Josh Jenn & Joel

Last Deputation Trip

2011-01-14T11:41:00.000-05:00

We're headed to our last scheduled meeting of deputation this weekend. We'll be seeing Josh's family this weekend as well, to say good-bye before we leave for Buenos Aires on January 26th. We've been keeping pretty busy getting loose ends tied up and getting things ready to go!
Joel is a little confused as to what we're doing, upending everything in our house. Ha ha! We're looking forward to moving and getting settled in there in La Plata. We know Joel is going to love it! The church we'll be working in the first year has a large class of 2 yr olds.
Joel's hair has grown so much over the past couple of months. As I expected, he's not fond of haircuts, but the second one went much more smoothly than the first!
Amelia won't be alone in the nursery class in the church in La Plata either. Several baby girls were born this past summer.
We were able to have Amelia's ears pierced this month. All the baby girls in Argentina have their ears pierced, and we didn't want her to be left out! She is also sitting up on her own now, and absolutely loves playing with her feet.
Thank you for keeping up with us on our blog. We hope to keep it updated weekly, especially while we are moving and settling in. Please pray with us about finding the right local language school for me and about finding the right house to rent for the first year. As always, God knows our needs and we know He will provide.

reftagger test

2011-01-07T17:22:00.001-05:00

Heb 1:1

Doctrinal Statement
The Bible
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Bible. We believe in verbal, plenary inspiration in the original writings, and God's preservation of His pure words to every generation (I Thessalonians 2:13, Psalms 12:6-8, II Timothy 3:16).
We accept the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and the Received Text (Textus Receptus) of the New Testament as the Scriptures in the original languages. The King James Version of the Bible is the only English version we accept and use. We use the Reina Valera 1960 in Spanish. The Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice.
The Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4, II Corinthians 13:14).
Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6, 7:14; Philippians 2:5-8; Galatians 4:4-5).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His finished work on the cross as a representative, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2).
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Person who reproves the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the agent in regeneration, indwelling all believers and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; I Corinthians 3:6; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14).
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues and the gift of healing gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority was established (II Corinthians 12:12; I Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:17-20; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22).

Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that of himself, he is utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).

The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image and is mindful of him, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every individual possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love (Psalm 8:4-9; Colossians 3:9-11).
Salvation
We believe that salvation is "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). We believe that salvation is "by grace through faith" plus nothing minus nothing. We believe that men are justified by faith alone and are accounted righteous before God only through the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18-19).
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that eternal life is the present possession of every believer (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5; Jude 1, 2).
The Church
We believe that the New Testament church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to carry out the Great Commission. The Lord is doing His work in this world through local churches. The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. Christ is the only head of the church (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9, 16; I Corinthians 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4).
The Ordinances of the Church
We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water and the Lord's Supper as a Scriptural means of testimony for local churches in this age (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26).
Biblical Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in a way as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (II Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1, 2, 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1).
The Return of Christ
We believe our Lord's return is literal, personal, visible, imminent, premillennial, and pretribulational. At the end of the tribulation Christ will return with His saints to establish His thousand-year reign on the earth (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; Psalm 89:3-4).

Piano Prodigy

2009-06-19T16:25:00.000-04:00

Peek-a-boo with Joel

2009-06-19T16:13:00.000-04:00

Website!

2009-05-30T23:58:00.001-04:00

Check out the new website... http://www.smiths2argentina.com/ We have officially started deputation and have an incomplete yet functioning website.

Piano Playin' Joel

2009-04-23T09:32:00.001-04:00

iPhone!

2009-03-28T16:27:00.002-04:00

I posted this using my new iPhone! Praise the Lord for his goodness!

Joel Playing Daddy's Guitar

2009-03-23T21:30:00.001-04:00

I couldn't help but put this on here, Joel loves playing my guitar!

A Glimpse Into Buenos Aires

2009-03-21T15:06:00.005-04:00

We were in a taxi going on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.
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Buenos Aires is so huge. It's hard to believe that in the stretch of city that could be seen in this video, not a single Independent Baptist Church could be found.

we're home

2009-03-17T21:07:00.002-04:00

we made it back into the States. we're very tired. we hope to post lts and lits of pictures and videos soon.

Update

2009-03-11T21:25:00.002-04:00

wow, where do i begin...

sunday- went to service in la plata, took a taxi to the airport, met Mr & Mrs Self, drove to restaurant 'sigue la vaca" it was amazing, drove to their house, was there for about 30 minutes, left and saw 3 different services (at least part of them.) ate great pizza, went to bed!
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monday- got up, went to tigre bought some souvenirs, went out to a nice restaurant, got to ask a lot of q's and get advice from the Self's. went to a pastor's meeting and got great advice from national argentines, went to bed.
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tuesday- got up, mrs self drove us to the train station, took train to retiro, met 2 misionary couples, drove around some tourist sites, walked to the obelisk, ate at burger king, took subway back to where we parked, drove to boca, got some thing for our display, drove to see missionaries' church, left for bus station, took bus to la plata, took taxi to bush's house after 11:00 pm. long day! that;s right we took a train, car, subway, bus, and a taxi in one day. i wish i could have worked out trip by plane and boat to make it a really full day.

wednesday- tookvthings a little slower... passed out hundreds of tracts on busy street corners in la plata, helped a little with a garage sale type thing at the church, attended wed pm service.

i preach thursday in ezpeleta...i'll catch up the rest next time.

Various Pictures 3

2009-03-08T22:47:00.003-04:00

Joel was trying out a new hairdo in Argentina

Poor folks will go along and pick up recycleable things from the trash, and put it in one of these horse buggy things.

me, with a policeman

Random people in the Centro in La Plata

Various Pictures 2

2009-03-08T22:28:00.004-04:00

Joel was a big hit at Iglesia Bautista de Gracia in Ezpeleta (Quilmes) Everyone had to hold him, and have their picture taken with him.

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Train ride to Ezpeleta (Quilmes) Andri accompanied us. He is from Ukraine.

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Various Pictures

2009-03-08T22:08:00.002-04:00

Mauricio and Diana from Iglesia Bautista El Faro. They invited us over for lunch on Friday.

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Diana is from Peru, so we had Peruvian food in Argentina.

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Me, preaching.

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And you thought the Leaning Tower Of Piza was special! ;)

Friday, Saturday, and Plans for Sunday

2009-03-07T20:27:00.002-05:00

(Jenn) Friday, we babysat the girls during lunch, so Mindy could take Jeff out to eat for his birthday. I read a few books to them after we ate, then we put in a movie for them. Jeff and Mindy didn't take long.
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Later that afternoon, Josh and Joel and I took a taxi to a store called Carrefour, a French store that puts Walmart and Sam's Club to shame. It was huge! We walked up and down the aisles and wrote down prices of everything we would need to buy if we lived here (we are researching what our start-up fund will need to be). We got a little over half way through the store...in about three and a half hours. We had to stop then, not only because we were starving, but because we didn't want to be late for Jeff's surprise party that the church members were throwing him. ;)
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The people from the church suprised Jeff with an 'asado' (grilling out) at the house. We got to experience true Argentine Asado (grilled meat). Raul slow cooked some ribs to perfection, seasoning them with only salt. That meat had more flavor than most, if not all, the steaks I have ever eaten. It was awesome!
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Today, we went on visitation: me with Mindy, Josh with Alfredo and Mauricio. Josh and his group saw three souls saved! Mindy made a contact with a lady named Claudia, who she will be going back to visit with next week. We're hoping she will come to church tomorrow with her five children (ages 15 to 2). We also saw a rotweiller that, at first glance, I thought was a small horse. Mindy ran, I just stared. LoL, in hindsight, I probably should've run. The gate was only being held shut by a wire that looked like a twist tie, and that dog sounded hungry for human!
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The people here all have gated yards, and most use dogs for security. Purebreds are stolen quite often, but I doubt that Rot's owner will have any problems. :)
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Stray dogs are also a big problem here. I've seen at least 10-20 stray dogs every day that we've been here. They're mostly mixed breeds, but I have seen a couple of purebreds, including greyhounds. You all know me, but no, I'm not trying to smuggle one home. The strays tend to look better than some of the dogs with owners.
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Considering the dog problem, I guess it's not so odd that today was the first time I saw a stray cat. I only saw the one.
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The ladies meeting this evening went well. For those of you who don't know, I was able to give my testimony, as well as teach a short beauty class...all in English. Mindy translated. Mindy said it went over well, everyone seemed to enjoy it. I gave a few skin care tips, and taught them to make a fresh fruit facial mask, of which I was able to send home enough for one mask for each lady. We also had a short Q&A on haircare.
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After we picked up the girls from the babysitter's, we went home to Jeff and Josh, who were bragging about having gone out for steak without us. (They didn't, there were leftovers from the Asado all over the kitchen counters that they had eaten...just like a man to not think about the practical side of the lie. ;) They did, however, order ice cream. Yes, I said order. Here in La Plata, you can order ice cream and they bring it to your house. All ice cream is expensive, so it's not too different from going to the store for yourself. Josh said there is some leftover.
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Josh and I are going to meet Ron Self tomorrow after the morning service at Iglesia Bautista del Faro (where we're singing the special). We'll take another taxi back to the airport in Buenos Aires where Bro. Self is going to pick us up. Then, from what I understand, we'll be headed to northern Buenos Aires to spend 20 or 30 minutes in two different evening services before we settle for the duration at a third service. I think the point is to see some different services at different churches.
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Well, it's my turn for the shower, then I'm hoping Joel will feel like sleeping so I can go to bed before 1 AM. It's going to be a full day tomorrow! We'll post again soon.

Landing in Miami

2009-03-06T11:29:00.002-05:00

map of the area

2009-03-05T21:54:00.001-05:00

View Larger Map

to give you an idea, from La Plata (bottom right corner) to northern Buenos Aires, (top) they say takes a good two hours to travel. The place is huge.

Another busy day, and more to come

2009-03-05T21:13:00.003-05:00

This afternoon we were invited to eat lunch at the house of a family from the church here in La Plata. The wife, Diana is actually from Peru, so lunch was a Peruvian dish. It was delicious! Mauricio had a lot to say about personal evangelism.
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Later we took a train to Ezpeleta (don't worry Moms, we were with another man from the church) to go to a Thursday night service. It was about 45 minutes by train. The man we went with (Andri) is from the Ukraine. All the Ukranians I know (2) are characters. At the church service, Pastor Matias asked us to give our testimonies and sing a song. The people are so friendly here.
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For those that don't know, it's tradition in all of South America for guys and ladies to greet one another with a kiss on the cheek. When I went to Peru, so I (Josh) was already used to that custom. Well, here in Argentina, they take it a step further...the guys kiss the guys on the cheeks! A kiss hello, and a kiss goodbye for virtually everyone you meet. Talk about culture shock! Actually, I knew that was the custom before we came. For Americans, it's weird, but it's practiced in other parts of the world. It was practiced in Bible days. The Bible does say "greet one another with a holy kiss."
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Our schedule at this point is:
Friday- run some errands in the morning, and babysit in the evening to give Jeff and Mindy an evening out on Jeff's birthday.
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Saturday- visitation in the morning, possibly go to Buenos Aires, Jennifer is conducting a beauty class at the ladies meeting in the evening.
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Sunday- Sunday morning service in La Plata, give testimony and sing, get on bus to the airport, meet missionary Ron Self, go north of Buenos Aires, see the beginning of 3 services in the area, then stay for full service in Don Torcuato, stay the night with them...
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Monday- do some souvenir shoppping, or just rest in the morning, I'll go to a pastor's meeting starting at six, there should be 9 or 10 pastors/ missionaries there, we'll stay the night again...
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Tuesday-get up and meet Gonzalo Hauman, a local pastor in North Buenos Aires, spend most of the day with him, and go back to la plata.
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Wednesday-
not sure about the morning, at night, the service in La Plata
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Thursday-
not sure about the morning, preach/sing in Ezpeleta (Southern Buenos Aires, but north of La Plata)

That's all I know for now. Oh, for those who might be wondering, the time difference is three hours from Eastern Time. 12:00 pm in Knoxville is 3:00 pm here.

Well, that's all for now. chau!

i can;t believe i'm posting at 3:30 am!

2009-03-05T00:31:00.002-05:00

preaching went great
preahed out of John 15 "Abide in me"

our schedule is filling up nicely, an answer to prayer.

God is challenging us, he is increasing, stretching, our faith in Him.

hopefully this link works to see some pics

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2018529&l=8d752&id=1370643959

Preaching Tonight!

2009-03-04T11:37:00.002-05:00

(Josh)

Jeff has asked me to preach tonight! Pray that the Lord will use me to speak to the people.

It has been raining a lot last night and today.

It was sure good to sleep in a bed last night.

I'm going to go prepare to preach, I'll try post tonight afterwards and tell you how it goes, and if they kick us out and send us back home. ;)

We're In Argentina!!!

2009-03-03T17:21:00.002-05:00

(Jennifer) - We arrived this morning in Buenos Aires around 8:45. Thankfully, we had no problem with customs or immigration, and all of our luggage arrived with us. Also, and I almost can't believe this, we were given the 'green light' through the airports, and none of our baggage was searched! I was afraid that some, or all, of the food we were bringing to the missionaries would be confiscated, and none of it was! They did have to test the liquids in Joel's bottles, but even that only took a couple of minutes. I worried needlessly, as usual. God took care of us!
Another answered prayer, Joel did wonderfully! He took his bottle all of the times that we needed him to, when the plane was either ascending or descending, so his ears didn't hurt him. There were others babies on the plane that cried, some who cried a lot, but Joel only had one little fit. When I went to the bathroom when he was asleep, he woke up and couldn't see me. It didn't last long, and other passengers commented at the end of the flight about how well he did. :)
Jeff and Matias (the pastor of Iglesia Bautista Gracia) met us at the airport. The traffic here is crazy! I don't think they have any traffic laws.
So we are here now, at the Bush's house in La Plata. Josh and I got showers, I got a nap, Joel made a few new friends. He is still doing well. I'm so grateful he travels well!
We went to Walmart tonight for diapers for Joel, and a few groceries for the Bush's.
I am amazed at how this country feels so comfortable. I thought there would be a different feeling here, like I'm a stranger. And while I did get a few weird looks in Walmart for my English, this place still feels familiar. It's a little odd to see the palm trees on the side of the road, and all the air conditioning window units in the apartment buildings. AC isn't really common here. Still, it feels like home. :) Don't worry, Mom, we will still be coming home in a couple of weeks. ;)
We can't answer our cell phones here, or even check out messages. If anyone needs to get ahold of us, you can either message us on facebook or email us. We'll try to check those daily. Thank you everyone for your prayers, keep them coming! We'll post again soon.

Atlanta Airport & Joel's First flight

2009-03-02T17:52:00.001-05:00

driving to atlanta

2009-03-02T01:24:00.001-05:00

change of plans...we're leaving now (about 1:30 AM) we're used to staying up late. we're driving as far as we can and getting a hotel.

we'll try to update when we get there.

Josh

95% Packed

2009-03-01T00:40:00.004-05:00

We are 95% packed, just need the other 5% from now till Monday at 8:00 in the morning when we leave. We are so excited! I believe the Lord is going to do so much with this trip. Buenos Aires is such a huge, diverse place. (around 15 million population in the area) I believe God has a place for us there. We are seeking His guidance. Pray about it if you would.

-Josh

Here's our itinerary:

American Airlines 1761 ATLANTA MON 02MAR
2:20 PM MIAMI INTERNTNL 4:15 PM Q

American Airlines 909 MIAMI INTERNTNL MON 02MAR
8:30 PM BUENOS AIRES EZE 8:15 AM Q

American Airlines 908 BUENOS AIRES EZE MON 16MAR
10:55 PM MIAMI INTERNTNL 6:40 AM Q

American Airlines 1664 MIAMI INTERNTNL TUE 17MAR
9:40 AM ATLANTA 11:40 AM N

Joel Sound Effects

2009-03-01T00:36:00.001-05:00

Joel was making all kinds of new sounds. Jenn says he was preaching, I say he was riding a motorcycle. What do YOU think?

I am sure he was driving...something. Maybe a motorcycle, maybe a sports car, or maybe a big truck. Whatever he was doing, it was cute.

No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus

2009-02-18T23:41:00.001-05:00

Josh playing his guitar for a Sunday Morning Spanish Ministry service at the Temple Baptist Church in Powell, TN. "No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus" or "Nadie Pudo Amarme Como Cristo"

We're Going To Argentina!!!

2009-02-16T23:31:00.003-05:00

Praise the Lord! We purchased our tickets on Saturday. We got a pretty good deal...about $1700 for the 3 of us. That was an answer to prayer considering the average prices I've been seeing are about $1100-$1200 per TICKET. We leave March 2nd and return the 17th. That's 2 weeks from today!
Now, we have a lot to do. This is a little sooner than we were thinking we were going to get to go. God has been so good to us!
Here's some pictures of a La Plata and Buenos Aires.

Snow!

2009-02-05T02:28:00.003-05:00

Joel enjoyed the rare snow we got here in TN.

Argentina Trip Update

2009-01-22T16:03:00.001-05:00

Hello to All!

Josh got online last night and researched ticket prices. He actually found some that were surprisingly cheap, at less than $700 each. There were taxes and fees that made the total a little over $2,000 for our two tickets, but that's still less than we anticipated. Unfortunately, we've not saved up quite that much yet, and they were sold out within half an hour of finding them. :(
We're hoping our W-2's have a rush on them so we'll get them soon. With the Child Tax credit we are eligible for this year, we believe our tax return will be enough to cover our tickets.
Also, I'm currently researching airline restrictions. Joel may be able to be a Lap-Child, but there is a fee that is 10% of our ticket price, and that does not guarantee him a seat. One praise report is that there is no charge for checked bags on international flights to anywhere but Brazil, Asia, and Europe! (With American Airlines anyway, they seem to have the least expensive tickets to Argentina.) The bad news is they only allow two checked bags! ;) I'll have to pack multi-task items... and I'm sure Josh won't use all his space in his two bags! I wonder if Joel is allowed two checked bags.... ;)
There are still financial needs that we need prayer for, concerning the trip. One big one is we need luggage sets. (If you know of any for sale, let me know! I already have a carry-on bag. I'll need two suitcases, and Josh needs two suit cases. Each will need to be under 50lbs when packed. I'm checking craigslist often.) We know that God will provide! I'm looking for a part-time job right now. I've already applied to every day care center, veternarian office, and kennel that's hiring, as well as a dry-cleaners, a hospital, Waffle House, Crown Publications, and filled out an application for a grocery store, but realized that I would have to sell cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, so I didn't turn in the application there. I had a regular babysitting job confirmed, but then I got sick (for three weeks), and she found someone else that had a child closer to her child's age.
Anyway, pray for us! I'll update again when I can.

Joel Says "Da-Da"!

2009-01-21T15:52:00.001-05:00

We've been working on this word for a while now, since he said "Ma-Ma" a couple of weeks ago (but hasn't really said it since). Today he's been saying "Da-Da" all day!

Ay Ya Ya Ya

2009-01-21T09:54:00.001-05:00

Joel just started this thing...well you just have to see it.

Teeth! Not just Tooth!

2009-01-20T23:58:00.003-05:00

Joel now has teeth. That's pretty impressive for being born in TN.

Little Mountaineer

2009-01-19T22:46:00.003-05:00

I'm from West Virginia and we found some Mountaineer colors for Joel to wear while we watched WVU win their bowl game. Let's goooooo Mountaineeeeers!

Joel Goes Crazy For Uncle Chris

2008-11-28T02:00:00.001-05:00

This is hilarious! Chris barks like a dog and Joel loves it.

First Food - Squash!

2008-11-19T14:46:00.001-05:00

School's Almost Over!

2008-11-19T14:28:00.004-05:00

Joel's Well-Baby visit went well! He's twenty weeks today, the 19th. He's a whopping 16 lbs and 4 oz, and 26 inches long. I told Josh that Joel's two-foot-two! ;) He had three shots, and only grunted for the first two, and cried for a second on the last one! He's such a trooper!
Also, Joel rolled over by himself for the first time last night! It's so cool to watch him grow. I thank God that I'm able to stay home with him, I know so many mothers who want to that aren't able to.
Joel ate his first 'real' food the other night. We tried squash first, as I was told lighter to darker foods is the best way to go. That, and since I was introduced to fruits first, and from then on refused the veggies, Joel is getting a good taste of veggies before he gets into those sweet fruits! I'm uploading the video to YouTube as I write this, so I can link it to the blog. I apologize about the length of the video, you know the grandparents are long-distance!
Josh's last semester is winding down here in the next few weeks, and we are both SO ready for him to be done! a Master's degree is still an option, but not for a while! Please pray for us as Josh is looking into getting a second job, so we'll be able to pay off our medical/school debts more quickly. (I praise God that we don't have any credit card debt anymore, and haven't had for a few years now. I sincerely dislike those things (credit cards), they seem to get you every time!) A great job opportunity has been presented to him already, we're praying that the hours will work with his other job and his ministry responsibilities. I've been searching on and off for some sort of typing work. I only found a couple of viable opportunities, but I haven't heard back about either of them. Let me know if you hear of something!
We're still working on our health. I've slowly started to lose the weight I've been trying to get rid of. Keep praying for us about that, please!
Well, that pretty much catches you up on us for now. I'll post again in a couple of weeks, if I have anything new to tell you! And with the Adventures of Super-Baby, I'm sure I will! :) ~Jenn

Weekend in W.V.

2008-11-04T19:55:00.004-05:00

Well, we just got back today from a wonderful weekend visiting with Josh's family in W.V.! We arrived on Saturday, and came back today (Tuesday) in time for Josh to work this evening. We were able to introduce Joel to his Great-Grandpa John McCloy, and his Great-Grandma Evelyn McCloy! He has now met all of his grandparents and great grandparents. Great-Grandpa McCloy thought it was a great thing that Joel resembles Josh so much, seeing that Josh resembles Great-Grandpa McCloy! He was sure to tell Joel what a handsome man he was going to grow up to be! :)
We received many blessings this weekend as well! Josh was invited to preach the morning service at his home church, and Josh and I sang a special for the same service. We were able to go out to eat with Tammy's sister, Carrie, who hadn't met Joel until then. (Carrie is expecting her first baby, a girl she plans on naming Annabelle, near the end of December.) Josh's younger brother, Matt, was invited to preach the evening service, and Matt, Josh, their Mom (Tammy) and I sang the special for that service! Their Dad (David) was able to make it to both services to hear his sons preach, which was a great blessing! And, of course, everyone told me how beautiful my sweet Joel is!
We were also able to see a lot more of Josh's Dad this visit. We went over to Grandma Esther's each night, and spent the evening with her and David. She cooked us a couple of WONDERFUL meals, including homemade fried chicken one night, and pork chops the other night! (Those can be counted as blessings, right?)
This weekend, when we left, we weren't thinking anything about our birthdays later this month. Josh's is the 15th, mine is the 30th; too far away to make a big deal out of them now, right? Apparently, wrong! Our last evening with David, he presented us with a couple of great birthday presents (cash is always a great present!), and when we got back to Tammy's, she had a birthday cake waiting for us, and a present for me! (I tease Josh that I'm the favorite...I think she's trying to prove me right! J/K, she said she hadn't found the right gift for Josh yet, but I think she's just itching for a reason to see us again soon. ;) She had the pastor's daughter-in-law, who is gifted at jewelry design, make me a pendant and earrings set that includes Josh's and my birthstone color, and Joel's birthstone color! They are just beautiful.
And if those blessings aren't enough, God provided, through several different sources, the money we spent on the trip, as well as a bit more! (An added blessing, because the Altima is needing new brake pads before we make any more trips in it.) God is so good to give us the family and friends that we have!
Quick Amazing Baby update: Joel is now puckering his lips when I blow a kiss to him, and he is beginning to grasp things like books with one hand on either side! His hand-eye coordination and hand dexterity is amazing. He seems to be developing by leaps and bounds every day. Also, as of this past Sunday, November 2nd, Joel is 4 months old! He weighs 15.5 lbs, but I haven't gotten an accurate length yet. He curls up in his sleep, and wiggles too much when awake! I'll have exact stats after his 4-Month well-baby visit on the 14th. It was put off a bit, due to a busy cold season at our Dr's office.
Oh, and I wasn't able to mention it to the whole church up at Calvary Community, but a great big Thank You for all the baby gifts! And please forgive an extremely busy college-wife and stay-at-home mom for not sending out all my thank-you cards after the baby. The gifts I received from you all, and from my other three baby showers, were much too generous, but SO appreciated! All the baby blankets and quilts, toys, diapers, wipes, keepsakes, and clothes have been and are being put to good use. God has used each and every one of you to provide for us and be a blessing and an encouragement to us while we've been down here at Crown College. Just wanted to express our thanks again for everything. We love you, and we hope to visit again soon! ~Jennifer

Nah-Nah-NahhhNah

2008-11-04T19:52:00.002-05:00

Joel seems to really like the music off commercials...when I sing it to him! He's such a little turkey, he cracks me up on a daily basis!

Determination

2008-10-31T13:49:00.002-04:00

Joel has a new facial expression that he does when he's trying to sit up, but there's nothing to pull on. He's really getting into different facial expressions now, and he is beginning to reach out and touch our faces when we are close to him. He loves to grab our lips when we're talking to him! Also, he has a book that was a hand-me-down from his Otto cousins that he is obsessed with. He sat up and played with it for about half an hour last night, with little to no interference from Mommy and Daddy! I'll have to get a video of him playing with that book sometime and then post it. He's so patient for a four month old!

Tough Guy

2008-10-20T18:44:00.001-04:00

Clingman's Dome 10.11.08

2008-10-14T11:57:00.003-04:00

Saturday, Jennifer and I went for a scenic drive to Clingman's Dome (the highest elevation in Tennessee.) It was beautiful! We got a lot of great pictures. This was the first time we had a babysitter and went away for a little while.

Joshua

Good Baby 2

2008-10-09T20:42:00.000-04:00

"You're Just A Good Baby!"

2008-09-21T23:45:00.002-04:00

Joel likes to hear his Mommy brag on him!

"Everything Changes When You Have A Baby."

2008-09-18T23:46:00.013-04:00

Well, I'm settling into my new lifestyle as a stay-at-home wife and mother. I'm loving it, but it's so different! I wear make-up about twice a week, *hopefully* shower a couple more times than that, and never remember what day of the week it is! :) I'm getting into scheduling now, making list after list of what needs to be done, how often it needs to be done, and trying to set times to do it all, which, of course, is an exercise in futility with a 2 month old. But I'm trying! I'm also working on my math skills, trying to learn what every stay-at-home mom does, the Art of Pinching Pennies.
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I had a great teacher (my mom, who worked at the church all my growing up years, and still she and my dad sent three kids to private school) so we should be fine. Talk about "unconscious preparation". I had no idea all those years I was learning how to be a good mom by watching my own mother! Of course, God knew, that being His plan. My mother will be the first to tell you she's not perfect, but I don't think I could have been given a better example to go by!
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I want to thank everyone, as well, for all their support and encouragement. We prayed a lot about the decision for me to stay home with Joel, and we know this is what God wants me to do. Please keep us in your prayers, that our faith will grow, that we will be good stewards of what God gives us to work with, and that we'll raise Joel for God's glory. We've never been given a greater task, and I feel the weight of it as he grows bigger every day, and is increasingly watching my every word and deed.
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Also pray for us, as Josh and I are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. As they always do, unhealthy habits have creeped up on us, and made a big impact. We're really working hard at this, we want to be entrenched in healthy habits before we try to go on deputation. I don't think anything can make you want to change for the better more than having a baby. We want to be healthy for him, so we can keep up with him and care for him as well as possible.
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Well, speaking of 'him', I think I hear him, so I'd better get off here. See you all soon! God bless you! ~Jenn

Joel Video

2008-09-18T23:46:00.011-04:00

Our little Joel is so cute! In this video, he "talks" to Mommy and Daddy, as well as smiles and laughs. I know it's a little long, but if you watch the whole thing, you won't be sorry! He's just the cutest baby ever!!!

P.S. All the links on the bottom of the video that say "Joel" are not OUR Joel. Just thought I'd let you know. :)

Joel Is Learning to Smile and Laugh!

2008-09-06T23:51:00.002-04:00

Joel's been smiling more and more. He's just started to laugh. It's so hard to get him to do it for the camera. Hopefully, we'll be able to capture more pictures and videos to show you how cute he is.

Also, Joel had his 2 month check up a couple days ago... He weighs 13 POUNDS!!! and he is 24.5 INCHES long!!! One month ago he was only 9 pounds. It's unbelievable how fast he's grown.

--Josh

A New Look

2008-08-16T18:04:00.001-04:00

We decided to change our blog template. We hope you like it.

Surgery!!!

2008-08-16T11:39:00.004-04:00

I did have to have the gallbladder surgery. Here's the whole story:

Josh and I came to KY to visit my family and show off the new baby this past Tuesday. I'd been having recurring back pain for a while now, and the back pain and nausea really picked up Tuesday night. Wednesday, I wasn't even able to go to church. My mom, sis, and I compared my symptoms with my sister's symptoms that she had after Alex was born, when she had to have her gallbladder out. They were almost identical, even to Alex's and Joel's ages.

I went to my old Dr. here in Franklin Thursday morning and had an ultrasound. As it turns out, I needed to have my gallbladder removed.

Friday morning, I noticed my skin and the whites of my eyes were a little yellowish. I chalked it up to the gallbladder thing, until I tried to put on my makeup and the difference between the foundation and my face looked like someone had painted my skin w/ a yellow highlighter. I called my Dr back, she sent me to the ER, thinking I probably had a blockage (which complicates the surgery immensely and multiplies the recovery time by about 3) and needed to have the surgery immediately.

Long story short, we went, they did the surgery last night and (Praise the Lord!) there was no blockage and they were able to go ahead w/ the simple laser surgery! I even got to come home last night! Now I'm at my mom's house, recuperating.

My prayer requests now include these:

Pray that after I get the anesthetic and pain meds out of my system, I'll be able to go back to nursing Joel.

Pray that I'll recover quickly.

Pray that my mom's and my husbands jobs won't be affected by their having to suddenly take more time off. Thanks!!!

Pray for Jennifer

2008-08-15T17:07:00.002-04:00

Jenn is going to have to have gall bladder surgery--- very possibly tonight. We found out the other day that she would need the surgery. We were working on scheduling it some time within the next 2 weeks. But she had more symptoms today and is waiting in the ER to know if they'll do it today. She's in KY with her mom and I'm in TN, so, as soon as they say they'll do it, I'm getting off work and driving the 3 and 1/2 hours to Franklin. Pray for her to recover quickly, and pray for me driving. There's a possibility they won't do it tonight. We would prefer they do.

I'll try to post updates, so you can pray.

The Amazing Joel! video link

2008-08-05T09:14:00.006-04:00

You've got to check out this link to a video of Joel.

http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1370643959&k=XZLTYZSSU6XM5ABAXAZZWR

He's so cute, and strong!

In this episode Joel conducts Beethoven's 9th Symphony, holds his head up high, tries to stand up, and in between just looks cute and adorable. It's a long video, but what can I say? He's cute and we have Grandmas that live far away.

Can you believe he's already a month old?

Also check out Joel snoring!!!
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1370643959&k=XZL222UXW55M5ABAXAZZWR

Newborn Photo Session

2008-07-25T11:43:00.006-04:00

Here are a few more pics from the photo session.

Video Links of Joel

2008-07-23T09:37:00.005-04:00

You have to see these video clips. He's so cute awake or asleep.

Asleep:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1370643959&k=Y5AZQ5WYV54M5ABAXAZZWR

Awake:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1370643959&k=X413YVTRV3VM5ABAXAZZWR

Sneak Peek at Joel's Newborn Photo Session

2008-07-20T02:26:00.008-04:00

We had Joel's newborn photo session yesterday, with Nate and Arancha Photography. All we've seen thus far is this little sneak peek, but it's looking great!!! We can't wait to see the rest of the pictures. Joel did great! He was actually awake for almost the whole shoot, which was probably harder on poor Arancha, because Joel is a wiggly worm when he's awake! He's never still! It's okay, though, I think Arancha liked the challenge. :)
We'll post more when we get the rest!
To see more of Nate and Arancha's work, go to http://www.nathanandarancha.blogspot.com/ or http://nateandaranchaphotography.com/
They do Engagement, Children's, Infant's, Wedding, Senior Photo Sessions and more!

Links to Facebook Albums of Joel

2008-07-12T21:18:00.003-04:00

Check out these links. It's easier to post an entire album on facebook as opposed to one picture at a time on here. Josh has more pictures on his facebook. Jennifer has more comments on her pictures.

Jenn:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24319&l=c299d&id=566778733

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24463&l=0db2a&id=566778733

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24737&l=34690&id=566778733

Josh:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001348&l=3b5c0&id=1370643959

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001476&l=16568&id=1370643959

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2002029&l=8a7fc&id=1370643959

Yet MORE Pics! ;)

2008-07-10T12:57:00.012-04:00

"What are you crazy people doing to me?"

"Have your people call my people, we'll do lunch."

Posin' for the paparazzi

"I could SO get used to this. How's my tan?"

Talking to Mommy.

Snoozin' on Daddy. You don't think he's proud of our new baby, do you?

Snoozin' on Nonna! Nonnas are always comfy.

"Hmmm, let me think on that for a while."

More Baby Pics!

2008-07-05T00:07:00.003-04:00

Video of Joel!

2008-07-04T21:44:00.004-04:00

Joel David Has Arrived!!!

2008-07-03T08:51:00.004-04:00

What a day we had yesterday! As the previous post said, Jennifer was scheduled to be induced for labor yesterday at 7:30AM. Jennifer's mom had made it in from KY on Tuesday afternoon, we were all packed up and ready to leave for the hospital at 6:45AM when Jenn's water broke! Everything progressed so rapidly! She didn't need pitocin and was ready to start pushing at 11:45AM. At 12:38PM, Joel David Smith discovered America! He was 8lbs 7oz and 20 and one half inches long. Everything has gone so well. We are praising the Lord for his goodness and mercy to us.

I've posted a lot of pictures on facebook and I'm working on getting a link set up for you all.
God bless you, and THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for praying.

-Josh & Jenn & JOEL!!!

THE BIG DAY

2008-07-02T05:34:00.002-04:00

Well, today is the big day. 'Nervous' doesn't even cover it. It's 5:30 AM right now, and we'll be leaving in an hour. We're aiming to be at the hospital by 7 (a bit earlier than our 7:30 appointment).
Mom got in safely yesterday afternoon, and is staying with us now. I got Mom's Chicken and Rice casserole for supper last night! (I didn't realize at the time that it would be my last meal before the clear-liquids-only thing, but when I did realize that, it made me all the more grateful!) :) I also, as you could imagine, did not get much sleep. Oh well, what's new? I'm feeling okay now, though, and I'm thanking God for that.
I hope everyone thinks to pray for me today, I'd really appreciate that too! :) We'll be posting pictures on here ASAP, but of course, I don't know when that will be.
Here's hoping I'll talk to you all soon!!! :) Wish me luck! Pray for me when you think of me and Baby Joel today!

Slight Delay?

2008-06-28T15:49:00.000-04:00

My Dr. was planning on inducing Monday, June 30th, but when I went in yesterday for my last appointment and she tried to schedule it with the hospital, we found that there were no beds available to be booked on Monday! So, now the plan is to include Joel in the 5% of babies actually born on their due date, and induce on July 2nd (if he doesn't decide to come on his own before then). I am now just over 3 cm dialated, but not quite 4 cm, and still 50% effaced.
I'm trying to look at the bright side of a later induction (Joel's birthstone will be a more masculine ruby, rather than the slightly confusing pearl), while keeping up hope that he may come on his own earlier (walking on a slow treadmill for 10 minutes or so, every few hours). So this is only a possible slight delay. He may still decide to suprise us and be a June baby!
Either way, I am kind of glad he's waited this long. It makes me more confident that he is fully developed, will have less or no troubles once he is born, and will be able to come home with me after the normal 48 hour hospital stay. As far as I know, Baby Joel and I are still both perfectly healthy, with only a slight increase in weight gain from my staying at home on the couch all day for a week ;), and we're definitely both ready at any time for him to come greet the world! Make sure to check back next week for your first glimpse at my precious new addition!!! (I hope he has hair!)

Progression of the Belly

2008-06-24T11:53:00.004-04:00

April 10th May 15th
June 15th
June 21st

Everyone wants to see the belly! So here's the belly! :)

Not Much Longer!

2008-06-21T21:48:00.002-04:00

Just dropping a quick note to update the situation: I saw the Dr. on Friday, she said I was now 3 cm dialated, but still just 50% effaced. If Baby Joel doesn't come on his own by Monday the 30th, she plans on inducing that day! (Just a couple of days before the due date, but at least I won't have to go over.) And now that I'm on maternity leave from work, the discomfort of Joel's size isn't bothering me as much. (And no, the Dr. still hasn't guessed Joel's size, so I don't know anything other than he has long bones, he can shove/hit/kick all major nerve points around my abdominal cavity at once, and his favorite pastime is trying to shove a hole through the right side of my belly!) :) The joys of pre-motherhood! ;)

38 Weeks, and Still Here!

2008-06-18T11:48:00.002-04:00

Just dropping a quick note to let everyone know it hasn't happened yet. I'm 38 weeks today, and I can't wait to have this baby! As was expected, and on some level appreciated, Baby Joel is only getting bigger, and making me that much more uncomfortable. I know I'll miss my clients during my maternity leave, but I'm SO GLAD Thursday is my last day. I don't think I could handle working another day after that, and honestly, not completely sure how I'll get through Thursday! :)
Keep me in your prayers, please. I know I'm not the first woman to go through all this, it's just the first time I'VE been here, you know? I'll keep you updated!

Just Two More Weeks?

2008-06-13T19:41:00.002-04:00

Hello to all! I went to the Dr. again today, and when she checked me, I was 2 centimeters dialated and almost 50% effaced. She doesn't think I'll make it until my due date! :) She said sometime in the next two weeks, but it could be any time now! (Forgive the over-use of exclamation points in this post, I'm pretty excited!!!)
Another reason for me to be excited... my last day at work is the 19th, Thursday of next week. On Friday, I'll begin my paid-vacation time, which will end when my maternity leave begins, when Baby Joel gets here! I can't wait. Well, I can wait for labor and all that, but I am looking at it from the point of view that, when labor starts, it can only last so long, ending with my getting to have my first baby!
Have I mentioned that I'm excited?
And yes, Josh and I are ready. Well, as ready as two "kids" can be. I think we've gotten the bedroom rearranged to use what space we have the most efficiently. We probably need more diapers, but then, won't we always? ;) We've been given enough wipes to supply an army (thanks to all who contributed, I know we'll use them too!). I've got the changing table set up and organized, the crib made, the bassinet ready, the clothes (and everything else I could fit in the washing machine) laundered and folded...now all I need is my mommy to come cook all my favorite foods for me and spoil me for the last time before I become a mommy! Oh, and I could also use an army to clean my house for me...buuut that's probably not going to happen either. Oh well, a girl can wish! ;)
We still covet your prayers. Keep checking the blog for updates, it's the easiest place to announce the birth, so we'll announce it here, and post pictures asap afterwards. Love you all! Have a great day!

Baby Shower in Kentucky

2008-06-13T19:22:00.005-04:00

Better late than never, here are some pictures of my baby shower in Kentucky. Thank you to everyone who came and helped us celebrate. I had so much fun!Everyone was so generous!

Isn't it a cute cake? It tasted even better than it looked!

My sister, Laura, hosted the party for me. Thanks again, I had a great time!

My nephews, Vince (pictured) and Seth, were the only boys there...Vince wasn't quite sure what to think of the camera.

36 Weeks

2008-06-03T11:55:00.002-04:00

I am 36 weeks today, and I can't believe I'm stil working! I can't believe I'm still able to work, really. I am doing better with the shorter hours and more breaks. (My Dr. told me to go sit down every two hours for about 10 minutes.) At this point, though, it's really hard to motivate myself to get up out of bed! :) Then again, it was always hard to do that!
I asked the Dr. about the size of the baby, and she said with me measuring right on target every week like I have, there's really no need to measure the baby more specifically. She did check me, I was one centimeter dialated and about 20% effaced (which, of course, means almost nothing. ;) She said it probably means I just won't go over my due date, but she doesn't think he'll come early either. I guess we'll see!
I covet your prayers, though. As with any pregnancy, my stamina and energy levels are not what they used to be. The weather outside is beautiful, but is keeping me warmer than what is comfortable; I'm just counting my blessings I don't have to be pregnant through August!
I'll keep you updated the best I can. Thanks for the prayers!

May 28, 2008, 35 Weeks

2008-05-28T11:50:00.002-04:00

Hello! I am now officially 35 weeks along with Baby Joel. I am told that if he were born now, he would be known as preterm rather than premature, because, chances are, his lungs would already be developed. Honestly, it wouldn't bother me if I went into labor around now. Sometimes it's so uncomfortable! I'm getting so big!
I have cut back my hours at work again. I was working 34-35 hours, now I won't be coming in on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 12:30, making it closer to 27-28 hours a week. I think I held out just long enough. (We were extremely short handed, but during this past week, we've hired a new girl, and another girl came back from her maternity leave.) I'll still be working, though, hopefully up until I go into labor, unless my body or my Dr. tell me differently.
My next Dr. appointment is Friday, the 30th, and I'll be asking about how big she thinks the baby is, when she'll start checking for dialation and effacement, when she thinks I should stop working, when she thinks I'll deliver, and how many hours I should be on my feet in a day. Hopefully, I'll get to see the Dr. this time, the last couple of times, I've seen the nurse practicioner.
Well, I'll let you go for now, I'll post anything more when I know it. Talk to ya'll later! ~*~Jenn

May 21, 2008

2008-05-21T10:50:00.002-04:00

Hello again! I am in full-out nesting mode. On Monday, (my last day off) I dumped all the baby clothes that I'd already gotten that were clean, sorted, and folded, and rewashed them with everything new that I've gotten. Then I re-sorted, re-folded, and re-organized them. I lysol-wiped down the bassinet mattress and the crib mattress and pad...and the bassinet and the crib...and then I completely took apart the bassinet, only to find last night that I have no clue how to put it back together! I re-sorted all my baby shower gifts, opened packages and threw away packaging, organized everything where it would be accessible when I need it, cleaned the bedroom and bathroom, rearranged all the light-weight furniture, cleaned out a desk we're needing to sell (took pics of the desk and put it on craigslist), and did almost all our laundry. I didn't stop until nearly 1 in the morning, because I felt that I still wasn't ready for the baby to come home from the hospital. It was such a strange feeling!
Yesterday, I spent almost all of my Target gift cards on a new coffee maker for me (I don't drink coffee, but I use it for my herbal tea), a boppy pillow and cover, and a small selection of pacifiers for Joel to choose from. Then last night, I figured out the bassinet thing, and put together the infant-to-toddler rocker (it's so cute!).
Today, I'll be driving around, picking up items I'm buying off craigslist. I'm going to see the $250 glider rocker and ottoman that I was going to buy from Baby's R' Us, and found on craigslist for $50 (they'll deliver it for an extra $25), and possibly get that delivered. I'm also going to pick up the changing table w/ mattress, mattress cover, and caddy for $25, and the new baby swing for $25 that I found on there. I think I'm addicted! Let's see, what else can I buy/sell on there?.... ;)

05-13-08

2008-05-13T08:42:00.004-04:00

My first Mother's Day was this past Sunday! It was great. Since I've been married, they were always somewhat depressing, because normally I wasn't able to spend them with my Mom, and even if I was, I was not a mom yet, and I wanted to be. This year, I'm a mom. No, my child can't say it yet. And maybe I'm not a very good mom, because I don't even know what my child looks like! But I'm still a mother. :) Woo-hoo!
My husband is such a sweetie! After a particularly hard week at work (being 32 weeks pregnant doesn't help, but it was also a holiday weekend and schools around here are getting out), Josh suprised me! He picked me up Friday and took me out for crab legs, a favorite of mine that we don't get too often. We both knew Sunday it would be crazy to try to go out, because I can't wait long for my food these days without getting sick. So on Sunday, he took me to Zales to pick out my present. We found a beautiful opal ring and earrings! I've always loved genuine opals, and I was really hoping for something my first mother's day that could be a family heirloom. The ring is an oval-shaped genuine opal with a lot of fire in it, with two settings of four tiny diamonds framing it on either side, and a second tier of three diamonds outside the setting of four, all set in yellow gold. The earrings are also genuine opal, small and pear shaped with lots of fire. I'm so excited to have my own opals!
Baby Joel is pretty active these days. He gets comfy sometimes with his foot in my ribs, but mostly he likes to have something propped up against my hip bones (I'm not sure what it is. Feels like feet, he still flips around a lot.) The typical baby, he likes to get really active when I try to lay down and relax. That's fine with me, because that's when I get to enjoy his movements anyway. (And trust me, even though he's stronger these days, he doesn't keep me awake. I'm pretty sure not even a tornado could do that.) According to average growth charts, he's over 4 pounds and around 18 inches. I believe it. He's also got sharp bones. (Occasionally, he likes to pretend he's Jackie Chan or somebody. "Hi-yah!" Karate kick to the liver, just when I don't expect it.)
Baby Joel also seems to have developed a taste for particular music. Well, at least particular songs. He likes mozart okay, but prefers whatever it is to be loud. Baby Joel likes his daddy's guitar playing, but most of all, he kicks a lot when his daddy sings! (Works for me, that means when the time comes, Daddy gets to sing him to sleep!) He also likes a lot of church music, especially when men sing. He seems to prefer deeper voices.
That's all for now. Hope all the moms out there had a great weekend!

The Commands of Philippians

2008-05-05T21:15:00.002-04:00

Click on the title to view the commands of Philippians.

Josh

The Commands of II Timothy

2008-05-05T17:17:00.001-04:00

Click on the title to view the commands God has for us in II Timothy.

Truths About Christ in Philippians

2008-05-05T12:35:00.003-04:00

Click on the title to check out the truths about Christ I could find in the book of Philippians. I hope they are a blessing to you.

- Josh

All That Thrills My Soul/ El Placer De Mi Alma

2008-05-04T16:21:00.003-04:00

Greg Irby and I played an instrumental for the Spanish Service this morning. Greg plays violin and I play guitar. This makes me wish I could play violin!
Click on the title to listen to it.

--Josh

Valentine's Banquet 2008

2008-04-30T11:18:00.003-04:00

We got our pictures back from the Crown Valentine's Banquet yesterday, Ryan Keiter did a great job! (If you'd like to see more of his work, his blog address is http://www.ryankeiter.blogspot.com/)

Passed the Test!

2008-04-25T19:24:00.002-04:00

My second blood sugar test (the 3 hour one) came back normal! Woo-hoo! I think the first one was a little low because I didn't eat before I went. I thought I was supposed to fast before it too, but apparently you're only supposed to fast before the second test. Either way, clean bill of health for me and Baby Joel! Very exciting answer to prayer. Thanks to everyone that prayed! Now we just have to pray that Josh will pass all HIS tests...(finals at Crown begin next week). ;)

Jennifer At Work [Beware]

2008-04-24T22:50:00.003-04:00

This little guy comes in and asks Jennifer to, "take a little off the sides," and THIS is what she does!! Unbelievable. I'm lettin' my hair grow out. ;) --Josh

Josh At Work...sort of...

2008-04-24T13:41:00.007-04:00

My job is collections on an automated dialer. Sometimes it can get pretty boring. We used to be able to read, and they stopped that. I'm just waiting for the official e-mail to come along, "No more stacking paper cups, coke cans, coke bottles, or any other drink related items."
--Josh

my co-worker Eddie doing a silly pose.

Quick Note

2008-04-22T00:00:00.003-04:00

I later realized that the nurse had said I had LOW blood sugar, not high. So the threat to be praying about is hypoglycemia, which is not nearly so worrisome for me!!! I'm not sure of all the side effects hypoglycemia lends to pregnancy, but I'm pretty sure it's not as bad as gestational diabetes. Thank you to all who prayed for me! I never imagined that MY sugar test would come back LOW. Who'd have thought? Most likely, if the next test comes back low, I'll just have to make sure I eat more often, so the threat there is eating too much more often! ;) Now I need you to pray I don't pack on the pregnancy pounds. I have been right on schedule with the weight gain up to this point (30 weeks). Keep praying! :) And thanks again!

Gestational Diabetes?

2008-04-21T10:14:00.003-04:00

Hello again. I had another Dr. visit on Friday, April 18th, when I had my gestational diabetes screening, as well as an anemia test. The Dr. said I was measuring right on target, 29 weeks, my blood pressure was great and my weight gain was on pace. All in all, everything's great!
Then today I got the blood test results back. I failed both of them. I have to start taking an over-the-counter iron supplement (which I had to do back in high school, and I didn't do well on them, they made me sick to my stomach) and I have to go back in on Wednesday for the 3-hour glucose tolerance test. I will have to fast that morning, go in at 8 and have blood drawn, then drink more of that extra-sugary, flat orange soda and have blood drawn every hour on the hour for the next three hours. Please pray that this will come back in the normal range! If it does not, then I will have to go on a more strict diet and exercise regimen, possibly on some medication, and I will probably have a bigger baby, with the risk of preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension...basically, high blood pressure that is dangerous for mommy and baby, and as far as I know, I'll have to either be induced early or have a c-section early...which I may already have to do if the baby will be that large.) Please keep me and Baby Joel in your prayers! I'll update again when I know anything else.

04-12-08

2008-04-12T23:17:00.002-04:00

Hello to all, again! Not a lot has happened that's new. Thursday, at work, I was sitting and reading a magazine. All of a sudden, Baby Joel kicked so hard, my entire upper body shook! I was shocked that he could do that! I looked around...no one saw it. So I went back to my magazine...and he did it again! He did it probably 5 or 6 times in a row, but of course, when I went to tell someone to watch, he quit. Figures. It's an odd feeling to have something that can affect your body movement so much without your say-so, you know?
I also started doing the kick-count chart. (At 28 weeks, you have to start charting daily how many minutes it takes to get 10 movements of any kind from the baby. It's supposed to help set a baseline for the baby's activity level and let you know if something is wrong with it: a sluggish, slow-moving baby is normally a baby in distress.) The first day, it only took a minute. (It can take up to an hour.) Today, it only took 3 minutes! Apparently, Joel likes loud music. Josh and his friend's were practicing a special song for the Sunday morning service, and he started kicking like crazy!
I'll post again after my next Dr. appointment next week. It's my glucose (gestational diabetes) test! Woo-hoo! :p

Truths About Christ in Colossians

2008-04-03T11:49:00.003-04:00

The book of Colossians is rich in truths about Christ, especially the first 2 chapters. God bless you.

The Commands of I Timothy

2008-03-29T23:47:00.002-04:00

The Commands of Titus

2008-03-29T18:31:00.004-04:00

The Commands Of Colossians

2008-03-29T15:44:00.006-04:00

This is one of the studies I've done on the commands in the books of New Testament. Jesus said "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Our desire should be to please Christ in everything we do, out of love for Him. It's hard to keep His commandments if we don't know what they are--- so that's why I'm studying the commands found in each book of the New Testament. I'm making these lists so it's easy for us to get familiar with what is expected of us.
I hope these are a blessing to you.
--Josh

Ultrasound, 20 wks

2008-03-29T07:02:00.002-04:00

Joel Ultrasound 20/21 weeks part 1

2008-03-29T00:36:00.003-04:00

I've been trying to get a longer video to work on here for days. I think this link will do it.

this is 19 minutes worth at this link:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3354264042827379892&hl=en

March 28, 2008

2008-03-28T19:13:00.002-04:00

Hello to all! I hope this is an easier way to update everybody than calling them individually every time something new happens. I failed to even mass-email after my last appointment. I'm not really good at this kind of thing.
Well, at my last appointment, I was given a prescription for my back problems. Don't worry, it's not pain meds or anything! It's a prenatal cradle; a harness-like contraption that supports my back and belly, and it is a gift from God. My back pain has lessened so much, I can barely believe it. It still feels tired after a long day, but if someone has a cure for that, let me know! :) It does look somewhat like a white elastic version of something that Xena the Warrior Princess would wear, but thankfully, it goes on under my shirt, and no one's the wiser. ;)
My April appointment is on the 18th, I believe, and I'll be having my glucose test, as well as some other blood work. I really hope the glucose test comes back normal, because I would NOT do well on a sugar-restricted diet. In all honesty, I'd probably die. :( I kind of need sugar to live. Oh well, I'll just starve myself of that particular food group for 24 hours before the test, and hope for the best. I really don't understand how it all works anyway. :)
Baby Joel is getting bigger and stronger, it seems like every day! A couple of nights ago, when I couldn't lay down, but it hurt to sit up too (all mothers will remember those nights), I was kind of propped up against the wall, half-laying on my side about to pass out from exhaustion, when Joel decided to take up break-dancing. It was pretty cool, considering he's not strong enough yet for most of his kicks to hurt (except for the well aimed ones). Josh got to feel some of his stronger kicks for the first time. I actually thought there might be outside bruising after some of them too! He seems to pick a spot and kick it several times before he moves on to the hitting-three-places-at-once, "Guess Which One Was My Foot" kicks. (I don't care what Josh says, Joel IS already a punk, even while still in the womb.)
I'll post again after my next Dr. appointment, if not sooner! Keep the prayers coming!

Some Pictures ;)

2008-03-27T21:33:00.014-04:00

Jennifer would not let me delete the 3rd one.

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Cross Medley

2008-03-27T13:34:00.005-04:00

This is the first song I played in Chapel

The Commands Of Hebrews

2008-03-27T00:08:00.003-04:00

This is a list of the commands (the imperative statements) found in the book of Hebrews. In other words this is how we ought to be or what we ought to do according Hebrews.

Truths About Christ In Hebrews

2008-03-26T23:59:00.002-04:00

This is a great study in the book of Hebrews

Schedule

2008-03-26T23:37:00.001-04:00

This is Josh's normal weekly schedule

O Worship The King

2008-03-25T22:10:00.000-04:00

Valentine Banquet 2008

2008-03-25T21:34:00.000-04:00

The Qualifications of a Pastor

2008-03-25T13:54:00.002-04:00

Gatlinburg Fall '07

2008-03-25T13:37:00.000-04:00

Truths About Christ in Titus

2008-03-25T12:28:00.002-04:00

Josh & Jenn Wedding Picture

2008-03-25T11:24:00.002-04:00

May 29, 2004

Almost 4 years ago!

Ultra Sound

2008-03-25T10:55:00.000-04:00

This is our Baby Joel at 20 weeks!
Isn't He cute?