A Time For Every Season....

One of my 2 degree goals this month was to find little ways to honor my husband better - I think following a 2 1/2 year old around and being pregnant has really dampened my attitude of late. John has been the best husband, stepping up and doing laundry, watching Drew, making dinner, he even cleaned the floors! What a wonderful husband I have! I asked John what I could do to honor him better this week and he said " you could rub my feet" so that is one of my daily goals! John is remodeling a clients bathroom and has been working 12 hour days, his feet are quite tired and sore. What a privilege to wash and rub my husband's feet - just like Christ washed the disciples before his crucifixion . A few other ways I am honoring John this week are: I am committed to praying specifically for John each morning before I get out of bed, which was reinforced by the quote of the week "When there is little awareness of real need there is little real prayer."~ Donald S. Whitn...

Well, that was easy! I thought weaning Drew off his " Mimi " would be hard, but he took it well. Drew loves to be called a big boy so getting rid of the Mimi makes him feet like a big boy. Drew has been hopping and running all over the place today, he even took a 3 hour nap - his first nap in three days! We are so blessed, Drew has been such a good little boy lately. Today was hard because it rained all day, but we did manage a walk in between showers!

Fat begins to form underneath skin, providing your baby with insulation for the coming months. Did you know that both baby and placenta are now about the same size? Your little one has reached 4.57 inches (11.6cm) and approximately 3.53 ounces (100gm). His head and neck are held straighter now. This is a week of "mights!" You might hear the tiny thumps of his heartbeat with an external monitor now. The genitals are developed sufficiently that an experienced sonographer might be able to determine if your baby is a boy or a girl. Her heart is pumping as much as 6 gallons of blood a day and beats at a rate about double your heartrate. If you could take a peek inside, you would witness your child's reflexes in action! (Sucking, swallowing and blinking are now evident.) She is probably even hiccuping even though you don't feel it yet! Your baby has learned to breathe! This is apparent from the regular movements of his chest. Isn't it amazing that he is able to breathe ...

67. Day by day renewal (2 Corinthians 4:16) 68. a Fathers Day German Chocolate cake 69. Drew and Daddy “saving the house from dust bugs” 70. A night out with good friends 71. a freshly mowed lawn 72. a clean, naked little boy running around before bedtime 73. watching Drew take his first bubble bath 74. Drew’s intoxicating smile 75. a quick meal with little cleanup 76. John’s sweet and joyful mood in the mornings before church 77. Worship music that searches my soul and draws out repentance 78. Medicine to calm heartburn! 79. a good nights sleep 80. A smiling child after his first nights sleep without his “Mimi” 81. watching Drew jump around the house using sweet words as he goes 82. dinner guests who bring Chocolate cake 83. Drew steering his Jeep down the street waving as he goes 84. A peaceful latte before church 85. Drew sitting in my lap watching home movies 86. Drew falling asleep without “Mimi” for the second night in a row – only 45 minutes of talking to himself 87. watching ho...

Drew's smiling face before his second night without "Mimi." The first night went well, Drew only woke up once at 10:45 looking for it. After rubbing his back for a few moments he went right back to sleep. So far so good! Night # 2 has not been too bad, I did run into his room when he started streaming, only to discover he had unzipped his PJ's and got stuck in them trying to take them off. He said he was hot! A few times today Drew asked for his "Mimi," I just said "oh your a big boy now, you don't need one." So far it is working! Today Drew was able to poor his own raisins at snack, he was so proud and said "I'm a big boy mommy!" New pictures and video's are posted on the photo and video page.

Last night was Drew's last night with his " Mimi " ( passy ). As a special treat we let Drew play all day long without a nap = hoping he would be more tired tonight for bedtime. Drew had such a fun time playing outside with Mommy and Daddy, playing in the garage, swimming at the pool, playing chase, driving his jeep on the sidewalk, and having a picnic lunch in the garage! Tonight at bedtime, eyelids drifting downward , we explained to Drew that he is a big boy and doesn't need Mimi anymore. I bought him a new train and gave it to him. I said "instead of your Mimi you can play with your special train in bed." I even played a special boz CD for him to fall asleep to. Drew was very excited until the lights went out and the door was closed. Then he cried for his Mimi. Oh, how guilty I felt! Poor little guy. He has slept every night for 2 1/2 years with a Mimi ! It took Drew about 1 hour to fall asleep. He stopped crying after 5 minutes, but kept asking for D...

I heard on a radio show, Focus on the Family , that an effective change in habit starts with small 2 degree changes in our habbits . "Houston, we have a problem." Just a two-degree shift in Apollo 13's homeward course would have caused the spacecraft to miss the earth by thousands of miles. Indeed, minor changes can make a big difference. The same principle applies in daily life. For example, how long did you maintain your New Year's resolution to lose 20 lbs? Setting the bar too high often leads to discouragement, but smaller, more manageable changes can increase your likelihood of success. Psychologist and author Dr. John Trent discusses simple adjustments that can lead to life-changing results. "How in the world such can a small degree of difference lead to such a great effect? I don't meet couples that, when they got married, were 11,121 miles apart. They started off two degrees [apart] and all of a sudden they woke up one day and were miles apart." ...

Last year at this time Texas was in a major drought - crops were failing, water restrictions were in effect, burn bans were everywhere. Not so this year, we have had more rain just this month than in all of 2006. On Monday night we had the worst storm I've ever been in. The thunder woke us up around 1:00 am and lasted until 3:00 am. Our power went out, the fuse box went off, and anywhere from 5.5-7 inches of water flooded the streets. We even had hail. I had the thought cross my mind that the end of the world may have come. It was so scary yet there was a peace knowing we were being sheltered from the storm inside our home. I now have a real life experience to visualize when I picture the Lord sheltering me from the storms of life. Poor Kitty ran into our bedroom and cowered next to the bed; she didn't like it one bit. She slept there all night and managed to not snore! The cats also found comfort on our bed, it was a huge slumber party minus Drew. Drew slept through the whole ...

You may begin to feel some fluttering movements as baby kicks, flails, twists and turns (but don't panic if you don't yet). She can also grasp, squint, frown, grimace and maybe suck her thumb! Your baby's legs have grown longer than the arms and the body is now longer than the head. And you'll be happy to note that he is moving those arms and legs often! His skin is very thin -- so thin blood vessel are visible. It's covered by a fine, soft layer of hair called lanugo. Lanugo comes from a Latin word meaning "down." This hair is thought to help insulate your little boy. The three tiny bones in his middle ear have begun to harden. The auditory centers in your baby's brain haven't developed yet, so she might not really understand what you say but her hearing capacity is in the process of developing. Fingernails and toenails are growing. Eyebrows are beginning to grow and even the hair his head is sprouting. It will probably change color and texture af...

"As Christians, we are called to convert our loneliness into solitude. We are called to experience our aloneness not as a wound but as a gift--as God's gift--so that in our aloneness we might discover how deeply we are loved by God." ~ Henri Nouwen ~ I really like this quote because it reminds me that the times meeting with the Lord that are the sweetest are discovered when I am alone and quiet before Him. After the business and chaos of the day a nice cup of tea and my Bible will rejuvenate my soul like nothing else. To truly know the Lord takes time, effort, and an expectant heart; during quiet times of solitude I've learned more about the very nature of God, his character, his passions for my life, His visions, and taken on His pursuits. It is when I am in solitude that I feel the closest to my Jesus and "His ways become my ways and His thoughts my thoughts."

29. a husband who freely changes Drew’s diaper and enjoys tucking him in at night. 30. The morning call from the crib “Mama… Mama” 31. Morning smiles and shouts of laughter as Drew realized it is another day of fun with much adventure to be found 32. overhearing John give Drew verbal encouragement 33. watching Drew cautiously enter the children’s swimming pool with a pensive look on his face 34. the freedom and privilege of listening to God’s plan for handling money through Crown’s daily radio broadcast (www.crown.org) 35. Watching Drew and Daddy wrestle on the floor until both are exhausted 36. Drew saying “ Daddy, you ok?” and then kissing his bubo 37. Laughter in the walls 38. Drew dancing and jumping to music while mommy plays the drums 39. The calm that comes after the storm 40. The privilege and opportunity to disciple this little child 41. Two months of working on colors with Drew, slow progress, yet he does know two – white and pink! 42. Books, books, Books! 43. A date out with...

Today we celebrated Daddy! It was a simple, yet memorable day filled with yummy food, special gifts, and lots of thanks. I make a special steak dinner for John with his favorite twice baked potatoes and corn for dinner. Drew gave Daddy the best gift - a happy heart! Drew had a great day - after church he came home and asked to play outside by himself, then he preceded to play for 1 1/2 hours! In that time, with mommy and daddy spying on him, Drew built towers with his blocks and then tore then down, next he found some blue chalk, soaked it in a puddle, and painted his face blue, then he thought Kitty needed a blue backside so he colored her blue too! Then he discovered that his hands were all blue so he turned on the water hose and washed his hands and remembered that playing with the hose was fun too! Finally he chased Kitty and all his toys around the yard with a hose - he soaked them, filled them, bathed them, and sprayed the block towers over. He had a great afternoon, mommy hated ...

Drew and I were outside playing today and he decided to be helpful and water my flowers. First, he sprayed himself right in the face and laughed, then a few moments later he sprayed the hose up in that air and said "look mommy, I'm making it rain!"

We have been so busy this week! John was invited to a Teachers job fair on Wednesday and has been fervently filling out applications. Earlier in the week he was checking and proofing his resume, making it just perfect.He has also been helping me clean the house! Oh, and I can't forget that he added a sprinkler system to my new flower beds in the back yard and completed the doors on his garage shelves. What a busy man! Drew has been following Daddy everywhere! He is enjoying his summer of fun, going swimming, taking Kitty to the pond, playing with Nana in the afternoons and visiting his Friend Riley. Drew's vocabulary has really increased, we are working on the pronunciations of his words - Drew loves to leave off the ending of words which makes is very hard to understand. We have also been working on manners - please, thank you, waiting until dinner is over to be excused, not whining, sharing with friends, etc. It is rather tiring, but John is home to back me up! Drew has been ...

20. The faultless Hydrangea Bush along the side yard, coming out in awesome bloom - the first bloom of the season. 21. Reading Whiney the Pooh to Drew while he asks “where’s Eeyore mommy” over and over again 22. Running after Drew with his stuffed horsey while loudly humming “William Tells Overture,” then listening to Drew say “more horsey mommey.” 23. Ironing my husbands shirt as he gets ready for a job interview 24. Reading his perfectly worded resume for the first time 25. The growth smell of my cascading petunias as they begin to drape over my brick wall 26. Drew slipping his head onto my shoulder as I read 27. Laughter when I realize that Drew has been telling me repeatedly that the picture in the book is of a digger… and he is correct – funny how he knows diggers and fire trucks but has not interest in knowing what color they are. 28. That relaxing moment at night when I realize that all is asleep and the house has been tidied

Week 14 Crown to rump, your baby is around 3 and a half inches / 9 centimetres long and weighs one and a half ounces / 43 grams. The body is now growing faster than the head. This week, its parchment-thin skin covers itself with lanugo (ultra-fine, downy hair that usually disappears before birth). Though eyebrows are beginning to grow and the hair on top of the head is sprouting, this hair may change in both texture and colour after birth. About now, the fetus can grasp, squint, frown, and grimace. It may even be able to suck its thumb. Researchers believe these and other movements probably correspond to the development of impulses in the brain.

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him;tell of all his wondrous works! — Psalm 105:1-2 I am thankful for so many things! One thing the Lord revealed to me this weekend was just how blessed I am. If I would just stop and notice all the things around me I could enjoy each moment as is come instead of always looking ahead to the future, never enjoying the moment. So. I am challenging myself to meditate on 1,000 gifts the Lord has given me. Melissa’s 1,000 gifts list: 1. Another year to love, laugh, listen, and learn 2. The bright white of the blooming crape myrtle in our back yard 3. A work to do, a family to love, a God to serve 4. A handy husband always eager to lend a hand 5. Flower boxes with fledgling plants to quiet my spirit and calm my soul 6. A place to call home that hold all our hearts and many happy memories 7. Marriage, it is wonderful to not be alone 8. A camera to take snapshots of our lives...

We are home and caught up from our 10-14 day trip to Oregon. We had a lot of fun visiting the Pacific Ocean, Washington State, visiting grandparents and uncles, and long lost second cousins. Our days were filled with exploration, which Drew loved! Drew's every minute was filled with discovery, adventure, and passionate pursuits. Drew came home to a very quiet house and very few playmates - although he has started playing more with Kitty! Drew was pleased to see that our neighbor Riley is home for the summer, he anxiously awaits playing with her each morning, and then Nana in the afternoon. He has picked up a few new topics to educate us about: lawn mowers, Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, and airplanes. It is so nice to hear more than just "train" talk. His train vocabulary, though vast, can be very boring. I wish Drew was interested in "traditional learning" but instead he wants to find out and know how everything works. I can't get him to sit still long enough...

"What used to make us stumble, God can use to make us stand. What once made us bow our heads in shame, He can use for His glory." ~ Joanna Weaver Having a Mary Spirit

We had a doctors appointment on Monday June 4 th . Everything looked great. The baby's heart beat was 167, which is well within the healthy range. At my next appointment the doctor will be going over the process for the weekly injections and then two weeks later we will have an ultra sound to check the gender and make sure everything is OK . I am feeling much better and have a lot more energy! So far everything has gone as planned. Week 13 Changes As our baby continues to develop, the vocal cords begin to form. The face is looking more and more human each day as the eyes begin to move closer together instead of being on the sides of the head and the ears move to a normal position. It would be possible now to determine the baby's sex by looking at the genitals if we could only get close enough. (We usually can't "guess" via ultrasound until around the 16 th week.) The intestines move farther into the baby's body; the liver begins to secrete bile and the pancr...