today marks a year.

ONE YEAR ago

I held and kissed my sweet,

precious newborn baby

for the first time...

...and today he turns one year old. my little man brings me so much joy sometimes my heart hurts. I can't hold it all inside. these two are so dear to me. I'm a blessed girl. 

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY KADEN ISAIAH! 

You are so sweet spirited and curious and getting more and more independent as you are walking now. Your one-dimpled smile melts me and your giggles are contagious. I love how you play and love to throw balls and push your little trucks around on the ground now. I love how nobody has to teach you how to be a boy...you're just boyish through and through. I love being your mommy and the way you love to snuggle with me most. Daddy gets jealous, but I tell him one day soon you'll want to hang out with Daddy and do "manly" stuff...so this is mommy's time to be the favorite :) You know the power of your cuteness and are leaning to work your charm...you cock your head to the side and flash your four-toothed smile and jibber jabber like we should know exactly what you're saying. You raise your little expressive eyebrows and get all serious and nod your head or shake it back and forth. I love how you love to dance. Daddy taught you that and that makes me laugh since Daddy can't dance ;) Shhh, don't tell him I said that. You are our darling boy and we can't wait to see what this next year holds for you. It will be so exciting to watch you continue to grow and change. I pray for you every day and trust the Lord to hold you and keep you in the years to come. My prayer is that you grow into a strong, faith-filled, humble man who fears and loves the Savior! He is worthy of your life and love. I pray that becomes your own conviction as the years go on. I love you my baby boy! 

this day last year...

.....this is what I looked like....40 weeks pregnant....the 23rd was Kaden's due date, but I would have to wait 8 more days to meet my sweet boy. Can't believe he'll turn ONE a week from tomorrow!! Can't express how in love with this little boy I am or how thankful I am he's a part of our family! Looking forward to celebrating his first year with us! 

cousins!

Steve's younger sister Becky and her husband, Steve, and kiddos, Josiah, Elliot and Gianna came for 3 days last week from New Hampshire! They're living/doing missionary work in Argentina currently and were in the States for about 7 weeks in December/January. It was great to have them here for a few days! It was our first time meeting their newest little Gianna Lynne, and it was their first time meeting Kaden and Howie! Fun was had by all the cousins :) One of the days they were here Jess, Becky and I took the kids to get Crabb grandchildren/cousin pictures taken to give to Mom Crabb for her birthday...the kids did fantastic and we got several great shots!  

Elliot lovin' Howie's car..

Kaden and Elliot in the background...and Brody still in Jess's belly :)

Me, Kaden and little Gianna

Me and Becks!

I stole this one from Becky's facebook so I could have one with Josiah in it too...such cute kids! love these guys!

more pictures from the holidays.

playing in the crack between the fridge and the pantry! first discovery of this new little hiding spot :) 

 Nan and Kieran

he was enthralled with the Christmas tree. 

 Marmee and Kaden

this was at Rebekah's Christmas dessert night party. this is their tree...beautiful! 

Grammy, Nan (Brian's Mom and Grandma), Fiona and Kieran

trying to figure out Mr. Potato Head! 

eating a peppermint stick :) "CHEESE!!" 

pretty girl! 

This is at Howie's 1st birthday party!!  

These are from Christmas day at my parents house! stole some of these from Rachy :) 

conspiring to see what kind of trouble to get into next =) love these two sweet baby boys.

desperate.

As the page has turned from one year to the next and I sit eagerly with my pen in hand and smooth out the clean, white, new piece of paper, ready to begin from the top I step back...hesitate...wanting to get it just right. Isn't that how you feel at the start of a new, fresh year?

It's Tuesday, January fourth of the new year Twenty Eleven. It's now that I want to begin scribbling away, filling up my new, clean page with ideas, accomplishments, responsibilities, to-do's, don'ts....all those resolutions that come along with the feeling of a fresh start. I love this quote (first read on another blog that I love to read) by Mary Oliver,

"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" 

There are so many things I would like to do, would like to be. Changes I long to make, goals I want to meet. The Lord keeps bringing me back to something that was shared from the pulpit at church on Sunday. 

He is looking for empty cups that he can fill. 

Empty Cups....do I want to be an empty cup? There is nothing that sounds comfortable or satisfying in being an empty cup...but it is when I am empty, and not scurrying around trying to fill up my own cup, that I am desperate and ready to be filled by God. I want to be desperate. He wants me to be desperate. 

I want to be filled with his Spirit. I want to be filled with faith in his love, his grace, his sweet mercy. I want to know his whisper in my ear. I want to see the little ways he's working all around me...in my husband, my family, friends, church. I want eyes that see lost and hurting people like he does. 

I want more of Jesus this year, friends. I'm so glad that He is eager to fill an empty, desperate heart with his love, a truly satisfying love. 

Let's not keep ourselves so busy or be so consumed with our agendas that we aren't leaving room for him to fill us. Let's be eagerly expecting and longing for Christ to fill us this year!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13

:::first snow of 2010:::

He loved it for about 10 minutes til his hands froze...then he'd had enough! didn't have any mittens for him!

Thanksgiving '10

Our trip to Arkansas for Thanksgiving and my Grandmir's 80th birthday was such a special time as a family! I'm so glad we made the trip...Steve said it was one of the his favorite Thanksgivings yet!