easter

had a wonderful easter with grammy and gdaddy! sweet memories and lots of laughs. always good to be home. thankful for the reminder that easter brings... that Jesus died for my sins and rose again to give me new life! thank you Jesus for abundant life in You!

abundant life

do you ever feel those little self centered thoughts creeping in...

why am i the only one that does the dishes??

why am i the one that changes most of the poopy diapers?

why can't i just have one night out with my husband?

why can't i just have one day where it is all mine?

why do i have to do everything?!?!?!

First of all... I don't do everything... I don't do all the dishes or change all the poopy diapers... I have a wonderfully involved husband and dad... but sometimes my thoughts tend to pile up and I start to miss my days of freedom... doing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Now I have much more responsibility and stress! Not that I would ever take back my little boy... its just that baby raising season and it can be challenging at times. After this past week of sickness I saw that even when everyone is sick, mom has to keep going, keep taking care of the baby, etc.

Its a hard thing for a girl to learn :)

I guess what got me missing my freedom was the thought that my birthday is tomorrow... what are we doing?? nothing really... now don't feel sorry for me... I know that it will be a GREAT day and I am sure that Ray is planning something fun for the next day that he is off! :) But Ray is working and I am hanging with my little man and not too much is different from any other day. In my crazy selfish mind I want to run away with my Ray and have a whole day and night to ourselves... and I want to get my hair done, get a pedicure, massage, you name it I WANT IT!! haha!

I love my days with Barrett. I love my days working hard to clean the house and fold the laundry. I love my times at work with my patients and nurse friends. I love making dinner. I love having people in my home. I love seeing Ray come home from work and sit in his chair. I love all of these things... but it is different. My life has changed alot in the past year and half... courtship, engagement, marriage, baby... yeah... thats how we like to do it... ha! :)

Though my life looks different than it ever has, I am learning things that I am sure I would not have learned without being Ray's wife and Barrett's mom. One of the primary things I am learning (and have been learning for a while) is that God is for me! He had this current season for me picked out before the foundation of the world. He has good for me... and I truly believe that with all my heart. It is a daily struggle to allow Him to make the plan for the day, to set the schedule... but ultimately His plan is much better! I want to LIVE wholeheartedly in every season of my life... not wishing for another one and contemplating the past season... this present season cannot slip by without me LIVING it!

So.... there is much to be thankful for and there is precious time each day that is waiting to be filled with night time talks with my Ray, walks to the park with Barrett, long conversations with my sis about what the Lord is teaching us, and lots of laughs! I don't want to allow my focus to slip into the mundane daily tasks and checklists, but I want my life to be enveloped with Jesus and His perfect plan for my day!

Can't wait for tomorrow... my first birthday I get to celebrate with my Barrett boy!!! It will be extra special because this time last year we went to get a 4D ultrasound of that sweet little guys and not he is here with us! And... my sweet Nanny called and is a planning to take me to lunch! No matter what the day holds we are going to LIVE it... abundant life baby!

John 10:10 I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly!

Saturdays

Saturdays...

Most Saturdays are filled with lots of family time for most people... but many Saturdays Ray has to work. So most of the time Barrett and I go to swim lessons, take naps, play, and clean the house. But last Saturday we were all off together and got to go to swim lessons! It was so much fun to watch Barrett and Ray interact... they are buddies and I love that! Barrett wears his sweet little swim trunks and rash guard with his scrawny white arms and legs sticking out! Barrett loves the water and loves splashing, clapping, licking the water, and playing with his buddies in the pool! Its so cute!! I think that being in the water with us every week has helped to build his trust and show him how fun the water is! He is doing great :)

He loves the kickboard and little red octopus toy!

Learning to float on his back... He stiffens up like a board!

Playing on the floating duck!

Trying to teach him to blow bubbles, but he just wants to lick the water!

Learning how to do a sit dive!

I can't believe it is already Saturday again... this week has dragged out... with the nasty GI bug running havoc on our house!! First my sweet little baby came down with it... then onto daddy... and just when everything was washed up and pretty much back to normal mommy got it!! Nothing will slow you down like sickness. I'm thankful for family coming to our rescue to help. I am also thankful that we are all feeling much better! I missed cuddling with my Ray, playing with my happy smily baby, and of coarse being able to get out and visit friends. Hoping to rest this weekend... I think we all need it!

I think the worst part for me was not being able to get fluids into Barrett. He could not keep anything down. It broke my heart to see him so lethargic and sad. He liked eating popsicles with his dad... Poor little guy can't afford to loose anymore weight... he already so tiny!!

I hear my baby crying in his crib, so better go grab him :) Daddy is on his way home from work now! I think the only good thing about us all being sick was that we were all home together... and I wouldn't trade time with my boys for anything!!

Heres to another Saturday!

just lovin

i am loving...

our new beautiful bed and comforter!

my new organized closet

(thanks to my dear friend donna... who even color-coded everything!)

and these amazing blue eyes

(even with the sweet potatoes all over his face!)

Books Books & More Books...

Barrett LOVES this little Vtech Rhyme & Discover Book

It talks to him, sings, lights up, and teaches him little songs like...

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Hey Diddle Diddle

&

BINGO

When he is calm and able to pay better attention we pull out our

BIG BOY BOOKS (these are the books with paper pages that

are easily ripped... he can only have these when mommy is sitting right there!)

GG bought him the book Full Moon Rising.

It is a wonderful book about God's Glory... and its all about

the moon stealing glory from the Son!

This book has an important message about humility and the dangers of pride.

I pray that Barrett one day understands this...

but for now it is a fun book to read together!

And another FUN book that we love...

Barrett's picture book!

It is a blank book that you can add photos to...

We are working on learning who Aunt Betsy is now :)

(he wanted to eat his book, not look at it in this picture.. ha)

Watching Barrett's love for reading so cute!

More of our favorites to come...

Love for Reading

I have loved reading to Barrett since he was born...My mom (an amazing elementary school teacher) read to my sister and I so much as we were growing up.I want to pass that love for reading on to my little boy...

So the beginning of our reading journey started with Barrett just laying in my arms,

not really caring what I was reading, then he began to hit the little books, and babble

while we read, and then he would chew on the books, and drool on them, and now he sits up and I try to read them with much inflection in my voice and even act out some of the words, he flaps his little arms, interacts with me, claps his little hands, and gets totally excited!

I want to remember some of our favorite books we read together in this first year!

This is one of MY personal favorites!

Its based on Psalm 139... How your little one is "fearfully and wonderfully made!"

Its based on the theme...

YOU ARE THE ONE AND ONLY EVER YOU!

My favorite part:

"Not once had there been such eyes,

such a nose,

such silly, wiggly wonderful toes.

In fact, I think I'll count to three

so you can wiggle your toes for me."

(I always tickle B's toes and he wiggles them around and laughs!

yeah, its pretty cute!)

This is one of Barrett's favorite books!

We sing the Barnyard dance song...

"Stomp your feet

Clap your hands

Everybody ready for the barnyard dance!!"

Wanting to pass a love fore reading and learning to my little cutie pie!!

More of our favorite books to come....

"The more that you read the more things you will know. The more that you learn to more places you'll go!"

Dr. Seuss

inchworm, toys, and talking

Oh my little Barr Baby!!! What a fun day we had today!!

Today was just supposed to be a "regular day" with nothing too exciting... but when I laid my boy down for bed and he rested his little head of my shoulder, I wanted to hold him for just a little bit longer... today was actually a "special day!" My boy was happy, playful, and becoming more and more adventurous! I love watching him learn to conquer his inchworm crawl... becoming more and more proficient with each day (especially when he is going after my coffee mug!). I love seeing him interacting with his toys and baby einstein movies! And I love hearing him babble up a storm and say his favorite word about a million times a day.... "dada!!" Oh we played our hearts out today! We laughed... yeah, me and my 9 month old... we laughed it up baby!! :) His sweet personality is rockin... and I love the time that I get to spend with him! Everyday is a SPECIAL day!

Ray was off more than usual this past week so we were able to spend some quality time with family and friends! I love my days with my little man, but my times with my big man are just as amazing!! Ray brings me so much joy! I love the little ways he is always thinking of me and what I prefer... I love watching our favorite shows together... planning our future (or at least a tentative plan, right Lord?!?), how he remembers every patient I have ever told him about, seeing him dive into the Word whenever either of us have questions, and of coarse, the way he makes me roll off the couch laughing ALL THE TIME!! We were just made for each other... and I love that!!! I love how I see the beautiful hand of God woven through our relationship! I can't believe we are coming up on our 2 year anniversary!!

Nanny (Ray's grandma) is taking care of Barrett while we both work tomorrow because GiGi is out of town!! I am so thankful for all the people that have cared for our little boy since he was born!! To see how our family, friends, and church have come along side us has been overwhelming... I am grateful... and I know that Nanny will give Barrett just as many kisses as I would!! I always LOVE hearing about his day when I get off!

And whether my work day is done or just a day at home being a wife and mom is done, I feel carried on His everlasting wings... knowing that this is the season that He has called me to and IT IS AN HONOR to be what HE has called me to be... knowing that His grace is sufficient for me!

"This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness."
— Elisabeth Elliot