Visit with Santa....

Today i decided to take Macie to the mall to see Santa. We have been wondering how she would react because the last time we took her she was only 1 and didnt really know what was going on anyways. She was so excited to see Santa and did very well. When we first got there and he said "hi" to her she got a little shy and tried to hide behind my legs, but after i told her it was ok and to go ahead and go sit on Santa's lap she was fine. On the way to the mall she was going through this huge list of toys that she wanted for Christmas but once she got on Santa's lap she forgot everything...lol. It was really cute to watch her just so fascinated with Santa, as if she couldnt really believe he was there in front of her. Of course her babydoll had to see Santa too:)

Tis the Season.....

I can hardly believe it is december 13th and in 12 days we will be celebrating Christmas. It really does seem like the older you get the faster time seems to fly by. Its been awesome these past few weeks getting ready for Christmas with macie now that she is a little older. Before i think scott and I were more excited than she was because she was so young she really didnt understand what was going on. Its amazing when you become a mom its like you get a new pair of eyes too. The way that you look at the world is completely different. Its as if you see the world as your child does with this new sense of wonder and amazment. I know I find myself laughing a little more, goofing off a little more and just really trying to embrace every moment and capture its true beauty regardless of how big or insignificant it may be. I often find myself just sitting and staring at macie and thinking of how amazingly perfect and beautiful she is and how blessed i am to be her mommy. Scott and I both are just so in love with our precious daughter in a way that we never thought we could love another person and we often say how crazy it is that shes just this little life with this little heart beating inside of her and this little mind waiting for what the world has to bring before her. I know one thing that has been a true blessing to me this year was putting up our christmas tree. I was talking with a friend a few weeks ago and I told her one thing that really bugged me was when you have kids you start to accumulate all those silly looking ornaments and your christmas tree no longer looks pretty and elegant but instead it looks covered in cartoon characters and finger paintings. I dont know what happened but as i was pulling the ornaments out of the box this year as macie was helping me i had to hold back tears because its like i had an "ah ha" moment where i really got it. Its not about our tree being beautiful and elegant anymore its about all of those ornaments as silly as they may be representing our lives. I found one from when scott was 2 years old and there was one from when we got married, but the kicker for me was this little keepsake box ornament and inside we put macie's paci from the hospital that she got when she was born. I felt amazingly embarassed that all along instead of embracing each ornament for its worth i failed to miss the point. As I walk by our tree now i just smile and feel blessed because i know that each ornament has a story and that story represents the journey we have been on individually and as a family. I am so blessed this Christmas season for an amazing husband whom is one of the most selfless and giving people i know. I'm blessed for a precious daughter that although i dont deserve to be her mommy the Lord has entrusted her to me. I'm blessed for family and friends that have supported us through many ups and downs. I'm blessed for a church that has become our "home" not where we live but where our hearts live. I am blessed for jobs that scott and I both love and feel that we are making a difference in the lives of others. There are just so many more things I am blessed for and I can't wait to see where the Lord is going to take us next and the ornaments that are yet to come as we capture the many moments ahead in our lives.

This and That.....

Its been awhile since we have updated but honestly there isnt much new going on. I decided not to interview for the job in Columbus after all, it was going to be a huge financial loss and with the driving 2+ hours a day we just didn’t feel it was a good move for our family. We had a nice thanksgiving and were able to spend time with both our families. We went to Mt. Vernon and spent the night on Wednesday the day before thanksgiving and then had a nice dinner with the whole gang on Thursday. After we got home that evening we went over to my mom’s house and had another meal with my family. So it was nice the way things worked out in the schedule that we were able to be with both families this year. Steph and I decided to go shopping for black Friday and it was definitely nuts. We got to target at Polaris at 4 a.m. only to find out after standing in the cold for 15 mins that they didn’t open until 6...it was so crowded and people were nuts, steph and i just walked around in amazement over how people act. I must say though we did get some good deals so we both were happy with the outcome of our adventure :) Now we are just trying to finish up Christmas shopping and all the hustle and bustle that comes along with it. Scott and I were talking and we both are really looking forward to Christmas this year. Macie is at the age now where she gets what’s going on a little more and she has been talking about Santa coming to visit our house. I can't believe that less than a month it will be here :) Hope you all are enjoying this time of the year and remembering all the amazing things Christ has done for us to allow us to celebrate!!!!