Gather round ye children, come, and listen to the old, old story...

If you have not listened to Andrew Peterson's "Behold the Lamb of God" album, you need to go buy it ASAP. It's not your typical Christmas album. There's no Jingle Bell Rock, Rudolph, or White Christmas. And I wasn't a fan at first, his voice kinda sounds like Kermit the frog, and I just didn't get the craze about it. But last year I got past that and the words really sunk into my heart. I realized that it was written wanting to tell and feel the whole story, not of just the birth of Jesus, but the birth of God's people desperate and waiting for a Savior, and a God wanting to make things right again.  It now gives me space to breathe, to sit, to wait. It has given me the freedom to cry slow, quiet tears, and to sing at the top of my lungs. It has become our favorite, and honestly only, Christmas soundtrack. Andrew Peterson and some of his friends make their rounds around the country performing this album in its entirety during the Christmas season. Will, for my birthday, bought us tickets to go see it! We've seen them before at the Ryman in Nashville but at that time I still wasn't sold, I really just pretended to like it, cause all my friends did. So this year I'm super excited to go see it and take it all in. 

To open up the concert Andrew reads this from "The Jesus Storybook Bible" 

and I just love how it's put. so simple and true...

"You know the Bible isn't a book of rules or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a story. It’s like an adventure story about a young Hero who came from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne, everything to rescue the one he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that have come true in real life.

    You see, the best thing about this story is—it’s true.

    It takes the whole Bible to tell this story. And at the center of the Story there is a baby. Every story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a  puzzle—the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture..."

Hope you're enjoying this season and all the joy it brings!

Peace.

Apologies...

Sorry folks for the recent mia. We've had a pretty hectic month. For starters, for three weeks starting when Ace and Paul came to visit, Knox decided he didn't want to nap anymore, therefore leading to a very grumpy child. For awhile I thought something was wrong and then just hoped that it was a phase. Thank you, Lord that it was. We turned a corner last week just in time for one of the hardest weeks of my life... three weeks ago we found out we were pregnant. We were so excited and nervous for the upcoming 9 months. We'd started talking about names, nursery ideas, how we weren't going to have a camp assignment, and how I wouldn't be able to go to camp with our high school friends. Then last Tuesday, I miscarried. I had a suspicion that I was going to, but I also thought, "that wouldn't happen to me" and "my body will work it out". But it didn't. I became part of the statistic.

Our banquet was coming up that Friday. Lord knows what was going on in Will. He graciously took the day off, when who knows how much was on his to-do list. I let myself be sad for the next 2-3 days, but honestly I was just so grateful for what the Lord has already given me through Knox and realized how miraculous life really is. I've already loved how it has become part of my story. Thanks to those who were happy with us, for being sad with us, and grateful with us.

Our banquet was awesome! I left with such a full heart... A table of girl's parents who I'd been hanging out with over the past year all came and graciously gave. They believe in me, the impact Jesus is making in their daughter's lives, and want to support us. I just felt so encouraged. Will did too. Will did so awesome for his first banquet as Area Director. I was so proud. God has given him a gift of storytelling and connecting with people, no matter their age. That night we stayed up late eating junk food and counting the donations. It felt like Christmas morning!

Knox is almost 10 1/2 months old! I'm starting to think of his first birthday party. He is the fastest crawler I've ever seen. His favorite thing is crawling around the club room before club. Wide open spaces. He also loves bananas, taking everything out of cabinets and crawling into them, sipping out of a straw, his blanket, playing with "Uno" cards, to try and grab your tongue, and of course his mama. Here is a few pics to catch you up.

His new toy gym we got him from Costco.

oh and how can I forget halloween?! He was a truck driver...

Happy Birthday Will aka Wodie aka The Big Dog aka The Legend Himself

Today is Will's 27th birthday!!! We went to dinner at a Greek restaurant and then went to The Chocolate Bar, then came home and watched SNL. We celebrated last night because we both had stuff tonight and our friends Paul and Aaron are coming in town tonight! They'll have the pleasure of being our first guests to stay here. We're excited to laugh a lot this weekend.

Our boog is 9 months old now! Crazy. 

He sleeps like a champ.

So curious. 

Hits his head on everything. I think cause he's so top heavy (HUGE noggin).

Loves toast with cheese on it and strawberries.

Loves to go on walks.

Loves to swing in the baby swing at the park and watch the older kids play. 

The one day it was chilly outside.

the cutest skit characters ever.

Will took this of me and Cassie (my bf from high school) going through old pictures and laughing so hard!

move over knox, here's my new Pride and Joy!

showing the neighborhood who we really are. Happy Fall! It's not in the 90's anymore!

It has been another crazy week. 

We started club, went to volleyball game, football game, spent 3 hours at Star Furniture buying THE couch (eeeek so excited!), had campaigners at our new house (still without floors). Knox went to bed late every night this week. oops. 

we finally bit the bullet and bought THE couch. we have had our eye on it for a couple of months now. 

 This is the fabric that we picked out for the couch.

here is the pattern we picked out for 3 accent pillows 

and this red for the other 2 accent pillows. it's a little more faded than this red.

our old living quarters

and new! carpet is getting put in as I type!

we had some of our high school friends write verses on the floor before the carpet got put in.

tried to get a pic of the teethers.

A little housewarming gift...

We had a storm a few days ago and that night this here limb fell onto the roof and the Camry. No real super damage, but we'll have to replace the gutter and taking our car into the dealership for the insurance peeps to look at it. Was not our ideal way of meeting our next door neighbors. 

On a lighter note, this past week has been full of the beginning of football season! Knox went to his first Texans football game...

And his first Stratford pep rally...

I remember times when I was a kid my dad getting me out of school early to go to the pep rally... There is also a picture of me as a baby in the '86 SHS yearbook at the pep rally. So many sweet memories here at this school. And now I get to add new memories with my new family. Still crazy to me. 

Fall is in full swing. We start club on Monday for Stratford and Westside. All the while trying to move into our house.

No babies were harmed in taking this photo...

The Odom Pyramid

We now have a new home. Not yet "Eagle Falls", but Lowe's. I couldn't tell you how many times we've been in the past week, and I don't see our visits coming to an end. We started Thursday night of last week, priming, painting, taping, demolition, lots of soda, pandora, sweating, late nights, packing and unpacking the pack n play, and paint all up in my hair. We first wanted to attack the living room. 

We are getting new carpet in most of the house minus kitchen, dining, utility, 1/2 bath, and office, which we'll one day put in hardwoods. But with the old carpet it's nice to be able to throw stuff down and not care about the floor. This is the living room... I love the built ins.

We painted the cabinets and fireplace white aka "ultra violet", the walls "clarified butter", and the back of the built ins "sage morsel". Will couldn't live without the butter and I couldn't live without the sage so we compromised. We're excited for how it will look with all our stuff!

And this guy has just turned 8 months old! This pic is an oldie but goodie... taken a month ago right before his circumcision. This outfit was sooo big on him. 

The past week as we have been trying to get our hands dirty in our house, I've had people lined up everyday to watch Knox for a few hours so I can be focused on the house for a little while. He has been such a trooper sleeping in unfamiliar places, and going to bed later than usual. The past 4 days he has started to eat real solids i.e. toast, black beans, bananas, carrots, and these rice cakes, made specifically for babies, that he loves. So fun to watch him become such a great little man.

well, don't really know what to blog about... we close next tuesday aug. 28. that's all we can really think about. meanwhile here are a few new pics. 

He's 7 1/2 months today.

 He is so fun unless he didn't nap enough, then he's a little cranky.  

He's finally starting to like food... a week or so ago he would just spit it out. 

Loves to put anything and everything in his mouth.

 Loves cartoons. 

Is sooo close to crawling, but not yet.

"He's just very pleasant" - Will

Makes girlfriends wherever he goes.

Frontier

I apologize for the absence lately...from the 21-29 we were in Colorado at Young Life camp with our high school friends. And it takes me a couple of days prior and post to gear myself up and recoup after.  Here are some highlight pictures from our trip:

Will and I on top of a mountain. there's some pretty treacherous terrain. not my favorite thing to do but don't worry, I'm still "Oh Boy"ing it. 

This is my friend, Anna. She reminds me a lot of myself, not because of the red hair, or that we could be sisters, but her heart when I was in high school. i love her.

Team Pink I. get it... Let me just say this we dominated camp. We won the vball tournament, the spirit award, and I was told we were second for the tawashie award behind a capernaum cabin. Soooo yeah. Their motto was "Game time, all the time." Awesome.

This is Nsen. She's our new area's intern. She's awesome. Very organized, which if you know Will, it will come in handy...a lot. The girls had a checklist of things to decorate their leader in for the obstacle course. And yes, they were all about winning.

This is my friend, Erin, who I'd gotten to know all year. She's one the sweetest, most chill girls you will meet. She's a fave.

friends. Marty and Reese. they really are my friends.

group pic! it was such a great week. there were eyes opened, questions asked, tears spilled, laughter had, bed bug bites, butts kicked, and stomach aches galore. yeah it was a great week.

And of course I missed this lil munchkin. everyday.

The Rumors Are True

After a year of looking and years of wanting, the Odom's have found a house!

I can't believe that in 1 month this will be OURS! I was getting discouraged by all the houses we were looking at. It was either live in the neighborhood we didn't necessarily want to live in or live in a house I didn't love but in the location we wanted to be in. Well, the day Will left for Wilderness, he texted me and said there's a new house listing, tell me what you think. I looked at the pictures and thought hmm...it's worth going to look at. Will got back, we went to look at it, and I just knew that I loved it. It's right where we want to live, it's huge, AND has character! It will be a VERY slow process of fixing it up to how we want everything but it will be so fun. 

Here are my 2 favorite rooms...

This is the living room. Our vision thus far...

pull up carpet, lay brick as flooring, paint the brick fireplace so as not to clash with the floor, and paint a backsplash to the bookcases. And yes, that is a back porch.

And Knox's room. When I saw this picture, I totally envisioned him in here. Some people would move in here, and immediately take these shingles off. But not these folks! I love me some shingles. (Not the disease, of course.) Although, I might have to worry about splinters. 

We close August 20th. So yeah. We're excited.

Keep the Car Runnin'

This is in honor of my new friend Leslie Sloan... ashevillesloan.blogspot.com who inspired me that I can be a mom and exercise. 

Now that Knox is 6 months (next week) I'm now allowed to jog with him in the jogging stroller. "They" say 6 months is when they finally have full control of their necks, therefore wait til 6 months to jog with the jogging stroller. 

Here is my newly edited jogging playlist... most of which are inspired from camp, which makes me happy, so don't judge me for all the pop music.

Kick Drum Heart - Avett Brothers

Viva La Vida - Coldplay

Good Feeling - Flo Rida

Hard To Find - Daniel Crawford

Starships - Nicki Minaj

Get Down On It - Kool & The Gang

We Found Love - Glee Cast

All I Do Is Win - DJ Khalad

Cosmic Love - Florence + The Machine

We Are Young - Fun.

Paradise - Coldplay

Boyfriend - Justin Bieber

Lights - Ellie Goulding

Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

It Goes On and On - Avett Brothers

Long Hot Summer - Keith Urban

Headlights - Daniel Crawford

The first day, I went too soon after I ate. They say wait 30 minutes after a meal before heavy activity for a reason. I'll have to go in the mornings or evenings due to VERY high temps throughout the summer in Houston. 

The Gurick's

Introducing the Gurick Family... Zach (Head Leader), Blair, their daughter Addie (4), and Micah (2).

This family is such a delight! Blair is one of the funniest, real, and honest women that I've met. I've so much enjoyed getting to know her and her family. Addie is sweet and soft spoken, but when she talks its so funny. Micah walks around with 2 fingers in his mouth and one that goes from inside his nostrils to rubbing the tip of his nose, getting snot all over his nose. Way funny and cute. Blair hates it!

The Lord has laid on them a mission to adopt from the Congo. A bunch of staff spouses have chipped in to help make bracelets to sell and help raise money, awareness, and most importantly prayer for this family and the children and people of Congo. I got mine in blue and LOVE IT. 

Here is the blog to follow and to buy a bracelet addiegraceg.blogspot.com

Here is Addie sporting her red bracelet...

I'll miss this family.

camp life

Our boog is 5 months old! He is the B.M.O.C. here at camp! All the children love him, the workers love him, and the campers love him! I love how much joy he brings people! Don't see how anyone couldn't love him...

  I wasn't feeling well last night and earlier today... thank goodness our committee chair and his wife are here as adult guests! They watched Knox while I slept ALL morning (til 1:30!) and Will worked. I was so so grateful! Here's a family photo from tonight...

We laughed so so hard at this picture. I bet he's going to make some great funny faces like his papa.

looking into the future in 12 years...

oh our life. Today I thought about when I was a camper in high school, and seeing the program guys and thinking how funny they were. Who knew that that would become my life. Wouldn't trade it for anything. 

Jesse and Jasper McAwesomestache doin what they do. Second Night 4 down. 1 to go.