In Memory of Roy Wilson

Many of you heard about the passing of Bekah's boyfriend, Roy Wilson. His death in the early hours of this morning was a shock to everyone. We are all still in disbelief. He was the sweetest guy and he loved Bekah (Nate's sister) so much. He was greatly loved by many and he will be deeply missed. There are no words that can be said to make it better, but we pray the Lord will be with his family and loved ones during this time. We don't know why this has happened but we believe that there is a reason and and we pray that God will use this to bring others to Him. Please keep Roy's family, along with Bekah and the rest of Nate's family, in your thoughts and prayers.

I can't even imagine how devastating it would be to lose someone so suddenly like that...someone that was so young, someone you loved so much, someone you saw everyday and you thought you were going to spend your life with. Sometimes this life does not seem fair. I heard this song today that totally spoke to me and reminded me of God's promise to those that believe in His Son. The song is by Jeremy Camp, There Will Be a Day. If you turn up the volume on your computer, you can hopefully hear this song playing. The words below were taken from this song.

I try to hold on to this world with everything I have

But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that tries to grab

The many trials that seem to never end,

His word declares this truth, that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings

That there will be a place with no more suffering

There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears

There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face But until that day, we'll hold on to You always

I know the journey seems so long

You feel you’re walking on your own

But there has never been a step

Where you’ve walked out all alone

Troubled soul don’t lose your heart

Cause joy and peace He brings

And the beauty that’s in store

Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting

I can’t wait until that day where the very one I’ve lived for

always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced

To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery

this is why, this is why I sing

Thank you Lord for the precious moments You give us with those we love dearly. Forgive us when we take these times for granted. Help us to love one another unconditionally and remember the grace given to us at the cross.

Roy, you will not be forgotten. You are loved and missed.

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. " Romans 8:26-28

Fun with Friends

The past few weeks we have had some friends from Tallahassee stay with us! It was fun getting Laila together with a few of her first little friends! It's also been fun seeing Laila interact with other babies. It is so cute how she just sits back and takes it all in at first but then she gets excited and starts playing! Her little personality is shining through more and more each day!

Laila's first friend that stayed with us is Caroline. Caroline is also a June bug, born just 2 weeks after Laila. She is such a doll with her bright blue eyes and big smile. She is the sweetest baby and so happy and active! It was so cute to see her crawling and pulling up on everything. The girls had a great time together and so did their Mommies! It was so wonderful catching up and getting the girls together again Sarah! Can't wait to see you guys again soon!

Caroline and Laila

So excited!

Oops!!!

The Garcia family also came for a little visit with their adorable son Gabe. He is just over a 1 and 1/2 years old and is one of the cutest little boys I've ever seen! He is definitely all boy, and as Shannon and EJ told us, he loves wrestling and is very active as well! He was so sweet with Laila though, handing her toys and giving her hugs! He is going to be a great big brother to his little sister who is due to arrive in July! Can't wait to see you guys again soon too!

Laila loved Gabe's shoes and kept trying to untie his shoelaces!

Sharing toys....so sweet!

Having fun playing with Aunt Holly's dog, Scooter!

Before they left Gabe went to give Laila a hug and Shannon reminded him to be gentle, so he laid his head on her chest! SO cute!


Below is a picture of Laila and Isaac, who get to see each other a lot more often now that we've moved back closer. They were both enjoying some cheerios while we were waiting on our food after church. Every one in the restaurant was probably wondering why I was taking a picture...I guess I just love how cute they are together!

We took the pictures below while enjoying another beautiful afternoon at Lake Eola! Laila loves watching the birds and ducks! Check out the little video I posted too of her having a good time with Daddy and Mommy at the park!

No more peas!

Laila has been doing great since we started introducing solid foods into her diet! She will still get most of her nutrients from breast milk for at least the next few months, but she has really been enjoying the fruits, veggies, and grains we've been giving her lately...well, most of them! :) She is not very fond of peas, to say the least! We got some hilarious pictures and videos of her trying them! We've tried a few different times but her reaction is still the same. Hopefully she'll get used to them in time!

We have also just started giving Laila finger foods! The video below is of her feeding herself cheerios (the Publix Greenwise version) for the first time. She is still getting the hang of it, but she picked it up quicker than I expected! I'm not sure why she keeps blinking her eyes in this video, unless she is anticipating the flash of the camera? :)

8 months old!

Laila turned 8 months old on February 2nd! She weighs about 19 pounds now and is 27 inches long. She is growing up so quickly and learning so much every day! She has started saying syllables like bababa, and she likes to imitate things that we do like making funny noises and waving bye. She is still mainly doing the military crawl (with some occasional rolls) to get around everywhere. She gets up on her hands and knees and can crawl for a few steps, but she has not quite mastered it yet and seems to prefer to do the military crawl at this point. She is getting better and faster at it though each day, so we went and did some minor baby proofing like putting a safety gate in front of the fireplace and plug covers in the electrical outlets. I've got to watch her close now! She has started pulling herself up some too! We lowered her crib when she learned to sit herself up, which is a good thing, because I caught her pulling herself up in the crib recently. Speaking of her crib, she is thankfully sleeping so much better now. After the move to Orlando she wasn't sleeping as well, but now, to Mommy's relief (well really everybody's relief), she is finally sleeping through the night again! We are also very thankful that Laila has remained healthy, even through this cold and flu season. We pray that she will continue to stay healthy, learn more and more each day, and grow into a Godly and happy young lady one day!

8 months old...such a sweetie!

I could just squeeze her little chubby cheeks all day long!

I love kisses, hugs, and tickles from Aunt Holly and Daddy!

I love you Grandpa Lail but please don't eat my oatmeal!


Having lunch with Grandpa Schuck!

Having fun playing with my toys!

Relaxing with Daddy on the couch!