The Atlanta Aquarium

We made a trip to the aquarium in Atlanta last Friday. We have been wanting to go since we moved to Georgia, but feared that our money would be wasted if the kids weren't into it. However, being that it costs 20 dollars for kids 3 and up, we figured we better go before Joshua turns three in less than two months. For those of you who aren't aware, this aquarium happens to be the largest in the world...which is pretty impressive. Some of the really cool attractions include Beluga whales and Whale sharks...both are pretty massive beasts. The kids had a great time and although it was MUCH TOO crowded, we're really glad that we made the trip. Here are some pics of our day...mostly of the kids because you all know what fish look like.

Drumroll Please.....

Well, we went to the doctor today and learned more about our little one:

WE'RE HAVING A BOY!!!!!!!!

We're very excited...I really probably would have guessed girl from how I'm carrying, but Fred thought boy all along. As Aunt Sandy put it: we'll have a Broome sandwich!!!!:) So exciting. Praise God that everything looked great as well. The doctor had no concerns so far about his growth-- he's tracking right on schedule for 19 weeks. Anyways, thanks for the prayers. Praise God for such wonderful new life!

Any Guesses?????

We have our ultrasound tomorrow morning! Does anyone have any predictions as to whether it is a boy or girl?!!? I'm really not sure...I keep going back and forth. Either way, we will be absolutely thrilled. Please pray that the technician and doctor see everything that they need to and that the baby is doing well/growing like he or she should. We will let you all know tomorrow!!!!

*Some pictures from the beach and home....my mom is sending me a CD with her pictures from vacation; I'll post those when I get it:)

Back From the Beach

The Prosser Family Beach Trip '08 is officially over. We are home. Laundry is washed. My tan is already fading. The kids are sleeping again. And although I'm thankful to be home and in our normal routine, part of me longs to be back at the beach. For those of you who know me, I am seldom "emotional"...as far as crying goes, but I was really sad to leave on Saturday morning. As my parents, sisters, brother, and niece piled into their SUV, I really had to try hard to hold it together. After they left and Fred and I were packing up the rest of our stuff, I quietly cried as I thought about what a great week we had and how terribly blessed I am to have such a great family. We're not perfect. We get on each other's nerves. Eleven people can be way too many in one condo for a whole week... but I have a wonderful family. We have tons of fun together. Each of them challenge me to love Christ more. I am like each of them in different ways. Joshua and Anna Bell share a very special bond with their Grandparents, Aunts, Uncle and cousin. All that to say: We LOVE you: Dad, Mom, Luke, Laura, Becca, Ash, & Maddie Grace!!!! We miss you and are so thankful for you!!!!!

6 Bucks and Some Paint

One of my favorite "hobbies" is decorating my house. I love looking through magazines, shopping around Target, choosing paint colors...and all that fun stuff. I do not, however, enjoy spending a lot of money on decorations. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a house that looked like Pottery Barn, but it's just not going to happen. There's too many other more important things to spend money on.
This is my latest super-cheap decorating project. I found these letters at Michael's for a dollar a piece and just used the paint colors that we've already chosen for each of the rooms downstairs. What's even better is that the letters are pretty big, so they decorate an entire wall! I'm wishing that I would have bought more letters while they were on sale for other rooms/words...oh well. Do any of you have any creative/affordable decor ideas? I'd love to hear about 'em...I have plenty of walls left to decorate!!!!:)

My Little Fishies

Here are some pics of the kids at Papa's house in North Carolina. We are off to the beach in the morning--Yippeeeeee! We're more than excited! Mom has a super-cool high-tech camera and we're bringing the laptop, so I hope to update while we're there! If not, have a great week!!!!

Anna Bell and her Papa

Whoever invented water wings was a genius.

Anna Bell is more interested in her water bottle than an entire pool full of water...go figure.

#1: Joshua jumping off of the diving board.
#2: The reason for buying a camera with a decent shutter speed.

Best Fwinds

We were able to go swimming at some church friends' pool on Friday morning. It was so fun! Like I said in an earlier post, Joshua is a swimming champ. He loves it! Fred actually threw him up in the air off of the diving board and he couldn't wait to do it again! He eventually got tired with all the jumping, swimming and climbing out. He started to call out for Fred to come and get him once he jumped in and was "stuck" in the middle of the pool. After a couple of times of Fred coming to his rescue, Joshua wrapped his little arms around Fred's neck, looked him right in the face and said "Daddy, you're my best fwind." So precious!!!

Noah's Ark Zoo

We made a trip to a local zoo about a month ago. I first went with some friends and their kids, but it was so great that Fred and I went back a week later. The zoo is called Noah's Ark and is actually a rescue park for injured animals. It is about 40 minutes from our house, but free so that makes up for the drive. We had a great day there. We saw ostrich, warthogs, monkeys, a bunch of different birds, llama, lions, and bears. The kids had a fun time and were content to ride most of the time...which was a good thing because the park is very spread out.

The kids weren't that impressed with the peacock as he fanned out his feathers,
but Fred and I sure were!!!

This poor turkey was so ugly!!! His feathers were all scraggly and his hairless head was gross. No wonder he ended up in a rescue park. He was really struggling!

I love this picture! Anna Bell is at such a fun age! She sings and dances and laughs most of the day! She's quite a little charmer too...especially towards her daddy!

Drained of Creative Juices

...As much as it might seem in the blogging world that I have fallen off the face of the earth (or at least into a permanent place over the toilet...HA!) I am actually starting to feel better! YAY!!!! I was able to go with the students and Fred to Fuge Camp in Mississippi two weeks ago which proves that I must be over the worst of it. It was such a blessing to be able to join Fred and the group for the week. My mom, Laura, and Maddie came to stay with the kids at our house which really was the only way that I could go. Thank you sooooo much, fam!!!! It was a wonderful week for our group. We experienced a great time of growth both in intimacy with the Lord and one another. I was also able to get to know many of the girls on a deeper level. I missed the kids like crazy and was really ready to get home and see them. They on the other hand, had a blast with their Grandma, Aunt and cousin. I don't think that they even missed Fred and I at all...which I'm thankful for.
SO, like I said, I am starting to feel better. I'll be 14 weeks along on Thursday, which is the point in which I felt normal again with Joshua and Anna Bell. I have been greatly convicted of my selfishness and focus on my own comfort over these past few months. It's made me wonder what Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was and how there are so many people that live their entire lives with physical pain much greater than pregnancy sickness.-And yet they push through living life and worshiping God in the midst of pain. There have been so many days over the past two months when I just get through without authentically worshiping God because I feel some sort of entitlement to feel bad. Woe is me!!!! God is so much greater than that!!!!
Anyways...on a completely different note, we traveled to North Carolina over the weekend. Fred officiated a college friend's wedding on Saturday afternoon. It was a crazy weekend as traveling always is when you have little people. To summarize the weekend, I am going to muster up enough creativity (which I have been severely lacking lately) to give you a TOP TEN LIST of exciting or amusing things that happened over the weekend. Here we go:
# 10: We left the house at 5 am on Thursday, only to discover as we were trying to get out the door that our water heater shut off. My blessing of a husband climbed up into the attic above the garage at 2 in the morning on Sunday, so that we would all have hot water the next day....um...happy Father's Day, dear:)
# 9: A friend on mine from here rode with us for the first 5 hours of the trip along with her 18 month old daughter. She is also 13 weeks pregnant and has worse sickness than me. This could have been awful- 3 toddlers and 2 puking women at 5 am, but it actually was great. I'm so glad that we could give her a ride. Please pray for her- she is visiting her 18 year old sister who was just diagnosed with cancer and started chemo on Saturday.
# 8: We stopped off at Fred's dad's house for the lunch and a quick swim on Thursday afternoon. You would not believe what a champ of a swimmer Joshua is becoming! We put his water wings on and he is all over the place! His favorite thing to do is jump off of the diving board and swim to the edge all by himself! The boy is fearless! We have prayed that he would be strong and courageous as Joshua 1:7-9, but he makes us a little nervous sometimes!!!
# 7: We were able to see some great friends during our quick trip. Hands, Bibles, Nelsons, Brad, & Hollands- it was wonderful seeing you all!!!
# 6: The timing of this trip was a little rough, being that the kids had just spend an entire week apart from us and with Grandma. We like to call this period of time "Grandma Detox." Mom does a great job of loving and entertaining our kids, but Joshua is a kid who NEEDS consistent discipline and routine. For those of you who struggle with the idea of spanking, let me just tell you, Joshua is a completely different and happy child when he is within the bounds of consistent and biblical discipline. Needless to say, we are having a quiet week at home this week where we can get back on track:)
# 5: I felt the baby move for the first time this weekend. I think that even if this was my tenth child, I would still be in total amazement and awe at this awesome work of God. The fact that I can feel this little one as he/she moves inside of me is truly amazing! Praise God!!!!
# 4: I got an eye infection on Saturday that caused me to be extremely sensitive to light. This was not so fun as we were on the road most of the day. I spent a good deal of the trip back with my eyes closed. No fun. It's better now, thankfully.
# 3: Joshua got a fever on the way back home. Of course he did. The good thing was that this made him pretty mellow and sleepy for most of the way back. Anna Bell, was not sleepy however. She REALLY wanted to wear my sunglasses for a good bit of the trip. I could not let her because of the eye troubles. She of course, did not understand this.
# 2: Joshua decided to ride on the elevator in the hotel ALL BY HIMSELF as we were leaving. Our room was right outside of the elevator and on the fourth floor. He and Anna Bell got to take turns all weekend pushing the buttons and I guess that he just got really comfortable with the idea. As we were leaving the room, we weren't paying close enough attention and he stepped right on, pushed the first floor button and down he went! Fred took off down the stairs only to find our little fearless wonder making his way around the lobby!
# 1: Drum role please........ I think that this is the funniest thing of the weekend. Many of you will totally relate to it: So, the hotel bathroom was just big enough to fit AB's pack-in-play which is ideal when traveling with two kids. Joshua's pretty good about going to sleep with us in the room and falling right back asleep if one of us wakes him up. But it really is a lot better if we can put Anna Bell in another room. This works pretty well. The only annoying thing is that you have to go down to the lobby to use the bathroom, which is inconvenient, but it works. ...Except for Friday night when Fred didn't get back from the rehearsal deal until 11:30. By 10:00, I really had to go to the bathroom. I couldn't leave and go down three floors with both kids in the room. So: I did what any resourceful mom would do- I peed in a diaper! Ha!!!!

All in all, it was a great weekend...but I'm really glad to be home for a while!

The Past Week (Or so...)

We've been so busy and I've felt so yucky lately that I've missed so many posting opportunities...so here's a recap of what we've been up to (mostly so that I'll be able to look back and remember- most of it's probably not all that interesting to y'all!)
*Joshua busted his head on the fireplace on Saturday morning. It was terrible. I felt like an awful mom because Fred really wanted to buy those pad thingys, but I decided to put pretty pillows along the sides instead. Well, of course, two of the pillows were out of place. Joshua somehow completely lost his balance and fell smack onto the edge of the bricks. He hit just above his right eye. At first, we thought for sure we'd be headed to the ER by the way it looked and how upset he was. Thankfully, it didn't bleed- it just looked really swollen and colorful. I called our doctor and we watched him for signs of a concussion. He seemed a little sleepy at first, but I think that his sweet little head just hurt! Anyways- praise God, Joshua is fine and has a great "war wound" that will probably be there for a week or so. When people asked him what happened the next day at church, he explained "I hit my head on the fireplace and it was awful." ...Needless to say, I went out and bought one of those padding things on Saturday afternoon!
* Throwing up with little kids is really interesting. I have actually started laughing several times during the process because it's so funny! For instance, one day I ran to the toilet only to be followed by two very concerned little people. Joshua really finds comfort in holding my hand while I puke. He asks over and over "Mom, are you okay?!!? Mom, are you sick?!?? Mom, do you feel better?!!?" ....And then there's Anna Bell. I think that she believes this is some sort of game. She laughs and dances while I vomit. This particular time, she was trying to throw her beloved bear into the toilet. Gross! So, here I am: trying to throw up while holding Joshua's hand and boxing out Anna Bell and her bear! Crazy!?! I really don't want to at all sound ungrateful or that this all isn't worth every minute of it- but I really am ready to reach that feeling better mark!!!!
* I bought a new vacuum cleaner today. Our old one has "just kind of worked" for about a year now. I couldn't justify buying a new one, because it did work okay.(..at least I thought it did.) It actually started blowing dust all over the place when I turned it on last week. Fred's dad worked on it for about two hours when he was in town this weekend (Thanks, Dad!!!) He said that there were a couple more things that we could try, but it was probably time to get a new one. This finally gave me the justification to go out and make my big purchase. I really wanted a Dyson, but we'll probably be doing hardwoods all downstairs in the next few months, so I couldn't spend that much just for something that would mainly clean the bedrooms. I ended up getting a Eureka that Consumer Report rates as their top pick. ...Wow- it AMAZING! I couldn't believe the difference it made!!!! It's so funny how excited I was to vacuum today. This is a chore that usually leaves me more frustrated than when I began, because I feel like our carpet NEVER looks clean. The kids were even excited- Joshua kept yelling "WOO WHOO...it's fantastic!!!" Ha! Anyways...never thought I'd be excited about a vacuum. Such is the life of a wife and mommy!!:)
*Fred and his dad took Joshua fishing for the first time this weekend. We bought him a little Scooby Doo rod and reel from Bass Pro (Our favorite store to go to as a family!). They went to a catch and release pond, so there were lots of fish in it. Joshua ended up catching FIVE fish in less than an hour!!! He liked messing with the worms, but wasn't so big on touching the fish!:) Fred said that he dropped the pole and backed away anytime he even mentioned the idea of Joshua touching one! He even told me that evening that a fish bit him right on his finger and it really hurt! Ha!!

Recent Events In the Lives of the Broome Family

My mom came down for the week when Anna Bell got her tubes put in. We decided to make a quick trip down to see my grandparents in Jacksonville, FL. It was so much fun! The kids loved hanging out with their Great Pa Pa and Mi Mi! Joshua and Pa Pa played all kinds of games and Pa Pa loved "rigging up" little toys/activities for him. This is the ONLY picture that I have from the trip...I was really sad that the battery died on the camera! We'll have to go back soon and get some good shots!

Unfortunately, Anna Bell has overcome her fear of steps. I was really enjoying the fact that she would not go near them for so long...but I guess it's time that she learn how to safely go up and down by herself.

....Oh and by the way...just thought I'd throw in this last picture for fun (or really, the true reason for today's post:)) This is baby Broome # 3!!!!! We had our first appointment today and I am 8 weeks along! We are very excited!!! I am SOOOOO sick this time around which is a little tough with little ones, but Fred is a HUGE help. I LOVE my new doctor. He was very informative and thorough with everything. We are overwhelmed by this blessing and so thankful that God saw fit to allow us to be parents to another child. I will post more soon, but right now I really need to eat something!

Life in Georgia

So sorry about the blog slacking lately...I've been meaning to post these pictures for a while now. The first two are of the infamous Annual Macon "Cherry Blossom Festival." It's pretty insane- the week long event actually gets national attention. Basically, as far as I know from my limited understanding, this event is a really big deal. There are tons of Cherry Blossom trees all over the city that bloom as the week begins. (I guess they know exactly when they're going to bloom way in advance so that they can plan all of the festivities...that alone blows my mind.) Anyways, there is a fair that is part of the celebration. We didn't get many pictures- but these of the pink poodle are my favorite! Everything associated with the week is pink. Ya know, like the cherry blossoms-- and I guess that some guy decided that his dog would join in. Poor dog. I mean, poodles are pretty sad creatures to begin with, but you dye one pink and that's just pitiful. The kids got a real kick out of it, though. I actually really love these type of cultural phenomenons. From the outside looking in, so much of it seems so silly...but really fun!!!!

As I went to download the latest pictures onto the computer, I realized that about half of them were of our kids eating ice cream!!! I guess I really like to take pictures of this...and I guess my kids inherited their momma's love for the stuff!!!!

I LOVE this picture of Anna Bell. She has just recently really started loving books like her big brother. Doesn't it look like she's reading to her dolly? ...I don't think that's what she was doing, the doll just happened to be sitting there:)




Here's a picture of the view from our kitchen window a couple of weeks ago. I LOVE it!!!! Spring is here!!!!

Check it Out Out Out

...So my wonderful husband decided to create his own blogspot this week...although this started out as a couple blog, I am definitely the one who updates it. I am really excited about Fred blogging as well- he is a lot more insightful and more knowledgeable than I am. Anyways, check it out....and post a comment about whatcha think!:)

Ears are Clear

Anna Bell had her surgery on Tuesday morning. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and encouragement. The surgery went great. The doctor said that it looked like one eardrum had ruptured at some point and the other one had fluid in it that was actually more jelly-like than it was liquid. Gross! Poor thing! Anyways, we got to go back and hold her as the anesthesia was wearing off. After about 30 minutes she was awake and doing great. It's been amazing to see the difference that tubes have made: she's walking better, eating more and taking longer naps. Sweet girl! The only annoying thing is that our doctor recommends us using earplugs anytime that she's in water. Last night during bath time, Joshua was extremely concerned about what "that red thing" was in her ears! I've heard several people say that the plugs aren't necessary for the bathtub, so we'll see how long it last!:)

Poor Sweet Anna

I took Anna Bell to the ENT (ear,nose, & throat) doctor for a follow-up visit last week. She had battled an on-going ear infection, so our pediatrician referred us to the specialist. Unfortunately, our precious little girl STILL has the ear infection! She has basically had the same infection since Christmas. Antibiotics weren't really helping, so she hasn't been on any since January. The doctor said that if you or I were in the same pain that she is, we'd be rushing to the doctor and begging him to fix it! She has just adapted and gotten used to her ears always hurting! So sad! Anyways, the doc has decided that tubes are the best option. We go for two pre-op visits this week and Anna Bell will have the surgery next Tuesday. Thankfully, it is a routine procedure that only takes about 5 minutes. She will be under anesthetic, so that's the part that makes me a little anxious. I'm glad to know that this should solve the problem without antibiotics, but still sad that she has to have surgery!

Ouch...

I am doing a book study with a couple of friends here in Macon. It's really great: because we all have young kids and realize that getting together to having meaningful conversation with 7 toddlers is about impossible, we "meet together" online. We have our own website where each week one of us posts questions from the chapter for that week. We then discuss and challenge one another throughout the week, when each of us has time. Then, when we do get together, we're not bound to an agenda. We can simply enjoy each other's company. It's been really good for me to have this kind of fellowship and accountability. The book that we are reading is Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney. It goes through the virtues of Titus 2 that older women are to model for their younger sisters. This is a book that I have wanted to read and have never gotten around to buying. For those of you who are looking for a good/challenging read, I highly recommend it. We got ours on the Mahaney's ministry website.
Anyway, this week's chapter was about self-control. One of the topics highlighted was the discipline of sleeping for the glory of God. I have never considered myself a morning person and thought that that was okay. However, this quote has really challenged my habit of being a "night owl:"
"I have heard of women who pride themselves on being "night people." That means that they have trouble getting up in the mornings because they come alive at night. They may stay up to all hours reading, watching television, or pursuing some sort of interest. The next morning they are too tired to get up and care for their family...These women are not "night people." They are lazy and selfish. who would not rather stay up late to do whatever they please and sleep late the next day? Once a young wife begins getting up earlier than her children and her husband, she will cease to be a "night person." She will be tired at night and go to bed at a reasonable hour so she will be there to serve her family the next morning." (by Martha Peace, Becoming a Titus 2 Woman)
...Ouch!

Pics of Our Trip

Anna Bell has yet to master walking, so she transports her toys in her mouth most of the time! Precious Girl!

Anna Bell LOVES to slide!

Fun at the park

My dear friend, Shelly, took the last two pictures. She is a gifted photographer and was willing to go with us to a park and get some shots of the kids. I will post more later, but these are two of my favorites. Thanks Shell! Love you!

Travel with Two

The kids and I spent last week in St. Louis visiting the family. It was spring break for mom and Laura and Fred had a busy week preparing for Easter services, so we figured it was a good week for me to go. I had been anticipating this trip with both excitement and a bit of anxiety because of the whole flying thing. I really didn't know what to expect traveling with Joshua and Anna Bell all by myself. There are so many factors that play into it: getting through security, the train thingy at the ATL airport, ear trouble with AB, diaper changing....you get the point. Thankfully, I had received some great advice/tips from those of you who have done this before (thanks, Holly!!!). The absolute best advice is BRING THE STROLLER!!!! Atlanta was so crazy with business travelers on Monday morning that I really don't know if we could have done it without the double umbrella stroller. Basically, they treat you like a handicapped person when you have one of these things, so we didn't have to wait in the forever long line for security. Instead, they usher you right up to the front and into a specific stroller/handicap line. It was truly a lifesaver! I also called the airline ahead of time and they placed a request on my ticket that Fred be able to go to the gate with me. They said that whether they granted this request depended on the level of security for that day, but PRAISE GOD, our request was granted and Fred came with us all the way to our gate! The flight itself wasn't bad at all: Joshua spent most of the time pealing Thomas the Train stickers and Anna Bell was tired of sitting by the end of it, but stayed pretty quiet. On the way back, we had to make it through the airport without Fred (which was a little crazy, trying to get on and off the tram with the kids, bag, stroller, and Joshua's carseat!) but we made it without too much excitement.
We had such a blast at Grandpa and Grandma's house. We went shopping, to the zoo, swimming at the Y, and spent lots of time just hanging out together. Maddie and Joshua had a great time- although their relationship is a bit dramatic (Joshua really enjoys getting Maddie upset). Anna Bell loved all the attention that she received and really loves Molly, my parents' Golden Retriever. We had a great time and the week flew by, but it's good to be home-- we all really missed Fred and the kids missed the routine of being at home. Thanks for having us Mom and Dad. We love you and miss you!!!
*Side note: A new mall opened in Macon while we were gone. It's really close to our house and has lots of fun new shops. We decided to go check it out this evening. As well pulled up in front of B&N, Joshua excitedly said "I want to go in there and drink my coffee!!!!"...That's my boy:)

Gross and Weird!

Joshua got a couple of Nerds this morning for going poopoo in the potty. After he was finished eating them, he brought his cup to me and I noticed a little white thing sticking out of his nose. It was a little nerd!!!! The candy coating had dissolved off of it, but otherwise it was a whole nerd that had come through his throat and nasal passages out his nose! Yucky!!!

Ladybugs and Belly flops

This is a pretty random post, but there are several stories/updates that I keep meaning to put on here and am finally getting around to it. So...here are some fun happenings from the Broome home:
1. Ladybugs:
For some reason, ever since we moved into our house, we've had a constant visiting of ladybugs. I have no idea where they come in, but they like to congregate at the windows. Because most of the trim in our house is stained wood, I often times do not notice the ladybugs before the kids do. Needless to say, Anna Bell has eaten at least two of them (maybe I need to work more protein into her diet..ha!). Joshua just likes to play with them until he says "Uh oh, mom, I squished em!" Oh well.
2. Belly flops: There is no doubt that Joshua is "all boy" and extremely tough. Although I think that it has to do, in part, with the fact that we don't make a big fuss when he falls or bumps his head. More than that, I think that he's just a tough kid. Our prayer is that Joshua would live up to the verse that we pray over him: that he would be strong and courageous and obey the Word of the Lord (Joshua 1:7-9) However, his latest "courageous" stunt is a little too much for mom and dad. Last week, as we were all hanging out in the family room, Joshua stood up on the couch and jump off doing a complete belly flop onto the floor! What in the world! He didn't fuss at all, but I thought that surely he was just trying to be tough and wouldn't attempt the stunt again. Oh no, he has done it like five times since then!!! Crazy kid.
3. I hate Wallpaper: When we moved into our house in October, I was rip roarin ready to get all the wallpaper out of the house in the first week. Well, here we are: going on our sixth month of living here, and we've only finished two bathrooms. We still have our master bath and the kitchen to do. The paper is original to the house, so not only has it been up for 20 years, but the wallboard was not primed before it was put up. This means that it takes forever to get it off and it leaves a lot of imperfections in the wallboard. While Fred was out of town this weekend, I decided to try to putty the seams in the paper with joint compound and paint over it. So far that's looking like a bad idea. Has anyone done this and did it look okay once you were all done?

Fellow LOST Fans...

What in the world is going on?!!?

Thanks Mom & Dad!

One of my favorite simple pleasures in life is an unexpected delivery from the United States Postal Service. Today as the kids and I were eating lunch, we heard the doorbell. As I curiously peeked out the window I was surprised with one such delivery! Wooo Whooo!!! No one in our family is especially good at sending packages, so I know that this was quite an accomplishment and sacrifice, mom and dad....Thanks!!!! Inside of the box was an assortment of fun treats including books, candy, a CD with pics on it and an all-time classic treasure among the Prosser family- "Bullfrogs and Butterflies" on CD!!!! I know that some of you listened to this as well when you were little (...and probably on record like we did!) It was SOOO fun to introduce Joshua and Anna Bell to such a great part of my childhood! Joshua LOVED it! I'm so thankful for bands like Hillsong Kids that aren't so "kiddy" sounding that we all love to listen to, but nothing beats childhood classics such as these!

John and Kate + 8

Fred and I watched this show for the first time last night. Holy Cow! I'm guessing that most of you have seen it, but for those who haven't-- it's so crazy! I looked at Fred at one point and said "that's basically like having two Joshuas and SIX Anna Bells!!!! Whaaaattt!!!! Anyways, it's a good reminder of perspective; on days when my life as a mom of two seems crazy chaotic... it could be a whole lot crazier!!!

Do I REALLY Fear the Lord??!!?

Our pastor began a series titled "The Way of Wisdom" a few weeks back. It is a study of the Proverbs that has really challenged me. The first week, Pastor Tim challenged us as families to commit to reading a chapter of Proverbs each day and to memorize one verse each week for the next 31 days. As simple as it sounds, it has been very refining for me. When I look at the Proverbs and all the references to "fearing the Lord," I am greatly convicted. Do I really fear Him??! Do I even really know what having a right fear of my Father looks like? One resounding theme that I have seen as I've read is that only with humility comes a right fear of God. Here are some other characteristics that our pastor shared with us from God's Word that really hit home with me:
Fear of the Lord means...
*keeping my heart tender before the Lord. "Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calmity." (28:14)
*valuing God's approval more than that of any person. "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." (29:25)
Another amazing truth that Pastor Tim taught is that when Fred and I rightly fear the Lord, we experience great confidence, which in turn, creates and place of security for our kids. "In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge." (14:26)
I am so thankful for how my loving Father refines me. I love how He teaches and corrects me with His Word! I am both overwhelmed and excited about how much I have to learn and grow!

It Wasn't on the Agenda, but....

Yesterday, when we went outside to play, (and perhaps find our critter) we came upon a mud puddle instead. I suppose that this could count as our science experiment: what happens when you drop a rock into a puddle of muddy water? Ummmm.... our results = one really dirty two year old! It was a great day for getting dirty; it wasn't too cold and we had our play clothes on. Joshua had a blast. (Anna Bell and I spectated from a distance!)

Here are some pictures of our dancin' to Lincoln Brewster. I tried to capture one of the three of us, but the whole "timer" thing on the camera kind of interferes with the free-spiritedness of the moment! (Joshua's dancing usually consists of running in circles and occasionally clapping...I need to teach him some of his momma's "moves" ...:))

"To Do" List for the Week

1. Dance...and dance and dance:)

2. Catch a critter... and let it go before an appendage is removed by little fingers.
3. Finger paint...and if it's nice outside, make a really big mess while doing it:)
4. Build a fort/tent...and read a pile of books by flashlight.
5. Perform a science experiment...any ideas?

Pictures to soon follow...Have a WONDERFUL week!

Yes...Joshua is wearing a Pink Shirt.

The Finally Finished Picture....

Here's the picture...Fred has wanted me to "try" selling paintings for a while now...and guess what?!!? This picture sold today! WoooWhooo! Granted, it was Fred's mentor/accountability partner that bought it...he's one of the most encouraging guys you'll ever meet....so he might have bought it because he simply is that much of an encourager! Him and his wife have three children, so he wants me to add two boys to it...and then it will be completely done. (I don't know if you can tell, but there is a little girl on the path and she is standing at a fork in the road. The theme of the event was honor, so the point of the picture is the decision to choose the "path of honor" verses the path that's easy/well-traveled.)

More Painting...(thank you, dear husband:))

One of the big deal events that Ingleside does every year is a father/daughter dinner. On the first night, they have it for teenagers and their dads and the second night is for elementary aged girls and daddies. Because it is technically a "student event," Fred and the high school pastor are part of the planning. Besides them (and the children's pastor) it basically consists of a bunch of creative/decorative-inclined ladies. I would love to be in these meetings to watch my husband's blank stare as the women go on and on about stargazer lilies and floor-length tablecloths! Not long after Fred started attending these meetings, we were playing battle of the sexes and he answered the question correctly "What is toile?" Wow...that's all I have to say.
Anyways, after one of these particular meetings, Fred got home and we all went out to run errands. When we got home, I had a message on the answering machine from a woman who helps with this event. She said that she had a "proposition" for me. Being that I have only met her once, I thought this quite strange. I looked at Fred and said "hmm...I wonder what that could be about." Fred replied with a bit of a chuckle "...I think I might have some idea." Hmmm. So...here's what happened: The ladies were discussing how great it would be if they had someone paint a picture that would be displayed at the entrance of the event that "captured the essence" of the theme verse. One of the ladies had a friend that did these sort of paintings and she said that she would give him a call. Before moving on to the next order of business, my dear husbands piped in.:) He said that I painted and could probably do something like that. Thank you, Freddy Broome!!! It's not that I didn't want to help, it's just that I haven't painted much at all since having kids and I don't really know what I'm doing in the first place. I have no idea about technique or brushes...it's really just through trial and error that I learn. The pressure of painting something for an event like this kind of overwhelms me. However...I called the woman back and told her that I would do it. Many of you know how difficult it is to serve in the local church when you've got little kids (especially if your husband is on staff) ...there's so many times that I go to events to "help" and end up getting paged or having to leave early for bed time or chasing the kids the whole time. This was a way that I could use my "gifts" even as a young momma. I am actually really grateful that Fred volunteered me for this project. The painting is far from perfect, but I thoroughly enjoyed working on it. For the past week, I've spent every nap time and some evenings painting. I would pull out the ipod and be in my own little world for an hour or so. It was really fun! I guess that sometimes I get in the routine of being wife and mommy and forget about some of the hobbies that I really love. SO....Thank You, dear hubby for allowing me the opportunity to paint:)

Painting...

For those of you who have never seen my hair brown, here it is. (I think that this is pretty close to my natural color...but I'm not quite sure.) I've highlighted my hair for a long time but cannot keep up with it for anything and constantly have terrible roots....so I decided to just dye it brown. I'm sure that I'll get bored with this before too long and change it, but for now it's nice to not have to bother with it.

Joshua is ALL boy when he works on art projects! I can't wait until spring when we can take the paint outside!

We LOVE Our New Swings!

I think that I shared in an earlier post that Fred's dad bought the kids swings for Christmas. We haven't invested in a swing set just yet, so for now, the tree in the front yard works great!

Over the weekend, my parents, Laura, Maddie Grace, and Ashley came to visit. We had soooo much fun! We celebrated Anna Bell's first birthday with cake and presents. Anna Bell seemed to like cake: she wasn't nearly as messy about it as her brother was!
(I'll try to post some pictures soon)
Joshua adores his cousin, Maddie. They act so silly together! It's so fun to watch. Joshua tries to do everything that Maddie does, which is mostly a good thing. However, one thing that I'm kind of bummed that Joshua picked up from his big cousin is that he decided/realized that he could climb out of his crib! Stink! I thought that MAYBE he'd forget once they all left, but nope: yesterday when it was time for his nap, he climbed out twice. Finally, he slept in his big bed, but only for about 50 minutes. Since nap time is for 2 hours at the Broome house, this was not so great. We've decided that the standard/rule is going to be that there will be consequences for getting out of bed without mommy or daddy, which is working well so far. If any of ya'll have any wisdom to share about this transition, we'd love to hear it!

My Sweet Husband

Tomorrow is our four year anniversary! Some of our dear friends from the college ministry in Indiana are coming to visit for the weekend, so Fred surprised me with a whole day of celebration yesterday. It was so fun! Just as we were falling asleep on Monday night, he casually said, "I took the day off tomorrow." I could barely fall asleep because i LOVE it when Fred is home, especially in the middle of the week like that. When we got up the next morning he said that we needed to go ahead and get ready because we were going to Atlanta! Once in the car, he asked if I'd rather go to the Aquarium or IKEA (my FAVORITE store as of late!). Both ideas sounded super fun to me, but we ended up deciding that it would be a major bummer if we paid all that money for the aquarium and the kids weren't into it....so: we chose IKEA. The picture above is what Fred got me for our anniversary: it's a storage unit for the laundry room. Like most stay-at-home-moms, I'm constantly trying to think up ways to better organize and make it look "cool" at the same time. Doesn't this look so cool!!!!! Thank you, my amazing husband!!!! If that wasn't enough, Fred also made me an appointment for a pedicure when we got back...but we missed the appointment because we were at IKEA for like 3 hours!!! When we did get home, we got ready and fed the kiddos and one of Fred's interns came over and watched them so that we could go out to eat. It was such a great day!!!!

I am so completely blessed by and thankful for our marriage. Fred is such an incredible husband and daddy. He lives out the description of what love looks like found in I Corinthians 13 so much better than I do. I am so overwhelmingly grateful that God saw fit to make me

Fred Broome's wife!!!

Update

Thank you all for praying for our friends...I know that so many of you can picture yourself in Jesse & Shanee or Leslie's place and have great compassion for what they're going through. We haven't heard any more from Jesse & Shanee...but they should be back in the states for a memorial celebration any day now. As for Leslie, all the reports from doctors have been good so far: what they have tested of her lymph nodes has been reported to be cancer-free...which is an amazing answer to prayer since her tumor was so large. Please continue to pray for healing and strength as she starts treatment. Leslie has a website that keeps people updated and allows them to post prayers/Scripture/encouragement : http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/leslieshuler

Psalm 34:18

"The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."