Kicking and talking

Time is flying by! We are well past my last post of Natalie being one month old. She will be three months soon! Can't believe it. She is sleeping through the night (at least for now) and is most often a happy baby. She is smiling all the time now and loves to lay on the floor to kick and "talk". My mom, Natalie, and I got a chance to go to the beach several weeks ago. Natalie did a great job, and she made an adorable beach baby! She's been to two weddings this fall and we have two more to go, and we made a trip to Ephrata to visit her cousins. She's seemed to enjoy all the occasions.

One Month Old!

I can't believe Natalie is one month old already! It reminds me how much I want to savor this time. Sometimes I think of all the things I'm not getting done, and then I'm reminded of the great opportunity I have to cherish this little life. It's amazing how someone so small can take up so much room in your heart. Hans and I are in awe of this little girl - whether it's seeing her smile, hearing her squeak (yes, she is quite a little noisemaker), watching her sleep - we love her.

First trip to the pool!

Natalie Jade

On July 25, 2009 at 1:59 AM we officially became the proud parents of Natalie Jade, a beautiful baby girl. I ended up having to have a c-section, which came as a bit of a shock. However, the important thing is that at the end we reached the same result - our baby! She weighed 7 lbs and was 21 inches long. She is such a bundle of joy and we fall more in love with her everyday. I am learning the ups and downs of motherhood, but must say I am so glad we chose this path at this time. It's so worth it! Here are a few pictures of my little sweet pea!

Major Update

I decided that I need to start posting on this blog - partly to remind myself of all the things that take place day to day and the amazing ways God is blessing me. So much has happened in the past year and God's handiwork is all over it!

We finally sold our house in Lancaster in November. It seemed like once it was time for us to move it only took a few weeks for God to orchestrate all the details and we found ourselves where we wanted and felt called to be. On the day of our settlement I got a job with Franklin County Head Start and the big news..... found out I was pregnant! It was quite a day.

So we just continued this journey of trusting God and trying not to work out the details. My parents were so gracious to allow us to live with them for longer than, I believe, any of us expected. The end of March we were able to purchase another house! I am in love with this little place and constantly blown away with how faithful God is.

Now we are days away from welcoming our little baby into our lives and our home. We are so excited about this new blessing and adventure!

Here are some pictures of our house.

Transitions and Pretty Plants

I love my house. It's a place I can express myself. However, this summer it has been neglected. We are moving, so I'm holding off on doing or buying anything new. Plus, we have hardly been home it seems. I saw this plant at Target on Saturday though, and I couldn't get it out of my head. So on Sunday my wonderful husband went with me to buy it. Isn't it pretty? It's a small thing, but it's helping me to be ok with the transitions we are experiencing and it makes me smile when I walk through the door.

Amazing Woman

My mom celebrated her birthday yesterday. My sisters and I planned a surprise lunch for her. I had to think about how much she means to me. My mom exemplifies hope, love, strength, confidence, and determination. I can't even imagine where I would be without the support she has constantly given me. She is truly an amazing woman!

Weekend Project

Last weekend Hans and I decided to do another house project. This time the bathroom was our mission. Those of you that have seen our bathroom know it needs some help, but we've been debating over a major overhaul or just a little face lift. We don't really have the time or finances for the major overhaul right now, but we decided it was time to do something. Here are a few pictures.

This is a picture of the bathroom before we moved in. Yellow walls and green tile. What you can't see is the horrible light above the mirror.

Here is a picture after we painted. We found this great kitchen and bath paint at Lowes for $5! Notice the big whole we found behind the mirror.

Here is a picture of the completed project. We are happy with it, and everything looks so clean because we don't have that horrible yellow light anymore!