Family Updates

My Baby is ONE

April/January 20, 2017/ Leave a comment Edit"My Baby is ONE"

Almost a month late, but still…

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My sweet Emma, how I love your cheeks and silly faces!

Your first year has flown by, and I’m humbled to have watched every move up close. We spent your first birthday in Florida with mommy’s family, and you were able to share your first party with your Great Grandma, Caryann (a.k.a. Mema).  It was a Minnie Mouse themed party with pizza, cake and lots of second cousins & extended family! 

You cut your first two teeth this month, right before your birthday!  You are weaned, but still enjoy mommy “comforting” you when you’re tired, though it doesn’t happen often.  You’re drinking whole milk these days, but it has to be slightly warm from a bottle.  If it’s straight from the fridge, you’ll throw it down. 

Music is your favorite.  You love instruments and songs and dancing.  I cut your bangs for the first time this month because they were falling in your eyes every day.  I basically botched them, but they’re already growing back!  You’re full-on walking this month, but still a little tipsy.  Shoes are a new discovery. They seem to hold you back a bit, but you’re learning to deal with them. You needed them on our trip in the cold weather!

Your schedule and sleeping arrangements got all messed up on our month long trip, but I’m confident you’ll snap back.  You tolerate way less from your sister these days, screaming and shouting if she takes something that you’re playing with (which sadly happens often).

You LOVE, LOVE, LOVE animals and get really excited to see them, cats and dogs especially… You can sing Wheels on the Bus, Pat-a-Cake, & If You’re Happy and You Know It. It’s really cute when you try to do the motions. You still love to eat.  You learned how to give an open-mouth kiss, and it’s super sweet.  You also give hugs (sometimes). You still suck your thumb when you put yourself to sleep as well. There’s no holding you back when you see something you want! 

Can’t wait to see how the next few months play out with you as a toddler. You are feisty and sweet. You are so loved!

Here are a few pics of your birthday in Florida.

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Faith Family

A Fresh Start

April/January 17, 2017/ 1 Comment Edit"A Fresh Start"

I have a love-hate relationship with January.  In one sense, it’s a depressing time because the excitement of the holiday season is gone.  The Christmas decorations come down and get stored away, the festive music gets locked up in the audio vault clothed by a “do not disturb” sign until Black Friday, and I get weird looks from my husband if I turn on the Yule Log.  The waiting period is over.  Along with it, the growing anticipation of what’s to come.  And that’s just slightly depressing.    

But alas, time marches on.  I’m glad we hope in an everlasting God.

In our culture, January has become a time of hitting the reset button on all of our good intentions.  That’s the part I like.  No, we probably won’t reach all of our goals, but if you want a garden you have to plant one, right?!  

For me, January has become a time of reflection on the previous year’s events and setting goals for the year to come–both physically and spiritually.  As I ponder these thoughts, I have an overwhelming weight on my shoulders to “get it all right.” While I know this isn’t always true, sometimes it feels like there is no margin for error.  But isn’t that how we learn?  Isn’t that how we grow?  Isn’t that how God refines us?  Don’t worry, I’m still learning to give myself some grace.    

As we plan for the future, we want to be ready to face what comes; however, we also want to have a vision for our home and family. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish [or cast off restraint], but blessed is he who keeps the law.”  The vision has already been laid out for us in scripture, but we often forget and it soon becomes easier and easier to cast off restraint rather than keeping ourselves in check through the power of the Holy Spirit.

As the girls get older, it is very important to me and Mike that we cultivate a God-centered home.  A home that seeks to honor Christ with our decisions, our finances, our words and our actions.  A home that strives to love God with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strength. We want to be intentional about investing into the lives of our children and sowing seeds of the Spirit.  Seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness & self-control.  Not only sowing them, but cultivating them by keeping them watered and weeded.  By surrounding ourselves with like-minded people who will re-enforce not only God’s grace, but also his law that was created to make us aware of our sin.  We want to teach them about perseverance when they’re tempted to take the easiest path, about striving for perfection [because that’s what we’re called to do], and about repentance when they don’t reach that status [because they won’t]. We want to teach them about God’s redeeming grace that does what we can’t do ourselves.

Above all, we want them to know the one true God.  We commit to pray for their souls, and that God would begin to prepare their hearts to love him.  Our desire is to glorify God with our lives in hopes that they will one day live for Him as well.  We hope to be an example to them, and a light to the lost and wandering souls around us.  

Those are some big goals.  But with God’s help (and some accountability), that’s what we’re striving for in 2017.  What are some of your goals?