Monday, December 19, 2011

Favorite Things

21. Andrew Peterson singing Rich Mullins' Calling Out Your Name live in Nashville.
20. Buddy Greene and his harmonica live in Nashville.
19. Framed pictures of our little baby girl that now join our family pictures on the bookshelf.
18. Maternity pants that finally fit.
17. A trip to Nashville in a fifteen passenger van with fifteen people.
16. Coming back from a long road trip to a clean house that was left quite dirty. (Thanks, Adam!)
15. Enchiladas shared in the home of our neighbors from Mexico. They were the absolute best enchiladas ever!

Friday, December 16, 2011

To Be Learned

"I think the biggest thing I’ve learned about conflict in marriage is that you’re better off to assume the other person’s intentions were good. Filter out the impatience in their voice and remember the exhaustion that might have provoked it—let love hear only love. Because the truth is that 99.9% of the conflict could be avoided if I would avoid being easily offended." - Gretchen Acheson

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Things I Wanted You to Know...

Dear Little One,

You are so close to me at all times, yet I can't see you. I feel you move around more and more these days and it makes me happy to know that you are there. There were some things I wanted you to know and if there was a way to tell them to you now so you could understand, I would. But since you are little and just learning to recognize voices, I thought if I wrote you letters, then one day, when you are a little older and understand what my words mean, I could read them to you. Hopefully then you will smile because you will know that I loved you before you were even born.

Sometimes, because you are with me always, you hear lots of things about this world. This week you heard some students yelling really loudly and saying very mean things to each other, you heard someone crying because their family was splitting apart, you heard me talking to your grandma about several people I know who are facing struggles with cancer and someone whose house just burned to the ground, and if you were paying close attention you may have heard me talk to your daddy about exhausted I was from long days at work. And maybe if you could think about it, you would be worried that this world that you are going to be born into is a very difficult place to live.

But I wanted you to know that despite all of these sad things, there is a lot of love in this world, and that even now, before we have even met you, your dad and I love you very much. And I guess I thought it was most important that you know that not only do your dad and I love you, but that your dad and I love each other and we love being married and spending time together and we know that we will love it when you can spend time with us too.

You are pretty blessed already, because not every baby gets to have a daddy. And not only do you get to have a daddy, but you get to have a really awesome and special one who will not only love you, but help you through the things in life that are difficult. There are some things that you should know about your dad, besides the fact that I love him a lot. One thing you should know is that he already misses you and knows that there is a hole in his heart for you that only you will fill. You should also know that your dad is pretty funny and he likes to make ordinary events extra-ordinary. Recently he decided to dress up as the Grinch for his early morning run with a friend just to make life more fun. You will really like his ability to be goofy and I already know that you will laugh when you are with him a lot. He will like it when you laugh at him.

Another thing you should know about your dad is that he is a really good man. He always works really hard to be discerning and patient and make good decisions about things like the future and money. He likes to help people out and you will see that he helps me out a lot. He serves me and I know he will serve you. (He is not so sure that he is ready to change your diapers, but he promised he would do all the dishes, if I changed your diapers and I thought that was a pretty good deal!) Your daddy is very practical and likes to put his faith and his views about God into action. You will really like his example in this way and you will have fun learning to follow alongside him as he follows God.

You should know that your daddy will teach you lots of good values that will require discipline but will free you to become the person that you are being created to be. I thought I would give you really advanced notice that your dad worked really super hard so that he could win my heart and marry me, and you should be aware that he is going to make sure that his little girl's man really treasures her!

Well, I will have more to tell you later, especially about how good God is and how nothing in this life that is bad will ever overpower God's goodness. But I think that your first experiences of your Heavenly Father will be formed by your daddy and that's why I wanted you to know how blessed you are, my little one.

Love, Mommy

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Great Awakening

A favorite new song. Thanks to Abby Hutson for introducing!

One man wakes, awakens another

Second one wakes his next door brother

Three awake can rouse a town

And turn the whole place upside down

Many awake will cause such a fuss

It finally awakes all of us

One man wakes with dawn in his eyes

Surely then it multiplies

Surely then it multiplies

Favorite Things

14. Homemade guacamole and Sunday potlucks with Fiesta soup.
13. Listening to Adam talk to Little Baby Girl. ("I like you already, little girl. Do you think you'll like me? I miss you. Are you okay in there? I know I will like you because I really like your mom.")
12. Feeling Little Baby Girl jump up and down (for the sheer joy of being alive?) on the inside.
11. Time to ponder incarnation.
10. A Behold the Lamb of God concert done by young and talented Wichita musical artists.
8. Playing Pictionary with 24 people in our City House and enjoying well-known friends, young and old.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Day Brighteners

It truly is the little things that make a day special. Today it was the kind compliments from my husband as I left for work about how pretty I looked, it was the car that quickly heated to chase away the outdoor chill, it was the couple of extra hours to spend time making stuffed green peppers for dinner, it was the lingering after-dinner conversations with Adam.

And, maybe, especially today, it was the kindest note from an elderly man that I've never met. He let Adam and me know that he was praying for us and that God was faithful and always to be trusted. It was the simplest of notes, but the kindest of thoughts and my day was truly brightened.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Little Baby Girl



Favorite Things

7. Skype conversations with family in New York.
6. Good-morning wake-up hugs and kisses from Adam.
5. Blue skies, and lots of it, in America's heartland.
4. Sonograms that allow me to peep into our baby's world.
3. Students who hand their work in on time.
2. A husband who doesn't mind eating egg sandwiches with me for dinner.
1. The first dusting of snow on our front step.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Hearty Pre-Winter Deliciousness

It's been four seasons since I made a cream of vegetable soup, but with the December temperature drops, I was inspired to make a Broccoli-Cheese soup, substituting broccoli for cauliflower in this great recipe. This multi-vegetable soup did not disappoint in the least!

Oh, and I didn't get a chance to take a picture before giving them away to the neighbors, but my mother-in-law found the best recipe for pumpkin bread (I made muffins today). Definitely worth checking out!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Getting Ready, Step 1

One of my first nesting instincts was to get 20+ paper boxes from my school's print shops and start filing away donated clothing (so thankful!) for the baby. My sister-in-law and my mom joined in the fun, and together we finally got the job done!

Friday, December 2, 2011

And It Was So

I saved this picture from a Christmas Eve church bulletin one year, a very long time ago. I remember being struck by the deep pleasure in Mary's countenance as she held the Christ child.

Her joyful serenity spoke of the way that I wanted to learn to treasure the gift of Immanuel. Her motherly bliss held a dream that one day, too, perhaps God would grant, even to me, the gift of child.

As my belly is growing quite rapidly in this season of expectancy, I once again found this picture amidst my belongings. I was reminded of all the many times I had stared at Mary's face in great hope in seasons past. I couldn't help but think of the old lines from a hymn of praise "Hast thou not seen, how all thy longings have been granted in what He ordaineth?"

Yes, it is so.