Sunday, November 29, 2009

Holiday Weekend Wrap Up

It is official. Our long, holiday weekend has come to an end. We LOVE having our daddy home from work, sleeping in, and not having a schedule to keep. These past five days were just what our family needed, after the craziness of the last few months. During break we enjoyed yummy Mexican food and lunch at Panera Bread, baking pumpkin bars and turkey shaped sugar cookies, Thanksgiving lunch at Grandma's and playtime with cousins, Christmas shopping, playing games, watching way too many movies (with Elf, Santa Clause, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas being the girls favorites this year), snuggling, and decorating the house for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Such fun now that the girls are old enough to help!

This Thanksgiving, it really struck me that I have much to be thankful for. Really, I feel thankful every year, but this year stood out to me as feeling different. So many around me are struggling. Marriages are ending, children are fighting cancer, friends are facing job loss and financial struggles, infertility, and just this week, friends were burying loved ones. If I think about all of the harshness that this world can offer, it is easy to become overwhelmed. I don't know how people do it without the hope of God and His perfect plan! I am so thankful that this world is not where our stories end, and I am thankful for each day that goes by during this season of peace for my own family.

Without further ado, my list of 2009 thankfuls:

* Forgiveness and grace. I am thankful that each new day is fresh with no mistakes in it.

* For my marriage. I will not lie. It has been a tough year in this category, and we still have much to learn, but I am thankful that when we said I Do, that we both meant it.

* For Emma and Kate. They are a constant source of joy.

* For the son growing inside of me. For two years we have prayed for this baby, and I don't want to take one moment of carrying him for granted.

* For living in the same home for two and a half years. Never thought we would see that happen!

* For loving our jobs. Both bring a satisfaction that cannot be put into words. I remember the not so long ago days, where work schedules and finances were something that we greatly struggled with. We prayed, and God answered.

* For our families. Thankful that we are together. It would be much harder to raise our children without the weekly support that we receive from our parents.

* Girlfriends, both old and new! Something I have prayed for often since becoming a wife and mama. God has provided richly in this category.

I am truly blessed, and every once in a while it is nice to stop and count my blessings. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Jack Ryan Huston

Baby Boy officially has a name. After much deliberation (and with the girl's help), Boss and I have finally decided that Baby Z Number Three will be Jack. Jack after Boss' mom, Jackie. I LOVE the name Jack. I think it is sweet, yet strong, and it goes nicely with the theme I have going of naming all of our children with four letter names. The only other names we considered were Luke (which Emma said made her tongue want to throw up), and Sam, but in the end, Jack won out because I love naming our children after family.

Baby Jack is growing every day! The girls enjoy watching my tummy move when he kicks, and they love giving brother kisses each night before they go to bed. I cannot wait to see the three of them together.

Thank you God for Emma Leigh, Kate Elisabeth, and Jack Ryan. I could not ask for more!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Two Blessings


















This November, as I think upon my many blessings, I am specifically thankful for my two precious girls. More than once a day, I find myself asking how I got so lucky as to be their mama. Really, they are such awesome kids. Sure, we have our occasional meltdowns and moments of disrespect like any other family, but those are few and far between. More often than not, people compliment the girls on what good listeners they are, and on how well they play together. They are sisters, best friends, and two peas in a pod. I cannot imagine one without the other. They are without a doubt, mine and Boss' greatest blessings in this life!

Some cute things that are worth remembering:

* Kate has recently nicknamed Emma Chuggy. Not sure where that name came from, but it seems to be sticking. Each morning, when Kate sees Emma, she screams Chuggy! at the top of her lungs, and then chases Emma around the table until she can catch her. Once she catches her, she yells splat! and tackles Emma to the ground. Interesting.

* If the girls are wearing dress up clothes, you can only refer to them by their fancy names, Emmaline and Katealine.

* Several times a day, Kate will give a huge sigh and say, It's so hard being three!

* Emma has informed me that according to most humans (yes, she actually used those words), the more you ask them to do something, the less they want to do it. How right you are, sister! Too bad you have thirteen more years of me asking you to do things.

I love these girls, and I am so thankful for my two blessings.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Baby Bump


Half Way There























I have now been pregnant with Baby Boy for twenty wonderful weeks. To date, I have gained three pounds, I still have ankles, my energy abounds, and everything has been great health wise. Baby Boy moves every day, and while I have felt his little kicks for awhile now, you could see them from the outside of my stomach for the first time this week. I had forgotten how awesome that is to witness! We truly are blessed.

Baby Boy's belongings are growing! Boss had chosen a three piece suit with a purple bow tie for the special coming home day, but thankfully, I won, and Baby Boy will come home in a sweet, little blue gown and his Little Sport hat. So precious! We have also decided to purchase one big item a month before Baby Boy's arrival, and this month we bought our stroller and car seat. Man, have those things gone up in price since we had the girls! Crazy! But the one I chose has bright orange trim (I am a fan), so I pretty much think it is awesome.The weather is changing here, getting colder every day, and I am ready to settle in to the long winter months. I foresee many days at home, and much nesting in our future! Children are such an amazing blessing from the Lord!