Things I'm Thankful For... just in the backyard!

A swing from Wal-Mart that creates an instantly happy baby.

A covered patio.

A huge yard for Barnaby and Eden (one day) to run and play in.

Blackberry vines that produce fresh berries (that make delicious cobbler!)

Neighbor dogs for Barnaby to play with.

A huge open space for a pool... someday :)

And the swing's never ending ability to put Eden to sleep... naptime finally :)

And last night, Eden waved

And last night, Eden waved & SAID ''Bye.'' Seems to be a new milestone every day!!

And Since Yesterday... This.

All Grown Up... Almost

I woke up this morning and realized Eden was all grown up. Or at least well on her way. She is crawling all over the house and pulling up on everything, along with a plethora of other signs of independence. She gets quite offended when Mama tries to place cheerios in her mouth. (She can do that herself, mind you.) And she would much rather put that spoon full of cereal in her mouth herself, even if it means splattering food on everything in sight.

The cutest thing, though, is her new love of "chase." Whenever I enter a room where she is, she gives me a quick glance then takes off sprinting (on all fours) across the room. It's her own way of saying "Can't catch me!" It's really the cutest thing ever.

I've recently heard other moms say that their kids, (ages 3, 5 and so on) are at the "funnest stages." I must beg to differ. It can't get any better than this.

How He Loves Us

Tyler has started playing with a band from Des Arc-- all guys I grew up with, including a couple cousins. Anyway, there is one song they have been working on that simply gives me chills every time. You may have heard David Crowder's version, but they're doing Kim Walker's, which I've posted below.

The song just reminds us of God's overwhelming, indescribable love for us. So often I find myself getting caught up in the Bible's standards for holiness or getting discouraged over my sin (which are both very real), but I fail to remember that God's LOVE for me is like a hurricane and I am a tree! He is jealous for me-- not for my perfection or my holiness, but for my time, my energy and my affections. He just wants me.

Watch the video below and be reminded of God's indescribable love for YOU. Think about the obvious, tangible ways he shows it to you every day. For me, there is no more obvious demonstration of His love (aside from Christ, of course) than the gift of my child. I'm reminded of it every time I see her smile or hear her laugh (which she just did). For you, it may be your own family, amazing friends, or just a beautiful day and a ray of sunlight. But it's not hard to see His blessings; they are abundant.

Enjoying Our One And Only

Last night my husband said something that stunned me... "I don't know if I want to have anymore kids."

:-|

He laughed and quickly took it back. And he wasn't saying it for the reason you might think:  He is SO in love with our daughter, he's afraid another child might take away from what we have with her. Like I said, he quickly took it back and said he was only joking. We've always said we wanted to have several kids (including at least one adoptive, which you read before!). But he was trying to make the point that he's not ready YET and wants to really treasure this time with Eden.

I agree. I thought I might be ready for a second child sooner than I feel now. And besides the fact that the sheer workload a second child would bring makes me wince, I too am enjoying being able to give all my attention to Eden. When you only have one child, you can always make sure she looks cute, it's easier to find a babysitter, and of course, you can spoil her rotten :) Oh, and did I mention that I've had her first birthday planned out in my head for months?

However.... I know everyone says that when you have a second child, your love isn't divided, it multiplies. And I believe that. I'm still very excited about growing our family one day. And I know, deep down, Tyler is too. But until then, we're soaking up every precious moment with our one and only. So don't expect to see my blog name changing any time too soon.