beautiful peace

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3

it's my therapy

I enjoy blogging. It is a diary of sorts for myself.
However, I too enjoy reading other blogs.
I learn tips from other blogs, try recipes, and
find encouragement from other women facing similar issues.
David Phelps + junk food
Enough said. :)Okay, not really! Typically, I do not fall prey to the bad habit of eating when I'm stressed. However, the night I took this picture, I had not eaten since 3 PM and I was quite hungry at 11 PM. And although, David is my favorite soloist .... it's the music and songs that lift me up (he sings gospel music - the greatest message)

The pool, warm sunshine, quiet time.
A relaxing retreat. A backyard vacation.
It is wonderful.
And the Word of God.
His voice speaking to me.
My greatest source of encouragement.
I find comfort in His voice.
I draw strength from His promises.

next jump - the details

Since I didn't immediately post after our appointment,
I'm sure you've guessed it -
we didn't receive the news we wanted to hear.
(had we received good news, I would've been eager to share)

The tests and in-depth blood work further concluded that
our chances of ever conceiving on our own
are slim to none (according to medical science).
However, we do know God's power is limitless.
We would be overjoyed for God to 'shock our socks off.'
:)

However, medically-speaking, we have a few options.
We are praying over these options
and asking God for His leading in this journey.
We have a busy next few weeks.
Chris has a minor outpatient surgery.
Our church has youth camp.
We are taking time off from fertility appointments
and simply praying for guidance.
After things settle down,
we plan to decide where and how to take the next jump.

We have an unexplainable peace.
The tears following this appointment were minimal
compared to other appointments.
We're relieved that the testing is over
and thankful to have answers
even if the answers aren't what we hoped for.
We're excited to see what is in store
as God unfolds His plan for us
and we have high hopes for a baby next year.
Of course, if God wills it.

"Discouraging moments are often preparation for a beautiful sight."

next jump

Today we have a follow-up appointment for the results of the most recent tests, etc. The findings and results of these tests will determine the next action to be taken. We are more than ready to know what the plans are to start our family. Please pray for positive results, wisdom from doctors, and clarity of God's direction as we take the next step, which feels more like a 'jump.'

"The jump is so frightening between where I am and where I want to be ... because of all I may become I will close my eyes and leap!"

missing him today and every day

2011 Father's Day was more difficult than usual,
for more than one reason,

but I survived -- and this week is a new week with new days.My father has been gone 13 years,

but rarely a day goes by that I do not think of him and miss him.
He was an amazing man and an awesome father.
I do not remember him ever acting out of character.
I never heard him speak ill of anyone.
He spoke with firmness and authority, but never yelled at me.
As a child, and especially a teenager,
I didn't always appreciate his decisions and judgments,
but now I see it was all for my own good
and there was no harm done.
He truly is a man of great honor,
who earned my highest admiration.
He has given me a great example to follow ... as He followed Christ.
So, while Father's Day has past, I still want to recognize my dad.
I love and miss him dearly.

it's a wonderful thing to be alive!

Truly the light is sweet,
and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
Ecclesiastes 11:7

play me some bluegrass music

Last weekend there was a festival in our little town.

One of our favorite bluegrass groups, Third Tyme Out,
was playing on stage that evening.(Chris and Brian)
We grabbed dinner @ Zaxby's with friends, Brian and Casey.
And headed over to get a good seat around 5:45 PM.(New Dixie Storm)
We enjoyed a few local musicians
waiting for Third Tyme Out to come on stage at 8:00 PM. (Third Tyme Out) - Russell Moore can sing!!!
A few times, we thought an afternoon thunderstorm was headed our way, but no rain fell and the threat was just enough to cool things down a little. So it turned out quite nice for the evening. Stephen and Christina showed up a little later.Kolben and Klay enjoyed a blue snow cone - can you tell?
Kolben wanted to see his tongue; so I took his picture.
Then of course, little brother had to see his too. ;)Nap? --- NOT! :) We topped the evening off with peach homemade ice cream.
(needed more sugar and the peaches were at the bottom)
It was so not sweet and peachy -
that Chris and Brian mixed in peanut butter for PB ice cream.
Crazies!
But, it was all fun!
I love summertime weekends.

wordless Wednesday

pictures from Mother's Day weekend

This are pictures I will cherish forever.

Mama & me
I love my Mama

Granny & me
She's an amazing lady. It was good to see her get tickled and smile
even at the expense of my embarrassment.
I was sitting in her lap 'like I used to.'
But of course, I'm not a skinny little girl anymore,
therefore, I tried to hold up myself
so as not to put all my weight on her lap,
and my legs were getting weak. :)

procedures and bloodwork

We had more appointments with the baby doctors this morning. If you don't mind, please pray for answers and God's will concerning these appointments. We are anxious to know what our next step will be.

And 'thank you' to you who continually pour out love on us and keep us in your prayers. Just today we received a sweet card -- "what perfect timing." The love and support of our family and friends surrounding us holds us together, as well as the hand of God. We feel your prayers. And we could never tell how much we appreciate you doing so. We love you.

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Matthew 21:22

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a girl and a worm

See! Never seen a girl so proud of an earthworm.

lately

Lately, we have been working in the yard.
Almost every day.

There is always something to do.
Weeding is a never-ending job.
And in this hot, dry weather, watering is a must.
The gardenia is in full bloom. And it smells like perfume.
Friday, we had cousins over.
We joined forces for a yummy meal of
Italian pasta dishes, salad, bread, and dessert!
We played a late-night round of Dicecapades.
Many laughs! And as always - fun!
Here was the tough match of arm wrestling -- Leigh & Chris.

Saturday, Ashley and I attended our alma mater's 2011 graduation.
One of the youth of our church was graduating.It's hard to believe it has been a dozen years
since I wore a purple cap and gown.
Fun high school memories flooded my mind.
It just doesn't feel like that long ago.

I Won't Let Go

Just recently, my mom shared this song with me.
It could be interpreted many different ways
relating to family, friends, lovers, and Christ.

My mom will always hold me.
When life is hard - I will chose to cling to Chris.
And I know Chris is always standing by me.
And most importantly, Jesus will never let me go.

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patriotic themed

I wanted to share these patriotic tidbits from Memorial Day.

I made these cupcakes using the idea from Jennifer,
but instead of rainbow - I only used red, white, and blue.
Then sprinkled with blue and red sprinkles on top.
I thought they turned out cute.
And they tasted good too.
I stuck these flags down in my container plants
on our side porch entrance.
I'm pleased with my color choice
of purple, white, and red flowers.

When I was printing quotes to put in picture frames
for Memorial Day decorations, the printer was low on color ink,
but I was hoping to be able to print
these quotes before completely running out.
I wanted to use navy font color.
(red frame, white paper, and blue ink).
And to my surprise, the low ink problem,
produced a real neat effect to my font color.
See. It 'shaded' from blue to red. Isn't it amazing how
sometimes we think something is such a bad thing
and it can actually turn out to be a good thing?