I'm sure you've heard the news...

It's a girl! 

I've had a feeling it has been a girl for awhile. I started pinning on Pinterest everything girl since I found out we were pregnant again. I started getting anxious a couple of days before the ultrasound, doubting my instincts. "What if it's not a girl, and I've just set myself up for disappointment, when that's the last thing I want to be feeling about our baby!" 

We went in to the doctor on Thursday morning. The ultrasound takes a couple of minutes for them to get to the good part... yea it has two feet, yea for seeing all the chambers of the heart...get to the genitalia!! Then the nurse said, "looks like there's a garage sale and y'alls near future!" and wrote "girl!!!" on the screen. I burst into tears! I knew the Lord had set this desire in my heart to be a mother of girl. It was a very sweet moment for my heart to be so full of joy.

Being in ministry with high school girls, I hear so many stories of bad relationships with their moms. With Knox's pregnancy, I felt mostly fear from these stories, and desperately wanted a boy. But within the past year, God had changed that fear into confidence that I can be a great mother to a girl, I don't have to fall in line.

The next hard part is finding a name. We have one that we came across last night that we both really like, but are waiting to reveal til we really know it is right. 

For now, I'll just keep pinning cute things I want to make for her.

and my bet is she's going to be bald...

When the cat's away, the mice will play.

Will always says no one wants to read a blog that doesn't have pictures. Well, sorry folks because will is out of town for the week. He has the camera and the computer to put pictures on, so your stuck with just words. Will is at Area Director school in Colorado. There he'll be with friends that do what he does and they'll hear speakers and go to seminars and play mafia.  So far, it's been good, gone by fast, but we are ready for papa to get home. 

I was talking to my friend Amber yesterday and she asked what's Knox like now? (she hadn't seen him in awhile) He says "whats dat" about eeeeeverything. And thats pretty much the only new thing. Still no walking. We arent pushing him or anything, I just want him to walk before frontier. The best way I could describe him is he is either super happy or super upset. Very seldom is he just chill, except bedtime/naps (thank God), walking the stroller (but you have to be walking), and first 20 minutes or so of a cartoon.  That makes for a pretty exhausted mama.

Since finding out we are having baby #2 , I've been real tired. Napped every chance I got. I had been feeling down and kinda depressed. All I could think about all day is how I wanted to crawl in my bed in the dark and sleep the day away. Yes, I know I'm pregnant but still my life felt like I was falling into Darkness.  It was a step to recognize it for myself and vocalize it. Will and I knew our lives could wind out of control if we didn't hold on to what we know as true...
That God thinks our voices are beautiful and wants to hear them call his name. So that's what we are doing; Calling out to him, grasping for Light, when all I want to do is run to Darkness. There in the Light is the very Life of God. Pray for Will and I as we are making changes in our life, for us to fall more in love with Christ than we love each other and for Knox and baby to witness the Light we want so badly to reign over our house. 

For the beggars out there...

Here are a couple new photos...

 Watching ESPN with daddy.

 New bed!

First go round with Cake.

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.