My baby is turning ONE!

Tomorrow my baby girl is going to be ONE! I cannot believe how much my life has changed in the last year. She has brought Adam and I so much joy and delight. I am truly amazed that the Lord chose us to be her parents and I marvel at how much she has learned in the last 12 months. I never knew I could love another person like I love my daughter. Someone told me having children is like wearing your heart on the outside...it's so true. There was a time I wasn't sure if I would ever be a mom but the Lord always new that this little girl was hand picked for us. As I celebrate her birthday, I will do so with a heart of gratitude. He has blessed us beyond what we ever could have hoped for or imagined. Happy Birthday sweet Addie! We love you so much!!

**Pictures are courteous of my fabulously talented SIL Becca Mikkelson!!**

Because I am...

tired of seeing Valentine's on my post when I'm reading other blogs, I thought I'd update with a picture of us...

Taken from our weekend trip to the beach, which should be blogged about but will have to come a bit later...

BE MY VALENTINE

Adam and I celebrated Valentine's Day at home this year. Adam sent me away on Sunday afternoon for a pedi & mani while he stayed home to prepare a delicious meal. He wanted to test out his culinary skills and I must say he's been holding out on me. It was delicious!

He set the table.

The meal: stuffed zucchini & chicken artichoke bake

Our little Valentine

On Tuesday, I hosted a Valentine's lunch at my house for my friends and their babies. It was a fun time to just hang out as mommies and let all the kids 'play' together. I wish I had taken more pictures of the delicious spread of food but oh well. I did get a few.

cupcakes

Addison & Houston

My sweet heart!

Chicken salad & Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

Cousins

All the kids...this was one of several pics!

9 months

Addison is 9 months old today. It amazes me how much she is changing in her first year of life. I am loving our time together. She finally decided it was time to see the world around her and is on the move (crawling that is). Though she is still very content to sit and play, she is realizing there is much more around the house to play with...like the door stoppers, the tile, mommy's kitchen towels, Bentley's ball, etc.

This is my serious look...(watching praise baby)

Just starting to stand!

I'm mostly smiles!

Bentley is dying for her to learn to throw it!

Loving her puppy dog!

I'm coming to get you mommy.

And I'm so excited to say that the outfit she is wearing was made by me! I got a sewing machine for Christmas and this was my first project. My friends and I have craft days and we are teaching one another different things to make.

Next up...bows!!

Addison's Baptism

So I was going to attempt to catch up from my last post but got really overwhelmed with how much time has passed so I decided I would just start with this weekend. My hopes are to update the blog monthly but we will see...

This weekend we had the amazing opportunity to baptize Addison. It was such a sweet time for our family. As Sunday approached I found myself reflecting on how much has changed in just 3 years. Three years ago we found out that we had miscarried and we were devastated and questioned whether or not we would ever have a baby. AND now we celebrate God's gift to us! I wake up every day and thank the Lord that He has given us Addison. She is more than we could have ever hoped for or imagined...just the perfect fit for our family! He gives and takes away but blessed be His name!!

our joy

sweet cousins

our family

My parents were able to be here for the celebration.

Rejoicing that we have such a wonderful family!

Addison is blessed to have amazing grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins.

She loves her Leigh Leigh!

3 generations

As we prayed for Addison before she was born, the Lord gave us a verse that we consider her life verse. Eph. 3:14-19 "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and high and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge~ that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."