Buddies

(This picture was taken in our honeymoon bungalow in 2003)
Thanks to my dear friend Jenn Travis and I were able to have a much needed, long overdue date afternoon this weekend. It came after me sharing my heart with her about my feeling that I just don't have time for myself or my marriage anymore. She graciously, and just like a good friend does, sensed my need and insisted that Travis and I take a date afternoon. It was the best day I've had in a long time. Complete with a peaceful and delicious meal at HuHot Asian Grill, we strolled old town Fort Collins, hand in hand, flirting and kissing at random intervals the whole time. We daydreamed about our future, the things we want to do, places we want to go and the type of home we want to create for our family. We meandered in and out of our favorite stores and got all excited about the holiday season, it was just wonderful. I titled this post, "Buddies" for a reason. Throughout the afternoon, Travis kept putting his arm around me, looking at me intently and saying, "I love you buddy!" That may sound corny to some, but it means a lot to me. Travis and I have been together since junior high, and to say that he is my very best friend is an understatement. We have grown up together in a sense. But it's amazing how the demands of life, the roles we have come into as mother and father, provider and homemaker, have tried to get in the way of our friendship. We realized this weekend that we have to MAKE time to nurture ourselves and our relationship. Relationships don't maintain themselves, WE have to feed and water them. We need to be in the habit of offering date afternoons to our friends, because we ALL need them. Jenn reminded me that instead of complaining about this hard time in life with young children, I needed to do something about it! Thank you Jenn. Let's keep scratching each other's backs. We can make it through these years of self sacrifice if we will just take and make the time to fill our tanks on a regular basis. In reply to Travis's sentiment, I love you too "Buddy", and I promise to never let our buddy status die!
Sarah

Emma's Post

I've just noticed that the past few posts have been pictures of just Chloe. Even though miss Emma Grace isn't changing as rapidly, I must brag on her just the same as every day with my little peanut is such a blessing. She's quite the little girl now, it's hard to still call her a "toddler" since she hasn't "toddled" in quite some time and her vocabulary might have her in first grade! She's heavy into make believe these days. She loves cooking us things in her kitchen and having faux conversations on her play cell phone. She's been developing some night time fears, it's our routine now to turn on her night light and close the closet door before naps and bedtime. She's adjusting better and better to her little sister, she's very affectionate and nurturing most of the time. It makes my heart smile to hear her mothering Chloe with the same words I use with her. She's a born mommy! I took these pictures during a candid moment of Emma trying to curl up in Chloe's (her old) papasan seat like a baby. Doesn't it just capture what most of us wish we could do from time to time? When we are kids, we long to be older, but when we are adults, we miss our childhood. Potty training is sort of on hold right now. When she's in the buff, Emma will use the potty, but not for number two yet. She's a bit "anal retentive" ha, ha! I'm waiting for her desire to catch up with her ability. No use forcing the issue if she's not wanting to, at least that's my take. I have no fears that she'll be entering kindergarten in diapers! Well, that's the latest with my eldest little sweetheart. Don't forget to check out the post just below this one. It's new as well.

Love, Sarah

Announcement!

To all of you who haven't read about it on Amber's website (password Tayden) yet, I am happy to announce that I'm going to be an Auntie again! That's right, Amber and Tommy are expecting their second child due June 24th, 2007! As many of you know, Amber and Tommy's first son Tayden was born at 24 weeks, VERY early. Considered a micro-preemie, the odds were stacked against him. But praise be to the Lord, he is a normal, healthy two year old now with little to no major effects from the whole experience. As you can guess, Amber and Tommy are very nervous along with the excitment going into this pregnancy, and we all covet your prayers. Please pray that Amber is able to carry this precious baby to full term and that she gets to enjoy being HUGE in her third trimester, letting that baby stay in the ideal environment for as long as possible. I wanted to wait to announce this to give Amber the chance to do all her announcing first, but I've now been given the go ahead. They have their first big two hour appointment with the high-risk doctors on November 9th, so pray that all looks well and that these doctors are as proactive and thorough as can be for them. Thanks! And congrats again Seed and Tomeed!
Love, Sarah

2 months old!

I'm two months old!
We can hardly believe it, but yes, our little baby is already two months old! She went to the doctor for her two month visit on her actual two month birthday. Brace yourselves, our little "Biddle" as we call her is is a whooping 12 pounds, 12 ounces and 24 inches long! That puts her in the 80th percentile for weight and the 97th percentile for height! Breastmilk is doing her well, we've got a tall one on our hands I think.

She's doing really well, such a smily little girl, so content to watch the antics of me chasing her big sister around and doing various chores. Emma and I do a lot of singing to her, which she loves, she has no doubt that "Jesus loves me" at this point!Believe it or not, Emma's jealousy has subsided and she truely has fallen in love with her little sister. When we drop Travis off at work in the mornings, he always gives her a kiss good-bye, and then goes to Chloe's side to give her one. Emma is now in the habit of reminding him, "now give Chloe a kiss". When she hasn't seen her in awhile, she get's so excited to see her again and tells everyone who will listen that it's her little sister Coee and then makes little goos at her the way I do. She's a little mommy in the making, no doubt.
On another note, some big things are happening in our lives in the near future, some of which we're not sure the direction on. We finally have our townhome in Utah under a solid contract, praise the Lord! If all goes well there, we will close by the end of the month. We are continuing in the process of building the house over by Travis's parents, but we've not yet been able to get our current house rented out to someone else for the rest of the lease. So... one of two things will happen, either we get this place rented and close on the new house November 30th or we don't get this place rented out and have to back out of the house we're building, which would make us sad. But, the one lesson that keeps getting pounded into our heads is that we are not in control, God has good things in store for us if we will only trust Him and that being good stewards of what He's entrusted us with is all we can do, the rest is in His hands.
Please do continue to pray that we get renters for this place, but more importantly, pray for God's will in all of it, that we would have peace that even if things don't work out the way we hope they do, God is in control and He loves us. "No one can snatch us out of His hand!" Amen!
We love you all, and please let us know how we can be praying for you too.
Always, Sarah

Please Pray

I come to you all with a request for prayer. As many of you know, we are in the process of building a new home. It will be finished and we will be closing on November 30th, if all goes according to plan. The last order of buisness that needs to happen, however, is that we need to get our current rental subleased to someone else for the remaining 7 months of the lease. We have a couple coming to view it for the second time tomorrow afternoon at 2:00pm. The prayer request is that we might somehow come out on the top of their top three list after they see it again tomorrow. We know that God has this all worked out and that we can trust Him to take care of the details, but we also know that prayer is effective, amen! I'll keep you posted. And if you know anyone looking for a house to rent in the Fort Collins area, let us know. The home will be available December 1st. Thank you all in advance!
Love, Sarah

Hodge Podge of Chloe Pictures

Here's another rundown of Chloe pictures for your viewing pleasure. I'm trying to make sure we take just as many pictures of her as we did of Emma and gush about her just as much. It's really not taking much effort though, Chloe definitely won't need to do the typical second born complaining of not having as many pictures of her as Emma does. The heart truely does expand with each new child!She has my eyes, don't you think? Not big saucers like Emma, but definitely not small either.Learning to snap her fingers already, hee, hee! My two girls keep me on my toes, that's for sure!"Emma, she's my Grammy too!"

Practicing her driving already!