Being a woman of GREAT Faith.

It is crazy. 

And thrilling. 

And surprising. 

And filled with adventure.

It is a wild and exciting life to be a.....Believer in the Lord Jesus. 

It is especially exciting this week. :) 

Why? 

God, being the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords (Rev 19:16), is more than capable of keeping my life in His control. 

I am HIS. I am his child (Gal 3:26). In my heart I may plan out my life, but the Lord establishes my steps. (Prov 16:9) So He is in control of where I go and what I do.

In fact, He literally directs my steps. (Prov 20:24) And He directs YOURS. 

This week as I presented myself to God as one of his workers who correctly handles the Word of Truth, (2 Tim 2:15) good news followed.

Every day I flee from the girl I once was. I pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, and call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Tim 2:22)

And then I stand back. What the Lord does next never ceases to amaze me! 

This week alone, the Lord has opened up an opportunity for me and the His Proposal team to speak side by side, shoulder to shoulder with Kay Arthur (Eeek!) speaker and author at the His Proposal conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee the weekend of September 13-15. 

You may be one of the 75 million households that her television show reaches. She is a very well known speaker and author. We have some of her books in our home. And I will be speaking side by side with her? It's surreal. Her show is in 30 countries. Did I mention the words 'Oh my goodness' yet? What an honor. The team and I want you to come for the weekend to soak up all the goodness available. 

Invitation below...

“They sought God eagerly, and He was found by them.” (2 Ch 15:15)

Hello dearly loved girls,

I would like to personally invite you to join me and and the His Proposal team to come to this conference September 13-15, 2013. God is asking each of us to enter into the greatest love story ever told. A story about the King of Kings coming to rescue the damsel in distress and make her His Bride. You will be overwhelmed by the love God has for you as you study John 3:16.Then, we will learn together how God wants us to live. What does God’s Word say about marriage? Is waiting to have sex truly worth it? Would a godly guy ever want to marry me? How do I know if my boyfriend is the one? Does God still love me after all I have done?The more you know the King, the easier it will be to recognize a prince because your prince will be like the King. God can use you while you are single. He wants to forgive you and make you whole. He wants to set you free from strongholds and give you life to the full. When God unfolds His Word to you during this weekend, you will enter into a whole new world. A world you probably don’t know exists. A world of love, forgiveness, and purpose.
I have seen miracles in the lives of girls during the last 10 years. Miracles happen when a girl understands how much she is loved.Please join us this September as we dig into God’s Word, worship, eat, laugh, and pray together. This conference is for single girls who want to grow in their relationships with God and also for married women who want to be equipped in investing into the lives of younger women. (Titus 2:3-5)

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Cor 2:9

I've got news for YOU. I speak from my own personal experience. 

The Lord deals in the supernatural and we as believers get to tap into that if we allow the power of the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. 

'But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.' Philippians 3:13-14

Here's the deal. 

God does NOT show favoritism. His word says it. Romans 2:11

So needless to say, but I am saying it, I am no different than anyone else. I am being obedient to him. And the ride is SO EXCITING. 

He wants to bless you, and the things that you are investing in. 

So, all glory to God, the Monday night conference call biblestudy Good Soil Girls continues to have God's hand of blessing resting squarely on it. He continues to draw girls and women from all over the world (literally) to himself to hear the WORD. We are always happy for more girls to join. If you are interested in connecting with girls to study the Word verse-by-verse, line-by-line, join Good Soil Girls on Facebook. OR go to www.goodsoilgirls.wordpress.com for a list of all the recordings. 

This week, I received a message from a Good Soil Girl. God is at work!

Jennie, I wanted to thank you for sharing your heart and your love for Jesus. I have been so blessed by this study, I have been praying so long for God to bring women into my life who just love The Lord and can be encourages and mentors and I feel like he has done this. 
I just can't tell you how God has laid it on my heart that he desires for my ministry to be to women and young ladies. That started several years ago and so I feel privileged to get to listen and learn from you ladies. 
The last few weeks have been some of my hardest ever, we are walking through my oldest daughters pain and the beginning of God's healing her from sexual abuse. I have raised my fist to heaven and said "Why my baby!!!!" And tried to answer her when she looks at me with tears after I said "God loves you so much you are His princess". And she cries, "Then why did He let this happen to me?" I share this with you because yesterday I felt like I reached my breaking point, but every time in my life I have felt that He sends an encourager to lift me back up and remind me that I can. He used you this week, I am a homeschooling mom also who feels defeated but you reminded me that He will enable me to accomplish the task laid before me. Thank you, I pray that God will allow me to minister and encourage the women he brings into my life the way you have encouraged me. I am praying for you ladies.

 Being a Woman of GREAT FAITH

Matthew 15:

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, 'It is not right to take the children's bread and toss

 it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Now as I first read this I had difficulty understanding it. It seemed to me that Jesus was treating this woman in a cold way, almost insulting her. But of course, Jesus wouldn't do that. 

So lets look at a few things. Number one, Jesus from the beginning, knew that He was gonna heal her daughter. 

The Bible says people didn't need to testify to him about anything because He knows all men. He knew what was in the heart of this woman. He knew she had GREAT FAITH. He is in the business of drawing it out. He wanted to hear her express her great faith that was in there. When she first calls out to him, she says, LORD Son of David have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.' 

Take a look at this. He doesn't even answer her. At all. She's listening for anything. 'Hmm hmm hmm hmm' Nope. NO response. Pin drop. Clearly she noticed only silence from Jesus, and yet, she persisted. And then she got on the disciples nerves. Which is kind of funny.  They were so bothered by her, they said, "Lord why don't you just take care of her. She is a menace." 

The text doesn't say. BUT, it seems that maybe she was at a distance, not right beside them, but kind of off crying toward Jesus and his disciples. 

To develop her faith he intentionally didn't answer. His intentional silence encouraged her in her faith. Because it encouraged her to keep asking. We are watching him develop her faith right before our very eyes.

Jesus heard her. And he heard the disciples too. And he said, "Look, I am only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 

And so she came. She knelt before him. At his feet, she worshiped him, saying, "Lord help me." Watch and listen as Jesus draws out her GREAT FAITH, He said, "It isn't right to take the children's bread." Lemme break that down in the JIV Jennie International Version. What he's saying is. You are a canaanite. A gentile. You're not a Jew. The CHILDREN are the people of Israel, Israelites. You are NOT an Israelite. 'It is not right to take the childrens bread and toss it to the dogs.' 

Hold up. So Jesus only saves the Israelites? No! We know what is true Luke 19:10 says 'For the son of man came to seek and save the Lost!' Not just Israelite lost. ALL lost. 

He was testing her faith. Woman. Do you believe? Woman! Do you believe? 

Here's the thing. There are no cuss words in Hebrew. At all. If a Jew wants to cuss he has to cuss in another language. In English. But the dirtiest thing they can call a person is a dog. They had these wild dogs that ran in packs, that everybody hated. They were just vicious. And so they would refer to usually, rather then say, he is a Gentile, they would say, "he is a Gentile dog." 

But then there was another Greek word for dog, which was a little puppy. These little puppies were usually around the table as the children were eating. And when the children ate they didn't have utensils like we have, the knives, and forks, and spoon, and so the child didn't have to learn table etiquette. I think my own little Carlisle would have made a great little Gentile back then. Side note. These kids would just pick up and eat with their hands. And after you were through with your meal, you would then take a piece of the bread, and you would wipe your hands off with the piece of bread. Just clean all the grease and juices off with a piece of bread. And then they usually take that piece of bread and toss it to the little puppies that were around the table.

And so it was a very common picture for the people when Jesus said, "It isn't right to take the children's bread, and to cast it to puppies." 

Here's our girl. OUR WOMAN of Great faith. She said, "yes, Lord, but the little puppies eat the bread that falls from the master's table." Jesus said, oh, aha, all right. "Great is your faith." It was faith that conquered over the silence of Jesus. It was faith that conquered over what seemed to be reluctance of Jesus. It was faith that won. This mother was desperate. And she was also FULL OF UNSWERVING, UNFALTERING faith!!!

They didn't notice that I was taking pictures of them. I was sitting in the floor watching it all unfold. Four precious sisters. Four different ages. Being little girls. Big ones, loving on the little ones. Sunshine streaming through the window. Who knew the playroom gets such great, bright afternoon sunshine? 

Grab your pen and WRITE THIS DOWN in your bible! 

God's Word tells us how to become women of GREAT Faith!

#1. Cry out to God. 

A woman of great faith doesn't just sit quietly. She CRIES OUT TO GOD! This woman cried out so long that the disciples wanted to shush her up. It's like the crying baby at the movie. Everyone thinks, 'Come-on. I paid 15 bucks for a ticket, someone better take that baby outta here.' So whoop it up to God. If you get shushed by someone for crying out to God, GOOD! She did too. 

#2. Bow before the Lord. 

A woman of GREAT FAITH bows before the Lord as she cries out to Him. The word in the greek is proskyneyo. From which we get the word PROSTRATE. Which means WORSHIP. Holla! 

What does it mean to worship God? That means you do nothing, except
-be in love with
-pay attention to

God ONLY. God alone. 

Fall before the Lord and give him your worship. Give him all of you. 

John 4:23 'Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.'

WORSHIP him while you cry out! Worship while PROSTRATE. 

3. Be in agreement with God and the Word of God against all odds!!! 

The woman of GREAT FAITH persisted in asking and trusting. Even when everything seems against you. She was a Gentile. She was female. Most Jewish rabbis paid little attention to women. Even men of God, the disciples, were irritated and didn't want to listen to her. Christs WORDS may have led her to believe that he was against her. She said, 'Yes it is.' She agreed with Jesus. 

4. Produce fruit!

The fruit of this woman's faith is her daughter! Wow!! Salvation. What a fruit for this woman!!! 

'I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.' 3 John 1:4

Fruit could be being effective in ministry when Power of the Holy Spirit comes upon us. But God is the only one that can produce fruit in our lives. 

There's one more. A Fifth way to become a woman of Great Faith. 

5. Read your bible and PRAY.

If anything ever is exciting and wonderful and great but takes away from your spiritual life, God didn't send it. God will never send anything into your life that will lessen your commitment or your ability to Him ever. He'll never give you something that takes away from your spirit life and rinder you ineffective and useless. NO WAY. He wants you to be useful, faithful and fruitful.

Want to be a woman of GREAT FAITH? Effective for ministry? THROW yourself into the things of God. Like my little 3 year old on the Disney cruise. She did front rolls into the water. She did it for hours. So was so proud of herself. She would roll on the side and end up falling into the water. FULLY submerged. Laughing and smiling the whole time. She threw herself in. Unabashedly. We too, should throw ourselves into the things of God.

Theres no way God can ever use you if your not usable. Be usable. What does that mean? Don't spend your time doing worthless things. Every day you are given 24 hours. What are you doing with your time? Are you gossiping by the pool as the little ones play? Are you consumed with checking FB. Do you read books that are not Godly? Do you talk endlessly to a sister or Mother about all of your countless worries? Do you amble through the mall or shops, not buying, just looking and longing after things you can't afford to buy. I know Stephanie and I have talked about silly old People magazine. I cannot buy it. It sucks me in and spits me out an hour later feeling lousy, defeated. Worthless. Smells like Satan to me.

Stop it now. If we are honest with ourselves, we all have HOURS of unaccounted for time. No, Jennie, you don't understand. I work, I have 2 kids I have to pick them up from daycare, make dinner etc. There are 24 hours in a day. Pray that the Lord would reveal to you times that you are not spending your time with Him that you could. Maybe that means listening to the word on your headphones on your lunch break. Or listening while your kids are in the pool. Pray to Jehovah Elohim creator God for creative ways to get more of him. HE will delight in answering that prayer.

Listen. I want to challenge you to take the worldly things out of your life. They are like weeds that CHOKE out the flowers. Women of great faith!!! Pull the weeds!!! But be prepared. Weeds have roots. And they will spring back up as soon as you turn around. So rid yourself of these things, these things of the world, or things of the flesh that end up being worthless and that are choking out your spirit life. Pray and seek the Lord to help you keep them out now and forever. Mark says, 'Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the works, making it unfruitful.'

Nah eh! WOMEN OF GREAT FAITH produce FRUIT!!

My girls got up super early one morning this summer to treat our Thursday morning garbage crew with a snack. It was decided upon by them that the snack should be water and brownies. The girls were so excited. Not sure if it was the anticipation. Or the fact that the men were strangers. Or that their job really is so important. But the girls spent well over an hour watching out the window for these guys. 

I took pictures from my front porch. Wish I had the zoom lens on that day. The sweaty guys were nodding and thanking these little girls. Everyone walked away with a smile on their face. 
THAT was time well spent. 

Just fun for you Good Soil Girls!

Good Soil Biblestudy Girls, we are going to be studying 1 Peter for the next 15 weeks. 

In addition to my bible, I have found two things that make me REALLY happy, and they seem to be traveling with me everywhere. I had to share with y'all...

I'm a really organized girl in my heart...but not so much in reality....I try. I'm like a organizer wanna-be. No. 

I'm a organizer USED-to-be.  

Jennie's Two Additional Tools for your 1 Peter JOURNEY! 

(see below)

Tool 1:

Search your bookshelves and find a journal that you've been meaning to use, or scoot out today and get a new one! You will want a great place to take notes and keep all of your thoughts collected together.

Thank you Shannon for my Peru trip journal. I didn't get to use it there, Girlfriend, but using it now. :)

 Tool 2:

I printed the entire book of 1 Peter.

Then my ultra-organized, administrationally gifted babysitter, made each chapter fit on a page and laminated them for me.

To do it...

1. Go to www.blb.org

2. Type in '1 Peter' in the search field. 

Change 'Version' to NIV.

3. Click the search button.

4. On the right, find where it says 'Read/Print:'

Verify that it says NIV. 

5. Click the blue arrow.

Wha-la!

6. Click File Print from here. 

(7. Click 'Next Chapter' to go to Chapters 2, 3, 4 & 5)

She made them so that one side is Chapter 1, 

the reverse is Chapter 2. 

I got home from the gym, and Ch 1-5 were all done. 

I literally squealed when I saw it. 

Cannot wait to share with you what God is doing in my heart from these first 7 verses. 

Sunday night is close now! 

Colossal dependance on the King

(Audio for 1 Peter biblestudy is in the small box above. Give it a minute or so to load. While you are waiting, you may want to go ahead and turn off the music at the bottom of the blog.)

I have a desperate need for God. He is meeting me everrrry moment. And I am spending more time with him now in my life, than I EVER have before. 

'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.' Jeremiah 29:13

There's an old hymn, 'I need thee every hour...every hour I need thee....' It was one of those songs I grew up with in church. I'll betcha I sang it lots, but I can't seem to remember the rest of the words. That's me, that's how I feel...only, 'I need thee every SECOND...every second I need thee.'

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A month or so ago, God put a burden on my heart to do a conference call bible study. I felt confident I was to partner with other women to lead it, since I will be giving birth at the end of 2 more months. 

Fast forward a month, to now. I am leading a Conference call bible study on the book of 1 Peter with some of my favorite girls, Mellette and Stephanie. They were overjoyed and PUMPED up to do it. They are each so in love with the Lord, and gifted in sharing their hearts and the heart of GOD.  

If you are not involved in the Conference call bible study, and you have a desire to KNOW God more…or if you feel convicted to STUDY your bible…or if you want to learn to READ your bible, THIS STUDY IS absolutely designed with YOU in mind. 

We are studying the entire BOOK of 1 Peter. We are moving at a solid and steady pace. We will be covering 7 verses per week. Which gives everyone the opportunity to learn, memorize and meditate on ONE verse per day. 

We began the bible study on Sunday. The three of us each shared our testimonies and Ashley did an incredible job of giving an overview of the book, as a whole. 

I've led a few conference call bible studies before. And one of the unbeatable parts of a conference call bible study is the EASE of it all. You can call in, wearing your jammies, or listen to the recording later, or throughout the week, from any one of a number of places we have the audio posted. Facebook, my blog, Stephanie's blog. And if you are listening to the recording, you can stop and start as much or as often as you want. 

If you are on Facebook, go to the 'Good Soil Girls' group, all information and an incredible growing network of all the participants is there. That is where you can post your thoughts and questions. If you aren't on Facebook, the information is also listed below.

The fruit that I am seeing from this study is astonishing. And we are on week number ONE. There are hundreds of girls that are hearing this message. Many are calling to listen 'Live' to the calls on Sunday night + girls listening to the recording on Facebook + girls listening to recording at the top of my blog. 

ALL Glory to GOD.

If you want to do the Bible Study, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS…

1. Sunday night at 5 minutes till 9:00, call the number:

    1-213-226-0400

2. Enter the 6 digit code: 

    452 496

Preparing for this bible study has been one of the most committed and life-changing things I've done in years. I am finding infinite blessing. I am Homeschooling these girls, and studying the Word of God. And not a whole lot more. 

I. Am. Getting. It. 

They. Are. Getting. It. 

We love to memorize scripture, but we typically don't do gargantuan chunks at one time. This time, we are.

There is no way they can move at the pace that the women in the study will move, memorizing 1 verse a day, but they have already almost nailed two verses in the first 2 days, of the first week. And they are learning crazy 'hard' words, for a 4 and 5 year old, like resurrection. They are little sponges. It is hard work. And the reward is TREMENDOUS. HUGE. Heavenly.  

I remind them that they are not reciting these verses for me, but for God himself! 'My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the KING.' Psalm 45:1

Can't wait to share more of what happens in and through this study. 

I will be teaching on the first 7 verses of 1 Peter this Sunday at 9:00. Call in and listen. It's 1 hour. No more. No less. 

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I have avoided the doctors office. In the beginning, I guess us pregnant girls go for a doctors visit every month or so and then as you move into the second trimester every 3 weeks, by the time you get to 7 months, where I am, you go every 2 weeks and then at the very end, it's every week.

Well, I haven't been to the doctor in almost 4 months. Until today.

I always feel... (trying to think of word and insert here) ________ yucky? sad? trapped? fearful? being there. 

I am KEENLY aware of the delicate balance of life and death and the blessing of healthy children vs non-healthy babies. I may not be able to be understood by 95% of Mama's right now…because why would I NOT go to the doctor. But it's actually the other Mama's….the 5% that I am talking to....those of you who have lost babies. EVER. 

It's a trauma that is always with me. I think that I know it is around, but occasionally it surprises me. It rears it's little head and sometimes, just sometimes, catches me off guard.

I go to the OB today. 

I sit a while, waiting to get seen. I get reprimanded by a nurse for not coming in 4 months. Then I sit a little while longer and get reprimanded again....by a different nurse. I want to tell them how bad it stinks for me to even visit the office AT ALL. Once every 4 months seems unbelievably reasonable to a girl like me whose most trauma occurred in the OB's office. 

When I was pregnant with Grace, I lived in a tiny town in SC, the doctor was a young, beautiful sweet girl who showed such compassion for us that she told her nurses when they saw us coming to just let us through the back door. They would find us a waiting room. She had no children but instinctively knew, praise the Lord, that I didn't want to hang out with a bunch of pregnant Mama's with healthy babies in their tummies, in the waiting room. 

But all those years ago, that sweet Doctor would send us every week or two to see the specialist in Charleston. Different story. We would wait forever. And wait with a bunch of Mama's all with different stories but many with situations that were going to end in death. Then they would call me back. I would lay on that table as they did the ultrasound and bawl. They would lay a box of kleenexs there beside me on the table and I would close my eyes and stick my fingers in my ears. I couldn't bear to hear what they were saying. I had seen about 3 dozen too many ultrasounds. 

It was a teaching hospital, so there were always many more than one doctor in the room with me. Always they were kind, always they would ask if it would be ok if they showed these resident doctors my situation and what a cystic hygroma baby looks like in utero, so that they would be able to identify it again in their future practices. I would say, of course, and in would walk anywhere from 2 to 10 students. I couldn't bear to hear the conversations. I couldn't bear to hear the technical terms they used and the truth of the matter. It was living through a nightmare at those offices. The reality hurt so bad. 

So flash forward all these years to today, 7 years later. It seems like I would have found miraculous healing in these years, but I'm thinking these offices will always bring for me a serious sensation of having a mini panic attack.

Doctor comes in a sees me. Measures my stomach, asks me if I feel movement. Asks me out of the corner of his eye why I haven't been there and leaves.

As I walk away from the desk after having just agreed to come back 2 times in the next 2 weeks, the weight, the gravity of being there, of my past loss, of past pain just comes in waves. I am drowning in uncontrollable fear and sadness. By the time I open the door to leave the practice, I am having to bite my lip, by the time I get to the elevator,  tears are about to spring out of my eyes. By the time I get to my car, I put my face in my hands, hang my head and let it out. And then cry all the way home. 

Only 2 months, and a few weeks to go until I meet her and the fear subsides. I love her deliriously.

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Things to remember, just for me:

Brian took the girls fishing a few Sundays ago. The fishing party ended when Evelyn fell in the lake. He couldn't contain his laughter and tried to cover his mouth but they saw his eyes smiling and dancing and fussed at him for laughing at her.

Evelyn says 'yesterday' about everything.

Everything happened 'yesterday'. We went to Disney World 'yesterday'. Daddy took her to the store 'yesterday'. She became a big sister 'yesterday'. 

I suppose sleeping on my stomach is coming to an end. Usually ends at 6 1/2 - 7 months. Since I'm 7 months I can look forward to doing that again in a few months. 

Off to get the girls from Dance class….

Read 1 Peter, see if it tugs at your heart like it's doing mine.

The perks of Memorizing God's Word and NYC Christmas Vacation

Good Soil
Starting Sunday night, January 8th, my Girlfriends Stephanie, Mellette and I will begin a new adventure. Studying the book of 1 Peter. We are doing it as a Conference Call Biblestudy, Sunday nights at 9:00pm.
We will be memorizing and studying. Don't let the word 'memorizing' scare you. YOU can do it! I've had 4 babies and am pregnant with a fifth and think I am half brain dead. If I can do it, you can do it! God will help you! 

Memorizing the Word of God has radically changed all 3 of our lives. It requires time, determination and practice, but it is more than worth any sacrifice. You will see LIFE spring up all around you as God's Word takes root in your heart. 

When I see Jesus face-to-face, I want to tell Him, 'I hid your Word in my heart!' (Psalm 119:11)

You will just need to print out 1 Peter chapter 1 in NIV and have your bible handy. You can mute your phone and just listen if you want to. You don't have to talk (unless you want to!) It doesn't matter where you are in your faith. 

This is for all of us. We ALL need Jesus. We ALL need His word. 

This is going to be a 'BIBLE STUDY BOOT CAMP' to jump start our faith in 2012. We will be strengthening our spiritual muscles and growing together. God's Word WILL change your life. You will being to have victory in areas you never have before. You will have wisdom. You will become more like Jesus. 

If you want more information, send me a message. We have a Facebook group that will have all of the updated information with call in phone number and passcode.

'When you walk, their counsel will lead you. 
When you sleep, they will protect you.
When you wake up, they will advise you.
For their command is a lamp
and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline 
is the way to LIFE.'
Proverbs 6:22,23

It's been a great Friday. We are officially on Christmas vacation. I've been a lazy lizard. It's been GREAT.

Today is Christmas Eve Eve and we are at the beach.

Family time with Grandparents and cousins. Complete with barefoot golf cart rides, kids running on the beach. It's gorgeous spring weather. Such a contrast from last week, vacation week in New York City.

Not long from now, our three little girls will share a room. 

As soon as the baby comes, Vivian will move out of the cute brown and pink nursery and into the girl room. 

Last night, they wanted to test it out. They share a room at Le Le and PaPa's house. And little jolly baby, she thinks she is BIG BIG. Saying 'Bed! Bed! Bed!' So overjoyed to lay inbetween her sisters with dollies snuggled tight she couldn't stop talking, or laughing. Or saying 'Bed! Bed!'

New York City

Brian and I had high expectations. 

We couldn't help it. 

Brian worked in NY, for 6 months, before we got married.

And the two of us have had so many fun trips there. We used to travel there multiple times a year and every December during the Christmas season. We've missed going for the last few years. I guess it's the babies. We've had a Jan babe, and 2 in Feb. Maybe that's it. 

This year, we decided we'd take our oldest two.

Our traveling buddies.

Exuberant Carlisle and...

nothing-scares-me Evelyn, always up for anything new. 

Including her first plane ride, EVER.

They are excellent little travelers. 

They couldn't get over being able to sit side-by-side/ on our laps in the taxi. 

No seatbelts. No carseats. No parent driving. All snuggled up together.

It may have been one of their favorite things. 

We told them that we were going to American Girl and The Lion King. But how can you understand Broadway or even New York until you have actually seen it. So they went to New York with wide eyes and innocent little expectant hearts.

Brian and I pay for everything on our Marriott rewards Visa so that we can earn zillions of reward points. And this is the view that they gave us with our points. We didn't pay a dollar. Free. 

Brian loves Little Italy. I think he'd been thinking about it for weeks. The 100 year old restaurants, the wine, the olive oil, the tiny tables, the rich, delicious food....so the first night, we had dinner at the cutest little Italian restaurant. The girls had NEVER had spaghetti like that. We all rolled back to the hotel. Fat and happy.

The girls fell right to sleep. 

Brian and I did to. 

 

The next morning, we got going early. We had big plans. The American Girl Place. The taxi dropped us off right in front, on 5th Avenue. The girls stared in, through the big glass windows, at the bright, shiny store full of dolls. They smiled through the glass, admiring all the dolls. They were ready to see what all of the excitement was all about. 

This place is insane. 

They have a doll hair salon, a dolly doctor...I could go on and on. 

At one point I said, 'Brian I am a girl, and this is overwhelming to ME. I can't imagine how it feels for YOU.' He just smiled. I guess it's like when I go down by the ring during his Jiu Jitsu competitions. Maybe...

We began the event with brunch at the cafe. They hadn't picked out dolls yet. So the girls 'borrowed' dolls to eat with them and the dolls sat beside each of the girls at the table.  

We ate cinnamon buns, heart shaped pancakes, french toast sticks. It was sugary ridiculousness. And we gladly ate each syrupy bite.

Cutest boy in NY.

I don't know how Brian knows about stuff like this, he just does. He made a reservation for a personal shopper to meet us. She helped guide us through the FOUR floors of dolls and doll gear. The girls picked out dolls that look like them. Carlisle's doll has a few freckles sprinkled on her nose.  

The Lion King ~ Broadway. 

Amazing. 

No way to explain it. Take my word for it.

This little one was sitting beside me with her little friend. 

We followed the show with dinner at Del Friscos.

I actually didn't know. Would they be up for walking all over New York? Staying close enough to hold hands the whole time?

They were such champs, better than champs. They were darling. Carrying their dolls, skipping and taking it all in. Happy to be together.

So we walked the 13 or 14 blocks to Central Park. And went to the Central Park Zoo. 

At the Sea Lion exhibit, Carlisle watches them swimming on their back, looks up at Brian and says, 'Daddy do they teach them to do the Backstroke here?'

We spent the day enjoying the city strolling the streets. We ate a late breakfast and skipped lunch. So the day ended with an early dinner, back in Little Italy telling funny stories and whispering during dinner. 

Treats to-go from a bakery in Little Italy. We waited. Kept them in the box on the long cab ride home in the dark. 

We got back to the hotel with our room above Times Square. And the four of us sat cross legged on the bed and devoured the cupcakes with no plates or forks...just finger licking good.  Then with OVERLY full tums, we snuggled in the bed and fell asleep while we watched Beauty and the Beast. 

The next morning, we wake up. I roll over and there is Evelyn's little face right beside me. She doesn't even open her eyes, it's still dark in the room, not a noise. I suppose she'd been dreaming. I hear her little voice ask, 'Do sharks have noses?' That morning, Brian and I wake up, snuggled up with our little girls, happy as clams...laughing.

It was an absolutely dreamy few days. Tons of adventures. And the girls were great. It was easy. And something that we can't wait to do again. 

We arrived home on Tuesday night, late. By Wednesday morning, Brian had already booked our trip for December of 2012.