One Year

Happy Birthday, Luke!

 Hmm... Let me check this out. Squishy.

 I think I like it.

 Let me take another bite.

 And the rest is history.

 Wash it down with some milk. BEST SNACK EVER!

 Luke's sweet cousins: Bailey and Amelia. What cuties!

 He got a LOT of presents. Big ones, too.

This is the face he made when he got in one of the cardboard boxes.

Go figure.

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate our sweet baby little boy.

     I can't believe how time has flown by this first year of Luke's life. Look at that face! I had no idea how much he would change in one year. We are so incredibly blessed.

Welcome Luke!

It's been five weeks since Luke Jackson Lanham was born. Five life-changing, overwhelming, exhausting and humbling weeks ... but more on that later.

As I've thought about Luke's birth, the details seem to be slipping out of my memory. So I've finally forced myself to sit down and put in writing the wonderful day that Luke joined our little family. While I doubt the majority of my friends will be interested, the few pregos I know (if they're like me) will be spending quite a bit of time reading birth stories to get an idea of what their big day will be like. While I'm happy to offer up my story, be warned, you can't possibly be prepared for labor.

March 25

I woke up with contractions at about 4:45 a.m., though I didn't know that's what they were. They didn't feel anything like the Braxton Hicks contractions I had been having for several months. Other signs convinced me that it was time and when Matt got up at a little later to find me sitting in the living room and googling labor signs, I told him he shouldn't go into the office on that day.

The contractions started coming really fast and by 8 a.m. they were 3 minutes apart. Considering we had planned on going to the hospital when they were five minutes apart or when I had to work through them, we were really confused about what to do. I did not want to go to the hospital too early because I knew it would increase my chances of getting an epidural. But we called the doctor on call and after visiting with me a bit and hearing me go through a contraction, she said to go ahead and come in. ... If I had only known how much further up the pain scale I still had to go. Ha!! Looking back I can't believe I thought I was actually close.

When we got to the hospital I was dilated to a two. Which was incredibly disappointing considering I was at a one two weeks ago. I had such a long way to go. But the doctor let me stay at the hospital and we called our parents and our wonderful friend Peggy who served as our doula.

Contractions started getting harder, family members started drifting in to say hello before going to the waiting room and the next several hours are really a huge blur now.

Things I remember:

• Getting stuck at 9 centimeters.
• How little I cared about what people saw while I was working through and then resting from contractions.
• The pain was all in my back. What fun!
• I managed to avoid an epidural or any other form of pain medication mainly because I could not imagine having to bend over and be still for 30 minutes while someone stuck a large needle in my back.
• How helpful, calming and all around amazing Peggy was through the process. I don't think Matt and I could have done it without her.
• Pushing was only 30 minutes. Yay me!
• It was a relief to push ... ish. It just felt like a different kind of pain to me and it was NO fun.
• Luke was born at 6:50 p.m. Monday, March 25.
• I left the delivery room thinking maybe next time I would get an epidural, but the memory of the pain has already faded enough that I think if I did it once, I can definitely do it again.
• Those first few moments with Luke in my arms were so not what I expected and that first hour where everyone left the room and it was just me, Matt and Luke were heavenly.

Falling in love
It's true. I fell in love with Luke the moment he was born, but what surprised me was how intensely I fell in love with Matt all over again.

I couldn't have gone through giving birth to Luke without Matt. His was the hand I wanted to hold, the calm voice telling me I was doing great. Later Matt told me that he had to stare at the monitors most of the time because it was hard to look at me in so much pain. I didn't notice, my eyes were pretty much closed the entire time. But I felt how much he cared. And to his credit, he never once suggested I get an epidural.

Looking through pictures of the birth the other day Matt said he still couldn't believe that I did that. I think I went up a notch in his eyes too.

I loved how quickly and completely Matt fell in love with Luke when he saw him for the first time. From day one he has been Luke's biggest fan, biggest protector. He changed all the diapers until we got home from the hospital.

Matt's love for Luke was immediate and instinctual. He loved (and still loves) holding him. And he held him so gently.

Luke
As for Luke, he's perfect. He's so strong and already works so hard to do things like lift his head and roll over. (Yes, he's already learned how to roll from his tummy to his back.)

He's vocal, especially when he's tired. And he does something unexpected every day. He's not one to follow my perfectly laid out schedules or plans, but in many ways that's a good thing. He's already making me a better person.

I'll get to more about Luke later. Back to the birth.

It was wonderful, painful, overwhelming and life altering. I learned a lot about myself and Matt and neither one of us were disappointed with the way things turned out.

30 Minute Pregnancy Review

Pregnancy is something that words can't explain. No matter how hard people try. Mostly because pregnancy is so very different from person to person.

My one of a kind experience started with a positive pregnancy test in July and is coming to an end - hopefully - some time this month. The middle is already beginning to get a little fuzzy, so I'm recording the experience while I still can.

First, I will freely admit that I've had an easy pregnancy. No health issues. Baby has grown beautifully. I am so thankful for this blessing because the few issues that I did have threw me for a loop. I'm not sure how women who have truly hard pregnancies - like constant nausea or needing bed rest - do it. How do they get anything done and why in the world do they decide to do it again?

Way to go ladies. Way to go.

As for me, tiredness, feeling overwhelmed and some slight nausea is all I can really complain about. So I'll skip the complaining.

I think the emotional aspect of pregnancy threw me for a loop much more than the physical aspects. Though watching those stretch marks grow on my belly has certainly triggered some minor emotional meltdowns. I never understood what hormones can do to your mood. Turns out it's a lot.

Crying at insurance comercials. 'Nuff said.

I think the scariest thing for me was learning that we're going to have a boy. I'm not sure why a boy scared me at first. I have two little brothers. I've always been outnumbered by boys. It's not like I won't know what to do with him. From my experience with the favorite boys in my life - Matt, Dad, Ben and Coleman - I know that football is a given, basketball is back up and, if all else fails, throw some cool electronic toy their way. And they're happy.

So I  moved past that fear and on to a general fear of how to care for a baby. Feed him, change him, bathe him... I think I can do that. I've read a book, several blogs and a few websites. With my mom showing me how, I think I'll get there.

So now I've settled on the fear of what kind of mother I will be. Can I raise my son to be a man after God's heart? How can I show him a good example when I have so many shortcomings? Will I be too controlling? On and on the questions continue.

As you can see, my "problems" with this pregnancy have all been up in my head. For me the struggle has really been about balancing fear of messing up - which I think is at least semi healthy and if nothing else shows that I take this role of motherhood seriously - and trust in God that he'll lead our family down the right path.

While the following could be a whole other post, I'm going to go ahead and cram in here the two big lessons I learned about how to treat a pregnant woman.

Number one. And this is a big one.

Do not verbalize my doubts about their decisions. On more than one occasion another woman - and sometimes even a man - has asked me what my plans were for labor, or breastfeeding, or sleeping arrangements. And then mocked my answer: "Yeah right, we'll see." Or they questioned it: "Do you really want to do that?" Or they dismissed it: "Well, you might change your mind about that." Or they just smile an all knowing smile.

Now, I fully realize that none of this was done maliciously. Everyone who did this to me was a good-hearted person who thought they were giving me advice from the wisdom of their experiences. And I don't hold a grudge against a single one of them. (But don't even get me started on people who aren't parents thinking they know more about how to raise my child than I do.)

My point is that depsite all of the research I did on the topic and the discussions I had with Matt and the thought I had put into what would be best for my family, these comments made me doubt myself. And that's a truly horrible thing to do to a first time mother. Because surely every first time mom has doubts about their abilities to be a mom. We're allready second guessing ourselves. We don't need others to do it for us.

So I am resolved to not be this person. Unless someone expresses a desire to put their newborn's toes in a meat grinder to help them learn to handle pain, my lips are sealed.

After all, if they want my advice, they'll ask for it.

Number two.

No comment about a pregnant woman's body size is appreciated.

"You're so big." "Are you sure you're not having twins?" Nope. Not OK. Don't get me wrong, I take the good natured jokes fine most of the time, but catch me when I'm already feeling down and you've got yourself a grumpy pregnant woman.

Even saying a woman is small can make them feel like they're doing something wrong. And, in my experience, you get half of the people telling you you're big and half telling you you're small which is incredibly confusing. We all grow a baby differently. Don't comment.

And saying someone "looks pregnant in the face" Really, REALLY, R.E.A.L.L.Y isn't OK. Again, I know these people aren't being ugly. But even words dropped carelessly - especially if they ring true to a fear I already had - can really sting,

Appropriate things to tell a pregnant woman include "You look beautiful." and "You're going to be a great mom."

Well, that's my 30 minute pregnancy review. Soon I'll be on to the next phase: caring for a newborn.

I'm so blessed.

In the family way

So, for the few people out there who haven't heard our great news, here it is: I'm pregnant! Yay!

Matt and I are So excited! I'm 13 weeks and due March 23. We've seen the baby in an ultrasound at six weeks .... it looked like a little dot. We also heard the heart beat at 10 weeks. Really fun stuff. We won't know if it's a boy or girl until the last week of October, so we're really looking forward to that appointment.

Surprises

When pregnant women say they're tired in their first trimester, what they really mean is unbelievably exhausted. Pregnancy websites warning me I might feel tired during the past few months is a cruel joke. The truth is, most days of the week, I feel like I'm on two days of no sleep and have a marathon to run.

 The other day, I cried during a commercial. Seriously. Today I was watching a recording of Go On and teared up when the main character talked about his wife dieing. It's incredibly weird how emotional I've been for the past several weeks.

Keeping it a secret for a while was easy. Finding a way to tell our family in a way that one side didn't find out through Facebook or something was difficult. And then, we tell everyone, and everyone kept it off of Facebook .... of course.

Meeting expectations

Because my mother never had morning sickness, I expected the same. As irrational as that may be, it turned out to be true. I've had no morning sickness. Sure, for a few weeks in there I felt a little sick to my stomach in the afternoons, but nothing serious. And that makes the tiredness OK. It's more than a fair trade off.

Our families are so excited. Everyone is working on grandparent names and making plans to get off of work in March.

Looking forward

I feel like we have a long way to go, but really it's just six more months away. How crazy is that? I better start reading up on what I have to expect.

Which brings me to my plea for help. I love books. I love information. It comforts me. So PLEASE send pregnancy, motherhood and child raising book suggestions my way! I need some books and I don't know where to start. If it helped you, then please recommend it to me.

Thanks everyone. And please keep me, Matt and little one in your prayers.

Daily Devotional

Back to my lesson on daily Bible study. (For those who didn't read the last blog, I talked to a group of teenage girls about Bible study last week.)

While I encouraged them to start while they're young. I admit, I didn't get into the habit until three years ago. (OK, I guess that's pretty young.) No matter what your age, I would highly recommend getting into this habit.

I can not begin to describe what a comfort daily immersing myself in God's word has been to my life. There is so much wisdom in there. Over and over it describes God's love for man.

What does God's word do for us?

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Psalms 119:11

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalms 119:105



 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:3-11

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Psalms 19:7-10

There are so many other verses that talk about how the Bible can add peace and beauty to our daily lives.

It's so easy to think that because you go to every church service and Bible study that you're learning enough about God, you're putting in your time. But this is the wrong way to look at it. Can we really know enough about God and what he wants for our lives? Should we put in the minimum amount of work possible on our Christian lives?

I admit, I've found myself thinking this way many times. It doesn't make you a bad person, please don't get me wrong. There's just so much more in the Bible than some people take advantage of.


Have you ever gone to church and left saying the sermon was "exactly what you needed?" The awesome thing about daily Bible study is you can have that feeling every day. You can choose to study EXACTLY what you need. Lost a loved one? Find words of comfort. Struggling with sin? Read about others who have struggled. Unhappy with how your life is going? Learn to refocus your life on what matters.


I hope anyone reading this starts a daily Bible study. It has the power to transform your life.

If I've convinced you to start a daily Bible study, here are a few tips that helped me succeed.


1. Just do it! Don't have an all or nothing attitude. In other words, don't feel like there is a perfect way to do it and, if done wrong, you're better off not studying. Don't wait for the right time or when you have enough time. Do it now.


2. Keep doing it. Don't let missing a few days of study completely derail your efforts. Have you ever tried to read through the Bible in a year? Did you get derailed at Leviticus or Numbers? My suggestion: skip it. It is much better to thumb on over to Joshua than to put your Bible away for the next few months.


3. Set aside a regular time and place so you can get into the habit. Habits are powerful things. And getting obstacles out of your way is important. I personally love doing it in the morning, the house is quite and it's a great way to start the day. I also always do it at my kitchen table and I keep my Bible study materials nearby.


4. Begin and end with a prayer. Begin by asking God to help you focus through the study and end by praying for what you've learned you need to apply to your life.


5. Takes notes as you go so you will stay focused on what you're studying. Have you ever read a chapter in the Bible and then thought, "I have no idea what I just read?" This will prevent that problem.


6. Condense what you've learned onto something you can carry with you all day and review.


7. Make this Bible study time your own. If you want to skip around from study to study, do it. If you want to study the same thing over and over again, do it. This is your time. Study what you know is best for you.


Well, that was my talk. Let me say, I am in no way perfect at a daily Bible study. As I told the girls, I often skip Saturday. But when I stick with it, the benefits are amazing. I have grown so much closer to God in the last few years and I KNOW it is because of the daily time I spend in His word. The main point of all my tips is don't feel like you have to be perfect. Just commit to accomplishing it.

If anyone does decide to make this commitment. Let me know!


Love,
Katlynn

Gratitude

Hello all,

Friday I had the privilege of talking to a group of sweet, Christian girls. We had a lot of  fun and I hope they learned a lot. I know I did. It's so nice to see young women who are being raised to love God and who don't mind giving up a Friday night to learn more about Him.

Before I spoke, Peggy, our preacher's wife and the mother of one of the girls, talked about gratitude. She encouraged the girls to keep a gratitude journal by simply writing down five things they were grateful for every day. I'm hoping to incorporate that into my day, too. In fact, I think it's another great way to start my day.

What I'm grateful for today:
1. My loving Christian family
2. My mom got an iPad so I can FaceTime with her
3. My husband's patience and forgiveness
4. The Mentalist reruns
5. The beautiful rain and awesome thunder

What are you grateful for today?

Soon I'm going to share the lesson I gave the girls about daily Bible study.

Buttermilk Pie

When I bite into a piece of buttermilk pie I think of my grandmothers, sitting around the living room with my extended family and all things Texas. I love buttermilk pie, not only because it's delicious, but because it triggers a ton of memories.

For some reason I thought buttermilk pie was really hard to eat. ... no idea where that came from. Turns out it's as easy as ... pie. Yes, I wrote that. I had to.

Anyway, making buttermilk pie is easy and I think everyone should go to their kitchen and get some eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla find their grandmother's buttermilk pie recipe and cook up some pie! (If you don't have buttermilk in the fridge, put a tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of milk and let it sit for 15 minutes.) You should have all of the ingredients on hand. If you can't find your grandmother's recipe, try Carla Hall's recipe at The Chew.

Matt and I each got a piece and then I took it to work.

Michael said it was great.

Wedding Weekend

Matt and I got off work early Friday and drove to Austin for my cousin James' wedding.

The wedding was beautiful, Megan (the bride) was radiant, James was clearly very happy and everyone had a good time. .... except for maybe Kevin, James' brother.

Let me tell you a story. Kevin passed out during the wedding. The end.

SORRY KEVIN! Poor guy had to get stitches under his lip because he face planted. It was a very exciting addition to the day. I'm assuming he locked his legs which, I hear, is not uncommon. Poor Kevin.

Here are some of the pictures I snapped during the evening.

 One of the MANY flower arrangements created by Aunt Peggy with the help of my many talented female family members. Gorgeous!

 My aunts and uncles. Mom and Dad are on the far right.

 

Me and my beautiful sister-in-law Lacey.

 

 

We stuffed the whole family into the photo booth.

Minus Coleman and Sarah who are in California and we miss dearly!

 

I enjoy going to the weddings of people I love. I'm a girl, sure. But mostly I think I enjoy weddings because it takes me back to my wedding. Weddings are beautiful and fun, but most of all they're the commitment that starts a marriage. And marriage is far more beautiful than a wedding.

I thank God every day for Matt. He's my partner, my best friend, my biggest supporter. He's the man I laugh with, I cry with and I make plans with.

Man or woman, I believe deciding who you will marry is second in importance only to your decision to follow God with your whole heart. And we make it when we're SO young.

But here's the coolest thing about marriage. You grow together.

Thanks to Megan and James for letting me and Matt be a part of their big day and reminding us about the preciousness of marriage. ..... and thanks to Kevin for being such a good sport with all of the teasing this weekend.

Until next time,

Katlynn

'Heading' in the right direction

Check out my cool new header! Created by Theresa at Sunshine & The Soul . A complete new header and, hopefully, a new design to come.

People, she did this in one night so I could have a header until I get her some photos .... really cool.

Thanks Theresa!

This week was ... clumsy

My week was one mistake after the next. I seemed bent on hurting myself and making a mess every where I went. I took clumsy to a whole new level.

Have you ever had one of those weeks?

An illustrated guide to my week.

(Pictures are stock images as I can never remember to actually take photos of things.)

I hurt my shoulder. I don't know how, I don't really know when. But getting dressed every day has nearly brought me to tears. ... I'll admit, I've been whining.

I carry this big, beautiful cup of ice water around with me every where. This week, I spilled it twice. Each time it was full. Once was on the floor of the break room at my office. The next was when I was rushing out the door. I knocked it IN TO my laptop case. ... Both times required a lot of clean up.

 Finally, possibly the most painful thing I've ever done to myself happened Thursday morning as I was rushing through my morning routine to make it to a dentist appointment.

Ever hear of Clear Care? It's used to clean contacts, but you have to let it sit for six hours. (Probably because of the hydrogen peroxide in it.) Not doing so will "cause burning and stinging or redness."

Boy does it. Instead of rinsing my contacts with saline solution, I squirted some Clean Care on one before sticking it into my left eye. It hurt. It hurt real bad. Screams, crying and 20 minutes of rinsing my eye with water followed. .... I'm not even really sure what happened to the contact. My eye was red, red, red. I looked like half of Natalie Portman in The Black Swan. I could have easily stared in a horror film.

I'm telling you, I am an a pain inflicting streak this week.

Sigh.

OK, now no more whining. It's time to pick myself up and enjoy my weekend. Hopefully accident free. I've already made a great start. I baked Matt's favorite peanut butter chocolate chip cookies without burning myself. The weekend is on the right track and it's time for me to go enjoy it.

Any one else do anything stupid this week? Let me know. .... It would go a long way towards healing my pride. :)

Until next time,

Katlynn

New beginnings

They're coming.

It's been far too long since I've updated this blog. I could go into the excuses including the fact that I write for a living and doing it when I get home isn't always the most inviting prospect. But, really, nothing is going on in our lives to write about.

When people ask us what we've been up to, all I can every say is work. For nearly four years Matt and I have lived and worked in the Brazosport Area in Brazoria County. Matt as a mechanical engineer, me as a reporter and now editor. We've done well, we've moved up.

But now, Matt has a new job in Cypress and changes worth talking about are just around the corner. For those who aren't quite sure where Cypress or Angleton - our current hometown - is, Angleton is 30 minutes south of Houston while Cypress is on the northwest side. Matt drives an hour and a half to work every day. In total, he spends three hours in the car. We are blessed that Matt has two coworkers to carpool with, cutting down on the cost, but not the time.

Sure, the drive is doable. But we don't want Matt losing that much time, especially after we have kids .... someday. So, needless to say, we'll be moving to Cypress sometime soon, or soonish. .... within a year.

Hence the new name for my blog.

While I don't know much about Cypress, I've driven through. And let me tell you, for those that haven't made the trip, it's Houston. 100 percent Houston. There is no gap between the two cities. I suppose there is a sign to indicate you've left one and are entering the other, but that's it: a sign, a line on the map.

Driving around in it semi terrifies me. Traffic, traffic, traffic. My three-accident self is a bit nervous about the idea of navigating the town and traffic.

But the traffic isn't the only thing I worry about.

I hesitate to admit it. But I'm nervous about the people. Will I, a girl raised on a cotton farm and since spent her time in small towns, find anything in common with these, for lack of a better term, city people? Maybe I'm over thinking it.

Either way, I'm finding myself very nervous and very excited about the change. Matt and I are in our groove down here. I know the area. I know the people. We have a routine in our marriage, we've developed a partnership.

Change is a funny thing. It's not black and white. You analyze it over and over again to make sure it's the right change. Almost all change is part good, part bad.

I doubt I'll be telling you anything new when I say that I'm a bit of a worrier. The heart of the matter is you never know what will happen once you make a change. And as a compulsive planner, I quake at the idea of not knowing what is coming next.

So, I will be going back to the following verse often in the coming months.

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."  Phil. 4:13

Until next time, I hope you, too, take comfort from this verse.

Love always,

Katlynn

We're Back

We're back from our Caribbean Cruise and what was truly one of the most relaxing vacations of my life. Definitely needed for both of us. Pictures to come this week ... hopefully.

Taking a week off work was so amazing for both of us. It's the first full week we've had off since we started two years ago. Can you imagine? You probably can. It's so weird going from school and college where you get two months off for summer and a month off for Christmas, to trying to make sure that you at least have Christmas day to spend with the family. 10 days. Ten days off all year and spending five of them this week was just plain amazing.

We are so blessed to be able to do that. The cruise was amazing. Cozumel was beautiful, the Mayan ruins were humbling and the pillows were super comfortable.

More to come later.

Katlynn

Visits

This month we were blessed with three weekends of visits from our family. First Mom, Dad, Coleman and Heindrick (Sorry if your name spelling is incorrect bud), then Ben and Lacey, then Penny, Sterling and Ashley!!! I had to get over the whole perfect house thing because to be honest I think I dusted once in those three weeks.

I hate living so far away from our families, but I really enjoy their visits. We have so much fun. (BTW: I beat Ben, Lacey and Matt in bowling . . . after I got last place the first round.)

Family and their visits is certainly a blessing in our lives and something to look forward to for the end of the week. Thanks to everyone for making the long drive to come see us.

UPDATES:
1. The new house thing is going great. I love it and I love the room it gives us. I also love that our visitors get their own room and bathroom.

2. I got a new car!!!! It's a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and it was CHEAP! Those are the best kind of cars. I am so excited. I love getting in and driving it. The only downfall is the people who owned it before us smoked, so despite the multiple applications of Fabreze the smell is still pretty obvious. I have a secret recipe from Penny I still need to try, but does anyone else have any suggestions?

3. Work is going really well for Matt. His work load is picking up which I'm told is a good thing because it means job security.

4. Work for me is going well. We got a new reporter so my duties changed a little. I still cover Clute, Lake Jackson and Brazosport ISD. But I got rid of my little towns which means about five stories a month less than I used to have. This was replaced by more responsibility in special sections, taking on the Business Journal cover story every month and a greater emphasis in coverage on our big subscription area: Lake Jackson. But most importantly this change means that I have a minimum five more nights a month at home that I would have normally spent at a meeting. This change is such a blessing to me and Matt and definitely an answer to prayers.

6. We are planning a cruise for the end of August!!! Yay!! We thought about sight seeing in Washington DC and the east coast, but when it came down to it what we really wanted (and needed) was a vacation that included a lot of relaxation. A cruise fit the bill.

7. Some very important people in my life are either pregnant or just had babies. I'm so excited for them! Anyone have cute do-it-yourself gift ideas for new mothers?

Other than these few changes we're trucking along. Going to church, going to work, teaching Bible class and working on extra income options.

As always, God has blessed us richly and we have more to be thankful for every day.

To abound

"You know y'all are a lucky young couple right?"

- My Mom

She's almost always right and she certainly was when she said that to me last weekend during a family visit. Matt and I showed my mom and dad the new house for the first time. While the boys were doing something on their own, mom and I went into a back bedroom and grabbed Guitar Hero.

She made the comment about our luck when I asked her if she would like to play drums or guitar. It seems like a very simple thing to me . . . fake drums or fake guitar. But thinking back on pictures of my parents first years as a married couple, Matt and I are blessed indeed.

Yet, imperfect person that I am, I can find something to complain about. I can find something more to want. This is something that I'm working on - contentment. It's an attitude God wants me to have and when you thing about the definition, why wouldn't I want to have that for myself?

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Phil. 4:11 -13

"I have learned the secret ..." if only we could all learn the secret. True contentment comes naturally to very few people. We always want more.

What I find so fascinating about this verse is that he speaks of abundance as if that too is a trial we must go through. While it's a trial many people in third world countries would love to try their hand at, it's a trial that almost every American faces.

Do I know how to abound? Do I realize that all that I have is a gift from God? Do I trust him completely to take care of me, leaving behind my worries when I finish my prayers? Am I selfish and keep my success, happiness and money all to myself? Do I give enough?

Does anyone?

As I sit on my recliner with my computer in my lap, I can see many things around me that I truly don't need. I would not call Matt and I extravagant by any means. We live well within our budget and make saving money a priority. And I wouldn't say we're stingy with our money, we give to our congregation every week.

But is that really abounding in a way that God would be proud of? What's "the secret"?

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:27

I know how to abound. I know the secret. What remains is for me to do it.

The spring

Wow, I really stink at this whole blog thing despite my determination to keep it up!!!

That is SO me. Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right? Sigh, just one of the many things I need to fix about myself.

So this post is meant to update you on our life during the spring. It was a good three months. Though we moved two months ago, yesterday I officially unpacked the last box, found a place for the last item and hung the last picture. I breathed a sigh of relief and walked from room to room looking at the masterpiece that is my awesome home.

I don't mean to brag. Don't get me wrong. It's a little three bedroom home that has it's flaws including the fact that in the kitchen hot water comes out of the cold water faucet before it becomes cold and cold water comes out of the hot water faucet before it becomes hot. . . . I have no idea why. This was particularly annoying after I burned myself and could not get cold water on the flaming finger.

But it's so exciting to have a home. It's great to come home to Matt and see the beautiful back yard he's worked so hard to make nice. It's great to come home to a kitchen where two of us can comfortably make super together. It's great to come home to a bedroom where I can stand on both sides and the end of the bed, reach my arms out and not touch nearby walls. Just GREAT!

But I digress. This spring something far more amazing happened. My brother married Lacey!

We are so very excited for them. They are just great together and I love Lacey so much. Their ceremony was super sweet and beautiful. I didn't have any doubt that Ben loved Lacey before their wedding, but after hearing his vows I'm beyond sure. Lacey's vows made clear not only how much she loves him, but how open her eyes are going into this marriage. She loves his despite his faults (and let me just say he has very few). That is a woman worth keeping around.

So, Lacey, welcome to the family. Ben did a great job of picking out a sister for me. ;) LOL

That's it for now and hopefully I won't wait two months before getting y'all up to date again.

Our New Home

Pictures to come, but we are officially moved in to our new home and have waived goodbye to our apartment. Our house looks like a bomb went off at a clothing and box factory. It's funny, I thought our house would look empty compared to our tiny apartment, but I think we will actually fill it up nicely.

Going through the apartment one last time before I turned in our keys was a little sad. That was the first place we lived as husband and wife. Though it may sound sappy I can remember when me and mom went to the apartment and unpacked as much as possible to try to make it feel homey for the day Matt and I returned from our honeymoon.

But we are now on to bigger and better things. Like the terrifying two words: home ownership. There are so many things I already want to do to this house. And so many things we had to do that were unexpectedly expensive. Like buy blinds and new door knobs.

Who knew door knobs cost so much!?!

Waking up in this home still feels very new, but I love it so much. We finally live in a place where we can't have a conversation while at two completely different ends of the house! We can finally fit all of our dishes, kitchen gadgets and food into the kitchen space! We can use our couch instead of placing it behind the dining room table! We can use all sides of our dining room table without pulling it away from a wall! I can sit on the edge of the bed while unable to touch the nearby wall with my hand! We have a yard! We have room for a garden!

So many things to be excited about and enjoy. Being an adult turns out to be kindof fun, sometimes.

New Home . . . Soon?

So only a few weeks into a new blog and I have already lapsed into my old habit of never writing. Sigh.

The good news is I haven't been on because Matt and I are moving into our new home next week, hopefully. We've been held in limbo as to the exact day of closing, but we're hopeful Monday is the day.

I will post pictures as soon possible.

Until then . .

Joy

This morning's sermon was one that I so desperately needed to hear. The lesson was about finding joy outside of our life circumstances and instead finding joy in God. We looked at the example of Paul's life and his letter to the Philippians to learn about joy.

JOY! We are told we can feel it every day if we know how to go after it. Here are the things Doug Raymer pointed out.

What Paul didn't do:
Complain - Phil. 2:14 "Do all things without grumbling or questioning."Hold grudges - Phil1:15-18
Worry about pointless things - Phil.3:7-8
Dwell on the past - Phil.3:13 What would Paul's life be like if he dwelled on his not so great past? He had a bunch to be ashamed of, but he asked for forgiveness and moved on. If only all of us chose to do the same.

What Paul did:
Expressed gratitude - Phil.1:3
Built and nurtured relationships - Phil.1:7-8, 4:1
Had hope for the future - Phil.1:18-20,3:20-21
Saw the good in his life - Phil.1:12-13
Pursued a noble purpose - Phil.1:21,3:14
Practiced humility - Phil.2:3-4
Prayed about his difficulties - Phil.4:6-7
Thought beautiful thoughts - Phil.4:8
Content with what he had - Phil.4:11-12

Phil.4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." That includes living a joyful life through many trials and pain or even just daily annoyances.

This is a lesson I need to remember every day. Too often we blame our circumstances for our feelings. My job makes me stressed. My spouse drives me crazy. So and so hurt by feelings. But the truth is joy is within ourselves, within our control, within our reach. Through God all things are possible.

Joy is a choice each of us should be making.

Learning to Laugh . . . at myself

I must admit, I think I've learned the lesson of laughing at myself pretty well over the years. Between the lack of balance, my red face at any sign of exercise or embarrassment and my amazing ability to stick my foot in my mouth. Learning to laugh at myself is a lesson I get day in and day out.

Yesterday I wasn't the only one to laugh at myself, my coworkers and bosses got a good laugh too.

I had been corresponding with a woman back and forth for several days and knew she had typed her phone number at the bottom of one of her messages. I clicked on it, scrolled down and found the phone number.

Two rings into the phone call my own cell phone starts ringing with my main office line showing as the number that was calling. (No matter where the phone call is from, it always shows the main line.) I was curious, picked up the phone and said hello. Immediately hearing my own voice saying hello in my work phone.

I hung up both phones, put my head on my desk and began laughing. How did I call my own cell phone without realizing I was dialing my number?

Laughing at myself was a great break to a hard day. And I probably gave everyone else at the office a great break too.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. I'm sure not many people followed my first blog, but I thought it was time to get a blog that I could play with a little more.

I am also using this change as an opportunity to change the topic of my blog. I will still update everyone on the things going on with Matt and I, but I'm going to add a column type of entry. Meaning something that you would see in newspapers, magazines, that sort of thing.

I don't know if anyone will be interested on my thoughts about being a Christian woman, living life to its fullest and learning to love. But I hope it will effect a life or two and it will certainly take a load off of my mind.

I plan to use this blog as a way to get my thoughts on paper, organize them and as I think about how to explain what I am thinking I hope I will be able to focus on how to better myself in these areas.

As so many famous people have said (though I can't think of their names right now) a goal not written down is worthless. The same could be said for thoughts.

So here are my thoughts, my feelings, my opinions. Take them or leave them.