Best. Gift. Ever.

My thoughts and prayers are with those of you still waiting for your gift. May this be the last holiday season without your little one.

6 months...

My baby boy is 6 months old today. Half a year has gone by since I first held this precious boy who encompasses so many of our hopes and dreams. He has the best laugh and the sweetest smile. He wakes up happy and that smile has almost converted me into a morning person.
People have asked me if I like being a mom. I always think this is a strange questions. Wouldn't it be disturbing if I said no?? I always say, "It is way better than I ever imagined and I imagined that it would be pretty awesome."

He fell asleep feeding the other night. I held him in my arms and just tried to soak in all his little features. I hope that when I die that if my life flashes before my eyes that I get to falsh back to some of these quiet sweet moments just holding my baby while he was small and sleeping.

God is so good. I am overwhelmed. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for our son. Help us to raise him to be a man who loves and worships you. Thank you for JW--a husband who has been with me every step on this journey to parenthood. And Lord, thank you for the journey. Without the trials I don't think we would fully know the joys. Thanks for having a plan for us. Thank you, Jesus, for being the path, the light on the path and the purpose of the journey.

Thankful...

This year I'm thankful. I'm thankful for...

....our new jobs. JW and I both took new jobs this year and they are both working out well. We like where we're working and both of us are being challenged professionally like never before.

....our new house. It is so much closer to my parents and my sister (about 20 minutes instead of an hour and 20 minutes). It has been great.

....finding a new church. We loved our old church and weren't sure if we'd find a new place when we moved. We found a place that is great though and we can't wait to build relationships there.

....my niece's adoption was finally finalized. Our family has lived on the fine line between hope and despair for the past year waiting for this to happen. Finalization was a week before Thanksgiving.

....and of course I'm thankful for my little pilgrim. And how wonderful it is to be married to the man of my dreams.