Happy New Year!

Just two days into the New Year and the only thing that seems new is writing 2010 on some checks today. It amazes me that depending on my life circumstance, I see time in TOTALLY different ways. When I was single a year seemed like 10 sometimes. When I would go on summer trips overseas 6 weeks seemed like a long time to be away. When I was living overseas for 2 years the months counting down to the time out of country seemed like they would never pass. This past years has gone by so 'quickly'. There have been so many changes, some embraced more easily than others. I had some hard days after Chloe was born! This year brings the promise of more change, only God knows what those changes will be. I am sure I will freak out sometimes, I am sure I will smile knowing that the Lord sees us. I mostly want to trust Him in all of life (marriage, baby's naps, when she will crawl, jobs, friendships, etc...). Learning to trust God all over again in some ways. I think that is the beauty of having a relationship with Christ, that as life changes, he doesn't. He wants to meet me in new ways, show me parts of His character I have never known, change my heart to love Him and others more. I love this passage from The Message. I hope this is a passage I can come back to in the year to come.

1 Corinthians 13:3

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

Here is the wonderful man I get to trust God with, what a gift!

Snowed In

Our Christmas has been eventful. We decided to come to Lincoln a day early because of the storm that was coming. The storm did come and we have been in it for the last 3 days solid. Snowed in, a true blizzard, or as my almost 13 year old niece says, "We live in a freakin' snow globe". All 9 of us have been at my parents for the last 3 days. We have had a great time sharing this memory together. Chloe has done well, occasionally fussy, but sweet as usual. We have all started to have some cabin fever the last day or so. Brent and I actually got out and went to the mall today. I am afraid with the new amazing lens I got for Christmas that you may be seeing a lot more pictures. It is amazing, if you like bokeh, and I do, it will make you ooh and ah over every photo you take. We are planning to go on to Kansas City tomorrow, but it is supposed to snow another 2 inches tonight, so we will see. It has been a very Merry Christmas!

Special days

Celebrating 3 years of marriage!

Brent and I celebrated by getting a babysitter and going out for dinner. It was our first big snow, but we ventured out despite the conditions. It was so great to be out with my hubby and just eat slowly and enjoy adult conversation. As it often happens when we are out to eat we had another unusual experience. As I was observing our surroundings in this small restaurant I quickly noticed a couple that appeared to be in a wedding gown and tux with some others along with them. Curiosity got the best of me and on my way back from the bathroom I stopped and asked if they had gotten married that day. They said yes and I told them it was our 3rd wedding anniversary. They congratulated us and told us they would like us to have some their wedding cake, we gladly accepted. Later we found out from the couple the crazy circumstances that led them to get married on a Tuesday, in the middle of a snow storm. Let's just say it involves a crazy ex-husband, lack of judges in Missouri, and 4 kids between the two of them. The cake was the best that either of us had ever had, such a nice surprise and a great memory.

You've come a long way baby!

Chloe turned 6 months today and she is cuter every day, I probably even say that every day. I do dote on her, as a mother should. She is weighing in at 17 lbs. and is 27 inches. Long and lean like her daddy. She really wants to move and is always coming up with ways to try and propel forward, though mostly unsuccessful at this point. She is so squirmy that sitting up is also a challenge. We have tried cereal, applesauce and sweet potatoes and she just isn't too interested yet. She is growing up as you can see in this comparison between month 1 and month 6.

New pictures

Here are some of my favorite pictures from life with Chloe lately. Some are from Thanksgiving-a few weeks later. Oh well...enjoy.

It's winter, must wear hats

This is the sweet face I love!Chloe and Zach

Grandpa and Chloe

Trying escape her chair, she is buckled in at all times now.

Nicknames

We have SO many nicknames for Chloe, sometimes I wonder if she will ever know her name. I thought I would make a list of them all for my own records:

Chloe bean
Beaner
Bean
Jumping bean
Sweet one
Sweet stuff
Big stuff
Baby G (girl)
Pumpkin
Pumpky
Punkin' pie
Double tooth
Snaggletooth
Squirmy
Squirmy-wormy
Munchy
Peanut
Grumpalump
Chloester
Chlo-chlo
Chica-majika

Okay...now I feel like a weirdo! Hopefully when she is asked her name by someone she won't say "Grumpalump". I can just imagine explaining, "That is just what we call her when she is grumpy, her name is Chloe."

5 months, 2 teeth and a baby dedication

Look at my teeth!

Chloe turned 5 months today and although she was grumpy, due to problems napping, she is still a sweet baby!! She cut her second tooth this week and has been showing them off a little more. Last Sunday we finally had her dedicated and it was so great having my parents and B's family here! Our almost 2 year old niece kept saying, "Baby Chloe" the whole service it was really cute! Chloe smiled the whole time and it was meaningful to have the whole congregation affirm our desire to raise Chloe in a home that loves God. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the past few weeks. She has been a great nighttime sleeper, sleeping 12 hours some nights, she still remains a VERY active one even in her sleep!Chloe with Grandpa!

Inch worm and bouncing

Well, my active child is at it again....inch worming and loving the 'johnny jump up'.Here she is trying to move she will pull her head down and legs in and move about an inch, she doesn't get very far but she is trying really hard.

A night out

I didn't get a picture of B and I's hot date on Saturday night. Some amazing women volunteered to babysit so we could go out. We splurged and went to Della Voce and had an great time together. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere charming and the conversation the best! I love talking to my husband. About halfway through our meal the large table of ladies next to us were getting their martini's delivered and one flew toward B and splattered the back of his nice sweater. It was something strawberry and I knew it was going to stain. So, the wait staff brought us some club soda and I begin blotting his sweater in a fancy restaurant. A few minutes later the manager/owner came and let us know that they would pay for dry cleaning and that desert was on the house. We had delicious deserts and coffee in individual french presses. It was a delightful evening and Chloe did great being put to bed for the first time by someone other than mom or dad. The funniest part of the martini incident was that one of the women at the other table also got splattered. She was wearing a strapless dress and a few minutes after I heard her telling her friends, "that drink went right down my dress, good thing I am wearing full body spanx so I don't feel a thing."