Finished Project!

I guess sometimes it takes the anticipation of a little one to arrive for me to get some of my projects completed. ;) Last year for Christmas I received a little container of material and blocks from my mom-in-law. It was the cutest gift ever! I decided since they were smaller blocks that I would sew them by hand. So...this is my first hand sewn quilt! I decided to leave it smaller to use for baby J. Now that I've finished this quilt, I think I have once again caught the quilting/sewing bug. ;) Hmmm....wonder what my next project is going to be?  

 

'Tis the Reason for the Season

 I've been thinking a lot about the virgin birth this year. Perhaps thoughts have been going through my mind because we also are expecting a child very soon. I have been thinking a lot about Christ's birth in a stable. What was Mary & Joseph feeling or thinking when they could not find place anywhere else and Mary was in labor? Yes, I believe God can and does give peace in moments like that, but still as human beings I wonder what thoughts would have gone through their minds. It is kind of humbling to me to think that baby Jesus was born in a dirty stable instead of somewhere nice and clean and now days we have sanitation and much cleaner hospitals for our babies to be born in.
  Another thing that I have thought about, is that Mary didn't have nurses or doctors to tend to her and the baby. Yes, Joseph was there and I am sure he pretty much knew what to do, but it's so much more comforting to know that someone, even a midwife, is there to help if or when needed.
 All of these thoughts help me to appreciate this season a little more this year. I guess it just gives you a different perspective.
 It seems to me that the world around us is getting crazier and crazier. We are also becoming more and more busy and caught up with our selfish desires and wants that we forget the real reason for the season. Instead of concentrating on Jesus' humble birth, we are focused on other things around us and making sure this or that is bought or checked off of our "To Do" list. Can you imagine how different our world would be if we simply turned our eyes away from our selfish desires and focused more on Jesus? I believe if we focused more on Jesus there would be less corruption, less selfishness, families and marriages would be stronger, and the world around us would be a totally different place.
 My goal for this coming year is to do exactly that. I want to focus more on Jesus and on what He has done for us by being born in a stable and dying a treacherous death on the cross for our sins.
  Let us not forget the real reason for Christmas!

Sugar 'n Spice 'n Everything Nice

We found out that we are expecting a baby girl! We are SO excited & cannot wait for Jaliyah Jane's arrival in January!

Coming Soon...

Yes, we are expecting an addition to our little family in January 2013! We were thinking we would start a family sometime in the future, but God knows what He is doing & I know that He will provide. However, we are excited and can't wait for this little arrival!

Recent Happenings~

So much has happened the last couple months! First Spring is finally here!! It feels more like summer already though. I am SO enjoying the warmer weather, yet am thankful that winter wasn't too hard on us this year.

We've already been enjoying the warmer days by going for walks and having cookouts with family!! It's so nice not having to be stuck indoors so much! Jonathan recently took a trip to Haiti where he helped with a team from Canada. He was gone for his birthday, so we celebrated with family when he came home.

Another thing that has happened recently is that Jonathan & I have been praying for some time about our job situations. We thought some jobs would open up, but it ended up that they didn't. We did some praying and talking and doors opened up for us to return to Haiti soon! We will be starting deputation soon and will be returning to Haiti hopefully within the year!! We are so excited about this opportunity! We figured maybe it would be a couple years before we would be able to return to Haiti, but God has been opening the doors for us to be able to go back real soon! We are still working on some of the details, but we hope to start traveling the end of May, first of June and we are planning on being in Haiti sometime September or October!! We feel that we have much to do, but know that God is leading us in this direction and that He will continue to help us in everything that we have to do before returning to Haiti.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Jo & I with Brooke after her school Christmas program.

I know this post is long overdue since Christmas and New Year's are kind of over, but things were busy around here. :)

God has been good to us this past year (2011). So much has happened! We moved to Indiana, I got a new job, Jo's paperwork was approved & he now has his residency, we celebrated our first anniversary & married life is going great!! We thank God for everything He has done this past year and for everything His is doing & will do in 2012.

Have a Blessed & Happy New Year to you & yours!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nice little cabin we stayed at.

Jonathan loved how the trees were so straight. :)

A lake we visited at the state park.

Lookout tower we went to. Jonathan made it to the top, but I only made it up 6 levels because it was so windy.

Looking down from the tower.

This past weekend Jonathan & I went on our first vacation together!! Our first anniversary is on the 27th of this month, so we decided to get away from everything for a few days and ahead south.

Growing up I had been to southern Indiana several times vacationing with my family, but it was nice this time to go back with my husband. We went shopping, visited the local state park and just caught up on some much needed rest and relaxation.

Hope each of you have a very Happy Thanksgiving! We have family here that we are going to celebrate Thanksgiving with. Let us not take for granted this day and make sure to give thanks for all of our many blessings!