We are gonna have a baby!!!

Although many of you already know that we are expecting, we have been waiting to make it public until after the first trimester was up. But after our first ultrasound on Tuesday, I just couldn't wait any longer! It is hard to believe that a year ago on Friday, I was staring at the same ultrasound screen, grief overwhelming me because I knew something wasn't right. I praise the Lord that He is giving me the gift of a new memory: seeing our precious baby move, and hearing his/her little heartbeat at 168 beats per minute. That did my mother's heart a world of good! How precious is the gift of life, at any stage! Our due date at this point is June 19th. I am hoping for a June 18th baby...Aaron's birthday! :)
Last year's experience has taught me that life is fragile. Everything can be going great one minute and changed forever the next. So, we breathe in and breathe out, and treasure each moment that our Father in heaven gives us with the ones we love.

Steven Curtis Chapman
Miracle Of The Moment

It's time for letting go
All of our "if onlies"
Cause we don't have a time machine

And even if we did
Would we really want to use it
Would we really want to go change everything

Cause we are who and where and what we are for now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out
And listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment

There's only One who knows
What's really out there waiting
And all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He's out there waiting
To Him the future's history

And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out
And listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment

And if it brings you tears
Then taste them as they fall
Let them soften your heart

And if it brings you laughter
Then throw your head back
And let it go
Let it go, yeah
You gotta let it go

And listen to your heartbeat

And breathe it in and breathe it out
And listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment

And breathe it in and breathe it out
And listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now (here and now)
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss the miracle
Of the moment

The Transformation of the Office

Here are a few pictures of our office, during destruction and construction. I should add that the red room is before destruction....latest developments are at the top!

My husband's brother and sister-in-law and parents, as well as several other couples from our church are in Tijuana, Mexico this week on a work team/missions trip. We are missing them and are looking forward to hearing all of their stories when they get back. We ask for your prayers on their behalf, for health, safety, unity, and the leading of God in each of their lives.

The blogs posted by Crossroads Wesleyan is our church team! http://www.mexicocaravanministries.com/blogs

Much Needed Update

I am embarrassed by the amount of time that goes by between my posts! I love to blog, but have been overtaken by the world of Facebook. However, I am determined not to let this blog go to waste!

Many people have been asking about how our new house has been coming along. In recent days, it simply hasn't. The business is consuming our time at this point, which is no surprise to us! I have faith that things will settle down a bit and we can throw ourselves into this remodel project. Our office is shaping up with the help of family and friends. The sheet rock is up and mudded, ready for priming and paint. Then comes the flooring and drop ceiling and all the little extras (light switch panels and fixtures, ect). I have gotten one of the bathrooms painted, with the exception of the trim and cabinet fixtures. That is about all that has been accomplished.

I have put my notice in at the dental office where I work, and will be leaving them in January. It is bittersweet for me. I am sad to leave because I have developed good friendships with my coworkers, and have enjoyed our patients. Not to mention all of the new things that I have learned and am still learning. However, I am looking forward to being at home again, and helping Aaron out with some of the organization of Chase 3000. Something in me has this desire to be a homemaker. I know not every woman can or even wants to do that. Some would climb the walls. :) But I generally enjoy the daily chores, cooking and lots of little extras that I just haven't had time for lately. And I look forward to being able to spontaneously take off and go shopping or out to coffee with my mom or friends. Oh how I have missed that!

The Bible study that I "committed" to hasn't been so committed to lately. I have missed several weeks of it and have gotten behind in my lessons, thus my reason for not sharing new and developing lessons. There is another group at our church that is going through the Esther study, and I may have to switch in order to catch up. I have to say, it is nobody's fault but my own. I am bound and determined to see it through...it is an impressive study and well worth my time!

So, not too much to update. I will try to keep my camera close and post more through the holidays. Lots of fun things in the upcoming month. I am looking forward to it!

New Bible studies!

I am so excited to submerge myself in God's Word. In the midst of being so busy with work, work and more work, I am convinced that Aaron and I need to continue to draw close to God. So, I have committed to a new Beth Moore Bible study on Friday mornings with the girls. It is called "Esther: It's tough being a woman". I am loving it thus far, although her studies are always a challenge to keep up with...lots of homework. I just want to say thank you to Sonja for opening up her home and feeding us on Friday mornings. We appreciate you! This last video session was on "mean girls" and how other mean girls bring out our own meanness. It is definitely going to be an interesting week of study. I certainly hope to work through my areas of meanness!
http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/product.asp?isbn=1415865965

The other study we are beginning is The Truth Project http://www.thetruthproject.org/ We have attended one session thus far, and it looks like it is going to be a deep Bible study also based upon history, law and science, that will leave no doubt in our minds that Christianity is truth. I love it! I am hoping to be equipped with the tools I need to be a light to others.

Hopefully as time goes by, I will gain new insights and gain greater truths from the Lord, both for personal reflection and also to share with others. I also want to challenge my friends out there...if you aren't in a small group or Bible study, get plugged in this winter. There is nothing better than the fellowship with other believers while learning out the Lord!

OUCH!

So, there is this manhole (coal shoot) in our soon-to-be office, that leads down to a concrete coal room beneath. We had removed the lid while we were cleaning the coal room, to get some ventilation. Fast forward to the end of the day. It is dark, there are no lights in the office yet, and I was skipping (literally) across the floor joists to go lock the doors. Suddenly, there was nothing beneath my feet. It happened so fast, that I hardly registered what happened. I didn't fall through to the bottom, I think at least one leg fell through, the other leg, and two arms stayed on top. My rib cage caught my fall on the edge of the concrete. Now that I am envisioning this, I want to laugh, but it hurts too much! :) Thankfully the windows were open and Aaron and Rick Elliott (a friend of ours who was helping Aaron out with some tower work) heard me cry or holler or whatever I did, and got me into an upright (or partly upright) position. Took awhile to catch my breath. We are pretty sure I either broke or cracked a lower rib, or tore the cartilage up and I figure since there is nothing one can do about it, going to the dr. will be a waste of time and money. Advil is my new best friend! I am so thankful that I did not fall completely through...could have been a really bad thing! Proverbs 31:25 "She can laugh at the days to come". :) I have a feeling there may be quite a few of those in the near future. :)

Big Changes

Well, I haven't posted for quite some time. We have been insanely busy these days. Seeing as we have been married for 7 years in June, I guess we got an itch for some change. Several closed doors in the past couple years, and new opportunities in recent months have led us to purchase Chase 3000, the internet provider that Aaron has been working for since 2000. Needless to say, the weeks that have led up to this have been a hectic and a bit frightening at times, but the Lord has directed our steps in ways that we could never have dreamed. We are both excited about the new possibilities that are in the works, both for the business, and our lives as well.

Hopefully very soon we will be closing on our own house. It has an awesome location and room with outside access for an office. There will be quite a bit of fixing up to do, but it is very much what we have been looking for for a long time and holds lots of potential. I will post pictures after we close. :)

For the time being, we are living with Aaron's parents. Our original closing date was supposed to have been June 23rd. We gave our landlord notice, and he rented our house out immediately, effective July 1st. The closing date got changed and we had to be out of our old house, so with the help of our awesome friends and family (thank you everyone, so much!) we packed away our belongings (now in various locations across town), and moved in with the 'rents. It is an odd thing, living with another family. Each family has their own ways of taking care of daily tasks. But we have all chosen to make this work, and are getting along quite well. God bless them for putting up with our onery cat! He is out of sorts these days. :) We are hoping to close on the house this month and get the new office set up in quick fashion. I will keep you all updated...hopefully with some pictures soon to follow. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as all of this unfolds, that we will seek God's will and conduct our everyday lives and business in a manner that is pleasing to Him.

Happy Mother's Day to My Moms!

In light of Mother's Day being this weekend I thought that I would take a moment to say something special about our moms. You have both contributed so much to our lives and deserve honor each and every day.

Mom Jacqueline: Thank you for raising three wonderful kids. You have done well! Not only do I witness that each morning when I wake up and see my husband's face, but also through the relationships that I have with Emily and Ryan.
I admire your gift of hospitality and how you are always willing to add a few more unexpected chairs to the dinner table. Somehow, you always manage to find enough food to feed everyone on unplanned occassions!
God has also blessed you with a courage and willingness to witness to and share His word with complete strangers. Something that we all should do, but don't always. Working for God's Kingdom is the only lasting value on this earth. Thank you for the time and energy that both you and Dad put into doing that.
Thank you for accepting us as daughters, rather than daughters-in-law and for always being available when we need you. We love you ! Happy Mother's Day!


Mom Beth: As the world looks on, they do not realize the sacrifice that you made to teach me at home. You put your life and what you wanted to do on hold for 18 years. I appreciate that each and every day and only hope that God will give me the patience and sacrificial heart to do the same. Especially on the days when the math books go flying across the room. :)
Your talent in gardening is so fun to watch through the summer, and even though you are not active in community functions, or traveling here and there, I know that you are walking through your flower gardens with the Lord & praying for people who will never realize it on this earth. There have certainly been many unknown answers to prayer in my life because you and dad are on your knees. Especially on those days when your spirit is willing but your body is weak. Thank you! Don't grow weary of doing good and "being still before the Lord". He has a plan for your life.
Thank you for always being willing to listen, to give advice when asked, but having the wisdom to hold back at other times. Not every woman can consider her mom to be a best friend, but I am blessed to have that privelege. We love you. Happy Mother's Day!

I have gotten so side tracked with the wonders of Face Book that I rarely update my blog these days. Not alot going on. My job at the dentist office is going well. I am falling into a routine, but I must say my house suffers these days. One starts to realize what is important and what isn't. Sometimes that dusting can wait in order to sit down over a cup of coffee with a good friend.

Last weekend we helped out Aaron's family with his Great Uncle Joe's estate auction. The work we put in was minute compared to Aaron's mom & aunt...they have true organizational skills! :) The day went well, despite the rain.

The school season is winding down, and with that there are only two more weeks of youth group. I will be bowing out for the time being. I Will miss the kids, but feel that I am being spiritually unproductive in that area, so on to the next. For now, I will probably use Wednesday evenings to plant and maintain a small garden again. Beyond that, I am not sure what God wants me to be involved with. There are times in life when He calls us to "be still and know that He is God". I haven't been doing so well with devotions and prayer life, so that may be exactly what He is wanting from me at this present time. I cannot minister effectively to others when I am spiritually drained myself.

I do not know what the summer holds this year. Probably work, yard work, a few days at the lake, hopefully a visit to our little sister in Lincoln, church and fire department functions, some good books, and family and friends. I am hoping and praying for a few happy surprises along the way. As Kristy Dupeire wrote on Facebook the other day “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9).

As for today, I am galavanting down town to look for a one year birthday gift for a precious little miracle named Mason and maybe a little something for our mom's for mothers day, seeing as this is the weekend.

I stand upon the holy mountain
Overlooking the horizon of Your glory
Longing to stretch out my arms and fly
Up into the intense blue
Higher and higher
Lord fill my desire
I want to be consumed by You
Illumination of my face
Echoes of Your love resound
Slowly I am drenched in grace
I find myself falling down
Into Your arms I descend
This is the beginning of the end
Say goodbye to sinful self
Transformation-my mind made new
Beloved Redeemer, never let me go
I give my all to you
-Erica Greene

He's Just Not That Into You

This movie focuses on the story of several different relationships, with brief interludes of "street interviews" of people's opinions & experiences in their own relationships. One of the relationships is a couple who has been living together for 7 years, and the man has no interest in marriage, and even believes that marriage is a recipe for disaster. Another couple appears to be happily married, but as the movie goes on, the husband has an illicit affair and lies to his wife. Another young woman is on the quest for that perfect man, and in the process sleeps with most of her dates, and sits by the phone, longing for one of them to call her back. When it boils down to it, basically the message of the movie is, there is no wrong way to have a relationship and all are imperfect. While I agree with the fact that there is no such thing as a perfect relationship, I disagree with the thought that there is no wrong way to be in a relationship. There is God's way, and that is the only right way. Purity, commitment, respect, faithfulness, love (1 Corinthians 13).
Let's just say that what it boils down to is this: I am just not into "He's Just Not That Into You". It had a few laughs, but did not uphold faithfulness, commitment, & purity in the least. I shouldn't have been suprised...it is Hollywood after all, but it was disheartening to see that the theatre crowd was made up of mostly teenagers. It is sad to see them being influenced strongly with the message that anything goes when it comes to relationships. I have seen worse movies, but I have seen much better.

Marley & Me

I have not read the book "Marley & Me, so am not able to compare the movie to the book, but I felt that this was an excellent movie, particularly if you have a love for animals. I was pleasantly suprised to see that the movie not only featured the life of a family pet, but also featured the ups and downs of marriage, commitment, family and real life. I am not a huge Owen Wilson fan, but he really pulled it off in this one. The character suits him well. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would gladly watch it again. Even though it has a PG rating, there are some thematic elements that kids might not understand, or that may make them sad. Very small children probably won't be entertained much by it at all. Be ready to talk openly with your kids at the end of the movie as it is sure to spark some questions.
Also, keep in mind: I love dogs and totally understand the bond that is created between dog and owner. Those who dislike dogs strongly will probably think the entire theme of the movie is unnecessary. :)

Selling Formal dresses

F.Y.I. If you know anyone looking to find a bargain for a prom dress this year, contact me! I have three dresses for sale. Two of them are navy/dark blue one of them is a dark green color. Ranging in sizes 10-11/12. All three are simple, elegant, timeless and floor length. I figure they would be better off going to someone who can use them as opposed to sitting in my closet for the next 50 years. :) I am asking $25.00 a piece.

Updates

My apologies for not updating my blog! My new job is going well, but keeping me on my toes. I work for the dental office on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and the video store on Monday evenings, Wednesday and Friday. Plus Steve has been gone for a couple weekends, so I have worked several weeks through. I am enjoying this weekend off! :) I wonder sometimes how I went from no job, to part time, to practically full time. It is definitely keeping me on the go, and time flies by so fast when one is busy! I am also gaining a huge appreciation for the time that I have at home.
Aaron is busy running to and fro between work and a couple other computer projects he has going on. Plus several weekends away this month for fireman training weekends. One in a while he stops to take a breath. :)
Other than that, it has been pretty much the norm around here. We are planning on going to our church Valentine's Banquet this weekend, so maybe will have a few pictures to post of the change of pace!
I hope all of my friends and family have a Happy Valentine's Day and remember that Jesus gave us the greatest Valentine of all: His life. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life."

Movie Review: "The Changeling"

The Changeling is a true story, directed by Clint Eastwood, set in 1928 Los Angeles. It centers on one woman's perserverence to find her missing son, and her stand against a very corrupt L.A. police force. The strength of Christine Collins (Angeline Jolie), in light of the persecution she faced, was incredible.

Because of the talented acting, historical settings and costumes, it felt as though I was being pulled into the 1920's. I can't really say I "enjoyed" the movie because of its sad nature, but I feel that it tastefully and accurately tells a story that deserves to be told. I will note that because several elements of the actual story is so horrific, Clint Eastwood took great measures to tone things down for the screen. I am very impressed by his directing skills. Here is an account of true life events: (Spoiler Alert) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Collins#Christine_and_Walter_Collins

I like true accounts and dramas that make me contemplate human nature..."The Changeling" did that. It also made me wonder: "If the L.A. police department was so horribly corrupt in 1928, how much worse is our system now?" As for my recommendation, it depends on if you like this genre of movie or not. Many people do not like to view the grit of real human nature and the grief it can cause. On that note, I must warn my readers that this is an R rated movie. There are a couple scenes involving/implying murder, brief nudity during a hose down at a mental facility, and moments of strong language. Please refer to this website for a detailed description of content. Ihttp://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0004331.cfm

New job

Today I started a new job as a dental assistant to Rachelle Richman. It is an interesting change of pace, as all the terms are completely unknown and new to me (aside from brushing and flossing) :) I think it will be a fun job, once I get past that initial month of insecurity and training. The first month of any new job is always rough for me!
I will continue on at Steve's Video on my off days and evenings...I enjoy it way too much to quit right now!

I forgot to take my camera to the New Year's Eve party that our church put on, and the youth group lock-in that followed. We had a great time ringing in the New Year together. There were board games, dodge ball, and an ugly sweater contest, that Aaron won. I am so proud. LOL! That lasted until midnight, and then Aaron and I went over to Jared and Misty's for the lock-in. We only stayed until 3:00 A.M. because Aaron was on call for ambulance. However, I caught my second wind, and could have stayed awake all night. :) It was fun. We all ended up playing Wii and Xbox 360. Good times. :)

New Years resolutions:

1. Prioritize my life
2. Perfect the oatmeal cookie

Happy New Year to all of my family and friends!

I'll Be Home for Christmas...

We spend Christmas morning with my folks, and then went over to my Grandpa and Grandma Stahly's for lunch and the afternoon. We spent a good part of the afternoon playing pitch, spoons, and a variation of the game, Pit, using regular playing cards. It was a fantastic day!

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve with the Greene side this year. Italian food, games, gifts, two Christmas Eve services, and did I mention Italian food? :)

Happy Birthday, Katelyn!