My little Thanksgiving turkey

Isn't my little turkey adorable?? He slept most of the day, but he looked cute regardless. :) The feet of those pjs say "Gobble gobble"...so cute!! He seemed content with his bottle this year...soon he'll learn about foods even yummier than bottle...mashed potatoes! Sweet potato casserole! Rolls! Turkey! Stuffing! Pie!
The day after Thanksgiving, we put up our tree, complete with new ornaments for our new addition...so much fun. He LOVED looking at the lights. Heard a great message at church last night from Mike Breaux (LOVE that man!) about having peace instead of panic in your life. He talked a lot about the verse that says to think on what is pure, righteous, true, holy and to pray continuously. I woke up this morning and literally shifted my mindset to do just that, and it made a great difference. I also saw a sorority sister of mine at church-she was one of my "little sisters"-and that was so much fun! I know she was pretty strict Catholic in college, but she said she'd been coming to Southland with teacher friends and really enjoyed it, so that was a pleasant surprise!! She is very sweet and I had missed seeing her. Oh, and we sang my new favorite worship song last night-"Hosanna"-I believe it is a Vineyard song, and it's just plain awesome. Going to see "Bolt" today with our free movie tickets Bryan got for donating blood this weekend...hope it's good!!!

Thankful post

As I reflect on this year, I think about what I am thankful for. There are so many things, but I wanted to name a few.
1. Of course, the love and grace of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He rescued me from the darkness, turned my weeping into rejoicing and dancing, and I am eternally grateful. He is my Maker, my Savior, my Father, my Lord. I am not who I was. I am His.
2. My amazing husband, Bryan. He loves me unconditionally and thinks HE doesn't deserve me. HA! I couldn't ask for anyone more perfect for me, who I want to grow old with, and who I know will be an absolutely amazing example of what a Godly man is to our son (and future children!).
3. My baby boy, who just a year ago I was finding out existed. We told my family on Thanksgiving day the good news-hard to believe that was a year ago, and now he is here, and growing and changing each day. He is an enormous blessing and I want to give him the best life I possibly can. God is so good to have heard my cries for a baby, and an answer them.
4. Family and friends. Couldn't do life without 'em. Specifically our new life group who help us out in the most practical ways with having a little one. I am also thankful for "old" friends who have seen me through so much, and love me so unconditionally. It's so fun to see how God is blessing their lives as well. I'm thankful for older, wiser women who teach me things and help me grow.
5. Our church. I love Southland and the people there, who really strive to BE the church in our community, not just warm a pew and pass the offering plate every week. I love Jon's HUGE heart for the world, for people to come to know the REAL Jesus. I love the worship. I love being a part of something bigger than myself. Southland has had a huge part of my heart since 1998, and when I was baptized there in 2005 it was like coming home.
6. Our little home. It's not much, but it's home. It's where I lived right before we got married and ever since. I certainly can't wait to own our own home, but God is good and where we are is good. I'll never forget this place with so many memories...Christmases, bringing the puppies home, coming home as a married couple for the first time after our honeymoon, romantic nights, saying goodbye tearfully every night BEFORE we got married (that really stunk), running to the bathroom to show Bryan my positive pregnancy test, cooking surprise meals for Bryan, getting the nursery ready, bringing Caleb home from the hospital for the first time, the list could go on and on. I'll be very tearful the day we move out.
7. Our doggies. They can be hyper and crazy and they sure do poop a lot (not to mention all the things they destroyed when we were puppies), but I love them. Cooper is the most empathetic dog I've ever met--he literally comforts you when you're down, sick, whatever...and Bentley wants to be curled up to you no matter where you are. Bentley was our first "baby".
8. Our country. We live in the greatest country in the world, I'm sure of it. Sure, we have our problems and there are times I worry about the future of our country, but...we have freedoms other people elsewhere would do anything for. I don't have to hide out to read my Bible or go to church, and that's huge. The right to vote. The right to speak our opinions freely. The opportunities we have in America are fantastic, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
9. My education. I am so grateful to have gotten to go to college debt free. This education gave me a job teaching precious little ones about everything from reading to multiplication to how it is important to pray for others. It introduced me to a school that has such a special place in my heart that I one day hope to be able to send Caleb there so he can encounter these women of God who want to develop a spiritual maturity in little ones to help guide them in life. What a privilege to be a part of that. At UK, I got a great education (minus a certain calculus class that was horrible and an education class that was beyond pointless hahaha), had wonderful experiences in the sorority and campus ministries that I wouldn't trade for the world. Those years shaped me. I went in a naive, pretty judgmental girl and came out wiser, with a better heart and perspective on life. Those 4 years went by entirely too fast.
10. The fact that I've been so blessed to have seen so much of the world. Through family vacations, mission trips, trips for fun with Bryan, etc. I have seen amazing things in this world. The beaches of Jamaica, the rainforest of Costa Rica, the beauty of the Redwood Forest, the Swiss Alps and breathtaking Austrian mountains, the green fields in Northern Ireland complete with wild horses at sunset, the mountains of Eastern Kentucky that house the camp where I came to know Jesus for the first time, the ancient Grecian ruins, Niagra Falls, majestic windmills in Holland, the London Bridge, Louvre, the busy streets of Dublin. And the PEOPLE-these amazing people in Costa Rica who own NOTHING of worth, but have hearts overflowing with love and gratitude to God...what a lesson they taught this selfish American teen. Irish teens who spend their free time in coffee shops playing live music to teach these strict Catholic or Protestant teens about Who God really IS and how uninterested in labels He is. I could go on and on, but I feel truly blessed to have seen so much in just my short 29 years. This IS my Father's world, and to explore it is true bliss.

Ok, so I could go on and on. I'm thankful for chocolate, and coffee, and Diet Mountian Dew Code Red. I'm thankful for music and laughter (specifically Caleb's), happy memories, and BOOKS, definitely books. I'm thankful for people I can look up to and learn from. I'm thankful for jeans, movies, soft sweatshirts, sunrises and rainy Sundays. I'm thankful that when I don't want to get up in the morning, I go in the nursery, look down at Caleb and see his face light up with smiles when he knows mommy is there to greet him. Life is good, God is good, and I just wanted to say, I am thankful.

Professional Christmas Photos

We went today and got some great pictures made! We picked out 2 to put on our photo Christmas cards we had made-I won't tell you which ones in case I am sending you one! :) Caleb was SOOO good the whole time we were there, which was a long time! I love the ones where he's smiling. Here are a few of them-there are more, but these are some of my favs. He's so stinkin' cute!!!

Some recents pics of my baby boy

YUMMMM Zuchinni bread!!!

I was SO Betty Crocker today! I was making homemade chicken noodle soup when I remembered I had zuchinni in the fridge that we hadn't used. I didn't want it to go to waste, so I googled what I could do with it, and decided to make bread! I had never heard of grating zuchinni before, so I had to learn how to do that first! Anyway, it was pretty easy and it is SO yummy! I found the recipe on www.allrecipes.com. Next time I would use some applesauce to cut down on the oil, and I added some nutmeg, but overall, delicious! Warning-this might be my Christmas gift this year to you! :)

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, salt and nuts; stir into the egg mixture. Divide batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until done.

Woo hoo!

Caleb is now napping in his crib!!! There are times I want him to lay with mommy for sure, but it's nice to know I can lay him down and get some things done around the house if I need to. He's getting to be such a big boy!!

A new look!!

Do you like the new look of my blog??? I had so much fun designing it!!! I can't wait for a Christmas background!

This weekend

This weekend the weather was GROSS!! But we managed to have a pretty good one regardless. On Friday night, I had a Thirty-One party, and it was really fun to hang out with the girls from life group until late that night (even though I missed my family!). Then on Saturday I had another party that unfortunately was a waste of time, but it was still good to get out there and get exposure. I really regretted being away from Bryan and Caleb that day. Once I got home from the party, I hung out with my "boys" then that night Bryan and I went to dinner and a movie-we went to Corky's for dinner (I had to have SERIOUS self control to not order the fried pickles!!) and saw "Fireproof"...it was SO good. First of all, Kirk Cameron? That was such a blast from the past! The message of the movie was so great--about keeping your marriage strong by basing it on Christ...showing love and respect for your mate on a daily basis, dying to self, and never leaving your partner behind. I came away from the movie overwhelmed at how BLESSED I am...it's almost unreal. I prayed for a good Christian man who would love me like Christ loves the church, and boy did God answer my prayers. Is Bryan perfect? No, of course not...but he is perfect for me, and he is more than I ever imagined I'd have in a husband. He makes me want to be a better woman/wife too. There is a companion book to the movie called "The Love Dare" that I want to get-a friend of mine's Sunday School class is doing it all together, and I think that would be so fun. I highly recommend this movie!
Anyway, on Sunday we woke up to SNOW and really didn't want to take Caleb out in it since he's been kinda sniffly, so we stayed in, ate breakfast, cleaned, Bryan ran errands, etc. My good friend Laura and her hubby Tim came over briefly (they live in Nashville) to see us and Caleb and then we headed out to life group. We ate yummy homemade lettuce wraps and just hung out and had a great time. So, overall it was a good weekend! Next weekend my grandma and aunt are coming down from Northern Ky--they haven't seen Caleb since he was about a month old, so I'm excited for that!

Milestones galore

So, I forgot to mention that Caleb rolled over this week during Grandpa's visit!! He hasn't done it since. :( We also tried rice cereal again...still didn't love it!

Feeling better today

Ok, I think I was having a weird, PMS-y moment last night when I was all discontented and such...I'm feeling much better today. I've just always struggled with wanting the next big thing...marriage, a baby, a house...instead of living in the moment like I should. Plus, I've just been plain envious of what some of our friends have, which is just plain wrong. Bryan and I talked, and we KNOW God is going to give us the desires of our hearts...a nice (nothing fancy!) home for our children to be raised in, a Christian education, fun family (and just us!)vacations...we just need to be patient, so we don't get stuck with something we can't afford and can't get out of. It might be a couple more years, but I know it will be worth it. :)
And we really do have so many blessings...I don't know many people who have BOTH grandmothers in the same town-we are so blessed with that! Plus, I really truly have the best husband there is, I'm sure of it. Noone else could be so patient with me, so hands-on with our son, so giving, loving, romantic, unselfish, and such a man of God. Who am I to complain, seriously?? Like Bryan says, we'll get there. We're being smart, paying off debt, not using credit cards, no car payments, etc...doing the Dave Ramsey thing...I can't wait to be able to use our finances to BLESS other people and give, give, give it away. Maybe even adopt a little one someday? Only God knows the plans He has for us, and it's so exciting!!!
Sorry to ramble on and on. Just wanted to clarify my feeling much better today after gaining some much needed perspective. God is good. We are blessed.

Discontentedness...

I am feeling very discontented with my current living situation and just needed to vent. For some reason this week, I have been bombarded with thoughts of "why don't we own a house??" "our house is SO small!" "we're never going to buy a house!" "I'm too embarassed to invite people over because EVERYONE has a bigger/nicer house than we do!" "everyone thinks we're poor" I know that once Bryan starts working at the hospital while staying on at church (a HUGE blessing)we'll be able to start SAVING for a down payment, but that seems like forever and ever away. It's just a matter of patience and waiting till we have enough to get something we really like. Our place right now is fine, I LOVE the nursery and the location, but I just long for a place of our OWN. And to not have to throw money away every month on rent. Bryan's devotion this morning was actually about jealousy, and how it is pointless, since life is not about how many possessions we have. I KNOW this in my head. I KNOW that "storing my treasures in heaven, not on earth, where moth and rust destroy" is what I'm supposed to be doing. So, I need some peace tonight...and some perspective. I have a wonderful, loving husband who is a great father to my precious blessing of a baby boy-something MANY people would give up their own houses for-Bryan has a good job and school is being paid for by the hospital, our moms babysit anytime we ask, we have a great church and friends who help us out when we need it, and most of all, we have our relationship with God, Who sustains us and blesses us tremendously. I have nothing really to complain about. We're rich in comparison with most of the world, who would give anything for our little duplex. And we're rich in many other ways, none of which are materialistic. Ok, that's all for now...just needed to write things out so I could gain some perspective. :)

4 month doctor's appointment

I took Caleb for his 4 month appointment today-turns out he is in the 98th percentile for length and 77th for weight...he is a LONG BOY!!! No wonder his 6 month clothes stop at his knees!!! He did very well and only cried for a couple of seconds after his shots. I got a LOT done yesterday besides the doctor's trip! Dropped off some sweaters at the dry cleaners, 2 bags of clothes at Goodwill, bought things for the shoebox we're sending (Samaritan's Purse-Operation Christmas Child), and a bunch of other small things. Then last night I had an open house for my Thirty-One business-it went well...let me know if you would like to order anything! It was a good day!

4 months old!

I cannot believe my baby boy is 4 months old today!! He is grabbing at things, studying them, "talking" in his baby way, smiling, laughing, holding up his head great, and halfway rolling over. He also likes to "stand" when I hold him on my lap...it's so cute. We tried some rice cereal today and he was NOT a fan...he made the most disgusted faces and spit it all out. Oh well! We'll get there eventually...it was fun to try though! Here are some pictures I've taken in the past week or so...a friend from church is letting me borrow her Bumbo seat, and he looks SO grown up in it. I am so in love with my precious little boy I can barely stand it! :)

Caleb's First Halloween

We had a great time on Caleb's first Halloween! We went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, where Bryan and I got lots of candy! ;) He fell asleep about halfway through, but everyone thought he was adorable. I love my little monkey!!!!