Pregnancy Update: 26 weeks

Lily Grace is about 14 inches long from head to toe...
about as long as an english cucumber!

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What A Beautiful Day!

I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but here in Alabama it is a bee-u-ti-ful day! It's sunny and cool and very fall-like. Love it!

Thank you all for your prayers for Nanny! It means so much to know that friends are praying. Nanny is doing better today. She was moved out of ICU to a regular room yesterday and she may be able to go home this afternoon! There is really nothing the doctors can do for the blockages (besides giving her blood thinner) because of her age and frailness. There is also a high risk that she will have another heart attack, but she will be much happier if she can be at home.

I am thrilled how God has answered prayer and given us more time with her on earth. He is so good!

My life is going to be a little busy the next few days as I keep this sweet little girl! She is a precious little girl, but she's very close to walking, so she's going to keep me on my toes chasing after her. We're going to have lots of fun especially spending time outside in this beautiful fall weather!

As you can tell she's a little mischievous!!

I just love her!

For the Lord is good: his mercy is everlasting;

 and his truth endureth to all generations!

Psalm 100:5

Please Pray for Nanny

I have been MIA a lot this last week. Mainly because my sister and I were running around like chickens with their heads cut off getting ready to teach a coupon class on Friday night. Thankfully it all came together without any glitches and we had a great turn out! It was pretty nerve wracking for me because I'm not a public speaker by any stretch of the imagination. I'm glad it's over!

I wanted to ask you to please pray for my dear Nanny (Jacob's grandmother). She had a heart attack yesterday and is in ICU at a local hospital. The doctor thinks that she has some blockages in her neck and stomach. Unfortunately Nanny is very frail, so I don't think that they will be able to do many procedures.

This is me and her on the 4th of July

She does know the Lord, so that is a very great blessing! She and I were good friends before Jacob and I ever started dating. I would go play the piano for her on Sunday afternoons. Whenever I would go play for her, she would always request this song...it was her absolute favorite:

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

written by: Thomas Chisholm, 1923

She is such a special lady to me! Please keep her and all her family in your prayers.

Have a blessed Lord's Day!

Pregnancy Update: 25 weeks

Lily Grace weighs about 2 lbs...like a head of califlower

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Have a happy Wednesday!

I'm Thankful Today!

I really feel the need right now to count my blessings! Here in the south we have been experiencing rain everyday for over a week now. It is rather insane!

So much rain and gloominess has a way of getting us down. It can make us physically (aching joints), emotionally, and mentally pooped!

I read Psalm 118 this morning because I knew it would lift my spirits by all the great verses.

• O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endures forever (verse 1)
• I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me and set me in a large place (verse 5)
• The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation (verse 14)
• This is the day which the Lord has made; I will be glad and rejoice in it (verse 24)
• Thou art my God, and I will praise you: thou art my God, I will exalt you (verse 28)

What a blessing and challenge these verses are for me today! Such a reminder to count my blessings!

Today I am thankful...

• to be alive
• for a roof that doesn't leak
• that we don't have flooding (there are so many people that we need to remember to pray for as they deal with lots of damage to their homes!)
• that we are not going through a drought like many parts of the world are experiencing
• for God's Promise of a Rainbow!

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Not Me! Monday

I most certainly did not give my hubby a nice big bowl of chicken noodle soup only to have him ask after a couple bites, "babe, did you water this down?" Why in the world would I need to water it down? I would never serve my husband condensed, un-diluted soup! Nope, not me!

On Sunday morning as I was busily getting food cooked for our church dinner, I did not put on a pot of water to boil only to come back 15 minutes later and wonder why in the world it wasn't even starting to bubble! No, I would never be so un-observant as to turn on the wrong range burner and heat up the entire kitchen instead of heating the pot of water!

This one is a Hubby Not Me! (he knows I'm posting it, and he's ok with it). A few weeks ago my dear sweet husband did not wear a pair of I've-almost-lost-enough-weight-to-wear khaki pants (with a messed up zipper, I might add) to teach violin at a school about a block away. Everything was going along fine with said pants until he sat down right before the first class was due to arrive at his classroom. Pop! The entire zipper did not bust completely open and break! My poor hubby did not go tearing down the hallway calling to the class that he'd be back in 5 minutes. Nope, not him! He is much more put-together than that.

Visit MckMama for more Not Me! Mondays.

Happy Monday!

Caffeinated Randomness: A Little Confession

Doesn't this look super yummy?

Oh yes! you might say. Well, let me tell you a little secret. It is special chocolate chip cookie dough. This my friend, is Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Made for the complete purpose of eating raw!

Please don't judge me.

Surely there is someone else out there that would rather eat the cookie dough than the cookies?? I certainly hope I'm not the only one! I have always loved cookie dough. Since I am pregnant, and not supposed to eat raw eggs, I decided there had to be a solution for my insane craving for cookie dough!

I found this awesome recipe online and modified it slightly (here's my version). Let me tell you, it is so good! Of course I did restrain myself from gobbling it all up in one sitting. It stores well in the fridge, so you can just get a heaping spoonful little bite when the craving hits.

I'm definitely hoping that this splurge won't make me as rolly-polly as our adorable puppies! ha!

Ahhh, this is the life!

Head over to Under Grace, Over Coffee for more Caffeinated Randomness!

Happy Friday!

16 years and counting

I promised last week to share more pictures of the War Between the States reenactment that my family participates in each year, but I was so busy, I didn't have time to post them.

As many of you know, my Dad is a pastor. He also loves southern heritage! So, for the last 16 years he has taken part in The Battle of Decatur reenactment on Labor Day weekend in our town. He dresses up in old-timey (wool) clothes and plays the part of a chaplain in the Confederate army. He sets up a tent and gives out hundreds of Gospel tracts each year. On Sunday morning there is an 1860s church service where Daddy preaches and we sing hymns from back then. It's such a huge ministry opportunity that God has truly blessed over the years.

Our whole family has gotten out each year (except when we were working or away at college) and participated too. It's a lot of fun! Oh, and my Mom made most of the clothes that my family has worn over the years! She's amazing!!

A Confederate officer's tent

Officer's desk...love the guns & swords

Plenty of Hardtack to share

Daddy under his tent enjoying great conversation

Daddy's tract table

Getting ready to honor a fallen Confederate soldier. My little brother is the flag bearer. He didn't want to stand close to the Yankee, so he was all squished up against the Confederate guy. ha!

Bringing out the cannon for battle

In the thick of the battle. Jacob is on the far left in the white shirt.

Advancing towards the enemy. Jacob and my bro-in-law are in the white shirts.

Sadly they all "died"

Jacob and Daddy after the battle

Mom and my precious nephew on Sunday morning.

Me & Jacob on Sunday morning. That skirt & hoop was about to cut me in half! ha.

My wonderful parents and sweet nephew.

Space Shot

Before we got married, Jacob conducted a youth orchestra concert at the US Space & Rocket Center.

He talked me into riding Space Shot (it does exactly what the name implies)...yes, I was in a dress and pearls.

Ready for liftoff! I will never do it again! ha.

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Buggy Buddy Giveaway!

Myra at Happy Housewife Living Life is hosting an awesome giveaway: a handmade Buggy Buddy!!! They are made of super chic fabrics so your baby (or grandbaby) will be ridin' in style at the grocery store. The Buggy Buddy comes with some awesome features, including a hidden pocket to put your keys, wallet, or phone in!

There are nine ways you can enter this giveaway, but you've got to hurry over because today is the last day to enter! Go here to enter!

Pregnancy Update: 23 weeks & 24 weeks

I know it seems like I've disappeared off the face of the earth, but the last 4 days have been so busy! Jacob had a symphony concert on Saturday night (with rehearsals every night last week) and I went to school with him one day and I kept K unexpectedly one day, and many other things.

Anyway, hopefully I'm back full swing this week!

I decided to post my pregnancy pictures from weeks 23 & 24 at the same time because I'm actually 25 weeks this week. I got a little behind somehow.

23 weeks - Lily Grace weighs about as much as a sweet potato

24 weeks - She is as long as an ear of corn (it was supposed to be a super long ear, but that's all I could find at the store)

I'm still feeling very well, which is such a blessing! The baby has been kicking so much. She even woke me up in the middle of the night last night because she was kicking really hard. We went over to my parents for supper after church last night, and Mom, Myra, and my little brother, Joshua got to feel her moving/kicking! It made me so happy that they could feel her!!

Jacob likes to hook up his ipod and put the headphones on my tummy so Lily can start loving classical music like her daddy. She seems to like it, well, she always moves around a lot, so I think she likes it. ha! At the concert on Saturday night, she was very active especially when the percussion was playing.

One other bit of news I have to share: Roo had puppies last week! She only had two (boys), which I think is kind of weird, but maybe it's because this was her first litter. The little guys are growing so fast. They love to eat, that's for sure! lol!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Are We There Yet?

This is K, a precious little girl I take care of every week.

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Busy Labor Day Weekend

We had a very busy but super fun weekend!

Friday night: we went out with my sister, bro-in-law, and their baby, and another young couple. This other couple has just bought a house, so we went to see it. It was pretty moldy smelling, so I played with my nephew outside.

He loves water bottles!

After we looked around their new house, we went to Panera for supper. It was a really fun time of fellowship with friends!

Saturday: we participated in the annual War Between the States reenactment in our town. I will post lots more pictures of it later this week.

My little bro is the Confederate flag bearer, Jacob and his bro, Judah are in the first row, and my bro-in-law is the guy in the white shirt in the back row.

Me & Ridley

Sunday: we went to church, took a nice long afternoon nap and went to my parent's house for supper after Sunday night church.

Monday (Labor Day): we ate breakfast with Jacob's family. I made delicious pumpkin pancakes to go along with eggs, sausage, biscuits, and coffee. It was nice to visit with Jacob's grandparents and one of his aunts that we don't see very often.

We headed up to Tennessee for a "Painless Labor Day Party" hosted by our midwife. ha! There was really good food (pulled pork, ribs, and all the fixin's) and we got to meet lots of other families who had successfully made it through natural childbirth. It was very encouraging!

We even got our picture made with the stork! LOL.

After the party Jacob and I went to Target and registered for baby stuff. It's so fun to pick stuff out! I love all the cute little girl stuff!

A couple from church invited us and my sis & bro-in-law over for supper. We had a yummy dinner of steak, potatoes, salad, and fruit. After dinner we played Bible Challenge (each couple was a team) and just enjoyed really good fellowship.

It was a fabulous weekend, but I'm completely worn out from all the running around! I am so thankful that God has given us wonderful family and Christian friends that we can get together with often. We are incredibly blessed!

What We're Created To Be

I just read this amazing post on Transparent Mama's blog. It really spoke to my heart because I've been struggling some lately with comparing myself to others. I was humbled and challenged as I read this post to not try to make myself look like, or act like, or be like other people. My focus needs to be on what God has made me to be and how I can bring the most glory to Him through my life.

I encourage you to go and read this post. It will be a blessing to you!

II Corinthians 10:12

For we dare not make ourselves of the number,

or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves:

but they measuring themselves by themselves,

and comparing themselves among themselves,

are not wise.

May we all be the woman God created us to be, no more, and no less!