Smuckers Baby

It's always good to support your dad's career! As many of you know, Brian has worked for the J.M. Smucker Company for 2 years now. After seeing the below baby clothes, Brian felt Porter needed to have them. I think they are so cute!

Covington Weekend

Last weekend, Brian and I got a chance to get a way to Covington, Kentucky for a little fun. 

Above, you can see Brian at the Hofbrauhaus in Newport. It was awesome (although I only got to enjoy a root beer). The history of this brewery is so interesting. Maybe one day we can go to the one in Germany.

Porter Wendell Stephen

WE'RE HAVING A BABY BOY!  Porter Wendell Stephen looks to be very healthy and quite spunky. We cannot wait till he arrives in March! Here are pictures from his 20-week ultrasound:

How cute is he?!?!

This is the money shot. Supposedly, this picture shows we're having a boy!

It looks like our son takes after his father. In this picture, Porter's foot is actually resting on his head!

Here is a picture of Porter's little footsies...

Weekend at Lake Erie

For our third year anniversary, Brian surprised me with a trip up to one of our favorite get-away locations, Geneva-on-the-Lake! 

Although our anniversary is in July, due to the fact that we were moving, we saved the trip for Labor Day weekend.

It was a wonderful escape from the day-to-day routine. Even Keata Bear seemed to enjoy herself on this little outing.

Brian's Two Favorite Ladies

Pictures of the House

Here are a few pictures of our new home in Ellet:

We still have a lot to do on the inside. As more work gets finished, more pictures will come!

Our Little Peanut

Today, Brian and I got a first glimpse at our little one! Here are the ultrasound pictures of our 8 week year old baby!

Just a little closer...

A Thanksgiving Home

Before we got the keys to our house, we often would come by it for a "visit." We would look in the windows, walk around the property, talk with the neighbors, anything we could do to get a feel for our soon-to-be residence. One day, with my dear friend Sharon by my side, we went to "visit" with the house. As we peaked in the windows, Sharon said that we have ourselves a thanksgiving home. Since I have never heard of such a thing, I asked her what that meant. Turns out that ever since Sharon was little, she would look at a house and decide what holiday best fit that house's character. She said she has seen houses that fit the Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, and even Veteran's Day holidays, but mine was definitely a Thanksgiving house. I love that!

Thanksgiving is such a beautiful time. I love the colors, the smells, the time with family, and the time of celebrating all that God has blessed us with, and even the blessings he has withheld. As we begin our lives in this new home, I hope that we will keep true to the spirit of the house and retain a heart of thanksgiving in all that we do. With a baby on the way, renovations to be made, jobs that require our time and energy, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day. I pray that we remember what God has done for us and keep gratitude at the forefront of our hearts.

Boy, You Weren't Kidding!

Recently, Brian took at look at this blog and read my first entry. His response to my feelings about change, "Boy, you weren't kidding!" It's been a crazy couple of weeks to say the least. Not only have we bought a new home, we also found out that we are expecting a baby at the end of March! Change has officially found us!

Finding Home

After months and months of searching, we have finally found home. Praise God! Without a minute to spare, we will be moving to Akron's Ellet neighborhood in July. We are so excited! God directed us to a house that had everything we wanted and more. Never underestimate divine navigation!

Enjoying the Journey

Change is in the air. I feel it intensifying with each new day. I do not know what God has in store for us. I would like to speculate that these changes include more money, a nicer place to live, a promotion at work... but let's face it, God doesn't always work like that. Sometimes, I wish I knew God's big picture for us. This "one step at a time" business is for the birds. However, deep down, I know that the process is of much greater importance than the end result. We're living in the journey right now. Although we forget and try to take command on a regular basis, I pray that God remains our captain, and our lives conclude right where He planned.