in her heart.

I have fallen so behind in my blogging. I have a ton of pictures and videos to share but first what I started composing in August:

I recently started reading through the gospels (love the chronological bible) and I am enjoying the Christmas story in August :) In Luke after the angels appeared telling of how someone special had been born and the Shepherds had rejoiced over her son it says Mary "quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often". And then later in Luke Mary "stored all these things in her heart" in reference to how "Jesus grew both in height and in wisdom".  She enjoyed being a mom! She loved her son! She purposefully tucked away those moments and cherished them. And she did it quietly. If anyone had reason to brag about their kid it was Mary, right? I mean it does say right there how Jesus "was obedient" to them.

For me this summer has been a season of quietly treasuring in my heart life with Sydney.  I have gotten terrible about recording the memories on paper and when people ask me what she is doing lately sometimes I draw a big blank. She is living life! She is a toddler and everything that comes along with it. She loves to play and run and eat and play some more!

Some things she is doing now that make me joyful.

-swinging her left arm wildly when she runs or even walks

-making animal noises with corresponding hand motions

-saying her own name or saying "mama, dada, sydney, yaaaaa!) it is sort of her mantra and our family chant at the moment (everyone has a family chant right?)

-always greeting her grandpas and grandmas (all 4) with a great big hug and smile...whether it was 2 days or 2 months since she had seen them...she does this with Rachael too but no one else so consistently.

-almost every single morning wanting to feed Arlen first thing (James says it is her first chore)

- all the new words she says almost daily, but her most recent newbies are: mango, nose, and mouth

- the awesome hugs and snuggles she gives us.
-fist pounds (knuckles) and high fives she loves to dish out

There is so much more...alas she has already given me a lifetimes worth to treasure.