Blessed and Thankful

It seems everywhere that I turn nowdays that we are bombarded with depressing news and stories of economic and political turmoil. So, I wanted to take this moment to reflect on the many blessings that we have in our lives, and express my gratitude for each and every one of them!

First of all, I am incredibly grateful for my wonderful husband. Several years ago, I laid awake at night and prayed for a man that would someday be my husband. I never imagined that I would be blessed with T.J. who exceeded every expectation. God delivered T.J. at just the right moment in my life, and sometimes I feel that he was truly designed just to complete me, and I to complete him. I love the little jokes that only the two of us understand and the silent language that we have developed over the years. I love how supportive he is of my goals, and I pray each day that I can always be the wife that he needs and deserves. I love seeing the excitement in his eyes when we discuss our future role of parenthood, and I can hardly wait to create new memories with this wonderful man for the rest of my life. So..I guess I just want to say thank you Lord for giving me this incredible man!

I am grateful for our families, and am amazed at how each set of parents (yes, we have three) offers us different ways to love and serve one another. I am grateful for their support throughout the years and the love that they shower us with.

Our little girl, who is due in just 88 days! I am so incredibly thankful that we were chosen to be her parents, and we can hardly wait to meet this little munchkin who loves to roll around and kick her mommy. We can hardly wait to watch her personality unfold and see the characteristics of her parents unfold. Just last night, T.J. and I were talking of all of the fun we will have with her activities and how much we are already looking forward to dance classes, soccer, baseball and anything else that she might be interested in. I am grateful that my wonderful hubby has started her room, and that we can already imagine rocking her to sleep each night.

I am grateful for our friends, whose support and advice have helped us in many ways. I hope that T.J. and I are also a blessing to each and every one of you!

Okay, so I don't have room on this tiny blog to mention every single blessing that I am grateful for, but I do hope that our actions will demonstrate our "attitude of gratitude" throughout or lives. Also, I do want to state that it is hard to put the few items above in order, so let me just say that these items are in no particular order because I couldn't imagine my life without a single one of them!

Our Little Girl

On Monday we went for another ultrasound and were amazed at how big our little girl has become all of a sudden! It was just 5 weeks since our last glimpse inside my belly, and it was truly amazing to see the little face and cheeks that have formed on our daughter. We got a kick out of seeing her stick her tongue out at us as we watched her dance and move within me.

In this picture you can see her face, eyes, and little cheeks as she lay on her side in my belly. It's incredible how just a few weeks ago she looked so much like a skeleton, and now she looks like a newborn. I am already looking forward to holding her in my arms and looking into those eyes that show themselves for the first time in this picture.

The past few weeks she has been very active and loves to kick her Mommy throughout the day and night. I love her little kicks and look forward to each and every one! Though I must admit I like it most when she kicks her Daddy's hand as he talks to her. There is just something about seeing them interact, even at this young stage of life, that warms my heart and fills me with excitement and joy over everything that parenthood will bring.

We are quickly approaching the 100 day mark until our little girl is due to arrive. Until then, we will eagerly await meeting her and continue to take care of in every way we can think of.

I guess it is true what our parents always said..."You can't understand the love a parent has for their child until you are a parent yourself." I think it is safe to say, that T.J. & I now understand and are loving this new love.

Bay Harbor, Michigan

On Saturday, we returned from our "babymoon" getaway to Bay Harbor, Michigan. We knew that we needed a little getaway before our daughter was born, and Bay Harbor was the perfect destination for us!

We began our vacation on Monday with a visit to Toledo to see the Fisher family! Although brief, it was so much fun being together and just catching up.

On Tuesday, we arrived in Bay Harbor, a small residental community about an hour south of Mackinaw Island. The community was surrounded by lush forests, and multi-million dollar views, which explained the impressive houses and boats that were common to the area. Throughout the week we relaxed by enjoying the scenery, exploring the marina, indulging in the spa at the hotel, and of course just relaxing and spending some quality time with my best friend.


We are already discussing our next trip to the area as a family, and all of the great things will be able to do together the next time we visit. But until then, we are incredibly grateful for the getaway, and are trying to keep that relaxed spirit we learned last week to remain present for a long time to come!

Jenna & Matt's Wedding!

Yesterday we were thrilled to be a part of the wedding of Jenna Berndsen to Matt Sutton! The wedding was absolutely beautiful, surrounded by a beautiful rose garden, perfect weather and lots of love.

Jenna and Matt were beautiful and their love shone throughout their ceremony. Everything went perfectly, and we can hardly wait to celebrate their marriage again next week at their dinner party as they return home from their honeymoon.

Congratulations again Jenna & Matt! We are so very happy to have a new brother added to the family.

Our deck is reaching completion...

This summer, T.J. and his dad have been working hard every weekend on building our family a deck to enjoy. This past weekend, the railings on the main deck were completed, and all that remains is the gate at the top of the steps and the railing for the steps (and a few little finishing touches).

I am so very excited to watch this beautiful deck be built right before my own eyes, and can already imagine our family enjoying it with our little girl next summer! I can picture our landscaping around the deck skirting, and get excited when I think of the garden I will plant. Thank you T.J. and Tom for spending so very much time and energy every weekend to work on our house and for doing it all with amazing attitudes! I am very grateful for having you both in my life! Thanks again!