We're at it again...

... listening to the Christmas music channel! After all your comments on the other post, I had the courage to go for it! I mean, come on, its the most wonderful time of the year! Why not start it a little early? And Robin, I am jealous of your Christmas decorating... I told Paul about Matt telling you to decorate and he literally said "I don't care." What a scrooge... :)

Thankful Thursdays

Just a small number of the things I am thankful for right now...

The beautiful healthy safe happy boy bouncing in his jump-a-roo right next to me

The warm, safe, and dry home I live in

The husband I love that will soon walk in the door to have lunch with his little family

The parents that raised me to know Christ and to know love that we will be with in two weeks

The teenager that was once the annoying little bro that has turned into the funny, fun, cool, talented brother and friend.

The parents that raised Paul in a Christian home and taught him how to be a husband and father

The grandparents and aunt and uncles that Charlie has that I love so much and I know love him so much

The church we have grown to love and that feels like family

The friends that I know we will have forever

The King of Kings that became a man, the lowest of men, that we might know Him, follow Him, and be with Him forever- that He would draw me, shameful sinner that I am, into relationship with Him.

What are you thankful for today?

Confession...

Charlie and I are listening to Christmas music today... I just can't help myself!

Its stormy outside, so I don't really want to go out. He's playing, I'm doing some cleaning. It just seemed right! :) I've got the "Sounds of the Seasons" tv station on... I just went to it thinking, hmm I wonder if they have any Thanksgiving music... and then got hooked on the Christmas music! But, man, they must save the good stuff for the true holiday season, because so far I've heard Bette Midler's Christmas version of 'From a Distance', Mary Chapin Carpenter's 'Christmas in the City', and now its Kidz Bop's version of 'All I Want for Christmas is You'... Looks like I'll have to wait a few more weeks for Bing and Rosemary or Manheim Steamroller! Oooh here we go, Barbara Mandrell's 'I'll be Home for Christmas.' Come on, admit it, you can't wait either!!!

Renaissance Festival

Saturday we went to the Renaissance Festival with some friends. We had a great time walking around, people watching (and WOW are there some interesting characters...), riding a giant swing, and eating!

One for the Baby Book...

We have... A TOOTH!!!

I just noticed it today- a sharp little point sticking out of the bottom of his mouth! There's not even anything to see yet, just to feel. Its weird because he's been fussy and having trouble sleeping but I've been attributing that to his seemingly never ending congestion and this darn ear infection. And last night, he slept great!! So who knows, maybe the tooth came through yesterday and we just didn't even notice.

More to come later on our Renaissance Festival trip this weekend...

Thankful Thursdays

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought I would prepare for this season of thankfulness by remembering what I'm thankful for.

In light of the last few days we've had around here, I thought I would dedicate this first installment to my thankfulness for my husband, Paul (who actually just started a blog!). You see after he had it on Monday, I got a nasty stomach bug on Wednesday... and it started right when I was supposed to take Charlie to the doctor. So I called Paul who then immediately left work, picked up Charlie, took him to the doctor (where you always have to wait for about an hour with a tired, fussy baby) and then picked me up some Gatorade and SevenUp. He stayed home the rest of the day, bringing me cup after cup of ice water, a straw, a cool washcloth, etc, all the while taking care of our poor sick boy who has an ear infection.

I layed in bed, trying to sleep, but mostly writhing with nausea, while I heard Paul playing with, feeding, comforting, and loving on Charlie. He came every time I called him - whether it was to help me to the bathroom, start a hot bath for me, or put more ice in my water, sometimes with Charlie in hand. When it was Charlie's bedtime and I knew he wasn't feeling good, Paul dealt with all the crying on his own and finally got him to sleep, and then even slept on the couch so that I could sleep all night in peace without the baby monitor!!!

So tonight, I am thankful for this man that I married- thankful for the servant's heart he has, and the way he has cared for Charlie and I this week. I am thankful that God brought us together and gave us this little family. I am thankful for how hard he works and for the job that he has so that I am able to stay home. I am thankful for how he loves me. I'm thankful for his family who I love as my own (here's a special shout out to my MIL who came and took care of Charlie and I today as I was still recovering!!! So thankful for Nana!) I am thankful for the sweet and gentle father he is- for the example he will be for Charlie as he grows up. I am thankful for the way he helps out around the house- and gets up in the middle of the night with Charlie!!! I am thankful for the patience he has at 4 in the morning to "shh shh shh" Charlie back to sleep when I have none.

"Come let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our Salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all Gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his for he made it and his hands formed the dry land."

Psalm 95: 1-5

Two Words:

See. It.