He is holding us.

This is a busy time of year. Right now, for our family, it is finals week for Drew, we are busy trying to pass classes, pack bags, clean house, say goodbye to family moving away, get Abbigail on a more consistent sleep schedule and it all can be overwhelming. Recently, we have been pulling late nights and early mornings, and small dirt piles feel like giant mountains. We have been noticing our need for an extra hand in our lives. I just saw this video and nothing can express how I am feeling better than this. I am so grateful for the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Because He is our living Redeemer, we are never alone and He is always there to hold us through our hard times in life. He is always holding us. 

Someone's had a birthday, shout Hooray!

Meet Drew. This guy is my best friend, my go to guy, and my EVERYTHING. Yesterday he turned 24. I was determined to make it the best day ever for him. It ended up being a super low key day, but that's just how this guy likes it. I guess the birthday fairy visited our house the night before because when he woke up, there were signs posted around the house...

Okay fine, I admit it, the birthday fairy was me.And in case any of you out there were wondering how easy it was to surprise Drew with these signs, it wasn't easy. We like to go to bed together. So if we can help it, we wait up for each other. I was trying to think of an excuse to stay up later but make him go to bed. Luckily, I thought of one (Dishes, we had zero clean bottles). I sent him to bed and he fell asleep while I was doing the dishes. BUT, I swear I heard him behind my back every 30 seconds or so. My heart was racing so fast, definitely an adrenaline rush. (that's about as adventurous as I get).  Drew had to go to school and work like usual, so I still didn't get to see him until he came home from lunch. We had his favorite salad and of course there were presents to open. Lucky dog gets to have his birthday presents AND Christmas presents under the Christmas Tree. I kinda wish I had a December birthday...

 

The afternoon ended up being crazy with taking Abbi to the doctor again. Poor girl can't shake this sickness. So instead of fancy dinner, I picked up some pizza and bread-sticks and we watched some TV together. Since Abbigail wasn't feeling well, she just wanted to cuddle with someone. Drew happily volunteered, so he had Abbi sleeping on his chest and my cuddling up to his arm. I can't imagine anything making him happier than his two girls with him. It was a great day. Abbi and I are sure grateful for the father Drew is and everything he does for us. We can't imagine our lives without him. 

It's Christmas Time Again...

 

Last night we threw out our Ebenezer Scrooge kind of attitudes, put a smile on our faces and set up our Christmas tree! Don't get me wrong, we are excited for Christmas, it's just we don't have money, we aren't even going to be here in Rexburg for Christmas (so why decorate?) and Drew is just really busy with school. But last night we put our homework down and busted out our Christmas tree. We even played Christmas music while we decorated to get into it even more. Abbigail LOVED the lights! She watched our every move to begin with but as soon as those lights kicked on, she was mesmerized! {she is so cute}. So there you have it. We don't really have any Christmas decorations besides the Christmas tree, so that is mine and Abbi's next project. Check back soon!

P.S. Remember when we did this last year? I can't believe time passes so quickly...

That one time Abbigail started playing with toys...

Yup, you heard right. Can you believe how fast she is growing and developing? It's freaking me out. But recently our little Abbi Girl started showing interest in her toy mat. She loves it. Especially the caterpillar that comes with it.

This is her new best friend. She can lay and talk to this caterpillar forever. When she is playing with her toys, she seems to be in her own world. Nothing or no one is going to distract her until she is ready to be done. Oh how I love my little stubborn girl. 

                         
 

No Good Very Bad day.

Ever feel like this? Like it's only been a few hours since I woke up but i'm already ready for the day to be done so I can go back to sleep... We are fighting colds at our house. My best friends these days are my box of tissues, sleep, and Alka-Seltzer Plus tablets (Oh and Drew too, He is always my best friend). All I want to do is stay in my pajamas, grab a blanket lay on the couch and watch Hairspray or Runaway Bride. 

But...

There is a GIANT pile on laundry on my couch waiting for me to fold it.

Another pile of laundry in a basket waiting for me to wash it.

Dishes need to be done.

Baby won't sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time and when she is awake, she isn't happy.

I HAVE to shower and get ready for the day because less than an hour from now I am supposed to be on campus for a group meeting.

Then...

There is a split moment where I glance down at my baby girl while I am feeding her, we make eye contact and she gives me the biggest smile I have seen from her yet. Somehow that makes me forget about all the negative things that have happened during my day. Somehow all I can think about is how grateful I am to be her mother. I'm grateful that God blessed me with the ability to have children and then the same baby who I was irritated with because she wouldn't sleep became the baby that made my day a Bajillion times better. 

Abbi's Christmas Wishlist

Infant UGG Boots: We live in Rexburg. Come on people, IT'S COLD! Plus, look how cute and comfortable they look. I'm sure Abbigail would love these. Who wouldn't?

Baby Jumper: I've been wondering when is the right time to get Abbi a jumper/saucer thing. She is getting so strong and can just about hold her head up all the time. This one looks like it has a lot of different toys on it AND it has a high back so she can just rest her neck on that if she gets tired! This would also allow me to get things done while Abbi is entertained. 

New Dress: Abbi is in this awkward stage where her newborn clothes are starting to get too small but her 3 month clothes are still too big. Ugh. However, her dresses are especially tight. Most of the dresses we have are onesie dresses and they are getting really hard to take off. So i 'm sure Abbi would love a new dress (or two). 

Teething Rings & Sophie the Giraffe: I have heard these are really nice for the littles because they can grab hold of them and have a good grip on them. I don't think Abbi will be teething for a few months, but I have already noticed her putting her hands in her mouth more often. It would be fun to get her some toys that she can "eat". 

New Coat: Again, i'm using the "we live in Rexburg" excuse, but who doesn't want a new coat during the winter. Abbi just got a couple jackets, but a nice winter coat would be really nice. Layers, layers, layers! Plus this one from Old Navy happens to be really cute. 

Goodnight Moon: This isn't the only book I want to get Abbi, but it is definitely a good start. We do have a few books to read to her, but I really want to have a collection. I love picture books! I can't wait until Abbi can actually understand what we are reading. 

Ear Flap Hat: Abbi has a few hats, but I have been dying for her to have one like this. I have one, and I love how it covers my ears and it fits so cute! I am so happy they make some in an infant size. This really does make my heart happy. I can't wait until I can get Abbi one too. It will keep her little, precious ears SO warm. Rexburg people, It snows in July! 

We are so excited for Christmas around our house. Dad says no Christmas music until after Thanksgiving, which Abbi and I try to respect. But sometimes we slip, like last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Ooops. I'm looking for some EASY  DIY Christmas projects I can do. Anyone have some good ideas? 

Oriental Chicken Salad

Remember back when I went to this birthday party? My sister-in-law made a delicious Oriental Chicken Salad and I have been wanting to make it ever since. BUT I "wouldn't have time" or I would "forget to buy the ingredients". SO NO MORE EXCUSES. I made it! SO good! I went over to my good friend Brielle's house. You can find her blog here. I made salad and we watched some Netflix together. Not a bad afternoon. I decided to post the recipe on here 1. so you guys can all make and enjoy this heavenly salad and 2. so I won't forget how to make it. 

Things you'll need:

2-3 Chicken Breasts

1 Head of Cabbage

Sliced Almonds

Green Onions

Ramen Noodles

2 T White Vinegar

2/3 C Oil

2 T Sugar

Salt/Pepper

This is a fairly easy salad to make and most of you can probably figure it out without me putting step by step instructions, BUT for those of you who have no idea what you're doing (like me) I will make it a little easier for you. 

1. First you will need to dice the chicken and cook it. I added salt and pepper to the chicken while I was cooking it (just a little more flavor). While the chicken was cooking I shredded the cabbage and chopped the green onions. After the chicken is done cooking, mix the chicken, green onions, cabbage, almonds, and ramen noodles (raw and crushed up). 
2. Then add the dressing, which is the sugar, vinegar, oil, salt/pepper and the packets of seasoning that come with the ramen noodles. We ate our salad as soon as it was done, but if you aren't going to eat it right away, don't put the dressing on until right before. It tends to make the salad soggy if you put it on too early. 

That's it! Super easy! Hope you enjoy! 

Thankful Thursday: Precious.

Today I am SO thankful for my precious baby girl. She is the best thing that has happened to Drew and I. She honestly brings so much joy and happiness into our lives. When I found out we were having a girl I was excited, but didn't know what to expect. I'm no "girly girl". Now that she is here, I can't imagine feeling more love than I feel for her right now. We love you Abbi girl. You are our world! 

Happy Birthday Bud.

This guy is 12 years old today. Happy Birthday Jacob. Wish I could be there to celebrate! I can't believe you are getting so old. I love you Bud. 

Just Because.

Just because she is so cute and 11 WEEKS OLD today! 

I just can't get enough of her. 

P.S. SHE SCOOTS! Slowly but surely, if you lay her on her back she can scoot backwards. My little scooter...

I'm a follower.

I have just recently (like 5 minutes ago) found a new blog that I am in love with now. Their style is so fun and easy to follow. They talk about everything on their blog from fun foods to make, to fashion, to do it yourself ( DIY)  projects that I think I can actually do. And the best part is, they are all kid friendly ideas! You can find this blog here.

Blogs like these get me excited for when Abbi will be old enough to do fun projects. I get so GIDDY... SO grateful to be her mom. 

Thankful Thursday: Something.

Something about him makes it hard to think of anything else. Today I am Thankful for my husband. He is so Considerate, Caring, Loving, Selfless, Sincere and much much more. He is the BEST father to our sweet Abbigail. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. I love you Drew. 

Happy Month of Thanksgiving! 

Happy Halloween.

Wisdom Teeth and Family.

This past week, I got all four of my wisdom teeth removed. I was lucky enough to have my family stay an extra day so they could help me take care of Abbigail. Little did I know, I would be out of commission for almost a full week. Thank goodness we are blessed with such great family and friends. We also had the chance to go and visit Janelle and Jacob up in Moscow. We miss them SO much and are sad they can't live closer, but we had such a nice time with them. We sure love our family.

2 Months.

Sweet little Abbigail is 2 months old! She is SO perfect. At her 2 month appointment she weighed in at a hefty 9lbs 2oz ;) and she was 21 1/2 inches long. Our baby is growing! Even though she may be tiny still, she is developing SO quickly. She can almost hold her head up on her own and she loves looking out at people when you hold her. Just recently she has started babbling and repeating the sounds we make to her. She loves to lay on her back so she can look around the room and kick her legs at the same time.  Also, she sleeps like a champ now. I think 2 months is just the lucky age. She will sleep from 10 or 11 (depending on when we feed her) to 5 or 6 in the morning. It is awesome! She brings so much joy into our lives. We couldn't be happier. 

Blessing Day.

Today Abbigail was blessed. Lots of family came into town for her big day. We have the best support system. Abbi was given a beautiful blessing. She is such a beautiful person already and has the sweetest spirit. I can't wait to see what God has in store for our little girl. I know she has a beautiful life ahead of her...

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