Sprinkled with Love

Everyone loves to celebrate babies! That is just what we got to do last weekend. We headed back to good ole Gump Town for the weekend to get together with some old friends who sprinkled Baby Mills with some love! Being that this is our second baby and we're having another boy, we didn't feel comfortable with a big shower but some of our friends spoiled us with some love in a low key sprinkle fashion!

We can't thank them enough for the sweet gifts they "sprinkled" us with but the best part was the time spent with them. Since moving we obviously don't see these friends as often as we would like. Hutton enjoyed his time with all these ladies and Baby Owen! As you can see, he's not into pictures as much as the ladies! 

We are so excited to meet Baby Mills and see how God blesses our family of FOUR! Five weeks from today!! 

When the words don't come

Over the last year, my eyes have been opened to a heartbreaking concept more than normal. If you read my blog, which I seldom post on, you know that we experienced a miscarriage last December. It was devastating. Can I look back and see God's perfect timing now - Yes. Can I see God's perfect plan - Yes. Am I beyond thrilled that we have Baby Mills awaiting meeting us in 6 weeks - More than words can say.

But...

Yesterday, I got a phone call from a precious friend that just recently had a miscarriage. I had sent her a text checking on the babe I knew was in her belly and she called to let me know that their sweet babe was in Heaven. We had a smile and laugh over our babies laughing and worshiping in Heaven together. Then - I didn't know what else to say. I just had a miscarriage less than a year ago, but words just wouldn't come.

First, I felt guilty that I was pregnant again after my miscarriage. Did my friend want me to feel guilty - no! She is thrilled for the life growing and forming inside of me. It breaks my heart that so often we don't have the words to say when someone experiences a miscarriage - because it shouldn't be that way. We've been there - so many of us. I've said more times than I can count... "I have more friends who have had a miscarriage than have not had one." That is an alarming statistic. It is common. Devastating. But very common.

We're so silent about it, which I feel is why the words don't come to so many of us. Even those of us who have walked that road often don't know what to say. Silence - we're so silent about many things in our life. If you're my friend- you know I'm not a very silent person. When I'm hurting, people know. When I'm stressed, people know. Is this a good quality? I have no idea, probably not - but I rely on those people. Why? Because when I'm broken or in pain or hurting- they lift me up. Even when they don't have the words- their presence is what I need. Their presence reminds me that God loves me and desires us to live in communion with one another. Jesus had 12 disciples He did life with for a reason. For a reason He wants us to follow. We're not called to be in this life alone. So for those people in your life - be present. Even when the words don't come. And when you're hurting - maybe let them in a little more. No- they probably don't have the words to say, but their presence might be all you really need.

Easter Dresses

Since today is March 1st, that means Easter is 30 days away. I love Easter. I'm even more excited about it now that Chris is in full-time ministry. As a child, I looked forward to my basket filled with goodies and the egg hunt with candy. I always had the hopes that I'd receive the golden egg with money inside. As a teenager, I looked forward to the new dresses and the nice gift I would get from my Mom. As an adult I now grasp the concept of Easter and the miracle of Easter and the gift of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday blow me away. (I still look forward to the new dress too!!)

You know what would be an Easter miracle to many villages in Zambia in Africa. Water.

Yes, we spend money on Easter baskets filled with goodies, pictures with Easter bunnies that make our children scream, dresses for that family picture that never turns out as perfect as we envision, and meals to feed our families five times over. We never thought about water. Water just is. We have clean water to drink, clean water to bathe, clean water to wash those new dresses that get messed up by us and/or our kids. So how about this year we do something different. How about this year, we bring that Easter miracle to a village in Zambia.

My friend Jacob started a ministry called Water282 to bring water and the living water to villages in Zambia. Join in on this Easter campaign and help him bring not only clean water to drink but also the story of our Easter Miracle, our living water, our Saviour to this village in Zambia...

Go to Water282's website to say Yes to the dress!

 

Fear and Friendship

As I was sitting down to write this I looked up definitions of friend, friendship, and other similar terms. No definition seemed to fit what I was looking for. Friends are an interesting concept. We're wired to want friends. Jesus had his disciples. Yes He was their mentor, yes He poured into their lives, but He was also their friend. We begin making friends from the infant age. Some friendships are brief, some last a lifetime. We love our friends. We love those we talk to daily/weekly and we love those who are monthly/even yearly relationships.

Thinking about how much we love and care for our spouse, children, or other family members is a constant thing. We spend great deals of time with our friends; yet, we don't often let them know exactly what they mean to us.

Yesterday, something very scary and awful happened to one of my best friends. As I read the words on my phone of what happened I was overcome with a whirlwind of emotions. It wasn't me who had this scary terrifying thing happen to them. Yet, I was filled with fear, sadness, thankfulness that they're okay, an urge to make it right, and so much more. In those moments I was reminded of how much I love this friend and so many others. Friends aren't your children who you tell you love them all day long, and they aren't your husband who you tell morning and night, they aren't your parents who you exchange the typical "I love you" at the end of phone conversations. They're something different. No matter the difference, they are a huge piece of our lives woven into our circumstances. They may be friends from church, childhood, work, or the gym. Wherever they may be from, they're blessings.

Take some time to tell your friends you care. Make that phone call even though you're busy. Stay connected. I'm no perfect friend, and this made me think of other friends I need to call, e-mail, text, plan a lunch date with. We can all make a better effort. Our situations may have changed, moved us to different places, different circles - but that doesn't mean friendships must change.

 

Truth

Since I've been driving back and forth to Montgomery during the week it has given me the opportunity to have precious lunch dates with friends who I miss. Yesterday, I had the chance to have lunch with a friend, mentor, unofficial older sister, and a very Godly woman I look up to. We just went back and forth the whole time. We shared frustrations. We shared joys. We shared life happenings. She's a little bit older than me (not much!) but doesn't look down on me or at me.

We began to talk about how it is common for us as Christians to look down at our mistakes, and sit under the weight of our guilt. This often stops us from moving forward and we both expressed that in our past it made us continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. We both had experiences where we felt unworthy, and we were seeking acceptance and it caused our sins to mount and our shame to grow.

Then she just made such a statement of truth that I've kept it with me and felt led to share with you.
When we do that and hold on to our guilt and our shame and don't ask for forgiveness and move forward- we are saying that our mistakes and our sin are bigger than Jesus' death on the cross. That's crazy- no our sin is not bigger than Jesus' death. He died for ALL of our sins. Big and Small. He said "Tetelestai" = IT IS FINISHED. That means we don't have to sit under the guilt. He calls us to get up, continue, and live as the forgiven cherished son/daughters that we are.

 

I love these Keep Calm images way too much. I know, it's annoying now not trendy but I can't help it!

I loved that today. I pray that you carry that with you. Don't make the same mistake because you already have, what's the difference now. I lived with that mindset for years. You were made for more than that. Don't miss anything He has for you because you don't think you're worthy. We're so unworthy, but at the cross He made us WHOLE.

Reminds me of the beatiful song His Glory Appears from Hillsong...

You gave me hope
You made me whole
At the cross

You took my place
You showed me grace
At the cross
Where you died for me

Coming to a close...

This Sunday will be our last Sunday at St. James. Wow. I cannot believe I'm even typing the words. I've been doing a lot of reminiscing lately about the memories, the laughs, and the relationships that have been formed through the years. When I look back, I realize I really grew up during my time here. St. James truly prepared both of us to go out and do God's work. Thank you for all of those who poured into us, ministered to us, loved on us, prayed for us, fed us, and more!

To the media department- thank you for being the first to welcome me and help me find my place at St. James. April, Lisa, Jacob, Chap, Cyle, Dianne, Shanna, Lamar, Mike, Rachelle, and Randy- I have so many wonderful memories with each of you that I will forever cherish. As you all know, we can probably give Jacob the credit for most of the laughs. I met Chris in that media room and will forever be grateful.

To my sweet friend Rachel that predicted Chris and our marriage. You will always be part of our St. James family to me.

To our first small group at Steve and Lil's house. Thank you for being those extra sets of parents who we could rely on. Lil and Steve- you truly are family. (That includes you Cyle, Joanie, Eleanor, and Nate, Mac, and Milly)

To the people we have said goodbye to in our time at St. James- Jeremy and Christy, Jonathan and Amanda, Jacob, Kristin, Lester and Janeese, Brad and Rachel, Trey and Abbey, Woods~ thank you for teaching us what it means to "go" when the Lord calls you. You set us a great example.

 

To my Esther's Group- thank you for the bond and truly showing me what Christian fellowship looks like. You have changed my impression of what a "small group" really is.

 

To all who took part in our wedding day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for the scriptures, the planning, thank you for the flowers, thank you for the musical talent, thank you for the song, thank you for the act of marrying us, thank you for handing out programs, thank you for the love.

To the worship team that supported both Chris and I through new jobs for me, our engagement, our wedding, my pregnancy, Huttons' birth. You have been there for it all- we love you so much.

To Vaughn, thank you for teaching Chris how to lead. Thank you for being that Godly example and supporting him. Thank you for giving him opportunities to grow. Thank you for the love, prayers, friendship and so much more.

To the Women's Leadership Team I served with. Thank you for the friendships, the fun, the laughter. I loved serving God alongside you and watching women grow closer to the Lord. Janeese- thank you for your example and leadership- it has been such a blessing.

 

To the women who have set such Godly examples of what it means to be a ministry wife- Janeese, Stephanie, Christy, Rachel, Abbey, Cindy- I will always treasure the models you set for me.

 

To our small group for our first two years of marriage- thank you to Bradley and Ann and Steve and Michelle's leadership. Thank you for the openness and the bonds that were formed. Small groups truly are second family.

To the people I have both seen and served alongside of in our youth ministry. Thank you for getting me involved, thank you for trusting me, and thank you for pairing me up some of the most wonderful girls.

 

To the women I spent a beautiful four days on a retreat with back in March of 2011. Those four days will never be forgotten and I love yall and the bonds we formed.

 

To my senior girls small group. Words can't even describe how much I love yall. This is not the end for us and we will keep up through this year and as you go on to college. I'm so proud of yall and will continue to pray for you daily as God rises you up to be strong women who serve HIS kingdom!

To the people who have cooked and served us dinner on Wednesday nights, thank you for giving me that night off, thank you for your smiles, your laughs, your love, and your friendship.

 

To all that loved on us and supported us during my pregnancy and the birth of Hutton. We will always tell him stories about his first church home and the love he received there.

 

Lastly, but not at all least~ to all the people who have been my friends. A girl to chat with, a shoulder to cry on, a lunch buddy, a shopping buddy, someone to vent to. You have shown me what true friendship is. I love all of you and treasure the friendships I have formed.

To everyone else for the smiles, the hugs, the prayers, the laughs, the pictures, the memories, the stories, the bonds, the worship time, the tears, and everything in between. It has been quite a ride and it is bittersweet to jump to the next one God has planned for us. Know we will remember you in our hearts, prayers, and stories forever. You will always be family.

 

I could never list everyone but thank you to those who have made our time at St. James more than we could have ever imagined....

Much needed girl time

 I've been saying for months how I needed a good girl's weekend. My life has been majorly slacking on girl time lately. I've had 2 friends move away, 1 has been super swamped with just life in general, 1 is in another country, and then everyone has their busy lives! So last Saturday I got up early to head to Nashville for my sweet friend Melissa's Bachelorette Party. Melissa is marrying her fiance Clay on September 22nd and so we went off for her last bash beforehand.

I must say, I was a little nervous going into it. I only knew 1 other person besides Melissa the bride. Another girl named Melissa who I had only met because I bought a candle from her. So I was venturing into a weekend knowing two Melissa's and a handful of introductions ahead of me.

Let me tell you- it was just what I needed.

Rest ~ Late night talks ~ Eye makeup lessons ~ Delicious Food ~ Pajama Sunday ~ Snacking ~ Outlet mall shopping ~ Bachelorette Scattegories ~ Father of the Bride ~ Bachelorette Gift Giving ~ Lots of Laughs ~ Dancing ~ Did I mention eating?

 

This all rejuvenated me and while I missed my 3 boys immensely while I was gone it made me all the more excited to get home and see them!

Looking forward to seeing all my new friends at the McWedding Festivities in 2 weeks!

Sending you to Bonnie By the Bay

On this Monday I was going to post about my friend Brad's sermon from yesterday. He has moved his sweet family down to Mobile and is the Pastor of the Contemporary Service (and much more!) at Dauphin Way UMC. So like any other day I pull up my blogger and take a stroll through my daily reads and realize my sweet friend Bonnie has already written about it! She did it so eloquently I knew I had to send you there. So I am going to send you there. But first, let me tell you a little bit about this person you will be so privileged to learn about through her writing.

Bonnie and I have an interesting story. We went to Elementary School together and lived around the corner from eachother. I'm telling you- the most beautiful elementary school girl I've EVER known! Well after 6th grade she moved off to Auburn and that was that, or so I thought. Flash foward to August of 2004. It is move in day and I'm unloading my stuff into my dorm (310 Lupton from what I remember... or was it 210. ... who knows?!?) Anyway- I realize that this same Bonnie Nell Jackson lived just a few short doors down from me! Thank you God for putting this girl back in my life!

Some Auburn friends at my baby shower in December! Bonnie is in the animal print top with black pants!

Anyway, we became fast friends again and spent our college experiences together. College was a whirlwind. I won't get into the whole mess of that but what I can honestly speak for both of us is that we have grown leaps and bounds since then and are happy to stand and say that God has done so much change and refining in our life and we are so thankful. We're especially thankful that He led us to our husbands that we are so very grateful for.

So I don't get to see her as often but yesterday I did get to have a quick catch up conversation and a hug and hope to see her again soon! Check out her blog though, she's in graduate school for Education, starting her business "Bonnie on the Bay" making beautiful home decor items from oysters, working at a plastic surgery office, being a beautiful budget friendly decorator, and awesome wife to her wonderful husband Matthew!

So with that- I'm sending you on the way to Bonnie by the Bay!!

Heavy Heart

  Yes I had every good intention of getting my Sunday series post out yesterday. Yes I did the research. Yes it was just too busy for me to sit down and actually write the blog post. Therefore, it will appear next Sunday (with a little Mother's Day tribute as well)

Today my heart is very heavy. We had a full weekend that was mostly full of laughs, smiles, and lots of fun times. Unfortunately, it was also filled with many many tears. Yesterday morning we went to church for Brad and Rachel's last Sunday. I must say that it was the best sermon I've heard Brad preach and I think he's an amazing preacher. Tears welled up in my eyes from the beginning of the music. I've never known St. James without Brad and Rachel and I can without doubt say that their family and friendship has changed who I am as a person. So throughout the music, the sermon, communion, and reception I was filled with emotions, memories, sadness, but stilll a great deal of happiness for the future that is ahead for them. I am also thankful that I know without a doubt that this is not a goodbye and that we will be lifelong friends.



After a hard morning we built up our strength to go to a visitation for some dear friends who lost their 19 year old son on Friday. Randy and Lisa Helms were one of the very first couples I met at St. James. Lisa and I volunteered doing media together (she taught me everything I know) and Randy does lights on Sundays. Their sweet daughter Hayden was a program attendant in our wedding and I love their family more than words can say. We waited in a very long line among people who love their family to hug their necks and share their prayers for the family. It came to our turn and we hugged their necks praying for God's strength to cover them in this time and in the days and weeks ahead when the visitors, food, flowers, and phone calls don't come as often. I walked through the line and looked at all the pictures of Hunter throughout the years and was so clearly reminded that we never know how much time we have or how much time we have with those we love.

So I picked up my little munchkin from my sweet friend Abbey and held him tight. I went to youth and got ice cream with sweet Caroline in my small group. I put my little one to bed and slept quickly after an emotionally exhausting day. Today we will go to the funeral and Chris will play and sing "Cry Out to Jesus." I just wanted to attach those lyrics because everyone of us can relate to the words and my prayer is just that we all realize how much we need Jesus. Yesterday Brad's sermon the line he kept mentioning was "It's all because of Jesus." He was referring to all the many things he has seen in his time at St. James. But today I can say that it is all because of Jesus that the sanctuary will be filled with people who love Randy, Lisa, Hayden and Hunter. It is only because of Jesus that the Helms will be able to get through this incredibly difficult time. It is only because of Jesus that we are here, that we have freedom, that we can feel love. So read these words and I hope they touch you today.

"Cry Out To Jesus"

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers from being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

Friendship

  As we get older, our friendships change. The things our friendships are based on change. The people we desire to become friends with change. Where we make friends changes. The number of friends we have change. I've had this desire to learn more about what God says about friendship lately. I'm not talking about the thousand friends we have on facebook, or the followers we have on Twitter. We all have lots of friends but I want to know more about what God says about those close friends and what he says about being a Godly friend and having a Godly friendship. First you have to go to His word and see what He says about friendship. I pulled out a few that stuck out to me.

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Cross references:

1. John 15:13 : Rom 5:7f
2. John 15:13 : John 10:11

  John 15:13

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

A perverse person stirs up conflict,
and a gossip separates close friends.   Proverbs 16:28

 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

I think at every stage you go through in life you need different types of friendships. I remember hearing our Worship Pastor speak about the types of relationships you should have surrounding your gift. He spoke of having someone in front of you, someone behind you, and someone on your level. I think it is similar in friendships. There are three different types of friendships that will help you grow and be the friend God calls us to be. 

One where you are a mentor. Someone you can teach and disciple. God calls us all to be disciples and bring people closer to him.

One where you are the mentee. Someone who may be older than you (not necessarily), but where you are being discipled to as if you were one of the disciples sitting at Jesus' feet. I can think of so many friendships where I have been the mentee. I regret to say I'm not sure if I've stepped up and been the mentor when I should have been.

Then the mutual friendship. This isn't based on one discipling the other but two people that are more along the same spiritual level.

Part of God's humor is how these friendships will change. Someone who was once a mentor to you, yall may not be part of a mutual friendship. Even when I talk about mentoring friendships, that isn't to say that the mentor in the friendship is the only one teaching. We all have so much to lear from each other as we are all at different places in our lives and our relationship with the Lord.

But whatever friendships you are a part of they are so important. Godly friends inspire us, motivate us, encourage us, love us, hold us accountable, lift us up, cry with us, baby sit our kids, make us meals when we're sick, bring us flowers to brighten our day, write us notes to lift our spirits or to just make us smile, sit and have a cup of coffee with us just to pass the time, give us fashion advice, share clothes with us, help us parent our children, teach us through their relationship with the Lord, give us Godly advice, and so much more. But strong Godly friendships take time. We must invest in one another just as Jesus invested in his friends, the disciples.

I read a summary of a talk Beth Moore gave that talked about friendship and she gave five characteristics of biblically sound friendships and I thought I would share.

1) The truest friendships are distinctive from any other relationship.

2) The truest friendships take place face to face.

3) Close friendships attach to the soul.

4) True friendships endure.

A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17

5) The truest friendships are trustworthy even with a wound.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses. Proverbs 27:6

I'm going to end this with a story that relates to friendships in the stage of life that I am entering. I found this on Beth Moore's blog from years ago but its such a sweet story that I had to place it on here today.

I can’t overemphasize how rich my fellow moms made my parenting experience. Particularly one: my best friend, Johnnie. She had two boys and I had two girls and we dragged those four kids to every McDonalds in Houston just so we could finish a sentence. We taught Mother’s Day Out together because we were both broke. We home-made family Christmas gifts because we didn’t have the money to buy them. (We spent what money we had on our babies.) I hate arts and crafts to this day and still have burns from glue guns. That’s not all. I’d decide I’d had it with Keith and I’d leave him in the morning sometimes, go to her house with my unsuspecting girls, drink a cup of coffee, get in a better mood, and be back home by the time he got off work. He’d walk in the door, ask about my day, and I’d say under my breath, “I left you today. That’s how my day was.” Hee hee. Somehow I’d feel some satisfaction with that, repent, then fall in love with him all over again. It was his looks.  

About five years ago, my buddy Johnnie’s oldest son, Jeremy, was just about to vow his life to the woman of his dreams. The music was already playing in the sanctuary and we were only about three minutes from the service starting. We looked around and suddenly realized that it was just the six of us left in the choir room: Johnnie, her two boys, and me and my two girls. The four kids were all beautiful, God-loving young adults. Johnnie and I had lived through it and they’d lived through us. Wow, Lord. The groomsmen had already gone to their posts and it was just about time for Jeremy to take his place through a sanctuary door down a long hall. Had we tried to manipulate a few moments alone between the six of us, we could never have pulled it off. It was a gift from God. The completely unplanned moment was not lost on a single one of us six and even now I could cry about the tenderness of it. Without anyone saying a word, Jeremy held out his arm for one of my daughters. Jordan held out his arm for the other. And Johnnie held out her arm to me. Arm in arm, three familiar pairs of us walked the long hall, laughing, and nearly crying, making our way toward the finish line of young family-hood just like we began: together. Those kinds of relationships don’t take place in five minutes. They take years. Crises. Prayers. Divine favor. Your fellow moms are some of the most priceless treasures God has bestowed on you to cheer you on your way to the finish line of young parenting. Grab some arms and do it together.

 

Worship Wednesdays

  This is such a beautiful song by Bryan and Katie Torwalt that I believe my sweet friend Melissa is singing this coming Sunday at St. James. If you're in the area come and listen! You will definitely be blessed!

There is nothing worth more
That will ever come close
Nothing can compare
You're our Living Hope
Your Presence

I've tasted and I've seen
Of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free
And my shame is undone

Your presence Lord

Holy Spirit You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory God is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence Lord

Your presence Lord

There is nothing worth more
That will ever come close
You are our Living Hope

Your presence Lord

I've tasted and I've seen
Of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart is set free
And my shame is undone

Holy Spirit You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory God is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence Lord
(Repeat)

(end)
Let us become more aware of Your presence
Let us experience the glory of Your goodness
(Repeat)

Lord
Holy Spirit You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory God is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence Lord

Celebration and bittersweet events...

  I'm up super early this morning getting ready to head to a conference in Birmingham for the day. For some reason it just breaks my heart to leave my baby early in the morning before he's awake. I started thinking about it and getting a tad bit emotional about it and that brought me to thinking about the upcoming week. I feel like it is a week/weekend of happy and bittersweet events ahead of me.

Tomorrow we go to one of our last small groups for the year. I can't say for certain but I have a feeling that this small group won't be the same next year. This may not even be the small group we're in next year. I already know of some people who will be moving around and I am so thankful for this group. In reality when we switched to this group I was not happy about it. We were in a group full of couples that could probably be our parents but loved every moment. It was like having 8 extra Mom's and 8 extra Dad's. I will forever be grateful to God for those people in our lives. Because of that group I came to know one of the most wonderful women I have ever known and now she is definitely like my adopted Momma! The group we have been in for the last two years has also been amazing. Our host and leader couple are definitely two people I would encourage any couple to learn under. Their knowledge is incredibly vast and they are so transparent about issues and I couldn't love them anymore. I'm so thankful for their spiritual wisdom and friendship over these last two years.

Then the most bittersweet event of all comes. Friday night we get together with a group of friends to have a send off party for our dear friends Brad and Rachel Goode. I could talk about this for days but I'll make it quick. God has blessed me with some amazing friends over my lifetime. Some of us have grown distant and I miss them and will always love them. Rachel is one of those friends that I already knew before Chris but dating Chris brought us even closer. I can honestly say I have never met anyone like her and she is one of the most amazing friends God could have blessed me with. She has so much wisdom, she is definitely a blast, so very stylish, beautiful inside and out, will cry with you, laugh with you, or be mad with you if that is what the situation calls for! But at the end of the day she also somehow always knows what to say. I am beyond thankful for our friendship and know that this is just a new step in it. I could write a whole blog about how much I love their whole family so maybe I'll do that after the party.

Saturday morning we head off to Huntingdon's graduation where I get to watch my sweet friend Luv graduate. Luv has become like a little sister to me. I honestly can't even tell you how we became close but now I can't imagine us not being close. She has such an amazing future ahead of her and I cannot wait to see what God does through her!

Saturday night comes some excitement as we head off to an engagement party to celebrate our friends Clay and Melissa. This is such a special night and I remember Chris and my own engagement party. What fun! It really kicks off all the wedding festivities! I can't wait to celebrate with this wonderful couple!

Sunday morning we will head to church to hear Brad's last sermon at St. James. I'm sure in typical Brad fashion he'll have his normal table up there to preach. Brad's been at St. James longer than most every staff person there and I know it will definitely be a bittersweet day for him. They are headed off to Mobile where I am so confident in the amazing things God has for them but still sad for us!

So there goes my preparation for the week ahead of me. I'll just pray that God gives me the energy to get through it all and a smile on my face for even the events that make me a little sad.

Adventure

  Our sweet, wonderful, there aren't enough words to describe them friends the Goodes are moving in about a month. Thinking about it too long brings major tears to my eyes so I'll get to the point. While I am very sad about them moving I'm excited for this new step in their lives. It will definitely be an adventure. Once they move that will be our fifth "couple friends" that will have moved away since we've been together. I have watched each of these situations develop. Some were very much dreaded. I truly had one dragging her feet the whole way to Lousiana. Now that very same friend says that she now feels like that is home instead of here where she grew up. All of their new experiences have me craving some kind of adventure.

Adventure: An unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

Okay, I like all those words except for typically hazardous. I'm not really sure how I want to take that. I'm fairly confident that I would rather my adventures not be hazardous. But, I understand how even adventures we don't seem as hazardous very well can be.

Whatever adventures may come our way I do not know. Our adventures may not mean moving to another city, new house, etc. Our adventures may come in different circumstances. Yes, I do understand that we just had a baby and that is quite the adventure. I can't get rid of this feeling though that some type of adventure is headed our way. What will it be? God will reveal that in time. For now, we sit patiently and wait enjoying the peace and calm that fills our life now.

6 weeks... Impatient Me!

  I'm very impatient. It is probably my greatest fault. When I want to do something, I want to do it then. When I want to eat something, I want to eat it then. When I want to talk to someone, I want to talk to them then. You get the point. So when I tell you I'm ready for Hutton to be here... I'm ready for him to be here YESTERDAY!

I have 6 weeks left (max). So what I tend to do when I'm really impatient and wanting something to get here sooner is I make lists and find ways to make myself busy with the waiting. So my newest thing is to look at those 6 weeks I have left and think about the highlights of those weeks...

Jan. 9-15th

ReAlLy busy week at work*Friends over for National Championship*Nursery getting closer to finished*Childbirth class*Small group starts back*Wednesday night church dinners start back*Doctor's Appointment*Baby shower at Chris' work*Baby shower for a friend on Saturday*Possibly sit down and try to figure out my sewing machine*Deep clean the house*Finish thank you notes from my first baby shower*Church on Sunday*Sweet brother in law Tripp in town so dinner for his birthday*

Jan. 16th-22nd

Relatively busy week at work*Childbirth class*Dinner at church*Small Group*Baby shower at my work*Mani/Pedi day for me*Take dinner to friends who just had a sweet baby girl*Nursery completion deadline*Church on Sunday*Leading youth small group Sunday night*May schedule a girl's night*Hopefully a date night with the hubbs to go see War Horse*Thank you notes for work showers*

Jan. 23rd-29th

Childbirth Class*Dinner at church*Rhema Bible Study at church*Small Group*Doctor's Appointment*Miss Alabama Pageant*Figure out how to put car seat in/out of car*Put pack and play up in our room*Pack hospital bag*Sweet friend Luv's birthday*Church on Sunday*May schedule a day with my mom*Youth small group on Sunday*

Jan. 30th-Feb. 5th

Busy week at work*Last childbirth class*Dinner at church*Small Group*Doctor's Appointment*Do taxes*Date night with the hubbs*Superbowl Sunday*Possibly Bridal show with my friend Melissa*Decorate for Valentines Day*Hopefully dinner for brother in law Tyler's birthday*

Feb. 6th-12th

Really busy week at work*Dinner at church*Small Group*Doctor's Appointment*UNC v. Duke game*St. James Youth Auction*Relaxing weekend at home with the hubbs*Church on Sunday*Youth small group on Sunday*

Feb. 13th-19th

SUPER busy week at work*Survive and Thrive (big work event)*My favorite 4 year old's birthday*Dinner at church*Small group*Valentines Day*Sweet friend Abbey's birthday*Church on Sunday*

That's it... the wait is over! I can get through those 6 weeks right :)

Happy Happy New Year!

  So yes I must admit I was a total slacker on the whole blogging throughout December thing! It just got the best of me and was so busy that I felt like I never had time to catch up and actually blog. Well now its January and a new year so on the 3rd of December I will start it off right!

I thought I would start the new year off by recapping what a year 2011 was by listing 11 of my highlights of 2011 in no particular order...

1- 1st Anniversary... Well we did it :) Chris and I finished out a whole first year of marriage. We beat out Kim Kardashian. No seriously though, you do go through some adjustments that first year and I am more in love now than I was the day I married him. We got to celebrate by spending a long weekend in St. Simons. Perfection!

2- Becoming a family of three... I bet you all thought I was talking about finding out I was pregnant! Haha, actually on January 18th we welcomed in our Havanese Puppy Jacks and yes I count him as a full on family member. I cannot tell you the amount of joy he has brought us over the last year.

3- Finding out we would be a family of four... Okay here is that finding out I was pregnant part! This was quite a surprise as many of you know but we have truly discovered over the last 29 weeks since we found out that God's timing is perfect. We can't wait to welcome sweet Hutton into this world in 7 weeks or less :)

4- Wizarding World of Harry Potter... Yep- I'm one of those. Now I don't want to get into any type of conversation whether Harry Potter is good or bad. All I can say is I grew up for it and take it for what it is, fictional books and movies that just entertain me. In March, Chris took me on a short trip to Orlando and I got to do the whole Harry Potter world and had a BLAST!

5- Bahamas... In early March even before Harry Potter world I went with some sweet friends and spiritual mentors for a long weekend in the Bahamas. I can tell you without a doubt I've never felt God's presence more in a place than I did those few days. I'm not even sure how to explain it but I came back a better wife, worker, friend, daughter and feeling more renewed than ever before. Hmmm... return trip? I'm so thankful for those sweet friends that experienced that with me.

6- Roughing it... Well, it doesn't really count as roughing it but in February we went with our friends Clay and Melissa up to Mt. Cheaha for the weekend. It was just a relaxing weekend of a little hiking (maybe an exaggeration), food, fun, music, and Catch Phrase! Now 2012 will bring their wedding and we can't wait to share in that excitement with them!

7- Highlights for some sweet people in our life... Some of our friends had some really special moments in the last year that we were able to enjoy with them. My precious friend Aletha married her high school love Bo Mann and they are enjoying married life together! Our friends Brad and Rachel brought home their long awaited and prayed for second daughter Amelia home from Uganda in February. What a special blessing it was to have their family of four together! We also had some other friends JW and KC bring home their sweet little second daughter Zoe home from Ethiopia! Two sweet friends Ty and Kimberly got married in October and we were able to celebrate in that occasion with them! On December 21st, our sweet friends Matt and April Damato welcomed their little boy Lucas into this world! There's more... two of my Melissa friends got engaged and will be getting marred in 2012! Congrats to Clay and Melissa and John and Melissa! And in December we also found out some exciting news that is still a secret :) I think that is all... if I missed anything please please forgive me!!

Aletha and Bo in their coffee shop in St. Simons- Wake Up Coffee Co.!

8- Together... In April of this year the women's ministry of our church put on an exciting event to bring the women of our church together. It was called Together... Pray Love Act. I was in on the planning for this event and had a blast helping plan it as well as seeing God's faithfulness as it all came together. They are also planning another special event for this year and I pray that God will give the women of St. James an incredible experience and reveal himself to them in new ways!

9- 25th Birthday... Trips are always fun, trips with friends and your spouse are even better! We spent a long weekend with our friends the Goode's and the Freeman's at the beach for my 25th birthday. It is just extra special because you get to be with both your spouse and some of your besties all at the same time!

10- Paseo... Chris and I spent our actual anniversary weekend at Paseo which is a spiritual retreat. I really can't go into detail about the experience except say that it started out slow but ended up really blowing us away :) If you are interested in learning more or going yourself... let me know!

11- It's a Boy/Baby Shower... I will combine these so that I don't take up so many things with info about Hutton! Well we had two fun parties that involved Hutton this year. Late summer we found out we were having a BOY and threw a gender reveal party at our house to announce the news that Hutton Whatley would be joining our fam. Then in December, a sweet group of friends threw an amazing baby shower for me. I was honored by all the people that came to support us as well as so blessed by the beautiful gifts they gave. A special thank you to my sweet friend Mary for opening up her home!

Okay, I said I would only do 11 things because it was 2011 but I had to add 1 more. I also started an awesome new job in August that I love! I am now the Director of the Montgomery Area Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy which is a project of the Gift of Life Foundation.

2011 surely did bring us many blessings and I have a feeling 2012 has some awesome things in store. On Thursday, I'll tell you about my excitement and ideas for 2012!