Wednesday, May 9, 2012
When in our Music...
This week a very special man went to be with Jesus. That man was Mr.
Brock, my high school choir director. When I think back over a typical
day in high school I think about how choir was my calm in the
middle of the storm that was the life of a teenager. I think that's
exactly how Mr. Brock intended it to be. He loved music, his family,
his students, but most importantly he loved the Lord. That was evident
to anyone that came in contact with him. So many of the songs we
sang were songs of praise. Yes I did go to a public school and yes I
heard people question his song choices. Did he care one bit? No. He
believed God should be glorified and that was all that mattered to him.
Below is a recording of the 2001-2002 Greenville High School UIL
competition (I became a part of this choir the next year). That year
the choir sang an arrangement of "When in Our Music God is Glorified"
by Elizabeth Beckham. This arrangement was specifically written for that choir. Since that
year each Greenville High School choir concert ends with this song and
any alumni present are invited to join on stage. I still get chills thinking about singing this song in the middle of a big choir. I encourage you to take a moment to listen to it. I promise you will be blessed. What a legacy Mr. Brock leaves
and may we all live our lives to glorify God the way he did.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Inspired
First of all I want to thank all of you that commented and told me about your favorite thrifty finds. I loved reading about all of the bargains! In the words of Jim Bob Duggar "Buy used and save the difference!"
A few weeks ago through a link up at Kelly's Korner I "met" the sweetest lady named Tesha. Her and her husband just lost their baby boy, Jonathan in January. When I read this post the other day I decided I needed to share it with all of you. I had never really thought about the power of hearing your baby's name and what she says is just so true. I love hearing Kadynce call her baby doll Isaac. I loved hearing our pastor say Isaac's name over and over when he was using him as an illustration in church this morning. Saying his name acknowledges that he was here and that his life was important. Tesha hosts a link up for mommy's that have lost babies on Tuesday mornings and this weekend she went to the beach and wrote each one of those baby's names with seashells. She has the most incredible heart and this picture meant the world to me!
Here comes the reason for the title of this post. I have been inspired by how much Tesha and her Tuesday morning link ups have meant to me. I have said before that when I was expecting Isaac I read any and every blog I could find of someone going through or that had gone through a similar situation as us. I specifically wanted to read stories of people that had a prenatal diagnosis of "incompatible with life." There were moments throughout my pregnancy that I literally didn't think I could handle any more. I was so thankful that I knew someone that had gone through a similar situation a few years before and her encouragement helped me greatly. She let me know that my feelings were normal and I didn't need to feel guilty. She also reminded me that the Lord would give me strength to get through each new day.
I have had moments over the past 9 months of thinking I need to "move on." I have feared people thinking that I am dwelling on something I shouldn't be. At times I have been afraid to talk about Isaac because I didn't want people to feel awkward or think that I'm just sitting at home mourning him all the time. It's quite the opposite actually, that little boy makes me smile each day. Well, I'm done with those thoughts and feelings. I have forever been changed by that sweet chubby-cheeked boy and for that I'm not going to apologize. I want his life to continue to be a blessing to others. So here's what I'm thinking...
I would like to start hosting a weekly link up for those who are carrying a baby with a negative prenatal diagnosis or those that have gone through this in the past. I think it would be so neat for moms on all different points in this journey to be able to connect and encourage one another. I'm thinking about doing this on Mondays and I would start next week. I'm a little nervous about doing this, but I'm going to take a leap of faith. I would love for you to help me spread the word to those you think this my bless!
A few weeks ago through a link up at Kelly's Korner I "met" the sweetest lady named Tesha. Her and her husband just lost their baby boy, Jonathan in January. When I read this post the other day I decided I needed to share it with all of you. I had never really thought about the power of hearing your baby's name and what she says is just so true. I love hearing Kadynce call her baby doll Isaac. I loved hearing our pastor say Isaac's name over and over when he was using him as an illustration in church this morning. Saying his name acknowledges that he was here and that his life was important. Tesha hosts a link up for mommy's that have lost babies on Tuesday mornings and this weekend she went to the beach and wrote each one of those baby's names with seashells. She has the most incredible heart and this picture meant the world to me!
Here comes the reason for the title of this post. I have been inspired by how much Tesha and her Tuesday morning link ups have meant to me. I have said before that when I was expecting Isaac I read any and every blog I could find of someone going through or that had gone through a similar situation as us. I specifically wanted to read stories of people that had a prenatal diagnosis of "incompatible with life." There were moments throughout my pregnancy that I literally didn't think I could handle any more. I was so thankful that I knew someone that had gone through a similar situation a few years before and her encouragement helped me greatly. She let me know that my feelings were normal and I didn't need to feel guilty. She also reminded me that the Lord would give me strength to get through each new day.
I have had moments over the past 9 months of thinking I need to "move on." I have feared people thinking that I am dwelling on something I shouldn't be. At times I have been afraid to talk about Isaac because I didn't want people to feel awkward or think that I'm just sitting at home mourning him all the time. It's quite the opposite actually, that little boy makes me smile each day. Well, I'm done with those thoughts and feelings. I have forever been changed by that sweet chubby-cheeked boy and for that I'm not going to apologize. I want his life to continue to be a blessing to others. So here's what I'm thinking...
I would like to start hosting a weekly link up for those who are carrying a baby with a negative prenatal diagnosis or those that have gone through this in the past. I think it would be so neat for moms on all different points in this journey to be able to connect and encourage one another. I'm thinking about doing this on Mondays and I would start next week. I'm a little nervous about doing this, but I'm going to take a leap of faith. I would love for you to help me spread the word to those you think this my bless!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Their Trash=My Treasure!
I LOVE finding a good bargain. It is in my blood. My dad tells stories all the time about going with my Pawpaw (my Grandaddy's Dad) to Canton for First Monday Trade Days. This was way before the Arbors and Pavilions that they now have with all of the new, crafty items. It was when people would just set up their "stuff" they were wanting to sell or trade on the back of their truck for the weekend. My dad says that Pawpaw knew exactly how much something was worth and how much he could make reselling it. Finding a good deal was an adrenaline rush to him.
Fast forward a bit to my childhood. I remember many Saturdays heading to Dallas with my Mom and Grandmamma to hit every garage sale we could. I absolutely loved going with them and still have so many wonderful memories from those days. Sometimes we were looking for something specific and other times we were just going for fun, but we almost always came back great treasures. We would find barely-used furniture, toys, clothes, and who know what else for a fraction of the price they would have been new.
I know many people have never thought about buying things second hand and some just don't like the thought of it. I said I would write a post about second-hand shopping because I love it and think it is just so practical. I encourage you to try it if you haven't before. Beware, you may become addicted :) I am going to share a few items that we have purchased second hand. I am including the prices only because I want you to truly see how good of a deal you can get.
This dresser we bought shortly after we got married at Goodwill for $100.00. It was originally an oak finish and Jonathan just recently painted it black for me.
We bought this chandelier at a garage sale for $7.00 and I got the shades for a total of $3.00 on clearance at Lowes.
We bought Kadynce's and now Lydia's crib on craigslist for around $100 mattress included (I can't remember the exact price, that was a while ago lol)
My parents bought this train set and table for Kadynce's birthday and they got it on Craigslist for a total of $45.00. It is a mix of wooden Melissa and Doug trains and Thomas trains. There are even more pieces in a box.
Then there are all of Kadynce's clothes. It's funny because people are always asking where I get her clothes and the answer is so often Kid to Kid or Once Upon a Child. My mom and I are VERY frequent visitors to those stores. The secret really is to go frequently because they get new things in daily and that is how you get the best deals. Her velvet, smocked, Christmas dress was only $3.50!!!!! If that's not a good deal I don't know what is.
I would love for you to comment with what kind of deals you have gotten from second-hand shopping!
Fast forward a bit to my childhood. I remember many Saturdays heading to Dallas with my Mom and Grandmamma to hit every garage sale we could. I absolutely loved going with them and still have so many wonderful memories from those days. Sometimes we were looking for something specific and other times we were just going for fun, but we almost always came back great treasures. We would find barely-used furniture, toys, clothes, and who know what else for a fraction of the price they would have been new.
I know many people have never thought about buying things second hand and some just don't like the thought of it. I said I would write a post about second-hand shopping because I love it and think it is just so practical. I encourage you to try it if you haven't before. Beware, you may become addicted :) I am going to share a few items that we have purchased second hand. I am including the prices only because I want you to truly see how good of a deal you can get.
This dresser we bought shortly after we got married at Goodwill for $100.00. It was originally an oak finish and Jonathan just recently painted it black for me.
We bought this chandelier at a garage sale for $7.00 and I got the shades for a total of $3.00 on clearance at Lowes.
We bought Kadynce's and now Lydia's crib on craigslist for around $100 mattress included (I can't remember the exact price, that was a while ago lol)
My parents bought this train set and table for Kadynce's birthday and they got it on Craigslist for a total of $45.00. It is a mix of wooden Melissa and Doug trains and Thomas trains. There are even more pieces in a box.
Then there are all of Kadynce's clothes. It's funny because people are always asking where I get her clothes and the answer is so often Kid to Kid or Once Upon a Child. My mom and I are VERY frequent visitors to those stores. The secret really is to go frequently because they get new things in daily and that is how you get the best deals. Her velvet, smocked, Christmas dress was only $3.50!!!!! If that's not a good deal I don't know what is.
I would love for you to comment with what kind of deals you have gotten from second-hand shopping!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Blessed Beyond Imagination
I remember it so vividly. I was in the car with my mom and I remember exactly what road we were on. It was probably about a week after Isaac had been born. I was looking out the window thinking back over all the events of the past week. Everything just seemed so surreal. The incredible joy of giving birth to our son and holding him for the first time, combined with the overwhelming sadness of holding him for the last time and kissing him goodbye. I remember in that moment asking God why me? Why did you choose to bless me so much with this priceless gift that we had chosen to name Isaac. What made me deserve to be a part of something so big, so amazing? My heart was so full of thankfulness. All of the sudden I realized what I was saying. I realized that, by worldly standards, in that moment that I should have been angry and asking "why me" in a whole different light. Not only had the Lord blessed me with Isaac, but he had blessed me with a peace beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I would be lying to say that I haven't had my moments of anger this past year. I have had MANY times that I miss my baby boy so much it hurts. God is so good and I have felt His presence every step of the way.
When I was pregnant with Isaac several people sent us the lyrics to the song "Blessings" by Laura Story. I remember thinking it was very pretty and the lyrics were great, but the past week when I heard it at church it gripped my heart in a way I never expected. I am so thankful for the incredible songwriters that let the Lord speak through their music. This song describes my feelings about how blessed I am to be our sweet Isaac's Mommy.
When I was pregnant with Isaac several people sent us the lyrics to the song "Blessings" by Laura Story. I remember thinking it was very pretty and the lyrics were great, but the past week when I heard it at church it gripped my heart in a way I never expected. I am so thankful for the incredible songwriters that let the Lord speak through their music. This song describes my feelings about how blessed I am to be our sweet Isaac's Mommy.
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
As long that we have faith to believe
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
As long that we have faith to believe
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Yesterfest and more
We have always been a family that likes to get out and do stuff on the
weekends. It doesn't have to be anything fancy we just like to spend
time together enjoying new adventures and making memories. Being fairly
new to the Austin area means there is still a lot to discover. Through
searching online for a fun weekend outing my mom discovered that Bastrop's Yesterfest was going on this weekend. It sounded like something we
all would like. After enjoying Jonathan's yummy breakfast burritos we
headed that way this morning. There were a lot of street vendors
selling anything from funnel cakes, to handmade dresses, to baby
turtles. There were also activities for the kids such as a petting zoo
and bounce house.
My sweet little girl trying to be brave in the bounce house. She finally worked up enough nerves to stand up for about 1 second.
She might not have gotten to ride a pony, but she did manage to get a horse balloon.
Family pic at the end of the day. We were tired and sweaty, but we had a wonderful time!
On our way home I happened to get on Craigslist to see if there were any new postings for playhouses. I have been checking periodically for something to put in the backyard for Kadynce to play with. We don't typically just buy her such a big toy without it being a special occasion, but this was an amazing deal and we just couldn't pass it up. I think she would live in the thing if we let her. I'm planning on doing a post really soon about buying second hand. We hardly ever pay full price for anything around here!
After everyone cleaned up and rested Nana and Tata took Kadynce for the evening and Mommy and Daddy got to enjoy a night out at the movies. It was amazing!
We had read online that there was going to be a petting zoo, pony rides, and train rides. When we got there we didn't see any of these things and of course Kadynce was devastated since she woke up this morning talking about riding a train. We finally found the "petting zoo" which consisted of about 8 goats in a small pen. Kadynce was thrilled!
My sweet little girl trying to be brave in the bounce house. She finally worked up enough nerves to stand up for about 1 second.
She might not have gotten to ride a pony, but she did manage to get a horse balloon.
Family pic at the end of the day. We were tired and sweaty, but we had a wonderful time!
Tata bought this beautiful handmade dress for Kadynce at Yesterfest. This picture just doesn't even do it justice. It's so pretty and I can't wait for her to wear it. I just have to make a matching bow first lol.
On our way home I happened to get on Craigslist to see if there were any new postings for playhouses. I have been checking periodically for something to put in the backyard for Kadynce to play with. We don't typically just buy her such a big toy without it being a special occasion, but this was an amazing deal and we just couldn't pass it up. I think she would live in the thing if we let her. I'm planning on doing a post really soon about buying second hand. We hardly ever pay full price for anything around here!
After everyone cleaned up and rested Nana and Tata took Kadynce for the evening and Mommy and Daddy got to enjoy a night out at the movies. It was amazing!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Gone Fishin...
This past weekend we traveled up north, to north Texas
that is, to visit Grandaddy and Grandmamma for a couple of days. I have
always said Club Lake is right up there on my list of favorite places
with Disney World. Those of you that know me know that that's saying a
lot, but you also know how wonderful the lake is. The older I get and
the less I get to visit, the more I appreciate each time we go.
Watching our little girl stand on the same pier as I did as a child
with the same sweet men (my daddy and grandaddy) teaching her to fish is
priceless. I can't help but get a little choked up when thinking
about it. Add her incredible Daddy to the mix and wow.... she doesn't
know how good she has it. Then there is my Grandmamma and Mamma that
spend hours cooking, cleaning, bathing, playing and just being amazing.
Yes, this was one of those weekends in which I couldn't help but be
incredibly thankful to the Lord for his abundant blessings.
I almost forgot to mention that we ate at my favorite Mexican Restaurant not once, but TWICE! This mommy has been craving their chips and salsa for months. You'd better believe I brought some home too. I was pretty sad when I finished off the last of it today.
I almost forgot to mention that we ate at my favorite Mexican Restaurant not once, but TWICE! This mommy has been craving their chips and salsa for months. You'd better believe I brought some home too. I was pretty sad when I finished off the last of it today.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
A Picture is Priceless
A few months back I posted an article on facebook describing the backlash the Duggars were receiving about taking pictures of their precious little girl, Jubilee that was stillborn at about 19 weeks gestation. When I read what others were saying about them I was heartbroken. I had just posted pictures of our sweet Isaac a few months before and all I could think about was what people were saying about him and about us behind our backs. All it took was a little encouragement from friends and family to realize that until people have walked in our shoes they have no right to talk. He was and is our baby and I will be forever thankful for the pictures we have of him. Ok end of that soap box...
Friday I linked up with Kelly's Korner since her "Show Us Your Life' topic was for those that have lost children. I received an email from the sweetest lady that also lost her precious little boy. She was telling me that her biggest regret was not having any pictures or video of him, except for the picture that the hospital took. She said it just never entered her mind because they were in the process of grieving. She then found out about Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep a few days later. NILMDTS is an organization made up of professional photographers that come to the hospital and take beautiful photos of babies that have already passed away or are expected to shortly. They capture moments of those babies with their families that are absolutely priceless. I found out about this organization while working in a high risk OB unit right out of college. I also remember reading about them on Angie Smith's blog after they took incredible pictures of their angel Audrey Caroline. Sandy Allen took her Saturday to come photograph the time we had with our Isaac. We will forever be grateful for the gift that she gave us.
I know many of you have seen these before, but for those that haven't here are some of my favorite pictures from that day.
I know when I was pregnant with Isaac I went to any and every blog I could find of those that had gone through a similar circumstance. I wanted to read about their journey and see what life was like "on the other side of things." I promise not every blog post is going to be about losing Isaac, but I want this to be a place for those searching for information and encouragement as they go through their own journey.
Friday I linked up with Kelly's Korner since her "Show Us Your Life' topic was for those that have lost children. I received an email from the sweetest lady that also lost her precious little boy. She was telling me that her biggest regret was not having any pictures or video of him, except for the picture that the hospital took. She said it just never entered her mind because they were in the process of grieving. She then found out about Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep a few days later. NILMDTS is an organization made up of professional photographers that come to the hospital and take beautiful photos of babies that have already passed away or are expected to shortly. They capture moments of those babies with their families that are absolutely priceless. I found out about this organization while working in a high risk OB unit right out of college. I also remember reading about them on Angie Smith's blog after they took incredible pictures of their angel Audrey Caroline. Sandy Allen took her Saturday to come photograph the time we had with our Isaac. We will forever be grateful for the gift that she gave us.
I know many of you have seen these before, but for those that haven't here are some of my favorite pictures from that day.
I know when I was pregnant with Isaac I went to any and every blog I could find of those that had gone through a similar circumstance. I wanted to read about their journey and see what life was like "on the other side of things." I promise not every blog post is going to be about losing Isaac, but I want this to be a place for those searching for information and encouragement as they go through their own journey.
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