R & R

My brother is home for a few weeks from Iraq for his R&R.  This past weekend I went to Ennis, to my parents so I could see him.  He looks great!  I am so proud of him.  I was able to see some pictures from his tour.  His platoon is doing some really great things over there to help the Iraqi people and prevent future attacks.  I am thankful for my brother and the men and women he serves with every day.  

I not only was able to see him, but his sweet family.  Chasten is 2 and Claire is 8 months.  She started walking at 7 months so she's walking like a pro now!  They are soooo cute!  I love being an aunt!  Here are some pics!  Chasten had a book of shapes and was naming the pictures.  He would say, "that's a star!"  "You like that star?"  It was adorable!  When he came to the page with a balloon on it, he said, "It's a party!"  "You like that party?"  We laughed and made him do it over and over again!  Soooooo adorable!

I can't upload my videos for some reason!  Maybe I'll figure it out later!  

In other news, I went in a few weeks ago for some blood work.  I have more scheduled for next Friday, February 6th.  This blood work is checking my hormone levels.  I will keep you updated on the results!  We continue to seek Him on this journey and this past month when I learned that once again I wasn't pregnant, I was overwhelmed with peace.  I am so grateful for His plan and His provision upon our lives!  Thank you for praying!  We are so thankful!

The Place to Be....

was our house, tonight...for an NFL football game that we were ASKED to record so the guys could come over to watch it after they played their own game of football!  Well...did you know that if you keep recorded things on your DVR it runs out of space???  Who knew???  Not me apparently...in my attempts to be super wife I was so proud of the fact that I even remembered to record the game at all.  So, we had a house full of guys and a few girls, snacks, pizza....and only half of a football game!  OOPS!  I learned my lesson and we have proceeded to delete some things off of our DVR list!  Some lessons are only learned the hard way!

So after we watched the first half, did they stay over for the good conversation?  NO....they left to go to another person's house who had the game recorded.  Michael stayed here so that was nice!  ;)...and I get to go to bed earlier!  Haha!

Some highlights of our Christmas/New Years/and 2009 so far...

*Christmas was wonderful.  My parents had a great visit and we enjoyed their company!  They gave me their China from their own wedding for Christmas.  This is soooo special!

*We traveled to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl and aside from the outcome, we had a great time!  We loved staying with our sweet friends George and Mandy.  We were able to see some precious college friends!  It was a blast!

*Tyson and Melissa came to San Antonio and visited our house!  I love that family!

*Michael's parents got us a gift certificate to a bed and breakfast.  We can't wait to use it!  

*I saw Bride Wars, which I think is a super cute chick flick...Warning:  do not take your guy or any guy with you to see this!  They will be sighing and grumbling the whole time!  I didn't take Michael, but I can only imagine his attitude if he had to sit through that movie!  Girls...go see it for sure!  Thanks for the invite Megan!  

*We were in bed at 11 on New Year's...but we celebrated with New York!  

*One of my goals this year is to memorize a verse a week!  I have been really lazy about scripture memory.  Thankfully, I have the help of 2 girlfriends...we are in this together!

*My brother is somewhere between Iraq and the US as I type this.  He's coming home for his R&R!  I am so proud of him and so thankful for his sacrifice for our country!

It's going to be a great year!!!

I'm Back!

It takes me so long between each post that I should really just stop apologizing!  Maybe I should commit to a day of the week to blog....I'll have to think about that and see what I can come up with!  

I'm sitting here on the couch and it's the night of December 20th.  Christmas is 4 days away.  I wish I could say I was finished shopping, but the truth is, we have alot to do!  Thankfully Michael and I are both off this week and the week after that.  We will have some time on Monday and Tuesday to shop.  We are those people who wait until the last minute.  Next year I want to be one of those people who finishes Christmas shopping in November!  We'll see if that happens!  We have so much fun shopping for our nieces and nephews at Christmas!  This year my mom and dad are coming to San Antonio for Christmas.  We are so excited to host them in our new house!  We are going to take them to a Spurs game and try to do a few other "San Antonio" things while they are here.  We are looking forward to our time with them.

As far as a baby journey update...

I had an HSG test done a few weeks ago.  This is a test where they insert dye into the uterus and watch under x-ray.  They are checking to make sure there is no blockage.  They are able to see if the dye spills over into the fallopian tubes without any trouble.  This test was extremely painful, but we found out that everything on my insides looks good.  This was a huge relief!  Praise God!  The next step is to have my blood tested on the 3rd day of my next cycle and then again on the 21st day.  They are going to check my hormone levels to see if I have ovulated or not.  My cycles have been totally out of whack lately so this will be interesting!  We are still confident in our Lord and His timing.  We continue to seek Him as we take our next steps.         I will say that I have heard some interesting things through all of this...some of my favorites have been...

*  "When you stop thinking about it, you'll become pregnant."

*  "You need to drink some wine so you can relax and then...."

*  "I'll be a surrogate for you.  I love being pregnant, I just don't like it when the kids come out."      (I'm not kidding.)

*  "You're young.  Once you have kids you're whole life will change.  There's no rush."

*  "You can borrow mine for a while.  They drive me crazy."

Let's just say this journey is very interesting.  I'm sure those of you that experienced any infertility issues have heard some of the same things!  

I will try not to make every blog about this and I know one day I'll be posting pics of our precious child up on here!  

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!  I love this time of year and am reminded of grace and mercy upon our lives.  What a wonderful Savior!  

Blessed

To give you an update on the journey we are on...I had the plan from my doctor and was so excited that we had a "plan."  I was to do an ovulation predictor kit for 2 months and then if I wasn't pregnant in 2 months, I would have to get an HSG test done.  Month #1 I couldn't do the kit because I never had a cycle!  This obviously means I did not ever ovulate.  Month #2 I have 2 sticks left of a 20 day ovulation predictor and have not detected an LH surge yet...this means, I have not ovulated and it has been 18 days.  I will probably have the HSG test done soon.

The desire to be a mom presses on me.  It weighs me down at times and often brings tears to my eyes.  It stirs up weird emotions and brings out sin that has to be repented of constantly.  A new set of doubts and fears arise with every passing month.  If I'm totally honest, it has brought out jealousy in my heart and envy.  I have asked the Lord "Why" and I've even proclaimed, "It's not fair."  I am embarrassed of my thoughts and have really been praying God's Word... "we demolish strongholds and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."  Lord, help me take captive these thoughts that are not of You.  

I was recently reading a post that I came upon because of a friend from Phi Lamb in college. Mandy's brother and sister-in-law lost their precious baby girl when she was only 3 months old.  Jennifer (mandy's sister-in-law) blogs and just recently did an update on the past 7 months and the healing the Lord has done in their hearts.  The Lord used her words to give me a new perspective.

The first thing she said that God has taught her is that her husband is her greatest earthly gift!  Wow!  The night I read her blog, I left a note on Michael's pillow (b/c I went to bed early!) that said "You, Michael, are the greatest earthly gift that I will ever have!"  I need to tell him that more often.  I love that!  The Lord has blessed me so much with a husband on this earth.  A relationship that is the greatest earthly blessing! 

I got in bed and opened my Bible to Ephesians 1.  Ok, Lord I'm hearing You!  Ephesians 1 is about our spiritual blessing!  We have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ!  Oh, Jesus, thank You for the cross.  Thank You that through You and in You I have very spiritual blessing.  

So, I am joyful and hopeful.  I am fully blessed right now, this day!!  Praise You Lord!

Michael's Favorite Things...

Thanks for tagging me Magen!  I've needed a blogging idea for a while now!  :)  So here we go...

My husband's favorite things in no particular order...

~Coming home to our new house every day!  (I'll put up new pics soon that actually have our stuff in the house!

~His guitars....he loves playing guitar and he's taught himself so much over the years.

~Cereal!  The man could eat cereal every meal of every day.  What kinds?  Any cereal that most kids between the ages of 4 and 12 get excited about!  Fruity pebbles, fruit loops, apple jacks, cinnamon life, corn pops.....

~Preaching/Teaching/Studying the Word:  He truly is a gifted communicator of the gospel.  I love hearing him preach, that's one of my favorite things!  He really "comes alive" when he's preaching and teaching.

~Football and all things that are ESPN!  He loves to watch and know about sports!  Spurs basketball, college football esp. Texas Tech....he just loves all of it!

~Spending time with and talking ministry with his closest guy friends, including his dad!

~His family!  He loves his family and would do anything for any of them!  He loves that Julie and Bill live in S.A. now with the kids.  He loves to visit Shelby and Ricky and the boys!  He has a blast with his niece and nephews and they loving call him Uncle Mike, which make them the only people to call him Mike!  He has an amazing relationship with his mom and dad.  He really enjoys spending time at their house on Sunday afternoons!

~Shhhh...don't tell this one!  :)  Shopping!  Yes, it's true...my husband likes to go shopping more than I do!  ;)

~Dreaming of owning cool electronic equipment!  He frequently dreams of the next i this and i that.  He loves anything that Apple comes out with!  He loves to go to Best Buy to just "look."

~Running!  He's up to 14 miles in his training for the San Antonio Rock N' Roll Marathon and he weirdly "loves" running.  I didn't know those two words could ever go together!

~The Church at Vineyard Hills:  He loves being a part of what God is doing there!  

~Tickling my feet!  Unfortunately, this is one of his favorite things...too bad I am reeeaaalllly ticklish!  I guess that's what makes it fun?!

~He frequently tells me that he loves being on this journey with me.  He loves to go on dates and hang out, just me and him.  He loves surprising me in sweet ways.  He loves to lay on the couch with me and watch a movie. 

Ok, so there are my husband's favorite things!  I cannot figure out how to attach appropriate pictures because when I try to put a pic in to make this more fun to look at, they all go to the top and I can't change it!  Hmmmm... how do you get them right where you want them and then put text under them?  Any tips would be appreciated!  

Thanks for the tag Magen!  

I tag:

Ali Cooper for her husband Ben

Amy Cooper for her husband Nick

Melissa for her husband Tyson

Leah for her husband Lex

Mandy for her husband George

Carrie for her husband Chad

Homeowners!

Well, as of about 1:30 today, we are officially homeowners!  We are so excited!  Here are some pics of the house when it still had the seller's stuff in it...so that might be weird!  I'll post some new pics after we move in and do some painting!  God has blessed us beyond measure and we are so thankful!  There are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms...I won't put pics of everything...but these will give you an idea!  :)  

I also had my doctor's appointment this morning.  She wants me to do an ovulation predictor kit for the next 2 months and start taking prenatal vitamins.  If I am not pregnant in 2 months, I am going to have an HSG done which is a test where they have to run a line into my uterus.  They put dye in me and watch on xray what's going on inside.  Apparently the test is not pleasant!  We are praying and knowing that our God is so faithful and Sovereign!  So, here begins our journey to parenthood!  We approach it prayerfully and absolutely at peace, which I know is His grace poured out on us!  We covet your prayers!

Here's the house!  The picture of the front of the house also has our realtor in it...who did so much to help us!  The picture of the back yard with the deck has my amazing hubby in it!  :)  He is so excited to learn how to do things at the house!  :)

Beautiful Inheritance Part I

Here are some notes from the Beth Moore conference that I went to a few weeks ago.  I'm leaving out a lot of amazing detail...but I wanted to share this!  I'll do the rest in part II soon!  

Psalm 16:5-6

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup, you hold my lot.  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance."  

He redeems, not just to get us out of trouble, but to give us something incredible...an inheritance!

His inheritance always involves 3 things:

1.  Presence- promise to His people of Himself (Genesis 26:23 and Joshua 1:9)

2. People- God's whole idea is relationship (Psalm 16:3, Revelation 7:9, Genesis 12:3, Genesis         22:17-18, Deuteronomy 4:20)

3. Property-  Psalm 16:5 "you have made my lot secure"

So, we have a promise as heirs of God...His presence, His people, and property in Heaven!

1.  I am an heir of God.  My life is not left to chance!

     God works as powerfully through the natural events that He does the miraculous ones!

     Fate has NO power over me!

2.  I am an heir of God.  I am inheriting a kingdom.

     Matthew 25:34

     What do we have now?  Right now we are tenants of the talents.

     Spiritually, we have been brought into the kingdom (Colossians 1:12)

     Heaven is a real-life kingdom!  (not just a bunch of ghost people floating around!)

3.  I am an heir of God.  He is my portion...and I am His.

     Psalm 16, Deuteronomy 10:8-9

     Tribe of Levi was set apart.  they did not have a lot- the Lord told them that He was their         portion

     The Lord tells them that He is the only inheritance that they need.

     1 Peter 2:4-5 We are the New Testament priesthood

     The Lord is our choice portion!

     The Levitical priests were spread out over the earth to be light.  As light in darkness, He is          my portion!  

    Deuteronomy 4:20, 32:9- He considers His own people His inheritance

    Ephesians 1:18 His glorious inheritance IN us, not for us!

    The Lord's treasured possession is His people!

There are 8 statements total...I'll blog a part II later this week!  

P.S.  My doctor's appt. is tomorrow and we're closing on our house tomorrow!  I'll update and post pics soon!  :)

Greet each day knowing that you are an heir of God!  You are His portion, His chosen portion!