It has been a crazy week! Chris has had strep throat, I’ve had some weirdo version of ‘the crud’ and Isaac has had a runny nose (I think mainly so he doesn’t feel left out). I know that many of you keep looking on-line to see if we have any ‘big’ announcement and here it is – I’m pregnant. J Yeah? Seriously, while the days seem to drag by – we are excited that our little one is taking full advantage of growing more and more from inside of me. (At least that’s what I keep telling myself). I know that some of you are as eager (if not more so) to hear of her arrival, to see her little face and to know how she is doing – all I can say is welcome to the ‘hurry-up and wait’ game! We can’t wait to show her off to you – and prayerfully that will be soon – we’ll see…

We are officially over the 37 week mark of our pregnancy! Woohoo! Over the weeks and months we've had many ups-and-downs - a scare over her health and then the possible early arrival due to dialating too early and having too many contractions. It has been amazing to sit back and watch as God has healed her little body and kept her protected by allowing to maintain her current residence. To say that this has been easy - well, I'd just be lying - so I just won't go there.

We had an appointment this morning and secretly hoped that the doctors would take a look at us and say 'my oh my - let's go have this baby today'. We rushed around the house early this morning - making sure that all the garbage was cleared out, the dishes run and the house fairly tidy. You know, 'just in case'. Because we were prepared for it - of course - today was not 'the' day. :) While a small part of me - I use the word 'small' loosely - was disappointed - the rest of me is excited that she gets more time to grow, develop and build up her little immune system. All looks great! All appearances indicate that she is very healthy. We watched her practice her breathing, we heard a steady heartbeat, we watched her fight off the ultrasound probe, and we smiled when the nurse said that she is already over 7 pounds. I, myself, am about 3 centimeters dialated. Chris and I left to go enjoy the 'waiting game.'  After all of this - I think she'll be two weeks late - but your guess is as good as mine. :) We'll keep you posted...

January

January 2007 began pretty simply - we had just celebrated 10 years of marriage, we were both working in 'ideal' jobs for our talents and interests and we were enjoying life with a toddler. For the past year we had been praying about a possible move from Kentucky to South Carolina and had been trying to increase our family, but neither request had been answered - so we just kept on - business as usual, having fun and enjoying life.

February

February 2007 - was a pretty quiet month. Here you see Isaac experiencing his first snowfall. Granted there had been snowfalls the year before, but he was too little to remember. Here he is trying to catch it on his tongue - and just loving every minute. To watch him discover new things and so enjoy the world around him was just a blast!

March

March 2007 - We kicked started this month with the boys birthdays. Chris and Isaac having a birthday on the same day made celebrating fun. This birthday marked 31 years for Chris and the big bad #2 for Isaac. It was a fun evening with family at the bowling alley where Isaac actually played better than some family members, though I won't mention any names. :)

A little later that month we headed down to Summerville, SC for a church planting conference. A week where we prayed diligently for the Lord to really show us if this was the path He had for us to take. Chris had been sending out job applications since the previous October and we hadn't heard anything - no no's and no yes' - nothing. At the end of this week with others who were praying about the move or who had already stepped out in faith (see picture below) - Chris received a phone call for a job interview - a new journey for us began. 

April

April 2007 - After several phone interviews, Chris was flown down Easter weekend for a face-to-face interview. About a week later he was offered the job. Many things surrounding these interviews, their timing, all the way down to the final offer we were given - could only be attributed to God's hand manuvering all the pieces. Suddenly what had been a long period of silence seemed to change into quite a symphony. We began to prepare ourselves for the next steps that would be ahead for us. Meanwhile, our little adventurer seemed to be ever increasingly on the go. We began learning from Isaac that there is no obstacle too big or insurmountable.

May

May 2007 - was undoubtedly the wildest month of my life. I celebrated my 31st - woohoo! Then a few days later, our house - which had only been on the market for two weeks - sold. Mother's Day weekend we made the trip back down to South Carolina in search of a new house. It was an exhausting weekend and I have never seen so many houses (nor do I want to again) in one day. After much searching - Chris and I went for a walk and came upon a house - one we loved but were sure wasn't within our price range. Chris went to the sales office and plainly said - here's what we can do - to which they replied - close by the end of the month and it's a done deal. We went home, and in a week and a half packed up our house. On Monday the 21st - we found out we were pregnant (after about a year and a half of trying), on Thursday the 24th we moved out, on Friday the 25th we closed and said our last good-buys to Forest Ridge, on Monday the 28th we drove everything we owned down south, and on Tuesday the 29th we both closed and moved into our new home in South Carolina. God had been silent for so long - but what a lesson that when He speaks you better be ready to go.

June

June 2007 - a new journey begins. Chris started his new job on June 1st. And our friends, Chris and Jenny Mattingly, John Mills, Clay and Erin Jernigan, Will and Tarah Browning all played a part in helping us to get in and settled into our new home. We could not have done it without them and I am constantly reminded by each of them of much our God loves us.

July

July 2007 - was a more relaxing month. In the sense that all the boxes were unpacked, I had begun to figure out where the grocery story and Chic-Fil-a were located (two essentials) and Chris' parents came down to visit. It was fun getting to take them around the city of Charleston, and their getting to spend time with our ever growing little man. Who, by the way, was an absolute hoot the day we went downtown. Grandma and Papa had brought him a sailor hat and he would not take it off. He was the cutest little sailor man!!

August

August 2007 - Things were really beginning to get underway with church preparations and things that would need to be done before 'soft launching' in September. It was nice to be able to take a few minutes and steal away together as a family. This particular weekend (shown in this picture)  - Chris had some wild action on the 'high seas' :)  and on this day we all got to see several families of dolphins. It was a really nice break.

September

September 2007 - was a very emotional month for our family. At my first ultrasound - we were delighted (well, Chris was delighted - I was a nervous wreck) with the news that we would be having a little girl. That sweet news was quickly soured when they told us that much of her little body was filled with fluid - something our doctor had never even seen before. We were referred to the main hospital downtown for both consultation and care. Through the course of this month and I believe because of much prayer - what started out as tragedy has been nothing short of watching an amazing God do amazing things. The following visit they confirmed that their was fluid, but only around the lungs.  The next visit (to a cardiologist) said that the heart looked good. And in the visit following there was no fluid to be found at all. Of course, the doctor's could not explain it. :)

Apart from the ups-and-downs within our little family - much was happening in our little church. We celebrated our final Sunday (seen below) at a small church where we had been meeting in and moved to a bigger facility where we had a most successful first night. It is exciting to watch as God moves the pieces, as He orchestrates and manuvers those who have come into our midst, and as He continually stretches and refines us to go out in His name.

October

October 2007 - Things with the pregnancy continued to improve - though contractions had already begun. :( I was beginning to really build a couple of new relationships, Chris was busy both with work and church technology and our little man was growing more adorable and smart everyday. I mean look at him - isn't he a cutie?

November

November 2007 - We were able to sneak away for a weekend to see some family in Kentucky. It was Chris' first time to go home since we moved to South Carolina. It was great to get to spend time with his parents and to give Isaac his first opportunity to play in the leaves. (Palm trees don't really produce anything to roll around in). Thanksgiving was our first without family, but I still fixed us a big ol' meal, we got to watch the parade and we even got to spend some of the day with our church family - sharing in another big meal together. What made this Thanksgiving particularly odd for us - we were in shorts and flip-flops.  Oh, but it was good eatin'.

December

December 2007 - Christmas decorations give the allusion that it is in fact December - thought the thermostat said it was in the 80's - but it's fun to pretend, right? Again, this month of celebration would be unlike any we've shared before, but what a sweet time it was for the three of us. Christmas day, Isaac - who has become our little musician, serenated us with several songs both on his his 'p-now-no' (piano) and guitar - thanks to grandma and papa.

For as wild, emotional, wonderful, crazy and exciting as this year was - it was a very relaxing and sweet finish. We can only imagine what the Lord has in store for us this up and coming year.