Beach pictures...Take 2

Here are some more pictures of Lew and I at the beach. Being on this trip with Lew made me all the more grateful to have him as my husband and best friend. He didn't leave my side, even in the midst of the pain I was experiencing he stayed right by my side the entire trip. Even if it meant just staying inside for most of the day, or only going out to the beach for short periods of time...and he never complained! I love you my dear! Thanks for making it such a great weekend.

This is us on the balcony off of our room. It was so nice to be able to go out and look at the beach.

On the Ferris Wheel on the end of the boardwalk. We went down to the boardwalk on Monday night. For those of you who know Ocean City you know the boardwalk can be really crowded and well...kinda rowdy at times especially holiday weekends. Well we were so blessed because when we went down Monday night most of the crowds had left so we were able to kind of enjoy the "quieter" side of the boardwalk.

On the beach Monday night

This is the view of the sunrise from our balcony. We took these pictures Tuesday morning. It was the only morning we could motivate ourselves to get up early enough to see the sunrise. It was so beautiful!

And here we are. Yes we do look really tired...in fact it looks like Lew is holding me up in this picture, he probably was! It was about 5:20 in the morning ;) But it was worth waking up to see it.

The next set of pictures are extra special! Something Lew and I discovered about Gianna during this trip is she looooves to stick out her tongue. It's the funniest and cutest thing! When she is talking she sticks out her tongue, eating she sticks out her tongue...in fact in most of pictures when I would try to get her attention she would stick out her tongue! These pictures were too precious to pass up....so enjoy ;)

This is my favorite! She is laughing with her tongue out in this one. We love you Gianna! Thanks for letting Aunt Laura and Uncle Lew spend the weekend with you, and for keeping us laughing :-P

Beach pictures...Take 1

We had so much fun at the beach. God blessed us with beautiful weather and a beautiful ocean front home to stay in! Lew and I both agree the highlight was not only getting to spend time together as well as with Sam and Pri, but also Gianna ;) She is growing so fast and we had so much fun playing with her and watching her experience the beach for the first time! Thanks Sam and Pri for such a wonderful weekend! We are so grateful for you guys.

She loves her thumb!

We couldn't get her to look at the camera on this one...something had caught her attention in the other direction! This picture shows a view of the ocean. The townhouse was ocean front and had a beautiful view of the beach. It had a balcony on each of the beach side rooms. Lew and were so blessed to get to stay here for free!

Gianna's little pool. She looks a little hesitant at first, but she actually loved playing in the water!

This picture along with the next one are two of my favorites of Sam and Gianna. It was so sweet to see Sam interacting and playing with Gianna, he is such a great Daddy!

Sam, Lew and Gianna.
Sam and Lew were the only brave ones to go in the water all the way. Even though the weather was beautiful and in the 80's the water was pretty cold! Lew usually was shivering by the time he got out, but that didn't stop him from going right back in within an hour ;)

Walking on the beach while it was still peaceful. The beach was so still and quiet in the morning before everyone came out.

Gianna with her cousin Aleana. They are so cute together (I actually think they look a lot like sisters!) and Aleana loves to play with Gianna.

Stay tuned...more pictures to come tomorrow!

Back from the beach!

We made it back and had a great weekend with my brother and sister-in-law and her family. The weather was so nice! We had an interesting turn of events, however, in terms of that pesky tooth that I thought I had done away with. It started Friday night when I began to have excruciating pain (worst than before) in the area where the tooth was extracted and the pain was going into my jaw. I was very anxious because the pain shouldn't have been that severe. I tried to tough it out into Saturday, but the pain was getting so severe that even the Vicodin mixed with the 800mg of ibuprofen wasn't working at all. Interesting enough the only thing that brought some relief was drinking cold water and swishing back to the area where the tooth was. Anyways I called my friend who is a Dentist and she at first thought it was something called dry socket where the clot comes dislodged after a tooth extraction, but after consulting with another dentist they believed I had an infection that somehow worked it's way into my bone causing the severe pain. Yikes. It was pretty bad. I was so anxious, this is one of those times that nurse logic works against you as you contemplate all the "what ifs"; I was thinking that it was something really bad because I had never had such severe pain. God was so good to me during this time, even in the midst of it He gave me much grace and peace and continuously reminded me of His promise to sustain me and help me. Anyways, my dentist friend saved me a trip to the ER in OC and called me in a really strong dose of antibiotics and then gave me a double dose of Vicodin mainly to help me to sleep because I had gotten little sleep in 2 days. Well God is so good and suddenly Sunday night when I was the most weary and the pain was getting so severe all of the sudden it stopped. God answered our prayers and the pain was gone. Although I am still really sore I am full of faith that God is working through this trial. And all in all we were still able to enjoy our trip. We had a great day Monday and overall it was a nice relaxing trip and we got to spend a lot of time together. If you guys could keep praying for me as my doctor isn't sure if there could be a bigger problem behind this. Because of my syndrome they think the pain could possibly be Neuralgia ( a nerve problem) which would make sense because I have 12 nerves on the right side instead of the normal 5. If you could pray that the pain doesn't return and the that it was just an infection which has been dealt with by the antibiotics. Also I am in the process of finding a maxillofacial surgeon who specializes in my syndrome (hemifacial hyperplasia) which is rare and hard to come by, so please pray God would provide the right person and that they will be on our insurance plan!

Soon to come, pictures from our trip ;)

Tooth Fairy

What a day yesterday was! I worked in the morning the pain was truly at its worst. It was getting to the point where the 4 ibuprofen weren't working as well so I was having to take Tylenol 2 hours after the ibuprofen and alternate it like that. All day I found myself praying that the Lord would reveal to the dentist what this was and the there would be a quick cost effective solution! And I am happy to report he answered my prayers.

When I got to the dentist they took some xrays. This dentist is so wonderful, if anyone is looking for a good dentist in this area I would sooo highly recommend him. When I came in he was at the counter and warmly greeted me and told me that Marie, my friend from Church who is also a dentist there, had filled him in on my situation. They took me back and started to do xrays. Even the dental hygienists were so nice! After the xrays they offered for me to watch TV (they have one in every room). Then when Dr. Lev came in he looked at the tooth that I thought the pain was shooting from and he gave me a few options, but then told me to think about it while he goes to look at the xrays. Well when he brought the xrays in he just looked at me and said: " You are one of these unfortunate people to have really short roots." (whatever that means) and then he went on "So all of the things I said earlier they wouldn't really work because I believe that with roots this short and the amount of gum recession that you have your nerve is probably completely exposed, which explains all the horrible pain your having." So then he said "We could extract it...." I sat straight up and smiled and said that would be great! That is what I want, just pull it ;) He looked at me like I was kinda crazy, but I just laughed and explained that this tooth has bothered me for so long and my last dentist refused to pull it! And it made sense to pull it b/c I don't chew on that side and its only a second molar. So I expected him to say ok well we'll make an appointment for next week, or something. Nope! He started to gather his supplies....he was gonna do it right away! So, he pulled it in less than 3 minutes. And afterward he said I hate to have to pull a tooth from such a young girl....and I just smiled and said Oh, no! Don't you worry this is the happiest young girl right now! If he knew the pain that this tooth was causing me he would understand ;)

So all in all the pain is gone. Although I am really sore and swollen from the tooth being pulled that horrible radiating pain is gone! Praise the Lord. And the funny part was at the end he tried to make me take the tooth home, he insisted that I should put it under my pillow and maybe the tooth fairy would give me something really nice for all the suffering this tooth put me through. I refused, in all honesty I never want to see that tooth again!

Thanks so much for your prayers! He said I will probably only be this sore until tomorrow so we will be able to enjoy our little vacation after all. God is so good ;)

"Grin and Bear it"

Some of you may remember last year, a few months before our wedding, when I was having severe pain radiating down one of my molars and into my face, jaw, neck etc... Well I was sent from my regular dentist to an oral surgeon, from the oral surgeon to a maxilofacial surgeon and a periodontist, and then to an endodontist and back to the periodontist who thought he was certain what was causing the pain. He did an extensive (very expensive and not covered by insurance) procedure. Well God has been very good and the pain ceased for about 3 months and then came back with a vengeance in January. It has been manageable until about last Tuesday. Last Tuesday it started keeping me up at night, sometimes all night. And my poor sweet husband has served me so much running and getting me ice, getting my pain medicine or just comforting me when we have tried everything and nothing is working. This week it got to a point where I knew there was something really wrong and I couldn't take the pain anymore. Well God has been good and provided a wonderful dentist who is a friend from my church and she is pulling all these strings for me to see some of the specialists in her office so we can try to figure out if this is something they can fix or if it is more extensive then they can send me to another specialist.

So, I am asking for your prayers! I have an appointment today at 3:15 and I am praying that I will get some answers and that it would be something simple. I know my trust has to be in God and not in Doctors, He is the only one with the real answers! Also if you could just pray for the pain. I am down to taking 4 ibuprofen every 4 hours and that really only decreases the intensity, it doesn't fully remove the pain. I also have to take prescription pain medicine to sleep now which makes me wake up in a fog feeling like I am only half here. Also Lew and I are going to the beach this weekend with my brother Sam and his wife and family(we have really been looking forward to this) so pray that we will be able to enjoy ourselves and that this wouldn't be a distraction for us.

Thanks for your prayers, I'll keep ya posted.

Moving Day

As I mentioned in a previous entry my Sister and her husband were planning to move to Charlotte, North Carolina...well moving day was Saturday. They are down there now and will be living in an apartment until the fall when their new home is finished being built. This is the picture I took of them on Friday when we were helping them to pack up and move furniture out, my sister would ask that you not look at all of the things lying around as they were in the middle of packing things up ;)

Sis, I will miss you guys sooo much! I know that God has a great plan for you guys in NC and we will be praying that you guys settle in well over the next few weeks!


Here is one last pic of "Little buddy" as Lew likes to call him. It has been really cute as Isaiah has been talking a lot more lately he can say more than just Lala, but he calls my Mom Meemaw, and he is pretty much repeating most things he hears. We even got him to say Lew which is the cutest thing. He calls him "Wooou" it cracks us up every time he says it! I will miss my weekly visits with this little guy, I have gotten to watch him grow and change and it has been so much fun! He has such a sense of humor and can make almost anyone laugh ;) Good thing that North Carolina is only a 6 hour drive....and you can find really cheap plane tickets there too! So maybe not weekly visits, but monthly? ;)

Also one last thing....my sister found out the gender of baby #2.....but I can't share it yet until she blogs about it, because I don't want to be the first to post it...so stay tuned!

I love my wife

My favorite person to serve and bless is Laura. Before we got married, I never made the bed, but now I do because it is a little thing that means a lot to her. I would rather spend my life working to provide for Laura then be on perpetual paid vacation. This could be for many reasons such as:

• Laura is my best friend and I look forward to growing old with her.
• There is no one else that I would rather laugh with or cry with then Laura.
• My favorite person to love and serve is Laura. (This is no exaggeration, I never started to make the bed until I married her.
• When I wake up next to Laura I am reminded of God's unending mercy towards me.
• Eating Laura's home cooking is better then eating a free meal at Ruth's Chris steakhouse.
• Laura's compassion excels all others and I would rather be sick and under her care instead of never having to go to another doctor or hospital.
• Laura has a heart to see people grow in holiness and love for the One who loves them beyond comprehension.
• Laura is continually cultivating the attributes and characteristics of a Godly wife and mother.
  
• Laura has been blessed with the heart of a servant and loves to look to the needs of others before her own.
• Laura knows her dependency on grace.
• Laura is passionate about the local church.
• Christ is sweet to Laura because she hates her sin.
• Laura loves the gospel.
• Laura loves a wretched sinner like myself.
• Laura is a model to myself and many others of what it means to honor your parents and prize the gift of the family
  

My love for Laura comes down to Christ, and His Spirit in her. It's not about anything that she does. I love her unconditionally and always will!

"God is constant is His commitment to love, bless, and transform not because of our performance, but because of the perfection of His Son. That is the gospel of grace. And it is grace that give us hope." Gary and Betsy Ricucci from "Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace

Fun Visit

Lew's sister lives in Chicago but was in town on business this week so we had the pleasure of having her over for dinner. It was so much fun to catch up with her! So here are a few pics of us together.
[soon to come more recipes from this weeks "experiments" ;)]

We love you Cherai! It was so good to spend some time with you.

Season of new recipes!

Since school is out once again I am committed to trying some new recipes. I went through a ton of my Cooking Light Magazines from the last year and ripped out a bunch of new recipes and planned a few of them in the next 2 weeks. Here is the first one that I tried and it was so yummy! It also was pretty simple for a cooking light recipe. Lew and I gave it 2 thumbs up. Enjoy!

Chicken Piccata with Capers

• 4 chicken breast halves
• 1/4 C flour
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbs capers
• 2 teas. minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 teas. salt
• 1/4 teas. fresh ground pepper
• 4 cups hot cooked spaghetti
  
• 2 tbs chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and lemon slices for garnish

Directions: Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Dredge through flour. Heat butter and oil on med-high heat in skillet. Add chicken, cook 3 min. each side or until brown. Remove chicken, keep warm. Add white wine, lemon juice, capers, and garlic to pan; scrape pan to loosen browned bits. Cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve chicken over pasta. Top with sauce; sprinkle with parsley and top with lemon wedges.

"Far more precious than jewels"

Happy Mothers Day Mom Lewis and Ellis!

We could never fully communicate how your love and care all these years has affected us, but we can't let this day pass without thanking you and saying how much you mean to us. You truly are a treasure to us!

The Woman Who Fears the LORD

Proverbs 31:10-31

An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,

and let her works praise her in the gates.

Birthday Fun

So birthday week has come to a close. There is too much to post all in one, but I will post a few fun recipes throughout the week that we have enjoyed during this weeks festivities ;)

For now I will post some pictures of the fun we had this weekend.

First we had a great time Saturday, we had a lot of downtime during the day and per Lew's request we were able to have a tea party together. Yes, thats right for most of you who know my husband you know his love for good tea. So, he was able to open his new stash of Teaforte exotics tea... a birthday present much researched by his wife. It's hard buying tea for a tea snob like Lew ;) The tea bags are so cute they stand straight up like a triangle and have little stem with a leaf that stands up above the tea bag I give them an A for presentation and taste!

Notice Lew's new glasses? Lew decided on some new frames which God amazingly provided for. I'm a fan ;)

Then that evening we were able to go to a baseball game together, one of my favorite things to do with Lew! And for the first time this season the Orioles did really well ;) The same thing happened last year for Lew's birthday when we went to an O's game, we must be their good luck charm ;)

Then Sunday we were able to have a cookout with the Hendricks family and some of my family. It happened to be that Diana Hendricks and Lew have the same birthday, so we had a combined party. It was so much fun! So here are the pics:

Mom & Dad Ellis

My sister Charissa with her college roommate Libby

Gianna with "Dada"

Making rounds and visiting Grandpa

...and Great Grandma...

And finally free to roam and show off her new crawling moves

Diana and Lew as we sing Happy Birthday

Grandma and Lew

Isaiah swinging

Isaiah and Mama


We had a great time with everyone! So glad Lew could celebrate his birthday with you all!

Happy Birthday My Love!

Hard to believe another year has gone by, but every year I find myself more grateful for you! Thank you for being the best husband and friend, God has richly blessed me through you. Life tastes so much sweeter with you by my side, and every new day that we have together I can find so many new reasons why God picked you as the perfect man for me. Thank you for the joy you bring to my life, all of the adventures and laughs that we share make me feel so rich to have such a treasure as you ;) Thank you also for the way you spur me on towards godliness, you are such an example to me in so many ways, I really could never fully describe just how thankful I am for you.

I love you my dear, Happy 27th!

Remember

I saw this video on a friends blog and was provoked. Lets remember to pray for those people who are giving up on their own comfort as well as the comfort of their own families in order to fight for us and our families. I realize I don't have anyone close to me serving in the Middle East so it's so easy to forget all that they have sacrificed and left behind! I feel like the best way I can remember them is prayer...

What a cutie!

I know I just posted some cute pics of my nephew Isaiah the other day but I can't resist to post these pictures from yesterday as well! In fact you will see many pictures of this cutie over the next 2 weeks as I try to spend as much time as I can with him before my sister and her husband move to North Carolina in the middle of May.

Enjoy;)

So I took this funny hat over to show Isaiah, and when he put it on it was the funniest thing! Although he looks startled int he first few pictures he really liked it!
"what on earth is on my head!?"

"I'm not so sure about this thing"

"Maybe I can pull this look off"

" Starting to dig it ;)"


And my personal favorite....

Showing Mama his new look ;)