Christmas at Granny's

My mom was so excited to have us and of course she totally got lost on the toy isle and bought Aslan a ton of toys. Here they are playing together~sweet.

This is going to be a fun Christmas because it's the first time Aslan understands how to open a present. He loved opening the packages more than the toys I think :)

Sorry this is not the right way, but Clint is working and I have no idea how to fix it :) But it was 73 degrees when we arrived in Florida so we had fun outside enjoying the weather~it was beautiful!
This is my boy being absolutely adorable and playing peek-a-boo with my mom. So cute!

A Series of Random Thoughts

1. Good To Be Home

    Aslan and I arrived safe and sound to our humble little apartment last night. And no matter how much this may not be my most favorite apartment, it's ours~ with our Christmas tree, our two little gifts, and all of our other things that make it our home. I walked in to the smell of cinnamon mixed with beef stew cooking on the stove. I have a very thoughtful husband who is also a great cook, he made sure the house looked perfect for us and was smelling good and homey. You have no idea how grateful and blessed I feel to be his wife. We had a nice time and we actually had to borrow a large suitcase from my mom just to pack all the toys she bought him. But, it's a great feeling to come home after a week of being gone and curl up on my own couch with my sweet husband, and then nestle into my own bed with my own pillows. I love being home. I love the comfort of my family. I love the fact that the Lord has blessed us so richly.

2. Christmas: A Divine Babe or A Fat Man... and Can You Do Both?

    I just read a very humorous and very real blog entry by my dear friend Shai on the place of Santa in their home. When we had Aslan, Clint and I went through the same holiday questions. It seems as though we have a culture bent on counterfeiting anything having to do with the celebration of Christ. But since the beginning of time, our arch enemy has been desperately trying to surpass the supremacy of Christ in all things. So I don't suppose the most precious Christian holidays would be exempt. So we decided as a family, not to decide whether santa and the easter bunny are evil creatures trying to steal our souls, but to ask ourselves~how can Jesus receive the most glory through our observance of His most miraculous works. We have currently come to the conclusion that we won't ignore santa~but on the advice of my aunt~ we would instead talk about St. Nick in his place. The legend of St. Nick was that he was a devout Bishop devoted to Christianity, who was persecuted for his faith and endeavored to help save others being persecuted, speculated to be present at the Council of Nacaea, and was named the 'secret gift giver'. The story goes that he would toss bags of money or gold in needy peoples windows that would be found in socks hanging to dry by the fire (hence the hanging of stockings). But even as noble as that story is, it is and should always be entirely secondary to the beauty of The Ultimate Gift of God in Christ Jesus. This should be the most precious of times for us as believers as we humbly remember our majestic, mighty God~ who was born in a stable among animals and poor people so that we might see the glory of God through His redemptive power on His future cross. But I think that is a fight among our world today because we have all grown up with the commercial glitz that culture has to offer. So as we begin our families, and ask ourselves how we will teach our children to pursue the Glory of God in all things, while experiencing all the joy and cheer that God intended His Son to bring ~ we are right to put santa in his rightful place. He belongs in the very back ground of our festivities, a side note, a funny fictional thing that belongs on cartoons with snowmen and glowing reindeer. And we are compelled to allow Jesus to take His rightful place as the central King of Glory reigning victoriously and joyfully over all our celebrations. That is a joyful thing, full of peace and happiness and ultimate fulfillment that will last through all eternity.

3. My Sweet Babies

Aslan has come down with a yucky little cold that he caught from me :( But he has been so precious and has just wanted to cuddle and sleep with me and on me. And while I absolutely hate when he is sick, I love to just cuddle and hold my baby.

Abraham is a little live wire... hahaha imagine that. He moves around so much and he packs a serious punch. Already, he can totally surprise me with an unexpected kick. He is certainly growing!

Love you all!

Off To Florida!

Today Aslan and I are leaving to go to Nashville to spend the night with my parents. I know Martha and Aslan will have a grand time playing tonight. Then early tomorrow morning we will be flying to Jacksonville Fl!! I am so excited to just be in my home city I can hardly stand it. I love Florida. I am also looking forward to seeing the best friend I've ever had (besides Jesus and my husband of course) Karen Spain Roy! She has been through so much with me and has remained very near and dear to my heart. Then we are driving to Screven, Ga which is where my mom and Granny Lord live. This happens to be the smallest town I've ever seen, with only one red light and a post office. It's the first time I've spent any time there in a very long time. I'm praying that we will have a wonderful time visiting and... learning to knit! That may indeed be the high light of the trip for me ;) Not really but I am looking forward to it and am very hopeful that it will be a great trip. Pictures soon to follow... 

Merry Christmas!

Introducing Abraham Nadeau!

We could not be more excited that we are expecting another little boy! 

The profile pictures are my favorite.
His precious little feet! I can't wait to kiss all over those little hands and feet!
Praises to the Lord for this beautiful, healthy baby boy! Can't wait to get my hands on him! 

Family Fun!

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving. We spent the first couple of days with my parents and had a great time. However, we didn't get any pictures of Turkey or our whole family. We did get a cute picture of our 'little turkey' being ever so cute in some crazy wig his nana had :)

My sister and her three boys came over later in the afternoon on Thursday. They LOVE Clint so they all had a great time hanging out. Heather's birthday was saturday so we celebrated friday night? Not sure why we didn't wait... I think her boys were so excited they couldn't wait~sweet. We love them to pieces!
Saturday we spent the day in Clarksville and had a great time with Clint's family. This is Grandpa Nadeau and our extremely handsome little one.
Playing in Grandpa's yard and having a blast!
Uncle Lee and Aslan had so much fun chasing each other down the hall. Who needs toys with Uncle Lee around!

More Attention Please!!!!

I was just looking over our little family blog and realizing how utterly boring I've been over the past few weeks to write nothing! I am so sorry to the few who like to look regularly and comment (which lets me know people actually do read this).  But soon after my last entry, my son started acting horrendous... and this is entirely out of character for my sweet boy. So after about two days of this insanity, reading numerous child rearing books, being head-butted by my child, and a whole lot of complaining to Martha~it finally dawned on me what 'alien' had taken over my child. The common child 'alien' of "More Attention Please!!!"

 I have been sick for almost 5 months and have not exactly been altogether with it in regards to my usual duties and joys of caring for my son and home. So I decided that I needed to put some unnecessary things aside and play with my son. And that is exactly what I did, and within 24 hours my loving and affectionate son returned and life was good again. We played on the floor with his toys, danced and stomped around the apartment, blew so many bubbles that his carpet was soaking wet and went to the park. 

Any one that knows me knows that I am not so much a neat freak and that on any given day my house is most likely to be strewn with a million different toys and other various items my son has pulled from some remote place in our apartment. I struggle with the balance of homemaker and mommy. Perhaps the best advice I have ever gotten was from my Granny Bea who told me that this was not the time to be overly stressed about my home looking exactly the way I want, that soon my children would be grown and no longer wanting toys and other such toddler things. She was so right! The time has already gone by so fast and Aslan will be two in 3.5 months :( So here I've been for the past few weeks, relishing in my sons toddlerhood and having a blast stomping and dancing and blowing bubbles.  

I'm thankful he is grouchy when left to himself for too long because I fear I might have carried on and missed such fun times that will no doubt creep back into consciousness in the most inopportune times... like when he learns to drive a car, graduates or gets married. He just steals my heart and usually, even when he's grouchy, slays me with his precious face. I hope he can always say that while his mom may not have been the very best housekeeper, that he never had any doubt that I was crazy about him and would drop just about anything to blow bubbles and dance around. So I will continue to strive for a balance in housekeeping :( and mommyhood, but I hope I never get too busy to remember that one day my precious little boy won't be blowing bubbles anymore and may very well be going places I can't follow. One day my little dancer-singer will hopefully be a mighty warrior for the cause of Christ, so can you blame me for choosing the bubbles over the dishes?

17 Weeks Already!!

 Today was my 17 week check-up. My precious doctor whom I love is out on 6 week maternity leave so I saw a different doctor :(  I did not love her. It made me very thankful for the friendly and genuine disposition of my physician. But we heard that precious baby, which was so sweet. Just a few more weeks and we will find out whether it's a boy or a girl! 

The Pumpkin Patch

Our Little Lion

Yesterday our sweet little family went to a pumpkin patch to enjoy the fall holidays. Aslan was the cutest little lion I have ever seen. However, a bit of a grumpy and uncooperative little lion. And after we saw how expensive the pumpkins were, mom and dad felt a little grumpy and uncooperative too. But we still managed to get some great pictures and left with the smallest pumpkin for 2$. 

In hope against hope, he believed...Romans 4:18

One of the hardest things we have done as a young married couple has been moving to Louisville. It has been one overwhelming trial after another. It has been a storm like no other that we have encountered together. There have been such intense swells of difficulty that I felt we were surely drowning. At the moments when I thought I simply couldn't breathe under the weight of it, His glorious hand would reach me... He makes me cry. He refreshes my soul by His thoughtfulness and at the same time breaks me with His tenderness. He has used the most faithful people to renew us~ my parents, my mom, my aunt, my grandparents, sj. Without His touch on their hearts, and without their obedient faithfulness I dare not think about how the past few months would have been. They are all reminders of God's love and faithfulness to our family.

Through this intense time of trial, we have grown so much~ Glory to God. And yet, we are keenly aware that we have so much more to learn. Before we moved, the Lord presented me with a tough question. "Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" to which, in all my superficiality, I responded...honestly I might add, "I think not." And I was embarassed before Him to realize that, while these are important things, they consumed me. So here we are, some time later, and we can't afford groceries and we can't afford clothes for my growing body or even to replace Clint's tatered, torn work shoes. And do you know, that in the midst of all of this, I feel more at peace than I ever have. Now this is not to be confused with the fact that there are still times that I am afraid. But I choose to trust.

This morning I sat down, and asked Jesus to speak to me. I really wanted Him to tell me how it turns out. He has done that before with situations... but He chose not to give those answers. Instead, this is what He spoke to me through His Word, "Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" to which, in my weathered and bare state, I responded, "I think so." This is why He leaves me breathless. I didn't go searching for that, He brought it to me so bold and strong. And He said, as He has so many times before, "In hope against hope, he believed... will you?"

"Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace,
Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonet sung by flaming tongues above,
Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my ebeneezer, hither by thy help I've come.
And I hope by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wondering from the fold of God.
Oh He to rescue me from danger interposed His precious blood.

Oh to grace how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be.
And let thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wonder Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above."

150 Beats per Minute!

Today was my 12 week prenatal visit. I love my new doctor! After we chatted for a few minutes about the last few weeks, we got to the fun stuff~listening to that baby! At first she had a hard time finding the beat. It was almost as if she read my mind because she quickly told me not to worry,  that it was normal (one of the many reasons why I love her). And then... there it was, precious and soft and 150 beats per minute!! It was so special~you can never get used to that sound. I have to say that after this appointment, I feel safe to really get excited! All day long I've been thinking that deep inside my body, there is a second little heart beating. And I am already smitten by this growing little one. Praise the lord for this perfect and precious gift!

 Two weeks ago, we had an early ultrasound and got to see the baby. Unbelievable! At one point the tech went into what seemed like 3-d and we could see so perfectly baby's little arms and legs which were so snugly tucked under that little cute bum. Amazing. But I don't have a scanner, so instead I thought I would show you Aslan's precious 20 week ultrasound profile :) Isn't he beautiful?! What is so amazing is the nose in the picture is just exactly what his nose looks like! Technology is amazing~and even more so is a loving God who knits together precious children for us to love. Praises to His name!

I love these babies!!

Our first entry!

Welcome to our new family blog! After enjoying everyone else's family updates I decided to create one of our own. This should be interesting since our camera is broken :( but I will do my very best to get pictures posted. This one is from Aslan's first trip to the zoo. More to come as soon as I figure this thing out...