the one with a photo update

trying to get a pic of her "daddy loves me" outfit. she just won't move those little hands!

love her so...

got to visit sweet blakeney at the hospital. future buddies!!

hanging out with aunt weeze at her wedding celebration dinner!

rockin a tee and jeans. she's my baby girl!

is this just the best face you've ever seen? this is her totally stressed face.

the ladies (minus Marchelle and plus Jude) of community group. love it much.

the one with things I love

things I love today:

1. chilly breezy spring weather
2. smiley Chloe Belle in the morning
3. my husband calling me during the school day. Even if it's because he's stressed, hearing his voice between the hours of 8 and 3 is a boon to me.
4. my chiropractor. She may be one of my favorite people on earth.
5. food at staff meeting.

things I don't love today:
1. getting a cold.

the one where I'm convicted

Having a baby has completely exposed my selfishness. The ugliness of my total dedication to self has been glaringly obvious the past three months. I have been shocked and appalled by the thoughts that have run through my head.
I have been broken before the Lord over my selfishness. I have seen the true state of my heart and realized I'm not who I think I am.

Wednesday night at Worship + Study Ryan said "Jesus has come to break our addiction to self and to set us free from our slavery to our self-obsessed desires."

In that moment I heard God say to me that awareness is not the same as freedom. I have been uncomfortably aware of my sin of pride and selfishness, but I have not been taking steps to overcome this sin and live in glorious freedom.

It is simply amazing how with each step closer to Christ I realize how small I am. As I grow I am painfully aware of my worthlessness without Him and my inability to do any good with my own hands.

the one where I just saw a fun movie

Penelope is a super fun movie. I highly recommend it. I don't really like Christini Ricci, but its easily overlooked. Plus, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Tumnus are in it! Super fun!

the one where I murder

So, it seems like this time every year we have little mice invade our home. Little, tiny, perfectly cute mice. When I see them it is so easy to imagine them dressed in tiny clothes making a dress for Cinderella...

And yet, they still have to be destroyed. I can't share my home (and this time around my kitchen pantry) with tiny mice.
As my husband is completely adverse to slaughtering precious animals, it is up to me to smash their heads with hammers. (does anyone know who I'm quoting there?)

Last night I laid a chex mix trap for my wee pantry friend. This morning Adam found him unable to flee the glue prison I set for him. So, I had to bop him with a hammer.

Its so tragic. Really. Here is a picture of the little guy I had to murder this morning:

the one with the awesome conversation

It happened last night at Worship + Study. Vegas, Stephanie, Kathy, and Allie where there.

Maegan: One time Chad asked me and Bobby our favorite inventions. I said peanut butter. They said some iPod hoo-hah. Long after the iPod is gone, people will still be enjoying peanut butter.

(more talk about the virtue of peanut butter)
Allie: What if peanut butter is the new manna?

Maegan: What if they had peanut butter in the wilderness?

Kathy: They wouldn't have been complaining.

awesome.

the one about my forgotten dogs

poor Jimmie and Max. They used to be the recipients of all of our love and attention, but the last three months they have been so ignored. They're getting a bit better, no more peeing right in front of Chloe's crib. But still, today I decided to give them their very own blog post so they'd know how much I still love them.

love you Jimmie and Max!

the one where Chloe takes a nap

Yesterday little Miss Chloe had some fussy moments. At one point in the afternoon I had her perched up on my shoulder, which is her favorite place and sometimes the only way she'll calm down. After some crying I noticed she had fallen fast asleep. I was about to get up from the couch to lay her down in her crib so she could nap and I could wash dishes and do laundry. But then I realized that dishes and laundry will always be there waiting for me, but I only had this moment with Chloe Belle once. I laid down on the couch and put my sweet baby on my chest to sleep. It was perfect. The bright warm spring sun was streaming in the windows making everything feel happy and hopeful. I laid there for an hour smelling the sweet smell of her hair, listening to her precious deep breathing, and feeling her tiny little chest rise and fall against my own. After a while I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. The joy and love I feel for her is simply overwhelming.

It was a perfect little naptime. And wouldn't you know I ended up getting the dishes and laundry done too?

the one with my pretty girl

Lately I've been doing some photo shoots with my beautiful daughter. I'd like to show them all, but I know no one is interested in 1000 photos of Chloe Belle. So, here are the highlights: (the pink dress was mine when I was a wee one)

the one about Easter

I had a fantastic Easter this year. Adam picked out Chloe Belle's Easter dress, which just made my little woman heart go pitter patter. We had fun with her-she's just so beautiful.
Also had a great time at UMin Sunday School. I was very encouraged to live daily in the power of the resurrection, to not just be a "better" me, but with the power of God to live each day as a new creation.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
II Corinthians 5:17

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:10-11

by the way, made a super fun facebook album today of Chloe Belle. check it out!