What a year

As the year is coming to an end and I have a few minutes of quiet, I thought I would take the opportunity to finally update our blog. I know that it has been months. It has been quite a year for us. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways. Joey got a new job with the federal government. We endured close to 8 months of separation, but he completed his training at the end of October. The kids experienced their first plane ride as we flew out to Maryland for his graduation. It was a proud day for all of us. We are now finally back together as a family.

On July 23, Connor celebrated his first birthday. He actually got to celebrate two times. Once in June while Joey was home and then again in Leavenworth with my family. The cake and cupcakes did not go over so well. Connor has learned to walk and is running now. He is quick and keeps me on my toes. He is learning to talk. Mostly, he just babbles, but he looks at you as if you should know what he is saying. Once he really starts talking, I don't know if he will stop. He loves walking around outside, Veggie Tales (still), and stuff about the farm. We had a wonderful time in Leavenworth with my family. He and Grandma were very close. I don't know if it was harder on me or him when we said goodbye to her at the end of October. He also loved hanging out with his Grandpa, as you can see in the picture.

On August 29, we welcomed Bailey Elisabeth Moore into the family. She made a dramatic entrance at 3:17 in the morning, 2 1/2 weeks early. She weighed 8 lbs, 4.5 oz. and was about 18 inches long. Unfortunately, Joey was not able to be there for her birth, but he came out that Thursday night. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger already. She is our little social butterfly. She hates to be by herself and has a smile on her face when she sees someone.
She is already cooing and trying to sit up. It is hard to believe she is almost 4 months old. She loves her big brother. Connor loves his little sister, although sometimes he wants the attention that she gets. He tries to be a good helper boy. He tries to give her blankets, wipe her face, and put a bib on her. He loves to give her hugs and kisses.

We are now settled in a cozy two bedroom apartment in Maumelle, AR, a suburb of Little Rock. Joey is really enjoying his job and I am enjoying being a stay-at-home mom. It has been a crazy year, I can hardly believe it is Christmas. As I praise God for all His blessings, I am especially grateful for His gift of salvation. I can only imagine how difficult it was to send His Son to die that we might be saved. May the Lord bless you this season.