LIFE

Beautiful Outdoors

2011-08-16T03:32:00.004-05:00

A few weekends ago we spent some time with my family in Louisiana. We had a great time relaxing and enjoying family. The weather was actually cooler in Louisiana than Texas so we were able to enjoy the outdoors. Cohen had a blast on the property and playing in the water.

Vacation Part 2

2011-07-21T11:07:00.004-05:00

I think this might be my favorite picture of our whole vacation. This is Cohen with my niece Peyton. I love it because it captured both of them so genuinely. Both of these girls are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. Did I mention that Co LOVED her cousins??

One afternoon we gathered all the kiddos up and took them to an indoor bounce house place. They had THE most fun.

Some of my best footage is video. I"ll have to get my hubby to help me load those!! They took Cohen on a floor to ceiling slide. She had the biggest smile on her face when she reached the bottom. I can't tell you how sweet all of the older cousins were to Co. They carried her around everywhere and took such good care of her!

After hours of jumping and running and playing and screaming and slush puppies, we headed to Olive Garden for dinner. It's funny how Co will sit in the lap of anybody who will feed her. She is eating peppers and red onions with Papa. WHAT???

I loved how she was staring up at him. She talked him into sharing his eggs, bacon and biscuits the morning before.

Here is half of the grandkids at grandma and Papa's house. We were about to head outside and swim!! My sisters bunch were in a summer program for a few of the mornings...they came out later! I don't know how I didn't get a picture of them...Boo!!

This was our final morning in Farmington. Grandma and Papa stopped by to tell us bye. I HATE leaving my family. I feel like there is a weird void for a few days. I have to stay pretty busy the first few days back home... because the alternative involves too many kleenexes.

I had a picture of my mom and granny but I think they both might kill me if I posted it...Ha!

It sure was a lot of fun. My next trip home can not come fast enough!!

Add On!!

2011-07-19T13:04:00.005-05:00

After spending almost two weeks in perfect weather, Josh and I decided it was time to make our back porch more usable and enjoyable. We have talked about having a patio cover built for a while now. We decided that now was as good a time as ever. Here are some before, during, and after pictures of the new addition. We have only had it for one day and we already love it.

We used the same company that built our fence so the cover is the same wood/color as our fence. Our plans are to hang plants, lights, and eventually an outdoor fan. Hopefully we will be able to spend some more time in our backyard!

Summer Vacation!!

2011-07-18T11:40:00.007-05:00

We had so much fun on our vacation. We flew straight from DFW in to Durango and it was perfect!! We started off in Colorado where my family has a cabin on the river. My mom picked us up from the airport and then my sister and her kids drove up for the day and surprised us. We had so much fun. I have some of the best memories going there as a kid and I was excited to share all of that with Cohen!

Cohen helped Nana and aunt Alli plant flowers in the front yard.

She played with her wagon.

Her and Canton are just about 8 weeks apart. They were so cute together!

These are the views from our back porch. Man, I wish we were still there. The mornings and evenings were down right chilly. The sky is blue and the air is fresh. Not something you get in Dallas...that's for sure.

After a few days at the cabin we headed to New Mexico to visit my family.

Co taking a little snooze during the 45 minute drive.

Josh did some golfing at Pinon Hills!!!

Co and I spent a LOT of time at my mom's house enjoying her back porch and yard. Cohen loved being outside and playing in the yard. The weather was amazing!

We also spent many afternoons at my dad's house. Here is Cohen with her Papa! She loved the swimming pool, horses and tractor. She also loved my dad's dog, Jake. You can just barely see him peeking out from behind.

This little girl played hard all day everyday. She LOVED playing with her cousins!!

I took a bazillion pictures so I have more to come soon!!

Coco-isms

2011-06-30T19:36:00.007-05:00

Just a few little things that I want to remember about our precious girl...

Her new "baby" this week is our flash light. Yep...a flashlight!! She pulls it around the house and says, "walk baby".

Wearing her Daddy's house shoes.

Today she found a Snoopy doll in the bottom of her toy box. She asked me what it was and I told her it was Snoopy. She says "Oh! Come on Poopy!!" as she puts it in the wagon with her other babies.

Pretending to go nite-nite.

She pointed at my eyebrows the other day and said, "Whaz dat?" I said, "Those are mommy's eyebrows". She later pointed to her eyebrows and says, "Eye-browns?" I giggled and said, "Yep! Those are Coco's eye-browns".

And my all time favorite...

Her and I were sitting at the table eating lunch together and out of nowhere she says. "Whoo! Whoo!" And then looks around like she has no idea where the sound came from and says, "Whaz dat?" Then laughs at herself because she thinks she's fooled me. She did it no less than 15 more times. She knows she's funny.

Eating a berry with whip cream and sprinkles

Crazy kid- I couldn't love her more!!

Playing Catch Up

2011-06-22T16:21:00.010-05:00

First let me start off by saying how sad I am that I am wearing sunglasses in the picture above. A friend snapped a shot of my little family while at a church function a couple of weeks ago and I didn't take the extra second to remove my glasses. Oh well...

Cohen and I are on summer break and we are having so much fun spending our days together. She is such a sweet little girl and I can't think of anyone else I would want to spend my time with (other than her daddy of course)!

Here are a few pictures of Cohen at story time with her friend Harper. She was such a good little listener. We will definitely go back this week!!

Later we grabbed a sonic and went to play in the back yard. I was a little surprised when she jumped in her little play pool fully clothed. Oh well...It's summer and she's a kid. Isn't that what they are supposed to do? I love the wet little face and hair. It makes me want to smooch her cheeks!!
Looking forward to many more days of summer fun!

FOR SALE

2011-06-18T08:52:00.001-05:00

24" wheels and tires. They fit a chevy tahoe/silverado/suburban. $2500

Happy Easter 2011

2011-04-25T22:34:00.000-05:00

Making Faces

2011-04-18T21:51:00.000-05:00

Snow Day Round Two

2011-02-10T20:34:00.004-06:00

Man Oh Man!! We have had some crazy weather here. 5 snow/ ice days in the last 2 weeks. It's fine by me...I have loved being iced in with my fam! I can't think of a better way to spend my days then playing with this little rag-a-muffin!!

With her Daddy's hat and her mommy's scarf, I think she's ready to go play in the snow!

Over the last week she has started...

-Telling me when she is ready for "nigh nigh".

-Saying "poo poo" when she wants her diaper changed.

-Going to the pantry, getting the Oreos, then walking around with them saying "Mmmmm..." (She MIGHHHHHT get that from me)

Co has always been a blessing to us, but the last few weeks I have been reminded how hard and long this little girl was prayed for. It is truly beyond words how thankful I am for her and REALLY beyond words how much I love her. I hope our success story brings hope to those who are still waiting. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Now that we have her, I wouldn't change a single thing. Every day, month, year, tear, ache, appointment, shot...I would do it ALL over again just knowing that she was waiting at the end.

We serve a mighty God. And to HIM goes all the glory!

Sledding

2011-02-08T05:27:00.002-06:00

ICE STORM

2011-02-03T19:24:00.000-06:00

Trip To Louisiana

2011-01-16T14:00:00.008-06:00

After Christmas we packed up the car and headed to Louisiana for a few days! I love this picture because it captures Cohen perfectly. She is playing chase with her daddy. I can hear the squeal that comes with this expression on her face. She is so stink'n cute that it hurts sometimes.

Playing in Mimi's backyard!

She can almost see over her hat...

We lit the burn pile but there wasn't much to it!

Redneck stroller!

The great outdoors!!

Too much fun!

Christmas Morning

2011-01-16T07:01:00.001-06:00

Free slideshow design made with Smilebox

Christmas Eve

2011-01-15T15:26:00.011-06:00

Christmas Eve 2010 was simple. It was just the 3 of us this year! We all went to church and then came home to wait for Santa.

Cohen loved to look at the presents under the tree. One of her presents was a gift bag full of board books that was covered with tissue paper. She pulled the tissue paper out and looked at those books a thousand times before Christmas. Good thing she doesn't quite get it yet.

She also loved the lights and "balls" on the tree.

Just before it was time to head to the bath she went back for one more look. No Santa yet!! He only comes when you are in bed asleep!

2011-01-01T10:45:00.000-06:00

Picture slideshow made with Smilebox

Charlie Robison-Photograph

2010-11-24T08:50:00.000-06:00

Beautiful

2010-11-23T22:16:00.004-06:00

Cohen's 1st Birthday Cake

2010-11-23T09:37:00.000-06:00

Halloween

2010-11-06T08:44:00.005-05:00

I know this post is about a week late but I guess it's better late then never! This was the cutest little ladybug in the whole DFW area and quiet possibly the whole wide world. I felt like she didn't even look like herself with the hat on so I made her a bow instead.

Here she is with her dada.

We went to Trunk or Treat at Fellowship church! There was TONS of candy!!

Not sure what Cohen and I are doing but daddy is perfectly posed for the picture. It was so bright outside that it was hard to keep our eyes open. Apparently, I just gave up! It had potential to be a cute family photo. Oh well...

We found a ladybug car and decided that we needed our picture in front of it!

Home Improvements

2010-10-17T15:42:00.009-05:00

This summer Josh and I decided to make a few improvements to the curb appeal of our house. When my mom was here in June she and Josh built this little wall in our front flower beds. We planted some flowers in there for this summer and I'll be putting some bulbs in this fall so that we will have flowers next spring. My mom has been asking to see pictures of the finished product since June. Four months later....here they are!

Last week we decided to tear this nasty thing down and have a nicer one built. The picture below is the old fence...

And this is the new one. I didn't realize how old and janky looking the old fence looked until just now.

We decided to have them rebuild with an 11' fence for more privacy.

The new gates have locks on the inside for safety! Between the height and the locks...Ain't nobody getting in this backyard.

Here is a shot from the inside of our yard. Now Cohie girl can roam the backyard and explore.

Our next project will be to build a planter bed in the back yard to match the one in the front yard!

What Have We Been Up To?

2010-10-08T20:35:00.006-05:00

Well, glad you asked! Apparently one thing we have NOT been up to is updating our blog. Life is crazy when you have a kid. The days fly by and I find there is less and less free time. Wouldn't change a thing though.

Cohie girl is 10 1/2 months now. She is growing up so fast! Here's a few of the things we've been doing...

Swinging at the park...

Watching LSU games...

Enjoying sleepy Sundays and football season...

(No, she's not wearing a wig! That's just her bed head!)

and building forts!!

I love this little girl SO much!!!

Back to Work

2010-08-22T18:48:00.006-05:00

We are back at it. Tomorrow is the first official day of school for students. I have been back to work since last Monday which means that Co has been back to her little school. Her first few days were a little rough for her. She had a hard time napping there and she missed her mommy. She's doing much better now!

The one good thing about Cohie's classroom is her BFF Harper!!

Harper and Cohen have been friends since they were in utero (their mommies work together) and now they get to go to the same school! Here they are on their first day back! They are about to have breakfast together! Thank goodness for good friends!

8 Months

2010-08-09T12:30:00.010-05:00

Cohen,

You had your well baby check yesterday! You are doing great. You weigh 18 lbs. (50%) and are 26.6 in long (25%). You are scooting along the floor and trying to crawl. You like standing on furniture and "walking" along the side.

You are eating all sorts of food. Your favorites include apples, sweet potatoes, squash, and peaches. You also love Mum Mums. The doctor said that you can start eating food off our plates now.

As of now you are still toothless. Being that I'm a nursing mommy, I'm okay with that!!

You are hit and miss when it comes to sleeping through the night. Sometimes you do and sometimes you don't. You will have great sleep for a few weeks and then you will have a few nights were you wake up. Pinky is a good friend to you and she helps you get back to sleep!

We are enjoying you SO much. You are so happy and smile all the time. The sound of your laugh is awesome and warms my heart like nothing else. Your daddy and I think that you are the best thing ever and we love you so much! It has been the joy of our lives to watch you grow and learn!!

We love you sweet girl!

Swimming

2010-08-09T12:10:00.004-05:00

It has been hot!!!

So what else should a baby do when it's 100+ degrees outside??

Cohen's First Hair Cut

2010-08-09T12:02:00.003-05:00

The day before we left for California Cohen got her very first haircut.

This is the only picture I got. We were already in the car and her eyes are closed. Oh well!

She was 7 months old!

Here she is in the tub that night sport'n her pigtails. Yep...she's that cute!

San Diego 2010

2010-08-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

Personalize a free digital scrapbook

New Favorite Photo

2010-07-31T14:11:00.003-05:00

Team Grandad

2010-06-22T17:21:00.006-05:00

This last weekend some of my family members ran a half marathon in Durango, CO. My sister, cousin, and cousin-in-law ran in my grandad's honor. He had open heart surgery about a month ago. He is recovering well, especially for being an 87 year old man. He is such a trooper and we are so proud of him. Words will never be able to describe how much his grandkids love him! Here is a picture of the girls sporting their "Team Grandad" shirts.

Here Ya Go Grandpa

2010-06-21T12:32:00.012-05:00

My dad has been asking for pictures for a while now and since I had an extra minute, here ya go. Cohie girl had a few things she wanted to tell you!

Hi Grandpa!! I went swimming for the first time last week. The water was kinda cold so I'm ready to go swimming in your pool where it's warm!
Notice I'm sitting up by myself now. YEAH!!!! I sure am a big girl!

My hair is getting so long that I had to wear a headband to keep it out of my eyes while swimming! Do you like my swimsuit?

Mommy blows bubbles for me and I LOVE it. I laugh really hard everytime she says, "POP!" I'm trying really hard to catch this one...

This is what I wore for my daddy on Father's Day.

Well, I love you grandpa and I can't wait
to see you, grandma and Shy!

Love, Cohen

Man...I love this little girl so much I think my heart might bust!!

Father's Day

2010-06-20T09:43:00.004-05:00

Remember this day..

and this one...

Happy Father's Day Honey! This little girl could not love you more... and neither could I!!

New Favorite

2010-05-26T05:08:00.003-05:00

This is one of my (Josh) most current favorite pictures of Cohie. I am a proud daddy!

Really?

2010-05-24T17:05:00.000-05:00

Dear Writer's of Lost,

Really?

Little Miss Thang

2010-05-18T20:12:00.009-05:00

Well...that was a small break from blogging. Life is so busy now that we have a little one. Once I get home from work, all I want to do is play with my girl before she goes to bed. Once she is down, Josh and I have a small amount of time together...so blogging has been on the back burner for a while!

I have a few free minutes so I thought I would post the latest picture of Little Miss Thang. She is big pimp'n in her glasses and stroller!

Dallas Arboretum

2010-03-28T16:55:00.004-05:00

Daddy and Cohen

Cohen beside a field of tulips.

I had to crop myself out of this picture!! Ha!

I wanted it in here because she loved the waterfall!

Cohie and Mommy. These are my two favorite flowers!

How pretty!

I had to add this because my mom used to read this book to us when we were little. I also knew that my nephew Cade would like to see this!

The weather was perfect! We had such a fun day!

Spring Break

2010-03-21T10:46:00.004-05:00

I am on spring break this week and it is so fun to be back home with Cohen. I forget to mention that my maternity leave is over. I was dreading it so badly that I didn't really want to talk about it. Luckily we got to ease into it. I worked for a week and then I was home this week with her again. I am hoping this coming week will be a little easier...

One of my projects this week was to make Cohen's Easter basket. I looked at a lot of different ideas and I decided that I didn't like any of the baskets that were out there! Sooo...this is what I came up with!

The stickers didn't work so I had to go back and get paint pens and just paint her name on it. I had some ribbon in my craft closet so I made bows for each side.

I ended up using the stickers for the centers of the bows.

Throw in some green grass, and there ya have it! An Easter BUCKET!

I asked Cohie girl if she liked it...

And she said...

YES!

She'll like it even more when the Easter Bunny fills it with treats!!

What else did we do over spring break? Well, Josh's parents came to town for a few days to see Cohen, so she got to play with her Mimi and Papi!! She started blowing bubbles with her lips while they were here. It's so fun to watch her learn how to do things for the first time!!

We also woke up to almost 2 inches of snow this morning! I usually love the snow but it seems a little late in the year...I'm ready for spring!!

Well, gotta run! Sleeping beauty just woke up and I want to go play with her!!

2 Random Stories...

2010-03-19T20:10:00.009-05:00

Story #1

The other night Josh and I were getting Cohen ready for bed. I asked Josh to finish her lotion and get her jammies on while I got dinner going. I told him to come get me when she was ready to nurse and listen to her story. So when I hear daddy call for me, I walk back to the bedroom and take Cohen in my arms to feed her. As she snuggles in next to me, I pat her little fanny, and I notice that something is not right. "Ummm....are you kidding me?" I say. My child has no diaper on. Too funny! Daddy says, "I thought that seemed too easy...that could have been a lot worse ya know".

Story #2

One year ago tonight I went to bed a nervous wreck.... I had my blood draw early the next morning to see if our IVF cycle worked. Well, it turned out that this night would be the last night that we would go to bed and pray for God to answer our prayers about becoming parents!! Here we are a year later and we just tucked our precious little miracle into bed and kissed her good night. I am SO BLESSED to have this life!!!! Thank you Lord for answering our prayers... we give you the glory!! YOU ARE GOOD!!!

And just because I know her grandparents would want it... here's a few pictures of our lovie bug!

Part two: The Cabin

2010-03-16T09:18:00.007-05:00

After a few days in F-town we drove up to our family cabin in Vallecito, CO. There was at least 5 feet of snow. We had to have the driveway plowed just so we could get to the door! Notice the amount of snow behind Josh and Nana... And the amount of snow on the roof. Josh, Darin, and Dad had to shovel it all off. It was a workout!
We stayed inside and baked some cookies. We found all these old aprons in a drawer. Mine still had Kleenex in the pocket...we all agreed that it was grandma's since she is known for keeping her Kleenex stuffed in her clothes somewhere! Ha!
Cohie wore her little snow suit for the first time! I took her out in the snow and it wore her out! My little polar bear...

It was so fun to have the whole family up there together (minus Donnie, Myra and the kids...hopefully next time).

Cohen did an AWESOME job with all of her traveling. She did great on the plane and in the car! She continued to sleep through the night which was a relief to mommy and daddy. Thanks to Nana for buying her the exact pack and play that she has at home so that she would be used to it! You rock Nana!

We had a blast. It's always too short as normal. Once we were home it was nice to get back into our routine. Cohen sure enjoyed her bath tub again...

Her and her daddy have the same hair! Ha!

I HATE being so far from my family! I love and miss you all SO much!!

Hugs and Kisses!

Family Vacation: Part 1

2010-03-05T08:10:00.013-06:00

Cohen had a lot of "firsts" last few week. She flew on an airplane for the first time and she saw her aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time.

This is me and my sister and our children.

She also got to meet her granny (great grandmother). We are lucky to have these pictures because my granny had a massive stroke just a few months before Cohen was born. Granny was in the middle of a therapy session when we got to her house. As soon as we walked through the door and she saw Cohen all she could say was "baby" over and over again. Her session came to a screeching halt! Although we can not understand what granny says most of the time, it was almost like her and Cohen understood what each other were saying. It was a tear jerker to watch the two of them together.I know that Cohen holds a special place in her granny's heart. We joke that granny prayed Cohen here!

Our picture shows four generations. How cool is that?
So back to our trip...

We flew into Albuquerque where we met up with the Wallace clan. It was so good to see them! I miss you friend!! We ate at the best sandwich place in town. Love me some Dion's!!

Then we drove into Farmington. We stayed at Nana's house. How cute are these little toes!

We had dinner at a new restaurant in town. The kids loved the dancing. There was even a guy there who blew fire out of his mouth.
Then we were off to the cabin...

Playing Outside

2010-02-19T16:01:00.006-06:00

Yesterday's weather was so nice! I put a little hat on Cohen and we went outside. She loved it out there. She talked up a storm and kicked her legs all around. I can't wait until the weather gets nicer and we can spend a lot more time in the yard!

Cohen and Mommy

Trying to grab the camera!

I love those blue eyes! Look how long her eye lashes are getting!!

Sweet, sweet girl!

Baby Talk

2010-02-17T11:45:00.007-06:00

What used to be quiet little coos has now turned into full on babbling. I have been trying to capture her "talking" for a couple days now but everytime I pull out the camera she stops. With a little help from daddy we were able to get it on video last night!

So without any further ado...here is Cohen in her video debut!

Click HERE!

I'm sure there is a better way to get the video on here, I'm just not sure what it is! So this will have to work for now! Enjoy!

Cohen's First Snowman

2010-02-12T10:42:00.012-06:00

We had a record breaking snow here in Dallas! We woke up to 12 inches of snow this morning! Cohen may not see this much snow again for many many years. Yesterday's 7 1/2 inches broke a 32 year old record and then the over-night snow set a new one.

Me and Cohen are wrapped up in a blanket together trying to stay warm! Oh What fun!!

Of coarse we had to make Cohen a snow man. She fell asleep in her swing so daddy and I went to work. We would pack some snow and then peek at her through the window, pack some more snow and go peek at her again.

Mr. Snowman is an LSU fan...

Here's some pictures of Cohen meeting our backyard creation. The snow was so bright she couldn't even open her eyes! Poor baby!

After all the hard work we decided to enjoy some flavored snow. It would have been much better if we had some half and half. It was pretty sweet...Josh loved it!

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-11T09:15:00.005-06:00

We woke up this morning to almost 2 inches of snow. It is absolutely beautiful. It is still snowing huge flakes outside.

I love the simple pleasures in life....
A Snowy Day
Homemade Banana Bread
A fire in the fireplace
A sleeping baby
A slow morning with my husband
Staying in pajamas
It's a great day!!

I introduced Cohie to a new friend yesterday. She is having a fun time playing with him this morning since she is too young to play in the snow. I love a baby in jammies!!

Everything is Different Now

2010-02-05T10:53:00.013-06:00

Having Cohen has changed everything. I can't tell you how awesome it is to look at her and know that she's a little bit Josh and a little bit me. I was thinking the other day what our biggest change was. I don't think there is one big one, I think there are lots of small ones. Here's the ones that make me smile the most...

**I sing most sentences

**A toothless, drooling smile is now the cutest thing I've ever seen

**I haven't called my husband by his name is months, he's just daddy now

**I am less selfish...Thanks you Jesus!

**I ask myself, "She's asleep....should I shower, nap, or unload the dishwasher...hmmmmm?"

**I wake up to the sounds of a cooing baby...not an alarm clock...for a few more weeks anyway :(

**I no longer carry a purse, just a diaper bag

**I say, "Good girl!" when I hear a burp or see a poopy diaper

and last but not least.....

**I wear spit up on my shoulder like it's an accessory

She's awesome and we love our new life!!

2 Months Old

2010-02-01T09:41:00.015-06:00

Last Monday Cohen turned 2 months old. Man, has time flown. I just wanted to jot a few things down so that we can remember what she was doing.

Cohen, you are 2 months old now and here's what you are up to...

You weigh 11 pounds and are 22 inches long!

You started sleeping through the night at exactly 8 weeks. Mommy and Daddy started a new routine and it worked like a charm. At 7:00 we run your bath. We turn the lights down, turn your music on, and take a nice warm bath. While mommy bathes you, daddy gets your towel and your jammies ready. After your bath, you get a rub down in your nite-nite lotion and then in your jammies you go. While mommy nurses, daddy reads you a story. You are out like a light within minutes. You will sleep until about 6:00am. But after a feeding and diaper change you are out again until about 7:30. You are such a good sleeper!

You smile all the time! You are a very happy baby!! You pay close attention to what is going on around you. You watch us walk in and out of rooms and love to look at your toys. Mr. Stripes is your favorite toy. You could stare at his stripes and "talk" to him for hours. You also love when daddy sings to you.

We do tummy time a couple times a day. Your head and neck are getting stronger. You are not only looking up but also from side to side. I love watching you grow. I can tell that rolling over will be the next mile stone. Your head and shoulders are close but you can't figure out how to get your bottom half to roll. I'm sure you will have it accomplished before I can even blink...that's how fast time flies.

You had your first round of vacinations last Monday (also mommies birthday- NOT a fun way to spend a birthday). You did not like the well baby exam but you did okay with the shots. It was definatley harder on mommy than it was on you. You were sleepy the next day but that was the only thing we noticed. Thank goodness!

The last 2 months have been such a joy. You make us so happy!! I look at you and know without a shadow of a doubt that I would go through EVERYTHING again to get you. To say that you were worth the wait is an understatement. We love our Cohie girl!!

Guess Who Slept Through The Night?

2010-01-21T10:02:00.008-06:00

Little miss Cohen did!!! I couldn't believe it. I wish mommy and daddy had also slept through the night. We woke up every hour from about 3:30 on just to make sure that she was doing good. I am so proud of her. I knew we were getting close when her middle of the night feeding started getting later and later and she was only eating for a few minutes. We'll see if she does it again tonight. Here's some pics of our little punk'n this morning!

Family!!

2010-01-20T09:09:00.009-06:00

I knew it would happen! We would wait and wait for Grandpa,Grandma, and Shy to come and then it would all be over in the blink of an eye. Although they were not here very long, we made the best of the time we had. Cohen loved having new faces to look at. I hate that we live so far away from my family. I would love for her to grow up with family all around. I loved having all my cousins just a bike ride away. Remember when it was safe to do that.

Here's a few photo's of our time together!

Seven Oh So Short Weeks

2010-01-13T15:00:00.020-06:00

I was just sitting here gobbling down lunch as fast as I could because my little one is asleep... which is how most of my meals are consumed now days. Anyway, Cohen and I were running some errands this afternoon and she fell asleep in her car seat. When we got home I wasn't sure if all the movement and the closing of doors woke her up but I also didn't want to peek under the blanket, so I decided to just uncover her feet. If they were still then I knew she was asleep and if they were moving than I knew she was awake. Well, watching her little feet reminded me of a time just 7 short weeks ago....

My doctor told us the wait was over and that it was time to bring her into this world. So we went home and Nana worked like crazy to finish the bedding.

I cried because I saw this poem (click to enlarge) at the doctors office and was sad about not being pregnant anymore.

We grabbed a bite to eat and then I got our bags together and daddy loaded up the car. I remember setting the empty car seat down in the living room and thinking next time I bring it into this house it's going to have a little person in it. I wondered what she would look like...

Now here I am, seven oh so short weeks later, watching her little feet, knowing what she looks like, and enjoying every second of her day.

Those little feet are now moving so I better run!! It's time for her to gobble down her lunch. God is GOOD!!

This Is For You, Grandpa!!

2010-01-11T12:05:00.003-06:00

Is she not the cutest little cowgirl you have ever seen? She wanted to wear this shirt just for her grandpa and grandma. They are coming to visit her this weekend and she can hardly wait.

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-05T08:41:00.006-06:00

I can't believe that 2009 is gone...hello 2010!! Although we are always excited to see what a new year brings, I can't help but look back to 2009 and think that is was quite possibly one of the best years of our lives. I spent the majority of the year pregnant which was something we thought might never happen. But in March our prayers were answered and we learned that we would have a baby in time for the holidays! We brought our beautiful baby girl home on Thanksgiving Day. The last 6 weeks have been absolutely amazing and I love being a mommy so much!

Here is our girl wishing you a Happy New Year!! Man, we love her!!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T15:10:00.003-06:00

God Of Second Chances W/ Danny (Must See)

2009-12-19T22:40:00.001-06:00

Worship Pastor is trying to film a song for service and a homeless man walks up and turns the video shoot into a worship service!

What's New?

2009-12-15T09:03:00.004-06:00

A few little things have happened over the last couple of days. Cohen's umbilical cord fell off a few days ago so she has been enjoying taking a normal little bath. She was a little uncertain at first but now she seems to like it. Her eye sight is getting better each day. She now notices the little bears that hang from her swing and she loves to look at the Christmas lights on the tree and the fire place. When I got her up this morning she looked right at me and smiled a huge smile. Man, that will melt a mommy's heart!!!

She went through a two day phase of not wanting to take naps. I'm not gonna lie...I kind of liked having her awake because I miss her when she is asleep. But, it was making her cranky so we had to fix that. She has napped really well the last two days!

Sunday night we went for a drive. It was nice for me to get out of the house and she loves a car ride. Daddy took us to Starbucks and then we drove around and looked at Christmas lights. She was sound asleep by the time we got home!

She is growing up and changing so fast. Ah!!! I need time to slow down! Here is a picture of her laying on the floor looking at the Christmas tree. I think she would do this for hours if I let her!

2 Weeks Old!

2009-12-10T15:34:00.003-06:00

Cohen turned two weeks old yesterday. She is doing awesome. We had her two week appointment on Tuesday and the doctor said that she is "perfect". Well, we already knew that!
She is in the 10th % for weight and the 25th % for length. So she is still little. Most of her clothes are big on her. We have had to do a little shopping.
She is sleeping great. I usually have to wake her up in the night to feed her. And she is a great eater! I am having so much fun with her!
Here is a picture of her and her daddy. She loves her daddy time!

Got Milk??

2009-12-09T09:50:00.002-06:00

Now that my milk has come in....it has COME IN!! This was just too funny not to capture! I'm pretty sure she is satisfied!

It's beginning to look like Christmas

2009-12-06T19:59:00.002-06:00

Cajun Fried Thanksgiving

2009-12-06T13:15:00.019-06:00

Cohen was born the day before Thanksgiving so we postponed Thanksgiving dinner until the following week. I cooked a Louisiana Cajun Fried Turkey and it was awesome. This is our turkey full of the family secret marinade and rub.

The turkey is ready to be placed in peanut oil to be fried once the temp reaches 250 degrees.

Once the turkey is placed in the fryer the temp should rise to 300 degrees and cook for about 30-45 minutes. The wind would not allow my fire to reach 300 degrees so I had to improvise.

The country boy in me came up with a plan that included a few boxes I had around the house. Not too safe but effective.

Just in case!

Lunch is ready!

Pic of the Day

2009-12-04T17:54:00.001-06:00

1 Week Old

2009-12-03T08:04:00.003-06:00

Cohen turned one week old yesterday! I can't believe how fast the last week has gone by. She is so stink'n cute...being her mommy is the best thing ever!

This is what I got to wake up to yesterday morning!

For her one week birthday present she got SNOW!!!! I told her that this doesn't happen very often here. She is one lucky girl!

She has made so much progress in the last week. I no longer have to supplement feedings and she is back to her birth weight. Thank you Lord!

I have to give a high five to her daddy...we made one cute kid!

Pics of the Day

2009-11-30T21:29:00.002-06:00

Pic of the Day

2009-11-29T18:15:00.002-06:00

My First Bath

2009-11-29T08:51:00.003-06:00

First LSU Game (Geaux Tigers)

2009-11-28T08:41:00.001-06:00

She is Beautiful

2009-11-26T21:09:00.003-06:00

My Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T05:50:00.000-06:00

This Thanksgiving I want to take a moment to be thankful. This year I am thankful for many things but the greatest is my wife. The day before thanksgiving this year my wife gave birth to our precious beautiful daughter Cohen Elizabeth. I am so thankful for my wife because the birth of our daughter began more than 9 months ago. Over three years ago my wife and I decided to start a family but discovered that was going to be a very difficult journey. This year as I reflect I am thankful for how my wife handled this journey.

I am thankful that when we received bad news again and again my wife did not allow her emotions to control and rule. She admitted her disappointment, pain, and sometimes anger but she would pause and surrender her emotions to Christ. I saw my wife supernaturally experience deep inner comfort in the midst of one of the darkest times of her life.
I am thankful that she never threw in the towel. Lisa had to submit herself to medical test after medical test but she arrived every time again and again.
I am thankful how she approached her fears. My wife hates needles but part of the process of getting pregnant called for her to take thousands of shots. I am thankful for how she stared her fear in the face and overcame.
I am thankful for how my wife was willing to give up her privacy over and over again. As you can imagine with so many medical exams she had to let many a doctor poke, prod, push and peak. I know this had to be tough but she pushed thru without blinking
I am thankful that my wife has chosen to live a life that is not ashamed of following Christ. It is because of this relationship with her Savior that she was able to stare this trial in the face.
I am thankful for how my wife responded to this trial day after day for over three years. Because of her resilience we have been able to experience one of the greatest joys of our life thus far, our beautiful baby girl Cohen Elizabeth Stewart.

Thank you honey,

The Lord Has Provided

2009-11-25T20:07:00.003-06:00

Cohen Elizabeth Stewart was born into our family today at 1:46 pm. She weighs 6 lbs 6 oz and is 19 inches long. Mommy was a champ during the 2 day process of delivery. She is such a beautiful baby. This day the Lord has provided for us.

I Samuel 7:12 "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer saying, "Thus far the Lord has provided for us."

Quick Update....

2009-11-24T14:55:00.003-06:00

She is not here yet but she is on her way! I checked into the hospital last night so that they could start induction. I had to take a few meds last night that required the baby to be monitored and then started Pitocin this morning.

The Pitocin was not working so now they have started me on a new med to see if this one will do the trick. Please pray that it will work and it will work quickly. It's been a long night and a long day...I was really hoping that we would all be home by Thanksgiving!!

I would do anything for Babe's right now!! Dinner last night was my last meal...

Most importantly, baby girl is doing just fine. I'm listening to her little heart beat away as I write this. I am so excited to see her I can hardly stand it!

Thanks for the prayers!!

Last Day of Work!!

2009-11-21T11:36:00.004-06:00

Friday was my last day of work. It seems so weird to be leaving in the middle of the year. I don't think that it has sunk in that I will not be going back after Thanksgiving break.

The girls that I work with brought donuts to celebrate my last day!
I love these girls so much!! We have so much fun together and not seeing them on a daily basis is going to be really weird!
I am not the only one preggo right now. Lisa, on the left, is about 5 weeks behind me and Brandy, in the middle, just finished her first trimester...she just announced last week.
We had to wear our "i" shirts on Friday. We both had to squeeze into them.
Here is all four of the pregnant girls that are in my hallway!
I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and we should know more about when our little stinker is going to be here. I have mixed emotions about it. I'm ready to see her but I am not ready to not be pregnant anymore. This has been one of the funnest things I have ever done and I will miss it so much. I love having her inside me and feeling her move...especially the hiccups. But then I think about her being here and seeing what she looks like and I absolutely can't wait.

Stay tuned... it could be any day now!!

Nursery Pictures

2009-10-13T18:04:00.004-05:00

Our furniture is here. We still need a few little odds and ends before it's complete but here is what it looks like so far!

Diaper tower that was the center piece at my last shower!

This little dress is just waiting for her to get here!

Her name will hang above the crib. I"m not putting it up until she gets here though!

We are going to hang some pictures above this dresser!

The curtain rod is on the floor...I didn't realize it was in the picture! The ends match the knobs on the night stand. My mom is making the curtains. They will match the damask fabric in the bedding!

I can't believe that in six short weeks she is going to be here. I hope she likes her room!

Prayer Request

2009-09-30T19:36:00.003-05:00

This last Sunday my (Lisa) granny had a major stroke. She has been in the hospital since Sunday morning and was moved to a 30 day rehab center today. She is not able to move the left side of her body and she cannot speak more than a few words at this time. She also has a small amount of swelling on her brain. We are not sure what kind of recovery to expect but we're praying for a miracle. My granny has a very strong relationship with the Lord and we are all comforted in knowing that He is carrying her at this time. If you feel lead, please pray for the following...

* The swelling on her brain to go down
* Strength for her body so that she can start moving
* Regaining her ability to speak

Although this is a shock to our family and we are very worried, I am not surprised to hear that she smiles all day to those around her. She has never let the ups and downs of life change who she is. Her joy is in the Lord and not in the things of this world. Not money, material things, or even her health can steal her joy. May she be an example to us all. She is a Proverbs 31 women!

Country Boys Can Survive

2009-09-25T09:27:00.001-05:00

Check out the video of our 2009 Labor Day Dove Hunt.

New Nephew!!

2009-09-22T17:09:00.003-05:00

We have a new nephew!! I got to see him on skype this weekend but I can not wait to see him in real life and smooch those cheeks. My sister got another boy but at least this one might have her brown hair! Welcome to the family Canton!!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Furniture Finally!!

2009-09-19T14:31:00.004-05:00

We FINALLY found the furniture that we have been looking for. We wanted black and it's been very hard to find. Josh and I went out to one last store today and as soon as we walked in the door I saw it! It is exactly what I wanted. We had to order it and it's going to take a few weeks for it to get here. But I will post a picture of it in a model nursery. The model actually looks a lot like our nursery so it will be easy to visualize. The knobs on the dressers are crystal and are SO cute! I love everything about it. I just can't wait to see what little stink will look like in her crib!

29 weeks

2009-09-10T18:46:00.002-05:00

Holly Cow...only 11 weeks to go. It's crazy how close we are getting. I saw my OB today and she said that everything looks really good. Baby girl is weighing in at about 2lbs 2 oz. She thought we were both measuring on the small side of normal. As long as we are both "normal", I'm fine with being a little small. It's more comfortable and it will be easier to deliver her! The clot is all but gone!! It's there a little bit but it is definitely still receding.

Josh and I got most of our registry done. How fun is that?? The nesting has set it...I want her room to be finished ASAP!! I'll post more pictures when we have more done.

I was in my teammates room yesterday and had her snap a quick picture so that my family could see the belly. Here is the latest!

LSU Cribs - 2009

2009-08-28T14:12:00.001-05:00

One reason LSU has a top recruiting class every year!

It's That Time of Year Again!

2009-08-11T07:39:00.008-05:00

I had my 24 1/2 week doctor's appointment yesterday. Baby girl looks good. I got to see some 3D pictures of her but she decided to hide her face with her hand AND her knee. What? It blows my mind how flexible they are! I did get to see some of her little cheeks and her lips...they are very smoochable. I CAN'T WAIT!! She looks perfect! The clot is still there. Hard to see, but still there. Which is okay. It's still "receding".

Here's what I learned about her in the last week...

1. She loves popcorn
2. She hates apple juice
3. She loves a warm shower
4. She thinks her daddy is funny...don't ask me how I know that, I just do!
5. She likes going to church. I got a kick half way through the service which was more like an "Amen!" I don't blame her though, it was a really good service.

You should go here and watch it! It will be worth your time...I promise! (Oops, I just checked and it's not up yet. Check back and it will be soon!)

I'm off to work in my classroom. Yep, it's that time of year again!

The Flood

2009-08-05T09:26:00.005-05:00

I made a comment a couple of posts back that I had an amazing story to share about the blood clot...so I thought that today would be as good as any. Plus this is a story I don't want to forget!

I have been doing a bible study this summer called The Fall, the Flood, and the Nations. I woke up one mid-June morning and pulled my study out to work on it for a bit. When I realized that I would be reading and learning about the flood (Gen 7:11) that day I offered up a little prayer that went something like this...

"Lord, this is a story that I have read a million times but today I am asking you to show me something new. I know that a flood has nothing to do with the trial that we are going through right now but if there is something in this story to bring some peace to my pregnancy concerns I ask that you please show that to me. Amen."

So I begin reading about " the spring of the deep bursting open" and "the floodgates of heaven opening" and rain falling down on the earth for "forty days and forty nights". I tried to imagine how much liquid it must take to "cover all the mountains under heaven". Wow!

Well, we all know how this story ends. After forty days the rains stop and God begins to recede the waters....

As I am finishing the day's study I realize what it is that the Lord just showed me.

I flooded this earth with more liquid than you can even imagine and I receded those waters. How small is your blood clot compared to that?

I knew that I had to trust Him. The same "Him" that flooded the earth and then dried it up.

This story gets more interesting.... I close my study and go to get a bowl of cereal. As I'm eating I remember that I need to change the time of my next doctor's appointment so that Josh can come. I grab the calendar to check my appointment time and date and I feel an urge to "count the days". I flip back a month to see when we first learned about the blood clot and then begin counting how many days it has been. From the day we learned about the clot to the day of that next appointment...

forty days...

Here I sit today with a blood clot that is...well...receding! Receding so much so that it is almost gone!

And I thought a flood and a blot clot had nothing in common. Ha!

My Latest Craving....

2009-08-04T07:09:00.003-05:00

Ohhh it's sooo good! Especially in this summer heat!

Can't tell what that this is??? It's a slush from Sonic. And it's amazing!

Thanks Fish! That made my day!

What's Her Name???

2009-08-03T08:43:00.003-05:00

Josh and I have talked a lot about her name. We feel that this is just one of our first important decisions. We are trying to make sure that it doesn't rhyme with anything that it shouldn't but more importantly we want for it to have good meaning and biblical significance. So with that said...she has been named!! You'll just have to wait until November to find out what it is!!!

Speaking of her name... I am Mod Podging it this week to hang on her wall. Here is the paper I am going to use. I am hanging the letters with the black ribbon.

Here's a close up so you can see the patterns better!

Sweet Friends

2009-07-29T10:05:00.009-05:00

I thought for sure that this summer was going to be long and boring. When I glanced at my calendar this morning I realized that this time next month I will already be done with my first week of school. I am assuming that my doctor is going to let me go back to work. I figure if they let me finish the year when the blot clot was huge that they will let me go back now that it is so much smaller...maybe even gone! We'll see!

Anyway, the summer has gone by really fast! It helped having lots of visitors the last few months. And not just my family! I have some really sweet friends!

The girls that I work with have been so much fun this summer! For the last few years we have done our weekly "lunch bunch". We all meet for lunch and then sit and talk for hours. Before we leave we decide where we are going to meet the next week! This is the one thing that Josh and I decided that I could do this summer. Because I would be sitting the whole time and I just needed to get out of the house! Here are some pics of some of our days!

Julie and Jenn

Leadie and Fish

Me and Jenn

LJ and Sims

Me and Leadie

Megan and NaTonia

These girls are so much fun and I always look forward to our lunch day! Many of them have also just stopped by the house to hang out, bring me a sonic, and some other fun goodies like the following...

Carly and Megan brought me a box full of scrap book supplies to start the baby book!! They even started a page for me!

Last night LJ brought us a dinner of bowtie pasta, bread and salad! It was soooo good! The peanut butter brownies for dessert were AMAZING!!! I'm gonna go eat one right now!

Thanks LJ!! You rock!

Because Some of You Have Been Asking

2009-07-28T10:15:00.009-05:00

I am not one to post pictures of me...but I will so that my family can see the growing belly and be a part of this pregnancy.

Sigh...so here it is!

I'm killing two birds with one stone! My mother-in-law took this picture this weekend. Here's the finished stripes and the belly!

The bedding came in the mail yesterday! It is exactly what I wanted. My mom did an awesome job!! How cool that baby girl's bedding was made with love by her Nana! She also made matching curtains for the window!! We have not found furniture yet so you will have to imagine what it will look like in a crib.

We are looking for black furniture and stuff to hang on the walls. My goal is to have the nursery ready for baby by October!

22 Week Update

2009-07-23T15:42:00.006-05:00

I am finally 22 weeks!!! Sometimes it feels like this pregnancy is going by fast and sometimes it feels like it's going by slowly. I am absolutely enjoying every second of it though.
I had a doctor's appointment last Friday and we felt like we got some really good news. I was not surprised to hear what the doctor had to say...that's another story for another day. Let's just say sometimes I have to laugh and just shake my head at the Lord. He never ceases to amaze me! Anyway...the doctor told us that he thought the blood clot was on it's way out and there's a good chance it could be gone by our next appointment! Whew, what a relief!

There are a few things that I would like to remember about this pregnancy...

March 20th: The phone call from my doctor's office telling me that we were pregnant! Words can not explain how much those words meant to us!

March 30th: Saw TWO sacs...one big and one small

April 6th: Saw the heartbeat at 6 weeks. There was only one, but seeing that one strong hearbeat changed me. I left a different person then when I came!

May: Told all of our friends we were pregnant...finally!! I also started showing the end of May. We found out on the 20th that we were having a GIRL!!!

June 15th: felt the baby move for the first time. It was off and on at first. Just a few weeks later Josh could feel it too!

July: By now she is moving all day everyday! I can also see my stomach move when she kicks me. I think she is going to be a night owl just like her daddy.

Thanks for all the prayers, they ARE working!

What a Busy Few Weeks: Part Two

2009-07-20T12:41:00.004-05:00

So after my mom left, in came my other set of parents. My dad, stepmom, and niece came. My sister and her kids came too! It was so fun to see everyone. It's amazing how fast kids grow. My dad has a HUGE coach bus that they travel in. They parked it out behind our house. It worked perfect for us but I'm sure my neighbors wondered what in the world was going on. It looked like Kenny Chesney had rolled into town and was staying at our house! Too funny! We had a great time. I was super sad to see them go. The kids swam every day and we ate out every night...so here is a glimps of our daily routine!

Make a Smilebox photobook

What a Busy Few Weeks!

2009-07-19T12:15:00.005-05:00

Man, have we had a lot going on the last few weeks. My mom booked a flight to come see us as soon as she heard I was going to have a long, boring summer on the couch. I am so glad she came. The minute she walked through the door she started cooking and cleaning. She also helped Josh paint the nursery. We had to have it re-textured first because the old job was terrible. I know it looks bright but it is really very cute! We are adding some gloss stripes this weekend. She is also going to make the babies bedding! So I had to pick out fabric before she left. We did not want a nursery that was really "kiddish". It's not finished but here are the colors we came up with and the bedding that my mom is making...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

LSU 2009 Baseball National Champs

2009-07-03T20:09:00.001-05:00

Great Example of Coaching

2009-06-26T22:30:00.001-05:00

LOVE STORY (Taylor Swift) meets VIVA LA VIDA (Coldplay) - Piano

2009-06-23T00:15:00.001-05:00

No, Mr. President: John Piper's Response to President Obama

2009-06-21T23:37:00.001-05:00

Almost 17 Weeks

2009-06-15T09:01:00.006-05:00

Whew...another uneventful week has gone by. I'm trying very hard to stay on the couch "for the majority of the day". As awesome as being bound the couch might sound, it does get old. But, it's worth it and here's why...

Our baby is the size of a baked potato this week. Which is funny because that's what I had for dinner last night! I think I might have even felt her move this morning...I was still laying in bed talking to Josh and I felt what I thought her movements would feel like. We'll see if it happens again.

I go back to the doctor tomorrow, I am praying for good news!!

Down For The Count...Prayers Please!!

2009-06-09T15:47:00.002-05:00

With only 15 1/2 short weeks behind me, what felt like a long way to go just got longer. We learned a couple of weeks ago that there is a large blood clot hanging out in there with the bambino. We have been watching it closely hoping that my body would start to absorb it. Unfortunately we learned after yesterday's appointment that it is not getting smaller and I am now bound to the couch.
Luckily the baby is just fine and everything around HER is fine. Yep, we're having a GIRL!!!!! She is growing and measuring right on track. The clot can cause some problems so I am not allowed to do much of anything. I just went on summer break...so I'm home anyway.
Please join us in praying for our baby girl to continue to be healthy and for the clot to start to shrink!

Update...

2009-06-01T17:41:00.008-05:00

I encourage you to watch the video before reading the rest of the post! I found this video a while back and was so encouraged to hear someone talk about this very tender subject.

I cried the first time I saw this video. Not because I felt sorry for her, but because I knew exactly how she felt. I have spent the better part of the last 3 years thinking the exact words of this song. I never dreamed that I would be one of "those" women. Although dealing with infertility has been the hardest thing that I have ever done, I learned that I was not alone in this battle. Did you know that the "First Family" in the Bible dealt with 3 generations of infertility? Sarah(Gen 18), Rebekah(Gen 25), and Rachel (Gen. 30) were not the only barren women the Bible talks about. There is also Elizabeth(Luke 1), the mother of John the Baptist. Then there's my favorite...the story of Hannah (1 Sam. 1).

I don't find it ironic that the God chose to talk about infertility....on at least 5 different occasions. You know the one thing that all of these stories have in common? They all had babies. And everyone of those babies played a key role in advancing the kingdom of God. That's what I have had to hold on to. If God wants me to be a mommy, then He'll make me one. Not on my time, but on His time.

The scripture that has gotten me through the last three years is 1 Samuel 1:11. These are the words of Hannah praying that God would give her a son.

"O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life..."

I have read that verse every day for the last 3 years. I have been waiting for the day that I could skip over to chapter 2 of 1 Samuel and offer up the same prayer of thanksgiving that Hannah gave God after Samuel was born.

Well.......

My day has come!! It didn't come easy, but it came. And to steal a few words from Hannah...

"My heart rejoices in the Lord. For I delight in His deliverance!!"

99 day till LSU Football 09

2009-05-30T08:48:00.001-05:00

Swine Flu / Whine Flu!

2009-05-03T23:14:00.001-05:00

If Only We Were as Bold as Children

2009-03-05T17:28:00.004-06:00

I (lisa) am a huge fan of Bring the Rain (blog). If you look to the right you will see the link for it...
Angie Smith is a gifted writer and shares Truth in an inspiring way! I encourage you to read her post from Tuesday March 3rd. She has an amazing way of "keep'n it real."

Hook Up - 2

2009-03-03T21:52:00.006-06:00

If you are single and looking to find that perfect someone I have a question for you. Would you consider yourself dry sand or wet sand? People who are dry sand end up in relationships that go no where but in circles. The below will help you consider if you are dry sand.

Dry Sand

hate being alone
dating someone only because they look good
dating someone because they make you look good
you date for the thrill of the chase
bottom line: you are in love with love
you date to fulfill your sexual needs

If you want to become wet sand and get off the wheel of relationships that lead to know where I would encourage the below:

Tips:

pause on dating for the time being
spend time in the Bible (it has a great way of showing you who you are)
serve someone
spend an hour or so with a pastor, counselor or life coach

*Content from Week 2 of the Hook Up at Fellowship Church

Radio Legend Paul Harvey Dies at 90

2009-02-28T21:52:00.006-06:00

I will never forget the first time I heard Paul Harvey. I was in my dad's green Chevy truck and we were driving down the road in North Louisiana. Even though I was a young boy there was something intriguing about the voice coming thru the radio. Ever since that day every time I heard Paul Harvey on the radio I would pause and listen. I will miss his favorite lines... "And now you know the rest of the story" and "Paul Harvey.....good day!"

Jimmy York (1975-2009)

2009-02-22T18:13:00.011-06:00

A few weeks ago I posted about my friend Jimmy who suddenly passed away on Sunday, February 8, 2009. My heart has been so broken it has been hard to articulate all that Jimmy meant to me.

Jimmy helped make my transition on staff at Fellowship Church in 2005 very smooth. He spent unnecessary hours showing me the ropes and explaining to me the culture of Fellowship Church. He was patient with me and we became a great team as we led the small groups ministry together. He was wise, gentle and he made lasting impact on everybody he met and everything he puts his hands to. Our desks were 5 feet from one another and everyday we did ministry together. We were a perfect fit, a perfect team. There was a special bond that formed between Jimmy and I as we locked arms and entered the "brutiful" world of ministry together. I miss Jimmy's big smile and his servant's heart. He was a great leader and a trusted friend. I praise God for his life. Jimmy's influence will be felt for many generations to come. Jimmy was passionate about Jesus, he was passionate about the ministry of Fellowship Church, and he was passionate about his family.

A NOTE FROM TRICIA YORK (JIMMY'S WIFE)

My prayer is that if you don't know Christ personally, that you would come to know Him. I have now witnessed how quickly life can be taken from you. We are not promised tomorrow. We are not promised five minutes from now. The time to turn your life to Christ is right now. Jesus Christ is the ONLY thing that will give you joy, peace, love, passion and purpose. I wouldn't want a single person that knew Jimmy to not know that truth. He lived his life to point others to Christ and I want his ministry to continue. I have peace because I know without a shadow of a doubt that Jimmy is walking with the Lord at this very moment. I hurt for me and my family because he will be so DEARLY missed, but I don't hurt for Jimmy because I know who he belongs to and where he is. I pray that no one that encountered him or our family walks away from us not knowing that truth. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. They are appreciated more than you will ever know. May God bless all of you and your marriages.

A Great Man; A Great Loss

2009-02-08T22:49:00.005-06:00

It is with such a broken heart that I share the loss of a great man, a loving father, a best friend and a trusted allie in ministry. Jimmy (as seen in the picture above) died instantly early this morning of heart complications. He was 33 years old. Jimmy deserves so much more than this simple post but my heart is so broken I can't even put the words together. Please keep his wife and two kids in your prayers.

Hook Up-1

2009-02-02T20:14:00.003-06:00

Almost every human being at some point in their life wants to find the "the One". We all want to find "the One" to have and to hold, for richer for poor, in sickness and in health, til death do us part. But it doesn't take a relational rocket scientist to see that things are not turning out so well for the majority of people who have found "the One" and have said "I DO".

Did you know that after a few years of marriage 50% of marriages end in divorce? Of the 50% that stay married 25% say they have little or no intimacy. Intimacy can simply be described as interest in one another.

There is a big disconnect somewhere because I have never heard a single bride or groom say they know their marriage is going to end in divorce. The opposite is actually true. Every newly wed couple thinks they are going to live happily ever after.

Did you know that 80% of marriages where both parties claim to be Christ-followers, attend a local church consistently, read their bibles and attend a small group have a joyful successful marriage.

Maybe we have found the disconnect.

*Content from Week 1 of the Hook Up at Fellowship Church

WOW! Just WOW!

2009-01-30T11:52:00.001-06:00