elijah's 1st birthday in pictures

Elijah's first birthday card had stickers on it, so that was a lot of fun!

Yummy oatmeal and blueberries for the birthday boy!

We ate lunch at McDonald's where Elijah got a fun toy

Justin filled Elijah's truck with balloons during his nap

And it didn't take long for Elijah to play with them all!

Elijah saw his presents first thing, but only cared about the bow!

Elijah and Aunt Jeni watching the bubbles!

Elijah's new truck..

...and he thought he was done opening presents!

"Who keeps sticking a balloon to my head?!"

 (Grandaddy!)

How cool! Elijah's first barn!

Checking out the pig with Daddy

So exciting! All these toys!

A new phone...so Elijah can talk someone else's ear off all day!

Excited about new tools!

All the men checking out the workbench!

"Get this paper out of here!"

"Ooh!  A jukebox to dance to!"

Elijah's going to be our percussionist!

Can't believe he's 1 already!

Finally figured out how to dig into the cake!

"Bye bye cake.  I love you!"

"Whew!  Look at that belly!"

I can't believe it's almost here...

...Elijah's first birthday, that is.  How did this happen?  It's just so incredibly hard to believe!  As I reflect on Elijah's upcoming birthday, here's what I'm thinking right now.  Basically, one year ago, I ...

• had no idea what to expect about labor, about parenting, about nursing, about so much stuff!
• couldn't comprehend how much I would love someone so small
• had not witnessed first hand that  Justin would be an amazing daddy
• had no way of knowing whether I would survive my first year as a mommy
• (and now I'm crying as I type)
• hadn't experienced the abundant grace God gives mothers
• didn't have a reason to complain about laundry!
• hadn't yet experienced my parents and in-laws be wonderful grandparents
• had no idea that my son would bring so much joy into my life
• had no concept of how many dirty diapers one child can produce
• had no possible way of knowing that I would truly love being a stay-at-home mom
• had never said the words "No, Elijah. We don't eat dog food."
• didn't know what it was like to give a child a bath
• didn't know the joy of reading and playing with my child
• didn't know what lack of time was
• should have taken more naps when I could
• didn't understand putting someone before myself all day long
• hadn't cried when a baby laid his head on my shoulder
• hadn't loved anyone's laugh so much

....ok, I have to stop cause I'm really crying now!

What a year!  It's hard to comprehend how time just flies by, but at this same time, I have enjoyed every moment of Elijah's life so far.  I'll have to share more about him in the next weeks leading up to his first birthday on February 19th.  I've been a little out of the blogging routine lately...so I've got some catch up to do. 

I am wondering though...

What advice do you have for the first birthday party?

What traditions have you enjoyed for your child's birthdays?

Worth a Thousand Words Wednesday

Happy (late) Halloween!

Now it's your turn...share some pictures of what's happening in your life right now!

Join in for Worth a Thousand Words Wednesday! Here's what you do:

• Post pictures that you want to share on your blog. Feel free to write about them or let them speak for themselves!
• Fill out Mr. Linky below with your name and your link to this week’s pictures (be sure to link to your post and not just to your blog).
• Include a link back here from your post. (You can grab a "Thousand Words Wednesday" button on the right - just copy and paste!)
• Be sure to check out other links and comment...everyone likes to get some feedback!

i love...

my husband.

And there's no better day to write about it than today. Our 3rd anniversary. I can hardly believe we've been married three years, but I guess it has flown by with all that we have done.

When we got married three years ago, we were still in school, we were living in a completely different town, going to a different church, living on a FARM, no dog, no idea what changes would come.

Now, 3 years later, we've graduated from school, have a great dog, moved to a different part of the state, we are in a different church, we both love our jobs, we bought a house, and had a beautiful baby boy. Hello...did not know all of that was coming so fast when I met the man of my dreams.

But, when you marry the man you KNOW God chose perfectly for you, all of these changes have been blessings as we have faced them together. Through every change, Justin has consistently led our family in a God-honoring way and I am so thankful for that. He amazes me every day in the kindness, forgiveness, grace, and love he shows me. He truly does point me to Christ's love in the way that he loves me and makes me want to be more like Christ because of the example he is.

We enjoyed a great breakfast together at Cracker Barrel this morning, thanks to a gift card we've been waiting to use!

In honor of my husband and our anniversary, I'm posting pictures of the hard work he's done in our yard these last weeks, creating a "natural area." I'm so proud of him and love him even more today than yesterday. Watching Elijah fall more in love with him each day is almost more than my heart can take! ...I'm so blessed!

(The area started out with no mulch!)

And...today is also my Dad's Birthday...so I want to celebrate him too...the man who set the example for what I knew I wanted in a husband. Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you so much!