Feel Good Wednesday Break

I have given it some thought and have made the decision to take a break from my Feel Good Wednesday posts. For right now, I would like to take a month off from this. I may bring it back or I may decide to do something new. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to email me or leave me a comment.

During the month of January, our church always has the option of fasting. Fasting can be anything that we feel we spend too much time on. Or maybe something we are "addicted" to. I use "addicted" lightly. We are denying ourselves something in order to glorify God. For instance, you could give up television, the internet, a certain food or drink....all to glorify God and focus on your relationship with Him. Our fasting usually lasts 3 - 4 weeks in January. I have fasted for the last couple of years. The first year I fasted on all caffeine. All I drank was water. This last January I had just found out I was pregnant when we began our fasting so I did the same thing but really tried to focus on my prayer time. This year, thank the Lord, I am pregnant and have chosen to go on a different path for my fasting. The internet. Oh man. I spend SO much time on here. On my blog, email, facebook, etc. Giving up any one of these or even ALL of them would be very very difficult. I think God would understand if I choose from them. So I'm choosing facebook. Yes, I'm completely giving up facebook for the duration of our fasting. I really want to dive more into the Bible and prayer during this time that I would normally be on facebook. I also want to spend more quality time with Wes and Logan. I want to start my year out right. God has done so much for me this last year and I can't imagine where I would be today if it hadn't been for Him. I want to open my heart to Him for any suggestions and paths He has for me in this new year to come. I want to grow. I want to sit still and listen. I am praying He shows me some new things this year.

If you have questions or comments about fasting, I would love to hear those as well. I hope you understand about the Feel Good Wednesday posts. I am just needing a fresh recharge. I am so grateful that many of you write me to ask if I've forgotten a Wednesday if I hadn't posted yet that morning. It helps me to know that God is helping me reach out to you....and that you enjoy it. Pray with me that God will recharge me and give me something new and fresh for ALL of us.

Love,

Baby Bohannon's first gifts

I just had to share Baby Bohannon's first gifts we received this Christmas. One of Wes' cousins got us our first ornament. It is a little baby rattle that says "Warm wishes for the parents to be" on the little tag. I was so happy to be able to take this home and hang it on our tree.

Then my mom surprised me with some presents to open for the baby. I opened a box that had 2 packages of diapers and some spoons. I'd say she went a little ahead with the spoons, but every little bit will help. lol And then I opened a box with this little bear. It's so cute and soft! I love it. It says "my first bear". So precious!

Your first glimpse at Baby Bohannon

Some friends have been nicely mentioning that they would like to see Baby Bohannon. So I finally remembered to bring the sonogram pictures to work so I could scan them in. I am excited to share these with you.

October 28th - 1st sonogram

6 weeks 3 days

November 5th - 2nd sonogram

7 weeks 4 days/6 weeks 4 days

Look how much he or she had grown in a week! During the 2nd sonogram the doctor was able to measure the baby and the baby measured a week difference than my last menstrual period. It is not anything to be alarmed about. I just have longer cycles than some and I just conceived later. Look at that baby! Ha! It looks like a little monkey hanging upside down. :)

Since I lost my first baby in January, the doctor told me when I got pregnant again that they would check my numbers right away and once high enough they'd get me in for a sonogram right away. So after finding out on October 15th I really only had to wait almost 2 weeks for my first glimpse of our baby. Then it was up to me whether I wanted to wait a week or 2 weeks after my first sonogram for another. Of course I chose to only wait one week. At our 2nd sonogram appointment Wes and I got to hear and see the baby's heartbeat. His or her little heart was beating 125 beats per minute.

On December 2nd I had a scare and went in for an emergency sonogram. My doctor was out of the office so I went to the X-ray department. I didn't think to ask the tech to print out pictures of my 3rd sonogram. I was SO scared and nervous. I just wasn't thinking. But oh my goodness, I wish you could have seen our baby. I think his or her heartbeat was beating 144 beats per minute that day. He or she was wiggling all over the place. I think he or she wanted to make sure to show me he or she was OK. I was so glad. I could see it's little profile and arms and legs. (I'm trying hard to not refer to the baby as "it" but sometimes I can't help it.) I wanted to kick myself the next day when I went to my regularly scheduled doctor appointment and they told me I wasn't having another sonogram done until January! But my baby wiggling that day is burned into my brain. It was wonderful!

I have prayed very hard during this pregnancy. I haven't had any more scares and I am in my 2nd trimester now. Praise God! I am doing great and feel great 99% of the time.

I have my next doctor's appointment on Thursday, December 31st. It's just a checkup...no sonogram. Booo! :) We will be finding out what we're having at the end of January. I can't wait!

I will try to keep you updated on me and the baby. I hope you enjoyed your first glimpse of our baby.

2009 White Christmas Part 2

This is Wes digging his Dad out of our street.

More digging.

Our street has turned into a parking lot. These vehicles are stuck and abandoned.

This is how some people are getting around this morning. My neighbor took his daughter to work this way. Wes has been driving around on our 4-wheeler as well. He's having a lot of fun.

I just have to add this.....You see that white truck above? That is our neighbor's truck, the teenage daughter. Somehow the passenger's window got busted several weeks ago. For some reason, they didn't cover that window up. Now they have a truck full of snow! I had to laugh when I noticed that. If you knew our neighbors, you would too.

White Christmas 2009 - Part 1

Merry Christmas everyone!

Well, our Christmas and Christmas Eve has not gone on as planned. But we are making memories for sure.

Instead of driving 2 hours back to my home town on Christmas Eve we drove around our town, got stuck in the snow, got out of being stuck, got out of a vehicle and found snow that came up to almost my shoulders, and witnessed more snow than we'll probably ever witness again in our lifetime.

You see, we had a chance of 1 - 2 inches. We woke up Christmas Eve morning and found that was exactly the case. Well our winter advisory soon went to blizzard warning! Oh my! There were reports of 16" of snow in Iowa Park. I'm not sure that is totally true. I would say at least 8" tho.

Every Christmas Eve that I can remember I spent with my Dad's side of the family. The Lowry crew. We eat, laugh, play games, and open presents. It has always been the tradition and one I had never missed. Well, a White Christmas kept me from that. I was very disappointed but it also goes to show that God is the one that is the planner. He obviously wanted us to have a White Christmas. As I'm disappointed in missing Christmas Eve with my Dad, Aunt, and cousins, I'm grateful for we were not one of the vehicles STILL stranded out on the highways this morning. I'm grateful we were not one of the families having to spend the night in their car or tucked away in a shelter.

Instead of eating my mom's homemade chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, & gravy, we will be eating frozen pizza or corn dogs or maybe a nice steak if I can get the husband to cook on the grill. :) But as long as I know that all of my family are safe & warm, that's all that matters. Mary probably didn't imagine herself giving birth in an Inn. But she made it work. And that's what we'll do. I don't want to be sad on Christmas Day. Instead, I'm going to be thankful for that baby that was born in a manger. The One who has given so much of himself for me. I owe Him so much. And I sit here imagining what Christmas will be like next year. For that, I am so blessed.

I hope you are safe and warm with your family this Christmas. Please remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.

God bless & Merry Christmas,

Feel Good Wednesday #39

I heard this song on the radio the other day and LOVED it. Of course it talked about one of my favorite words....HOPE.

My wish for all of you this Christmas season is that you find the HOPE that you need. I pray you know that CHRISTmas is about Jesus. It's not about the gifts. It's about love and life that we can have, only because of Christ.

Merry Christmas to all of my blog readers. I pray that you are safe & warm and that you know who Christ is.

For this child I have prayed

It's time. It's time for the next chapter in my Journey. Hallelujah! I feel like shouting it from rooftops. God has blessed me! He's finally chosen me! I am rejoicing!

Baby Bohannon

is due

in June!

This was a hard secret to keep. Do you remember my post on October 15th? It was about Pregnancy & Infant Loss Day. That night I took a pregnancy test and got my BIG FAT POSITIVE! I will remember that day forever.

I have dreamed of this time for a while. I have prayed for this for so long. I've held on to my hope. There were times where I felt like giving up. But the whole time God was by my side telling me to keep going, to trust Him.

I want you out there, anyone reading this....you may not be praying for a baby. Instead, you may be praying for a healthy report from the doctor. You may be praying to be cancer-free. You may be praying for a loved one to find Christ. You may be praying for just a break from the trials that you keep facing. You may be praying for financial help. Please HAVE HOPE! Anything is possible with God. Put your hope, your faith, your trust in Him! Please let me be a testimony to that. God is wonderful and HE DOES hear our prayers! Surrender to Him and let Him take care of the how & when.

As I think about what the future holds, I’m overwhelmed by God’s grace. I’m overwhelmed by God’s working hands. I’m overwhelmed with joy. As I sit here and think about the pain and questions I have faced throughout the years, I now sit here and dream about the day I get to take my baby home from the hospital. I dream about the baby’s dedication at church. Oh what a day. I will not be able to contain myself and keep the tears away.

To all of you who have prayed for me...THANK YOU! I pray God will bless you and answer your prayers. I pray that God will give you Hope like He did for me. Please keep praying for Baby Bohannon to be healthy & well. Also, please pray for all those ladies out there who are praying for a baby of their own. There are MANY ladies. Whether they are wanting to adopt or wanting to become pregnant on their own.....I know their pain. I know there are countless tears that they make. We don't make our own desires of our hearts, God places those desires there.

“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”… “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Luke 1:45 – 47

Feel Good Wednesday #38

Could you put yourself in Mary's shoes for a minute? Could you imagine being chosen to carry such a special baby. The King, The Messiah, Immanuel! I feel so thankful that she was chosen. I feel so thankful that Jesus was born. Immanuel...God with us. He is with us!

Baby Jesus changed everything!

A Baby Changes Everything
by Faith Hill

Teenage girl, much too young
Unprepared for what's to come
A baby changes everything

Not a ring on her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

The man she loves she's never touched
How will she keep his trust?
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries, ooh, she cries
Ooh, oh

She has to leave, go far away
Heaven knows she can't stay
A baby changes everything

She can feel it's coming soon
There's no place, there's no room
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries, and she cries
Oh, she cries

Shepherds all gather 'round (Shepherds all, they gather 'round)
Up above the star shines down (Star shines down)
A baby changes everything

Choir of angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything
Eveything, everything, everything

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

My whole life has turned around
I was lost, but now I'm found
A baby changes everything, yeah
A baby changes everything

Christmas Happenings

While I'm thinking about it, I thought I'd post some pictures of some of this last weekend's functions.

Logan is our little Cub Scout. He seems to enjoy nature and the outdoors more than he does sports. He was in his little town's Christmas parade and got to throw out candy. So enjoy some of the pictures. Logan is the one sitting beside the man in the middle. Logan is to his right.


Our church had it's annual children's Christmas play Sunday. All the kids did a wonderful job. Logan and 3 other boys had speaking parts and then 3 of the smaller boys (including Logan) sang songs. The boys did a fantastic job singing, especially when it was time to sing songs by themselves without music. I was so proud of them! They actually opened their mouths this year and participated. Logan is the one in red in the middle.

I was featured!!!!

Oh my word! What a cool experience. Just this morning I was checking my email and I got an email from Laurie over at Tip Junkie. I know I've mentioned her before. She is one awesome lady! Last year I posted about my dilemma with my Christmas stockings. We have a mantle but we use our fireplace pretty regularly during the winter so I didn't want my stockings in the way. So here's the post, click here, that I did telling you my solution. Well................OH MY GOODNESS.............Laurie decided to use my idea, along with some other fellow bloggers on her post today. Her post, Submitted Christmas Crafts, can be found here. I am #3! Wooohooo! What an honor! Do you notice my new badge over on the right? How cool is that?! This has just made my day. Thank you SO much Laurie!

We have a winner!

Thank you to all of those who entered my Christmas Giveaway. I think giveaways are so much fun. I enjoy giving and I'm glad that I am able. Keep your eyes open because you never know when another giveaway might happen before Christmas.

Cosme, buddy, you ARE the winner! You know what I love about this winner?....It's a male. HA! And I don't have to mail his cookbook to him because he works right upstairs. So way to go Cosme! I hope you cook some of these meals and you don't make your mom do it. Haha!

UPDATE on Christmas Giveaway:

I forgot to mention that if you leave me a comment and if you are under "Anonymous" you must leave at least your name so I know who you are IF you win. I have a few readers who do not have a blog name so I could possibly have a few "anonymous" comments. Sooooooooo, if you want to win, please at least leave your name. Thanks.

By the way, I have one anonymous comment and I don't know who you are. So please leave me another comment and tell me who you are. :)

Thanks!

Christmas Giveaway

Because it's Friday and because there are only 2 more weeks till Christmas....I'm having a giveaway today! Who doesn't like Friday? Who doesn't like giveaways?

So.....what am I giving away you may be asking?

I am giving away ONE hardback copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks. If you haven't been to The Pioneer Woman's blog, you are missing out on a treat. She is amazing! She cooks, takes wonderful pictures, takes care of 4 children and even homeschool's them, lives on a ranch with her husband. Just this year she started her very own recipe website called Tasty Kitchen. Lots of great recipes with the help of her followers. What I like most about her recipes is that they include ingredients that most of us should know what it is and very easy to find....mostly you probably already have in your kitchen. She seems like a real down-to-earth woman.

How to win:

Only ONE way. Leave me ONE comment on this blog post AND tell me what your favorite Christmas movie is.

The giveaway ends Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. CST.

I will draw a name out of my glass jar on Monday.

Happy Friday and good luck!

Feel Good Wednesday #37

Believe

Believe in Jesus
Believe that He is the only One that died on the cross for you and me
Believe that He DOES heal
Believe that He hears our prayers
Believe that He will never leave you, nor forsake you
Believe in His word
Believe that with God all things ARE possible
Believe in Jesus

With God All Things Are Possible:
Matthew 19:23-26 (Mark 10:23-27, Luke 18:24-27)
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Do you believe?

(I will not be posting words to the Feel Good Wednesday music today because I figure we all know the words to these songs.....and by the way, you got a 2fer today. I added 2 more Christmas songs. Enjoy!)

Just not in the shopping mood

Is anyone else feeling the way I'm feeling? I am NOT in the Christmas shopping mood this year. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's because I'm getting older. Maybe it's because I'm figuring out that there is more to life than buying any old something to please someone. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's because I just want to be with my family and friends and don't care about the gifts. We have so much to be thankful for this year. I really wish that people would get over the "gotta buy a gift/gotta receive a gift" business. Why can't we all just be grateful for what we have and just enjoy the moments we have with each other?

Now don't get me wrong, I really L-O-V-E Christmas......I just don't want to buy any presents this year and really, I don't want to receive any either. There are MANY people that are less fortunate than I am. I'd rather them be shown love this year.

Feel Good Wednesday #36

I believe this is my favorite time of year. I love the warm coffee, warm hot chocolate, decorations, Christmas lights, snuggling on the couch by a warm fire, watching all of our favorite Christmas movies, spending time with family, remembering WHY we celebrate Christmas in the first place.....Jesus! I love it. It puts me in such a good mood. Minus the fact that people go crazy about buying presents and who they have to buy for. If people would stop being so ridiculous and think about what the true meaning of Christmas is, everyone would be a lot happier around this time of year. Because for one, they wouldn't expect gifts. Then two, we wouldn't feel obligated to buy gifts.

So in honor of this season the next few Wednesdays I will be adding Christmas music to my blog. I'm so excited! I hope you enjoy it and that it puts you in the Christmas spirit, if you're not already. Also, let these songs remind you about the true meaning of Christmas.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
by Casting Crowns from their album Peace on Earth

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth good will to men

And the bells are ringing
Like a choir they're singing
In my heart I hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men

But the bells are ringing
Like a choir singing
Does anybody hear them?
Peace on earth, good will to men

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men

Then ringing singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men

And the bells they're ringing
Like a choir they're singing
And with our hearts we'll hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

Do you hear the bells they're ringing?
The life the angels singing
Open up your heart and hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

Peace on earth, Peace on earth
Peace on earth, Good will to men