Abigail, Abbi, or Gail

When John and I chose the name "Abigail" for our daughter, we figured that at some point she would become Abbi for short. As I have gotten to know my little girl I have realized that she is Abigail. I love the meaning of her name, I love the way the entire name sounds, I love that while there are many Abby's there are very few "Abigail's". Many people have asked us how to refer to her, and my answer is you may call her Abbi if you want, but to me she is Abigail. Oddly enough if I happen to shorten her name here lately it has come out "Gail." I guess the reason that this matters to me is that I have one of "those" names. Most of my life I have been Bri rather than Brianne, and now there are people who don't even realize that Bri is a nickname. I'm named after my daddy (Brian) and am proud to be his namesake so sometimes I wish that I was "Brianne" but it seems as though Bri is stuck....to make a long story short this got me to thinking about what Abigail would want to be called one day. I have had some many ask me this question I thought I'd just put up a short post about it :-) I'm going add a picture of my sweetie and you can decide for yourself!

Cows love Jesus too!

Meeting Annabelle for the first time!

In the cows "living room" for church

Every once in a while my little family takes a Sabbath Sunday to have church at home. John works 10 hr days 6 days a week and the result is very little family time. A few Sundays ago was one of our "Special Sundays." We slept in, made pancakes and bacon for breakfast, and took a walk. John packed his Bible in the stroller and off we went! About midway through our walk we realized that Abigail had not yet met the cows and horses so our destination became the pasture! We invited ourselves into our cows "living room" (a hollowed out place in the trees where they lie down at the same time everyday). It was a gorgeous morning with a hint of Fall in the air. John decided that this was as good of spot as any for church that morning because cows love Jesus too you know! John led our little family in a church service of sorts, and I have to say that the cows gave their utmost attention to the "sermon." Every once in awhile John surprises me and reads me Proverbs 31, and that morning was one of those times. We also prayed Psalms 139 over Abigail, just as we have since we first knew that she was growing inside me. It was a special moment that touched my heart deeply. We love introducing our little girl to our life on the farm, and so far she seems to love it as much as we do!

The Men in Her Life...

Abigail has stolen the hearts of many, but there are 2 men in particular who are putty in her hands...

Grandad...

I knew that my daddy would be a terrific Grandad, but I had no idea just how wonderful he would be. Abigail lights up when she sees my dad. They sing ABC's and count to 10. He talks to her and truly she hangs on his every word. It's such a blessing to see how wonderful my dad is with my daughter, and I have an even greater appreciation for the man that he has been in my life.

Daddy...

Of course all daddies melt at the sight of their little girls, but my husband might do so more than most. John is captivated by his daughter, and as a wife it endears him to my heart every time I see the two of them together. The final photo is of Daddy and Abigail "dancing". They tango across the dining room, and they slow dance in the kitchen. Long ago John began a habit of surprising me with dancing moments, and he has carried on the tradition with Abigail. We so want her to understand that she is worthy and deserving of a good and godly man, and John has set his mind to showing her how a lady deserves to be treated. He is a wonderful daddy!

Daddy:

Abigail...At a Glance

3 months old...

A Face Only a Mother Could Love...

Simply Sweet in Her Amish Dress

Sitting in the Bumbo...