A is for Art

Yesterday Trey and I began what I hope will add quite a bit of creativity and fun to our dating life. Not to make our dating life sound boring (I'm thankful we still go on dates!), but we had fallen into a routine where our dates mostly consisted of dinner, a movie, or just having a quiet evening in at home. All of these things are great, but I recently realized we have lost that creative spark that we used to have before marriage and in our early marriage. With our own little baby making her debut in just weeks, I can already see the challenge that comes in guarding and nurturing your marriage when more responsibility (and blessing!) comes along.

Enter the ABC's of dating. I can't take full credit for this idea. I read about it in an article in Home Life, a Lifeway magazine our church subscribes to. *Side note, this is an excellent magazine that Trey and I highly recommend. The author says that she and her husband, who have been married over 40 years, still work to keep their dates fresh and exciting. One way they do that is by taking turns planning each date around a letter of the alphabet. For instance, his turn may be the letter "F," so he takes her to the county Fair one evening. Her turn would be next, and she would use the letter "E" to plan that date. I loved this idea and pitched it to Trey, and we've decided to give it a try! I've added my own spin to the idea, and I plan to document each date so that in the end I can make a photo book of our ABCs of dating. We will do simple dates on the "off" weeks. Since Kate will be coming soon, we are going to do our ABC dates every other week. Trey started yesterday with "A," and in two weeks I get to plan our "B" date. I already have ideas and can't wait to get it all together! Not every date has to be big and extravagant. Some may be short, while others may last a whole day. The whole point is creativity and spending time together.


A: Dallas Museum of Art, 4/21/11

What a fun beginning to this adventure in our dating life! Yesterday was jam-packed, and Trey did such a wonderful job planning our date. Our day started with taking our little puppy Dapple to the vet because he had broken a nail on his left foot. On our way we stopped to get coffee at Canton's little coffee shop, Come Together. When we got back to the car, Pete had jumped into a box in the backseat. I just have to include this pic because it was so cute!

The visit to the vet proved to be quite a hilarious experience, at Dapple's expense. The poor little guy was quite scared when they muzzled him, and he was not going to have his nails clipped without a fight! The vet assistant was holding him tightly to her body while the vet prepared to clip. I looked down and realized poor Dap was pooping on himself out of fear! Quite disgusting, but throughout the experience the poor guy proceeded to empty himself of all the, uh, waste inside him. Needless to say, he got a bath later! Trey got a lesson in clipping dog toenails, too, then we dropped the boys off at home for our big day in Dallas.

We headed out for Dallas and Trey told me the date: the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA)! When we lived in Fort Worth, we frequently took advantage of the museums and special events going on in the area. But since we've moved to Canton, we just don't make it to the city much to do this kind of thing, so I was pumped for this date. When we got to the DMA, it was lunch time. Instead of rushing to a restaurant and then going back to the museum, we decided to try a museum restaurant. We ended up eating at the Atrium Cafe. I had a delicious bacon sandwich, and Trey had some fancy and yummy looking fish tacos. We ended up joining the museum as members, as we realized if we visit the museum one more time, the membership is paid for. I figure it's like we paid for a date in advance, but we already have plans to go back more than once, so we'll definitely get our money's worth. The museum is huge, and we didn't have the time (or the energy for this very pregnant woman!) to see it all. We walked around the European, Greek, and Roman sections yesterday. The special temporary exhibit debuts this weekend, so we'll probably check it out after our next doctor's appointment.

On our way out I realized we forgot to take pictures. I am so bad about this! I need to get a camera that works so that I'll be more likely to take pics. Anyway, we stopped in the parking garage and snapped this picture. It is terrible but so funny! We look like fat kids.

Thankfully, we stopped outside the museum and snapped another pic.

After the museum, we drove a few miles to our 34 weeks OB appointment. I love our doctor's appointments! Everything looks good, and Kate's heartbeat was a steady 145bpm. What a sweetheart she already is. In two weeks we have the big sonogram to check her weight and size. I hope these next two weeks go quickly because I'm ready!

Well, there's our first date of the alphabet. I'll keep you posted on each date as we take them. There will probably (or likely) be a slight pause in these once Kate gets here, but we will pick them up again when we settle in with our precious bundle! I challenge any other married friends to give the ABC dating a try. If you do, I'd love to hear the date themes you and your hubby come up with!

A Lesson on Thankfulness

Over the past few weeks, Trey and I have been hit with some very unexpected expenses and needs. No need to go into details, but suffice it to say that we've definitely used our emergency account and lived as cheaply as possible. In all of this, we haven't wanted for anything, and I can see that now. But still, in the midst of it all, I lost sight of God's provision for our needs.

The other night I told Trey my struggles, wondering when God was going to meet our needs so we would be OK. Trey said in surprise, "What do you mean? I am thankful everyday for how He continues to provide for us." He then went on to list all the ways God has provided just in the last few weeks. Sure enough, Trey was right. We have had the money to pay for unexpected expenses, we have been blessed in areas of need or want, and we aren't just "making it." Our daily bread is supplied by the Lord. How could I have missed that?

This morning I pulled out an old pocket-sized moleskin journal my friend Natalie gave me when I was in college. At the time, I decided to use it as a journal of thanksgiving, recording different ways God blesses me and meets needs. Some entries are so cool, documenting unbelievable ways God provided for my needs. Others are just me stopping to acknowledge my thankfulness to the Lord. I wrote in this journal pretty consistenly for a while, but over the last year or so I dropped that habit. I think it's high time I take it up again.

As I was flipping through some old entries this morning, I came across this one from December 25, 2009. Here it is:

"It is Christmas morning 2009, my fourth with Trey and my second as Trey's wife. I sit here now filled with joy, reflecting over this year and all we have gone through togeher - the loss of my job, my graduation, Trey's struggles working at SWBTS, Papaw's death, Burke's death November 14, my passing the NCE, our loss of Bennett on December 9 (our first pregnancy), our first vacation to Nashville, our one year anniversary. It's been a year mixed with sorrow, heartache, joy, accomplishment, loss, celebration. It's been a year of struggle and companionship. It's been a year the Lord has carried me through many days.

I am thankful for all You have done for us, oh God. I cherish Your work in our lives. Even in the midst of all our recent loss, yet I will praise You. Both the just and the unjust, the redeemed and the lost, must face this world. I am thankful to face it as your child."

I was shocked when I read that second sentence - that I was "filled with joy." I wrote those words about 5 weeks after our brother-in-law, 32 years old, was killed in a car accident. I wrote those words about two weeks after our miscarriage. And I meant them, too. How could I forget God's goodness now?

This has been a reminder for me that I must cultivate the attitidue of thankfulness on a daily basis. If I forget to see God's work and provision for my life, it's not because He isn't doing so but because I am failing to acknowledge it. I hope to not make that mistake again, but in case I do, I can pull out this moleskin journal and remember again all His goodness to me. Thank You, Lord!

Mommy Time!

This past week has been absolutely wonderful. Why? Because my mom came to visit me in Canton! That's right, I have been one spoiled and very happy girl. Last Friday mom flew in, and my aunt and two cousins from Arkansas drove in for the weekend. Trey's mom came, too, so she could come to our first baby shower. On Saturday we all went to First Monday all day. It was fun but very exhausting, with the heat and all the people! We came home and rested that afternoon, then we grilled hamburgers that night. They were delicious!

Sunday was my first baby shower. It was so much fun getting gifts for our little Kate. We recieved many sweet little girl outfits and some much needed baby items, like her little tub and a playmat for her to lay on. I am so thankful to all the friends and family who came to the shower, and especially to my friends here in Canton who threw us this shower. What a blessing! Below is a pic of mom and I at the shower.

My Arkansas family went home Sunday night, and that left mom and I here for the week. We had a huge list of things to do, and let me tell ya, we got it all done! Kate's room now looks like a little girl's nursery, and not just a pink room with a bed in it. I'll post pics of her room once we get everything on the walls. We also organized three closets and underneath my bathroom sink. We washed TONS of Kate's clothes and put them in their proper place. Basically, we wore ourselves out! Trey was also a huge help. He'd come home at night to a list of things we needed his help with, like hanging pictures and putting the knobs on Kate's dresser. I am so grateful to mom and Trey for all their help. I am one blessed woman! Trey also painted my toenails Saturday night. This was one hysterical time, but I love the picture below. He had such intense concentration.

Thursday mom got to go with me to Kate's 32 week appointment. We heard the heartbeat, toured the labor & delivery area of the hospital, and asked tons of questions. Dr. Haddock said that it's looking like Kate will be normal-sized, between 6-8 pounds, based on the measurements of my tummy. I love my OB and am so glad mom got to meet her. We scheduled our next 2 appts, one in 2 weeks and the other in 4 weeks. The appt that is 4 weeks away will include a sonogram and an exam to check Kate's size and to see if I'm dilating. I can't believe we are getting so close!!! More to come. Thanks for reading!

"A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes"

Well, not always, Cinderella! I certainly had a dream last night that my heart certainly did not make. I woke up this morning feeling so happy. I dreampt of giving birth! Then I realized my dream of giving birth wasn't exactly what I'm hoping for...you see, I gave birth alright. I gave birth to a healthy baby cat. But not just any cat! No, this cat was a toy cat, the type of toy you would get in a McDonald's Happy Meal.

But oh how I loved my baby toy cat in the dream! Dr. Howell (who was my old OB in Fort Worth) delivered my cat baby, and when it was out, he looked at it with doubt and did not believe this baby cat was real. I challenged him to listen to her heartbeat, so he got out the doppler (the thing used to listen to our baby's heartbeat in the womb), we all leaned in over this tiny toy baby cat, and we listened to a strong, healthy heartbeat. That was not the only thing we heard, though. Apparently Dr. Howell pushed a button on my baby cat, and while the heart was beating strongly, the cat also began to laugh a very evil laugh. Have you ever seen The Emperor's New Groove? Near the end of the movie, the wicked Yzma turns into a kitten and she laughs a very wicked, high-pitched cat laugh. This is the laugh that my precious toy baby cat made.

I've heard pregnancy can bring on some very strange dreams, and I've had my fair share so far, but this definitely tops them all! Anyone else had any fun/strange birth dreams when pregnant?

Babymoon Date

Last Thursday Trey and I had our mini babymoon. All along we've been planning to have a weekend getaway, probably to San Antonio, but we had to cancel those plans due to his grandmother's declining health. We were still able to have a fun time Thursday, but he ended up flying home Friday through Sunday (our vacation time) to spend time with family and his grandmother Frankie. While I was a little disappointed that we had to cancel our plans, I am so thankful Trey could make it home for that special family time. We still had our day, and our next family vacation will just have to include little Miss Kate - and I see no problem with that! :)

Our babymoon date actually started out with Trey visiting the dentist. That wasn't the most pleasant of experiences for either of us, actually, as we found out just how much work his mouth needs! Needless to say, Trey will be getting much unwanted dental work done over the next few weeks/months as we have the money to pay for it. Poor guy. Dental work is no fun!

After the dentist, we went to Target for a while to look at maternity shirts for me. I have recently realized my maternity clothes are mostly for cold weather, and living in Texas, we all know that doesn't last long around here! I got two new tops that are super cute, and Trey got a couple new shirts, too. We had a lot of fun just walking around the store and looking at different things, including baby items! Lunch came next. We ate at this delicious place called Sonoma Grill. I had grilled salmon that was amazing. Trey had a salmon salad. We filled our empty tummies, then we headed over to the Tyler Zoo.

Now about the zoo. First, if you don't know, you need to know that Trey and I LOVE zoos. We love looking at the animals, walking around at a leisurely pace, and just relaxing. This trip was a little different because we didn't take into account that it is Spring Break here and all of Tyler was at the zoo, too. It was quite crowded. Also, I had on jeans (the morning was cool), and I was pretty sure I would sweat out of my clothes before the afternoon was over, or at least have a heat stroke. But still, we had so much fun. The funniest part of our trip was that we compared probably every single animal to our dogs, Pete and Dapple. How sad is that? We could find some sort of similarity in any animal that would point to how cute Pete and Dapple are. It's a good thing we are having a baby soon so we aren't always those people whose pets are our kids!! After the zoo we drove back to Canton for some ice cream at the "world famous" Dairy Palace. It was so stinkin' yummy! I had this chocolate fudge kind on top, then strawberry, in a big waffle cone. I could dive into some of that ice cream again if given the chance!

Zapped from the heat, we came home to snuggle with our puppies, read, and nap for a bit. Once we finally woke up, we ate at Ochoas (a Mexican restaurant) for dinner. It was mm mm good, too! We came home that night and watched some episodes of Burn Notice until bed time. If you've never seen Burn Notice, I recommend it. It's a fun little show, not sure what channel it's shown on, though. We Netflix it.

The tragedy of our day date is that I didn't take one single picture. Yes, I know. Pitiful. We kept talking about our need to do so, but we never did. I'm sorry, Gretchen! :)

I wasn't all alone this past weekend while Trey was in Odessa, thankfully. My friend Kat, from Fort Worth, came and stayed with me and the dogs. Her husband Ryan was in Greece on a mission trip, and it worked out perfectly for us to have some girl time. The best part is that Kat is pregnant, too! She is almost 2 weeks ahead of me, so our little girls will be born very close together. We didn't do too much, other than eat, talk, read, and walk the dogs occasionally. Oh, and we watched a movie (Proof of Life). I leave you with a pic of me and Kat, taken on Sunday.

A Year of Cash

Coming up in the next few days will mark our official one year anniversary of living here in Canton and Trey serving as Student Minister at FBC. So many wonderful things have happened since our move here, and I am amazed at how much the Lord has poured out His blessings on our family. I have to share about one cool thing we've tried this year. When we transferred our accounts to the local bank here, we made the decision to go "all cash" and not even have debit cards. It was just an experiment to see what would happen to our finances. Well, I'm here to testify that, a year later, that was one of the best decisions we've made in our married life.

We followed the principles laid out by Crown Financial Ministries, including the envelope system for our weekly and monthly cash. Operating on the cash basis allowed us to live only on Trey's income and use my income toward paying down debt. Making this change allowed us to pay off my 4Runner in a little over a year (we bought it in Aug 09 and paid it off in full by Nov 10, I believe). We are now almost finished paying off Trey's student loan. Only a few months to go, hopefully! Then we will begin to knock out my student loan and be free of these debts. Another great thing about just living on Trey's income is that when the decision was made for me to not work for a while, we did not have major financial crisis. As a matter of fact, our standard of living didn't have to change at all.

I just wanted to share this with anyone who might be considering trying something new to get their financial world in order. I also highly recommend Crown because they offer so many wise and helpful principles for money management, and it is all based on Scripture. The goal of Crown isn't to help people become debt free, but to honor God with your money. Being debt free obviously results from glorifying God. Plus, Crown has a lot of helpful budgeting and spending tips that are free on their website.

Week 29 Survery

Well we have completed week 28 and now are in week 29. Yay! That means 11 weeks, 6 days until little Kate's due date...but who's counting? We had our last 4 week doctor's appt yesterday. All went great! We did the glucose test, and I have to say, that sugary drink after no food since the night before about knocked me off my feet. We'll get the results sometime next week. From now on I will see her every two weeks, then in the last month I will go weekly. I think these more frequent visits will help it all seem to move faster. I hate those 4 week visits. What a long wait! OK, with all that being said, here is the survey!

Week 29 Survey


How far along? 28 weeks 1 days

Total weight gain/loss: 25 pounds. Yes, I gained quite a bit on this round, but mom says she did the same thing with me at this point. My doctor says things are looking good, so I'm going to just trust in her! She said "Well, you're actually starting to look pregnant!" Haha I'm glad to know it's finally showing!

Maternity clothes? Yup. Don't think I'll be going backwards on this one...maternity clothes are in my future whether I like it or not!

Stretch marks? Nope. Mom didn't get them, so I'm hoping I don't, either.

Sleep: Decent. I am having some CRAZY dreams lately. Plus I get so hot I just toss and turn...as much as you can toss and turn with a big ol' belly holding you back!

What I miss: my mom, dad, sister, and brother. Mom will be here at the first of April, but I sure wish the rest of my family could be with me to feel Kate move and watch me grow!

What I am looking forward to: other than Kate's birth, my mom visiting at the first of April!!!

Best moment this week: our appointment yesterday. It was just a fun appointment.

Movement: Yup! I'm starting to notice the jabs aren't just random movements. There are elbows and knees. I also feel her swirl around some. It's so crazy and amazing!

Belly Button in or out? a barely innie

Wedding rings on or off? on, but they are getting tight and uncomfortable at times.

Weekly Wisdom: keep up with extra fiber when you're pregnant!

Milestones: We entered the 3rd trimester last Friday. YA!!!

And here I am at 27 weeks 2 days, I believe.