Lots to Catch Up On...

We had such an enjoyable vacation! It was nice to get away for just a few days- though the drive was long, it turned out to be a fun way to chat and visit with my parents. The beach was so clean and white. The weather was warm, but not unbearable. It was really just a perfect weekend away. We watched the fireworks from a seafood restaurant in Mobile. They really know how to put on a good show! We were actually able to pay for gas, food, admission tickets, parking, etc.. all with the cash we earned from our yard sale the weekend before. We were thrilled to be able to go on vacation and not have to charge anything to the credit card. It sure makes a day of yard saling worthwhile when you can get away for few days and come home debt free!

The vacation was really much needed by David. Since I have been on summer vacation, I really have too much time on my hands, but David has been working and going to school all summer. His graduation date is December 2008, so he is really looking forward to this being his last semester at UofA. He has worked so hard to get through the engineering program, and let me tell you, any degree in engineering is rigorous. I actually am a little sad about his graduation date. I am pumped he is finishing, but there is no "walking" ceremony in December and I hate that. Though we are planning on having some type of family party, I was looking forward to seeing him walk. I walked at UofA for my bachelor's degree back in 2005 and it seems like walking, for me, was the icing on the cake. It really made it feel real. I don't think David really cares that much about all of that sentimental stuff like I do though. Ha!

With graduation nearing, David has been actively looking into engineering internship opportunities in NWA. As a teacher, my internship opportunities were nothing in comparison. As a teacher, you had to pay to take an internship and basically worked for free just for the "experience". It was actually the UofA's equivalent to an internship, but is really part of the master's program they offer. An engineering internship is a whole different ballgame. In engineering, they pay you to come and work for them, and the internships are part of your bachelor's program. They are not a requirement, because frankly, there are not many internships that go around. You may have one for every 50 students.

The day before we left to go on vacation, an engineer called to offer David an interview for an internship he had recently applied for. David was of course thrilled, but knew competition was steep, and tried not to dwell too much on it. The interview was set up for the week we returned from vacation. Well, I was only home one full day from being gone on vacation before I had to repack to go to Searcy for a four day workshop for school. It was hard to leave home. I failed to mention that the day before we left for the Gulf, David's brother, wife and three kids came to our house to stay for the week. We gave them full access to our whole house and left them for the beach. They were still staying with us when we got back, and I had to turn around and leave again. I love that they are so comfortable with us that they can stay and play at our home while we are gone, but I hated not being able to play hostess. I literally spent seven nights straight in a hotel. It was not fun. At all.

After I got out of one of the workshops, I saw a voicemail and heard David telling me that his interview was awesome and that he had been offered an engineering position with them. To say that a burden of stress flew off my shoulders in an understatement. When we first toyed with the idea of trying to get pregnant, David still being in school definitely made us both reconsider. After seven years of marriage, we still didn't feel we had God's blessing on starting a family yet. For us, approaching parenthood was met with lots of prayers before we could even consider opening up to the possibility. All the years in the past, we both felt it was not only not in God's will for us, we felt it was not His timing- thus, we never pursued parenthood. But this past Spring, something changed. For the very first time, ever, we both felt this pull to parenthood. We prayed many, many nights. Was it just us? Was it truly God? We wanted to make certain that it was not our selfish desires, but God's true leading. When we decided to try, and it only took one time, we were in awe at the power that is God. For me, a horribly obsessive planner, I think God knew it would take something of that magnitude to convince me I was in His will and all was well with the world. Ha, ha!

At that time, David was planning on graduating in May. Only a few weeks later, literally, did David find out through his advisor that he could graduate the first of December with summer classes. Wow! Another God thing for us. He would graduate only a week or so after my due date! My mom, who had offered before we even got pregnant to be a full time nanny was planning on quitting her job at the birth. Not but a few weeks after we found out we were expecting, my mom's bank closed and everyone was told they would lose their jobs in- November- our due date month. Another enormous God thing!! Not that my mom losing her job was a good thing, but just the raw timing was incredible. This internship is just another way we have seen God move in an incredible way. To say that I am grateful and relieved to see that God not only provides, but provides in abundance, is an understatement. He moves mountains. In fact, He moves things that we thought were unmovable and impossible. To know financially that we are being taken care of is such a relief.

I ramble on and on to basically say, when we finally jumped into parenthood, after years of prayer and wanting to seek God's face for His timing, He reassured us He had a plan. The amazing thing is that after we jumped, His plan, the one He originally showed us, got better and better! We are so humbled.

In other news, we bought a crib and changing table from a boutique here in NWA. It was a raw wood store that allowed you to choose your stain. I loved this because as the child grows, we can go back again and again and add pieces of furniture and not have to worry about trying to coordinate it all. I chose an espresso stain- very dark, almost black, but not quite. The changing table is actually a real dresser. I plan on just putting a pad on the top, and when diapers are history, so is the changing pad. We are still waiting on the dresser to come in, but here is a picture of the wrought iron ladder stand I got for baskets and Nick-knacks. I honestly can't remember if I posted a picture of this in a previous post or not, so here it is. We are waiting to paint until July 28th, when I have my ultra sound. We have, however, bought paint for the ceiling. I plan on doing some "stuff" to the ceiling, but until I know for sure what it is, I will hold off on everything else.





When we got home from vacation, there was a sweet package in the mail from Staci, a fellow blogger I have never met in real life, but love just the same! She knows how much I adore flags, and found the CUTEST pregnancy flag. It says "Mom To Be". Thank you, Staci! You are way too kind!!





David spends most of his time, outside of homework, work, and "honey-do" lists, working in the yard. He loves to mow and landscape. Since returning from our vacation, he has planted another blue cypress tree, re potted our topiary trees on the porch in bigger pots, and made two hydrangea arrangements at the base of the entry stairs. He always makes the house look so good, and I am glad he enjoys it. I think I dislike the heat too much during this time of the year to get out there.













Pregnancy is going well! The baby is finally kicking some, and not just "fluttering" around. David can actually feel the baby move now, which is really fun. At my last appointment, I had gained 11 lbs total. I am officially 21 weeks this week, so a full five months. I have been trying to watch what I eat, but I have a feeling I will start gaining more here in the next few months. Being back to work soon will surely help combat a lot of weight gain. Maybe teaching and being on my feet with 120 eleven-year olds will keep me on my toes. What do you think? : ) Ha, ha!

Happy summer!