...and this is my heart.

I ask the question again.

2009-04-07T10:02:00.001-07:00

Why do we even bother?

More Pictures.

2009-03-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

I seem to be doing a lot of picture posts. I apologize to anyone who likes deep wordy blogs. Four children do allow much time for thinking and writing. (At least not any thinking and writing that should be made public. Sleep deprivation will make your mind do some crazy things...) Picture-taking, though? I've plenty of time for that!

Twins!
Tate showing off his "boo-boo". Or, what happens to your hand when you put it onto a hot stove burner...
Rory-Girl being silly:

Adventures with Food.

2009-03-07T04:01:00.000-08:00

Jonas and Elsa started rice cereal this week.

Elsa loved it!

Jonas seemed to like the highchair. A little unsure, but he liked it.

The cereal? Not so much!

And a Bonus Jonas smile:

The boys.

2009-03-05T19:05:00.000-08:00

Being a brother of Rory means a lot of things. She dotes on you, loves you, and thinks you're the best "toy"/"Life Sized Doll" ever. But mostly?

It means she'll make you wear pink.

You can fight the pink with your mad Ninja skillz...

If you're even able to fight. Poor Jonas has no choice but to accept the pink. (Rory. She preys on the weak.)

Most of the time though, you just have to roll with it.

Also? Um...does anyone else see the resemblance?
Elton John? Tate?!

Chillin'.

2009-02-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

Ellie and Jonas just hanging out on the couch...

Celebrating Rory!

2009-02-23T08:08:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Rory's fourth birthday! She had been told (by a mother who was sick of cleaning gum off of clothes and who didn't want her child to get sick from eating tubes of chapstick...) that once she turned four that she could have gum and chapstick. Rory made a point of telling everyone she knew about this deal. Yesterday was full of gum and fruity lip glosses. I've never seen my kid so happy!

She was also very excited to get a Singing Sleeping Beauty doll. (That's right. It sings. In a very high-pitched voice. But she loves it, and it's the only thing she asked for!)

Every Disney Princess they make. Seriously.

And finally, Tate felt festive.

We had a great day with my parents and with Tucker's mom and Mark. Happy Birthday Rory!

Caught on Camera...

2009-02-23T03:53:00.000-08:00

...Elsa's rare smile!

It only took a silly baby-talking Grammy and a quick picture snapping Grandpa. (Also known as Oscar in this house...)

My silly, wonderful Tate.

2009-02-18T05:51:00.001-08:00

Elsa...sleeps.

2009-02-17T10:18:00.001-08:00

I still haven't been able to catch her smile on camera. She's a beautiful sleeper, though...

Jonas smiles.

2009-02-11T05:54:00.000-08:00

Look at that grin! He's smiling!

Oh, and Elsa is just as happy as her brother. She's a tricky one, though. I can't seem to catch her big grin on camera...

Tate turns Two.

2009-02-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

One last late post!

The day after Christmas was Tate's second birthday. Two! My goodness...

Christmas in February.

2009-02-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

Well, not really. But I'm going to just post a bunch of pictures today. In February. From Christmas...

We ended up going to my parents for Christmas and had one of the best holidays ever there. Their house is nothing but relaxing, and we enjoyed being with family that whole day.

2006 Kia Sedona.

2009-02-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Need I say more?

Probably not, but I will! That beautiful van (Which I confess to loving slightly more than my husband) was a gift. A gift from our church, our youth, our Carpenter's family. They presented it to us on Christmas Eve, and I don't think either Tucker or myself have ever felt so loved. We were blown away. We cried like babies and our hands were shaking like crazy!

On the day this happened...
...I fell to my knees and prayed for many things. Wisdom, strength, health, mental stability (That one's still questionable...), finances, grace and finally, at the very end, a free minivan. I felt selfish and silly asking for it. We had two functioning cars. We would be fine. But I still asked. I continued that prayer throughout the pregnancy. And now? I'm beyond grateful for God's answer.

So thank you. Thank you to everyone who made that minivan a possibility for my family. You have no idea how much it means to us! Because of that gift, we will be debt free an entire year before we thought we would be. Because of that gift, two schools loans will be paid off instead of the money going to a new van. Because of that gift, our lives and hearts have been touched and we have a huge desire to do nothing but pay it forward. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Whoa.

2009-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

So.

It's been awhile.

Let's get back into this blogging thing...

Security.

2008-12-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know Tate, know of his love for his Binky Monkey, his security item. That thing goes everywhere with us. Soon, Other Monkey joined us. Then Blanket. Now? Now we have Binky Monkey, Other Monkey, Blanket, and...

Hat.

He's had it on all day. All day. And now, he's wearing it to bed...

Quoting.

2008-12-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a quote that really hit me today.

"I do not understand the mystery of grace; only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us."
-Anne Lamott

More.

2008-12-03T07:12:00.001-08:00

Pictures!

We tried to get a Christmas picture, but all ended up looking at a different camera!

My awesome and wonderful parents with the Hibblets at Thanksgiving.

Sleeping Babies...

Just Becasue.

2008-11-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

I think my kids are pretty cute.

Jonas

Elsa

Hanging out togetherMy Big Helper!
Tate

Joy!

2008-11-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

Yep. That picture just about sums up how we Hibbs are all feeling!

Jonas and Elsa are home. Life is good.

Twibbs.

2008-11-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

Some more pictures for you all.

Jonas.

Elsa. She's still so tiny!

Elsa was so very over this whole taking pictures thing!

They're doing really well! We're waiting on them to master eating (That sucking-swallowing-breathing thing is throwing them for a loop!), and then they can come home. Hopefully soon!

A Hibblet Halloween.

2008-11-03T06:48:00.000-08:00

We had a very quiet Friday. Tucker took the kids around the neighborhood, and then sat out on the steps with them to hand out candy. They loved it, and took it very very seriously! Rory was the Posh Puppy from the Fancy Nancy books, Tate was a lion (Yes. We recycled Rory's costume from last year. We're cheap), and Daddy was very goofy. (No costume required...)

Twinsday.

2008-11-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

Rory's been asking when "Twinsday" will be here for months now!

Well, as most of you already know (And if you don't, check out Tuck's blog posts about it!), Elsa Denise and Jonas David arrived at 12:01 (Yup! That quickly!) on October 23. They were seven weeks early, and have been spending some serious time in the NICU. Both are doing amazingly well, and Tucker and I are encouraged by their daily improvements!

We're also incredibly thankful to all of you out there who have supported us through cards, prayer, food and babysitting. We wouldn't have been able to make it through these last few weeks and days without you. Thank you thank you thank you!

Elsa:

Jonas:

Totally.

2008-09-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Tucker totally needs to start doing music like this on Sunday morning...

I haven't laughed this hard in ages!

When you're done watching the second one, follow it up with this David Crowder awesomeness...

Rory Goes to School.

2008-09-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

So. This post is a week and a half late! Whoops...

Last Monday Rory started preschool. She's loving it, and I'm loving the quiet mornings with Tate. (I know, I know. Those are about to change!)

First, she dressed herself.
I made her change. (I'm totally mean like that.)
But she didn't seem to mind! Excitement for the day all around!

My word. They grow so fast!

For Sarah.

2008-09-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Because she asked so nicely. (And I'm because cool enough to take monthly pictures of my ever growing belly, she's in luck!) However, there's no way I'm posting a picture of me in my fugly glasses. Nope. Not even for you, Sarah.

18 Weeks

23 Weeks

27 Weeks (Today!)

Dancing.

2008-08-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

So Rory just looked at Tate and said with a sigh, "I just love to dance. Do you, Tate?" He replies, in typical Tate fashion, with a "No!" and an enthusiastic head shake of Yes. They then proceed to dance all around the living room together. First with both hands connected spinning in silly circles. Then, slow...the "Princess" dance, as Rory calls it. Then finally, a crazy wild running/dancing that involves a lot of laughing and falling.

I love my kids.

Devin and Amanda.

2008-08-13T15:22:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest blessings in Tucker and my life is the student ministry at Carpenter's. We have an amazing group! These teens work hard, play hard and love deeply. We're honored to know them.

Anyway. One of the sweetest things the teens do is watch our children from time to time. It's a gift to us, and we're extremely thankful for the date nights it has allowed. You don't get many of those once kids come along!

They come to our house and have fun with our children, our sidewalk chalk and our driveway, our whiteboard and our markers, any paper of ours that they can find, and apparently, our camera.

I just downloaded pictures off of the camera for the first time in awhile. And found this.
Didn't think I'd post that, huh? (Wish I had pictures of the rest of the fancy artwork left at my house...)

Just so you know, not only are Devin and Amanda devastatingly photogenic* and artistic, but they totally rock. Thanks girls!

*They actually are. You know, when not making silly faces into my camera. Beautiful inside and out!

Shear Genius.

2008-07-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

Well, not quite genius, but I did use shears!

Rory's loooong hair was becoming a tangled mess. It was dry, dead and stringy. So, we bobbed it. I like it. Tucker likes it. She likes it. Life is good.

Sadly, the pictures are a little dark...I'm still figuring out this new camera!

This crazy, sweet life.

2008-07-22T11:05:00.001-07:00

Enjoy it.

Thank you, Sarah!

Rory.

2008-07-18T11:09:00.001-07:00

She dressed herself today.
She's quite proud of that.

Hey Tally.

2008-07-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

Excellent post.

Awesome.

2008-07-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

We Hibbs had a busy busy weekend, and I'm planning on blogging all about it...but it requires that I scan in some old pictures from, oh, 1999 and earlier. Like, high school band geek pictures. (You've been warned.) So, you all will need to wait a day or so.

Anyway.

What's awesome is this. It's so cool to read about a family, a group of people, excited about the possibilities God has for our area. We need more church plants up north, and I'm thrilled to see the Lehigh Valley attracting the attention of one! I stumbled across this blog while reading Vince Antonucci's page. Tucker and I are reading through his book (Go. Get it. Read it. Okay?), and we've been loving his blog. So go and check that out, too. It's well worth your time!

I'm just excited to see God moving. Always!

Love.

2008-07-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

I don't think there's anything sweeter in the morning than watching my daughter and her father play with Barbie's over breakfast. Tucker does the high voice, and Rory makes them dance.

It's really wonderful to watch...

Clean.

2008-07-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

Both children now scrape their plates into the trash when finished eating and place (Place, throw, whatever.) those plates in the sink. I knew Rory could do it, but I just watched Tate toddle into the kitchen, slowly push his sandwich crumbs into the trashcan, and then put his plate into the sink.

I made a big deal out of it, telling him how big and wonderful he is, and he just nodded. Then he reached out his hand and said "Cookie".

Hey. Bribery works.

And I have a clean/neat kitchen.

Seriously.

2008-07-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

Why do we even bother?

Proof that my brain is fried.

2008-07-02T06:12:00.000-07:00

I spent 20 minutes yesterday trying to cook a pre-packaged skillet meal, only to find out that I had the wrong burner turned on. It took a lot of stirring, stove top searching, and under-my-breath mumbling about why my food was still cold before I figured it out.

Once it was cooking, I managed to burn it. Completely.

My children are lucky they're getting hot food at this point. I'm tempted to only serve peanut butter sandwiches and apples from here on out...

Zoos, Pools and Beaches.

2008-07-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few days for the Hibbs!

Friday we headed down to the Philly Zoo, which the kids loved. It was hot, but we had a blast! We then went over to my parent's house for some great food, tasty ice cream, and late evening swimming.

Monday, Tucker and I took the kids to the beach. We met up with some great friends and had a lot of fun watching all of our children play together. Also, we went after five (Yes. We're cheap. I know.) so it was a free beach day! You know, minus the $10 bag of candy, $50 gas fill-up, and dinner costs. But. The beach was free! Free!

Why yes! I did just get a new camera! What's that? You could tell? All of the pictures, huh? Hm.

While Daddy's away...

2008-06-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

...Hibblets will play!

This past weekend Tucker was in Baltimore (Actually, he's back there today), and the kids and I had run of the house. Which, well, we usually do. So, I guess there wasn't much new there...

Anyway. We spent a wholelotta time outside (Because Mommy doesn't have to clean outside! My house stayed remarkably well kept this weekend. Hmm...). That new green Father's Day pool has been a hit!

Tate, Chillin' in Daddy's chair!

The Mother.

2008-06-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

This is it. The mother of all blog posts! *cue intimidating theme music*

In all seriousness, I know I've been a blogging slacker. I'd like to blame the two little beings growing in my belly, but really, it's just that I'm sort of lazy. I blame the older Hibblets for wearing me out...

Anyway. Here it goes! The mega update on all things Hibbs!

-End of June Tucker and I got to attend the Whiteboard Sessions. It was amazing! We both loved hearing how God is moving, how He's using ordinary men (and women!) to accomplish great things. Churches being planted, people coming to know Christ, baptisms, lives changed...it was just all really great to hear and see. Plus, I got to see Perry Noble speak, which was a real treat. Mark Dever was terrific, Tim Stevens made me want to stand up and shout "Yeah! That!" at just about everything he said, and Vince Antonucci made laugh and think more than any other speaker. I attended the Ladies Lunch, which was a lot of fun (And delicious! Hello! Pregnant!) and it was great to connect to some other women involved in ministry.

Also, Tucker and I got a hotel for the conference, and left the kids with my parents for two nights. It was so great to just get away and reconnect with my husband. We had a blast!

- We've had a few new ultrasounds, and the twins (Twibbs?) are doing great! They're growing right on schedule, and everything is looking good. I feel great, just tired. I want to sleeeeep all of the time!

- We were able to go and visit some dear friends and their beautiful boys for dinner a few weeks ago. Pete and Sarah mean a lot to us, and we cherish their friendship. Plus, their kids are just about the cutest and most entertaining children I've met in a long time. Haven and Rory had a blast together, Gus and Tate were fun to watch, and their new little guy, Simeon, was a doll. (Sarah claims he's colicky, but I'm not believing her. He was just about perfect that night. I kid, I kid...hang in there Sarah!) Also, she made this incredible dinner. (Again, I'm not believing her when she tells me she just "threw it all in a pot". 'Cause when try that, I get lumpy mushy yuck. She gets gourmet. Go figure.) Oh. And if you live in the Jim Thorpe area and need an excellent podiatrist, Pete's your guy. Or, at least Betty says he is...

No. But seriously. Go to Pete. Advent Foot and Ankle. He has this beautiful family to support and he's one heck of a great doctor.

- Tucker's brother Taylor got married this past weekend. He found, proposed to, and wed his absolutely perfect match. Christina brings such amazing things to this family and I'm proud to call her my sister in law! Yay for Mrs. Hibbs!

Rory was their flower girl. She didn't quite make it down the aisle like she should have (with Christina's brother), but she did make it down (Holding Daddy's hand). Tate spent the day hanging out with Tucker's uncle, Bob. Bob very graciously took Tate during the ceremony and kept him busy. I can't even begin to tell you what a huge help that was! By the end of the ceremony Tate could say "Bob", and asked for him after we got home. It was really sweet!

Pictures! Sadly, my camera batteries died soon after the ceremony and I really didn't get many...

- Father's Day was pretty fun! We went to Outback for lunch (Yummm, steak...), locked our keys in the car, chatted up the tow truck guy, said many thanks for our AAA membership, renewed said membership, and made a Wal-Mart run to buy the Hibblets a new pool for the backyard. Good times.

I've gushed often about Tucker, but I feel like I can't say it enough. I am head over heels in love with that man and I think he is amazing. Oh, I see his faults, but I love him through them all. I've been beyond blessed to have him as my best friend, the father of my children, and my partner in this crazy thing we call our life. *GUSH*

-Tonight? Tucker's off in Baltimore, and I'm sitting in a very quiet house. He took eight teens down, and they're having an amazing time. Here's his post about it all. Plus! The church's name is Charm City Church. Like Charm City Cakes, Ace of Cakes...just about the best show on the Food Network. You know, in my humble opinion. Not that that has anything to do with the church. I'm just sayin'. It's cool.

-Oh yeah. And who's SO BIG?
Nope.
Yup.

Four Years.

2008-06-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

It was four years ago that Tucker's father, Don, passed away.

I didn't even realize that today was "the day" until late this afternoon. And I feel awful for forgetting...

I miss him. I miss him a lot. Don welcomed me into the crazy Hibbs family with open arms, and was, quite possibly, the craziest of them all! Always laughing, always joking, always extreme, but able to carry on a serious and deep conversation. And he loved coffee.

Man. I just know how much he would have loved to see his grandchildren, to see his boy's weddings, to see their college graduations...their high school graduation. Nothing meant more to Don than family. At each big family event, it feels like a small stab in my heart knowing he's not there, and thinking that he should be there. At the births of our children, Tucker and I have both paused after saying "Dad would've loved this!"

It's such a heavy moment.

I wish I was better at putting into words how I feel. I loved him, I miss him, and I'm honored to have known him...he left quite a legacy behind!

Twins!

2008-05-18T03:56:00.000-07:00

There they are! Baby A and Baby B. Twins!

Recount.

2008-05-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

So. Um. Not just one baby will be joining us. Not three kids total.

Four total.

Two babies.

Twins.

Yep.

(Now. Please excuse me while I shake, cry, laugh, and jump for joy all at the same time!!)

Angry Jesus.

2008-05-14T17:49:00.001-07:00

Rory has a set of Bible stories that she loves to read. The pictures are pretty clear, so she usually just sits and makes up the storyline by herself. (Why yes! I am a lazy mother who gets tired of reading the same books over and over and over...)

Yesterday? She pulled out the one about Jesus turning over the tables in the temple, and the Last Supper. Her storytelling got exciting, and well, interesting...

Rory's Version:
"Jesus eat his dinner. Yum. *turns page, stands up and YELLS* Oh! Jesus mad! No bessert for Jesus! No! He yell and frow stuff! Angry Jesus! *turns page, sits down and smiles* So. Jesus happy and friends now. He eats bessert."

Um. I'm not sure what we're exactly teaching her, but I think her Jesus stories pretty much rock. I'm not planning on correcting them anytime soon.

Hmm. Bad mom?

Little break from blogging.

2008-05-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

So. A good months worth of exhaustion, nausea, beautiful weather, busy kids, and some illness has kept me away from the blogging world. Yeah. Sorry about that! The unintentional break did me some good, though. I'm looking forward to getting back into it!

Anyway. I thought a quick update might be nice for those of you who care!

-I'm now at 11 weeks, which is good. Hopefully the morning sickness and exhaustion will ease up soon. Brutal stuff, that.

-Rory is as happy and healthy as ever. She keeps me busy, and likes to talk. And talk. And talk. A lot. A lot a LOT.

-Tate finally has some more teeth. Six now! Eh. What can I say? He's a slow teether...

-During April I had a birthday, which was wonderful! Tucker took the kids for the day, and I spent the afternoon having lunch and shopping with one of my best friends, Phyllis. She and her husband then came over that night and babysat so Tuck and I could have a romantic dinner out together. Very nice!

-Tucker's been busy, but he's happy. God has affirmed over and over that He has amazing plans for our church, our life, our everything. It's not always easy, but we're watching the blessings flow and loving it!

-We finished up our Dave Ramsey course and are all financially stable and stuff. Pretty cool.

-Mother's Day was nice. The Hibbs household had just recovered from a stomach bug that wiped us out for a week, so we spent the day quietly at home, ordered some pizza, later went for a drive and devoured some Dairy Queen for dessert. Good times!

Other than that, not much is new. We're heading down to the D.C. area next week for The Whiteboard Sessions. We're pretty pumped about it! Also, I get to do this, which is awesome. The speaker line up for the event seems amazing, and I promise that there'll be a few blog posts about it all in the near future!

Number Three.

2008-04-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

Well, we were planning on keeping this quiet for a little bit longer, but good secrets are so hard to keep!

Late November/Early December will have us welcoming baby number three! Yay!

Daniel.

2008-04-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

After church (and a wonderful lunch with my parents), while riding home with the kids in the car, I asked Rory what she talked about in Sunday School today. Her response? "Talka Daniel."

"Oh? You talked about Daniel and the lions?"

*sigh* "No Mommy. We talka Daniel and the crocodiles."

Hmm. So. Either there's some creative Bible stories going on in Carpenter's preschool classroom, or, as usual, Rory heard half of the story and made up the rest! (I'm assuming with some creative help from the good folks at Disney and her new movie love, Peter Pan.)

And really. Crocodiles are way cooler than lions anyway...

Quiet.

2008-04-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

Today, I was making lunch and the kids were playing up in Rory's room. All of sudden, things were quiet. Too quiet.

Why?

Because they were busy doing this.

Yeah. That's my make-up (and various other bathroom and beauty items) in the sink. And, why yes. That is an entire roll of toilet paper unraveled on the floor.

Fun fun.

Dress-up.

2008-04-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today Rory got all decked out in her dress-up finery.

And, um. Tate joined her.

Rory helped him get dressed, and then yelled for me to get the camera so I could capture, in her words, "Pretty Kitty Tate and Princess Rory!"

There was dancing involved.

My kids are awesome.

Easter.

2008-03-29T07:25:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd share some Easter pictures with you all. You know, now that the holiday is about a week gone, and I finally got my lazy self around to uploading these...

I tried to get a nice shot of the two Hibblets, but they weren't having it. Tate screamed if we removed the monkeys. Same for the sheep and Rory. So they got to stay. Happy Easter.

Our second attempt wasn't much better.

A not so happy Tate and Daddy getting ready...

Rory loved the duck Aunt Jenna and Uncle Brian brought! (Even though it was Tate's...)

Tate received some bubbles in his basket and has been cracking us up ever since by trying to blow them. (It's more of a spitting. Not a blow! Phhhhft...)

Rory playing with her new "Ketchup Doll" toy. (Ketchup Doll/Cabbage Patch Doll...same thing, right?)

Oscar (my Dad) and Rory playing with the Play-Doh.

We had a great time with my family. Very relaxing and mellow. That's how I like my holiday's!

My silly kids.

2008-03-25T06:03:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I wonder why we even bother buying them real toys...

Bubbles.

2008-03-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

The one thing that still catches me off guard about being a mother is how very little alone time I actually have. Not that I mind really, but I realize now that I'm hardly, if ever, alone...

This morning I put Tate down for his nap, turned some Lazy Town on for Rory (Just know that I have a deep hatred for Lazy Town. My daughter? Loves it. Of course.), and headed upstairs for a shower. You know, my alone time.

Two minutes later I can hear the little pitter-patter of Rory feet running across the kitchen, and the creaking of the stairs as she climbs them. Next thing I know, she's in the bathroom. Our conversation went something like this:

Rory: "Mommy! I need help!"
Me: "Ro, I'm in the shower. You need to wait."
"No! I can't doooo iiiiittttt!" (That would be a whine.)
"Why? What's wrong?" *Peeks around curtain, sees Rory dressed in full Disney Princess Gear. We're talking dress, boa, tiara and one shoe. The other is clenched in her frustrated little fist.*
"My shoooooeeeeee won't go ooonnnnnn!"
"Okay. Can you sit on the toilet seat and wait for Mommy (Something happens to you when you have children. You start to talk about yourself in the third person. Its strange how naturally it comes...) to finish her shower? Then I'll put your shoe on. Okay?"
"Okay." *A few seconds pass* "Mommy?"
"Yes?"
"Don't put the bubbles in your eye, okay? It hurt. Daddy says."

I love that kid!

Peep.

2008-03-19T07:38:00.001-07:00

I love Easter. Yes, for all the spiritual reasons. Of course.

But really? For the candy.

Cadbury Creme Eggs? Oh. My. Word. I could eat those things all day long. (My good friend Rachael has somehow managed to stock her side room with these wonderful little candies. She tells me it's because of her husband's job and the free merchandise he gets. Sure. I like to think it's because she loves me enough to keep a room in her house stocked with candy year round. Yup.)

I love Jelly Beans. Especially the black ones. Not much beats them.

Except for Peeps. Peeps take the cake. Oh, how I love those little sugared marshmallows! Tucker and I have spent much time (It's sad, really, when we think about what we spend our time on...) perfecting the Peeps. We like to open the package for at least three days and get them to the slightly stale point. You know, a bit crunchy on the outside but still soft and marshmallow-y wonderful on the inside. It took a few packs to perfect this method, but now we have it down to a science. You can't just open the Peeps, you need to actually remove them from the package and let them sit out...

Anyway.

So, imagine my joy when I stumbled across this website. Dressed up Peeps! My word. The part of me (and I can't believe I'm about to share this deep dark secret of mine) that actually loves adorable things in silly outfits (think cute children and small dogs) is over the moon.

But then. Then I found this site. I am now slightly disturbed, but still loving it...

Hmm. Googling Peeps is way more fun than you think it would be.

Tuck.

2008-03-17T08:17:00.001-07:00

If there's anything I've learned from the last nine years with Tucker, it's this. If he calls you and wants to, say, spontaneously go to our old favorite pub in Scranton for lunch on St. Patty's Day, say yes! Spontaneous trips with Tucker are always an adventure, and always fun! And he's full of 'em.

I love that man. Have I mentioned that lately?

This made my day.

Spit.

2008-03-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Recently, Tate has learned to spit. (Actually, it's more like spray. He sprays out his juice while drinking. Yay.) As much as I dislike this new development (Trust me. Anti-Spitting discipline has begun...), I can't help but find the faces he makes while doing it cute!

And he's so very proud of himself...

Cheesey.

2008-03-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. (Obviously posed. We really don't line up like this for every photo opportunity. Hm. Perhaps we should...)

Tucker being goofy: Check.

Cherie, pregnant and embarrassed by Tucker's goofiness: Check.

Jenna just looking pretty (But wait! No sparkles! Jenna always sparkles!): Check.

Brain, semi-amused and slightly scared of what he's married into: Check.

My word. We are so totally super cool...

Pretty in pink.

2008-03-07T10:39:00.001-08:00

Well, it's good to know he's in touch with his feminine side...

Oh, the joys of having a big sister! All the "hand-me-down" toys are pink...

Project Runway.

2008-03-06T09:15:00.001-08:00

I have a confession to make.

I love me some Bravo reality television.

Last night was the season finale of Project Runway. I was attending a new Bible study, so I had to DVR it. Because of that, I didn't get to see the results until today. The Hibblets and I got comfy and enjoyed the final viewing together. There were snacks, there was prime TV watching seating, and...

...there was much excitement. (Even though my favorite didn't win...)

You'd think I'd be sad over the ending of my Wednesday night tradition. But no, no I'm not. Because...Top Chef, here I come!

The love of Bravo. It's sad, really...

*Disclaimer: The Hibblets (of course) didn't watch the show. Are you kidding me? I'm lucky I got to snap those pictures. They move faaaast...

Dave Ramsey.

2008-03-06T04:44:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of him? If not, you need to seek out his stuff. He's responsible for a Financial Peace course and book. We (Reluctantly...I'm such a foot-dragger when it comes to things I know I need to do.) signed up for his class at the beginning of this year. It cost us $100, and required that we sacrificed every Monday night until May.

It's changed our life. It's saved our life.

This class is just a series of DVD's, a workbook, a book, some random envelopes and a wallet like thing to hold them in. Those items right there, along with some deep soul-searching and serious discipline, have helped us finally get a grasp on our finances and has showed us how to get our heads above the water. We're finally on a (Tight!) budget. Our money zeros out each month because we have a place, a job, for each dollar that we receive. I'm amazed by the peace that one little budget can give you! We have some serious savings now. Its March. We started a month ago. Why weren't we doing this years ago?! By the calculations of Mr. Dave Ramsey and his helpful website, we will be debt free (completely and totally) in 2010. No more school loans! No more car loans! No more debt hanging over our head!

Today is Thursday. Payday. Today we officially start the envelope system of paying only cash for certain things. We've cut up and canceled the credit cards (They've been paid off for awhile. For some reason, though, we hung onto to them. Security and all that. It's silly, really.) and have placed the debit card to the side. We've set up for our bills to be automatically paid. We're plastic free for the time being. It's an amazing feeling!

For the first time ever, Tucker and I are working side by side to tackle this. And we have hope that we can...

Little Mommy.

2008-03-05T08:16:00.000-08:00

Lately, Rory has been obsessed with being a mommy. She carts around her baby dolls, sets them up to play, feeds them, puts them down for naps (She then spends the next few minutes whispering and telling us all to "Shhh!"), and spends a lot of time dressing them and changing their diapers. Last night? Rory decided that Tucker and I were to be called "Father" and "Mother" and she was to be called "Mommy". (I'm starting to think she may watch too much Little Bear...)

Anyway. Rory has moved on from the dolls, and now wants to "Mommy" Tate. She insists on holding him, feeding him, and yes, punishing him. (We're working on that one. *sigh* It's been a battle. "Rory! Do not put him in time-out! No! Don't tap his hand. He didn't do anything wrong. Rory!!")

It's still cute, though. See?

Rock On.

2008-03-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

This morning, Tate graced us all with a little Pajama Rock. He climbed up onto the table, (I honestly wish I had pictures of that. He was so cute hoisting his guitar up there and then scrambling on up himself!) and started to jam. Gotta love that Backyardigans guitar...
He, of course, has a super fan.

Tate Torture.

2008-03-02T12:45:00.001-08:00

I know, I know. We just did bath pictures.

But really. The Hibbs Water Torture is too good to miss.

She wouldn't stop dumping that water on his head. In her defense though, Tate loved it. So maybe it's not torture. Maybe it's more like fun. Tate fun.

Vacation.

2008-02-29T19:02:00.001-08:00

My mother-in-law and her husband very generously gave us one of their "free weeks" from their time-share ownership. For a very small price, Tucker, the kids and myself were able to head up to Cape Cod for the week.

It was great. Seriously. Much needed and great.

We had a wonderful little two bedroom apartment, and we spent most of the days there tooling around the town, doing some shopping, and hanging out at the indoor pool (Oh, how I love an indoor pool). There was even free wireless internet and we brought along our laptop, so I was able to spend some time online checking out my favorite sites and blogs. (The internet addition...it runs deep.) However, we were so busy, that I really only got to do that once! Most computer time was spent planning out our Boston trip and finding directions to all the things we wanted to see and do. (What's that? Do all planning before vacation? Hm.)

We went to the beach. No, not to swim...although Tate thought that would be a fabulous idea! It took some serious watching and chasing to keep him away from the water. Rory loved it, and spent most of her time there looking for The Little Mermaid (She was so very convinced that we would actually get to see her...), throwing rocks, and dancing on the sand.

We headed up to Boston on quite possibly the coldest day all week. The children's museum there is amazing, and we had much fun getting lost finding it. (The fun of being lost and "city exploring" soon wore off, though. Especially after the third time or so. Yeah.) On our way up, we made a quick stop in Plymouth to see the rock. Yup. It's a rock. Exciting stuff. (Actually, it's pretty cool. You know, in a history buff kind of way.) After the children's museum, we headed over to the Sam Adams factory and took a tour. (Um? Yawn?) Then we did some shopping (Um, yay!), saw a few historical things (Okay. Just one. It was freezing!) and finally, on the way home, we drove past the Gilette stadium where The Patriots play. (Yeah. So. Not on the "way home" at all...Tucker. He's lucky he's so cute.)

The trip wasn't all fun, though. Rory ran a (scary) high fever one day, and Tate spent much time crying. (I'm waiting for that fever to hit him soon. He was so very crabby by the end of the trip. And if you know Tate, you know that he's like, the happiest baby ever. So I know he's coming down with something!) I had to miss out on meeting a friend of mine due to kids sickness and changing schedules because of that, but I'm sure this won't be our last trip up there, and we'll get to meet up sometime soon!

Overall though, it was a very wonderfully relaxing time. We're happy to be back home, but very much so looking forward to the rest of our weekend off and our next vacation!

Weee! She's Three!

2008-02-22T19:50:00.000-08:00

Today's Rory's third birthday. We've had a terrific snowstorm (YAY!), she received a few fun gifts, and we had our small group over. (Which was happening anyways, being Friday and all. But still. Rory thought they came over just for her birthday. And we totally let her think that...) Oh. And we're such awesome parents that we didn't bake a cake. Nope. Not that we forgot or anything. *whistles* (I seriously need to get better at this birthday cake thing!) We're such awesome parents that we took her to Wal-Mart and let her pick out almost any cake she wanted. (She, um, wanted a $20 one. We managed to talk her into some $4 cupcakes. Yup. The cheapness...it runs deep in us.)
All in all, it's been a good day!
My word. She's three already...

Small Sweaters.

2008-02-20T10:51:00.001-08:00

My grandmother sent the kids some little sweaters she had knitted for their toy bears/dolls/whatever. Rory thought they were for her, and was pretty serious about trying them on...

Bathtime.

2008-02-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

Question: What's cuter than babies in a bathtub?
Answer: Hibbs Babies in a bathtub!

However, I am a bit biased...

Snow Days.

2008-02-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

We had a terrific snow storm last Tuesday. Since we had all pretty much recovered from that awful bug, Rory was allowed to go out and "help" Daddy shovel. (Because, um, if you don't shovel your sidewalk here in this great little city, they give you an $83 fine. Not that we figured that out the hard way or anything...)
Anyway. Today, almost a week later, it's 62 degrees outside. The heck? It's February! Bring on the snow! Come on.

Bugs.

2008-02-07T06:46:00.001-08:00

The stomach bug has hit us and hit us hard. I'm so very tired of laundry, disinfectants, and carpet cleaning...and I'm very tired of smelling like an interesting mixture of baby vomit and bleach. Yum.

The Hibblets have been surviving on a diet that consists mostly of toast, juices, and rice. But really, they don't seem to mind. See?
Tucker, on the other hand, is exhausted. He's the only one of us not to get sick yet, and he's been doing an amazing job of taking care of us all!

Climbing Boy.

2008-01-31T06:37:00.001-08:00

In the past few weeks, Tate has learned how to climb. He climbs a lot. He climbs everything. He's quite proud of this fun new talent.
Me? Not so much. Tate has figured out how to push chairs around the kitchen and climb up onto the counters. Yeah.

School.

2008-01-18T06:15:00.000-08:00

And so it begins. The Great Preschool Hunt of '08. Honestly? I'm just shocked that my baby girl is old enough for me to be spending the morning on the phone talking to preschools about her possible fall attendance there. It's kind of surreal.

And yeah. It's really not that much of a hunt. But anything sounds cooler and more important with a "great", "hunt" and "'08" in it...right?

Sarah.

2008-01-14T18:47:00.001-08:00

I have a friend named Sarah. We met while living in the great city of Scranton (The Office! Seriously. Watch this show. Go out, rent the seasons. Aw heck. Call me. I own the DVD's and will happily share with any of you the pure joy that is The Office), and we became fast friends. (Well, she absolutely initiated our friendship. It may not have moved so fast if it wasn't for her very determined drive to make friends. As you may know, I'm totally cool with just living in my hermit bubble...) Sarah came right up to me after church one day and said "I need your number." She called me that week, invited me out to dinner, and informed me that she had locked herself out of her house, so if I could come, like, now, it would be good. I rescued her from a Donut Zone (Was that the name?) parking lot a few minutes later, and we went out to eat. A friendship was born over Indian food, lost keys, cloves, many dinners, time killing in the church bathroom, dripping non-drip candles, free furniture, and one very interpretive dance to all things Rick Warren. (40 Days of Purpose lends itself to much mocking. It's a good program...but yeah. Much mocking.)

Sarah is wonderfully quirky (A good quirky. Like totally cool and fun!), she's funny, beautiful and smart. She's an amazing mother, and is passionate about her faith and her family. She's married to a really great guy who obviously loves her and their children. I think he's awesome.

Oh. And she had a nose ring first.

Anyway. Over the years, we've had some kids and moved to a few different locations. We no longer live as close as we once did. However, I so wish we did. Because...

Sarah claims that this is missing from her life. Yeah. Well, this is missing from mine. My word. I would so be there, spinning on the quarter hour with you.

Miss you.

My husband.

2008-01-13T17:27:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to get ready for our kids birthday party this weekend, and so I've been going through old pictures in the hopes of finding some cute ones of the kids to create a slide show with. In the process of doing that, I stumbled across this one. Yeah. Those are earrings in his ear(s). They didn't last long...I much prefer the tattoos! Anyway. It's quite possibly my favorite wedding picture of ours.

Man. I love him!

Yep.

Gravy covered French Fries.

2008-01-10T14:39:00.001-08:00

I had a coffee date with a woman from our church Tuesday night. I let Tucker take the kids home and do the whole bedtime routine after Ignite, and I headed out for some fun! (It should be noted here that Tucker does the bedtime routine almost every night. He rocks. So really, this was nothing for him. But I still appreciate it!)

Dawn and I don't know each other well. We've had many friendly chats, we always say "hello" when passing, we randomly comment on each others blogs, and I've really come to love her daughters who attend our Tuesday night event. But I've never spent much time with her one on one just getting to know her heart. It was really nice to have a chance to do that!

Dawn, thank you for opening up with me about your life, your joys and your sorrows. I'm privileged to know you. And thanks for the coffee!

Oh. And Dawn introduced me to French Fries smothered in gravy and covered with cheese. Did you all hear that? Smothered in gravy. Covered with cheese. My word. She's a good woman. (I have found, though my Google Image searching, that this wonderful food is known as Poutine. Tasty stuff, that. However, it doesn't look tasty. So, no pictures. Sorry.)

Anyway. Now Dawn is my gravy covered girlfriend. With cheese. (See this post for "Covered Friendships" information.)

Mindless, yet fun.

2008-01-08T08:15:00.001-08:00

In the spirit of the laziness that is today, I've decided to waste my time in a very fun way.

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up five items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments. What is it?
1. Produce: Apples. The green sour ones.
2. Bakery: Um. Anything? Okay, okay...cupcakes. With much frosting.
3. Meat: Chicken breasts.
4. Frozen: Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. Or corn dogs. I love a good corn dog.
5. Dry goods: Kix cereal. Very much so "Mother Approved" in this house.

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring three articles of clothing with you. So, what's in your bag?
1. Jeans.
2. A t-shirt.
3. Undergarments. Hm. But no shoes...can I bring four items?

If I was to listen in on one of your conversations throughout the day what five phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?
1. So.
2. Seriously.
3. You were, like...
4. Trust me.
5. Rory! Stop sitting on your brother!

So, what three things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?
1. Taking a shower.
2. Hugging, kissing and/or cuddling with these people living in my house.
3. Talking to my mom/friends.

Somebody stole your purse/wallet. In order to get it back, you have to name five things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?
1. Diapers. (What? It's my diaper bag, too!)
2. My wallet.
3. My cellphone.
4. Make-up.
5. Sippy cups.

You just scored a whole afternoon to yourself. We're talking an eight hour block with nobody around. What five activities might we find you doing?
1. Sitting in stunned amazement that I actually have 8 hours alone...
2. Shopping. I would so go shopping by myself.
3. Reading a book. You know, one with chapters and stuff.
4. Eating my own food. All of it. By myself.
5. Actually, I would probably find my husband and spend that time, child-free, with him!

You are at a job fair, and asked what areas you are interested in pursuing a career in. Let's pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what four careers would be fun for you?
1. A kindergarten teacher.
2. A musician.
3. A chef. (Ha! I know! I don't even like to cook. But man. Imagine if I could cook amazing things...I would love it! I think...)
4. A pediatrician.

You're going to the zoo. But, it looks like the weather may get bad, so it'll have to be a quick visit. What three exhibits do you have to get to?
1. The elephants.
2. The reptile house.
3. The monkey's. Don't tell Tucker that, though. He thinks I hate 'em. Really? I just want to get moving. He'd spend all day there if he could looking at those monkeys. I like them at first. Yes. They're cute. And yes. So human-like. Oh yes...so funny too. I did. I saw that. Funny stuff. Can we go now?

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on TV of your choice. You can pick between four, so what are you deciding between?
1. The Office.
2. Project Runway. ( I will admit that this one was a toss-up between PR and America's Next Top Model. I do love me some cheesy reality tv. My "serious" side won out today.)
3. Survivor.
4. Saturday Night Live.

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What three flavors can I pile on for you?
1. Mint Chocolate Chip.
2. Vanilla.
3. Heath Bar Crunch.

Winter?

2008-01-08T07:58:00.001-08:00

People. It is going to be 67 degrees out today.

67 degrees.

I may have to pull the flip flops out from the back of my closet. I mean, anything over 50 is so totally flip flop weather!

Chewy.

2008-01-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

Every now and then Tate will come up to me chewing away on something (Like, oh, a tinfoil wrapper from the handfuls of Hershey Kisses Tucker and I stuffed our faces wi...er...ate a few of last night. Yeah. I must've missed a wrapper when cleaning 'em up). I pry the non-edible object from his slimy little mouth and chubby (and usually sticky) little fists and am relieved to have caught that one!

But then. Then I get this crazy fear: What has he swallowed that I've missed?!?! I mean, I must've missed something at some point. I'm not watching like a hawk every single second. And he's fast. And he puts everything in his mouth. And then that fear consumes me for a few minutes. My brain goes to some scary places.

I'm going to guess that it's just normal panicky mom feelings. Please tell me I'm not alone with my Random Mom Freak-Outs!

Hm. Sometimes, I worry that I may worry too much...

Tattooed Tucker.

2008-01-03T16:20:00.001-08:00

So. After much talking, thinking, searching and saving (and one very generous Christmas gift from some dear friends), Tucker finally got his tattoo.

Awesomeness.

Derek Webb.

2008-01-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of him? He used to be in a group called Caedmon's Call. (And I'm ashamed to admit that Tucker and I loved that group so much that had Rory been a boy...she may have been called Caedmon. Ouch, right? Caedmon? Cave man? Yeah...) I'm not always nuts about how his music sounds, but I love what it says. He's a powerful songwriter, and takes traditional (In a negative way. Trust me. I understand the importance and value of tradition. I just hate when it's done because "It's always been done that way". Have some meaning behind your tradition, you know?), rigid Christianity head on. Gotta love that.

This morning, I was listening to his CD, Mockingbird. The following lyrics really stood out to me. I love this quote.

"There are two great lies that I’ve heard:
'The day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die'
and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican
and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him."
-A King and a Kingdom

Yeah. This registered Democrat (*collective Conservative Christian gasp* There. I said it. There's reasons for it, but not ones I'm going to post and debate about on my blog. The reasons aren't big enough or important enough for the drama that politics cause.) truely believes that there's not only one way to act once you're saved. Is there only one Way, one Truth? Absolutely. But I highly doubt God created us to be clones of each other. Why is it so many Christians try to force new (or old, even) believers into their "Box o' Christianity"? Why is it that we judge anyone not like us?

Trust me. I'm guilty here. I thought I had my "Christian Box" nice and neat. I knew exactly how people who claimed Christ should act, think, speak and live. Hm. Well holy crap. I was wrong about so much of that! It took many embarrassing moments, many eye opening experiences, and much prayer to come to where I am today. I'm beyond grateful to God for that. I shudder when I think of how judgmental I once was. I shudder to think of how judgmental I still am. It's a daily walk, a daily struggle. One I'm not ashamed to admit to. Heck. I'm a work in progress! I have a feeling it'll never be done! Good thing, 'cause I can't imagine not needing Him.

And I'm not believing those lies.

Quotes and music.

2008-01-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

For some reason, recently, I keep hearing quotes and music that really touch me. Things that stick with me and make me think. I like to think. At least I think I like to think...

Anyway. The next few blog posts may be about songs I like and quotes I've stumbled across. Maybe. Maybe not. (Ha! Now I've got you wondering if I will or if I won't. I'm tricky like that...)

While reading Waking the Dead with our old small group, the following quote really stuck with me. I recently picked the book back up for some light reading (Oh. Okay. Bathroom reading. Come on. You know you do it too.), and was hit all over again by the power behind it.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” -Nelson Mandela

Good stuff right there. And so very true.

2007.

2007-12-31T06:18:00.000-08:00

It's New Year's Eve, and I thought a bit of reflection on 2007 would be interesting.

- Our family has grown, and with that growing, we realized we're no where near done! Who knew? I want a BIG family!

- Our life in the ministry has been tested. We've faced some things I never thought we would. We've seen such ugliness come out of good people. We've read When Bad Christians Happen to Good People many, many, many times. At first, it helped heal the wounds we had from all the gossip and slander and general meanness. Then, it caused us to look into ourselves, and really "fix" the issues brought to light. It's also helped us to forgive. I've learned (over and over and over) that our God is a God of forgiveness and love. He wants me to be a woman of the same. I was actually just talking to a lady from our church who went to an event at the church most of the people who left are now going to (Got that? Whew.). She told me how involved they were and how happy the church was because of some of them. How the church was on the verge of closing it's doors, and now, because of the influx of people, it remains open and thriving. My heart just sings at this news! God took an ugly situation and made it glorify Him. One of my prayers for everyone who has moved on from our place of worship is that they find a ministry they can serve in. One they can be a part of and be used for God in. I am overjoyed that it's happening!

- Tucker and I really solidified who we are and what we have been called to do. Our confidence in God's calling is stronger than ever.

- Our trip to Chesapeake was a blast. It was so exciting to see our students be stretched (and even see some stretching in the adults!). It wasn't always pretty or fun, but it was amazing.

- We've left a small group filled with people we love, only to fall into a group of people we love just as much! What started as a painful and hard transition became an easy and joyful one. God is good.

- We've been amazingly blessed by new and strong friendships.

- We've been amazingly blessed by old and comfortable friendships.

- I've fallen in love with my husband all over again. Having two kids certainly changes a relationship, but watching the way Tucker is with our babies makes my heart beat faster and my love for him just explode! He's the most hands-on father I've ever met. (Excluding my own. My dad rocks. Hi Dad.) He's wonderfully funny, goofy with our children, and the social part of this relationship. ('Cause I, um, would never really leave the house if he didn't make me...) He's an amazing provider, a best friend, and really so much more. I'm beyond blessed that he's mine.

- The student ministry at the church is growing...both spiritually and numerically. It's exciting to think about next year and what it will bring! Same with the church. After an initial hit in the beginning of 2007, numbers are climbing. New faces have become familiar faces.

- We've house hunted this year. And stopped house hunting. And started it up again. Hopefully 2008 will be our year for home ownership! We'll see.

This has been a full year. A hard, sometimes sucky, most times wonderful, year. I'm planning on looking at 2008 with the following mentality. It's a quote I came across from Garrison Keillor:

"Give up your good Christian life, and follow Christ."

That's what we're planning on doing. Right there. Nice and simple. We're not going to live the life that most Christians in this country think is "right". We're not going to take the easy way out. We're going to follow Christ...regardless of how people view us, regardless of where it takes us, regardless of the risks it involves. This life is meant to be an adventure!

And so, if you're reading this, Happy New Year! We're going to be partying with our small group tonight, and ringing in this new year with some dear friends and much hope for 2008!

Christmas.

2007-12-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! Our families (and some friends) spoiled us silly. We feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so much love!

We had a quiet morning at home, and a blast watching our children open their gifts. We only give three gifts (There's one main reason for that. It's our way of keeping the holiday focused on it's true meaning...three gifts for Christ from the wise men...fewer presents, so less focus on the material side of things...oh. And we're cheap.), so we spend a lot of time picking out the gifts and making sure they are things our children will love. Rory got her first "Big Girl" doll house! She's loving it, and watching her eyes light up when she opened it was so much fun! Tate opened his presents, but he was really much more into the wrapping paper and boxes! Tucker surprised me with an ipod nano. And it's green. So cool. I bought him a new watch and a hat. After opening our gifts, we headed out to my parents. My sister and her husband were there, along with my Uncle and Aunt and my Grandmother. My mom made a delicious dinner, and we enjoyed a lazy afternoon of eating, Wii playing and The Office (Do you watch this show? 'Cause you totally should. Funniest thing on TV. Ever.) watching. Good times!

Christmas Eve was wonderful! We spent most of the day at Josh and Phyll's house enjoying good food, many laughs, and great friends. They treated our kids to some amazing Christmas presents, and spoiled us a bit as well...thanks guys! You know how much we love ya!

After leaving the party, we headed over to the church for the service. It was wonderful! We had about 200 people show up, and the service ran smoothly. How The Grinch Stole Christmas was read, and then Jim gave an excellent short message based on the story along with a Gospel presentation. Tucker played some (Awesome and rocking...but, I'm biased) music, and we all ate some good cookies. It was really great to see a good portion of our congregation in the building at the same time. With the two services, you see some people on a Sunday, but not others. It was really nice. Also, people dress up for Christmas Eve. Who knew? Not me. I felt sort of out of place in my hoodie and blue jeans. That is until about four other families walked in dressed like me. That's one reason why I love our church!

All in all, a great holiday!

And, um, we're taking down our tree tonight. It's dead, and I'm super sick of vacuuming up it's stupid needles so my son doesn't eat them.

Tate Gibson.

2007-12-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

Today Tate turned one! Yay! Happy Birthday!

I just can't believe that my baby is one...

Christmas Eve.

2007-12-24T07:26:00.000-08:00

Some randomness:

-Our cards got here (Yay!). However, there's a mistake on them (Bummer). And since I'm such a procrastinator, and know that I could never return them and get new ones before this holiday season is over, you all get the mistake cards. It'll be fun. You can play "Spot the Hibbs Mistake" with them. Woo Hoo.

-We finally decorated the sugar cookies this morning. Better late than never, right? Tuck and Rory were so busy with this...
...that the sugar ones never got done. I'm sure you can understand why. That house is way cooler than our duck, star and people sugar cut-outs. (Hey. Rory chose the cookie cutters...)

-We've had our Hibbs Family Christmases for the past two days. We spent Saturday evening at my mother-in-laws and then Sunday afternoon at Tucker's Aunt and Uncle's house. Much fun was had! Tuck's brother Toby took some great shots of the kids. See?

-We realized this morning that Tate needs a cake for his birthday. Poor kid. I hope I get better at this Christmas/Birthday thing! So Tucker's going to be in the kitchen, baking away. We have no icing, though. Since we're staying at my parent's house Christmas night, we don't need the cake until Wednesday evening. Hopefully I can pick up some icing before then. Yeah. I kind of suck at this wonderful-mommy-birthday's-are-special thing. Hm.

-We gave the kids their Christmas Eve PJ's early today. We have a busy day ahead, and I wasn't sure when else we would be able to do it. Rory waited so patiently for all of us to be ready. She sat on the table, rocking and singing away until we all came over and let her rip into those gifts. Tate was just a happy little guy! Not so into the presents, but very into running around! And yeah. That's a plastic cookie. Because, you know, I would never give my kids cookies for breakfast...never...right?

-We're off to the Hendrie's (Of camping fame) for a rocking party. Looking forward to it! Then we're headed to the church for our Christmas Eve service. I'm excited for it this year! How The Grinch Stole Christmas is being read, then Pastor Jim is doing a message based on that. The kids should love it! Plus, we'll have cookies, paper and crayons on each table. If they don't love the story, they should at least love those! Tucker's doing some music, and then we're headed home. Once home, we'll be assembling the doll house we bought for Rory and stuffing some stockings. Good times.

Happy Holiday's!!

True Love.

2007-12-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

This song really spoke to me today. The artist explains it much better than I ever could:

"It’s about the truest lover we have ever known and the most powerful work of love that He did. I feel like this is my gospel song. The verses and the chorus telling people of the amazing story of love that the cross of Jesus is, and then calling them to respond to a God who overcame death and offers the free gift of life to all who would receive it. The bridge where it says “Jesus is alive” over and over is my favorite moment on the whole record. There’s power in it." - Phil Wickham

Yeah. If you don't have Phil Wickham's album, Cannons, go out and buy it. While you're out there buying that album, you might as well pick up his self titled one from last year (I Will Wait For You There is a powerful song). His voice is amazing, and the passion of his heart and his music is right on. Good stuff.

Come close listen to the story
about a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave his only Son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Fathers broken heart
tears were filling heavens eyes
The day that true love died, the day that true love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, The day that true love died

Search your hearts you know you can’t deny it
Lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave his only son just to save us

Jesus is alive
He rose again

This is our hearts cry. Tucker and I live so that others can simply hear the story. We truely live because of this story. It's the reason we do what we do, it's the passion behind what we do. This story is the driving force of our life...

Christmas Card.

2007-12-16T15:24:00.001-08:00

This year we decided to send out picture cards. I meant to get professional ones done, but things kept coming up. First the kids were sick, then money was tight, then Tucker was working on the day we were supposed to go...so yeah. Here we are a week before Christmas, and we finally set up the camera and took a (somewhat) decent shot! I'm upset we didn't get Tate's big 'ol smile, but I'm thrilled we got a picture of him not screaming. (He's been doing a lot of screaming lately. Yay teething.) I'm still planning on getting professional ones done. Just not for Christmas. Obviously.

Anyway. I've ordered the cards, and they should be arriving on December 27th. So, um, they'll be a little late this year...

Some random fun ones that didn't make the cut!

There he goes again.

2007-12-13T18:40:00.000-08:00

Clayton King. Being all kinds of awesome.

This guy really gets it. He gets what ministry is supposed to be.

Body Decoration.

2007-12-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

So back in April, my husband gave me a gift certificate for my birthday to go and get my nose pierced. Well, two weeks ago, I finally went and did it! Better late then never...

I went with my small group ladies, my friends. Rachael got an amazing tattoo on her back. See?

Carey added stars to the awesome piece she already has going. See? (Warning...she bleeds.)

Phyll got a tattoo on her foot. It hurt, but was totally worth the pain! See?

And just because I'm sure you all want to see me with a giant needle through my nose...

I have to take a moment and tell you all how much I love these women. They are real, they are honest, and they are very important to me! I never thought I'd be so grateful for church issues (Which is how Rachael and I became friends. She was my safety...my phone call when I needed to talk it all out or cry), or for churchy women retreats (Carey...my breast friend), or for the desperate need of volunteer help (Hi Phyll! If she and her husband hadn't of stepped up and helped out with the students, I never would have gotten to know her as well as I do now).

So yeah. That was our Girls Night Out. Body decoration. I love it...and them!

Rachael.

2007-12-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

Rachael is my friend. We do things together like trick or treating, we have loooong phone calls (Sometimes several times a day), we plan on getting together every Friday night for small group (We haven't done this yet. We keep on planning to. There was some communication problems, and then we decided that a Girls Night Out was way more fun...but this Friday! This Friday it's on), we have more fun than we "apparently" should at women's retreats, we make offers to watch each others (wild and out of control...) children even when we can hear said children screaming in the background during the phone calls, and we enjoy body modification (decoration?) together (I got pierced, she got tattooed).

So Rachael, there you go. I've mentioned you in my blog. Happy now?

Seriously though, I'm so immensely grateful for Rachael's friendship over this past year. She's been my listening ear, my crying shoulder, and my rock solid support. She is part of a group of women that I consider to be some of the best friends I have. I love them dearly, and I can't imagine doing this life without them! (I will blog about them next. I'm waiting for some pictures from Rachael...)

Now look. I'm all mushy. And squeaky.

Good stuff.

2007-11-27T16:58:00.000-08:00

When I'm done following around Perry Noble, I may just turn my target of nodding and agreeing onto Clayton King. He rocks. Yep.

Check out his post on the Pitfalls for Loung Lions. Awesomeness.

That was good, right? How about his Dangers for Seasoned Veteran's post? More awesomeness.

Good stuff to keep in mind, and to be on guard against. I admire how he brings these (tough and often defensive) topics up, but does it in love. I'm amazingly grateful to be in a marriage and in a ministry with a young lion, but also led in church by a seasoned veteran. We have a lot to learn from each other, and a lot to hold each other accountable for!

God knows what He's doing by putting these two (Not only Tucker and Jim, but other random ministry pairings) together. There's a purpose and a place for each. How awesome is that?

Camping...again.

2007-11-27T16:42:00.000-08:00

I meant to post about this, but never did. Whoops!

A few weekends ago we joined the Hendries on another camping trip. (I told them that we're coming on every camping trip they go on, invited or not. I think they thought I was kidding...)

It was Josh's birthday, and we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than camping, swimming (Indoor water park thing. Pretty cool. My camera died as soon as I snapped the first picture there. So, bummer. No pictures of that! The kids loved it, though!), a few cold beverages, and some good food. (I hear there was a cake, but have yet to actually see it. Phyll's holding out on us...) We had a wonderful time! It was, however, very cold. See?Thanks again, Hendries. We love you guys!

Shades.

2007-11-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

So apparently, it's "Too bright!!" at our kitchen table...

Pain.

2007-11-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

Should I ever meet Perry Noble, I may just walk around behind him nodding, with a sign that says "Yeah, that."

He might find that strange. Or awesome. Whatever.

Seriously. He just hits all the nails right on their heads. He words things very well, and really gets into the heart of the issue he's talking about.

I was hesitant to post this one, mostly because I don't want people to think I'm whining, or something silly like we're miserable. We're absolutely not! (Well, I do whine some, but I'm not whining here. Honest. You'd know if I was whining...) Anyway, I decided to post this because it really spoke to us...but really, more so to Tucker.

This past year has been an amazing one! Both wonderful things and awful things have happened. We've experienced immense happiness and incredible sadness. What's left in the calm moments, the valleys, like now, is just this: Joy and Pain. The joy is great, and the pain deep. We've learned (And what a lesson it was!) to embrace the pain and be open to learning amazing things from it.

Perry Noble addresses the pain part of it all...

*Nods* Yeah, that.

Zoo.

2007-11-07T07:46:00.000-08:00

Tucker took Monday off for some much needed family time, and we put our zoo membership to good use! Much fun was had.

Pumpkin Carving.

2007-11-01T07:50:00.001-07:00

Rory does her very best "Mad Pumpkin" imitation.

Rock on.

Halloween.

2007-11-01T07:45:00.001-07:00

We had a great time trick-or-treating with some friends last night!

Tate was a bit fussy, but it's perfectly understandable as to why. We stuffed him into a hot monkey suit and made him sit in a stroller while his sister got to run around and get fun food. But dang. He looked so cute!

Roar-y? She got the hang of the whole thing pretty quickly. Candy? Free candy? Buckets of it? Yeah. She's been asking all day if we can go again tonight!

Deeper.

2007-10-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

So, sometimes I want to say some things. However, I can't always form the words right.

Like that.

Thankfully, people out there say what I'm thinking, and say it much better! And, well, probably a bit harsher than I would ever say it...but the basic idea is what I'm going for here. So yeah. Perry Noble has a great post today. Check it out.

I think when you're in the ministry, criticism comes hard and fast. Gracefully, so does encouragement. Tucker and I have been amazingly blessed to be surrounded by a group of strong and passionate encourager's. (Little do they know that Words of Affirmation is his love language!) I just wanted to thank those that love us, and keep us afloat. Those who push us to go deeper while we encourage the same in them. We couldn't do this without you...and we wouldn't want to.

Friday Night Fun.

2007-10-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

On Friday night our church had their Ladies Retreat: "What Could Be Better Than Chocolate?". I have to say, I have never had more fun! (Okay, well, I have had more fun, but that was the most fun I've had in a really really long time.) If you know me, you know that I typically shy away from anything that involves lots of women and retreating. Or really, anything women's ministry like. I'm a bit shy, and really rely (in a not so healthy way...I know, I know) on my husband to make and sustain any and all conversations (What? He's good at talking...). So the very idea of being alone with women for a night with no children or husband as my buffer zone had me a bit nervous.

I was nervous about nothing. It was an amazing time! I got to know the women of our church better, I got to relax, and just for one night, forget about any issues going on in my life. (I'd also like to say that I finally got to sleep a whole night through, but that wouldn't be true. Going to bed at 3:30 and waking up at 7 does not a whole nights sleep make...) Honestly, it was the first chance I've had in a really long time to just be myself...and witness other ladies in our church do the same! I saw women let go of that whole Christian-y facade, and get real. We shared deep things, laughed a lot, and found true friends in each other. (Chocolate covered girlfriends...I still can't help but laugh when I say that. I know my table was distracting during the seminars. I am sorry. Truly. I really am. However, when someone tells you dig deep into your layer cake of friendship and find your chocolate covered girlfriend, how do you not laugh? When they make you hold hands and promise chocolate-y themed promises while looking into each others eyes, how do you not laugh?? No really. I'd like to know. Because I failed to master that this weekend.) I know that we somewhat broke the mold of what a womens retreat usually is and how the ladies should act on one. I know some people aren't crazy about that. But you know what? Nothing we did was out of line...in all things we had a good heart and a genuine desire to find new and strengthen old friendships. And it happened. I just think we all go about doing that in many different ways. This weekend, what we did worked for us! I've made at least one very good new friend. A person that I know will be in my life from here on out (And I'm praying for that hot husband and dance room for you, my breast friend. Seriously. I really am!). I've strengthened at least two other relationships and am so glad I had the chance to do that!

God answered a deep prayer for my life this weekend. I've been begging Him (Seriously. Pleading with Him.) for close girlfriends (I have some close friends here, but we've never really had the chance to strengthen and deepen those relationships). I've been asking Him for friends that I felt like I could be myself around, friends who would love me and support me and expect the same from me for them. He gave me that this weekend! So was it all worth it? Yup.

It was better than chocolate.

(Ha! I know! I just couldn't help it...)

Doodlebops.

2007-10-16T11:35:00.001-07:00

We had a family from church invite us to go with them to see the Doodlebops in concert on Saturday. Rory loves the television show (Okay, okay. So do I. Probably as much as, if not more than, her...), so of course we said yes! The concert was fun, lunch was delicious, and it was an absolute joy to watch Rory enjoy the show.

We're so very grateful! Thank you Renson Family! We had a blast!

And just because it continues to make me laugh...the best picture of Rory and Tucker ever!

Walking.

2007-10-09T13:48:00.001-07:00

Tate took two steps yesterday! Yay!

Disclaimer:
Tate is not walking in the above picture. I totally posed him for that shot simply so I could blog about this and have a picture. Yep. I'm cool like that.

Tea Time.

2007-10-03T09:26:00.001-07:00

So, this morning Tucker and I sat at our table for a cup of tea (I know! We're totally reformed coffee drinkers! Those of you who knew us during our pre-tea days can be shocked and amazed that we kicked that little (HUGE) habit. We now drink the sweet and heavenly nectar that is Earl Grey...), and Rory decided to join us. You see, Tucker has decided to replace his TV time with God time (Be it Bible reading, prayer or family time). So instead of turning on the TV or jumping on the computer, we sat down and just enjoyed the early morning together.

We all sat around our tiny kitchen table, ate sticky buns, drank tea (Rory likes hers with much cream and sugar.) and talked. It was really nice...

Celtic Fest.

2007-10-02T17:04:00.001-07:00

We spent Saturday down in Bethlehem at Celtic Fest. We caught the tail end of the parade (Which Rory loved), and spent some time walking around the city.

It was a fun day!