My blogger works again!

Before the haircut...

during the haircut...

after the haircut!

Sitting pretty!

Picture update

Jade wanted to share her chewed up carrot and celery. I hated to turn down that face, but you should have seen the celery!

This is Jade showing me what a rabbit does. She is so funny when she does it! She tries to wiggle her nose up and down, but she ends up blinking her eyes too.

I have such a wonderful husband. At the beginning of this month I got really sick one weekend and Matt took care of Jade the whole time so I could rest. He took her out that Saturday to play in the snow while I napped. When I woke up later they were back inside and Matt told me to go to the window. This is what they made for me. He is always doing stuff like this. He wrote me a note last week using the sweetheart candy with little phrases on them. He cut out a red construction paper heart and then wrote the message with pen and candy. I came down for breakfast to this beautiful gesture of love from the most amazing man in the world! And he says he's not creative!

Life in Death

We just attended a funeral today. It was for a man in our church. I did not know him well, but what I have seen and known of him and his family made me want to go. He was in his 90's. He'd lived a life of exemplary faith in Christ and had passed quite a legacy to not only his immediate family, but to our church family as well. I've been struggling lately...just with life I guess. I tell Matt that it is just my seasonal depression kicking in.(Ha! Ha!) I really do not like winter at all, but I'm just making excuses for my frustration. Anyway, I was saddened at this funeral and yet encouraged. Isn't that the neat thing about the death of a true believer. Even in their death, God uses them. Probably for many things. For me it reminded me of what life is really about, which I know in my head all the time, but have a hard time living sometimes. I can be so ungrateful. I seem to struggle with just being satisfied in Christ. I'm so discontent. I guess that's been the big thing lately. I've wanted a child for so long and now I have this wonderful little girl and I'm struggling. I sometimes long for the days when Matt and I were alone. I miss him so much. I also feel like a failure most days. I struggle to find time to get all the things done that need to get done. When I do get them done I feel like I failed Jade because I probably didn't play with her enough or maybe I was less patient with her. Did she go to bed knowing that her mama loves her or is she sad and lonely. I've resolved after today to change some things that I need to, and yet I'm afraid that that is no different than other days that I've read my Bible and said this day will be different. I think some of this rambling is because it was an emotional day and it is very late. But I do wish I could live my life with the kind of faith and trust in God that this man did. It's easy for someone to do something spectacular at the end of their life that people remember, but I want to live the kind of life that this man did. But that is harder because it was every single day choosing to set aside self and instead make every choice to bring glory to God. I feel exhausted just thinking about it! I know whom I have believed, but am I persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that Day?

The office Christmas dinner.

Christmas Morning! Matt was thrilled to wear "Dr. Seuss" pajamas! If you don't know me, let me tell you that statement is dripping with sarcasm. Actually, he was a good sport. I'm not thrilled about posting this picture since it was taken before showers and makeup, but I told my mom I would.

Jade's first cinnamon roll. No icing of course!

Opening presents!

This picture is at the zoo wildlights on Saturday night. They were really pretty and Jade was oohing and ahhing. Out camera decided to punk out on me. It kept saying that I was shaking, but my hands were like a surgeon. We need a new camera as it does this often. Maybe, it's just used to Jade's constant movement and has tried to make up for the movement, so now when she sits still everything else seems to be moving!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. We really enjoyed getting so many cards and pictures of all of you. Hopefully, we'll see many of you again soon!

Jade loves her mac and cheese!

This was Jade's first time playing in the snow! It snowed a couple of weekends ago, but Jade's snowsuit hadn't come yet, so we couldn't go out and play. Daddy wasn't here either, so of course we wanted to wait for him to share this moment. She wouldn't let us put her down while we were outside, but I think it was because she was getting tired. It was close to her naptime. I had to sit in the sled with her while daddy pulled us around the yard. Then he got to shovel the driveway. What a workout!

This picture really isn't fair to Jade. She had been sitting and playing quietly in her stroller for almost two hours today. This was the very end of our trip to the paint your own pottery store. She was hungry and ready to be out and running around. Plus, I wouldn't let her touch the wet paint!

Yeah!!!! We finally got a picture of her smiling. She's usually so inquisitive when the camera comes out that we get serious face all the time. She's really just happy because she got daddy's pager. Nothing compares to that!

"Mom, I've already tried on everything I own!"

This reindeer is suffering from a major tryptophan overdose.

"My visit with Great-Grandma Hintz was fun, but it sure was a long car ride."

Going to get my first Christmas tree at mama's favorite nursery.

" I wonder if there is anyway I can put this ornament up higher?"