I've been just a little quiet....

But with very good reason!! Not only did we move into a new home this year, (YES!!) have to undergo a bit of reconstruction in our living room - because of water damage, had some fun decorating our new home (though I don't feel anywhere NEAR settled yet... with time..)

Just a couple of my wintery touches... ;) 

 BUT our family has had a HUGE surprise!! Something I never expected to happen...

Yes!!! I am expecting!!!! I am in the second trimester, and though morning sickness wasn't too bad, I'm happy to be feeling much better and to be getting some energy back!!

At 19 weeks this past Thursday, I'm finally starting to "pop" a bit and am enjoying my little bump! ;) I have felt a few little flutters, but am excited to really start feeling my little one!!

It was such a surprise to find out that The Lord has sent our next little one to us this way! We were starting to discuss getting geared up for the next adoption! ;) (I had been feeling a bit of "baby fever.") And while we thought we'd wait til our active, very busy toddler was just a tad bit older, God has other plans, and His plans are perfect!! (Even though this Matron of Honor is due just two days before her dear sister's wedding!! YES! God does have quite the sense of humor!!) ;)

So, just a little "catch up" post on my blog... And I've got a few book reviews to catch up on as well. ;) I've been a bit remiss on a couple of my programs and I don't want to be disqualified. It takes me a while to get through a book these days for some strange reason!! :P

A bit of news and a book review!!

I'll start out with the news... our family is sooo excited! We have a contract on a house! It is a beautiful house with lots of room for our family, for us to (once again... finally) be able to entertain guests, and with a backyard for our little girl to have room to run!! I'm eager for that closing date to get here, but I've been keeping very busy with packing! Can you believe it's been almost two years since we sold our last home? I'm sooo ready to be in a home again!! And we are thrilled to be able to move into the neighborhood that we have dreamed about for years! (it just feels like home!) :) Prayers are very much appreciated though... that all will go well and that the transition will be smooth. :) In the mean time, I have a cute little helper!!! :)

A second item of news, my friends Brittany and Jenny have started a great new blog: Chapel Cottage Chicks!!! I love they're vintage cottage style, and I am working on getting them to make a "house call" after we get settled a bit!! ;)

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And now for the book review: I saw this book and thought, what a fun book to review for the 4th! So what better time to (finally) get this review posted! ;) I grew up with the Berenstain Bears as I'm sure many of you did as well. Both Stan and Jan Berenstain have passed away, but their son Mike continues to write and illustrate new books. These new books, under the Living Light series, are based on Christian principles! (you can read a bit more in this article.) So now, these favorite bears aren't just cute stories, but they are helping kids learn about God!

God Bless Our Country is a very fun book that has a brief overview of our country's history. I love that the illustrations are in part bear versions of famous paintings from America's history (including Washington crossing the Delaware and the signers of the Declaration of Independence.) Is it a history book? no... but it is a fun introduction to our nation's beginning appropriate for young children.

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Thanks to BookLook for the review copy... my opinions are my own. :)

NOT a book review

Goodness... I just looked at my blog and realized like every post for the past almost six months has been a book review...  I really DO more than just read, but who has the time for blogging nowadays? Some do, I know! Just not me, evidently... But I shall try. If there's anyone out there that still reads this. :)

What have I been up to? my #1 job is this little (but growing fast) girl!

She's sooo much fun and learning so much! She loves her books, music, play phones and Baby Signing time. She loves people! So much fun to go to the store because she loves to say "HI!" to everyone we meet... several times! ;) How is it even possible that 17 months has passed already? She is an amazing girl! But yes.... she does keep me quite busy. If she is awake, she is moving. ;)

My second (naptime) job is my business! I love my work as a Lilla Rose Independent Consultant! Mostly I do what I can during naptimes (or occasionally after kiddo is in bed.) I don't have huge requirements to keep my consultant status and if I have a very busy time, my job will be right where I left it. And it's such an amazing product that it sells itself! I did my first vendor event last week with my mom and a young friend (she was our hair model!). We had a lot of fun and got to introduce Lilla Rose to our community. :)

A third thing that is happening is, quite frankly, something that ISN'T. We are still. in. our. apartment. sigh... We ARE very blessed! We live in an older, but VERY well maintained complex with an excellent staff! (Our little one loves going to the office to say hi! And they have known her since she was born!) ;) But apartment living is just that. Apartment living. We have neighbors above us with pets - very sweet neighbors - but it is still close quarters. We're not so much "looking" for a house as we are "waiting" for a house. We are ready in every way to buy our long term home, but our home has yet to open up. I know God is working things out in His perfect timing, but sometimes it's hard to wait - especially when you don't see anything happening... But we keep trusting and praying for His will for our little family.

Ah... what else? VBS planning, helping mom with her recital last week, gearing up to plan my sister's wedding... EEEK!!! my baby sister is engaged!!! So happy for her! ;) And many, other things that just keep happening. I reckon you'd just call it life! :) So yes... I do something besides read books...

She's Ours

"Is she yours?"

I got asked this question recently. My answer was simple: "Yes!"  I didn't feel the need to explain. Because Joy belongs to me. To us. She came to our family in a very special way, but she belongs here. She's ours!

I was reading in Romans about God adopting us into His family, and remembering this time a year ago when we were waiting for our girl to come to us. At this point, we knew about a little girl, but she wasn't "ours" yet. She belonged to someone else. A very special person that we have grown to love. Joy's birth mom. Her first mom on this earth. And now Joy belongs to us because her first mom chose us.

I remember that first morning waking in the hospital with Joy by my side in her little rolling nursery bed. The door opened early - I think it was about six - and at first I thought it was one of the hospital staff bringing something by. (Remember, I was asleep and I didn't have my glasses on.) It was Joy's birth mom. We were surprised by her visit, we didn't know if she would come by at all, but we were so very glad she did! I asked if she would like to hold Joy, and she did for a moment. I'll never forget what she did next though, after holding her for that brief time, she handed Joy back to me and said, "Go to your mama."

You see, Joy is ours. Not just because a judge said so. Not just because social workers or attorneys said we will be a good family for Joy. But because a very special lady put her own desires aside and made a choice out of a very hard core love. She chose us for her baby. She made the best and hardest decision she knew how to make. Out of strength. Out of love.

Yes, she's ours! Without reservation. without explanation. without qualifications. She belongs to us.

And we are so thankful!!

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November is National Adoption Month. I wanted to share just a bit of our story.

A Very Eventful Summer

We have had very busy, but blessed summer!! I don't even know where to start. It has flown by so fast! (and yes, I realize that the "summer" isn't technically over, but with September here and everyone back to school - including my sister - it sure feels like fall is around the corner!)

June:
My sister finally made it home from college after (almost) traveling the nation coast to coast! :)

Our little Joy turned 6 months old!

We celebrated Father's Day with Mark's family a week early. I love this family picture! (Taken on my in-law's front porch.) 

We celebrated Mark's first Father's Day! 

And of course, a very busy VBS week! Joy's first Vacation Bible School! Doesn't she make the cutest little pirate? :) 

July was probably our most eventful month all year!! 

First another holiday with our little girl! These "firsts" are so much fun!!

The next day she turned 7 months old!!!

A couple of weeks later Tuesday July 15, 2014, was a day we've been looking forward to for YEARS!! Our baby girl became officially OURS!!! What a very special day!!! SO much joy! :)

We were so glad to have so many of our family and friends here for that extra special day! 

Then the following Sunday was another very special day!! We dedicated our Joy to the Lord and promised to raise her according to God's Word and to teach her about Jesus!

In August we took a trip to our church's family camp, once again in beautiful Dickson, TN.
It was wonderful visiting with so many of our friends and family (although the time there is never long enough...)

I got an early birthday gift while I was there! My dear friend Brittany "snapped a few" pictures of our baby girl! ;) She took Joy's official 8 month pictures as well as some beautiful pictures of Joy in her special dedication dress! (Mark's aunt made the dress years ago and almost all of the girls in that family have been dedicated in it!)

Our baby girl is growing and changing so very fast right now! She started crawling right about the time we went to camp, and now is working on walking! She'll be up and running before too long! She's got her first tooth (or teeth?? she's already working on her third one in about that many weeks!) and she's now sleeping in her own room.

Spring Time Fun!

Wow! It's hard to believe it's the last day of May! Time has been flying by so quickly and our little girl is growing so fast!!! I wanted to post an picture update... beware, many pictures coming! I also don't want this to be entirely a book review blog! (Books DO help me keep my sanity and relax, and it certainly is nice to get them free, but that isn't the only reason to have this blog!) :)

We've certainly had an eventful spring! Our little girl is growing and changing so fast! It's hard to keep up - and hard for my back to keep up... "Little" Joy weighs 20 pounds! ;) But thankfully, the Lord gives strength for what we need! And little girl LOVES being held! Not necessarily cuddled.... but held. heehee!! I'm not sure where to start, so I'll just give some highlights from the past three months. :)
March:
My grandmother came down for her annual visit - which turned into something more permanent! She is now living with my parents and we are enjoying having her close! Joy loves "NeeNee!" March was a crazy month weather wise, beautiful day one day and ice the next! But spring did eventually come and we got to enjoy our local spring flower festival a bit! Some of our friends were "belles" for the trails and Joy enjoyed visiting! ;)

 

April:

Her first Easter!!! So fun to celebrate with our little one!  Such a happy girl - most of the time!! She is very strong and loves to jump when held!

May:
Oh, goodness.... the most eventful month this year!! So proud of my hubby! He graduated with his Master's degree!!! We are also so glad that he now has more time to spend with us!! ;)

It was also wonderful to visit with a good (life long) friend and for her to meet our girl and me to meet her twins!! So glad we could fit a visit in with Melissa!!

And my first Mother's Day as a mommy! Such a special day!!

 

Joy has been growing so fast!! And changing so much!! She has....

Eaten her first official food: 

Avocado in her mesh feeder.

She is also learning to pick up food and eat it. (For those wondering, we are trying the "Baby-Led Weaning" route to feeding her.)

 

 

She has also started sitting up! (This was kindof a surprise discovery for me... a friend's baby a bit younger than her started sitting and I wondered if she could. Low and behold, she can!) heehee!! 

She's so proud!

She has also got her first little "bug." So hard to see her not feeling well, but she is getting better now and we are SO very blessed that she is so healthy!!

On Memorial Day she had her first pigtails!! I about died from the cuteness! ;)

So that's just a bit of our world over here!! Yes, most of our life does revolve around baby, but Mark and I are trying to be sure and fit in some time to connect as a couple - we celebrated our nine year anniversary this week! So blessed with my wonderful husband!!

A "Joy"-ous Update

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments on our "Hospital Story!" :) It's naptime once more, so I'll attempt to update you all on our baby girl! 

Joy continues to be a "Joy!" She is a very easy baby! She is growing by leaps and bounds like all healthy babies do and is getting quite chubby!! :)(SOOO thankful for her health - I feel so blessed!)  Yesterday was a landmark day in our house - she slept about ten hours the night before and I got her first real (non-dreaming) giggle!!! ;) 

She is much adored in this house! She is such a doll baby and soo sweet. She loves her daddy - she went on a shopping trip with him just yesterday evening and enjoyed just looking up at him! (Mommy stayed home and finished dishes and laundry!) ;) 

Having a newborn is quite an adjustment!! (Yes, you long time moms can say you said so...) ;) Even with just one. I think the hardest thing was not getting sleep! (And I wasn't even recovering from childbirth!) Change is always an adjustment for me - and adding a new member of to the family is quite the biggie!! I am so thankful for how the Lord is helping me personally grow - parenting is about my growth as a person almost as much as it is in caring for a child, isn't it? 

I love looking into those little eyes and see her expressiveness, to hear her talk to me (may she always talk to me as easily as the babbles come!) I love watching her grow and seeing each new milestone - then look back and miss the bitty baby stage! (But we are OH so glad for more sleep!!) I love looking at her and thinking about all the things we will do together and the places we will go. My prayer is that she will have a tender heart toward God.

We are starting to get a bit of a routine now, and maybe I'll get back to blogging a bit more, or maybe I won't. It seems I just think I'm getting things figured out and things change. I know that's no surprise.... ;)