Three Kids in Four Years: Catching up!

Hi, friends. It has been a few weeks since I've written. We had a Thanksgiving celebration at the MacIver's house, Mia turned 4 years old, I turned the big 27, my brother turned the (really) big 40, and I started decorating for Christmas! Below is a picture of Emmanuel in Bella's jumperoo.

A huge thank you to the MacIver's (Martha is below with Lil' E) for inviting us into their home for Thanksgiving. Martha and Doug's teenage boys, Peter and Daniel, are involved in our Youth Ministry at church (Peter was in an earlier post--he went with us to Miami). Mia's birthday was on Thanksgiving Day and when I talked to her, she said, "I'm having a party today (meaning: the family dinner). I wish that you could be here." My heart broke. My mom said that Joshua comes into the house and takes Emmanuel's picture down from the refrigerator. He does that so that he can "hold" Emmanuel. Precious!

The day after Thanksgiving was my birthday. Eli was so sweet to let me "sleep in" (I'm still getting up through the night with Emmanuel), he cooked me breakfast in bed, I went shopping (for the first time in forever)....and he did all of these other "present-like" things for me. The BEST PRESENT that he could give to me: Tickets to the Chris Tomlin and Israel concert in January. So, I LOVE to worship God through song and dance...I mean...when I hear a Chris Tomlin song (Indescribable, Holy is the Lord, How Great is our God) or an Israel song (He Knows My Name, Friend of God, I Know Who I AM)...I really feel bathed in the presence of the Lord...I get so excited about heaven when I worship. So, Eli found out that they are coming in concert TOGETHER...and we are going to go! Hooray!

Below is a picture of the flowers that Emily got for me! They are so fragrant. Thanks, Em. Thanks to everybody for the cards and emails and phone calls and text messages and presents. (Sweet Julia even sent beautiful earrings all the way from Germany!) It was a fantastic birthday!

Our little man is getting big! He weighed in a 15 pounds 3 ounces when he went for some shots last week. (He's still in the 25th percentile for kids his age). We also think he had his first small cold...just congestion, really. We are so thankful that he's pretty flexible and likes people because we continue to take him everywhere. Today (if weather permits) we hope to go to a Christmas Tree Farm and cut down a live tree! We're a little late this year (I like to start right after Thanksgiving), but better late than never. Emmanuel will get to experience his dad using a saw to cut the tree down. These first memories are the best.