"God bless us, every one!"

So... in case you haven't noticed, I've been rather absent from the blog world (as I'm sure many of you also have been)... not much posting and not much commenting, either. There sure is a lot of catching up I have to do! Getting back into Tasty Tuesdays (which have sadly fallen by the wayside of late), the latest belly shots, Annabelle's 3rd birthday, and I might even blog about Disneyland-- FINALLY. :) But I've decided that it shall all just have to wait until we return from our trip to Denver, which is fast approaching (we leave this Sunday) and will make the rest of this week a busy whirlwind.

I can hardly believe how the weeks have flown by leading up to Christmas. And this last week has been busier than any of them. Between finishing up Christmas shopping, making the last of my homemade gifts, getting some baking done, preparing for Annabelle's birthday and our trip, running last-minute errands, church functions, family gatherings, and trying to stay on top of laundry and cleaning the house so I can go away with a clean conscience and home... it's been all I can manage just to drag myself out of bed some mornings, in all honesty.

But, in the midst of it all, I am blessed to have joy.

Joy in a quiet morning time of devotion and prayer as the girls play nicely.

Joy in climbing into a warm bed after a long day and snuggling up to my husband.

Joy in looking out my window and seeing crystal clear mountains with new-fallen snow on top.

Joy in seeing delight on my children's faces as we sprinkle sugar on Christmas cookies.

Joy in seeing the presents under our tree and knowing that they will soon be in the hands of loved ones.

Joy in the peace and warmth of our cozy little home; it truly is a haven to me.

Joy in being with the friends and family that I love so much-- and joy in the thought of soon spending time with the rest of them!

But most of all, joy in knowing that God sent His Son to be our Savior. That we have everlasting peace and joy through Him.

There could be no greater gift.

Merry Christmas, my dear ones!!

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

(see you in January)

Overjoyed.

From this.... to THIS.


What a journey, and such a wonderful, wonderful blessing.

It is heart-breaking to watch loved ones go through struggles and griefs, even though we trust our God in sending them. Kourtni and her little family, these dear friends of ours, certainly had their fair share in the past year or two. Scripture tells us to "rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep"-- and those of us who love them shed many tears for and with them.

But if there is one thing I have learned about suffering and sadness, it is that it makes joy that much sweeter. On Saturday evening when I visited the hospital and held little Genevieve for the first time, looking at her lovely dark hair and her sweet baby lips and cheeks, just perfect in every way, I had to fight back tears. Tears of pure JOY! It is so wonderful to see the way God has worked everything out for our dear ones and how he has blessed them so richly after their time of struggle. Really, I can only imagine how much it means to them, and I simply could not be happier for them. This time of rejoicing is just as sweet and lovely as can be, and so appreciated and welcomed after everything else that has happened.

So, congratulations to Kourtni and Andy, Logan and Juliet-- your new little one is simply beautiful! Praise God for life, and rosebud lips, and teensy tiny fingers and toes, and round cheeks, and soft heads and little tummies... each baby is a precious gift. And I'm so GLAD that you have yours safely in your arms!

I realize that this post should really have a picture of the adorable Genevieve, but I don't have any... yet. Plus, I've been looking for an excuse to use this picture of Kourtni and I, because I love it. And I love Kourtni.

(taken at our sister-in-law Jessica's "mommy shower"-- another very happy occasion!)

monday morning love

My alarm goes off... but I hit the snooze button. Or, did I turn it off completely? Even as I fall back asleep, I miss my husband and the way his back is so warm and how I fit so perfectly against it. But the sound of him showering as he gets ready for work lulls me softly, and in no time at all I am dreaming again, cozy in our bed and my purple flannel pj's. Soon I am awakened by a hand on my back and a kiss on the cheek. He leans down to hug me goodbye and I smell his cologne as I hold him close for a moment. "Have a good day, sweetie, and drive safely." One more kiss, and then he is gone. I hear the front door close and his truck start up, even as I drift back to sleep...

"Mommy. Mommy!" A quiet little voice from beside the bed awakes me again. "Can I cuddle with you?" I smile, because morning cuddles are my favorite. As I pull back the covers to allow Emma in beside me, a wave of colder air hits me. Quickly, I tuck us back in. Her small form is warm and soft, clad in her favorite ballerina footsie pajamas, and I pull her closely to me, wrapping my arm around her as I run my fingers through her long tousled hair on the pillow beside me. We doze, until another little voice is heard: "Mommy, I hungy, I want bek-fast." Raising myself on one arm, I see another tousled head peeping over the edge of the bed, this one blonde and fluffy and just as adorable. Annabelle doesn't want to cuddle... she's too hungry, so I guess it's time to get up.

My feet go in my furry slippers as I climb out of bed, and I grab the sweatshirt that hangs nearby, wrapping myself in it as the chilly morning air causes me to shiver. A couple clicks of the thermostat and the heat kicks in as little girls go potty and pick out their breakfast cereal. I raise the shade on our front window, not surprised at all by what I see. The sky hangs heavy and gray, and our grass and flowerbeds are soggy with the rain from the night before. It is cold, it is damp, it is winter. But I welcome the sight, knowing that today is a day for pj's, snuggles on the couch, hot cocoa, and I Love Lucy DVD's as I fold laundry and clean the house from the mess of the weekend. A day of playtime at home, and story-books, and working on Chrismas program verses together. A day of peace and quiet in our little home.

I turn on the Christmas tree lights, instantly loving the cozy effect, and stand for a moment, fully awake now and glad to greet the day with all its simple blessings before us. Girlish voices from the two small figures kneeling on the kitchen floor in front of the cereal cupboard remind me of the duties that await my hands, and I turn to leave the room. Against the cold gray morning outside, the lights on our tree twinkle cheerfully.

"Exactly!" I think... and I twinkle cheerfully back.

Brown paper packages tied up with string...

All right, so it wasn't a brown paper package tied up with string. It was actually a fun hot pink bubble mailer sealed with adhesive. But packages of ANY sort are most definitely one of my "favorite things". And the package that came for me on Saturday was certainly no exception... I received my scarf from our scarf exchange in the mail!! I was paired up with Tipp from a[tipp]ical thoughts (go check her blog out, I think you will love it as much as I do now. Really, she is quite adorable).

I opened my package with glee...

Look how CUTE she wrapped it up! I'm a sucker for cute wrapping, it's true.

And here it is, my brand-new, beautiful, stripey pink, oh-so-cozy-and-soft scarf:

please pardon the cruddy picture of me and the sloppy t-shirt. This is how I usually look on Sundays after church, which is when I snapped this picture... naptime, y'all! At least I have some makeup on...

Thanks so much, Tipp!! I really love it... it is so perfect. I can't wait to wear it as often as I possibly can. It was oh-so-fun getting to be your scarf buddy! :)

What about the rest of you exchange participants? Has everyone been getting lovely scarfy packages in the mail? Please do share... and if you've already blogged about it, comment and leave me a link! I'd love to see the fruits of Sarah's and my labors. What fun!

Goodies Galore!!

I simply have to share with you all (in case you didn't already know) these wonderful giveaways that are going on right now at some of my very favorite blogs. They're just too good to miss out on.

First of all, tomorrow is my adorable cousin Steph's (over at Those Corwins) birthday (so be sure you wish her a happy birthday tomorrow :)), and because she is a generous soul, she's giving US a present! Or, at least an opportunity to get a present. Her prize is a great one-- Steph, you really nailed this one! (hahaha, get it? Oh, I'm soooo funny)
You can read all about it and enter by simply clicking on this button:

Secondly, the ever-so-sweet Danni over at ohhellofriend is having an A. MAZ.ING. giveaway that features a bunch of different Etsy shops and so much hand-crafted loveliness that I think I might have drooled a bit. Danni is an incredibly talented crafter and designer herself, and I always love her tastes in other people's work too, so when I heard she was having a big giveaway I just KNEW it would be wonderful. Seriously, go check it out... see all the lovely things and visit the fantastic shops, and get to know Danni a bit too. You'll be so glad you did!

Click here to enter:

Maybe, just maybe, I will FINALLY win a blog giveaway?? :)

with a twinkle and a glow...

...Christmas and all its loveliness has come to our house.

The tree, upon which ornaments were lovingly placed by all of us. We do have cute pictures of the girls hanging ornaments, but they're on Jeremy's fancy camera, and well, I'm stupid when it comes to that. :) But do you notice my kitty hiding in the corner?

The stockings. Someday, it is a goal of mine to MAKE beautiful unique ones that are perfectly suited to each of us, but for now these Ross Dress for Less ones will have to do. And the bookshelf is the best place I can think of to hang them, so you also get a sneak peek of our DVD collection. Classy, right?

This vignette over my blue dresser is my personal favorite of all our decorations. I just love the pale colors and how sparkly and wintery it looks.

This beautiful white poinsettia was found at Target for $6-- cute pot and all! It graces our entry-way table.

This is my other favorite nook. I'm just such a lover of collections/gatherings of dear little things. And this has a delightfully vintage feel to it, don't you think?

A Christmas birdie whose nest is a bowl of ornaments

This is the little tree we put up in the girls' room. They LOVE having their own tree, and it's a perfect place to hang all their own special little ornaments they've collected over the years . (especially the ones that don't "match" our big tree, ahem. Sorry, I'm just picky like that...)

Oh, the wonderment of Christmas. I always love the way our house looks when it's all decorated for the holidays, and it makes me sad when I have to take it all down again when everything is over. Must we, really? Can't we always decorate with twinkly lights and cheery cozy things?? No? Oh well... I shall certainly enjoy all this loveliness and the Christmasy feel of our home for as long as it can last.

My Downfall

Sure, it looks cute, and pretty, and festive....
but this, my friends, is a Very Bad Idea. Don't ever pour a bulk-size bag of m&m's into an easily-accessed apothecary jar.

Someone please stop me from eating peanut m&m's all day long. Pregnant lady has no control.

little bits of joy

things that made me happy today:

two freshly-bathed and smelling-like-lavender daughters in cozy footsie pj's * giving my niece and nephew big fat kisses * buying plane tickets to go visit beloved family * a clean kitchen * Morgan's brand-new beautiful baby girl * Christmas piano music * comfy fleecy sweatshirts that are big enough even for my growing tummy * talking to my brothers on the phone * hearing Emma's bed-time prayer * lemon cookies * a good doctor's appointment * providentially finding the perfect Bible verse to encourage a friend * a fuzzy cat with a luxuriously soft winter coat, perfectly soft and cuddly * new makeup * seester texts * ginger-snap tea and a toasted blueberry bagel for breakfast * listening to my girls laugh about "cotton-ball marshmallows" * a hug from a sister * getting caught up on reading blogs (but not on commenting, yet) * two seagulls in our front yard (confused, much?) * cuddling with my Jeremy on the couch * the Cosby show * checking items, one-by-one, off my to-do list * sitting here blogging while Rosalie kicks inside me

And to top it all off, tonight is one of those nights that is wintery and white with fog. I stepped outside our front door to the soft glow of our Christmas lights wrapped in the quiet and stillness of the mist. Everything looks more magical, softer somehow, in the fog... it's as if the world is smaller and more peaceful. I can't help but love the fog-- it is the closest we get to snow here in Bakersfield. It's our "white" for the winter, and it's just so cozy.

Was it a perfect day? No... of course there were frustrations and challenges of different sorts. There always are, aren't there, for everyone? But with blessings like these, my heart is happy and I am content. As I so often say (but it bears repeating), God is good.

What were the little things that made you smile today?

Eighty-nine times the fun

89.

That is the number of people who signed up for Sarah's and my scarf exchange!! Wow! We were hoping to get a good number of people, but I don't think I expected quite THAT many. We did say "the more the merrier", and well, we meant it. So, yay, yippee, and hooray!

Here's how it'll work for those of you who've signed up:
I've compiled a list of everyone who commented, both from Sarah's (where MOST of you came from :)) and my blog, and I'll simply draw names in pairs to see who will be sending to whom. I'll send out one e-mail to all of you with the list of pairings (I'll be sure to put "scarf exchange" in the subject line so you know it's not junk). Hopefully, you'll all be getting an e-mail from me later today as originally promised, but it *might* be tomorrow. Either way, you'll have plenty of time to get that lovely scarf of yours sent off.

Thank you all so much for signing up and making this exchange such a success and so much fun. Whether I know you already or not, I'm so glad you are a part of our little idea. And just think of all the wonderful packages that will be going in the mail soon! All those scarves going to and fro... now that is what mail should really be like.

And thanks again, of course, to Sarah for helping me out with her ideas and her blog. Sarah, you'll always be my super-fun scarf buddy! Hugs!

I hope everyone had a lovely and blessed Thanksgiving weekend. We certainly did... I'll tell you more about it later!