august

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Quote of the week~

Of myself and futureSquid:

"I love you guys way more than my toys- I do! If you all were chained up somewhere, I'd give up all my toys to save you."- Bug.



Thank God for little boys and their uniquely male expressions of love!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Luck Be A Baby

Although this blog is supposed to be a chronicle of our naval adventures, something happened today that is entirely too ginormous to be ignored: today, futureSquid and I got ourselves a new niece. A St. Paddy's Day baby! Her dad is an airman, and their little family is stationed in Japan- a beautiful little miracle in the midst of all the chaos; 7 pounds 10 ounces of total perfection. Since I know she's super smart and she'll be reading this blog by next week, if not sooner, I'd like to say...

Welcome to the world, sweet little baby girl! Everything around you may be crazy right now, but you have two amazing parents who will take care of you, and a Heavenly Father holding all three of you in His hands. You are more loved than you can imagine - there are so many people so many miles away counting the days until we get to officially meet you!  In anticipation of your arrival, we were all guessing what you'd look like. I was hoping you'd have your daddy's curls and your mom's doll face. You are here, and while the curls have yet to show themselves, you are indeed a doll and one of the most beautiful things I've ever laid my eyes on! Those hopes tucked away, I have some new ones- I hope you have your dad's strong convictions and your mom's compassion. I hope you let Sugarplum Fairy teach you about princesses and shoes and Bug teach you about animals. I hope you know what your daddy is sacrificing to keep you, your mom, and our whole country safe, to make this world a better place for you. I hope you see how much your parents love each other, and I hope you get to hear their funny love story over and over. I hope you know that while your uncle is on the quiet side, he's completely crazy about you and wouldn't hesistate to do absolutely anything for you, your mom, and your dad. I hope you have fun wrapping the most doting grandparents on the planet around your finger. FYI: Mamaw B doesn't know how to say "no" so take it and run, baby girl! I hope you love God the way your parents do, and I hope you feel our prayers around you like an embrace every single night. I hope you know you are beautiful inside and out, and I hope with my whole heart that you always know how very much I adore being your aunt. You have been fearfully and wonderful made, little "Belle," and your uncle and I wish all the good things in the world and beyond it for you. Happy birthday, and as Sugarplum Fairy would say, "we love you too much!"



We prayed for this child and the Lord has granted us what we asked of Him.– 1 Samuel 1:27

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

40 Days of Water

"Lent is a call to live life fully for God, to faithfully fulfill our baptismal pledge even when it is hard. Even in days of doubt. Life in this world is only a moment, only a few seconds in the grand scheme of eternity, and we have this one chance to make the most of it. Created from the dust, we soon return to the dust. The comma is the previous sentence represents the entiretey of our lives. What will we do with that comma?"- Rev. Clayton Childers

I have struggled with that I would like to give up for Lent this year, because my motives have again and again been selfish, and about not giving up too much in my life of way too much. As early as last night, I had no idea what to do as far as giving something up with a genuine heart. Then I saw a link on my friend's facebook, and I knew it would be perfect.

http://40days.bloodwatermission.com/ - my username is ellebee on there if you'd like to keep up with me and hold me accountable!

40 days of no beverages but tap water. I love my fizzy drinks, way too much, so I'm making a point to stop and pray every time I get a craving. In addition, all the money I save will go to this amazing organization that works to bring clean water to Uganda. If I find myself whining about my lack of flavorful beverages, I will remember to thank God that I have water clean enough to drink, and drop some more money in the jar so that others can, too.

So I'm curious-do any of you observe Lent? And if so, what are you giving up?

Sunday, March 6, 2011

"It's not right or wrong, it's just 'figure it out'"- Julia Wilson

Check out my friend's wonderfully honest blog entry concerning post-partum depression and anxiety. At 18, having a little one and my fair share of anxiety myself, I wish I had understood that it's common, it's okay, and it's something that can- and often should- be addressed and handled. I hope you're as blessed by her words as I always am!

1 + 1 = 3: Should I Stay or Should I Go Now...