I forgot to tell you...

I finished Asher's bedding!

And he is sleeping in his bed!!! I started the whole "Babywise" thing last week and he is doing great with it. He sleeps in his own bed and takes several naps during the day---which he never did before. I was worn out and so was he! Last night was a little rough, but he has been averaging about 4 hours from feeding to feeding during the night. It was every hour and a half so I am thrilled with the progress! He fusses a little when he goes down for naps, but at night, he goes right to sleep.

He is almost 13 weeks and packing on the pounds (roughly 10 of them.)


****UPDATE: We went to the dr. today (5/8). He's been waking up at night not able to breathe very well--she thinks he has acid reflux :( But the good news is he weighed 11 lbs. 4 oz. !!! Granted that was with a diaper, a onesie, and shorts on, but still...! *****


Here are a few recent pictures...

Check out the leg chub! We are most proud of it!




He went over to Tye's house and played a few days ago. Here is a great picture of the two of them...what do you think the caption should be for this one?

Cute little man

Art for Asher

I had this cute picture made for Asher's room. Christine at dreammore did such a great job!

Not a lot happening...

Things are pretty slow around here, which is good, but I thought I would give a run-down anyway of what is going on the the life of the Riveses.

*Grammar note: Rives is singular. In order to make it plural, you must add an "es" to the end since it ends in an "s." Contrary to popular opinion, you do not add an "apostrophe s" becuase that would indicate possession, not plurality. It looks stupid, but "Riveses" is correct.

Let us continue...

1. Asher will be 10 weeks old on Wednesday. We went to the dr. today and he is a whopping 7 lb. 14 oz. and 21 1/4 inches long! Poor little guy is still in the 5th percentile, but he is trying his hardest to catch up!

2. Kris and I are doing the South Beach Diet. As it turns out, I am SO not genetically wired for baby weight (or any weight) to just fall off me, so I'm having to work at it! Not fun, but I have a closet full of clothes that I want to wear. Maternity clothes, after you have had the baby, are just not cute.

3. I am still working on the bed skirt! I'm so close to finishing...I just need Asher to take longer naps (or I need to stop typing and go finish it now...)

4. There are new pictures on Shutterfly.

5. We have cooked at home everyday for the past 3 weeks with very few exceptions! That is huge for us and we are very proud of ourselves!

6. I got a new jogging stroller .

I think that's about it for now...Asher just woke up!

Asher Rives: Man About Town

Asher had a busy week...

He got to meet his cousin, Reagan.



He went over to Josiah's house and played with him and Tye.





Then, he got to meet my cousin, Ashley's little girl, Gracie. They were born 4 days apart. Guess which baby came early!



He stays pretty busy these days. How he does it on so little sleep though is truly remarkable!

The Bumper is Finished!

...now I begin the bed skirt!

Asher and Josiah

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a desired granted is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12




We were so excited to go visit Dirk and Kathy's new little boy, Josiah, today. He is absolutely beautiful (I mean, handsome...sorry Dirk!) After both of us experiencing the loss of two babies during early pregnancy, it was extra special to be sitting there with babies in our arms. This time last year, we both wondered if the Lord would ever grant us children and now we are blessed with healthy baby boys!

Josiah is already a little bigger than Asher, but Asher is handling it well. He's a secure guy! I've decided, however, that I am going to make a onesie for him to wear when we go out that says "I am 8 weeks! Don't glare at my mother!" Everyone assumes he is 2 or 3 weeks old so I look like a horrible mother for having him out in public. But this Wednesday, he will be 2 months! But I digress...
We are thrilled that Josiah is here!! We rejoice with the Littlefields and Thompsons at the birth of this new little one!

More pictures on Shutterfly!

Stop by and check them out!

You are not going to believe this!

If you know me at all, or if you have read previous posts of me bemoaning my lack of "Martha Stewart-ness," you will be shocked to hear what I am doing!

After months of searching and finding nothing, I have decided to make Asher's bumper pads and dust ruffle! Everything I found in the stores or online was either way too expensive or way too ugly. So I went to Hancock Fabric and found these two lovely fabrics and am in the process of making the bedding. Here's the thing though...I don't really know how to sew!




Here are the two fabrics that I have selected.The chocolate brown polka dot will be the dust ruffle and here is the bumper pad waiting patiently on the floor for me to sew the ties on to it.

The goal is to get it finished in the next few days...we'll see!









And because no post is complete without an Asher picture...

My Boys

One Month Old!

Asher reached the all important "one month old" milestone yesterday! He celebrated by nursing, then sleeping, then staring at the wall for a while. That boy knows how to party.


He also had some company the other day. His buddy, Tye Leatherman, came over to play. Asher is confident that he can reach, possibly surpass, Tye's size in just a few months.

Guess who this post will be about...

If you said Asher Rives, you are correct.

Tomorrow he will be 3 weeks old. He is doing great. He is finally starting to get the hang of nursing. The bottles that they gave him in the NICU turned him in to what is known as a "lazy sucker," but he is recovering nicely from that and has almost resigned himself to the fact that he will have to work a little harder to get his meals now. He is not always happy about that, but he is coping. It is nice to not have to pump so much...speaking of pumping...you have to go to
Dad Labs. It's a website where dads try out various baby products. Trust me...it's hilarious!

Anyway, back to Asher, I posted some more pictures on Shutterfly. I've never taken so many pictures in my life. It's amazing how much you change in a matter of weeks.

Kris and I were discussing how much life has changed and how the Lord has used Asher already to reveal our selfishness and laziness. He's only been here 3 weeks and already I see the sanctifying effect that having a child produces. Not that the Lord doesn't accomplish sanctification in His own through other ways, but I have never been as humbled and as dependent on the Him for wisdom and strength and mercy as I have been in the past few weeks. We are so grateful to God for the grace He has shown us by pointing out our sinful ways that we were oblivious to. Through Asher being here, we are being shown(and will continue to be shown) areas where we need to repent...what mercy not to allow us to persist in sin, but to give us opportunity to recognize it and, by grace alone, turn from it.

As for other changes, our house has been taken over...and I haven't even had a shower yet. Family and friends have been very genorous and given us clothes and diapers and various other baby necessities. Our house is officailly Baby Central now. I look around at the swing and the bouncer and the bassinette and am in awe of how quickly the decor has changed around here---for the better, of course!

We're Home!

Finally, we got to bring Asher home today! It has been a hard 2 weeks, but we could not be more grateful to have him here with us. The Lord has brought him so far during this time--he breathes on his own, he eats like a champ, and he could not be sweeter! He is sleeping in his bassinette right now so I thought I'd take a minute to share some more pictures (check the Shutterfly site) and let you all know he is home!!

Pictures of Asher's First Week

I have uploaded the pictures that we have taken so far on to Shutterfly (thanks for the suggestion, Robin!) Just click on the link on the left side of the screen.

Please go by and admire our incredibly beautiful baby boy!

My Sweet Little Boy!

Asher is here! He was born on Wednesday the 7th at 2:05 pm. My due date was March 21 so, needless to say, we were caught a little off guard. I, of course, had NOTHING ready...if this doesn't cure my procrastination, I don't know what will! I am working on getting all of the pictures uploaded to Flickr, but for now, here is a glimpse of our little guy!

He is doing SO much better now. He was downgraded tonight to the Level II NICU which means that the doctors are confident that his lung issues have been corrected. His next big hurdles are to maintain a consistent respiration and to eat on his own. He currently is being fed through the tube in his nose and through the IV in his poor little head. When all of this happens, he will get to come home with us!

We are doing really good. We are so grateful for the prayers that everyone has been lifting up for us. It was very hard to go home last night and leave him there, but God has been so faithful and we trust Him to bring him home to us at the appointed time.

Asher is the sweetest little thing! He is very strong and big for making his appearance 6 weeks early! We have already discovered little things about his personality and preferences that he has. It is so amazing to see him there...proof that two really do become one.

I will write more later beause there is so much to share about the whole event...but for now I just wanted you all to see him!

6 Weird Things About Me

I have seen this on a couple of blogs and decided that it would be great to know more about each other. So I will start and then I will be checking the blogs of others to learn what is weird about you! Then you tag 6 people and on and on the fun goes. If you don't blog (like our buddy Jason Stephenson,) then you can leave your weirdness in the comment section (which would clearly be commenting, not blogging.) So here goes...


1. I have at least 10 lip products in my purse at any given time.

Lip gloss, Carmex, lip exfoliator, lipstick, you name it. Sometimes I will have 2 of the same thing.

2. I love to fold clothes but I hate to put them away.

I can sit for hours and fold laundry, but the thought of actually putting them where they go nauseates me. I make myself do it, but I really hate it.

3. I hate pulp in orange juice.

I definitely have food-texture issues and this is at the top of the list of things that gross me out. I hate the way it feels in my mouth so I buy only pulp-free juice!

4. I am addicted to Tetris.

I have a little hand-held Tetris game that I play way too often. My record, just so you know, is 630 lines. You don't want to know how long that took.

5. I love Kenny Loggins.

I know, I know...but I do. I love his music (except for Highway to the Danger Zone.) For those of you who do not know who he is, call your parents right now
and ask them why they did not love you enough to expose you to the greatness.

6. I could eat at Jason's Deli every day of the week.

I love that place and I don't get sick of it. Maybe it's because the first Jason's Deli is in my hometown of Beaumont, Texas. Maybe it's because Kris and I went their on our first fight, I mean, date. Maybe it's because it is the best
place ever. I'm not sure why. But if you ever ask me where I want to eat, I
may refrain from saying it, but it will be the first place that pops into my head.


Now it is your turn! If you read this, consider yourself tagged and list your 6 weird things on your blog or in the comment section. Then tag a few people to join in!

Sneak Preview

We went in for our check-up (32 weeks!) on Tuesday. The nurse took my blood pressure, as she always does, BEFORE we hear Asher's heartbeat, so it is always sky high. Then I hear it, I'm fine, and the BP returns to normal.

But this day's visit went a little differently. The nurse said she would just let Dr. Schroeder check my BP again when she came in. So Dr. Schroeder comes in and asks me how I'm doing. I mention that I was a little worried because all day Monday and then on Tuesday morning, I hadn't felt any movement. I told her I felt a little that day, but definitely less than I had been feeling. She got this really concerned look on her face and told me that she thought it would be best if I went down to the hospital and got checked out. She is an "err on the side of caution" kind of doctor, which is fine with me! She looks at my feet and notices they are really swollen and then asks me if I have been seeing spots, which I have. Then she takes my bp again, AFTER saying she wants me to go to the hospital. It was 160/90! Like it is going to drop after she tells me that.

So Kris and I drive down to Women's Hospital to be monitored and have a complete bio-physical profile done on Asher, which consisted on blood work and a thorough ultrasound. We were put in a room and I was hooked up and poked and told to lay on my side. Eventually, the nurse, who was super nice, came and got me to take me to get the ultrasound. The technician did the ultrasound and told us that Asher was behaving very well and doing all the tricks she needed him to do to know that he was OK. It was so amazing getting to see his little face. The image is grainy, but we could tell what he looks like and that he has chubby cheeks! The doctor that came in to check Asher out also said things looked good and that he is weighing in at a hefty 4 lb. 4 oz. right now. They assure me that that is not overly huge (58th percentile) but considering I still have roughly 8 weeks, I'm a little nervous!

Then we go back to the room, they discharge me, tell me everything looks good, and send us in our way. We were so thankful that Asher is doing well and reminded again how we are completely dependent on God to supply each heartbeat. We can do nothing on our own. We must look to Him to supply what we need, from heartbeats to salvation. So after our little "sneak peak," we are beyond excited and so anxious to meet this little guy!

of frogs and hippos

My in-laws gave me a gift card to Pottery Barn for Christmas. So far, I have purchased one $6 item at the PB Outlet for myself (one of those stainless steel bars in the shape of soap that is supposed to get the smell of onion or garlic off of your hands after you chop it) and 3 things for Asher. My friends with kids always used to tell me that once you have kids, it's more fun to get them things. It is so true!

I bought a monogrammed stocking for next non-specific Winter Holiday (some of you may call it Christmas,) a combination diaper/wipe/changing pad thing that is in his very cute colors of chocolate brown and light green, and a frog towel (also personalized.)

I liked the hippo towel. But I am boycotting all things hippo. I was recently traumatized by watching the National Geographic Channel. On it, they had a show in which a sweet little baby hippo got brutally murdered by a big mean man hippo for no good reason. It was awful and I cried. And now I do not care for hippos.

But I really like these towels and I wanted to get one for Asher. The pink bunny was out and the lamb looked more like a brown pig to me, so I went with the frog. What is strange about this is that if I ever see a live frog, I freak out. I have gotten in trouble on several occasions by my husband for screaming when I saw a frog. He gets mad at me and tells me I am only allowed to scream like that if I am being attacked, but I just can't help it. So the fact that I ordered a frog towel is really uncharacteristic of me.

The towel is really cute though. The only bad part is that instead of being just a regular hooded towel, it has frog feet and hands attached to it. It looks a little like a terrycloth frog pelt. If I would have seen the feet and hands that are spread out ready to suction on to something, I probably would not have purchased this item. But it's here and it's got his name on it, so it is ours to keep. And one day I will post a very cute picture of my little boy in his frog towel.

Cooking and Entertaining...Jamie-style

Tonight I hosted a Southern Living at Home party. I had a good turn-out and a lot of fun hanging out with good friends! I have had this party on my calendar for several weeks now. So that means I planned what to serve and went to the grocery store well in advance and then prepared everything yesterday so all I would have to do is lay it out today...right?

Wrong.

I was on the internet searching the Food Network's website at about 11 last night trying to find some good dips to make. Then, during the workshop I had to go to today, I made a grocery list. Then, I went to HEB when I got out at 3. Then, I went home, scrambled to make it all, cleaned up the house, and sat down on the couch to rest because I am in the process of making a human. Then, the doorbell rang and my friend Susanna was there ready to set up all her Southern Living paraphenalia. She got set up, friends showed up, and a good time was had by all (I hope!)

I kept thinking, as I was at HEB, "Rebecca would not be here now. She would have made all of this yesterday." But I managed to pull it all together, in spite of my lack of preparation. Maybe one day I'll learn or maybe not ;)

Let's just say that my giftings lie elsewhere...I'm not sure where, just elsewhere!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have to admit, I do not know much about this man. I have heard positive and negative things about him, but have never really looked carefully into who he was or the approach he took to provoke change regarding civil rights. But as I was reading some articles on Desiring God, I ran across one Piper wrote about his church's focus on racial harmony. In it, he referenced Dr. King's Letter from Birmingham Jail, written on April 16, 1963.

I have to say, it is probably the most concise and well-written commentary on civil rights issues that I have ever read. The letter was addressed to the clergymen in the South that were either attacking him for his position or encouraging him to back off a little, even though they agreed with his stance, and give it some time. It honestly made me think, if I were living with the choice to either be ostracized for associating with black people or to just lay low enough to where I never had to take a stance either way, what would I have done? I found it interesting that he was more critical, not of his the overtly racist people who hated anyone not white, but the average person who simply did nothing, namely the average Christian.

I would encourage you to read this letter. His remarks about the church are especially convicting. Like most great thinkers, he hit a lot of things spot on, and fumbled on some major things as well. I think God purposes that so that we can keep the right perspective of these men...simply, that they are men, sinful and imperfect, but granted a perspective that the rest of us do not see in order that we may be encouraged, corrected, or informed. All this to say, I liked the letter and I would love to hear your thoughts on it, too.

Fun Book Meme?

Robin tagged me to participate in a "Fun Book Meme" (I'd never heard of it either.)

Here are the rules:

1)Grab the book closest to you
2)Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence.
3)Post the text of the following 3 sentences on your blog
4)Name the author and book title
5)Tag three people to do the same

However, I must offer this caveat. I teach second grade and am on my lunch break (the whole, fabulous 25 min.) so the book closest to me right now differs from what it would be if I was doing this at home.) But here goes...

"After a brief shower of orange juice, low clouds of sunny-side up eggs moved in followed by pieces of toast. Butter and jelly sprinkled down for the toast. And most of the time, it rained milk afterwards."

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

This book does not have 123 pages, so I went to page 12. (Is that OK, Robin?)

So now I tag anyone else who read this blog who isn't Kathy, Rebecca, or Robin :)

Mookie-sitting

We are dog-sitters this week. Our good friends, the Sokolowskis, have gone out of town and we are watching their 4th child, Mookie for them. Mookie is an interesting little guy. He loves to lay on the couch, so he and I are getting along quite well. He was a little disoriented yesterday, trying to figure out why he had just been abandoned, but this morning, (at 4am!) he was back to his old self. Apparently his day gets started a little earlier than ours. Kris (much to my delight as I hope it is a reflection of things to come) got up with him and let him out and back in. He was wide awake at this point.

He even enjoyed a little quality time playing with his latex chicken.


In Mookie's mind, the chicken has been bad and he likes to correct it.


There is also a "bad chameleon."




We are told that every once in a while, Mookie works up the courage to play with it, but not often. The bad chameleon makes a scary noise and sticks out his tongue, where as the bad chicken just takes it without retaliating--much more Mookie's speed.

When he's not sleeping or disciplining his latex animals, he is staring at the door waiting for Laurie to come through it. I keep telling him only 2 more sleeps and then she will be here, but he doesn't care.

But all in all, good times at the Rives' with our friend Mookie.

This really isn't a "baby blog"...

...all evidence to the contrary. But it's where I'm at now, and I figure that since I am only remembering about 43% of what happens on any given day, it doesn't hurt to have a record of these things to look back on later. So here's the update...

We went to the doctor today, where we ran into Josiah's mom and dad. I weigh more than I ever thought possible (I'll spare you the number) but everything looks good. Asher is in sort of a "C" position, where his head is downward, but to the left and his bottom is against the right side of my uterus. He still has a nice strong heartbeat. It always really good to hear the sound of it beating! I measured at 31 weeks, but am just starting my 30th. So now I start going every two weeks up until week 36. Then I will go each week until he finally is here! We're getting closer!!

Asher's Room (and new bed)

I have decided that Asher's room will be in these shades of green and brown. I registered for everything at Target in this line that DID NOT have an elephant on it, with the exception of this pillow. I can handle one elephant, not a room full. There is such a thing as too much elephant, believe it or not.

I really like these colors together and most of the bedding is either a stripe, solid, or polka dot in the green and brown. The only thing that won't work for me is the bumper, which is way elephant overkill. So I am looking for a chocolate brown fabric with tiny white polka-dots and I am going to have it made.

We (and by that, I mean Kris) are going to paint his room with the light green at the top and then a light brown or taupe at the bottom with a white chair rail dividing the two colors. I want to do all white furniture. I think it is going to look really sweet once it all comes together. I'm excited!

And here is Asher's baby bed...


It's one of those convertable cribs that can be changed into a toddler bed and then a full size bed, but we are planning on getting some mileage out of this baby bed. It will be staying a baby bed for, Lord willing, seveal more babies.

Thankful Thursday #3

Since it has been about 5 months since my last Thankful Thursday post, I thought it would be appropriate to have another one. So here are 10 things that I am utterly grateful for this Thursday afternoon (as before, in no particular order.)

1. That Asher Owen Rives is making me look like this and that he is growing and kicking me and keeping me up at at night!

2. Reading through Ezekiel with my husband.

3. Our electricity bill being under $50 for the second month in a row.

4. A new compressor in our refrigerator.

5. The warm fellowship we have enjoyed with good friends over the past few weeks.

6. When I woke up this morning, there were new mercies.

7. The 24/7 Pregnancy Pillow that Laura let me borrow--it's fabulous!

8. Finally making something for dinner that tasted good (poppyseed chicken recipe that I got from Robin that she got from Rebecca!)

9. Prenatal vitamins

10. There are only 10 weeks until Spring Break!

State of the Union Address

Doesn't the president do one of these in January? I'm not sure, but either way, it's how I've decided to kick of my year on the blog. Here is where we are at as 2007 begins.

1. I am 29 weeks along today! I can't believe that in just a couple of months, Asher will be here (in the "out of the womb" sense.) It's still a little surreal but it continues to sink in more and more that in about 11 weeks, we will be, Lord willing, holding our little boy!

2. We have been in our new home on Knob Hill Lake Lane (that's right--4 words) for about 5 months now. And we just finished unpacking the last of the boxes a few weeks ago. It's a little overwhelming being homeowners at times...like when the refrigerator breaks and you go to call the office and then you realize that you are the office. That's fun. (The refrigerator is running nicely now though--we called a repairman and got it taken care of, you'll be glad to know.) Kris is in the process of painting our living room and we will soon be getting Asher's room together. But as fun as all of that is, we are constantly reminded that although this is where we live now, it is not home. Wood and bricks and super glue (and whatever else is holding this house together) are wonderful provisions, but are nothing to cling to. We are grateful, but we long for the day when we are home, in the truest sense of the word.

3. Kris is still working for his dad and running sound on Saturdays at Second Baptist's North Campus. I am still teaching (wrangling?) second graders. I'm hoping to work until spring break and then bid a fond farewell to the world of public education. So if any of you need a bunch of teacher crap, you can have mine...just let me know.

4. We have decided, through much prayer and a series of events, that the time had come for us to look for another assembly to worship with. There does come a time, we have learned, when the best thing to do is to part ways. We have a deep love for the believers who gather to worship at GRBC and continue to enjoy the fellowship of those to whom our hearts have been so closely knit. But it was time and if we didn't fully believe that the best thing to do was leave, then we would still be there. So we begin the new year looking for the place where the Lord would have us gather to worship Him and serve the Beloved there.

5. Kris is about to turn 32 (January 30)! I'm married to someone in his mid-thirties! I am still barely out of the cradle as I enjoy the last few years (ok...last 2 years) of my twenties. Seriously though...I am so grateful for the man God has given me to who proves to be more perfect for me than I ever could have dreamed someone could be. I am thankful for the years God has granted him thus far, and pray that many more will be given, because each new day brings a new reason to marvel at how good God has been in providing my husband for me.

So that's where we're at...no clear-cut future or solid 10 year plan, but trusting the one who clothes the lilies and feeds the birds of the air will give us what we need and withhold what we don't.

soli Deo gloria.

Honey Butter Biscuit in a Bag

Usually, I am not a big hot tea drinker. Kris is because of his time in England. He is very considerate and will occasionally offer me a cup of Earl Grey, but hot tea is something I could take or leave. Until this.

This tea, as the title states, is a honey butter biscuit in liquid form. When you take the first sip, your brain needs a moment to sort through the mixed signals because at first it goes "Yea! A honey butter biscuit!" But then it goes "Wait a minute! I'm not chewing anything, I'm drinking hot tea! What the heck is going on?" It is so delicious and we have our good friend Pez to thank for introducing us to so great a hot tea.

Some Thoughts on Christmas from C.H. Spurgeon

THE GREAT BIRTHDAY

There is no reason upon earth beyond that of ecclesiastical custom why the 25th of December should be regarded as the birthday of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ any more than any other day from the first of January to the last day of the year; and yet some persons regard Christmas with far deeper reverence that the Lord's-day. You will often hear it asserted that "The Bible and the Bible alone is the religion of Protestants," but it is not so. There are Protestants who have absorbed a great deal besides the Bible into their religion, and among other things they have accepted the authority of what they call "the Church," and by that door all sorts of superstitions have entered. There is no authority whatever in the word of God for the keeping of Christmas at all, and no reason for keeping it just now except that the most superstitious section of Christendom [he means Catholics] has made a rule that December 25th shall be observed as the birthday of the Lord, and the church by law established in this land (the Church of England] has agreed to follow in the same track. You are under no bondage whatever to regard the regulation. We owe no allegiance to the ecclesiastical powers which have made a decree on this matter, for we belong to an old-fashioned church which does not dare to make laws, but is content to obey them. At the same time the day is no worse than another, and if you choose to observe it, and observe it unto the Lord, I doubt not he will accept your devotion: while if you do not observe it, but unto the Lord observe it not, for fear of encouraging superstition and will-worship, I doubt not but what you shall be as accepted in the non-observance as you could have been in the observance of it. Still, as the thoughts of a great many Christian people will run at this time towards the birth of Christ, and as this cannot be wrong, I judged it meet to avail ourselves of the prevailing current, and float down the stream of thought. Our minds will run that way, because so many around us are following customs suggestive of it, therefore let us get what good we can out of the occasion. There can be no reason why we should not, and it may be helpful that we should, now consider the birth of our Lord Jesus. We will do that voluntarily which we would refuse to do as a matter of obligation: we will do that simply for convenience sake which we should not think of doing because enjoined by authority or demanded by superstition.

[He then offers a lengthy exposition of Luke 2:10: "The angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.'" He follows that with a stinging rebuke against the London's holy day merriment: "I slander not our countrymen when I say that drunkenness seems to be one of the principal items of their Christmastide delight." He ends with an encouragement for Christians to "keep the day."]

. . . You may keep his birthday all the year round, for it were better to say he was born every day of the year than on any one, for truly in a spiritual sense he is born every day of every year in some men's hearts, and that to us is a far weightier point than the observation of holy days. Express your faith first, as the angels did, by public ministry. Some of us are called to speak to the many. Let us in the clearest and most earnest tones proclaim the Savior and his power to rescue man. Others of you cannot PREACH, but you can SING. Sing then your anthems, and praise God with all your hearts. Do not be slack in the devout use of your tongues, which are the glory of your frames, but again and again and again lift up your joyful hymns unto the new-born King. Others of you can neither preach nor sing. Well, then, you must do what the shepherds did, and what did they? You are told twice that they SPREAD THE NEWS. As soon as they had seen the babe they made known abroad the saying that was told them, and as they went home they glorified God. This is one of the most practical ways of showing your joy. Holy conversation is as acceptable as sermons and anthems. There was also one who said little, but thought the more: "Mary PONDERED all these things in her heart." Quiet, Happy spirit, weigh in thy heart the grand truth that Jesus was born at Bethlehem. Immanuel, God with us;—weigh it if you can; look at it again and again, examine the varied facets of this priceless brilliant, and bless, and adore, and love, and wonder, and yet adore again this matchless miracle of love.

. . . Come and worship God manifest in the flesh, and be filled with his light and sweetness by the power of the Holy Spirit, Amen.


——Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892). "The Great Birthday" from TWELVE CHRISTMAS SERMONS DELIVERED AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1976, p. 91, 101. ISBN 0-8010-8081-9.

I am currently reading...

Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen. It is his original work but cleaned up a little (not that Owen was lacking; the shortcoming is obviously ours.)

It is not abridged or paraphrased, but the editors (Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor) have cleaned up the punctuation, made the outline format a little more logical to a modern-day reader, translated the Latin he constantly throws in, and provided a glossary for out-of-date or uncommon words. I've only attempted to read pre-masticated Owen in the past (letting someone else do the hard work,) so reading the text as he wrote it, has been good. The editors went to great lengths to make Owen more accessible to believers today. Owen states that he wrote these volumes because in his day, even in the best professors, he observed a serious lack of seeing the necessity of constantly waging war against and mortifying the sin that remains within. Not much has changed. I see the absence of it in my own life to a discouraging degree.

So all this to say, if you have wanted to read Owen, but felt overwhelmed like I did, this is an excellent way to have the best of both worlds: easier to understand, yet Owen in his own words.

(I feel like LeVar Burton on Reading Rainbow)

No Christmas Tree?

This will be our second Christmas that we have been married and yet again, we do not have a tree. I'd like to say it is because I have really strong Puritan convictions and refuse to celebrate the holiday because of lack of biblical warrant. However, it's really just because it seems like a big hassle. So I put some garland on my mantle and a bowl of red and green M&Ms out and called it a day.

I'm sure next year we'll have a tree to plop poor Asher in front of (in some teetering-on-the-edge-of-feminine Christmas sweater) to take his picture, but until then, I'll just burn a fir scented candle and pretend.

Go to the Elephant!

I am not Solomon, nor have I been commissioned to add anything to Proverbs, nor do I want to, but if I were to write my own proverb, I would borrow from the "Go to the Ant, O sluggard" proverb in chapter 6 and write "Go to the elephant, O pregnant woman!" Here's why:

I watched a show on the National Geographic Channel the other evening about animals in the womb. It was so fascinating to see the growing process of the dolphins and puppies and elephants in utero. Did you know that an elephant's gestation period is TWO YEARS!!! And before it is born, that poor mama elephant has a 300 lb. baby inside her, kicking around with those big feet! So my 40 weeks of having a little single-digit (Lord willing!) pound baby in me seems very managable, to say the least! So that is my advice for all of you who have been, are, or will be pregnant...Go to the elephant!

And now for an Asher update...We went to the doctor yesterday and everything is looking good, we are thankful to report! I am 26 weeks today, but measuring 27 1/2 weeks, so either somebody has their dates wrong or this baby is a big 'un. I lean towards the latter. His heartbeat was nice and strong at 151 bpm and he continues to wiggle and squirm, much to my delight, because that lets me know he's OK! He can keep me up as much as he wants to.

Baby Tye is Here!

Congrats to Russ and Bethany on the arrival of their baby boy, Tye Maddox Leatherman! I don't have a picture to put on here (yet) but I want to share the good news and say how excited Kris and I are for our good friends!

Psalm 127

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children [1] of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

my new best friend

Let me preface this by saying, I love being pregnant. All the changes and discomforts are more than worth it, but I have reached a point where I would not dream of leaving home without a bottle of these little beauties in my purse.

But overall, I could not be happier. I am half way through my 24th week and Asher is growing and wiggling and making sure we know he's there! I love feeling him move around. It kind of feels like a big fish flipping around. Not quite as picturesque as the "butterfly flutter" that people say baby movement feels like, but way more accurate in my opinion.

More later...I need to go have some Tums!

My Pumpkins

I have looked forward to the day when I could decorate my porch with some mums and pumpkins for Fall. I have had these on display since October and have thoroughly enjoyed the aesthetic pleasure they have brought. But now, we are approaching the Winter months and their moment has passed. So now I think I will transition to a tasteful wreath hanging on the front door. Unlike my neighbors, I subscribe to the "less is more" school of thought. My neighbors are more of the "how many inflatable, lit-up, santa-reindeer-snowman monstrocities can I fit in my yard" persuasion. To each his own.

So to close out the fall decorating season, here is one more picture of my first porch pumpkin.

27 Going on 13

I still feel 13 most of the time. I am amazed that I am allowed to be married and have a job and own a home and have a baby because, inside, I so do not feel like a grown-up. Should I be worried? I mean, I am turning 27 in 3 days, but it feels like I am really just fooling everybody. Ha! You just think I am a grown-up! I'm really still in junior high worried about what people think of me and looking forward to the day that I can drive a car (It still amazes me that I have a license sometimes...just to show you the depths of my inner struggles.)

I look at my husband (and I look at my belly!) and I realize that, regardless of how it feels, growing up actually happened to me, but for some reason, it doesn't feel the way that I thought it would. I'm not sure what I was anticipating. Maybe that's part of the problem. Maybe I was thinking that you change from "you" to a completely different person when you grow up and so when I stayed "me," I got confused. I'm just an older, taller, slightly more informed version of me at 13. Scarlily the same, scarily different.

Viola Swamp

This is me right now. If you have ever read the book Miss Nelson is Missing!, then you probably recognize this character. And if you ever hear a teacher (probably of the elementary kind) say that "Viola Swamp" had to show up today, this is to whom they are referring. In the book, Miss Nelson has had it with her class full of unruly and disrespectful children, so she "leaves" and Miss Swamp is her substitute. Of course, Miss Swamp is Miss Nelson in costume, but the kids don't catch on and go on a frantic search for their real teacher because Miss Swamp is mean and takes away their recess and makes school no fun at all. After a few days, Miss Nelson is able to "return." The children are so happy to see her and their behavior is 100% better.

So for now, Mrs. Rives is gone and Miss Swamp is taking over for a few days. Hopefully, I will be able to return soon.

Wedding Flashback

Although it has only been 16 months, it feels like forever ago that we got married. Our good friend Ari took our pictures. I've added her website to my list of links. She does beautiful work and I would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for an awesome photographer!

20 Weeks!

I am officially at the half way mark. I have been feeling Asher move a lot lately so this has been a really neat time for us. He still isn't moving enough to have that weird "Alien" experience where you see your stomach moving and other people can actually feel it, but it is good to know that he is making his presence known, even though it is just to me right now.

And as long as we are on the subject of babies, I again will go on the record and say that Dirk and Kathy are having a girl...and that will be confirmed when they get their ultrasound next week.

One more thing, yesterday, November 1, was the beginning of birthday month. I do not feel that one day is an adequate amount of time in which to celebrate fully, so I begin the festivities when the month begins. So we are on the coutdown to November 18, when I will turn...27! It is sort of like Hannukah, but without the menorah. I would like to receive a present each of the 18 days. Sometimes, I accomplish this by purchasing my own gift, and I am fine with that. I'm not talking major giftage--just a gesture...some candy, a tasty beverage of some sort, a magazine. Then, on the big day (again, November 18,) we culminate and I release all restrictions on size and cost. So feel free to jump on in and participate...I don't mind at all.

My Long-Term To-Do List

There are things that run across my mind, things that prompt me to think, "I gotta do that someday!" I'm unfortunately not a very ambitious or driven person. Not that I am a sluggard...I get to work on time, I completed my degree in 4 years, I rarely ever spray Febreeze on my jeans so that I can wear them one more time before having to wash them, but I do have a fairly laid back approach to life. I may not be consumed with acheiving greatness, but I'm not a slacker either.

So long-term to-do lists are really not my things. I like to wait and see what occurs and then tell people I totally meant for that to happen. But there are lots of things I would like to do in this lifetime so I thought I would jot them down...just to see what happens.

1. Learn to play the mandolin.

2. Have a daughter named Elinor.

3. Take up photography and get really good at it.

4. Become completely fluent in Spanish.

5. Learn how to sew.

6. Ride the 10 biggest roller caosters in the country.

7. Memorize Romans.

8. Actually read all of the books I own.

9. Celebrate my 50 year wedding anniversary.

10. Develop a green thumb and grow flowers (and fruits and vegetables that I will use to make soup for my neighbors.)


One day, there will be many checkmarks next to these items. Then maybe I will add more goals...or maybe not.

On a completely unrelated note, scroll down to the picture of Asher's legs and um...boy...and tell me if you don't see a picture of a cat. His legs look like paws and those two light spots look like eyes. Weird, right?

My Friend Robin

Robin seemed to be a little hurt that I dedicated a whole post to John Mayer and Sheryl Crow. I even had the nerve to post a picture of them. My excuse was that Robin does not have stock photos on Google Images so I could not possibly have posted one of her. She retorted (that's right--retorted) that I probably never bothered to Google her to find out. She's right. I have not. So I decided to. Please copy and paste (I tried to link--it didn't work) this address to view a picture of Robin Stephenson.

www.rolltide.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8000&ATCLID=240138

This isn't really the Robin I know, but it is a picture of a Robin Stephenson. It's the best I can do until Google gets on the ball.

It's a...

No mistaking that! We were thrilled to discover today that our little miracle is a boy! His name is Asher Owen Rives and he is right on track. The ultrasound showed that he is growing and healthy and we could not be more grateful. I was SO nervous going in! They didn't let Kris go back with me at first so I was laying on the table as the technician began the process of measuring him. She asked me if I was OK and I told her that I was just really scared that something went wrong and that I've had some problems with previous pregnancies. So she turned the screen for a minute and let me see his little heart beating away! I just started crying--I was so relieved! After about 15 minutes of measuring, she went and got Kris and then let us see the screen. She pointed out all of his little parts. He was facing my spine the whole time. She tried so hard to get him to turn around so we could see his face, but he was apparently not in the mood. So we have some great profile and back shots, but none of his face. Here is one of his whole body and of his sweet little legs!




We know that it is God alone who has sustained this heartbeat and knit together this little body. We are so grateful that He was pleased to allow this life to begin and continue. Yet another example of how the Lord has truly lavished us with grace upon grace. Soli Deo gloria!

Friday Night...

...I'll be hanging out with these people. Maybe hanging out is not quite accurate. Maybe it's more like they will be on a stage and I'll be sitting on a large grassy slope really far away. Either way, I'm excited!

thoughts on motherhood

We were over at the Vogels last night and Rachel and I were discussing motherhood and all that it entails. She said something really powerful that I had never thought about before. She told me to think about the kind of child I want to raise and the person that I want my child to become...and then to become that myself. I have to be whatever it is I expect of my children. If I want them to be lovers of God's Word, I have to love it. If I want them to be tender-hearted and forgiving, I have to be that first. It may sound really obvious or simple, but I was totally humbled as I realized that my children will be little walking reflections of me. And if I am not reflecting the character of Christ, I cannot think that all the training and teaching and discipling will make up for the lack of godliness in my own life. So it's not that I want to have all these Christ-like characteristics merely so I can pass them on to my children; I want to have them because my love for God requires nothing less. But it is helpful to have the perspective that recognizes I can only lead my children as far as I have been. I have a long way to go.

Funny Moments in Second Grade

Ok--I thought this was really funny...my students are learning about common nouns. Yesterday, they did a worksheet where they had to cut out different words and classify them as person, place, or thing. Well, I was grading them today and I noticed that one of my African-American boys had taken the word "cracker" and glued it under the "person" column. Nice, right? So do I count that wrong? I'm giving him points for thinking outside the box!

Hearing Heartbeats

Hearing my baby's heartbeat is the most reassuring sound in the world right now. We had our monthly check-up today and the nurse found the heartbeat right away. It was really strong--at first I thought it was my heartbeat! Usually they have to search and press down really hard, but I guess since he/she is bigger now, it is more easily heard.

They always check my blood pressure first thing and it is always really high because I'm so nervous about hearing, or not hearing, the heartbeat. So when she checked it it was 150/90! Ummmm....little high, ya think? She didn't say anything to me. She just got out the little heartbeat finder thing and we listed to it pump away. At that point, my blood pressure decreased dramatically. The doctor took it after she finished examining me and it was back down to normal. They should know by now just to wait until I know everything is still good.

I have my ultrasound in 2 weeks. I'm so excited! I know people lived for thousands and thousands of years without having the ability to find out what they are having, but they didn't know what they were missing. Now that we have the option, I want to find out at the earliest possible opportunity. If I had to guess, I would say the baby is a boy. That, however, is completely based on an old wives' tale that says if you are carrying higher, then it is a boy, or if you carry lower, it's a girl. But old wives' tales are pretty much crap. So we'll just wait 14 more days and find out for sure. So Asher Owen or Adelaide Hope will finally be referred to with the correct pronoun.

I'm Not Martha Stewart

And I don't mean that in the "I've never been to jail for insider trading" way. I mean that in the "My craft projects never turn out the way they should" way.

So I had these striped couched. Actually, Kris had them when we got married. A family that he knew when he lived in Abylon, I mean Abilene, gave them to him. They were comfortable, but really low to the ground and long. They were tan, red, navy, and hunter green striped---picture patio furniture material. But hey, I'm not one to turn my nose up at free stuff, so I figured I could make these couches work.

So with some of our gift cards to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, we purchased red slip covers and they worked out just fine. I spent the better part of my day tucking and re-tucking them in and I got very anxious when someone sat on them after I had finally got them straight, but other than that, it was great.

So then we buy a house and I decide that these couches won't work. The scale was wrong for the room. And, Kris' brother and his wife were getting rid of their old couches. They were older and a little lumpy, but they were a little bigger so I thought the slipcovers would fit them better. I was wrong. They looked worse on these couches than they did on the Abilene patio furniture ones--super sloppy and wrinkled--the very reason I didn't like the way the covers fit the old couches. But we had already given the other ones away to Goodwill.

So I get the bright idea to cut the slipcovers apart, with the help of my friend, Vanessa, who knows how to sew, and sew and staple the covers to the couches piece by piece to acheive that really custom look that stapling always affords.

We went after it! We cut and stapled and sewed and tacked away. Vanessa went to town making covers for the seat cushions and we nipped and tucked for hours. There was actually one point where I thought, "This may turn out to look really good." But the problem with stapling and tying is that it doesn't lend itself to the tailored look that I was going for.

So I ended up pretty much as bad off as I had started out which leads me to confess, "I am not Martha Stewart." Probably only a shock to me. I thought maybe I had a few Martha tendencies. As it turns out, I don't.

The only way to rectify this situation is to purchase a new couch . (It's name is the Sierra for those of you who follow the link.) And that's what we did. It is a micro-fiber, mocha-colored, soft, non-slipcovered couch that will, Lord willing, be delivered to our home on Knob Hill Lake Lane (that's right--4 words) on Saturday. We figured we better make any large purchases now, because as soon as Little Asher or Adelaide Rives makes his or her appearance, the days of Kris and Jamie Rives buying anything non-essential will draw to a close. Pretty sweet trade-off, I think :)

Community?

That seems to be a word that gets tossed around a lot among the people that I talk to most often. We are always trying to figure out what it should look like for the Church to truly be in community with one another. How do we break out of the "American" frame of mind that we all suffer from that prides itself on its independence and doesn't think it needs anything from anyone. How do we bear one another burdens, and so, fulfill the law of Christ? These types of questions continue to haunt us because we're not sure what the answers are? Or maybe we're afraid to figure out what the answers are? That could get messy...

So I found this post on another blog. I might be breaking some law here, so in attempt to make sure no one thinks I am trying to pass this off as my own HERE is where you can read the article in its entirety. She defines community by the "via negativa" (be impressed...that's Latin.) In other words, here is one person's take on what community "is not."

"Community is not a group of faceless strangers in the same building on a Sunday morning.
Community is not playing it safe.
Community is not living for “the next big thing.”
Community is not afraid of silence, or tears, or anger, or pain.
Community is not exposing oneself without first establishing trust.
Community is not a one-way street.
Community is not a place where someone does not feel loved.
Community is not a place where complacency or earthly perfection is celebrated.
Community is not impatient while God works.
Community is not a place where the work is ever “done.”
Community is not afraid to say “no” when a “no” is needed.
Community is not ungrateful.
Community is not absent of struggle.
Community is not in the business of letting its members continue struggling without fighting for their freedom.

Community is not an option…it is the model Christ set for us."

I thought this was pretty good. One disclaimer: She ends the full article with a quote from The Message. Other than that, I like what she has to say.

I find myself at a loss when I try to verbalize what I think we are missing as a body and what I want to change within myself. I feel maimed and I'm pretty certain I've done some maiming. I'm trying to operate without the rest of the body that I so desparately need, but don't always want. That has to change.

Thankful Thursday #2

Here are 10 things that I am grateful for this Thursday...

1. Hearing our baby's heartbeat at the doctor's office yesterday.

2. The really nice weather that we have enjoyed the past few mornings.

3. Not having "THE" class this year...the one that everyone who sees them comments "Ugh...how do you do it?" My class is actually pretty good.

4. My Bella Band !

5. Labor Day...or in my case...Non-labor Day

6. My husband's love

7. That Kathy and I are finally pregnant at the same time!

8. The faithfulness of the persecuted members of The Church.

9. Health insurance

10. Working fingers that could type this list


This list hardly covers it all, but it does remind me that God has been better to me than I deserve.

What are you thankful for?

How Do You "Feel?"

Has anyone read the book "When I Don't Desire God" by John Piper? (I know book titles should be underlined, but I don't know how to do that) I pull that book off the shelf often because I find myself in a place like that more often than I would care to admit. What is worse than know ing you should pray, but being unable to even get one sentence out or sitting with your Bible on your lap and thinking, "Why don't I hunger for this like I ought to?"

One thing I have to remind myself of often is that my feelings cannot be the standard by which I measure my standing before God. There are so many times that I don't feel a darn thing. There is no warmth, no tangible reassurance, no spiritual consolation to rest on. I don't "feel" Him near me. I don't sense that I am even His. I hate times like that. But they are part of my exsistence. Sometimes God allows those who are His to have a palpable sense that He is near and to feel a real embrace of assurance of salvation and other times He withholds that. And during those times, I am called to trust. I am called to preach to my own soul and bring to mind all of the truth that He has sown in me. I am called to rest in His Word, not my emotions.

But I like to feel that assurance--the assurance that He is in me and I am in Him, the assurance that I am numbered among His own. He doesn't always grant that though.

So here's the deal (whether it "feels" like it or not): Christ does dwell within me. My comfort is found in His mighty grip on me, not my feeble grip on Him. There is more mercy in God than sin within me. He is with me. Simple truths like this are so easily forgotten. I need to hear the gospel preached to my wretched soul daily to remind me of what seems to slip out of my consciousness. I need to have my gaze lifted upward and off of myself and I what I feel or think or believe. I need to meditate on what God feels and thinks and believes as He has revealed it in His word.

If you read this and are my friend (and even if you're not,) pray for me. Not that I would "feel" the way I think a believer should, but that if God never grants another moment of assurance, that I would never cease to hope in Him.

Heartbeat!

We got to see our baby's heartbeat at our appointment on Monday. We were looking at the screen and I didn't see it at first so I had a brief freak-out moment. But then Liza, the nurse practitioner, pointed it out and I felt much better. The baby is measuring one week behind what the stupid, non-scientific, one-size-fits-all due date calculating wheel says but that is fairly common. Liza is going to let me come back next Tuesday and do another ultrasound...just to make sure the baby is growing properly.

So mid March is when we are expecting Baby Rives to make his or her debut. People have asked me if I want a boy or a girl. My standard response is "I just want a baby!" I will be thrilled either way!

Have I mentioned how much I love my husband? I truly do. More than I ever have. He is wonderful and I realize more and more how perfect he is for me. Just wanted to mention that :)

I think we might be grown-ups now

Thanks to several really good friends and family members, we are now in our new house. It's crazy. It feels like we are house-sitting. I'm sure that will change when we make our first mortgage payment!

Everything is pretty disorganized right now. Boxes and bags and stacks of random things are everywhere. The kitchen is really the only room that is close to being organized (thanks to Bethany the Organizer.) But the rest of the house is a work-in-progress. It'll all get done...I hope :)

Baby

We found out about a week and a half ago that I'm pregnant. It's wonderful news and we are so thankful, but this is Baby #3. With 2 previous miscarriages, you sort of experience a "cautious" joy--you really want to be excited, but you know that you are possibly going to experience real heartbreak if things do not go well again.

Because I'm pretty sure that the last 2 babies were lost due to a progesterone shortage, I have been on a supplement since last Monday. I did blood work every other day last week and each time, my hcg levels more than doubled--which is good. Now, I just wait to see the nurse practitioner (my dr. is on maternity leave until mid-August.) Hopefully, I will be able to get in some time this week.

I have to remind myself that my hope, is not in progesterone or doctors or any other means that God may use, but in God HImself. He gives life and He takes it according to the pleasure of His will. As I've stated before, He will do the right thing and He will glorify Himself through this. I know God has used the loss of the other babies to teach us and grow us. We know what it means to trust even when our hearts are breaking. The words to the song "Held" ring so true for me...

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what means to be loved
And to know that the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held.

He created each of these little lives and He will do what He pleases with them. We would love to meet this baby and get to hold and talk to and raise this little one to fear and trust the one, true, Living God. I can't wait for the time that our child asks Kris and I the question, "Why do we worship God?" we will begin as millions of other believing parents have--"When we were slaves, YHWH brought us out with a mighty hand..." The gospel is the same today as it has been for years upon years--how encouraging! Our prayer is that He will grant us the opportunity, but even more than that, that His will would be done.

That being said, if you know me, you know that I have had kid's names picked out since I was about 4. My favorite name, when I was in preschool, was Vivian. There was a little asian girl that went to my preschool names Vivian and I thought she was really cute so I decided I liked that name.

Then for a while it was Maris Grace. But then Grace became the default middle name--the "Times New Roman" of the naming world. Please don't misunderstand, it is a beautiful name, but by now, it's pretty much the "Jennifer" of the 21st century.

So now my favorite name is Elinor. My husband doesn't feel the same way. When we were dating, I told him how most girls have names for their kids picked out way before they are married and he asked me if I had mine picked out. I said, "Of course!" Then he asked me what they were and, at first, I refused to tell him. I figured that if I told him, and he didn't love them as much as I did, that I would get really frustrated. And it just seemed dumb to be mad at him for that, especially since we weren't even engaged. So I said I wouldn't tell him to avoid any unfortunate incidents. He did finally get it out of me, and, just as I feared, he failed to see the elegant, simple beauty that is the name Elinor. Crushing. One day, I'm sure he'll see it my way ;)

So the name debate continues...

Providence

So yesterday I was sitting at the new house on Knob Hill Lake Lane with my mother as the inspector was checking everything out. My phone rings and I answer. It's Kris. I say, "How are you?" He says, "I've been better." That's not really what I like to hear so I asked him what was going on. He proceeded to inform me that a guy from our mortgage company called and told him that we did not qualify for the home buying program that we were using to purchase the house. And since we are a week away from closing, the news came as somewhat of a shock.

The program we were going to use was an FHA Teacher Bond which offers a below-market interest rate and 5% of the cost of your home given back to you as a grant. We were told that we qualified for the program (i.e. we made less than the maximum income, which was $71,000.) So we begin the process, get them every piece of information they request, and were confident that this was a done deal.

But about 2 weeks ago, they send us an affidavit to sign stating, among other things, that I make X amount and Kris makes $0. Granted, we are not rollin' in the dough, but Kris does bring in a salary above $0. Since we had disclosed our tax returns, social security numbers, and bank statements, we assumed they were fully aware of what we made. And we didn't give it a second thought because we knew it was below the max. income. So when they wanted us to sign the affidavit stating Kris made nothing, Kris called our realtor to question that. She told us that if we sign it, we would be committing fraud. Nice.

So we call the company and tell them we cannot sign this until they fix that item. They say that they will take care of it and a few days later. we receive another affidavit. But it still says Kris makes $0. At this point, we're a little aggrivated. We call and they tell us to sign it anyway. What do they care? They won't be the ones in prison after the audit. We say we will not sign until the error is corrected. So then they ask for Kris' check stubs (for the first time, I might add.)

After they receive the stubs, the mortgage company calls and says that we make too much money and no longer qualify because, although the max income for a 3 person family is $71,000, the max for a 2 person family is $61,000(apparently in-utero children do not qualify.) That would have been incredibly helpful information to have 2 months ago! But they wait until the week prior to closing to share that.

All that to say, we end yesterday not sure of what would happen. We did know, however, that God is soveriegn and that nothing occurs apart from His will. So we knew this was part of His will.

The drama ended by the mortgage company assuming responsility--whether they think they are responsible is another matter, but regardless, they did. They bought us a lower interest rate, only about 2/10 of a point higher than what we would have got with the teacher bond so our payment is only about $10 dollars higher than what we thought it would be. The real reason I believed God arranged it this way is because now, we are not obilgated to live in that home 7 years, as we would have been under the other program. We didn't know that was one of the conditions and we are very grateful that we now have the freesom to move when ever we feel it is time, not when they feel it's time.

So Lord willing, we will be in our new temporary dwelling after our closing this Friday. I say "temporary," because home is heaven...not Knob Hill Lake Lane (that's right--4 words.)

It's Been Too Long...

I thought that when I started this, that I would be really good about keeping up with it. But that would be pretty out of character for me, so I'm not really sure why I thought that. So here is a brief summary of what has been going on...

1. The House. Our new house on Knob Hill Lake Lane (that's right--4 words) will hopefully be completed by the second or third week of July. We haven't got our official closing date, but we are told that everything is on schedule.

2. The Summer. I love being a teacher--not so much the shaping young minds or investing in the future part...more the sleeping in and getting paychecks while not actually at work part. (Is that bad?) Seriously, it has been very refreshing and makes me feel that I will be (almost) ready to begin the new school year in a few weeks.

3. The Church. I love my church. I guess I'm a Baptist now...who knew? Never would have thought it, but you marry a Baptist, you become one. No gathering is perfect or has everything together, but I truly believe that each member of my church is committed to loving God more and knowing Him better. Are there things that I might change...probably. But I'm grateful that none of those changes are "first tier" issues, but rather peripheral matters that do not infringe on orthodoxy.

4. The Workout. I have discovered Pilates. And by "discovered," I mean I pulled out the Winsor Pilates DVDs I ordered off an infomercial about 4 years ago and actually started doing them. I am surprised what a difference they have made. It is challenging, but I have already seen benefits and improvements in my overall strength and flexibility. I do the body-sculpting workout every other day and I try to walk for about 40-45 minutes each day. Oh...and I started this diet called "The Stop Eating So Freaking Much Diet." It quite simple. Here's what you do: Whatever you normally eat, don't eat so freaking much of it. So hopefully, all of these elements will work in tandem to make me a healthier person.

5. The Fertility Issue. TMI, right? But here's the deal--I am convinced now more than ever, that only God can open the womb. We have done everything "right"... charts and basal thermometers and ovulation predictor kits and baby asprin, and yet, no more babies. So we pray and we cry out and we ask the Lord, just as Sarah and Rebekah and Hannah and countless others have, to grant us a child. The Bible says that the Lord "remembered" them...remember us, Lord. We know that He does what is right and good 100% of the time and we are trusting that, by withholding, He is demonstrating His faithfulness and love towards us. It doesn't always feel that way, but we don't rely on what we "feel," but rather, what we know to be true. He is wise and loving and we wait on Him.

6. My Pinky Toe. Nice transition, huh? I am having major pinky toe issues. Probably in the top ten least respected body parts, but I have gained a fresh appreciation for this little piggy--cuz I can't walk without it hurting. My New Balance running shoes jacked it up so now I have started to wear my Target cheapies that I bought in San Antonio because we were going to Fiesta Texas and I forgot to bring non-flip-flop shoes so we ran in and bought the cheapest shoes we could find. The $14.99 shoes feel way better, but my toe will not heal. My loving husband as been acting as my trainer and he has wrapped and bandaged and Vaselined (thank you, Dirk) my pinky toe, but nothing helps--still blistered and sore. So now, my pinky toes have moved way up on my list of things to be grateful for.

I guess that's it for now...