Getting Closer

Yesterday Mom and Dad came over to help start getting Rozlynn's room put together and do a little cleaning around my crazy dirty house! Reese has been asking almost every day when Rozylnn's room and bed was going to get set up. I think today made him feel a lot better, I don't know why he is so worried that she won't have things. Now once we get her stroller and carseat he will be a happy brother.

Reese worked hard all day long, he was right beside the action the entire afternoon.

working hard with Dad and PawPaw

Finally put together!

He checked to see if it was level on all sides, top and bottom and the bottom was not so he had to fix it.

Helping Gammy with the frame we painted.

Last week this closet attacked me, literally I was looking for Reese's birth certificate and things began falling from the shelves. It was a mess after I was done searching through everything! Reese and Gammy worked hard getting it in order and making room for Rozylnn's things.

Some of our projects

She had to have this verse in  her room!

Mom and I had so much fun painting letters, painting the frame, and thank you to Tamara so much for donating that picture to our cause. If you saw the frame in its orginal state you would not believe the change.

The room is not done yet, but I feel so much better knowing that several things are finished. I have the best Mom she has helped me with many projects. We have taken apart and painted a framed piece of art-work, a mirror, painted letters, painted a chair, made a bow hanger, repainted and framed a verse, cut out of vinyl for the mirror. We still have to paint some lamps, sand and paint an end table, had coushins made for chair, Mom made a quilt, and go pick up a dresser that we had painted...I think our list of projects reached it's limit.

Now we just needed little Rozlynn Faith to get here so we can snuggle her close!

Thank you Mom so much for all you are doing for me during this time. Not only by cleaning and helping me get things ready but keeping me sane by taking me to lunch and letting me get out of the house and enjoy some company. I would really be going crazy if I didn't have you helping me so much. I would  not have survived this pregnancy, mentally if you were not there for me. I love you so much and hope to be the same Mom to Rozlynn that you are to me.

You Are More

Love this song by Tenth Avenue North! Love this video too, especially the ending. We can all identify with something written on that board, we have all made choices that we regret, but "[we] are more than the choices that [we] make, [we] are more than the sum of our past mistakes, [we] are more than the problems [we] create, [we]'ve been remade!"

Thank you Father for remaking me, I am unworthy of your saving grace.

Please Read and Please Join in Prayer

Today I am asking if you read this post to please pray for a dear family in Martin's Mill who lost their husband/father/grandfather early this morning. This family has been such a blessing to many many people over many many years and I asking for prayers in their time of need. They have done countless things for me and my family personally. I pray they will be comforted and blessed in their time of need in the same way they have provided comfort and blessings for others.

Also, please pray for my hometown, Quitman, as they face a horrible tragedy. Losing a 15 year old girl and some still injured from an accident taking place yesterday afternoon. Please also remember the teachers and teacher driving the vehicle. Being a teacher I can't even begin to comprehend the emotions they are feeling. Pray for the families of those involved. Pray for the students. Please pray for the entire community.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Romans 8:26

I am thankful for the Spirit to intercede in times like these when we are unsure of words or the exact needs of those we love.

Thank you for taking a moment to pray, to ask the Spirit to intercede for you on behalf of this amazing family in Martin' s Mill and the community of Quitman.

Waffle Week

Since I am at home with nothing to do but sit and "rest" I watch a lot of TV, and I love watching Rachael Ray. This past was waffle week on Rachael Ray - finding  new ways to use your waffle iron. She did brownies, pizzas, sandwiches, all sorts of yummy things. You can find it on her website:

 http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/

When Chris and I were in Italy the food and wine were one of our favorite things! Okay, we probably didn't have a favorite thing because ever bit of Italy was amazing!! However, we savored and devoured many yummy things; the best places to eat were little pizza/sandwich shops on the street. Chris loved the calzones. Here is a photo of one from a restaurant in Rome...it just can't be duplicated!

Rachael Ray did a spin on the calzone in the waffle iron, the wazone, and it looked so good. Now, I did not have the ingredients on hand that she had, but I did have some left over meat, sauce, and cheese from homemade pizzas and a can of biscuits.

This is what ended up in my ever growing belly and it only took about 7 minutes in the waffle iron. It was pretty darn good!

Next time I will use pizza dough, ricotta cheese, basil, tomato, and mozzarella cheese but this was all I had on hand.

Experimenting with the waffle iron is really fun and just might become a new hobby of this pregnant lady!

My Little Man

I love my little man, Reese, so much! I asked him if he would be my date for Valentine's Day tonight (since Chris is at a game) and he was so happy that I asked. He has been wanting to have a picnic outside so bad, but the weather has not been cooperative. I asked if he wanted to do one tonight...he was THRILLED. We went to Wal-Mart for him to pick out our dinner. He chose, Bagel Bites because cooking anything else takes way too long, a pink cake that said love because he loved me, some heart shaped plates and napkins because it's Valentine's Day.

He found a red blanket and put it outside while we cooked the Bagel Bites in the microwave. Reese set the blanket with the plates, napkins, and forks while I brought out the cake. We used the "special black fancy" glasses to hold our Gatorade. Once it was all set we took some pictures of each other then ate our food. We talked about everything from when he is married one day to the shape of the clouds.

Then He wanted to "cling the glasses" but only soft because we didn't need to break them.

After the clinging we got into the cake. It was so good! Reese was trying so hard to be fancy while eating and drinking, "like you do on a date" of course!

Then he looked up at me, started laughing and went face first for the rest of the cake, left on the cake plate!

Man did he make me laugh, we laughed for about 5 minutes after that one!

I am so blessed to have him in my life. He has such a great heart and knows just how to make you feel loved.

"don't hurt my Jesus"

I have shared many stories about my favorite boy, Reese, with you but this one is probably one of my favorites. This particular story happened during the Christmas break but it has really stuck with me and seems to come to mind at least once a day. I spent sometime yesterday thinking about it and what I needed to learn from it...so here it is.

One morning Reese and I were playing around, wrestling and what not and I for some reason found myself with my elbow on his heart. The sweet innocent laughter came to a halt and Reese said, "Mommy stop you are hurting my Jesus!" He had a very serious look on his face and was being quite stern with me. I questioned, "your Jesus?" Reese answered (with a tone of "duh" mom) "Yes Mom, Jesus lives in my heart and that will hurt Him." I then scooped my little man up and gave him a big giant squeeze hug (these are our favorite - in fact Reese has been known to squeeze me so hard that he might toot - and you can never give just one) and many kisses. Of course, I quickly apologized for hurting his Jesus.

He again said this same thing one night at my Mom's house, aka Gammy. Katie's dear friend Amber was over visiting and Reese and Nathan had gone into WILD mode, they were putting on a show for, as Nathan called her, Timber. They were dancing, running, acting like animals, and wrestling. One of their favorite things is for Nathan to wrap Reese up in a big bear hug and tackle him to the ground. Nathan was doing this and landed on Reese's heart. "Nathan, stop it you are hurting my Jesus!" Everyone giggled at Reese's cute remark once I explained what he was meaning. Reese however did not find this funny!



A little picture of what these wrestling matches look like! This is from May 2010

Now Reese took it very literal that Jesus lived in his heart. He wants to protect Him, keep things from hurting Him. He has even got really upset at school because he told a classmate that Jesus lived in his heart and he said He didn't live in his heart. I've tried to explain that physically Jesus is not in his heart, but this a concept he hasn't exactly grasp yet. He knows he prays to Jesus and Jesus has helped him several times, and he knows he has a brother/sister who is with Jesus, but it is hard for him to understand how Jesus lives in his heart and does all these other things.
What if I had Reese's attitude, "don't do that, it will hurt my Jesus!" I am not meaning this in the literal way but figuratively. Why can't I go through the day trying to "protect" and not harm my Jesus? How many things do I say, do, or most often THINK that are hurting my Jesus? I love to see the faith of my child, it is so innocent and so pure. Reese makes loving Jesus and not hurting Him so simple. Why do I make it so hard? I'm going to try to be conscience of what I am doing and work hard not to, "hurt my Jesus!" Thank you Reese for teaching me how to better love my Jesus.

Reese, I love you more than you will ever know! I am so blessed and thankful that your Jesus shared you with me and I get the privilege of raising you. I pray that when the day comes you pick Jesus and I have done everything I could to help you get there. You are such an amazing boy with such a big heart. God has big plans for you Reese Austin Hightower!

Reese and I on Mother's Day 2010

STRESS

I have been really stressed out the past week and today seems to be more overwhelming that I want to let it be. I love Josh Wilson's music, his song "Before the Morning" has got me through many many rough days. This song, "Savior, Please" is one that really touches me when I am heavy with the weight of anxiety.

Please say a little prayer for me, my family. I'm not going to going into the details but I am trying really hard, "to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make [my] requests known to [my] Father." (Philippians 4:6) I'm trying hard to believe that once I do that, "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard [my] heart and mind in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

I am thankful for a Savior that will keep saving me when I am so unworthy. I am thankful that I have scripture to help me remember what matters and that God doesn't leave, even when times are hard.

I'm feeling better already. It's amazing what a little prayer, God's word, your family, and some music can do to your lift your spirits. Not to mention letting it all out instead of trying to keep it in and handle it myself.

Count your blessings today and thank your Savior for continuing to save you!