He is Risen!!

Happy Easter everyone!  Wow did we have an eventful Easter this year.  I am so incredibly tired right now so I am not going to write alot, but I wanted to get this post up for our parents since they keep asking me for pictures.

The Easter bunny made his first visit to the Smith household.  James loved his little basket, especially his Rangers hat, bat, and ball.  We had some Easter themed pancakes and got all dressed up for church.  Church was amazing as always and especially today as we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior.  We then had some friends over for an Easter lunch.   We had a ton of food!!!  I roasted my first turkey.  I was so nervous, but thanks to my mom, my mother-in-law, and Pam and Mark Wade it was a success!  We had a little egg hunt in the backyard and then took a few family photos.  The family photos were a little difficult but I posted the best one of the bunch.

All in all it was a great day.

He is Risen, He is Risen indeed!

The Great Outdoors

    Well this post is way over due, but since I am so behind I am just going to post a few pics from when we went to the Forth Worth gardens last month.  It was a blast.  We think this little guy loves being outside and exploring.  He loved looking at the trees and touching the grass.  He also had a good time eating his lunch.  I don't think it gets much better than this.  

h

6 Month Photo Shoot

I can not believe that 6 months has already come and gone.  This was a big month for our little man.  During his sixth month James accomplished the following:

1.) James started eating solids: rice cereal, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, and now carrots.  Alot of people told me it would take a while for him to really get the concept of eating solids...um not so much for this little fella.  It took him about three days to understand that the food needed to stay IN his mouth for him to actually enjoy it.  He LOVES to eat, but that doesn't really surprise me, he is a Smith boy and Smith boys know how to eat.  He also started drinking apple juice...yum! 

2.)  James has started the journey of learning how to crawl.  He is so close!  He started getting on his hands and knees and doing the "baby rock" as some call it.  He tries so hard to crawl everyday and he is getting so close.  My prediction is that he will be crawling by 8 months...we'll see.

3.)  James officially started teething in his 6th month.  He currently has 4 teeth, wow!  Two of his lower middle teeth are in completely.  He has one tooth on the top that is slowing making its way out and one on the bottom right that is slowly coming through.  He has been a trooper though it all.

4.)  James had his dedication service in this month.  You can check it out on our blog.

5.)  James visited the west coast.  We went back to Pasadena, California a few weeks ago.  We will blog more about that soon.

6.)  James officially started to show off his dance moves...yeah that's right, our boy has started bouncing around to certain beats of music.  I have to say that I'm not surprised...his parents know how to bust a move, ha!

I am sure there are more things that I need to add to this list, but these are the ones that are the most significant right now.

We love you baby James!  You are the best blessing we have ever received.  Getting to watch you grow each and everyday is something we cherish.  I always tell your dad that I wish I could slow down time because I don't want you to grow up to fast.  I am loving every second of your life.  My favorite moments are when you are still a little sleepy in the mornings and you fall asleep on my chest.  I could do that all day everyday.  Although I can't wait to learn your favorite color, your favorite animal, and hear you finally say mommy, I am enjoying this stage you are in right now.  You are a miracle to us.  I pray that I never take a single day for granted.  We are looking forward to month 7!

Dedication Sunday

This past Sunday was a very important day for our little family.  We officially vowed in front of all of our friends and family that we would raise our son to know Jesus Christ.  It was a very brief ceremony, only lasting about 10 minutes or so, but it was extremely meaningful for me.  I was telling Jerimiah on one of our walks the other day that I hold this day to the same importance as our wedding day.  I know, I know...kind of a strange thing to say, but its true.  Now don't get me wrong, I haven't been planning this event for 6 months, agonizing over invitations or what dress to wear.  Nothing like that (thank GOD!)  But verbalizing in front of God, our family, our church, and friends that we will do our very best to love him in a Godly manner and to conduct ourselves in such a way that Christ is reflected is no small task.  This responsibility is one that weighs heavy on my heart each and everyday.  To know that this innocent little boy will look to his parents to see a reflection of Christ overwhelms me.  It makes me incredibly determined to hold tight to the word of God, even more than before.  I want so much for my son to know the peace that only comes from God, to feel His presence when he is hurting, to see the miracles that He has performed all around us.  I pray every night that God would grab a hold of my little boy and would overwhelm his heart with love and joy.  I am so excited to see where God will lead my James.  He was created for a purpose and I can't wait to see what that purpose will be.

The dedication day was a fun one!  We had all kinds of family in town to celebrate this day with us.  I took almost 300 pictures on this day and I tried to figure out the best way to share some of them with out overwhelming this blog post (oops, too late).  So here is a little snap shot into our dedication Sunday.

 I have to say, James was looking pretty sharp in his little outfit.  I haven't really had to buy him many clothes since he was born thanks to all of his generous grandparents.  However, on this occasion I did some serious shopping for his outfit.  Of course, he could make anything look cute.  

We gave James his first Bible.  Hopefully he will learn to love it as much as we do.  

Nannet did an amazing job of making the dedication special for all of the families.  We all got to take a pic with Dennis after the dedication, got a certificate, a little Bible, and a DVD of the service.  We are incredibly blessed by our church and especially our preschool department.  James was loving his ride in the wagon!

We had everyone at our house after the service for a little celebration luncheon.  I'll admit, I went a little overboard with everything.  But it was just such a special day for me.  Maybe it's a mom thing, I don't know.  It may not have been that big of a deal to any one else, but it was a big deal to me.  Anything that involves my child is a big deal to me so I will probably always go a little overboard...and I'm ok with that. 

Here are a few pics of the spread.  I have to thank Jer and my parents for working really hard to help me pull this all off.  I couldn't have done it with out their help!  Thanks team! 

The Menu:

Sandwich Trio: 

Grilled Ham and Cheese (we used gouda cheese and it was so good)

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwiches (Thanks Edie)

Soups: 

Chicken Noodle

Tomato Basil

Salad Greens

Fruit and Dip

Cheese and Crackers

Dessert:

Snickers Cupcakes (thanks Linds!)

Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Cupcake Cake Balls

Lots of great family.  We are very blessed to have this many people who love us and our little boy.

My boy James.

We had a little station set up for our family to write prayers and wisdom to James.  This was very special for me.  I read through some of these prayers last night and just cried my eyes out. 

Overall, it was an amazing day.  I will never forget it. 

Walking

So I've decided that one of my favorite things to do is go on a walk. Well, actually, I guess I should clarify that statement a little bit. If you think about it, there are a number of different ways and reasons we take one foot and put it in front of the other. More often than not we walk with a purpose. It could be for a simple reason, as in walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water ... or walking to the bathroom to brush your teeth. There are also occasions where a walk is undertaken for a greater purpose. Not too long ago I found myself walking through the mountains of Costa Rica ... for nine hours ... all day ... to visit four churches of four remote villages. Perhaps the "greatest" purpose I've ever seen associated with a walk was when I watched the women of my family cross the finish line after walking 60 miles, over three days, to help the fight against breast cancer.

The point in mentioning all of this is that most walks begin with a purpose. So when I say, "I've decided that one of my favorite things to do is go on a walk," it begs the question as to what sort of walk I would be referring to and the purpose I have been prompted to pursue. Well, it probably goes without saying that I'm not talking about those simple walks that take me from the bedroom to the living room. Nor am I referring to the grueling journey of traversing the Costa Rican landscape and the inevitable exhaustion that ensues. I'm referring to an unexpected richness that emerges when one walks simply for the sake of walking.

Tonight, I returned home after an elaborate excursion at the grocery store. Tomorrow is James' baby dedication at church so we will be hosting friends and family all day after the service. Jennifer has been amazing in her preparation. She is absolutely the best mom ... no doubt. She has worked tirelessly to cultivate a beautiful day tomorrow. But the reason I love all the effort is that she isn't trying to impress our relatives or work on her baking skills, she simply loves our son so much she'll do anything to make his days special. So, my trek to the grocery store held an uncommon amount of pressure. I had a specific list and was given specific instructions to take a pen and "cross things off my list to make sure I actually picked it up and put the item in the basket." I can proudly say I passed this test. So I returned home nearing the hour when James is finishing his late afternoon meal and is teetering on the edge of needing a quick nap before his nightly routine. It's a time of day when the sun begins to descend into the lower half of the west Texas sky and the heat of the afternoon fades into a comfortable coolness. If you looked up trying to locate the clouds, there were few to identify. It was a perfect day. So, I wanted to walk ... and take my son with me.

Before James was born Jennifer and I began to incorporate an evening walk into our daily routine. I guess you could say that our "purpose" was to help with the labor or for exercise, but really, it was just to walk ... nothing more. It quickly turned into one of my favorite times of the day because when we fled the trappings of the home that can steal our attention with laundry, chores and TV shows, we exposed ourselves to a world of simple discovery. All of a sudden we went from living in a house to living in a neighborhood. We went from living on a street to living amongst neighbors. Our eyes shifted from pictures on a screen to the portraits of landscape and the colors that only creation can provide. We went from feeling the regulated temperature of central heating and air to the cool chill of a subtle wind or the comforting warmth of a setting sun. But without a doubt, the greatest discovery was how we magically journeyed from short, sporadic statements of requests and instructions to the enriching depths of authentic communication. It was more than question and answer, it became a revealing of our thoughts, emotions, frustrations and hopes. It quickly became my favorite time of day and the best way to spend some valuable time with my favorite person.

These memories began reemerging just a few weeks ago and we relished that the more recent walks have included a new companion along the way. The conversation remains vibrant and engaging, only now, our gaze continues to look down upon our son taking in the elaborate details of this world for the first time. You can see he is trying to process what this "tree" is all about; or he is trying so hard to discern the noises of the birds flying in the air; the wind that comes and goes intrigues him and he looks in our direction to see if we are making the same discoveries that have him so captivated. We just meet his eyes and smile, we are the only ones that understand he is the greatest display of creation we could ever taken in ... and he has us captivated. So today, I walked down different streets and saw different houses I had yet to discover in our community. I showed my son the first duck that wasn't a cartoon in some book but one that could actually fly, swim ... or walk. I watched him as his eyes slowly grew heavy and eventually closed thereby granting him that much needed nap at this part of his day. And once again, it affirmed why I have grown so fond of these moments.

I guess all I'm trying to say is that there is something to be said for finding that simple thing that can breathe depth into your day. Whenever we discover those moments that can shake us from the monotony of routine or the trappings of desensitization, we would be wise to explore them further. We are often so distracted by thinking about "what is next," be it a daily chore, an event for tomorrow, a project at work, an email we have to send, or anything that might be outlined in our future; we so constantly let our days vanish at such a rapid rate we rarely stop and ask the question, "what is now?" In my recent experience, shedding those sorts of distractions can take us to a place of richness we may not have realized was dying to be discovered and appreciated. Whether it be the subtle beauty of living in this incredibly crafted world, the incredible insight into another person's soul when you finally let conversation run free, or the awe inspiring glimpses of your son taking it all in for the very first time, we are finally knocked over by the power of our current situation ... the simplicity of "now." Perhaps that power is a subtle tasting of the truth that worrying about tomorrow is meaningless ... it has enough troubles of its own. Thinking about all the demands of tomorrow and "what is next" can not add a single hour to your life, rather it often steals your attention from the very life that is waiting for you to discover now. For life is so much more than a check-list, a TV show, a chore or a task at home. That's why I think these moments have become my favorite times of day. I think that's why I have grown to love walking just for the sake of walking. Because in those steps, I seem to see things just a little bit differently. I discover a rich humility that provides an eloquent reminder as to what life is all about.

So here's to walking ...

Baby James at 6 Months

  I can't believe that my sweet little boy is now 6 months old.  It seems like it was just yesterday that we brought him home for the first time.  I remember looking at him in the hospital the day he was born and just realizing how this little person would change my life forever.  I can also remember all the months and years I prayed and cried out to God to send me a child.  Those were some of the hardest times of my life, but I am so thankful for every tearful night because they have helped me appreciate every second I have with my son.  I don't take a second with him for granted.  Even the times when he is crying at 2:00am, I am blessed to be rocking my baby back to sleep.  He is everything to me.  I just hope and pray that I can be the mother that he needs me to be.  Being a mother is such a huge honor.  Even more than that it is a huge responsibility.  I feel the weight of this responsibility each and every day.  I am constantly going before God and asking him to give me the strength and wisdom I need to raise this little boy.  In a world full of hurt and evil my initial reaction is to protect him forever.  I just want to keep him close to me forever and never let him go.  But I believe that God has great things to do with this little boy of mine.  I know he has a great purpose on this earth and I can't wait to see what it is.   Thank you Jesus for my sweet little miracle.  James, your momma is so in love with you. 

On a lighter note, this is the pre-bowel movement face that James gets right before he has a blow out.  (and yes, one second after this picture was taken we had a massive blow out, fun times).

He is always sucking on those toes.  This is one of my favorite things...pretty much everything he does is my favorite thing.

Right now James is SO close to crawling.  He pushes up on his arms and kicks his little feet.  He is scooting a little.  You're so close James!!

After he has been trying to crawl for a while he gets really tired and has to take a little break.  So cute.

These little legs never stop moving...seriously....they never stop.

Little man got his shots yesterday and it was sad, but he is so tough that it only bothered him for about 1 minute, then he was good.  In this pic he was really preoccupied with his band aids.  He wanted them off!

Please note the blur from his bff, Solie dog.

This dog has been killing me lately.  She has been eating food out of the trashcan on a regular basis this week.  She is so smart that it's stupid.  She knows how to open the door under the sink and get food out of the trashcan.  She is really sneaky about it and quietly takes it to the guest bedroom to devour.  Today I wrestled her to the ground to pull out a stick of string cheese.  Awesome. 

James would pretty much do anything to get Solie to recognize him.  Poor kid, she couldn't care less.