Rest, Relaxation, & Riley's Farm

Let's just say, life has been quite busy since Tuesday, June 15th, the day Riley was born. Jud & I have not gotten much down time. With the school year in full swing now, Kate (Riley's babysitter) working out great, and Riley growing like a weed, Jud & I took a four-day weekend this past weekend to get a break from everything and celebrate our anniversary. We decided to simply stay home, relax, take naps with Riley, and declutter our minds so we could hear God. Adjusting to parenthood has been quite the change. It is so much fun and there truly is no better calling. God truly blessed the four days.....here it was in a nutshell.

Thursday we simply stayed in our PJs, played with Riley, did pretty much nothing while it rained outside. Our minds only began to slow down and stop thinking about work...



Then Friday Auntie Caitlin had the day off and drove up to get some needed time with Riley. We went out to lunch, walked to our local village and market, made tacos, and watched The Office with a little rocky road for dessert. It was very relaxing...



Saturday, Jud & I took Riley on a little road trip. We drove out to Yucaipa to check out this little place called Riley's Farm (ironically). =) It's an apple orchard where you can pick your own apples, berries, etc. Super fun for young kids! Riley's not quite old enough yet to enjoy it....=) We hope to go back sometime when she's a little older. Nonetheless, it was fun spending the time together, just the 3 of us, and the fresh apple cider was delicious!






It was quite cold and windy, but we still managed to hike up to their pumpkin patch...







When we got home Riley and I made daddy peanut butter cookies. Riley loves facing outward in that Baby Bjorn! She'll walk around the house with me and even go down to the laundry room with me. =)


Here's Riley enjoying the end of our 4-day weekend just relaxing on our guest bed practicing sitting up...=) She just had her 4 month shots last week and the doctor said she's off the charts for her height. She grew another 2 1/2 inches!! Crazy.....she's growing so fast!



The Lord gave Jud & I good quality time and conversation this weekend. I'm so thankful we were able to get the time off work to grow in our marriage and spend time with Riley together. Now we're both feeling a little more renewed and energized to tackle the routine of work and parenting again. =) Praise the Lord!! He is Good!

Like A Child...

Jesus says in Mark 10:15, "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."

Today I started to cry as I was overwhelmed by how much God loves me. I was changing Riley's diaper on her changing table when she just laid still and stared into my eyes. I began to say to her over and over how much I loved her. "I love you Riley...I love you so much. I love you more than you know. Don't you ever forget how much I love you." Then it hit me. What if I looked into God's face like this and let him tell me those very words: "I love you Jessica...I love you so much. I love you more than you know. Don't you ever forget how much I love you." Wow! Tears of joy streamed down my face onto Riley as she smiled the biggest smile I've ever seen. It was a priceless moment with her and with God.

I don't like feeling unprepared, being humiliated, being wrong, feeling exposed, making mistakes, or feeling intimidated. But, I have to remember that this life is not about being perfect or feeling comfortable. It's about knowing the God who is perfect and letting Him comfort us and strengthen us when we're uncomfortable. It's about not being afraid because we know how much He loves us and taking comfort in that fact...taking refuge in Him.

Being one that enjoys perfection and fights the need to be in control of things, it has been challenging having a child. Being a mom for the first time is not something one can be fully prepared for nor ever perfect at. This transition into motherhood has definitely taken my heart and my emotions out of my comfort zone...in a good way. In all my 27 years of life never have I been so amazed by God's beauty and blessings while at the same time being so humbled and forced to let go and trust Him. I cannot fully know Riley nor perfectly keep up with her constant changing. Only God can. She is His. He has simply loaned her to us to bless us and have us become more like His Son through parenting her.

Seeing Riley look into my eyes and find comfort in my arms as her mommy I see as the perfect picture of how we ought to be with God. I imagine God longs for us to go limp in His arms like an infant does because they know how much they are loved.

Like a child....
I want to let God hold me.
Like a child....
I want to trust that He hears my needs.
Like a child...
I want to look into His eyes.
Like a child...
I want to trust in His love.
Like a child...
I want to not be afraid.

I want to know and love God...
Like a child.

Birthday Operation

So, my friend Val turned 30 this past weekend, but better yet, I got to help her boyfriend put on a surprise "Birthday Operation." Her boyfriend Andrew is in the military and lives out of state. He was unable to be here for her birthday, so since the two of them met in a mine field training class, he organized an "operation" for her to mine for her birthday gift. Here are some pics from the successful operation. It was so much fun to be there!

He shipped her his uniform that he wore in Iraq. He also got her name put on it along with his. How amazing is that!Val had to make her own mining probe out of a wire hanger. Here she is tediously probing through the sand looking for her buried gift.

15 minutes later...

She eventually found her gift using proper probing technique and all. Her gift was a web cam for her and Andrew to skype while he's in Afghanistan starting in April.

"Happy Birthday, Val!" "What an incredible man you have in your life!"

Riley's Visitors!

These first 3 weeks of Riley's life, she has been blessed with love from all of the following...especially her amazing grandmothers that came to help me in the beginning. Thank you moms, I truly am grateful for your help in that time! I love you both.





Riley meeting my sis, Aunt Jenni, on Skype, all the way from Spain! I can't wait for them to meet in person very soon!


Bill (Jennie's husband) at PHS when I went to clean out my dance room with the help of Karin.


Jennie holding Riley for the first time...


Riley enjoying the sweet sound of Carolyn's voice...


Chattin' it up with Grandma Cathy on 4th of July weekend


Visiting with Auntie Kellie...loving quality time with her...




Being held by Gramps (my dad)...something special to watch!


Cousin Daniel visiting and meeting Riley for the first time...


The original Hill House girls rejoice together in little Riley!! Thanks for coming out girls!


Thank you for all your support and love!! Jud and I really appreciate it. We look forward to those of you that haven't met Riley yet to meet her in the upcoming weeks! Mama needs intervals of down time to make up her sleep. How exhausting but thrilling it is to have a newborn. Quite the amazing adventure!

It's A Girl!

Meet RILEY CATHLEEN CAMERON

Born: June 15th, 2010 8 lbs. 11.5 oz / 21 1/2 inches

Beautiful miracle from God...

How blessed we are to have her as our daughter...

I love being a mommy...it is the most incredible feeling...there's nothing like it!

This is Riley 4 days old....she loves her bouncer already...

Riley's first car ride...just leaving the hospital on our way home as a family of THREE!Smiling (well, she just had gas) =)
Here we are right after the c-section meeting our little daughter for the first time...
Me bonding with Riley in the hospital...she is so beautiful...I'm in love with her already!
The t-shirt says it all...
Riley's favorite spot other than the breast of course right now...=)

Awaiting God's Gift...

So....thanks to all your generosity through the baby showers and simply out of the kindness of your hearts, we are pretty much set and waiting for the little one God has made inside of me to arrive...! Here are some pics of our "mini nursery." Its actually kind of fun. The other night, Jud & I fell asleep with Olly at the end of our bed and our new little turtle light night light on. We felt like kids again and when the baby's sleeping in his/her bassinet....we will all be together sleeping soundly as a family. =) I can't wait!


Here's the changing table which is full of clothes and blankets already!


Baby Cameron already has more stuffed animals than I did and he/she is still in the womb!


This bassinet is just waiting to rock and carry God's little miracle. For now, Mr. Bear & Monkey are holding the fort down. =)

Olly's Coping...

Let's just say...Olly's a little depressed about the lack of attention he might receive once little baby Cameron comes around...=) All our talk of the baby has led him to this....
Fortunately though, he's starting to turn around and make the best of it. He's decided to sleep with me on all my naps and appears to love my body pillow as much as I do! =)