The Babies....

So several of my dear friends are pregnant and one just had her sweet baby girl LAST NIGHT!

Everybody's pregnant! (Well almost...)

Carrie just had Haven not too long ago, Lisa is "pregnant" in the adoption process, Debbie is due in April, the same exact day as Sage (standing beside her!) Then there's me, thankfully NOT pregnant, and the ladies of the hour- Anna Greta, Lindsay and Crystal! Those 3 ladies were/are due within a few weeks of one another...

Here we are at Lisa's house for the baby shower- it was so sweet- a cookies and milk shower for Anna Greta, Lindsay and Crystal.

Thankfully I snagged this picture from Crystal's facebook page because I don't have one of all of us- so the supporting cast continues.....

Anna Greta- (bottom left) is a newer friend- She just welcomed her second sweet baby last night! Mary Ella Anne Taylor- how precious is that?! We're so thankful to have the Taylors in our lives!

Debbie- (top row, 3rd from left) is such a fun friend. She has a great take on life and copes well with the chaos of a traveling husband and 2 little ones- (She's also pregnant with numero 3!)

Crystal- (bottom right) is a dear dear soul who I consider my personal trainer! Even at 8 months pregnant she's had me at the Y pumping iron! She has a tender spirit and is quick to share honestly and openly-

Merry Christmas, precious friends!

the supporting cast....

I've thought for some time how much of my words here focus on me- my family, my life, my day to day....but what is missing is who supports me in this journey- I've wanted to post on my "supporting cast" for some time and this picture is the beginning....

These are some of my most precious friends- *definitely some are missing*, but this picture captures much of my heart in Charlotte.

Evyn, Lisa, Carrie, Mary, Sage, Lindsay

These women share life with me honestly and openly. They receive me, faults and all, encourage me when I'm down and hurting....

Evyn- celebrating sweet baby Knox this Christmas and the fact that Jordan is finished with RTS and can fully focus on pastoring CrossPark Church. She is showing me balance and reliance on the Lord as she's mothered 3 children during seminary and through planting a church.

Lisa- loves her children well and is learning what waiting is all about. She is showing me how to trust God with timing and living with the ache of waiting to have all of her children under her own roof.

Carrie- she challenges me regularly to examine my heart and believe truth- She is also maybe the funniest woman on earth.

Sage- She is a tender-hearted listener. Even from my oldest memories of her from Clemson, this holds true. She has the grace to block out all distractions, focus her heart on mine, and encourage me. I've been thankful this year that she's come along side me in homeschooling and on staff at church at church as her husband is now the pastor of youth and families!

Lindsay- probably the closest thing I have to a sister in Charlotte- She is fiercely loyal and is never afraid to get into the trenches with me and fight for me and with me to be more like Christ-

I love these women.

The Lord has indeed blessed us during this season in Charlotte with precious friends. My hope to is to highlight others as well time to time and share what they are teaching me in the midst of life.

Behold the Lamb of God

This week, Christmas came early for me. My dear friend Christy called at 4:30 to let me know she had 2 free tickets to Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God show that night at 7 in North Charlotte. After quick-texting Dave, we went full press in finding a sitter for the girls.

After Lauren Bonnema came to the rescue, we jumped in the car with Adam and Lindsay and headed North- I was really excited!

I'd never seen this show live- and to be honest I'd only heard a few of the songs- I'm not a huge Christian Music fan. Most of the songs on local Christian radio are too cheesy-pop for me. I typically live in heavy rotation of my usual suspects of Indelible Grace, Red Mountain Music, Bifrost Arts, the Welcome Wagon.....so I was a little nervous about being disappointed. Some people talk about BTLOG night's as if they are ultimately life-changing.

But we walked in, found our fantastic seats, and waited for the show to begin. I really enjoyed the lineup....Jill Phillips was my favorite during the songwriter set of the show- She sang a song called "If you were here" about life without her father- She was amazing!

When it was time for to run through the album itself I was curious how the Lord would stir my heart. I was not disappointed- I felt met and encouraged and pointed to Christ- At the end of the show Colossians 1:15-20 was read:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

I'm thankful for the reminder to sit in this Advent Season and "behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". I'm longing for him in new ways this Christmas-

Thank you Christy for this gift- it was such a blessing to me!

Poor Monica....

Remember the friends where they all go to the Bahamas and with every passing humidity-filled moment Monica's hair grows....up, out, in all directions....

I could so relate. I grew up with loads of blonde-headed, stick-straight-haired friends and tried to live my life their way. There was no curly headed Barbie....her buddy Whitney was about as wavy as it got back in my day.

I had a brush and knew how to use it. I tried to wear bangs. And brush them.

My childhood best friend Liz laugh now as we just knew we'd seen the light when Frizz Eaze entered our scene round about the early 90s. We were going to make it.

Oh if I could have just met Lorraine Massey way back then, I could have lived frizz- ( free from the womb- (and avoided those dreadful purple-shirt pictures....sigh)....but alas, that was not my story. I did figure things out somewhere around my senior year of highschool, but wow. Things could have been way different....

Then a few years ago my dear friend Molly, alerted me to this book. It was like someone had read my curly mind and published it. This book was illustrated and fantastic. There were tutorials and I was in heaven!

I felt empowered and wanted to help every fuzzy headed friend I knew "release her inner-curl". So please, do the world a favor....If you know anyone that has curly hair, or especially if it is a straight-haired mom with a curly headed child- please get them THIS for Christmas-

The folks who sit behind them in the movie will thank them.

Thankful Hearts

We drove down to Mississippi for Thanksgiving to meet our newest nephew. He is precious! The girls were troopers in the car and I'm so thankful! Dave and I wake up at 4 and put the girls in the car at 4:30 and start driving. Dave even had the noise machine set up with "rain" blasting through the car so all the girls (including this one!) could sleep til 7:30. Then we offered them a banana, milk and dry cereal (breakfast of champions) and we didn't stop til maybe 8 or so. We were Alabama by 10:30 and made it Tupelo by lunchtime. It was beautiful!


Thank you to Jess and Zach for having us and thanks to Mamu and Pops for hooking us up at the Comfort Suites for a few nights! Jumping on the bed and the indoor pool made our vacay so special! But best was being with you!