sticky fingers

guess who has sticky fingers? yep, it's molly! she got her first lesson on stealing today when she swiped the librarian's sea shell she used during storytime. :( the little sneak put it in her bag with her books and proudly got it out to play with when we got home. needless to say, she's not looking forward to taking it back and saying the dreaded word, "sorry". hopefully she'll learn from this incident and it won't happen again.

baby dedication

behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. Ps. 127:3-5.

we had sophie dedicated yesterday at church. along with sophie were three other babies including her cousin, hadleigh. a baby dedication is a parents' way of giving their child, a gift from God, back to Him. A baby dedication does not save the child or secure their citizenship in heaven. That comes later when, and if the child chooses to have a personal relationship with Christ by coming to know Him as their Savior. It is simply an acknowledgement on matt and my part of saying God, sophie is yours and we commit to raise her in Your truth.

at the service, we were challenged in two ways. my dad spoke on behalf of the parents and our responsibility. it is the father's responsibility to exhort, encourage, and challenge his children, and the mother's responsibility to love her children fully and unconditionally. the point of this is so that they may walk worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (1 Thes. 2:7, 11-12)

our pastor spoke about the hands holding the child. he used the analogy of a baseball. a baseball in the hands of a-rod is worth 2+ million dollars, but a baseball in our hand is worth maybe the $6 it cost to buy it. a child is held in the hands of God and as parents we are to raise these little ones to love our God, serve our God, and hopefully by the grace of God, one day accept Him as their own. he gave each baby a baseball and a letter to be opened on their 18th birthday. he did tell us that in it he put two things about sophie when she was a baby - her wild hair-do and that she cried a lot!

cupcake of the month - daisies

lucky to have a dad like you

i feel very blessed to have a dad like i do! he's the greatest and such an important part of my life. my dad, since the day i was born, has made it his priority to see that i was raised in a godly home and grow up to serve my God. my dad has set such a great example of how to live for Christ and have Christ as the center of your life. i not only learned about Christ through my dad's life, but through his ministry in the church. i was blessed to have him be my youth leader and pastor throughout middle and high school, and now still get to hear him preach on many occasions.

throughout my life, my dad has always been there for me and goes above and beyond what he has to do. he made a point to get to as many volleyball and basketball games, track meets, choir concerts, and other performances i had throughout school. i'm truly grateful to have a dad who was there for me, supporting me, even when sometimes i just sat the bench. i'm thankful for a dad who traveled down to emporia while i was in college numerous time because of car trouble and then lent me his car, as well as drove in a terrible ice/snow storm when i had intestinal flu and had to go to the e.r. he got a hotel room for us that night and then took care of talking to my professors and rescheduling my finals for the day.

my dad has been a part of the big events in my life as well. he was on the school board when i graduated from high school and gave me my diploma and probably the most memorable one was when he married matt and i. not many brides get to have their dad marry them. it was a very special time.

growing up i always complained that my dad was too strict and had too many rules. life wasn't fair between the ages of about 13-18 in my book. but, now that i'm a parent, i look back on all the rules and consequences of breaking the rules and i see how important they were and are. i know it's because of those rules and strong christian up bringing that i was able to stay out of trouble in high school and college, make good decisions and not fall into the wrong crowd. had my dad been a little looser, who knows? so thanks for making my life seem miserable at the time! it was worth it! : )

now that i'm old and married, okay, not really old, i still know that i can always look to my dad for advice and guidance and know that he will still do anything he possibly can for me and my family. and he has and does. there have been many times he'll come out to help fix things around the house, watch my kids, feed us dinner, and so much more.

my dad is a wonderful father and grandfather. my girls are lucky to have a grandpa like him. happy fathers day dad! i love you!

everyone needs a daily dose of ardis

ardis is this little old lady that lives in our neighborhood. she's super sweet but a bit peculiar. she walks daily if the weather allows and likes to collect random sticks, leaves, bags, or other items she finds along the way. usually though, she never has more than two things. matt and i enjoy seeing her walk past our house and seeing what item she's collected. she also stops to look at the pig in our neighbors yard each time she passes it! we decided it's these little things that help keep her alive! we snapped some pictures of her so we wouldn't forget her when we move!

dress up with alex and anna

alex likes the camo look

anna prefers the princess look

even sophie got to try but she wasn't a big fan!

more rain so we made muffins!

we were planning to spend the evening outside tonight but this is what it looked like

so we made apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins with flaxseed in place of all the shortening

they passed the test! molly ate 2!

let's do hair

whenever aunt anna is over to play she always does molly's hair but this time sophie got her turn in the beauty chair. check out her do!

gotta get some love somewhere

ever since sophie was born our cats, especially charlie, have been starving for attention. here's how charlie chose to get some this afternoon - nestled up to sophie. awww...

we got a new camera!

thursday we bought a new camera - the nikon d5000. fancy, huh? it has all the bells and whistles and we're no where close to figuring out all it can do. it was a spontaneous purchase - one that we've wanted to do but were thinking about waiting until christmas to make. but, we were there, looked, and liked. funny thing though, we spent probably 45 minutes looking at cameras and talking to the sales lady, testing all sorts, but never once the one we bought. i guess we figured it would be great - and it is! we've had lots of fun playing with it. matt enjoys taking random photos of cars and trucks driving in the road. we take these from in the house and they're so clear - absolutely no glare from the window! this picture is pretty neat because the truck fits perfectly where our blinds are pulled up!

one of the best things though - the batteries won't die after using it for a day and the battery it comes with only takes 1 hour and 40 minutes to charge! we can take our own portraits now too! although we've got awhile to go before we make it big in the photography world. here's our first self family photo. don't look too close though - we had just taken a walk in humid weather and it was the end of the day. matt always picks the best times to take pictures! :)

a quarter of a year

the crazy hair is still there! i can't believe my little sophie is 3 months old. it seems like just yesterday she was born. time has gone by so quickly! sophie has changed so much and is turning into this little person! it continually amazes me how much i forget. things that molly did and the time frame - i don't remember. i never thought i'd forget stuff like i did, but in a way, it makes it extra fun for the next one - always a new and exciting development!

sophie is learning quickly - she's going to have to in order to keep up with big sister and fend for herself! she's a very active little girl and has been rolling over since memorial day. mainly her rolls are to the left side but she has once, maybe twice, made it over on the right. i'm thankful her rolling has slowed down and she has some time to play before flipping over. it makes things much more pleasant because once she's over, she's stuck!

she's becoming quite the little scooter too. yesterday this is where i found her! she started off laying on the gym, under her toys. i wish i would have seen all this movement but i used her happy time to wash some dishes.

she also managed to scoot/crawl over the boppy pillow during tummy time! such a strong girl. check out her moves as she struggles to get over.

when sophie is happy she loves to be talked to and will grin endlessly at you and talk back. i love her little coos - such a sweet little voice! she enjoys playing with the toys on her gym as well as mr. monkey (one of molly's favorites) and her little love bug that molly gave her when she was born. she grasps the objects really well and will reach for them. of course, they go straight to her mouth!

speaking of mouths that's where her hands are most of the time. she's constantly gnawing on them. i fear she's going to cut teeth early or be a thumb sucker, and i don't want a thumb sucker. she doesn't want to really gnaw on anything else either. i've tried little teethers and you don't dare give her the pacifier because nothing comes out of it!

sophie's reflux is an ongoing battle. we've switched to prevacid which is supposed to block the acid in her stomach. i still can't tell if it's really working because she still cries A LOT! she does really well taking it which is nice because it's in pill form. occasionally she'll try to spit it out but most times she just lets it dissolve. rice cereal has also been added to her bottles when she doesn't nurse, which lately is most of the time. again, i'm not sure this is working either. her crying spells (and i mean for hours at a time) are usually every other day. in between are good days when she catches up on sleep from exhausting herself the day before. when these spells hit, i do wish to speed up the baby days so she will outgrow this and not feel so crummy.

despite sophie's reflux she's an absolute delight! she brightens our world. we love watching her grow and develop. she's still a cuddler, although more so while sleeping now. she still loves to be held while she sleeps and gets some of her best sleep that way. we're working toward a transition to the crib slowly, one day at a time we try. but for now, it's usually still the couch or her carseat. comfort is key - that's what i say! one of my favorite things about sophie is how she smiles at me once she wakes up in the morning. i'm almost alwasy greeted with a big grin (unless the hunger pains are too much!).

tis the end of this post because guess who's awake?!

the doctor is in!

molly loves to play doctor and one of her favorite patients is sophie! sophie enjoys this too (most times) because she loves to watch her big sister.

occasionally molly likes to be checked too!

curse of the curl

my girls have the curse of the curl! i was hoping they wouldn't take after me and have curly hair. it's so much work and unpredictable. straight would be so much better i think! when it's humid, the fro begins. when it rains, it curls and then gets frizzy. in order to control the curls i must load my hair down with mousse and hairspray and even then it's so poofy that it ends up in a ponytail. so far molly's curls are cute and tame. as long as they stay tame, all will be well. however, if she inherits my thick hair trouble could be looming for her!

i've always had a suspicion that sophie's hair would be curly because it stuck up from the day she was born. now that it's grown a bit it lays down nicely for the most part (i do miss her little spiked look though!). we went out to let molly play in the rain tonight. sophie and i stayed dry on the porch, however the humidity got the best of her and she had little curls on the end. i'm thinking she may have more curl than molly but it's hard to tell right now. the pictures don't really show the curls. i tried but her hair isn't very photogenic!

a heart of goodness

i'm back on track with proverbs 31 and how i've missed it! i've realized that i've needed this in my life more than ever and have felt myself slip when i'm not diligently studying the attributes of the proverbs 31 woman.

verse 12 says "she does him [her husband] good and not evil all the days of her life." the proverbs 31 woman has a heart of goodness. she's pure, clean, and selfless.

how is this heart of goodness cultivated? you all know the answer - it's obvious - from God. when Christ is in our lives he weaves this goodness into our lives. the good that the woman does her husband is just as much a part of who she is as what she does. Proverbs 23:7a says, "for as he thinks in his heart, so he is." and the same is said in proverbs 27:19, "as in water face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man." the things in our heart are what show forth in our life. this is why it is so important to have a clean heart, a heart forgiven by Christ, one that is constantly examined and has sinful issues dealt with. we want our actions, words, and thoughts to reflect Christ.

"the wife's intent is on lavishing every possible good upon her husband." (geroge, e. beautiful in God's eyes) she lives to love him, and runs the home to routinely benefit him with good - basically, make his life easy!

the godly wife does this without looking for reward. after all, it's not about doing good for yourself, but your husband and family. doing good for your husband should be reward enough. remember col. 3:23, "whatever you do do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men." our treasure (reward) is in heaven. matthew 6:19-21 says, "do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

in order to do our husband good we must resist temptation and have the absence of evil in our lives. i like how elizabeth george put in in her book beautiful in God's eyes, "at every opportunity to give in to selfishness, resentment, anger, disapproval, or disagreement, she perseveres against evil and instead chooses to follow after God's plan to do her husband good - not evil".

this my friend is easier said than done because it goes back to the heart. it's easy to keep your mouth shut, put on a happy face, however, what are you thinking in your heart? is your heart choosing to follow after God's plan or just your outward appearance? remember, it will eventually come out!

we are on a mission, a life-long mission. take it seriously, faithfully, work to fulfill it!

God's Beautiful Creation -OP Arboretum

fresh scents of summer

i love summer! i love that i can wear my favorite type of clothing all the time (basketball shorts and a t-shirt), flip flops, warm weather, flowers and plants in bloom, green grass, birds chirping, and grilling. these aren't all though. i love the scent of freshly mowed grass - definitely one of my favorites! another favorite is clothes dried on the clothesline. well, not so much clothes because they get stiff and marked with clothespins and tend to loose their shape, but sheets, towels, and blankets! yesterday was a big laundry day and i washed all the bedding and towels and hung them out to dry. they smell so good! i love that i walk into my bedroom and can smell the fresh outdoor scent of my bedding! it's refreshing....aaahhhh. i look forward to next week when i wash the sheets and towels again! you know, it's the simple things in life that can bring so much joy! who would have thought that smell of sun-dried sheets would make me smile and feel refreshed?

the sign

the church across the street from us has been constructing this huge sign. this sign has been a big part of matt's and my life. why? because we were constantly wondering what they were going to do and how it was all going to turn out. at first it was a big mystery because it was kinda strange looking. made of a wood frame with the church's name on the front, an open back. we thought they might fill it with concrete. then their white sign was attached to it and finally a marquee thing was added to both sides. they covered the rest in white, now it's black minus the pink at the top. we're still not quite sure what the finished product will look like. matt made the comment that he doesn't know what we're going to do when it's finished because we talk about it so much. one afternoon we were entertained by the guy working on it. he brought his daughter and she looked bored out of her mind. at one point she was laying in the van with her head hanging out the sliding door! the best part about this sign, the time and temperature flash by! i know this is a boring post but hey, it's what's going on at the drake residence!

it's been awhile

whew! i finally have a chance to sit down and blog. i have so many things i have wanted to blog about lately but haven't had time to do it so i'll just catch everyone up with a short synopsis of things that have been going on.

i finished molly's shorts for her pajamas - those of you who don't know, i'm attempting to sew curious george pjs! the shorts turned out really well i thought, especially for my first pair! molly was so excited she put them on for the remainder of the evening and wore them well into the next day! but the best thing about all this was her sincere appreciation. about 30 minutes after i finished making them she came up to me and said, "thank you". made my day!

friday afternoon we switched sophie's medication for her acid reflux. she's now taking prevacid which should block the acid completely. it's been interesting giving it to her since it is in a disolvable pill form. we've figured out a system now! is it working you wonder? we're not sure. she spit up the first few doses (this was before we figured out the best system for administering it to her) and now she has a cold so this causes fussiness too. grrr....we're trusting this new medicine will do the trick though.

we celebrated my grandma's 75th birthday on saturday. it was fun getting together with family for good food and fun!

we surprised my grandma with a scrapbook full of memories!

molly had fun playing with all her cousins, especially sue.

sophie hung out by the fan with grandpa and grammy gayle to stay cool and quiet (it was a loud

fan so the noise soothed her, i think).

matt entertained us by rollerblading with skates that were too big and loosing control more than once.

we got a sam's club membership too. it was fun to walk around the store. i remember hating walking the store as a kid. my dad had to look at everything. now, i'm doing the same thing and find it fun. molly was annoyed (but she hadn't had a nap so she just might like the store)! we purchased diapers, energy bars, pork chops, strawberries, walnuts and water filters, and dishwasher soap.

sunday was spent at church and watching a great movie called the pianist. it based on a true story during wwii about the concentration camps and one man's journey to escape the nazis. very good! we love netflix!

probably the highlight of the entire weekend was that sophie rolled over! it was a struggle for her but she finally made it. i was shocked that she rolled over so soon - 2 1/2 months! and it wasn't a fluke - i can't count the number of times she's rolled over since. pretty much, if you put her on her back, she's on her stomach! fortunately she hasn't figured out how to roll on the couch yet (since it is her second favorite sleeping spot).

we went swimming yesterday also! the water wasn't too bad and molly enjoyed walking around in the pool, sliding on the frog slide and playing in the little fountain. sophie was great and just enjoyed being held as i walked around the pool and talked with the lifeguard who was a former basketball player of mine.

last but not least, story time at the library started up again today. oh how we've missed it. i say we because not only did molly miss it, but i did too! it's my time to gab with friends and catch up. molly was so excited to go and thoroughly enjoyed herself. she listened so intently to the story, danced the freeze dance with daddy, had the biggest grin on her face during the parachute and led the group in the marching band!