First Christmas

It was a week of Christmas festivities! Our Princess' first Christmas season proved to be a success. We all visited lots of family...drank egg nog (well, her only indirectly through Mommy)...got our first tree as a family of three...opened a few presents...sang Christmas carols...celebrated birthdays...and drove lots of miles.

Overall, it was fun having a first Christmas with our Princess. We enjoyed shopping for her first Christmas present...and for just the right "baby's first Christmas" ornament. We were delighted to watch her as she enjoyed playing with the box her gift came in more than the gift...or that she was more interested in tasting the lights on the tree more than getting her Christmas picture taken.

It certainly felt like we experienced Christmas more this year. Perhaps because we now have a little more understanding of what Mary experienced as she brought a baby Savior into a dangerous world. Or perhaps because we now get to choose how we want our family to experience the meaning of Christmas...since we are responsible for shaping our child's world.

Determination

Determination.
You must have it in order to accomplish just about anything. I've learned that life doesn't get harder... and certainly not easier. Our challenges grow as we do.

The Girls

It is fun to be a girl. I like having my own little girl, too, who gets to do what I do. In this case, we both dressed up on Halloween. I was not as concerned about my costume. I was more preoccupied with getting the little girl dressed up. Not that she needed the costume to be cute...she's already that all on her own. Without even trying! And isn't she an absolutely adorable little ladybug? We borrowed the bug suit from a friend of ours, and it just fit perfectly! Well, once she was taken care of, I had to decide what I was going to dress up like for our little harvest party we were attending. Thankfully, I rummaged through the closet to find the simple mouse attire I had leftover from a birthday party last year. It was easy to wear in a pinch, and I eventually added a few whiskers on my cheeks. The best part--the tail--wasn't included here. You'll just have to take my word for it.
Ooooohhhh...I just love our little bug!

The Happy Birthday Man

This has been a relatively busy week. I can hardly believe it is Friday again! Last weekend was a whirlwind for me. I had a surprise birthday-day to plan out for Daniel's 30th! It was so much fun! He was completely surprised when we (our friend Josh, me, and the Sweetpea) took him skydiving in Molalla. He was completely surprised when his good friend Clinton (whom he only sees occasionally) met up with us. And he was completely surprised when he arrived at the home where we had a huge surprise luau party waiting for him! The party was loads of fun...he had a blast skydiving...I couldn't have had it any better. As much as I'd like to claim credit, I have to say that I'm thankful that he chose not to ask questions as I was planning (he could have if he wanted). He and I are similar in that we don't like to spoil "surprises". As you can see, I think he rather enjoyed his surprises (even wearing the really dorky "30" hat). It is so fun to make him smile that big. As I think about that day, I am so happy to see how much he is appreciated and loved. So many people helped make the party happen, and so many came to celebrate with us. I love my hubby tremendously, and it makes my heart joyful when other appreciate the many things about him that I do.

The hum-haw buggies

Today is a hum haw day, I think. It still feels like summer, but with the autumn flavor. As I watched several kids walking home from school, I was reminded of my childhood days many years ago as I myself walked home on warm, breezy fall afternoons. Funny how in such a brief moment, I can experience a whirlwind of thoughts, emotions, and feelings. In some ways, I miss being a kid.
I'm not feeling very adventuresome today either. Mostly because both the Sweetpea and I are feeling a little buggy. I actually don't feel too bad, but I can tell I'm fighting something. And she sounds and looks like it--a bit of a runny nose, taking frequent naps, and worst of all--she isn't quite her happy, perky self. We are so fortunate to have such a happy baby girl...so I really notice when she's not feeling on top of her game. So, needless to say, we didn't go on a walk yet today. And that meant Lucy didn't get to walk either. Poor dog. This is when I really wish we had a big piece of property where she could roam free without worrying about cars racing by or her feeling cooped up and rebelling by pulling apart the fence. Instead, her exercise consists of following me around the house or walking us out to the mailbox...grrrrr! Such a ferocious guard dog is she.
Last night was a good evening. Although it ended late (almost 11:00!), it was worth it. We went to our weekly small group (originally called "the young marrieds" but now we're trying to find a different name better descriptive of who we are currently. We're not quite as young-married anymore.) Good things were shared. God is active and real in people's lives, and that is exciting. Several of the guys shared about their experiences at the men's retreat. And then we stayed up late talking with Bob and Polly. Somehow, the deepest and most meaningful conversations often don't seem to begin until after 10:00. I'm not sure why that is...
Off I go to get work done while my princess is asleep!

Excited?

OK, this is my first stab at doing the blog thing. I've certainly enjoyed reading others' blogs, and am pretty excited about having our own. Well, excited isn't exactly the term I'd use. That seems to communicate I'm giddy and unable to keep myself from bouncing in my seat. More like, this makes me feel happy inside to write stuff out.

But I'm not really writing here to discuss whether or not I'm truly excited or not. Dumb point, really.

The little princess is sleeping right now. That always makes a great time to get things done. So I'm writing. If any of the entries are cut short, that's most likely because she woke up before I was done. Isn't that life? Untimely interruptions. I guess it keeps me flexible. All a part of motherhood. Of which I'm thoroughly enjoying. I love being a mom. That makes me happy. That makes me excited. I don't think I've ever experienced feelings so strong in relation to anything else before. And it is a wonderful thing.

It is a good day today.

Hello

This is our Family blog. The Lioness is my Pride... and the princess is too. So, I guess I'm the Lion around here. Um. grrrr. or something.

The Great Red Lion