Would Have

Dear Sweet Baby,

This past week, we would have celebrated your first birthday (approximately).

We would have gone overboard celebrating you, though maybe not as much as we did with your big brother. We learned our lesson (I think...). There certainly would have been lots of pictures.

We would have let you have too much sugar as you dug into your birthday cake. Would you have investigated this new confection before diving in or done a faceplant right in the middle of it all?

You would have celebrated possibly your first Thanksgiving. We would have loaded your plate with all the fixings, eager to see which you would devour first.

Your big brother would have shown you how yummy olives can be and how to eat them properly (on your fingers, of course!). Would you have liked green olives like your daddy, black olives like me, or both like your brother?

Your Daddy would have snuggled you and taught you about football as we watched the games while your brother pretended to play "Minnesota touchdown". Would you have had your Daddy's slight build or his kind eyes? You would have loved having him as your Daddy.

And me, sweet baby? I would have introduced you to some of the wonderful traditions like snuggling up to watch the Thanksgiving parade on TV in our pajamas with a special breakfast. Would you have loved the music and marching bands or been more interested in the balloons?

You will always be intertwined with Thanksgiving in my heart and mind now, little one. You were our "holidays" baby. We found out about you on St. Patrick's Day, announced to the world you were coming on Easter, and lost you on Mother's Day. Your short life changed so much of ours.

I will always love you. And though I may cry, I will also smile at the "would haves". For, you see, you will always be a part of our family though we never held you.

I can't wait to meet you someday.

Love,
Your Momma

Carded

Friends! I'm going to ignore the fact that I haven't blogged in a while and just tell you how excited I am for the holiday season! :)

We just got back from a Thanksgiving trip to Maryland to visit my family for the week. It was so nice to see everyone again for the first time since we moved to Nebraska. :) It was fabulous and we enjoyed the time with family. Thanksgiving was so yummy and we enjoyed leftovers for days afterwards. 

Now that we're back home though we are getting ready for the countdown to Christmas! Gifts have been ordered and even started to arrive already! Handmade ones are being finished as fast as I can make them. And last night I got the chance to work on one of my favorite things this time of year: I ordered our Christmas photo cards! I can't wait to share these this Christmas when we send out our letters! Here's a sneak peek!

Guess this means I should finish the Christmas letter so we can start stuffing envelopes soon!

Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Thanksgiving-mas

It's hard to believe that Christmas is 2 weeks away! But I'm going to backtrack a minute and share some of our wonderful memories from Thanksgiving...

We traveled to Michigan to spend a week with my husband's family to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas together. It was really exciting since everyone was going to be able to come including our niece and newest little nephew! We traveled from 3 states (Florida, Kansas, and Maryland) to be with each other for the first time since Dan and I were married!

Hey there, Handsome! :)

Meeting Great-Grandpa

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving meal full of yummy food and lots of family :) There was so much to be passed around that there definitely wasn't enough room on the plate for everything I wanted to try on the first pass!

All around the table :)

Having fun with Uncle Dan

4 Generations

Thanksgiving was wonderful but since we were all there together it was also the perfect opportunity to celebrate Christmas together!

Girl after my own heart! Removing all the wrapping paper.

Steve loves his Purdue mat :)

 We had such a wonderful time and loved playing with our niece and getting to hold our new nephew and spend time with family. I snapped a couple of photos that I absolutely love while Baby Josh slept in Grandpa's arms :)

Isn't he precious?! :)

Us with our Niece and Nephew

We loved getting to see everyone and celebrate the holidays with them. Can't wait to do it all again with my side of the family at Christmas!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas!

"May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white!"

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful time with family and friends this Thanksgiving and get to spend some time giving thanks to our gracious Lord and Savior for all He has done for us in the past year. Dan and I are extremely grateful for His provision for us in the past year and look forward to what the year ahead holds. We're also looking forward to meeting this little guy (and giving thanks for him!) this Thanksgiving as we gather with family! :)

Our new nephew :)

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! God bless!

Soli Deo Gloria!
Meghan

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we join together with family and friends today, may we remember what we have to be thankful for and who we are thankful TO this Thanksgiving! :)

1 Chronicles 16:34 (and repeated many times in the Psalms) "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Psalm 69:30 "I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving."

Psalm 95:2 "Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."

Psalm 100:4 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."

1 Corinthians 1:4 "I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus."

1 Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"

Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God every time I remember you."

Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

Philemon 1:4 "I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers..."

Just had to include this after my history buff husband referenced it Tuesday night...

Original Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln (emphasis mine)

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.  To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.  In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.  Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore.  Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things.  They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people.  I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.  And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

A. Lincoln

Happy Thanksgiving!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Meghan 

Happy Thanksgiving!

**This entry is being automatically posted as I am actually on a Disney Cruise Ship somewhere in the Caribbean!**

I hope you all are having a Happy Thanksgiving! What a wonderful time to set aside the busy-ness and craziness of everyday life, take a step back to see the big picture, and give God thanks for all that He has done and continues to do in our lives.

The Israelites had many feasts throughout the year to remember God’s provision and ask His blessing in the season to come. The annual feasts were centered on spring and fall planting and harvest times in order to remind them where their food actually came from and that the land belonged to God. At the end of harvest, it truly would have been a time of thanksgiving for God’s goodness.

As we reflect today, what are you thankful for this year? I know I am thankful for a mighty God, my health, my family, a loving, godly boyfriend, a good job, and wonderful friends. God has provided so much this past year that sometimes it’s overwhelming to think of but I am so glad that I serve the good and perfect Lord and that I get to see Him work in my life and the lives of those around me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Factual Friday: 2 Week Countdown!

Fact: 15 more days until our family leaves on vacation!

Since 2003 was such a big year for our family (my 18th birthday, Josh’s 16th birthday, parent’s 25th anniversary and my high school graduation), we decided to celebrate by taking a big family vacation over Christmas. We flew to Florida and spent 3 days at the Disney Parks then boarded one of their cruise ships for a 4 day cruise. The trip was a hit but we made the decision that from now on we were only going to do the cruise and avoid the parks.

In December 2005, we returned for our 2nd cruise, this time for a week. We spent New Year’s on the boat which was amazing. Christmas in 2003 had been nice but we have so many family traditions that it really felt like something was missing. But New Year’s was great! They really knew how to throw a party. It was also great being on the ship for a whole week. Not only did we have an extra port of call, but an extra day at sea as well so we could explore the ship.

And now we have reached the countdown to the next trip, leaving November 21st. This is our third cruise and third holiday with Disney. This trip was actually supposed to happen a year ago but God had other plans when He brought Chelse into our lives. We postponed a year in order to finish the adoption process so that she could go with us.

Taking this trip every 2-3 years is becoming tradition in our family. It’s something that we all look forward to with great anticipation. Other members of my family started counting down after the last one over a month ago. The excitement has grown in the past few weeks as we have booked excursions, talked about meals and activities, and started to think about packing. I even bought two underwater cameras earlier this week to take on my snorkeling excursions.

There is something special about sharing anticipation with those around you. It multiplies the joy and excitement surrounding the event. It’s one reason that surprises can be so hard to keep sometimes. We want to tell the person because we want them to share in our anticipation and excitement. We want them to share in the joy.

In the Christian community, we are called to share our lives with one another, but not just the joy and anticipation. Galatians 6:2a tells us to “carry each other’s burdens” as well, not only in good times but in bad. Anticipation is not always happy and joyful. Sometimes, it can be sorrowful. But even then, we are called to a higher standard, to rejoice when brothers and sisters rejoice and to weep when they weep.

Look around you today and reach out to someone in your circle. Maybe it’s to share in their joy about upcoming events in their life. Maybe it’s to comfort them as they go through a hard time. Either way, come along side them as you walk together this week.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Packing! :)

Well, here we are! :) I am packing my bags! My flight back to Maryland leaves tomorrow at 6:30am MST for Thanksgiving break. I'll fly from Colorado Springs (COS) to Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP), arriving there around 9:35am. I then have a 3.5 hour layover which will allow me to grab some food, stretch my legs and probably log in to check my e-mail (as long as there's free wireless). Then, my flight from MSP will leave at 12:55 and arrive in Baltimore (BWI) around 4:20pm. I have window seats for both flights which will be very nice. :) I will be in Maryland until November 24th, when I will fly back for the last few weeks of the semester. Please pray for travel safety as we travel to the airport in the morning. My apartment-mate, Alisha, has a flight at the same time. so one of our roommates, Bethany, is going to give us a lift. Our fifth "roommate", Kate, is going to spend the night tonight and accompany us for fun. :) Alisha and I are going to spend some time together and grab breakfast before heading for our respective planes. Pray also that I don't get lost in MSP. I've never been and am looking forward to the adventure, but I am hoping that I can find food and the gate safely without any mishaps (including the luggage!). God's blessings and I hope to see some of you in the coming week! Soli Deo Gloria, Meghan