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Hi my name is ___________

So I don't think I've written a blog about it, but we are officially having a BOY!! We are beyond thrilled, and cannot wait for the handsome little man to arrive. We have been praying for a healthy baby and neither one of us had a preference of boy or girl....but let me tell you Matt hasn't stopped grinning yet. He is ecstatic to be having a son, and already talks about all the stuff that they can do together.

We have talked about what we would name our children since we were first married. We both adore children, and knew we would be parents. Once we got the positive test (or like 6 :)) we have talked about what to name this sweet baby non-stop. When you are just throwing out random names for a baby you will have someday it's pretty easy, but when you picture the baby you are growing and carrying somehow some of those names just don't seem to fit anymore.

We are praying about it, and want to give him a name that he can be proud of, and that will suit him. It's a pretty tough choice, but the stronger these little kicks get remind me that we need to get on the ball!

Haiti and everyday life

Life can sometimes be frustrating. Things like our dog digging out, finances in preparation for the baby boy that will be joining us in June, and a crazy basketball schedule can wear you down and really take a toll on how you look at everyday life.

Matt and I start to get stressed out, and we get crabby. We are both tired and stretched waaay to thin....which much of is our own fault! It's easy to get stuck in these things and forget about the world around you. We forget how much we have to be thankful for, as we get so consumed in our everyday tasks that lie ahead. When I stop to consider the struggle and pain that other people are experiencing, it embarrasses me how easily I get upset or frustrated with my circumstances. An eternal perspective is what I have been called to have, and situations like Haiti are quick to remind my heart just how out of line it can become.

The images that have infiltrated our homes since the earthquake in Haiti are heart breaking and mind blowing. My first instinct is to turn them off and shut out the pain that I know is quick to follow. My heart aches for those people, and the awful things that they are experiencing. And as usual, my first instincts are wrong. I cannot ignore the pain and the situation. It seems so gigantic and it's tempting to simply say what is my small amount of money and prayer going to do? We have been called to bind up the broken hearted, and to minister to the least of these, and there aren't any qualifiers in those commands. It's for everyone. Here's our opportunity, and with whatever tools you and I may have, let's get started.

Merry (late) Christmas

We hope Christmas found everyone happy and doing well! It was an interesting holiday with all of the snow and ice. Between a paranoid husband and parents lecturing me about falling on the ice, I didn't get to leave the house much... but it was still a fantastic time with all of our family!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!!

Christmas with the Parentals

So we had our annual Christmas celebration with my parents last night. It was wonderful as always. We made homemade pizzas, and all kinds of other yummy food to start off the night. My parents are so wonderful and I am so thankful for the relationship that Matt and I have with them. I mean how could you not love this man.... We all decided to cut down this year on gifts for each other, but I think my parents didn't get the memo! Matt got a new playstation and I got the cutest pair of TOMS ever. My Mom was so cute, as she was talking about getting me, and a child somewhere both a Christams gift.

They have statistics on them about how many people still don't have clean water in the world, and the number of people that are dying from AIDS each day. I will proudly wear them in hopes of bringing a tiny bit more awareness wherever I go. Wearing TOMS has given me countless opportunities to talk about the issues that lie to close to my heart, and I hope this pair is no different!

We got lots of other gifts as well, but the big surprise of the night was my parent's Christmas gift for their first grandchild. They gave us a voucher for any crib we wanted. I of course cried....well, because it's just what I do these days!

So now, any advice on cribs? I have researched quite a bit and looked, but I am still so lost. Go for the 4 in 1 or just go simple and get other beds later on? Should everything match and be from the same place? Ahhh, the questions never end. So, please do tell. :)

Black Friday shopping with crazies!

These crazies are also known as 3 of my favorite women on the face of the earth....my Mom and my two Aunts.

These women are hardcore and I've been in training for years. In my family, you don't go shopping with them on Black Friday until after you're married, as this is when you start buying your own Christmas gifts for the family, and have the motivation to save the $$$!

We rolled out at 3 a.m., and headed to start our 13 hour day of shopping! Hubby was a little worried about me being tired this year due to little Bambino Bolz, so he said I could go if I was in bed by 9:00, which I begrudgingly agreed to. They are like the Energizer Bunny and never get tired, it's unbelievable! They actually took extra breaks this year (for my benefit) which they would lie about and say they needed, so I wouldn't throw a fit about being babied. I guess hubby was right because I actually had to sit down on a step stool in Kmart for like 10 minutes, I guess Bambino Bolz made me get tired a little quicker than I thought! :)

It's one of my favorite days of the year with some of my favorite people. It's a family tradition that we all dearly love, but not nearly as much as I love these crazies!!! :)

Operation Christmas Child

I kept thinking I was going to blog about this weeks ago....but well that just didn't seem to happen. This year the tiny little church that I go to gathered, packed, prayed for, and delivered 121 boxes to Operation Christmas Child. I couldn't be prouder or feel more blessed to be part of a congregation. Our church has come so far in the way they think about missions, and what is going on in the world around them, and I definitely pray that this is just the beginning!

Here is the picture that was used for Operation Christmas Child this year. Wish it was a little clearer so that you could see the true joy on their faces. What a privilege to be able to give them two gifts this Christmas season- a shoe box full of dolls, flashlights, pencils, etc. and also introduce them to Jesus. I pray that these boxes find their way into the perfect tiny set of hands! If you get a chance check out Operation Christmas Child, they are being the hands and feet of Jesus all over the world.