Hi friends! Well, I still haven't figured out why I can't post blogs on my home computer, but I'm in FL now, on my Mom's computer, so I can finally post some updates. It's been such a long time & I have so much to write, so I'm just going to do the bullet point version. And I'm sure I'll forget half of it, but all well....here goes.
- Christmas was oh so fun & very special. My whole family made it to FL & we all got to celebrate Ava's 1st Christmas. Everyone was so generous to her....but of course her favorite things were the boxes and wrapping paper. There are some pictures below.
- I got a new camera for Christmas & I'm so excited about it. I've taken about 150 pictures so I need to sort through them & post some while I'm here.
- Ava started crawling!! She started moving on new years day. It's funny--I wanted her to crawl so badly for so long & now all I want is for her to sit still for 20 seconds :)
- Ava got her 2 front teeth for Christmas. Her second top front tooth came through on Christmas morning.
- We all had the stomach flu really bad last week. It was NOT FUN! Matt even spent a few hours in the emergency room getting re hydrated with an IV. But we all survived & lived to tell about it :)
- The hardest news has been my Mom's breast cancer. She had a mastectomy & reconstruction done last Monday. Thankfully my schedule allowed me to spend some time here helping my Mom as she recovers. I'll be here until Feb. 13. She is doing really well & gets stronger every day. And praise God--the cancer is GONE!!
- The best & most joyful news is that we got word back from America World that we've been accepted into their El Salvador program. YEAH!!!!!!! So we're starting the "paper pregnancy" and we're on our way to our baby. I am so thrilled with this news...it's the greatest news I've gotten since finding out that we were pregnant with Ava.
- 2 of my friends are pregnant!! And I'm hoping that 2 more get pregnant really soon!!
- I've learned that keeping socks on the feet of an 11 month old is an exercise in futility.
- Speaking of an 11 month old....Ava turned 11 months on Friday. Where has the time gone?? At this time last year I was HUGE & spent my days reading on the couch. Now I would pay $300 to have a day to spend wasting away reading on the couch.
- I think we're going to have a book party for Ava's b-day. She LOVES books (just like her Mama!!) so I think we're going to have everyone bring their favorite book to add to her library. Books are the only "toys" that I'll never care if Ava has too many of.
- I have realized what special & dear friends I have during the last few weeks as they have prayed & encouraged my family. I love them so much & pray that I am half the friend to them as they've been to me.
- I am reading 3 books at the moment: James & The Giant Peach, Ella Enchanted & Successful Adoption. All so good!!
- I started back to my Tuesday morning Bible study last week. We're going through Shaunti Fredhahn's "For Women Only". It has been SO GOOD & SO CONVICTING!!! Every married woman should go through this study. I am learning so much & am having to repent of so much too. This past week we went through Phil. 4:8-9 (whatever is true, whatever is noble, etc...) and had to list things about our husbands that line up with those words. It was such a great reminder to me of what an incredible husband I have. I love him SO MUCH!!
- I am still addicted to diet dr. pepper
- I've realized that I want to live 5 doors down from my sister & see her every day
- That's all for now....I'm off to bed. Love you all & hope to see you in cyberspace soon :)
Oh so happy :)
On Christmas morning
eying her tower before she knocks it down & laughs like crazy!
Ava with her Auntie Em
