Counting down to Christmas!

It is the week before Christmas and it really feels like Christmas here in Bristol. We have had cold weather for quite a while now and snow off and on for the last couple of weeks. I was glad to see the sunshine today. We have had such a good time doing the nativity advent calendar with Braelyn. I can tell she is learning a lot from it and from her PraiseBaby Christmas DVD too. I think our family Christmas "theme song" this year is "Joy to the World". Aaron started singing it in the car one afternoon and now Braelyn can sing the first few lines :)....I love it.

I am now 36.3 weeks along!! Wow, hard to believe that I was only 37 and a half weeks along when I was induced with Braelyn....We are hoping and praying that she hangs in there until at least after Christmas :) and hopefully even longer than that. I'm feeling good still and have a check up Wed. I think we might have a name for this baby girl!! The name that I thought we had, I changed my mind about...so we have been searching still until just a few days ago. It has exactly the meaning that I was hoping to find and it is simple, yet not common. Now I just have to decide on what middle name to put with it. I put all three pics up of my belly because I feel like they all look a little different. And they might be the last ones you see of me pregnant :)

I gave Braelyn her first haircut a little over a week ago. She did really well and I think it looks pretty good. Thankfully her hair has some wave in it, so I don't have to do a perfect job. I mainly just trimmed the back because it was quite uneven.

I was also blessed to have a baby shower at our church here in Bristol about a week ago. It was so much fun and exciting to get new things for this new baby. We are so thankful for our church family here. They are so kind and gracious. It was a true time of blessing.

I can't remember if I shared this or not already...but I am proud to say that Aaron was voted the Chief Resident for this year and will start carrying out those responsibilities in January. I am so proud of him and we give God all the glory for all that he is teaching him and how He is using him in his residency program.
Also, Aaron's Granddaddy passed away last Sunday morning. He had been diagnosed with bladder cancer and alzheimers. We can see the blessing in the Lord taking him home now, before he had to go through chemotherapy and any other suffering that comes with those diseases. He always loved to see Braelyn when we were there. We are so thankful for the legacy he left behind and the clear testimony he gave of knowing the Lord. We know he is in the best place he could be now....in the presence of the Lord and with his wife. Below is a picture of Aaron and all of his brothers and sisters (Aaron, Sarah, Clint, Laura, and Daniel). It was so nice to see all of them and be together for a little while.

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! May we all praise God for the precious gift of Jesus He gave us, the hope of salvation! May He be your most treasured gift this year.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

Today is Dec 1st and it is so nice to be home again after so much traveling in November. We thank God for safe trips and time to get away by ourselves some. I know that won't be happening much when this new baby comes :). We really enjoyed the Global Health Missions Conf in KY. It was a great experience and we learned a lot and got to talk to a lot of medical missionaries from different organizations. We have started the application process to become missionaries with the International Mission Board right now. It is a long process, so we wanted to go ahead and get started now. This is the organization we are most familiar with and have supported growing up in our churches. We continue to pray that God will give us clear direction as to what His plan is for us in this process.
Our second trip was to Pigeon Forge for a Rural Health conf for Aaron. I REALLY enjoyed this trip bc we got to stay at the Music Road Hotel and had a great room with a view of the mountains and a fireplace!! Plus, I was free to do whatever I wanted most of the time. So I caught up on a few things and then got to hang out with another resident wife and have some good fellowship time. It was a real blessing all in all.
Our last trip was to Middle TN for Thanksgiving. There were a few less people there than usual, but it was still a great time of fellowship with family. We have SO much to be thankful for.

So, now we are back home.....preparing for Christmas and a new baby :). We have our tree up and decorations, which I am enjoying. And it was snowing today!! One Christmas tradition I have been working on lately for Braelyn is an advent calendar of the Christmas Story. I'm so thankful God provided what I needed (time and supplies) to be able to make this. I am posting pictures of it. I pray that God will use it to teach Braelyn and baby sister someday what the true meaning of Christmas is and what the greatest gift is. I think parents have to be extra intentional these days to make sure our kids are not confused about why we celebrate. We don't plan on doing Santa with our kids, just to help them not get distracted (if that's possible) with all our culture says Christmas is about. So back to the calendar, each day you read a little bit of the Christmas story and add an item to the top. So there is a lot of repetition bc you start back from the beginning each day and add a little more. I will post the readings some time in case anyone else wants to make one.

I am now 33 and a half weeks pregnant! I still feel really good most of the time. Just getting a bit more tired and having some more back aches, but I guess that is to be expected. I think we are close to choosing a name! Thank you for your prayers...hopefully we can announce that soon.
My plan is to try to enjoy and make the most of each day these last few weeks that I have only one child to take care of and still have some quiet time :) I know things will be changing soon and quiet moments will be few and far between, but that's ok. We are so thankful to be blessed with another gift from God.







And here is a video of one of Braelyn's new favorite things to do.....washing dishes!! She entertains herself very well with this, but unfortunately the floor is always soaked with water and requires some extensive clean up :)

Sonya's 30th Birthday!

Today is November 9 and I am turning 30 years old! That doesn't sound right, but I guess it is. I have been kind of dreading or just wanting to pretend that I wasn't 30, but then God just reminded me how much He has blessed me for 30 years and I thought it is just silly not to celebrate that and give God all the glory for what He has done in my life thus far.
So I decided I'm going to make a list of 30 things I am thankful for that God has provided and blessed me.

In my thirty years of life thus far, I am so thankful for.....
1. God saving me when I was 9 years old and giving me the gift of eternal life in Him.
2. The family God gave me: parents who love me and a brother and sister to enjoy.
3. My childhood....good friends and activities to be involved in.
4. My best friend....Alicia, someone to play with, talk with, laugh with, and cry with.
5. A family who raised me in church since I was born.
6. My health....this is a huge one, that I take for granted daily, but I am so thankful that I have been able to do all the things I have wanted to physically and that I am able to take care of Braelyn and go and do.
7. The mind God has given. To be able to read and learn new things and continue to grow in the knowledge of Him.
8. My husband, Aaron!! I could give 30 things just about him alone that I am thankful for! He is one of the best gifts God has given me.
9. My daughter, sweet Braelyn, who continues to tell me "Happy Birthday Mommy" over and over this morning. She could have her own list as well.
10. The blessing of being pregnant and looking forward to another addition to our family: baby sister.
11. How God has led me through high school, college, and career in making decisions and taking care of all my needs.
12. The call that God has placed on my life to do missions....as a lifestyle and career hopefully.
13. The opportunities that He has already blessed me with to go on mission trips and to see other parts of the world and learn so much from those experiences.
14. For every opportunity God has given me to share the gospel with someone.
15. I am thankful for the hard times....bc those are the times I have been closest to the Lord and have grown the most. He is so faithful.
16. For all the church bodies that I have been a part of throughout my life. For what God has taught me in each one.
17. For our church family here in Bristol, and the work He is doing there.
18. For the opportunities that God has given me to love and influence kids and youth for His kingdom and His glory....YOKE, Awanas, neighbors, my job in VA.
19. For the power of His word in my life......God has given me victory over a lot of fears and other things I continue to struggle through memorizing and believing His promises are TRUE!!
20. For my husband, who has taught me and continues to teach me how to think about things with a biblical mindset......focusing on what God says is true and believing it.
21. For all of Aaron's family who love us so much and who I get along with so well! A true blessing.
22. For a God who hears my prayers and answers.
23. For the supernatural ways that God has provided for Aaron and I since we have been married.
24. For a husband who shows me Christ's love and desires to lead our home and family in a way that glorifies the Lord.
25. For all the friendships, old and new, that God has allowed to come into my life and the blessing they have all been to me.
26. For the Lord's great LOVE, FORGIVENESS, MERCY, and GRACE! He is SO GOOD to me.
27. I am thankful for all the people God has placed in my life to teach me and encourage me in my walk with Him.
28. For the wonderful privilege to have God's word in my home...and many copies......to be able to read at any time, any place I want without fear of persecution.
29. For all my family has taught me......responsibility, integrity, honesty, money management, and that family always sticks together and helps one another.
30. For this life God has given me........my prayer today is that for every day that God gives me from now on, that I will seek with all my heart to live in a way that brings glory and honor to HIM, that my life would be spent on things that have eternal value, and that in the end I would be able to hear "well done, my good and faithful servant".



Here is a short video of Braelyn saying her prayer. She says the same thing EVERY TIME. She use to say "Dear God, thank you for the food. Amen" Then she heard her cousins praying at my Mom and Dad's house one night, and the next morning, her prayer changed to this! She is such a joy and blessing.

Happy Fall!

I can't believe how quickly October is passing! And this was suppose to be our "slow" month! I am now 28.3 weeks, which means in just a couple of weeks I'll be in the 30's!! Which means it's getting closer and closer to actually having another baby in this house :) Right now I am feeling a little stressed because we don't have a name for her yet. Really we don't even have any ones that we like! So, please pray that God would lead us to the perfect name for her. I really want it to be meaningful and purposeful. There are some names we just like...but I need stronger meanings and reasons for liking them. Anyway, we will be traveling a lot in November....so it might be awhile before I post again. Braelyn has been doing really well in her big girl bed. She stays in it and sleeps well most of the time. She has become very inconsistent in when she will fall asleep....some days it takes her 15 min and other days it takes an hour and a half! She is talking so much and just has been singing Jesus Loves Me by herself, all the way through before bedtime. And the other night she actually sang the second verse of it too! We have been singing this to her for two years now, so I guess I shouldn't be that impressed that she knows it all :) She will tell you that she is going to be a big sister and she seems quite proud. She likes to find the moon and "twinkle little star" if we are outside and it's dark. The other night she couldn't find it, and she said "Moon, where are you?" in a super cute voice. She is just so much fun.
I am almost done with my bible study on Leviticus. Sorry I haven't posted anything on that. It's just so much information and honestly hard for me to digest on my own. I will say that I have learned A LOT, and God is amazing how much detail he put in to how He wanted His people to worship and approach Him. And it makes me so thankful that we don't have to make sacrifices and follow such strict rules in order to approach our God today. It is a privilege that I take for granted way to often. oh, so much to think about, and so much to learn still. God's word is so rich and full of His wisdom and instructions for us. I thank God that we have such wonderful resources in America and such freedom and access to Bibles that we are able to go to bible studies and go to church, and read our bibles, wherever and whenever we want without fear of persecution or imprisonment. I read the Voice of the Martyrs magazine and it just teaches me so much and changes my perspective so much, when I read about Christians who willingly suffer and joyfully suffer persecution for the love of their Savior and His Word. And many suffer death, but are not afraid of it, bc they are not living for this world or what it has to offer, but are living for an eternal home, in heaven with the Lord. They understand so well what really matters in this world is only that which has eternal value. I think we, as Americans, miss out on a deeper, more personal relationship with God because our lives are so comfortable that we don't have to depend on Him, or we are just too busy to seek Him. I want to know the Lord like these Christians know the Lord, to have such strong faith and trust in the Lord, despite my circumstances.
Oh, and here are some 2 year pics of Braelyn that we were able to take at the park a couple of weeks ago. I was so pleased with them and so thankful for such a beautiful day and beautiful daughter to enjoy!

Braelyn's Big Girl Room!

So, we have finally made the big transition to a big girl bed for Braelyn. It was a pretty big change for her, considering all her furniture, minus her lamp, was taken to the baby room. I have some video of her when she first saw it, but I need aaron's help to upload that. She likes it and seems proud to be sleeping in her "big girl bed". When we tell her it is night night time, she will say, "go get in Braelyn's big girl bed" :), and head up the stairs. She has only gotten out a couple of times, and we explained to her she wasn't allowed to do that, and so far, since then, she has stayed in. It has been taking her quite awhile to actually fall asleep though, but I'm thinking that will get better with time. Another exciting thing is that she has not had her pacifier since we put her in the big girl bed!! The first day I laid her down, she didn't ask for it, so I just left her without it, and since then she hasn't even asked for it!! I'm so thankful for that. Right now all of the baby furniture is in the other room, and I'm keeping the door shut so she can't see it. Not sure when we will reveal that to her, but overall, she is doing a great job. Her room seems so much bigger now, and her toys all have a home, which is helping keep the floor more clear. Here are some pics. A big thanks to my Mom for finding the bed and hauling it to us, and to Aaron's mom for keeping Braelyn for a few days while we made the transition. And of course, to my wonderful husband, Aaron, for moving all the furniture, rearranging it, and rearranging it again :). I am so thankful for his willingness to help me with stuff all the time. And his patience with me while I change my mind over and over. Next project, baby sister's room!! But I am taking a break right now....


This is a collage of mini pics from her first year. Below are the verses that I had used in her nursery, and I was able to just change the background color and keep them in her room :)


I do have to give God the glory for providing so many things for her room at a really good price! I had one day to go shopping for pretty much everything I needed to put in her room(sheets, comforter, chair, shelf for toys, curtain, bedskirt.....) all I had was the bed frame, mattress, and one little shelf to begin with, but after a shopping spree to all the thrift stores in Bristol, and then to Target and Ross and TJMaxx.....I was DONE! And exhausted. So I got the curtain, bedskirt, and cute flowers on the wall all at thrift stores for like 2 or 3 bucks each! Thank you Lord!! And then I found the sheets on sale at Target for $3.50 for the set!!! And another set on clearance for 7.00! A big thanks to my cousin, Julie, who let us have the bedrail! So, I just wanted to say thank you Lord for providing so much, in one day, at good prices, to help us get this room ready for Braelyn.
And finally, a few pics of Braelyn. One of her favorite snacks is popcorn, which she calls, "hotcorn".....her and daddy REALLY enjoy it!
Braelyn had a lot of fun biting into this apple. She ate almost half of it like this. I think she was pretty proud of herself.

Braelyn's 2nd Birthday!!

So here is the beginning of Braelyn's bday celebration last Saturday. We kicked it off by going to Toys R Us for the morning. Braelyn LOVED getting a balloon and a special crown to wear. When she got the balloon and crown she just started jumping and dancing in circles!! It was so CUTE!

And here starts the birthday party at the park. It was actually a double party, we celebrated with my nephew Colton, who turned 6 just the day before. It was a beautiful warm day and we were so thankful for everyone who was able to come and celebrate with us.

I was really pleased with the cake. I ordered it from Sam's and it was delicious!! I just didn't have the time or patience to try and make her bday cake this year. Maybe next year....
All the kids chowing down on some pizza....minus Mattie. I think she was still on the playground.


My big TWO year old going down the BIG slide all by herself!! She was not afraid at all, and insisted on doing it "again, again"!!
Braelyn got so many nice presents! Thanks everybody for thinking of her. She has had a great time playing with all of them this week.



We got her a baby doll that laughs and cries with some a little bottle and bed. She has been LOVING playing "mommy" to this baby, which encourages me a lot that she is going to be a GREAT big sister!!
Here is a picture of ALL of Braelyn's presents she got at the party! What a blessed little girl! Thanks again everyone for helping us make her day so special!
And finally, we don't want to forget baby sister, which is what she is going by these days. I have had many requests for a 'belly pic' so here it is. This was taken about a week and a half ago though....I was 22 and 1/2 weeks in the pic and I will be 24 weeks tomorrow. She is starting to move around a lot more. I am really wanting to find a name soon, bc I keep wanting to call her something other than baby sister. I think I might have a middle name, just still searching for the first. We are planning on transitioning Braelyn from the baby bed to the twin bed this weekend! So please say a prayer she likes it and transitions well.