{ Loved }

The other day I was watching Tim spreading bark on our flower beds in preparation for spring.  I was absolutely overwhelmed by how much this man loves me.  I mean I've always known he does, but it still gets me when I see him in action like this, doing things I didn't ask him to do, just because he loves me.  He tells me all the time he is trying to take good care of me, and he does.  I realized I need to be more proactive about recording these "little" things because it is exactly this kind of love in action that keeps a marriage strong.  It is service and it is laughter, and he's good at both.

 We talked about love languages recently.  Tim's is overwhelmingly "Acts of Service".  It has helped me a lot to recognize this, because I am much more likely to think of writing him a nice card, sending him an email at work or putting my arms around him, and he likes those things, but it is service that makes his eyes light up.  I distinctly remember when we were dating he had mentioned wanting to get a portion of the driveway swept.  I took on the project one afternoon, while waiting for him to get home from work.  I could tell it meant the world to him when he drove in and saw me there, covered in dust.

He prays for me all the time.

Spends hours in the cold doing maintenance on our vehicles to help make ends meet.

Washing loads and loads of dishes.

Meeting me at the grocery store to do the lifting and loading.

Putting the kids to bed because by then I need a break.

Getting me out of the house as much as possible during the winter to keep me sane.

Carrying the laundry up the stairs.

Spending time with the kids when he gets home from work so I can finish dinner.

Washing the cloth diapers.

Opening doors for me.

Making me tea.

He says it is so little and that he is just trying to take of me and it doesn't seem like much.

I pray he sees that it is a lot to me.

Saturday morning he helped with the very overwhelming project of uncovering the bassinet for our soon-to-arrive baby.  It meant pulling everything out of the guest room closet, sorting the clothes by sizes into totes and putting them back in.  There is still a long way to go, but it is so much better in there.... and our baby will have a place to sleep :)  Silly Oliver tested out the new bed!

Then there are the many hours Tim puts in at work to provide for our family.  He is doing his job to please God.  It is his greatest desire and it humbles and excites me to witness his faith in action.

This past month and a half, on top of work, he has plowed through mountains and mountains of paperwork and hours of phone calls in the aftermath of the medical emergency with Katy Grace.  I've seen him discouraged, clinging to God's provision.

I've seen him praying.

I've seen him tested.

Challenged.

I've seen him grow.

And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt how much he loves all of us and how far he'll go to show it.

{ We're all crazy about this guy }

Today he took to day off to spend with his dad who is visiting for a couple of days.  It has been a cold and rainy day and this afternoon both grandpa and kids were down for naps.  Tim suggested a fire in the fireplace, just the two of us.  Then he made us afternoon tea.

How did God ever decide to bless me so fully from head to toe with this man who knows so well how to love me?

We have our struggles.

We get overwhelmed.

We don't always get along.

But because of God and His love, we're keeping at this marriage and it is beautifully rich.

{ Valentine's Day... and a Birthday Thrown In }

I have always valued time with my man, but now that we have two children, I value that time to a whole new level. Being alone is a treat, and being able to talk uninterrupted is enough to make an evening spectacular. We decided to celebrate Valentine's Day the Saturday before. Tim arranged to have my parents come up for the evening and he lined up a very special evening for us.

 We ate at a Mediterranean restaurant downtown that we've been hearing good things about. The food was delicious!  We savored our meal and lingered over it: appetizer, meal and dessert.  It was wonderful just to be together and have the time to talk and to just be quiet.  I love that we enjoy a comfortable silence.

After dinner we headed to a local winery.  Tim had intended this to be a surprise.  He is always a little frustrated that he struggles to come up with original date ideas. Being in a small town contributes to that! Earlier that week, he received an email invitation to a local winery where a friend of ours would be performing with his band (he played at our wedding reception). The trouble was, my dear husband left the email up on the computer and I happened upon it! Oh well, it was the thought that counted. It worked out well in the end, I think, because it would have proved a little disappointing had that been the only thing we did. This was my first time to visit a winery and it wasn't as fancy as I anticipated it would be. It was rather cold in the building and very casual. It was a fun experience overall, though. We enjoyed homemade chocolates along with our wine.  We laughed and flirted and held hands.

The evening was still rather young when we left there, so we decided to go listen to jazz at a pseudo Irish pub downtown.  We stopped back home first to feed and put Katy Grace down for the night.  On our way out the door, Tim couldn't find his phone.  After looking for it for a few minutes, I decided to make things easier on us and call it.  It was in my purse, which I was holding at the time... oops!  We left and a little while later, when we were settling in, I decided to check Tim's phone to make sure my parents hadn't tried to call (I'd left mine with them).  I realized I had a missed call from my phone so I went outside to call them back.  They told me they hadn't called.  I was confused.  Then I realized that was the call I made to find Tim's phone.  I wish I could say this is the first time this has happened to me, but it's not!  It happens on a rather regular basis!  Oh, dear!

Then came my birthday.  My poor husband has Valentine's Day to remember, followed by my birthday a week later, but he always makes them both very special.  He surprised me with these beautiful roses.  I love them because they remind me of my wedding roses. 

We did the majority of celebrating on Sunday.  Tim helped me go grocery shopping and put up with me while I shopped for jeans at the mall.  Thankfully I found a pair so it was time well spent!  Later in the evening he got a babysitter and took me out for dinner and dessert.  Over dinner we had a fun time talking about the re-decorating we want to do in our master bedroom.  It was fun to dream and look forward to the completion of this project someday in the future. 

{ Birthdays just aren't complete without cake.  My mom had given me fun cupcake supplies for Valentine's Day so it was perfect.  They were soooo yummy! }

{ And my guys did the dishes! }

This is my last year to be in my twenties... and probably the last year I'll admit my age.  I actually received a card that referenced getting old.  *Sigh* I knew it had to happen eventually.....

{ Kathryn Grace }

Our beautiful little blessing 

Kathryn Grace 

arrived safely into our arms on December 15 at 9:06 p.m.

She weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces, 19.5 inches long 

 Being mother to a daughter is so incredibly special.  I can hardly believe I am so blessed.

{ Meeting her daddy for the first time.  He is just smitten with her.  So happy he got his little girl!  Seeing them together just melts my heart.  He's helplessly wrapped around those little fingers.  }

 { Big Brother Oliver.  Grandma and Grandpa brought him back to meet his little sister the next morning.  He'd just woken up from a nap so he was totally low-key and not too responsive.  Once he woke up, however, he discovered he is taken with her.  He LOVES her so much.  It is the sweetest thing to see him give her kisses in the morning.  He is learning to be gentle with her.  Nothing makes him smile like being with her.  He talks to her and somehow, I think they understand each other :) }

 {  Happy Birthday, Katy Grace.  We are so happy you're here and a part of our family forever  }

 {  Meeting Grandpa Forest and Grandma Linda  }

{ Valentine's Day }

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you experience love in a special way today.

{ Isn't this an fun little Valentine dress? I can't remember where I found it, but I love it }

I have felt loved in many ways this week. This difficult week. I doubt now that I had the flu, but rather an infection, full-blown mastitis. At 1:30 am on FridayI woke up with another really bad case. After trying various remedies, my wonderful husband went out at 3 am to buy a pump at Walmart. It was a sleepless and very difficult night. For the rest of the day, I knew I had to STAY IN BED. So I did. I did nothing. My mom came up for the day and spent the night. Both my husband and my parents helped me through. Thank you, thank you all SO much.

Since Friday I have continued to do virtually nothing. I am cautiously optimistic that I am on the mend now.

Saturday I missed the bridal shower I had been helping to plan, which made me sad, but couldn't be helped. Instead, we spent a wonderful day as a family. We read a lot, had some great talks, and my husband made this lovely cup of tea. I watched a chick flick in the evening.


My parents came up again on Sunday afternoon to watch Oliver so Tim and I could go out. Still didn't feel well, but it was nice to go.

{ Going out yesterday with the man who has stolen my heart completely away.

So excited to be able to wear the dress I wore in Nikki's wedding again! }

Although circumstances have been unfavorable to make this the best Valentine's Day ever, from an outside view, I might say that it is the best, because love abounds, and that is all that matters.

{ Here is a little look at the Valentine I made for my sister. I found the idea in the February issue of this magazine. }

{Overwhelmed with Love}

Our precious Oliver Forest arrived Sunday evening and has stolen our hearts completely away.




My eyes are never full of seeing him, nor my hands of touching him, nor my ears of hearing him. I am overwhelmed with love.

I am tired, but gaining energy, and there are times when this new responsibility is a bit overwhelming, but I LOVE being a Mommy!



Did I say I LOVE being a mommy?



And here is a sight that is most precious to me of all. How I love the guys I have been blessed with!



Last evening I ventured out for the first time since Oliver was born. Tim and I went downtown for ice cream and then for a drive. It felt so good just to get out and have a change of scenery. Grandma Linda stayed and took care of our Precious One. She is one happy grandma, don't you think?