tis the season

I am such a sucker for Christmas music. Oh, my goodness. I could/and do listen to it year round.

This year, these are some of my favs:

I love me some good music.

I'm also a sucker for seasonal items. Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash? Hello! Peppermint marshmallows? Too much fun. Thankfully, Jack can enjoy it this year too.

After a pretty sickly last week our fam is on the mend. Our poor kiddo had an ear infection and bad sore throat. Just in time for Thanksgiving. The day before we got him some antibiotics and by Thanksgiving morn he was on the mend. I, however, picked up his little bug and felt pretty poor. These pregnancy immune systems, I tell you what. I've been more sick during this pregnancy with Zoey than I have been since my high school days when I had mono. For reals. Not sure why. 

Our little bird seems to be perched in this strangest of places inside me. I feel like she's lying sideways and often feel little fingers (or maybe toes) in my lower regions and it feels like there is a gang of mice scurrying about. I don't remember this weird feeling with Jack and am feeling kind of stretched in ways I wasn't before. Particularly when she stretches out, which is often. Oh, little one. I do love it, it's just kind of weird. I can't wait to meet her. We saw her last Monday on our 3D ultrasound. She was hugging the placenta like it was a lovey and we could hardly get a good look at her face (every ultrasound she's been in a weird place.) That was okay with me. Through the blurry picture (the camera had to go through the placenta to see her face) I was just thankful to see her. Watch her yawn, see her stick out her tongue and open her eyes. What a wonderful miracle.


Here's a blurry shot of her face. The placenta is right in front of her, but wow. There she is. Alive and well. Praise Jesus. Little eyes, nose, mouth, hand in front of her eye. She's a little person! Getting ready to grace the word with her presence.

Also, Jack has been sick a lot this season. Praying that December and January are infection free. 

Thanksgiving was really lovely. It was spent at my parent's house with my mom's parents, brother and his wife and their little guy. It was so relaxing and I even watched Miracle on 34th Street for the first time. I loved it. What have I been missing out on?

I did miss out on taking pictures because I forgot my camera...and spent most of the day on the couch anyway. Jesus knew that a sore throat may or may not have been the only thing to keep me from eating too much on Thanksgiving day.

I tried to make up for it when we got home.

Who is this little boy and where did my baby go? The below picture is from 2010, not 2011.

John showing Jack how to explore the tree house.

And this is how we spent this morning.  Watching Frosty with friends, in too-warm-for-December weather and loving this moment.

blessings galore

Thanksgiving has come and gone and yet I'm still riding on it's coat tails. The entire family was together once again. It sends my heart soaring. Late night Harry Potter viewing (which was fantastic, the best one yet.) Andy's creative art project (a family first), and a new baby to join in the fun. Could Thanksgiving have gone on a week more, please?

Mel, my hilarious sister-in-law.

Andy and Jackboy

Aaron, my newest nephew. So precious.

This picture cracks me up. I love the faces and the expressions. The annoyance. The hunger. The blaring, relentless Arizona sun. John is obviously not annoyed.

Such big eyes.

Maggie had the first ever 18 year coming-of-age indoctrination. She was a great sport.

Mom and the turkey!

father and son

Pies, pies, and more pies. Did you know that some people don't like pumpkin PIE?!

Puzzles. A tradition I rarely take part in. My sister in law is always game.

My brother and Jack. Can you believe that when we were kids we were THIS cute?

It's always hard to see my brother go. A part of me wishes we could transport back to being kids every so often. A part of me feels like we're growing up too fast and when we're together I wish time would slow down just a bit. 


There's never a dull moment when our family is all together. Whether someone offended someone else or a hilarious joke was just made, there's always room for fun.

Happiness Project : episode 5

These pictures make me so happy. I'm a sucker for picture posing and even more for picture taking. Posing with family just never gets old.

I love how my sister in law and I are almost always down the same faces (not on purpose) and how mom and dad look happy as can be.

Mags and Jack. And so the fun begins.

I am still working on a Thanksgiving recap. I better hurry before Christmas gets here or what's the point? Per usual, my biggest problem is sifting through all the pictures and narrowing it down to a select few. I don't have very good decision making skills.

thankful

In 5 days Andy and Mel come for a visit.

Am I excited? That's an understatement. I don't really say stoked (which, according to urban dictionary means, is "to be completely and intensely enthusiastic, exhilarated, or excited about something." but if I did I would I'd say I'm pretty much that about seeing my brother. 

Because he and his wife life in Nashville we don't see them often, but when do some serious fun occurs.



Seriously fun things such as...


...We stay up late watching hilarious youtubes we've found over the months apart.
...Typically watch the lord of the ring's trilogy.
...See a movie of some kind. This year it will be Harry Potter 7. Oh, boy.
...laugh.
...eat lots of queso.
...play video games (though this is mostly between my sister and brother)
...and enjoy the quirky dynamics that are sibling relationships.

I can not wait.

I'm also thankful for friendships. For gingerbread house making. For pals who are willing to come and eat dinner, watch Elf and have an adult slumber party (kids included.) Friends who make late night Starbucks runs with you. And so, so very thankful for a man who loves me just the way I am.

 

Speaking of Starbucks, I am thankful they are selling a buy-a-holiday-drink-friend-gets-one-for-free deal for the next couple of days!



Oh, and I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am for this wake-up face.

 

I'm so thankful Jesus is patient with me. That His love is so unconditional and lovely. That His grace covers all my sins. I pray for that kind of love for others, especially those that are so difficult for me to love. Especially those that drive me kind of up the wall sometimes. (am I the only one?) I love sermons like this. and I'm learning the difference between reaching out to someone because you love them and reaching out because you pity them. What are my motives and the intentions? Sometimes (ok, kind of often times) my predicaments are my own fault. I'm thankful Christ can show me how to love and speak truth in love, too.

 what are you thankful for?

check out other thankfuls here!