+ Choose Joy +

As I look down and study my daughter I wish I could just bottle up everything about her. Her little eyelashes, fingers and toes are just so precious. I wish I could save the way she smells and her little sounds. As I stroke her soft little cheek I now understand why my mom would say that "You will always be my baby"; that's what Brielle will be for me too. I know that she will continue to grow, mature, and one day move out and build her own life. This precious bundle will start to talk back, push the limits, and make me want to pull my hair out. I know that I will have to ask her for forgiveness as I make mistakes as a mother and I hope she does forgive me. I hope and pray that we will be close, that she will grow into a confidant, beautiful woman who loves others; a person who has the biggest heart and ultimately loves and knows Jesus personally. I know that Brielle has her own personality and that will show more and more as she grows. She is already showing this and h...

I love how this blog has been a place where for the past eight years I have poured my heart out as a teenager struggling in a new place, a young adult finding herself again, a wife new to marriage and now to a mother caring for her first child. I am so grateful to be able to look back on how I have grown as a person and grown in my relationship with Christ through all that life has thrown at me. I know I will be able to do the same with this season. Life has been so precious, hard, wonderful and discouraging recently and at times I have felt so out of control. Ultimately I know I'm not in control, God has a plan for this season of life and I'm so excited to see the fruit that will come from it. With Luke loosing his job and not having work for two months, to becoming a new mom, and loosing all our savings in car repairs I can confidently say that God is STILL GOOD. I have had moments of discouragement and feeling trapped in our own home. Feeling like the place where we feel...

I seriously cannot believe that Brielle is now three months old! She has grown so much since she was born and I just love the way that she is becoming her own little person! Brielle is such a happy baby and doesn't seem to fuss a lot, only when she is uncomfortable of course. When all of her needs are met she is a happy camper and doesn't cry for no reason. I am so thankful that she is so happy especially after she is fed. She loves to tell me stories and explore her own voice. Her little sounds make me melt especially when I say "i love you" and she tries to say it back it seems. Her face just lights up and it's just adorable! Brielle has always been a mover even in the womb. Her legs are always kicking and her arms never seem to sit still. I'm pretty positive she's going to be a busy girl, independant like her momma was. ;) One day at grandma Gigi's we measured her length and she has grown another 2 inches in length! She has grown a total of 6 ...