News the Size of a Lemon (for now)

According to Baby Center our little baby is about the size of a lemon right now. We are so excited to announce this news. The ultrasound pictures you see above were taken at 6 weeks. They did an early ultrasound for us since we had a miscarriage back in January, when we lost our precious Hope. It was very reassuring and my heart melted when I saw the fast little heartbeat on the ultrasound screen. So today, we are 12 weeks along and doing well. I believe I'm starting to break free from the nausea and fatigue I was feeling for a while. It's nice to be able to brush my teeth without having the urge to throw up. Now my main issue is with my joints. Right now I really need an adjustment or something. I can't hardly bend over without having pain in my joints, and I mean pain. But I am so happy to have any of this pain and inconvenience to welcome our baby into the world. We are so blessed by God and grateful for his blessings. Every good and perfect gift is from above... James 1:17 Above is a picture of a sweater I started to make for the baby.

And here's a belly pick. Can't really see a legit bump yet. I'm just feeling awkwardly thicker. We're still debating if we should find out the gender or not. Although Scott's so sure it's a boy. He cannot wait to have someone to play hotwheels with. I say that, but I myself have my inklings. I would almost bet on a girl. :) I keep telling Scott to stop offending her when he calls the baby boy names. Anyway, i suppose you may be waiting to hear the due date. The big day is May 1st! Or I like to say April 30th!

Lots of decisions are playing in my mind: What colors to do the nursery? Cloth diapers or disposable? Finding out the gender or not? vaccines?? and many more decisions to come that I don't even know about I'm sure. So we definitely appreciate your prayers as this little "lemon" grows and as we become parents with a great responsibility.

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

An Update on Life

So I feel like it's been a while since I've really updated much on anything lately. I'll start by saying that I love summer and all that comes with it. I love that Scott isn't as busy with school, that I can soak in more sun, that I can visit family, and even get away for a little vacation. Everything is just brighter in the summer!

Well, first of all, Scott and I were able to get away last weekend. This was our first time since our honeymoon that we got away for a little vacation together. We visited Gatlinburg, TN which is only about 4 hours away from Louisville and enjoyed the scenery of the Smokey Mountains. Scott got to do some fishing, which was his main wish. I got to soak in some sun (not that I look any tanner) at the pool and read a lot. One of the highlights was the Dixie Stampede where we enjoyed dinner (eating with our hands) and a show. It was so fun. Scott really got into cheering for our side, even though we got stuck on the South side instead of the North side. I haven't seen him like that for a long time. We felt like we were dating again. It was so nice to have no responsibilites and to just have fun. We did some hiking at Smokey Mountain National Park and even got to ride up in a ski lift to enjoy the beauty of the mountains. We brought our little grill along to save some money. We grilled some hot dogs in the parking lot one day, and had Scott's fresh fish the next.

So one of the reasons we took a little vacation was to celebrate our 3rd anniversary which is coming up on August 5th. I'm aso thankful for my patient husband, and so thankful for this chance we had to get away together last weekend. Six months ago last weekend we went through the heartache of a miscarriage, yet we're grateful for what God is showing us about ourselves and about Him. His love is truly better than life, so we find "Hope" in that. Life has a new meaning. While we feel an emptiness, God is the one that fills our deepest longings. And last weekend was very refreshing spiritually as I got to read a lot and spend a lot of time thinking. One of the books I am reading is "Idols of the Heart" by Elyse Fitzpatrick. I definitely recommend it.

So we were lucky to have this mini vacation, and we still look forward to heading to Wisconsin and Minnesota in August. August 13th Scott's sister Lynae is getting married to Greg Adams. We are really happy for them, and look forward to seeing everybody back home.

I keep busy with work at the MultiCare Centre as well as with my etsy shop. Right now at least starting out my biggest sellers are these two necklace/bracelet sets:

I also have some items for sale on a website featuring artists in Louisville called the Female Art Collective. I have also had those items in a couple trunk shows around town as pictured below(the rug):

And there you have my update. :)

Always Remembered

Then children were brought to him
that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said

"Let the little children come to me
and do not hinder them,
for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 19:13-14

What a comfort to know my sweet child belongs to Jesus.

Twenty-Four

My husband has written a poem for me every year since I turned 19 (which was how he first told me he loved me). So below is the poem for this 24th birthday. I told him that I'm not sure how he comes up with so many nice things to say about me every year. I truly am blessed to have such a wonderful husband. I am so blessed to have so many people in my life that have impacted me. And while I'm on that note, I want to express my love and gratitude for a godly father and mother who have shown me God's love my whole life.

Below is the poem written out since it is probably hard to see in the photo above.

Again has come the newness of Spring,
In each flower bloomed,
The breeze, thus perfumed;
And budding of trees
Soon showing their leaves—
In fullness they tell
Of the Winter's farewell,
The growth of the year, full revealing.

And here, there is parable of things greater still:
As the leaf and the bloom,
Is the fruit of the womb
Has become, now, my wife,
Who in adding to life
One more year each Spring new,
Brings fresh growth into view—
Bearing fruit by the Spirit, filled.

But the bloom of Spring must endure first the Cold,
Though its darkness so dense,
And its harshness, intense—
Such will shape and refine
In the heart of mankind,
That in time it will bring
Perfect offering—
Coming forth as the purest of gold.

For in toil, and pain, heavy grief, is matured:
As a wise man has said,
"Naught of worth will be had
When is sought in one's ease."
For, the Prize none will seize
Lest in blood, sweat, and tears,
And great yearning in years,
One endures to the end, by our Lord.

And such is the Cold that is only just waning,
The coldness—death's trial:
Though lasting awhile,
Has yielded a leaf
And a flower in grief,
Producing maturity
In her, ever more purity—
All that the True Vine is ordaining.

And so in the joy of her twenty-fourth year,
Let, in this, there be praise:
In her passing of days
There is leaf, and is flower
Showing more, in God's power—
As the blossoming tree,
Growing full to maturity
Till that Day, in His likeness, she'll appear.

No Words to Express

I find myself longing to share how I feel,
yet not knowing how.
My baby would have been 19 weeks along today.
Below are pictures of a necklace I have in memory of our baby Hope.
Obviously the H is for Hope and the blue birth stone is for December,
to represent our baby's life in December.

Below is the back of the necklace. The lady who made the necklace lost her son and planted a tree in memory of him. So her signature is this leaf. A friend pointed out to me that the leaf resembles the blood vessels or veins on a placenta which is referred to as the tree of life since it resembles a tree. I thought that was special.

Delicious Rolls, or Not!!

Ever forget you had rolls in the oven? Yes, those are rolls!

Want a Vera Bradley Bag?

Go to http://bethouaknight.blogspot.com/ to enter to win this purse!

new sewing machine and table

Check out my new sewing table and sewing machine. Just click here.

Thank You

Thank you for the kind words and prayers. It's comforting to know we're not alone, and many have found grace through this same trial. My greatest comfort is that God knows what's best.

"There is, therefore, no hope so sure
As this: In Jesus, safe—secure!"

Dedicated to our Baby "Hope"

Hope
by Scott D Mohler
___________________________________

Not long ago we learned that we
Should in the year expect to be
The parents of a child, our first—
The wells within our spirits burst
With greatest joy!

But heightened joy would soon descend
To sunken grief. This baby’s end
Had come so soon—we never knew
If hair was dark, if eyes were blue,
A girl, a boy.

Not held, or seen, not ever heard;
Not once would utter a single word;
No fingers formed, nor foot, or face;
And yet no facts as these erase
This truth—a life.

A life so small, yet imaged He,
Who spoke a word, and brought to be
All things as was His perfect will,
Just as this precious life, now still—
But darkness rings.

Alive for only weeks and days
Yet couldn’t escape the darkened haze
Of sin’s cold curse that still remains—
This death! And all these earthly pains
That man has brought!

O wretched curse that drains all men—
Makes off with life again, again!
What will there be to break this curse,
To conquer death, and pains disperse
That Life will reign?

Was long foretold that one would come
To once for all remove the sum
Of darkness covering all the nations,
None exempt—all generations
Down from Adam.

Rich food and ancient wine, refined
He’ll bring when every tear mankind
Would shed will be wiped from the eyes
Of all who’ve waited for His prize—
The Earth’s salvation!

Then came, this One, who told would set
His people free and cancel debt
That but by Him could e’er be paid—
Was God, and faithful ‘til He laid
His own life down.

Was beaten, bruised, spat on, scorned
In thorned crown and robe adorned,
Was crushed by sin and to a tree
Was nailed, till the world would see
His life depart.

But now, would Satan laugh at last?
The King lay still, His life had passed—
The One on whom all hope was placed!
All expectation now replaced
By Death’s defeat!

But three days hence He raised again
The temple walls. No hands of men
This time were used! All worship now
In Spirit, Truth, ever to bow
At Jesus’ feet.

The Hope of Men, shown in that day
The only one that none could say
Of: “Satan has a word on Him”—
The Victor o’er the Grave! Now dim
The course for Death.

There is, therefore, no hope so sure
As this: In Jesus, safe—secure!
For He, the founder of salvation,
Firstfruits of the New Creation,
Lives!

Though yet, all living now decline
Toward death, His raising is the sign
And guarantee the Church will rise
To meet her Savior in the skies
When He returns!

And while we wait our King’s return,
Through sickness, pain, and death we yearn
That Day when faith will be made sight
And all the darkness turned to light—
All wrongs made right!

Thus, we grieve this child’s death
In hope, believing every breath
Is from the Lord, and by His Hand
Will come and go as He has planned
For His name’s sake.

“The Lord will give, and He will take,”
But never will His Church forsake!
Let all the earth be filled with praise,
For great and mighty are His ways
Above our thoughts!

And would that this, though small a trial,
Sound that only for a while
Death will bide! May God proclaim
This in our baby’s life and name—
Our child, “Hope.”