4D Ultrasound and Christmas Happenings

We had our 4D ultrasound last Friday, and it was amazing! Patton is absolutely adorable! He had both legs and both arms in front of his face. His left foot was literally sitting on top of his head! He smiled for us, yawned, and even flexed his biceps for us! Our ultrasound tech wanted him to move so she could get a better picture of his face, so she started tapping my belly and made my lie on my side. This just made Patton mad. We got a very prominent grimace from him after that. :)

He was so expressive. I guess that was what surprised me most. I can feel him kick and move, but I've never looked down at my belly and wondered if he was smiling or yawning or frowning. Now I know that he can make all of those faces and feel different emotions along with them.

He's a pretty active baby. He usually wakes me up by 6am kicking and turning. Sometimes he wakes me up as early as 4am and will keep me up for hours...other times he doesn't start kicking until after 7am. Right now I am sitting Indian-style on our couch with the computer on a pillow on top of my legs and Charlie asleep between the pillow and my belly. Patton is kicking her repeatedly, but I guess she is too tired to care...or maybe she knows that this is only the beginning.

Josh and I are so excited and cannot wait for Patton's arrival. I'm now 30 weeks, and we are just so close. We can't wait to hold him and feed him and just be a family. Luckily, we have the holidays to distract us a bit from our anticipation. Today is my day of shopping, but my husband hasn't made it very easy for me. He has only asked for a pair of slippers, and then told me to buy him stuff for the baby. I know he doesn't mean to be difficult...there really isn't anything he needs or wants. I guess I better get my creative juices flowing and get a game plan together. Josh got to shop for me on Thursday while I was at work, and I'm pretty sure he's done. It was his only day before Christmas to shop without me since he is working today and tomorrow, off Monday (when we have our next doctor's appointment), and then works 12 hours on Tuesday and 48 hours Wednesday-Thursday. He will get off at 7am Christmas morning, and I can't wait. We are so excited about spending our first married Christmas together, and it is sure to be wonderful no matter what is under the tree.

December is here, and so is the Third Trimester

Well, I just realized that the last time I posted was back in November when we put the crib together. A lot of things have happened since then...well not a ton, but it has been almost a month.

Thanksgiving has come and gone. I spent it with my family while Josh stayed at the base since he had to work. Next year, Patton and I will have Thanksgiving with Josh no matter what. I didn't like leaving him for the holiday.

Josh and I finally finished registering at Babies R Us, which means we traveled to Jackson, registered, and also had some P.F. Chang's. Yum!

I am working pretty hard this month...children's Christmas program, Advent children's sermons, and plenty more.

Josh and I decorated for Christmas. We have the tree and decorations up...our first Christmas as a married couple and our first Christmas in our home. We love it...if only Charlie would stop pulling the light bulbs off the tree. Silly pup!

Patton is growing and becoming more and more active. I've finally passed my pre-pregnancy weight. I'm over it by 4 lbs, but that number is sure to grow in the coming months.

I am officially in the third trimester now, and I can slowly feel my energy fading. I've fallen asleep on the couch for the past 4 nights...all before 9pm. Tonight I plan to keep myself away from the couch at all costs...I have to get the house cleaned up before Mom gets into town tomorrow.

My mom and dad are both coming into town for our 4D ultrasound, which is Friday morning. Mom is coming in tomorrow afternoon, and will hopefully help me out with a few projects. Dad is coming in Friday morning. Josh and I are so excited about the ultrasound! We can't wait to see Patton's face!

This coming Sunday, Josh and I are lighting the Advent candle during the worship service and leading the congregation in the Call to Worship. Then on Monday, I am hosting the Presbyterian Women's Evening Circle Bible Study at our house, and I have so much to do before then. Our weekend will be full of cooking, cleaning, and trying not to let me fall asleep early.

Well I better end this post and get back to work, today is my busy day of the week: Wednesday. We have Christmas program practice tonight, and I hope it goes well. They sure know how to wear me out.

Patton's Room

Well, Josh and I got the baby bedding in on Saturday, and I got the crib Tuesday night. We couldn't wait long to put it all together, so last night after we both got home from work, we got it done!

We are so excited about it! We love the crib, which is a gift from my dad and my stepmom, and the bedding is just perfect! My next project is to paint the letters of Patton's name to go above the crib. If you couldn't tell, my "nesting" has definitely set in...I woke up at 5am this morning and wanted to work in the baby's room. :)

Better Mood...But Definitely Sore

Well, this post is written in a much more cheerful attitude than my last one. Josh and I accomplished so many things this past weekend, that we are both beaming with pride...and very sore! On Friday, we had our doctor's appointment, took a tour of the hospital, registered at Target, bought letters to spell out Patton's name above his crib, ordered our wedding pictures and album, and just enjoyed being with each other. Saturday, we paid bills, bought frames for our wedding pictures, bought pansies for our flowerbed, and planted the pansies (which also included weeding, digging, and mulching). Sunday, we went to church (Josh even taught Sunday School for the kids) and then spent the rest of the day revamping our front walkway and hanging pictures in the hall. We got so much done! We have had these things on a to-do list for forever, so to actually get them not only started but completely finished just thrilled us! We are so excited about how the flowerbed and walkway turned out, and we are so glad that we finally ordered our wedding pictures and decided on items to register for. Needless to say, I feel so much better when I get to check something off my to-do lists, and this weekend definitely lifted my spirits.

Our lovely flowerbed full of pansies

Our walkway after spending hours weeding it and putting in new pebbles.

Patton and I at the end of the weekend...we were exhausted from all the work.

Patience

I've realized that as a pregnant lady, my patience has worn thin. Sometimes I have no patience at all. I get irritated easily, and I refuse to put up with any sort of drama. I have never been so prone to get angry before in my life. I've noticed that even little minute things that never bothered me before are driving me crazy, and the things that have always bugged me before seem to drive me over the edge now. I have my sane moments, but somedays I just seem to spend more of my hours in anger than in happiness.

Well, maybe I can use my silly pregnancy anger to make some of you laugh today. Here is a list of all the silly things that have annoyed me just this morning...enjoy:
1. The squeaking of our bedroom door
2. The fact that our bedroom door will not completely close
3. The hall closet door not sliding correctly when I opened it
4. The bathroom being dirty
5. My clothes not fitting "right"
6. My car not starting like it should
7. How loud the door handle is to the baby's room
8. How unorganized the whole house is (especially the pantry, it drove me crazy this morning)
9. The crazy spam newspaper in our driveway (that we never read and are not subscribed to)
10. Waking up with a sore throat

Wow, I guess I really hated doors this morning, and it didn't help that Charlie chewed one of my shoes this morning too. When I came in from church/work last night, I was so tired that I left my favorite pair of black heels in the den. I completely forgot to put them up since I was so ready to get them off my feet after a long day at work. They are the most comfortable shoes that I wear to work and to church, and the only black heels that I am still wearing since they aren't too high and are closed-toe. Looks like I might have to find a new pair.

Anyway, hope everyone has a great weekend. Hopefully mine won't be filled with animosity towards doors or newspapers.

November, already?

Well, it's been awhile. Lots of things have been going on since my last post, so I guess I should do a quick recap.

1. Josh and I traveled to Maryville Oct. 16-18th for Homecoming. We got to visit with Caroline, Jeremy, and Jasper on our way up there. We got to catch up with tons of our Maryville friends...oh how I love that place! On the way back to Laurel we stopped in Chattanooga to visit Vic, Charity, and Luke. We were glad we got to see everybody during our quick trip north.

2. Josh's brother Will and his fiancee Brittany got married on October 24th. She was such a beautiful bride, and we are so happy for the two of them!

3. I took the church kids to the Pumpkin Patch on October 25th. We all had a blast, and we really enjoyed carving our pumpkins together.

4. We had the church's Halloween Carnival on October 28th, and boy did it wear me out! It was a great event though, and the kids seemed to really have fun. I can't wait to dress Patton up and take him to it next year. This year we dressed up as a deviled egg...yes, I'm silly, I know.

5. We had new insulation put in the attic on October 22nd, and then we had to have someone patch our ceiling after one of the insulation guys stepped through the living room ceiling. The ceiling was finally finished on October 29th.

6. Josh and I are trying to get the house in order. Our guest rooms (especially the soon-to-be nursery) have become catch-all rooms, so we have some heavy duty cleaning, organizing, and rearranging ahead of us. I went through the nursery's closet this weekend, and I am well on my way to getting that room in some type of order soon.

Whew! The month of October wooped us good, but November promises to be just as hectic. Josh and I are babysitting 3 kids this week (ages 3, 6, and 11) from Tuesday night to Sunday night. They will be staying with us at our house, and I hope it goes well. Their inside dog is also joining us, but she will probably spend most of her time out in the yard (at least until we know her well enough to trust her in our house). My prepping the nursery will be put on hold this week while they visit since the 2 youngest (girls) will be sharing that room while they visit.

Besides our babysitting adventure, Josh and I have a huge to-do list in front of us. We still need to decide on baby bedding, we still need to register, and we have a lot of house projects that need to be done preferably before December gets here. We also have an astounding pile of stuff for a yard sale, but who knows when we will be able to have one. It's overwhelming, but we will make it through.

To end, here's some pictures from the month of October:

Me and Patton in the Smoky Mountains.

The kids' pumpkins at the Halloween Carnival.

Madison (6) and Lorelai (3) at the Pumpkin Patch. 2 of the 3 kids we will have at our house this week.

Tired of Drama

Warning: This is a pregnant/hormonal rant. I promise I'm a nicer person face-to-face. :)

You know, I'm not a big fan of drama. I like dramatic TV shows and such, but I hate the teenage-esque drama that some people surround themselves in. My dislike for drama has definitely increased now that I'm pregnant. I just don't have time for it. I don't have time for the drawn-out stories, for the ongoing updates, for the useless banter. And honestly, I don't have the patience for it either. I'm pregnant...I'm hormonal, achy, tired, frazzled, worried, and not to mention I'm growing another human being inside me. I don't have time for the "mean girl" crap or the high school angst. It's just too exhausting and stupid for my pregnant brain to comprehend.

I think I need a t-shirt today that reads: "I'm hormonal...back away slowly and save your drama for YOUR mama."

It's A Boy!

Josh and I are so excited that we will be having a little boy! His name will be Joshua Patton Lewis, but we will call him Patton. We are thrilled and can't wait to welcome him into the world!

Here are the ultrasound pictures from last Friday:

This is Patton relaxing on the beach watching the sunset.

This is Patton being the festive boy that he is. He already has his Halloween costume ready.

Raah, I scare you?

Our son is definitely not shy. He is very proud of himself, I guess.

Waiting...

This week is dragging by. I can't wait for Friday afternoon to get here, so we can have our ultrasound and hopefully find out if we are having a boy or a girl. Josh and I feel like our lives are in slow motion this week. Each day seems to last forever, the hours linger, the minutes feel like a lifetime. I've had feelings like this before...last week of college before graduation, the week before traveling to Disney World when I was 10, waiting to see Josh on the weekends when we were dating. Those events all caused me to be anxious and for the time to drag on, but nothing comes close to this week. We've done our best at trying to busy ourselves, trying to past the time. Luckily, Josh has had a lot of calls at work. I know he gets tired of them, but I think he is actually glad he has had something to do besides sit at the ambulance base and think about Friday getting here. I've even tried to get ahead on some things for work. No time like the present to distract myself with planning the Halloween Carnival (that isn't until October 28th). Plus, I've been making a list of house projects that I can do in the afternoons to keep me from watching the clock. None of those projects have happened yet, but that is only because I was more pleasingly distracted. Monday night I made a chicken casserole, and Josh, his ambulance partner Adam, and Adam's fiancee Victoria came over for dinner. The guys were working/on call, but we at least made it through dinner before they got a run. It was really nice having them over. Adam's last name is Lewis, and he has family from over towards Butler, so we are certain that somewhere down the line Adam and Josh are cousins of some sort. Victoria is precious, and just so sweet. She helped me with the dishes after the guys left, and it was so great to have them over. It distracted me for at least 4 hours, cooking and all.

Well, I guess I better get back to distracting myself somemore...the clock on my computer seems to have frozen as I write this...only 51 hours to go. Come on Friday, get here soon!

Babies, Babies Everywhere!

Well, it seems like last week was "the" week to have a baby boy. Caroline and Jeremy had there Jasper on Thursday. My step-dad's nephew welcomed his son Memphis on Wednesday, and Josh's cousin Deidre had her little Ellis on Friday. Three days, three boys. Memphis and Jasper had more than just their city names in common. Both were born via c-section, and both were 9lb-plus babies. Ellis was just under 7 lbs, and I was told Deidre had a very smooth delivery this time around.

Most of my attention last week was on Jasper and his parents. Caroline called me Wednesday morning after her water broke. I'm sure there's a joke in the fact that it all happened with a sneeze. Maybe the punch line could be, "God bless you!" And God surely did bless them with a miracle. Jasper is stubborn...he was finally taken by c-section more than 29 hours after her water broke. He is definitely male...his sense of direction isn't that great...apparently he didn't have a birth canal map. He is fiesty...he wouldn't put up with the oxygen nose tube. He is big...he grew out of newborn diapers in one day. He is precious...and he is finally at home with his parents. Congrats to the Adams Family! Josh and I are so happy for the 3 of you, and we can't wait to visit all 3 of you next time we are in town.

Josh and I traveled to Birmingham on Friday to not only visit with Caroline and Jeremy but also to see my dad on his birthday and watch my step-brother play football. We watched Taylor's team get beat on Friday night...it was their first loss this year. I guess we jinxed it. Saturday morning after breakfast with Dad and Danyel, we visited Jeremy and Caroline at the hospital. Jasper was still in the NICU, but he was off oxygen and doing good. After visiting for a bit, we met Mom, Bruce, and Ashley for some Jim N Nick's. Yum! I was craving BBQ so bad! We headed home a bit later, and we got back in time for Josh to watch the rest of the Auburn game. Yesterday we actually got some things done around the house. It looks and smells so nice! I'm hoping the cleanliness around me will encourage me to tackle one of the 3 closets that need to be cleaned out. We will see.

As for this week, well, it will probably be the longest week EVER! We go for our ultrasound on Friday, and we can't wait to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. The hours will creep by until then. Last week I finally felt the baby kicking...it was so exciting! I can't wait until Josh can feel it kicking on the outside...hopefully it will happen soon. I know he is getting antsy.

The Southern Woman

I read something today, someone else's blog, and they commented on how their Southern upbringing has affected their life. I saw myself and the women of my life reflected in her story.

We all tend, from time to time, to think of ourselves as simply normal, and then at other times we believe we are so weird compared to those around us. Growing up in the South has always been seen as something negative in some circles. Apparently, the rest of the world assumes that those raised in the South must have been forced to run around barefoot in the grass or were neglected the education and upbringing of the city. There are those that also see the grace and hospitality that is so intrinsic in our manners of dealing with others, and how can that be seen as bad? Despite what you think, there are some things that we learn in the South that we wouldn't learn anywhere else, and I see the affects of those "Southern traits" everyday.

For instance, have you ever noticed how Southern women react when they are interrupted or asked to do something? It seems we were all bred to be cheerfully interrupted. Always appeasing, always hospitable. We may hate the fact that someone has called us in the middle of our favorite TV show or may be so angry that someone has called and asked us to babysit for them again, but we hide it all away with a smile and a kind phrase or gesture.

What about when someone is sick? I've never received so many "get well" wishes and concerned phone calls as I have when surrounded by Southern Belles. The ladies of my church must have their own charming little desks full of assorted "thank you," "get well soon," and "thinking of you" cards. And with this constant influence surrounding me, I have to admit that I am no different. I have a card box full of cards for every occassion, and I feel so ashamed when a birthday card or thank you card doesn't get in the mail ASAP. It's that Southern hospitality guilt. Oh, and I don't think anyone above the Mason-Dixon line sends casseroles to heart attack survivors, but the Southern Belle-and-food relationship is a whole nother story.

It's amazing the Southern etiquette rules we live by. From weddings and funerals to holiday gatherings and church potlucks...we all live by that code of ethics that our mothers and grandmothers passed down to us. We follow the make-up and fashion rules and know what it takes to be a good hostess. From the little diddy "Don't wear white after Labor Day" to "Never go to a potluck empty-handed," we have all lived by the rules. I must admit that I always wear white sandals Labor Day weekend like it's a last hurrah for those soon-to-be-imprisoned flip-flops. I parade them around town one last time before I put them on their shelf in the closet...never to be seen again until Easter. Oh, and don't get me started on Southern wedding rules...I've never had so many women warn me about breaking bows on wedding gifts until I had a wedding shower at my church. Relax ladies, I guess it's safe to say that I broke at least one of those huge and completely Southern Belle-esque bows that you so patiently made at home for my prettily wrapped gifts. Yes, the baby's due March 2nd.

I'm on my way to becoming a true Southern Belle, of that I am sure, but at least I know I will have some hospitable company in the regiment. I'm so glad that my 2 best friends will be right beside me in the ranks. I know Beth will be a Major before too long...she's an amazing hostess, and Caroline is sure to appease all around her and look good while doing it. As for me, well, I'm pretty good at being cheerfully interrupted.

Hospitals Are Not Very Fun

Well, it's been a while since I've written anything, and that's mainly due to the fact that I was in the hospital for 6 days. I had gotten sick with a stomach virus on Thursday, Sept. 17th. I spent that whole night sick at home, and the next 2 days I was so sore that I couldn't move without help. On Saturday, I started throwing up again, and since I hadn't eaten anything or kept any fluids down, Josh took me to the emergency room. Both of us thought we would get in, get some medicine and an IV, and then we would be back home by daylight on Sunday. Well, we were taken back pretty quickly, since I'm pregnant, and they gave me an IV and some medicine for nausea. The ER doctor came in and pushed on my stomach, which made me scream (my muscles were sooooo sore!). He feared that I had appedicitis, so I was sent to get an ultrasound. Believe me, ultrasounds are great, but not when your muscles are so tense that you can't even yawn without pain. The ultrasound tech couldn't find my appendix, so after being tortured through the ultrasound, I had more doctors come see me and poke at my sore belly. At around 6:45am Sunday, I was transferred to a room. They were admitting me, and they put me on the labor & delivery floor with all the other preggos (but unlike the rest of them, I wasn't going to be going home with a baby in my arms anytime soon.)

Josh had spent that whole night in a small little side chair in my ER room, while I had been in and out (due to the medicine) in a bed. When they transferred me, Josh went home to catch a quick nap and to get me a much needed change of clothes. We called my parents before he left...neither of us thought that the hospital would admit me, but we were both certain that I would be home soon. Around 10am, a nurse came and took me to have an MRI done to check my appendix. When I returned to my room, my dad and stepmom were there. My mom and Josh arrived less than 30 minutes later. The MRI showed that my appendix and my gallbladder were fine, but the doctors were still keeping me. We all assumed that I would go home the following day (Monday) since I was feeling slightly better and my appendix was fine. My dad and stepmom returned home, Josh went home since he had to work Monday, and my mom stayed with me at the hospital. Well, it turns out that the pain medicine they were giving me makes me nauseous. Every 4 hours they would give me nausea medicine and pain medicine together. I was on a 4 hour schedule. They would give me the medicine, and it would would knock me out for 2 to 2.5 hours. Then I would spend the remaining time nauseous until I could get more medicine. The doctors finally realized the connection (pain meds = nausea) on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday were better days, and dad came and stayed with me Thursday night. I was finally given solid food on Friday, and when I was able to keep it down, they sent me home.

I can't believe I was in the hospital that long. I missed a whole week of work, 2 children's sermons (since I was still recooperating yesterday), and sending bday cards to some friends and family. The diagnosis I was given: gastroenteritis. In other words, I got a stomach virus that led to my intestines being inflammed. I am on an antibiotic and a probiotic to help my stomach. My muscles are so weak, especially my leg muscles, from laying in a bed for 6 days. I am finally back at work and trying to rebuild my strength, but it's going to take a while.

But, the good news is that the baby and I are both doing fine now. The baby actually seemed to enjoy our time at the hospital. It was doing flips during the ultrasound, which prevented us from seeing it's sex and also made it harder for the ultrasound tech to get all the required measurements. The baby also enjoyed kicking at the doppler and hiding whenever the nurses would try to check its heart rate. Oh the joys of hospitals.

Back from the Beach

Well, our beach trip was a blast! (Even if we only spent an hour and a half total on the actual "beach" itself) It was great to just kick back and catch up with Mom, Bruce, Vic, Charity, and Baby Luke. Josh and I thoroughly enjoyed our time just sitting around the condo talking with everyone or watching Luke play. He is by far the cutest and happiest baby I have ever seen! He smiled and laughed, and he was just a complete joy.



But now it is back to work. Rally Day went fine on Sunday...not much of a crowd though. Sunday was super busy with the Rally Day breakfast starting at 8:30am, Sunday School at 9:30am, worship at 10:30am, catfish fry and fellowship at 11:30am, and then a bridal shower for Brittany (Josh's brother's fiancee) at 2pm in Butler. I was at the church at 7:30am that morning and didn't get home until almost 6pm that evening. Needless to say, I was exhausted, and I believe I fell asleep on the couch before 8pm.


Well, enough talk. I promised pictures from the beach in my last post, so here we go:

Is he not precious?

Early bird walking the beach at sunrise.

Sunrise

Sunrise over the dunes

Luke and his Aunt Jessy

Off to the beach...almost

Well, my work day from hell, didn't turn out so bad. I had a to-do list about as long as my arm today, but I managed to get all of it done (or at least the stuff that really matters). Now I am off to the house to spend some time with the pup before I take her to her puppy-sitter's home for a few days. I still need to wash some things, iron some outfits, and pack my stuff tonight, but at least my work things are done. Josh and I will be leaving out in the morning, and I can't wait to get there and just spend time with the family. We haven't seen Vic, Charity, and Luke since the weekend of Beth's wedding, so I bet Baby Luke hasn't grown quite a bit since then. I hope you all have a great week, and I will update with pictures when we get back.

Ciao!

Oh Yes, It's the Second Trimester!!!

Oh Mexican food...how I've missed you! Oh how wonderful the day can be when you aren't so tired and achy. Oh the joys of having some energy! Oh how I love not being constantly burdened with nausea and heartburn! The joy of the second trimester is starting, and I am on cloud nine. Well, most of the time. I've got a lot to do at work this next week, so most of my new found energy will be used in the office instead of at home. Sunday school is starting soon, we have a big Rally Day celebration I am sorta in charge of, the nursery is a germ-a-phobes nightmare, I still need another Sunday school teacher, and our new interim minister starts today. Whew! I am bogged down with Sunday school curriculum that needs to be copied and organized, decisions to be made, a nursery to disinfect, and a pile of more work on my desk. Not to mention, I will be in the office only one day next week, so I gotta get this stuff done NOW.

But besides work, life is going pretty well. Josh and I are going to the beach next week with Mom, Bruce, Vic, Charity, and Baby Luke. It will be our first official vacation since our honeymoon, and boy do we both need it! We will be in Gulf Shores Sept. 9th through the 12th, so that gives us the longest beach vacation we have ever gone on together. We usually go for 2 days max due to our work schedules, but this time we used the vacation days we have been saving up for such an occasion.

Well, I am going to read to kindergarteners at 10am, so I better get some work done before then. Hope you all have a great week!

Dr.'s Appointment Update

We had our second prenatal check-up on Friday, and the doctor said everything is going well. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat again, which was well worth the hour long wait in the waiting room. We talked to our doctor about the possibility of having a c-section. Josh and I are really scared about my back. I've had back problems since the end of my junior year of high school. The cartilage disc below my L-5 vertebra, last time I had an MRI, was hardening and expanding...putting lots of pressure on certain nerves. I haven't been able to get comfortable or sleep all the way through the night in a long time, and we are just scared that a normal delivery could hurt my back even more. Our doctor agreed with us. She said that with the epidural, I could possibly be put into some positions during labor that would hurt my back further, but I wouldn't be able to realize it (or feel it) during delivery. She said a c-section would be much easier on my back. Josh and I have talked it over, and I think we want to just go ahead and plan on having a c-section. Neither of us want to risk injuring my back any further.

Besides that, our doctor went ahead and scheduled our next 2 appointments and our next ultrasound. We will get to see if we are having a little boy or a little girl on October 9th! We cannot wait!

12 Weeks...That Second Trimester is Coming!

Well today I am officially 12 weeks pregnant. I guess in my head I though that as soon as I woke up this morning that I would be free of morning sickness and fatigue...maybe that will happen tomorrow. I am hopeful for that day of relief to come, but I am glad to know that the baby is doing well (I've been told that being sick means the pregnancy is going well...I'm hoping they weren't all lying to me.)

In other news, Josh and I spent the past weekend up in Birmingham. We went to my stepmom's surprise birthday party Friday night, which was so much fun. On Saturday, Josh went to play golf with my stepdad Bruce and with Beth's husband Jay. I heard they had a lot of fun, even though they didn't play too well. While they were busy golfing, Beth and I were hosting a baby shower for Caroline and Baby Jasper. It was so much fun! Not to mention, Beth made the most amazing chicken salad for the shower, and I've been craving it since I got back to Laurel.

The most interesting part of the whole weekend was how people kept telling me I was showing and rubbing my belly. I've always had some "fluff" around the middle (for lack of a better term). Usually, I suck it in all day, but my abdominal muscles won't let that happen too much anymore. So everyone was rubbing my fat belly, not the baby, all weekend. It was pretty weird, especially when some of them would keep rubbing my belly after I informed them about my fat. Well, whatever floats your boat.

Limes and Leadership

Well, I am now officially 11 weeks pregnant (as of yesterday), and the baby (from crown to rump) is the length of a lime. Holy moly! Not only is the baby the size of the one fruit that makes a cherry limeade so magnificent, but our child has elbows, and fingernails, and can move around. Pretty exciting stuff! And hey, my nausea and fatigue are starting to dim down, or at least I think they are.

Well, I have some other exciting news, and it can't be found in my belly. Our church has finally hired an interim minister, who will start September 1st. I just got to meet him, and he's great. I'm really excited about him being here and what he might be able to do with our church. He's a really nice guy, has a sense of humor, and really seems interested in helping our church heal. I just need to stop laughing everytime I hear his name...Rev. Robert E. Lee. Thank God he goes by Bob!

Beach, Baby, and Blah

Beach
Well, Josh and I survived our first overnight trip with the church kids. Thank goodness Long Beach is a very quiet and small beach town. We took 6 kids with us, and we pretty much had a mile of beach to ourselves, if we wanted it. We spent maybe 30 minutes total at the actual beach. Most of our time was spent in the condo's pool, which we had all to ourselves as well. We ate some great food, and I think everyone had fun. I'm glad we went, but I'm really glad that it is over. The trip wore me out and made me feel very old and pregnant. The kids would say something, I would ask what they were talking about, and I got the "you wouldn't understand, you're old" excuse. Wow, didn't think I would get that response until I was at least 30. Oh well, so much for feeling like a young whipper snapper for 6 more years.

Baby

We got to see our little peanut for the first time on Friday, July 24th. We also got to hear the heartbeat, and it was an amazing experience. Here are our 3 ultrasound pictures (taken at 8 weeks and 3 days):

According to Josh, this is our baby chillin' in an igloo wearing ear muffs.

According to Josh, our baby resembles him in this picture..."a big white blob."

And my favorite, this is our baby relaxing in a hammock while wearing sunglasses.

Blah

Well, since returning from the beach trip, the word "blah" seems to describe how I've felt. I have my good days, which luckily happened to be during the beach trip. And then I have my bad days, which worked out to be my off days this week. I guess I should be thankful it wasn't the other way around. I'm starting to get at least a little more energy on my good days. Food is still a problem for me. I seem to stick to one thing like PB&J sandwiches or chicken nuggets for days. I'm not up for Mexican of Chinese yet, and vegetables (even a nice Ceasar salad) are completely out of the question at the moment. It's like my stomach knows they are harder to digest, so it constantly refuses to let me eat them. Well, just a few more weeks of the first trimester left, and maybe I will enjoy romaine lettuce and the smell of Mexican cuisine again.

Sleepy People

Well, yesterday we had our first doctor's appointment. We were pretty disappointed that they didn't do an ultrasound. We go back on Friday for that. The doctor's said that everything looked good. They ran tests, and then at the end of the visit, they took 7 vials of blood from my arm. The nurse asked me, "Do you get queasy or faint when you give blood?" I told her, "No, but then again I've never had 7 tubes of blood drawn before, so we'll see." Luckily, I didn't pass out, and the queasiness I felt wasn't from the blood drawing.

After the doctor's appointment, I went back to work for a 1/2 day, and then went home to my pitiful hubby. Josh was so tired, so as we laid down with our dog Charlie to look through all the pregnancy info we had gotten at the doctor's office, we decided to take a nap. We didn't realize that this nap would last all evening. We had already decided what we were going to cook for dinner. We had it all planned, but when you wake up from a "nap" at 11:30 at night, all plans of actually cooking dinner are out the window. We were starving, so we went to Huddle House. Yum! We finally got back home around 12:30, and got right back into bed. We are pitiful! Our poor dog had no idea what was going on, we completely messed up her sleep schedule. But Josh and I are very thankful for the 12 cumulative hours of sleep we got...apparently we both needed it.

My Sweet Husband

Well, the nausea got a little better this week (well, for some of the week), but the fatigue is killing me. It's pretty sad when you doze off at work while typing and almost hit your head on the keyboard. That being said, I had a wonderful evening last night.

Josh had to work his 12-hour day yesterday, and he didn't get home until around 8. I had been home since 3:30pm, and had spent most of my time since then on the couch. I did manage to do a couple loads on laundry and even fold them. I was so proud of myself! Well, Josh came home, and he rubbed my back while we talked about our day. Then, he had me go sit in the living room and wait for him. I sat on the couch and finished folding the last load of laundry while he went outside. He came back in with a CD, put it in the CD player, and told me that he thought it was about time that we introduced the baby to this important song. He had searched through my car and found the Sara Bareilles CD (and believe me, he had to search hard...my CD case was in the back of my jeep under the pool noodles for the kids' pool party). He pushed play, and my favorite song "Love Song" came on. He held his hand out for me to stand up and dance with him. So Josh, Baby Lewis, and I (as well as Charlie since she walked around us in a circle) danced in the middle of our living room.

The song has a special meaning for Josh and me. It was a popular song while we were dating, and it is still one of my all-time favorites. I had bought the CD way back when, and this song was the first song I actually sang to while Josh was in the car. Everytime we hear that song, it reminds us of all those weekends we spent together. The long excited drives on Fridays to see each other and the dreaded drives on Sunday back home.

I can't write down everything Josh said last night because, well, I'm an emotional pregnant woman and I will cry right here in my office. But I will say that he was so sweet and affectionate. We talked about all those weekends when we were dating and lived 2 1/2 hours away from each other. We talked about the baby and about how blessed we are to be together. The best part of the night though was when Josh talked to the baby. He kissed my belly and told our child how much he loves them. It was one of those stories I will tell our children about how wonderful their father is and how lucky I am to call him my husband.

Weekend Update

The Lewis gang visited Josh and me this past weekend, and we had a great time visiting together. On Saturday, all of the ladies went to Mimi's Bridal for Katie to try on wedding dresses. She looked so pretty! I was so excited that she wanted me there. The store was packed and they were short a few workers, so after feeling like we were literally shoved in the back corner, we left. The rest of the day revolved around meals, playing dominoes, and a nap for almost everyone. Sunday, we had church, lunch, some shopping, and cheesecake. Josh and I really enjoyed having them in town and getting to catch up with them all.

Sunday night we went over to Eric and Crystal's house for some pizza and to catch up with them as well. Josh and I have just been so busy lately, so we haven't really seen them since we found out about the baby. We ate, talked for hours, and played with Ethan. It was a great way to end the weekend.

I have been told by so many people that the first trimester, especially weeks 7 through 13, are (for lack of a better term) "hell." I believe I am starting to agree. Friday marked the beginning of week 7 for me, and it has been interesting to say the least. I'm not trying to say that I'm not happy about being pregnant or anything like that, but the nausea, fatigue, and hormones just wear on you. I feel like I went to one of those cheap little fairs and rode every ride imaginable. I walk around queasy and completely exhausted. My job isn't very strenuous at all, but I have laid my head down on my desk 4 times since I got here this morning out of sheer fatigue. Oh well, my nausea isn't as bad as it was on Saturday, and at least I have a free afternoon today to take a much needed nap. I just need to take it one day at a time...plus, the end result will be well worth it!

Church Kids and Morning Sickness

Well, as I sit here eating my now usual breakfast of saltine crackers in my office, I guess I should retell the story from last night when I told the church kids about the baby. So here it goes...

We had pizza, brownies, and cookies, and we also did a pretty fun lesson (well, I liked it). I had all of the kids answer 11 questions like "what's you favorite animal? favorite color? favorite sport?" and "What color are your eyes? your hair?". After we finished our pizza, I would pick 2 kids, usually 2 that didn't get along, and I wrote down the things they had in common with each other. All the pairs had at least 6 out of the 11 things in common with each other. Our lesson was about accepting others because by accepting them we can show them God's love. We also learned that if we open up and get to know people we might not think we like, we might discover that we have some pretty cool things in common. After the lesson and some much needed brownies and cookies, we headed to the gym to do a canned food relay. Each child was asked to bring canned food last night to donate to the local food mission in town. We used some of our cans for the relay, and we had a blast! They kept wanting to do it again and again. I was exhausted! It was almost time to go, so I had them all sit in a circle in the gym. We huddled up and talked about the upcoming summer events, and then I told them that I had some special news to share. I told them that they mean so much to me and I wanted to share the news with them first. They all got extremely quiet (a miracle for sure) and waited. I told them that Mr. Josh and I are going to have a baby. Like I expected, my 2 girls were so excited and crawled over to give me a hug. They all started asking if it was a boy or a girl. They were all so excited, even some of the boys. It was time to leave, so I asked them all to bow their heads and close their eyes for a prayer. One girl said, "That goes for the baby too!" I said, "Yes, the baby's eyes are closed and it's head is bowed, even though it is only half an inch long right now." That statement got the boys interested. "How big? Really? Whoa! That's so small!" We talked about the size of the baby for a minute, prayed, and then the kids ran out of the gym to tell their parents. It was chaos after that. Children running to their parents screaming "Miss Jessica's having a baby! Mis Jessica's having a baby!" The parents were happy for us and congratulated me.

The funniest part of the night involved my 2 girls, Erin and Ashley. Erin is 7 and Ashley is 11. Both of them offered me their babysitting services in the future. Erin told me that if I needed anything at all I should call her because she only lives half a mile away. She also said we should plan a meeting together to discuss baby names. It was so funny! Ashley was concerned about where the baby would sleep. She didn't agree with my room selection. Also, they both want me to have twins so they can each hold one at the same time. These girls crack me up!

Crack me up...that reminds me, I need more crackers. Guess I better wrap this up and get back to providing a nourishing meal for the baby. Mmmm, saltines.

Yes, the rumors are true...

Well, I guess I can officially write on here and say that I'm pregnant! Yes, it's true. The church I work for doesn't know yet, but I am planning on telling the church kids tomorrow night during our "Wonderful Wednesday" event. From there, their parents will know and pass the info along. I told the administrative assistant today, so hopefully the word will spread without me having to put much effort into it. I'm not one to want to be the center of attention, and for some reason, having morning sickness just doesn't incline me to tap people on the shoulder and say, "Hey! I'm pregnant! Look at me!"

Anyway, we first discovered the possibility of me being pregnant on Josh's birthday (Friday, June 26th). He asked me to take a pregnancy test. I took the test, got in the shower, and had completely forgotten about it until I saw it there on the sink. Josh had been taking a nap, so I woke him and had him read it. He thought I was joking with him. He proceeded to jump out of bed, put his shoes on, and head to Walgreens to get another pregnancy test. He didn't trust the 2 lines, so he went and bought 2 digital tests that simply display the words "pregnant" or "not pregnant." Those were enough to convince him.

We called our parents, needing to share the news but not wanting the whole world to know. We planned on going to the doctor's office to get a blood test that following Monday, and would pass the information along to everyone else after that. Friday, although it was Josh's birthday, was also the day of Beth and Jay's wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. It was so hard not to just blurt out the words "I'm pregnant" when I saw Beth and Caroline. I worked on my poker face the whole drive up to Birmingham. I had to wait until after the wedding...I just had to.

Luckily, my pathetic excuse for a poker face was not compromised, and I was able to keep it a secret until after Beth and Jay were whisked away in their limo.

Monday, we did go get a blood test, and the waiting was excruciating. They called me back, drew my blood, told me the test would take 15 minutes, and asked me if I wanted to wait for the results. Uh, Duh! I returned to the waiting room and sat with Josh. I thought he was going to jump out of his skin. He couldn't sit still. He was so fidgety. They finally called me back again 30 minutes later, which seemed like a lifetime! The test was positive! We called the rest of our family members and our parents again to verify the news. After Monday, I was still in shock. Besides my family, I hadn't really told anyone. I just didn't know how to tell anyone. Well, after being nauseous for most of the weekend, the reality of the pregnancy has finally set in, and I am letting everyone know. So go ahead and share the news with everyone else...it's okay now.

I guess this newlywed blog will also be a pregnancy blog...I will try to keep the graphic morning sickness stories to a minimum.

Love to you all!

Beth's Wedding

Well, Beth and Jay got hitched, and it was a beautiful affair. She looked so beautiful, and I am just so happy for them. Friday, we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and Beth asked me to be their "official" photographer for the night. Here are some of my favorite shots...

I love Beth's face in this one.

The lovely centerpieces for the Rehearsal Dinner. Each flower had one of their engagement pictures.

Beth's cousins Taylor, Laney, and Sophie. They got the cowgirl pose down.

Whitney, Beth, and Addison. That baby is precious!

Caroline (and Jasper) after enjoying some BBQ.

Well, I also took some pre-wedding photos on Saturday...I wish I had taken more. Anyway, here are some good ones...

Laney and Taylor "enjoying" the beauty salon.

The bride with her Maid of Honor...ready to head to the church.

Taylor and Laney all dolled up.

Caroline (and Jasper) relaxing before the wedding.

Jody putting her ballet slippers on.

Beth's beautiful cake.

The Roll Tide groom's cake.

The awesome Bama M&M's on the groom's table.

4 More Days!!!

Yes, 4 more days until Beffers gets married. It's finally hitting me I guess. I knew it was coming all along, but I got preoccupied with some things the past few months. It's all sinking in now, and I just can't describe how happy I am for her.

When we were in high school, we used to joke about us all being friends when we were grown up and married. We laughed about how our kids would grow up together. We talked about weddings and such and about how we would look at our 10 year reunion. The sad part is that I saw all of our jokes and talks about that stuff as daydreams. It was something I just couldn't fathom at the time. I was in high school and couldn't wrap my mind around what life would be like when I was older and married. My immature mind saw me having a family but then going to the beach with my friends on the weekends while we listened to NSYNC on the radio. I just couldn't grasp what we were talking about.

I went off to college and still couldn't see that in my near future. I had a glimpse of it, but a very immature one. Plus, at college I had distanced myself, both physically and emotionally, from those girls that knew me best. I couldn't fathom a friendship that could last through college, let alone last for the rest of my life. I thought I was losing my Gdale girls. I was never around, and, well, you all know how I hate to actually talk on the phone. I thought they would forget about me, but I was happily suprised when they wouldn't give up. I started getting calls about this guy named Jeremy. I started hearing from Beth and Caroline about how he was Caroline's perfect match. I was so thrilled for her when he proposed, but although it may sound so extremely selfish, I was more excited when she asked me to be a bridesmaid. That call and that card...they were the lasso that brought me back to my girls.

I know I wasn't the perfect bridesmaid or friend back then. I still kick myself in the butt for not being there for her more during that time. It was the start of our rekindled friendship. It led to me meeting Josh and to our marriage. It led to many more girls' nights, Christmas parties, beach trips, shopping extravaganzas, and matching PJ's. We have all grown up so much, and yet our friendship has adapted to it all and remained strong. Even though we aren't in high school anymore, even though we aren't all in the same town anymore, even though we have all changed at least a little bit...our friendship is stronger now that it ever was. And now I can see it...I can see us being friends when we are all married and have children (heck, we're almost there). The reason I couldn't see it back in high school is fairly simple. I was right that it was a daydream that our high school friendship would survive through our married lives. The reason I couldn't see us being friends as adults while we were in high school is because our friendship back then was nothing compared to what it is now. Our friendship now is so much stronger, I feel so much closer to these girls, and now I can't imagine being married and having children without having them as my friends. They mean the world to me.

So Caroline and Beth, here's to all of us being married friends...only 4 more days!

Beth's Bachelorette Bash

After a hard week of working my butt off at VBS, which resulted in me getting sick, I got to travel to the Bham for Beth's Bachelorette Bash! We had so much fun! We all met at Caroline's house where we all sat around and caught up like old times. Caroline was there, and Jasper is getting big! Beth and her sister Whitney were there of course! Another pair of sisters, Maggie and Elizabeth, were there, and Beth's friend Chancey also came. We went to P.F. Chang's for dinner, and that place always brings back the best memories: high school girls' nights, stealing chopsticks, ordering without ever looking at the menu, and going there for all of our bachelorette parties. It was heavenly, and I'm pretty sure the Mongolian beef cured my fever at least for a little while. After dinner, we went back to Caroline's house for dessert and pool time. Caroline had made mini cheesecakes and a trifle. Whitney made a fruit pizza. We stuffed ourselves and then squeezed into our swimsuits for a night swim. I don't think many of us actually "swam" though. We all circled around in the shallow end, sharing silly stories and memories from way back when. It was a wonderful celebration for Beth, and I think it was a much needed girls' night for all of us there.
Only 4 more days to go, Beffers! We love you!

VBS Update

Well, it is Tuesday afternoon. I have survived 2 days of VBS, and well, that is a miracle.

Monday was insane (and that's the nicest word I can use to describe it at the moment). It had its great moments and really fun moments, but most of the day was filled with stressful situations, total chaos, and lazy or irresponsible people. I will save you all from the details, believe me I could go on and on about how chaotic Monday was and how badly I wanted a margarita by 11am, but I will spare you.

But as I mentioned before, there were some great, fun moments too. I lead all of the kids first in the morning and in the last station of the day. Instead of having only 1/4 of the kids at a time like all the other stations do, I have all the kids...all 75+ kids. I have them sit on the floor in the gym as I teach them our Bible verse, our Bible point, and our Bible story. Also, I introduce them to our Bible Memory Buddy for the day. (Note: Each day we get a Bible Memory Buddy, which helps us remember our daily Bible Point. Monday we had Flash the Firefly who reminded us that GOD IS WITH US!)

The coolest part of the whole morning, besides the silly skit I get to do with the new youth minister from the Methodist church, is the Bible Point of the day. For example, on Monday our Bible Point was GOD IS WITH US, so after I say that the kids are to punch their fist in the air and shout "Fear Not!" It is so cute! I love going back and forth with them each day, and I love that I am getting to know their names.

Besides the stress, the chaos, and the lack of sleep...VBS has definitely been a learning experience for me. I am the only one of the church leaders present at VBS that has never led or even helped plan a whole VBS before, and yet I am the one directing this whole thing. It's been crazy, and I'm loving that each day it calms down a bit more. So maybe by Friday, we might be fully organized...right? Well, here's to wishful thinking!

The Weekend and Writing

Well, I had a wonderful time in Birmingham this weekend. I got to spend some much needed time with Caroline and Beth. Beth's bridesmaids' luncheon was absolutely beautiful, and I haven't stopped carrying around the cute bag we got as our bridesmaids gift. My children's sermon this Sunday was about the three of us, and I got quite a few compliments on it. Maybe one day I will just start uploading my children's sermons on here...hmm, that's an idea. Anyway, the weekend was a great break from real life and all the work I am doing at the moment (well, not at this particular moment since I am writing this post, but I am at least in my office).

Today is my one year anniversary here at First-Trinity. It's hard to believe that a year ago today I was just putting books on my shelves and carrying in my boxes of pictures to put on the walls. It's hard to believe that a year ago today, I got lost down in the Sunday School hallway and had to ask the janitor to help me find my way back to my office. It's hard to believe that a year ago today, I was just beginning this journey. And it's hard to believe that a year ago today, I actually thought that I would be an old pro at this within the year.

During those first few months, I bought every book I could find that had something to do with being a better youth and children's ministry leader. I haven't finished reading a single one of them yet...I've started some of them, and then there are those that just sit there unopened and untouched. One of the books that I have actually opened, said that a successful ministry leader needs to take "daily stretches," breaks from doing your ministry, things that refresh you and take your mind away from all that needs to be done. Well, writing is one of my daily stretches...so I've decided to spend my "daily stretch" today writing about writing (go figure!).

I'm not someone who opens up very easily. I don't like to put my feelings out there. I tend to agree with others and not open my mouth with my own opinion. I have never been able to just tell someone when I am upset or what I am upset about. In college, I ran into lots of roommate troubles. My freshman roommate and I didn't see eye to eye on some things, but instead of confronting her about it and talking, I gave her the silent treatment until the end of fall semester when I wrote her a note. I don't remember what all I wrote in that letter, but I know I let my thoughts flow freely. It was probably really harsh, and definitely a cowardly act, but it was the only way I could freely communicate with her. Things were never the same after that. We continued to be roommates until the end of the school year, but there was always a gap. My roommate during the later 3 years of college was great, but I had the same problem with communicating. I felt justified in my actions by giving her the silent treatment, and I know quite a few letters were shared back and forth between us. We had a huge falling out our senior year, and it was horrible. As badly as I wanted to talk to her and tell her exactly why I was mad, I couldn't. I was too afraid to share my feelings. As mad as I was, I didn't want to anger her or anyone else, so I just kept silent. I've learned now that my silence was much more painful to her than any words I could have said. Recently, I have made amends with both of these wonderful people.

Writing has always been my fallback. During high school, it was a way for me to get out my feelings without having to share them with my parents. When I went off to college, it continued to be an outlet for my emotions, but it also became an "out" for me when faced with problems. When I'm writing, I feel so secure, so safe. That's why I love this blog. I write this as a journal, I fool myself into believing I am the only one who reads it, and then I post it half hoping that no one reads it and half hoping that someone will finally read what is so deep in my heart. When writing, I can be open because I know my pen and paper or my computer and keyboard won't harbor any ill will towards me for the words I write or type. I can watch the words appear on my computer screen or piece of paper and not be forced to stare into the eyes of a loved one as they hear my thoughts. It's the only way I truly know how to express myself, and I hate that. I just hope that maybe a year from now, I will be able to express my opinions to others without the need for a pen and a notepad. I just hope that maybe a year from now, I will be able to open up without the fear of repercussion. I just hope that maybe a year from now, my love for writing will be fruitful and no longer a way for me to avoid real life. I just hope.

A Picture Person

On Sunday, during the beautiful wedding shower and our time with the family in Butler, I realized that I am a "picture person." I've always loved pictures, photographs, snap shots, candids...I just didn't realize how much they mean to me.


Growing up, as far back as I can remember, there was always this stack of photo albums. They were my mother's prized possessions, and they became mine as well. They documented our lives, our family. They contained our greatest moments...our first days of school, our infant and toddler years, our family vacations. Their worth was instilled in me at a very young age.


As I grew up and entered school, I dreaded having my picture taken for the annual. I knew the picture would be bad, but more importantly, I knew that, no matter what, that picture would be on the long wall across the back of our den. It was like our own Hall of Fame, but more like a Hall of Shame. It held our pitiful school year pictures: Vic with his buck teeth, me with my frizzed out bangs, and my sister with the unusual zoom to block her arm cast out of the picture. But these pictures were prized too. My mom still has them all packed away in boxes...the only reason they aren't on display is because we wouldn't let her put them back up.


My mom was always the one taking pictures of us at school events, sports, vacations, and play times. We still joke about how our trip to Disney World in 1994 is completely documented by pictures...and how we all came back with a "cheese" smile plastered on our faces from all the photos taken. So now that infamous stack of photo albums is joined by boxes and boxes of pictures...snapshots throughout our lives. It is a mess of past events on paper, completely unorganized, but treasured greatly.


Like the rest of the home I grew up in, my room was also filled with pictures. Not by demand, but by my own will. My walls were covered in collages and bulletin boards filled with pictures and momentos. My college dorm was very similar. I had bulletin boards filled with pictures of family and friends from home outlined by pictures of my new college buddies. It was a way for me to feel at home I guess...I had more pictures on the walls than any of my other college buddies, but having all those smiles and familiar faces on my walls just seemed to make me feel more comfortable in that new place.

Well, now I have a new home, and I have to admit that I unpacked the boxes of picture frames before I unpacked some of my clothes. I needed to have those pictures up, have those happy and familiar faces smiling at me from a shelf. I needed their comfort and the remembrance of all those happy times that are documented in each snap shot. We still don't have art and large things up on our walls, but by golly our bookshelves are covered in picture frames. None of the picture frames are really in a set spot or have any order to them yet, but at least they are out in the open where I can see the faces of all my family and friends. And I guess I am a little comforted by the fact that they aren't organized yet...it reminds me of that treasured, haphazard stack of photo albums that started all of this.

One of the many pictures from those albums:

What a Wonderful Weekend!

Boy, do I love alliterations...and "boy" is right! My marvelous weekend started out with some news from Caroline and Jeremy that they are having a boy! How exciting! You know, I could use this time to gloat about how I knew it was a boy all along and never doubted him for a second, but I'm too classy for that ;)

Caroline called me Friday afternoon after her doctor's appointment. Josh and I were at the gas station filling up and grabbing some ice for our camping trip. After talking with Caroline and relaying the news to our families, we headed to Clarkco State Park for a night of camping with our puppy Charlie. We arrived at the park to discover that we had reserved a campsite right in the middle of all the RVs and pop-up campers. We didn't want to put our tent on a paved driveway right beside 20 other campers. We decided to check out the "primitive" campsites, and we were gladly surprised to find absolutely no one using them. Josh informed the rangers that we would be camping in the primitive spots, and we had that whole section to ourselves. It was great! I know that camping without electricity, water, or a bathroom within 20 feet doesn't sound fun to most people, but we love it!

I grew up camping. I think my family was conditioning me for my Africa trip all along. We would take tents and go camping for a week long vacation with my mom's family. We grew up camping in tents and swimming in lakes and eating hot dogs cooked over a campfire. I will freely admit that I CAN and WILL pee outside in the woods. I know it isn't girly, but that's just me. Camping has always been a part of my life. From the vacations mentioned above, to my trip to Nashville with Beth, Caroline, and Lauren our senior year of high school (camping at Nana's and Papa's), to EXTREME camping with my college buddies, to my 3-week camping excursion in Africa, to my first camping trip with my husband. Camping is just part of who I am. I can build a camp fire, I can cook campfire potatoes, I can make a pretty awesome S'more, I can put up a tent, I can sleep in a sleeping bag, I can tell some campfire ghost stories, I can raccoon-proof a cooler, I can bear-proof a campsite, I can pack all I need into a backpack, and I can camp in the rain. This is me. I don't mind getting dirty or sweating, as long as we get that tent up. I don't mind getting bit by tons of bugs, as long as I get to sit and enjoy the campfire with Josh and Charlie. I don't mind the rain, as long as I get to laugh at it all later with friends. Some of my favorite memories involve a campsite, and this weekend's trip is sure to make the list.

We started a campfire, got the stove and lantern working and got the tent up, all of these involved some folly or series of comedic events. That's what made it so fun though. We laughed about it all the way home on Saturday. We froze Friday night, Charlie was scared of the lightning bugs, our air mattress lost some air, Josh broke his lighter, Charlie chewed her harness off, and we both got eaten alive by bugs. We ate hot dogs cooked over the fire and campfire potatoes for dinner, we made scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast, we sat by the fire and laughed and talked, we watched the fireflies, we laughed at Charlie (who did not get the concept of sleeping in the tent), we went for a beautiful walk around the lake, and we worked together to set-up and take down camp. Man, it was a blast!

Sunday was yet another wonderful part of the weekend. We had church that morning, and then we headed to Butler for a miscellaneous wedding shower that Nena Beth was hosting for me. It was so much fun! The food was great, the punch was to-die-for, and the company couldn't have been better! It was so nice to meet everyone, and it was great to spend some time with the family! All in all it was a truly wonderful weekend filled with fun, family, and a campfire.

The Way God Works

Well, He works in mysterious ways. In completely humbling ways. God works in ways that completely catch us all off guard and leave us asking ourselves why we doubted that He would provide for us in the first place. I had once such moment today...actually 2, but since they were within the same 15 minute interval and the fact that I don't know how you measure a "moment" ( I mean, how long is a "moment?"), anyway I will count them as one huge God moment.

I have been extremely stressed all day. The holiday has completely messed me up. Not to say that I didn't enjoy my Monday off work, but it has put me behind. Instead of my usual short week of Monday through Thursday, I have been trying to cram about 2 weeks' worth of work into 3 short days. I've had newsletter and bulletins to work on and proof, announcements to send, a 3-month calendar for children and adult events to organize, plans for our last Sunday school class this weekend, the huge load of VBS, finding volunteers, and tons of other stuff that have bogged me down and resulted in me carrying an arm full of papers and folders home last night to work on. Needless to say, I really didn't need anything else on my plate. Well, I walk in this morning, and I am told by the administrative assistant that our church's VBS budget is actually about half of what I was told it was by my committee members. Woohoo! I really like how this came after the fact that I have already bought all the VBS supplies under the notion that our budget was adequate. This sent me into a downward spiral. Now I need to not only cut my budget but have church members volunteer to buy food items for our VBS snacks to save our budget as well as volunteer their time at VBS. So, I have spent part of my day making a huge (and bright-colored) bulletin board with volunteer sign-up sheets to grab everyone's attention as they pass through the fellowship hall. I have sent out an email begging for volunteers and food donations, and I have typed up an insert for the worship bulletin with the same plea. Also, I have worked on planning a beach trip with the kids, sorted out room assignments for VBS, bought gifts for Sunday School teachers, worked on my children's sermon, planned a meeting with my committee to approve my summer events, and done insane amounts of math to decide how many boxes of crackers and other snack ingredients I will need for the 80 kids we are planning VBS for. Whew!

Bet you're wondering where the God moment comes in. Well, I was sitting right here at my desk, writing a quick email to my sister-in-law Katie, and someone knocked on my office door. It was a college student that goes to our church, and he wanted to talk to me about the youth program. He is back in town for the summer, and we talked about the plans I had for the kids these next couple of months. The whole time we chit-chatted, I kept wondering why he was here. He then blew me away with his reason for stopping by...he had a year's worth of tithe money that he wanted to put into the youth ministry. Holy Moly! An amount that is triple what our VBS budget was (or at least what I was told first). My first reaction was "WOW!" My second reaction was, "How the heck did a college student get that kind of cash?" And my third reaction was "This is totally a God thing!"

We talked a bit more, he offered to come and help out with some of the events this summer, and then he went to the office to give the administrative assistant his check. I sat here at my desk, closed my inbox, and thanked God for such an uplifting and truly generous act. I then walked up to the office to see if this had actually happened. After this miracle was confirmed, I walked back to my office and received a phone call. A lady at our church called to volunteer to help register kids for VBS and greet them as well as to donate 3 of the snack ingredients we needed. Then I opened my inbox to find 2 emails from adults wanting to volunteer and donate whatever ingredients I didn't receive by the day before VBS. I was overwhelmed...and for the first time that day, I wasn't overwhelmed by stress and a mile long to-do list, I was overwhelmed by God's gracious nature, His faithful love, and His mysterious ways.

Memorial Day and Summer Plans

Well, Josh and I were both off work on Memorial Day, and we managed to sleep most of the day away. Seriously. We took 2 naps! Eventually, we did get some things done. We were going to put up these copper window boxes that we had fallen in love with at Target, but once we put them up to our windows on the patio, well, we quickly fell out of love with them. Needless to say, they will be returned to Target soon. Instead of window boxes, we decided to go to Lowe's and find some flowers to put on the front porch to replace our dead petunias (that I accidentally forgot to water for a whole week). When we arrived at Lowe's. an elderly lady was walking out of the garden section pushing a cart full of palms. She came over, touched my shoulder, and in a conniving/secretive kind of voice told me that the palms were $1.98 each and that I better get me some. I thanked her for the kind, yet sorta creepy, advice, and Josh and I planned to grab some on our way out. We found some amazing lollipop gerber daisies, got some red salvia, found a hanging plant for the front porch, and went to the check out counter to grab some palms. Unfortunately, the creepy lady had bought the last ones. The ones left were $7.98 each, but with Josh's smooth talking, we were able to get 2 of them for $4 each.

The palms look wonderful on the patio, and I think the discount we got makes them look even more beautiful! :)

The lovely daisies are sitting in front of our mailbox, and Josh said 3 of our neighbors came by yesterday to comment on them. I will try to get a picture of them this week (the rain has made me keep my camera indoors). We planted the red salvia in the flowerbed at the back of the carport (the one that faces the Magnolia tree). They look wonderful too. Now if only I could keep the plant on the front porch alive...we will see how I do.

The past 2 days have been filled with tons of work and planning. Yesterday, Josh worked on cleaning out the storage rooms, and they look amazing! He is so proud. Today, he is back to work on the ambulance. Yesterday and today, I have been working my butt off trying to get VBS and the rest of the summer planned and put together. I am trying to have at least one event each week this summer for the kids, and it is quite a job. We plan on starting the summer off with a cookout at the house. Only one of the kids has seen the house, so we are excited about having them all over to see it. Other events planned for this summer include: a pool party, a canoe trip, a trip to Jackson to watch the MS Braves play, 4 Wonderful Wednesdays, and a trip to the local water park. Wonderful Wednesdays include dinner, games, a lesson, a service project, and dessert (of course!). I am in charge of planning all of these, and there are a few other events that might be added. We are trying to figure out if a beach trip or a camping trip are plausible this summer. Let's just say, it is a very busy week for me, so I better get back to work.

Work

Well, I was supposed to lead a VBS meeting this morning, but no one showed. Apparently none of them can remember what they all wrote on their calendar unless I send them a reminder email. Sorry, that was mean of me to say. They are all working moms and have a lot going on especially since this is the last week of school. Hopefully we can all get together on Thursday instead.

Tomorrow I am going to 2 awards ceremonies at Stanton Elementary, which is one of our AEE Adopter schools. Our church is supplying 14 gift cards...one for each of the 2 students in each grade that has made the biggest improvement this year. I am really looking forward to going and meeting some of the kids.

Thursday, I will hopefully have a make-up VBS meeting, and we have sooo much we need to finalize. VBS is less than a month away, and our to-do list is starting to scare me.

Friday, is my usual off day, but I will be spending that evening with the kids. I am planning to make tacos and cupcakes for the kids here at the church. Then, after we enjoy our "kid-friendly" dinner, we are going to the movie theater to see "Night at the Museum 2." I am super excited about it...more so than some of the kids. What can I say, I'm a kid at heart.

Now I just got to get all the logistics done...call parents, recruit chaperones, find out the cost of a movie ticket, get an estimate on the number of kids that will show up, have a back up plan if the movie is sold out, buy ingredients, and start cookin'.

A Christian Educators job is never done :)

Busy Weekend

This weekend has been exhausting...but well worth it. Josh was off all weekend, so we had quite a few things on our To-Do List.

Friday, Josh and I did some things around the house and then went to a high school graduation. Lauren, a senior in my youth group at the church, graduated from Laurel Christian High School. It was great to see her get her diploma. I'm going to miss her next year.

Saturday, we got up at 6am after getting a call at 1:00am from Josh's sister Katie to tell us that she is engaged! Saturday was a long and busy day. We got on the road a little after 7am and went to Butler to have breakfast with Josh's parents. We showed them the wedding slideshow, the proof book, and our honeymoon pictures, then we got back on the road toward Birmingham. We stopped at Caroline's house where my mom met me with my bridesmaid's dress. Caroline and I got ready and left for Beth's Entertainment Bridal Shower in Oneonta, and Josh apparently had lunch at Jim N Nick's and went shopping. We had a wonderful time at Beth's shower. Her sister almost had to hitchhike home due to all the gifts Beth received. Goodness! After the shower, Caroline dropped me off at my dad's house. Josh had been there for a while, so when I got there we all went to Frontera Grill to eat. Oh, it was wonderful! After dinner, Josh and I headed back to Laurel through storms and crazy drivers to finally arrive home after 11pm.

Sunday, I got up early to get my children's sermon prepped and to get ready. We had to be at the church by 8:30 (an hour earlier than I normally arrive, and about 2 hours earlier than Josh arrives) for a breakfast for Lauren (the graduating senior). We had the breakfast, then I got my children's sermon supplies together, got children ready for the worship service (to carry the Bible, candle, and cross), and then had church and my children's sermon. After church we had a church project lunch to attend. All of the events were fun...but we were exhausted. Instead of taking a nap (like we wanted to do), we forced ourselves to work on the house--cleaning bathrooms, doing laundry, and paying bills. Yes, I know, so is married life.

Now we are both back to work. He is already on a call this morning and I am prepping for a Vacation Bible School meeting that I am leading tomorrow. Back to the grind of work...but it seems like we worked our butts off more on our off days this weekend.

Some Honeymoon Pictures

Since most of you haven't gotten to see any of these yet...I thought I would post a few.

Seagull on Edisto Beach, South Carolina

Sailboat with impending storm clouds on Edisto Island, South Carolina

One of the many roads encased by live oaks and spanish moss

By the fountain in Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia

Freezing on Edisto Beach, South Carolina

Eating at the best Italian restaurant we have ever been to...Bocci's in Charleston

Fun Wedding Pictures

Just thought I would post a few fun wedding pictures. Enjoy!

Caroline, Katie, and Rachael showing off their massive hair...which was then redone before the wedding.

The bridesmaids, the flowergirl, and I showing some attitude.

Our awesome ring bearer, Will Morris!

Cheerleader pose!

Serious model pose!