The Nadeau Family

Acres of Hope

2010-02-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

ACRES OF HOPE
by Shane Barnard and Robbie Seay

He will allure her
He will pursue her
And call her out
To wilderness with flowers in His hand
She is responding
Beat up and hurting
Deserving death
But offerings of life are found instead

She will sing
She will sing
Oh, to You
She will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead her away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

Here in the valley
Walk close beside me
Don’t look back
For love is growing vineyards up ahead
You have called me master
And though you’re in the dark here
Call me friend
And call me lover and marry me for good

She will sing
She will sing
Oh, to You
She will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead her away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

How the story ends is
Love and tenderness in Him
Not safe, but worth it
So the valley’s up ahead
Or the ones we live
We’ll sing together
We’ll sing together

We will sing
We will sing
Oh, to You
We will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead us away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

“Lord, sustain me in the valley. Give me ears to hear Your sweet tender voice and lead me in to acres of hope in this dry and weary land.”
"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD,’you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. (Hosea 2:14-16)

Be blessed

2009-10-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

from The Valley of Vision
A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

The Broken Heart
O Lord,
No day of my life has passed
that has not proved me guilty in thy sight.
Prayers have been uttered from a prayerless heart;
Praise has been often praiseless sound;
My best services are filthy rags.
Blessed Jesus, let me find a covert in thy appeasing wounds.
Though my sins rise to heaven thy merits soar above them;
Though unrighteousness weighs me down to hell,
thy righteousness exalts me to thy throne.
All things in me call for my rejection,
All things in thee plead for my acceptance.
I appeal from the throne of perfect justice
to thy throne of boundless grace,
Grant me to hear thy voice assuring me:
that by thy stripes I am healed,
that thou wast bruised for my iniquities,
that thou hast been made sin for me
that I might be righteous in thee,
that my grievous sins, my manifold sins,
are all forgiven,
buried in the ocean of thy concealing blood.
I am guilty, but pardoned,
lost, but saved,
wandering, but found,
sinning, but cleansed.
Give me perpetual broken-heartedness,
Keep me always clinging to thy cross,
Flood me every moment with descending grace,
Open to me the springs of divine knowledge,
sparkling like crystal,
flowing clear and unsullied
through my wilderness of life.

If you're wondering....

2009-10-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

why I keep posting song lyrics instead of my own words and pictures etc...

well, this is a time in my life where I don't all together trust my own words and emotions. It's a time when I hear songs that resonate deep in my soul and I'm thankful I'm not the only one who has thought certain things and felt the way I do... or have.

I'm thankful I am not alone in my thoughts and struggles. In a culture... or maybe just a church culture that doesn't necessarily cultivate a sense of safety in the difficult-
this is my seemingly small attempt to remain true.

So here is the latest song that I can't shake. If you aren't familiar with the work of Sara Groves I encourage you to check her out. But if you do, put on your seat belt because she is for real :)

I Saw What I Saw :
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it

Something on the road, cut me to the soul

Your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
(what I am made of)
and what I know of love

we've done what we've done and we can't erase it
we are what we are and it's more than enough
we have what we have but it's no substitution

Something on the road, touched my very soul

I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have and I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction

Something on the road, changed my world

Walking on campus lends itself to reminiscing about when I was there before. When I was full of idealistic views of how my life would be and how my story would go. Those are the times when I thought my story would look a certain way and when I was absolutely certain the way it would not look.

Now I am different, changed. Things have happened and life is not always the way I thought it would or should be.

I have been thinking if I will be the one that sees my circumstances as 'half full or half empty'. The cliche question of pessimism or optimism. I have struggled because neither one seems entirely comfortable.

So maybe for me, it will be both. For me, I think it takes more courage to see things for what they are, as both having and lacking. To take courage when life isn't as black and white as I previously had hoped and believed.

It is taking more courage to be changed and not jaded.

I am not empty but I am worn

2009-09-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

These lyrics are so personal. One day, if the Lord ever sees fit to give me a platform, I will honor Him with 'warnings to sailors on their way'.

"The Lighthouse's Tale"
a song by Nickel Creek

I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
I keep my lamp lit, to warn the sailors on their way.

I'll tell a story, paint you a picture from my past.
I was so happy, but joy in this life seldom lasts.

I had a keeper, he helped me warn the ships at sea.
We had grown closer, 'till his joy meant everything to me.

And he was to marry, a girl who shone with beauty and light.
And they loved each other, and with me watched the sunsets into night.

And the waves crashing around me, the sand slips out to sea.
And the winds that blow remind me, of what has been, and what can never be.

She'd had to leave us, my keeper he prayed for a safe return.
But when the night came, the weather to a raging storm had turned.

He watched her ship fight, but in vain against the wild and terrible wave.
In me so helpless, as dashed against the rock she met her end.

Then on the next day, my keeper found her washed up on the SHORE.
He kissed her cold face, that they'd be together soon he'd swore.

I saw him crying, watched as he buried her in the sand.
And then he climbed my tower, and off of the edge of me he ran.

I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
And though I am empty, I still warn the sailors on their way.

Needed a Change :)

2009-09-28T08:08:00.001-07:00

mY FiRst dAy oF sCHooL

2009-09-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful!

I was scared to death :)

Everything has changed. I have changed. I called my friend Amanda who started back this past summer and she just laughed. We decided that we are way more cool than we were when we were there last :)

But really, it was so good. I loved every second of it. I have forgotten how excited I get over the education process. All of my classes are filled with fun little projects and group work.

We get cute stuff at the end of the semester to take for our future classrooms :0
I am all about cute stuff!

But I just kept thinking about my little boys at home, thinking about how even though I am missing 2 days of every week with them, I will be able to help Clint give them such a neat future.

But I have to tell you, I got home and wondered if they had actually missed me? The girls who are staying here, playing with them are amazing and they absolutely love each other :) I kinda can't believe it! Praise God!

I am thrilled to be in my life right now.

This Journey Is My Own

2009-08-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

by Sara Groves

It feels good to walk my own way for a change,
His way for me...
Completely liberating.

When I stand before the Lord, I’ll be standing alone
This journey is my own
Still I want man’s advice, and I need man’s approval
This journey is my own

Why would I want to live for man, and pay the highest price
What does it mean to gain a whole world, only to lose my life

So much of what I do is to make a good impression
This journey is my own
And so much of what I say is to make myself look better
But this journey is my own

And why would I want to live for man, and pay the highest price
And what does it mean to gain a whole world, only to lose my life

And I have never felt relief like I feel it right now
This journey is my own
Cuz trying to please the world, it was breaking me down
It was breaking me down

And now I live and I breathe for an audience of one
Now I live and I breathe for an audience of one
Now I live and I breathe for an audience of one
Cuz I know this journey is my own

And why would I want to live for man, and pay the highest price
And what does it mean to gain a whole world, only to lose my life
And you can live for someone else, and it will only bring you pain
I can’t even judge myself, only the Lord can say, ‘Well done.’

Oh, this journey is my own

On the road to beautiful

2009-08-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

For my old friend Renee

A song for the weak,
a song for the broken
song for the poor,
for the angry,
the bitter and confused.

A song for the broken,
the hurting
a song for the cynic
for the addicted
a song for those who have lost all the words to all their songs

do you not know
have you not heard
your Father does not get weary of you

When the young man walks and faints
when the young girl loses her way
then our great God says rise up on the wings of an eagle
Rise, rise rise
He says rise, rise and fly...

Those who have tripped
feel hurt
left
burdened
confused
rise to your God

let the prodigal parts of your heart return
let the cynical parts of our hearts have peace again
and believe

That is the end to one of my favorite songs...
here is the rest of
On the Road to Beautiful by Charlie Hall

I crumble at Your kiss and grace
I'm a weakling in the dust
Teach me how to cling to You
With all my life and all my love

Father come to me, hold me up 'cause I can barely stand
My strength is gone and my breath is short, I can't reach out my hands
But my heart is set on a pilgrimage to heaven's own bright King
So in faltering or victory I will always sing

And on the road to beautiful
My seasons always change
But my life is spent on loving You
To know You in Your power and pain

Father come to me, hold me up 'cause I can barely stand
My strength is gone and my breath is short, I can't reach out my hands
But my heart is set on a pilgrimage to heaven's own bright King
So in faltering or victory I will always sing

You're my portion in this life
You're my strength now in my fight
And to You I pledge my heart
In the pain and in the dark I'll love You
I'll love You, I'll love You

I'll love You...

Happy Anniversary

2009-08-21T10:57:00.001-07:00

Funny, these were taken right before we got married :) You can tell because we are kissing in most pictures ;)

This one is my favorite

This next one is cute but I was laughing and therefore having a hard time concentrating on the kiss :) It's a process that requires a bit of concentration if it is to be done correctly ;)

Someone recently said that we haven't changed a bit. Uh, well, I disagree :) For one thing my hair color has changed and I've had two kids... pretty sure that changes things.
But regardless of the changes, and we've had a few, here we are-together and celebrating.

To be or not to be...

2009-08-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

enough.

Sometimes I worry
maybe I'm not brave enough.

"And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
1 Corinthians 12:9-10

Perfectly Orchestrated

2009-08-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

This may seem a bit hokey to some but it was extremely personal to me.

This Sunday I heard one of the most incredible sermons. I am blessed to sit under my pastor. It was the last in a series on grace. Every one has been beautiful and uncomfortable. However this one was unique in that for a few brief moments, our pastor became so overwhelmed by the grace of God that he couldn't finish reading the stanzas of a hymn. It was beautiful.

I felt like the Lord assured me I was right where I needed to be.

He very clearly spoke that I have been forgiven, sanctified and restored.

He clearly said that even the road ahead wouldn't be easy.

So while I left encouraged, not even moments through the church doors it began...
an onslaught of things that would test my heart.

Yesterday was hard. It ended with me feeling confused and irritated. But it ended with a friend praying over me as we agreed that this was difficult. Her prayer was that the Lord would tear down the walls. Then I had a sad dream... I hate those!

So I woke up and started to tell Clint about it. He was hugging me in the kitchen and said he was sorry. Then he said, "Look, there is a cardinal :), and he sung 'I'm here, I'm here" and we both smiled. I just sat there looking at the cardinal, thinking.

There are people who come into your life and give you gifts that you take with you always. Even through painful and heartbreaking circumstances, they can show you something that you will never forget, a gift.
One such person, a beautiful person, shared with Clint and I that she loves birds and keeps a bird house outside her kitchen window. Every time she will see one it's like the Lord singing to her, "I'm here, I'm here". She wrote on her blog about how the cardinal uses his red coat to protect his partner. That the brightness of the color attracts predators to him and away from her. She made the point that Christ uses His cross to shield us, if we are willing to respond. So every time we see a cardinal, we hear her sing that message, "I'm here, I'm here". Such a gift.

So I sat there, looking out my window this morning, overwhelmed at His message... "I'm here, I'm here" and heard a song that Clint had playing on Itunes.

The pathway is broken
And The signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Chorus:
Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone

So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering that Your love put You through
And I will walk through the darkness
If You want me to

Cuz when I cross over Jordan
Gonna sing, gonna shout,
Gonna look into Your eyes and see You never let me down
So take me on the pathway that leads me home to You
And I will walk though the valley
If You want me to

Yes, I will walk through the valley
If You want me to
(Ginny Owen's If you want me to)

I love Him so much my heart hurts.
Thank you sister for the gifts you gave me.

New Look ;)

2009-08-17T14:35:00.001-07:00

Clint told me the other day that our blog needed a new look.

It kinda made me laugh.

So here is what I played around with today.

What do you think?

it's really pink but I kinda like it...

Forward Moving....

2009-08-13T07:52:00.001-07:00

Forward thinking....

Well, I finally did it! I have been talking about going back to school to get my teaching license for about 4-5 months.

I graduated in 2005 with an intent to get my masters in psychology :) Funny how the Lord has other plans. I had a baby instead. Nothing like a child to redirect your entire life, they are the very best things that have ever happened to me.

So in order to give us added security and a little more income I am going to return to school and get my teaching license. The hope is to be able to teach in the same elementary school as they attend (dream job would be Providence Christian :)

I can't wait. I am excited and scared all at the same time. But I feel confident that this is the right next step for me.

Funny, sometimes when it feels like you're going back to where you started, in all actuality, you are farther along the road than ever.

Praises

Never Failing

2009-08-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

His word never ceases to amaze me, comfort me... to melt my cynicism.

"O you afflicted one, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, and lay your foundations with sapphires."
Isa. 54:11

"And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in."
Isa. 58:12

His words are water to my soul...

Still Standing

2009-08-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

I feel like I should preface this for those of you that read this and don't know all that is happening in our lives right now.

About 6 months ago we entered into a different part of our journey as a couple, as individuals... as children of God.

It is real and painful and a legitimately difficult time. It is not the same as every one's story, in fact I only know a few people in our circle that have walked this same road. That has made it a bit more isolating and lonely... However, one thing that is not different is that we all have our own stories of painful circumstances at times. Circumstances that require more of us than we feel capable of giving.

That is all our story, at one time or another, if we are truly honest with ourselves. Jesus told us it would happen. "In this world you will have trouble..." John 16:33

I hope that as our family finds bravery through Him to do what seems... impossible, that you will be encouraged. That as we take up our cross, and as we struggle to "take heart" in Him you will be reminded that He has truly "overcome the world" and as Oswald says... 'He gives us overcoming life as we overcome' in Him.

Ignore those that might tell you it's draining to grieve difficult times. Granted, it seems to be more a part of some people's lives than others (mine :). But you never know what is down the road from a season of heartache... no matter how long the season. He is faithful.

"Walking, stumbling on these shadow feet
toward home, a land that I've never seen
I am changing, less and less asleep
made of different stuff than when I began
and i have sensed it all along
fast approaching is the day

when the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
when the sky rolls up and the mountains fall on their knees
when time and space are through
i'll be found in you
Still standing

Theres distractions buzzing in my head
saying in the shadows its easier to stay
but i've heard rumors of true reality
whispers of a well-lit way

You make all things new
you make all things new
You make all things...

Brooke Frasier's Shadowfeet

When Hope is Painful...

2009-08-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

believe

" Tonight I forgot a line in the play that you and I
have been rehearsing since the day we met,
It made me put down my script, it made me look around a bit
And wonder how we came to play these roles

I'm here to re-write this tragedy
One line at a time
Hold on, I'm changing all the scenery
it's ok, we'll be fine
Cause we know how this ends

Sometimes it's hard to tell what to keep and what to kill
What of this makes us who we are
All that we love the most, all that we cannot let go
How much change can we survive?

I'm here to re-write this tragedy
One line at a time
Hold on, I'm changing all the scenery
it's ok we'll be fine
Cause we know how this ends
We know there's a better story

There's a better story
Of true love of true grace
There's the hope of glory
And our first chance to be truly brave
It's the place we're going
When we can't stay where we are"
Sarah Grove's Re-write This tragedy

"Lord I believe, but help my unbelief"
Mark 9:24

Summer of Craziness

2009-08-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

My silly boys... never a dull moment.

My dad's car show. I'm pretty sure he won first place in his division, he always does :) He built a Shelby Cobra.

This one just makes me smile

Had to flash my claws today....

2009-08-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

hahahaha!!

It felt kinda good! :)

Ok first let me say this girl is a fairly nice person... I suppose ;) But she messed with the wrong chica today!

you know how you can get irritated or annoyed with your child but everybody else better watch their tone? I know you know what I mean... :) And I'm not referring to when my child does something legitimately wrong, but when someone is just impatient or haphazard with my child.

No sir... or ma'am or whom ever.

So today I dropped Aslan off at the YMCA childcare (which he usually loves). And I was having one of those mommy moments when I was having a hard time walking out of the room. He has been mentioning that other kids were yelling at him.

Now Aslan is precious but I know he has his share of depravity wrapped up in that little heart of his. But he is a child... and not just any child but my child. And I know when he is being drama and then I know when his feelings are really hurt.

So, back to the Y childcare center. I was standing there scoping out the other kids... a little girl, a few little 3 year olds and a couple of big 6 -7 year old boys. I was standing there trying to discretely send telepathic messages to these bigger boys warning them not to touch my boy when a worker said something....

So I said well I was just watching him because he has been complaining about being yelled at by other kids.

So she looks at me, while sipping her little coke and says, "Ya, well, it happens." And then turned around and continued sipping her coke...

Now it took every ounce of self control not to snatch her ball headed.

That is my baby. My 3 year old baby. It is, in my opinion, her job to not only stand there and collect a paycheck, but watch- care for- guide- and protect all those children in that room.

So I went to the director and calmly (well, sort-of) asked if that was the attitude of all the staff in the child care center. She said no and promptly handled it.

She was sweet.

I really do love the Y and so does Aslan.

But I have to say, I have never felt so protective in my life as when I had my boys. When they are of age and can sock someone in the nose... then I feel I can back off :) But until then...

people better watch out. hahaha! But seriously...

Landslide

2009-07-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

Lately music has given words to my feelings... apparently I have a tendency to disassociate :) Who knew?

This is the most recent heart piercing song that has sent me into reflection... so good.

I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
till the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Well, I've been afraid of changing
cause I've built my life around you
But times makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too

Oh, take my love, take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down

Landslide Fleetwood Mac

I Run To You...

2009-07-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

In light of my seemingly sassy post a couple of weeks ago :) I thought I might expand a little on what God is teaching me.

This morning I picked up My Utmost by Oswald Chambers and flipped to what I thought was the
right date and started to smile, I even checked the calendar to make sure I had the date right. I did :)

I have been reading this devotional for almost 10 years, it never gets old. This one entry has come up several times at very pivotal times in my life.

The Price of Vision
"In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord." Isaiah 6:1

Our souls history with God is frequently the history of the "passing of the hero." Over and over again God has to remove our friends in order to bring Himself in their place, and that is where we faint and fail and get discouraged. Take it personally: In the year that the one who stood to me for all that God was, died-I gave up everything? I became ill? I got disheartened? or- I saw the Lord?

It must be God first, God second, and God third, until the life is faced steadily with God and no one else is of any account whatever. "In all the world there is none but thee, my God, none but thee."

Why do I do that to people? To myself? I put people on pedestals they don't belong on. Not because they are not good and holy but because we are all imperfect, all coming short, all needing redemption as much as the next. So I tend to run to others and when the Lord, in His infinite mercy removes them or reveals their nature to me... I am devastated.

I am so over myself. I am over doing this. There is only One worthy of the longing of my heart. Only one friend that is my refuge. There is only One that never hurts or lets me down. There is only One.

I love this song. It's country :) But it is good. It reminds me... who do I run to? Who do you run to?

I Run To You by Lady Antebellum

I run from hate
I run prejudice
I run from pessimists
But I run too late

I run my life
Or is it running me?
Run from my past
Run too fast
Or too slow it seems

When lies become the truth
That's when I run to you

This world keeps spinning faster
To a new disaster, so I run to you
I run to You...

We run on fumes
Your life and mine
Like sands of time
Slippin' right on through

Our love's the only truth
That's why I run to You...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs38lKxmtI4&feature=fvst
I can't figure out out to do this so just copy and paste to the deal... :)

p.s. it is not to be listened to with critical theological ears... just enjoy it

A lot can happen....

2009-06-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

in just four months :) I suppose the Lord has never really moved on my time tables... and even as I write that He makes me smile. Just when I think He has checked out on me He shows up in a big way. The past few months have felt like an accelerated process of painful refinement and redemption. I have learned so much about myself from Him. And maybe more importantly I have learned about who He is and what and who He is not. He is beautiful... the Only one worthy of my heart's song.

My Aunt Janet made a comment to me a while ago in response to something I said, she is so wise :) She said, "Rachel have you lost your song?" She could not have possibly known how deep that went. We were talking about singin in the car :) and the fact that I didn't sing anymore... not even in the shower. But I felt the Lord push that deep into my soul to a place that has been seemingly dead for sometime.

It is amazing how, without even knowing it you can give away your song to others, thinking it is for them or ask them to sing for you. Mostly I think that comes from a place of fatigue or pain... I wonder too if there are those who without even realizing it, come into your life and think they need to help you sing or even sing for you and before you or they know it-they have taken your voice. Sometimes I think those are the very people who have (seemingly) the best intentions.

Well, friends and family... I am finding my voice again, and it feels good. For the past few months it has been more mourning than singing, and that is ok. It is perfectly ok to cry out in pain-too many people try and tell us how to feel and grieve and find joy. I wish they would stop :) I am me and they are them... My journey looks different from theirs. So now, I have enough strength to say, "Stop paying so much d__m attention to what you think I should be doing and look at your own stuff! 'Cause you got some, I promise. Everybody does."

If this is a little too honest for you :) well, .... hmmm. Maybe this isn't the blog for you. But I hope it is.

"You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the land of the living?"
Psalm 56:8,13

I have wandered... "so prone to wander"... but He has kept my feet from falling into death

so-

"do not rejoice over me, my enemy:
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be a light to me.

I will bear the indignation of the Lord,
because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case
And executes justice for me.

He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness."
Micah 7:8-9

Praises for His faithfulness.

There once was a dream that was Maximus...

2009-02-20T05:52:00.000-08:00

1st let me say there are no new pictures because the computer we have now is ancient, and we have no clue how to load photos. I miss our Mac.

Now to the main news...

After our little Maximus showed a little aggression to our children (and myself) by growling, we were a bit worried. And please know that I don't mean cute little 'play with me growling' but mean growling. I called a local vet and she said that wasn't normal at all. She gave me a few things to do and said if it persisted that it was a major issue. Duh right.

Well, I told Clint I felt we had to make a decision a little faster than that. Because what if we kept him and tried to work it out and he didn't improve? The longer he was in our house the more attached Aslan would be. So we made a choice to put him on Craigslist.

I prayed that if the Lord knew he wasn't a good fit for our boys to send someone. Within an hour or so a woman contacted me. She had older children and they just moved to the country. They were wanting him to guard goats. Yay! Perfect fit for Maximus.

But then I wondered if I was making a mistake until... Maximus bit Abraham in the face. :(

So for those of you that are thinking 'I told you so'... here you have it. Please don't call us and tell us that :)

I guess we will keep looking, or maybe wait until the boys are a little older.

I'm a fan of waiting. But we'll see.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

Today I was at the Y running and of course, every TV was tuned in on the big event. To be honest I am not sure how I feel about today.

I am happy for the fact that this day says to young black Americans that they are capable, endowed, and worthy of such accomplishments that, in the past, have been otherwise denied to them.

Interesting that yesterday was Martin Luther King, Jr. day.

Interesting that Sunday was Sanctity of Life day.

Oh the irony of it all.

I saw that the President and President Elect ate on replicas of the Abraham Lincoln china. Ironic.

"Lincoln is seen as a martyr for the ideal of national unity and human rights." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln

I wonder if Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln were mocked and criticized as 'one issue voters'? I wonder if they cared?

It is, in my opinion, a tragedy to campaign on the reputations of men who were willing to-and did-lose there lives fighting for the rights of human beings seen as ... less than human. It is a mockery to identify one's self with such greatness, all the while, supporting the tragic ending of millions of little girls and little boys in the name of... what? In the name of
choice
freedom
ease
reputation
education
advancement?

Oh that we would open our eyes.

Oh that I could support, with righteous reverence and holy submission our President. I pray for the wisdom to do so even as my heart aches for the unborn. No matter who does or does not acknowledge these precious gifts, the Lord Jesus Christ does. The same way He saw Hagar crying in the wilderness and gently cared for her precious child. The Lord God sees all, praises to His name.

May the church take a new direction in fighting for these children. May we find new ways to offer hope to these mothers. Let us open our eyes to a losing strategy and pray for wisdom to approach it fresh and new.

Ultimately, I pray that I might put aside my fear and platitudes in order to show the Gospel in His truest form. For He is Beautiful, Holy, Truth and ultimate freedom. May the world see Christ in my endeavors and in the Church's pursuits.

Thank You

2008-12-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

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"

2008-12-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-04T09:26:00.003-08:00

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!!!

2008-11-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-10-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-10-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-09-30T07:29:00.001-07:00

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????!!!!!

2008-09-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-09-18T05:58:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-05-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-04-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-04-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Ready or Not!!!!

2008-04-09T06:16:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2008-04-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

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 :)

2008-03-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

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!!

Aslan's 2nd Birthday party

2008-03-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had Aslan's birthday party. It was so much fun and I had such a great time planning and preparing. For the last few months I've been planning and picking up things slowly. Also, I have to send a huge Thank You! to my Aunt Becky who generously donated some great party things! Also, my hard working husband and our friends Ben and lindsay who helped us set up. We met Ben and Lindsay when they visited our church a couple of months ago and immediately hit it off. We have been getting together regularly since then and I'm extremely grateful for their willingness to give up a sunday afternoon to help set up my son's party! They are fabulous!

This was the entrance welcome, it was a Cars theme :)

Thanks to my sweet dad for supplying the tires!

This was "Winners Circle" :) where there were some fun games (on the right) and his "Victory" chair where he opened his presents. Notice the cool 'victory lane' sign my Aunt B sent. Loved it!

This was the "winner's circle" cake with the little cupcake cars surrounding the victory car :) Cheesy yes, but that is the fun of kid's birthday parties! Aslan loved it!

For snacks we also had:

Luigi's Famous White Wall Tires (chocolate cookies with a ring of white icing)

Radiator Springs One Stop Snacks (Graham crackers w/ chocolate icing & M&M's to look like traffic lights)

Filmore's Organic Fuel (Water)
This is my favorite picture! We were blowing out his candles, he loved the cake and the candles and was so excited. That made everything totally worth it!

Party Weekend Part 2

2008-03-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

We ate pizza, which was surprisingly, really good. Aslan sat right in the booth (no booster seat or high chair) and ate his pizza. Such a big boy!

These were fun drums and they made lots of sound, he loved it!!

The jet ski thing, not a big hit but I think Nana had fun.

This was a gun thing, again I think enjoyed more by the grandparent than the kid :) Love it!

It was so much fun watching him enjoy everything. Thank you Gramps and Nana for a fun night of pizza, games and kid chaos!

Party Weekend!!

2008-03-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

First Let me say that... I AM DILATED!!! WOO-HOO!! For those readers not so much familiar with pregnancy lingo, this baby is getting ready to make his big entrance!!! But I do need him to wait until I get a few more things together :) I'm confident he will, but it is still exciting to know that my body is preparing and that will make the induction easier.

This past weekend my parents came up to finish Aslan's birthday celebrations and we had so much fun! Aslan asked for them all week and then when they arrived Saturday night, he was so excited. They took us to Chuck E. Cheese and we had so much fun. It was complete insanity with all sorts of kids and interesting types but, fun nonetheless.

The fun slide, please notice his cute new hair cut.

Gramps helping him do the pound thingy.

He is riding the horse on Cinderella's carriage, not so much the ride but with Nana anything is possible.

The rocket ship, he wasn't real sure about this one.

2008-03-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

My Baby Is Two!

On March 9 my precious boy turned 2. I can hardly believe it has been two years since I first held him. Since the moment he entered this crazy world, he has been a complete joy. It seems impossible that he should be able to run and jump and sing and dance... say "no!", throw temper tantrums and ask the same question 500 times. But as much as I would love to keep him small, I am coming to love all the new things he is doing.

He wraps his arms around my neck and kisses both sides of my cheeks and then plants a big one right on my lips.

When we lay down to take a nap, he kisses my arm as he cuddles up to me. Then he rubs my face so sweetly, just as I do his.

He loves to make me laugh.

When I discipline him, he immediately kisses and hugs me (smart little fellow :)

I love all these sweet things. It makes every tantrum and difficult moment worth it, a thousand times. I wouldn't trade my job for anything in this world! I am so thankful for a husband who works so hard to let me stay home.

The Birthday Cake ( I made this all by myself!)

He loves Cars, so it was a big hit!

Such a big hit, that after he took all the cars of the cake, he didn't care to open any other presents! This is me trying to persuade him to open them. He is clearly uninterested.

Finally he opened one, the matching monkey spoon, fork and plate were a pretty big hit.

I also found this little drum set on clearance at Walmart for a really, really low price. Such fun!!

We had a great time, just the three of us enjoying his birthday. We had 12 inches of snow outside and a very toasty apartment inside (the only reason for my child being in nothing but a diaper and a t-shirt). So we just lounged around, played in the snow and had a happy birthday kinda day.

2008-03-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

Caught Chocolate Handed!

The other day as I was in the kitchen doing dishes, I was thinking how lucky I am to have a toddler who doesn't really get into things he's not supposed to. I was thinking how good he is and how I am just so lucky to be blessed with this fabulous little boy. And I am blessed, no matter what he does, but I was feeling particularly good about his behavior. Then... I decided to look at my "angel" to see what wonderful thing he was doing while I was in the other room. :) This is what I found...

My "angel" had dumped out all his books that I keep in this copper tin. Then he had stealthy stolen a chocolate chip cookie off the table that the neighbor had just brought over. He had made himself quite comfortable in this bin, eating his stolen goods and enjoying his movie when I found my little bit of perfection. I couldn't resist taking a picture, you can tell by the look on his face that he is completely aware of his deed and is probably wondering what my course of action will be. Unfortunately, he is too cute and I was too shocked to deliver any real punishment.

So even at the discovery that my "angel" is a little more mischievous than I was willing to believe, I am so blessed. Now I must go, because at present, my "angel" has emptied the entire contents of my purse and wallet out onto the ground... seriously.

Snow day... Again! (part 2)

2008-03-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

This was day two of the crazy snow. Aslan could barely wait to get out in it. He was also a little more adventurous the second day.

He must have tripped but you can see he just about disappeared!

OK another favorite. Since he didn't have any snow pants, Clint used this crazy tape to secure his pants to his shoes so that snow wouldn't touch his legs!! haha! But it totally worked! No snow in his shoes whatsoever!!

OK now ready for summer :)

Snow Day... Again!

2008-03-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite picture. Notice Aslan's little red face, he was so cold. But he loved it so much that he didn't want to come in.

The snow was so deep that Clint had to hold Aslan because he was sinking in it.

More to come, still having technical difficulties. :(

It's Been A While

2008-03-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

So it's been a bit since I've posted anything new. The past few weeks have been full and my mind is buzzing with all sorts of things. Also, the last few weeks of pregnancy are filled with little discomforts and aches and pains that keep me from my normal routine. But there are a few things worth mentioning that have happened over the past few weeks.

1. "Get a yankee to drive you!"

I'm pretty sure that comes from Dr. Moore. But it's the best advice for a southerner on snow days, advice that I had to learn the hard way. A couple of weeks ago I was taking dinner to a sweet family in our church when it started snowing. We had heard that it was supposed to really snow, but this home was only 5 miles from us. I was determined to deliver my meal. :( I should have waited.

After 45 min and only traveling 4 miles because the snow was coming down so heavily, I called my dad to ask if my van had 4 wheel drive :) It amazes me that I am almost 29 years old and I still call my dad when I get scared. He said of course it doesn't and I should turn around immediately... I didn't. So I got to the top of a hill at a very busy intersection and got stuck. I mean stuck right out in front, the very first car in the lane, seemingly in the middle of the road. The more I tried to move, the worse it got and by the time I was done, a little bit of my van was in all three lanes.

This was very scary. I could hear everyone around me gunning their engines and slipping and sliding around me, inches away from my van. So there I was at the top of this hill, with my son and my unborn child in my tummy, completely helpless, and crying. Thankfully the family I was bringing dinner to had a big truck and they came and saved me. My van was stuck at their house for four days. Needless to say, I learned the hard way that when it snows and you have someplace to go... "Get a yankee to drive you!!!" (or just stay home :)

2. I am having a baby in 4.5 weeks!!!

I guess about a month ago it hit me that a stork would not be bringing my baby to me and that I would indeed be delivering this child from my own body. After such a difficult delivery with Aslan, the anxiety of delivery set in. So after a few serious talks with my doctor, she suggested that I be induced early. I agreed whole heartedly and we chose the date of April 9!!! I will be 37.5 weeks and hopefully this will mean a smaller baby, thus an easier delivery!! I am so excited. Please pray that we have an easier time and for less trauma to moma and baby.

3. It snows too much in Louisville.

This past weekend we got almost a foot of snow... that is 12 inches too many!! We had planned to have our families up for a birthday weekend to celebrate Aslan's 2nd birthday. But we had to cancel our plans due to the arctic conditions. I am totally over snow.

But Clint and Aslan had a blast playing in it! In fact, Aslan loved it so much that he cried every time he had to come in.

I will post pictures soon. But for some reason the server? won't let me right now.

More to follow...

2008-02-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

Better Than Roses!

Usually for holidays Clint and I try and come up with some sweet, clever way to surprise each other. It is so much fun and we love to try and out due one another. However, this year we are short on time, finances and babysitters and this week I got stuck in the snow (more on that later) and my van is still at someone else's house. So I thought we had decided to skip the usual festivities and gifts.

But I woke up this morning and Clint had made me breakfast and coffee, which is not totally unusual. Then he surprised me with a little something.

I had seen it a couple of weeks ago at Starbucks and mentioned that I thought it would be a great thing to own. It is a great thing to own. We put it in the dvd player and watched it as soon as I opened it. As soon as "Hey Porter" came on Aslan started dancing, very cute. We decided that George Jones looks like a ventriloquist when he sings :), but even still he was our favorite guest singer on the dvd. It was a great gift~better than roses!

Happy Valentines Day!

The most beautiful boy!

2008-02-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

I know all I seem to be posting lately are pictures of Aslan... but I can't help it. He is precious and truth be told, I am beginning to get a little weepy about the coming months. The past two years of my life have been... indescribable. As a woman there are so many roles you play~wife, friend, home-manager, financial planner, daughter, house-keeper, grocery shopper, meal planner, nutritionist, confidant, servant, steward etc... But there has only been one that has come as natural as breathing, and that is motherhood. From the moment I laid my eyes on this child, I have been captivated by him. Every moment has been a joy and while I love watching him grow, every year that passes takes me farther and farther from those first days with him and closer and closer to... I'm getting a little carried away and I'm crying. He is only two :) or at least he will be on March 9th. I'm so excited about his little birthday but I also know that the time goes by so fast. So I can't help but get all sappy and cry and look at baby pictures and think of the first time I held him. Children are most certainly a blessing and for me, one of the most precious grace gifts from a wonderful God.

These were taken by someone in our sunday school class. We went to our first sunday school fellowship today and had a great time. But sundays are hard on little ones and he missed his afternoon nap so he was a little grumpy. However, thankfully most people didn't seem to notice. These are great pictures. I could just eat him up!!! He is so cute I can't hardly stand it!

Look at these two~I love the way Clint is looking at him. Two peas in a pod.

More Snow!

2008-01-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

It snowed again a couple of days ago and it was so pretty! So Clint decided to take Aslan out and play around in it for a little bit. I, of course did not go and play. I still have thin Florida blood and playing in the snow simply did not sound fun at 9am :) So I stayed inside with my cup of coffee and let them enjoy. He is so cute.

"Continuance in the faith is the mark of reality" Dr. W. S. H. Piper

2008-01-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

I just listened to a four minute excerpt from the Desiring God website and I wanted to share it.

Perseverance and Eternal Security

It's powerful and worth a few minutes.

The spoon, the snow and my burgeoning baby bump.

2008-01-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

Finally Aslan has showed real interest in using his spoon and fork! Not that I have been impatient for this because I knew he would do it when he was ready. He hates for his hands and face to be messy with food and is usually too impatient to fuss with his utensils. But I got him a really cute spoon and fork with animals on them and he loves them. Last night he ate macaroni and cheese with his fork and this morning it was Frosted Flakes with his spoon~ WOO HOO! I'm so proud! He did so good... and while I am truly excited it's a little bitter sweet. My boy is growing so fast and mostly it seems impossible that he should be able to do this :( But I am so proud!

The rest is continued on the next post, I can't figure out how to get all the pictures loaded on one page :( oh well. ( Next on the agenda~potty training... very scary!)

The spoon, the snow and my burgeoning baby bump continued...

2008-01-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

It snowed a couple of weeks ago and it was beautiful. Aslan loves the "now" as he calls it. This is the view out our front window.

Isn't he precious?! He just sat on the couch looking out the window saying "now, now" (snow without the s :) )
OK for those interested in my burgeoning baby bump. This was 25 weeks.

Pure Cuteness

2008-01-14T20:10:00.001-08:00

Some cute pictures of Aslan. This was his favorite outfit for a few days. A camoflouge hat, an old brown tie and a blue canvas belt. Adorable!

The cutest pouty face I've ever seen.

Fun With Fishy Noodles

2008-01-14T18:06:00.001-08:00

If I don't brag on my husband enough, let me take the time to do so now. One of the reasons I have loved him from the beginning was his genuine desire to love Christ and his desire to be truly genuine. Not to mention he has one of the most fun and dynamic personalities of anyone I've ever met, and it never turns off (unless he's asleep or really sick :)).This excitement and energy also comes through in his preaching and spiritual leadership and I love it! So do students, in fact they are captivated by him and the fact that he is 'cool' and really loves Jesus and has the ability to be fun and yet serious about the power and majesty of the Word of God. During his time as youth assistant at Belle Aire, I think he really impacted a lot of students and through the grace and power of Christ urged them towards a deeper and more intimate walk with Christ and a love for His Word. In fact I am certain of this and the guys below are just some of the fruit of his joyous labors. Clint led a small group of guys starting the summer before their junior year and actually felt led to stay in Murfreesboro to see them through the remainder of their high school career. So we happily postponed seminary so he could stay with them and the youth group. They are amazing young men and we were blessed by their desire to drive three hours to spend some time with our family. To be totally honest, I was a little unsure how I would fit in with three eighteen year old guys, however they were a blast!! I had so much fun with them and even stayed up until midnight saturday night hanging out with them. What a blessing!

From left to right: my munchkin, Alex Lewis, Ben Yeargen, Clint, and Micheal Gibelyou (This is half the group~the others couldn't be here because of other commitments)
Saturday we just hung out and ate and laughed and then talked some major theology. Then Sunday they went to church with us. When we got home Clint and I rushed to get the spaghetti ready, boys are very hungry people. So Clint was in charge of cleaning out the pot we had made beef stew in the night before so we could boil the noodles. When we sat down to eat, after eating my first bite I discovered they tasted like dog food. So instead of letting everyone suffer through gross spaghetti I declared they were gross and that all were exempt from eating them. So we sat there trying to figure out why they were so nasty, Ben thought they tasted like fish and Clint thought they tasted like beef (probably b/c he new he didn't clean out the pot good enough :( ).It was a bust but a funny and memorable meal. And then we played Scattergories. We had so much fun. They were GREAT!! with Aslan. He loved them!
Ben and Aslan had a great time too. Ben is 6'5 or 6'6 and likes to play rough so Aslan really liked him. Ben even went and played in Aslan's room with him. They were good buds.
The intensity of the game was in full force and I was concentrating. It was serious business.
Another shot of the guys. We are looking forward to their next visit the first of February.
Again, they were so much fun and very helpful. They are always welcome and we look forward to watching them conitnue to grow in Christ.

Resolute to be Resolute~

2008-01-03T18:56:00.001-08:00

* Resolute-admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.

* "For my determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly..." Philippians 3:10a Amplified

I am not a big New Year's resolution kinda gal. There is no real deep or profound reason why, I just don't usually get into that whole shin-dig. I guess it feels like there are always a hundred things swirling in my mind that I need to do better, or different, or not at all. Maybe it's because I can allow myself to get swallowed up in all the things I'm not to the point of discouragement and the thought of formally sitting down and thinking and penning such things down stresses me out. In order for their to be significant change in my life, on any subject matter, I admit I am desperate for The writing on the wall, if that makes sense. I admit that the only One who can bring about lasting change in the order of my thoughts and habits is Jesus. He is the only One who moves me so, who speaks tenderly enough yet mightily enough to reach into my wounded soul and breathe life and renewal. Of course there are many people who inspire me... Dr. Piper, Dr. Moore, Beth Moore, my sweet husband, but there is only one whose voice reaches my inner man. So while those hundreds of things-being a better wife, mom, friend, steward, cook :) etc... swirl and clamor for my attention, I understand that ultimately I need His voice and resurrection power to transform even the smallest of attributes. So I am resolute to be resolute in "perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person..." I love that, "the wonders of His person" oh the wonders. I am convinced that the more I see Him, the more I will be transformed into the likeness of His image and that is what I am truly desperate for. I am desperate for Jesus and everything about Him because He doesn't stress me out with a list of changes to be made or habits to break. Instead, ever so sweetly He invites me to holiness and into the place of His transforming power where I am truly molded into all those things I am desperate to be.

* "...that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection, which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share His sufferings as to be transformed in Spirit into His likeness even to His death" Philippians 3:10b

* "I shall not demean my own uniqueness by envy of others. I shall stop boring into myself to discover what psychological or social categories I might belong to. Mostly I shall forget about myself and do my work." Dr. Clyde Kilby

This is an excerpt from an article on John Piper's Desiring God website. When I read this this morning it almost made me cry. The whole article is beautiful and I hope you can read it. It definitely gives a sweet and poetic perspective on the important things in life.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Years With A Good Friend

2008-01-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

As a married couple we have never done very much for New Years. Usually we are snuggled warmly in our beds, fast asleep as everyone else is cheering the new year in with their party hats and plastic horns. But we have decided that it is time for us to take one more step into the adult family world and start making our own family traditions. So my plan was to make two big meals, one on New Years Eve and another on New Years day. This is a very scary thing because I can't really cook :) But Clint grew up in a family where food is a big tradition on holidays and I want to continue that for him and for our family. So this year I decided to conquer my fear of the culinary world and tackle the holiday meal. Thankfully our dear friend Daniel saved me from the big New Year's Eve meal, I think two might have been a little more than I could handle the first time around.

Daniel has been a great friend to us in more ways than just saving me from a scary cooking endeavor. He is actually the one who persuaded us to visit Southern last year at the October Preview conference. He helped us get signed up, and actually drove us around the entire weekend to show us the city and check out potential places to live. Since then he has consistently gone above and beyond to help us get situated here in Louisville and actually helped Clint unload our entire apartment. He is a great friend to Clint and is always encouraging Clint in so many ways. He has also been a great encouragement to me and Aslan absolutely loves Daniel. After we found out we were expecting again, Daniel watched Aslan for us so we could have a celebratory date. So when Daniel told us he was moving to a new apartment and would need some help, Clint jumped at the opportunity to help him. So new Year's Eve they spent the afternoon moving. Afterwards, Daniel's dad took us all out to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Then we rung in the New Year at our apartment with Daniel and his little sister Kim drinking Starbucks and chatting it up. Thank you Daniel for all you do for our family.

Then, New Year's Day it was time for my first cooking extravaganza! And to be totally honest-I had so much fun making all that food... half of which wasn't that great but nonetheless it was still fun. This is me showing of our Turkey. The first turkey I have ever made. And it was real, a real, bloody, raw Turkey breast that came from a once living Turkey. What a triumph!

This is a close up and it looks pretty disgusting. It looks like a fish or a big hippopotamus mouth. Gross yes, but! I cooked it! WHOO-HOO!

This is our spread on the table with my sad little dishes and poor man's salt and pepper shaker. We invited Daniel over and sat down to enjoy my home-cooked feast.

Daniel and Aslan watching a movie.
Clint... not really sure. Possibly his face after the Gator's lost their bowl game. Tragic.

So we had a great time eating my big holiday meal and enjoying the company of a good friend.

The Nadeau Family Menu:

Bacon and Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Pork Stuffing

Cornbread Stuffing

Green Bean Casserole

Mashed Potatoes

Shoe-peg Corn in butter sauce

Spicy Black-eyed Peas

Turkey Gravy

Yeast Rolls

Homemade Banana Pudding

The turkey was amazing! It was tender and juicy and had a great flavor. My cornbread stuffing... maybe not so much amazing, but good. But all of it was edible and not burned! And that is a major victory in my book.

Happy New Year and we love you all!

"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree..."

2008-01-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

"How lovely are thy branches!" I love Christmas and I love Christmas trees. Ours was so pretty in our little apartment this year. Clint and I stayed up one night after we put Aslan to bed and put it up. We were so excited to see his response the next morning. So we turned out all the lights except for the Christmas tree and walked in the living room... and he was mesmerized. Finally, after staring at it for a while he said in awe, " WOW." He makes everything so much more exciting. And he was so good, he learned very quickly that it was off limits to his little fingers. However, he had a harder time with the presents. We are so poor and can't afford to buy a lot of stuff, so I got these two little trains at Target for a dollar and put them each in a little bag with tissue paper. That way at least there was something under the tree for him... however the bag with tissue paper was torturous for him. And several times he was overcome by curiosity and had to open them. Thank goodness the memory of a 21 month old is very short. :)

Our pretty Christmas tree.

A few days after Aslan and I got home from my mom's we all packed up and went to my dad's for Christmas. Aslan really loved their tree as well, this is the one in their main living room. My dad is a big kid at heart and up in his office he has his very own tree with his very own ornaments. Just a few examples of his ornaments: Harley Davidson motorcycles, cars, tool boxes, sports things and of course numerous Elvis ornaments. I wish I had a picture of that tree. His office is also filled with boy toys like toy plains, cars and all kinds of stuff. He is a stellar mechanic and loves motorcycles and trains and tractors and guns and all things fast and dangerous. So needless to say his office is a boy's paradise and they had a lot of fun playing with all that.

I mentioned before that my dad is a big kid at heart (which you would never know at first meeting him because he is super quiet and reserved :)) but this is yet another example of him being fun. The santa hat he is wearing moves, the top part would move from one side to the other, very cute. Before we opened presents Christmas morning, Clint read the Christmas story. Then we all had fun watching Aslan opening all his things. I was so proud of him, he had such fun opening his gifts and then would give kisses of thanks to his Nana and Gramps. He also helped everybody else open their gifts, sweet.
He and Nana had a good time together. They played non-stop the entire time we were there. Here he is also sporting his new Christmas pj's he opened Christmas Eve. He had a very hard time understanding that we had to wait until Christmas day to open everything. So every day leading up to the 25th, he would wake up and run to the tree and pick up a package and sign 'please' (he refuses to actually say "please" so he signs it by rubbing his tummy-which is extremely cute and very hard to resist). Then he would get embarrassed when we would say no and he would start to cry. So Nana gave in on Christmas Eve and gave him just one to open (the pj's he is wearing) and he was completely satisfied. Heartbreaker.
He looks so serious :) He really had fun, but he was a little tired by the time we got started.
We had fun and enjoyed the time with our family. We also went home to Belle Aire the sunday morning before Christmas. It was so beautiful. It has always been a beautiful church and they are always very festive in their decor. But this year it was exceptional, maybe because I miss that church so much... but mostly because it really was beautiful.

As soon as I sat down long enough to take it all in, I started crying and didn't stop until the service was over. They had this huge, beautiful tree in the front with gold ornaments and this gorgeous teal shimmery ribbon flowing all the way down. On the back wall there were two huge wreathes with matching teal ribbon. The choir was full and sounded amazing and they had these gorgeous cream robes that almost looked shimmery gold with matching teal collars! It was breathtaking! And the orchestra was on stage and the music was incredible. My heart just soared at the beauty and comfort of being home and the emphasis placed on our sweet Savior.

Our pastor, who is a very quiet and reserved man, was so visibly excited too. When he took his place behind the pulpit he raved about the music and acknowledged the music minister for his heart to worship the Lord with such obvious passion, the whole church stood clapping with pleasure. Then he went on to preach an exciting and passionate and very evangelistic Christmas message. The service ended with the congregation standing as the choir sang "The Hallelujah Chorus" and by that time I had cried every bit of make-up off my face.

I love Belle Aire and I love our family there. We were there for over an hour after the service ended talking and being loved on by our church family. It was a little hard to leave. However, our empty stomaches and the excitement of an afternoon date compelled us to finally say good-bye. Also, our pastor made plans to have lunch with Clint on Wednesday, which made the entire trip for him. Being there was a perfect beginning to our Christmas festivities and Clint's lunch with our pastor was the perfect ending. They had met together for months before we moved and formed a sweet mentor/friendship. It meant the world to Clint for him to show such affection for him and his encouragement sent us back to Louisville with a renewed sense of purpose and courage. Our move to Louisville has not been an easy transition and has left us feeling a bit discouraged at times. So Brother Dean's encouraging words to Clint were transforming. What a great time. Praises to the Lord for His thoughtfulness and compassion towards our family. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

Christmas at Granny's

2007-12-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

My mom was so excited to have us and of course she totally got lost on the toy isle and bought Aslan a ton of toys. Here they are playing together~sweet.

This is going to be a fun Christmas because it's the first time Aslan understands how to open a present. He loved opening the packages more than the toys I think :)

Sorry this is not the right way, but Clint is working and I have no idea how to fix it :) But it was 73 degrees when we arrived in Florida so we had fun outside enjoying the weather~it was beautiful!
This is my boy being absolutely adorable and playing peek-a-boo with my mom. So cute!

A Series of Random Thoughts

2007-12-18T18:40:00.000-08:00

1. Good To Be Home

Aslan and I arrived safe and sound to our humble little apartment last night. And no matter how much this may not be my most favorite apartment, it's ours~ with our Christmas tree, our two little gifts, and all of our other things that make it our home. I walked in to the smell of cinnamon mixed with beef stew cooking on the stove. I have a very thoughtful husband who is also a great cook, he made sure the house looked perfect for us and was smelling good and homey. You have no idea how grateful and blessed I feel to be his wife. We had a nice time and we actually had to borrow a large suitcase from my mom just to pack all the toys she bought him. But, it's a great feeling to come home after a week of being gone and curl up on my own couch with my sweet husband, and then nestle into my own bed with my own pillows. I love being home. I love the comfort of my family. I love the fact that the Lord has blessed us so richly.

2. Christmas: A Divine Babe or A Fat Man... and Can You Do Both?

I just read a very humorous and very real blog entry by my dear friend Shai on the place of Santa in their home. When we had Aslan, Clint and I went through the same holiday questions. It seems as though we have a culture bent on counterfeiting anything having to do with the celebration of Christ. But since the beginning of time, our arch enemy has been desperately trying to surpass the supremacy of Christ in all things. So I don't suppose the most precious Christian holidays would be exempt. So we decided as a family, not to decide whether santa and the easter bunny are evil creatures trying to steal our souls, but to ask ourselves~how can Jesus receive the most glory through our observance of His most miraculous works. We have currently come to the conclusion that we won't ignore santa~but on the advice of my aunt~ we would instead talk about St. Nick in his place. The legend of St. Nick was that he was a devout Bishop devoted to Christianity, who was persecuted for his faith and endeavored to help save others being persecuted, speculated to be present at the Council of Nacaea, and was named the 'secret gift giver'. The story goes that he would toss bags of money or gold in needy peoples windows that would be found in socks hanging to dry by the fire (hence the hanging of stockings). But even as noble as that story is, it is and should always be entirely secondary to the beauty of The Ultimate Gift of God in Christ Jesus. This should be the most precious of times for us as believers as we humbly remember our majestic, mighty God~ who was born in a stable among animals and poor people so that we might see the glory of God through His redemptive power on His future cross. But I think that is a fight among our world today because we have all grown up with the commercial glitz that culture has to offer. So as we begin our families, and ask ourselves how we will teach our children to pursue the Glory of God in all things, while experiencing all the joy and cheer that God intended His Son to bring ~ we are right to put santa in his rightful place. He belongs in the very back ground of our festivities, a side note, a funny fictional thing that belongs on cartoons with snowmen and glowing reindeer. And we are compelled to allow Jesus to take His rightful place as the central King of Glory reigning victoriously and joyfully over all our celebrations. That is a joyful thing, full of peace and happiness and ultimate fulfillment that will last through all eternity.

3. My Sweet Babies

Aslan has come down with a yucky little cold that he caught from me :( But he has been so precious and has just wanted to cuddle and sleep with me and on me. And while I absolutely hate when he is sick, I love to just cuddle and hold my baby.

Abraham is a little live wire... hahaha imagine that. He moves around so much and he packs a serious punch. Already, he can totally surprise me with an unexpected kick. He is certainly growing!

Love you all!

Off To Florida!

2007-12-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

Today Aslan and I are leaving to go to Nashville to spend the night with my parents. I know Martha and Aslan will have a grand time playing tonight. Then early tomorrow morning we will be flying to Jacksonville Fl!! I am so excited to just be in my home city I can hardly stand it. I love Florida. I am also looking forward to seeing the best friend I've ever had (besides Jesus and my husband of course) Karen Spain Roy! She has been through so much with me and has remained very near and dear to my heart. Then we are driving to Screven, Ga which is where my mom and Granny Lord live. This happens to be the smallest town I've ever seen, with only one red light and a post office. It's the first time I've spent any time there in a very long time. I'm praying that we will have a wonderful time visiting and... learning to knit! That may indeed be the high light of the trip for me ;) Not really but I am looking forward to it and am very hopeful that it will be a great trip. Pictures soon to follow...

Merry Christmas!

Introducing Abraham Nadeau!

2007-12-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

We could not be more excited that we are expecting another little boy!

The profile pictures are my favorite.
His precious little feet! I can't wait to kiss all over those little hands and feet!
Praises to the Lord for this beautiful, healthy baby boy! Can't wait to get my hands on him!

Family Fun!

2007-11-28T18:10:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving

2007-11-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. We spent the first couple of days with my parents and had a great time. However, we didn't get any pictures of Turkey or our whole family. We did get a cute picture of our 'little turkey' being ever so cute in some crazy wig his nana had :)

My sister and her three boys came over later in the afternoon on Thursday. They LOVE Clint so they all had a great time hanging out. Heather's birthday was saturday so we celebrated friday night? Not sure why we didn't wait... I think her boys were so excited they couldn't wait~sweet. We love them to pieces!
Saturday we spent the day in Clarksville and had a great time with Clint's family. This is Grandpa Nadeau and our extremely handsome little one.
Playing in Grandpa's yard and having a blast!
Uncle Lee and Aslan had so much fun chasing each other down the hall. Who needs toys with Uncle Lee around!

More Attention Please!!!!

2007-11-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

I was just looking over our little family blog and realizing how utterly boring I've been over the past few weeks to write nothing! I am so sorry to the few who like to look regularly and comment (which lets me know people actually do read this). But soon after my last entry, my son started acting horrendous... and this is entirely out of character for my sweet boy. So after about two days of this insanity, reading numerous child rearing books, being head-butted by my child, and a whole lot of complaining to Martha~it finally dawned on me what 'alien' had taken over my child. The common child 'alien' of "More Attention Please!!!"

I have been sick for almost 5 months and have not exactly been altogether with it in regards to my usual duties and joys of caring for my son and home. So I decided that I needed to put some unnecessary things aside and play with my son. And that is exactly what I did, and within 24 hours my loving and affectionate son returned and life was good again. We played on the floor with his toys, danced and stomped around the apartment, blew so many bubbles that his carpet was soaking wet and went to the park.

Any one that knows me knows that I am not so much a neat freak and that on any given day my house is most likely to be strewn with a million different toys and other various items my son has pulled from some remote place in our apartment. I struggle with the balance of homemaker and mommy. Perhaps the best advice I have ever gotten was from my Granny Bea who told me that this was not the time to be overly stressed about my home looking exactly the way I want, that soon my children would be grown and no longer wanting toys and other such toddler things. She was so right! The time has already gone by so fast and Aslan will be two in 3.5 months :( So here I've been for the past few weeks, relishing in my sons toddlerhood and having a blast stomping and dancing and blowing bubbles.

I'm thankful he is grouchy when left to himself for too long because I fear I might have carried on and missed such fun times that will no doubt creep back into consciousness in the most inopportune times... like when he learns to drive a car, graduates or gets married. He just steals my heart and usually, even when he's grouchy, slays me with his precious face. I hope he can always say that while his mom may not have been the very best housekeeper, that he never had any doubt that I was crazy about him and would drop just about anything to blow bubbles and dance around. So I will continue to strive for a balance in housekeeping :( and mommyhood, but I hope I never get too busy to remember that one day my precious little boy won't be blowing bubbles anymore and may very well be going places I can't follow. One day my little dancer-singer will hopefully be a mighty warrior for the cause of Christ, so can you blame me for choosing the bubbles over the dishes?

17 Weeks Already!!

2007-11-13T18:04:00.000-08:00

Today was my 17 week check-up. My precious doctor whom I love is out on 6 week maternity leave so I saw a different doctor :( I did not love her. It made me very thankful for the friendly and genuine disposition of my physician. But we heard that precious baby, which was so sweet. Just a few more weeks and we will find out whether it's a boy or a girl!

The Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Our Little Lion

2007-10-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our sweet little family went to a pumpkin patch to enjoy the fall holidays. Aslan was the cutest little lion I have ever seen. However, a bit of a grumpy and uncooperative little lion. And after we saw how expensive the pumpkins were, mom and dad felt a little grumpy and uncooperative too. But we still managed to get some great pictures and left with the smallest pumpkin for 2$.

In hope against hope, he believed...Romans 4:18

2007-10-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest things we have done as a young married couple has been moving to Louisville. It has been one overwhelming trial after another. It has been a storm like no other that we have encountered together. There have been such intense swells of difficulty that I felt we were surely drowning. At the moments when I thought I simply couldn't breathe under the weight of it, His glorious hand would reach me... He makes me cry. He refreshes my soul by His thoughtfulness and at the same time breaks me with His tenderness. He has used the most faithful people to renew us~ my parents, my mom, my aunt, my grandparents, sj. Without His touch on their hearts, and without their obedient faithfulness I dare not think about how the past few months would have been. They are all reminders of God's love and faithfulness to our family.

Through this intense time of trial, we have grown so much~ Glory to God. And yet, we are keenly aware that we have so much more to learn. Before we moved, the Lord presented me with a tough question. "Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" to which, in all my superficiality, I responded...honestly I might add, "I think not." And I was embarassed before Him to realize that, while these are important things, they consumed me. So here we are, some time later, and we can't afford groceries and we can't afford clothes for my growing body or even to replace Clint's tatered, torn work shoes. And do you know, that in the midst of all of this, I feel more at peace than I ever have. Now this is not to be confused with the fact that there are still times that I am afraid. But I choose to trust.

This morning I sat down, and asked Jesus to speak to me. I really wanted Him to tell me how it turns out. He has done that before with situations... but He chose not to give those answers. Instead, this is what He spoke to me through His Word, "Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" to which, in my weathered and bare state, I responded, "I think so." This is why He leaves me breathless. I didn't go searching for that, He brought it to me so bold and strong. And He said, as He has so many times before, "In hope against hope, he believed... will you?"

"Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace,
Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonet sung by flaming tongues above,
Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my ebeneezer, hither by thy help I've come.
And I hope by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wondering from the fold of God.
Oh He to rescue me from danger interposed His precious blood.

Oh to grace how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be.
And let thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wonder Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above."

150 Beats per Minute!

2007-10-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

Today was my 12 week prenatal visit. I love my new doctor! After we chatted for a few minutes about the last few weeks, we got to the fun stuff~listening to that baby! At first she had a hard time finding the beat. It was almost as if she read my mind because she quickly told me not to worry, that it was normal (one of the many reasons why I love her). And then... there it was, precious and soft and 150 beats per minute!! It was so special~you can never get used to that sound. I have to say that after this appointment, I feel safe to really get excited! All day long I've been thinking that deep inside my body, there is a second little heart beating. And I am already smitten by this growing little one. Praise the lord for this perfect and precious gift!

Two weeks ago, we had an early ultrasound and got to see the baby. Unbelievable! At one point the tech went into what seemed like 3-d and we could see so perfectly baby's little arms and legs which were so snugly tucked under that little cute bum. Amazing. But I don't have a scanner, so instead I thought I would show you Aslan's precious 20 week ultrasound profile :) Isn't he beautiful?! What is so amazing is the nose in the picture is just exactly what his nose looks like! Technology is amazing~and even more so is a loving God who knits together precious children for us to love. Praises to His name!

I love these babies!!

Our first entry!

2007-10-10T18:28:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our new family blog! After enjoying everyone else's family updates I decided to create one of our own. This should be interesting since our camera is broken :( but I will do my very best to get pictures posted. This one is from Aslan's first trip to the zoo. More to come as soon as I figure this thing out...