A few more pics

I still don't have all the pics downloaded but her are a couple... the first is Serene and I and the second is a proud big sis and her daddy looking at baby sis in the nursery.

Isabella Serene Zimmerman

Serene arrived at 8:00pm on Friday night!
8 lbs. 4 ounces
19 inches
dark black hair
and VERY laid back ...very Serene =)

This is the only picture I have at the moment cause I don't quite feel like taking the time to download the other 200 we took just yet...!! =)

I will post more soon but for now this one is pretty sweet!!

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers as we made it through a very hard day on Friday but came out with most precious little angel!!

We are all home now and doing GREAT!!

In Labor

Just wanted to let everyone know we have been in labor since about 12:30am.... it is about 4:30 now... I have already stopped once while writing this to have a VERY intense contraction. =) Things have progressed fairly quickly and they are coming fast. Please pray for a good delivery and healthy baby!

Early Christmas

On Wednesday night we decided to have an early Christmas night and we each opened one gift. I gave Jimmy cologne. This is cologne that was his favorite when we first got married but Calvin Klien eventually quit making it.. however, I was able to locate a bottle and he was VERY excited! It reminds me of when we first met....I love smelling it on him!!

Jimmy gave me an apron... now before you think that sounds a little weird.... I specifically asked for an apron with my initials monogrammed on it. I LOVE to cook and bake and I do most every night and I always wish I had a cute apron to do it in. So, he got me the cutest "hostess" apron in of course my favorite color black! It is adorable. HOWEVER, it will fit a little better when a certain baby bump is a thing of the past! =) Jimmy is always so purposeful in his shopping. He went to tons of stores and didn't find exactly what he was looking for so he ordered from this really cool store online. www.jessiesteele.com . I am thrilled and I love my new apron!

For Anna we gave her a gift from my aunt Toni which was a set of Color Wonder paints. If you have a toddler/preschooler and haven't tried Color Wonder... you should! They are markers and paints that only mark on Color Wonder paper! They are great for taking to other peoples houses, restaurants and various places where you don't want your child leaving their permanent art! =) Anna LOVES to paint, color, use markers, make crafts (cutting and gluing), etc, etc... so she has already had hours of fun with this present!

I am posting some pics of the present opening and my favorite is of Anna and me wearing our aprons. She has an apron that she loves to wear when she helps me cook and when she saw that I got an apron too she was so excited. She rushed off to her room and got hers and we wore them around the house together for the rest of the evening! Oh how I love being her mommy!!

My bro is coming home today for Christmas

I am so excited that my younger brother is coming home today for Christmas! Since he moved to Orlando in May it has been such an adjustment getting used to him living so far away. I am very proud of him though for doing his own thing and being willing to move where the Lord has called him to work. Noon can't get here soon enough... I hope his flight is on time!!

(this pic is from his going away party in May...after this party I cried all the way home cause it really hit me that he was leaving)

Happy Anniversary mom and dad

I just wanted to say Happy 37th Anniversary to my mom and dad! How cool to be with someone you love for 37 years! I just realized today that when Jimmy and I have our 37th anniversary we will be 64 years old... WOW! Mom and dad aren't nearly that old because they got married MUCH younger than Jimmy and I did!

Mom and dad actually met in the 8th grade so they have known each other for 44 years! However, they didn't start dating until their Senior year of high school and didn't get married until their Senior year of college.

CONGRATULATIONS mom and dad!

(this pic is from Easter and since I couldn't find one of just them I am using one with my brother in it)

Live Nativity and Christmas tree village

Tonight the First United Methodist Church in Keller had a live Nativity so we took Anna to see that as well as their Christmas tree village. She had the best time seeing all the animals and quickly spotted Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus. She also loved the Christmas tree village and kept running to each tree telling us which colors and ornaments she liked best. It was so fun to watch her and see how happy something so simple made her!

Veggie Tales playdough

This has to be one of the best gifts Anna has ever gotten. For Anna's birthday my parents gave her this giant Bob the Tomato full of Veggie Tales playdough and little pieces to make a few of the characters.... she is obsessed. We play this at least 5 times a day and have since she got it last Sunday night. I love toys like this that are very "hands on" and creative and boy has it provided hours of entertainment! Thanks for the gift Pop and Nana!

North Park Christmas 2

North Park Christmas

Today we spent the day at North Park. We took Anna to see the toy Christmas train display and of course she did her favorite slides! If you haven't done the trains, they are really neat... Anna LOVED them. She liked them last year too but this year she was really into it! It was such a fun Christmas weekend... I LOVE these moments so much when we spend all day just hanging out as a family! I am so blessed to have a husband who truly enjoys these times... even at the mall! =) He is so good about leaving his work behind on Friday afternoon and totally focusing on his family!! He is always thinking of fun family things for us to do and I can't tell you how much that means to me! Love you JZ!!

Birthday weekend fun part 2

Of course Anna had a great time at all the other birthday parties this past weekend but her favorite was Sunday night when the family came over to celebrate her birthday! =)

We had Jimmy's mom (Grandma), Jimmy's brother, his wife, their two boys and my mom and dad (Pop and Nana). It was really fun for Anna to have them all there to celebrate her birthday and she got lots of fun things as well. Jimmy and I got her a scooter which she had specifically said she wanted! We have a long stretch of tile floors in the house and it makes the best place to ride her hotwheel and now the scooter... it is esp. nice when the weather is cold and rainy! She has ridden it NON-STOP since Sunday night! =)

Birthdays are so much fun and I know next year will be even more fun with TWO little girls having birthdays... we'll just have to see how close their birthdays are... being 8 1/2 months pregnant I am hoping for CLOSE!!! =)

BTW - A little side note.... the birthday fun was just not the same without one of Anna's favorite people... her "unclee" John! We missed you John and we love you!! Can't wait to see you at Christmas!!

Gaylord Texan ICE for Anna's birthday

On Sunday we took Anna to the Gaylord to see the ICE sculptures... it was so neat and Anna had a blast. She got to do the ice slide a few times which she thought was a blast! It was a fun afternoon for her 3rd birthday! If you go, be sure to wear gloves... it is 9 degrees in there and although they give you the lovely brown coats to put on you still need something for your hands!

Happy 3rd Birthday Anna... yesterday

We had a super busy day with our precious girl yesterday and I didn't get a chance to post this.... Happy Birthday to Anna!!!

She came to be with us on December 9, 2004 at 1:00pm.
7 lbs, 14 oz and 21 inches long!

I can't believe that it has been THREE years already... time flies by so fast. What a huge change in life but what an amazing one. I knew I wanted to be a mommy but I had no idea how much it would change my life and how much I would love it! I wouldn't trade this job for ANY other job in the world!

We love you Anna! Happy Birthday!

Birthday weekend fun part 1

This weekend every year is very busy for us because Jimmy and his friends from high school all decided to have their children the first week (or so) of December. We started the weekend at Charlies birthday party. Charlie is the new kid on the block as this was his first birthday! It was a lovely day on Friday and parfect for an outdoor party in Charlies gorgeous backyard! The kids played in the beautiful weather and finshed off the party with yummy Thomas the Tank Engine cupcakes! What a fun afternoon!

On Saturday Jimmy's good friend Todd came over and brought his little boy Trey to play and bring Anna a birthday gift. Trey and Anna had a great time playing on the playground and then with the super fun AquaDoodle Trey got Anna for her birthday!

Saturday afternoon we went to another party. This time for Ava who was turning 4! She and Anna are exactly 1 year and 1 day apart in age! Anna had a great time at the party with all the other children and there was a special appearance by Cinderella, which all the children loved. One of the pictures is of Anna sitting in the circle watching Cinderella do magic tricks. Very fun!

Now, we have our last party today which is the best one of all.... Anna's! This year though it is just a family party, grandparents, aunt, uncle and two cousins! Mommy didn't quite feel up to a full blown party at 8 1/2 months pregnant! =) Anna is so excited about this day and can't wait to see her cake..... she asked mommy to make her a cake that said "happy birthday in blue letters".... I have been getting this request for 2 weeks now so of course I won't let her down! I am on my way into the kitchen right now to make that very cake! I did a blog a while back on the homemade cakes my Granna used to make for us on our birthdays and how much those meant to me so I am trying to carry on that tradition and make homemade cakes for my kids!

Ok, so pictures of Anna's party later today or tomorrow but for now here are some of the other parties from this weekend!

Gingerbread house tradition

The year that Anna was born Jimmy and I made a gingerbread house the night before she arrived. We did it to pass the time mostly because we were nervous! Anyway, it became a tradition to do this a few nights before her birthday so we can enjoy the house throughout the Christmas season! This year we decided to invite the cousins over to do it with us which made it even more fun for Anna!

My sweet sister-in-law had all three kids helping her make the house that was for their family so it was pretty crazy. =) She has much more patience than me so that was probably for the best! =) Just imagine six extra little hands and VERY sticky, messy, fast drying white icing... =)

The pic I am posting is of the house the kids did. I will post the house Jimmy, Anna and I made tonight after I take a pic of Jimmy and Anna with it!

Night at the symphony

On Wednesday night Jimmy took me to the Meyerson to see the Dallas Symphony and Michael W. Smith. We also went last year so I think this is becoming our special little Christmas date tradtion! Which is wonderful because there is nothing more beautiful than hearing a live symphony orchestra play Christmas music. Anyone who knows me well (Linds) will know that I get the Christmas music out EARLY.... I LOVE Christmas music... so going to the symphony at Christmas is very special to me! If you know Michael W. Smiths Christmas music, it is has lots of orchestra pieces with amazing arrangements of traditional Christmas music combined with pieces that he has written. Absolutely beautiful music!

Thank you to my hubby for surprising me with tickets again this year!

Oh and added bonus, Michael W. Smiths special guest was Melinda Doolittle from American Idol... she was FANTASTIC!

A recap of this years trips...

Our first trip this year was to Park City, Utah in Feb.....home of the Sundance Film Festival, which had just taken place the week before we got there. Jimmy had to go on business for a week and I was flying up the end of the week to spend the weekend together. Anyway, it was a bittersweet trip in that I had just found out I was pregnant and was going to surprise him when he picked me up at the airport. However, on the place ride up I started experiencing lots of cramping and some bleeding and by the time my flight landed it was clear that I was miscarrying. I wasn't far along enough for it to require any procedures... just time to let nature take its course. It was a tough weekend BUT, it was good timing in that we had 3 days together without responsibilities and were able to just relax and heal because we were both very saddened over the loss.

We drove up into the mountains and stayed in a hotel with a gorgeous view of a snowy mountain right outside our window. We walked the Main St. every day and night, eating yummy sushi, going to the coffee shops, little bookstores and just enjoying being alone together. It was a good time of healing for my heart.

Our second trip was to San Diego in March. We actually stayed in La Jolla at the Lodge at Torrey Pines. This was a dream come true for my hubby being the big time golf fan that he is.... the 2008 US Open will be at the golf course our hotel was on. Jimmy got to play that course so it was big time for him. For me it was just some time to rest and relax and again have that special time just for Jimmy and I! The ocean views and gorgeous weather weren't too bad either!!

Our third trip was this fall to Boston, New Hampshire and Maine. It was wonderful getting to take Anna to Boston for the first time. She loved the plane ride, loved the city and of course loved the ocean! Anytime we drive to Dallas or Fort Worth now and she sees the tall buildings or when we see a big city on TV she tells us that it's Boston. I think the highlight of the trip for me would have to be Maine. The beach, the cottages, the lighthouses, the little villages.... it was all straight off the cover of a magazine.

Our fourth and final trip this year was to Orlando to see my brother and of course make our maiden voyage to DisneyWorld! Nothing more fun than watching your childs eyes light up at the sights and sounds... on a seriously funny note though... we had really been building it up, talking about seeing princesses, riding rides, just generally telling her how fun it was going to be. So we got to the airport still talking it up... we ate some dinner and then found a great little play area for kids. Kind of like the ones at the malls... with the soft padded stuff. It had lots of things to climb on, slides, etc. Anyway, soon enough we had to leave that area to board the plane. We start walking to the gate, holding hands on either side of her with her jumping and skipping between us when she said... "mommy and daddy, thank you for taking me to DisneyWorld, that was so much fun". We laughed until we cried but we also got a huge dose of perspective. She could have cared less if we spent hundreds of dollars on plane tickets, WAY too much for tickets to Disney and of course again WAY too much for food, drinks and souvenirs at Disney. She was perfectly content to play on that tiny little padded play ground and go home. How little the big stuff really matters and how important even the littlest things can be! Children are so good to keep life simple and happy. Contentment is a gift!

Now of course we are home for quite a while with baby Serene soon approaching and all in all with all the beautiful places we have been and seen this year I can truly say... there's no place like home!!

ABC's of me....

Ok, I was "tagged" so I am going to attempt to think of 26 things here....

A is for Anna, my most precious girl!
B is for baby that is kicking me right this very second
C is for Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year!!
D is for DisneyWorld where we just went in November
E is for excited, because I am very excited about this baby
F is for food which I crave a lot of right now
G is for Green Bay who the Cowboys are better than
H is for happy because I am very very happy
I is for ice cream which I have not craved even once this pregnancy... cheese however is another story
J is for Jimmy the worlds best hubby and friend
K is for Kite which my daughter wants for Christmas
L is for learn which I do every day from my husband and his NEVER ending patience
M is for my mom, a constant encouragement to me
N is for my Tiffany necklace my hubby gave me for my 28 bday and I have worn EVERY day since
O is for ocean of which we saw the Pacific in March, the gulf in May and the Atlantic is September
P is for Phillips, my maiden name
Q is for Quiet which I pray or my daughter to be tonight at the big band Christmas concert at my parents church
R is for rest which is I am finding it harder to get these days
S is for sleep.... again harder to get these days
T is for teach because I love to teach my daughter new things
U is for Umbrella which we just got Anna a Elmo one as a stocking stuffer
V is for VBAC which I want to have
W is wash which I need to go do to my hair before tonight
X is for X ray which I can't have right now cause I am preggo
Y is for YOU cause if you are reading this then you should do the ABC's of you, cause I want to know about you
Z is for Zimmerman

Lunch with Linds!!

Yesterday in kind of a last minute plan I had lunch with my very best friend from high school! Lindsay and I don't really see each other hardly at all anymore but it never fails that when we do have the rare chance to get together it's like we pick right up where we left off. I think we could talk for hours.

Probably the one thing I love the most about my friendship with Linds is that even if we haven't talked in forever, if there is a major Mavs game on.... or even Cowboys... we will call each other out of the blue and either gripe or celebrate on the phone for a few minutes depending on the outcome of the game!! No catching up necessary just a little sports talk and done...oh and throw in a little Charles Barkley hatred and your good!

Birthing class

Jimmy and I just got finished last night with our 6 week birthing class. It was in the home of our midwife every Tuesday night. I can't even begin to tell what an amazing class this was for us. This is not your typical sterile hospital class that wastes 6 hours of your life on a Saturday showing you old fashioned models of how the baby comes down the birth canal. This is a class based on the book Birthing From Within that focuses so much on being mentally and emotionally prepared to give birth. Not just the labor and delivery process but the feelings and emotions that come with giving of yourself to bring another life into the world and seeing birth as the truly profound wonder that it is.

We actually looked forward to these classes every week and bonded with the other 4 couples in the class. We knew every week that we were going to hear things that reached our hearts and encouraged us about the truly beautiful process that pregnancy and birth is. Of course we talked about the scientific basics of labor and delivery but what we left there with each week was a sense of empowerment that of course labor is not going to be easy (just as parenting and most any other challenge in life is) BUT, God has equipped my body as a woman to deliver this baby and has given me the most amazing supportive person to love me and be beside me every step of the way to get this baby here and in our arms!

Last night at our last class we had a special pot luck dinner. Then the midwife asked all the ladies to stay in the living room while the dads prepared something special for us. Then one by one each husband came to get his wife and led her to a private spot in the house. Jimmy came to get me and led me to a room where there was a footbath for me. He washed and massaged my feet in a bath of essential oils. He gave me a card with the most beautiful letter he had written to me. Jimmy has written me many letters in our 4 years together but this was the most beautiful yet. I will cherish that letter FOREVER and read it often!

These last few weeks have not only been great in helping us prepare for the birth of Serene but have brought us even closer together as a couple and reminded us of how AMAZING the bond we have really is. As we sat together last night with him massaging my feet we talked FOREVER about how crazy it is that two people could love each other this much and how much fun our lives are getting to spend every single day with your best friend. We laugh often about how even though we could spend more time apart doing "girls nights" or "guys nights" we just hardly ever do that stuff cause when it comes right down to it we just want to be together. That's why if you do get us out on a guy night or girl night we text message each other the whole time telling the other one how much we miss them and can't wait to get home and see them... OK, sounds super cheesy BUT that is just us. We can't get enough of each other! Oh and throw in a football game to watch while we're together and you pretty much have our own personal paradise!! =)

Here is a pic of everyone in our birthing class. They were all wonderful people and I know we learned not only from the midwives but from the them as well.

Birthday with my two (well 3) favorite people

This was on my actual birthday Sunday night. I love these 3 people so much.... of course so far you can't see person no. 3 but stay posted and we'll get some pics of her up here soon enough! =) Thanks for the birthday wishes from everyone! It was a great day and I know 31 is going to be wonderful!

Birthday with family

Although my birthday is actually today we celebrated with my family on Friday night because my brother was leaving to go back to Florida early Sat. We had the best time. I took everyone to this awesome little hole in the wall that Jimmy and I discovered while going to our midwife in Denton. It's this tiny little diner called Frostys that has been there since the 1950's. The guy taking your orders and flipping your burgers is the original owners son. They brew there own root beer and serve it in frosted mugs! Jimmy and I have been going to a birthing class once a week for the past 5 weeks in Denton and we have made this our special date night all 5 weeks. It has been really special to us to have this fun little date night each week to talk and spend time alone before our new arrival! =) They also have this old school juke box and with lots of great old songs... of course being the sucker for Johnny Cash that I am I pretty much keep my selection to "Walk the Line" and "Rng of Fire" every week!

Anyway, my family loved the place... and we had a great evening together. They also brought me a cake which we had after we got back and hence stuffed our faces just a little bit more... GREAT for a 8 month pregnant woman!! =)

BTW, as of midnight I'm 31!!

Cookie decorating at Nana and Pop's house

One of the traditions we are starting this year is a special night of helping Nana and Pop (my mom and dad) decorate their tree. With a special dinner and of course Christmas cookie decorating. We did this last Monday night and Anna had the best time helping to cut out the cookies and best of all decorate them with frosting and sprinkles!! It was particularly special this year because my brother had flown in as a surprise to the family for the entire week of Thanksgiving! It was so much fun having the whole family together.

John took several of these pics of Anna decorating the cookies and of her taking a play break outside on her hot wheel! LOVE these pics!

Perspective

A long time friend of mine was in town with her family last Sunday afternoon to say good-bye before they head to Asia as missionaries to an unreached group of people. It was wonderful to see them and to hear their story of how the Lord lead them to this work they will now leave a life of comfort for.

Jimmy and I sit in awe at people who are so willing to go and answer such a difficult call. It really puts things in to perspective this time of year when materialism is at its peak and here are these people packing every thing they own in two suitcases per person and leaving everything they have ever known and all those they love in order to reach others for Christ.

Thank you Rob, Alicia, Hannah and Hudson for your example of selflessness!

Wedding

Last weekend we drove to Houston for the wedding of my friend Lauren. I have known Lauren since 8th grade and I think her wedding officially means all our group from high school is now married. It was a beautiful wedding and gorgeous reception. I am so happy for Lauren and Robert!!