A New Year Update- Part 1 (All about Liam)

Liam is 7 months old!!! I can't believe how fast the time goes by (I know an overused statement). BUT REALLY this year has been making a fast escape. Liam weighs 21 lbs. (94th percentile) and 29.5 inch long (99th percentile)... needless to say he eats a lot.

What a joy he is. :) I still feel like I am working through the learning curve of being a mom and all that entails, but we are having a lot of fun in process of it all.

Here he is in November (5 months)

We started solids.

He eats most of what we feed, but not so sure he digs the peas...

Here he is at Disney World with Lolo & Poppy

Grammy & Nana came for Christmas

 

Poppy Gil came for New Years but no picture :(

 (Half Year Birthday)

This, I LOVE. Happy Man ** Sorry it is not right side up **

Okay... one last one...

 

I'm done. :)

 

Gifts and Stuff

Looks like once a month on the blog will have to do it for me... ha.

The Lord was so sweet to me today. I was having one of those days, the kind where my sweet babe is constantly fussy, I'm exhausted because we are coming off a couple days of growth spurt frenzy feeding, I haven't seen the outside world in 2 days, everything frustrates me to tears, and then I feel upset that I even feel upset, because I have so much to be grateful for. Depressing and pitiful. I know! But Oh How He Loves Me!

I am so thankful for friends and community. Sometimes it's hard to accept help, especially when it's not from family. So, my sweet friend Sheila came over and held Liam while I took a nap and a short trip to the chiropractor. AND another friend's mom made us dinner so I didn't have to think about what to make or clean up. Small things maybe, but I could have easily missed the significance that they came on a day that I needed them. One day at a time. He gives us grace to handle it, one day at a time.

Here are a few other lovely things from the month:

* I made my very first homemade chicken pot pie. It was yummy if I do say so... and I can because it was my friend Amy's recipe, so I can credit myself very little... I know how to follow a recipe! Yay for me.

* I've pulled my creative side back out! I don't get a ton of time to spend on it, but I am grateful for when I do get to craft.

* This little face makes my heart swoon. He's growing so fast... 17lbs. 26 in... 3 month. WOW! How did I get here?

* Learning the importance of spritual discipline.

The. end.

The Past Couple Months

Oh what joy the past couple of months have been! I won't lie though, they have also been some of the most difficult months I've had to walk through. We did have plenty of people tell us not only would it be great, but also would be hard, but it's funny how until it is your hard you don't really know what is coming! So the past few months we have been in a fog, feeling a bit tired (to be expected), and trying to adjust to life as parents while still living life and not just falling into laziness and apathy. We have our lows, but the Lord has been faithful to give us mountain tops in the midst of the valleys.So, if you think about us, just say a prayer. I know all of these difficult moments are being used to make us more like Christ, which in turn will make us more gracious and loving parents!

So here are a few pictures of our sanctifying gift from Jesus:

Cute huh? Well, we think so!!

Our Birth Story & God's Faithfulness

I thought I would share our birth story, (it’s kind of long and detailed, but not too unpleasently detailed) but really I wanted to record what happened because the farther away it gets, the more I forget. I think the fact that the pain eventually fades is God’s awesome way of making people want to have multiple babies, so I am writing all of it down so that I won’t have that desire… just kidding. It really was an incredible experience and something I don’t want to forget- mainly because of God’s incredible faithfulness in the situation.


We chose to have our birth at a birth center. We had a lot of people ask why we chose to do it that way instead of the hospital. I by no means have anything against hospitals, I am very grateful for them actually, but after doing research and praying about it, we felt like the environment of the birth center, the opportunity to build relationships with the midwives, and avoiding hospital policy and procedures that could lead to unwanted intervention was the best option for us. I came to the conclusion that really there are risks with childbirth, whether in a hospital or birthing center. I did have several people concerned and remind me that I would not be presented with any shiny medal or a “You did it” plaque for having my baby naturally without medication and they were right, but it’s a good thing I did not do it for those reasons. Honestly, the pain that would come with childbirth made me the most nervous, but I kept reminding myself that women have done it for years and my body was made to have a baby. My prayer throughout my pregnancy concerning labor was that no matter what happened, even if it didn’t turn out the way that I had planned and I ended up at the hospital or whatever, I would learn to depend on the Lord more than I ever had before, he would pour his grace on me, and that through it, somehow He would be glorified. So with that preface, I tell the birth story, with not too much detail of course.


We hung out with friends on Sunday night to distract me from my uncomfortable belly and the impending fact that I was six days late. I had a few contractions while we were there, but didn’t know for sure whether they were real, so I didn’t say anything to anyone. When we got home, I read for a while and they started coming a little more regularly. I had yet to say anything to Patrick, but he noticed my heavy breathing and he started timing them. They were coming about 8 minutes apart at 11pm. We definitely knew that we were not sleeping that night. So we got up and put on Madagascar 2, although I don’t really remember watching it. I paced around, took a shower, and labored through the night. Around 4:00am they started coming 3-4 minutes apart. I still was afraid I was in early labor so I wasn’t quite ready to call Thaila, our midwife, but Patrick assured me he thought I was in labor since I couldn’t talk through them. We got to the birth center around 4:30 and Laura and Diane (assistant and midwife) met us there. Laura asked if I wanted her to check me and I was terrified that if she did I would only be a 2, so we held off for another couple of hours. We walked around the house, I ate some popsicle and moaned through the contractions. Around 6:30am she checked me and I was already a six which brought a lot of encouragement to us. Patrick called my family to head to Tyler, thinking we would have this baby by lunch time!! Whoohoo!

Everything kept progressing well. I took one contraction at a time mentally working through them with Patrick reminding me that all the pain was good, it would get the baby out. I used the tub for a little bit to try and relax, but relaxing is kind of a joke. I made a lot of noise, noises that I never knew I was capable of making, but any inhibitions I might have had were gone, it was the only thing that distracted my brain from the pain. My family arrived and a few friends that I asked to be there. They checked me again, although I am not sure what time it was at this point, and I was still progressing nicely and had reached between an 8 and 9. Almost there! At this point, it was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. There are really no words to describe it or at least I can’t think of any that would be appropriate for this tale. I just know I was exhausted, delirious, and felt like dying. I think I actually said, “I just want to die;” in which they reminded me that that meant I was almost there.

Unfortunately, I stalled at a nine for an hour or two because a little lip of my cervix would not thin. Everyone kept telling me to relax through the contractions so that my body could finish doing its job, but again relaxing wasn’t going to happen at a 9 with contractions a minute apart. Eventually I was done and told them I just wanted to push him out, so Laura did what she could to push the lip over his head and then I could start pushing. So after I made it to a ten, I began to push… and push… and push… and push… 3 hours of pushing and nothing happening. Diane gently broke the news that they could only let me go another hour pushing before we would have to transfer to the hospital. We could say this was a pretty low point for us. I had now been in labor for 15 hours and the last thing I wanted was to go to the hospital and push some more and then more than likely end up with a C-section. I knew that if I even mentally accepted the fact that I could be transferred, I would lose it, so I just stayed determined and calm, I never panicked (thank you Holy Spirit- He really is our HELPER). I was exhausted, every contraction I would push 4-5 times and he would not move down. Liam’s heart rate was stable the entire time, praise Jesus, but I think they were more concerned about my state. We tried every position possible and the last resort was to empty my bladder and try the toilet… I know of all places, but gravity would be working for us after all! So we made our way to the bathroom and I again started pushing. This was probably the most desperate point for everyone. I had been pushing for 20 more minutes or so and nothing was happening. It’s amazing that the Lord really did bring me to the most desperate place in my life. I started crying out (literally) to the Lord for mercy, His grace, and a miracle. My friends and family started praying and they sent a text to our church family to pray.

I have NEVER in my life been that dependent and desperate before the Lord. About 10 minutes more of pushing I felt something change and started saying, “The baby is coming, he’s coming” A few more pushes and our little Liam James was in my arms. Most incredible experience of my life and the first thing I said, “It was worth it” (even being delirious) It’s amazing the moment it is over… it’s over and the room explodes with joy. The problem had been that his little hand was on the side of his head and he wouldn’t move down. I pushed him out with that hand stuck to his head, so unfortunately I had a third degree tear and did have to go to the hospital to get stitched, but despite the long day, the Lord was so good to us and indeed did a miracle.

The Lord answered my prayers in so many ways. I prayed that I would learn a whole new level of dependency on Him and that I did. He was my rock, my hiding place, my grace, strength in my weakness, hope when it was hopeless, and I felt all His promises in a very tangible way. As the Lord has continued to reveal his sovereignty to me, I have struggled with understanding the need to pray and ask- if the Lord’s sovereign and already knows what He is going to do in the situation. In those last moments as I desperately cried out to the Lord I remember praying “Lord, I know you are sovereign and I know you are in control, but I also know that you are able to do this. You are able to get this baby out. Please move.” And He did and was so gracious to do so. I knew in that moment that He loves me and he wants us to cry out and ask Him because He loves us, He loves me. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if we had to go the hospital and if I had to have had a C-section. He would still have been good and gracious to us, but he heard my cry, he heard my prayer and he answered me. How faithful and good He is.

A friend sent this scripture to me while I was in labor and it strengthens my soul, even as I have had a really rough recovery:

“Fear not for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you and through the rivers they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God…” Isaiah 43:1-2

He doesn’t have to be, but He is faithful and oh so good to us.

I know women have had babies for forever and my story is nothing spectacular, but to Patrick and I and much of my family and friends it has been a priceless experience and honestly strengthened my faith in ways that I’m not sure it would have had it happened differently. He does work all things out for our good!

My Heaven Song

"I want to run on greener pastures, I want to dance on higher hills
I want to drink from sweeter waters in the misty morning chill
And my soul is getting restless for the place where I belong
I can't wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song."- Phil Wickham

Been dwelling on these song lyrics today. The Lord is so good. His grace constantly overflowing. There is hope.

The past 6 months in a shell of a nut

The past six months have been full of life and I am grateful for the summer sun, homemade vanilla icecream, and family. This season has been difficult in many ways, yet sweet- due to the constant love of the Lord. We are growing... we hope. There are days that we feel crazy and like we are back at square one, struggling with the same sins, a bit lonely in this walk, and wandering souls. The good news: He is good and He is faithful. This we dwell on and pray that it sinks deep.

I graduated in May and am now a happily unemployed ex- student. Looking for a job or an opportunity.

This is the season of weddings (4) and babies (9) and I am enjoying celebrating new seasons with friends.

We went to Hawaii with Pat's mom and grammy. It was such a beautiful, relaxing vacation.

Picking up some new hobbies and continuing some old: sewing (simple items:pillows, dish towels, curtains), garage sale rummaging (fixing up old items I find), card making, menu planning, reading, music.

Speaking of reading: Great books that I have read/ or are on my reading list for the summer:
"The Help"- Kathryn Stockett
"Unbroken"- Hillenbrand
"Her Daughter's Dream"- Francine Rivers
"Life of Pi"- some guy
"Desiring God"- John Piper
"Radical"- David Platt

Latest music choices: Shane & Shane "Dare to Share" worship album
The Village Worship
Sara Bareilles "Uncharted"
Dave Barnes

Pat is good. Busy at work and liking his job. Wish I could give more detail, but I am not sure of the proper language or process of things. I know it has to do with an air flow processor. He is so smart. Growing in marriage.

We recently transitioned out of our church home, which was a difficult move, but a move we felt was in obedience to the Lord. Waiting and trusting. A good place, but difficult transition.

Waiting to see what the rest of the summer holds. In the meantime, I continue to pray that His joy will be my strength and the truth of His word will ignite my heart. My hope rests in Him.

A Blog of a Blog

Hey, Read this blog, it will encourage you!

http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/blog/pastors/?p=758

Making Much of Him

Well, I am finishing up my semester of school in 3 weeks. Taking 18 hours has been more of a challenge than I bargained for, but the Lord has given me grace through it. My spring semester is my last. I am super pumped!!! I'll be taking 15hrs. next semester, 3 of those being an internship at Brookshires.* for those of you that don't know, that's the East Texas United* I am the "Training and Development Intern" and will be learning a lot of human resource stuff, like training employees, and community relations type activities. I feel so blessed and am excited to get some experience doing something that I think I will really enjoy.

Lately, I have been thinking about why I am finishing school. I feel like after I finish, I am obligated to go get a full time job and make myself a business woman. I put this pressure on myself I know. If I don't work then I feel like it is time to pop out the babies which I am not sure I am quite ready for either. Sometimes these thoughts can leave me feeling a bit purposeless.

I am thankful for this season. I have found that it is all too simple to try to grasp for things to make me feel like I have purpose. But how refreshing it would be if my sole purpose rested in the Lord, in his glory, in the Gospel, in life with him, and from the overflow of my heart full of HIM- came action. Sometimes it feels like in our culture we are doing whatever we can to find value in ourselves instead of first finding value in the Creator of the universe. In who Jesus says He is and what His ultimate purpose is- to make His name known!

I've been reading the book, "Don't Waste Your Life", by John Piper. One thing that has stirred desire in me is the question- Do you find your worth in how much God makes of you? Or making much of God?
I want my desire to be making much of him. It is in my sinful nature to make much of myself, this I know, but I am so thankful for the blood He shed for my weaknesses. I know He will continue to finish what He began.

Some thoughts on Thanks!

Today I compiled a small list of things I am truly thankful and blessed by and I thought I would share:

1. The fact that I have voice. I can talk, relate, share the gospel, and make a difference through my words.

2. My friends. I have been overwhelmed by the love and joy of friends this week!

3. Going deeper. The moments where you are forced to go deeper with those you are in community with, in order than you might challenge one another and grow closer to Jesus.

4. The correction of God. Oh boy...

5. Our unsaved neighbors.

6. My husband. An amazing man who is completely different than the day I met him, yet so much more like Jesus. AMAZING!

7. My ability (up to this point) to plan all our meals every week.

8. Offenses. The moments of me getting offended this week have been an opportunity for the Lord to reveal the sin of my flesh. yikes! How else to rid me of them?

9. Dark chocolate covered Oreos!

10. Laughter. So many funny things over the past week.... I don't know where to start.

11. The grace given to me to handle 18 hrs. of school, maintain a home and husband, as well as get 8 hours of sleep a night!

12. Clean underwear. Something we take for granted!

Check this out...

hey friends and family.

i am starting a little homemade greeting card company... just to keep my creativity rolling.

You should check it out... and then spread the word....about SPREAD YOUR WORDS.... {hehe}

www.spreadyourwordsav.blogspot.com

Summer Lovin'

Summer Lovin' had me a blast... Summer Lovin' happened so fast...

So, summer time has flown by this year. I feel so much more productive and have really enjoyed all my time this summer since we have been settled here in our new home of Tyler. I've done a lot of resting, praying, and reevaluating my heart. I am so grateful for it.

Met a boy cute as can be....

Well, really I have the same boy, but we celebrated our 2 year anniversary and rejoiced in the faithfulness of the Lord in our marriage. He is continually making our marriage more sweet.

Summer days drifting away, but oh the summer nights....

Tell me more tell me more?

Okay okay, you don't have to ask me twice...

I decided to start my own little greeting card company, just for fun. Art, paper, and crafting is so stress relieving for me. We have the Rose Festival coming up in October and I'm planning trying to sell a few there. I've started an unfinished blog : www.spreadyourwordsav.blogspot.com- if ya want to check it out.

I took a summer class... Botany. Learned about all the neat things that grow.

We attended several weddings.

We saw the Broadway musical "Wicked"

I did a lot of reading... a total of 9 books.

Celebrated my 23rd birthday with friends and a water balloon fight.


Did you get very far?

I got as far as Tulsa! haha. This summer has been fun because I have been able to go out of town a lot. I went to Dallas for a week while Patrick was out of town. I got to spend time with my sister and we hung out by the pool and did lots of fun things. I went to Tulsa to spend time with Pat's grammy. She had back surgery and I spent some time with her. I traveled to the fabulous city of San Antonio to spend time with my Gram and finished up with Tulsa again.

It turned colder thats where it ends...

So, now its back to school. I am taking 18hrs, BUT I graduate in May 2011, Lord willing. I am so blessed to be able to finish school. Hope all is well with you my friends. HAPPY FALL!

Grammy V.

Last week I went to Tulsa to spend some time with Patrick's Grammy. I love her. From the moment Patrick brought me home, Grammy has always made me feel loved, special, and part of the family. We've always had a special connection, so it was my pleasure to go spend time with her, while Patrick's mom was out of town.

Grammy fell a couple months back and broke a spot in her back, so two weeks ago she had surgery and I was there to help her and make sure that she didn't do too much. We had a great time. She finished reading Redeeming Love, I got to read quite a bit, we watched movies, went out to eat, I cooked for her, she took me shopping, and we got to talk a bit about her past. . I was so blessed by her genuine desire to love me and make me part of her life. Well. a few days ago she fell again and broke her arm, wrist, and hurt her leg. It makes me so sad to know she is in so much pain, but much more grieved that she doesn't know Jesus intimately and personally.

See Grammy isn't a believer and we are praying for her healing, but more so for healing and wholeness of her heart. So, if you would, just as your reading this say a pray for her- healing and that the Lord would open her heart to Him and break down the walls of religion and fear. We believe He is able to change the human heart and are trusting Him to do so.

Character to Hope

I have had a great couple of weeks and will write a blog about all my fun happenings, but first I wanted to share a little nugget that the Lord challenged and encouraged me with yesterday. Lately, I have been aware of the battle I face with my daily sin tendencies-like impatience, selfishness, pride...to name a few! I find my heart continually suffering within me, about all sorts of things that aren't Jesus in me and what is supposed to overflow from my heart, and I fail daily.

As I was reading through Romans 5 (1-11) yesterday this is what the Lord reminded me of and put a fresh hope inside of me...

Through faith we gain access to God's grace and we rejoice in the hope of His glory, but even more we rejoice in our "sufferings", whatever that looks like- for me right now, it is battling my mind and emotions, my struggle against the wickedness inside of me, and desire to be like Christ. For some it may be physical suffering- sickness, pain, disease, poverty, death, emotional turmoil, but through our suffering comes endurance. I'm persevering toward the Lord, toward the truth of His word, and running to His presence in repentance, which slowly produces character, as the Lord's truth reveals wrong thinking, ideas, and heart motives. His grace covers me and He is working those things out, making me like Him. And as I see God's constant faithfulness to change and make new, the renewed character gives way to hope, a expectation that will not fail...why? Because my expectation is found in His love, His love that died for me while I was a sinner, not when I was perfect. My hope is in a grace that I do not deserve, but that I have.

So, I press on, knowing and trusting that the Lord is changing me, I'm growing to know Him more, and my prayer is that He is getting ALL the glory.

HAPPY MONDAY!

Addiction to Blueberries

I have an addiction to blueberries. which i guess if I have to be addicted to something blueberries are not a bad thing! I love living somewhere where fruit like blueberries and raspberries grow just down the road and can be picked right off the tree. I may start a garden. I don't like to garden but maybe the passion will grow on me. This morning I went blueberry picking for the 2nd time and took Patrick with me. I'm trying to fuel his love for fruit trees, so maybe when were old we can be farmers. First time, I brought home 3.5lbs of blueberries this time. 6.6lbs...yes, I 've got blueberries out my ears but I'm so excited about making blueberry cobler, muffins, granola bars, dried blueberries...and just eating them by the handfuls.

Another thing I've been doing lately is canvas painting. I'm not much of an artist but I like to do it and just see what comes out. Here are a few that I have done.










Not a whole lot really going on in my life that someone might label "adventurous or thrilling" but I am learning to just enjoy my time and the little things that make my heart smile.

Sunrise

I am in a Botany class this summer. We are learning a lot about plants, soils, ecosystems, and stuff that, frankly I am not at all too interested in. But if I have taken one thing away from this class- its the reminder that I serve a magnificent, sovereign, and gracious God. Did you know that if the sun ceased to rise, anything that has life would be no more? Something about photosynthesis...energy...carbon dioxide, food chain...GONE- all of it! According to my understanding of the science world...this earth and all that is in it depends on the sun to survive.

Psalm 50:1- The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
Psalm 74:16-The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.

God could decide to put a stop the glorious sunrise and before long, nothing would have life...yet in His love for the world, the sun rises. For God so loved the world...a wicked, unrighteous world...and each day the sun rises and He gives life to those that don't deserve it. This seems like a pretty basic and simple truth, but it draws me to His feet.

AND BOTANY IS OVER TOMORROW! PRAISE JESUS!

Humbled and Changing

Hi friends, old and new! I've been out awhile on the blogging. I really needed to reevaluate some things in my life, so I took a little break. I've revamped by blog a bit and really want to use this as a place of encouragement, not because I am anything special or have great words on my own, only because God can use anything He wants to challenge and strengthen us, even if its just through what other believers are walking through.

We have officially been in Tyler a year! It feels so much more like home than I ever thought it could. It's amazing how much the Lord changes us in "transition" seasons.
Over the past year, the Lord has been teaching me what grace truly is. In all honesty, grace was never something I truly understood and am continually asking the Lord to teach me more about. I don't know about anyone else, but I know that as a human, I have the tendency to try to perform or work for my salvation. Many times its covered up with good things for Jesus, and I may not necessarily describe it that way or literally think in those terms, but the way I live my life has often been evidence of that. My service to the Lord has many times been attached with a desire for acceptance and favor from man or a way of gaining His blessing, none of which do much in the way of giving Him all the glory.

I am so grateful for the transforming power of Jesus. He is so faithful and good to change our hearts. Realizing that nothing inside of me is good and that even what I consider my "GOOD", is filthy rags to Him(Is. 64:6)- I am humbled. I am at the mercy of a good, loving, and righteous God, who forgives and has saved me, and not because of anything I have or can be (Eph.2:8, Rom. 8:16). He saves, He transforms, and He gets all the Glory! I'm growing more in love with my Savior.

Be encouraged and blessed today! love and hugs

Apartment Idol Winners!!!

We just found out we won our "Apartment Idol" & a whole month of rent. Yay! What a huge blessing. Here is the winning video in case you didn't catch it on facebook. We had a lot of fun with it!