2009 - A Glance Back

The title of our blog, Our Abundant Life, seems appropriate when looking back at 2009. In two words I would definitely describe it as the year of abundant changes. In less than a week R accepted a position that would have us move across the state, A surprised us by arriving 11 days early and we started house hunting for our first home. Last May R and I did a personality test and ranked highest on BOTH of our tests was that neither of liked or handled change well. That is a true testimony that through God ALL things are possible. (I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Phil 4:13). Despite our lack of ability or desire to accept or handle change, R and I laughed harder and more often then ever before and seemed to find more to enjoy in life than ever before. At times it seemed overwhelming with all the unknowns this year was filled with but looking back with each change came one blessing after another as R graduated from his Master's program and found a job, we welcomed A into our family, bought our first home and I was able to leave my job to stay home with A. Through all of the changes we had family and friends surrounding us with love, prayers, support and laughter. Thanks for making this year one of the best yet!

Here is a video clip of one of our very favorite memories of the year when A laughed for the first time. R was holding A and came into the bathroom while I was brushing my teeth and she started laughing at me. We quickly ran downstairs and grabbed the video camera (and phone cameras) to capture her first giggles.

Our 6 1/2 month old bundle of energy

Here are a few pictures taken a couple days after Christmas with A sporting some of her new clothes and playing with her new ball.

A showing off her new shoes...



Almost...

Got it!
R captured me sneaking a kiss...
A then decided to play her version of the "I got your nose" game...

A's First Christmas

For A's first Christmas we spent the morning at our house and then went to my parent's house to see my side of the family, then went to R's parents and then to R's uncle's house. With a packed day of fun we had to start off the day early so for the first time ever we woke A up to open her stocking and present from us. Needless to say she was excited about the tissue paper and wrapping paper but as you can see below a bit sleepy still. :) Here are a few pictures from the day.


Her first sippy cup...
Can I go back to bed now?
Cool shades from Grandma and Grandpa to wear in Florida in a couple months. A's a bit more interested in the wrapping paper.
Uncle K and cousin E opening E's gift.
R and A opening her gifts.
Aunt C and cousin P celebrating P's first Christmas.
Nana helping A open her gifts.
We are so blessed to have so many family members to celebrate the birth of Christ with!

Best Buy Commerical

Is R starring in a Best Buy commercial? After at least 6-7 people telling me about this commercial with a guy who looks just like R, we finally were sent a Youtube video of the commercial for us to see for ourselves. I even had a couple people from college that haven't seen him in a few years ask if he was in this commercial. So does R have a look-a-like? See for yourself...

Christmas Photo Outtakes

A few weeks ago we turned a corner of our office into the backdrop for A's Christmas picture. I stood beside R doing anything and everything to make A smile as R snapped picture after picture with his camera. Here are just a few of the pictures that didn't make it onto our Christmas card.

Merry Christmas!

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" -- which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23

Merry Christmas!!

Bed Head

A's Nana had funny braiding A's massive head of hair yesterday. After an amazingly long and restful night sleeping in her crib A woke up with one impressive hair do.


Side view...
I guess I embarrassed her...

Our little big 6 month old

A had her 6 month old check-up at the doctor's office this morning and despite the not so fun shots, she is happy and healthy. She is in the 75th percentile for height and 80th for her head circumference but she is still a little peanut when it comes to her weight only weighing 15 lbs 3 oz which is in the 30th percentile for her age bracket. I think she may follow after her daddy in the medical/forensic field because each time the nurse went to give her a shot she lifted her head off of the table and curiously examined the needle before each one was given to her. Definitely not something she got from me! As you can see in the pictures below she is already trying to be like her dad wearing his hat (with some leftover squash on her face).

Grandpa's Birthday Party

When R, A and I moved this summer it was something that I had mixed emotions about. I was moving further away from my parents and from my older sister and her family. Despite still living in the same state, we would now be close to two hours away instead of just around the corner. As it turns out, the house that we bought has turned out to be a great meeting point for the whole family. It is the mid point (more or less) for all of my siblings to be able to get together. For my dad's Birthday this weekend, everyone came to our house to celebrate what an amazing father, grandpa and husband he continues to be.

Here is E and Grandpa (dad) opening a gift together. I guess no one else got the memo about wearing red. :)

My cute nephew T who is just a few weeks younger than A. What a smile!

Me and my niece P. I don't need to go tanning to be in a picture with her. :)
This is a series of pictures of my parents and all of their grandkids. You can see that A started out content patting her cousins head but soon the paparazzi (me and my siblings snapping picture after picture) got the best of her. Lesson learned: Never wait until bedtime to try and take pictures with 8 kids under the age of 7.

Happy Birthday Dad!

6 months ago today

As R knows all to well, one of my favorite things to do is reminisce. I love looking back and chit chatting about memories; the good and the not so good. I love laughing about silly things we've done and rejoicing over the tough times and the blessings that have flowed from them. A road trip where we blasted the oldies belting out the lyrics and playing on air guitars only to look over and see a family in a van laughing at us, a rough patch in our marriage that has made us more committed and more in love than ever before, when A saw me brushing my teeth and laughed in hysterics for the first time, when my little nephew spoke for the first time after wearing a trache for the first part of his little life, I could go on and on. One of my absolute all time favorite memories took place six months ago today. Every month on the anniversary of this day R can expect at dinner that I will talk about this memory and get excited and choked up as if it was yesterday. The memory is the birth of our beautiful baby girl. It is two days that I will not soon forget and will always look back as one of the greatest joys of my life.

I've noticed that my memory of that day isn't as sharp as I would like it to be so I thought this would be the perfect place to journal that day so A can someday look back and read about her birth-day.

I had worked from home that day and wrapped up early enough for R and I to take a trip to the mall before dinner. We stopped at the goodwill to drop off a few things and as I got out of the car I had an intense back pain that forced me back into the car unable to help R unload the trunk. We drove to the mall thinking that I was just having some back pain (not uncommon for me). It didn't take long before we realized the pain would come and go pretty consistently with a longer intensity as the time went on. R was convinced it was labor but I was in complete denial and told him we should continue shopping. As he went into the department store dressing room I found myself on the floor hunched over in pain (I'm sure a sight to see for people passing by). We finally made it home, still convinced it was not labor we had dinner and sat on the couch chatting as we noted the times of the pain (yes, I was still calling it back pain and not labor). Once I acknowledged that it was probably the real thing R decided the bag that had been packed for the last month or so was not clean enough for his new baby so he left to go back to the mall to buy a duffle bag that was to his standards to put the baby's clothes in (Can you tell he works in the health field?). After hours of pain and an amazing husband coaching me through the pain we decided to call the doctor and an hour later at 1am we made our way to the hospital. My one and only moment of the stereotypical woman in labor emotions came as we registered. The woman at the desk asked me my social security number and I bursted out crying convinced in my head that she didn't think this was the real thing (What?? I know! Looney!). After I got myself together we finished registering and the fun began. Fast forward....we spent the rest of the night/morning and the following day anxiously waiting for A's arrival. I always knew that R would be an awesome coach but he was indescribable. Supporting me and encouraging me the entire way. It was a small glimpse of the type of dad he was about to become. After a long 23 1/2 hours of labor I finally heard the words I had been waiting for from R, "L look look it's a girl." They placed her on me and I wept with a joy I had never experienced. She was perfect. She lifted her head after only a few seconds and looked at me. What an enormous blessing God had given us that day. Everyday since A had brought more love and laughter to our family than I can express. I can only imagine how Mary must have felt the day she welcomed her son, Jesus, into the world. And how God so willingly gave up His Son for us, sinners, I will never know.

Fancy Footwork

Make sure volume is up.

Fun Facts

A few random fun facts about A:

She jumps when you flush the toilet

She falls asleep best if she is listening to Carrie Underwood

She will usually giggle at a box of Cheerios if you walk by it at her eye level

She has a new fascination with R's ear and regularly tries to bite his nose

AND...she loves to be in her diaper and has learned, on her own, how to fro out her hair. We took a couple of pictures of her last night after she fluffed out her hair and had a diaper change.

Family Snapshot

I know tanning beds are bad for me but.... :)