This afternoon we went downtown to walk around at Spring Fling. I heard that it was quite the party scene Saturday evening, but with no alcohol sales on Sunday it was great family time. There was a lot of rides and blow up thingies which I know Mary Beth will enjoy a few years - But for a 10 month old staring at all the people was fun enough.
Last week we made a fast trip to Louisville for the Center for Youth Ministry Senior Celebration.
Mary Beth got her big girl car seat this week and did pretty well during the 7 hour trip.
Stephen was recognized as a graduating senior and also received the Professor's Award. We are so proud of everything he's accomplished.
Before leaving, we took one last walk and said goodbye to the campus. (We wont be going back for graduation next week, but look forward to the happy day in a few weeks when we get the diploma in the mail - I'll post a picture when we get it!)
Mary Beth still did okay on the trip back, but was not excited to spend another day in the car. When we stopped at a drive thru and pulled over to eat we let her play in the backseat. She tried to convince us to let her ride there... but safety first.
Not crawling yet... but trying very hard. I promise to post a video when she finally gets it.
I promise she doesn't have red hair, it just looks like it in these pics.
"give me the camera, Mom"
Baby #2 is also doing well, He or She really popped out this week. Its only the size of a lemon though so I'm at the awkward stage where normal clothes are uncomfortable but maternity clothes are too big. The next Dr appt isn't for a few more weeks, but we should find out the sex of the baby next month!
I (Stephen) along with amazing adults took 50 students to Garden City (near Myrtle Beach) this past weekend for an off-site D-Now. We were blessed to have DJ (our pastor) come to deliver a message encouraging our students to worship God and God alone.
In a world of a million voices and a million choices... we are called to love ONE!
Praise the Lord! It is so much fun to celebrate our risen savior! We had a great Easter this year. Stephen was up early and out the door to be a part of all four services at church. Mary Beth and I leisurely had breakfast and got ready for the 8:15 service. It was a wonderful celebration. There is no place I'd rather be on Easter Sunday. Combined in all the services we had over 1400 people! Praise the Lord! It is such an honor to be part of a church that the Lord is clearly using to reach our community. After the services we all piled in the car and drove to Georgia for Easter dinner with my fam. Yes, my mom's potato salad is worth a 3 hour drive. Here are some pics from our evening.
Mary Beth racked up on clothes this year (since you cant really buy an 8 month old chocolate bunnies) Grandparents are great! Later I'll add more pics of her many Easter outfits.
God has blessed our family beyond our wildest dreams!
Baby #2 is on the way!
I am so grateful for God's timing for so many reasons, but just to list a few:
I have not been really sick but extremely tired and I'm so thankful that this stage is happening now: Mary Beth isn't crawling just yet so hopefully she'll give me a few more weeks to rest before I start chasing her around the house and she is still taking 3 naps a day, which means that I get three naps a day if I need them. =)
I will be in my 2nd trimester during the summer (not the 3rd like last time) which means that I'll have a little more energy while Stephen is out of town for camps and mission trips.
The baby will be due at the end of October which is great for our family because November and December are the lightest months on our youth ministry schedule. Stephen will be home a lot as we adjust to having two babies.
We've received a lot of mixed reviews from families and friends. I know that having children close together is not for every family but it is a desire that the Lord has placed within us. We've learned that it's better not to argue with the Lord, but instead embrace His plan and know that He will provide for all of our needs.
We appreciate your prayers during this exciting time for our family.
Our cutie will be 8 months old on Tuesday! We had to get some great pictures to embarrass Mary Beth with when she's in middle school. Don't worry, I only posted very modest ones. In our youth group, "modest is hottest!"
Our friend, Amy Gans took all these pics for us. Thanks Amy!
When we decided to move to SC for a part time youth ministry position, there were plenty of people in our lives who didn't quite understand. There was so much evidence of God at work in this church, I was ready to move here even if Stephen didn't get the job. Stephen and I have never been more certain of His calling on our lives. We serve an awesome God! We are so blessed to have an amazing church family. This is such an exciting time for our church. We have just broken ground on our new facilities and I wanted to share these articles with you.
We really love having a house, we finally have something to make our own. We have had a blast with painting and fixing things up. The kitchen is about 90% done, so hopefully one day soon I'll be able to report that its finished. We finished the nursery and I have had several people ask me about it, so here it is.
Here is the 90% done kitchen
(the yellow isn't really as bright as it looks in this pic)
We have plans for the rest of the rooms in the house too - in our "one day, hopefully, someday, we'll get around do it" catergory
We created this blog before we moved from Louisville, Ky to Spartanburg, SC in 2007 so that old friends and new friends, and all of our family scattered throughout the country could keep up with our family and see pictures of our latest adventures. Hope you enjoy!
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