what lies ahead

Happy New Year!!
"Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold."

Lamentations 3:22-24
"The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" (NASB)

The three of us celebrated New Year's together by eating dinner at Abuelo's, grabbing some pumpkin Biti-Pies,and heading back to the house for some family fun! And what a precious baby and husband I have!! This holiday season, we've been reminded that this life can be short, soaking up every minute with the ones I love, has been simply magical.

The end of the year came with lots of craziness for our family of three. December was fast and furious to say the least! Our timeline of events is as follows...

-getting all Christmas shopping AND wrapping done by December 1st, so I could fully focus on hosting Miss Claire's 1st birthday party

-WEEKS and MONTH BEFORE PARTY - get everything together and decorated for her 1st birthday party at our house

-take literally hundreds of pics for our Christmas card picture, these were the finalists







-12.10.10 - CLAIRE IS ONE!!!

-mom and dad come in to celebrate with us

-Claire's first birthday party December 11, 2010
We decided to have just a family party for Miss Claire for her first birthday and were so pleased to have so many travel in for the big event. In attendance were both sets of grandparents, 2 great grandmothers, Uncle Casey & Aunt Lisa, Cousin Hunter and Cousin Austin, Great Aunts Jeannie and Carolynn and Cousins Raegan, M'Kenzie, and Elizabeth.

A BIG thanks to Mom, Dad, Peggy, Carolynn, M'Kenzie & Raegan, Jeannie & Elizabeth for making the trek to Amarillo!! We love our West Texas Family!










-Claire is baptised at our new church, St. Stephen UMC, December 12,2010



-C has her one year check-up and the dr. says she looks great!
-Head to Denison (350 miles aka 6 hrs in the car) with Mom in tote
-C gets her first week long stomach bug, while in Denison
-T flies in to Love Field for Rob's graduation, I pick him up, but head back North instead of South
-Rob graduates from MBA grad school but we can't make it due to C's illness, and are stuck in Denison while rest of the family is in Aggieland :(
-I get C's bug...
-Back to Amarillo (350 miles & 6 hrs in the car) for Urologist appt and Christmas with the McPhersons
-McPherson family Christmas dinner and gifts
-Head back to Denison (350 miles & 6 hours in the car) for actual Christmas Day








-C is getting 4 new teeth during all of our travels
-Head back to Amarillo (another 350 miles & 6 hours in the car)
-New Year's Eve and 2011

And we're up to date, 1400 miles in the month of December later!

Wow. Un-REAL!! We can't believe that we've survived an entire year raising our first baby. We are having the time of our lives with her!

She is...
WALKING (started around her first birthday and I love seeing this little body go anywhere her heart desires)
TALKING (mainly saying a few words here and there - including her versions of Sadie, Elmo, All Done, Woof, Shoes, Bottle, Puppy, Da Da, Momma, Baby)
Has 7.5 teeth
Yep, we're in the big leagues now!

I literally thank God for her every day, and for Travis still being married to me. How could I not be so thankful for them both?

Claire lately...
She loves life and all things puppy and Elmo, lives to explore, is so attentive when I try and teach her new things, and is a peek-a-boo fanatic. She laughs spontaneously which warms my heart, eats Cheerios like it's no body's business, will go to any who outstretch their arms to her and has a stubborn streak when it comes to sippy cups and big people food. I hate being away from her and love her big dimples and sweet, oh so sweet, little voice. It's times like lately that make all the hard, trying times when she was little, just seem to melt away.

What lies ahead for 2011? Only He knows. But I rest in the fact that He is in control of this mostly crazy and always unpredictable thing called life. And here's to a great 2011!

May 2011 bring your family love, life, joy, and happiness as you seek and follow Christ in all you endeavor.

Philippians 3:13-14
"No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." (NLT)