Family, Holidays, growing belly, and a moving baby

This week has been so sweet with our both our families being able to come to our home this year on Christmas. It's rare that Tyler and mines parents are able to get together and visit since they live on opposite sides of the state of Texas, so seeing them interact and visit was very special to us.
We had an adventure at the beginning of the week when Tyler and I took my mom and dad to Santa Fe and Glorieta on Tues. There was blizzard weather predicted, but we really wanted to go so we got prepared the best we could and went anyways. It ended up being really beautiful with all the snow as we walked the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe and drove around Glorieta the next morning. It was a sweet gift to get to see and enjoy snow for awhile. Mom and dad loved Santa Fe, but mom was eager to get back to warmer weather.

This belly of mine has really blossomed out the last few weeks, and now you can actually tell I'm pregnant! I think it was a week or so ago when Tyler and I were sitting on the couch one night and I felt this little guy kick or punch or poke, or something inside me. It was so sweet, as I put Tyler's hand on my belly and he felt it too! It's so incredible! And ever since then I can feel this baby boy in action quite often. It's so wonderful and sweet. I have really been enjoying being pregnant since the second trimester has come about. It's just really fun and just an unusual thing.
I thank the Lord for allowing us this experience.

Scott and Dee coming to Clovis

My mom and dad (Scott & Dee) are coming to Clovis tomorrow! I am so excited to have them come and stay with us all week. This will be the longest visit for them to Clovis. We are taking them to Glorieta and Santa Fe on Tues. since them have never been before. Tyler and I are also going to enjoy not having to travel anywhere this year for the holidays. This is our first Christmas at home and it's going to be so special having my parents here with us. Peggy, Steve, and Mitchell are also coming on Christmas day to spend with us. I am overjoyed to be able to be the hostess and practice my hospitality.

Deep thoughts...

I'm reading a great book titled "Amusing Ourselves to Death", by Neil Postman. It's mostly about how television has influenced our culture. It's really interesting and I'll probably be posting more on it to come but for now, I'll just mention something I thought of while reading it. So here is my deep thought:

Everyone says that a picture is worth a thousand words.
So, why does everyone say that the book is better than the movie?

Tyler

We're going to have a son!!!

The baby is a boy! We are so excited about it! But most importantly everything was normal on all my tests and our baby boy has two arms, two legs, 10 toes, 10 fingers, a good heartbeat and heart, good kidneys, and brain, etc... There was nothing negative. :) Thank you, Father, for a healthy baby thus far.
We can't wait till this little fella gets here! I am 5 months and 5 days along, so we've made it halfway! 4 months to go! It seems like we just found out we were pregnant and now we are halfway done. I know he'll be here so fast, and I've got so much to do before he does. :)
Thank you everyone who has been praying specifically for this baby boy so far (Megan, Melissa, Court, Mom & Dad, Brooke, Becka, etc...) We are so grateful to have faithful people praying for us and our son.

I WANNA BE A RADICAL WOMEN!!!!

Tyler just bought me an early Christmas gift. Well, actually we both bought each other an early Christmas gift, except his won't be coming cause the company ran out of them (it was a hoodie he really wanted badly) So, anyways, back to my present... He got me this book that I have been wanting for awhile now: Radical Womenhood- Feminine Faith in a Femininist World by Carolyn McCulley. I just finished the first chapt this week and it is so, so wonderful! I think it is going to be a book I'm gonna have a hard time putting down. I love anything that has to do with biblical womanhood, being a wife & mother, etc... So, girls, I would ask for this book for Christmas. Tyler got mine on Amazon for $10.49 or something. I'd love to read it with you guys and then discuss it with you! That would be fun!

Jesus: The Ultimate Fighter

Haley has been trying to get me to post on this blog for some time now, so here is an article I wrote for my student ministries blog:

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is probably the fastest growing sport in the world. A major contributor to this popularity is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which now has its own reality show called “The Ultimate Fighter.” In a UFC fight, there are 2 guys who fight on their feet or on the ground, or anywhere for that matter, as long as they stay inside the caged octagon. The fighters fight until one of the fighters wins by submission (physical or verbal tap out), technical knockout (by the referee stopping the contest) or by decision via the scorecards.

All that to say, I was recently watching a UFC fight, and noticed that one of the fighters was wearing a pair of shorts that said, “Jesus Didn’t Tap.”

I later learned that this is a brand of clothing for Christian MMA fighters. They were some really cool looking shorts (they have some hilarious t-shirts too, so if anyone wants to get me a Christmas present…). So, this brand name got me thinking. What does that mean? I thought about it some more, and figured that they meant that Jesus didn’t quit. He didn’t cop out. He didn’t give up on his way to the cross. He endured the cross. He prayed that God would “take this cup from Him“, but He then said, “not as I will, but as you will (Matt. 26:39).” And he pressed on. He also lived a perfect life, and never gave in to sin. When he was tempted, he never submitted to the temptation (Heb. 4:15). So, in the sense of never giving in to sin, enduring the cross, and not giving up… “Jesus Didn’t Tap” is right on.

On the other hand, to “tap out” is to submit. As far as Jesus’ submission goes, Jesus lived his whole life in complete submission and obedience to his Father. And Jesus did willingly submit himself to the cross. He allowed himself to be killed by crucifixion. This is one of the reasons that the Father loves Jesus. His life was not taken from Him, but he willingly laid it down:

John 10:17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

In His death, in his execution, in his submission to the cross, Jesus was the dominant warrior. His death was on His terms. He died when it was His time. This is evident in his last words before He died:

Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

He had all the authority, and He was destroying every rule and every authority and power (1 Cor. 15:20). He was showing himself to be the victorious one who conquered Satan, Sin, and Death. Because of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, “God has put all things in subjection under his feet” (1 Cor 15:26).

He is victorious over every weight class, he has earned every belt and title, and he is the reigning champion. He cannot and never will be defeated. His name will be praised forever. This is evident in this passage from Philippians:

Philippians 2:5-11 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus was the most humble man that ever lived. He was the king of heaven and yet he became a servant to men. And he submitted himself to the will of God and died for us. His life was one of complete obedience.

At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. I suppose you could say that everyone, in the end, taps out to Jesus - verbally (confessing that he is lord) and physically (kneeling). So my question to everyone reading this is, will you tap out (submit) to Jesus now, willingly and confess Him as your Lord? Or will you stubbornly refuse Him? Because in this case, Jesus is also the Judge (referee) who will one day step back into our ring (the world) and declare himself the victorious one, and all his people will praise Him for the glory of His grace. But those who do not submit will be forced to kneel and confess what they refused in life: that Jesus is Lord!

For the glory of Christ,

Tyler

Thursday!!!!!!

Well it is finally THE WEEK! The week we get to find out the sex of the baby! Thursday is the day of the big ultrasound appt. and we could not be more eager for the day to come. Just two more days to wait!

Mary and Joseph

Tyler and I are up at the church and just got finished being Mary and Joseph in our church's Christmas musical. All we had to do was stand tnere, and we were together so it was fun!

Vehicle update

We finally got a vehicle for me this week! The Lord has given us a white 2005 chevy tahoe with 45,0000 miles, and very clean and nice. We are very, very thankful for it and got an amazing deal on it too, so we got to save a lot of what we might have spent on something we really didn't need. So the Lord is so good! We have learned so much through this process of purchasing our own vehicle. I thank God for teaching us wonderful truths in every day situations and experiences.

My 10th bridesmaid dress

Yes, that says 10 up there. Last weekend I had the honor of being Matron of Honor in my good friend, Brittany's wedding, and it was my 10th wedding to be in the past 5 years. It was a beautiful Christmas wedding with a fun country band playing reception that followed. I got to see an old friend, Kimbra (the pretty girl in the pic next to me) and my mom also came as my date. We had a good time.
I have calculated it up and I think I have just one more chance of being a bridesmaid, and that would be in my close friend Emily's wedding whenever that may occur. She's really my last single, close friend that I think would ask me to be in their wedding.
So, weddings are wonderful and I got to add to my bridesmaid dress collection. :)

Weddings, Baby showers, and a sweet girl named Landry, and a dad who is an extreme hunter

We had a great thanksgiving. I'll post some pics of the weekend soon.

This past weekend I traveled to back to east Texas to be in a wedding on Fri. night, have a baby shower at the church I grew up in on Sat., and get to hang out with one of the sweetest, most prettiest babies in the world-my neice Landry. (I mean I also got to see my mom!!!!! and my sister! and my aunt Nece and Nana) I haven't seen them in 6 months! That was the longest I have ever gone without seeing my mom. So that to say, it was a fast weekend but a sweet one. I was ready to come home to see Tyler though and he was ready to see me. We do not enjoy being apart.

Back to school I went on Monday and have about 7 1/2 more days left till Christmas break when I'll get to be off for two weeks.

I also wanted to share this picture of my dad because I thought it was funny. He and my uncle went up to Kansas for a week recently and had a little hunting excursion. This picture is perfect of him and shows what he'd love to look like probably all the time if he could. :) love you dad!

Thanksgiving wishes

Happy Thanksgiving! We are off to Snyder tomorrow with a stop in Lubbock to do some Christmas shopping before. I'm hoping Tyler will kill deer this week or maybe I might try. :)

Vehicle Adventures

We have another opportunity to get a vehicle this next week. A man that is a deacon in our church is in the car business and is going to help us. We would REALLY like this vehicle, but are not getting our hopes up. We feel like we did when we were trying to buy a house. Patience is key I suppose. Please, please be praying for us, that God would work all this out and that we would just remember that He is our Provider and ALWAYS does what is best for us. We know that His timing is best too, because obviously our timing isn't. We are just excited to see what happens and know that SOMETHING will happen....

The sweetest heartbeat

Yesterday I had my second doctor's appt. and the doctor put this little machine on my stomach that let you hear the baby's heartbeat. It was the sweetest thing! We didn't get to hear the heartbeat at our first visit, so it was such a blessing to get to hear it yesterday. Tyler wasn't able to go with me because of church, but he got to hear about it from me. I'm not going to schedule any more appts. on Wednesdays.
So, the baby sounded great and I got a flu shot and everything is going well. We will go back in 4 weeks (Dec. 18) for the big ultrasound where they will tell us what the sex of the baby is. It will be a sweet Christmas present and we are looking forward to it. :)

X on the blue tahoe

Well, bad news: no blue 2007 tahoe for Haley. :( But the Lord is teaching me so much through all this car stuff. Yes, I have a new car. No, I don't. Wait, yes I do....Oh well, no I do not.... It has been really hard and confusing. We still don't know what will happen or what vehicle we'll get. All we can do is just keep praying and trust that the Lord will provide in His timing...He has shown me how spoiled I am, how he has spoiled with His riches and blessings...and then when He doesnt give me the blessing I want and when I want it, I get upset. Man. What a brat I am!
Forgive me, God, for being so selfish and not just being content with whatever happens.

Baby belly?

Here's the first picture I have taken of my belly since being pregnant. I think I was trying to pooch it out some. :) This is it at 12 weeks. I'm now at 15 weeks. It hasn't change at all. I'm still in all my normal clothes, but I'm planning on getting some maternity clothes in Tyler next weekend at this cool maternity store they have there. I'll post another pic as soon as this baby grows a little more and there's a change to see.

Old pics from Snyder weekend in Oct.

We went to Snyder the weekend of my birthday in Oct and these are just some pics from then. I haven't been a picture uploader lately.

The weekend was awesome. We spent it resting, fishing, going for long walks, and spending time with our family. Hudson was exploring everything all the time and one morning found Tyler's boots. Haddon got many, many a kiss from his Aunt Haley. And the picture of me and Tyler...well that just shows you what we usually look like when we are in Snyder. No makeup, no shave...we enjoy going all natural when we go out to the country. :)

Tahoe

We finally know what vehicle we are getting. Our friend got us one this week and so the plan is now to fly to east Texas next weekend to pick it up and then drive it home. We hope everything works out and we think we will like it. It is a 2007 chevy tahoe with 31,000 miles. He said it is a blue color, one of the new colors they have. We weren't really wanting blue, but I looked it up on the internet and think it will be pretty. He is suppose to email us some pictures of it next week. So, that's that. I was just relieved that he got us one. The Lord is good and always provides. I think it will look like the picture above.

Hoping for a vehicle...

This week we are eagerly awaiting news that we have a vehicle to pick up in Tyler, Tx. A family friend has been trying to get us one at auctions in Dallas for the past two weeks but hasn't been able to yet. So, we're hoping and praying this is THE WEEK. We will find out either on Wed. or Thurs. If he gets us one, we will then buy airlines tickets to fly to Dallas. Brooke and Blake will pick us up and then we'll head to Tyler to get our new car! We are anticipating him getting us a tahoe or surburban. (used of course) so we're just gonna wait and see. I haven't had my own vehicle since the wreck so it will be so exciting to finally own my own again.

Great wisdom

http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2008/11/some-initial-thoughts-on-prayi.php

Obama

Honestly, I have been anxious about this election. I haven't been exactly sure why though. I think I was worried because I knew there was a chance Obama could win. And in my mind I fear that he's going to let terrorists come over and bomb us all. I guess I have only heard all the negative about him and what will, or could, happen if he was to be president. And I just hate abortion so much and it breaks my heart to know he could allow so many more to take place than already have. I have always feared democrats being in control, just because of most of their views. My dad has always taught me alot about politics so have always been interested. In the past I can't remember thinking about an election this much and maybe it has to do with the fact that Tyler and I are starting our own family and we're about to have a child of our own and that we are on our own.
I turned to the Psalms last night as I watched some on tv.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?" 27:1
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him." 28:7

I have prayed and prayed about this election, trusting that the God's will would be accomplished and I know it always will. What a relief to know that. His plan is best and He is in absolute control, not Obama. We can trust the Lord and not be afraid of what's to come. We should thank Him even when things don't go as we would have hoped for and the future is unknown. He holds the future and will strengthen us for whatever is ahead.
Tyler has told me over and over this. God is soverign and has everything in His hands no matter who becomes our president.

Glad November's here

Halloween is over and now it's time to look forward to Thanksgiving and putting up Christmas decorations. There's 3 1/2 weeks till Thanksgiving and Tyler and I will be eagerly awaiting it. We are going back to Snyder this year for Thanksgiving and it was so much fun last year because it snowed. We are hoping it snows again this year. And we get to stay out there more than just two days, which gives us more time to enjoy it.

This week is busy for us. Our church has been doing this drama called "Eternity" and Tyler has a small part in it, so he will be working tonight, Tues. night, and Wed. night this week.
I have taken down all the Halloween decorations in my classroom and it's nice. I'm thankful Halloween dosen't last all year.

Also, please be praying that we will find a vehicle soon for me. A family member who is a used car salesman is looking for us and if he finds one this week we will get to go to east Tx this weekend and pick it up! I am hoping this works out because it would be so nice to see my family, especially my neice.

So that's all from Clovis.

Halloween and Third Graders

Well, there's just a day and 1/2 left till the big holiday of Halloween and to third graders it's a BIG deal, especially to my third graders. Here in Bovina, TX. people LOVE Halloween. Some of our aids started decorating our halls on Oct. 1st and they look awesome! Halloween is just a big deal here. It is a fun holiday, not my favorite but seeing my students so excited reminds me of growing up and getting so excited about it too. Haunted house, trick-or-treating, dressing up, Fall festivals, and eating ALOT of candy. And if you know me, candy is something I have always found quite delicious. We are having a Halloween party on Fri., which will be fun. Most teachers don't look forward to class parties, but I have always enjoyed them and look forward to them. I think it's a great way to have fun with my students and just a time to not think about school work and learning for once with them. It should be fun. Happy Halloween everyone!

seeing the baby

we just got home from the doctor. It was so incredible getting to see our baby for the first time! I just couldn't believe it was there, inside me!! The heartbeat was good and everything is great. So far so good! The Lord has provided and we have made it to 12 weeks. We go back for our second ultrasound mid-Dec. and thats when we'll get to find out if it's a boy or a girl. Just 8 weeks to wait. I know it will go by fast. Thanks for all your prayers!

Baby, Baby, sweet baby.....

We have our first doctor's appt. TODAY!!! I remember when we scheduled this appt. back in Aug. when we first found out and I remember thinking that I had such a long time to wait till I got to go to the doc. But it has flown by and today is the day! We are so excited, me maybe a little more so than Tyler, but he is excited too. Please pray that everything goes well and that this baby is doing great inside me. I'm hoping we get to hear the heart beat too. This is such a wonderful time in our lives and I can't believe it is happening! The Lord is so good!

Landry- almost 6 months

Pumpkin queen. My neice Landry who I'll get to see Dec 5th for the first time since June!

Back at work

I'm back at work today. WHoo-hoo! I am walking on my foot pretty good. It's not completely better, but it's getting there. I'm just relieved to be able to walk and not use crutches! My kids were happy to see me this morning. It was sweet. I think they may actually like me! haha... I am pretty hard on them most the time. I was happy to see them too. This week is just a four day working week so that will be nice and then next Thursday is our first doctor's appt with an ultrasound! We are so excited about it. I have been anticipating it since we found out we were pregnant. I can't believe 11 weeks has gone by already! The Lord is so good!
I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Rainy Weekend in Clovis- D-NOW in Capitan

Well Tyler is away in Capitan, NM in the mountains with the youth group for the weekend and out good, sweet friends, Lonnie & Cindy Wall offered to let me and baby stay with them all weekend plus tomorrow since Tyler wont be home till tomorrow evening and I don't have to work. It is so kind of them because I didn't want to stay home alone with being halfway crippled and all, and not being able to do much for myself anyways. It has been so nice being here. They live outside of town in the country. It's so much quieter out here and the rain has made it just perfect! The Lord blesses me in such sweet ways. :) It's also like staying in a hotel here. Their home is very nice and cozy. So that's us: Apart for a few days but surviving it. I know Tyler is having a great time at this D-NOW. The speaker that is there is suppose to be speaking on the "glory of God" all weekend and so you know Tyler was super pumped about that! He was reading to me the material Friday night before we went to bed, he was def into it and so happy that the students were going to hear some good solid stuff. Please pray that God will save the lost souls there this weekend and disciple the ones that need growth. PLease pray also that they return back to Clovis tomorrow safe and sound.

There's always a first for everything

I had my first car accident yesterday. I was on my way home from work and rear-ended someone. I wasn't tail-gating her. She just stopped so quickly and after I realized that she was stopped I couldn't react quick enough. So the tahoe is pretty smashed and my right ankle is sprained, but other than that the baby and I are fine. Oh, by the way, we are pregnant! I haven't blogged about it yet because we wanted to wait till I was further along, but I think most people know now anyways. More on this later. Back to the accident. I was so scared after it happened and just couldn't believe it happened. But the Lord has already taught me alot from it. Tyler took me to the doctor for my ankle and I have to stay home from work for a few days to keep my ankle elevated and iced. That is one nice thing from it. I get to have a few days of rest which I need since this pregnancy has made me more tired than usual. We have great insurance so please be praying they take good care of us. They already have started working on the claim and everything. We are just thankful I wasn't hurt more than I was. I know the Lord's in control and causes all things to work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.

Another first is being pregnant I suppose. We found out on Aug. 26th after I took 4 pregnancy tests and all were positive. We were so excited and thankful that it happened so soon. It has been very interesting so far. We have our first doctor's appt. with an ultrasound on Oct. 23. We can't wait! I am so eager to see this little one inside me. I haven't been too sick, just tired and not feeling normal really. I am hungry all the time and try to find things that sound appealing to me (it's been a challenge). I haven't gained any weight I found out last night at the doctor's when they weighed me. I was surprised, but kinda glad, since you're not really suppose to gain much during the first trimester. In about 2 1/2 more weeks I will be done with this 1st trimester and hopefully will get the boost of energy they say most women get in the 2nd. It's been hard getting up so early to go to Bovina and then trying to enjoy teaching when I'm tired and hungry all the time. I haven't told me students yet, I am planning on telling them after the first doc. appt. I am eager to see their reaction.
I am praising the Lord for this new gift and praying that all goes well and that the baby will be healthy and everything God wants it to be. Please keep us in your prayers as we experience this new thing in our lives.
Please pray also that this ankle of mine will heal quickly. I told Tyler it's hard being pregnant, and now I'm pregnant and injured. The Lord will see me through.

Birthday Trip

IT'S FRIDAY!!! IT'S FRIDAY!!! I'm kinda excited. But not just because it's Friday, but because Tyler is taking me away for the weekend to Snyder for my birthday. We haven't been to Snyder since 4th of July and we're going to get to see Blake, Brooke, Hudson, Haddon, Mitch, Steve, and Peggy. We have been looking forward to this weekend for awhile and just cannot wait to get out of town! Tyler is taking Sunday off so we'll get to stay all weekend.
I have had a great birthday so far today. I am at school at the moment and one of my students from last year came by my room this morning and gave me a birthday gift. It is a gift set from Bath & Body Works. She is so sweet! I wouldnt think that a former student would remember my b-day. It made my morning. I miss alot of my students from last year, but it's so great because I get to see them everyday in the hall or in the mornings.
Tyler got me a new phone for my b-day this week- an LG Dare. I really like it, but right after I got it in the mail of Tues. I broke it. I was trying to put the back of it back on after I put the battery in it and I forced it on and it striped something on it and so it wouldn't stay on. Tyler mailed it back and they're going to send me a new one. Leave it to me to break it first thing. It's the nicest phone I've ever had, and I think I will enjoy it.
Anyways, we are off to the country here in about 7 hours. I can't wait to be out away from everyday life and work. :)

Update

Well it's been awhile since I've posted. Going back to work takes up most my time and I haven't been feeling the greatest either so I come home and mainly rest and spend time with Tyler. Everything is going well here though. We are looking forward to going to Snyder in two weeks for my birthday. We always love getting out of town after being in town for a long amount of time.
Teaching is flying by. Next week will be our 5th week already of school! The weeks just come and go. Those kiddos keep me busy and have had the tendency to wear me out. I have just been getting tired quicker lately. I have such a great class this year. I am so thankful. They are actually all not disrupted during lessons. I am trying to still get a few of them to really listen though so I won't have to keep re-teaching the same thing. But that's what I do. Teach and re-teach. Repetition is key I suppose.
Tyler and I are enjoying an evening to ourselves without having a meeting, fifth quarter, band practice, or anything!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Lovin the weekends...

These days the weekend means more to us than anything (excluding Jesus, that is). We work all week and when Friday arrives it's like this delicious gift. Friday's are Tyler's day off so when I get home from work he is home! I love that. (he usually isnt home until 5:30 every day if not later) So, today has been nice. Got home and we took a nap, got up and went for a run together, made dinner together, and are now relaxing on our couch. Of course Tyler is working on a 5 minute sermon he has to give at the Upward basketball game tomorrow morning. Seems like sermon prep is a constant thing in our house. If not preparing one, we are talking about one. But we love it.
I am looking forward to resting a lot this weekend which includes sleeping in tomorrow...yeaaaah...and laying around reading. I am currently reading "Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers. I just finished the first book " A Voice in the Wind" and have begun the second one "An Echo in the Darkness". Rivers is such a phenomenal writer. I am addicted. I would rather read her books than watch Netflix these days!! I haven't watched a movie here at the house in many weeks. That all to say I would highly recommend any of her books, especially this series. I'm tempted to tell you the plot but don't want to make this post that long. I have to make sure I am staying in the word though, and not just in Rivers books. But the Lord has used them to teach me a lot.

I did have a good week at school. I am getting to know my students better which is prob my favorite part about teaching, just getting to know the kids and having relationships with each of them. They are so funny and interesting. PLease keep me in your prayers that God will use me to be a light to them and they would see if not hear the gospel through me.

Gotta go and enjoy my Friday night with my husband! :)

1 week down.. many more to go...

Finished the 1st week of work. It was a great week, but of course I always look forward to the weekends. :)

Mitch has been here this weekend. Tyler and him worked in our yard yesterday. Our yard has been in need of a mowing for a week now. (it's been raining a lot here-grass grows fast) Our mower and weed-eater needed to be serviced so they also did that too. So that to say our yard is looking good.. thanks to Mitch and Tyler.

We grilled steaks last night and they were awesome! Tyler and Mitch grilled them perfectly. Then we went to the movies and saw Babylon A.D. It was interesting, but kinda strange. I liked it.

I have to work tomorrow unlike the rest of the world, but it will be ok. I am looking forward to a 3-day weekend in Oct.


We are about to take our Sunday afternoon nap. Church was good this morning and Leal's Mexican food was yummy for lunch. until next time...

I LOVE TO TEACH!

Ok, so I just finished my 1st first day of school (since last year I came in two weeks into the school year and did not get the nerve-wrecking experience of a first day of school) But this year was my lucky year...and the first day I was actually dreading all last week, but the Lord taught me a lot in the mist of it. I remembered today after all my students had stormed out of my classroom at 3:50 pm what my mom told me last year at the beginning of my teaching adventure. She said, "Haley, with teaching, you just have to jump right in there and do what you know to do and when you're in front of that room facing those small faces, it will just come to you and you'll naturally do it" She is so right (of course). With her 15 plus years of experience she has so much wisdom and encouragement to give me so often. I told her recently that I do not think I would have made it through last year without her constant support, encouragement, and words of wisdom. She is the best mother in the world. Her and my mother-in-law are. I am so thankful I have two of the most wonderful and godly women as my dearest friends.

The first day of school went very well I think. The Lord got me through it, I had no doubt He would. I give Him all the praise for strengthening me. I think I am going to have a really neat group of students this year. They have the best names! I have a Pedro, Yiecel, Enrrique, Angelita, Astrid, Xavier, Anabel, two Gabriella's, Osvaldo, Noel (a boy), Orlando, Alexsia, Brenda...etc... They seem to be real sweet kids and smart too! I am excited to get to watch them grow, learn, and improve. It's so neat to see them at the beginning of the year and then see them at the end.

Please pray for me as I dive into this adventure and pray that the Lord gives me the grace to teach my best, and see each child through His eyes with love.

Tyler's nose

Well it has been 1 week since Tyler had his nose surgery. He caught a head cold this week and so he hasn't been able to breathe out of his nose very good due to that, so we haven't seen much of any difference yet than before. We are praying that it's just because it's still a little swollen and because of the cold and that he will soon benefit from having the surgery. Everyone we've talked to that has had the same surgery has said it has helped them so much. Hopefully Tyler will be able to say the same soon. He is doing well though and his nose seems to be healing ok.

He is now wrapped up in watching these videos on this small group, church wide, bible study called "The Truth Project". He will have to teach it to the youth small groups. So far he has been pleased with it and it shows a lot of some guys he respects (R.C. Sproul, Ravi Zacharias) The study is mainly suppose to help believers obtain a christian worldview centered on THE truth. Please pray for him and that this study will affect students and that they will come and be interested in it and many will be discipled through it.

Classroom complete!

Finally my classroom is complete and ready for students to enter and learn. I have worked pretty hard in preparing for this year. My hope is that these new students of mine will catch the passion to learn this year and work hard for me and for themselves. I am still praying so much for this year. It's my first "first day of school" since last year I came in 2 weeks into the year and just took over what another girl had already started. It will be interesting to see how it goes. Please pray it will be organized and fun, not chaotic and boring. I have 21 students this year, compared to my 17 last year. My room as you can see is quite small, so we will be scrunched in there pretty good. I am hoping that although I have a lot of kids I will still be able to connect with each of them and get to know them. Time is limited on chit chat it seemed last year, and with even more kids it will be even more hard to take the time to just talk with them.
My mission is to fix my eyes on Jesus each day and I pray the Lord gives me the grace to pray without ceasing and not go through my days ignoring His presence and help. My sweet friend, Meg, encouraged me with this verse recently:
"The Lord is my Helper, whom shall I be afraid? What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:6
What can little 3rd graders do to me? Why should I fear? The Lord always sees me through. He did last year! And I trust He will again. And I know he uses my job to push me closer to Him and force me to call out to Him and cling to His strength.

This is my room. My co-teacher took the pic of me outside my door. The sign on my door my mom got Mrs. Ginger Calhoun to make for me last year. Everyone always asks where I got it and I wish I could get her to make all the teachers I work with one.

Also, my friend Jessica that I carpooled with last year left Bovina and moved to Farwell (a nearby town) to teach. So I have been praying the Lord would bring me a new friend, new teacher that I can really talk to, relate to, and minister to. Well He always answers my prayers!! The new 4th grade teacher is from Clovis and her name is Melissa. She is a believer and is really fun. I have enjoyed getting to know her so far and she is riding with me and 3 other women this year. The Lord blesses me and keeps me. I praise Him for my new friend and for providing me and Tyler jobs that we enjoy and love even if they are stressful at times.

Back to work..a little scared...

I actually feel like I have been working a lot this summer, even though it was my "vacation" time. I loved being off during these past 3 months. It may be one of my favorite things about being a teacher. :) It has been lots of time with Tyler (my fav hobbie) and helping him. I have been on a 10 day mission trip with Tyler and students in the youth group, to church camp for a week, helped plan the Mexico trip before we went, mowed our yard several times, finally finished our scrapbook, and now have taken care of my husband who just had surgery.
BUT, I have also been on a week trip back to east Texas to see my family & niece, gone to Snyder for the 4th with Tyler, and also taken a trip to Cancun with Tyler.
WHAT A SUMMER IT HAS BEEN.
The Lord has taught me so much and I am still contemplating everything.
And now He is sending me back to teach for a 2nd yr. I have been reading another book about fear and anxiety called " Running Scared" by the same guy who wrote "When People Are Big and God is Small". I think sometimes, man I have a lot to be afraid of or worry over! What if I can't get pregnant? What if my new class has really poor behavior ? I have to deal with a new and different set of parents this year, what will they be like? I hope I will teach my new students as well as I did last year, I hope I will teach them better! Will I teach them to have character and not just math? What if I get too tired and stressed this year? What if I do get pregnant and then I'm tired all day at work or throwing up? Will I be able to share the gospel with any of my co-workers this year? What if i don't have the courage to? Lord, I don't want to fail you. I want to take hell and eternity seriously and use this job for your glory and will. Am I ready to be a mother? Are Tyler and I mature enough yet? How long will you make us wait? I am so excited...make me patient Lord.

These are fears I have been recently dealing with. But God is faithful to bear my burdens and carry them for me, all my fears. I remember a time in college when I was dealing with some stuff and my best friend, Melissa, wrote me a note and she said "You are safe in His hands" just thinking about that is such truth to my heart. No matter my fears or worries God has me in His hands!!!! His hands! Whew...that's awesome. And He holds these things and all I have to do is think about Him, pray, and worship him and know He will strengthen me and perservere me and no matter what happens He is still good and will always be good and I will spend eternity with Him..delighting in Him and being fullfilled by Him.
"delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Tyler recovering

Here he is. He hasn't been in alot of pain, thank goodness for pain med. I was going to buy him some get well balloons, but knew he wouldn't really care for them, but I knew he would be really excited if I bought him a get well book. He's been wanting Tim Keller's "The Reason For God" so I got him that one and as I expected he was extremely excited about it when I showed him in the recovery room at the surgi-center. He has been enjoying it as he's had lots of time to just read and rest. I made him a peach smoothie this morning (that;s the other thing he's holding

Nose surgery success...

Tyler had his deviated sectum fixed today in Lubbock. His mom and dad and younger brother came to support and everything went well. We are home now after being pulled over by a highway patrolmen on the way home telling me I was speeding when I was only going 71. (and yes, I know that is technically speeding). After he saw Tyler laid back in the passenger seat with gauz covering is nose and an ice pack over his eyes and cheeks, he became very gracious and gave me a warning. This, i might add, is the FIRST warning Haley Anne Hicks has ever recieved. I always, always, always get the ticket and never get grace. And the only reason I did this time was because my husband looked like he was in severe pain and the guy knew I was just trying to get him home asap. So anyways...I was thankful he just gave me a warning. I like warnings.

Tyler is doing ok as of right now. He is taking pain med and can basically only breathe through his mouth right now. He is a strong man, dealing with all this. Our saying going into to it was "Think about the results (breathing through BOTH nostrils again) and not the process." I told him his theme song would be "Just Breathe" by Faith Hill. So thats what's going on around here in Clovis, New Mexico. Thanks to you guys who were praying for Tyler. He really appreciates it. Goodnight.

Fair Time

We made our appearance at the fair tonight. We had to go from 6-8 to work at our church booth, but we got there early (at 5) to get to hang out with some friends and eat some good, hearty and healthy fair food. Ummmm..ummmm...roasted corn on the cob and a snowcone for me, Tyler had a corndog and cherry limeade. We wanted to ride the ferris wheel together (we have yet to ride one together) but voted that one down after being informed it would be 10 bucks for both us to ride it. we figured it out and it's cheaper to go to Six Flags than to the fair! They get ya at the fair. But we do love our little Curry County Fair here in Clovis, Nm.


Oh, I forgot the most fun part and that's getting see all the farm animals. We got to admire hugs pigs, hogs, cows, and sheep. We loved it!

I love apples!

I just realized something a few moments ago while I was cleaning up my kitchen. I had picked some apples from our apple tree and they were sitting on my counter waiting to be made into a delicious apple pie. I glanced at them and then remembered how I have always wanted some fake green apples to put into my hurricane, but have never bought any because they are so expensive whenever I have seen them in stores. Well....I thought wait a minute....I have all the green apples I could want right in my backyard now! Genius!!! So..i got really excited and went outside, picked some more, washed them up, and put them in my hurricane. The Lord blesses me in small, little ways like that so often... not a big deal..but the Lord didn't have to allow us to get this specific house with an apple tree in the backyard..but He did... I am thankful...

Old friends

Tyler got to catch up with his buddy Cody Garrett today and I had the priviledge of getting to sit in on their interesting conversation at the Java Loft (coffee shop here). Cody and his wife Carrie just got back to the U.S. from northern Africa. They have been missionaries there for 3 years and now will be living in Alburqurque.

More Cancun pictures that were on Tyler's computer

Requested recipes...

My best friend Melissa recently asked me for some recipes... I buy turkey sausage everytime I go to the store almost, just so I have it all the time because you can make quite a few things with it and it's better for you than regular sausage and it's cheap! Two things Tyler and I love is just the simple "Zatarains's" New Orleans style gumbo mix with rice (box mix) and the mix just with rice. You can add chicken, shrimp, or sausage, but I always use the turkey sausage and Tyler really likes it. They're both quick, easy, and really delicious.

Another quick and really yummy thing you can make with turkey sausage is Tomato & Spinach Pasta. This is a recipe from my cousin, Sunny.

Tomata & Spinach pasta-

*2 cups penne pasta -7oz-uncooked (I used just plain macaroni one time since that's what I already had AND I always buy the whole wheat pastas to make it even more healthy and it doesnt taste much different from regular pasta)
*1/2 lb of hot or mild italian sausage (casing removed) (This is what the recipe calls for, but I used just regular turkey sausage(more healthy) and it was really good!)
*1 pkg (6 oz) baby spinach leaves
*1 can diced tomatoes
*basil, garlic, and oregano (I just added these seasonings myself-however much you think)
*1 cup of mozzarella cheese
*2 tbsp Paramesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile cook meat into large deep skillet. Cook on med-high heat until cooked through, stirring occasionally-drain. Add spinach and tomatoes. cook 2 mins or until spinach wilts. Remove and cover. Drain pasta; place in large serving bowl, add mixture and cheese; mix lightly. Serve with texas toast or garlic bread and WaaLaa!

Well there you go my fellow cooker. Hope y'all like it. It's pretty easy and fun to make, if you guys like pasta. I love to make pasta's cause there is no italian restaurant here in Clovis so it's always something different and fresh.

Apples anyone???

This has been our first summer in our house and we learn new things about it all the time. Since summertime has come I have discovered that one of the trees in our backyard is actually an apple tree! It's kinda fun to have an apple tree of your own. I never thought I would own my own tree that makes apples! So the other day I decided it was time to try one of these green apples. I went and picked two good-looking ones, washed them, cut them up, and then proceeded to taste them. I didn't think they would be that tastey since they are all pretty small, not like the big ones you can get at the grocery store. I was right. They were pretty sour. I thought it would be fun to make an apple pie though with apples from our tree so I called my good friend, Jan, (since she is a really amazing cook) and asked her if an apple pie would be good if it was made with sour tasting apples. And she said she thought you were actually suppose to make apple pies with sour apples. So there ya go! I was like perfect! My apples are sour! She told me my friend Kristin is known for her famous apple pies and that i should call her, so that's my plan...to make an apple pie with our very own apples before I go back to work...wish me luck!

Girls Gone Godly

We are having a girls sleepover tonight for girls in our youth group. We are calling it Girls Gone Godly. Me, Tyler's intern Ali, my friend Cristy Cross, and our pre-school director here at church are all doing short talks on different issues girls deal with: modesty/clothing, self-respect/body image, eating disorders, gossip/jealousy, dating. If you read this before tonight please say a prayer for us and the girls that will be there, that God will use this time to encourage them and teach them what it means to be godly in every area of their lives.

We're back from Alburqurque

we are through with trips for the summer. It's kinda a relief. I am going to stay home for the next two weeks and enjoy my house and home for a change. I feel like we have just gone, gone, gone all summer long, but every trip was really great though. So no complaints here. I'm just happy to get to stay home for longer than 3 days at a time.

Our trip to Alburqurque (I never know how to spell it correctly) was pretty good. We stayed at the Marriott and wished we could have brought that bed back to Clovis with us, it was comfortable. We went to the Aquarium Friday and got to see tons of different fish (sharks, sting-rays, sea-horses, etc) Tyler and I really liked that. The conference preaching was ok. It was mainly about marriage and family. The guy that made this new christian film with Kirk Cameron was the speaker. He made Facing the Giants movie too.
We loved being with our friends, the Osburns. They have 2 little girls and a baby girl. Aspyn, Makaidyn, and Pacyn. Of course I loved being around a baby all weekend. :)
I sit here on my couch as I write this and I just realized that I'm never quite sure how to end posts. Do I say bye? or just leave it as it is when I'm done....I feel like I always leave it without ever really ending it...ya know you've always been taught to have a good closing paragraph in your writing... oh well...

Off to Albuquerque for the weekend..

We are about to leave to go to Albuquerque for a family conference. We are waiting on our associate pastor, his wife, and 3 girls to pick us up in one of the church vans. We think this will be a good FINAL trip of the summer with the Osburn family. Two other couples from church staff are going as well but we are meeting them there. We will stay at the Marriott Resort and hopefully get to do some things around the city while we are there.

Snorkling

We had a such a fun time snorkling together. We both had never snorkeled before so it was pretty neat to get to do it together for the first time. We loved every minute of it, just being out in the middle of the ocean and getting to see underwater at all the colors and designs that God puts on things is remarkable. We hope to get to do it again someday.