A New Addition...

Just a quick note to announce that I have started another blog. A more personal blog. THIS one here is dedicated to my girls and family life in general. So for all those who would like to keep tabs on ME (in a different capacity I suppose) than feel free to visit and follow along with the OTHER one also. The link is www.aprayerandapromise.blogspot.com. You can also simply access it if you click on the image of Brian and I to the right of this page. If you want to return to this page, just click on the image of me in the other blog.

My Little Picasso...

It was a cold, dreary, rainy day...what to do while stuck inside with a bored 2 year old??  Well, thankfully, Auntie Angela bought Sophia a very special paint set that provided at least an hours worth of entertainment. It's a wonderful no mess creation that no mom should go without.  The paints are clear and only show up in color on the special paper provided.  Sure she can still make a gooey mess on the table, chairs or whatever else her paint brush comes in contact with (including her face...which she was so kind to explore) BUT at least it just wipes away in one easy step.  It really was a perfect gift.  Sophia is becoming quite a little artist.  We started putting up her work on the pantry door.  Every time she goes to get a snack she points up and smiles with such pride :)  Love you big girlie xoxo

Oh the Wonder...

Sophia immensely enjoyed all of her gifts (which were lavished upon her in large quantity...haha)  Brian and I only bought her THREE things and her toy room is filled to capacity!!  Meme and Auntie Angela bought her some of the most adorable little girl dream toys that I have ever seen (included the above dress up shoes!!).  Much more than either of us could have imagined.  Auntie Lia bought her some treasured monkey slippies (which she insists on wearing almost every morning).  Aaand Nana and Papa furnished her with many more things along with princess dresses to top it all off.  Thank you to everyone who loves and adores our littles as much as we do.  We are eternally grateful!!

New Year and New Friends...

This post is in honor of an adorable little guy named "blue bear".  This little blue bear became a dear friend to our little Sophia over the past week.  A hospital is never a welcome place in a two year olds heart, but having a cuddly pal to share the experience with makes things a little easier.  On the Tuesday before New Years, we took Sophia into the ER (due to the fact that she could not stop throwing up and became so dehydrated that she was actually producing blood in her throw up).  It was a scary sight and a scary 12 hours.  We sat for a long long time in the waiting room (from 10:30 pm to 3:00 am to be exact) and waited to be seen by some tired and not so friendly nurses and doctors.  Fortunately, one nurse was nice enough to recognize our little girls sadness and fear, and gave her little blue bear for comfort. We held our baby down while she was given a catheter for a urine sample and stuck with needles for blood samples and IV fluids.  She was SUCH a trooper.  The Lord gave all of us special grace amidst exhaustion and pain.  I laid in the hospital bed with her for nearly 6 hours until her little body was deemed viable enough to return home.  Luckily we had Nana and Papa visiting to care for baby Autumn and provide us with support and REST when we got back.  I know it was just the flu and many parents have gone through far greater trials with their little ones, but for ME it was a trying time.  I become more aware of our weakness and fragility as humans and how strong and mighty of heavenly Father is.  We prayed with Sophia while I held her close and paced the hospital floors.  She has grown to cherish closing her eyes and folding her little hands in reverence to the Lord.  She is such a great blessing (in sickness and health) and I am so proud of her.  Love you little mama.  We are glad your feeling better!

A Glimpse into our Holiday...

So, as we planned to sit and reflect on this past year, to meditate on God's goodness, to enjoy our little bundles of joy and the gracious family visitors from both sides, we were quickly reminded that our plans are not exactly God's :)  We had a very pleasant and eventful Christmas but soon after the glories of December 25th faded we were struck with chaos of epic proportions.  Leaving out the gruesome details, I will simply say that the horrid stomach flu invaded and invaded hard.  We had ten people staying with us through New Year for the celebrations.  To give you an idea of the damages, SEVEN out of TEN of us ended up spending AT LEAST 24 hours making very good friends with the porcelain throwns of my home.  Two emergency room visits (one including my precious Sophia), hours of disinfecting and sanitizing, billions of nasty diapers and a million loads of laundry later, we are just about free and clear.  We are still recovering but I wanted to share a few pictures and brief updates before I forget.  Soooo here are a few posts for you to enjoy.  Merry Christmas and Happy 2009 to everyone we love!