So Much to Say!

WOW!!

It has been two weeks since I have posted.  Shame on me.  But, my lack of posting proves how busy I am these days...being a working gal and all!  :)

But, seriously.  A LOT has happened. I have so many pictures and so much news. Most of it has to do with Eloise, well probably all of it actually. :)  She is our little smiley bear cub that we can never get enough of, and as each day gets closer and closer to Christmas it seems as if she gets happier and happier.  (It's like she already understands!) 

So, first, let me just update you with some cute pics taken around the house over the past couple of weeks.

oh yea and she can sit up now!

The pictures really tell it all!  :)

We put up our Christmas tree the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.  This year Ted picked it out by himself while I stayed home with Eloise. (She was asleep and we only had that specific night available to have time to put the tree up and decorate it.)  Ted and I decorated the tree with white and colored lights and opened up all of our prized ornaments while listening to Frank and Bing sing Christmas songs. 

We really wanted to wake up Cheesy so she could see it, but we thought better of it. 

Plus, she woke up at around 11pm on her own and so we showed it to her then.  Let's just say that she LOVES it!

The putting up of the tree was on Dec. 2nd and the next major event happened Dec. 6th.  Not only was it Cheesy's Six Month Birthday, but it was also the day of her Baptism.  I could have a whole seperate post on how long it took Ted and I to pray/think/discuss whether to get her baptized or dedicated, but I won't.  In the end, we agreed that we thought scripture and God were pointing to infant baptism, and if Eloise decides when she is older that she wants to get rebaptized to proclaim her decision of her faith, then that is okay with us.  Ted had a good point that we aren't going to be able to bring any new information to the table, no matter how much we study on it, so we made (what we thought) was the best decision.  So, here is Eloise on her big day!:

Her dress is over 100 years old.  Ted's great Grandma, great Aunt, Aunt, Sister (Anne), neice (Bailey) have all worn it.  (Ted wore it too.)  And, now Eloise has worn it. :)

She had no problem with Chip holding her either.  She actually gave him her classic stare that says, "Wait a minute who are you?  ...Oh okay, you look nice.  I like you." all at once.

It was a very nice service, and we were glad that some of our family could make it.  She is now a part of God's family and it is Ted and I's responsibility to raise her to know God and his Son. 

Whew...not exactly a small task.  We can do it though, with the help of our family and church family and lots of prayer. 

So, this is a super long post, so I think I will post more tomorrow....or later today.  Not sure yet.  But in the next post you will see:  1.  Eloise meeting Santa for the very first time, 2. Eloise in a super cute holiday outfit for her very first Christmas party, and 3.  More photos of Eloise loving the Christmas tree.

Forever Changed

Over the past couple of days I have been working on an article for our church's In Touch newsletter. I was asked to write about anything I wanted when it comes to the verse of Psalm 126:3. (The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.)

It didn't take me long to think of what great and amazing things God has done for me, but it did take me a while to really consider whether I was filled with joy or not from these things. Am I really joyful? Do I take the time to recognize what God has given me and has done for me? Because if I did, I would be filled with joy.

So, here is my article, which shows my thought process on that. Enjoy! It will be in the January Newsletter.

When I was asked to write this article, I began thinking: God has done great things for me…but am I filled with joy?

Ted and I have been blessed beyond belief with Eloise. Her ear to ear smiles and pleasant personality just add to how amazing she really is. Before she arrived, Ted and I always tried to imagine what life would be like with a third little person in the house, but we never could have believed how our lives would change. Who would have thought that we would both become teary-eyed after the movie Up because we feared losing each other and how that would affect Eloise. And, we never, ever could have imagined the feeling you get when you look into her little blue eyes and your heart swells with so much love that you feel like it might explode, because you have never felt that much love for anyone or anything in the whole world.

Sure, there have been challenges with preparing for and raising Eloise. Which “method” of parenting is best? Do we let her sleep with us? When should we start giving her some solid food? But, one challenge I wrestled with a lot is whether or not we should put Eloise in daycare. Being a stay-at-home-mom seemed quite appealing to me, once we had Eloise all settled in.

When Eloise was born, I was blessed enough not to have to worry about that question. She was born in June, so even if I found a job, it wouldn’t start until the following fall. I worked part time at the library, but the hours were always manageable enough and a family member could babysit.

But, recently on a weekend trip, Ted and I came to the realization that that one job would not hold us afloat for much longer. We talked and prayed about it a lot those few days. The Monday after that weekend I received a phone call, which ended up developing into a job opportunity. Had God answered our prayers that fast? Of course. Had God known all along that we would eventually need something more? Of course.

Looking back, I see that God gave me those five months to spend with my baby; to raise her and stay home with her. Many families never have that opportunity and I am eternally grateful. Naturally, it is extremely hard to leave her at someone else’s house while I go off and “make a living,” but I think, or rather, I know, that this is what God has for us now. Eloise is going to be perfectly fine spending six hours a day away from home, and so will I. And, God knew that. That is why he provided us with this financial blessing.

I never used to fully acknowledge all of these things that God does and how thankful I am for them. But, now something has changed inside of me. We were right! Eloise has changed our lives in a way we never could have suspected…she helped us see.

The Lord always does amazing things for us—for me. If I can’t find the true joy in that, then I am crazy. God is putting it right in front of my face like a bright shining light yelling, “Sarah! I am here for you. I will always take care of you, do not worry. I am your provider. Rejoice in Me!” It would be extremely hard for me not to see and feel that joy, I would have to deliberately look away. But, why would I want to do that?

Just a Thought..

Have you ever been in church and in the middle of a worship song you realize you have no idea what you are even singing about?? Well, that happened to me this morning. Here was the particular verse that got my brain starting to question how much I really do (or don't) know when it comes to hymns. The title of the hymn is The Holy Trinity by Reginald Heber who lived from 1783 to 1826. (Which might explain a little bit..c'mon Reginald, get with the program!) ;)


Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea.

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,

Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

I get the gist of the verse, but I just thought it would be funny to note that how sometimes song lyrics can get in the way of worshiping God. At least they do for me, because then I get all distracted and wonder what Cherubim and Seraphim are. Maybe that has a really simple answer, but I am going to have to go look that up. (Blogger's spell check doesn't even recognize the word Seraphim!)

I don't why that got to me so much today...oh well. Happy Sunday! It's gorgeous out. :)

Financial Peace University

Last night, I started taking a class at my church as a part of our Wednesday Night Family Thingy. The class is Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. It is really exciting to be taking this class because Ted and I have listened to Dave Ramsey for a couple of years whenever we hear him on the radio, and we think it is a great way/strategy to handle money...especially when you don't have a lot.

I have to thank my husband for letting me take this class because it is at the exact time that Jr. High Youth Group is and I am usually his #1 volunteer. So...THANKS!!! He is going to be going through the class vicariously through me, because this is a thing that married people are supposed to do together. But, really I am kinda in charge of all the money happenings anyway! :)

Another cool thing about taking this class is that one of my best friends, Jamie, from high school and her boyfriend, Steven, showed up to take it! And this is super exciting because we never see each other and we only live 20 minutes apart. So, now we get to have dinner and class together every Wednesday night for the next 12 weeks. :) YAY!

If you don't know anything about Dave Ramsey you should check him out. He is on AM radio stations and he has a show on Fox News (I think). He also has a website (of course). He is also going to be in GR (for all you down-staters) on Feb. 19th.

I kind of feel like I am being a spokesperson for him, but I am really excited to be able to learn about what he has to say about money and how to save/invest it, so our little children can have lots of money when we are gone. Ted and I have kind of thought about that for a while now..since, you know...the whole baby thing. :)

11 days!!! --- till we know what our little baby is.
And then we can reveal some name options!

A Post from My Pastor

Here is a link to a post my pastor wrote today. Click here to read it.

It's a really simple concept to grasp really, but it is even easier to forget or even choose to ignore. When we forget to put our hope or happiness in the right things, we become more and more hopeless and unhappy.

There are some people in our household that need to refocus on what is really important and what we can be truly thankful for (myself included).

Thank you Jesus!


(I will post about the baby later today. I PROMISE!!!)