A Few Updates

I've been meaning to post a few different blogs about different things over the past week or so, but never got around to it on those certain days, so I thought I'd try to combine all of them into one blog now. Of course now that I'm actually getting around to it, I feel like I can't remember half of what I wanted to write about. Figures. I'll at least try to recap this past weekend.

First of all, we FINALLY took our Christmas tree down Friday night (what?... Christmas wasn't THAT long ago...). I had already taken all the ornaments off a couple of weeks ago and boxed them up, along with the rest of the decorations (stockings, nativity scene, etc.), but the tree is too tall for me to try to disassemble on my own. And as I've mentioned several times before, Jordan stays really busy working his two jobs, so we basically have to pull out the calendar and schedule every single thing we do, no matter how insignificant it may seem. So, Friday was pretty much the first chance we had to finally tackle the chore of taking the tree down (ok, so maybe it wasn't the FIRST chance since Christmas... but it was the first chance we had when we actually felt like taking it down). Packing up Christmas is always a little bittersweet for me; it's my favorite time of the year, and I'm always a little sad when that special day comes to an end. For me, it signifies another year gone by, and as weird or silly as this may sound, I always sort of yearn for my childhood during Christmas time. I absolutely love Christmas music, but there are certain Christmas songs that make me cry every single time I hear them (one example being Kenny G's version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") because they always bring back vivid memories of when I was little. I hear one of these particular songs, and suddenly I'm five years old again, back at my old house in central Florida, watching ice skating with my mom and brother while carefully threading popcorn and cranberries on some string to hang on our Christmas tree. Sometimes I would give anything to go back to those days. Other times, I'm glad that those days are now years in my past, and I'm thankful for all that God has done in my life since. And now, I'm sitting here reading back over the last few sentences wondering how on earth I got on this tangent. All I intended to do was say that we finally took our tree down. So yeah. Moving on now.

Rylee turned seven months old on Saturday. Yep. She has been sitting up by herself for almost two months now, but she's not crawling yet (I can tell she's trying to figure it out, though). She still doesn't have any teeth yet either, but surely one will break through soon. I mean, it seems like she's been teething for three months now! She's been saying "Mama" for a while now, and it sounds like she's starting to say "Dada" as well... or something closely resembling it, anyway. I recently let her try a bite of mashed potatoes... she gagged them down. We'll have to try those again soon. I gave her some juice (diluted with water) for the first time the other day, and although she made lots of funny faces, she seems to like it for the most part. I attempted to feed her a jar of chicken with chicken gravy ("infant meat") last night, and she took one small bite and started gagging and crying as if I'd broken her little heart. Needless to say, I didn't make her eat anymore of it. That stuff smells like cat food anyway. As usual, she keeps me busy from sun up to sun down, but I love every second I get to spend with her.

Also on Saturday, we got the information packet for our Compassion sponsor child, Findley, in the mail. I was so excited. Now we have a picture of him that I can look at every day. He's just so precious. I pray that someday we'll have the opportunity and the means (financially, etc.) to meet him. I love the fact that I've only "known" him for a week or so, but I already love him so much. I will forever consider him part of our family, and he will always have a very special place in my heart.

Finally, Saturday evening one of Jordan's co-workers, his wife, and their two sweet little girls joined us at our house for dinner. It was the first time we've had anyone other than family over for dinner, and we really enjoyed the company. I made "Chicken Stuff" (chicken casserole), garlic mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and rolls (ok, so I didn't actually MAKE those last three things; they were already prepared... all I had to do was heat them up...), and as far as I know, everyone liked it. It was so nice to visit with another young, married-with-a-kid (or in their case, two kids and another on the way) couple. Fellowship with friends our age who are in the same stage of life that Jordan and I are currently in is something we have longed for since we got married (and even more-so since we had Rylee). We are planning to get together with this family again soon, and I am really looking forward to it.

Ok... whether or not I've mentioned everything I wanted to, I'm going to wrap up this post here before it gets any longer. Since I mentioned it, though, I wanted to include a quick clip of Rylee's first sip of juice... for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

My Prayer List

I'm doing this particular post more for myself than anyone else. One of my "resolutions" this year (and every year, for that matter) is to be more consistent and fervent in my daily devotions/quiet times/Bible studies and prayer times with God. As far as my prayers go, I've felt pretty convicted lately that I've done a lot of selfish praying over the years. It's so easy to pray for my own needs and wants, but it's just as important (if not even MORE important) to pray for the needs of others. Prayer is POWERFUL, and there are so many people who desperately need to be lifted up daily in prayer by their brothers and sisters in Christ. So often, I will hear of a prayer request, and I'll always say, "Oh yeah, I'll definitely keep you/him/her/them/that/etc. in my prayers!" But in all honestly, I rarely actually do. I feel so terrible admitting that, but it's the truth. Thankfully, God started bringing this to my attention, and for the past several months, I've been doing my best to make a conscious effort to pray selflessly for the needs of others. It's amazing how God will reveal Himself to you when you actually quit thinking about yourself for a few minutes. Anyway, I wanted to list some of the people and things I'm currently praying for/about right now, first and foremost so I have another reminder for myself, but also in case anyone who might be reading this wants to join me in praying for any/all of them. I can tell you now that there will probably be at least a few things that I forget to mention, so I may very well come back to this blog later to add to the list.
(Note: When praying, it's also VERY important to thank God for all the blessings He's given us. This was another area of my "praying practices" that I was convicted about, so I'm trying to make a more conscious effort to praise God for all He's done before I ever start asking Him to do more.)


My Prayer List:

* my husband (I'm currently reading the book The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian, and quickly learning just how important it really is to pray for Jordan EVERY DAY. After all, he is the spiritual leader of our home. I pray for his health and safety, and I pray that he continues to grow in his walk with Christ so he can be the very best husband and father he is called to be. I pray that, in the Lord's time, He will provide one full-time job for Jordan so he no longer has to work the two part-time jobs he's currently working. I pray that I can be a more loving, respectful, submissive wife to him, and honor him in all my thoughts and actions.)
* Rylee (I pray for her continued health. I pray that God will continue to guide me as a first-time mom to raise her as best as I possibly can so she will grow to love and know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior some day. As it says in Proverbs 22:6, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.")
* my family (my mom, dad, daddy, brother, and sister)
* Findley (the precious little Haitian boy we sponsor through Compassion International) and his family
* my extended family (my in-laws, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)
* my brothers and sisters in Christ (The specifications of these prayers differ from day to day depending on what requests I hear about, but for the last couple of months I've been keeping a particular baby boy and his family in my prayers. Hollis Yaun was born with CDH on November 28, 2010. He also has three heart defects. His family (particularly his mommy) is very dear to me, and I know they covet all the prayers they can get for their beyond-adorable "Captain Awesomepants". You can learn more about him and his family and follow his journey by checking out his Caring Bridge site.
* our country and our nation's leaders
* all of our armed forces (particularly those who are actively serving overseas)
* my dad's church (Tunnell Chapel Baptist Church) and his calling as their pastor

Ice Storm

A big winter storm came through our area last night/early this morning, leaving a lot of ice everywhere (and a lot of snow farther north). Most schools and businesses closed today, but unfortunately Jordan still had to go into work at UPS early this morning, which I was not happy about (seriously, a bunch of boxes are not worth his safety; they can wait one day until the ice melts). Thankfully he made it to and from work safely, but he said he saw several wrecked vehicles, and he himself hit a patch of ice at one point, but was able to maintain control of his truck. Anyway, here are a few pictures I took of some of the ice in our front yard.

icicles hanging off the trees

icicles hanging off the trees

icicles hanging off our mailbox

icicles hanging off our mailbox

We Are "Sponsor Parents"!

Yesterday I got to mark another thing off my "Bucket List". Jordan and I are now the proud sponsors of Findley, an adorable almost-three-year-old little boy in Haiti. We have talked here and there since we got married about being "sponsor parents" to at least one child some day, but we wanted to make sure we could handle the commitment financially.
Well, I was going through some papers yesterday and found a pamphlet that I brought home recently for the Compassion International program. I decided to check out the website, and once there, I couldn't help but to look at some of the children who were waiting for a sponsor. My dad went on a mission trip to Haiti last August (mentioned in one of my previous blogs), so I decided to do a search for children in Haiti. The results came up, and although all of the children are absolutely precious, when I saw the picture in the top row all the way to the right, I knew I couldn't leave the site without sponsoring him. He stole my heart the second I saw his face. Jordan was at work (as usual), and I wanted to make sure I had his approval/support before continuing with the process. So, although I don't like to bother him while he's at work, I gave him a call. I couldn't wait until he got home to talk to him about it. After getting the "ok" from Jordan, I completed the necessary information and... it's official!
I'm so excited that we took this leap of faith and decided to go ahead and sponsor a child. I know God will use our money in a wonderful way to help support Findley and his family, and I know He will use this experience to teach us many lessons and remind us how blessed we are. I look forward to hopefully sponsoring more children in the future!
If you are interested in sponsoring a child in need, or if you'd simply like more information about the Compassion International program, please check out the website: http://www.compassion.com.

Jordan's 26th Birthday

Today is my sweet husband's 26th birthday. He's getting old, huh? (Just kidding!) He was able to get off of work from both UPS and Home Depot, so I was blessed to get to spend the whole day with him, which is very rare for us. My mom came over and took care of Rylee for us for a few hours so we could go out to lunch and spend a little alone time together. It was so nice to get out and about and just enjoy each other's company. We went to Chili's for lunch because that's one of Jordan's favorite restaurants. The food was delicious, but unfortunately we were rather disappointed with the service we received. Our waitress was very impersonal, and left us waiting for several minutes before checking in with us. On one of the few times we were able to catch her attention, Jordan ended up having to ask her for a refill of his drink, even though he had set his empty glass at the edge of the table. I had also asked her if the restaurant did any special desserts or anything for birthday customers, and she told me they did a little scoop of ice cream or something along those lines. However, after we had paid the bill and she brought our receipt back, she disappeared and never brought a dessert out. We waited for a few minutes, but never saw her or another waitress to ask about it. Finally, we just got up and left. Jordan didn't really care that he didn't get a dessert, but I was pretty disappointed - I sure would have eaten it if he hadn't! I'm not sure what happened today, but it just seemed that the restaurant was very poorly managed - quite the opposite from our experience the last time we were there in late 2009. Like I said, though, at least the food was still good.
Anyway, after lunch, we walked around a few of the stores in the East Chase Shoppes and then headed back home. When we got home, I baked a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and made a pot of chili for dinner. My mom, dad, and sister joined us for dinner, and had cake and ice cream with us afterward to celebrate Jordan's birthday. It was a nice evening spending a little time with family. Happy birthday to my wonderful husband (and to my sister-in-law as well, whom we will celebrate with tomorrow night)!
Below are a few pictures from this evening.

the cake I baked for Jordan's 26th birthday

our little family on Jordan's 26th birthday

my sweet hubby and me on his 26th birthday

Jordan and Rylee

blowing out the candles

2010 in Retrospect

Rylee on her first New Year's Eve

 Well, it is just after 11 o'clock at night (central time) on New Year's Eve. I'm sitting on the couch in our living room with my laptop in my lap, and Jordan has already gone to bed since he has to be at work early in the morning. I just watched the ball drop in Time's Square on TV. Outside, our neighbors are shooting fireworks, and I'm praying they don't wake Rylee up.
It's hard to believe that, in less than an hour, another year will come to a close. Naturally (with it being New Year's Eve), I've been reflecting this past year in my mind throughout the day. It's been quite a year to say the least, filled with many ups and downs, but I think I can honestly say that, overall, it's been the best year of my life thus far. God has truly poured out his blessings on my family and me this year, and I am so thankful and humbled by His love. As 2010 comes to an end, I wanted to be sure to "document" the highlights (as well as some of the "lowlights") of the year for me. Some of them may seem pretty insignificant, but nevertheless, they each had a part in making the year what it was for me. I may end up adding more events to the list if I think of anything else. I pray you all have a blessed 2011!

In 2010, I...

- celebrated my first new year as a married woman.

- got to experience the incredible feeling of a baby moving inside my womb for the first time.

- turned 20 years old (goodbye teenage years!).
- had bangs for the first time in years (and quickly remembered why I don't like them).

- watched my younger brother graduate from high school. 

- weighed more than 115 pounds (during my pregnancy).

- celebrated my one-year wedding anniversary.
- made new friends.
- went to four weddings.

- gave birth and became a mommy.

- almost lost my father-in-law to a heart attack.

- became a preacher's kid.

- became a stay-at-home mommy.

- lost my grandma Parker.

- lost my great-granny Flowers.

- lost my great-aunt Norma.

- moved into a new home.

- became a coupon-clipping Publix grocery shopper.

- tried guacamole for the first time (and didn't really care for it).
- got stung on my toe by a yellow jacket.
- saw Peter Pan: The Musical at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Rylee's 6-Month Doctor Check-Up

I took Rylee to the doctor this morning for her 6-month well check-up with Dr. Trumbull. As usual, he was beyond pleased with her progress. He said she's developing at an advanced rate, and she has good, strong muscle control, which leads him to believe she'll be an early walker (oh boy...). She now weighs 15lbs. 8oz., and she's 26 and 3/4in. long. I was actually a little surprised that she didn't weigh more than that, since she was 14lbs. 13oz. at her 4-month check-up (meaning she's only gained 11 ounces in two months). Dr. Trumbull explained that because she's becoming more active and mobile as she gets older, she is "working off" some of her baby fat. He said she looks and is doing great, so I'm not concerned.
Unfortunately, she had to get three shots today (the last of the vaccinations she had to get, beginning at 2 months old), so I had to hold her arms down and watch her scream as the nurse stuck my poor baby in the thighs again and again. She continued to cry, even after the nurse had finished and left the room, but I think that was to make sure I knew she was mad more than anything else.
All in all, though, it was a great check-up. I'm just so thankful that God has blessed me with a healthy baby, and that He continues to hold her in the palm of His hand and take care of her.

my sweet girl patiently waiting for her appointment with Dr. Trumbull

my sweet girl patiently waiting for her appointment with Dr. Trumbull