Chicago

I told you I was behind on this thing. Ken and I took our one and only senior in the youth group to Chicago the second week of June for her senior trip. Since she was the only one, she knew exactly where she wanted to go...Chicago to do some sightseeing and SHOPPING! Ken's sister lives in a suburb outside of Chicago so we were lucky enough to be able to stay with her and her family instead of a hotel. She works in the city so she took us downtown every morning and we would ride the train back at night. We had a blast. I was nervous that I would ruin the trip for everyone since I was almost 9 months pregnant, but I think I held up pretty well considering we walked a TON! At night I felt like my feet were going to explode but it was worth it. I was proud of this little momma. We did pretty much all the typical Chicago stuff like Navy Pier, Sears Tower, Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, deep dish pizza, lake Michigan, and LOTS of eating. It was a great trip but it was a little sad at the same time because it was the last time we will be spending significant time with Jacqueline who is like a daughter to us. Now that she has moved in with her dad I know that the time we see her will be few and far between, but we also can't wait to see what God has planned for her life as she grows into a young adult. We are so proud of her and love her dearly.

In Millennium Park...it took me forever to get hoisted up on that thing. lol

On top of Sears Tower. Such a great view of the city.

Navy Pier. This pic cracks me up because it goes from Ken (biggest) to the baby(smallest).

I needed to give my aching feet a rest. Enjoying the cool water in Lake Michigan.

Jacqueline, Ken, and me on the ferris wheel on Navy Pier.

Showers of blessings

I've really been neglecting this blog lately so I'm trying to catch up and fill everyone in on the month of June. It was busy and exciting. I had a beautiful shower that the ladies from church threw for me and it was just lovely. They always do such a good job at these kinds of things. Ken and I were spoiled by everyone and basically got everything we needed for this baby and then some. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful church family. Thank you to you all and especially the hostesses who took the time to plan such a fabulous event. We love you all. Here are just a few pictures.

The yummiest cake! I LOVED the filling! Mmmm...

Mommy and me! I like this picture of us.

Two of my gorgeous girls!

Hostess Jen and photographer Alex! Love you girls!

The nursery is finished!

Today we finally finished the nursery. Well pretty much. I still need to find some kind of window treatment and the baseboards need to be put in, but hey it's pretty much done. :) I used a few gift cards we received from very generous friends and bought the last of the decorative items. We got the pictures hung, the glider set up, washed and put away all the clothing and bedding, and now we are just waiting on our little bundle of joy to get here so we can put all this cuteness to good use. Overall I'm very pleased with how the room turned out. Sometimes what I picture in my mind is nothing like the finished product, but this one wasn't too bad. Thank you to my mom who spent many painstaking hours painting the tedious lattice work on the main wall. Thank you to Stacy who helped me pick out the shelves. Thank you Ken's family for the beautiful comfy glider. I already sit in it just to relax. lol Thank you most of all to my wonderful hubby who hung the shelves, installed the beautiful flooring, hung the frames, set up the glider, and for not fussing too much when I snuck some pink in the room. I hope our little girl grows to love this room. I can't wait for her to get here! Just under 3 weeks until the due date!!!!

Showers from the weekend

One thing is for sure. This baby that we are having is sure loved. Over the weekend I traveled to Henderson to spend time with family and friends. On Saturday afternoon mom and I ate lunch with my aunts and cousins at Rafferty's. Give me good food and good company and I am a happy lady. :) My mom's side of the family spoiled us and bought the baby her adorable stroller/carseat travel system. It's gorgeous and we can't wait to put our little girl in it. I've already tried it out on the street while walking Pujols. I hope no one could tell there was no baby in there or someone might think I've lost my mind. lol



Later that evening, my friends came to my mom's house for a shower. I truly have the greatest friends in the world. Not only did they make me cry and were extremely generous with gifts, they are also just too much fun to be around. We had the greatest time taking pictures, laughing about old times, trying to feel the baby move, and brainstorming names for this poor little girl. So far Ken has vetoed all of them. Sorry ladies. :( Here are a few pictures from the weekend. Enjoy!

The Murray State/Alpha Sigma Alpha crew

Laura and Ashley. We've grown up together and are more like sisters than friends.

Lindsey and Emilee, dancing girls. Where do I begin with the memories with these girls?

Mom, the baby, and me (our first picture together: 3 generations)

I'm done!

Well I just got back from preschool graduation. I have completed my last day of work as a preschool teacher. I have to say, it was bittersweet. In one way, I'm so excited to be able to have my summer off, sleep in, get things done around the house, and most importantly be able to stay at home and spend time with my precious little girl when she arrives. On the other hand though, I have loved every minute of my time at Cross Keys teaching these little ones. It's such a great feeling when a child finally learns how to write her name and you know that you have taught them that skill. It is truly amazing how attached I have gotten to these kiddos over the past two years as I have seen them grow from little babies not even knowing how to walk in a straight line to students ready for kindergarten knowing how to count, recognize colors, write letters, spell the alphabet in sign language, spell their name in sign language, interact in a positive way with other children, recite their phone number, cut with scissors, color in the lines, follow multi-step directions, and many many other skills. It's these things along with the hugs and "I love yous" that make all of the planning, cutting out countless pieces for projects, tears, pee pee and poo poo accidents all worth it.

I think it's the little milestones that have meant the most. We had a little guy that had a meltdown every time it was bathroom time. By about mid-year he was able to enter the bathroom and wash his hands only without crying. A few weeks ago he finally started going to the bathroom and wash his hands without being scared and crying. Trust me, it was a day to celebrate for the teachers.

Most importantly though, it has been a blessing teaching these boys and girls the basics of the Bible and who Jesus is. Many of these children don't live in Christian homes and are hearing these Bible stories for the first time. To see the excitement on their faces when we shared the Christmas or Easter story and then hear about how they went home and told mom and dad about it too, it just warms my heart. I thank God for using me as one of His servants to share the gospel with these children and it is my prayer that these small seeds planted will be watered by other people down the path of life and eventually these children and their families will come to know Jesus as their Lord as Savior.


Thank you Lord for letting me be a part of your work with these children. I will miss it, but look forward to how you will use me in the future.

Brandy's graduation!

Some weekends are just sheer blessings from the Lord. Last weekend was one of them. Ken and I got to travel to Arkansas to see his sister Brandy graduate from college. We don't get to see her nearly as often as we like and hardly ever get away for the weekend, so it was a wonderful time to spend with her and each other. To top it off, we got to experience first hand what God is doing in her life since she made Jesus Lord of her life several months ago. We are so proud of her and look forward to seeing what God has planned for her future. Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Beautiful Brandy with her honors medalion. What a smartie!

Brandy and Bobby. He couldn't be nicer.

The fam: Laura, Helen, Betty, Ben, Brandy, me, and Ken

Brandy and big brother Ken.

Mother and daughter. How sweet.

Belly pics!

So I finally uploaded some more pictures to our computer. To appease the masses, here are a couple of belly pics. This is week 30 and I've been asked if I'm having triplets, twins, and told I'm huge. Thanks people. I think it's rather funny. So anyway, here ya go.
Week 19: Right after church. Beginning to round out.
Week 29: Whoah belly! I wonder how huge I'll get. haha