Charis turns 11 months!

I can hardly believe that Charis turned 11 months today! So much so that I didn't realize it until late this evening since we had a busy day running an errand for daddy. Fortunately since we were in the car most of the day, Charis was so excited to be home that I was able to catch a couple pictures of her before going to bed. I love my happy girl!

Charis at 10 Months

10/19 - Charis turns 10 Months

The many expressions of Charis

Our Happy Girl

Going for our Morning Run

Music to My Ears

Charis has been saying "mama" for a week now! I had always thought that I would blog about it the day it happened, but I was waiting to see if it was the real deal. She had done it before a while ago, but it was more like she was practicing the sounds and then stopped like she has done with several words/sounds. I wasn't sure if what started last Thursday was going to continue, but IT HAS! And I love it! She probably loves it too because when I hear her say "mama...mama" from her crib, I practically am running to go pick her up. I guess all that cuddling paid off!

Cuddles and Peek-A-Boo

As exhausted as I have been this week from being a working mom, support raising with Joshua for Italy and trying to be a good, creative and energetic wife and mother, I have had some sweet treasures:

Last week I was telling some family and friends how Charis doesn't cuddle much. She gives cute little hugs and will occasionally cuddle, but she seems always ready to move on to the next thing. I don't know if she overheard me ;) or telling others made me more aware, but she has been extra cuddly this past week. A couple times she has laid on my chest for over 20 min. I have absolutely treasured it and am trying to soak it in since I feel like she is growing up faster than I can take it all in.

Also this week peek-a-boo became her favorite game. She has always loved it when we play peek-a-boo with her and had even picked up on how to "hide" a while back. However this week, she seems to find anything to use to play. I have found her using her own dress to hide and playing when no one is watching. At times only part of her face gets covered while her little eye is peaking out generating lots of laughter from her dada and mama. Her squels of delight are priceless!

Trouble Brewing…........... the best kind!

9/19 - 9 months

Charis turned 9 months a little over a week ago. We can tell that she is on the verge of becoming “trouble”. She is crawling, standing up, and wanting to explore everything. She is a curious little thing so she is figuring out how to open cabinet doors and press the open button to the dvd player. I know my life is on the edge of getting more exciting as I try to keep up with my busy little girl. The other day I was working on the computer as she played near me in the living room. To her delight she found daddy’s leftover ice cream cup and managed to get the last little drops out of it! No wonder she says “dada” first! Her other favorite word right now is dog, and she loves pointing to them in her books. She has a fun bubbly personality and already shows a love for people. She of course likes it even more when they are interested in her repertoire of tricks (waiving, kissing, shaking her head, making a piggy face…). She loves to laugh and make us laugh! Of course with all of this, also comes her testing her boundaries. We would love your prayers for wisdom as we train Charis and help her become a woman after God’s own heart.

8 1/2 mths - 1st time stood up on her own. She was very proud of herself.

Finding Daddy's icecream - yum!

Family Full Summer

The brisk autumn air that greets Charis and me for the past morning runs reminds me that fall is at our doorsteps. Living in the US for 12 years has made me appreciate all that comes with fall – FOOTBALL :), beautiful leaves, cool weather, pumpkin desserts…. Yet it is with a bit of sadness I say goodbye to a wonderful full summer.

The end of May, Kelly and the girls (Joshua’s brother’s family) came to South Carolina. Later Gabe joined them and we had our Fleming family reunion. This year Joshua, Charis and I piled in with Gabe’s family at Dad and Mom’s house for the week. Hannah joined us with Michael David and Jonathan every day (Jon – her husband – had to work that week :( and joined us in the evenings). It was a house full of children noises and activities with 6 children 4 and under! We had a great time visiting, making little outings to shop, and going on walks. The boys made it out to golf – Joshua’s first time to get to do that with his brother and dad. To his surprise he loved it! With that much activity and four Cannon SLRs there were plenty of pictures to remember our time including Charis meeting her Aunt Kelly and Uncle Gabe for the first time. Below is the family picture that we always dread taking but are always grateful in the end we did it…this time it was in the midst of SC summer heat!!

At the end of June, my mom and brother Samuel flew into SC. This was the beginning of my family trickling in and out for the summer and with them the family events. Since there were too many events and activities to write about, here are the highlights: my mom being in my home when I was at home, my dad meeting Charis, my three younger siblings meeting Charis, Samuel getting his driver’s license, Luke & Soraya announcing they were pregnant, spending time with Sara and her family, Andy & Rachel’s wedding creating a family reunion for my mom’s side, going to my dad's family biannual reunion, and having our own little family reunion. My family got to be all together for barely 3 days, but packed it full with putt putt golf, a day at the Lake (Thanks to Kelly’s parents!), and a bright and early morning for pictures. Yes, Sara and I made our family take pictures at 7am before Joshua left for work (see below)!


I wish I had the time to write about each of my nieces and nephews and what a blessing to spend time with each of them. What a joy for Charis to have cousins on both sides! What a joy to have Charis’ aunts and uncles, great aunts and great uncles, cousins and second cousins meet her for the first time! What a wonderful families Joshua and I have been blessed with!

Heartfelt Gratitude

"He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD." Psalm 113:9

I will never forget the first time I read this verse. My eyes swelled up. The world around me stopped. This was too close for comfort...and ooh, too painful! I felt like the ugly word "barren" was tattooed on my forehead. I knew that God could bless us with children, but would He? Joshua and I had already been asking the Lord for children for years and had gone through the pain of a miscarriage. What if His answer to me was simply "no"? That thought at times was to heavy to bear. Yet there were times I felt brave and would pray this verse back to the Creator of all, asking Him to remember us.

On December 19, 2008, Joshua and I welcomed with tears of joy our sweet daughter, Charis Noelle. Our hearts overflowed! A friend teased me after Charis was born that I couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't believe and some days still can't believe that He granted me my desire to be a "happy mother"!

This week marks another answered prayer for another part in that verse - "settles...in her home". After Charis was born, I needed to go back to work. While the Lord provided amazing daily care for Charis from her Nana (my mom), Aunt Hannah (Joshua's sister), Great Aunt Cameron (my aunt) and other wonderful people, I begged God to allow for me to care for our own daughter. Leaving her every day was one of the hardest things I had ever done in my life. The Lord opened some doors and this week I am working part time from home - settled in my home as the happy mother of Charis.

Joshua and I have absolutely loved and enjoyed being parents. That is why we have created Grato Animo which means "with a grateful mind; heartfelt gratitude". Even though we have a website (www.JoshuaandJoanna.com), it is more about our future ministry. We wanted to have a place to share with our family and friends about Charis' milestones, about our family, and about things we are learning.

To complete the verse, we would like to "Praise the LORD"and ask you to join with us!