November 2012

November began with a bang as we celebrated Liv's 1st birthday, and it never slowed down!  We transitioned directly into a celebration of Justin's BIG 30th birthday, followed by much Thanksgiving celebration and preparations for Advent!

Liv just crawled right into this space after I had directed one of my sweet ones' meltdowns into thankfulness, otherwise I would have melted too! 

Lainie got her first EVER haircut at 4.5 years old:)

I introduced Lizzie to the wonder that is TCBY White Chocolate Mousse.  A date with this girl is a GIFT!

Leading up to Justin's Birthday, we had a 30 Days to 30 countdown.  Each day, Justin had a card to open that either told about a small gift or special activity.  This was really fun as the girls participated in many of the activities, both getting to take Daddy on a date- Lizzie to see Brave at the theater and Lainie to the Donut Shop:)  They also served their Daddy well in those 30 days, even cleaning his office one day!  The culmination of the countdown was set to be night with friends at a high speed gokart track.  Unfortunately, after we all got our schedules aligned, arranged for childcare and drove almost 2 hours away, the lights at the track turned out as we entered the parking lot, 30 minutes prior to their posted hours of operation!  We were told they just closed early since no one was there; AHHHHHH!!!!!  After another failed attempt at a place called Shenaniganz (where the carts went roughly 5 mph), we ended up at a place in Dallas that was still fun but not nearly what I had planned:(  Thankful though for a fun night out with 6 adults in one car for several hours of adult conversation and a lot of laughs!

My 30 year old LOVE!

FRIENDS!

One of my favorite gifts I gave to Justin- My friend Joy made our Wedding Vows fancy!  

You should definitely check out her Etsy shop!  

Dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse with the fam

My Cheesecake Making Assistant.  Butterfinger was the request this year:)

Lainie was the Shining Star on Super Hero Day at Preschool, where she saved the world with the Power Of LOVE (Celine Deon sang her theme song).

How can you not smile at this?!

Even Kelsey got a cape and a hair heart for this special day!

Thanksgiving fun began with Lainie's Thanksgiving Feast at school.

Elaine means "Ray of Light," and her Indian Vest said "Walks in the light"

I had tears in my eyes as I saw her wearing this, because this is our biggest prayer for Lainie, that she would grow to be a woman who walks in the Light of Jesus and shines for HIS GLORY!  We are already seeing glimpses of this light and have such great hope for what God has planned for this girl!

The girls worked super hard to memorize Psalm 100 in the month of November, and I was so proud of them for totally rocking it:)

You can see them Here

We were blessed to house hop to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family!

The cousins at Grammy and Pop's house!

Liv and Uncle GB bonding

My little leaf girls (a little earlier in the month when Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Trey were in town)

Liv loves snuggling with Aunt Cheryl

Uncle Trey... well we aren't so sure

Cousin Pics in Christmas Dresses!

 

A few other highlights...

     

We went to a special presentation at the Library by a relative of a Mayflower passenger!  Super Cool!

     

Liv found the favored spot of all my babes at this age!  Tupperware and plastic cups... FUN!

       

And we had a BLAST filling our boxes for Operation Christmas Child and praying for the sweet girls who will receive them.  Oh Jesus, capture their hearts, let them know your love!

(As a side note, it was after taking this picture that my phone disappeared for several hours.  I delivered the boxes to the drop off location and then had a horrible feeling that my phone had been packed up and sent away to one of our sweet girls!  Finally, my phone was found in our homeschool supply closest where Lainie had put it for safekeeping.)  

        

Our world may seem a little crazy and upside down most days, but we are thankful for all of the chaos and wouldn't change it for the world!

Seven Days of Olivia Rae... Day 7

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday Olivia Rae!

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Today we celebrated LIFE!  On the day after a crazy election and much anxiety, we rejoiced in much more than politics!  We rejoiced in a Maker and Sustainer who saw it fit to breathe life into Olivia Rae Bassett and to choose Justin and I as her parents and Elizabeth and Elaine as her sisters!  We rejoiced in the Provider God who has given us everything we have needed to take care of  Olivia and so much more.  We rejoiced in  our King who reigns supreme over Olivia's life.  We rejoiced in the Prince of Peace who grants rest to our sweet girl when she is weary and the same to her family.  We rejoiced in Emmanuel who is ever-present and near in our home as we raise our family.  We rejoiced in our great Redeemer who is able to take our feeble attempts at loving and discipling Olivia and use them to draw her near to Himself. We rejoiced in El Roi, God who sees the beginning and end and has good planned for Olivia through it all.  We rejoiced in our ROCK who has given us a firm place to stand as we have tread uncharted waters for our family.   We rejoiced in our Savior, thankful for our salvation and hopeful for that gift for Olivia.

We had a fun and relaxing day just enjoying Olivia!  We had confetti pancakes for breakfast, mac and cheese for lunch and Chic Fil A for dinner... Now if that doesn't say celebration, I don't know what does!  

The girls and I took Olivia out for some pictures this afternoon... I thought having pretty water fountains in the background would be cool.  Liv thought they were cool too... to look at:) Photographer fail!  Oh well, we had fun and I got a few good ones:)
*The awesome birthday ensemble is compliments of Grammy!
**My favorites from the day are the sequence with Lizzie and Liv... oh goodness that relationship is something special!

Seven Days of Olivia Rae... Day 6

Today is day 6 and it is devoted to what Jesus has taught me through the life of Miss Olivia Rae.  This post will will reach back 21 months, because so much of what I learned was in the 9 months that Liv grew inside of me.

I suppose that I was so anxious to get pregnant again, that I didn't think quite enough about what the emotions would be like during a pregnancy following the loss of Charlotte and then of Hope.  I just really wanted another baby.  I knew I was pregnant in mid February but I refused to take a test until March and then didn't announce anything until the end of April!  There was just something so overwhelming about embarking on this journey, so the things that made it official were really scary!  It was a daily fight to not be paralyzed by fear and to in turn take captive every thought the enemy threw my way of the "what if's?"  It was in those days that I felt almost suffocated by fear that the Lord lifted me up.  He sent Truth my way via sweet friends who were clearly walking in the Spirit and were obedient to His promptings.  What a sweet gift those phone calls, texts, emails, and hugs were!  I wish I could say that I was bathing myself in scripture, but I honestly was just hanging on by a thread, so those nuggets of Truth really were what I clung to.  Looking back, I am so thankful for friends who fight with me and for me and are strong when I am weak.  I really am not sure how I functioned as a mom and wife for the first half of my pregnancy, much less as a friend, so thanks to those of you who hung with me in what was likely a very one-sided relationship.  I mean, when you are afraid to go to the bathroom for fear of what you may see... life is pretty dicey.  However, I am the paint a smile on your face gal, so it is likely that very few of you saw this fear.  Looking back, I wish I had been more honest in the moment, but I think I was afraid I may explode if I just let down my guard slightly.

While my pregnancy was fear filled, it was also excitement filled.  While we rejoiced over having another girl, we also grieved not having Charlotte.  While I love the relationship that Lizzie and Lainie share, I often wonder what the relationship between Charlie and Liv would have been like (they too would be 20 months apart).  When people comment about my 3 beautiful girls, I want to scream "There are 4, and actually a 5th that we never knew!"  We are walking in a constantly swinging pendulum of thankfulness and grief.  I really don't think there is a line in the middle, and even if there was, I am not sure I would want to walk it.  I think it is only right that we feel both emotions fully, even if my life feels like a never ending roller coaster!

I think about Charlotte and Hope often. As I nurse Liv, get her dressed, take her picture, buckle her into the car seat, sing over her, bathe her, listen to her laugh, teach her new things, watch her play, watch her sisters love on her, watch her love her Daddy, hover over her peaceful sleeping, I just wonder what it would be like to do all of those things with Charlotte and Hope too.  Jesus has given me sweet peace in these moments.  I think at first I felt guilty for not trusting His plan in these moments, but He has tenderly loved me as I asked questions and actually given me a new freedom in coming before Him with my heart laid bare rather than with the response I think I am supposed to have.  For this I am thankful!

There is much more that I have learned through life with Liv.  I am sure I will continue to process it, and I will share as I am able, but I hope you have seen a glimpse of my heart here.

We have always sung over our girls before bed, and Olivia is no different.  I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about what her special song would be, but the Lord gave me "Great is Thy Faithfulness"  very early on, and we have gone with it.  It really is perfect.  Lamentations very much captures my heart in so many ways, so I am glad to be able to sing the Truth of it over my sweet girl so often.

Lamentations 3:21-24

21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;^b
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

Life with Olivia is precious!  She is so full of personality and light.  She is a GOOD GIFT!  I am so hopeful for what God has planned for her life and how her story will be woven into the tapestry of His Kingdom.

Seven Days of Olivia Rae... Day 5

Day 5 is for PARTY!  By the time you get to plan your third One Year Old birthday party, you get smart!  For Lizzie's first birthday we FILLED our house and backyard with everyone imaginable, and at the end of the party, Lizzie was hiding in the corner playing with her favorite old toys.  For Lainie's, we toned it down considerably and just invited her little friends, because you know, they do so much interacting with one another.  While this was better, it still was a bit chaotic and brought unnecessary stress.  For Miss Liv, we had just our family over for lunch and cupcakes on Sunday.  It was perfect!
A few highlights:
-Liv likes croutons and ice... lunch of champions! (Gotta save room for your cupcake!)
-Olivia clearly has learned from her Momma... waste NO time when there are cupcakes involved!  There is no shame in needing a bath after a good dessert:!
-A last minute gift from my Granny of a light up ball was the hit of the day!
-Lainie's job was opening cards and Lizzie's was reading them.
-A good part of the day was spent pointing at Paw Paw and laughing.
-Olivia was a good sport about letting everyone hold her and love on her:)

 Let's Get this PARTY started!

 Playing Peek A Boo with Chelsie

 She saw me pick up the camera, and this is what I got!

 I'm pretty sure Lizzie thinks I am am incompetent mother.  She was holding Liv's hand, thinking I would let her touch the candle.  What a protective Big Sis!

 The only pic with Mommy:)

 Almost conquered!

 Lots of LOVE!

 THE BALL!

 Time for a BIG GIRL kitchen:)

 Do you see those curls?!

 Our first ball popper for the Bassett home:)

Sharing with Grammy and Nana:)

 What a gift to have 3 great grandparents still alive!

 I need my ball back PLEASE!

Look Grandaddy! 

 Look Mamaw! I got a big girl cup like Lizzie and Lainie!

 Pretty sure she is a genius... She turned the faucet and made the water sound:)

 All to myself!

Oh, Pop...

 HI!

Lizzie and Lainie took the job of arranging pictures very seriously!

 Our sweet photogenic girl!

My favorite banner I have made so far with my Silhouette 

All Partied Out, but still SMILING!