Thansgiving in my Heart

Dear God,

Thank You for everything. Thank You for Your plans. Thank You for Your will. Thank You for all that is good and for all that is just. Thank You for being all knowing and ever present.

Jesus, I thank You for this little family of mine. I thank You for a godly husband that I admire and look up to. I thank You for my little boy, my little sunshine ... and I thank you for this new baby on the way. I thank You for letting me be a wife and mother -- I will do my best to never take these blessings for granted.

Happy Thanksgiving, world! And Happy Thanksgiving to You, Creator of the world.

I will love you forever.

Amen

Our Day

Dear Sprout,

This weekend, Daddy went camping with some friends. You and I have spent some extra special time with Grammy and Grampy. And yesterday, we got to have a mommy and son play day!

Our day started as wonderfully as any day could start. Thanks to Grampy, we had a chocolate chip pancake breakfast! Afterwards, we listened to Jewel and drove to the mall where we shared an M & M sugar cookie. We tried to find you a chic holiday tie at The Children's Place ... but they were out.

One of the best parts of our day was our visit to Target. We had a great time there, except for one minor detail. You decided to chew the buckle on the shopping cart and that was not good for my nerves because I am neurotic to begin with. The most wonderful part was shopping for our Sunday school class's Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. You and I decided that we would get baby necessities. Therefore, we picked up lots of Vaseline, baby powder, and baby wipes. Working on shoe boxes with you is very special to me and to your daddy. When I was pregnant with you, Daddy and I made several boxes to send out. We day dreamed about being able pack boxes with you and your siblings in the future. Next year, you will get to help Bean pack his or her shoe box! Soon you too will understand what a special thing that is.

Side note: We recently tried a new brand of diapers that you were allergic to and you got a rash; it breaks my heart to know that there are lots of families in our world that are not as fortunate as we ... many mommies and daddies don't have anything to help their little ones when they get a rash or when they are sick. Anyways, it was your recent rash that made us think about getting such items for our shoe boxes.

On the way home, we picked up two hamburger Happy Meals -- one for me and one for you. You and I love those things! You ate your whole hamburger, drank your whole milk, and played with your toy in the bathtub.

Our last adventure was Walmart. And it was an adventure indeed. You see, Walmart is a sight to behold during the holidays! There are people everywhere! When we entered, you were given a little Walmart sticker and then we slowly made it through the maze of shoppers. We bought ingredients for our pre-Thanksgiving dinner. This choice was inspired by the fact that your Grammy and Grampy never have had green bean casserole! Can you believe it?!

Once we got back to Grammy and Grampy's, Grammy and I started working on dinner. And you and Grampy had a time. When everything was prepared, we had oven fried turkey cutlets, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. That is my kind of dinner! And guess what ... Grammy and Grampy loved the casserole!

At bedtime, you and I snuggled under the warm covers. I sang Amazing Grace to you -- that's your favorite going-to-sleep song. It always has been ... and I think it always will be. Before I knew it, you were fast asleep. That being said, I still held you for a little while before you were placed in your own bed. Sometimes mommies and babies just need some extra snuggling time.

And so my baby Sprout, that was our day. Me and you ... you and me ... Eating cookies, getting shoebox goodies, making a feast, and singing ourselves to sleep. Lots of people have told me and Andrew that these busy days will be among the best days of our lives. And do you know what? We believe those wise people one-hundred percent.

Love always,
Mommy

Dear Bean

Dear Bean,

Today we got to see you for the very first time. You are beautiful already. You are tiny -- 5.4 cm to be exact -- but you already look like a teeny tiny person. Your heartrate is 156 beats per minute. You are due June 5th -- so in about 32 weeks (give or take), we will be holding you in our arms.

You have the best big brother in the world. He is sweet and funny and he can make any animal noise there is. You two are going to share the neatest little room ever. It's a nursery that looks like a forest with a little log cabin nook. Sprout will love you and protect you and he will be your best friend forever.

Our family has been praying for you everyday -- multiple times per day. We can't wait to show you the world and to introduce you to a million other people that love you, too. We will read you stories and sing you songs. We will hike in the mountains and make sandcastles at the beach. We will take you to church, help you with your school work, and cheer for you at every game and play that you are in.

We love you, Bean. And we are so very excited to have you in our lives.

God bless! Here's to enjoying the next several months together and looking forward to that day when we'll finally be able to kiss that little face of yours.

Love always,
Mommy and Daddy

Sorry it's been so long

Dear Sprout,

I have not written you a little love letter in a long, long time. As you know, Mommy has been very busy. The past few months have been wonderful and full of adventure.

One big change is our house organization! You had been sleeping with Mommy and Daddy your whole life -- I could not bear to have you upstairs while we slept downstairs. Well, problem solved! At the end of the summer, we moved our bedroom upstairs and now Daddy's music room is downstairs. Your room is literally less that three feet from ours ... you sleep, we sleep, it's fantastic! Additionally, it's nice to have the "living" upstairs and the "working" downstairs. Everything seems to be running smoother.

As you know, Mommy is now a literacy coach ... and that is something I've wanted to be since college! Literacy is truly my passion and I enjoy being immersed in it every single day. I love my job very much -- but sometimes I get sad when I get home later than I wanted to get home. You and Daddy are so very special to me. I am working on my time management skills ... I promise! And you know what, I think I have come up with a pretty good system! In short, I love my job, I love my family, and I am doing my best to do well in all areas of my life.

Sprout, there are so many times when I look at you and I look at Daddy and I reflect on our lives together. God has blessed us so much. We will never comprehend just how much He loves us. I love watching Him work as the days of our lives unfold. It is my prayer that you will come to know Him at an early age. I wish that I would have marveled at His wonderous works my whole entire life -- and I pray that you will. He is amazing.

I love you, baby. God bless!

Love always,
Mommy

Shoes

My husband can recall an exact year in which an important moment occurred by remembering the shoes that he was wearing at the time of its happening. He walks through life with a trusted pair of sneakers on his feet. And though I admittedly own more shoes than he, I guess we're still kind of similar when it comes to footwear. I find myself coming back to my old favorites again and again. My Keds have hiked in the mountains and waded in oceans. They accompanied me to my wedding rehearsal and they walked me through the hospital doors when little Sprout was about to be born. They were my favorites for many reasons.

Yesterday was the day that Andrew and I finally had to go out and buy new shoes. We traveled many great paths with their predecesors. And while we look back fondly upon jouneys past, we anticipate the new adventures awaiting us with this year's shoes now on our feet.

Mr. Giraffe

Today we took the baby to Buffalo Beals Animal Park. We purchased a bag of carrots for $1.00 and off we went. We saw monkeys, goats, zebras, ostriches, buffalo, and much more. However, the guy that stole our hearts and 99.9% of our carrots was a tall fellow that we affectionately call "Mr. Giraffe." Sprout adored him and laughed hysterically each time Mr. Giraffe's long, purple tongue gently curled around a carrot. It was a hot day and we just about had the park to ourselves, but we were grateful for the one-on-one time that the circumstances allowed us to have with our new friend.

It was nice meeting you, Mr. Giraffe! You are welcome to come visit our house any time!

Together At Last

It has been over a month since my last post. The last few weeks of school were the busiest of my life. Ever. Since then, I have been working on a little to-do check list ... sometimes, I think I may be a tad too ambitious for my own good. In between checking off items, I have been spending some much needed uninterrupted time with my family. And today, that is what I am going to write about.

For the past few weeks, we having been doing a lot of camping around here. Our first stop was Black Mountain. Grammy and Grampy took the "Coyote Camper" to a state park and we met them there. And guess what! We drove up there and surprised them with our brand new mini van! (Okay, it's a 2006 ... but it is new to us and we love it! More about our new addition in another post). We saw beautiful waterfalls, smooth river rocks, and we played in pristine creeks. We had no phone reception and no power outlets for my laptop -- both circumstances were very good for busybody me.

A few days after we returned from Black Mountain, Andrew and I celebrated our second anniversary. Staying within our budget, we decided to go tent camping at Price Park. We found a beautiful site right on the lake. Twisted rhododendrons surrounded us with their broad leaves and thick flower clusters. We cooked dinner over an open fire and drank sparkling cider. Together, we took in the beauty of the setting sun and reflected on the blessings bestowed upon us during the past two years. It was the most perfect anniversary that I could have ever asked for.

Shortly after our anniversary celebration, the whole family went camping at Price Park. Several of our close friends camped along with us. This time, we celebrated good times, our children, my birthday, and Old Time music. We canoed, explored, played, and just plain enjoyed togetherness. Andrew, Sprout, and I went on a fantastic hike along with our two dogs. The trail was simply enchanting. At the end of each day, Andrew and I retired to our tent and watched the a light show presented by the fireflies. Meanwhile, grasshoppers and bullfrogs serenaded us with their music.

In short, if you are out and about, look for a green tent. You might see it parked at a beach, on a mountain top, or surrounded by wild ponies. Wherever you find it, know that its family is going on adventures, taking in the glory of each day, and loving each moment of being side-by-side, hand-in-hand.