I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. We did lots of resting and hanging out. I was able to get in a bit of scrapbooking too! I have been so behind in sharing scrapbook layouts...I have to decide whether to scrapbook or use the time to take pictures. These days, time is very limited!
We had an awesome church service on Sunday. It was Missions Sunday and the focus was on adoptions. Mike Ramsey, one of our Elders gave an incredible message focusing on our being adopted into God's family. It was really great. You can hear it as a podcast here. I was hit by how many children around the world and locally go to bed every night without love, a family, or a sense of belonging. Many live in poverty, are exploited and abused. I cried so much during the service. My heart really broke at the thought of children suffering. Maybe I'm a bit more sensitive to it now that I have a daughter. At any rate, Jonas and I have begun a conversation about what our role maybe in regards to orphans. We are praying. Pray with us. And pray that the Lord raises up families to adopt. We are are a very blessed nation with abundant resouces. Let's put those resources to good use...
I am continually blessed by Grace. She is growing and developing so much right before my eyes. She has started to throw little fits! Yes!!! AND NOOOO! She get's a little mad when I take something from her that she is playing with...like her spoon during meal time! It's cute...for now. Ahhh, it's time for Grace to learn the word "No." Fun times. Grace also said "Dada" this morning as part of her babbling. Ahhh...both Jonas and I were in the kitchen with her and heard it. When is she going to say "mama?"
We introduced teething biscuits this weekend. Grace loves them!
Blessings!
Beth
Happy Valentine's Day
I love Valentine's Day! I mean, sure you should show your love and appreciation for your loved ones every day of the year, but what an awesome thing to have a day specifically for focusing on love! In my single days, sure it was hard with all the romantic stuff happening. I remember many a Valentine's spent with dear friends. Now, with Jonas and Grace, Valentine's has taken on new meaning. We'll be celebrating Valentine's Day with a nice dinner at home.
Haha! Finally, a scrapbook layout! But...it's from 2008! An oldie. This is the last Valentine's Day that Jonas and I actually went out to celebrate. I made this layout to commemorate the day. Last year, I was pregnant and too tired to go out.
I love Jonas!! The Lord sure did bless me big time when He brought Jonas into my life! Happy Valentine's day to the love of my life! Jonas is an amazing man, husband and father. He has such a hear to follow Jesus...what could be better?!?!?! I am one lucky gal!
Happy Valentine's Day to my sweet baby girl! Such a sweet blessing Grace is to me. So cute and so adorable. My hope is that Grace will know how deep and how strong is the love of God. And that His love is better than anything this world can offer.
The two loves of my life! Aren't they cute!! Yes, thank you Lord! I am one blessed woman!!
I leave you with one of my favorite passages from the Bible. May these words inspire and bless you on Valentine's Day and everyday of the year!!!
1 If I speak in the tonguesa]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,b]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Beth
A Little of This... A Little of That
Happy Tuesday! I can't believe we are less than a week away from Valentine's day! Last year, I was so tired that we cancelled our dinner reservation and stayed home! We cooked up a fabulous dinner. Who knows what we have in store for this year. We take turns planning Valentine's Day activities and this year it's my turn...hmmmm.... How does one celebrate V-Day with a 6 month old around?!?!?!
So I've decided to take down the web site for my scrapbooking business. I am scaling down what I do for scrapbooking. I find it hard to find the time to do any sort of papercrafting these days. It's work, Grace time, and after she goes to bed, it's mommy and daddy time. Most of the time, I end up falling asleep early because I'm so tired! Most of any papercrafting I do these days happens on the weekends when Grace is napping. I have been scrapbooking Grace's baby pictures. I'm almost up to her 4 months pictures. I thought I would make one scrapbook for her first year, but it looks like it's going to be more like one scrapbook for every three months with lots of pages added! Silly me! I promise to share some of the layouts I've worked on soon...as soon as I find the time to take pictures of the layouts!
Jonas has taken up a new hobby. Kayaking! He loves it! So far he's been out in the Huntington Harbor and around the Newport Marina area. He loves looking at boats in the marina. He's a happy clam!
Grace is doing great. She seems to finally be getting over her issues with the bottle. These past few days she's been doing great at daycare and drinking plenty of milk from her bottles. That makes me very happy! She's such a little person with her own personality. She definitely knows what she wants and let's us know.
So I've decided to take down the web site for my scrapbooking business. I am scaling down what I do for scrapbooking. I find it hard to find the time to do any sort of papercrafting these days. It's work, Grace time, and after she goes to bed, it's mommy and daddy time. Most of the time, I end up falling asleep early because I'm so tired! Most of any papercrafting I do these days happens on the weekends when Grace is napping. I have been scrapbooking Grace's baby pictures. I'm almost up to her 4 months pictures. I thought I would make one scrapbook for her first year, but it looks like it's going to be more like one scrapbook for every three months with lots of pages added! Silly me! I promise to share some of the layouts I've worked on soon...as soon as I find the time to take pictures of the layouts!
Jonas has taken up a new hobby. Kayaking! He loves it! So far he's been out in the Huntington Harbor and around the Newport Marina area. He loves looking at boats in the marina. He's a happy clam!
Grace is doing great. She seems to finally be getting over her issues with the bottle. These past few days she's been doing great at daycare and drinking plenty of milk from her bottles. That makes me very happy! She's such a little person with her own personality. She definitely knows what she wants and let's us know.
I love this picture of Grace. She's in the front seat of the Jeep. She looks so big!! Not like a 6 month old baby, but like a toddler! She's growing so fast! She'll be driving in no time.
Here's she is standing! She is getting a bit of support from the couch behind her. My little luvbug is growing up! Pretty soon we'll be chasing after her!Blessings!
Beth
