It feels like FALL!

Olivia's two month photo! Her cheeks are so big
I lift them to get her car seat straps positioned right!

Self photo taken while EC and Siah were getting lost
in the hay bale maze; with other moms watching them of course!

The kids and their Moms club friends at the pumpkin patch

Miss Priss!

I pray that they always are so in love with each other!

We are welcoming every hour we have that feels remotely like the much anticipated relief from the Texas scorching summer heat! We have had a handful of days in the past three weeks that remind us of fall; the temp hovers in the 70's (insert laughter from our Yankee friend and family) during the day and 50's at night. Though the falling temps are the only natural sign of autumn around here (since the foliage turns from green to dead brown, if it turns at all) we are enjoying the fall festivities of our small town life! The kids and I have decorated the house with small pumpkins and other "fallish"decor, we visited a Christmas tree farm that has a pumpkin patch and hay rides, and we went to the Kyle Fair as a family. We all enjoyed the fair food and rides!

Family Photos

Early September we had family photos taken by our good friend Alison Joe. She did such a great job and we all had a good time! Its amazing to look back and see how much we all have changed since we last had professional photos taken.

Once we convinced Emma-Claire to smile for the camera she really got into it! She and Olivia were so precious together!

Sam and I like this one of us with Olivia

All 5 of us! Its hard to remember what it was like 5 years ago when it was just Sam and I living the college lifestyle in Eastern Europe!

What precious creations of an AWESOME God!

Blessing # 3!

Summer Fun #2

This is our little rental house in Kyle. And "Ruby" our Toyota minivan!

Princess Emma-Claire enjoying the parade!

Josiah and Sam watching the fire truck :)

Emma taking pictures of the fireworks with Daddy's phone!

We had a great summer! For Independence Day we celebrated with Nanna and Pawpaw (Rance and Lynn) The kiddos loved the parade and the fireworks! The best part of our summer was the birth of sweet blessing number 3!

Olivia Faith's cheesy face just after delivery




Olivia Faith was born August 1st at 11:15am at home! We LOVED having a home birth and our midwife, Amber Clarkson, was a gift from God. She was incredibly patient and empowering! Sam helped deliver Olivia and was the best labor coach! The entire labor and delivery, all 17 hours of it, was incredible! Being at home, having the greatest partner, and outstanding midwife, made for the perfect delivery! It amazes me what the woman's body is designed to do. God's magnificence is defiantly glorified through the untainted labor and delivery process.

Olivia tanning! She spent 48 hours under the billy lights for jaundice treatment. The funny thing in her nose is nasal cpap. Positive air way pressure to ease breathing.

Mommy and Livi

Daddy feeding Olivia

Once Olivia made her debut she had a hard time clearing the mucous from her little lungs and Amber decided she needed to go into the hospital for some help. We spent 5 days in the Dell Children's NICU where Olivia was treated with surfactant, a drug used to expand her lungs. Very quickly after she received the meds her little body perked right up! She just needed some help getting a good, deep first breath she missed right after delivery. The rest of our stay was to monitor her. We had excellent care in the NICU and highly recommend Dell Children's hospital!

Olivia's first bath. She was so tiny and yellow but she LOVED the bath!

Olivia's first photo at home! 5 Days old :)

We've spent the past two and a half months getting adjusted to having three kiddos under 4! WOW what a crazy wonderful life we have! I (Ashley) am still not getting sufficient sleep and running on God's grace! Both Josiah and Emma-Claire are totally in love with "livi". Sweet Josiah tells her "wee-u Ya-ya"! Translated "I love you Olivia!" Emma-Claire is such a big girl and most of the time eager to help me; what a blessing! God's grace is sufficient!! I've made a goal of posting every week... So please keep me accountable if you enjoy reading about our family!

Enjoy this fall y'all!