GASP!

A new post? Yes...it is true. I guess I was experiencing "blogger's block"...or something like that...and now feel that it is high time I updated everyone. OK...it's actually that I HAVE time now, at midnight, to fill you all in on the past 3 months. (I feel like I should win a superlative or something..."Least likely to write on her blog- LiAnn Cary".)

Anyway, there was Christmas, New Year's, a trip to NYC for me (yea!), Valentine's Day was thrown in among a month of stomach flu, upper respiratory infections and influenza, my good friend Stacy's wedding (which I was honored to be a part of) was this past weekend and now we are picking up with the continuing saga of getting the house ready to go on the market so we can move to Mooresville for the church plant. I hope that list doesn't translate as complaining...I'm just saying it's been eventful. And life has felt extremely challenging...married life, parental life, spiritual life...I guess I could say I feel a little sea-sick with all the ups and downs. But, thank God for the ups in the midst of the downs! :)

I know I'm not going into any details and I probably won't tonight. But we could REALLY use some prayer for wisdom, perseverance, grace, and strength. I'm kind of an emotional wreck at times...even though there doesn't really seem to be that one tragedy in our lives...it's just the combined "weight" of all of it. Maybe I'm going through a hormonal change or something? Thoughts? Anyone?

But...on to better topics...Olivia will be 4 this month! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? 4 years ago our "Perfect 10" popped into our lives...and it's been a great time. She is more dramatic by the day (yes, I know she gets that from Neal. Ha!) She's doing a great job with her letter recognition and we are starting on sounds. She likes to remind me that she knows how to "draw" them...we have a million little sticky notes with random letters on them all over the house. And I regularly see evidence of her using my walls as a chalkboard...still. The fact that writing on the walls has become a discipline issue doesn't seem to phase her. She has what one of my dear friends refers to as a "strong sense of self"...yes, she does. (And let's hope that we can add a rather large order of humility and obedience to that as well.) She LOVES her brother...even when he doesn't want her to. And her imagination is more and more active by the day. It has been so fun to observe her playing when she doesn't know I'm watching. I love it.

Emerson is Chatty Cathy these days. He's adding new words to his vocabulary each day and I'm beginning to understand how he is phrasing things together. He has some trademark quotes. He will say things like...well...OK, "Buddy" has become his nickname, poor kid. And he will talk about himself in third person with that name, "Buddy". For instance, when he does something...good or not-so-good...he proudly looks at me and proclaims "I did it! Good job, buddy!" Here's another thing he says, almost every morning. He moans for me to come in and get him out of his bed- "Mommaaaaa....mommaaaaa...." He sounds like an alley cat. As soon as I open the door, he exclaims in the most cheerful, exuberant voice "Hi! What are you doing?!" It is always the cutest thing...even when it's 6:30 and when I know the next thing he will do is throw a temper tantrum when I tell him it's not time to get up, put him back in bed and close the door. We're working on the responses...

Anyway, I am also working on uploading my newest pictures. I will send them...soon. I promise. :)

Until then, I hope you are all doing well.

Love...