God is good!

Of course I know this to be true all the time, but right now I especially want to give Him praise for answering prayers!

Thank you Love for answering a prayer that Jason (and I) have been praying for what seems like a very long time! As most of you know, J has been trying to get a job working for a church for many, many months now. He has had a lot of rejections due to the fact that he isn't done with his degree yet. My poor man, it was really wearing him down. And on top of that, I know he is really unhappy at Home Depot right now, so each rejection just adds to his misery.

WELL...his luck might be turning around! At the beginning of December, he got a call from a man named Neil who is an elder at Carlyle Christian Church, in Carlyle, IL. Neil and Jason spoke somewhat briefly about what the church was looking for and Neil told J that they would be calling back to set up a time for us to come out and meet everyone- sort of an informal thing. Of course, Jason was on cloud nine. He was hoping to hear back before the holidays kicked into high gear, but that didn't happen. Through this we have learned that small town churches are slow moving. It's been a great lesson in patience for sure.

It was over a month later before Jason decided to call and check in with Neil. Neil told J he "was getting around to calling" him to set up an informal interview/meet & greet type thing. This was a week ago yesterday and Jason asked if we could come out that Sunday. Neil said he thought that might work, but he would have to call Jason back and let him know. The weekend came and went and Jason started to worry. I did my best to remind him that they are slooooooow moving, so it might not happen for a couple weeks still. I told him if we hadn't heard anything by next week, he could call to check in again.

Well, he didn't have to wait! He got the call last night and we are going out this Sunday!! Neil told J that Sunday School was at 9:00 (wow, how long has it been since I've heard it called that!) and service was at 10:00. He told J that we could come to both or just service, but we decided we will attend both. Jason wants to make a good impression. (O: Then, after service we'll all go out to lunch and then back to the church for the meeting...I think? And Neil made sure to mention that Jason should bring me...so I don't know how much of this I'll be involved in...it makes me nervous, what if I say the wrong thing?? I know this REALLY isn't about me and when I say I'm nervous, I mean that I'm nervous about making a good impression for Jason.

But, above all, we are SO thankful that this is going to the next step finally! (O:

Please keep Jason in your prayers on Sunday, this is a big exciting step for us! (O:

Only 11 weeks left???

WHERE did all my time go? I know it would be pretty obvious that when I'm 29 weeks pregnant that there are only 11 weeks left, but I tell you I didn't realize it until last night...we went to Mark & Treasa's for dinner with Grandma Marie and Grandpa David, and a surprise cousin Mary Jo came too. I really love Mary Jo, she's so much fun. But, she was the one that asked how long I had left and as the words "11 weeks" escaped from my lips, I felt my heart drop a little.

Of course, I am completely ecstatic about getting my little baby girl here safe and sound, but man, it kinda snuck up on me. In all fairness, I'm pretty far along with all my organizing and preparing, so I shouldn't get myself too worried...but, I can't help it! Do you want to know what is at the top of my "To Do" list right now? Dusting the fans in our whole house, how random is that? It's just something that I want to get done before she gets here...and yes, I know it's gross that we haven't dusted those fans as long as we've been in that house, but come on, who really thinks "Oh, I think I'll dust the fans today"...not us, that's for sure! I think they call this the "nesting phase". I can understand, because I would really love to give my whole house a big overhaul cleaning before April, just so I know everything is ship-shape for baby time. Unfortunately, there is only so much of it I can actually do myself anymore and I hate to feel like I'm nagging Jason all the time to help. He does help and is great about it, don't get me wrong. I just know he's going to shake his head at me because I'm in crazy-preggo-mode.

The other thing I decided I need to create is a preggo binder to keep with my hospital bag (which I haven't even packed yet!) I want to have all my important paperwork all in one place. That includes copies of insurance cards, my Aflac info, a birth plan (when I figure out how to make one...), hospital registration paperwork (if there is any), and a list of important numbers. I would also like to make a list of everyone that wants to/needs to be contacted at each point in the process- when I go to the hospital, when I'm getting close to delivery, after delivery, etc. I think Jason's dad is going to lend us his laptop, so J can actually update on facebook too, haha, how lame are we? That's just a really quick and easy way to tell lots of people. But, I think I want to be able to let our good friends and immediate family know in person (OK, by text messages, but it's better than facebook!) (O:

I don't think this blog really has to do with much of anything, except helping me clear my head of all the stuff swirling around. 11 weeks...wow...only 11 weeks until I hold my baby girl in my arms and kiss her sweet face. 11 weeks until we can see all her features and how beautiful she is. We can count and play with all her fingers and toes. 11 weeks until I'm a mommy...wow.

Quilts Quilts Quilts!

This past Saturday I spent most of the day at my mom's house working on a baby quilt for my little Emilia. It was a really great day- Clare was there too. It's not very often that all the Saunders' girls are under one room at the same time...basically, we have very little in common and so don't spend that much time together. It's not that we don't all love each other, because of course we do. We just don't usually have any common interests, and therefore don't spend much time together. Saturday was a different story...

A little over a month ago, I stopped in a fabric store to just browse and ended up picking out 3 cute patterned materials and called my mom to find out how much I needed. I had decided to make my own baby quilt. So far, my mom had said she was making 2 and Clare is also making one. But, I decided I wanted my baby girl to have one from her momma. Also, it's one of my 101 in 1001 (which I've seriously neglected...)

Mom and Clare were so helpful and we got the whole thing done in one day! Mom helped me iron and cut out the material, but I did almost all of the sewing myself. Clare had to help us piece it together and figure out the measurements because the pattern I chose was because I had seen a completed one that Clare had done. It's a fairly simple pattern, but it looks so cool. Take a look!

These are the 3 fabrics I chose


And THIS is my finished quilt! (O:


Overall, I'm really thankful to have spent the day with my mom and sister. It was a good bonding day- something we don't get to do very often.

Oh, and here's a sneak peek at the first of the two quilts my mom is making...it's just the top of it, but I think it's really neat! I think this one will be great for play time, all the bright colors will be so fun!



Oh, and here's a picture of Clare working on the first of 8 embroidered nursery rhymes for the baby quilt she's making. I've been told Emilia can't play with it until she's old enough not to spit up all over it... I told her we'd just frame it and hang it on the wall. Actually though, her quilt probably won't get as much wear and tear. I told her I'm excited to use it to teach Emilia those old fun nursery rhymes like "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "Jack and Jill", etc. Fun fun (O:

So many clothes!

I just wanted to share how much God has truly blessed Jason and I. I am realizing it more each and everyday!

Last Friday, I went to my mother-in-law, Treasa's house after work because a girl she works with had given her a bin of baby clothes for us. Jenny's little girl was born May 2008, so she's almost exactly a year ahead of our Emilia. Which means that all the clothes she gave us were the right size for the right season- yay! Oh, and when I say "all" the clothes...that's because she gave us almost everything that girl has ever worn! Apparently, she tried to have a yard sale this past summer, but it didn't go well at all. So, she had literally the entire wardrobe of 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes left and she wanted to get rid of everything! I went from having roughly 10 onesies for size 0-3 to now having almost 30 (NO JOKE!) She had lots of cute pants and shorts as well- thank goodness because that's one of the things I had none of yet. And let me tell you about the dresses...oh, the dresses! I think I could almost say without exaggeration that Emilia could make it almost all summer without wearing the same dress to church twice! They are all precious and adorable. I was just dumbfounded the whole day by the amount of clothing she freely gave. She doesn't want anything for it either and has told Treasa she fully plans to keep doing this. Since her last yard sale didn't go well, she's not messing with that again. Instead, she's just giving everything to us. Can you believe that?? I barely know this girl, and she's just giving me everything. We are so unbelievably blessed! I have her thank you card already out today to write and mail, but I really think I should put a gift card or something in it...I don't think I can fully express how appreciative we are, but I want to do the best I can to get the point across. Everytime I walk in Emilia's room, I just smile when I see all those little dresses all lined up. (O:

Oh, and that's only half of my good luck weekend. Jason's cousin (and mine) from Kentucky brought up a bag of maternity clothes for me to borrow too! Unfortunately, quite a bit of the stuff is already a tad too small, but it was just so thoughtful of her. I was able to pull out a couple pieces- including this cute light-weight, light pink cardigan that I am thinking about wearing to my shower! It was such a nice gesture and was very much appreciated. Again, we aren't exceptionally close, and it just amazes me how people can share of themselves like that.

God has definitely rained down some love on me this weekend. (O:

Baby update

Hi all! (And by all, I mean all 3 of you that read this blog...and right now Jill doesn't have internet access, so hi Jaime and Pam!)

I had my 28 week check-up last night and it went well. She said everything looks great- Emilia's heartrate is doing well, my belly is growing at the right pace, etc. She did comment about how I'm lucky not to have any stretch marks on my belly yet, and I assured her I'm making up for that everywhere else. (Who knew you'd get them on your hiney and thighs!? Not me...)

She did say that my iron count is low, which I already knew because I've always had low iron. That's why I can't give blood- I've tried at least 3 or 4 times over the years and I am always turned away.... But, anyway. She said when I had my initial blood work done, my iron count was an 11. The range you want to be within is 12-15. So, I was already a little low. She explained that as the pregnancy progresses, the iron count goes down some (she said something about it getting watered down??). Now I'm at 9... Then she told me that they expect you to go down about 2 more after childbirth, which would put me at a 7. She said "We start transfusions at 6..." Needless to say, I'm now to start taking an iron supplement daily. I'm not too excited about this because I hear it's a horse pill and it makes you nauseous. But, keeping Emilia safe and healthy is most important, so I will do it.

If you guys wouldn't mind keeping this in your prayers, I would appreciate it. The doctor didn't make it sound like it's anything to be worried about at this point, but that we just need to get some extra iron in me. It's just not something I ever knew to be worried about in the first place, so I want to make sure I do everything I can to prevent extra problems at birth.

On to something more exciting! We did another ultrasound (Thank you Lord for my wonderful doctor who is just as excited as I am!). Kelly is so great, as soon as I mentioned wanting to check one last time, she was halfway to the ultrasound room and I was still trying to grab all my things! (O: We had to poke and prode baby Emilia to get her to cooperate, but Kelly kept working at it. She finally got a good bum shot and showed me where a scrotum would be if there was one. She printed out the picture for me and pointed to the labia (sp?). So, YAY! It's a girl!! I'm not holding back anymore! (O: I will show some self restraint, but clearance racks are no longer off limits!! I may still keep the bigger clothes (3-6, 6-9, etc.) tagged and hold the receipts just to make sure, but woo hoo!! I'm no longer saying we "think" it's a girl. IT IS MY BABY GIRL EMILIA!! (O:

God is good all the time. (Not just because he gave me my Emilia, but because she's healthy and growing. Also for keeping me safe throughout this whole experience and even blessing us with this gift in the first place!)

Time is ticking away

(tick, tick, ticking away)...good ol' DC Talk. (O:

I can hardly believe it's already the 13th of January and I'm 28 weeks pregnant! That means only 12 weeks left...holy cow! Where did all my extra time go?? Anytime I start thinking too hard about how little time there is left, I panic. But, I think God knows I need extra peace right now because He always reminds me that I really don't have that much left that needs to be done.

The 2 big items I can think of are 1-meet with the daycare so I can sign Emilia up. (I already know she's going there, but the facility requires that I "meet" them before I make my decision) 2- figure out how to sign Emilia up for the pediatrician I want her to see.

But, that's it! Other than that, it's just baby laundry and lotioning my growing tummy. I'm also getting very excited because my baby shower is only about 4 weeks away! That will be such a fun day. So many of my favorite people all in one room, I can't wait. (O:

But, that's all. Other than baby talk, I'm pretty much a boring person right now. I am sorry to all my friends because I'm sure it has to get old hearing about my great baby purchases or latest cravings...I'll try to come up with something more interesting to talk about soon.

"Contemporary Theology"

That's the name of the course I'm currently taking at our church's Cornerstone University. When I first signed up for this class, I thought it would be good because Ian's teaching it and he is always good. But, with each new course, I get more and more excited that I chose this "track". Especially with the course that just started last night.

This class is going to introduce us to many different points of view for some of the most divisive topics and also help us know what is truth. Each week we will discuss and dissect a new topic. I can't remember all of them (pregnesia rears its ugly head...) but we talked about Emerging churches VS Emergent churches and also had a group discussion about God's grace. I know next week is over Heaven and Hell, then after that I'm a complete blank. But, I remember being excited about all the topics.

It was during the group discussion last night that I started thinking...Anyone who knows me well knows that confrontation makes me very uncomfortable. My face will flush immediately, I start sweating and it's just awful. There is just something about being confronted, or even just having to speak in front of a group of people, that makes me want to pass out and not wake up until it's over. But, last night, as I sat there earnestly listening to everything Ian was saying, I realized that I want to start studying more about our theology. Even if I never want to have to be confronted, I want to know exactly what I believe and why.

I admire Ian so much for his knowledge and wisdom. He could have a debate with anyone at anytime and know exactly what to say. Like I said, I don't want to ever have to do that. But, I think if I spent time studying what I believe and why, it would help my walk with God. I think that just being able to stand firm on my beliefs would help me as I live my day to day life, which would be so great.

That's what I am most looking forward to about this class. The topics all have pretty controversial opinions surrounding them, which will be very interesting to learn about. And even though I didn't actually share during the group discussion, I always enjoy listening to what everyone else has to say. I really enjoy a handful of the people in this class because they are so very knowledgable and speak with such a passion and eloquence. I want to continue to learn from them and study for myself so anytime I'm part of a discussion I will at least know whose opinions are correct and who is a little off base.

Lord, please continue to warm my heart to all there is to know about you. I am excited to keep studying and learning so I can be a shining light for you everyday. Thank you for your love, grace and mercy.

More shopping and Ruffles potato chips

Yesterday I was really craving Ruffles potato chips. Pre-preggo, I wasn't a plain potato chip kinda gal at all, but something about their salty goodness was just calling my name! We didn't have any at work (Usually chips are gone the same day Sam's delivers them...), so I texted my loving, wonderful husband and asked him to pick me up a bag on his lunch break. I did this instead of getting them myself because I had small group last night and don't really like stopping anywhere after dark by myself. Call, me paranoid if you must, but I just prefer to save any shopping for daytime hours when I'm less likely to get mugged for looking like a big, fat, easy target.

So anyway, He didn't end up getting home before I went to bed, but this morning TA DA! He is so good to me, he remembered! I was so excited that I packed up a big baggie of them to take to work. Then, I went to put the rest of the bag in our pantry to await my return home (at which time I knew I would be wanting more...) Do you want to know what I found in our pantry...2 WHOLE BAGS OF RUFFLES POTATO CHIPS!!!! I started cracking up! I had no idea we still had any chips left in there, because like I said, I would never touch plain chips before this craving attacked me. So, once again, crazy pregnant lady is on the loose! (O:

Then, today I decided that after work I wanted to run into Once Upon A Child and check out their maternity clothing. I've had a couple suggestions to check that place out, and today was the day. I'm sick of trying to squeeze into regular people t-shirts that I purchased in bigger sizes thinking that would work. It did for a while, but I'm officially past that stage in belly bump size. I've checked any store that sells maternity clothing for short sleeved t-shirts that I could put under my scrubs...to no avail. Of course, it IS the middle of winter, and only crazy people (yes, like me) would even think of wearing short sleeves. So, this was my last resort and it *somewhat* paid off. I spent over an hour in there...there was only 1 rack of shirts in my size to look through...the rest of my time was picking out the CuTeSt little baby girl clothes that were marked half off and were all name brand. Then, I'd feel guilty because that wasn't what I was supposed to be looking at, so I would go put them all back only to have something else catch my eye and start the whole cycle over again!

In the end, I made it out with 2 t-shirts for mommy and 1 top for Emilia. (O: I was very proud of myself, I showed great restaint. (Even if I did leave with something not on my list...that was better than a LOT of things not on my list!) (O:

But, as I walked to my car, it hit me...I am an extremely emotional shopper. I truly love shopping and finding a good deal. Anytime I get a bargain, I'm thrilled and it really can make a whole day turn around. The other side of that coin isn't as exciting though...when I don't find what I'm looking for, or if the deals aren't that great, I get really sad. I left that store today pretty put out that out of all the maternity tops there, I still only managed to find 2 tops that could work...and one of them I'm not really crazy about.

Part of it is probably the constant, unavoidable feelings of insecurity about my size. I know, I know, it's a wonderful gift and a miraculous experience. (And I do believe that this is a great experience with a wonderful blessing only 3 months away) But, my point is that it doesn't matter how excited I am about having my baby girl and being a momma- I'm still big and round and have started getting stretch marks in places I wasn't expecting. One can't help but feel insecure in a state like this. Everywhere around us, we are shown what "beauty" looks like- what WE should look like. I never bought into all of it before. I've always been *somewhat* confident in myself, or at least knew that I was a child of God and that was all the acceptance I needed. Well, now it's different (probably the hormones)...when even the pregnant celebrities look flawless it makes me sick. And I know they are airbrushed and have personal trainers, but an emotional wreck of a pregnant person can't help but feel a little sad sometimes. That's all.

OK- so that went on a tangent I was completely not expecting...sorry about that. Please don't think I'm being a whiny baby. I just kept typing and that's what came out. I really am so thankful that God has blessed us with our baby and I know all these changes are part of that process. Like my quote says "Sometimes you need a place to be exactly who you are without apologies or limitations". And that right there was one of those moments for me...

I'll be happier tomorrow, promise. (O:

Bargains are a girl's best friend!

What an exciting night of bargain shopping I just had! I just have to share this excitement! (O:

Let me start by saying that it seems to be anything J and I have picked out as far as baby bedding, travel equipment (stroller, car seat, pack 'n' play, etc.) and furniture, have all gone to clearance in the past month and a half. This has caused us to scramble around to make sure we got all the things we had chosen.

It all started with the crib and changing table...J's parents decided to purchase these for us as our shower gift. So, Treasa told me that once the room was painted, we would go pick everything up. J got the room done back before the holidays. (I can't remember if I posted pics of how awesome it looks, so here are a couple quick shots):



So, once J was done with all his lovely painting of *dots* (O: Treasa and I made plans to go pick up the crib and changing table. One day, a few days before we were supposed to go, I was checking online to see which stores had the pieces in stock. I became very worried when I realized that almost every store said "Out of Stock" online. So I started calling around and found out that the only crib left in IL was at the Shiloh store and the only changing table left in IL was at the new Belleville store. So, I called Treasa told her the story and she said to get them and she'd pay me back. Immediately after work, I raced to the Shiloh store to grab up the crib before small group. Then, directly after small group, I raced to the Belleville store to get the changing table. *Whew* a sigh of relief. (O:

A few weeks later, Jason and I had decided that since we had been so blessed with our parents taking care of many of our big purchases, that we wanted to go purchase our crib mattress and bedding. I KNOW I've told that story...it ends with me almost breaking down in a Target checkout lane... Either way, it was so exciting. I took the bedding home, washed it, ironed the bumper pad and blanket and put everything in the crib...(Pictures are pre-ironing...)



Then, just 2 weeks after purchasing our bedding, I was at Target again, oooing and aaahing over all the cute baby stuff when I noticed that our bedding had been marked down from $79.99 to $54.99! I grabbed the bedding and marched up to the returns desk, fully expecting a price adjustment. I was told that they do not make price adjustments on clearance items. So, thinking quick on my feet, I took the $55 bedding to a check out lane and purchase it. (Yes, I know, I already have this bedding...just wait!) (O: So, my mom and I left and drove across town to another Target where I returned the bedding I just purchased, but with my $80 receipt. At first, I felt like I was doing something wrong...but, really it's no different than packing up my bedding at home to return, so, I just was excited to be getting almost $30 back on the bedding!

The next thing J and I noticed is that the entire Graco Safari Sun line was being clearanced out...so, we started watching the prices. We got a steal on the stroller: Originally $99.99, we purchased it for $62.99! The Edwardsville store didn't have the car seat, but I said I'd keep an eye out for it.
Which leads me to tonight's wonderful tale! (I'm sorry for all this background nonsense, but it helps to the excitement of the night!)

I had called the Shiloh Target at lunch today to see if they had the car seat in stock, which they said they did not. So, after work, I decided to run into the Fairview Heights Target and check out if anything was on sale there...and it was!

First, the bedding was now marked down to $20! So, I did another switcheroo and don't feel bad about that either! I saved $60 on that bedding, and that is something to be proud of! (O:

Then, I found the pack 'n' play marked down from $109.99 to $75.99! Treasa's friend Goldie has told me that she'd like to purchase that for us, so if I wanted to get it, she would pay me back. So, I grabbed that up (and maybe hurt my back a little...whoops!)!

Next I ventured to the baby swing section only to find that our swing was marked down from $99.99 to $50.99!! Half off, I couldn't believe it! So, I called J and made sure he didn't mind if I purchased that too. He didn't mind, so I got it! (O: (I should mention that J is the one that picked this whole line out because "it matches our house", so I didn't think he'd raise any complaints about all my bargains!) (O:
Even though I couldn't find any of the car seats in the store, I decided to ask the nice young man in electronics if he could check and make sure they didn't have any in the back. They didn't have any there, but he said Shiloh had 3 in stock! (Those liars!) He called to make sure, and then I was on my way! I got to the store in Shiloh and had a little trouble finding the car seat, so I guess I forgive them for lying. (O:Now our collection is almost complete! The only thing left to purchase is the high chair. Which, in all my excitement, I forgot to check on. But, either way, we are super stoked to have all the pieces we wanted and at a fraction of the original prices! (O:

There's just something about a good deal that makes me happy. And when it's multiple good deals, I could do a jig I'm so excited! (O:

Friends * Family * Love * Laughter

This past Friday was such a long, but wonderful day!

I started off the day picking up Jax to watch while Jaime was at work. He had so much fun with Jason:

Jason taught him how to put the marker caps on his fingers...
They were also watching the Letter Factory (O:

Jax tried to put them on J's fingers...

J had to help a little (O:

Then Jax wanted a turn with the camera...here's the world through his eyes...


An empty storage container turned out to be great entertainment (O:


Later, we went to Mark & Treasa's house where Jax met Lola and Sophia. They were instant friends (O:

Around 3:00 we decided to pop in Nemo (at Jax's request) so he could relax and rest for a little while before the Big Warren Family Christmas.

Jason was the first to fall asleep

But it didn't take long for Jax to knock out too

We had to wake the boys up about 4:00 to go to Aunt Pam's for the Warren Family Christmas. Everyone was so great with Jaxon. All the little cousins were playing with him and all the adults were cooing about how cute he is. Justin even shared his dinner...


Once Jax got a taste of ribs, he wanted more... (O:

Mark chilling with Jax on the recliner

Jason helping Jax open his Christmas gift from us (O: (More crayons, a Handy Manny coloring book, and a Backyardigans coloring book WITH stickers) (O:



Jaime got off work and joined our party right in time for the kids Christmas present game.

Jax got a LOT of matchbox cars, hopefully he likes them!

Here's CJ and Amy

Poor Mason kept getting girl gifts, like this hat!

Jill helping Lola open her gifts

Zach liked his new pink purse...

Kellie helping Millie

Jaime and Jax again

Not too long after the kids game, Jaime and Jax went home. I think Jax was probably wore out from all the family and fun. I know it had to be overwhelming for Jaime too, it's a big, friendly family, but it's also a lot of people you don't know. It was fun to have her there for a while. (O:

After the kids game, Justin had prepared a fun game with oven mitts. We had to take turns rolling dice and anytime you rolled a 6, you had to put on the oven mitts and try to unwrap this present. It was a package wrapped inside a package, inside a pacakge. And, it's really hard to try to unwrap with oven mitts on! Also, you had to hurry, because while you were *trying* to unwrap, the next players were trying to roll 6's to steal it from you. Everyone was cracking up, it was really fun.

Next was the adults "Game". It's always so much fun to see which gifts are the big items of the year. Each year there a couple gifts that people will steal back and forth, even though they have no idea what's inside.

The rest of the night was filled with talking, laughing and playing other games. I think I played Scattegories until I was braindead. (O: It is always so much fun to get together with the Warrens- there's never a dull moment!

Later in the evening, Grandpa Oshall gathered us all in the room to say a few words. It started out just him thanking all of us for coming and talking about how much he loved him family. Then, he opened it up to the rest of the group to share their thoughts. At first it was somewhat of the "popcorn" effect- just speaking if you wanted to. But then, he decided to go around the room so each person could share...I started sweating instantly! It's not that I don't have many wonderful things to be thankful for in that family, but we all know how scared I am of speaking to groups of people- yes, even family! But, I managed to get through it without passing out. It actually was a really neat time. A lot of people really opened up and I think it was a great experience for all of us.

All in all, it was such a wonderful day. (O:

This is going to be a good year!

That's what Jason keep telling me. (O: But, he's right. There are so many exciting things happening in 2009!

Emilia, of course, is at the top of this list. Our little baby girl is due April 6th and we cannot wait! Last night I was going through a new tub of baby clothes given to us by his cousins, and it was really fun. He even helped "yay" or "nay" outfits. I can tell he's getting excited about a cute little baby girl to spoil. (O:

Jason will be graduating Dec. 2009! Finally! I know he's been working so hard for this day and I think he's about out of patience. Graduating from SLCC leads into the next *hopefully* exciting thing:

Jason getting a new job! All the churches he has applied to have turned him down because he doesn't have a degree yet. But, as of Dec. 2009, he'll be ready to roll! He has still been submitting resumes and has actually been speaking with one church about an interview, so it might happen sooner than December. We shall see. (O:

I feel like there's more, but I can't remember.

Oh- Jon comes home in June, that's super exciting too. (O:

And, there are LOTS of babies coming into this world in 2009! Jason's Aunt Jill, Christin Meuth, Jessca Leeper, Elise Sprenger, Mandy (my old college roommate), Holly (good friend from HS), Adriane (another friend from HS), J's cousin Joie, and now JILLIAN GENTA! (O:

Such a fun fun year to come. (O: