I'm Gonna Be An Aunt!!

Hello All! It's mid-October and it's in the 90's here in sunny Orlando. I cannot say I'm used to that, but I will take it over a harsh 3-6 months of winter anytime!

Some of you may not know that both of my younger sisters are pregnant and are 3 months apart. My sister Andrea who lives in Chicago, is due on December 13th so I am looking forward to an amazing Christmas present this year! She and her husband Scott have decided NOT to find out the sex of the baby so we all wait with eager anticipation. I'm going with boy, but you never know. My other sister Laura and her husband Luke decided to find out the sex of their baby last week and they invited me to be there when they did. Luke was convinced it was a boy and I was sure it was a girl. The baby is due on my birthday, March 5th, and if it was a girl she was going to be named Maya Nicole. So you see, I did have some bias here. As the ultrasound got started it only took a few minutes to see that the baby was a girl!! I had my camera all ready and had taken a few shots before the announcement, but I really wanted to capture the moment on Luke and Laura's faces when they announced the sex. Instead, I started screaming and jumping myself and just couldn't wipe the smile from my face. Here are some of the shots I did get during this time.

It was amazing to see the baby on the big screen.

Baby Maya
My excited Brother-in-law Luke
So it was an amazing day full of smiles and excitement. I have to say that it was an honor to get to share this with my sister and Luke. I do have to be honest though, and say that there was a small part of me that hurt. A part of me that still asks God, "why not me? Will I ever get to be a wife to a wonderful man and know what it feels like to be a mother?" I know it may seem selfish to be feeling this way in the light of such a wonderful thing, but that's just the way I feel. I don't feel this way all the time and I am more than excited to be an aunt. Yet at the core of how God made me, these desires just will not go away. I know there is much to be learned in the waiting, no the longing, of this time and He is showing me through it all that He is faithful.

I want to live life to the fullest, for that is why Christ came. In times like these, I always wonder how people get through the pain of life without Christ. Hope comes from knowing that we are loved and loved well and that this life is not the end of our story. It's just a blip on the radar of eternity, but that doesn't always help when I need a hug from someone with skin on. =)

I do know that there is redemption in that I get to share this journey with my sisters. After the past few years, that is saying something.

I also had a friend from Atlanta, who is now living in Baltimore, come and visit last weekend. Here are a few pictures of Lauren that I took at Disney's Boardwalk. She is very photogenic so it was fun to take them.

My roommate Tiffany also got a new haircut so I had to capture that as well. I think she looks beautiful!

One last thing before I go....I got a job!! I am substitute teaching at a prep school here in Winter Garden and I really like it. I get to go in and talk with students all day and then leave. No lesson plans, little stress, and NO WEEKENDS or EVENINGS!! Being in a school does make me miss my former students, but many of them keep in touch and I was so grateful for my time with them. I'm still looking for auditions and to teach private voice lessons, but things are slow here. I am just thankful to have some income coming in.

I wish you all a wonderful week!

xoxo