My baby girl is 2 today!!

Caedence turned 2 today. She proudly posed for the camera in her new Dora outfit and dress up shoes!! A girl and her shoes nothin' better! Happy Birthday baby!!

The 12th Everingham

Davis Michael Everingham
Born July 20th, 2007
8:11pm
9lbs
21.5in
Davis joins his Mommy and Daddy (Jon and Carly)
and brothers Myles and Maddux.
We are excited to welcome our new nephew!

Church Friends

Over the last almost 5 years my husband and I have been going to River Oaks Community Church. We love it there and have become pretty involved. Nate plays in the worship band, which is great for giving him reason to play and sharing his God given abilities. I've been the nursery coordinator, a child care worker, taught Kindergarten, made food for the summer program Super U, been hospitality coordinator for our MOPS group, and together Nate and I are "official" leaders of a Care group. While doing these things we have made some great friends and I wouldn't trade them for anything, however, I have always longed to have some of those great relationships like I did in school. It seems as though God has decided I've waited long enough.

A few weeks ago some friends we've known for a while, Wes & Julie, Darin & Tara, decided to check out our church, it just so happened that Darin was someone Nate really hung out with a lot back in our younger days, and he was pretty excited to see him. We both were really excited to see them all, and Julie and I have been connecting a lot more these days on a mommy level , which is always great the more mommy friends the less stressed and worried we'll be, so to have her at church was awesome!

Then last week my best friend from high school, Carrie, emailed me and said she had some questions. I was intrigued, but being as she has 2 kids under 2 I figured it was also mommy related. Much to my surprise when I called her to ask what she wanted. She said she was curious to know the best way to begin looking for a church to go to, and some other random questions on how to pick one. She later emailed me and they will be trying 1 of their 3 picks this weekend!!! And even though they live 2 hours away and won't be going to church with me I am thrilled for them!

And although we haven't made much of a significant contact yet I am looking forward to reconnecting and rekindling a friendship that I thought had been lost a long time ago with Rachael another great friend from high school as well!

God always has a plan for you and your prayers, but its great when you see his works!! I am so happy for all my friends. Especially those who have just decided to make the choice to see what church and God can do for them. There are lots of great things in store for you guys I just know it! One of the best things yet to come is that we all have children around the same ages, which means we are starting their generation off right, and hopefully someday they will be able to count on having their own "church friends"!

The Christian Bubble

We had a guest speaker today at church...very good I must say I am not too into the guest speakers I kinda like to know what to expect when I go to church, but sometimes its good to shake things up a bit. So the guy that spoke today was Steve "something" I can't remember his last name, but he was from TX where he is a pastor to a mere 5,000 young adults and teens. He said something that really hit me today. He talked about our Christian "Bubble" how as Christians we listen to "our" music, eat at "our" restaurants, buy from "our" book stores. However, that isn't what Christianity is all about...just because we do what every other Christian is doing doesn't make us Christians. We need to be reminded as Christians that we are striving to be "Christ like" do as Christ did. As our closing song said today "we can show them love, grace, light, hope.... we can show them JESUS!! I have fallen into the trap, if you will, of doing what every other Christian is doing because that is what Christians do right? WRONG! As Steve said today doing all that stuff is ok, but it lacks faith. Just by listening to WFRN or Pulse isn't making me more faithful. Sure its a good way to worship, but how is it making me Christ like? I am doubting when Jesus walked this earth he had a radio up on his shoulder jamming to Toby Mac.
SO I need challenge myself to get out of the bubble. I probably need to get out of my comfort zone a bit too. Doesn't mean I am going to stop listening to Toby Mac, but I really need to start showing others more what being a Christian means not what we "do". My prayer is that God shows me the opportunities clearly, and gives me the courage to step outside my comfort zone.

Have you seen these...

I can't believe it... I wish I was more digital camera savvy when I had my other kids. I've always wanted to get one of these pictures done for my kids, but I DREAD taking them out to get their pictures taking. It always makes me stressed. So I thought I'd try to do this myself and I think I did pretty well. Its amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it. I must admit I had a little programming help from my hubby. Thanks babe!

Ever feel alone?

I am about the least lonely person I know. I have a wonderful husband, 4 children, several close friends I could call on and they would be by my side in a minute, and a church of approx. 1500 people who would diligently pray for me or do what ever it took in times of real need. BUT besides all those people I still at many times feel alone. It started way back in 2002 when I had my first child and got married. I was the only one of my friends to have both of those things. None of them had children and not many of them were married the ones that were had just gotten that way or were just about to. Shortly after that in 2003 I had my second child. To top it off my best friend was getting married and I was suppose to be the matron-of-honor in her wedding, but I had my baby 3 days before she got married. Not only did it put me in the position of not being able to be in her wedding, but I couldn't even go at that point. My second child was also colic and I didn't have many people that I could talk with about that. Fast forward to child 3 and 4 and now some of my friends are starting to have children and I have made some older friends who have children that are the same ages as mine, but again I have put myself in a lonely category of someone with 4 children. The very few people that I know with 4 children (I can actually only think of 1 person right now) are in a different life stage as I, and have older children and most of the people I know only have 3 or less. Its hard to take them places because you aren't going as you and a couple kids you are going as a group of people , and unless people plan for a group it just seems as socially unacceptable. People bob their heads counting your group or you can see them doing the math as they try and figure our the ages, or you get the typical "are you crazy" look , and "one Mother cannot handle all those children in public alone", which I agree is a task, but beyond that 1 kid or 4, kids will be kids and acting up in public sometimes is almost like a prerequisite to being a child, although it doesn't make for an easy outing. I guess I am just feeling sorry for myself as I sit her at 3 in the afternoon in my pjs. I want to go to the park, or the pool, or the store...just go you know not worry about who's going to act up, nap time, need to go to the restroom in a place that doesn't have one, when the baby needs to eat, and so on and so on. Its not that I want to go out without my kids, although easier, its just that I'd like to go without planning at least an hour or two before, without the looks, without feeling as if I am the only person in the world right now in my situation. Where is everyone ? Why do I feel so alone?