A new chapter

Last week marked my journey into the final trimester of my pregnancy. I'm getting a little antsy to say the least and I can't believe it's gone by this quickly.

So what does this trimester look like? Well... lots of working, planning, decorating, and organizing.

Funny thing about this final trimester is that it's a busy season with holidays and birthdays and lots to do. But have I even started preparing for this baby? Umm... sadly, no. We haven't even touched the nursery yet but I'm confident that it will all come together in the next 10 weeks before this baby arrives.

So much to think about and plan and prepare. We are so excited to paint Elwood's walls and put together his crib and his furniture and buy fun art and put away all those precious baby clothes but somehow I still haven't found the motivation.

We did pick Elwood's official birthday (unless he chooses to surprise us, which I'm praying against!) which will be March 14! Elwood will share his birthday with my brother-in-law, Lynn, who couldn't be a more perfect person to share it with.

Some of biggest must-haves for the 3rd trimester are the following:

-a good body pillow for sleeping. Support at night is very important to prevent cramping, soreness, and general discomfort.

-Sleep! Sleeping as much as you can is essential for your body and your mind. Sleep is hard to come by in the 3rd trimester, so soak up anything you can get.

-Tums. Heartburn can be one of the most annoying, painful and uncomfortable things. Bending over can give you heartburn and so can a PB & J. Keeping an antacid around can really ease this.

-Date nights. After baby arrives, dates will be much harder to plan for. You may not be ready to leave your baby and even if you are ready, finding a sitter that you can trust may be difficult. Relish in the time you have with your husband.

-Nesting. Take some time to dedicate to your baby's room and your house. Do extra cleaning projects, paint the walls, do all the baby laundry. It will fulfill the nesting bug and make your life easier when baby arrives.

-Shop! Buy new things for your baby. Even if it isn't your first, finding special things for a new child is important and will help you bond to your baby.

-Seek the Lord like crazy!!! A baby is a huge change and a big commitment and the Lord has some things He'd like to tell you. He wants to lavish you with love and confidence and sow in good parenting skills. He is the greatest guide you can have.

-Listen to your momma instincts. There will be so many people that throw their two cents into the way you do EVERYTHING -- from your pregnancy to the crib you buy to the books you read to the hospital stay... and etc, etc, etc. Consider their opinion but pray and seek God and follow those momma instincts that the Lord gave you.

-And don't forget to breathe. Take time to relax and do things for yourself. Take long baths, get a pedicure, read a book that's been sitting on your shelf for months. Don't forget to slow down and take time to relax while it's still available.

Ben and I are anxiously awaiting the moment we get to meet and hold this sweet baby boy. Lots to do before the day, but we can't wait!

This life

I'm sorry it's been a couple weeks since I last posted! It's been a hectic couple of weeks full of busyness and time with family. It's been so wonderful to spend time with the people I love the most.

Right now I'm up in bed taking some time to myself while my husband is laughing hysterically with his guy friends outside on the front porch. Kind of hard to write when I hear such boisterous laughter :)

I'm in week 26 with baby Elwood and I feel like it's flying by and taking forever all at the same time. I'm sure a lot of you mamas know exactly what I'm talking about. One day you feel like it was yesterday that you found out you're pregnant and others you feel like this pregnancy could possibly last forever.

I've been honing in on life lately and can't seem to get some thoughts out of my head. Right now I feel like I'm this precious time where I get to be so close to my loved ones and really experience and walk out life together. We've cried, laughed, played games, ate, and talked transparently. It's been the kind of moments that you want to just take a picture and hold on to it as long as you possibly can. Just a raw kind of life where things are very real and life seems so fragile and precious not to take with all the seriousness you can give it.

I only have this one chance to live life here on Earth and I am soaking up each day for what it is and learning so much about taking things in stride and grace.

This morning at church I just broke down in tears as I thought and looked around the room and was hit for the 100th (but it always feel like the 1st) time with how precious life really is.

I am such a fragile being. But God has so wonderfully been working and blessing me with this life. Showing me who He is and walking each step with me. Working in my family's life in such beautiful and mesmerizing ways that I just cry every time I even think about it. What grace and abounding love He has lavished on us!

Aiden reminds me of the fragility of life and how important it is to live and be present in each moment. Even as we prepare for Elwood's arrival, grief is as strong as ever. Celebrating holidays wondering what he would be like and what stage he would be in. Thinking about what foods he would have loved on Thanksgiving and what we would have bought him for Christmas. Telling him about the new baby coming into our lives and how we would need him to be a good big brother.

Grief is such a strange journey. As a friend of mine said so wisely tonight, "Grief is one of the strongest emotions." Such truth and boldness. Grief has a mind of its own. It's not like happiness, which is based on circumstances. Grief can hit you like a ton of bricks even when you are happy and sometimes it sneaks up on you when you least expect it. And most times, grief is a front-of-the-mind presence that you can coherently live with even though you feel like it's stock-piling every day you are without the one you lost.

It's not the kind of thing that you ever get over or get used to over time. It's just this thing that is always there that you have to continually walk with and learn its kinks. Unfortunately it's not something you can see coming or come down off of because it's always there doing different things. It brings out the most wonderful and the worst in ourselves. It knows us deeply.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm slowly realizing this thing called life makes me want to be focused and intentionally involved in every day. And that I want to learn how to see God more clearly through it.

I'll continue to write about this over the coming weeks as I see God stretching me and teaching me so much about it.

To be continued...

Boy, oh boy!

Well it's been a very fun and exciting week! We are so proud to announce that we found out we are having a sweet BOY!!!!

Introducing... Mr. John Elwood Tennant! 

Little Elwood was doing some pretty amazing acrobatic moves during the ultrasound! He is looking strong, healthy, and getting bigger by the hour!

It's so funny because as adults we don't really think about all the little parts that make up our very complex bodies. As I looked at our baby I was totally overwhelmed by God's amazing creation. I couldn't believe all the tiny little bones that make up his body and all of his organs and his brain activity and seeing his heart beating. I guess it didn't hit me as hard when I was pregnant with Aiden, but I just fell in love with my Creator as I watched my baby move around.

Every day I am sweetly reminded of how powerful and wonderful our God is. Babies are these miracles that remind us how incredible His creation is. I am very anxiously anticipating the birth of our next son. I cannot wait to hold, kiss, and take care of this bundle of joy.

Tomorrow is a big day for the Tennants! We are officially closing on our very first home together. We are so excited to settle into a new house. My nesting bug is in full force and I am so thankful I have a place to nest in and work on for the next few months.

It's a great season for us and we are so thankful for everything that's happening. We'll keep you updated as things move along!

The Father's love

Wow! The would be the word to describe the past week. Wow...


We've had some major milestones in the last week. We celebrated Aiden's 1st birthday, we remembered the last year without Aiden, and we rejoiced with dear friends and family with music to raise money for Banebow.

Aiden's Audience (our benefit concert) was beyond amazing. I looked around the room last night and just couldn't wrap my mind around the Father's love for us. The sermon at church earlier that morning was on the Father's love and I took some notes for my sister who couldn't be there and I didn't really think about what Jim was saying but wrote down some things to pass on.

I wasn't realizing that God was taking that morning to speak love over me.

I know so often I write in my blog about not noticing God right away or having to learn some lessons the hard way.

Truth be told, I am quite hard headed. God has brought me through a lot in the last year and you'd think I'd be more open and seeking after the Spirit but I'm still this little child that pushes away from Dad all too often.

I desire so badly to experience intimacy with Jesus and to drive whole-heartedly into His presence but I let myself get in the way and I don't communicate.

In Luke 15 Jesus tells a parable of the prodigal son. The younger son demands his inheritance early, so the father splits it between the oldest and younger sons. The younger son goes and spends everything he has received and squanders this gift that his dad had given him even though he didn't deserve it. He then returns to his dad and says he'll work as a servant because he had nothing left.

Not only does his father bring him back into his household, but he throws a celebration of his return! He throws a huge party and celebrates his son.

Oh how I desire to return to my Father & be welcomed home. I know that I haven't abandoned God or left completely, but my attention has been about a million other places rather than on the one person who really matters.

Our Father is patient.
{The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. -2 Peter 3:9}


Our Father lavishes forgiveness.
{In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. -Ephesians 1:7-8}


Our Father is intimate.
{Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. -Isaiah 65:24}

Our Father shows unconditional love.
{The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners -- of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. -1 Timothy 1:15-17}


Yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
                                           -Isaiah 64:8


Do you know who your Father is? I'm seeking Him out and desiring to know my Father more deeply than ever.