A Weird Milestone

This tiny lady has been out here...

 for longer than she was in there.

I didn't know exactly how to celebrate, but I wanted to share it with you. This has been the fastest 8 1/2 months of my life and I don't anticipate them slowing down a bit. I love watching Harper experience life and there is nothing better than hearing her laugh! Happy Alive-longer-than-gestation Day!   

Abigail 

ReUp.

I've never really done New Year's resolutions.  I like setting goals and making lists... duh, but I actually can't remember a year where I made resolutions... or followed through with them.  So, I'm not doing it this year either.  BUT I will improve, move forward, and use the newness of the year to my mental and organizational advantage. So here are some things I want to do or reup in 2013.

5. Fix my hair. I have been blessed with curly hair that can air dry and look awesome (right?!?).  So I do that most days, but this year, I want to fix my hair more often.  I think I straightened my hair twice last year, so that means I thought about my hair twice... And this is not a vanity thing.  It's more like a grown-up thing.

4. Throw stuff away.  I have hoarder tendencies.  Part of it is the fact that I am laid back (thanks Mom!).  Part of it is that I always think I might need something later.  You know, like the chocolate I got for Christmas.  Sure I could eat it today, but then what happens when I need it in a week?  Or those t-shirts from all the shows I went to in high school?  Those could one day be vintage and though they will never fit me again (or maybe never did?), my kids might need them. See my logic? Alright, fine. I'll get rid of the shirts.

3. Sing.  Not because I love the song, but because I love to sing.  It's fun, can be funny, changes moods, passes time, and more importantly brings glory to the Lord.  Thankfully, Harper really likes it when I sing and since she's with me pretty much every waking hour of her day, she'll get a lot of it.

2. Be a better friend.  I have the most amazing friends and family (referred to from now on as "friends").  Seriously.  Nothing illuminates how awesome your friends are like having a baby and moving in a 2 month time period. I would like to return the favor this year. I want to encourage, bless, love, and support all of you amazing people!

1. Thrive.  If I'm being honest, motherhood is not always full of life.  Sometimes, it becomes about survival.  I just need to make it until naptime and then I'll be ok.  And then the babe decides not to nap.  And then I start calling everyone in the house crazy and singing, "y'all gonna make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here."  Instead of this downward spiral, I think I'll thrive in every moment.  Harper doesn't want to nap? Ok, we can spend time with God together instead. I just need to let go of attaining perfection in my day, chunking it to the wind when I don't, and just thrive in the moment by moment.  I can do that.

Happy 2013 everybody!

Abigail

Holly-days

Our holidays were just delightful.  It was a sweet time of firsts. First year in Baton Rouge, as a church, with Harper, and first ACC Wobble. Very fun and exciting! Here, let me show you.

 Family pic!

Jake's stocking. He's so happy.

 First Christmas tree!

 ready for "cold" weather

 Our young adult lifegroup

Jake and his girls!

 Christmas jammies!

 Looking good in the Christmas dress

 Our first Christmas together!

 Harper's goods

 Welcome to the best year yet!

New Year's baby

We are so grateful to be doing what we are doing, with whom we are doing it, and with the support of all of you! We are looking so forward to what God has in store for us this year and hope you'll come along for the ride!

Abigail

p.s. most of these pics were taken with my phone.  I know you all were wondering what kind of equipment I use...

Thanks for distracting me!

I hope your Christmas was as perfect as ours was. Friends, family, food, laughing, parties, tacky sweaters, gifts, movies, advent and a little bit of cold weather to top it off! I think Harpers's first Christmas was a success.
As I write, we are in the car on the way home. What would normally be a 4 hour trip has turned into a 6 hour trip, and counting. TRAFFIC. This is definitely not the most pleasant thing I've ever done. But we're all trying really hard to have good attitudes. Even Harper, who is very hungry and has a FULL diaper, is staying pretty calm. Thank you Lord.
To take my mind off of my current situation, I thought I'd make a list of things that would be worse than this.

5. Running. The biggest running goal I've ever had was a 5k. I did it. Now I'm done.

4. Cleaning up hazardous waste. I've never done it, but I'm sure it would be worse.

3. Driving the car. Standard transmission, y'all. Jake should get a massage for all the work he's doing.

2. Eating blueberries. Yuck!

1. Cheering for Alabama. Nothing worse than that! Geaux Tigers!!

Happy New Year!
Abigail

A Christmas High Five

I lovelovelovelovelove Christmas. I mean, it's absolutely my favorite holiday.  It's possible that we would get into an argument if you disagree.  I love presents, lights, snow, Jesus, traditions, music, surprises... what is there not to like?  I would like to dedicate this High Five to my favorite Christmas movies and their quotes.

5. Charlie Brown Christmas.  I think it's a given. My favorite reading of the Christmas story, by far. "And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid."

4. Home Alone.  I know some people (you know who you are...) don't appreciate the family dynamics in this movie, but I just laugh SO hard when I watch it.  Plus, I'm pretty sure I picked up the habit of talking to myself in the mirror from Kevin. "...including all my major crevices; including in between my toes and in my belly button, which I never did before but sort of enjoyed."

3. Elf. It's so outrageous that it almost feels real. "I like to whisper, too."

2. It's a Wonderful Life.  It definitely is wonderful when you're watching this movie.  Jimmy Stewart is magnificent.  The time period is perfect.  The story is moving.  "I wish I had a million dollars. Hot dog!"

1. White Christmas. I only need to say Bing Crosby, but I will say more.  I love musicals.  I love the WWII era. It's funny.  It's romantic. *Spoiler alert* There's snow. Yeah, I think I'll watch it again now.  "I looked at the this big ski lodge, and I thought, 'isn't it ideal?'"

I can't wait to introduce this little one to her first Christmas!

Do you have any movies I should add?

The Difference in Days.

This week has been, well... I don't know the word.  Crazy, shocking, full, short.

Monday, I was worried about getting clean sheets on the guest bed.  Friday, I was holding my baby and tearfully offering prayers on behalf of the mothers and fathers who don't have that privilege anymore. My prayers have ranged from pleading for comfort to crying out for healing for our nation and repenting for closing my eyes to the wounds of the people in front of me.

I've been reminded once again that this life is short, and very far from heaven.  When something so tragic happens, it's easy for me to want to just shut down and move on from the hurt and pain. I don't want to deal with the rising feelings of past personal tragedies and hopelessness in the world. I'd rather just forget.  But I'm learning that forgetting is a short term solution.  Remembering is the real key to healing and peace. Remembering the present and intended goodness of God.  Remembering His faithfulness in the face of this senseless loss.  Remembering His promise of heaven. Remembering His nearness in the midst of miscarriage. Remembering the hope that abides in the person of Jesus. Remembering that prayer is powerful and effective.  Remembering doesn't make everything magically better, but it, sometimes slowly but surely, brings restoration.

Prayer might be the only thing we can do for the families, friends, and community of Newtown, CT and for our nation right now. So, please pray with me. Pray that God would heal their broken hearts and bind up our wounds (Psalm 147:3).  Pray that what the enemy intends for evil, God would use for good (Genesis 50:20). Pray that people would find hope in Jesus (Hebrews 6:19-20)  Just pray.        

Abigail        

Schooled.

Y'all, I was in college for 6 years.  And no, I do not have a masters degree. But I guess I really only took 5 years of classes.  It went like this: two years at Baylor (meet a hunka hunka burnin' love), do Elevate (the discipleship training school at Antioch in Waco), one year of more pre-reqs and retakes, two years of nursing school. In that time, I took a lot of finals. And I always loved finals week. I'm sure you'll understand why after this week's high five.

5. Two words: dead days. Nothing to do; nowhere to be. Classes are over, but tests haven't started. It's only a couple of days, so it's perfect because any longer would just be lazy, you know.

4. In the winter: you have to bundle up and drink tons of coffee and hot chocolate and sit around all day. And your friends do, too. You're looking forward to Christmas and family and the new year. It's magical.

3. In the summer: you get to lay out by the pool for hours on end, studying of course, or make sno-cone runs for a study break.  School's (about to be) out for summer.

2. Study parties. Pancake break.  Finals baking.  Junk food.  Coffee.  Library pranks.

1. Relief and hope. It's as if you can breath again after that last question on the last test.  The semester is over.  You can look forward to whatever is coming in the next season. You get a clean slate.  It's so wonderful.

That being said, I am so glad not to be in school right now.  Because I'm not, I'm living vicariously through the college students at church.  We've had a study party, made coffee, sat around and gone to bed late.  So. Much. Fun.  You can hate finals, but I think we should all agree that finals week is the best.