Walking By Faith

11 Month Update and a Few Other Things

2012-02-15T07:02:00.001-08:00

This sweet little man is 11 months old today. Time is certainly flying and he's really becoming "a big boy". Here are some basic facts about Jude at 11 months:
-Weight and height, no idea...will get to that this weekend :)
-5 teeth, his 5th one just broke through this week and he'll definitely have 6 by 1 year
-He's walking all over the place with his walker, this is not is preferred mode of transportation around our house. He practically runs with it. He has stood alone for several seconds a few times, but no independent steps yet.
-He's beginning to sign for "more" and give kisses. He waves bye and hi and he's started to ask for "Baba" which is me, Momma!
-We took the bottle away cold turkey a little over 2 weeks ago. He had been "playing" with/adjusting to it since around 6 months but was showing no interest in actually sucking it. After much debate, we just quit it. After about a week, he started to get the hang of it. He still nurses in the morning and at night, but takes his cup through out the day.
-He is still a good eater. He loves fruit smoothies, blueberries, and whole wheat pasta. He is still strange about certain textures, but he'll eat about anything. I made chicken and dumplings one day this month and I think that has been his favorite food of all time.
-He still sleeps great at night...he goes to bed by 8 or 8:30 and usually wakes up between 6-6:30. He's happy when he wakes up and is ready to start the day running.

Sweet Jude,
You have made our lives abundantly more sweet and joyful. We love you so much!

On other notes, since my last post we have enjoyed Valentine's Day. Justin surprised me early last week when he was off one day and kept Jude at home. When I got home, I had a bouquet of purple carnations in a new vase from Jude that says "I love Mommy." Justin had also picked up my favorite soup from the local deli as well as a fruit tart cake and 2 very sweet cards. What a nice surprise!

Justin and I are also helping coach girls softball this spring. I have missed coaching and Justin and I are sharing the responsibilities of an assistant coach so I won't have to travel. We take Jude with us and he plays in his stroller or with the girls who are in the dug out for whatever reason. We have a great group of girls and I think it's going to be a lot of fun!

Daddy and Jillian are coming this weekend and we're going to visit the Grand Canyon. They're going to be here for a whole week and I can't wait to have a piece of home here!!!

A Mom's Workout

2012-01-30T10:39:00.000-08:00

For anyone who knows me personally, I LOVE to work out and always have. Even during pregnancy, I stayed extremely active with walking, pregnancy yoga and pilates, and modified weight lifting. Once Jude was born, I continued to walk/jog, lift weights, and get back into my "before baby" body. Fortunately, my weight came off really easily (I think breast feeding helped this) and though my body is definitely different now in some ways, I weigh less than before I got pregnant. I'm sure this is because I don't have as much muscle.

With that said, I know that though looking good is a great incentive to work out, being healthy is most important. Though I LOVE my 4 day work week, working 10 hours a day Monday-Thursday really limits my time to work out during the week. We still walk/jog almost always daily simply because Jude and Mason love it, so I feel that my cardio has been maintained. However, I want to get back into more weights and kinesthetics. Through some research and the help of Pinterest, I have developed a new little work out that I started about a week ago and I've been really happy with it. My heart rate definitely gets up and my shoulders have gotten sore. (This is only a "beginners" work out, so I hope to add more things to it, but on a limited budget, aka no gym membership, and limited time, aka, this takes about 20 minutes, I feel this has great potential for maintenance purposes.) If you decide to try it, let me know. :)

Repeat this cycle 3 times:

-30 jumping jacks
-5 pushups
-25 high knees
-20 mt. climbers
-5 pushups
-10 regular squats
-15 crunches
-5 pushups
-15 crunches
-10 "toes out" squats
-30 jumping jacks
-20 lunges
-5 push ups
-25 high knees
-25 bicycle crunches

10 Months

2012-01-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

This sweet little guys is officially 10 months. He weighs 21 lbs, 5 oz and is 29 inches long. These are a few new things he's doing this month:

-Cruising while holding onto something, be it the coffee table, sofa, or his walker toy
-signing "All done", "more", and shaking his head for "No" (which he does far too often)
-having true temper tantrums...if he doesn't like something, he screams bloody murder
-Continuing to eat lots of yummy "real" food, new things include dried cranberries, turkey sausage, salmon, yogurt, blueberries, cinnamon rolls
-Continuing to sleep well through the night...he's usually an early riser, getting up between 6 or 6:30, but he's thrown in a few favors to Mommy and Daddy more often lately, giving us until 7 or even as late as 7:40!
-He loves playing peek-a-boo and singing
-He has learned how to get into Mason's crate, which he thinks is hysterical. If he climbs in while Mason is in it, Mason just gets up...he knows there is no way to relax with Jude crawling all over him

Jude is certainly a blessing from the Lord. I am immensely thankful to be honored to be his mother. We had the priviledge of having one of my best friend from college, Beth, to visit over the long weekend...it was great to have her spend time with Jude while he's still small. I have begun 1st birthday plans...

Addicted

2012-01-09T06:01:00.000-08:00

*First, please disregard the awful "Neighborhood Watch" sign on our door...we started to scrape it off, but the door has been painted and it will have a big hole.

Yes, I am officially addicted to Pinterest. I guess the word "addicted" is a little strong. I check it every few days to see if I can get some new ideas and I only stay on it for about 15 minutes a time, but still, it's more time on the computer than I used to spend. Any who, here is my 2nd project I made from an idea I got from Pinterest. I am pretty happy with my Yarn Wreath. My first "project" was a reindeer ornaments Jude and I made for Mo Mo, Nana, and Aunti J using Jude's foot prints.

I've enjoyed getting new ideas, especially yummy recipes that I've been trying and new ideas for things to make for our new house. I saw a quote that I think sums Pinterest up quite nicely, "Pinterest is for women what Fantasy Football is for men."

Happy Monday!

Hello, Goodbye

2012-01-06T09:46:00.001-08:00

2011 was a wonderful, yet trying year in the Dellinger house hold. January and February were spent enjoying the last few weeks of being a family of 2. We enjoyed lots of snuggles, walks, and preparing for our little man to arrive. In March, Justin presented his Master's thesis and defense and prepared to graduate with his Masters from Auburn University in May. We also welcomed our beautiful son in March. After Jude's birth, we experienced an abundance of visits from family and friends. We celebrated in my sister's graduation from UNCW in May, as well as having Jude's first beach visit. The summer went by way too fast with vacations, my sister's wedding, and our farewell to Auburn and our entrance into Arizona. Justin and both started new job, Jude started day care, and our little man has not stopped going for a second. We have loved watching him grow, sharing in family traditions like carving pumpkins, watching Auburn football, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We are immensely blessed and thankful for all of the trials and joys we've experienced this year.

While in college, my church in Wilmington always (and still does) a series called "My One Word" rather than a resolution. This has been something that has really been wonderful for me. Personally, I choose 1 word that I really want to focus on in my life for that year and resolve to pray over this word and seek God's guidance in becoming more like Him.

In the past, I have chosen these words: purity, trust, intentional. This year, my word is MEEK. According to Webster, this word means "showing patience and humility, gentle". Enough said.

As we say good bye to the memories that we will cherish forever from 2011, I am thrilled to see what the Lord has in store for 2012. Happy New Year!

Christmas in Asheboro

2012-01-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

Sharing Mo Mo with Alli!

Playing outside with Pop and Daddy...trying to eat acorns like the squirrels...again, 2 other things we don't have in AZ.

Lots of time playing with all the people I love the most!

Jude has really enjoyed playing with Alli, but I think he's really missed Mason. Whenever he sees pictures of Mason, he'll say "Da" or dog and squeal.

Where has the time gone? There are too many blessings to be thankful for over our Christmas holiday. Our holiday celebrations of 2011/beginning of 2012 have ended. We have spent a lot of time sitting around enjoying time with family, playing games, and visiting friends. One of the best treats Justin and I shared was a night staying at Jillian and Phillip's house with Jude staying with Mo Mo and Pop. Justin and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner, some shopping at the best outlet mall, and some much needed time as a couple...best of all, we slept in! Whew!

This time has been the most wonderful time of celebration and I can't wait to get back home! (As in, back to NC. :))

Christmas in Shelby

2011-12-31T11:23:00.000-08:00

Me and my sweet man on Christmas Eve.
Jude really enjoyed playing with some of Daddy's and Uncle Cody's old toys, including this dump truck. With the unseasonably, but really nice weather, we played outside and we had forgotten that Jude isn't used to crawling around in grass, haha.

Another toy Jude enjoyed was his Daddy's old red rocking chair. He was such a ham and enjoyed the many photo shoots that came along with Nana and his first Christmas.

Poor Uncle Cody had a pretty invasive jaw surgery while we were home and though he was in pain and had to eat from a siringe, he did his best to spend as much time with Jude as possible.

It's hard to believe that another Christmas season has come and gone. We have had the opportunity to spend my entire Christmas break at home, beginning with a week in Shelby and now ending our time with a week in Asheboro. (Our Asheboro visit will come later.)

We got into Greenville, SC around midnight and Jude did awesome. He never woke up from the last leg of the flight, walking through the airport, driving the our to Justin's parents' home, then he slept until 8:45 the next morning (6:45 am our time). We were able to spend some time just hanging out with Justin's family, sleeping in, and relaxing. Things that we definitely take for granted now that we have a little one. :)

We enjoyed Christmas Eve festitivities with Justin's extended family, especially the annual Sock Exchange Shin Dig at the Cloningers. On Christmas morning, we got up and enjoyed opening presents. Jude really didn't know what to think, which is what we expected, but it was great to be with family and experience the precious memories of Jude's first Christmas. He has been spoiled rotten and gotten more goodies than he can ever imagine! So many things will be passed onto our other children (Lord willing) I don't know what they will receive as gifts!

On Christmas Day, we went to Justin's home church for the Christmas service and were able to see several of our good friends and their children that have been born this year as well. What a blessing! We also went to 3 different grandparents and great-grandparents homes. Considering the craziness of the schedule and all the new people, Jude did absolutely amazing! Everyone complimented on what a friendly baby he is.

The days go be far too fast, but we enjoyed our visit with the Dellingers. We met my family half way in Concord and have enjoyed our visit tremendously. We are amazingly blessed with wonderful family and friends.

3/4 of a Year!

2011-12-19T06:50:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the quality of the pictures. They're taken with my cell phone and I don't have a high tech one...

This sweet little man turned 9 months old on December 15. I know it's cliche and every parent says "I can't believe how fast time flies." but it's so true. I can't get enough of him. As much as my heart longs to stay at home, I think working right now has really made me cherish the time I do spend with him, so I'm very thankful for that!

Onto what this guy is doing...we had our 9 month well visit on Friday and he's doing great!!! Stats are: Weight: 20 lbs (50%), Length: 28.5 in. (50%), Head: 17 1/4 (55%) so needless to say, we have a very "average" size guy.

At nine months, Jude has 2 front bottom and 2 front top teeth. He is crawling all over the place, pulling up, and sleeping great through the night (he has been for some time, but even little episodes with his paci last 2 seconds, he finds it, and he's fine.) He can say "Dada" but he uses it for both Justin and Mason (dog). He can say "chee" for cheese, but not consistently. He gives high 5's and is working on kisses and clapping when we say "yay". He still loves to be sung to and likes looking at books.

Things he LOVES: playing ball with Daddy and Mason, riding in his "Beep Beep" from Gran Deb, playing with his Music Table (Daddy insists that Uncle Zach buys him the most annoying toys :)), brushing his teeth, scrambled eggs, cheese, Berry Berry Kix, snuggling with Mommy, his lovey "Lamby", bath time, and riding in the stroller on walks.

Things he does not prefer, aka HATES: green beans, having his clothes/diaper changed, having his nose wiped, and being put into the car seat (he's ready to ride in a sit up/face the front kind)

This little guy has stolen our hearts and we are so thankful to have been chosen to be his parents.

On another note, we're ready to be home for Christmas and the New Year. Please say a prayer as we travel and for Mason...he's going to be taken care of by our neighbors while we're gone and we've never been gone this long from him...

Merry Christmas!!!

I Have to Brag on HIM!

2011-12-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

Our move across the country has taught us a lot about trusting the Lord with our finances. I took almost a $700/month pay cut in my job and though Justin makes more monthly, he finally received his first pay check since JULY this past week. Needless to say, we've had to really be careful with where our money has gone, which has been really hard, since I think we've ALWAYS had to do that. Any who, last Sunday, Justin and I realized that we had not tithed since the end of September, meaning, we've been scrimping out on the Lord for October and November. Justin looked at me in church and said, "If we write a check, it will bounce." We both knew we had to move some money over to savings and stop being disobedient. So, we wrote the check, placed it in the offering plate, asked the Lord to forgive us for not trusting him and obeying, and asked that he bless out tithes, though they be late.

This week, Justin and I set a goal of $4,000 to set back for some student loans that we will be inheriting next year. I usually don't drop numbers, but this is just how good God is y'all...so, we prayed, surrendered that number to the Lord and moved on.

Yesterday, my principal called me on the phone and told me to call him Santa Clause. I was like, "Ok Santa, what's up." Apparently, there was a mix up in our HR department and I never received my signing bonus (something I was NEVER told about.) I asked how much it was and he said, $4000. Tell me my God is not faithful!

In 1 week, Justin and I finally gave God what was His in the first place...we surrendered our account to Him and asked that He provide, and provide He did. Thank you and Praise you Lord...I just had to share!

Joy Comes From Thanksgiving

2011-12-12T07:41:00.000-08:00

I would be lying if I said, "I love Arizona and could live here forever!" The Lord has been really been teaching me about the art of being content in all situations (which Paul teaches us), as well as remaining thankful, for out of thankfulness, pours joy. So, with that said, I wanted to make a list of all the things I am thankful for in AZ (in no particular order):

-Justin: On 7/19/08, I promised Justin, "Wherever you go, I will go." I have kept this promise and the Lord has been faithful to bless our marriage.
-Jude: Our sweet son is growing and changing every day. He truly is the joy of our lives and brings so much happiness into our home. He is strong, healthy, and happy!
-A job...though my job does not compare to the wonderful administration and faculty I had at AHS, I have a job, it pays, and it provides good insurance. Many people do not have this.
-A church...again, we can not begin to compare our new church, Maranatha Baptist to FBCO, but we shouldn't. The pastor preaches the Word, the congregation is SO welcoming. They have a great nursery for Jude and we're beginning a new Bible study on raising children in January.
-Circle K coffee: Circle K is a gas station originated in AZ...y'all, their coffee is GOOD, not cheapo gas station coffee. I can get a 20 oz for 79 cents and there is one right down the road from our hosue on the way to work
-Great Mexican food: Los Robertos Roast Chicken Burrito is all I can say...YUM!
-The views: I am a beach girl at heart, through and through, no changing that, but the mountains, canyons, rockscape, etc here is beautiful and breathtaking...to wake up to the Pinal Mts. right outside our kitchen window with snow on the top is great!
-Friends: Though they are few and far between (compared to NC and AL) the Lord has provided specific friends who have been such a blessing since we've moved here
-Internet: Because of this amazing tool, I feel that I have been able to stay in touch more than I ever could have 10 years ago...email, facebook, blogs, webcams...Thank You Lord!

Just typing this list, my heart feels better. The Lord is so gracious and worthy to be praised! Thank you Lord for your many blessings!

Ho Ho Ho

2011-12-07T07:03:00.001-08:00

This little guy is LOVING this time of year like his Mommy. He officially has his 2 front teeth for Christmas. He loves playing with the tree skirt and the ornaments toward the bottom. I put ornaments without hooks on the bottom so if he pulls them off, it's ok. He's also pulling up on everything and is really enjoying some early Christmas presents, like his push around car from Gran Deb and Poppa Rogie, as well as his music play table from Uncle Zach.

We went to visit Santa last weekend after church. Surprisingly, he didn't cry. Santa's suit was the same fabric as Jude's Lamby lovey, so he just kept rugging the fur on Santa's coat.

Jude also enjoys looking at our nativity scene. He will climb onto the couch to look at it. Justin and I tell him the story of Christmas and show him each character as we tell it...he giggles and especially enjoys "chewing" on the camel.

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, I pray that every person enjoys every special moment with their loved ones and takes time to remember the real reason for the season.

"For us to a child is born...He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:6-

Lastly, We've Been Busy...Part III

2011-11-30T08:38:00.000-08:00

We all enjoyed our hike in Sedona...

We had to pause for a family pose...it was much cooler near the water than I expected. Jude needed a tobagan, which by the way, no one out west knows what that is...they refer to them at simply hats or beanies???

Jude made the cutest crocodile if I do say so myself :)

The 2 cousins finally got to play together. Jude and Jamen thought the other one was funny and questioned one another when taking each others toys. The last 2 times they visited, they were too small to play...

And, of course, Mommy enjoyed napping with Jude in the recliner...we were just about to fall asleep when Auntie J wanted a picture!

We've Been Busy...Part II

2011-11-30T08:34:00.001-08:00

While at Mamaw's, Jude got lots of time to play with Aunti J

He also loved playing with Uncle Zach with Jamen's toy. Fortunately, Gran Deb and Papa Rogie sent one for Jude man for Christmas!

Jude greatly enjoys being naked...especially when he can play and ham it up!

Jude continues to love bathtime...especially with Mo Mo and Nana!

My Dad (aka Pop) is totally smitten with Jude...he can't stand to hear him cry and often sneaks him treats (like licks of ice cream). Dad insisted on giving him his night time bottle while we were visiting.

We've Been Busy...

2011-11-30T08:10:00.000-08:00

Jude loved playing with Alli at Mamaw's house

We have been super busy since the end of October. We had the wonderful opportunity to visit Sedona with Nana and the Caldwells and they celebrated Halloween with us. Then over Veteran's Day, Jude and I travelled to TN to visit family and to celebrate Jamen's 1st birthday! When we got home, we've been moving into our new house (pictures will come on another blog), decorating for Christmas, celebrating Thanksgiving, crawling and teething!

Jude also turned 8 months! At 8 months Jude weighs 20 lbs and is 28.5 inches long. He is crawling all over the place. It's hysterical...Justin will throw Jude's favorite toys across the room, Jude will crawl to it and then laugh hysterically because he got it. He's also pulling up on everything, including the tub which makes me a nervous wreck. He loves baths and still enjoys being sung to. His favorite toys are his stacking rings, his jacks, his singing farm toy, and he can't sleep without his lovey. He is beginning to eat table food like eggs, brown rice, mashed poatatoes, chicken, and turkey. He also loves cheese. When you tell him he's going to have cheese, he starts kicking his legs and says, "Chee chee". He also says Dada and specifically looks for Daddy at bath time if Justin's not home. Jude LOVES Mason. If you ask him, "Where's Mason?" he started looking around for him. He also has cut a top tooth, with the 2nd top tooth almost breaking through. He enjoys watching himself in the mirror and snuggling with Mommy. He is growing strong and is a beautiful blessing! How blessed we are!

Whew... Please enjoy this blog of pictures/updates.

Jude helped Mamaw feel better after surgery by snuggling with her (She will be so mad at me for posting this picture! She had not had the time to color her hair, haha.)

Jude has a window over his changing dresser...needless to say, with him pulling up, it's been a challenge to change a stinky diaper!

Over Thanksgiving, Jude helped Mommy decorate the Christmas tree!

And, we've also been having fun wrestling with Daddy and our best buddy Mason!

Transparent

2011-11-22T14:15:00.000-08:00

"A thousand times I've failed, still your mercy remains. The art of losing myself, in bringing you praise. Everlasting, your glory goes beyond all fame. Neverending, your light will shine will all else fades. My heart and my soul, I give you control, consume me from the inside out. Lord, let justice and praise, become my embrace, to love you from the inside out."

Father, I fail you over and over again. There are times when I don't want to be here, but I know in my heart there is your peace. I find myself complaining, but I can sense the Holy Spirit telling me to be thankful. My heart longs to be at home with Jude, to be closer to home, but I trust that Your ways are higher than my ways and your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. Help me to be still and rest in your presence and in the promise that You hold me by my right hand. Your love never fails, Your mercies are new every morning, and great if your faithfulness! You are worthy of all praise. Convict my heart of the sin in my life and may I be broken before you. Lord, please help me to let You shine through me. Oh, how I need you. I ask for your forgiveness, for your guidance, and for your patience. I love you Lord and ask that your will be done through me...

'Tis So Sweet

2011-11-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

Jude LOVES to be sung to...he can be having a screaming fit and usually if I start singing, he'll start smiling and singing with me. Since he was tiny, I have sang hymns to him, and as he's gotten older, he continues to love them. It's been a good reminder to me because there are such good biblical truths and promises in so many of the older hymns. Here are a few of his favorites, as well as mine. I hope they can be a reminder and an encouragement to you today:

"Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. Just to take him at His word. Just to rest upon His promise. Just to say, "Thus saieth the Lord." Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!Oh, for grace to trust Him more!"

"I heard an old, Old story How a saviour came From glory How he gave his life On calvary To save a wretch like me. I heard about His groaning, Of his precious blood's Atoning Then I repented Of my sin And won the victory Oh, victory in Jesus, My saviour forever He sought me And he bought me With his redeeming blood He loved me Ere I knew him And all my love Is due him He plunged me to victory Beneath the Cleansing flood I heard about his Healing, Of his cleansing pow'r Revealing How he made the lame To walk again And caused the Blind to see And then I cried "dear Jesus, Come and heal My broken spirit" And some how Jesus Came and brought To me the victory."

A few more to look up are "The Solid Rock", "I'll Fly Away" and "There Is A Fountain" :)

Sedona and Halloween

2011-11-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

2 weekends ago, we had some special visitors. Justin's Mom, Nana, and some of his grandparents, Mamaw Ann and Papaw Mick came for a visit. We picked them up on Saturday morning in Phoenix and headed to one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, Sedona, AZ. We had heard that is really is considered one of the most snenic places in the country, but I didn't believe it until we got there. All around us was sheer beauty! I'm typically a beach girl y'all, but I was in utter amazement. I definitely can't wait to go back!

There was lots of cute shops in the town of Sedona and we enjoyed yummy food while there of course. On Sunday, we had to enjoy the outdoor parts and we went to a National Park where we were able to take some amazing pictures like this one above. On the drive home, we saw some other beautiful parts of Arizona, including the Payson/Rim area. AZ is definitely not all desert!

We also stopped at some cliff dwellings near Roosevelt Lake. These were so neat! We actually got to go in these "houses" in the side of cliffs (of course there is a nice, steep walking path now) where Native Americans used to live, estimated in 1200-1500 AD. I can't imagine living there, HOLY COW!

Monday was Halloween and the Dellingers became the Irwins. :) As soon as we found out Jude was a boy I knew I wanted him to be a crocodile for his first Halloween and let Justin one of his idols, Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter! So, we did just that. I was "Terry", Steve's wife. We took Jude downtown to the town's Halloween Festival, but we didn't get candy since Justin and I would be the ones to consume it. They had a DJ and other fun things, but mostly we enjoyed looking at the different costumes and letting Jude enjoy the sights.

The family was able to stay until Wednesday morning and we had such a wonderful visit. Next time they come, we'll be in our new house so we won't have 5 adults sharing 1 TINY bathroom. :) Jude and I leave tomorrow morning for Tennessee to visit my Mom's side of the family. I am really looking forward to it. We get to help celebrate my cousins Jeff and Gerri Le's son, Jamen, 1st birthday! Say a prayer that Jude does as well on these plane rides as he did last month! :)

Traditions...

2011-10-28T09:49:00.001-07:00

Jude loves getting kisses from Mommy. He is beginning to understand kiss and will lean in for a big one!

I am a huge fan of traditions. I think it's wonderful to know what you're looking forward to and something to expect every year. Growing up, my family had several traditions. Just to name a few, most Sundays we went to my grandparents house for lunch after church. Every Christmas Eve, we played games and had the whole family over at my Mamaw and Papaw's house. We would read the Christmas story, then my Papaw would hand out all the presents. My family always made home made fudge when we were snowed in...those kinds of things...we had certain things we always could count on happening. I think one of the reasons I love traditions so much is because it involves family.

Now that Jude is here, Justin and I want to start our own traditions with him. One thing that Justin and I have always done since we started dating 5 years ago, is to carve a pumpkin in October, usually between my birthday and Halloween, and then I use the pulp to make home made pumpkin bread and other yummy goodies. This year, we were able to begin this tradition as a family of 3! Jude and Justin went to the store to get 2 pumpkins. 1 big one for Justin and me and a little one for Jude. (I wanted to go to a pumpkin patch but apparently they're not as frequent as they are back home, so the grocery store had to do this year.)

Justin and I worked hard on being creative and Jude enjoyed chewing on the pumpkin and other toys more than anything, but we still had a wonderful time.
He enjoyed gnawing on the pumpkin...
...But not taking the pictures. If you can't tell, we carved a cactus in our pumpkin this year. We thought it was appropriate since we're now living in the desert. :) Last year we carved an AU. :) Jude helped paint his own pumpkin...as he gets older, we want him to have his own and Justin and me will have ours, so we thought we would stick to him painting for the next few years. :)
What a sweet little man!

I can't believe that October is already over. Today is my sister Jillian's 23rd birthday, so I want to send a shout out to the most wonderful sister! Jillian and I have always been very close and I have always been super protective of her. There is a bond that we share that I honestly can not describe. We are very different in many ways, but we remain kindred spirits. I am so proud of her, for she has become a wonderful hardworking and compassionate nurse at Duke University Medical Hospital and a sweet, nurturing wife to my new brother-in-law. Auntie J, we hope you have a wonderful birthday and we can't wait for our visit in a few weeks! Love you!

Sleeping With an Infant

2011-10-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

Before Jude was born I read 2 books that I would highly recommend to any expecting parents, "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" (my favorite) and "Baby Wise". There is a lot of controversy over Baby Wise, but having read it, most of the controversy seems silly to me. Many parents will say that placing your child on a schedule is too rigid, but from our own experience, Justin and I are scheduled people and it worked well for our family. We still very much read Jude's cues and provided what he needed inspite of the clock (which is what the book suggests) and he has done very well with it. However, above all, I believe you must find what works best for your family. Placing Jude on a schedule worked well for us and it left us having an 8 week old sleeping from 9:30 pm-5 or 5:30 am, which was great.

Around 10 weeks, we dropped Jude's "late night feeding" of 9:30 or 10 and he began eating at 8:30 and going until about 5:30 consistently. Since it was the summer, I would nurse him while still lying in bed and we would go back to sleep until around 7 and our day began. About the time we moved to AZ (Jude was right at 4 months) he extended his morning time and decreased his evening time (which is normal, babies figure out when they need to sleep) so since then, he typically eats his last bottle between 7:30-8 pm and wakes up between 6:15 and 7:15 am. From months 4-6 he would wake up a few nights a week because he still had not learned to find his own paci and put it back in his mouth and we had some sickness of a terrible cold and ear ache that interrupted our little man's nights, as well as teething. However, 6 months was a magic number. 2 bottom teeth popped in, his cold went away, and he learned how to find his own paci! With that said, knock on wood, we RARELY have to get up for anything at this point...until the last few nights.

Jude started waking up at 5 or 5:15 and I mean "getting up" for the day. We were like, "hold up son, this is way too early" until yesterday morning. I thought to myself, we KNOW he can last longer without food, so why is he getting up...well, our 7 1/2 month old has realized what it means to be truly WET. That's it. Yesterday and today I have gone in and changed his diaper around 5 and he's gone back to sleep and sleeps until 6:45 or 7. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but really? Some babies could go all day and never change their diaper, other than the fact they're probably develop a rash and that's not best practice, but not our little man...he wants out of his wet pants!

Oh well, I wouldn't change a single night...oh, and don't you just love that precious picture. He fell asleep watching the Lion King with his Daddy the other night...when Hakuna Matata comes on, his face lights up and he starts bouncing up and down. :)

Lots To Talk About...

2011-10-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

Whew...the last few weeks have been a whirlwind. October 6-10, Jude and I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a long weekend at HOME, yes, North Carolina will always be home! Jude did fantastic on the plane ride, better than I ever imagined. People thought I was nuts carrying him, my huge purse, and pulling my suitcase, but I was not about to pay an additional $25 for my bag!

We had a great time with both sides of our family. We spent a lot of time just hanging aroudn the house, having quality time with family. I was able to go see Jillian and Phillip's new house, which is wonderful! We played games, got caught up on Criminal Minds, and loved being at home. While in Shelby, Justin's grandparents had the whole gang over just to see Jude and I certianly felt special. I wish Justin could have been there to see everyone.

When growing up, I remember my Mom always crying when we pulled out of my grandparents' driveway (they live in Tennessee) and I never really got it. When I went off to college, I began to tear up when I would head back to Wilmington but now with Jude, I totally understand. It was so hard leaving with Jude. I am really trying to place my trust in the Lord right now. I so desperately want to be closer to home, and I pray that one day, sooner than later, we will be, but I am trusting that God has placed us here for a reason. The pastor read Isaiah 55 this morning, reminding me of the promise that "My ways are higher than your ways. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts."

Jude and I got back on Monday, then by Wednesday, I had to come home early from school because I could barely walk, I was so weak. I was extremely nauseous and my head felt like it was splitting open. When I got home, Justin was home with Jude and within an hour, Justin was throwing up. Needless to say, the next 36 hours were tough. Neither of us could hardly get our heads off the pillow, much less take care of Jude, but thankfully, we made it and we're doing 100% better now!

Since the virus, my milk supply has been very low, I'm assuming from dehydration and the fever. I have been pumping every 3 hours and taking fenugreek and praying that it comes back. I have been very emotional today. This morning, Jude was crying because he was hungry and pulling at my shirt and I knew nothing was there...I cried and cried as I told him I was sorry.

To end on a positive note, Friday was my 26th birthday, yes 26! Thankfully, Justin and I were feeling much better and my sweet friends Debbie and Ashton kept Jude so Justin and I could have a date in the Valley. We went to play Putt Putt and we went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and it was wonderful!

Saturday was Jude's 7 month brithday...he weighs 18 lbs on the dot and is 27.5 inches long. He can go all over the place, backwards and sideways, but not yet forwards. He loves Mason and looks for him when yo usay his name. He also reaches up for me now and is beginning to wave and respond to his name. He is soaking everything up like a sponge and I daily try to keep my hands open and give him to the Lord.

We have been busy bees and the next few weeks will continue in this fashion...:)

Poetry Unit

2011-10-04T15:02:00.001-07:00

I have been doing a Poetry Unit in my Resource English class and thought would share some of my students' work. Enjoy:

Student 1
I don't understand...
why my parents drink
why a lot of people like alcohol and drugs
why there are gangs

I understand...
why people get married
why parents discipline their kids
why education is important

Student 2
What if my dog ate my homework?
I might fail my classes.
What if just don't do my homework?
I could liek about not doing it.
What if I got an A on it?
I would be so happy!
O crap, where is my homework?

New Things Happening...

2011-10-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Well, 2 weeks ago, Jude man had his first 2 teeth come in...yes, poor guy cut 2 teeth at once, making for a very cranky little guy for a few days. Once they broke through, he's been his sweet, normal self and it's funny to see him roll his tongue over his new teethers, but not so cute when he bites Mommy while nursing!

As you can see from the picture above, this sweet guy is also trying desperately to crawl. He can get up and wiggle backward, but when he tries to go forward, he face plants into the floor. He is extremely wiggly while changing diapers and clothes, hence why he is naken in this picture. We were trying to get him ready for church yesterday and when we came back from his room, this was how he was, ready to go!

Another new thing that is happening that Mommy is slightly nervous about is our first plane ride coming up on Thursday. Though I am so excited to be flying home, it will be interesting to see how Jude man does on the plane and I will be doing it by myself. :) Please say prayers for me!

Fall Is My Favorite

2011-09-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

Jude man had his 6 month photo shoot last week. He was giggling up a storm and I thought I had timed the session perfuctly. Unfortunately, our photographer got into traffic coming from the Valley so she was almost an hour late and we were pushing for Jude's nap time. We got some really great shots though and I am really pleased with how they turned out! :)
Such a sweet little man!

Now, onto the blog that matches the title...if you look at years past's blogs, I will always divulge into why fall is my favorite season. My entire life, I remember longing for fall, knowing all the wonderful things that come along with this season. Here are a list of my favorite things (in no particular order):

1. Cooler weather...I love being able to dress in layers...jeans with a cotton shirt and a light jacket or sweatshirt for mornings and evenings.
2. Football...growing up with TN Vols fans, I have many childhood memories huddled in the living room. After moving to Auburn, my love for football grew even more as we became members of the Auburn family, where our ties will always remain true...War Eagle!
3. Foods of Fall...Pumpkin anything; bread, muffins, cookies, latte's, need I say more? As well as hearty soups such as some of my favorites, taco soup, chicken enchilda, and cheesy chicken noodle.
4. Colors...the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows...lovely. (For my Auburn friends, in a few weeks, please drive by our old house and look at the beautiful bright yellow gingko tree by the driveway...it will be a perfect spot for pictures of little ones and I know the Davis's won't mind you borrowing it for a photo shoot. :)
5. Halloween...though my family has never relished in the negativity that can come with this holiday, we have always enjoyed this as a timeless tradition. I love dressing up (in "nice" costumes) and doing the festivities like getting candy, fall festivals, games, hay rides, and pumpkin patches. LOTS of family time!
6. My birthday...yes, I would be lying if I didn't throw this one in here...October 14 is a very fun day for me!
7. The Beginning of a New Year...growing up, I always thought of "years" as my grades. From kindergarten-my senior year of college, that's how I looked at life and I always termed summers as "the summer before my senior year" or whatever. Then, after becoming a teacher, I have now continued with that with, "Oh, my 2nd year of teaching I _____________ fill in the blank." So, with August/September comes a new year for me. New students, new experiences, new year. :)

Let Fall Begin! :)

Checking In At 6 Months

2011-09-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

Our silly little man was 6 months old this past Thursday. When Justin and I were going to bed around 10:30 the night before, that would be 12:30 am in Auburn, Justin said, this time exactly 6 months ago, we were getting ready to head to the hospital...and then 2 hours later, Jude made his very fast arrival! :) Over the last 6 months, Jude has brought more joy, happiness, and thrills to our lives than I ever could have imagined.

For those who know me well, my biggest dream, my deepest heart's desire, is to be a mother. The Lord has fulfilled this with our precious boy! My heart is overflowing with thankfulness for our sweet son.

At Jude's 6 month check up yesterday, he weighed 17 lb. 7 oz (39 %) and was 27.5 inches long (70%). At two months, he was 75% in weight and 40% in height so he's gone from our short and stocky little man, to our long and lean. As far as clothes goes, he's in mostly 6-9 months things, but he has to wear 9 month footie pajamas for the length. He's still in a size 2 (3-6) shoe though.

He is learning so much right now. He is sitting up like a pro. He started around 4.5 months, keeping himself up for 10-15 seconds at a time, but now, that's his position of choice and he plays for long period of time all by himself! He is starting to make lots of sounds like dadada, dedede, and he loves to squeal. His favorite song is definitely "The Wheels on the Bus" and he loves to be tickled. He is also fascinated with Mason. He's starting to pull on his ears and want to give him kisses. He loves to play on the floor and he definitely wants Mommy when he doesn't feel well or is sleepy. However, he LOVES playing with his Daddy. Justin always calls on his way home and when I put him on speaker phone, Jude just lights up!

A few more things Jude has learned in the past month (more so right after he turned 5 months) is being able to put his paci in his own mouth. He'll reach for it and stick it right in. He still can't find it if he looks for it while he's 1/2 asleep at night, but if it's within reach during the day, he's got it under control. He is really trying to get up on his knees, but when his bottom goes up, his shoulders come down...it's too funny! He is also holding his own bottle...he usually can't make it for the whole thing, his arms get tired, but he usually makes it about 3/4 of the way through.

He's still eating and sleeping well. There really isn't anything he won't eat. He still takes 5 6.5-7 oz bottles (or breast) per day and eats rice cereal with fruit for breakfast and 2 veggies and 1 fruit with cereal for dinner. As far as sleeping goes (other than the 2 weeks he had terrible congestion and an ear ache) he sleeps from about 8:30 pm to 6:15-7:15 am (depending on week day or weekend). About 50% of the time, he'll cry once for his paci and other nights, he doesn't make a peep. He usually takes 2 1.5-2.5 hour naps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. He rarely needs a catnap in the evenings any more, but if he didn't nap well during the day, he might.

To think how quickly this past 6 months has gone by is crazy. I am trying to cherish every second I get with him at this stage...I keep telling Justin to enjoy this time because it is slipping away so quickly. I was looking back at old letters I wrote to him while I was pregnant and it feels like yesterday.

"Don't you see that children are God's best gift? The fruit of the womb His generous legacy?" Psalm 127: 3 (The Message)

Laboy Day Weekend

2011-09-10T11:35:00.001-07:00

We had such a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! My Mom and sister were able to come out! Mom was here from Wednesday night until Monday morning and Jillian was here from Thursday afternoon until the next Thursday morning. It was such a wonderful visit and it was hard to see them go! When we were taking my Mom to the airport on Monday, Mason had the saddest look (he knows what it means when someone has a suitcase) and she started crying. It was so cute.

I have always been extremely close to my Mom and sister. Jillian was even in the delivery room when Jude was born. They are my very best friends, so to have them here was like having a piece of home, which I honestly, was really needing. Below, you'll see some of the pictures of our adventures while they were here.

On one evening, we decided to take everyone to Round Mt. Park to let them take the hike to the top and see the beautiful view of the city. Mom and Jillian both did great. I'm not going to lie, I was worried about my Mom, but she did great! She only said she hated me once, haha. But when it was all said and done, I know she had a sense of accomplishment. After she's seen she can do that hike, she's even signed up for Zumba classes back home! I'm so proud of her!!!Of course Jude got new toys while Mo Mo was visiting. It's really a good thing, because most of his toys are for 3 months and he's almost 6, so he really needed some new things to keep his mind stimulated. He liked showing off how great he's been sitting up! He's been doing his for about 2 weeks now and really does great. He does tumble occasionally after about 20 or 30 minutes because he's tired, but he's doing great! He got his new stacker toys, a blow up zebra, a new book, and a Mickey Mouse laptop!
My Mom, who we have been calling Dee Dee as her "grandma" name, has decided we're going to call her Mo Mo. When we were in high school, Jillian started calling her Mo as a joke, short for Momma, and it stuck, so often, we call her Mo. One day when they were visiting, I called her Mo Mo and we were like, "That is too cute! That should be your name!" All of my cousins call her Aunt Dee Dee and she just couldn't see Jude calling her that...it wasn't sticking, but Mo Mo is! So, Mo Mo and Pop it is!
We also took Mom and Jillian to Roosevelt Lake. We had a really good time and Jude really enjoyed the water and his new float. While they were visiting, Jude had an ear infection and had some teeth really start to come up...they've not broken the surface, but you can see 2 white buds. He also had a lot of congestion. Given how sick the little man was, he really was a trooper!

Also, over the weekend, Jude watched pieces of his first Auburn game with Daddy as well as going shopping with Auntie J in Phoenix after dropping Mo Mo off at the airport. We have been so blessed to have everything given to us as gifts, we've really not had to buy very much at all for the little squirt. However, Most of his clothes were from newborn to 6 months, several 9 month sleepers, and then clothes for 12 months and older. He literally has 3 onesies and 1 pair of pants to do him from now until he's a year, so we went shopping at a sale at Baby Gap and got his entire fall/winter wardrobe pretty much. I was very happy with our purchases! Really all he needs now is new shoes and a winter coat, but we're seeing family in October and November, so we're waiting it out. :)

What a blessed weekend! We are going to have a webcam date with Nana and Papaw Derrick today...we miss them too!

Advice...

2011-09-08T08:52:00.001-07:00

Let me start off by stating that if you know me at all, I am a social butterfly. I love ministering to women and being with ladies. I thrive in this atmosphere. The Lord is really teaching me a lot about allowing Him to be my All in all. We continue to visit different churches in search of where we need to be to worship and serve. My job is slightly overwhelming to say the least. My only friends are my principal, my school secretary, and the Agriculture teacher, 2 in which are men...hmm. Needless to say, God is trying to stretch and grow me and I'm tryng to be willing.

I have some amazing family and friends though in other parts of the country who I can sense are lifting me up in their prayers. They have emailed encouragement, texted sweet messages, and they pray for me daily, and for that I am so thankful. One sweet friend and mentor gave me a quote that speaks volumes to me right now, "Sometimes it takes the absence of people to feel the presence of God." WHOA! I am a social being, more so than the average person, so to be still and spend an abundant amount of time without girlfriends is difficult for me. However, I am learning there will be seasons of life where He is enough and He should always remain enough.

I am so thankful to have a husband who is patient with me. I am learning to love him, even when I'm frustrated...he is the reason we're here, haha. BUT, he was being obedient to our Heavenly Father by moving our family here and I must trust that He knows what's best for our lives.

I have had multiple people who encourage me to be in the Word more now than ever and I am so thankful for that. God's promises are ALWAYS true, not just when life is hunky dorey.

Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and words of encouragement....

Thoughts, Part II

2011-08-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

I wasn't really sure on a better title, because truly, I'm just writing what the Lord has been putting on my heart. I have entered into a season of my life where I'm really the most unsure I've ever been. It's not a bad thing, for I'm having to really rely on the Lord and His direction, I've just never been here before. When going to college, God provided me with an amazing room mate and Christian friends really quickly and I adjusted well. When we moved to Auburn, again, great Christian bubble and wonderful work place. However, in our new town, it's different. There are believers, but the atmosphere is different.

Justin and I were just talking last night about how God might have placed us here to help start something. It really made me excited to hear Justin talking about it...how the Lord has known all along that we needed to be here for a reason and the reason may be much bigger than our jobs/Justin's research.

On another note, God has also been teaching me a lot about holding my hands open to Him with Jude. Wow, as Jude's Mommy, I want to hold him so tightly, but I'm trying to have an attitude of my heart to hold him loosely and allow the Lord to move in and through him, even at such a tiny stage. He is growing so quickly and I've had to start telling him "no"...he tends to like to pull my hair and blow raspberries while eating, neither which are socially appropriate, though very cute. :)

Lastly, we had a wonderful weekend! On Friday we went to the lake. We found a secluded spot where no one was around and Mason could run around. Jude enjoyed the water and it was nice to get away. On Saturday, we went hiking and Jude man did great. He liked drinking from a water bottle. (I was afraid he might get dehydrated.) He LOVES being outside and it is amazing to watch Justin in his element with his son. He walks around telling him about trees, bugs, and animals. It's really quite precious.Jude and I after the hike...he was pooped!
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Justin loved his backpack carrier. Jude and I got it for him for his Father's Day/Birthday present. It's Kelty Kids and we're very pleased with it!

Thoughts

2011-08-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Deb gave me a really great journal before Jude was born to write in. I've been keeping prayer journals since the 8th grade so I decided to use it as a journal to the Lord and to Jude during my pregnancy and Jude's first year of life. In it are different verses of scripture, quotes, and prayers. One that I read yesterday is one I think any parent would want to pray, so wanted to share it.

Dear Lord,
I pray that I will know the treasures that are hidden in You so I may help my baby find the rich things You have given us to enjoy. Please help me to be an example and to lead my precious little one into the delight of knowing You. Amen.

On another note, tomorrow will be Jude's 5 month birthday. The days seem like moments and every day I love this little boy more and more. He doesn't go back to the dr. until he's 6 months and we don't have a scale at home, so I'm unsure of his weight, but as far as developments go, Jude is:

-Still sleeping through the night, but still needing us to get up a few times a night to put his paci back in. He'll go down by 8:30 pm and sleep until we wake him up to leave for work and on the weekends, he'll sleep until at least 7 am. (**If any of you Mom's have advice on how to get a baby to stop waking up b/c they've lost their paci, I'm up for advice.)

-Loves trying new foods. So far, he's tried, apples, bananas, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, peas and squash. There is nothing he doesn't like, but his favorite has seemed to be carrots. He prefers it when I make them rather than jarred, but our local grocery store has had the organic stuff on sale, so it's much cheaper that way.

-Very friendly. We've been trying a new church every week since we've moved here and everyone he meets he smiles and laughs. He doesn't always want new people to hold him per say, but he is a very friendly baby.

-Still rolling over well. His favorite toys are these new Baby Einstein balls we got him. We'll roll them and throw them with him and he cracks up. He still enjoys his swing when he's getting tired and likes playing on his play mat.

-He wants to sit up so bad. He acts like he's doing crunches and get really frustrated. If we sit him up and let him go, he can stay as much as 20 seconds by himself, but not consistently.

-He is very long legged, like his Daddy. We have a few pant jumper outfits and he looks like Huck Finn in them. I can't buy a size bigger b/c he's on target as far as clothes with his waist goes, so if I buy bigger to be long enough, they'll swallow him whole around the tummy area. This fall/winter may be interesting. :)

We are continuing to make new friends and learn more about the town and new culture we're in. God is faithful and we're thankful for the many blessings we've been given.

"From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another." John 1:16

Afternoon at the park...

2011-08-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

When we told everyone that we were moving to Arizona, everyone said, "Oh, it's so hot!" Me included. However, our quaint little town is actually in the mountains, not the "Valley" aka Mesa/Phoenix area and it's a good 10-15 degrees cooler here than there. This morning we woke up to a perfect 70! Granted, it did make it to the mid 90's, but with 3% humidity, that's nothing compared to the 100+ heat in Alabama with 100% humidity. Any who, last weekend, we decided to go to a local park and "play" with Jude. Justin and I probably had more fun than he did, but he did really love the swing. Mason also enjoyed having grass to roll in, since we have very little in our yard.
Jude LOVES his Daddy! When Justin gets home, he just lights up. However, he is still definitely a Momma's boy. If he's grumpy or tired, he prefers me, but he loves to play with Justin.
I'm really enjoying having my camera that takes action shots. It has several options, but my favorite is the one that takes 20 frames and you choose which ones you like. It's really funny to see the faces we make in slow motion!
Many people have been wondering how we're adjusting, and I honestly think we're all doing really well. After only 2 nights here, Jude decided to start stretching his 5-5:30 am feeding to 6:15 or even as late as 7:40 a few times, so that's been nice. We still have to go in at least once in the middle of the night to help him out with his paci, but that's it. He's also doing well with his new sitter. She has another 18 month old little boy she also keeps, so I think that will be good for Jude. She says he's fussy most days, but I know my boy and I think that's relative. I have done A LOT of babysitting over the years...it's practically what got me through college, and I've seen fussy babies and Jude is not one of them. Don't get me wrong, my child cries, but I would consider him pretty typical. He'll cry if he's hungry, wet, or tired. He'll wimper a little if he's getting bored with an activity (which is what I think is happening at her house) but over all, if he's communicating, there is a reason.

As far as Justin and I adjusting, I think it's going really well. We have started a new devotional that we do seperately, but most days discuss and with his work schedule, we're getting in a good family routine at night where we eat dinner while Jude takes an evening cat nap, he wakes up and eats, then we take Mason on a nice walk, come back for a bath, and them play. I really enjoy it! I won't lie...this weekend I had a total break down and said I hated it here and really complained but talk about conviction. It was like a neon sign was over my head saying "Do all things without complaining..." Needless to say, the Holy Spirit quickly reminded me of the many things I have to be thankful for, and there are many, and got back into a normal frame of mind.

Any who, that's about it...kiddos come back to school tomorrow, but fortunately it's only for 2 days and I get all day Friday, Saturdsay, and Sunday with my boys!

Settling In...

2011-08-01T17:05:00.001-07:00

That's what Jude said to riding in a car seat for 3 days/1700 miles. :) "Poo on you!" No really, he did great and so did Mason. After what seemed like a huge deal at the time, we had an ordeal with the moving company, but God was faithful and with the help of wonderful friends and great family, we made it! Our quaint little town is definitely different than Auburn, but 3 years ago, I was thinking, "Man, Auburn is so different from Wilmington!" and I fell in love with it. The people here are super nice and love to hear our accents.
After unpacking boxes and beginning to settle in, we took a "hike" at Rount Mt. Park here in our new town. Jude loves being outside and it's got nice trails that are actually more flat than our neighborhood. Taking a "leisurely" walk is more like running stadiums and my glutes are on fire.
Jude is loving eating his oatmeal and changes more and more every day. Though we are going through some crazy transitions right now and we are experiencing God's love and mercy like never more!

Happy Birthday to All!

2011-07-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Justin! Justin's 25th birthday is tomorrow and we're planning on having some time to ourselves. Sweet friends of ours are keeping Jude for us so we can do a movie and dinner. I also bought Justin an ice cream cake from Marble slab (Sweet Cream with strawberries) and we had a little family party with just us today to dig in on it. I let Jude lick my spoon a few times just to get a taste of it and that tiny amount kept him up for 4 hours straight.

I do want to take a moment to give my wonderful man a shout out for his birthday. My hubby is one of the most hard working and dedicated men I know. He loves the Lord and his family and it shows! He also is crazy about his job and is passionate about what he does. I am incredibly blessed to have a husband who adores me and our son! Love you Justin!

Yesterday Jude Man turned 4 months old! I know it's cliche to say "Man, how time flies!" but it really does. This little man has been such a blessing to our family and I can't remember what life was like without him. Here are a few 4 month stats:
-Height: 25 1/4 in. (60%)
-Weight: 15 lb. 6 oz (60%)
-Can roll over occasionally when he's mad, but does not do it consistently yet...about 50% of the time
-Started Whole grain rice cereal and oatmeal with bananas. He LOVES them both! I wanted to wait until 6 months but he was showing all the signs of "Is your child ready to start whole foods?" so we thought we would try it and he LOVES it!
-Sleeps well...he'll eat his last bottle around 8 or 8:30 pm, go to sleep by 9:30 and will sleep from 5:30-6:30 am every morning. (I nurse him and put him back to sleep and he'll stay asleep for at least another hour or 2 before starting the day.) He does well with this naps and is getting easier to put down. He typically likes to fight sleep, but he's now learning to self soothe more. He also does not get swaddled for naps any more, but I'm still too nervous to try not swaddling at night time yet.
-As far as "wake time" goes, he loves being outside, looking at books, and playing with stuffed animals. He's super cute. He doesn't love being on his back at all, so his play mat is hit or miss. He likes his exersaucer pretty well and we have attempted his Jumpy seat a few times. He's really beginning to get his own little personality, including squealing at the top of his lungs when he doesn't get what he wants. :)

There Is a Time For Every Season...

2011-07-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

...and our season of life in Auburn, AL is coming to a close (at least for now). I hope this post will serve as a good bye to any special people we do not have a chance to say good bye to, as well as a journal of sorts for me to keep as we end this season and begin our new season in Arizona.

For those who don't know, Justin graduated with his Masters from Auburn in May and is now pursuing his PhD from Clemson University. Though Clemson is in SC, his research is in Arizona and New Mexico, so we're headed west for at least the next 3 years.

In August of 2008, the day we got back from our honeymoon, Justin and I headed south on I-85 to begin our new life in Auburn. We were both 22 years old, starting news careers, and leaving our family and friends in NC. We knew NO ONE in Auburn and I personally was scared to death. But let me tell you, when God promises He'll provide, provide He does. I have had the honor to teach at Auburn High School for the last 3 years with some of the most wonderful people. I have LOVED being a part of the faculty there and have learned many nuggets of wisdom to keep in my teaching bag for years to come. We also found a wonderful church right away and were able to get plugged in immediately. We have shared so many wonderful memories here: starting our marriage, our "firsts" of everything...all holidays, our dog Mason, a home, and most importantly, our son.

We have also had some tough times while living here, but God has used those times to refine us and use those times to grow us in Him. Justin's travels (over 8 months total in the last 3 years) did not make it easy for us as newlyweds, but man what the Lord has taught us. We also experienced pain through loss. In January of 2010, the Lord called our first baby home when I was only 8 weeks pregnant. Our marriage and faith were tested immensely during that time, but again, God is so faithful. Finances were not easy either at times, but we have learned to really appreciate the small things.

As I finish this post, I want write about my favorites/things I will miss most about Auburn...
1. Community: When I say community, I don't mean the town, I mean people we have lived life with. The friends God has placed in our lives here are ones that I hope to stay in touch with forever. We have truly had relationships that have changed our lives...people who have prayed us through hard times, and spurred us on in our walk with the Lord. We are immensely blessed!

2. Atmosphere: I feel like I live in Mayberry and I love it! Everyone knows everyone...when you walk around town, people smile and wave (and often say "War Eagle") I feel safe and comfortable and love the unity that this town has!

3. Convenience: For the past 2 years, Justin and I have lived .5 miles from my work and .3 miles from his work. Needless to say, we're spoiled. Just about anything we need in any way is less than 10 minutes away from our house, which leaves more time to get ready and just be at home. I will definitely miss this.

4. Eats: I saved this for last because it's really not that important, but just like in Wilmington, there are certain places that are only in this area that I will really miss. First, Bizilia's mango peach smoothie. Second, Big Blue Bagel's bagel chips with honey mustard. Third, anything from Chappy's Deli. This is definitely my favorite restaurant here and it will be missed!

I have to say, God is good and I have a peace about our move. (This does not mean that tears have not been shed, nor will stop being shed.) Justin's grandmother told us that she feels that God is taking us there to be missionaries and I couldn't be more honored. If moving to Arizona makes a difference in His kingdom, how selfish of me to consider otherwise. Please pray for us during our move and may God bless you all still in Auburn...we love you!

New Family Picture

2011-07-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

Justin's Mom took this picture of us at Jillian's wedding (obviously) andI thought it turned out really well. We have really enjoyed our time with family...words truly can not express how blessed we are to have so many people who love, support, and encourage us.

Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Ball

2011-06-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my baby sister and very best friend got hitched to a really great guy! First of all, I must say, my sister is wonderful and I thank God daily for her. She has always been there for me and our personalities compliment one another perfectly. I am so proud of the young woman she has come! Secondly, Phillip is a pretty great guy himself. He was one of my brother's college roommates and was such a rock for Zach during the time of his brain tumor and his recovery. He loves the Lord and I have confidence that he will lead Jillian according to scripture. May God bless you Auntie J and Uncle Phil in your new marriage!!!

Jude had to see Auntie J before she walked down the aisle to wish her good luck! :)

Jude and Jamen were AWESOME ring bearers. Sweet Geoffrey (a precious 3 year old Jillian babysits) pulled the boys in this great wagon that our sweet friend Matt's stepdad built by hand. It turned out precious and made for some very special memories!

Jillian looked breathtaking and I am so honored to be able to stand by her as her matron of honor as she makes this important and holy commitment to her husband!

And, I just had to add this one along with it...I can't believe it's been almost 3 years since Jillian and I had switched roles on my wedding day. Wow, how time flies!!!

We love you Jillian and Phillip!!!

Happy 3 Months!

2011-06-15T08:51:00.001-07:00

This picture was a trial run to make sure Jude's outfit for Auntie J's wedding fits. It's a little long, but it's going to work really well!!! (I bought it from Fun and Fancy before he was born...I could not decide to go with the 3 month or 6 month and I'm so glad I went with the larger one, even though he's only 3 months, because there is no way the 3 month would have fit. Thanks to my sweet friend Katie for the advice.)

Before Jude was born, I didn't want to get a whole lot of things monogrammed because even if we don't have another boy, I'm sure I'll have a nephew at some point, or friends will have boys, and it makes it impossible to reuse clothes. However, now that Jude's here, certain dressy outfits look so classy with it monogrammed...I have debated getting this one done, but since it's VERY nice outfit ($79 nice + tax) and certainly can be reused, I guess it will not have JAD on the front. $5 onesies I can handle using with only 1 child. :)

Just like his arrival, the last 3 months of Jude's life has flown by. Friends and family have warned me that the days sneak by quickly, but there were not kidding! 3 months ago today at this time, Jude was roughly 9 hours old. I can not believe the changes that have already occurred. He can hold his head up all by himself pretty much all the time except while lying on his tummy. He gets tired then. He is very alert and loves all of his giraffe toys for some reason. He enjoys being outside, especially in his Chicco baby carrier but the last week or so, he has not loved his stroller. Jude, you have blessed your Mommy and Daddy's life more than you'll ever know!

Blessings

2011-06-09T08:46:00.001-07:00

All good and perfect things are from above... Thank you Lord for your many blessings! The Lord has been teaching me a great deal over the last few months. Perspective is very different when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. If you have not heard the song "Blessings" by Laura Story, go to youtube and listen to it now...very moving and the lyrics have spoken right to my heart during this season of my life. I have had to get to the point where sometimes God's plan is different than mine, but it's always better. Here is the last part of the song:

"Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise"

May the Lord bless you today.

11.5 Week Stats

2011-06-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Kisses from Mommy

Playing in his new toy

This little man loves his bath time!

So, just an update on Jude's growth and a few milestones...at his last dr.'s appointment, Jude was right at 10 weeks old. These are his stats:

Weight: 13 lbs. 6 oz. (75%)
Length: 23 in. (40%)

As far as other things goes, he's really becoming super alert...smiling and laughing, knowing when I walk out of a room and acknowledging me when I come back. He does well with playing with himself and he loves to sit in his Bumbo seat on the kitchen counter while I cook. He has really great head control and rolled over for the first time this morning!!! (We'll see how frequent that is.) He also picks up on my tone of voice...when I scold Mason and tell him "no" in my mean Mommy voice, Jude starts crying, haha. He was nursing this morning and Mom was on speaker phone and was ranting about something and he started to cry because she sounded mad. Too funny! He is doing great on his schedule. He slept through the night the day he turned 8 weeks and consistently goes from 9-5 or 5:30 every night. I'll have to stick his paci in sometimes, but no feedings needed. I'm eager for him to back that time up, but it's the only time I let him drift back off until around 7 am until he can go longer. No awake time following feeding that early. :)

We are immensely blessed to have such a happy, healthy baby boy...who will be 12 weeks old on Tuesday!

A Little Late...

2011-06-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

We have been super busy around here, but with multiple blessings. Justin's grandparents came to visit after our trip to Wilmington and Jude got to meet one of his great-great-grandmothers. This little man is really blessed. He has 4 grandparents, 5 great-grandparents, and 2 great-great grandmas! We had a great visit with them and are looking forward to meeting the other "greats" later this month!

After they visited, Auntie J (my sister Jillian) wanted to come for a visit before her boards and she begins working so we had a great time with her last week. Needless to say, Jude man is spoiled rotten, but in a good way. Last weekend, we made our first visit to Athens, TN, where my Mom's family lives. Jude got to meet his Mamaw Peggy for the first time, as well as all my aunts, uncles, and cousins on my Dad's side. One of the high lights was meeting his cousin Jamen. (My cousin Jeff's son.) Jeff has always been super special to me and now our boys are only 4 months apart, so they will get to grow up together!

While in TN, we got the share a bridal shower for Jillian and my cousin Brian's surprise 40th birthday bash. We had a great time hanging out with family and everyone getting to meet Jude. I feel like I might jinx myself, but Jude has really been a trooper with all the travelling in his short 11 1/2 weeks. He's been to Greenville, SC twice, Wilmington, NC, and Athens, TN! Whew...he's burned some miles already!

Lastly, I do want to give a Memorial Day shout out to all of the men and women that have or are still serving our country. We are immensely blessed to have the freedoms that we have. I think some people forget that these freedoms are not really "rights" but blessings the Lord gives us. From our own immediate family, I would like to thank...

Paul Lamb-Army (served in WWII), my grandpa
Sonny Brackett-Army (served during Korean War), my grandpa
Roger Cantrell-Marines (served in Vietnam), my uncle
Dennis Barnes-Army (served during Vietnam), my uncle
Tommy Brackett-Air Force, my uncle
Brian Cantrell-Air Force, my cousin (and his wife Consuela)
Jerry Dellinger-Army (served during Korean War), Justin's grandpa
Tracy Caldwell-Army (I think), Justin's Uncle

Pictures from the last few weeks are to come...

A Lot Going On...

2011-05-20T12:59:00.001-07:00

We have had a lot going on!!! First of all, Justin graduated from Auburn University with his Masters in Biology. He is now officially a PhD student at Clemson University. We are so proud of his accomplishments. The last 3 years have flown by and I can't believe it's time to begin this new chapter in our lives.

This past weekend we had the opportunity to go to Wilmington, NC (my favorite place ever) to watch Jillian graduate from UNCW's nursing school and have Jude's first beach trip. We were able to visit my wonderful roommates from college (who were willing to drive all the way from Greensboro and Raliegh just to meet Jude) as well as other friends, including the Alberts clan. Above is sweet Kyle meeting Jude. They loved each other. Kyle kept putting his finger near Jude's mouth and saying "Charlie bit me" (the You Tube video clip). It was so cute.

Jude celebrated his 2 month birthday while in Wilmington. He was a trooper at the beach! He looked absolutely adorable in his beach hat and sunglasses. He did not like the freezing water, but he liked playing and sleeping on the beach towels under the pier.

We had a beautiful beach weekend and it really made me miss being in Wilmington. If we ever had the opportunity to move back, I would in a heart beat! (As you can see, had to get a tankini for this summer...Not sure if my tummy will ever be the same, but the outcome was totally worth it. Hopefully the Shred and P90X ab ripper will help...I don't know though, I think I just ate 10 oreos.)

Even though the beach visit with family and friends was wonderful, the most wonderful thing was celebrating in Jillian's graduation. She has worked so hard and we are so very proud of her! She graduated as a North Carolina Nursing Scholar and is officially a nurse at Duke University Medical Hospital in the Pediatric Bone Marrow Unit. Needless to say, she's going to really make a difference in the lives of those sick babies.

Here is Jillian getting officially pinned as a nurse...we are so proud of you!

I am finishing out the school year at AHS this week and next Monday-Wednesda and preparing for a visit to meet Mamaw Peggy and the family in Tennessee over Memorial Day weekend! So excited!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-07T18:13:00.001-07:00

My Mom, holding Jude at the park...candid shot...

Snuggling with my little man

This year Mother's Day is definitely something different for me. I am so extremely blessed to be able to have the title of "Mommy" this year to sweet baby Jude! Last Mother's Day was very difficult. We had lost our first baby in January and had had 3 negative pregnancy tests by this time. I was very much struggling with "why me" and "what did I do wrong" and I selfishly did not want to celebrate other mothers that were able to hold their babies in their arms. Fortunately, the Lord covered me with His grace and peace during that time and I had a lot of support and encouragement from family and friends that helped pull me through. I now know that there is nothing I did wrong, or right, to deserve being a mother. God has chosen to bless me and I pray for the strength and wisdom to train Jude up in His word.

I also want to say "thank you" to my own mother, who has stood by me in every step I've ever took. I can't think of a time when my Mom did not support and encourage me to follow my dreams and hold me accountable when I wavered. I also have 2 wonderful grandmothers whom I love very much and adore! My Mimmie went to be with Jesus in November of 2006 but I have the blessing of keeping my Mamaw here with me for a while longer. These 3 women certainly were used by the Lord to continue a legacy of faith that I pray continues in the next generations.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there...never forget to thank God for our belssings!

Sore...

2011-05-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

Whew...well, as of yesterday, I am officially beginning to "tone up" again. For the last 10 1/2 months, I have "maintained", which I've been pleased with, but I'm ready for a challenge. We found out in mid July last year that Jude was coming and I had all intentions on keeping my regular work out routine at least through the 1st trimester and easing up accordingly, as recommended. However, due to some pretty large ovarian cysts, I had to stop jogging and doing any kind of sharp movements and lower my weights at only 8 weeks pregnant.

Fortunately, I kept with my daily walks, my super cheesy Denise Austin pregnancy weight lifting video, and my pregnancy yoga (which I loved) and on D-day, had only gained 27 lbs. I really did feel great through out my whole pregnancy and I think staying active helped a lot! I am now down to within 5 lbs of my start weight, but let's be honest, things definitely look different, haha.

Pregnancy was totally worth it, but I can say that I am ready to really sweat, feel the burn, and be sore...well sore I am. Yesterday I broke out my old "The Shred" video with Jillian Michaels and my inner thighs and shoulders are feeling it today. It wasn't as hard as I was afraid of, but my lungs definitely need some serious work! Any who, I'm officially sore today and ready to get back in the real grove of things...whoop whoop!

6 Week Pictures

2011-04-29T11:07:00.001-07:00

So handsome!

This is my favorite! I think it could be in a magazine with his name in the background and everything! The looks on their faces is priceless!

So, so sweet!

I asked a friend of mine who tabbles in photography if he would be willing to come a do a photo shoot for Jude's 6 weeks photos. I am very pleased with how they turned out and can't wait to get some up in our home!

I also wanted to take a few moments to share about what I am learning. Most of my blogs have been about Jude lately, not about what I am learning and certainly not about my marriage. A friend of mine gave me a book entitled, "Created To Be His Help Meet". Talk about being convicted! I read a chapter every day and am totally amazed with how God tells you what you need to hear exactly when you need it most. This week, I have really been hammered by being thankful. Thankfulness leads to joy. When we are bitter or keep an evil spirit about us, we can not experience fruits of the spirit like hope and joy. However, if we have a merry heart, and think upon the things that we are thankful for (and man do I have a lot), our hearts can not help but be joyful! Praise the Lord!

As I see such devastation in the very state (after those horrific storms this week) I live in...how many lives, homes, jobs, etc were lost...I have a wonderful home (tacky blue carpet and all), a wonderful husband, and healthy baby boy (+ salvation, family, a job, friends, the list goes on and on) and yet I get angry when Justin leaves the bottle on the coffee table rather than taking it to the sink. I really need to get a grip and be THANKFUL and in return, I receive JOY! It really works!

Whew...thank the Lord for the Holy Spirit who convicts His children! Thank you Lord!

Happy Easter and 6 Week Stats

2011-04-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

My handsome little man.

Listening to Daddy tell him what's in his basket.

Everyone's favorite, "The War Eagle Story" book.

Mommy has a bad idea when I suggested to put him in the basket. :)

Happy Late Easter everyone! What a beautiful weekend to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior! We had a wonderful weekend with Papaw Derrick, Nana, and Uncle Cody! We are so glad they came to visit us.

Justin and I also had the privilege of getting Jude his first Easter basket! It was so fun to buy something for our little boy that he can play with and enjoy! We both like practical, so his basket was filled with books, teething toys, a sippy cup for later, and a Praise Baby CD. He seemed to really enjoy it!

On another note, we went to the doctor today for our 6 week appointment. Jude man weighed in at 11 pounds 1 ounce and was 22 1/2 inches long. He's in the 65th percentile for both weight and height. He is healthy and growing! We are so very blessed!

1 Month

2011-04-15T11:23:00.001-07:00

Sweet Little Man at 1 week...very much a new born!

2 weeks...can now fit in his "coming home" outfit

3 weeks and full of smiles

4 weeks and a little man indeed

The Lord blessed us with our sweet son 1 month ago today..."Life is but a vapor" has truly begin to resonate with me. Every day I get the priviledge to care for this precious little guy all day. He is utterly dependent on me, just as I should be with the Lord. Everything he needs, I must provide for him. Anything he wants, I can give him if I feel it's best. Needless to say, I am really beginning to understand the love our Heavenly Father has for us and it's only a glimpse of what I feel for Jude. Thank you Lord for our precious little blessing!

Weekend Visit

2011-04-11T08:36:00.001-07:00

Snuggling with Pop

Being a ham for the camera

Hanging with Uncle Zach

I was worn out after our walk

Playing with Dee Dee

Hi, this is Jude speaking...I decided to copy my good buddy Wilson Harwell and sneak a post on Momma's blog once and a while. I had such a great weekend. My Dee Dee, Pop, and Uncle Zach visited from North Carolina! What a great time! I got to go to my first restaurant, Chappy's, Mom's favorite, on Friday night. I was held A LOT, more than Momma and Daddy usually hold me. Pop and Dee Dee wouldn't put me down. I also drank from a bottle more...they all wanted to feed me. :) Dee Dee and Pop helped me get a bath and everything. The read stories to me and sang...that was pretty funny but at least they try. :) Uncle Zach tried to teach me cool boy things to do like pick my nose and scratch my crotch...Mom was not too impressed with that. We also went shopping at the mall and went on a nice long walk to Town Creek Park. It was really hot...we may need to stick to earlier in the mornings and later in the afternoons now...Alabama gets hot quick. I have figured that out really fast! I LOVED having everyone visit and can't wait for Auntie J's graduation in Wilmington in 4 weeks...the count down in on! That will also be my first visit to the beach...Momma says I'm going to love it!

Oh, and Papaw Derrick, Nana, and Uncle Cody visit in just 2 weeks...I must be a pretty special guy to have so many people love me so much!

3 Weeks In

2011-04-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

This was too sweet not to post :)

Wow...3 weeks ago our little man made his debut...I don't want the time to go by so quickly! I wanted to take a moment and share what God has been teaching me since Jude has been born. First, God is immeasurably patient with us as His children. When Jude is fighting sleep or his tummy hurts and is crying, it doesn't take me too long to get some what annoyed, especially at 3 am. However, how many times have I gone to the Lord, complaining, whining, just being down right spoiled (which is far more dramatic than a newborn expressing themselves the only way they know how), and God graciously takes us under His arm, never gets tired of us, never shoves a paci in our mouths, never gripes to his spouse about getting up more to help...He simply loves us and helps us grow. That is the attitude I'm trying to have...that my baby is needing some extra lovin' while trying to grow and figure life out.

Also, in Jude's short 3 week life span, God has also been revealing a lot to me about not being held captive by fear. We are studying 1 Samuel at church and I really was moved by Eli's response to Samuel after being told his sacrifice meant nothing to the Lord and there would be consequences because of his and his sons' behavior. He simply stated, "It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him." (1 Sam. 3:18) Wow...Lord, please do what you think is good for me and my family and help me to trust in You with all the details...

Our First Bath...

2011-03-30T10:32:00.001-07:00

Afterwards wasn't so bad...

Didn't mind the warm water...

DID NOT like the scrubbing...

Justin did a great job giving Jude his first bath while I played photographer. I am really excited to have this become a part of our routine. I wanted to take a few moments and say how great Justin has been about letting me have some time to myself, even though I'm with Jude every minute of every day practically. I have started pumping a bottle so Justin can give Jude his last feeding between 10 and 11, that way I can go ahead and go to bed around 9:30. Fortunately, Jude doesn't tend to wake up until about 2 or 3 after that feeding so that gives me some really good rest. (Knock on wood please!) Justin also has a fairly flexible schedule at work so after we wake up and I give Jude his morning feeding, we get ready, have breakfast as a family and Justin takes Jude and Mason on their morning walks so I can have a good 30-40 minutes of shower/ME time. What a blessing! I am so thankful for both the sweet men in my life!

I FOUND MY THUMB!

2011-03-28T08:11:00.001-07:00

Needless to say, I was a thumb sucker and I also had a blanket named Scrapped (don't remember why I named it that, but I did)...is Jude following in Mommy's footsteps?

Also, for all the Mom's who have breast fed, any suggestions on how to get these little hands out of the way when we're feeding!?!?

1 Week Appointment

2011-03-24T15:28:00.001-07:00

We had Jude's 1 week appointment today with Dr. Cuthbertson. Everything went great. Little man is up to 8 lb. 4 oz, which is 1 oz above his birth weight, which is good. He is in the 50th percentile in weight and 60th percentile in length, so we have a proportionate guy for now. I am ready for his cord stump to fall off even though the Dr. said it looks fine. I'm so nervous he or I are going to rip it off while changing a diaper or something, haha.

I want to also take a moment to brag on how impressed I have been with Dr. Cuthbertson. When we started looking for a pediatrician, I knew I wanted to go to someone who was a smaller practice and preferred personal relationships with their patients. If you know me at all, I need a nurturer when it comes to my health care needs, hence why I LOVE Dr. Smith and Dr. Golden as my OBGYN's. So, any who, after lots of suggestions and Justin and I praying over it, we decided to go with Auburn Adult and Pediatric Care with Dr. Scott Greer and Dr. Bret Cuthbertson. We have just happened to have seen Dr. Cuthbertson in the hospital and today and we love him. On all their paperwork, they even put, "It is our pleasure to serve you by taking care of your child." and they also are open about their faith. I am very thankful God directed us to these doctors. :) There are lots of wonderful ones in Auburn and I'm glad we found the right match for our family...

Our Little Man...

2011-03-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

For those who have experienced parenthood, you know the emotions Justin and I are feeling...completely falling in love, wanting to protect this child from all the bad in the world, and overwhelmed with God's grace over our family as we raise him to be a godly man.

Jude has adjusted well at home. Yes, there are some very tired nights and I often feel like a cow, constantly trying to meet his nutritional needs, but these are things all new parents go through. No complaints from this Momma (at least not today, haha). I feel like we need to "knock on wood" because things have gone so smoothly thus far. I pray that God will continue to bless us and use us to raise Jude in His way.

Hope you enjoy the pictures from our first photo shoot...I can't believe that at 2:35 am tonight, Jude will be 1 week old! I know the time is going to fly!

Sweet Baby Boy

2011-03-16T05:18:00.000-07:00

First Family Picture

Thanks to Beth for announcing Jude's arrival yesterday for us! :) Jude is doing well and adjusting quite nicely to life after the womb. He is absolutely beautiful (not that I'm not bias or anything. )

As for just a few details of the delivery, my first contraction woke me up around 11:40 am. I thought I just had a bad stomach cramp honestly because my stomach was upset. I had 4 contractions 7 minutes apart before I realized something legitimate was going on so I went and woke up Justin. He got out of bed to help me time contractions and they were still about 6-7 minutes apart. I went and got Jill up and we called the parents to go ahead and start driving at this point. (Jill's spring break is this week so it was AMAZING to have her be a part of this with us.) I took a quick shower and at this time, my contractions were already 5 minutes apart. By the time we got in the car and drove to the hospital, my contractions were 3 minutes apart! I was admitted by 1:20 am and was already dilated to 6 cm. By 1:40 I was 8, and by 2:00 I was a full 10 and ready to push. After 35 minutes of pushing, Jude was born perfect and healthy!

I really had wanted to try natural child birth with no medication but I knew this was a heavy task. Justin and I had been praying specifically that the birth would be quick...God answered that prayer with a yes and I only labored for less than 3 hours TOTAL! Truly, thank you Lord.

We are both doing well and he's ready to nurse...Praise be to the Lord for all He has done! The Dellinger family is more blessed each moment by having Jude in our lives.

Welcome Baby Jude!!

2011-03-15T14:14:00.001-07:00

Jude Aaron Dellinger arrived on Tuesday, March 15th at 2:35am! He was 8lbs, 3oz, and 21in long. He has brown hair and blue eyes. Mommy and baby are doing well! Please continue to pray for their new family!

Thanks, Beth (Nikki's college roommate)

Tummy Pics

2011-03-09T07:06:00.001-08:00

Valentine's Day Weekend-35 Weeks
37 weeks

37 weeks

Today, 38.5 weeks (I definitely can tell Jude has "dropped" in this picture.)

I haven't posted my tummy lately, so I thought I would give a few updates...everything is progressing well and we're just waiting for our sweet little boy to arrive on God's timing. We're 10 days out from our due date! I can't believe it! God is so good and I have enjoyed this season of life so very much!

Happy Birthday Momma-Soon To Be "Dee Dee"

2011-03-03T06:00:00.001-08:00

The Lamb ladies before wedding dress shopping for Jillian
Fun in the summer time!

I wanted to send out a "shout out" to my wonderful Momma on her birthday today! Not only has she been a source of strength, truth, and encouragement over the years, she is also my best friend. I am so thankful to have her in my life and I can't wait for her to be here with us when we meet Baby Jude!

Love you Momma!

A Page Is Turned Bebo Norman

2011-03-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

A Page Is Turned

2011-03-01T09:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday evening, my wonderful husband asked me if I would like to watch our wedding video. He was so sweet and thoughtful! So, after dinner, we snuggled on the couch and re-lived one of the most wonderful days of our lives. We laughed and honestly, we both were very touched as we remembered our vows and the promise we made to one another, to God, and to our families.

In the midst of this beautiful change we're about to experience in the birth of our first son (which could happen any day now), I needed to stop and remember/realize how wonderful my husband is. I have seen him grow in his faith and in his love of his family so much over the past 2 1/2 years...it's been amazing. I am so thankful to have this man leading our family and to stand beside me in this life.

See the link above to hear the song sang at our wedding...we felt like it was perfect for us at the time, and looking back, it still is! He stills my heart every day...

Updates and a New Fave Recipe!

2011-02-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

Things are going great for us...we're still in our waiting period until our little man arrives. God has given me such a peace about His perfect timing and I'm really not that uncomfortable at all physically. I have some pain in my hips and lower back when I wake up, but other than that, I'm really doing great! Praise the Lord! I had some really bad pain from Jude lying on my sciatic nerve last week, but thankfully after a few days he moved and I could walk normally. Jude is still growing strong and is progressing great! At my 37 week appointment yesterday, I was 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. I'm taking this with a grain of salt because I know babies can come anytime He sees fit...

I have also found one of my new favorite recipes for a dessert. It's cheap, easy, and SUPER yummy! Hope you enjoy!

Fruity Cupcakes with a Glaze
Ingredients:
-1 box yellow cake mix
-1 can fruit pie filling of your choice (I prefer apple or cherry)
-1 egg

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together until creamy. Pour into muffins tins lined with liners until about 1/2 way full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. (Makes 24 cupcakes)

Glaze: While cupcakes are baking, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 5 tablespoons milk. Drizzle over warm cupcakes.

Jude's Nursery!

2011-02-10T08:45:00.001-08:00

Beautiful painting done by my sweet friend Katie
The changing table/dresser (Katie also did the lamp shade.)

The crib

The blanket

The whole picture :) On the shelf, there are ceramic jungle animals that Justin collected as a child. We also decorated the walls with animal puzzle pictures that Justin actually completed when he was younger with different family members that really bring the room together. It's been really cool to incorporate so many things that Justin loves into his son's room. I also like it because it's sweet and cute, but not too babyish. We can keep the theme well into his childhood.

We have been so extrememly blessed and showered with gifts. God has provided for us in every way, just as He promises. Our little man's room is ready to go. :)

February 2011

2011-02-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

Holy Cow, where has the time gone? Every day is so quick to pass by and I know it will go by even faster with Jude gets here. We are officially on the "home stretch". I'm 33.5 weeks pregnant, meaning, there is only 6.5 weeks before my due date! God has so richly blessed us and I can't wait to meet our son!

On that note, as much as I am longing to meet him, I have been battling with mine and Justin's "our time". Don't get me wrong, I know Jude will bless our home and marriage more than we can imagine, but I also know that we will be tried in new ways, especially in making Justin always feel like my #1 man! February is our last FULL month before Jude gets here, yes, that's right, NEXT month, our son will be born (we hope he does not come too early :)).

We have LOTS going on in this last month...including: finishing the nursery, my last shower, the Superbowl, our Birthing class, my breast feeding class, a Parenting Seminar, weekly Bible study, Valentine's Day, Justin's conference at UGA, an interview in Montana, other showers for friends, FBCO Women's Conference, and my launching of my new business as a BeautiControl consultant! Yes, all that in the next 28 days + regular exercise and work hours.

If I'm not busy, I don't know what to do...please be praying for our family as we approach this time of transition! So EXCITING!

Chicken Enchilada Pizzas

2011-01-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

Time is going so quickly and I can't believe Jude is due in less than 8 weeks. He is growing so big and I love feeling him move around. At my appointment last week, he is actually measuring a week ahead, which was no surprise to me because Justin was a rather large baby and I have a feeling Jude will be a spitting image of his Daddy, which will be fine, because I obviously love me some Justin! :) The pregnancy is going very smoothly and God has greatly blessed us in so many ways. The nursery is almost finished and I think I have begun to become in a "nesting" state. I want everything in order!

On another note, I have not posted a recipe in a while and this is what I made for dinner on Friday night. It turned out REALLY yummy and it's really easy, so enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Pizzas
-1 lb. cooked chicken (actually used Rotisserie chicken pulled from the bone from the deli and it had great flavor)
-1 cup sour cream
-1 cup Salsa Verde
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-4 whole wheat tortillas

Directions:
1. Place tortillas on cookie sheet and broil for 5 minutes or until crispy.
2. While in oven, place chicken, beans, and salsa in skillet and cook on medium heat until warmed through.
3. Spread 1/4 cup sour cream over each tortilla.
4. Spread 1/2 cup chicken mixture over sour cream.
5. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese on top.
6. Place back in oven on broil until cheese is melted.

Enjoy! Nursery pictures are to come soon! :)

Before and After

2011-01-11T11:56:00.001-08:00

First of all, I wanted to post this picture because I thought it was just plain hysterical. As many of you know, Mason is our "first" son and is really a part of our family. He was snuggling with me the other night on the couch when we both fell asleep and Justin thought it would be funny to make him a "gangster" dog with his tobogan, so yeah, there you go. Poor Mason!
Before

After

In other news, I got 2 great chairs from a friend of mine who was simply trying to make room in her attic. I have been wanting to paint them and recover them for a while. I knew I needed to get this project done before Jude arrived, so this past Saturday, Justin and I worked on them and this is our finished product! I am very pleased with how they turned out! All we did was sand them and paint them "creamy nutmeg" and recovered those awful stripes with a pale yellow paisley pattern. All the supplies cost less than $20 and they look really great in our dining room. Our dining room set only has 4 chairs so these make great addtional seating, as well as good decorations. I saw some pretty chocolate brown pillows I want to add to them at Target, but we'll wait for February for that purchase. :)

Lastly, I can't post the day after the National Championship win without saying "WAR EAGLE"!

Winter Wonderland Pics from NC

2011-01-07T13:44:00.001-08:00

I love this picture of Jillian's face!
Jillian and I all bundled up!

All of the kiddos plus Mason

Immediately following this picture, Justin creamed me with the snowball in his hand.

Needless to say, I absolutely LOVED having snow over Christmas in NC! Maybe we'll get a little in Auburn this weekend...just don't mess up the roads.

Working on Jude's Nursery and Bump Pics

2011-01-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

Today I wore this hysterical shirt from Boof and Nat...tomorrow I'll be 30 weeks!
Jude's shelf. Justin painted it and I glued the ribbon. I love how the giraffe print turned out!

The chair thanks to Dee Dee and Pop!

Aunt Jillian thought it would be funny to write on my tummy :)

28 weeks

I have several posts to catch up on, especially since I finally uploaded pictures from my NEW camera, thanks to my sweet inlaws. :) Hope you enjoy the updates!

Recap of 2010

2010-12-30T09:38:00.000-08:00

Phillip proposing to Jillian over Thanksgiving
My boys getting ready for an Auburn game.

4/5 Fab in Auburn + Mason

Boof and me at Matt and Amanda's wedding in June...wow, I do love me with darker skin and blonder hair!

June, Justin was finally home from his 2nd field season!

Mason loves warm spring weather and thick grass to roll around in!

Mother's Day 2010 at Mamaw's

Valentine's Day at the Biltmore Estate

Girls' Weekend in Auburn in January

I honestly can not believe that 2010 has come and gone. As a child, I remember my grandfather saying, "It feels like we have 5 Christmases a year because the time goes so quickly." and now I understand what he meant. As a teacher, I definitely believe in reflection; not harping on the past, but learning from it and looking forward to the future. I also believe that memories are so important and since this blog is one way I keep up with things going on in our lives, I love blogging about the high lights of our year. So, with that said, enjoy as I reflect and recap of all the things God has done in our lives in 2010.

January: 1.) Mom and Jill came back to Auburn with me after Christmas for a girl's trip since Justin was in Mexico for 3 weeks doing research. We had a wonderful visit together! 2.) Because I was having so much fun over the holidays and with family visiting, the morning after they left, I realized I was a week late and took a pregnancy test...indeed, I was pregnant!!! I was shocked. We had been using protection and by no means did this make sense to me. Justin was away and I couldn't call him. "Holy Cow" is all I could say. 3.)Justin got home and we began to celebrate in the surprise of this child. However, on January 21st, God had different plans and at 8 weeks pregnant, our baby went on to be with Jesus. I really don't like the term "miscarriage" because it sounds like a mistake and God's hand was in this the entire time. The next few weeks and even months were defined by this event in our lives as God really began to work on my heart about surrendering my hearts' deepest desire to him and Justin and I both grew significantly as a couple. We also were able to see how wonderful our families and friends were during this time.

February: Valentine's Day trip to Asheville, NC! Justin's grandparents always give us money for Christmas and we had decided that we wanted to use this money to go on a trip. We had no idea how much we NEEDED this time. It honestly was one of my most precious times with Justin. We enjoyed the cute shops and amazing places to eat. We visited the Biltmore Estate and museums. It was a very romantic and intimate weekend for us as a couple. While there, we also realized that God was placing on our hearts a peace about beginning a family. We both realized that we had "our plan" but that it was different than God's plan for us. Though we always thought we would wait to have children after Justin's Master's program, we both knew at this time that God was really asking us to trust Him, so we decided that we would begin "trying" to have a baby and see what God had in mind.

March: Love, love, love the spring time! I had my annual "girls weekend" at OIB in NC with my college best friends and enjoyed the warmer weather and began to really get back into shape. Justin started P 90 X and though I have excercised religiously through out college and since then, I got really focused on wanting to be in the best health possible before I got pregnant. God was continuing to do A LOT in both Justin's and my heart and we were learning a lot about trusting Him.

April: Justin's family visited for their annual Easter trip and we continued to enjoy the spring. Justin's grandparents also visited at the end of the month. We always enjoy family coming into town. We enjoyed taking Mason to the dog park, going to baseball games, working in the yard, and reading under our magnolia tree in the afternoons after work.

May: Justin left for his 2nd field season, leaving Mason and I to have some bonding time. We spent Mother's Day weekend at Mamaw's house (which was very difficult for me this year, after having lost our first baby and not being pregnant yet) so it was really great to be with Momma and Mamaw that weekend. Mason and I watched the month fly by as the school year came to a close and spending all our afternoons going on long walks and keeping the house tidy without Justin there to make things dirty. :) Mason celebrated his first birthday and got to each a whole pork chop! On Memorial Day weekend, Zach, Jillian, and Phillip came to visit. We had a great time and Jillian got to stay with me for the week afterward, moving into June.

June: Jillian started the month off with me laying by the pool, eating lots of Tutti Frutti, and going shopping. We headed north back home and I started my 3 week visit to NC. I was able to attend 2 college girl friends' weddings as well as Mason and I spending some much needed time with Justin in the Outer Banks. I was also able to visit with my family and friends from home and it was wonderful.

July: Justin and I spent the 4th of July in Auburn with friends. Beth, Natalie, and Candice visited Auburn and it was so nice to have a piece of "home" in Auburn! While they were here, we found out after 5 months of lots of prayers and waiting, we were indeed pregnant!!! It was so great to have close friends from home to share the news with us. Justin's birthday came and we almost lost Mason to poison. We also had our 2 year anniversary, which was bittersweet as well as we awaited news if Mason would make it or not. Praise the Lord, he did and our "first son" was back home with us. It took him several weeks to get back to his old self, but we were so glad to have him back home with us. Justin and I enjoyed the rest of the month relaxing and enjoying the summer with wonderful Auburn friends.

August: School and volleyball season came too quick for me, but it was a good transition, even though I was in my first trimester. Fortunately, I did not have to worry too much about morning sickness, I got more sick at night, but my exhaustion was like nothing I had experienced. Before getting pregnant, I honestly thought many women were kind of wussy when they talked about being tired and sick all the time and I ate my words. Though I vowed I would never complain about a single symptom in pregnancy since it's something I so deeply wanted, I really was the most tired I have ever been. Justin was a champ and helped me so much during this time.

September: Justin's parents visited for a football game and we enjoyed our last official days of summer. However, I was pumped because fall is my favorite time of year! We did lots of yard work and enjoyed the cooling nights, football games, and fall foods. We also enjoyed a visit home to celebrate in the wedding of some good friends in Shelby, as well as celebrating the wedding of good friends over Labor Day weekend with friends in Auburn.

October: I celebrated my 25th birthday, as well as finding out we were going to have our little boy, Jude. What a blessing and the best birthday present ever, to know our son was healthy! We carved our 4th annual jack-o-lantern and enjoyed home made pumpkin bread for Halloween. (One of Justin's favorite traditions.) Justin's grandparents were also able to visit! Unfortunately, volleyball season came to an end, but not without us going all the way to sub-state, winning the Area Tournament, coming in 2nd in the Regionals, and ending up in the top 16 6-A teams in the state. I was very proud of our girls!

November: My parents came for a visit and we had a great time. We enjoyed going to the Calvary Museum in Columbus and prepared for cooler weather. We officially put the flannel sheets on and put Mason's "warm" blanket in his pin. We enjoyed long walks together at night and snuggling on the couch. My exhaustion was much better so I finally saw after 9 pm again. :) We enjoyed Thanksgiving with Justin's family, as well as a quick visit from Jillian and Phillip. The very end of November brought great news to our family, we were gaining a brother in law...Phillip had proposed to my baby sister!

December: After decorating the house and listening to my first Christmas song of the season, I was in official Christmas mode. December was really great for us! We picked out lots of gifts and spent a lot of great quality time with our friends in Auburn before leaving for the holidays. We also had the nursery painted and the crib set up, so when we get home after New Year's with the rest of Jude's furniture, his nursery will be almost finished. It's really beginning to set in that 2011 will be totally different once our little man arrives!

Each day is so quick to pass and I am reminded of the importance of making each moment count. Sorry for the long post, but after looking back, we have so many great memories to be thankful for so many people have touched our lives in 2010. Thank you Lord for your many blessings.

Merry Christmas from North Carolina

2010-12-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010 has come and gone, but it's been a wonderful one! We started our Christmas break with 2 baby showers for Jude, 1 in Shelby and 1 in Asheboro with family and friends. We feel extrememly blessed to see people's love poured out over us as we welcome our first son!

Before Christmas, Justin had to go to Virginia Tech for a few days to finish up some collaboration with researchers there, but it gave some time for me and Jillian to catch up on some girl time during the day and have family time at night with my family. On Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a day full of games and hanging out with family and lots of baking and then we had a great dinner. On Christmas morning, we shared in the family tradition of Daddy reading the Christmas story from Luke 2 and having prayer, then we all opened gifts. Again, we are so blessed. To think of all the many families, especially children who don't have anything to open on Christmas breaks my heart. However, the saddest part is that so many people have no idea of WHY we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Savior. I think that's one reason why I love giving gifts, because it's a symbol of God's great love for us, His greatest gift.

Justin's parents got us a new camera, which I really love and have been taking lots of pictures with (and I also got a LOFT gift card to use in the spring after Jude is born! Already looking forward to shopping, post baby!) My parents were great "Santa and Mrs. Clause" this year, getting exactly what I asked for with a few surprises. I wanted new black boots and perfume, and they're great. My siblings also showered us with gifts and they all also bought Jude some of his first Christmas presents. At first I thought it was strange, but my Mom made an excellent point; Jude is just as much alive right now growing inside of me as if he were here, and I totally agree with her! Of course...God has given him life since the minute he was conceived, one of our greatest blessings, our son!

I officially cooked brunch for the whole family with sausage, biscuits, eggs, and hashbrowns and Mom topped it off with her amazing home cooked chipped beef gravy!!! YUM! The rest of the day we hung around the house and had a dinner with my extended family. Around 7:30 pm, the snow began to fall and we officially had a white Christmas.

This morning we got to enjoy our 7 inches of snow and we have lots of fun pictures to share when we get home. Tomorrow, after wedding dress shopping with Jillian and Mom, Justin and I will go to Shelby to bring in the new year and spend time with his family. What an amazing Christmas, one of the best!

Merry (late) Christmas from North Carolina!--Pictures to come!

Mary's Attitude

2010-12-21T12:47:00.001-08:00

The following excerpt is from a women's devotional blog I use often (see it on my "Friends" section"). This is the devotion for today (written by: Marybeth Whalen) and it really struck my heart and brought about deep conviction. I wanted to share it, especially to my women friends:

“Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.”Luke 2:51

Not much is known about Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is obvious from the Scriptures that she was a young girl who loved God and was willing to obey Him at all costs. We don’t know how God chose her to be the mother of His Son — we just know He did. Her response to the angel when she finds out about God’s plan for her is our first clue as to why God knew she would be a great mother for Jesus: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38).

Recently, my children and I were reading in Luke where Jesus goes missing as a young teen, and His parents find Him in the temple. After searching for three days! As parents, we panic if we lose track of our child for a few minutes in a store. Can you imagine searching a city for three days for your 13 year-old son?

When they finally found Jesus, He was in the temple and wondered what all the fuss was about. The Scripture says that He told them He was where He should be, in His Father’s house. “But they did not understand what He was saying to them” (Luke 2:50).

As my children and I read this passage, I tried to put myself in Mary’s shoes. Her son had been missing. I am sure she vacillated between trusting God and panicking. And this was how I know that I would not have been a candidate for the Mother of Jesus award: as I tried to picture my reaction to finding Jesus in the temple after searching for three days, I pictured myself joyous and relieved. Then I pictured those feelings giving way to anger and questions.

Okay, so that was before the days of cell phones. He truly had no way to let His parents know where He was. But why didn’t He stay with them in the first place? I got angry for Mary! And then I read the next verse: “But His mother treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51b).

The last time we saw Mary treasuring an event in her heart was right after her son was born. Once again, things were not going the way I would have wanted. She had given birth in a cold stable in dingy surroundings. Again, I was reminded of how accepting of her circumstances she was, and how her attitude reflected that.

Our verse for today reminds us of a young woman at peace with her circumstances, trusting God no matter how things would work out. Fast forward 13 years later and she is still that kind, gentle woman — no yelling at Jesus, no threats, no yanking Him by the ear when they finally find Him. Instead, the Scriptures tell us that she treasured “all these things.” Would I have been able to treasure that dirty stable? Would I have been able to treasure that seemingly errant teen?

As I pondered these two times where Mary is seen treasuring her circumstances, I began to wonder how often things go wrong in my life and I react instead of reflect. So I’m allowing these two Scriptures to seep into my heart. Is my attitude, “May it be to me as You have said,” or is it, “Okay, God, this is not the way it’s supposed to be and I want You to fix it right away.”
As we go through this season of celebrating Jesus’ coming, I plan to work on my attitude when things don’t go right. I plan to practice accepting God’s plan when it doesn’t match mine. I plan to learn to treasure and ponder instead of whine and complain. I plan to grow in my love and appreciation of Jesus, just as Mary did. I plan to marvel at His coming and revel in His glory. And most of all, this Christmas, I plan to search for Him everywhere, just as she did — and never lose sight of Him again.

Dear Lord, thank You for sending Your Son into this world. As we celebrate His birth, help me to focus on who He is and why He came here. Help me to be the kind of servant to You that Mary was and for my attitude to reflect that each day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Early Christmas in TN Pictures

2010-12-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

Jeff, me, Justin, and Zach after church
Jamen and Cousin Zach

Me and sweet, little Jamen

Daddy and Jamen with Cousin Justin

Jamen with Great Aunt Dee Dee

Because of our crazy holiday schedule visiting family and friends, Justin and I travelled up to Athens, TN the first weekend of December to visit my Mamaw and Mom's side of the family. :) Momma and Zach were able to meet us there as well even though they get to go back after Christmas. :) Though we'll greatly miss our Christmas Even traditions with everyone we still had a great time and we got to meet the newest addition to the Cantrell family, Jamen!

Stormy Weather

2010-12-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

We have been doing a study of Jesus in Sunday School and last week, we focused on Jesus being God. We read Mark 4:35-41, the story of how Jesus calms the storm while sailing on the Sea of Galilee. Please take the time to read this short passage. If you've grown up in church at all, you're familiar with the story, but the details we can pull out as adults are so awesome.

First of all, in verse 35, Jesus tells his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side." (meaning the sea) and they all went. They didn't call home to tell everyone where they were going. They didn't need to cancel their own plans or pack a suit case, they just went. They trusted Him and went. Then, as, they're sailing along, a violent storm comes up and Jesus stays asleep. Of course his disciples are flipping out, but he's tired. After they ask him to "Don't you care if we die?" he gets up and with 1 statement "Quiet! Be still" the storm stops. The author of the commentary compares this to a parent with a child, except, Christ has this power over a force of nature.

I wanted to write about this story and what I've learned from it because of the simplicity of holding onto Jesus. Well, I say simplicity, but it really can be a struggle. In "stormy" times of our lives, weather it be loss, heartache, health issues, or immense stress, we so often want to fix things ourselves and not allow God to take control. I am trying to get in the mindset of the disciples in Mark 4:41, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!"

When we question the world around us and the issues that are tearing us apart, the same man that commanded the waves to be quiet has that authority in our lives...that is something to be excited about!

Christmas Pic Out Takes and a Few Others

2010-12-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

If only he would behave...oh how much more difficult it will be with Jude in the mix. :)

Some potential

My Sweet sister who is almost a nurse!!!

Since my current camera is broken and Santa is bringing me another one, I am at the mercy of others to take pictures of me and my family and send them to me. Sweet Jillian took some cute ones while in Shelby but in the midst of finals, finally got them to me. Thanks Jillian! Love you!

Tis So Sweet

2010-12-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

There are so many things on my mind right now. I fear that this blog will be a vent/rambling session. Oh well, here it goes:

As Christmas quickly approaches, God has really placed on my heart how richly blessed we are. I hear of people have death and sickness in their families, as well as so many homes that will have little food and gifts this season. As I sit here and type, I sense God asking me to really love on people right now. We should always do this, it's kind of a big deal, but especially right now. Justin has been absolutley amazing the last few weeks as he's been placed under such stress at school/work, but he's really stepped it up at home, in spite of what's going on inside. I can feel Jude moving around like crazy right this second and I am reminded of the precious gift God has given us...our first son.

On days when I feel like complaining or being rude or just frustrated, I have to remember how richly blessed I am. Justin and I both have good jobs, we have a safe home, reliable vehicles, a healthy baby growing inside, a loving and supportive family, I mean, seriously, the list could go on and on, yet I often question Him!?!? "What if this happens?" or "I don't want that." are so quick to come to my mind, but God is asking me to trust Him with the details. To really surrender.

As I was doing a quiet time yesterday, for some reason, the old song "Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus" came to my mind and I've been singing it every since. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the "little" things of life that I forget that my purpose here is to bring Him glory. I am learning, it really is so sweet to just trust Him.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

2010-11-29T09:57:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Tree, 2010

Justin and I had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving holiday in Shelby, NC this past weekend. After a hiking trip with his friend Walter and the dogs, Justin and I met up in Shelby Tuesday night to start off a great trip home. Jillian and Phillip came to Shelby for a visit on Wednesday, which was great. We did a little shopping and had a great lunch, but most importantly, it was so nice to spend some time with them! Oh, how I miss my baby sis!

On Wednesday night, we all decided to go see a movie so Justin, Derrick and Cody went to see the new movie with the Rock in it. They seemed to enjoy it. However, Gina and I went to see "Love and Other Drugs" with Anne Hathaway and Jake Gellenhall. We both were really pumped about it. Though I really did like the story line, there were the most innappropriate amounts of nudity and cursing. I mean, they must have said the "F" word 500 times and I'm talking almost full frontals of women. It was terrible. At one point, Gina and I were going to walk out. I would not recommend this movie to anyone unless you are desiring to watch soft pornography. Looking back, we should have walked out. We pretty much covered our eyes for 1/2 of the movie.

On Thursday, we had a great lunch at Mamaw Evelyn's and then dinner at the Dellinger's. Justin's family is really big and it's always fun to spend time with them and catch up. Friday was a good "lazy day" watching football (Go Tigers I might add!) and hanging out with family. We also went to the Shelby High School football game that night with Justin's family...they're off to the state semi-finals next week! Go Golden Lions!

When we got back on Saturday, I really wanted to go ahead and decorate....our last Christmas without little ones. So we did and above you can see a picture. I am really excited because the first 2 years or our marriage we just had a little tree and this year we have a big one, with all the ornaments Gina has gotten Justin through out his whole life. Each ornament represents a different special thing in the year it represents, so that's very special. :)

Lastly, to end our Thanksgiving break with a bang, my sister called me yesterday to tell me that her and Phillip are engaged! I am very happy for them and pray God' blessings over them as they enter this new season of life!

So, now that Thanksgiving is over, it truly is ONE OF the most wonderful times of the year...

My Silly Students

2010-11-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

I guess you could say that I have really "popped" in the last 3 weeks. I am officially 23 1/2 weeks pregnant and until about week 21, I could tell I was pregnant, but everyone else insisted that there was barely a bump. Well, Jude is definitley growing. At my last appointment, I was measuring perfectly and was right on target for healthy weight gain. Most importantly, Jude's heart beat was healthy and he's definitely moving around like crazy. You can see my stomache move and it's so neat to think about who our sweet son will become and how God is going to use him.

Any who, last week I wore a fitted shirt that really showed off my growing stomache and one of my students decided to tell me, "Wow. Mrs. D! Your baby is really growing!" It was too funny!

Jude is very low. Pregnancy has really shown just how long waisted I am. Most people by the 5th month have their belly button protruding and I'm into my 6th and it's not even 1/2 way out. Like I said, I'm measuring perfect, so it's not that I'm smaller, it's just he has a lot of room before he get's into my ribs.

I apologize for a lack of pictures. My camera broke and I'm hoping to get one at Christmas. Mom took pictures of me at 20 weeks when they visited, but has yet to send them to me. Hopefully, Jillian will take some on Wednesday and I can share then. :)

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Happy Birthday Jamen!

2010-11-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

My cousin Jeff, who has always been like a brother to me and a great friend, and his wonderful wife whom I love dearly, Gerri Le, had their first son early this morning! Jamen Alan Cantrell was born at approximately 1:30 am in Athens, TN. He weighed 5 lbs and was 18 inches long. (He was 6 weeks early.) He is doing absolutely wonderful and so is Momma!

Jeff and Gerri Le, we are so happy for you. Praise God for His unspeakable gift! What a blessing! Justin and I are so excited that Jude will have a cousin to grow up with so close in age! I feel him kicking right now as I'm typing about Jamen!

Gran Deb (aka, my Aunt Debbie, my Mom's sister) and Papa Roggie are also the proud grandparents! YAY!

Happy Halloween! (Belated)

2010-11-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

Our Jack-O-Lantern for 2010

I really enjoy the holiday of Halloween. Though I DO NOT like scary things including costumes, movies, tricks, etc., I think that Halloween can be a fun time to let children be creative with fun costumes and socialize with the community while getting candy. There is a lot of controversy about Christians participating in Halloween, but I believe that it is something that can be very appropriate and fun for kids of all ages when taught accurately.

I'm not going to lie. I was disappointed last night! Since I LOVE Halloween and seeing all the kids dressed up and such (we have a lot of great Lamb family memories from this holiday) I cannot believe we missed out on trick-or-treating in Auburn. Our first year living here, Halloween fell on a Friday and we had plans to go to the AHS football game. Apparently, there is a big shin dig for families down town on the Thursday before Halloween that I was told took the place of trick-or-treating for most families in this community. So, just to be sure on Halloween of 2008, Justin and I lit our Jack-o-lantern, turned on our porch light, and left a bowl of candy for any kids who dropped by. When we returned home, there was very little candy missing from our bowl so we assumed that people were right and the kiddos had their fun in Auburn a day early.

Last year, Halloween of 2009, we were living in a different house much closer to down town and we were told that many families will hit up the neighborhoods after the shin dig down town. (Again, the the Thursday before Halloween that fell on a Saturday that year.) So, I went out and bought a TON of candy because I was pumped to have trick or treaters. We had 2 come by our house! Talk about disappointed. Again, the light was on, the jack-o-lantern lit, and 2 stinkin' kids.

So, this year, Halloween fell on a Sunday and we were sure no one would come by our house. The "shin dig" has already taken place for Halloween 2010 in Auburn on Thursday, so we made dinner and began to carve our jack-0-lantern for this year. Nothing lit yet (we were a little late on the carving this year) and NO light on. I'm serious, we had 15 families with at least a total of 40 kids come through our neighborhood and over 1/2 of them stopped by our house. The first few we actually answered the door and told them we were sorry, we had no candy, and then eventually we stopped going to the door. What happened? Why was this year different? The one year I could have had trick-or-treaters, no one relayed the message to me that kids were doing it differently this year and I missed out. Super disappointed. Any might I add that poor Mason was mortified at kids dressing up as "strange" beings knocking on our door. Needless to say, he did a great job protecting the fort last night.

Oh well, 3 years, no luck...next year we'll have little Jude out and about ourselves! :) And, yes we've already decided, Justin is going to be Steve Erwin and Jude is going to be a crocodile!

Happy Birthday Jillian

2010-10-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Jill was such a wonderful "auntie" even after Mason ate her first "from scratch cake.

Jill at 16 and me at 19.

God has blessed me tremendously with 2 wonderful siblings, including my baby sister Jillian. I can't believe she is 22 today! We have shared so much in life including playing Little House on the Pararie, me making her be my pretend model (that's how I got to be good at doing hair and make up) and lots of fights, especially in high school. However, she is truly a part of me. Plenty of late night talks, laughing til we pee ourselves, and crying hysterically has helped me become the woman I've become today.

She was one of the first people I told I was engaged, she stood by me as my maid of honor at my wedding, I called her as soon as we found out we were pregnant...all of these important mile stones we have shared. I love you very much Jillian! I hope you have a wonderful birthday!

18 Week Pictures, even though I'm 19.5

2010-10-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

The past week, Jude has really began to pop out so these pictures don't do him justice. However, while trying to use my camera this morning in a lesson, my lens officially broke so I don't know how I'm going to take update pictures until hopefully Christmas, when we get a new camera!

Justin and I went to Columbus last night to register at Babies R Us. We had so much fun! Justin was way cute about everything! I didn't know if I would want to do a theme, but when we found "Jungle Babies" it was too perfect for Justin's son. :) It's kind of crazy to think that this time next week, we'll be half way through my pregnancy. Holy Cow!

Fall Flowers and Birthdays

2010-10-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Jude has already taken my birthday thunder since we found out he was a he the day before it, so I am just now getting to blogging about my 25th birthday. That's right, on October 14 I turned a quarter of a century old, haha. Honestly, having the news of a healthy baby boy could not have been any better of a present, but along with that wonderful news, I did feel extremely loved and appreciated. I got lots of cards and money (thank the Lord I can get some new glasses now) from family and my sweet friends at work and students had me a cake and a few surprises. Justin was super sweet and bought me some fall flowers for the yard, which is what I asked for. We got some new mums and pansies to keep the yard bright until winter. We also went to Dreamland BBQ in Montgomery the following weekend.

Thankfully, my birthday is not marked with bad luck like Justin's. 2 years ago, he hit another truck on his birthday and this past year was when we had the terrible poison scare with Mason, so next summer on Justin's birthday, we're staying inside all day, no accidents! :)

Happy Belated Birthday to me. :)

Jude Aaron Dellinger's 1st Debut

2010-10-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

This is his whole body, while standing on his head.
His sweet little profile.

Knees bent and something in between. Definitely a boy!

That's right! God has given us a beautiful and healthy baby boy! He is looking perfect and healthy, praise the Lord. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and joy! Justin and I are so excited to start a family with a son! We are praying for a continued healthy and safe pregnancy, as well as the hope that Jude will follow Christ's plan for his life at an early age. I'm so excited to be able to call him by name now, instead of Tater. :)

Mason is hysterical. I have read that dogs can since when you're pregnant and be very cuddly and protective. Well, on Sunday afternoon, Justin and I were snuggling on the couch and started kissing. Mason started barking and literally jumped on the couch and tried to get in between us. He would snuzzle his nose in between our heads. This went on for 5 minutes. He was so funny. He also has a routine that he is allowed to get on the bed ONLY with his blanket down over our comforter (can't stand dog hair in the bed, yuck) and he can only do this when we're lying in bed with him reading and/or watching t.v. Once we're ready to go to bed, one of us will tell him "bed time" and he'll go get in his kennel. Well, last night, I put his blanket in his usual place and he refused to lie there. He pulled it with his teeth to right beside me, rather than at the foot of the bed, and cuddled up next to my stomach. It's amazing to see how they sense things.

I guess I'm outnumbered. I have Justin, Mason, and Jude! So fun...a house full of boys...

Loves Me or Loves a Good Deal? :)

2010-10-01T10:17:00.001-07:00

I think it's because he loves me! Justin won the "Best Husband" award today for sure. If you know my husband at all, you know he hates shopping, could care less about buying anything other than food, books, and camping gear, and knows nothing about babies. However, today he really pulled through!

The Kids Clothing Connection is a semi-annual consignment sale that comes to Opelika. They allow 1st time Mom's to come a day earlier than the general public if you pre-register, but the time is during the day while I'm at work. I asked Justin if he would be willing to go and he agreed to it. I research all of our "big" needs/wants for the baby and their retail prices. I then researched good consignment prices. And, off Justin went with a list of words and numbers he knew nothing about.

After 7 phone calls, this is what he came home with: (A few pictures are above)

1. Chicco Cortina Stroller, Car Seat, Base Set, Retail-$329+tax, with an additional base, retails at $75, total retail, approximately $425, including taxes

Our price=$120! And it's in excellent condition

2. Chicco Ultrasoft Baby Carrier-Retails @ $80, got it for $25! It still had the tags on it and was in the original packaging. This is what Justin is most excited about!

3. Gracco Pack-n-Play-Retails @ $70-$120, we got one for $25.

4. Bumbo Seat + Eating Tray-Retails at $45 and we got it for $20

Needless to say, God is good. He always provides! We spent $190 and the stroller itself is so much more than that! Yay! I'm going tomorrow to look for other good deals!

Justin was so proud, he even came by my classroom so I could go outside and see the items! He did a great job. I think this was his first big step into Daddy-hood.

Wonderful Wedding Weekend and Bump Pics

2010-09-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

Justin and me at the Cherka/McPherson Wedding
10 Weeks-nothing yet

15 Weeks, 3 days, definitley a bump. I've had to begin using the rubber band trick on some of my pants!

We spent a wonderful weekend in Shelby, NC visiting family and celebrating with our sweet friends, Matt and Amy, in their wedding. I took the day off on Friday to go to our appointment aforementioned on the blog then we hit the road by lunch to spend some good, QT with family. We enjoyed dinner with Justin's parents, as well as my whole clan in Charlotte and it was soooo good seeing everyone. This was the first time we've seen our families since we've found out about our addition and it was so good to actually just "be with them".

On Saturday, we drove to Denver (NC that is) and spent a few hours with each set of Justin's grandparents. I really enjoyed our time together and loved seeing them. We got to bring home some of Mamaw Joyce's apple butter and Mamaw Ann's strawberry fig preserves, so that was a treat!

On Saturday evening, we enjoyed the wedding, which was beautiful! Matt's mother is an amazing cook and she actually catered the whole thing herself. Needless to say, Justin was happy. Good food=happy Justin. :) We did have to get home in time to watch the 2nd half of the Auburn game with Justin's family, but I fell asleep, oh well. :)

Sunday we were able to see many of our Shelby friends again in Sunday School and we enjoyed a yummy lunch with Justin's Mom and Dad and Cody. After lunch, the boys all took a nap while Gina and I went to the mall for a little while, then Justin and headed back south. Though it was a short trip, it was so good to be "home".

God has so graciously blessed us with a "home away from home" in Auburn and amazing friends who feel like family. However, nothing beats grandma's cooking or hugs from your own Momma and Daddy.

Tater Update...

2010-09-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

We went to the doctor on Friday and everything looks perfect! I'm measuring right on target and Tater's heart beat was 155 beats per minute. We will find out the gender on Wednesday, October 13th, the day before my birthday! Please be praying that everything looks great on the ultrasound....an update about this weekend with family will come shortly!

Breathe

2010-09-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

Lord, I don't want to be in control. I want to trust You. I want to relinquish control of every detail of my life and let you shine through me. I want to be LOYAL! No matter what happens on this earth, I will serve You. Please, help me to stay strong. I love You and want to trust You. When I am so unsure of what is going to happen, help me to believe that You have already paved the way for us. You will direct our steps. May Your will be done through me.

If Only We Would Ask...

2010-09-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16b

The Lord has really been teaching me how and why to pray. As Justin and I enter into some exciting months ahead, with major decisions that will effect our family, we have realized the importance of taking every detail to the Lord. While learning this, I wanted to share with you some thoughts, as well as a personal example of what God is doing through prayer.

We had the priviledge of hearing from a couple, the Jane's, in Sunday School last week. They gave their testimony and talked about the importance of prayer in marriage. They emphasized WHY it works and HOW we should do it. It could not have been a more perfect lesson for Justin and I. We have been really convicted about having more prayer time together as a family and seeing the fruition of it in others' lives really hit home.

As I look back in my life and see the things that I have really sought God after, it truly is amazing how powerful and effective our prayers can be, if only we ask. I've seen healing, restoration, salvation and so much more. Honestly, however, some of my favorite things is to see the details. There was 1 time in college that I needed exactly $100 to cover the rest of my monthly bills, so that's what I prayed for. No kidding, the next day, a family I babysat for gave me $100 for a "summer bonus"! Talk about being faithful. He will always provide what we need.

Recently, I have been burdened about how we would buy Christmas presents. God has richly blessed us with my job and Justin's graduate school, however, we are on a budget, especially now with our Tater on the way. Our first year of marriage, we were blessed enough to have a ton of gifts cards left over from our wedding to buy gifts. Last year, Justin sold his student season tickets for a large sum that more than covered the cost. However, that money this year is going to pay for a trip out west for Justin to look at Ph.D positions. So, here we were, thinking, how much do we need to save for the next 4 months to buy Christmas presents?

Some would say, "Don't worry, it's not a big deal. Families understand with a baby coming." However, those people obviously don't know me. The way I show love and appreciation towards others is giving. I love to make things, bake things, and surprise people, even with little things. So, to think of a Christmas that I didn't go out seeking the perfect gift for each person I love the most would honestly be torturous to me. I also love a deal, so I actually enjoy working with a budget. So, Justin and I discussed exactly how many people we would buy for and how much we would spend on each. With that said, I gave it to the Lord and asked that He would provide. Provide He did!

Last weekend, a dear, sweet friend of mine, Mindy, got married. I was given the opportunity to do her hair, as well as her bridesmaids. I was able to make just enough to cover our Christmas present budget!!! I could not be more excited or thankful! Again, if only we would ask, He always provides!

Thank you Lord, for your faithfulness.

My Students' Take on the Oil Spill

2010-09-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

After teaching a science lesson on the oil spill in the Gulf, here are some of my students' responses:

Question: Describe ways people use oil.
Answer 1: They use oil for cooking, cars, and cutting grass.
Answer 2: They use oil for fried food and to make food not stick also.

Question: How would you raise money to help people in the Gulf?
Answer 1: I raise money like having a concert like Jimmy Buffet did.
Answer 2: I would raise money by getting tithes and offerings.

Some things never cease to amaze me. :)

Auburn Volleyball

2010-08-31T10:28:00.001-07:00

I have started my 2nd year as the assistant volleyball coach/conditioning coach at Auburn High School. I also help with the JV and middle school teams. I realized that I've never shared this passion and joy on the blog before! We're going in full swing with our season so I wanted to dedicate a post to my wonderful players and co-coaches.

I have had the priveledge of coaching with 3 wonderful other coaches, Jan, Mindy, and Abby. We work great as a team and have a ball when we're together.

We also have a GREAT group of girls this year. They work hard, push themselves, are so respectful, and have really fun, laid back attitudes. Being a student athlete myself growing up, some of my favorite memories of my life are on the volleyball or basketball court or the softball field. I know how important these memories are to these girls. Not only is being an athlete something that's important, but as a coach, I also have the opportunity to share my faith and my life stories with these girls. I know some of the most influential people in my life (for good or bad) from the ages of 10-18 were coaches and I hope I can spare some nuggets of truth for these girls to take with them. I pray for them each every day and feel so blessed to be a part of this team. Right now we're 3-4 but we have some great games this week, including Ben Russell tomorrow night! Any who, coaching has become something I love, almost as much as playing and I am so thankful for this opportunity!

170 Beats Per Minute

2010-08-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

That's right...that was Tater's heart beat at the doctor's office today! Everything is looking healthy! Thank you to everyone who has been lifting us up in your prayers. :)

Far Away

2010-08-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Living, He loved me.
Dying, He saved me.
Buried, He carried my sins far away.
Rising, He justified, freely forever
One day He's coming, Oh glorious day!

This is one of my favorite choruses...it's been on my heart. How richly blessed I am to have a risen Savior. No matter what the circumstances, God does indeed work together for good. Every day, I see His hand. Thank you Lord for your many blessings and unspeakable gift!

School has begun...and Sausage and Cheese Muffins

2010-08-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

I can not believe that the 2010-2011 school year kicked off today and is already over. I am really excited about this school year. I have 11 students in my self-contained special education classroom, with 2 para-professionals and several other members of our SPED team. :) I am totally stoked about really focusing on functional skills like learning the public transportation system, money sense, and every day shopping and living. I love preparing my "babies" for the read world. They are too funny and never a dull moment. I also announced to them today about "Tater". Their faces were priceless! My para-pros and I joked that would be the most quiet moment in our classroom all year! One student, knowing "How you make a baby!" almost asked, "Who's the daddy?" before remembering that I'm married. I assurred them, "It's ok, remember, I'm married." Another student told me her Mama would fuss her out if she came home pregnant. I told her that her Mama was right to do so. :) So, with all that said, 2010-2011, here we come!

Sausage and Cheese Muffins
(These are one of my most favorite things in the world to make ahead of time, put them in freezer bags, and use as needed. They are Ms. Denise's (Martha's Mom) recipe.)
Ingredients:
-1 lb. lean spicey sausage, cooked and drained
-2 1/2 cups bite sized pieces of 2% velveeta cheese (I just chop up about 1/2 of 1 large block)
-6 Whole Wheat English Muffins, cut in 1/2

Directions:
1. Melt cheese on low heat in skillet and add sausage.
2. Spoon onto english muffin halves
3. Broil for about 4-5 minutes on cookie sheet
4. Allow to cool, serve or freeze for later.

1 Samuel 1:27

2010-08-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted me what I asked of Him."

God has chosen to bless us with a beautiful baby! We could not be more excited, scared, nervous, or overjoyed! Such a rush of emotions and gratitude. At our first visit, everything looked perfect and "Tater's" heart beat was 126 beats per minute. (Justin decided tater would be short for Tater Tot, since that's about how big he/she is. Please be praying for me and our precious little one!

10 Reasons Why I Love my Hubs...

2010-07-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

1. He is the hardest working person I know...pulling 15 hour days to him is no biggie.

2. He is so willing to learn. When we got married, he didn't do laundry, dishes, any kind of clearning around the house. When I got home Tuesday night from volleyball, the laundry was folded, the dishes were put away, and the kitchen was clean. :)

3. He takes constructive criticism. He is not proud of puffed up when I ask him to work on something. He listens, takes it it, and tries to do better. (*I still am working on this trait.)

4. He doesn't care what other people think. He is who he is and if you don't like him, your loss. (*I myself am a people pleasure through and through. I need to grow some tough skin.)

5. He is driven. He knows what he wants and has surrendered that to the Lord.

6. He's funny. Justin is always cracking jokes and picking.

7. He's a terrible driver. We won't mention the speeding tickets, the bump ups, the deer...but he's ok with that. His attitude is, "Oh well."

8. He's a family man. He knows all of his parents, grandparents, and great grandparents birthdays and he actually reminds me to mail them cards. He loves his family and time with them and their opinions and advice are very important to him.

9. He's HOT...let's be honest, my hubby does look pretty good. :)

10. He loves Jesus more than he loves me. I have no doubt in my mind that Justin absolutely adores me, but I know that his walk with the Lord is first in his life...I can be so much more confident as he leads our family knowing this.

Love you Justin!

What a Weekend....

2010-07-19T16:46:00.001-07:00

The birthday boy, in typical form...

Our little fighter...

So, this weekend was quite an adventure. Saturday was Justin's birthday, but instead of doing a tone of celebrating, we spent a lot of time worrying about Mason. For those who have not kept up on Facebook, Mason got into some kind of commericial agricultural strength insecticide Saturday morning and became extremely sick. Justin rushed him to the vet where he peed uncontrollably, vomitted every where, and had convulsions. They quickly put him on the IV's and began treating him. At one point on Saturday night, the vet told us there was nothing he could do, it was up to Mason and the Lord and as of last night, he is officially out of the woods! Praise the Lord! They kept him today to keep him hydrated but he should be back home with us tomorrow morning!

As for the rest of Justin's birthday, he did get to open cards from family and I surprised him with a pair of Choco's...he has really been wanting a pair and after this summer, he's certainly earned them! Our sweet friends, Jason and Rozi, invited us over for dinner with Matt and Katherine, and it ended up being perfect because having a birthday dinner at home without Mason would have been awful. We had a blast and Justin loves playing with the Dover boys....he's hysterical with them!

Yesterday was a good relaxing day, but it still wasn't the same without having Mason around. As Justin and I talked and prayed about it, it really put things in perspective for us. Fortunately, the only people I've lost in life have been 3 of my grandparents and though it's still sad, it's normal. As we talked about how it would feel to lose Mason, we began to really feel heart broken for those who lost humans in their lives. I can not imagine that pain. I hope that this experience leaves us filled with more compassion and sympathy with those who are grieving.

And lastly, today is our 2 year anniversary! I can't believe it! Justin took me to a picnic at Town Creek Park where we ate and played gin under the gazebo. It was so nice. We are about to enjoy a yummy dinner at Long Horn and spend the night cuddling. Justin got my rings put together for our anniversary earlier this summer and they look beautiful and don't turn on my finger as much, so that was a wonderful gift! I am so thankful to have a wonderful husband who is so eager to try, willing to learn, and loves me with all he has. Happy Anniversary Justin!

Summer Lovin', Havin' a Blast

2010-07-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

Pure deliciousness!
4 of the 5 + Mason in Auburn!

Whew...so sorry for the drought of posts. I thought I would have MORE time to blog but boy was I wrong. Since I last wrote, I have been to Gulf Shores with the Varsity volleyball team, and let me say, though we're young this year, we will be very good! So exciting!

I also had 3 of the Fab 5 visit Auburn. Beth, Candice and Natalie got to spend 4 days with me and it was wonderful. We enjoyed long jogs in the rain, sprints through Town Creek Park's sprinklers and other Auburn favorites like shopping down town and eating at local hot spots like Big Blue Bagel, Bizilia's, Niffer's, and Tutti Frutti (twice!). Most importantly, we just got to spend some great quality time together, watching chick flicks and "sharing life" again for a few days. It was great! *We did miss Martha though...too bad it was her 1 year anniversary and so what if she had a math conference in Atlanta!

Lastly, I wanted to share about mine and Justin's swing dance lesson we experienced last night. We went with Matt and Katherine and Ryan and Amy to the Jan Dempsey Art Center. I have been totally pumped about trying this all summer and we finally were able to go last night. Let's just say, awkward it not quite enough to describe this at first. We got in a circle and instead of staying with our husbands, the men rotated partners, so I got to dance with perfect strangers, including one creeper in particular. However, when the night was over, we had learned some moves such as the "pot picker", the "Elvis", the "inside turn", and the "dip". When it was all said and done, we had a really good time, enjoyed some great laughs, and now we have a little something to show off at the weddings we have coming up in September!

Back in Auburn and Breakfast Casserole

2010-07-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Whew...where did June go? After enjoying some amazing time with family and friends in North Carolina, Justin, Mason and I are officially back in Auburn for the rest of the summer! July is special for us since it's Justin's birthday month, as well as our anniversary. We've jumped right into the swing of things with getting some very much needed yard work done (it's crazy what 3 weeks away will do), visiting the Thomas's and sweet Baby Thad, and enjoying Justin's intramural basketball games. They play in the semi-finals next week! :) We really did have a wonderful visit at home, but it's always good to get back our home away from home...

Breakfast Casserole (there are several versions of this, but I'm pretty bias and think mine is pretty good :))

Ingredients:
-6 eggs, scrambled, salt and pepper to taste
-1 cup skim milk
-1 package reduced fat Crescent Rolls
-1 lb spicy sausage, cooked and drained
-2 cups 2% sharp shredded cheese
*Optional; spinach leaves, diced cherry tomatoes, can of drained Rotel, diced onions and/or green peppers

Directions:
1. Grease 9x13 baking dish
2. In large bowl, mix eggs and milk
2. Roll out crescent rolls until flat in bottom of 9x13 pan
3. spread cooked sausage over crescent rolls
*If you decided to add any of the optional ingredients, do so now. I usually add spinach leaves and diced tomatoes to give us some veggies. :)
4. pour egg and milk mixture evenly over sausage
5. Spread cheese over eggs
6. Bake at 375 for app. 25 minutes or until eggs are light and fluffy and rolls are golden brown
*This is great for a brunch or can be made ahead and baked later...

Help Please

2010-06-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

I'm wanting to set up a side bar with my recipes...sections for appetizers, desserts, etc. I'm totally blog illiterate. :( Can someone help me/guide me on how to set this up? I thought it would be easy for others to find different recipes they've seen on my blog. :)

Thanks!

My Momma's Amazing Banana Pudding

2010-06-24T11:58:00.001-07:00

This is a great summer time dessert. It's light and you can make it completey fat free and/or sugar free (or at least reduced fat! Look for the lower calorie options to make it.) This too is one of Justin's favorites! I've made him a double recipe because HE WILL BE HERE IN 3 HOURS!

Ingredients:
-4 ripe bananas, sliced
-1 3.5 oz Banana Cream Jello Pudding Mix
-1.5 cup milk
-4 oz. cream cheese, softened
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1 container Cool Whip
-1 can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
-About 1 box Nilla Wafers (*this is the only item I don't do reduced fat...they don't soften well)

Directions:
1. Beat pudding mix and milk on medium speed until creamy
2. Add cream cheese, vanilla, and condensed milk. Blend with mixer until creamy
3. Fold in 1/2 container cool whip, blend
4. Fold in bananas
5. Layer Nilla wafers in bottom of serving dish, layer banana pudding, repeat twice
6. Top with remaining Cool whip and sprinkle crushed Nilla wafers on top
7. Let stand in fridge for at least 4 hours before serving

Veggie Burritos and Other News

2010-06-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is one of Justin's favorites for me to make. (If you really don't want to do veggie, just add lean ground round or ground turkey to the mixture. :))
*It looks like a lot, but it's super easy!

Ingredients:
-1 cup brown rice (cook according to box and set aside)
-1 can black beans, drained
-1 can pinto beans, drained
-1 can white corn, drained
-1 can Rotel Original, drained slightly
-1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained slightly
-1 package taco seasoning mix, low sodium
-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2%)
-1 8 count package of whole wheat or spinach wraps
-sour cream (fat free) and salsa to top with are optional

Directions:
1. While rice is cooking, add beans, corn, tomatoes, Rotel, and taco seasoning in large skillet and let simmer.
2. Add rice to mixture when done and cover. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour into wraps and top with cheese and sour cream. Roll like burrito and eat up!
4. I serve mine with quacamole and tortilla chips! Enjoy

In Other News:
I'm really enjoying my time at home. Mason and I have been really lazy, catching up on my great reading (I've already read South of Broad, The Pact, and Crazy Love. I recommend all of them, but South of Broad was pretty racey at times.) While my parents and siblings are working, I work out, lay out, read, catch up on One Tree Hill shows because for some reason Auburn doesn't air it, and clean up around the house for Mom. We've had great nights playing games and having dinner together. It really has been so good to just be at "home". I've also been able to study more in God's Word and look into some lesson plans for next year. I know, I'm not good at being still.

Good news is, Justin will be completely finished by next Thursday! That's right, he's over 2 weeks ahead. God is soooo good! I read Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie O'Martian and I have been praying specifically that God would bless the work of Justin's hands and bless his time in the Outer Banks. It's been amazing to see His faithfulness and we give Him all the glory! I can't wait to see him!

Learning & Praying...

2010-06-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

God continues to reveal so many issues of my heart to me as I try to seek Him more. I am currently reading Francis Chan's book, "Crazy Love", and it has deeply convicted my complancency in my walk with Christ. It is so easy to get comfortable in our walk and think we're doing ok, but I need a reality check to remind me of my sin and my great need for Him. One quote that I'm meditating on right now is this, "God does not NEED us, yet He always WANTS us. Quite the contrary is true of us. We rarely truly WANT Jesus, yet we always NEED Him." Oh, how I'm learning to need and want Him more, to love Him deeply and passionately, as He molds my heart to be more like His.

Lord, I know the my circumstances stir deep emotion. Sometimes I worry. Sometimes I obsess over things I cannot control. Yet, my circumstances can be disruptive. I want to have a heart that has no need to fear—anything. I want to find delight in the things you ask of me. So I will begin with what I know and will be obedient to You today, for my faith knows that being blessed is being forgiven. Offering myself to you is the best application of my faith. So I will delight in You! Amen

*This is a prayer that I got off of PC3's devotions last week...it really hit home to what I'm dealing with now and I wanted to share it with you all. Check out their daily devotions at their website: www.portcitychurch.org. (This is the church I attended while in college.)

Where the Wild Things Are...

2010-06-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

My journey to NC has begun. After a wonderful short visit with the family and enjoying Matt and Amanda's wedding last Saturday, Mason and I left to visit Justin last Sunday for a few days. I honestly did not realize how primitive of a place he was in. WOW. Though the "bunk house" is a much better habitation than his 1 room shack from last year, the closest grocery store was 40 minutes away and were were surrounded by a lake on 1 side and corn fields on the other 3 sides with a terribly bumpy road running right down the middle of it. (I promise, pictures will come soon enough. :))

When Mason and I got there on Sunday afternoon, I got to run into Justin's arms. He looks like Noah from The Notebook again and I honestly don't think Mason knew what to think of him. He showed me around the house and we went on a boat ride on the Pungo Lake, which was beautiful. It was Mason's first boat ride and he doesn't typically like water, so we had a fun time. We then went on a nice walk around the corn fields to get our legs a good stretch and let Mason get some energy out and it was so nice to just hold hands and talk with Justin in person. I missed him soooo much! While on our walk, Mason did see his first Timber Rattler though...yes, there is a species of rattlesnakes in Eastern NC.

We enjoyed pizza for dinner and enjoyed snuggling on the couch. On Monday morning, Justin took Mason "in the field" until lunch while I slept in, cleaned around the bunk house, and sun bathed out by the lake. After lunch, we drove to the Outer Banks (with a few stops along the way to see some wolves in captivity and to see some of Justin's work sites). We decided to stay in Kill Devil's Hills at a dog friendly hotel. Mason got to see the ocean for the first time that afternoon as we enjoyed a few hours on the beach before dinner.

At the hotel, we had a king size bed and needless to say, Mason thought he was going to be able to boot us out of it! Keep in mind, at home he stays in his pin at night so on vacation he just sleeps on a blanket on the floor. However, with a bed this big, he thought he could pull one over on us...he was so cute!

On Tuesday, we got to go to Jockey's Ridge, which is a state park of the largest dunes on the east coast. It was so pretty and we all enjoyed climbing and running down the dunes. We then drove to Cape Hatteres to see the light house and spend some time on the beach there. The Outer Banks really is a beautiful and historical place to visit!

On Wednesday, we spent a little time on the beach in the morning before driving to Manteo, which is where our nation truly started. It's where Virginia Dare was born, the first English settler born in America and it's where the lost colony was last located. Beautiful town! We enjoyed some some of the sites there before heading back to the bunk house.

Once we arrived back, Justin decided to take me for a drive to see what he sees every day. Needless to say, we saw black bears, foxes, raccoons, wild turkeys, more rattlesnakes...it was like driving in a zoo! No wonder my husband loves his job. It was so amazing to see all the different wild life literally in their own habitats!

Thursday morning we got up and I went in the field with Justin to help him look for scat. There is a reason I'm not his field assistant. I was bored out of my mind, it was hot as blue blazes, and the bugs were terrible, but I got to spend a little more time with my sweetie. (Mason also enjoyed playing with the turtle he found as well as the dear carcass.)

Now, I'm enjoying the my time in Wilmington with friends Haley and Lee who so sweetly let me stay with them while in town for Kristen and Cam's wedding on Saturday! We had Kristen's Lingerie shower last night at Kirsten's house and it was so much fun! The skies are blue and the weather is perfect, so I am on my way out to Wrightsville Beach!!! More fun is to come!

Blueberry Goodness--Recipe of the Week

*This is the easiest recipe and is absolutely delicious!!!

Ingredients:

-1 large can of crushed pineapple (undrained)

-1 carton fresh blueberries, washed

-1 box yellow cake mix

-1 stick melted butter

Directions:

-Pour and spread evenly all ingredients in 9X13 baking dish in the order in which they are listed above.

-Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes or until golden on top.

Ritzy Chicken Casserole and Other Things

2010-06-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

Jillian, Phillip, and Zach all visited me over Memorial Day weekend and we had a GREAT time. I love hosting and having family and friends at our house, so it was a real treat to enjoy the weekend with them. We enjoyed yummy food from Big Blue Bagel, Tutti Frutti, and Whispering Oaks. We saw the campus and went to church. And, unfortunately, because of all the rain, we played a lot of Blockus and Catch Phrase, but it was still great to be cooped up with them. The boys left on Monday but Jillian has stayed with me to enjoy long walks with Mason, some much needed relaxation by the pool, and LOTS OF SHOPPING!

Recipe of this week--Ritzy Chicken Casserole (This is one of my favorite things to make, because it's easy and one of my favorite things to eat, because it's super yummy!)
Ingredients:
-1 lb chicken breast (boiled and cut into small, bite sizes pieces)
-1 cup chicken broth
-1 can cream of chicken (Fat Free of course)
-8 oz. sour cream (fat free as well)
-1 roll whole wheat Ritz crackers, crushed
-1 stick melted butter

Directions:
-Spread chicken on bottom of 9x13 casserole dish (salt and pepper lightly)
-Mix broth, soup, and sour cream well in seperate bowl, pour over chicken
-Mix crushed crackers and butter together. Crumble on top of chicken and mixture
-Bake at 375 for 25 minutes

ENJOY!

Oreo Balls & Mason's Birthday

2010-05-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

1st Post of the Day-Oreo Balls:
As promised, I am going to do 1 recipe a week this summer to share with you some of my favorite things to eath and make. This one is from my friend Tiffany, so I must give her the credit. She shared them with me at Special Olympics and I made them for my family, who are visiting this weekend...super easy and way decilious! ENJOY!

Ingredients:
-1 package of oreos (You could do reduced fat, but I do double stuffed!)
-1 8 oz. package of cream cheese-softened (fat free of course)
-1 box of Baker's White Chocolate Bark

Directions:
1. Crush/crumble oreos in a food processor until tiny (You could put them in a zip lock bag and use a rolling pin, but a food processor does get them smaller.)
2. Gently blend cream cheese with oreos
3. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls
4. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes
5. Melt White Chocolate Bark
6. Dip balls into white chocolate.
7. Cover cookie sheet with wax paper and place dipped balls onto it. Keep in refrigerator until hardened. Place in air tight bag or container and keep in fridge until eaten. YUMMY!

Thanks again Tiffany!!! :)

2nd Post of the Day-Mason's Birthday:
Today is our sweet boy's 1 year birthday. I can't believe it's been 1 year since we knew we would be bringing home our first family pet. Though owning and loving a dog does add to monthly expenses and our daily time, it has been well worth it. Mason has been WONDERFUL for our family. Justin takes him on a morning run every day. I walk him in the afternoons when I can and we almost always take him on a nightly walk together as a family. It's really held us accountable to being in shape, as well as giving us more intentional time together. Besides, Mason is just so darn cute! He is such a funny animal and loves to chew on his bones and play tug. He loves wrestling with Justin and snuggling with me. He's been such a wonderful addition to our family! Happy Birthday Macey Boy!