From Our House to Yours. . .

We have had the biggest year of our lives so far! On February 9, 2009, we welcomed our precious gift from God, Evy Kate. She captured our hearts from the moment she was born, and we have kept falling more and more in love with her every day!

Our entire year has been spent watching our little girl grow. From smiling, waving, and sitting up to now crawling, she has reached every milestone we can think of! A wonderful moment for us was when she was dedicated to the Lord by my dad and grandfather (H.D.) It was so special! Evy is full of personality, smiles, and joy. We are so thankful for a healthy, happy baby. God has been so gracious to us.

Our summer was full of family events! In May, Kurt and I took my Poppy, my mom's dad, to see the musical Fiddler on the Roof. It was extra special, because Poppy and I watched this movie together while I was growing up, and the actor Topol, who played the lead in the movie, reprised his role in this traveling tour! It was so moving. In June, we made our first major trip as a family to Texas. It was wonderful to spend time with Mimi and Dah and all of our relatives. Evy was a hit, to say the least! Another very important reason for the trip was to take a five generation picture with my great-grandmother 'Nan,' my grandmother 'Nana,' my mom 'Gigi,' me, and little Evy. That picture will be a priceless treasure for years to come! In July, Kurt and I got to go with my family to see the amazing musical Wicked, the prequel to the Wizard of Oz! It was a dream of mine to see this show, and it didn't disappoint. We had the best time being together and sharing one of our favorite things, the theater. In the fall, we enjoyed having Nana and Poppy to visit to celebrate their anniversary and love on Evy Kate. The Lancaster side of the family is pretty smitten with Evy too. We've loved having lots of visits with 'Mia', 'Randad', 'Momo', 'Daddy Willie', 'Mama Dot' and 'Grandaddy!' Evy gets so much love and kisses from her grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and uncles, but I'm sure she's willing to share with her new cousin Josh who will arrive in April!

This summer, Kurt started his fourth and final year of anesthesia residency. We are counting the days until he is finished and we can begin our new life in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He is the best daddy in the world to Evy, and she adores him. Seeing them together is so precious, and I constantly thank God for such a wonderful husband and father for our daughter. I have loved being home full time with Evy Kate, which is another blessing I'm thankful for. I also blog, work on photography, and decorate. The Lord has blessed me with several “mommy” friends who also have young children. I've been so encouraged with those friendships!

In becoming parents, we now understand unconditional love. It has made us so much more aware and in awe of God's love for us. That He would send His one and only child to earth---and then sacrifice His Son's life for us---is beyond comprehension. We are blessed to have a much more meaningful Christmas this year, and we're praying you know the love of God more richly than ever before!

Love from Kurt, Ashley and Evy Kate