Amazing Grace: Thanksgiving in January:)

Have you ever just had a heart so full it left you speechless? Have you ever looked around at all that you have and realized how abundantly blessed you are? Have you ever stopped and thought of how BIG your God is and it made you feel so small? Have you ever thought to yourself, surely this is all a dream and I'm going to wake up soon? Those are some expressions of how I've felt lately. When I am in a moment...living it...breathing it...and I realize the capacity of it. This man...laying in this bed reading this book to this baby before bed...this man...this is who God picked for me...to spend my life with. This man...whose smile can stop our baby from crying by simply smiling his big-hearted smile at her...this man is my forever. And then....I have this baby...who can light up my heart with her giggles. My baby...who grabs my finger and holds on tight when she's drinking her bottle or falling asleep...this baby who looks at me with her big blue eyes and makes me feel like there will never be anyone in the world that she will need and love like her mommy. These two are who God created and planned to be my family. I just couldn't be more blessed than I am.

The time that I had at home during my maternity leave was the most time that Nick and I have spent together in our almost 7 years of being together. In the middle of the chaotic days and sleepless nights with a newborn baby we had moments and memories that strengthened our bond with each other and with The Lord. We got to know each other like never before! More conversations about anything and everything...middle of the night talks during bottle feedings and diaper changes. I felt an intimate closeness to him through the time that we had together and what we experienced. I saw him even more as a strong man...a man with a firm faith and foundation of who he is in Christ and a man that is the leader of our family. He's taken on a new role since Lilly has been born and it has been incredible to sit back and see the transformation that God has begun. It melts my heart every night when he reads her a story before she falls asleep and then we take turns saying our prayers together as a family. Time at night that used to be nonexistent for us because of busy work schedules or simply the fact that we didn't take the time to do these things together before. I cherish these moments. These memories that we are making...that we are living every single day.

A few weeks ago he went to pick up dinner from Fatz for us that we called in and when he came back Lilly was napping and I was in her nursery organizing her clothes. He brought our food in there and we sat in the floor of her nursery and had a "dinner date". It will forever be a favorite and unforgettable date of mine for sure!! The little things. The things that we used to take for granted we cherish more than ever now. God has revealed so much to us through giving us our special gift...our miracle baby. I can't imagine being any more blessed than I already am. My heart overflows with the love and gratitude that I have for my God...my Savior...who loves me so much and I could never thank Him enough for everything!!:)

I love this statement because the truth of it just oozes out to me! Much more than I deserve...me...sinful...pitiful...selfish...me. He sees past who I see in the mirror...my flesh...my failings...daily I fail Him...oh how I fail Him. He convicts my heart time and time again..I ask forgiveness and seek His help in transforming my heart and my life to be like His. He forgives me. He begins a work in my heart and speaks to me through His word, family, friends, a devotional, or even a song. I don't deserve any of this. BUT he sees me as WORTHY. He loves me despite my shortcomings. He knows my heart. And even though there are so many times that something I think, say, or do doesn't match the immense love that I have for Him...He sees past it. He knows me. He loves me. He forgives me. And oh how He blesses me! Even through the ooey gooey times...you know the sticky ones...the ones filled with tears or anger. He doesn't leave me 'stuck' for long in a sea of selfish pity...I turn to Him and He reaches down and picks me right up and He carries me for as long as I need Him to. He points out how whatever situation or circumstance brought on the tears can be found as good. Someway. Somehow. There is good through it. Because He is good.

I just want to make sure this blog post is seen as what it should be. Sure my life is wonderful right now...I'm married to the man of my dreams and we have a beautiful, healthy baby girl. It couldn't possibly get any better! BUT there are times when it seems a little less perfect...when things are coming apart at the seams. And no I am not always quick to turn to Him and ask for help or to see the good through a sad or angry or disappointing or frustrating moment...but it doesn't take long for me to realize where to turn to get my strength from. I can't do it on my own. I have to choose to thank Him even through those rough patches. Through the times that I don't understand the how or why He's allowing certain things to happen. It's not an option for me to 'get it' or not...I just have to relinquish my control and realize He has a plan and it is far better than anything I can see or imagine. I have to choose to thank Him through ALL things...He will bless me through it all.

This song is perfect reminder to see God's hand in everything and realize there are blessings in every situation.

"Blessings" by Laura Story

Some of our life captured in pictures over the past few weeks...

How I found Lilly when I picked her up from daycare one afternoon:) She LOVES to swing!

Happy baby when she gets home and sees her daddy:)

Snoozin' with her daddy!

It's a top knot kinda day:)

Hanging out with Mr. Ducky:)

Getting in some Lilly time with daddy:)

We sent these pictures to the Allen Clowns...meant especially for Uncle Jake because he always sends us pictures of ducks he's hunted and killed...so we told him that Lilly wanted to know when she could go hunting with him;-)

BUT I think she loves ducks too much to hurt them;-)

Just because I LOVE her chunky feet!!

That face:)

Too sweet!! Getting cozy with her daddy:)

14 Weeks...where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday...

Oh my....she's just too stinkin' cute:)

Just a talking!!

Giving away her kisses to her daddy!:)

This is who we say she looks like when she has on her top knot headbands!:)

Aunt Jemima!:)

Lilly's first trip to Copper River! Date night with JoJo and Poppy:)

JoJo was in deep conversation! I am sure Poppy was saying something to aggravate her! Haha!;*)

Lilly, what would you like to order?!?

Sweet smiles!:)

He's a very proud grandpa!!

Poppy took this picture of her! Just beautiful!!

JoJo eating and Lilly was snoozing:)

After dinner we surprised Nanny Bob with a visit from Lilly:)

Saturday morning...I called the doctor about her stuffy nose, coughing and sneezing. They wanted her to come in to be seen. Dr. Luci diagnosed it as a cold, but told us symptoms to watch out for in case it turned into RSV. Our poor baby girl. :( We were told to continue using the humidifier, use saline nose drops as needed and to keep her at an incline when she was sleeping to help her breathe. Despite being sick she was still a sweet, smiling, happy girl when her Great Aunt Kim and Great Grandma, Sandra came to visit her on Saturday.:)

I LOVE her toes!!:)

On the way to the doctor. :( Thank you Grana for my outfit that is just TOO cute!:)

So I wondered if we would be considered horrible parents...My mom had offered to watch Lilly for us so we could go on a date night because it has been FOREVER since we've been able to go out just us. This had been planned for about a week or so. My mom told us to go and Lilly would be just fine. So Nick and I got all ready and went to have dinner at The Peddler. Below is a picture of a little slice of Heaven on Earth...Peddler Pie!!! YUUUM!!!! We always go all out when we have dinner there! Jalapeno Poppers for an appetizer and then this delicious dessert to finish us off!

After dinner we went to see the movie, "American Sniper", which was excellent! I dozed off a few times, but I woke right back up because I didn't want to miss any of it!:) Below is a picture of us at the movie theater:) We hadn't been to a movie in a few years!!

When we got home I was pumping on one couch and I caught Nick snoozing on the other...but he opened his eyes before I took the picture.:)

Good Sunday morning from this bundle of LOVE!:)

Random Picture...I sent this to my friend Catherine to show her what I was snacking on last week in one of our meetings at school. This stuff is SO yummy! It is great and healthy and it gets in my chocolate fix! I eat it with bananas!:)

So we got Lilly ready Sunday morning and went to church for her second time! We decided to go to the traditional service at 9:30 this time instead of the contemporary service.:)

We just love her chunky legs and look how cute she looks in these tights!!:)

JoJo came and kidnapped her from us during the service and took her to Sunday School with her.

Then when she brought her back to us Kennedy and Mason got to meet Lilly for the first time! This is a picture of her holding Lilly:)

Sunday was a comfy clothes kinda day. She felt good at church and then afterwards she was kind of unsettled and just a little fussy. She took long naps most of the day, which I loved because we got in lots of extra snuggle time!! I'm ready for her to start feeling better!!:(

As the day went on she started feeling better! This was playtime with daddy and Mike the Monkey!:)

Just hanging out with mom:)

Sunday*Funday!

Nap time for this precious angel!

Holding onto my finger...nothing better in all the world!!:)

A tribute to Martin Luther King. Jr. What a great man of faith who stood for so many wonderful things!!

So profound! KEEP MOVING!!:)

Thank you MLK for pursuing your dream and risking your life to see that it would come true!:)

This is deep right here! Definitely truth behind those words!

Yes it is! Faith is believing in what you can't see!

This is one of my most favorite quotes! Choose to LOVE!!!

MONDAY and NO SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!:):)

Look at who I get to spend the whole day with!!! Ahhh she melts my heart!!:)

I was tickling her and trying to get a giggle out:)

There's that smile!!

Ohhh wee my baby is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!!:):)

Just because she is just TOO cute!! Look how good she was holding her head up! Mommy's big girl!!

It was so nice outside so we got ready and ran some errands on our day off with our sweet girl!:)

She was really interested in her pink cowboy boots! Thank you MiMi for my precious boots!:)

Big blue eyes!!!:):) She gets her big eyes from me..but the color should change. Nick and I both have hazel eyes and so do our parents.:) BUT for now she is a beautiful blue eyed baby!:)

LOVING this outfit!!! (I can't remember who bought it for her...it was from one of the baby showers.) I was so excited that the weather was warm enough in JANUARY for her to wear it because it's size 3 months and she's just about too big to wear her three month clothes now. :(