The Bachelor

I am not a big fan of reality TV overall. I will watch it occasionally and might get into it but nothing like I HAVE TO watch it each week. The exception is The Bachelor. I can't wait for Monday nights.

I kind of want to be on the the show - not to "find love" because I have already found the love of my life, but the experience of visiting amazing places, going on absolutely incredible dates, wearing beautiful clothes etc. As I was watching it last night I was thinking that a lot of those girls are everything that I'm not but occasionally wish I was- first of all they are younger than me but look older, the always have on makeup and look put together. Sometimes I would like to be that "high maintenance" but in all honesty I would rather wear jeans or yoga pants and have my hair in a pony tail. I am drawn to that kind of glamorous life style but when I really think about it I realize I probably wouldn't be happy. I have a wonderful husband that I love - he may not be a model, make tons of money, or be able to take me to castle and a vineyard on a date but he is faithful, sweet, encouraging, funny and mine. Having a closet full of designer clothes and going around the world sounds exciting but it wouldn't take the place of cuddling on the couch with Josh and my sweet baby. I didn't have to go on a tv show to get a chance at true love - instead I worked at ACU Leadership Camps. So, even though I am totally into this show and sometimes wish for that glamour, I wouldn't trade what I have for anything.

I would take roses though.....

Life lately

This is what life the past few days has consisted of:

POOP - Tuesday and Wednesday were full of poop explosions. On Tuesday Addison went through 4 outfits while Josh and I were at work. Then, Wednesday morning I was feeding her in bed and all of a sudden it was all over me and her. Josh was covered when he picked her up to go change her. We had to wash sheets, mattress cover, blankets, clothes, etc. Awesome
BUT I can deal with poop, spit up and anything else since that's the stuff that comes with finally being a mom.

GRAD SCHOOL- I went to a meeting on Tuesday with a grad school advisor. I am looking at a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy program that would mean classes every other weekend and some stuff on line in between. It's a decent price, good schedule and I could be done in a year. However, I'm still on the fence and I think Josh is even more uncertain then I am. I really want to be able to do this and eventually go into private practice to work with kids and families. I also don't want to completely overwhelm myself. I've been really struggling to weigh the pros and cons. I think that if I don't do it now then it may be a long while before I am able to again.
BUT I trust that God has a plan and has given me this passion for social work to help accomplish that plan. We will see where it goes I guess.

MONEY- We have been dealing with some finance and tax issues the last few weeks. Apparently minister's taxes are really hard to do correctly and (once again) Josh's salary was messed up which is now messing up taxes and finances for 2010. I won't bore you with the details. I can honestly say that money problems stress me out possibly more than anything else - especially when, in this situation, there isn't much I can do about it. I had thought we were on a really good track until this new development came to light.
BUT, I know that, as in all things, God will provide. I don't need to have my weekly Starbucks or eat out with a friend once a month. I don't want money to diminish my joy or cause stress.

FAMILY - My sister has still not been able to meet her niece. This frustrated me because Aletheia and I are so close. There are a lot of reasons why this hasn't happen. I had been working on planning a trip to Las Cruces when my mom will be there to so I can finally see Aletheia but it may not work out. I miss my family and being apart is hard.
BUT, whether it happens now or not, I know she will meet Addie eventually. I also know that even though we are far away from all of our family we are loved and prayed for daily.

and last but not least - CLUTTER - My house is ridiculously cluttered, my brain is cluttered, my desk at work is cluttered, my car is cluttered. I have yet to get a handle on keeping things relatively organized while still sleeping, showering, working, cooking, going to the gym and taking care of Addison. There is a lot of my plate and there are things that I can put to the side but it's hard. I feel like many times my environment is a reflection of how I'm feeling - if my house is a mess it stresses me out, when things are clean (clean not spotless and perfect - that may never happen)I feel better. I won't give up working out unless absolutely necessary - it keeps me sane. I shouldn't give up showering, cooking or working. I can't give up taking care of Addie (and wouldn't want to). So, it seems that organization may be what has to go.
BUT I can try my best to be ok with that. Josh is a great helper and really, in the long run it's about people anyway. There is a page from a magazine on my fridge that I found at Christmas time - it says "Make the holidays about being with your baby, not about getting stuff done;" It's after the holidays but I've kept it up there as a reminder of priorities.

More updates and hopefully pictures soon.

K- Kisses (and Photos)

This will be short and sweet but I am thankful for kisses. I am thankful for all of the sweet kisses I get to give my baby and the kisses she will eventually give me (slober and all). I am thankful for the kisses I exchange with Josh - sweet kisses, sexy kisses, playful kisses, etc. I am thankful for kisses.

The pictures were taken by Seasons of Change Photography. Paul Sudbury and Angela (Sudbury) Fleming started a photography business and asked to take our picture for their portfolio. Their prices are great and they do an AWESOME job. If you are in the metroplex area look them up. The email is seasonsofchangetx@gmail.com and they have a website on shutterfly.

The first pics go along with my kissing post...these next ones are just ones that I like! The rest are on facebook!

J-Josh (Anniversary)

6 years ago tonight I was at my rehearsal dinner getting ready to marry the man of my dreams.

Sometimes it seems funny to me that Josh and I have only been married 6 years and have been together for 8 years. When I think about all the things - good and bad that we have experienced together in that time - I am amazed at how much we have grown in that time. My love for this man has grown and changed so much already as we have walked together through some dark trials, I've seen him grow as a youth minister, I've watched him fall in love with our daughter, we've moved away from family and friends, and so many other things. I feel like we continually get to know new things about each other and I love that.

I started to write a list of random facts about Josh and things that I love about him, but we have to leave to drive to Texas tomorrow, I don't want to embarrass Josh and it would be hard to keep the list short. So, I will simply tell you that there are hundreds of things that I love about Josh and countless ways that I have been blessed by him. I am so thankful to have him in my life as my friend and partner.

Here is a quote from a letter he wrote me before we got engaged and that we used in our wedding - "I love you. I'm in love with you. It's like I always loved you, it just took me awhile to find you."

6 years down - A LOT more to go.

One of my favorite pictures...

Birthday, Thanksgiving, the start of Christmas decorations

My birthday 28th and Addie's 2 month birthday were on November 23. The night before my birthday Josh took me out to dinner. He asked a friend who is a restaurant reviewer to suggest some cool places to go for my birthday.We were planning to try a little hole in the wall authentic Italian restaurant but it turned out to be closed on Sundays. So, instead we went to Cheesecake Factory - one of my favorites and where we went the night we got engaged.

For my birthday present Josh (and I guess Addie) gave me a beautiful ring from James Avery. It is a heart that symbolizes a mother's love. It was a wonderful present.


On my actual birthday we went to breakfast (something I love to do) before going to the doctor for Addison's two month check up. She had to get some shots but she was a very brave girl and only cried for a few minutes. I think Josh hated it more than any of us. He hates needles so he hated it even more to see his little girl get them. He decided he was proud that he got through it without yelling at or punching any nurses.

Later that afternoon I got some flowers from my friend Melanie. It was a flower cupcake - very clever. Some other highlights were new running shoes from Josh's parents (more motivation to keep getting in shape), a perfume and necklace that says "Hope" (Addie's middle name) from my dad and step mom. I celebrated my birthday with my mom when I was in Oregon so that was a lot of fun to. She gave me a new yoga mat (more things to help get back in shape).



I went to work Tuesday and Wednesday. It was good to start back on a short week. Addie came with me Tuesday and stayed home with Josh on Wednesday. She will start going to Ms. Connie's house tomorrow.

My brother and sister-in-law were here for Thanksgiving. We had a great time - relaxed, played games (Banana Grams and Balderdash) and watched A Christmas Carole. Krista and I got up to go shopping on black Friday and got some amazing deals.





Today I began to decorate for Christmas - this is what I have so far.....


Tonight we will be going to the Pottberg/Thompson house to see friends of mine (a lot like a second family sometimes).

So - things are good.

Addie's first retreat, fussiness, books and other news

Addie went on her first youth group retreat this past weekend. She did pretty well - I was surprised. Everyone loved her (duh) and she was never lacking in attention. It was kinda funny that when I asked some of the kids if they wanted to hold her they were reluctant and really nervous.

The theme was Glory and we talked about living in God's glory, living for God's glory and reflecting God's glory. It was a little different that the retreats Josh usually plans. God worked powerfully during the weekend. Going on retreats with Josh also always make me think about my own youth group retreats growing up. I love those memories and pray that these kids will be blessed through retreat times like I was.

Once we got home however, Addie has turned into a little bit of a devil child. She started the few days before we left being very fussy. It pretty much stopped over the weekend and now it's worse than ever. I took her to the doctor because I honestly didn't know what else to do. Her cry sounded like a hurt cry, she was not sleeping longer than an hour at time and she wasn't eating as well. The doctor (not our regular one) made Josh and I feel pretty dumb and just said it is normal fussiness. I know all babies get fussy but these seemed different for Addie. Anyway, I guess it is the regular stuff that can set in about 6-8 weeks. Ironically I got a book that I ordered in the mail yesterday - Your Fussy Baby and Healthy Sleep Habits;Happy Child both by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. I started reading the Fussy Baby book today and the first page says this "If you have already delivered your baby and are exhausted, worried or both turn immediately to chapter 7 for a quick background summary and plan of action". I love that. How realistic of Dr. Weissbluth. I don't have time to sit and read two whole books - I don't even have time to take a shower some days. Anyway, I read chapter 7 and while I have realized I am not a fan of parenting books (they stress me out), I love this book already. It is concise, gives options and is not a "my way or the highway" book. It also is encouraging to us as parents, advocates for fathers being involved etc. I'll let you know more as I try to go back and read the rest of the book at some point. I haven't started on the Healthy Sleep Habits yet but it to has a Crash Course chapter.

Addie and I leave Thursday morning to fly to Portland, Oregon for a few days to see her Grammy and Grampy. They are actually staying near Newport Oregon on the coast so once we get to Portland we have about a two hour drive. I'm nervous about how Addie will do but I'm also excited for the trip. I get to go shopping for my upcoming birthday, see the coast (never been to the Northwestern coast), maybe see whales, eat yummy food and spend time with family. So, as long as we don't get kicked off the plane for a crying baby things will be fine. Josh is sad that we are leaving (I'm sad to be leaving him). But, I am a little jealous that he will get 5 nights of uninterrupted sleep.

I am sure I will have lots of pictures and stories when we get back. Pray for patience for me, calmness and peace for Addison and a safe trip.

Pictures

These are a bunch of pictures of the nursery, presents at the church baby shower, me before our false alarm etc. Enjoy!

Grateful

Since the past week has been pretty rough for me, I decided to make a list today of things that I am grateful for right now.

1. Josh - He has been so incredibly patient, understanding and helpful. He also always makes me laugh at just the right times. He will do something silly like poke my belly and then say "Addison likes it. She told me"

2. My Mom - She has now been here for almost two weeks. This is longest she has ever been apart from her husband Larry and I know that is a huge challenge for both of them. She has made me meals, cleaned my house and hugged me when I cry. She will be here until Addie comes and then for a little while afterwards. It was hard to be pregnant when she was in Alaska and Canada all summer and even though we weren't sure when Addie will come she decided to come early just in case and to help out.

3. Swimming - I have loved being in the water the last few weeks. I don't necessarily notice that my belly feels a lot lighter when I get in the water, but once I get out I definitely notice that it feels heavier.

4. Books- I have always loved to read but while being pregnant reading has been a sanity saver sometimes.

5. My boss and my team at work - The agency I work for is small and my foster care team that I work directly with is 3 other women and my boss (the only man in the whole agency). They have been incredibly flexible and supportive during the whole pregnancy but especially the last few weeks while my work schedule had to change and now I'm working from home.

6. Sonic Ice - One of my favorite things has been to get a large water with lemon and then eat the ice.

7. Foam Rollers - if you don't know what this is - sorry, it is a little hard to describe but it is a dense foam cylinder that I use to stretch. It works wonders on my hips and thighs when they are sore. I got mine at my gym but they also have them at target.

8. Bath and Body Works Sugar Scrubs - they feel so good and have helped exfoliate and moisturize my skin (especially my belly) so it doesn't itch.

9. Linda - this is the nurse practitioner that I see every other doctor's visit. She is so sweet and patient with all of my questions. She has seen me off and on throughout our whole history of the miscarriages etc and that always makes me feel better.

10. Other people - Our church family and friends have been so supportive! I was overwhelmed at the generosity at our baby shower and so many people offer to help with anything. It has been good for Josh to know that there are also people who can help out with youth group stuff when ever he is home with me.

That's it for now. There are so many more things that I have been thankful for but I am needing to take a nap. Hopefully Ms. Addison will decide to come meet us soon!

Josh's Blog

My husband has finally started a blog. He has toyed with this idea off and on for awhile and decided to actually go for it. He wanted to have a mix of a "preacher blog" with devo thoughts, spiritual insights etc and a blog just to update on his life, share etc.

If you are interested the address is http://theblogofjoshjones.blogspot.com/

I will update with some pictures of showers hopefully soon.

As of today Ms. Addison still hasn't decided to come out but I'm still hopefully it will be soon. I'm getting increasingly uncomfortable and having more contractions even though they are still little.

I'll keep everyone updated!

At last...

Nursery Pictures are here!

The room started out light blue. Josh spend a few days putting primer on the walls-


Then when my dad was here, he and Josh painted the walls a yellow that matched the bedding -



Then, Josh and I found a tree graphic that we agreed on. He projected and traced it on the wall, then painted in the brown. It was a tedious and tiring process but he was so excited about doing and sweet even when his shoulders and back were sore.


Finally, we put up the wall stickers that matched the bedding and they look great. I decorated the lamp I found to match. I made the three frames that are on the wall by using a window valance that came with the bedding that was too small - I cut up the fabric and covered the frames. The picture album is one I bought and put Addison's name on the cover. I am so excited to be able to put pictures in so she can see what we did to get ready for her to be here. The bunny's name is Flopsy. Josh and I went and made her at Build-A_Bear as a present to Addie from us. The whole thing has come together and I love it, love it, love it. The only thing missing (besides Addison of course) is a glider that I hope to get. I can't wait to sit and rock in the room with her and even before she gets here.

Mission Trip Update

A lot has happened since I updated everyone about Josh's trip. They stayed in Grand Junction for 2 days before heading out again. In Montrose, CO they prayed with police officers after 2 fellow officers were wounded and one was killed during a domestic violence situation. From there they went to Moab and were able to help several families who had car trouble on the way. After staying the night in Moab (where God provided a camp group with the exact number of spaces left at a discount for the night) they met a man named Warren who needed a ride to Fruita, CO. They gave him a ride, helped him fill a prescription and set him up with a place to stay.

That night the group ended up in Vermal, CO where they stayed at a local church. The next morning they went to another local community church to see if they knew of any service needs. The pastor immediately mentioned an elderly disabled woman who had lots of yard work that needed to be done. Josh and the group mowed her yard as well as her neighbor's yard. They also replaced part of the roof on her car port that was badly rotted. The woman was not home while they were doing this but they ended up meeting her later when a few of the girls went to a near by nursing home to visit with residents there. It turns out that the woman who owned the house was there visiting a few old friends for the day. The church that suggested this project to them was very welcoming and not only made the group lunch but the pastor stayed and worked with them and then insisted they stay at the building that night.

Today the are headed back east to eventually be home tomorrow night. I know the group (kids and adults) has learned several great lessons about trusting God, opening your eyes to the needs of others, and the support of the Christian community. They have been blessed with lots of free meals and places to stay wherever they have ended up. I will most likely do another post next week about how everything ended up etc.

Favorite Things

My friend Ashley has been blogging weekly about some of her favorite things and it inspired me. I won't be doing it on a regular basis but thought I would share a few today.

#1. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion - I have used this after surgeries to help with scars and in the winters when it gets so dry in Colorado. While being pregnant I have loved it! I'm not sure if it does more good than a regular lotion would but I like to think so. Josh always tells me I smell like chocolate when I have it on.


#2. Pina Colada gelato - One of the things I have been craving is anything tropical (that does not include alcohol). Pina Colada gelato has been something I have been indulging in lately. It is super yummy and healthier than regular ice cream. Mine doesn't look this pretty though.


#3. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Tinted Moisturizer - This is my summer favorite. I have to wear a little makeup for work but don't like it to be to thick in the summer. This is a perfect tinted lotion!


#4. LemonHeads - Josh laughs at me because I ate a few lemon heads one day and have been wanting them ever since.


#5. Peaches - Yes, another food...Colorado's Palisades Peaches are so so yummy. I am gong to order a box from a local farm that I should get in August. I don't like to eat peaches like you would an apple because the fuzz hurts my lips so I usually cut it up and eat it with a fork. Random, I know.


#6. Presents - This is totally selfish but I have come to appreciate presents that are just for ME and not for Addison. I know that the stuff for Addison is really for me too but I have gotten a few smaller "grown up" presents lately that have really made my day.



#7. JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores - I like to just go in here and walk around to get ideas, dream up projects etc. I start thinking of things to make for Christmas presents each summer. This year I may have to get started sooner than I normally would on making things. This store can be a creative person's paradise.


That's it for now. Thanks for listening!

God is so powerful!

This morning Josh, 2 other adults, the intern Nicole and a group of the high schoolers left to go on an "As We Go" mission trip. If you went to ACU this is based off of Seek and Follow. They will just drive places, picking directions or destinations as they stop periodically. The purpose is just to see what God has in store for them and who they can find to help. They threw a dart at a map and decided to head for Northwestern Colorado. On the way they helped an older couple moving from Vermont to Califortnia. They got to Grand Junction this afternoon and had been struggling to find something to do. Josh called me about an hour ago and said that they may just find camp sites and turn in for the night because they were getting frustrated. They decided to stop at one more big community church whose Saturday service just let out. A few of the group went in to talk to someone and see if there was something they could help with. They talked to the Children's Minister who started crying because they had agreed to serve at a homeless shelter the next day and not one person had signed up to help! The church also needed a big multi purpose room painted and help working at a camp in the moutains! The group will stay at the church tonight, serve breakfast and lunch at the homeless shelter and then paint their room tomorrow. They may even stay in Grand Junction until Monday or Tuesday to help out. It hasn't even been 24 hours yet and they are already seeing how God's plans are so, so much bigger than ours.

I will keep you all updated through out the week but wanted to go ahead and share this story. Please pray for Josh and his group as they continue on this adventure this week.

Summer pics

These are a bunch of pictures from the summer so far. The first hiking pictures are in Rocky Mountain Park where Josh and I went last week. Then there are pictures of Rockies game on the 4th with the youth group.








The pictures of my brother, sister-in-law and I are from the Sunday before Kadesh.



These last two pictures are this morning at 27 weeks!

My favorite day of the week

Thursday mornings are one of my favorite parts of the week. That's when Josh and I go on a breakfast date. We started this about a year ago when we realized that there were few days that we were home together for dinner because of both of our work schedules, elders meetings, yoga class etc. These breakfast dates are a time that we can spend together hanging out, catching up on the week and just talking. We have one or two places that we go to but I also like to try out new places that I find.

These mornings are such a blessing to me and I hope this is something we will be able to continue for a long time.

Josh Turns 30

Last Friday Josh turned 30! At first I wanted to do a big surprise party but he is really hard to surprise and the logistics just were not working out. Instead, I told him that we were going to dinner and that a few other people might join us. Really it was about 15 other people who came and he was not expecting that at all. We went to ESPN Zone which Josh loves. Originally we thought the Mavs/Spurs playoff game might be on but the Mavs won the series the game before. That was probably a good thing since I don't think Josh would have been able to pay very much attention to the game.

I had 3 other surprises and presents for Josh. The first was a t-shirt quilt that my mom started working on in October. I picked out the shirts, bought all the fabrics and planned most of the layout and my mom hand quilted it together. Josh knew that I was going to get him a t-shirt quilt someday and in the process of us moving kept saying things like "this shirt should definitely go in a quilt". Several times I wanted to yell at him that it was already being made.
I also put together a book of birthday letters people had written to Josh. The original plan was 30 letters for a 30th birthday. I think I ended up with about 28. There are a few that still may come in so I can add them. I bought a stack of 8x8 cardstock that was in coordinating patterns and colors, put all the letters on pages and then had it bound at Kinkos. I have to say, I was pretty proud of how it turned out. So many of the letters and memories people wrote made me laugh - one in particular was from Josh's Grandmother and was about the time he hid in her car and called him mom a mean step-mother.
The last surprise was really his big present. For several years Josh has been saying that he wanted a new flat screen tv. The one we had was old and occasionally the colors were really off. He kept saving birthday and Christmas money to put towards it but didn't have enough and ended up getting other things instead. So, my plan was instead of just collecting money from family members and give him that, I would actually go out and buy a tv to give him. I talked to his mom and she thought it was a great idea since it is always more fun to actually give a present rather than a gift card or money. I found an amazing deal at Ultimate Electronics and had the tv stored at a friend's house. I wrapped up the receipt and the warranty information for him to unwrap. He was surprised and couldn't wait until the next morning when we got to go pick it up.

All in all it was a good birthday. There are some pictures below!

Oh, I forgot that Josh also got to get a new car the night before his birthday. You may remember that his was totaled by a drunk driver while parked on the street. So after a long long insurance ordeal he got a 2004 Nissan Xterra and it is awesome.