The Windy City.

Nat and I started the trip home on Sunday night, driving from Oklahoma to Indiana. We opted to drive through the night to take advantage of Paul sleeping. That turned out to be a great decision and Paul did so well! The last hour was the worst of the whole trip, but we made it.:-)

My brother and his family have lived an hour outside of Chicago for the last six years and have always said they would take us to Chicago. Despite the fact we've been out several times, we've never gone to the city. Since they are moving to PA this weekend, we thought we would break up our trip by being with them for a few days and go into Chicago while we are here.

We went in on Wednesday and had a great time. I was a bit concerned about Paul - being warm enough and nursing - but both worked out. :-) He was such a good little boy and only got fussy towards the end when we were eating dinner. He loved all the lights and feeling the wind on his face. In fact, he kept trying to eat it. :-)

Most of the day we spent at Navy Pier where there was an indoor Winter Wonderland exhibit. It was absolutely stunning with all the Christmas lights and decorations and there were plenty of rides and ice skating for the kids to do. The best part was since it was 12-12-12 the price to do everything was $12 instead of $20! My nephews and niece had a great time and we enjoyed pushing all the coats around on the stroller. :-)

Chicago is a fairly clean city and white lights make anything look better! We ended the day at the Grand Lux Cafe with another great view and some amazing Asian nachos. I love visiting big cities!

Tonight we're going to a Christmas banquet and then we're heading home! Let's hope Paul travels well one more time. :-)

Three Months.

My little guy turned three months today! He has really started to change, especially in the last couple of weeks. He almost rolled over today (but then decided it wasn't worth it:D), he smiles a lot (unless he's hungry), and loves exploring his hands. We've also noticed how he's better at being content and is able to lay by himself and play without constantly needing someone in his face all the time.

Paul has had two haircuts and two "trims" and continues to be my peanut when it comes to his size. It was a sad yet happy day when he outgrew his first outfit that he wore home from the hospital.

He has brought us so much joy and loves to teach us patience (or the Lord uses him to teach us!). He has spent most of his life on the road and has done fairly well for being such a little guy. Of course he's the star attraction everywhere we go - or I should say his hair is!!

Update From The Trail.

We've been on the deputation trail for the past six weeks and as you can tell from my numerous updates, I've been twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do.

Or not.

Traveling with a newborn has had its adjustments, like not driving for twelve straight hours. The other day we turned a five hour trip into eight hours. Not exactly what we're "used to" so we've had to reset our definition of normal!

We spent two weeks with my in-laws while we had meetings, which was good - especially for Grandma! We also spent several weeks in the Fort Worth area and that was a treat to spend lots of time with a church we consider our home away from home. :)

While in the Houston area, we drove the extra hour to Galveston and took a free ferry ride, saw some dolphins and enjoyed a yummy dinner on the Gulf of Mexico. It's always fun to check out the areas we're in and do the tourist thing!

We are currently hanging out in Oklahoma City before we head to the Texas panhandle for a few meetings. Last time we were in OK City, we went to the Cowboy Museum so this morning we decide to go to the OK City Memorial and Museum.

This Memorial was probably one of the best I've ever seen: gripping, informative, engaging, and yet serene. It was rather cold outside so we spent most of our time in the museum. It was well worth the $24.00 admission fee and was time well spent.

The biggest challenge for me on this leg of deputation has been not getting to talk with many people since I'm usually in the nursery with Paul. A dear friend from home reminded me that my ministry is Paul and sometimes I'm just not going to be able to visit with the ladies. So I'm learning to adjust and I am really grateful for those times I get to be in most of a service!

So that's a "nutshell" update... now that I can blog from my phone, hopefully updates will be more frequent!!

What If.

We've been on the road for the past two weeks "deputating" as one friend calls it. :)  So much to write and yet not enough free time to write, between taking care of a newborn and living in the moment.

We're currently in Fort Worth, Texas at a missions conference that has been very uplifting and convicting.  One thing stood out to me that wasn't during a preaching time or even a teaching session and yet it was so impacting.  During one of the "comments time" a pastor from Louisiana asked a veteran missionary about the man who led him to the Lord.  Now this veteran missionary, Milton Martin, is over 80 years old and has been a missionary to Mexico since somewhere around 1960.  Bro. Martin said the man who led him to the Lord was praying some 28 years before Bro. Martin's salvation and put his finger on a map of Texas and asked the Lord for a soul in that state.  Bro. Martin then said these words: "I was that soul."

I don't know if anyone else in the room got chills like I did when he said that, but I was thinking about the impact Bro. Martin has had on countless people around this world. Literally. But I thought about that man who came before Bro. Martin and was faithful in praying for lost souls and then witnessing to those souls.  What if that man hadn't prayed? What if that man hadn't been specific in praying for a soul in Texas? What if he hadn't opened his mouth to speak of Jesus? What if he was intent on doing his own thing rather than God's plan?  What if?

While I understand God will use someone else if they're more willing than you, I also know that Bro. Martin's impact on the people of Mexico can't be denied. In addition to the people of Mexico, there are plenty of pastors, missionaries, evangelists, Bible Institute students, etc. that have been impacted by Bro. Martin's ministry.

Nat and I personally have been impacted by his ministry.  In fact, Bro. Martin's the one who challenged Nat with the principles of missions and is the human instrument God used to put Nat into the ministry.  My heart was stirred when Bro. Martin preached a conference in 2006 and that set in motion the idea of me going to Thailand to help with missionaries.

But I think of the man who came before Bro. Martin and realize that his reward in heaven will be great because of being faithful.  What a legacy!  What a challenge to me.

It's funny what the Lord will use to teach me. In this instance, it was just an old preacher from Louisiana asking an old missionary to Mexico what an even older man did for the Lord.

First Month Musings.

I can't quite believe baby Paul will be a month tomorrow! To say that our lives changed is, in fact, an understatement.  Many, many, many people would say in the months leading up to his birth, "Life is going to change," but like most things in life, you become a believer when you experience it. :)

Now that we're a family of three, we're no longer a family of two. Shocking realization, right?  But it is amazing how much of the twosome mentality slips into the reality of being a threesome.  Things like planning out the day no longer just include Nat's and my busy schedule; now I take into consideration Paul's needs because that is my schedule now!

 (A close resemblance to Paul:D)

This first month has definitely had plenty of challenges, but many blessings as well!  We say Paul is a chill baby and a cry baby because when he is relaxed, he is completely chilled out! But when he is crying, well, let's just say he holds nothing back. :-)

Tomorrow morning we're heading out into new territory... we have a meeting in Ohio and it's our first "big" trip of 9 hours.  Prayers would be appreciated!

Baby News.

My little baby is resting contentedly in his swing right now and I'm finally sorting through and catching up on e-mails... and blogging.

~Three days before baby day~

~Five days after baby day~

Little Paul Nathaniel was born September 6th after a very long day. Several things took place differently than I had expected and anticipated, including an emergency c-section. As they were wheeling me into the operating room, a nurse leaned in close and said, "all that's going to matter is you're going to have a healthy baby at the end of all of this." Such comforting words!

I'm still recovering from the surgery, but I'm pretty amazed at how the Lord has given me my strength back! My doctor was even happy when I saw her yesterday. :-)

Every time I look at baby Paul, I marvel at what a little miracle he is. Thank you, Lord, for my precious son!

Eviction Time.

Sometimes our ways just aren't God's ways. And I'm really grateful for that!

Our little Peanut was due almost two weeks ago... but that just wasn't God's way or timing. Now that I'm coming to the end of that two week waiting period, I can look back and see how the Lord's timing once again worked out.

Our local fair was all last week and Nat and I were hoping to be a part of that since our church was having a booth at the fair. I got to go up twice and he got to go three times and we were able to talk to several people about what the Bible really has to say about missing the mark with God. Now that wouldn't have worked out so well if we were having a baby, right?

In addition to participating at the fair, Nat was able to spend three different occasions with a man who is dying of several types of cancer... and this man had questions about eternity. In one short week, this man's health quickly declined. I'm thankful for a husband who is sensitive to eternity's values. I doubt Nat would've been able to spend all that time with this dying man if we were in the hospital. Hmm.

My heart was also encouraged and refreshed from the Sunday morning at church. My small group discussion was very uplifting, the song service put my focus back on the Lord (after all, how do you think about yourself when you're singing, "Crown Him Lord of All"?), and the message reminded me to have my delight on the Lord. If Peanut had come last week, I would've missed the service Sunday morning.

So the Lord really knows. Whether I remember the fact that He knows or not is another thing! But His timing is perfect.

Tomorrow morning we're planning on going to the hospital and inducing this baby. I'm still praying that I go into labor on my own tonight, but that just might not be God's will. He's given me several reminders recently that His thoughts and plans are higher than my own and I take comfort in the fact that He is in control.

I also take comfort in the fact that no one has been pregnant for ever, so this baby is coming!

We Have Been Blessed!

Nat and I have often mentioned to each other how blessed we are to be a part of a great church family! This past Sunday evening we were reminded of that again. Rather than having a baby shower with lots of things and items that we would probably have to leave behind in a year, our church family generously gave us a money tree fellowship. It was so sweet... especially since it was a cupcake fellowship. :-)

We got a big kick out of the messages people wrote on diapers... I have a feeling we're going to need those laughs when it's time to change a diaper at 2 AM in the morning!

These next two photos are a little blurry; sorry about that! Anyway, they had these cute little pins for us to wear that said, "Mommy to be" and "Daddy to be" with an elephant on it and a peanut, of course!

Nat also really enjoyed the fact that we got to take home some leftover cupcakes. He's been diligently eating several a day, quite cheerfully I might add!

So we're all set for Peanut to arrive, at least --- we keep telling ourselves that! Today I finally packed a bag for the hospital and we grabbed some snacks while we were out tonight, so now we just wait. :-)

Friends And Bargains.

Two of my friends are expecting so it's been fun to go through pregnancy together:). We were talking two weeks ago about taking a picture and we finally got around to doing it last week!

(Paula ~ November, Saritha ~ October, Anne ~ August)

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In addition to being due within a few months of each other, Paula and I also share a love for yard sales. This morning there was a huge one in a local development nearby, so Nat and I got up early to see what we could find. As a side note, I'm quite impressed with myself for willingly waking up before 7 AM three Saturdays in a row! Each week has been profitable and made it worth getting up early on the only day of the week to sleep in. :-)

Last evening Nat and I were praying for some specific items to find at a yard sale today and the Lord answered that prayer. It always amazes me how much the Lord is in the little details of life. In fact, He delights in doing so!

Paula snagged a dollar deal for me on a booster/high chair seat for Peanut. Since we'll be doing a lot of traveling, I've been keeping my eye out for things that will travel well and I'm grateful she found the seat... that's going to be a life saver on the road!

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We are now two weeks out from Peanut's due date, although I'm thinking I will go late. In fact, I'm planning on going late. :0) If Peanut arrives early, I will be very surprised!!!

Thailand And Tigers.

So I didn't mention this before (since this is the world wide web), but Nat was in Thailand for the past two weeks for what was supposed to be for one reason (long story), but it ended up being a ministry trip that the Lord really worked out!

The trip was really profitable and I'm grateful for the Lord putting together some specific details. Since we are planning on moving over there next summer/early fall, Nat was able to get a realistic handle on living in Thailand as well as take a quick trip inside of a neighboring country.

I was totally jealous that he got to go and I didn't. :-) One of the older members at our church asked me today if I went to Thailand with Nat... I just smiled and pointed to my 36.5 week baby bump!

The first Saturday he was there, Nat and some other people went to the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai:

I'm not quite sure that I would be brave enough to do this, mainly because the handlers at the Tiger Kingdom say you need to confidently lean/lay against the tiger or else they will swat you thinking you're an insect or something.

Umm, yeah. Not quite sure about that!

In other fun news, we are not traveling for the next month and a half! It's been so nice to take a break from constant traveling and just be in one place. I have a couple of things I want to do with Nat before the baby comes, but it doesn't require staying overnight anywhere. :-)

Of course Peanut has been given the green light to arrive since Daddy's trip is over. I'm actually quite content for Peanut to come on the due date or after and I'm mentally preparing myself for that ~ that way I'm not disappointed if I don't go early! Our pack-n-play is set up, I've washed the baby clothes that I have, and the car seat is sitting in the living room waiting to be installed. So from that perspective we're "ready" for Peanut, although I don't think we really know what we're getting into! One of my friends told me yesterday that I will never sleep the same way again once I become a Mommy... I figure I'll take it from someone who knows what she's talking about!

Maternity Pics.

Last Friday night, Nat, my niece and I traipsed to Chick-Fil-A for our free meal. This was our first time ever doing this, but it was a lot of fun! The lady behind the counter kept asking me what else I wanted to get, but I definitely couldn't eat that much, even if she was offering more free food!

After our delicious meal (I absolutely love their chick-n-strips salad!), we went to get some maternity pictures taken. We did decide to change our outfits since we were too chicken (haha... ha) to stay in our cow outfits.

The lighting wasn't the best and it was threatening rain all evening, but it was the only time that would work out for all of our schedules. So off we went to a nearby park (anyone recognize it?!?) and had some fun. :)

The last picture always makes me laugh, because Nat is contemplating a rather disturbing idea: will our little Peanut like chocolate???

Photo credit to my niece Tiana!

VBS!

This week at Lehigh Valley Baptist Church is Vacation Bible School and I've been thoroughly it! It's been four years since I last participated in VBS, mainly because I was living in Thailand or getting married. :-)

This year I have one student in the K-1st grade boys category...

....and it's been so much fun! Of course there are over a dozen girls in K-1st grade and tons of boys and girls in 2nd-3rd grades, but just one boy for my class! He's been so much fun and was also in my Sunday School class until I stopped teaching, so I'm glad to get to interact with him again this week. :-)

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As I walked home from VBS this evening, I heard the sweet giggles and shouts of some kids as they played a quick game of tag. I smiled to myself because some of my favorite childhood memories are of playing tag in the backyard with my brothers and sisters. Ah, the simple pleasures in life!

Latest Travels.

So according to my last post (two months ago), we were in Texas and in the midst of deputation travels.

Um, yeah, we actually returned to PA about 1.5 months ago. :-)

We did take a couple of more trips since then, including a deputation/anniversary/babymoon trip to what is fast becoming our favorite vacation state ~ Maine! In between two deputation meetings, Nat and I had a sweet getaway in and surrounding Brunswick, Maine.

Nat is his mother's child, so we took as many opportunities as possible to get close to the water. We didn't actually go swimming in the ocean (hello 50 degree water!), but it was wonderful to be near it!

We decided to go to the Maine Maritime Museum which also included a river boat tour. The museum was quite interesting and we spent just the right amount of time there.

I was studying some lobster cages in one of the buildings when Nat called my name and so I turned around. Although not intentional, it is rather amusing to see how my shirt matches the horizontal slats on the lobster cages. :-)

By the way, notice my hoodie hanging over my purse?? It was actually cool enough by the water to put the hoodie on to ward off the chill. *Sigh* I think 70 degree weather is just perfect!

We really enjoyed the river boat tour, which included a couple of lighthouse sightings. Hey, you can't go wrong with cruising out on the water!

Of course, when in Maine one must try a lobster - or "lobstah" as the locals say! Nat was the adventurous one while I sat contently by watching him crack it open as I ate my shrimp. :-)

The whole trip was so wonderful! One nice thing was we were staying in the same place for four consecutive days... something that is fast becoming a luxury rather than necessity!

We're taking the next two months off from deputation as we wait for Peanut to make his or her grand entrance. We even finally registered for some baby items, mainly because of the free gift card incentive that Babies 'R Us offers. Well, that and the fact that Nat just loves that scanner and wants to scan everything he sees. :-)

Five weeks until my official due date. We'll see how official Peanut is in arriving and just how much he or she takes after Mommy in being early for everything!

Oh, let's hope it's not another five weeks before I squeak out another blog post.

That last period of silence was embarrassing!

Mother's Day.

Nat and I have been visiting with his immediate family in central Texas while we finish up our last few meetings for this leg of deputation. It was pretty convenient that we managed to get into town 2 days before Mother's Day - why yes he is a good son! For the past couple of years, I've always been away for Mother's Day, so it was nice to actually be with one of our moms for the day!

Of course we have plans to take my mom out for lunch when we return to PA. We did that last year and found out the restaurant we wanted to go to had burned up... I'm hoping history does not repeat itself this year!

Nat's been mentioning for weeks we need to take a picture to track peanut's growth. I'm not a huge fan of the weekly picture some moms do, so I finally decided it would be nice to get a picture on Mother's Day. Nat's sister found a nice spot on the front yard and enjoyed taking pictures:).

I'm 25.5 weeks - I'm never sure what that translates into months - but I'm thinking it's somewhere around 6 months. :)

We plan to be out on the road for two more weeks before returning back to PA. After being in Oklahoma and Texas for the past couple of weeks and experiencing their heat in April/May, I'm very glad that I live in Pennsylvania where the heat isn't as bad as in the south. Of course a friend reminded me this morning on the phone that we are heading to Thailand, but I'm not going to think about the heat over there... just yet!

Mass Advertising.

I've mentioned in the past about how funny I think it is when a tourist attraction is advertised several hours away from the actual tourist attraction. It just strikes me as... humorous. :)

Well I found a new tourist attraction to add to my list: Meramec Cavern! Now I don't recall exactly when the billboards started, but perhaps what they lacked in mileage they made up in abundance. As in many. :-) I wish I had taken a picture of the three billboards that were within close proximity of each other ~ all advertising the same thing! I'm really restraining myself because we're only 7 miles away from this cave and I feel like I should at least give it the benefit of the doubt that it's not a dud of a tourist attraction. :-)

We'll be in Missouri for the next few days at a conference, so perhaps during our spare time, we might be tempted to give in and visit well-advertised cave.

I'll keep you updated should we dare to go below... :-)

Deputation Trail ~ #2

Where to start?

I'll spare you all the details of just how pretty Pennsylvania is -- yes we did decide to take the road less traveled in western PA! -- but we have had a fantastic start to our deputation trail! We left bring and early Thursday morning - wait, 8:15 AM isn't bright and early?? :) We had the privilege of joining in on Anchor Baptist Church's third annual missions conference as well as the third anniversary of the church! We were really looking forward to being in this conference because our church was able to have a part in supporting them from the beginning! So it was neat to be with a missionary that we supported. :)

I can tell already that one thing about deputation will be hard: spending several days with a church and the families, getting to know them and interact with them, and then - moving on. Bummer! A wonderful family from Anchor housed us while we were there and they were generosity from the start. From asking what kind of foods we liked to eat to having us try snoogles, we were well taken care of!

Of course Anchor Baptist were wonderful hosts too. Each evening there was a delicious meal provided (courtesy of the ladies of the church) and we enjoyed getting to know the other church planters, missionaries, and evangelists. One of the church planters is from Maine, and we discovered that the little Baptist church we attended while on our honeymoon in Maine was started with the help of this church planter! Small world. :)

Saturday morning we got to go out on visitation and then for lunch the ladies and men split up and went out to eat. I loved the fact that the ladies of Anchor really enjoy spending time with each other and laughing! We had a great time... I keep saying that, don't I? ;)

To end the missions conference, the pastor had all the missionaries stand up front and since it was their Faith Promise Sunday, he had the church members give their faith promise commitment cards to the missionaries. That was really neat to watch the whole church family - little kids included! - come up front and give their commitment cards in. The pastor's emphasis was that all the money that comes in for Faith Promise goes directly to the missionaries.

After the noon meal, the pastor shared that the commitments doubled from last year! I was extremely thrilled for this church as they take a step of faith forward!!

We had a meeting work out for Sunday night, so we drove the hour east and really enjoyed being at Stow Falls Baptist Church. The Lord really set up this meeting for us in a neat way. When we got to the missions conference at Anchor on Thursday night, there happened to be another man there who knew the pastor at Stow Falls. After talking with my husband about our ministry, this man called the pastor up and told him about our ministry. Not ten minutes before this man called, the pastor and another man were praying about the same particular people group that we plan on working with! This church has a real heart for this people group and has a bus ministry that brings in about 100 of this people group every Sunday. We just so happened to have Sunday night available since the missions conference at Anchor ended with an afternoon service. Isn't God good?!?!

Stow Falls was extremely welcoming and friendly and I just loved the singing... I felt like I was back at my home church. :) After the service, there was a fellowship (which had already been planned - details only the Lord works out!) so we were able to visit with some people. This church graciously put us up in a hotel and the pastor said we could meet for lunch, not breakfast at an insane hour of 8 AM or something like that. ;) We were really appreciative of having the opportunity to get a good night of rest and just s-l-o-w down from the marathon it feels like we've been running. :D Of course the bonus for this hotel was having a breakfast provided, so we made sure to take advantage of that!

So that's just part one of Deputation Trail #2! We still have five weeks in this trip so I'm sure there will be many more updates along the way. ;)

From Trip To Trip.

Nat and I just returned from a quick trip to Long Island and we decided to pack a lot into the 24-hour trip... just because. :-) Actually, the most exciting adventure was driving through New York City ~ traffic at its best! We did discover that you don't have to pay to use the Holland Tunnel... if you're leaving the city. That was a nice surprise since tunnels, bridges, and sometimes just existing seem to cost a bunch of bucks!

Long Island Baptist Church was a very gracious host and we felt welcomed from the start! I've known several of the ladies there through the blogging world for a long time, so it was so nice to finally meet them in person. :-) After the service we went out to eat with a dear, dear couple and thoroughly enjoyed our time visiting and fellowshipping with them. Heaven gets sweeter all the time as I meet new friends ~ just think, no more good-byes in Heaven!

This morning we went way out on Long Island to a place called Riverhead where a new church is being started by Long Island Baptist Church. It was exciting to hear the pastor talk about the area and the growth the church has personally seen. The needs are everywhere and the great thing is God is at work!

So it was a quick trip, but we really had a great time and now it's on to the next trip. I just realized tonight that we *are* leaving in two days for a 6-week trip and I should start packing and getting things ready! Between now and then are two very full days, including an ultrasound for peanut!

Some how, some way it will all come together.... it always does. :-)

Home.... But Not For Long!

It was a good week to travel... don't we look so happy?!? :D

I must say, this was one of the best trips I have taken with teens; we really had a great time:). We even got sleep on the bus, which is practically a miracle! It helped that the boys were in the front of the bus this time, so we didn't hear most of the noise;). The only down side to sitting in the back of the bus was the blaring music. Apparently you can barely hear the music up front because of the engine noise, so that means the volume gets turned waaaaaaay up until they can hear it. Bad news for the back because the level goes from comfortable to unbearable. Thankfully the Lord gave grace, especially when anyone had a headache. :)

The thing I was most concerned/terrified about with this trip was stopping the bus just so I could go to the restroom. I'm happy to report that I only stopped the bus once each time, going and coming! Of course I was at the front of the line for every other rest stop but that's just a given when you have an expectant lady on board;).

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This week I reach the halfway point in my pregnancy! It has seriously flown by and I would like to know how to slow the days down a bit. :D I finally bought two maternity skirts, but I'm grateful I can still fit in my normal clothes. :) Peanut/peanutella has been giving some light kicks, especially when I'm going to sleep at night. We go in next Tuesday for our ultrasound appointment and we're looking forward to that!

As for preparing for this baby, we have exactly two things, both of which were given to us - a stroller/car seat combo and a couple of gender neutral outfits and that's it. :)

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We are planning on leaving in just over a week for a 6-week trip (deputation #2). During this time, we hope to see some family and friends-that-are-like-family as well as being in some new (to us!) churches. Much to do before we leave, but we're looking forward to this trip and what the Lord has in store for us!

Deputation Trail ~ #1

We officially started deputation one month ago and boy did it fly by! We started off presenting in our home church ~ always a good thing! ~ and continued on to some area churches we've known for some time. We fell into a routine quickly: pack an overnight bag on Saturday, spend a way-too-short-amount-of-time with a church on Sunday and then drive home late Sunday night - just in time to crawl into bed and get ready for Monday morning. :-)

By the end of the month though, I was laughing at my failed attempts to plan. Let me explain. The first Sunday I didn't think to grab snacks for the ride home and so that had us stopping at a Wendy's for a snack. Not wanting to continue that habit, I decided the next week to pack fruits, veggies, and other snacks for the 3-hour ride home. Imagine my surprise when the church graciously gave us a huge basket stuffed with all sorts of snacks, goodies, and drinks! I was determined to get it right the third time, but didn't count on the hotel we were staying at to have a full kitchen! So there we were sitting there on Sunday morning with a fridge, sink, and two-burner stove and we were eating........pizza from the night before. :-) So don't judge our deputation by our food experiences; we'd be seriously lacking in scoring any points!

As this is just the beginning of our deputation trail, I'm sure the stories will stack up - especially when we put a newborn into the mix. :-) We have tremendously enjoyed each and every church we were in. It's like seeing extended family! Nat did fly down to Texas for a conference in the midst of it all and was able to show our presentation dvd while he was there. Imagine our surprise when he received a phone call after the conference from that church's pastor saying they voted to take us on! God is good. :-)

We're taking a break for the next 2.5 weeks from deputation, although we're joining a group of young people from our church to head to a student competition in Illinois all this week. So I don't suppose we can say we're actually taking a break from traveling. ;)

Deputation trail #2 will start on April 12th.... we're looking forward to some new adventures!

A Day Off.

It's a beautiful day! You're probably saying "So?" but it almost always rains on President's Day and the fact that the sun is shining tells me it is a beautiful day indeed.

Nat and I are enjoying our day off (except for the oops moment I had in forgetting to turn off my normal-Monday-morning-alarm before I went to bed last night) and we intend to make the most of it today! We're going on a picnic lunch (yes it is 40* outside... :D), take an invigorating walk at a nearby park, go rollerskating (I'll be careful!) and then have a giant pizza party at my brother's tonight:).

Like I said, it's a beautiful day!

Makin' It Official:).

Confession time: my lack of blogging has (for once!) an excuse. For weeks now I've been wanting to blog but I've been waiting to share a little secret:).

Now I know a lot of LVBC and facebook friends read here so you already know, but I do want to make it "blogger" official too: we have a little peanut on the way!

We found out on Christmas Eve and were pretty excited - making it a pretty easy Christmas gift:). Then we got to hear the heartbeat on Valentine's Day and were pretty excited - making it a pretty easy Valentine's gift:).

It was kinda funny when the doctor first found the heartbeat because it made our baby so real (and not just some extended illness that has been making me feel nauseous all the time:D) and I said, "Oh my!" Well with me talking that made the doctor go searching after that little beat again:). What a precious sound it was to hear.... too bad we didn't think to record it until several hours later.

So, onto the answers for the frequently asked questions!

• My due date is August 24th.
• This is the 13th grandchild for my parents and the first for Nat's parents!
• We plan on finding out what we're having... when the baby arrives:).
• We do have names picked out!
• Plans for deputation have slightly changed! We'll be taking a 7-week trip (April-May) and have some meetings in churches. After that, we plan to stay "local" for the summer and get some meetings with churches that are within 3-4 hours driving distance.
• After the baby is born, we have a meeting scheduled for the last week of September and all of October. We plan on jumping into this whole newborn/travel thing with both feet even though we have no idea what we're doing! (Prayers are appreciated!!!)
• Cravings. Oh cravings. Actually it's been fairly straightforward and nothing weird like nacho cheese and ice cream (eww, that sounds gross!). My #1 craving is chicken salad from the bakery I used to work at. A close second would be Edy's fruit Popsicles. Mmmm!
• Morning sickness (which turned out to be afternoon/evening sickness for me) is really subsiding. Protein helps! My husband has been so sensitive to what might make me sick to the point that he would walk to the end of the kitchen to get the food item (and the smell!) away from me. The crazy thing is that whatever was bothering me smell-wise was something I had made and had for dinner the night before!

Hmm, can't think of anything else:). God's been good!

Setting In Motion

Is it me or do the days just gallop by? When I was a kid, every summer I used to make a calendar to mark off the days until school started. Yes, I was one of those kids! Now? I still mark off the calendar, but that's only because the days literally fly by. Last year at this time, Nat and I were getting ready for our Thailand trip. Actually all last year it felt like we were getting ready for one trip or another. :D

This year? This year we are in the beginning stages of planning for deputation. I say we, but really I mean my husband. Nat's already made our prayer card, booked a ticket to fly to a conference in Texas in March, and has been on the phone with pastors scheduling meetings. We have 3 meetings in March (plus the Texas conference) and then we'll take a break to go to Park Meadows Baptist Church for a student competition for a week. That is always a fun time! We enjoy being with our teens and the bus ride isn't too bad either. :) Of course, remind me of that when I'm actually on the bus!

We're tentatively planning on being in Missouri and Texas in April and May. And that's about as far as we've planned!

The Lord did provide a deputation vehicle for us:

('99 Toyota Camry)

We are very pleased with it, even if it's not your traditional van/trailer/RV that most missionaries get. :) Lord willing, this car will see us through many miles (safely!) and be a sound, reliable car.

We are thrilled to be getting the wheels set in motion for deputation. My husband will be preaching and presenting at our home church towards the end of February, which is our official start. We're looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us this year!