I must be getting braver! I just sent a letter to the Dallas Morning News! I'll know within 10 days if they are going to publish it! I don't know why, something said to respond to some of the editorials today and put the other side of the issue out there. I hope I don't come across as stupid or anything! Although if they do publish it, it will really open up my past to the whole Metroplex.....I'm not worried about that though. My past does not define me now and I really have no problem with people knowing about it. I'll let everyone know if they are going to publish it!

My OB appointment yesterday was just fine. The baby's heart sounds perfect and my doctor didn't bring up any concerns. I wish I had one of those doppler things though....I just love listening to the baby's little heart beat.....it's so amazing!

My next appointment is February 11th and guess what......it's my ultrasound appointment!!!!! So, in 4 weeks Justin and I will know if we are having a Michael or a Kayleigh! Yea!!!!! I can't wait to start calling this baby by it's name! I know all the books say you shouldn't tell people the name before it's born, but I really don't care if someone doesn't like the names we have chosen! I do! So start praying that this baby isn't modest on Feb 11th!

Tax season started for Justin this week.....which means I'll have lots of time to myself between now and April. Hopefully I'll be able to get the baby's blanket mostly finished, but first I need to get the Christmas decorations put away! Yep the tree is still up! I figure if I get down by February, I'll be doing pretty good!

Hope everyone is doing well!!!

Happy 2004 to Everyone!

I'm back at work now : ( ! Justin and I had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's! Although we actually found ourselves completely bored on Christmas Day! We drove around to see if anything was open and of course the only thing we found was an Indian grocery store and IHOP. It's amazing how the whole nation shuts down for a "Winter Holiday". So, that was it....our last Christmas with just the two of us and we spend it bored and driving around. At least we were able to do it together!

We put the crib together over the break so the nursery actually looks like a nursery now. Can't wait until next month! Hopefully that's when I'll have a sonogram and we'll get to find out if we are having a boy or a girl! Yippie! Justin was able to hear the heartbeat while his brother and family were in town. My sister-in-law is studying to be a mid-wife so she brought her doppler and found the heartbeat for us. That was cool! I started a journal for the baby. I hope to continue to make entries in it until this little one grows up and moves out. I always wanted to know what my mom was thinking while she was carrying me and stuff. I can tell you when I was a toddler she was probably thinking "Why me"!

I didn't get to any of my neighbors over the break...I was actually pretty busy. I know it should be a priority, but at the moment getting to know the people around me is low, low on the totem pole.

Well best get back to work....that is if I can remember what I do here! Two week breaks are hard on the memory!

Hello Everyone!

Something exciting happened last night....well at least I think it's exciting! I actually could tell where my uterus was!!!!!!!! I know some may think this is not a big deal, but it was pretty cool for me! I have a little pooch......and it's a baby pooch!!!! Yippie!

N-E-Ways! Just want to tell everyone that I will be on vacation for the next two weeks. I'm going to try to update from home, but probably will not! So don't be surprised if you don't see any new post until next year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hello all!

Just thought I'd give everyone an update on how the baby is doing!

He/she is great! I went for my second doctor's appointment yesterday and got to hear the heart beat! That has to be the most amazing sound in the world! I mean there are two hearts beating inside of me! Wow! If you've never heard a baby's heart beat inutero, it sounds kinda of like a water pump, but not exactly. Anyways! It was so cool to hear it...now I really know there is a little person growing in my tummy! Doctor said the heart rate was around 156 and everything sounded normal! I can't wait for our ultrasound sometime in February! I'm really anxious to see what he/she looks like!

I go back again on the 14th of next month for just a plain old check up. Maybe I'll be able to get a tape recorder by then and talk my doctor into finding the heart beat again! Of course by then there won't be hiding this child within me! I'll be growing like a balloon!

Hope everyone is have a wonderful day! I can't believe Christmas is only a week away!

Love to everyone!

Hello Everyone!

Nothing much going on in the Russell house! We finally have our tree up and decorated. I still need to add the bow and tree skirt, but that's a low priority at the moment!

Well Justin and I are officially living the American Dream (I'm being sarcastic here): two car (bought me a "mommy" car on Saturday, an Explorer), a house and a child on the way.....oh, and don't forget the dog. We have a pretty cookie-cutter life when compared to some, but I think that is the way God has designed us(as in Justin and I). I tried to live on the fringes for a while and found that was definitely not me at all! I wish I could be hip and stuff, but it's just not happening! Our lives may not be too exciting to some, but we love it! Although I think God is trying to stretch me a bit. As of yet we haven't met any of our neighbors......so, instead of waiting for them to come to me....my goal over the Christmas break is to grow some courage and knock on some doors. For those of you who know me well you know this is not something I'm too excited about. But I figure..what the heck!

There's also another area I believe the Lord is drawing me into....well actually it feels more like pushing! This is not an area where I really want to go, but I can't ignore this! For those who know my past.....had a rough three years a while back! Anyways! Two parents have approached me to disciple their sons in the same struggle I had and frankly still deal with from time to time. And although I used to say I wanted to help those who are where I was....I'm finding that my emotions tell me otherwise. Yet I know this is God leading these parents to me. And I know He desires me to get into a relationship with these young men, but everything in me wants to run. A part of me desires to help, but then I part of me also says, "Look at your life now....it's so different than it was. You don't want to be reminded of how it was over and over again." But see that is selfishness talking! I also feel completely unqualified and at a loss on how to begin with these young men. I keep saying, "I need counseling training or something to do this", but that's just me putting off what I know I should do! I'm so frustrated with myself! Anyways! Pray for me....I don't really know what to pray for....courage....faith.....a two-by-four to the head!

Okay this is long enough! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! Only 13 days till Christmas! Better get to work on the gifts!

Okay....I know....it's been over two weeks since the last update! Sorry! I had last week off and made it a point to go nowhere near the computer all week since I look at one all day at work! Anyways!

The first doctors appointment went well. Nothing exciting...just the usual slew of questions about family medical histories. I realized I've got a fairly healthy family which made me very thankful! I go back on the 16th of this month to hear the heartbeat! Yea! Can't wait! Justin won't be able to go.....does anyone know if they'll let you bring a little tape recorder in?

I am so happy....I think the morning sickness if fading away! Yea! Now maybe I can get some things done around the house. Justin sure is happy it's gone! Of course, I'm still really tired.....I mean I go to bed at 8 pm....I haven't done that since elementary school! Well seeing as there's nothing really interesting going on, I'll let you all get back to your lives!

Love to everyone!

Just sitting here thinking......

Ya know what I miss most about childhood......not having so much stuff to do!!!! I miss summers just laying around reading books, playing with friends and visiting grandparents. Of course I always complained about being bored by the time July came....but I would do anything to be bored now! It's amazing how things change as we grow and acquire respondsibility! I miss being eight years old and the only worry in my life was if so-in-so liked me or not!

Do you ever wish for a slower pace of life? I certainly do! It seems life is so rushed now and there's not anytime to really enjoy the things God has given us. Have you seen the movie Kate and Leopold? Kate asks Leoplod what he missing about where he came from(the past)....and he says the slowness of life. Why do we feel the need to fill our days full to the brim nowadays?

I can't wait for next week!!! Nine whole days off in a row and no agenda to fill them!!!!! Well except for Thanksgiving day....but that includes good food so I'm all for that! I plan to get a lot of doing nothing in!!!!

Well best get back to work and stop dreaming about a slower life!!

Love to everyone!

Wow! It's been one busy week! Justin and I went on an Adult Retreat this weekend with some folks from church. We had so much fun and relaxed all weekend. Well I went shopping in Mineola and guess what I found....a Premium Cracker tin. I have searched and searched for one of those. They sure do keep those crackers fresh and I'll be needing fresh crackers!!!!!

I think the morning sickness has begun, except it's really not morning sickness...more like every time I eat sickness. Makes thinking about food not to enjoyable....in fact just thinking about chicken makes my tummy queasy! Oh well...as a wise woman once told me, "This too shall pass". Just hope it does soon! I wake up sick and go to bed sick...not too much fun for Justin! Any suggestions from those of you that have been here!? I've heard that I need to eat crackers before I get up in the morning, so I did that this morning and it helped a little.

The house is coming along...there's still a room that full of boxes....I've made that my Thanksgiving week project. Hopefully I can get it cleared out while I'm off! The slipcover for the couch should arrive any day now...I'm super excited about it!!!! Oh, did I mention we got new dining room furniture! God is so good! A couple at our church get new stuff and wanted to give away their old stuff and we got it! It's beautiful!! Plus they gave us an entry table (which I've been wanting, actually saw one I wanted at Lowe's and this is just like it!) and two area rugs! To this day the only furniture we've ever bought for our house is the computer desk and the nursery furniture. Of course now I have a table I have no idea what to do with. I think we are going to store it in the attic until my sister gets a place of her own and then give it to her. Well best get back to work!

Love to everyone!

Well now that everyone knows.....I can finally post this on our blog site.......

WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell we're excited! The baby is due at the end of June, so I guess June was a good month after all! I'm not feeling too sick yet....just extremely tired. I mean I've never felt this tired all the time in my whole life. Doesn't matter if I get 6 hours or 10 hours of sleep....I'm still tired!!! Guess it's practice for when the baby comes. We already have the nursery furniture...we found a complete set in the paper for $300...what a bargain! Now we just have to wait until March to find out what we are having so we can decorate the nursery! Wow, we only have 8 months to go....seems like long time, then again it's really not that far away! Oh, June come quickly!!!!!!

Love you!

Tonight is the BIG Game!!!!! It's the Battle of the Axe!!!!

GO FARMERS!!!! BEAT MARCUS!!!!

If you are unlucky enough to have never experienced this Mecca of Texas Highschool Football, you should come out to Texas Stadium tonight at 8pm! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll scream your head off!!!

Good luck to my little bro Paul! Have an awesome game tonight! I'll be there screaming my head off!!!

We are officially homeowners now!!!! Yippie! Everything is in the house....mostly in boxes, but in the house! We have had so much help over the past few days with painting, hanging, cleaning.....you name it, someone helped us! Doubly huge thanks to our parents! We couldn't have done this without you! We promise to reward you with a grandchild soon!!!! Huge thanks to everyone who showed up on Tuesday to move the furniture and stuff in! Justin and I are so blessed to have so many people around us who love us! Well, best get back to work....lots of catch up to do!

Love to Everyone!!!!

Well, in less than a week Justin and I will be sleeping in our brand new home! I'm painting the bedroom PINK!!!!!!! Justin's so excited about that! He's okay with it though....figures if it makes me happy...it'll eventually make him happy! I'm going for the romantic country look with the house...of course it's going to take a long while till I get it where I think it's perfect, but I can't wait to get started! Justin and I (well mostly I'm looking) are looking for a coffee table and some end tables for the living room (preferably ones that can be painted)....so keep your ears open and let us know if you hear of anyone selling theirs!

After the bedroom...the next room I'm really looking forward to putting together is a nursery, so keep your fingers crossed that this is the month! Well best get back to work! Love to everyone!

GOOD NEWS!!!!! We get to move into our house sooner than planned! The closing date was moved up to the 27th and as soon as all the money exchanges hands, we get the keys! Yea!!!!! Of course that means now I only have two weekends to get everything packed and ready to go! I am so excited!

Well actually......I'm really excited about having a house because that means we can buy a freezer and I can begin to do Once a Month Cooking! I tried it in the apartment...but that didn't go very well! I even have a friend who is going to cook with me! Never thought I would be so excited about cooking! So, if you know any "freezer friendly" recipes, send them my way! You can email me at russellm@lisd.net.

One little prayer request......one reason to us purchasing a house is so I will be able to do in-home childcare and stay at home with our future children. It is going to be difficult to be in the house and have to wait to pursue this dream. Justin and I are going to revisit the subject after a couple months of paying a mortgage, so please keep us in your prayers. Pray for wisdom in making the decision on whether or not to start now. Also, pray for provision if we do decide to start. It would be so wonderful to have two or three parents approach me about it from now until January....that would at least give Justin the comfort to know the need is out there. I'm all about specific prayer so here it goes.....Pray the Lord will provide two to three children for me to care for at home, so that I might at least match half to three quarters of my current income.

Thank you family and friends for all you are and all you do! Justin and I could not make it without you! We are so blessed!

Love to everyone!

Okay....I really need to stop reading the editorials in the newspaper....or maybe I just need to start writing some! After reading the submissions for the day I came across a very scary realization. There is so much Scripture being thrown around these days. So many people know so many verses, yet they take them completely out of context or apply them to areas they were never meant to apply.

The favorite one of many is when Christ talks about not judging others lest we ourselves be judge. For some reason the world thinks that this means we as Christ followers cannot stand on principals of right and wrong. If we say a behavior is wrong, then we are judging and according the the above mentioned command we aren't supposed to, right? Wrong! No where does it say we cannot judge behavior ....what the Bible does say is we as Christ followers are not to set ourselves up as the final judge of someone else. We do not determine who goes to heaven and hell, but we can determine if a persons fruits are of the Spirit or works of the flesh.

Growing up I never realized how vital the Word of God is to living the Christian life. I never thought that one misinterpretation of Scripture could change the whole course of someone's, a church's or a denomination's path. I now see why the Lord calls us into a body of believers....so we can learn, discuss, and interpret His word. It is so easy to get lost in our own interpretation of Scripture, instead of relying upon the Holy Spirit to teach us. One of the editorials said the the church worshipped God, not the Bible. Well I ask you, how can you know the God you worship without knowing His word? How do you even know how to worship the Lord without going to His word to see what He sees as worship? If we as Christians do not hold to the inerrancy of the Scripture, we are open to anything and we will go places God never intended us to go. Let's do our children and ourselves a favor and begin to rely upon the truth of God's Word...let us stand firm in it, for the Lord promises that if we do, we will never be disappointed or put to shame. Let's encourage one another the study the Word of God and apply it to our lives. Let's be living and breathing testimonies that the Word of God is alive and at work in the world!

Well enough of that....I could go on forever! Love to everyone!

Well I don't have much time to write.....just wanted to let everyone know WE GOT THE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!! We are so excited! We're closing October 28th and can move in after 5pm on the 29th! Only 3 more weeks of apartment living and three flights of stairs! Yippie! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your prayers and support.....this is such a God thing(of course everything is a God Thing, now that I think about it!)...it's so amazing how He puts everything together at the right time and place. Well, best get back to work! Love to everyone!

Well, this month is a "NO"! Darn, I thought June was the perfect month to have a baby, but I guess God thinks otherwise! I'm not too disappointed and Justin is breathing a sigh of relief!

On to better news.....we have found THE house! It's absolutely perfect for us and the two beautiful children we are going to have some day! We put in an offer and they countered and right now we are waiting to see if they'll accept our counter to their counter. Even if they don't we'll take their counter...so it looks like in a month Justin and I will be homeowners! I can't believe it! This definitely makes up for not being pregnant! Continue to keep us in your prayers....we still have to finalize the loan and everything...so pray for a smooth and uneventful process (as if that ever happens!). Thank you to everyone who has been covering us in prayer....we are so blessed to have so many who love and care for us!

So mark the last weekend in October down on your calendar! We'll need trucks and sweat! We can't pay you in cash, but I can promise cookies and milk!

We love you!

Wow! I can't believe September is almost over! It's weird to think that in less than a week, Justin and I could know if we're going to be parents. I'm getting soooooo impatient!

On another important subject....Justin and I are looking at houses...well one house in particular that would be perfect to raise our family in. We are trying not to set our hopes on getting it....seeing as we haven't even talked to a mortgage company yet....but it's hard not to imagine us being there. Please keep us in your prayers. Pray the Lord will give us wisdom in our finances and in the timing of all of this. Pray He will either open this door or slam it shut....that He will continue to give us guidance. We know His timing for everything will be perfect, but sometimes it's hard to wait when the desires of your heart are screaming at you!

Here's a letter to the editor of a local newspaper:

"A proposal by India's ruling party to ban the slaughter of cows is the best news I have heard for a long time ("If the cows could vote, this'd pass," Religion, Aug. 30). So what if the leather makers are worried. Does that make the slaughter of cows right?

All God's creatures are sacred. Christians are the worst culprits for spreading the untruth that God ordered animals be slaughtered for their flesh and hides. That instruction could never have come from a loving God.

When one begins to view all animals as sacred, one will begin to respect and protect animals. That is what Jesus meant when he spoke about compassion. "

Not that my opinions are important or even correct, but I had to say it so, here it goes:

Okay, so while God didn't tell Adam and Eve to go out and slaughter animals....He did give them dominion over them. And let's not forget the thousands (well probably millions) of animals that were sacrificed, by instruction from God, for the sins of Israel.

And here's a little thought....ya know what happens when we begin to view animals as sacred? We build golden calves!

Not that I'm not an animal lover....my little doggie Sheena is like a child to me (I actually let her kiss me on the lips!)....but animals do not have souls....they are creatures. While man is also a creature, he is made in the image of God and given a soul. God gave man dominion over all creation...Unfortunately because of sinfulness man has perverted the dominion and used it to glorify himself instead of God. Killing animals for no apparent reason was not in His plan, I believe. But come on folks....a cow is just a cow. And as much as I love Sheena, there are limits to how much I would spend to fix something wrong with her. What's more important....people or animals! What should we be worried about more...the slaughter of innocent cows or the slaughter of innocent people!

And I really don't think Jesus was that concerned with the animal kingdom. He came to save the race of men! His compassion is towards men and that is the compassion He has called us believers to imitate.

I truly apologize if I have offended anyone with the statements above. That was not my intention! I probably should stop reading editorials...they always get me going!

Thought for the day

Our children will only know the world as it is now...with words like "terrorist", "suicide bomers", and "homeland security". They will not know the world as it was before 9-11, just as I don't not know the world before the World Wars or even Vietnam. I learned about those events from people who lived through it and from history books in the classroom.

How will my children see September 11, 2001? How will this event be taught in their classroom? How will it be explained in their history books? Will it explain how those who lost loved ones found the strength to continue? Will President Bush's many speeches quoting Scripture be included? Will it speak of the many who came to Christ through this event? I know they will be taught what America did in the aftermath of this event....war in Afganistan and Iraq, but I will teach them what God has done and will do to turn this tragedy into something that glorifies Him!

Thank you Father, that we as your children can reflect upon that day and rest in the knowledge that you are in control. Thank you for always reminding us that this is not all there is....that we have a home in heaven with you and we will meet you there one day! Thank you for hope in the midst of tragedy.