Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Just some higlights of our Vacation

Warning... Picture overload!
(but loads of fun...please, take a gander!)


We are finally getting back into the routine of things (I think). It feels so good to have "down" time at home and to be connected back to your life. It's almost like for a time you are living someone else's life and they forgot to leave you the manuscript on how to live it. Good thing for our clockwork son who never lets you forget it is time to eat and/or sleep. AND WAKE UP FOR THAT MATTER! As I posted before... (Here:) at home we just let him play in his crib when he gets up super early until we come to get him out; (There:) but him being in a pack-n-play in our room with us on the trip then I got up after his 3rd outburst of "dadadadada" OR (yes there are many to choose from) "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh" (in a real soft funny, irresistible sort of tone)... then laughter was inevitable. I love our son. I just don't LOVE 5:15 AM!

While we were there we went hiking up to Springer Mountain lookout. We started up kinda late so the sun was setting, kinda hard to see when coming back down but the view was gorgeous going up. Coming back down (night fall) I got a picture of Venus and Jupiter close together. The stars (and planets) are all so much closer being that high up. And being a gal that LOVES (not mornings) nighttime scenery and astrology that is the most beautiful thing I could have seen next to God Himself. So breathtaking.



J and his Aunt Catherine


J & Bear last year.


It finally got cold enough to sport Bear's fun hat and puffer jacket. Although when I look at the pictures of him it makes me laugh and think of this line "Ralphie, wait up!" (anyone? anyone? Oh c'mon I know I am not the only one who has seen it... "you'll shoot your eye out kid".)


(he also learned to roll this day)

Luckily one day we got smiles out of Bear and were able to shoot our family pictures for our Christmas cards! What fun we had. Thank you Momma Deb for our tripod... my new best friend as well as the sequence timed picture feature. Love that thing. Out of three sequential pictures you are bound to get a smile out of you all. (just so long as you and hubby are always smiling and staring wherever your "viewpoint" is going to be... TIA MARIE!... don't worry about what baby is doing! Photoshop works wonders.)




Thanksgiving day came and the snow poured. We had heard from some people at a restaurant a couple days earlier that it was going to snow on Thanksgiving day and so we got all excited and giddy...just like children! It was so beautiful watching the MASSIVE flakes float (ummm pour) down. It was just like the little snow globe things you shake up. J and Bear got out and played in the snow and I just captured the fun of it all. Bear was not doing too hot for half of our time there. His canine teeth are starting to make an appearance and it is not pretty ladies and gents. He is still pretty good considering, just reall clingy and not happy like normal. Poor baby!







He has mastered climbing the stairs (both flights) and loves hanging his little feet off the top balcony over the living area. He is my little dare devil, Oh the big dreams of little boys. He also started showing off his enormous shoe fettish this past week. (YES, HIS... don't argue).







I think overall it was a good trip. He got plenty of lovin' from Nana and Aunt Catherine. Italian family= lots and lots of kisses!







We spent 14 hours in the car one way so a total of 28 hours on the road. I would say Bear did real well for himself. He got testy toward the end (coming home), constipation can do terrible things to a baby in a carseat. Now when we are taking him somewhere he looks at his seat and kind of makes a whimpering noise... hahahaha terrible!

Love to all and to all a good night! ( I sure hope you enjoyed this thing took a lot of time!) Ü

Monday, December 1, 2008

post #2 Bear's new word

Okay, want a funny story for the day....

Bear's new word is cow, everything he sees now is a cow. I am getting dressed in the morning (you see where this is going right?) and he comes in and points to me and says "cow". Niiiiiiiiice! Good thing for chocolate. Makes ol' Bessie feel better. hahaha.

With a Thankful Heart

Okay so I said I was going to post some things I am thankful for... I HAD INTENDED IT TO BE FOR THANKSGIVING... but then I realized, "I should not ONLY be thankful on Thanksgiving. I should ALWAYS count my blessings." So here goes my big bang what I'm thankful for and then thereafter I am going to continue to count my blessings!

In the MANY years I have been alive I have never seen much value in my life and thought there has never been anything spectacular about me. I have not given much thanks to God for the "little" I do have. The past week I have recounted my blessings and made them known in the presence of my LORD. I want to now make them all known before you, my friends.

I sit here thinking of all the sadness in the world and realize I am not sad, I am joyful; I give thanks. Some are not able to laugh for all the sorrow they experience, I know sorrow but my GOD is BIGGER, I know laughter; I give thanks! I think of all the unfortunate people who have lost their spouses, I am still blessed with mine; I give thanks. There are many who are going to starve today and don't have a home to go to escaping the cold, I am going to cook dinner tonight and relax (or clean) in my home where it is warm; I give thanks. There are some who experience infertility and have never known a life growing inside, I have been blessed with three fruits in my womb whom, though short-lived, I got to share secrets, laughter, sadness, kicks and LOVE with; I give thanks. There are some who have never known the vision of the most serene places, I see beauty in most things around me (except bass and loud vehicles or profanity or nudity in a perverted sense on vehicles or billboards for that matter; oh sorry... ah yes beauty...) I have eyes that can see, ears that can hear and a voice that "can sing" (God thinks it's pretty) praise and worship to our God and KING! I give thanks! I AM FREE TO WORSHIP AND PRAY IN PUBLIC! I CAN TEACH OUR CHILDREN ABOUT CHRIST! I KNOW THE TRUE SAVIOR! I AM NOT AFRAID! I CAN LOVE AND LOSE AND KNOW I AM SURROUNDED BY THE MOST HIGH PRINCE OF PEACE! I GIVE THANKS! ... Whoa can you feel me! I AM THANKFUL!

I have friends and family (some friends I have yet to meet, and many more out there that I am still destined to meet); some don't have the privilege to know a friend or family. Thank you JESUS! I am so thankful for all of you that have become my friends over the years (or months), I consider it pure joy to have such a blessing. I thank you all who have stood by our side through our trials and still encourage us on. I am thankful for you!

Though painful Joy I am thankful for the birth and death of our precious babies, we would never have known our BEAR had it all gone the way WE PLANNED. I want to explain, I am not thankful they are gone by any means... but I am glad that God still had plans for our family after they said their goodbyes! He did not give up on us, nor did HE fail us in any way! I often wonder where would Bear be today had we our own babies? Who would be raising him and getting to watch him grow? I could not imagine him with anyone other than us. He is completely our personality ;a little crazy with a good amount of persistence in the face of failure, loves to have fun even if it is COMPLETELY DANGEROUS and daring... loves to SMILE even if it hurts... He is OUR son. I GIVE THANKS!

Blessings on this day

"Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus!" ... 1Th 16-18