Adventures of Byron & Susie

Baby Lucas #2!

2011-08-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some way-overdue ultrasound pictures of our newest baby boy that will be with us in November! We can't wait to meet him!

This last one is my favorite!

First Haircut!!

2011-06-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

Brighton went for his first haircut yesterday! He was very excited as you can see--he's saying, "Go! Go! Go!" We went to The Hair Den and saw Mr. Layne (a great recommendation from Uncle Thad!). This is the "Before" Shot.

What a cool barbershop! As soon as Brighton walked in, Mr. Layne gave him a truck--a HUGE hit! And then he got to sit in Daddy's lap (Daddy got the cape, and Brighton got a towel, which you'll see in the next picture!

The spray bottle was a little unexpected!

Brighton apparently doesn't like the back of his hair messed with....and it was so cute, I don't blame him!

I love this shot! I think he's trying to look in the mirror behind him!

Being such a good boy!

Just driving my truck, guys!

Checking to see if we missed any spots!

Lookin' good!!

Now I'm all done and waiting for Daddy to get his hair cut like me!

Aren't I a big boy?!

Brighton and Mr. Layne! Mommy was so proud of her big boy! And Mr. Layne did a great job!

The "After" shot!

Yay for haircuts! Except, I'll admit.....it's a little sad to see my little baby look like a little boy now!

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-01T19:06:00.001-08:00

Year In Pictures New Year's Card

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This one accidentally got deleted!

2010-10-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

Days 2 and some of 3!

2010-10-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

We had breakfast, and this is after our morning nap--ready to roll, people!

Look at all my toys! Wanna play?

First trip out on the beach--loving the sand! He loves how it feels between his hands!

Helping Daddy build a sandcastle--it stood up a whole 2 days against the ocean's tide!

Crawling with Daddy (for all those concerned, his hat just flew off....but we promptly put it back on!). Brighton crawled all over the beach--and when his knees started hurting he crawled on all fours! So smart!

Heh?

He loves crawling along the shoreline and feeling the mushy sand.

Beach, glorious beach!

Playing hide-and-seek with Mommy's foot. We kept covering it in sand and then asking him, "Where is Mommy's foot?" When I shook it free, he would giggle!

There it is!

Proof that Brighton has never met a stranger! He's been such a socialite--in the hotel, on the beach, at restaurants! He loves people! And he loves them to love him back!

The Lucases are loving the beach!

On a mission...

In the ocean with Daddy!

Checking out the waves with Daddy!

The waves are so big!

Still crawling . . .

After all the beach fun, we tried the pool, but it was a wee bit too chilly....he loved it, but his little lips were chattering, so we came on up, showered, and got ready for dinner. Here, Brighton is playing in the floor at Captain George's--an amazing seafood buffett. YUM. Aunt Susanne tried crab legs for the first time and loved them! He pooped just a few minutes later, and it got all over him--tried to change him in the car and were thankful for Grandaddy and Nanny's leather seats! Went to Food Lion and found SIMILAC!!!! Yay! No more crazy poops!

On day 2, it was too cold and cloudy to go to the beach, so we decided to go shopping! We had such fun!

Glad to be home! I'm all shopped out!

Fun in the floor!

Day 3--after breakfast, we hit the beach! It's a little cool, but perfect beach weather! We sat him down, and he crawled right to the ocean!

I love this picture---check out his tracks!

I love his little tracks---you can tell where he's been!

Hi, Mister Sun!

I'm a beach baby!

I'm ready for my close-up!

Check out Daddy's artwork!

From our hotel room--

I'm pooped!

Myrtle Beach 2010!

2010-10-03T07:26:00.001-07:00

Hey, everybody!

We're here in beautiful Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! So far, our trip has been AWESOME! Thought we'd share a few pictures so you can live it with us!

Here is Brighton helping Daddy put his wagon together. We didn't end up bringing it with us because we couldn't fit it in the car! Daddy did an unbelievable packing job--muy impressivo. But Brighton did love being wheeled around the house in it!

This is the first stop in our journey....I think the first stop in everyone from the south's journey....CRACKER BARREL! Yum. We are right outside of Nashville around 7:30am....Brighton was awake the whole way so far. Here, he played in his high chair with pieces of biscuit, and he had his first taste of orange and loved it! In the gift shop, he also picked out 2 light-up balls, which we took with us, and he held on to them the rest of the way!

He was so happy and pleasant the whole entire trip down here--almost 13 hours long--and he had a blast!

Here we are outside of Zaxby's in South Carolina.....only a few more hours to go!

He was loving the grassy area with all the trees....we discovered that that's where leaves come from! COOL!

We're finally here!! The Hampton Inn Oceanfront is AWESOME. He was tickled to death! And so happy to be able to walk around! Tonight he got his first view of the ocean, but it was a little dark!

In our hotel room--having the time of his life! We brought a ton of toys, so they are scattered everywhere, and he has just crawled and walked all over the place! He is so happy! I think he thinks that this is the beach we've been talking about....he hasn't seen anything yet!

He woke up around 7:15am and go this first real look at the ocean and beach. He was very excited---legs going crazy and loving it!

After an awesome breakfast, he is pooped already.....how precious!

Now that he's awake, beach here we come!!!!!!!!!!! See you guys later!

Trip to Lexington

2010-05-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

On our Spring Break, we took a trip to Lexington to visit Aunt Susanne, Uncle David, Aunt Bhavini, and Ann! We had a great time!

Here's Brighton and Aunt Susanne after supper one night--we had such beautiful weather!

Our happy, relaxed family! Ah! I love Spring Break!

Brighton and Aunt Bhavini looking at the pretty flowers!

Just chillin' in my car seat, guys!

Brighton looking at Uncle David--he is the best!

Here's some pictures we took at Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate--the flowers are awesome! And I think this is the first time Brighton ever laid in grass--he loved it!

Brighton at Aunt Susanne's...you talkin' to me?

This is Brighton at the kids' playplace in Fayette Mall--above, he's toppling over, and below, he's laughing about it!

Uncle David singing me to sleep!

Brighton and Aunt Susanne--have spoon, will eat!--at Ramsey's! YUM.

This is the night we first got there--we arrived around midnight and, as you can see, Brighton was wide-eyed and ready to roll. He's checking Jackson out!

Easter Sunday

2010-05-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

On Easter Sunday, we went to church and then came home and took pictures and opened Brighton's first Easter basket! It had a cow that scoots across the floor, a pinwheel, bubbles, 3 books--Baby Colors, The Monster at the End of This Book, and The Velveteen Rabbit, and a pair of sunglasses!

After evening service we went and visited Mamaw and Papaw Lucas, as well as Great Mamaw Delores. Then, we drove to Lexington!

Palm Sunday!

2010-04-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

Brighton's Palm Sunday outfit...my "Brave Little Lion"!

Brighton loves his changing table! And this is really the first time he's held himself up! He's getting so big!

Bathtime Fun!

2010-04-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

We all love bathtime at the Lucas house! Too cute! Too fun!

Brighton and Papaw!

The Many Faces of Brighton!

2010-04-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

St. Patty's Day!

2010-03-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's Brighton's first one, so we had to mark the event with an appropriate onesie! I love those things! :0) Unfortunately, we didn't get to go to church as planned to show it off....we had to show it off at the doctor's office instead. Brighton has a cold--his little nose sounds so pitiful! But he is such a good baby, you'd almost never know he was sick! Anyway, here are some pictures from the doctor's office--more to come later so you can see the full, adorable effect!

By the way, today he weighed in at 16 lbs, 7.7 oz!!!! I can't believe it! And look how long he is and how good he's holding himself up! He's growing too quick!!

On the doctor's table!
Looking up at Daddy!

Heh?

This is what he looks like when Nanny says his eyes "look weak." She's right!--she can always tell when he's sick!

I'll look at the camera, Mom.....but I'm at the doctor, so no smiles for you!

Looking at the cool stuff on the wall!

Just wanted to show you the cutest clover in the world!!

This is bathtime last night! He hates getting in the bath, and hates getting out, but loves it while he's in the tub! And then we always play on Mommy and Daddy's bed and get a massage afterward! It's one of our favorite times!

3 Months and 3 Days!

2010-03-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

Today marks Brighton's 3-month and 3-day mark! It is unbelievable to me that he is that old! He will be a year old before I know it! I'm trying very hard to cherish every moment--every milestone! He is the greatest--I love him SO MUCH!

To catch you up on some things from this past month of his life, he has really been growing! We added a teaspoon of rice cereal to his formula (6oz. every 4 hours) about a week ago--he is growing like a weed! And much happier since the rice cereal! He is consistently holding his head up 90 degrees when we put him on his belly (unless of course he is tired....which he lets us know!) He is starting to hold objects---his squeaky lamb is a favorite, as are his links, giraffe, little blue dog, and monkeys. He laughed for the first time on Monday night, Feb. 22 at 10:37pm! I was holding him in the rocking chair--it was so awesome to feel his little belly jiggle and to hear his little voice!! A couple of nights ago, he giggled a little after his bath when Byron tickled his palm with his brush and giggled tonight when playing on the floor. He also giggled once in his sleep tonight! I think we're soon in for some great belly laughs! I CAN'T WAIT!!! Brighton also sits up when we prop him up on the couch--he loves this! And the weather has been nice the past couple of days, so he has taken some of his first ventures outside! He leans back so he can look up at the trees and loves to look at his shadow.

Here are some pictures from the past month or so!

I just LOVE watching him sleep! And he wakes up in such a good mood--smiling and cooing and stretching! (He definitely takes after his Dad in that area!) It makes it so hard to leave him in the morning!
This was taken at Target--we've made several outings there--he loves the lights! I love this outfit, because you can see his beautiful blue eyes!

At Mariah's the day before Valentine's Day! We had just had our first family picture taken!

Holding a spoon--lemme at that spinach dip!!

Brighton's meal at Mariah's---formula again! :0)

In his crib, looking at his piano Nanny gave him--he loves to kick it and make it play music!

He's such a big boy!!!

There's nothing so peaceful as a child asleep!

"I wanna hold your hand...."

Brighton and Pam--he loves to flirt with the ladies (another trait from Dad!)

Brighton and Jennifer!

That game wore me out! Kentucky doesn't like to win games until the very end!

Brighton at his first basketball game--the boy's regional tournament at Diddle Arena--Franklin-Simpson Wildcats vs. Bowling Green Purples. We lost, but we had a GREAT time! Brighton LOVED it--so much to look at! He even followed the action on the court! He likes basketball on tv, too--maybe he'll be the athletic one in the family!

I'm 3 months old today--March 9, 2010!

And I'm all smiles about it!

Brighton's 2-Month Birthday!

2010-02-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

Today was a snow day for Mommy and Daddy, so we got to celebrate with Brighton! We had a great time--here are some pictures we couldn't wait to show you!

"'Sup!"

Finally!

2010-02-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of Brighton! Waaaaay overdue and in no particular order! :0) Our lateness and lack of organization should come as no shock to most of you!

My little Anne Geddes baby...

Our New Year's Eve kiss! Happy 2010, everyone!

Even in the hospital, I'm the happiest, cutest boy around!

Here's a good one of me and Grandaddy--check out my IV and hospital gown....it ties in the back!

Today was my (Susie) first "official" day back to work. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Leaving Brighton this morning was terrible. It was definitely hard to let go! Knowing that Mom was there to watch him, though, made it much better. The cool thing about my job at school is that I never sit down--I'm never not doing something....that makes the day go by pretty fast! And when I got home, it was so great to see him!! I have had such a blast being on maternity leave and having the privilege of getting to know what he likes, when his most alert times are, and all that good stuff! He is an absolute joy and I'm so thankful to be his Mom!

So, here are some more pictures--we think he's the most beautiful, smartest boy in the whole world! I'm sure you'll agree!

Brighton after his bath! I love his lavendar shampoo and lotion! He smells so good!

Cutest boy ever--loving the duck hoodie!

So handsome!

It's tough being a reindeer!

Just the Three of Us!

2009-09-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

So, on Friday, we decided to take some pictures of my belly before it gets too stretched out to be cute! :0) We took them in our backyard--we never realized what a great picture-taking tree we have! Hopefully, David will take some pictures of us with his camera--he is much better than us! It was pretty hysterical watching Byron set the 10-second timer, and then run over to me and try to find out where to put his hands. Much laughter was had by all!

And this is for David and Bhavini---here are the samosas we made. On half of them, the potato fell completely out when we cooked them. But half of them weren't bad! I think we'll definitely let you guys cook all the Indian food in the future!!

It's a Boy!

2009-08-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

Here are our much overdue 2nd ultrasound pictures of
Brighton Matthew Lucas!

The first one is my favorite, because you can see his whole leg, foot, little fist, nose, and ribs! He is such a cutie, if I do say so myself! And does anybody else think his legs look super long? I haven't seen very many of these things, but they look long to me! Maybe a swimmer???? We'll see! :0)

This is the ultrasound where we found out he was a "he"! Except nowadays (probably because of people who sued hospitals and ultrasound techs--thanks, guys), they don't give out the pictures of the boy parts anymore! So I guess you'll just have to trust us until you see for yourself in about 3 months!!!

So, as soon as we found out, we decided it was time to register for our baby stuff! The first thing we did that day was to go with Mom (Nana to you, Brighton!) to Wal-Mart to get her Pack N' Play. She was super excited--and it looks super cute! We all pitched in to put it together when we got back to the house! Here's a picture of Nana with her Pack N' Play!

Then, Byron and I went to Target to start our registry there, and then down to Nashville to Babies R' Us to continue the festivities! At Babies R' Us, they were having a sale on all their Carter's clothes, so we went a little crazy and bought Brighton several outfits! They were just too cute to pass up!! And they look so adorable hanging in our closet on little baby hangers--it is happiness to peek in there every once in a while!

Here is the first one I picked out. This is the front:

And check out the back! I think you can see why this was a must-have.

And I loved that pattern so much, we got him a long-sleeve one, too. The little tag on the upper left says, "So happy." Again, you see why we had to have it.

This is the outfit that Byron picked out for Brighton. In case you can't read it, it says, "daddy loves me." Yes, he does. :0)

I can't wait to snuggle up to Brighton in this one!

And, for our "Little Monkey," we thought this was perfect!

This one is fleecy, and looks so warm! The tag in the upper left says, "squeezable."

Here's a picture of Daddy and Mommy -to-be! We're having so much fun feeling him move and even seeing him move now! You have quite a kick already!

Here's a picture of me with my girls before they left for college! Elizabeth, Jennifer, and Caroline--we miss you already! We all went out to eat at O'Charley's for a laughter-filled send-off!
Here's a picture of me and Jerri (I think this is actually the only picture I have of the two of us--we need to take more pictures!) at the pool party that was thrown for our youth choir. They did such a great job with the musical---I'll post pics of that soon. We raised about $6,000 for Zimbabwe! And, the cool thing is, I don't think we're done yet! :0)

Babymoon 2009!

2009-07-24T18:10:00.001-07:00

On Monday, July 13, Byron and I set off for our "Babymoon"--our last big vacation with just the two of us! Seeing as how we didn't get reservations until the night before, Destin was pretty much all booked up except for the pricier places. SO--we decided to go to Panama City Beach, Florida instead! We got reservations for the Sleep Inn, and it was just a few blocks from the beach. It also had free continental breakfast---all in all, a nice hotel! We got to Panama City around 7pm, and we were both zonked from the drive. So we watched the Bachelorette in our hotel room and relaxed, and then decided to get some dinner.

Here is something AWESOME about Florida.....and most places except for Kentucky....restaurants are ALL non-smoking. SO, that means we could go to the little Waffle House and eat the best waffles in America without feeling and smelling gross in the process. I don't think I've been to Waffle House since college--it was SO GOOOOD!

Here's a picture of Byron--bless his little heart--he looks so exhausted. He drove the whole way down there (I definitely think he prefers it to even considering letting me behind the wheel.....I tend to get sleepy). After this, he went right to sleep. Precious.

Here's me--I'm hungry, but a lot less tired than my wonderful husband.

Here's our first day on the beach!! Woo Hoo! We bought two little chairs and an umbrella from Wal-Mart. They were super cute, and super needed. We weren't out in the sun for long at all, and we both ended up with sunburns. Byron especially. He was my little lobster.

The Gulf had a LOT of seaweed in it. Gross. Even if you forgot about it, you remembered pretty quickly when you ran your fingers through the water. And then, back at the hotel, you definitely remembered it, as it was stuck all over our bodies. Really gross.

Here we are---presunburn.

Byron worked a lot of Sudoku, and I read two books! It was lovely!

Yep, definitely pregnant.

This is me with my map. I love beach cities--they always have a map of the fun places to eat....plus coupons! I am trying to help us decide where to eat first!

We decided on The Treasure Ship. It's a 3-story restaurant on this huge boat!

I'm shocked at how big the boat is!

We ate outside on the third level, at Captain Crabby's. I had never had crab legs before, so we decided it was high time I tried them!

Here's my plate--YUM! They were incredibly good, and so much fun to eat. It's like food and an adventure, all rolled into one!

Byron getting creative!

Here's us after our meal--don't we looked happy, rested, and red?! :)

We didn't take any beach pictures the second day...it was pretty much too hot to move. So here's us at Calypso for dinner. They had excellent fried pickles.

This never gets old.

We went to Pier Park--a bunch of shops and restaurants across from the pier. On our way back to the hotel, we grabbed some Starbucks, and saw something pretty hilarious. Now, I've seen some crazy monkeys in my day, but this one takes the cake.

On Thursday, because of our really red skin, we decided a day indoors wasn't a bad idea. I've always wanted to do this, but neither one of us ever had. So, we decided to paint our own pottery! We were in there about 3 1/2 hours, and we had a BLAST!

Byron hard at work. How cute is he?!?!

I'm very proud of my sun. It is happy.

Here are the finished products--first Byron's bowl (pretty much perfection!), and then my mug!

After the pottery, we went back to the hotel to chill for a while, and then we went out to eat at Schooner's on the beach. We had a great meal, and there was a live band playing--fun times!

Our last day was spent at the beach, eating a huge pizza at Butterface, and then going to Coconut Creek Mini-Golf and Grand Maze.

Byron looking rather cute!

Me and a baby elephant!

Another great belly shot! :0)

My dashing husband.

Byron got a hole-in-one! Actually, he got it on another hole, too! Looks and talent!!

Here's a picture of 1/4 of the Grand Maze. The whole thing is the size of a football field! At the start, you clock in, then you have to make it to 4 checkpoints, and then clock out at the finish line! The best time in July was 15 minutes. Byron and I made it through in 31 minutes. Not too shabby! Especially considering it was ridiculously hot and we were both wearing jeans! Good teamwork!

I'm so glad we got a chance to do this. We are so excited about the changes ahead, and this just gave us great memories of the time when it was "just us." We can't wait to add a third to our party, and keep on truckin'! :0) Here's to many more "family vacations" to come!

My growing belly and other fun things...

2009-07-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

Byron and I and church camp---Crossroads at Cedarmore in Baghdad, Ky. We had a great time!

And here's a picture of Brighton at his first church camp! This is June 16--so I'm about 15 weeks pregnant!

And here's a picture on July 2--at 17 1/2 weeks pregnant! Whoa! There's definitely a difference!

While the boys were out of town, Byron and I took the opportunity to have Thad and Marianna over for some food and games! We had a blast, as always!

Happy Fourth of July, people! Here we are, all ready to sing with the BG Chamber Singers at the Orchestra Concert at WKU South Lawn. It had been a while since we've performed together, so we were totally excited!

So, we went to rehearsal, ate pizza, and then sat . . . and waited . . . and sat . . . and waited, all the while watching the rain just drench the poor people who didn't have a nice stage to sit under . . .

And then they decided to cancel the concert....sad. Even sadder was the fact that we parked at Diddle, and there's just no good way to get there from the Guthrie Bell Tower. So, armed with nothing (the umbrella, of course, being in the car), we walked speedily in the downpour. By the time we finally got to our car, we could literally have rung enough water from our clothes for a nice, tasty beverage....okay, that's gross. SO--here's the "after" picture:

And here's another belly picture--Byron seems to like to use the camera for surprise attacks!

And here's a picture of the boys when we went swimming at their house this summer. Props for the goggles, guys--you are my kind of swimmers! We had a lot of fun! Tyler does a great job of holding his breath and diving for rings! Drew does a great job of keeping his mouth and eyes wide open under water! I've never seen anything like it--totally hilarious!

16 Weeks and Counting . . .

2009-06-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

Well, a lot has happened since our last post. We got ridiculously busy with 2 musicals, 2 end-of-the-year choir concerts, 3 graduations, and just the run-of-the-mill end-of-school madness. I love teaching, but I have never (and I truly mean it)--never been more excited to see the last day of school come and go. It seemed like the year flew by, and then May just came and sat there. Anyway, all's well that ends well, and school ended well.

NOW IT'S SUMMER!!!! YAY!

So far this summer, we have done some professional development at school (yay for foldables!), went "camping" with the Lucas clan (I say "camping" because all of our nights were spent at the Lucas' wonderful, DRY home.), went to church camp at Cedarmore with our youth group, and then went to visit my Aunt Susanne and brother David and Bhavini up in Lexington. We've also gotten to go to Glasgow a couple of times to see my parents. All in all, it has been a fantastic summer so far! We are looking forward to heading to Florida for our "Babymoon" in a couple weeks to relax and spend some quality and quantity time with just the 2 of us. I am SUPER excited about that!

Here are some Lucas' camping trip pictures. Here's the campsite and Layman and Jacquie making breakfast--it was really yummy!

While they were slaving away, Byron and I took a walk with Drew and Tyler. Here is Byron and Drew--how sweet!!

Here are Drew and Tyler throwing rocks--Byron is overseeing the project.

Here is Tyler hiding in the Kia.

Here is Drew hiding in the Kia. He's saying, "Come in here with me!" We wish we could!!

The happy parents-to-be!

Tyler was in charge of our boat outing (with the help of Uncle Byron and Papaw, of course!). But, he honestly drove most of the way--I was super impressed! Way to go, Cap't T!

Probably the most exciting thing of the summer so far is that we had our first Ultrasound on Thursday (also Mom's birthday!)! It was the neatest thing I have ever seen--little hands and little feet moving and bending, the little heart beating like crazy, and baby Lucas somersaulting all over the place! Jamie Milam (a friend at church that works at the Medical Center Maternity Ward) told me to drink a Dr. Pepper an hour before the appointment so that the baby would move and they would be able to tell if baby is a boy or girl! Boy, did he/she move!! The problem was that the umbilical cord was in the way---so baby Lucas is looking to be just as stubborn as his two parents! Yikes! ;0)

In this first picture, baby Lucas is facing foward. You can see the "orbits" where baby Lucas' eyes will be. You can also see two hemispheres of the brain, the baby's stomach (it's the little black hole in the middle of the tummy), and you can also see an upper lip!

Here's baby Lucas' first Profile Pic! It looks to me like you can see the formings of his/her jaw, the skull, and the spine! And, just so you know, we also got to see feet and the four-chamber heart beating away!
This is probably my favorite picture, because you can see baby Lucas' hand! It doesn't get any sweeter than that!!

Hopefully the next post won't be too long in coming! We have our next Dr.'s appointment on Friday, July 3--then, I think we'll schedule another ultrasound so we can hopefully start fixing the nursery!!

"We're Having a Baby, My Baby and Me!"

2009-05-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

Here's the two of us on Sunday, March 29. We're at the NCAA Men's Final Four Game in Indianapolis. We had no idea what we'd find out just a few short hours later!!!That weekend, for some reason, I just felt like taking a pregnancy test. I had taken one a week or so before this (March 13ish) and it had come out negative. So, when we got home from Indianapolis, I went to the bathroom and took this test. When I looked at it, there was a faint pink line next to the dark pink line. So, I called for Byron to come there! We're were pretty giddy initially, but didn't want to jump to conclusions.....so I sent him out for another test. I took that the next morning, and--same faint line! The next day, we bought a fancy smancy digital test. It's result was pretty clear: Pregnant. We were SOOOO excited!!!! God is so good!

Three postive tests!! What an awesome sight!!!

We called and got an appointment to have the blood work done--just to make sure before we told people the good news. And, on Monday, April 6, it was "medically confirmed!" My first prenatal appointment with Dr. Mody was on Thursday, April 9 at 11:00 (Spring Break was at the absolute perfect time!). On this day, more tests were run, and an initial due date for Baby Lucas was set for December 1!

We told our families the exciting news on Easter Sunday. We put M&M's in Easter eggs with a little slip of paper in each, saying "Happy Easter, Nana, Pa, Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, etc......Love, Little Lucas #1 (on my side) and Little Lucas #3 (on Byron's side). It was so fun to see each person realize what it meant in their own time! Best Easter we've had yet!

We had our second prenatal appointment on Friday, May 8 at 3:30pm. At this appointment, we got to hear the heartbeat!! It was the coolest thing I've ever heard. And it definitely made everything more real. What a neat sound--I had to control my giggling so we could hear it! Dr. Mody had the great idea of recording it---so here it is! It fluctuated anywhere from 172-192 beats per minute! Little Lucas is already going strong!!

We were also told that I could be anywhere from 10 weeks and 4 days to 12 weeks and 4 days pregnant. She'll know more once she sees the ultrasound. So my due date is probably closer to December 1, but could be as early as November 14!

And here's a picture of my belly before I really start showing. It feels a little different--especially when I roll over in the bed. I think I might be showing a little, and my Mom definitely does! So here's me at 11-13 weeks pregnant!!!

For purposes of the blog, we'll just say that I'm 11 weeks pregnant as of tomorrow. That way we can post about what the baby looks like, how big it is, etc. Here's a picture of what our baby should look like right now! I love the fact that you can know this stuff--so cool! And Little Lucas is about the size of a lime now--growing so big already!!

To end this way overdue post.....here's a few things I've been craving over the past several weeks. It's really been interesting--I've wanted very specific things from very specific restaurants....and I've found you cannot substitute. Substitution is not good. And, pretty much every other food besides the one I want--not good. It's crazy! Poor Byron. Anyway---here goes the list as far as I can remember---Banana Peppers (before I knew I was pregnant), Mom's chicken casserole (came to me during morning prayer at church---this was the first craving I really remember), O'Charley's Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad, Olive Garden Salad :), Fazoli's Bread Sticks, Captain D's Batter Dipped Fish (with lots of ketchup), Sausage biscuits from McD's, Egg Biscuits from McD's, Grapefruit, Thin Crust Sausage Pizza from Pizza Hut, Grilled Cheese with mustard, Cheese Sticks from Pizza Hut, Chocolate Ice Cream, Rafferty's Salad..... It's so funny. I haven't wanted sweets (except for the chocolate ice cream)--just starches. The thought of green beans make me sick, as does most vegetables. Fruits are great--especially strawberries, pineapples, apples (and the aforementioned grapefruit!). I've really just been eating whatever sounds good, taking my vitamins, and hoping for the best---good news is that I didn't gain any weight from my first dr visit to the second! I was a little worried...

Anyway, we'll try to keep this updated so everyone can see how far along we are! We love you all and can't wait to bring Little Lucas into the world to be loved by all of you!

FreeRice.com

2009-03-08T11:43:00.001-07:00

I am so excited about this website!! Anytime you ever feel bored or just want to pump up your vocabulary, just go to this site. The awesome part is that it isn't just the pointless games that we usually play on our iPod (sudoku, 10 million forms of solataire, etc). It's actually something that is helpful to those most in need. For every vocabulary word you correctly match with its synonym (don't worry--it's multiple choice!), the UN will donate 10 grains of rice to feed the hungry. Ten grains of rice isn't a lot, but that number will grow exponentially if more and more people tap into this awesome resource!! Last night, in literally 5 minutes, I earned 800 grains of rice. How exciting! I'm definitely going to tell all my friends, as well as the teachers at school--what a great way to use extra time in the computer lab for kids that finish early! Anyway, check this site out OFTEN--every day, even! (And there's no penalty for wrong answers, so you can go all day!)

Also--look in the "subject" heading and you can quiz yourself over math, geography, spanish, and other things, all the while helping the World Food Program! SWEET!!

Come Back, Cats!

2009-02-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

Wow. That's really all I can say. Anyone who saw the Kentucky-Vanderbilt game will know exactly what I'm talking about. That was an amazing display of awful. I miss the days when Kentucky could be down by like 20 points with 2 minutes to go, and yet somehow they would always manage to pull it out in the end. I guess that's why I used to get so disappointed (especially in the tournament) when they would actually lose. I remember one year (probably elementary school) when my brother and I were dressed in all Kentucky gear with pom poms and all, rooting them on to a crazy comeback.....and they LOST! I can't remember if David did, but I know I threw my pom-pom down and cried. Pretty sad, or pretty hilarious, depending on how you look at it. Actually, it's both.

Anyway, where have all the Tony Delks, Jamal Mashburns, and Travis Fords gone?? I love Jodie Meeks, but people, he's got to have some help. Some of you were stepping up, but wow. We lost to Vandy. Badly. Not cool, not cool.

2009-02-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

Today was a very hard day. We went to the funeral of a sweet, smiling, life-loving young lady. It's one of those days where I'm reminded of the Fall and of the fact this is not how God intended life to be. It's also one of those days when I'm reminded of God's unfailing love to His broken and sinful and selfish creation. Because of what Christ did on the cross, this life is not the end. Death is but the passing into eternal life, and for that I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving. I'm reminded of the Casting Crowns song, "Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name?" I'm confident in the promises God has made in Scripture--that He has prepared a place for us, and that He will come back to take us to be with Him forever. I am confident in them because God is the faithful God who has always kept His promises. Reading His Word confirms this. My own life confirms this. He has never failed me yet, and I put all my hope in Him.

We sang a song today by Chris Tomlin called, "Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)." Something that has brought me joy today is knowing that Emily has received the promises. I still wait--we all still wait--for their fulfillment. But she has received the salvation promised her when she first trusted Christ to be her Savior and Lord. How beautiful. The song says, "My chains are gone, I've been set free. For God, my Savior, has ransomed me. And, like a flood, His mercy reigns. Unending love, amazing grace." I can praise God even though my heart breaks because her chains are gone and she's been set free to sing, dance, and love with complete abandon. I'm sure that's what she is doing--all three at once. Emily Long was an amazing person. I'm so thankful that I got to know her for a little while. On this side of heaven, the world is a little less bright, but now she shines in perfect reflection of the glory of God. I miss her.

Getting Historical...

2009-01-20T17:54:00.000-08:00

So, I'm a huge dork, but I love all things history. I'm the one who likes to stop at all the historic sites on long road trips, take millions of pictures, and then get the free brochure before I leave. I love Washington, D.C.--I could visit the Lincoln Memorial 200 times and still not be bored. It's just amazing to think about where we have been and to be hopeful about where we're going. So, even though I didn't vote for Barack Obama and even though I disagree with him on several issues, I was psyched about today. It is very rare that you get to live through something so huge in history and know it at the time. I am hopeful that our new President will be contagious. I am hopeful that all of our citizens of this great country will take this opportunity to start fresh and to start doing something good. We've done too much bad and been too indifferent and been too lazy. It takes everybody and it takes individuals. We all will have to sacrifice and we will all have to work and to care to make sure no one in the most prosperous nation in the world goes hungry or has to sleep outside. It's been unbelievable to watch how the country has embraced Barack Obama over the past year. There are even Obama bobble head dolls! There are 512 songs about Obama on iTunes. My hope is that we do more than just Amen his message of change. My hope is that we actually will. My prayer for him is that he never forget who put him in power. I pray that he will seek God and that God will grant him wisdom for the years ahead. I also pray for our country, that we would turn back to God--we've gotten scarily far away in the past 60-70 years. Interestingly, Obama's Inaugural speech was very biblically true. His words contained a lot of wisdom and I hope that's a good sign of things to come. And no one can deny that he is a fantastic speaker--he has the ability to inspire us to new dreams, which I pray he uses wisely and justly.

On a completely different note, Yo-Yo Ma played--no, threw down--at the Inaugural Ceremony. I can't imagine how cold his fingers must have been. It's amazing he could move them at all. I've always loved Yo-Yo Ma, but today he just shot up 200% in popularity points.

So, President Obama, I am behind you 100% as our new President. You are the man for at least the next four years and I'm in your corner. And, by the way, Michelle Obama was completely beautiful today--I'm hoping in her to do great things, too. Here's to a completely awesome day.

Dad's birthday

2009-01-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

Well, today my dad turned 61! Kind of amazing that he is that age. He seems so young, but yet he's looking to retire in just a few years. It just reminds me how quickly life can get away from you. I hope we start to slow our lives down enough to really make the most of the family and friends we have.

Dad, Happy 61st Birthday! I Love You!
Love, Byron

Time with Susie

2009-01-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

Sitting here with Susie, watching as Baltimore lets the game slip away. One thing about her though, she pulls for her team till the end. Finally a true fan! Its pretty great to have a wife that loves and watches football! She does get a little crazy about it though. I sort of feel like I've created a monster, well, me and her brother. She's pretty wonderful - I am so lucky to have been chosen by her to be her husband! Last night I got to see her work with Megan Wright on lessons they are preparing for the girls in our youth group and it was amazing to see her in action. She has a real passion for youth and seeing them make great decisions in their lives. I am so proud of her and thankful that she is such a great person.
Sorry for the Baltimore loss baby! I guess we can all pull for the Arizona Cardinals and the Louisville Cardinals!

Happy Dragons

2009-01-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

So, we took our nephew Tyler to the Franklin-Simpson basketball game tonight. On the way there, he gave me a piece of paper and asked me to draw a dragon for him. So, I drew something that looked a little like this...Proud of my masterpiece (I am a girl, after all, who really can't remember exactly what a dragon looks like), I showed him and said, "Whaddaya think??" With a serious face, he looked me straight in the eye and said, "I don't like happy dragons."

Oh, really? Hilarious. It has been a while since I've laughed that hard.

Baltimore, Baby!

2009-01-10T16:44:00.000-08:00

My Ravens won! Sweet. That was an intense game. I do like the Titans, but not when they're playing my Ravens. Way to go Joe Flacco and Ray Lewis. You guys are trains. Woo hoo!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-31T11:02:00.001-08:00

We wanted to show everyone what our house looked like this Christmas! This is a picture of our tree in the living room. I love this tree because it has all of our ornamnets that we've been given over the years. I love putting it up because we get to remember each person and circumstance as we put the ornament on the tree. It is a prelit one Aunt Susanne gave us last year. I used to think the prelit trees were kind of cop-outs, but after having one, I recommend it to everyone! It is awesome. Nobody likes putting lights on the tree, but yet they are extremely important. So you work for hours. This way, we just fluffed the branches, put on the ornaments (the fun part!), and voila! I love our tree. And I guess that's good, because we probably won't take it down until March.These are our window clingons. Byron loves these. So much, in fact, that he wanted more of them this year. He's so cute! And the cool thing is, he got them! Martha, a youth at our church, made her own window clings and gave us some---we put those on the bathroom mirror...so cute! I will take a picture of those later!
This is the tree in the dining room. It is our houses/musical ornaments tree. You see, my Aunt Susanne started me on the Victorian House series of ornaments at Hallmark in 1985. I have a house for every year since then, plus all of the special anniversay ornaments that they've made. So we decided to display them all together. I love this tree! This year, Aunt Susanne, Mom, Byron, and I went to Hallmark after Christmas, and I saw this "world doorways" ornament. It was the second in the series. I thought it would be an awesome addition to the houses I have, because they all celebrate front doorway decorations in different countries around the world. So, Aunt Susanne started a new series for me! And she found the first doorway on ebay! So, now I have Germany and Mexico! I love the idea of these, because they're something I'll always have and I can pass them on to my children! Very cool. The first picture is at night, and the second picture is during the day so you can see it better.

This is our last tree. It's in our bedroom--it's the "I Love Lucy" tree. I love "I Love Lucy," and so everyone has given me different "I Love Lucy" ornaments throughout the years. I think they make a really cute tree. This is Byron's least favorite because it means he can't get to his side of the bed. He has to crawl into it from the foot of the bed, but I think that's a small price to pay for cuteness.

I really hope the New Year brings you great things and brings you closer to God. That's what I'm hoping for myself. I'm hoping to slow down enough to enjoy all the blessings around me--to spend more time with my family, friends, and my husband. To travel to places I love and places I've never been (this is one of our favorite things to do). And most importantly, to come to know and love God more every day, and to be faithful to Him as He has been to me. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! I love you!

Pictures from Florida--finally!

2008-12-30T22:50:00.000-08:00

Check out the waves! The first day we were there they were amazing!

Those of you who know me won't be surprised that the above picture features birds! They're just so cute! There's no telling how many bird shots I have!

Ah, Florida! The way life was meant to be!

Look at what the crazy waves washed up! No getting in the water today! We could also see big sting rays floating around in the water. This day was spent on the shore--we got to watch a beautiful sunset!

Grr! Byron is looking very manly.

Me laughing, because we are at our third Timeshare Seminar since we've been married. I think we have the word, "Sucker" written on our foreheads. Actually, I'm also laughing because we just signed Scott Turner up to receive phone calls from the timeshare place in order to score ourselves a travel candle. Sweet!

In case you haven't been to the whole timeshare extravaganza, one thing you should know is that, even if you keep saying, "no," at the end, you'll get free stuff! We got two $50 gift cards to restaurants--one of them being this one! YUMMY! It was right on the ocean! We also get to come back for a three night vacation later this year!

We even match and everything!

As you can see, we had about as much fun playing with our food as we did eating it! Can you guess whose meal is who's?

An absolutely perfect day at the beach! I read a book and napped in my fancy chair, and Byron worked on his Sudoku book. In between, we took swims in the Gulf Waters! They are so beautiful!

Here's our Big Red made out of white sand! We wish we had a red towel!! We'll only bore you with this one picture. I think we have like 30. Seriously. Big Red with Byron, Big Red with Susie, Big Red with Sea Gull, Big Red with little surfer dude....well, you get the idea.

Watching the sunset is one of my favorite things to do! Very romantic!

This is the other place we got the $50 gift card to--thank you Wyndham Resorts!

For dessert, they served make-your-own smores! This is a great idea. So fun and so yummy!
Getting ready for a moonlight stroll on the beach! We saw a heron and a sea turtle, but the pictures are too dark to show you!

Another beautiful day!

We went to lunch at a beach restaurant called the Back Porch--you could go in your swimsuit! Here's a picture of our chairs from the Back Porch!

On our way home, we stopped at one of the National Beaches--we saw lots of cool things. The neatest thing, though is what we didn't see (trash, etc.). It was a great ending to our trip!

You can hardly see it, but in this picture is a white (albino??) crab. So awesome. If you can't make it out, just know it's there. Trust us.

We had a great time! Next time, join us! :0)

The Weather Channel

2008-10-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Now, I love the Weather Channel....but today they are not my friend. It was supposed to be sunny all day today and tomorrow. So, naturally, we were so excited about getting up, eating breakfast, and going to the beach all day! We got dressed for breakfast, and walked out the door to CLOUDS and COLD! Did we teleport back to Kentucky? Anyway, I hope they're right that at 12 today it will be ALL sunny! Oh well, regardless, we've relaxed, eaten well, and enjoyed each other's company. What more could we ask for? :)

Fall Break 2008, Baby!

2008-10-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

We are here in sunny ---er, partly sunny---Florida! Destin is awesome, and it's fixing to get moreso, as the sun is beginning to shine! We've taken some pictures, but can't upload them yet....but here is one from the internet that will give you a taste of what the Emerald Coast is like! By the way, if you're ever travelling down this way around this time of year, ask for the "Emerald Coast Special." It saved us $20/night at our hotel. Which, now that I mentioned it, Hampton Inns are wonderful....really sweet rooms and an excellent smorgasboard (i love that word) of breakfast food!! Anyway, here's a picture! We'll be seeing you! :)

Go TOPS!

2008-09-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

We're here in Lexington for the WKU vs. UK football game! Woo hoo! It's double the fun, because we get to see my Aunt Susanne who lives up here, and also my brother David and his girlfriend Bhavini! Plus, we get to watch football live (instead of on our couch), and in Commonwealth Stadium. The last time I was in Commonwealth Stadium was for the Bluegrass State Games back in the day. I'd like to give a shout out to my "Salty Dog" relay team--especially to Bhavini, because you're the only person who would ever possibly read this!

Anyway, we are having a great time already! Today, we're going to Joseph-Beth, the best bookstore in the whole world, and then to Ramsey's (my mouth is watering already--their corn is AMAZING!), and then to the game.

So, go Western!! We know you can do it! We've got the team! We've got the steam! For this is dear old Western's day!

That man of mine...

2008-09-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been forever since I've written here. Lots have happened, but then nothing's really changed. Funny how life happens that way. We went and looked at houses in Franklin yesterday. For the first time together, we looked at the inside of a house and dreamed a bit. Not that we could ever afford that house, and not that we have sold our house yet.....but because we just wanted to think about the possibilities! It was so much fun! It's in Foxchase, a new subdivision in Franklin, and it's super cute! And it has lots of cabinets and drawers....these are things I've come to really appreciate!

The purpose of my writing today is just to say how much I love my husband. He is the most wonderful gift from God! I prayed for him specifically for about 7 years before we ever dated--and he was more than worth the wait. He is a good man--he loves me despite me being unlovable a lot of the time. He appreciates the way I love him. He does the dishes and does a lot of other things to help around the house. He is amazing. And he keeps me laughing! We have a great time, and I love him to pieces. Just wanted to praise him aloud and loud--This is my "I LOVE YOU" from the rooftops!!! :)

Hopefully the next blog won't be too long in coming!

The Beginning and The End...

2008-08-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

I had one of those middle-of-the-night revelations last night....

"And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life." ~Revelation 21:5-7

"By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end." ~Hebrews 1:2

What a wonderful, amazing truth! I guess I've always focused more on the fact that "In the beginning, God..." Because He created everything, we owe Him everything--our very lives! But, because I've focused on that so much, I had never fully given much thought to the comfort that lies in Him also being the End of all things. Because we know the End, and we know that, in the End, God will have (and already does have!!) victory over Satan, this should give us great confidence in the present! He has given us His Holy Spirit as a promise of this coming victory and as our Comforter in this present evil age. Satan and his demonic followers can never overtake or possess believers. He can deceive, but never destroy. We are God's!

"No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours

through Christ, who loved us." ~Romans 8:37

"Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." ~Romans 16:19-20

It is finished! Praise the LORD!

A New Chapter....

2008-07-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

Well, Byron and I are both officially Wildcats now. YAY! We found out yesterday that he is the new Choir/Arts & Humanities teacher at Franklin-Simpson High School! We have both been nervous and unsettled this week. I think it's because we both really wanted him to get this job. It's funny. Two years ago, we both decided to follow what God had placed in our hearts for a long time. Neither one of us really knew what lie ahead or what God had in store. But we decided to go anyway, knowing that He always gives enough light for the step we are on. That was an interesting leap. And, I try to hide it, but I hate change. I even hate good change simply for the fact that things won't be the same as I always knew. So it was a difficult thing for me to leave a place where I was comfortable and where I loved the people I was around. But it was the best thing we ever did. And, now God has paved the way for both of us to be back in Franklin. Our hearts were there already, as God has inclined them to care so much for the youth there. And, now we have the wonderful opportunity of teaching them and being involved in their lives in a positive way.

I have learned so much over the past two years. I have learned that I cannot control my circumstances--even though I still sometimes want to so badly. Along with not liking change, I am also a slight control freak. Anyway, it is good that I don't control my circumstances. God always does an infinitely better job with my circumstances than I ever could. He literally brings "wild honey from the rock" (Psalm 81:16). There were many lean months. There were days that we shouldn't have eaten. But we never went without. God always provided for all of our needs--whether it was through His people (we have a wonderful family, friends, and congregation), or out of the blue (random refund checks in the mail). Another thing I have learned is that God is faithful, even though we are not. There are times when we let busyness, studying, teaching, sleeping, or any other number of things distance us from the God who loves us too much to ever let us go. So, for this season of immense blessing, we give Him all the praise, all the glory, and all of our thanks!

"We will not hide these truths from our children;

we will tell the next generation

about the glorious deeds of the LORD,

about his power and his mighty wonders.

So each generation should set its hope anew on God,

not forgetting his glorious miracles

and obeying his commands."

(Psalm 78:4,7)

"But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done;

I will sing praises to the God of Jacob."
(Psalm 75:9)

I am so excited about what this new season will bring. My prayer is that I will keep learning how to be content with less. (Even though, to celebrate, I bought Mott's applesauce AND the baked Lays that I usually don't buy because they are too expensive). But, wouldn't it be great to be able to finally give to others as we have been given?! I am convicted by the attitudes of the early church, who sold everything they had and gave to everyone who had need. And I am heavy because I know the need is great. After spending a week in NYC, I saw the great need in our own country. Even during the time when we had the least, we had so much more than most of the world. And not just monetarily. We have hope that this world is not all there is. We have a heavenly Father who walks beside us during every season. I am convinced that the world must know Jesus is Lord, but the only way to begin to show His love is to provide for their physical needs first.

Selfishly, I still want a nice house that's neither mine nor Byron's....I want a home that we found together. I want to go to the grocery and not get only the generic items (even though most of the time, there is no difference). I want to travel, I want......The list goes on and on. I think some of this is okay. But I pray that I will never lose sight of those in need, and that I will always be generous--joyfully generous--to anyone that God places in our path.

Back from Baltimore!

2008-07-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Byron and I just returned from a World Music Drumming workshop in Baltimore, Maryland. It was awesome! We learned so much, and I am so excited about taking it back to Franklin! We met a lot of really neat people--some teach in Maryland, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, and even Japan! Meeting them and getting to study the music of Ghana, West Africa, as well as Latin America, and the Caribbean made us realize how big the world is, but also how small. The differences remind us of how great and awesome and infinite God is, and the similarities remind us that we have "One Lord, and one Faith...."

Besides drumming like crazy, we also got to hang out in Baltimore. Baltimore is neat--it's like a southern city in the "north," though I guess they wouldn't consider themselves Yankees or anything. I love all the small, ecclectic restaurants (we visited Paper Moon for dinner and again for dessert, Arco's for Mexican and the best tortilla chips ever, the James Joyce where we and David's friends won trivia night!, John Steven, Ltd. for some amazing crab cakes, Pei Wei, and Camden Yards for some $1 hot dogs and a great game), the culture, and the beautiful harbor! It's Byron's new favorite city. And there is so much history there, which we both love (Federal Hill and Fort McHenry, for example).

Even though we were taking the workshop as a class, we treated it as a mini-vacation. It was fun just hanging out again with my husband and going on dates! We don't get to do that very often in BG...it seems like there's always something (i.e. laundry, grass to be mowed) to be done. I think that's why we love to travel so much. Not only do you get to see new things, but you also get to enjoy what is constant!

The trip also allowed us to stay with my Aunt Susanne in Lexington on our way up there and back! We had a great time there, also! And we ate good! Byron has been spoiled this week in that department.....hopefully he'll still eat the things I can make! We also got to go to my Aunt's church with our friends Maryann and Bryan! She goes to Southland Christian, and it is always wonderful to worship there. If you're ever in Lexington, GO! The message was on the first chapter of James--"Just Duet"--check it out on their website.

On another note, Byron has a job interview on Wednesday--we would really appreciate your prayers. We believe that we're starting to see part of the plan God has for our lives, and are very excited about the possibilities! God has been so incredibly faithful to us, even though we seem to lack in that area. We are so thankful and give Him all the praise for what He has done and what He is doing in our lives!

Me and Dad!

2008-07-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

This is me with my Dad on California's Hollywood Boulevard....he got a picture with two of his favorite gals :0). Most of you who will be reading this know that Dad is having some heart problems right now. The doctors have been wonderful, and so he is doing great right now. We are very thankful that God provided such great treatment and such quick responses! So, here's asking all of you to do what you do best--pray like crazy for a speedy recovery and that he will do all the things the doctors ask him to do after he gets home! He is as stubborn as I am, so.... :o) I love you, Daddy! Glad you're doing good!

Even more NYC...

2008-07-01T12:15:00.001-07:00

Here are more pictures of the worship service we led on Tuesday. These are my little ducklings! :0) If you are curious, we are all in yellow because our message was about the Light of the Glory of God, and how it gives HOPE! But we did wear this all day, and everybody was so cute! I love yellow! It is very happy.Some of our youth mingling with the men at the Bowery!
This is everybody on a bridge in Central Park! "We've been dreaming of a true love's kiss...." This is all of us on the ferry going out to the Statue of Liberty---we are awake now.....on the ride back, it was a very different story!
Our last day at the Bowery was very emotional. We were excited about going home, but were very sad about leaving. One week here made us all very different people than when we came, and we will always be grateful! In this picture, I am presenting them with a picture of us that we all signed, so that they can remember us!

More NYC...

2008-07-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

This is the chapel at the Bowery Mission. We were privileged to lead them in worship on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This was definitely an experience I will never forget.The Bowery also does several outreach ministries throughout Manhattan. They provide a meal and plenty of bread for the people that frequent each place. The first outreach group (with Byron) went to Brighton Beach near Coney Island. They served a primarily Russian community. This outreach is in Tompkins Square Park, and it is a primarily Asian community. Several of our groups went here.

Here's a picture of a bunch of us crammed in the Bowery Outreach van. It was HOT!!! Basically, it is a metal box on wheels....no AC, one bench for seating, and shelves for food.

New York City Mission Trip 2008, Baby!

2008-06-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

June 7-14, we and 5 other brave souls took our Youth Choir up to NYC for a mission trip. We worked in the Bowery Mission, a shelter that provides food, clothing, showers, shelter, and hope through Jesus Christ to the homeless community there. Located in Lower Manhattan (just blocks away from Little Italy and Chinatown), it's doors have literally always been open (24/7) since 1879! This was an amazing experience for us and for all the youth we took. We got to work alongside the men that the Bowery serves in the kitchen, the clothing closet, the shower program, the worship services, and the outreach program! We all learned to really appreciate food, rest, and cool air from wherever it comes! I will upload some pictures as soon as I can with commentary, as most of them, in the words of Ricky Ricardo, "need some 'splainin.'"

This is Jennifer, Beth, Elizabeth, Caroline, me, and Kelli in the food pantry on Monday. They were organizing and labelling fools! :0) Here we are taking a break on our makeshift chairs! (2 big cans of tomato paste really do the trick!)

This is the food line. Each day, we served 2 rounds of breakfast, 2 rounds of lunch, and we often served dinner also! This was one of my favorite parts, because you really got to interact with the people!

Here are Julia, Casey, and Carol helping Marshall in the kitchen. Those grilled cheese sandwiches were AWESOME! And the ravioli was even better!

Katie, Martha, Kristen, Laura, Casey, and Julia celebrate the Swedish Fish and orange slices were got for dessert at lunch on Tuesday. Gummi treats always make for a good day!

Martha, Laura, and others working hard to organize the clothing closet. The amount of donations that came and went every day was unbelievable. Here, we organized the clothes into types and sizes so that they would be ready for the shower ministry later that day. During the shower ministry, men could come in, eat lunch, take a shower, receive new clothes, and even get a haircut if they

wanted!

Jerri folding towels!

This is me, Kathy, Caroline, and Jennifer working on re-stocking the closet on Tuesday!

This is Byron and Aaron working super hard, carrying down hundreds of boxes down three flights of stairs with no air conditioning! All of our guys were superheroes on Tuesday!

Our first post--yay!

2008-06-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone!
This is our first post on our new blog! We'll see how good we are at updating it......hopefully better than I am at facebook! :0) The pictures will definitely come later, as we still have dial-up internet! So, as soon as we can mooch off someone else's good internet, we'll show you what we've been up to! We love you all and hope you're doing well!
Susie and Byron