Carter's Thanksgiving Program, 2011.

Yesterday, David, Story, and I had the privilege to attend Carter's Thanksgiving program at his school. Having been a teacher for a while, I am used to being on the other side, helping the children get ready, putting together costumes, rehearsing, etc.  It is a totally different ballgame to participate as a mommy, what a gift!  Oh, how I loved watching that sweet, sweet boy sing praise to God and recite his Bible memory verses.  

Can you spot him?  I wonder if his teacher is a Twilight fan, ha!  Well, you can't see his entire Indian name, but it's New Moon.  

This is one of my favorites.  Story did so well, probably because her daddy was there.  Did I mention she is a fool for her daddy?  Oh my.  She spotted Carter right away, and she loved listening to him sing.  A few times we caught her dancing in the aisles, ha!  

He was so focused and paid such close attention to the music teacher.  

I didn't have the best angle, but this is most of his class.  

Our precious fella again.  I can't remember all the songs they sang, but a few were Jesus Loves Me, God is So Good, Thanksgiving Day is a Happy Day, Praise Ye the Lord, I'm Thankful for the USA, If You're Happy and You Know It, and a couple more that I just can't recall, I think they were about turkeys.  

They recited Psalm 100 and their Bible verses from A-I, from the video I posted the other day.  

Another group shot.  

At the end, they were given a chance to wave at us, look at that precious smile.  

Carter, Mommy and Daddy loved attending your Thanksgiving program at school.  We are so proud of you for all of your hard work.  Oh, how thankful we are for you, sweet boy!

Wordless Wednesday.

I love my flag.

Ever since Carter was a Builder in Miss Page's class at The Heiskell School in Atlanta and learning to say the Pledge of Allegiance, he has had a love for flags.  Whenever we are out and about, he always notices them and points them out.  Carter was given a very special gift this week by a very special person.  

The story of this flag is one of the neatest things I have ever been told.  

Aboard C-17 #33114, during a combat support sortie to Iraq for Operation New Dawn, the 183rd squadraon of Mississippi Air National Guard proudly flew this flag over the country of Iraq on October 30, 2011.   And it was presented to our son.  Wow.  

Can you tell how excited he is?  I pray Carter will always have a love and respect for the flag and for our great country.  Futhermore, I pray he will grow to understand that freedom is not free, it comes with a great price.  A price that men and women from our great nation pay daily, as they are fighting on our behalf.  

Master Sargeant David Morgan, Loadmaster is a member of our church here in Hattiesburg, and he presented Carter with this flag and this plaque.  What an honor!    

Here is Master Sargeant David Morgan saluting the flag at a recent Veteran's Day celebration here in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.  Thank you, sir, for all that you do for our country, and thank you, for the precious gift you have given to our son.  

Escripted on the bottom of the plaque is a quote from Abraham Lincoln, 1863.  

Above all else, cherish that most solemn pride which must be yours to be willing to lay so costly a sacrifice upon the the altar of freedom.  

Your Word I have hidden in my heart.

Carter has been learning some Bible verses in his class at PCS. Many of them, his class learned before we moved to Hattiesburg, so he has been playing a little catch up. We are so proud of all that he has learned so far. We are thankful he has many opportunities to hide God's Word in his heart. Oh, how we long for the day when Carter will ask Jesus into his heart. Until that day, we are treasuring the knowledge he is seeking about Jesus and the scripture he is memorizing.

This week, the big 3 have Thanksgiving programs at school, and we are so excited to hear them share their verses and songs they have been learning at school. 

11-11-11

Today, marks our one month anniversary in our new town at our new church.  We couldn't be more thankful that the Lord has called us here.  In honor of our first month in Hattiesburg, I want to share 10 things I love about where we are now.  These are not in any particular order.  

1. I love our pretty church and our new family inside these walls.  
2. I love that we live right behind the church and in the middle of town.  
3. I love that our children have so easily transitioned to our new life here.  
4. I love my group fitness classes that I go to at the wellness center and the new friends I am making there.  
5. I love that we live in a college town and the life and energy it brings.  
6. I love seeing my children so excited about going to church.  
7. I love that our children are attending a Christian school.  
8. I love that we live so close to New Orleans, a city we love so much.  
9. I love that we live so close to the ocean; I can't wait to visit the beach!
10. I love that I can get wherever I need to be in 15 minutes max, all over town!
11. I love how clearly God led us here and how He has had His hand in every single detail.  

Happy One Month Anniversary, Hardy Street Baptist Church! 

Happy 18 months, Story!

Say it isn't so!  Oh, but baby, it is, and you just aren't a baby any more!  Momma can hardly stand it.  These 18 months have just flown by.  Let's see what you are up to.    

What a difference a year makes.  Here you are this time last year, scooting around on your tummy, sporting that big ole dimple and two baby teeth.  

• We haven't gone to the pediatrician here in MS yet, so I don't know your stats, but I bet you have lost weight because you have been oh so sick this week.  That's right, you have your first stomach bug, and it has been brutal, just awful.  Thankfully, we think you are on the mend.  
• You are wearing size 24 month and 2T clothes, is there really any difference?  We are squeezing you into your size 5 shoes, but I don't think it will be so much longer.  Your toes are growing!  
• You wear size 4 diapers.  

• You have four new teeth, two on top, and two on bottom.  That completes your baby teeth for now until your two year molars.  
• You sleep and sleep and sleep!  You are still taking a morning nap, most days for about an hour.  You take a long afternoon nap between 2-3 hours, and you sleep 12-14 hours at night.  

• Your little personality is really starting to come out, and you are one funny girl!  You repeat most things we say, so we have to be careful, ha!  
• Some of our favorite things you say:  yea dawg, holla, mommy, daddy, Hundley, thank you, hi, Gooo dawgs!  Sic 'em!  Woof! Woof!  Woof!  
• During your 17th month, we moved from our home in Austell, Ga, where we brought you home from the hospital, and where you learned to walk and talk and do so many things, to a new home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.  
• You have handled the move like a champ!  Even with all the time changes.  
• I adore this outfit on you; it's one of my favorites.  You can see your little sassy personality here.  
• You are still a screamer, Story, but maybe not as bad as you once were, or maybe it is just my wishful thinking?  
• You think that you can do everything that your brother and sisters do, and it irks you so much when we won't let you.  I'm sorry, but you are not ready for Kindergarten yet!
• You love music, love to dance!  We have several favorites that really get you bouncing, and it's so cute to watch!  One of my favorite things is when your brother and sisters are singing songs they know, you clap and try to sing along with them.  Precious.  

• Your eyes are true blue, a darker version than Carter's.  Your eyelashes go on for days.  
• Your hair is lighter than Summer and Tilly's, maybe closer to the color of Carter's hair.  It's curly in the back, so sweet!  
• You look so much like your big brother.  

• We took a family trip to New Orleans last month, and you were a big fan of the sno balls on Elysian Fields!  
• You adore, I mean adore your daddy.  It's the cutest thing ever.  You might be more taken with him than any of the others were at your age.  You ask for him first thing in the morning, and you continue to ask for him all day long.  
• When he comes home, you squeal with delight!  You love to crawl up in his lap and put your head on his shoulder.  

• Earlier this month, you went to your very first parade!  We live in a college town, so we took all of you to the University of Southern Mississippi's Homecoming parade.  Early in the parade, we gave you a sucker, so you were most content.  You loved the music played by the bands.  
• My Story girl has a sweet tooth, and I have no idea where you get that from, ha!  
• You love to be right up under me, wherever I am in the house and whatever I am doing.  Something you do that just melts my heart is you will wrap your little arms around my leg and hug me so tight, pressing your little cheek close.  Oh, how I love those hugs!  Oh, how I love you!

• Your eating has improved, I think?  I'm curious about your weight, because you seem so light to me!  
• You love eggs, spaghetti, pizza, green beans, cookies, french fries with ketchup, cheerios, chicken nuggets, bananas, oatmeal, and yogurt.  
• You have been feeding yourself for a while, and you do NOT want any of our help.  You are quite emphatic about doing it yourself.  

• We celebrated your second Halloween.  You wore the same costume as last year; it just wouldn't snap between your legs!  
• For Halloween, we helped pass out coffee mugs in our neighborhood with information about our church, hoping to invite some new friends to church.  

• Just last weekend, Papa and Gigi came to visit us in our new home.  We enjoyed showing them around our new town and taking them to our church on Sunday.  
• I have not taken a group photo of the four of you yet, but I will do that tomorrow and post it.  

Happy 18 months, Story.  We are so thankful to be your mommy and daddy.  I remember like yesterday when we found out you were going to be joining our family, when we named you, and when you were born.  These last 18 months have gone by oh so fast, but it has been a pleasure watching you grow and discover.  We are thankful for your little life, for your good health, and for your sweet smile that just lights up any room.  We love you, Story!  

Wordless Wednesday.

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Mommy, they're playin' our song!

I've posted before about some of our favorite songs playing on the radio. This is by far our newest favorite.  When Jamie Grace and TobyMac start singing, our car starts rocking!  Carter has already learned all the words, and even little Story starts shaking her stuff to the beat.  What a fun song and what a great message for us to remember - I love the way you hold me!

The Old Watermill Catfish Camp.

Papa and Gigi are here from Arkansas for the weekend, and we are loving having them in Hattiesburg for the first time.  When eating out, we like to take our guests somewhere they can't eat anywhere else, and tonight, we did just that.  We took them to the Old Watermill Catfish Camp in Moselle, Mississippi.    

We've been here once before with our sweet friends, Mr. Dale and Miss Tina.  

After we ate til our hearts were content, we went down by the water to feed the fish and take a few pictures.  

I cannot take credit for the photos on this blog today, as my ever talented husband was behind the lens tonight.  Thank you, David!

The sun was going down behind the trees in this one.  I'm not even sure what I was smiling at, probably one of the big 3 playing on the dock.  I was a wee nervous with Story that she would jump right off into the water.  

Thank you, McDonalds, for introducing us to some of Mississippi's finest, and thank you Papa and Gigi, for being our guests tonight!  I'm sure we'll come back next time someone comes to visit.  

Summer is star student!

This week was Summer's turn to be the start student in her class.  She has been so excited about this honor.  

Mommy with her star student Thursday morning before school.  

After we dropped Carter off at school, we headed to the grocery store to pick out a snack for her friends at school.  She chose fruit snacks (princess variety for the girls, toy story for the boys), roaring waters, and pretzels.  She also picked out an item in the bakery for her teachers.  

At 10:30, I got to go to her class and serve snack to Summer and her friends.  It was so fun to be in her class for a small portion of the day.  I think she was a little proud to have me there, so cute!

Summer's table in her class.  

I also got to read a story to her class while they were eating their snack.  Amelia Bedelia is one of Summer's favorites!  I loved these books when I was little, too.  We think Amelia Bedelia is so silly!

Part of her star student week was sharing about her family with her friends.  We made this poster for her to take to school to display for the week.  Summer, we are so thankful for you, and we are so proud of the young lady you are growing up to be.  Thank you for your willingness to obey and for the sweet way you look after your little sisters and your big brother.  One of the questions on her star student report asked what she wanted to be when she grew up.  Summer proudly answered without any hesitation, "A mommy!"  I can think of nothing better.  We love you, Summer!

Spaghetti and pony tails.

A random title, I know.  I snapped some pictures of Story the other day, mostly because she was sporting her very first pony tail, much sooner than her sisters, I might add!  

Story has been feeding herself with a fork for a while now, and she is quite adamant that she does not need our help.  Being that she's our fourth, I have learned not to mind the food messes, ha!  So, we just let her go to town.  Spaghetti is an O'Dell kid favorite, so we have it often.  

I probably should have put on a bib or at least a dark colored shirt, huh?  No worries, thanks to oxy clean the shirt looks brand new.  Whew!  You can see a little bit of her pony here.  

May I have some more please, Mommy?  

There's that cute little pony tail!  So sweet!

This picture is kind of blurry, but I think it is so sweet.  She loves to look out this window after David and Carter leave in the mornings.  

We love you, sweet Story!

Wordless Wednesday.

This time last year, we had been in NOLA for David to defend his
doctoral project.  What a great year we've had since then!

A mugging we will go.

Halloween was a bit different for us this year, and we loved it.  The children and I met David at the church a little after 4:00, so we could mug our neighbors!  I know, it sounds crazy, but let me explain.  

Our little butterfly princess, Tilly!

Rapunzel aka Summer, Buzz aka Carter, and Butterfly Tilly all ready to go mugging. 

About 40 volunteers from our church, handed out over 350 coffee mugs with information about our church and candy to our neighbors.  It's about the only time of year when people willingly open their doors.  The children have never been trick or treating before, so we just explained to them that we were going to knock on doors and give mugs to our neighbors.  Boy were our neighbors surprised when we gave them a treat!  And boy were the children surprised when some of the people handed them candy.  Once Carter shouted, "Daddy!  They gave us candy, too!"  So cute!  

I love that ministry encircles our lives, and I love that we are able to participate with our children in sharing God's love with our neighbors.  

Have you ever seen such cute muggers?  I think not!