Dreaming of a Sun Shiney Day

Today it is 20 degrees outside, icy, and freezing cold =(  I have been cooped up in my  house all day and for those of you who know me well you know that I have a hard time siting still and relaxing on days like this. I suffer from ADD and I wish I wasn't such a doer but I go stir crazy on days like today.  For many people today would be a perfect day to snuggle on the couch with a warm blanket, read a good book, make some yummy chocolate chip cookies and sip on some hot coco. However, I am crazy and can't seem to enjoy days like this.

Instead on days like today I piddle around trying to find something meaningful and important to do and then realize that I have waisted my entire day TRYING to do something meaningful and important ahhh. In that spirit I created a list of places I wish I could be right now...at least  until the weather gets brighter =)

 If I could be anywhere but here I would be:

*In Australia hanging out by the water making some new Aussie friends (like the awesome Aussie's I met when I worked at camp  in college) For your information it is summer time in Australia right now wouldn't that be nice.

*In Paris, the city of love, with my parents who are there now. I am jealous. I hope they are eating lots of crepes for me 

*Snowboarding- hey if it is going to be cold outside you might as well be doing something fun

* At a Broadway show in NYC and then eating cheesecake at the yummy cheesecake place we ate at last time we were there

* Hanging out with my baby girl Harper however, she would rather sleep the day away in her warm comfy bed =)

I PROMISE next time we have another day like today I will do my best to relish the day and enjoy the gift it is.

Christmas

So it has been a month since Christmas and as always I am not great at keeping my blog updated. Here are some pictures of Harper's first Christmas. Adam's family came in town the weekend before Christmas and we celebrated early. We had so much fun with Harper and she enjoyed her new developmental toys, clothes, and American girl doll, Bitty Baby. We had a great time together.

We then celebrated Christmas with my family at our house. It was a great time complete with matching pj's for the girls and guys, gingerbread making contest, and fun painting. Harper had the time of her life with all the attention from Aunty Cory, Aunty Shanny, and Uncle Cole and Uncle Scott. She got a johnny jump up and a exersaucer to play with.

G-ma, Pops, and Harper with her Bitty Baby. Bitty Baby came complete with a bunch of fun outfits

Adam, Harper, and I in front of our little Christmas tree

Harper and her Bitty Baby.

Harper hanging out in her Bumbo with all her Christmas gifts

Hanging out in our new matching jammies

Adam and I

Our gingerbread houses. They turned out so cute! I think Scott and Shanny definately won with the twix reindear

Zac comes to visit Harper

Uncle Z and Harper

Zac, Adam's brother who lives in Oregon came to visit Harper Ocotber 24th-26th. Harper was 6.5 weeks old. Here are a few pictures from his visit. Harper loves her Uncle Z.

OSU game

Tailgaiting with Harper


Adam, Dusty, and Harper



Jonathan, Adam, Jeremy and Harper (Adam and Jonathan have known each other since they were babies)

G-ma, Pops, and Harper (5 weeks old)

Still trying to play catch up and blog all of Harper's firsts... Harper's first OSU game experience was October 18th. Adam and I went up to Stillwater with Adam's parents and tailgated. We dressed Harper up in OSU orange and showed her off to our friends. She was such a good sport.

A Thanksgiving to be Thankful For

Cassie, Delaney, and Harper (Harper is wearing an outfit that GrannyBear bought for her)

Lindsay, Delaney and Harper

Delaney and Harper

Another Thanksgiving come and gone but this year was special because it was Harper's first. She had a great time meeting the entire family and she was the biggest hit of the weekend=) My favorite moment of the weekend was when Adam's 4 year old cousin Delaney sang "Twinkle, Twinkle little star and Humpty Dumpty" to Harper. Harper was all smiles, after the songs were over, and then Delany said "her loves me." Delaney enjoyed holding Harper and playing big cousin to her. It was just so sweet. We are blessed to have an amazing family to share this fun stage of life with us. Here are a few pictures of the weekend.

GrannyBear and her 3 great grand children

Harper Halloween Pictures

I realize that Halloween was a month ago but I forgot to post pictures of Harper in her Little Mermaid costume which uncle Jake bought for her. So cute.... I am sure she will hate us for this when she is a teenager =) Sorry Harper we just couldn't resist.

Thankful

So today I spent a lot of time thinking.. thinking about my life, how blessed I really am, how thankful I am for this life that God has given to me. For many of us life is so very busy, we make limited time to stop and just reflect on the goodness that he has lavished on us. I really struggle with being still and just enjoying the quietness in the day.. instead my inclination is to go and do and not stop until it is too late and I am exhausted. I am trying to work on this trying to get better and just be.

Today.... I made the time to do just that. I fought the urge and just sat and let my thoughts flood my mind. I spent a lot of time thinking about the crisis in the Congo and I was spurred to spend time researching about it so that I can be entirely informed. Our church spent this past Sunday educating us on the situation and I am still astounded and terrified by what is happening over there. I am trying to figure out what I can do, what is my part in all of this. I know I have to react and respond. Sometimes it seems so daunting, but then you realize that these are real people and these people really need our help.

I can't imagine what life must be like for them, being chased from their homes, not having food to eat, worrying about the health and welfare of their children, women being fearful of who might be lurking around the corner waiting to rape them. This is everyday life for these people and these are things that we rarely think about in our own county.

So today I remain thankful.. thankful to the Lord for the country he chose to birth me into, yet aware and re-awakened to the responsibility we have to our fellow man. We are privileged in this country no mater what our economic situation may be at the moment and we are blessed to be a blessing to others. God has not given us all this fame, wealth and power for no reason he has given it to us so that we can be a voice to those hurting around the world and so that we can be the hands and feet of Christ. I confess I have not done enough to help the destitute and hurting in our world. I have allowed myself to become a part of the culture, a part of a world that values money, success and material possessions over relationships and over service to others. I have become numb to the needs of the hurting and I needed a wake up call.

Slowly over the past few years my heart has begun to change, partly due to my circumstances and mostly due to the fact that I have surrendered and allowed God to change me from the inside out. I want to be different. I want to fight for those worth fighting for, those that are crying out for someone to hear them and to respond to their cry. How can I continue to sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to respond or for God to speak audibly to me. My desire now is to educate my self, help educate others, and to give of my resources.

I have decided that I will respond... I will live life more simply not for myself any longer, that I will think before I spend money on another thing that I don't really need and that in turn I can utilize my resources for people that really need them, that need them so bad that they are dying all over the world. I have allowed the world to determine what I value for way to long.

Thank you Lord for allowing me to take the time to STOP and reflect and for continuously changing my selfish heart.