Happy New Year!!

As this year comes to a close I look back over the year and the blessing that came. Here are a few:

* The birth of Lillian Grace on February 27
* Finding a new church home in March
* Celebrating our 3rd anniversary on April 9
* Dedicating Lilly to the the church on September 28
* My brothers visit home and the entire family together in December

I hope each of you take time to remember the highlights of "your" 2008 and remember the source of each blessing. Wishing you all the best in 2009!!

10 Months old

Merry Christmas!!

The Best Gift of All

by: Marcy Richardson

It's Christmas season

and the spirits are high,

Everyone's looking

for the perfect gift to buy.

The hustle and bustle

of getting things done,

Exhausted and tired

from being on the run.

The day of celebration

is here at last,

What were we doing

as the days did pass?

Did we ever take the time

to remember the birth,

Will we ever realize

what it is worth?

Why do we celebrate

by giving gifts to them,

If the true meaning is Christ

shouldn't we give to Him?

But the best gift of all

is not a gift you can give,

But a gift that was given

so that you may live.

There's a gift of

forgiveness, salvation and love,

Packaged as one

and sent from above.

Through his life and death

he's shown the way,

Just take his hand

there’s no time for delay.

He's ready and waiting

despite your sin,

The gift is priceless

if you'll let him in.

A special reunion

It's not even Christmas and December has already flown by. On December 2nd my brother came home on military leave and was here for 2 1/2 weeks. There were several highlights during the week. Here are a few:

First and foremost was introducing my brother to Lilly. Although Lilly is too young to remember the experience it was still special to see her interact and play with her uncle. Someday she'll realize how special she is to have such an awesome uncle.

My two brothers and I appeared on ESPN2 while attending the Northwest Missouri State football game.



My mom and I had the opportunity to celebrate our birthdays together. We had a big party and were able to see a lot of family which was fun.

Riding 4-wheelers.



Spending time with my entire immediate family was such a joy and throughout our time together I had many childhood flashbacks (playing ball in the front yard, cutting wood, riding bikes, going to ball games, shooting BB guns, playing with our cousins, and many others). As I get older I'm starting to realize how much I miss those days and how blessed I am to have such a close relationship with my family today.

9 month check-up

Today was Lilly's 9 month check-up. She weighed in at 15lbs. 1 oz and is 27.5 inches long. She remains in the 3rd percentile for weight and is in the 50th percentile for length. She met all of her 9 month milestones (sitting unsupported, transferring objects from one hand to the other, playing pat-a-cake or peek-a-boo, using her thumb and index finger to pick up small objects, stand while holding on to someone or something, etc.). So, even though she still remains "small" she is right on track developmentally.




We have had a couple of rough nights this last week. Two nights ago I made the mistake of eating spicy chili for dinner (kudos to my husband for the outstanding recipe). Lilly woke up screaming twice throughout the night and finally I put two and two together and realized that she had an upset stomach from the food I was eating. Only one other time has she been affected by the foods I eat so I typically don't even worry about it. I guess I'll think twice from now on. Then, last night Lilly finally cut her top tooth. She was pretty fussy most of the evening and had a slight temperature. Even through the discomfort she still managed to sleep from 7:30 pm - 8:00 am. So far today she seems to be in no pain so that is good!!

Today is also a very special day for our family. My brother, who is in the military, is coming home!! He is currently stationed in Guam and we haven't seen him in 2 years. Of course he hasn't met Lilly yet so we are excited for an emotional reunion. My mom just called and said that his flight just arrived into KCI so we should be getting to see him within the next hour or so. He will be home for 2 1/2 weeks so we are hoping to enjoy every minute!