And this is pregnant brooke…by brooke

So this is the final home stretch….pregnancy has been so remarkably easy until this point.  Now the feet are swollen, the heart burn comes constantly, the dehydration headaches remind me that water is not an option, and bending over to pick up things off the floor sends my back into a frozen state if I’m not careful!  🙂 It will all be more than worth it, of that I am sure.  I think the hardest part for me is not knowing if today is the day.  Yes, there are 4 1/2 weeks left before our due date.  However, considering I was 8 weeks early and Tim was two weeks late…you never know what this wonderful child will decide to do.  I find myself laying in bed wondering if I will wake up in the middle of the night and have to get Tim up to go to the hospital on this night or that night.  If I knew when and how it might be a little easier.  🙂

Excited doesn’t seem to be the right word regarding the arrival that will come in the next month.  I don’t think there are really words to describe that feeling.  Each time I find myself gazing at my sleeping dog I am reminded that there will soon be a sleeping baby here too, and that the awe I have for my sleeping dog may just not compare.  Such cute little beings… (I hope they get along!)  Alright, I think that is enough for now….

Baby Shower in FL ….by brooke

We would like to send out the warmest thank you to all who attended Baby “P”‘s baby shower yesterday.  A big thank you to Kim and Rusty Davis for putting on such a huge event that blessed us tremendously.  We are so thankful for our circle of friends and the way they enrich our lives.  We only hope that we return the favor.  – Brooke and Tim

Our Home in Ormond…by brooke

Decorating the Baby Room Begins!…by brooke

Yes, We Moved…by brooke

Wow, I was surprised to find that this blog had not been deleted because of lack of use….May was a VERY long time ago!  So we’ll catch you up to speed…kinda…the rest  you’ll just have to figure out in other ways!  I really don’t have time to sit here and fill you in on the past three months…well because they just involved way TOO much stuff!

The move is the focus of this post, so lets get on with it.

After living in Palm Coast, 30 min from friends and work and most of our hostesses, for three years…we decided that it was time to give up the comfortable duplex that we had learned to call our own.  It was time to move south.  30 minutes farther from Mom (which has proven to require her to visit more!), and closer to Tomoka Christian Church (our church and Tim’s place of employment).

As you read in our last post, this housing search lasted a while and required prayer as the cost of housing in Ormond Beach is a bit more than Palm Coast.  However, before leaving for our annual trip in July, we did find a home and we fell in love with it.  We got things squared away, packed up our Palm Coast house, and left for the month of July.

On our first morning back, we got the keys to our wonderful bungalow on Old Ridgewood in Ormond.  It is 4 blocks from the library, 3 blocks from the river, 3 minutes to our good friends the Davis, and 6 minutes to church.  It has a huge fenced backyard and a very large deck.  It has three bedrooms and one that is perfect for the baby!  We especially love our bedroom sliding door that looks out to our backyard jungle and walks out onto our back deck.

We had wonderful friends help us move and all was done in 4 hours…..nothing was broken, and we were very blessed regarding the entire thing!  Most boxes are unpacked, and were actually all put away that first week.  I think we have about 4 more boxes of misc stuff that doesn’t have a place yet, and now we are in the middle of prepping the baby’s room.

Here are some pictures from moving day…..

We will be sure to post true pictures of the actual house soon….we have to get the baby stuff back out of the living room first! 😉

Huge Prayer by Tim

I know that often I must insult God.  Praying for little things and foolish priorities.  I know that when someone comes to be with something they need done and say it might be hard or challenging that later turns out to be easy I am sometimes insulted.  Did they think I was that dumb?  Do they think i am not capable?  I know that God must feel that way with some things I bring to him.  Prayers that say “I am not sure if you can really do anything… so try this for me… prove you still got game.”  I have started to seek God with Bigger and Bigger prayers for our ministry, our church and our youth.  Maybe it is time to start praying those huge bold prayers for my family and myself.  God delights in all our prayers, but are you insulting him in the process?

The week ahead! by Tim

There is something so amazing about getting the honor of working where I work and with the people, I work with. Getting to be a part of what God is doing in Ormond Beach and beyond is rewarding in a way I cannot even begin to explain. As summer gets closer and closer the pace of events picks up to a steady sprint. I love that. As a huge West Wing fan, I can see President Bartlett walking off the stage after his victory for President turning to Leo and Josh and asking, “What’s next?” That is how things are here… and I treasure every moment of it. This week is no different. I like the kind of busy that does not give you time to clean your desk!

Why I do what I do…by brooke

http://lindylou-abbott.blogspot.com/2009/03/premier-designs-different-kind-of.html
This blog spot tells it all….This is why I do Premier!  Gosh I love my job!  I’m so blessed by what God has given to my family through such a great opportunity!

10 things they don’t tell you… by brooke

So when you’re young and naive and wanting a child…there are many things about pregnancy that people just don’t tell you…you must experience it all for yourself I guess…so I will not be that mean…all you looking forward to motherhood some day….here you go..listen now!

1.  Your sinuses will just be messed up in one way or another your entire pregnancy. One day they will be completely dry and sore, the next your nose will run and never stop.

2. Your eyes will act funny when combined with your perfectly good contact lenses.  This will cause headaches and dry eyes that make you want to rip the contact right out of your beautiful head!

3. If you sleep on your back the baby could lay on a very important nerve….I mean come on!  Most of us hear about the side sleeping with a pillow..blah blah blah….and we know that it is just insane to think that you’re going to sleep on your stomach…but not being able to sleep on your back either..

4. Leg cramps…welcome to the first time you try to skip your vitamin and don’t have enough calcium in your system…I know you know about back aches and such…but leg cramps are no fun!

5. Something good to cure your new fear- they make bands to hold up your pants if you just need to unbutton them and don’t yet need maternity pants!  🙂 Didn’t know about that, but am thankful for the option once I get there!

6. People will touch your belly the instant they hear you are expecting.  I knew people would touch it, talk to it, stop you as a complete stranger and ask you about it….but I never expected people to start before you could even tell I was expecting!  But maybe that’s just my loving friends!

7. In your normal everyday life, you bend down about 15 times a day….I knew as a pregnant lady I would eventually be restricted on how I could move and bend..and of course people tell you about not being able to see your toes…but they never tell you how much you really do bend down everyday without even realizing it!!!

8. Constipation hurts

9. Something else to make you smile…you may think you’re going to be the independent one who doesn’t allow everyone to bend over backwards carrying things and catering to your condition…don’t be…milk it! 🙂

10.  My favorite- You will suddenly become a much more clumsy version of yourself.  Everyone tells you how they lose their mind…”the baby takes your brain”..but they say nothing about the loss of balance!  You will not be able to properly set down a glass without it toppling over…and you may even just drop an entire plate of sour cream smothered burritos right on the floor.  Then you will sob because only your husband, your dog, or your future child are suppose to make such a mess! It will humble you and you’ll never look at a mess on the floor quite the same.

Ramblings of A Scattered Soul by brooke

So over the last week I have had one grandma ask how things were because we’ve been “quiet down there” and one friend tell me “well start posting about baby stuff!” Both comments for very different reasons….and no Marisa we will not be on your blog tour….I’m so not that cool or up to date with the world of blogging….I’d be a very boring stop for people….even after this post and future posts to come! And yes it was great to actually talk to my grandma who I haven’t talked to in a long time. And yes, contrary to cyberspace impressions we are all alive and doing well in the wonderful state of Florida…If you know us well and hang with us often you know that we’ve been all over the place for the past 3 months and will continue to be….well forever now that this baby is coming!

I find it very hard to blog while overwhelmed with blessings and controlled chaos all at the same time! It has been a day to day kind of year in ’09! We have had many visitors in and out since February…deal with pregnancy unknowns (no sickness though…thank God)….new jobs and scheduling..family in town…..cute nephews to hold and play with!…broken cars…fixed cars (thanks to teri, God and on this last one, my smart husband!)….procrastinated work….tiredness…..excitement…pregnancy tears….normal tears…doctors appointments….hoping it is all for real….marriage…..booming business..Sunday afternoons at the park…contemplating moving..walks in st augustine…less tiredness!…contemplating staying…and now the sudden on slot of complete and utter craziness in scheduling….

To say it briefly…life is great! But a great life with many blessings comes with many challenges and much work. For all of this I am very grateful, and well…overwhelmed….

So quiet, yes….holding it all together…absolutely, by God’s grace….excited about future changes still to come…yes.

Love to all who are far and have been wondering where we are!