Happy New Year!!

2012 is coming to a close.  What a beautiful year it has been.  It has definitely had its ups and downs.... mostly ups.  Our downs came with growth and perspective, and I'm truly grateful for the changes in our lives.  We have had a few growing pains in our crossover into true adulthood.  Getting through these growing pains left us taller with our heads a little higher.  We have really developed a strong circle of people that we are so glad to do life with, and I'm so very glad to have as such strong positive examples in our sweet Emma's life.  I was able to reconnect with best friends from my childhood who recently moved to town, make new friends through our church, and strengthen friendships with other long time friends.  With another baby boom this year in our neighborhood, we have really enjoyed watching our hoodie friends become less of just block party friends, and become more and more like family.  We have had the opportunity to create a community of positive, caring, and encouraging people in our lives who have been instrumental in our own personal growth over the year.  This year we celebrated Emma's first birthday, dedicated Emma to the Lord, and made our own commitment to Christ through baptism.  We also had our first family vacation!

  We have had so much fun watching Emma grow into a fun and happy toddler.  This year she learned to walk, run, dance like a rockstar, color, blow bubbles, build towers with her blocks, put together puzzles, name animals, give real hugs, sing songs, jump, and steal hearts with her little tutu ballerina twirls.  She loves to snuggle and chase us with her nose wrinkled and a little "I gone get-chu".  I have loved watching my sweet husband become such a rock for our family, and a big pile of mush with his baby girl.  He has also perfected dressing Emma in sweet ensembles complete with coordinated shoes and bows.  He is pretty much the whole package ;)  If I could sum up our year in one word, it would be joy.  Finding joy and comfort through difficult times.  Finding joy in our everyday lives.  Finding joy in time with friends and family.  Finding joy in our careers and in our play.  Finding joy in the mystery of life.  I don't know what 2013 holds for us, but I'm excited to find out!  Happy New Year!

(Emma loves her fuzzleland felt puzzle!)

One of my bestest friends just had her baby, Crosby Ray.  I love this girl and her precious family!

Christmas fun.

I can't even believe Christmas is over. 

We didn't doddle this year putting things away. The day after Christmas was tinsel clean-up day.  It's the next best feeling to dragging everything out.  While I really love all the glitter and snowmen, the OCD in me knows that mantle has four weeks of dust built up around all those figurines.  It's easier just to take them all down to give the house a good scrub down.  It was nice to sit down in a clean, put-together home last night.  I love having our house full of family, but I also love the quiet with my sweet husband and sleeping baby.

It was a great Christmas this year.  We had such a blast taking Emma to the holiday parties, and to ride the Chrismas trains around town, and visiting Santa Claus.  We even heard her say "wow" and "cool" a few times after ripping open gifts in her sweet little Emma voice.  So. In. Love.

We had our annual neighborhood Christmas party with our "hoodie" friends.  My girlfriends and I decided to make things easy on ourselves and just run off to a restaurant by ourselves for our gift exchange.  We then hosted our annual family Christmas party with my side of the tree over the weekend.  This year Brett's parents and brother, Matt, joined in on the fun.  Lots of homemade pizza, goodies, games, and gifts!  Brett's family stayed through Christmas morning, and then that evening we joined the rest of the Gordon clan in Louisburg for a beautiful Christmas dinner.  We missed out on a few parties last week due to Emma's cold and a big snow that kept Brett at work, but we were able to appreciate the festivities that we were well enough to attend!

My Christmas favorites?  Opening up hand-made gifts from my sweet girlfriend and mama, spending time with our families, watching Emma get all excited and run off and play with each toy as it was opened, and minute-to-win-it pantyhose party games in our basement.   Here are a few pictures of our fun!  I'm waiting on the good photos from Brett's brother.

P.S.  Emma no longer will sit still or make eye contact for pictures..

This girl loves to color.

Union Station

 First time "playing" in the snow.  Not a fan.

 

Our hoodie friends ;)

Family Christmas Party

Place two rows of water bottles.  Put tennis ball in pantyhose.  Put pantyhose on head.  Swing head without using hands and race to knock down your row of bottles first.  I love my silly family!

 Christmas morning.

  

Emma loves her uncle Matt!

Gordon Christmas Dinner

Enjoying the loot!

So pretty!

My prayer for Emma.

Clearly, I am a mess. As every other parent across the country, I do not know how to refrain from the fear that has crept up across our playgrounds, into our schools. I don't know the proper way to mourn for so many babies that I never knew, but have left a gaping hole in my heart. I am grasping for answers and solutions to prevent this from happening to anymore children... including my own. I am at a loss. All I can do is cry and pray.

I know that we cannot make every criminal turn in their firearms. I know that we can't make the mentally ill take their meds. I know that we can't take away every violent video game across the nation from little minds that are being left desensitized. I know we can't shut down internet pornography with a simple flip of a switch. I know we can't end child abuse or world hunger with merely whispering "stop". We cannot house every homeless child. We cannot unplug "reality" tv in every home that has given a new generation a new idea of reality. I can not force schools and government to pray to God. I cannot hover over my child the rest of her precious little life and control everything she will ever do and say. But... I can cover her in prayer. I cannot change the whole wide world and solve every problem, but I can change what my child will see at home and see from her parents. I can let her watch us serve and love others. I can pray that what I teach my child, she will teach hers. I can pray that the friends I surround myself with, who pray and love and encourage, she will surround herself with those friends. I can pray that I refrain from worry and fear, and remember that when tragedy comes, we are surrounded by wings and lifted to heaven in beautiful song, just as every baby and teacher on Friday. I can pray that my child remembers this also, so that she does not live in fear. We may not be able to change the world today, but we can pray for tomorrow.

Enjoying this moment.

We have found ourselves dreaming a lot lately.  Dreaming can be good.  It gives you motivation to work a little harder, to save a little more.  But, we have to be careful not to let it pull from our current happily ever after.  Life is so good and so precious. 

Speaking of precious lives, I want to share an experience.  I don't often share the charities and services we take part in, because it's not about us.  But, I want to share a wonderful opportunity I had, to be the voice and hands of Jesus.  I want to remember the beautiful feeling that has been consuming me since I was able to help with Samaritan's Feet.  Over the summer, my husband had the same opportunity to work with this organization at Convoy of Hope.  He shared such beautiful stories with me from that day, so when I received an email from our evangelistic team that the organization was back in KC and needed volunteers, I couldn't wait.  Not only did we hand out shoes, but we first washed the feet of the homeless.  What a beautiful time to hear their stories and struggles.  Now, I'm not very verbal when it comes to prayer. I'm a true introvert at heart, so when they said that we would be offering prayer, I got a little sweaty.  After spending time with these people, I couldn't wait to pray with them.  What an amazing experience!  As a nurse at an inner city hospital, I get to work with this population often, but to serve them on this level and pray with them... this is what it is all about.

Emma had her first overnight stay away from mommy and daddy this weekend!  I wasn't quite ready for it, but we had so many obligations and I knew Em would be miserable hanging out at a wrestling fundraiser until late Saturday night. She got to sleepover at Brett's Aunt Karen and Uncle Dan's, and hang out with her BFF, cousin Alex.  I don't think she was near the wreck her mom was.  In fact, I think she had a pretty good time!  Sunday morning I threw a baby shower brunch for a dear friend of mine, so when we were finally reunited, momma was ready for her long overdue cuddle time! 

Here are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks...

This is Emma's bear impression ;)

Working on her felt Christmas tree we crafted.

A little zoo time with our besties and their sweet boy, Mason.  Brooke's grandmother who is a docent at the zoo came along.  I could spend days at the zoo with her learning everything! 

 First carousel ride! (yes, that is a big boogie hanging out of her nose.  Still cute, I say ;))

  My bestie loves my girl :)

 Baby shower fun with girlfriends!  (Funnest game ever - hand out play-doh to guests, have them construct a baby, mommy-to-be picks best baby, best baby maker wins!)

Have a wonderful week everyone!