Trip to Danville and Danville Baby Shower

Last weekend Juliet, my mom, and I headed up to my grandparents' home in Danville, VA and Micah drove down and met us there.  It was a fun and relaxing weekend!  My mom's best friend, Ann, and her daughter, Hannah, hosted lovely a wedding shower at their home for us and it was fun for Micah to get to take part in one of our showers :)  The weekend consisted of lots of food eaten and time spent just being together.  Micah and I were able to go on a 20 mile bike ride together before church on Sunday and enjoy the beautiful weather and countryside.  It was such a treat to have Micah visiting with my grandparents one more time before the wedding.  It just fits in so well!  I loved hearing he and my grandfather just talking about common interests (like guns!).

Awkward family photo.  haha

Our lovely shower hosts, Hannah and Ann Cassada

Photo credit: my Aunt Anita and Micah

Splish Splash, This girl loves the bath!

Braids!!!!!!!

The day finally arrived!  I braided Juliet's hair!  I've been waiting for this day since I found out she was a little girl :)  

And on the hair topic, I trimmed Juliet's hair this week.  It was starting to get a little long in the back and she had lots of split ends. I'm hoping the tiny trim to even things up will help it to grown in nice and healthy!...and in a very quick manner!

Naked

Her preferred outfit.

She is VERY obsessed with her nipples and her bellybutton.  LOL

Easter 2013

Juliet's Nini (Micah's mom) bought Easter dresses for Juliet and Naomi. Precious.

Finally, I let her be FREE after the required Easter morning classic picture. And free she was...

We spent Easter dinner in Hickory visiting my dad's mom, brother, and sister-in-law.  My grandmother had eggs and chocolate out and Juliet helped herself ;)

Prayer

This morning on the radio a speaker said:

"You can determine your dependency on God and whether or not you are a prideful and arrogant person based on your prayer life.  The more dependent you are on God the more you will be praying."

So convicting.

It made me think about all the things I do, I try to do, I work on, I figure out, or I attempt without ever even giving prayer a thought.  Based on my prayer life, my dependency on God is majorly lacking. I'm praying (see!..already off to a great start ;)) that Holy Spirit would make me quick to pray in all things, specifically and boldly, with expectation, AND with thanksgiving!

Redemption Part 2: Purpose and Gifts

Just a day after finishing his cancer treatments, on March 11, 2010, Micah wrote on his old blog:

i hope God will use this in a way i can see. i've spent enough time getting beat down and i'm excited to see how he might use it for somebody's good. when i think of my life up until this point, i have to say what is my purpose in life? i know God could have taken me a long time ago, but at the same time, if he's not done with me then there is something i am supposed to be doing. how am i going to find that out? i have no idea. but we'll see, maybe God will drop it in my lap like he has for the last 6 months. 

On July 6, 2011, while pregnant, I wrote:

I want to feel like there is actually someone out there who would want to marry me

I know God has lots of plans for Micah's life, but one that I hope he can see on a daily basis is how much of a gift he is to me; and a gift that God just "dropped" into my life too ;)