Little Man is getting BIG!

Cooper had his 6 month birthday yesterday. I absolutely cannot believe it! I feel like we were timing contractions just yesterday. Everyone tells you to soak it in because it goes by so fast. I've learned that even if you do try to soak it in, it still goes fast. There's no stopping it! Cooper has been such a joy in our lives. We've learned so much in the past 6 months. Aside from all of the parenting skills you pick up after having a baby, there are many spiritual things you learn. We've learned more about patience, gentleness, service, and love. The Mr. and I were talking the other night of  the Father's love for us, in that He gave His son to people who hated him. We couldn't even fathom giving Cooper to our dearest friends who we know would take great care of him. How great the love the Father has for us! God is so gracious to teach us more about Himself through things we experience in life.

Just a little update on Cooper. He's 6 months old (as of yesterday). He is sitting up all by himself, laughing a lot (maybe because he has such a silly daddy), eating great (daddy again??), and sleeping normally around 8pm-7am or so--sometimes waking in between. He doesn't have any teeth yet, but we're praying they come SOON! This teething thing is no joke. We gave him his first haircut today. I hear the gasps already. I know, I know… How dare me cut his hair so early! I've heard it from my mom and grandma already. :) He was scraggly! I couldn't stand it any longer. He had backwards highlights with dark ends and light bottoms! It may be shorter than I wanted it, but in the end… it's hair. It will indeed grow back. And at least this time it will be all the same length! It is looking like it may be blonde!? He's a pretty good-lookin' little man if I do say so myself. There will be more pics and videos to come!

Grace in the life of the Mrs.

It doesn't make sense to read a blog by someone whose life you know nothing about. So in case you don't know me very well, let me preface my blog with a little "tidbit" about myself…

View from maw-maw's porch.

I was born and raised in a little town called Wilmer, Alabama. And yes…it's as small as it sounds. :) I have a wonderful family whom I love dearly, (as do some of you!) My mom, dad, two sisters and myself lived on "The Hill" along with the rest of my immediate family. "The Hill" is what we call an 80 acre lot of land that surrounds an 18 acre lake with all of my aunts/uncles and cousins living around it, (and maw-maw ruling the roost.) If you can imagine, my childhood was amazing. I thought I was a boy until I was around 10. My days were filled with riding horses, swimming, and playing ball. I trusted in Christ when I was 9. My parents are believers, so through their influence and the influence of our church I was exposed to the gospel at an early age. There was immediate fruit during elementary school, but like many other believers, I began to experiment with sin throughout my middle school/early high school years. Those years were very dark and dry for me. However, in 10th grade my dad took the worship pastor position at Wilmer First Baptist. We had a D-now one weekend on the importance of accountability. God, in His grace, used that weekend to show me where I was deceived by sin and gave me grace to repent of those things and continue to pursue Him. The Lord has been so faithful in my life! He will finish the work He starts in the lives of His children. It was at Wilmer that I met "the Mr." and we began to date. (**For those of you who may be confused… I'm talking about My husband, Ben.)

Just for fun… :) Our first Pic together in 10th grade.

   The Lord was gracious to me during high school and I continued to pursue Him.  I learned more and more about His Word and loved it more and more. He placed people in my life who taught me and discipled me. By my senior year, I had intentions of pursuing some sort of ministry. I ended up going to the University of Mobile and pursuing a degree in order to be a Christian Counselor. Throughout high school the Mr. and I were off and on and by the time we graduated, we had gone our separate ways. I moved on campus at the University of Mobile and began college. My plans for myself were to get in a band, marry the lead singer, and travel the world speaking to huge crowds like Beth Moore.. (I can't help but to laugh out loud!) I finished my first semester… no lead singer boyfriend and no big crowds. I was miserable. It was nothing like I expected. Long story short: The Lord was working in both mine and the Mr.'s life.  Throughout the course of several months, Ben decided to study Theology and become a pastor, I began to hate him less, he started calling me, and bam… the rest is history! We began to date again. The Lord had changed us both drastically since the last time we dated. We were both passionate about the gospel and the Word and it changed our relationship. We got engaged the day after my 19th birthday and I started planning a wedding. I didn't get a scholarship I was relying on in order to continue my education at UM, so that cut our engagement down from three years to one year! He went off to Boyce college at Southern Seminary and I came up after we got married and began working towards my degree. And here we are! Two years later! We're still in Louisville, KY and Ben is about 2 years out from graduating. 
  About a year and a half ago, we were sovereignly surprised with a baby. Words cannot describe the grace of God in giving us Cooper. God knows what is best for us and when it is best for us! Never would I have guessed I would be 22 years old and living in Kentucky with a husband and a baby! I laughed at those kinds of people. Now I am one. :) Being a wife 
and a mom is the best job in the universe! Our culture makes the "stay-at-home mom" look like a last resort for the ignorant woman who can do nothing else. I beg to differ. It is the hardest job I've ever done! The Lord has taught me so much about His character over the last 6 months. We are learning so much about humility and servanthood and how to trust the Lord. We're also learning what true love is. I didn't know my heart could love two rotten ol' boys so much! I'm sure there will be plenty of posts later on in which I vent some more about this aspect of life. So…I'll leave it at that. :)  That's me in a VERY quick little nutshell. 


Praise the Lord! 
-The Mrs. 

Graces abounding!

So, I've wanted to start a blog for a while now. I couldn't decide whether or not it would be a great idea. I'm not a Theologian, I'm not good at English/Writing, and I'm definitely not "Super mom". However, I am a woman who seeks to recognize the hand of God in my life. I want to glorify the Lord by sharing both the monumental graces in my life and also the little everyday graces that we sometimes overlook. Graces Abound--Whether in Salvation or Cloth Diapers! So here it is! Ready or not… I hope that this blog will not only give you insight into the life of our family, but will also encourage you to recognize the Grace of God all around you.


-The Mrs.