Our Berry Amazing Journey

catching up...

2012-02-16T22:18:00.000-05:00

THIS CHALLENGE HAS BEEN FAILED (must read in your most robot like voice)....I can only imagine why I've failed. A sick 16month old with the flu and a dbl ear infection along with a 33 wk pregnant flu stricken momma= who care's about the blog. Of course this all started on a weekend when John had no choice but to be at work for a huge event on Saturday & then had his normal Sunday responsibilities. I don't know if you've noticed, but this picture is pretty accurate...

The world definitely keeps revolving when momma is sick. So, I've had no time to keep up with the picture thing. My ability to balance it all has definitely flown out the window.

But right now Channing is running around the upstairs between his room, his brothers room & the playroom while momma lays on the playroom guestbed and seeks some relaxation through blogging & pinterest.

so....

Day 9: Front Door

I've really wanted to make one of those cutesy wreaths off pinterest for Valentines day, but you know it's one of those wants vs. needs & really I don't need it. So, it's just some something I've had for a while & CONFESSION...I put it up the day I knew I had to take my front door picture. My front door has been naked since Christmas stuff came down. I realized during my front door "setup" that I need to find a winter wreath or I need to make one OR the door can just stay naked. Who really cares?

DAY 10: Self portrait.....

I'm not really one of those self portrait kinda gals. You won't find my facebook loaded up with pics that I've taken of myself by holding my phone an arms length away. Yeah, it's just not me. PLUS, I would be EMBARRASSED for anyone to see the condition this momma has been in for the last week during all this sickness. My pj's & a hair tie have been about it. But here is a picture of the growing part of me at 33 weeks. (WHOA..is all I can say to that!)

Day 11: makes me happy...

The other night we couldn't go to small group so we hung out in the livingroom as a family in our FORT! SO.MUCH. FUN. Gosh, I love having these boys!

Day 12: (deviating from the original list) Ya'll don't want to see my side of the closet.

Day 13: BLUE dinosaur pjs on my boy & his daddy's boots from when he was little.

DAY 14: LOVE.

This was a display of LOVE for my man...a homemade skillet apple pie!

God's been teaching me alot about LOVE too! I got was blessed to serve some of my sweet friends who have husbands deployed, widows in our church & single mommas with a little gift of love.

It really is a blessing to bless others & when you're being obedient, I've always found that blessing follows. After a week of unexpected dr/prescription bills being figured into our budget, I almost didn't do this little act of love but decided to make the sacrifices to make it happen. Can I just brag on God????? He put it on someone's heart to hand me not just what I paid for the project but DOUBLE what I paid. She had no idea. BLEW MY MIND YA'LL. BLEW MY MIND.

Day 8: SUN

2012-02-08T19:48:00.000-05:00

The SUN is such an incredible reminder that HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY SINGLE MORNING (Lam 3:23).

Lately I've been running around to doctors appointments, church meetings, cooking 3 meals a day, washing the dishes for those meals, TRYING to keep up with washing clothes for 3(how do they pile up so quickly?), TRYING to serve my neighbors, TRYING to be intentional about my time in the word, TRYING to take care of myself (i'm the last one that I tend to remember to take care of), TRYING to keep a house clean, TRYING to maintain a marriage, TRYING to maintain a tight budget, TRYING to be a good pastor's wife, TRYING to be all that I feel like I'm called/expected/wanted to be.....TRYING, TRYING, TRYING.

I'm so grateful for the WORD. I tend to appreciate it more & more each day. With each sunrise I realize my need for more & more of God's WORD.

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?

Come to me. Get away with me & you'll recover your life.

I'll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it.

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Day 7: Dinner

2012-02-07T19:57:00.000-05:00

We LOVE dinner time. We make it a point every night except Wednesday, due to church, to eat dinner together. Channing has come to expect it & will rarely eat unless we are sitting & eating too. I actually love that!

So here's tonight's dinner pic. It was scrumpdidlyumptious! (even if I do say so myself)

Day 6: SHOCKER

2012-02-07T13:08:00.000-05:00

Those of you reading this & following the February picture challenge may have a puzzled look on your face. No, day 6 on the list wasn't listed as shocker. However, I messed up and that's the SHOCKER (sarcasm, just in case you missed it)! I myself am not the least bit surprised at my lack of 'put togetherness' that I feel in my life that has now boiled over onto my blog, so why hide it. Yesterday I totally thought all day that it was button day. I had thought it through, brainstormed some creative ideas & was totally on the wrong day.

SO.... here's DAY 6: cute as a "BUTTON" (guess, tonight will be dinner for this Berry Amazing Journey)

Yesterday I got to babysit a friends sweet little 14 month old daughter, Sadie. My sweet little Chanchan was overwhelmed with glee all day long! Sometimes I just giggle at how God created him to love others. Another testament in my mind that he's not created to be an only child which thrills my heart to death because it continues to affirm for me that no matter what doctors say, God is in CONTROL! It also makes me very excited for when his baby brother gets to the place where he can play & I get to see that joy everyday!

So here's a few shots of my cute little darlings from yesterday.

Day 5: 10 AM

2012-02-05T22:23:00.000-05:00

Day 4:Stranger

2012-02-04T18:10:00.000-05:00

I only got out once today & I just couldn't bring myself to take a picture of a random stranger. It's just tough & you never know how they are going to act, BUT....

"There's a stranger in my house"... (maybe you know the song, maybe you don't)

Ever since about November a new person has entered my home. His appearance has continued to change over the months to this burly mountain man before your eyes! He started this because his buddy Ben, currently deployed to Afghanistan, had to grow out his beard & he has continued it in honor of him.

Luckily he's only strange on the outside. Glad I know the inside hasn't changed!

Day 3: HANDS

2012-02-03T18:03:00.001-05:00

These hands are:

adventurous

musical

loving

growing

curious

strong

helpful

capable

playful

Day 2: WORDS

2012-02-02T21:14:00.001-05:00

Seriously, this has me surviving right now. Surviving. Not this particular scripture, but scripture in general. Seems no matter how hard I try to be obedient to God's word the stinkin' sin & flesh that I have wins at times. UGH...hate that. BUT I'm grateful for God's word and that it does encourage me to keep working towards becoming more like Christ daily.

Tonight at a meeting a friend shared how God has really been speaking to her through 1 Corinthians 13. I know we've all heard it but have you thought of it in regard to your fellow man, not just the one you love or a wedding? If God's second greatest command was to love my neighbor as myself, than I might want to review this. DAILY. HOURLY.

What if we really did love like this? REALLY? Wouldn't it make everything easier. Pretty sure this will be my next pinterest project (well, not this one but something with the scripture on it). There's a a few of those on that list that I just. don't. do. So, i don't love. That's so hard to chew when you really get right down to it.

Accepting the Challenge

2012-02-01T21:29:00.000-05:00

My sister issued a challenge...you can read about it here. I'm going to face the challenge. I'm not sure that I'll be successful, but I will try!

DAY 1

This is my sweetness reading a book. Not only is he reading a book, but he's reading it to his baby brothers dog, Scruffy. He goes into the nursery and will ask for the dog. After his nap he took the dog, climbed into his rocker & began to read. Sweet moments.

TAGGED...

2012-02-01T15:43:00.002-05:00

I was tagged, so I thought I would play along.

{The Rules}
1. You must post the rules.
2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.
4. Tag eleven people and link them on your post
5. Let them know you've tagged them!

11 Fun Facts about me...

1. My real name is Pepper. REALLY? YES, really. Often times in college I would have to show my license because people didn't believe me.
2. I have a scar under my chin from a bicycle wreck when I was little.
3. I've never broken a bone. The first time I ever stayed in a hospital was when I had my first son.
4. I love to be creative. Making something and seeing the finished project really makes me excited.
5. I enjoy giving gifts. I used to be so much better at this when I worked full time & our family budget consisted of TWO incomes. Not so good at it anymore. MUST IMPROVE AT THIS.
6. I enjoy receiving gifts & I get completely GIDDY when I get a gift. I think I'm a pretty good gift receiver with jumping up & down, squealing....the whole nine yards. P.S. It doesn't have to be new stuff either. A box of hand-me-down clothes from my buddies whose boys have outgrown them rocks my face off now that I have two boys of my own!
7. I really enjoy a sappy chic flick. You know, the ones that are so predictable.
8. In high school I was a princess; Carolina Carousel Princess. I really was chosen by default, I think, but it's interesting a that a special man in my life was in another place praying for a wife that had A) a different name & B) was a princess. SO COOL!
9. I LOVE teaching. Originally I thought that I loved teaching kids and while that is enjoyable, the demands of the state within a classroom are wacked out so I"m totally done with that & have found my true passion is teaching God's word to kids, to ladies, to my son....whoever will listen. I don't know that I'm gifted in it, but I do love it! Anytime I have an opportunity to speak I go for it & I totally miss the ladies bible study that I did this past fall.
10. I used to spend ~~alot~~ ridiculous amount of money on stuff; clothes, shoes, household items, but I've really learned that NONE of that is necessary & I've been giving stuff away left & right. That "stuff" really isn't fulfilling anyway.
11. I LOVE eating out. Not having to plan the meal, buy the groceries, or clean up afterward just makes me so stinkin' happy.

Your 11 Questions:

1. What is your favorite book? and why? I really love Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. The story of Gomer & Hosea written and aligned with the love that Christ has for me is so incredible. I might need to get it out and read it again!

2. What is your favorite holiday? I love Christmas, especially now with my own family and the traditions that we are creating. One of my favorite parts of Christmas are doing stockings and buying/making our yearly ornament!

3. Where would be your dream vacation? I love waterfalls. I just think they are so beautiful. I would love to take a trip around the world and see the biggest & most beautiful waterfalls known to man.

4. What do you like most about your spouse? He loves me. That's really selfish isn't it, but I have no doubt, even on the hardest days. My man loves me with an unfailing love. I do love his stinkin' loud laugh too (even when he is laughing at his own corny jokes)

5. What was the last movie you watched? We Bought a Zoo. SO CUTE!

6. What would you say is your best quality? um, can I skip this question..please??? Let's see....I"m honest. Not all people would say that is a good quality. Guess it depends on what end of the honesty they have been on. I mean, why beat around the bush or fake how you really feel?

7. If you could have any super power, what would it be? Some kind of lighting speed ability. Can you imagine how quickly I could complete laundry or housework?

8. What is your favorite time of day? I love mornings. I'm a morning person; one of those weird ones that my feet hit the floor BEFORE the alarm goes off. Strange, right?

9. What is your favorite smell? (weird i know) I love the smell after rain. My sweet man pointed this smell out to me years ago & now I never miss it!

10. Favorite hot drink? Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea made skinny, no milk. whipped cream & caramel, please! Thanks sister for introducing me to this!

11. If you could speak another language fluently what would you pick? Spanish. I know a little, but I'm not fluent.

People:
Nicole

Jacqui
Leah

Your 11 ?'s
1. Where's your favorite place to shop?
2. What's your favorite scripture?
3. What's the hardest lesson you've ever had to learn?
4. Morning person or night owl?
5. Favorite indulgence?
6.What's your favorite meal to prepare?
7.If you could spend the day with anyone, who would it be & why?

8. What do you wish you had known when you were younger that you know now?
9. Who has influenced your life the most?
10. What's one of the best item you use (makeup, cleaner, etc) that you think EVERYONE should know about?

our growing fella

2012-01-23T21:48:00.000-05:00

He's so interested in being a big boy. Who am I to argue?

INCREDIBLE DADDY

2012-01-22T14:17:00.000-05:00

Daddy's are so important. I've always known this, but the more I see John with Channing, the more I am amazed at the difference that he makes in the life of his son. Last night we watched Courageous & the opening scene depicts a man running after his stolen truck & fighting the thief until he crashes. You're mind leaves you thinking it's for his vehicle, but you learn that his youngest son is in the back of the car. In the next scene a couple of fathers are discussing if they would have risked their lives to do that. REALLY? I have no doubt what John would have done & I sat there for a minute just grateful for a man that would willingly give up his life for his family.

As the movie went on I was overwhelmed by so many different things. The feeling of loss that I have experienced because I didn't have a daddy in my life for the majority of my years. But what this world meant for bad, God has used for good. There is still a void there & I miss my daddy, but God has given me so much. AND that's what I began to focus on.

MY BOYS ARE SO BLESSED! They have an INCREDIBLE daddy & I have an INCREDIBLE husband! I am so thankful for that. John does so much for our family & is such a wonderful leader. He is loving, caring, & compassionate beyond what I can believe sometimes. After long working days he comes home & steps right into working in the home with me. He'll do dishes, laundry, floors....gosh, he'll do it all if I need him to & the biggest thing is I NEVER have to ask him. He knows he's a busy man so he's made scheduled nights to work in the house & "nest" with me. Love that! He'll just stare at Channing and speak life and blessing into his little heart. Channing just sits there taking it all in. He will correct him when he's disrespectful to me. He works hard, sometimes even on his days off to provide all that we need. Not only does he do all this, but he does it for God's glory and not his own. WHAT A BLESSING my man is!

The other day he came home for lunch & I was blown away at how he could just read me & my body language and my need for his help with Channing. It had been a "trying" day. Y'all know what I mean? The days when you are TRYING to walk in the spirit in your responses to your children, but they are SERIOUSLY just pushing, pushing, pushing. (don't judge, just being honest) Anyway, I look around because it got real quiet & they were both gone. John had taken him up (without me asking .... gosh that does so much for my heart) & was putting him down for his nap! I was so thankful! After putting the baby to bed and heading out to the office he reminded me, " You don't have to parent alone, babe." HALLELUJAH! I'm so thankful for this man! I told him too! So many women have husbands in their homes & they STILL parent alone, but PRAISE JESUS that I am not one!

JB, you are an incredible husband & daddy & we love you very, very, very much!

Pepper, Channing & Xander (this sweet thing has no idea how blessed he is!)

Christmas

2012-01-07T21:32:00.000-05:00

Nothing can explain how you feel as a parent when you see the joy in your child's eyes like this:

He enjoyed it...don't you think??

sick day

2011-12-15T08:21:00.000-05:00

Chan Man has been sick & momma found something for him to do that thrilled his soul!

Spontaneity

2011-12-11T08:20:00.000-05:00

I think every mother of small children would say they have lost their drive to be spontaneous, if it was ever part of who they were. Hillary & I would agree! BUT, last week we decided to run with a crazy plan. We loaded the boys up in the afternoon despite the fact that they had not had naps and drive to the zoo and take advantage of a warm December day and our season passes! We giggled the whole way about our excitement over being willing to do something so out of character for both of us. Hillary had been gone for 6 weeks visiting family, friends & enjoying Jake's R & R, so we had lots to catch up on & it was so much fun! She is one of my closest friends & I am so very grateful for her and the blessing she has been in my life!

Recent fun around our home.

2011-12-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

Channing saw me at the table the this week making a list. He wanted to sit and write as well. He sat in that spot for 45 minutes drawing!

His first masterpiece....

We went out to a Christmas parade the other night with friends. He was enthralled with the lights and sounds.

An Encounter....

2011-12-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

We won't be telling Channing that Santa is real, but he took notice of the fella at the mall the other day. So cute!

Time of Thanks

2011-12-06T11:45:00.000-05:00

EPHESIANS 5:20

Always giving thanks to God the Father for Everything...

We've had a wonderful November celebrating and remembering all that we are thankful for. I want to create something that will be a constant reminder of daily thanksgiving. I'm going to hunt that down. I'm sure PINTEREST would have something!

We had a great time celebrating with our family in Charlotte & in East Bend. Here's some pics. Lots of cousins, family time & growing families at that! Sweet niece number 3, Caroline, will be here soon! Can't wait to meet her & love her like I do Ella & Allie. And our sweet Berry #2 is growing, growing, growing!

I love these boys! I'm so grateful for John Berry. There isn't enough time for me to list all the blessings that he brings to my life! He's an incredible husband & daddy!

My sister Coley Berry! LOVE HER!

Nissi & her grandbabies.

Our growing bellies! Sweet cousins will be 3months apart.

B Berry & Papa John

Pappy, J Berry & Chan Chan

Pics from East Bend visit

Nana...his great grandmother.

Mimi & PopPop

CaMpInG...???

2011-11-14T16:39:00.000-05:00

It's finally fall around here:

A youth pastor's family always has opportunities for ~~crazy outings~~ ADVENTURES. That being said, one must learn that the youth pastor's wife doesn't always have to say YES!!! This is something that I seem to be learning the hard way. That stubbornness that I see in my toddler...guess he does get it from me! I guess I struggle between wanting time with my husband and attempting to be that adventurous mom of boys that I'm going to have no choice but to be. I've already decided, now that I know I will be outnumbered, that I'm not going to FIGHT them, I'm going to JOIN them! Of course my boys will have times that they will go out & about and do things that Mom can stay home from & enjoy bubble baths and a quiet house, BUT when the opportunity comes I will be ready for some adventure with my fellas. I'm thinking however, that I don't have to be so eager to get started. The time will come on it's own. Channing loved it on the first day when it was warm enough for him to play & run around. That night however, I did something I didn't think I would ever do...slept in my car. Not only that but slept in my car at 20 WEEKS PREGNANT!!!! Nuts, I tell you. I'm absolutely nuts! But, we made it through and came home the next morning. I MIGHT do it again when it's warmer, but it will take some serious thought before I agree.

Third BOY to steal my heart...

2011-11-04T15:36:00.000-04:00

My heart has been captured....

HE wants to say hi...

his sweet little profile...

and crossed little feet....

but finally HE revealed himself.

Not only that, but he's coming sooner than we thought. Looks like he'll be an Easter baby due the early part of April. If he's like his brother & comes early it might even be the end of March! My heart is overflowing with joy.

the little lion in our jungle...

2011-11-01T10:18:00.002-04:00

hard to believe he looked like this just last year...

a blessed fall day

2011-10-25T19:59:00.000-04:00

Today we were blessed with an opportunity to go to the pumpkin patch for FREE...such an amazing word! Actually, John got paid to go! That's even better. THANK YOU, JESUS for free family time & some more provision.

Now that Channing is a little older & walking around he LOVES being outside. Whether it's here in the yard or at church or ANYWHERE really, he is so happy when he's outside! He's got scratches and bumps & bruises already. A real boy in the making for sure! I sure do feel blessed to have this little fella in my life as my son. What an honor. What a privelege, to call myself his mommy. To be trusted with his little life for a season.

Celebrating 1

2011-10-18T18:58:00.000-04:00

It's so hard to believe that one year has come and gone....52 complete weeks. 365 days. They have flown by, right before my face and I really feel like I barely had time to blink. When I reflect on the years that it took to get our precious Channing, QUICK would not be an adjective that I would use to describe the grueling time of waiting. But, once he arrived it's as if the hands on the clock started moving at a ridiculous speed. How I wish that I could slow them down.

On Friday, we woke our sweet birthday boy with singing and celebrating and took him out to breakfast. Our boy ~~likes~~ LOVES to eat! I went to lead the ladies Bible study that I recently started and my boys headed over to walmart to play in the toy aisle and find exactly what Channing wanted. I thought it was precious that Daddy did this.

On Saturday, we had a big party planned so Friday was pretty low key. But all the fun was just around the corner. As the year came to a close, I told John that I wanted to celebrate Channing, of course, but I also wanted to celebrate those that had poured into us this past year. The ones that I had called for advice, gotten hand-me-downs from (thank you Lord for hand-me-downs...my kid would seriously be naked most of the time if it wasn't for them), those I called when he was sick & I had no idea what to do. You know, those that had really been through this year with us. I wanted them to know how grateful we were for their investment into our first year of parenting. So we made a list and invited 35 people with adults and kids all together and we were so grateful that they all came! I wrote each family a thank you card and attached it to some yummy homemade caramel corn. I wanted them to know how they had specifically touched our lives throughout that year. And then of course we fed them & entertained their kiddos for a few hours. It was a blast and such a blessing to have all of our "FAMILY", both blood & God given, together in one place to celebrate Channing's year. If there is one thing we have learned, it's that it truly does take a 'village'.

It was great day of celebration. We are so thankful to the Lord for all he has provided us with. Especially this little fella that we love so much!

After a little hiatus.....

2011-10-09T15:30:00.001-04:00

By looks of this blog, the Berry's have dropped off the face of the Earth. But, we haven't. We've just been so stinkin' busy with all that God has blessed us with! Since my last post in August we've.....

been smiling & growing....

eating new foods & becoming much more independent with meal time. He loves using a spoon & a fork.

climbing the steps & inviting everyone else to join in the fun....

getting the first haircut....

visiting the zoo for the first time...

he loved looking at the animals.

loving on daddy at a family reunion.

learning to play on his own in the backyard. He loves when the doors are open & he can go in & out.

visiting the pumpkin patch to celebrate FALL with friends!

practicing walking & walking & walking... he's taken a few steps on his own, 8-10 at a time, but he's not in the full swing of walking yet. So hard to believe he'll be ONE next week!

playing & canning with friends...

playing with cousins and grandparents...

and visiting the beach one. last. time.

Along with all of these fun adventures, we've started back student ministry for the fall in a new facility with almost 30 leaders & 100+ students. It's been really exciting to see God grow the student ministry at Liberty. John is continuing to lead the worship each week too and has 3 interns. I've started teaching the highschool girls Sunday school with friends & I'm leading a Women's bible study on Friday mornings. On Sunday nights, we LOVE our small group family time! It's one of the highlights of our week where we actually get to go to church together and we love the people we are "doing life with".

Oh, yeah.....In my spare time I've been growing this sweet thing...

despite how many times I tried & that it's not saved this way, the picture refused to turn.

So, as you can see, we've been quite busy! We're so grateful for all the Lord has blessed us with! Baby Berry 2 will be joining us in April! I will try to keep up better with things! Thanks to all my sweet friends who have been writing me to be sure we are ok and to check up on me due to my hiatus from here!

FUEL beach retreat

2011-08-10T22:31:00.001-04:00

I'm not gonna lie....we are still recuperating from all of our travels. On the 17th of July we loaded up 6 vehicles with teenagers, leaders & lots of food, luggage and plans and headed to the beach for a week long retreat. I cannot even begin to tell you how incredible the week was! God showed up and changed many of these kids lives. Our week revolved around FIGHTING THE TIDE. Each day we spent 3 hours in worship and prayer and had a different topic to discuss with the kids! Fighting the current of the world with our hearts, minds, mouths and our eyes & ears. On Wednesday when talking about our mouths, the Spirit really came and touched the hearts of our kids. It was incredible. The kids response was amazing. The reconciliation, the chains were being broken within the heart and mind, the life giving words that they were speaking to one another and that the leaders were able to share with the kids....it left us speechless. The kids were just as speechless. You could feel the Spirit of God in that place and you could see the change that occurred in our kids.

Personally, the week was one that was so very different for me. I have been a pastor's wife for 8 years now. I know how camp goes, the expectations for me, how to fill in the gaps..the list goes on. BUT this was the first year that I balanced being a momma and a pastor's wife and it was a bit TOUGH! Hope you can handle a little transparency. I struggled with how to maintain all that I have done in previous years, knowing that through serving those students, I was serving Christ. I had such a hard time not being able to do all that I knew I had done years before. BUT, the Lord revealed to me that I was doing EXACTLY what I was supposed to do. By serving my son and loving him, I was and continue to serve Christ by prioritizing time and energy for him, and sometimes that means things in my life change. It was so nice to make it through the week. It was hard, but God showed up and it was an amazing week with incredible students.

Group at the PUTT PUTT

We started the week out watching the miracle of the sun and being reminded of God's mercies that are new each and every day!

our sweet family

our little sailor

today..

2011-07-14T18:59:00.000-04:00

he...

is....

NiNe ...

mOnThS...

old!

AMAZING. ABSOLUTELY. AMAZING.

Monkey See...Monkey do

2011-07-12T20:16:00.000-04:00

We all know that children mimic what they see. It's so evident all over the place. I see it all the time in youth ministry. Kids whose parents have deep meaningful relationships with Christ also have more spirit led attitudes. Kids whose parents seem to be "Sunday Christians" also seem to have little desire to grow in God's word independent of force or manipulation.

I was slammed in the face with the fact that Channing already is a part of this "monkey see, monkey do" society. We were at my Aunt's house the other day (another event in June that I actually forgot) & she offered him a little play guitar that was in her building. His reaction was similar to that of a kid who loves lollipops! He reached for it & held on & wouldn't let go.

He sees his daddy with one all the time. Literally, one sits in the living room everyday & not many days go by that John isn't playing a guitar. He's sees him with it and wants to mimic that behavior.

Daily I am blessed with the sounds of a little 9 month old following in his daddy's footsteps with songs and praises! What a joy it is. I wish I could freeze time sometimes as he "sings" and plays.

It also brings you to a place of reflection....what do I need to remove that Channing or others might be imitating because they see it in me? Makes Ephesians 5:1 more real......"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children."

Where did it go???

2011-07-07T16:40:00.000-04:00

June came and went before I feel like I was even able to blink my eyes. In reality, we were so stinkin' busy that I'm not sure I had time to blink very much. We started out June at the beach with the Berry family & our sweet friends the Hardins. Those were the only pics I got posted during the month of June. One thing I didn't get to include was our ride on the ferry from Southport to Fort Fisher. It was such a fun little adventure for us & Channing loved being on the ferry.

This was the beginning of crawling at the beach, which he would master before too long. My sweet little 8 month old is crawling like crazy now & can go anywhere & everywhere!

Riding the ferry! He loved watching the water move & the birds fly.

We came home for two days and had our last FUEL with the student ministry before the summer started.

We had to say goodbye to sweet Kathy & Teresa, who have been such faithful volunteers in FUEL! They will definitely be MISSED!

Channing & Daddy enjoyed the water slide!

The next morning we headed back down to Carolina Beach with our SENIORS. We wanted to do something that they would remember. Usually John would buy the students a really nice study bible that can range from $80-100, but all these kids had been with us the entire time we have been here and we knew that they had a WORD that they use & really didn't need another one, so we loaded them up & took them on a trip to invest some time into them as they embark on a new adventure! It's been such a privilege to see these young people grow & mature in their faith! So glad some of them will be sticking around!

Such an amazing group of students who we know God is going to use. So thankful that at least three of these guys will be around next year to SERVE in FUEL!

After we returned with the Seniors we had a day to recoup & go to church to worship & then headed out with the 6th & 7th graders for their annual retreat to Boone, NC! We enjoyed a couple days of cool mountain air, hiking (some of them had NEVER done this before) & some great Bible study about loving God with all our heart, soul, mind & strength! Luke 10:27

They loved the big hike of 6 miles to Hunt Fish Falls!

Channing loved the hiking too!

Daddy's day was in there, too! We celebrated with John. What an awesome dad he is to Channing!

This is a picture of my sweet boys & VBS! Yes, we threw VBS into JUNE too!!!! Last count was 184 kids & 80+ volunteers! It was an awesome week of learning that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE with GOD!!!

Channing already follows in daddy's footsteps in his love for music. This little guitar is his absolute favorite toy! One day we were leaving for VBS & he was terribly upset. The only thing that made him stop was the guitar! It came along with us & he played it during the music....just like daddy! Kids really do mimic what they see!

Our FUEL band, led worship for VBS & gave us an amazing night of worship during June!I love these kids & that they use their gifts & talents for the Lord. Their commitment & dedication exceeds that of many adults. It's amazing to see how enthusiastic they are about worshiping their God & King!

During June our sweet 22 pound little boy moved to his BIG BOY car seat!

So, as you can see, we had AN UNBELIEVABLE month of JUNE! We're so blessed to be apart of all God has us doing right now! It's amazing what all you can accomplish when you are walking with him! Though we stumble, fall & fail at times, his GRACE is definitely sufficient for all we need.

the first of many...

2011-06-09T08:18:00.000-04:00

Our summer is CA-RA-ZY! Last week we started it off with another first...the BEACH!!! Chan Chan loved it! I'm so thankful that he adores the water. I haven't had time to edit the bazillion pics that I took & won't have time for a bit because we are headed back to the beach tomorrow the Seniors from the youth group. We'll be home a day to do laundry & worship at church & then will head to Boone, NC with the new 6th graders! Should be loads of fun! I'm so thankful for a precious, precious son that is so laid back and relaxed. I know I couldn't do this with just ANY kid! I seriously have counted my blessings so much! He did so well as we were hanging out at the beach with the family (more pics of that to come b/c I haven't had time to get them all loaded & edited) and then with friends! Such a great first memory of the beach!

Our sweet friends, the Hardins!

John has been dreaming of doing this just like his dad did with him when he was small.

The best $ I've ever spent! Channing took 2+ hour naps on the beach while momma soaked up the sun!

new adventures...

2011-06-01T10:17:00.000-04:00

Channing got to go swimming & camping recently. He LOVES the water and has already gone under quite a few times. He doesn't fuss or anything. It was so important to John that Channing love the water, because he loves it and when summer comes around we are in it alot. He's been to the lake and in the pool we have in the back yard and doesn't mind either one at all. I do think he likes the lake the best, because he can motor around in his float as he wishes because his feet can touch. He's quite independent. We are very excited to be taking him to the beach this week to add another first to the list. We are loving having all these new experiences with him. It's so much fun for us & him! We feel so blessed to be his parents. Enjoy the pics of our adventures.

Happy Birthday...

2011-05-22T21:11:00.001-04:00

HAPPY 31st BIRTHDAY to my precious JBERRY! Though I wasn't even born, I was so blessed 31 years ago and had no idea. John has been one of the biggest blessings of my life! He has taught me so much about life. There are so many things that I love about John, but here are a few....

He LOVES JESUS! This is a picture of him leading our students in worship. Can I just tell you that he has taught me so much about the Lord & how he loves. I have personally seen him grown in his own walk with the Lord. Not to many years ago John wouldn't have gotten on a stage to lead others in worship before our King & now he loves it. His heart and passion is to encourage families to take up a responsibility for the spiritual growth of their children. John has a passion that isn't like everyone elses. He has an ability to follow the leadership of the holy spirit and doesn't feel the need to have the approval of people over the approval of Christ. Man, I adore that about him!

He LOVES life & never takes anything too seriously! I'm still taking lessons in that area. If I get too serious, I'm likely to see a silly face like the one up above. SCARY, huh?

He LOVES me. He has shown me an unconditional love like I've never experienced in my life on this earth and it has really helped me have a better understand of just how much greater the love of the Lord is for me. I feel so blessed to have called him husband for almost 8 years.

He LOVES this boy! Man, does he love being a daddy. I will never, ever, ever forget the joy on this mans face on the day that I was blessed to tell him that he was going to be a daddy. And then the look on his face when he helped our doctor deliver Channing. I seriously thought the man was going to turn cartwheels right in the delivery room. And then the last Saturday when Channing said "DADA", the look on his face was once again priceless. I'm so glad that he's Channing's daddy because he has so many amazing qualities, gifts & talents to share with him. I can't wait to share the joy of growing our family together throughout the years.

So, Happy Birthday my precious JBerry. I LOVE YOU so much. You are so much more wonderful than I could ever write on this blog or on a thousand blogs! I love each and every day with you.

Our 7 Month Old Fella

2011-05-14T14:23:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day

2011-05-07T22:49:00.002-04:00

It's by far been one of the most difficult things to encounter. Unless you have experienced the unfulfilled desire to have children you wouldn't understand, so do not even attempt to tell the 2.1 million women out there facing infertility that you do. To have a doctor look at you and say in so many words, " YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE" is heart breaking. It leaves you with this emptiness that cannot be explained. It makes Mother's Day one of the hardest days to get out of bed, not shed tears & hold on to hope.

BUT,.... ( oh, thank you JESUS for the BUT),

.

Jesus' word is true! His promises are relevant for our lives. I have my Ephesians 3:20 (Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!). My life has been blessed & it will never be the same. I remember the exact moment that picture above was taken. I had him in my arms for the first time. HE WAS MY BABY! The one I prayed for & dreamed of for many, many years. I am not so far removed from the pain and heartache of want, that I do not have compassion for ladies out there who are still in their season of WANT. But I hope to encourage you, that it is just that. A SEASON. And just as we see them change before our eyes on earth, they change in our lives as well. Oh, how grateful I am for a new season.

I am so blessed to be Channing's mommy. And I have hope that there will be more Berry babies. I'm excited to be celebrating this first Mother's day with my sweet son & my amazing husband. Don't think for a minute there won't still be tears. But tears of joy! What a testimony the Lord has given us & don't you think for one minute that I don't share it with whoever the Lord puts before me! I want to encourage those that the Lord places in my path that may be hurting, that the Lord is good! In his perfect timing, he brings everything together!

Happy Mother's Day to you & if you are still waiting to celebrate, then celebrate your "someday Mother's Day" as my sweet hubby used to call it. Someday, some way, the Lord will make good his promise!

Things Channing is doing these days...

2011-05-02T13:06:00.000-04:00

feeding himself avocado...

playing with his reflection in the windows...

watching the helicopter's fly over our house...

working on standing on his own, after being helped up..

bath's in the sink...

and asking for more!

work..

2011-05-02T12:38:00.000-04:00

I've always heard that saying "anything worth having, is worth working for." I'm thinking it's true when it comes to our recent vacation project. I know that it seems like an oxymoron, right? Vacation project? Really? But, yes! In the Berry household it's amazing what gets done when JBerry is home on vacation. We did go away & seek some rest in Boone, but who really sleeps well away from home? And the Berry's, what can I say? We LOVE sleep! So we headed home Wednesday, spent most of Thursday chillaxin' while it rained & tornado watches loomed over us. But once the sun came out in the afternoon, we started on an unfinished project.

Last summer we had created this....

After one summer, we decided it still was enough room. You barely have room for a table & a space to hang out. It still just wasn't the space we wanted. So after much thought, we decided to uncover the cement slab & use the almost 80 stones to create a larger space to enjoy.

So for the past few weekends we had done different parts. Making a design, cleaning out the grass from the space, removing the sand we had brought in to build up the extra part of the patio & then leveling it all out with leveling sand to create the new groundwork for our new game plan.

After days of planning, work & use of our muscles, we now have this:

We are so excited! We have eaten all of our meals out here & even enjoyed a little movie on the laptop one night after Channing went to bed. We are constantly thanking God for our outdoor space. It's a sweet blessing. The greatest part is that we were blessed with every part & it really didn't cost us anything. We decided to spend a small portion of our tax check on the new large table that we found at a closeout store for a really good deal & will probably sell the small table in a community yardsale that's coming up! I just love the small things that bless our lives! After almost 8 years of marriage we have figured out the things that bring us both joy & rest and are worth an investment.

Even if it means using our vacation time to get them done.

mini vacay

2011-04-30T15:27:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I have to ~~ask~~ demand my husband to take a break. There's so much to do that he could work through all four weeks of vacation time that he gets & never get away, but that's one of the many reasons that God gave him ME! So, after the amazing services on Sunday we were loaded up & headed out on a little vacay.

EASTER SUNDAY

our sweet little bunny

First stop: Greenville, SC for some EASTER dinner with the Berry family!

The Berry family has to be quite intentional for us to all be able to get together. John, with his plethora of responsibilities, very rarely will agree to a 4.5 hour drive on a Sunday. However, after talking to my sister on Thursday of last week and finding out that everyone was going to be together for Easter dinner except this Berry trio, I was so happy that to hear John say, "LET'S go!" It was so nice. I've dreamed for 3 years of cousin time & though Channing has only gotten 4 opportunities for it, I've been so grateful to finally have a sweet addition to bring to the gatherings. We had a wonderful visit with our family.

bath time!

allie going in for the takedown

ella & channing playing

Second Stop: the beautiful mountains of Boone, NC

a beautiful view

The next morning we headed up the mountains. Channing is a champ when it comes to the car riding part of traveling. He only wanted one rest break & I really think that was so HE could get behind the steering wheel...he really is alot like his daddy.

Channing in the driver's seat

Jenny & Adam always welcome us into their home with open arms! We love them. They are special, special friends to us.

Now, the sleeping somewhere else part of traveling...not really his thing. He's a homebody in that aspect. The first night in Boone something did NOT settle well with his tummy & our sweet fella threw up over & over again, until we almost went to the ER. I'm so grateful that the Lord has blessed me with amazing friends here in Fayetteville that are always willing to help this new momma out & to use their previous nurse training from before they were mama's! It's crazy, but I have like 5 friends who are or have been nurses! WHAT A BLESSING! Karisa, Hillary & Marcy were more than willing to answer my questions & tell me what to look for before we went to the ER which was the COMPLETE opposite of the nurseline the pediatrician has us call. These ladies bless my life so much! With their encouragement, we waited it out & overnight he improved greatly. After resting, nursing & having a wet diaper we knew that he would be fine. He woke the next morning smiley & happy!

DAY TWO: VISTING WITH FRIENDS & GRANDFATHER MNT.

Marsha & Tyce ..... Marsha was my waiting partner in this whole baby thing. Both of us had difficulties conceiving. There were many days that we shed tears together, prayed together & encouraged one another that the Lord would be faithful to provide & JUST LOOK!!!! Both of these boys are a testement to the faithfulness of an amazing God. I miss Marsha so much & love when I have the opportunity to catch up with her! I also got to spend some time with my dear friend Lara ( we didn't get a picture). Lara is about to have baby number 2!

One of the wonderful parts of April is dollar days at Grandfather mountain. Despite the fact that we have lived in Spring Lake for over 2 years, we have not yet changed our drivers lisence. With all the endorsements John has, it would cost $250....CRAZY! But one advantage is $1 to get into Grandfather Mountain! I don't feel as bad because we do still own a home in Boone, NC! So technically, we are still residents, right?

It was a whooping 58 degrees on top of Grandfather mountain that day! Channing didn't really care for the wind that was whipping up there, but as soon as it would die down he would lift his head & check out the view. It was a little surreal being up there with our sweet boy. We used to visit Grandfather Mountain so much & dream about the day we would hike with our kiddos up there!

Watching the otters together.

Lunch with Joe:

Joe is such a special man to John & myself. He helped us for years while we were in Boone & even now talk through ministry things. He has two kids in college & we tried to glean as much as we could from him at lunch about what he did to be successful as a parent & what he wishes he would have done. We feel like being a parent & being in ministry can be a bit tricky. Some succeed & some fail miserably. We really are trying to be very mindful of our desire for Channing to grow towards Christ, not away from Christ due to his father's position in ministry.

We came home after a few days away & began work on our vacation project. I know, sounds crazy. More to come on that later!

He's got the whole world in his hands

2011-04-18T16:22:00.001-04:00

I have a children's worship cd that I listen to with Channing in the car. Today 'He's got the whole world in his hands' came on & one verse said "He's got the wind & the rain, in his hands. He's got the wind & the rain, in his hands..." You get the picture, but it was so true this past weekend in our area. Approximately 280 tornadoes have been reported from the storms on Saturday.

This a picture that was taken of the tornado that hit the town just 10 miles from us!

It left the Lowes hardware (pictured above) destroyed along with handful of other places and people homes. Our neighbor walked out of the rubble pictured above without a scratch! Isn't that amazing?

There was another tornado that touched down right on base, just 10 more miles from us in the other direction & yet one more storm that touch down about 10 more miles on another side of us and left a huge path of destruction. We were left with 24 hours or so of no power & a sweet baby boy who needed breathing treatments. But even in the midst of our need, God provided. My sweet friend Michele gave us a car adaptor and we were able to give him his treatments when we were without power.

On Sunday morning, John went to the church to see if there was power for services & left our sweet puppy outside because he was gonna be back within the hour. Channing & I were upstairs finally sleeping & had no idea that our sweet puppy girl was outside being attacked by two stray pitbulls!! Our neighbor, same one who walked out of Lowes alive, came over with his gun & saved her life! He literally pulled her head out of the dogs mouth. She's alive, sore & needed 3 staples for her wound.

And our sweetest little blessing.....

you would just never guess that he's on four different medications, eye drops, & taking a breathing treatment every four hours for severe allergies, congestion & viral pinkeye!

Gosh darn it, WE ARE BLESSED! Despite all the unexpected medical bills, vet bills, spoiled groceries & the inconvenience of no electricity....WE ARE BLESSED. God never ceases to be amazing in his ability to provide. I know he's got the whole world in his hands. I know he's covering us. So I'll continue to focus on that truth & refuse to allow the enemy to get the best of me.

My God has the WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS!

Family love.

2011-04-18T15:21:00.000-04:00

Channing got some sweet lovin' from his cousins Allie & Ella & Aunt Coley & Uncle Brandon a few weeks ago in Charlotte while we celebrated little Allie Berry's 2nd birthday! We are so stinkin' excited about RWOC-Charlotte because we know God is gonna do big things through B & Coley, but also because they will be CLOSER & we will hopefully get more family time! I love those sweet Berry girl faces! Can't wait to love on them more.

where has time gone....

2011-04-12T23:10:00.000-04:00

My sweet boy is six months old. My how quickly the time with him has passed. If only it would slow down and be as slow as the years seemed that I waited for him. He's such a joy. He draws attention wherever we go. He gives the sweetest hugs and has eyes that draw you in. His little personality is already coming out and I feel certain that this child is going to stretch me in who I am and how I think things have to be, but its something that I am so excited about. He is and continues to teach me everyday about relinquishing control. His slobbery kisses are priceless. I love that when we take naps together, I always wake up & he's touching my arm or face with his precious little hand. I love that when we are away from each other, he smiles with joy when I return. His smile melts my heart and I love every minute of being his mommy.

THE END.

play time from the eyes of Channing

2011-03-31T15:36:00.000-04:00

We've done a lot of playing lately with friends. Here are some pics of my adventures. Hope you enjoy! LOVE, CHANNING

I love sitting up now. No help, please.

Lunch with Nana & Mimi in Raleigh

Hanging out at the park

Titus (above) & Levi (below) are brothers. We've had some playdates at their house on Post. Mommy got to learn how to open her hood one day at the gate when she was having her car inspected to get on base. She was reminded of how much Daddy does that she doesn't have to even think about!

Tori (above) & Twila (below) have been begging to take care of Channing. They have volunteered their mama numerous times as a babysitter. Finally, mama decided to leave me & go on a date with Daddy. I was in great hands with the Matthews family.

"Hey Jack! I'm back here. Wanna play?"

Jack preferred the Radio Flyer to Channing...looks like he's having fun.

A thumb war with my buddy Cole at our Happy Heart Breakfast. Mommy always seems to come away from those gatherings with a happier heart & a full tummy too!

worship....

2011-03-29T17:14:00.001-04:00

A friend took this the other day. I had no idea she had taken it until she tagged me in it. But I remember the moment. My child was taken care of. I had no responsibilities at the time & I was able to just worship. But it's had me thinking. I need to be like this all the time. COMPLETELY SURRENDERED. Oh it's my heart. It's what I truly desire but so many things get in my way.

I need to worship though. ALWAYS.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

It doesn't say when it feels good or when the circumstances are as we wish. It says GIVE THANKS. It's a command. And then it goes on to say, HE IS GOOD. Isn't that so true? Can't we really say that from experience over & over? So I need to worship.

When people disappoint me. WORSHIP. When criticism comes. WORSHIP. When money is tight. WORSHIP. When my baby is sick. WORSHIP. When my attitude stinks. WORSHIP. When I don't understand the circumstances. WORSHIP. When I'm lonely. WORSHIP. When marriage is hard. WORSHIP. When John has meetings 4 nights out of the week. WORSHIP. When problems arise. WORSHIP. When I just don't want to. WORSHIP! And when things are stinkin' awesome, I better NOT forget to....WORSHIP!

Dare you not to smile.....

2011-03-21T21:07:00.000-04:00

Another first...

2011-03-21T20:30:00.000-04:00

Channing got to attend his first big concert this past weekend. Winter Jam is a tradition! We love it. Awesome Christian music for $10. Can't beat that! So we decided to take our little fella. Though it may have been more of an attention grabber than I would have liked, I made sure his sweet little ears were protected. Sometimes I wished I had a pair in my size because it was so loud. I was thankful that he didn't seem to mind the ear protection at all.

Running....

2011-03-19T23:06:00.000-04:00

I'm ~~working on becoming~~ a runner. I've always been a runner. I've ran from a whole gamut of things throughout my life.....heartache, help, my relationship with Christ, relationships with others, at the first sign of trouble, love, pain, the truth,...gosh the list goes on & on. But I am so glad that I've finally taken up a new type of running. Running to help my body be healthy! And you know what? I'm loving it & I really look forward to it every other day.

I run in the path of your commands,

for you have broadened my understanding.

Psalm 119:32

Fun in the Sun

2011-03-18T21:36:00.001-04:00

Today it was a beautiful day! We took full advantage of John's day off & the lovely weather. We woke this morning & I made coffee & homemade blueberry muffins & we studied some of God's word. Such good family time! After Channing's morning nap we headed to Raven Rock State Park & took a short hike. It was much shorter than we anticipated because it was a 88 degrees out &carrying an 18 pound Channing on you makes for one hot momma & one hot fella. If there is one thing Channing hates, it's getting hot. Despite the shortness of the hike, we enjoyed our time together.

We headed to one of our favorite parks in nearby Angier, NC. It's beautiful and not too far from an ice cream shop called Sunni Sky's that makes all of their own ice cream. You can get a kiddie cup for $1.50! Not too bad. Just remember your cash because they are still old school & don't take any cards. We also got to catch up with Evalyn & Sarah who are now at Campbell. They were both in our first youth group. I still can remember when sweet Evalyn accepted Christ as her Savior!!! Sweet, Sweet memories. So hard to believe that they are about to finish their freshman year of college.

Frisbee Golf

John is serious about frisbee golf.

Off roading in the stroller with Daddy.....just the beginning.

Sarah & Evalyn

Sunni Sky's...yum!

I could just pinch those cheeks off!

At the end of the day, he was all tuckered out!

Raising a Foodie!!!

2011-03-15T10:16:00.002-04:00

No big surprise that Channing is a child that LOVES to eat. I mean really? Do you know who his parents are? Just this past Sunday evening as he was kept during small group by Mrs. Jadiene, he showed us just how ready he is. She was carrying him in the Bjorn and passing out cookies to the other boys & girls. Channing was not about to be passed up! He grabbed the cookie from her hand & put it RIGHT TO HIS MOUTH! 5 months old! He wasn't really sure what to do with it then, and the cookie fell to the ground but he understands the concept! Just another reminder that our kids are watching us intently & that they mimic what they see.

Dad taking a try at it!

BUT, it has already been a conviction of mine that just as I teach him to eat, he will be taught healthy eating habits as we change ours &the importance of exercising. I picked up the habit of being an emotional eater and as I've worked through that as an adult, I am so grateful to have the knowledge to break that generational habit through God's help! Already this kiddo LOVES & I mean LOVES peas! He's also had bananas, sweet potatoes, applesauce, carrots, and blueberries.

MMmm...blueberries & bananas.

Sunny days...

2011-03-14T16:44:00.001-04:00

We've really been enjoying the WONDERFUL weather we've had the last few days. John went out of town on a conference with Pastor Andrew & Pastor Kevin last week which left Channing & I here to play for few days. I love & hate those days. I love them because I don't care about the house or the meals. I eat a peanut butter sandwich & call it a day & just play with my fella! Channing was MORE than ready for some daddy loving though when John got back! We also got to visit with my family twice recently (I'll post pics later of that from John's computer) & enjoyed a few hours with our sweet friend Mere & Eric.

The big news in the Berry house is that Mommy is home FULL TIME! In January I went back to teaching preschool 3 days a week & tried my best to make it work. But it was took too much away from my family even being gone as little as I was. After a full month of prayer about it, I knew what I had to do. I did not want to live with REGRET. Really at the end of my life will I say " Wish I had worked more?". I seriously doubt it. I'm going to say "Wish I had invested that time in my babies." So we are trusting God with what seems CRAZY at the world's standards and choosing to live with LESS! Really I think we will find, as we have already in 2 weeks, that LESS REALLY IS MORE!

More time together. More peace. More investment into our baby boy. More intentional discretion between needs & wants, but oh so worth it!

Being home full time has really allowed me to thank God each day for the time I have with Channing. I am truly trying to be intentional with our time together. We've been studying different scriptures. I've memorized 4 new ones this week and I practice each one with him. I'm trusting God's word in 2 Timothy 3:15 "From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." We have these awesome TRUTH CARDS Aunt Coley & Uncle Brandon (who we miss by the way & can't wait until they are in Charlotte where we can see each other more often!) gave us for Christmas that we've been working our way through. As we pray each day I earnestly ask God to draw Channing's heart to him at an early age. I'm going to be sure that I'm doing everything on my end to be sure that Channing understands the importance of Christ in his life. This week I also got to enjoy my first MOPS meeting & I loved it! I always marvel at how the Lord provides exactly the encouragement you need at the right time. I hope you find him to be that faithful in your life too. Here are a few more pictures of our cute bundle of joy. Oh how I wish you could love on him in person. He's such a little love bug!

I LOVE this happy boy!

We had a great little visit with the Marshburns!

A serious morning talk.

Mom, I'm ready! I thought we were going walking? Why are you taking pics again?

That's His Story & He's Sticking to it!

2011-03-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Boy....

2011-03-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

I know it's tempting, but try not to attempt to pinch the thighs or cheeks that are on your computer screen. I know it's hard, but you can do it!

Endure the SUCK

2011-02-28T11:53:00.000-05:00

Last night Channing was congested. SERIOUSLY congested. Honestly I've always wondered where the excess of mucus comes from? And isn't it so painful. It kept him from resting and breathing well. So of course as his mommy I wanted to help him. So I go in with the nose syringe or nose sucker as I call it for a more technical term. The kid sees it coming and immediately despite my calm tone and words to him is hating it. I'm pretty sure I heard " MAMA" as I went in for the removal of excess gunk, but I would rather not count that in my child's baby book as the first word he said during a night time torture session. So I'm listening to my poor baby cry and flail his arms and legs as I'm trying to help him breath & I realize this is such an example of how we are with God during hard things.

I realize the things we experience are much harder but just hear me out. As Channing's mom I want nothing more than to help him. I have the foresight to see that something so painful and difficult will bring about pleasing results for him. HE is unable to see that. He is unable to understand why I would do such a thing. He fights what is good for him. FIGHTS hard and CRYS out in discontent. I know I've done that a few times during times where I felt intense pressure in my life. But as one that loves him, I press on with what is hard for his good. And in the end the crying stops and he is able to breath and experience the benefits of the hard moments.

Last night in small group we discussed Seeing God during the hard times. We all have hard times and circumstances in our lives from time to time that cause us to question the Lord & his plan. I immediately think of our six years of infertility. Others are dealing with cancer, death of a loved one, work related issues, serious health concerns. The list is never ending. Lets face it, Jesus wasn't kidding when he said in John 16:33... " in this world you will have trouble...". But what an amazing second part to that verse. "BUT TAKE HEART! I have overcome the world." Knowing this isn't it a little easier to swallow James 1:2-4? "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." After reading that I can trust that any difficult circumstances that come my way are for my good..to make me complete....to bring me to a place where I am ultimately lacking nothing. And God is so faithful. Now being on the other side of a very difficult six years I can say that Psalm 34:8 is right on; "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."

So as one of our friends Ben would say... ENDURE THE SUCK....it's for your good.

FoUr MoNtHs

2011-02-24T17:11:00.000-05:00

At his 4 month check up Channing weighed 16.4 pounds (75%) and was almost 28 inches long (75%). Obviously he has no trouble eating. Dr. Hodges said he looks wonderful. He was a champ taking his shots and barely even cried. He's now rolling over, when he takes a notion to. He's not really a fan of being on his tummy. He prefers sitting. As soon as he wakes he begins trying to lift the upper part of his body on his own. He's now loving oatmeal and bananas. Tonight we will be trying sweet potatoes with our oatmeal. I'm so thankful for this little blessing. John and I love every minute with him.

Unwelcome Guest...

2011-02-24T10:32:00.000-05:00

My little fella woke up from his nap on Wednesday afternoon and sounded much different than usual. It wasn't the normal "mama come get me" cry, but an "I really am not feeling so hot" cry. It's so funny how you get to know your child like that. Anyway, I hopped off the treadmill & ran in to see what was going on & found my little guy with a 101 fever. We headed down to our wonderful pediatrician where they tested him for RSV & the flu. AND the FLU has set up camp in my little fella.

Last night as we fought a temperature that just wouldn't retreat, I was overwhelmed with how God must have felt. Channing's illness is nothing compared to what God watched Jesus go through & if it were at all possible I would take that flu for him in an instant. What amazing love God has for us that he could watch his son endure so much pain in order to keep my nasty heart from hell. I'm so unworthy of that kind of sacrifice but so grateful that he loves me so. I love how the Lord constantly uses this little fella to draw me closer to him. He is definitely one of the most wonderful gifts I've ever received. Jesus & Channing, that is!

Happy Love Day!

2011-02-14T17:53:00.000-05:00

Life is flying by....

2011-02-10T12:33:00.001-05:00

Well it's hard to believe our little Channing will be four months old next week and little is beginning to only be an adjective that is appropriate for his age. I feel like life is moving quicker than I am able to keep up with at times. I find myself forgetting everything around me, and all that needs done, once we are all home and I just soak up all the family time we get to have. John is gone most nights of the week right now with so much going on at church so on Tuesday, Friday & Saturday I embrace every moment with my two fellas.

We have so much to celebrate with all that God is allowing us to be part of. Liberty just had the first Sunday of two services! 170 at the first service & 350+ at the second service made for an amazing day. That doesn't include any children either! It has been amazing to see this church double in attendance in such a short amount of time. We feel so blessed to serve at Liberty. We just love our church family & thank God often for allowing us to have Channing here in this area where so many other children are running around and where so many love him. When I take him to the nursery on Wednesday nights after the youth band finishes it is so fun to hear the chorus of ladies & children yell "CHANNING" as he enters the room. Isn't it neat to see how loved you feel when others love your children? Someone could say absolutely nothing to me at all or as an after thought, which happens often, but they speak to Channing and oohhh & ahh over him & I feel loved just the same.

As our boy grows, it's fun to see his little personality coming through. He LOVES music. He has from day one. It's always been very soothing to him, calming him in a matter of seconds whether a song from mommy's lips, daddy's lips or Pandora radio. I guess it comes quite naturally with mommy loving to sing & daddy being so talented with instruments and singing. Last week at church as the last song of the worship set came to a close & his daddy stopped singing, Channing let the whole church know what he thought of that. His SCREAMS filled the sanctuary as soon as John sung the last note!

Ready for a Sunday Afternoon Walk.

Helping Momma cook dinner!

Sweet Smiles.

So happy he is smiling here. This day will be remembered always as a day that held the hardest time I've ever had as a mother. Channing had started teething this week. He has two teeth trying to come in. If you look closely you can see the tears in his eyes because crying is what he had spent most of his day doing. :( We had been shopping with his Mimi and without going into all the details I'll just say I'm glad the day is done.

My big boy sitting up. He hates laying down now & most of the time refuses to try & roll over but has the sitting up thing down most of the time. One of those things that helps you realize EVERY kid is different.

He LOVES the hairdryer after his bath.

He loves his new swing. Can't wait for SPRING!

He's Yours Lord

2011-01-11T21:42:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday we were able to publicly share our decision to dedicate our little blessing to the Lord; to say that our goal as the parents of little John Channing is to raise him to the best of our ability in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and according to his God's Word. It was another opportunity to share that he's ours for a short time & ultimately he is the Lord's.

In my current Bible Study I recently read a story that really is thought provoking for parents, and such a reminder of the overwhelming responsibility to be a good steward of the little life that has been placed in our hands.

An excerpt from It's Always Something by Gilda Radner: (Taken from Breaking Free by Beth Moore): **This is an edited version in my own words to make it shorter for here.

A young lady had a dog that was expecting puppies within a few weeks. The dog just happened to get in the way of the lawnmower and her back legs were cut off. The vet gave the family two option after seeing that no damage had been done to the puppies she carried. They could sew the dog up with no difficulty expected in her ability to deliver the puppies or they could put her to sleep. The family decided to sew her up.
So the vet sewed up her backside and over the next week the dog learned to walk. She didn't spend any time worrying, she just learned to walk by taking two steps in front and flipping up her backside, and then taking two steps and flipping up her backside again. She gave birth to six little puppies, all in perfect health. She nursed them and weaned them. And when they learned to walk, they all walked just like her....two steps forward and flipping their backside.

It's cute but after a quick giggle & some thought you realize the depth of the story. Our children, just like those puppies will mock exactly what they see us doing. No matter how far we have come in our walks with the Lord, we all have areas of bondage where we struggle to remain free. Any idols we have enslave us & enslaved parents teach their children how to live in bondage even with the best of intentions to do otherwise.

NEVER would I want to pass on my "JUNK" to this little fella. He makes me want to be a better me. The responsibility of his sweet little life pushes me to want to be a better follower of Christ, a healthier eater, better at exercising regularly....the list continues forever because I know whatever he sees me doing, is what he is going to imitate. I know that despite my best of intentions, I am going to fail. There are areas where I will not succeed, but I want nothing more than to honor God with this precious gift that he's blessed me with.

Train up a child in the way they should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

It's a wonderful life....

2011-01-08T21:49:00.007-05:00

This past month has been a whirlwind of excitement & unbelievable blessings! WE have enjoyed every moment of it.

It was so wonderful to celebrate the birth of our Savior together as a family of 3! What joy it brought us to have our son here and to think about Mary & Joseph and the joy they felt on that first Christmas morning. Having a child definitely brings a new perspective to your heart as you are able to empathize in a more personal way with what they must have felt and experienced. As we sat as a family on Christmas morning and read that precious story from the Word, it was totally different as we held our own son. What a gift Jesus was to us. What a sacrifice Mary, Joseph & God himself endured by sending Jesus to us. We are so blessed! I can hardly wait until Channing accepts Jesus as his Savior. I've prayed for that moment for months now...from the moment I found out he was growing within me. I've been reading Mary Beth Chapman's book "Choosing to SEE" & I've been overwhelmed by the godly children she & Steven Curtis Chapman have raised. I've been praying specifically for things I plead God will bless my children with and salvation is the most important thing I could hope they would receive.

Our sweet little bundle is growing and changing every single day. The transformation is amazing. He's plumping up week by week...our little chunky monkey! He's sleeping all night in his own big boy bed and loving every minute of it. He wakes up so happy in the mornings & I am so grateful that God has blessed us with a little one who loves his sleep. He's such a blessing to us and each day as I place him in his bed and close out of day, I thank God for this gift. As we head into a new year I know God has amazing plans in store for us. We hold to that promise from Jeremiah 29:11 knowing his plans for us are for our good!

Channing's first snow!

Happy New Year from the Berry Family!

2 months old

2010-12-14T13:40:00.000-05:00

We've had such a wonderful time growing into a family of 3! This week Channing turned 2 months old. It's so much fun to watch him change & grow. He's such a blessing & we feel so honored that God would give him to us. He teaches us so much & pushes us to pursue Christ more so that he will have the example to follow as he grows & matures.

This week we visited with friends & family and enjoyed some exciting new things around the house.

2 month old little fella

Channing & Mimi in her office at High Point Regional Hospital

This week we visited High Point where Mimi (Wanda) works! It was a fun day of lunch and roaming around her office showing little Chan Man to everyone. High Point is known for its furniture...Channing might need a dresser this big for his clothes that Mimi buys him!

Michele & Cole with us at our Happy Heart Christmas Party.

Channing and Cole are one month apart and sure to be great buddies!
Channing & Cole weigh almost the same thing..around 12 pounds! 2 very cute little fellas!

Daddy picked up Channing's first swingset that was given to us by a sweet family we met here in Spring Lake. Also The Berry's, they are being relocated by the military. Can't wait for our little fella to play on this. We plan to add a little toddler swing to it!

sweet sleep

Sucking his little thumb

Smiley boy
Our talking boy

playtime with Mommy

We had lunch with our sweet Lesley! She loved feeding Channing & loving on him & Mommy loved having a HOT meal.

week 7

2010-12-02T10:45:00.000-05:00

He's getting to be such a big boy!

Dressed and Ready to go decorate the church for Christmas.

Mrs. Shelly kept Channing in the nursery for an hour on Wednesday night while mommy helped daddy outside with the bonfire. Mrs. Shelly is the wonderful mommy of 4 & I would trust her with my baby boy anytime!

Friday, John's day off, was family day! We went Christmas shopping most of the day. Channing was nice & snug in his cozy carseat sleepingbag!

a little photoshoot....

2010-11-30T16:30:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T17:03:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We made a journey with our almost 6 week old and I was a little apprehensive, however he was a jewel. We started our journey at 4:30AM on Tuesday morning making our way towards Hendersonville, NC. We hoped he would sleep as much as possible & he did. Channing didn't rise until 7:30 which was right on time with when we wanted to stop for breakfast. After a break, we continued our journey and he didn't whimper until we turned into the neighborhood. We spent some time with the Berry family where Channing got lots of love from his sweet cousins. It was a whirlwind visit with lots of visitors to see Channing and lots of outings planned by Mama Nissi. We were exhausted by the time it was over for sure. We then headed to East Bend to stay with Channing's Mimi for a few days. We had a great time and enjoyed the yummy Thanksgiving foods that momma remembers from being a kid! Overall it was a pretty great Thanksgiving & we had SO much to be thankful for!

6 weeks old on Thanksgiving Day!

Turkey Day Cousins!

Nana getting some lovin'

Mimi with her sweet Channing

Don Don checking him out for the first time.

A family of 3!

3 handsome John's! Papa John, Daddy John & John Channing

Sweet Cousin Love

Sweet, carefree Allie

The Berry Crew

Ella loves Channing so much! She would say, " Is Channing your baby?" " Yes" I would say. ""He's so cute!" she would respond. I just love her.

sweet cousin time.

I love being his mommy! There's nothing like him sleeping on my chest.

zonked out!

I'm ready mom and cute to boot!

2010-11-18T21:59:00.005-05:00

God continually teaches me new things through this kid. First, I feel like I have felt a love that has never entered my life before. It's amazing how sweet motherhood is. It was well worth the wait. I would never and could NEVER give up this precious gift. Second, I realize I would do anything to take an ounce of pain away from this sweet boy. This week Channing has had a virus and it's been hard to hear him squeal in pain and not be able to do one thing about it but hug him & love him with all that is within me. Even at times that was hard because I was so tired but I realized I can always find more when it comes to this little guy. Third, ALL the " I WILL NEVER" comments you made to yourself BEFORE you were a parent, were made out of complete and utter stupidity. I used to think I would NEVER go out of the house without having had a shower for two days....ate those words. I used to think I would NEVER take my kid in the car simply to get him to go to sleep...ate those words. Unfortunately the list goes on and on and I can joyfully laugh at how dumb I was before becoming a parent. Fourth, there is so much more to learn!

I'm making every effort to embrace each and every moment with this kid but I barely feel as if I can keep up. It is going by much more quickly than I would like. I love this little fella with all that is in me. I feel so blessed to be chosen by an amazing GOD to be his mommy. I am so thankful for the honor and the privilege.

Here's some sweet pics of our little gift of joy this week.

such a kissable little face

noticing his mobile on his swing for the first time

totally holding that neck up on his own

strong grip on daddy....I'll never let go!

There is nothing sweeter than to see the man you first loved hold and love on your second love.

mommy's blue eyes

ready for our walk...look how big it is!

Another Great Week

2010-11-11T19:22:00.005-05:00

4 weeks have flown by. I feel as if I've blinked once and he's grown into a one month old. It has been the most fabulous four weeks. I'm so grateful for the amazing blessing God has given us. We wake up and can hardly believe it. John still looks at me and says " We're parents!" as if somehow over night it might have changed. We are so in love with this little boy and an increased love for a Savior that could give up such a precious son for us!

Sweet Blue Eyes

John's parents came to visit. Channing loves time with Mama Nissi & Papa John.

Papa John & baby John

continuing to grow...

2010-11-09T20:24:00.003-05:00

A VERY busy week 3

2010-11-04T13:40:00.004-04:00

This week has been filled with firsts! It's amazing how fast it seems that he's changing. I see new things about him everyday & I spend the most time with him.

Channing's First Halloween:

Channing and I do tummy time every single day. He's great at it. He's been lifting his head up since we were in the hospital. He's a very strong little boy. Tummy time usually looks like this.

But this week, Channing decided he wanted it to look like this & I just happened to have the camera! It was so quick I could hardly believe my eyes!

Channing's First Bath

Up until this week, we have been giving Channing baths with disposable washcloths. I am a big fan of them, but it was time for a real bath. He wasn't fond of being out of his comfy pajama's, but once we got the warm water on him he was content to a certain degree I guess. I'm sure it will grow on him.

Bath time was followed by a massage with bedtime lotion and reading a good book.

Loving his massage.

Daddy doing diaper duty & making him happy with warm pajamas.

He loves to listen to me read books. He'll grab at the book and try to hold the side!

2 Weeks

2010-10-28T21:14:00.007-04:00

Today Channing is 2 weeks old. It's so hard to believe that 2 weeks has already gone by. We've learned so much together in the last two weeks.

Today at the 2 week doctor appointment Channing weighed 7lbs. 10oz. The doctor said he looked wonderful and he even showed the student doctor, Claire, his peeing skills. I tried to warn her, but she felt sure the diaper would be fine loosely waiting for the doctor to see little Chan Man's booty, but before she knew it there was pee everywhere. I just laughed cause I could so see it coming. What can I say.....my son has peeing skills. Better than his daddy who at a few weeks old pooed on the doctor!

This week Channing got to take part in his very first Trunk or Treat outreach event at church! He was an adorable pumpkin and very contently hung out in the baby bjorn while mom helped dad for a while. It was strange not having such an active part in the event after 7 years of being right there for everything in the ministries that God has placed John in. It was hard for me to leave early, but God reminded me that I am helping with a new ministry...our family & I love it!

We had a little photo shoot for his first Halloween. I didn't go crazy buying some expensive costume that he would wear maybe for an hour...my how God has changed my heart about things like that! So grateful for being molded and changed! Our little outfit cost $2 at a consignment sale & I must say he is the cutest lil' pumpkin I've ever seen.

a bite of preciousness...

2010-10-22T11:09:00.001-04:00

1 week old....

2010-10-21T10:23:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that it's already been one week. It has absolutely flown by and we've enjoyed every moment of it. Little John Channing is such a precious gift and we have waiting so long on the Lord for this blessing that it makes it a bit easier I think to embrace all the changes that are taking place in the Berry Household. John & I talk about how we've longed for these long nights, dirty diapers and sweet & precious times of just gazing at him. It was so worth the wait.

The story of his birth....

On October 14 we woke up and discussed our day. John felt like we should put all of our bags in the car for our afternoon doctor's appointment. I was fine with that but hadn't planned to put in my bathroom stuff but he was persistent. I guess I just didn't want to get my hopes up that they might say it was time. I was so ready to meet the little guy! I went & taught preschool that morning and John worked in the office. After preschool we headed to lunch at On the Border. We love their lunch specials & we had been encouraged to try spicy food to help progress our little fellas arrival. We were up for anything. So we both had the lunch fajitas and they were scrumptious! Probably not the meal I would have chosen to eat if I had known the rest of the days events but it actually wasn't a problem at all. Maybe that salsa did help progress things!

We headed to see Dr. Lewis. As she checked me I was quite uncomfortable & she kept apologizing because she knew it was painful. After her exam she said with a smile " Well you're at 5 cm & I'm sending you to the hospital." I couldn't help but yell out a REALLY????? to which she laughed and headed out to write up our paperwork. We immediately looked at each other and just SMILED. It was so exciting yet so surreal. We immediately started calling family because she said our little fella would be here before the mornings light & we wanted everyone to be able to share in our joyful event. John got the Berry family called & B & Coley just happened to be right there with Mama Nissi & Papa John so they were on their way & so was my family!

We headed to the hospital and sat in the parking garage taking care of important things at church that needed to be covered...Caroline, worship practice, feeding the football team, the worship set for Sunday & everything that falls in John's list of responsibilities for a weekend. He wanted to be able to have everything taken care of so he could give us his full attention. I was so grateful for his plans he had made prior to this time. He was prepared just in case we did have Channing on a weekend. Gotta love that about him!

We headed in, had to register because we had planned to do that after our doctors appointment and they took me back. I was immediately taken to my room & got skip triage. So grateful. I had met a girl at the doctors office who was a labor & delivery nurse. She had called & gotten a friend to be my nurse. Love provision from the Lord. I had prayed I would get a wonderful nurse that would help comfort me during this uncertain time & the Lord provided not one but TWO!

I laid in bed watching Channing's heart rate & my contractions from 4:00-6ish never feeling any pain. I was having a good time getting excited with John. His grin went from ear to ear & it gave me so much joy to see him finally getting something he had desired for so long. At about 6 they started pitocin to help regulate the contractions. They kept asking me about the epidural but I just wasn't in pain and didn't feel the need to get it yet. The contractions began to increase as the pitocin was going in and I started having to breathe through contractions about 8:00. My family was there & brought John something to eat so they headed out to the waiting room & I finally got the epidural. I was terrified of that needle. Why they make you watch the video I will never know...I would have been so much better off without seeing it! I sat there on the side of the bed & prayed as tears streamed down my face out of fear for that stupid needle. I hate those things! Before I knew it, Christina my nurse was there encouraging me as I prayed & it was over. Within 20 minutes was at 7 1/2 cm. She said we would definitely see this little guy before midnight.

About 10:30 I started pushing and John was such a cheerleader! Many times I was so excited about it being time to meet him that I wouldn't be able to hold the last of the three breaths! I was just beaming with JOY!!!! Dr. Lewis and John had the best time singing songs & playing with one another. It made it such a fun time! As the big light came down John broke out in song " Blinded by the light...." & Dr. Lewis joined in saying she loved "that JAM". Such peace & joy filled room 2 as I 'labored' for Channing. Dr. Lewis at one point turned to John and asked him if he was ready? John was then given a suit & gloves & told he would deliver Channing! OH HOW I WISH I HAD THE PICTURE OF HIS FACE! It was priceless & is forever embedded in my memory!

Not 20 minutes later a sweet baby boy entered this world by the hands of his father. He was handed to me by John & I loved on him. It was so amazing. He needed a little 'roughing up' as Dr. Lewis said to get him breathing good, but the moment that God breathed life into him was so precious. His lungs were filled with air by his heavenly father and he began his first series of praises! It was glorious!

They checked him & and said he was perfect. We spent an hour or so with him by ourselves and enjoyed the newness of being a threesome! Our family came in and we were able to share him. It was so great to see our journey to parenthood be completed and to be able to share it with our loved ones.

Going home outfit!

We specifically prayed for a few things:

- a son and it was answered

- little pain and it was answered

-great nurses and it was answered

-a joyful and peaceful delivery and it was answered

-a healthy baby and it was answered

What an amazing God we serve! Each time I look at Channing I am reminded of God's faithfulness!

No milkman around here folks.....

2010-10-16T09:02:00.000-04:00

Daddy 30 years ago....

Me today......

He's Arrived!

2010-10-15T08:31:00.002-04:00

John Channing Berry

October 14, 2010

11:12 pm

7lbs. 8.5 oz

21.5 inches long

Waiting on Our Little Pumpkin

2010-10-08T12:18:00.003-04:00

The waiting continues. Last week Doctor Jones met with us & checked me. I was dilated to 2 cm & 70 % effaced. So fun! We both let out a squeal & Dr. Jones just smiled. She said it made her day because it had been a long time since she had seen a couple so excited about their new little one. That night I walked & we tried all the home remedies we could possibly try, but Little Channing wanted to bake some more!

We took some shots of this ginormous belly of mine to remember these last few weeks. I feel as if he has pushed out & just keeps pushing!

This week at 37 weeks we saw Doctor Jones again. She said we were at least 3cm & maybe more and that my cervix was paper thin. She did not doubt that we would go before our due date. She told me to go ahead & make an appointment for next week but she wasn't sure that we would see her!

We've got everything ready...WE THINK! We are so excited about Little Channing's arrival.

Reflecting on the most recent Journey....

2010-09-27T16:40:00.004-04:00

The journey to parenthood has been long, hard at times, and down right frustrating at other times. But what GREAT JOY there is when the Lord's timing is perfect. It's amazing to think back about where I was with my Savior & where I am now because of this journey I have been on.

Waiting on the Lord is difficult. It calls you to a place within yourself that is uncomfortable & opposite than that of your flesh. It calls you to relinquish the control you believe you have but never really had if you read the scriptures, and into a place of faith- believing a God that you cannot see.

Isaiah 64:4 says " For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait on him!"

NOW, I feel that joy of the wait almost being over, but through the wait I was less than a humble and trusting servant of Christ. There were many walls and hurts that he broke down within me during this wait. A tremendous amount of selfishness and pride and that spirit of " I DESERVE THIS".

See what this journey did for me was remind me that I DESERVE NOTHING. There is no sense of entitlement in the family of God. It's all blessing. Blessings poured out on us by a loving God. Blessings that we are called to give back to him to glorify & honor him.

As I see the end of this journey coming in the next few weeks I feel blessed that he would choose to work on me. That my Savior would want nothing more than to strip me of all that held me captive. Galatians 5:1 says " It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." I was burdened with many yokes of slavery and through the journey I have been able to see the Lord remove the yokes I allowed to hold me captive and I now can walk in the freedom of Matthew 11: 30 knowing his "yoke is easy and his burden is light."Great joy comes from trusting that he has our plans perfected in his timing!

I don't know what you are waiting on. We all seem to wait on something throughout the seasons of life, but trust that there is great joy in the journey of waiting. Especially when we are waiting on HIM!

Such a precious family....

2010-09-14T14:55:00.007-04:00

John and I have been blessed with a precious church family. We are so blessed with people who love us and have been an active part of praying for this season of our lives to come to pass. Over the past 34 weeks they have been so excited to celebrate with us.

This past weekend we had a baby shower at church to celebrate the arrival of little John Channing. We were blessed with many of our large gifts & a tremendous amount of everything else that he needs to be comfortable, overly comfortable, as he begins his life.

This picture doesn't do all their gifts justice. It filled the ENTIRE car!

That carload includes our pack & play, highchair, toddler car seat (that is not a typo...seriously we have both car seats now!), a diaper cake, books, pacifiers, bibs, socks, bath toys, childproofing kit, kitchen accessories that help with his stuff, a hand knitted blanket, diaper caddy, sleepers, giftcards for Walmart, Target, Babies R US & CRACKER BARREL for those nights I don't want to cook. We received a precious check for his first deposit into his savings account- how thoughtful & so greatly appreciated!

John could not WAIT to put things together.

Overall lots of families showered us with love & precious fits that would help us transition into this new season of life. Its so nice & so exciting to be loved! Above all, I'm so grateful that God has placed us here for this season. I'm thankful that Channing will be brought into a place where he is loved by so many as their very own. It amazes me how many people seem just as excited as me to see this precious boy. Just another reminder that GOD'S plans are perfect!

Faithful....

2010-09-09T14:28:00.005-04:00

Ever just need to be reminded that God is faithful & true, just like he says? I had been in that spot for a few days. After looking at the budget & really seeing what a sacrifice it was going to be for me to stay home with my sweet Channing, I was overwhelmed with anxiousness & doubt. Not a great place to be in at 33 weeks preggo when you have plenty of other things to dwell on. Why is it that it always seems to happen? Over & over we need reminded of God's promises & that they aren't just words but TRUTH.

On Wednesday he reminded me again through precious students, their families & our loving volunteers. I had no idea that the evening was anything more than praising our heavenly father & it was just that & so much more precious to me as my heart sang his praises after seeing this:

That my friends is over 1,200 diapers ( yes, I added it up!), 12 large packs of wipes & a collection of butt cremes, outfits & toys! God was whispering in my ear " See daughter, I have it all under control. I've placed you here for such a time as this."

I love his gentle reminders that everything will be ok & that we his 'dumb sheep' need to just trust him. Thank you FUEL families! We are so grateful!

Psalm 56:10 'For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. your FAITHFULNESS reaches to the clouds.'

Channing's Room

2010-08-30T15:19:00.013-04:00

We have been working & working to make a room for our new addition. It's something we have talked about for years so we were ready to dive in & now here we are 8 weeks away and we have mostly completed our project. There are a few more little projects to do, but I've got to be in the right mood to fight with the alignment of the vinyl letters :) It would have been absolutely impossible to get all this finished without my AMAZING, STUD of a husband! I'm so grateful for him & his many talents & gifts he's been blessed with!

Channing's room was the guest room. It's at the front of the house facing the street so it has great afternoon sun but the curtains & blinds can be closed to create the coziest little space & I just love it!

The cozy room at night time.

The daylight view.

A-mazing rocker that my hubby & friends from school who gave me gift cards helped purchased! It's so comfy & is complete with our first selection of books from mommy's collection. John read him 2 books last night. Daddy has already asked to be in charge of night time rocks to put Channing to bed. He can hardly wait! Gotta love a guy who's gonna be an incredible daddy!

This little guy is on one of the shelves over the rocker. John has had him since he was a little boy & he has been a constant laugh throughout our marriage because John will put him in place all over the house to 'surprise' me. One day I came into Channing's room to find him resting there.

Love this verse. It was a long project but we persevered it & looks awesome in the room! On the table is his baby book with some pages already filled out & many more memories to be recorded. Also a special frame made by Aunt Coley filled with his first profile ultrasound picture.

Love our furniture which was a gift from my Aunt.

Fresca, complete with Channing's heartbeat recorded in his hand, is waiting for a sweet little boy to drag him around!

Some of this will change as we get our changing pad and move the monitors to the rooms they will be in. To the left, on the dresser, is a tree trunk filled with stuffed animals just his size to play with.

To the left of the little rocker is his closet which is already filling up with cute, cute clothes!

Can't wait to get all these cute little outfits on him. Praying his legs will fit!!!

So ready for our little bundle of joy to come join us! He's must know it, because he's been fighting like crazy the last few days trying to get out of his cramped up space.....8 weeks to go!

7 Years of Bliss.....

2010-08-17T09:39:00.009-04:00

The past 7 years have flown by with so many adventures. Looking back, God has taught us so much through one another and through the journey. I feel so blessed to have such a fabulous companion to walk through life with.I can't imagine life without John & all that we are blessed to do together. But this year was so different for us. With 10 weeks until Channing's arrival we wanted to do some pictures of us as a couple so we called up our friend Brenna from B. Whitson Photography & went for a shoot at Bass Lake in Blowing Rock, NC. We wanted some pics of where it all began. I LOVE them & have only put up a few of my favorites. Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

A different view....

2010-08-05T22:25:00.006-04:00

I'm sleeping.....do we have to do this right now?

Lots of hair on his head.

Holding his ears.... "I'm not listening"...his daddy was telling him to roll over. We talked to him for the first time about obedience!

Look at my guns!!!

Those are some long fingers.

His arm was down inbetween his little legs.

Apparently he's all bunched up because his legs are so long. Should feel good to get those legs out of a bunch & stretch them out.

I can hardly wait to see him in person!

We keep growing & growing.....

2010-07-27T18:28:00.005-04:00

Little John Channing is growing & so is mommy. I feel the differences almost daily in his movements. I love feeling him be active & alert in his small little space. Next week we get to see him again when we have our 3D/4D ultrasound. I can hardly wait. It's been 1o weeks since my last ultrasound. Can't wait to lay eyes on him again & see his little features.

Here's some pics of the three of us!

Baby Berry Update....

2010-07-12T03:52:00.000-04:00

I am completely behind but LOVING every moment of it. I've had so many intentions of getting on here & updating this blog. So much to share and so much to say but just not enough time to do that and accomplish all else that there is to do! I am going to do it this week though. I want to get this storybook that I do mostly for myself updated.

Our sweet baby berry is growing and I am embracing and loving every moment of it. The joy I get to experience with my husband is priceless. I almost smile now, with only a twinge of pain in my heart as I think and marvel about the Lords plan and the perfection of it. I have truly known the pain that Hannah wept to her husband and then wept before the Lord in her deep anguish. After she poured her heart out to God 1 Samuel 1:20 (NIV) says "So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son." Oh that "in the course of time part" is so precious to me now. As I sit and listen to others wallow in the minor inconveniences of pregnancy, I try to embrace them and appreciate them because I have longed for them so. Time.....when combined with the hand of the Lord, how it can grow us and change us and how grateful I am for that. I have been blessed with a very easy pregnancy. No morning sickness. I've only been nauseous 3 times and simply needed a little extra sleep here and there.

Baby Berry is growing over time as well. He is now at an amazing 25 weeks. Below are some precious pics of his progress.

Our 6 week little "pacman" is what we called this. I still remember the moment that sweet shot came up on the screen. I had the sweetest tears that I simply could not hold back. I loved this baby from the moment I saw it.

Our 8 week little alien baby. Not the cutest sight to most eyes, but growing and forming into just what it's called to be.

At week 12 we went to get a baby berry checkup and came back with a pounding 150 bpm heartbeat recorded for our happy happy hearts. A dear friend from high school had suggested to me that we record it with an piece from Build a Bear & have it made into a sweet creation that we would always have. We had "Fresca" made. Fresca was the character developed by Papa John, John's father, when the boys were little. John still gets the most precious grin when he recalls the times his dad would sit by his bed and they would embark on an adventure with Fresca in the forest. We listen to the little heartbeat all the time. I wonder just how long those batteries will last?

At week 18 we went in to see this sweet profile.

And then the reveal of the "boy parts" that are growing on this baby! A Baby Boy!

The long legs that now tap the walls of my uterus, letting me know "I'm still here mom!" Such a precious shot. I love how much they look like his daddy's legs. They have exactly the same knees with the extra little "bulge" of muscle on the side.

This was captured at the end of my sweet little man's show he gave us while we watched him play. Baby Berry flipped from his back to his belly, extended those long legs and put his butt up in the air and then finished off his "act" by flipping back over and yawning really big with his hand up to his mouth! This is the shot of the yawn. What I would have given for a video of his performance for us. I'm sure it was the first of many. He is after all the son of John Berry and anyone who knows my husband knows he loves to make a group of people laugh.

I can hardly wait to hold this little man and give him all the love I have for him in my heart. But a little more time is required before those moments come outwardly. For now I will pray for all the desires I have for him and trust God with the rest of his growth and development.

Savannah......

2010-04-10T18:39:00.000-04:00

Vacation is so heavenly. I'm not sure you quite understand the work of a pastor unless you are married to one or closely related to one, but not much is discussed in our home that doesn't have something to do with church. A youth program, the next worship set, a new song he wants to try, a student or leader or meeting or ........you get it right?

When we go on vacation, we don't talk about ANY of our responsibilities and it is so awesome. Now please don't get me wrong. We love what we do, but we love to be just a little less consumed by work at times too. I feel as if I make a list of things I want to talk to John about because by the time he gets home from the office or a meeting or whatever his day has held for him, he is completely out of words. He typically just wants to hang out and be still. So on vacation, I get ready with all I want to talk to him about because he's ALL MINE & I love it!

Savannah was the destination that John chose for us this year. We considered a cruise but then after finding that we were expecting our little bundle of joy we decided to still go away but on a little less expensive outing. This was probably smart considering that I am at the very end of my first trimester and absolutely exhausted at times. It was nice to not deal with waves and motion sickness. Savannah was the perfect choice. It was beautiful, calm, cool and had some awesome food (something else a pregnant lady loves!)!

The view from our room.

We enjoyed a couple of days at Tybee Island, walked down on the river and had a fun historic carriage ride one night. I think our favorite place by far was Paula Deen's. We went back and forth with whether or not it was worth it for us to wait in line at 8:00 AM to make a reservation for dinner but after many people had suggested it, we went for it & it was so worth it. Fried chicken, ribs, beef stew, mashed potatoes, collards, black eyed peas....O' the list went on and on! What's not to love about that menu?

Our Carriage Ride- Luke was the one who did all the work!

Paula's Buffet Ya'll!

Celebrate...

2010-04-07T22:33:00.006-04:00

Spring Break hit with a big 1st birthday celebration for the youngest Berry girl Allie! As soon as school was out on Friday we hit the road to Greenville, SC to celebrate with Brandon & Nicole & the girls. We don't get to see them nearly as much as we would like & usually when we do it's a short and sweet visit before we run back up the road 5 hours to home. We made the most of our time on Saturday by taking the girls out for an Aunt & Uncle date to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. I feel certain that those girls put away a huge pancake each! That afternoon we enjoyed a birthday party that included homemade cupcakes, homemade hats, a tutu & the cutest little onesie!

Allie didn't hesitate once that cupcake was put in front on her. She dove right in & seemed to love every minute of it!

We headed home Saturday afternoon to be home with our Liberty family for church on Sunday to celebrate Easter & an empty tomb! After church a group of us gathered at Lesley's for a wonderful Easter lunch. Anticipation was high as two of the three ladies were about to get their husbands home after a 361 day deployment. Both friends have two kids & have done a terrific job being strong without their husbands for the past year! Sweet Lesley will get her husband home for a week for R&R next week & then he'll be back in August!These ladies are some my dearest friends. I'm so grateful for them and the encouragement they bring to me!

Left to Right: Me of course,Lesley, Alison, Tara

I'm Lovin It!

2010-03-21T19:41:00.011-04:00

John and I are having the best time soaking up every moment of this phase of life. Each day we just smile at one another in a different way than we have ever been able to before.

A few weeks ago we were able to celebrate with the Berry Family. What a great time we had at Firebird's Restaurant in Charlotte. Ella ran right up into my arms, threw her hands in the air & squealed "YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BABY!" She quickly made her way down me & proclaimed "It's gonna be a boy!" So precious. So priceless. We enjoyed a wonderful time to just see our family and share our joy. Before leaving sweet Ella put her hand on my stomach and continued showing her sweet love towards our tiny baby. Her words will forever be etched in my mind; "Baby I speak blessing over you." The most sincere prayer and blessing. My awesome sister brought me my first collection of gifts.

We also got the opportunity to share with my my family and celebrate birthdays & future birthdays at PF Chang's. Nana & Wanda both reacted just as I guessed they would. Wanda looked at me & yelled "SHUT UP! ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Nana- "PRAISE GOD!" I'm not sure Nana has come down to earth yet!

Last week we were able to see Baby Berry. John was able to go with me to the doctor and he was so excited. As the image of our sweet 'strawberry' came up on the screen, his grin was wide as can be. I loved watching him and how happy he was.

Both of us had a very unexpected surprise when the most incredible sound came into our ears for the first time. A strong and healthy heartbeat! It's like nothing I've heard before. It sounded as if this sweet baby had just ran a marathon. 160 Beats Per Minute. It was a moment that will remain with me forever! I'll be so happy when our little "strawberry" looks less like an alien & more like a baby. We go back for another look in the first week of the second trimester. Can't believe how close we are to the 2nd trimester. Just 3 more weeks! I'm so thankful for this gift. I wake myself up at times in the night and find that I am in the midst of giving God praise even in my sleep!

This phase of life....so different....& we are LOVIN it!

Miracle

2010-03-14T17:12:00.005-04:00

According to Dictionary.com the following are definitions 1 and 2 for a MIRACLE.

1-an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

2-such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of

God.

In simpliest terms, these definitions explain exactly what you are about

to see........

You've just set your eyes on the very first picture of Baby Berry! An amazing combination of both John and I that is growing and forming in my womb! It's an amazing miracle!

Some of you may know the journey that we have been on for the la

st SIX years! O what a journey! It's amazing to consider all that God has taught us through this amazing journey. It has been one of the most difficult situations I have ever encountered, but one of the most growing situations. I've learned so much about myself, John & mostly God and his faithfulness.

In November we were told that we had a 22% chance of getting pregnant and conceiving on our own. I came home about as down as I could be. In the journal that I keep, written to our future MSC (Many Small Children), I wrote the most sincere prayer I could possibly write asking God to take my 22% & make it a 100% by the power that I know he has! 3 months later I took a test and was overwhelmed by what appeared!

So here we are.....8 weeks in and SO EXCITED WE CAN HARDLY STAND IT & God receives all the glory for the JOY that overflows in our heart!

So Far Behind... Am I ahead?

2010-01-20T08:01:00.001-05:00

Well the silly saying goes...I was so far behind that I thought I was ahead. That's me!

Lately it's been one thing right after another for us.We've gone days without seeing each other and then only seeing each other to work on the next project for youth group or home. I feel as though we haven't really stopped since Thanksgiving. Guess that would be the reason for not posting in such a VERY LONG.

So a recap of the last 4 months of our lives & all the fun adventures involved. There's never a dull, quiet moment.

Thanksgiving was hosted by the fabulous Nicole Berry who had the joys of cooking her very first turkey! Of course the moments were documented for enjoyment for years to come. We had a lovely time sharing with the Berry/Malseed family. Ella, right in the midst of potty training, made sure to let us know that she had pee pee in the potty as we all shared our moments of gratitude for the past year. She took all of us from tears of gratitude for God allowing Chris to enjoy one more Thanksgiving to tears of laughter! She definitely has a way with making everyone so happy.

Christmas was actually at our home. My family came and shared with us on Christmas Eve and was immediately followed by the Berry Clan who hung out for a few days. The boys highlight of Christmas was new shotguns. I do believe their favorite part was taking a day and going shooting.

The week following Christmas we went skiing in West Virginia with John and Denice. It was a great time to get away for a couple of days and just enjoy the snow and wonderful beauty of the mountains. It's been strange being here in Fayetteville with little to no snow all winter long, so it was nice to see the snow pouring down as we entered West Virginia. It was some of the best skiing conditions we've ever experienced. It was a great way to close out our 2009. An amazing year with many new adventures.

Patiently Waiting....

2009-11-08T22:07:00.004-05:00

A new club started this past week to celebrate the time that God has me in, along with a wonderful group of ladies. The idea is a spin off of a group from my awesome sister-in-law who has had a wonderful group of ladies surround her. I love you sis!

We called our group Patiently Waiting because each of us are waiting on something particular...from a husband to come home from overseas or for a new addition to our family. Of the nine ladies pictured, only 2 of us have our husbands home right now. One, possibly two, are pregnant. And one is continuing to wait patiently for the Lord to open her womb. Each have at least two kids & some have as many as 4 kids! They are a precious group of women!

I am in a Bible Study with a group of ladies who, for the most part, are military wives. Well, come to think of it they are all military wives. They are amazing women who sacrifice just as much as their husbands. I have had the privilege of getting to know each of them and seeing the real sacrifices of a military wife. They amaze me with their ability to remain strong for their children as they take on the role of Mom & Dad for as much as a YEAR! ONE ENTIRE YEAR. Some of them go even longer. I can't even begin to imagine that type of lifestyle, but these ladies are so strong and courageous.

We centered our theme around Thanksgiving. I made a Maple Glazed Stuffing & Roast Pork. We also had a fresh salad with a homemade Italian dressing, homemade cranberry sauce, quick creamy corn, Pierogi Casserole, Brie with Apricot topping, buttery rolls, & herbed broccoli. For dessert we had fudge brownies, Turtle Pumpkin Pie, & Death by Chocolate Cake!

We have already scheduled our next one & it's gonna be a dessert theme! Better start dieting to prepare for that one!

I feel so blessed to have such an awesome group of ladies to spend time with!

Blessing During Recession.....Part II

2009-10-31T09:23:00.005-04:00

Saying goodbye brought so many emotions with it and at the end of Wednesday I felt completely drained. I had no clue what the next day was going to bring for me because I was going straight into KINDERGARTEN the very next morning! Pray for MSC (Many Small Children) and the Lord tends to have a sense of humor with how he provides!

When I originally interviewed at Highland Elementary, I thought I was interviewing for a new Third Grade position that was opening up. While that was true, there were also 2 kindergarten positions open and a Fourth grade position open. When he came back offering me one of the kindergarten positions. I wasn't the least bit timid about it. I knew I could do it. I had spent my ENTIRE college career preparing to be a kindergarten teaching. A high school internship, 2 college internships & student teaching were spent in kindergarten. I had experienced by far the best kindergarten teacher on the planet during student teaching. Patsy Alley was amazing at making kinders do exactly what she wanted them to in the most creative ways that they enjoyed. I learned so much from her and knew I simply needed to drag it from the dusty shelf I had left it on 6 years ago.

I LOVED it! I realized quickly that the pace of my day was going to be much different, but it was FUN! I really had missed the aspects of school that elementary teachers get to enjoy. These past few days reminded me of why I became a teacher.

I chose a spider theme for my first two days to go with the Halloween week. I'll have to continue to be creative in those ways too because I have a sweet baby who can't celebrate any holidays.

Spiders it was. I hung a HUGE spider on the corner of the board. Kinders are the most observant kids ever. They had hardly walked in the room and welcomed their new teacher ( I had met them the week before during a day long visit),that their little voices said "MRS. BERRY! There's a spider over our board. Who put that spider there??? " I love their excitement...so refreshing.

We graphed whether we like or dislike spiders and then wrote about it! What fun is learning about spiders if it doesn't involve food? So we made spiders from marshmallows & pretzels. They didn't stand a chance with hungry little kiddos. I did manage to get a picture before they were consumed!

I even found these awesome cupcakes to go with our theme!!!

The kids loved them:)

Yesterday afternoon the entire school focused on Kindergarten. Everyone lined the hallways & each kindergarten class prepared themselves with their themed hats. Our theme was scarecrows. They kids loved that I joined in with them!

A new adventure with a tremendous amount of fun to come!