Where is the baby?

I'm not sure how it happened, but I turned around one day and 24 months flew right past me!

This...

somehow turned into this...

and this...

One thing that hasn't changed in two years is the fact that our little "cute mess" (JennaBeth says it like this - "coot mess") is still the miss priss in the family...

Our lives have been anything but boring for the past two years!  If there ever was a "spice girl", JennaBeth is her!!

I just recently finished reading Mary Beth Chapman's book Choosing to See.  If you want to read a testimony that will motivate and encourage you to seize every moment with your children, to enjoy every day given to you with your loved ones that would be the one to read.  I can't imagine one single moment without JennaBeth, Cecily or Bentley and I pray the Lord never asks me to walk the hard road the Chapman family has been asked to travel.

So, I want to remember as much as I can about the joy JennaBeth has brought and will continue to bring into our lives and allow the Lord's strength to help me on the days she isn't so "joyful", because boy can two year olds have those days!!  I don't want to miss one dance with her!

JennaBeth,

Where do I even start cute mess?  You are one big bundle of energy, sweetness, joy, craziness, and stinky's.  It takes all I have most days just to keep up with you!  But you can't even begin to imagine how much I love you.  You were the surprise two years ago we hadn't planned, but oh how God chose to bless us!  I'm so glad I get to be your mama.  When you come up to me and say, "want to love mama" and you put those little arms around me, my heart experiences something that I just plain can't put into words.  What a gift you are!  You are a little talker these days!  You know exactly how to tell us what you want like:  "want 'nack" or "ride bike me" and "wanna cuckle" (color).  You have long blonde hair and big blue eyes.  You are wearing pull-ups right now and love to "go pee", which right now to you is just sitting on the potty, but I know you'll get the idea soon.  You love to pray with your bubba (what you call Bentley) at meal times.  You will fold your little hands and say, "dank uh for food, jink (drink), and nice day" and you end it with a big "amen".  You want to do everything he does.  Sometimes you get the little toddler "tude" though and your big thing now is to tell me "no" real matter of factly.  You take care of "pink" (what you call your lovey the pink bunny) and Anna baby (your baby doll you got at Christmas).    You love your daddy and sessy (what you call Cecily).  And they love you.  You love to have books read to you.  You will bring one of us a book and say, "read book me".  I know we all lose our patience too easily with you, but I hope you sense how much your family loves you! 

It is the biggest honor to be your mama JennaBeth.  I know there will be lots of "dances" to have with you as God helps me and your daddy to guide you through life.  I can't wait to see the beautiful young woman you will become and how God chooses to use you to bring Him glory.  

Let's dance,

your mama

Be sure and listen Steven's story behind the song at the end of the video!