Let there be {Light}

Finding the {light} in all things...

...in Emily's {voice} when I hear, "I'm ready for breakfast," first thing in the morning...

{...and completely dressed in cheetah from head to toe!  My one-of-a-kind alarm clock...on time and totally stylish!  She's awesome!}

...in Emily's {excitement}...

{...smiling big and so happy to finally advance to the next level of ice-skating!  She finally mastered her backward crossovers!}

...definitely in early morning {sunrises}...

...in our {jammies}...

{...taking advice from Alex and Emily to wear my pjs on my MOPS spa day...trying to be a fun mom once in awhile...not sure Ellie thought so!}

...always in {snuggles}...

...in {bathtime squeals and splashes}...

{...until it's time to get out!  Alex and Emily never climbed out of their cribs...I'm thinking Elizabeth may accomplish this!}

...in {Spring bling}...

{...love all the bright fun colors of Spring and Easter!  They definitely make me smile!}

...in this {sweet smile} no doubt...

{...also delighted that I shot these two images...and the pinwheel from above...in manual!  Manual folks!}

...in {wireless}...

{...not as in Alex's smile, although I am in love with it!  ha!   But definitely in his skills...he set me up with iCloud ..again.. ...on the new hardrive of my broken laptop ..sigh.. ...so all my broken iPod photos automatically stream to my laptop...no strings wires attached!  This is his test pic to see if it worked!  He's awesome!}

"And God said, 'Let there be light': and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness." Genesis 1:3-4

Thankful for all the {light} in my life...and for the darkness...to greet each and every day in a new {light}!

{Love} is All You Need

Happy Valentine's Day! 

{I tried to re-create this picture from last year...but it's much much harder with a mobile 14-month old who doesn't want to sit still...and the sad truth is, they are just getting bigger every year, and they couldn't all fit their faces inside the heart... sigh...}

I love this day...the little hearts, the big hugs and the many kisses and the sweet Valentines the kids make...it all makes me smile!  And not to mention...all the sweet sweets!

{we made chocolate & vanilla sprinkled pretzels this weekend for the kids and a couple of their friends...and I may have eaten one...or five ...ahem...}

I have at least three special little reasons to celebrate the love I have on this special day even more...
{and of course my first love...Dan... but I don't have any pictures of  him to share!}

{these pictures crack me up...they didn't turn out as I had pictured in my mind... Alex and Emily were complaining of the sun being in their eyes, and Ellie was only trying to get up as fast as she could...all the while I'm telling them to smile! ha!}

{she seriously did not sit still for one second...I was constantly on the move with her ... but I love the pure endless joy this little e has!}



I am also sharing the love by celebrating my three-year blogoversary!  I was a little quiet about it, but I was offering a $10 giftcard to Target{l.o.v.e} to a lucky commenter on my last post...but my blog isn't about getting lots of comments or visitors...although I have loved every. single. one. that I have ever received...and love even more the friends I have made who have visited Martin Manor so often!  It has been about keeping up with our activities, milestones and preserving our memories!  But since three of my loyal visitors made a visit to wish me a lovely comment for my blogoversary... I feel so grateful for their time and want to give each one of you a gift card!  That's right...Kelli, Kelli and Traci... I hope you buy something you love!  Thank you for stopping by!  And I love that you all end your names with an i... It was meant to be!

Valentine's Day is a fun and special day for us and the kids look forward to little treats almost as much as Christmas day...and I love that they want to be my Valentine on this day!

And who doesn't love spaghetti?!  It's actually my favorite night of the week...we all look forward to Spaghetti Night...everyone's happy!

Hope you all have a Happy lovely Valentine's Day!

Share the love today... and every day!

We love because he first loved us.  1John 4:19

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  1John 4:11-12

Do everything in love.  1Corinthians 16:14

This is my command: Love each other.  John 15:17

Love never fails.  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.  1Corinthians 13:8, 13

This is the Day

This is the day...

the Lord has made...

Let us rejoice...

and be glad in it.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

{Remembering to savor all the moments of each day... the spilled milk, juice and soda all in the same day... runny noses and sticky hands... unmade beds... sleepless nights + early mornings = cranky mom...  pink skies... sunshine and shadows... sidewalk chalk... tea parties... snuggling... swinging... building towers... reading quietly...
and not to forget to rejoice in the little things...and thanking the Lord for the day He has given me!}