30 weeks and a house

Today is December 30th:
1. I am 30 weeks today.
2. We bought a house!

The first one I expected, the other one is still a bit of a shock. We put an offer on a house yesterday. Our relator didn't expect to hear anything back for about a week. The house is bigger and a great deal. The house is a short sale (I do not totally understand this part), so we are not able to move in for 60-90 days. If you do the math that is around the time I will be in labor or just home from the hospital. I must be crazy to agree to all of this. I told Brian upfront I will not be much help in this move. Like the last time we bought a house, this is a total God thing. We are trusting him to provide a buyer or renter before we move into our new house. I will miss the house we are in now. It was our first home together, and I really do like it. We are just outgrowing it:) I will post pictures of our house once we move in and decorate it to fit our personality.
Please continue to pray for a healthy pregnancy. Please also pray that God would provide the right couple/person for our house and that they would be blessed by the house as much as we have been.

Family Time

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope your was filled with love and family like mine.

My famiy just left this morning. The house is quiet, empty, and I miss them already. Although it is sometimes choatic when you add 5 extra people to your house, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything. It was so fun hanging out with them the last week. My dad is a genuine man who is fun to hang out with, my mom is such a generous loving lady, and Garrison and Katelyn are well all round too cute and funny. I wish I lived closer so I could go hang out more often. We didn't do a whole lot of super exciting things, but the things we did do were filled with lots of laughs and quality time together.

Family pic minus Kayla

Banana Split

Dad's 1st time playing video games

Garrison and Katelyn

Happy Birthday Jesus!

"So in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others" (Romans 12:5).

HANDS and FEET

We had our 3D ultrasound today and saw lots of hands and feet. The place we went was really nice and so was the lady doing the ultrasound. Jackson loves his hands and feet. The lady tried her hardest to get a good head shot. We were only suppossed to get 35 minutes and we were there for over an hour. Jackson is still a BOY! Good thing, I don't have to return the bedding or any clothes. We did get a few good pictures and had lots of fun watching him move all around.

Still a boy!


Face


Face with hand


Face with hand and foot


More hands and feet!


Making faces





We can't wait to meet you Jackson. You are a blessing already! Thanks Mom and Dad for a great Christmas present!!

Break Time

One of the best parts of being a teacher having a 2 week holiday break!
Things I am looking forward to... in no specific order:)
1. My dad and mom arriving on Sunday
2. Going to see White Christmas the Musical at Theater Under the Stars
3. Church service this Sunday and Christmas Eve
4. Our 3-D ultrasound of Jackson
5. Shopping with my mom, goofing around with my dad, playing with Garrison
6. Sleeping in every morning and staying up late
7. Giving everyone their Christmas presents, and getting new pj's on Christmas Eve
8. Getting my hair cut and colored
9. Spending my gift cards from my students (probably on Jackson)
10. Making more Christmas goodies with my mom
And we will miss going to the Hartzler's on Christmas Eve:(

28 weeks

My belly and boobs continue to pull me forward. By the end of the day my back is sore and needs a rub. Which, Brian so graciously does for me. Have I mentioned that my husband is the best!!
All went well at the doctor's today. I passed my glucose test with flying colors, Praise God. I did not want to drink more of that. I go back in 3 weeks for an ultrasound to measure how big he is and make sure everything else still looks good. We have a 3-D ultrasound scheduled for Christmas Eve morning. I am really excited to see the pictures, hopefully he will cooperate. Jackson continues to move like crazy, it is such a cool but weird feeling! It is fun to guess what body part we are feeling:)
Thanks for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for a healthly pregnancy Jackson and me. God is good!

Y-U-M-M-Y!

I love baking Christmas goodies! This weekend Brian helped me make and decorate Christmas cookies and toffee. We are not pros and our cookies do not look like the ones I see in magazines... but they do taste good. I ate way to many cookies and toffee already! I am planning on giving most of them away. I better do it soon or there will be none to give away. I will make more goodies once my mom arrives for Christmas:)

Working Hard


The finished products:)

To walk off the 5 pounds I think I gained this weekend from cookies and toffee, not Jackson, Brian and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and took a long walk. Yesterday it was 70 degrees and today it is 40 degrees. Crazy Houston weather, but I love taking walks in December!

Contnet

There is usually something I always want or feel I need, especially clothes:) However, since I have been pregnant God is really showing me what it means to be content with what He has already given me. I find real joy in everyday things. Not that I wasn't happy before or that I was not grateful, but this is somehow different. I pray for Jackson daily that he will be healthly, that he will grow up and have a personal relationship with Jesus, and that I will be a great witness for him. I pray that Brian's body will be healed, that he will stay strong in Jesus Christ, and be a father like both of ours. I pray that everyone will hear/experience the message of Jesus and for God to work in their hearts. I pray for our nation that God would be priority and for those that are in office.
I guess my "Christmas list" is a little different this year.

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Phillippians 4:11-12

Baby Shower

While we were home my mom and mother-in-law threw a baby shower for Jackson and me. I got to spend time with many wonderful people. We are so blessed! Here are some pictures from the afternoon:)

Many THANKS...

We were able to go home for the Thanksgiving holiday and spend some wonderful time with our families. We are so thankful for them and their love!

Hartzler Family

My mom and dad

Kayla and me

Garrison

Katelyn
Just a few other things I am thankful for:

-My relationship with Jesus Christ and His love and grace

-Brian

-My health

-This miracle growing inside of me

-My house and job

I could go on and on. I try to be thankful each and everyday for all God has blessed me with.

Psalm 100:4 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.