0 Two by Two

The month of October has flown by!!!!  I am behind on some of my posts, but I will try and get caught up this week so y'all can see what all we have been doing.  This past Sunday, we attended our church's Fall Festival.  It was a Trunk or Treat and it was so much fun.  A little overwhelming, but also really fun at the same time!!!  We decided to dress our family up like Noah's Ark and the girls were little lambs.  They were too stinkin' cute!!!!!!!!

Adeline & Maralee's first Fall Festival

Sunday, October 24th

St. James UMC

Maralee (sleeping) & Adeline

 

Our Ark!

Raleigh, Adeline, Christen & Maralee

It was really funny because most people thought we were shepherds instead of Noah and his wife, but that still made sense so we went with it!  There were so many kids at the Fall Festival and at one point I will admit I got a little nervous.  We kept the girls away from most of the kids and it worked out for our group to get an end parking spot so we weren't in the thick of the crowd.  Our group consists of baby girls and they were all dressed up so adorable that evening!

Adeline, Maralee, & Me with our friends Olivia & KC and Mary Harris & Stephanie

We love our small group!!!!

Maralee, Adeline & Mommy

 

Shhhh.....sleepy Maralee

 

Adorable Adeline

Adeline, Maralee & Daddy

Besides going to the Fall Festival, we went to Dothan on Thursday to attend an open house for a kitchen that Raleigh had designed.  It was my first time to see his work and I was really impressed.  I am so proud of my husband and the gifts that the Lord has provided for him to be an architect.  It is really cool to see the before and after pictures and know that my husband was the one that designed it.  When we went home, we were able to test out driving our whole family in the van.  We folded down some of the back row seats so the puppies could have a pallet to lay on.  It was so nice having all of that room!!!!  

Lu Lu is loaded up and ready to go!

Our trip was short, but the twins got to visit with some of their great-grandparents.  My parents have discovered the kids consignment sales and they bought this little play yard for the girls.  It is really fun to watch them focus on a toy and try to figure out how it works.  Every day they are discovering more on how to use their hands.  It is so neat watching their brains think and learn.

Na Na & Adeline

Paw Paw and Maralee

The twins are learning & growing!!!!

Even though our family is in Dothan, we still get to see them on a regular basis.  On Saturday, Raleigh's brother and his wife (one of my best friends from college!) came to Montgomery to watch Auburn play LSU.  I am a member of the Jr. League here in Montgomery and one of our big fundraisers is called the Holiday Market.  I had been volunteering for it all week, but on Saturday Kari Beth and I went shopping at the market and we both got some great Christmas gifts!  It was really fun spending some girl time with KB while the boys watched the twins.  That afternoon we all celebrated as Auburn beat LSU!!!  We are ranked #1 in the nation right now which is great but we still have some really tough games ahead of us.  It is just fun to see Auburn doing so well with us still having such a young team.  War Eagle!!!!!!

So, as you can see, we have had a busy October.  Fun, but busy :)  

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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2 For Me Mommy

So, I have a confession to make.  We did not run in the Montgomery Half-Marathon.  I know, I know, I had this whole great motivating post about how we would run in it for the girls but.....it just didn't happen.  There is really no need for excuses but I do have one :)  It just got hard to find time to run.  And, we couldn't run with the girls and we would rather spend our time with them instead of running.  There.  I said it!  I would still LOVE to run in a half-marathon and I do believe that thinking of their NICU journey will motivate me to actually complete 13.1 miles but it just didn't happen this year.

Instead, we decided to walk in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.  As a former employee of ACS, I really wanted to support this event by being present and walking.  It was the first time it was held in Montgomery and was a huge success!  But, more importantly, we decided to walk in memory of Raleigh's Me Mommy.  Breast cancer took her from her loved ones but her memory is not forgotten!  I never had the opportunity to meet Me Mommy but I have heard so many wonderful stories about her.  One of my favorites is the fact that she would still water ski even in her later years of life.  How remarkable!  Also, I always hear what a great cook she was.  Mr. Price didn't have pizza until he was in high school because his momma would cook good ole' Southern food for her family. 

Maralee and Adeline strolled in honor of Me Mommy

October 9, 2010

5 1/2 months

Raleigh and I did manage to walk 3 miles...next year we just need to do 10.1 more!!! (ha ha)

 

Adeline in her little hoodie

Me Mommy is smiling down from heaven at her grandson and two great-grandbabies

 

Beside attending this walk, last week was pretty busy.  On Wednesday, my sweet friend Abby came to town to see the girls.  Abby and I met in college when we were both Camp War Eagle Counselors.   I truly treasure our friendship and am so excited because she and her husband are expecting a baby girl in December!  She is so cute pregnant and we had the best time catching up.  Abby couldn't get over how much the girls stretched.  I hadn't ever really thought about it but I guess they do stretch a lot...must be growing girls!

Abby, Adeline, Maralee & I had such a nice afternoon!

On Thursday we were invited to dinner at some friends that had recently remodeled their kitchen.  Raleigh was out of town but I decided to take the girls anyway.  It was my first time taking care of the girls by myself in public.  They were a little fussy in the beginning and I had to feed them while trying to eat my dinner but all in all it was manageable.  My friends' husbands helped me take the girls out to the car and everyone was so willing to hold one girl if I needed any assistance so that was great.  I am so happy to be in Montgomery with this group of friends right now.  We all have little girls and I just can't wait until they can really play with one another.  Below are some pictures that we tried to take that night of all of the girls....

This cracks me up!  

Adeline, Mary Harris, Olivia, and Maralee

Adeline and Mary Harris

 

The girls + baby in the belly

We can't wait for Lily Broox to join us!!!!!

Friends, fellowship is so important in our day to day living.  It was so nice to just enjoy the company of others last week.  I hope each of you take time to spend with friends this weekend.

Till next time, let your light shine!


Blessings, christen

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0 Party Time

"A friend loves at all times" - Proverbs17:17

Last Sunday, my sweet Montgomery friends gave us a baby shower for the girls.  The shower was originally planned for the first Sunday of May but since the girls came that Friday we obviously had to reschedule.  It was so nice of them to reschedule the shower for us and I was so excited to visit with friends that I have not gotten to see since the babies arrived.  We had so much fun and got some great goodies for the girls.  It was funny for me to be opening presents because I already know the girls' personalities.  I would open up a bag filled with pacifiers and think of Maralee because she loves to suck on her paci or I would unwrap a bundle of burp cloths and they would remind me of Adeline since she is our little spit up queen.  Opening the gifts made me realize that these were really for the girls and they would actually need these things.  Thank you all so much for giving us your love and generosity!!!!

 Adeline at 4 weeks

 Maralee at 4 weeks

 Wonderful friends and fabulous hostesses!  

From left to right: Ashley, Sandy, Me, Brittany, Jessica, and Stephanie

My friend Jill and her daughter Taylor

Thank you for the cute clothes from Auburn!!!!

War Eagle :)

My sister-in-law, KB, made these adorable monogrammed tutu outfits for the girls.

Precious!!!!

One of my sorority sisters, Ellen, had these cute diaper wipes monogrammed. 

Very creative!!!!

Two of my JEB buddies, Kristin and Amanda

 

Our families got to come to the shower 

left to right: My mom, Raleigh's mom, Raleigh's Nan Nan, Me, KB

(it was just a good excuse for them to visit with the girls!)

After this shower, we have started to put the final touches on the nursery.  I will be sure to post pictures once it is ready!!!  Have a great Sunday afternoon :)

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 A True "Shower"

As mentioned in the previous post, this past weekend Raleigh and I headed up to Birmingham for a wedding.  While we were all in town, our sweet friends decided to give us a baby shower too!  It truly was a shower...complete with rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds!  Even though the weather was blue, we were showered with pink!!!!!

The Bartlett's, McAllister's, Price's, and Gray's

Thank you SO MUCH sweet friends for hosting this shower for us!!!!

We got some really great gifts at this shower.  Mackenzie hand-made the girls these bibs!  Our other friend Corinne, also stitched the girls two beautiful blankets.  I just love crafty people and can't wait to use these gifts!  Maybe I can be as crafty as these ladies one day :)

W

We got a package from Santa....I mean Sarah :)

S

Sarah gave the girls the rain forest bathtub.  Raleigh is really looking forward to bath time with the girls...I can't wait to put them in the soft bath robes afterward...they are just too darn cute! 

O

Our friend Lu gave us a first aid kit for the girls and one for Raleigh! Inside of Raleigh's kit were gloves for dirty diapers, earplugs, and some other handy items.  It was really cute and funny :) 

P

Patrick and Keely gave us a diaper genie 2 and accessories.  We have been told that twins go through at least 150 diapers a WEEK!!!!!  That genie better work! :)  

T

Two of my college roomies, Laura and Mary Shaffer

One thing I love about parties is the chance to see old friends...it was so great to catch up with these two ladies!!!!

Some of Raleigh's studio friends....he spent many days and nights with this group in good ole Dudley Hall!  It really was so much fun for us to catch up with old friends.  

"  How I thank God for you"

- II Timothy 1:3

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 Stand Strong

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother"     - Proverbs 18:24

Other than our family, the people that know the most about us are our friends.  For better or for worse, they know our strengths, our weaknesses, and all of the things that either drive us nuts or get us excited.  In college, I always had roommates and these friends knew all of my habits...once again, good or bad.  My friend Laura was always so good at doing her laundry and I sent mine home to my mom so she could wash and iron my clothes for me.  How pitiful is that!  The sad thing is she still helps me with this when I need her to - I just can't stand to iron!!!!!  I will admit that I have gotten better at it these past couple of weeks.  The key is not letting it pile up and doing a little bit at a time.  Forgive me for my childish behavior, I'm still learning :)

Another friend of mine, Ashley, knows exactly what will cheer me up.  Every time we get together we have to share oreos and milk.  It is a necessity in our friendship.  As we are dunking our oreos in our glasses of cold milk to the perfect soft yet still crunchy consistency, we pour out our troubles to one another.  I remember one time in high school we were doing this at my parent's lake trailer (yep, we live in Alabama and people go to the lake to stay in trailers...no shame!) and all of a sudden a HUGE cockroach comes climbing up the wall by our bed.  We both scream like girls, our oreos and milk go flying, and we jump on the bed pointing at the darn thing.  Finally, I get brave and take off my flip-flop and declare, "Die bug DIE!!!" while Ashley is squirming saying, "Get it, Christen, get it!!!!"  Sadly for the roach he met his destiny that night but in spite of his tragedy, Ashley and I have a funny memory that we both will never forget.

I will be the first to admit that friendships are not always easy.  We all have experiences where we have been betrayed by friends and have lost friends along the way but I do think we can all agree that we all desire to have fellowship with others.  We were designed to be with one another and it is our choice to choose friends who will stick to us closer than brothers rather than betray us like enemies.  In 1 Samuel, a wonderful story of friendship is shared through the relationship of Jonathan and David.  Their story picks up right after David shot Goliath with his sling and David is brought into King Saul's inner courts to stay with him and his family.  Jonathan was Saul's son and soon became David's BFF.

"After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.  And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.  Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt." (1 Samuel 18:1,3)

As mentioned in the verse above, Jonathan "became one in spirit with David and he loved him as himself."  Before David killed Goliath, the prophet Samuel picked out little shepherd boy David to be the anointed king of Israel.  Since Jonathan's dad was currently serving as king, he was supposed to be next in line to receive the throne but now this dirty, new kid shows up and is declared to be king.  Honestly, if I was Jonathan, I would be pretty ticked off, wouldn't you?  I would think to myself, "Well, who does this kid think he is that he can just take my throne?  I have royal blood and he smells like dirty sheep!"  Jonathan had every right to hate David but instead he loved him. 

He loved him so much that he signed a covenant with David to show the depth of their friendship.  The Hebrew word for "covenant" is "berith" meaning a contract, accompanied by signs, sacrifices, and a solemn oath.  Jonathan and David were both soldiers and his sword, tunic, robe, bow, and belt were his battle gear.  No soldier would go into battle not dressed and prepared so the fact that he gave these items to David showed that he viewed him as his equal.  Jonathan chose not to become jealous of
David but rather to "have in mind the things of God."  He sacrificed himself for the glory of God's kingdom.

How many of our friends would we sacrifice ourselves for?  Who would you sign a covenant with?  Do you have a friend that would stick closer to you than a brother?  I have learned over time that it is okay to just be able to count the number of my tight friends on one hand.  I don't just want my relationships to be Facebook-type friends, I want real, true, honest friendships.  I think following Jonathan's example of sacrifice instead of jealousy can take our friendships to a much deeper level.  We should "love our friends as ourselves" instead of looking at them through slanted, jealous eyes.

The awesome thing about having a relationship with Jesus Christ is experiencing his amazing love.  Jesus always loved others as he loved himself.  When we give every worry and jealous thought to our God he will in return give us peace and love so we can use that in our friendships.  And, just like a marriage, if a friendship is Christ-centered instead of people-centered it will grow into a deep-rooted relationship that will continue to stand strong and upright  through our windy days of life.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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2 Me, Ashley, & Beth

Hey friends,

These have been a long time coming....here are the pictures from the So Long, Insecurity book signing that took place at Costco in Birmingham.  I had never been to a book signing before but it sure was fun!  Ash and I had a great time afterwards...we went to Pottery Barn Kids and then ate a yummy dinner at Macaroni Grill!  It was so worth it just to spend some QT with Ash!  Enjoy!!!!

Ashley and Beth

Me and Beth - don't we look like we are best buds? :)  I told her thank you for what she does and she just kept saying, "Jesus is Life."  I liked that!

Proudly sporting our recently signed books

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 It's the Holidays

The holiday season goes by so quickly! I can't believe next week is going to be Christmas. I have not even started wrapping my presents yet...it scares me to even start!!!

We have had a fun December so far. The first weekend we hosted an "Around the House" shower for our friends Sandy and Chris. Below are some pictures from the party.


Here's one of Chris and Sandy opening their presents. They got some good stuff!


Raleigh, Chris, and one of his groomsmen getting some food


Sandy with her sweet bridesmaids


The hosts and hostesses

This past weekend, I got to stand by my friend Abby as she became Mrs. Abby Gray. Abby and I met in college when we were both orientation leaders for Camp War Eagle. CWE was an amazing experience but the thing that I loved most about it was getting to know some really great people. Miss Abby was one of those people. We instantly clicked and she became a wonderful Christian companion of mine that summer. She can quote scripture like the back of her hand and she always has a smile on her face. Seriously, always. I am so thankful that we have continued our friendship for all of these post college years and I look forward to many more years of memories!


CWE Summer 2004


Abby and I getting our hair done


The gorgeous bride!


My sweet friend was glowing on her wedding day!


Stephanie, Becka, and I had a bobby pin assembly line going on!


JD and Abby cutting their wedding cake. Both the bride and grooms cake were delicious! Raleigh loved this cake because it had a hint of almond in it. I went straight for the grooms cake...gotta have me some chocolate!


Raleigh and I at the reception


I wanted to quickly shout out to my friends Ashley and Adam for celebrating their 2 year wedding anniversary! We love y'all!!!!!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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