Monday Meanderings - 11/22/10

Well, we're home from Israel...home for a while, so it's back to the Meandering! This has been a glorious morning thus far! The sky is overcast, the weather is cool, the house is being cleaned, and the holidays begin this week! *happy sigh*


Bible Study... Mark

Memory Verse... Psalm 69:30
"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving."

Husband Encouragement...
* Make home comfortable and relaxing when he gets home from work
* Encourage him more
* Clean his closet

Train Them Up...
* Read another chapter of "To Train Up a Child" by Michael & Debi Pearl
* Try to read to baby Nathan every day.
* Settle on nursery idea
* Begin making lists of things I need

Personal Goals...
* Exercise every day this week
* Write in journals
* Work on book

New Habit of the Month...
* Clean bathrooms at least once a week

MUST Do...
* Go grocery shopping before Wednesday
* Make mac & cheese and mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving
* Call Joanie
* Finish ALL the laundry
* Clean out the green room and put suitcases away

Zone...  Inside the fridge

Menu
This menu plan is tentative, but I hope it works out. I'm so glad to be home and ready to start cooking again!

M - Chicken fettuchini, veggies
T - TBD
W - Chili or Tomato soup??
Th - THANKSGIVING!!
F - TBD
S - TBD
Su - TBD

FUN THINGS!
* Call up Sarah F
* Celebrate Thanksgiving Wednesday at hubby's work
* Watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday!!!!
* Get Christmas decoration out and up this week!!!!!

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. Cold, autumn days
2. Thanksgiving and the holiday spirit in the air!
3. Being home!
 

Scripture for the Week -- 11/21/10

Psalm 42:1
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."

Decorating Blues

I.......want......to.....decorate!

I am so ready for Christmas this year! The weather is perfect, the Christmas decorations are out in stores, Christmas commercials are on TV, and Christmas song have found their way into my vocal chords! If it were up to me, our house would have been decorated weeks ago, but my husband has this thing about "the day after Thanksgiving" being the time to decorate. BLEH!

Maybe I can organize a compromise: Decorations up now, and TREE up after Thanksgiving. Hmm.... think my chances are good?

It's a BOY!!!!

Yesterday, I had my third ultrasound. Exciting! I was so anxious to see our baby move....and boy, did we ever! We saw our baby jump, kick, swing arms, suck fingers....and I think toes! Then, the doctor told us the one bit of information Grant and I have been waiting to hear for 4 1/2 months.

"It's a boy!"

My first thought was, "Can life BE any more fulfilling?!" I wanted to cry but tears wouldn't come. I wanted to jump up and down, but my doctor wouldn't let me. I wanted to scream but was afraid I may terrify the other moms-to-be in the waiting room.

I came from a family of all girls. I'm the oldest of 6 daughters. Yeah, I have some boy cousins but I have only changed a handful of boy diapers in my day. But I am so anxious to have a little boy! On our way home, Grant and I began to talk of all the things we want him to be; all the things we would teach him. Grant said he would teach him to be God's man, to be a warrior, to be tough and rugged and boyish. He's going to teach him to play guitar and to hunt. He's going to send him climbing up a tree. I'm going to teach him to be a gentleman; A manly man with the heart of a servant. I'm going to teach him to sing, to be polite and full of manners, to cook what he kills, and to love his mommy! I cannot wait to meet this kid!

Many have asked if we have a name. The answer is, yes we do!

Nathan James Lee

Nathan is Grant's first name. Nathan is a Bible name of a great prophet of the Lord. The name in Hebrew means "Gift of God" and that, he most certainly is!

James is also a Bible name (also one of my favorite books in the Bible!). It is a good, strong, manly name. It is the name of my grandfather who is Heaven now, watching us run this race called life. The name in Hebrew means "Supplanter."

So, now we are waiting for April to get here! Praise God for granting us a son! As Luke 2:23b says, "...Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord."

It's a boy!!!!!!

Back from the Holy Land!

I'm HOME!!!

...back to the land of good food, clean air, cool weather, and my wonderful comfy bed.

How was Israel? AMAZING! I was so moved. Standing in the Holy Land....the land of the Bible....woooo! We saw Caphernaum, Bet Shan, Gideon's spring, Galilee, the Jordan river, the Dead sea, Ein Gedi, Jericho, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem....

But goodness, it is so good to be back home. It was quite hot there, in the middle east, so I am thrilled to be back home to Arkansas with cool, brisk air. Below are some *ahem* HIGHLIGHTS of the trip. I took well over 1,000 pictures, many of which are on my Facebook account (open to all, btw). But if you would rather get the "Reader's Digest" version, look below!

Standing in front of the Mediterranean Sea

The Sea of Galilee



Me and my Dad showing our "bumps" off! :)


Galilee

Standing in the ruins of Caphernaum

The Jordan river

The spring of Gideon

Scripture for the Week -- 11/14/10

Psalm 122:2
"Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem."

We're Leavin'.........

Yes, it's 3:30 a.m.

Yes, we are awake.

Why? Because we are LEAVIN'......on a jet plane.

...and headed to Israel, the land of our Savior.

Pray for safe travels and that our Lord, King, and Savior will be magnified and glorified. See you when we return!