An Early Birthday Date!

My birthday is coming up. The one where I stay 29 forever I think!!! :) We will be busier than ever before on my actual birthday weekend, so Matty planned a fun outing (he knows me SO well!) to celebrate early! I am so glad we went, although it was a hard decision for me as I had to turn down invitations to a 2nd annual Tacky Sweater Party with some co-workers and a neighborhood "Ho-Down" with some of our neighbors. I also didn't get to work Winter Family Fun Day at my school like I do every single year. Y'all it is so hard for me to NOT do things!!! Anyway, here is what we did!

We went to Tampa, FL and he took me shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue. I got two early birthday gifts. Pictures coming soon! We went in some other fun stores too! I love being in a mall at Christmas! I have requested that we go to a mall for my birthday for years and it finally happened! (I'm really easy to please!)

We ate at PF Changs for an early supper! Nothing sounded good to me and this is what Matty wanted!

Then, the real reason we drove all the way to Tampa. Christy Nockels was having a Christmas Concert at a huge church at the mall. Yes, it was just as amazing as it sounds. We chose any seat we wanted. Row 5 looked good to me. Row 2 is always my first choice but it was reserved.

She sang a mix of Christmas songs and her own songs. She was there with Nathan and Paul Whittinghill. She sounded amazing and she preached a little bit. I got to hear her sing "For Your Splendor" live which is one of my favorite SONGS that has helped me so much! She talked about writing it in her van on her way to Target and how she almost didn't record it because it was just soooo personal. I'm extremely grateful that she did! I didn't expect to meet her, but they they said she would be out in the Lobby. So of course I got so nervous because I have way too much to tell her and knew that if I said any of it I would probably cry (hormones!!). However, I did want a picture with her. I told Matt that I wanted for me and her to just go to dinner and shopping at an antique store. Haha! That is how I wanted to meet her, you know, so then she would agree to mentor me from long distance. :)

Then they came out and said that she got overheated from the lights and wasn't feeling well, but would come out tomorrow night. I was very sad. I wanted to to stay and hear her lead worship at church the next morning and do the concert again on Sunday night, and finally meet her. Maybe next time. :( I will say, the lights were horribly bright! I couldn't get any good pictures! I also took some video (which I'll post later) but I had to film the screen to get her to show up which was crazy because she was so close to me!! I also knew that we really needed a day at home to rest before our hectic week begins. Did I mention that last week was insane as well? I had conferences every night until 6, one night until after 7.

It really was a perfect day!!! I'm very blessed and so thankful!

Trimming the Tree

Our sentimental tree that is. It is up in our bonus room (what we call the Pickin' Shed). We watch our Christmas movies, wrap our gifts, and give Blakely her presents up there. It's just special to us. Every ornament has a special meaning or memory. We also have our collection of nutcrackers up there!

We have a special ornament from 2006 (our first married Christmas) and ornaments with special verses on them, some of my favorite ornaments from my parents tree and my nannys tree, a few of mine from growing up, an ornament to represent Dublin, special ornaments from some of my special students. Of course we have a nutcracker, a ballerina, a cross, and several silly ornaments that Matt likes. We have some inital ones, and several ones for Blakely (I like to hang them near the bottom of the tree for her). I LOVE it!

All of my life, in every season...I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship. This has always been one of my very favorite songs. One that I come back to CONSTANTLY. I should probably have it on a chalkboard in my home. :)

It sort of doesn't seem real, but tomorrow would have been my original due date. I feel like the Lord truly healed my soul and I have been restored fully since the end of the summer. Of course I am extra sensitive to others that go through miscarriage or infertility problems and know the Lord is going to use our story to help others in the future. Just like He used people in my life, along with Jill McCloghry and Christy Nockels.

Every now and then it does it hit me, and when it does it hits hard. I don't think I'll ever look at the first few days of December the same way again. I am so thankful for the current season that I am in. I am a much stronger person.

Desert Song


Christy Nockels said this in an interview after she told about her 3 children, Noah, Ellie, and Annie Rose...

"We also have 2 babies in heaven that we lost by miscarriage…a season as beautiful as it was painful. Some of you may have heard the song “Glory Baby” which we wrote as a memorial to the sweet babies that God used to shape our hearts even more around His…"

Glory Baby by Christy and Nathan Nockels (Watermark)


I 100% believe that the past 7 months have been a season as beautiful as it was painful. When I first read it, I was like oh, that's nice. But now, looking back. I can see that it really has been an equally beautiful as painful time. I feel like many blessings have come from that season.

I'm going to post some pictures of the 3 months that we were pregnant  (believe me I have a lot more) and some of the ways that we announced our news because it was a sweet time and I don't want to forget it! Ever!!

Before we ever even knew! We were just always praying and hoping!

I found out one morning while listening to You Revive Me by Nockels and truly felt revived after our long road! I didn't believe the test, double checked the box to see why the "not" wasn't showing up. Haha! I'd taken millions of tests and never had a poitive result. I somehow hid my excitment from Matt and went to work.

But I kept the only test that I had (shockingly) in my purse and looked at it all day during breaks at work! I still don't know how I made it through the day or the first few weeks. I was just thankful that Spring Break wasn't too far away!

I couldn't wait for him to get home from work and be surprised. This was in mid-March!

Of course I saw everyone that I knew at the Shaw center when I went to get my blood test to confirm the pregnancy and schedule my first real appointment.

When I got home Matt had a surprise of his own for me!

The way that we told my family! We had flowers delivered to my house and then showed up minutes after they were delivered. My mom was on the phone with me, when I walked in the house!!

We were thinking that a new mama to a December baby would need a large red diaper bag/purse. And of course a cookies/milk plate for Santa that Matt would get to eat. :)

The way I told my Seasons. :)

Gini ordered us cupcakes to celebrate my news!

A few days before my surgery. But I already had it scheduled. I love to look at this picture and see how "ok and peaceful" I look about everything. This was the day after I found out. I just had my music constantly playing everywhere I went. Even when it wasn't playing, I was hearing it in my head. The Lord definitely held me up the entire time and I am just amazed at that.

My very favorite lyrics from Glory Baby. I love them!
It’s hard to understand it ‘cause we’re hurting. We are hurting.
But there is healing... And we know we’re stronger people through the growing
And in knowing- That all things work together for our good
And God works His purposes just like He said He would…
Just like He said He would…

His plans are always greater than our own.
LORD, You are my GOD; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done WONDERFUL things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1

Thanksgiving and this weekend...

We had the best time in Atlanta over Thanksgiving. We ate a delicous meal (Mama gave me a recipe for spinach casserole, so I made that this year as one of the sides and Matt fell in LOVE...I will have to post soon), got some Thanksgiving cuddles, and watched some football.

The next day was beautiful and we hung out in Marietta, ate at a neat restaurant on the square, drank yummy apple cider, and exchanged Christmas gifts.

Saturday didn't go as planned. Luke woke up throwing up, so instead of just hanging out with fam that morning we had a little spur of the moment day date to Pappasito's (Matty's favorite restaurant) and Queen of Hearts Antiques. Luke was feeling better by early evening so we hung out at the house with kids, and watched football. After almost seven years of marriage we've started dressing alike. We had on matching shoes. Kind of emabarassing, but I kind of liked it too! Haha!

Now, about this weekend.
We had a low key Friday night. I was sooo tired! We got Applebee's to go, caught up on our shows, and enjoyed the Christmas lights ino our pj's. It was perfect!

Saturday we had big plans that all fell through. We were supposed to go cheer on our Blazers! I'm so proud of the BIG WIN! However, Matt's dad cancelled because he was sick, and we really needed to get some things done around the house. We also had a party that we were invited to down the street, and our neighbors were getting together to watch the SEC Championship! I feel like every single weekend we have a million things to do...which I love, but it gets hard around the holiday season when events start overlapping!!! I desperately needed to go to a craft store (and our small town doesn't have one) to get supplies for all the ornaments that I make with my kids at school. So that is what we did. We ended up catching the tail end of the game at the Red Elephant. It turned out to be a really fun night (besides being sad for Georgia) and I feel prepared to start my week now. :)

Sunday School was pretty funny today! We have a fairly big class (probably around 20 couples some days) and two or three classes have kind of all merged into ours. So we played a get to know you game. We each had to list three things that people probably don't know about you. Mine were: 1. Addicted to moving furniture/decorating. 2. That I have a blog. 3. That I love going to the Dr/Dentist. Really! Matt's were: 1. Originally from Texas. 2. Plays the guitar. 3. Met Darius Rucker in Charleston last summer. Haha!! I tried to get a picture with Blakely girl after church on this beautiful unusually warm December day.

HE will lift you up!

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet. HE WILL LIFT YOU UP. James 4:6-10

I loved the message from Passion City Church on Sunday. I have been thinking about it ever since and Louie has been posting some encouraging tweets all week that go along with it...like this one: Until our believing impacts our living we don't have much believing.

We drove up to PCC excited and ready to worship at our Atlanta church. :) We always play little games, like "Who do you think will lead today?" "What song will they open with?" "Is Louie still preaching the WORD series?". We are such nerds, but I love it! Do you see how big our smiles are?

To sum up our answers. :) I was hoping that Christy and Nathan would be leading. I sort of felt like Chris would be leading as well. Matt didn't think they would because he felt like everyone had just gotten back into town from Thanksgiving, but he thought that Nathan would be on the keyboard. We were there a little early and sat in the third row (which turned out to be pretty amazing seats). I saw Nathan first. Then I saw all boys file out onto the stage. I was feeling kind of sad, but then Christy walked out a minute later. Obviously, I was VERY happy! Then I realized that it was Chris Tomlin and band up there too. :) Later I got to see Shelley Giglio (who I also love), and also got to see Christy and Nathan sit out in the congregation to listen to the message. :)!!!!!

They started out with White Flag. I have never heard it sung with such energy! It was a joy to experience and very refreshing. I was leaning over to tell Matt something, when I heard the opening chords to "Waiting Here for You" and I nearly fainted with joy! My Christy was going to sing a SOLO! Not only was it amazing, she sang "Come thou long expected Jesus" in the middle of it from Chris Tomlin's Glory in the Highest Christmas album, then finished with "Waiting"...it sort of took my breath away. To only be taken away again by the sounds of "All My Fountains" starting up. I never in a million years thought that I would get to hear them sing my favorite Passion song EVER. LIVE. I got to do the whole clap clap, clap, clap thing in person! It felt like this at PCC. Really!! We were actually singing it that morning before church.



After an incredible message from Louie :) the band started in with another of my very favorite songs ever, "Lord, I Need You". I feel like it is one of my life songs. Y'all I was in tears by this point. I just kept saying to Matt, "Did you ever believe we would be here on a day like today?" "Can you believe that they are playing all of our songs...in a row?" Haha!

I'll say it a million times. I've been to lots of huge Atlanta churches, and lots of South GA churches. There is something special about PCC! I am so thankful that the Lord brought us to that church in May. What a treat for us to experience every couple of months! And yes, I cried after it was over because two hours just wasn't enough. I wanted to go back for both of the other services. I'm just thankful!