Happy (late) Valentines Day

John 15:13- Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one's life for ones friends.

What a great verse! Jesus demonstrated his love for us by laying down his life for us when he died on the cross for sinners! Now that is True love!

It is hard to get a few minutes on the computer with these 2 girls! They like to have mom and dad's attention 24/7!
Clay is done with basketball. His team played on Monday against Fullerton. NE Christian lost to them last time by 17 and Monday they lost by 1. My friend Tonya and her girls came and watched the girls so I was able to go to the game. They have done this a lot and I am so grateful for them. I am proud of the team in how hard they play and their desire to glorify God on the court. Although it was sad to end the season there are 3 girls at home thankful for the extra hours each day that we get to have dad! Clay has been busy these last couple of weeks as he is preparing to give the message at our church on March 6th.
It was great having the nice days the past couple of weeks. We were able to take the girls out for a couple of walks which was great. The girls liked the fresh air and took good naps as we walked. The girls continue to grow and are both out of the preemie outfits. They are able to wear matching outfits finally! Although, McKinley's seems to be a bit tighter than Adelain's! We went to GI for a doctors appointment on Monday. The girls did great as they got their 2 month shots. I was excited to talk to the doctor and asked if it would be ok to take the girls out for now on. He said that they would probably be ready when we see him for our next appointment.... April 19th! I about started crying thinking about 2 more months cooped up. I need to remember that it is worth it to keep the girls healthy. The girls are each 20 3/4 inches with McKinley 8lbs. 10oz. and Adelain 7lbs. 13oz. The doctor thinks the scale is off but we will take the heavy weights! The girls and I met grandma Jones in GI on Tuesday for McKinley's first physical therapy appointment. They want to work with her right hand and make sure it gets stretched out. We will be seeing a specialist on March 7th in Omaha.
Clay and I find ourselves laughing all the time at the girls and enjoy them more and more each day. We have started swaddling the girls at night which has helped them sleep. A couple of times they have gone 5 hours!
Seems like the girls have been part of our family for longer than 2 months! We can't imagine our lives without them.

Proverbs 1:2 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

We can't believe it has been over 6 weeks since Adelain and McKinley joined our family. What joys they are.... and work!! I defiantly have a greater appreciation for my mom and dad and for that matter- all parents!

We have been blessed to have many people who have helped us make our transition. From staying with us, meals, advice, prayers, visits, and gifts- they have meant a lot- Thank You! It has been challenging as Clay and I have taken over ; we have learned and are learning every day. I am very thankful no one is watching us as we grow.

We continue to enjoy our little girls. We have had fun getting to know them and their personalities.
McKinley our bigger girl, is usually the one who demands more attention. She likes to be held a lot and is more of a cuddler- so far. She is our faster eater which is great but also spits up a lot! She has gotten us quite a few times.
Adelain is our peanut. She is a bit more independent than McKinley and can entertain herself sometimes. She is a very slow eater taking 25 minutes to eat her 2.5-3 oz bottle. Clay says she likes to savor it and spend time with mommy and daddy while she eats.
McKinley likes to cuddle with Adelain at night which Adelain is getting used to. The other day I went in to check on them and they were holding hands! Both girls make a lot of noise; they are loud at crying, breathing, grunting, hiccuping, burping and tutting. Both girls like baths but hate lotion. They both like to dance with mommy and have daddy sing to them. Another similarity so far is that they don't like to sleep very long at night. They have gone 4 hours once- from the time of when they started one feeding till when they ate again- that was exciting!
It was great to have Clay at home for most of this week with 2 snow days! He is very busy however with school and basketball. In fact this week Clay has either high school or junior high games on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday! Clay had a game in Burwell last night and didn't get home till close to 12 am. He has another game tonight in Cedar Rapids. The rest of his games are going to be really hard but the team is improving and they play hard. It has been really hard not getting to go to his games but we look forward to all being there to support him next year!
Clay and I have been reading a great book by Voddi Baucham called Family Driven Faith. It has been really good and we look forward to implimenting what God is teaching us about being a Christ centered family. We are thankful for God's grace in all things.