A little B update…

B has discovered that he can be like Ella and stand at the front door and watch the world go by…in this photo, the two were waiting for me to carry some groceries inside…it is almost as if they are cheering me on saying “Come on mom, go go go!”

 

It is official…B experienced his first “big kid” shopping cart ride…one Friday evening we took a family date to Central Market…after thoroughly disinfecting the cart…we strapped B in and his eyes immediately  lit up at everything that he could see and try to touch!

B was all smiles even when we got home!

We had to capture this moment because a woman at the grocery store commented that our entire family had matching shoes…thank goodness for warm toes!

In the past two weeks or so, B has discovered that he can stand up in his crib…this is the little face that greets us each morning and after nap time…notice the red forehead…B likes to sleep with his head facing down!

My dad and brother stopped in for a super quick visit on my brother’s way back to school…they joined us for our Saturday morning breakfast before hitting the road again…this was my parent’s last time to send a kid to school!  M, good luck with your last semester…we are praying for your big test!

Before leaving, B made sure to teach my dad how to type some emails…we found an old keyboard that B loves to play with…he plays on his while we type on ours!

We are still working on introducing B to a sippy cup…he likes to carry the cups around but hasn’t quite figured out how to get the water from inside the cup into his mouth.

 

This past weekend, B got to experience his first friend’s birthday party!  His friend, L, turned one!  There were some “older” kids at the party…ages ranging from 1-3 years…it was unreal to think that B will be walking, running and playing like the big kids in no time…it really reminded us to savor all the time that we have…because we know that he will continue to grow in the blink of an eye.

Go Frogs!

We were not able to make the trek out to Arizona to cheer our favorite frogs on in the Fiesta Bowl…

However, we did wear purple on game day, per the Mayor’s request…

 

…and enjoyed watching the game with some friends

B fell asleep during the 3rd quarter…it was probably better that way because he didn’t have to witness the the disappointing outcome of the game.

We are still proud of our Frogs and can’t wait to cheer them on again next season!

Happy Belated New Years!!!

B and I didn’t get back from Minnesota until early on New Years Eve morning…C picked us up from the airport and we enjoyed a nice quiet day being back at home.

 

Some friends were gracious to invite all three of us to their New Year’s party…We enjoyed some good company & great food…

 

B even got to party with his new friend H!

We were home by about 9:00pm, B was in bed by 9:15pm and C & I were sound asleep by about 10:30pm…we tried to watch Times Square on television but didn’t quite make it…maybe next year!

On New Years Day we branched out and enjoyed breakfast at a bagel shop near TCU (the bakery down the street was closed). Sitting in the booth made me nostalgic for coffee dates and study time while at TCU.

B’s bib is from a dear friend in Minnesota…she wants him to grow up knowing that he has some “Minnesotan” in him!

After breakfast B helped me get some laundry done, I guess that helping with all of our laundry is one of his New Years resolutions!

Later, B got to experience the animals at the zoo for the first time!  We couldn’t have hand-picked a nicer day to explore at the zoo…

We “moved” in as we used the stroller as our pack mule!

 

The cheetahs…

The gorillas…

The elephants…

The giraffes…

The birds…

 

The flamingos…

Visiting the zoo was a fantastic way to ring in the New Year…it was such a gift to be able to experience the zoo and all the animals through B’s eyes…not to mention awesome to see God’s creativity first hand.  We can’t begin to imagine how much more learning will take place in B’s little mind as this year progresses…

Praise God!

World Vision posted this on their website this morning…

“World Vision has been working in Haiti for more than 30 years and had 370 staff members in Port-au-Prince when the quake hit. Although World Vision’s office in the capital sustained significant damage, all staff were confirmed safe and are initiating a response to the devastation. Financial donations are urgently needed to continue and escalate this response.

*For sponsors with a sponsored child living in Haiti or the Dominican Republic: We value your commitment to sponsoring a child in Haiti or its neighbor, the Dominican Republic. Our staff on the ground report that all sponsored children in World Vision sponsorship communities and surrounding areas are safe at this time. However, we will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as we learn more. Please know that if your sponsored child is directly affected, it is our policy to notify you as soon as possible.”

Thank You Lord for protecting Balde!

Please Pray

I learned about the Haiti earthquake just before I went to bed last night…I humbly admit that I thought, “that is really sad” but then was able to get a good normal night’s sleep…

When I woke up this morning…I remembered the quake and immediately thought about our sponsored child, Balde, who lives in Haiti. I went through our paper work to try to figure out where he and his family of 5 live and believe that they live just outside of where the epicenter of the quake was…

Then I turned the news on and was flooded with images of frightened children…some of whom may have lost family members, their homes, their schools and may be the most frightened that they will ever will be in their entire lives…most of which probably happened while I was comfortably sleeping…

I am saddened that my heart wasn’t called to prayer last night…but want to lift up the precious little ones’ whose lives have been turned upside down this morning. It is awesome to know that God knows each of their names, He knows how many hairs are on top of each of their heads and He loves them. 

Please pray that Balde and his family would be safe and pray for all the other little children in Haiti who are hurting this morning…please pray that they would feel the hands of Jesus wrapped around them!

My Song

My heart was convicted this afternoon by James 5 verse 13 it reads…

“Is anyone in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing a song of praise.”

I love the first part of the verse that reminds us that when times of trouble come…as they often do…we are called to pray because the Lord has everything under control…even if we feel like the world around us is spinning violently out of control.

The last part of the verse about being happy also really resonated in my heart…we have so much to be happy about and so much to be thankful for…especially as we are beginning this new year and reflecting on the past year.

Just last night, I realized just how thankful I am for C’s job and the insurance that it allows our family to have.  I had been feeling a little under the weather, and the insurance afforded me to go to the doctor and get antibiotics so that I could get better. Thank you Lord!

Today could have been a really mundane day around the house being cooped up because of the cold weather outside…but instead this verse reminded me of the small blessings and my need to be “happy” and thankful…So here is my song…I think that title will be “Thankful”…

Lord,

I am thankful for the opportunities that I do have to be at home with B.

I am thankful for the errand B and I got to run today so that we could listen to the new cd that I got as a gift in the car.

I am thankful for the car that we have that brought us home safely.

I am thankful for the coats that we had to put on in the cold.

I am thankful for the warm house we were able to come back to.

I am thankful for our friend Ms. Julie who came over to visit B.

I am thankful for the cookies that I was able to bake in our oven that heats up. 

I am thankful for the washer and dryer we have that allow us to have clean and dry clothes. 

I am thankful for having clothes that need to be washed.

I am thank for the sewing machine that I was able to use to mend some clothes. 

I am thankful for the iron that helped to press the wrinkles out of the clothes. 

I am thankful for an unexpected phone call from my cousin who is expecting her first baby!

I am thankful for naptime and the chance to get some of the above accomplished.

I am thankful for leftovers, and the chance to have a night off from making dinner.

I am thankful for the upcoming weekend and chance to sleep in on Saturday morning.

I am thankful for the family time we will be able to have this weekend.

I am thankful for the opportunity to go to church on Sunday…

I find myself being blown away by the large and small blessings in my life. I am so thankful for my sweet husband, our healthy baby, our family, our friends, our jobs, our health, our precious Ella…our warm home (especially this week)…it is so easy to bogged down and stuck in the rut of everyday life and forget the blessings…and our songs of happy praise…

Thank You Lord!

Our Little Puppy