Thanks Living

Count your blessings.  We all know the saying.  Have you ever started counting and gotten all the way to a thousand?  What started as a friend's challenge for Ann Voskamp led to her best selling book, One Thousand Gifts.

Since I haven't actually read the book, this isn't a recommendation.  I'll add it to my long list of reads I may or may not get to this year (or next for that matter). But I love the concept behind the book. My friend sent me the video clip below, and it really resonated with me because it so eloquently echos what I have been experiencing in my own personal walk with God.  Slowing down.  Opening my eyes.  Waking up.

Phoebe and I started a blessings journal.  We haven't gotten to a thousand yet, but we're working on it.  This life is a gift.  This life is beautiful.  Bountiful.

So I am thankful.

I am thankful.

I am thankful for dirty dishes because it means I am fed. I am thankful for laundry because I have clothes on my back. I am thankful for dust because it means I have shelter.  I am thankful for toys and wet towels on bathroom floors.  I am thankful for sticky fingers and chocolate milk mustaches. I'm thankful for raindrops on flowers and puffy, white clouds.  I am thankful for peanut butter cookies and purple tennis shoes.  I'm thankful for music and laughter and dance, for squishy babies and rainbows and marriage and sunset after glorious sunset!

I am thankful.

While you scurry to get the gravy in the boat and the bird cooked just right,  the kids won't sit still while Grandpa says Grace, and the life that you live seems like a colorful blur of madness...STOP.

Look right.

Look left.

Do you see them?

Abundance

Grace

Mercy

Freedom

Faith

Hope

Love

EXTRAORDINARY LOVE

Gifts

Family of Four

Well, well, well... I am finally getting the chance to post some pictures! Hooray! When my sister-in-law was here with her kids back in February, she took hundreds of pictures. She always gets some great shots. She took some lovely pictures of our family. It took me a bit to go through and pick out a few favorites to share. Ezra looks so teeny-tiny back then. He's growing so fast. It really does go faster with the second! Now I just need to catch up on the pictures from the last, um, FIVE months or so! More to come...eventually.

Surprise, Surprise!

Well, if you didn't already know that my husband is the coolest, you will after you read what he did for me a while back. As some of you may have heard from me in the past, Xee is quite terrible at surprises. I mean, he loves to surprise me, but cannot contain himself and begins to drop hints the minute he has something in mind. He tells me he has a surprise for me and I always end up guessing it.

So when he said he had a huge one planned for my birthday/Mother's Day/Christmas planned, he did his best not to give it away. He said things like, "You can't take it back, Queen of Returns!" to try and throw me off. As usual, I plugged my ears, "La la la la..." I happen to like surprises and I don't ever want to ruin them.

Boy oh boy did this guy have a whopper for me! He threw me off by giving me a gift certificate for a day spa, along with a nice, little technical gadget. Then a few days later, the doorbell rang while I was "resting my eyes". With eyes half-open I shuffled to the door, expecting to tell the neighborhood kids that it wasn't a good time for Phoebe to play. Instead I saw my dear friend, Lara standing there before me, with Xee video taping behind her! A surprise indeed!

Though I was coming down with a cold, I had a lovely time with my friend for the few days she was able to visit. On her last day here, I was planning a bit of a scenic drive, when Xee called me and said he was getting off work early to join us. I was literally in the car with the kiddos buckled up, but I said, "Okay."

Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Lara answered it and told me my neighbor really needed to speak with me. I told her she's just have to wait as I was sitting on the couch, nursing the baby! Poor Lara tried to convince me to come to the door, but I wasn't going to budge. So in waltzes my SISTER and her entire family, one at a time. All I could do is shake my head, and say, "No...no...no."

My husband had been in cahoots with my mom and my sister for months in preparation for their trip. Truly the surprise of a lifetime. I hadn't seen my sister in well over a year and was desperately missing her. Now here she was, arms wrapped around me. A moment I will never forget. A treasure. I couldn't even express to Xee in words the love I felt from him and for him.

I am trying to play catch-up with the chronicle of this blog. I made my sister a Smilebox slideshow of her trip and I have posted it here. A shortcut for me. Enjoy the slides! (just click the arrow, Mom)

A free picture slideshow by Smilebox

Picture Time

I have been working on this post for days now, off and on...a few minutes here and there in the midst of my daily life with Phoebe and the babe. Doing the "Baby Dance", hangin' with Miss Phoebe, and taking care of our home (sort of) is quite the juggling act. So here are some pictures...finally!

A view of the babe in my hospital bed. He was so teeny-tiny then...just weeks ago.

Home from the hospital at last.

Sweet time with Grammy!

Ah, time to relax!

Tiny toes!

"Kiss me!"

Sweet dreams.

Ezra's first doctors visit.

His first dinner at Roy's.

More dreams...

And more...

And yet more.

It might be nap time again...

"I kissed a giraffe."

"I love my sissy!"

A Promise Fulfilled

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Welcome To The World Ezra!

Alright, it has been a whole 5 days since the birth of our beautiful son and you all been waiting for me to post some pictures already! Thanks for being patient, as posting pictures takes a while...well, with the nursing, and the diapering, and the napping (me too, thanks to my Mom), the swaddling, the snuggling, the kissing...

We have waited a long time for the arrival of our sweet boy and have kept his name in the vault for not only the duration of my pregnancy, but for more than five years. We chose it when we chose Phoebe's name, and we held onto it dearly in our hearts, believing God had a plan for a son in our future. So it is with great joy that we welcome EZRA JAMES HER. Enjoy the pics!

Grammy arrives from the airport to help out and welcome baby brother. Phoebe and her are so excited to see each other for the first time in over a year.

The three of us before my surgery, waiting for the big moment of baby's arrival. Although we had hoped for a natural birth, like his big sister, Ezra was taking his time coming out and we just could not wait any longer to meet our little man.

Daddy poses with Phoebe all set in his gear...btw, he asked to take it all home with him for doctor play at home with Phoebe. She was so thrilled!


Just minutes after Xee cut the cord-Ezra was born on January 26, at 9:35 p.m., weighed 7lbs, .6oz and measured 20 1/2 inches long.

I finally meet him face to face. What a joy!

Phoebe and Grammy meet him.

Love at first sight!

Proud Big Sister enjoys holding her baby brother.


Sister smooches :)

It's late and my two babies are both nested up with me in bed, fast asleep.

Snuggly-Buggly

Since our Honu was with Phoebe during our hospital stay, we thought he might want to keep Ezra company as well.

Happy Daddy!


Ezra says, "Um, excuse me...this is a private moment."

Ready to leave the hospital, Ezra is dressed in the same outfit Phoebe came home in.

Buckled in and set for his first car ride.

All cozy with Grammy.

Oh how precious new life is. We are so thrilled that Ezra is with us and are so blessed to welcome another happy, healthy child into our family. Mommy and baby are resting as much as we can, but we love visitors, so please make an appointment to see us soon! More pictures to come.