Thankful Tree

In the spirit of thanksgiving, and at the recommendation of my very wise sister, Jessica, our family started a new tradition: a thankful tree. Every day we ask Elise to think of something that she is thankful for.

Even though Elise often says "thank you, mommy," she doesn't really understand thankfulness. She's only 2! But, she can think of things that she likes or make her happy. So, the first day that I asked her, she said "wawafs," which translates to waffles. Great! I wrote down waffles and attached it to our little tree. Day 2: "Elise, what is something that you're thankful for today?" Elise: "wawafs!" The girl loves her breakfast foods.

So, every day I try to have her come up with something other than waffles to be thankful for. I'm kinda tempted to just write down waffles every day and enjoy the laugh, but what if she forever associates thankfulness with waffles?!

The last few days have been things like monkeys, our fish Myrtle, babies, mommy (yes, a little coaching on that one), daddy (no coaching required), and swings.

I hope that as our thankful tree grows more and more leaves, so will our thankfulness to
God for all our wonderful blessings, even blessings as simple and delicious as waffles.

Happy Halloween & Yee-ha!

We had a fun Halloween weekend. Between going to Trunk or Treat at Ridge Point, dressing up for playgroup, carving a pumpkin or two, and visiting a few neighbors, Elise got her full share of Halloween.

The funniest part was when we visited one of Bryan's coworkers houses tonight and they opened the door and Elise walked right into their living room! After that, we reminded her to stay on the porch. :)

Her most favorite part was answering the door as kids came tonight. She got so excited every time, running to the door, opening it up, and just staring at all the kids in costumes.

I love all the family traditions, and I can tell that my little family will enjoy Halloween for lots of years to come.

Happy 2 Baby Girl!

Today we celebrated Elise's 2nd birthday. It was such a great day, filled with our families and everything wonderful about celebrating a little girl.


I remember those first few days with her two years ago. And, if I'm completely honest, those days were kind of painful. I was a stressed, tired, and very unsure new mom. I didn't know what I was doing, and I didn't understand why Elise did what she did or how to best care for her. I remember praying to God to give me a mother's heart. I know some moms are born with that amazing love for their kids, and I know I had some of that. But, really, I didn't feel it much those first weeks. There I was, spending nearly every waking minute with my beautiful baby girl fearing that maybe I didn't have what it takes to love her as a mother should.


Fast forward 2 years. Oh my. Talk about answered prayer. I still don't know what I'm doing. To say that I'm unsure is an understatement. I don't know when molars are supposed to poke through or how much milk she should drink. I have no idea what shots she gets tomorrow at her 2 year appointment or how to stop her from whining when she wants something. But I know that every bit of my being, at every moment of each and every day, I love her more than I ever knew was possible. The fact that God has entrusted this amazing little girl to me blows me away.


My prayers are a little different now, 2 years later. I still pray for a God-fearing mother's heart, yes. And I pray for patience, as any mother of a preschooler does. But mostly I thank God for Elise and how much joy she brings to my life. I thank God for her sweet smile, surprising sense of humor, and her strong confidence at only 2 years old. I thank Him for her healthy little body and that her brain works to absorb new things every day. I thank Him for our days together walking to the park and having tea parties in the living room. I thank God for blessing me with a little girl who is the best part of my day, every day.



Happy 2, Elise JoLea. Celebrating you today was such a joy.