2 years...time flies

Amazing how 2 years can fly right by you! I was just thinking as we were celebrating 2 years of marriage: "would we have seen ourselves where we are now at this point 2 years ago?" It's amazing to reflect on all the fun surprises God had in store for our first 2 years of marriage! We have thought about all the time we spent praying and wondering if God had called us to this area, or if we should move out of state (which ultimately led us to the decision that we are called here) I finished nursing school and started working my first job as a nurse in the PICU at UMMC...only to find myself unexpectedly getting pregnant and having a miscarriage my second month there. Then (much to our surprise again!) finding out we are expecting only 4 months later! God has had so many fun things in store for us when we were least expecting it. Then the most recent changes, leaving my job for something closer and part time, and moving out of our home sweet home with the Hendricks to move into our 2 bedroom apartment just a week ago. God has so kindly provided along the way, and more than anything we are aware that His plans are much better than any that we could conjure up on our own. We never would have known at this point last year that my sister and her family would be moving back from Charlotte and that God would kindly place us in the same apartment complex (right next to each other!!) and what a joy that has been. She has been such a help to me as we have been getting settled in and I have loved having the kiddos over to play and keep me company while I get used to apartment living :) I also had the kind help of my sister-in-law Rachel who graciously (and if you know my hatred for hanging up and putting away clothes you know how much this means to me) organized our walk in closet! We are finally feeling like we are getting somewhat settled in and I will post pictures for the family of our new little home very soon!

In other events my sweet husband has taken me away for 2 days to celebrate our anniversary to our MOST favorite place the Carriage Inn. This bed and breakfast (in Charlestown WV) is by FAR the absolute best we have every encountered. We have daringly tried a few others in the surrounding area, and they don't even come close to this one. The hosts are so warm and welcoming, the home is so beautiful and peaceful and full of history, the breakfasts are truly the best we have ever had in our lives, I could go on and on and on... but then I will sound like a commercial. Seriously if your looking for a peaceful getaway you should check them out!

We had such a relaxing time together, even though it sleeted and rained all day yesterday it gave us an excuse to sit in our cozy room by the fire with nowhere to go and nowhere to be (oh and not to mention nothing to unpack or organize!). It has been such a welcomed 2 days of rest. And yes we got in lots of boggle, we sure know how to celebrate :)

Here are a few pictures of our time:

Our cozy room the Copper Beech Suite

In front of their beautiful tree

Our anniversary dinner at "the dish"

Happy 2 years my love. Life is truly better with you by my side. I am so so thankful for the gift you are to me!

Volition

I read about this short film on Randy Alcorn's blog and after watching it absolutely had to recommend it. I had never heard of it before but it apparently was made on a low budget in 3 days back in August (you can't tell from watching it).

Here is the short synopsis:
"Volition" masterfully places its unnamed central character in the context of three of the greatest human rights violations in history: the holocaust, slavery, and abortion.

The film's synopsis explains its name: "Volition (n)- The act of making a choice. Sometimes the choice of inaction has consequences stronger than we could ever imagine. Throughout history, men have been faced with difficult choices in a world that makes it easy for them to conform. This film explores the hope that lies behind every decision made in the face of adversity; the hope that is buried in the heart of those that look beyond themselves and see something bigger worth fighting for."

You must watch it, it is definitely worth the 15 minutes. The video starts immediately when you click on the link: www.thedoorpost.com/hope/Volition/

Here is also a brief history of the video and it's makers if you are interested:

The film was produced by brothers Tim and Matthew Morgan, who created it when they were chosen as finalists for The Doorpost, an online short film competition. The brothers' ages are themselves an achievement: Tim Morgan, who directed the film, is only twenty-three years old, and his brother Matthew, who composed all the music, is twenty.

Tim shared with http://www.lifesitenews.com/ that although for most of his life he had always been “pro-life,” he had never given much thought to the issue until last year when he attended a massive prayer rally, “The Call.” “That’s when it really hit me, hit my heart,” he says, “that there is a need for just some sort of voice in the arts, in the entertainment world, in defense of these unborn babies.”

The Christian community, he says, "has kind of left the art world on the back burner. My vision would be them treating the art world, the film world, with the same sense of urgency as they’re treating, for instance, an overseas mission."

"This is an emergency for our culture, to be able to influence our film, our arts, the American pop culture in this way."

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves...defend the rights of the poor and needy" (Proverbs 31:8-9).

I was so provoked by this film, and the passion that these young men to live out the above verse.

Drudgery?

I read this great devotional by Elisabeth Elliot on the "drudgery" of motherhood. I know I am not there yet, but want to be prepared for it down the road. I am sure the day will come when I am tempted to think: I really don't want to change another diaper, or clean up another mess, etc... and I will need to remember to "do my work as unto the Lord."

This portion really encouraged me:

Drudgery

"I must admit I feel a lot of pressure with two children under two years of age. I am committed to do it until they are in school, however, and feel it is God's will. At times like this--when I wonder if I will even be able to finish this letter with both of them screaming for something--or when I miss going to lunch or getting dressed up, everyday life seems a drudgery. I worked hard to get through college--to be a scrubwoman, ha!"

I understand this mother's cry. So does the Lord. He has given us this word: "No temptation has come your way that is too hard for flesh and blood to bear. But God can be trusted not to allow you to suffer any temptation beyond your powers of endurance. He will see to it that every temptation has a way out, so that it will never be impossible for you to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13, PHILLIPS).

"A way out," I can hear her say, "What mother has a way out?"

The New English Bible translation throws light on this: "a way out, by enabling you to sustain it." Think, too, of Jesus' words, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:29 AV). He is willing to bear our burdens with us, if only we will come to Him and share the yoke, His yoke.

I saw this principle in operation when I visited the Dohnavur Fellowship in India. There, day after day, year in and year out, Indian women (most of them single) care for little children, handicapped children, infirm adults, old folks. They don't go anywhere. They have none of our usual forms of amusement and diversion. They work with extremely primitive equipment--there is no running water, for example, no stoves but wood-burning ones, no washing machines. In one of the buildings I saw this text: "There they dwelt with the King for His work." That's the secret. They do it for Him. They ask for and receive His grace to do it. I saw the joy in their lovely faces.

Great Giveaway

Head on over to simple mom for a great giveaway! This is another blog I have LOVED reading lately thanks to Rachel. So check it out and follow her easy directions for this amazing giveaway....

::Numbered Hairs::

~Laura-Lew photography~

We have been so sobered recently by little trials. You know the minor ones that are really nothing more than an inconvenience. The ones that can pile up and tempt one to weariness. Sinus infections, stomach viruses, towed cars, and most recently a car accident that we are pretty sure totaled Lew's new car. More than anything in God's kindness we have been able to see these trivial trials as an act of God's love and kindness towards us. Not only do they make us more dependent on Him, but they remind us of His Sovereignty in allowing them, knowing that He would never allow them if they were not for our good. We see these "little" trials as perhaps a means God uses to prepare us and train us for bigger ones. And what a kind God we serve, He knows exactly how much we can handle and never seeks to frustrate us or exasperate us. We have seen lots of people suffering to much greater degrees lately. A dear friend who lost her little 5 week old baby girl has been such an example of how to walk through suffering in a God glorifying way. I see families like these who have faced so much grief, and I pray "God teach me to suffer with such faith."

We have so much to be thankful for. In the midst of it all God protected us and protected our unborn daughter. I am reminded of that as she is kicking me while I type this. But more than that God is using this trial as a means to sharpen our faith and teach us perseverance and total dependence on Him. The amazing truth of it all, is God cares. God doesn't just care when we are walking through big trials, but even the smallest most trivial of trials. He cares. I was reminded of that when I read Spurgeon's "Beside Still Waters" this morning:

Numbered Hairs. Matthew 10:30
I beg you to believe that God is in the little things, even the little troubles that can annoy the most. At times, you can endure the loss of a dear friend better than a minor accident. The pebble in your shoe makes you limp but you can jump over great stones.

God arranges the smallest things. Take little troubles as they come, and remember them to your God because they come from Him. Nothing that concerns His people is small to God. Your little anxieties are not too small for His notice, for "the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matt 10:30). You may pray to Him about your smallest grief. If not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from your Father's will (Matt. 10:29), they you have reason to see that He arranges the smallest events in your career. So accept them with joy. This is a truth on which you may implicitly rely. Think about it until you lull the sharpest pain, calm the most feverish excitement, and obtain the sweetest rest that a weary, restless spirit can indulge in.

This is the antidote of fear: God appoints everything in the future, so rejoice that everything is in the hand of the great King. The Lord is King! Rejoice:

The Lord is King' who then shall dare
Resist His will, distrust His care,
Or murmur at His wise degrees,
Or doubt His royal promises?
Oh! When His wisdom can mistake
His might decay, His love forsake
Then may His children cease to sing,
The Lord Omnipotent is King.

Amen! Either way, we would love your prayers. Prayers for our hearts as we wait for the other insurance company to accept liability, and provision as we may have to pay some expenses out of pocket while we wait for reimbursement.

Kid's say the darndest things

I have gotten to enjoy some funny conversations with my niece and nephew about the baby in my belly. I just love their responses....

A conversation with my niece Gianna on Sunday (she is 2)


Me: (pointing to belly) Gianna what is
in here?
Gianna: your belly
Me: Yeah but there is something in there! It's your new cousin Miya!
Gianna: (with pure excitement in her voice and a shriek) Can we open it!!!
Me: (laughing) No not yet we have to wait a few months for her to come out.
Gianna: (with disappointment and resignation in her voice) Oh,OK.





Conversation with Isaiah (he's 3) the week before we found out what we were having


Me: Isaiah, do you know what's in my
belly?
Isaiah: A baby!
Me: Yup. Do you think the baby is
going to be a boy like you, or a
girl like Naomi?
Isaiah: Um, a Girl!
Me: Oh yeah?
Isaiah: Yup. Aunt Laura do you think
the baby is going to be... a
monkey? or a yak?
Me: laughing to hard to get any words
out.

I was able to notify little buddy a few weeks later that his guess what absolutely correct we are having a girl. I also reassured him we were not having a monkey or a yak, much to his disappointment.

You gotta love the innocence of children!

Seriously good baking...

Sweets have been on my mind and in my belly a lot lately....what can I say. Sometimes I blame Miya for it. Lew laughs at me because it will be like 10 at night and I will come across a picture of really good food (usually dessert) and all the sudden I'm "STARVING".


Either way I have been trying out new recipes and came across this blog and it's my new fav:

Joy the Baker

These little gems to the left are an example.
Pumpkin Cookies with Butterscotch
Soooooo delicious! I made them twice and they are so easy. They also aren't like typical cookies, they are fluffy and cakey and oh so good.

Either way check her blog out. I am not a skilled baker but most of her recipes are easy and simple to make and her descriptions of food are fun to read. Just a word of caution: they may make you feel "STARVING" too. :)

You live and learn

So I learned a valuable lesson last night, one that I'm sure will have me laughing, and cautious for a good while now. It is this:

If the parking spot you got while in Bethesda seems too good to be true, that's because it is. More than likely you will come back to find your car not where you left it.

Did you catch all of that? I hope so! Yes folks maybe it's common sense (I'm sure it is) but us "country folks" don't visit the city much and parking in a Giant parking lot in the heart of Bethesda right across from the restaurant we were going to seemed perfectly harmless! My friend Renee and I were like oh look at this it's perfect, right across the street from the restaurant, and free! We just assumed all the parking garages were for all the "other folks" who missed out on the deal we got. Yes when we parked we were both certain we were getting the "best deal". Oh how wrong I was. After a perfectly wonderful birthday dinner for my dear dear friend Kelly, we walk out of the restaurant watching our friends make the trek to their parking garage while we just walk right across the street to our "deal" of a spot. Only, wait, where's my car? Definitely not there. Then in the most peculiar not obvious spot we see a sign "Towing enforced for any cars left on this premises. By leaving your car here to are agreeing to a lien with G&G towing and agree to pay the towing fees" Lovely. Thank God for Renee. She kept me calm and by God's grace I was able to laugh. I called the number and tried to stay cool calm and collected. The guy said he would bring the car back to me (how nice) for 148$ wow (not so nice).

So Renee and I waited, and while we waited we saw tow trucks taking cars and bringing cars back, apparently this parking lot is a trap for innocents like us, the signs are not clear enough and someone is making a killing off of it! We saw many a people pleading with tow truck drivers probably trying to cut a deal. So here we were outside in the heart of bethesda at 11:00pm, Renee with a poor hubby at home trying to get the baby to go to sleep, and me a pregnant woman with a bad sinus infection. We spent most of the time laughing and talking about everything from labor to shoes (somehow women have a way of doing this) and finally after almost an hour and a half we see my car, poor baby strapped on the back of the tow truck. At this point I wasn't in the mood to cut any deals with the towtruck driver, I just wanted to get home and get out of the cold. But I did rub my belly and cough a lot while waiting for him to charge my credit card. I figured a little sympathy wouldn't hurt. I think he felt bad, but not bad enough to give me a deal. Oh well, I tried.

Either way, a lesson was learned. Things could have been far worse! At least we were in a good neighborhood. The rain had stopped, I had good company, and I got my car back. Thanks eener, for making what could have been a nightmare so much fun. Next time hopefully we can catch up over a cup of coffee in a warm cafe rather than waiting for a tow truck outside :)

It's a....

What a fun day. Going to the ultrasound was comparable to going into Christmas morning as a child. The only big difference is you really don't care what it is, you just want a healthy baby. My close friends and family will know how we counted down to this day. We were so eager to see our little poppy and find out what God had blessed us with. So I have to confess just to make sure our little one decided to cooperate we stopped for a coke slurpee on the way, hoping the caffeine and sugar would discourage our little poppy from napping during the ultrasound. We knew poppy would go for this because for pretty much the whole first trimester these were on the top of my craving list when the morning sickness was bad.

Whelp, the slurpee indeed did the trick. When the tech started looking she was like "oh my do you see it wiggling!" Yes our dear child had it's bum in the air and it's feet almost over it's head. It was waving it's arms and smacking it's lips....must have really enjoyed that coke slurpee with Mom. What an amazing experience. To see this little child moving and it's perfect heart beating is really so miraculous. The tech at our drs. office is wonderful. She walked us through everything, we got to see the perfect four chambers of the heart, the spine from beginning and end, the lobes of the brain, the fingers and toes. It was just amazing. We were praying that she would be able to see everything she needed clearly and that is just what happened. Over and over again she would say "look at this, look how clear this is." What a kind God to show us our healthy baby thus far. Then came the moment of truth...Would our little one cooperate? Oh yeah no problem there. Legs were spread wide open the whole time so not only did our tech get one good look, but she got 4 good looks. Just in case we had her check several times just to be sure. And just as she thought the first time her fourth look confirmed it... we are having a sweet baby girl. Yes it was a shock. In fact Lew and I laughed so hard, she probably thought we were crazy. I explained not only did almost everybody guess a boy, but all the old wives tales pointed to it being a boy. It took a while to sink in, and is still sinking in as I type this. I kept checking with Lew, worried he was disappointed. I knew of his dreams to bring home our little boy in a cubs outfit, and to teach him about manlihood and baseball...but he assured me that he wasn't disappointed and that..."there's always next time." Haha I am nowhere near ready to talk about that "next time" but yes my dear you are right, there is still hope for a boy down the road. Plus I assured him our little girl can still learn about baseball and I will even let him dress her in a cubs outfit when we leave the hospital :) I think that made him smile. Nonetheless, both of us are thrilled to hear our baby is healthy! In terms of names, yes we have them. We have decided Lord willing to call her:
Miya Noelle Lewis

Miya is pronounced mee-ya. We opted for that instead of the traditional mia because we liked the meaning. It is Japanese in origin and means peaceful as a temple. Haha maybe it's wishful thinking on my part :)

Here are some pictures of her:

Her sweet little face

These pictures of the facial skeleton always kind of scare me...just to be honest. It's just kind of funny to see all those facial bones. You can also catch her little beating heart in this picture.

Here she is in all her glory. Apparently those 3 white lines mean girl. I didn't ask any questions I just assume the tech knows what she's doing. You can see her little leg at the top. She sat in the perfect position the whole time.

And here she is from the outside. She is growing, some days I feel huge, I can usually tell when I am having a growth spurt because I will get really bad ligament pain. Thankfully I have a long waist so so far there has been lots of room for things to be moved around. Also note the pink shirt, what an appropriate choice for ultrasound day.


On that note I want to end with part of Psalm 139. I think more than anything Lew and I left totally in awe of God's creating a child in me from the 2 of us. What a miracle.

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

Psalm 139:13-18

Thanks for your prayers for us! Please keep praying for a health rest of the pregnancy. Specifically if you could pray that God would help me to fight sickness, I have been sick this past week with a stomach virus and soon after a nasty cold. My low immune system this pregnancy has made me a magnet for the sickies!

No place like home.

I was reading through our old blog and thanks to my excessive blogging in the past I have lots of fun memories recorded from our first year of marriage, it was sweet to look through and remember the pre-pregnant days :) Either way it feels like home here at blogger.

So what's new?


Our poppy seed is now a mango, 6.5 inches to be exact. Sorry for an old picture I took this one at almost 2 weeks ago when I was 17 weeks, and am now 19 weeks. Poppy has made "it's" presence known these days. I started to feel the movement a few weeks ago but each week it feels a whole lot more of a kick than a flutter. Our poor poppy has had to endure a nasty stomach virus this past week. But don't feel bad for our baby, I was assured that poppy was getting any and all of the nutrients and electrolytes I was able to keep down and would be just fine. Whew that was a relief. Our child has also mastered the task of back flips in the womb, well I guess I can't prove that's what it is doing, but seriously it wouldn't surprise me. And it seems to like to practice most at night and early in the morning. It also has found a nice cozy spot to hang out on my right round ligament. That's right I am imagining our baby laying on the hammock of my ligament sipping a drink and relaxing. Meanwhile I am hobbling around applying hot compressess and trying to apply counterpressure to encourage poppy to find a new spot to relax in my womb. More than anything this pregnancy has made me realize in a whole new way that my body is not my own, and what a gift for God to allow me to house this precious child for these 9 months. It is really a joy, all the aches and pains can't compare to the blessing of carrying this little one. I just find so much humor in the process. Nothing can really prepare you for what it's like to carry a child.

In similar news today will more than likely be the last day we refer to our child as "poppy" (or "offspring", as Lew likes to refer to it) but Lord willing tomorrow our child will have a name. I know amazingly Lew and I have had our names picked out since 10 weeks and are just waiting to find out boy or girl. So we'll see it just depends on if our little one cooperates. But if you ask Lew he will tell you that his "SON" isn't going to be shy. Yeah Lew is pretty much already sure that it's a boy, but only the ultrasound will tell. So more news on that tomorrow.

It's Been a while

As y'all can tell, this blog doesn't get updated too often. I've added on the right-hand toolbar a rss feed to our other blogs. I am starting to update my blog more often, it's kind of touch and go with the busyness of life. It's mostly theological musings and what not. On the rare occasion my blog has a personal update, but that stuff is usually on Laura's blog. You know where to find us, and who knows, maybe this will blog start to get more regular postings with summaries of what is happening at the other blogs, if those blogs start to gain more content.

Lew's new blog

It's not exactly new, it just hasn't been announced yet.

http://bloodbought.wordpress.com/

I've been hoping to get into a routine of regularly writing in it, but it appears that might never happen. Be on the lookout for my 2nd online project which I am hoping to regularly start adding more content to as well!

Wait...

For those of you who haven't updated our new blog yet, or who are still using this blog to get to our new blog (Mom Ellis;) )

Here is a link to the latest post on :

Waiting...

Fresh Start

Ahhh I love starting a new year!  Even though Lew tells me that you can get a "fresh start" year round there is just something about entering a new year that feels so fresh to me ;) 

Either way we have decided that this new start will mean...a new blog.

Blogger has been good to us thus far, but we have found iweb to be a lot easier in terms of sorting pictures and updating etc... so you can now visit us at (you can cut and paste it into your browser if it doesn't link you there):

http://web.mac.com/laura_lew

I have already posted and added our pictures from the holiday...

Happy New Year!