CONGRATULATIONS, BRYAN!!!

I just wanted to take a moment to blog and brag on my husband!

Sometimes if feels like we have been in the "Burg" for an eternity...other days, Bryan and I look at each other in disbelief at all that God has done in such a short amount of time.  We have experienced so much here, both good and bad, and though we would never trade our time here, it is a bit of a relief to know that our journey has come to an end.  We have been in a "waiting place" for the past five and half years, so we are thankful that God made His plan for us very clear as soon as Bryan was coming upon his last semester at Liberty.

I am so proud of Bryan and all that he has accomplished.  I don't know how he managed to do all that he did here, except by extra helpings of God's grace.  His days here consisted of waking up and going out to the backyard to work at the shop (squeezing in quiet time with God before mayhem began), coming in for lunch and studying, going back to work, then coming home to study some more. For a year, he was also planning out 3 lessons a week for teens at church, plus doing his military weekends...all the while still managing to maintain a 4.0 GPA, earn the rank of Staff Sergeant, help me at home, be a great husband, and fantastic daddy to Baby J.  He never complained about being tired or having too much to do, but just continued to push ahead, knowing that God had great things in store for him.

So, for you Bryan...

Thank you for all that you have done for Baby J and I.  You have been such a wonderful provider for us and I am forever grateful that you have allowed me to stay at home with our beautiful boy .  You have no idea how much I appreciate you and I know that I do not tell you enough.  You are one of the hardest working men that I have ever seen, and I know that the Lord is going to use you in amazing ways, and already is.  Thank you for being such a great spiritual leader both inside and outside of the home.  I praise God that you are the one that Baby J has to look up to.  I pray that I will live up to the expectations that God has for me to be the excellent wife that you deserve.  How blessed am I that the Lord gave me such a wonderful gift?!

Congratulations, my Love, on completing seminary and completing it well.  Your desire to learn about our Savior, should be an example to all of us to study God's Word fervently, to know and understand it, and to share it with those whom God places on our path.

All of My Love to You,

Jessica

Fix It Friday #54

It's Fix It Friday over at I Heart Faces again!  I used Photoshop CS4 as my editing program and all of the actions I used this week were from Jodi at MCP Actions.  Make sure you go check out the other entries here!

Most of the actions I used either came from the All in the Details Set or the Complete Workflow Set.  I chose not to edit out the cute little spots on his face since I have a little guy myself and I know all the bumps and bruises have a story behind them!  This little guy is just gorgeous!!!

Before...

After...

Enjoy your weekend!

Much Love,

Jessica

I Heart Faces..."Celebrating Mom"

This week over at I Heart Faces they are celebrating moms...what a tough, but rewarding job!

I am entering a photo of my friend, Cindi, and her SIX children!  I don't know how she manages, but she works and homeschools all of her kids, plus she is actively involved at her church...And yet somehow she is always full of energy.  She told me once that she thought I had the personality to handle a big family, which I took as a huge compliment, but just thinking of all that she would have to accomplish in a day makes me tired!!! 

Yesterday she woke up to signs all over the house from her children telling her all the reasons why they love and appreciate her...and here is a cute photo of them showing her that love...

Don't forget to check out the other entries here!

Much Love,

Jessica

Happy Mother's Day!

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”



~Proverbs 31: 25-31


I remember vividly the day that I found out I was pregnant with Baby J. It was a total and utter shock. I had been getting sick at work for several days, and since I worked at a daycare, the thought that it was because I was pregnant never entered my mind. Someone suggested that I should take a pregnancy test, so reluctantly I went to grab one on my lunch break. To my surprise, the result was positive. I ran down to my boss, showed her the test and asked if I could run home.


I called Bryan on my way to the house and told him to come outside. I handed him the test, and I specifically remember him looking at me and asking, “What is this???” When he turned it over, he saw that it said “Pregnant”, and he developed a huge grin on his face. What an exciting moment that God had allowed us to share…


I had been told that I would have a hard time carrying a baby from my Doctor back in Ohio. I had multiple cysts and some major imbalances in my hormone levels (I am sure those of you that know me would never guess that from all of my random crying haha), so they told me that getting pregnant would be the easy part. Within a day of taking that test, the bleeding began.


Thankfully, the doctor’s office got me in for an appointment early the next morning. I had an ultrasound and was able to see our baby at 5 ½ weeks. Everything looked great and we were able to see our little peanut swimming around. They helped reassure me that everything would be fine and they would keep a close eye on everything. October 9th would become my due date.


The bleeding turned into spotting and eventually stopped. I was blessed with morning sickness for the first 6 months of pregnancy…though this may not seem like much of a blessing (and I know I complained most of the time it was going on), it was a good sign to know that my pregnancy hormone levels were really high, being a constant reassurance that our little one would be okay. Just a couple months later, after some high blood pressure, twice weekly visits for stress tests to monitor Baby J and I, and bed rest, it was finally time for our little one to enter the world.


I was 9 days past my due date when they finally brought me into be induced. The thought of being induced was not appealing to me in the slightest, so my doctor started with a cream that helped get contractions started. Within an hour of the cream being applied, my water broke and things started progressing naturally, so I never had to use the pitocin. My family had come from Ohio to be with us, so Bryan called them at 4 a.m. to let them know that I was at 5 cm. They started getting ready and about an hour later Bryan called to tell them I was at 9 ½ cm…I am sure that is probably the fastest that my family has ever gotten ready at one time . When babies are ready to come out, they are READY! So after 9 hours of laboring, and only 20 minutes of pushing (did I mention that they made me breathe through 2 contractions before they let me push him out…pure evil), our little one arrived!


Baby J came into the world on October 18th at 6:26 a.m., and weighed in at 9 lbs, 11 oz., 22 inches long…a pure bundle of joy!


At times, I still cannot believe that God chose for me to be a mother. I quoted from Proverbs 31 at the beginning of this post. Though I know I fall short of being that particular woman, it is a great reminder of what I need to be striving for to be the best mother and wife that I can be for Bryan and Baby J. I don’t think that anyone can ever prepare you for what you are about to face with motherhood, but it definitely brings new challenges every day. I count it all joy to be blessed with both of my boys, and am so thankful that I am the one that gets to take care of them on a daily basis. Our time in Virginia has flown by. What a blessing to see Baby J grow and develop over the past year and a half…even this week he has been making huge strides in talking! I was picking up in the living room yesterday and he pulled on my shirt and asked me to “read a book”…totally random and out of the blue for someone that pretends he can’t talk haha…


Motherhood is not always easy, but it is the most rewarding job that God has given. So many women have been such an inspiration to me as I have watched them mother their own children, and I am thankful for the example that they have been in my life. To you, ladies, I wish you the happiest of Mother’s Day. Thank you for being a blessing to me, but more importantly to your children. May we all strive to be the example that God has given us in His word…


Much Love,


Jessica

Fix it Friday #53

It is Fix It Friday over at I Heart Faces Again!

Here is this week's Fix It Photo...

And here are my fixes...

Here is a list of what I did to edit the picture...

1. Ran a quick defog from Holly over at Pink Ink Studios

2. Sharpened/Brightened Eyes from the Pioneer Woman

3. Peek A Boo from MCP Action

4. Touch of Light from MCP Actions

5. Touch of Color from MCP Actions

6. Magic Skin from MCP Actions

7. Quiet the Noise from MCP Actions

8.  A Berries and Cream Overlay from AMP on the second photo and Take Action on Cancer Awareness from MCP on the third

Most of these actions are fully adjustable to suit your taste.  Feel free to critique and make sure to check out the other entries here!

Much Love,

Jessica

Mother's Day Giveaway

Pink Ink Studios Giveaway!

I entered to win Carrie’s entire store at @pinkinkstudios.com valued at over $1,300! www.facebook.com/PinkInkStudios for further details!

I love Pink Ink Studios!  They have so many AWESOME and AFFORDABLE resources for photographers and I just couldn't pass up entering in this giveaway.  Make sure you take the time to go check out Pink Ink Studios here and look at Carrie's store here.  Thanks for this amazing giveaway, Carrie!