Sweet Surprises in Asheville

This story begins at 10:30pm on Saturday night. I called my Dad to ask him how my sisters "Senior Challenge" went at the youth meeting that night. He asked what I was doing, and I told him I was looking online to find a hotel for that Sunday night (yes, I know that was only 24 hours away!!). Long story short, he insisted on blessing Joe & I with a night at a really nice hotel- one which we could have never afforded to pay for. Our trip would have never been possible without the amazing generosity of my Dad (pictured below)...

So Sunday after church Joe & I (with Abigail) left Alathea with Steve & Lizzy (she was way too excited to see us go) and headed to Asheville! Our plan was to have a little overnight get-a-way while Abigail was still young enough to sleep on the go. We chose Asheville because we already had season passes to the Biltmore.

We ended up staying at the Grove Park Inn! Incredible! We felt like we were "pretending" to be rich for a night. It was beautiful beyond words. We booked the cheapest room at the Inn, and when we arrived they upgraded us for free to the Mountain View room! They also included a free $15 per person breakfast! The Lord was blessing us left & right! The 2nd picture below is the view from our room! Not bad!!

We spent all of Sunday exploring the resort and like I said before, pretending to be rich :). It had incredible waterfalls, rocking chairs and views of the Mountains. They also had an antique car museum we enjoyed.

We ate dinner at Sunsets. I couldn't believe how incredible the view was from our table! 

I LOVE this picture of Daddy & his baby girl!

We spent the rest of the evening sitting in rocking chairs, talking until the sun went down!

The next day we headed to the Biltmore!

We walked around the gardens and enjoyed a Roof Top tour of the house! This is a long story, but we actually got 2 free passes to go on that tour too (normally $15 each. Amazing, huh?) since the tour we wanted was booked. It was fun seeing the house and incredible property from the roof!! Then we were tired, and went to my favorite place in the entire house...this back porch/cabana. The view is incredible from here. We kinda all took naps and relaxed and talked here for an hour. It was a fun time enjoying little Abigail too. She was amazing the entire trip. It was special having time alone with her.

I LOVE this picture too :) Our sweet little Abigail and my AMAZING husband!

After our nap, we walked around the gardens some more, then headed home. It was a wonderful adventure, an enormous blessing to our marriage and full of sweet suprizes from the Lord. We are happy to be home with our Alathea now! Although she didn't miss us one bit :) 

Sweet Sisters

The girlies sure are sweet together. Alathea is a very loving and interactive big sister. Abigail just looks and smiles. Lately Alathea has enjoyed "reading" to Abi, as you can see. What amazing gifts they are.  Also, for those of you who have commented to me about how smart Alathea must be since she's consuming so many books at such a young age...take a good look at the book she is holding...she's completely animated in telling Abigail the story (which was actually quite accurate- she knows most of them by memory now) all while the book is upside down! :)

Daily Life

Now that we are a new family of four, our daily  life looks a little different than it did when there were just three of us. "Twice the Joy and Twice the Work". That about sums it up! We have been enjoying lots of sweet times as a family. Most of the sweetest memories are made right at home, during part of every day life. Reading is a huge part of our life, as Alathea is obsessed with books! She probably reads 50+ a day! I am not a reader (shamefully!), so who knows where she gets this from. Maybe because we started reading to her when she was 2 months old? Anyways, we have lots of snuggles during our reading time.

As you can see in the past two pictures, Joe is one AMAZING dad! Both girls adore him. It has been especially sweet to see how much Alathea & him have grown even closer since Abigail was born.  Joe is a very hands on Dad. When he is home, he dives right in to help feed Alathea dinner, change diapers, change clothes, play outside, read stories, take baths and put the girls to bed! He also helps me finish dinner when I'm behind, do the dishes and clean the house before bed. Lately on his day off he's been helping me catch up on laundry! I know- I married an amazing man! I am truly blessed. 

On to sisterhood. Things are going well! Alathea & Abigail seem to love being sisters already. I have many cute pictures of them together that I'll post sometime, but this one made me laugh. I think Alathea is trying to "help" Abigail calm down. She was going "shhh. its OK ga-gail". She is quite the little mommy- for better or worse.

We've been gardening lots! Well, Joe has been gardening. He has created a gorgeous garden out back. We've spent hours a day sitting on our back patio, talking together while Alathea plays. That is Alathea's other great love after reading & babies- the great Outdoors! We spend a good part of everyday exploring outside, collecting pine cones and flowers, kicking the ball, going to the park, rolling down hills. Motherhood is so fun.

We've been spending lots of time with Grammy! She is a wonderful Grandma and makes time every week to see us. We also talk to Pop-Pop (my Dad) and Ju-Ju (Julie, my sister) on the phone every day!

Here are my two incredibly adorable nephews! They are almost the exact same age as our two girls!! How cool to have cousins the same age. Alathea LOVES playing with "ee-oo" (Andrew). And Abigail and Caleb are only 5 week apart in age. Its been such a blessing having Jon & Heather and their kiddo's to grow up with.

This picture represents the changing of seasons. Alathea decided she is done with her farm animals fridge magnets (which is why they are on the ground). She replaced them with the Alphabet ones. She became interested in the Alphabet this past month and in a lot of ways has taught herself all 26 letters.

And, of course, our sweet little Abigail. This is her sitting in her seat outside while Alathea ran around playing. What a good baby!

As for me, this has been an incredible season with the Lord. I have never felt so dependent on him, which is a wonderful place to be in! I have such a desire and need to meet with the Lord through out the day for wisdom, strength, peace and joy. I'll have to elaborate more on all God's been teaching me. Its been humbling,  but its been good!

Our not so little one...

As you can see, Abigail is growing up! She is 10 weeks old. She is also our "chunky monkey"- tipping the scales at 14lbs! She's in the 97th% for height and weight. I think the extra weight has helped her sleep well at night. On average, she sleeps from 11pm-5:30am. At the 5:30am feeding, she eats and goes immediately back to bed until about 9am. I know some people have baby's that sleep through the night by 8 weeks. After Alathea, who still woke up once a night at 12 months, I never imagined I would. It has been a blessing though! Somehow, even with the longer stretches of sleep, I am still incredibly tired. Maybe the tiredness is just part of Motherhood and is here to stay :). 

Abigail is still our easy, happy baby. She's been smiling for over a month, and just started really cooing last week. It sure is fun looking into those beautiful blue eyes and "talk" with her! She's been fighting a cold this past week too. I think it's from big sister's germs. Alathea didn't get her 1st cold until she was 11 months old- I don't think Abigail has a chance being around toddlers so often. Despite the cold, she's still quite happy. it doesn't seem to bother her too much. It does keep Joe up at night with her stuffy breathing though!

Next to the smiles, snuggles and coos that I receive, one of my favorite things is watching Abigail's face light up when Alathea is near. It is soooo sweet!!

I hope to post a more thorough life update soon!

Two Months Old

Can you believe our little Abigail is TWO months old!! Her 2 month "birthday" was April 7th. Abi has been the most wonderful baby- I have been SO blessed!! She eats & sleeps great and is happy in between. Happy and Content are the words that describes her best. She rarely cries- even when big sis' hugs are more of a smothering. And she is SO smiley! I just love her smiles. And her snuggles. She still rarely makes it to her bassinet for naps :) Fortunately when I do decide to lay her in her own bed (and not hold her) she sleeps great.

Abi also continues to amaze me with how fast she is growing. She was 13.5lbs! Both her height and weight were in the 97%!! We joke that she is our big girl and Alathea is our little girl (at only the 9%)!! 

I'm amazed that every day that goes by, life seems to flow easier. Having two has certainly been a transition, but now that I am 8 weeks into I can see how Gods grace has been sufficiant in my weakness. I still feel very weak and humbled, but that is a great place to be. And I am slowly getting back into the routine of life. "Ninety days to sanity" as Jenny Mulligan says to me often. I can see how true that is for me. But I am enjoying every snuggle, smile and coo; and big sister smothers and "ga-gail's up!" in the meantime. I'm in no hurry for this season to be over!

A Family of Four

"Many, O Lord my God,

are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us,

no one can recount to you;

were I to speak of them,

they would be too many to declare."

-Psalm 40:5

"The Lord has done great things for us,

 and we are filled with joy."

-Psalm 126:3

"O Lord, you are my God;

I will exalt and praise your name,

for in perfect faithfulness

you have planned marvelous things,

things planned long ago."

-Isaiah 25:1

If you flipped though my Bible you'd find dates scribbled by each of these verses. The first verse has 7/27/02 ...the day my Love & I were married. The second has 2/10/06. The day our first little girl, Alathea Joy, was born. And the third scripture had 2/7/08. The day our sweet Abigail Kathleen entered the world. 

I can hardly write those verses with out tears welling up in my eyes. They speak volumes to me. God has graciously laid specific scriptures on my heart that seem to sum up significant events in my life (also including my grandmother and my moms death- I'll have to share them some other time). 

And in addition to the scriptures, I look at this picture! Wow! The gratefulness and joy in my heart for those three people pictured with me...it is simply beyond words! God has  blessed me more than I'd asked or imagined- and far more than I ever deserved. Thank you, Lord!!

Big Sister Woe's

Doesn't this look like the face of a wild child?? That is what we humerously call our sweet Alathea. Part of Joe's daily prayer for her when she was in my womb was that she would be full of life and vigor. Those are two words that describe her best! 

Alathea is one awesome big sister. She is always hugging and kissing Abigail. She calls her my baby. She's named all of her baby dolls "ga-gail". Yesterday morning I caught her laying in bed reading stories to Abigail, who seemed to be listening. I know that they will so enjoy each other as the years go on. I'm praying they will be best friends! 

But this past week it seems the pressures of being the big sister have gotten to be too much for Alathea :) We joke that she is having "toddler PMS". She is SO emotional. She'll cry over everything and the next minute be smiling and laughing. I know that her little sinful heart is on display through all of this and we have been trying to train her to be cheerful over the past year. It seems like it's difficult to always discern when to discipline for sinful attitudes and when to have compassion and give her a big hug. I'd love any thoughts :) 

Despite the 2 year old emotional roller coaster, Alathea is SUCH a JOY!!  She makes me laugh so hard everyday. We love her so much!

*Baby Abigail*

   "Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two feet to make music with their pattering about our home...

Here is a soul to train for God, and the body in which it dwells is worth all it will cost...

...since it is the abode of a kingly tenant.

I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all...

...to whom, while I minister in Christ's name, I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings have left me.

Yes, my precious baby...

...you are welcome to your mother's heart...

...welcome to her time...

...her strength...

her most tender cares..

to her lifelong prayers!

Oh, how rich I am...

how truly...

wonderously blessed!"

*Elizabeth Prentiss*

from Stepping Heavenward

(These newborn pictures were taken of little Abi at 2 weeks old by Jason Kovacs)- www.jasonkovacs.com

Sisters...

They really do love each other so much. What a gift of sisters!!!