books to the children and magazines to the Moms. Then when Valerie was about 3 years old, Pete & I started taking them with us. Our children would sing “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” or “We wish you a Merry Christmas” to the sick children and their parents.

Our tradition gradually grew over the years. We now have one of our guys dress as Santa Clause, we take big Teddy Bears to all the children, we pass out about 200 candy canes, we visit all the patients in the whole hospital and visit all the nurses stations. We sing “We wish you a Merry Christmas” to all the staff and patients. Now our children are all grown, married and have children of their own and they continue the Berre Family Christmas Eve Tradition.

happy birthday grandma barbie

2010-12-24T09:06:00.002-06:00

2010-12-24T00:15:00.003-06:00

2010-12-14T23:57:00.004-06:00

"it isnt the great pleasures that count the most,
its making a great deal out of the little ones."
jean webster, daddy-long-legs
so flora keeps waking up from her naps with this cindy-lou-hoo curl on the top of her head...so cute
played outside this evening for TWO HOURS.
it was in the 60s and it is 11 days until christmas.
i love it.

crazy

2010-12-05T23:19:00.004-06:00

thanksgiving in wichita falls was crazy. 7 grandkids under 4. so so good. but pretty crazy.

advent

2010-11-30T22:57:00.007-06:00

i must confess...our advent calendar is not up & ready for December 1st. but no one is keeping track at my house. hopefully i can work on it during naptime tomorrow. we wont be filling ours with candy (what happens to the poor kid without candy on 12/26?) but with traditions. some are solely for the kids (some for me) but most are fun for the whole family.

so young or old, throw it together and start your very own countdown to the birth of our great savior, who came to save us in our great need.

here are more than enough ideas:
Write a letter to a loved one
Visit someone elderly
Make an ornament
Bake a treat for the neighbors
Shop for groceries and take to the food bank
Sit in Santa’s lap
Anonymously give flowers to someone
Say hello and smile at everyone you meet today
Take in the neighbor's garbage cans
Take doggy treats to someone who has a dog
Make a gift and card for your teacher
Draw a picture of the Nativity
Do something kind for the garbage men
Put money in the Salvation army cup
Buy and deliver Christmas gifts for a family in need
Visit a widow
Leave kind notes for Daddy all over the house
Clear the table after dinner
Make a popcorn string
Take a treat to our favorite checker at the grocery store
Cut out paper snowflakes and hang them up
Make hot cocoa and homemade marshmallows
Take treats to daddy and his coworkers
Have candlelight dinner and dress up in your fanciest to eat
Give an anonymous gift
Make pinecone bird feeder and watch the birds eat it
Invite someone new to dinner
Go through your toys and donate a few
Learn how jesus’ birth is celebrated in different countries
Make breakfast for dinner and eat in your pjs
Make soup from scratch
Learn how to knit/crochet
Decorate your own gift wrap
Watch It’s a Wonderful Life cuddled under a blanket
Have a birthday party for Jesus

ideas for advent experiences were compiled from
i am momma AND ali edwards
AND my very own brain

i just had to share...

2010-11-18T07:52:00.012-06:00

one morning a week, i have the great priveledge of going to a bible study at our church that is geared toward moms with young children. it has been such a rich time for me where i have learned so SO much about being a selfless wife and mom. this week, the leaders shared all kinds of ideas for meaningful holiday traditions as well as ways to teach young children (and remind us forgetful adults) that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birthday.
i just had to share...
-Family Celebrations for Christmas is a book that comes HIGHLY recommended. it is an advent calendar, complete with bible verses, discussion questions, and ideas for making your family's countdown to christmas meaningful. (the author also has books for thanksgiving and easter)
-invite friends and neighbors over for a birthday party for jesus. make a cake, sing happy birthday and blow out candles!
-ask each of your children to tell you the christmas story. record it on paper and let your child draw a picture too. keep them in a binder and do it every year.
-attend a living nativity at a church in your area. i know preston hollow presbyterian does one in dallas
-open your own "Mom's Store" to encourage your kids to give. buy gifts and price them at $.50 and $1, within your childs budget. set up a cash register and let them fill their shopping cart. each child is invited in one at a time to shop for presents to give siblings/cousins/dad. wrap the presents with them and talk about the importance of giving.
-leading up to christmas, have one wrapped gift under your tree with a slot in it. it is your birthday gift to jesus. as a child shows kindness, record it and put it in the slot. have the kids write down what they see their siblings doing that is loving. as they get older, write down things you want to give jesus, like character changes that you want to make
-advent calendars are so fun because kids want to participate. they like to have a part in something big, they like to have something to do. act out the christmas story with simple costumes like scarves, crowns from burger king, and cardboard angel wings
-buy a nativity scene that your children can play with. nothing too precious that baby jesus cant get slobbered on or pushed around the train table
-to combat the OVERLOAD of STUFF kids get at christmas decide that your kids get just 3 gifts, like the 3 gifts that the wisemen bring to baby jesus
-everyone enjoys looking through the christmas cards that come in the mail. keep the pictures of your friends and family in a basket on your dinner table year round and pray for a different family each night at dinner
-keep it simple. when our kids go away to college it wont be the elaborate meals or dozens of plastic presents that they remember from the holidays, it will be the simple stuff that keeps them coming back. like putting on their new chritmas pjs, drinking hot chocolate and watching Its A Wonderful Life.

here are some creative ideas for advent calendar ideas from ohdeedoh and
a few more from design mom
i havent decided exactly what our advent calendar will look like this year, but i do know that i will fill it with experiences that we can do together each day. things like making a popcorn garland, baking cookies for the neighbors, and visiting a nursing home.
i am hoping our children will get excited about starting each morning with a peek inside the advent calendar, counting down until the day of our great savior's birth.

heaven on earth

2010-11-11T22:27:00.002-06:00

is there anything better?

the baby's bottle

2010-11-11T22:13:00.004-06:00

take it out of your mouth river.
thats the baby's bottle
ah sweet river. not that baby.
yes! that baby's bottle

6 months ago

2010-11-05T23:17:00.005-05:00

it is hard to believe that just 6 months ago today we saw your sweet face for the first time. we really cannot remember life before you. you have made our lives richer, better, happier...you are an absolute joy to spend the days with. we all love you so much. we are proud to call you ours and we thank God that he made us your family. we love you flora girl.

happy halloween

2010-10-31T22:20:00.021-05:00

we started the weekend at the disd district cross country meet. way to go bulldogs! district champs

captain hook inspecting his fierce appendage
tinkerbell and her adoring public
stuffed in her carseat
best neighborhood hosting the best party
amazing face paint
best neighbors in the world
trick or treating
hook and tj
hook and tink and whitney
hook and tink
their fan club
tink-in-training and tinkerbell
tinkerbell and hook and their proud mama

this family does THE CUTEST thing each halloween...they make halloween stories complete with costumes (obviously) and personal touches each year. what a sweet tradition!
you could do your own and get it printed to make the sweetest personalized christmas gifts

2010-10-27T15:45:00.000-05:00

2010-10-23T23:05:00.002-05:00

happy 2nd birthday river

2010-10-13T15:58:00.008-05:00

there was lots and lots and lots of celebrating
you are so loved by SO MANY PEOPLE
and you are loved by your maker more than you can ever imagine and past anything you could ever do or say

river i am amazed at how your little heart is already turned toward jesus. you are a great example to me of what it looks like to be full of joy.
basketball is the second word out of your mouth in the morning, after mama-oh
several times a day i find you going through a whole stack of books reading and laughing to yourself
you will imitate almost anything i do, like marching in the front yard or eating raw broccoli
i am so proud of how kind and gentle and loving you are to your sister
you are a blessing,
a gift,
and a reward
to your daddy and me
we love you so much

river v. flora, 5 months

2010-10-02T17:48:00.001-05:00

i love this

2010-09-29T21:47:00.001-05:00

they all look so happy

coolest dad ever builds teepee

2010-09-25T20:56:00.002-05:00

state fair of texas opening day

2010-09-24T22:11:00.010-05:00

2008
2009
2010
headed to the car...exhausted