Jesus...born to give us life!

As  I prepare to celebrate Grant's first Christmas I am overwhelmed and flooded with emotions! Each day that passes I swear it feels like my heart may explode; it is filled with so much love for my sweet family! I was snuggling with Grant on the couch last night by the Christmas tree with Brad sitting in the "comfy" chair and Murray sprawled out on his bed and as I looked around my house decorated for the season my eyes filled with tears of joy and I thanked God to myself for blessing me with more than I can ever deserve and everything my heart has desired! I think back to this time last year...Brad and I were patiently awaiting to see if our work with the fertility specialist had worked, praying that it had. And now this year....holding God's sweet son! How awesome is that!!!! There are no words (which doesn't happen a lot for me..ha) that can describe how incredibly blessed and thankful I feel this Christmas. Last year I listened to "A baby changes everything" by Faith Hill and cried from a broken and anxious heart and now I listen with a humble and joyous heart. Lastly, this season I often think about Mary, the mother of our Savior! What an incredible honor and journey she went through to give us our King. I think about how much I love Grant and then think she loved her sweet baby in a manger that much too!

God's greatest gift to us is his son, Jesus! Jesus was born in a manger to give each of us life! This Christmas season I am so thankful for the sweet baby Jesus that died on a cross so that I may live and give life to my sweet son!

Here are a few pics of Grant getting ready for his first Christmas!

Happy 4 month birthday!

My sweet boy turns four months this week...I can't believe it! Thank you Grant for the best four months of my life. You have been such a blessing to your dad and me and I can't imagine my life without you. I promise to love you everyday of my life!

Day 1

month 4

Here are a few more recent pics:

I love his uggs! Thanks Aunt Bre!

"Man time"

Lol! Bundled up for a walk

My boys!

This is one of my favorites! Rocking my sweet baby! Melts my heart!

Grant's first Thanksgiving!

Thank you God for the last four months! Thank you for letting me feel such an amazing, heavenly love!

24 days of Thanksgiving Cont...

11. I am thankful that I am able to stay home with my sweet boy until February.  I love spending my days with him and there is no where else I would rather be and nothing I would rather be doing! Thank you Brad for working so hard so I am able to be with our son! I love playing with him, seeing him grow and change everyday, rocking him, going on morning walks with him, etc...

12. I am thankful that my wonderful husband understands my need to workout! He loves the nights that I go to the gym and he gets "man time" with his son and I love the time trying to get back into shape...ha!

13. I am thankful for the holiday season! I love the time with family, holiday crafts, Christmas music in November and December, baking sweet goodies, Christmas shopping, holiday parties with friends, musicals at church, holiday flavor coffee at Starbucks, wearing ugg boots and fleeces, and decorating my house with Christmas decor!

14. I am especially thankful for this Christmas this year! As I was decorating my tree, getting the stockings out, and listening to Christmas music I looked at Grant's new stocking and it reminded me of how different this Christmas would be for me without him. I can imagine how I would be feeling if we were still struggling to have a sweet baby this season. I remember how hard the holidays were when my heart desired the gift of a baby and I know I would be heart broken without that blessing. I truly pray for all the families this holiday season that are still awaiting the arrival of their little blessing from heaven (through birth or adoption). I pray for a renewed hope in their hearts, an understanding of God's perfect timing and plan for them, a reassurance that God answers prayers, and that they feel God's love this season as we celebrate the greatest baby and gift we will ever receive....baby Jesus!!!

15. I am thankful for Thanksgiving feasts! Yummy!

16. I am thankful for my freedom. Thank you to all the men and women that serve our country past and present! Thank you to their families! I am grateful that I live in a country that I am free to worship and serve my God!

Thank you Tera for serving our country! (love the sweatshirt and can't wait to see you wearing it again this year!)

17. I am thankful that I live in Tennessee! Go Vols! I love the mountains, southern accents, four seasons, football season, bluegrass music, southern hospitality, etc...

18. I am thankful for my neighborhood! I love my neighbors and will be sad when we all start moving to other areas in k-town, but for now I am thankful for our walks, long talks, great parenting advice, and sweet friendships!

19. I am thankful for naptimes...lol! Grant's naps allow me to still be productive...kind of!
20. I am thankful for my weekends with my husband and baby! I love spending time together as a family!

21. I am thankful for Christmas decorations and Christmas music! It is my favorite time of the year and it warms my heart to see Christmas trees, lights, wreaths, tacky blow-up snow globes, manger scenes and to hear "o holy night"!

22. Is thankful for all the traveling Brad and I have gotten to do over the past seven years! These are some of my fondest memories and I will always love "getting away" with my best friend and love of my life!

23. I am thankful for the Bible! It is the truth and God's word!
24. I am finally thankful for all the other things in my life that I am sure I am forgetting to be thankful for...the small things that I take for granted each and every day! We are all blessed far past what we deserve and for that I am thankful!!!

Three months!

My sweetest gift, baby Grant is three months old (really 14 weeks, but I am behind blogging)! The time is flying by! I really can't believe Grant is already three months old, but strangely I can't remember what life was like before his arrival! Here are some pics of little Grant...Brad and I's greatest accomplishment in life!

A True Thanksgiving

As I am watching my sweet boy rocking in his swing, making Christmas crafts, and listening to Christmas music about our Baby Jesus (I know...a bit early, but I am a sap for Christmas music), I am overwhelmed with emotions and brought to tears of joy.  I am thinking back to this time last year....Brad and I had been battling infertility and going through treaments for about a year.  At Thanksgiving we finally told our families about our struggles. We had been very private about the process prior to that weekend.  I can so clearly remember and feel the saddness and pain I felt, worried that I would never be blessed with a baby.  I can close my eyes and relive telling my mom and Bill in our den floor that we needed their prayers and support.  I remember how strong Brad was as he explained all that we had gone through and how much I loved him in those seconds.  I remember the love I felt from our families as they began to support us and pray for us to be blessed with a child.  After prayers were lifted up for a month from a huge support system, Brad and I found out we were expecting on December 23rd. So this year, Thanksgiving is taking on a new meaning for me.  I am so thankful this year for answered prayers, God's perfect timing, the miracle of childbirth, my husband (who is a wonderful man of integrity and an incredible father and leader in our home), God's love for his children, and I am most thankful that God has honored his promises to me and allowed me to parent His son, Grant!

I will finish my 24 days of Thanksgiving another day...Thank you Lord for Thanksgiving!

24 days of Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving approaching, I wanted to list 24 things that I am thankful for....

1. I am most thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ!!! He is my rock and comforter, He is my strength and biggest fan, He loves me unconditionally and blesses me beyond what I deserve, He died on the cross so I can spend eternity in Heaven!!! He is an awesome God and I love Him with my whole heart!

2. I am thankful for my incredible husband Brad! He is my best friend, the love of my life, and the best dad ever! I have had the honor of being his wife for almost 7 years and can honestly say I love him more and more everyday!

3. I am so thankful for the greatest gift God ever gave me...Grant Holden! The love I feel for my sweet boy is a heavenly love, a love that I prayed for and now am getting to feel and experience everyday! I thank God every night for blessing me with a child, thank Him for answering prayers, and will forever praise Him for Grant.  This is my testimony of God's love for me! I am so thankful to be a mommy!

4. I am so thankful for Granna and PB and Fancy! They have blessed my life and influenced who I am. I am thankful for their love and dedication to the Lord and to their family!

5. I am thankful for my family! I have been blessed with wonderful brothers, sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws and nieces and nephews! I love them all!

6. I am thankful for all of my wonderful friends! I have been so blessed to have a close group of girlfriends; I love each one of them individually and each hold a special place in my heart!

7. I am thankful for my health and the health of my family and friends! After having a health scare during and after labor and having to be a hospital patient for a week, I can honestly say I feel very blessed to be in good health!
8. I am thankful for my other son....Murray! Murray is such an incredible spirit, a great brother, an unconditional lover, a best friend, and stole my heart nearly seven years ago!

9. I am thankful for my job! I might gripe about having to work and have loved every second of being at home with my sweet boy, but I am grateful for having a job that I love. I am also thankful for the wonderful women that I get the privilege of working with every day!

10.  I am thankful for the roof over my head and food on the table! In a time where there are millions of families struggling to make ends meet, I feel grateful for having the simple things in life and will not take those things for granted.

I will continue my Thanksgiving praises in a later post....