firsts

Our first year as parents is almost over! Our sweet little guy will be one year old in just a few days, and it's so hard to believe. We have so much to be thankful for. Mercy upon mercy. Grace upon grace. So many blessings, achings, joys, sorrows, exhilarations, fears.

Joshua's first Thanksgiving was a cozy family gathering with his paternal grandparents. I completely forgot to take any pictures, and the camera stayed in the car the whole time! I'm pretty disappointed about that. We enjoyed a warm, play-filled couple of days by the fireplace, with snow falling outside and delicious dinners inside. There was a trip to a local tree nursery to see their decorated Christmas trees, and a brisk excursion to a small-town parade with Santa at the end. There were lots of stories and jokes told, a few rounds of Skip-Bo, and quite a few sweets.

We are blessed. Home, family, friends, safety, health, warmth, love.

Remembering the little things, and thanking the beyond-comprehension God who orchestrates it all and loves us more than we could possibly imagine.

little things

Here's the promised post on the little things - the often overlooked, but truly important things that make life beautiful!

1. Watching the gently falling snow from the warmth of our church sanctuary, during...
2. ...yet another meaningful and memorable sermon and time of worship with friends. We are truly blessed to be a part of this church.
3. A cozy Oscar-cat on my lap (what little is left of my lap)
4. Morning walks in the brisk weather with my friend, Kelly, and her little boy
5. Safety on our trips to and from my parents' house for Thanksgiving
6. The blessing of a family that really does get along well most of the time
7. Hearing my husband pray with thankfulness for our family, and with joy for our soon-to-come son. Such a treasure to be his wife and the mother of his child!
8. Having more than enough to eat, a warm house to sleep in, and all our basic needs met, once again
9. Being completely done with Christmas shopping and wrapping, except for this one last gift for my sister
10. Finding out that our baby will have yet another cousin...due in July! That makes two cousins on one side, and another cousin on the other side. Exciting!

Three sisters-in-law and mommas-to-be!

God has been so good to us, even through our difficulty financially. We have so much in each other, in our family, and in our friends. Truly blessed!