I Will Carry You

Remembering our first baby who went to heaven on November 11, 2005. The words of this song mean so much to me. While my arms still ache to hold that baby, I know that we will meet face to face one day. Until then, I will carry you...

"I Will Carry You" by Selah

There were photographs I wanted to take
Things I wanted to show you
Sing sweet lullabies, wipe your teary eyes
Who could love you like this?
People say that I am brave but I'm not
Truth is I'm barely hanging on
But there's a greater story
Written long before me
Because He loves you like this

So I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All my life
And I will praise the One who's chosen me
To carry you

Such a short time
Such a long road
All this madness
But I know
That the silence
Has brought me to His voice
And He says

I've shown her photographs of time beginning
Walked her through the parted seas
Angel lullabies, no more teary eyes
Who could love her like this?

I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All your life
And I will praise the One who's chosen me
To carry you

We're Moving!

So a week from today is the BIG day! We are moving to North Carolina!! This will be the 4th move for Trey and I in 8 years. God has placed us in each church that we have served at, for a time and a purpose. About 4 months ago we felt that God was opening doors for us to return to youth ministry. We are both so passionate about working with teenagers and investing in their lives.

God's timing is always perfect. We feel very blessed that He opened doors so quickly for Providence Baptist Church in Harrisburg, North Carolina! Every step of this journey has just felt RIGHT. We couldn't be more excited to make this move and step out on faith (moving 10 hours from our families).

I will try to keep this family blog updated so that our friends and family can see what's going on in our lives. Please be in prayer for us as we begin this new journey!

November

Let's see if I can remember what we did in November...pretty much the normal routine for us. My cousin Lauren got married the beginning of the month and Callie got to be one of her flower girls. This was her first time to do that and we were a little worried how she would do. She did great! It was fun to visit with all the family! We did get to go to Robinson for Thanksgiving, which was fun to have all the cousins together. We put up Christmas decorations. Really, I feel like November always FLYS BY. So here are some pics from the month.

October In a Nutshell

We went to Pumpkin Works, carved pumpkins, had our church Fall Festival, and went trick or treating. This was Ashtyn's first year to go trick or treating, and she thouroughly enjoyed the experience! Callie chose to be Tinkerbell this year, while Ashtyn was a ballerina.

Catching Up

I realized that I haven't updated our family blog in a few months! I will spend the next couple blog posts catching up on what we've been up to. Check back soon!

School has Started!

We officially started homeschooling today! Callie is super excited and I am eager to begin this journey. Check out more about our homschooling adventures on my other blog Busy at Home. I will be journaling our experiences in home education, along with my thoughts on faith, family, ministry, parenting, etc.

Here is a pic from our first day at the "Reid Academy."

A Page Is Turned...

When Trey and I began dating 8 years ago, I don't think it was long before we knew that we would get married. The story of how we met is kind of long, but ultimately God brought us together. There is no doubt in my mind that Trey is the man that God created to be my spiritual leader, best friend, and partner in life.

One night after Trey and I had been dating a while, he told me about a song that meant a lot to him. He said that he wanted to have it played at his wedding. It was called "A Page is Turned" by Bebo Norman.

A little less than a year later, we did have that song played during our wedding ceremony. As I listen to the lyrics of that song today, on our seventh wedding anniversary, I realize how true they are to me. We have gone through a lot of trials and had many challenges in the last seven years. We have also had some amazing blessings, the most important being our two daughters!

I am so proud to call Trey my husband. While he is not perfect, he has been exactly what I've needed. I know that God created us for each other. Trey has consistently been a godly spiritual leader for me. He encourages me, supports me, listens to me. He is a wonderful father to our girls. I can't imagine life without him.

Just as these lyrics say, he has been the one "to hold me up when I come undone." Happy Anniversary Trey, I love you!


"A Page is Turned"

A page is turned by the wind to a boy in curly grin
With a world to conquer at the age of ten
But as history unfolds and the storybook is told
He finds salvation but not at the hands of man

And the God of second chance
Picked him up and He let him dance
Through a world that is not kind
And all this time, preparing him, the one
To hold him up when he comes undone
Beneath the storm, beneath the sun
And now a man, here you stand
Your day has come

A page is turned in this world to reveal a little girl
With a heart that's bigger, as it is unfurled
By the language in her soul, that's teaching her to grow
With a careful cover of love that will not fail

And the God of second chance
Picked her up and He let her dance
Through a world that isn't kind
And all this time, preparing her the one
To hold her up when she comes undone
Beneath the storm, beneath the sun
And grown up tall, here you are
Your day has come

Beneath the air of autumn, she took him by his hand
And warm within the ardor, she took his heart instead
And high upon the mountain, he asked her for her hand
Just for her hand

A page is turned in this life, he's making her his wife
And there is no secret to the source of this much life
When the grace that falls like rain is washing them again
Just a chance to somehow rise above this land

Where the God of second chance
Will pick them up and he'll let them dance
Through a world that is not kind
And all this time, they're sharing with the one
That holds them up when they come undone
Beneath the storm, beneath the sun
And once again, here you stand
And once again, here you stand
Your day has come

Almost time for School...

I can hardly believe that the time is fast approaching for Callie to begin school. When she was born almost 5 years ago, I felt I had all the time in the world before she would start school. Wow...time sure flies!

As Trey and I were starting to think about Preschool, and discussing what we felt was best for Callie, I had this strong urge to look at homeschooling. I never in a million years thought I would consider homeschooling my children. The idea was pretty much foreign to me. I honestly thought it was for "strange" families that wanted to shelter their kids from the "real world."

My first year of college I made a GREAT friend. She had been homeschooled, and she was NORMAL! (haha) It really changed my view of what I thought "homeschooled kids" were like. Even with that, I still thought I wanted my kids to attend public school and be involved in all the extra curriculars, school dances, etc.

Last fall God really started to change my heart. We moved and I have met several families in our church that are or have homeschooled their children. I realized that while I don't want to completely shelter my kids from the world, I do want to make every effort to teach them God's Word. I want their education to come from a Christian perspective. I want them to know the truth. I really started to feel like God was calling me to homeschool Callie.

I talked to Trey about it, and honestly he wasn't sold on the idea. After researching some curriculum and info on homeschooling, and talking to other families that have done it, we decided to compromise. We agreed that I would homeschool Callie for this school year (preschool). After we see how that goes we will decide if we want to continue homeschooling or enroll her in public school for kindergarten.

I am so excited to start preschool with her this fall! Even though I am a little worried to start something new like this, and take on such a big task, I feel at peace. I know this is what God is calling me to at this time. Please be in prayer for us as we begin this new journey!

Children are a BLESSING

I have had this on my mind a lot lately. I wanted to share my feelings on children and what a blessing they truly are.

Raising children is not easy. Being a stay-at-home-mom is not necessarily a "glamorous job." In fact, some days are just down right exhausting. BUT, I can not imagine my life any other way. From the moment I found out I was pregnant with each of my children, I was in LOVE with them. There is no way to adequately describe the love a mother has for her child. I was amazed when my oldest was born how much I unconditionally loved her. I would do anything for her. I never knew it was possible to love another person that much!

After I had Callie, I felt like there was no way I could love another child as much as her. My mom told me what her mother had told her, "God gives you enough love for each child." When I found out we were expecting our second child, I realized that was true. Little Ashtyn has filled a void in our lives that we didn't know existed! I can not even picture our family without both of these little blessings.

I tell my children every day how much I love them. Even when they are being stubborn, annoying, defiant, and cranky. I still love them.

The other day, we had a rough half an hour. As I was cleaning up messes and getting the girls under control, Callie said very matter-of-fact, "This is why you shouldn't have kids." I quickly told her, "Mommy loves you and Ashtyn SO much. And there will never be a time that I don't want you."

I want my children to know that I wanted them. That I have loved them from day one. That there is nothing that they could ever do to change that.

Our culture today doesn't love children. Women abort their babies every day. People abuse or neglect their kids. People see children as a burden, or inconvenience. There are too many children in the world that aren't wanted, cherished or loved.

I want to teach my kids something different. Teach them what the Bible teaches. Children are a blessing.

The Fourth Of July

This post is a little late, but we have been VERY busy. Last week was our church's VBS and we were gone a lot. Not to mention, that I had a horrible cold...

Anyway, we had a great 4th of July at the beginning of the month. We were visiting in Illinois and got to go to the annual cook-out with friends and family. Which of course included lots of great food and homemade ice cream. Poor little Ashtyn wasn't feeling great all day though, she was running a low fever and just wasn't her usual happy self! So, when it was time for my niece and nephews 3rd birthday party, we kept Ashtyn at my parents house and Callie went with my parents to celebrate with the triplets.

That night we took Callie to the fireworks in Robinson, and she really enjoyed it. We brought some ear plugs this year, but I think she would've been fine without them. We sat literally right underneath the fireworks and it was really pretty. All in all, we had a pretty good day:)

Patriotic Girls

One of the things I really LOVE about having two little girls is dressing them up in the same dresses and getting pretty hairbows! My mom bought our girls these dresses for the 4th of July, and I must say they look adoreable. These pictures were taken after church on Sunday.

What We've Been Up To...

So, I have to say that we are LOVING summer!! I have the girls outside as much as possible, to take advantage of the sunshine and warm weather. In addition to our daily walks through our subdivision, and playtime on the swingset, we have added WATER fun.

We got a pass to our city pool which also has a "splash pad." Basically it has all kinds of fountains shooting out water, and the girls love to run through it. Ashtyn has a blast!! Callie is doing really well learning to swim this year. We are hoping to start offical lessons soon, but she has a great start.

We also joined the Country Club here, so we have been utilizing their kiddie pool and regular pool. This summer has been a lot of fun so far!!

Summer Fun!

We are so thankful that we have a new form of entertainment for our kiddos this summer! It only took Trey and my dad 5 hours to complete, which is pretty impressive. Callie has LOVED going down the slide and learning to swing. Ashtyn wasn't too sure about swinging at first, but now she really enjoys it, giggling the whole time! I know we will get MANY hours of fun on this swingset:)

New Wheels

Callie got a new bike this year. She picked it out herself, because it was PRINCESS. And it had a spot for her baby doll in the back and her puppy in the front basket. We even found a PRINCESS helmet.

She has done really well learning to pedal, and it will be no time before she's leaving us in the dust!

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful Mother's Day this year! It is hard to believe that just 5 years ago on Mother's Day I was pregnant with Callie, and now she is almost 4.5 years old! This was the first year that she was really starting to understand about Mother's Day, so it made the whole day extra special.

We went to church Sunday morning, and Callie came bounding up to me after Sunday School with a cute picture of herself and "flowers." They were cut-outs of her hands on top of straws, very creative!

Trey and the girls took me out to eat at our Mexican restaurant, and they were giving free ice cream to all mothers! We had a great time together and shared the dessert:)

The rest of the afternoon we played with the girls, rested, and finished the day out with a walk in the beautiful weather! Callie gave me extra hugs and kisses the whole day, and kept saying "You're the best mom ever." I had a great day with my family, and enjoyed loving on my little girls all day!



My "flowers" from Callie

A Godly Example

As Mother's Day is approaching, it makes me really stop and think. It makes me think about myself as a mother, but even above that I think of my own mother.

Let me tell you, I have not met many women that come close to that wonderful Proverbs 31 woman (myself included). But, my mother is as close as any woman can be! Not a day goes by that I don't think about her and how amazing she is!

When I think about being a mother, I think of the example I have seen in my own mom. Everything I have learned about being a good mother has come from her! These are the things I learned about my mom while growing up: she is a hard worker, she loves my dad with all her heart, she loves and enjoys her children, she is not lazy, she joyfully takes care of her home and family, she is a comforter, she is a listener, and above all she loves the Lord.

My mom has been with me through everything. She is my best friend and has been beside me through school, relationships, marriage, loss, and children. She has never been judgmental or uncaring, she has always been supportive and loving. I love that she takes time to talk to me almost everyday (even if it is just about what we ate that day!). I love how she adores my children. I love that no matter how old I get, there is NOTHING in the world like having your mom with you when you don't feel well!

I am so thankful for the amazing example that my mom has been for me! I hope that I can live up to that with my own children. I hope that when my kids are older they can say these same things about me. As Callie was giving me hugs today, I asked her what she loved most about me and she replied, "Because you do nice things for me." :)

Ashtyn Gives Kisses

This week Ashtyn has started giving kisses, she walks around smacking her little lips!

Similar Faces

There are times I look at Ashtyn and can see similarities between her and Callie. But, Ashtyn also has her own unique look. These are pics of them at about the same age...you can definetly tell they are sisters!



Ashtyn at 15 months



Callie at 15 months

Happy Easter

We celebrated our first Easter in Batesville this Sunday. We had a nice Sunrise Service, it would have been even better if the SUN had actually been shining! The girls enjoyed all the treats from their Easter baskets and we spent the rest of the day just resting. Trying to get a nice picture where both girls are cooperating is not so easy...so here is what we were able to get!

A Dream Come True!

So, the beginning of April we got to do what every child dream of...go to Disney World! I had not been since I was 7, so I was just as excited as Callie:) We are so very thankful to Trey's parents (George and Jana) for paying for our trip to Disney, and all the fun things we got to do there!

I have to admit that I was REALLY worried about how the girls would do for the LONG drive down to Florida. I had anticipated it to be a horrific experience! The first day we took several breaks, including a 2 hour one, and made it to Trey's sister, Jill's house (in Georgia) late at night. Surprisingly the girls did well! The next day the whole crew headed down to Florida. Even through stops and traffic, the girls did great with the drive!

We got to stay at a really nice house that had a private pool. It was called "Minnie's Mansion" and Callie actually believed that Minnie lived there:) The first day we went to Magic Kingdom. Callie was so excited the whole drive to the park and her reaction to seeing Cinderella's Castle for the first time was priceless!! She even brought tears to her daddy's eyes:)

The first thing we did was eat breakfast with the princesses. While we were waiting to go into the breakfast, Cinderella emerged from an elevator right in front of us, and Callie just ran up to her and hugged her! Then, we got to meet Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, and Ariel. It was by far the BEST experience and so worth it, for Callie's enjoyment!! We rode lots of rides, and Callie's favorite was "Winnie the Pooh."

The next day at Disney, we went to Disney Hollywood Studios. We went to a Disney Junior Live show and both the girls loved it. There was also a "Little Mermaid" show that we saw that was really neat, and made you feel like you were "under the sea." To end our day at that park we saw a live "Beauty and the Beast" show in an outside amphitheatre. The actors were really good and Callie had a lot of fun:)

Our last day we went back to Magic Kingdom. We got to see Mickey and Minnie and that was by far the best part for Ashtyn. She was in awe over her favorite characters and they gave her lots of hugs and kisses. We decided to ride all the rides we loved again and Callie was even a trooper and rode the Haunted Mansion with us!

We keep saying that this was the BEST vacation we have ever been on! Disney World is such a magical place, not just for kids. And honestly I feel like I had more fun watching Callie enjoy everything, then when I went as a kid 20 years ago!! We are already planning our next trip to Disney when Ashtyn is a little older and will be able to really enjoy everything.

To end our vacation we drove (ok, Trey drove, we rode) the whole way home. We left at 8:30am and got back to Indiana about 2:00am the next day.

Here are some pics of our wonderful trip, we can't wait to go back!!