Christmas Celebrations.

We had such a lovely last Christmas as just husband and wife (before we don the new names of Daddy and Mommy).  We went to our church's Christmas Eve gathering at the Schnitzer Hall-brought me to tears it was so beautiful- and then spent the rest of the evening at my parents house with our tradition of eating grilled cheese/tomato soup and watching White Christmas-my fave film ever.

The next morning, husband and I had a quiet morning and started a new tradition of making aebelskivers!  We read the Christmas story and just enjoyed sitting next to one another in front of the fire.  He got me an Iphone (I am back!), some amazing books AND a shopping trip to Forever 21 once the baby is out :) 

PS: Babe, you rock.  You are the best gift ever. You could always just wrap yourself up every year...

We then headed to my parent's house where we were super blessed by them and sister and just enjoyed eating monkey bread, coffee cake, and breakfast casserole (amazing!!!!!). My parents got the baby outfits for it to go home in-one for a boy, one for a girl!

After that, my family all hopped in our car and headed to Matt's brother's home in Albany to celebrate with his family.  

It was all bountifully beautiful and we cherish that Jesus' has given us the reason for not just this season, but for everything.

xoxo, Anna N

Year one of aebelskivers:  I will try not to burn them next year.

Lemon curd, powdered sugar, and raspberry jam were the toppings!

Grandma's are all ready!

Clearly, the grandpas are too!

Matt and his beautiful mother.

I love this man. He makes me laugh ALL of the time.  I love him.

The Hurds, the Normans and the Wrights!

The good-lookin' Normans!

The Wright clan :)  And yes, the belly is getting HUGE.

Merriest Christmas.

So I just wrote a different post and then while wrapping Christmas presents I realized that I truly do not grasp what this is about.  


I thought about this and then teared up while wrapping presents. I am selfish-I know I have many beautiful friends that might say differently (that is why you all have encouraged me for years). However, if I were to count every moment of my day I guarantee you that most thoughts would be about my condition-not the condition of those around me.


Then I started thinking of Jesus.  And being pregnant. And how dependent this baby will be on me and Matt. And how that is exactly how the Maker of this universe came to show us His love.


As a baby. 


And I am then convicted that if He was willing to give up all power and enter this world as a baby, then I need to learn how to serve others more.


This is convicting. Seriously-I still have tears in my eyes just in realizing how much more I need to love and be vulnerable.


I guess this is where Christmas is hitting me this year. This moment.


Goodness I would have been a horrible Mary :) Can you imagine if you were told that you would be the mother of Jesus?!?! And...here is the kicker, not get proud about that???


And I think, I need to surrender who I am to this God who is willing to become a baby and enter this broken world knowing He would have to die to save us from our sins.


This brings me to the word for this last year:

.humbled.


I just read this on Ann Voskamp's blog:


"God steps in front of us not so much in the lovely — but in the unlikely."


Please let me meet people in the unlikely and not just in the lovely.


All my love to all of you beautiful ladies: may we have the heart of Mary and the beauty and surrender of Jesus during this Christmas season.


Merriest Christmas.

One year ago!!!  Wow-that is what my waist used to look like :)  This was right before I got my trip to Disneyland!!!

Crafty husband made this :) It is Oregon!  

So apparently the three buttons on the left did mean we were going to be adding another Norman...this is from last new year.

xoxo, Anna and her wee one :) 

Weekends, sausages, meaningful Mondays

We had such an amazing last weekend/week!  The part about the feet is that after four Christmas parties, a baby shower, a concert and a birthday party, and a haircut for the hubby, my feet started to head the direction of sausages (thank you husband for a great foot massage to try to bring them back).  So attractive.

Husband won over $200 at his Christmas party! Ironically (we are such gamblers), he got 2nd place in the casino night and "shockingly" the other two guys at our blackjack table won 1st and 4th...thank you, Bill!!!  As my husband said, "the only gamble of the night was picking the right table to sit at."  So smart, babe. I had no idea you had such talent at blackjack and were such a risk-taker!

The rest of the weekend was made even more beautiful by church, a beautiful baby shower, an amazing Christmas concert, and topping off Sunday watching Cars 2 while eating Oreos and mint chocolate chip ice cream (feet almost up). 

These pics are from the Christmas Ball on Friday at Heather and Jimmy's!  She surprised him with...a trip leaving that next morning to see the Broncos play the Patriots AND they got to sit in Tebow's box AND meet him! Jimmy is a huge fan of him because he lives out his faith and is seriously such a solid guy.  Jimmy's dad even teared up with joy because he was so happy for his son :) I told her she won wife of the decade for this one...

Sorry for the picture overload-it is just what we do (and this is only one event).

For Meaningful Monday please be sure to check out my beautiful friend's blog for items to purchase that support awesome causes this time of year. Matt and I do advent conspiracy with his family and thus we purchase gifts for each other that go to support orphanages, buy food for families, gift bags for foster kids, etc.  Such a great tradition they started!

Yes, that is a hanging couch.

She surprised him with a poem complete with gifts and "the knee."

It is Heather's 30th on January 4th but they are in Turks for 10 days so we stocked her up with "tropical" items!

The Bachelorette Pad again :)

Yes, my husband has on my necklace.  I seriously couldn't stop laughing...and then he unbuttoned his shirt.  I love you so much-I think our baby was even laughing at this point.

xoxo, Anna N

(I just realized I never even had a tag for pregnancy...I guess that means it has been a great one up until the feet!)

What a beautiful season.

The lovely agenda of the Norman's for this week-it is a GREAT week.

Monday- Carlasita's birthday party (Bachelorette Pad member)at Chipotle and Irving Street...I will track down photos.


Wednesday- The Solid Rock Christmas Party.  They had an amazing dinner and we got to sing Christmas carols then...they rented a small theater at Living Room Theaters and we got to all watch "Elf!!!!!"...I ate too much sugar and popcorn.  Not a great pregnant idea, PS. Oh, and one of the pastors dressed up as Elf!!! He is about 6'5" so it seriously felt like Elf was there!


Thursday- Jan's Christmas Tea with nearly 100 beautiful ladies and amazing worship music, great food, everything amazing in the barn with all things awesome.  


Friday- Jimmy and Heather's Christmas Ball is tonight!  It is going to rock. Let's just say that couple could win any dance show-hands down.  And she has a little surprise up her sleeve (although I don't think her dress has sleeves-whatev)


Saturday- Matt's work Christmas party at the Governor Hotel (complete with a menu full of all things great that Jake's can make)!


Sunday- church and an acapella Christmas concert and possibly, just maybe, a trip to Ikea.


I wish I could express how loved I feel this time of year.  I am SURROUNDED by people that I would call angels on their worst days.  We have amazing parents, incredible siblings, beautiful friends, a home...and have I mentioned this week how unbelievably gracious and loving my husband is? Babe, as Jim said about Jan last night, "I love you so ridiculously much."  


Ladies: let the Maker of this universe romance you first and set your standards and rest in who He has for you to marry. You will forever be grateful for the joy that is proven in His perfect will.   And thus, marry someone you respect with all that you are. ALL.  


Off to find an outfit that this watermelon "accessory" can fit into (which is getting more difficult by the day). This pic was at our Christmas Party last week with the Comers-the wee one has grown quite a bit just in a week :)

watermelon.

Have the loveliest of weekends.


xoxo, Anna N


Next weekend is CHRISTMAS!!!! So excited to celebrate the joy that that day represents for all of the world.

THE Bachelorette Pad Hotties

I seriously love these girls. Talk about a raise in the standard of people you know just by knowing anyone one of them...let alone five!  

This is where I used to live (I lived with my sis, the diva blonde with the insane model poses and Courtney, the gorgeous brunette with the curly locks and cream scarf.

I got to take their roomie pics for their Christmas card last weekend.  How do you get so many beautiful gals in one place?!?!?  Boys, you should be asking yourselves that and then do something about (only if you are amazing, godly, handsome, and well, funny).

That is their fish-Betsy.

Hey gorgeous are they?  And they are all the most beautiful, kind, giving/generous, serving others, group of gals ever!

Uppy updates.

I love alliteration.

First things first: the Christmas Tree. More specifically, the lights.  Oh, the sadness.  You see, I LOVE our lights. They are globe lights instead of the traditional ones and I am quite sure they are safe for trees (and yes, our tree is very well watered and not dry).  However, upon close surveying the other day, I found the beautiful lights were literally burning our tree.

What?!?! I know.  Don't worry-I have it on my list to call Target and let them know (these lights are also $9/strand and yes, they will take them back).

No bueno.  Do you see the burns?  I turned it on to take these pics...

Second:  We are due in a 1.5 months!  33 weeks.  Here are some pics from the nursery (I am in a standstill mode currently for no great reason other than creative block), the future diaper bag (I am assuming I will be even more excited about the baby than I am for this bag), the yellow/white/ducky brigade, Matt's mobile from growing up (!), and...the belly.

My mother told me it is possible to get bigger.  Clearly, she is right.  The coat I could zip two days ago no longer zips. Tiddlywinks.  

I am also working on getting a video of the workout machine in my tummy.  Mover and shaker.

It was spinning...

Isn't she a beauty???  And the elephant-come one, anything cuter?

Photo ops.

My lovely sister (see her here) took pictures of handsome and I (and the wee one) a few weeks back.  Needless to say, she did an amazing job. I however realized why I dislike anything labeled "maternity" and why I have now only purchased 5 maternity items total (3 in the last few days)...reason being-my torso is slightly long so the "band" hits right in the middle. So inconvenient!

And it was about 30 degrees.  Some chic decided to wear short sleeves.  "Pregnancy brain."

The next photo was a dress that I bought while working at Ralph six years ago. I altered it quite a bit and it "fit" two weeks before this picture.  Well...it lost its "fit" in under two weeks.

Did I mention how much my husband makes me laugh?  Please marry men that make you laugh.

32 week update: Doc said that most women who are taller measure smaller at this point for a reason I don't remember. Not our case :) Our baby is quite healthy and loving the extra space. Kind of like a goldfish that grows to its tank size.  I am starting to pray it comes a little bit early.  

Oh-and this baby is a MOVER.  To the point that I screamed in the car today because it took a pretty big jab near my ribs. I am glad to know it is there (just in case the large tummy didn't solidify that).  It spent 3 hours non-stop the other night doing tae-bo movements. If only I worked out as much as the wee one...