On the Fourth Day of Christmas.....

I can't believe it's only 4 days until Christmas!! I thought I had all of my shopping done, but there are still a few things I would like to pick up today. I got my Shutterfly Christmas cards last Monday and they were beautiful! I mailed them to all my friends and family on Wednesday, so hopefully they will arrive pretty soon if they haven't already.

I am so thanksful for this season and what it really means, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. "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 "So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazereth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:4-7 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:14

I will never understand, and will never have the words to comprehend the love our Savior has for us that he would come in human form, live among us, and die on a cross bearing all of our sins. Immanuel, God with us! God is with us, always, and I praise and glorify Him! There was no room for Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in the inn on the night He was born, but please don't let that be the case for Jesus this Christmas. He is the meaning of Christmas and should always take his place first and foremost in our hearts and minds; in all the hustle and bustle of gift giving, attending parties, and visiting with family, please save room for Jesus in the center of it all. Without Him there is no CHRISTmas!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year everyone!

Shutterfly Christmas Card Promotion!

I found out about Shutterfly's awesome 50 free Christmas cards promotion from a friend of mine who is an avid blogger. Thanks Heather! Another friend recently completed her entry and is awaiting her cards now! I am so excited about this because I just joined Shutterfly and have found so many beautiful designs for Christmas, and other photo cards. I just don't know how I am going to choose this year! I want to find the perfect design to feature pictures of my adorable 14 month old son, and our family. I may even include a picture of our two dogs, Beau-roe and Annabelle.

I just love the holidays, and especially Christmas! I can't wait to get my Christmas cards from Shutterfly so that I can share them with my friends and family. These are a few of my favorite designs....

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards 

I love the whimsical, traditional, and modern designs. I like to choose something with the traditional red and green Christmas colors. Check it out for yourself!

Welcome Fall!

Ok, so I'm a little late welcoming Fall, but come on, did you see the date on my last post? I just love everything about Fall; the colors, the smell of cinnamin and pumpkin, and let's not forget about the weather!

Did I forget to mention that I love everything pumpkin as well? Pumpkin pie, pumpkin scented candles, carved pumpkins, decorative pumpkins, and the blizzard of the month at DQ.....pumpkin pie!

Jackson turned one year old on September 21st! Where has the year gone? It is so hard to believe that my little man is a toddler now. He started walking at 11 months and really mastered it around 12 months, and is now toddling everywhere and working on mastering stairs now. I thought the first year flew by, but now it seems like his pace of learning is so much faster, so I really can't blink or I will miss another year. He is the sweetest and cutest little dude I know, and I love him so much. He has been such a blessing to us, and his smiles and laughs are to die for. :)
We love you Jackson!

On the homefront, Andrew and I just finished refinishing our wood floors last week. Jackson got to stay with Ya-Ya for the week so that he wouldn't have to be in the midst of chaos and stinky stain and polyurethane. The project took a total of 3 weeks, including demolishing the tile floors in the kitchen and dining room, installing new hard wood floors in the dining room and kitchen, sanding down wood floors in living room, dining room, and kitchen, staining the floors (3 coats), and finishing the floors with polyurethane (3 coats). Wow!! That is a lot of stuff...and a lot of hard work, but it was totally worth it. The floors look amazing, and when I figure out how to post more pics, I will post some on here. :)

Well, that's about it for today. Have a great afternoon!

Challenges with Carseats

This morning I discovered just how challenging it is to try and cover myself with an umbrella in the rain while trying to get Jackson out of the car in the carseat, all the while trying to keep him covered as well! Whew....it was tough, but I managed to make it happen somehow. Now, take into consideration that I did not even have my purse on my shoulder, or car keys in my hand while attempting this complicated feat. I can only image how much more difficult it would have been trying to keep my purse positioned just perfectly so that it wouldn't swing back and forth causing everything else to be off balance. What a circus act that would have been!

To give you a little background information on the carseat, it is the Evenflow brand - which I do not suggest to anyone - and I already have to wrestle with it each morning to get it out of the car as it gets jammed in the base. If you haven't worked out your upper body in a while, then this can become quite exhausting in itself, especially when you finally get the carseat and baby out and have to carry it even a short distance. Those things, with baby, can get very heavy! And I'm sure Jackson feels like he's in a tilt-a-whirl while I'm wrestling to get the carseat to release!

Lesson for today; the next time you see a mother carrying a carseat from point A to point B, think about just how difficult carseats can be. It's not always easy, but just like anything else in life, I'm sure it gets better with practice!

Have a blessed day!

A Heart of Thanksgiving

As I reflect on my life thus far, I am reminded of how much I am truly blessed. Too often with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I forget to be thankful and grateful for how the Lord has blessed me. Here are a few things I am thankful for today:

1. Jesus is my Lord and Savior

2. I have a wonderful and loving husband

3. We just had our first baby boy on September 21, 2009 and he is doing great

4. We own our home

5. We are debt free

6. We have a wonderfully supportive family

7. We have an awesome church family

8. We are in good health

9. We can sleep safely at night

10. We found a great babysitter for Jackson

11. I have been blessed with a great job and understanding managers

12. I have everything I need and many of my wants as well.....

This is just a start and there are so many other things I could list. Take a minute to think about what you are thankful for! God bless!