To be love.

Oh the cost of love. It is beautiful but at its best and in its absolute most-inclusive definition, it is sacrifice. It is step-over-yourself, give yourself entirely, and then be willing to give a little bit more.  It is Jesus. It is how as a mom I have the smallest glimpse into what it must have been for Him to say that we were all worth His death (even though he was blameless...alas, I am soooooooSOOOOO not).

It's Jesus' last words on the cross, "'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said that, he breathed his last." Luke 23:46

I have been awful at giving up every last ounce of myself like Jesus did.  Especially without complaining.  It is a struggle to everyday choose to put another above myself, even my very own daughter. I get impatient, upset (she is a very, very strong little girl), worn-out/exhausted, and yet I know that children are a joy from the LORD and He knows I am the best mother for her.

It is still hard.  Our little girl has had a cold for two weeks, then a fever started yesterday, she awoke screaming in the middle of the night with her body going into convulsions every five seconds, we rushed her to the ER, found out she was okay (just a body's response to fever), found out she had an ear infection (took her in Monday thinking she had one but it was yet to come), then got her home and back in bed at 4am. Oh, and I didn't mention she has been constipated for three weeks, which is now figured out, and she has gotten four teeth in the last three weeks :)

And she is more than worth it. She is worth the end of myself (and my poor dear husband who gets up at 4:45 every morning). She is worth me being love-and the best, most holistic kind of love.

She is my agape.  

The Greeks had it right when they had four words for love. We seem to think one word can define me loving a french fry and me loving our daughter.  I think I side with the Greek language here.  

Agape is the most powerful.
  
It is the love that is selfless, unconditional and sacrificial.

It is Jesus. It is how we/I can be like him.

So thank you God for creating our perfect little girl-giving me a chance to have the slightest glimpse into how you could offer yourself as a sacrifice for all of mankind. 

She delights our souls.  She is a world-changer, I have that promise.  She will bring love to thousands and my death is worth it if she only brought your love to one.

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 :) 

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.

Delayed Gratitude.

I totally forgot to post pics from Thanksgiving! 

It was such a great time with my family and Matt's family together at his parent's home in Albany. We are so blessed to have the families we have...

We also had a swell Christmas party with our neighbors last night!  I would love to say we took lots of pics but that just didn't happen. Too much loveliness going on from 7 to 11:30 for that to happen.

Merry Christmas in advance.  Oh how merry it is...

The future grandmothers...how blessed is our baby! 

Can't even deal with this hotness and cuteness together.  This my friends is Baby Grace :)

Hopefully we have a better effect on our child-she looks slightly traumatized.

It fascinates me when babies love cameras like she does!

The amazing makeshift dinner table to hold 16 people!

If you ever have questions of why Meggie and I are goofy...and please look at my mom's expression!

I love you.


xoxo, Anna Norman (8 months down)

So much.

Everything in my life goes back to the Bible verse that was on our wedding invites:  Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.  Ephesians 3:20


I have tears in my eyes just typing about how grateful I am.  I will never be able to give enough praise to God for what He has done in my life and how He consistently blesses those who know Him and just as beautifully, those who don't.  

My List:

+For grace, His abundant grace.

+For our families.  We are getting ready to head down with my parents and sister to his parents house. Our parents genuinely love each other and we get to spend all holidays with both of our families together.  "Exceedingly abundantly."

+My husband.  You might think this blog is an ode to him and you might be partially correct :)  I fall more in love with him every second I breath.  It is humbling to be loved so well. Each day I think that I couldn't love him more and then I awaken and fall even deeper into love.

+A new home. Amazing neighbors. Answered prayers.

+Our baby.  I have never in my life believed more strongly in God as I do now watching my stomach move around and thinking... Someone thought all of this up.

+Our friends. We are so loved.

A humbled lady, Anna Norman

Grateful.

For oh-so-much.

1) My life is so undeserved and because of that it is so knock-my-socks off beautiful.  

Kind of easy to tell how much I adore him. And that was almost 16 months ago...

2) I am getting so excited to meet our little one and watch it's daddy just pour a million words of love and hugs into him/her.  I seriously cry thinking about my husband being a father.  I know I talk about how great my husband is quite often but I hope all of you understand or someday will what it is like to be married to a man who reads his Bible every morning and loves our family the way I feel God loves me. It is paralyzing in the most captivating way-just leaves you breathless and on your knees in praise.

3) I adore women. I get to meet with quite a few beautiful young ladies and I am so in awe of watching women become more lovely. Oh, and my best friends are ridiculous. Thanks for loving me so well.  

4) I am thankful I can make a list...that never ends.  Our lives are all a gift, ones that we did not earn.

PS: I can't wait for you all to see the nursery!  Sister helped me paint stripes today and the "changing table" is quite the accent to the striped wall.  Now to get lanterns...

xoxo, Anna N...pray I always have a grateful and overwhelmed heart.

Glow sticks.

 The world really needs more glow sticks. And more people that glow.  Just saying.  And more dance parties. And probably glow worms to come back.

Crazy to think we have been married for over 15 months!  Boy was that fun... I was just looking through extra photos we got and loving remembering it all.

Baby update: Almost seven months along!  We love you, wee one!  Thanks for continuing to give me an internal workout in your posh workout space-I think that counts as an external one for me.  You should know the space is going to be getting smaller so please enjoy the next few weeks of zumba belly class.  You must get your dancing from daddy.

Fabulous Friday

Although I am "retired," I still love Fridays.  It means my husband is done with his work week and that we get to sleep in together and just relax...well after the house remodel is done. 

We are off to a dinner tonight to meet with a young lady who an entire organization was founded from.  The organization is Remember Nhu (www.remembernhu.org) and they fight child sex trafficking in four SE Asian countries. The couple quit their successful jobs, sold their successful company, take no pay from the organization, and simply live to fight for those who don't have anyone to fight for them.  So beautiful and convicting.  

Nhu is a girl that was rescued and Carl and Laurie have now adopted her as their own daughter-you should watch the video (you will cry).

Tomorrow is remodeling (hubby actually took today off for that as well). Sunday is remodeling.  And thankfully we get a lovely dose of Jesus on Saturday night at church :)  Should be a lovely weekend.

I am thankful this Friday for all that God is doing and I pray I am aware at every moment of who He is and the beauty He wants to reveal to me.  I have come to realize that SO MANY of my prayers have been answered-in ways more beautiful than I ever imagined (husband, house, who God is to me, a baby, our families loving one another, etc.)

What beauty is He revealing to you?

May we all have the ability to find Him in our busy lives-that He provided for us.

xoxo, Anna N