Thank You

Yesterday I ran to the mail box, in the freezing cold, half expecting a bill and certainly not expecting what I found. A sweet envelope with bubble letters, a precious note and a large gift enclosed. What a blessing, on so many levels. We love you~ even though we don't know the who ~ we love you.
Merry Christmas~

Found My Center

Yesterday was my first Sunday back at our church. The music was incredible! All of the classic Christmas carols that I have grown up with sang by our beautiful choir. Our pastor's message was amazing. I think it is probably one of the best Christmas messages I have ever heard.

I looked up in the choir and saw the faces of the beautiful women that I have looked up to for some time now, singing and praising Jesus. I felt a whirlwind of activity during the greeting time as everyone rushed around to hug the people they had missed before church started. We were actually~lovingly arguing :)~ over who got to hug next! I LOVE THAT!!! I have missed that.

Mid way through the music and the hugs and the incredibly preaching, I realized that for the first time in a while I felt grounded and centered. This was the first place that I found roots and felt established. Being back among the buzz of love and excitement of everyone being together under one roof, all there for the one purpose of loving and praising Jesus put my restless heart at peace.

One of the things I learned while being in Louisville is that I need a loving community right now. As much as I would love to be on the mission field in China, I am not ready. I need the body of Christ too much at this point in my life. And not just any church body, but this church body.

I have never been more excited to go to church on sunday morning and sunday night than any other time in my life. Feels good.

"To Him be the Glory"

We are home! And in true form we came in with a bang. Moved into one house and 48 hours later moved into another. The first was terrible! The second, perfect !! Thanks to the Lord and my brave husband for always taking such good care of our family. I love him!
Also, Belle Aire welcomed us with open arms and has loved on us non stop!! I almost forgot what that was like. We have been visited by friends and invited over for dinner and really, been saturated with so much support. I love our church family.

There are little things we miss about Louisville, and I definitely miss the friends we made and the community we lived in. But truth be told, this is our home and to me, it is further confirmed by the Lord bringing us back. Louisville is filled with great people and nice churches, but our hearts were restless for our church family. Hindsight is 20/20 right, probably a dumb cliche but still true. We learned so much from our life there, I wouldn't trade it for the world. But I'm glad it's over :)


We will post pictures soon of the house and children. Oh one thing that makes me sad about leaving Louisville, we miss Daniel Patterson! Come see us soon dp!!!!

"But may the God of all grace, who called us to eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen!!" 1 peter 5:10

It's been real...

it's been fun~

but it has not been real fun.

So I guess the reality is, my excitement around leaving Louisville has been a bit juvenile. But I must admit I feel like a little kid at Christmas for sure! I am so excited to go home to a place and church that I love and that truly love our family.

However, I am thankful for our time here at the grand ole' southern seminary. I praise God for the way He has changed and molded us. We have met some interesting and very wonderful people. I feel like we are leaving completely different people than when we arrived. And I am thankful for the Lord's infinite sovereignty and lovingkindess to our family.

I also can not wait to get out of here!!!!!! So thank you Jesus for the next step and thank you to all the friends that blessed us immensely in our time here.

Farewell Louisville!

We Are Going Home!!!

First, my sister in law got married about a month ago and she was beautiful. We were so blessed to be a part of her wedding.





I' m so lucky to have her as my sister in law and now I am looking forward to living in the same city with her!!!
After a year and a half of living here in Louisville, we are going home to Murfreesboro!

Clint has accepted an unofficial, official...? offer to be the singles pastor at Belle Aire. We couldn't be more excited and ready to go home to our church family.

Also, our sweet Aslan accidentally broke our Mac book. So we have no internet currently :( Sorry for the lack of updates. But the boys are getting so big and absolutely precious.

Stating a New Trend...

I love my friend Keva's blog, she and her blogging friends are always doing something fun. She just got tagged by a friend and then tagged a few other friends. The point is to answer a list of questions  and then tag a friend to do the same.

So here I go with something new! And I tag Lisa Moore, Shai and Stephanie because they happen to be three of the most amazing people I know (among a few others :) and I love hearing about them!

1. What time did you get up this morning?

5:21 for just a few and then 7:40

2. Diamonds or pearls?

Both! diamonds on my fingers and usually pearls in my ears :)

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

The Dark Knight (if it makes me a heathen, sad! but it was awesome!)

4. What is your favorite TV show?

I can't afford cable :)

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?

Coffee and what ever is in the pantry at the time.

6. What is your middle name?

 Mercedes

7. What food do you dislike?

cranberry sauce, oysters,  crawfish, brussel sprouts, candied carrots

8. What is your favorite CD at moment?

a CD I made with Hillsong, Nicole Nordeman & Charlie Hall

9. What kind of car do you drive?

KIA Sedona with leather seats, dvd player and sunroof~how is that for a rockin' mini van!

10. Favorite Sandwich? 

Grilled Chicken Sand/Chicken Biscuit from Chik-fil-A (makes me think of Carrie & Ellie)

11. What characteristic do you despise?

condescending/patronising  

12. Favorite item of clothing?

Clint's One Goal pullover fleece

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?

Ireland or Italy

14. Favorite brand of clothing?

Anything on sale

15. Where would you retire to?

Anywhere on the ocean

16. What was your most recent memorable birthday?

29~it seems like yesterday I couldn't wait to be 20. and my son's second birthday

17. Favorite sport to watch?

Only because I love me husband.... GATOR FOOTBALL!

18. When is your birthday?

May 31

19. Are you a morning person or night?

night

20. What is your shoe size?

8.5-9.5, just depends on the shoe

21. Pets?

Teboe the Hermit Crab (and I love him!!)

22. Any new and exciting news you would like to share with us???

I'm Pregnant! JUST KIDDING!!! I am currently getting into refinishing wood things

23. What did you want to be when you were little?

a marine biologist. I wanted to study whales

24. How are you today?

a little tired and missing my husband but overall, happy!

25. What is your favorite candy?

Reeces peanut butter eggs

26. What is your favorite flower?

Tulips

27. What is a day on your calendar you ae looking forward to?

October 14~ a job interview for Clint!!! (but don't ask because I can't give details yet:)

28. What is your full name?

Rachel Mercedes (Morgan-maiden) Nadeau

29. What are you listening to right now?

Nody, a PBS cartoon on dvd

30. WHat was the last thing you ate?

Coffee Cake

31. Do you wish on stars?

no but I think they are pretty :)

32. If you were a crayon what color would you be?

Red I think

33. How is the weather right now?

46 and chilly

34. The first person you spoke to on the phone today?

My friend Lindsay, through text.

35.  Favorite soft drink?

always Diet Coke

36. Favorite Restaurant?

thing I'm with Keva, P.F. Changs

37. Real Hair Color?

light brown

38. What was your favorite toy as a child?

first thing that comes to mind, a She-ra doll my dad bought me.

39. Summer or winter?

SUMMER!!!

40. Hugs or kisses?

depends on who from. 

41. Chocolate or vanilla?

ok... that totally depends. ice cream-vanilla, cake-yellow with chocolate icing. unless its store 

bought and then it's buttercream icing. 

42. Coffee or tea?

always coffee

43. When was the last time you cried?

I can't remember! I'm sure it wasn't that long ago, but just can't remember.

44. What is under your bed?

little bit of everything

45. What did you do last night?

cleaned out a closet while watching Moulin Rouge

46. What are you afraid of?

shallow~bees and wasps. deep~not measuring up to the ones I love the most.

47. Salty or sweet?

depends on my mood. but since Aslan I'm a fan of sweets :0

48. How many keys on your key ring?

I think 4

49. How many years at your current job?

2.5 years and going strong~ it's my favorite yet!

50. Favorite day of the week?

Sunday bc Clint is almost always home and you just can't lose with church & family time.

51. How many places have you lived in?

Hunnington, W.V./ Jacksoville, Fl/Nashville & Murfreesboro, Tn/Louisville, KY... so 4 states 

and 5 cities.

52. Do you make friends easy?

honestly, depends on my surroundings. if I'm around other friendly people, yes. if they are yankees, no :) (unless they are Morgans or Zimmermans:)

Is What I Know More Important....

Than Who I am?

"We have all had times on the mount, when we have seen things from God's standpoint and have wanted to stay there. The test of our spiritual life is the power to descend; if we have the power to rise only, something is wrong...

We are apt to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching, it is to be turned into something better than teaching,  viz., into character. The mount is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something."   Oswald Chambers

Today I have been thrown into deep thought by these words inspired by Mark 9:2.

Is the bit of knowledge I possess from my few trials made me smarter and wiser to life and certain spiritual truths? Or have they transformed my character, do I look like Jesus? 

Am I full of sunday school answers and no power?

Food for thought.

In addition...

I was just washing dishes and thinking about cleaning the countertops. I wondered if some of you might hesitate to use the homemade cleaner because you like the 'anti-bacterial' security of store bought cleaners.

Tip: cut meat and chicken on wax paper, then dump the meat/poultry in baking dish and toss.

(Saw this on Martha Stewart!)

Environmentally friendly way: save boxes of cereal and plastic bags that hold the cereal to use for cutting your meat and then toss when done. 

Saves money and a few trees :)

Who Needs a Swiffer????!!!!!

Ok I'm not sure how many friends and family are keeping up with our blog these days, especially since I took a bit of time off after Abraham. So, if you are regularly reading this, would you comment on this post so I can know who is out there and to keep posting? :0

Proverbs 31 Here we come!!!!!!

Tough times call for thrifty moms!! And since I have never been all together thrifty I am learning new tricks to save money and want to share as I learn. So here are a few things in my current repertoire.

Throw out your Swiffer Wet Jet!!

1. Get a .99 cent spray bottle at Walmart and fill it will this VERY cheap homemade cleaner. 

1 tsp borax

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice

1/4 tsp liquid dish soap

2 cups hot water

Then sweep your floor with your cheap broom. Squirt the floor with your spray bottle and mop with an inexpensive sponge mop. WORKS GREAT and is so quick and easy. use the extra money you save on a new dress!!!! (or the phone bill if you're like me :)

also, this works great on your kitchen and bathroom sinks as well!

2. Also you can make a really great laundry detergent with the borax, washing soda (NOT baking soda, totally different things) and a bar of ivory. The cost of all these items is the same, if not cheaper, than one bottle of regular washing liquid.

a. Look up this recipe for the detergent and vinegar fabric softener~ it really works! the smell goes away during the rinse cycle and they smell fresh.

b. If you don't want to process/don't have a processor then take a cheese grater and grate the bar of soap.

c. For whiter whites, wait until the washer stops filling and starts washing and add your bleach. 

If you feel like this is too much work~ then get the cheapest brand of laundry detergent, I think its Purex and a box of Washing Soda (big yellow box by Arm & hammer on same isle as laundry deter.) and use half the recommended liquid and add some W. soda. I PROMISE IT WORKS!!!!!

Save money and by a new dress! Love you all!!!!!!

Outside the Box

Well one of the big events of the summer was my birthday at the end of May. It was the first time I realized I am officially "outside the box" of 24 candles :(  I need 2 boxes of candles!!! This was a bit of a sad realization for me...  apparently this has been the situation for a while I just hadn't noticed.

Notice the blow torch in the top right corner that 29 candles creates. 

Clint, the arsonist, and Daniel watching the flame of age burn bright. 

  

Notice the haze of smoke as I try and blow out all those candles. 

And as always, Clint surprised me with a sweet display of birthday gifts that he wrapped himself. I thought he did a great job, don't you?

Perhaps my favorite part, a birthday wish from one of the cutest, sweetest gifts I have ever received. 

Really it was a sweet day. And while it was a bit of a shock that my age exceeds the number of candles in one box by about 5 years... Those five years have been the best of my life.  I found the greatest church in the greatest city, met my gorgeous husband, went to Paris, London, Mexico and China and had two of the most beautiful children I have EVER seen. So if that is what getting old has to offer, I welcome the next 5+ years, bags and sags. :) 

Praise the Lord for His Word and  His faithfulness to answer all His promises.

" To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness

That they may be called trees of righteousness

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

And they shall rebuild the old ruins,

they shall raise up the former desolations,

And they shall repair the ruined cities,

The desolations of many generations.

Isaiah 61:3-4

what a great life!

The Many Faces of Abraham

The "I'm on vacation and I can't believe you're feeding me peas!" face. (Needless to say he didn't eat them)

This appears to be the "how about no pictures now" face.

This is the "catch ya later need my beauty rest" face.

The "what up now! automatic sprinkler!" face. (Which he totally was for the first few months... see the onesie)

This, maybe one of my favorites, is the " I'm only four months and my dad just fed me vanilla icing while my mom wasn't watching..." face.

So Happy Together

So many people have asked, "So how are the boys adjusting to each other?"

Well this explains it all. Sweet.

p.s. after a bit of googling I discovered that the song So Happy Together is by The Turtles, not The Beatles. They wrote it making fun of Penny Lane and it was the only chart topper they had. Interesting little tid bit.

Wet-n- Wild!

One of our favorite things to do this summer was going to the Zoo.  Louisville has a great zoo with a water park right in the center. So we spent a lot of time there over the past few months. My mom bought us zoo passes for Aslan's birthday and we put them to good use.

Aslan loved the water park. Also notice our new obsession: Spiderman!

We had Spiderman shoes, swim shorts and even band-aids.

Who ever said boys aren't as fun as much fun to dress as girls must not have had any boys. :)

Moma and son resting after a full day of playing.

Clint and Aslan had some good play time. This really was Aslan's favorite thing about the summer.

Abraham was really great on our little trips. He usually just slept in the stroller or rode in the snugggly. He is such an easy baby with a sweet disposition. Love him to pieces!

P.S.

I forgot to mention why we were out of power-ha!

We had a wind storm from Ike and it was crazy!

We had to light candles every night to see. Clint laughed while walking with the candle stick and kept saying we were "kickin' it pilgrim style!" (we missed you atwoods~we kept thinking of things Trevor would say and random Keva isms' like 'cinders and ashes! etc..)

Clint made me laugh... he is so good :) he makes everything fun!

Pilgrim Style

First things first, my baby boy is beautiful! He is growing so fast!! He is rolling over and sitting up and is eating solids once a day with nursing meals. He sleeps about 11-12 hours straight and is so happy and very sweet. I love him to pieces!!

Now....
It has been a long time since we have updated you and we are so sorry!! But what a great and wonderful summer to catch you up on. 

But for now, I will start with the fact that we, and about 250,000 people, have been without power since SUNDAY!! 

This means no stove cooking, hot showers, clean laundry and (perhaps the most devastating) NO COFFEE MAKER!

In all seriousness, it was a blast. Everyone came out and spent time together and cooked on their grills. It is interesting how many things you can actually make on the grill. One sweet neighbor brought me coffee every morning that she made on her camp stove. 

Oh and for the first time in my life, I fired up the grill yesterday and cooked for about 8-10 kids and 4 adults and then again last night for 6! WOOT! All our husbands were working so I decided to get real rugged and brave the fires of our gas grill! I had so much fun. 

We got power again last night around 8pm and I have to admit I was a little sad. I enjoyed the community, candles and creativity.

More to come soon on our amazing summer! Love you all~

Rest...

Not something I am getting a lot of these days. In all honesty, becoming the mother of two children is one of the hardest things I have ever done. 

When one is satisfied, the other is needy. 

I have been impatient, and at times- too many times- I have been less than merciful or kind. (Galatians 5:22)

I have been broken by my sin.

My heart has been broken over the... shall we say- less transformed or conformed areas of my life. (Romans 12:2)

 I have wept over my lack of rest.

And then, I have been reminded:

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

" "... and I will give you rest" - that is, "I will sustain you, causing you to stand firm". He is not saying, "I will put you to bed, hold your hand and sing you to sleep". In essence, He is saying, "I will get you out of bed- out of your listlessness and exhaustion, and out of your condition of being half dead while you are still alive. I will penetrate you with the Spirit of life, and you will be sustained by the perfection of vital activity." Yet we become so weak and pitiful and talk about "suffering" the will of the Lord! Where is the majestic vitality and the power of the Son of God in that?"  (Oswald Chambers)

I am reminded that I must shine with the love of Christ, in order for my children to "shine as stars". (Philippians 2:15)

I am reminded that I must be filled by Him in order to do so. (Galatians 5:16)

And then, I am filled and revitalized by His presence and resurrection power. 

I am rested.

I am satisfied.

I am grateful to be the mother of two.

I am dependent, moment by moment, on His grace. 

My Boys

These are some amazing pictures taken by an amazing photographer and godly woman. We had the pleasure of staying with The Moore family in Murfreesboro a couple of weeks ago and had a wonderful time. Lisa also took our wedding pictures and has been a huge encouragement to us over the years. I was inspired as I recently watched her in her home~she is a spiritual giant and I look forward to her future influence on my life. We love you Moore family!

These were actually at 4 weeks, which was almost 3 weeks ago! The time is flying by and he has changed already. But he is a big boy!! At his 4week check-up he was almost 11 pounds and is almost too big for 0-3mo clothes. I love it!

Here they are, my precious boys.

3 Weeks Already!

Well it seems that I can't figure out how to turn off the underline deal. So I will keep this short.

The first week home was difficult and full of unexpected pressures and adjustments. But by week 2, things began to level out and everyday is better and better. Aslan is amazing and loves his baby brother! I couldn't be more proud of him, thanks be to God. We have been praying for his adjustment for the past 9 months and the Lord has been faithful to answer our prayers.

So here is our precious Abraham over the past few weeks.

Of course (notice no underline... weird), we are using the swing and he loves it.

Look at how cute his chubby cheeks are!

The three most important people in my life being incredibly sweet. I love being the mother of boys!

My beautiful Aslan. 

Abraham visits Abraham!!

We are blessed with some really amazing friends. They are the kind of friends that make life richer and more full.  They share our life's joys and trials and enrich some of our most precious moments. 

As we have gotten older, our friends have spread out and moved away. So when we get a chance to spend time together, it is so precious. About a week after Abraham was born, we got a call from a most precious friend! 

 Abraham McIntyre is a long time friend of Clint's from Clarksville. He and his family have been steady and consistent friends to Clint throughout the years. I'm blessed to say that since Clint and I have been together, he has been a good friend to me as well. And just to state the obvious, he is part of the inspiration in our decision to name our son Abraham :) 

We were so excited to have him come to see us and our boys! Here are a few pictures.

Sweet.

Aslan was excited too! He loved big Abraham's hat.

It was such a good visit. He brought little Abraham some cute little outfits from his family. And not to forget moma, he brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers!  We were so thankful that he drove 3 hours to spend some time with our family. 

Hopelessly and Gloriously in love with this boy!! (1)

Hopelessly and Gloriously in love with this boy!! (2)

Hopelessly and Gloriously in love with this boy!! (3)

Ready or Not!!!!

So I am sitting in the hospital watching a documentary on Anna Nicole Smith (quality I know). I am sporting the ever fashionable, always vogue hospital gown and I have officially lost my ankles! We got here at 6:30am and got all settled in. I have a great nurse and now just hoping to see the doctor soon. Crazy!!

Also, my contractions are making their presence known. :) That is a good thing, I think :) We are just praying that everything goes well and quick! Love you all!! We will keep you posted.

7.25 Pounds Already!!!

Today we had our last prenantal appointment. After a very thorough ultrasound, Abraham measured in at 7.25 lbs. That is maybe a little bigger than we were all hoping for, but not necessarily above average. So my doctor felt like we should try to move forward as planned and hopefully we can still avoid a C-Section. I also lost 2lbs.! Woo-Hoo!!

So the plan is to start calling the hospital at 5am on wednesday morning (boo!) to see if they have a delivery room available. They could tell me to come on in or I could have to wait until later that morning, afternoon, evening etc... until they have a room available. Hopefully we will get in sooner rather than later.

We are so excited and a little nervous. Please pray for us as we prepare for our precious son's arrival and that the delivery is smooth and trauma free. I can hardly believe it's just a few days away! Thank you so much for any and all prayers and we look forward to updating with good news.

A Special Church

I know the tendency is to skip over long posts, but I hope you will read through this one. :)

I can hardly believe that in just one week I will be holding another tiny baby. I can hardly believe that I will have two children. It is so exciting to be welcoming my second child into this world and I  can only pray that I will be the godly mother that he deserves. Children are amazing little creatures that make just about everything more full and beautiful. This is a special time.

But I must admit it is also a difficult time. I have become decidedly more homesick. As I have begun preparing and pulling out our baby things to ready our home for this most anticipated arrival, I am reminded of how blessed we have been. I miss Belle Aire and our family there. I did not realize how secure we felt because of there love and support, for even the smallest details of our family. I did not realize that I loved them as deeply as I do and that God had truly knit them into the very fibers of my heart. 

This church family is the model, my model for what love, community and living out true Gospel teaching and fellowship in the church looks like. They are of course, not without flaw, but I know this only because of common spiritual sense and not from experience. We have been gone almost 9 months now, and even in our absence they remember us and support us. That is of great comfort in a place and city where we feel invisible most of the time. 

Thank you family for your love, attention and offerings for our family. I hope that we can be of equally great character and godliness as we are serving in new places.

Please take the time to read these verses in tribute to their faithfulness:

  'And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who begun a good work in you will continue until the day of Christ Jesus, developing and perfecting and completing it to full completion in you.

  It is right and appropriate that I should have this confidence and feel this way about you all, because you have me in your heart and I hold you in my heart as partakers and sharers, one and all with me, of grace. This is true both when I am shut up in prison and when I am out in the defense and confirmation of the good news.

  For God is my witness how I long for and pursue you all with love, in the tender mercy of Christ Jesus Himself!"

Philippians 1:6-8 Amplified

We Love You~

The Nadeau's

Easter, Friends and Guitar Hero

We had a great Easter! Aslan got all dressed up in the cute little outfit Nana and Gramps got him for his birthday. Great style job Nana! He was so beautiful! We were walking through the church with our little handsome and very debonair boy and people were commenting on how adorable he was. :) Clint was very handsome as well in his suite and I was, well... just large :)

We also figured out a little too late that the batteries in our camera were dead :( So we didn't have a major photo shoot. But we did get some cute pictures. After church we went to our friends house, Lauren and Ryan Helfenbein, for lunch. Our dear friend Daniel Patterson was there as well. We had a great time!

Our family picture. Marvel at the largeness which has become my face...

My two handsome gentlemen. 

Then there was Guitar Hero. That is a game where you get cordless guitars and try to keep up with the TV screen that is prompting you to play certain tunes. It's kinda like karaoke except with guitars. They were mesmerized. 

Aslan was totally in too it! Of course he was!! He is such the musician :)

More Guitar Hero~

Here is my husband jamming out to the game, in his Easter duds. They did this for 2-3 hours, no kidding. Lauren and I had girl talk in the other room :) 

This is what happens to a person after 3 hours of Guitar Hero :) 

Daniel and Ryan~ can you see the intensity with which they are strumming their guitars? Very serious. 

Also, notice that all the boys were wearing light blue dress shirts. I think they were coordinating for there musical debut as Guitar Hero's  :0:0:0 

Hope everyone had a great Easter!!