Day of Prayer

Tomorrow, February 28th, we are calling our closest friends and family members (our prayer warriors) to join us in a day of prayer for our daughter, Ansley Elise. Would you take some time tomorrow to approach the throne of our mighty God on her behalf? We know many of you remember her and us on a daily basis but we wanted to set aside a special day. Tomorrow will mark exactly one month until her expected arrival (March 28th). We have been praying for her since before she was even conceived and we want to bathe her and our family in prayer during these last days of pregnancy. At a time when it is easy to fear the unknown or choose anxiousness over peace, we are believing that God doesn't have to TRY to do supernatural things...He IS supernatural. He has invited us to trust in Him during this season of life. We are expecting nothing but supernatural invasion! We are asking that the circumstances here on earth (surrounding the start of labor, the actual labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery) will align with Heaven. We are trusting that the labor, delivery, and Ansley's life will be a shadow of Heaven and that God, in response to our prayers, will bring His World into ours.
In praying, believe with us in the Word that promises us "I will give you the keys of Heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in Heaven."
In case some of you would like specifics, pray along with us for:
-a complication free labor/delivery
-a medication free labor/delivery
-wisdom to make medical decisions that are in the best interest of Ansley and Karen
-a joy-filled and memorable labor/delivery
-a whole, healthy, peaceful, and content daughter
-safety for Karen & Ansley before, during, and after delivery
-wise doctors and nurses
-peace and wisdom for Jon as he coaches Karen through labor
-success with breastfeeding
-Ansley to grow into a woman of strong convictions, unwavering purity, and unblemished character, who devotes her life to knowing Jesus and giving her life for His glory
-That our new family will walk in the fullness of all God has for us and that as parents we would model an environment of prayer, expectation, and encounter

Thank you for your prayers! We love you all!

Friends Baby Shower

My wonderful friends, Brandi, Ashley, and Annie hosted a baby shower for me last Sunday. I value their friendship so much and appreciate them making the shower so special for me. I have learned so much about motherhood from them. They are all amazing mommies and I am so grateful I have them in my life. Thanks, Brandi, for opening your beautiful home for the shower. I wish I had taken more pictures but I was too busy chatting with the girls! Thanks to everyone who took the time to be there. I appreciate your sweet gifts for Ansley and your precious friendship! I love you all! As you can see, Ansley got some great baby items! She will enjoy her Baby Einstein blocks, wooden maze, bath products, initialed burp cloths, sleep positioner, and Tiny Love play mat! Thanks also to those of you who couldn't make it but sent your congratulations and more gifts for Ansley. Julianna, the digital thermometer, diaper rash cream, and bottle drying rack we received in the mail will be so useful! Thanks everyone for blessing us!

Maternity Photos

It is hard to believe in less than 6 weeks we will welcome Ansley Elise into our home. We wanted to have some maternity pictures to remember my pregnancy with our first daughter. Enjoy the pictures!

Happy Birthday Dad!

I love my Dad so incredibly much! He is one amazing husband, son, father, and friend. The thing I admire most about my dad is the love he has for His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My dad is the most gentle, humble, hardworking, family loving, gracious, generous, wise, responsible man I know! There are so many things I adore about my dad...things that he did for me, things that he continues to do, and things that have always been a part of who he is! Here are a few of the many things I love about my dad:

-He is a great advice giver
-His funny and sometimes corny jokes
-His love of History
-His love of Western movies
-His desire to take our family to every state in the U.S. so we could share his love of travel...now we all love to travel!
-His vacation planning skills...he always took us to the greatest places!!!
-His generosity
-His strong work ethic
-Always being willing to do what the "girls" wanted to do (living in a house with three women must have been hard...especially when two of them were teenagers at the same time!)
-His service to the Kingdom
-His love for Jesus
-His passion to be involved in ministry (mission trips, AWANA, church service, etc.)
-That he calls me on the phone just to see how I am
-That he tells me he is proud of me all the time
-His amazing ability to answer practically every Jeopardy question correctly
-His love for the outdoors
-For taking us camping when we were young...no wonder we love it now
-For introducing me to Mexican food (I can remember the first time he took us out for Mexican...now I can hardly go a week without it!)
-His soft, gentle voice
-His love and devotion to my mom for over 30 years of marriage
-That he gave Jon his blessing to marry me and I am so blessed to spend each day with my incredible husband and best friend
-That he and my mom blessed me with an incredible education that allowed me to get my Bachelor degree and Masters degree
-That he and my mom gave me the most beautiful wedding in the world!
-That he taught me to ride my bike without training wheels
-That he has always been sympathetic when I've needed him to be...he always has cared about my feelings
-That he believes in me
-That he took me and Kerri to school every morning from the time we were three until we went to high school
-That he took us out to breakfast before school as long as we would get ready quickly and not spend too much time on our bangs in middle school! Ha!
-That he endured me and Kerri coming to his pharmacy and hanging out every afternoon after school until my mom could pick us up when we were younger
-That he was my first official "boss" when I worked at his pharmacy in high school
-That he read and corrected countless English papers and school reports often the night before they were due!!
-That he layed on the floor in my room for countless nights when I was six years old and held my hand until I fell asleep in my bed because I was afraid to go to sleep alone
-His prayers for me everyday of my life...unknown to him there have been a few times where I've opened the door to my parents bedroom late at night only to find my dad kneeling beside the bed talking to Jesus
-His unending love for me and our family

I love you with all my heart Dad! You are a terrific Dad and I cannot wait to introduce Ansley to her Papa! Just don't let her take my place!!! May God bless you and may your next year be the best yet!

"Showered With Love" from my co-workers!

It is rare for a person to love going to work everyday. It is unique for a person to have coworkers that are like family. It is a privilege to work with people whom you can share the fun of teaching with and at the same time share life with. I am one who is blessed to work among such women. We enjoy a passion for teaching, children, and changing lives while at the same time on a personal level we enjoy talking about marriage, celebrating the births of our children, giving each other advice, going out for girls nights, and sharing the joys and struggles of teaching :)

Today, I was showered with love from my sweet co-workers. I also shared a shower with my great friend at school who is expecting twin girls in June! We both teach kindergarten and our 10 other kindergarten teacher friends hosted the shower for us. They did a beautiful job decorating the library and after school we enjoyed some yummy food and had fun opening lots of little girl gifts!! We both were wanting to purchase car seats and strollers (travel systems) for our little girls from Babies R Us and we were both blessed to receive many gift cards to be able to make such a big purchase! I also received some adorable gifts: onesies, monogrammed bib/paci clip/blanket/burp cloth, hats, gowns, bath products, handmade bracelet for Ansley, and many other cute things!

On a side note, ever since I've been pregnant both friends and strangers ask me the all familiar questions...."When are you due?" "Is it a boy or girl?" "How are you feeling?" and then comes the kicker..."So, are you going back to work after she is born?"I can almost sense the hesitation in their voice as they ask it. When I tell them "Yes, I will be going back in August when she is about four and half months old," it's interesting because it is more often than not met with a look of disapproval or as if this choice is "second best." Jon and I have made the decision that is best for our family, our vision, and our daughter. Yes, it will be hard at times to leave her but at the same time it would be just as hard and costly to ignore the calling I have to both minister inside and outside of our home. I am choosing to live out my mission and our family mission of "giving life by serving, loving, and impacting the next generation to influence the world for Christ Jesus." In this way, I will impact both my students lives AND Jon and Ansley's lives. Some people have even asked me, "So, why do you choose to minister in the workplace?" and this is why...Paul tells the Thessalonians that anyone who has an ability to work should do so (where the work happens does not matter to God...all "jobs" are equal...no matter if you work in an office, on Wall Street, in a hospital, a mission field, a home, etc.). It is God's mandate for every believer and is the place where we can best express the nature of God in everyday life. My work allows me to demonstrate integrity. My work allows me to provide for my family and others in need. My work allows me to often connect with non-believers. My work allows me to live out His calling upon my life. My work allows me to experience His power in the midst of daily challenges. My work can be a place of worship when I do it with a motive to glorify Him. My primary call is to know Jesus and serve Him. My secondary call is to influence the fields of family and education for His glory! Thank you, Jesus, for giving me the privilege of working everyday with my co-workers. Thank you all for your generosity today! I pray I'm as much of a blessing to you all as you are to me!

Attitude Adjustment Anyone?

These days I rarely watch television, but yesterday I tuned into Oprah and I am so glad I did. I met, Monica Jorge, a woman's whose strength, attitude, and perseverance are remarkable. I wept as I listened to her remarkable story.

Just after having a c-section and giving birth to her second daughter, Monica contracted a flesh-eating bacteria (streptococcus) that can literally dissolve inches of tissue and kill internal organs in minutes. A team of surgeons took her uterus, ovaries, gall bladder, and part of her colon knowing that she would probably not survive. Later, she had to have both her arms and legs amputated. Monica has endured 37 surgeries, lost four limbs, lost several organs,and could not even hold or feed her newborn daughter without help...YET...she CHOOSES to pursue life, joy, and perseveres in spite of her circumstances. Many newspapers and shows are following her story because unlike many people who lose all of their limbs and show early signs of depression and lack the urge to fight, Monica's doctors and the hospital staff who cared for her say that she never complained, said "why me", or doubted that she could fully recover.

To watch the footage of Monica going about her day caring for her two young daughters, using her prosthetic arms to lift her baby out of the crib, spending three hours writing checks and paying bills with her prosthetic hand, and even deciding to clean her own floors (a process her friend says takes her all day) is inspiring to say the least. Yes, Monica admits to having hard times and getting frustrated on occasion but it is truly incredible to hear her talk and know that on a daily (often minute by minute) basis she is choosing to be a warrior...to press on...to be her best.

I know there are other "Monica's" out there. However, I love this story. I needed to hear this story. I hope there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of Monica. When asked where her strength came from, Monica said she believes that there is a God but that her strength comes from her family and friends. A woman who I am guessing does not even know Jesus personally chooses to have this strength? Can you imagine the power we have on our side as believers in Jesus Christ? Incredible. So, when you get out of bed, cradle your newborn baby, brush your teeth, drive to work, scratch an itch, feed yourself, or walk your dog...remember what you can do instead of what you cannot do...remember the blessings in your life. I'm certainly trying to.

Baby Bump

Only 52 days (7 1/2 weeks) to go!!!

Happy Groundhog Day!

The fun thing about teaching kindergarten is getting to celebrate all the popular (and not so popular) holidays! So, yesterday we enjoyed celebrating Groundhog Day. Just in case you are wondering, according to the "official" report, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. So, six more weeks of winter it is!

Hopefully, Phil's prediction will prove incorrect and spring will make it's debut soon. I, for one, am really looking forward to springtime! I love the warm weather...bring on the pedicures, sandals, flip flops, dresses, breezy days, and blooming flowers!!!

Here are a few pictures of our fun day celebrating in kindergarten! In conjunction with Groundhog Day, we are doing a unit on shadows in Science. We were really looking forward to going outside and tracing our classmates' shadows with sidewalk chalk but it was raining! Instead, we played a fun "guess that shadow game", enjoyed making groundhog puppets, and learned how to use the internet to discover if Punxsutawney Phil had seen his shadow or not.

Hope your Groundhog Day was fabulous :) By the way, whenever I think about Groundhog Day, I always think about the movie. You know where the guy's day keeps happening over and over again? If you had one day to pick out of your life that would be your "Groundhog Day" what would it be? I think mine would be my wedding day! :) Please share yours with me by posting in the comments sections!!! I would love to find out!!