WHAT? Target doesn't have it!

I have to say the shopping here is AMAZING! You can find so many things right around the corner, and St. Louis is just a hop, jump and skip away if you need even more selection.

So imagine my surprise when I couldn't find anything to coordinate with Ellie's watermelon dress from Gymboree for my two oldest girls. What was a mom to do? I wanted them to all be dressed a like for this idea I have for Ellie's birth announcement/"We have Moved!" card. So I had to get creative.

On a whim, I decided to paint Carlie and Mollie's shirts. Here is my work in progress. You will have to wait to see how cute they look in them when the announcement comes out.

A Summer Fling...

SUMMER TIME...is perhaps the Walters' girls favorite time of year. Partly, because we all celebrate our birthdays during summer, but also for the fact that a lot of what we love to do happens during the summer. Swimming, going to the park, eating watermelon, lazy days...you name it.

So we decided to have one more "Summer Fling" this weekend... WE MAKE HOMEMADE ICE CREAM! Boy, was it delicious! It is a family recipe and SUPER easy! You simply get one can of sweetened condensed milk and one 3 liter of Sunkist or Crush drink. We prefer the orange flavor. Then take about two cups of Sunkist and mix it with the sweetened condensed milk in a bowl. It will look very creamy. Pour that in your electric ice cream machine container. Then pour the rest of the 3 liter in. Then follow the directions for your ice cream machine (ice/rock salt to cool it down) It is so simple with only TWO ingredients.

Here the girls are enjoying it. The girls loved helping with the ice, and watching it spin and spin. Of course, Travis was the one who kept saying, "When will it be done!"

Ellie is 4 days old!

I'm 4 days old!

lots of kisses,

Ellie

We love Ellie!

Love,

Carlie and Mollie

The Transformation...

I'm desperately wondering whether Ellie's hair will indeed remain brown. So I will use her sweet sister, Mollie, to demonstrate "THE TRANSFORMATION." I am unshamed to announce that since Ellie is our last, I would love for her hair to remain brown...like her Mommy's. :)

You see Mollie had dark hair until Christmas. Then in March '06 the transformation began. Then came the thick blonde hair. Crazy! I'm the one who carried them for 9 mths.

Dominate Genes

As you know, I have brown hair and brown eyes. Who would have guessed that I would have two beautiful blonde hair/blue eyed girls? Following Daddy's footsteps I guess...

But this wasn't always the case. Did you know that all three of my girls were born with thick brown/black hair at birth? Cool trivia question...

So I wasn't surprised when Ellie sported her own thick brown hair. Here is the proof, the first picture is Carlie (5 yrs. old) at the hospital, then Mollie (3 yrs old), and now precious Ellie (4 days old).

Pictures of Ellie Grace Walters

ELLIE GRACE WALTERS arrived...AUGUST 3RD!!!

Sunday, August 3rd was a very exciting day in the Walters' family. It began lkke any normal Sunday morning. I awoke early to take a quick shower and get ready for church, and then soon after got the girls ready for church. You know the typical Sunday rush! "Girls, come put on your dresses!" Matching dresses of course, and bows to compliment. Then off to pack their goody bag for church, i.e. coloring books, snacks, juice boxes, etc.

I was feeling a little different...thinking perhaps my water broke, but not wanting to be disappointed again, I was determined to wait until I knew for sure that TODAY...was truly THE DAY!

We got in the car and headed to our new church, Fairview Heights Church of Christ. I even signed our neighborhood friends up for VBS...then I became nervous. I will spare you the details. :) We talked to a girlfriend, and Travis said, "Debbie, do mind watching the girls? Dorothy wants to go by the hospital and see if she is in labor." This all happened around 9:30. Off to the hospital we went.

Ellie Grace Walters arrived at, no kidding, 11:29 am, literally two hours after leaving church. Church wasn't even officially over, before she decided to come. Perhaps, she was hoping to make an alter call.

I know at 11ish I was sure praising Jesus...for surviving and getting to see an absolutely beautiful baby girl result from the intense pain of delivering her completely natural. Oh yes, they informed me, "Mrs. Walters...There is NO TIME for an epidural. You can do this!" To which I replied, "You have got to be kidding me. I didn't research this or read the book. No, this isn't happening this way."

Oh, but it did. In literally 15 minutes, my contractions caused me to go from being dilated to a 4/5 to an 8. Perhaps, what I will remember most is Ellie kicking me one last time in the ribs as I felt her head almost out. Interesting...

Enough of that drama, though. I know the real reason you are reading this entry is to see the precious pictures of our newest addition, Ellie Grace.

Reflections from "Experiencing God" Study

Summary Statements from Today's Lesson:
* To know and do the will of God, I must deny self and return to a God-centered life.
* I must reorient my life to God.
* I must focus my life on God's purposes not my own plans.
* I must seek to see from God's perspective rather than from my own distorted human perspective.
* I must wait until God shows me what He is about to do through me.
* I will watch to see what God is doing around me and join Him.

An interesting statement from today's study: "You never find God asking people to dream up what they want to do for Him."

Basically, God doesn't need or is limited to your "Big Dream." So if we are sitting there "brainstorming" what we can do for God to please Him...we are probably on the wrong track.
INSTEAD:
* We should wait until God shows us what He is about to do...and join Him
* We watch to see what God is already doing around us and then decide to join Him.

So the author gave some examples from scripture illustrating this point. God was doing or had planned something...and then Abraham, Paul, Gideon, etc. were invited to join Him.

I wasn't as familiar with the example for Gideon so I read the entire chapter. Then I was blessed by a scripture tucked away in the text, II Chron. 16:9 "...For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."
AMAZING!! Does that sound like a statement from a demanding god, who punishes anyone who gets in His way? No, it is a picture of a God who desperately wants to be in fellowship with His beloved, and is constantly searching them out to strengthen them and give them hope.

These past few weeks, I have asked God to help me with my "unbelief" and He has been faithful. My circumstances haven't changed, but as I write this I have such a sense of peace about what is going on. I'm not worried, and I feel strengthen, encouraged, hopeful...

Perhaps a change of scenery and a little "reorienting" of my life is just what I needed.