playing catch up

oh yuck. its pretty ridiculous how FAR behind i am on my blog. i could blame it on my insanely busy life full of new changes but really, it just comes down to my laziness. i really haven't had much of a desire to blog & when i do i fee so overwhelmed by how far behind i am that i just put it off another day. oh geez.

i was going to try & back blog. starting in august & a few posts for each month until now. but, enter my laziness, i just don't want to take the time to do that. so, i'm going to jot down all the things that have happened since August 1 & go from there. sounds good to me.

August

* we bought our first home. its perfect for our family. it really feels like it was built just for us & our needs/desires. we are SO very thankful to the Lord for what he has given us in this house. what a blessing. i'll do a separate post about it later. for now, i'll just post a picture.

* we found out on August 22 that we are having another baby. and we are so excited. i am due April 29 and i can not wait to meet this sweet one. we find out the sex of the baby on December 5, just 3 weeks away. i'm going crazy with anticipation. children are such a blessing!

September

* we moved into our home on the 1st of the month. my dad & i spent the first week redoing my cabinets and to say i love them is an understatement. it was SO much work but it was SO worth it. just the update that they needed. i'll post pictures later.

* on the 7th, our sweet nephew, Bennett was born. it was so much fun to love on him, such a sweet boy.

* on the 24th, we were given a house warming party at our new home. hosted by my closest friends, Brittany & Kathe. it was so sweet for us to have everyone we love in our home. we want this house to be used for ministry & loving on people. we're so excited to have a place, in a city we love, to do just that. we also told everyone that night that we are expecting baby #3!

October

* Jack turned 3 on the 25th. holy moly. i was not prepared for that. we had a birthday party for him here on the 24th, with all of our family and friends. i will definitely do a separate post on that too. i actually have a fair amount of pictures to share.

* we had a fun halloween on the 31st. the kids went trick or treating in my in-laws neighborhood and got tons of candy. we still have most of it lying around. this is not good for me. ha!

November

* Ben officiated his cousin's wedding on the 5th, in Jackson, TN. we went down for the weekend. the wedding was really beautiful and we had a great time just getting away, staying in a nice hotel & seeing family.

* tonight we will be with our community group from church doing a service project in our town. and tomorrow night, it is Reid's 1st birthday party. I'm excited!

we have a busy rest of the month planned, full of birthdays, thanksgiving, black friday and christmas preparations. i am really looking forward to the holiday season this year. ok, i always look forward to the holiday season. but i am especially excited to spend it with my family. and to teach my kids about the birth of Christ and why we even celebrate.

i must say how blessed i am by our church. all of our time is spent with these people, just doing with life with them. and it is incredible. never have i experienced such love, biblical fellowship, biblical teaching & true community. the Lord is moving, working & teaching me (and all of us) so much. i am so thankful to be part of it. and it blesses my heart that everyone loves my kids so much. its a big deal to me. i look forward to our worship service & community group meetings each week. i love that Ben loves what he is doing. my heart is full. the Lord's work is just so good.

pregnancy wise, i am doing great. i was pretty sick for about 4 weeks, but now i have my appetite back. and i finally have more energy. i'll be 16 weeks on Sunday. and i felt the baby move for the first time on November 9. pregnancy is draining, duh. but it is so special and i honestly really enjoy it. i'm really looking forward to our ultrasound in 3 weeks and i can not wait to meet this sweet baby in April. i really, really love having babies!

and now i feel SO much better about my blogging. so what if i'm 3 months behind. right?! i'll get there. slowly.

Psalm 126:3

"the LORD has done great things for us and we are filled with JOY!!"

Jovie's 1st Birthday Party

yes, i know i'm incredibly late with this post. oh well, at least its done!

Jovie had a fabulous 1st birthday party!! i had visions of grandeur for her big event, but time got away from me. her birthday is just 4 short weeks after Christmas, our church plant launched 2 weeks before the party & both my kids were sick in that time period. really sick. so, i did the best i could with our budget & time frame. i'm pretty pleased with how everything went & came together.

for Jack's party, i did every single thing myself. food, decor, clothing, cake & planning. i did have some help from my sisters, which was great. but, i got so burned out. so, Ben insisted that i not do as much this go around. i did do a few things for her, but i also had a few things made/bought. and i'm so glad i did it that way. Jovie had NO clue about the decor, food, or clothing. but she did have fun, all the same. i think i will attempt to do more for her 2nd birthday, maybe she will be a little more aware of what's going on by then!

i did make her a birthday banner, cupcake stand & cupcakes. i had my friend, Katherine, make her a shirt and i bought her skirt & leg warmers. the theme for her party was "cupcake" so i bought her a huge GiGi's cupcake instead of making her one. i'm so glad i did that! for the food, we ordered pizzas & did chips/dip and snacks to go with it.

we just invited our families, church staff & 2 close friends. and it ended up being the perfect amount of people. Jovie got TONS of presents, and we all had a great time visiting. we are so thankful for so many friends & family that love our little girl so much. she is blessed!

here are some pics from our fun day:



my seester, Katie, made this amazing invites. i just told her the theme & colors & she did it all herself. she's uber talented. if you need some invites, blog header or anything of the such, go to her blog & ask her for some help. you won't regret it!


Jovie's GiGi cupcake.

i think it was plenty big enough. what do you think?!

the cupcakes & cupcake stand i made for the partay

my sweet MIL bought these for Jovie Claire

i had fun making her birthday banner!


my sweet 1 year old girl.

i do NOT want her to grow up anymore.

my seester, Lindsay, made the cupcake toppers.

don't they look so cute?!

me and my girl, take 1.

and take 2. best i can do with a BUSY 1 year old!

we LOVE having a girl!

time to eat cake. and she did not love the candle, or the singing.

checking out the goods

she went for it pretty quickly. she is not shy. unlike my sweet boy.


i'm pretty sure it was love at first bite

she made a pretty good dent in that icing mountain

oh yeah, that's how we do it!

Jack just loves our friend, Olivia!

and so does Jovie! they play so sweet together.

Jovie got TONS of gifts. she is blessed with sweet friends & family!

everyone watching her open gifts


opening her first Dora doll. and she loves it!

she got some blocks & a cute new bow!

i'm sure i have a few more pictures, but i think this is plenty for now!

i think Jovie really had a fun time, even if she didn't realize it was her 1st birthday. we had a blast visiting with friends & family. we are so thankful for everyone that came. Jovie is so blessed to be loved by so many sweet people.

Happy Birthday to our precious girl!

Revision Church

back in 2008, when i was pregnant with Jack, Ben shared something with me. it was a calling, that he believed was from the Lord. he told me that he felt like he wouldn't be a youth minister forever. and while we were very happy at the church we were serving in, we knew God was calling us to a different work. the Lord had laid church planting on Ben's heart and He had given Ben the desire to be a pastor. we weren't sure where or when we would church plant or what type of pastor Ben would be, but we were trusting the Lord to lead us.

at the same time, our very close friends, Job & Brittany, were also seeking the Lord in what area of ministry they needed to serve the Lord. Brittany was a full-time ER nurse & Job was finishing up seminary & looking for a job in a church. we began to share our heart with them concerning church planting. it was definitely something that they had also been praying about, but weren't sure where or when the Lord would place them. after Jack was born, there were many nights that Brittany and I would sit together, as i fed Jack, and talk about our dreams for our husbands. we talked about how awesome it would be if we could plant a church together, one day. and how cool it would be if Josh & Katie (who were then engaged) could also be part of it. for us, that would be an absolute dream job. our hubbies were already best friends & the 3 of us got along beautifully. ( i mean, of course it helps that Katie is my sister! ha!) but to be honest, i wondered if there was ever a way that could truly happen. it sounded way too amazing to ever come true!

fast forward to summer 2009. Josh & Katie were now very newly married. and our "Revision Community Bible Study" was meeting twice a month at an apartment complex in Olive Branch. our goal was to reach young couples & singles in the Olive Branch area and give them a bible study so that they could plug-in, grow in Christ, and reach the community. TJ & Kayla Lyles (then engaged) had joined in on our work. Ben's former roommate, Evan Logan, had also joined us & he shared the same heart for Olive Branch. so at this point we had 9 total people on board with this bible study & praying, all the while, that the Lord would turn it into a church plant.

fast forward to January 2010. Ben, Job, Josh, Evan & TJ were meeting once a month & going through Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll. they were studying God's word, talking about a church plant & praying through what the Lord would have them to do & when. there were many times their meetings would last until 2 a.m. as they discussed the doctrines, truths, theologies & leadership aspects of the church. at this point, we all knew we would plant together, and we had the support of a few pastors in our area but we weren't sure how all of the timing would play out.

May 2010. we get the final word that Revision Church is happening. we set the launch for January 2011. we knew LifePoint Church in Senatobia, MS would be the mother church. (the church that sends us out & backs us the most, financially.) we had to give word to our current church, Meadow Brook, that we would be leaving. that was difficult for us. we had truly come to love the people & the home we had there. Meadow Brook decided that it would be best for us to leave in August, so that their new youth minister could start. we moved to Cordova & at the same time, our weekly core group meetings began at the McAlister's Deli in Olive Branch. so exciting. we also learned that Garrett Brewer, and his sweet new wife Anna, would be joining us as the student/children's pastor. perfect addition to our leadership team.

core group was such a blessing. we were able to answer questions about our church & give information on what we believe in & stand for, as the body of Christ. the team of pastors, Evan & TJ, met early each week to continue to outline things for the church. Ben preached each week & then there would be a time of discussion. Job, Josh & Garrett also preached & got to share their hearts on different topics concerning our church. each week we had faithful members of our core group meet together but we also had new visitors that were interested in the church. it was so exciting to see how God was moving & drawing people to our church.

it was a little, ok A LOT, difficult to keep up with my kids at core group meetings. they just wanted to run, play & be loud. typical to their age. i usually ended up taking them out of the room & entertaining them in a booth, letting them play outside, or we would head home early. but, it was a blessing to go & be with friends & our church family. and to be honest, it just blessed my heart to see Ben, so in his element. and to see Job, Josh & Garrett being used by the Lord; teaching, instructing, praying & encouraging others.

on September 29, 2010 we had our first information meeting. we had a great turnout & everything went smoothly.
October, 31 2010 we had our first preview service. we had a few people keeping the nursery and about 50 others in attendance in the service. we were thrilled!!
December 5, 2010 was our second preview service and we had a little over 80 people in attendance.

and today. January 9, 2011. our Launch Service. 110 people. SO EXCITING!!! after 2 years of praying & hard work, our church finally started. and we couldn't be more thrilled. its even a little emotional for us! we realize, as Job said, that its not the culmination of our work, but a celebration of how God is moving. it is actually happening. we are now meeting each week, at 10 am, at Skate Odyssey in Olive Branch. we are coming together to study God's word, worship & pray as a church family. its really just incredible. on February 13 we will begin small groups on Sunday nights & weekly services on Wednesday nights. so excited to see how it all comes together!

i am so very thankful for the Lord's work in our life. the past 2 years have been hard, exhausting, stressful & financially straining. we have made sacrifices as a family & as a church. but we have learned & grown so much. we have felt the Lord's guidance more than ever before. we have seen His hand as He opened the necessary doors, led us to the people He has for us to minister to, given us the best friends to work with & met our needs in every aspect of our lives. we now have 2 kids, Ben has graduated seminary & we are pouring all of our hearts & time into Revision. within our core group, 3 couples have gotten married & the Dalombas had sweet Reid in November! the Lord is good. and He is so faithful.

we are so excited about the future of our church. we aren't seeking to make the big bucks with a mega church. we want to grow so that Revision can plant a church in another area, where people need to know about Jesus. we want to minister to Olive Branch. we want to love on people. we want to grow in Christ. we are thrilled to be doing this with people that we love so much. its such a joy to walk through life with them. and we are honored, as a family, to be in God's work. being in the center of His will is the absolute best place to be. we love that Jack & Jovie will grow up in this work & we pray that they serve Him all the days of their life.


thank you Lord, for calling us to this great work. may we always be willing to work hard, to tell others about you, to love on people and to follow you, wherever you lead. thank you, that Ben loves the work you have given him. and thank you for such wonderful friends to serve you with. help us to be found faithful!!!

Psalm 67:1-2
"God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations."

Praise Him

i am still so tired. and little Jack is still sick. its been 2 weeks now. he's on some antibiotics, so i'm praying that they start working. it really does get discouraging when your child is sick & you try everything you know to do for them, but nothing really helps. i hate it. but i thought i would try & concentrate on some things i am truly thankful for right now. its so easy, when you get discouraged, to focus on things that are negative. i want to Praise the Lord in all situations. so i thought i would list things i'm thankful for, so that i can look back on this & remember the blessings, not the trials.

I am thankful for:

* my amazing husband

* my sweet sweet boy

* my huge & wonderful family

* our supportive church family

* ben's generous family

* loyal friends

* our cute puppy dog, Lola

* the ability to get & stay pregnant. i've really been learning a lot lately about how this is a sweet blessing, i'll never take for granted again

* godly parents

* my sisters. we are so close.

* my brothers. they are so fun.

* a job that allows me to work only 2 days a week, & i'm able to take jack with me

* my hubby's job in ministry. we have learned so much

* our loaner minivan. thanks to my in-laws!!!

* a comfortable lifestyle with my boys

* the love of Christ that sustains me day to day

i really could think of so much more. i have such a beautiful & blessed life. i never ever want to take it for granted. thank you Lord for the gifts you have given me, help me to serve & glorify you with them. PRAISE HIM!!!

more vacay pics!!

here's a few more from our oh so fun trip!! i'll stick mostly with pics of the little man. i mean, that's all anyone cares about seeing, right?!! plus, he's a lot cuter than us! enjoy!