February!

I can hardly believe it's February! Emilee is already 4 1/2 months old. She is SO cute and such a joy. She takes up all my time! :) She loves to play with toys now. She has several bug toys (a couple of bees, a firefly, and a lady bug), a squeeky Sophie the Giraffe, and a few little chewie toys. She loves them all and likes to stare at them and study them and grab them and put them in her mouth of course. One of her favorite toys lately is not even a toy... it's the cover on her boppy pillow! It has a cupcake printed fabric and she is mesmerized by it. She sits there and scratches at all of the different cupcakes and tries to eat them. She is just now starting to play with her voice. She'll lay there playing and make screechy sounds. Every couple of days she'll get in a giggly mood and crack up if you make faces or noises at her. She still loves to be held all the time, doesn't like tummy time very much, loves to smile, loves her pacifier, loves when Dada gets home from work, has a bit of a temper sometimes, and likes to relax in the bath. :) I LOVE snuggling her, playing with her, and making her smile and laugh!

This coming Sunday is our SIXTH wedding anniversary! All together we've been a couple for almost 9 years. I love my Ryan so much. He is so patient and loving. It has been fun to see him as a daddy the last few months. I only knew him as my husband and best friend for 5 years, and now I'm getting to know him as the father of my sweet baby, and I LOVE IT! She has captured his heart and it is so sweet. On Sunday, Grammy is going to watch Emilee and Ryan and I are going to see The Vow ( http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-vow/52482/main ) and go out to dinner at Crush. We were going to try Crush a few months back but we went on a Friday and it was super busy and they told us we would need a reservation. Fancy-shmansy. So tonight Ryan will call to make sure we can get in on Sunday. :) YAY! I'm excited.

Also, yesterday Ryan had his 7th work anniversary. It's going to be 10 years before we know it! Over the past 7 years Ryan has worked so hard and has moved up from an entry level position to the head of his department, overseeing about 10 employees. Several years back I realized (again) the power of prayer, taking two particular bible passages into action... Phillipians 4:6 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." And also The Prayer of Jabez. His story is found in 1 Chronicles chapter 4, but the gist of it is verse 10: " Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request." I began to submit our financial fears to God, not "being anxious" but presenting my requests to God through prayer. I prayed, similar to Jabez's prayer, for God to "expand our territory", but specifically praying this prayer regarding Ryan's employment. Since I started consistently praying for God to bless us in that specific area, He has blessed us again and again! He has blessed Ryan with promotions, raises, a hard-working attitude, a good work ethic, and favor with his bosses. Thank you, Lord! In fact, even before Ryan got the job at APC, he prayed for a job with some specific needs... a minimum of what he needed in a job to feel comfortable proposing to me and starting our life together. Not much longer, this job posting came up with the exact needs that he prayed for. He applied, interviewed, got offered the job, accepted, and the rest is history! :)