it's beginning to look alot like a nursery!

Hello friends! We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas. Gabe and I got some fun things and got to spend great time with some of our family. We received a video camera from my Dad and a new digital camera from my mom. They will both be awesome for when Isaiah gets here. I can't wait to start recording all his firsts.

We just got finished with putting Isaiah's crib together and the room is really starting to come together. We are hoping to pick up the furniture for his room some time next week.









Isaiah also got his first "car" from my mom and step dad. They said they just couldn't pass it up. He is going to be the coolest kid around :) He isn't even born yet and has a cooler car then his mom and dad.
That is all for now. We hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

ramblings of a pregnant girl....

Hey all! Thanks for the comments on the nursery. Do you know that when I told Gabe we had 3 comments he said, " wow I thought no one cared!" So see your comments mean a lot to us. So keep them coming-maybe one time we will even hit 5 comments. haha

I have been meaning to put some pics up from when we went back to Virginia to see Gabe's parents and I just keep forgetting. I have noticed lately that I am very very forgetful. If you look in my phone right now I have about 25 reminders set for just random things. I sure hope this forgetfulness goes away when Isaiah arrives! Back to the pictures-I figured I would put these up while I was thinking about it.....




Also, here is the artwork that my good friend Tracey helped (well she pretty much did it for me but I helped some ) me with for Isaiah's room. I had seen this idea on the internet and figured it looked easy enough. And if you have a creative friend like me then its pretty easy :) Thanks Tracey!


And here are just some random pictures recently taken when we were in Branson with my family for after Thanksgiving shopping...




Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!!! And today I am 30 weeks pregnant....doesn't it seem that 2008 just started. I cannot get over how fast this year is flying by.

aww completion...

Okay so the nursery is finally painted! My grandpa got pretty sick last weekend so we postponed the painting. I know it has been over a week that you have been waiting in suspense...( well maybe not but let me believe that) so here it is......

Gabe and my Grandpa starting the base coat.....




The walls in progress with the tape up still...


The finished project.....




I just love it. It was definitely harder then I thought to do the stripe but so worth it. Gabe and I realized this was the first real do it yourself project we have done together and Gabe informed me tonight it was our last!! haha We had a long night last night when measuring and taping off for the stripe. But we hung in there and we couldn't be happier with the results.

Thanks again Grandpa for all your hard work. You are a pro! I can't wait for Isaiah to grow up in a room that was painted by people who love him.

time for the razzle dazzle

That is my way of saying we are painting the nursery tomorrow! I am so excited to finally get it done. As my mom tells me-I am not good at the patience thing-I like to plan and then I like it to be done. I don't like the actual doing part! haha

I am one of those people that have REALLY good ideas when it comes to being creative but the finished product is not always what I pictured. I just think that sometimes my ideas are too big for my low level of handiness ....yes I made that word up.

So tomorrow pray for us :) I have changed the stripe plan up (from the previous post) to better match up with our skill level. We thought about having someone come in and do the stripes for us but thats no fun. I want to be able to say, "Isaiah-mommy, daddy and other friends and family worked so hard on getting this room together for you." Can't really do that if i have someone else do it-plus to be honest paying for a painter is not where I want to spend our money. I would rather gets lots of razzle dazzle for his room. I am notorious for only spending money on bargains. If I can't get it on sale then most likely I won't get it. From the research I have done painters don't have sales. I mean come on-they need to get with the program!
SO tomorrow my grandpa is heading over to help lead the charge. He is the only one that has any kind of true painting experience (I don't really count my painting my room bright aqua experience considering I had my mom do most of it) so I label him Boss man tomorrow. I will be sure and take before and after pictures.

Heres to hoping it looks as good as it does in my mind. Oh and I am working on some fun art projects for the walls . Again-pray these look as good as I am hoping!

Christmastime is Here... just not the tree.

I got to see Isaiah's face last week! Well, kind of. I got to see his face on the ultrasound image. It was pretty wild, though. Saw his foreheard, nose, and chin. I thought to myself, "Man! That jaw's gonna look great with a cowl! The Batsuit will fit perfectly!"

Kara is in her 28th week of pregnancy and feeling great. We cannot believe that we are so close to Isaiah's arrival. Little by little we are getting things around the house done. Tonight we cleared the guest furniture out and it is now ready for paint. Here is what Kara has decided on for the general idea for Isaiah's room:


Ours will be with gray walls, black, white then large green stripe. We will be sure and post pictures after we paint this weekend.

We decided not to put a tree up this year. I know, I know... you're thinking, "Gabe? Not getting a Christmas tree?" Listen, I am the soul of Christmas. I've been listening to Christmas music since mid-August. I can't get enough of it. I wear red and green pajamas. I sleep in a Santa hat. Okay, those last two things aren't true... but they were at one time. I used to sleep under the Christmas tree so I could smell the pine. I even strung Christmas lights all around my room, disregarding the tackiness, because I couldn't have a tree in there. My favorite Christmas song is "Carol of the Bells" and I have 5 versions on my iPod: the Carpenters, the TransSiberian Orchestra, Mannheim Steamroller, Gary Hoey, and David Foster. So yeah... no Christmas tree is a big step for me.

Kara didn't feel like she'd have the energy to take down the tree and all the trimmings. What goes up must come down, you know. But we did put up some candy canes up and down the driveway. We also put up a "Ho! Ho! Ho!" Santa sign in the yard. And we put a wreath on the door and on the lanterns outside above the garage door.

You know, I would put up Christmas lights... but there's just one problem. I don't do heights. You should have seen me two Christmases ago. A buddy of mine was on the ladder feeding me the lights while I stapled them to the roof. Most people feel comfortable enough to stand or at least kneel on a one-story roof. Me? I was clinging to it like a spider, holding on for dear life. So no Christmas lights this year. But never fear... they shine brightly in my heart.

Additionally, there's a list of movies I just HAVE to watch: Home Alone, A Charlie Brown Christmas, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and A Christmas Story. Also, around the holidays I informed Kara our first year of marriage that I MUST have chocolate chip cookies on hand at all times.

What Christmas movies do you like to watch?Are there any traditions that you have to take part in? Leave a comment and let us know!

A little this and a little that...

Hey friends! Sorry we have been doing so poorly in keeping up with the blog. It just seems we have been going 100 miles an hour lately. Gabe has told me that he is going to do a catch up blog soon-so we will see.

I have 3 months left before little Isaiah gets here and I cannot believe how fast time has flown. His crib came in, we ordered the rest of his furniture and we will be painting the nursery next Saturday. I feel like once we get this stuff done we will be more prepared for his arrival. The other day Gabe and I were talking and we were just both in awe that in 3 months we will have a baby Harris. So amazing! Gabe has begun to be able to feel Isaiah kick and it just makes me smile every time he kicks for his daddy. He has begun to kick really hard and I can't imagine what is to come. He is constantly on the go in my belly-he never really sits that still for very long. I have a feeling this is only a precursor to what is to come with our little man.

I am feeling great and can't believe I will be in my third trimester in the next few weeks. At my appointment coming up on Wednesday I will be doing the glucose test and then I will begin going once every 2 weeks! I swear it seems like I just found out I was pregnant.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (Isaiah was very still after that meal-I think the Triptapan (?) in the turkey really got to him) and I am so thankful for all of you. Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement as we embark on this journey!

Over the river and throught the woods..

I know, I know we have not blogged in FOREVER! Sorry! We are in Virginia this week visiting Gabe's parents. We are having a great time of just catching up and hanging around the house together. I will update when we get back and post some pictures.
Until next time....

Better than MTV Cribs!

Hey all!

Sorry it has been so long since we have checked in. We have been busy trying to get baby boy Harris's nursery together. First things first...we have decided on a name for our little bundle. Our son will be named Isaiah Caden. Gabe has always loved this name and we tried many other names out, but they just never quite fit. We thought long and hard about this decision and we just knew this was his name. We love the meaning--

Isaiah- means salvation of God
Caden- fighter/companion

We have been busy with nursery preparations. I returned the girl bedding and picked out my fabric for a crib set. My stepmom will be making this for me because I could not find anything pre-made that I just loved. My colors are black, white and green. I am so excited to see how the bedding looks when it is finished. I am going for a very modern and clean look.

We went crib shopping yesterday and ordered our bed. My grandpa and grandma L. bought it for us and it was such a blessing. It was so much fun to go crib shopping with my mom and grandma (along with Gabe :) ). Here is a picture of the crib we ended up getting (please excuse the pink bedding they had in it) :


It should arrive within the next few weeks. I just love the simplicity of it. We will be getting black furniture to go along with the crib. I can't wait to see the finished product!

Oh and Baby Isaiah has been letting his mommy know that he likes to be awake at night. I will lay down for bed and that is when he starts moving all around. The first time I ever felt him I was lying on my stomach for just a few seconds and he did not like that! I think he was feeling squished and he began rolling around (or that is what it felt like) until I turned over. It was so exciting to feel. He is going to be a night owl I can already tell.

Just our quick update on how things are around the Harris home. We hope that everyone is doing well.

Pack Up Your Things... We're Going Camping!

Hello all! So as you saw below, we are going to have a son. Sorry the post was not long--I was in a state of shock. Happy shock of course, but very very shocked. The first thing out of my mouth was, "Umm... that's a penis!" My doctor just laughed and said, "Yes you are definitely having a boy, not a girl." He looked at Gabe, who was just as shocked, and all my husband could get out was "Wow, I wasn't expecting that." I think the doctor thought he was going to have to pick our jaws off the ground. It was an appointment I will remember for the rest of my life. Now that the shock has begun to wear off, I am so pumped to have a little momma's boy (instead of a "daddy's girl").

Now on to the camping trip. Gabe and I packed up and headed out on Friday evening for a weekend full of good food and lots of relaxation. Growing up, my dad used to take us camping all the time. We were that group you always laughed at because we truly had everything and a kitchen sink next to our tent city. My dad was a die-hard Boy Scout growing up, so he knows all the tricks. Seriously, my sister's husband was talking about when he went camping growing up they either had to eat Vienna sausages out of the can or catch something to eat. Growing up I just thought camping meant good food. My dad and his friends used to make the best food ever whenever we went camping. This weekend was no different. This pregnant girl (and her ever-hungry husband) had some yummy food: wild duck and boar kabobs, massive breakfasts (biscuits, gravy, eggs, bacon, sausage), drip beef sandwiches, and enchiladas. I will admit, this time we stayed in a cabin. No tents this time. But it brought back so many memories because we had stayed at this lodge many times before but not in at least 10 years.

So we got there on Friday night and just hung out by the fire with some of my dad's friends I have not seen in years. We all slept in bunk beds and everyone was laughing because I had my bed made perfectly within the first 15 minutes. Seriously, I went to camps so often growing up and this is what I always did first. I made mine and Gabe's bed (we were in bunks) and then headed over and straightened my sister's out some--it was not as perfect as I wanted it to be. :)

Saturday morning we decided it would be fun to go on a 6.3-mile hike. It was horrible! Not because it was 6 miles but because it was so overgrown and muddy that I was slipping and sliding everywhere. This was no "wow check out the scenery" type hike. We looked at our feet the whole time to keep from falling! My hands were clinging to Gabe's back so I wouldn't fall. About 30 minutes in, my Dad even came back and walked behind me so he could hold one of my arms while Gabe had the other. Luckily, about an hour and a half in, there was a place where we crossed the road and a few of us called it quits. We had someone from our camp come pick us up. We had only hiked a mile and a half! I just couldn't stop thinking: "I can't fall and hurt the baby. Watch where you put your feet Kara. Don't slip and fall..." So I decided me and the baby needed to head back. Gabe (the hardcore fitness dude) and some of the others decided to finish the trail.

The rest of the afternoon was spend reading and hanging with my sister and her husband while we waited for the brave ones to return from the hike. Gabe and four others finished the hike and we saw them about 4 hours later. They said the entire hike was as hard as the beginning was. Glad me and baby boy called it quits.

We got home Sunday and planned to start doing this yearly. It was such a nice time of just hanging with the family. We were laughing because next year if we do it, I will have a lot more to bring along. Just think: if we go next year at this time, I will have an 8-month old baby boy! So exciting! I know his grandpa is going to teach him all about camping.

Following are some pictures from this weekend. *Disclaimer* these were all taken while camping....that means all natural...NO MAKEUP! yikes!

*Keith cleaning up the cabin*

*Gabe and my sister Kim loving the outdoors*

*ha-Gabe being Gabe :)*

* Keith and Kim*

*my cute hubby*

*Dad and his girls!*

I am now working on my little boy's nursery. So in posts to come I will let you in on what I am thinking. Stay tuned...

well just see the pic below

No words for this one......
So to the 4 of u that voted boy-u should head to Vegas! :) We are so shocked right now...I think it will take a few days to process. Baby Boy is very healthy and looking good. I can't believe I am having a little boy! You know why Gabe is excited....he says now Batman stuff is applicable! haha

I know, I know

We are falling behind with this blogging thing! Sorry!

Ok, so this is going to be short because currently I am sitting in a hotel room getting ready to go to breakfast. You are probably thinking "o sweet Gabe took Kara for a little time away..." but not the case this time. We are having one of our staff retreats for church and we always do a Friday-Saturday thing. Dinner last night was awesome and we are really getting alot of stuff accomplished.

I just wanted to check in and say that we are still around just had a busy week. Wednesday I went to my doctors appointment only to realize it is NEXT week. haha Pregnancy brain is in full effect-more on this story later.

Also, last night I had my first dream about Olivia. It was so neat. I remember staring directly in her face and trying to figure out who she looked more like. She was such a neat combination of Gabe and I. But she was BEAUTIFUL! Now I know this was just a dream but I think God lets you see little bits to help with patience. :) That face alone in that dream makes me want to work extra hard to get her nursery together. Here is the bedding I ordered...

http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6E.aspx?DeptID=62438&CatID=62729&GrpTyp=ENS&ItemID=1332862&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CmCatId=62438626446264562729


what do u think? Anyone who knows me knows I love a sale. When I saw this and I loved it AND it was on sale-whoa that did it for me! haha

Ok must get ready now but I will be back later with more ideas for the nursery-don't get too excited!!

"You Have Stolen My Heart"... and Other Mushy-ness

Kara and I just finished watching "Made of Honor" with Patrick Dempsey. Cute movie, especially if you're married. The main character in the movie, Tom (Dempsey's character), doesn't realize how important his best friend is to him until she decides to get married. He spends the the last half of the movie trying to win her back. Does he? Well you'll have to see it for yourself.

I love that Dashboard Confessional song at the end, "Stolen." It makes me think about Kara. Have you heard it? Well you can click here to watch the music video if you haven't. It's been around for a while, but it was the first time I heard it and I loved it!


Anyway, the movie made me SO glad that I married my best friend. Kara knows me better than anybody and I can't live without her. She's absolutely beautiful--inside and out--and I'm so glad she said "Yes!" to marrying me.

I also want to give a shout out to my parents. Dad, I learned how to love Kara by watching the way you loved Mom. You never yelled at her, raised your hand against her, or did anything that made me doubt your love for her. You always told me: "The best thing you can do for your children is to love your wife." Well, I agree. That was the best thing you ever did for me. You guys are truly best friends. You still hold hands and laugh like high schoolers, and I think it's awesome. (For those of you who didn't know, Mom and Dad just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. That's a miracle in this country.)



Mom, I always looked for your qualities in the woman I wanted to marry. You always knew how to make us feel loved and cared for, and you always went the extra mile to give me little things I wanted. They weren't expensive things, but they made me fee really special. Remember when you'd bring home those toy Transformers and baseball cards? Or that Glenn Miller CD? Weird things I know, but I think I still have most of them. You are a legendary mother. When I see Kara holding children... whenever we talk about Olivia Grace... I see you in her. Thank you for setting the bar.

Mom and Dad, you guys are godly parents. Not perfect, but godly. And you just get better with age. Dad, you're so much more fun now that you've discovered the Xbox 360. Mom, thanks for passing on life lessons to me... like financial stewardship (we love Dave Ramsey, don't we?), parenting advice, and your constant reminders to slow down and enjoy life before it passes you by. I love you guys, and because you've loved me so well, I know how to love Kara, Olivia, and other children to come.

Well, enough mushy-ness for now. Quick, Batman, do something manly! Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh (ripping my chest hair out... the little I have)!!!!!!

Drumroll Please.....

So here's the news you have all been waiting for! I know you've been staring at your computer with baited breath, hoping for an update. (Okay, maybe not.) We are having...



A BAT-GIRL!!! That is what Gabe likes to call her. Of course, I don't think she is going to have blonde hair and that light of skin but you get the idea. Our Batgirl will have a nice little mocha tan year round.

We went to the doctor yesterday and our little girl was being so modest, as any good girl should be, so it took a while for the doctor to give us the verdict. He is 80-90% sure that it is a girl. He doesn't want to give us a 100% until we go back and get what my stepdad likes to call the "money shot." (Ha ha!) The doctor said that yes, there is still a small chance it is a boy and if Batgirl ends up being a little Batman, we will be just as thrilled. So we're not painting any rooms pink just yet.

My doctor is amazing and really spent time looking at the baby on the ultrasound. When he first walked in, I grabbed his hand and told him word for word that "it was imperative to know today what we were having because I have to put it on my blog." He just laughed!

It was amazing because not only did we get to find out the gender, but the pictures on the screen were so vivid. We saw her spinal cord, her brain, her arms and legs, eye sockets....EVERYTHING! It was amazing. The doctor told us that she looks perfect. I loved everything about yesterday and today it's weird how much more connected I feel to her now that I can call our baby a "her" rather then "it." I have been talking to her all day and just cannot stop day dreaming about her.

Below are some pics from the doctors appointment:

Gabe, my mom, and my sister were there with me and we had to get some pictures to remember the day.


And then the last one is with my nurse, "L" (won't say her full name for privacy reasons) who I love! L, if you are reading this, thanks for helping me through the first 3 months with the headaches. I think I talked to you more some days then I did my own family. God bless you for the work you do and the great attitude you have every time I see you or talk to you.



Next time I will get a picture of my doctor on here, but when he was in the room another little girl stole the show. Also, as I was telling my doctor about the importance of my blogging he informed if I bring in a disc he can copy all sorts of ultra sound pictures from the machine, so I can share them with you all.

Ta-ta for now, blog fans. Looks like your vote was right! Don't forget to leave a comment!

U got a 50/50 chance!

Hey all! So we find out of Wednesday afternoon if we have a mister or miss Jelly Bean. I have had several people tell me, "I think your having a..." and it's been split down the middle pretty much. So I thought it would be fun to have a poll for all of my 2 readers :) haha I think I have more then that (or so I tell myself) but who knows. But listen, with this one you can remain anonymous and u don't have to come up with anything to say. Just click on the poll above next to boy or girl and click vote.

Oh and for all you fashion people:
Do you still apply the no white after Labor day thing? Today I totally wore white leggings with a blue dress and some white shoes. So was I a total fashion faux pas?

The Baby Prophet and the Secret of Abiding

Well what's up guys?! It's been a while since I've written on here, so I'll give you a quick update "Gabe style": the baby prophet's gender will be determined at our doctor's appointment this Wednesday, so we'll let you know when we know. Kara's headaches have been--although not absent--much less frequent. She seems to have more energy. Praise God for the second trimester!

I have been fired up by this book I've been reading by Andrew Murray called "Abiding in Christ." He talks about how many Christians are trapped between two cyclical sins: not having the power to conquer sin, and not having the faith in Jesus to keep them from it. One feeds the other. Christians live in a constant cycle of defeat, drifting further and further away from the One who said "Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Murray poses an interesting question: If we have the faith to come to Jesus and be forgiven of sin, why do we lack the faith He asks to "Abide in me"? Does a weary traveler expend much energy to take a much-needed respite on a hotel bed? Does an infant work really hard to be held in its mother's arms? This is the secret of abiding... and here's the bottom line: living 24/7 for Jesus is simpler than you think. It's a simple surrender that says, "Savior, I abide in you."

I have to tell you that my life is changing before my very eyes. I've learned this about my own desperate need to abide: even if I prayed 10 hours a day, I still need major help for the other 14! This is where abiding comes in, and since I have been praying this way and meditating on Jesus' words in Matthew 11 and John 15, I have been kept from simple temptations that otherwise would trip me up--particularly in my thought life. I recently had the opportunity to be selfish and get angry at someone for irritating me. But as I took some time out and literally prayed, "Jesus, I'm trying to abide here, and I need some major help!", my attitude completely changed.

Now I didn't do so well with a similar temptation yesterday. But I quickly repented to that person and asked forgiveness. See? The less work I do, the better it gets. Jesus is awesome.

"Are you thirsty?"

Hello all! So tomorrow I am 13 weeks along and it is amazing how much better I feel now that the first trimester is over. People kept telling me that I would start to feel like me again once I got through the first 12 weeks. Let me tell you...they were SO right! I am starting to get my energy back and just generally feeling a lot better.

Today Gabe and I went to the grocery store (which I have not done in a while) and about halfway through my shopping, I looked into our basket and started laughing at myself. I am not exaggerating when I tell you I had at least 10 different kinds of beverages. I think I grabbed about 6 kinds of juice alone! I thought to myself, "I wonder how long it will take for Gabe to make a comment about this." So, Gabe comes along after he was on another aisle picking out his cereal. (Because I never know what he wants in this department, he picks it out. I swear every time we go, he gets a different kind..very unpredictable, but back to what I was saying...) He walks up, drops the cereal in the cart, and just stares. He looks at me and says ever so nicely, "Ummm, honey are we getting any food? All we have is some fruit and then every kind of drink this place offers." I just laughed and explained to him how yummy they all looked. He just laughed and we continued on, but I think I may be banned from grocery shopping here soon!

This weekend we are taking a little mini vacation down to Dallas, TX for Labor Day weekend. We have no plans at all except to hang out at the pool. We decided we better do this while we can, because soon this will not be so easy.

I hope everyone is doing well. I get several comments about how much you like reading the blog but no one ever comments on here. Come on people! Little Jelly Bean is going to think no one wanted to read about him/her because no one ever commented. Okay maybe he/she won't care but I just thought maybe that would encourage you to LEAVE A COMMENT! :)

P.S. I know I said I would post our last ultra sound picture but really you cannot see anything at all because Jelly Bean was moving so much. Let's wait until next month so you can see more than just the head and a blur!

"Did you swallow an iPod?"

Hello everyone, Kara here. Thanks for all the prayers... my headaches are definitely getting better. My doctor said he thinks they should be gone by the end of the first trimester, which (unbelievably) is in 1 week! I can't believe I will be 12 weeks along next Wednesday.

We went in and got to see "Jelly Bean" on Wednesday (August 13th), and this baby is already a character. It would not even sit still for a picture. We were able to get another look at it and it was just dancing around. My doctor was laughing and asked me what kind of music I had on the iPod I swallowed! Heart rate this time was around 170 and Jelly Bean was having a great time in there. It was amazing to me that you can already see its legs and arms so perfectly. It was so nice to be able to see and hear him/her in there. I think all my headaches had made me start to think, "Is this normal? Is the baby okay?" But once I saw the picture on screen and heard the heartbeat, it was like he/she was saying, "Mom I am having a great time in here-don't worry about me!"

I will be going back in 4 more weeks and my doctor said he will start looking to determine the gender. It may be this time we find out, but if not, then definitely the next time. I can't believe that I could know what we are having in a little less than a month. Gabe and I would be truly happy with either a boy or girl as long as it's healthy. Still thinking though names but we are pretty excited about a few. I think once we know we will really start narrowing it down. I will keep you posted.

I will try and get a good picture of the sonogram or maybe I can scan it and get it uploaded. But like I said, it is not the best picture because of the dancing!

Who's talking NOW, bay-bay?!?!

I screamed.

The US men's swim team came from behind to beat France in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay. The anchor swimmer, Jason Lezak, was about half a body length behind Bernard (France's swiftest swimmer), and in the closing seconds of the race, he turned it up and finished first! Oh yeah... and he smashed a world record too by finishing his leg in 46 seconds flat. It was one of the most amazing moments in sports I have ever witnessed. I actually jumped out of bed and pumped my fist in the air. My favorite part? Michael Phelps' reaction. The French were talking smack for weeks, saying they were going to "smash the Americans." Yeah? YEAH? Well, who's talking now, bay-bay?! Check it out:


Well hello there. Gabe here... otherwise known as "Daddy." Sorry it's been a while since our last post... Kara hasn't been feeling well. In addition to the unusual fatigue, she's been stricken with migraines every night for the past week and a half. About 1 or 2am, she wakes up to take her migraine medication and put a cold rag over her eyes. I have never had a migraine, but Kara tells me that the entire right side of her face throbs in pain, that it feels like somebody punched her in the eye. The slightest noise or light makes the pain even worse. The headaches are absolutely crippling, and all she can take is Tylenol. Thankfully, her doctor has also called in a pain medicine that is safe for her and the baby. Please keep her in your prayers. We know God is able!

Guess what I did on Friday night while Kara was out of town visiting her grandmother? I played G.R.A.W. (Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter) on my Xbox360 until my mind was numb... it was great! Yeah, I know it's about 2 years old but it's still fun. I am currently putting down an insurrection in Mexico City, and I will re-enter the fray this weekend sometime. Don't worry... I'll be sure to train my son or daughter in the finer arts of tactical warfare.


I'm also going to see "The Dark Knight" again with my father-in-law tomorrow afternoon. His name is Dan and he says he will go by "Dan-pappy" instead of Grandpa after the baby is born. Why? That's Dan. And I'm Batman. I always see my movies twice. In the IMAX. By the way, if you're not funding our $440 million-plus drive to record-breaking box office standings, then you need to join in the fun. Won't you help? Won't you buy a ticket for your friend Batman so we can dethrone that sissy Titanic movie? Click here to act now. The Batman thanks you.

Speaking of Batman, I got a new Dark Knight toy last night for my birthday! Some friends bought me the Stealth Launch Dark Knight Batmobile Tumbler! And yes, I put it together right away and played with it. It scares Adrian (our weiner dog) to death when the Batpod launches from the Batmobile. Here it is:
On another note... You know what shocks me? Our country's political hypocrisy. People scream all the time how politicians' private lives don't matter, and then these SAME people get all bent out of shape when John Edwards betrays his cancer-stricken wife by sleeping with a member of his political campaign and then lying about it to the public. What's the big deal? It's just a marriage. (Pardon the sarcasm.) If you're going to be a reprobate and excuse reprobate lifestyles, then at least be consistent.

People always go on and on about how Christians aren't "tolerant." Everyone's intolerant... just on different terms. For example, someone who's very passionate about minimizing eco-footprints would not be very appreciative if I left the engine running in our SUV all day, for no reason other than to hear the sound of the motor and to burn gas. They would ask me, "Don't you care about our environment, about conserving natural resources and keeping the atmosphere clean?" To that I would say, "Well if you were tolerant you would leave me alone!"

The same is true about people's moral code, which seems to shift whenever it's convenient. Don't make light of family values, and then scream betrayal when somebody violates one. I heard on NBC News last night that John Edwards thinks his political career is over. Pretty odd for a nation that claims it doesn't care about personal morality.

Well that does it for now. In the words of the eloquent Ron Burgundy: Stay classy, San Diego. And leave a comment.

Wedding fun...

So all the wedding festivities are over and truth be told I am a little sad :( I am so excited for Megan and Luke though and am so excited for this new chapter in their lives.

Friday afternoon I went and got my toes and nails done with Megan and her family then ran around and did some errands with them. That night at 6 pm was the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner followed. Luke's parents were in charge of the rehearsal dinner and it was yummy. We went over to Famous Dave's barbecue and it was such a good time of just hanging out.

I spent the night at Meg's house after the dinner and got a chance to truly act like teenage girls again. We stayed up late, looked at all her honeymoon clothes, watched my wedding video, looked at all pictures and just laughed. I think I went to bed around 4 am and then woke up at 6:40 because of course being pregnant the baby likes to put enormous pressure on your bladder at all the wrong times! I could not go back to sleep so my day began after only 3 hrs of sleep. We all got ready at her house and her 2 friends came and did our hair and makeup. I was so glad that Megan really got to enjoy her day and God really helped to calm her down. We got ready until about 1 pm then we headed to the church. Pictures began at 2 and then the wedding was at 4. Let me just say that Megan was one of the prettiest brides I have ever seen. It was a big joke among some of the bridesmaids and myself that I am just not a cryer. I seriously never cry at the normal things. I cry at the most random things and even then it is more like just tearing up and then the moment is over. BUT before the ceremony Megan and Luke had their first look of each other by themselves (well plus the photographer) and I kinda peeked and when I saw the look on her face I could not help but tear up. To see the happiness on her face just made me so happy for her. I think that is what made her so gorgeous on that day was the love that they share together.

During the ceremony the Pastor was talking about how true love is when you make the the other person want to be a better person. I began to think about my marriage and just how truly blessed I am. For the last 6 years (2 dating and then 4 married) Gabe has always challenged me to be a better person..not by words but by how he lives his life. I love that about our marriage. I was up on stage but I wanted to run down the aisle and just sit by him and hold his hand as the pastor spoke about love and the covenant of marriage. Our marriage is definetly not perfect but I know at the end of the day we are truly and deeply in love with each other because of Christ's lvoe for us. God has been so good to us.

Megan and Luke are now in Mexico on their honeymoon and one of the bridesmaid heard from her. Not because she wanted to let everyone know she made it there safe but because she wanted to know if it was ok to shower! I swear that girl never changes! She is hillarious!

So today thank God to those who love you and remember your wedding and exactly how you felt when you saw your husband or wife for the first time.

Here comes the bride...

So this weekend one of my best friends is getting married! I have known Megan since I was in the 8th grade and we have been pretty much inseparable ever since-well except for that one year that we argued and we to this day can't remember why...oh the minds of teenagers. :)


I am one of the bridesmaids and that is such an honor. I am not a serial bridesmaid...I was definetly not the "always a bridesmaid never a bride." I was actually a bride before I was ever a bridesmaid. Megan was my maid of honor so it is so nice to be standing up there with her and being there for her as she was for me over 4 years ago. Tomorrow is the rehearsal dinner and during the day we are going to get our pedicures.

On Saturday she will be marrying Luke and I couldn't think of a better fit for her. I don't know Luke all that well (at least not as much as I would like) due to us living in different cities, but I see how happy he makes her and that gets him my stamp of approval. It is going to be a beautiful wedding and I am so excited to see her all dressed in her wedding attire-she is going to be a gorgeous bride.

As I have been talking to her through this whole planning process it has reminded me of my wedding. It is hard to believe that over 4 years ago I walked down the aisle and became Gabe's wife. It has truly been the best 4 years of my life and now to know we are about to embark on a new chapter in our journey together is just reminds me how good God is. I am definitely pulling out my wedding video to watch this weekend. It's funny because even though I have watched it a few times I always get those butterflies in my stomach and just giddy every time the video starts. I know a lot of people are stressed on their wedding day but it was such an amazing day for me. I think I just knew there was nothing I could do to fix any last minute problems so I just enjoyed the day. I pray that Megan would truly enjoy this day because it is over before you know it and its just not worth it to stress all day.

What were your wedding days like? Were there any last minute fiascoes? Any funny stories? (as you can tell I am asking questions because I want you people to comment!) :)

I will post pics of the wedding hopefully later this week!

Happy Birthday to Us!

Hey fellow readers. Sorry it has been a while since the last update. We have had a busy last few days. Last Friday (July 11th) was my birthday (Kara) and then July 15th was Gabe's.
Gabe surprised me on Thursday night at my dear friend's house with a party. It was so much fun and I was so proud of Gabe--he organized it all. Just reminded me what a great husband I have.

For Gabe's birthday I took him to dinner but his real party will be on Saturday when he and his friends will head to see "The Dark Knight" in the IMAX. They are all pretty pumped! I asked Gabe what kind of cake he wanted, thinking he'd want Reasor's to make a Batman cake, but he informed me he wants a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I'm not much of a baker, so please pray for me! (Last time I made Gabe a cake like this, we were dating, and let's just say by the time it got to Gabe, all the frosting was no longer on the cake. Nice guy still ate it though.)

So on to the real news....we got to hear the baby's heartbeat! It was the most amazing thing I have ever heard. My doctor was so good about just letting us listen. Gabe just kept saying "Wow, oh wow." It was so cute. I just sat and stared at the screen. To see how much the little thing has grown in 2 weeks just amazes me. We got a final due date...drum roll please......March 3, 2009! It is so fun to have a due date. This puts me at 7 weeks and 1 day pregnant. I am halfway through my first trimester. That is just crazy. I am feeling great. I am tired and have a had a few nauseous moments but so far nothing too bad...can you say thank you Jesus! Below is our baby's first picture. Not his/her best side! :) Just look at it and imagine what a good looking baby it is! Just think as the months go on it will be more then just a blob on the screen! But seriously look how much its grown since last time.



Oh and I finally got my rule book "What to Expect When Expecting" from my doctor. It is funny because I really do not like rules and regulations in everyday life. I am more "fly by the seat of your pants" but I could not wait for this book. I never realized how many do's and don'ts there are to being pregnant. So this new book has become my new best friend.

Other than that, Gabe has started his new job and let me just say-GOD BLEW US AWAY! We knew that God was calling Gabe to a new career but we just had no idea where to look. Gabe looked for 3 solid months and was very frustrated because nothing opened up. We prayed a simple prayer: that God would open the right doors and close the wrong ones. God did exactly that and we are so grateful. God is such a good God and for anyone who is waiting on God to open doors for you--just keep waiting and praying and I promise He will not disappoint!

We go back in 4 weeks and I can't even imagine how much the little jelly bean (my sis and I decided this was the baby's new nickname) will have grown!

The Dark Knight is Coming!

Baby meets Batman. Gives me great inspiration on how to dress my kid. We are going to LOVE Toys 'R Us!

So, I already bought tickets to the IMAX showing of The Dark Knight next weekend. A full 10 days in advance. Who DOES that? Batman, I tell you!

So by now, you've probably figured out I'm a Batman nut. How did this begin, you ask? Ah, let me share with you how Batman began...

In 8th grade, my brother somehow met a man who lived in our neighborhood named Jack Burnley. Jack was the Superman/Batman artist for DC Comics from 1939-1945 (approximately). He had every Batman comic book you can imagine, especially from the Golden Age. Heck, he drew them! Mr. Burnley has since passed on, but not before he gave me 2 autographed color prints of both Superman and Batman. So, in those days, I immersed myself in the life of the Dark Knight. (Nobody's found me since.) I read Batman comics, drew Batman pictures, and listened to Batman audio dramas. I collected any and all Batman-related memorabilia. I still have some of that stuff.

So, when you hear me talking about the Batcave, the Batmobile, Batpod, or any of that stuff, you've gotta know I'm only kidding. Or am I? Could I have somehow assumed the mantle of the bat and continued to fight crime? Well, you sleep safely at night don't you? You tell me.

"Out of the darkness... comes the Knight."

this girl did too much...

So, as I stated in the prior post, we had a lot of fun things going on for the 4th of July. We went to Big Splash all day on Friday and then went to some friends' house and showered and then headed out to watch fireworks. It was a great day to hang out with friends and think about how blessed we are. As I was sitting watching the fireworks, I began to think how different my life will be next July 4th. We will have a 4-month old baby and may or may not get to watch a firework show...so unreal!

Malachi and Matt standing in line to Rock Climb
Malachi made it all the way to the top!

Me and Issie (pronounced "EYE-zee") hanging out waiting for the fireworks show.

Saturday morning, we woke up early and headed to the lake. Gabe and I were both very tired and Gabe did not want to get up, but as I was looking for some beach towels to take I found our Batman beach towel. I think I must have gotten this somehow from Jessica last summer (she has 3 boys who all love superheroes thanks to Gabe) and so with my newfound towel I entered the bedroom where Gabe was still in bed. I said (no joke), "Gabe, honey, if you will get up I found a towel that you are going to love and I will only let you use it if you get out of bed." He rolled over, looked up as I opened the Batman towel, and--no joke--he was out of bed within 30 seconds! It was so funny. I love my childlike husband. It's the little things in life that make him happy.

So off we went with our Batman towel. We were on the lake all day with my family and everyone rode the tube (pictures below) and I sat on the boat and took pictures. Even when I am not pregnant, I am not much into tubing. We hung out on the boat until about 5:00 and then headed in so the girls could go grocery shopping for our cookout. We got back to the R.V. (where my parents spend every available weekend), ate some dinner, and then headed home.

Fun at the lake:



Sunday morning, we went to church and as our worship pastor was singing the national anthem, I really listened to the words for the first time. At the end when he sang "o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave," I got a little choked up. We truly live in the land of the brave. Men and women fight every day for my freedom, for my family's freedom, for my baby's freedom. I am so thankful that we have such brave men and women that make so many sacrifices so that we can all enjoy our lives.

Me and baby were quite tired after such a long weekend and I have begun to realize that I need to slow down a little. I came home from church and basically threw some sandwiches together for lunch and then fell into the bed. I am feeling better today but still a little tired. But hey, I gotta live it up while I can! :) I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a great Monday.