Thankful

This is a little late, but I figure belated gratefulness is better than no gratefulness at all right? We have SO much to be thankful for this year. It is amazing how much has changed over the last year. In the last year we both started new jobs, H got into the daycare we'd been on the waiting list for, bought our first house, got a new (used) car (did I blog about my new minivan?), I started grad school, we started a small group at our church, Jeff was ordained a deacon at that church, our baby turned 2 and we had enough vacation time to visit our friends and family a few times.
We hosted our first Thanksgiving at our house and minus the fried turkey juice in Jeff's eye and me dropping an entire pie all over the floor, it was a pretty good day! I was reading the other day about how God loves to give good gifts to his children and as a parent I totally get that. I am constantly buying H random stuff just because I know it will make him happy and how much more does the Father know how to give good gifts to His children? Not that the year has been without its challenges and hard times, but I'm so grateful for the ways that I feel like so many things we have been praying for and waiting for have come to fruition over this past year. God is good indeed, in spite of our circumstances, in spite of our feelings even, God is so good to us.
Here's what's been going on since I last blogged.


Family picture fail from when Papa Bill visited for H's 2nd birthday. H has the greatest grandparents ever, seriously!



We went to a wedding of some good friends in Waco. It was so fun to get to spend time with so many of our friends and we feel so lucky to have such an incredible group of people who we totally love.


Elyse and I celebrated our 28th birthday on the day before our actual birthday (Thanksgiving) and H totally thought the party was all about him.




It was so wonderful to have Elyse & Stephen down for Thanksgiving. H totally adores his Eese & Seeven. Aaaaaand you might notice that Elyse is carrying her own bundle of joy that will arrive in March! Yay!!!!


Christmas should be a blast this year as H is totally into the Christmas spirit this year. It has been fun to see him get all excited and to talk with him more about why we celebrate Christmas. He has his own nativity set and likes to take turns putting the animals and "Bebe Cheesus" on the roof.

Turning 2

Turning 2 is so much fun! I know not because I remember, but because when Elyse & I turned 2 my parents rented a video camera to take a video of our birthday party and when we were growing up we used to watch that video all the time (being that it was the only video of us in existence). I planned a special choo-choo birthday for H since trains are his favorite toy in the world right now (other than lamby of course. It was such a fun party and we had so many friends and family come celebrate with us - we are truly blessed! Here are some pics of the event


















Here's all the present action. Man, did this kid get some cool stuff! I still remember that awesome cabbage patch piano we got for our 2nd birthday!







Happy 2nd Birthday sweet H, you are so loved!

Halloweening

We successfully got H to wear his Halloween costume before school (he took it off as I was collecting our things to walk out the door) and then we put it back on for the Noah's Ark Party at church. He didn't wear the Mickey Mouse ears long... but I wasn't really counting on that.


Here are the ears before Halloween




Mickey Mouse and Bama (what H calls both of Jeff's parents. Pronounced Bamaw)


H even got to ride on a pony!

Enjoy the video below of H enjoying the petting zoo.