Birthdays

Birthday Boy

I am not allowed to make a big deal out Flint's birthday, so this post is a little delayed. We have a deal- since he hates his birthday and I happen to love my birthday. If I make a big deal out of his, he will not make a big deal out of mine! It is a fair trade, I guess. I just do not understand why he always wants to keep his special day on the down low?!?! I still think he had a fun day and deep down enjoys a little birthday attention. Here he is at lunch with the folks from work. I also surprised him and took homemade cupcakes to his office. The girls in his office found some old Kanakuk pictures on Facebook, printed them, and made posters which were hung up all over his office building for coaches, athletes, EVERYONE to see!!! I think that embarrassed him. I reassured the Flintastic that I had NOTHING to with it....except joining in the laughing!!! We had a low key evening, just the two of us, at Chick-Fil-A and then we went to pick him out some basketball shoes. That is what he wanted!

So, Happy Late Birthday, Babe! I love you bunches! I am so proud of you and I thank God that He made you just for me!!!

Flint and I a year ago- at a Razorback Basketball Game before we moved to Texas. That is how we celebrated his birthday last year.
February is a big month for birthdays.
First Flint, then my best friend, Laura!
This wish is a little late, too, but I want Laura to know how much she means to me! She is such a dear and loyal friend. I love her to pieces! She lives in Dallas, too, so enjoy living so much closer to her! This is Laura with her hubby, Brad. We went to the Melting Pot with them not too long back while we were in the DFW Metroplex. I LOVE that place!
Me and Laura at Disneyland-
Our girls' trip to L.A./Orange County
Here we are at the infamous Sprinkles in Beverly Hills.
Now there is one in Dallas and I stop there all the time! Even my dogs LOVE their Sprinkles!
Speaking of Puppy Dogs.....
Somebody Turned 10!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, our little Katie! You would not know it by the way she acts. But personally, I am glad she does not act like a 70 year old!!! We had a little party for her. Her friend Bella the Beagle came over and we gave all of the pups a doggie scone! Actually, Bella's mom and Bella just happened to be at our house to hang out...we did not throw a dog birthday party! But that would have made this post much more humerous!!!

Look how excited Katie is!!! Isn't she cute!!!

Katie about to blow out her candle...or just dig in fire and all!!!!!!!

Sneak Peek

It is my Type A personality side coming out not to want to show things off until they are completely finished and to my standard of perfection. However, I have had several requests to see the nursery. SO, I am only giving you a sneak peek! Hopefully very very soon, I will have it cleaned and all of the gifts put away and will be ready to show it off!!! I must say...I really do LOVE it!!!

Baby Shower

We went back "home" to Fayetteville recently for our first baby shower. Oh, we are so blessed!!! My girlfriends gave me the most beautiful shower...EVER! I love all of you...Katie, Kelly, Erika, Laura, Aunt Jackie, and mom. We got to see so many of our old friends and we got some wonderful goodies. They even had a little party in the game room for the guys so Flint could see his friends, too! It was perfect in every way! I will post all of the fun gifts we got later. But for now, here are just a few pictures from the shower.

the invitation

The front door

I love how they used mine and Flint's baby pictures. You will be seeing this again in the nursery!

the amazing and delicious cake

my baby bedding displayed
I had not seen it until this point. Tear. They also displayed our going home gown and a silver bible that were both given to our Little Bit by Flint's mom before she passed away. So special!

the yummy food

decorations

sweet Kelly

My dear friend and the hostess with the mostess.

these were for guests to take as a small favor

guests wrote blessings for us to keep

Big Momma and Daddy

opening gifts

My partner in many crimes helping out! Katie Mama Bird, you outdid yourself, girl! Thanks for the wonderful shower! I loved it all and I love you!

my precious friend Erika

I love and miss her so much!

I can't thank all of you gals enough!

I loved every minute and every detail.

Grieving

Many of you already know and to some this may come as a huge suprise- Flint's mom, Priscilla, passed away on November 24, 2008. This time has been filled to the brim with ups and downs. Many people ask how we are doing, and yes- we do not mind if you ask. It is not awkward in any way; it shows that you care. The answer is we are doing quite well, surprisingly. We still grieve her absence from us on this Earth. However, I can honestly say that there has been an overwhelming peace as well.

To give you a little more insight into her life and maybe a little more understanding of how Flint and I feel, I want to share more about Priscilla, whom I lovingly called Cilla.

Cilla was one of the most beautiful people I have ever known- on the outside as well as on the inside. I truely mean that. She had a radient smile, an amazing sense of humor (she had to afterall, she was Flint's mom!), and a heart made of pure gold. By this I mean that she was such a loyal friend and loved one- she loved her family beyond what she could ever put into words. She was oh so selfless and the most generous person I have ever known...hands down. She would literally give the shirt off her back. I know this because she did it for me once. I once complimented a top she was wearing. I told her how much I loved it...so before I knew it she had changed her outfit and the designer top was mine. How many of us can say we give up our new clothes because someone thought they were cute?!?! She did the same with handbags and shoes. I can honestly say, thanks to Cilla, my closet is much more furnished and stylish. She had amazing taste!!! We were like two peas in a pod on days when she felt well and could go shopping! But there was so much more to her than her gorgeous clothes, trendy handbags, and sassy shoes- she truely loved to give. It gave her so much joy to brighten people's days. She was the one ahead of you in the drive thru who payed for your Starbucks. She was the mom who sent Valentine's Day care packages to college or snuck cookies in the mail to the kid's camp counselors. She was the mom who hosted the weekend long Kanakuk reunions for her son's 75 camp friends to come and crash at her house...and had the t-shirts made to prove it. She was the friend who never never forgot your birthday- NO REALLY, not once in your 45 year friendship! She was the one who, seriously, made everyone who walked through the doors of her home feel welcome and loved. All of my friends adored her...and why wouldn't they. I could go on and on. You can tell that she was fun, full of life, genuine, thoughtful, caring, and AMAZING! Like I said, she had a heart of gold. Too, bad her heart was not stronger. Over the last ten years she has battled with a heart that continually failed her. There were many good days mixed in, but there were just as many days that she felt horrible. There were many days that we did not know if she would make it to the next. I can honestly say, that I never ONCE heard her complain. She lived each day to the fullest. She was thankful for today and what it brought. The last year of her life was a hard year. She knew her body was failing her, and we knew that she was not doing well. So, we took the lesson that she had taught us and made the most of our time with her, for we knew it was limited.

A little side note, for those of you who do not know, Flint's family happens to be in Fort Worth which is less than an hour and a half from us. Many of you may struggle with God's plans in your life. But, I can tell you today that HE is sovereign. That means that HE has the perfect plans and the perfect timing. We would have never in a million years made the choice to move to Waco, but God knew better. HE knew we needed to be physically close to Fort Worth and to Cilla. Though the last few months of her life were exhausting from all of the going back and forth to care for her, I would not trade one second of it. It is precious time that I can not have back. I am so thankful that we were so close to her. I am so thankful for the talks we had, for the lunches we shared, for the ice cream dates, the vacations we went on, spending the holidays with her.... Most importantly, I am thankful for HER and the impact that she had on my life. Luckily, I had almost seven years to have Cilla in my life. As one of her friends was quoted saying in the memorial service, "Everyone should have a Cilla in their life." Boy, was she right!!! Cilla taught me to love others and see them through eyes like Jesus does. She taught me to soak in everything. To be thankful for whatever I have and to be thankful for wherever I am...there is always a reason. She taught me to live without complaining. She taught me to always have fun (not that I had a problem with that!) She taught me many things about being a good wife and mother. I strive to be more like her in many ways. I think I am a better person because she has been a part of my life.

I wanted to share this song. It has always been one that I have loved. It quickly became my theme song after we moved to Waco and started battling the storms. It was, ironically, one of the songs that Cilla requested to be a solo at her memorial service. Listen to the words...they are amazing.



So, you ask how we are doing. Some days are hard. It is more the little things that remind you of her and those are the emotional times. Obviously, the holidays are hard. I wish, many days, I could call her on the phone and talk to her. Having a baby is something that I wish oh so badly she were here to experience with us. But, even as much as she loved us or our Little Baby Harris that is soon to join our family, or as much as she loved Christmas and traveling NOTHING would make her want to come back to this earth and live like she was. Wanting her here is purely selfish. I rest fully in knowing that she is in the arms of Jesus. She is happier than any happiness we have ever known. That brings me peace...peace that passes all understanding!

Our Crib

This is where we the party will be happening all night long...

Little Bit Harris officially has a bed on the way. I fell in love with this crib way back and knew I wanted an iron crib. I am so excited about it.

***This is not the exact picture of the crib. I could not get the pic to download of the one I picked out. But they are very similar. And of course, this is not our nursery; this picture is off of the website.

Stay Tuned!

Jamaica

This time last year, Flint and I were soaking up some rays and enjoying some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. Really, if you ever get the chance to go to Jamaica...GO! It is amazingly beautiful and the people are so incredibly nice. We went for our friends', Veronica and Omar's wedding. They are from Jamaica, so it was an authentic experience...one I will never forget.

This was the view from my lounge chair. Well, either this or the beautiful pool with the waitstaff bringing out cool, damp towels and the best pina coladas I have I ever consumed! Bummer, huh?!?!

We like to live like the locals. We went to this little dive off the side of the road to have some "real" Jerk chicken and fish! DELISH!!! It was here that I fell in love with breadfruit. Unfortunately, you can't find it in the States. This is a pic of our hotel. It was gorgeous!!! Too bad the only pic I captured was one with an afternoon shower rolling in.

Flint and I at Veronica and Omar's Rehearsal Dinner. They were so gracious to invite their friends who made the trip from the States. It was perfect. Authentic island food and a beautiful night view if the harbor.

Flint and his former Arkansas athlete...Tyson Gay. Ever heard of him?!?! He is good friends with Omar and Veronica. They all ran at Arkansas at the same time.

This was the inside of the church. How precious and quaint is it?!?!

Flint, Kim, and I at the Reception. Kim's hubbie is VCB's trainer and they are our friends, too. This was the most beautiful wedding reception I have ever been to. It was an open air ballroom and literally feet from the ocean. The reception was at sunset, so the pictures do not do the view justice.

Our last day in Jamaica. I could go and never come home!

Oh, I need a VACATION! I want to go back. Maybe in 18 years?!?! Since Flint can't get away from work during football season, I will relive our trip from last year!

A Wonderful Day

We just got back from the doctor and everything was wonderful! We saw our little one moving around all over the place and we saw the strong pumping heart! Praise the Lord! I started tearing up just marveling at the little miracle! Now, we just have to hold tight until March. I can't wait to hold Little Bit in my arms.

We do officially have a new due date...

March 11, 2009!

That was not far off from the March 13th date we were originally given, but it sounds so much better than Friday the 13th!

I decided I would share this very fun giveaway, even though I think you should give me the prize if you win!!!

Check out

Make Mine a Mojito

she is having a

100th Post Giveaway

The prize is a cute piece of Stella & Dot jewelry. Is this bracelet not way too cute?!?! I love it and there are tons of other cute pieces you can see on her blog.

A Big Day

Tomorrow is our big ultrasound! We are so excited to get to see the little one. It is the closest we will be to Little Bit until March rolls around and then that little sweetie will be in our arms! Of course there is always anxiousness about this appointment. You mommies out there know. They check to see if everything is growing on track and is developing properly. So, if you think about us, please pray at 8:00 in the morning. By the way, thank you all for your concerns and sweet comments about everything last week. It means to world to me! I wish we could go out one and one and have coffee together. But unfortunately, there are lots of miles between us.

I want to let you all know that we are NOT planning on finding out whether the baby is a little boy or a little girl. This is something that Flint has always wanted to do and that is really important to him. The planner in me, at first, was hesitant. But, now I am enjoying the suspense. I also feel like it is one thing that I can do for him...in a sense a gift that I can give him, which makes my heart really happy. Rather than knowing tomorrow, I know that I will know in about four and a half months. Right now we are just praying for a healthy baby and the sex is completely unimportant to us! Despite what everyone thinks, it is still fun planning. I am actually working on the nursery and hopefully within the next week I will have some plans nailed down and I will post about it! I will give you a hint...notice the color scheme of this post! We have almost decided on names, too. We have a boy and a girl first name picked out, but no middle names. Flint wants to keep the name a secret, too. Can you tell my hubbie LOVES surprises?!?! I told him he is not going to win every battle, so maybe soon I will share that with you.

Monday Night Football

I know this post is long overdue, but in honor of Monday I thought I would post some pics of our experience at Monday Night Football. I was given some tickets back in September from some sweet friends, so Flint and I got to go to Dallas and watch our Cowboys take on the Eagles! We had a blast! First of all, we had seats on the fourth row, right behind the players' families, behind the Cowboy bench, and right in front of the cheerleaders...Flint was excited about that! What a good game it was! And to top it off, we got to see several former Razorbacks in action...Felix Jones, Ken Hamblin, and Shawn Andrews! Flint said I would not see a more exciting regular season game. Yay, the Cowboys pulled off a victory!

This is the hole in God's stadium, so God can look down on His team....

I always tell Flint that God does not play favorites and only a Texan would make something like that up!

Flint and I
Okay...I know I am wearing pink...long story. I did not have anything but a Cowboy t-shirt in which I burned a hole in when I set my Chi on it on my bathroom counter....I know, only I could pull that off! And this pregnant body does not fit in just anything these days. We went to Academy on our way into Dallas, but there was nothing that I liked and I felt was worth spending the money on. SO, I opted to wear my pink shirt. I thought it might help my family and friends spot me on TV!


Shawn Andrews #73...He is still Big Boy, but in much better shape than he was in college! Can't you tell it is him by the way he is standing?!?!

Tony Romo in action

Felix Jones...one of my favorite Razorback players!

Ken Hamblin on the left...a former Hog!

The Pre-Game

What a fun Night we had!!!

Providence

I wish I were writing about a trip we took to Providence, RI to see the leaves change to vibrant hues of red, orange, and gold. Or writing about our trip to Providence Hospital, here in Waco, to take our birthing class. Oh no, God has been working in the lives of the Harris family in much greater ways.

I hate telling really personal things on the internet...not that I do not love and trust all you, bloggy friends. I think it makes things more real and me more vulnerable. However, I know that many of you are very supportive and are prayer warriors. With that being said, let me just start this story by getting to the heart of the matter. Last week we had a big scare...if gross stories are not for you, stop reading now and skip to the lesson learned part of the story. I started bleeding... not a little. Every mommy-to-be's nightmare!!! Like anyone else would do, I called my doctor. They asked me protocol questions and did not seem to be overly alarmed. I was told if the situation got worse; I was to go to the hospital that night. If it was not getting better by morning and if I started cramping; I was to come in the next day. Well, it got better, THANK YOU JESUS, and eventually stopped. Still the worrying mommy inside of me wanted confirmation that everything was alright and that Little Bit Harris was still cooking away! So, Friday morning before Flint left for Stillwater with the football team, I insisted that we go ahead and go to the doctor. I did not want something to get worse while Flint was out of town for the weekend. So, we went to the doctor. They first checked for the heartbeat. We immediately heard it and that was the most emotional I have been at one of our doctor visits thus far. They then did a mini ultrasound. We saw our little one on the big screen and I was just plain beautiful! I was eventually diagnosed with having had some of my placenta break off. Apparently, I had been "overdoing it". I was then instructed to get in bed and stay there for a few days and after that to take it easy...really easy. Which does not come easy for me. I promise I am getting to the point of my story.

So, I had a few days alone. By myself. In bed. Just me and God (and of course Sophie and Katie, who are my little love bug, puppy dogs!) I did a lot of thinking and praying and praising God. A word that He has repeatedly laid on my heart and mind this fall is "Providence". I did a little research on the word and it's true meaning is:

1. foreseeing care and guidance of God (or nature) over the creatures of the earth. (we will stick to the God part)
2. God when conceived as omnisciently directing the universe and the affairs of humankind with wise benevolence.

This word has come up in my BSF lessons several times over the last seven weeks. One paragraph from a lesson a few weeks back said
"God is the God of providence, the God of every circumstance, however great or small. The God who guides the stars also directed the steps of Pharaoh's daughter who came to the Nile to bathe at this spot and at this moment."
This is referring to Pharaoh's daughter finding baby Moses in the Nile, saving his life, and ultimately playing a part in the big picture of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.

God's Providence.

The lesson went on to say
"we need to trust God in all circumstances, not just the pleasant ones." Just as Moses' mom, Jochebed, did.
"Job knew this and said 'Though he may slay me, yet I will hope in him' Job 13:15."

I have been convicted. I begged and begged for God to keep my child safe. Instead, I should have been praying, "Lord, not my will but thine be done." What a hard lesson to learn. God does not do anything without purpose. This is NOT a new concept to me, it has just become more and more of a reality as I have studied the life of Moses and after facing my own adversity.

I have another confession. We have not been real happy since we have moved to Waco. There, I said it. Not that there is anything wrong with Waco. It really gets a bad wrap. It is more than that. Flint's job has been a tough situation, we still have a house for sale in Northwest Arkansas, and to make matters worse, we have been stripped of all of our friends and family that we were surrounded by and are being forced to make new friends. I know this may seem caddy and in the whole scheme of life, it probably is. However, I do not feel that HE makes mistakes and HE made both Flint and I to love and to need others- after all, we are called to have fellowship with other believers.

Yep, you guessed it. God is dealing with me again. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. He promises to provide. I know that He has not brought us to Waco to leave us and I know that we are not here without good reason.

God's Providence.

I know that solitude is a gift from God. Through this time He is teaching. I have learned just how fragile life is as I begin to feel Little Bit Harris move and kick around and as I watch my mother-in-law fight for her life. The Lord has shown me that He giveth and He can also take way. For the first time in my life, I have been stripped of that which is comfortable and that which I love. I miss my home, my family, and my friends. However, I have never felt more blessed. I am learning that it is not about my timing; it is ALL about God's timing. I am learning what it means to have complete dependence on my Savior-

God's Providence.

I am thankful.

Trip Home to Fayetteville

As I mention in the post that follows this one, I made a trip back to Arkansas back in September. It was a great time. I got to spend lots of time in the car with Laura and Brad, I got to go to Hill's wedding, I got to see my parents and my grandparents, I got to go to Fayetteville (home), I got to see the Razorbacks get beat up on by Alabama, I got to see some of my Bible Study girls at college ( I am still in denial), and I got to spend some quality time with my dear friend, Mindy and her family! It was a wonderful, wonderful weekend.

The Hogs taking the field.....

they might not have come out of the locker room had they known what was in store for them!!!

Me and My Daddy. Mom let me have her ticket so she could watch from an air conditioned place!

Coach John McDonnell getting recognized. He announced his retirement right after Flint left for Baylor...Flint actually knew long before that and I think it had somewhat of an influence in his decision. Flint had the privilege of working with Coach Mac for four years! He has the National Championship rings to prove it! Coach McDonnell is one of the most genuine and nice people I have ever met. He and Flint got along perfectly...they both loved breakfast so they would meet up and go together.

There is proof that I have my degree!!! This is one of the neatest traditions that I have seen... just about anywhere! Every single graduate gets their name put on the sidewalk on the University of Arkansas campus. It was fun to find my name and my parents got to see it, too! What a proud moment! You can also see Flintastic's name in the close up pic. Flint W. Harris just so happens to be the wonderful guy I am married to! Yes, I was married when I graduated from college!!! Also, did anyone else happen to notice that I am just ahead of "Pearline" in alphabetical order?!?!? I am glad my parents went with Rebekah!!!

Oh, how I miss Fayetteville!

Hill's Wedding

The Lodge on Mt. Magazine

The Bride and Groom. How beautiful is this picture?!?!
I just thought this was the sweetest picture.
Laura and I- I love this gal to pieces!!!
Brad and Laura...cutie pie, lovebirds!

My college friend, Hillary, got married September 19th. She married a wonderful man named Josh. The wedding was at The Lodge on Magazine Mountain, which is ironically in my grandparent's back yard- NO JOKE! I have actually stayed there a couple of times with my family. I rode to the wedding with my bestie, Laura, and her hubbie, Brad. My parents picked me up after the wedding and I got to spend some time with them and my grandparents. I did a horrible job of taking pictures, so I stole (I mean, borrowed) a few of the beautiful bride.

*** Sorry to whomever I borrowed the pictures from...like I said, I did a horrible job of taking snapshots!

Etiquette Dinner

Flint had the freshman etiquette dinner earlier this semester. This is probably all the training in table manners some of these kids ever receive! They went to a nice local restaurant and had dinner. Two of Flint's favorite things...food and hanging out with his athletes!

I do not know the guy on the left. Flint is (obviously) in the center and Robert Griffin is on the right. Robert is the best thing to happen to Baylor football since...well, maybe ever!!!

Flint and Romie. I think Romie is cute.Flint and two of his tennis players.