LWML Conference

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the FL/GA district LWML conference in Orlando (I went with two friends from my church). For those of you who are not familiar, LWML stands for Lutheran Women in Mission League (www.lwml.org)and was officially founded in 1942. It is a fantastic organization of women who desire to serve the Lord by serving others. Churches have "circles" of women, then local "circles" are organized into zones, zones into districts, and districts make up the national organization. It is quite the well run establishment. Their mission statement is as follows:
The mission of the Lutheran Women's Missionary League is to assist each woman of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in affirming her relationship with the Triune God so that she is enabled to use her gifts in ministry to the people of the world.
My "circle" (friends from my church) get together about once a month for fellowship and bible study. We also try to find a service project to do on our own or assist with throughout the year. For the past couple of years our group - there are about 7 or 8 of us - has sent care packages to our college Freshman letting them know we love them and are praying for them. College is such a pivotal time and a time where many fall away. Keeping them connected is essential, and we hope that this will make a little difference.

The "theme" of this conference was "Beautiful Feet...Beautiful Mission". This year was mostly "business" - voting on offices and what grants will be given the money we raised. It was amazing to see how much was raised, yet how it only goes so far. The money raised this year went to six different places ranging from providing food and basic care in Haiti to the seminary food Co-op to show support to our pastors in training.

I had the privilege of being the Young Woman Representative for our zone. It was a neat experience and I was able to meet other YWRs throughout our district. Here are the lovely ladies I met and spent time with this weekend:

Working on our skit


The YWR Group, plus the teen reps on the end.

I "heart" Ebay

You've GOTTA love technology sometimes despite it's downfalls and the frustration it often causes.
I just got this for less than HALF the price I would have paid at the store even AFTER shipping charges. It was a display model in a store, so it will not come in its original packaging. Not come in a box I would throw away anyway? Sign me up! Seriously people. I got the stroller, the carrier, and the car seat base for a grand total of $105.00! My weekend has just been made. I'm currently pressing my luck to see if I can "win" a glider and ottoman. I decided a while back that that was something I really wanted and plan on getting regardless, but if I can get it for a steep discount even better! Wish me luck. :)


In other news, we had another doctor's appointment yesterday and everything looks great again. He said "keep making it look easy". Well, I must confess that I have been blessed with an uneventful pregnancy thus far (for which I am SO thankful). However, I don't know if I would use the word "easy". Up until the past couple of weeks I had been like the energizer bunny. Then almost over night I hit this wall. The fatigue has returned - much like I experienced in the first trimester, and my back has really started to bother me. Plus, it takes great effort now to roll over in bed at night. Oh well, in about 5 1/2 weeks I won't have to worry about some of these things.....they'll just be replaced by new ones, right?! :)
Anyway, the next appointment will be a "big" one. We will get to see Natalie again via a sonogram! I'm anxious to "see" her again since will have been 3 1/2 months since our last one. The down side to the appointment is that I will be, let's say, more thoroughly examined. Fun. Can't wait.

We also met with Mrs. King yesterday, and we feel even more blessed than before. She is more than we could have ever asked for. She's the sweetest lady you could want to meet, and she reminds me a lot of my aunt Marilyn. :) She is uber flexible, and that is going to let us maximize our time with her. Nick has such a bizarre schedule, but in this case it will be a good thing. Most weeks she will only go to Mrs. King's four days a week since Nick's day off is on Monday, and some days he will get to spend most of the morning with her if he will be working late or attending a meeting in the evening. Then, I'll be picking her up before 5 everyday! :) The only thing that we are going to have to "work around" is that she takes off 6 weeks during the summer. We plan on petitioning the grandmothers to come visit at that time - we provide the transportation down, and the room and board? What do you say? :) I am not concerned, though. I know God will provide just like he always has....

I guess that's all the excitement I have going on. This weekend will be filled - I'm going to attend our district LWML conference with two of my friends (Lilly and Jennifer) - it's in Orlando. LWML is the Lutheran Women's Mission League. They do all sorts of servant projects, outreach, etc. Pretty much everything mission minded. It is a fantastic organization, and I'm excited to attend. Then when I get back from that on Sunday, I am going to see the movie Fireproof with Nick. St. Paul has rented out one of the theaters and has been selling tickets to the showing. The pastors have also been doing a sermon series on "Fireproofing your marriage". It's not often that a God-centered movie comes out on the big screen, so if you haven't heard about it, check it out and then take your sweetie and go out and support it this weekend! :) Click "watch trailer" below.

God's Provision

The Lord never ceases to amaze me, even when I lack faith, or attempt to "take care of things myself". That is probably one of my biggest spiritual struggles.
But, as always, He is faithful to me and supplies my every need. Our child care prospect (mentioned in the last post) called back and informed us that there was a spot opened if we would like it! Nick and I are meeting with her at her home on Thursday to go over paperwork and have a question and answer session with her. I can't wait! I told her she was an answer to our prayers, and she said "well, if you don't ask, you can't receive." What a blessing it will be to have such an experienced, loving, Christian woman watching after our little girl while we work. Thanks to all who have been praying for us, too!

P.S. Congrats to Murray and Danielle on their engagement! (Nick's brother and soon to be sister-in-law.) Blessings as you plan your wedding and begin your marriage - it's one of God's greatest gifts. He proposed at an MU football game - they are avid fans and both are attending college there. Here's a picture of the big "moment". :) We love you guys!

Shower, Surgery, & Childcare

This past week I got the chance to meet up with my aunt and two cousins that live in Tampa to have dinner and celebrate the upcoming arrival of Natalie. She got several cool toys from the Jones women. I know she will really love them, and it will be fun to watch her play and discover. Thanks LaLa, Krystle, and Loren!

On Saturday, my friends at St. Paul threw a little shower for her, too. It was just great - low key with yummy food and good conversation. We had about 15 people all together.
Pictures will be forthcoming....

After the shower, I finally let myself do some shopping on Sunday. I haven't let myself buy one single thing until now. You just never know what people are going to get, and I didn't want to have any duplicate things on account of me. The funny thing was that we didn't get many clothes, and to me, that is one of the most fun things to pick out. So, I had lots of fun choosing a few "necessity" items for her. I mostly got onesies and little pants since I figure those are the necessities and what she'll go through the most, but I did allow myself one little splurge. Though, is it truly a splurge if you get it for 60% off? :)It's a little dress with a matching hat, and I have been eying it for months (Mom, it's one of the dresses we saw in Kohl's when you were down)! I figure she needs at least one "nice" thing to dress her up in and show her off, right? :) We actually have been given a few hand-me-downs which are AWESOME and super cute, but they are mostly 12mo and larger. I will definitely enjoy that next year as she grows and grows.
So, after the shopping, I came home and washed and organized everything. I also put our little bookshelf together that the church and school staff got us. It looks great! Although we still have several "big" things to find and purchase, I am feeling much better about the readiness of the room and her upcoming arrival. (I can't believe there's only six weeks left.)You know me and my prior planning! Anal I am...

Anyway, the surgery portion of the title refers to Miss Bella Boo. Nick took her to the vet this morning for her spaying and de-clawing. :( I bet she is scared and I know she will be in pain for a few days. I hope everything goes smoothly, she forgives us, and she's back to her normal self in no time at all!

The last thing noteworthy as of now is our quest for childcare. We have really been hitting roadblocks in this arena, and I'm starting to get nervous. I have been praying for the Lord to lead us to the right place for Natalie, and am doing my best to let it go and leave it in God's hands. That's a really hard thing for me to do sometimes. So here's our dilemma: there are very few places in town that take "infants" (under 12mo), and the few places that do we haven't gotten a good response or any reply from. It is really important to us that she has Christian childcare, so that further limits our options. One place doesn't have availability until May of 2009, and the other two places won't return our calls, so that's probably not a good indicator. I was talking with one of my friends who had a baby this past February. She referred me to a lady (she actually happens to be a member at St. Paul and has been doing private daycare for over 20 years) named Ms. King. My friend ended up not using her because her house was really out of the way for her. It's out of the way from our home a little, too, but really close to the church, so it would be convenient for Nick to drop her off each morning. I called her right away, and she returned my call the same afternoon. She seems like a VERY sweet and lovely lady. She told me that she had a girl lined up that was supposed to start this month, but she hasn't heard from her. She has left two messages with her, and told me that if she doesn't return the calls by Wednesday, we could have the spot! So I am selfishly keeping my fingers crossed - it was what I originally wanted in the first place - and praying that this is not only my will, but God's as well. So now I guess I have two more days of nervous waiting and prayer. Prayers from you would also be much appreciated! We'll keep you posted.

Candace & Natalie at 31 weeks

Taken just a couple of weeks ago.....she's getting big. At our last appointment everything checked out great. Natalie actually measured 33 weeks instead of 32!

Sanibel and Captiva Island

As previously blogged, Nick and I were able to "get away" for the weekend over Labor Day. We journeyed about 2 hours away to Sanibel and Captiva Island (close to Ft. Myers). It was so much fun. Nick and I agreed that we could do that about every weekend. We just bummed around, enjoyed a couple nice dinners out, "shopped", watched some free cable TV (we only have the rabbit ears at home), and most importantly - we shelled. Sanibel is known for their fabulous shells, and it did not disappoint (we actually found the best ones on Captiva Island)! We made quite a haul and ended up sending some of our treasure to our friend, Jake, to put in his fancy smancy fish tank. :) Here are some photos from the trip:


Shells on the beach.


The beach at sunset.


Beach Birds hunting for food.


Looking down the beach - it was the PERFECT time of the year to go.....we were practically all by ourselves!


Toes in the sand.


Part of our haul....aren't they beautiful!


It's a whale! Oh wait. It's Candace.... :)


Before dinner one night.

Graduation Pictures

Here are some picutures taken at my graduation last month....better late than never! Me and my Momma! With straight hair now! My Father in Law adjusting my hood.

Brief Weekend Happenings

This weekend was pretty good, I have to say. Here are some highlights.
*Thursday (not technically the weekend, I guess) we went to see some of our HS youth girls play volleyball. St. Paul was represented on both teams, but on one, ALL 6 starters and the main sub are St. Paul graduates. It was fun, except the bleachers were pretty hard! Bad news of the day was that the Camero started acting funny. :(
*Friday: Worked and had a lazy evening at home. Some we know came to the house to look at the car, and THANKFULLY it was only a coil (????) that only set us back $80 for parts AND labor. Mr. Habina is THE BEST!
*Saturday: Had a brunch of pancakes and sausage (at Nick's request), Nick went to church to work for a couple of hours and I ran errands. In the evening we went to visit one of our friends who is in the hospital. She suffered a minor stroke this week and they found a blood clot in one of her lungs. Fortunately, she is in good hands now, on blood thinners, and under going lots and lots of testing. Came home after the hospital visit and watched a movie together before going to sleep.
*Sunday: Church in the morning, and lunch at our favorite hole-in-the-wall Chinese food place- YUM! Nick worked all afternoon, and I went home and started a novel and hung out with Bella (Charles spent the afternoon in the back yard - too hot for me!). I figured I'd get at least one final book read before D-Day. :) HS Youth was in the evening and we had 29! kids come. We have never had that many on a night where there wasn't some "special" event planned. It was very encouraging!
**Two other exciting things happened this weekend.
1) Miss Bella got litter trained and hasn't had an accident since Thursday!
2) Most importantly, I found out that my Grammie (mom's mom) is going to be here for Natalie's baptism!!! 4 generations of strong women, as my mom likes to say. It will be so special. She will be 89 years old the week I am due. She is traveling (from Indiana) the week before to attend my cousin's wedding in Dallas, and then heading to Tampa to spend a couple weeks at my Aunt Elaine's house. VERY excited. What a special day that will be. My dad is going to do the baptism, and mom found and cleaned the dress and shoes I wore for mine that Natalie will be wearing. Baptism are so beautiful and miraculous. Not only for the one who is being baptised, but also for the witnesses. A visual and verbal reminder of the saving grace the Holy Spirit works in us through the Word and the water.
So, that's the excitement around here. Nick and I are looking forward to the baby shower St. Paul is giving Natalie on the 20th of this month. If any of you are in the neighborhood, you are more than welcome to come stop by! I love my church family and friends here, but it's life changing times like this where it really pains me to have our families so far away. I wish that my mom and Nadine could be here to enjoy the shower, too, but it's just not in the cards. We will all be together soon doting over the little butterfly.
Here's wishing you all a great week!

New Addition to the Moss Family

What? Yes, that's right. We have a new addition to our house - Bella the little black kitten. I know, I know. What were we thinking?!?! We are having a baby in 2 months! Why on earth would we be bringing home a new pet? Well, it all started when we went down to Sanibel Island this weekend for a mini vacation.....
We pulled into the parking lot of our hotel and when we got out, I noticed this little black kitten sitting in the parking lot. She seemed friendly, but Nick told me not to pet her. So, I didn't. :( The next day we saw her again as we were heading out to go to the beach. She must be the "hotel cat" I thought. There are lots of businesses that have a cat that lives at the business and entertains the patrons. At my parents' local library, they have a cat named Dewy that lives there. Well, when we got back to the hotel later that night, I just couldn't resist petting the sweet little thing. Much to my surprise she was even more skin and bones than she looked. This prompted me to ask the person at the front desk about her. They said they didn't know, the cat just showed up 3 or 4 days ago. Oh no! This poor little thing was just dumped! She hasn't eaten in days, and she's trying her hardest to find a good home for herself. That night I talked to Nick and said we couldn't just leave her. She would die for sure, or someone would hurt her. He said that she would be fine and that we don't need to bring home a new pet right now - we are about to have a baby. I said I realized that, but we have to do something. We went to bed and the next morning as we were packing the car, she was right there working her magic. Nick said "what are we going to do, Candace?" I said we need to take her home. And much to my surprise, he said "ok". She had apparently gotten to him, too. :) He is the one who named her after all - Bella (for Sanibel he says). He admits that she probably wouldn't have made it if we didn't take her. She was such a good kitty the whole way home. She sat right by my lap for the two hour car ride.
Now she is home and we are trying to fatten her up. Other than being awfully thin, she appears otherwise healthy - no fleas or ear mites, clean eyes and nose. Seems like we got her just in time. Nick is taking her to the vet today for an exam to see how old she is (My guess is 6 months, but I guess we'll see. It's hard to tell with her being so thin.) and to check for worms or other problems. We also have to schedule a time for her to get spayed and de-clawed in the front. I am just dreading that - I hate to see things in pain, but I know it needs to be done. I'm going to be awful with the baby.
So that is the big news around our house. We are all adjusting and working at potty training right now. Charles has been really good - hasn't lashed out at all, just seems annoyed. He comes in to eat, sees that she's still here, looks irritated, and goes back outside. I told him to get used to it because she isn't going anywhere.
It has actually been a nice distraction from the pregnancy. It seems that that was the only thing I could think about and worry with every second of the day, so this has been a nice. Now I have this to worry about. :)
Pictures to come from our little trip and of Bella. It's really hard to take her picture since she is ALL black. She's beautiful, though.