The Promised Update!! (Sorry for the delay)

So life has been full of the most amazing joys I have ever had the privilege of experiencing the last couple of months. As of tomorrow, I will be 11 weeks along in my pregnancy! How fast it goes!! In as little as 9 more weeks, I will be exactly half way through my pregnancy, and will have the joy of finding out the sex of our baby! This will be a first glimpse into the person that God has planned in this little being long ago. (I just love Psalm 139!)

With this journey has come many emotions. I have cried at silly songs on the radio, and when frustrated when trying to get my puppy's nails clipped quickly and safely. I have felt stress and anger when trying to cut back in my schedule to ensure that I receive plenty enough rest and sleep. But most of all, I have felt so very much excitement and joy!!

Yesterday Gregg and I went to our 10 week doctor's appointment. There, we were able to meet the doctor that will with us every step of the way until the actual delivery of our baby boy or girl. We were also given the opportunity to hear the heartbeat of the living miracle inside of my womb, as tiny as it might be right now. What a strong beat it was at 181 beats per minute!! It was a quick minute, but a forever memory.

I am so glad that I get to share this time with my husband! Gregg has been so loving and caring towards me and my sometimes silly desires and needs. He has been making sure that I am eating healthy, and frequently, and is putting up with my countless naps and my early bedtime every night. He's also stepped up and has taken over much of my share of the responsibilities with Ruthie, letting her out to potty more often, and staying up and playing with her every night until she's settled down for bed.

Overall, it has been an amazing time so far! I have been lucky enough not to have experienced much "morning" sickness at all. Although, I do feel a bit nauseous with an empty stomach! I still have so much to read, learn, and prepare before my nine months are up, but I am enjoying each and every second of this time God has given me. What joy!!

Guess What!?...

...WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!!!!!

more to come...

Have You Read It?

Only about 20 minutes ago, I concluded The Shack by William P. Young. What a delightful, yet difficult, read! Young managed to present God's goodness, righteousness, grace, justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation in a fresh and brilliant light. This is a must read for all who crave to see another side of God! How often we forget how multifaceted He is!

I am reminded of how BIG and POWERFUL and GREAT God really is. Through a relationship with Him, there is always something new to learn about yourself, others, life, and Himself.

Read it...I pray that it touches you and brings to light some answers of life's most difficult questions, as it has for me.

Summer Vacation

As I write, I am on the tail-end of my summer vacation with Gregg. What a time it has been!! First, we drive about 5.5 hours to Wisconsin for a Coldplay concert that was absolutely phenomenal! What a great Valentine's Day present (thanks love)! We then left the next morning for Chicago and enjoyed our stay there for 3 nights. While there, we enjoyed a beautiful hotel, wonderful city sites, the vast Michigan Lake, the captivating Blue Man Group (great show!), stunning heights (Sear's Tower/Willis Tower and John Hancock Building), and so much more! Lastly, we moved on to visit family and friends in California and witnessed Kaylyn and Danny's wedding last night as the main attraction. What a remarkable couple!! They were glowing the entire night. I am so very excited for them!!

So, that's our week in a nutshell. I am anxious to get home to Minnesota. I miss the clean, crisp air, friends, our church family, and most of all, my little Ruthie!!

Updates...

Ruthie...4 months

The cousins...Jadey and Addy


I have enjoyed my last two weeks immensely! Gregg's sisters, Misti and Lori, and their kids, Bri, Elijah, and Troy, were in town last week. Then, my mom, Dave, and Jade came to visit this week! I have been really busy with finishing up my spring semester, work, church, and family, but it has been a ton of fun. We have been enjoying parks, lakes, barbeques, and so much more.





Today is Independence Day! I am celebrating with Joey, Katie, Addy, Gregg, and the gang visiting from SoCal. Sadly, it is raining, so we are enjoying each other's company indoors for now. I just got Banana Grams (thanks to Kay and Danny) that I can't wait to play. Hopefully we get to go outside later and at least enjoy some sparklers...





An update on Ruthie: She is growing, growing, growing! She loves to eat, sleep, play, and cuddle. She is such a sweetheart and has her dad and me wrapped around her little paw. Seriously, I never thought I'd be that dog owner. She is just so loveable and is an absolute joy to have in our lives.





Enjoy your Fourth of July!

An Enlightening Moment

So, today I was driving to school and a weird thought about jobs came across my mind. It was a thought-starter...you know, the kind that gets you thinking, and thinking, and thinking, until you've finally made some random connection through it all. Well, I came to the realization that we were truly created to serve one another. Think of work for example. Our jobs were created to live in harmony with others, serving them, and doing our part to invest in the world and/or local community. Think about it. Everything revolves around this central idea. I guess working at a coffee shop is not so bad after all. I am providing a service to others so that they may go on with their day serving others by providing food, clothing, shelter, entertainment, comfort, care, and so much more. It all goes back to serving the community! This is no brilliant discovery, but to me it was a pleasant realization. God is so creative, that even when he created us all with different qualities and talents, he created us to give back to each other, and in turn, give back to the One who created it all.

Keith!!

Tonight I am going to see Keith Urban in concert, thanks to my big brother! I am so excited!! It's been years since I last saw him (my 19th birthday to be exact). Even though my day was blah (tough day at work and I'm coming down with some kind of cold), I am looking forward to a wonderful night. I am blessed!