Happy birthday to you!!!!

It is finally here.....ANASTACIA'S FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! It went by wayyyyy toooooo fast! I am so sad that the year has passed so quickly, but looking forward to toddlerhood. So what is she up to now??? Well, the following is a video of those famous first steps that she took about a week ago. She has actually done some two steppers a few times before this, but on this day she actually took six in a row. I didn't catch those, but I did catch her walking from Brandy to me.....

Sorry about the sound, but videos off of my phone don't transfer well....

What else is Anastacia doing? Welllll, she is repeating everything that she can wrap her tongue around. She is very verbal. It's so funny b/c I spoke "quiet and gentle spirit" over her the entire time I was pregnant, but I forgot to say "quick to listen and slow to speak", LOL. So I guess I will spend the rest of her life speaking that over her! I kept telling Shawn that I thought she was gonna be the quiet one b/c she was so solemn faced and not very outgoing when she was younger. Now she is just as outgoing and talkative as the other two! So now I've given up on having a quiet child - I don't think God has it in His plans for me.

I know you all remember with your little ones when they discovered the word "NO!" Well my little girl has discovered this word and it is so hard not to laugh. She points her little finger right at you and says "No, no, no, no!" The other day we were sitting at the table eating dinner and Shawn was getting onto Mahala. Anastacia looked at Mahala, pointed her finger and said "No, no, no, no!" Then she furrowed her eyebrows and gave Mahala the most stern look she could muster, just like Daddy does when he is scolding the kids. THEN, Anastacia threw her head back and laughed!!!! And we all laughed with her!!! It broke up the tension of the moment and it was hilarious. She is SO MUCH the baby of the family!

There is so much left that I could tell, but right now I have to run to the store and get stuff to make cupcakes....I will post pics of her diggin in!!!!!

Pictures

These aren't the best pictures, but here are a couple to give you an idea of what our house looks like. The first one was taken just before we moved in.


















This one was taken after we had just moved in - Shawn was mowing the yard for the first time. (We were blessed by my dad with a new lawnmower when we moved in!! Thanx Dad!!!)

This is some of the beautiful roses we have bordering our yard - I counted 69 rose bushes just in the front and side!! Our yard smells so good when they are blooming! And I have fresh bouquets all the time!

Our backyard is awesome, too, but I don't have any good pics of it. We have been pulling up holly bushes and trimming the trees. There are several fruit trees along with some other types of trees. But there are also a lot of bushes that need to be removed. We want to plant a garden, but I'm not sure we can get it all done in time. I guess maybe we could do something in the fall - can you plant fall gardens? I'll have to check it out - I am sure there are some things we can do - like pumpkins or something! Anyway, we are enjoying our new home very much and just wanted to let you in on a little bit of it! Love you all!!

Can we say "overwhelmed"!!!

Okay, so I am a little bit overwhelmed....we have moved into our new home and we are so excited but I feel like I am not making any progress. I know that I am b/c there are no longer boxes IN THE MIDDLE OF the walkway, but there are still boxes in my kitchen, bedrooms, foyer, living room, EVERYWHERE!!!!! I know that this is all a process, but can't I just pay someone to come and do this for me?? Maybe not, cause then nothing would be where I wanted it and I wouldn't like that very much either.



Well, ANYWAY, we are moved in! And we do absolutely love having a yard. We spent all day Monday doing yard work - trimming dead branches from trees, cutting overgrown limbs, planting bulbs, etc. It was so peaceful and relaxing to be able to work in the yard again. There is so much to be done inside and out....Shawn and I both have lots of "honey-do" projects! I think I need to just sit down and make a list and start checking things off. Then maybe I will be able to see the progression and feel a little better about the whole moving in thing.

I will try to start posting more often...we will see. Anastacia's birthday is only a week away and still no plans for a party yet, we have tons of things to do on that weekend. We will probably just celebrate with a birthday dinner until I can throw together a party!! She took six steps in a row yesterday and then fell into my arms. She took a few after that, but hasn't taken more than one or two today. I cannot believe she is so close to walking, feels like yesterday that she was born and now she's about to take off walking! It's gonna be so much fun, though!

One more month...

I cannot believe that my littlest is almost one year old!!!! I missed her 11 month old birthday (it was yesterday). I am a little sidetracked with all of the moving and stuff!!! But when I thought about it today I knew that I needed to make it a point to get on here and give a little update!

This picture was taken in front of our new house and I absolutely love it b/c it is truly a genuine smile from my kids. It was taken about a week ago when we went to "visit" our house. So Anastacia was not quite 11 months, but close enough.

So, let's see, what is she up to now? Well, she still is not walking but she sure is trying to! She is climbing though!!! She made it up one step at church this past Sunday and anytime we leave our step ladder sitting out she makes it up the first step and tries really hard to get onto the second. I'm a little nervous about the whole climbing thing - Mahala was a climber and she got into all kinds of stuff! Anastacia is also talking a whole lot...she attempts to repeat everything we say. She can say Hey(and waves), Bubba, Sissy(sounds more like shishy), Mama(finally!!!), Dada, Daddy, home(this one is actually my favorite), ball, ear, eyes, hair, bye(and waves), Papa, fish(sounds like psshh), book and bear. I am sure there are others that she has said, but these are the ones she says the most. She got a little photo album for Easter with grandparents and Aunt Tara, Uncle Stan and Bethany pictures in it and she is trying very hard to say some of those names. She says "Bet" for Bethany right now.

Her personality has really changed over the past few weeks. Where she used to be quiet and sorta solemn faced she is now starting to get a little loud and she is opening up to people. She still pulls away from strangers and gives them the eye, but once she has seen someone a few times, she will relax a little. She's getting a sense of humor and she likes to tease and laugh a lot! She loves to play patty-cake and to jump up and down to "Ride the pony." And she loves to dance. She head bangs a little and jumps up and down and claps her hands. Sometimes she falls over she gets so excited!

Her favorite food is strawberries. She is very certain about what she likes and doesn't like (who'da thunK???). If she really likes it she will try to cram the whole thing in her mouth, but if she doesn't she pushes it away and turns her head. There are very few foods that she doesn't like. The best part about her eating is the sounds she makes - she says mmmmmm the ENTIRE time she is eating!!! It cracks everyone up. (Mahala used to eat like that, so she gets to see it in Anastacia cause I've always told her how much she loved food when she was a baby.) So I have to put a video of Anastacia eating a strawberry b/c it is so cute!

I don't know if the sound is gonna come through or not - I previewed it and it didn't sound right. Even if it doesn't, it is still adorable b/c she is chowing down on that strawberry!

So besides eating and talking, Anastacia is so-o-o smart! She has learned where our ears and nose and eyes are. She also knows the mouth, but she won't touch it for some reason - she just stares at it with her eyes, as though she doesn't want to get germs on her fingers or something, LOL!!! We ask her where each of these parts is and she will point them out. She also knows where her own ears are, but I don't think she realizes she has a nose or eyes yet, LOL...

The dump truck has officially backed up!!!

If any of you have read Brandy's post about Damon's prophecy concerning the month of March - you know what I mean. And it has happened...God poured out the blessings in the month of March. On the last day of March my husband got a new job!! Finally!!!!!!!!!!!! You have no idea how long he has been looking and looking for some change in his career (well, some of you do). He is still a "truck driver," but now he is a tow truck driver. And I am not just talking about towing little cars and trucks, I mean the BIG ones! He will be driving a huge semi tow truck that will pull other big rigs! Sounds a little scary to me, but my man is not scared!! He had his first day of training yesterday and God is already showing him so much favor with the other drivers and with his boss. I am so proud of him and so excited about what God is doing in his life!

Also, the last week of March, God showed us the house we would be living in. If I could sit down and tell you the story about that one you would be floored. Let's just say it's a God thing!! The house is 3BR 2 BA with a 1/2 acre yard. It has tons of roses and other flowers and a back yard full of fruit trees. We are so excited about all of the roses and fruit trees b/c we will be able to bless others with our abundance. We signed the lease agreement yesterday but won't be moving until the first of May b/c we had to give notice to our apartment manager. Oh, and did I mention that it is just around the corner from our favorite park in Fresno?? So the kids and I can literally walk around the corner to the park and feed the ducks or have a picnic or whatever. Like having a huge playground in our backyard, except we don't have to keep it up! How cool is that? Anyway we are very excited about having a larger home and having a yard for the kids to play in, trees to climb, grass to mow, etc. Plus we can have pets if we like, which is first on the list for our kids. Now we just have to decide whether we want a dog or a cat.

Soooooo, we have a lot to do over the next few weeks! If you don't hear from me, that's why. But I will be back!!! Love you all :@)

Colten turns 9

I cannot believe that 9 years ago today, I held my son in my arms for the first time. Time has passed much too quickly for me, but I am savoring every moment. With each passing day, my son matures and grows as a mighty warrior for Christ. I am amazed at the maturity he exhibits and the boldness he demonstrates concerning the Kingdom of God. I am so proud of who he has become and so excited to see what God ultimately has for him. I know that, whatever it is, Colten will do it with excellence, enthusiasm and a joy that comes only from Jesus Christ! He has a sense of righteousness and purity that is rare in today's world and I am so thankful for that. I pray that God will always protect his purity and guide every single steps that he takes.

Colten you are a mighty man of God and I am so proud of you. I love you with all of my heart!!!

Mahala turns 5

Today we celebrated Mahala Grace's fifth birthday!!! Wow, I cannot believe it has been five years since I held that precious little girl for the first time. She was such a tiny little thing to me, only 6 pounds and 10 ounces. She was like a fragile little porcelain doll. Little did I know that she would not be fragile at all, this girl is one tough little cookie. But then, her name does mean "powerful woman," so I guess I should have had an inkling. Mahala is and always will be my baby girl. She has such a caring, compassionate heart and she longs to please those around her, but most of all she wants to please her Heavenly Father. Although physically she is tough as nails, her heart is as delicate as a flower. She is quick to repent when she does wrong and quick to correct when she sees another doing wrong. She has much to learn and oh so much to teach me and her daddy. She is full of passion and mercy and an eagerness to learn. She is daily growing into a beautiful, mighty young lady and I am so proud to call her my daughter! I look forward to many more years as I come to know the wonderful person that God created her to be. I love you Mahala Grace Gibbs.

Look at those chompers!!

I snapped this pic of Anastacia today when she was brushing her beautiful chompers...just thought I'd share since it shows all 4 of her teeth!

Thinking of Him

Ok, so it's God Encounter weekend - our no sin weekend! Tons of awesome stuff going on!!! I love these weekends although I am always sore on Monday from all of the dancing and jumping around. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger and better and better!!! I absolutely love my God - He is so amazing and I cannot imagine having to live this crazy life without Him!!!! I wish I could just list everything that God is doing in our lives. He is completely changing us from the inside out!!!! I cannot wait to see what He has in store for us over this next month or so - I am believing for some big stuff!!!! I think this entire movement known as Celebration is believing for some big stuff. And God can do it all, too. Did you know that the Bible says that God can hold all of the oceans in the palm of His Hand? Or that He can measure the heavens with the span of His Hand? How awesome is that??? The first time I heard that Word, I was completely blown away - I didn't even know that was in the Bible. God is way bigger than any of our problems or worries. And He can take all of them from us. The Word tells us to cast all of our cares upon Him b/c He cares for us. It also tells us that He wants to give us the desires of our heart. Your Daddy actually cares about your desires. Even the little things! He wants to take care of us and He will do so in a wonderful way if we will only give our hearts to Him. I love my Heavenly Daddy and I am so thankful that He loves me and cares for me and wants to give me all good things.

Nine months old

I cannot believe that my baby girl is 9 months old already. She really is "growing like a weed." She is a precious little baby and I am so proud of her. Of course, you all know that she is crawling around and getting into everything. She has also started "cruising" the furniture. She moves from the recliner to the side table and she gets up and down very well without falling. She has accidentally stood for a few seconds when she let go of my pants, then once she realized it, she got nervous and grabbed my leg again. She hasn't gotten from sitting to standing without holding onto something, but I know it won't be long. She loves her independence, but she also loves to be hugged and held. She is so sweet and loving. She likes for her sissy to give her hugs and I have started letting Mahala hold her while she's standing, as long as I am there to rescue her when Anastacia gets too heavy. Anastacia gets so excited when she realizes Mahala is holding her - she starts kicking and making high pitched noises. She also loves for Bubba to hold her and carry her around. He can make her laugh faster than anyone.

She has been saying Da-da for a while now and she has added Hey and Hi to her vocabulary over the past couple of weeks. She also says Pshhh (fish) when she sees the fish in the tank. She gets very excited over the fish. All of this and she still has not said Mama!!! Oh, and she still says I Love You, although it sounds more like I Yuh Yuh. But we know what she's saying!!!! She also waves hello and bye-bye and gives you high-five. She knows the sign for milk very well and she started signing "more" the other day, but she doesn't use it regularly. She is such a smart little cookie! And I'm not biased or anything, LOL!!!

I'm sure you all noticed on the Gummy Bear Song video that she loves to dance. She likes music and gets really excited whenever we sing or dance. She also loves to "talk." Especially when Pastor Randy is talking. Or anyone who has a mic in their hand. If the room gets quiet and there is a single person speaking, she gets very loud. I don't get to stay in the church service with her anymore. She thinks she has to compete with the person speaking. So we spend most Sunday mornings in the lobby watching Pastor on the monitors.

Her favorite toy is anything that has a face...seriously, she is really into faces. She loves baby dolls like I have never seen a baby love baby dolls. She kisses and hugs them and touches every part of their face. She does the same with any stuffed animal. She gets really excited when she sees pictures of faces. And she loves anything soft. She grabs it and hugs it tight and starts rubbing her face in it, whether it is a stuffed animal or a soft blanket of pillow. For Valentine's Day we got her a little soft blankie with a lady bug attached to it and she will chew on it and look at the lady bugs face and rub her face on the soft blankie part. It's so sweet. She also has an Elephant (Ellie) that Granny gave her when she saw her for the first time. She LOVES that elephant. It is soft and cuddly and has a face. Plus it plays music, which is another thing she loves. She can be upset and I pull Ellie's tail to play music and Anastacia will stop crying and reach for Ellie and get excited.

So that's our nine month update. Oh, wait, one more thing. We got Chick-Fil-A for supper tonight (cause it makes us think of Georgia) and Anastacia had her first waffle fry and chicken!!! She ate an entire waffle fry and a good bit of chicken~~that's Granny's girl!!!!! She loves food, just like her sissy and her Granny! She was yum-yumming the whole time.

Love ya'll, sorry for the long post, but my girlie-girl deserves it....

Then everyone wants to perform....

Mahala wants to say hello...

My little Mahala wanted to do a little performance for her family in GA. So here goes:

Ty Daniel Lott

I am so sad to tell everyone that my nephew did not make it. We all have many mixed emotions concerning this because we were believing and praying for his healing. I really appreciate everyone's prayers - now if you could, please turn your prayers toward Tara and Stan, who have lost their precious baby boy. At a time when they should be celebrating their marriage and their love for their baby and each other, they are having a funeral service for their son. His name is Ty Daniel Lott and he was stolen from this family. There is an empty spot where this little boy should be. We are so sad that he is missing from this world, yet so thankful that we know he is in Heaven with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

God is still good and He is still a Healer. We know that there is no sickness or disease where Ty Daniel is and for that we are so thankful. I pray that even in the midst of this terrible loss and pain, God will show Himself strong to all of our family. We are so sad that we cannot physically be there for Tara, Stan & Bethany, but we are praying for them and loving them with all of our hearts. I pray that God will give them a peace that surpasses all understanding, that will guard their hearts and their minds in the midst of this turmoil.


In memory of our nephew, Ty Daniel - we love you baby boy and can only look forward to meeting you in Heaven!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Special Delivery!!!

Granny and Papa sent us all a special surprise for Valentine's Day. Of course, we couldn't wait until Valentine's Day to open it....so we opened it right after we got it!!!! I'm not sure who was more excited - the kids, or me and Shawn!!!

Praise report

I just want to take the time to give God glory on some things that have happened in our lives recently. So many things have happened and God has been at work in all of them, but there are a few really big ones that I especially want to mention.

First of all, the smallest of our three little Gibbs - Anastacia - was recently diagnosed with a heart murmur. Now this may not seem like a big deal to many, but you have to hear this. At one of the first visits to the pediatrician, the doctor told me that Anastacia had a murmur. She called it an "innocent murmur" and said that it shouldn't be a problem. Well, I was relieved that it "shouldn't be a problem," but I also know that God intends for our health to be perfect - that's the reason Jesus got beat to a bloody pulp. God doesn't intend for us to live on this earth with sickness and disease - sickness and disease was the devil's plan. So anyway, I went home and put it out of my mind until a few weeks later. At one of our God Encounter services, Damon Thompson said that there was someone in the building being healed of a heart murmur. So I knew at that moment that God had healed Anastacia. I never thought any more of it until we went back to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and she mentioned this murmur again. Only this time, she suggested that it was a serious problem. She said that the murmur sounded like a machine and that this type of murmur was something that would require surgery. I don't know about you, but I don't think that my little 8 month old having surgery is something to take lightly. I immediately reminded God of His Word that Jesus had taken stripes for Anastacia's healing and I also reminded Him that He had already said she was healed at the God Encounter service. So, the doctor sent us to the hospital that day to have a chest x-ray and an EKG. It took almost a week to get the results, but we stood on the Word of God and I never doubted that God would follow through. This past Monday we got the results - Anastacia is perfect!!!! There was not a single sign of a heart murmur - Anastacia is HEALED!!!!!! God is so Good!!!!!!!

Second, my husband Shawn has been out of work for over a month now, since before Christmas. The amazing part???? God has provided every step of the way!! When we didn't have the money for Christmas gifts, God provided. When we didn't have the money for the rent to be paid, God provided. God has provided for every bill to be paid, for groceries on our table, gas in our car, even an abundance of many things!!!! It has been absolutely amazing!!! God used a family to help us pay rent and bills, another family blessed us with money for groceries, another person was led by the Spirit to go grocery shopping for us and bring them to us (it was really neat, too b/c it was like I had went shopping for myself - almost everything was something I would have bought). One family even provided Shawn with some odd jobs so that we could buy some stuff for ourselves. Another family blessed us with some clothes for the kids - all kinds of amazing miracles have happened. And during this time, we were able to bond as a family, dive deep into God's Word and just enjoy the time without having to be fearful of what was going to happen. I have never experienced such a time of complete reliance on God in my lifetime. We have drawn closer to God and closer to each other. It was an amazing, wonderful experience!!! And we have grown so much because of it. God has really dealt with a lot of pride that we didn't even realize was there and has taught us that if we will just rely on Him and don't be fearful or prideful, that He can and will bless us. We are so grateful for this time of introspection and revelation and we give God all of the praise and glory.

Shawn did get a call today saying that he would be working tomorrow, so we are excited about that. We enjoyed all of the family time and we will miss him so much, but I do believe that God has something special in mind for us this year. I feel big changes coming and I cannot even describe the excitement and expectation I am feeling. I cannot wait to see what else God does in the next few months!!!!

Thank you to all of you who read and get excited with us about the BIG things that God is doing in our family. We love you and can't wait to give you more updates about the miracles we believe God will be performing very soon. We have an unborn nephew that we are believing for life saving miracles for - he has to have God's touch or else the doctor's report is that he won't make it (but we don't believe the dr's report - we believe God's report!!!!). Please stand in prayer with us that God will perform a creative miracle in his little body. We absolutely believe that God will hold true to His Word and heal this precious little boy!!!!! The devil is attacking this family, but we will NOT stand for it.

Again, thank you for sharing in our joy. And thank you for praying with us for the healing of our nephew. We cannot wait to share the good news of his healing with you over the next few months (he is due in June).

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Poppy gave Colten a house building kit for Christmas. So Daddy and Colten worked hard one afternoon and put the little house together. I even got a little involved and laid a few bricks myself. The house was certainly not the greatest looking piece of architecture around, but it was a lot of fun to build. What was even more fun was when we decided that it wasn't worth living in and we needed to do an "extreme makeover" Colten style!!!! Here is a video of our Extreme Makeover. This little army tank is one that Granny and Papa gave Colten for Christmas. Although you can't see it very well on video, the tank shoots plastic bb's. So we blasted the house first with those, then Colten ran smack over it and finished it off. Needless to say, we had a "blast" making this video, LOL!!!!!!

Daddy's hat

This picture is really special b/c it is taken in a hat that Shawn has had since before Colten was born. I have a picture of each of our children in this hat. The other two pics are not digital, so I can't put them on here without a lot of work (besides that, they are in storage). But I know that the grandparents in Georgia will remember this hat and the pictures of Colten and Mahala in this same hat. It's kind of a silly tradition, but it is special to me. I know that our kids will always remember their Daddy wearing the hat, so I definitely want to keep up with these pictures.

Update

I forgot to update everyone on Anastacia's first tooth. She now has three teeth coming through and one more that is right at the surface. The bottom left incisor came in first, then the top left. Next the bottom right came in and now we are waiting on the top right. My baby girl went from a toothless grin to 3 teeth within just a couple of days!! She still isn't eating anything other than baby food - she seems to be sensitive to texture. And she thinks she has to have bananas at every meal. If I don't offer her bananas as part of the meal, she gags on everything else - go figure! Anyway, just wanted you all to know.

Relaxing at home

Here's us just sitting around relaxing. Anastacia is really learning to crawl - she is quick! Mahala is always learning - teaching herself on video games or asking questions or writing on the dry erase - she is so inquisitive and intelligent. Colten is goofy as always - he loves to make us all laugh. And Shawn acting like himself. Of course, I had to get my bit in at the end....long video, but I know the family will love it!!

First tooth

Anastacia has cut her first tooth - FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited!!!! Let me tell you how it happened. It happened two nights ago. The whole family was sitting in the living room praying before we went to bed. I was holding Anastacia while Shawn prayed (he always goes last b/c we go in order of age and rank, LOL). So, I was letting Anastacia gnaw on my chin cause she loves to do that and it keeps her quiet - otherwise she tries to pray at least as loudly as the person who is supposed to be praying at the time. Shawn was almost to the end of his prayer and Anastacia was happily gnawing on my chin when all of a sudden I felt something sharp hit my chin. I pulled back and felt in her mouth and sure enough, there it was!!! She cut her first little tooth right on my chin!!! It is her bottom right incisor - I think that's what it's called. The tooth on the very front of her mouth. She looked like she was really proud of it. So Shawn was still praying and I just start laughing out loud. Well, if he wasn't winding down already, he was then. So he said "Amen" and then he and Colten want to know why I am laughing. (Mahala had already fallen asleep beside me, so she didn't even find out until the next day.) So I told Shawn and Colten and they went and washed their hands and came to feel the tooth. We were all very excited b/c hopefully this means that her erratic sleep patterns will come to an end. It looks like the one next to it is trying to come in, too. So hopefully it will pop through as well and give her some relief. She has been chewing on everything, drooling everywhere and her nose is running like crazy. Not to mention she has been a bit needy and irritable at times.

Yay for Anastacia - another milestone for her in less than a week. Busy little girl!!!!

Her first "steps"!!!!!!!

Anastacia has started crawling!!! So far, the steps I recorded on this video are the most she has taken at one time. She has just been taking 1 or 2 at a time and then she took about 4 on this video!!! We are so excited that we were able to get it on video so that we could share it with everyone. The most exciting part is at the very beginning, but the rest is cute, too. The video is about 3 1/2 minutes.