Some Christmas pictures.

As many of you know, Julie Roberts is an artist with the camera. I personally am a fan of the art of the renaissance so this picture of the hand of the Creator reaching down to the created (Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling) was always one of my favorites. It inspired me to suggest something for our photo shoot kind of in the same vein.






Little Eliza loves to latch on to my thumb or finger when she feeds. This close up reminded me of how Kristen and I got to participate with God in the creation of this little beauty. It is amazing to think that is what we did.


Here is one of our Christmas angel.

one of my favorites. My two best girls. What a blessed man I am!

A great reason to celebrate Christmas. I don't need any presents. Really. Okay maybe a completed dissertation...but that's it.

I may be only a little biased but....

I am pretty sure that besides the best looking wife ever, I am in the running for the cutest baby ever. If you don't believe that Photography is an art, you my friend, have never met Julie Roberts. She is more than a Photographer, she is an artist and someone we know as a friend and she makes my family, especially my baby...look good. So take a moment and see why I smile everyday....

just some thoughts...

First I have the prettiest and best wife ever. Kristen is the only Christmas present I need. She understands me, cares for me, and overlooks most of what I do. Plus she thinks I am funny and handsome? And by the way not to brag but I think my baby girl is the cutest thing ever. She is so much like her momma. Except she is a bit more of a morning person than Kristen. I love it in the morning when I change her diaper and she smiles so big that her eyes close. Now people can steal her away from me. But I can't wait till the day that she runs to me with a big smile because I am raising that child to be a daddy's girl. It is weird and humbling sometimes when I think that my relationship with Eliza will affect every male relationship she ever has. I hope that I can make her feel loved, valued, and protected so she grows up strong and secure and of course sassy.

In other news, I had my glucose tolerance test. No results yet. But I have been dieting about a month before it and have lost 15 pounds. Only about one person has noticed. Usually you have to lose about 30 before someone goes...dang are you losing weight? But I can tell. My shirts fit better and so do my pants. I am trying to get healthy not only to cure my possible problem with sugar but also my sleep apnea snoring issue. Plus I do feel better. and to end this post is a little movie of my princess. Her momma is the queen.

Christmas...

It is so exciting that I get to share my first Christmas with Kristen and our new little bundle of joy Eliza Mae. I love that kid. I really think that she is present enough to be honest. I know that she will be more interested in the paper and lights than any gift we get her but it will be her first celebration of the birth of Jesus with us. I hope that is what she always takes away from Christmas that it is about Jesus and not gifts.

In other news, Kristen and I saw this movie FireProof. It was pretty stirring emotionally and about how to "fireproof" a marriage. In the movie a guy tells his son to do the "love dare" it is a book that his wife wrote and has 40 days of trying to do things for your mate to draw yourself closer. Well the people in the movie actually published the book and it is on sale here http://www.amazon.com/Love-Dare-Stephen-Kendrick/dp/0805448853/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228491917&sr=8-1

It is a 40 day devotional where you read about an issue, you pray about it and then you have an action item. For instance the first lesson is on patience, and the first item is that you have to go one whole day without saying anything negative to your spouse. Then each day you add a different task on top of that one. It is hard but it puts all your energy into valuing your spouse. How many arguments would be avoided if you can't say anything negative? So far so good. I have been blessed with a beautiful woman who loves me and a wonderful child whose smile reminds me of her momma and teaches me that God is love. Happy Christmas early!

the help of family..

Kristen and I are so blessed to be around family that really love our baby and want to help us so much. Many of you my faithful readers will know this next lady very well....Teresa aka Mamaw or Big Momma. Whatever the name she is crazy....about our child...and when she can she helps us so much. She cooked Thanksgiving for us, a huge spread as Teresa only knows how to cook for a hundred people. It was soooo good.

Plus sometimes when she has a day off she comes down, babysits for us (giving my mom a spell) then cleans our house, buys us groceries and does our laundry. She once asked Kristen if I minded if she did my laundry. As the laundry person in the family...I was like what are you kidding me? But we just wanted to give a big shout out to our favorite ER nurse who has a crazy side that you have seen, (and will see again) and a great loving generous side which we see all the time. Just wanted to let Teresa know how much we (that's me too :) ) appreciate and love you and thank God for all you do for us and our little bundle of joy.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

Tonight Kristen went to the store to shop for our Christmas party for our student small group tomorrow night. So Eliza and Daddy put up the Christmas tree. Actually Eliza watched from the comfort of her bouncy seat but as i put the tree up and added more lights, she would jump and smile and make happy noises which I interpreted to be that's awesome daddy. It was a great tradition to start.

our tree our first Christmas as parents of Eliza Mae.

I think Eliza had fun...

momma and her babies...