Penny first started smiling the day after Thanksgiving!!  This smile isn't exactly what her smiles look like, but I was so happy I got this shot!  She's so adorable!

What I want to write really doesn't have much to do with this picture, but I know when I'm reading things I'm much more interested if there's a picture to distract from dull writing!  I had a realization (more like a reminder) yesterday as I was listening to the Innkeeper song from the Forgotten Carols.  If you haven't heard the songs or seen the show I HIGHLY reccomend it!  In the song there's a line that says "He never would comdemn me, I did that all on my own.  He offers his forgiveness..."  I really needed to hear this at the time.  I'm afraid that Satan has been working really hard on me ever since I began the journey of starting a family.  Perhaps it's because I was following the Lord's plan.  Anyway I was so happy that I didn't think I needed to ask Heavenly Father for much, and that led to not feeling like I needed to talk to him much.  We all know where this is headed.  My heart left my prayers more and more until (and this is where Satan comes in as well) I felt like Heavenly Father didn't want to hear from me.  I really needed to hear that line.  I had begun to paint this picture in my mind that Heavenly Father was rolling his eyes and frowned when I began to not know what to say in my prayers.  But this song brought it all back to perspective.  He may be frowning but not from disappointment.  He just misses me.  He's frowning because it breaks his heart that I had trouble confiding in him.  He loves us so much and we can ALWAYS go back to him.  It is US that has to let him in! 

Binkie

 On her 3 week birthday we decided to take some professional style pictures.  I must say I'm pretty satisfied with they way they turned out, we got some funny pictures that show just how much she loves her binkie!  We had to take the pictures right before she ate because she was awake, so we would give her the binkie, position her, then hurry and take it out to get a cute picture.  This was pretty successful for a few of them, but these pictures are a couple of the ones that show how amused she was with our trickery!  Below are a couple of the successful ones.  I just wish the one on the bottom wasn't so blurry!  It's such a cute kissy face!

I love how much she loves her binkie!  I know there are lots of people who frown on giving babies binkies, but it sure keeps her happy! And when baby's happy, everyone's happy!  Plus she just looks so cute with a binkie!  Ok, let's be honest, she's cute no matter what!  (No, Jeff and I aren't wrapped around each and every one of her fingers at all!)

Penny Jean Perkins





Penny Jean was born on October 15, 2010 at 6:57 pm weighing 7 lbs 3 oz.  She was 19 1/2 inches long.   We love her so much!  We could just sit and watch her sleep for hours--listening to her breathe, listening to all of her little sleeping sounds.  Having a child is the most beautiful thing in the whole world!  Well, that and watching Jeff fall in love with her.  Those are the two most beautiful things.