It Takes A Village

Baby Bear is growing SO quickly! I'm enjoying every minute of each milestone. Her smiles, hands that curl with excitement, big jumps in the jumper. Lately she's blowing raspberries. Not just blowing them but SLATHERING them on.  It seems as we ride down an aisle in her new stroller we sound like a car running.

She's getting taller and has more hair now.  NOTHING compares to her bright smiles!  I think the thing that really floors me is the fact that she encourages conversation with others and people stop us mid conversation or while we're in a store just to talk with her and tell us what a happy baby we have.  It honestly happens all the time now. I'm starting to see where our dear girl is not just a blessing to us but many around her.   Oh how I pray for her!  I pray that God will equip her with everything she needs to grow and thrive with the gift of Salvation Jesus offers her.  I pray for her joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, forgiveness but most importantly to know her Lord and Savior and the protection she has with Him.

Which brings me to today.  We picked up her dedication dress today!  It's an heirloom dress made out of Irish Linen.  We had it embroidered. I will share pictures once all is said and done but for now you'll have to wait.  Can you believe by Gods grace that she is being dedicated on Mother's Day?!  Doug picked the date and we both looked on the calendar last week to note that it's Mother's Day.  Yet another testimony to how good our Lord and Savior is!  He knows we've waited so long and what a gift for Mother's Day to know that our daughter will be prayed for, cared for and acknowledged by her church family that we all will attest to her spiritual well-being.  It REALLY gives meaning to the quote "It takes a village to raise a child".  I feel as though some of my dearest friends have been either in the church or my online friends who've prayed for us.  She IS in a sense being raised by the church (Gods people) and is on loan to us. My hope is that she'll be a light in this world. I know God has a plan for her. I have the blessed honor to be her mother and bask in the joys she has brought to our lives.  God solely gets the glory for such a great gift!

5 Languages Babies Use

I could have used this 5 months ago, but thought I would share it with other mother's out there.

Here's A Great Tool For Family Worship Time At Home

For a long time Doug and I have been excited about having kids and teaching them.  1st and foremost is we wanted to start a family worship time. We want God to be the center of our lives and home.  So what better way to share the gospel with our children and teach them how to memorize scriptures than to do it with song.

Seeds Family Worship is an excellent opportunity to do that.

Second, while things "could" change in the future (we know we have time before actual school takes place with Amelia and are actually looking forward to taking our time and just enjoying time with her) we've hoped for 10 years that we would be able to homeschool our children.  Doug of course has taken the reigns on this and I had no idea that once he found out about Amelia he had started DIVING IN again on this project and has decided to go with the "Classical Homeschooling" ideal of learning.

Looking at it has me excited too.  Though I know we have awhile until she actually gets there, it will be fun to encourage learning as she grows at any stage for whatever age she is.