Veterans Day

I had the privilege of leading in prayer at a local Veterans Day celebration here in Mineral Springs. I was reminded of the great sacrifice so many have made to earn & preserve our freedom. From people like my grandfather who served in WWII to those younger than me who I'm close friends with, everyone who has served or is serving our country deserves honor. America is a great place to live despite all we complain about & wish was different. May we always thank God for our country & for those who serve in it & for it.

Catching Up

After being out of town several days, working hard on the Fall Festival, & trying to learn how to raise a child, I'm finally getting a chance to post a few pics. He has grown up so much in the last week. It's scary how fast they change!Our little pumpkin. This is the closest thing to a costume since everything was too big.We use bibs a lot even though he doesn't eat solid food. With all the reflux & spit up it somewhat protects his outfits.

Here's a real cowboy getting branded (really a temporary tattoo) at the Fall Festival.

Throwing the football through the hole is harder than it looks!

Our Next President

Today has been one of the most emotional & important days in recent American history. All of us have been focused on who the next president would be. Some are worried while others are celebrating the outcome. I personally have spent time in prayer regarding the election & the current condition of our country. I've come to realize the great privilege we have as Americans to vote. We have the blessing of having a voice in the leadership of our country. Please don't ever forget to thank God for the freedom we have.

As Christians we must continue to pray for our country & do our part to heal America. There is no doubt in my mind God is in control regardless of what we might think & perceive. Our God is bigger than any President, political election, or form of government.

As Christians I believe we have a great responsibility in order to help heal our country:

1. Pray. Pray for America. Pray for our President. Pray for our government officials. The most important thing to pray for is their souls. Ask God to reveal himself to them & bring them to salvation through Jesus Christ. None of these individuals can heal our country, only Jesus Christ can.

2. Live by example. If Christians want to make a difference then we need to live in a way that earns the respect & admiration of those around us. No one will listen to us & become like us if we don't rise above & set a high standard.

3. Pray. I'm reminded daily of the increased need for prayer. Prayer makes a difference.

I know this isn't all that profound, but I'm burdened for us as Christians focused on complaining & looking in all the wrong places for hope & security. May we stand together asking God to bless America.

Pumpkin Man

Little man is getting more accustomed to spending time laying on the Boppy. These pics were taken about a week or so ago before bedtime. He has already outgrown this sleeper so it's disappointing he can't wear it to bed on Halloween, but oh well. He is growing & changing everyday. We thank God daily for our son & look forward to what each new day brings.

The Nursery

Here are a few pictures of our nursery. It's not complete b/c there is nothing above the crib (we haven't decided what we want up there yet) & there's some wall space on the other side of the room too.

1 Month Pictures

We took Cade's pictures a week late, so these are actually 5 week pictures. We're going to try to take them each month to see the progression & hopefully in the same spot. Dayle started this trend I believe & I know Rachel does it too, so thanks for the good idea. This photo session wasn't great due to his lack of cooperation, but I know if this one was hard, the ones to come will only get worse. This outfit was his "coming home" outfit from the hospital, except it actually fits now instead of falling off him. We didn't include the hat, sorry!

O.K. O.K. Here are some pics

I keep getting prodded to display more pictures of Cade so here are a few of recent. Not sure if he is saying "Hi," "O.K., that's enough pictures for now," or "Wait just a minute, I'm not wearing anything under this blanket!"
Cade looks in shock many times when he is wide awake, those big blue eyes get our attention.
This was a couple of weeks ago when he barely could get in the swing but he has grown so much & fits in it much better now, though he's still not sure he likes it all that much.
Our friends from Brazil, Ina & Ildeu had lunch w/ us after church & they were enamored w/ Cade. They have like 11 or 12 grandchildren, but treated Cade as if he was one of their own. I know baby talk & babble coming from adults is funny & weird, but trying observing baby babble in Portuguese!
This is one of our favorite pictures of Cade sleeping. Not sure what he's dreaming about, but we're not fooled...it's probably just gas!