Teenagers in the Dart House

Y'all...There are teenagers in the Dart House!

Dear Genevieve and Isabella,

I can not believe that you are 13!  Where did the time go?!! Just yesterday we were flying in the minivan to the hospital to welcome you into this world.  Our "crazy love" for you has made it to its thirteenth year.  Your Dad and I are so proud of the young ladies that you are becoming.  We love to watch y'all becoming.  We have tried to make it slow, but there is no way to stop time.  In just a blink of an eye, you will be flying out of our little nest, like Cami and Ali did last August.  So while we have you for about 5 or 6 more years in our sweet little nest, I want yall to know this deep down in your heart, into your marrow, where it will be there always. 

First off, you are so LOVED.  Of course by your family, but especially by God.  You are the apple of His eye, He knows how many ringlets make up that wild head of hair of yours.  He sees and knows your hearts and wants more than anything for y'all to know His.  So girls, please always always always seek to Know Jesus.  Read your Bible daily, that is His love letter to you, and mostly pray daily.  When you know Jesus, you will fall absolutely in love with him, and always yearn to do his will in your life.  He knows what is best for you, pray to do His will daily, and lay your life on His altar daily.  Trust Him, be obedient, lean on him for understanding.  He will give you wisdom and courage, and love for others.  When you seek His beautiful face, the things of this world grows strangely dim. I am praying that God will set your hearts on fire for Him, and that you will always fix your eyes upon Him. He has great things in store for you, I just know it.

Study His word, because that is your sword.  Your defense when times get tough, and trust me, there will be tough times.  You will be able to not only defend your heart, but attack back with truth.  His loving  words, when buried down deep, will come flying up in a heartbeat when you feel worthless, sad, inadequate, scared, ashamed.  He doesn't just expect us to do this life on our own girls, His design was for us to look to Him for everything.  He delights in us when we look to Him, He smiles.  Don't you want to make Jesus smile?! Always be thankful and praise Him for the blessings that he bestows.  And remember there is always something to be happy about.

My prayer for you is that you will be used up for Jesus. We said goodbye to our favorite person on earth a couple of weeks ago.  Your sweet namesake, Evie, Geneveieve went to her heavenly home.  Her obituary said  that "she felt that her greatest purpose was to love each person with the love of Jesus. Because of her deep love of Jesus, her heart was always full of joy, her cup always running over and she bore much fruit." Both of you have specific purposes in this life on earth. I can name several things that He has gifted you with that has bubbled up to the surface.  One thing I see is how both of you are compassionate.  You stand up for people and love with all of your heart.  You both have personalities that are always cracking us up.  You make your little sisters and brothers laugh so hard, and there is never a dull moment in the Dart house because of Evie and Bella.  I see how you love on your siblings.  Like little mommas, you are sacrificial, putting their needs before your own.  You know how to turn a moment of strife to calm.  Evie has a fierce lion heart, like her aunt jessi, while you ,Bella, are gentle and laid back.   The same personalities from day one, just getting more pronounced and clear.  Evie, you wear your heart on your sleeve, there is nothing fake about you sister.  Bella, you can cheer up a troll.  True, happy hearted girls, bold and beautiful are y'all.  You are learning more and more about each other, and your bond has strong ever strong.  These teen years will be a roller coaster ride, but you must always know that love covers a multitude of sins.  Your love for each other, covers faults.  You are building friendships, learning responsibility and discipline with school, loyalty and camradarie with sports.  School, is not just for learning in books, it is a school of life also.  Y'all are passing.  You care, share, lift up and encourage.  This is more important to me than A's.  I don't care if you are the smartest student, the best athlete or the teachers pet.  My prayer for you is to be kind, and I know that you are passing that test.

The most important thing in this day and age, really in everyday and age, is to make sure that you put the Lord before everything: meaning every text message, every snap chat, every picture posted, every word said and all of your actions.  Let the Lord guide your steps, give him control of your life, lay it down on the altar.  He has already written your story out, so just trust Him, you know it is good. 

Thank you for being kind to me.  Thank you for supporting me in my tiredness, in my craziness, in my busyness.  Y'all are going to be great mommas and wives one day, I know it.  But for now, enjoy being just a teenage girl, having fun, and making the best of friends (with boys and girls).Enjoy life and be thankful.  I am so glad that you are mine.

David Patrick - Star Student

D to the P, Busta, David Patrick:

You are the star student this week in your kindergarten class!! Your teacher, whom you love and adore, the golden girl, Mrs. Shawn, asked me to write a letter to tell how much you mean to me.  So here goes, I don't take assignments like this lightly...

My Dear Busta Boy,

I am so glad that I have some time to sit down at the computer and write down how much you mean to me.  This has been a really fun, busy season of our lives.  Everything is happening so fast, like Evie and Bella, your little mommas, are 14, and are full blown teenagers, busy doing teenager stuff.  Adeleine, your little disciplinarian,  is 11, and is still full of spunk and hilarity. And Josie girl, 8, the one you bug the most, is as silly and goofy and brings us so much joy.  You are surrounded by little women.  You have handled it well, bud.  You mind your own little business, and try not to get in their way.  Although, you are turning into the little obnoxious brother lately, they just roll their eyes, laugh and love you anyway. You started Kindergarten this year and all of your sisters are in school with you also. Go wildcats! You have spent a lot of time hanging out at basketball gyms, getting dirty under the bleachers, mooching from the concessions stand, and socializing (roughhousing, having boxing matches) with the other little brothers.   I was so excited for you to start school, I watched with hope and joy as you walked confidently into your new classroom alongside your dad.  You have thrived under Mrs. Shawn, d to the p.  She also teaches you that you have a "Good Good Father." I am so thankful. I love how y'all sing that song during clean up. We have had so much fun watching you grow up into the fun, silly, rumbly, tumbly six year old boy that you are now.  When you came into our lives, into this girl house, you rocked all of our worlds.  Finally, after all of his little silly princesses, Dad has a little buddy to do stuff with, like sports, skin a buck, run a trout line, country boy can survive kind of stuff.  Camoflauge, hotwheels, Spider-Man, and lots of sound effect noises, came into this girl world.  You are such a breath of fresh air, a delight, one of our joys.  We are so blessed to have son, and a little brother. We have doted on you and you are the prince of our hearts.  You do this momma's heart good.  People always told me that boys love their mommas, and mommas love their boys. Genevieve was a great example of how boys and mommas love each other. You're my sweet boy. Curly headed, snaggle toothed, big brown eyed, freckles popping out, little poot. You love to snuggle and hug me more than my girls ever did.  You love your sisters and cousins, and your friends.  you rough house and fight (Ethan, Gray and SonSon, Deacon and especially your dad) just like a little boy should.  You are also learning how to jitterbug with your momma.....dream come true for me! You've got some serious soulja boi, dabbin' moves also. You get lots of greens for good behavior in class and yellow sometimes for "clowing around"! You have little hobbit feet because you don't like to wear shoes anywhere.  You are doing great in school, making lots of buddies, and we are so so proud of you!   You are such a gift to us, a blessing that we are so honored to shepherd while you are with us. 

When you were born, I prayed that you would have the character like David in the Bible, a man after God's own heart.  David was a gentle, tenderhearted boy who tended to his sheep, and protected them from prey (things that wanted to hurt, or even kill them). He was adventurous, and daring, wild.. I see this in you already....how you love your sisters.."patect girls", hold your sisters hands while walking through parking lots, gently love on Duke, and Shug, and the puppies, and especially how you are so sweet and kind and loving to Nevie Ba, your sweet baby cousin. A little gentlemen.   David, because he had BIG faith in God, was not afraid to face giants.  And because he trusted God, and knew that God loved him and was with him, he slayed a really big mean fierce giant (everyone else was so scared of this giant) and he saved a nation.  As you get older, Bud, you will have to face many "giants" in your life.  But remember that the same God that was with David, is also with David Patrick!!! He was and is and always will be.  So dad and I try our best to show you and tell you how much we love you everyday.  Somedays we fail miserably, and you might not feel so loved.  We will fail you, everyone will.  That's just how it is.  People will fail you, but God never will.  This is a lot for your little kindergarten heart to know and take in, but I want to write it down anyway. It is so important for you to know how much Dad and I love you, but it is the foundation of your life, your identity, to know how much you are loved by God. 

This is where you have to imagine a little.  There is a thing called the helmet of salvation. In the Bible, God tells us to put it on everyday. when we ask Jesus in our hearts, like you did....because we are his kids, He wants to protect us.  It is apart of a cool thing called THE ARMOR OF GOD.  you know how football players, iron man, and army guys wear things that protect them?  well, God wants us to wear things to protect us too.  God's kind of protection, protects our minds, hearts and souls..the upmost important parts of us.  To me the best part of the whole armor is the helmet.  You get to wear it when you become a child of God.  When you put it on, it protects you from lies from the devil. Lies are like flaming arrows shot by the devil, who wants to destroy God's kids.  But when you wear this.. it covers your mind....it reminds you that:

- you are a child of God, you have peace with God, The holy spirit lives in you, you have access to God's wisdom, You are helped by God, You are reconciled to God, You are not condemned by God, You are justified, you have Christ's righteousness, you are Christ's ambassador, you are completely forgiven, you are tenderly loved by God, you are the sweet fragrance of Christ to God, You are a temple in which God dwells, You are a blameless and beyond reproach, you are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world, you are a branch on Christ's vine, you are Christ's friend!, you are chosen by Christ to bear fruit, you are a joint heir with Christ, sharing his inheritance with him, you are united to the Lord, one spirit with him, You are a member of Christ's body, You are a Saint, you are hidden with Christ in God, you are chosen by God, holy and dearly loved, You are a child of the light, you are holy and you share in God's heavenly calling, you are sanctified, you are one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house, you are a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession and created to sing his praises, you are firmly rooted and built up in Christ, you are born of God, and the evil one cannot touch you, you have the mind of Christ, you may approach God with boldness, freedom, and confidence, you have been rescued from satans domain and transferred into the kingdom of Christ, you have been made complete in Christ, you have been given a spirit of power love and a sound mind, you have been given great and precious promises by God, all of your needs are met by God, you are a prince in Gods kingdom, you have been bought with a price, and you belong to God, you have been adopted as God's child, you have direct access to God through the holy spirit, you are assured that all things are working together for good, you are free from any condemning charges against you, you cannot be separated from the love of God, you have been established, anointed, and sealed by God, you are confident that the good work that God has begun in you will be perfected, you are a citizen of heaven, you are a personal witness of Christ's, you are God's coworker, and you are seated with Christ in the heavenly realm, you are God's workmanship and you can do all things through Christ, who gives you strength.

This is your helmet.  Isn't is awesome!! When you know all of this stuff about yourself, about who you are in Jesus, and because of Jesus, then you will have joy and peace and know how much you are loved. protected. You can tell the devil to "get that corn outta my face"!!!

This is only one part of the armor of God.  You will learn more about it and more about the other parts of the armor throughout your life.

It is my greatest responsibility as your momma for you to know this. For all of my children to know this... If you know how much you are loved by God, then you will be able to love others like Jesus.  That is the whole point of your whole story, my Busta.

I love you and I am so excited to watch your story unfold. It's going to be a good one. 
This is the prayer that I pray over you everyday:  May you be blessed my son David, you will do great things and triumph. 1 Samuel 26:25.  God's got big plans for you.

I love you,
Momma
                                                   

FINALLY - A BOY

My last day to ever have a baby inside of me! Bittersweet

Even his little hands look like little man hands!

David Patrick Dart, Jr.

one of our dreams came true!

We are still in shock! Our girl world is turned upside down, our hens nest is stirred up! A little 8 pound 6 ounce boy came into our hearts on December 16th!! That day did not go the way that I had planned at all!! On the way to the hospital David and I finalized the girl name that we had picked out - Evangeline.. we just knew without a doubt that our baby was another girl! The ultrasound tech, slipped up and said "her" several times during our ultrasound...so we felt that it was surely a girl... and after a hard labor, with a roomful of nurses, mommas and my doula sister Jessi, the baby came out and I heard a moment of silence, everyone waiting for Dr. Elbourne to flip over the baby for us to see, I heard very loud screams of joy - ITS A BOY!!! I didn't believe it. There was no way it could be true! BUT IT WAS TRUE! David, said it felt like he had won the superbowl and confetti should've been falling from the ceiling, all he needed was the ring. The minute HE was in my arms, there went my heart! I am so in love! A waiting room full of family and friends anxiously awaited the news, so we let our girls and our daddies lead the way into our room with family and friends following..then David announced very proudly that we have a SON! And more tears, hoots and hollers rang out, and our girls raced to our bed to see their new little brother. THEY WERE ALSO IN LOVE! That was the happiest moment, PURE BLISS!!

We praise God for giving us the desires of our hearts!

I had the best nurses and the best doctor ever! Everyone's hearts were so involved and everyone was so excited for us. It was definitely a party in room 1 in the labor and delivery unit! And when everyone cleared out and it was just a sleeping dad, me and the baby boy (around midnight) i finally got a chance really look at him, and then i couldn't look at him without crying. So many things ran through my mind like, his girlfriends and his future wife....oh man if they break his heart,,,ughghgh...and then they will have to meet some high standards of 5 women... he will have so much fun with his dad, David has so many plans..... oh my heart was and is so full!

We brought him home to a house full of anxious girls, who called us at the hospital about every 5 minutes wondering when we were getting home. They made signs and put them all around the house and in his room about how much they welcomed him and loved him and were glad that he was home. It was the best night!

ONE

MY BABY IS ONE!!!

THIS POST IS SO LATE...LIKE A MONTH....BEEN REALLY BUSY WITH BUILDING OUR HOUSE!! PRAISE THE LORD, IT IS ALMOST DONE, I MEAN WE HAVE SHEET ROCK FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD!!!!

OK SO ABOUT JOSIE BEING ONE....

I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FAST TIME FLIES....WASNT IT JUST THE OTHER DAY THAT I BROUGHT HER HOME TO OUR TRAILER WHERE 3 BIG SISTERS ANXIOUSLY AWAITED US ON THE FRONT PORCH..WHO CAME RUNNING TO THE SUBURBAN TRYING TO GET TO THEIR NEW BABY!!?!?!?! MY OH MY....ANY NOW..NOW SHE IS THE CUTEST LITTLE THING WHO WILL NOT WALK, SHE STANDS UP ALL PROUD AS CAN BE, BUT JUST CANT SEEM TO GET HER FEET TO STEP...SHE HAS SIX TEETH, THAT ARE STARTING TO HURT A BIT WHEN SHE STILL NURSES...YES SHE IS STILL NURSING...THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY HARD....IS IT BINDING OR BLESSING ME?!?!? I CHOOSE TO SAY THAT IT IS BLESSING ME, EVERYTIME I SEE HER LITTLE FACE RELAX AND LET OUT A BIG SIGH (LIKE SHE IS SAYING ..YEAHHH MY MOMMA..THANK YOU...) THAT JUST MELTS ME..HAHAH...THE LORD SURELY KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING!! HE IS THE BEST!!

THANK YOU LORD FOR MY LITTLE JO!! SHE HAS STOLEN ALL OF OUR HEARTS!!!

Little Tyke

cookies and curls

found a friend

I picked up the girls after school the other day and decided to invite McCaul and Hudson over....McCaul is in Evie and Bella's class at school and she is also on our tball team...well we had practice that afternoon so missy there mom met us at the ballfield that afternoon...well, I picked up mccaul's little sis who is addie's age also so that Addie could have a friend her age and wouldnt feel left out!!! BEST IDEA EVER!! they had so much fun playing and dressing up and they did'nt have to tagalong with the big sisters!!!!! Hudson and Addie will be in the same class also when they start prek in the fall (boohoo)...anyway here are some pics that i took of their fun day after school!