Happy Thanksgiving Week

My little winter baby. She never complained even once about going outside when it was 110 degrees this summer (unlike myself who complained relentlessly as I sat sweating in her baby pool). But she isn’t too sure about snow and rain so we’re working on that. Every day we look outside or go for walks, and I tell her,”Winter! Snow and rain! Christmas! It’s pretty!”. Surely this brainwashing will work and she’ll grow up loving it all.

It snowed today and was so pretty. So we walked to the river and got the most out of it before it all melts.

I put up outdoor Christmas lights the first week of November. Everyday Luna asks, “what’s that?” over and over when she sees them. And I’m here to tell you that this “what’s that” stage is both adorable and the worst. 9,000 times a day I hear “Mama! What’s that??” 

We get our inside Christmas tree this weekend and I can’t wait! I officially have 100% of my gift shopping done. I have ice skating, snowy hikes, and Christmas light viewing all planned out for next month. 

It’s Thanksgiving week and I have so much to be thankful for.

This baby kicking around in my belly all day. We found out it’s another girl! I’m over half way now, and we still don’t have a name picked. I am so thrilled to reuse all of Luna’s adorable baby things. I pulled everything out of storage last week and had so much fun organizing it all and remembering Luna being newborn size. Later that day I sat with Luna and we watched her newborn baby videos for awhile. She loved it and kept talking about that “cute baby!”. She can’t tear her eyes away from pictures and videos of herself. And I still can’t believe any of this is even real.

Baby girl at 20 weeks:

A 6 week old Luna:

A two year old Luna:

Aaron changed jobs a few months back. I have prayed for almost three years for him to quit his old job and move on. It just wasn’t a great job and he came home so unhappy every day. It was really hard for me to see that for him. I had a few anxious days after he put in his notice at his old job thinking of the substantial pay cut and the lesser health benefits which would cost us. But I reminded myself of every time that God has provided financially for us, and put it aside from my mind as best as I could. It’s better to trust God than to worry.  And in such a short time, Aaron has had two raises and is now making what he was making a year ago at his old job. The health benefits have turned out to be even better than his old ones which was a big surprise for me. He had several crew leaders ask for him to be put onto their crew and he’s so happy with the supervisor he has ended up with. And most importantly Aaron comes home tired but happy each day. And that makes me a happy wife. 

Dada teaching Luna how to play guitar which goes like this.

Luna: strums one time.

Luna: accidentally drops the pick onto the floor.

Luna, frantically: “Oh no! Dada!”

Dada, patiently: puts the guitar down and finds the pick.

Mama: laughs every time.

Repeat 20 more times.

In the past couple of months or so, I’ve been able to have just the sweetest fellowship in different ways. Whether conversations and time with my best friends, teaching our hilarious 5/6 years olds in Master’s Club, or time with some of the ladies at church. Making donuts with the girls, doing devotionals together, sitting over a coffee with my mother in law, group texts with my sisters, Friendsgiving with church friends, a movie with Rachel, on and on. It has made me feel really grateful for being able to have such a great church and being surrounded by such faithful people in my life.

You know how sometimes Bible reading can be just dry? You have those ups and downs with it. Sometimes it’s just words on paper, depending on where we are at spiritually. Other times it’s so sweet and fulfilling and just wonderful. I’ve been in one of those sweet times lately and am so grateful for it. It’s one of my favorite times of the day. I wake up pretty early while it’s still dark and quiet. Do a few household chores. Make a hot chocolate, and sit and read with my favorite Christmas orchestra playlist in the background. It’s hands down the most thankful time of my day and I carry it with me thru the rest of the day.

There is never really a time of life without hardship or something negative to focus on. Even in good times, there is still always something “bad” hanging around. But there is always something good to focus on too, and I wish it was more human nature to see that first. None of us has received what we deserve, each of us has received mercy and forgiveness.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians 3:15

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14