Annalee's 4th Birthday

Today was a very special day for our four year old. Annalee had a princess party where she shined all day long enjoying every part of the day. But that really describes how she is every day of her life. This is the girl who sings when she eats, announces at the top of her lungs the delights in the simplest of things, gets extremely excited about my arrival at home every time, comes up with cool dances on her own, can run almost anywhere and any distance, and seems with one look to be able to get me to do anything she wants. I will always remember her birthday because it’s the only one of my three kids that my grandmother was in the delivery room when they were born. Still fighting cancer, she was one of the first sets of hands to hold her. I know she would have loved to see all my kids grow up in front of her and did enjoy every year she saw each of them. But Annalee will always be told the story of grandmother in the delivery room and I know I will never forget it. And I look forward to more stories to tell Annalee like today’s princess party and such. She an amazing child and I love being her daddy.

A new blog

I have started a new blog about something very personal yet difficult for me to talk about. I hope you can be encouraged as well as encourage me.
Scott Parks

A Few Things That I love...

A Few Things That I Love...

-That my baby boy, no matter how hard he tries, almost ALWAYS falls asleep in the car.

-That Annalee frequently tells me that I am her "best mommy".

-That Paige asks God to help her stop sucking her fingers and He is faithful to her request.

-The new babysitting coop.

-The classes at the gym. I'm addicted!

-The childcare that allows me to attend the classes at the gym.

-My kingsize bed. I would be devastated to have to down size.

-Fall weather...if we could ever have more than a day or two of it!

These are just a few...

-

Life Lately

We have had a whirlwind of events these last 3 weeks! The Lord has proven Himself, as always, tremendously faithful.
Week 1:
Scott started having some pretty severe backpain on Tuesday morning. It didn't subside while he was at work, so he went over to an urgent care clinic to get checked out. Result: Kidney Stones. He has never had kidney stones before so this was new pain to him. (I'll tell you the story about how foul and mean he was later:) They give him some pain meds and told him to try and wait for it to pass. He took medicine that night and got some relief late, and was really groggy the next day but felt better. He thought he may have passed it, and was planning on working the next day. We went to bed early, only for him to be awakened by more intense pain than ever followed by vomiting from the pain, followed by me calling my parents to come at 2 a.m., so I could take him to the ER. He got more meds and we saw a urologist that day that recommended surgery because the stone was probably jagged because it had broken off a stone that was still residing in his kidney. Friday, he had surgery, it went well, but Scott had his fair share of post-op pain. He started feeling better, went to work Monday and was doing better. Oh, if the story could just end here...

Week 2:
Monday night Davis wakes up in the night and throws up ALL night! Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOATHE the stomach bug!!!! Tuesday was ok, he was just really tired and whiny, and the girls went to school. I was super tired that night, so was looking forward to a solid night's sleep, only to be woken up by Scott around 4ish to tell me my dad had a heart attack and was in the hospital in Mississippi. I rushed over there to find out that when they took him back to do a heart cath, he had a major heart attack on the table and coded. They shocked him, got him back, placed a stent in that vessel and he was in the ICU for a few days. I went back and forth that week and he was finally able to come home Saturday agternoon. Davis had been feeling better, but for whatever reason, had a nasty nasty diaper Saturday morning. It was my nephew's birthday party that day, so I decided I would just leave him home with Scott and just take the girls to the party in Mississippi. We get all the way to Mississippi and Paige throws up in the van! Perfect! We turn around get back home and clean everyone up, and put the kids to bed. Scott then has diarrhea all night, and Annalee wakes up having diarrhea! We all stay home Saturday, hoping that maybe this is the end of the stomach bug line...if only!

Week 3:
Davis wakes up in the middle of the night again on Sunday throwing up again! Also, Scott, is STILL having diarrhea! We all stay home again on Monday and everyone is FINALLY feeling back to normal. I took the girls to school on Tuesday and went to the gym and worked out. My sitter came to keep Davis while I went to my dad's cardiologist appt. with my mom and dad. During the appt., I get a call telling me that Annalee is throwing up at school and that I need to come get her! Which brings us to today. Annalee seems to be feeling better s well as Davis. Paige went to school and Scott is at work. The funny thing is that as I am typing this, I just got a text from Scott saying he feels like he might be passing a kidney stone! What?!!


We have appreciated all of your prayers and are still in great need. My dad has another heart cath scheduled for 9/14 to place 2 more stents. Pray that we can survive all this sickiness, and that Scott wouldn't have any more trouble with these kidney stones. Pray for my sanity! I have had to claim the verse and am thankful that God's mercies are made new every morning. I'm thankful that God has spared me thus far from being sick as well, and I am fully aware that it could all be much worse. I know that God already knows exactly what's going on and none of it was by accident. The mere fact that my dad is still alive is a true MIRACLE. The circumstances had to be perfect. Had he had that heart attack even in the ER as compared to in the cath lab, he probably wouldn't have made it! Scott's been a trouper too, and I am thankful for him. He has been a wonderful daddy, so that the kids weren't too disrupted while I was back and forth. We have walked more closely with Him these last few weeks especially, and for that I am VERY thankful!

The Big Day!!!

So, a day has come that always seemed light years away to me! My baby Paige started kindergarten today. Is that even possible? Can she really be old enough to go to kindergarten? Evidently so! She is attending public school kindergarten. I am confident that the Lord is gonna use this in a variety of ways. As we continue to reach out and connect in our community and neighborhood, the local school is so valuable! I have met a woman already, who is another mother of a little girl in Paige's class. They live just down the street! I look forward to meeting more families with the same connection! Paige didn't skip a beat this morning. She was so excited. I walked her in and she gave me a hug and a kiss and simply said.."bye, momma!" I still just can't believe it!

Annalee, my littlest baby girl, also started preshcool today! As if it weren't hard enough to send Paige off to school, I had to turn around and take Annalee for her very first day of school! She too, was SUPER excited! I wasn't completely sure how she was gonna do, because she can be my wildcard sometimes! However, she did beautifully as well. Like she'd been doing it everyday for the last few years! I have prayed for them all day! My house is unusually quiet! I know I'll get into the swing of things, and I've actually been pretty busy today, but I miss them already! I love having them home! Now don't get me wrong! There are days when I want to lock them outside for a few hours, but still I love having a houseful! It just feels unnatural when everyone is not here! Especially since Scott was home with us this summer. It was by far the best summer we've had. I'm already counting down the days until next summer and it's only the first day of school! Is that bad? I do look forward to walking in a new stage of life as they grow up, but it is just all going so fast! I need life to slow down a little so I can just take it all in!
Good luck with that I guess!

The Day Before...

I woke up this morning with the realization that school starts back tomorrow. Not only for me but for two of my children. Paige will start her first day of kindergarten and Annalee will start her first day of preschool. She will be going to the little tree where half of her class is autistic so we are praying for God to use this in her life as well as the friends she will make. As I sat here I thought about the days together we had this summer. Whether in New Orleans, Gulf Shores, or our living room, I have truly loved every minute of the summer! Teaching my children how to make home made popcorn has been awesome! The joy of being with the people you love in the context of what brings them joy is so gratifying it brings me right to the fact that "Better is one day in his courts, than thousands elsewhere." I can't fathom what this truly means for my understanding is so limited, but I can say I can't wait to grab hold of the ultimate summer when the time arrives and never look back at this world. Lord come quickly...

Happy Anniversary!!!!

Tomorrow marks 7 years of marriage for Scott and I. It's kinda unbelievable how fast these few years have gone by. When I think back, I get lost in my feelings of nostalgia about our wedding day! I remember every minute. I loved every second! It was one of the sweetest days of my life. I walked down the aisle into the arms of the man God had chosen for me to spend my life with! He has loved me better than I deserve. He has treated me like a princess from the get-go. He has walked with me through some of the most difficult times of my life, and never once let go of my hand. He is my precious gift from the Father. He makes me laugh harder and more often than I should probably! He is the best daddy on the planet! He is a picture of who Christ is for me and our children. He knows me better than any other human being, and despite that, he chooses to love me! He is MY precious husband, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with this wonderful man! Happy Anniversary Scott!

Cow Appreciation Day 2009

Annalee excited about free chicken!!
Davis sad the chicken was all done!
The lovely Parks girls havin' a great time!
What we hope will get us free Chick-fil-a for a year!
As a whole its one of our favorite days of the year!

2 free meals, fun with friends, 4 free cups, 5 free stuffed cows, two indoor playgrounds, good family pictures...I will say it over and over WE WILL EAT MORE CHICKEN!!!!!

Scott

Come running home

These are the lyrics to this song I stumbled on. Many of you may know teh song, but most of you live it like me too! You can click to listen to it or just read it.
Scott


Oh heart of mine, why must you stray?
From one so fair you run away
And one more time you have to pay
The heaviness of needless shame

Oh heart of mine, come back home
You've been too long out on your own
And He's been there all along
Watching for you down the road

So come home running
His arms are open wide
His name is Jesus
He understands
He is the answer
You are looking for
So come home running
Just as you are

Oh child of God so dearly loved
And ransomed by the Savior's blood
And called by name, daughter and son
Wrapped in the robe of righteousness

I wonder what I would have said???

I have been reading through Luke with new eyes I feel. The gospel of Jesus is taking a whole new perspective as I see our Lord loving people, stopping to serve them, to heal them, to save them. I see so much more than the theology of a message in the Lord but the sincerity of the deliverer of what is said and what is done. Anyway I came to this passage Luke 7:22 And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. It almost seems to crescendo right. Blind see, walking lame, clean lepers, people who were de alive and last but not least...the poor have the good news preached to them! i think all would jump out but as i got the message back from my friends...the gospel going to the poor maybe the last for a reason! Jesus painted a picture of love that still blows me away from being cleaned by a prostitutes tears to seeing the centurions faith, I am countlessly reminded of what a great Lord we serve who is Mighty to save!

Is this realistic?

Today in church I was sitting with Paige while Annie was taking Annalee back to her class. We had finished the singing part of our worship service and Jim was about to preach. She had a few coloring sheets due to our awesome Children's Director and was coloring an alligator from out upcoming vbs. Jim began to preach and was preaching from Psalm 27 especially verse 24 which has been one of may favorite verses for quite some time. (One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.) AS I began to listen, Paige still coloring and choosing her colors ever so wisely looks up at me and says, "is this realistic?" Now I knew she was referring to the extremely light green she had chosen for her gator, but in my head all I was thinking about was Psalm 27. One thing? Is it realistic to ask God for just one thing that really is 3 things even though those three things are all really one thing...right? My mind went haywire as I wandered off thinking about what I wanted to see the Lord do in my life. What is the one thing? I then looked at how I was worshiping and how I was behaving and how life was reflective and thought am I realistic? Sometimes I know I dream and come up with ideas that will never see fruition but what if I never follow God true heart from me because I failed to seek after the One thing? Luckily I don't have all the answered right now and would love to hear from others about where my life should go but as the service came to the end we participate in communion. And as I explained the cross and the life and death of Christ to Paige and what it means to be a Christian and why she couldn't take part even though she could touch the bread and smell the juice, I remembered...I remembered Jesus. Sometimes I forget Him you know? But I remembered why I do what I do, live how I live, and need a savior when I fail how I fail! The joy of remembering! Being a Daddy is great but having a Father is even better!
Scott

The Aquarium

The girls taking a peek!

The penguins are a hit!

Classic aquarium pic of the fam minus little brother.

Annalee insisting that SHE is the princess!

Petting baby shark!

A look of amazement while inside the tube!

Mommy taking a photo op!

My little seal and starfish!

Fun times with daddy and his girls!

This one was just cute!






We recently made a trip to New Orleans. We went to the aquarium, zoo, and the French Quarter. Our friends, the Steedley's, joined us with their girls as well! My parents kept Davis for the weekend, and it ended up being the best thing, but we definitely missed him. The girls are at the ages now, where we can go to an all day thing and they can skip a nap and still be pretty ok. That is not the case for baby boy! He would've never made it at the zoo! We had a fabulous time, but to me, the aquarium was a little too pricey for what's there, and the small amount of time it takes to see everything there. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we went, but next time we would just stick with the zoo! The girls really enjoyed the aquarium, but enjoyed the zoo more! These pictures are just from the aquarium. I'll post some more later of the zoo, and elaborate a little more about that day!

The sweet things I hear...

My children say some of the sweetest (and funny) things sometimes, and I don't take the time to write them down. So, today I am taking the opportunity to record a few phrases from yesterday!

Paige was in the bathtub and she said "Momma, you could brush my hair for 100 years, and I wouldn't fall asleep!"

Annalee sang (at the top of her lungs) "My Savior, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save. He is mighty to save..."

When I put Davis down for naptime and bedtime, I lay him in his crib and always say "I love you" as I walk out the door. Yesterday, I laid him down and as I was walking out the door, he said "I wuv (pause) ooooo"!

Isn't that just the sweetest?

Easter and such...

This is just a candid shot of our family on Easter. Please notice that Scott and I are the ONLY two actually smiling! Oh well, at least we finally got all 5 of us in a picture togethter! We had a really nice Easter. We worshipped with our church family and celebrated the ressurrection of Christ. Then we headed to Mississippi, where we spent the rest of the day with my family. We had a delicious lunch and hunted eggs after naptime. It was nice and relaxing and what made it even more enjoyable when the day was done, was knowing that Scott and Paige were out for the following week on Spring Break!!! (P.N.T.Y.P (for the Comptons!). It's been a great week and I have thoroughly enjoyed my whole family being home this week. I'm sad that it is coming to an end:( However, this year we have more good news to look forward to! Scott is actually taking off this summer and is not teaching summer school!!!! Yay!!!! It is a much needed break for him, seeing as how this is his first summer off since college! To me, summer's off should be the reason you teach! That's just my opinion! Well, he is now going to be able to experience it! Anyhow, I apologize for being such a terrible blogger lately (sorry Robyn!)! There are more pictures to come when Scott gets finished with them!

Sleeping baby...

I love, love, love to catch my babies sleeping. I could watch them for endless hours. Davis is funny because he uses his bumper pad as a pillow! He is the sweetest little boy! I swear, it is so hard to fathom that you can love another child as much as you do the ones you already have, and then He gives me Davis! The Lord just enlarges my heart!

How Our Trip Went...

Our niece, Genevieve. No one knows how we left there
without a picture of Matthew, the newest Parks!

Annalee showing Davis the ropes of the laptop.

Nana! This is Scott's mom who graciously gave up her house

for us to stay in!

Paige, taking a rest in the backyard.

Me and my sweet Paigey!

So, our trip to Dallas, believe it or not, could not have gone any smoother! Our kids did REMARKABLE! My expectations were far exceeded. We left at 6 a.m. on Friday morning, and I was hoping to make it 4 to 4.5 hours, if we were lucky. I felt like that would be about halfway, and it would be great. Well, the girls were occupied and without complaint and Davis slept and ate snacks for count it...6 hours! We went until we almost ran out of gas! We stopped at Chikfila, our favorite, and ate, played and pottied. Then, it was back on the road for the final 3 hours and we had arrived at our destination! Might I also add, that no one pottied on themselves, including me! Well, other than Davis! The same story was true for the trip home. Davis got a little restless for about the last hour before we were home, so I had to get in the back and occupy him, but other than that, they did fabulous! Thank you to all who prayed, because this was a definite miracle! I mean 3 kids under 5 years of age made it that long in a van with no mishaps! It's almost unheard of! I was truly surprised, and grateful to the Lord above!

Our time with family was good, but never long enough. Scott's mom let us stay at her house and she stayed at his brother's, so we would have plenty of room. Our mishaps, however, occured during our stay! We went to an indoor swimming pool on Saturday and when Paige woke up from naptime, she had pinkeye! We went to a little urgent care center and got some antibiotic drops to treat her. The next morning, Annalee wakes up with pinkeye, and Scott has some sort of random stomach bug, yay! The next day, you guessed it, Davis wakes up with pinkeye! I somehow escaped the sick madness, praise the Lord! Don't hear me complaining though! It all could have been MUCH worse! All in all, we had a great time and are grateful now to be back home safe and sound.

Conversations in the car...

We got the movie Peter Pan for the girls to watch on our trip to Dallas. We were watching it this morning on the way to school. Here's the conversation that ensued after the "You Can Fly" song:

Annalee: Mommy! I want to fly!!

Annalee: I can do it BY MYSELF!

Paige: All you need is a little pixie dust.

We're going to the big "D"...and I do mean "Dallas"

We are headed to Dallas tomorrow to visit Scott's family there. It is our first long trip as a family of 5. It's normally a 9 hour drive, but with 3 kids it will probably be more like 11 or 12! I have been getting things together all week and packing like crazy today. I am not so much worried about Paige and Annalee travelling. They are old enough to stay pretty content with several activities, books, snacks, and movies of course! Davis will probably have the hardest time. He will travel ok initially, but when we get out and then have to put him back in the carseat...well, my prediciton is that he will not be so happy! The girls will also have some handy pull-ups on as well. They are both potty trained and have been for some time, but when someone says "I need to go potty!" and we are 30 miles from an exit...the pull-up will be my best friend! So, if you think about it, you can pray for us as we travel. We will let you know how it all turns out in a few days!!!!

Paige is 5!

Paige licking the candle!

Making a wish!

Oh the anticipation of blowing out the candle!

Merrill and Ruthie constructing away!

Shay, in deep concentration, as she and Becca build!

Paige in her cool new goggles!

Leslie and Kylie Anne, working hard.

Annalee, thinking she can do this all by herself! (Shocker!)

Duane and Bailey having their Daddy/daughter building time!

Well...it's true. Paige is actually 5 already! I can't seem to calculate where all the time has gone! She has grown into a sweet, loving, sensitive, beautiful little girl. She is a gift from God, and it literally feels like yesterday, that I was holding that tiny baby in my arms for the first time.

Her birthday was fun-filled! She invited 5 of her friends (for her "5th" birthday), and we went to Lowe's to do a craft. They were building heart jewelry boxes that day at Lowe's, and anyone who knows my little princess, knows that is right up her alley! It was fun! The kids had a great time (the adults as well!)! We then proceeded to chikfila for kids meals, cake, and playtime! It was a rainy day, so our park idea was out of the question. I'm so very thankful for all our friends and family that got to come.

25 Random Things about me...

I was tagged on Facebook to write 25 random things about myself, so I decided I would share it in the blogging world as well!


1. I have been married for 6 years and I already have 3 children!
2. I had amnesia for a day in elementary school, after hitting my head while sliding down a water slide.
3. I tend to set unreasonable goals for myself (i.e. runing several marathons, and training for a full triathalon by age 35-when I am a VERY weak swimmer!). Did I mention I have 3 kids?
4. I love people who are real and vulnerable.
5. I have a sick sense of humor and my first response, involuntarily, is to laugh when people fall.
6. I secretly love teeny-bopper movies like: "10 Things I Hate About You".
7. I don't like going on dates to the movies because you can't talk there, and when the rare opportunity arises to go on an actual date with my husband, that is the first thing he would choose. Hmmm....
8.I could eat the same thing every day and be totally fine with it.
9. I LOVE my mini-van! I swore I would never have one, and now I couldn't imagine life without it!
10. I am the epitomy of what you think a stay-at-home mom would look like when I drop Paige off at school every morning (jeans, sweatshirt, hat, and no make-up).
11. Someone thought I was 19 years old in the grocery store the other day! It was a great day!12. I have to ask my children for forgiveness ALL the time, it seems like, for my lack of patience!13. I have only been to 17 of the 50 nifty united states.
14. I can also recite the "50 Nifty United States" song and list off all 50 states in alphabetical order in about a minute!
15. I have a freaky knack of remembering numbers. My husband thinks I'm on the autism spectrum because of that, and frequently calls me his little savant (Spelling?)
16. I am pretty athletic and people think that is hilarious for some reason and don't always believe me.
17. My oldest daughter is convinced that I am a princess because of my wedding pictures!
18. I have never, not even once, colored or highlighted my hair.
19. I think that my husband is the funniest person on the planet, and I fall more in love with him daily.
20. I have been on bedrest with ALL 3 of my pregnancies!
21. I have a blog that I have recently been very delinquent with. I know that it frustrates blog-stalkers like myself, so I'm really gonna try and do better! www.parksavenue.blogspot.com
22. I wish you could order take-out from Ruth's Chris, not that we could afford it!
23. I am so competitive about games, that most of the time I opt not to play, to avoid the internal sin it causes in my heart if I don't win. I am a gracious winner, but a TERRIBLE loser (on the inside!). My husband, however has to deal with my wrath of losing later! Putt-putt golf almost sent me over the edge one time!
24. referencing #8...I could eat chick-fil-a every day.
25. I am going to be 30 this year, but am stuck at 25 and don't know if I'll ever get past that.

Davis' First Birthday Party!

These are a few pics from Davis' party on Saturday. They are a little out of order, but you get the idea! His actual birthday is not until Feb. 11, but since Paige's is Feb. 16, we split them up to make it easier! I cannot believe he is almost one. This year has been an absolute blur! I can't figure out where the time has gone. Davis really enjoyed his party, and the cake...obviously! Our family and friends were here to celebrate and we had a great time. He had a Florida Gator themed party which daddy was super excited about. Davis was a cutie in his big boy Gator hat. He looks so old with it on! He will ALWAYS be my sweet baby boy though!!!

P.S. Referring to the bottom picture...Paige really did have a good time. Right before we sang happy birthday she got her feelings hurt by sister, so she couldn't control the tears. All was well about 5 minutes later!

"Peer Pressure"

Well, the day finally came where Paige got into a little mischief at school. She and a friend of hers got into the soap and proceeded to make many bubbles, thus sudding the bathroom! She and her friend had to sit out of playtime for the first 5 minutes! Terrible, I know!

We had a nice long talk about it after school and a little discipline on the homefront, and she apologized to her teacher this morning and asked her for forgiveness. Her teacher granted forgiveness, of course, and proceeded to tell me again that she certainly thought that it was peer pressure and Paige did not instigate the situation.

Here is where I feel I need to express some thoughts. Now, anyone who knows Paige, knows that she is my very tender-hearted child. She's very sensitive. I preface this with, we feel like the Lord is really working on Paige's heart. He is making her heart repentant and she is starting to really listen and understand more of the Gospel. She's asking more and more questions and we certainly encourage that. Our prayer is that God would capture all of our childrens' hearts so that they couldn't remember a day of not walking with Him.

That being said, we get alot of flack sometimes about how we raise our children. People literally LIKE it when they disobey! That makes me furious! I realize that maybe it seems funny to others, but we are not just interested in the simple behavior of our children. We are much more concerned with their hearts. Paige, for example, is very much a sinful creature! She disobeys, and whines, and complains, and yes, even suds bathrooms on occasion! The list goes on and on! We want to be diligent in addressing even the little things. Of course, we want to teach grace and mercy as well, and we do. We, too, are very sinful as parents, so our imperfections play out in their lives as well. We do the best we know to do with God's word as our guide. We fall short, but pray that the Lord will continue to cover us in grace and mercy as well.

This leads me to the way we addressed Paige yesterday. I absolutely want her to understand that if she has to be disciplined at school, then she will definitely be disciplined at home. Also, I wanted to reinforce that if she knows something is wrong, then she should not do it! It doesn't matter if someone else instigates it or not, she still participated. What a big lesson to already be discussing with an almost 5 year old! She expressed that she knew it wasn't ok to make such a mess like that in the bathroom, but she chose to do it anyway. We explained that this was sin and she needed to ask for forgiveness. She gets this on a very basic level. The Lord made her super sensitive for a very specific reason and I can't wait to see what He does in her life and how He chooses to use her!

Sorry for the bit of ranting! I just felt the need to get some things out in the open!