These are my guys.
It's amazing to me that although I see them every day...ALL day long, I find I don't get tired of searching these faces.

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.~Irish Proverb

I think I'm pretty lucky to be two out of three to Matt;)

Ok, I'm baaaaack. The last year has been a busy, crazy at times, but full of blessings. Gently led, that is hitting the nail on the head. "He tends His flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:11.

We have not escaped hardship this year, but we have put our trust in the LORD, and His mercy has surrounded us. I'm not even going to try filling in the last several months, but I'll try to share some highlights. Seth , of course, rises to the top of the list this year. Seth has been such a huge blessing to our family. Matt and I have been having a total blast with this little guy. He is growing into quite a little character. He dances. I can't explain it, you will just have to watch the video.

Can you stand it?! If there is any sound that can be interpreted as music he finds the rhythm and moves! He's a really agreeable baby, so long as he gets fed on time;) and he has turned out to be such a Daddy's boy. "Da dadadadada..."

Ben is growing like a weed. Played basketball and baseball this last year, and is a self professed "Lego maniac" and we agree. Ben has so many Lego creations in fact, that he burst out of the "boys room" and has acquired his own room this month. (We subsequently lost our office) Jonah also played baseball, and (both boys) are doing well with piano lessons. Jonah is so patient with Seth and we call him the "Baby Whisperer". From the get go he has been able to capture Seth's attention and has afforded me little breaks throughout the day. Homeschooling is going well. We are all learning together how to navigate through lessons with a baby in the house. Rosetta Stone and Aleks math, both online, have been a new addition to our curriculum this year and it really has worked well for our new "baby" schedule. Above all, what stands out to me as I reflect on the past year is God's provision. His grace that is sufficient to meet our needs; emotionally, spiritually, financially...there is just no end to it. "And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." John 1:16

Merry Christmas

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Boy, oh boy, oh boy!

Things have been busy here at the Hooks home. Since the baby came (the same week little league started) we've been hitting the floor running it seems every morning. Life is good though, and I try to keep the perspective that all the diapers, laundry, and dishes are just reminders that I live with the ones I love the most in the whole world.

SoCal January Park Day

One of the greatest rewards of home schooling has been the beautiful friendships that we've made. This school year we have not been able to meet as often with our buddies for long park days, and it was so nice and encouraging to visit with these ladies for a few hours one unseasonably warm winter day. I felt recharged and ready to jump back in to our school schedule after Christmas break...Bring it on!

I can do all things with spellcheck!

I am so pleased to know I can be grammatically correct in sharing my random thoughts and in reporting the happenings of my family...whew! I had a lot more confidence in my spelling before home schooling. I think partly because I feel the pressure to always be correct, I AM the teacher..and partly because the boys ask me how to spell words I rarely, if ever have written or typed, like galactic, and millennium. Usually they ask while I am cooking, paying bills, or some other distractive task. They always ask with such a frantic urgency too that rattles my nerves. I tell them, come to me at a level 2 or 3, don't wait until your're at a 10!

Anyway, today is the second to last day of winter break (for school), and the first day of Ben's basketball practice, 64th day till Seth's due date, and four days till my dad's birthday. That should give you an idea of some of the happenings of the week, while I attempt to get some photos up for you and organize my thoughts...and get a snack or two...I AM 7 & 1/2 months along now and the demands are pretty high for snacks around here.