"that's Jesus' birthday!"

when talking with a little boy the other day, I told him the baby was supposed to come on Christmas. i loved his innocent, but very excited response: "your baby would have the same birthday as Jesus!" you don't hear that name much in the public these days...you can hardly say, "Merry Christmas!"...so it was music to my ears to hear a little one say the name of Jesus without hesitation! and with our due date being that special day...we are already less than four weeks away! at our appointment tonight they officially gave us the "36 week paper" which told us when to call with our contractions, how far apart they need to be, for how long, what number to dial, what color clothes to wear, how to do my hair...just kidding on those last ones. but already here we are...less than four weeks to go. the baby is head down still...doesn't seem to want to move out of that position, as evidenced by the butt bump i often feel right under my rib cage.

we had our last baby shower yesterday. the ladies i work with threw me a surprise shower...and they did surprise me! (pictures coming soon) we got the best gift...a message board full of MONEY! they had collected money but instead of getting a group gift, we got cash. it was so neat (and so creatively presented-thank you joanne!) we also were given a book basket which i loved, as well as a number of other individual gifts. what a blessing to feel cared for and so supported by those i work with. i am so thankful for joanne and pam who worked so hard (and so secretly) to pull it all together.

so with that, we start the countdown..."little one" is due in 26 days :)

we were showered with blessings again

this past saturday, justin's family threw a baby shower for us. what an overwhelming blessing it was. God has provided for us and this baby in so many tangible ways. the love, support and care i felt by so many at this shower was amazing.

this is the cake Aunt Bonnie made (the best cake there is!) with justin's christening shoes on top

here are the ladies that put it all together. THANK YOU!

i couldn't have made it through all of the presents without marm's and eva's help (at times i wasn't sure who was more excited about the gifts...me or them!)

my sister was the photographer of the day (by the way mare, i think we have the same noses)

i'm so glad mom and mare could be there too

my, how time flies

just this weekend, we went to a child care class at the local hospital. i was so thankful for the detailed information about what to expect in labor. i'm sure i'll still be surprised and overwhelmed and a ton of other emotions, but it did make me feel better to be more informed. we were then realizing that this "little one" of ours is going to be coming very soon! Thanksgiving is next week and six weeks from tomorrow is Christmas! woah! and what if this baby comes early?! it's amazing how fast time goes...and there are so many details to take care of before we welcome this baby into the world! Lord, give me peace and faith that it will all get done.

there aren't words

yesterday, i was "surprised" with a baby shower thrown by my church care group. they were kind enough to release me from having to do thank you notes (which is quite a blessing), but i still want to thank them. thank them for the gifts? yes, of course. what a reminder of God's provision, to have friends and family around us providing so much for the baby yet to be born.



more so, i want to thank them for their hearts and their prayers. we spent a good amount of time praying. they prayed for me, for jay, for the baby...they encouraged me, uplifted me, pointed out evidences of God working in me...and my eyes teared up multiple times. they read a letter that my husband had written, which made me tear even more. i cannot express in words how my heart was touched by that meaningful time with them. to think that we've only been at this church for a year and a half or so, and the Lord has been so faithful to provide us with fellowship, friends, accountability, and support. it was such a gift to be the recipient of such encouragement and love. then to add to it, there were women there who have known me since my high school years (including my mother who has obviously known me longer :). one woman in particular thanked God for His faithfulness to my mother and me over the past ten years or so. and all i could think was, "Lord, she's right. Were it not for you, I would have fallen away. The only reason I'm still walking with You is because You've kept me close."

some others commented on my evident love for my husband. i heard that comment a few times and it struck me..."Lord, with my background and history...is it possible that my husband and i are marked for the love You've given us?" anyone who knows me at all, knows this is an unbelievable blessing...that God has not only changed the family patterns, but made Himself so evident through our marriage.

i came home and struggled to find the words to express to my sweetheart, how i had been touched by the few hours i had spent with those ladies. i continue to struggle for words even now as i write this. i cannot thank them enough for the time they invested to prepare and their generous gifts...but more so, for their hearts, their love, their friendship, and their hearts for the Lord that continue to point me back to the our heavenly Father as well. God thank you for caring for me and showing Your love in such tangible ways.

latest belly shot

i appreciate everyone's encouraging words regarding the size of my belly and how i look thus far in the pregnancy. it certainly is encouraging, despite the increasing weight. you gotta love going to the doctor and watching them move that little black thing on the scale further and futher to the right, until she finally has to move one of the BIG black things over and you've reached a new level all together! it's all good though. i know the weight gain is necessary and means the baby is growing. and i honestly praise God that the gain doens't bother me more. it's all vanity anyway...but it is a blessing, that my heart and minset aren't discouraged or too focused on it. this "little one" is growing and kicking and hiccuping (that's a weird sensation!) and i praise God for what He's doing!

my cup runneth over

it would be easy to write about the "stuff" going on right now. i could write about justin going back to work, or how overwhelming it can be at times being a teacher, or how little projects around the house are getting done, or how josie chased a stray cat out of the yard yesterday (yes, in case you thought she couldn't run...she's still got it in her!)...


but yesterday, two things happened that seem to outweigh everything else that's currently on our plate. first, jay got to talk with a guy he works with, about Jesus! it started with, "so how long have you been a christian?" they talked the remainder of the afternoon about Jesus, going to church, and their stories to this point in life. it was such a wonderful opportunity for jay to share his faith and life with this man, who has a wife and kids, and feels like he should go back to church, he should turn to God, but he just won't. i pray the Holy Spirit continues to work in his heart and lead him to the truth and i'm so thankful for a husband who is not afraid to share that truth when given the chance.


the other awesome thing that happened, was that a man we know came to know the Lord after 20 years of being married to a christian woman, holding on to his Jewish faith, and resisting the gospel. through conflicts going on all around them, he asked his wife, "tell me who Jesus is." then he asked God to reveal clearly to him if Jesus really is who he said he was. the rest is a beautiful story of a life transformed, a man brought to life, and reborn as he said. his wife is rejoicing and on another honeymoon as she put it, to simply pray with her husband, see tears of joy streaming down his face as he prays, and to see him grow in faith and knowledge of his Lord, Jesus Christ.

simply put...despite anything overwhelming going on...or any worries or fears that may consume my mind on a daily basis...at hearing these, "my cup runneth over."

baby movements

aside from the constant, "how are you feeling?" question, the other two major questions folks are asking me is, "what names do you have picked out?" and "have you seen the baby move?" to the first questions, yes, we have names picked out. the girl name is set, but the boy names are still up in the air. as for the latter question, yes i've seen the baby move many times. it's amazing and breathtaking to watch your belly move on its own, knowing that you're not causing it to do so. the baby inside is. but people have specifically asked if i've had one of those full body movements where you can watch a wave ripple across your belly from one side to the other as the baby turns or switches positions. i can finally say, "YES!" to that one.

we were at care group the other night and has just sung "He is Exalted." Everyone was praying and right in the middle of the prayer, i opened my eyes to watch a a large bulge ripple under my shirt from my right to my left side. as everyone sat there with eyes closed, i was wide-eyed and staring at my belly. what an amazing thing to witness! i only hope jay gets to see it sometime soon. so often the baby moves right after he's looked away. i am so thankful to feel the baby's movements. what a reassurance it is, that all is well in there. thank you Lord for that gift. the baby continues to get bigger because i can feel bigger movements now, and weird sensations right before the baby's about to move. it's amazing. there are no other words...just amazing.