Steve and Jenny Valentine

I often wished I had enough time each day (where I didn't feel tired) and could write for hours on end, especially about my precious children.  But reality with two small kiddos (both now on the move), life just doesn't allow for that right now.  And that's ok.  I like to post updates about my kiddos so that our family (who mostly live far away) can have a glimpse in the day in and day out of these precious babies they don't get to see so often.  Since trying to recap an entire year would demand more than one blog post for Karis, I decided that it would be fun to recap with pictures only.  Pictures that show a highlight from each month over the past year of her life.  Seeing that it's already November, I'm two months past when I wanted to post this, but better late than never, haha! AUGUST-taken on her 1st birthday after her party SEPTEMBER-Karis is into everything, and always VERY curious! SEPTEMBER-fun family day at the beach OCTOBER-O...

Dear Steve, Welcome to the last year of your 20's...how does it feel?!  Is it crazy to think in one short year from now, you will be passing into a new decade?  The last time you did that, you were young and enjoying your college days at Texas Tech.  It's amazing what happens in ten years...well even one year for that matter! I'm very thankful for you. I could stop there, but I shall elaborate!  Afterall, you know I'm not one to speak just a few words ;)  I like simple, but I also like complex (probably  more of the latter though!)  I know you don't like to have the spotlight and for attention to be drawn to yourself, but allow me to brag about you for a minute.  Not for your own glory and that people will think you're so amazing, but so that the Lord may get ALL the glory due His name with having created you, for Himself. I have found myself in the past few weeks pondering just how thankful I am for you.  It seems as we passed into t...

Let's just start this post off by saying, I'm not a morning person.  At all.  I try to be.  But it's useless.  I have a child that wakes up early, this has been a challenge for me for the past two years, but I'm learning to manage and be civil to everyone in my household at these early morning hours!  However, since it takes me a little bit to "wake up", I find myself often getting easily frustrated and losing my patience with my daughter (not to mention others in my household).  Thus pointing out many sinful areas in my own life.  So it's a good thing, but it's not always easy.  {Flashback to a few days ago} Karis is independent. She has reached the age where she insists on doing everything on her own.  This one particular morning, it was driving me more crazy than it normally does.  And as I mentioned before, being early in the morning as it so happened, I didn't have much patience in my tank to begin ...

Steve made me laugh the other day when we were talking about how Isaac was just about to be six months old and he said, "we've survived six months with two children!"  Well that's the truth!  Reflecting on the past six months a few thoughts have occured to me: 1. I cannot imagine life without Isaac...he has brought so much laughter to our home and I thank the Lord constantly for him (and Karis too!) 2. The first few months were very difficult (especially because of many milestones Karis was going through such as getting several molar teeth at one time the first month after Isaac was born and Karis deciding to be potty trained a couple months later)...but we've passed that really tough phase and I'm getting better at loving and managing two kiddos. 3. The Lord has provided in ways we never could have imagined and sustained us through what could have been very difficult times. 4. I have been refined in ways I never imagined through having two kiddos! Isa...