Merry Christmas

We want to wish all of our friends and family a Merry Christmas! This is a special time of year filled with joy, memories, family time, and rest! We are very grateful for all that Christ has done for us this last year (and for the last 29 yrs). As I sat waiting for the Christmas Eve service to begin tonight I couldn't help but think how much our lives have changed since I sat in that same section 1 year ago. This year we both accepted new jobs. Fortunately I am the only one that relocated. Rando just changed positions at Hebron. God knew exactly what we needed and when we needed it.

We have learned so much about God's timing this year. All in a span of 2 wks Rando accepted the position as College Pastor, I started at Harbins, we paid off Rando's truck, and we learned we were having a baby (later to learn we were actually having 2 babies). For several years I thought it was the perfect time to start a family, but God had much greater plans! We have been blessed with 7 1/2 years together as a couple and are now ready for our baby boy and baby girl! Our God is perfect in every way and His plan is always perfect!

We have been to the doctor twice in the last 2 wks. The first was an appt. with a specialist. They measured the babies and we got to see them on the screen for about 40 min. Both babies were abt. 12 oz (Rando says I am carrying 2 coke cans) and growing at the right pace. Yesterday we went to my actual doctor's office. The doctor we saw yesterday is actually the one that delivered Adam and saved his and mom's life! He was extremely nice and made my day when he said I wouldn't have to go back to the specialist because everything was looking so good! Their heartbeats were great! We go back on Jan. 20th for another ultrasound and sugar test (can't wait... ha ha). It is crazy to think that we could be just 3 1/2 mths from the arrival of our precious babies!

Below are a few of our latest pictures. Since we spent most of Oct. and Nov. following the bulldogs the pictures are from Athens and on the road at Kent. and Auburn!

We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Seeing our babies!

Last Thursday night we had a very special evening! First, I got off of work early and was able to shop a little with my sister. I didn't find too many Christmas presents, but it was still nice to hang out with Dana. We then met dad and Rando and drove to mom's school. We all piled into the van and headed to Alpharetta. There was much anticipation on what gender the babies would be. Of course none of us had specific preferences we just all wanted healthy and growing babies! Dana had some interesting choices for names picked out (none of which will be used)!

The 3D/4D experience was amazing. It was so cool to see our babies moving and interacting with one another. First, we found out there was definitely 1 boy. He was precious and not modest at all! He was quite proud of himself (you can imagine the comments dad and Rando had). It took a while to decide what the other babies gender was, and we never got a declaration. The technician was almost certain we also have a girl. She was a little more modest and used her cord to "hide" herself (we love her modesty and pray she stays that way through life). We should know soon.

They already have personalities! Our little boy was laid back and trying to relax. His sister had other ideas. She kept trying to get his attention and even looked to be "whispering" in his ear. He spent some time in "prayer" with his hands clasped together and tried his best to ignore his "pesky" sister. The whole time they were being videoed music was playing. We had all ignored the music, but all of our ears perked up when Jesus Loves Me came on. Jesus already loves these precious little babies and has since time began. God is forming and making them in His likeness! It is simply amazing! We cannot wait to meet our bundles of joy! I count down the days to each appointment because I get to see them again! God is so good!

Here are some pictures of our precious babies! Enjoy!


Our baby girl trying to tell secrets.



She doesn't want us to know what she is saying!



Brother is tired of her and says, "Leave me alone!"



Baby Boy Being Cute



Our future preacher praying!



Baby Girl Showing off and Dancing



Sweet Baby Girl Getting Comfortable

14 weeks!

Wow! Time flies by! It seems like yesterday that we learned we were pregnant and then that we were having twins! Today we got to see our precious babies again. One of my students asked if I was going to the doctor to let the babies out today. We have a LONG time until that comes. Both babies are very healthy with strong heart beats. We are hoping to do a 3D ultrasound in a few weeks and if we time it right we should be able to learn the gender(s).

This last week mom and I went to look at baby beds. We got such a good deal that we got the whole bedroom set. I can already tell these babies are going to be spoiled, and I am going to be broke! I am hoping to clean out the baby room and prepare it for furniture over the holidays. That is going to be a BIG task!

For those that have been asking, I am getting a belly. I have been showing a while but unless I wear my maternity jeans (I can't wear any other jeans) others can't tell b/c I am only comfortable in looser pants. I have to say that so far pregnancy has done me some good in the weight matter. I have actually lost weight since my first appt., but I know that is not going to last. For a while there I was throwing up a couple times a day, but now it is down to maybe once a week so I know those numbers will be rising (but I have a good excuse now).

I now have a lot of my energy back and feel pretty good. I don't feel like I am a terrible teacher anymore b/c for a few weeks there I had very little energy and could not devote near the time I need to on my students. My kids are too cute! I have the best class in the world this year (sorry if I had your child in the past, but I am learning that 1st grade is wonderful). One kid told me today that he can't wait to meet my babies b/c they are going to be so cute! Another kid asks me if I am okay every time I cough or sneeze. I am in good hands at school!

Rando has been a king! He is so good to me and these babies! I am so blessed! My dad is cracking me up. He has never been an overprotective dad, but now he is! We both have such wonderful families!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less than a month away and Christmas 2 months. Time is flying by! Take some time to spend with your family this weekend and I can't forget to say, "GO DAWGS!!!!!"

Love you all!

Twins!!!!

Oh my! We have had an exciting day! As tired as I have been I can't imagine trying to go to sleep right now. While at our 1st ultrasound I asked, "It is only one?" Kind of surprised because I have thought for weeks and honestly most of my life that I was having / would have twins. The nurse said, "No, actually there are two." Of course then Rando wanted to have clarification that there were only two. We just sat there and laughed because we were so thrilled and shocked and a million other emotions. I can honestly say I wasn't scared at all (well except for when I thought about delivery and I still can't stomach that). We are so thankful we serve an awesome God that does not give more than we can handle!

These last few weeks I haven't been able to update because when I have gotten home I have not been very mobile. I have been exhausted (and now understand why). I have also been sick a good bit. I hope that part is coming to an end soon!

Our families were thrilled. Rando's mom didn't believe us so we had to send a picture to her through the phone. She was excited when she got to see the picture!My dad's face in the pictures below are hysterical! Adam was fun to listen to on the phone, and Dana proclaimed to all that she knew it because she was with me when I tried on maternity clothes the first time and no girl this early is showing that much without there being 2. Mom is excited and said she kind of knew but didn't want to get my hopes up. My grandparents were shocked! My grandmother in Florida couldn't stop laughing. She has a twin brother and my granddad had a twin sister. This is why it wasn't a surprise. Of course it was suppose to be my mom that had the twins, but I am glad we are getting this extra joy!

We have had a great day! Enjoy the pictures below! We appreciate the prayers and love of all of our friends and family!

7 Weeks

Well, as of today I am 7 weeks! I have enjoyed getting email updates from BabyCenter.com regarding the growth of the baby. God's creation is absolutely incredible and to be a part of it is simply amazing! This week the baby is forming hands and feet. In one week the baby has doubled in size and is now about a half of an inch long.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers. So far the sickness has been at a minimum. I feel the worst in the evening and have only gotten truly sick 1 time. Rando is still treating me like royalty! I am truly blessed. He has always been a prince, but he has really gone above and beyond lately!

This last weekend we spent some time with our friends Mark, Christi, and 1 year old Natalie. It was fun to play with Natalie knowing that it won't be long until we have a little one running around. She helped us see the things we need to do to baby proof the house because she is at the age where they get into everything! We had a great time playing Rock Band, Guitar Hero (Mark and Christi, thanks for letting us borrow the Wii until we get ours), and watched the Georgia game!

It is our prayer that you are all having a wonderful week! Take some time this week to thank God for creating each of us with such detail and precision!

Love you all!

Yes, it's true: We are expecting!!!!!

We have been greatly anticipating today when we could tell everyone our big news! God is so faithful and never ceases to amaze me. When we started trying 2 years ago I knew that it would be God's timing and not mine and boy am I glad! So many things have fallen into place the last month and it has been exciting to sit back and watch God at work! I can't get over the fact that He is over the entire universe and yet He still cares about the details in our lives (like jobs, pay, truck payments, ect). And then on top of all of that He knows when we are ready for children!

Our parents are thrilled! Rando's parents found out Friday night and have been busting to be able to tell family and friends. We told my family today while at Maggianos for Rando, Dana, and Adam's birthdays. For those of you who were at Hebron this morning, after this news dad didn't push for us to pay anymore (like he would have anyways). We couldn't get him off the phone tonight as he had to call everyone! Rando and I also enjoyed calling friends tonight to share the good news. We weren't able to get to everyone, but it was nice to share the excitement with those we could get in touch with.

Dana and Adam are excited about being an aunt and uncle. They loved their bibs that say, "I love my Aunt Dana" and "I love my Uncle Adam". Hopefully I'll get the pictures up soon as they both wore their bibs for a picture!

Well, our due date is April 27th. I am looking forward to getting to spend a long summer with the baby (of course several people are convinced it will be babies)! We greatly appreciate the prayers of all our friends and family This is very new to us and we have no experience! Fortunately we have a BIG God that we know will lead and direct us!

Have a great Labor Day and try not to labor!

We love y'all!

Everythings New for Us!

As you can tell I haven't posted our vacation pictures or fun stories on here yet. Yes, we had a blast, but of course when we came home life got rolling fast. I thought I would be the only one starting a new job when we got back, but Rando has also started a new job. No, he did not leave Hebron! He is now the College and Twenty-somethings Pastor. It has been a whirlwind these last few weeks as he is diving into his new job and I have been trying to support him while starting at my new school in a new grade level! The only thing consistent for us is that we are still never home at night. The best thing about me working at Harbins is that we do see each other a lot!

Hopefully soon I'll have a chance to update further, but I didn't want anyone to think I had quit blogging totally! I just have to let school and life settle down first!

Have a great weekend!

Summer is all about family, friends, and rest!

As we prepare for the last adventure of summer I can't help but think about all the fun we have had the last several weeks! As you will see below we have been very busy! In between all of this fun Rando has worked and I have gone through a class and taught a week of summer school. I love summer and am so thankful for a job where I have 2 months to spend tons of time with my incredible husband, awesome family, and fun friends. Below are some of the highlights!

Braves

Thanks to some very gracious church members we had tickets to several Braves games recently. We reunited with a great college friend, Ryan Brooks, for one game (Dana and Adam went too). Of course we lost that game, but we saw the Tomahawk chopping cow revealed and saw some great fireworks. We had a hilarious time laughing and joking in the car! Ryan fit right in with our family! A few days later me and Rando took a date just the 2 of us and enjoyed a game. We always have such a good time together!

Swimming with the Family

One evening a few weeks ago we enjoyed a night by the pool at mom and dad's house. We even got my grandparents to come over and sit on the deck while we swam. This was in between hospital stays for my grandfather (God has shown His perfect timing as granddaddy is now well and ready to go on vacation with us). We enjoyed laughing at Adam, Rando, and Rylan (Adam's best friend). We are all so grateful dad gave in to our years of begging for a pool. It makes summer days relaxing and summer nights fun for the whole family!

Wedding

The weekend of June 29th Rando officiated a wedding while I directed it. The bride is one of our best friend's sister. We enjoyed getting to know Matt and Katie better through the whole process. It was a beautiful wedding! We enjoyed getting to spend time with Mark, Christi (Katie's sister), and Natalie too! The pictures in the slideshow of us in the woods are from the rehearsal.

30 Years at Hebron

The same day as Matt and Katie's wedding we celebrated Dad and Mom's 30th anniversary of being at Hebron. It was a beautiful night! I was grateful for the opportunity to share how special my parents are to our family and how special Hebron is to us! I am so blessed to have been raised in a church that loves the Lord, each other, the community, their pastor, and his family. Thank you Hebron family for being a HUGE part of our lives! I also have to add that I enjoyed going back to my parents' house afterwards and laughing at all the funny pictures the church had gathered. WOW! The hairdos my parents sported in the early Hebron days were too funny. Of course Dana and Adam pointed out that I had my share of hairdos too. We had a great night laughing and reminiscing. I love my family and always have fun when we are together!

I am also VERY grateful that we are now serving at Hebron. To see my husband so happy on a daily basis as he is ministering and serving at such an awesome place brings me so much joy! We honestly couldn't be in a better place!

Night out with our Rome Friends

Although we do not all still live in Rome we make sure to get together several times throughout the year. Usually we meet for game nights, but this time we changed it up some. On July 3rd, we met up at Stone Mountain for a picnic, the LaserShow, patriotic fireworks, and LOTS of fun! We even saw part of the mountain catch on fire and the firemen hard at work putting it out! We had a great time laughing and enjoying each others company. Now that half of us live in the Walton/Rockdale area and the other half live in Rome we have many stories to share! We never spend time together without laughing and enjoying ourselves!

July 4th

We had a lazy Independence Day. We went to mom and dad's house (they were already in Miami) and spent the day with Dana, Adam, and Rylan. We swam, enjoyed a great dinner by Dana (tacos - not the most patriotic meal but loved by the boys (I ate a hamburger)), watched the boys play Tiger Woods for HOURS (at least it seemed), and then laughed as the guys displayed some fireworks. In true Dana fashion she surprised us by setting up the karaoke machine with a patriotic cd. The only problem from the night was when Adam burnt his hand with one of the fireworks. It was a fun evening with several stories that we will have to keep from mom and dad if we ever want to shoot fireworks again! Shhh.... don't tell them :o)


Dropping off Noodle

This last Sunday we took Noodle to her mamaw and papaw's house. We enjoyed spending several hours with them. It was hard to say goodbye to our little girl. We won't see her for over 2 weeks, but we know she is in good hands and having lots of fun. We then enjoyed a great meal with Rando's parents. We are looking forward to going back up there in a few weeks to pick Noodle up and to spend more time with them. On the way home the 2 of us had some great discussion of our dreams and goals for the future! I love our time driving down the road just the 2 of us! We truly are best friends!

Vacation

Now, it is time to pack for vacation! We will be meeting up with mom and dad on the cruise ship this Saturday. They have been cruising for a week already. All 8 (mom, dad, Dana, Adam, Granny, Granddaddy, Rando, and myself) of us are ready for this time together. I am sure the next post will be full of fun stories and pictures!

Have a great summer and make sure you make some time for fun with family and friends! Enjoy the pictures below!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Summer Fun and Holidays

I have to begin by saying how much I am enjoying summer! This break has been so nice! We have had a fun summer so far. A few weeks ago our friends from Rome came down so that the guys could play in the Hebron golf tournament. They had a lot of fun and us girls enjoyed relaxing and playing with baby Jacob. We missed Christi though as she had to work! After the guys finished playing golf we all took naps and then Rando grilled for us. Mark brought Natalie over so we had another little one to play with (we are fortunate to have them live only 15 min. away now). Notice in the picture below what Natalie's favorite toy was - NOODLE!



June is full of holidays for our family! On June 2nd we celebrated being married for 7 years! It is so hard to believe that it has already been 7 years. The best thing is that we love each other more each day! We are amazed at where God has brought us in our lives. We truly are blessed. For our anniversary we took advantage of the free dessert coupons that Dominicks sent us. If you live in Gwinnett and you haven't been to Dominicks you need to go. There is one on the square in Lawrenceville and one in downtown Norcross. We enjoyed a nice quiet Italian dinner. We got out of there fast so we went to play putt-putt (a favorite summer activity for us). I actually won. Rando says I must play better in the dark b/c the place forgot to turn on the lights. Here we are on our anniversary date.



After our anniversary comes the birthdays. Dad's is June 6th and mine is the 8th. On Friday night we went to Bugaboo Creek to celebrate mine and dad's birthdays. Below is a picture of me with the lovely moose that sang to us. I wish I had the picture of dad with the moose, but Rando refused to take a picture of that b/c he said dad was his boss and he liked his job :o). Dana has one though if you want to see it. She is the child that can get away with that stuff!



Sunday after church just the two of us celebrated my birthday. First, Rando showered me with gifts. He really spoils me! After our Sunday afternoon nap (Rando knows that even birthday celebrations can't interrupt my Sun. nap) Rando surprised me by taking me to the Cheesecake Factory. I had just gotten done telling his mom on the phone that I wasn't much into birthday cake. It really isn't something we have done in my family since we became teenagers and adults (I have learned that I have accidentally broken the Acres' tradition on that one b/c we don't do cake for Rando's birthday either - of course I am sure we will for our kids one day), but the Cheesecake Factory was the perfect birthday cake. They even decorated my piece (of course they don't give it to you free for your birthday though). We had a great time, and I loved my surprise!







This last week we were BUSY with Vacation Bible Camp (VBS combined with Children's Camp). We worked in recreation. The inflatables were a HUGE hit. Of course we had about as much fun as the kids did on the stuff. You should have seen Rando doing the big space shuttle. We had a great week as over 2700 kids came at one point or another to VBC. There were a lot of decisions for Christ made! God moved in an incredible way! We are so blessed to be a part of a great church that LOVES to reach out to the community! Here are some pictures from VBC rec!

The famous space shuttle.



Rando getting off of the space shuttle after coming down backwards!



The big inflatables



A few smaller ones



Saying goodbye to the space shuttle




Have a great week and try to stay cool! We love you all!

Summer has arrived!

Yes, I know that summer is not official until the middle of June, but as a teacher summer starts the day I get out of school!!! This last Friday I said goodbye to some great friends at work and cried a few tears. There are a few people I am going to miss dearly, but I am very excited about my new adventures as a first grade teacher at Harbins! The last few days at work I spent a lot of time with two of my best friends, Chrissy and Connie. We shared many laughs, and I know our dinners out will not stop!

One of the saddest things was leaving my parapro, Claudia. We have worked together for all 4 years that I was at Magill and we truly were a team! I am grateful for our friendship! Here is a picture of us during the last week of school!



Now that summer is here I am looking forward to spending more time with Rando! The last few weeks have been very busy for both of us as I have been packing up a classroom and he has had basketball tournaments. I am also looking forward to time by the pool at mom and dad's. I decided this year to not do the tanning bed to save money and my skin. I need a tan and am excited about getting started on it as early as tomorrow!

I am also looking forward to more Braves games. This is always our favorite part of the summer. Last Friday we saw an incredible game (even though we froze) and we are looking forward to the next!



Have a great Memorial Day! Thank you veterans and current members of the Armed Forces for fighting for our freedom! Let us remember the price that has been paid!

Spring Training at Disney

WOW! 2 weeks ago we had the time of our life spending time together sharing in a mutual love for baseball! For the last few years we have both talked about wanting to go to Braves Spring Training and we decided this was the year to do it! God blessed us with great fellowship together, incredible baseball, fun at the parks, and beautiful weather. In 5 days we went to 4 Disney Parks, 3 Braves games, 1 evening at Disney Quest, met all of our favorite Braves, and most of all enjoyed spending time with each other! The parks were so empty that we got in all 4 of the parks and Disney Quest in 3 days saving 2 days on our tickets for the future (the plus of purchasing not expiring tickets)! I can't believe I haven't mentioned eating like royalty for 5 days! The Disney dining plan kept us full.

As you will see below in the slideshow we not only saw Braves' stars, but also NBA, NFL, and ESPN stars while at ESPN The Weekend at MGM. Jeff Francoeur and Tim Hudson got on Tower of Terror right in front of us (that will explain the picture of the elevator in the slideshow). We had so much fun we plan on doing a shorter and less expensive Spring Training trip every year that we can!

I cannot say enough how blessed I am to have a wonderful husband. God knew the exact one for me! The fact that we share a love for sports is just icing on the cake!

Enjoy the pictures!


Spring Training at Disney 2008

Change can be good!

It has been so long since I have posted. Life does not seem to slow down! Since before Christmas I have known God was paving the way for some changes in my career. At the beginning of the year I thought I would be at Magill for this year and next. After a rough first month of school I realized that may not be the case. We lost 4 kindergarten teachers due to not having enough students and if we had lost 5 I would have been gone (to another school). I did not want to this happen in the future and now I was at the bottom of the totem pole (even though I am grade chair and a leader in many areas of the school). Every thing is based on years of experience in the county compared to the others on the grade level.

After eating dinner with 3 great friends in December on the way home I just knew God was calling me to transfer. I had not told them at dinner, but I realized that the reason I was being hesitant towards transferring was these friendships. After Christmas I shared with my principal and she was 100% behind me. She was so kind and encouraged me as a leader and in future leadership endeavors. On Feb. 15th I put in for a transfer to a Dacula area school (Dacula, Harbins, Alcova, or Mulberry). Just this last week I got an interview at Harbins and was VERY impressed by Dr. Truett and the school.

All this to say.. I am going to be a Harbins Hawk! I am extremely excited about coming "back home" to the Dacula area. Harbins has the old town Dacula feel and the community is wonderful! God has truly blessed me with this opportunity.

The funny thing is the thing that was once holding me back is now an ironic situation. Out of my 5 closest friends at work none of us will be at Magill next year. We will all be somewhere different.

The hardest thing is leaving my parapro. She is wonderful and she will never be replaced! We have become very close friends! I am excited for her as she will be going to Rosebud Elementary (the new school Magill is losing staff and students to).

God is so good to us, and He has been faithful in showing me His will!

Holiday Wrap-up

It seems like this wonderful Christmas season flew by. I feel like I just got our Christmas decorations up and now I have to take them down. This was the most relaxing and enjoyable break in a long time! It was so nice to spend so much time as a couple!

Christmas Eve we worshiped with our church family as we reflected on what Christmas is all about. We then enjoyed Long Horn with my family. That night we opened stockings and Noodle loved her new treats that she found in her stocking. Christmas morning we got up and did our gifts sitting by my favorite Christmas tree. We later went to my parents for the annual gifts, Christmas game (Let's Make a Deal was this years game), breakfast, lunch, and fun! The favorite gift of the day was the HUGE alarm clock we gave Adam so that he will wake up when his alarm goes off. Of course this was the favorite gift for everyone else b/c I am not so sure how much Adam actually liked it. Later that afternoon we drove to Rock Springs to spend a few days with Rando's parents. Rando enjoyed learning about his new rifle and going to the range to shoot it. I enjoyed relaxing and having little to no responsibilities!

Saturday our great friends Mark and Christi came to spend the night and go to church with us on Sunday. We got to see their 9 month old, Natalie, all grown up (last time we saw her she was 2 weeks old). She is a precious baby, but I must say it was very eye opening to us as we realized how big of a commitment children are. I think after the weekend we both agreed that as much as we love Natalie and the other babies in our lives we are still okay that it is just us in our family. Of course there is always Noodle too :o). Noodle wasn't too sure of the baby. She was very patient with Natalie and became more comfortable as the weekend went on.

This New Years was the first since 1999/2000 that we spent the evening just the 2 of us! We usually get together with all of our friends from Rome, but this year we have scheduled that for February. We enjoyed a wonderful evening of just spending time together playing GameCube and Rummicube.


As 2008 begins, we are ready for all that this year will bring. 2007 was such a wonderful year for us, but we are ready for what God has ahead of us! Along with the usual get fit resolutions, it is my goal to not work as much and find ways to spend more time with Rando.

We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and families! We pray that you are blessed this year!