You know you're celebrating Christmas in Iowa when...

...your Mom needs to wrap the Christmas presents for her 3 year old Sunday School class in red or green paper based on the brand of tractor that family drives.

Second Time

I'm an auntie for the second time. Cameron was my first nephew and will always have a special place in my heart because of it.

At 3 1/2 though his cuteness could not hide the fact that he was a bit bossy and self absorbed at times (as I know many 3 1/2 year old are). I don't think he could help it and I loved how every time I said "okay, mr. bossy" to something he had just told me to do he'd respond with "I not bossy."

So, as of last Monday, Cameron is sharing the world with his new brother Mason. Mason had some complications when he was born and spent his first week in the hospital. All is well now and they are home from the hospital. Cameron got to meet Mason for the first time last night and this picture gives me hope that Cameron will now be the protective, nurturing older brother (and leave his bossy ways behind him).

Can't wait to see them both in about a week.

As for me and my HOUSE

...we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

Right now it's just me in the house but the point of this post (which is very late news) is to tell you that I closed on a townhome, painted (with the help of my awesome friends and family) and move in (also with the help of awesome family). It doesn't feel real yet (maybe it will when I make the first mortgage payment) but it does feel wonderful.

I do hope that instead of thinking of the house as mine and the stuff in it as mine I will ALWAYS think of it as a blessing from the Lord and it will be a place where I can glorify and serve the Lord. I do feel incredibly blessed. I plan to post some pictures here but until I get myself organized with that (before and after and such) I just wanted to share the news. Plus I don't even have a picture of the outside yet...I'll get that done this weekend.