SMILE! Got it.

First smile. 

There's just something about those first smiles.  Maybe it's that the first several weeks of a baby's life are just so much WORK.  They cry, sleep and overall need attention around the clock with very little response to all of the effort. 

These smiles make it all worth it!

What do you mean you don't know those people?!

Evelyn has a picture frame in her room titled "Fab Four" that has held the generic store photo in it for weeks.  Lincoln asks the most often who those people are.  Grandma Nancy thinks she's very funny to make up stories about them and remind me that I still need to take a picture of all four kiddos.  Well...they are all in the picture and that's about the best we will get for now!  And a few other pictures of the boys with Evelyn. 

Boy oh boy do they LOVE her!

Outing #2 - SUCCESS

A sleepy Evelyn always helps!

Since we did so well at the park, I thought we'd be a bit more adventurous and head to the zoo with all four kids.  I of course took back up (i.e. the Seiler crew) since I'm still not very quick and recovering from the delivery surgery. Another success...slowly but surely we will figure out how to function as a family of 6! 

Thank you Miss Karen!

Allie & Lincoln

Outing #1 - SUCCESS

And here's the proof of our first outing with all four kids!  As we drove to the park, I let them know that as soon as Baby Evelyn started to cry, we would have to call an end to our trip.  They did great and Evelyn slept like a champ through all of our fun!

Clayton claimed it was too sunny to keep his eyes open but still wanted a picture taken.

Aunt Laura

Aunt Laura flew in from Texas to visit her newest niece.

This is what we call "being a good sport"

Miss Cheryl

My kids adore this woman - Miss Cheryl...and so do I.  A servant's heart can be such a rare thing, but we know a very special lady who demonstrated time after time what a true servant's heart looks like.  Miss Cheryl was our nanny while I was on bedrest.  "Our nanny" is the right phrase in that she took care of not just my kids but our family.  Many have asked how we found her.  In my heart of hearts I know that we didn't find her, God placed her with us. It's a long story, but essentially Cheryl saw that we had a need and I received an e-mail from her offering to fill the role right at my peak of frustration of needing to find someone.  She's wasn't on my radar of a person to approach regarding the role, but at the suggestion I found no hesitiation or anxiety - she would be PERFECT - why didn't I think of her!   Many times during the past several months God has shown me the parallel between my situation and the manna that he provided the Israelites.  Cheryl was our manna during these 10 weeks.  And, in the times that I'd want to grumble about being on bedrest (as I have a tendency to do...) God would remind me that I was becoming a good picture of the Israelites grumbling in the desert after He had so clearly provided and met all of their needs.

Healthy Enough to Hold

Grandpa Mark and Grandma Denyse were sick when Evelyn was first born
and they had to wait a couple of weeks to hold her.