Friday, December 31, 2010

The Top 10 of 2010

Happy New Year!

It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone, but it has been a great one for us. Here are the top 10 things that happened in the Dilley household this year (in no particular order):
  • We welcomed Ethan Christopher into our family.

  • Chris was recognized for 5 years of service at UPS.

  • Emma Lynne turned 3!

  • We celebrated 4 wonderful years of marriage.

  • Chris completed his second year at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

  • We traded in our car for a more family-friendly SUV, which officially makes us old.

  • We had our car windshield replaced 3 times due to rocks (thank you I-65).

  • Chris took a new position within UPS.

  • Emma learned to swim, courtesy of Nani and Papa!

  • We celebrated our one year anniversary on staff at Hazelwood Baptist Church.



Thursday, December 30, 2010

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

There is nothing sweeter in this world than a little girl, with the exception, however, of two little girls! Today Emma and I had the privilege of spending time with our friends, Kendall and her mom, Leah. The original plan was to take the girls to see Tangled at the movie theater, but about 30 seconds after we walked in the door, an employee announced that it was sold out. Since we were pretty sure the girls wouldn't opt for Tron:Legacy or Black Swan, Plan B was to try to catch it at another theater. However, after hitting a ridiculous amount of traffic, we decided to opt for Plan C - shopping at The Summit and dinner at Chick-Fil-A (Hooray for "Kid's Eat Free" night).

As you can see, the girls had a great time just being little girls and had a fun time chasing each other around the stores, playing dress up, and getting ice cream co
nes all over each other!

The big girls also had a great time shopping, talking, and eating. I have been tremendously blessed by my friendship with Leah, and am grateful to God for bringing her into my life. Proverbs 31 tells of a woman who, "is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." Leah truly exemplifies that woman.

I am so thankful to God for the great gift of friendships, but am especially thankful for our friendship with Kendall and Leah. We love you girls!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Merry Christmas To All, And To All - No Naps!

We have come to the end of a busy, but wonderful Christmas weekend filled with family, friends, and excitement! Christmas Eve was spent with our church family at Hazelwood Baptist, and we were reminded of the great love of our Father in sending His Son to Earth to save us. The smell of fresh cinnamon rolls filled the air Christmas morning as Emma awoke to an empty bottle of Coke ("Santa's" doing, of course) and fresh snow on the ground! The white Christmas was a welcomed surprise for us displaced northerners and Emma couldn't wait to throw a snowball at Daddy!

After the opening of the presents I attempted (key word here) to put the kids to bed, but Emma was just too into Mrs. Potato Head and Ethan couldn't get enough of gnawing on the new toy Emma got him. This proved to be a fatal move and resulted in an evening of crabbiness, but the evening was saved with a visit to our good friends Evan, Leah, and Kendall Smith's house. Kendall and Emma are the best of buddies and thoroughly enjoyed dressing up like princesses and dancing around the house.

Sunday morning we were blessed to worship at Hazelwood again and, after lunch, we welcomed Grandpa Mark and Grandma Libbee and celebrated Christmas with them, ushering in another day with lots of excitement and no naps. Thankfully, this was rectified with an early bedtime for all and some quiet time for mom and dad!

As Chris and I reflected on the Christmas weekend past, we realized how truly blessed our lives are and how God has shown his grace and mercy to us through our family and friends. Although we have not been able to go home for Christmas for quite a few years now, God has never left us alone. First, in the sending of His Son and the Holy Spirit, and also, in the form of so many wonderfully giving and loving persons that we are privileged to call our family and friends. Whether through Skype, a card, a dinner, a phone call, or a visit, our family has been blessed beyond measure and we thank you all for loving us.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Merry Christmas, Daddy!

Merry Christmas, Daddy! This blog is a gift to you from Mommy, Emma, and Ethan. We love you and are so proud of you. Happy Writing!