the decision

well, i have officially decided to give up sleeping until abigail wakes in the morning. so this morning, i set the alarm for 6:15 and was up a little over an hour before abigail.

and i am a little tired, especially since my eyes finally shut right before midnight...

:)

but fasting from a comfort that i cling ever so tightly to is the whole idea...

all so that i can meditate more on Christ...

the season of lent

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. I grew up in churches that didn't practice lent, and I missed out. I think there is value to the lenten fast, asI am often so consumed in myself that I hardly sit to meditate on the death of Christ until days before Easter Sunday. So this year, I'm going to practice lent. I don't know what I'm going to give up yet; I haven't given it enough prayerful thought. But I'll let you know.

Dear Lord, please help me understand my finititude and grasp more of your infinitude. Help me to carry my cross and follow you, even if it means suffering. Help me to be obedient out of deep gratitude for your ultimate obedience. I need your grace everyday so that I can be bold for your name's sake, for your glory. Please help me grasp the depths of your love because even while we were yet sinners, you died for us. And as I approach Easter, the celebration of your victory over sin and death, increase my joy and expectancy as we yearn for the day when you will return to Earth.

Amen.

abigail update

Abigail has now been sick a little over a week. She had a moderately high temp (102.3) Tuesday night, so I took her to the doctor on Wednesday. After all of the tests, the doctor concluded that she has a virus and should feel icky for a while longer. Her fevers come and go, as do her moods, but we're hanging in there.

Abigail had blood taken only a week and a half ago for her routine 1 year exam. She hated it, and definitely remembered the doctor office when we were there yesterday. There were many tears shed. For the most part, though, she's still her happy self. She just needs lots of extra TLC cuddling and entertainment to stay that way.

Rodney is traveling, but he'll be home tomorrow. Hopefully, Abigail will be feeling better and ready to play with her daddy.

stay at home "nerd"

alright -- so the blogging has been a bit out of control lately -- maybe it's the sunshine, but i couldn't help myself today :) so here is what qualifies me as a stay at home "nerd"...

--meat loaf and potatoes are ready for oven and homemade banana bread (with and without nuts) is filling my apartment with a delightful smell...

--laundry folded and needs to be folded

-- just purchased an Ergo Sport baby carrier and am so excited...Christmas money well spent. It will be perfect for walking on the beach in a couple of weeks! Yippee!

--and am also pondering buying a ring sling :) Abigail really liked it at the boutique today:) and by the way, i exercised much self restraint by not buying cool, fun cloth diapers that i don't need at the boutique today. it really was hard.

I don't think I'm officially a baby wearing mama...not yet!

It's in the 50s here in Houston (COLD!!), but the sun is glorious!

and now I'll go fold that laundry...

Go Orange and Blue!

birthdays

Last Saturday we had several friends over to celebrate Rodney and Abigail's birthdays. We served grilled chicken fajitas, rice, fruit salad, seven layer dip and chips, and of course pink cupcakes and mint brownies -- all made with love!

I did, however, not realize that my camera battery was dead and our back-up camera had little battery life left. So these are a mix of pictures from my friend's phone and a couple from us.

Enjoy!

blessed sunshine :)

We have had an abnormally cool and wet week here in Houston. No matter. The sun is out today, and it lifts my spirits. So I bundled up my snotty nosed child and took her for a walk this afternoon. We can actually do that in Houston:)

Miss Abigail has been sick since about Wednesday. She had a hard night (aka -- hard for mommy too) but seems to be feeling a bit better. But she's working on two teeth right now, so there's a constant stream of snot and saliva coming out of her mouth. She's quite the sorry sight to behold, especially since she often has a big goofy grin on her face. She is unfazed by her coughing, sneezing, running nose and mouth -- that is until it's time for a nap. Thankfully, after several mommy trips into her nursery, she finally settled down to sleep.

So I'm thankful that this sunshine keeps my spirits lifted. And now I'll get back to one of my most favorite chores (meal planning). Save the best for last! (I cleaned bathrooms, dusted and picked up this morning...so the dreaded tasks are out of the way!)

Meal Plan for the next couple of days --
Chicken and Black Bean enchilada casserole
Goat cheese salads with cranberries and pecans
MIL Meatloaf, baked potatoes...and steamed broccoli (Abigail's favorite!)

I'm off to a good start!