Monday, February 13, 2012

Daddy Daughter Dance

Maren, all ready to go to her first formal dance.

Did she LOVE these shoes? 

I don't even know what to say here.  I have no words.

Big Daddy and his Lil' Gurl
All Smiles

I followed her out with the camera.

Precious memories waiting to be made, they let me have one more.

In case you're wondering, they ate, they danced, and danced and danced.  They stopped for fried pickles on the way home.  What a perfect night. 
I got to hear all about it as soon as they got home and as soon as Brian left the room, Maren paid him the best compliment a Dad could ever hope to get from his "nearly" teenage daughter, and I quote.
 
"Mom, Dad is so not awkward!"

Yep, that's why I married him, for his complete non-awkwardness ;)

Beyond Blessed,

Poppy



Sunday, February 12, 2012

A Lesson in Flexibility

I've never been much of a planner. I'm very comfortable with last minute spontaneity, which comes in handy in lots of areas of my life. I get bored easily with routine. I have gotten better at scheduling as I have gotten older and developed more appreciation for the security of a routine but flexibility has alway been a friend of mine. Or so I thought.....


To say that my Love and I were completely shocked at finding out about baby number 4 on the way after 12 years since our last "baby",would be completely untrue. Though my enthusiasm was certainly masked by my nearly constant nausea, my Love was generally ecstatic. His constant strength and faith was my saving grace early on.  To be completely honest, I found myself wandering around the house in a fog, repeating things like, "This is stupid","I'm turning 39","Really??!".  Not to mention, I found myself a little embarrassed when relaying the news to family, friends and acquaintances after hearing initial responses like,"Was it a surprise?" and "Wow!...How old is your youngest?", "Better you than me.", not very many congratulations. However, I have to say that my parents' and sisters' responses are my absolute favorites to recall.


I had my parents on speaker phone, and to my releif, they screamed, laughed and cried at the same time. I could feel their genuine happiness for me and it was such a blessing. Both of my sisters did the same thing. Oh! It blessed my heart!



Fairly and providentially speaking, I do have a couple of good friends who were around my age when they birthed children, and they expressed heartfelt congratulations.  Food for my soul.  The only kind that didn't make me sick!


So, were we surprised?  Not really, after all, this was no immaculate conception. Was it all planned out by my Love and I?  Not exactly.  The only one who knew the plan all along and is never surprised is God Almighty.  I placed my future in his hands many years ago and I rest in knowing that he loves me. He has a plan and a purpose for me and for this precious one I carry and he has had it in his mind's eye since before I can even imagine.


One nauseatingly early morning a few months ago,while I was having some quiet time, trying to make sense of all that I was feeling, God lead me to a book on my shelf and a quote inside. It gave me such comfort and it renewed my strength enough for me to say,"It doesn't have to make sense to me. It makes sense to God and I trust in Him."


The Greatest Force

When God wants a great work done in the world or a great
wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way.
He doesn't stir up his earthquakes or send forth
his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born,
perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother.
And then God puts the idea into the mother's heart,
and she puts it into the baby's mind. And then God waits.
The greatest forces in the world are not the
earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces
in the world are babies.

E.T. Sullivan



I read that and I wept. I wept at my lack of faith, I wept at God's personal love and tenderness for me, and for the many joyous things to come that are yet unknown to me.





9 Months and Counting,

Poppy

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Super Bowl Menu... If anybody's interested

Grandpa Huie's Coleslaw

Sloppy Joe's with homemade buns

Guacamole

Salsa

Plenty of chips


Make your own Banana Split with homemade hot fudge sauce, fresh strawberries, whipped cream, nuts, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream, and of course, bananas. Yes, I should've had pineapple but my boys have been on a pineapple and cottage cheese kick and I can't seem to keep it in the house. Truthfully, I didn't miss it.

I have made the unfortunate and wonderful discovery that ice cream cures my pregnancy induced heartburn. If I eat it with fruit and nuts I don't feel as guilty. :)