Who's Your Daddy?

He is the first and the last
He is the beginning and the end
He is the keeper of creation
He is the creator of all
He is the architect of the universe
He is the manager of all time
He always was, always is, and always will be
He is unmoved, unchanged, undefeated, never undone
He was bruised but brought healing
He was pierced but eased pain
He was persecuted but brought freedom
He was dead and brings life
He is risen to bring power
He is raised to bring peace


The world cannot understand Him
Armies cannot defeat Him
Schools cannot explain Him
Leaders cannot ignore Him
Herod couldn't kill Him
Nero couldn't crush Him
New Age cannot replace Him
Oprah cannot explain Him away
He is life
Love
Longevity
The Lord
Goodness
Kindness
Faithfulness
God
Holy
Righteous
Powerful
Pure
His ways are right
His word is eternal
His will is unchanging
His mind is on us
He is our Savior
Our guide
Our peace
Our joy
Our comfort
Our Lord
He rules our lives


I serve Him because
His bond is love
His yoke is easy
His burden is light
His goal for us is abundant life


I follow Him because
He is the wisdom of the wise
The power of the powerful
The ancient of days
The ruler of rulers
The leader of all leaders
His goal is a relationship with me
He will never leave you
Never forsake you
Never mislead you
Never forget you
Never overlook you
Never cancel your appointment in His appointment book - NEVER!


When you fall he will lift you up
When you fail He will forgive you
When you are weak He is strong
when you are lost He is your way
When you are afaid He is your courage
When you stumble He will steady you
When you are hurt He's going to heal you
When you are broken He will mend you
When you are blind He will lead you
When you are hungry He will feed you
When you face trials He is with you
When I face persecution he shields me
When I face problems He will comfort me
When I face loss He will provide for me
When we face death He will carry us all home to be with Him


He is everything
For everybody
Everywhere
Every time
And in every way


He is your God and YOU belong to HIM!

Pictures-Luke & Lisa

Today's post is dedicated to Luke & Lisa....our beautiful friends from St. Louis who came to visit and so graciously played with our monkies ;)

Hide & Seek....Gabe and Ellie's version: We watch where you hide and pretend to look for you!

We count in the same room you are hiding and we peek alot!

Luke was a quick learner!!!

The oversized pillow is a great place to completley hide an adult and 1 small monkey ;)

Thank you Luke n Lisa for blessing EVERY SINGLE MONKEY with attention and love ;)

You are gonna make great parents someday!!

We love you guys!

Pictures-The Girls

Sometimes, it's still hard to believe we have "girls".......

SO far, Aubrie has been a super sweet, laid back baby......

But like her Mama and big sis....when she's hungry.....LOOK OUT!

She loves her passy.....but loves sucking on her fingers too....

Ellie loved it that another little girl (our friend Brenna) came to play with her Mommy the other night for a little bit....

About 10 times a day, Ellie feels she MUST hold her little sister ;)

And she also feels she MUST eat sweets....EVERY day.....

Aubrie's 1 week pictures...

Inspiration Poem

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Pictures-Aubrie's Visitors

Uncle Matt

Gramma Cathy Auntie EM

Mee-Mee

and Paw-Paw

Mommy's Friend Emily

and Beka---who was home from Alabama!!!! yippee!

World's greatest babysitter and friend: karla ;)

Uncle Daniel

Uncle Jacob

Uncle Joshua

Uncle Isaac

And that's not it!!! I'll have to blog more tomorrow.....she is such a loved lil chick ;)

Honesty

"There is a beautiful transparency to honest disciples who never wear a false face and do not pretend to be anything but who they are."
— Brennan Manning

The Meaning of a Name....

AUBRIE GRACE : Noble, bearlike, and full of Grace

When we started talking about having kids, Jason said he wanted our kids to have names with good meaning behind them. I had just always thought of names that I thought were cute or sounded good with our last name. However....I am so glad PapaMonkey shared his heart on this.....I love it now that our kids will have a good strong name to go with their identity.

GABRIEL PAUL: Strong man of God

ELLIE JOY: Concecrated to God and Full of Joy

Pictures-Sibling Love

We surprised my mom and came directly to her house to see her and the kids when we got home from the hospital......the kids' reactions were great....Gabe was very hesitant.....

Ellie however, just couldn't get enough of her little sister.....it was so precious!

We are gonna have our hands full!!!!!! Let the real monkey business begin!!!

She's Here!!!!

Aubrie Grace Strough.......8 lbs, 19 " long.....

Born at 9:45 pm on Feb 16th

Can we just say how thankful and happy we are that monkey #3 is finally here?!?!?!?!?!?

And we had a super great Doctor~~~would highly reccomend her!!!

Look at those chubby lil cheeks!!!!

And a HUGE thank you to Daddy AGAIN....for getting us thru our 3rd ALL NATURAL labor/birth!!!
He is the best birthing coach ever!!! Love you sweetie!!!

Daddy kisses.....

And Aubrie kisses....

God is so good.......what a sweet lil package from Heaven!!