Coming around...

I have been wanting to do a Christmas post for a few days, but I have been (and still kind of am) under the weather. It started a few days ago. I decided to make lasagna for dinner because starting tomorrow, Greg and I are dieting hard core. *New Year's resolution cliche, I know* But anyway, so I made this awesome dinner. I get ready to serve it and I am so incredibly nauseous. I was so ticked too. I had been looking forward to this dinner because I don't make it very often and to having a good carb meal before going all healthy. I couldn't do it. I nibbled two bites down, and went for the couch. By 7:00, the puke marathon began. Every hour until the next morning. (sorry to be so graphic!)

I hadn't been sick like this since college... or as Ted Mosby would say "Puke free since '93" (or 2000 in my case). It was horrible. The whole next day, my back hurt so bad but I couldn't get out of bed. I had the craziest reoccuring dreams too... they were so vivid. Then yesterday, NYE, I was dizzy all day. Mom and Dad kept Gabe overnight so we could have dinner. We ended up buying expensive steaks and desserts from The Fresh Market, and suddenly, my appetite was back! We also had a How I Met Your Mother marathon. Very low key, but a wonderful night with my husband. Now, today, the nausea has come back. I don't get it. Weirdest flu ever.

Also, I must mention... I have the greatest husband. He has really taken over parenting while I've been under the weather. Thank you to my Marshmallow. xoxo Your Lilypad. :)

Greg, this is for you...

I have really been wanting to do a Christmas post and talk about how wonderful everything was... how it was a great Christmas Eve at the Herrmans, spent with my amazing in laws and my neices and nephews. And, how I got to see little Dougie on his first Christmas and spend some time with Anna Banana. I'm afraid I'm just gonna have to do that post a little later.

Gabe's had a blast playing with all of his new toys and has even chosen some of his old toys to donate. He's really good about letting go of things he doesn't play with anymore.

In other news, I am going to try to do a 365 project this year - a photo a day. The above is my day one photo... I just realized that's a mega-ginormous picture of me... yeah, sorry about that. I hope by this time next year I will have taken 365 pictures and lost quite a few pounds. That's a goal... Here's hoping I can make it happen.

Happy New Year everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you! This year has been a wonderful one for me and my family. I know it's technically Christmas Eve, but I don't plan on being on the computer on Christmas day! We're heading to my inlaws for Christmas Eve where we will enjoy fondue. This year, there will be chocolate fondue!! On Christmas day, we'll head up to my parents to hang out in the afternoon and then have dinner with some extended family that evening.

It bears repeating that this has been a wonderful year. I am a very happy mom and wife... especially lately. I have just really felt content and happiness in my relationship with my spouse and my child. I learned so much this year about how to be a better wife and mom. God has blessed me so much with a wonderful family - a loving husband and an amazing son. Gabe has been so lovey lately and an absolute delight.

I started a great job this year and I work with/for wonderful people. Greg also began a new job and has made me very proud. I think of where I was last year at this time... A time of uncertainty. I didn't know what my career would be. Now, I'm enjoying seasonal work, getting a job where I am able to spend more time with my boy and I can take pride in taking care of our home.

God has taught me so much this year. I am so thankful for His gifts to me. My husband, my child, my job, my amazing friends, and my salvation. The gifts under the tree are certainly nice to give and to recieve. But the real gift, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger was given to us all those years ago. A gift. In the form of a baby, grown in the womb of a virgin, we were given the ultimate gift of salvation. If you haven't opened it yet, it's there waiting for you...

I wish you all the peace, joy, and happiness this season brings. May God bless you!!

baking day

Last Sunday, Grandma Herrman hosted the annual baking day. She has a huge kitchen table covered with tons of cookies she baked. We had a great day. Everyone makes it up there and she and PawPaw invite my parents too. It's a great day for Gabe to spend with both sets of grandparents.

The table was literally covered with sugary goodness. And, we got to take a big ol' tub of stuff home with us.

I always make sure to try and get a picture of the cousins too... they're all growing up so fast.

Christmas Fellowship

This is one of my favorite ornaments from my mother in law. I'm not sure where she got it, but I love it.

We are hosting a dinner tonight for our former Bible study group. I'm really excited that we'll all be sharing some fellowship time, especially around Christmas. It's such a wonderful time of year. I love it! It's been a long time since we all got together for a meal and just caught up with each other.

We have had so many wonderful times with this group. We learned a lot from each other. I know for myself, I learned a lot about parenting my child. Some of the members who had children older than my son were such a help in giving advice. Others who have children the same age have been great for comparing stories and situations, as well as giving advice.

Our group just kind of stopped meeting... People lives/schedules changed, more children were added to our families, and life just kind of took over. We've recently started going back to a church we'd left and I'm really hoping to get involved in another study after the first of the year. I love meeting with other people who are thirsty for learning more about Christ. I love the debates and talking through things. I love reading scripture and praying together.

I'm very thankful for the seasons I was able to share with these people.

Getting some air

We decided this year would be a great one to get Gabe involved in a winter sport. We are so happy he'll be having some exercise practicing. We bought him a smaller basketball like the one in the picture so he and his Dad can practice in the garage. I better practice my dribbling too... it's been a few years since I played at my Dad's garage. Dad used to own a mechanic's garage in the town I was raised. He put a basketball hoop up in the back part and with the large concrete floors, we had a lot of room to practice. We played 'horse' and 'pig'. It was so much fun!

Gabe did great at practice. They did warm ups, laps around half of the gym, and took turns dribbling up to shoot. The coach was great with them! Gabe really loved it.

Before practice, Greg asked Gabe if he had any questions about basketball... His only question was, "what if I have to fart?" Oh geez...

Then, after practice we asked him if he liked it and if he had any other questions. His response was... "Yeah, why didn't MY coach wear a black and white striped shirt?" We'd better explain the difference between referees and coaches! How innocent and sweet!!



And, here he is, getting some air. I know the quality of this picture sucks, but I'm still learning with action shots. And, it was in a gym... no fun to photograph! But, look at his air and his little tongue sticking out. How cute is he?? A little Jordan.

I hope you are all getting ready for Christmas despite this crazy weather! Holy cow. It totally doesn't feel like there are only 11 days until Christmas! It's hard to get in the magical mood when there's no snow on the ground.

Pinterest

I've been using Pinterest for quite a while now. I absolutely love it! I have tried many recipes like beef stroganoff, philly cheese steak sloppy joes, & lemon blueberry cupcakes. We have also tried these things: owl handprint painting, an awesome way to keep cards and momentos, and these for Easter. These are some of the ideas/recipes that we enjoyed.

There were some misses too... like 7up biscuits. Not so great. But, they were super easy and we didn't spend much on the ingredients.

I also love all of the photography ideas on Pinterest. Speaking of, the photo above of my Gabers was totally inspired by this. I know its not quite the same, but having a four year old posed like this would be really weird! I am so pleased with how the pictures turned out... Here are a couple more. And, if you are friends with me on Facebook, sorry, you're seeing them again. :)



Thank you Pinterest...

thank you, parenthood.

If you follow me on Facebook, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of the show Parenthood. And, lately, I have been very happy with their choice to cover the topic of adoption. Adoption will obviously always be a very close subject to my heart. When chosen as a topic on a series on TV, I am always a little bit skeptical that the show will be able to pull it off. I am always expecting to be disappointed with a dumb, cheesy line or an uneducated portrayal of a birth mom or an adoptive mom.

Parenthood, however, has been doing an excellent job portraying the life of an adoptive mom, or at least an adoptive mom like me. I can see myself as Julia, wanting a child - wanting to add to her family. I could see myself when she found out about being infertile. (that episode was a real waterworks one for me... it about killed me!) I can also see her approaching her husband, telling him of this crazy idea, and then watching him fall in love with the idea as much as she has.

It showed Julia and her husband, Joel as they spoke with her parents about the idea. Her parents worried, brought up valid concerns like money and personal space.

I have just been so pleased with how they have presented this show to the viewers. The situation wasn't hokey and melodramatic... Julia wasn't a crazy, infertile lady who would pay thousands of dollars (even though she could afford it and had the opportunity to) to have a child... as much as she so badly wanted to have this baby in her family.

I hope they go all the way with it and show us viewers an open adoption. You really don't see it much on TV... It's not the popular choice out there. But, people need to be educated! It can be such an amazing gift! I am so unbelievably blessed to know members of Gabe's birth family. And, most importantly, so is he! I do not doubt for a moment that when God placed that boy in my arms, he had the entire plot laid out. I do not doubt that he brought all of us together to love this one very special child. Don't get me wrong, those first few visits were scary. I remember thinking they would've regretted choosing us. There are still times I joke about that with them. But I can honestly say, it has all worked out so well. I asked God to fulfill my hearts desire, and He did - bigger and better than I ever could have imagined.

So, thank you, Parenthood! Thank you for making others aware of adoption and what a gift it can be. Thank you for showing us a strong woman who desperately wants a child but remains wise to keep her family safe. Thank you for showing a birth mother who truly wants better for her child and is having trouble with that decision. This program has shown that it has not been easy for her. That is one of the biggest misconceptions... that these birth moms are just able to disregard their children. Not true. I have met many birth moms, watched many interviews, and read books regarding birth families... Their children are on their mind every day. THEY are taking the risk, placing their child's life in another woman's arms. WE didn't take the risk when we chose open adoption... She did. She trusted me with her son. And, I think about that all the time.

Parenthood is an awesome show - it's on Tuesday nights at 9:00 CST. Check it out!

In other news, I am watching my first episode of How I Met Your Mother... Starting at Season 1, Episode 1. And, I am hooked. I love you NPH! Oh, and Jason Segel? Probably one of my biggest crushes!