LOVE DARE UPDATE and Happy 14 weeks!

Today we went to Church and Jeff gave a GREAT sermon!

The weather was BEAUTIFUL and Ben sprayed Gretta and I with the hose!

Owen caught a baby rabbit which we SAVED and I named Miranda Thumper!

Ben made a wonderful PASTA dinner for us!

THANKFUL for a WONDERFUL weekend!

Love Dare:

With the recent beautiful weather we have spent less time on our Love Dare. We are back in gear as of now! The great news is that when I was out with Des and Leah on Friday Ben took it upon himself to do the next day of the Dare. I came home to a filled out book and I was very impressed.
Day 12 was about Letting Your Spouse Win in a disagreement. We did not have any disagreements that we could give into thus far so we will come back to this one when the time comes.
Day 13 was about Fighting Fair. We had to creating a plan for fighting. We made rules that could not be broken just because we were fighting. We already had something like this in place, but it is always nice to revisit the idea and to write it down on paper!
Day 14 was about Taking Delight in your Spouse. The dare was to put something that you would typically do on hold so that you can enjoy quality time with your spouse. Ben came to bed early with me instead of watching is TV shows. I really enjoyed and appreciated it!
Day 15 was about Honoring your Spouse. The dare was to begin doing things that can show you honor your spouse. For example, open doors, help with the housework, give back rubs, etc. Sometimes in the busyness of the day it is easy to overlook the small things that you could do to make your partner feel good. It is important to always remember their needs!
Day 16 is Love Intercedes. This dare is all about praying for your spouse. As we know we will never be able to change our partner. We are who we are. God is the only one who can change our hearts. Therefore, we must pray for the areas where our spouses need help. Praying so much more powerful than trying to persuade them. For the dare we had to pick 3 areas that our spouses needed our prayers and begin praying for them. This was easy for me because I already do this, but it is easy to neglect to make the extra time for prayer.

Happy Quarter Century Brandon!

I remember when I turned 25.
I felt like I was a quarter DEAD....Seriously that was all I could think about!
Today is Brandon's 25th Birthday!

My Mom and I took Toby Keith and Gretta Bear for a walk.
Mr. Keith wears a backpack that makes him look like an EXPLORER!
He got so tired by the end of the walk he gave up and laid in the shade...
We had to CARRY Mr. Keith home!

THEN
We went to Evergreen Consignment Store
and bought the CUTEST newborn clothes!

Ben and I had fun outside in the BEAUTIFUL weather!

For dinner Mom, Dad, Brandon, Allisa, Mommom, Poppop, Benny, & I
went to OUTBACK STEAK HOUSE
for Brandon's Birthday Dinner!

I had crab legs and they were AMAZING!

HAPPY APRIL 25th!

Out for Drinks...or Water!

Tonight Leah and I met Des for
DRINKS
at Mim's (not Mimi's)!
It was Great to Spend time with them!

THEN
Steve came.....

Guess What................

Ben Caught His FIRST Fish of 2009 Today!!!!!

Startin' to get EXCITED for BUFFETT

Jimmy kicked off this years tour titled Summerzcool in Atlanta, GA on 4/16/09.
The set list was as follows:

1. Lage Nom Ai
2. Stars on the Water
3. Summzercool
4. It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere (w/Mac)
5. Mañana
6. Conky Tonkin’ (w/Nadirah)
7. Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
8. Volcano
9. Cheeseburger in Paradise
10. Come Monday (The Beach Band)
11. Son of a Son of a Sailor
12. Brown Eyed Girl
13. One Particular Harbour

Intermission

14. My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink and I Don’t Love Jesus (Ukulele version)
15. I Heard I was In Town (The Beach Band)
16. Last Mango in Paris


17. I Feel Like Goin’ Surfing in a Hurricane
18. Southern Cross
19. A Pirate Looks at Forty (Jimmy and Mac)
20. A Lot to Drink About
21. Coast of Carolina
22. Rhumba Man (Jesse Winchester Cover)
23. Margaritaville
24. Fins

First Encore:

25. We Are the People Our Parents Warned us About
26. Yellow Submarine (Beatles Cover)

Second Encore:

27. He Went to Paris (Solo)

He played Frisco, TX on 4/18/09
The only changes in the set list were no "We are the People" or "He went to Paris"
instead he did "Fruitcakes" and "Livingstone Saturday Night"

This means that there are only 3 songs that I do not know
AND.....plenty of time to learn them!

So, I must learn the following 3 songs!

1. I Feel Like Goin’ Surfing in a Hurricane
2. A Lot to Drink About
3. Rhumba Man
   

Sunny Sunday

Yesterday
BENNY & I
went to visit
MOMMOM & POPPOP
We had a nice lunch and went FISHING
and saw Turtles, tons of Frogs, and Ducks!



BENNY & I had FUN fishing



We also were
THRILLED to FINALLY
get our new WASHER this weekend
GRETTA BEAR LOVED IT TOO!






Then we went to my parent's house for a
TURKEY DINNER!
It was delicious


Brandon & Allisa


My BENNY

The Love Dare today was about Cherishing your Spouse
We had to do something special for each other to show that we do cherish each other.
I asked Ben if he needed anything, and of course my independent Ben did not.
So I wrote him a nice letter!
I however told him I needed a foot massage, which I got while watching Desperate Housewives...
Gotta Love the Love Dare

AND

I am 13 weeks

Nice Weather = Fires

As part of Love Dare Day 8 Benny built us OUR FIRST FIRE of the year!

It was SO nice and RELAXING and Gretta and Owen enjoyed it too!

And when the fire burnt out I noticed some random flowers growing in our back yard!

Fishing Thursday

I got Ben his FISHING LICENSE and not he won't STOP fishing!
On Thursday after I got home from work we took Gretta to the park so that Ben could go fishing. I got a Rita's out of the deal and finally got to take some pictures of the
SPRING FLOWERS!

Love Dare DAY 9 is about loving unconditionally
Why do you love your spouse? The answer should be "I Love Them period." If you say I love them because they are cute or because of their personality then you are not loving them truly. These things will surely change during your lifetime together and if you love solely based on circumstances your love will not stand the test of time. To love truly is to love based on a decision to do so. To love your imperfect spouse no matter what; to love them period. The only way this is possible is through the love of Jesus Christ our Lord. So when asked why you love your spouse think about if it is because of how they make you feel or if it is purely because you made the commitment to love them unconditionally!
The dare today is to do an act for your spouse to show them that you love them no matter what. I have been thinking about what to do all day and still have not decided, but I want to do something that will make Ben feel good.

Love Dare Days 6, 7, & 8

Day 6: Love is not irritable
The dare was to tell your spouse 3 things that they do that irritates you. Ben and I did this and then talked about ways to try to lessen these irritations. It was interesting to see how you appear in your spouses eyes. We both took the criticism very well and have been working hard to make the needed adjustments!

Day 7: Love believes the best
The dare was to write a list of positive and a negative attributes of your spouse and to tell them how much you love something from the positive list. I feel like I already know all of the things I love and dislike about Ben so making the lists was very easy. The positive list was a lot longer than the negative. Ben only wrote 2 negative things about me so I gave him a list of many more! Then I wrote all of the positive attributes on little pieces of paper and placed them on the kitchen table around a letter that told Ben how much I love him! It was a really good experience. The book went on to talk about two different rooms within your relationship. When you first meet you spend a lot of time in the "positive" room where love is written all over the walls, but eventually you find yourself in the "negative" room. Spending time here can ruin a relationship. The room should only be entered to write love on the walls or to pray for your spouse. No matter how big the bad things are you should always try to focus on the positive. We are all sinners and imperfect humans and we need to love each others imperfect ways; with the help of God obviously.

Day 8: Love is not jealous
The dare today is to burn the negative list from yesterday and to tell each other how proud we are of a recent success they had. We have not burnt our lists yet, but I am excited to do it. We will be left with only the positive lists which will be the guides in our marriage.

I See You Baby!

Today we had another ultrasound. It was SO amazing!
Our little angel's heartbeat was 161 and we could see it beating in his/her little chest!
I wish I could have an ultrasound everyday!

After the ultrasound Benny and I FINALLY opened a joint bank account and then AMY and ERIC came for a visit! Ben made us his AMAZING chicken dinner! So great! We had a wonderful day!

I just want to say...I MISS YOU DESI

Day 5

Yesterday was day 5 and Easter Sunday! We started the morning VERY early with a 6:30 SUNRISE service outside in the FREEZING cold with Jeff. It was awesome because we could see the sun rising and it was a small and intimate.
After the service we came home and had GRETTA BEAR bath time!
The kitties love bath time unlike our Gretta!

Lilly trying to get in the shower...
Lukie hiding from the hair dryer!


Day 5 was about IRRITABILITY in marriage. Our Love Dare was to write 3 things that bothered us about the other. We were able to have a good conversation about the little things that become irritating and then made a plan to fix some of these issues!

Day 4

Today was about thoughtfulness in a marriage. Our dare was to contact each other during the day just to see if we needed anything and to let our spouse know we were thinking about them. We were together all day yesterday so the dare itself was not very helpful, but the lesson on thoughtfulness is very important and applies to every marriage. Sometimes the day gets busy and when you talk to your spouse it is about the hassles and the struggles of the day rather than about their needs. The Love Dare has been going extremely well for us. We both have been showing kindness in ways that would have be overlooked before. The "spark" is reunited in our marriage and we are so thankful for it!

Praise the Lord for today GOOD FRIDAY

Today I went with Ben to my parents so that he, my Dad, and Freddy could finish the fence. They did SUCH a GREAT job! I spent some time with my Mom and MR. KEITH. We got home and read DAY 3 of the Love Dare. Today is about being selfless in marriage. How many acts do you really do for selfless reasons? Even when you go out of your way for another it is usually in some part because it makes you feel good! Our dare for today was about investing in the things we love. The dare was to buy your spouse something that shows you were thinking about them. Ben and I don't have much money right now so we agreed to make each other something. I just wrote him a nice card with some coupons for things such as a massage, a romantic dinner, a ticket for me to clean out his car, etc.
We to a nice long nap in the afternoon and then went with my parents to the Good Friday service. It was very nice and we had communion. It is overwhelming to think about the price the Lord paid to take away our sins; the horrible death He suffered because He loved us so much! Today is a day to be thankful for!
After church my parents took Ben and I to Applebees for dinner! We had a great time!
Now Ben and I are watching a movie before bed...

Fireproof Day 2

The Love Dare day 2 focuses on KINDNESS. The act of kindness can be broken into 4 main categories: gentleness, helpfulness, willingness, and initative. Our dare for today is in addition to saying nothing negative to your spouse you must do at least one unexpected gesture as an act of kindness. DAY 2 is where it gets good! I cannot go into detail about Ben's first act of kindess, but it was very kind and very much appriciated! I went to walmart and got Ben his fishing license and a new tackle box. Then we took a little nap before going to my second doctors appt. I gained 7lbs this month...really??? the doctor said that in the beginning your body produces so much fluid that this is typical. I will just have to make sure I am careful and get some good exercise in! Now we are about to go out to dinner and then Ben says he has his second act of kindness ready for when we get home. I can't wait to see what it is!

Early this morning I took Gretta to French Creek Park. The weather was beautiful and we took a nice long walk! On the way home my poor baby got sick and threw up in the front seat. I felt so bad for her, but she is running around like a champ now!

Today I spent the afternoon with Amy and baby Eric! We had the best time just talking, hanging out, and playing with Eric. Poor baby was hurting from his shots yesterday, but he was still such a good boy!

Then, GREAT NEWS, our Fireproof books came! Our plan is to read together each evening so the dare will take place from evening to evening. Day 1, like mentioned before is about PATIENCE in LOVE. Our dare is to not say anything negative to each other for the entire day. It is more challenging than it seems!!! Think about all the small and seemingly meaningless negative comments you make throughout the day. It could be as simple as "Why haven't you taken out the trash" to "I hate when you drive that way." Our lives are filled with negative comments even if we don't consider ourselves negative people or realize our negativity. I on the other hand can be very negative to Ben because I tend to lack patience. I like to be in control and to have things my way.
So far it has not been hard to stay clear of the negativity, but it has only been a few hours. I will be sure to write more about this in tomorrows blog.

We also had an AMAZING bible study tonight with Jeff. We talked about how Jesus came to Earth and lived as we do for the specific reason to die on the cross for our sins. He LOVES us so much that he was willing to live in this corrupt world, be mistreated and betrayed, and to die a brutal, horrible, and slow (6 hours) death. Nail pierced hands and a wounded side so that we could be forgiven for our sins, and so that we can enter the kingdom of Heaven with our Lord. It is truly amazing and magnificent! Jeff called Jesus the captain of our salvation because he actually lived a human life and worked his way up the ranks so to speak so that he could truly understand us. When Adam and Eve sinned death was entered into the world. Death came from Satan and Jesus dying on the cross ended Satan's death sentence. The three reasons people fear death are:

1. The unknown
2. Separation from God and loved ones
3. Judgment
   

Through our salvation the Lord gives us relief from all of these fears. The bible tells us exactly what will happen after life on earth. We will be reunited with the Lord and our believing loved ones in Heaven. Lastly, Jesus already died for our sins so we know that our judgment will not prevent us from going to Heaven if we know Jesus Christ as our personal savior.

The world is so amazing....do you really think a bunch of matter colliding could really create the beauty of the ocean or the glory of the world's natural wonders?

Baby Names

Ben and I finally agreed on some baby boy names today! We each wrote down 3 names on a piece of paper and then switched and crossed one off of each others list. The 3 remaining names are:

1. Brayden (nickname Brady)
2. Brody
3. Benson (means the son of Ben)

So EXCITED to have narrowed it down!!!

Our girl name is Bailey Delaney Bradley :)
my second choice is Brooklyn Julia and I like the name Berkley a lot too!

Below are some pictures of us from this wonderful Tuesday evening!

John Waller - While I'm Waiting (Official Music Video) from Provident Label Group on Vimeo.

My Future

Things to Look Forward to:

1. Spring Break the 8th to 13th of April
2. Visiting Amy on Wednesday
3. Good Friday Service
4. Easter
5. My Ultrasound on the 14th
6. Ben going back to work! Praise the Lord!
   
7. Mother's Day...do I get to celebrate since I am pregnant??
8. My Birthday!!!
9. Father's Day...I already know what I am doing for Ben!
10. Buffett day 1
11. Buffett day 2
12. The 4th of July
13. Camping, Camping, and more camping
14. Fishing
    
15. Vacation
16. Seeing the ocean and eating Mack & Mancos
17. Flip-Flops and Sundresses
    
18. Our Anniversary
    
19. Setting up the nursery
    
20. BABY coming!!!!
21. DESI's Wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    

See you can still be EXCITED on a Monday

Just Another Manic Monday

I wish it were SUNDAY
Who doesn't dread a Monday? Honestly, I think we should just do away with Mondays. You might say that then Tuesday would become the new Monday, but come on let's not be so pessimistic! Just think what life would be like without Mondays. No first day of getting up early for work and a shorter work week. Plus, today is a rainy and miserable Monday that I could surly do without.
However, without Monday (the second day) there would be no separation of water from water. This means no sky and no oceans and no mornings and no evenings. When you look at it that way I suppose that enduring Mondays is worth having the beach!
While I am complaining I might as well throw in there that Pregnancy is NOT all it's cracked up to be. I mean yes, it is absolutely amazing that a little human being is growing inside of you and counting on you for life, but trust me it is not all peaches and cream!
First their is the nausea, hunger, and cravings. You get so hungry that if you don't eat NOW you feel like the world may come crashing down at any moment. Then when you do eat nausea takes over. On top of this you can only eat foods that smell good or that you are craving at that very instant! Right when the food situation starts to get better you get FAT. Not baby belly. No your are not that far along yet so right now you just look like you are bloated and put on a few. The worst part for me is the emotions! Holy cow, I think I have gone crazy! I can cry and the next minute be so happy and then back to crying again! How the heck did I survive puberty?? I can certainly do without the raging hormones!
All this and half the time you don't even feel pregnant. I mean you can't see the baby or feel the baby so you end up wanting to take a pregnancy test just to make sure. Then magically the second trimester comes around and you feel better....so much better! That is where I am right now - just staring to feel BETTER!

It just hit me today that Monday is the 1st day not the 2nd!!! Without Monday there would still be the beach, but no light. I suppose light is even more important than the beach so we can still keep Mondays!

Sunny Sunday

Thankful for the GORGEOUS weather today
Had Communion at Church....even more thankful for the SALVATION I have through our Lord
Went for a long and LOVELY walk with Mom, Mr. Keith, and Gretta Bear
WON a Raffle for a Basket filled with Baby stuff....I NEVER win!
Thankful for some REST time this afternoon
On my way to my Parent's house for what I am sure will be a FABULOUS dinner
Thankful that my back has not been SO BAD today
Cheers to a Beautiful Sunday

Some People Walk Into Our Lives and Leave Footprints On Our Hearts

Live, Laugh, Love

Gotta Love the Start of the Weekend

Today was WONDERFUL because I got to see all my Best Friends!!!
Amy brought baby Eric for a visit
Leah was over
and Des and Steve came!
Benny made a fabulous Stuffed Shell dinner for all of us and he bought me flowers!
My Mom & Dad stopped by and brought Maternity Clothes!
Then we visited Mary, Joe, and baby Ty
Ty is getting so BIG and is ADORABLE...we can't wait for you to meet your baby cousin!

Happy Friday

Each and Every Day We're Together Is a Blessing

Look At That Belly :)

Ben and I write letters to our baby. I am not sure why we do this, but we have fun and one day our child will know what was happening in the 9 months before he/she entered the world!

Our First Letter to Our Little Angel

Dear Baby,

Today Mommy and Daddy found out about you! 3 positive pregnancy tests and a blood test that we will find the results out for tomorrow. Today is February 16, 2009 so it looks like you will be born in October! A fall baby! Mommy and Daddy are so excited. We are a little bit nervous because we want to give you the best life possible. We love you so much that I am sure we will figure everything out. So far we told Leah, Des, Amy, Uncle Joe, and Grandma and Grandpa Holmes. We wish your Grandma Bradley was here, but I am sure she already met you before you came into Mommy’s belly. I am probably not that far along, but I can already feel you! I made sure to eat really healthy tonight and I will do my best to keep that up so that you can be born big and strong.

This is your father speaking! I am so excited to become your father! I will do an awesome job being your role model. I can’t wait to play sports with you, or dance, or whatever it is you are into. You can always come to me for any problems or concerns. I am an open father that loves you and wants what is best for you no matter what sacrifices I have to make. You have a wonderful, wonderful Mom. She will be a goddess to you like she is to me. I just love you and can’t wait to see you!

Was that not so precious of your Dad? He is going to be a really good Dad! I know we have a lot to learn, but we will love and cherish you with all of our hearts and souls. God has blessed us with you and we will give you the best life we can possibly give you. Only 8 or 9 more months until we get to see your beautiful face! Daddy read “Good Night Moon” to you tonight, which is the book my Dad used to read to me when I was little. I saved the original copy for you. I can’t wait to buy you your first outfit and your first teddy bear. You are going to be the shining star in Mommy and Daddy’s life! Oh and you have a big family you are coming into…there is Gretta Bear who is your big sister puppy, Owen who is your oldest cat (like 8 years!!!), two kittens Lukie and Lilly, and two turtles named Samson and Swirley. We know you will never be lonely in this house. Okay, Mommy and Daddy are going to watch our TV shows. We will make sure we keep writing so that one day you can read about the time when you were in Mommy’s belly!

Love,

Mom and Dad

BBB

New Due Date: October 26, 2009
Baby waiting for you is so hard

God Blessed Our Broken Roads

Hello Baby!

Today we had our first ultrasound! We could see the baby's heart beating in his/her little chest! So precious! We could heart it too and the doctor said it was strong and healthy! I cannot believe that I have a baby growing and developing inside of me! It is truly the best and most AMAZING thing I have ever experienced! I was a week too early for the screening that the ultrasound was for so I get to get another in 2 weeks! I can't wait!

To our little baby,
We already love you more than words can describe! Keep growing big and strong!

Our Marriage is Fireproof

I just bought the book "Love Dare" from the movie Fireproof. I cannot wait for it to arrive. Every day for 40 days you are taught a lesson about love and dared to a challenge that will help to improve your marriage. I am so excited to get started!

Day one is about PATIENCE in marriage; which is one thing I desperately lack! The first challenge is to refrain from saying anything negative to your spouse for the entire day. Because this is such a hard lesson for me I plan on doing this until the book arrives! I will keep you updated on my experience!