Catch-Up

This post is a catch-up post of the major events in our lives this past year.

On the last day of school, June 2, 2011 I took a pregnancy test, and to my shock and surprise, it was positive! I honestly took the test simply to get the idea of being pregnant out of my head. Because of some blood work I had taken earlier in the month, my mind knew it wasn't possible, but other signs were trying to tell me "just maybe..." I immediately woke up Steven, who was also equally as surprised and thrilled! I went on with my last day of school like usual, but in the back of my head, I kept thinking, "Is this for real?!" I had a staff development day the next day, finished packing my classroom away for the summer, so there was little time to think about the words, "Pregnant." When I got home from school on June 3, I took another pregnancy test (same brand) and it was still saying "Pregnant." (It literally said the word. I had bought the digital kind because I didn't want to have to figure out if I was seeing two lines or one. I wanted something simple.) I did however call the doctor on Thursday to try and schedule and appointment. Since I HAD to be at school for the last day and the doctor's office closes early on Fridays, I couldn't get an appointment that week. Steven and I were out of town the next week, and then the next week my doctor was completely booked because she had been out of town and was playing catch up. We finally scheduled our first appointment for Thursday, June 23.

Steven and I then left on Sunday, June 5 to go on the high school mission trip to Washington, D.C. I was tired this week, but still wasn't sure if it was due to pregnancy or simply the miles of walking we did each day. I left the trip a few days early so that I could be in a friend's wedding. The week after the wedding, I had a few staff development workshops and Steven was super busy getting ready for middle school camp. I did take another pregnancy test on June 17 (a different brand), and it still showed up positive. I was beginning to think that by a miracle, I truly was pregnant. Steven left for middle school camp the following week, June 19-24, but he was able to sneak away for our doctor's appointment on the 23rd. We still hadn't told a single soul. We wanted to get to the doctor first to make sure it was for real. My appointment at the doctor's office was equally nerve-wracking and thrilling at the same time. Although I had tried not getting my hopes up too much, it was hard to keep myself from thinking about when our baby may be born. Well...Dr. Hampton gave us our first sneak at our little gummy bear, and there it was, wiggling around with strong heartbeat! On one hand, it was so surreal that I was actually pregnant, but on the other hand it seemed so natural to see my little peanut on the screen. I had thought I was 10 weeks at this point, but the gummy bear was measuring right at 9 weeks, so my due date was set for January 26, 2012. Steven had to return to middle school camp for one more night, but we made plans to tell the family the next day. (I had already been plotting the way to surprise them all).

On Friday afternoon, Steven and I went to my parents' house. I think we made up some type of excuse about wanting to give them a little happy before their trip to Alabama. (Not to sure on these details.) Anyways, I had found someone on Etsy to make a t-shirt for my mom that said, "Granna's Fab Five." On the shirt were 4 little kids that looked like Jacob, Julianne, Latham, and Addyson with their names listed. In the middle was a gender neutral looking baby with the name "Baby Miori" underneath it. We gave my dad a Mercer Mayer book called "Grandma, Grandpa, and Me." We wrote a little note from the baby about how excited he/she was to get to one day spend time with Granna and Pops. My mom of course cried, and both of them were so excited for us. Neither one could believe how far along I was and that we were just then telling them. :) Next stop was Steven's parents' house. His brother was still in town, so we were able to say we had a late birthday gift for him (which was true). Instead of giving Michael a typical birthday card, we gave him an "uncle" card. I had found two different grand-parenting books (per Focus on the Family's recommendations) to give to Louis and Michelle. We told them that they were little happies for our Colorado trip that we would soon be taking. The plan was for all 3 of them to open them at the same time. However, Michelle, being her typical selfless self, tried waiting for everyone else to go first. :) Louis and Michael immediately caught on what was happening, but it took a second for Michelle to catch on that the grand-parenting book was for her! To say they were excited would be an understatement! We then texted Jenn (she was on the road for a music tour) a picture that said, "Aunt Jenn's #1 Fan. Debuting January 2012." She couldn't believe it either. We still had two more stops, my brother and sister's house. I had made each of them a calendar of 2012, but starting with December and leading to January. Each month said whose birthday it was and how old that person/child would be. The last line was January 2012-Baby Miori is born! Kristen, knowing what this was, immediately took the cover off the calendar to read the bottom. I think she screamed. Justin was excited but tried not to show it too much. :) Jaime and Nick couldn't believe it. Jaime was glad that we would be having a January baby since no one in our family has a birthday in this month. (Jaime and I always joke around that we need to have babies in these few months so that we can have a birthday and family get together every month.) January wasn't necessarily planned, but I was also excited that I had done my "duty." It was such a special time, telling each family member this life-changing news. There had been times that I wondered if I would ever get to share this joy with them, so I was beyond grateful to be able to share this with each one of them. We made all of the swear to secrecy because we didn't want the world knowing until I made it through my first trimester.

My first trimester came and went effortlessly. I had absolutely no sickness. Looking back, I was exhausted, but thankfully, it was during the summer so I could take a nap when I wanted to.

Stay tuned for the details of the gender reveal party. :)

Panama City...Here We Come

Steven and I leave tomorrow for high school camp in Panama City, Florida! We will be riding the bus, but don't worry, I have a new book to read, so I will be ok. :) Pray that the Lord breaks students, stirs their hearts, and draws them closer to Himself this week. 

Chicago

Steven and I spent last week in Chicago on a mission trip with the high schoolers. We left Sunday, July 4 and returned on Sunday, July 11. There were 124 people in our group, including sponsors. It was truly an amazing week and the Lord revealed Himself multiple times in multiple ways.


We started off the week by grabbing dinner in Chicago. Our ministry team (12 people total) headed off for some Chicago-style pizza at Gino's. Unfortunately, the rest of the city also had this idea, and our group did not want to wait 2+ hours for pizza. After walking aimlessly in the streets, we finally found a random place to eat called Boston Blackie's. It was nothing special, and I probably wouldn't go there again, but we only had to wait about 25 minutes, so it was worth it. We then headed towards Navy Pier in an attempt to meet with the rest of the CFBC group. Because there were so many people going to the pier, the pier had been shut down and they were turning people away. As we were walking towards the Pier and about to be turned away, one of the police officers asked if we were part of a group. Steven, being our fearless leader, said, "Ya, we're part the group." We're still not sure if we were part of the 'group' the officer was referring to, but our team and another team made it through. :) We encountered several other police officers who tried turning us away, but we simply said we were part of the group, flashed our badges (which held nothing more than a name tag and 'L' pass), and voila, we made it to Navy Pier. The original plan was for all 10 CFBC teams to meet at the Pier, but we only found two other teams. We hung out on the grass until the fireworks started. We had to all move forward because the trees were in our way, but we at least got to see the fireworks. They were wonderful!!


Dave Miller and I were the leaders for the soccer camp. However, each morning we worked in a different area of ministry. On Monday morning, July 5, our team headed to Uptown Baptist Church and helped unload the truck that carried all of the ministry supplies, tools, snacks, etc. 

Unloading the truck @ Uptown

We then headed to our ministry site at Circle Urban. However, because it was a holiday, Circle Urban was closed and we were unable to unload all of the sports equipment or canvas the area. We found some lunch at a local place called MacArthur's. It tasted like good 'ole country food. Apparently its quite a famous place in Chicago. There pictures of Barack visiting there, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, and several other famous people. On Monday evening, our team helped out with a local ministry called GRIP (Gospel, Relationships, Immersion,  Prayer & Preparation). The parents of GRIP's volunteer coordinator are members at CFBC. This ministry truly impressed me. The ministry was founded to counter-effect the effects of a fatherless society. They are located right next to Cabrini-Green, one of the roughest areas in Chicago. GRIP connects kids from this area with Godly mentors who pour into their lives, with the goal of introducing these kids to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Every Monday night, GRIP has an event called SLAM (Saving Lives through Athletic Ministry). Our group helped out with SLAM. It was awesome and inspiring to hear some of the kids' talk about how Christ had changed their lives and listen to the goals they had for their lives.

SLAM

Tuesday morning our group headed out to Pacific Garden Mission. It was fun being able to return to Pacific Garden after going there in 2003 when I was a senior. It was so evident that the Lord's hand is on this ministry. They have been ministering to the homeless and needy of Chicago since 1877. Wow! They recently built a brand new 150,000 square foot facility. Pacific Garden receives no government or state support and never does annual campaigns or fundraisers for support. Our group had the opportunity to help prepare lunch in the huge kitchen; others helped prepare the compost, which Pacific Garden eventually sells both the soil and the worms; others worked in stock room sorting the good potatoes from the bad ones. We were given a tour by a man who is now on staff full-time at Pacific Garden, but just five years ago, he came to Pacific Garden needing help. His testimony is filled with brokenness, sin, horror, and heartache, but he said that he wouldn't give any of it up because it has brought him to where he is today with the Lord.  Wow! How often do I wish some of my circumstances were different or easier, but my life has not even known an ounce of the pain and hurt this man has gone through in his life. I am so thankful we go to meet Gerald, and to be able to witness first-hand how God's saving grace can truly transform a life. Tuesday afternoon we headed back to Circle Urban to do some canvassing and then start our sports camp. We only had one little boy named Eric who came to the soccer camp on the first day, but he was a delight.

Wednesday morning our group headed to the grocery store to buy food for Wednesday's dinner and the night ministry stop. In the afternoon, we had our sports camp again, and 6 kids came. However, a few of the little girls were more interested in doing our hair and drinking Gatorade then actually playing soccer. :) On Wednesday night, our group was able to be part of a Night Ministry stop. Essentially, this organization goes around to different parts of Chicago each night, and hands out a free meal to anyone who needs it. It was a different crowd of people than I think our students were used to being around, but I was so proud to see how they came out of their comfort zones and interacted with a group of people that most of society probably chooses to ignore. I recognize that a lot of the homeless are on the streets as a consequence because of bad choices they have made, but regardless, they are still human and deserve to be shown God's forgiveness and love. My prayer for the people we met on Wednesday night is that they will remember feeling truly loved and valued, maybe for the first time in a long time, and the the Lord will use this to call them to Himself. For we know that one meal is only a temporary fix; only God's grace can truly save them.

Thursday morning our group headed back to Uptown Baptist Church. We worked at the home of one of Uptown's pastors. Our team and a few other teams helped clean up the overgrown yard and house. The family had a very impressive garden growing, including squash, zucchini, onions, strawberries, watermelons, dill, basil, thyme, okra, and so many other fruits and vegetables. While working in the garden, I realized that I really do like pulling weeds, it's just the Houston heat that I hate. :) Thursday afternoon we returned to Circle Urban for soccer, and had about 4-6 kids again. Thursday evening was a free night, and our group finally made it to Gino's!

Group at Gino's (Front Row, L to R: Shannon Coyle, Danielle Sessions, Allison Wolden, Hannah Krob, J. D. Moore; Back Row, L to R: Me, Sean Darron, Ryan Boss, Karl Solomon, Hayden Jefferies, Samantha Jacobs, Dave Miller)

Friday morning was probably my personal favorite ministry day. We went to this ministry called 'Living Room Cafe.' The Living Room Cafe opened its doors to men and women who needed a free breakfast. Our group had the privilege of waiting on and serving these men and women. I truly had so much fun (I've secretly always wanted to be a waitress...at least for a few days). :) Seriously though, serving these people and seeing how the act of service made their day, reminded me of why the Lord has called us to serve in the first place. Serving was His idea. We are here to be His hands and feet to those who need him. Friday morning reminded me how great it feels to serve with my whole heart! Friday afternoon we had our soccer camp again, followed by a community wide-carnival. We had all different games set-up, music, dancing, hot dogs, and even puppet show. The best part of all, was that the carnival was completely free! I loved watching our students interact, mingle, and serve this group of people

Saturday was our free day. :) Our entire group divided into different groups, and Chelsea stuck together. We hung out at Navy Pier for awhile, I tried a smoothie from Starbucks (don't recommend that), and then headed over to the Magnificent Mile. We only had a little bit of time, so we popped into Banana Republic, but had no success there. After grabbing some lunch, we headed back to Navy Pier and met up with a group of girls to watch Cirque du Soleil Shanghai. It was pretty impressive. Not as good as the one in Disney World, but I'm still glad we went. After the show, Chels, the girls, and I headed back to the Magnificent Mile. We bee-lined it towards H&M...and there, I found victory. :) Seriously, I bought 3 items (a tank/dress, a shirt, and a little cardigan) for $45!! That is incredible, especially if you consider that sales tax in Chicago is 11%! Saturday night, the seniors led the entire group in a sweet time, as we remembered the sacrifice on the cross and partook in the Lord's supper.

After this trip, I really feel like a know a lot of the kids in the youth group. I think it has helped that I have been in The Lodge every Sunday, and then I had this opportunity to serve alongside some of them. I am so thankful that the Lord has called Steven and I to this church, in this position, and for the blessings He continually bestows upon us. In all, the trip was refreshing. It refreshed my passion for serving Him and serving alongside my husband; refreshed my relationships with the students; and just simply refreshed me.

*Are you wondering what Steven did all week? He was one of the three best chauffeurs in all of Chicago. Seriously though, he was in charge of transferring groups all across Chicago when the 'L' wouldn't take them where they needed to be. He was able to be part of all the different ministry activities that our kids were a part of this week.

Middle School Camp

This is my first post. I have no idea if anyone will read this blog, but I wanted a way to document the everyday stuff in our lives. Steven and I are so blessed, and I never want to forget that. Hopefully this blog will be an ongoing way to share our lives with friends and family, and a way to remember our journey together.

Steven has been at middle school camp this week at Carolina Creek in Huntsville, TX. He left on Saturday to set up the stage, and he returned on Sunday after church to help the band set up all of its equipment. Because I am tutoring two kids this summer and I had a workshop Tuesday morning, I couldn't join him until Tuesday night. The stage and lights look incredible! Steven truly did an amazing job. He is the camp videographer this week, and is doing a wonderful job as well. (Side note: It has been so fun watching Steven discover his talent in graphic design and videos this past year. He really has a gift.) I made it to camp just in time for the night worship service. The camp speaker is John Wills, who used to be CFBC's youth pastor and is the pastor who baptized me. It was great getting to reconnect with him. He did an awesome job and our middle schoolers are lucky to have him this week. I was able to be at camp all day on Wednesday. I rode on the four-wheeler with Steven as he went around videoing the different rec periods. During free time, Chelsea and I decided to try the "tree top." This is essentially walking across different cables and logs, attached with only a harness, but you are literally as high as the tree tops. Not gonna lie, it was pretty scary at first. I turned a quarter of a century and apparently new fears developed. :) Chels and I survived, amidst several bouts of nervous laughter. I stayed through the night on Wednesday, and drove home today (Thursday). Steven gets home tomorrow. Hooray!

On Tuesday, our friend, Melanie had her baby, Avery! I can't wait for Steven to get home so that we can go meet Billy and Mel's beautiful daughter. Tonight, our other great friend, Lindsay, had her son Garrett. Steven and I are going to meet Garrett and see Linds and Daniel at the hospital tomorrow.