Rosemary Beach

It was a girl's trip and a real treat!

Mama, sister, aunt, and cousins.

We ate like kings and basked in the sun for hours.

We talked and laughed and had true fellowship.

It was good.

The Gang

Be impressed with my point-and-shoot photog skills! ;)

27 weeks preggers

We felt like we were in Europe.

And the food was good...oh so good.

Baby Luke is slightly overpowering the mother-daughter pic.

The sexy solo shot :).

I was so thankful to get some good time with family that I rarely see.

I must admit that I miss my sweet husband, though.

He is working hard while I play. What a good man! :)

Can't wait to see him in 4 more weeks!

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

O Love that wilt not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee;

I give thee back the life I owe,

that in thine oceans depths its flow

may richer, fuller be.

On May 17, 2011, our precious Grandy went home to be with Jesus.

My dad sent word late that night: "Grandy just got cured of cancer. She's dancing with Jesus!"

O Joy that seekest me through pain,

I cannot close my heart to thee;

I climb the rainbow through the rain,

and feel the promise is not vain

that morn shall tearless be!

The highlighted words of this hymn (above) were words which Grandy clung to and acted upon as she bravely battled ovarian cancer for eleven years. She actively climbed the rainbow in the middle of her storm, and she climbed it right on up into the presence of Jesus. Dr. David Calhoun expounds on these words in excerpts from his article entitled Climbing Rainbows:

Rainbows tell us about God, and they tell us something very specific about God. The rainbow tells us that God made a covenant with every living creature for all generations that never again would "the waters become a flood to destroy all life." The rainbow tells us--in the words of an ancient Jewish book--that God's "mercy is as great as his majesty." Our sins say "death." God's rainbow says "mercy." The rainbow tells us that sin is not the end of the human story. It should have been the end of the story. But the rainbow promises that there is more to come. So, what does the rainbow promise? It does not promise that there will be no clouds and no rain; it does not even promise that there will be no floods. There will be clouds and rain and floods--in the world and in our lives. Rainbows do not happen without rain. A storm is a prerequisite for a rainbow. There is darkness before light; there is gray dullness before triumphant color. The darkness and storm may temporarily obliterate the sun, but the light will prevail, the sun will come out again, and there will be a rainbow.

So it is in our lives. God doesn't promise that there will be no storms. He does promise that the storms that strike our lives--as devestating as they sometimes are--are His storms. Every storm that strikes our lives will have its rainbow, reminding us that God's mercy is as great as His majesty!

O Cross that liftest up my head,

I dare not ask to fly from thee;

I lay in dust life's glory dead,

and from the ground there blossoms red

life that shall endless be!

Finally, I want to include a word about Grandy's life and the person she was. These are excerpts from her obituary that I especially want to remember.

Vera Elizabeth Wagner Stevens, 74, of Mount Olive, Mississippi, fully entered the presence of her Savior on May 17, 2011. Born March 24, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee to Clinton Justice Wagner and Vera Boren Wagner, she was the firstborn of four sisters.

On January 11, 1969, Beth married Norman G. Stevens, Jr. Together they raised five children, Susan, Norman, Martha, Kevin, and Lee. They each benefited from her wisdom and her many talents. A serious student of the Bible and Christian doctrine, she taught Sunday School classes and Bible studies for all ages over many years, helping lead many to faith. A faithful member of Mt. Olive Presbyterian Church, she dearly loved her church family. A diligent citizen, she endeavored to improve her community. An industrious business woman, she bought and sold antiques in tandem with her friend, Ann Wells. Friends and family also knew her as an accomplished cook, gardener, and artist. Beth will be remembered as a selfless, forgiving, gracious, kind, wise and loving lady. She will be sorely missed by those who loved her.

Grandy was certainly a special person.
She greatly influenced my life and the lives of many others.

I am so grateful for the heritage of faith that has been passed down through Grandy.
I am grateful that I was able to know her and love her for 24 years.

I cannot wait to see her again.

I love you, Grandy!

Weekend Trip

I made another trip down to Alabama (sadly, without my hard-working husband again). It was a fun trip and a sad trip. It was a necessary trip. There was celebration and grief.

We celebrated the upcoming marriage of Judd, who is basically a brother to me. Judd is marrying his bride, Amanda, on September 3--the same day Baby Luke is due. I promise I did not plan for this to happen. I actually tried to avoid it. HA. Funny how things work out. I'm sick about having to miss the big event in Dallas, so I made sure that I didn't miss the celebration this weekend. Mom and Dad (plus some) hosted a "back porch supper" and kitchen shower for the happy couple.

The four of us (plus Mal) were inseparable in high school. Good times...

Mom had the house and the yard looking fabulous. These pictures don't do it justice.

On Saturday, the parentals and I loaded up and headed to Mississippi to visit our precious Grandy (Dad's mom). Grandy is nearing the end of her life and her 11 year battle with cancer. She is such a strong, beautiful, talented, and godly woman. She has fought this cancer hard, and the Lord has given her many more years than anyone expected. For her, it will be a blessing to go home to be with Jesus. No more chemo poisoning her body. No more sickness. No more pain. No more struggle. Dad says she's expressed to him that she's ready. For us, it will be such a loss for her to go. We can't imagine life without her. I can't imagine her not being here to meet Baby Luke or Baby Betsy (her other great-grandchild coming in September), or not being here for the weddings of her other 12 grandchildren. No one can fathom going to Mt. Olive and her not being there, cooking up a gourmet feast for 30 people or working in the garden. The house has her touch all over it. It will be so different--so empty-- without her. Please pray for her during these last days or weeks. Pray that God would be merciful and that she would not have any pain or anxiety. Pray that the perfect peace of Christ would fill her. Pray for my Papa. He's having such a hard time. Pray that God would give him (and all of us) the strength and grace needed to face the loss of someone so dear. Watching a body grow weak and die is such a horrid part of the curse of sin. It never becomes natural or less horrific, no matter how many times we see it happen. Praise God that Grandy's body will one day be resurrected and restored! One day, there will be complete restoration for all who are in Christ! This is the hope to which we cling in these terrible times of grief...

With Papa and Grandy at my wedding--December 2008

I was so thankful to get to spend time with my Mama on Mother's Day this year. What a precious, precious gift she is to me! She has served me sacrificially, spoken truth to me boldly, stood beside me through everything, and just loved me well. I love her more than words can describe and cannot thank God enough for giving her to me as my mom.

Me, Mom, and Jen in Louisville---April 2010

It's a BOY!

I'd better prepare myself for snakes and snails and puppy-dogs' tails because a little Rice boy is on the way! If he's anything like his daddy, he'll be catchin' snakes and shootin' squirrels and getting into who knows what before age 2.

I do realize that this post is a week overdue and old news by now, but for the sake of documentation, I'm writing it anyway. Of course I want to remember the details of finding out that our little Ric-a-roni is a "he." We went in a week ago today for our 20 week ultrasound. My heart was pounding as the ultrasound tech moved and pressed that wand (is that what it's called?) all over my stomach. She told us she would do the "work" first and then show us the baby. Images flashed up on the screen, but I couldn't really make out a baby. The "work" seemed to take forever, and the tech didn't really say a much as she was working. She would move the wand around, apparently locate an organ, and then label the organ on the screen: "kidney" etc.

Finally, I couldn't wait any longer: "Can you tell what it is?" She pointed to the screen and responded, "Penis. Scrotum. Could've seen it with my eyes closed!" Adam and I just started laughing. We were surprised and thrilled at the same time. Neither of us really had a strong intuition either way, but it seemed that most family members and friends were predicting girl. The Lord saw fit, however, to bless us with a little boy, and we couldn't be more excited. I just loved finding out...I feel like I know that little baby inside me so much better now.

Of course it really didn't matter if the baby was a boy or girl. We were just so, so thankful to hear that he is healthy and developing properly. I was anxious to have the ultrasound and see that things were progressing since I hadn't seen the baby since the 7 week ultrasound (and at that time he was just a little speck on the screen). Both the ultrasound tech and my doctor told us that everything looked healthy and normal and right on track. Baby weighs about 13 ounces. I think the heartbeat was around 149 bpm. I have just the right amount of fluid, etc. They kept saying, "You have an absolutely beautiful baby. Everything looks perfect." They probably tell every patient that she has a beautiful baby, but just the same, it was good to hear. Adam and I truly feel blessed beyond what we deserve. Thanks be to God for His kindness and grace! We pray that everything continues to go well throughout the rest of the pregnancy.

I should probably refer to the baby by his name! Yes, we have already got the named picked out... Luke Stevens Rice. Luke because that's been my favorite boy name since I was a child. Don't ask me why. I just like it. I'm a fan of one syllable names for boys (Luke, Jake, Will, Sam, etc) They just sound strong and masculine! Luckily, Adam's a fan too. Stevens because that's my maiden name, and I like the idea of carrying it on. Also we needed something with two syllables between the two one syllable names. Mom described his name as simple, masculine, and biblical. I like that description....

So, now it will be fun to start planning things for a boy. I've actually already picked out nursery bedding, which is a good thing since I was spending way too much time at potterybarnkids.com trying to get ideas and decide what I liked. But nursery details will have to come in another post. This one has gone on for too long.

I'll just close by saying that we are so thankful for our little Luke and we already love him dearly! I pray that God will continue to sustain his life and form him to be exactly who he is supposed to be. I especially pray that God will already be softening his little sinful heart (you hate to say that about a baby, but it's true) and preparing him to one day receive the gift of faith in Christ! Pray with us as we continue on this journey!

Spring Break...HALLELUJAH!

My Spring break has officially started, and I could not be more thankful. Let's just say that I've been counting the days until SB2011 since day one of the school semester. I don't know if my classes have required more work this time, or if it's just the combination of work/school/pregnancy, but this semester has nearly taken me out. Ok, I'm exaggerating a little, but it has been super BUSY and somewhat stressful. So, I'm taking off from work this week and going to good ole' Jackson, Alabama for a few days. My parents are actually here in the Lou now, so I am riding back south with them. We're going to stop in TN to watch Jen play some ball. Should be fun. If only we could see Sir William as well...

I'll probably be back with a post about my much needed little vaca, but for now I will leave you with some pictures of the baby bump. Since I'm still having to dress like I live at the North Pole (sigh), most clothes don't expose the slowly growing tummy. Every now and then I'll break out a tight shirt, so I figured I would document it. These were taken at 17 weeks 3 days...

In a little less than two weeks we find out if baby Rice is a boy or girl! Predictions?

Glory Thieves

Sin makes us glory thieves. There is probably not a day when we do not plot to steal glory that rightfully belongs to the Lord. Sin causes us to steal the story and rewrite it with ourselves as the lead, and with our lives at center stage. But the story of Scripture is the story of the Lord's glory. It calls me to an agenda that is bigger than myself. It offers me something truly worth living for. The Redeemer has come so that glory thieves would joyfully live for the glory of Another. There is no deeper personal joy and satisfaction than to live committed to His glory. It is what we truly need.

---Paul David Tripp

I don't know about you, but I struggle every day not to be a glory thief. Can I get a witness that it is so easy to slip into the mindset that life (even the Christian life) is about ME? The world trains us to spend all of our time and mental energy seeking my glory, my happiness, my success, and my personal fulfillment. I have been convicted, of late, that I spend far too much time seeking these things and far too little time working for and seeking the glory of King Jesus. The beautiful reality, though, is that true personal fulfillment and joy come only in living and working for the glory of the Lord. Yes, pleasant circumstances, thriving human relationships, worldly success, riches, honor and praise all may bring "happiness " for a season, but none of these things will ultimately fulfill because life isn't about me. This thing that I call "my life" is not really about my individual story. It's about a bigger story--God's story--the story of the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We will only find true joy and fulfillment when we realize that our lives are part of God's grand story, and when we begin to seek the glory and renown of Christ, rather than our own. I need daily reminders of this truth. Praise the Lord for his patient forbearance with me....

15 Weeks

I had my third prenatal appointment Wednesday, so I thought I should give a little baby update. Really, I just want to record a few things so that I can remember this stage of the pregnancy. I have yet to journal one thing! So, this post is really for me. My apologies for a lot of words and detail with no photos!

A few things...

• Like the second appointment, this last one was quick and easy! The highlight was hearing the baby's heartbeat with the doppler. What a precious, reassuring sound! Sometimes I still have a hard time believing that a little life is inside me because I haven't grown much yet, and I can't feel kicking and moving. Needless to say, the sound of that little heartbeat reminds me that this is all real and that my little Rice baby is still in there and doing well. Heartbeat was 144 beats per minute. Doctor said it is supposed to be anywhere between 120 and 160, so baby Rice is right in the middle. The old wives tale claims that anything above 140 is a girl and anything below is a boy. Of course, medical experts say that this is absolutely false, but it's fun to be a little superstitious!
• Speaking of gender, we are set to find out boy or girl on April 14! I sure hope I can wait 4 and 1/2 weeks ...I'm dying to know. I feel like most people are predicting girl, but I have absolutely no clue. One day I think girl and the next I'm guessing boy. My doctor has predicted a girl. I guess we shall see soon enough. We will both be thrilled with either.
• At my second appointment I had lost 4 pounds (a result of being constantly nauseated and not eating much). Thankfully, at this visit I was up 5 pounds (1 lb above my starting weight). This was good news! I still don't have much of a baby bump, but after eating at Panera tonight with my pants unbuttoned, I would say that I'm growing! My regular jeans have fit relatively well all week, but tonight they were just unbearable.
• Speaking of Panera, my only craving (thus far) has been their Greek salad! I.Love.it. Yes, I've always loved the Greek salad, but now I could pretty much eat one every night. Something about that dressing...yum! S0 picture me at Panera (alone, mind you, since Adam is working in Lexington) with my pants unbuttoned, inhaling every last morsel of that salad. I was literally sopping up the leftover dressing with my bread!. Yes, humorous vision, I know!
• Finally, I must say that my sweet husband has been SO wonderful during these first few months of this pregnancy. Adam has cooked dinner almost every night since I've been preggers because after work I've been just too tired and (usually) nauseated to brave the kitchen. He has dealt with my moodiness and meltdowns with much graciousness. He is already in love with this child in my womb, and I know he is going to be a great dad. I couldn't be more thankful!