Blessed Beyond Words

I was driving to work this morning and was thinking about how amazing the Lord is and how much he has blessed our little family over the past two and a half years.  Before we were married, I knew that the Lord provided, and I had seen His blessings in the ways that He blessed my family with school, jobs, etc, but I guess the first hand - continual blessings - just amaze me!  I know that God is Powerful and Provides - I just have to trust!

I just wanted to make mention of a few things that have just blown me away since we have gotten married.

1. We had no clue where we were going to live just a few short months before the wedding.  The Lord provided a small farm house to be our first home.  It had no heat and no air conditioning - but we had each other and He protected and provided for us in our time of need.  --God is so much bigger than we sometimes allow Him to be - I'm glad that He doesn't hold back when we can't see the full picture.

2.  God provides you exactly what you need - in order to make you grateful for what you have, and also to prepare you for the future.  We had no neighbors - well 2,500 head of cattle, corn, and tractor equipment.  I learned to be thankful for a roof over my head and food to eat.  We made the rest work - living on love!

3.  I'm looking forward to heat during the winter time - and not a wood burning stove for warmth.  I'm learning to be thankful for the simple things in life - like not depending on cut wood and where we are going to find it this month.

4.  I wouldn't trade the two years we lived in Martin on that farm for the world!  I know that God is preparing us for something special - and those years will help us to do His will.

5. The Lord prepared me for J's knee surgery and all the many bills we would have to fight to get paid from working at East Memphis Surgery Center before we were married.  Also, fighting all of this and dealing day in and day out with medical bills again prepaired me for the job I took in Insurance when we moved home.  It gave me a much better understanding of how people felt and also how to deal with the companies. 

6.We are having a baby in February and I have been worrying (it has trippled since I am pregnant) about how we are going to pay for a newer vehicle and a house - or if I just needed to keep the Malibu I currently drive.  It just so happens that my inlaws are looking at getting my mother in law a new vehicle and offered for us to purchase her 2002 Suburban - with exactly what I've been looking for in it.  We are going to be able to sell my car and use the cash from that and exactly what we have in savings for this vehicle - once again we will have two cars that we paid cash for...such a blessing!
                                         
                                      
8.  We are looking for a home, and we almost placed an offer on one that I had fallen in love with, but the bathrooms were rotting out from under the house, so we didn't put an offer in - in hind sight - it would have been too far out for us and J says I would have never been up for the continual drive - God knows what he's doing!

8.  I am praying for His hand in our house hunting, and that if it's supposed to work out, it will.  I don't want us to rush into anything...he knows where we need to be and what we need to be doing.  I pray for guidance and direction in the months and years to come.

How has God blessed your family?

Feeling the little booger…

Today I am 22 weeks and 2 days.  Little man is now the size of a papaya (8inches, 1.2 pounds).

I finally started to feel our little man moving about a week ago. I wasn’t sure if I was right in what I thought I was feeling because it was so low. I mentioned it to my mom on Saturday at the football game and she confirmed that I was right in my assumptions. The doctor had told me that my amnionic sac is lining the front of my stomach, so it would take longer for me to actually feel him. 

Last night we were laying in bed and I had my hand on my stomach and I all the sudden felt him kick. I told J to lightly put his hand where mine was, and then he got to feel him! What a magical experience. We are so excited about what the Lord has in store for our little fellow. I just can’t wait to hold this little gift we created.

MSU

We went to the Mississippi State football game on Saturday. They played Alcorn State and slaughtered them. We went with my parents and tailgated with their tailgating group. I thought this was funny that that they did this (especially not really knowing very many people), but it turns out that they know a lot more people than they thought they would, and it’s really fun! We sat 12 rows from the top of the stadium, so needless to say we were pretty high, but they were still really good seats. It was really cool to actually be at an SEC football game (this was my first). The bands performed before the teams came back on the field to start the game and I found that absolutely fascinating. It was such a fun day…I was so exhausted by the end of the day…the pregnant woman had to climb stairs about 5 times because of my little bladder now! When we finally got home I slept 11.5 hours straight…

Atlanta Bound

So it's Friday and I'm just getting around to posting about my big weekend (last weekend!).  I took off last Thursday afternoon and headed to Atlanta.  I stayed with my cousin, her husband, and three adorable children for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and flew back Monday morning. 

Can I just say they are B-U-S-Y!!  I don't think we ever stopped, but I had a blast the whole time.  I got in late Thursday night, but Friday we met the kids for lunch and also went to a consignment sale that is held at Buck head every year in a parking garage.  It seemed to have been a bit picked over, but it was still fun to go and rummage around everything.  We got back to the house just in time for the bus to drop of the kids.  That night was relaxing and we had dinner at their house and enjoyed a peaceful night...as much as you can with three children under 10! 

When someone special comes for lunch, Landon's class sings for them.  He had to sing a solo, then a duo, and then a trio.  He did such a great job, and I wish I had a video camera.  I know it's not the best photo (used my iPhone for all of these) but for the trio, they sang the months of the year to the tune of the macarena.  It was adorable and hilarious at the same time!

On Saturday, we went to the park with all of Landon and Sydney's friends and they played while the mom's any myself walked around the track - the first mile and a half I have done the whole time I've been pregnant.  I felt great after, but was completely worn out.  We also tried a new yogurt store that was having free frozen yogurt with toppings for their grand opening, so all 14 kids, 3 moms, and myself all tried this great place called Fro-Yo.  It was good, but I wouldn't say it's my favorite ice cream place.

Saturday night we went to The Village Burger in Dunwoody, which was amazing.  I don't really like burgers, but the burgers were well worth it. Sunday we went to church and it rained all day, so it was a fairly quiet afternoon.  My cousin Doug and his wife and three kids came over that night for dinner...6 children = a little overwhelming.  I don't think it would have been if I wasn't pregnant because it's never bothered me before when we all get together, but I think the lack of sleep and all the activity wore me out!  I had a blast getting to see everyone and am glad I was able to go before the baby gets here...who knows when the next time I'll have a chance to make it to good 'ol Atlanta. 

**I have set this picture correct 100 times, but every time I upload it, it turns like this, but you at least get the idea...

I have to share these pics...we decided it would be cool to make spider desserts for the kids dessert.  It all innocent honesty, we didn't think it would be a mess, and thought that they would think it was cool.  See the results:

They were pretty much covered in chocolate from head to toe...this was after we made them wash their arms and hands...really it was everywhere!

We are off to Starkville bright and early in the morning for the football game.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!  hopefully I'll have better photos to post when I get back from this trip as opposed to the last!

20 Week Doctor's Visit - I can't belive we are this far!

We had our 20 week doctor's visit yesterday.  Our ultra sound was good, everything looked great!  Our little man is 16 cm long!  I was worried because I thought I had to get my blood drawn again (I don't do well with this...normally pass out), but to my delight, I don't have to do that until 28 weeks, so I have another 2 months. 

It seems that in the last week I have just started getting noticeably bigger by the day! I think he's growing by leaps and bounds--or I'm eating too much - I prefer to go with the first thought. I did ask about hip and back pain...I seem to have both now.  My left hip feels like it's just going to fall off any second, and my right hip has shooting pains when I turn a certain way or sit for too long...oh the joys of pregnancy!  I would have to say though that I'm not sick near like I was--which I'm sure has a lot to do with me showing more now - I'm keeping down my meals - so I'll take it any day of the week.  And I'll eventually do it all again!  It's only 9 months of pain/discomfort for a lifetime of happiness and joy.

Below are the ultrasound photos they sent home with us.  I'm excited and can't believe it's almost October!  With the holidays quickly approaching, he'll be here before we know it! :) I can't wait!

So we are house hunting...

Does anyone else feel the stress and frustration of house hunting? We moved back to the Memphis area on March 1st and started (slowly) thinking about and looking at houses. We didn’t want to rush into anything and wanted to make sure jobs panned out before taking the leap, but we are now full fledge into looking for a house for our growing family (to be here in FEBRUARY MIGHT I ADD!)

For anyone who knows us, I’m a “little” high strung when it comes to making my list and checking off everything on it…my cowboy husband on the other hand is the most laid back man on the planet (yet very specific about what he wants when it comes to his piece of property – on a side note: I’m completely ok with him being very specific because this has been a long time coming and I really want him to be happy with where we are). He’s not too worried about how long it takes us to find the “perfect” house for us. So here’s our wish list:

1. At least 5 acres
2. Preferably NO neighbors
3. Plenty of land to hold cattle/horses/etc. (so obviously more than 5 acres)
4. Trees on the land – cuz we’ve got to be able to hunt on our own land!
5. Several hundred feet off the street – don’t want to deal with the traffic
6. Preferably on the outskirts of Oakland (me), Somerville, or Whiteville (him)
7. A low volume traffic road – I think he would prefer a dead end road and we were at the end of it.
8. Within our budget – THIS IS KEY!
9. And a House – preferably nice, fixer up, with 3 bed and 2 bath. – This is my request…I think he would be ok with just pitching a tent! Just kidding…I think.

So as you can see “we” have several specifications…I don’t think we will probably ever find ALL of this within our price range in 100 years, but we are sure looking!

I have decided that this is out of my hands—God’s saying it’s about time! –and I’m leaving the perfect timing and place in His will. I know that it’ll all work out as long as we trust Him to put us where He will have us and not where we think we need to be. I hope that those of you who are house hunting are having better luck than we are…I know that it’ll be a matter of time and the perfect place will come up on the market, and we’ll both be in love with it, but until then, here’s to house hunting!

Labor Day Recap

I hope everyone had a great labor day! We sure did! We go every year with Jonathan's family (on his mom's side) to Lake Ouachita in Arkansas. It's the perfect meeting point between the Memphis, Tennessee and Paris, Texas family. This is no small get together, mind you. We had thirty people this year! The Goldings, Byrds and Clarks each have 4 children, and several of us are now married with kids (and four babies on the way)...so it's a BIG group! SO FUN...

Everyone drives down and gets together at the Golding's house for dinner on Friday night. We all catch up and fellowship, and then on Saturday and Sunday we spend all day on the lake -- swimming, riding on the boats, wake boarding, knee boarding, and tubing. Then we get cleaned up and get together again for dinner...it's all about sun and food.

Now that all the cousins are starting families of our own, it'll just get bigger and bigger each year. Four of us were pregnant on the trip this year, and Christy, Jonathan's oldest cousin, got engaged on Saturday night!! It was definately a weekend to remember. There's just no telling how many people we will have next year!

I tried to be adventurous and take photos while we were on the boat, but it made me a little nervous to have a my new camera so close to water, but here's my attempt to take some pictures of our fun this weekend.

I know it's a little hard to see what all this is, but there is a camp back in the woods, and this is the swimming area for it with a high dive and another lower diving board. We pulled the boat as close as we could and then everyone walked down to it...well I took pictures from the boat...but it looked like fun!

Swimming in the COLD lake!

Could you tell we had been on the lake all day...looking so tired and sunburned.
So I don't like individual pictures of myself, but I want to remember the stages of my pregnancy - so this is me at 18 weeks...just a small bump.

All the pregnant ladies...Veronica is due in November, Ashley in December, Lauran in January, and then me in February.

Me and my sweet husband.

David had been sleeping...and Katie was letting him use her lap as a pillow.
Katherine and Scott, you can see in this picture that the boats are right beside each other...we would meet and tie them together and then spend pretty much the whole day at the swimming hole, swimming, eating lunch, and hanging out together! It's the best.

Ashley and sweet Kaleigh - she was all ready to get in the water.

Katherine - cute pose - she was finishing up lunch. Sarah's behind her sun bathing...she likes to do this most of all.