Hanging with The Hammacks

Summer Fun

2011-07-30T09:22:00.001-05:00

Take The Time

2011-07-19T18:43:00.003-05:00

I read this the other day and liked it. Such a good reminder to slow down and savor each precious moment with our little ones.

It's 9:15, and bedtime took along time, once again-

Another drink, another glass of water, and then

The questions come, the hands hold tight, and the eyes are opened wide,

And something in me whispers, "Now's the time."

"Mommy, why did Muffy die? Daddy, wheres the sun?

"Are there cats in heaven? and why did Jesus come?"

And though a whole day's dishes wait, and bills are piled high,

Something in me whispers, "Take the time"

Take the time, while they're right here by your side,

Take the time, while their arms are opened wide.

Teach them how to love the Lord with all their heart and mind.

Oh, they're only home a season, take the time.

Ridding off to Narnia upon a lions back,

Chubby fingers close the book and add it to the stack.

"Aslan didn't kill the witch Oh Dad, why did he die?

And something in me whispers, "Nows the time."

Her soccer game's tomorrow, but so is my interview.

How can I play Scrabble, when there's so much to do?

Little faces plead with me to put my work aside,

And something in me whispers, "Take the time."

Take the time, while they're right here by your side,

Take the time, while their arms are opened wide.

Teach them how to love the Lord with all their heart and mind.

Oh, they're only home a season, take the time

For one day they'll want to spend time alone.

One day they'll need to be on their own.

Next week their hugs may not seem quite the same-

Oh Lord, may they honor your name.

It's 9:15, and bedtime took a long time, once again-

Another drink, another glass of water, and then

The questions come, the hands hold tight, and the eyes are opened wide,

And something in me whispers, "Now's the time."

Take the time, while they're right here by your side,

Take the time, while their arms are opened wide.

Teach them how to love the Lord with all their heart and mind.

Oh' they're only home a season, take the time.

Mothers Day

2011-05-13T13:22:00.006-05:00

A few days late but couldn't let this Mother's Day pass without sharing my memories. My mom is and was the most AMAZING, caring, loving, compassionate, gentle, sweet mother in the world.

Some of my favorite memories growing up include:

-coming home after a LONG day of school hahah and having snacks waiting for us on the table

-taking us to White Water every summer and ridding all the rides with us

-carpooling us around to soccer, never missing a single game or practice

-teaching us about the Lord, singing songs to us at night in bed, scratching our backs and our arms

-Psalty the singing songbook haha

-creating so many fun memories, our house was always the house the kids in the neighborhood wanted to be at, we had the most fun, best snacks, and all around fun time there. She made it a special and magical place for others and has the gift of hospitality for sure

-playing house with us, dress up, doctors office, school, games galore

-always making our family dinners special and yummy

-organizing and dreaming up fun/affordable vacations. I remember she would sometimes take all 3 of us on vacation by herself (if my dad had to work), she is a travel agent extrodinare

-making each holiday, birthday, celebration special and unique

-Unconditional love and acceptance and complete selflessness

-A legacy of godliness, prayerfulness, and love for others

Mom- I love you and I hope that I become 1/2 the woman/momn that you are.

Now for my sweet girls.....

They bring me such joy and happiness. This year on Mother's Day Harper made me a little potted flower plant with her fingerprints on it and a special little poem. I loved it! Sydney gave me her sweet smiles all day long =) and Adam bought me a diamond drop necklace to replace my favorite one that I had lost. It was such a sweet surprise!

I hope all you momma's out there know how special you are and what a difference you are making in the world.

Sydney Mini

2011-05-02T13:02:00.004-05:00

Sydney,

You are 6 months old and what a JOYFUL little babe you are.

* You love to smile at me any time of the day or night. You love to smile at anyone who glances your way. Your joy is such a sweet presence in our family.

*You are very active, you love to be on your tummy, you don;t like for me to change your diaper or be constrained by your car seat.

*You started rocking back and forth on your knees at 5 months and are now semi crawling. It is the cutest thing. You use your little toes to propel you forward. You are going to have some strong little toes.

*You have started sleeping through the night. I am thankful for longer stretches of sleep at night but I miss your sweet night time cuddles when I would nurse you. You love to nurse and love to find my hand to hold while nursing. I love this sweet time with you!

*You love for me to hold you most of the day. I am so thankful for the Ergo so that I can carry you around wherever we go.

*You love to smile and laugh at your sister, she can be pretty silly =), When we play patty cake you laugh so hard I am affraid you are going to hurt yourself.

*You have enjoyed almost any food I have offered you so far (peas, sweet potattoes, green beans, avacado, bananas, pears and rice cereal) You rock back and forth in your bumbo with your arms out to the sides when I feed you. You get so EXCITED.

* You are very observant. Always watching what everyone is doing and taking it all in, much like your daddy.

* You love to kick your legs in excitement when I get you out of your crib in the morning and after naps.

*You love to sleep in the far corner of your bed all curled up in a little ball, it is your special spot. Always on your tummy

*You get so EXCITED when daddy comes home from work.

*Harper gave you the nickname Sydney Mini (I love to hear her say it to you)

Sydney- I love you so much, your a precious gift from the Lord! I pray every day that God would give us the wisdom to parent you as He would want. We pray that you would come to know and follow him at a young age and that you would always know how special you are. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, you bring joy to our family. I am blessed to be your mama

FAITHFUL

2011-04-27T14:03:00.006-05:00

The last few months have been filled with much joy, fun, excitement and sweet memories but have also been filled with lots ofquestions, insecurities, challenges and fears.

I LOVE being a mom to my 2 beautiful girls. They make me laugh, make me cry, they make me want to be a better human being. Its funny how parenthood will do that to you. You suddenly realize all your short comings and are inspired to change, to grow so that you can be a better example for these little people.

Our sweet girls teach me so much more than I could ever teach them. Each day I find myself wishing that I could stop time because sweet moments pass so quickly, yet wishing I could go back and do something different (not in a guilty way but more in a wish I would have known that before kinda way, learning kinda way).

I have grown a ton over the last few years. I have rea

lized things about myself that were hidden deep within. I have conquered so many of my insecurities and faced many of my struggles. I

am still learning, still growing and thankful for the self awareness that God has provided. Today I took time to STOP and thank God for His FAITHFULNESS to me.

Today...as I was spending some time with God. The word FAITHFUL came into my mind in BIG, BOLD letters. I pondered the word (means devoted, consistent with truth) and what it has meant to me over the last few years/months/days/hours/minutes (ha lets be honest). My mind was flooded with so many memories, answered prayers and verses that remind me of God's faithfulness.

God is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. Psalm 145:13

God who has called you into fellowship with his son Jesus Christ is faithful. Psalm 57:10

Because of the Lords great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3: 22-23

To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless. 2 Samuel 22:26

Your love O Lord reaches to the heavens your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Psalm 57:10

For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. Psalm 33:4

I know that each and every day I fall short, I fail, I say something I wish I didn't, I am not enough for Adam, our girls, my friends, my family. But God is ...THE FAITHFUL ONE! I can't tell you how much encouragement, power and and strength this brings to my heart.

More than anything I want it to be said of me that I am/was a faithful wife, mother, friend, and servant of God. I praise God today for his faithful answers to my prayers, the way he provides wisdom like no other in parenting, the way that he intimately knows me, my struggles, my imperfections and the way that he LOVES through his faithfulness. Because of his faithfulness to me how can I not desire to grow in faithfulness toward him. I know that the only way that I can understand and appreciate his faithfulness is to allow him full access to my heart and to seek him with all that I am.

So...this is my prayer....for myself and our girls

Psalm 27:4-5

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in His temple.

How have you seen God's faithfulness in your life lately?

Sing Over Me

2011-04-08T12:32:00.008-05:00

This is one of my FAVORITE baby cd's . It is a collection of beautiful worship songs and lullabies. Perfect for days like today (a little gloomy) when you just want to rock your babe a little longer and sing them some sweet melodies. I started singing these songs to Harper as a baby and now I get to sing them to Sydney too.

Check out a few of my favorites below (How Deep The Fathers Love For Us). I thought this one was fitting considering that it is almost Easter and it really spoke to my heart today.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/nichole-nordeman/tracks/how-deep-the-fathers-love-for-us--34122278

I also love this song (Hold On To Jesus) for those of you with little girls. It often comes to mind in the night when I am feeding Sydney. It is such a beautiful song and a great prayer to pray for girls and boys

http://www.amazon.com/Sing-Over-Me-Worship-Lullabies/dp/B000GEU6FO

ENJOY!

Our Girls

2011-03-02T15:25:00.005-06:00

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Texas weather! We have so enjoyed playing at the park, walks with friends, painting outside and impromptu tea parties at our house this week.

The sun always brightens my spirit, helps to jump start my creativity after hibernating over the winter and most of all reminds me of the goodness of God, his creation and new life.

We had a bit of a rough winter at the Hammack household. Lots of sickness and cold indoor days. Thankfully we are all feeling better and looking forward to all this new season will bring.

Here are a few pictures I found on my parents computer. We are hanging out here for a few days while Adam is enjoying a much needed vacation/boys trip (snowboarding in Mammoth).

Sweet Sydney! Her nickname is "All Smiles All The Time" She really is the most happy and contented baby. She reminds me to be thankful in all circumstances and to find joy in even the most mundane moments of mothering. She is always so sweet and patient and her smile really lights up the room. She just turned 4 months old. She is starting to talk, and loves to kick her little legs (most of the time out of her clothes), she is starting to drool and may be getting a tooth before we know it.

Harper is my sweet little social butterfly. Here she is at my dad's office talking on the phone. Fast forward.....20 years...I can see her working with and serving people in some capacity. She is so loving, kind and social. She talks a million miles and words a minute and always has something cute to add to the conversation. We are working with her on stranger danger stuff since she trusts pretty much anyone and everyone. Oh if only the world was as small and innocent and as a 2 year olds.

Another Happy Picture of Sweet Sydney. I love this little hat. My parents got it for her for Christmas. Check out that smile...seriously captivating

Harper and Sydney sweet friends allready. Sydney loves to watch Harper and Harper is the sweetest big sister. She is so loving towards her and is my little helper. My prayer is that they will become the best of friends

Back In Full Effect

2011-01-26T14:04:00.007-06:00

Okay friends....I know it has been like 3 months since I

have posted and I think this pictures says it all. I thought no one really cared that I had left the blog world but I was surprised to discover that there really are people out there who read my blog. So I am BACK...You have to admit that I deserved a bit of a break. I had another baby and for those of you who are parents with little ones you might remember what those first few months are like.

I had forgotten what having a newborn baby was like and was reminded the moment we brought sweet Sydney home from the hospital. Not much sleep, lots of crying (both baby and momma), dying to self, and of course the sweet moments that go by too fast. It is hard to believe that Sydney is 3 months old. It has gone by so much more quickly this time around. I am trying to savor every sweet milestone and moment that I can and feel so blessed that I get to be home with my girls.

Okay so here is what I have learned over the last few months:

*Accept Support With Open Arms : I have to admit that I thought I knew what I was doing because I had done it before (not all that long ago) and didn't think I would need as much help this time around. Boy was I WRONG... Adam was able to take 2 weeks off work. I was so thankful to have him home to help, to encourage, to love and support me and to spend sweet time together with our new family of 4. I also felt so blessed to have the most amazing friends, neighbors, and family. We had meals for 2 months 3 -4 times a week which was such a blessing this time around and Harper always had a fun play date which gave her some normalcy admist all the change.

*Every Child is Different: I used to hear people say this and honestly thought that it was an excuse for their child's bad behavior haha. Now that Harper is 2 I know that is not the case =) (random people please forgive me for judging you =) It took me a few weeks but I learned that it isn't fair to compare Sydney to Harper or Harper to Sydney. Each child is uniquely, fearfully and wonderfully made. Harper is our little social butterfly and Sydney is very rexaled and low key. It has been so fun to see and embrace the unique differences in each of them.

*Let Go of Mom Guilt and Move On: No matter how hard I try I am never going to be able to spend the type of one on one time with Sydney that I did with Harper. I am also never going to be able to give Harper the kind of attention that she was used to. I try to make the most of the time I get with each child and now understand why mom's with multiple kids struggle with mom guilt. I do my best each day and ask God to fill in and provide them security and significance where I can't.

*It WILL Take Your First Child Time to Transition To the New Baby: Harper has done amazing with Sydney and loves to hug her, kiss her and play with her. It was an adjustment though and she didn't want to share the attention at first. At the suggestion of a friend, we made a special box filled with toys, snacks, and treats, just for Harper, that she could play with when I nursed. This made her feel special and kept her entertained. She has adjusted well and I honestly don't think that she will ever remember life apart from Syndey. It is so sweet to see how she loves her sister and makes me dream of the years ahead. I hope and pray that they grow to be the very BEST of friends and I know that Harper will be a great role model for Syd.

*Let Go of Expectations: If I am honest...I want to be a Martha Stewart/fill in the blank role model type mom. I mean who doesn't? But....the reality is that I am never going to be the PERFECT mom. All that to say I had to embrace that I wasn't going to be able to make a gourmet dinner every night, keep my house perfectly clean, look like Angelina Jolie, run 10 miles, get up early to read my bible every morning and have a child who is 100% obediant all the time. SHHHEEZ that list would make any mom overwhelmed. Then why do we have those types of expectations for ourselves? I am learning to let go of my expectations and allow God to show me how to prioritize my day and what to invest my time and energy into. I am still learning how to do this.

*Be Where You Are: As many of you know I am a people person. I love to be around people, talk to people, watch people, listen to people, etc. One of the hardest lessons I have learned since I have become a mother is that I can't do everything, be everywhere, or meet the needs of everyone. I just need to be content and present where I am, in this season. Whether that means taking care of sick kids or running around the playground. I want to embrace each stage and not wish it away or wish for the next best milestone.

Okay...so that is all....nothing profound just a few things that I have learned and am still learning. Isn't LIFE fun! Always a learning process until Jesus calls us home.

I would love to hear from all of you other mom's out there. What has been your greatest learning lesson on the road of Motherhood?

And Now for a Few Past Due Pictures: (BTW I have issues with uploading pics on my blog...anyone else have that problem or am I just computer illiterate? help please if you have tips) I can't ever figure out how the spacing works and I can only upload a few pics at a time)

Family Pic Syd is 10 days old

Snow Day January

Introducing...Sydney Leigh Hammack

2010-10-30T20:23:00.007-05:00

Here are two pics...I hope to find some time this weekend to blog about Sydney's arival

Harper's Birthday

2010-10-11T15:52:00.003-05:00

So it has been a month since Harper turned 2. She has grown so much and we have really enjoyed getting to know her over the last year. Her little personality has blossomed and she is growing into such a sweet, caring and compassionate little girl.

For her birthday we took her to a little Tea Room in Plano that specializes in little kids parties and had a Princess Tea Party. We decided to keep it small with just family, my parents and Adam's parents came. We dressed Harper up like a princess and she got to wear a fun crown. She got to drink unlimited pink tea(aka lemonade) and got ice cream with sprinkles. She then got spoiled by her grandparents with lots of fun new toys

Funny Sayings/Big girl bed

2010-08-30T20:11:00.004-05:00

Harper in her big girl bed (a bunk bed). She has been in it a week and is loving it. She hasn't fallen out and can't wait for sleepovers with friends =)

Harper has been cracking us up lately with her little sayings. I bought a little book to write things down as she says them and hope to one day give it to her when she is an adult so she can laugh and we can enjoy the memories together. Here are a few of her most recent and my favorite sayings, things that she has said out of the blue without being prompted I promise.

"Excuse me can I get by"
"Perfect" at random times
"I'm styling" when we took her to Old Navy to try on some fall clothes
"Hmm let me see"
"Ohhhhhh'kay"
"I forgot or I not feeling good" when she doesn't want to eat something
"Where my seat belt so we can be safe"
"Get out of my bed" she told me that the other day after sleeping in her big girl bed for 3 whole nights hahah isn't she a little young to be telling me to get out of her room =)
"I'm a boobie" when we were at Gap Body walking past all the bras, she said it very loudly and repeatedly..Adam and I tried so hard not to laugh so that we wouldn't encourage repetition
"My birthday September 11th" She makes sure we are not going to forget
"Jesus loves you mommy"
"Your a good driver daddy"
"Put that down" when I was on my cell phone in the car, if that's not convicting what is =)
"Okie dokie"
"Ready freddy"
"Good singing mommy" I'm not making this one up promise
"yeah, yeah"
"prays out loud on her own for anyone and everyone and anything" She prayed for the bike today =)
"Old Mcdonald had a chicken"

Things I Have Learned

2010-08-24T16:54:00.004-05:00

I am studying the Psalms this summer and have really enjoyed reading through the book.

Today my heart was overwhelmed and thankful for the way that God knows us and cares about us so intimately. He knows our insecurities, he knows our hearts, he knows the things that excite us and the things that grieve us. He celebrates over us and accepts us, he is in perfect attendence to our every step, He never takes his eyes off of us, he does not slumber, and he relishes every hint of maturity even if we feel as if were not making any progress. I desire to KNOW GOD the way that he knows me. TOTALLY. COMPLETELY. PERFECTLY.

I loved being reminded of this truth and I could relate in a new way now that I have a child.

It also helped put into words how I feel about Harper. The deep desire I have to love her, know her, and study her little heart and the way that I appreciate every moment of her growth. I know my love is so imperfect in comparison to how God loves us and knows us. I will fall short and am thankful for the model that I have to follow.

As Harper is growing more aware of life, her surroundings, relationships, and God and as she is becoming more and more vocal it has been fun to study her, to get to see the things that make her heart excited.

* I love the way that she is so concerned about others. Always showing interest in others, wanting to pray for others, asks how others are doing or where they are. She loves her family and friends.
* She is cautious in a wise way but willing to try new things
* She LOVES to sing, dance, entertain, and celebrate
* She has a thankful spirit and often says thank you out of the blue without being prompted
* She exudes joy, life, and energy
* She is patient, kind, and sweet with her words. The other day she said mommy and daddy your the best. It made my heart melt.
* She is compassionate and caring, especially to other little babies and to her stuffed animals and she is sad when others are sad. So sweet to see her show mercy.
* She has a teachable heart, and shows such a fun desire to learn and catches on to things quickly
* She is obediant and desires to follow instruction

These are all things we prayed for her before she was born. It is just so fun to see how God is forming her and shaping her heart. My prayer is that we would never get in the way of what God wants for her. That we would rely and partner with God and seek his wisdom in raising and caring for her. We pray that we would engage her heart in things that have eternal value and that she would become a women that loves God and serves others.

I love being a mom to Harper and I thank God for that calling every day. It is a role that I often feel insecure or uncertain about at times but know that God has uniquely gifted me and Adam to care for her in a way that no one else can. For that I am thankful!

Potty Trained!

2010-08-19T12:40:00.004-05:00

I can't believe that I am writing this post. It seems like just yesterday I was changing Harper's new born diapers. I get teary eyed just thinking about how fast the last 23 months have gone. We are quickly approaching Harper's 2nd birthday. She is such a beautiful, fun, caring, sweet, little girl and we praise God for the way that she loves people and continues to grow. I am often AMAZED at her vocabulary and the things that she remembers about God. It is so true that children have a unique faith and her budding faith has encouraged mine over the last 2 years. She remembers the names of Adam and Eve, can tell me about Noah and the rainbow as a sign of God's promises, she knows that Abraham's son's name is Issac and she remember's the story of Moses in the basket. So amazing for a child that is not even 2. I am not trying to boast but mearly sharing the way that Christ is working in her sweet little heart. God's word has a way of hidding itself in our hearts even at a young little age. Such an encouragement to me to continue to grow and challenge my own heart.

To switch gears....I wrote this post to share the most recent milestone...IT'S OFFICIAL HARPER IS POTTY TRAINED. She has been going to the big girl potty for the last month and is doing great! Thanks to a dear friend of mine's encouragement we took the potty training in a day route. That's right ONE DAY! I was a little skeptical at first but it really worked. I read the book Potty Training 1,2,3 and set out to try the plan.

Adam and I took Harper to the store to pick out special treats, panties, and prizes. She had so much fun being involved. Then we set everything out on the kitchen counter as a motivator. The next day I stayed home all day and gave her lots and lots of liquids. She walked her baby doll through the process of going potty and she was rewarded for being a good helper. Then it was her turn to try. Each time she went potty in the big girl potty she got a double treat and each time she stayed clean and dry she got a single treat. We did this all day. She ate lots of sugar but by the end of the day she was potty trained! It was a completely positive experience because she was never felt forced and the whole day was a BIG PARTY to her.

Here are a few pictures:

Sitting on her froggy potty. At night she would say "night night froggy potty" and wanted to give him a kiss. She got very attached.

Harper enjoying a treat from the neighborhood ice cream truck. She hung out in her Dora and Elmo panties all day =)

Harper and I singing potty songs.

Overall, the experience was a positive one. It was a very SPECIAL day and one where we got to spend a lot of quality time hanging out by the potty =). We are so proud of her and we heard her the next morning telling her dolly how proud of her she was. So cute!

We still put a pull up on her at naps and night time. She just started waking up dry this week so I think we will transition to panties during those times soon. It has been nice to have a break from diapers before we have this next little girl. Only 7 more weeks to go. I am relishing the time I have with Harper before our family changes again.

Montana Family Vacation

2010-08-10T12:53:00.004-05:00

Adam and I have always shared a passion for travel. When we got married we agreed that we would make sacrifices in order to get to travel (like waiting on getting a new car, living in a 1 bedroom apartment or whatever it may be). We made a bucket list of places we wanted to go and have been able to go to many of the places we dreamed of.

Thankfully God has blessed us so many times over with free trips, winnings from work, and generous family members. We have had the priveledge of traveling all over the US and world together and have made some pretty unbelievable memories. These memories are worth more to us than things and we enjoy getting to see more of God's awesome creation on our trips.

We have a travel journal and when we get back from one of our trips we try to write some of our favorite memories so that as time goes on we can look back and enjoy the memories again.

Having children has changed the way we travel (ex: more things to pack, working around nap times, adjusting to time changes) but Harper is a trooper and seems to enjoy traveling as well.

We recently got back from a trip to White Fish Montana. Montana has been a place that we have wanted to go since we visited friends that lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It is a wonderfully beautiful place. The entire time we were there I just kept thinking "What will heaven be like if this is part of earth?" WOW, the grandeur and beauty just can't be described in words.

We went with Adam's entire family, 13 of us, and stayed in a beautiful house overlooking Whitefish Lake. We visited Glacier National Park (This is a must see if you visit) and rode these really cool open air buses, we hiked, went on the alpine slide, Adam went zip lining and fly fishing, ate at some yummy restaurants and took time to just rest and enjoy the time with family. The weather was a perfect 60-70 degrees every day. It was a great escape from the Texas summer heat.

Here are a few pictures of our trip:

Harper playing with rocks (We attempted a family picture but she was more interested in the rocks)

So here is the picture of just Adam and I in Glacier National Park

A Fun Week With Dad

2010-06-20T19:54:00.003-05:00

This week was a fun one for our little family of 3.

We did lots of this:

What is this you ask...a hint...think back to one of your favorite childhood memories....FORT BUILDING!!! It was so much FUN. We litterally spent half the day in the fort in our family room, reading books, playing with Harper's stuffed animals and just hanging out.

Adam and Harper enjoy an afternoon tea party..these happen multiple times a day at our house. Look how much Adam is enjoying himself. =)

Celebrated Adam's birthday with sugar cookies and a PARTY! The next day I caught Harper in a corner of the kitchen eating a sugar cookie that she swiped from the table. No harm no foul =)

Swimming lessons..Harper started them last week and is a little timid but enjoys the water.

We had a fun Father's Day Weekend. I love watching Adam be a dad! As you can tell from the pictures....Harper is in love!....at least until her prince charming comes along one day....look out!!!

Sweet Hubby..Happy Birthday

2010-06-16T16:27:00.006-05:00

I am a day late on this post but couldn't let the week go by without giving a shout out to my sweet hubby. Yesterday he turned the BIG 29, which means this is his last year in the 20's. Happy Birthday Adam!

We went on a little date to a great restaurant called R and D. The atmosphere was fun, the food was fabulous and our time together was sweet. We also had a little family celebration, just the 3 of us. I made sugar cookies and put a candle in one, we sat around the ottoman in our living room and sang happy birthday and celebrated. Harper loved the PARTY and was running around the house saying "Happy Birthday DADDY!!!" and saying Harper's Birthday is comin"...it was so funny.

Here is a picture of Adam when I met him 10 years ago. OMG I can't believe it has been that long..... Jake, Adam and Johnny college days

And here is a more recent picture of Adam with Harper
Adam, we love you and are blessed daily by your humble and gentle spirit, your patient and kind heart and your fun and easy going outlook on life. We hope your 29th year of life is the BEST yet!

So...A little Delayed but Baby Girl # 2 On The Way

2010-05-26T23:50:00.004-05:00

So a week and a half ago we found out that we are having another girl! Yeah! I love little girls and I am so excited to get to be a mom of another little girl. I can't wait to meet her and we have been praying Colosians 3:12 over her sweet little life. If you want to pray along.

We had a finding out party last week where all of our friends and family came and celebrated with us. It was so perfect! We went to the doctor and the doc wrote the gender down in an envelope and gave it to us. We then found a stranger outside the hospital who happened to be pregnant (easy bait) and asked her if she would open the card and then tell the bakery what it said so that they could decorate the cake either blue or pink. It was so much fun! We had everyone come over to our house that night and opened the cake together. Everyone dressed in either pink or blue.

It was such a sweet way to celebrate our little girl.

Here are a few pics:

CHASE DREAMS....YOUR THING....

2010-04-25T20:47:00.003-05:00

THIS IS FROM A BLOG I READ AND I LIKED IT....WHAT IS YOUR THING????? MINE IS ALWAYS CHANGING IT SEEMS

Yesterday, I asked you what “your thing” is.

I asked what was that activity or art or passion that you chase. And there were some really fun answers and it was exactly the kind of thing I like to discuss on the weekends on Stuff Christians Like. I try to stay faithful to the concept of the blog all week, but on the weekends, all rules are off.

So today I thought I would share one thing that forever changed the way I chase one of my “things,” which is writing.

It is not dramatic. It is not magical. It is pretty simple. Here it is:

I decided to write.

That’s it. That’s all I did. When people ask me for the secret of getting a book published or growing a blog, that’s it. I write. More than that though, I decided to write.

Here’s what I mean. Most people have a love or an activity or something in their heart that makes them feel alive and lightheaded. It’s that thing you can do for hours without thinking about food or friends or anything. Time speeds across your head and hands like a bullet train. But there’s a problem.

Most people decide whether or not to pursue their thing every day. They sit down at the computer or the easel and have a discussion with themselves, “Should I do my thing today? Do I feel like it? Is there anything inside me right now that wants to? Is this the right moment? Are there other things I need to do?” And so they argue. Most times, maybe 90% of the time, what Steven Pressfield calls “resistance,” wins. You give up. You never start. You put it off for one more day. You don’t do your thing.

So what I did as a writer was decide to write. I don’t have that conversation with myself everyday because I know I will lose it. I had that conversation once, about two years ago, and I have not looked back. Sure, there are days when it is harder than others and I fail. But for the most part, that is a settled issue. I am a writer. Writers write. They don’t argue about whether to write. They don’t analyze if they will write today or not. They write.

There’s my not-so-secret secret.

Stop deciding whether you will sing or dance or be an accountant or study or play with your kids.

Decide it once and then do it.

The end.

Harper and her Pals

2010-04-24T21:40:00.002-05:00

Play group kiddos at the Arboretum.
Lincoln and Harper sorting their Easter Eggs at church.
Brooks and Harper at the Arboretum. So sweet he always runs to hug her and loves to hold her hand.
Harper and Hadley hanging out. Don't they kinda look like sisters.
Harper and Adley. We love when she comes to visit.
Harper and Brooks at the Arboretum petting zoo. They both wanted to brush the goat.

Not the best blogger on the block

2010-04-24T21:17:00.002-05:00

I haven't been the best blogger on the block but have been busy running around, playing hide and go seek, and just enjoying life with our little bundle of energy and joy.

Harper is so much fun and is talking up a storm these days. She always surprises us with her new word or phrases. She said gucamole the other day and I couldn't believe it. ..I was cracking up laughing. She also likes to put multiple words together like mommydaddy and is starting to put two and three words together like Bless you Mommy and Mommy Funny. Pretty amazing to see her little mind working and hearing the things she picks up.

She is very animated and loves to say WOW and WHOA and just cracks herself up. She is quite the little actress...I wonder where she gets that from =)

She is also LOVES the park and the swing and enjoys playing with her playgroup friends and her best friend Brooks. She is learning to share and doesn't like it some days.

Here are a few pics from Easter and just everyday life.

Harper playing with one of her favorite toys a mini easel. She love to color and organize her chalk.
She loves to sit in her BIG GIRL CHAIR and read books especially her little baby bible

We had a great Easter this year. The celebration seemed to go on and on..one Easter Egg Hunt after another (our house, church, gg-pops). It was so much fun to see her interested and excited.
Adam and I hid her Easter basket, as was my family tradition growing up, and she had so much fun hunting for it. She loved finding the eggs and then realized all the goodies inside. She went straight for the candy without opening the wrapper. Too funny.

When I ask her what Easter is about she says JESUS. I know she doesn't understand yet but one day she will. I just think it is so sweet it warms my heart.

I just love this picture so sweet

Our play group. I love these babes and gals. They are such a blessing and so much fun to spend Thursdays with.

1. 5 years old....WOW!

2010-03-10T20:20:00.003-06:00

A year and a half...wow! I can't believe it.

Harper is such a beautiful, fun, strong, caring, loving, compassionate, obediant, charasmatic little girl.

We love her so much and it is hard to believe that she has been in our lives a year and a half tomorrow. Time flies when you have a toddler. Adam and I know how precious this time is and make the most of every opportunity.

We love our family time together on the weekends. We love taking Harper to Dunkin donuts on the weekends, going to the pet shop to see the animals or going on a leisurely stroll around our neighborhood. I know these moments aren't any different than most families lives but we thank God for every moment he gives us.

Now to share about a few fun moments the last few months:

* Harper loves to dance and sing and we love it when she makes up her own songs. She has such a sweet voice
* She loves to read books especially Abby Cadabby and Humpty Dumpty with her daddy
* She loves to play peek a boo, hide and go seek, and loves when we chase her
* She loves the show Wonder Pets and will sing the theme song....Wonder Pets Yeah!!
* We have bible time in the morning and she loves her bible. She loves Noah's Ark, Adam and Eve, and Abraham
* She loves to say hi to anyone and everyone and gives out the best kisses, the way she puckers her little lips is so sweet
*She says "bye bye" and "night night" when we put her in her crib like a big girl all ready for bed
* When we pray together I ask her who she wants to pray for and she always says her Gigi and Pops
* She loves to sort things and play with her crayons
*She loves her little car that we got her for Christmas
*She loves to take baths and loves to cuddle in the shower with her mama

Some Pics to Share

2010-01-17T13:01:00.005-06:00

Harper all bundled up to go and see Santa
The Fam at the Ice Exhibit right before Christmas
Pic of Harper with my dad's work out headband on haha
Scott and Shannon Wedding in October
Scott and Shannon Wedding in October

Crazy Week

2010-01-17T12:35:00.003-06:00

Okay so this week has been a little crazy to say the least.

We got in a car accident on our way home from church last Sunday night. The guy decided to hit and run and then came back 30 minutes later and is now refusing to call back his insurance company. This most likely means that we will have to file under our insurance which = NO FUN

Then....the water heater went out on Monday and we had no hot water all week long in freezing cold temperatures. We called the plumber to find out that....

We had a MASSIVE leak under our house with about 3-6 inches in some places of standing water = NOT GOOD

With all that said it has been a bit stressful. It has been a rough few days but this morning I remain thankful for a God who cares about all the details of our lives.

Thankful that we have a place to stay until things get fixed, thankful that I have an extra car to drive (our friends the Netzer's have let us drive their car while they are out of town, and my dad is out of town this week so I can drive his car). I am thankful for the little red flags along the way that alerted us that something might be going on with our house (ie: a strange sound coming from our master sink a few months ago, the wood floors starting to curb upward, the hot water heater going out, the little wet spot I found in the corner of our garage). All of these little things led us to question that something was not right with the house.

God was preparing my heart for all this earlier this week when I was reading through John Ch 10 about the way that the Good Shepherd cares for his sheep. He watched over us, he protects us from danger, he guides us, he lays down his life for us, he leads us beside still waters, he provides green pasture for us, he wipes away our tears. So fitting for such a time as this. It was also a sweet reminder of the way that in the midst of the suffering in Hatti that God is still in control and he watches over his sheep.

All that to say...I do feel a perfect peace in the midst of a little storm. I am thankful for the friends and family who have been willing to pray with me over the phone (thanks Shelby for answering my cry for help hahah), called to check on us, and been willing to help however needed. I am greatful for a husband who does not stress easily and leads our family well.

These are the things that really matter. Houses, Cars, the luxeries/convienences of life are worthless if you don't have something more substantial. I am reminded to build my life/our home on the firm foundation of Christ and on relationships. Thankful that I can have hope in the midst of a frustrating few days.

Marathon Pics

2009-12-31T08:17:00.005-06:00

AFTER THE RACE. MY LEGS WERE PRETTY STIFF

THE MARINES LINED UP TO HELP

AROUND MILE 22. STILL FEELING GOOD BUT LOOKING GROSS =)
Here are a few pics from the Marine Corps Marathon that I ran in at the end of October. They are a little late. I am trying to play catch up before the New Year starts!

It was my 3rd Marathon and I finished in 4 hrs and 28 minutes, which I was happy with. Adam cheared me on and we had a great time exploring Washington DC. It is such a beautiful city. The marathon was very humbling as there were thousands of service men and women running alongside us and serving us water, food, etc. I am so thankful for these men and women who fight to protect our freedom.

Harper First Birthday Pics...Long Over Due

2009-12-26T14:38:00.006-06:00

So I had a sweet friend take birthday pics of Harper and I have been meaning to post them for the last 2 months but now that Harper is walking my time is somewhat otherwise occupied =)

Harper is 15 months soon to be 16 months and is the joy of our life. She is so vocal and has the sweetest spirit and most joyful countanance. She is everything we prayed for and so much more.

Lately she has been impressing us with her slang terms and her impressive vocabulary hahah

Wow...and COOl and OHHHH and are some of her new favorite words taught to her by her daddy =) She also loves to name all the animals and give the sounds they make. Horses and lions are her favorite....neigh....and roar are some of her favorite sounds. She also says hot, cold, and squinches her face, up, down, ball, cat, dog, no (uh oh), please, spoon, eat, bluberries (or something that sounds like it), more, papa, gigi, EE, purple, pink, baby, and lots more.

She also had been signing up a storm. I am so thankful we taught her sign language because it has helped her to communicate and kept her from getting frustrated at times. She is very annimated.

She loves people, has never met a stranger and loves to dance, and seems to be interested in art, colors, and BABIES. Everyone that is a kid no matter what age is a baby hahah.

She is very tenatious yet cautious and is very happy and easy going.

A funny story of late:

I was putting her in her car seat to go and run and errand and I smelled a strong mint flavor coming from her. I checked around to see what it was and noticed that she had a tic tac in her mouth that she had picked up from the ground and was happily sucking on it. It was pretty funny.

The Great Orchestration

2009-11-06T09:13:00.005-06:00

* About a year ago, when Harper was born we started praying about a possible move due to the inconveniences of a 3 story house with a baby.

*We talked to our community group, friends, and family about the idea

* We decided to re-finance our townhome in July to prepare for possible future changes

* We came to a place of trust and no expectation and decided to list our house for sale (we were willing to lose our down payment if need be). It took us a while to get to this place where we could be completely open handed with what God had given us and asked him to work.

*At the end of September we had very little interest from buyers due to poor market conditions and we decided to be open to the option of renting our home out until the market stabilized

* During this time we decided to look at areas we wanted to live in and check out some homes to get an idea of what we would like.

* We looked at about 30 homes and found one that had some great potential and that we loved

* We felt a real peace in this particular home and I woke up one morning a week after the initial visit and just felt a real tug at my heart from the Lord to inquire about it again

* I called our realtor and asked if we could see it again. She called me back and said it had an offer on it but if we were interested and wanted to see the house today they would consider our offer

* Adam and I were a little anxious because in our timeline we wanted to buy a home once our current home was either sold our rented and neither of those things had happened according to OUR plan (isn't that always the case with the Lord)

* We felt a peace about the home and felt like we needed to walk in faith

*Our offer got accepted and we had a 10 day option period where we could get our earnest money back if we decided to cancel

* We prayed during those 10 days that God would find us a renter or we were prepared to cancel our contract on the house. Our realtor thought we were crazy and i am not sure if she believed it could happen

* A few days latter we had a guy knock on our door and tell us his friend from Washington DC wanted to rent our home. Adam told him he needed to talk to our realtor and we were not sure if this was a legitimate inquiry.

* A few days later the couple from DC decided to fly to Dallas to look for a place to live. They were relocating to Dallas and had to make a decision that weekend. They were not aware of our 10 day option period timeline.

* On day 10 of our option period they signed a 15 month lease! Praise the Lord! We were shocked and so very thankful for this gift and answered prayer

* They didn't need to move until November so we had a whole month to pack our stuff and make improvements to our new house! We didn't have to move twice which was a huge blessing!

*The people selling us the house were willing to make $10K in repairs to the foundation. AMAZING!

* The timing of our loan closed in such a way that we don't make a payment until December which means we never had to make a double payment!

WOW WOW WOW...All to say OUR GOD IS THE ULTIMATE ORCHESTRATOR! We feel so very blessed and saw God's hand in every single detail (too many to even mention). We now have a beautiful home (come this weekend) that we can enjoy and continue to raise our family in for years to come. Thank you for answering our prayers!

Happy Halloween

2009-11-06T08:56:00.003-06:00

Yes, your right that is a real life UNICORN! We had a fun low key Halloween. We took Harper trick or treating around my parents neighborhood and she quickly caught on. It amazes me how quickly children learn when their is sugar and candy involved =) She was the cuttest unicorn on the block (although she was a bit frightened by the horns before we put the costume on) and had a great time meeting all the neighbors. She also took her first steps (video to come). Adam's parents also bought her a dalmation and flower costume so she had multiple costume changes during the night. It was so fun!

Can't get this out of my head....

2009-10-29T21:27:00.004-05:00

Adam and I went to the Holocaust Museum while we were in DC. It was a very sobering and very emotional experience for me. I obviously learned about the history of the Holocaust in school but didn't know the extent to which the Jews and others were persecuted and inhumanley treated. I walked away from the encounter with a deep burden on my heart and couldn't get this quote that was etched in the wall out of my mind or heart.

What will my response be to the injustices of the world, what will your response be? Or maybe what has your response been? I walked away with a desire to educate my children, give of my resources, and be a voice for those that don't have a voice. I recently adopted a little girl from Tanzania and that is where I will start. I couldn't help but think this could have been me, my children, my family. They are just waiting for someone to notice them, to listen and to respond. Lord help us to step outside our own world and see the needs that you want us to meet. Help us to be your hands and feet.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Washington DC Pics

2009-10-29T21:17:00.005-05:00

Adam and I just got back from Washington DC. I had never been there before and it was such a fun and interesting experience. We got to go through all the museum's and were able to see all the historical monuments, White House and Capital. It was absolutely beautiful weather and all the trees were changing colors. OH HOW I LOVE FALL!!

We got to go on a Segway tour of the city and ate at some really great restaurants (loved the pizza and yummy slidders at Matchbox, wish we had a place like that here in the BIG D). We also got to eat at a upscale bar in Georgetown called Martin's this is the place where Jackie O and JFK got engaged. So cool and so much history to appreciate in this city.

Here are a few pictures of our trip:

One of the Best Nights Of My LIFE

2009-10-29T21:08:00.003-05:00

Adam and I went to the U2 concert a few weeks ago and it was one of the most fun nights we have had together. This had been a dream of ours since we met 9 years ago to see U2 in concert. We got box seats from a friend and it was unbelievable. They were only about 15 feet from our box. They played all their best songs plus some new ones. It was a DREAM COME TRUE!

LOVED THIS!

2009-10-07T08:03:00.007-05:00

Somehow, we human

beings are never happier

than when we are

expressing the deepest gifts

that are truly us.

When I started this blog, I did so to provide a scrapbook of sorts, that would chronical Harper's first year of life. I didn't expect that it would also provide an outlet for me to share some of my heart and journey through motherhood over this past year. But I am glad that this little blog has provided place to think, reminance, and grow.

I stumbled upon this quote today and SMILED and LAUGHED because it got me thinking about how much growing, soul searching, and honest introspection I have done over the last year of motherhood. I spent the first few months of motherhood trying to fit into the "Mother mold" that I had seen in books, I spent the next few months trying to emulate other great Mom's that I knew and tried to follow in their footsteps. I was always feeling like I had come up short. I finally reached a breaking point around Harper's 6 month birthday when It dawned on me that God created me unique as a mother and he doesn't want me to fit into someone else's mold. He promises to walk with me and show me how to do this thing called Parenthood and he wants to use my unique gifts, talents, imperfections and quirks to his glory. I am now more thankful for the way that God created me and the way that I approach mothering. I feel more confident in my own skin and love getting to be creative with how I parent, play, and interact with Harper. Some may think I am crazy at times but Harper and I have lots of fun together and that is one thing I know she will always remember about me. Thank you Lord for helping me to embrace my uniqueness and for helping me to be intentional towards Harper in a way that works for me and in the process brings glory to you. I knew I was made to be a mother I just didn't know what that looked like until I actually became one =)

LOVED THIS!

2009-10-07T08:03:00.001-05:00

Somehow, we human beingsare never happier

than when we are

expressing the deepest gifts

Baby Model

2009-09-26T12:51:00.004-05:00

Our next door neighbor is an AMAZING photographer and she asked if Harper would be a baby model for a baby's clothing line called Haute Baby. We thought it would be fun and she was able to capture some cute, funny, and sweet pictures of Harper

If you are looking for someone to take pictures of your family you can check out Leah's website at Lifeslittleimages.com

Wisdom to Live By

2009-09-20T21:50:00.004-05:00

Adam and I have gotten into a routine of reading the Psalm or Proverb that corresponds with the date.

Today was Proverbs 20 and a few verses stuck out to me and spoke to my heart and our life lately....

Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is really faithful? vs 6

When you have children, you find out who your truest friends are. We are so very blessed by the most loyal, loving, generous, and supportive group of friends. We pray often that we can be the kind of friends they are to us. We never want to take the gift of relationships for granted and praise God for the way he has used our friends to make us more like him. We loved celebrating Harper's birthday with some of our closest friends and family. Thanks guys for being there to celebrate!

If you are too lazy to plow in the right season, you will have no food at the harvest. vs 4

I am realizing the truth of this verse in relationship to parenthood. Parenthood is a journey and one that we want to be intentional about. We pray that we would not be distracted by the fleeting things of this world but rather would be transformed and live in a way that is purposeful. We pray that by being disciplined and strategic with our kids we will reap a harvest for generations to come.

How can we understand the road we travel? It is the Lord who directs our steps. vs 24

We have been processing buying a new home. We currently live in a 3 story townhome and over the last year as Harper has gotten older the physical demands of having a 1 year old and 2 sets of stairs have taken there toll. We recently found the perfect home, a one story, in the perfect neighborhood, in the perfect location, at the perfect price. It has been an overwhelming experience and we have seen God work in ways we have never experienced before. We are grateful for his provision for us and have seen the way that he has directed our steps detail by detail. I will share more on this in a later blog. Thank you God for your guidance, wisdom, and for this gift of a new home!

The BIG Milestone

2009-09-14T08:20:00.004-05:00

Well... It has been 2 weeks since Harper turned ONE and it hard to even believe how fast this last year has gone. It has been so much fun and Adam and I have enjoyed every second of it.

Harper has grown into a sweet little girl and has an outgoing and entergetic personality.

* She loves to engage with strangers and talk to anyone who is willing to listen
* She has become very vocal and says ball, daddy, buy buy, bible, points to some body parts (she loves belly button and eyes), she loves to dance and does a funny little body roll, and loves her daddy (she gets so happy when he comes home from work and as soon as she hears the door unlock she crawls as fast as she can to meet him and says daddy daddy)
* She listen and responds to commands such as clean up and loves helping me clean up her toys and puts them in the box. I also ask her where Jesus lives and she points to her heart. It is so sweet.
* She enjoys her highchair and could sit in it all day and is learned and responding to the sign language we have taught her. She does all done, please, thank you and more.
* This month she started Mother's Day Out at First United Methodist Church in Richardson and she is enjoying the interaction with other kids.

We had a Big Family Birthday Party in Oklahoma and had a Birthday Party in Dallas for her and she had fun eating her first piece of cake. Pictures to come.

We love you sweet Harper. It has been so fun to watch you turn into a little Toddler.

DENVER!!

2009-09-10T10:05:00.007-05:00

About a month ago Adam and I set out for our first vacation without Harper. We went to Denver to celebrate our 5 year anniversary, my birthday, and completion of 10.5 months of breastfeeding. My parents were kind enough to watch Harper. Having family nearby has been such a great blessing.

We had mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety as we left. We knew Harper would have lots of fun with her Grammy and her Grandpa Mike but for the last year our lives have been filled with caring for, playing with, feeding, and enjoying Harper Paige and we knew we would miss her. It has been a spectacular year but we relished some time away just the two of us.

Adam is a lover of cities and anytime we go anywhere he likes to spend at least one night in the city we visit. He picked a really beautiful boutique hotel to stay in for our first night called Hotel Teatro. It was so beautiful and very quaint. When we checked in our room was not available so they upgraded us to a corner room with a view of the city. It was the most romantic hotel we had ever stayed in. It had windows from wall to wall, beautiful plush bedding, a cool little sitting area, a shower with a waterfall head, and a huge tub to soak in. It was a great start to a memorable trip. We enjoyed happy hour drinks and shared a really yummy marscapone cheesecake dessert.

We met Adam's childhood friend Jonathan, who lives in Denver, for dinner. He took us to this really cool eclectic place called The Office. It was really yummy.

Here are a few pics of Hotel Teatro and The Office.
Our room

Leg 2:
BRECKENRIDGE: Such a low key and down to earth town with lots of fun little shops and restaurants, we sat outside every day and breathed in the fresh mountain air, ate homemade fresh mini donuts, got massages, went bike ridding, and hiked. We drank coffee in the morning by the river, and caught up on some reading. It was so relaxing.
We mountain biked downhill 9 miles from Breckinridge to Frisco. We ate the most amazing food for lunch and then took the bus back up the hill.
Enjoying coffee by the river

Hiking 3 hours to the top where their was an alpine lake. It was beautiful but it hailed on us once we got up there. Our little PT Cruiser barely made it up the road to the trail head (more on that later)

Leg 3: VAIL COLORADO
We did not plan on staying in Vail but after an interesting incident in Breckinridge where a random guy had a key to our room we decided to leave Breck and headed to Vail. My best friend Grayson happened to be in Vail at the same time so we got to spend some good time with her and her FIANCE!!! We got to be there for their engagement! It was AWESOME!

Vail was so different from Breck it is a master planned ski town. The town was beautiful and expensive. We went hiking, played in the river, went to the Betty Ford Alpine Garden, ate some great food, took the gondola to the top of Vail, and enjoyed the Vail Farmer's Market.

We also drove 10 miles outside of Vail, through the mountain roads to Piney River Ranch. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. So quiet and serene. Adam and I went canoeing and sat by the river and read. Grayson got engaged at the Ranch and we got to celebrate that night (which also happened to be her birthday).

Adam and I Canoeing at Piney River Ranch

Grayson's Engagement!

We had an amazing trip and got to spend some time praying for our family, our future, and God's vision for our lives. We felt well rested and came back with a renewed purpose. Spending time in the Mountains/nature always seem to bring me back to my core, my center and remind me of the beauty and simplicity that daily life should hold.

We look forward to more vacations with just the two of us.

Sweet Time with My Girl

2009-09-08T20:01:00.004-05:00

Tonight I enjoyed a really special time with Harper. Adam had run to Target and Harper was not wanting to go to sleep. Instead of getting frustrated I asked the Lord to make our time special and help me to make the most of an allready long day.

I often sing to her praise songs when I put her down for bed as she wiggles in my arms and uses her strength to pummel herself into her bed. (She loves her bed when she is tired.) Tonight she let me just hold and rock her and laid her sweet little head and body on my chest as I sang some of my favorite songs.

Give Us Clean Hands, Lord Prepare Me To Be A Sanctuary, All of You Is More Than Enough for Me.

As I thought about the words to the songs and how significant they are I began to pray that Harper, Adam and I would be able to live out the truth in these simple but profound songs. I prayed that she would be humble in heart and would turn her eyes from evil things and she woud not lift her souls to another or allow idols to take the place of Christ in her life. I prayed that her and our generation would be one that seeks God's face. I prayed that God would be more than Enough for her during any and every season of her life. I prayed that she would use her life to bring glory to the Lord.

Thank you Lord for sweet moments like this! You are the giver of everything GOOD!

Harper 11 months old

2009-08-26T14:23:00.004-05:00

We are approaching Harper's first birthday. It is hard to believe that our little baby is now blossoming into a toddler and will one day become a beautiful women. The last month has been so much fun and full of many changes. God has been so good to us and we are so thankful that Harper is a happy and healthy girl.

A few fun memories from this month include:

* Her pouty lip face (she pushes her lip out like she is kissing)
* Her sweet laugh when Adam tickles her feet
* She loves playing all kinds of games like peek a boo (she covers her hands with her face), where's mommy (she pulls the blanket off me) and find the toy
* She started using the sign language that we have taught her over the last 11 months, she does more, bye bye, thank you, and all done. This feels so rewarding to me as I thought she would never sign. She also pats her sweet little heart because we say Harper Jesus wants to come into your heart one day, and we tell her we want her to have a happy heart.
*She loves to flirt with strangers and tries to get attention from anyone who will give it to her. She is a ham for sure.
* She is starting to talk and can say, "bye bye, hi, daddy, mommy, ball, bottle, bible, kit kit (kitty) and doggie)
*She pats you on the back when you are holding her. It is so sweet. She loves to give hugs and kisses.
*She loves her little blanket that G-G gave her and doesn't like to sleep without it.
* She has tried ice cream this month and loved it and will eat most anything we put in her mouth including: salmon, chicken, black beans, blueberries (her favorite)
* She loves to dance and does a mean body roll. It is so funny.
*She is pulling up on everything and loves to crawl and explore. She is doing really well with her boundaries.
*She loves to swim and kicks her legs in the water
* She spent her first full week with her Grammy and Grandpa Mike while Adam and I went to Denver for vacation.
*She has been doing a little bit of baby modeling for Haute Baby. Pictures to come...
* She sleeps great and always seems to wake up very happy and full of energy

So many changes, so much fun.

Happy Birthday Veronica!

2009-08-12T14:05:00.004-05:00

Thanks V for being the person you are! You have taught me much about strength, consistency, loyalty and love over the last few years and I am so thankful to have you in my life. I am blessed to call you my friend and I know that God has much more in store for our friendship in the years to come. I hope you have a very special day and that you know you are loved!

Harper 10 months

2009-07-17T13:42:00.003-05:00

Loving the water and sun
Get me out of here
Riding my horsey
Hey!!

A fun date night idea

2009-07-07T14:49:00.004-05:00

I subscribe to the Daily Candy which is a really great website that keeps you up to date on what is happening in Dallas. They have some really great ideas and not so great ideas but they always have something fresh and new to try. A few months ago they mentioned a cool new beach cruiser bike shop called Fleetwood's Kit Kat that had opened in University Park. They offer free bike rides through Highland Park and downtown/Katy Trail on Friday's and Sunday's on a first come first serve bases. I convinced some friends to check it out with us and we were all pleasantly surprised at how much fun we had. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the evening.

A SWEET end to a PERFECT weekend!

2009-07-06T09:28:00.008-05:00

This weekend Adam and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary. We went to Austin, the city we lived in when we were first married. We stopped at all of our old favorite hang outs, reminisced about all the amazing memories we shared there and dreamed of moving back one day...ahhhh Austin is a special place and Austin just seems to represent part of who we are.
t is a fun, down to earth, active, adventurous, city. The people are just so special, no pretense, very relational, genuine and inclusive. There is a unique spirit of unity about the people/city that I haven't seen anywhere else and I have lived a lot of places.
Below is a list of some of the things we did:

Hyde Park Grill: This was and is one of our very favorite places to eat in Austin, we used to eat here at least once a week. It is in a really old house in Hyde Park and is famous for their fries and fresh yummy food. Adam and I had a good time sipping Mimosa's and chatting about life.

4 Season's Hotel: the best location, great service, lush grounds overlooking the lake, comfortable beds, comfy robes, fresh squeezed lemonade, chocolate trays, chimenea's and hammocks, amazing spa, a salt water pool, good drinks at happy hour. We enjoyed it all!
The beautiful pool Yummy Chocolate plate in our room

Dessert: I don't think you could find anyone else who loves dessert like I do. Amy's Ice Cream has some of my favorite ice cream anywhere. We walked about 2 miles across S. Congress Bridge to get some and then we turned around and had smores at The Four Season's another 2 mile walk back. The distance I will go for good ice cream. Yumminess!

Park Benches: Adam loves cities and Austin is growing like crazy. We walked around and checked out all of the new development, mostly mixed use loft style housing. There were lots of cool new shops and restaurants to explore. We found a good little park bench and just enjoyed the view and conversation.

2nd Street District: This area was within walking distance to our hotel and is where one of our best friends Jake used to live. It was fun to explore again and see how much everything had changed.

Lambert's: I am not usually a bar-b-que person but Austin has some of the best bar-b-que anywhere. We had dinner at Lambert's an upscale bar-b-que place that has a really cool vintage vibe. It is located in an old warehouse style building that was built in 1873. I love the decor and the old Chicago style brick. We ate the worlds best corn muffins, and shared the Brown Sugar and Coffee Rubbed Brisket. Goodness!

Town Lake: Town Lake is in the heart of downtown Austin and we watched the fireworks over the lake. It was beautiful! We loved watching the hundreds of kayakers on the lake, they had the best view by far. We also walked past a dude selling Michael Jackson t-shirts out of his old school Adidas bag haha. It wouldn't be Austin without the weirdo's. I almost bought one but Adam put his foot down.

Jo's Coffee: We ate breakfast at our favorite little coffee shop and enjoyed their iced turbo's and breakfast tacos. We sat outside at the bar and met a cute little labradoodle named Joey....very fitting huh =) We saw one of the actors from Friday Night Lights. So funny cause we saw him the last time we were there. He must love this place as much as we do.

The weekend couldn't have been any better. Thanks to my hubby for planning such a romantic, thoughtful and much needed get away. We enjoyed our time together, and were very thankful for the grandparents who babysat. We arrived home to see the most beautiful sunset from our patio. Adam got some great pics.

We thank God for his goodness to us through so many seasons both difficult and good and look forward to what lies ahead over the next 50 years together. I love you hubs!

Father's Day and Grandfather's Day

2009-06-22T10:57:00.002-05:00

Dad- Congrats! This is your first Grandfather's Day and your 27th Father's Day. You have been and continue to be an amazing father to me. Thanks for giving me sound advice, wisdom and direction through the years. Thanks for always telling me how much you love me and how proud you are of me. Thanks for encouraging me to strive for greatness and to not accept mediocrity. Thanks for teaching me that relationships count and that I should never compromise my integrity. Thanks for teaching me strength, endurance, ambition, and perserverance and for helping to shape me into a confident and optomistic women who loves the Lord. I love you and thank God that your my dad and Harper is blessed to call you her favorite grandpa Mike.
Adam- It has been so much fun to watch you be a daddy. You are patient, caring, kind, sweet, intentional, loving, fun and a great role model for Harper. Thanks for putting her first and for making an effort to engage with her every day. I know that she will grow up to respect and honor you because of your faithfulness to God. She is blessed to call you her father!

What would life be like with 3?

2009-06-19T08:09:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago 2 of my best friends came to visit us and brought their sweet babies Crew and Adley (16 months old). Our husbands were out golfing and we were at home playing with the babies. Things were going great, all the babies were having fun and enjoying one another. Around 7:00PM things started to go south quickly =). Out of desperation haha (am I exagerating a bit?) We decided that it would be fun to throw all the kiddos in the bath tub. They were having a grand old time splashing and playing. We got them out of the tub and then decided to keep them contained in my bedroom until our husbands got home. As you can see we tried to make light of the situation and decided to act as photographers for the new reality show " America's Next Top Baby Model." As you can see we got some funny pictures of the three of them together. For a second I got a glimpse of what life would be like with 3 babies under 2. Fun, Crazy, and Entertaining to say the least!

Organic Food Local Co-Op

2009-06-17T09:18:00.002-05:00

My mom has been researching organic food and healthy eating for about 10 years now. She recently gave me a book called Gorgeously Green and it discusses the benefits to living and eating naturally and eco-friendly. When she first gave me the book I was like yeah right mom this is such the "in" thing to do right now and wasn't sure if I believed the hype.

The more I have read the more my eyes have been opened to the use of harmful pesticides and nitrates in our foods. I am encouraged and moved to eat better and be a better steward of the land that God has given to us.

We are on a budget like lots of other young families and eating organic foods can be expensive. Adam and I started researching local co-ops that you can purchase locally grown organic products from. We were surprised to find that there is one right here in the Dallas area called The Movement Dallas. You can check out their website here: http://themovementdallas.wordpress.com/

They charge $25 a year member fee and then you pay $50 for each share/bundle of produce. You pick up your produce every other week and it is seasonal fresh organic fruits and veggies. Here is a list of the recent share/bundle. It appears to be a ton of food for $50. You can also purchase meets, cheeses, and dairy products as well. We will definately have to learn how to cook with these seasonal ingrediants but are looking forward to trying it out.

Basic Share $50
Beets 1 bunch
Broccoli 1 bunch
Cabbage, Green 1
Carrots 2 lb bag
Garlic, White 2-3 heads
Lettuce, Red Leaf 2
Onions, Yellow 3 lb bag
Peppers, Bell, Green 1 lb
Potatoes, Yukon Gold 3 lb bag
Spinach 2 bunches
Tomatoes (Regular) 1lb or 2 ct
Banana, Green 3.5-4 lbs
Grapes, Seedless, Green 1 bag (approx. 2 lbs)
Melons, Cantaloupe 1
Peaches 5-6 ct
Plums, Black & Red 1 lb

Harper 9 months

2009-06-15T16:19:00.004-05:00

Harper was 9 months old last week and she continues to AMAZE me. She weighed 18 pounds at her check up and is in the 45% now for height and weight.

* She loves new faces and puts on a show for most anyone that shows her attention
* She loves to move around on her tummy yet isn't officially crawling yet
* She loves her highchair and has been feeding herself finger foods for the last month (she loves bananas, cheerios, strawberries, cheese, chicken)
* She enjoys the pool and likes to splash in the water
* She laughs out loud and sometimes hysterically
* She pulls herself up on furniture
* She loves to be read to and loves being around other kids/babies

My Knight in Shining Armor is the BIG 28

2009-06-15T15:17:00.004-05:00

Today is Adam's 28th Birthday. It is hard to believe how fast time has gone. We met each other in college when we were just 19 years old, fresh out of highschool. A lot has changed since then and life just gets sweeter each year. I love you Adam, I love growing older with you. Happy Birthday Hubs!

What God is doing....In Me

2009-06-09T12:11:00.005-05:00

So lately we have been so busy with friends in town, family get togethers, graduation celebrations, birthday parties etc. I haven't spent as much time with the Lord lately and I can tell and I know that others can tell too. My attitude has been a little negative and I have definately felt frustrated, and weary at times lately. I tend to get in this cycle and it is a hard thing to break.

Our life feels balanced and then I allow appointments, friendships, my own demands, and desires to throw things off kilter. I have a really hard time opperating in the middle. Things in my life tend to be all or nothing. I am working on trying to consitantly maintain balance and boundaries in my life. I know this is something that I will always be working on. I usually get to a breaking point and then take a few days to rest and relax before I am at it again ahhhh. I admit I am EXHAUSTING at times =)

I know that God wants me to have balance in all areas of my life and I have seen the ways that he is changing and growing my heart. I struggle with wanting to fix things for others, wanting others approval, chasing the desires of this world (material possessions), not wanting to miss out on anything and I know that many of these things take up much of my time.

I believe though and have HOPE that God is changing me. Over the last few months God has consistantly brought this verse to my mind over and over again.

Ezekiel 36
I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and to be careful to keep my laws.

I love this verse because it gives me great HOPE. I know that I am far from perfect and I know that God is perfect and that he can bridge the gap in my heart, He can bridge my insecurities, and my faults.

I so often pray that God is giving me a new heart and a new spirit inside me and that I am following his decrees more closely today than I was yesterday or a year ago or 5 years ago. I don't want to be the same. I constantly want to be changed, to be better, to be more loving, generous, kind, faithful, caring, thoughtful, quiet hearted, a better listener, and a more teachable person.

Thank you Lord for the work you have done in my selfish heart. I pray that you would continue that work until completion, until the day I get to see your face. You are a good God.

There are days that I get down on myself and the fact that my struggles and faults are so apparant but then I am reminded that that is why I need you in my life. Thank you for your grace and your patience and your willingness to love me where I am.

A Few Favs over the last 2 months

2009-05-24T21:36:00.000-05:00

Harper 8 month Milestones

2009-05-18T20:39:00.004-05:00

So Harper just turned 8 months old:

Time continues to fly by but I have learned to stop and enjoy each precious moment and I try not to go a million miles a minute. As she continues to grow more curious about the world I relish in her desire to cuddle with me at the end of the day while I sing worship songs to her like my mom did for me as a child. She loves my voice (she may be the only one) and I love singing to her. When I lay her down in bed she gets a sad face and starts to cry and everything in me has to keep from crying too. It is hard to believe that one day she will outgrow my cradling arms and I will no longer be able to hold her like a baby so I will enjoy these special moments while I can.

* She laughs like a real person now
* She loves playing peek-a-boo and loves it when people chase after her down or up the stairs and shrieks with enjoyment
*She is feeding herself bananas and loves it when I give her the spoon
* She constantly says dada and mama
*She loves to blow bubbles and sit up in her bath and play with her bath toys
* She is a cuddler and people person and loves the attention from all her family and friends
* She rocks on her tummy and looks like she wants to crawl but enjoys being held so who knows when she will learn to crawl.
*Her eyes are really expressive and a window to her sweet little heart. She raises her eyebrows it is so sweet
*She still loves putting everything in her mouth, loves anything that makes noise, and loves playing in her exersaucer
*She loves books
*She pouts out her lower lip
*She got her bottom two teeth on April 30th
*She is very social
* We are trying to teach her sign language to help her communicate but haven't seen any fruit yet. We will continue to keep trying and see if she picks up on it
*She is somewhat of a picky eater. She loves sweet pottatoes, apples, bananas, pears, peaches (no surprise cause I am a fruit lover)
*She has a cute way of crossing her ankles while in her car seat or sitting in a high chair

It is really amazing to see how much she has changed in the last few months. I can't wait to see how she changes in the next few

Harper Pics Our Little Pretty

2009-05-18T20:39:00.001-05:00

Click on the link to see the slideshow:

http://www.photobiz.com/slideshowbiz/slideshow.cfm?slideshowID=61591&photographerID=2683

LIFE AS A MOM IS

2009-05-10T21:27:00.004-05:00

We are not as close to the river as it appears =)
Crazy
Fun
Sweet
Special
Amazing
Emotional
Adventurous
Tiring
Joyful

WORTH EVERY SECOND! I love you sweet Harper. I am so blessed to be your mother! You have such a sweet spirit and have a joy and love for others. I love watching you grow.

Family Pics

2009-05-10T21:21:00.001-05:00

So we took some family pictures a few weeks ago in the park by our house. Our next door neighbor who is an AMAZING photographer got some really great pics of the 3 of us. It was so much fun. Thanks Leah! They are so sweet!

http://www.photobiz.com/slideshowbiz/slideshow.cfm?slideshowID=60777&photographerID=2683

Harper in her Exersaucer

2009-05-02T21:49:00.002-05:00

2009-05-02T21:41:00.002-05:00

Harper loves books and especially loves when Adam reads to her. Right now she is really into the touch and feel books and trys to chew on the corner of the book.
At 6 months we took Harper to the eye doctor tbecause we were a little worried that she might have a lazy eye. Sometimes her right eye seems to turn inward when she is focussing on something. They had to dialate her eyes and gave her these little glasses to wear. She didn't like them very much as you can tell. The doctors visit went well and it looks like she has pseudostrabismis (fake lazy eye) and the doctor does not have any concerns at this point. We were glad that we took her in to have them checked out.

A Few of my favorites 7.5 months

2009-05-02T21:29:00.002-05:00

Grayson is going to kill me for putting this picture of her on here but this is the face/laugh that Harper was making the whole week. She would snort and then squench her little eyes and laugh. It was so cute. I think she picked this up from Grayson cause she had never done this before.
We bought Harper a highchair right before I left for Atlanta. She loves it and enjoys pounding her little hands on the table. I have been giving her chunks of bananna and she is learning to pick them up and put them in her mouth. This is a difficult skill to master.

This is one of Harper's favorite toys. I have been putting her on her stomach and putting the toy out of her reach so that she has to skoot her way over to it. So far she has flipped herself over, kicked her legs and figured out a way to get that toy. Soon she will be crawling.

One more video

2009-05-01T15:39:00.002-05:00

One more Video at Gorilla Haven

2009-05-01T14:50:00.003-05:00

Oliver Bartering for Harper

Oliver and Harper Touch

2009-05-01T14:32:00.002-05:00

Oliver and Harper touching

More Pics at Gorilla Haven

2009-05-01T14:15:00.002-05:00

Harper and Oliver having a stair off competition. He was in love with her
Oliver wanting to get in our picture
Oliver decided to do a run by and hit his hands on the window to intimidate us. I will admit it was a little bit scarey. I think I was more afraid than Harper
Isn' t he AMAZING

Harper and Gorilla Haven

2009-05-01T13:31:00.004-05:00

We got to feed Oliver and Joe fruit (watermelon, mango, strawberries and blueberries) Joe loved the strawberries, and Oliver loved the blueberries and the watermelon)
Harper sitting on the life size stuffed gorilla at Jane's house. Her entire house was covered wall to wall with pictures of gorilla's. She also had gorilla figurines everywhere. It was amazing.
We had to cover our mouths when we were around Oliver and Joe to make sure they do not get sick. We also were instructed to not look them directly in the eye and to divert our eyes from them.

Here is a picture of Oliver just hanging out.

While in Atlanta we got to experience something that I never in a million years would have imagined. We got to come face to face, litterally within touching pinkie distance of two silverback male gorilla's (Oliver 21, and Joe, 46) . It was a really breathtakingly beautiful experience. One that I will never forget.

Okay I know you may be wondering how in the world we had this opportunity. My mom has an old friend who has been an animal rights activist her whole life. She has a passion and love for gorilla's and has devoted her life to learning about and championing causes for gorilla's well being.

After a lot of education, dreaming and planning her and her husband started work on what is now Gorilla Haven, a world class, temporary or permanant holding facility for zoo gorilla's that are in need, usually because they have become "non-display" gorillas due to health or personality issues. Non-display gorillas are typically kept in small cages at zoos, Gorilla Haven provides a large natural environment for them to live out the rest of their lives.

Gorilla Haven is located in the North Georgia mountains and is set on 324 seculted, wooded acres complete with a fully outfitted verterinary hospital, administration area, food preparation area, individual vilas to house the gorillas, and a 6,000 sq foot group building designed for family groups of gorillias. Gorilla Haven partners with zoo's around the world. The facility truely is amazing and I was overwhelmed when I saw it.

Joe and Oliver were facinated with Harper and tried to barter food, a card board box, and a stick for her. We didn't think that was a fair trade. I got some great video footage which I will put on our next blog.

Trip to Atlanta Harper 7.5 months

2009-05-01T11:49:00.004-05:00

Our trip to Atlanta was so much fun and a little nostalgic. It is hard to believe that it has been almost 17 years since I lived there. It is even harder to believe that I kept in touch with a friend that I met in 4th grade (I only lived in Marietta, GA for 2.5 years). My friendship with Grayson is a rarity, so unique and so very special. I am blessed by her friendship and it is always so amazing to me how we can just pick up right where we left off as if nothing has changed. I only pray that Harper is able to find the kind of lifelong best friend that I have found in Grayson.

We had a great visit with Grayson and her family and it was definitely a walk down memory lane.

* Grayson's parents haved lived in the same house for the last 24 years. It is always fun to go back there because I am reminded of all of our fun childhood memories. Not much has changed except Grayson's old pink bedroom is now more sophisticated looking. She did still have the same stuffed animal that she slept with as a girl on the bed, the basement that we played endless hours of Nintendo in has now been converted to a man room for her dad, and the stairs that she once cried on when she had to come home from my house because her tummy hurt had new carpet. Other than that not much had changed. We are still little girls at heart but are now all grown up.

My mom is the best. We got along great and I was so thankful for her help with Harper. We got to see some of her old friends too. We hope this is the first of many mother daughter trips together.

Me, Grayson, Harper, Scott and Paula. Harper loved imitating Grayson and squinted her eyes when she laughed just like Grayson. I think she must have picked up on it.

Harper on the plane ride out. She did great and took a little nap on my shoulder for about 30 minutes. The ride back was not as fun =)

DREAMER

2009-04-24T17:57:00.008-05:00

I guess I would describe myself as a bit of a dreamer. I am definitely not a realist which can get me into trouble at times. Thankfully Adam is the realist in our marriage, which provides a good balance.

Lately I have been dreaming about my life, our future, and our family adventures.

Over the last 7.5 months as a new mom I have battled with feeling like I needed to be this perfect, responsible, realistic, Martha Stewart type mom and wife. A mom who knows how to sew her own baby clothes, make gourmet dinners each night, and keep the house perfectly neat and tidy. I am not sure where this pressure came from, I think I adopted some of it from our culture and some of it I just put on myself.

I felt that I needed to let go of my old self and embrace a new self. I felt like my old self wasn't adult enough. Yet I really struggled because I felt comfortable in my old skin, I liked who I had become, I enjoyed being me (I know that sounds strange to say).

Over the last few months as I have prayed about this dichotomy going on in my heart. I have realized that I am a different person than I was before Harper, but that doesn't mean that I have to trade who I was for someone different. I feel like God has shown me that I am free to be me. I don't have to fit into a certain mold.

I desire to walk with Him and to allow him to change the places in my heart that need to be changed but I can still be me. This has been so fun and freeing and I feel like I can dream again and I feel that God has replaced some feelings of insecurity with self confidence.

Here are a few of my dreams. I know that some may be unrealistic but that is why I have this blog to give me a place to DREAM

* GO ON A MISSION TRIP: I have never been on a mission trip and would love to go one day with our community group and all of our families.

* LEARN TO PLAY THE GUITAR: I have always loved to sing and a few years ago I got a guitar a for Christmas. I took a few lessons and could play a few worship songs but then life got busy and I stopped practicing. I would love to dust off my guitar, which is located in our downstairs coat closet and get it re-strung and re-tuned and learn to play again. If you know someone who can help let me know.

* RUN ANOTHER MARATHON: I love how running provides an outlet for me to relax and not think about anything. I can get into my zone and just enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. I would love to train for one more race before we start trying to have another baby.

* GO BACKPACKING: When I was in college I worked at a summer camp in Ocoee Tenn, I was a camp counselor and led backpacking trips through the Smokey Mountains. I loved the beauty of the mountains and the chance to get away from the world. I would love to go on a backpacking trip with Adam once Harper is done nursing. I would love to hike a stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

* TRAVEL TO: Costa Rica and do the adventure thing, go on a cruise to Alaska, go to Greece, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. I want to go and not have an agenda and just explore as we go along.

* LEARN TO SEW: I am definately not an artistic person but would really love to sew. I want to make clothes for Harper, little pillow covers and anything else that is interesting. I think that sewing is becoming a bit of a lost art

These are just a few of my dreams for now. I will post more as they come to mind. DREAM ON DREAMERS and SHARE your DREAMS with ME!

PURITY

2009-04-24T11:47:00.000-05:00

In an effort to be a little more intentional about praying for Harper, Adam and I have decided to choose a biblical characteristic or trait that we hope Harper will embody. We are going to pick a new one each week and pray the verses that go along with that trait. This week we decided to choose PURITY. Pray along with us if you will.

After watching a few shows on t.v. this week I was so saddend by the culture and world that we live in. The way that children are sexually abused, neglected, mistreated and preyed upon makes me so angry and terrified for our children to grow up. I was struck by this verse, To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe nothing is pure, in fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted . They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. Titius 1:15-16. This is the world we live in an imperfect world for sure.

It is so frustrating because when I look into the face of any newborn baby. I feel like I can see the face of God, so pure and innocent, unaffected by society, evil, our culture. They were freshly created by a perfect God. Then they enter the world and and are at the hand's of imperfect people. These imperfect people (I being one of them) try to mold and shape the child into who they think they should be often without asking God (their creator) for his help. This is where we go wrong.

It is so crazy to think that our children will grow up in an even different culture than we did. They will have access to cell phones, computers, text messaging, social networking sites, etc. These are things I did not have access to until college. Seriously I did not have a cell phone until I went to college.

I know that when I fear anything the best way to respond is to stop and pray.

As I was looking up Scripture to pray for Harper I was reminded and convicted that none of us are pure or without sin (except for God) and thanked God for his provision through his son Jesus Christ on the cross. Thank God that he cleanses me of all my unrighteousness.

My favorite verse seemed to sum it up.

Deut 31:19
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him.

I loved this verse because it reminded me that both Harper and I face choices each day. Will we make choices that bring us LIFE or choices that cause death. My prayer for our family is that we would choose LIFE. I pray that for her purity in body, mind, heart, and action. I pray that she would evaluate each decision asking herself is there LIFE there? If there is any question in her mind that there is not then I pray that she would make the right decision. I pray that God would create in her a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within her (Psalm 5:10) when the world creeps in and trys to decieve her.

God, help us to think about and invest in things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

Thank you for the gift of a precious daughter. I pray that you would help Adam and I to care and steward her well.

Grandparents are the best babysiters

2009-04-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

ODE TO MY MOM

2009-04-17T16:23:00.000-05:00

Mother

And she traveled the journey before you,

She has known all the cost of the way.

She paid out the price to its fullness,

That Motherhood only can pay.

She loved when the world was against you

She hoped-when your hope sank and died.

She clung to your hand when the clinging, Left scars in her heart, deep and wide.

She labored-and loved and was happy,

For down deep in her kind heart she knew

Your kindness and love would repay her

For all that she did-just for you

Thanks mom! You have been an amazing, beautiful, sweet, caring, kind, loving, faithful, encouraging, and Godly mom. I am so thankful for you and the way that you raised me and for always reminding me how much you loved me. I appreciate the hard work and thankless effort you put into raising us. I am forever grateful and I pray that I will be the kind of mother to Harper that you are to me. I am truly blessed.

Love,

Sara

Atlanta or Bust

2009-04-16T12:40:00.001-05:00

So my best friend since I was a kid lives in Atlanta. Her name is Grayson (one of the most beautiful names and beautiful people in the world) We met in 3rd grade and I moved at the end of my 6th grade year and we have remained great friends despite the miles between us. We have grown up together and seen each other through many of life changes and stages.

She came to Dallas a few months ago for a short weekend to meet Harper which was so much fun but when she left I just wished we could have spent a little more time together.
Well I found out Wednesday that she is going to be in Austin this weekend for a bachelorette party. I knew that I wanted to get in the car and drive the 3 hours to Austin to see her. However, life with a baby can make spur of the moment last minute trips a little difficult. After talking with Adam and thinking about all the logistics we decided it would be best not to go just for one day.

I told my mom about the situation and that I was a little dissapointed because we haven't got to spend that much time together over the last 5 years. I told her that it would be hard knowing that she is in the same state as me and I can't see her. This morning my mom called and said she had a surprise for me. She had 2 free airline tickets that had to be used before April 30th (within the next 2 weeks) and that we should use them to visit Grayson in Atlanta next week. So next week we are going to Atlanta!!. Yippee!

A few of my recent favorites

2009-04-14T08:36:00.000-05:00

Modeling her bathing suit that grammy got her
Ready to crawl
Hanging out in my bumbo
Sweet cheeks

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T17:42:00.000-05:00

Some Pics from Easter and the Arboretum

2009-04-13T17:17:00.001-05:00

Hug It Out

2009-04-13T15:51:00.000-05:00

Jessica and Adley came to visit a few weeks ago for an entire week. It was so much fun to see what life with a 1 year old is going to be like. Adley is so much fun and loves to explore. She loved Harper and was facinated by her. She wanted to give her lots of hugs. Here is a cute video.

A Letter For My Daughter

2009-04-13T11:33:00.000-05:00

Dr Cullpepper

I have been wanting to write this letter since the day of Harper's birth but couldn't figure out how to fit all my thoughts and emotions into words. I have come to the realization after talking to other more experienced moms that I will probably never be able to describe my feelings for my precious daughter but I thought that I would at least try. I had some additional inspiration from a friend which provided me with some motivation.

Harper Paige,

Words cannot express my love for you. I have never known a love like this before. My love for you is unlike any other. I guess this is why God gives us children so that we might have a glimpse or glimmer of his love for us.

You were created in me and were molded and formed by the Creator himself. I can now live to say that I have witnessed and been a part of a very special miracle. This sweet miracle of life that until now I confess I have taken for granted at times.

Watching you enter this world was overwhelming, seeing your tiny hands and little feet for the first time, the little crevices of your sweet little frame. You were just so fun to explore. The way your tiny little toes currled and cracked just like your dads, your cute little ears that bent out just a bit, your precious almond shape eyes (a distinguished feature of the Shumsky family), and your fun little baby rolls. Such a package =)

It was surreal at first and still is at times. I often look at you and start to cry because I discover something new or notice something different about you. I stop to thank God for the gift you are.

You were and are everything that we prayed for and so much more. Your dad and I, along with many friends and family prayed the fruit of the Spirit for you so many times during my pregnancy and God granted our prayer. I can allready see the way that you embody love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control and know that God will continue to shape these characteristics into your being.

Your birth was eventful and memorable. God knew that you needed a grand entrance to be welcomed into the world.

I started having contractions/labor pains about 3 days before you were born. Your original due date was September 9th and I so desperately wanted to meet you and was sure that you would come a week or more early. Each time I went to the doctor to be checked I waited eagerly for her to tell me that you were ready, that you had dropped, and that you wanted to meet us =) but this was not yet the case. You were enjoying your time inside my body and wanted to stay a few days longer. I struggled with this because none of my friends up until this point had gone over their due dates and it was summer time, 100 degree days and I wondered if I were hot, you surely had to be much hotter =) God knew his timing was perfect.

On the morning of September 11th (I didn't want to have you on this day due to our country's horrific history but God showed me that there is hope and new life in the midst of pain and devestation) around 4:00am I started having more labor pains about 5-7 minutes apart. I woke your father up and told him I thought it was time to go to the hospital. I wanted to take a shower first and fought through some difficult labor pains so that I could feel clean and pretty before I went to deliver you. (vain I know).

We got to the hospital and I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first because I wasn't sure if this was the real thing. It didn't feel much different than the labor pains I had experienced days before. The only thing different was that I couldn't talk through the contractions. The nurse admitted us and took me to our room, she checked me and said she thought I was about 4 centimeters dialated. I got an epi-dural and was happy as can be and began calling all of our friends and family to share the exciting news. They were not going to send me home. Today was going to be your big day! Your grandparents rushed to be there and your Aunty E stopped by to freshin me up and do my hair before you arrived (so funny).

We waited, as doctors and nurses came and went. The nurses wanted to speed my labor along but I refused the pitocin. I wanted to enjoy the process. Finally around 11:00am your dad asked the nurse to check me again and I was dialated 10 centimeters and they called the doctor. Thank God for your dad. I pushed for about 20 minutes and the nurse checked your heartbeat and vital signs. She seemed a little concerned and told me to roll on to my side and relax while she called the doctor for a second time.

Your dad and I were getting a little nervous because we were not sure what was going on and why the doctor had not yet arrived. A few minutes later one of the doctors showed up and a few minutes after that another doctor showed up along with a slew of nurses.

They encouraged me to push again and I pushed for a good hour. The doctors were starting to get concerned because your blood pressure and heart rate were going up. The doctor told me that she may need to do a vaccumm delivery. Your dad and I were a little worried because this was not something that they discussed in our birthing class. We trusted the doctors and believed they knew what they were doing.

We prayed many times for wisdom, for peace, and for God to keep you safe. We were reminded of Philipians 4:5-6 Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to the Lord and the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. This gave us comfort.

We waited and believed that he would answer our prayer and he did. At 1:51 pm you entered the world. The moment we had waited 9 montsh for. Your dad got to cut your ambilical cord. I was so impressed he was such a champ. He encouraged me, prayed for us, and held you in his arms as his most prizzed possession. It was a beautiful moment. I felt like for a second, time stopped and everything just seemed to stand still. We both cried and looked into your sweet eyes and just melted. You were everything we had dreamed of and more.

You were ready to eat right away and did a great job nursing. Your daddy and I thanked God for you and spent some time alone with you dedicating you to the Lord before they wisked you away to be cleaned up and tested. Your grandparents waited patiently in the waiting room to meet you. They smiled from ear to ear when they saw your face. They couldn't believe they were now grandparents. I am sure it seemed like just yesterday that they were holding their now grown up babies in their arms.

Friends and family came from far and near to see you. It reminded me of how the wise men traveled to meet Jesus and to welcome his birth. We were blessed beyond imagination by the sweet visitors and overwhelmed by the way they cared for us. Our community group came, Cory, Cole, Scott, Shannon, Jessica and Michelle drove down from Oklahoma, friends stopped by from work and church and neighbors sent their best wishes. We loved showing you off.

The nurses fell in love with you especially a sweet little asian nurse. She would bring you in at night for your feedings and would say "she pooped, she peed, I clean her, she is beautiful." It warmed our hearts. The lactation nurse was a God send and so very helpful. The food was amazing and I wanted to order everything on the menu. I just had a baby and I thought that I deserved all the ice cream and pizza I wanted. I would pay for that later hahah. Your aunt Cory loved you so much and she spent the night with us at the hospital.

The next day we got ready to take you home. It was overcast outside and a storm was scheduled to blow through. I grabed a small container of cran-grape juice (my now new favorite drink after delivery), went to our baby care class, and got out of the hospital just as the storm hit. We put you in your little car seat that seemed to swallow you (you didn't like it one bit) and took you to your new home at 5020 Calloway Drive.

Our new adventure as parents had begun. We did not know what to expect or what to do but we knew that we would make it through with God's help and friends/family support just as many others had done before us. We knew that the love we had for you would be enough to sustain the unanswered questions and sleepless nights ahead. We were nieve and thankful. We were a family now made up of 3 instead of 2.

Here we are today 7 months later. Time flies by and I am reminded to slow down, stop, reflect, enjoy and just be. One thing is for sure, the world goes on, lives change, you will grow older. I commit to enjoy every moment with you for what it is, knowing that it is fleeting and I pray you will learn that same great truth. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is something I am constantly striving for. It is not easy and our culture makes it difficult but God desires it.

I love you my precious child. I pray for you each day. I can't wait to teach you all there is to know and to tell you about the one who formed you. I am praising God for you and looking forward to who you become!

Your mom

Harper's First Vacation

2009-03-02T15:05:00.000-06:00

Well It is hard to believe that Harper is 5 1/2 months old. We took Harper on her first vacation snowboarding and snowshoeing in Mammoth Lakes, California. She had a great time and got up on the snowboard her first try =)

Outside the condo. It snowed every day

Harper playing with her G-ma

Uncle Z , Harper and Adam getting read to shred the mountain. It was Zac's first time to snowboard and he did great!

Adam, Dusty, Zac and Harper waiting for the bus to come and pick us up. Harper looked so cute in her snow suit!

We had a great time and I got to do some snowboarding too which was awesome. We put Harper in childcare at the mountain and she did great.

Reminded of Who God Is and What He Does For Me

2009-03-02T14:27:00.000-06:00

Today I spent a good amount of time with the Lord. It was so great because I am really trying to use my time wisely when Harper is napping.

I wanted to share what I studied today and hope that it can encourage all of us during good and bad days. We are reading in Psalms/Job for bible study and we just finished Psalms 21-40 before we move on to Job. As I finished I was reminded of the way that David continually uninhibitately vented and expressed his emotions both good and bad (frustration, fear, anger, disatisfaction, satisfaction, thankfulness, fill in the blank emotion) to God. Amazingly David always went back to the character and promises of God and put his faith in His character. Today I decided to make a list of who God is and what God does for us.

Here it is (Just a summary, read the text for further exploration, I also have the scripture references but didn't feel like typing them if you want them =):

What God Does For Us (Psalms 21-27):
Gives us strength
Gives us victory
Grants us the desires of our heart
Does not withold
Welcomes us with rich blessings
Gives us life
Grants us eternal blessings
Makes us glad with the joy of his presence
Loves us Unfailingly
Is faithful through generations
Saves us and hears our cries
Does not disappoint
Can't be shaken
Quick to help us
Delivers us
Rescues us
Has not hidden his face from us
Listens to our cries for help
Helps us not be in want
Lead us besides quiet waters
Restores our souls
Guides us in paths of righteousness
Makes me lie down in green pastures
We do not have to fear evil for he is with me
Comforts me
Overflows my cup
Goodness and love follow me all the days of my life
We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
We will not be put to shame
Enemies will not triumph over me
Shows me his ways
Teaches me his paths
Guides me in his truth
Remembers us according to his love, not according to the sins of my youth or my rebellion
Instructs sinners in his ways
Guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way
Is loving and faithful
Forgives our iniquity though it is great
Instructs us in the way chosen for us
Confides in those who fear him
Makes his covenant known to us
Turns to us and is gracious to us when we are lonely and afflicted
Frees us from anguish
Takes away our sins
Guards my life and rescues me
Integrity and upright
Reedems me
Merciful to me
Gives us level ground to stand on
Our light and salvation
Keeps me safe in his dwelling place
Conquers our enemies
Gives us confidence and helps our hearts not to fear
Does not hide his face from us
Helper
Does not reject or forsake us
Recieves me
Leads me in a straight path
Teaches us his way

What an awesome God we serve. I am humbled by the fact that such an awesome God could love me; such an imperfect person that could never measure up. It still amazes me that God does all of these things for us yet only requires me to acknowledge my need for him and believe that he loved me enough to die for me (A small ask considering all he has done for me)

I was so encouraged by these truths because I have been really struggling with finding my significance in others. I often put so many expectations on others and get frustrated and angry when people don't respond the way I think they should or when things don't turn out how I expected, relationally, circumstancially, etc. The reality is that when I put my hope and satisfaction in people or things they will always end up letting me down. Only God can meet my every need. My hope needs to rest in him alone. Praying that all of you will do the same.

Dreaming of a Sun Shiney Day

2009-01-27T15:50:00.000-06:00

Today it is 20 degrees outside, icy, and freezing cold =( I have been cooped up in my house all day and for those of you who know me well you know that I have a hard time siting still and relaxing on days like this. I suffer from ADD and I wish I wasn't such a doer but I go stir crazy on days like today. For many people today would be a perfect day to snuggle on the couch with a warm blanket, read a good book, make some yummy chocolate chip cookies and sip on some hot coco. However, I am crazy and can't seem to enjoy days like this.

Instead on days like today I piddle around trying to find something meaningful and important to do and then realize that I have waisted my entire day TRYING to do something meaningful and important ahhh. In that spirit I created a list of places I wish I could be right now...at least until the weather gets brighter =)

If I could be anywhere but here I would be:

*In Australia hanging out by the water making some new Aussie friends (like the awesome Aussie's I met when I worked at camp in college) For your information it is summer time in Australia right now wouldn't that be nice.

*In Paris, the city of love, with my parents who are there now. I am jealous. I hope they are eating lots of crepes for me

*Snowboarding- hey if it is going to be cold outside you might as well be doing something fun

* At a Broadway show in NYC and then eating cheesecake at the yummy cheesecake place we ate at last time we were there

* Hanging out with my baby girl Harper however, she would rather sleep the day away in her warm comfy bed =)

I PROMISE next time we have another day like today I will do my best to relish the day and enjoy the gift it is.

Christmas

2009-01-26T12:40:00.000-06:00

So it has been a month since Christmas and as always I am not great at keeping my blog updated. Here are some pictures of Harper's first Christmas. Adam's family came in town the weekend before Christmas and we celebrated early. We had so much fun with Harper and she enjoyed her new developmental toys, clothes, and American girl doll, Bitty Baby. We had a great time together.

We then celebrated Christmas with my family at our house. It was a great time complete with matching pj's for the girls and guys, gingerbread making contest, and fun painting. Harper had the time of her life with all the attention from Aunty Cory, Aunty Shanny, and Uncle Cole and Uncle Scott. She got a johnny jump up and a exersaucer to play with.

G-ma, Pops, and Harper with her Bitty Baby. Bitty Baby came complete with a bunch of fun outfits

Adam, Harper, and I in front of our little Christmas tree

Harper and her Bitty Baby.

Harper hanging out in her Bumbo with all her Christmas gifts

Hanging out in our new matching jammies

Adam and I

Our gingerbread houses. They turned out so cute! I think Scott and Shanny definately won with the twix reindear

Zac comes to visit Harper

2008-11-30T10:17:00.000-06:00

Uncle Z and Harper

Zac, Adam's brother who lives in Oregon came to visit Harper Ocotber 24th-26th. Harper was 6.5 weeks old. Here are a few pictures from his visit. Harper loves her Uncle Z.

OSU game

2008-11-30T10:11:00.001-06:00

Tailgaiting with Harper

Adam, Dusty, and Harper

Jonathan, Adam, Jeremy and Harper (Adam and Jonathan have known each other since they were babies)

G-ma, Pops, and Harper (5 weeks old)

Still trying to play catch up and blog all of Harper's firsts... Harper's first OSU game experience was October 18th. Adam and I went up to Stillwater with Adam's parents and tailgated. We dressed Harper up in OSU orange and showed her off to our friends. She was such a good sport.

A Thanksgiving to be Thankful For

2008-11-30T09:48:00.000-06:00

Cassie, Delaney, and Harper (Harper is wearing an outfit that GrannyBear bought for her)

Lindsay, Delaney and Harper

Delaney and Harper

Another Thanksgiving come and gone but this year was special because it was Harper's first. She had a great time meeting the entire family and she was the biggest hit of the weekend=) My favorite moment of the weekend was when Adam's 4 year old cousin Delaney sang "Twinkle, Twinkle little star and Humpty Dumpty" to Harper. Harper was all smiles, after the songs were over, and then Delany said "her loves me." Delaney enjoyed holding Harper and playing big cousin to her. It was just so sweet. We are blessed to have an amazing family to share this fun stage of life with us. Here are a few pictures of the weekend.

GrannyBear and her 3 great grand children

Harper Halloween Pictures

2008-11-25T14:39:00.000-06:00

I realize that Halloween was a month ago but I forgot to post pictures of Harper in her Little Mermaid costume which uncle Jake bought for her. So cute.... I am sure she will hate us for this when she is a teenager =) Sorry Harper we just couldn't resist.

Thankful

2008-11-25T13:48:00.000-06:00

So today I spent a lot of time thinking.. thinking about my life, how blessed I really am, how thankful I am for this life that God has given to me. For many of us life is so very busy, we make limited time to stop and just reflect on the goodness that he has lavished on us. I really struggle with being still and just enjoying the quietness in the day.. instead my inclination is to go and do and not stop until it is too late and I am exhausted. I am trying to work on this trying to get better and just be.

Today.... I made the time to do just that. I fought the urge and just sat and let my thoughts flood my mind. I spent a lot of time thinking about the crisis in the Congo and I was spurred to spend time researching about it so that I can be entirely informed. Our church spent this past Sunday educating us on the situation and I am still astounded and terrified by what is happening over there. I am trying to figure out what I can do, what is my part in all of this. I know I have to react and respond. Sometimes it seems so daunting, but then you realize that these are real people and these people really need our help.

I can't imagine what life must be like for them, being chased from their homes, not having food to eat, worrying about the health and welfare of their children, women being fearful of who might be lurking around the corner waiting to rape them. This is everyday life for these people and these are things that we rarely think about in our own county.

So today I remain thankful.. thankful to the Lord for the country he chose to birth me into, yet aware and re-awakened to the responsibility we have to our fellow man. We are privileged in this country no mater what our economic situation may be at the moment and we are blessed to be a blessing to others. God has not given us all this fame, wealth and power for no reason he has given it to us so that we can be a voice to those hurting around the world and so that we can be the hands and feet of Christ. I confess I have not done enough to help the destitute and hurting in our world. I have allowed myself to become a part of the culture, a part of a world that values money, success and material possessions over relationships and over service to others. I have become numb to the needs of the hurting and I needed a wake up call.

Slowly over the past few years my heart has begun to change, partly due to my circumstances and mostly due to the fact that I have surrendered and allowed God to change me from the inside out. I want to be different. I want to fight for those worth fighting for, those that are crying out for someone to hear them and to respond to their cry. How can I continue to sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to respond or for God to speak audibly to me. My desire now is to educate my self, help educate others, and to give of my resources.

I have decided that I will respond... I will live life more simply not for myself any longer, that I will think before I spend money on another thing that I don't really need and that in turn I can utilize my resources for people that really need them, that need them so bad that they are dying all over the world. I have allowed the world to determine what I value for way to long.

Thank you Lord for allowing me to take the time to STOP and reflect and for continuously changing my selfish heart.

Funny Things Babies Do

2008-11-18T10:12:00.000-06:00

Harper at 9.5 weeks

Babies are funny little creatures. They make the most interesting little faces and you wonder what they are thinking in that little brain of theres. Harper is really starting to become more annimated and is making all kinds of fun sounds and noises. She litterally laughed out loud the other day and it completely took me by surprise.

Adam sings "Good Night Sweetheart" to her and apparently it is her new favorite song because yesterday Adam was at work and I put Harper down for a nap and she started to cry a bit. I went over to her crib and started singing that song and she immediately stopped and looked at me and started laughing and shrieking and smiling. It was so much fun. I did it over and over again. I wish I had a video of it.

Here are a few pictures I took of her yesterday.

Harper Grows

2008-11-10T09:50:00.000-06:00

Okay.. so I realize I am not so good at keeping up with this blog. When I started the blog my intent was to post pictures weekly and I have failed miserably so I am now attempting to update you all on the progress/growth little Harper has made over the last 2 months. Here goes...

*She has found her thumb and has started sucking it every time she goes down for a nap. This has been so much fun to watch.

*She loves to look around and check everything out and is tracking really well with her eyes. She loves to just stare at the colorful picture in our living room.

*She loves her bath time and just relaxes in the water and coos, she also likes to check herself out in the mirror

* She is making all kinds of new noises and sounds. She especially loves her daddy's face and she is starting to laugh and smile a ton

* She loves to play under her playmat and check out all the cool toys dangling above her head. She also loves the mirror

* I have been reading the bible to her every morning and she listens intently and smiles like she knows who I am talking about.

* She has started to sleep through the night, 9 hours the last 2 nights. This is amazing cause now I can get some sleep =)

It has been so much fun to watch her grow and change over the last few months. She has gone from being a sleepy baby to a little ball of energy and personality. I can't wait to see how she continues to grow and develop. Our job as parents is so much fun and we are enjoying every moment we have with her. God is good, all the time!

Being a mommy

2008-10-12T22:01:00.001-05:00

It is hard to believe that I have been a mother for a little over a month now. I am still trying to figure out what that looks like and who I am as a mother.

It has been an amazing, crazy, tiresome, rewarding, challenging, beautiful and awesome experience thus far. It is hard to put in to words how much you love this little person that can't talk and can barely make eye contact with you, but yet you have this overpowering strong connection with. I know it has only been a month but it seems like I can't remember my life without little Harper. She has brought us so much joy and now Adam and I sit around and talk about how we want to have 10 more just like her =)

I never thought my life would change all that much when we had a child but it has and I love it. Adam and I used to fill our weekends with jaunts to Austin, New York, Oklahoma City and other places. We would plan our weeks around where we were eating out on the weekend and who we were going to see. Now we seem to really enjoy just being at home with each other and our new little family. It amazes me how we can sit and just stare at her for 45 minutes and just watch her sleep. She is pure entertainment.

More than anything though my eyes have been opened to not only the amazing gift a child is but also the amazing responsibility it brings. I have prayed more in the last five and a half weeks than I ever have in my life. I am daily dependant on Christ for the wisdom, guidance, and patience I need to care for her. My heart has been drawn closer to the heart of our awesome father through this miracle of life and I have a deeper desire to know him more and to train our precious little one up to know him too. I am realizing how much I still need to learn about him and am eager to learn in time to teach little Harper as she grows.

God has used this precious gift to humble me and to remind me of my selfishness. He has used it to help me lay down my life each day to be used for his purposes and glory and for that I am thankful.

Harper Paige and Friends, pt. 1

2008-09-20T16:24:00.000-05:00

Harper and Jessica

Harper and Matt

Harper Arrives -- 9/11/08

2008-09-14T22:45:00.000-05:00

More Pictures of Our Baby Shower

2008-09-08T22:51:00.001-05:00

Pictures of Cory and Coles Wedding

2008-09-08T22:41:00.002-05:00

Cory and Cole got married in May. It was an awesome wedding and we had a great time with friends and family. Cory and Cole wanted it to be an intimate wedding with their closest friends and they got married outside of Austin at Horseshoe Bay Resort. Everything was perfect!

Pictures of Cory

2008-09-08T22:41:00.001-05:00

Harper.. Official Due Date Tomorrow

2008-09-08T15:45:00.000-05:00

So tomorrow is Harper's due date (Septemeber 9th). I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone. We are eagerly awaiting our precious little girl. I have been to the doctor the last 3 weeks and everything appears to be healthy. I have not yet dropped, effaced or dilated so it looks like she may come a little late. I think she really loves being in my tummy and especially enjoys putting her little feet in my ribcage, Ouch. I am feeling well and have been trying to stay active by walking, resting, cleaning (nesting), hanging out with our friends and spending time helping my mom with designing their house.

Adam and I have been spending some time picking out some verses to pray for Harper. Some we have been praying throughout our pregnancy. I thought I would include them for those of you who want to pray along.....

Galatians 5:23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

* We are praying all those characteristics for her

Duet 4:9

Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

* We are praying that she would love the Lord and have a strong sense of conviction

Psalm 9:1

I will praise you, O' Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name.

* Praying that she would be joyful

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Thanks everyone for thinking and praying along side of us.

My hubby.. Is going to be an amazing dad!

2008-09-08T15:06:00.001-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Adam and I. I am so proud of Adam and I know that he is going to be an amazing dad. Here he is with baby Crew. Crew is falling asleep in his arms =). Adam had surgery a few weeks ago on his shoulder due to years of playing tennis, basketball and a recent snowboard injury and is having to wear a sling for a few more weeks before he starts physical therapy. We thought it would be a good idea to take care of the surgery now before Harper arrives.

Pictures of The Nursery

2008-09-08T14:39:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the nursery. Also...for those of you who don't know. We are naming our precious little girl Harper Paige Hammack. Adam loves the book, "To Kill a Mockingbird" and the author's name is Harper Lee. This is where we got the inspiration for her name.

Adam and I made the letters over the mirror. We were very proud of ourselves considering that we are not very crafty. Everything turned out so cute!

Prego Pics.. Getting bigger each month

2008-09-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of me pregnant. I have had a really easy pregnancy for the most part and have been healthy. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. I am looking forward to running and getting back into shape. I have really missed my early morning runs with my friends.

40 Weeks Pregnant

32 Weeks Pregnant

24 Weeks Pregnant

22 Weeks Pregnant

15 Weeks Pregnant

Our Babymoon! Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

2008-09-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

Adam and I had a great time in Playa Del Carmen! We wanted to take one more vacation before the baby arrives. We had a really great time and stayed at a beautiful all inclusive resort. We were able to check out some Mayan ruins in Tulum and had a great time lounging by the pool and beach. The food was fabulous!

My best buds

2008-09-03T13:58:00.000-05:00

It was so good to spend time with Erynn, Jessica and Michelle during the weekend of my baby shower. It is hard to believe how big Adley and Crew are getting. They are at such a fun stage right now and you can start to see their little personalities developing.

My baby shower

2008-09-03T13:43:00.000-05:00

My baby shower was August 9th and we had so much fun. All the family came into town as well as lots of great friends from Oklahoma. It was such a blessing to get to spend time with everyone. Scott and Shannon also got engaged this weekend! Yippee! Here are a few pics from after the shower at our house.

Sonogram Pics....It's A Girl!!! 7 weeks and 19 weeks

2008-05-11T16:39:00.000-05:00

7 Week Sonogram.... our little peanut

19 Week Sonogram... It's a girl... Look at her cute face =)

Time to start blogging

2008-05-04T20:22:00.000-05:00

So now that we are having a baby I decided that it is time to start a blog so that we can keep track of our babes precious life. Adam was opposed to the idea at first but after some coaxing was willing to keep a video/diary of our bambino's life. So here goes....