Baby Progress

I am finally up to date on Baby's blog!!!!  Nothing too exciting yet but the real joy comes in December.

Baby Bug's Blog

RELAY FOR LIFE VITALS

It's that time of year again! Please feel free to help me reach my goal of raising $2,000.00 for American Cancer Society. Our Team Name this year is Hopeful Helpers.

Relay For Life Vitals:
Date: June 4-5, 2011
Time: Noon-6AM
Location: Bethel Lutheran School, Morton IL
Who: EVERYONE, even if you cannot stay all night or cannot come at all. You are welcome to participate and donate money or do your own fundraising.
Why: Cancer affects everyone in one way or another. This is a step towards finding a cure and helping others along the way.

Use The Following Links as you see fit.
My Reason to Relay: MY WEBSITE

Wanna participate? JOIN MY TEAM

Can't participate but want to help me reach my fundraising goal? DONATE

Want to honor someone who has lost their battle or is fighting their battle with cancer? You can purchase a luminaria that will be lit for them at Relay: PURCHASE LUMINARIA

Thank you all so much for your support!

Relay For Life

Dear Friends,
I need YOUR help! As many of you know, I have been volunteering with American Cancer Society (ACS) for the past 6 years. Until last year, I had spent all my time working with Relay For Life (RFL) and Colleges Against Cancer events, where my main focus was planning
and fundraising was a last minute plea. So why is this year different? I have seen first hand where the money goes, and I see a greater need than I ever realized before now.

ACS offers resources for patients, their families, and their caregivers free of charge. Some of these resources include rides to doctor appointments, support groups, Look Good…Feel Better seminars, and so much more. As a volunteer with ACS I have been blessed with the
opportunity to take patients to their treatments and get to know them a little better along the way. I am also a volunteer in the local ACS wig bank where I get to help women who have lost their hair find a wig that suits them best. Each of these resources is made possible by
donations raised in events like RFL.

Relay For Life is a team event that celebrates cancer survivors, and raises funds for the ACS research, education, prevention, advocacy and patient services I mentioned above. It is a fun, outdoor and overnight event where teams take turns walking or running around a
track. My team will be joined by hundreds of others on June 4, 2011 at Bethel Lutheran School.

This year I have set a goal to raise $2,000.00. I will be walking in memory of three women very dear to my heart: My sorority sister and friend Katie Immel whose battle ended at age 25, dear Jillian Bentley who was also a sorority sister lost her battle at age 24, and my loving
mentor, friend, and stand-in-grandmother, JoAnn Bell who passed away March 25th.

You can support me by making a tax-deductible contribution to the American Cancer Society or Joining my team! Details will follow in the next post :o)
Thank you for helping me help others!

Bedroom #2 and Living Room

There are 3 bedrooms in our house. The 3rd bedroom is still in limbo so i won't paste pics until we decide what to do with the floors in that room. We are currently redoing the foundation in the basement. Next we will work on the kitchen and dining room (as time and finances allow). The hallways and main bathroom will be replaced around the same time I am sure. Once all of that is finished we will finish the basement.....it is never ending.

Guest Bedroom (Bedroom #2): carpet replaced, radiant heat removed, door replaced, new paint, new window coverings, closet fixed up, new light fixture. To do: New closet doors and paint bedroom door white.
Living Room Before: drywall replaced, radiant heat removed, carpet replaced, closet door replaced, new window treatments, new paint. To Do: put in trim and new front door. Also needing to paint all doors in house white. Carpet may be moved to Bedroom #3 and replaced with hardwood but we are still debating. New furniture will come after the house is done, I cannot wait for that day :o)

Master Bedroom/bath

Hubby has been hard at work for the past 2 years....so as time and budget allows we are slowly but surely making our house a little better than when we bought it. Here are a few before and after pictures of the Master bedroom and bath. We still need closet doors and some sort of towel rack in the bathroom.....

Before: carpet replaced, drywall replaced, radiant heat removed and central air/heat installed, new window shades, new six panel door, and a new ceiling fan.

Closet before: Micah made a custom closet from scratch....so thankful for the added storage space

Bathroom Before: drywall replaced, new toilet and pedestal sink, new paint, tile to replace laminate flooring, and new mirror and light fixture.

Someone was not getting enough attention so he followed me....he is probably the best 'addition' to the house :o)

Introducing Baby Gatlin...3 months later

I had been waiting for this day for 9 months, quite possibly with as much anticipation as momma Katie. So after meeting this sweet little man for the first time on the Sono screen I knew it would be instant love once I could hold him. After a few appointments with Katie and a Baby shower we were down to just a few months to go. Past due....and sick of waiting at this point. I didn't sleep much anticipating a call from the Best Friend telling me to jump in the car and get to the hospital....no sleep for nothing because that phone call never came. C-section scheduled for December 22 (the day before my Birthday). We will just call Gatlin my early birthday present from Katie. (She always gets me the best gifts....it will be hard to top this one Katie)

So up to the hospital at 11 and we wait....

And one last pic with mom and baby :o) and Aunt Erin

And then after waiting forever and time passing too slowly.....Baby Gatlin arrived at 1:48. Huge and Perfect.

9lbs 1 oz of pure joy. This is right after they brought him into the nursery.

And finally cuddle time...with uncle Micah

Yup he loves him.

And Aunt Whitney cannot get enough of all his sweetness.

Rachel did an amazing job with his photo shoot....as always

Welcome to the world sweet Gatlin. You were loved the day we heard about you and nothing has changed. It keeps getting better and better sweet man. I cannot wait to watch you grow.

Yea, he is cute. No question. and those dimples.....

I made it....25 years.

Over the last few weeks, as I contemplated reaching this quarter of a century milestone, I was not sure if I was happy or sad. After all, the older I get the more I have to act like an adult and start doing something with my life. Actually, getting older is not really a fear of mine, however time moving too quickly and the possibility of me missing out on something bothers me the most. People always say 'Oh you are young, you have all the time in the world'. I usually smile and act like it is true, but unfortunately, I know better. The fact that I need two hands to count my sweet friends who didn't make it to see 25 saddens me. And while I don't doubt that life in heaven is a million times better than this earth, life is still too short. When you look at life as if it will continue on forever, you tend to take things for granted and make mistakes. How much 'easier' would life have been if I knew then what I know now.

So I made a list...a list of things that I wish I had known before I reached 25. Things that would not necessarily have changed the decisions I made, but may have helped me understand life a little better. Things that would have helped me relax enough to take a look at the bigger picture rather than wasting time worrying and stressing about life. And maybe, they will serve as handy reminders when I forget what is important in life. I am sure the list could go on and on but these are the things that popped into my mind first:

1. Having a schedule for life is not realistic. Although the schedule was made to optimize your time, the time you spent making it was actually wasted, because Life will NOT go as you planned. But God's plan is better anyhow, so enjoy! Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord. 'Plan to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
2. Friends come and go. BFF is does not necessarily mean that person will really be your best friend forever, but that you will forever remember that they were your best friend for a while. The friends that stick with you forever may not be your childhood friends and that is OK. Be grateful for everyone who blesses your life for a little while or forever. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 "Two are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble."
3. Perfection is unattainable in our earthly bodies. Don't stop trying to reach perfection, but stop criticizing yourself when you fail. Phillippians 1:6 "be confident in this, He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
4. You will survive those situations that seem to be the end of the world. And you will be better because of them! 2 Corinthians 12:9-10"But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
5. Your siblings may make life completely unbearable during your childhood, but they will make life bearable as adults. So love them even when they tick you off.
6. Not everyone you meet will like you, but that doesn't mean you are not likable.
7. Perception is reality. A situation may be understood by those involved but to those looking in from the outside it could appear totally different. And to them it doesn't matter what is really happening, what they see is their reality. So watch your words and your actions as if you are on the outside looking in so you know what reality is to those around you.
8. "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31 People will hate you just because they can't find anything to hate about you. We should not be people pleasers because their opinion really doesn't matter. Being God pleasers will bring true happiness.
9. Our culture teaches us to fit the 'perfect profile' to obtain happiness...But little do we know, this perfect profile is unattainable by any real person. So strive to fit into the profile that we are called by God to fulfill. My favorite theme while working at COCUSA was "Got Fruit?" Which is just one glance at the profile for which we should strive. With our theme verse being Galations 5:22-23 "but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things there is no law." Got Fruit?
10. Women of this world can be malicious and evil creatures...choose your friends wisely
11. Love is your choice....but it is God's command. John 15:12 "This is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you."
12. Everyone has an opinion, those who use their opinion to be cruel should be ignored. The only opinions that really matter are those of God. Friends who can offer constructive criticism are obviously welcome. Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 "Do not pay attention to every word people say,
    or you may hear your servant cursing you, for you know in your heart
    that many times you yourself have cursed others."
13. Forgiveness may appear to be a gift to your offender, but in reality it is more of a gift for yourself. So forgive those who offend you, even if they show no remorse. If you refuse to forgive and hold it against them, you will only increase your heartache. Be quick to forgive and you will be blessed. Colossians 3:13 "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive"
14. Pray for your enemies. You will find peace. Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
15. The power of prayer is unmatchable. 1 Thessalonians 3:17 "Pray without Ceasing"
16. While grades are important, a B is not the end of the world...stop being so hard on yourself and enjoy life while you learn. Although it is important to try your hardest at everything you do, these things will not matter in heaven. Matthew 6:19 " Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. 20 Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. 21 For your heart will always be where your riches are."
17. Hug often. There are not many people in life who will be offended if you hug them, and if they are they probably needed the hug more than anyone else. There is never a good or bad time for a hug...and in my opinion, hugs can change the world. If more people gave hugs, more people would be blessed by receiving hugs. Spread the wealth.
18. Don't wait for the 'right moment' to tell someone what they mean to you. You never know when you will run out of moments.
19. If someone dislikes you, love them. Romans 12:20 "To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
20. Serve others everyday. There are countless opportunities to help others you just need to open your eyes. Humble yourself and place others before you...in doing so you will find that you find a little more love every day. Selfishness does not bring you happiness, in fact it takes you to a place where it is virtually impossible to be happy. Acts 20:35 "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
21. Let Go, Let God...and don't wait until you have tried everything you could think of and nothing works. Situations big or small are better handled by the Big Guy. When you try to carry your burdens yourself you will find physical and emotional pain. When you trust that God will handle the situation and let go you will find freedom. I often look back to situations that I never thought I would survive and wonder how I made it through. I see the pain and turmoil I experienced as my pride tried to handle it all by myself, and then I see the freedom as soon as I surrendered it to God. Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
22. Don't obsess over your physical being. While it is important to remain healthy, size does not determine your worth. Mirrors were made to assist you not to judge you. These bodies are temporary homes for our souls so if you are going to diet anything, diet worldly values because they will all fade away eventually.
23. If I have learned anything at all in 25 years it is that words can be daggers. You can break someones spirit with just a slip of the tongue and it is impossible to take back anything you say. So speak kindly to everyone. Love everyone and build up those around you. I have hurt my share of people, and I have said many things about complete strangers that I am ashamed even came to mind. If I could go back in time I would for sure change how I treated those around me, enemies and friends alike. I am blessed to have friends who are full of unconditional love and forgiveness...for them I am grateful. Matthew 7:1-6 "“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. ...
24. Be thankful for everything...good and bad. Each has a purpose in your life. 2 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
25. Avoiding temptation is not always possible so armor yourself so you are prepared when you face it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

I am so Grateful for all that God has given me in the past 25 years of my life, and I cannot wait to see what he has planned for the rest.

To each and every one of my family and friends: I love you dearly and cannot imagine life without you. Thank you for helping shape the person that I am today with your love and guidance.