3 Years

We've only just begun a journey, and it gets better every day. There is extraordinary beauty found in a marriage focused on the Lord Jesus!

Hot Chocolate Treat

8 Months Old

This girl has learned a new skill: army crawling!

Nothing is safe! Lucy will roll, scoot, crawl and lunge just about anywhere. It's no wonder we have baby gates at the top of our stairs! :)

Her favorite word is still "dada", but she'll holler "aaaa" and LOVES to hear us say "HI!" in reply.

She sleeps about 12 hours a night, broken up around 1a.m. to eat.

She loves her cereal, and sweet potatoes! The flu has paused our exploration of new foods, but it's been fun to see her enjoy big people food a bit. :)

The last eight months have sped by, but Lucy Mae, our lives are incredibly blessed by you!

Not so Pleasant.

Well, today has been exhausting!

Lucy threw up before bedtime, during bedtime, and sometime in the night.

1:30 a.m. brought about Ava crying and throwing up.

It continued until 5:30 a.m.

It was gross, exhausting, yet exhilarating. Yay for teamwork! Scott and I tag-teamed. He slept on the couch with a sick baby while I cleaned up and held Miss Ava's head over a bowl every 20 minutes or so. Scott did loads of laundry so we could replace dirtied sheets. I washed the toddler's hair 3 times to get the gross puke out. Somehow we made it to morning.

The sickness isn't gone yet, but we'll get there.

Life is lived based on your perspective. (I love saying that word. It's kinda fun.)

My perspective, as a follower of Jesus Christ, must always be based on Him. I can be thankful for all things!

So this morning (because sometimes, in the moment, I forget to be as thankful as I could) I am thankful...

for little girls who want the strength of mommy and daddy to help them

for a strong man who didn't flinch in the face of vomit (not easy, folks!)

for the 2-hour nap I took while Lucy slept and Ava hung out with daddy

for coffee and the fact that I'm not sick.

for awesome cheesy-yet-super-fun old kids videos on YouTube (Brentwood Kids, anyone? I watched VHS!)

for extra cuddles

for sleep.

2012

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
While this is a bit belated, I'm glad to report it is a result of time spent with family and friends. I'm so grateful to have family that enjoys spending time together! I'm also grateful for Scott's family; for the dear people that are my family now, too. It is all because of God's goodness in our lives!
I took just a few pictures this year. I know there are more out there on other cameras, but here are some favorites:

Little Miss Ava was all about showing Miss Lucy how to properly tear paper.

But little Miss Lucy wanted to eat the paper more than anything!

We did a lot of traveling (and I didn't really take many pictures), but we had a great time! In the middle of the busyness we found time to rest and relax.
I married an amazing man!

Here's a fun comparison of 2010 and 2011: I see a pianist in the making!

We rang in the new year with my little sister and some good friends, and followed that up with friends popping in and out of our home the next two days. I love hospitality and filling our home with people! (Visitors are welcome anytime!)

My resolution for 2012 is no pop! I'm not an avid pop drinker but I do enjoy it every now and then! I'm thinking of extending this to other sugary foods but you know, one step at a time. ;-)

From my morning devotions today, may it bless you:
"Because You [God] have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice."
Psalm 63:7