The Weekend...

Don't really have much to say, but for the sake of wanting to keep up with this consistently and not let it fall to the waste side like I have done in the past, thought I'd provide a little outline of our exciting weekend (it's really not that exciting - you can't come across sarcastic very easily on this thing):

1. Worked all day Friday with the help of my mom getting my new office ready to see client's when school starts (I'm a therapist in the Siloam Springs Middle School).

2. Jason played golf all day Friday w/ Brandon, Brian, & Michael, and he came home part lobster - I'm guessing the others came home to their wives the same way :)

3. Grilled steaks and cooked potatoes, corn, and fruit salad for our friends Tim & Cindy who came over for the evening. It was fun to see them and we're happy they've moved back to Tulsa where we can hang out more now (they were in North Carolina).

4. Was only able to sleep from midnight until 4:30am :( - this seems to be a more frequent thing lately and it's awful. Some people say "well, at least you're getting ready for when Lincoln comes!" But I'm like, "no - I need to be stocking up on all the sleep I can right now!"

5. Worked in my office more on Saturday and of course, took a nap :)

6. Worked out with Jason Saturday night and wow it was HOT.

7. Went to church this morning, worked in my office more (I told you my weekend was exciting!), took another nap, and then Jason and I have spent all night moving furniture, cleaning, putting furniture together, and decorating the bedrooms in our house...exhausting. But it feels SO good to have it all done. We are officially ready to start putting Lincoln's room together!

I think it's the heat for the most part, but I have definitely started moving into that uncomfortable stage of being pregnant! One thing I love though is feeling Lincoln kick - he's been moving and kicking like crazy lately!!!!!! I have a feeling he's going to be one hyper little fellow. :)

YEAH!! Some pictures...27 Weeks Pregnant!!!

So I finally have some pictures to put up! I'll warn you though - they're not the greatest, but nonetheless, they're some documentation of baby Lincoln...

I took a group to the pool this afternoon and when I got home Jason and I got out the camera. There's no forgiveness in a bathing suit when you're pregnant, so I thought it'd be a good time to show all "the bump". As of next week I will officially be enterning the final trimester!!!! CRAZY! that also means less than 100 days till delivery - wow.

We also included our other children in some of the pictures. It's hilarious (and obviously something you can't catch w/ film) but Papi is TERRIFIED of getting his picture taken! It causes quite the anxiety in the poor fellow. Poor guy. Benny on the other hand enjoys posing..he's weird.

Other than posting the pictures, I don't really have much to write about. I've been feeling really good finally here for the past few days, so that's GREAT news!


Tonight we're meeting the whole fam at the parentals house for dinner and then Jason plays basketball every Wednesday night w/ some guys and I am going to work out while he's doing that...so yeah, nothing too exciting (although when the parentals cook, it's ALWAYS exciting!)

Missing My Husband...

This week Jason has gone to FCA camp in Kansas as one of the leaders for this area. He's been involved with this for years and I have, as a result, gotten involved but was sad that I didn't get to go this year. :( Because I had to lead group today, I wouldn't have been able to go until tomorrow and because of my recent medical difficulties, neither of us felt comfortable with me driving down by myself since health has been pretty unpredictable lately! But nonetheless, I wish I could go and be there. Last year was a lot of fun.
It's funny cause I was thinking today about how 80% of our lives are spent around middle/high school kids - and thank goodness for Jason because I finally get the balance of hanging around both the emotionally healthy and unhealthy ones :). For the past 7 years, I've missed out on the healthy ones. But then again, I guess what really is healthy?? The lines seem to be blurred more these days! Nonetheless, with as little experience as we have (okay, by little, i mean NONE) with babies, when they get to middle school/high school age, we should be professionals. :)

And the whole picture thing - I really have had every intention of taking some pictures, but obviously, my intentions have yet to pan out. Sorry. I'm still working on it.

But I did start cleaning out the baby's room and started getting the nursery ready - I think it is going to be so cute!! I can't wait to get it all together! I am REALLY liking the color scheme and I found some awesome curtains the other day (or the fabric at least for them). Anyway, I'm starting to get really excited! My belly is definitely growing now...I've been able to keep up with my workouts still on a regular basis, but have started to notice that my stomach aches now (the muscles) when I get to about the third mile or so...those ligaments are stretching!
In place of the pictures I talk about, I am posting a link (since Target doesn't let you save picture images) to my bedding and color scheme. I am not using all of it...but am using the green and red colors as predominate ones and buying some stuff at other places to go along with it all...it's so easy and fun to match! Did I mention that I found FABULOUS fabric to match that has the cutest patterns and will look amazing?? I'm excited :)
http://www.target.com/b/ref=sc_pgc_r_5_0_393200011_3/601-2717488-8516963?ie=UTF8&node=401647011

What the heck are THOSE for?!

Yes. This phrase was constantly going through my head (and sometimes was shamelessly audible from my mouth) as my mom and I went to register today for baby stuff for little Lincoln. We went to Target (and thank goodness my mom was there cause I very likely could have had a breakdown!) and printed off a "checklist" of things you need, and oh my gosh! For the first time I truly felt like Rachel Green from "friends" in that episode where she gets all those baby gifts and breaks down crying cause she has no idea what it's all for! I didn't break down crying, nor was I close, but I definitely felt STUPID throughout the registering process!
For instance, the breastpump/feeding isle - STUPID (how I felt, that is). And here's the kicker: my mom and I were standing there (probably for close to an hour on that one isle alone), looking and trying to figure out what everything was for/best brand/how it was used...totally confused, when a 30-something MALE (yes, I said MALE) came down the isle, on a mission, saw us confused, and offered advice on which pump to get, giving us the "run-down" on why the Medula was better than the other option we were considering. He explained that he's learned this through his wife because they just recently had their first baby, but still - a guy had to help me pick out a breastpump! He also further highly recommended a specific kind of baby monitor that he claims was the best purchase they made. So we kindly thanked him (he truly was helpful!) and I sunk lower int my "feeling stupid" frame of mind. Oh well :)

But tonight Jason and I finally got on the same cell phone plan and got some pretty awesome phones that we're super excited about. They're the new "Instincts" by Sprint - the answer to the iphone - LOVE it. It's scary to have a $600 phone though (don't worry, we qualified for tons of rebates cause our phones were so ancient). And then mom made dinner (thanks mom) which is always a HUGE blessing in our lives! It's been fun having them around...we truly enjoy it!!!

One thing I've realized, mainly from some of my friend's inquiries, is that I have done a TERRIBLY job chronicling my pregnancy! I know I'll regret it someday too, but I really need to get on the picture ball with this whole stomach growing thing - cause it's definitely finally starting to grow!! Maybe I'll take some pictures tomorrow...I even have this cool new camera I bought a while ago. Yeah - I'm just not doing good on that part of things.

But as far as the kidney stones, no significant attacks in over a week now!!!!!! Hopefully the trend can keep going....

Vlaud & Ura

Vlaud and Ura....

Three years ago these two boys stole my heart when I went over to Ukraine w/ some friends to live in an orphanage in Pravda, Ukraine. Those trips are always bittersweet in the sense that we're only there for a month (mind you in very tight quarters amongst the kids, though!) with the objective to find a niche somewhere where we can make a difference in the lives of kids who are forgotten about and worthless to their society. That summer I was assigned to a small group of kids who were about to "graduate" from the orphanage (really this just means they are about to age-out, will be kicked to the streets and no longer supported by the government and deemed even more worthless than before by society).

So my objective that summer? Share the love of God with them in every form I knew feasible until I was literally exhausted. I have never felt such spiritual exhaustion as I did that trip. I've been to Ukraine on several of these trips to various places and once to Africa where I also met absolutely precious people, but this trip was unique in the sense that the language barrier that usually exists was demolished as an answer to prayer in the most unique ways. Without going into details, it literally didn't exist which opened up massive opportunities to be true and real about Jesus Christ with thirsty kids. It was truly a beautiful experience that humbled me in ways I never imagined.

These two boys in particular would stay up many nights for long hours of discussions as to why such a gracious God (if He indeed was who we said He was) would allow such awful events to take place in their lives? How could they trust anyone but themselves at this point, after all that had happened to them? These many nights were spent with them telling me their stories and me trying to understand as best I could, though our realities were obviously different, but nonetheless a bond was formed...it was hard to leave each of those kids that summer, but these two tugged at my heart. On these kinds of trips, you leave promising to keep in touch, but that never really pans out as you imagined. Especially with these boys, because after that summer, "aging-out" of the orphanage and all, their futures were uncertain and even they were fearful of and had no clue where they would live. So addresses were worthless. But I gave them mine, encouraging them to contact me once they got settled.

So why 3 years later writing a blog about these two kids? Because through the grace and providence of God, I have been able to consistently keep in touch with Ura (one in long sleeves). Vlaud was a different story, though. Years went by with no word from him...until about a few months ago when I get a phone call from my friend melissa who was in Ukraine doing some work. she said "hey I have someone here who wants to talk to you..." Sure enough she had run into Vlaud. Since then Vlaud and I have been able to keep in touch weekly through emails (thanks to Jenya who translates them all for me!!!), and here recently, God has really opened up some doors as Vlaud has shared his recent struggles from being out of the orphanage and trying to survive. He's posed many curiosities about God and his love for him and is in a state of searching from serious answers.

And back to Ura, like I said I have actually kept in touch w/ him for the past three years (again, thanks to Jenya and her phone calls to him and delivering of packages and translation!). However, recently Ura got caught stealing shoes for winter because he had none and the police threw him in jail (Ukrainian jails are terrible conditions and this crime did not warrant jail time, only because he was an orphan and they don't like to mess with orphans). So now Ura, who was trying to finish up some trade school and make a life for himself, is sitting in a jail somewhere in Ukraine.

That was in February, and here just the other day, Jenya emails me from Ukraine telling me that Ura called her from jail and wanted her to pass a message along to me that he has been seriously thinking about some things while there and wants to talk with us about them. Of course his message was for all of us to meet up in Kiev when he is released so we can discuss this stuff (ha. it's just that simple)! From some of our recent conversations, I know this has to do with his soul searching for a Savior.

So I write all this in awe about how God can work. We don't even speak the same languages and for whatever reason, God has decided to still have me involved in these kids lives. The inner workings of God and how he can teach and mold are limitless...it's truly beautiful.

This girl Jenya I speak of is one of the biggest blessings I've experienced in my life! She was our translator the 1st two years I went to Ukraine and we've kept in touch ever since. Her love for Christ and these kids i radiating. Gosh I love that girl.

Anyway, so pray for Ura and Vlaud. Pray that their hearts be open to God's grace and love.

One thing Vlaud emailed me the other day was how there's a saying among kids like him "Believe in God, but only rely on yourself."

I pray that he can see God as bigger than something just to "believe in".

Happy Independence Day!! Now if I could just get some freedom from my kidneys...!

So yesterday was the 4th....happy birthday to us! I started the morning w/ an attack on my left kidney, but some pain pills helped that subside and after a 3-hour nap, I was up and ready to go celebrate the day w/ my husband and my sister and her "friend". We took a short detour on our way to meet up w/ them to buy a new mattress cause ours is shot and killing both of our backs...so that was exciting. :)
We met Amy and her friend Tyler McMahan (yes, his last name really is McMahan and no relation) at Sho-guns for dinner and lo and behold about half way through the flipping of the rice and onion volcano, my left kidney decides to flare up out of nowhere. This was shocking b/c this usually never happens before midnight and NEVER twice in the same day. But little did I know what lay ahead for the rest of the evening...we had to leave and come straight home right after dinner to get my pills (a 30-minute ride), the entire way by which I seriously felt like a knife was slicing my kidney right in half. And ten it just didn't get better from there...so the rest of my 4th was spent writhing in pain, some tears, nausea and gagging, and no sleep. And my poor husband, once again, thus got no sleep either. Have I ever mentioned though that he is AMAZING when I am sick or not feeling good? Seriously he's such a blessing and always seems to know what to say or do...it blows my mind. Anyway, this morning it started to get better and I got to sleep from about 10-2 or so, so that was nice. Anyway, I was excited to take some fun pictures of our night out and the couple of parties we were planning on attending, but my hand only touched the pills and not the camera when reaching into my purse last night. :(
We got a fun package in the mail today from Jason's mother! She sent us this adorable monkey for baby Lincoln that came with a certificate to name a star after him - it was precious! It's been fun collecting all this stuff for the baby and the nursery. I can't wait to get it all together...Dan, my brother-in-law is building our crib and changing table which is super exciting cause he's AMAZING at that stuff!!!
So in the midst of these awful kidney stones, I get so excited to think about when Lincoln will be here....I was actually able to relax tonight and find a comfortable position for a while and felt him kicking and moving...b/c of the pain, I haven't been able to feel this in a few days. It seriously is such an amazing feeling!!! I am so excited to see how God decides to use these upcoming new experiences in our lives and what plans He has for Lincoln and for us through this experience. Those that know me well know that my life is a testimony of how we can make all the plans in the world, but that God's will prevail, and ALWAYS - how much sweeter it is! One of things I have been learning over the years (and ashamedly still have not been able to fully grasp) is how to just let God lead and that my plans might change...a theme of the group therapy session I recently led centered around how "change isn't always bad"... so whatever God has in store for us with these upcoming changes in our lives, I am ready to learn, be used, be changed, and help be a change.

So That's What They're For!

Yes. This is the title, among the many other clever ones, of books you find appealing when you're pregnant! Thanks to my good friend Gwendolyn who has tread the waters only months previous to me diving headfirst in, I am now starting a new library of books I never knew existed (nor never would have found the least bit interesting!) pre-Lincoln. Now it's all about discovering the complications of utilizing those bags of fat that sag from your chest to, none other than, nourish your baby - who knew it was so complicated? I sure didn't. But thanks to ZERO babysitting experience and my lack of obsessions with babies as a child, I'm finding there are MANY things I have no clue about!

But that has made this journey all the more enjoyable...learning, reading, asking questions (that probably make me look just plain ignorant and stupid!), and gleaning every hint of advice from friends that I can. Like tonight, I got to spend dinner with two of my good friends, Michelle and Gwendolyn. We are each at interesting stages: Michelle just got engaged and is getting married in August, I got married last year and am having a baby in October, and Gwendolyn has been married for a few years and just had her first child a few months ago. We meet every week for dinner and I love these crazy times of sharing our experiences where we're at - it's awesome.

Another thing that's awesome is that no kidney attacks last night! Super bad heartburn today but I can handle that...so lets hope for another night of peaceful kidneys. :)

Me, Michelle, & Gwendolyn