A Little Cheer

Last week was rough. 

Blake took Riley to pick out some flowers to brighten the weekend.

Perfect. 

Back Pain

Something about trying to pick up our 4 year old daughter landed him flat on his back in my mom's front yard. :)

Seriously? You couldn't give me the last few weeks of this pregnancy? :)

About 30 minutes after he fell, mom and I and a chair were able to combine our strengths with Blake's will-power and get him to a standing position from which he either looked pale enough to pass out or was chanting, " I'm gonna throw up. I'm gonna throw up."

Blake actually let me take him to the ER. 

After an x-ray, narcotics shot, steroid pack, and prescription pain pills later, this is where Blake spent the next week. The following Monday(happened Friday a week ago), we were given good news at Blake's sports medicine doctor that while he re-injured a previously herniated disk, there was no new damage. Much of the pain was muscular so he prescribed muscle relaxers. 

My parents spent the first weekend at our house taking care of us all and Blake's parents came down this past weekend. 

10 days after his fall, Blake was able to go back to work last night and teach in the pm service. We feel so blessed by the way our church ministered to us by completing handy man chores, mowing our yard, and bringing meals. 

A New Outfit

Blake brought home something exciting... Graduation is less then 2 weeks away!

Smiles

We are smiling in our house today... Blake heard from his professor yesterday evening. He has a defensable draft of his dissertation and he is going to sign off on it! This is a tremendous answer to prayer. Only a few weeks ago, we were not sure that this was going to happen in the time it needed to in order to graduate this December. There are a few days of corrections to make and then Blake will turn it in by Wednesday and will be hands off until his oral defense in October! There will be lots of studying and thinking and practice arguing :) until then, but we can't help but feel overwhelmingly thankful for every step we get to cross along the way. Thank you for praying with us... Please continue. I have become so greatful for this process and all that the Lord is teaching me about himself through it.

Relief

Blake e-mailed the main rough draft of his dissertation off last night at about 4:50 pm!

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was having their annual "Family Night" beginning at 6:00 pm and we were actually able to go! We met my mom, dad, and brother Paul and had fun like we haven't had in literally months!

Will went right down this monstrous slide!

Paul and Blake raced.  I won't say who won.

 I can not even tell you how much this girl is growing up!

 A prince needs a sword. This prince was pretty happy with his cotton candy! :)

 Don't ask who dad bet would win... Oh, wait!

Did I say "bet"? I mean, "guessed".

The Ring girls absolutely love their Mimi! Don't know what we would do without her!

There are still a few hoops to jump through before we reach graduation, but for now we are thrilled to have a few days without writing! "Relief" was the word of the night. Thank you for praying for us.

5 things vaca reminded me about my husband

Life is pretty crazy in our house now. Well, honestly it has been for several years, but the past 6 months have been very trying. We, as a family, have been working very hard to ensure that Blake graduates in December with his PhD. The past 6 months have been full of very little family time and even less husband and wife time. The trip came at what seemed liked an inoppertune time(near the end of his writing), but ended up being a much needed break for us. We just needed to spend time together! While spending one on one time with Blake 2 weeks ago I was reminded of some of the many reasons(in no particular order) that I love my husband.

1.  This man knows how to win a girls heart... My husband is a romantic at heart. Don't let him fool you into thinking he is all tough - I have letters, poems, dried flowers, gifts... and a million memories. We sure crammed in alot of hand holding, cuddling, and canoodling during those 3 days.

2. This man cracks me up... It can certainly be a humor that has to be acquired through thorough exposure, but he has me laughing constantly! :)

3. I love this man's smile. Enough said.

 4. This guy loves the Lord passionately. He is zealous. He is intense. He desires Christ. He is constantly challenging me. Pushing me. Spurring me on.

5. I love the way this guy loves his family. We had not been dating long before I we payed his family a visit and I came home blissfully happy with what I saw. Just as I had prayed, it was a window into the way he loves his children. Listening to him talk about his hopes, desires, and dreams for his son and daughters had my heart skipping a beat!

Sometimes, in the monotony of the daily I find myself taking Blake for granted... I came home grateful for these things and so many more. I bet he would have taken me on a trip years ago if he had known that was all it would take! My heart is so full for this man...

words

"But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think."
- George Gordon Byron

I have alot of blogging to do to catch you up on the past few months. I find myself far too tired to do that tonight. But I did feel led to give a brief update of where our family is in terms of Blake's writing... Technically, the rough draft of his dissertation is due tomorrow. He has been gone several full days a week for the entire summer. For the past 11 days he has been gone from about 8am - 10pm...

"By words we learn thoughts, and by thoughts we learn life."

- Jean Baptiste Girard

At this very moment, he is writing/correcting his final chapter in his office. About 180 pages total I believe...

"For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change. Their articulation represents a complete, lived experience."

- Ingrid Bengis

He is tired. I am tired. The kids are tired of things being like this. Just since beginning this simple post, I have had to go upstairs to quiet Will and Riley(who have been in bed for an hr!), not one time, but two.

"I like good strong words that mean something."

- Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Yesterday, I purchased a copy of One Thousand Gifts: Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. As I began reading, I sarcastically thought, "What great timing to begin this book." After the first chapter I was praising God with "What great timing to begin this book!"

"For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change. Their articulation represents a complete, lived experience."

- Ingrid Bengis

I find myself extrememly tired tonight... I probably shouldn't have push mowed the lawn last night after putting the kids to bed. When I got home I decided to read another chapter from the book and suddenly find myself feeling so blessed that Blake has the opportunity to be in school. That I was able to bring my children home to a cool home. That tonight(eventually) I get to lay in bed next to the one I love.

"If words are to enter men's minds and bear fruit, they must be the right words shaped cunningly to pass men's defenses and explode silently and effectually within their minds."

- J. B. Phillips

Please whisper words to the Father on our behalf. There is still much to be done tonight and tomorrow and while the break that follows is desperately needed, it will be short lived. Corrections, additional research, and rewrites will come. Pray for the words he types as they are beginning to run together. Pray for the words I speak to my children, as I have spent about 2 hours away since this stretch of craziness started 11 days ago.

"Kind words are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world."
- Lawrence G. Lovasik

Happy Birthday Blake

My sweet husband turned 29 on Thursday! Here are a few pictures from his birthday dinner at Macaroni Grill on Friday night!

Happy Birthday Babe...