Good & Perfect Gifts

I really feel like this stage of life is charmed for us. No, we don't have a lot of money, but we never really expected to. No, we don't have a very big home, but we never really expected to. No, we don't have a lot of time to do all the things we would love to do, but we never really expected to. We seem to be exactly at the stage of life that we expected to be 6 1/2 years ago when we started this little family. Jobs, babies, busy lives, ministry, great friends, wonderful family, cheap dates, RedBox movies, diapers, coupons, renting, saving, saving, saving, some spending, road trips, pregnancy (for me, at least :), cooking, strollers & car seats, do-it-yourself repairs, clearance shopping, ... The list really could go on, but I'm tired of commas. I just say that to remind myself that my expectations can often determine my outlook. We entered our marriage expecting to start small. And we have. And we have loved it. Perhaps it's in looking back at this phase of life that I will remember all the joy and none of the hardship. I hope so. We have it so good. Not only do we not have to worry about our physical provision (God takes care of that for us), but we get to enjoy serving a God whose plans for us are bigger than a big house or a sweet car. We get to look forward to glorification. Wow. So, what do we have to worry about? If God is for us, who can be against us? No, my expectations aren't low, they're high. I'm still in the process of realizing that the best things in life really are the simple, free things :) I really do expect great things from a God that keeps amazing us.

I am so thankful for my husband who is sitting a few miles away in a crummy call center talking to frustrating people... thankful that he goes to work so I can stay at home & care for Elyse... thankful that he's faithful to God and to us... thankful that I'm pretty sure he's never been bored one minute in his life... thankful that he asked me out and thankful that he keeps charming the daylights out of me. I'm thankful that we love marriage and treasure time together. I'm thankful for the little pumpkin in the other room who's probably all wound up in her blankets as she dreams of pears and her stuffed bear. I'm thankful she smiles at me when I have totally botched something... I'm thankful that she forgives when I mess up & don't have a clue what I'm doing. I'm thankful that she IS in the next room. I'm thankful for this little baby that I'm feeling poke around in my belly tonight. I'm thankful that I can get the meds I need to keep this little baby poking around. I'm thankful for the anticipation of meeting this new little person. I'm thankful for a family that truly loves our God and lives for Him. I could embellish on that forever. I'm thankful for our church family that surrounds us with encouragement, edification and love. I'm thankful for Christ, who made it possible for us to come to the Father. Where would I be without Him? I'd have no joy in all the things I've mentioned. In Christ, I can give thanks in everything. I can even thank him for the washer that seems to be dying, the neighbor that's pesky, the savings account that doesn't grow as quickly as I'd like, and the loser that almost hacked into our bank account... Yes, life is good because God is good. I mean it when I say that I can't wait to see what God does in our family this year. My expectations are high.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

James 1:17

11 Months Old. Wow.

Well, my little sweetie is one month away from being 1 year old. Elyse seems to have changed so much this month in personality and development. No, she still has not become mobile. Hmm. We'll just see what happens with that :) I can now see so much more in her facial expressions. The looks of "innocence" when food mysteriously falls to the floor... the determination in her eyes when she insists on getting Daddy to look at her... I love these new faces. She has two new teeth since my last birthday post, and one more looks to be so close to coming through! I just have a great feeling that maybe it will choose Thanksgiving Day to bug her. Wouldn't that be fun? :) Elyse is definitely getting more determined to get what she wants to, as long as she doesn't have to move much to do it. I'm sure that will all change soon, but life is still pretty simple around here (for which I am thankful). She seems to be getting a bit pickier in the food department, and the only green she still likes is peas. Beans and broccoli are the new enemy. She's into laughing each time we put her down for a nap or for bedtime. I'm not sure how this has become a game...? I am cherishing each day I have with this little girl, and we are so amazed at how much fun she brings to our lives. I can only describe her as a true delight to us, and we thank God for her! Here are my traditional "fun's" and "not-so-fun's" for this month:

"fun's"

* Elyse is still working on being consistent with the "please" sign (yes, that means we're working on it), but we added "all done" and we're working on "more." Sometimes they all come out as a clap, but I don't care a bit :)
* She loves to "play" the piano, and though the noise is horrible, the look on her face is priceless!
* The time change has somehow worked some magic on her wake-up time- it's now 8am many mornings. What would I do with 14 hours of sleep every night? I get lazy just thinking about it.
* She can eat most foods by hand now, except for some slippery fruits :)
* She loves to squish the bumper in her crib down so she can put her arms and legs through the slats. ?
* "Mama" is quite frequent now, and she's starting to really convince me it's on purpose!

* She waves "hi" and "bye" 75% of the times we ask her :) Maybe 50%...

"not-so-fun's"

* She is quite independent. If we invade her personal space too much, she lets us know!

* She's into thrashing her arms around when she doesn't like something, especially getting her diaper changed. Not too charming.
* She isn't easily distracted from a toy anymore- if it's taken from her, she does have a meltdown :(
* She snubs (I'm putting that nicely) foods she doesn't like.
* Packing up all her baby clothes- it does make me want some more pink in our house someday :)

We love you, Elyse! And someday if you ever read this, just imagine us having to turn and laugh our heads off right after we scold you for some of the funniest things. I know it's only going to get worse, but we have to get a grip! :) Oh, my...

Surprise Getaway!

My husband left a little note for me after he left for work one day last week telling me that he was going to take me away for a night. His note was really cute, but he said we were just going somewhere in our own backyard. Yes, I missed the figurative aspect of that phrase, and immediately I pictured a small 4 person tent in our backyard, the baby monitor 12 inches from my head. Nope, I don't think so! Once I clarified that with him, I was actually quite excited! My sweet hubby took me to the Governor Dinwiddie Hotel in Olde Towne Portsmouth. The name of the hotel made me giggle, but the place was awesome! We had a great suite and perfect weather to walk around and catch the ferry over to downtown Norfolk for dinner. Jordan got to enjoy a whole lobster, and I inhaled a filet mignon at the charming Freemason Abbey. I promise I did chew! :) It was my first night away from Elyse, but I knew she was in very capable hands. Of course, I still had to confirm with Aunt Anneke that she was truly asleep before I could sleep peacefully, but it was a perfect night away. Yes, I was so excited to see my pumpkin the next morning, but our getaway was a lovely reminder of our "original" little family. I knew it was just what we needed when we came home ready to fight over who got to hold Elyse first! I'm so thankful Jordan & I are more in love today than we ever dreamed we could be 6 1/2 years ago. Every day gets better!

What's been soundin' good

This current pregnancy of mine has me wanting LOTS of carbs and NOT a lot of vegetables. It really has been a chore this time to make myself a salad or fix veggies. And believe me, it's not because I fail to have good food on hand. In fact, I am most motivated when I shop! Last year, I switched out all of our whites for whole wheats, and I only go back on rare occasions (eg. french toast!). I spend more time now shopping the perimeter of the grocery store (fresh and refrigerated), but now there are days when I return from the grocery store discouraged because I don't want to eat a BIT of what I bought! I'm determined to persist through this phase, though, knowing it will pass & knowing my baby's health is more important than what sounds good to me. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I begin craving spinach & carrot sticks again. *cough, cough* I have been feeling well, as long as I refrain from overeating (always a good thing!) and remember to eat something small at least every 2 or 3 hours. Here are some pictures of what's been tasting good to me (the salad picture is quite motivational to me). One is good, one is okay, and one is very, very, very bad :)

Who doesn't love a BLTCheese???

And my all-time new favorite, our version of the Canadian "Poutine." (FYI, please do not look that up in any search engine... take my word for it.) BUT, I'll tell you it's french fries, gravy and cheese. I mocked it for years until I finally tried it. I'm sorry, poutine! I will make it up to you! :)

This little piggy...

... stole our hearts :) Our community group met last night, and we had a great time outside in the 70-some degree weather. I know, strange! I remember trick-or-treating in South Dakota when I was little, wearing at least 50 layers. In fact, our costumes usually consisted of anything we could wear OVER our winter coats! This year, my friend Becca passed along an outfit her two adorable girls wore, and Elyse was Piglet. She didn't last in the costume all too long because of the heat, but we had enough time to snap some pictures. Cousins Eli and Shiloh were looking smashing in their costumes, and we even watched the guys bob for apples in the backyard. Wow, that was frightening. No candy for the munchkin this year, but Mommy made sure she ate Elyse's share, too. Isn't that nice of Mommy?