Reed Report

Family Experiment- No Spend October

2010-09-19T22:43:00.004-04:00

oI desperately want to live a more simple life... but I find myself looking for more "things" to make my life simpler and I know that this desire to gather more "stuff" is the exact opposite of what I want. As I was checking the blog world, I came across this challenge on Small Notebook and decided it was just what we needed to break the vicious cycle of stuff.

Sooo... Ben and I have declared October a No Spend Month

Here is our challenge to ourselves: 3 people, 31 days, $250

This means in October we are going to budget just $250 for all food & eating out, gas, clothing, household necessities, & entertainment. We will, of course, still pay our bills, tithe, and pay for any health emergencies that may come up in October.

So, why am I throwing this out into the blog-osphere?

1. We need your accountability... we still have almost 2 weeks left in September to change our minds, but by putting this out there, you know our plans and can hold us accountable. I will also blog each week to let you know our progress and how much we have spent.

2. I want to challenge you to join us in No Spent October. Every family is different, you may be able to spend less or you may have to budget more... whatever your dollar amount is, can you cut your discretionary spending to the bare essentials, really learn the difference in what you need and what you want, and take a step to simplify your life?

Wether or not you are ready to jump on board, I encourage you to go to Simple Notebook and read her articles about No Spend Month. She shares her goals, what she has learned, and tips for making it work for you.

The Road to Port St. Joe

2010-08-02T23:17:00.006-04:00

I have had a crazy few days to say the least... on Thursday night, after sewing for 5 hours, I realized that I had kidney stones...no fun. The rumor is true, at some points it is just about as bad as labor pains. In the midst of all that, Friday and Saturday was Ben's 10 year reunion. I know Ben had a great time catching up with old classmates and we both enjoyed spending time with the Moores and the Vadens. We left the reunion to load up our car and head to FL to meet Ben's family. We drove through the night and arrived early Sunday morning. We are having a great time. The house is absolutely beautiful... I really feel like I am in a Pottery Barn catalog... I will post pictures in my next post.

Here are some pictures of our time so far:

Rachyl Ann and Rex

Sweet little sandy toes... they remind Ben of cinnamon sugar donuts

Walking in Daddy's shoes...one of his favorite things to do

It has become increasingly hard to snap a picture of Rex, he either looks away to closes his eyes...I did manage to get a couple of good ones though.

I really like taking pictures of boats these days

Below is a picture of the back of our beach house

Great Find- Knock Off Wood

2010-04-27T17:33:00.003-04:00

It's true, I love the Pottery Barn... If I had the money, my house would look like the glossy pages of their catalogs that come to my house at least once a month. Alas, a one income pastors salary does not afford the simple, classic designs of the Pottery Barn. I like to think that I am thrifty enough to take the ideas I find there and find similar pieces elsewhere for a much more affordable price... Well my friends, if you are like me in this fetish and you are crafty/handy or have a friend or relative that is, I've found a goldmine for you.
I was reading fellow pastor's wife and friend Susan's blog where she posted her first building project. She mentioned she got the plans from a blog called Knock Off Wood. I visited the site and was blown away at the projects I found... I don't know if I will be as adventurous as Susan and attempt to build my project list myself... I may be delegating it out. Watch out Daddy, Pops, and Ben... I'm making my list to send your way.

London Trip- Extension & Home

2010-04-22T13:01:00.009-04:00

If you haven't heard the good news... we are going home tomorrow... both of us will be back in Nashville at 3:12 Friday afternoon! We are so excited to be back in America and hold and kiss our little Rex... it's been way too long.

Today we took a train to Oxford and took a C.S. Lewis tour. Our to

ur guide knew C. S. Lewis (Jack is what he called him) when he was a boy and was friend with Lewis' stepson. It was neat to get a first hand account of what Oxford and C. S. Lewis were like then... a very fun and interesting day. Here are some pictures of some of the highlights:

Above: Sitting in the pew Lewis and his brother sat in for years... they always got to church early and left while the service was still going on... it was thought that they left so they could be first in line at the pub across the street.

Above: J.R.R. Tolkin's house... the garage behind us was his library and where he wrote the Lord of the Rings.

Above: The path you see on the other side of the river is call Addison's Walk and is where Lewis accepted Christ. We weren't actually able to walk the path because it is part of the college campus below.

The college where Lewis taught English for many years.

The woods behind Lewis' house that is thought to be the inspiration for the Land of Narnia... Lewis used to sit on the same bench below and watch the lake.

Above: Lewis' house

Above: The Rabbit Room at the Eagle and Child Pub is where C. S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkin, and the other "Inklings" met every Tuesday morning to discuss what they were writing. They called it "the Bird and Baby".

London Trip- Day 9 & Extension

2010-04-21T06:40:00.005-04:00

Monday, we went into London to try to see the few more places that we wanted to see on our last day. We went to Big Ben, Westminster Abby, and Buckingham Palace, but did not tour any of them. We also went to the British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone and some other neat things. Airways were still closed and we were hoping with all hope that they would open before our flight... then we got the discouraging news that our flight had been cancelled. They said that even if the airways opened like they were supposed to, we would have no plane to get on because it was still in the US.

As it turns out, only 3 plane flew out of London Tuesday morning before they closed airways again. We decided to make the best of our day and go into London and try to catch a play. We walked around a shopping area called Covent Garden for a while, then went through the remainder of Harrod's, and saw Les Miserables. Fun day and a wonderful play, but in our hearts we just wanted to be home. I've missed Rex the whole time that we have been gone, but I had peace in knowing that he was well-cared for, and that if something happened I could get back to him. The unknown of when or how we might get home, and knowing that we couldn't if he needed us has made me more homesick for him than ever.

So where do we stand today...waiting. The air ban has been lifted and flights have been coming in and out of London for a little over 12 hours. As you might imagine after 6 days of canceled flights, the airports are crazy and everything is booked solid. We are booked on the first available flight, but it isn't until Monday, April 26 (though we are blessed to be on that flight. It was booked for us a few days ago. I have heard that flights are now booked up for 2 weeks or more). The hope is that at least one of us could make it out before Monday, but that possiblity is looking slim.

All of that to say, we are in the best possible situation to be stranded. We are staying with family and are not in need of anything. Rex has grandparents lining up to take him... and who were maybe secretly hoping we would get stuck a few extra days so they could have more time with him. We are not sleeping on the floor of an airport eating McDonald's everyday... this is true for some who have been stranded for the entire air ban.

Please pray that the skies will remain clear and that we would be able to get home soon and safely. Our flight path home does go over Iceland... which makes me nervous, so pray that the volcano is sealed and stops erupting.

Also, Ben was supposed to launch several new community groups on Sunday. With the real possibility that he will not be back in time, Connect has been handed off to other staff members. Please pray that it will run smoothly and that folks will be able to get signed up for groups without any problems.

London Trip- Day 7

2010-04-17T19:22:00.008-04:00

I think today has been one of my favorite days so far. We spent most of the day at the street market on Portobello Road in Notting Hill. The whole time we were there the song from Bed Knobs and Broomsticks played in my head. There was so much to see... pretty amazing. From there we went to Harrod's Department Store because we had a little time to spare before our play started. It was unlike anything that I have ever seen before. It was seven stories and took up a whole city block and extavigent in every aspect, from the items in the store to the way it was decorated. There were even men with trays of champagne in some of the designer rooms. There was even a room for pets where you could spend over 100 pounds on a food and water bowl for your little pooch. The toy room was unbelievable. There was a toy car that a kid could ride in for just under 10,000 pounds... Rex won't be getting one of those for Christmas.

Wicked was also amazing... the theater here rivals that in New York and we were told that actors come from all over the world for a chance to perform. Like the rest of our trip, it was a once in a lifetime experience.

I probably won't post tomorrow. We are going to have a low key day and stay in Egham and catch a service at Hillsong Church tomorrow evening. Monday we plan to finish seeing the sights in London (I will post then). We are having a blast but look forward to seeing our little guy Tuesday... that is if the Volcanic dust lifts and they open flights in and out of London again.

Portobello Road:

Harrods:

The chocolate room reminded me of Willy Wonka

This is a life size model of Buzz made out of legos

Below: Ben with the Harrod's bears... this picture is for Rex, he has a couple of the smaller ones at home.

Wicked:

London Trip- Day 3-6: Scotland

2010-04-16T17:12:00.012-04:00

We left for Scotland early Tuesday morning and arrived by train in Edinburgh around 4:00 pm. Our first order of business was to get something to eat for a late lunch/early dinner. We walked to Royal Mile up to the castle and then down a hill covered with hundreds of daffodils.

We woke up Wednesday morning and had a full Scottish breakfast which consists of: 1 egg (poached, fried, scrambled), bacon (we call it ham), sausage (not like any we have in the US), mushrooms, a broiled tomato, haggis, and a potato scone. Thats right folks, I tried haggis... tasted a lot like dressing/stuffing. We took a bus tour around Edinburgh and took a tour of the castle. I was very cold and miserable for most of the day do it was nice to be able to sit on the bus and see all the sights. The sun came out around 4:00 and just before sunset we climbed up a little hill just down from our hotel, Calton Hill. There was a part on top with a few monuments and gorgeous views of the city. It was a great end of the day... followed by sticky toffee pudding and cheese cake (you can say we ate our way through Edinburgh).

Edinburgh Castle:

Calton Hill:

View of Arthur's Seat & Edinburgh from Calton Hill:

Thursday we took a tour up to St. Andrews stopping at a couple of fishing villages in Fife. I really thought this part of the trip would appeal more to Ben because he is such a golf lover, but I think this has been my favorite part of the trip so far. I was a beautiful day with sun and temperatures reaching almost into the 60's... really unheard of for Scotland this time for year. I really enjoyed walking the beached in the Fife and St. Andrews looking for sea glass (it even inspired me to by some wellies (rain boots) because everyone else walking the

beach was so cute in them). The golf coarse was amazingly beautiful. They were preparing for the 2010 British Open. We also stopped off to see the university

and the old ruins of an abby that Henry VIII had destroyed after the church told him he could not divorce Ann Bolyne.

Fishing Village:

St. AndrewsAbby Ruins:

We got back to London around noon today. After getting Tyler settled on the train back to Egham, Ben and I decided to stay and see more to the sites. We toured St. Paul's Cathedral. Very nice, but I really did not like being up in the dome. Ben climbed to the very top the catherdral, I sat on a bench in the dome and tried not to look up or down while I waited for him. From there we went back to Tragalgar's Square to tour the National Gallery... we saw paintings by Monet, Reimbrant, Michelangleo, and Van Gogh just to name a few. From there we made our way to Piccadilly Circus and ate dinner in a little family run Italian place... probably the best Raviolli I have ever had. It's been a great few days and

we feel so blessed to have the opportunity. Looking forward to tomorrow... Portabello Road in the morning and ending with seeing Wicked.

St. Paul's Catherdral:

Piccadilly Circus: (A lot like Times Square)

London Trip- Day 2

2010-04-12T18:48:00.007-04:00

We've had another great day in the UK. This morning we walked from the house to the train station in Egham to catch the train into London. As we were waiting trying to figure out which tube (subway) we needed to take to get to the Tower of London a man approched us and asked if we needed help. We told him where we wanted to go and he told us that we would sit in the same train car as him and he would show us when we go there. We talked with him on the way over and soon realized that he was a very big deal. His name is Michael Edwards and he developed a system for all catagrizing and labeling all fragrances. He also writes the industry standard guide each year that stores like sephora use. If you google him you can read more about him.

We spent the majority of the day at the Tower of London, very interesting. It was mostly used to hold prisoners until they were executed and all of their bodies were buried. We also saw the crown jewels there... pretty amazing, one of the pieces has a 530+ carat diamond. From there we could also see the London Bridge. After that, we hopped on the tube and went to Trafalgar Square. We hoped to be able to walk around the National Gallery but it was closing as we were getting there... I'll have to see the Van Goghs another day.

Upon Michael's recomendation we ate dinner at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. It is the oldest pub in London built in 1538, destroyed by fire in 1666 and then rebuilt in 1667†. Some of it's famous patrons include, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Samuel Johnson (the one responsible of the Oxford English Dictionary) Ben had bangers and mash (sausages with mashed potatoes), I had chicken with leeks and mushrooms and we ordered a side of bubbles and squeak (mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage, broccoli, and peas). It was all very good, even if we had to ask the waitress

to translate half the menu... I mean "bubbles and squeak"... who came up with naming it that??

We leave in the morning to spend a few days in Scotland. Ben is very excited about seeing it, especially St. Andrews. He says it is a very beautiful place... looking forward to it.

Here are some more pictures of our adventures today:

The Tower of London:

The grass was once a mote

Below is where Anne Boleyn was held prisoner while she awaited her execution

The London Bridge:

Trafalgar Square:

London Trip- Day 1

2010-04-11T13:27:00.005-04:00

Sometimes it's the little things that make me happy. Every time I see a movie where a driver hold up a sign with someone's name on it at the airport I think it would be so cool... well today I got to experience it, and let me just tell you that it was cool to have someone waiting for me with a sign with my name on it. We are glad to finally be in London. It was a very long Saturday, and we have been exhausted today, but we are trying to stay up till a suitable bed time so that we can acclimate to the time change (We are 6 hours ahead of central time). After we got in a settled today we drove around Egham and some of the surrounding areas and then spent most of the day in Windsor. Here are some pics of day one:

We also did some shopping in Windsor... found the British version of my favorite store. It's T.K.Maxx here.

Outside of Windsor Castle

When the flag is up the queen is there... she was there today, but of course we didn't see her.

Easter

2010-04-11T12:57:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures from Easter:

Social Commentary- Food, Inc.

2010-03-22T16:35:00.006-04:00

It seems that I have an opinion on everything, and Ben keeps telling me that I need to be blogging about the things that I am reading and watching. So, I'm trying it out... my mommy blog is going thoughty for a while.

I've known for a while that I have always been a tree hugger at heart. I remember in the 7th grade buying "save the planet" t-shirts and trying to get my mom to recycle. I will say it's much easier to practice what you preach when running your own household and I have even found myself doing things that I thought I would never do- like cloth diaper. Needless to say, being a mom and having a household makes me think a lot about where things come from and where they go when I am done with them.

Ben and I have recently become involved with a great organization called Mission Clarksville and have learned so much about health and food. We had dinner last week with the Mission Clarksville team and they were all talking about the movie Food, Inc. so we decided to pick it up and watch it ourselves. If you know me very well, you know that I have a short attention span, so I tend not to watch many documentaries. I have to say that I found this one very interesting. Let me start by saying that while this movie was a little one sided because the big food companies declined to be interviewed, this is not a movie that will make you want to run out and join peta, become a vegetarian, or beat yourself up about what you put in your body. I think the point is that we all become educated, responsible consumers. For this reason, I think this is a movie that everyone should watch.

What does it meant to be an educated responsible consumer you might ask, here are some suggestions:
1. Know what is in your food and where it comes from- when you shop at the grocery store read the labels and by organic...if you can not pronounce items in the contents, look them up and think twice about consuming them
2. Buy Local- one of the best ways to know where your food comes from is to buy it from local farmers. Go to your farmers market, look for local farms on Craig'sList, or join a local CSA (community supported agriculture). If you are interested in finding out more of what it available in Clarksville, please let me know. We are working on putting together a list of local food providers.
3. Join a CSA- Most communities have them, we actually have two in Clarksville. Basically what you do with a CSA is buy a share of a local farm and then you get a box or fresh, organic veggies delivered to you each week. Both Clarksville CSAs are $700 for a 6 month season... that works out to be $28 dollars per box.... probably only a fraction of your weekly food budget. Go to www.paradiseproducefarm.com or http://doalnara.org to find out more and sign up.
(Pictured above: Actual CSA box from Paradise Produce Farm)
4. Plant a garden- even if it is only a small herb garden in your kitchen window or tomato plants in a pot on your patio, you will save money because you won't be buying those items at the store and you will have the pride of knowing you had a part in growing it.

I think that one of the most touching parts of the film was a real life family making choices about how to spend their food money. The mother said that when you only have a dollar to spend, you look for what it going to fill your family up. She said they look at the price of vegetables and the price of fast food dollar menus and go with the latter because her kids won't be hungry afterward. This is one reason I so enjoy our work with Mission Clarksville. They are striving to make good, healthy food available to everyone in Clarksville. They are taking local high school kids and not only teaching them about hard work, themselves, and nutrition, but they are putting them to work on a local farm and teaching them what it means to take food from seed to the table. They sell the food they grow at local farmers markets and in parts of town where good produce is not readily available as well as preparing it and taking it to local food banks. If you are interested in partnering with them to help change the way families in Clarksville think about food and nutrition and making good food available to them please go to www.missionclarksville.org and find out how you can help.

Helping with the Laundry

2010-02-19T08:00:00.004-05:00

Rex is big on helping and cleaning these days. He'll go to his room and get a wash rag and start wiping down everything in sight. He also likes to pull all of his clothes out of his draws and "put them on." He thinks if it goes over his head he is wearing it, so he walks around with clothes around the back of his neck all the time. This day he decided to help with the laundry by pulling all the clean clothes onto the floor and taking his pants off. He thought this was very funny.This is his "cheese" face. When everyone is laughing or he thinks something is funny he squats down and makes this face... it cracks us up every time, which in turn makes him do it more.

Recipe Wednesday- Cheesy Baked Tortellini

2010-02-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

I have been trying a lot of new recipes lately. I saw this one the other day when watching Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis. I was very yummy and one we will for sure be making again. Enjoy & Happy Cooking!

Cheesy Baked Tortellini

Ingredients

Olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 pound purchased cheese tortellini (I used Whole Wheat)
2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.

Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.

Bubble Bath

2010-02-15T08:06:00.000-05:00

Bath time has always been one of Rex's favorite part of the day... during his 2 week sickness we gave him vapor bubble baths to help him feel better. His favorite part of that: EATING THE BUBBLES!

Snow Days

2010-02-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

We have had a couple of snow days recently. Rex actually wasn't a huge fan of the snow, but here are some pictures:Our House He wasn't sure about the snow or the sled Chloe didn't care much for the snow either Ready to go inside

This weeks snow:

Recipe Wednesday- Snowy Southwest Dinner Party

2010-02-10T08:00:00.008-05:00

Last month we had some wonderful friends over to discuss a great organization helping youth here in Clarksville called Mission Clarskville. I took the opportunity to go all out and have a dinner party. Our menu included shrimp and corn chowder, a simple salad with white bean salsa, Mexican lasagna, and cinnamon chip scones. Since I haven't posted any recipes for Recipe Wednesday in a very long time I decided to give you all the recipes along with some pictures of my table-scape...Enjoy & Happy Cooking!

Shrimp and Corn Chowder
1lb bacon
1 large onion
1 green pepper
3 medium potatoes
3 cans creamed corn
2 can niblet corn
2 lbs pealed shrimp
1 pint half & half
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp each of oregano, garlic, & basil
milk (see below)
salt, pepper, & chopped parsley to taste

In a large heavy pot, fry bacon until crispy. Remove bacon to drain. Saute onion and green pepper with garlic and herbs in remaining bacon grease until soft. Add cubed potatoes and cover with water about an inch above the potatoes. Cover with lid and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are fork tender. Remove from heat and mash potatoes thoroughly. Add corn, half & half, and cream. Stir until well blended. Add milk to desired consistency if needed (I like thick chowder so I did not add milk. Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Stirring constantly, bring to a simmer, but do not boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes (you know its time to reduce heat when you see small bubbles rising to the top). Add shrimp and parsley and simmer until shrimp is done (6-10 minutes max).

White Bean Salsa
Saute tricolor bell peppers, 1 can white beans, 1 large onion, & fresh corn in olive oil & small amount of butter (optional) until tender. Serve over simple salad greens.
I got this recipe from a good friend who puts store bought crab cakes down in salsa while it is cooking, then serves over salad greens... great low fat recipe, not dressing needed.

Mexican Lasagna (from The Pioneer Woman blog)

Cinnamon Chip Scones
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
2 cups flour
4 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 Tbsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp shortening
3/4 cup cream
1 egg
handful of fruit or chocolate chips (I used chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Cut in butter and shortening. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg and add to dry ingredients. Stir in fruit or chocolate chips. Roll dough out and cut into biscuit size rounds. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Simple Living Media

2010-02-09T12:37:00.007-05:00

A while back I discovered a blog called Simple Mom and fell in love the the advise and articles she posted. Her blog is about living a simple, frugal, green life where faith and family are the main focus...something I can for sure get behind. She offers practical tips and ideas on how to carry our such a life making it a great read for any mom.

Yesterday she launched a new venture called Simple Living Media and along with it 4 new blogs: Simple Bites, Simple Home School, Simple Kids, and Simple Organic. In honor of the launch all 4 blogs are offering great giveaways today. Each has three ways to win so visit, read, and enter for your chance to win these great prizes.

Yes, this post means I have re-entered the blog world...thanks for the encouragement to keep writing... I've got several new posts in the works.

Our Little Aquaman

2009-06-04T17:01:00.003-04:00

We took Rex swimming for the first time this weekend and he loves it so much that we've been twice more since. He loves the water and just kicks and coos and chews on his little water toys. I know where we will be spending most of the summer. Here are some pictures of his first trip to the pool.Chillin' out, catching some rays He loves his crab float Drying off with Pops

New Dinning Room

2009-05-06T17:22:00.003-04:00

Since Ben and my birthdays are only a week a part we tend to just ask for money and buy something big. This year we bought a dinning room suite and it was delivered today (the dining room is also our gifts to each other for all celebrations for a long time). If you have never checked out Amish furniture, you must. They make high quality, solid wood pieces for not much more than other furniture stores. Plus every piece is made to order so you can pick your wood, stain, and all other finishes.

First Foods

2009-05-04T17:33:00.007-04:00

We gave Rex his first rice cereal on Friday. I think that he liked it, but he couldn't quite get it in fast enough and that frustrated him a little. I had to hold his hands down while I fed him because he wanted to "help" by sticking them in his mouth with the spoon. Here are some pictures and a video of this momentous occasion.

Rex Laughing

2009-04-21T18:42:00.003-04:00

Rex started really laughing a couple of weeks ago. We have been trying to get on camera since the first time that he did it but have been unable to because he stops every time he sees the video camera. However, last night I finally got it. I was by myself so the video is a little shakey because I was trying to hold the camera and make him laugh at the same time.
Enjoy!

A friend of ours from church blessed us one Sunday with a flip video...it is so cool. It's little so I can carry it around with me in the diaper bag and it has a flip out usb that plugs directly into the computer. I love it. I couldn't have gotten this video without it. Thanks!

Happy Late Easter

2009-04-14T00:54:00.003-04:00

Then and Now

2009-03-23T14:38:00.006-04:00

My sophomore year in college I lived in a suite with 7 of my friends. It was a fun year and Stacey still gets us all together once or twice a year. I have had to miss the past two times so it was especially good for me yesterday to catch up with these girls and hear what the Lord is doing in their lives and see their beautiful families. We had a great day reliving some of our UTM antics and reminiscing about the good ol' days.

Us Then:Right to Left: Me, Stacey, Crystal, Katie Swarthout, Katie Cagle, Marijo, Regina, Kathryn Marijo's Bachelorette Party Barn Party 2003 My Bachelorette Party

Us Now:

Play Date with Story

2009-03-21T20:18:00.004-04:00

We've had a busy weekend so far my mom (Nana) came up last night to get some Rex time in... I'd love to say that she came to see us, but really Rex was the object of her attention. We don't mind, we've learned to live with the fact that we are upstaged.

Rachael and Story Vaden came by this afternoon for a play date. Rex and Story were so cute together. They just talked to one another and smiled at each other. Story is so dainty and sweet and makes cute little girl squeal and yodels we aren't used to hearing (Rex is a grunter). Here are some pictures of our day.Rex and Story getting re-aquainted with each other. I think they will be friends! (Yes, cut all my hair off, not sure what I was thinking at the time.)Sometimes Rex wasn't quite sure what to do with Story and her emotions... he'll likely never figure it out.Story pointing her dainty little feet...already so girly... I love it!

Mom2Mom

2009-03-20T00:46:00.003-04:00

I was hired by the Hope Pregnancy Center in August to start a mentoring program for teen moms. I worked on developing it before Rex was born and the plan was to launch the program November 12... well, we all know Rex came 4 weeks early and I started maternity leave at the end of October. I went back to work in January with a new plan of launching our program March 12 (last Thursday) which I had to cancel because of snow... well, finally, after it's long journey, Mom2Mom has finally launched! We had a great night of fellowship and getting to know one another. We have teen moms and mentors who are excited about being apart of this program... the Lord is moving in this ministry.

Please pray for the girls in the Mom2Mom program, that the Lord will call them to Himself and continue to shape them into the mothers He wants them to be. For the mentors, that they will be open to the Holy Spirit in their relationships with these young moms-to-be. Please pray for the girls who have been given information about the program, but have not yet committed, that God would show them their need for Him and for a mentor. And finally please pray for me and my leadership team as we oversee and run this ministry.

We still have needs for mentors, groups/individuals to provide meals for monthly meetings, volunteers to lead life-skill lessons, funds, and some new baby gear for our store. Please pray about how you might fit into this ministry.

Catching Up

2009-03-05T17:57:00.000-05:00

I have gotten so behind...some of our recent accomplishments are: Celebrated Carson's 4th birthday, Ben and I celebrated our 6th V-day together...but more excitingly our 1st with Rex, Rex's baby dedication at church, we officially switched to cloth diapers (a whole world of possibilities I didn't really know existed and honestly would have made fun of pre-Rex), Ben and I both turned 27 (that sounds so close to 30, but I was reminded that it's still 3 whole years away), and Rex rolled over from his back to his belly (the cheering in our house rivaled that of winning the big game, tummy time has paid off), Rex also has begun to cut his first teeth (I can't believe my little guy is old enough to have teeth... 4 months have gone by so quickly).

Here are some pictures...I know that's what you really want to see. There are a lot...get ready to spend some time scrolling down.Yea! Unc is turning 4!London loved Rex and wanted to rock him and pat his head Getting ready to go to our first Valentine's Party Rex's dedication dinner (Carson was watching Franklin in the background)Cloth Diaper Cutie Angel Baby (He loves looking at himself in the mirror)

Recipe Wednesday- Sausage and Tortellini Chowder

2009-02-04T00:26:00.005-05:00

This is my grandmother's recipe and is great for the cold weather we are having. It makes a lot of soup so it's good to share. I actually made it last week, had Ben's parents over, and we are still eating on it.

Sausage and Tortellini Chowder

One lb bulk Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 T butter and 1 T olive oil

2 cups broccoli florets

1 32 oz carton of chicken broth

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

9 oz cheese tortellini, cooked and drained

½ t. pepper

½ t. dried basil

½ t dried thyme

2 qts half and half

1\2 cup grated Romano cheese

In skillet, cook and crumble sausage until no longer pink. Drain. Set aside.

In same skillet, sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms in butter and olive oil until tender. Set aside.

In Dutch oven or equivalent cook the broccoli and carrots in chicken broth until tender.

Stir in sausage mixture. Add soup, tortellini, pepper, basil and thyme.

Heat through. Stir in cream and Romano cheese: heat through.

Yield 12-16 servings. (Four Quarts).

Note: I had cauliflower and zucchini that I needed to use so I used that instead of the carrots and broccoli and it was great. I also only had half the called for amount of half and half so I supplemented with milk...this did not work so great. It seems like a lot of cream, but it makes to soup REALLY good. Also, you can use whole wheat tortellini to make it South Beach friendly.

Enjoy!

Football Fan and Bedtime Man

2009-01-26T20:58:00.004-05:00

One of our sweet friends from Taylorsville made Rex a blanket and TN burp cloth. We set him up with them to get some pictures to send in the thank you note and discovered he is a true UT fan!Go Big Orange!

Rex spent his first night in his room last night... I think it was a more monumental event for me than for him. Up to this point he has been in our room in the pack and play where just hearing him breath and stir around gives me comfort and peace of mind. However, it was time for him to move down the hall to his very own room. He has consistantly been sleeping through the night and Ben's alarm wakes him up every morning. It's fun to watch him grow and develop, but sometimes it can be a little sad too. He looks so much smaller in his big boy crib than his does on his pack and play.Sleeping soundly in he sleep sack thanks to Brent and Cortney!

Sweet Pictures of Our Sweet Boy

2009-01-22T13:38:00.004-05:00

I thought you all might enjoy some pictures we have taken over the past few weeks. Rex is doing great. Is little incision does not seem to bother him at all, and other than all of us having a little cold we are wonderful.Almost got that sweet smile that we have yet to been able to capture on camera. He never seems to want to flash it when we get the camera out.Enjoying some Tummy Time... which is not currently on e of Rex's favorite pastimes, but we try as long as he tolerates it so he can grow strong. Chilling before bathtime. He's getting to be a chubby little thing.Our babies...they get along so well... until the day Rex starts chasing Chloe around trying to pull her tail.

Thanks For Your Prayers

2009-01-14T16:11:00.013-05:00

Thanks to everyone who prayed for our little Rex yesterday. He did such a good job and did not even fuss much before or after his surgery (which makes us thankful for what a good, easy-going baby he is). Everything went fine during his surgery, when they got in there they realized they only had to repair one side which is a huge blessing. He woke up without any complications, and besides being hungry and tried was a happy baby. He was even smiling and flirting with the nurses when he was moved to a room. He is a tough little guy and we praise the Lord that there were no complications. I will say, one of the hardest things I have ever done was handing him over to the nurse before his surgery.

Here's some pictures from yesterday:

They gave Rex little Vanderbilt PJs to wear before his surgery. He was so cute in them and so hungry. We couldn't feed him past 7am and it was after 1pm before they came and got him. We've never seen his belly to empty.
Gigi (Cindy) got him a seahorse that lights up and plays music and ocean sounds. He really likes it and it lulled him to sleep last night each time the nurses woke him up to check on him.

Making Up for Lost Time

2009-01-12T12:49:00.006-05:00

I got a new camera for Christmas (Canon PowerShot A1000IS in blue) and it has made it so much fun to take pictures of Rex. Don't get me wrong, I love taking pictures with my D50, but it's not always convenient. I love that I can throw this little point and shoot in my diaper bag and have it at hand whenever a photo-op pops up. Here are some current pics of our little guy.

A couple of weeks ago he started smiling when you talk to him and cooing. When we sit him in his bouncy seat he just stares and the cow and bird and smiles at them and talks to them. We haven't been able to get his full smile on camera, but here are some cute grins.

Fun relaxing with Daddy... one of Rex's favorite pastimes.
We took him for his 2 month check up Friday. He is growing and progressing wonderfully! He was 9.8 lbs which still just puts him in the 3% for weight and is 21 inches long which puts him in the 1% for height, but his growth curve looks really good and is actually steeper than average. He's just making up for lost time and should be caught up with his peer size wise by the time he is about 5 or 6 months.

Ben's Graduation

2009-01-11T22:53:00.008-05:00

I know I start every blog out like this, but once again I am behind the times when it comes to posting blogs. Ben graduated from Southern Seminary with his MDiv on Friday, December 12. It was a very cold day and I ended up having to walk quite some distance alone with Rex, so needless to say my camera didn't make the journey. We had a wonderful time with friends and family. I am so proud of Ben for this accomplishment. I got these pictures from my friend Rachael's facebook page. We're proud of both accomplishments, the babies and the grads!Rex and Story's first date (Rex was actually not very happy for the pictures, we later discovered it was because he had pooped up his back... I think he was upset because he was embarrassed in front on his date.)

Me and Rachael Before and After:

Prayer for Rex

2008-12-29T21:01:00.004-05:00

Please keep our little guy in your prayers. We noticed a knot on him when we were changing his diaper last week and it turns out that he has a little inguinal hernia. We caught it before it became inflamed or infected so it is not a emergency situation but he is going to have to have surgery to repair it. We we to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital today to have a consult with his surgeon. All went well and his procedure is scheduled for January 13. Normally it is an outpatient surgery but since he is a preemie they will keep him for 24 hours to watch for apnea spells. Over all hernias are fairly common in premature boys and his procedure is routine.

We couldn't resist taking his picture today in his little hospital gown. It just proves he is cute in everything he wears. (We took the picture with Ben's cell phone so the picture quality is not that great).

Thanksgiving and More

2008-12-10T16:35:00.004-05:00

Time has gotten away from me, but I have some new pictures to post from Thanksgiving and of Rex just being Rex. Enjoy!

Gobble till you wobble, this cute onesie was a gift from our friends Adam and Kayce and his first time wearing newborn sized clothes... he's growing up on us.Playing with Mr. Cow and Mr. Bird in his boucey seat...a favorite past time My boys can't even stay awake to watch a whole TV show Getting ready for bed in his big boy newborn sized pjs...no more preemie clothes for Rex We noticed he was fighting to get his hands free from his swadlle blanket so we moved him up to a sleep sack. He his very cute and cuddly in it. This one is neat because it has flaps that you can add to swaddle which I use after his middle of the night feeding because his hand get cold, but he much prefers to have them free. I tried putting little mits on him to keep his hands warm, but he gets mad and pulls them off. Overall, he dislikes going to bed...I se e this becoming more and more of a stuggle as he gets older.

Recipe Wednesday- Pumpkin Treats

2008-11-26T12:12:00.003-05:00

Since I have not been posting very many recipes lately, here are two of my favorite pumpkin treats to make... just in time for Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

25 NABISCO Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)

1/2 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Dash ground cloves

Make It

PREHEAT oven to 325°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300°F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1-1/2 cups of the batter; place in small bowl. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

BAKE 55 min. to 1 hour 5 min. or until center is almost set. (Test doneness by gently shaking the pan. If the cheesecake is done, it will be set except for an approximately 2-1/2-inch area in the center that will be soft and jiggly.) Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Simple Fall Dessert Squares

1 box yellow cake mix
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 Eggs
13.5 oz pumpkin butter (could also use Apple butter or Cranberry relish)
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13 baking pan.

Reserve 1 cup of cake mix in a small bowl.

In another bowl, stir together remaining cake mix, 8 Tbsp melted butter, and 1 egg. Pour into prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together pumpkin butter with the remaining 2 eggs and the milk. Spread over the cake batter in the baking pan.

Add the flour, sugar, and cinnamon to the small bowl with the reserved cake mix and stir together. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut the butter until pea sized crumbs form and the mixture clumps together. Crumble over the mixture in the baking dish.

Bake until golden, about 40 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool. Cut into squares and serve.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chloe's Identity Crisis

2008-11-24T20:39:00.003-05:00

We have been calling Chloe the little momma because she has been acting like Rex is her baby. When he cries she goes running to see what is wrong, every now and then she feels the need to check on him to make sure he is alright, and she loves to give him kisses (we have limited them to his feet, but if she had it her way she would kiss his face and hands).

However, this evening we discovered that she may still want to be the baby of the family. This is where we found her while we were fixing dinner.

Rex Update

2008-11-23T16:46:00.006-05:00

Ben and I realized last night that we have not been taking pictures of our little Rex... He has changed a lot in the last three weeks and we haven't even thought to document it.

We had to take him to the doctor on Monday because he had a clogged tear duct. I could tell that he really didn't feel well, but after a week of antibiotics he is back to good health. Please continue to pray for him to stay healthy this winter as RSV and Rotavirus are a huge risk for him.

We have been working with the Lactation Consultant, Kristi, and Gateway. She has been wonderful in helping Rex and I learn how to nurse. I told her that I thought that he was getting about 3oz to eat because that is what he took from a bottle. She told me that she didn't think so since newborns his age only take about an ounce to and ounce and a half and bottle fed babies tend to overeat because they get milk faster from a bottle. However, on Friday she weighed him before he ate and he was just over 6lbs 1oz... after he ate she weighed him again and he was 6lbs 4oz. What can I say he, eats like a little piggy! He is beginning to outgrow some of his preemie clothes so I am getting the newborn size ready. I still look at some of his clothes that are 3 months and up and think there is no way that he will ever fit in them because they look so big, but I'm sure he will be in them before we know it.

Today is my due date and he will be 4 weeks old tomorrow... we feel blessed to have had him for an extra month! After thanksgiving we are going to take him to get his 1 month pictures made (it is super convenient that my dad is a budding photographer). Till then here are some pictures we took last night.

Our Little Boy is Growing

2008-11-07T19:29:00.003-05:00

We went to meet with the lactation consultant this morning to see how Rex was doing with eating... He's a little piggy. She weighed him before I feed him and he was 5 lbs 1.5oz ( He was just 4 lbs 11oz on Monday)! That is about an ounce a day. He is for sure getting enough to eat and she said if continues to eat like he is he is going to be a chubby little thing. So much for the thought he might get more wear out of his clothes since he is so little.

More from Baby Rex

2008-11-06T17:42:00.010-05:00

Here are some more pictures of our little Rex. We have made a new parental discovery... what I eat affects him. I had Mexican food Tuesday night for dinner and our little guy was fussy with an upset stomach and gas all day yesterday. I'm sure somewhere along the line someone told us this, I guess we just had to discover it on our own.

Butterfly Rex

These little swaddle blankets are lifesavers for us. He loves to be swaddled and won't sleep at night unless he is. We think they make him look like a little catapiller in a cacoon... some day he may hatch into a beautiful butterfly!

Rex's 1st Bath

Sometimes everything is so serious with him Other times he just likes to be silly Clean, warm, and cuddly

Rex's Room His room has finally come together. We are just waiting in a picture to come in to hang above his changing table.

Yea! Rex is Here!

2008-11-01T22:55:00.013-04:00

Well, if you guessed that I would have Rex before Rachael has little girl Vaden, you were right. I went to the hospital Saturday night because I thought that my water broke, they sent me home on antibiotics. I felt aweful all day Sunday, but figured I was just coming down with something. We went back to the hospital about 1:30am because I was bleeding and my water broke as soon as I got there. 17 hours later Rex entered the world. He was born October 27 at 7:08pm weighing 4lbs 13oz and was 18 inches long. Here are some pictures of his first few days.

Rex's first close-up just minutes after his birth Warming up under the bright lights Look at all that hair One proud Daddy Bright Eyes Tennessee Eskimo First Pascifier Getting ready to go home...

We've been home a couple of days now are are feeling great and adjusting to life as parents. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. More pics and updates to come soon!

Rachael's Shower

2008-10-18T20:40:00.009-04:00

Cindy and I hosted a baby shower for some sweet friends of ours, Brett and Rachael. Ben has been buddies with Brett since middle school and I got to know them in college, then we all ended up in Louisville at Southern together... we miss our time with them now that we are in Clarksville. Here are some pictures of the day:Instead of having a cake made, we decided to go with trendy cupcakes. A friend of ours from church made them for us... she loves to make cupcakes if anyone needs them made for their next function!

Cindy and I getting ready for the shower... it was a lot of work, but so much fun. I really enjoy organizing parties like this!

Somewhere along the way we decided that it would be fun to make cookies as shower favors... about half way into decorating them we changed our minds. We decided to take the easy way out and dip them in chocolate. My mom is the Cookie Queen and can make them look like Martha herself decorated them. I didn't inherit that talent so I will be dipping cookies in chocolate from here on out. They may not be as fancy, but they sure taste great!
This is going to have to count as my 34 week belly picture (actually I will be 35 weeks tomorrow). Rachael and I are actually both due November 23rd. Cast your vote by leaving a comment on who you think with have a baby first.

Tag, I'm It

2008-10-16T14:50:00.002-04:00

So I have been tagged by my friend Grace on her blog. My instructions are that I am to post 6 facts about myself and the tag 6 other people. I usually don't do these "chain letter" type things but this one seems harmless enough... plus I can tag a couple of people who I haven't heard much from by way of blogs lately. So here we go:

1. Ben often makes fun of my OCD tendencies (which I have discovered that I share with all my cousins and we got it from our Grandpa). He most gets a kick out of the fact that I have to sit in the absolute middle of the movie theater (yes, I always count the seats, and sometimes the rows too) and the fact that when we go grocery shopping I have to have all like items grouped together on the counter at the check out line.

2. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, I love every thing about it except for cold, rainy fall days. My least favorite time of the year in mid-January through February (crazy since my Birthday is in February)... If I could have it my way it would start getting warm again right after New Years.

3. Ben and I met our very first day of college in the school cafeteria at Martin. That was the beginning of our friendship that turned into a relationship over 3 years later because our pinkies "accidentally" touched.

4. My favorite number is 3... it's Ben's favorite number too. Just a crazy coincidence we discovered in college.

5. I am the only person in Ben's family with brown eyes (including extended family). Next month we'll see if baby Rex makes number 2. I know he is going to be the cutest thing I've ever see no matter what he looks like, but I secretly hope that he has my dark hair and Ben's blue eyes.

6. My favorite house chore is vacuuming because I like the sound the vacuum makes when it is sucking thing up.

So here are the rules if I tag you...
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on the blog.
3. Write six random facts about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged.
6. Let the taggers know when your entry is up.
I am tagging...

Mindy, Laura T., Lori, Emily, Stephanie, & Ben

Buying Presents for Santa

2008-10-13T08:00:00.004-04:00

Beth told me that they took Carson to ToysRUs last weekend so he could pick out some things to ask Santa for. First of all, he wanted to get a buggy to put all the things in that they were going to buy for Santa. Beth explained that is not how it works and they continued shopping. Carson was able to to pick out a lot that he wanted for Christmas and was so excited he started dancing around. He then said "Oh Mommy, I have to pee, I have to pee" and before she could do anything about it he followed with "Oh Mommy, I am, I am." He then explained that it was just and accident and they happen and it is okay. Beth soon discovered from the efficiency of the ToysRUs staff to handle to situation that this sort of thing must happen often.

Here's the question that I am posing. What do we get so excited about that we lose all since of control? What events are things are we most looking forward to? Answering these questions may give us a clue to the state and allegiance of our hearts and help us figure out if our desires have turned into sinful demands. Ponder for a moment and ask God to show you things in your heart that may need to be changed.

Don't Send Us $$ to Nigeria

2008-10-12T16:43:00.005-04:00

I have a lot to update you all on... it's been a crazy couple of weeks for us. Most recently, someone hacked into our home computer, stole Ben's email accounts and sent out spam email (if you got an email from him at utkvet@hotmail.com, sorry, but we are not in Nigeria, there has been no emergency, and we don't need you to send money), charged stuff to our paypal account, and invaded our privacy. We've spent the last couple of weeks wiping out our computer and changing all our accounts and sorting through the mess just like our identity has been stolen. We finally go back up and running with Internet Thursday... it's amazing how much your rely on something when you don't have it. Life lesson learned... if you have wireless Internet MAKE SURE IT IS SECURE!

All that to say, I've not been able to post, but I have some exciting things to add in the next week or two including new belly pictures and info on little Rex's development, a video from our 3D/4D ultrasound (if Ben can figure it out), and a new recipe. Stay tuned...I promise it's coming soon!

Sneak Peek 2

2008-09-16T22:25:00.003-04:00

We still have not finished Rex's room but Jim came out on Friday to finish the wall. It looks great. Some of you have asked if Jim has a website and he does. It's www.decorativefinishes.blogspot.com. The letters are from Uppercase Living, they have a lot of really neat products that look like hand painted lettering. I think that there is someone in our church that sales it (I will find out and update this post with that info), or you can find a rep in your area on their website.

We went to the doctor today and had an ultrasound. They were training a new ultrasound tech today so it was hard to see a lot this time, but it was so neat to see how much he has grown in the past 11 weeks. We got so see a close up of his sweet little face... it made us all the more eager to have him here. Everything looked great... he and I are both growing on schedule. He is in the 50th percentile in terms of weight and I have gained a whopping 22 lbs. My doctor did warn me to take it easy on the Halloween candy. I guess we will be waiting until the last minute to buy that... Since I did not have a sweet tooth before little Rex, I hope that it goes away after he comes. South Beach is so much easier to follow when you don't crave sweets!

Recipe Wednesday- Stuffed Squash

2008-09-10T23:49:00.004-04:00

I have gotten a good response from the other recipes that I have posted on here... so I think I am going to start "Recipe Wednesday." I know I will not be able to post a recipe every Wednesday (I really don't cook that much lately), but I am setting a goal of two recipes per month. Hope you enjoy!

I got this weeks recipe out of Tennessee Home & Farm Magazine and tried it a couple of nights ago when we had some friends over. We liked it so much I will be making it again soon.

Stuffed Squash

Ingredients:

6 medium yellow squash
½ cup green bell pepper, diced
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped and seeded
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs

4 slices bacon, fried until crisp and crumbled Pinch seasoned salt
2/3 teaspoon Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Butter (for sautéing)

Procedure:

In large pot, cover squash with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash are tender but firm, about 8 minutes. Drain squash and cool slightly. Trim stems and cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove pulp, then chop it into small pieces. Reserve squash shells.
Sauté bell pepper and onion in butter until soft. Then, sauté squash pulp (about 1 cup) in separate pan until soft. Combine pulp with onions, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, breadcrumbs, bacon and seasoned salt. Place hollowed squash shells in a baking dish, and sprinkle the inside of each with Kosher salt and pepper.
Spoon squash mixture into each shell. Top with additional breadcrumbs and drizzle top with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until top is golden.

** I left out the bell peppers because we don't care for them. Also, to make it more healthy (south beach friendly) I use crushed TLC crackers with Italian seasoning instead of the bread crumbs.

Let Me Eat Cookies

2008-09-08T16:38:00.002-04:00

I have been sweating it a little the past couple of day because I failed my 1 hour blood glucose test. I have never had a sweet tooth, but since I have been pregnant I have craved cookies and sweets of all kinds (especially things with cinnamon). How was I going to satisfy that craving if I was diabetic!?!?

Last week I took a 3 hour blood glucose test (no fun at all!) and have been anxiously waiting for the results. I got the call today and I passed! Yea! I can still eat cookies!

Sneak Peek

2008-08-29T17:04:00.006-04:00

We have had Jim Wilcox out all week to paint Rex's room... I am super excited about the way that it turned out. We don't have the furniture or anything in there yet, but I thought I would give you a sneak peek of what's to come.

27 Week Picture

2008-08-27T20:50:00.003-04:00

Here is my 27 week picture, I know I forgot to take a picture for 23 week...we'll just blame it on the pregnancy brain. Rex has made great developments since my 19 week update. Last month Ben was able to feel him move for the first time. His lungs were also making large developments that will help him breath after he is born.

Right now the probably weighs about 2.5 pounds and by the end of the month (30 weeks) he will be about 3 pounds and be about 11 inches long. His little eyelids will also start to open and he will be able to see the difference between light and dark. He is also starting to make grasping motions with his hands and his taste buds are developed.

New Look

2008-08-25T21:51:00.005-04:00

I have been trying for a while to find a new look for my blog without spending money for someone to custom design a blog template for me. I have downloaded free templates that I could never get to work and each time ended up more frustrated than before.
Thanks to Emily Doss who recently posted about her new blog look, I finally found my answer. Let me know what you think.

Follow the link http://lenatoewsdesigns.blogspot.com/ for your own free blog makeover... it's super easy and super fun!

Perfect Summer Salad

2008-07-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

With the holiday weekend quickly approaching so is the season for potluck cookouts. This salad is one of my favorite things to make and take to summer potlucks because it it quick, easy, and it is always a hit. Just note that it makes a lot, but the leftovers are better the longer they marinate.

Summer Marinated Salad

1 16oz bottle Italian Dressing
2 16oz cans black-eyed peas (rinsed & drained)
1 16oz can black beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can whole kernel yellow corn (drained)
1 can shoe-peg or white corn (drained)
1 can sliced black olives (drained)
1 bunch green onions (tops and all)
1 box cherry or grape tomatoes (sliced)
1 bell pepper (green, orange, yellow, or red)

Combine all ingredients and allow to marinate several hours or overnight.

Enjoy and have a happy 4th of July!

Peace Offering

2008-07-02T15:55:00.008-04:00

This morning I watched Brandon and Kara's new puppy, Libby. Chloe was not very fond of her at first. I really think that she just doesn't like dogs that are smaller than her (She was scared to death of my aunts chihuahua last Christmas even though she was half her size). Chloe seemed to be getting frustrated with Libby because she wasn't playing like she wanted her to. She looked up at me as if to say "what is this thing you have brought into my house and when is it leaving?!?"

Then the most amazing thing happen. Chloe went over to her toy bucket and got out her favorite lamb toy and gave it to Libby to play with, sort of like a peace offering. The rest of the morning they played together just fine. This made me ponder... who am I frustrated with because they didn't do something my way... to whom do I need to extend a peace offering? As humans it is so easy to hold a grudge against someone who has wronged us, hurt us, or just plain annoys us. But, as Christians we are called to forgive and show grace just as Christ has done for us. Is there anyone in your life that needs a peace offering from you?

It's A Boy

2008-07-01T12:22:00.002-04:00

We had our ultrasound and doctor's appointment on Thursday and found out that we are having a boy. We are so excited! Everything looked good at our appointment and our little guy measured out one day older than he really is. We have a sweet picture of his little foot. We could see all 5 toes and they look like Ben's (the second toe is longer than the big toe). Ben could not stop looking at his own feet after I pointed it out...I think he was amazed that his son already takes after him (to read Ben's thoughts on all this, visit his blog at www.benreed.net). He has long legs (also like Ben) and we could see him sucking his thumb. They put the ultrasound on a DVD for us and I can't tell you how many times I have watched it, in awe at God's handy work.My 19th week of pregnancy started Sunday; which, according to my books, begins the 5th month. Above is a picture of what I look like at 5 months pregnant ... I'm defiantly starting to look it. I didn't sign up for one of those websites that give you progress of your baby's development each month...sometimes with those it seems more like you are growing a vegetable garden rather than a baby. But, for your information at 19 weeks our little guy is about 6 inches long and about the size of a grapefruit. Next week he should be about 10 inches long and weigh about 10.5 oz (about the size of a banana or carrot). He has also made some pretty impressive milestones:
At 3 month he developed bones and muscle and his kidneys started to function.
At 4 months his ears finished developing, he could flex his arms and legs, and his teeth were forming under his gums.
This month, his bones have become strong enough that I have started to feel him move (he actually kicked to ultrasound tech and I have been able to feel him ever since). He is growing toe nails and the hair he will be born with. He can hear now, and his taste buds are starting to form.
The Lord is defiantly amazing... the fact that he knit me together in my mothers womb has taken on a whole new meaning.

Catching Up

2008-06-04T16:49:00.005-04:00

I know... I have not been good at blogging. We have had a whole lot going on lately. I'm sure that everyone has heard by now that we are expecting. Baby Reed is due to come November 23 (Bible Sunday). We have had two doctor visits and so far everything is progressing normally. It was so amazing to hear the little heart beat and see Baby Reed moving around, being pregnant became so much more real. As long as the baby cooperates we should find out the sex June 26. I have no mother's intuition about what it is, but last night someone in our community group told me she thought it was a boy because of the way I am starting to show. She has had two boys so she may know what she is talking about. We really don't have a preference either way, but I did see a glimmer in Ben's eye when she said that. I am starting to feel more "normal" in that my sickness seems less and less frequent, but I still have days when no matter what I do I feel exhausted all day. I will be 4 months on Sunday (I will try to remember to post a picture so you all can see the little baby bump).

Pregnancy has really changed me. I seem much more mellow and don't really like being in large groups or being touched any more. I'm sure that's a combination of hormones, not feeling well, and being tired. Oh, and my emotions have been off the charts lately. I have also discovered that "pregnancy brain" is very real. I truly can't remember anything anymore (I have had some moms tell me that they never got their brain back after pregnancy). Also, I tell Ben that the baby is already taking after him because I have become a much earlier riser in the morning and crave sweets more often. I'm sure more changes are to come.

Other than that, we have had several friends here to visit us, my brother's graduation from UT, my grandmother has been in and out of the hospital, and the regular hustle and bustle of life. It's been a busy month for sure. We leave for the beach on friday, but after that it's back to receptions, weddings, and home improvements before Baby comes.

Are you connected?

2008-04-23T15:42:00.004-04:00

It's sometimes pretty tough to feel like you're really connected to your local church, isn't it? It's easy to get lost in the shuffle, whether you're a part of a big church or a small one. You can come and go every Sunday and yet never have much personal connection with other believers. The Christian life was not designed to be lived alone (see Genesis 2:18). We were created with a need for God and a need for meaningful relationships with people. When we choose to live life in isolation, we're missing out on so many of God's great blessings.

Our relationships aren't perfect. In fact, they're often really messy. It all goes back to sin (see Genesis 3). When you bring sinners into close proximity with each other, we tend to mess things up. We sin against each other in our motives, thoughts, and actions. At times, it's not pretty! But Scripture gives us hope that our relationships, while imperfect, can get better. They can begin to be characterized by love, compassion, forgiveness, and humility where once impatience, pride, dishonesty, and divisiveness were given free reign.

That being said, you need meaningful relationships! God knows our struggles, our pains, and our weaknesses. Amazingly, He often helps us with these struggles in the context of community - authentic, life-changing, hope-inspiring, transforming relationships. Would you like to be a apart of that? How about starting a small group with folks at your church? How about starting a Bible study and inviting your neighbors, who may or may not be saved? If we want relationships that are life-changing and transforming, we're going to have to work hard at it. It doesn't come easily, but it's worth the effort. There's the real opportunity that you'll get hurt...but, there's the real opportunity that the Lord is going to use others to change you, if you'll step out in faith trusting that He's in control. It's worth the risk. I'm giving it a shot. If you try it, let me know how it goes.

Ben

Brandon and Kara's Wedding

2008-03-25T10:03:00.003-04:00

Hey guys, we wanted to post some pictures from Brandon and Kara's wedding. Here's the slideshow we put together.

Video Test

2008-03-19T00:23:00.003-04:00

Trying to see if we can put video on the blog... thought I would start with something funny. If this doesn't make you want to have kids, I don't know what will!

Enjoy!

NOTE: This is just a random kid on youtube... not my brother

Settling In

2008-01-23T17:53:00.000-05:00

I've been bad about updating the blog... I guess my only excuse is that we have been busy settling in. Ben loves his job here, which is such a blessing. God has been so gracious to surround us with wonderful, godly people everywhere we have lived and Grace Community is no different. We have met so many wonderful people who have been so kind and welcoming. Part of Ben's job as Director of Community Groups has been to visit all of the existing groups to get to know the leaders and group members. We have so enjoyed this opportunity and can't wait to have a community group of our own.

I still have not been able to find a job here in Clarksville, but I have several applications out that I am still waiting to hear from and I know that the Lord has a place for me to serve. Although I am anxious to find a job, I have enjoyed my time off work. I am thankful that I have had the time to unpack boxes and organize our little home. My most proud accomplishment is my ever shrinking mountain of boxes... below is a picture of how far I have come. I wish that I had taken a before picture, but really boxes covered our whole basement. Now I have them confined to this one little corner.

Also keeping us busy is preparation for Brandon and Kara's wedding (Ben's brother). I have a tendency to volunteer myself for jobs that become much larger as I get into them... The upcoming Reed wedding is no exception. I have been up to my eyeballs in shower invitations and addressing and stuffing wedding envelopes. It has kept my busy, but I have enjoyed it... it makes me wonder if I should be a wedding planner. If anyone knows of an opening let me know.

Check out the "Sites to Visit" part of our blog. I have added the website to our church and Ben is starting to blog there sometimes. They also have a new feature where the staff answers a funny but random question of the week... the answers are fun to read.

Our New House

2007-12-02T21:46:00.001-05:00

We're officially homeowners now. Actually, we have been for almost 2 weeks now...I know I said that I would be sure to post pictures right after closing, but needless to say things have been crazy for us. Here are some pictures of the house:Our first picture as homeowners!Living room (Kitchen to the right)... Ben thinks he needs a flat screen TV for the nook above the fireplace!View of Kitchen from Living Room Alternate view of Kitchen Dining Room Master Bedroom Our backyard & deck

The Friday after Thanksgiving we had a "family work day" at the house to get it ready to move in to... wiped down, fix-uped, cleaned, everything. We love our backyard but I was really dreading having to rake up all the leaves... then I found out that I wouldn't have to. Ben and Pete went out there with the lawn mower and leaf blower and cleaned it up in no time... I was so grateful!
Brandon and Kara also helped us put up our Christmas tree. We knew with moving right in the middle of December we wouldn't put up a tree unless we did it while we were in for Thanksgiving.

Change on the Horizon

2007-10-23T21:24:00.000-04:00

If you had asked me 10 years ago if I would be in Clarksville in 2007 and what I would have been doing, I would have told you, "Yeah, probably so...I'll be a Veterinarian." Of course, 10 years ago would have been my Sophomore year of high school, and I was just certain that I was going to be a Vet. Psalm 33:10 says, " The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples." Over the course of a few years, the Lord frustrated my plans, and I surrendered them. By this, I don't say that it is wrong for a person to become a Veterinarian, or any other profession. But for me, the Lord had different plans.

When we first moved to Louisville from Knoxville, we thought that it would be best if I would focus on school without the added responsibility of serving on staff in a church. Throughout those two years, I struggled with that, though. I had left Vet school to go into the ministry, and now it didn't seem that I was any closer than before we had moved. In August of 2006, I took a position at Little Mount Baptist Church. They had no youth, and wanted to start a youth program, and that's why I came on board. Over the last year, the Lord really has blessed Little Mount. We've had 9 professions of faith, and we can see real growth in Christlikeness in the youth.

Throughout our year at Little Mount, we've formed some deep relationships. I never imagined that it would be so heart-wrenching to leave a church (I feel as if I'm turning my back on my family), but this past Sunday, our departure from Little Mount began. We have accepted a position at Grace Community Church, where I will shepherd the community groups. Community groups are small groups of 12 to 15 peole who commit to meet weekly for 12-18 months. During these meetings, people study the Bible and live life together, sharing the victories and defeats of life. Basically, they "do church." My role will be two-fold. I will strengthen, encourage, and equip the existing community group leaders as they shepherd their group. I will also enlist new leaders. This is going to be a big task. Grace is growing so quickly that they have a deficit of leaders. They have lots of people that are willing to commit to community groups, but not enough leaders for the groups. I'm sure that many leaders are already there, they just need to be told that they can actually do it. This responsibility will fall on me.

We're excited to begin serving at Grace. This is a great opportunity, and is something that we did not think would be available for many years down the road. But the Lord has made this opportunity available for us, and we are ready to get going. We are praying even now that the Lord would continue to place a burden in our hearts for the lost in Clarksville.

We hope to hear from you soon.

--Ben

Bittersweet News

2007-10-21T23:48:00.001-04:00

Wow... I can't believe that it has been so long since I have posted anything to our blog. A lot of exciting things have happened in the last month, most of which we have been unable to talk about... that is until now. All announcements have been made, and all information in public knowledge, so I guess the last thing to do is share the news will all you who may not know. I guess I will start from the beginning...

A couple of months ago on a random Wednesday night Ben received a phone call from a pastor in a church in his home town (Clarksville, TN) asking if he would be interested in a position that they had. We were caught off guard, flattered, but a little reluctant to move forward with anything. Ben still has a year of Seminary left, we were really happy in our position at Little Mount and the way the Lord was moving, and we were unsure about the church in Clarksville and their beliefs. We prayed about it for a couple of days and decided that we should at least meet with the pastor and find out more about the church and the position. To make a long story short, we had several meetings with the staff at the church, asked them a lot of hard questions, sought the counsel of our family and other wise Christians, and prayed A LOT and decided to move to Clarksville and accept the position (I'll have Ben tell a little bit more about the church and the position later).

This transition is so bittersweet for us... we are so excited and so sad at the same time. On one hand, we are moving back home (though we have been in KY for 3 years TN has that special place in our hearts). We are going to be close to our families and the job at the church is the type of position that we thought we wouldn't be able to get until we had been out of seminary a few years. But, on the other hand, we hate to leave our little nest in Taylorsville. We really feel that our little church is our family. We have built so many great relationships with so many wonderful, caring people. The Lord is also working in a mighty way at Little Mount. For start, we have had 9 youth come to Christ since the summer and new families have been visiting and joining. Though we know that God receives all the glory for these things and that it is not us that has caused these things to happen, it is hard to leave where the Lord is at work.

Also on the list of crazy thing we have done is the last month is buying a house. Here's a picture of our new home...

We certainly had no intentions of buying a house so soon, but the week after we looked at it we got a call from the owner (who went to kindergarten with Ben) saying that someone had put an offer on the house. We knew if we wanted it we had to move then. Let me just say that the next day was the just about the most stressful day ever. I couldn't sleep that night. I just kept thinking "Dave Ramsey would call us crazy!" The next morning I had about talked Ben into backing out and not sending in the contract. Ben spent the day on the phone with his dad and the mortgage broker and crunching numbers and we decided to take the plunge. We close on November 19... I'll post more pictures of the house then. We won't actually move until December 14th, so we'll have time do some work on the house before we move.

I guess that's all our big news, I'll do better about posting more often and not springing so much on you at once... I know it's a lot to take in.

So Much to Celebrate, So Little Time

2007-09-01T23:15:00.001-04:00

I know that I said that I would post pictures of Mary Kate's graduation party soon, but I have been so busy the last few weeks... I'll try to recap the highlights for you. We'll start with my sisters graduation. This is Mary Kate's graduation announcement, I was excited that she asked me to design them:Over 40 guests showed up for Mary Kate's send off party... it was a great time fellowshipping with family and friends and celebrating her achievement. The day after the party my grandmother and mom drove to Rogers, Arkansas with her to help her move into her new house and get settled before starting her new job.

The next Saturday Daddy, Beth, and Carson came to visit and we took Carson on his first trip to the zoo to see all the animals which he loved (when he wasn't acting like he was too scared to look at them). Meanwhile, my mom was making her way to London. She will be over there for the next 5 weeks helping my aunt Ceree settle into her new home and watching after Tyler. It sounds as though she is having a wonderful time although she has been a little homesick and Tyler has been ill. Please keep them all in your prayers, I'm sure it is a hard transition for all of them to be in a new country.

Last Monday night a sweet family from our church invited Ben and I to dinner. We had an excellent meal and my favorite dessert, Kentucky Derby Pie! After dinner we moved to the living room and Ben played the piano while we all sang hymns. This little family is so musically talented, they even sang a few songs for us in perfect harmony. They said that they often "jammed" together in the evening. We felt so blessed to get a little glimpse into their lives and that the Lord has placed such loving people into our life.

Our final big event this week was the birth of John Mark and Laura's little Wesley Clint. He was born last night at 7:31 weighing 8lbs 4oz and 21 inches long. He is very cute. So far Laura & baby are doing well, but please keep them in your prayers as they make the transition from the hospital to home with a brand new life in their care. Please also pray for safe travel for John Mark's family as they come to visit and care for this new little family.

Road Trip!

2007-08-19T22:33:00.000-04:00

This morning my dad and I flew to Albany, NY to pick my sister up from her summer internship. She has spent the last two months working at a camp for overweight kids in VT which completes her Bachelors degree in Health and Human Performance from you University of Tennessee at Martin. We are so proud of her... I will post pictures soon from her graduation party tomorrow.

We are currently driving home from Albany (don't worry I'm not driving and blogging). It's about 10:30 pm and we are just now leaving the state of NY... I thought that we would never get out of there! Now we just have to drive through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky before we get back to Gallatin. It's going to be a very long night....

Cooking with Kraft

2007-08-16T22:59:00.000-04:00

I made both of these recipes to take to a work retreat... they're two of our new favorites. Ben says the Rocky Road Crunch Bars are his new all time favorite dessert. I got both of the recipes from the Kraft Food & Family Magazine. I get them in the mail for free (click here to got to the website to get recipes and sign up to get the magazine) and love it. It always has at least one or two recipes that I end up trying and loving... it's definitely worth your time to go to the website a sign up to get it! In the mean time try out these two sweet treats (and let us know which one is your favorite):

Rocky Road Crunch Bars (Ben's Favorite)

1/3 cup honey

2 Tbsp. butter

4 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows

6 cups POST HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS Cereal

1 cup PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts, chopped

4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips)

MICROWAVE honey and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min.; stir until well blended. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1-1/2 min. or until marshmallows are puffed; stir until well blended.

ADD remaining ingredients; mix well.

PRESS cereal mixture firmly into greased foil-lined 13x9-inch pan. Cool. Cut into 24 bars

Flat Bottom Fruit Pie (Laura's Favorite)

1 refrigerated ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15-oz. pkg.)

1 tsp. cinnamon sugar (3/4 tsp. sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon)

1-1/4 cups half-and-half

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1-1/2 cups fresh peach slices (about 1 large)

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup raspberries

PREHEAT oven to 450ºF. Unroll pie crust onto baking sheet; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake 8 to 10 min. or until lightly browned; cool completely.

MEANWHILE, pour half-and-half into medium bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping; cover. Refrigerate until ready to use.

SPREAD pudding mixture over crust just before serving; top with fruit. Cut into slices. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

I actually modified this recipe a little... I used fat free half and half, sugar free instant vanilla pudding, and light cool whip and it was delicious. You really could not tell that it was almost good for you. I also used fruits that I new that we liked (peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes) and you can do the same. I was particularly proud of the way mine looked, here's some pictures:

Please Pray

2007-08-12T21:48:00.001-04:00

I just got a call from Beth, she told me that her step-father James passed away this evening. Please pray for her mother Lucille in this loss, also for Beth and her siblings, Teresa, Doug, & Allen and their families and also for James' children. We rejoice that he is no longer suffering but our hearts go out to his loved ones in their loss.

Flat Iron... Not Just for the Hair Anymore

2007-08-11T22:59:00.001-04:00

Last Tuesday night while in Norfolk we were invited to eat at Rob & Vicki Goff's house. Vicki served the most wonderful steak, flat iron steak (Kroger has these on sale right now). She simply marinaded it in a pack for dry seasoning mixed with oil and vinegar . It was delicious! Ben and I have been craving it ever since so tonight we went to Target and bought a grill pan (since we live in an apartment and can not have a grill) and we are going to have it for our Sunday afternoon lunch.The instructions are so simple:
Mix up marinade pack following the directions and marinade meat for at least 1 hour. Grill for 8-10 minutes per side. When finished let meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing (be sure to slice strait across and not on a bias) and serve.

Vicki grilled two large steaks (probably about 1.5-2 lbs each) and was able to feed 9 of us, and we all went back for seconds and thirds. Because you slice the meat pretty thin it goes a long way, especially if you have a lot of sides. Speaking of side dishes, Vicki also made a wonderful salad... simple with just lettuce, tomato, and maybe cucumber, but she made her own oil and vinegar dressing with crumbled feta cheese mixed into the dressing a few hours before she poured it over the salad. I will definitely be trying this pretty soon as well!

Home At Last...But Where's Our Stuff?

2007-08-05T22:26:00.000-04:00

We returned very early this morning (2 am) from our trip to Norfolk, VA to see Brandon. We started our vacation Monday evening by traveling to Clarksville after I got off work and flew out of Nashville early Tuesday morning. The next few days were filled with golf for the guys and hanging out at the beach for Cindy and me. On Wednesday night Ben preached at Going Public, the youth service at FBC Norfolk. He did a wonderful job. We had a marvelous time hanging out with each other and a few of the Norfolk folks. Our adventure home started yesterday with 5 unexpected hours to kill at the Philadelphia airport (luckily there was a shopping mall in the airport) and ended with no luggage in Nashville. Pete and Cindy's luggage was delivered to their house, but ours is still M.I.A.. I tell you getting ready in the morning is much faster when you have no hair dryer, flat iron, or make up. We're glad to be home, but we miss our stuff!!!

I had hoped to post pictures of our vacation all this week, but I did not even take my camera out of it's case. I very literally did nothing but sit on the beach and read and relax and it was WONDERFUL!

Chloe's New Do

2007-06-27T21:40:00.000-04:00

Little Chloe got her summer hair cut this week. Poor little thing, we let her get in bad shape. She couldn't see for all the hair in her face and she was so matted and hot. Above is a before picture that we took at the begining of the month (she's the one that looks like a cute little teddy bear in Ben's arms.) Here is what she looks like now... I know you are going to laugh. You can tell by the look on her face that she knows she looks silly.

We can't stop laughing at how skinny her feet and legs are... she's got her uncle Brandon's chicken legs! We know she is just not as cute without her hair, but we know she's got to feel better. And yes, that is a puff ball on her tail, it's gone as soon as we get clippers!

Weekend Getaway- Nashville, IN

2007-06-23T19:38:00.001-04:00

Ben and I have been apart for to long with the SBC and Camp so we decided to take a little retreat of our own. We left yesterday afternoon and went to a little town about two hours from Taylorsville called Nashville, IN. It was a quaint little town with several B&B's and shops, and English gardens everywhere (Grandmama, you would have LOVED it!). We certainly feel relaxed and refreshed and ready for the busy weeks ahead. Here are some pictures from our trip:

The Cornerstone Inn (this is where we spent the night)
Carriage Ride Around Town

Some Beautiful Flowers From the Gardens

Bike Hike

2007-06-17T16:30:00.000-04:00

Nathan had a race yesterday in Louisville we went to watch and had a lot of fun. Here are some pictures of our day:

Carson is sitting on Nathan's "big boy" Bicycle

Carson and Ben in the Police helicopter

Playing with Bubby Ben!

And They're Off! Nathan is the one in the yellow

"Yea Aphen (Nathan) Yea!"

Here's Nathan riding by

What have we learned today... Having a 2 year old makes us tired! We were so glad that that Nathan came to visit us, he was such a huge help with Carson.

Yummy Cupcake!

2007-06-15T17:19:00.000-04:00

We survived our first day with a two year old! We woke up and Carson helped me make chocolate chip muffins. We ran some errands and had grilled cheese (cheese quesadilla from Q-doba) for lunch. Then Nathan came over and we had hush puppies (salmon patties) and macaroni for dinner. So what have we learned... if you want to get a 2 year old to eat you have to change the names of food to make it sound more appealing. One name we sure didn't have to change is CUPCAKE. As you can see from the pictures he could not get it in his mouth fast enough. It sure was the funniest thing that I have see in a while (sorry for the low picture quality, we forgot the camera and had to use the cell phone).

Southern Baptist Convention

2007-06-14T20:21:00.000-04:00

Ben is on his way home from the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio, TX. He's had a good week, seen some big time guys in the convention, visited the Alamo, heard debates, voted on issues and reports that he is ready to be home. When I last spoke to him he was a couple of hours outside of Nashville and said it felt like home to be in Tennessee (even though we now live in KY). I look forward to having him home and spending a few days with him before he heads off to camp next week. Please pray for his safe return home and for the youth who will be going to camp.

I should have some exciting posts coming up... adventures of LaLa (Laura) and a two year old named Carson. I'll let you know who my 5 days with him go (complete with cute pictures I'm sure!)