Christmas time is here!

It's been nearly 2 months since I've updated our blog. So, here's a (short) recap of the past 2 months.

The week before Thanksgiving, my brother and his family came to visit. They were at my parents' for about 10 days. Norah and I were able to visit during that time as well. We had such a nice time together. Norah was a bit overwhelmed the first couple of days, but then warmed up to all the cousins. She loves to play with big kids, so it was perfect for her! She got to play outside in the snow for the first time too! We treasure the time when we can all be together like that! This was the first Thanksgiving in 8 years that we were together.

All the cousins

Norah's first time in the snow

Norah is changing more and more every day. We hear often that she is starting to look more like Lance! :) She is saying a lot of words (uh-oh, all done, oopsies, help, up, papa, baby, lights, cracker), and she is copying what we say all the time! She recently learned to get up onto the couch and the dining room chairs all by herself. No falls yet!! Today she was watching Diego, and I heard her say 'ah gah' (all done). Then I heard it start up again. She had climbed up onto the couch, taken the remote, and happened to hit the right button to start it again! Norah loves to dance...she spins around in circles, swings her arms, and stomps one foot! It's quite entertaining! She loves to give kisses, and blow kisses! She makes us laugh and brings us so much joy.


Random, silly shots

Lance and I both love this time of year. The lights, the tree, the sweets, the time with family, the music, and most of all, remembering what Christmas is all about...the birth of our Savior. It's so easy to get wrapped up in all the activities that come with Christmas. But when we really think about why we get to take part in all the activities, our focus needs to be on Jesus. After having a baby, I can't imagine all that Mary went through, and what she must have been thinking and feeling. From the aches and pains of pregnancy and delivery, to knowing that her son was going to be the Savior of the world. What an amazing journey it must have been for her and Joseph.

We hope that you have a very Merry Christmas, and that you remember why we celebrate.

Luke 2:10-11: But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:17-19: When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

What we've been up to...

The month of October has gone by so quickly for the two of us. We have really enjoyed this fall, and the beautiful weather the Lord blessed us with. We took advantage of some of the beautiful weather by playing outside, going for walks (Norah loves to walk around the yard and down our road), and most recently going to an apple orchard/pumpkin patch.

Norah is changing so much. She is on the go all day long. She is saying words (what's this?, daddy, mum, help, up) and learning lots of animal sounds (puppy, chicken, cow, sheep, pig, duck, owl). It is truly amazing to see how she is learning and growing so quickly. Lance and I just love our times together in the evening with her! Norah loves books, her babies, Baby Einstein DVDs, bath time, and snack time...not so much meal time!!

Here are some recent pictures...

Outdoor fun

Around the house

A day at the apple orchard

Today at church, our pastor talked about keeping Christ as the center of our lives. It was such a great reminder that life isn't about us...it's ALL about Him. And if we aren't living that way, we are going to have struggles. We sang the song 'All to Us'. The lyrics really challenged me to be more passionate about the Lord, to let His righteousness be a flame burning inside of me, and to let Christ's love for me, be the measure of my life. I'd like to share these lyrics with you.

Precious cornerstone, sure foundation
You are faithful to the end
We are waiting, on You, Jesus
We believe You're all to us

Let the glory of Your name be the passion of the Church
Let the righteousness of God be a holy flame that burns
Let the saving love of Christ be the measure of our lives
We believe You're all to us

Only Son of God sent from Heaven
Hope and mercy at the cross
You are everything, You're the Promise
Jesus, You are all to us

You're all to us
You're all to us
You're all to us
Yes, You are

When this passing world is over
We will see You face to face
And forever we will worship
Jesus, You are all to us

Norah's Birthday Celebration

I am a little late in getting these pictures on here...but better late than never!

We celebrated Norah's birthday with our family, a couple weeks ago. She enjoyed the party, though she seemed a bit overwhelmed with so many people here! She really enjoyed her cupcake! It was a fun day, celebrating her first year in our family!

It's Norah's Birthday

Tomorrow is Norah's birthday! It was so fun, remembering the events of this day a year ago! Watching football with Lance and his dad, my water breaking/trickling at home, leaving for the hospital around 7 pm, and then going to the hospital and waiting...and waiting...and waiting for something to happen! We had no idea what to expect. The labor was drawn out but, finally, Norah was born at 11:53 am! It is so hard to believe that was just 1 year ago. In some ways, it seems like Norah has always been part of our family! We praise our Lord for the blessing that she is!

Norah has started taking multiple steps at a time! She has taken about 10-11 steps at a time, and that seems to be her limit. She will be walking very soon...and I will have to put my running shoes on when she starts. Norah is a very busy little girl. Some days she plays so well on her own, and other days she wants my attention all day! She is really starting to enjoy books...we're thankful she has (almost) lost interest in eating all her books. Other things she is doing right now are: telling us what the cow and chicken say, showing us "so big" (and waiting to be tickled), waving hello and bye-bye, watching Diego (well, actually she mostly just likes the music/singing on the show), playing in the snack cupboard, playing in any cupboards she can get into, and digging through mommy's purse. She says mama all day long, but we aren't sure if that's in reference to me, or if it means more. She also says something that sounds like hi!

I recently started watching a friend's daughter who is almost 2. Norah doesn't quite seem to understand that they can play together, but every day it gets a little better! The girls really do pretty well together. I am slowly adjusting to my new schedule, learning how to coordinate naps, and how to juggle the day with 2 kids! I look forward to Norah being a little more interactive with other kids!

Here some pictures from the past month...by the way...sorry for all the separate posts for the collages. I haven't figured out how to link all the collages in the same post!

Climber

Packer fan