Safari Wildlife Rescue

We had gorgeous weather in Tulsa today so we were able to visit a nearby wildlife sanctuary. We had a great time. Hannah absolutely loves animals and she's rather fearless...she was SO excited about her experiences.

Madeline's Hair Cut!!!!!!!!!!

After much deliberation (and a bit of anxiety on mom's part), we decided to get Madeline's hair cut today! And we LOVE it! Chris has been laughing at me all week - nearly every time I started a conversation this week, it was about how we should get her hair done. I even had nightmares about it - RIDICULOUS I KNOW. Madeline wouldn't let me take a pic of her face before we went, so I'll try to find a different recent front view and then I'll post pics of the new 'do. She's been wanting it short for a while and she's very pleased.

Fingerpainting Fiasco

My girls had an excellent time finger painting the other day. Hannah liked squishing the paint between her fingers and Madeline liked painting her sister. The event made for some really fun pics and a video!








Fingerpainting fiasco from jen giles on Vimeo.

Baby Dedication

Our church offers Baby Dedication, a time when parents can go before the church and commit to raise their children with a knowledge of and love for God. It's a special time for the church to pledge to help us along the way too. We had Hannah's dedication on the Sunday after Madeline's birthday party since our family was going to be in town. Most of the pics were poor but I wanted to post one anyway and this was the most clear :) Hannah was adorable. Hess (our pastor) carried her around the church and talked about the meaning of her first and middle names and then he talked about his hopes for her future. She was so curious about everyone looking at her and about being in Hess' arms. Anyway, here we are, praying with our sweet daughter...we're unable to see her face because she was mesmerized by a slideshow of pics of her and Madeline on the screen behind us. Sooo cute!

PS As mentioned on a caption below, Madeline hates loud noises. She was going to be in "big church" with us for the dedication, but the music freaked her out so she went to play in the nursery. Good thing we dedicated her when she was too young to care!

Madeline's 4th Birthday Party

I'm still in shock that my first baby could be 4 years old already!!!
Madeline's 4th birthday party was at Pump It Up in Tulsa. She and her friends had a great time bouncing, sliding and climbing on the inflatables. Afterward, the Culis' and Giles' went to lunch at Lonestar. And after that, Madeline had a chance to try out her new bicycle (thanks Nana, Manda and Becca!!) Here are some pics...

My Little Dollhouse

There is an amazing party place for girls in Jenks, OK called My Little Dollhouse. Jennifer and Brooke treated Madeline to a play date there for her birthday present and the girls had a great time. They got all dolled up in princess dresses and had their nails, make up and hair done by cinderella. They played games and put on a fashion show. Here are some pics and a video of Madeline doing the silliest dance I've ever seen her do - I don't know where she gets these things :)

Dancing Princess from jen giles on Vimeo.

Lauren Crawley, my dear friend...

For the past 2 years, I've been a D-Group leader for an amazing group of high school girls at my church. They are juniors this year, all getting their licences, turning 17, looking forward to college, learning how to live out their faith in the midst of the excitement and temptation of teenaged life. And I love them dearly. They encourage me more than I could ever hope to do for them.

On Monday February 11th, one of my precious girls died in a car accident. Lauren Michelle Crawley was going to be 17 in March. She was a girl who I can honestly say was fully ALIVE. She was radiant, always making people laugh, loving people through hugs and humor. I will miss her. I'd like to ask anyone reading this to please be praying for her parents - Scott and Alycia Crawley - and her brothers - Jordan and Jonathan Crawley - as well as for our youth group and our church as a whole. The Crawley family is one of enourmous faith and they have continued to find their delight and rest in our God, in spite of this tragic time.

My life will never be the same, and I'm glad for that. I want my life to always bear a reflection of Lauren. Her memorial service on Wednesday night and funeral on Valentine's day were so uplifting and refreshing. Her brother Jordan led worship for us all week in the youth and also at her funeral. Lauren had told one of her best friends, Kathryn, that she wanted her funeral to be a party and that's what she got. It was absolutely a celebration of her life. Our grief is filled with hope that we'll see her again and that she is now, in this moment, beholding the beautiful face of Jesus and safe in the Lord's warm arms; dancing and singing praises with her amazing voice. I am able to look forward to the day that I'm taken to Heaven! Although the thought can be somewhat frightening because there is so much unknown about it, I know that because I've trusted Jesus with my life and with my soul and because I believe that He did come as a complete sacrifice for my sins, I will be in Heaven and I WILL be greeted by my mom and by Lauren and many other loved ones who share the faith that I have.

I don't mean this blog to exclude anyone who may read it and have beliefs other than mine. I always encourage people to seek the truth for themselves. Pray and read and ask questions - I believe you'll find what you're looking for! Please don't live a life that is uncertain - I love you all much too much for that :)

Thanks for reading my blog...sitting down to type this has helped me sort some things out and has been cathartic. Feel free to comment me, ask questions, whatever. I love hearing from you!
Jen