the end of the hiatus

it's been a while since the last post. my heart is full--so many wonderful things that i got a bit clogged up. you know what i'm talking about... like, when you have a twenty page paper due tomorrow and some how you just can't seem to write the first line? so, here's an un-detailed run down so that i don't miss anything, but don't get weighted down in trying to create 72 posts. cheese.

1.) haven took her first step on monday! we can't get her to repeat really, but we're certainly not pressing our 8 month old to start running around the house. :)

2.) as part of our christmas gifts to each other, jon took me (and four of our closest friends) to a bethany dillon, phil wickham, shane and shane concert last friday. un. be. liev. able. worship + christmas music + incredible musicians = full heart. so good. ahhhh.

3.)sonic. as in the greasy fast food, cherry limeade sonic. this was our dinner the night of the concert and it earns its own entry because there are sonic commercials on tv all.the.time BUT the closest ( and only one in our state) is an hour and fifteen away. praise god for tater tots.

4.) i am loving the season as a first-time mom. really sitting in this moment, taking it all in, pondering things in my heart. thinking back to our last christmas when we announced that we would be adopting, wondering if we'd be parents ever. putting our daughter to bed tonight wondering if Jesus was ever anti-nap the way haven's been this week. studying scripture and gaining insight from a poor virgin mothering the savior of the world. wanting to be just as faith-filled and sacrificing.

5.) jon and i are such little kids (*mom, if you're reading this, stop now. i know you won't, so you're not allowed to get mad at me for this one--you were warned). we just exchanged our christmas gifts for each other because jon couldn't wait to give his(it's my post, so i'm blaming it all on jon... we all know i'm just as giddy and guilty). love it. i made him wrap it up before he gave it to me because that's half the fun. i can now feel my toes thanks to my fabulous new ugg-like slippers and jon's sportin' a fantastic new wallet. 

6.) i'm really loving baking this year. so far, there's gingerbread cookies (thanks to my college roomate's mom's great recipe!) raspberry pinwheels, and even scooby snacks for the pup! 

7.) we are grateful for God's sovereignty and mercy. today, jon's job was spared as he watched many of his friends leave the office for the last time. we are undeserving and pray that those laid-off would be surrounded by our Prince of Peace and Jehovah-Jira.

8.) here's some recent pics of our growing gal. she's so cool. she signs 'all done', waves bye-bye (to herself), claps when you say 'good job!', shakes her head 'no' for both yes and no, and parrots all of our noises. love her, love her.

merry christmas!!!

the queen of o's

hae excited to have the camera out-- what a hamm!

this is haven's friend e who comes to play each week. 

check out these two and their pigtails!

i wish there were sound effects for the next two pics-- e is four months older than hae, and is constantly teaching her new tricks. e is shrieking at the top of her little lungs which sounds pretty loud...

...until haven takes her turn. wow. can you see the little vein in her forehead?!