First came love, then came marriage....

...and as of March 2010, we will be in need of a baby carriage!

It is official, we are having a baby! Our plan had been to wait until I turned thirty but God had other plans and we are thrilled. It is such an odd thing that most of our friends can probably relate to. Jason and I knew pretty early on but wanted to wait to until we had seen/heard the heartbeat, had all the tests and felt like we were in a good place to tell others. In the meantime, we just got so used to the idea and used to not telling people that now that we finally are, it seems so new again! I don't know if that makes any sense, not much I do or think these days does.

I am just overwhelmed at the love and excitement our sweet friends have given us. Everyone has a great story or experience to tell and I am so grateful for all the advice and encouragement I am getting from all you girls who have done this before.

So, like it or not, I am sure this blog will have a more "child-friendly" theme from now on.

Here is a picture of our little nugget a little over a week ago. It was really cool because he/she was wiggling like crazy and kept putting his/her hand up to it's face. You can kind of see a profile with it's little nose, mouth and huge forehead.

This is what my super creative husband sent to his friends to tell them the big news.

And this is an example of the type of picture I promise NEVER to post of us.

And a big congrats to our dear friends Craig and Sarah on the birth of their baby girl, Elizabeth, yesterday!

Rings and things.

A week ago I lost my wedding ring. I haven't the slightest idea where it might be or how I lost it.

Like most things you misplace, I have a strong recollection of having it on the day it went missing, but only a vague impression of the points leading up to when I discovered it was lost.
So basically, it could be in the yard, in a crack behind the dresser, or in the bottom of a box of Froot Loops for all I know. Maybe a hobbit found it and is taking it to Mordor as we speak (nerd alert).

I have to admit, I was pretty upset. Leeanne had the inside engraved and though it was a little bit large - my fingers are what you might call "dainty" - I wore it every single day since we've been married with few exceptions. For the few days after I lost it and had to go without it, I was really bothered not having it on my finger.

It made me think about what a wedding ring actually is and more importantly, what it stands for. Humans as a species tend to put so much emphasis on a symbol, be it an object, tradition, or act, that we completely lose sight of what that thing is symbolic of.
The wedding ring is a symbol of my marriage to Leeanne. Even without that outward symbol on my dainty digit, I'm still married to my wife. Heart and soul, I am hers and she is mine.
Just as our rings are a symbol for our love and devotion to one another, our marriage is a symbol of our relationship with Christ. Heart and soul.

A ring, a marriage, a saving relationship with Jesus. Out of those three, I'd much rather be without the one that has a tendency to slip off my finger when my hands are wet. I lost an object, a token, a reminder of more important things. Things that are so special, amazing, undeserved, and, thankfully, can never be lost.

On August 6, 2005 Leeanne and I got married in Brentwood, Tennessee. Today marks our four year anniversary. I love you, sweetheart, heart and soul.

Kid, you'll move mountains!

It's pretty much become a cliché for graduates to be given the Dr. Seuss book Oh, The Places You'll Go! So much so, that I doubt the majority of those who have received it in the past few years has even taken the time to read it. That's a shame.

I just finished working on a baby shower invitation with a Dr. Seuss them for one of my sister's friends. And while doing so, I took the time to read Oh, The Places You'll Go! I probably had not even looked at it since receiving it from my folks over 13 years (yikes!) ago.
What I found was not the simple book of rhyming platitudes I had come to think of it as, but a poignant and encouraging look at life. At success and opportunity, yes. But also at failure, loneliness, and waiting for change.
As one of the many who are waiting on a change in the economy, looking for employment, or any change in there circumstances right now, I found some encouragement there.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

Anyway, I just thought I would share that. And I would encourage you, if you have a copy somewhere (I would bet that you do), to dust it off and give it a quick read.
Also, I'd like to share the invitation I did. The nice girl I did it for had seen one done like this and wanted me to try and recreate it. It's actually based on the cover for another Seuss book, The Lorax. It was a lot of fun to work on, and I even found a fun Dr. Seuss-themed font in the process.
Here it is, and I should say, all credit to the original designer and of course to Dr. Seuss for his incredible body of work and who continues to inspire.

So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!