Mom went back to work!

Wow! So mom went back to work, and our blog has been seriously neglected! There has been so much happening lately and so many wonderful things that we would like to share- but instead of having like 15 new posts all at once, here is a quick summary of our last month!

LITTLE MISS ASHLEY MARIE

Ashley turned three months and is growing more and more each day. She is giggling and smiling - especially in the mornings (which she gets from her dad!) and has amazing head control! She loves to sit up and take in the world around her and absolutely loves looking at herself in the mirror. One thing she is still learning how to do is suck her fingers. She goes back and forth between the pacifier and the 'fist' so who knows what she will end up doing!

ASHLEY IS DEDICATED AT CHURCH!

Ashley was also dedicated on November 23rd at our church, Calvary Chapel Castle Rock! For those who do not know what a baby dedication is, it is a special time where we publicly declare our desire to raise Ashley in a Godly home, seeking out his will for her life. We choose not to baptize babies because biblically, baptism is explained to be an outward expression of an inward change. It is a demonstration of a person's faith, and symbolizes their new life in Christ after they have become saved. A baby cannot express that decision for their own life yet, and so her baptism will be saved until she has made the decision to accept Christ as her personal Lord and Savior.

For her dedication, we present her before our church, and more importantly, before God, and ask for the support of our family, friends, and our church as we try to raise her in a way that is pleasing to God. Baby dedication is also based on biblical scripture in 1 Samuel when Hannah presents her son, Samuel, to the Lord. She recognizes that her son is God's creation, entrusted into her care, and declares that she will raise him in a way that is pleasing to God.

Our pastor led the church in a prayer for Ashley, and for us as parents. He then presented her with a certificate, and her very own pink baby-sized Bible. Too cute!

Ashley also got a very special gift from Erin's mom. A baby cross necklace that Erin's Grandma gave to her Mom when she was a baby. She wore it for the dedication and Pastor Brian pointed out that she had 'baby bling' :)

She also had a special keepsake bonnet given to her by Erin's friend Ashley. It has a small cross on it and now gets saved for 'good luck on her wedding day'--I can't even think about her getting married right now, but it is still very special to have!

It was an incredible day and we were so blessed to be able to share it with both immediate and extended family members! Afterwards everyone came back over to our townhome for lunch. It was a tight fit- but everyone had a good time.

Thank you Jesus for our little miracle!

THANKSGIVING!

A week later we were able to travel back to Minnesota to spend some bitter-sweet time with Erin's Dad's side of the family. Erin's Grandmother sadly passed away just shy of her 92nd birthday. She had led a rich life and was ready to be reunited with Christ and her late husband, but it was still heartbreaking to lose her. We were blessed with the opportunity to go back to Minnesota for her funneral, and while we were there we were also able to celebrate Thanksgiving with extended family members. We do not have the opportunity to get out to MN that often, and so it was nice to have a few days to visit and spend time with each other. Here is Ashley-bundled up and ready to face the chilly MN air! She looks both extremely chubby, and completely adorable!

Erin was very nervous about traveling with Ashley on a plane, but she was AMAZING and slept the entire way! The airline allowed us to take a bottle and benadryl through security, and after we checked our stroller and carseat at the gate, the rest was smooth sailing!

One of the many highlights was being able to meet Abbigail, Erin's cousin's daughter, born just 6 days after Ashley! Everyone loved having the two babies together and it was tons of fun dressing them in matching outfits!

Whew! Thanks for reading all about our fun filled November! We will try and be much better about updating our blog more frequently, but with the Holidays coming up- no promises! :)