Week 10

Week number 10 of being pregnant and I am feeling great! I have been very fortunate, I have not had any morning sickness until today. I still feel nauseous from time to time, but for the most part, I have felt really good! My hormones, however, are in full force. I was sitting on the couch last night, and found myself crying at a Lowes commercial. So far this experience has been so amazing and I am loving it. I am so grateful to be carrying this little blessing and I can't wait to meet little baby Adams.

Info about baby at week 10:

Week 10 marks a milestone for your baby-to-be. This first part of fetal development is all about organization. All your baby-to-be's cells have been directed to their places—brain tissue is growing rapidly, muscles are forming, fingers and toes are becoming defined. Your baby-to-be looks less like an embryo (or an alien) and more like the baby in miniature that he is. He's getting bigger, too. This week your little one is about one and one-quarter inches long and weighs in at .18 ounce, about the size of a shrimp.

9 weeks!!!

Being pregnant is so amazing! I thank God everyday for allowing me to carry this baby. I am still in awe of this little miracle! Here is an 8 week ultrasound picture.

I am at 9 weeks now. It's so amazing how quickly the baby develops! Here is some info about the development at 9 weeks.

Your baby is busy growing. Her face looks more baby-like each day—her eyes are developed but concealed, and her nose, lips, and ears are becoming more defined. She's also starting to exercise her expanding muscles. Her fingers and toes are looking less like stubs. Although she's a wiggler—and you could see that on an ultrasound—she's still so small that you won't feel these movements. Her reproductive organs are developing, but even if you sneaked a peek you wouldn't be able to tell that she's a she (and neither could your doctor at this point). Your growing baby is about as big as a quarter this week.

What Faith can do...

In the presence of hope, faith is born. In the presence of faith, love becomes a possibility. In the presence of love, miracles happen. Mark and I have been married for three wonderful years. It's a journey that brought us such happiness, has taken us down many different paths and brought us through many trials. We've been through 2 deployments, moved seven times in the past 5 years, changed jobs, bought our first home and so much more. Many of you know that Mark and I have had a hard time getting pregnant. On August 21 I went to the doctor and learned that Mark and I would not be able to conceive on our own, due to a progesterone deficiency. My levels were entirely to low to conceive or to even carry a pregnancy. This news was devastating for us. After all the fertility and doctor's appointments, only to learn that I wasn't able to get pregnant without medical help. After learning this news, I went home and just cried out to God. I told Him that I was done, I quit, I was giving this whole thing to Him and that I know that He is bigger than a progesterone problem. The next week I couldn't stop thinking about Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." And Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." So all I could do is step back and take Him at His word. It was one of the hardest things to do, to let go and let God completely take control. But I have learned that if I just step back and let God do what He needs to do, then His plan will prevail in His perfect timing. So many times we think we can handle it on our own. All God wants is for us to relinquish control, stop trying to do it all and let Him be the God of our lives. Once I gave up that control and stopped trying to do it all on my own, God was able to take control. I am proud to announce that Mark and I will be having a baby. I am about 7 weeks pregnant. God is so amazing. Psalm 31:4 is so true, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." It's been a long road, but we are so blessed. God continues to show us over and over again just how mighty He is!

Wedding Day!

What a great weekend! My brother and Kaylen are married now! It was such a gorgeous wedding! I love you guys and wish you all the happiness in the world.

Saturday was our 3rd annual Car Show at WWC. Very much a success! It was an absolutely gorgeous day! Our students did some fund raising to go to Louisville, KY in December for the Wesleyan Youth Convention. They did very well! Thank you to everyone who helped support our students!

Mark was up first in the dunk booth.

This is our Pastor and his wife! What a surprise!!

Pastor Don making balloon animals

One of our fundraisers. Dart game.

Keith in the dunk booth

Becka with her pig, Harley.

Hartley and Leah.

Mollie, Tiffany, Hartley and Leah. I love these girls!

My Abby and Danni. So cute!!

Our Bailey

About a month ago, we welcomed a new family member into our home. Here is our boxer puppy, Bailey Sue Adams. She is sooo sweet and so much fun! We love her so much!

Kaylen's Bachelorette Party

Jon and Kaylen are getting married in less than 2 weeks!!!! I can't believe it!! Here are some pics of the bachelorette party!

Maid of Honor-Leah with the Bride to Be!!

Bridesmaids!

The beautiful Bride to Be.

Having some fun!

More WWE Monday Night Raw!

On Monday, Mark surprised me with tickets to Monday Night Raw. We went in back in February and we got to go again!! Our seats were AMAZING! We sat three rows back, right behind the King (who is the commentator.) Some of you may have seen us on TV. We had such a great time!

Freddie Prinze Jr. was the guest host!

Randy Orton & Freddie

Kofi Kingston

The Miz

Evan Bourne

The return of DX!!!! I was so excited to see them! I am a HUGE fan of Shawn Michaels!!!

HHH

Degeneration X

Shawn Michaels! This is my favorite picture.

Poor Shawn!

John Cena

Bear hug from the Big Show.

Chris Jericho and Randy Orton

5 Knuckle Shuffle

Such strength!!! The Big Show is a BIG guy!!

Bigger/Better

Wednesday, our youth activity was a game called Bigger/Better, where the kids started out with either a water gun, a rubber duck, an expired tube of neosporin, a spool of ribbon, or a ping pong paddle, then had to walk around the surrounding neighborhood and ask people to trade for anything bigger or better than the object they had. Our team started out with a water gun, traded for a tool bag, then for a huge Cabela's bag, then for a child's riding toy, then for a rocking bench, and ended up with a rocket launcher, a lawnmower, and a screen door. Other teams came back with an entertainment center, a treadmill, a mattress, a Kurt Warner picture and a computer desk. It was very entertaining!

The rocking bench fell apart in the middle of the street.

Our team carrying the rocking bench through the neighborhood.

What we ended up with

This team came back with a Kurt Warner picture from the 1999 season. They tried to be sneaky and autograph it themselves. They fessed up. Good try guys!

An entertainment center

A treadmill, a mattress, and a desk! This was the winning team.

Cardinals All-Star game

This is a video covering the All-Star Game in St. Louis, and a surprise visit in the background from my brother. Watch the whole video, he pops up in two different places. He is so funny and never afraid to be in the limelight.

Lara Landon

A couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to host a Worship night with new recording artist Lara Landon. She is a fantastic singer and has a true passion for ministering to people. Her new album, Beloved, comes out in September. Here is a little sample of the album.

Fun girls night out!

Taylor Akers, who has become one of my best friends, moved to Wisconsin yesterday with her husband Ryan, to pastor a church there. They have been such an amazing influence in Mark and I's life. I will miss them tremendously!

Last Monday night, a group of us decided to get matching tattoos. It was a lot of fun, but kinda sad, knowing that Taylor would be moving soon and this would be one of the last big things we all do together. Nevertheless, this something we will always remember!

Here is my tattoo

Jess's

Kelley's

Melea's

Deb's

And Taylor's

Jess's 30th Birthday Party, 80's style!

The birthday girl and Taylor

All the girls

All the guys

Me and Kelley

We are finally moved in

This has been a long process, but it's finally over and we can enjoy our new home

This is our Master Bedroom

Master Bath

One of my favorite parts of the house!

Our living room

Living Room looking into the Kitchen

Guest Bathroom

The Kitchen

You know your an army wife when...

~You freak out if you can't find your military ID but you couldn't care less about your driver's license

~You talk more to the FRG than to your own husband.

~You know your husband's social security number better than your own!

~You've been married for 2 years, but have only seen your husband for 8 months.

~You are constantly kicking about 14 pairs of boots out of the way in various rooms of the house.

~You bring both cell phone and home phones with you everywhere, including the bathroom, shower and on top of the dryer, so as not to miss a call from your soldier.

~You can't watch the flag being raised or lowered without tears in your eyes.

~You don't get the answer you like from Tri-Care so you know the best solution is to hang up and keep calling until you hear what you want.

~You speak in acronyms. For example...

"Once the hubs (SPC MOS 19D) graduated BCT and AIT, we PCS'd to Ft.Neato. We had to register our POV, after that his NCO wanted to make sure we knew who our PCMwas and the location of the MTF. We headed to the commissary and PX for some supplies and on the way I received a call from my POC of the FRG about an upcoming meeting. We got home and the hubby had to pack his ACU's and TA-50 (but not his Class A's) because an extended vacation to an exotic "beach" was in his future, but I can't tell you about that because of OPSEC."

Moving Day is getting closer!

The last couple weeks have been very long and tiring for us. We have been working almost every evening, painting, repairing, and cleaning our new house, so it will be move-in ready on Saturday, as well as packing up our apartment and getting that move-out ready. It's been a long haul, but it is nearing the end and we will officially become homeowners.

This has certainly been a long journey for us, but one that we have learned a lot, and been able to learn together. I feel very blessed to be able to go through this process with my husband by my side. There have been many big decisions and events in our relationship that we have had to face alone, because of deployments and living apart from each other. I am very thankful that Mark is here with me through all of this. He is a huge supporter in my life and I love him so much!

My husband the preacher!

This past Sunday, Mark had the opportunity to give a message in church. I was so proud of him. Despite all his nerves, he did an amazing job! You can listen to his message here.

Mark's new Blog

Mark has recently created his own blog. Check it out! He always amazes me and I love that about him. You can access his new blog by clicking on the link in my blog, which is on the right, under "Blogging Buddies," clicking here, or going to http://sgt-of-christ.blogspot.com/ He would love your comments and feedback.

Office Changes

Came across this today and would like to share. If your office is needing to make some cuts in the budget, here is a great way to do it!!!

Due to difficult economic times, some changes have been made.

NEW OFFICE POLICY

Dress Code:

1) You are advised to come to work dressed according to your salary.

2) If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we will assume you are doing well financially
and therefore do not need a raise.

3) If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and
therefore you do not need a raise.

4) If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise.

Sick Days:
We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

Personal Days:
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year.
They are called Saturdays & Sundays.

Bereavement Leave:
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every
effort should be made to have non-employees attend the funeral arrangements in your place. In rare cases where
employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to
allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.


Bathroom Breaks:
Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet.
There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will
sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open, and a picture will be taken. After your
second offence, your picture will be posted on the company bulletin board under the 'Chronic Offenders'
category. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sectioned under the company's mental health policy.

Lunch Break:

* Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more, so that they can look healthy.

* Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.

* Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.


Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore,
all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations,
allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.


The Management

The ABC's of me

A - Age: 23

B - Bed Size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Laundry

D - Dog's name: Toby

E - Essential start your day item: A nice warm shower

F - Favorite color: Pink

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5'8"

I - Instruments you play(ed) : The Flute

J - Job title: Wife and Administrative Assistant

K - Kid(s): none yet

L - Living arrangements: Town house right now, new house in 24 days!!!!!!

M - Mom's name: Rebecca

N - Nicknames: Sister, Moose (from the Chili-Cheesecake days) & Tenderheart (given to me by my boss and youth pastor)

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: never

P - Pet Peeve: People who are rude or mean to other people

Q - Quote from a movie: "I'll have a Pina Colada, non-virgin, wanna see my ID, I totally have it."

R - Right or left handed: Right handed

S - Siblings: My baby brother, Jonathan

T - Time you wake up: When Mark comes in to kiss me goodbye for the day

U- Ultimate Vacation Spot: A dream vacation, Italy. On the more practical side...Colorado.

V - Vegetable you dislike: Broccoli

W - Ways you run late: Changing my outfit to many times

X - X-rays you've had: My right wrist, my left wrist and my right ankle, oh and the top of my foot

Y - Yummy food you make: Enchiladas

Z - Zoo favorite: Penguins! I would take one home as a pet if I could!

Huzzah Valley Resort 2009

Once again, we had another great weekend camping and floating at the Huzzah. I always look forward to this weekend. It's so nice to relax and enjoy the company of our church family. The weather was absolutely amazing! I was very thankful for that. The weather made the float down the river very enjoyable! During the first part of the float, I was in a raft with Jason and Brittany. Half way through, I decided to get brave and try a kayak, so Mitch let me try it out. (Thanks Mitch!!) It was so much fun!! I was hooked in the first five minutes and will absolutely be getting a kayak next year! I was sad to see the weekend come to an end, but I look forward to another awesome weekend next year. Mark also has a post about the weekend, check it out here.

This was Saturday morning. It was raining, but the guys still cooked for us. Thanks guys!

Everyone relaxing

Paige and Kobe playing "Washers"

Kobe being strong and lifting the cooler. Way to go Kobe!

Buddies!!

The group

Our camping "village"

Enjoying the water

Youth Scavenger Hunt

This week was our annual Scavenger Hunt. The kids had to go around town and complete different objectives. Here are some pictures of the different objectives.

The team had to spell a word with their bodies

The team had to go to a hotel and read a brochure of tourist information

The entire team with lampshades on their heads

The entire team reading a book

The team on a slide

The team on a set of stairs

The team with a duck

The entire team in a field looking lost

This picture is my favorite!! This was an "I can't believe we all fit here" picture. Yes, they all fit in a port-a-potty!!! It was hilarious!!!!!

Sudanese Coffee Night

Jennifer Telfer, one of my really great friends, is doing work in Sudan. She is such an amazing and gifted person. You can keep up with her adventures here. Jen came back to the states for a few weeks for a visit. Sunday night Jen shared some Sudanese Coffee and stories with a group from church. Everyone was asked to wear a hat, which was so much fun. Everyone responded really well. Here are some pictures from the coffee night.

This is Jennifer, sharing about her experiences in Sudan

Everyone wearing their hats. It was quite amusing!

Jon, Kaylen and Phil hanging out at Jennifer's house afterwards

Cindy and I playing Quelf with some friends

Mitch's Birthday Party

Saturday, one of our great friends, Mitch, had a birthday party. For his birthday we did an "Amazing Race" adventure. We raced around town, gathering clues, and completing tasks. We had so much fun. Thanks to Jess for working so hard!! Below are some pictures of the party.

This is Emma, Ruthi and Owen being entertained by the rocks.

Kelley, Abby, Brittany and Baby Stoesz hanging out

Eric and Jason playing a game of washers with Mitch and Mark

This was one of the tasks that we had to perform. We had to play leapfrog in the park.

Another task-Buy a bag of Cinnamon Twists from Taco Bell and share them

Mark posing like the dog statue

Jason posing like the girl on the log

Me riding a bike like the girl statue

The birthday boy Mitch, swinging a bat

Our mini Extreme Home Makeover

Last week was a very tiring week for many members of the Warrenton Wesleyan Church. Our church took on a renovation project for a very deserving single father of four kids. It was so awesome to see the church family come together and bless this family with their time, talent, money and compassion. By the end of the week everyone was exhausted, but it was well worth it. Click here for the complete project.