Sweet Memories.

Capturing this momentous time in our life was really important to me, and fortunately for us, we found the most wonderful photographer to do so.

Shawn is truly one of the most amazingly artistic and passionate photographers I have ever met, and her work is inspirational!  She recently trekked and trudged through water, mud and brush to beautifully portray this special time in our life. 

Check out her blog here for a sneak preview of our session with her:

http://www.lifeshadowsphotography.com/blog/?p=1315

A special thank you to Shawn for your time, dedication, and passion.  Thank you for being so patient and for seeing beauty in the lives you capture!

For more information on Shawn and her work, visit her website here: 

http://www.lifeshadowsphotography.com/

In the meantime, we're hitting the final stretch in this pregnancy journey!  Just five more weeks to go, more or less.  I know I'll forget about the little discomforts like heartburn, an aching back and swollen feet when I finally get to hold our baby girl! :)

Thank you for all the continued love and support, we're so grateful.

Gratitude.

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson


There is so much I have to be thankful for; I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessings in my life.

P.S.  Among the many things I'm grateful for is our healthy, growing baby girl!  She is almost 35 weeks!  Just a little over a month until we get to meet our daughter! :)

For Valentine's Day....

Though I strongly believe that love should be something that is celebrated everyday, I'll take the opportunity to express gratefulness for the love I have been blessed with in my own life (hopefully without the expense of being too corny or cliched.)

To my wonderful husband: You have made my life more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.  Sharing a life of love with you has been one of the greatest blessings in my life, and I am thankful for all the ways you have demonstrated your love to me.  Thank you for your unconditional love and for being the most incredible husband to me.  I am so grateful for you everyday.

Our daughter to be:  I dream of what it will be like to meet you everyday and can't wait until I can finally hold you in my arms.  Your daddy and I love you so much already, and I am so grateful for the precious blessing that you have been and will be in our lives.  Thank you for already teaching me so much about love.

To my amazing parents:  Your love for one another and for all of us has made a meaningful and everlasting impact in my life.  Thank you for never growing tired of loving us, caring for us, and encouraging and supporting us throughout our lives.  I am so blessed to have you both as my parents.

To all our incredible family and friends:  I am indebted with gratitude for the ways you have been there for us and shared in our lives by your love and friendship.  Thank you!

 

 

In loving memory...

My dear brother,

A day hasn't gone by that I don't think of you or am reminded of you in some form or another.  I can hardly believe that three years have passed since you've gone to Heaven.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I've missed you.  So much has happened that I have longed to share with you, but in my heart, I know that you're not suffering any longer.  The only hope I can cling to when I feel the anguish of your absence is knowing that you're at peace now, that the battle you fought so bravely for so long had finally ended. 

I can't help but miss you though.  Sometimes I find myself wishing I could pick up my phone and call you, just to hear your voice or share some exciting news with you.  My heart aches for you most in moments of joy, for those are moments I wish I could share with you.  I know you would've danced with me at my wedding and smiled to know how happy I was.  You loved Scott and believed in us; you knew we would take care of each other.  When we found out I was pregnant, you were the first person I thought of.  I heard your magical laugh when we found out it was girl.  I know you would've loved her as much as I do and surely would have cared for her as you did your own.  I wish we could see our kids grow up together and watch them play and explore.  You were always so good with the kids, and I see them so much in you, especially Daniel.  I feel like you're looking out at me through his eyes sometimes. 

My only regret is that our time together on Earth was far too short.  It almost seems like yesterday that you were bouncing us on the trampoline or tickling us until we could bear it no longer.  There are so many things I wish we could have experienced together, but I am thankful for the precious memories I have with you, and I will cherish them as long as I live.

I only hope that you knew how much you were loved and that you were the best father, husband, brother, and son.  Our lives, this world, is truly a better place because you were here with us.  We are better people because of your place in our lives.  Such a void of your passing can never be filled, but we have Hope, and to that Hope I cling. 

I can't wait to tell our baby girl about her amazing and brave Uncle.  I will tell her stories of us, like how you paid me once to do the dishes before Mom got home, so she would be happy.  Or how you took us to the store in your truck to buy us whatever candy we wanted.  I will tell her about the courage you had and how you fought to the very end, never despairing or giving up hope. 

When I think of you, I think of you like a guardian angel, watching over us, resting in peace and free from pain and adversity.  I wish I could give you a hug and tell you how much I love you and how thankful I am to have you as my big brother.  Until we meet again, you will always live on in my memories, and I will always remember you with love and thankfulness-thankful to God for the precious time in life we did have together.


In loving memory of Juan de Dios Estrada, May 1st 1973-December 19th, 2006

A crib for our baby!

I can hardly believe that I'm almost in the third trimester!  Thankfully, we're all continuing to do well, and Celeste is definitely moving and kicking strong!  It's been such a joy to prepare for our little one's arrival.  She's actually going to be getting a crib made especially for her by her daddy!  Scott has decided to build her crib from scratch-a labor of love. :)  I can't wait to see it come together! 

24 weeks!

Here I am with baby Celeste at 24 weeks!  I find that the weeks are going by faster and faster, and we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our little bundle of joy.  All three of us made it safely around Australia and New Zealand and back home again.  Though I discovered that a 14 hour plane ride can be much more uncomfortable and complex when you have to get up to use the bathroom every hour, it was definitely worth it!  We had an invaluable experience with memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.  Not to mention, New Zealand sells some of the most adorable sheepskin booties, and we were sure to pick up a pair for Celeste.  :)

Thank you so much to those of you who kept us in your thoughts and prayers as we traveled abroad.  While we thoroughly enjoyed our time together, it is definitely wonderful to be home, safe and sound.  I'll be sure to post some pictures of our trip soon!

The Land Down Under...

Tomorrow we head out for our trip to Australia and New Zealand!  We're definitely looking forwad to this much needed break and are thankful for the opportunity to spend some time together before Celeste is born.  We'll definitely miss our families and friends during the holidays; wishing you all a very Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!  We'll be taking lots of pictures to share for the next post! :)