Waiting...

It's been a LONG time since I last posted. It is always hard to write an "update" post after months of not writing. I can't even begin to summarize our past three months, so I don't think I will even attempt it. We have been so blessed during these past three months. God has been so faithful to provide for each of our needs. He is continuing to teach Nathan and I how to love and care for MarMar and Judah, and also how to better love one another. We are constantly reminded of how much we need God to give us wisdom and provide us with the strength to live in this world!

Judah is 16 months now and always on the go! He started walking at about 14 months and now he is running. He is more playful and joyful that ever! Much of this is a result of his finally being healed of his reflux! HALLELUJAH! At around 12 months, we starting taking Judah to a chiropractor and after a little over a month, he was completely off of his medication and was showing almost no signs of reflux. Now, we can feed him anything and he shows no signs of reflux. We praise God that he no longer is suffering from this disease. Thank you all for all of your prayers. They have truly been answered. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to know that he is no longer in pain! We are fully enjoying caring for our healthy and vibrant little boy!

La'Markus only has a few more weeks of school. He has worked so incredibly hard on his studies this year. While most kids are enjoying sports and other extracurricular activities, he is doing hours of homework every night without complaint.He still tells us that he loves school and will do whatever it takes to continue to go. He is receiving private tutoring in reading and spelling three times a week at school. He has made so much progress in such a short amount of time! We've had so many wonderful teaching opportunities during these past three months. These times of teaching and growing have brought us all closer together. We know that God is drawing him and we continue to pray that he will truly come to know the Father.

Jonah is due in about 3 weeks, but it feels as though he could come any day. We are so grateful that both Jonah and I continue to be in good health. God has blessed me with such an enjoyable pregnancy! I am glad to say once again that I really love pregnancy. I started this pregnancy battling a lot of fear surrounding birth and afterbirth, but I am thankful to say that God has delivered me! He has taught and is teaching me so much about receiving his perfect peace. His grace is so overwhelming! Our family continues to pray daily for Jonah's arrival. We are so excited to meet him. We wait in anticipation for what God is going to do during this time! Please continue to pray for us!

Family and Frist Trimester Updates

Family News
Nate turned the 31 on October 27th! He loves to tell everyone that your 30's are the prime of your life! I suspect he will say this for years to come :).

I gave Nate and MarMar tickets to a Titans game for their birthdays. The Titans won the game and the guys loved every bit of it! The gift was a big hit.


MarMar is still working hard on his school work. He spends several hours a night doing homework, but he tells us all the time that all the hard work is worth it. He comes home every day and tells us how much he loves going to school. He loves to play and make us all laugh. He adds so much fun and excitement to our home!

Pregnancy Update
I am currently 14 weeks and loving it! I am so thankful to say that I've had minimal sickness during my first trimester. I've had mild nausea and pain, but nothing that deserves true complaint. I was very tired during the early weeks of pregnancy, but I feel like I am getting my energy back! Nathan and I had a horrible stomach bug the other week that left us so weak that we could hardly care for Judah (who was also sick with the bug the day before we got it). Thankfully, Granna came to our rescue! As I laid in bed sick at night, I thanked God for sparing me from horrible first trimester sickness that so many experience. I know that God will tenderly care for me and my family as I carry His child regardless of my physical comfort, but I thank him for my health today! I pray that I never minimize the gift of carrying a child in my womb. It is truly amazing!

"We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands."
Psalm 78:4-7

Our Perfect Christmas Gift

*This is the birth story of Judah Benjamin. I decided to write this story not only so that I could share it with family and friends, but also so that I would have a detailed account of this amazing day! It is long, but if you are interested, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Judah Benjamin arrived at 12:24pm on Christmas Day after over 9 hours of labor. He weighed 6.9 lbs and was 18 inches long. He was the PERFECT Christmas gift from God. This is a Christmas we will never forget. Here is how it all happened...

Christmas Eve looked like a normal night for us. We joined my in-laws for some soup and then came home to play a quick game of Payday. I had a short period of braxton-hicks contractions (I had them nightly for almost two weeks prior to his arrival), but we went to bed as usual assuming that this was not the night (we joked about him being a Christmas baby but we didn't really think he would come on Christmas).

I woke up at 2:00am with obvious contractions. Again, this didn't alarm me right away because I'd woken up with braxton-hicks many nights. I got up and tried to sway from side to side to make them go away. Then, I tried to lay back down like I had done many nights before. As soon as I laid down, the contractions seemed to intensify. It was at this moment that I knew I could be in labor. I let Nathan know that I was having some intense contractions, but I told him to stay in bed because I knew that if I was in labor, he was going to need the rest. I went into our living room and tried several different positions to ease the contractions, but nothing seemed to work. I decided I should try to time the contractions. Funny thing was that despite all of our birth preparations, I couldn't seem to find a watch with a second hand, so I had to wake Nathan to help me search for a watch with a second hand. Thankfully, we found an old watch tucked away in a drawer. I told Nathan to lay back down and I went in the living room to try to distract myself by watching some tv as I timed contractions. After about 30 minutes of timing the contractions, I realized that they were 6-7 minutes apart and lasted about a minute. At this point, I was pretty sure that I was in labor, so I woke Nathan to let him know. He got up and took over timing the contractions. After timing the contractions for another 30 minutes, we confirmed that I was indeed in labor. My contractions were consistently 6-7 minutes apart and were intensifying despite my walking, swaying, and changing positions.

It was around 3:30am when we decided to call our doula to seek her advice. After talking with us and listening to my breathing through a contraction, she suggested I get in the bath. I had planned on using the tub during early labor so I was excited to get in the warm water. My tub time was the absolute sweetest time. I listened to worship music, prayed, meditated on the word, laughed with Nathan, and shed many tears of joy. Nathan and I even exchanged Christmas gifts in between contractions. We laughed as we ripped through the wrapping paper, knowing that we only had 5 minutes until another painful contraction. After over two hours in the tub (and lots of hot water refills) and over an hour of consistent 1 minute contractions 4-5 minutes apart, Nathan told me that I had to get out of the tub. Needless to say, I did not want to get out of the tub. The contractions were of course painful, but I was enjoying the tub time so much that I didn't want it to end. I wept as Nathan helped me out of the tub. My tears were a mixture of excitement and a grieving of my time at home ending.

As soon as I got out of the tub the contractions seemed to intensify and I felt very lightheaded. After a few minutes and some motivational speaking from my dear husband, I finally got dressed and we were on our way to the hospital. When we arrived at the hospital around 6:30am, a nurse showed us to our room. I tried to make a little joke with the nurse about working on Christmas, but she was not in the mood. I prayed that she would have a more tender heart towards me even though it was indeed Christmas. My friends and I had been praying that I would have a nurse that was not only tolerant but supportive of natural birth. After my short interaction with this nurse, I was a little concerned that this was not going to be the case. That was until the nurse entered the room and let us know that another nurse would be taking over for the day shift. The other nurse walked in with the biggest smile on her face. She looked at Nathan and I and said, "Isn't it so special to be having a Christmas baby". She then said that she had both of her children naturally, so it was definitely possible to give birth naturally. I looked at Nathan with a smile on my face and thanked God for his faithfulness. He gave us the absolute BEST nursing staff, which made all the difference.

My awesome doula arrived shortly after our arrival. Despite it being Christmas morning, she came ready to joyfully and humbly serve me (she is truly heaven sent). She put both Nathan and I at ease as she discussed the progression of my labor and comfort positions. The nurse checked me and discovered I was 4.5 cm's and 90% effaced (I was almost 4 cm's and 80% effaced on Monday). My contractions were coming quicker and intensifying, so I knew my labor was progressing. At this point, I was still in the mood for small talk and seemed to be managing my contractions with rhythmic breathing. My doula had me try a couple different positions to keep my labor progressing. Eventually, I got on the birthing ball, which seemed to really get things going.

At around 9:00 am, I got up to use the restroom and my water broke. This was another answer to prayer! I had prayed that my water would break naturally so that I wouldn't have to decide whether to have the nurse break my water. Once my water broke, the nurse checked me and discovered I was at 6 cm's. Almost immediately, my contractions became VERY INTENSE. The intensity really caught me off guard. My rhythmic breathing techniques were no longer working. The contractions were coming quick and lasting longer. I was in the heat of labor and it was TOUGH (this is not a strong enough word). My doula informed me that this was probably the last opportunity to get an epidural. She let me know that it was completely my choice and supported me either way. I looked at Nathan and my sister-in-law with tears in my eyes and said, "It is really hard." They both looked at me and reassured me that it was my choice and they supported me in my decision. Some of me really wanted to the epidural, but I just wasn't ready to let go of my natural birth experience. My doula could sense this and told me that we would try another position and then I could make a decision. Thankfully, my labor progressed so quickly that I couldn't even think of asking for an epidural. I was in the heat of labor and all of my energy was focused on survival (that's right, I said survival).

One hour after my water broke, the nurse checked me and discovered I was at 9 cm's. I had went from a 6 to a 9 in an hour! AMAZING! At this point, I was in complete surrender and desperation mode. I could do NOTHING except call on the name of Jesus! I can honestly say that anger was not an emotion I experienced, only desperation. I was desperate for comfort from the Father! I was desperate for my baby to come out so that I could look at his precious face! The next two hours were the most painful hours of my life (I am not exaggerating), but as I look back on this time, it was also such a special time for those of us in the room. My husband held me tightly and prayed that God would give me strength. My doula called on the name of Jesus and assured me that God was in the room. My sister-in-law humbly served and encouraged me. I begged God in a way that I have never begged him before! We were all SO desperate for God's power! We all knew he was the only one who could comfort me.

After finding out I was at a 9, the nurses started insisting that Judah was face down (OP). We are not sure if he was truly OP, but one thing was for sure, he was stuck. I was already feeling like I wanted to push at this point, but the nurses told me that I couldn't push until I was at a 10. This was NOT what I wanted to hear. Finally after a few short minutes, a nurse technician with a lot of experience in natural birth walked in the room determined to help me get Judah out! Her country voice demanded that I must get on my hands and knees and rock back and forth in order to get this baby out. My first response was, "I can't", but I could tell she meant business and before I knew it, I was on my hands and knees trying to push Judah out. It was completely exhausting and while God didn't take away my pain, he certainly gave me the strength to continue because I know that at this point, my flesh had nothing left. After pushing for 2 hours, our sweet Judah Benjamin came into this world. They placed his small body on my chest and I felt IMMEDIATE RELIEF! As if in an automatic response, my hands fell to my sides in an upward position as I praised God for this precious gift! All I could say was "thank you God, thank you God!"

On Christmas Day of 2009, I found out what sacrifice truly means! I discovered what it means to be truly desperate for God. I experienced a sweetness with my husband that I have never felt before. I now look at him with a deeper level of respect and love. I also experienced what I've heard so many talk about, the immediate love of a mother for her child.

Now at home, I am learning that I am truly weak! Apart from God, I can't do this motherhood thing, but thankfully God is faithful! Our love for His precious gift is unmeasurable! Please continue to pray!

Pregnancy Update: Judah's Nursery (35 Weeks)

Introducing Judah's "vintage" nursery...

35 Weeks

I already love to rock him. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite seats in the house. It is such a gift to be able to sit quietly and feel him move! His little clothes are so sweet.There are lots of thrift store, DIY items, and precious gifts in Judah's room. I love to tell everyone how his room came together because I decided in the beginning that I wasn't going to spend a lot of time and money decorating his nursery. Family and friends helped me with several DIY projects (sewing crib bedding, painting old furniture, etc.) that not only saved us money, but also attached special memories to his room. I also received so many precious gifts (many of which were homemade) from family and friends. Plus, family and friends lent/gave us several different items (a crib, glider, dresser, clothing, toys, etc).
We are so thankful for such giving family and friends!

With the recent onset of braxton hicks contractions, it feels like Judah could arrive at any time. We are so excited to hold our precious baby boy!!! I know that these next 5 (or so) weeks will not be free of aches, pains, and emotion, but I continue to pray that God will fuel my passion for the ministry of motherhood! I know He is doing a great work in me (there is lots of work to be done) as He continues to form Judah in my womb. He is faithful, He is faithful, He is faithful!

Pregnancy (30-32 Weeks) and Other Updates

32 Weeks

30 Weeks (keep reading and my attire will make sense)

3rd Trimester Changes

Back Pain

Well, up until now I've had a pretty smooth pregnancy but for the past week and a half, I have been struggling with some pretty intense back pack. I went on a hike with the Linc children last Wednesday afternoon that was supposed to be 30 minutes, but turned into an hour hike uphill. Needless to say, it must have been too much for my body because I woke up Wednesday night in excruciating pain. I thought it was pain caused from an old stress fracture, but by Friday it had moved to the right side of my back. After almost 3 sleepless nights, I finally called the Dr. and they said it sounded like my Sciatic nerve had become inflamed which causes both constant sharp pain and these horrible sharp shooting pains as the baby moves on the nerve. When the sharp shooting pains would come, they would literally send me to my knees. I had some rough days and nights to say the least. I went and saw a massage therapist and have been taking it VERY easy this week and thankfully it appears to be healing. I am still trying to take it easy and limit the amount of time I am sitting, but my back feels like it is healing. My pregnancy has been so easy thus far, so I was a little taken back by this pain, but I have tried to stay positive (knowing that it could truly be so much worse) and continue to pray that my back will be completely healed :).

A Full Belly
Now that I am in my third trimester, I have learned that overeating (even in the least bit) will result in stomach cramps and difficulty breathing. I have found that eating small frequent meals is the best way to prevent both heartburn and stomach discomfort. Within the last few weeks, I have felt like there isn't much room for food in my big belly.

Lots of Motion
Another fun new change is Judah's big movements and kicks. His movements, jabs, and kicks used to feel like little flutters in my belly, but now I feel sharp distinct kicks and I see him moving all over in my belly! It is incredible! Nate and I love feeling him move and trying to guess which body part we feel or see :). We are so thankful he is healthy and active!

Preparation for Birth
While I have in essence been preparing for labor and delivery for months, I have recently been spending more time trying to mentally and physically prepare myself for birth. This past week, we decided to hire a doula and will begin classes with her in the next couple of weeks. For now, I am reading a lot of good materials and praying about overcoming my fears associated with giving birth (I have a few ;).

While I have certainly experienced some new challenges this trimester, I am still really enjoying carrying this sweet baby! Only 7 (or so) weeks to go!

In other news...

A couple weeks ago, we had a costume party to celebrate Nathan's 30th birthday (It is hard to believe that Nate is 30! Time flies when your having fun.)! A couple of white table covers and some cheap leaves were the key to our perfect costume! We are suckers for a costume party. So far, we've celebrated Christmas and two 30th birthday parties in silly attire. There is something fun about adding a silly dress code to a get together with friends. We had a great time!

This past weekend, we took several of the children to a family fun day hosted by our dear friend's church. They had lots of fun games and activities for both the children and adults. As always, we all really enjoy spending time with this awesome group of people!

My Mother's Visit and Baby Shower Fun

It was so wonderful to have my mom visit for 5 days this week! We spent a great deal of time talking about what matters most, our faith and family. We celebrated Nate's 30th Birthday with his family, watched some great movies (Has anyone seen "The Ultimate Gift"?), spent time with family, browsed some shops, served a couple of our dear friends, and enjoyed each others sweet company. She also helped me complete several nursery projects. I can't wait to show you the progress we made. Thanks to my mom, I now have all of the furniture painted and in place. It was sad to see her go, but as always I am very thankful she was able to visit.

On Sunday, my church family hosted an awesome baby shower in my honor. It was a very special night for me and I was so thankful my mom could be there with us. Everything was so beautifully put together. They even kept a vintage theme to match Judah's nursery. Good friends are truly a blessing. Here are a few pictures from the occasion.

My beautiful mother.


We can hardly believe that I am already 30 weeks. Only 10 (or so) weeks to go!

A couple of the sweet hostesses.


Sweet shower decor.


This is the awesome quilt my mother had made for Judah. It perfectly matches his bumper and crib skirt.


My sweet friends made this delicious cake.


I was so happy that our Aunt Denise and her daughter-in-law Erin came to the shower.


My sister-in-laws made me this fabulous sign for Judah's nursery. What a great surprise!

Precious Judah Benjamin in the Womb

Isn't ultrasound technology incredible? I will never forget our first ultrasound of Judah. I remember coming home that day and writing in his baby journal that I felt like we had met for the first time. It was breathtaking to see and hear his little heart beat. The love inside of me for our growing child was overwhelming!
Yesterday, we were able to take a detailed look at our Creator's work. There is nothing like seeing the face of your child. Even though it is semi-distorted, it wells up such strong emotions inside of you. We both left the ultrasound appointment just thanking God for Judah! I feel so blessed to carry this precious child. As I think about how much love Nathan and I already have for this child, I can't help but then think how much more our Father loves him! I pray more than anything else that Judah will come to know how vast his Father's love is for him. I know God has big plans for him.



"For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11


I just came across this song by Kari Jobe and I had to share it with you all. His love is overwhelming!!!




"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19

Pregnancy Update: 23-26

23 Weeks

25 Weeks

I am currently 26 weeks pregnant and am fully enjoying my pregnancy!

*It seems as though my belly doubled in size from week 22 to week 24. It might have been all of the tasty cruise food I ate during week 23 ;).

*I am definitely noticeably pregnant at this point and have experienced an increase in comments and questions about my pregnancy from complete strangers.

* Bending over has become more of a challenge (I am sure that as I get bigger, this will become even more difficult), but I am still able to walk hills (I am definitely moving slower) and lift light weights. I am thankful that I am still able to enjoy light exercise.

* I have days where I notice that I am very hungry, but other days my hunger level seems about normal. I just try to eat according to my hunger.

Time seems to be passing so quickly. It is so exciting to think that baby Judah will be joining our family in just 14 short weeks! We continue to pray that God will fully equip us for parenthood.

His Name...

And his name will be....

Judah Benjamin

The hold up was certainly on the selection of his middle name. After much thought and consideration, we decided to give Judah Nathans granddaddy's middle name, Benjamin. There is something so special about giving your child a family name. We both admire granddaddy and we hope that Judah will know how special it is to carry on this family name.

Doctor's Visit Update...

We had a doctors appointment this past Thursday. During the ultrasound, they took lots of measurements and looked at all of Judah's organs. They said that he appears to be growing normally and all of his organs are working properly, including his heart which sounded awesome. We are both very thankful for this GREAT NEWS! They also confirmed once again that Judah is definitely a boy. We couldn't seem to get a good picture of his face, but he was constantly showing us that he is indeed a boy!

Nursery Sneak Peak...

As I mentioned previously, I plan to have a vintage theme in Judah's nursery. Vintage seems to fit perfect for us because we enjoy finding old things at thrift/antique stores and in our parent's attics, and we love a good deal. So, here's the plan thus far...

Furniture: We are using our nephew's crib (thank you, thank you). I purchased a tall vintage looking bookshelf from a thrift store last week. The bookshelf will probably be painted and distressed. Nathan's parents gave us their old glider (it is in great condition, thank you!). The only furniture item we still need to purchase is a dresser. I plan to find a used long dresser that is a good height to place a changing pad on. The dresser will be painted and distressed as well. Colors TBD (I am thinking red, baby blue, white with brown glaze, black, etc.)

Bedding: I plan to make Judah's bedding (I am only making the crib skirt and bumper). I was able to get some great deals at our local fabric store and I ordered two other fabrics online (ebay and fabric.com).

Here is the vintage fabric that will be patch-worked in with a red ticking tripe, two shades of blue cotton (baby blue and a brighter blue), and white chenille to create the bumper. The crib skirt will most likely be the red ticking stripe. You can see the red ticking stripe and blue fabrics in the picture below.

Other decor: We have simply been collecting vintage or vintage looking items from different antique, thrift, and discount stores. In fact, we started collecting these items before we even knew I was pregnant. Nathan's mom also gave us some of Nathan's old nursery decor which will work perfectly in baby Judah's vintage style nursery (apparently 30 year old items look vintage). Needless to say, I haven't spent much at all and I feel like I have several great items.

Here are all of the small decor items we have collected thus far (minus the cute little outfit I received as a gift). I am proud to say that I got the globe for free! Long story, but I love a free item.

Nathan's mother cross-stitched this for Nathan when he was a baby. Isn't this poem adorable!

I painted this with some friends last week. Painting parties with friends are so much fun! I love this verse. I can't wait to explain it to Judah. Even before you were formed in my womb, God knew you and he has big plans for you!

Birthday Pictures/ Pregnancy Update

I had a fabulous birthday! Nathan treated me not only to dinner out, but also breakfast. After dinner, we went to Barnes and Nobles to browse books, which I always enjoy. It was a very fun and relaxing day, just the way I like it! I am so thankful that Nathan always makes me feels special on my birthday. I am truly blessed to have him as my husband.

As you can tell, we have a camera again! Actually, we have two great cameras now thanks to my deal finder, Nathan. He gave me a great Canon point and shoot camera for my birthday (thank you, thank you) and he purchased an almost professional grade Canon for nice photos. As I mentioned before, he has been doing a lot of reading about cameras and photography so he was eager to test out the new cameras. Hopefully by the time our baby comes, he will be a real professional :).

Almost 20 weeks!

Recent Pregnancy Changes:
- I can feel him moving almost every day now! I usually notice him moving when I am sitting still. Monday was the first time I actually felt him move (aside from "popcorn" movement). I was sitting in my favorite chair reading about glorious motherhood and all the sudden he started doing some flips. It was awesome! Since then, I have felt him move every day!!!

- For the most part, I am experiencing little to no sickness. I have the occasional stomach ache or tired feet, but other than that I am feeling really good right now. PRAISE GOD! I am really trying to work on his nursery and other household tasks while I feel good because I know that as I get bigger these tasks will seem more daunting.

- I am still exercising, but I can no longer run. I can walk up five giant hills and feel completely fine, but as soon as I start bouncing up and down, I feel like I HAVE TO find the nearest restroom (Can anyone relate?). I mourned the loss of running at first, but now I am just thankful that I can still enjoy walking and lifting weights.

- I remember reading in one of my baby books that at 18 weeks maternity clothes would be a must and at 20 weeks strangers would probably start suspecting that you were pregnant. Well, I would have to say that this is pretty close to true for me. While several of my tops and dresses still fit, maternity or stretch bottoms are a must for comfort! Most of my friends and acquaintances still say that I am pretty small, but I definitely look pregnant.

It's a Boy!

We are so excited to announce that we are going to have a little BOY!!!

Last Friday was my last day at the University (YES) so now I am staying busy preparing for the Linc and the arrival of our baby boy. We have some important and not so important (but FUN) decisions to make in the coming weeks so I thought I would share some of my random thoughts with you all as I try to sort through my "baby decisions".

- I am still not 100% sure if I want to get an epidural. I have read MANY articles on this important subject, but I am still not completely convinced either way. Although, after listening to my friend Dasha's birth story (she had a 100% natural birth), I am definitely convinced that natural birth is a BIG commitment.

- I am trying to decide if I want to use disposable or cloth diapers. I have read some great articles on the benefits and ease of cloth diapers, but I am still not sure if I want to take the plunge. I feel that cloth diapers are better for the environment and allow the child to better sense when they are wet, but I am still basically trying to decide if I think I will be able to "handle" the extra work (laundry, etc.) that I will experience if I cloth diaper.

- Along the same lines, I have been reading about elimination communication and am contemplating giving it a try. Do you all think I have completely lost it??? I assure you I have not... I just really like look at alternatives to traditional thinking.

- Now that I know I am having a boy, I have been searching for fun things like crib bedding and nursery decor. I do not have a clear vision at this point, but I know that I want the room to be vintage inspired. I'm wanting to use vintage toys, fabrics, etc. This being said, I am thinking that I am going to have to make the bedding and several other decor items.

- We have thrown out MANY names and only one has stuck thus far. Nathan and I both like it, but we are not quite ready to announce it. His middle name on the other hand has been a bit more challenging. Let's just say we've had a lot of laughs over names :).

In other news...

- We hosted an 80's themed 30th birthday party for a close friend and it was a blast! Who knew that dressing up and listening to 80's music could be so much fun?
- Nate and I have decided to go on a 5-day cruise for our anniversary (a few weeks early)!!! We leave in just a few short weeks, so we are anxiously awaiting some quality R/R time together.

- Nate has recently started to pressure wash our entire fence. He has been working so hard night after night and he still isn't even close to halfway done. I am so thankful he takes such good care of things like our fence because cleaning that fence would have never crossed my mind :).

- We are currently without a camera, but hopefully we will purchase one soon so that I can share more exciting update pictures with you all (I assure you my belly is growing).

- I ordered a new book titled Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God and I am really excited to read it. I know that I need to start to prepare myself for becoming a stay at home wife and mother and I have heard this is a great book for soon-to-be housewives. I will let you all know if it is a good read.

Chicago, Nebraska, Home Sweet Home

It feels like we have been on the road quite a bit lately, so I thought I would give you all a short update. Two weeks ago, I was able to join Nathan on a last minute work trip to Chicago. We stayed in a beautiful hotel in Chicago from Wednesday until Sunday. We had a great time! Nathan had to work almost every day, but I fully enjoyed being able to travel with him. I spent my days browsing the shops, reading, and walking/jogging along the "river walk". At night, Nathan and I were able to do see the sights and eat at some tasty restaurants with friends. It was a great last minute vacation and I am so glad that I was able to tag along.
Last week, we visited my family in Nebraska. We simply spent quality time with my family, which is exactly what I needed. I think this is the first time that Nathan actually got to experience small town Nebraska. My mom even arranged for us to pick sweet corn from the fields on Sunday morning. It was great! During out trip, we ate meals with family, spent lots of time with my nieces and nephews (I miss them SO SO much), golfed with my mom and brother, visited my brothers land, spent a day at my brothers place on the lake (we played hours of badminton), ate lots of fresh sweet corn, visited my aunts house, and enjoyed long conversations with my mom. It was really good to see everyone. I usually don't realize just how much I miss them all until I am on the plane back to Huntsville. It isn't easy living so far away from the ones I love, but we make it work :). I need to get pictures of our trip from my mom (hint-hint) so that I can share them with you all.

This is my last week of work at the University, so it is a very busy one to say the least. Starting on Monday, I will be working at The Linc "semi" full-time, which is very exciting! I absolutely love being a part of this ministry. Once the baby arrives, I plan to be a stay-at-home wife and mother, so I am thankful that I will be able to spend a lot of time at the Linc before the baby arrives.