This last weekend some of my sweet friends threw me a baby shower. My stomach tends to proceed me everywhere I go...and in this setting it was very appropriate...Baby Jackson was the guest of honor!
The food was super yummy, the fellowship was great...and of course the presents...
I spent most of my time in this chair...in this exact positon! Not the most flattering...or ladylike...but definitely the most comfortable!
My sweet friend, Donna, gave a devotional based on Hebrews 11:6.
She reminded us that God is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him. Words I definitely need to hear at this stage of my life...I need to seek diligently after Him.
It was a beautiful shower and I left feeling refreshed, challenged, convicted, humbled and completely blessed by the wonderful friends in my life!!! It was just what I needed to get me through these last few weeks!!!!
Comedy of errors? Where does the comedy come from...what makes it funny? I have decided that when a certain number of errors occur...there is nothing left to do but laugh...in order to maintain your sanity! That was the case this last weekend for our family. Luckily, I think I escaped with minimal damage and most (definitely not all) of my sanity!!!
We are living in an apartment now, as some of you know, waiting for our house to be finished. When we moved in here we packed a ton of our stuff in a garage unit here at the apartment complex. There were a few items that I asked for Jason to put at the front of the garage so that we could access it easier when we needed it. But...I guess I didn't realize we would be here until the baby was born and that I would need my "fat" clothes after Jackson has come! So, on Sunday Jay and I decided to work in the garage to figure out where these clothes bins were.
Also, we had moved our love seat into the apartment instead of our long couch because we thought it would fit better. But I have had quite a few sleepless nights due to being uncomfortable and I have tried to sleep on the love seat. Obviously I do NOT fit on a love seat! So we decided to move out the love seat and move in the couch. Aren't we just so ambitious!!!!??? (Maybe just a little crazy!)
After a not-so-long Sunday afternoon nap we ventured out into the garage. It happened to be the most humid day we have had all summer long...so we were sweating by the time we had opened the garage door!
Obviously, there would be nothing to blog about if this was just a normal venture. Unfortunately, it was not. We moved the couch first...well, Jay pretty much did all the work himself. I "helped" as much as my belly would let me. And we both ended up injured!!! Jason almost broke his thumb and then dropped the couch on my head. Thus, we begin the errors...minus the comedy at this point!!!
As were were moving the couch we noticed that tons of spiders were crawling out of the bottom of the couch. We looked at each other thinking the same thing...they were going to be crawling all over me at night!!! UGHGHH!!!!
The hapless job with the couch took about two hours! And we were sweating like pigs!!! Then onto the bins. Well, wouldn't you know that they were in the very back of the garage behind the washer, dryer, and barbecue...and at the bottom of eight other bins. Yes, we were in good moods by the time we were finished!!!
That night we all went to bed tired and completely worn out. During the night, I started having minor contractions (probably due to dehydration) and so I went and slept on the couch. But I couldn't get the spiders out of my mind...so it was a sleep ridden with dreams of spiders.
I had just fallen asleep when a voice spoke into my face, "Mommy, Tyler's crying!" My first thought (remember I had just fallen asleep) was that he had been bitten by a spider. Thankfully, it was just a bad dream! But because of my obsession with spiders I decided to go back to sleep in my bed.
Again, I had just fallen asleep when I heard screaming. I flew out of bed (as fast as this big ole body will let me) and ran to the window. I know...why the window? For some reason...in my middle-of-the-night rationale...I thought there was a kid outside screaming. Yes, there was a kid screaming...but he was INSIDE our apartment. Jay ran into the living room just in time to watch Tyler puke all over the rug and carpet.
Yep, that was our weekend. Now...in retrospect...it all seems a little comical. Especially, since YOU didn't have to get on all fours and scrub carpet-puke at two in the morning. But in the morning I did have to find humor in all the craziness that makes up our life. And we're adding a newborn to the mix? Oh...Lord have mercy on us!!!!
Happy Fourth of July!!!!
Sadly, like most Americans...for the majority of my life I have taken our freedom for granted. After living over in Europe for awhile I recognized the significant difference between America and every other country. And yet, I still failed to acknowledge whose lives went into making that difference.
Two years ago today, my cousin's husband, Scott, was killed over in Iraq. He had served in the Marines for ten years and then joined the Army. He became an Instructor Pilot and was on his second tour of Iraq. His entire adult life was spent serving our country!!! When he died he left behind his wife and their three children.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Not only did Scott lay down his life for his friends and family...but his entire country. A country that fails to acknowledge those brave soldiers who daily stand in the gap for their country. Since 2003, over four thousand US soldiers have been killed in Iraq and over seven hundred have been killed in Afghanistan. Those lives were given for you and for me! That doesn't even begin to count the number of Veterans served and killed in previous wars!!!
Today, as you fire up the grill, spend time with your loved ones, splash around in the pool...take a moment to thank our Lord for these precious soldiers and ask Him to bless their families today...for their hearts and minds are focused on the empty spot at their tables!!!
After much discussion and family votes around the dinner table, we have finally decided on a name for this sweet baby boy! He will hopefully be joining our family in the next several weeks and so Jason has made it clear that there will be NO more changing of the name. It is official...his name will be...
Five minutes to myself and I finally sit down to blog about camp. Wow!!! I could seriously talk about it all afternoon...but too long on the computer make the kids a little crazy, my ankles and feet swollen, and dinner uncooked for the evening! So I will limit my ramblings!!!
Two weeks ago, Jason, myself and nine other adults took eighty-five students to Wake Forest University for an amazing week of worship, fellowship, teaching, and bonding! Student Life is a ministry that puts on different camps all across the States throughout the summer. They provide the teaching, worship, amazing drama, and recreational games throughout the week.
The theme for camp was FLIP...based on Matthew 20:16
"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
The students were challenged to examine their entire lives...every aspect of them...and consider how this verse fit into their current lifestyle. The teaching was dynamic and there were definitely life-changing decisions made throughout the week!
The most impactful part of the camp for Jason and I is usually how close the students become. Having a large youth group can have its advantages...but it also has its disadvantages! Every youth group battles with cliques. Teenagers struggle so much with insecurity and trying to fit in...youth group tends to be just one more arena in which they battle. But Jason and I look forward to camp all year...praying that God will break down barriers and judgmental attitudes that keep new students at bay! This summer God truly worked throughout the entire youth group!!! It was so humbling to watch students reach out to their fellow students and embrace them and draw them in! There were several teary nights that students shared their initial hesitation to attend youth group...intimidated by the size and closeness of the group....but because of the determination of parents, Jason, or other students they came to camp. And camp changed everything for them!!!
While the theme, FLIP, dealt mostly with changing how you perceive life in general and basing it on losing your life for Christ...I think for our youth group...it meant more about flipping your perspective on those around you. Looking for opportunities to reach out and rescue those that are hurting and alone.
The week will probably be meaningful to some of the girls for a different reason! :-) I made sure I talked about all the negative aspects of pregnancy...ALL of the time! My way of reminding them that marriage is definitely a prerequisite for a baby!!! Although, I could have probably saved my breath...for by the end of the week my feet and ankles were so swollen ALL of the students were so grossed out that I don't think sex and babies will be on their minds for awhile! One can hope! :-)
Here are some pics from camp...btw...our team was the Green Machine...hence the green face paint!
I was so busy getting ready for highschool camp that I didn't get a chance to post about the second half of our trip...and now I would rather post about camp!!! It was AWESOME!!! But I will try and contain the excitement!!!
Here are more pictures from our trip...we had such a good time with the Jimenez side of the family! Tyler and Amy have around twelve cousins (some are second-cousins) ranging in age from a year all the way up to eighteen. It makes family functions crazy, loud, and a ton of fun! Most of the cousins are boys...so there was a lot of wrestling, competition, and a little bit of just good ole "boy-talk"! :-)
We also got to see our close friends...the Rhodes family! They used to live here in Charlotte and just recently moved back to Tucson. The kids picked up right where they left off and had so much fun together! Location meant little to them...friends are friends!
The last day we were there, Jason's parents took the kids on their very first fishing experience! Amy was the only one that actually got a BITE...not a fish...and it was very exciting! Since they've been back they have asked DAILY when we will go fishing again. (Obviously, this HUGE woman will not be fishing anytime soon)
The trip home was worse than the ride over! I had a woman sit down next to me on the plane and tell me that she was a teacher, a mom, and a grandmother...if I needed any help just let her know. I wasn't anticpating needing any help...it was a thirty minute flight...but of course, I didn't want to seem rude. So I smiled and thanked her and told her I would let her know. Well, twenty mintues later...I took her up on her offer as I made a mad dash to the bathroom to be sick!!! She kept Tyler and Amy entertained with stories and made them laugh while I was beyond miserable! Suffice to say, I will NOT be on an airplane again when I am seven or eight months pregnant!!!
All in all though, it was worth it...we had an amazing time and made so many memories. The kids are getting older and changing so much but it was so great to see them jump right back in and feel at home with our families!!! We are so blessed!!!!
Tyler & Amy with their cousins...Ephraim, Keziah and Baby Paul
The kids fishing adventure!
Family time...
Our friends - The Rhodes Family
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