NEW Carpet!

We had our carpet replaced this weekend because the seems were beginning to raise (in carpet speak, this is called "Delaminating"), so we made the most of it on the pretty day we had and took the family outside!

Allie swam in her pool,


I got some vitamin D as perscribed by my loving mother ;),


and Brent supervised THIS:


It was quite a mess and we are still recovering, but we are thankful for our cushy carpet and will enjoy it until it looks bad too!

Deep Thoughts

Sometimes in life, I believe we see little glimpses of God that show us how great is his love for his children. I believe these glimpses give us a taste of what we have to look forward to in Heaven, even though our human minds grasp very little of eternity. These tiny moments of seeing heaven seem few and far between, but nevertheless, they are memorable moments. Some of the "little glimpses" that I can remember in my life are:

-Smelling the fresh mountain air in Colorado while standing in a valley surrounded by mountains- God is big, heaven must be bigger!
-Talking to my Granddaddy on the phone for the last time telling him with certainty that I will see him again in Heaven- God is big, heaven must be bigger!
-A silent look from Brent or a hug in uncertain times that screams of his love for me reminding me of how amazing it is that God gave us each other- God is big, heaven must be bigger!
-Hearing a song on the radio that called me to lead a small group of amazing Christian girls in college, only to find it was a time of spiritual growth I had no idea I was in for- God is big, heaven must be bigger!

With the good, we must also look at the bad. Knowing that Satan roams the Earth seeking those that he can destroy makes me wonder, have we only glimpsed what Hell will be like? With all of the famine, fighting, abuse, fear, disention, sin, and darkness we see, is this just a taste of what non-Christians have to look forward to in an eternity without Christ's love? (whether we acknowlege it or not in our society today, God is holding Satan back from total destruction and looking out for our well-being) Is Hell beyond what I can imagine?

This awful thought provokes the question, "Am I doing enough?", "Am I speading the Word enough?", "Is God pleased with me?". If I am honest, I have to say No. Our time here is so short and when it is all over, I do not want to look back and regret missed opportunities.

Romans 2:
6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil

Happy 50th B-day Mark and Holly!

I think we pulled of the surprize with some very crafty story telling! We had a great time at Lindsay and Dean's house and the cake was the clincher! Holly and Mark make 50 look good! Here's to the next 50!

Happy 3rd Anniversary!

What a happy day this is! This past year has been overwhelming for us as we realize the depth of God's love for us, through each other. Through happy times, sad times, celebrations for passing another section of the CPA, buying our first house, loving our extended families more, serving each other and kind words that have been spoken in times of uncertainty, I am truly greatful for my husband. It is our prayer that we always hold each other to a high level of respect and honor. Knowing that our marriage is bound by Christ we look to Him for guideance. With his hand directing our lives together, we can be certain of our goals, our dreams, and our standing in Christ. We acknowledge that Satan would love to destroy our marriage, so we guard it through prayer and communication to minimize strongholds in our marriage. We want to be examples of Christ through our work, our marriage, our home and our lives. This past year has given us a glimpse of how deep God's love for his children goes, so rightfully so, we give thanks for God’s design for our marriage and this landmark of 3 years!

Happy Birthday!

I had a great birthday- started off with a text message from Ginny at 4:15 and ended with cookie cake and flowers. Lots of phone calls, emails, and birthday cards. I am a blessed girl! Here are my work friends that went to lunch to celebrate-- we went to Norma's Cafe (homemade pies and down home cooking- yum!)

My Birthday present from my hubby:

Brent has also been trying to come up with an endearing nickname for me and he is trying to make "Honey Buns" stick. Here is his birthday atempt... even though the nickname needs work, I loved it since I know he must have felt silly ordering a cake with Honey Buns on it!

My sweet, sweet hubby

Last night, Brent and I were standing in the bathroom after dinner and I could swear my tummy was bigger. Brent kept squinting and denying it saying, "Maybe you are just getting fat!". Then he stuck out his CPA belly and put my bulge to shame! Gotta love the subtle way about him! (By the way- he told me I could not take a picture of his belly bulge in a million years-- he says he looks 4 months pregnant), so I am sorry to say Brent's CPA belly will not make the blog...

Strange Weather

The last two days have been very stormy, rainy and windy. We just planted double knock out rose bushes at $25 a pop, so we are crossing our fingers they don't drown. Thanks to the 1 year Lowes guarentee, I am not too upset! Our drive into work took longer than usual with downed power lines, tree limbs in the street and angry drivers everywhere! Just around our office building, there are huge oak trees in parking lots, broken windows, trailers overturned, and one of our night workers got his car window shattered.

Canton or BUST!

I took the day off on Friday and headed East with Whitney, her mom, Paxton, and Mackey to Canton! After Chick-fil-a and a 2 hour car ride, we arrived and hit the cold ground running. Whitney was prepared with gobbs of snacks and toys to keep the kids busy while the ladies shopped. We all did pretty good, but Whitney made the biggest dent in Canton! Good job Whit! Here is a picture when we were all getting tired and needed to refuel with lunch!

Baby Brewer

Our first Doctor appointment went well-- I am 7.5 weeks along! After the exam, Dr. Sigman sent us over to get a sonogram to see if everything was happening as it should. We got to see the heart beating at 151 bpm and the baby measures 11.5 mm (1/2 in). We were happy to know there is only one in there (the blob below the baby is what is sustaining the baby until the placenta is fully formed at week 12-- also the reason for my morning sickness). Amazing something so small is growing at the rates we are reading about. The heart and kidneys are already formed and the arms and legs develop in the next few days. It was so fun to tell family and hear the excitment that this baby will bring to our lives and theirs! Brent's mom cried, my mom squeeled and we made my dad's day, week, month, year! Melody is already sending magazienes about pregnancy to help me out! It was hard to keep this a secret, so we are glad to finally tell our family.

Oprah is Confused

My Mother-in-Law sent me a video of Oprah denying Christ. It makes my heart sad that women are sitting at home, listening to her lies and thinking she is spouting truth. God is not a feeling, we are sinners, there is ONE way to heaven, and God is a jealous God. If you hide his word in your heart, you know this.

VIDEO LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwGLNbiw1gk
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WE ARE SINNERS- SEPARATED FROM GOD

Isaiah 53:6

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.

Romans 8:
13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

GOD'S LOVE- SENT JESUS TO END SEPARATION

John 3:

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Romans 3:
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

BE SAVED

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Ephesians 2:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

BE ASSURED

Romans 8:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Striking 7-11

I will no longer be a patron at 7 Eleven. Although it is convienent to my cleaners, I will be going down the street to the clean Valero. After pumping $40 of gas, I went to the air pump to fill up my tires (one may have a leak, we aren't sure). I deposited my 3 quarters (exact change only) and NOTHING. No noise, no coin return, nothing. So, I went into the store, waited my turn, and asked potlietly if this long haired, 21 year old attendant knew that their machiene wasn't working. He looked at me as if I was the most stupid person in the world and said yes, he knew. It became clear to me as he was not opening his register that I was out of luck, so I stated the obvious, "It took my .75 cents." Response: "It is not our air pump". Now, becoming irritated, I told him I gave him .75 cents and expected to get air, not nothing. The blank look told me I was getting nowhere, so I turned to the door exclaiming loudly that I would never return to his shoddy store again receiving a blank look. Fuming, I went to drop off my cleaning, but I wasn't done with him yet. I returned to the store and told him he needs to put up a sign as he is leaving people in a bind that only have .75 cents, who are depending that they provide air and water as expected. "It is not our air pump" I hear again. Getting louder, I told him as a service to his customers, he could do them the courtesy of writing a sign and walking 20 feet to post it. (Every other day they have bags over pumps that aren't working, so maybe he is too tired to walk another 20 feet, I don't know, didn't ask). All this to say, I am not surprised at all, but just expect more. The lack of respect that people have for one another astounds me, but you atleast expect respect from a business you are paying. Oh well, I guess I will let it go and add 7 Eleven to the list of other businesses I currently boycott: Burlington Coat Factory, Kia, Hustler Lawn Mowers, and Wendys.

Our Allie

Some of our favorite moments with our Allie! She is one of a kind!

LOOK OUT: Pregnant Lady In The Grocery Store!

Look out Walmart shoppers! Get out of my way because I am on a mission to look at every item and decide if that is a potential for my cravings this week! I had such a fun time at the store this week because I strayed from my mundane list. Filling my cart with fresh basil, strawberries, bell peppers, watermelon, Gingersnaps, V8 Fruit juice (not the diet kind!), Hot Tamales, and Cheddar Quakes made me giddy to get home and prep next week’s lunches. Did I mention the best ice cream EVER- Skinny Cow. Delicious low fat yogurt sandwiched between two huge chocolate cookies. I also snapped up Sprite and Ritz crackers for obvious reasons. My lunch kit was really heavy this morning- when I handed my lunch to Brent to put it in the car, I wonder if he noticed??? Oh well, I feel the best (and Brent would say I am nicer) just after I have eaten. Hopefully, this is just an early pregnancy phase thing (I think Brent would say that, too)!

Positively Positive!

We found out we are pregnant on March 12, 2008 (our brother-in-law, Justin's birthday)!!! We are absolutely thrilled and pray for a healthy pregnancy and baby. It is such an honor that God would choose us to be parents- we truly believe this baby is a miracle!

(FYI-Two lines means "pregnant")

How we found out... we had been trying for 2 months-- the Sunday prior to the 12th was exactly 4 weeks, so I took a pregnancy test. Test said negative. That Tuesday would be 2 days late and supposedly the test is accurate by then. So, Monday night we decided I would take a test when we got home from work the next day. I got up Tuesday morning, didn't hit the snooze button ONCE, and ran for the pregnancy test... why wait 12 more hours! So, I took the test, waited the 5 minutes and the double line appeared! My heart skipped a beat, maybe several! The line was faint, but still there. I went into the bedroom where Brent was still sleeping at 5:30 am and told him. We turned on the lamp to look and he said "I don't know-- that line is faint (sometimes the negative tests appeared to have a faint cross hatch when they were negative... he was trying to keep me calm until we knew for sure). So we agreed to take another test when we got home that night. All day, I felt really funny and KNEW this was a new feeling. The minute I got home, I ran to take another test... this time the line appeared immediately and darker this time!!! (that hormone the test picks up doubles every 12 hours I think). So the top test in the picture was the first test and the bottom test is the confirmation test!

MRI Day

As things were unwinding and we were getting the full picture of what was going on in my body to understand pregnancy options, I had an MRI done when they found my uterus was mis-shapen.

Two things I will remember from my MRI day:

1. Brent came with me which I think is what made me so calm the whole day. He was able to come into the MRI room and put ear plugs in. When they would pull out the shelf I was on to rearrange me, I was able to look back at him which makes me feel like he is really in this with me. During the abdomen scan, there was a lot of holding 30 second breaths, catching your breath and repeating. When we were driving back to work together, I told him “Thanks for holding your breath with me” and he looked at me and grinned and said “How did you know I was holding my breath too?” Just did.

They sent us home with a CD of the images which totally reminds us we are not doctors! It is like looking at ink blots and making images out of blobs! I think I saw a cow skull! As Brent studied the diagram of the female anatomy and translated that to my MRI scan, while I fixed dinner, I thought I bet he never imagined he would be doing this! We laughed through squirms when he said “Now I know you inside and out”.

2. Melody called me to see how it went and told me she was thinking about me all day. We talked about it and before she hung up, she told me she had written an “A” on her hand so she would constantly remember me and pray for me. Wow! It is such a neat feeling to be loved on and feel the support surrounding us through the testing and diagnosis. It really shows me the importance of doing the same for others in their times of trial.

Hopeful

After last weeks news, the only way to describe my reaction was spinning uncontrollably. The biggest disappointment to me was knowing I am a Christian and not responding to this circumstance that God is in full control. I found all of this out on Wednesday and Friday was the hardest. Any song, email, or thought sent tears to my eyes and shook my core. A teary phone call to Brent from work was what changed my whole perspective away from thinking the worst. The bible verse he kept repeating to me was Matthew 6:28. “See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor of spin.” He GOT it before me. Reading on in that passage, I realize I must “Seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given unto you”. Hearing Brent tell me he loves me NO MATTER WHAT definitely helped and made me feel like we are really in this together. All of the insignificance I felt melted away when I realized God knew me in my mother’s womb and formed me this way—He brought me here—Heaven is a part of me and I am His creation.
Is it unfathomable that He is working ALL things new in me right this minute, No. Is it too far out to think He put this road block in our lives to make us thirst for parenthood? No. He gives us the desires of our heart. Can he be glorified for creating a miracle in my body, Yes—he has done it throughout history. Will I trust in Him with all my heart from this moment on? Yes. Could this be my witness and strengthen my faith, oh yes! I have much to hope for and a life ahead of me that God designed- I wonder how it will unfold and how we will be forever changed. I do not fear what is ahead, I embrace it and look forward to seeing God’s face and making His name known.

1 Peter 4:
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.