Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!

I have thought about this post for a while. What would I say? When would it be? It really makes everything more of a reality for me. Let me start at the beginning of the story. Flint and I have been married for six years now! I really don't believe that when I say it!!! So, last summer we started to talk about and pray about starting a family. I never want to put time constraints on God's plans, so I wanted to be sensitive to what He wanted in our lives. I have always had a strong desire to have a child of my own, yet I still did not feel the sense of emptiness that many people talk about experiencing. I guess I was at a place of complete contentment with where God had me in my life. However, we both still felt that it was the right time to start a family. So, the journey began last fall. There have been many discouraging months and the harder you try, the journey can even become heartbreaking at times! At the beginning of March, many of you know that the Hubbie and I were separated a lot of the time due to a job change. He was in Texas and I was still in Arkansas. In May, we finally loaded up everything we own and moved down to Home Sweet Waco. The idea of a baby was definitely put on the back burner. We were completely consumed with a new job and getting settled into our new house. It is funny how God works.......He always seems to have a better plan for us than those we make for ourselves!

After a trip to Fayetteville for the 4th of July, I came home and took a test. To our surprise.....................

Yes, you read that right! We are expecting our first baby March 13th and we couldn't be more thrilled!!! I am twelve weeks and I am still shocked when I see that picture!

I prayed for this child and the Lord has given me what I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27

Thank you, Lord, for this precious baby! We feel so blessed that you have chosen us to be it's mommy and daddy!

One More Week!!!

ONLY One More Week!!! Seriously, ya'll. We look forward to football season starting back the day it ends! Literally, I think Flint goes into depression the day after the National Championship game! We just love college football. If you are from the south (especially the SEC) you know what I am talking about when I say there is nothing else like it!

Sadly, we are not in Fayetteville this year to cheer on our Razorbacks week after week, but don't you worry. We will still be cheering loud and clear from down here in Big 12/Bear country! We are hoping to make it to the season opener this weekend. I can't wait!

What's not to Love?!?!

There are SO many things to love about the Olympics. I love watching athletes live out their dreams. Most of them are not even in Beijing pursuing a metal, they are just there because they have worked so hard. You have to appreciate that! I love hearing the heart warming stories. You may have heard about the swimmer who was in a car accident and had to have her leg amputated. She is still in Beijing competing! Or maybe the 30 year old Romanian gymnast who went back to gymnastics to save her little boy's life! She is also in Beijing competing...against 15 year olds!!! Like I said...I love it! Here are just a very few of the highlights and what has been consuming us and keeping us up late over the last two weeks!!!

Michael Phelps...need I say more!

Veronica Campbell-Brown repeating her title in the 200 m

Shawn Johnson

Nastia Liukin

Women's Beach Volleyball

USA defeating the French in the relay

The Redeem Team

Watching President Bush interect with the athletes!

NLRHS Class of '98

Okay, okay. So I am a little...no actually a lot...behind on postings! I have had several special occations this summer that I need to post about. One big event was my class reunion!!! Ten whole years ago I graduated from North Little Rock High School! It was a little weird, but a lot of fun to go back and see people that it has literally been 10 years since I have heard from! We had three big events. The festivities kicked off on Friday night at a local pub. Saturday afternoon there was a family picnic, at which we got to see everyone's kiddos!! Saturday night was the Main Event at the River Market in downtown Little Rock! Besides all of these events, I got to spend some quality time, in smaller groups, with some of my besties from high school! Overall, it was a blast! I have a confession...I was SO horrible at taking pictures, most of these shots are not even from my camera...they are "borrowed"!!! So, these are fun and all, but soon I will try to scan some actual pics from our days at good ole NLRHS! That will be even more enjoyable!

BEIJING

I LOVE the Olympics! In fact, here in the Harris household we look forward to the Summer Olympic Games for ummm...four years! So they kick off tonight!
Of course, like most American girls, Gymnastics is my very favorite Olympic sport. My mom says I learned our national anthem in 1984 watching Mary Lou win her gold metals!!! However, Track and Field are very near and dear to our hearts. In fact, Flint and I talked about trying to go to Beijing a couple of years back, but we had no idea what the future held for us at that point and China is a long, expensive way from home. We knew it would be a big year for former Arkansas athletes. Needless to say, we will be watching from the comfort of Home Sweet Waco! Many of you already know this but for those of you who don't I will bring you up to par. Flint just left a job at the University of Arkansas where he advised the Track and Field Teams. Arkansas Track is a world known program, arguably, one of the most successful college programs ever, therefore, producing many Olympians. Which means, we know and LOVE (most) of these kids! One very dear to our hearts is Veronica Campbell-Brown (and we love Omar , her hubby, too). We got to know her when she ran at Arkansas. Flint was her (now) husband's academic advisor, I sold her a house in Fayetteville, and we went to she and Omar's wedding last November in Jamaica. A couple of days ago, we got word from Veronica's coach that she will be carrying the Jamaican flag! I will have to tell you more about her later. She is to Jamaica like Reese Witherspoon or Julia Roberts are to America- Jamaica's Sweetheart. A true one she is. She is a class act! I have included several random pictures that I either had on my camera or I found online of her. I can't go with out saying something about Tyson Gay as well. Another athlete that we love-He was one of Flint's guys. He is a very genuine guy, which is a hard thing to uphold when you are a big American sprinter living in the spotlight.

Veronica and Omar came to eat breakfast at our house before they moved to Orlando.


Random...I know. This was this past Christmas in Squaw Valley, one of the early sites of the Winter Olympics. I told you Flint is obsessed!
The torch stills burns.
Flint and Tyson at Veronica and Omar's Rehearsal Dinner.
Kim (Veronica's Coach's Wife and our friend), Flint, and I at VC and Omar's wedding. It was THE most beautiful setting I have ever seen! Yes, that is a Jamaican beach in the background.


Unfortunately, this is the only picture I snapped of the Bride and the Groom. She was incredibly beautiful and they were so sweet! It was such a fun time!

VC at work. Adidas specially makes her orange shoes for her. In the Olympics she will be wearing yellow ones...to represent Jamaica.
A true class act. She is beautiful inside and out!

And by the way...Laura is coming to Waco this weekend, too! I can't wait to hang out with her and Brad!

Home Sweet Waco

So, here is the long awaited post of pics of our new house! We really like it. We are trying to adjust to less space, but other than that we are comfortable here. I do not have any pics of the outside. I will post them later...when our yard looks a little better!

So come along on the tour with me. I wish I could offer you a drink.

Here is our Kitchen. It is open to the Living Room and the Breakfast Area.

More of the Kitchen. I miss all of my cabinet space.Our Living Room. Minus one chair. There is now an identical chair on the right side of the fireplace. I had this one in Fayetteville, but I had to have another one once we got here to balance the room. Oh by the way...notice the UGLY sofa in far left. That is Flint's favorite piece of furniture ever!!! I am going to have it recovered once I find the right fabric and when we have a little extra money!

This is the view of the Living Room when you walk in the front door. My mom gratiously helped me make curtains, which have not been hung yet. They will hang across this wall of windows. Does anyone know where I might find a 15 foot curtain rod?!?!
Our Breakfast Area. Sorry about the glare.
The Dining Room. This is probably the best pictures I have of my front door, which is one of my favorite features of the house! It is beautiful! These are the same drapes from our previous Dining Room.
The Master Bedroom. It is the exact same color as our bedroom in Fayetteville, however, it appears to be much more blue in Texas! Further proving you should always test your paint colors. They really do change in different rooms with variations of light! These were the same curtains, plus more fabric, that were in our previous bedroom! I loved these curtains so much, we did our room again to match them!
Our bed, minus the bedspread. Please excuse the blanket!

Entering into the Master Bath.
Our Tub
Our Vanities...again, sorry about all the clutter!
Our Shower!
Our Guest Bedroom. Come and stay any time!

Guest Bathroom
Right as you walk in the front door. Down the hall is the Master Bedroom. You can kind of tell in this picture that the walls are a metallic Brown. We did not change it because I thought it was cool and different. I would never have picked that out myself, but I like it. The rest of the house is a dark Beige. The colors in this house are much darker than we previously had. Very uncharacteristic of me. Although brown is one of my favorite colors, I like light, bright, happy colors in my house! But it works for now!

Flint's Pride and Joy: He collects sports memorablilia. For those of you who who are religious followers, you might notice that D-Mac's autograph is on the wall twice. Flint thought he was most deserving of double wall space! More than Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen, or Tiger Woods! This room has many functions: office, work out room, and "Cool Room". WHo do you think calls it the "Cool Room". One hint...it is not Rebekah!

Many Playstaion games have already been played here!
Where I am inspired in the midst of all this blogging madness!