Operation Baby Room!

I have hit my third trimester! I can't believe it. In fact, I feel myself getting a little overwhelmed at times. It seems I have so much to do and I am quickly running out of time. Josh and I did our registries at Babies R Us and Target. Josh found the whole experience rather boring besides using the scanner gun. I guess that is how that goes. What is really funny is Josh thinks we only need a pack of diapers and 3 onesies....I repeat THREE onesies! Apparently he wants to do laundry more than once a day :) There are tons of things we don't know, but we'll figure them out...eventually!

 

26 1/2 Weeks

28 Weeks

As I realized how fast time was going I panicked and starting the "nesting" process. The problem is we use our extra room right now for my craft stuff and Josh's music stuff. This was a big project to get this room emptied and ready for baby! 

 The craft table is cleared...such a bittersweet moment! 

 Everything is getting packed up and moved around!

 Everything is almost gone!

Everything is gone and the room now has a wonderful glider from my mommy :) Can't wait to rock Paxton to sleep in it! 

We've ordered the crib. As soon as it gets here the decorating will begin! Who doesn't love an excuse to decorate a room? Especially because of a sweet baby!!

It's Christmas Time!

Christmas time is probably my favorite. It gives me an excuse to go crazy decorating the house. This year, we decorated with the traditional Christmas colors- lots of red, green, and gold. However, this year it had its challenges. 

We put together our prelit tree and plugged it in. I was so excited for the lights to come on....but only half of them did. Really? The lights on the tree were toast. So, we changed the connections around for what seemed like forever. They never came on. So I did what I had to do. I got out the scissors and cut off all the lights....yes it was unplugged :)  This took forever!!! NEVER will we EVER buy a prelit tree again!!! 

 No tree is complete without Kona and scrappy under it!

 The J and W are from my mom and the snowman is from Josh's mom.

This is the dog's tree. My sister, Taylor, got these dog ornaments and painted them to look like Kona and Scrappy. Spoiled dogs? Nah..

Paper Snow Flakes! 

 Garland and Christmas Banner.

 Yeah! It's Christmas Time!

26 Weeks!!

I remember sitting on the couch with anticipation of the results of the pregnancy test I just took. Actually, it feels like yesterday. I remember throwing up so many times throughout the day that I thought it would never end and I would never make it through the pregnancy alive. It sounds extreme, I know. I remember looking at the calendar thinking this pregnancy is going to last forever! 

Now, I'm taken back. I'm looking at my calendar with a huge mix of emotions. Only three months to go? Where has the time gone? In fact, I'm going to the doctor tomorrow and then I start my two week visits because I'll be in the last trimester-crazy. 

Here are some pictures of my baby bump so far :)

 Thanksgiving Dinner...yeah I ate a lot!

We just really can't wait to meet him!

 

Seeing how fast my pregnancy is going really makes me examine my time. It's easy to let time get by and not even realize it. Ecclesiastes talks about how there is a time for everything. A time to cry, a time to laugh, a time to speak, a time to make peace......a time for everything!

Proverbs 6:4 tells us not to procrastinate-there's no time to lose (MSG). There's no time to lose. 

Can it get any more direct than that?

If we're not careful with our time, it will slip by and we won't even know it. We'll look back and think, "where has the last year gone?" The next question is tough...."what have I done that really matters?" 

It's a hard question for me. I try to ask myself it on a regular basis so I never lose sight of it. So I want

to ask you...What have you done that really matters?

Yield.

As many of you know, I'm the Children's Director at Fellowship Church. I started in May, just before graduation. If you would have asked me a year ago what I would be doing my answer would have been simply, "working in a public school." I had coffee with my friend Mallery last week and we talked about how our group of friends all set out to do one thing: work in a public school. What is funny is NONE of us are doing that. How wild is that? We all set out on a four year path that we felt was God's calling for our lives. Now, we are working in churches, working in christian schools, teaching in special needs schools, and teaching in other countries.

It's easy to attribute our career changes to the economy and the lack of jobs. But, I think there is more to it. God directs our steps in ways we cannot even imagine if we are willing to follow His call. It's easy to pursue what we want. But, when God tells you something different, it is not the most settling thing. In fact, it can be a very humbling experience. When you become a Christ follower, you give up your desires and work to align with God and His ways. The hard part is not knowing where you are going, what you'll be doing, and trusting God will provide.

When Jesus was calling his disciples he told them to drop everything and to follow him...everything? My reaction would not have been as the disciples. I would be asking Jesus a thousand questions. Where are we going? What will we be doing? What about my family? What will we do for food? Our house? The list goes on. Jesus simply instructed them to follow Him--no explanation.

Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? Matthew 16: 24-26 (MSG)

It's kind of like Jesus just looked at his disciples and said, "Look, I've got this. Let me lead." How would you even respond to that? Now, let's take this to our lives today. God calls us to do the same today. Is it easy? No. What about when we can't pay our bills at the end of the month if we give back to God what he deserves? Doesn't God say that he'll take care of it? In fact, I would be more afraid to not give and keep everything than to give God nothing. After all, he is the one that gave us our jobs in the first place. What about when making career choices? Do you do what you know God wants you to do, or do what you want?  Is this easy? No way! But, Jesus clearly defines following Him as letting Him lead. 

Will you let God lead and yield to his ways? 

Curve Ball.

I've been missing from the blog world for some time. In that time a lot has changed. Life has changed. I'm learning tough lessons, sometimes more than I want to learn. I've had tears. I've had joy. As a matter of fact, over the last month I've probably experienced every emotion.

As many of you know, Josh and I were not supposed to be able to have children. This was one of the many reasons we were pursuing adoption.  We went to Haiti and fell in absolute love with Ruth and Naomi. We prayed and prayed and we really felt God had laid this on our hearts. We were ready to do everything possible because we knew it would be an upward battle to bring Ruth and Naomi home. We couldn't do it alone. We were writing letters, making phone calls and then it all came to a sudden halt.

God threw us a curve ball. We had the whole crowd cheering us on and rooting for us. But, just like that it all changed. It couldn't be. Pregnant? No. It's just not possible. It just couldn't be. Us not being able to have kids was the only way to get Ruth and Naomi. Curve ball.

Pregnancy meant a lot of things. One, we could no longer get Ruth and Naomi. Two, my Haiti trip coming up can no longer be. Three, God performed a miracle.

I put these in this order because it's the way I thought of them. God performed a miracle...last. Notice anything wrong? God performed a miracle in Josh and I's life and it was the last thing on my mind. God totally showed up in our lives and it didn't phase me.

Now, don't get me wrong. We are so excited that we're having a baby. We just were not headed in this direction. God had other plans for us. This has really been giving me some grief. I've been tossing around so many questions in my mind. Why did God lay the adoption on our hearts? How does this change our future? Is this really happening? God, can this be? What is going to happen to the girls? God, are you sure you know what you are doing? Are you protecting us against rejection from the Haitian government? What is going on? Some of the questions are ridiculous, I know.

On Tuesday I had a children's event and we watched Soul Surfer. That movie was just for me. Now, I'm not saying that what is happening is a tragedy in my life. In fact, it's the opposite. "It's hard to look at things that are too close." That movie was for me. That quote gave me a new perspective. This is life right now. I have questions. No answers. I'm too close. God has thrown us a curve ball.

I'm learning that sometimes God changes directions; it's not a "rejection"...and it's not always easy.

 

Tonight I should be leaving for Haiti. But, God has changed directions. God has us here for some reason. God knows my heart to change the world. I know that someday this will become a reality. But for now, I trust that the path redirection is for my best, as my Father knows what is best for me.