Maud Shower

When I tell people where I'm from I say "from around Texarkana." That's because no one has ever heard of Maud, Texas. But that is where I grew up, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It is a town in northeast Texas of about 1,000 people. I graduated with 30 people, and most of us had been together since kindergarten. It is one of those small towns where "everybody knows everybody." It's really like a lot of those country songs about small towns. Well, this past weekend I went HOME. I have not lived there since I graduated, and my family no longer lives there, but it is still like home to me. I went to church where I grew up and got to see so many people that meant so much to me and had a huge part in making me who I am today. My best friend Michelle threw a baby shower for Mary Ella at her beautiful new home. It was so great to see everyone and feel their love and support as Brad and I start our family. Thank ya'll so much!

The hostesses, Michelle and Neelie

My college roomate, Ashley

My two helpers, Leslie and MacKenna

This ruffly outfit was from her Mia.

This precious gown, cap, and blanket may have to go to the hospital with us. They were from Mary Ella's Great Auntie and Cousins Sissy, Dana, Leslie, and Cole.

LOVE these!

Michelle went after Brad's heart with this one!

This outfit and the following gown were handmade by my friend Scott's mom. If she lived closer I would be putting her to work! Do you see those shoes???

There was also a monogrammed burp cloth that matched.

Eighth Month

Only eight weeks to go! I saw my doctor in Jackson for the last time two weeks ago. I had my 30 week sonogram, and Mary Ella is growing ahead of schedule. They did find a tiny cyst on one of her kidneys. My doctor told me it was nothing to worry about, that her kidneys were functioning fine, and she even called my new doctor in Little Rock to let her know that we need to watch it. I LOVED Dr. Cole! That's another part of this move that has been stressful, finding a new doctor- eight months pregnant. I go to my new doctor this week, so hopefully she will be as caring and as compassionate as my old doctor. Please pray that the cyst has gone away the next time we take a look.

By the way, this picture was taken at my best friend's house in Maud, Texas where I grew up. This past weekend we spent the night and got to visit with our good friends, Michelle and Steven. Thanks for being great hosts and for letting us borrow your fireplace!

Saying Goodbye

Well, we are in Little Rock. Not really settled, but as settled as it's going to get for a while. We moved into our one bedroom apartment last Saturday. All of our stuff is in storage in Memphis. Talk about a weird feeling- watching strangers touch and pack EVERYTHING in your house! Our movers were actually great, and we packed all we needed for the time being into our two cars. It was hard to say goodbye to our friends, our church family, our jobs, and our home. Here she is, with a for sale sign in the yard. I wanted to record the home we shared for 4 years. One day Mary Ella can see where she lived for a while. We actually got a contract on the house the DAY we moved! It was on the market for about 8 days. Such a blessing! Please pray that all goes well and we are able to close by the end of June. I have been out with the real estate agent almost every day since we've been in Little Rock with no luck yet. Hopefully we will find one we love as much as 1136 Windrose Circle.

Half bath

This is how Ginger felt about moving. She has been a little stressed lately and is ready to get out of the apartment as much as we are!

Our kitchen- the best part

My island

Desk in the kitchen

Sitting area in kitchen- this is where we lived

Breakfast area

View from kitchen to living room

My chalkboard- this dresser was my great grandmother's. It is going to be in Mary Ella's room as a changing table.

Built-in outside of our bedroom

Our bedroom

Our bathroom

Butler's pantry- We had already packed my crystal and sent it home with my mom. Didn't trust the movers with everything!

Antique door to pantry

Wood ceiling in butler's pantry

Dining room and entry

Living room

We are going to miss our pine floors and built-ins!

View from living room into kitchen

Guest bedroom

Guest bath

Second bedroom- this was going to be the nursery.

Brad's Razorback room

Front door

Our landscaping- we planted the creipe myrtle, roses, and yellow belles. I wish I had a picture of our azaleas in bloom. They were beautiful!

Our rosebush and creipe myrtle- we planted these after hurricane Katrina. One of our trees was uprooted.

My pink hydrangea

Our backyard and deck that Brad built

Our one pine tree

I think this is my bunny. Last summer a guy mowing our backyard disturbed a nest of baby rabbits. He said they all scattered. That night I went out to see what I could find and there was one bunny left huddled in the corner by our fence. I went over and it let me pick it up. I mean it was tiny- probably not more than a couple weeks old. Well it lived in our bath tub, and I bottle fed it every two hours for about two weeks. I named it Bunny and got very attached. It was the sweetest thing, like my baby! Well, we were about to go on vacation, so I couldn't take Bunny with me. Brad decided we should give it to our crazy neighbors, which I did not agree with. They did let me come visit Bunny, and it eventually began eating lettuce and carrots, so I felt better. One day I went next door to check on Bunny and my neighbor told me that one day it was out in the backyard in its cage, and the mama bunny came up to it. She said they opened the cage door and Bunny hopped away happily with its mother off into the sunset. How crazy does that sound? I didn't believe it for a second, and figured the story actually went something like, "We killed your rabbit." I was feeling very guilty, like I failed Bunny as a mother, until this summer. This rabbit appeared in our backyard, and I think it might actually be Bunny all grown up. It does not seem the least bit afraid of humans and lets you get right next to it. So maybe Bunny survived after all! Hopefully the new owners will take care of my sweet Bunny!

Madison Shower

Our last Sunday at the Madison Church of Christ

Four years ago we moved to Madison and were stunned not to find a church in a town of 25,000. In Texas and Arkansas even the smallest towns have a church of Christ. I remember driving around trying to find the church and after realizing there was not one to be found I said jokingly to Brad, "Well, we'll just have to start one." We did find a wonderful church home in Ridgeland and met what would become some of our dearest friends. That church family is what made our move and transition so easy.

A few months after we moved, talk started about really starting a church in Madison. It wasn't our idea, so please don't think we take any of the credit, but evidently many of the members from Madison had dreamed of starting a church in their town for years. It just so happened we moved in at the right time to be a part of it. We had our first worship in November of 2005 in the old Madison Station school building. What began as a group of about 50 soon grew to 80 to 100 to about 130. In October we hired our first full-time minister, and by October this year the church will have installed elders. We have bought a beautiful piece of land on Reunion Parkway and building plans are in the works. God's family is alive and strong in Madison! We feel so blessed to have been apart of this wonderful experience. Needless to say this work has brought us very close to so many, and we are very sad to leave. Last Sunday the church honored Brad and me with a going away party/baby shower/potluck. Thank you all so much! May God continue to bless the church at Madison. You will always hold a special place in our hearts!

This is one of the 3 sweet homemade blankets Mary Ella received. So special!

This was also a handmade gift of love. Look at the smocking and ribbon work around the collar and sleeves! Thank you Mrs. Kay and Mrs. Marilyn!

I love this homemade photo album! Mrs. Cox is in the process of monogramming more stuff for Mary Ella. The girl is definetely going to know her name!

This is a blue flowered Kissie Kissie dress from "Red," our precious 91-year-old friend. I know his daughter-in-law bought it, but I can guarantee that he had some input on what he wanted to give us. He's just super sweet like that. My mother-in-law is also red-headed, and when he met her at the shower he said, "I didn't know you were going to have a red head." He said he wanted a red-headed, blue eyed little girl to match the dress. "And don't disappoint," he told me. He's adorable! We'll have to wait and see about the hair, Red!

Seventh Month

Only three months to go, but still three months to go! It doesn't sound like a long time, but I look down at my belly and wonder how it can stretch much more. But I am assured it can and will. I have begun seeing my doctor every 2 weeks now, and I can't wait to see Mary Ella at our 30 week sonogram. She is getting a little rough in there, so I hope we catch her at an active time to see what in the world she is doing.

And BIG NEWS...

We are moving to Little Rock! Brad got a job as the CFO of the VA Hospital there. We will be moving the first week of June. What I thought was going to be a restful summer waiting on baby is going to be anything but relaxing. I have had some mixed feelings about the move. It will be so much closer to our family, and we will be back in Razorback country (we have already ordered our football tickets)! I am also so happy for and proud of Brad. This is an amazing opportunity and advancement in his career. It also means I get to stay home with Mary Ella, which is probably the most exciting part of it all. But, we love Madison and this has become our home. We are sad to leave our jobs, our friends, our church family, and our house. And I am very anxious about finding a new doctor at this point in the pregnancy. I am usually up for the adventure of exploring and getting to know a new place, but right now I just want to be stable. It's going to be a pain selling and buying a new house, packing up my classroom, living in an apartment until?, finding a doctor, putting Mary Ella's nursery on hold, moving in my third trimester, finding a new church, finding a new hairdresser, finding a new dentist, switching utilities and everything else over, building a new network of friends, etc. Can you tell I'm whining a bit? I have been doing that latley when talking about the move. And then I realized, what am I griping about? This is such a blessing! It is an answer to prayer that God has blessed us with. Just like He has blessed us with the child we asked for. I have always wanted to stay home when we had a baby, and He has blessed me with that opportunity too. I'm not in control, He is. I only like to think I am in control, and I definetely don't feel like it right now with so many things up in the air. But God is taking care of us. He has blessed us with all the things we love about Madison, and He will take care of us through the move and bless us with a new and wonderful life in Little Rock. Our lives were about to change anyway, so why not change it all? So, I'm not going to gripe or stress anymore. I am going to be on His timeframe and under His control. And I am not going to forget that we are SO blessed. Thank you God!

Class Shower

My sweet class (and some sweet Mamas) threw me a baby shower! We enjoyed cupcakes and Capri Suns and had so much fun! It was a diaper and wipe shower, so I got LOTS of those. How handy! I also got some much needed baby Johnson's products. The kids loved mentioning the Boudreaux's Butt Paste over and over. And have you ever heard of Boogie Wipes? Mary Ella got some extras too: Binky's, onesies, dresses, and a so soft blanket. She got the cutest plastic book with photo slips for family pictures and the sweetest gown. Of course it is in the process of getting monogrammed. And I LOVE my pink and brown damask diaper bag and polka dot wipe holder. This class has been one of my favorites, and the shower was just the icing on the cake. Thank ya'll so much!