The Blog is Updated!!!

Alright, alright...I am updating the blog for all of those out there that have been getting on me to do so. I know that the last post was probably not the best to end on. Of course everyone I know now knows that Riley has safely arrived and is doing great!!

Ok, about this blog thing...it is so hard to keep up FB and blogging. How do people do it? I feel like I get trapped for hours on the computer with just FB but I am now going to give it my best effort to blog and keep up with FB. We'll see how it goes!!!

A Scary Friday...but God Was There!!!

Chad and I were running around town doing last minute errands before our trip to Hawaii. Chad had just dropped off the dog at the dog sitters house and we were going to meet up at LaHacienda to grab a quick bite (since we had cleaned out the house of groceries) and then go home, finish packing and get in the bed. We were to be ready to go to the airport at 6am on Saturday morning.

While at LaHa, we encountered a very scary moment that made us think we could be losing the baby. I won't go into details to spare the guys out there, but I will say it was an intense time and one that had my dr send me to the emergency room. Everything with the baby and me are fine, I just have to take it easy until I go back to the dr next week.

Chad and I both were extremely anxious about what was going on, not just for the baby's health, but my health also. Friday night was one of those moments in life when you know God is literally holding your hand. Chad was doing about 80 mph on the interstate while praying out loud for the situation and we could just feel God's presence in our car immediately!!! Still being upset, there was this incredible peace over me and all I could say was, "God's got this, God's got this," over and over. I didn't know what we would find at the hospital, and to be real honest I was truly expecting to find that I had miscarried. Even with those thoughts, there was still that peace. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I knew that no matter what, God would be there for us and would bring us out of that situation having experienced Him more deeply.

Friday night ended up being an incredible "God" experience for me. Not only was my husband turning straight to Him in a time of crisis (as one friend said and I agree, that is what a REAL knight in shining armor looks like), but God showed up on our behalf. It was evident that He loves us and already loves this little baby. I have had few times of crisis in my life and hope to keep it that way, but it was pretty awesome to experience God during a time of crisis so that I can have this experience to fall back on during the next crisis. Or to even use this to be reminded of God's incredible love for us. He is amazing and is ALWAYS right there when you need Him!! What an incredible God!!!!

By the way, as you would imagine, the Hawaii trip was cancelled for us, Chad's parents still went, but we got to come home with a healthy baby and look forward to meeting him/her one day!!!

Hurry Up Week

I don't usually wish my time away and maybe I shouldn't be this week but I just can't help it. We leave for Hawaii on Saturday!!!! While I can't stand this miserably cold weather we are having, I just keep telling myself that it will make me all the more thankful to be in Hawaii.

Today is the inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama. I have been reading others' blogs and facebooks and I agree that we definitely need to be praying for our President. We need for God's intervention on Obama's heart first of all and on his mind and actions next. The Bible does not tell us who we are to vote for, but it does tell us we are to submit to those in authority since they have been placed in authority by God, Romans 13. Obama has some scary agendas he is going to begin moving fast on and I earnestly pray that God will intervene. I just keep reminding myself that God is bigger than the White House and bigger than the President of this incredible country. I get chills at the prospect of God getting a hold of Obama's heart and changing it radically!!! Can you imagine what an impact for this country if our President seeks the Word for his wisdom and leadership??? If he operates with the heart of God and is not ashamed to admit where his wisdom comes from. His testimony would be one that would be heard all over the world!! How incredible for the kingdom!!!

I pray God comes into the White House and starts a revival!!! I pray that HE transforms the lives of those making decisions for our country. I pray that HE gets the glory when the economy turns around, when wars cease and when people come together. I know there will always be those that reject God, but for goodness sake, can we, believers, out number them and show them incredible love that points them to God. We need to at least present the opportunity for them to meet the REAL God. I pray God provides us those opportunities.

We are never going to have a perfect world, but are to never stop praying for lost souls and for God's actions. I pray for you and your family President Obama and I pray specifically that a revival be ignited in your hearts. Go God!!!!

Hanging in There

It has been a ridiculously long time since I last blogged. For those 2 of you that check the blog regularly I bet you will be glad to see the fornicating reindeer pic gone.

Things in our world have been moving along well. I am in my 12th week of pregnancy and we have heard the heartbeat now 3 times. All 3 times the dr said it sounded perfect and that everything looks great. My sickness is FINALLY starting to go away!!! I have had a good week and a half without any major sickness showing up. Hopefully my body read the books and knows that by the end of my first trimester the sickness should be gone.

We are getting ready to head to Hawaii in a little over a week!!! I am so excited about that trip I can't hardly stand it. I have already talked to my dr and he said I could take Tylenol PM or Benadryl to knock me out on the plane. I also have my nausea meds and some seabands to help fight nausea. Whatever I have to do I will to make sure we have a wonderful time on the trip!

Looking forward to church tonight and the beginning of new small groups. I'm eager to meet new women and learn from them and their walk with Christ. What incredible women we have at church that love God with ALL of their heart!!

Funny Christmas Story Part II

On Christmas Eve, my mom was telling one of her friends, Vicki, about the reindeer incident. Well of course Vicki thought it was hilarious like the rest of us. Fast forward a few hours.....we, myself, Chad and my parents, head to a Christmas Eve service (I was really missing New Hope by the way) and then we return home. While at the service we realize that we have yet to watch "Christmas Vacation." This is a tradition in our home to watch this movie each year prior to Christmas. Seeing that we were about 5 hours away from Christmas, we were cutting it pretty close this year. We eat some yummy taco soup and then settle in around the living room for our movie. It is about 11 pm when the movie is over and we all start to head to bed. My mom goes in her bedroom for a brief moment and then comes flying back out yelling, "They did it again, they did it again. The deer are (doing something not nice) to each other." Well we of course all get up and go look out of the window. I had been saying that it would be a lot funnier to see the deer doing this with them lit up. Well, I got my wish.

At first we thought it was the same neighborhood kids that were doing it, but something just wasn't adding up. We were sitting right there with the blinds open watching the movie and not only did they mess with the deer, but they also unplugged one of the snowmen and brought it up to the front porch. They plugged it in on the porch and had it facing the front door. We thought that if it were the same kids, they were awful brave. At any moment we could have turned around and seen them.

Dad goes out and fixes things back to the way they were. Later, he also said, "You see why I haven't wanted to put up decorations outside." I thought that was pretty funny.

The next day, Christmas, my mom and dad's friends come over for Christmas dinner. These friends would include Vicki, her husband Doug and their three boys (2 of which are teenagers and one that is almost a teenager). We already had our suspicions that they were involved, but didn't know for sure. We found out that night that while they did not mess with the deer the first time, it was indeed them that messed with it the second time. Not only was it them, but Vicki (the mom) was the one that thought it up. Her husband drove the getaway car while her and the boys had their fun. My favorite part is how they choose to let my mom know they had done it. One of my mom's gifts from Vicki was a picture of the indecent reindeer, in a Christmas frame and wrapped up all nice!! We all got a good laugh out of that and now I pity Vicki and her family. My dad does not let pranks go unnoticed!!

By the way, the picture posted above is from the first time. I don't have a copy of the reindeer at night with the lights on yet, but I will!!!

Oh yeah, sorry about the shadow in the pic, my dad couldn't find a way to get a picture without the shadow.

Funny Christmas Story

My parents usually don't decorate the outside of their home for Christmas. As a kid I would beg and beg for them to decorate and they (mainly my dad) didn't want to fool with the hassle. I guess my dad knew that most of the decorating would fall on his shoulders. Well this year they have apparently gone all out. Side note....this is yet another fun thing they are doing now that they have moved away. First they get a pool and now they decorate the outside of their house. Anyway, not bitter!

Back to the story, there are all kinds of things in their front yard this year such as a santa on a motorcycle (prank on my dad from a few years ago), reindeer, Christmas trees, and honestly I don't know what all else.

My mom calls this morning and said that she was SO mad! Let me just say, there are many times in my mom's life when something makes her mad that I think it's funny. This would be another one of those times. She told me that some neighborhood kids came through and did something inappropriate with her reindeer. I won't go into details, but let's just say there may be some baby reindeer in the yard next year. Needless to say, I have been laughing about that all morning! What a clever joke to play!! Her reindeer were not the only ones exploited, the neighbors' reindeer were as well. Kids, cover your eyes if you are driving through my parents' neighborhood. This might be a lesson your parents aren't ready to teach you about yet!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

WOOOHOOO Michelle!!!

I am so excited that Michelle won the Biggest Loser last night! I am usually not like this, but I may be even more excited that Vicky didn't win. While it's a little bit of a bummer that Heba won anything. I would much rather her get the $100,000 and not the grand prize or the recognition for that matter. Heba not being chosen by a "landslide" to be part of the final 3 was incredible. Chad and I both voted our hearts out for Ed. We never vote on these shows, but we knew that Heba had whined and complained to have Ed try to give his votes to her. We are adamant not to let that happen and apparently America felt the same way.

Enough about the bad, Michelle worked really hard and played the entire game with integrity. I am very proud of her and she is an inspiration to many I am sure. Not only an inspiration on how to lose weight, but also in how to walk out forgiveness for someone you love. Go Michelle!!!