I did not intend to take a seven month break from blogging, but new Mommyhood while working full time has really focused my free time so that I am doing very necessary, quick things in any spare moments. Being a Mother is such an extreme blessing. I honestly wondered if I would be up to this role, able to be dedicated 100% to a little person 100% of the time, but I have loved every moment. I am constantly challenged to adapt to her needs, to learn new things about caring for her, and to take a breath and enjoy every minute of this wonderful time.

Lily Grace is already 10 1/2 months old! I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by us. She can pull up, crawl anywhere she wants to go, has two teeth, loves school, and will be walking before we know it. I just love to hear her call out for me: "Mama!" She is such a beautiful, smart girl and I am extremely proud of her.

The Buchanans have a lot to be blissful about these days. We have such a perfect, healthy little girl and a wonderful new home! We moved in early June and have felt so abundantly grateful for this new place to live, grow, and love.

As we move into a new chapter of our family we look around and see God's grace, a world full of blessings, a baby girl full of joy, and a life that we have always dreamed of. If that's not bliss I don't know what is!

Today's Bliss: Three Months of Mommyhood

Lily Grace is now three months old! What a wonderful blessing these three months have been for me and our family. I am so grateful for the gift of this little girl and the joy that she has given us. As I look at her sweet face, I am overwhelmed with elation and love. Never before have I felt such deep emotion and adoration...God has blessed me more than I could have ever imagined!

These three months have also had some challenges...being a Mom is hard! Making decisions, troubleshooting problems, keeping a calm attitude when you are sleep deprived, and endless other daily issues have really taught me a lot about myself, about N, and about Lily Grace.

I have prayed more deep, emotional prayers in the past three months than I have for a while, too. Seeing the face of God in a little bundle of baby has been an experience that I could never prepared myself for. God's grace, faithfulness, and love have truly been felt in my heart and my life in a new way and I am so thankful for that. Without Him I do not think I could have made it through so many sleepless nights and endless days!

So, here I am with a happy, growing baby. She is learning new things and changing every single day...and that is true, pure bliss!

Today's Bliss: Best Birthday Ever

Tomorrow, I turn 30. It is difficult to believe, but I am handling it well. I've had a couple of family celebrations already and when I blew out the candles on my first cake, I realized that I had nothing to wish for, I had such wonderful people in my life and so many blessings that I truly could not think of anything I needed. Granted, when you have multiple cakes for the same birthday, life can't be too bad! I suppose I just looked back at my first 30 years and realized that they were great ones - so the next 60 years are bound to be even better!

The real reason that this is the best birthday ever, of course, is my sweet 7 week old baby. She is such a joyful part of my day to day life, showing me what love looks and feels like. From her snuggly naps in my arms to her alert eyes taking in new things around her, she is a wonderful part of our family!

Our family members and friends have helped make this new baby a spoiled and loved little girl. Thanks for welcoming Lily Grace into the world!

God has given me so many things and I am so young...there must be so much more waiting for me on the road of life! I cannot wait to discover what is ahead. But what is most important are the two people right beside me as I journey forth: Neal and Lily Grace. They are my bliss!

Bring it on 30 and and beyond!

Our first church service as a family!

Today's Bliss: A Family of Three

On August 17th, our dear Lily Grace was born. We have had an eventful first three weeks together, but the long days and nights have been precious ones as N, Lily Grace, and I get to know each other and establish our identity as a new family. The road so far has not been an easy one, but it has been a blessing. Almost every morning, tears of joy fill my eyes as I look at our little miracle: a beautiful, healthy, spunky, funny, sweet, snuggly little girl.

Lily Grace Buchanan 8.17.13

We have had a lot of help so far, all of it very needed and appreciated! Many thanks to all of the friends and family members who have been so kind to us, especially Lily Grace’s grandparents! She is a very blessed little girl already.

I’ve attempted to describe bliss many times on this blog, but today I can truly say that I now really know what it is: holding my baby girl after 9 months waiting to see her face.  I am overwhelmed with love for her, for N, and for our family as we all grow together and look ahead to the full, bright future that lies ahead of us. God is so good and we cannot praise him enough for this one-of-a-kind gift!

Today's Bliss: A New Love

I am only one week away from my sweet baby's due date. A smattering of emotions are running through me: joy, elation, fear, nervousness, excitement, hope...I could go on and on. Being a mother, being a little baby's source of love, life, and, well, everything? That is daunting. I have always dreamed of this moment, of expecting a baby and being ready to welcome him or her into my life. But I am in disbelief that the moment has (almost) arrived. Nine months seems like an eternity, and at times it has felt that way, but honestly, I am shocked that the time has come for me to meet this little baby who I have thought about constantly since December.

I have gotten this far thanks to my family and I know that we'll get through the next steps of this grand adventure thanks to them as well. But the true reason that I have maintained my sanity, kept my cool (mostly), and still feel confident is my husband, Neal. I have seen such deep love in him, patiently helping me through every single step of this journey. If I was in a bad mood, he would just try to bring me out of it with jokes, smiles, and encouragement. If I was exhausted, he'd do what he could to help me out with my to-do list. If I was overwhelmed, he'd offer to take over everything in my hands so that I could breathe and rest. I have known and seen his love for 4 years now, but the demonstration of love over the past nine months has been beyond my comprehension.

Watching his love being displayed through endless actions reminds me that love should always be like that. No matter what is happening in the world, we are called to display love to everyone around us, to demonstrate Christ's care, understanding, and joy. I don't know that I will ever really be able to do this, but as love becomes even deeper in my life, I hope that I can remember to show that to the world, whether it's a smile to the Kroger check out line bagger, a person at church who I just don't quite connect with, a stranger on the corner who needs a few dollars, or people close to me who make just as many mistakes as I do.

As I stand on the precipice of becoming a mother and opening my life and heart in a whole new, foreign way, I pause to give thanks for what I have, for the people around me, and for love, because without it, I would never have bliss.

About one week to go! :-)

Today's Bliss: Final Countdown

Our sweet little girl is due in 6 1/2 weeks. I cannot believe how quickly the time has flown by! The past seven months have been quite an adventure, but Lily Grace is growing, healthy, and getting set for her debut in August. I am deeply thankful for the experience that I have already had with this little girl, and I cannot wait to see what is in store for us.

Spending so much time focusing on family has reminded me that I am blessed to have an extensive, caring support system around me. No matter the circumstance, I know that there are so many people willing, able, and wanting to be a part of our lives. N and I are very, very grateful for everyone who helps us feel loved.

Feeling close to people, knowing that they are in your corner and by your side? That is bliss.

Lily Grace's first party: our baby shower!

Today's Bliss: Baby Buchanan!

All of my life, I dreamed of being a mom "someday." As it turns out, N has always dreamed of being a dad. So, after 2 1/2 years of marriage, our dreams are coming true...we are having a Baby Buchanan! We are excited, nervous, overwhelmed, elated, scared, happy, and a lot of other emotions all rolled together, but mostly, we are blissful and blessed. Our lives will be forever, wonderfully changed this August and we are very much looking forward to this new experience.

We're going to be parents!

All of you parents out there, we request that you stay close to your phone, Facebook, and email accounts this year because we'll probably have some questions and need your advice! Please keep us in your prayers as we ready our home, lives, and hearts for our new, blissful addition.

Today's Bliss: A New Year

The last few days of 2012 are quickly coming and going and I realized today that I am glad. I know that I should never wish for time to pass, that I should be grateful for and savor every moment of the days that I am given, but 2012 has just been a little rough, and I am glad to turn to a new year ahead. December has specifically been a roller coaster ride, and as much as I love theme park thrill rides, I am very ready to get off of this one. There have been some highlights (see below), however, and I will work to focus on these during the last hours of the year.

Deep down, I am constantly reminding myself that my life is blissful even when I face some challenges and unexpected hurdles. I am very blessed, even with challenges, because every single thing that happens is in God's hands, even though I rarely understand the "why" of it. It's just hard to lift your head out of the murky waters when you feel immersed by them. I hope that in 2013 I am better able to breathe in more light and life and exhale negativity and fear. And I hope the same for you, too.

So, to tie up 2012 on a good note rather than dull one, here are a few blissful things that I will hold on to from this year:

• Just being married to sweet, caring, funny N and enjoying his company every day.
• Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time and realizing how vast God is.
• Having cuddle time with my spoiled dog Scooter every day (as much of a mess as he is).
• Spending time at a lovely lake house thanks to N's Grandmother.
• Supporting friends when they have needed me to lend a helping hand and listening ear.
• Having healthy, happy family members.
• Seeing my one-and-only Neice graduate from high school and begin her fun college adventure.
• Standing by while a good friend said "I do."
• Worshiped and fellowshiped with supportive, caring friends at church.

My true loves

All the best bliss to you as you tie up 2012 and plunge headlong into 2013 in a few days!

Today's Bliss: Advent

I love the holidays. It is a time for rest, reflection, family, and celebration. I especially enjoy the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when we are preparing for a festive, joyous time ahead. I like to buy people gifts and wrap them up, decorate our home, bake some yummy cookies, and feel warm and cozy readying my Christmas card list.

The most important thing during this time of the year is advent. The word "advent" brings to mind more spiritual preparation, a deeper time to celebrate Jesus, God's perfect gift to us. Where would we be without God? Where would we be without the sacrifice He made? Jesus is our only hope in this very crazy world we are living in.

Many people hustle and bustle rather than stop and pray during this season. Many people don't like this season at all, seeing it as sad rather than joyous. Many people equate Christmas with stress. And I have been guilty of all of this myself, of course, but I am trying harder and harder every year to keep my mind on the manger, my eyes on the cross, and my heart centered on Christ at Christmas. Feeling His presence every day is what keeps me going throughout the year, but especially now when we are getting set to remember His birth.

So, look around you, enjoy the bright lights, festive decor, and fun that the season brings. The fact that you can partake of this season and enjoy the blessings of Christ is pure bliss.

Christmas 2011 - Gaylord Opryland Hotel

Today's Bliss: Advice

My sweet dog Scooter had a very rough week. He has bulging discs in his back, causing him pain and difficulty walking. Early in the week I did not know what to do, where to go for help, or what veterinarian to go see. Luckily for me, I have good friends in different realms of my life who have a lot of experiences with dogs and medical issues concerning pets. I received a lot of advice and I really, really appreciated all of it. Scooter is doing much better now that he has some medicine and we know what is wrong with him!

Scooter as a bitty baby! March 2007

 

 

Scooter: in the hood. December 2008

Scooter hangin' at the lake. August 2012

The whole experience this week got me thinking: what would I do without people to help me out? To offer advice, help, encouragement, love, support, guidance, and grace? To tell me their thoughts and opinions? I would be lost. My family, friends, and co-workers are all such blessings to me. I am so grateful for their presence in my life.

God gives us people in our lives so that we can be in fellowship and help each other. I am so blessed to have all of the people who surround me! Look around in your life. Do you see people (whether few or many) who can offer support and love, who can give advice and direction? Listen to them. They will help your life be bliss.

Today's Bliss: Veterans Day

Today we stop to admire, remember, and thank people who have served our country and sacrificed for us. I cannot even imagine traveling overseas in this role...I can't imagine being married to someone in the role, either. The men and women who serve our country in the armed forces and their spouses and children are such a vital part of our country and I thank them for being brave and focused on helping the U.S.A. be strong and protected.

Today I have thought about freedom and what it really means. I am so blessed to live a blissful lifestyle, free to do as I please, worship as I please, love whom I please, go where I please, and live how I please. I am very grateful to people who are dedicated to ensuring that I can live this life.

Let's all pray for the many, many people around the world who do not have this freedom. People who would love just to be able to worship publicly. People who would like to choose who they would like to marry. People who need to hear about Jesus but the Word has been suppressed. Maybe with our support through prayer, they can also feel that they have a life of bliss.

Today's Bliss: Saints

Anyone who knows me knows that I am an emotional person. I cry tears of sadness, tears of joy, tears of exhaustion, and tears of elation. But I cry the most when someone passes from earthly life to eternal life. Even if I am not necessarily close to someone, I cry for their families. The loss of someone who supports, loves, and cares for others is always a great loss.

Death is a natural thing, a gateway to eternal life, something that happens to every single living thing, but I don't handle it well. I think that a lot of people don't.

The one thing that makes someone's death bearable for me is that I have strong faith and I know that someday I will see my loved ones again. And that people who leave me are joining in jubilation with their loved ones who passed on before them...

I am so thankful for all of the Saints that God has given me throughout my life. Today we recognized All Saints Day at church and we lit candles for those who we wanted to remember. I lit several...I could have lit the whole candle display full, because if I really think about it, I know that I have had hundreds of people go through my life who have left a mark. Some people are with me for an hour, others are with me for my lifetime, but all people leave an impression on me. That is why I weep so much when they leave to be with God.

And so now I pause to ask myself: Am I leaving a good, meaningful mark in the lives of people around me? Am I going to be viewed as a Saint? Are my loved ones looking down on me from Heaven, proud of my good works and strong faith?

I hope so. I hope that we all will live the faithful, joyous, grace-filled lives that we've been given in such a way that everyone around us knows that we are Disciples and Jesus Followers. Saints.

And the day that Christ welcomes us to greet the Saints who have passed before us? That will truly be bliss.

Today's Bliss: Halloween Fun!

N and I had a great weekend filled with Halloween festivities! We carved our pumpkin, went to a party, and gave out candy at our church's Trunk or Treat. Mixed in with the fun, we also completed a painting project, visited my parents, and cleaned the hose...a busy but good weekend. We are so very blessed by each other, by our families, and by our friends! Ours is a life of bliss.

Superman and Lois Lane at our friend's Halloween party!

2012 Pumpkin: a ghost pumpkin...pure white and smells like a honeydew melon.

 

Trunk or Treat...a baseball theme! GO SOUNDS!

Happy Halloween! :-) Hug someone tight and tell you that you'd be scared to live without them.

Today's Bliss: Childlike Faith

N and I have been excited all week...counting down the days...ready for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch! We enjoy Fall so much and love to visit the pumpkin patch, looking at all of the choices and selecting just the right decor for this festive time of year.

This year we visited the pumpkin patch at Forrest Hills UMC in southwest Nashville. We routinely shop at the farmer's market there on Saturday mornings throughout the summer, so it seemed fitting to purchase our pumpkins there this year also. All of the pumpkin patch proceeds benefit youth missions so we were glad to support that effort with our purchases.

And purchases we made! We found some great pumpkins and funny looking fall gourds for our dining room table, too. We are ready for the season!

Is this the perfect pumpkin?!

Here's our selection...a Ghost Pumpkin! N loves it!

We may be nearing 30 years of age and we may not have kids, but we love to do fun kid-like activities. It is good for us to share in these little excitements that we both enjoy.

This is how our faith is supposed to be, too. Looking at things with the excitement of a child is what God has called us to do:
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-4 ESV)

God wants us to ask questions, thirst for more information, sit enraptured in His presence, listen to His words, and spread the message of his love. Until we can admit that we don't know it all and don't have the world figured out, we cannot truly accept God's will and love for us. We need to be open-minded and innocent, running to the Father with our needs, concerns, and questions. He is the all-knowing, peace-giving fountain that will fulfill our thirst and heal our hearts from the world's hurts.

Receiving the gifts he has for us and acting like the children we are supposed to be: that's bliss!

Today's Bliss: Fall

It has been such a long time since I have written! I didn't mean to take a break from writing, it just happened. 2012 has been full of surprises and it has FLOWN by. I cannot believe that it is already Fall! I love this time of year: holidays on the horizon, my birthday (tomorrow!), cool, crisp air, changing leaves, cuddly evenings with blankets and a book, and time visiting family.

This summer was full of bliss, too. N's family now has a lake house that we can visit and we have taken advantage of the very relaxing, beautiful, nature-filled location as much as possible. There is even a paddle boat that we have been captaining! During the last months we've also had some fun at baseball games, weddings, church activities, Bible studies, football games, a Habitat for Humanity build, long weekend trips, and time with friends and family members. We are blessed and I thank God for all of the wonderful people in our lives and opportunities that we have.

Finding bliss at the lake with N and Scooter!

This Fall, I have been trying to reconnect with God. I didn't feel disconnected really, but I knew that I wasn't doing all that I should be doing to listen to God, rest in Him, and obey his Word. Maybe that is why I didn't blog, either: I just didn't have a lot to say. Through Bible study and some peaceful reflecting, I have felt so much more in-tune to God and all that He has been trying to say to me. His plans are better than mine, His work is perfect, and I need to listen to His voice, no matter if it's a shout or a whisper.

I am blissful because I look around and see a lot of the things that I've always asked God to give me. I am blissful because, despite my tendency to ignore God, he has patiently waited for my faith to be set on fire once again by a desire to grow, be a better person, and plug-in to His voice every moment.

Last week, I tried to pray as much as I could throughout each day. Some days I did better with this than others...and what a difference I could see between the prayerful days and the less prayerful ones! And what motivation to try even more prayer-centered days this week!

I pray that your days as prayer-filled and centered on what is truly important: being clay in the Potter's hands, willingly following His guidance. This is what I strive for and I hope you do, too.

Today's Bliss: Rest

I cannot believe that it has been two weeks since my last post! I have been working and running around a lot...leaving no time for thinking or writing. After a very full two weeks, I have had this weekend to catch up on some rest, get some time to reconnect with N, and enjoy my home. I am a person who needs peace and uninterrupted quiet to recharge and refuel. This is what has been missing lately! I am grateful for time to just take a breath, catch up on things, and chill out.

Today is Palm Sunday, a day to celebrate Christ - God's ultimate gift to us. I wish I was better at showing that gift to the world...telling people that their stress and frustration can be healed at the feet of Jesus. In fact, I need to remember that myself lately! God gives, gives, gives to us in so many ways. Patience, love, grace, loyalty, forgiveness, understanding, peace, mercy, the list of His gifts could go on and on. I celebrate His giving this Palm Sunday. Celebrate what I have and all that I am; celebrate the opportunities and hope I see around me; celebrate my family and friends; celebrate my blessings.

Resting in His love + spending time with my true love and partner N = Bliss.

Today's Bliss: Relaxation

The past month has been very, very crazy at work and I see no end in sight. It is a stressful time, but I am coping okay...some days more than others, admittedly, but overall I am doing fine. But everyone needs a break! Today I took a day to rest, breathe, and enjoy some relaxation. I am treating myself to a massage, some retail therapy, and a flexible schedule. I am so thankful for this time to chill out!

It is so easy to focus on the crazy world around us: the pressure to succeed, the endless desire for more, more, more stuff. On days like today, it is so healing for me to take a moment to look inside my life, look up to God, and really think about what is truly important. At the end of it all, I think that God will care much more about my attitude while facing a long to-do list rather than if my list was completed.

It is very hard to keep a cool head under pressure. I have always had some trouble with that. I hope that I can get better at coping and overcoming challenges...maybe that is why I always seem to have one in my life. Practice makes perfect.

Today's Bliss: Forgiveness

My blog today is a confession. Remember back on Ash Wednesday when I was so excited to start my Lent calendar? Yeah, well, I am not following it at all! As you can imagine, I have a long list of excuses for not sticking to my calendar plan, but none of them truly excuse me. I am definitely not proud of my effort.

Forgiveness is a huge, wonderful part of my relationship with God, my relationship with my family and coworkers, my relationship with friends. I am so, so far from perfection, as we all are, that I am in need of forgiveness every day! I am slowly learning that being hard on myself and beating myself up for not doing something (or for doing something I shouldn't) is a waste of time. Things happen...all we can do is ask for forgiveness, forgive ourselves, and try to do better the next time. After all, we are all human and we all have to be forgiven sometimes, right?

I praise God for His blessing of forgiveness. Praise to Jesus for dying for me so that I can live a redeemed life, whether I deserve it or not. That is a deep blessing that I will probably never really grasp. Knowing about Divine mysteries like this is why I count my life as blissful.

And, who knows...maybe I'll stick to my Lent calendar tomorrow? :-/

Today's Bliss: Wandering

N and I did not have anything on our calendar today so we wandered around. We took a walk, went to see a dog show, went shopping, ate a nice lunch, saw friends, shopped some more, ate gelato, bought groceries...we really enjoyed our sunshiny, laid-back day!

I know you look at the above list and say: "dog show?" It was actually a really neat part of our day today. We saw hundreds of dogs; just about every breed was represented. We toured grooming areas and watched several breeds as they were circling their judge in a ring. There were even kids and teenagers doing some of the showing. Very impressive! (And free!) If you have not been to a dog show before and you love the little K9s, you should definitely check one out sometime.

Experiencing something new with someone you love is always fun. Being with them to share joy and a sense of adventure is a great bonding time. I am so grateful for N and his spirit of adventure - he is always ready to try something new.

I hope you have the chance to break out of your routine and wander around your city. You will probably discover something great that you didn't know was even there. That is bliss!

Today's Bliss: Peace

Yesterday, storms swept through the eastern half of the nation. Many people were injured, killed, and displaced. Today, the sun is shining, birds are chirping, and there is a peace out in nature. N and I have been very blessed to avoid direct impact of strong storms, tornadoes, flooding, and other natural disasters. As I think back to all of the weather-related disasters that I have witnessed in my lifetime, whether on television or in person, I realize how many disasters have not hit me or my family. Praise God for his goodness and protective angels around us.

Peace is something that I yearn for in the midst of a busy day, in the midst of a chaotic schedule, in the midst of conflicts, in the midst of literal or metaphorical storms. This makes me so, so thankful for a quiet evening spent with my family, a Saturday that has unscheduled hours to watch Downton Abbey and read a book on my Kindle, a Sunday afternoon when I can play a game of Sorry with my husband (even though he beats me 99% of the time). :-)

Praise be to God for his faithfulness and his patience. Praise him for peace, love, and mercy. Praise him for the bliss that we can all have if we just bow our heads, ask for forgiveness, and focus on living the way He wants us to live.