A Whole Lotta Randomness

Wow, it’s been a LONG time since I made the effort to post on here.  It seems I’ve been saying something to that effect each time I finally drag myself back, but hey…it’s my blog and I can do what I want, right?  So if anybody out there (wherever there is) is even slightly interested, here’s some random updates:

Life :  Life has  been…um…a little crazy lately.  Well, crazy isn’t even the right word, but I don’t know how else to describe it.  Without going into details (those that need to know already know), the past month+ has probably been one of the most challenging times I’ve ever faced.  But you know what?  It was (and still is) probably the time of my life that I’ve seen God working SO CLEARLY.  There have been moments that have no other explanation than God’s divine plan for my life and the lives around me.   It’s like He has spun a miracle right around me.  Sorry if all that was vague, but just remember that God sovereignly uses EVERYTHING for His purposes.

Books:  Oh. My. Gosh.  I recently finished reading a series of books that totally BLEW MY MIND!!!!!  It was bittersweet at the end…I couldn’t wait to figure out how the books would end, but I was actually sad that they were done.  Now what?   The characters were just so real that I wanted to either be them, or at least be their friend!! haha.  And the strangest thing?  Even though I’m an avid reader, this series was totally not my usual preference for books.  I won’t keep you in suspense anymore…

 

It’s called The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers.  The books are set about 40-50 years after Jesus Christ rose from the dead – ancient Rome, slaves, gladiators…redemption, forgiveness, salvation… My simple words can’t even begin to describe the awesomeness!! (see, awesomeness shouldn’t even be allowed in the same blog post..haha)  Anyway, if you’re looking for a good read (or three) I can’t recommend these highlyenough.

Sales Pitch:  I’m selling my camera on Craigslist…anyone interested?  It’s still a great camera, I’m just wanting to upgrade before Lillian arrives. 

Funny Stuff:  The current series at church is all about humility.  Check out this video from The Meek Squad!!

Pregnancy:  Today I am 31 weeks, 2 days pregnant.  Whew!!  For the most part, I’m feeling pretty good,  just the standard fatigue of lugging around another person all the time :)  Or maybe that has to do with also chasing a 2-year old… In any case, I had a routine checkup today which went very well.  I had been concerned about my weight gain (at my previous appt, I had only gained a total of 8 lbs), but no worries.  I gained 6 lbs in the last three weeks!!!  Praise God for a good (healthy) appetite!  My belly is measuring exactly as it should (31cm for 31 weeks) and Lillian’s heartbeat was perfect.  At my last ultrasound, my fluid levels were completely normal, but just to be on the safe side, my doc ordered another ultrasound (aw, bummer! haha) to be sure.  So this coming Thursday, I get to see my baby girl again!!!!   Yes, I’ll post pictures. 

On Sunday the 13th, Mom, Jeanie (my mommy-in-law) and my awesome sister threw me a baby shower to celebrate Miss Lillian Grace.  If you haven’t already seen it on Katie’s blog, here’s a slideshow she put together of the pictures.  Isn’t she great??!!!  Click HERE to see the show.

Family:  Last week, Jeanie & Glenn came to visit from Ohio!!!!!!  They’re only able to make the trip once a year, so we’ve been anxiously awaiting their arrival.  Edwin knew that Mamaw Jeanie and Papaw Glenn were coming to see him (the names sound MUCH cuter when he says them) and he was super excited.  They arrived last Saturday and stayed for a week at Carolina Beach.  And to make things even more fun, Ed’s cousin Wavie (Glenn’s niece) and her man Ron made the trip as well.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take a single picture the whole time they were here.  But I know Jeanie took a ton, so it’s only a matter of time until she shares with me.   We had so much fun just spending quality time with Glenn and Jeanie – now if we could only convince them to move to NC!!!! 

The End:   I think I was going to add a few more updates, but now that I’m sitting at the computer, I can’t remember anything else!  So for now, I think that’s enough.