Life By Design

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  But, in the meantime, here is the latest out of date pic.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!

Hopefully there will be more posts coming today but I could not contain my excitement and had to share. Some of you reading this may laugh because of your experience with snow but it is rare in Nashville that we actually get an accumulation.  I think it’s at least 1.5 inches…possibly 2!  So BIG deal.  And schools are closed which is also a big deal.  Just praying Daniel makes it to work safely.  The roads are icy but it’s the other crazy drivers you have to worry about more around here.

On the agenda today…laundry, baking, and blogging.  What a perfect day for all three!

After a long day of packing and everything else that you do right before you leave for a trip, I actually remembered to take a picture.  This is 6 months, aka 24 weeks, aka the last month of the 2nd trimester.  I can still paint my toenails, fit into my normal t-shirts (with a bulge), and sleep comfortably.  I’ve made it through a cold sick phase, a cry at everything phase, and a nap phase in the last month.  Daniel definitely prefers the naps over anything else.  I wonder why.

I probably won’t be posting too much over the next month since I don’t know about our access to internet in the many different locations that we will be, but I might surprise you.  If not, Happy Thanksgiving!

Of course we are from Texas and even though we live in Tennessee, we have not and will not forsake our Texas heritage.  Thankfully there are many Texans out here and we still feel right at home in many ways.  In fact we have a bumper sticker that a friend gave us that expresses our sentiments exactly:

Songs like “How I wish Dallas was in Tennessee” and many more express the same types of sentiment about wishing Texas and Tennessee were somehow in the same location.  I thought my side of the family was going to disown us completely when we left the Lone Star State over five years ago, though.  And now that we are expecting a child, it is a little strange to know that she will not be born in Texas.  It is not that I’m not proud to live in Tennessee (and love living here), just that Tennessee is more accepting of outsiders than Texas, and there are certain inalienable rights that belong to a Native Texan that do not belong to anyone else in the world.

So, rewind a few weeks back.  Daniel and I were at a company dinner enjoying a nice meal with several of his clients.  I was finally starting to look pregnant and half the table already knew we were expecting so it had become the topic of conversation.  One of the ladies whom I had not previously met immediately piped in when she found out we were from Texas to tell us she lived in San Antonio and that her son and daughter-in-law had just had a baby in Michigan.  The whole table discussed us crazy Texans and I told her I was sad that our child would not be born in Texas.  She went on to tell me about her Texas Birthing Kit idea and what she had done for her grandbaby and how she was going to send us one.  We got it in the mail yesterday.  I think she has a business idea on her hands.

Native Texan Birth Kit

1. Place the Official Texas Dirt under Mother.

2. Put a yellow rose by the bedside.

3. Just before birth, the entire delivery team will sing the “Eyes of Texas.”

4. Upon birth of the child, everyone in the delivery roon to yell YEEHAW!

5. Have physician fill out the Official Native Texan Birth Certificate: On this date, said baby was born on Certified Texas dirt and is herby officially granted the extreme privilege of being A Native Texan.  This will give him or her all the bragging rights and privileges of a Native Texan.

6. Use Texas Print Cloth as the covering in the nursery so no one will mistake the child as a Tennessee baby. (This is very important as the accent could start early!)

So there you have it.  Our child will be deemed a Native Texan…if I can remember the dirt when we leave for the hospital.  And before my brothers get all upset that we have University of Texas memoriabilia in our household, she made a mistake about that and I need you to find a store that I can exchange this little onesie for the right school.  After all, Texas Tech will be beating Texas this weekend, right?