And the word became flesh and dwelt among us...

Merry, Merry Christmas!!!

i am excited about being home for the next several days and enjoying Christmas at my house.  we managed to decorate for Christmas around here, and attempt to get ready for a baby.

 cozy by the tree

december has been a great month, and has gone by slowly.  it's going slowly because we are waiting on a baby, and i am fine with that.  we are trying to enjoy it before our days of parenting begin.  we have stayed busy, and at the same time, found some great time for relaxing in between.

dining room is ready for Christmas!

during this month of december, i committed to reading through the book of John, and I made it!  I told my friend matt, that issued the challenge, that I was quietly committing in case I was interrupted by having a baby.  But I finished!  Thankful to have the accountability this provided to keep me on track.  I wish it didn't take that, but i'm thankful that i got it done, and i did my reading in the morning, while either walking on the treadmill or after waking up.  it was a great start to the day.

some verses i loved from John...

"And the word became flesh and dwelt among us..." John 1:14
(so thankful for this, and what Christmas is really all about...)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life..."  John 3:16
(probably one of the most memorized verses in the bible, and i am thankful that God sent His Son to die for my sins, and that salvation is available to all...)

"I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  John 8:12

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. " John 13:34
(so thankful for the reminder to love others, even those that are tougher to love...)

Bryan ordered baby B a stocking, it was a fun surprise, and it's on the mantle, just in case he decides to come before Christmas!

and this little miss is with her momma and God willing will be traveling home around Christmas Day!  Please pray for Abby, Eva Claire and Daniel as they complete all the final things to get on that airplane home!  praying peace and safety over them as they make their journey to arkansas!  eva, your "aunt amy" can not wait to snuggle you, when you're ready! :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior, i have so much to be thankful for this Christmas season!  

room for a baby....

we have little b's room done, finally!  when we found out that we were having a boy, i already knew i wanted navy and white in the nursery.  those are pretty conservative color choices and so bryan was on board.  after 8 paint samples, we landed on the right color grey for the walls, i could have done a shade "grey-er" but it's a good neutral.  we pieced the room together from various places.  the frames/mirror/lamp we already had, and just kinda "re-did" them for the sake of saving some dol-lah.  the crib/dresser/changing table came from buy buy baby, and we got a cute cube shelf from ikea.  we had fun getting it all together, and now we're just waiting on the baby. :)

 wreath by lins and changing table

 we got the glider in the mail today, bryan didn't waste any time getting it ready.  we had quite the ordeal with the glider we ordered from target, and it is lost some where between here and hebron, kansas, and after 8 phone calls to customer service in india, it is cancelled, and we ordered this one from amazon.  amazon is the winner.  

and i had a hard time deciding on what to put up behind the crib, i kept imagining something falling, so a painted stripe and vinyl decal make this momma's heart feel better.  and bryan picked out jerry the giraffe during our dallas trip!

in this picture you can see the bottom of the curtains better, bryan got the panels in memphis for me at the pottery barn outlet, and i wanted them hung really high.  they were too short, so the wonderful gran gran added the material and stripes to the bottom to match his bedding.  i LOVE them.  his quilt on his bed was made by my sweet and kindred spirited friend abby, and i love that is is so special.  

 our ikea shelf and some other special stuff.  my dad's baby shoes, and the first baby item i purchased, the stuffed horse from the market in kyiv, ukraine....and lots of books.  i hope little b loves books!

 lamp from my apartment in college that bryan painted and i covered, and a sweet verse!

fall in review...

this fall has been really fun!  here's some random iphone pics!  

our matching halloween shirts!  all we are missing is Kara in hers.  i look like a giant in this picture, so that's always fun! :)

dining room table with some fun halloween decorations!  

we have our stroller and car seat, and i am very glad that bryan knows how to operate things like this...we have a lot to learn about baby gear.  

i ordered this custom print for baby b's room!  it's from the Psalm of David, and I love it!

 might as well toss a giant belly pic in!

 The TEAM ladies getting ready to run the Heroes for Kids, TEAMWorks 5K!  Dima Clark put this on to raise money for adapted bikes and for TEAMWorks projects!  So cool!

Carmen and Bryan before the race!  Carmen completed her first 5K, so awesome!  Bryan finished in 22 minutes, because he's a crazy runner like that!  I can't even think that fast, let alone run!

 i have LOVED the view outside our window at work!  makes me so happy!

and we had a fun thanksgiving celebration in branson and then with my family at my mom's!

riley and LB having fun at the tanger! :)

 lena loved wearing my purse and jacket around the condo...

and she LOVES her uncle b!  if we heard "by-an, by-an, by-an" once, we heard it a million times!

uncle b and had

my favorite cake made by my mom...she's making me another for Christmas...

 all the little cousins, except for little peyton

 my sweet girl

 Ma with had and addison

 we are all expecting babies...mine in december/january and liz and krystal in march!  so fun!