The Best Ever!

Thank you so much to all my sweet family and friends for making my birthday so special!

It was the best birthday I've ever had!
Hope you don't tire of seeing my little Annya Girl cause I never tire of showing her off! She's the best thing that God has ever given me! Right after my husband that is! :)

Did I ever tell you?...

...that I have the best husband in the world! No man has ever loved more or been as selfless as my sweet husband has. He shows me the depth of his passion for me in each smile and in each tender kiss. He always comes through even in my darkest hour. He points me to Christ and lays down his life to see that I am well cared for! And let me tell you this is not an easy task. As fun loving and happy as I can be I also can be hateful and angry and a very difficult woman to love. But he loves and cares for me no matter what! Here's an example of just how great he is!...

....Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday. And last week I knew that he was getting me some presents and such but he told me that I could have them Wednesday after work. Well, he usually gets Memorial Day off every year and I always look forward to it! But this year he told me that they weren't giving them the day off :( So yesterday he got up and got ready for work like he always does only he told me that I could stay in bed and that he'd get his own breakfast and pack his lunch. Which he does do sometime. So while I slept...he left for the store and brought home flowers(pictures below), a big fruit salad and lots of gifts wrapped in paper with sparkly pock-a-dots! it was lots of fun! That was waiting for me when I woke up! After I opened my gifts he in formed me that he had a sitter for Annya and we were spending the day together! He took me shopping, out to eat, and to a movie!
It was one of the best days of my life! Thank you darling for making it a day to remember!
I love you!!!

Happily Ever After...

One of my sweet friends got married this past Saturday! She look like a princess! We're so happy for you guys!

I help with the last minute details of the day! I had so much fun!

We are trouble when together! But mostly good trouble of course! :)
L to R, Mandy, Alisha & Me :)

I love you girls!!!

Flowers

A Few New Things!

Our first family picture! And Annya was to captivated by the leaves blowing in the wind that she wouldn't look at the camera. That's the way it goes I guess :)

Her first ride in a swing and she loved it! She was so excited that she shook and let out little squeals! We didn't get the camera in time to catch her first reactions but as you can see she was enjoying herself!

Me and my girl!
Below she was so excited to see her Papa pop out from behind the camera!

First food! Well she's had them a few times but this is the first time that we've captured it! I think she likes her egg yokes and bananas:) she sure had fun anyway! :)

My Lil' Darlin

Congrats!!!

Jason graduated from JMU this year! He's very happy and we are too! These are a few pics from his party last night!

Jason + Julia

Annya talk'n with her Aunt and Great Grandma!

Me + my sweet friend Jodi!

Annya + Julia... Annya is wearing a cute little red, white & blue outfit that her Aunt Kristen bought her, as that was the theme of the party. But it was cool last night so we wern't able to show it off.

Pictures of Jason through out his life.
Below Jason, Julia + Annya are enjoying those pics!

Lots and lots of excellent food! Thanks to Mom, Kristen and Janelle!

Just enjoy'n each other :)

Isn't she so beautiful! Julia is amazing and she brings out the best in Jason! She is such a precious gift from God!
Hans looking handsome as usual! And very patriotic for Uncle Jason's party!

God's Faithfulness in All Things!

This picture my husband took is a glimpse of God's faithfulness. He takes care of those tiny little flowers, clothing them with brilliance and allows the sun to give them light, the rain to water, and the soil to nourish there very beings. Wow, if He does all that for those tiny delicate flowers that live high up on the mountain top, how much more does He care for us!

The Lord has shown me just such care. I guess about two weeks ago now my Dr. and I decided that for my health and healing I needed to stop breast feeding. That was the hardest decision. Not only do I love the convenience and health benefits, I adore the intimacy that breast feeding brings. Something I felt that I would lose. Knowing that I had to wean her and stopping completely was to painful I went to two a day feedings and then to once a day for a few days. Many times as I would sit and nurse her I would cry and hold her tight to my breast for fear that I was never going to have that closeness and tenderness between us again. But the other day when I went to nurse her my milk was gone. And to my amazement my heart was not broken nor the sweet bond which we share lessened. To the contrary, I feel so close to her and God has shown His faithfulness in a new way. Now when I feed Annya her bottle she watches me and gently touches my face, or twirls her hand through my hair. And she does it most often when we are alone and I can just sit and bask in the faithfulness of God which is displayed through the love of my daughter!

Thank you all for your prayers on my behalf! I am slowly but surely getting better! Not breast feeding has helped me regain my strength a lot!

Cousins...look'n, talk'n, play'n & kiss'n

So fun to be a mama & an Auntie!

Oh my...

Yes, Annya has a mohock right now :)

The other night Janelle and I got together to sew and Hans & Annya played for awhile. Aren't they so adorable?!?!

Black Hawk

Both of my brother's(Jason & Jonathan) participated in leading and overseeing training this weekend for a number of cadets from "VMI". You can see my brother Jason in the third picture from the bottom(he is the 2nd one from the right).

Psalm 144:1

"Blessed be the LORD my strength which
teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight"