Meet Mowgli

I have a good reason for not updating in a couple weeks.  I'll let Newbie fill you in:

Don't worry.  I won't be going into the video editing business any time soon.  If you only knew how many outtakes were involved in getting one solid take. There wasn't enough chocolate in the WORLD, folks.

In case you didn't catch that, there's a baby in my belly (whom Newbie has lovingly named "Mowgli")!  And I've spent the last several weeks enjoying some guilt free napping and snacking and resting and snacking.  All in between trying to remember how to shout for joy even when you're scared.  After saying goodbye to two little girls, I don't think an entirely worry-free pregnancy is anything I'll experience again- I've just lost some innocence in the what-can-go-wrong department. We were really blessed to hear from our genetic counselor several months ago that Jubilee's diagnosis has less than a 1% chance of repeating itself within the same family (as in, no reported cases in the world).  Still, each day I find myself grappling with my hopes and fears and spending some time handing my heart over to the Lord again and again and again.  And some days I end up needing a reminder from my husband or a good friend to do just that- hand it over, again and again and again.

Regardless of the mess my heart can be, we are just thrilled to pieces about this tiny baby!  We were tears-a-flowing grateful to find out we were pregnant again after precious Jubilee and Eden, and despite being a little gun shy and having the first trimester jitters, we are certainly celebrating the story God has written for this new little one!

So we're back in the saddle.  And its beautiful and wonderful and scary, but mostly just beautiful and wonderful.

We're two and a half months along, and while we debated waiting to share until we were well past the high risk time frame for miscarriage, the truth is, we are taking it one day at a time and just rejoicing in the new life that is here now. And we thought some of you might like to rejoice with us. =) Anyway, its just too hard to keep this kind of secret!  And also, my pants don't fit anymore, so I was running into a maternity wardrobe in public without the public knowing I am pregnant crisis that really needed to be addressed.  Ha!

We would so appreciate your prayers in the coming weeks- that this little one would be healthy and strong and that we might be so blessed as to keep Baby here this time around. =)  Thank you, sweet friends!

beyond grateful for the newness of now,

Brittany

Of Snow and Donuts and My Super Bowl

I've been a major blogging slacker lately, and its all because I've been really busy letting my house go down the pipes. And by that I mean the laundry was piled higher than Everest, the dust is caked onto every surface in the house, and we've been eating frozen chicken nuggets for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

My theory? Sometimes it helps to just let things go to remind you why all the little things you do over and over again every day matter.

Like making cheesy eggs for your family so they aren't eating cardboard chicken for breakfast.

I didn't really feed them cardboard chicken for breakfast.  But I'd be lying if I said we didn't get really close to that last week for my lack of planning.

Let me tell you something: those little things we do everyday?  They matter.  Because up until yesterday, this place was a pit.  I kicked it into  high gear yesterday and got rid of all the dust bunnies and half the laundry.  I'm tackling the other half of the mountain....tomorrow.  I just don't have it in me today. =)

Today is for taking it all in, baby.  We woke up this morning to a backyard dusted in powdered sugar, and spent a good five minutes staring out the window in our jammies with wonder.  Its like God knew I have been Christmas-dreaming for a good two weeks now, and He just wanted to stoke the holly jolly fire.

The first snow means the first hot chocolate party, and I jumped right on that train.  Newbie was a big fan of stirring in the mallows, but not the biggest fan of the hot chocolate itself.  Even when I told him it was just his favorite chocolate milk warmed up (we cheat a little on the hot chocolate over here) he wasn't digging it.  Whatevs, man. More for Momma.

(That's skepticism written all over his face: "Dude, where's the orange juice I ordered?")

With the hot chocolate came the Christmas music, and don't think we haven't been playing that since the beginning of November, because we totally have.  And the whole kick it into high gear cleaning mode yesterday was motivated by the Christmas decorating to be done this weekend.  Oh, Yes. we. do.

This weekend is the legendary Deer Camp for the Hubs, and that means Momma gets to have some fun of her own in the form of jingle bells and garland and snowflakes.  We've swung the deal since before Newbie was here: you go to Deer Camp, I deck the halls-everybody's happy.  I've been burning a Bath and Body Works "Evergreen" candle this week in preparation.  

So that's what we're up to in this neck of the woods today: Evergreen sniffing and cleaning and jingle bells dreaming.   With the occasional bear hunt or river ride on the blue yoga mat mixed in because two year olds are awesome.

And here's what we've been up to since I last saw you:

Bible reading/cramming before Bible study.  I'm reading through the New Testament in  eight  nine weeks plus or minus a few days. I'm a little behind in my reading, which is CLASSIC Brittany.  I was one of those read the book the night before you have to discuss it in class kind of girls in college.  I think I liked the challenge.  Old habits die hard, folks.  Even so, I can't begin to tell you how much I'm learning and how much more I'm falling in love with Jesus as I read.  Hokey Pete.  I have had so many almost-blog-posts about what I'm reading that haven't made it to fruition because of all the cardboard chicken I've been cooking around here, but I am LOVING this study.

We went to a super hero pajama party on Friday.  I made us all matching capes.  Including Clifford.  It was awesome.  Newbie ran laps around our church holding a latex balloon in each hand, his cape trailing behind him.  This kid is so completely all boy.  Sometimes I fear I'm not going to be able to keep up with him.  Homeboy is fast.

(The Hubs is such a good sport!)

(And yes, I was positively loving the excuse to wear my velour suit outside of my house- ha!)

I've been hanging with my peeps.  They're a pretty good time.  Newbie's latest and greatest is randomly coming up to me, putting his hand on my back and saying, "Momma, its ok.  It all be alright."  I love it.  He must know his momma is a bit of a freak and can certainly use this reminder at any given moment. =)  

The Daddy-O over here is awesome and took us out for donuts last Saturday morning.  Something about fall and Christmas on the horizon has kinda shot all the healthy eating attempts down lately.  Which I'm ok with.  Because I love me a good Saturday morning donut. 

(This was Newbie's donut.  I'm too ashamed of my order to show you.  It was outrageously large.)

Uhh...pretty sure I didn't tell y'all about this little bit off the bucket list:

(Do you KNOW who that is?!  Standing right next to me?!!?)

Angie Smith of www.angiesmithonline.com and author of I Will Carry You (my road map for my pregnancy with Jubilee) was in town, and my parents treated the Hubs and I to tickets to the event AND backstage passes.  YES, I got to meet this incredible woman and shoot the breeze with her a bit. I had the blessing of sharing Jubilee's story with her, and she offered me some genuine encouragement that I will treasure forever.  My favorite author just may have encouraged me to write a book.  Whaaaat?!!  =) I was just thrilled to have had the opportunity to give her the hug I'd been wanting to share since I read her story years ago.  And the Hubs and I were so touched by the genuine kindness of her and her husband.  These people are the real deal, and we were so happy to share an evening with them. As we pulled out of the parking lot after an amazing evening hearing her speak and her husband, Todd of the group Selah, sing, I told the Hubs, "that was totally my Super Bowl!" Cross it off the bucket list, baby.

And if you need a good heart squeeze/what's it all about today, check out this song Todd wrote about his girls. "Moments Like These"-  I was a mess, folks.  The verse about their daughter, Audrey, whose story was so similar to Jubilee's warmed my heart: I've got a little girl in Heaven right now, those streets of gold are her playground. The two hours she lived was enough to fall in love; she's the sweetest thing I ever let go of.  (I gasp for air) There just aren't words to capture how sweet and true this song is- just go listen. =) It really reminded me of everything God taught us through Jubilee's life- making each moment count and giving thanks because NOW is such a beautiful gift.  The words of this song echo my prayer as a parent, and they're totally going up over the kitchen sink this week:

So I'm down on my knees, help me soak it all in

I want all of this life that you've let me live

And when time flies by

Lord, remind me to breathe

'Cause my Heaven on earth are moments like these

Here's wishing you lots of Heaven on earth moments this week! 

Our "Yight-ning Bug"

Fireflies by Grace Wilson Coplen

I like to chase the fireflies,
Chase them to and fro'

I like to watch them dart about,
Their little lamps aglow.

In the evening's twilight dim
I follow them about,

I often think I have one caught,
And then his light goes out.

I cannot tell just where he is
Until he winks, you see,

Then far away I see his light,
He's played a joke on me.

*poem found here

Newbie was a brave little lightening bug last night- he waltzed right up to each door with a "candy, please!" and then a "tank you!"as he walked away.  He breached the threshold of the first house we stopped at, which made us laugh because he did that last year too.  We stopped him before he got far, and he had it down after that. His little hands were like ice cubes, one tightly wrapped around his pumpkin bucket and the other folded up in my hand, but the cold didn't stop him- homeboy was all in! The only place he wasn't so sure about was his aunt and uncle's house...which had turned into a very creepy lion's den over night, complete with scary signs and lion roars coming from the bushes.  I think we'll have to take him back soon and show him that all is well and now lion free. =)  

Happy Thursday!  And a VERY VERY happy birthday to my main squeeze today!!!  (Hoping to get to the computer soon to make a more birthday worthy post, but in the meantime, here's wishing you lots of bacon and happy on your birthday, Babe!)

Candy. Week.

Happy Candy Week!

Are we the only ones already overdosing on Reese's and all other forms of Halloween candy?

One fall festival and two grandparents' houses later, we are drowning in chocolate and Nerds, and its a proven fact that I have absolutely no self control the last week in October.  And I'm not the only one.  I found incriminating evidence at the top of the trashcan in the form of a Peanut M&M wrapper that was consumed while Newbie and I were napping on Sunday.

And we haven't even debuted the homemade costume yet.

More candy is coming.

We're in trouble.

Singing

Missing my girls and thanking God from the depths of my heart today for


goldfish cracker crumbs sprinkling the backseat

juice cups littered down the hall and...in the toy bin(?!)

throw pillows never EVER in the right spot on the couch

muddy rain boots stuffed into the closet

curly hair peeking up into the rear view mirror

tugging, eager hungry hands underfoot in the kitchen

Nemo, a squirty shark, and a mushy alligator on the floor by my bed

"Happy morning, Momma!"

slippers hiding under the drapes

yogurt and oatmeal smeared on the placemats

pumpkins and paint and messy...everything

old diapers piled up on the step in the garage

new diapers sitting in a green box by the front door

"You wanna pray, Momma?  Dats a good idea!"

three rubber duckies all in a row on the bookshelf

and a quilt to match

(Thank you for the special quilt that came in the mail today, Too-Tee!  We love it!)

...Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Ephesians 5:19-20

His Hundred Acre Wood

Happy weekend!

I've spent the afternoon watching football with the boys and digging up some favorite pictures of my little guy- just the everyday stuff that doesn't always earn a frame, but certainly deserves a day-in-the-life slideshow. Its the everyday stuff that makes life so sweet, and I wanted to capture some of it before the pictures found their way into the endless pile of photos on my hard drive.  I've got a longer version I'm going to burn to dvd with a couple other songs, but had to put together a mini version for the blog....because its Saturday, and slideshow making is more fun than laundry!

Make sure you turn your speakers on, or you'll miss hearing our current favorite song...




Hope you find some time to play today!  =)

*Music: "Winnie the Pooh"  Zooey Deschanel 

Birthdays and Play Dough

My sister reminded me that its about time for an update.

It's been quiet on the blog.

But we're still here. =)

Just trying to do a better job of being present with my family, and right now that looks like less computer time and more homemade play dough time.  And sometimes more napping when the little guys does time so I'm not unraveling by dinnertime.  A rested momma= a happy momma!

We've been doing lots of autumn-ing, as usual for this home team.  Lots of leaves and birthdays and inside-because-its-too-cold-outside activities (made all the better by the many Pinterest inspired ideas!).

("Say 'CHEEEESE!' Momma!)

(Happy Birthday, GiGi!)

(Happy Birthday, Grandma!)

(The Hubs and his bro reading a list of 50 things their momma taught them for her 50th b-day)

(My name is Newbie, and I eat lemons.)

(We love raiding Daddy's shaving cream for afternoon fun.)

(FYI: Jello play dough made with whole wheat flour is a lot uglier than when its made with white flour.  Pinterest fail!)

I'm off to a girls' night to change a diaper before I leave for girls' night.  

Happy Thursday!