Car Update

Sold - Matt sold his Kia to a Packers fan on Friday night. I think he felt better about it going to a home of a Packers fan. I think Matt would agree that selling the car on Craigslist was an overall good experience (he's the one who did the work). If you're not in a hurry to get rid of a car try it out.

Bought - We bought a used Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Saturday morning (great V-day present). We had a really good experience. We got a good deal since the car had been on the lot a year and we are happy with our decision. Also, the dealer we went with was great and after we made the deal we spent a good 20 minutes talking with him about his profession and how he makes money. We've been very intrigued by the whole process over the last few weeks. If you are looking to buy a car let us know and we'll give you our dealer's name.

It feels good to have this behind us and we are grateful that we can afford a nice car to haul Baby Grace and our soon to be family of 3 around in. For the next few weeks you may find me parked in the back of parking lots since I have little to no confidence in parking.

Memorable Day

For those who like me are fond of computers, today is a grand day.  UNIX time (which dates the number of seconds since January 1st, 1970) hits this time in 10 minutes: 1234567890 seconds.

http://www.1234567890day.com/.

Enjoy.

30 Weeks

Greetings. I feel like I have a lot to say today about pregnancy and life in general.

First off, I am excited to be in what I now consider countdown mode for the pregnancy. Only 10 weeks to go! It's pretty amazing how quickly things have flown by. I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon that went well. I actually met with one of the midwives for the first time today and scheduled the rest of my appointments until my due date with them. I really miss my doctor but I've know from the beginning that she doesn't do deliveries and I'd have to make the switch. So it's switching time. The midwife I met with was nice and there are 5 more in the practice who we will meet with eventually. Then whoever is on call will deliver Baby Grace (at the hospital and an OB on call will assist if a c-section is needed). The midwife told me that my weight, blood pressure, measurements, and urine all looked good. She was also able to feel that Grace was head down! Yay! She told me that she could turn back around again but I'm just telling her to stay the way she is.

Second off, we've been doing lots of adult things lately that are nice to take the mind off pregnancy but also stressful in the midst of pregnancy. We finally locked in a mortgage rate today to refinance our house into a 15 year mortgage. We're excited about getting as much into equity as possible over the next couple of years before, God willing, we've outgrown our house. We also have been used car shopping. Matt posted a few days ago that the Kia is on the market and we've been looking around for something bigger and safer. I'm not going to go into details but I hate dealing with used car salesmen.

Third off, the weather as been really nice the last couple of days and Matt grilled some brats for us tonight. Baby Grace and I loved them. I can tell already she is going to be a meat eater! As soon as I smelled the first wiff of the grill my stomach was ready to feast on brats.

Fourth off, on the more serious side I've been really enjoying my Bible reading lately. I posted a while ago that I wanted to spend more time in the Word and relying on God as I prepare for this thing called motherhood. At the beginning of the year I found a 1 year Bible plan that is really working for me. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to keep up with the readings once Grace is born but I have 4 sections to read everyday so if I just have to cut back to 1 or 2 at least I'll be getting some time with God. I've been learning more about what it means to meditate on what I'm reading and have felt a lot of peace just focusing on something bigger than me.

The Will of God

I just read this poem today and really loved it....

The will of God will never take you,

Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
Where the arms of God cannot support you
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

Everything happens for a purpose.
We may not see the wisdom of it all now,
but trust and believe in the Lord that everything is for the best.


AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Nearing The End Of An Era

I met her in August of 2002.  I was nervous around her at first, but then I realized that I could trust her and that our relationship would last.  You could call her the love of my life until I met Anne.  She was there during my last days of college.  She was there during my college graduation, finding my first job, my start in the real world.  She was there on my first date with Anne and she wasn't jealous at all.  She was excited when I asked Anne to marry me.  She was there on our wedding day.  She acted up at times, but mostly the normal maintenance that comes with someone like her.  I'm going to miss her.  But I know that somebody else will get to enjoy her next.

My Kia Sephia is officially on the market.

First Shower

We had our first shower this past weekend and it was so fun. The shower part and getting gifts was cool but the best part was just seeing friends and celebrating the coming blessings. It was actually a joint shower for three couples who are expecting this spring. Matt was in fraternity with some really cool guys and they have remained close friends since college and three of the guys have pregnant wives. The tradition is for everyone to get together and have a shower for expecting families. I guess its pretty convenient that we're all expecting around the same time. So, this shower was extra crazy because almost half the people attending were guests of honor. It is just so special to have this group of friends who really care for each other deeply and would do anything for each other. I know without a doubt that any child who has been or will be born to this group of friends will be loved and prayed for by these people.

Mandy (due 5/30), Anne (due 4/22) and Lexi (due 3/18)

Super Prediction

America comes together for one night a year to celebrate the greatest sports league in the history of humanity.  And I shall predict the victor...you can take it to the bank:

Steelers 31, Cardinals 16.

I also predict I will enjoy my wife's delicious chili tonight.