Trust

As the end of 2007 draws near, it's time for that natural feeling of reflection of the past 12 months. This year has definitely been one of learning, trials, and lessons. For the Ulrich family, this included setting personal running records (yah!), meeting anniversaries and birthdays with gusto, watching our precocious toddler reach numerous milestones, taking trips to various fun places, accepting the deaths that crossed our paths, hurting from ruined relationships...and, in the end, learning to trust God's sovereign hand over each and every step we took and event that came down our path.

Probably the biggest lesson in trust that the Lord gave us was toward the end of 2007. In November, we learned that I'm pregnant with number two. :o) While such news is happily accepted by the average person, people like me, (who like to know when things are happening and enjoy planning out the big happenings in life), tend to feel blind-sided, shocked, and panicked. Yes, deep down I felt a sense of happiness and excitement, but I'll be honest: my selfishness and lack of God-trust embarrassingly overshadowed those good feelings. Both Curt and I are self-employed, meaning we pay for our health insurance. To top it off, our current health insurance plan does not have maternity coverage, and I was supposed to start a different plan in January that did have maternity coverage. (Needless to say, the new health insurance company ousted me when they found out about the good news.) So, that left me pregnant, without insurance coverage, and anxious over the whole dilemma.

At any rate, through the unnecessary worry and panic, Curt and I saw God's hand in the whole thing. We learned of a local birth center and that we DO have options that ARE affordable. We learned that having peace in the midst of of a bit of chaos is SO much better (and smarter!) than being anxious. Above all, we learned that trusting in God is what we are supposed to be doing as Christians, not planning every aspect of our lives and expecting things to go our way all the time.
So, as I learn to put aside my controlling/planning ways, I'll keep you posted on how this new chapter in life goes. We're on this journey for a reason, and I'm truly looking forward to the growth that can take place. Keep checking back as I update you on my bigger belly, all-day-long sickness, and life as a pregnant mom of a 2-year-old. Oh, this is going to be fun! :o)

Big Girl Bed

Well, the time has come for our Little Miss to move from her crib to a big girl bed. While we weren't sure if a just-turned-2-year-old would be ready for a bed, but we mentioned the idea to her a month or two ago, and she was excited about it from the get-go. Curt and I found a great bed on eBay, got it home, and painted it Ballerina Pink. We bought wooden letters for her name and painted them lavender, then added a princess crown to the outside of the footboard.

Nana then bought the Disney Princess bedding (Danae's choice, of course), and the Christmas gift bed from Mommy and Daddy-O was complete!

Her first night in it was Christmas Eve, and she did rather well. After laying down and then opening and closing the door a few times, she finally stayed in bed and slept the entire night. I know we'll have lots more nights and mornings of her getting up by herself! :o)

Oh, and a belated Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas (Round One)

We had Christmas with my side of the family this weekend. With family members living in 4 different states, it's difficult to coordinate schedules and get everyone together for Christmas Day each year. So, we all got together at my sister's in VA and had a great weekend of playing, shopping, and eating. Here are some pics of the family. To see more, click on "Our Online Albums".

Prayer Request - UPDATED

Friends and Family, please keep the family of Leah Hickman in your prayers. Her body was discovered last night, and the family is hurting. Be praying that God would do big things in the midst of this tragedy.

Police Find Body Believed to be Missing Marshall University Student

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12/19/07 - I just received this article link from my sister in VA. Please keep this missing young woman in your prayers. She is the niece of a dear friend of my sister's. I just can't imagine how horribly worried their family must be.

Missing West Virginia College Student

In my mind, the more prayer warriors the better! Thank you!

Ice Age

Today we are iced in. No going outside, no drive to the store...just a cozy, somewhat relaxing day at home, staying in our pj's all day. Yum.

Hope you are staying safe in this weather! :o)

Wordless Wednesday

The Cousins

Have a happy Wednesday!

SNOW!

We had our first real, sticking-to-the-ground snowfall yesterday, so Danae and I decided to try out her snowsuit (a hand-me-down from cousin Maddie) and play outside this morning. I really thought it would be a little big, but the girl's bigger than I thought! The suit just fits!

This pic reminds me of the boy from "A Christmas Story" who can barely move in his snowsuit. Danae got stuck in this position and couldn't get herself up. Too cute!

Oh, yum...tasting the snow. (Don't worry, mom...I checked first to make sure it wasn't yellow.)

Win a Prize Pack from Parents Toys!

Here's a great giveaway to get in on! The ladies over at 5 Minutes for Mom are giving away an awesome assortment of infant-to-preschool toys from the award winning Parents® Magazine toy line. The prize pack they're giving away includes toys for a range of ages from baby to toddler to preschooler as well as the Mom & Baby Fitness DVD and three different CDs.

Here’s a complete list of all the goodies in the prize pack:
Mom & Baby Fitness DVD
Rockin Sing-Alongs CD
Now I Know My ABC’s CD
Sleep Sounds for Mom CD
Garden Counting 1-5 Puzzle
Fruits & Vegetables A-Z
My MP3: Classical Music
Bee Bop Band
Pop Beads
Water Works
Bristle Blocks
Rev & Roll Bus
Petite Painter

So, click on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and enter! But hurry...they pick a winner on Sunday, December 9th! Have a happy Thursday, and for those of you in snowy PA, NJ, MD, and VA: have fun outside! :o)

Update

Hi there! So sorry for being neglectful of my blog for an entire week! "Busyness" overtook me once again, and I'm now climbing out of the pit of procrastination. Yes me, the non-lazy, continuously on-the-go, high-energy girl has gotten a bit lazy and slacked a bit. But I'm back! :o)

I'll give you a quick update and then write a better quality post later this week. So, Danae has had this scaly rash on her body for about a month, and our suspicion of eczema was confirmed today. Now we have to turn Danae into a greased pig two times a day for the next two weeks, using a prescription combo of Hydrocortisone and Eucerin. I already rub her down with a thick cream every time I bathe her, and we use as little Aveeno soap as possible. As long as the prescription cream helps, I think we can put up with a slick kid for two weeks. :o)

On another note: no, there is no deer here in our household. Hunting did not yield a dead animal as of yet, but Curt still has this Saturday, so we'll see what happens! Will I have a dead deer head on my wall in a year? God only knows...and I pray He has my best interest in the outcome! :o)

That's all for now from here! I hope you are having a wonderful week, and enjoy today!