Jeremy and Jessica Cox

Eli Walking

2009-09-26T10:36:00.000-05:00

I finally got a video of Eli walking. Hope you enjoy!

Eli's Year in Review

2009-09-01T19:08:00.000-05:00

Eli's New Pool

2009-06-19T11:02:00.003-05:00

Sorry its been so long since we blogged. Here are a few pics of Eli's first pool experience.

Here is Eli ready to go!

It was difficult getting him in the cold water, but he really had fun!

Such a cool kid.

Eli Crawling

2009-05-08T10:04:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the poor quality. I'm going to use viddler for now on for those who don't have facebook. Isn't he cute :-)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T19:00:00.001-05:00

Seven months old part two

2009-04-04T15:32:00.002-05:00

Seven months old

2009-04-04T15:28:00.001-05:00

You know our lives are boring when...

2009-03-27T19:10:00.004-05:00

the most exciting news we have is that Eli drank from a sippy cup for the first time! This is his first attempt at juice and a cup.

The thing around his waist is the swaddle that he needs to get to sleep and then works himself out of.
Eli and Leo are getting along quite nicely.

Eli's First Attempt to Crawl

2009-03-19T21:56:00.001-05:00

Bathtime!

2009-03-02T20:13:00.003-05:00

Eli loves bathtime! We just recently moved him from the island in our kitchen to the acutal bathtub. He was splashing too much to keep him in the kitchen.

Eli is also starting to scoot on his belly a little. I think he's almost ready to start crawling. We need to start child proofing this house!

Eli is almost 6 months old!

2009-02-26T19:51:00.002-05:00

Eli just finished eating some green beans and sweet potatoes. Yummy!

He's not really drinking anything...but he likes to pretend.

Eli also likes to pretend he knows how to drive.

2009-02-14T09:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's day from Eli!!

My latest hobby.

2009-02-13T18:51:00.002-05:00

I've been dabbling in cupcakes lately and these are some of the latest. I obviously need more practice but it's a start. These were for our Superbowl party. They're supposed to be yard lines.

These are for Esther's Minnie Mouse themed birthday part.
These were for a baby shower.

Eli Laughing

2009-02-10T21:41:00.001-05:00

The video of Eli trying to eat rice cereal

2009-01-26T20:09:00.004-05:00

Eli's First Meal

2009-01-26T19:59:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago the doctor gave us the go ahead and start feeding Eli his first real food. He told us to start with rice cereal. Here are a few pics of that adventure...

All set up in his high chair!

He didn't like rice cereal and just gave us an ugly look like, "What is this?"

So we took him to the doctor today for his shots and he told us to try sweet potatoes.

Eli LOVES sweet potatoes!

Break out the excersaucer!

2009-01-06T17:02:00.002-05:00

Eli is finally big enough for his excersaucer! Here are a few pics...

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T22:18:00.002-05:00

We left Wed for West Virginia, but opened some gifts here in Knoxville before we left. Here are a few pics from both Knoxville and West Virginia. Eli's first Christmas!

Santa got Eli a stuffed Giraffe!

Eli got mommy some nice dangling earings. She was very impressed at his sense of fashion!

Eli got daddy a photo book for his wallet. That way he can show off his handsome face to everyone he meets.

Eli underneath the tree in West Virginia.

Look at those almond eyes!

Grandma holding her little grandson before we left.

He's getting so big!

2008-12-21T20:50:00.004-05:00

Eli rolled over for the first time this weekend! He had rolled over in the past...but it took a little shove from daddy :-). And just now he held his bottle by himself during his feeding. I'm just so amazed at how fast he's growing! Here are a couple pics...

Jess didn't really get the camera ready in time...he had just finished the bottle in this pic.

Here's an after feeding stare at the cat. He's very interested in the cat...not so much the dog. But that's ok, cause Leo isn't real interested in Eli right now. I'm sure that will change when Eli starts eating hard food and dropping it on the floor for him.

Christmas Pictures of Eli

2008-12-12T07:22:00.005-05:00

We had Eli's Christmas pictures done yesterday. Here are a couple of our favorites...

This one is our collective favorite. He looks so grown up!

I don't understand why he's wearing shoes :-)

The best Christmas gift ever!

It looks like he's mischievous!

He did really good at the photo shoot. Smiled a lot and even pooped his pants :-). He took a VERY long nap when he got home. I think it wore him out...you know...being cute and all takes a lot of energy.

Christmas Decorations Hung by the Fireside with Care...

2008-12-10T21:34:00.003-05:00

Our Christmas decorations are up! Here are a few pics...

Thanksgiving Pictures

2008-12-05T09:05:00.006-05:00

Jessica and I were not able to make the Beckley trip this year. Jessica got the flu on Tues and Wednesday and was too weak to travel on Thanksgiving. So, we were blessed to have the Wombles invite us over for Thanksgiving at their house! Here are some pics...

Eli wore his "old man" outfit. He's so cute! We are decorating outside this weekend and hope to get our Christmas pictures on here real soon!

Cutest Baby in the World

2008-11-24T22:19:00.003-05:00

Its cold here in East Tennessee and Eli has to get bundled up every time he goes out.

Eli was puffing his cheeks out today after his latest feeding and I thought it was the cutest thing in the world!

We're looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. We're going to see Jess' side of the family and spend the day there. Jess is bringing her famous pumpkin cake. Hope you all have a wonderful week!

New Pictures on a New Hard Drive

2008-11-16T21:32:00.003-05:00

Jessica and I have the worst luck with computers. Our hard drive crashed last week and we lost all of our pictures and files. So, we're downloading pictures from our snapfish, facebook, and blogger accounts. It really stinks, but I should have backed it up. Anyways, we're backing it up now...so its all good. Here are a few new pictures of Eli...

Eli had a cold the past week and a half. Thursday it got so bad that he wouldn't eat. So, we took him to the doctor and she sucked out all of his snot. Pretty gross. He's feeling a lot better today and is back to eating well. He's starting to follow things with his eyes and grab a hold of stuff. He grabbed Jessica's necklace yesterday. Pretty cool stuff...this parenting thing. Anyways, be back tomorrow with some power rankings :-). (BTW, I'm starting to realize that our blog readers would rather have pictures of Eli then Jeremy's thoughts on football.)

Jeremy's Power Rankings

2008-11-10T14:37:00.002-05:00

It continues to be a strange season. The NFC has been dominate, while the AFC has been questionable. Here are my rankings for this week...

1. Tennessee Titans (9-0) They won this week without running the ball...well they tried and failed miserably. However, Collins threw efficiently and their defense continues to dominate.

2. New York Giants (8-1)I am convinced that the Giants are in the toughest division and has the toughest schedule in football. Every week they go up against extrodinary odds and continue to win ball games. I expect to see the Giants repeat this year!

3. Carolina Panthers (7-2) Quietly leading a very good NFC South.

4. NE Patriots (6-3) One of many 6-3 teams. They continue to win ball games and right now look like a playoff team.

5. Washington Redskins (6-3) This was a difficult pick because there are so many good 6-3 teams. But, the Redskins are winning ballgames in the toughest division in football. So, they get my vote.

More Pictures that I love!

2008-11-06T18:58:00.002-05:00

I love this picture.

My son watching UT lose :-)

He does smile every once in a while...

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T10:29:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pics from our fall festival at church. Eli dressed as a dog and I dressed as John McCain. Byron was supposed to dress as Barak Obama...but they were all out of Obama masks at the mall.

Eli's Funny Faces

2008-10-28T20:21:00.005-05:00

Jess posted these on Facebook...so I had to post them here as well. Let me know what you think he's thinking...

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

Jeremy's Power Rankings

2008-10-28T20:15:00.003-05:00

Here are my power rankings for this week. Its been a rough season for this Colts fan :-(.

1. Tennessee Titans (7-0) They haven't played any team above .500, but they haven't lost a game and that means something. They also have a good system and a good coach. They will be the team to beat this second half of the season.

2. NY Giants (6-1) Statement win this week against a very good Steelers team. Their schedule is brutal...hopefully our reigning super bowl champs will stay healthy.

3. Pittsburg Steelers (5-2) Tough loss this week. They've been winning even with players injured. They also have a tough schedule ahead and we'll see if that offensive line can keep Big Ben standing upright.

4. Washington Redskins (6-2) Jason Campbell still hasn't thrown an interception. He is the poster boy for game management.

5. NE Pats (5-2) With Carolina right behind them in my standings...I just don't understand why they keep winning. I thought for sure the Morris injury would knock them out. Evidently, Brady is not the key to the Patriots' success.

The Office!

2008-10-27T20:03:00.002-05:00

No, not the TV show. Here are a few pics of the office which is finally done!

Ft. Wayne/Bluffton Trip

2008-10-21T18:34:00.003-05:00

Recently Jessica made our way to Ft. Wayne and Bluffton so Eli could meet Shari, Grandma, and Grandpa, and Uncle Larry and Aunt Penny. Here are a few pics from the trip. Thanks again Honeycutts for giving us a break in the trip. It was great to see them as well!

Here's Shari holding Eli. We ate at Texas Roadhouse Monday night and then hit a nice diner for breakfast in the morning before we made our way to Bluffton.

Here's grandma holding Eli. She made us lunch and ordered some chicken. So delicious!

Here's Aunt Penny holding Eli. We're so glad she was able to take her lunch break to see us.

It was a great trip and Eli did really good. Saturday we head to Beckley to see Jess' mom, sister, and brother.

Jeremy's Power Rankings

2008-10-21T07:59:00.002-05:00

I missed last week's rankings because I was visiting family. I hope to get some pics on here real soon of that visit. Here are my rankings for the week...at least for the two people who care :-)

1. Tennessee Titans - They seem to be doing everything right. They can run the ball well and defend anyone. This next week will be a good test against a Colts team who must win this week.

2. New York Giants - They have had some really close games, but they continue to win...which is what matters the most.

3. Pittsburg Steelers - They are basically the same team as the Titans, but with a better QB. Great defense, great running game, and a QB who doesn't make a whole lot of mistakes. They just have one loss against a very good Phily team.

4. Buffalo Bills - I'm still not sure why they keep winning. They are like the Tampa Bay Rays of the NFL. It just doesn't make sense.

5. Washington Redskins - Once again, defence + running game + QB manager = wins. They have a QB who has yet to throw an interception, a great running back (if he stays healthy), and a defense that contains. Their two losses have come because of defensive meltdowns.

Check Me Out

2008-10-20T16:05:00.003-05:00

I thought you might want to see what Eli wore to church this Sunday. So freakin cute.

More pictures

2008-10-09T20:42:00.002-05:00

Here are some Eli pictures for you. This was Eli's first tub bath.
This is him looking like a GloWorm after his bath.
This is him spending time on his activity mat. Things have been o.k. lately. We found out today that he has a milk allergy, acid reflux, and colic all rolled into one. The dr. changed his formula and put him on Zantac. We also have to start putting rice cereal in his bottles and keep him upright 30 min. after he eats. Hopefully this will help his temperment and help him to sleep a little better. We'll keep you posted.

Sewer Line

2008-10-08T23:04:00.003-05:00

We had a new sewer line put in last week. I know its gross...but its a house update :-) Here are a few pics!

Jeremy's Power Rankings

2008-10-06T06:42:00.002-05:00

Monday's game really doesn't change my top five. So, here are my rankings for the week.

1. NY Giants - Its hard to believe that pro's make so much money. The Giants beat down the Seahawks like they were a high school team!

2. Tennessee Titans - I didn't think they would win this one...but they did and remain undefeated.

3. Washington Redskins - This was a statement win by the skins. They went into Philly and handled the Eagles.

4. Dallas Cowboys - They beat a "desperate for a win" Bengals squad. They are still very undisciplined and I wonder how they will fair the rest of the season.

5. Pittsburg Steelers - There are several teams that could fill the number five slot. But, Big Ben and the Steelers went into Jacksonville and got it done this week. So, here they stand at number five.

Eli's Big Debut

2008-10-05T20:02:00.002-05:00

Eli made his first appearance at church today. We had really cute khaki pants to wear, but in true Eli fashion, he pooped all in them 15 min. before it was time to leave. I was scrambling for something else and found these shorts that are too big. Luckily is was in the mid 80s today and it worked out. I think he has something against special outfits designated for certain occasions. He peed all over his going home outfit from the hospital. Oh well, that's what babies do right? So this is what he looked like on our way finally out the door.

House pictures!!

2008-10-01T15:04:00.002-05:00

We are very close to construction being done! It's still a work in progress and stuff is not exactly where it should be, but for the most part we are almost done. Here are some pictures, just remember, it's a lot like moving, stuff isn't done like I like it yet. When everything is complete, we will put before and after pictures up. So here you go... This is looking into the living room from the kitchen/dining area. There used to be a wall here!!
This is what you see when you walk in the front door.
This is the old guest bedroom. It looks a lot bigger with the bathroom gone!

Eli's Room, Kitchen, and Dining Area

2008-10-01T15:00:00.002-05:00

This is where Eli sleeps.
We still need to hang stuff on his walls.
This is our new kitchen! I love the cabinets!
This is the dining area.

Our bedroom and bathroom

2008-10-01T14:53:00.003-05:00

This is the view when you walk into our bedroom. This used to be the car port. Hard to believe I was parking my car here three months ago!
These are our closets!
This is our bathroom which is in our bedroom.
This used to be the sunroom.

Jeremy's Power Rankings

2008-09-30T07:02:00.002-05:00

This was a wild week in college football, but its been an even wilder season in the NFL. I don't think anyone will really stand out this year like last year's Pats. I would find it amazing if anyone has more then 12 wins. Anyways, here's are the teams I think are the best five in the NFL.

1. NY Giants - Bye week and they are the defending world champions...can't move em.

2. Tennessee Titans - They have a very similar team to the Pittsburg team that won it all a few years back. Great defense. A guy who pounds the middle and a guy who's fast running the ball. And a QB who manages the game.

3. Buffalo Bills - Honestly they haven't beaten anyone credible. We'll see what happens throughout the rest of the year.

4. Washington Redskins - Intriguing team...

5. Dallas Cowboys - I still think they are better then they showed. But their mistakes are starting to catch up to them. And lets hope TO doesn't ruin another franchise.

Jeremy went to jail

2008-09-24T11:42:00.004-05:00

Today I participated in MDA's Lock Up to benefit Jerry's Kids. It was a fun experience. An off duty police officer picked me up in a squad car. Then they booked me and took this picture. I tried to look tough so I wouldn't get beat up in jail :-). Then, I made a few more calls to raise more money. I didn't meet my goal...but they still let me eat. It was at Outback Steakhouse...so I got a hearty steak, potatoes, and broccoli. It was delicious. Anyways, that was my fun day today. I better get back to work. To learn more about Jerry's Kids or MDA click here.

Jeremy's Power Rankings

2008-09-23T08:42:00.002-05:00

This has been a crazy season already. My colts have looked awful. The Pats are missing Brady. The Buffalo Bills are on my power rankings! Here are this week's rankings...

1. New York Giants - Close one against an awful Cincinnati team. However, great teams know how to win the close ones...

2. Dallas Cowboys - This team is built for the regular season. They are an offensive jugernaut...but defensively they have some questions. They are also second in penalties...which means they lack discipline. That is not a recipe for a Super Bowl ring.

3. Tennessee Titans - Another strong win this past week. They are leading a very good AFC south.

4. Denver Broncos - Jay Cutler is a stud. Maybe this year they will keep it together for the WHOLE season.

5. Buffalo Bills - Um...I'm not sure why they are 3-0...but they are. I still think the Eagles, Pats, and Packers are better...but they all have a "1" in the loss column. So, we'll keep them here and see how long they can keep it up...

Pictures

2008-09-22T10:35:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures of Eli for you. I love this one.
Jeremy and I think this one is hilarious. I promise I didn't pose him like that!
He was dressed for the game on Saturday. Too bad we lost.
Jeremy found this hat in his drawer. It's way too big which makes it even cuter.

Eli's Power Rankings

2008-09-16T09:16:00.002-05:00

Ok, I know he's too young and usually just fusses while I try to make him watch football...but here's his power rankings for week 2 of the NFL Season. I'm a little behind I know...

1. New York Giants (2-0) - Defending Super Bowl Champions are playing like champions.

2. New England Patriots (2-0) - Tom Brady who? A well put together team continues to win and play well.

3. Green Bay Packers (2-0) - Brett Favre who? Aaron Rodgers is playing like he's a super star in the league already.

4. Dallas Cowboys (2-0) - Who needs defense?

5. Tennessee Titans (2-0) - One of the few games I got to watch last week. If they had a solid QB, they would dominate. Great running game and stout defense.

Funny Video and other stuff

2008-09-15T09:57:00.002-05:00

In case you missed Sat Night Live and didn't see the Palin/Clinton skit...here it is

Things are going well at home. Eli is sleeping pretty good through the night. We had a rough night last night...but all in all he's done real well. We'll hopefully get some more pics on here real soon.

The house will hopefully be done Friday. There's basically just little things to do in the house (trim and paint). He still needs to finish the outside siding/paint and the front porch. We had a septic problem last week that I hope will be solved inexpensively.

That's a quick update...we'll get some pics on here and I hope to have my first power rankings of the football season next week. I know many of you have waited all year for that :-)

More of Eli

2008-09-11T14:31:00.004-05:00

Eli is doing great! He only woke up twice last night to eat and went to sleep immediately after he was finished, which was a huge deal for him and us! Here are some pics for you guys. Handsome boy

Sleeping peacefully
Cute baby feet

Eli's First Few Days

2008-09-07T18:31:00.004-05:00

Here are some pics of the last few days. Sorry for the delay but our house is STILL under construction and we only have internet access at our neighbor's house. Sorry I can't figure out how to turn it.
Bonding time
He loves looking at his daddy. Jeremy has been fantastic with him by the way!
It's the closet thing he has to a Reds outfit for the time being. He's already an avid sports fan and got his first football game in before even leaving the hospital.

ELI

2008-09-04T08:01:00.004-05:00

Here's a play by play for all those who are too far away to experience yesterday with us!

4:30am Mommy and Daddy wake up and roll out of bed.

4:35am We call the hospital to let them know we were on our way to find out that we were actually supposed to be at the hospital at 5:30 instead of 6! argh...

5:45am We arrive at the hospital and are escorted into our lovely room.

7:30am They start the pitocin...its go time!

8:45am Doctor breaks the water.

10:00am 2cm

11:45am 3cm

12:45pm Jeremy beats Jessica at skip-bo

1:00pm 5cm

2:45pm Jessica beats Jeremy at skip-bo

3:00pm 7cm

5:45pm 9cm

7:05pm Jessica started to push.

9:02pm Eli is born!

It was a long day. He's 8lbs even and 19 1/2 inches long. Thank you for the love and support!

We'll just have to wait.

2008-08-29T14:40:00.002-05:00

Jessica and I woke up at 4:30am this morning to get ready to go to the hospital. The nurse asked us to call first, so we did and they told us that the rooms were all full and that they would have to get ahold of our doctor and let us know when we could come in. So, we waited till 10:45am and called the hospital again. They told us that we will have to wait until Wednesday to have the induction. Anyways, we're not too happy about that...but I'm sure its all in God's timing. Just wanted to give an update. We'll let you know if we go before then :-)Otherwise, we'll have to wait until there's room at the inn.

Update

2008-08-28T15:15:00.001-05:00

Here's the latest...we are going in to be induced tomorrow (Friday the 29th!). We are super excited and will hopefully have a picture of Eli soon. Thank you guys for all of your prayers and we ask that you continue to be in prayer for us. I'm at an increased risk of C-section due to some complications and I really want to avoid this route if at all possible. Thanks for all of your support!

Baby Update

2008-08-18T18:01:00.003-05:00

The latest in baby news is that we have a tentative induction date scheduled for August 29th. This was set by a different doctor than my regular doctor b/c she was out of town. I see her this Thursday and will know more then! But, there you have it, it looks like if we have not had the baby by next Fri. he will probably be born then. I'm doing well, the baby is getting bigger, and sometimes you can see how he is laying and how he is positioned. It's so weird!

We have drywall!

2008-08-18T17:31:00.003-05:00

The drywallers came today and they did their thing. It's amazing that in one day the whole carport can turn into something that looks like real rooms! Here are a few pics...

The Master Bedroom.

The Nursery

The Laundry Room

The Master Bath

And finally, a pic of our new front door.

Byron is moving pretty fast. We expect to be done in about 6 weeks or so. We get our new bedroom furniture tomorrow. We'll probably wait till they're done with drywalling first though :-).

PICTURES!

2008-08-06T20:24:00.003-05:00

Byron has started working on the laundry room and our master bath. Here are some pics...

This is our laundry room plumbing.

This is our jacuzzi tub.

This is our shower.

He's got a lot to do...but he's working hard. We hope to have the addition finished before the baby comes. He's working overtime to see that this happens. More pics to come later!

Jeremy's Latest Word Invention Said In a Sermon

2008-08-04T06:57:00.002-05:00

MAGERY - A cross between trickery and magic.

No Pictures For You!

2008-08-02T15:52:00.003-05:00

Well this week has been a lot busier then our blog suggests. We just can't show you any pictures of the progress. Byron has spent most of the week under the house putting in new pipe to replace the old cast iron and then installing the new plumbing for the addition. We also had new duct work installed in the attic for the HVAC and will get our new heating air unit Monday! Next week begins with a very important inspection, then electric, and hopefully we'll be dry-walled by the end of the week! We'll definitely have pics by then...but until then please picture in your mind what our plumbing looks like...on second thought...that's just gross.

Jessica and I had a garage sale today. We made $93 dollars. Poor Becky only made $4 and paid $6 for her lunch! Then we had two car loads and a truck load of stuff to haul off to the goodwill. Thanks Frances and Becky for the help!

Well, we have a birthday party to get to...so blog at you later...

Baby News

2008-07-31T17:28:00.005-05:00

I went to the Dr. today for an ultrasound and some other stuff. The baby weighs 6 lbs. 5 oz! I am measuring at 37 wks. and 5 days, over two weeks ahead of schedule but here's why...the baby's head is measuring at 38-39 weeks! So, thanks Jeremy for passing on your big fat head to our child! I love you, but seriously?? Good grief!

I ALMOST DIED!

2008-07-28T08:26:00.003-05:00

Ok, this time I'm serious. Friday night I went with a group of friends to hike to campsite 17 near Abram's Creek Campground. Its a 3 mile hike about 2 miles past where Jessica and I camped last summer. Well, when we got to the trailhead we saw a sign that said that campsite 15 was closed due to bear activity. 15 is about 2 miles south of where we were camping. We all joked about what we would do if we saw a bear. Joe, who was hiking with us, said if you see a bear under 1 year old you can punch it in the nose and it will sit down and cry. I joked, what do you do ask the bear its age when you see it? I joked that I would just Judo kick the bear in the mouth and all would be well. So, we all got to the campsite and had a lovely evening. At about 3am it started raining. That sucked and my tent started leaking a little bit. I was planning on leaving early that morning anyways and the rest of the guys were going to hike to Abram's Falls and spend another night. So, at about 6:30am I braved the rain and packed up my tent to leave...by myself. About a mile and a half into my hike back to the car, I was marveling at God's creation and really not paying attention to much else. I was hiking along the creek/river that ran along the trail edge. I came around a corner and there he was...a black bear! He/she was sniffing the air like Leo does when he knows there's something close that shouldn't be close. Bears have bad eye sight, but a really good sense of smell and hearing. I don't think he saw me, but he definately knew I was close. So, I stopped quickly in my tracks and walked back about 500 feet to some rocks off the trail. I got my foot caught briefly in the rocks (which freaked me out even more) and peered around the trees to see if I could still see him/her. No luck. So I waited a couple minutes, took off my pack, and walked back towards the bear. He/she was gone! Filled with the power of adrenelene I hiked quickly towards my car.

Joe walked into Church Sunday (they didn't end up staying the night) with a smile on his face and said, "We saw a bear on the way back to the car!" I said, "No way, I did to!" Only they saw it running from a distance and I got to see this thing...by myself...up close. I have to say that I've never been more scared then Sat morning when I was alone, wet, tired, and face to face with an unpredictable black bear. I did follow the "rules of engagement" when one faces a bear. First, you're supposed to get out of its way. If it comes towards you, you are supposed to get to high ground and make loud noises at it. Then you play dead if it becomes hostile. Luckily, I didn't have to go beyond the first step...

I will judo kick you in the face!

Phase 1

2008-07-23T20:03:00.003-05:00

Phase one began this week. First, Byron destroyed our outside closet/shed. That was a job and a half because it was made out of concrete block. Now he is building up the outside walls. I cleaned out the sunroom today and he'll start removing windows, carpet, and doors so that he can enclose that room to begin on the bathroom. Fun times ahead! Here are a few pics...

Here's the closet/shed while it was being destroyed.

Here's one view of the outside wall.

Here's another view of the outside walls.

Our New House!!

2008-07-21T19:29:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture from the front. We bought this home and 1 acre of land.

This is the carport. The carport will soon become our bedroom and the nursery.

This is the living room. The living room won't change much...just a few cosmetics.

This is the laundry room that will be moved to make room for a new kitchen.

This is the sunroom that will become our master bath.

Finally, this is the kitchen. Jessica is really excited about the changes that will happen here.

So, that's our new house. Byron, our contractor, started today. He has already started demolition. We'll keep you all posted on the updates as they come!

Updates!

2008-07-15T08:34:00.003-05:00

Last week was CRAZY busy. We closed on a house! We were hoping to get some pictures blogged, but it rained. Hopefully, we'll get outside this week and get some "before" pictures to post on here. For those who haven't heard, we are renovating the house we had been renting. We are adding two bedrooms, updating the kitchen and laundry rooms, putting in hardwood/new carpet, and tearing down a couple of walls. I can't wait to start!

Sunday Jason and I put together a shed I bought from Sam's Club. It took us 6 hours to complete. Byron, our contractor, told me I had to start moving things out of our carport...so that meant I needed this shed put together asap. Thanks again Jason for your help! I tried doing it myself...but we all know what happens when Jeremy tries to put something together...it involved a lot of throwing things and yelling at inanimate objects. Wasn't pretty...

We are CRAZY busy this week as well. CCC is having a Cheerleading Camp to rival our Soccer Camp earlier this summer. We have 10 children signed up and they seem to really be enjoying themselves. So, I probably won't have a whole lot more time to post some of my wonderful blogs :-).

Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful week. Blog at ya later!

Well, that settles it...

2008-07-08T10:50:00.003-05:00

According to a Yahoo! survey, pet owners prefer McCain over Obama. Here's the study. This is by far the most ridiculous article I've ever read. I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, but I think we should probably put a little more thought into who's going to be the next president. And who gets paid to figure out which presidential candidate do pet owners prefer? Seriously, I want that job! Obama better buy himself a lab or a german shepherd quickly before he loses this election!!!!!

Enough sarcasm for the day. Jess and I still haven't closed on our house. I'm waiting for a phone call any minute. We're trying to close this evening and I'm not sure why its taking so long.

We set up the nursery furniture in the guest bedroom Sunday. I drove to Babies R Us on Sunday to pick it up and I didn't realize that the dressers would already be put together. So, I had to have Byron (our friend who will be renovating the house) swing by and pick up the rest for us. I started to put together the crib and I broke one of the stabilizer bars. So, the manufactorer is sending me a new one. I can't put anything together...oh bother. Hopefully, I'll get the thing put together this week and we can post some pics. Anyways, back to work I go...have a great Tuesday!

July 4th Celebration

2008-07-05T08:55:00.004-05:00

We are in Cincinnati this weekend for the Fourth. We enjoyed the day with the Honeycutts and then today we are going to Ikea and then home. Jess is taking Katelyn's senior pictures right now as I write. Here are some pics from the event.

Here is lil Bobby hitting bombs out of the yard. We played a little home run derby.

Here's Bethany the game nazi.

I think this picture is extra special.

Some Happenings

2008-07-02T10:06:00.003-05:00

Jessica and I have had a busy week and are looking at a busy week ahead. We've been waiting impatiently to close on the house we are renting. We made an offer three months ago and there has been some tie ups along the way. Anyways, we hope to close this week. After we close, I'll dedicate a post to pictures and drawings of what we hope to do to the house.

Jess went to the doctor today. Everything is normal. She is now 31 weeks along! Our small group is renting a pontoon boat in August and we were very much hoping to join them...but the doctor has suggested that we don't. With Jess' high blood pressure problems, she's nervous that Jess might go early. Anways, please continue to pray for us as we get ready for parenthood.

We are still looking for childcare for when Jess goes back to work. We had an interview with a girl last weekend...but she didn't show up. We've looked at two daycares...they have been dumps. So, we've got a couple more leads...please pray for us as we look for quality childcare at an affordable price :-)

Tonight we are hosting BJ and his small group guys as they pass through town to do some whitewater rafting. Three teenagers and three adult men all cramped like sardines in our house...hopefully everyone survives.

This weekend we are headed towards Cincinnati for the 4th. We're really excited to hang out with old friends. We'll post some pics when we get back.

Kindness and Forgiveness

2008-07-02T09:55:00.002-05:00

I think the hardest part of forgiving someone is active forgiveness. I can say, "I have forgiven him/her," but its really hard to act in forgiveness. One way that Brian Jones suggests actively forgiving is through kindness. Now, when I first read this I thought, "Sure I can be kind to those I need to forgive." However, when I got to thinking about it, I realized that its not that hard to act nice and kind to our enemies (aka those we need to forgive) as it to deliberately find kind things to do for our enemies. So, I'm processing how I can deliberately show kindness to those I need to forgive. Feel free to post some ideas if you think of any.

I am in the process of buying a book (I haven't bought it but I want to) called The Shack by William Young. Its a pretty controversial book right now and I'm in no way suggesting it for reading...but I'm told its pretty good. Its written in a fictional way. Anyways, I'll let you know what I think as I read it. I appreciate the comments from some of you who are also on the journey to forgive. I just encourage you to continue on it. Read, pray, study, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance as you move along. That's all for now...

Our Babies

2008-06-28T10:16:00.002-05:00

Jess took some cute pictures of our babies...here they are...

Leo got a haircut. He looks so much better. He also smells a lot better!

This is the first time I've ever seen Belle lay on a pillow. Weird. She usually prefers to lay on blankets or plastic.

My apologies to the Reds

2008-06-26T20:43:00.002-05:00

Just want to apologize to all Reds fans for the Jinks I passed their way by posting the previous blog. That's all.

My Thoughts on a Blockbuster Trade and other Sports Related Stuff You Probably Don't Care About

2008-06-26T12:39:00.003-05:00

Ok, lets be honest...its not blockbuster. However, its huge for the Pacers. I LOVE O'neal and wish he would have worked out in Indy. But, he was part of that awful melee in Detroit with Artest and Jackson, which led to the eventual tumbling of this Eastern Conference powerhouse. He made way too much and left the Pacers with no cap room for 2009. Now, Bird can start the rebuilding process and hopefully start building around some young talent in Danny Granger and Dunleavy. The Pacers have historically picked well in the draft and hopefully tonight that trend will continue. I'm hoping they grab one of the big men in the draft to replace O'Neal. I like Hibbert, Lopez, and Koufos. It would be wise of them to grab a point guard at the 17th pick to back up Ford, who like O'Neal, has a history of injury problems. I'm a dork, but I'll probably watch the draft tonight...while flipping back to watch the best pitcher in the National League face the Blue Jays.

Speaking of Volquez. What a pitcher! When the Reds faced Boston, many thought he would crumble under pressure...nope...7IP 2ER and 9SO! So, his next start was against the red-hot Yankees...crumble?...nope...7IP 2ER and 5SO. With the exception of his first three games (Baker seeing what he could do), he has given the Reds 6 innings of quality pitching in EVERY START. He should get the nod at the all-star game to start or follow Webb.

Anyways, I'm taking a break this week from blogging about forgiveness to blog about sports. I hope to start a new book on the subject. I enjoyed reading Getting Rid of the Gorilla and hope that if you are looking to forgive someone you'll take some time to read it. I'm out...gotta get back to writing a new sermon series.

Indianapolis Baby Shower

2008-06-22T18:15:00.003-05:00

Jeremy and I just got back from our baby shower in Indianapolis. We had a great time and his sister Shelley did a great job hosting it! Here are a few pics. This is Shelley preparing the riblets we had.
Jeremy had to put a diaper on a bear while blindfolded. He did pretty good except I think he put it on backwards!
We love our new diaper bag, thanks Shari!!

And as promised.....

2008-06-17T18:15:00.004-05:00

O.K. Here it is (Bethany and Mindy). This is me at 7 months.

Cincy Baby Shower

2008-06-17T18:03:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted any pictures yet, I've been busy. Here are just a few shots of the shower in Cincinnati. This is so cute!
Amberlee made this cake herself. It was awesome - thanks Amberlee!
Hangin out
The last time we took a picture like this Mindy was pregnant with Allen. Now Allen is in the picture and I'm pregnant w/Eli! Crazy!
The shower was so much fun - thanks everybody that came, it was so great to see you. A special thank you to everybody that helped, you know who you are and I love you all very much!

Don't Buy American

2008-06-16T10:29:00.003-05:00

Ok, maybe that's a little harsh...but Thursday our A/C Compressor Clutch when out in our Jeep. That's now three times we've had this thing in the shop since we bought it. (Including two days after we bought it when the 4X4 went out) My dinky little Zx2 only had one shop visit. Anyways, if you know anything about cars you know that the A/C Compressor controls the air conditioning. So, as several self-proclaimed mechanics have told me, "Just don't use the air conditioning!" Well, the clutch is off balance, which means we've got metal rubbing against metal even when the air is turned off. I can't drive it more then 8 miles before the smell of burning metal and smoke causes me to pull over and let it cool down. So, Tuesday I have to get the whole compressor replaced. I'll never buy a General Motors vehicle again. Sorry, all of you hard working Americans...maybe they should focus more on building a decent car instead of snazzy names and onstar capabilities.

Ok, I feel better. Thanks for letting me vent.

Jessica is back from her business trip/family trip. So, things hopefully will slow down enough for us to post some pics from our Cincy trip. We're looking forward to this weekend. My sister is throwing us a baby shower in Indianapolis. Hopefully, I'll see some of you there! I better get back to work...blog at you later...

UPDATE: I'm an idiot and just realized that Jeep is a Chrysler product. I still won't buy GM or Chrysler again for that matter!

Man in the Mirror

2008-06-16T10:11:00.002-05:00

I've continued to read Getting Rid of the Gorilla by Brian Jones. What really spoke to me was his chapter on forgiving oneself. Guilt, Jones explains, has two faces. One face is God-inspired guilt that leads to repentance. The Holy Spirit convicts me of sin, which leads me back to God. The guilt I feel when I sin is the Holy Spirit poking me in the gut. I then go to God asking for forgiveness and He forgives.

However, for me there is always a guilt that follows this exchange. Jones calls this phantom guilt. "Man, I can't believe I did that." "Why do I do that?" These are the comments that immediately follow God's incredible forgiveness of my sin. I humbly ask God to forgive me and then proudly do not accept His forgiveness. Then for days or weeks I beat up on myself for failing.

I'm not sure if I'm alone in this struggle. But, I believe that my journey towards forgiveness begins with looking in the mirror and forgiving myself. "Jeremy, let it go. God has forgiven you." These are the hardest words to say. But, releasing myself of past sins will help me to release others of their sins against me.

A New Journey

2008-06-12T08:12:00.002-05:00

Recently, I (Jeremy) have been involved in a pretty intense Bible Study. In this Bible Study, we've been studying about drawing our hearts closer to God. I've learned that everyone has wounds that go deep to the heart. Some have wounds that are small and some are big. Anyways, I've been asking God to reveal to me wounds in my heart that keep me from drawing close to Him. I believe that He's telling me that I have unforgiveness in my heart. Now, before you think I've gone crazy or having an emotional breakdown, remember that this is a blog and its hard to put into words this journey. I'm talking about the journey that God takes all of us on towards spiritual growth and maturity.

My journey starts with forgiveness. I decided to start reading a book on the subject and I came across a wonderful book by Brian Jones: Getting Rid of the Gorilla. If you have ever struggled with unforgiveness, this is a great read. Anyways, I'm going to post a few blogs here and there that will share with you some of the highlights of my journey towards forgiveness.

Two days ago, he opened by eyes towards a passage of scripture in which I've always struggled. Jesus says in Matthew 6:14-15, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Jones also struggled with this passage and couldn't understand the meaning behind it. How could God really not forgive someone who doesn't forgive? I mean, I understand if you cut me off in traffic and I don't forgive, how this could apply. But, what about the father who's daughter was molested? What about wife who lost her husband to a drunk driver? How can we expect them to forgive?

Jones found some relief as he really dug into the Greek. Aphiemi is the Greek word here that as a verb is translated "to forgive." He found out that there are 142 instances in the New Testament. 45 of those instances the writer uses it to describe the sense of releasing something closely held or trapped. If you think about it, forgiveness is nothing more then releasing. If you owe me 5 bucks, I have the option to release (or forgive) you of that debt. Jesus Christ died to release or free us from the penalty of death. Now read that passage using the word "release."

I believe the reason God does not "forgive" us when we don't "forgive" others, is because until we release others, we ourselves are held captive by bitterness, rage, hate, and all other sorts of sins. Jesus is saying, release others so that you can be released as well. I'm working towards releasing people who have caused me pain in my life. Do you know someone who needs to be released as well? Ask God to reveal that person to you, so that you aren't held captive by your unforgiveness.

Sorry for the long post and horrible grammar. I'll do better next time and it'll be shorter...especially since I won't need to explain why I'm writing.

Ken Griffey Jr (and some other thoughts)

2008-06-10T08:25:00.002-05:00

Kurt Snibbe at ESPN's Page 2 did a nice little cartoon that illustrates Junior's legacy. I was at birthing class and missed the home run. I had been watching (and listening) to as many games as possible to make sure I got to hear it. Oh well, being prepared to have a baby is really more important. (Seriously, no sarcasm.) Anyways...I'm happy for Griffey and glad he made it to such an elite club. In my opinion, Griffey should go down as the greatest player in my generation. He'll definately be mentioned among the greats: Ruth, Aaron, Robinson, and Williams. While Barry Bonds wrestles with the feds and Sosa remembers that he can speak English, Junior will quietly and unanimously walk into the hall of fame as a first balloter.

Jess is headed out of town today. Her employer is sending her to a conference on addictions in Morgantown, WV. She'll spend the weekend with her family in Beckley.

We just got back from Cincy. I was hoping to post some pics...but we haven't had a chance to sit down and upload them. Hopefully, we can get that chance here soon. Thanks to Sheryl and Bethany for planning the baby shower and for those who got us so many wonderful items. And also to Bob, Justin, and AJ who kicked my butt in golf. Seriously, I had fun. You all rock!

Some Random Thoughts

2008-06-02T09:14:00.002-05:00

Jessica and I went to a friends house last night to play some Wii Olympics (fun times). They are a recently married couple and 8 months pregnant. She was at Starbucks last week and the lady at the counter actually said these words to her: "You're not going to have that thing here are you?" To make matters worse, she obviously thought she was making a joke and decided to go on and say things like: "So, are you having a boy or a girl?" "Have you picked out a name?" and stuff like that. Why do people get so weird around pregnant people?

Don't you hate it when you buy toilet paper from Sam's Club and then six months later you realize that you don't have an endless supply like you thought you did when you bought the 1000 roll pack from Sam's Club? It's so deceiving!

We are watching a friends dog this week. Cosmo. Cosmo is a black lab/pointer mix. She's a wonderful dog as long as no one comes over. She's very quiet and nice. However, as soon as someone comes over she becomes ultra-hyper like a pomeranium or chihuahua. Belle hasn't come out of hiding much. I don't think we can scar her anymore then she's already scarred. She is the spawn of satan you know...

I'm waiting for the bug guy to come by the Church. I told him I think I found some roaches. He looked around and didn't see any indication that I had seen any roaches. Then he proceeded to explain what kind of bug I probably saw. So, I killed some roaches last week and bagged them up. They've been sitting in my office. Hopefully, no one thinks I'm weird. But, he has to be shown the error of his ways, even if this costs me my job because visitors visited our Church only to find the minister had a bag of roaches sitting on his desk. Anyways, that concludes Jeremy's random thoughts for the day.

The Lady and Son's

2008-05-24T20:38:00.002-05:00

This is Jess blogging now - I wanted to write my own review of the Lady and Son's before Jeremy got the chance. For those of you who may not know, the Lady and Son's is Paula Deen's restaurant and it's the main reason why we (o.k., I) chose Savannah for our vacation. I would just like to say that this restaurant was fantastic! If you like southern food, it can't be beat. If you are a northerner like Jeremy and can't appreciate fine southern cuisine, it's probably not worth the wait. So...here it is... You saw the line on the blog below, here is the sign. The restaurant is three stories tall, we ate on the third floor. You can order off the menu or get the buffet, each floor has it's own buffet, all the same food though.
The only reservations left after standing in line for a really long time was 5:00 and 8:45. So we took the 5:00 and arrived as dinner was starting. We all had to stand across the street and wait for our name to be called. Before they start calling names a guy comes out and rings the dinner bell and yells "Come and get it". Jeremy thought it was hokey, I thought it was fun. Such a stick in the mud, that one.
So this is me eating the deliciousness. It was THE BEST fried chicken I have ever had in my life. I also really liked the mashed potatoes, green beans, yams, and banana pudding. I sampled the low country boil and creamed corn which were o.k. I did not care for the mac and cheese or fried green tomatoes. We were also served garlic and cheese biscuits (Red Lobster's is better) and hoe cakes which are like mini pancakes. The sweet tea was fabulous and I'm gonna try to re-create it. We left stuffed for a really long time. So, don't listen to Jeremy when he tells you it wasn't good b/c it was awesome and totally worth the hour and a half wait. I also went next door to the gift shop and picked up another cook book which was great b/c all of the cookbooks were autographed. O.K. that's it, I'm done raving about the Lady and Son's.

Savannah Trip

2008-05-24T19:47:00.005-05:00

Wednesday we left for Savannah GA. Here are a few pics from the trip...

First we went to Tybee Island, which is outside of Savannah. It was a little overcast and the ocean was cold, but we still had a great time. My back still somehow got burnt.

Next, we went to Savannah. Our hotel was really nice, but our bed broke as soon as we placed our stuff on it. Evidently, it was just put in and whoever installed it didn't do a very good job. So, they upgraded us to a freakishly huge suite! We were on the top floor, with a jacuzzi tub, and a balcony (one of like six rooms with a balcony). It rocked! So, we went down to River Street. This is a picture of River Street. Very cool...lots of shops, live music, and restaurants.

The next morning we stood in line to go make reservations for Lady and Sons Restaurant. We got there 1/2 hour before they opened and this is the line that was there. It took us an hour and a half before we got to make reservations.

Afterwards we got breakfast and walked around Savannah. Its a beautiful city. Here's a fountain in one of the many parks.

That evening we ate at Lady and Sons. More about the food of Savannah later...

After dinner we went on a horse drawn carriage ghost tour of Savannah. Its the most haunted city in the United States. Then that evening we went back down to River Street for some more live music.

Saturday we went to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Its huge...here are a few pics...

Sing it with me, "Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea..."

Jess touching a sting ray. Evidently, the GA Aquarium is incredibly busy on Memorial Day weekend. If you are planning to go, go on a Tuesday or on a non holiday weekend.

Jellyfish...its like we're swimming with it!

Happy Anniversary

2008-05-21T08:31:00.002-05:00

I would like to wish my beautiful wife of 6 years a happy anniversary. It has been the best years of my life and I look forward to many more to come. I love you Jessica!

A Small Scare

2008-05-19T07:50:00.002-05:00

Jessica and the baby are healthy. After writing the title, I realized that it might actually sound like we had a serious "small scare." I'm not kidding, it was really small, but still scared us. On Thursday, at 6:30pm our power went out! Jessica and I were heading out to Walmart and stopped by our neighbors to drop off a package (Fed Ex guy couldn't read our house number). Their power went out while I was standing in the doorway talking to them. They called me about an hour later to say it still wasn't on. Luckily, our friends Jason and Deanna invited us over to their house to watch The Office season finale. Which rocked by the way! Jessica has been quoting lines from it all weekend. Our power ended up coming on at 8:45, but I would have been at home shaking and biting my nails in the dark if it weren't for Jason and Deanna. I can't wait till next season!

We had a great weekend. Jess and I went on a date Friday night to see Prince Caspian. Great movie! I've got the Narnia series sitting on my bookshelf to read...and I think I'm going to read it now. Saturday we had a "throw stuff away" day at Church. We cleaned out a ton of junk that's been sitting around for like 100 years. Then Sunday was our Cell Group's end of the school year cook out. By then, Jess and I were so beat. We barely made it through the party and had to leave early cause we were so tired.

We leave for Savannah, GA Wednesday. Jess and I are taking a few days to relax on the beach. We're going to the Lady and Sons restaurant, the GA aquarium (in Atlanta), and hopefully a tour of Savannah. We're looking forward to the trip and hope to post some great pictures when we get back!

Back to Work

2008-05-14T07:27:00.002-05:00

I (Jeremy) have been sick since Sunday afternoon. I'm not sure if its something I ate, or if I had a virus. Anyways, I haven't had these kind of flu like symptoms or missed two days of work in a row in a long time. I learned a couple valuable pieces of advice for any of you that may experience the same kind of flu like symptoms that I experienced. First, drink Gatorade...that way you don't dehydrate. Second, start a BRAT diet. Brat stands for...

Bananas
Rice
Apples
Toast

So, I'm starving today. Ready for my stomach to be settled enough to eat some Krystals or some Mexican food. Yum! Jessica is also sick, but she has a cold or something. I let her sleep in this morning (hopefully Leo did too). Get well soon Jess!

Happy Birthday Jessica

2008-05-08T06:32:00.001-05:00

No, this isn't our baby. Its a really good picture of Jessica and a cute picture also. So, Happy Birthday Jessica. I hope you have a great one!

Some pics

2008-05-03T11:42:00.005-05:00

Jeremy and I took some time yesterday to drive around and take some pictures close to our house. Here are a few... This is at a marina about three miles from us.
This is picture was actually inspired by Bethany, who every time she comes to our house says "That's so pretty, you need to take a black and white picture of that." So I finally did. Thanks Bethany!
This is our driveway type thing that leads down to our house.

Really Cool Story

2008-05-01T08:21:00.002-05:00

For the full story go to http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080430/SPORTS/804300483

I heard this story on the radio this morning and was very surprised. Evidently, this girl hit her first college home run. Then as she rounded first, she missed the bag. Realizing this, she turned abruptly blowing out her knee. So, if her teamates help her, she's disqualified. If the coach orders a pinch runner, then she only gets a single. So, without prompting, the ladies from the opposing team (Central Washington) pick her up and carry her around the bases. Western Oregon goes on to beat them eliminating them from the playoffs. WOW!

A Red's Vent

2008-04-30T12:29:00.005-05:00

Every year Reds fans complain about Adam Dunn. Every year he hits 40 home runs and 80+ RBI's. Well, I still don't like him. I'm sorry, but he's paid 13 million this year. The same as David Ortiz, Derek Lee, and Albert Pujols. I would much rather have those guys on my favorite team.

The above picture is a picture of Josh Hamilton. I know the Reds got Volquez for him, but he's got 5 home runs and leading the AL in RBI's. I know its not my team and I'm no GM, but why is Dunn so untradeable? Why did they not keep this guys. The Reds lack an RBI producer and they let the best one they had go, to keep a money eating guy who will get hot some time this summer and knock in a bunch of home runs (with no one on and no one out) only to go cold again in the fall ending up with great stats, but not really helping his team.

Anyways, that's my take on Dunn. Hopefully, Walt Jocketty will work his St. Louis magic for the Reds. There's my vent.

On another note, the Reds bullpen has been worth the money. Wisely, Baker moved Affeldt to the pen. He, Weathers, Burton, and Cordero have been money. If only Cuento, Fogg/Belisle, and Arroyo would get with the program. I don't expect Arroyo to be a great pitcher (like the Reds organization would like him to be). There's a reason the Sox gave him up for Willy Mo.

Ok, there's my Reds blog. Have a nice day...

Stupid Things That People Say To You When You're Pregnant

2008-04-28T09:25:00.003-05:00

So now that I am 5+ months pregnant I've had the joy of experiencing really bad things that people say to you when you're pregnant. I'm not putting them in a top ten list type order or anything, just laying them out there. If you're reading this and realize that you have been in fact one of those people who have said one of these things to me, don't take it personal, just roll w/it.

1. Talking about how much you are showing. Here are a few of the ones I've encountered: * Wow! You're already showing (The instant that you tell them you are having a baby.) * You're getting really big! (Like I didn't notice that when my clothes stopped fitting). * Are you sure you're not having twins? (I think this person said it as a joke but I'm not sure.)
It's not that this one is really all that bad b/c it is obvious that I'm going to get bigger, it's just that I never know how to respond. And it makes me paranoid that I'm too big for how far along I am.

2. "If you eat cold lunch meat you could kill your baby. Is lunch meat really that important to you?" Someone actually said these words to me. I know that you can't eat cold lunch meat b/c of lysteria (a weird bacteria) but I was asking about heating it up and this was the response I got from a co-worker.

3. Picture this - A child about two or three throwing a fit so bad that I'm pretty sure their head is going to start spinning around a la excorcist style. The parent everytime w/o fail looks at me and says "See what you have to look forward to." Again - how am I supposed to respond to this? Wow - I am so excited, thanks for the encouragement.

4. In a tone that sounds like I have a terminal illness asking "How are you feeling?". Here it's not the question that's the problem, it's the way that it's asked. Seriously people, I'm pregnant, I don't have cancer.

That's all I can think of right now although I'm sure that there will be more to come as time goes on!

Stuff Christian's Like

2008-04-28T09:22:00.005-05:00

I found the link to this site on Jessie's blog. (Thanks Jessie). This guy has a blog dedicated to the things that Christian's often refer to that are sometimes funny or ridiculous. He's a Christian himself and just has a great spin on some of the things that you tend to hear a lot of in the church. It's hilarious, you've got to check it out. Here is is: http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com

Leo the dog

2008-04-24T17:24:00.005-05:00

I took Leo for a walk at the park today. It was a very nice day today with a high of 83 and sunny! So, we walked around the loop twice (about a half mile) and Leo stopped looked up at me, like "I'm done!" What in the world? So I dragged him around one more time and came home. I just wanted the world to know that I have the laziest dog in the world.

Police Stakeout!

2008-04-22T10:08:00.002-05:00

Hello bloggers. I had a pretty cool thing happen to me today. I got to the office about 8:45 this morning and there was a car with two guys parked in our parking lot. I didn't think much about it, because we get random cars hanging out in our parking lot all the time. Well, I forgot something at home and had to drive all the way back home. By the time I got back to the office it was about 10am. Well, now its 11am and they are still sitting there. Pretty weird. So, I went over to them to see if there was anything I could help them and they said they were working. The guy driving pulled out his police badge. They are undercover agents on a stakeout! How cool is that? I thought that only happened in the movies! Hopefully, the stakeout isn't towards me or something with the Church...

Some Sunday Pics

2008-04-20T05:57:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pics that Jess took last week.

This is a picture of an ugly bush in front of our house. Obviously it isn't that ugly...so I think we might keep it.

Here is Leo, Gigdet, and Bumper hanging out together. They're best friends forever!

We're having a boy!

2008-04-17T11:37:00.002-05:00

Here's a profile picture of the baby. He's healthy and was moving a lot this morning.

This is a picture from the bottom up. The nurse said its like he's sitting on a glass table.

Sorry we haven't blogged in a while...I'll do better!

New Firepit

2008-03-22T20:12:00.005-05:00

Jeremy and I decided that we live in the perfect place for a fire pit and found one for a really great deal so we got it. Tonight was the first time we used it and it was great! Except- some of you probably remember Jeremy's tendency to build fires out of control so we had to wait a while for it to be approachable. He still has some bugs to work out! We can't wait till it gets warmer so we won't freeze as much. Anyways, here a couple of pics of our new little contraption.

Its time for a sports blog again

2008-03-17T14:24:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged about sports in a while...so I thought I would give my thoughts on the starting rotation for the Cincy Reds.

The top three are locked. Harang and Arroyo look great this spring. I think Josh Fogg will be a good number three starter. He's got experience and the Reds will be paying him too much for him to pitch in the minors. Number four and five are the question marks. I think Volquez has earned a starting spot. He has had a GREAT spring. If I were Dusty Baker, I would give the fifth spot to Johnny Cuento, who looked very today against the Tigers...and has shown flashes of greatness. I am really rooting for Matt Belisle...but I just don't think he's that great. Maybe they'll keep him at middle relief. The Affeldt experiment is going to be a flop and Bailey isn't ready. I am psyched about Cordero closing and Burton/Weathers/Coffey setting him up. Coffey has lost some weight and looks pretty good this spring. Great job Reds on picking up some strong arms to boost an awful 2007 pitching squad.

I'm really curious to see what happens with the lineup. Baker obviously loves Patterson, but Freel, Hopper, and Bruce are all quality guys out in CF. If it were my choice I would never have signed Patterson and would have given the job to Bruce. Freel and Keppinger are great utility guys off the bench...and Hopper would be a great DH. But, that's why I'm preaching on Sundays and Baker is coaching :-)

That's my thoughts on the Cincy Reds. Working on my NCAA bracket right now. Jessica and I are going head to head again. She loves the bracket! It cracks me up how excited she gets come March. YOU ARE GOING DOWN JESSICA! HA!

A Few Pics

2008-03-04T19:19:00.003-05:00

Here's a cute pic of Leo. He got a hair cut the other day and appreciated it today when temps were up to 70! Crazy weather...

Here's a beautiful picture of Jess. I caught her after work the other day.

Here I am fixing some grilled cheese and soup for dinner. Fun times!

Knoxville's First Snow

2008-02-27T09:18:00.005-05:00

Ok, its not the first snow here...but the first time it has stuck to the ground long enough for us to take a picture :-). I predict that by midday the snow will have melted away. Surprising enough, Knox County Schools are still in session. The whole city usually shuts down at the thought of snow!

Here's a great picture of Jessica beating me up in a boxing game on Wii. She's really good at boxing and bowling. She's really bad at golf. We just got Mario Party 8 and we LOVE it. We also got Rayman Raving Rabbids 2...its pretty cool...but not as good as the first one. The games are not as good (especially the dancing ones), but it does allow for four players to play a series of games to compete for a high score of your choosing. That part is WAY better then the first one. There's an older couple in the Church who also have a Wii...and love it. She's all the time bragging about the 250 she bowled. Its sort of weird to see even grandparents into this thing!

Finally, a picture of Leo and Belle getting along! The other day Belle jumped up in bed with Leo and us. She's really starting to warm up again to us and now she's warming up to Leo. But, don't worry Amberlee, she's still Satan incarnate :-).

A Change in Plans

2008-02-26T17:06:00.002-05:00

We have withdrawn our offer on building a house. Last week I found a mistake on my taxes (which were already sent in), and so we've decided to go a different route. It was a difficult decision, but we both agree that it will be best in the long run. So, we're back to square one. We still hope to be in a house before the baby is born...so please pray for us as we seek God's direction for our lives.

In other news, Jessica had a high blood pressure reading last time she was in for a check up...so the doc put her on some medicine. Now, she's back to normal! However, she's still got the whole morning sickness thing going on. We'll know in 7 weeks or so the sex of the baby. You can be sure we'll post that pic!

We've had a sudden growth at CCC. Its been exciting, but that coupled with school has kept me off of blogger. I'll try to do better :-)

A Spending Spree

2008-02-13T10:13:00.003-05:00

Hello bloggers! We haven't blogged in a while so here's a couple updates...

1. Jessica is doing GREAT! She had a little problem with her blood pressure a couple weeks ago and now she's taking blood pressure meds and Monday she went in and they said its back to normal. We were a little nervous there for a while.

2. We decided to build a house. Here's a picture of what its going to look like...

We put down our earnest money Monday and our tentative date for completion is June 30. So, it's just around the corner!

3. We bought a wii!!! I was at Sam's yesterday browsing around and I noticed that they were all out of PS3's and XBOX360's but they had some tickets for Wii's. So, I was like, "Do you guys actually have some in stock?" The lady whispered back, "Yeah, we got 25 in this morning." So, I got one for regular price (Ebay is selling them for like $100 more). I traded in my PS2 and games and got some money to buy some controllers and games. FUN TIMES! Anyways, probably not the best financial decision, but ultimately it was for the baby :-)

That's all our new news. Hope everyone is doing well. They should start breaking ground in two weeks, so I'll start posting pics of the updated house. I'm sure my posts won't be a cool as the Murphy's when they built their house...but I'll do my best!

We're having a baby!

2008-01-25T12:12:00.001-05:00

We are very happy to announce that we are having a baby. The due date is Sept. 2nd. The Doctor said the baby looked and sounded healthy. We actually got to hear the heart beat! We are both so excited and appreciate the prayers and support we have received from many of you. I'm going to start blogging from the office now, so we can post more pics!

Thursday's Video of the Day

2008-01-17T13:41:00.001-05:00

Great Song!

Thursday's Video of the Day

2008-01-10T16:16:00.000-05:00

We still can't get our pictures to upload off of our MAC. I took a really cute one yesterday of Leo and Belle sleeping together on the couch. It was adorable. I guess she's finally used to him. Anyways, here's a fun video for your viewing pleasure.