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Monday, May 31, 2010

Reese Turns 3!

Reese turned 3 this month. Wow, I can't believe she is already 3. We celebrated @ "The Little Gym". The kids had a blast...let off lots of energy.
Nick doesn't like cake and told me Reese needed a cookie cake instead. ha
I think I agree. Cookie cakes are way better.
Gigi and Beck
Definitely in her future...
Reese understands better this year about opening presents. I think she has it down now.
Happy Birthday sweet Reese Caroline.
Wish you were here too Mimi, Bobo, Aunt Abby, Uncle Brian,
Aunt Olivia, Uncle Jason, Will and Wyatt!!!
Miss yall...see you soon.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

New Journey Begins Today...

So...we're expecting!
But...I am not pregnant.
...we ARE beginning the adoption process. YAY!
We are planning on adopting a baby boy from Rwanda.
The process usually takes anywhere from 12-18 months...
We are hoping to travel there to get him sometime next year...late summer or in the fall.
We are extremely excited to say the least.

WHY adoption?

Adoption was something I had always been open to growing up but also something I had not thought about in awhile. Last summer we just casually had several conversations with several friends about adoption. One couple had adopted from Ethiopia and the other couple was in the process of adopting domestically. I really had laid it down and told the Lord I was okay if I never adopted b/c I just didn't think it was something that we would be able to do....but the very next night Nick told me for the 1st time ever He really was open to adoption. God has such a sense of humor and timing.
Decemeber 31st, 2009 Nick told me he really wanted me to be praying about adoption. Wow, what a great thing to hear from my sweet husband. I was so excited but also nervous. Even before I began to seriously pray about it...I believe I knew what the Lord was going to say. During the next few weeks Nick and I really sought the Lord about this during our 21 day church wide fast.
It was good...God was speaking. One amazing thing about this whole deal is that before the new year began...I was praying that God would show Nick and I exactly what He wanted us to be focused on...life is busy, Beck was only 1 month old, Reese is turning 3 soon...ministry and life was busy....but my heart was...Lord, even in all this...the day to day...I want us to walk in the center of your plan for us...giving ourselves most effectively for God's Glory in all that you have currently called us to. Well...I really believe God's answer to me was adoption.

James 1:27
"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

I believe the Lord was telling me that this was the next step for us...for whatever reason.
I never would have imagined that was how God would answer...but I am so very glad He did.

All that to say...that was now almost 6 months ago. We already feel like we have been in this process forever. We have been waiting for Beck to turn 6 months old to begin...which is today. Happy 6 months sweet Beckham. There has to be a 1 year age difference between your oldest child and the child you adopt. That is why we have waited. So the plan is...Beck will be about 1 1/2 when we get the baby. We shall see...everything could turn out different concerning the time.

Mailed in our initial application today.
A little scary...but this much I know...
GOD is FAITHFUL and TRUSTWORTHY...
if He is calling...then we must OBEY.
What a blessing.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Catching UP on blogging...

This past weekend we went to Lynchburg, VA to Liberty University for Nick's Doctoral Graduation. Aunt Abby flew here to take care of Reese while we took Beck with us. We had such a great time. We visited all the places that we have built so many memories at...it was so good to be back. I miss it. Liberty is a special place.

I am so proud of you NICK. You have worked so diligently to get this done and I am grateful....grateful that it is over!!! Ha.

I love you.
Being back at Liberty reminded me of all that God did in our lives in bringing us together while being there in college. God revealed Himself in such crazy ways, I will never get over it. It was there that I fell in Love with you about 7 years ago...and am still enjoying loving you. You are one of God's greatest blessings that He has ever given me. I thank God for you.

Nick with his Mom
Ronnie and Nick with Dr. Townes. Dr. Towns helped start Liberty University with Dr. Falwell. We love Dr. Towns.
Nick had 2 ceremonies. One big one with all students, then one more where he actually walked across the stage with just the Seminary students. God gave us a beautiful day and shady seats which was greatly appreciated. There were tons of people there. LU has grown so much...even in 5 years since we graduated with our undergrad degrees.
This is where Dr. Falwell was buried. It is a really beautiful memorial. The house behind us is where he was found when he passed away...in his office.

Dr. Falwell always said that "the man of God is indestructible until God is ready to bring him home". That being said from a man that received many death threats and flew on little planes all of the time!!! Crazy how God took him. That statement brings me comfort. God will take us when He is done using us.
Nick with our good friend Jeremy Roberts. I met Jeremy my first day at LU as a freshman. He was in front of me while were in line to get our id cards. We go way back now Jeremy! Nick and Jeremy have graduated 3 times together...undergrad from LU, Southwestern seminary with a Masters and then LU again with Doctoral degrees. Crazy.
I was able to meet up my sweet friend Monica Rose. Monica is over the women's ministry department at LU. God used her greatly in my life. She taught me so much about what God's word says about the role of women. It truly set me free...and for that I am grateful. Grateful to God for His Word and grateful to Monica for sharing it.
I love you Monica Rose. Great to see you.
Nick sent me to Florida to see my family for my 26th birthday in April. It was sooo good to see my family. My mom had all 4 of her children home at the same time. Abby is on the left, the youngest. Graduating from Highschool next week. Yay Abby.
So proud of the Godly woman you have become. Olivia in the middle.
The whole family after church.
BoBo and his grandson.
My brother and sisters....I love them so much.
Cousin Wyatt sucking on Beck's arm.
Uncle Brian finally has some more "manfolk" around the house...Brian with Will and Wyatt.
This pretty much sums up Beck. Has spit up all down his shirt and crazy HAIR!
(that we have cut now...it had to be cut)
Wild turkeys walk into our yard all of the time. I am not used to it anymore since I don't get to go back home very often. It is really cool.
This is a picture off the back porch. It is so beautiful. I would like my sweet friend Rachel Blackwell who is a photographer to please take a look at my beautiful photography work with this picture. Are you not so proud of me?
Last month Jeana and I went to Dallas to do a breakout session at Prestonwood Baptist Church. We did a session on "10 Ways to Treat the Other Woman"...being your mother in law or daughter in law. It was at the Women's Conference. Abby was visiting us for Spring Break so we took her along too. We had great fun.
Looking out the window of my favorite little lunch place on the square in McKinney, TX.
This is where I love to do all of my antique shopping!!!
It was soooo great to be back at Pwood North! So good to see everyone. We miss everyone and the church, God allowed us to be at that church for a very special few years.
Me and my sweet friend Jen Hangartner.
This is Jeana's mom, Effie. We stayed the night with her. It was fun!
Nick and I went to New York with Ryan and Rachel Blackwell to celebrate our anniversaries. We have been married for 5 years on the 28th of May...crazy. We had lots of fun...but I did happen to get the stomach bug on day 2....not good.
Ground Zero memorial being built.
Time Square...which by the way...we were eating there the night the bomb thing went wrong. We arrived to eat there and they were checking it out and blocking off streets. Crazy. We stayed and ate b/c they didn't say otherwise. We thought it was just a car fire or something. It wasn't until we got back to our hotel and turned on the tv that we saw it was actually a bombing attempt. Thankful to God that it didn't work out for that dude. It had already been discovered by the time we arrived...but still. Crazy.

Ok...so this picture is of my yummy dessert I made for Kate (my sis in law's) shower. I hosted it and I thought I had remembered everything...well I hadn't. Nick noticed it in the freezer later that night...I was so fired up mad at myself. It was the one special thing I made...the one thing I was most excited about...ha! Oh well...I decided to eat it myself and sent the rest to Kate's.
Reese and her friend Macon at the bounce house in Bentonville.
Very fun by the way...to all of you moms...very fun. Only $5.00 too. By the way...Reese climbed all the way up the highest bounce thing and was calling out to me. Yes, I climbed all the way up...like 40 millions climb thingies...and insisted she was sliding DOWN with me b/c she made me climb all the way up. It was too steep to climb back down...we were taking the slide. Let me tell you...I think we hit like 60 mph. Crazy slide! We went sooo fast. It was so steep that I was scard but pretended I wasn't so I didn't freak Reese out...Brave mommy...Brave mommy. ha. Much to my friend's surprise who was at the bottom...I came ZOOMING down with Reese in tow. It was hilarious...and probably illegal.


Sweet boy Beck. Happy 6 months BECKHAM.
Beck's current hobbies include:
Spitting up, spitting up some more and then spitting up some more.
AND>>>
Almost crawling, but cannot sit up yet. Skipping that part.
Stay tuned for exciting news coming Wednesday via the blog...yay

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mother's Day!

I KNOW I am way behind on blogging. Will catch up this week..but for now....Here is a link to my sister's blog that has a video she made for our mom for mother's day. Precious! Happy Mother's Day everyone. I have told Nick that we should have Happy Mother's "Month" instead of a "day" b/c it is sooo much work!!!! I'm just sayin.... (I wouldn't trade one day of it though)

http://jason-olivia.blogspot.com/