olive green & lavender

I have decided on two colors for our baby girl's room. There will not be a theme. There might not even be an actual nursery. But, if there is I would like Bo to paint it in someway olive green and lavender. If we end up having to live in a 1 bedroom it would still be nice to have new bedding for our borrowed crib.

So... I give you my top 4 bedding choices from Target. Some of the greens are not olive green, but still nice. Please leave a suggestion or vote on your favorite. Since I cannot actually shop with you... we will just have a cyberspace viewing. ;) I am hoping Kristen and Seth can bring the bedding over in their shipment when they arrive in neighboring Switzerland!


#1 Lady Rose
#2 Sumersault "Lauren"
#3 Isabella Lilac/Green
#4 Sumersault "Gumball"

Psalm 139

Today God blessed my mother-in-law with this scripture and I am passing it on! It is very encouraging and I am thankful that God gives us peace that the days of our lives are prepared.

Psalm 139:13-16
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.

good things

This post is devoted to all the little, and some pretty incredibly big, good things that have been happening in my life recently. Sometimes during these gray winter days it is so easy to get down and discouraged just wondering when your face will ever have any color on it from the sun again. We have found that February is especially a dark month, spiritually speaking, here in Germany. This is due to the pagan traditions of Fasching and Carnival, which are filled with what seems like endless partying, parades, grown men dressed as trees and other bizarre costumes. There is a lot of public drunkenness and we have heard some swinger activity. But, do not despair, there are good things...


~ when borrowing flour and butter from one of the dorms nearby, they felt the need to also give us a basket full of their leftover food and bags of groceries. This came at a great time because even though its easier to live at 80% of our support than 37%, we are paying off my $500 deductible right now.

~ on Monday, (due to our lack of German in reading our bills), an electrician came to our front door on her way to turn off our electricity unless we paid in cash right there- and it was one of the rare times we actually had that much cash on hand, so we were able to pay. So... we still have heat!

~ Bo was voted as one of the students' top 10 favorite teachers at BFA!

~ people filled in for me here at work, and at the basketball games last week giving me 4 full days to rest and get over my cold.

~ a wonderfully exciting Valentine's package arrived from Nancy full of dog treats, preggie magazines, Bath & Body works, books for Bo and the cutest little "Speedy Exit Creepers" for baby girl


~ we found a great apartment for next year close to the school and perfect for us (just praying that BFA personnel will "assign" it to us)

~ since December (our "money crash month") we have 5 new supporters and 8 current supporters increased their monthly pledge! WOW!

Many things to think about at the beginning and end of the day. The reason I started thinking about all these good things was because last week in the midst of our school's devastating news about three students' sexual misconduct, I was talking to two of my small group girls while walking back to their dorm. And there was just so many bad, negative thing they kept dwelling on it. I made them each also tell me 3 good things that were happening. Of course, being high school girls, one of their answers was... " we both have dates to the Valentine's dance." So cute. But, then they wanted me to share 3 good things. And this is what got me thinking. Its a good habit, you should try it.

~God has been faithful and will be faithful again~

Finally looking pregnant!

This week is 25 weeks! Bo and I went out to celebrate finding out it was a girl and for the first time, a German (our waitress) made a comment about how I was eating for two! So I'm definitely showing now, and getting bigger every day. I am so thankful that I do not have gestational diabetes! I am still enjoying all things sweet!

Here are a few shots of the belly plus I am posting pics of all the great handy-me-downs we received from a family here in town.

He or... she?

Well, I can't say, "I knew it!"
Bo is always telling people that I like to know things ahead of time and that I usually just have a gut feeling - for instance, when he proposed and so on. But, for the last 6 months I have been calling the baby a "he", thinking of all our favorite boy names, contemplating the ridiculousness of having to schedule a post delivery circumcision here in Germany, and thinking about how fun it would be to have the first grandson in the family! ha! This morning as I heard the words, "I'm 99% sure its a girl", I saw for my self the hamburger-looking thing (my sister had mentioned) which was surely not to be mistaken for any other unmentionable. I was a bit overwhelmed. Not really sad, but just surprised and then also I must admit that the gender determination of the baby really does add a whole new level to the reality of the situation that is upon us in 3 1/2 months. I'm going to have a little girl!