Sophia's a TODDLER!!

Sophia took her first steps tonight!!! She was hanging out with Daddy & he turned her around to face me. She was standing pretty well on her own, so I started coaxing her to come to me. Before we knew it, she was taking a step... then two steps... then THREE before jumping into my arms! She was SO proud of herself as we began to cheer for her. It was such a proud, proud moment for us. We are so excited that we had the blessing of watching our baby girl take her first steps.
 



 

Steady, steady... GO!!

 

 

So, so excited!!

 

 

If this isn't a happy face, then I don't know what is!!

 

 

She was so proud of herself... which made the whole situation even more precious.

 

 

How awesome to be able to share this moment together! After crawling at school for the first time (and taking well over a week to share the new skill with us), we were thrilled to be here with her for this! With only TEN days until her 1st Birthday, I'll admit... I cried as I rocked her to sleep tonight.

 

HOW DID SHE GROW UP SO QUICKLY?!

2012... What a Year!

This year has brought more joy to our lives than we ever dreamed possible. We reflect daily on our many blessings & we are left in awe. I thought it would be most appropriate to blog my favorite snapshots of the year as words just cannot express what I'm feeling.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

... YAY!!!

October

November

December

Wow! What memories these pictures brought back! In 2013, we will celebrate Sophia's 1st birthday AND welcome Bennett into our home. Our lives were so richly blessed in 2012, and I cannot even begin to imagine what 2013 will hold for our family. Thank you to everyone who has shared in this year with us... we wish you a very happy 2013!



Sophia's 1st Christmas

 

I absolutely love, love, LOVE Christmas. I didn't know just how much MORE I would love Christmas with a child of my own. She is such a wonderful gift from God, and she truly helped me realize the real meaning of Christmas on an even deeper level this year.

 

 

Sophia enjoyed being able to FaceTime with each set of her grandparents while she opened a few of the gifts that they sent to her. We are very, very blessed to have family who love her so much.

 

 

She absolutely LOVED the clothes that she got. This leopard print dress (which was bought with her first birthday in mind) was such a hit that it got a big squeeze!

 

 

She had lots and lots of kisses and hugs for her new baby. This makes my heart smile... she is going to be an incredible big sister to Bennett!!

 

She has had a lot of fun with her new picnic basket... she gets a bite, then baby gets a bite. It is so fun watching her pretend. I love her imagination!

 

 

This cheesy smile melts my heart into the biggest puddle. What a doll!

 

Two of my favorite people... my little family couldn't be more perfect for me.

 

Sophia got a white Christmas!! What a special treat.

 

The greatest gift of all? The love this family holds for one another. Andrew, Sophia and Bennett bless my life beyond what I could have ever imagined. Each day I am filled with awe at what God has given me. I often tell myself that I do not deserve all of this, but I also do not take a single moment for granted. What a perfect first Christmas as a "new" family. My heart is overflowing!



Oh boy, oh boy!

We're having a boy!! At yesterday's ultrasound, it was very obvious that Bennett Ryan is the newest addition to our family. We are so happy, and we feel so blessed to have a healthy baby boy. As the mother of a sweet girl, many thoughts raced through my head... I thought I'd share them with you.

 

... YAY! I will have a momma's boy!

 

... Oh dear! What do I do with a BOY?!

 

... How are we going to decorate the nursery? Half pink, half BOY?

 

... What do we do about the PINK carseat we registered for? Why weren't we smarter about that?

 

... A BOY!!! We're having a BOY!

 

... This is PERFECT! Sophia needs a brother to even out the playing fields- she's a bit dramatic.

 

... Oh my goodness. We have SO MUCH to teach Bennett about being a true man.

 

... I'm so thankful that Bennett will have such wonderful example of what a "true man" is from his father.

 

... We are BLESSED!!!

 

Many, many more thoughts have flown through my mind over the last 24 hours, but these all came within minutes of finding out who I'm carrying. All joking aside, I am already praying that we are able to teach Bennett how to be a man of integrity. A man of wisdom. A man of God.

 

I hope to instill in him many of the characteristics his dad possesses. I am married to the greatest man I know, and I pray we are able to raise Bennett to be that same kind of man. It's a lot to pray about! Society and families NEED more men of character... so, as a mother, I have already begun to pray for wisdom when it comes to parenting him.

 

When it all comes down to it, I know God will guide us every step of the way as long as we seek His will. I am so excited to welcome Bennett into our home. He is EXACTLY who our family needed.

 

Thank you, Lord! We are blessed.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

 

This dish was always a favorite of mine growing up. My mom was kind enough to share the recipe with me when I ventured off on my own, and I'm happy to share it with all of you as well!! I hope you love it as much as I always have.

 

Ingredients:

 

1.5 cups milk

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups shredded cheese

10 ounces fresh spinach, steamed and drained

1/2 pound cooked bacon, cut into small pieces

2 deep dish pie crusts

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Preparation:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Combine ingredients and fill pie crusts.

 

Bake 40 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

 

Tip from Mom:

 

Cover the edge of the crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent from burning them.

 

Yum!!

 

 

 

Side note... this dish can be made with virtually any vegetable, meat, or cheese that you desire. Be creative!

 



Pan-Glazed Chicken with Basil

Wow! The recipe was a winner. Each member of my family gave their stamp of approval, so I wanted to share it with all of you!

 

Ingredients:

 

6 skinned, boned chicken breast halves

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Salt

Balsamic Vinegar (I used Rachel Ray's Balsamic Drizzle Balsamic Reduction)

Honey

Basil

 

Preparation:

 

Lightly sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt, vinegar, and garlic salt.

 

 

Place in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle generously with balsamic reduction and honey. Sprinkle lightly with basil. Cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

 

Turn chicken. Drizzle generously with balsamic reduction and honey. Sprinkle lightly with basil. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is done.

 

Once chicken is thoroughly cooked, add almond slivers. If you wish, drizzle with balsamic reduction and honey again. Allow almond slivers to simmer in balsamic reduction and honey for no more than 5 minutes.

 

Remove from pan and serve!! The balsamic reduction and honey create a very tasty & rich glaze for the chicken. I served it with my roasted Brussels sprouts... which you can find here. It was a delicious combination. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did!



Merry Christmas, Sophia!

Woah- you read that right! Sophia got her Christmas present from us tonight. We were planning to purchase her a play kitchen. The one we had picked out was roughly $106, but it was on sale this weekend for $86. Being on the Dave Ramsey plan, we cringe when we spend money. Well... today we were at the mall walking, and when we were making our rounds through Burlington, we saw the cutest play kitchen for $20!! TWENTY DOLLARS!!! We couldn't pass it up.

 

Sophia doesn't have any toys that she can pull up on right now, and she has made a haul already with gifts from her grandparents, so we thought it would be best to give it to her now. You see, she is becoming very mobile and wants to stand allllllll the time. It only made sense.

 

So, while she napped...

 

 

Andrew assembled the cutest little kitchen for our little love.

 

He also made sure it was nice and secure so she can safely pull up on it. We decided it only made sense to put it in the kitchen so she could cook like Mom Mom and Daddy.

 

When she got up, we wished her an early Merry Christmas and introduced her to her new toy.

 

She busied herself with exploring her new kitchen.

 

She cooked up a yummy snack to enjoy.

 

 

Overall, she LOVES it!! It is absolutely perfect for our little bug. She is going to spend a lot of time here, I can already tell. Now... have no fear, I'm sure she'll have a thing or two more under the tree from her Mom Mom and Daddy.



Baby Update

Wow! Life has gotten so crazy & my camera and blog have taken up residence on the back burner. This is sad!!! Sophia keeps us so busy... and so do our jobs. I will do my best to take more pictures & update more often in the coming months. Bear with me!

 

I thought I would update you on Baby Two.

  

We are both doing great!!! This little bug was all curled up & facing away from us during the ultrasound, but that gave us a perfect view of a strong, beating heart! I think this little side-sleeper is absolutely precious!! The doctor said that the baby looks great with a heartbeat of 171, and she was amazed at how great of shape I'm in after having Sophia only 8 months ago. She said I'm in better physical shape now than I was then. YAY for a stringent workout!

 

I have not been taking belly pictures... I know, I know. Shame on me. I'm already starting to show. It seems as if I'm about 4 weeks ahead of where I was with Sophia. Hopefully it slows down as I get further along! I've not gained any weight though, so that's a good thing! We are doing our best to eat healthy & stay active... although, a busy schedule and fatigue get in the way of exercise sometimes!

 

I am currently 11 weeks along, so only a few more weeks before the beloved second trimester is here!! YAAAAY for that! We are in awe every day at the amazing blessings God has given our family. It seems so surreal that we should be deserving of these children. Just when we think our hearts are filled to the brim, God allows them to expand even more.

 

Life is GREAT!



New Addition!!

 

That's right! If you missed my post on Facebook, we are expecting again!! Sophia is going to be a "big" sister, and we couldn't be happier. I thought I would address some questions/comments here...

 

When are you due?

My tentative due date is April 28, 2013.

 

How far along are you?

6 weeks and 2 days... to be precise.

 

Was it planned?

Well, yes, I'm almost positive God planned for this child. ;-)

 

It's so soon!

Yep! And we're very, very excited about that. We want a big family... but, we also want to enjoy retirement & an empty nest someday. ;-)

 

Fingers crossed for a brother for that big sister!

Well, nope... a little sister would be wonderful as well. A baby brother would be fantastic too. Heck, maybe one of each? In all seriousness... gender does NOT matter to us one bit. We are just so blessed to have this little life... and we will be thrilled with a boy... or a girl.

 

You're going to be exhausted!

Aren't all parents? We'd rather not get out of "baby mode"... why not do it now while it's fresh in our minds?

 

Two in diapers!

Yep. Expensive. Good thing we're on the Dave Ramsey plan, huh?

 

CONGRATULATIONS!

THANK YOU!!! We're so, so, so excited! Even more importantly, we are so blessed. We do not deserve all of the blessings God gives us. We are thankful.

 

What a blessing.

AMEN!

 

... and my favorite:

"My advice...let God bless your family as many times as he sees fit. His plan is always perfect!"

Well said, Chara. Well said.

 

Seriously, though, we really appreciate all of the well-wishes, prayers, and support you have sent our way. Please keep our family in your prayers. I forgot just how scary the first trimester is after having a miscarriage with our first. As my husband so wisely says though, we are not guaranteed even another second with Sophia, so why should we live in fear? I take much peace in knowing that God holds this sweet little life in His hands.

 

Thanks again... we love you all!



Inviting, Obvious, Open

This summer, our church has been studying the book of Mark. It is an eye-opening book on how to be a true follower of Jesus. I have taken so many life-changing lessons from this series, but today touched me the most of all. This blog is going to summarize the sermon today... I wish I could take credit for what I'm about to write, but Pastor Steve McEuen is the mastermind behind it all.

Let's look at Mark 10:46-52 where it is written, "Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means 'son of Timaeus'), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him.' So they called to the blind man, 'Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.' Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 'What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked him. The blind man said, 'Rabbi, I want to see.' 'Go,' said Jesus, 'your faith has healed you.' Immediately, he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."

In this passage, Bartimaeus is desperately seeking Jesus. He is crying out to him, sure that only Christ himself can heal his ailments. Sadly, Jesus's disciples have taken it upon themselves to be his "entourage" instead of his followers. Feeling they have to protect him from the lowly people along the side of the road, they holler for Bartimaeus to be quiet. His persistence pays off, as Jesus turns his attention to Bartimaeus and ultimately heals him.

As for the disciples? How are they any different than the church today? Too often, we are trying to "protect" God from all of the sin in this world. Instead of welcoming those desperately crying out to Him, we are turning them away with our sideways glances, our scorn, our words, our actions, our inattention, our ignorance... the list could go on and on and on. The church should be the very place that ANYONE can turn to when they need to seek love, peace, guidance, help, acceptance... you name it. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Van Gogh painted "The Church at Auvers" during his last year of life. Van Gogh desired to be a part of the ministry himself, but he was turned away time and time again. As someone who suffered from a mental illness, he was not "church material" in the eyes of his community.

Study this painting closely. What do you see?

In this painting, the church is cast with dark shadows. Death has consumed this church. Another eye-opening oddity? There is no entrance to this church. It is completely closed off to the outside.

How often are churches today guilty of closing out the world? How often are we guilty of turning away those who aren't dressed the "right way"... or listen to different music than we do... or have tattoos... or live their lives differently than us?

Too often.

We are called to be INVITING.

We are called to be OBVIOUS.

We are called to be OPEN.

Jesus has not called us to be his entourage. He does not need protection from ANYTHING. He is sovereign over ALL the Earth. We are called to be the entry point into His church. The love of Christ needs to be obvious in our lives. How we act, what we say, everything we do needs to reflect Christ. Lastly, we need to be open to those God places in our lives. If we close out those who are different, we just may be closing out those who are desperately seeking God's healing grace.

Wow! What a lesson to take in. I choked over many of his words. When reflecting on my own life, I have realized that I often close out those who I should be opening up to the most. I realize that we are all sinners, but to turn someone away from the very place they should go to seek refuge is appalling. I often get caught up in life's petty trial, fallacious gossip, undo stress, and so much more. What is this doing to better God's kingdom? Nothing. What is it doing to detract from the very one who can heal? Everything. What can I do to be a follower instead of a part of an entourage? Pray.

I want to be inviting.

I want to be obvious.

I want to be open.

Who's with me?