Blissful Journey

Happy Anniversary

2010-11-02T11:48:00.003-04:00

Three years ago today, I married my best friend. It is hard to believe it has only been three years. We have been through so much already. We have had two babies together in those three short years. Our son, Luke, was born too soon and is in heaven. Our daughter, Brooke, will be a year old in two weeks. She has been a blessing to our lives and marriage.

Marriage certainly hasn't been easy for me. Many times I feel I fail as a wife. I get angry too easily and expect too much. I am so thankful that my husband is patient with me.

More than anything, I am thankful that we both put God first in our marriage and we are committed to each other for life. Happy Anniversary, Trey. I'm so glad I get to spend the rest of my life with you.

Pumpkin patch and Homecoming 2010

2010-10-28T13:05:00.012-04:00

October has been a busy month for us. We visited the pumpkin patch at the beginning of the month. Brooke had so much fun playing with the pumpkins.

We let her ride in the wheelbarrow as her daddy searched for a pumpkin.

We are having so much fun taking her places now. It is amazing to see how excited she gets by the little things.

Brooke attended her first UGA game on October 16th. We did not plan to take her to a game this soon, but her cousin ended up being on Homecoming Court.

We went back and forth on whether we should take Brooke or leave her at home with a babysitter. I finally decided to take her as I did not want to give up my Saturday afternoon time with her. She did great at the game. She did start to get tired and I thought she might actually go to sleep in my lap, but there was too much excitement. We left at halftime since Georgia was winning.

10 months old

2010-09-17T10:10:00.003-04:00

My baby girl is 10 months old. Here's an update on what Brooke can do:

-She's a fast crawler. She's been crawling for a few months now and you have to keep your eyes on her when she is on the move.

-Brooke loves to pull herself up and stand. She has a little stroller she likes to push and practice walking.

-She loves to dance and immediately starts bouncing when she hears music with a fast beat.

-She weighs 20 lbs 10 oz (75th percentile) and is 28 inches (50th percentile).

-She is still a great sleeper. Brooke typically sleeps from 7:30pm - 7:00am. She loves to wiggle and change positions. Each time I check on her at night, she is in a different position.

-Brooke is a great eater as well. She loves to eat and she'll eat anything. We have not found one food she does not like so far.

-She says dada, mama, hey and bye. She babbles all the time.

-She has the cutest laugh. I love making her laugh. We both love to play in her room after bath time and just giggle non-stop for a few minutes.

-Brooke loves to clap and will actually clap when you ask her to.

-She loves getting into everything.

Brooke has been such a blessing to our family. Sometimes I look at her and cry because I am so thankful God blessed me with such a sweet baby girl.

Giggling Baby

2010-04-20T21:50:00.002-04:00

I recorded this a couple of weeks ago. Brooke loves to giggle. It makes my day to see her smile or hear her giggle.

CLB

Trials

2010-04-10T16:56:00.004-04:00

Well, I knew things were just a little too good to be true. I knew we were due for another attack from Satan. Please pray for our family. Pray that I will be reminded constantly that God is in control and He will take care of my family. I am so thankful to God for my family. I pray that He will help me to stay focused on them and not lets others try to tear us apart.

clb

2010-03-12T10:23:00.003-05:00

Below is a devotion Trey shared at the last Upward basketball game this season.

Hello, my name is Trey, I am a member here at Beech Haven, and I want to tell you about my family.

This is my first year as an upward parent. My daughter is a member of the Blue Diamonds cheerleading squad, and has done a great job this year. When her mother and I divorced in 2005, I was not close to God. I had been raised in a Christian home, but had grown away over the years. After the divorce, I made a list of the things I wanted to do to improve myself, and number one was to get back to church and get closer to God.

After about 9 months, I met a wonderful young woman who introduced me to this church, and in November of 2007, Cheri and I were married. Like many couples, we decided that we wanted to have children, and after a short time, discovered we were expecting a son. On December 28, 2008, our son Luke was born. Unfortunately, Luke was not due until April, and was born too early. He died about 20 minutes after he was born. There is no pain like the death of a child...there is also probably nothing that brings about as much anger towards God as that.

Cheri and I realized quickly that we could not handle our grief and agony alone. Of course our family stepped in to comfort us. We have great families. But when something like this happens, your family is grieving just as much as you are. So, our extended family, our church family, stepped in. And they were great, doing really whatever needed to be done. Meals, visits, prayer, they all provided comfort, but still we needed more than what they could give. On the next level, we heard from friends of friends....people we had never really known or carried on conversations with....who had been thru similar situations and recommended books or blogs to read, or people to talk to.

But still we needed more.....we needed God. And as angry as we were with him, we had known all along that we needed him. The afternoon Luke died, as hurt as we were....we prayed. We found comfort in Romans 8:28. I prayed for the strength to support Cheri as I knew the hurt she was feeling.

And then we prayed. We prayed for God to get us thru our grief, and to show us what we needed to do. We prayed for God to hold our marriage strong, and spare us from the stress that the death of a child puts on a marriage.

For a while Cheri had decided that we would not have children. She did not want to take the chance of going thru this pain again, but again thru prayer, she decided that she did want children....so we prayed that God would bless us with another child, and after just a few weeks, I came home from work to see Cheri holding a pregnancy test showing positive, and then God went to work again.

He delivered us to a new doctor, who had been thru similar pain, and was willing to go the extra mile to insure the health of our unborn child. From day one, he assured us that this time we would walk out of the hospital with a baby.....

and on November 16th, our prayers were answered. I would now like to introduce you to my wife Cheri and in her arms is our daughter Brooke.....God's gift to us for never giving up on him, and never letting our anger and despair win.

I told Cheri one day that I don't know where I would have been had I lost a child and not been in a relationship with God, and a member of a loving, supporting church. Whenever you have something that seems so wrong in your life, remember that God will not test you with more than you can handle. We remember that he too had a son die, the greatest son who ever lived, Jesus Christ, but thru death, he saved us all who put our faith in Him.

Back to Work

2010-02-26T23:05:00.004-05:00

I went back to work on the 15th. It has been hard since I was so used to being with Brooke all the time, but I'm adjusting. The first week I went to see her everyday during my lunch break. The second week I only went a couple of times. I will continue to visit with her, but will try to only go a couple of times during the week.

Brooke has had no problems at all adjusting. She likes her primary caregiver. Her primary caregiver told me that Brooke is her best baby. That made my day. I also love picking Brooke up in the afternoon. She almost always smiles real big when she sees me. One day she even squealed with excitement when I greeted her.

Brooke is still sleeping through the night and going to bed earlier at night now. She's usually asleep by 8:30. I have to wake her up at 6:45 most mornings. She never wakes up in the middle of the night. I am so thankful she's a good sleeper and pray she stays that way.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2010-02-06T21:55:00.003-05:00

All of your girls love you so very much. Thank you for being a wonderful husband and father. We are so thankful for all that you do for us.

I know I do not tell you enough how much I appreciate you. I love you and look forward to many more birthdays with you!

Wiggle Worm

2010-01-28T16:25:00.003-05:00

I love this picture. Brooke has done this a couple of times now. I'll check on her early in the morning and she has managed to wiggle into this position.

I'll be going back to work in a couple of weeks. It is going to be so hard to leave Brooke. I enjoy being with her so much.

8 weeks

2010-01-22T16:42:00.005-05:00

Last week, Brooke celebrated her 8th week of life by moving into her own room. Overall, it has been a pretty easy transition for her. I must admit it has been much harder for me. Since we came home from the hospital, her bassinett has been right beside my side of the bed. I loved being able to reach over and touch her or look at her at night. She is growing so fast, and I know she will soon be too big for her bassinett. So it is time to get her used to her own room.

We tried to move Brooke to her crib at 6 weeks, but she didn't like it. She cried when we put her down for the night. I convinced Trey that she wasn't ready (neither was I), and I got two more weeks with her beside me in our room. Last week, we decided to move the bassinett into her room and let her sleep in it to get her used to the room first. She's doing great. We had a couple of nights with a little bit of crying when we first put her down, but it usually only last 5-10 minutes. She is still sleeping through the night.

This week we have mostly put her down in the crib. Most nights she is wide awake when I put her down. She'll just lay in her crib and look around. She hasn't been crying which is a relief to me, but I still cannot fall asleep until I know she is asleep.

It is so sad that Brooke is almost too big for her bassinett. My baby girl is growing so quickly. At her two month appointment today, we found out that she now weighs 12 lbs 6 oz and is 22 inches long. She is such a sweet baby and I'm so thankful that God has blessed our lives with her.

Baby's first Christmas

2010-01-07T14:35:00.012-05:00

This is a little late, but I want to write a little something about Brooke's first Christmas. Brooke made her first trip to Americus the weekend before Christmas. We only spent one night in Americus and it was quite a night. Brooke decided to stay up ALL night which meant her mommy was also up all night. Brooke and I ended up sleeping most of Sunday morning, but she finally made her debut at the family Christmas celebration around noon.

Brooke was very alert and wide awake. She enjoyed playing with her cousins and aunt. She also met her great grandmother, Franny. Franny loved holding Brooke and commented on how Brooke is such a pretty baby.

We returned home on Sunday night with a sleepy baby. I was worried she'd be off schedule for a few days, but she ended up sleeping through the night. Amazingly, Brooke started sleeping throught the night around 5 1/2 weeks.

On Christmas Eve, Trey and I took Brooke to church.

She slept through the service which we expected. After the service, we went to the Dickersons for the traditional lasagna dinner. We has a great time with my adopted family. We all received our Christmas Eve PJs from Cynthia. Trey especially enjoyed his Pac-Man PJs which included a hat.

Brooke's sister spent part of Christmas day with us. Santa visited both girls. Brooke's big gifts from Santa were a baby Elmo and a play mat. The Dickersons gave Brooke a bumbo. We had the Dickersons over for dinner on Christmas night. Overall, we had a great first Christmas with our baby girl.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-09T13:03:00.002-05:00

1 week old

2009-11-23T20:36:00.002-05:00

Our little Brooke is 1 week old today. This 1st week has been full of ups and downs, but I'm happy to say each day gets a little easier than the last.

It was difficult being in the hospital for 5 days. I was never able to get comfortable and sleep as I would have liked. Plus, Brooke was fussy and restless at times. Since we've been home, she has been the perfect baby. She rarely ever cries or fusses.

I'm so thankful to God for our sweet baby girl.

Brooke LaRue

2009-11-19T17:41:00.005-05:00

We are proud to announce the arrival of our daughter, Brooke LaRue.

Brooke arrived on November 16th at 2:52pm. She weighed 6lb 7oz and was 18 in long. Both her mommy and daddy are smitten with her. She has especially already won the heart of her daddy. If Brooke had waited just another day to arrive, her daddy may have had to break his attendance streak to the home UGA games.

Thanks to all of you that have prayed for us throughout this pregnancy. It's been a difficult journey to get to this point, but we are so very thankful to God for giving us this precious little girl.

Happy Anniversary

2009-11-02T20:47:00.002-05:00

Two years ago today, I married my best friend. I cannot say married life has always been easy. We have had some stressful events that have pulled us apart. But we also had a tragedy that brought us closer together. Not only have we grown closer, but we have both grown closer to God and I am glad that I can say He is the center of our marriage.

I know I still have a lot to work on as a wife. I do not tell Trey often enough how much he means to me or how much I appreciate him. He has been a wonderful husband especially the last few months as I am able to do less and less as I get further along in this pregnancy.

Thank you, Trey, for being a supportive husband. Not many men would be willing to do all that you do. Thank you for the changes you have made in your life since we first met that have allowed you to become the spiritual leader of our family. I love you so very much and look forward to spending the rest of my life with you.

CLB

…and down the stretch they come!

2009-10-29T20:48:00.004-04:00

Well, the time is getting close. Cheri went to the doctor today and everything still looks great. Brooke weighs out at 5 lbs, 7 oz, and Dr. Goggin projects her to be about 7 and a half pounds if we make it to our due date. We also found out that she is gonna be born with a pretty healthy head of hair. The ultrasounds are absolutely amazing.

We are at 34/4 weeks today, so Brooke is only a week and a half away from not being considered a preemie. Of course, we take nothing for granted, but all is looking well to have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

31 weeks

2009-10-05T12:25:00.003-04:00

Here is the latest belly picture.

This picture was actually taken last week at 30 weeks and 4 days. I'm feeling good other than being tired and exhausted all the time. The nursery is almost finished and I will try to post pictures of the nursery on here soon.

CLB

30 weeks

2009-09-28T13:09:00.003-04:00

We have officially made it to 30 weeks in this pregnancy. Little Brooke now weighs 3pounds which puts her in the 52nd percentile. This means the gestational diabetes has not had any affect on her weight at this point. I have also done a good job with adjusting my diet and controlling my blood sugar levels, so I just need to continue what I am doing for the rest of the pregnancy. Here is the latest picture of our girl. I think she is going to look a lot like her brother.

I am so thankful to God for this pregnancy and our little girl. I struggled with my faith after the birth and death of our son. I look back now and I am amazed at how God has worked in our lives over the past year. Trey and I are both closer to the Lord and each other as a result of all we have been through. I feel so very blessed to be married to someone who is continually growing spiritually and is the spiritual leader of our family.

CLB

Well, it's official....

2009-09-18T13:45:00.002-04:00

Audrey (not pictured) has swine flu.

It's a little scary since they put pregnant women in the high risk category, but hopefully the precautions we took will prevent spread, and Cheri will not get it. Please keep us in your prayers.

Baby Name

2009-09-11T15:55:00.001-04:00

It is hard to believe it has been almost 4 weeks since Trey blogged that we reached 24 weeks. I'll be 28 weeks on Monday. Thankfully, the time has flown by. But I'm also starting to get a little nervous about getting everything ready just in case this baby girl decides to come early. The nursery has been painted, the crib is ready and some clothes have been cleaned and put away. But I still feel an urgency to get everything in order in the next few weeks.

Well, I guess it is time to reveal the name since many people have already been told in person. We have decided to name our little girl Brooke. No family significance to this name. It's just a name we both liked and agreed upon kinda like Luke. We have narrowed down the middle name to just a few choices, but have not settled on one yet. It will be a family name, though.

CLB

24 weeks

2009-08-16T21:34:00.001-04:00

24 weeks.

Well, we made it. 24 weeks. When we lost Luke, one of the hardest things was talking to the Neonatal ICU counselor who told us that their protocol is to not even take action at any gestational age of less than 24 weeks.

So, since we found out we were pregnant, goal number one has been 24 weeks.

As it is, everything looks great. Dr. Goggin has filled us with the utmost in confidence, and every day we know we come closer to bringing our new daughter home.

The support we have received, going back to last December, and thru the spring and summer has been unbelievable. We can not begin to express how thankful we are.

As the time grows nearer, we both thank God for all that He has given us.

Trey.

Baby Weight

2009-07-29T15:39:00.004-04:00

I had another check-up and ultrasound yesterday. Baby Bliss weighs 15 ounces which is right on target according to our doctor. Everything looks great, but I will continue to see the doctor every two weeks for at least the next few weeks.

My belly is continuing to grow and I put on a few pounds last week. No belly pictures at this time, though, since we somehow managed to misplace our camera. Hopefully, we will be purchasing a new one in the next few weeks. Feel free to share your digital camera recommendations with us.

We have a first name picked out for Baby Bliss, but I'm not sure if we are ready to share it on here just yet. Still trying to decide on the middle name, but we have it narrowed down to a few choices. Stay tuned as I'm sure we will be sharing the name on here soon.

CLB

Back From the Beach

2009-07-27T21:17:00.005-04:00

Well, the beach trip has come and gone again, and it is time to settle back into the routine of life and get ready for Audrey to go back to school.

Adding to the excitement on Tybee this year was the filming of a movie starring Miley Cyrus. Audrey was excited to hopefully get to see her, but at the same time, she did a good job of not getting her hopes up too high. Well, as fate would have it...we didn't see her. But we did get to see a few things related to the movie, including the church pictured on this blog. It is not a real church, simply a set built for the film, but it fooled my dad, and if you didn't know it, would fool many others. This picture was after it had been "burned" for a scene, but it has since been redone, and looks like an old church being restored.

So now, as we get back to real life, we have to get thru a few weeks of trepidation. Cheri is at 21 weeks right now, and it was at 23 weeks that things went wrong with Luke. We are feeling very positive, and Dr. Goggin tells us that all things are looking great, but it is ALWAYS in the back of our minds. I can say for myself, and I am sure Cheri will agree, we will be very happy when we can turn the calendar to September...with all things still looking great for the baby. We just have to continue to have trust in God, that He will take care of all things.

Trey

Baby Bliss is a....

2009-07-17T10:22:00.002-04:00

GIRL! We found out last week, but have been too busy to update the blog. Even more important than the sex of the baby, our doctor says all her organs look great. We were even able to count her fingers and toes.

It looks like I'll be seeing the doctor a little more frequently now and have more ultrasounds which will ease my mind a bit. Ultimately, I have to trust God. I continually remind myself that He is in control.

As for the sex of our baby, I was pretty certain we were having a girl a few weeks into the pregnancy. With Luke, I had morning sickness all the time. With this baby, I feel great most of the time other than being exhausted. The first pregnancy I really wanted a boy. After losing Luke, I said I'd never hope or pray for a certain sex again. We just pray for a healthy baby.

I am so thankful for this little girl. God is so good. Romans 8:28

CLB

16.5 weeks

2009-06-26T09:34:00.002-04:00

Here's my belly at 16.5 weeks!

Mary Kay and more

2009-06-25T16:08:00.001-04:00

As Trey mentioned, I am now a Mary Kay lady. My former consultant decided to quit selling MK and encouraged me to try it. It has only been a few weeks, and I'm doing okay with it so far. I have not really even done much yet to get my business started, so I'm glad I already have a few customers. I don't really have an agressive, salesperson personality, so I know I may be facing some challenges.

If you are interested in having a complimentary facial or hosting a skin care class, please let me know. Even if you are not interested in buying MK products, I'd love to be given the opportunity to share the products with your friends and family. I also have a MK website: www.marykay.com/cheribliss if you'd like to place an order online. I will ship the products to you at no additional cost if you are out of town.

Now for the baby Bliss update. We had another check-up this week. Everything is looking good. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat. We definitely have an active baby. Every time the nurse would find the heartbeat, baby Bliss would move and she'd have to find it again. In only 2 weeks, we will have an ultrasound and hopefully find out if it is a boy or girl. I'm thinking it is a girl this time because this pregnancy has been different from Luke's. We have no preference this time. We just want a healthy baby.

I still have fears and worry about what may happen in the weeks to come. When those times come, I take my fears and worry to God. He has given me so much peace throughout this pregnancy. I just pray that peace continues as we get further along in this pregnancy.

CLB

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream......

2009-06-23T20:12:00.003-04:00

I feel bad not blogging more. Thankfully, there just really isn't a lot to write about right now. Nothing major is happening with the baby, it's not time to go to the beach yet, nothing major.

Well, Cheri is selling Mary Kay now....but she's gonna have to blog about that.

So, this post is dedicated to ice cream, specifically HOMEMADE ice cream.

After what seemed like a 10 year absence, my family has suddenly decided to start making ice cream again. It started last year when Cheri and I picked up some peaches on the way to Americus, then I made some Oreo for a church function, then some vanilla, and another batch of peach this past weekend.

So we got to talking, and decided that we would keep on the homemade ice cream kick, and tried to come up with some different recipes and flavors we could try....and that's where all of our faithful readers come in. I need some recipes, and I know that some of you have some great ones...so post your recipes here, or send them to icecream4theblisses@gmail.com

Mmmm...mmmmm...good.

Operation Day

2009-06-03T21:13:00.004-04:00

Well, today was operation day for Cheri. Our adventure really started yesterday when she called to get her time and was told she was not being done until 11:30. So that meant no food or drink for a lot longer than expected. The food is easy, the drink is tough. Add the time for the surgery, and it ended up being about 15 hours without anything taken in.

Well, you do what you have to do, and we left about 11 to go to the outpatient center. I did my best to reassure her, even telling her she could ride in the wagon like Audrey has with all of her surgeries. I try my best to use laughter as a distraction. Well, when the time came, Cheri passed on the wagon, and went on her own to the operating area while I went to the lobby to wait.

Waiting is tough. I don't know why they try to reassure you by telling you it will only be a few minutes, or by giving you a time. That just makes it worse to wait...when the 30 minutes they say becomes a little over an hour, you tend to have a little worry creep into your head.

But just as soon as I began to worry, Dr. Goggin came out and told me it was over, the surgery had gone well, and the baby was doing great. He did say that the condition he fixed was indeed the cause of the problem with Luke, and that Cheri would need to have the procedure done with each child as we continued having children.

As we were preparing to leave, our nurse (Joni) reminded us more than once that they would call tomorrow to check and make sure everything was OK. Well, Dr. Goggin went beyond that and called us just a minute ago. He's the best, and continues to make us believe that we have made the right choice, both in trying to have children again, and in having him as our doctor.

In closing, we both want to thank everyone for all the prayers they have given us for so long, and especially in the past few days. We know that God is good and that He listens to us, and we are so thankful for His grace and love.

Trey

One of Those Moments

2009-05-26T13:20:00.004-04:00

Well, today was checkup day, and it turned into one of those moments.

Cheri and I went to Dr. Goggin's office today for a routine 12-week visit...you know, check the vital signs and listen to the baby's heartbeat. Well, that's when the moment came, the nurse practioner could not find the baby's heartbeat.

Let me tell you, no matter how many times she said "This is normal" or "A lot of times at 12 weeks it's tough to find the heartbeat", after everything that has happened, the worst fears entered our hearts and minds.

So, we head to the ultrasound room for an unscheduled ultrasound, where we get ANOTHER one of those moments.

Luke was a very passive baby inside of Cheri, usually lying still, maybe sleeping, occasionally the slightest movement of a hand, or a leg....nothing major. Today, the baby (we really need to come up with a code name for this one), was dancing, or exercising, or something; but whatever, enjoying every second of it.

And the heart was beating strong, and all is well!

Trey

Just Another Update?

2009-05-21T22:21:00.003-04:00

I was thinking to myself today that we had not blogged this month, but that we really did not have anything to say....things are just going normal.

But then I realized, that while we have told people personally, and had a few facebook posts referencing it, we had not yet posted on here that we are once again pregnant!

The official due date is December 7th, but based on a few variables, Dr. Goggin (our new obstetrician) is expecting us to have a less than normal Thanksgiving.

It is both exciting and scary based upon what happened with Luke. But our Faith in God, and our belief that Dr. Goggin has identified the areas that need extra attention, instill us with the utmost confidence that this time will bring a happier ending. Still, bad thoughts have a way of lingering, and every time a blood pressure reading is a little high, or the morning sickness gets a little worse bring about some level of trepidation.

We are still so appreciative of everyone who helped us out in our time of sorrow....we can not wait until they are all able to share in our moment of joy!

Trey

Missing Luke

2009-04-30T16:13:00.002-04:00

Today has been rough. I've really been missing my baby boy today. Luke's due date was just a few days ago. It is still so hard for me to comprehend why he is not here with us. I am trying my best to be thankful for the blessings God has given us and will give us, but sometimes all I really want is to have Luke back in my arms.

Trey wrote a poem for me shortly after Luke passed away. I did not know if I would ever post it on here or not, but I have decided to post it on here. Hopefully, he will not mind that I am sharing this with all of you. CLB

What tears did you cry today?
The tears I saw that night,
Filled with hopelessness, anger, and betrayal?
Those tears are like acid,
Eating at the soul and the heart.

What tears did you cry today?
The mournful tears of loneliness
That soak the depths of your being?
Those tears are like a flood,
Rotting the roots of growth.

What tears did you cry today?
The tears I cry when you push me away?
The tears I keep inside pretending to be brave,
Letting build up like a dam holds a river.

What tears did you cry today?
Tears of joy, and of hope, and of love?
Cry those tears.
Let those Tears Flow.
Let those tears enrich you,
And bring bloom within you.

What tears did you cry today?

The Passing of a Great Man.

2009-04-15T11:27:00.004-04:00

My Great-Uncle Bubba Bateman passed away yesterday, after a battle with Alzheimer's. He was 92 and lived a full life.

Everyone should have an Uncle Bubba. I was asked one time who I looked up to, who had an influence on me. I gave credit to my dad, but also mentioned what an influence Uncle Bubba had been.

Uncle Bubba never had kids, and that is a shame. So many of us saw him as a second father, an additional grandfather, and whatever we needed him to be. I can only imagine what a great father he would have been. While none of us know exactly what heaven holds for us, I can imagine Uncle Bubba finding my little boy up there and the two of them sharing time together the way he and I did here.

Bubba served in World War II, and will receive the honors that go with that at his burial on Friday.

And I will receive maybe the highest honor of my life, as he chose me to receive the flag draped over his coffin. Words can not describe my pride, and my humbleness at the same time. It will be forever displayed prominently, next to Cheri's Dad's flag.

God Bless You, Uncle Bubba.

Trusting God

2009-03-27T12:38:00.001-04:00

Do I truly, completely trust God? This is something I struggle with constantly. I feel like I've made progress in this area, but those doubts and worries always come back up. Is it good enough that I am constantly striving to trust Him completely?

When the doubts enter back in, I try to remind myself of times when I have trusted God completely. In 2005, I turned 30. I was single and I was content being single, but I still had a desire for a family. Sure, I had prayed to God before to bring me a mate. But in the summer of 2005, I changed my prayer. I asked God to take my desire for a family away if it was His Will for me to remain single. I continued to pray for God to take away my desire for a family or bring me and my future husband together over the next few months.

I ended up meeting my future husband at a church event in November of 2005. When I look back on those months now, I am so amazed by how God worked in my life. I know if I completely trust Him, He will lead me down the right path. He never promised life would be easy or pain free, but there is hope in the future.

I've changed our top song on our playlist again. This song is Whatever You're Doing by Sanctus Real and it has really been speaking to me in the last few days. Thank you, Lord, for bringing songs to me that truly speak to my heart and help me to continue the healing process.

Life Goes On

2009-02-26T20:28:00.002-05:00

Life has slowly begun returning back to normal. Part of me does not want to move on. I know I cannot grieve and mourn the loss of my son forever, but I don't want to move on without him either. For my family's sake, though, I am doing as much as I can to move on while still remembering Luke.

We have been receiving good news concerning the medical aspect of all this. My former doctor told us he really didn't know what caused Luke's premature birth. Even when I gave him specific causes, he'd rule them all out. So we sought a second opinion. My new doctor thinks he knows exactly what caused Luke's premature birth and can prevent it (or at least try to) in any future pregnancies if we decide to try to have another baby.

I still have fears about this happening again and worry so much about the future. I am trying so hard to give my worries and fears to God. I know I have to allow Him control of all aspects of my life.

Anniversary Celebration

2009-02-23T17:54:00.005-05:00

We attended the 50th anniversary celebration of our church this past Sunday. The service was great with all the former pastors speaking and wonderful music. There was a reception following the service in the gym. The church had one room filled with pictures and displays with all the church history. Then we walked down the hallway that connected this room and the gym and noticed the names and pictures of deceased church members. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised as we came to the next to the last one and Trey said, "There's one for Luke."

I am so grateful for my church family. Luke's life was important and it did matter.

Wish you were here

2009-02-05T11:48:00.003-05:00

Listen to the first song playing on our music player or read the lyrics below.

This is a Contemporary Christian song by Mark Harris that I've heard countless number of times. It's never really touched me until I heard it yesterday morning. I actually listened to the lyrics and felt so close to Luke. I have no doubt that he is in heaven and he'd be saying these things to me if he could.

Over the past few weeks, one of the things I have said over and over to myself and to Trey is that I just want my baby back. I want him here with me. This song reminds me that he wants to be with me as well. But he is in a much better place waiting on me to get there.

The pain is still here. And I still miss Luke more than anything else. But I am starting to feel a small bit of peace and comfort that only God can provide.

Wish You Were Here lyrics:

Verse 1
I wanted to tell you how closely I've kept
The memories of you in my heart
And all of the lifetimes that we've had to share
Live even though we're apart

But don't cry for me
'Cause I'm finally free

Chorus:
To run with the angels
On streets made of gold
To listen to stories of saints new and old
To worship our Maker
That's where I'll be
When you finally find me

Verse 2
Now don't you be weary cause waiting for you
Are wonders that you've never known
Just hold on to Jesus, reach out for His hands
And one day they'll welcome you home

And that's when you'll be
Finally Free
Finally Free

Chorus

I wish you were here 2x

Bridge
And all of the dreams that you treasure
Will soon come together
And that's when your sorrow will find tomorrow
And you will rise again

Chorus 2x

I wish you were here 3x

Reactions

2009-01-12T18:58:00.002-05:00

First, let me say that we both miss Luke as much, if not more, than we did 2 weeks ago, but somehow, someway we find a way to work, and keep the house, and try to sleep...but it is not easy, and we both wonder if it ever will be.

As for the title of this entry, it covers a lot.

First, the reaction of friends and family. Humbling would be the best word I can use to describe it. First of all, I have to give special thanks to my sister. When everything was breaking down that Sunday morning, I simply had to ask her, Please come to Athens. No other words or explanation were necessary. I will never be able to repay what she meant to me that day. The rest of our families have been just as wonderful, crying with us when that was what we needed, and giving us strength at other times.

The reaction of friends has been more than we ever would have believed. I really don't want to leave anyone out, but I do have to give thanks to our Sunday School class. Even those who we have not been as close to as others have done more than we would have ever asked. We finally had to just insist that we did know how to cook, and that it WAS possible for us to prepare a meal on our own. The Hubertys have done whatever we asked, and Ron and Tanya (especially Tanya those first days) will forever have special places in our hearts.

But one reaction is beginning to wear on us. We have had too many people tell us that they know what we are feeling. And, while some do....others think they do because they had a pregnancy end at 8 weeks. They, however, did not have to have a child, who kicks and punches and wiggles; and you just have to sit there and hold, knowing there is nothing that can be done. For those who tell us, or anyone in our situation, that they don't know what to say, or don't have the right words....you have said EXACTLY what needs to be said.

Thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers during these difficult times.

Trey

Questions with no answers

2009-01-03T13:32:00.003-05:00

I hope that writing about Luke will bring me some comfort. I think about him constantly and just do not know how to move on. I need answers, but I know we may never have answers.

Was Luke's pre-mature labor caused by my high blood pressure. So far that is the only answer the doctor has for us. I had my last regular check-up with the doctor on December 24th. My blood pressure was a little high, but the doctor was not very concerned and planned to see me the following Monday. Now I am questioning my doctor and wondering if he should have done more on the 24th.

I know I have to stay strong in my faith, but right now God is the last person I want to talk to about this. How do I go to God right now when the only thing I want is to have my baby back in my arms?

Luke Eugene

2008-12-31T21:39:00.005-05:00

My baby boy, Luke Eugene, was born on December 28th at 12:48 pm. He weighed 1 lb, 2 oz and was 12 inches long. We were able to hold him and love him for about 30 minutes before he went to be with the Lord. I know I am biased, but he is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen.

Our friend, Robyn, took the picture of us with Luke shortly after his birth. I am so thankful she thought to bring a camera to the hospital to capture this picture and many more. I will cherish these pictures for the rest of my life.

In the days to come, I may share more about Luke's birth. But for now, I just wanted to introduce him to you. Please pray for our family. I'm not quite sure how we will get through this other than prayers and support from our friends and family.

Big News

2008-10-30T14:17:00.003-04:00

I've been away for awhile, but I'm ready to get back into this. I guess it is finally time to reveal our big news. I'm pregnant! I'm almost 15 weeks along. The past few weeks have been pretty amazing and scary.

I've been pretty exhausted and tired most of the time not to mention feeling sick constantly, but I'm finally starting to feel better so I hope to be active on here again. I'd love to keep this blog updated so our baby will someday be able to read about our lives as he/she was growing in my belly.

I may post a belly picture on here in the next day or two. I have a little bit of a belly, but most of it is my pre-pregnancy belly. I've only put on 3 pounds, which I guess is good. But I'm ready to start showing.

There have been a few other things to have the past few weeks and I may go back and cover those things as well.

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T12:41:00.002-04:00

Our labor day weekend is spent at a nearby state park with T's family for an annual family reunion. Yes, we stay the entire weekend. We arrive on Friday night and leave on Monday morning. I know most people wouldn't want to be with their in-laws and extended family members for that long, but I can truly say that I enjoy it and wouldn't have it any other way.

My only disappointment from the weekend is that I did not attend the Ga/Ga Southern football game. T went, but I decided it would be best to stay out of the crowd and heat. The game was not televised either, so I had to settle for listening to it on the radio. I'm hoping next weekend will be a little cooler, so I can attend the game.

Stay tuned because we hope to be reporting some big and exciting news in the next few weeks!

Abby

2008-08-28T22:52:00.005-04:00

This is one of our dogs, Abby. It is kinda hard to tell from her new haircut, but she is a poodle. I was quite shocked when I picked Abby up from the groomer looking like this with shaved ears. I've never seen a poodle with shaved ears before. We had to go to a new groomer because our old groomer is no longer working. I thought any groomer could groom a poodle, but I guess I was wrong. I take part responsibility in the new do. I did not speak to the groomer, but I gave a description to the receptionist. I said I like her body shaved, but still a poofy head. I never mentioned the ears. Next time I'll be sure to give a detailed description and will probably take in this old picture.

My Wonderful Husband

2008-08-28T21:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I had a bit of a minor crisis. Looking back now, it wasn't too serious. But at the time, it seemed much worse. Anyhow, I called my husband at the beginning of this crisis and told him where I was going. He immediately said he'd meet me there, but I quickly cut him off. I told him that I would be fine and didn't need him to come meet me because I knew he had a lot to do. I know I probably sounded harsh and rude, but I really did not want to burden him.

Fortunately, my husband does not always listen to me. He ended up meeting me and I was so relieved. I truly needed him and he was there for me. Thanks again, T, for being there when I needed you. I'm sorry that I'm not always the sweet and loving wife that you deserve.

Me and My Hubby

2008-08-21T13:36:00.004-04:00

I found this on Creative Momma's blog and thought it would be fun.

What is his name? Trey

Who eats more? Him, right now.

Who said I love you first? He wrote it first. I said it first after we argued about who was going to say it first. We both refused to be the first to say it, but I gave in first.

Who is taller? He is

Who drives most when you are together? He does and I yell at him a lot for his reckless driving.

Who’s more sensitive? me

Who does the laundry? For the most part I do it, but he does help when I need it.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does.

Who pays the bills? I do most of the time.

Who cooks more? He cooks more often than me, but I do cook some of the time.

Who is more stubborn? Me

Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Him. Remember I'm the stubborn one.

Who wears the pants? I like to make him think that he does. :-) Honestly, he does.

What do you like to do together? Watch tv especially Law and Order: CI and SVU, go out to dinner, go to sporting events, play trivia

Who eats more sweets? Again, me

Guilty Pleasures? Him-Sudoku Me-The Hills

How did you meet? Church bonfire

Who asked whom out first? He asked me out.

Who kissed first? He asked on the first date. I said no, but I eventually let him kiss me.

Who proposed? He did after a year and a half of dating. He proposed on the train at Stone Mountain.

His best features & qualities? handsome, great father, sense of humor, intelligent, he rarely gets mad at me even though I know I drive him crazy at times

Who I tag: Anyone who wants to do it

Bailey 1998-2008

2008-08-17T21:37:00.002-04:00

Well, not a great day around the house. I went out this afternoon and discovered that one of our dogs had passed away. From all indications, it was as peaceful as it could be, but it is baffling as she had shown no signs of even being sick.

Cheri was amazed that I have never had an animal of mine die while I had them. This is the first time I have ever had to worry about burial, etc.

We decided not to tell A about it until tomorrow after school. We are gonna hold a short "memorial service" after we all get home. I worry a little about how she will handle it, but maybe her love of the movie "All Dogs Go To Heaven" will help us out a little.

So, I say goodbye to a good friend. The next time I pick up a tennis ball, I will pause for just a second and remember how many times you ran after any one that I threw and remember that I loved you.

Trey

Condo

2008-08-14T15:00:00.003-04:00

T showed the condo to a prospective buyer this morning. They are meeting with him again right about now to look at it again. What an answer to prayer it would be if we could sell the condo! If you happen to read this in the next few minutes, please say a little prayer for us.

Wonderful Weekend

2008-08-05T18:38:00.002-04:00

T and A went swimming, so I have a few minutes to blog about our weekend adventures. We had a very busy, but fun weekend.

Friday night we headed to Stone Mountain for the laser show. A was super excited. The laser show was good, but I was disappointed that they took out "Proud to be an American."

On Saturday, we met up with some friends at a nearby state park. We celebrated the 7th birthday of their son. A again had a great time and we only had to put her in time out one time. I'll try to post some pictures from the park soon.

Sunday morning, A woke up excited about going to church. This was a relief after some of her recent comments about not wanting to go to church anymore. On Sunday afternoon, we had a Sunday School ice cream social. It is so great to be in a Sunday School class with so many young children around the same age as A.

Family Devotion

2008-08-05T10:44:00.003-04:00

We started our family devotions last night. I really like the book and think it is very age appropriate for A. The devotion has a short scripture reading plus a story to go along with the scripture. Then there are questions to ask after the story. Plus, we have a memory verse. This week's verse is Genesis 1:1.

A enjoyed our first family devotion last night. She paid attention, answered the questions and even asked some questions. She even repeated the memory verse for us a few times.

My only dilemma is when we should have our family devotion time. In the ladies Bible study group that I was in this summer, one of the ladies said her family does the family devotion at dinner time. So we had our devotion time at dinner last night. It worked out pretty well last night, but I wonder if we should just do the devotion at bedtime. We will probably stick with the devotion at dinner plan for awhile, but I'd love to hear from some others out there.

Do you have a family devotion time? If so, what time works best for your family. What devotion books do you use or have used with your family?

Beach and more

2008-08-01T09:24:00.004-04:00

We made it back from the beach last Saturday. Overall, it was a great trip. A was a handful on the days when she did not get a good nap. So we learned quickly that she needed a good nap in the afternoon if we wanted her to behave during dinner. A is in almost all of the pictures, so I am only posting the one above. A actually took this one herself. She is getting pretty good with the camera.

It was so nice to get away for a week and relax. Life can be so stressful at times. I knew life would get more complicated when I got married in November, but don't think I was really prepared for how much my life has changed. Life has been stressful and challenging, but I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband and stepdaughter.

Speaking of the stepdaughter, she told her daddy on the phone last night that she didn't want to go to church. Of course, that broke my heart. We've missed a few Sundays because of the beach vacation and July 4th weekend we spent with the in-laws. Plus, our church takes a break in the summer for children activities on Wed. nights. So I'm hoping once we get back in the swing of things, she'll be excited about church again. I also bought our family devotion book. We will be using Ruth Graham's Step into the Bible: 100 Bible Stories for Family Devotions.

Quiet Week

2008-07-17T15:57:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been a quiet and slow week for us. We are looking forward to leaving for the beach on Saturday. It will be nice to get away for a full week. I just need to find some time to pack. We've packed the little one, but T and I still need to pack. I have Bible study tonight, but I'll probably get started when I get home. Please pray for safety as we travel this weekend.

For Sale

2008-07-09T14:53:00.002-04:00

My condo is officially on the market. We were lucky that we were able to rent the condo the month after the wedding. Unfortunately, the lease ends at the end of July and our renter is not ready to buy. We are hoping and praying that we are able to sell it quickly.

Pictures from the weekend

2008-07-07T18:44:00.003-04:00

Just a few pictures from the weekend. You will not see A in any of the pictures as I will not post any of her on the blog.

Papa and Trey playing in the pool.

Trey taking a nap with his fishy.

A took this picture of us.

Trey telling A not to take any more pictures.

July 4th Weekend

2008-07-07T11:04:00.002-04:00

We had a great July 4th weekend. We left on Thursday evening for south Georgia to spend the weekend with my in-laws. I am so incredibly blessed to have wonderful in-laws that I enjoy being around. They have always made me feel like part of the family for which I am truly grateful.

It was a pretty relaxing weekend. We mainly played in the pool with A. On Thursday and Friday nights, we could see fireworks from the backyard. On Saturday night, we attended a party at the neighbor's house. It was a lot of fun, but I had to leave early because I did not feel well. When the rest of the family returned home on Saturday night, T and A had fun with the sparklers. A was scared of the sparklers at first, so T had to teach her how to hold them. Once he did, she had a great time with them.

A was a little grumpy on Sunday morning and didn't want to go to church. T's parents attend the 8 o'clock service, so we did have to get her up early. She was very well behaved during the service. She did act up a little towards the end of the service, but I was so proud of her for being good the majority of the time. She also got the hymnal out and started singing her own song with the words, "Jesus is my saviour." It just made my heart melt.

My favorite memory of the weekend had to be a conversation A and I had in the pool on Sunday afternoon. A has a habit of just randomly telling us that she loves us. It is very cute and sweet, but this time I expanded that conversation. It went like this:

A: "I love you, C."
C: "I love you too, A. Do you know why I love you?"
A: "Why?"
C: "Is it because you are so pretty?"
A: "No."
C: "Is it because you are so sweet?"
A: "No. It is because I'm your stepdaughter."
C: "Yes, that's right. And God made you my stepdaughter. And just like God will never stop loving you, I won't either."
A: "I won't stop loving you either."

The sad part of the weekend came on Sunday afternoon when it was time for T and I to leave. A is staying with her grandparents for a few extra days and her cousins are coming to visit as well. A was a little sad for us to leave, but she knew she'd have fun with her grandparents and cousins. T and I sure do miss her, though. We are looking forward to our vacation to the beach in less than 2 weeks!

Trivia

2008-07-01T13:53:00.000-04:00

Last night, T and I played team trivia at a local restaurant. It was general knowledge trivia, so questions came from categories such as sports, music, movies, etc. I'll post some of the questions at the end of this post. Of course, anyone that knows T knows that he is a genius especially when it comes to useless trivia. I was able to contribute a few answers, though, that T claims he did not know.

Most teams were made up of 5 or more people, so I did not have high hopes of winning. I would have been thrilled with a top 5 finish. At the midway point, we were in 3rd place. However, going into the last question we had fallen to 5th. I did not have much hope at this point. On the last question, you could wager up to 20 points. We had nothing to lose so we went for the full 20. T narrowed the possible answers down to 2 and I agreed with him. I told him which answer I would pick and he went with that answer and turned it in. We were thrilled when we found out we had the correct answer. The MC said there was a tie for 2nd. T and I looked at each other and I said, "We must be one of the teams tied for second place." Then the MC announced the points total for 2nd place and we knew we had won 1st place! We won a $40 gift certificate to the restaurant.

It was a great night overall. Even if we had not won, I would still cherish the time I get to spend with my husband doing something we both enjoy.

Some of the questions from last night:

Sports: What NFL team led the league with fewest yards allowed?
Gems: What is the birthstone for July?
Athens: What is the highest exit number on the loop?
Sports: What kind of wood is used to make most baseball bats?
Presidents: Which president appears on the $2 bill?
Weather: What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon
TV: Name 7 of the top 10 most watched tv season finales. You cannot use Friends or Seinfeld.

Final Question: If you are standing in Pierre, South Dakota, what is the closest city with a professional sports team?

104.7 The Fish

2008-06-29T18:55:00.000-04:00

Last week, Trey and his daughter were driving home when A said "Daddy, put the radio on 104.7 the Fish." This is our local Contemporary Christian radio station. When Trey and A arrived home, Trey told A to tell me her favorite radio station. She repeated "104.7 the Fish." I was so proud. I know this may seem silly to most people, but it gives me a lot of hope for the future. I pray that A will continue to choose God and His ways.

This week I plan to search for a family devotion book that we can begin using at dinner time. I am excited about being more consistent in a family devotion time and I know our family will be blessed.

Adding to the blog....

2008-06-26T09:30:00.000-04:00

What causes one to blog?

Cheri has been asking me if I was going to blog on here, and I do, but what prompts someone to blog. Right now, it seems that life is just staying routine and normal for us, which is a good thing.

But when the time comes, you all WILL get my input and thoughts.

Trey

God's Will

2008-06-23T14:49:00.000-04:00

God's Will has been on my mind a lot lately. In my Thursday night Bible study, this topic was briefly mentioned last week. One of the ladies had attended the funeral of a young mother and the pastor performing the service said something along the lines that her death was not God's will. This comment and the additional information shared has been bothering me since I heard it. How can a pastor that teaches God's Word not believe that God is in control of all things including death?

I pray that God will keep me and my family on the correct path.

CLB

Blogging

2008-06-19T22:38:00.000-04:00

We have officially entered the world of blogging. Not sure how much we will post, but I was inspired to start a blog after browsing many interesting blogs this week. I hope we can keep family and friends updated on our lives as well as entertained.

Blissful Journey

Happy Anniversary

Pumpkin patch and Homecoming 2010

10 months old

Giggling Baby

Trials

Back to Work

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Wiggle Worm

8 weeks

Baby's first Christmas

Wordless Wednesday

1 week old

Brooke LaRue

Happy Anniversary

…and down the stretch they come!

31 weeks

30 weeks

Well, it's official....

Baby Name

24 weeks

Baby Weight

Back From the Beach

Baby Bliss is a....

16.5 weeks

Mary Kay and more

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream......

Operation Day

One of Those Moments

Just Another Update?

Missing Luke

The Passing of a Great Man.

Trusting God

Life Goes On

Anniversary Celebration

Wish you were here

More Answers.....or More Confusion?

Reactions

Questions with no answers

Luke Eugene

Big News

Labor Day Weekend

Abby

My Wonderful Husband

Me and My Hubby

Bailey 1998-2008

Condo

Wonderful Weekend

Family Devotion

Beach and more

Quiet Week

For Sale

Pictures from the weekend

July 4th Weekend

Trivia

104.7 The Fish

Adding to the blog....

God's Will

Blogging