A familiar timeline

I was taking a few minutes and looking back on my blog posts from last year at this time. Uhhhhh... very strange to be reading about the same things I'm currently feeling. This is not a common experience for most people! For example, I first felt Kate kick in December of last year. What has our little guy been doing all month? Playing kickball in my belly. I was feeling particularly sentimental last year at this time, thinking about Mary as she was carrying her little boy. And this week? I've been thinking about her again, as I have so many questions for God about our little blessing. It's all so strange. Pregnant again, from August til May (or somewhere around then). Same clothes as last year, same baby emails ("your baby is now the length of a carrot"), same baby feelings, same baby emotions.

This year, though, I am missing church that will begin in about 10 minutes. It's the first time since I was 10 that I am missing the 11:00 service on Christmas Eve. I have a new role in life now, and I doubt I'll be going to any 11:00 service for another 10 years or so! Kate is snuggled up in her new Christmas Eve pajamas from Gram and Grandpa. She fell asleep in no time at all, and I'm just about ready to join that fun!

I heard this song by Sixpence None the Richer last year, and it resonates so clearly again this year. This is our first Christmas as a family of 3, and strangely enough, it's our last Christmas as a family of three. It's our last Christmas without our son. Life will never again be the same!

I feel your heart beating
Inside my own skin
And I think of Mary
In Bethlehem

That night in a stable
Our Savior was born
Yes, we have so much
To be thankful for

On the last Christmas
The last Christmas
The last Christmas
Without you

They're choosing the colors
Preparing your room
For one day; Midsummer
The advent of you

Together we wait for
A heavenly gift
Is winter a wonder?
Enchanted that this is

The last Christmas
The last Christmas
The last Christmas
Without you

See the stars shining for above
Hear the singing
Praise to the Giver of Life and Love
Maker of Beautiful things..

I feel you heart beating
Inside my own skin
And I think of Mary
In Bethlehem

When darkness was shattered
The dawn of God's grace
And the journey'd begun
To the the first Easter day

On the this Christmas
The last Christmas
The last Christmas
The very last Christmas
The last Christmas (x 3)
Without you

Merry Christmas, dear friends!!

http://jonandmollie.blogspot.com

Snow Day!

Even on a Saturday, a snow day is a great day at the Greenhill house. It was so nice to feel free to stay in pajamas all day and be lazy (which we have done, indeed). Kate preferred the snow from the window/door... She wasn't so sure about it when we were outside. Just like her mama! Here are a few pictures from our day... Could a wife/mama be ANY more in love?!?!

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Presenting...

Kathryn Grace Greenhill! Kate was dedicated on Sunday morning and it was such a sweet time for our family. More about it later, but here is a picture that my precious sister sent to me. I cannot even describe how handsome this man is... This might be my new all time favorite picture (and should have been our Christmas card picture, had I not already ordered them all)! That little girl is pretty adorable, too!

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It's true. It really is!!!

I never knew I was capable of stirring up such drama on Facebook! Mostly, I didn't realize that so many people actually were that curious about my life. I mean, really!

So, what is it that's true? Well, many things are true these days... My sweet brother is home safely from a semester in Serbia, my precious sister is coming this weekend for our Christmas cookie/baking extravaganza, my awesome in-laws and amazing niece are coming from NC for Kate's dedication this weekend, my parents are just the dearest people I know, my daughter is still the joy of my life, and my husband is the most attractive man in the known universe. I could go on about him for days. I bet y'all wouldn't have kept asking "What's true?" if you had known that my answer would look like that!!!

However, in addition to all of those factual things, one additional thing remains true. And it can be told in any number of ways. Kate is going to be a big sister. The Greenhills are becoming a family of 4. I am rapidly getting larger around the middle. Kate didn't even harass us for one, but she is getting a baby brother for her first birthday!

Why the sudden announcement that is full of details are that aren't typical for the first news? Well, to spare you the details (email or message me if you want them), just know that medical data isn't always entirely accurate. When we arrived for our 8 week ultrasound on Monday of this week, we learned that I was not growing an 8 week baby in my belly (as I had guessed). In fact, I have a 19 week baby in my belly (not exactly what I had guessed)... and it's a boy! Again, sparing the details for sake of time, this discrepancy is entirely possible and not unheard of. All of that to say, we are thrilled that God has seen fit to bless us with another baby so quickly; he is due around the beginning of May, but will probably arrive in late April. We are still in a whirlwind from this past week and the shock is slowly wearing off. A HUGE thanks goes to the people closest to us in our lives, who have provided unending encouragement and love. We so appreciate the kind words and the lack of inappropriate/rude questions/comments from people- people who are just excited to celebrate with us!! Thank you, thank you, thank you from this hormonal mama!

So, here we are. My beautiful ladybug, her brother, and one tired mom! Oh, my friends... God is good. He is so good!




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Thanksgiving Fun

It's so strange how I can't think of anything to write, even when life is completely crazy and busy. There's so much to tell, so I guess I get overwhelmed and pretend that my blog doesn't exist! We just enjoyed one of the best Thanksgiving holidays that I can remember. As Mom and Dad headed out of the country to visit Daniel, Gretchen scooted down here to head to Durham with us for Thanksgiving. What a fun treat!!! She was an enormous help- with Kate, with packing, with EVERYTHING. And we got her to ourselves for almost an entire week!! And thanks to my parents who let us borrow their car so we could fit! The Volvo isn't so great for a road trip- especially since we were taking Gretch with us! Thanksgiving was just with Gretchen, the Richmond Greenhills, Jon's parents, and his sister, her husband, and kids. 10 people (11, including Kate) crammed into the kitchen eating Thanksgiving dinner and it was just awesome. Everyone was in a good mood (very little stress!) and we really just enjoyed being together. We laughed a lot, ate a ton, and slept a little. Kate loved playing with toys at her Gaga and Papa's house. She was fascinated by playing with the bumblebee toy with Gaga and giggled and squealed at Papa's Donald Duck noises.

We are so blessed with great family. I am so thankful that my family lives in town and that Jon's family is not too far away. I grew up without seeing my grandparents very often because of distance, and I'm grateful that Kate knows and adores her Gram, Grandpa, Gaga, and Papa!

No formal pictures of Thanksgiving, but here are few that ended up on my camera... You can only guess how they landed there!

Crazy kids in the car...

Someone found Dad's sunglasses in his car...

Kate says, "Don't forget about me back here!"

Sleepyhead with Daddy

#1 favorite toy- that got left behind... Big thanks to Gaga for mailing it back to us SO quickly!!!

Daddy is great for climbing on!

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