Where to start?

It's almost been a year since I last posted! Maybe I can catch up this summer... no promises though : ). This has been a tough year and a wonderful year. The theme that God seems to keep speaking to me about is remembering...
Remembering what He's done in my heart
Remembering how faithful He has always been
Remembering what brings me joy and Who the Author of that JOY is...

So, today, here's a bit of the joy. Archer is 13 months old now and he is a little ball of joy. He talks nonstop these days (most of it sounding like another language) and he laughs a ton and he's started to dance to just about anything even remotely resembling music. He makes me laugh daily! He reminds me of his father's joy in a lot of ways, but especially in the way that he screams (literally) with delight pretty frequently. Marc doesn't scream, but he does get loud sometimes, just for the joy of making noise. I think that might be a boy thing...
Anyway, so Archer loves books. I took him to the library today for the first time and he picked out 2 books out of a pile, and was so excited about them that he proceeded to scream at the top of his lungs with delight. He didn't want to let go of them long enough for me to check them out, and then once we got back into the car, he "read them" to himself just about the whole trip home. He was laughing and screaming and talking to the pictures in the books (I guess), just having a good ol' time back there in his carseat. Something about his excitement just makes my heart squeeze. I guess nerdiness is genetic, because I love the library and I love books too! His screams of joy in the library were pretty funny, partially because the library was quiet and partially because this is MY son who is screaming (coming from the girl who has been accused of not talking before). In the midst of my laughter (and, I'll admit it, my pride at having a book-loving son), I am just SO very grateful for God's answers to our prayers. We prayed for Archer to have a heart full of joy, and he does. We prayed for our home to be a home full of joy, and much of the time it is. In this year where sometimes joy is hard to find within (I've struggled with postpartum depression, maybe I'll write about that someday), God has given me a little boy who reminds me daily that God is the giver of Joy and that He's given me my very own tangible little gift of joy. And, as a bonus, my little ball of joy likes to give me kisses and hugs and is, in fact, my very own little cuddler. Being a mom brings out the sap in me! But I love it! Thank you Lord for laughter and a heart filled with Joy!