A very happy 2nd birthday to our dear sweet little girl! We thank God every day for giving you to us. You bring us so much joy, so many smiles, and you fill our home with laughter. We love you, our sweet little bear.

The night before Becca’s birthday I told her in a sad voice that tomorrow she was turning 2 and that she was growing up. She looked at me and her little lip stuck out and she said “no thank you! no thank you!” I guess she doesn’t want to grow up. I told her that it was ok and that she would always be our little baby. That seemed to calm her down. It was so cute.

We had a birthday celebration for Becca on Thanksgiving day. We made it part of our Thanksgiving celebration. Becca liked her cake and having everyone sing to her.

We have plans for more birthday celebrations today. I’m planning to take the “spoon” picture when we get home from house sitting this afternoon.

A very happy Thanksgiving! We’re looking forward to a day celebrating with Emily (my sister) and friends tomorrow afternoon. We’re also going to have a little birthday party for Becca while we have people over. I’m writing this Wednesday night and am currently in the process of making her cake (Josh is out looking for black food coloring), potatoes are boiling for tomorrow . . . I think it’s going to  be a late night.

We have so much to be thankful for. But I think I’ll sum it up with our morning prayer, written by Josh:

Father of Lights,
You never change.
All Your promises are certain,
And all Your gifts are good.
Thank You for joy and trial,
For work and rest,
For food and drink.
Thank You for the Word of Truth,
and the New Birth.
Grant that we may receive Your gifts with Thanksgiving,
and give to others as You give to us.
Through the power of Your Spirit,
and the love of Your Son,
Who live and reign with You now and forever,
One God.
Amen.

Thursday morning Josh told me we were going on a special date Friday night. I knew we were going to a concert in Dallas, but I didn’t know who we were going to hear. Josh told me to list three performers. . . I listed Yo-Yo Ma, James Galway, Evgeny Kissin. All people I knew we weren’t going to see. I was shocked (and got all choked up) when we arrived at the Dallas Meyerson Symphony Center, and Josh told me we were going to hear Sir James Galway. The entire concert was excellent. We had great seats about 10 rows from the front (an advantage due to student discounts). The program consisted of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2, Smetana’s The Moldau, and Janacek’s Taras Bulba. Galway performed the Mozart and then did three short pieces as an encore: a traditional Irish jig, Danny Boy, and a movement of Bach’s second orchestral suite (played “double time” according to one reviewer, and it’s true!).

Becca has started asking to “help” wash the breakfast dishes again. In the past she had been very interested in helping, but then she lost interest. So we’re back to getting an “extra bath” every morning. We’ve also somehow started the tradition of reading a book while wrapped in Mama’s towel after bath time. Two years ago this time of year, Becca and I were trapped in a hospital bed . . . it’s such a blessing to be washing dishes and reading to our little gift from God!

I started listening to Christmas music this weekend. You might think it’s a tad bit early, but this holiday season I’m planning on soaking up all I can of Christmas and enjoying every moment. And why not? After all, I haven’t really had a normal holiday season two years in a row. We’ll start with a nice calm Thanksgiving – no time in the hospital (first time in 3 years), no traumatic events that turn the Christmas season into an exhausting time mingled with joy and grief. Everything is going to be perfect and filled with laughter and joy.  That all sounds good, but those were my same expectations last year…and it certainly didn’t turn out that way. The other day I started wondering what’s going to happen this Thanksgiving…maybe my appendix will explode, maybe something will happen to Josh or Becca, maybe….”Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:5).

I can choose to live in fear about what’s going to happen this year or I can hope in God. Hope – trusting that He does use all things for His own glory. Hope – looking at our little girl whose body (shoulders to bottom) was the length of a spoon at birth and who now is a very active, happy, talkative almost 2 year old. Hope – knowing that God uses miscarriages for the good for His children and for His own glory. So I’m looking forward to this season by hoping in God. I’m breaking out the Christmas music early, teaching Becca how to dance to the music, and enjoying hearing my girl squeal with delight as I twirl her around the room as we start of our holiday season.

All is well here in the Jensen household. I teach piano lessons 3 to 4 days a week.  Becca continues to be a very busy little girl. She also has an interesting sense of humor – last evening I told her to eat all her refried beans by saying each bite was a different one of her animal friends. She loved eating all her friends! Becca’s talking up a storm and has plans to keep me busy all day long: “Mama play Becca!” “Mama sit here!” “Mama play!” “Mama color Becca!” “Mama talk Becca!” “Mama clean it up.”  “Mama eat it up!” “Mama read!” (“Mama read self!” – that was going a bit too far…my 23 month year old was telling me to read to myself!?!) Josh continues to work on his dissertation research. He’s also been busy fulfilling his work obligations as the department chair’s research assistant. (Plus, in the last few weeks, doing a website for AM Fabrication in Fort Worth, owned by some friends of ours.) I have an amazing husband who, though he has many responsibilities screaming out to him, still continues to be a wonderful husband and father. So glad God gave me my man!

Friday night Josh and I carved our first jack-o-lantern without adult supervision. We had a great time deciding about the face and then putting our knifing skills into action. We were both quite pleased with the results and spent the rest of the evening sitting on the couch in the dark, enjoying our glowing pumpkin. We introduced Becca to the pumpkin the following evening. She loved it!

In addition to the pumpkin, we added a little cat to our home this weekend. Becca loved having her nose painted black, and she cried when I cleaned the paint off before bed. We took her to a trunk-or-treat event, and she was very excited about getting candy in her bucket. On the way to the event, Josh told her that people might put fruit and tracts in her bucket . . . she said, “no! candy (in) bucket!”  Becca enjoyed seeing the “eensy weensy spider” on different people’s trunks. She loves spiders because of the song.

The best part of the event for Becca was the bounce house. Since it was a small event, we let Becca go in by herself. If you ask her about it, you’ll get a very enthusiastic response: “Bounce House! Fall! Yay!” The next day I had to run errands and everywhere we went Becca asked to go in a bounce house. She broke down and sobbed at Walmart when there was no bounce house there. I’ll have to keep my eyes out for events with bounce houses!