Be filled with Joy!

Oh my word, y'all. Christmas is just DAYS away. Can you believe it? I have been running way behind on blogging again....surprise, surprise. Here's a few "holiday highlights" from some this season.

 Mama and  got to go to the Point of Grace and Selah concert together back before Thanksgiving and loved it so much! It was such a great time of worship and also brought back memories from POG circa 1995! :)

 My fave...Point of Grace. We also met POG and Selah afterwards. They were so sweet!

 Kelly and Lauren got to come to NWA to see the Bentonville Lighting of the Square. It was so fun and special. And what a COLD night!

 Jackson Randolph discovering Christmas lights.

 Lauren and me!

 Staying warm on the square.

 Me and my sweet baby boy!

 Christmas tree at Lawrence Plaza

All together in front of the pretty tree. Oh, what FUN!

 Earlier this month, Russell and I went to his work party. It was so nice and good to catch up with some of his coworkers and friends.

Tony, Amy, Russell and me

 We try to take an annual pic like this every year because I am so glad Russell and Tony work together. I have mentioned this before but Amy is my best friend and she and Russell are cousins. :)  

 Later that same week, we went to a wonderful live nativity. There were hundreds, maybe even over a thousand people there. There was entertainment first, then the "journey to Bethlehem" live nativity.

 Fun entertainment!

 It truly was inspiring and amazing. What a tearjerker it was, as it truly brought what Mary, Joseph, and Jesus went through and experienced as they made the journey to Bethlehem, and after they had baby Jesus. It was great! I definitely cried tears of joy and gratefulness. This journey was so authentic. It truly felt like we were on our way to Bethlehem with live animals and it's free!

 They also offered hot chocolate or cider and cookies after the journey.

Russell, Jackson, me, Tony, Amy, and Leighann. What fun we had!

 Glory to God in the HIGHEST!

Here are a few random "Christmas happies."

Christmas Tree Spode, musical Santa, and my Joy candle from Bath and Body Works. A few of my favorite things.... :)

 I made cinnamon ornaments for the first time. They were SO easy and did not disappoint! I will make these again for sue! They sure smell good on our tree! :)

It has been so wonderful attending women's bible study every Tuesday this Fall.  I went to our Christmas Luncheon a couple of weeks ago, and it was fabulous. Look at this pretty decoration on our table! Thanks to sweet Carole!

It has also been a blessing to sing with the 4W praise team every few weeks as well. I got to know sweet Nicole and Whitney these past few months. They are so fun and talented!! 

Russell and I took Jackson to the square and 5 and 10 store. Oh, it was so sweet watching him sit in the sleigh. We took a similar picture last year. My heart! :)

Joy to the World!

Jackson is so excited about Christmas! He adores his reindeer, Rudolph. 

Looking in the window with Daddy!

We couldn't let the night go by without looking at the nativity. Oh, so wonderful to see every time. 

Jackson was also enthused by the ice skating rink! :)

 

So that's part 1 of  "blog catch up." We are counting down the days til December 25th!

 

 

When they saw the star, they were filled with JOY! Matthew 2:10

Happy 1st Birthday, Jackson Randolph!

Wow, wow, wow! Today is April 21, 2015. Our sweet baby boy, Jackson, is officially ONE year old! It truly FLEW by. We celebrated with a birthday party on Saturday (post soon), and Jackson got to enjoy cake and spend time with friends and family.

 The three of us!

 

Dear Jackson,

Oh, my sweet blond, curly headed boy. You are such a tremendous JOY to your Daddy and I. April 21, 2014 was one of the best days of our lives. Even though the C-section was an unplanned one and a little scary, once your Daddy and I heard your very first cry, we knew, I knew as your mommy, that it was all worth it. I truly always knew from the beginning of the journey to bring you into this world that it was all going to be worth it someday. It has been that and MORE.

 You were born at 5:10 p.m. Here we are as a family of three, just minutes after you were born.

 I waited a long three hours to hold you, and when I did, it took my breath away. We automatically connected and you made my heart ten times bigger.

 We brought you home a couple of days later and had the best and most perfect times with you as a newborn.

 You loved your snugapuppy rock n play sleeper. Oh, how sweet you are!

 What a dapper little man at only two months old! Mommy loves seersucker on you. :) Summertime was extra special with you, sweet J.

 Your smile melts my heart every time.

 Love this one of you because it definitely captures your personality.

 I think you were extra tired in this picture, but it is still so sweet. Halloween and Fall were oh, so fun!

 Thanksgiving is all about the butter, right? What a funny memory and sweet moment.

 Christmas was perfect with you. Daddy and I can't wait to tell you all about Christmas and share about Jesus' birth. What Jesus wants for Christmas is you!

 Mommy loved dressing you up this past year for sure! My handsome boy!

 We also have many pajama days at home, when we just get all of your toys out of the toy box and have a hay day! :) You always enjoy that.

 Yummy! You love to eat pretty much any foods! I think you had spaghetti the night I took this picture of you. You loved it!

 Easter was also very special. We loved dressing you up! I remember when Aunt Kelly gave you this Peter Rabbit onesie last Easter. I am so glad you got to wear it. We can't wait to tell you about how Jesus died for you so you can be saved!

Jackson, you are such a beautiful boy. You always make me smile in more ways than one. I am so proud of you already and cannot wait to see what the future holds for you. You have been practicing walking with your walker this week and balancing too. Growing every day! Today, you giggled so much that it made me tear up a little. Tears of JOY! I will always be praying for you in your life and know that God has BIG plans for you! Always follow the Lord and HE will direct your steps.

Know I will always be there for you.

I Love You Forever

I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living

My baby you'll be.

Love,

Mommy

 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

 Jeremiah 29:11-13

Get Real Mom's Event

I had the opportunity to go to "Get Real Mom's Event" that our church put on last month. It was absolutely wonderful and I will use so much wisdom that I got from it.

 I thought this was a cute welcome for us.

 

 They gave out "favorite things" during Friday night and Saturday morning. Look at this ginormous cookie! Thanks to sweet Susan for making these for everyone! It was soo yummy! We also got an FBC bag, M & M's, EOS lip balm, a calendar, bible study for March, and more!

 The praise and worship was great too.

 Cari Trotter!

 There were also mini breakout sessions. They were all wonderful.

 Lisa and Jason led the breakout session about building blocks of discipline. I got so much out of it and could not wait to share with Russell all I learned.

 I had the wonderful privilege to meet Cari Trotter. She is so precious and so authentic to everyone she meets and took time to get to know everyone!

Here's our group of Sunday school ladies! Natalie, Rhyanne, and me, Mandy, Nicole, Kelsey, Lisa, and Kari. It is such a blessing to know all of them. Such sweet friends.

This was my first mom's event to attend and it was incredible. We also learned so much about praying for your husband and your children. There was so much awesome info I will have to share when I have more time. :)

Hope y'all are having a wonderful day!

 

In God, whose word I praise-in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56:4