Eli turns 1!

Flowers that Cody sent me for my "bad day". They are so beautiful. I wish they would stay that way forever!

My beautiful Eli. He is so sweet and adorable. He is the most snuggly baby ever!

Noah got his new hat from Bass Pro Shop that Nanny and Pop got him. You can see that his pants are too big and have to be rolled up a little :)

Eli thought it would be lots of fun to smear his birthday cake all over Mimi's table!

Just about to stick his cute chubby little hand into his cake for the first time!

Eli playing with Makena. He has always adored Makena. She is so sweet with him and really with all babies!

Eli wearing his cute little hat anticipating the cake to come....he didn't know anything could taste so good!
ELI IS ONE!

Well, my baby turned one on October 1st! I cannot believe that it has been a year since he was born. It just feels like yesterday. He is no longer crawling and is constantly on the move and into everything! We had his first birthday at Mimi and Paw Paw's house in Jonesboro and had a fish fry. It was nice for some of Cody's family to get to see the boys that usually only gets to see them on Thanksgiving (maybe) and Christmas.
Carlie, Makena and Trey were able to come to the party and we were so glad. I know Noah was so happy to get to play with Trey and Eli adores Makena. We had everything decorated with Elmo and he had a cute cake just for him. When he first stuck his hands in the cake he did not know what to think. I'm pretty sure that it took him a few minutes to realize, "hey, this is food!" He began to eat it and got quite a bit in until we finally decided he had enough. I don't think he would have EVER come to that conclusion.

We had a good weekend. Eli got clothes, a Ming Ming (which was his favorite), trucks, a new car seat, and even diapers (which were very much appreciated!).
Noah got the flu from Uncle Casey the same weekend and so on Monday after Elijah's birthday he had to go to the doctor. Thankfully, he did get Tamiflu. Eli and I also got it as a preventative. I did not know it could be used as that, but it can in certain instances. In our case it was very probable that Eli and I would get it from the close contact that we had with Noah and so the doctor said that he would put us on the medicine just in case we did get it and then the effects would not be as severe. We survived that week and made it through right up to the weekend. Cody had a pre teen retreat to attend at Budd Creek. He came back very refreshed. It was nice to have that kind of refreshing breath of God's goodness in our home.

This past week has been stressful in some ways, but it has also been very nice to see God's unchanging hand magnified even more than before. I read the book "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers and it has totally and completly changed my outlook on the Love Christ gives us. My husband new that Monday was a rough day and he had flowers sent to me. They are beautiful and in the gorgeous fall colors.

Finally back in the Swing of Things!

Okay, so it has been all summer since I have written and lots has happened around the Simpson house! First big thing is that we are having another baby. We found out at the end of May and boy, was that a SUPRISE! Ready or not, here comes baby # 3. We are very excited and I am 19 weeks along now. Next week we get to find out what we are having, maybe!!
Anyway, the summer was full of Bible School, Church Camp, Elijah crawling, more camp, and Noah getting potty trained. Eli is now walking and Noah is doing great at the potty. I have bought some "gently used" cloth diapers and they are great to have to help cut down on the cost of buying diapers.
At church this summer we have had 7 new people join in 3 months and things are going great! God is truly working at Bethel and people are growing in their relationships with him.
Eli is about to celebrate his 1st Birthday Party. I cannot believe one year from October 1st he was born. He is so precious and has developed his own personality. Noah is growing up too. He is a jabber box and likes to let you know exactly what he is thinking.
Cody is doing great. He has settled in to the preacher position a little more, but is getting a little more antsy about pastoring. I know that God will show him in his time when he is to pastor, and I know that he will provide! He is learning so much from his job, Bro Mullins here at Bethel, and from the Seminary he goes to in Little Rock.
I don't have any pictures to post right now, but I'll get them done onto a CD and get them put up soon! I'll write more later this week, Lord Willing!

Family Fun

Well, This past weekend we went to Cody's parent's house in Jonesboro for a visit and we got to see so many people in one weekend! We hung out first and Cody's dad put the tent up in their yard (in Jonesboro...) and they were going to camp out but Noah was a little afraid of the dark.

So anyway, we went up to his Grandma Nolan's and Noah got to ride a tractor and he was so proud.

Here are a few pictures to portray our Crazy, busy weekend.
This picture is Noah watering Grandma Nolan's flowers with water from his mouth...it was cute!




I am just glad she was not upset about that. He never gets to see her and I think she enjoyed the visit.







Mimi got to spend plenty of quality time with Eli. He is so easy going. He just sat back and watched all of the action.





This is Uncle Casey and Noah. He got to ride on a bigger one with PawPaw, but we didn't get a picture of that.








Eli decided that it wasn't fair that everyone else got to eat "Death by chocolate" icecream and he didn't. So, here he is eating his cone. I couldn't get him to quit licking it to look up at me...


Aunt Megan and Eli when they were "camping" out. She is going to Dallas for the next few years. Her boyfriend of 4 years and his family live there and she is going to finish her marketing degree there. I think Cody's parents are pretty sad. I don't think they'll know what to do without anyone in the house. Maybe we can see them more often!














This is Noah, Hannah Moore, and Elijah. Hannah belongs to some very good friends of ours from Jonesboro and we still call them and keep up with them regularly at least over the phone. It was so cute to let our kids play together!


This post doesn't show near enough of the happenings of our weekend, but I am tired, the kids are asleep, and I know I've got to get back in bed too! So long for now!

Fun in the Sun, Finally!

Wow, it has been beautiful for the past couple of days! I am so excited for no rain! God has been so good to me this past week. I have just been thinking more and more about the Beth Moore study we are doing and how we are so "sucked" in by our "Babylon" like the Israelites were after they were taken into captivity by them. We are so sucked into living "perfect" lives which includes having the perfect house, hair, children who are always dressed nice and neat and never have a hair out of place. The perfect home is always clean, never has any cobwebs, and the "keeper of the home" always wears a dress while vacuuming. (Yeah right!)

Well, in our home, my children are not always dressed neat (Eli drools all the time and will NOT keep a bib on), Noah doesn't wear shorts most of the time because it helps him go to the bathroom quicker. My hair is hardly ever fixed unless I go somewhere and my house is far from spotless. What if we cared more about Spiritual than physical, more about Godly than good, and more about people than things? How would our lives be different? I can only imagine! As long as we know Christ we have a treasure that is greater than any on this Earth! We can get a "well done" from our Father in Heaven rather than a "wow, your house is really clean," or "wow, your kids look so nice." Granted, there are appropriate times to look nice, to clean your house, and to fix yourself up( that country song, "she let herself go" always comes to mind and I don't know why! lol), but I'm talking about those "obsessions" that we have and don't realize how much they control us.

In Isaiah 47:12-15 it's about Babylon and how that their enchanters, magicians, and wise men were not good enough In verse 14b it says "They cannot even save themselves (from being burned up), from te power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. Verse 15: "That is all they can do for you - these you have labored with and trafficked with since childhood.Each of them goes on in his error, there is not one that can save you."

This is speaking of magicians, which in the days of babylon were like "gods" to these people because they were "so powerful" to them. The things I mentioned above are like "gods" to us so many times. We must remember that they can 'save' no one and we need to be more concerned about leading others to Christ than "living the 'perfect' wordly life".

The pictures are from the playground down from our apartment. Our landlord just built it and it is so cute and perfect for us! YAY! anyway, I am adding a few more and heading out! Adios Amigas!

God is so faithful

Okay, so many of you know that I am officially a stay at home mommy now, but some of you do not know how long I have wanted this. When Cody and I first got married he and I were both in school and we did fine, but when we had Noah, and I graduated from college we knew that my job would pay more than any job that he could get at that time, so i went to work full time when Noah was about 6 1/2 months old. This was SO hard for me and I cannot tell you how many times I cried and cried because of it. I felt so guilty for not staying home and not only that, but I wanted to be home. So, eventually when I realized I would not be able to stay at home and kind of "let it go" with Cody I became very hard hearted because of it. I had to "pretend" like I wanted to work, even though I didn't but had to. This creates all kinds of turmoil inside. So, I prayed for 2 years that God would allo me to stay at home and to make a long story (2 years worth) short, I am now staying at home with my boys. God is very faithful to provide. I need to look back at this in 6 or 7 months when we are REALLY broke and remember that I wanted this more than a lot of clothes, jewelery (which I love), a new house, etc...
My relationship with God, my husband, and my beautiful children is more vibrant, real, and exciting. If you have been praying about something and haven't seen God work, don't give up. God will provide. It might not be in the way you want (like us living in a small apartment), but he will provide. The one thing I wish I would have changed is my level of Faith through it all. I had many times when I would get upset with God and with my husband, and other people because I couldn't stay home. I should have just believed that God would allow what he wants me to do come to pass (which is so biblical.).
What if Noah had given up and said that God would never stop the rain(we have felt like that lately, so we think)? What if Simeon or Anna would have given up. They waited their WHOLE lives to see their savior and only got to see him as a baby. The faith of these is so great, I cannot fathom it. I love that song (it's older) "I want a faith like that". It's not impossible for us to have that kind of faith, but it is a choice, God will not force it. In the end, the end the rewards will be great.
Have a Blessed Day!
Jamie

Catching Up

Okay, so it's been a long time and I have a lot of catching up to do. So here are a few of the Easter Pictures and everything else from that "general time frame"


Pop and Eli









Noah and Bear having breakfast. I love this picture! It truly breaks my heart!






Trey and Noah at Petit Jean
Every picture we took of Noah that day, that "cheese" smile is the one we got!




Noah and Elijah on the Night before Easter in their matching "pjs". So adorable and rotten!







Makena is Eli's "babysitter". She loves to help and she can really, honestly hold babies very well. She'll make a great mom some day!













The Mungers
Carlie was not a happy camper in this picture, I wonder how those teen years will be Beth!

Pop and Trey were playing football and Noah, he was playing in the "mud" in the hole in our yard.

I love this picture in Sepia toned! It shows Carlie's adorable face and Noah enjoying Carlie playing with him!

Here is my beautiful Elijah. He is so sweet, and growing up too fast on me!!! I cannot believe he will be 7 months old soon. That means more than half of his first year is over.

I love this baby so much!!!! I cannot imagine my life without his beautiful personality. God has truly blessed me.

Birthday Party!!

Okay, so this is the Birthday boy, learning how to open gifts. Believe it or not, he did not know what to do. I cannot believe he is two years old. God is so good and has blessed us with wonderful boys! I cannot wait to see Who Noah turns out to be years from now.

This is how it was set up. Noah was in heaven with all of the bwoons. yes, I spelled it right, according to Noah's dictionary anyway.

These were just a few of the kids there....they had a wonderfl time. I don't think Noah knew or understood what was going on. He is such a big boy now!

Pictures of his adorable cake, and set up that Nanny decorated...she is so crafty!

Noah had his birthday party Saturday at Bethel...wow,I cannot believe he is 2 years old! It just seems like yesterday he was born.

This is him when he was about 4 months old. It's truly amazing how much he & Eli look alike. I'm putting pictures up for his birthday tomorrow!