Life By Design

A very significant week indeed.  So significant, it’s blog worthy.  At least to me.

* Our “kids” graduated.  After 6 years of pouring our lives into these awesome students, they have passed one of the most significant milestones of their lives!  It was so much fun to get to watch them receive their high school diplomas and celebrate with them.  I’m so proud, humbled, sad and excited all at the same time.  Alexa, Evan, Julia, Leslie, Linsey, Nicole, and Shannon….I love you all so much, am so stinkin proud of you, and believe in you 100%!  I’m so thankful God brought us together, that through Christ we are sisters forever, and that I am blessed to have each of you in my life.  Keep pursuing Jesus in this next season of life!  He is the ONLY one who can give you the LIFE that you dream of.

* I got on my bike for the first time since before I was pregnant.  Probably about a year ago exactly.  We had a family “workout” with Daniel pushing Savannah in the jogging stroller and me riding my bike. I say “workout” because Daniel is the only one who really worked out.  Savvy slept and my pace was so leisurely that it cannot constitute a workout.  But I did block the scary dogs, provided the water for my hubby, and some good company/encouragement…and we did it together!  This weekend, however, I did work out with my first full fledged ride on my own.  On my own, you say?  Yes, I have never ridden my road bike without Daniel unless it has been at a park.  My hubby is uber cautious about riding on the road…particularly with me (he says he likes me or something and wants me to stick around awhile ) and I think I got so paranoid that I didn’t think I can do it.  Well, giving birth sans drugs kind of rejuvenates the “I can do it!” attitude a little bit so I rode 6.2 miles all by myself.  Granted, I didn’t have to change a flat or put my chain back on and it was a short and fairly easy ride, but I did it.  I think I’m gonna try and figure out how to do that at least once a week…hopefully more…but I’m not gonna set the bar too high since the number of hours available to even attempt it are so short.

* I’m finally into 1 Samuel in my quest to read the Bible in chronological order and I am way excited about it because I get to start jumping around into Psalms and read the historical context for when each one is written.  AND, on top of that, I think I’m going to do my summer Bible Study again and they are doing the Beth Moore Psalms of Ascent which just seems really fitting for God to do something cool like that with the timing.  I don’t know…just maybe He cares about the little details of life.

* And last but not least, we have some Savannah firsts that have me super excited.  We have been on three trips, had lots of company, and in general have been pretty busy for the last, say um, year or two or five.  Well, the last trip to Texas basically did her in for any sort of gaining ground with consistency in sleep, etc.  It was like everything we had worked on, just disappeared and we were back to month 1.  So, I have had to re-figure her out (which I’m finally realizing will probably be what parenting will be as she changes and grows), and last night she slept ENTIRELY THROUGH THE NIGHT for the very first time.  She has done a few midnight-6 am stretches before this last trip but never has she slept from 7:30 - 6:45 without waking up!  And that is just the culmination of the weekend.  She took her first bottle from Daddy after Mommy finally stopped to pump, she rolled over from her stomach to her back, she went to the nursery at church for the first time, had her first babysitter last night (took her 2nd bottle) for Daniel and I to have our first official date night in Nashvegas!

* To top it all off, it has been beautiful….I mean absolutely beautiful for about the last week and today is no different.  Blue skies…yay!  Happy June everyone!  Oh, and one last thing…it’s also a significant week because, in case you missed it…I did, in fact, just blog about it.  Wow.

Savannah passed the 1 month milestone on Monday.  I guess we passed that milestone as new parents too.  :-)  We are all doing really well.  We’ve had tons of visitors both in town and out of town and it has definitely kept us going both on adrenaline and excitement.  It is fun to celebrate with people we love.  Here is a quick run down of the highlights on the last month: Savannah has found her hands, smiled, had her first snow, skyped, had her facebook debut, been to Target, Hobby Lobby, Blue Coast Burrito, Radnor Lake, Publix, Fellowship, Martin’s BBQ…wow this list is longer than I thought…I’ll stop there

I seem to have a lot of major minor things going on and simply adjusting to this new season of life.  I’ve been excited about what I am able to still do and am honestly very anxious to get into a normal rhythm of life.  My parents are coming to help out while Daniel has a very busy week at work next week and then we will be truly on our own for the first time….no visitors, no meals, no help.  We’ll see how we do!

I finished Deuteronomy last week and was really impressed with God’s justice and mercy going hand in hand with the final words he gave to Moses to share with the Israelites before giving them the Promised Land and then showing Moses the land but now allowing him to enter it before he died.  You can read Deut 32-34 to get a really good grasp of all that happened from the Exodus out of Egypt to finally reaching the Promise Land.  God keeps his promise and gives Israel the gift they have been waiting for but at the same time promising his justice for when they disobey his commands.  It is an incredible picture of how God can be so gracious, giving and merciful yet not yield his righteousness and justice.  I think this is something very difficult for our human brains to grasp.  I still think it is so amazing that God buried Moses, too. (Deut 34:5-6).

A few other noteworthy yet minor things…I am back into a pair of my pre-pregnancy jeans.  I’m way pumped about that but have a few more I’d like to be able to wear.  It means a lot to me because I really worked hard at eating nutritious things and not buying into the “because I’m pregnant, I can eat whatever I want” mentality.  I might be buying into the “because I’m breastfeeding, I can eat whatever I want” mentality though!  I’m anxious for the weather to stay warm so I can get out and walk and figure out how to get back on my bike.  I miss cycling!  I also haven’t taken a nap since the first two weeks.  I have managed to sleep in until 11 AM (that does include waking up at 5 & 8 am though).  I’m just not a napper.  I’d love to learn so feel free to share your napping advice if you have some.  And I promise it’s not that I am pushing myself too hard.  I’m just not that sleepy or tired during the day.  I’d rather go to bed earlier.  And lastly, my cloth diaper shipment should be arriving today!  We received several as gifts over the last few months but since she arrived early, I had not placed my final order to get everything I needed to start out with cloth diapers.  So…that is the next big project to tackle.

Ok, that’s about all for now.

I apologize for the delay but here is the post at least I’ve been waiting for and I know you’ve been anticipating with us!  I’ve been trying to upload a video Daniel made for the last week and have been unsuccessful so it is just going to have to be pictures.

Our baby girl arrived ten days early [2.16.09] and we are SO excited that she is here.  I believe we’ve broken every “first child” statistic about labor, delivery, and the first few weeks to which I am very grateful.  Labor was not painless but was very fast and we were able to stay at home for most of it which was what I wanted.  We arrived at the hospital at 6:35 AM and she was born at 6:58 AM.  Hmmm…cut that one a little close.  Daddy was asleep til 3 AM because Mommy wasn’t even sure she was in labor until that point.  Ha!  It has been an unbelievably smooth transition and we seem to have a very content little baby.  We are counting our blessings for sure.

God’s timing is impeccable as always but it is amazing how that is so much easier to see in hindsight.  My grandfather died within 18 hours of her arrival but he was able to see pictures, here her name, and even remember it well enough to speak it later in the day.  Had she come any later, he would have never known the name of his first great-granddaughter.  This is only one of many, but probably the most significant things about God’s perfect timing over the last couple of weeks.

We’ve been having a blast getting to know her, enjoying family & friends who have come to meet her (and the ones that are still on the way!), sleeping a bit more than we thought we would, and celebrating this new season of life and marriage.  So, without further ado, meet Savannah!

A special thanks to Crystal for her pictures on the very first day.  Thanks for your prayers and support!

Psalm 104

104:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
2 covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind;
4 he makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire.

5 He set the earth on its foundations,
so that it should never be moved.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you appointed for them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they might not again cover the earth.

10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
11 they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
15 and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests;
the stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;
the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.

19 He made the moon to mark the seasons; [1]
the sun knows its time for setting.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away
and lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to his work
and to his labor until the evening.

24 O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the sea, great and wide,
which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships,
and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. [2]

27 These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your Spirit, [3] they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.

31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works,
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke!
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more!
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!

According to the “schedule”…we are within 3 weeks of this little one’s arrival.  Daniel is done traveling until March which makes this woman very happy.  :-)  We are enjoying our time together, I’m checking things off my list, and living the life God has given us with each day that passes.  Here’s a few pics…

Shower hosted by my beautiful, fabulous friends at Fellowship.  (34 Weeks)

The handsome Daddy joined us at the end. (34 Weeks)

Some of my senior girls & Michelle at a little mother/daughter shower they put together.  So sweet! (35 weeks)

A not so flattering, late-night photo to commemorate entering the 9th month. (36 weeks)

A little better pic the next day which I think shows how much I seem to grow overnight. (36 Weeks)

I’m now in week 37 but haven’t taken a picture yet.  I figured if I didn’t get this posted now, it might not happen so here you go.  I’m really excited about everything from these next few weeks to labor/birth to getting to know this little child, trying to stay grounded and not forsake the truth of who I am in Christ apart from any role He has given me, feeling a little strange about officially entering “mom-world”, really cherishing my time with Daniel, hoping to get the house cleaned at least one more time, and trying to rest as much as possible.  I’m still not a napper after all this time and I might regret that in a few weeks but I’m all about going to bed between 8-9pm.  :-)  Gotta run.  Hope you enjoyed the little extra pics today.

I’m way behind in blogging…this belly pic is @ 32 weeks which was 3 weeks ago so I’ll need to get another one up soon.  I have a lot to update and a lot on my mind but you can some it up by saying that Life Is Precious.  And for those of you that miss my previous style of blogging…there is so much dual significance in that statement, I hope to find the time to blog about it further.  But, in the meantime, here is the latest out of date pic.

To wrap up our crazy November, we ended our time in Texas with a baby shower in Dallas.  Micahl, my extremely talented and ambitious friend, hosted an amazing event in her home and I am so grateful.  She prepared all of the food and drinks (which was A LOT and very good), opened up her home, handmade the invitations, and even planned a scrapbook for the event….not to mention hand-knitting three adorable wool hats.  I’m sure there was so much more that she did but I was overwhelmed by her generosity and once again astonished at all that she did.  I constantly tell her how envious I am of what she can manage to accomplish.  I tend to be slower and more methodical in what I set out to do and so her ambition is something that I admire.

It was so special to have so many family members there (including a grandmother, 2 great-grandmothers, several aunts, and 2 great-aunts) and to also get to see some friends that I had not seen in awhile.  Emily M flew out as well and that was really special to have her there.  We were blessed by so many great gifts and this little one is definitely set with cute clothes and shoes!  I actually hate being the center of attention and was so nervous the whole time while I was opening gifts and tried to be super efficient. :-)  I laugh at myself and know that the Lord is stretching me in this season of preparation too.  I like to be the one on the giving end and would have felt much more comfortable being in the kitchen than being on the receiving end.  I am just so humbled and appreciative!

Bre and I diving into the food!

Sugar cookies, mini chocolate cupcakes & pumpkin muffins, cheese, fruit, veggies, hummus, spinach & artichoke dip, apple cider, and delicious punch!  Yum!

Micahl & Emily working on the scrapbook pages

My sister-in-law Kristy representing for the Waters side of the family

The wise side of the room

Have no fear…we now have the CORRECT onesie.

The loot…Oh my goodness!

My favorite niece…my only niece…but definitely my fav.

We matched in our purple dresses.

We flew back into Nashville, spent the night, and drove to Texas.  Are we crazy?….yes.  But I’d really like for someone to tell me how to fly to Mexico for 2 weeks, have to check an additional bag for work purposes which means we only get to check one bag each, and then go to Texas in cold weather for 10 days, and also transport Christmas gifts…without having to come back to Nashville…ok, I’m already confused again. Anyways, we had to come back to Nashville to travel to Texas, solely because of luggage.  We decided to drive and I think we hit the jackpot with $1.50 gas the whole way.  It made the expensive Thanksgiving plane tickets all that more expensive and it made our trip so much easier to have our own car.

Anyways, my Grandfather had a 90th birthday party the weekend before Thanksgiving in L-Town and the whole family (30 including the little Tardy on the way), was there.  I know it meant the world to my grandparents to have everyone there and despite being just a little crazy, it went really well.  It was great to also get to see my parents and siblings because we will not get to see them for Christmas.  I decided after this trip, however, that I have not changed all that much in my life.  Big groups of people are fun to me, but I always leave feeling very drained and tired whereas Daniel gets energized off of big groups.  So, by the time we got back home, I was EXHAUSTED.  I feel like the little ball in a pinball game the whole time and I’m constantly trying to keep up or recover from the last thing I just hit.  Am I the only one?

My grandparents after the big party

Gran Gran being cute and funny.

We had just “crowned” him with our name tags.

My parents

We spent the rest of the week in Dallas with Daniel’s family for Thanksgiving.  I did not take any pictures of our time together which makes me sad.  It was very fun to see where both of Daniel’s brothers and their wives are living since they both moved to the Dallas area this summer.  We were planning on visiting them in February but we now have some other plans which are taking precedence.  :-)  So, Thanksgiving worked, too.  A few of Daniel’s siblings ran the Dallas Turkey Trot and we had two different meals with two different sides of the family on two different days…both incredibly good.  It was absolutely nonstop and I think we drove all of Dallas in the few days we were there.  We also were able to see our friends Matt & Micahl which is always fun too.  Micahl threw me a baby shower on the Saturday after Thanksgiving which will have to be its own separate post but is the final reason we drove to Texas.  Whew!  Through all the whirlwind, I did not have much time to reflect but I guess more than anything, the theme of this Thanksgiving was being thankful for family.

Definition of Babymoon

We spent a few extra days in Mexico after Entreleadership at an awesome Private Villa on the Mayan Riviera called Casa Del Agua.  Daniel was able to do some great negotiating/bartering with one of this clients for this awesome opportunity and it was definitely an incredible experience.  The whole place was open air and had water running through it (hints the name…House of Water).  At night, it was lit up by candlelight and was beautiful.  The style was very simple, modern, and rustic but in a very natural and native sort of way.

It was so nice, after being so busy, to just relax and enjoy the beach and each other.  It was actually cold and cloudy the first couple of days we were there so we did a lot of reading on the napping couch.    Our chef, “G”, was fabulous and Karla and Rico took great care of us the whole time we were there.  I think they were used to a little bit tougher client so we made sure they were enjoying themselves and having fun too.  We went kayaking one day to some Mayan ruins and snorkeled in this great little cove.  Otherwise, we just hung out and relaxed.  We’re usually constantly on the go so we’ve learned to take advantage of opportunities to just stop and relax without feeling the need to go see and do everything there is.  It was a great last vacation before our new family member arrives.

I guess the pictures tell the rest:

Well it’s about time I update the blog about our crazy November!  The month we had been preparing for was finally here and I felt anxious and excited all at the same time.  Daniel and the team had been working really hard for this out-of-country event and it is always exciting to see it come together.  And we had been working really hard to be out of the country and out of town for an entire month…no easy task.

We finished the Master Bedroom and Daniel was able to get the windows out and drywall and paint in the baby’s room the day before we left for Mexico.  I am so proud of all of his hard work, his mad skillz, and for being the best husband I could ask for!  He was in Portland three days before we left so it was a mad dash to get everything done but when you are leaving town for a month, it’s kind of important to tie up all the loose ends.

After landing in Cancun, we spent the afternoon hanging out in Customs because they did not like some of the equipment we had brought with us.  Thankfully, we both took it in stride and tried to enjoy our time in the airport..hmmm…well, not really…but we did not get frustrated, which was good.  After much negotiation, lots of smiling and trying to buddy-buddy with our guy, lots of questions, some official looking paperwork and our unwillingness to hand over several hundred dollars in cash, they still wouldn’t let us take it with us so we had to leave it behind for the next day and try again.

We arrived at the resort, which was fabulous, and I was really proud of Daniel and the team for picking such a great place.  I had visited another resort with him earlier in the year and loved it but thought the Paridisus was much better suited for Entreleadership.  I know everyone back at the office was giving the team a really hard time for getting to work in Mexico but let me tell you, it was non-stop for 10 days straight.  Of course it was in a beautiful location, with awesome people, and great food, but I only set foot in the pool and beach twice the entire time and I was not even on staff!  It was awesome to serve and help out my husband, the team, and the awesome attendees.  We had a chance to sit down and talk with so many great people, hear amazing stories, and encourage many along the way.

And let me just say, I am amazed at what my husband is a part of each and every day.  What Dave Ramsey shares with these awesome business owners is incredible and the fact that my husband gets to know them, their business, and support them in what God has called them to do is amazing.  It really is a great opportunity and I feel so blessed that God has us here.  We love Nashville, we love Lampo, we love Fellowship, we love our friends and feel like the Lord is using us, growing us, changing us, and that we are right where He wants us to be.

It has been interesting over the last several months, as there have been so many global and national issues overshadowing the truth and peace of Christ, to be in the position that we are in particularly when so many that we love are hurting and struggling in these “tough times”.  I struggled for a few weeks with fighting off guilt for what we were a part of and then realized how stupid that was.  It’s hard though when you care so much for people but at the same time, by feeling that way, I was highlighting earthly problems more than the faithfulness of my Savior and His current leading in our lives.  And to hear from the backbone of the American economy, the small business owner, more times than not how great business has been this year and how they are fighting to win the battle against the naysayer and continue to pursue what God has for them and their business, I cannot help but be optimistic and grateful!  And after this last Sunday’s message from Celestin of ALARM Ministries, I am convicted now more than ever to not let even fear around me overshadow my hope and that the best way I can love others who are hurting and fearful is to be hopeful.  So, if you are one of those people, count me as at least one person who has HOPE and you can borrow mine if you need to for awhile. 

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this GRACE in which we stand, and we REJOICE in HOPE of the glory of God.  More than that, we REJOICE in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces HOPE, and HOPE does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Here are a few more pics! And a special thanks to Laura & Heather for letting me borrow some super cute maternity clothes for a trip to the Mexican Riviera!  It’s no easy task to have two weeks worth of resort beach maternity clothing in the middle of November and I’m truly grateful for your great taste and your generosity.  It helped me so much to not have to buy a summer maternity wardrobe.

Where will Entreleadership be next November?!?!  I cannot wait to find out!