Momma Walters visits California

We had so much fun having our visitor out here :) After a very long drive home from the airport in LA rush hour traffic we finally made it home. I think if you ask her about it, she would say that she was shocked at how many people there are -every where! Even when it's 2 hours before rush hour, some how they are still there! It is definitely an unexplainable mystery that you would have to experience in order to understand. No matter what time you are driving- it's rush hour ;)

Anyways, so the first night we made it home starving and gobbled up our pizza from the box-I was in hungry pregnant lady mode.....hmmm I think I've always been in that mode! And then I pretty much questioned her on child birth and babies, ya know, how do you pop out 6 kids kinda thing. It was really nice to have someone to question since I don't really have an 'experienced' friends out here.

Saturday was snowboarding and skiing day. Mom's first glide down the mountain was life threatening but not to her-only innocent by standing snowboarders. She took off, after 30 years of not skiing, without the ability to stop and took an unsuspecting snowboarder out at the the knees. Now this is one of the moments you wish you had the camera out for! Overall, it was a fun day and Debbie did great! I think she only fell 4-5 times which is really nothing!! Here are some shots from the day:



Sunday was church, learning to make a pan of lasagna from the expert, visit form Aunt Wendy and Ashley, church at John MacArthur's church and then Inn and Out for dinner. We were excited to be able to see Aunt Wendy and Ashley for lunch and treat them to a home cooked meal after their trip across the country to San Diego- Shawn is now pitching for the Padres-his first game was last night and he did really well. We are hoping to get down there to watch him pitch this season :) We attempted to go to the poppy fields here-they are normally COVERED in bright orange poppy flowers but it was still a field of brown :( Church that night was great as usual and dinner was also-Papa Walters INSISTED that we go to In and Out at least once while Debbie was here-He loves that place and wanted to make sure that Debbie could try it too.

Monday and Tuesday- Yosmite trip! Yosmite was completely different this time around, tons of water flowing every where. We couldn't even get close to one water fall because it was flowing so much that we were getting soaked-this is the same waterfall that we hiked up to and walked behind in August :) Lil Debbie did the whole hike with us, all the way to the top of Vernal Falls which is very challenging and an accomplishment!....but not without falling in the snow, hitting herself with a stick and a small child with a stick also-also moments that are camera worthy! I loved watching her laugh so hard at herself- I honestly couldn't help her out of the snow for a minute because I was laughing so hard! Ah, I just appreciate it because I have so many of these klutzy moments of my own!!
I wish that we took pictures of what we were actually hiking up so that everyone could see it but at that point you are just trying to get to the top so you don't think about it. The pictures are a little smaller and if you click them you can see them much better.







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I know that people always cringe at the thought of in-laws but fortunately that is not the case at all for me (or Nate) I can honestly say that I wish Debbie would have been able to stay longer! At least one more day so that we could just relax-we packed her trip full of places to go :) I hope you enjoyed the pictures! Baby shot soon to follow!

TURN OFF SONGS AT BOTTOM FIRST!
Here are some videos also: Debbie skiing, falling the snow and Nate chasing a bear (that bear stopped and looked at him!)
Listen to Nate (Slow down! then I come by and say Oh geez this looks dangerous!)

Are Your Priorities Right?

Looking at some of the things that we are considering for our future, I came across this information on a website regarding seminary. The question was: Are your priorities right?
Surprising as it may seem, many prospective students in their search for a seminary often invert the less important elements of their life and doctrine training (1 Timothy 4:16). What becomes pressing in their concerns would include how close the seminary is to their home or how much will it cost or where will I live when I move or what will I do to support myself while I am going to seminary. While these temporal concerns are of value there are better questions, such as, “How will the professors impact my spiritual life and character (Luke 6:40)?” or “Why doesn’t the seminary require that I be involved in ministry even as I attend my classes (Titus 1:5-9)?” or “What are the components of a life-on-life model that will shape my character (2 Peter 1:5-8).


Lately I feel like this is an important question for me when I think about becoming a mother or possibly a pastor's wife and even being away form my family. I know that my heart is not always in the right place. Maybe not having a consistent job is effecting my priorities...I don't really take the time to sit down and plan out when I'm going to pray or read my Bible because I figure, "Oh, I'll get to it at sometime" Man, this attitude is just not working for me and I'm sure it is not working for God either! I'm wanting to get my priorities straight all around and get back to daily reading and praying. Not that I'm not reading or praying but there is something special about that desire to want to spend time with God daily and that my day is not complete without it. If you think of me, say a prayer that God will increase my desire to be in His word.

"A woman after God's own heart is first and foremost a woman who has in her own heart a deep and abiding passion for God's Word." Elizabeth George


The first picture I posted was at 5 weeks which is on another post. Here is 8 and 12 weeks. I think I'm getting a little thicker but I haven't gained weight...which doesn't sound like it makes sense but I just know it's true! I guess I just can't suck it in as much now :) I figured it was easier to see if I put them all together. If you click on the picture it gets bigger and easier to see. Unfortunately I can't make it bigger.

Oh baby!

This is the story of two becoming 3 :)

Yeah! Happy 1 year anniversary :) We went out to Makoto's for dinner and it was very very yummy. I think we both ate too much but that's what you are supposed to do there and we were on vacation.


La la la...hmmm, oh wait, when was my last period again? 29, 30, 31 DAYS AGO?! Ok, how can I sneak to the store and buy a test with my brother-in-law (Matt who was visiting to snowboard) not seeing me buy the test? What kind of test do I buy? It's probably not even needed, I bet travel just messed things up. Whoa! I think that I see two lines...I'll wait to take one with Nate..."Ok honey, I don't think you are pregnant (pauses as he looks at the directions again) Oh wait....is that another line??" LOL Yup! Woohoo, we are having a baby!!!

You may have a hard time seeing the line to the right. Actually the line to the right is the control line so it always shows up buuuuut my test was so positive that the line on the left sucked up all the dye even from the control. Clearly they are all 3 very positive tests.

First Dr.'s appointment...Here is what we call the 'gummy bear'. Most babies are kinda curled up and you see a side profile shot but our little one is stretching out for the camera. We could see the hands and feet moving already and even got to see some sweet dance moves :) This is an 8 week 5 day picture



And the pregnancy shots begin. If you are tempted to write something about already being able to see a bump....don't! LOL This is just me before any physical changes start happening so that we can all tell in the future ;) Here I am at 8 weeks.


We are very much looking forward to this pregnancy and baby and find it interesting that God has chosen this timing. There are many unanswered questions about where we will be living and what our jobs will be in the coming months but we are gonna watch God do His thing! I'm feeling pretty god for the most part, I haven't actually physically gotten sick which I am really thankful for! Sometimes my stomach is just picky and feels like I ate too much sugar and have a tummy ache. I've also been a sleeping machine lately :) Overall though, I feel pretty good and I'm already in week 9 so I'm moving closer and closer to the day when I will not have these symptoms either.

If you didn't get the email form Nate about seminary and where we are at in that process and what we are thinking, just let me know and I will be happy to send it to you or update you. Love ya all!

Oh and I really miss Moe's and sweet tea-any ideas on how to get both here? LOL

Puppy Love

In case anyone would questions who's dog Twiggy is, I figured I would post some evidence.









'nough said ;)

Matt's Visit

Matt has been here visiting us for about a week and it has been a lot of fun! We thought Matt was going to come out here ready to show us how to eat healthier instead he was the one buying pizza and fast food because "I'm on vacation" LOL He will be out visiting again in a few weeks with extra people :) Here are some pictures! Oh and a video of the 3 of us snow tubing- I almost fall out but it was AWESOME!

Ski Patrol

So it is official....Nate became one of those people to be taken down the mountain by the ski patrol in what i call the rescue hot dog. Basically they strap you down to a stretcher board and then cover you with a yellow tarp so that you don't freeze on the way down. Then a person pulls you down and takes you into the medical area where the fire department comes to town to check you out.......ah, what a fun day at the mountain! Nate is doing ok, he landed a jump on his back and set his sciatic nerve into a frenzie. Here's the evidence- yes, I was taking pictures. You see, I knew when I married him that I would be involved in multiple situations like this after hearing all of the childhood stories.






Here is the short video of the guy getting started with Nate, he eventually flies downt he mountain so much so that i couldn't keep up with him....which is why there are only short videos, bummer

Florida Visit

Well we are back in California after our awesome trip home. We spent almost all day everyday visiting people! If we didn't get to visit with you I'm really sorry ~ it's hard to be every where at once. I'm so thankful that both of our families our from the same town though! I will try and run through some highlights that I remember besides spending time with everyone.
* Our one year anniversary!

* My first experience with seasickness and a 400lb shark


* Watching Nate celebrate one of his favorite gifts (from Walgreens) LOL
*Seeing all the preggers
*Twiggy's first boat ride

* Our nieces and nephews :) including the canine versions(3 new additions!)
* Florida Sunshine!!!!!

We found out some really exciting news as well. Some of you know that Nate is thinking about going to seminary to become a pastor. We have been praying about this and Nate has been seeking counsel from different pastors to see what they would consider before going to seminary. He was even able to spend the day with a friend in seminary classes to get an idea of what it would be like. The 2 seminaries he is considering are RTS in Orlando and The Masters Seminary in Santa Clarita, CA. Nathan talked to the pastor at Covenant Presbyterian while we were at home and found out that if you are a member of covenant, they will pay 100% of your schooling for seminary at RTS in Orlando. This means money is not as much of a factor as it was before (or at least the cost of seminary) and gives us an option of moving back home, Nate working part time for the first part of seminary and then going in full time, a home church that will be supporting and praying for us......it seems to be a little simpler if we move back. I'm not saying that the decision is made because this is pretty new information but at least we have a very clear picture of what life would be like if we come back to FL in August.

So for now, Nate is on day shift, I'm working 5 days a week for the afterschool program and then in a few weeks I will be starting with ABC (applied behavior consultants) and working with the Autistic children in the area....I'm a little apprehensive about this job because I have no idea what I am getting into yet. I know that during the interview I was told that some of the children can be violent so that's a little, well, alarming ;) The training is the 28th- 30th so I will have more details after that.

Brother Matt is visiting starting tonight so I'm sure there will be some funny snowboarding pictures to come!