Some of my favorite pictures of last year part 1...

I am so thankful for this past year. Here are some of my favorite memories. Lots and lots of pictures!

Dorothy's first moment with Maggie Sue!

Our first family picture.


Mike and his girls.

My family. In small, medium, and large.

Brooks, Jamie, and Mike in DC for the Sovereign Grace Worship God 09 conference.


Mike at Sojourn's CD release party.

...Again Mike at Sojourn's CD release party.


Our friends Lachlan and Ellory Sue with Dorothy at the Ems house.

4th of July with the Degraides and Montgomerys


This sums up my day sometimes.

I am so crafty I make people and quilts.



Grandpa and Grandma Huff with their grandkids and celebrating their 40 years of marriage.

I love this sweet girl.

Maggie Sue Courage

Halloween with the Lewis and Butlers.

Avery and Dorothy.

An outtake from our family portraits with my MamaDear, Mickie Winters. Yes those are pajama pants, with Mary Janes, with no socks.


These pictures were taken by me, Mike, Chuke Heeke, Michael and Mickie Winters, Chip Lewis...and if I forgot to credit someone, let me know.

I'll (try) to blog December pictures soon!

My mom and dad in about 1967.

Let's play catch up!

Here is a family pics of my parents 40th anniversary party the last weekend in September.

Mom and dad's community group amazingly donated much of the food and services to have this party and we had family and friends from many chapters of their life help celebrate.

Thankful for Maggie Sue

My friend Terri posts her daughter Ellory's prayers. So when Dorothy said her first unprompted prayer tonight I was inspired to post: "Jesus, Maggie Sue, Maggie, Thank you. AMEN!"

Dorothy's love has grown quite a bit since Maggie came into her world 8 weeks ago. Our prayer has been that they would be loyal to one another throughout life. I, a true nerd, looked up loyal: unswerving and faithful in allegiance. I feel like that sums up what I want for them.

The above picture was snapped with Mike's camera phone as we left from the hospital to bring Maggie home.

Tera tagged me...I was supposed to go to my 6th folder and get my 6th picture, but I just picked the 6th picture on my desktop. This is Miss D at the 930 this month. I would like this piece of art, from Lost Love in D's room.

Update:

• I have a tentative c-section date of April 21st!
• That is 10 weeks away!
• Mike,Neil, and the Sojourn worship team have almost finished their next CD!
• Mike is the co-founder of the Open Sourcebook, an free online liturgical resource for churches. It just launched this month.
• Sojourn has some GREAT new web blogs and resources. Check out TravelBlog. (SO THANKFUL FOR BOBBY GILLES WHO MAINTAINS THIS)
  
• Dorothy had her half birthday this week, that means she is 1 1/2!
• D talks in sentences as of this week. Some of them make NO sense and the other half are clear as day "I don't want noodles mama." "Read stories mama?" "Thank Jesus for cheeseburgers" Mike and I just look at each other shocked. I prompted her to thank to say thank you and she said "Thank you Mike" then started laughing, because she used his first name. She continues to call Mike's parents "Nana and Papa" And has labeled my mother "Sue-sue" and my dad..."Gamp-pa Sue-sue". I am not sure how he feels about that.
  
• We are sill dealing with so much crappy health...We all had colds and for Mike and Dorothy it developed into bronchitis...Mike's back, my arthritis. We just continually have to do life our own way. I have had to step back from a lot of expectations that others have on me and that I have put on myself. It is hard, but it is so nice to remind myself I am putting God first and then my family. And that is all that matters right now.
  

Our Huff family vacation Part 1

Dorothy and Sadie and our stroller, which weeks later
and after many cleanings still has sand in every crevice.
I love the ridiculous hat and that my dad is in the background.
This will be a favorite picture forever.
The whole crew
Another Classic Cousin Picture

I had another post planned today, but the rain changed my mind. It's not often I truly enjoy rain anymore. I use to love it. Often times now it comes with aches and pains, you know my arthritis...But today it's nice and relaxing.
I have good memories of the rain.

• I remember splashing in puddles with my brother, Matt as we yelled "Singing in the rain, Just singing in the rain". I imagine I was about 5th grade so he was probably 11th. He always did great fun things like that. He was "cool" but never to cool to have fun.
• I also liked taking naps in my mom and dad's family/TV room. With the couch next to the window and the rain coming down. It was the perfect sound and darkness to take a nap. Ohh...I still love their/my home. When we go there and we are on a time crunch I get sucked into a time warp and we usually leave a few hours after we were supposed to. I have been really thinking about my childhood home and thinking how I can recreate that comfort in our new house (keeping it clean would probably be a start)!
• Another memory of rain is my green raincoat. During my BIG thrifting phase in high school I bought it at "Unique" with Carrie. It is one of those old school ones lined in blue with strawberries on the inside. I've had it at lease 12 years now. It was probably 1o years old when I got it! That rain gear reminds me of my high school days...as I prepare for my ten year reunion next week! I wonder if I am too old to be wearing a bright green vintage rain coat. Please tell me if I am.
• A newer memory of rain is not the aches and pains that it can bring, but the great sound it makes on our sky light. Did you know we have a great sky light? It is one of the many favorite things about this little house Mike found for us. I hope the sound of the rain on it is a comfort and sweet memory for Dorothy and any other kids we have some day.

What do you love about the rain?




************************************************************************************
A look back at Dorothy's first year:

Now this is just ridiculous! This is her "Harvest Homecoming" outfit. And yes that is a poncho she is wearing. After all every kid that is of Floyd County descent must have a Harvest Homecoming outfit. I think I've already got this year's picked out :)

Praise God:

Lord I thank you that we are in a country where I can freely worship you and thank you for all you give me.

*Fried Green Tomatoes and Garlic Parmesan Mayonnaise from Lynn's

*Hand me down clothes and toys from friends and family

*Dorothy's cold is just a cold (I pray it stays that way)

*Our Church is helping take care of people

*My husband loves me well, and that's not just he sent me flowers though I am thankful for those too

*In less than a month both sets of our parents will live just across the river again

Graditude on Fridays...

Dorothy is 9 months old today!
Here she is as we take her home the hospital at 5 days old.

God I thank you for...

• Mike's safe travels...
• Clothes to wear, bed to sleep, food to eat...
• The option to eat healthy is getting easier around town...
• Dorothy dancing to anything that has a beat...
• A sweet but very protective dog...
• Good friends...
• That our baby girl is growing healthy and strong and is 9 months old today!

God, I am thankful for:Mike and Dorothy: baby dedication September 07
I heart them so much.

• Remembering our baby dedication last fall. It was a sweet day with family and friends.
  
• Spring weather
  
• Sewing and crafting
• Reconnecting with friends and family
  
• My church
  
• Getting to know people better over this "web" (this means you Ceece :)
• One of Dorothy's three emerging teeth popped through yesterday!

Praise God for all these things.

I Thank God For...

God, I thank you for...

my backyard

the yellow sparkles in my husband's and daughter's blue eyes

encouragement from my husband and parents when they see what I have sewed

that cutting out sugar from my diet seems to keep down RA flair ups, a bit

the book Philippians

Wendell Berry's writings

CSA starts soon

a dog who submits to a squealing, clawing 8 month old baby girl

a vacation with family