Some New Pics

This is a pic of Rowan's first bath! I think he liked it!


Carpenter and Sadie love playing in the ball pit. Especially when they dump all of the balls out. As you can see, I buzzed Carpenter's hair! Don't worry it will grow out! I just couldn't find the time to go get it trimmed without me taking 4 kids!

Marley had to do a Indian/Pilgrim project. This is a pic of our finished project! Thank goodness Jon is an artist! I have no art talent!



Carpenter's class got to trick or treat at downtown businesses in Fountain Inn. We had a lot of fun! I was so glad that Jon could come because I did not know how I was going to have three little one's with only a double stroller!

My First Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen reasons why I love being a mom:

1. I love doing the laundry and finding stuff in my kids pockets. I remember the first time I found something in Marley's pants pockets. I was like she is really growing up and I will have to check pockets from now on. I have found: coins, flowers, rock, suckers, and my favorite melted chocolate candy!



2. I love watching my kids play together. They love each other! And I hope that that bond will continue to grow as they get older.

3. I love being able to look back and see how great our mother's are. You take on a whole new understanding when you become a mother. I think it helps you appreciate your mother even more. I know I feel that way about my mom and Jon's mom, Suzanne.

4. I love changing three kids at the same time in diapers. We are in size 5, 3, and newborn! I don't even want to think about how much they cost. I need to work on potty training when things calm down a little. But I don't think it will be calming down anytime soon. I better make a start date and stick to it!



5. I love seeing the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the personal savior to our kids. What greater joy can you experience, than seeing them ask for forgiveness and take up their cross and serve Jesus. Marley has accepted Christ, we are just waiting on her to walk down the aisle to be baptized. We are not pushing her, just praying she will get up enough nerve.

6. I love not getting any sleep! I wonder if I will ever experience sleep again! Sleep in the sense of sleeping the whole night through and not having to worry about anyone else in the morning.



7. I love having a mini-van. I never in my life thought I would own a mini-van. But with four kids you kind of have to have one. Hello my name is Stacey O. Long and I am 26 and own a mini-van. Next we will either have to get a SUV or mini-bus. I can see me picking up Marley as a teenager in my mini-bus. She would die of embarrassment.



8. I love taking our family out and about. I know it sounds chaotic and it usually is. Going out to eat or going to the park is an adventure with so many little one's. And sometimes after we go out to eat Jon and I are like why did we even attempt that. But it's fun to take the kids out and experience new things while trying not to get your tea poured all over you!

9. I love that all of my kids have a unique personality! I love seeing it develop, grow, and change. They make me laugh, cry, and smile in all that they do. Marley is sweet and gets tired of being the oldest sometimes. Carpenter is really caring and hates to see his sister's get hurt or in trouble. Sadie is hilarious and loud. Rowan, we'll we can't wait to see what he will be like.

10. I love that God has given me this wonderful opportunity to be a mother. When the preacher came to visit Rowan he left us with these verses. "Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them" Psalm 127:3-5. I had never heard that verse before about having a quiver full of children.



11. I love cleaning up the same toy mess over and over again. I have two cleaning times. I clean when the kids go down for a nap and after they go to bed. Please come and visit us during these times so my house looks presentable. My house is not perfectly clean, far from it. But I enjoy the time I spend playing with them!

12. I love being apart of the mom club. I love the mother's at our church and my friends that are mothers! I love being able to ask how they are doing and ask for advice. You just feel this sense of community and that we all care about every one's children!

13. I love being able to see Jonathan be a wonderful father. They all love being with their dad. Sadie asks me 40 times a day, "Where is dad-da?" Jon works hard so I can stay at home with the kids. I love seeing the kids faces light up when he comes home and love seeing how happy Jon is to see the kids. I love you, sweetie!

Life With 4 Children

Thank you to everyone for the prayers and words of support! Everything seems to be going well. It is back to the usual busy schedule of the Long family. I am the taxi driver and I love every minute of it!

Rowan is doing so well! He is eating a whole bunch. More than any of my other babies! He gained a pound and grew an inch in 2 weeks! He is still in the eating/sleeping stage but I talk to him as much as I can when he is awake. Everyone loves to hold Rowan. Carpenter and Sadie kiss him on the top of his head all of the time. Whenever Rowan cries(which he doesn't do often) Sadie says "Uhhhh- Ohhhh!!!"(this is in a loud yell, which is her normal voice tone). Marley is a wonderful help, I don't know what I would do without her!

For everyone out there who will have another baby, keep the sex of the baby a surprise. I can not tell you how wonderful and exciting it was in the delivery room. I was so excited to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. Jon was dying to know! It was just a really special moment that I would recommend to anyone! I can't even describe the feeling.

Jonathan came up with the name Rowan about a week before his birth! And it was a name that we both liked! I was shocked because I usually like to come up with the names. I came up with Marley and Carpenter. And Jon came up with Sadie and Rowan, so I guess it is fair! Then, Rowan's middle name Calvin is after my late grandfather, John Calvin Owens.

Please pray that I will be able to give each of the children special time of their own as well as wonderful family time together. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family, it is what Jon and I have dreamed and prayed about. We wanted to have a big family. We love seeing God's children grow and seeing their personalities develop. Jon and I were talking about "our" children last night and that their not ours their God's. And how exciting it is to pray for them and how we can't wait for all of them to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior. And to see how they grow spiritually and learn to serve God where He sees fit. What a blessing children truly are from the Lord!

Rowan Calvin Long

It's a BOY!!!!!

We are excited to introduce everyone to our beautiful new son, Rowan Calvin Long. He was born on October 3 at 4:24 pm! He weighed 6 lbs and 10 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long.

Rowan is such a sweet baby. Everything is going great, but I am only eight days in as a mother of 4. Jon and I are enjoying every second of it! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family of our own!

Here is a quick slide show of Rowan. You can also find more picture of him at Kelly's blog on the October 3 date. And you can also look at my mom's pics.

I will post more about Rowan's birth later when I have more time! Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support!

Buddy Walk 2007!!!

Thank you to all our family and friends who were able to come out and celebrate Buddy Walk 2007! It was a beautiful afternoon at Furman University! We really had a great time with everyone! I hate I didn't get to speak to all the wonderful families we knew! But it seemed like everyone had a great time!

We came to the walk a little early and had a picnic prepared by Gran and Pop-Pop. Then we all had a wonderful walk around Furman University campus. Next, we had a beautiful butterfly release! The kids loved seeing all of the butterflies! We went to the duck, swan, geese, turtle pond afterward and wrapped up our wonderful Buddy Walk day!