The Journey to Motherhood

In just a little over a week, my sweet Nathan turns 1 year old.  It is hard to believe that we have already had the blessing of sharing a year with this little guy.  As I reflect over the past year, I am reminded of what a tremendous gift he is, especially in the midst of the Christmas season, where we celebrate the ultimate gift in our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I recently came across some words I had written in the fall of 2010 about lessons the Lord taught me as we waited for the gift of Nathan.  I thought I would share these words as I anticipate the celebration of Nathan's first birthday.

From the time I was a little girl I had expectations of where I would be and what I would be doing at this point in my life.  I dreamed of being married, being a teacher, having children, and being a stay at home mom.  I moved to Louisville thinking that I would only teach for a few years and then I would start having children.  I figured Michael would finish up seminary in about three years and then we would be headed off to serve in a church.  All these plans were my plans, my dreams, my hopes, my expectations.  The Lord's plans were not the same, however, and within the past three years has led me on a different journey than I had ever imagined.

For the past three years, we have been trying to have a baby.  During this time, my heart grew discontent as I watched numerous friends have children.  Yet, we were still in the same place, with no baby.  I began struggling with envy towards those who were able to have a baby with seemingly no trouble.  I began questioning why didn't I get to be a mom?  When was I going to have a chance to raise a family?  Why did we have to struggle and wait so long for a gift we so longed for?  All these questions led to discontentment and it became a battle to work through these thoughts and feelings.

After two years of trying to get pregnant, we were finally able to conceive.  Within a few weeks of finding out we were pregnant, I found out I had an ectopic/tubal pregnancy and that a procedure was going to have to be done immediately so as to not put my life at risk.  I struggled to understand why as we had waited this long and now the Lord had chosen to take this little one.  During this time, I clung to the words in James 1:2-3, which say, "Consider it all joy, brethren, whenever you face trials of various kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance."  I was able to find joy in the midst of struggle because of the faithful prayers of many and because of the comforting words found in Scripture.  I remember thinking back to the words of Tom Schreiner as he preached through James.  He said, "God uses trials to refine us, strengthen us, make our prayers more fervent, to reduce our pride and produce more humility, to reduce our self-sufficiency and increase our trust and reliance on Him."  He preached these words the day before we found out the baby was not going to live.  The life of my little one was in the Lord's hands and I began to realize more fully that the Lord is the one who gives life and that I was going to have to continue trusting and relying on His grace even when it was hard to understand and the tears were many. 

A few months later, the struggle seemed to grow again, so I decided to seek counsel from our pastor and his wife.  As I met and talked with them about my struggles and sin, I was reminded of several things.  First, I need to remember that my joy, happiness, and contentment are not found in the circumstances I find myself; rather, my contentment comes through my relationship with Christ and through the sacrifice he made for me on the cross.  I was encouraged during this time to be more open with my struggles with other people so they would know how to pray for me more specifically.  I was also encouraged to be a more active participant in the lives of women who were pregnant-to ask them questions, find out how things were going, and ask them how I could pray for them as they prepared to become mothers.  I realized that it is okay to be upset, but that there must also be a balance of finding joy for other people as they find out they are pregnant.  

Well, a few months later, the Lord took us on the most difficult part of the journey yet.  We found out we were expecting again.  I took several tests to make sure and then scheduled an appointment with the doctor.  We involved several people in the process as we we wanted them to be aware of how they could pray for us during these early days of waiting.  The initial blood work returned positive but we still remained uncertain at how things were progressing.  However, within a couple weeks, the mountain top of excitement and joy became a valley of despair as I miscarried twin babies.  I have never felt such a loss before and I have to confess that it is the most difficult thing I have ever dealt with.  As Jerry Bridges says in his book, Trusting God, "just as we learn to obey God one choice at a time, we must also learn to trust God one circumstance at a time.  Trusting God is not a matter of my feelings, but of my will.  We honor God by choosing to trust Him when we don't understand what He is doing or why He has allowed some adverse circumstance to occur."  To see my babies' heartbeats, to see the life the Lord created and to anticipate so greatly the life He had planned for them was an incredible experience, but in His sovereignty, he chose to take them and I wept for those little ones that I would never hold.  I was reminded of several truths in Scripture: Psalm 73:25-26 says, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."  Habakkuk 3:17-19 says, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.   God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places."  

I have reason to hope, to be strengthened, to be renewed.  The Lord has not forgotten me.  He still loves me.  He has seen fit to lead me through a difficult time with his grace and mercy to sustain me and teach me what it means to fully rely and trust in Him and not lose heart.  "Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."  There is something so much greater that awaits those of us who believe and hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is an ongoing battle to fight against the fleshly thoughts and feelings that arise.  The battle for contentment is going to continue for me.  I am not through it yet.  It is through prayer, friends and the words of Christ that point me back to the saving grace of the cross and remind me that I have been forgiven, saved, and redeemed.  I will not lose hope because the Lord has promised to be faithful and true and in that I can praise him and keep my eyes fixed and focused on him-the author and perfecter of my faith.  

*Look for a post soon to celebrate the first year of Nathan's life!

God's Good Gifts-Part 5

“Gratitude is a lifestyle.  A hard-fought, grace-infused, biblical lifestyle.  And though there’s a sense in which anyone can be thankful-for God has extended His common grace to all-the true glory and the transforming power of gratitude are reserved for those who know and acknowledge the Giver of every good gift and who are recipients of His redeeming grace.” ~Nancy Leigh DeMoss

171.  Generous ladies who graciously invited us to their home for Thanksgiving dinner as we were not able to be with family this year. 

172. Watching Nathan's funny and confused looks as he decides whether or not to try a pumpkin pancake.

173. Generous and giving friends who bless us almost weekly by taking us out to lunch and paying for our meal.  

174.  A kind lady in our church who bought Nathan a lot of new clothes at exactly the time when he needed several in the exact size she bought.  The Lord always provides.  

175. The gift of staying at home with Nathan each day.

176. The anticipation of the advent season and the coming of Christ.

177. The opportunity to go see a Living Nativity to begin the advent season and the fun in watching Nathan clap his hands when Jesus rose from the grave.  

178.  The joy of watching Nathan play with his nativity set.  Our prayer is that he would fully understand the gift of Jesus Christ one day and the sacrifice he made on the cross for us.

179. A gentle dog who lets Nathan grab her mouth, paws, fur and lets him poke and prod her.  

180. A night out to enjoy a Christmas dinner with other local pastors and church members.

181. The opportunity to teach children about the birth of Jesus Christ.

182. The wisdom of doctors who know how to treat little ones when they are sick.

183.  The fun of planning Nathan's first birthday party, a true celebration of the Lord's kindness:)

184. Special crafts to remember Nathan's first Christmas-handprint and footprint salt dough ornaments, glass ornaments with a picture of Nathan inside and a baby's first Christmas ornament with a special picture.

185.  The Lord's grace in helping Michael finish another class towards his ThM in Biblical Counseling, one of the hardest ones yet.  

186.  A kind, servant-hearted sister who gave up a week of her winter vacation to come help me while Michael was in Louisville.

187. Holiday buy one get one free drink days at Starbucks-a yummy treat for me and my sister.

188. The fun of baking all kinds of delicious cookies.

189.  The blessing of giving to others and visiting with older members of our church.

190. The thoughtfulness of others in bringing us many yummy treats, including chocolate peanut butter balls, peanut butter fudge, cookies, and peppermint bark.

191.  Watching Nathan grow and develop into such a fun little toddler.

192.  Having Nathan start to hand me books to read him, while he sits on the floor and listens to me read and then telling him to go get another book and having him bring me one after another.

193.  The fun of watching Nathan open his advent books.  He started off by having us rip them open and then him looking through the book, to now wanting to rip them open by himself and eat the paper:)

194.  A date night with Michael at a nice restaurant and then a beautiful lights display.

195. A good friend who is willing to babysit for us.

196. Time to plan Christmas morning breakfast and dinner for my family.

197.  The anticipation of my family all being here to celebrate Christmas with us.

198.  New family traditions

199. A warm home to live in each day when the weather is freezing and windy.

200.  Delicious chili simmering in the crock pot.

201.  Cinnamon apple spice tea-a new favorite!

202. Christmas pictures

203. Time to fellowship with our church family by hosting a Christmas open house.

204. Getting Christmas cards in the mail.  It is so fun checking mail in December!

205. Christmas music to listen to.

206. Reminders of the joy, peace, hope and love that only come from Christ.

207. Strength for each new day.

208. Nights at home to hang out with Michael.

209. The gift of motherhood, something I am thankful for each day.

210. Experiencing Christmas through the eyes of a child-touching and trying to taste the lights, holding and pulling the ornaments on the tree, playing with presents, pulling off the bows and tags on the gifts, pulling the pieces off the felt advent calendar, and eating the wrapping paper.  

211. Celebrating Christmas with my sweet boy!

A Lifestyle of Gratitude

During the month of November, people everywhere seem to jump on the “bandwagon” of gratitude.  It has typically been labeled the month of thankfulness, due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  However, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are commanded to live with thankful hearts each day.  Thankfulness is not just a once a day, thank you for the food, shelter and clothing, but an every moment, intentional mindset and lifestyle that continually dwells on the good gifts the Lord blesses us with each day.  

Praise and thanksgiving to God is shown all throughout Scripture. Psalm 118:1 says, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”  If you are a believer, the most amazing gift given to us that should drive us to thankfulness to our Lord each day is the gift of salvation, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 2:4-5-But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved. The Lord chose us, while we were in sin, to be reconciled to himself through the blood of his Son Jesus Christ.  That alone should give us reason to praise every day!  We were once lost, but now we are found!  Every day is a new opportunity to dwell on the wonder of the cross and to be ever grateful that we were pulled from “the miry clay” and given the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

In order to cultivate a heart of gratitude we must first, dwell on the promises found in God’s word and let the Word penetrate our hearts.  Part of dwelling on God’s Word includes meditating on the Gospel. C.J. Mahaney, in his book, The Cross Centered Life, says, “If there’s anything in life we should be passionate about, it’s the Gospel.  And I don’t mean passionate only about sharing it with others; I mean passionate in thinking about the gospel, reflecting upon it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world and all of life.”

Secondly, we can focus on God’s gifts to each of us and God’s gifts from others. James 1:17 says- Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

In her book, Choosing Gratitude, Nancy Leigh DeMoss offers ways to practically infuse gratitude into our daily lives:

1.        Each day, reflect on 5 things/blessings in which you are grateful. 

2.       Sing or listen to hymns or songs of thanksgiving.

3.       Write notes to people you are thankful for, and be specific about   what you are thankful for in their lives.

4.       Be vocal to others about the things you are thankful for.

5.       Focus on the blessings instead of complaining or being negative.

6.       Meditate on verses that express praise to the Lord.

If we continually do these things, our mindset will begin to change and we will begin to notice the difference in our hearts and attitudes.

Cultivating a heart of gratitude has several results. First, we have closer fellowship with the Lord.  Nancy Leigh DeMoss says, “Gratitude places us in close proximity to Christ, where we experience the fullness of his redeeming power and enjoy the blessing of His presence.” Our walk with the Lord becomes sweeter and sweeter as learn to bask in his blessings and thank him for his unmerited grace and goodness to us.

Second, we become the fragrant aroma of Christ to everyone we meet.  Others will see the Gospel displayed in our lives when we exude a grateful spirit.  It gives us opportunities to share what Christ has done for us. 

Third, we experience joy.  A thankful person exudes a joyful spirit.  They understand the goodness of our God and the grace he has poured out on their lives.  Praise is always on the lips of a grateful person and they express praise to those around them.  Our joy in the Lord is expanded and multiplied when we daily dwell on his goodness and praise him for what he has done in our lives, what he has saved us from, and how he continually leads, guides, and directs our steps, offering his love freely and pouring out his grace constantly.
 
Fourth, we grow in contentment.  Jodi Ware says, “Our contentment comes from a heart captured by God’s grace.  Contentment is being satisfied in God, His character, His works, and His ways.”  If we strive to praise the Giver of all good things and realize that He is the one who provides, gives, and takes away, we will be a fountain of thankfulness and will be a person of contentment. 

Fifth, we develop an attitude of humility. Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  In this passage, Paul exhorts us to consider the needs of others ahead of our own.  When we live in gratitude, we are focused on others.  We forget about ourselves and we look to how we can bless others and encourage those around us with the love of Christ.  Henry Ward Beecher says, “A humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow.” When we live in humility, remembering where we were before Christ rescued us, and reflecting on where we are now because of his grace and the cross of Jesus Christ, we exhibit a heart that pours out gratitude. 

Nancy Leigh DeMoss says, “...choosing gratitude means choosing joy.  But that choice doesn't come without effort and intentionality.  It's a choice that requires constantly renewing my mind with the truth of God's Word, setting my heart to savor God and His gifts, and disciplining my tongue to speak words that reflect His goodness and grace-until a grateful spirit becomes my reflexive response to all of life." Make a decision today to choose joy, to make it part of every moment of every day, not just a one month or one day out of the year tradition.  Remember the command the Lord gives us to be thankful.  Be the kind of person that continually offers praise,that shows gratitude to the Lord, the one who saves and gives us hope for each day. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

31 Things

As I celebrate my 31st birthday, I thought I would share 31 things about myself...I have seen some other friends do this on blogs and thought it was such a fun idea:)  

1. I love Chai tea.  It is my favorite drink to get at Starbucks.

2. I started playing soccer when I was 9 years old and played until I was 15. 

3. I have traveled to five continents and 9 countries-Brazil, Japan, China, Hungary, Czech Republic, Scotland, England, Australia, and Canada.  

4. I played clarinet from age 10 to age 23.  I still play periodically, but those were the years I was actively involved in lessons, ensembles, and marching band.

5. I was a drum major for my high school marching band.  That year our theme was Prince of Egypt.  We won all three of our competitions that year with that show.  The parting of the Red Sea was quite a display and God honoring.  

6. I was born in Orlando, Florida.

7. When I was young, I loved the color purple so much that I got the nickname, Porpor.  Purple is still my favorite color.

8. My dad is the only one who has a nickname for me-Shelwitt.  He called me it all growing up; however, he doesn't do it much anymore.

9. The first car I drove was an old, blue, Ford pickup truck.  It got me back and forth, but I do have to confess that I was embarrassed to drive it sometimes.  

10.  I love decorating-Lately, I have gotten a lot of inspiration from Pinterest.

 11. In 2006, I woke up one morning in a lot of pain, passed out and fell back into the sliding glass door.  Thankfully, I did not get hurt; however, after trying to help me to the bathroom, Michael said I passed out two more times.  Needless to say, an ambulance was called, I ended up in the emergency room where I waited hours until they discovered I had a ruptured cyst and was bleeding internally.  It took a week to fully recover, but thankfully, I was okay. 

12. One night, when I was by myself, Dr. Albert Mohler and Dan Dumas stopped by my Springdale apartment.  Dr. Mohler said he wanted to see who lived in the apartment that he and his wife, Mary, had lived in when they first started seminary at Southern.  It was definitely a memorable moment.

13.  When I was 8, my parents told me we were moving from Orlando to Fayetteville, GA.  I was so upset that I asked my dad if I could sing the song “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus” in church.  At this point, my family was leaving Aloma Baptist Church. It was my way of coping.  I ended up loving Fayetteville and ended up back in Orlando for college, a great example of God’s sovereignty.

14. On our 2^nd anniversary, my husband surprised me with a trip to Niagara Falls, Canada. 

15.  During the summer of 2007, my husband and I lived in Manchester, New Hampshire so he could participate in a preaching internship in the New England area. 

16. I met my husband, Michael, through the Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) in college.  Mutual friends said we should meet and talk because Michael had gone on a mission trip to Australia and I was about to go on the same trip the next year. 

17.  I participated in Bible Drill from the time I was in fourth grade until 9^th grade.  

18.  I have walked on the Great Wall of China.

19.  I have gone on a river boat down the Amazon River and seen animals native to the Amazon.

20.  I have seen kangaroos in the wild.

21.  My favorite famous person right now is Mitt Romney.

22. When I was in Japan, I attended a buffet style dinner with Japanese students. I was so hungry that I started eating what I thought was chicken nuggets, but found out later, it was squid. Surprisingly, they were pretty good!

23.  I have tried octopus, but would not recommend it.  Too chewy!

24.  I have had the privilege of staying in the homes of Japanese people.  They were extremely hospitable, friendly and made us huge meals.  One morning for breakfast, I was served hot soup and raw salmon.

25.  I enjoy watching Fox and Friends in the mornings.

26. I have been snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. 

27. I love Jane Austen books and movies.  Pride and Prejudice is my favorite. 

28. During one BCM formal in college, Michael and I dressed up as The Crocodile Hunter and his wife.  Michael carried around a 6 foot blow up crocodile and wrestled it to the ground in front of the entire crowd.  Fun times!

29. On our first date, Michael and I ate Mexican at Maria Bonita’s, went on a walk around Lake Eola in Orlando, and watched Finding Nemo.

30. I worked at Dunkin Donuts during high school.  Lots of tasty treats and drinks!

31. Michael and I love watching Downton Abbey together!  We can’t wait for Season 3 to come out in January!

An Interview with Grandad Owens-Part 4

Here is the final part of the interview with Grandad Owens:

10. What marriage advice can you give?
The Lord's work in our lives is what helped us sustain a long marriage.  Also, stay involved with other Christian couples and the church.  The church and the community with other Christian couples was binding in our marriage.  

11. What parenting advice can you give to us?
Get the Word into the lives of your kids.  The Word will never return void.  It will always accomplish what it was intended to do.  Stay involved in the Word-Scripture memory-memorizing new, reviewing old ones.  During my marriage, I heard Mae say over 500 verses by memory. 

12. Other reflections
Your grandmother spent 2 hours each morning in the Word and in prayer.  The Word is a strong influence in a person's life.  Find a tool to instill discipline and a work ethic to your kids.  Music was one training in our boys' lives that instilled discipline and a schedule.  

This concludes the final part of the interview I had with my Grandad.  I wish there had been more time to talk about other things, but I am grateful for the time I did have with him and the things I learned about his life and his relationship with the Lord.  I am thankful for the Lord's work in his life and my grandmother's life and the influence it has had in my parents' lives and in the lives of me and my siblings.  

God's Good Gifts-Part 4

"In all things, give thanks." I Thessalonians 5:18

130. Phone conversations with my sister.
131. Time to sit and dwell on God's promises in His Word.
132. Watching my sweet boy sleep so peacefully.

133. Sunshine after a cloudy, rainy morning.
134. A God who is sovereign even when things seem so out of control.
135. Hearing Nathan say "bye-bye" when Michael left today and he heard me say it:)
136. Wisdom and clarity as I plan a women's brunch on the topic of gratitude.
137. The opportunity to teach about God's commands in His Word to the kids in Sunday School.
138. Scripture as a means of grace in my life.
139.  God's grace, which is sufficient for each new day.
140. Hymns that praise the Lord, remind me of God's greatness, and remind me of the Gospel-In Christ Alone, Great is Thy Faithfulness, Be Thou My Vision, How Great Thou Art, It is Well with My Soul, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.
141. Reminders in Scripture that convict me of my sin and remind me to cling to God's truth.
142. God's faithfulness even when I am weak and fail.
143. Wonderful ladies at church who prepare and oversee the food and setup for our church picnic.
144. Opportunities to catch up with people at our church picnic.
145. Help with Nathan during Sunday School so I can teach and Michael can participate in Sunday School.
146. Encouragement from others to Michael about his sermons.
147. A fun hymn sing with our church family.
148. A growing, healthy boy who had a good report at his 9 month appointment.
149.  Nathan not experiencing any side effects from the shots he had at his appointment.
150.  For Nathan's ability to bounce back and play happily and be joyful even after 3 shots and a finger prick.
151. Trees changing to a beautiful red color.
152. Hearty minestrone soup on a rainy, cool night.

 153. Yummy garlic cheddar biscuits that taste just as good as Red Lobster.

154. A baby boy who laughs at my silly attempts to make him giggle and laugh.
155. Watching Nathan explore new places in the house as he begins to crawl-the windowsill and blinds, the hallway, the floor in the bathroom and dining room, the wood floor by our front door.

156. Watching Nathan crawl for the first time, as I have been watching him try and figure it out for the past month:)
157. A great, simple, apple pie recipe from Pinterest made with crescent rolls, cinnamon, sugar, a little butter, and apple slices.  They were so yummy!!
158. Playing "Where is Mommy?" with Nathan and listening to him squeal and laugh and having so much fun!
159. Finding and trying so many delicious, new recipes.
160. Watching Nathan flip through books on his own, looking at all the pictures.
161. A lovely, new dining room set that arrived this week.

162. Lovely, sunny afternoons sitting outside with Nathan and Lacy.
163. Watching Nathan strain his neck to look up and watch the birds in the sky.
164. The funny expression on Nathan's face as he took a leap of faith and crawled into the grass.
165. Seeing how excited Nathan is at being able to crawl all around the house.
166. Playing a game with Nathan where I hide behind the chair and he comes and finds me by crawling through a small space between the chair and the wall.
167. Strength when I am weary and not feeling well.
168. Reminders in Scripture about looking to the Lord for contentment and joy.
169. Good deals on some new clothes for Nathan.
170. A husband who graciously serves me by caring for Nathan so I could rest when I was not feeling well and that so willingly helps me around the house.

Celebrating 9 months of Baby Nathan!

It is hard to believe that my little boy is already 9 months old!  I remember thinking about what it would be like when he got to be a little older and more mobile because in those first couple months, it seems as though they will stay little forever.  While I would love to slow down time a bit, I have to say that I do love watching him grow and develop.  It is has been so much fun to watch him go through so many different stages and what a blessing it has been to see all these things firsthand.  It is such a blessing to stay home with him each day!  

This month has been a month of firsts!  All month long, he was trying so hard to crawl.  He would go a little bit and then he would fall flat on his belly and just start scooting on his belly.  He was able to get anywhere he wanted and get anything he wanted, so why switch it up?!  In the last couple days, he has finally started crawling more and I think he is discovering it is much easier and faster:)  

He has also started clapping his hands, which has been so fun!  Within a week of learning to clap his hands, he was able to do it on command, so I definitely loved saying, "Clap your hands" and watching him light up with excitement as he cheerfully clapped away.  Now, if he hears other people clapping, he joins in.  

Another first was that he started saying "Uh-oh!"  At first, I thought it was just a fluke, but then I realized he was repeating me as I would say it.  Then, he started saying it all the time-when things drop, when things are out of reach, or whenever he wants:)  

He also learned to sit up by himself from a laying down position.  He has had such a great time with this new skill.  He practiced all the time in the crib, on the floor, or in the pack n play.  He thought it was the most amazing thing!  The next first was learning to pull up in his crib.  He only consistently does it by pulling up on his knees, but he has stood a couple of times, so I know it is coming soon!  He now likes to pull up on the couch and the windowsill and is so excited that he can reach up to Lacy on the couch now.  

One new game that we play is when he is in his crib, I get on the floor below the crib, out of Nathan's sight.  I say, "Where's mommy?" and he thinks it is so funny and pulls up and looks for me over the edge of the crib. He starts giggling when he sees me and then we do it all over again.  

Other things he enjoys doing are playing outside, on a blanket, in the grass, watching Lacy and pulling up pieces of grass.  One day this past week, we were out there and he noticed the birds flying in the sky and he strained his neck to look up at them and watch them.  It was so sweet!  

He also loves to pet Lacy and play with her paws.  Lacy is a great sport!  Nathan took his first plane ride to Texas this month and he did great!  I was so thankful that he did so well!  He also loves reading!  Hop on Pop is his favorite book right now.  

He also attended his first church picnic!

I have also included some fun pictures of Nathan being silly, eating Cheerios for the first time, playing, and smiling.

Nathan continues to bring us joy and delight each day, and we are so thankful for him!:)