sneak peak...

My friend Natalie snapped some amazing shots of Asher last week when we were in Michigan. Here is ONE! I can't put too many up because santa MAY be giving prints to some lucky people as Christmas gifts. I may be biased, but I think he is pretty gorgeous in this picture (and always)!

December Update

We recently had our 6-month therapy evaluation with all of our EI therapists. I was dreading this at first because I was anxious to hear about Asher's delays and what he "should" be doing, etc. However, it ended up being nothing but encouraging. Each therapist went on and on about how amazing he is and how his getting so strong and doing so great. They were especially excited about how much growth he has experienced in the past month and all of the new milestones he is hitting. I am so proud of him! We will continue with therapy three times per week and just keep doing what we're doing.

We have a very busy couple of weeks ahead of us. Next week we will pack up the car and Asher and Pearl and head to Tennessee to be with Will's family over Christmas. A couple days later we will pack up again and go to Michigan to be with my family. And on New Year's Eve we'll head to Indiana for our dear friend's Jordan and Natasha's wedding. As always, we are looking forward to having a break from work and normal responsibilities, and it will be nice to connect with family and old friends.

Hope you all have a merry and warm Christmas!

grumpy santa!

If this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit, I don't know what will.

first christmas tree

Merry (early) Christmas to you! Our tree is officially up and our house is decorated. I love it! Asher is totally enthralled with the lights on the tree. Here are a few pictures from our decorating evening.

















and finally... after a long night of decorating...

Gobble gobble!

In a time of year that is seasoned with thankfulness, Will and I have once again been reminded of how very blessed we are. We made the 8-hour trek south to celebrate Thanksgiving with Will's family and were able to spend time with some of our closest friends. I found myself deep in conversation with friends that I hadn't seen in a long time. To me, the mark of a true friendship is when you can pick right back up without missing a beat. And while it feels so good to be loved on by friends, it was an even better feeling to see Asher embraced and doted on by those we love.

In some ways, this year has been marked with uncertainty and hardship for our little family. I would've never imagined things would take the shape that they have. However, when I reflect even deeper I realized we are beyond blessed and I am thankful for life as it is. Simply put, this is how our life is meant to be, and I am thankful for each turn and twist life takes.

Our trip to Nashville was packed full. We spent lots of time with friends and family, visited the dog park, went to a beautiful shower for Asher, and even squeezed in a date night (hockey game and dinner!). Here are a few pictures from our weekend down south.