What I'm Grateful for...

My lovely sister in law Jess nominated me yesterday to do the gratitude list.  I'm sure these won't come as a surprise to many but here goes:

1.  I am eternally grateful for my Lord and savior Jesus Christ who chose to die on the cross for me 2,000 years ago.  Fully man and fully God, He suffered so I didn't have to, He stood in my place.  He was beaten, lashed, killed, all in my place.  He was thinking of me and enduring death for me.  How can I not be grateful for that?

2.  I am grateful for Kyle Dague. This man has taught me so much about faith, love and respect.  He has showed me how a true man treats a woman, how to respect her and care for her.  He works so hard to provide but never compromises his faith or his integrity in the process.  He has challenged me to become a better wife and mother.  He has shown me how to open up my heart and be vulnerable beyond my comfort zone.  He has broadened my vocabulary and knowledge of ridiculous and useless facts.  He makes me laugh every single day, without fail.  While not perfect I often wonder how I became so blessed by having such an amazing, loyal, thoughtful, giving, caring, loving and attentive husband.  Beyond that this man fathers our children so well I hardly have words to describe.  He has risen to the challenge of having, 1 then 2, and now 4 children with grace, patience and joy.  He has given up his own comforts, desires, wants, and needs for the sake of our 4 little munchkins.  Each and every day he puts the 5 of us before himself.  Each and every day he encourages them, loves on them, and instills in them the values and hard work we all need to have.  Those 4 kids love and adore this man.  Grace often tells me "Mommy you're a great mom, but Daddy is the GREATEST!"  And I'm perfectly OK with that!

3.  Speaking of the kids, I am obviously so grateful for my 4 beautiful children.  Children are a blessing, and I am so thankful for each of their little lives and that God would entrust me to raise them up into who He has created them to be.  They have taught me so much about myself and have made me an infinitely better person than who I was before they were born.  They are each precious in their own little way. 

Noah Matthew - you are my first born, my sensitive sweet heart, thoughtful and caring. You are a born leader and teacher.  You love to show the little ones the way, and encourage them in the process.  You sacrifice yourself for their betterment. Your passion for Christ is contagious and beyond your years.  I am in awe of you, and often wonder the plans God has in store for you.  I am also incredibly grateful for your patience with me as you are our guinea pig.  I'm learning how to be a mom with you, in each new phase and season of life, and unfortunately it's a trial and error kind of thing, but you take it all in stride, and I'm so proud of you for that!

Grace Christine - You are my strong willed, passionate girl.  You are so much like me, a strong exterior with the biggest heart of gold inside.  You hesitate to open yourself to others, but when you do you are the most caring, loving and innocent girl.  You will be a phenomenal mother.  Your ability to nurture is so inherent it blows me away.  Also, you are super smart.  You know so much more than I've even taught you.  You're incredibly talented artistically and I'm seriously jealous!  Your beauty is not only on the inside but the out.  Your beautiful golden curls and sweet rosy cheeks take my breath away several times a day.  Seriously, Daddy and I are in trouble!  Also, you're super silly and so much fun!

Deacon James - My ham.  You crack me up.  You are a complete jock, and totally fun.  Your passion for life is contagious.  People can't help but smile when you're around.  Your physical abilities are beyond your years, but I've learned to give you the freedom and see what you can do.  Also, you're super thoughtful. Constantly bringing me my favorite drink, or helping me make lunches.  You're acutely aware of the needs of others and you like to make sure they're met.  You are also a bit of a neat freak which is hilarious!

Elijah Wilson - I'm incredibly grateful for each and every day you're here.  I know how close we came to losing you and I'm so thankful the Lord protected you and blessed us with your sweet little life.  I have only begun to see glimpses into the personality you have, but I can say this: you have an incredible amount of patience and love for your older siblings.  When they love on you too much, or bump into you too hard, you take it all in stride.  I keep warning them that you're going to be bigger than them someday and get them all back!  But for now you are my sweet precious boy and I am trying to soak up each and every little moment of your littleness!

4.  I am so incredibly grateful for my parents Nancy and Steve Videon.  These 2 people have taught me everything I know.   I now realize the great lengths of self denial and sacrifice they had to make to raise me and my siblings.  Mom gave up her own comforts, especially physically in order to give birth to the 5 of us and to give us the gift of siblings.  Now having 4 kids of my own I am acutely aware of how DIFFICULT that was! They also sacrificed financially. I mean, they put 5 kids through school debt free! Beyond that they taught me and more importantly showed me what a Christ-centered marriage is to look like.  How to love, and how to give of yourself and put the other first.  How it's okay to fight, but it's important to make up.  How arguments happen, but that doesn't take away from your love and commitment to each other.  They raised the 5 of us with so much love.  Mom was always there when we got home from school, and they made a point to make family dinners important.  They attended our games, concerts, school activities, all doing it times 5 and with smiles on their face!  They taught us the value of faith, and to put Christ before anything and everything else we did in life.  They taught us to stand up for the true values we believe in despite what this world might be telling us to do.  I am so thankful for you Mom and Dad, thank you for everything, I love you SO much!

5.  I am so incredibly grateful for my siblings Dan, Jennifer, Matt, and Amy.  The gift of siblings is not something I take lightly.  These 4 people will always have my back, will always love and support me no matter what.  We may have our differences and disagreements but nothing will ever get in the way of our love and support for one another.  That's the beauty of siblings. No matter how much they may hurt you, or you hurt them, when someone outside the circle threatens one, we all stand up!   Also, I'm thankful for Andy Tate and Lauren Videon for marrying my sister and brother respectively.  I know we can be a crazy bunch to marry into, especially with all of the crazy personalities we all have, but I am so thankful for you and love you so much!

Clearly this post is long enough, but I intend on doing another one soon, because I have so much more I want to say and so much more that I am thankful for!!!!

Deacon's First Birthday!

One year ago today...

 

This little man entered our lives and brought with him so much joy and love!

Today we celebrated Deacon's First Birthday

(yes his shirt says "birthday suit")

 

 

 

We celebrated a year of firsts. First breath, First cry, First smile, First laugh, First roll, First trip to the beach, First Sit, First crawl, First steps, First bites of food, First teeth, First Christmas, First Easter

 



 

 

 

 

I know it's totally cliche but this year has flown by.  We've been busy and we've been tired but we've been totally blessed.  I don't even remember what life was like without this sweet little boy.

Deacon's little personality has been fun to watch blossom.  He is a reserved little guy that keeps us busy but also doesn't mind chilling out a bit.  He is eager to be just like Grace and Noah and will scream until he's given the same food on his plate, the same cups and the same utensil.  I have a strong inclination that he will become a left hander.  Every time I hand him a fork he puts it directly in his left hand.  Neither Kyle nor I are left handed, so we will see if that sticks or if he ends up switching to the right.  Deacon is also a peeker.  He's always peeking his head around corners, or walls, or tables and you see his sweet face, his big eyes and his bright smile.  He also LOVES blueberries.  He can eat an entire pint in one sitting!  It's been fun to watch his gross motor development; sitting at barely 5 months, crawling at 6 months and walking at 9.5 months! He definitely does NOT want to be left out of the fun his older siblings are having.  I feel so blessed by this little boy and I pray for the Lord's protection and blessing upon his life. 

 

 

 

 

     Last year I posted about Deacon's birth here and how beautiful and amazing and crazy that time was.  The past year has been quite the same.  A lot has happened this year, and this little man has been right there with me through it all.   Deacon accompanied me in those first few weeks to several emotional appointments with my mom, chemo appointments, lunches, hair places, etc.  Through it all he was so calm, quiet and a light of hope. 

 

    

When my mom was diagnosed with cancer 2 weeks before my due date last Spring I didn't understand God's timing at all.  Why would God allow this right before I have my third baby?  How would I take care of my mom and a newborn and 2 other crazy kids?!  How would I function on such little sleep?  But Deacon has been nothing but a joy and a beacon of light.  I know in my heart God's timing is perfect, and I strongly believe that.  Looking back now I know Deacon has been a gift to show us that God continues giving us love and hope and joy in the midst of trial.  Now my mom is doing great, she's cancer free and eager to dance with Deacon at his wedding!  Praise the Lord for his blessings and for sweet Deacon.

 

 



Deacon James

This post is a little delayed...two weeks actually, but better late than never!

We are excited to welcome our new little boy into the family.

Deacon James

Born at 2:33pm

on June 1, 2012

weighing 8lbs 10 ounces

measuring 20 1/2 inches long!

Birth Story:

Deacon was induced.  I was 39 weeks 4 days, and due to all that was going on my doctors agreed to induce me.  The night prior to the induction I planned on getting a good night's sleep - since it would be my last for a while.  When I laid down at 11:30 pm, I started to get contractions.  I was up for the next three and a half hours with contractions every 5 minutes.  They never got closer together, and eventually around 3 am they tapered off so I was finally able to fall asleep. 

We woke up at 6 am and called the hospital to make sure the induction was still on and they told us to come in around 7am.  I was actually quite nervous about getting induced because I had heard horror stories and I really didn't want to end up with a c-section.  When we got to the hospital my contractions had started up again, and when they put me on the monitor they were surprised to see the contractions had already started and were every 5 minutes.  Around 8 am the pitocin had started.  I managed to get through the pitocin contractions for 3 hours, and then at 11:30am I got my epidural, knowing the doctor was coming at noon to break my water.  I didn't know how quickly I'd progress after that so I figured better be safe than sorry. 

After my water was broken and my epidural was in I figured it would be a relaxing few hours until he was born.  Not so much.  Around 1pm Deacon's heart rate started to decrease, not in association with the contractions.  They put me on an oxygen mask and turned off the pitocin.  They also repositioned me to see if maybe Deacon was laying on the cord which was causing the decreased heart rate.  I got really worried becasue I thought here comes the c-section, but Kyle and I prayed at around 1:30pm that everything would be ok and that I wouldn't have to have a c-section, and boy did our prayers get answered.  Not long after that the nurses were comfortable with taking the oxygen mask off and the doctor had them restart the pitocin again...slowly.

Within a half hour I had them check me and I was fully dilated and having the urge to push.  By the time they had gotten everything set up and had the doctor come in it only took two and a half pushes and Deacon was out!  I was surprised when I opened my eyes and there he was!!  I thought for sure I'd need to push a few more times! I am so grateful to God that He allowed everything to go well and that I didn't need a c-section.  I'm also so grateful that the doctors allowed me to be induced so Deacon could spend a few days with my mom before everything started.

 I couldn't believe it when they put him on the scale and said he weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces!!  Both Noah and Grace weighed 8lbs 0oz so I was certain that because he was induced Deacon would be smaller.  The Lord provided in this way showing His divine power by giving us a BIG healthy boy.

Noah and Grace came to meet their new little brother that evening - despite all of the tornado warnings and terrible weather!  They were very excited to meet Deacon, but even more so to see me.  They were climbing all over me, and I didn't mind.  I missed them!  The nurse was concerned about them hurting me, but I didn't care.  If they wanted hugs, I wanted to give them!

 They each took a turn holding Deacon and I saw for the first time what I was in for!  The chaos that filled that room when Noah and Grace were there was exciting and scary all at the same time.

 Kyle was great.  He sat with me during the whole labor and we enjoyed having some "alone" time before Number 3 showed up.  We made jokes, laughed and he encouraged me through each contraction.  Best of all he led us in prayer as we asked for God's hand in a safe delivery.  I'm so happy to have Kyle in my life and for the leader that he is in our family.  When Deacon was born I looked at Kyle and he had tears running down his face.  Since we had 2 nurses (one was orienting) he didn't really participate in the birth so was able to just sit there and watch.  He said with having the 2 older siblings he hadn't thought much about this pregnancy or the little boy on the way so all of the emotions of 9 months of pregnancy hit him at once when Deacon was born.

The next morning I enjoyed some very quiet time with Deacon.  Knowing this would be my only chance to enjoy him one-on-one I soaked in every minute.  I even got a photo shoot in! 

Just Born.

 We originally had planned to name Deacon with the middle name Nathaniel, but with all that is going on with my mom, and all of the prayers people have prayed for her, we wanted to honor that.  We decided to name him Deacon James for James 5:15 - And a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick.  The Lord has already provided so much healing, and we continually pray for more.  We can't wait to celebrate Deacon's 5th birthday, and my mom's 5 years of being cancer free!

Deacon also got to meet Great Grandmom Videon.  Grandmom was born in 1922, Deacon born in 2012.  To see 90 years of family and heritage all in one seat was pretty incredible.  Grandmom was tickled to be able to come to the hospital to see Deacon and I, and we were thrilled to have her.

Finally, here's a picture of my parents with their newest and 6th grandchild. 

Deacon has truly been a blessing.  He is a very laid back and calm baby.  At times I feel like he  is an angel that God sent to calm our hearts during this difficult time.  He has been a great sleeper and very tolerant of his older siblings' "love" and "affection" for him.  I don't feel the sleep deprivation that I usually have with a newborn and for that I am so grateful!

My mom has always said God's timing is perfect, and Deacon is proving that to me everyday.  I didn't understand it all at first, and sometimes I still don't, but I know that Deacon came exactly when we needed him to.  He is a reminder that despite everything that happens the Lord still gives and still provides His blessings and His love.

James 5:15

And a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick.

James 5:16

The prayer of a righteous man is both powerful and effective.

Noah turns 4!

All about NOAH

I can't believe he's four!

Noah is a joy.  He says the funniest things.  For example, while watching a movie about Noah's ark, he says "I'm Noah, I save all the animals in the world.  You're welcome!".  He loves the fact that he's named after Noah - Noah's ark has become one of his favorite bible stories.  This year he has grown not only physically but spiritually.  He really seems to understand that God loves us, and that Jesus died for our sins.  The Lord has given him such a big spirit, and I love watching it grow. 

This year Noah's personality has really blossomed.  I've learned that he has a huge heart just like his Daddy.  He feels what you feel, and he feels it deeply.  He also has a passion for life.  He sees the world in such a positive light and his only desire is for everyone around him to be happy.  This year at preschool he grabbed his teacher by the face, gave her a big kiss and said "It's going to be ok!".  That's the perfect example of just how sweet this little man is. 

Noah is also a perfectionist.  When learning to write his name he often got stuck on the letter N, making it look like a W.  Instead of continuing with the rest of his name O,A,H, which were easy for him to write, he would get frustrated and refuse to keep writing.  Eventually with much persuasion and encouragement he learned to write his entire name. 

Noah loves the color BLUE!  He started the year at preschool only coloring with blue.  Every picture he brought home was completely colored in blue.  Blue, blue, blue.  Everything to him is blue.  Finally after 9 months of school Noah started to color with a few other colors.  His blue obsession was so prevalent that all of the kids in Noah's class knew that Noah's favorite color was blue.

Noah has also progressed from his train obsession and has now begun to like superheros.  He has been in love with Thomas the train since he was 16 months.  Over the course of the past year, the Thomas obsession began to fade and he began to love Spiderman.  Noah still enjoys watching Thomas on occassion, and still enjoys playing with trains, especially Geo Trax, but the obsession is no longer there.  Just another testament to how he's growing up!

This year after overhearing Kyle sing 'Amazing Grace' to Grace at night when putting her to bed, one night Noah asked Kyle why he doesn't sing 'Amazing Noah'?  Now we sing 'Amazing Noah' to Noah every night.

Noah has also become more 'independent'.  The other day I told him he couldn't wear his spiderman PJ's that night because they had to be washed (he had already worn them 3 nights in a row!).  When bedtime came around Noah requested his spiderman PJ's again, and knowing that I hadn't done the laundry yet I told him he wouldn't be able to wear them.  He said "But they are clean!" and he had me follow him to the basement and showed me how he had put his PJ's in the washing machine all by himself.  So smart. 

This year's firsts (and other accomplishments):

First trip to the dentist

First time writing/spelling his name

First time drawing a picture of himself

First time going to the Please Touch Museum

First time riding a bike

Able to say his abc's

Able to count to 20

Able to recognize letters and some words

Noah's 1st birthday

Noah's 2nd birthday

Noah's 3rd Birthday

Noah's 4th Birthday!

I look forward to the next 4, 14, 40 and hopefully 80 years of Noah. 
It has been a privilege to be this little boy's mom and I can't wait to watch him grow into a strong man that loves the Lord and serves Him. 

My little baby turns 2!!

How did I get here already?

Today was Grace's 2nd birthday party.

Yes we had it 8 days before her actual birthday, but Kyle works the next 2 weekends so...today was the day!

Here are some pictures from her princess party!

All the kids eating quietly and calmly...the calm before the storm!

 In order to incorporate all the boys in the family into the princess theme, I bought a dozen foam 'knight' swords.

Needless to say, the swords were a huge hit!!!

The kids were able to whack each other with the swords and no one cried or got hurt!



 the birthday princess!

 the #1 knight protecting his castle

Gracie's princess castle cake - she picked it out herself!

Saying hi to her birthday buddy Aunt Jen...

they share their birthday but unfortunately won't be together for it this year :(

Poor Gracie - it's a Videon tradition

 time for presents!

a quick belly shot, to show Deacon was at the party!

 the princess with her favorite prince  <3

 Our children are so blessed to have all 4 grandparents so we made sure to get a picture!

Gracie had a great party! We had delicious food (thank you Pinterest and Apples of Gold!!) and the kids had a great time outside.  It was a gorgeous April day, just like the day our little princess was born. 

I can not believe Grace is actually 2 years old!

She is a fiesty, goofy, silly, loving, smart, athletic, sturdy, girly, tomboyish, fearless wonderful little girl.  She has changed my life for the better.  She can be a challenge, but she is mostly a joy.  She makes my heart melt every day.  She comes over to me with a big smile in the morning with her curly, messy beautiful hair and says " I sit nex you mommy!"  She loves to sit next to me, and I love it too.

Check back on her actual birthday, April 23rd for a special all about Gracie post!

For now I just want to say I love you Gracie so much, and I am so proud of you!  You are an absolute joy and I'm so blessed to be able to be your mom.  I hope we will always be the best of friends and I look forward to all of the phases of life that are to come...even the teen years!!

Kisses!! mwa!

 

Easter, 2012 edition

HE IS RISEN!

Today we celebrate the best and most important day of the year.  Christ is alive! He has conquered death, and has given us the opportunity at new life with him.  Hallelujah!

Here's how we celebrated...

Noah and Grace got Easter baskets

(never really did them before this year - at least not with small gifts)

This is Grace very excited about her Dora egg, also showing off some bed-head

In their Easter clothes! 

A little bit of Jesus' love for everyone

At the annual Videon family Easter egg hunt

Not too many more of these family of 4 shots :)

all of the girls

(minus Jen) 

Here is our attept at getting all of the great grandkids in a picture with Grandmom

yes that's her in the middle sitting down

I think there were 20 in attendance ...?



Noah was actually pouting in this series of pictures, but I did get one that was cute!! :)

 I love this little man!

Family photo with Grandmom Videon

We followed up the Easter egg hunt with hanging out for the rest of the day at my parents' house so the kids could all play together.  Overall it was an exhausting but fun family day.  We missed Aunt Jen and Uncle Andy of course!

oh yes, and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMOM MURDOCK!