Being Inspired.

Bring me joy, bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days

When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You

Jesus, bring the rain

Breaking News!

Kingston's starting to walk! He's so darn cute! He's working on standing up when he falls down...but he's walking and taking more and more steps each time!

**Disclaimer: George is aware his shorts appear to be playing peek-a-boo, but don't worry...he's actually wearing two pairs of shorts :) Oh boys....

Our Future Home!

Thank you to everyone who has kept our family in your prayers. We have successfully found and purchased a new home for us and CAN'T WAIT! We are having it built so it will be finished in 6 months time. UGH! Our original time frame for moving was 3 months, but we have made adjustments to our arrangments to make this new home work. I'm getting more and more impatient as each day goes by, but the Lord has blessed us with this new home opportunity and I am willing to work on my patience for the next 6 months. :)

Here's our lot! (I'll keep you updated on the progress ;))

My boys! :)

Yoohoo!

What Happened In Vegas Isn't Going to Stay In Vegas!

I just got back from a 5 day trip to Vegas to visit my bff Savannah. I stayed at her and JB's apartment in good 'ole Hendo (that's for you roommate! :)) That's Henderson for all you non-vegas locals! We had such a blast! We basically did nothing but lay by the pool and eat most of the time (I feel like I ate so much...I had to keep up with prego). Here are the highlights:

• The flight there was miserable. I was in the very last row of the plane and never got so motion-sick in my life back there. Right before take off the pilot came on air and said, "Yeah...we have some possibly maintenance issues, but we should be fine." The landing was out of this world. People were raising their hands like they were on a rollercoaster, that's how bad the turbulance was and then everyone had to clap that the pilot actually landed the plane. I wanted to die.
• The first night there we played lots of RockBand. I had a sold out show on the drums and did an amazing rendition of Alanis Morrisette's You Outta Know (A-mazing...seriously...). This was also the first night roommate would complain that her back really hurt.
• Roommate & I got great pedicures the next day. I stuck with the good ole french manicure and Vanna picked out black...for SPRING!
• Laying by the pool was amazing.
• Roommate's back hurts again.
• We ate at Joe's Crab Shack, which was the most stressful meal I've ever eaten. There were like 5 birthdays and a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. Everytime it started spinning and flashing it's lights all the employees of the restaurant would scatter across the restaurant and do a little diddy dance. Uh, please don't. Then roommate and I couldn't crack open our crabby legs so JB had to do them all and complained all weekend that he punctured his thumb and it would never be the same. Ever.
• Roommate's back hurts again.
• That night we went and saw The Haunting Of Connecticut. Great flick. Minus the 20 billion middle schoolers that ran in 10 minutes into the movie. Then proceeded to run about the theater stomping their feet, climbed over chairs, switched chairs a billion times...then their cellphones would go off and they would talk extremely loud and this one girl kept laying across this guy, then get up, then lay across him again. It was ri-diculous. Prego wasn't having any of it so she went and got the manager and he shaped them up real quick.
• Roommate's back hurts again.
• On the way home from the movie, we saw a ridiculous drunk driver. I'm pretty sure they never made it to their destination.
• The next day we headed out to Primm, NV to ride the Desperado! Google it. You tube it. I don't care...it's crazy though. It was the highest and fastest roller coaster in 1998. The drop is higher than the casino and drops so far down, it even goes under ground. I wanted to die (again).
• Everywhere we drove we played "Name that band" for every song on the radio and I'll let you try and guess who won everytime. Music major or stay at home mom? Yup! That would be ME! Roommate knew nothing...she guessed either Goo Goo Dolls or Green Day...everytime.
• Again...roommate's back hurts.
• We watched Dan In Real Life. Also a great flick. In the midst, I had to grab a tissue from the bathroom...came back out and got bum-rushed by their 65lb. golden retriver named Bailey. Literally. Bum-rushed. She stole my tissue and ran and I went flying into the kitchen counter. Oh how to describe Bailey. The cutest darndest 10 month old golden puppy, but CRAZY. Think Marley & Me.
• We did lots of shopping as well on the strip and JB made us sit and watch a lame laser light show at Caesar's.
• Then some crazy guy came up to JB and goes, "Scuse me...are you from the United States?" Uh....yeeeessss?
• The last night we ate out at PF Changs where roommate swore up and down to China that she was so freezing cold she couldn't handle it (FYI: it was 95 degress out) so proceeded to dramatically order hot tea then just at the waiter was bringing it out, she flipped out and all of a sudden was sweating bullets and changed her mind and needed an ice water. Then JB ordered a coke...extra cold.
• Oh yeah...and her back hurt...AGAIN. :)
• All in all, it was a GREAT trip! Can't wait to do it all again!

PHOTO MONTAGE:

Fun In The Sun!

It's Official.

I recently became a Provisional Member of the Junior League of Seattle. For those who are unfamilier with JLS you can go to their website to learn more about them (www.jrleagueseattle.org). In a nutshell: it is an organization of women who promote volunteerism and do a variety of service projects and charitable work within their community. I am actually quite excited about my new endeavor. I have always had a heart for missions and service and there never seemed to be a "perfect" time to get involved or go somewhere or do something. I want more in my life besides being a mommy and would love to have my children grow up in a home where they see their mommy not just focused on her own family, but her community and others who are in need as well. I am hoping that I enjoy this program and that it is something that I can be involved in for many years. My good friend Anne has also joined with me so it will be extra uber exciting to do something like this with someone like her. We're going to change the world. Look out!

Prayer Request.

Team Mekhail is out growing their home. We are in the market for a new home that is a little bit bigger for us and our growing family and that we can stay in long term. We are very thankful that we are also in a situation where we do not need to sell our current home (Praise the Lord, cause let's just be serious...in this market?), but we are up against a timeframe for moving. We have made a solid decision on where we want to be for location and finances, etc. If you are a reader at all of this blog, please pray for us. It's so stressful buying a home and trying to make a decision that you hope is a good one, especially when you now have kids and future kids to think about. Please pray that God opens up the perfect home for our family in the right time. Thanks everyone!

Almost Walking!

This is my lil munchkin walking away...then whining when he comes to an obstacle...don't worry...I have like 5 other videos of this same exact thing in every area of our home.

10 Months!

Kingston has learned so much this past month! I'm so bummed too that I have started to dwindle on the photo taking again so I don't have any new photos yet for you. Here's a quick breakdown:

• As you know, he was worming his way through life until he started "officially" crawling at exactly 9 months. Now, he has learned to pull himself up, walks around the furniture and has even begun to walk with his lil push/walker toys. Aw, he looks so cute. The only thing: he hasn't learned to turn around on his own yet so he pushes his toy straight into the wall or a piece of furniture and then wails cause he can't go anymore. It's pretty exhausting for me cause I have to keep trying to teach him to turn.
• His balance is getting better and better on his feet. When we used to walk him around the house he would mainly use his tip toes. Now, he plants his foot on the ground pretty good. He just may take off on me one of these days!
• Kingston babbles a ton and will mimic your voices, especially when you say, "Kingston, say mama..." And he'll actually repeat it!
• He learned to clap his hands! He fully understands you when you ask him to do it too!
• He has finally taken a liking to feeding himself. Boy, I thought this day would never come! He has seemed so clueless on what is food and it finally clicked one day.
• We're still working on signing. I've been signing to him since he was 7 months and he for sure won't repeat it or do it back, but I think he is starting to realize what it means when I do it. Not sure though...
• Kingston is becoming quite the traveller. We had to road trip to Oregon 2 times within a week of each other and he did pretty darn good for a wee one (I, however, barely survived...there's just something about a fussy/whiny child in a car when you know you still have 2 hours to go...I couldn't handle it very well). And, we will be going to Cali in 3 1/2 weeks with him too for a wedding! Our first plane ride! Woohoo!
• It's becoming a huge challenge to change his diaper. All he wants to do is take off on me.
• He's suprisingly not into much around the house. Our main concern is his love for cellphones and laptops and he sees one and beelines it for one. Other than those, he doesn't touch Gracie's dog bowls...doesn't play with the tv/sterio stuff...doesn't touch the bookshelf...he plays with one drawer and one drawer only in the kitchen and just so happens to be a drawer I don't even keep anything in...he doesn't go play in the bathroom, unless someone is in there, then you have to be careful not to leave him in there cause one thing he does love are DOORS and he'll end up shutting the door and he'll be all alone in the dark and get scared.
• A new and recent thing for him: he carries his toys in his mouth. He's pretty much a squirrel. If he likes a certain small toy, he tucks it in his mouth, under his teeth and carries it around like that. If it falls out? He shoves it back in. :)

Those are your Kingston updates! Oh yeah...I have him on video walking around with his toy...I will try and post those later!

A Funeral.

Gordon Ray Vannatter March 29,1931 - March 27, 2009

My last grandparent (My mom's dad) passed away last Friday afternoon. Just two days shy of what would have been his 78th birthday. This is the most recent photo I had of him. This was taken at the beginning of September when Kingston was 3 months old. George & I drove to Oregon with Kingston so my grandfather could meet and see him. I'm so glad he was around for his first great-grandchild. The weekend of March 21st, I received word that he wasn't doing to well and his days if not minutes were numbered. So George & I (with Kingston) drove down to Oregon to be with him. He couldn't really move, see or talk, but could hear. And I know that he knew we were all there. Since the 21st, life was super hard. I felt like my whole world was on hold. It was just a waiting period...watching the time literally tick by every second, wondering when he would take his last breath. To watch and wait as he slowly passed was horrible. In that time though, he came to Christ and was baptized! I'll miss him dearly, but I know he's in a better place now...with my grandmother...and with my Lord.