A Quick Merry Christmas and Countdown Special!

A very Merry Christmas to everyone! I pray your holiday is full of joy, love and peace. And so now, onto the countdown!

2 days until Christmas!

10 days until Brandon's and my first Anniversary!!

14 days until our gender sonogram!!!

We have a wonderful two weeks ahead of us!

Merry Christmas!

Sweetest Sound

So this will be a fairly short post, as I'm pretty busy today, but had to stop and say a few things about how the last couple weeks have gone. Thanksgiving was wonderful, it was very mellow and laid back for us this year, but really gave Brandon and I the perfect opportunity to spend some "us" time together since he's been working until at least 7:30 during the weekdays for the last several months and our time to just have "us time" is getting shorter by the days!

Our Annie girl had her surgery and while I'm not supposed to call until 4:30 to see how she's doing, I'm positive everything went well. Our Annie's a trooper, and I have no doubts that she'll be back on her feet running around in no time.

This weekend Brandon's cousin Rachel had her baby shower for little Haley that will be here in February and it was so lovely! There were so many terrific women there with such great gifts that I know Rachel and George appreciate so much. Haley's going to be one cutely dressed little girl!

Today we had our second baby appointment and I'm once again made aware and grateful of what a wonderful doctor we've entrusted our baby's and my health through this. He's just such a good Christian man and helps keep us informed of what all is going on and what all is yet to come and assures us that he will be there to help us through every step. I just don't think having someone that wasn't as tuned in to his relationship with God would be so willing to be there for our every whim! We were able to hear our baby's heartbeat and I can say, there is no sweeter sound to me right now than the sound of my child's heartbeat and the knowing that it's doing well.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going around Cleburne and talking with many of the different social service organizations. I can tell you, I was so humbled by their operations and by their sound commitment to helping those in need. It left me in great prayer and thanks to God to see what amazing people are standing by his word to help those less fortunate. I think my heart had been hardening a little over the last month or so, and it seems God presented the right opportunity to soften it and show me how he's working all around me.

I taught our ladies' bible class last Wednesday and what a blessing that was! I was very nervous but these ladies were so encouraging in their words and spirit that class went by faster than I was able to realize! I'm so grateful to have these ladies in my life to help encourage me in my walk and mentor me.

Well, I know these events have all been out of order, but I've been writing as I remember them. Tonight is our ladies' Christmas party, so I need to start making my food for this evening. I pray everyone's having a wonderful holiday season!

Getting into the holiday spirit

So it's Friday...Happy Friday! This week has been a long one for both Brandon and myself, as we've been working long and hard (although Brandon MUCH longer and MUCH harder!), so we're really looking forward to the weekend and hoping he doesn't have to go in tomorrow. So I've had such a great morning today that I just had to pass the story on in hopes to get everyone in the holiday mood. Since I'm the Homeless Liaison for the school district here, I get all the phone calls about the homeless kiddos not having coats, clothing for school, etc. I received a phone call yesterday from a mom who's 7-year old little girl did not have a coat, but merely a little hoodie that she was wearing, and was wondering if I could find a coat for her. Well, I set off on my list of people to call and asked our church's clothing ministry if they thought they might have a coat for a sweet little 2nd grader. I was told they might, but were not completely sure, as it's been getting a little cooler here and so coats and sweaters are flying off the shelves down there on days they give out clothes. I was interested and they said they'd be open today, so for me to stop by around 8:30-9:00 to check and see. I called the mom back and asked if it'd be ok if her little girl got the coat tomorrow, I had a lead on one that I could get to her by mid-morning. She was SO appreciative and said that would be fine, so this morning, as I was getting ready to head down to our clothing room, I was just praying it would fit; if it didn't, I was definitely considering looking at stopping by Goodwill to see if they had any gently used coats I could just purchase with my own money, as we had already spent money on this child for clothing and are only allotted so much. When I walked out to the car this morning, BURR!, it was cold and I just knew that sweet little girl needed a coat today, no matter where it came from, but I was hoping and praying with all I had that this would be the coat for her as I drove. When I got the The Bridge (our clothing room; which is indeed right next to a bridge), the sweet lady I spoke with yesterday showed me this adorable gently used fur coat and I just knew it was going to work, but when I looked at the size, it was smaller than what the child's mother had told me she wore. So I told the lady that I would try it on her and if it didn't fit, that I'd be back so some other child could use the coat. So off I went to this little girl's school, wanting so badly for the coat to fit. When I got to the office, the secretary told me to wait as she went to get the little girl from P.E. When that sweet girl came into the office (this was the first time for me to see the child face-to-face), she looked so sweet and so innocent and so COLD. I asked her if she'd like to try on this coat for me, that if it fit, I'd love for her to have it. Well, she eagerly tried on the coat and what do you know...it fit PERFECTLY!! I couldn't believe it fit so well, I was so worried it was going to be too tight or too short, but no, it fit her like a glove! It was the sweetest thing to watch her wrapping herself up in it, smiling and walking down the hall, just clutching the ends of it around her body. I was so happy and so grateful!! When I went back to The Bridge with our thank you letter, I let the women know they had just made one little girl SO happy! One of the ladies told me that it was amazing they even had the coat, as they didn't get very many little girls' coats in and the ones they did flew off the shelves. She also said this one was even from last winter; how amazing! It was just as if God was allowing all this to happen and for that coat to have been put aside so this precious little girl could have a coat to keep her warm. It was so encouraging for me to really look at that and realize how so many things occur and get taken of, all with God's touch.

Well, I just wanted to share that story. It just made my morning start off so well and get me in what the true spirit of the holidays is all about. I hope everyone has a great weekend and are looking forward to the major start of the holidays next week!

Houses and Babies

Hello blogging world! So sorry I've been away so long, but I wanted to make sure I had things to tell when I wrote next. The past three weeks Brandon and I have been busy closing on a house (yes, our first house!) and anticipating our first prenatal visit, which was today. Back to the house, we bought our very first house and couldn't be more excited! It's so amazing to sit around and look at walls (yep, walls) and just realize they're yours. Brandon and I have spent a couple nights just commenting on how wonderful it is to know this place is our own, a place we plan to bring our bundle home to in May. How good God is!

In other news, we found out last week that our sweet Annie has a hernia (a rather large one) and that her intestines keep falling in its hole (?) and there poses a risk of her blood supply somehow getting cut off and potentially killing her. As scary as that sounds, we decided to see how much it would cost for her surgery (which they said would be the most effective way to remedy her ailment) and thankfully its quite easy for us to afford. So Miss Annie will be having surgery on December 9 as we once again praise God for letting that be an easy decision to make.

Now, on to the baby! This morning was our first appointment with Dr. Ford. What an amazing man! He and his entire staff were so gracious and made Brandon and I feel so assured that our baby is in good medical hands. I will tell you though, I was so anxious, I could barely sleep a wink last night! I kept tossing and turning, looking over at the alarm clock to see if it was time to get up. I think I might have driven Brandon just a tad nuts... :) SO, we were able to have a sonogram and WOW!, I am once again amazed at the workings of God's hands. We just sat there, speechless, as Dr. Ford showed us our baby kicking around and playing with it's hands...it was just amazing. Dr. Ford asked me what I thought and all I could come up with was "I'm in awe at how amazing that is." We could see it's face, legs, feet, hands, elbows, and heart...something I don't think either of us thought we would really see! I think we both went in thinking it wasn't going to look like, well...a baby. Brandon commented on how it was going to look like a sea monkey...ha, well he was rather pleasantly surprised. I couldn't help but tear up at realizing that this precious bundle is actually growing (and MOVING!) inside me and that God made it to where my body knows how to grow and reposition itself to accomodate this amazing little person. Ah, and we also found out we're a little further along than we thought. We thought we were at 11 weeks 2 days, but we found out we're actually at 12 weeks and are due May 26...which just so happens to be one day after my own birthday. I can't think of a more amazing birthday gift. Well, here's a couple pictures of our sweet little bundle at 12 weeks, enjoy!


(The first is with its head up top and its arm outstretched; the bottom is an upside down side view...I never thought I would know what I'm looking at, but I guess it's true that when it's your own, you just see it!)

Prego Pics

Well, I finally got around to letting Brandon take a picture of me prego. Here are some fun pictures we've taken through the time we've known we're expecting...enjoy!


The proud papa-to-be!




Bad lighting, but yep, they're two lines!




The flowers that were there to welcome me home the day we found out!











The first one says "It's a baby girl" - ?; the second says "It's a baby boy" - ?; the third says "I love you" - Absolutely; I just love my husband!

Me at 8 1/2 weeks...already forming a pooch!

Our sweet little Lehrmann-to-be!

Isaiah 43

Well, I sure hope everyone who had the pleasure of having a 3-day weekend certainly enjoyed it; I know we did here at the Lehrmann house! Saturday we had our home inspection (yes, Brandon and I got a house! Praise God!) and that went so well, there were only a few minor issues to be resolved. I was so excited that I asked Brandon if we could go to Lowe's to look at some paint colors, etc. right afterwards. He, being the sweet guy he is, first took me to get lunch (what a treat!) and then went to Lowe's and looked around at EVERYTHING! It was so much fun, just walking down the aisles, holding hands, commenting on all the different paint choices, flooring choices, appliances, etc. Definitely a good time! After that, we went over to my in-laws, who were watching the two kiddos (again, another treat!) and hung around there for awhile. They too, just moved into a new house, so yes, Lehrmanns' are moving and changing all over the place! (Brandon also has a cousin that's getting married in May, just a little over a week before "Bundle" is due) We finished off the night catching up on some "Heroes" via NBC.com and then fell asleep to HGTV.

Sunday we went to worship and study and then Lisa (my mom-in-law) and I went to Subway and Kroger to get lunch for the guys and Meme. It was such a good time, sitting around at Meme's eating, talking, and watching Huck and Annie wrestle...I just had to smile to myself thinking what a great family I'm a part of! Later that day the girls in the family (Lisa, Sherry, Rachel and myself) all went to Rosa's to eat and then did a little fun shopping. I tell you, now that we're expecting, baby items/clothing/etc is all SO fascinating! I refrained from buying, except for some 99% fat free blueberry muffins that I thought would go well for breakfast the next morning.

Monday Brandon and I got up and yes, ate those blueberry muffins! We also went over to Meme's a bit in the morning to take care of some things she needed and chatted a bit before heading up to Target. I had been there the day before, but had forgotten to bring my gift cards with me, but had a great idea of what I wanted to get. Well, what I was planning on getting and what I actually got were two rather different things. What I was planning on getting were some items for the bathrooms and some bed linens and a pregnancy book...what I got were some tortilla chips and spinach and artichoke chips, corn and black bean salsa, some fat-free popcorn, peanuts, a pregnancy book (yes, that item WAS on the list), and a cute little onesie for Bundle (in a green and cream neutral, of course). Oh well, my stomach was beginning to talk and Brandon just told me to go with it! After that, we met up with some dear friends, Matt and Emily, and their sweet boy, Jackson, in Fort Worth. We ate at Pei Wei (yum!!) and then walked around Babies R Us (it was honestly a bit overwhelming!), before heading back to town and making a small pit-stop at Marble Slab. What a fun time we had; these friends are so wonderful! That night, Brandon laid down on our bed with me and sang Isaiah 43 to our baby. Now, we know it can't hear us yet, but I just teared up as he sang and rubbed his hand across my stomach. It was like God put that on him to sing, because it was something I needed to hear and be reminded of as well.

Well, in case you're wondering, pregnancy is such a blessing! Whenever people ask, I simply say, "As long as I don't feel well, that means it's all ok!" My morning sickness is somewhat more of a come-and-go-throughout-the-day type sickness.But it's wonderful. Every little thing about this is wonderful. Brandon and I keep praying to God to watch over our little one and are constantly letting him know that no matter what happens, we know he is in control and his love outmeasures even our own.

Thank you to everyone that has given me such encouragement throughout this short time since we've found out we're expecting! So many people, whether they've known or not, have given me such reassurance of God's plan for me, and for this life I'm living for him. I am his, and he is my Lord - hope everyone has a terrific rest of the week!

I didn't drink the water!

**Warning: Lots of emotions were outpoured during the writing of this post, so I'm so sorry if it seems I keep focusing on negative things...I promise, I'm just sorting through and tossing out all the negative junk. :)

Ha, it's been awhile since I've blogged, but Brandon and I have been over our heads swimming in things to do. I know many have been wondering when I would be updating, and after some time to reflect on what I want to say and how I want to say it, I'm ready.

First off, we're PREGNANT! There we go...it's out there. Yes, this was completely UNexpected, and yes, we're now totally excited. We're at 6 1/2 weeks and we feel so blessed to be experiencing this incredible joy of impending parenthood. While it's incredibly scary and going to the "unknown," I fully believe God will prepare us over the course of this pregnancy. To go more in depth on this subject, for me, this pregnancy thus far has been such a roller coaster of emotions. I've gone from being elated and on top of the world to just sobbing myself to sleep. Something you have to understand, while this is a joy, it's one of those events that reminds me of what others choose to miss. It's times like these when I want to run to my mom and ask her everything about her pregnancy with me; "Was it hard?" "Were you feeling this way?" "Isn't it the most amazing miracle??"...and I can't do that. I can't tell her that I'm even pregnant for fear of a harsh put down, as I've had in other news she's heard from us. I have to go into this pregnancy knowing there's a real likelihood that my child will not know my side of the family (aside from my one sister), and that at some point down the line, Brandon and I will have to address that in a way that is still respectful, but that lays out how life is. I have to go through this knowing my parents won't be in that waiting room come delivery time, nor will they be excited to see any sonogram pictures of what our little miracle looks like. All this...because this is what they choose. I think that's the hardest part of it all...knowing they choose to not want any part of my life, and now, my child's. It's feeling very isolated in a room full of people. It's wondering (and fearing) "Will I turn out that way with my child?" "Am I predisposed to not want me child?" I know this is Satan just FEEDING on my heart and mind right now, and in those moments, I'm so vulnerable and fall prey so easily. It's not wanting to mention this (although here I am doing so) because I don't want to make anyone else feel awkward...and so I worry alone. But I know God's holding me, I know he's watching over me, telling me to feel secure in his love, to trust HIS plan and HIS love; he's never going to abandon me, he's going to be holding my hand every step through this pregnancy, and beyond. There's such a reassurance I find in God and his word. Reading through my Bible, I see how it's a story of a father and his children, and how it shows the many struggles that occur in that relationship, but how faithfulness, trust, and above all, love make that relationship grow and persevere. It's seeing God get frustrated at his children out of love, and seeing him continually coming to their rescue. It's knowing God sent us (me) something I can read and implement and that I can know will be a plan following in his ways. I pray I can teach this sweet bundle how amazing our Lord is, how a life serving him is so much more fulfilling than anything else they could dream up, that having a relationship with our Lord will get them through so much more than even their relationship with me will get them through. I'm praying they'll see Christ working in themselves, and will choose to show that love (hence Christ) to others. I'm seeing how important my job is (and is going to be)...and I'm knowing God is guiding us each day.

It's amazing to know I have such a wonderful husband who is "on the same page" as me regarding raising our children. He (as well as I) feel we need to start putting our desires into actions as soon as possible. We pray over our bundle everyday, I sing to it (and yes...I know our bundle doesn't have ears yet...;) and yes, it's usually when I'm alone! ), I talk about God with it and Brandon always talks to my stomach (it's the cutest thing!)...we do this so from the instant it can hear us...it's hearing of God and his love. I want our child to be immersed in the word and the amazing beauty of Christ's love...how exciting it is to talk about all of this!

In other news, Brandon and I signed a contract for a house Monday! This is our first house and we are just SO excited! It's a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath house with a great yard for Huck and Annie (since their world is soon to be flipped upside-down!), and we just can't praise God enough! We've been looking since before we got married and just can't believe God's timing in all of this. He knew. We didn't. But he showed us once again how faithful he is. So we're set to have a house inspection this Saturday and, providing all goes well, we'll close on the 31st, paint and re floor the house the next few days after that, and then move in!

Well I know this has been quite an update and if you're still reading at this point, know prayers for our sweet bundle are so appreciated! Know we think of all our friends and family while we're going through so many new transitions and can't wait to show our bundle to so many wonderful faces!

Per Memaw's Inquiry... :)

Here are some recent pictures of our kiddos (namely, last night). They were pretty tired and ready for bed, as were we!


Huck's really ready to go to sleep!


Being sweet friends.


They love being together.





With the husband


Annie's so, so tired!

Better Late than Never

Whew...I'm so behind on blogging! It' s been just over two weeks, but, as always, things are busy here at the Lehrmann household! (And whew, that was A LOT of commas in one sentence...that couldn't be grammatically correct, could it?) As I said, things here have been busy and boy, has Satan ever been working hard on us. We've had so much hurt, frustration, and sadness running through our house that it's been hard to stay above Satan's mounting waters. Sometimes it sure does seem like it all gets thrown on you at once, doesn't it? This time of year is also bittersweet in our household as well, as we have sad remembrances but are also so excited to see the weather changing! Speaking of the weather changing, isn't it awesome how cool it's getting outside? Brandon went to take the pups out and called me to come outside the other night. Wow! It had to be somewhere between 50-60 degrees (or so it felt!) and was such a great reminder that fall is rolling in. I'm so excited to get to start bringing out all the fun sweaters and coats to wear and start cooking stews and pies...yum!

In other news, we were so blessed to be a part of our friends Matt and Emily's son Jackson's first birthday! This sweet little guy is such a miracle and it was so great to see him open presents and especially to watch him dive into a big cupcake with icing, hands first! He's such a tough guy, and has some awesome parents. Too fun.

I've got some time to flex at work this week, so I'm looking to work half-days Thursday and Friday. I'm prety excited since Brandon's also looking to take the half-day Friday with me. It'll be so nice to get to spend the afternoon off with him. He's really earned the afternoon too, work has been somewhat long and hard as of recent, but he's so good about getting in and getting done what needs completion. I just know he's also really looking forward to that afternoon to have the ability to do what he wants. :)

There are lots of prayers that are being said at our house, prayers for lots of friends that are dealing with so many different types of ordeals and for peace for them and that they feel God's presence and direction in what they're dealing with. We're also sending prayers up in our house for patience, understanding, and peace. It's comforting to know there's a greater God listening to our words and that he already knows our needs. I sometimes wish though, that I could crawl into our father's lap and just know things will be ok. Won't Heaven be awesome?

Free

Ever heard the song "Free" by Ginny Owens? It's pretty good. I heard it the other day while driving (although I've heard it many times before) and it really gave me such a sense of reassurance. It was as if it was God speaking through the song to give me that extra knowing that he's working and conviction that I truly sometimes (more often than not, sad to say) make a bigger deal of things than need be. The last couple months have been a trying time for Brandon and me, not as far as our marriage and relationship go, but in terms of seeking God's will for us and figuring out what direction we need to be heading. We've spent many nights sitting on our loveseat, just talking and praying together about making sure that any decision we come to is to fulfill God's will and not our own. I think we're starting to move in a certain direction and it appears as if God's clearing things in that direction for us to move in, so we're very prayerful that this is where he's intending for us to go.

It's so amazing to think about God and his love for us. We visited friends this weekend in Farmer's Branch and had the most wonderful time. Kristin and Chris just found out they'll be having a sweet bundle of joy due the beginning of April, so it's so exciting and humbling to see the way they talk about their future parental roles. We were able to visit their church Sunday and wow, it was amazing. From the moment we walked in to the moment we stepped out, we were surrounded by warm welcomes and inspiring messages. I have to be honest, I was so moved by the entire experience and the authenticity these people projected. I cried silent tears through most of the service, and even Brandon commented how he was moved to tears several times. The passion and conviction that was conveyed through Sunday's message was something we needed to hear and needed to really let sink into our souls. I'll say more later, but for right now, from this message we really began to see where God was leading us and what priorities we needed to have at the forefront of our lives.

What a blessing to have Monday off! Brandon and I really enjoyed taking our time getting up this morning, however at 6:20 this morning when Brandon got up briefly, I quickly asked if it was time to get ready...he just laughed and told me to go back to sleep. :) How nice to sleep in once and awhile!

Well, I'll be in Dallas all the rest of the week, so this means a little bit longer days with leaving the house at 6:30 and coming in around 6:30 that evening. I've already started to make meals for the next couple days though, so we'll be ready to eat dinner once I get in!

I hope everyone's having a positive start to their week, what with having the start be a great day to relax! Enjoy yours!

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right

I've had a decently busy last week or so. I've been in Cleburne all last week and will be for the remainder of this week before going back to training in Dallas next week. I've been busy copying files (as we now use the term of endearment in our house, "Copy Girl") for case mediations and adoptions, been to placement visits, taken sweet kiddos to get immunized, and get to go to mediation today on a case where a father learns that his kids won't be coming home to him. I'm not sure how I feel about all that. It's crazy to think I'm walking in a room, the same room as this father, although I'm walking out having learned a process of my job, and he walks out learning his kids aren't coming back. But, it is what it is, and I can't allow myself to delve into that any more than that. We're also moving into a new office Thursday, where I'll have my own office and all that jazz! Moving's never a smooth process and by the looks of what's been going on around here, that notion is pretty dead-on.

Brandon and I were able to have some down-time last week, which was such a blessing for us! We really enjoyed being able to just talk about some things and really lay them out. It's so nice when you're able to run with an idea. We also found out Friday that our dear friends Chris and Kristin are expecting! We're so excited for them, they're going to be such amazing parents. I have to laugh when I see how I'm surrounded by so many pregnant women, both in my personal life as well as professional (there were seven women pregnant in my office when I started), but it's so neat to see the miracle of life all around you! I know that will be such a blessing to Brandon and me when we start having a family of our own later on.

This weekend we went to Temple to see our wonderful friends, Adam and Alisha and their two sweet boys. It was so much fun to be able to hang around and visit, as we were able to stay the night this time. Our visit consisted of playing in a corn field to playing cards, going to a wonderful Bible class and worship service and having some fantastic Mexican food, with all kinds of random fun in between. It was relaxing for us, and we enjoyed it so much.

I've been really debating so many things right now that are going on in my and Brandon's personal life. We have so many decisions and choices in front of us and we're really seeking out what God's plan is for our family. It's hard to know that no choice is 100% win and that in any we will miss out on something, but we know in the end, our goal is to do what pleases God and what is best for our relationship. I wish I could go into details, but at this point, I really can't, but please be praying for us as we continue to seek counsel in each other and in our Father. We're hoping to make a decision soon so we can move forward with life.

I guess maybe that's why I feel some sense of tension. I know it'll be alright, I'm assured of that, it's just coming to that end that can be nerve-racking sometime. But I know that each morning, when I see that sun a comin', that everything is alright.

1 Day Total Is...

$10.84. I know, I went over 84 cents, but Brandon just laughed when I told him how sorry I was. He said as long as I stayed under a dollar, we're good. :) Dinner tonight was southwest chicken and broccoli and cheese bake. Tomorrow is chicken and veggie pasta. This is fun!

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

Ok, so the title really has nothing to do with anything I'm writing about. Truth be told, Brandon and I were just sitting here bouncing off catchy titles for this blog post and he mentioned trains of some sort and behold, the title came to me. This week seemed so long for both Brandon and me for some odd reason. I went to training in Arlington all week, which can sometimes make it seem long, but the days just seemed to go by so slowly. However, this week was wonderful and brought much good conversation.

Brandon and I have been going over our plan for the next several weeks, and we're realizing what a wonderful opportunity this is to really experience humility. I don't think I always realize what a luxury it is to have the opportunity to go out to eat or grab a coffee if I so choose and how tempting it is to go when others are all going! I really experienced this at work this week when we would break for lunch. Everyone would go out to get something to eat and I would be the sole person left in the room, going to grab and heat up my lunch that I brought from home. It amazed me and humbled me by how tempted I was at first to just leave my lunch in the fridge and go get something as well. It wasn't even that I needed it or even really wanted it, just knowing that everyone else was bringing in food and that I knew we could financially, was a force by Satan I didn't quite expect. I was figuring out the menu and grocery list for next week and I am so excited to try some new recipes! This is going to be such a wonderful journey for us to experience together. We talked earlier this week about how blessed we are by what all we have and how so many (including us at times) feel living on ten dollars a week for groceries is insane, but we then realize how much of the rest of the world lives on less than a dollar a day. It really starts to put things into perspective when you look at it that way.

Well, here are some fun pictures from the past week showing a little of what's been going on at the Lehrmann household, enjoy!

Brandon in his spot at home.

Yummy mandarin orange cake!

Some of what we have to work with.

Some more. (Yes, lots of tuna thanks to Memaw and Pepaw!)

They're too sweet and supply us with so much. :)

Some baking goods.

Brandon playing his game.

Ha, our sweet Annie. She never looks at the camera! This is a treat!

The sweet guy, Huck.

These are the books our family has been reading this week!

Well, I've read the first two in the line, Brandon's read them all.

Some of the work I've been doing regarding our meals.

GREAT book if you ever know someone who's in true need.

Looking for an edger!

Fridge, anyone?

Our Annie brought this into the house...we couldn't

believe we actually had a butterfly in our home. It was so beautiful.

Different paint colors with tile.

The sister with the pups after spending the weekend with us.

Let the Countdown begin!

Brandon and I are starting something today. We've finished our book, "The Shrewd Christian" and have jointly decided to try an exercise mentioned in the book, "100 Days to Shrewdness." For us, it will mean going back to our Denton days of spending $10 (that's right, ten) on groceries a week for the next three months and not eating out at all. It also means cutting out all higher priced entertainment. Also writing down every expense for the first 40 days to see where our money is really going. Oh, and no shopping for moi. :) We're so excited! This is allowing us the ability to save some extra money to put towards a higher payment for things we are still paying off and focus to direct towards activities that don't cost money. It also gives me the opportunity to really get creative in the kitchen! This is something we are going in with a prayerful heart on and the hope of having a better appreciation for all the extras we have in life. Who knows, Brandon said we might implement a lot of this into our regular routine. We'll also start paying things off much faster, which is so exciting! Not that we have very many things to pay off, but we do have both our cars and my student loan. According to my sweet husband's calculations, we will be completely debt-free in about a year and a half...yay!

So please pray for us as we start our journey...100 days to shrewdness! :)

Feeling full...

No, I'm not feeling full from food...ok, that's a lie, I am. We ate at Cotton Patch tonight to celebrate Meme's birthday, and yes, I'm full. Still. But it was SO very good. And always nice to see everyone. Although I was unsure as to how the night would end, as Meme almost had a heart attack when the servers came out singing "Happy Birthday" to her. But she managed. She's tough. :)

Michelle surprised us yesterday by seeing if she could come down and spend the weekend with us. It's a change from how things usually go, as she's usually very opposed to coming down at all, but after sorting things out (i.e. I had to go to Cedar Hill twice yesterday to pick-up/take back a child for a visit and had no idea when I would get back to then go up to Denton), she had a friend bring her down. After cooking a dinner of tortellini with ground turkey and mushrooms (yum) and double chocolate cookies for dessert, we all just relaxed and enjoyed the quiet of our Friday evening. I love nights where you don't have anything in particular to do or anywhere in particular to be. I read for awhile, showed my sister some plans I had done for some renovating we're planning around our place, and watched a little TV with my sister and husband before falling asleep. A nice Friday evening.

This morning I woke up about 8 (oh how nice to sleep until 8!) and made some homemade whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes for everyone. We sat around, eating and discussing the day, which included a planned trip to IKEA for some ideas on renovations. We got dressed and left about 10 and didn't get there until 11:30 or so...I had no idea it took that long to get there! But it was fun to get some reading done and just enjoy being in loved ones company. When we got to IKEA, Brandon and I had already formulated a plan for what we were looking for and we found some great stuff along with some fantastic ideas for items we can make ourselves! Michelle had never been there, so she was just in shock of so much stuff in one place. We know the feeling. This was only our second time there.

And yes, this all brings me to my original point in the title. Brandon and I have been reading this book called "The Shrewd Christian." Wait. It's not a negative thing. (or maybe you didn't think that, but I sure did when I heard the title at first) It's this WONDERFUL book that talks about money and how to get the most out of life while spending the least. It has brought such a wonderful perspective on money to our lives! It focuses so much on the fact that how you spend is important. Jesus spoke on money quite a bit, as well as the fact that money and how it should be handled is spoke on more than just about any other topic in the Bible. I won't go into all the details of the book, but I strongly recommend reading it. It speaks of ways to live frugally (in monetary terms) while becoming debt-free (VERY important!) and truly enjoying life. We recently decided to stay where we live currently for a few more years as a result of studying the differences, benefits, etc. and are now looking at renovating our place to make it feel more homey and more like ours. But we're also seeing how many things we can do ourselves, and how having projects to do together is such a benefit to our marriage as well as to our checkbook! We've been talking and praying so much this week and it has just been such a blessing to see how our view of things is shifting. We're realizing what we want will not be completed in a day, but that it will be a process, but it is one we are both commiting to see through.

Well, my body's needing its rest and I have to wake up early to make breakfast, so I better sign off, but please keep our plans and the plans God's laying down for us in your prayers. Oh, and please pray for my sister, Michelle. While that issue is too much (to write and emotionally) to get into here, just know I ask for prayers for her and prayers for Brandon and me in relation to her.

Night!

New York, New York...

Whew! What a crazy couple weeks we've had here at the Lehrmann household! But really, how I've been seeing God working hard in my life as well, and that's something I've been really praying for/about.

I've been having training for my job still, with one week in Cleburne, one week in Arlington, and then this week I'm in Cleburne, all set to go back to Arlington next week. It hasn't been the most fun, commuting back and forth, especially when I so want to have dinner ready for Brandon when he gets home, but he's been so good about waiting (especially since when I'm in Arlington, I don't get home until after he's been home for an hour). Fortunately, training's over come the end of September, so just a couple more months and I'll be in one place!

My sister Michelle got into a wreck a week and a half ago, so we've been consoling and give her guidance as to how to deal with this situation since then. It's been difficult to not mother her through this situation, but as Brandon reminds me, I have to set boundaries as far as roles go with her and me and with her and us (Brandon and me). But thankfully, she seems as if she's managing things, so thankfully (and prayerfully!), this situation will soon resolve itself.

My sister-in-law Lindsey took off for the Big Apple yesterday and we are so excited for her! She came home last Thursday night and from Friday to Monday, we spent every evening over there, enjoying the moments we could with her. Sunday evening, the whole family threw her an amazing Tony/Oscar party, complete with the red carpet and all and it was so awesome to have everyone together, all sending wishes of hope for Lindsey. And the gifts! They were too cute! My mother-in-law had said to get her gag-gift-type presents and I had such a field day picking out fun (yet some practical) gifts for her. We got her a toy gun (for protection!), a pedometer (her own personal trainer), hand sanitizer (after riding those subways all day!), a cool lava lamp nightlight (as a security system), a jar of cherries (her first groceries- and she loves them anyway), and much, much more including a wooden star I painted gold and wrote her name in caligraphy in black on (so she can have her own star hanging on her door!). She started a blog before she left and after Brandon and I read her first entry, we felt this was such a wonderful thing for her to be doing (not that we didn't before, we just didn't realize how much she included God in her decision). You'll have to read it, I've tagged her blog on the side of my own for anyone who wishes to read it.

Monday Brandon and I called in to work (yep, we're rebels) to have a much needed day to ourselves. Our weeks are usually so filled with meetings, appointments and get-togethers with friends (which we DO love!), we sometimes forget to check in with each other. This day was such a blessing for us, as we talked over so many wonderful issues. We talked about how much we desire to actively seek God each day, about our finances (I know that may not sound fun, but it really was!) and how we can make certain changes in our lifestyle to free up opportunities to glorify God so much more, we focused on our marriage and our desires for it, children and our plans for them (so much fun), and how we need to sometimes feel free to say no to certain activities and say yes to being in prayer with God more. I can't express fully how at peace I felt that night as I slipped into my bed! God is so good and I am so motivated by all we discussed and planned!

So here are some fun pictures from our past couple weeks, enjoy!

The two kiddos; they get along so well!

Our little Annie and her very pink tongue.

That's right!

All of her wonderful gifts!

Yep, she didn't have a clue.

Can you tell?

Us with the sister. We may love New York, but we love Lindsey more!

Haha.

Linz with the sweet in-laws.

Linz and Brandon (they each have a half of a necklace with a scripture from Genesis on it)

Linz around all her gifts.

And the award goes to...

Ha! Our funny, funny Annie wearing the sunglasses Lisa bought for her...too cute.

patience...

It amazes me how certain activities catch on and others don't. I would've never dreamed I'd start blogging, but here I am, trying on this new found hobby. So here goes...

Our weekend was went pretty well. My sister came in from Denton on Thursday evening and stayed through Sunday afternoon. It was so good to see her and get the opportunity to just "catch up," as we do once a month when one of us goes to see the other. There was nothing ultra special that we did, we just watched certain TV shows that she enjoys together, cooked together (one of my fave things to do!), and in general, just did the normal around-the-house activities. But it was so good. I've been praying for her so intently for the last couple years, praying she'll come to see how apparent God is in her life and what an awesome plan he has in store for her, but I know that all things come in Michelle's time and, more importantly, in God's time, not my own. Sometimes it's so hard to really accept that I have no control over when (or even if, I suppose) she comes to Christ, but then I feel the Spirit's reassurance that this is in God's hands and that he is in control.

Michelle also had the opportunity of meeting the new addition to our family, Annie. We got Annie 11 days ago from the shelter and she has come to fit in so well at our house! We were nervous if she and Huck would get along, but they play and wrestle with each other all day...such a fun surprise for Brandon and me to come home to. There's not much we've come to enjoy more than being together, watching the two of them play. Here's some pictures of the new one and our sweet boy, Huck.

Our two little ones resting by Brandon.

This is our new girl, Annie.

Our sweet boy, Huck.

In other news, Brandon and I are continuing to look for a house. We're not sure what God has in store for us, as we've been looking since we got married and have yet to find anything, but we know he hears our petitions and prayers for reassurance and guidance, so I know at some point, he'll unveil his purpose for us.

This patience thing is sometimes harder than it looks though! :)

My new job is going well, there's lots of training, but it's good. I feel like this is such a good fit for me and am praying I can do my utmost while working here. There are good days and bad with the circumstances that surround my job, but I'm so blessed to have Brandon who understands and is willing to listen and a Lord who hears me constantly.

Brandon's birthday is Saturday so we're going to Sundance Square in Fort Worth on Friday to eat, stay over, and go around town Saturday. We're really looking forward to it! Here's a picture of the birthday boy...enjoy!

Isn't he handsome?

Well, this weekend should be so much fun and yay for us! We don't have any plans for next weekend! We've been so bad about being so busy every day that we don't hardly get time to sit and talk and have impromptu get-togethers with friends, so this coming weekend will be a real blessing. Weekend's almost here (well, almost), prayers for a safe and fun-filled one!