Two Little Turkeys

Thanksgiving 2011…

                   

 

Luke is 10 weeks old!!!

A couple of weeks ago, Our Little Luke-y turned 2 months old…I’m just now getting his 2 month old pictures up…it’s been a bit busy around here lately…and as much as I like to think I’m always on top of things…well, I’m not :)

Yesterday, Luke had his 2 month shots…he did great, but it broke my heart…he had actual tears…but to my surprise…I held it together!

He’s getting SO big…he now weighs 11 pounds 13 ounces! 

Luke saying “happy birthday big brother” ;)

Grateful for “the little things”…

November 7

I’m grateful for ALL the “little things” I take for granted everyday…You know what I’m talking about…the things that really aren’t “little” when you stop to think about them…like…

running water, electricity, heating and air conditioning, my car, my very comfy bed, my computer, my cell phone, soap, my washing machine/dryer (and all other household appliances…especially my coffee maker), FOOD, money to buy needs and comforts, ETC, ETC, ETC!

November 8

Today I’m grateful to live in a country (although far from perfect) where I can live in freedom, raise my children and live my life mostly at peace and without constant fear of death or persecutions, a place I can VOTE and it actually count, a place I can worship God without having to hide it, and a place I can make a difference for the kingdom of God! Thank you God for The United States of America and for allowing me to live here!

So much to be grateful for!

I can’t believe this is the first year that I’ve done a “month of thanks” prior to thanksgiving day…it has made me extremely aware of the blessings in my life! A month will not be enough time to record it all :)

November 5th

I’m thankful for my family! They are beyond precious to me!

Thank you, momma, for introducing me to my sweet Jesus, for ALWAYS encouraging me (you’ve always made me feel like I could accomplish anything), for listening, for knowing when to be MOM and when to be FRIEND, for being the ultimate example of how to serve others through word and deed, for EVERY home cooked meal you’ve ever made for me (you truly are THE BEST cook I know)!!!! You are the best momma in the world!

Thank you, daddy, for teaching me how to work hard (even though I didn’t like it at the time), for teaching me (by example) what I should look for in a husband (kindness, gentleness, strength, etc)  for ALWAYS being there for me, for providing for ALL my needs and most of my “wants”, for teaching me (and expecting me to use) manners AT ALL TIMES, for teaching me to respect others and myself! I’m SO proud to be a daddy’s girl!

Thank you Big SIS, for being my unwavering friend, for loving me during those times I was “unlovable”, for being my biggest supporter in everything I’ve ever done, for late night talks, for crying with me and laughing with me, for ALWAYS being willing to help me (I’m not going to mention specifics but I still can’t believe how selfless you were the day of JT’s 2nd birthday party)!!! You are an amazing sister and I love you to pieces!

I’m extremely thankful for MY IN-LAWS!  Every single one of you are so very special to me!  I never, ever understand all the “bad in-law” jokes…seriously, I just don’t get them! You’ve loved me and taken me in as your own. I am forever grateful to have you all in my life!

November 6

I’m really grateful for growing up a Southern Girl. More specifically,  a Mississippi Girl from a small town. Here, tea is sweet but our accent is even sweeter. After living away for a short period of time, I will admit…we DO talk funny! But it’s also beautiful…almost like we sing our words! It’s ALMOST worth moving away for awhile to be able to “hear” what we really sound like :)  I love that we call people “sugar” and “darlin” and that someone is always “gettin their heart blessed”!  I love that people still “just drop in” for a visit and that “y’all” is both singular and plural! I love that people here still wave to you (even if they are “blessing your heart” under their breath) ;) I love that we still teach our children to say “yes maam and yes sir”!  Thank you, God, for lettting me grow up in the South!

JT’s THREE!

THREE! I just can’t believe it! Jeremiah Thomas, you are my FAVORITE 3 year old IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! I love you in ways I could never describe with words…you are my sweet blessing…my little comedian…the giver of precious “fish” kisses…you have an imagination that Disney would pay big bucks for…you are kind…you are energetic…you are full of giggles…you love for mommy to scratch your back when you’re sleepy…you test boundaries…you get super excited about “prizes”…you say THE SWEETEST prayers I’ve ever heard in my life!…you are all this and SO MUCH MORE! I LOVE YOU, JT!

To celebrate the three years of JT’s life…we had a “JT the Builder” party with his friends! For weeks before the party, JT was so excited…mostly at the thought of it being his turn to: have Happy Birthday sung to him and to blow out the “fire”! Oh, and he was pretty excited about the presents (which, by the way, his friends went way overboard with this year)…big time thanks to all who came to his party and for all the great gifts…JT LOVES them ALL!

 

                       

 

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY, JT!

My heart on amendment 26

Tuesday we vote on amendment 26. I have read, I have researched, and I have a heavy heart. I usually do not spill out my feelings or my political views for all to see. However, God has not given me the choice to stay silent. So here I am and here is my story. Please know, before I begin, that my heart comes to you with love and not with a desire to debate. 

My husband and I, like many, have spent years dealing with a life of infertility. We've been married close to 15 years and spent the majority of these years desiring a biological child. A little over three years ago, we had decided to pursue our "last option" for a biological child...invitro. We prayed, we felt at peace, and had scheduled March '08 as our starting point. However, as March began to get closer, we no longer felt at peace. We were confused. We were hurt. What in the world was God telling us? We still felt (as we do even now) that invitro is a great option for couples to become parents. However, we could not deny God's direction. The next several months were more heartbreaking than any of the previous years leading up to them, but March came and went...we did nothing except pray. In September, we were introduced to a young girl that was expecting a son in October. Immediately, God's plan was revealed. We had not been actively pursuing adoption, but had always considered it. We became parents to our son on October 29th of that year. Remember our March "starting point"?...well,  Little JT was already created, already being fearfully and wonderfully made in the womb of his sweet mom. I tell you these things so you can understand my heart's view of amendment 26. Do I feel that invitro is a great option? YES. Do I agree with the wording of amendment 26? YES. COULD this amendment POSSIBLY eliminate this great option or at the very least limit it? SURE. God took the option of invitro from my husband and me...he had a different plan for us. My question to you is, what if God's plan is greater than having invitro as an option? What if by not voting for amendment 26, we are limiting God? If we had been disobedient and went ahead with our plans, we most likely would have missed out on His perfect plan for our family. My heart aches at the thought of not having our precious JT in our life. Not to mention that God, in fact, can open the womb if He chooses. And if He chooses not to, He can provide other ways to create families. When it comes down to it, I believe God would 100% agree with the amendment...the details after it passes (as inconvenient as they are likely to be) are insignificant to the truth...every life begins at the very moment of fertilization. This is not vague. You either believe this to be true or not. Please do not allow possible inconveniences or possible hurdles to keep you from voting YES for this amendment. God wants us to stand for truth. I will fight the battles this truth will likely cause as they arise and with the help of Sovereign God...for He is in control. Will it cost a lot of money? Most likely. But is EVERY child worth every penny it will likely cost? ABSOLUTELY! Even if invitro were outlawed, birth control were taken off the market, and billions of dollars were spent on court fees, I would still stand firm that this amendment is a stand for truth and a voice for innocent lives. I pray that you will seek God over my words for they come to you with sincere love. For those of you suffering through your journey of infertility...my heart hurts for you...I've been there...I KNOW how much it hurts...but God is bigger than invitro...he can/will provide what you need....with or without  modern conveniences. Let's not allow our pain, fears, or emotions to keep us from voting YES on amendment 26!

So Very Thankful for…

…MY SWEET BABIES!

November 3

Jeremiah Thomas, God put you in my life at the exact moment I needed you the most! I had wanted a child so much it hurt…I had a place in my heart in the shape of two little letters “jt” and only you could fill that place! MANY people (to whom I’m also extremely grateful for) let God use them to fulfill His perfect will. You were created for our family…you have your daddy’s great sense of adventure…you LOVE playing in the dirt, your tractors, your books, anything related to “building”, going to the movies, playing “tackle” with daddy, putting puzzles together, and just being a boy! You have the sweetest manners and your prayers are the most precious words my ears have ever heard! You are FULL of energy, but you are (and always have been) a perfect little sleeper. You say “I love you, mommy” all the time…I NEVER get tired of hearing it! After all, I spent the first several months of your life repeating “mommy, say mommy” to you over and over! I was determined to be your first word…and it worked! I hear some moms say “if I hear MOM one more time today, I’ll just scream”…I honestly never feel this way about you. I LOVE you calling me your mommy! I love your excitement about life…a lot of times you’ll exclaim “OH MOMMY THANK YOU SOOO MUCH” over the simplest things…for example when I told you just this morning that we did in fact have bagels…you would have thought I had done something amazing :) I could spend hours writing about all the things I love about you, all the things you do that are cute and FUNNY, all the things you say that show how smart you are, and all the ways I’m grateful for you…but I’d rather go steal a kiss and a hug!!!  I love you, sweet boy!

William Luke, you’ve been part of my life for a little over 2 months, but you’ve been the desire of my heart for my entire life! God created me to be your mommy and just like your brother, you too, were created for our family! You also had many people (SO grateful for) working for God’s plan to be fulfilled. It’s really hard to explain, but after your brother was born my heart was so full…I simply couldn’t imagine loving another child the way I love your brother. The incredible thing is, God has shown me that I won’t love you the same…because you are uniquely YOU…God expanded my heart and placed the letters of your sweet name in that spot…only you, LUKE, could fill that spot in my heart! And, OH HOW YOU’VE FILLED IT! You are such a sweet baby, with the biggest, most beautiful eyes taking in the world around you! You giggle often and are starting to “coo”…I’ve begun my “mommy, say mommy” marathon with you…so it’s just a matter of time before I get to hear your precious little voice calling me mommy :) I look forward to watching you as you grow into your personality and to see what things interest you. I’m so very grateful to get to be your mommy…I love you “my little luke”!

I pray that my boys grow up loving God more than anything else in the entire world! THANK YOU, GOD for the two little loves of my life! 

November 4

After all the emotions that come with such an intense grateful heart over such sweet blessings, I need a break from “heavy” topics…so today, I’m grateful for COFFEE…yep, coffee! Thank you, God, for “in the beginning” you knew that one day I would be a mommy surviving on very little sleep and in need of coffee :) THANK YOU!

Giving Thanks

OK, so some of my friends are doing “a month of thanks” where they share something they are thankful for each day of the month…I realize that I need to do a better job of “counting my blessings”…so I am excited to join the challenge! (Not setting myself up for failure, however, I WILL be grouping some days together).
November 1 …yes, yesterday :)
I am MOST grateful for Jesus! He is my world, my rock, my best friend, and most importantly the savior of my soul. I love Him above all else. If I had nothing else, He would be enough. If you don’t know Him…let me introduce you to Him. Thank you, Jesus, for adopting me into your family!
November 2
I am thankful for…The love of my life…my life long friend…my HUBBY! Jeremy has made me become a better person just by knowing him. Not many people can do that! Jeremy has shown me how to see all circumstances with joy, He is the spiritual leader of our family, He is the most honest person I've ever known, (this has become the characteristic I admire most about him), He works hard and provides for his family, He is exactly the kind of daddy I dreamed of for my children, He makes me laugh even when life gets hard and all I want to do is cry, He is gentle, kind, and affectionate, He loves to take me on dates, open doors for me, and hold my hand in public. He is a man who reads the Word of God daily and talks to God like he's talking to a friend! He’s incredibly good looking, too :) He is my God-given soul mate and best friend on this planet! Thank you, God, for putting this man in my life!