'Tis the Season...

... for decorating, shopping, baking and making merry! I'm so excited that Christmas is only a week and a half away. All the gifts have been bought AND wrapped, stashed in our bedroom closet until the 25th. Shopping has been a lot easier (and more fun) since I have my own vehicle- we bought a used minivan on Craiglist about four weeks ago. Gregg hates to shop, especially at the mall, so I volunteered to do most of it. He really didn't have to twist my arm for that one. :) The tree has been up since the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We finally got a fake one this year that came pre-lit, and Colton is mesmerized by all of the lights whenever we plug them in.

This time of year always brings me back to that magical place I found all too easily as a kid. Seeing the lights on the tree, listening to Christmas music almost 24-7, and thinking about the birth of our Savior has definitely put me in a state of awe and wonder. I can't remember the last time I felt this content. So many of the lyrics of familiar carols move me to worship God, who unbelievably loves me enough to have sent His son to earth. Lately I've been meditating on one verse from O Holy Night: "Let all within us praise His holy name".

Mixed in with all of the reflections about the true reason for this season, are also thoughts about having another baby. It is such a spiritual and intimate thing, to decide to conceive a child. You are partnering with your husband and God to create a life. This thought has struck me as very profound recently. I've been asking myself, are we ready for a second kid? Am I ready... to most likely go through a repeat c-section, experience the highs and lows of pregnancy, and juggle two children under the age of three? And the answer to that is, unequivocally, YES.

There is no question when I look at the child I already have. A perfect blend of both me and Gregg, whose antics and budding personality fill our lives with such joy. Last night as Colton and I played together in his room before dinner, I just took all of him in. I marveled at how much he resembles me when I was his age and how, at almost 2 1/2, he's already able to do so many things. He was without a doubt wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of our God. Experiencing this awe and wonder for my son only makes me want to multiply it. Now I know there are other, less desirable, things that will be multiplied as well- dirty diapers, tears, messes, frustration and headaches. But I also know it will all be worth it. To give life to and raise babies to mature adults with a purpose and heart for the Lord... this is a very high calling. But I'm feeling up to the challenge. :)

Christmastime is (almost!) here

I can't believe it's December already, and almost another whole year has come & gone. It's definitely beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas. It is cold enough outside to snow, although it hasn't yet (but it already snowed twice here in October, what's up with that??) I'm beginning to get into the holiday spirit and get excited about decorating, exchanging gifts, baking cookies and the like.

Life lately has been busy but predictable. I've hardly written a post in the past couple of months, now that my time is taken up with a very active toddler. My days consist of chasing him all over the house, trying to do chores while keeping one eye on Colton who is inevitably getting into something, watching Sesame Street and Barney & Friends (which I swore I would never watch when I had kids), battling with a 15 month old to eat a vegetable (just eat one, please!), and catching up on blogs or Facebook when I get a free minute.

I cannot believe my little guy is going to be 16 months old in less than two weeks! We've been trying to get him to eat "properly" (ha!) by using a plate and a spoon. He usually ends up turning the plate over, dumping the food all over the place, and whatever does actually get onto the spoon rarely makes it into his mouth. Colton has found new ways to drive me crazy by figuring out how to take the plug protectors out of all the outlets, reaching up to grab whatever is on the edge of the table, and pushing the dishwasher and washing machine buttons. Can you say "oy vey"?

His 15 month well visit was a few weeks ago, and he's now up to 23 1/2 lbs. and 30 1/4" which puts him just below the "average". He still has that buddha belly though! Colton outgrew his 12 month clothes and is wearing 18 month stuff already. All his pants are a little snug at the waist, but too long at the bottom. :)

Besides the day-to-day routine of being a mom, life is pretty good. We are really tight on money right now, but I can't complain. We have good friends, family, our health, and a beautiful little boy. We're hoping that with the added responsibilities Gregg has gotten at his job, comes something extra in his paycheck starting next year. Living on one income in North Jersey is not easy! God always provides for us, though. This year Christmas is going to have to be a little more "all in the heart" than anything else, but it will still be wonderful.

Colton's First Christmas

Christmas 2008 was wonderful. The food, fun, and gifts never seemed to stop since it was spread out over three days: we spent Christmas Day at my in-laws', then went to Gregg's aunt & uncle's on his mom's side the next night for their festivities, and finally spent Saturday afternoon visiting with my family at my mom & stepdad's. Santa was very good to Colton. He got lots of new toys, books, and clothes. Of course, this year we had to unwrap the presents for him, but next Christmas he'll be 16 months and really into tearing off wrapping paper to reveal whatever treasure lies inside. Here are some pictures!















Colton in the new walker his grandparents gave him, waiting to open yet another present















Colton gets a hand from Curious George















Gregg with his new toy

Daddy helping Colton open another present

Colton with my dad

Colton and I with our red and green

With my mom

Getting some love from my sister

Us by the Christmas tree

Only 1 More Sleep 'Til Christmas

In less than 24 hours, Christmas Day will be here! The three of us are heading over to Gregg's parents' tomorrow around noon for present opening and dinner. I'm looking forward to spending time with family, eating yummy food, and exchanging gifts. I'm excited to see what Colton gets, too. Today I'll be wrapping presents and doing some house work so I don't have to be bothered tomorrow morning. We're not doing anything big or fancy this evening; just attending our church's Christmas Eve service and having dinner by ourselves at home.

Here's a picture of Colton with Santa that was taken on Saturday at Gregg's aunt & uncle's annual holiday shin dig. He was pretty indifferent to the man in the big red suit. I thought he was going to burst into tears.

Have a very Merry Christmas, everyone! I leave you with some pictures of extra cuteness. Colton is grabbing a hold of everything these days, which makes diaper changing especially difficult now!















"I'm gonna get you, frog!"















"Gotcha!"

One Year Ago Today

I found out I was pregnant with Colton. I had been feeling "off" for a few days leading up to the discovery. All of my symptoms pointed to pregnancy, but I brushed them off. Until I was five days late and couldn't ignore them anymore. On one of our last minute runs to Walmart for Christmas, we also picked up a HPT. My heart was pounding as I took the test, and three minutes later we had our result: Pregnant.

I remember the next day at my work's Christmas party feeling a flutter of excitement and suddenly being cautious about everything I ate and drank. A test at the doctor's a day later confirmed it. While we thought of the way we should share the news with our families over Christmas, we came up with all sorts of ideas- gift wrapping a countdown timer to my due date, giving planners with August 21 tabbed. But Gregg finally decided that we should simply make up a phony back order notice for a package that was "still in processing", and see whether our parents would figure it out.

We could not wait until the gift exchange began so that we'd be able to reveal that we had an extraordinarily special present. Both grandmas figured it out pretty quickly. My stepfather thought we were sending them on a cruise that left in August. Men.

At this time last year, my due date seemed so far away. I wanted to make sure I did everything right over the next eight months, so that my baby would develop and grow properly. And now, he's four months old already. And he is the best thing that ever happened to me, besides meeting my husband and receiving Christ as my Lord and Savior. My son is seriously the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

On 12/18/07 when I discovered I had this life growing inside me, I couldn't wait to meet our child. I was full of joy and excitement that I can't even begin to describe in words. This December 18, I have the gift of sharing my baby boy's first Christmas with him. Being a witness to every new skill he learns and experiencing such pleasure at his smiles and laughter as he interacts with me. I am humbled that God would choose me to care for Colton while he's on this earth. He is the most precious gift I could have ever received.

O Christmas Tree

We finally decorated the tree yesterday! Better late than never. I set to work fanning out the branches while listening to some Christmas tunes. Then after Gregg put on the lights, I hung the ornaments and wrapped the tree skirt around the base. I couldn't find all of our ornaments out in the garage, so I used what was available and ended up with a very simple yet classic tree. Gregg thinks we may have thrown out the box containing most of the ornaments by accident. I'm hoping it's just buried beneath a stack of other boxes we can't get to right now. I would hate to lose all those memories.

Anyway, here's a few pictures:

Colton and Mommy





















My new favorite ornament

What Christmas Is All About

Recently I've been feeling sorry for myself that, because of our current financial situation, I can't afford to buy Colton a whole bunch of cute outfits and toys for Christmas. Not that he would even know the difference, but as a parent I want to be able to give my child nice things. Yesterday while perusing several of my favorite blogs, I stumbled across this blog, by a young mother whose son went to be with Jesus just sixteen minutes after he was born. It changed my whole perspective on everything.

While I'm not able (right now) to give my baby boy the material things I would like, I still have him here with me. I still get to see and kiss his sweet face every day. Take in his sweet baby smell. I get to witness his smiles and giggles that make my heart melt.

This mom won't ever be able to hold her son again. Her posts moved me to tears, and suddenly the burdens that I'm facing faded away. I can't even imagine the depth of grief she's experiencing.

In this moment, I feel incredibly blessed. I don't think I'll ever take one minute with my family for granted again. I'm so grateful God has given me a beautiful, healthy son and wonderful husband. I'm also grateful for the recent interviews Gregg has gone on, which I'm thinking one at least will certainly turn out fruitful. Gregg received a phone call back today from the VP of a company he interviewed with last Thursday, saying he wants him to meet tonight with the owners who are in town for only a few days. It looks really good for him to get this job, and this is the one at the top of his list too.

Saturday we were able to spend some money to purchase Christmas gifts for our families. We had agreed beforehand with Gregg's brother and sister that all of us buy just one gift for each family, which is a huge cost savings since his sister has four kids! We ended up getting my sister-in-law's family a game for their Wii and my brother-in-law's an outdoor activity set that our 18 month old niece will mostly enjoy. I bought an Italian food cookbook for my sister, and we went with the photos of Colton for our parents and Gregg's grandfather. We actually used pictures we already had and edited them in Picasa. We then ordered a bunch through Snapfish for only $3.40!

I feel really good about our inexpensive purchases, and I'm looking forward to giving them on the 25th. Giving and receiving pricey, elaborate gifts is not what Christmas is all about anyway. We should be focusing on the birth of our Savior, who was and is the best present we could ever receive.

13 Days and Counting

Still no closer to decorating for Christmas, but we have decided to do photos of Colton for family members this year. I think we'll try to play photographer and shoot some professional looking pics of him ourselves. Hope they turn out decent.

Thank you all for your kind words and prayers. Yesterday's interview at Budwiser went very well. Gregg should hear something by Tuesday. While I was at the mall, he lined up two more interviews with different companies. He left at 6:00 this morning to catch a bus into Manhattan for his first one of the day, and then he has another in Jersey this afternoon. We are hoping something comes through really soon!

Colton and I had a great time at the mall yesterday. He was a good sport about being pushed around in and out of stores with Mommy. Since I have no money, I didn't buy anything of course, but it was still fun to look. I saw these super cute onesies on sale at Baby Gap, and was so tempted to get them. But I refrained. Hopefully soon we won't have to worry about dropping a few dollars on such a frivilous item.

It was really good to spend some time with Laura. We swapped C-section stories, chatted about our kids, and just caught up on the past three years that I've been away. Since her girls are 3 1/2 and 1, she's able to offer a lot of advice on parenting. All of our friends who got married around the same time as us have kids now. It will be great for Colton to play with them when he gets a little older.

And now for some pictures!

Sticking his thumb in his mouth, one of his favorite things to do now














Chilling out with Daddy, watching tv

2 More Weeks Until Christmas...

I realized this very thing last night, and began to panic a little knowing that we haven't bought a single present for anyone in our family, haven't decorated the tree, haven't baked any cookies, etc. It's a little difficult to get into the Christmas spirit when you are surrounded by boxes everywhere, in various stages of being opened. Moving the day after Thanksgiving when we would normally be picking out and ornamenting our tree, along with getting a jump on gift buying, puts us way behind the 8-ball this year.

We did manage to set up the fake tree in the living room the other night, but that's as far as we got. It's not even our own fake tree. Jim & Laura had an extra one down in the basement that they said we could use. We didn't get the boxes of ornaments and lights out of the garage yet. Sigh. I think we're just going to scatter a few ornaments here and there, throw the tree skirt on, and call it done.

We plan to go Christmas shopping this weekend, but have no idea what to get anyone. Because finances are extremely tight right now, it won't be elaborate. I was thinking of just giving a framed picture of the baby to everybody. Simple, yet thoughtful. I think our version of Christmas will have to be stripped down from years past. For the sake of our budget and our sanity. Every year we run around like chickens with our heads cut off tyring to find the perfect gift for everybody, and end up getting crappy gifts from some people in return. It's ridiculous.

We already know we won't be able to top last year when we announced I was pregnant. At least we won't have to travel, which I'm happy about. I'm still glad we moved here and are close to family. These last few days though, I started to wonder "what in the world were we thinking?", watching the funds depleting from our bank account and my husband still not finding a job yet. He has an interview this morning and another one tomorrow, for jobs that look pretty promising. The one this morning is at a Budwiser distribution plant. Gregg would oversee a lot of the IT components for the plant. He joked that he'll get to take home free beer, which is funny because neither one of us drinks all that much. I think my limit is one drink per year!

Colton is doing much better. He's still a little congested and his right eye runny at times, but he's pretty much back to his normal self. For the past two nights, he has been sleeping in his crib again and not waking up with that awful, scared-sounding scream that jolted me out of bed at least two or three times per night. The Vicks Vaporizer and saline drops worked their magic. He had gotten out of his normal routine while being sick, since I let him sleep whenever he wanted to make up for all the times he woke up overnight. We are going to hang out at the mall this afternoon with Laura and her two little girls. Should be fun just to get out of the house for once!

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays

Christmas in NJ was wonderful. Our trip started out a little rough- Tess got loose as Gregg was loading up the car and took off, putting us about an hour behind schedule. I found her not too far away running around a neighbor's yard, completely oblivious to the fact that we had a four hour drive ahead of us. I called her over, knelt down and grabbed her by the collar, then waited for Gregg to drive by since he had gone looking for her.

Since she had also decided to go roll around in cow poo, Gregg had to give her a bath. He didn't bother drying her off because we were so late by that time, so we just threw her in the back of the car and started on our way. About an hour and a half into the trip, she then got car sick. That was fun. Barring that snafu, we proceeded to have a very nice holiday. It was really good to spend time with family, celebrating Christmas, stuffing our faces full of yummy goodies and exchanging presents, except I wasn't quite feeling like normal myself.

The night of the Christmas concert at church, I started feeling really weird. Like I was all hopped up on caffeine or something. I just brushed it off, thinking I was overtired. The next morning when I got in the shower, I felt really dizzy and just a tad nauseous so I decided to work from home that day. By the afternoon, I was feeling a lot better so I went into the office to meet with a couple clients I was scheduled to see. That night I had Bible study and that dizzy feeling came over me again, stronger than it had been in the morning. By this point, things were starting to add up: feeling dizzy, queasy, sore boobs, and AF was nowhere in sight.

The next day I mentioned to Gregg that I was five days late, which is really unusual for me. I asked if I should perhaps test and he said to wait a while. That evening, though, his curiosity got the better of him, and over dinner he told me to go ahead. We needed to go to Walmart for a few odds and ends anyway, so while we were there we bought a digital pregnancy test. When we got home, Gregg took the dog out and I went straight upstairs to the bathroom. I did the "procedure", laid the stick down on the counter and went into our bedroom to wait for the results, my heart pounding. A few minutes later, Gregg came upstairs with a questioning look on his face and I told him I hadn't looked yet. We went into the bathroom together, and I picked up the test. There was no mistaking it; it was positive! I couldn't believe it. Gregg smiled and said, "Cool. I knew you were." Still in somewhat of a daze, we decided to go online to calculate my due date.

First thing the next morning I called our primary care physician because I knew he'd see us right away and we wanted to be certain the test was indeed accurate before going ahead and telling our parents over Christmas. I was given an appointment for the following day. The nurse saw me right away, took my weight and blood pressure, then had me do the obligatory pee in a cup routine. I waited with Gregg in the exam room for her to come back with the results. My heart started pounding again as I heard the timer go off. The nurse walked towards us and simply smiled and nodded her head as she closed the door behind her.

About five minutes later, Dr. Peterson came in to congratulate us. He gave us an estimated due date, which is the same one we had calculated ourselves. He then talked with us about ways to have a healthy pregnancy and wrote out a prescription for prenatal vitamins. We went straight downstairs to the pharmacy to have it filled and also pick up a bottle of Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements he recommended. As we were heading out of the medical center, we ran into our friends, Ryan and Anita, who are due in January. Ryan looked suspiciously at the white bag in Gregg's hands and said, "Going to pick up some drugs this morning, are we?" We played it off, but the gig was pretty much up, so they were the first ones to know.

We told both sets of parents over Christmas by making up a phony backorder notice for a gift that hadn't arrived yet. The card read: "One precious package is still in processing. It is due for delivery approximately August 21, 2008. To track the status of this package, please visit the manufacturers' website", and we included a link to a webpage that we designed to fill them in on the details of the next eight months. They were ecstatic. My father, however, was just speechless. He was so choked up, he could barely get words out and wouldn't let me go! He is very much looking forward to being a grandpa.

So we are very excited! I'm six weeks and two days along today, and feel good for the most part. I get queasy at different times throughout the day, but no morning sickness yet. And boy, am I tired! I'm also hypersensitive to what goes into my body now. I've started reading up on foods to stay to away from and ones to eat more of. I've had to forgo my favorite Diet Dr. Pepper because of the caffeine & sugar substitutes, and replaced it with water and fruit juices. A small price to pay for a healthy, full term baby!

Our first OB appointment is on January 11, our anniversary! I'm hoping the doctor will do an ultrasound, but from what I've been reading it's likely it will only be an informational visit, plus a very invasive and oh so fun pelvic exam. I'm really looking forward to the next several months, seeing how this baby develops and how I change too. I can't wait to welcome our new son or daughter into the world this August!

2 More Sleeps Until Christmas

So Christmas is just around the corner, and I've had my fill of baking, shopping and wrapping to last me until next year. The counter is loaded with plates of cookies, the gifts are wrapped and stashed in the closet, waiting to be taken with us to NJ.

It's been a good, but busy, week filled with Christmas festivities. I went and saw the church's musical on Sunday afternoon, which was pretty good. I stayed afterwards for the dinner that was provided for the cast and choir, then went home for a few hours. I came back around 10 to pick up Gregg. I was so glad the long week of rehearsals and lonely nights was finally over, and we could actually see each other for more than an hour each night.

Now I'm looking forward to spending time with family for a few days. I've got about five loads of laundry going so that we have clean clothes to go away with. Tomorrow I'm packing, attending the 8 o'clock Christmas Eve service, then we'll probably go out to eat at Denny's which will be the only place open at that time, and we're loading up the car the next morning with presents, cookies and Tess. I'm so ready to slow down and just enjoy Christmas.

Have a very Merry Christmas with your loved ones this season and a happy & healthy New Year!

Confessions of a Ministry Widow

'Tis the season when church sees more of my husband than I do. Gregg was setting up tech equipment and running sound at rehearsals for the Christmas musical/concert/play during most of last week. That meant a lot of nights of fast food and me sitting home alone with cable tv and the dog. The actual production is tonight and tomorrow. I'm planning on going to the 3 o'clock show Sunday. We both can't wait until this week is over.

It hasn't been all bad, though. We did get to spend some time together. Last Friday night, we went to dinner at TGIFriday's and stopped downtown afterwards to look at everything all lit up. There were carolers, a brass band and the stores were even open past 5! Chambersburg doesn't exactly have the most happening night life, if you couldn't tell. It was very festive and Christmas-y, but really really cold so after ducking into a store or two to get warm, we headed home.

Sunday we hung out with another couple from church, Ryan & Anita, at their house. I've nicknamed Gregg and Ryan the "tech twins". We watched the Steelers game and had chili and hamburgers. Then on Monday night, we rushed off to meet our small group for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's and went to Starbucks afterwards. Mmmm, a dreamy dish of parmesan chicken and pasta, topped off with a Peppermint Mocha. I'm seriously going to put on ten pounds by the end of this month.

Today after straigthening up the house and doing laundry, I entertained myself by elfing different members of my family. It was hysterical! The first one I did one of my sister Val and her fiance Bill was especially hilarious because Bill's head was way too big for the little elf hat. If you want a good laugh, go to http://www.elfyourself.com/.

This morning, we stopped at Walmart for a few things before Gregg went over to the church. It was a madhouse. Lines out the wazoo, crowded aisles, people playing bumper carts. Everyone was in the holiday spirit, too, of course. Yeah. There's nothing like last minute shopping the week before Christmas.

I'm happy to say that our tree is now complete. Yesterday, Gregg's parents stopped through on their way down to North Carolina to visit the grandkids and dropped off a small gift bag. He waited until I got home to open it- inside were our annual engraved ornaments. Tess even got her very own one too, an adorable little doggie with her name and the year on it.

So my big plans this evening pretty much include eating dinner alone and watching cheesy Christmas movies on ABC Family. One more day until I get my husband back. There was one day last week where I only saw him for about two hours. Two hours. I mean, I get that this is the holidays and all, but the madness needs to end!

Snow Day!

As I type, snow is swirling about, covering the ground, trees and rooftops with a blanket of white powder. It's been falling since sometime this morning, adding to the light dusting that had already fallen the previous day. Since Wednesday is Gregg's day off and I didn't have to be at the agency by any particular time, we stayed in bed until 8:30 and snuggled. I didn't make it into work until 10:00 and went home at 2:30. I cancelled the home visit I had this afternoon and rescheduled for tomorrow because the roads were bad. A lot of people chose not to come in, so the girls in my office and I played Christmas music obnoxiously loud.

Tess wasn't sure at first what to make of the snow. She didn't know if she was allowed to go potty on it or not. It was pretty funny as she took her first steps onto the white, powdery substance she never saw in Florida.

I love how peaceful it gets after it's been snowing all day and the night sky doesn't go completely dark. You feel like you're in a magical winter wonderland. It makes me want to wrap myself up in a fleece blanket with a steaming cup of hot cocoa.

In other news, we received a letter from the auto insurance company of the guy who hit me back in August. They have agreed to pay 90% of the repairs on the X-Terra, so now all we have to pay out of pocket is about $160 instead of our $500 deductible. We got an estimate from two different auto body centers a while ago that were pretty close to each other. We decided we may leave the car to be fixed during our trip to NJ for Christmas and take a rental. I was so surprised. I had resigned myself to the fact that we'd just have GEICO pay for the damages. Talk about an unexpected Christmas blessing!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas, Part 2

Everywhere I look, there are signs of Christmas. Lights and decorations adorning houses, crowded shopping malls, Christmas music 24-7 on radio stations. And oh yeah, it's now officially cold enough to freeze your winnebago here in PA. They're forecasting snow tomorrow (yay!) and Tuesday.

Yes, the Christmas season is in full swing. Yesterday at Sam's Club, Gregg and I loaded up on ingredients to make Christmas cookies. We're planning on baking three different kinds and sharing the wealth with family, friends and co-workers.

Christmas gifts are beginning to pile up in the coat closet. We're about 3/4 of the way done with our shopping. That's one of the best things about Christmas- scowering the stores (or internet) for just the right present for that special somebody and then giving it to them on December 25. Of course, receiving gifts is always nice too.

We attended our first Christmas party already this afternoon. My work threw a little shinding at a nearby church's fellowship hall. Management staff whipped up a sizeable feast for us clinicians and the foster parents, as well as the kids. I got to visit with a few of my clients (all teenage girls) and chat with co-workers outside of work which was fun. As we were driving home, Gregg told me "You work with some really nice people". It helps that a good number of them also go to King Street Church. I am very blessed to work where I do. I'm valued and I have a good time doing my job.

This is also the busiest time of year for Gregg professionally. Rehearsals have begun for the Christmas musical at church. It will be an off-beat production of the Christmas story. Think the Gospels meet Rent. There are three services on Christmas Eve which Gregg needs to work, a 4:00, 6:00 and 8:00. Fun. I am so glad we are both taking off the rest of that week. We're going to spend time visiting with family in NJ and enjoying a little R&R.

I love Christmastime- there's just nothing like it. The hauntingly beautiful hymns about Christ's birth and redeeming love, gatherings with family & friends, celebrating traditions, eating yummy foods, exchanging gifts. Yup, life is good.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Could it really have been more than a month since I've posted anything? Where did October go? The end of November is almost here now- only four more weeks until Christmas!!

Last month was exceptionally busy. Gregg worked three out of four weekends for various events taking place at the church, and I helped him out where I could. My sister and her fiance came to visit the last Saturday of October and the four of us went out for dinner. They brought their dog, Sophie, with them and she was introduced to Tess. The two "cousins" had a ball playing together and pinning each other down while us humans chatted and sipped hot chocolate back at our place. My sister's wedding plans are in full swing. Here is the dress I decided on wearing:

The actual color will be more blueish. Valerie is sending me a swatch of material so that the dress can be made in the exact shade of teal she wants. I've asked my mother-in-law to make it for me and she said she'll start "production" in January. She is a great seamstress. She made all of the bridesmaid dresses for my wedding five years ago, and only had three months to do it!

Work has gotten busier recently. Two more clients were added to my caseload, which puts me at a total of 8. A few weeks ago, I downloaded software (with Gregg's help!) to access my agency's metaframe server so that I can work from home when I want. It's so convenient. I can sit in my living room and type progress notes, schedule appointments and write emails.

I'm really enjoying my Ladies Bible Study every Monday night. We are almost at the end of a DVD/book series called Discovering God's Will by Andy Stanley, which is very thought provoking. I am blessed to have made some really good friends out of this group. It's great having women that pray for me and share my struggles each week. We are planning on getting together with our husbands one evening soon for coffee & dessert.

Between working, church and every day responsibilities life is hectic. I was so ready for a break this weekend. Gregg and I decided not to travel up to NJ for Thanksgiving. I'm glad we stayed home and spent the entire time by ourselves with nowhere to go and no plans, except buying a Christmas tree, which we did on Friday. On Thursday, we went to Cracker Barrel and got two turkey dinners, slices of pie and drinks for only $8.99 each. We came home with a box teaming with leftovers and spent the rest of the night looking for gifts online and relaxing in front of the tv.

On Friday morning I ran out to do a home visit for a kid that lives close to our house, and then Gregg & I went in search of the perfect tree. Lowe's yielded little possibilities. The trees were overpriced and didn't look... quite right. We looked at ones in a couple of lots and weren't impressed with those trees either. We spotted a nicely painted sign advertising Christmas Trees on a road half a mile off the highway, so we pulled off and checked them out. It was a small gathering of trees (maybe 100) but the prices were very reasonable and we found our tree right away. Gregg tied it to the roof racks of our X-Terra and we let it settle in its stand. We got lazy once we came home and decided to just decorate it on Saturday instead. The next day we drug the Christmas decorations and ornaments out of the closet. After Gregg strung the lights and we both hung ornaments, I put the tree skirt around the base and stepped back to admire our work. Tess decided it would be fun at that moment to run around the tree, shaking all of the ornaments and making pine needles fly in every direction. Oy. We don't need a train; we've got a dog!

I just love Christmastime. That warm fuzzy feeling you get during this season when it's chilly outside and you're bundled up inside, snuggling together under a blanket with the one you love. Our living room is so homey now with the tree by the window. I love to sit in the dark with it all lit up. I'm so happy we're only four hours away from our families, too, and can spend the Holidays with them this year. Christmas is coming soon, and then three weeks later will be our anniversary! It is the most wonderful time of the year. :)