Friday’s Favorites

Top Ten Favorites

  1. Hearing my children laugh
  2. Holding my babies hands
  3. Jim’s Dimples
  4. Dt. Mountain Dew, which I only get when I am not pregnant or nursing. Needless to say it has been awhile.
  5. Pedicures
  6. Hearing I love you from my man
  7. Hearing I love you from my children
  8. Talking on the phone to friends that encourage and make you laugh
  9. Laughing until you cry
  10. Driving through Tennessee and seeing a Welcome to Georgia sign. When we see the sign we know that we are just a few hours away from family.

Standards

Tonight I was in the attic and I came across the standards that I wrote in July of 01 for the man I was going to marry. I had dated a couple of guys since becoming a Christian and I felt that I really didn’t have any standards for the man God wanted me to marry. Over the course of several weeks, I prayed and this is the list of standards that I felt encompassed the man that God wanted me to marry. I knew that I would never marry a man unless he met all 31 standards without me telling him the standards. I had come to a point in my life where I was tired of mediocre and I wanted God’s best and I was willing to wait forever. Jim and I met October of 01 and the rest is history……
1. Growing Christian (Loves the Lord more than He loves Me)
2. Spiritual Leader/Willing and Wanting to Teach Me
3. Gentleman
4. Has a High Respect for His Sisters in Christ
5. Believes All of the Bible
a. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
b. Isaiah 5:17-19
6. Is able to communicate (talk and listen)
7. My Best Friend
8. Prays with me/for me
9. Will never ask me to compromise myself/standards/purity/always asks permission
10. Patient
11. Slow to anger
12. Country yet conservative (adventurous yet romantic)
13. Likes to travel
14. Has a sense of humor
15. Loves His Family
16. Adores Me
17. Wants lots of Children
18. Works Hard
19. Accepts my faults
20. Gracefully and truthfully corrects my faults
21. Bring flowers/sends cards
22. Dedicated to his ministry
23. Likes working with young people
24. Accepts/Loves/Prays for my family
25. Wants me to be a “homemaker”
26. A servants heart
27. Looking for a helper, soul mate, His “Eve”
28. Has prepared to be the person He wants to marry
29. Plays guitar/sings/worships through music
30. Encourages me
31. Not afraid to share his love for me with other people (I shouldn’t be a secret)


Dear Lord,
May I be all that I am committed to desire, and may I never settle for anything less than your best. May I fulfill all of theses standards. May I prepare to be the person I want to marry. Lord, help me to see only with your eyes, think only with your mind, and love only with your heart. I have given you my heart to do with what you please. May I never have it back until the appointed divine time. Lord, help me to remain pure in character and stay focused on YOU. Make me a woman of excellence in Your time. No matter what it takes!! I love you, thank you!!!
Because You Loved Me First,
Stephanie

A New Perdue

No, I am not having another one, yet!
Jim’s brother and wife, Dan and Jessica, welcomed a new baby girl into the family June 18 at 7:26 PM. She was 6lb 11 oz and 19 in. Her name is Rabun Ophie. We are so excited to have another little girl. Congratulations Dan and Jessica we can’t wait to meet her.

18 months

My baby boy, Judd, turned 18 months on Saturday. This was an emotional day for me. It is hard to believe that he is growing so fast. He brings so much joy to our lives.


Juddman, this is for you


You are hilarious and so much fun. You always wake up with a smile. You smile lights up a room and your laughter is contagious. It is fun as you intentionally do things to make us laugh. Lately, you have been “singing” your favorite songs, Washed in the blood and I’ll Fly Away, at the table while we are eating. Most people wouldn’t recognize I’ll Ba Ba Ba as I’ll Fly Away, but you are doing an amazing job. Your dad and I enjoy watching you play independently especially with cars and Jake’s trains, but still your favorite “toy” is our phone.

I think we should name you little Spiderman, you are climbing on everything Every time I turn around you are climbing on the couch to get the phone, climbing in your chair to tell us you are hungry, climbing up the end table in order to jump on the big chair, and now you climb into the bath tub at random times because you would like to play in the water.

It is hard to believe but you have gone potty a couple of times which is very exciting. You just clap and wave bye-bye as the toilet flushes. I am sure this is all pure luck based on good timing, but still.

You love to do everything Jake does. Brush your teeth standing next to Jake on the stool is one of your favorite activities. Riding Jake’s tractor, reading books like him, sitting with Jake on the couch and playing in his room are more ways your try to be like Jake.



I enjoy watching you kiss Anna Kate and try to put her pacifier in her mouth when she is crying. You are already spoiling and protecting her when you aren’t trying to sit on or tickle her.


You are fearless especially in the pool swimming. We put a lifejacket and swimmies on you while you are in the pool and you LOVE the freedom to swim around. You are quick to jump off of the diving board to daddy. You will come to the edge and count holding up one finger, 3free, 3free, 3free and then jump.


Whenever we mention the word “book” you run to get your Little People flap books, touch and feel pony books, or your Bible then stand in front of us and back into our laps so that we will read to you. It is so precious! Currently you have three signs and 20 words that you use regularly, although many are animal noises your verbal skills are increasing everyday.

You are QUICK to run from mommy and daddy if you know that you are going to be disciplined. You usually run with a concerned look on your face, but other times you laugh hoping we will do the same.

This week will be another milestone. We are taking away your pacifier. You only get it when you sleep, but you LOVE it. This was the hardest transition for Jake, even harder than potty training, so I am expecting a long week with little sleep.




Lastly, we are taking you to an allergist and an ENT in a few weeks. You have reoccurring ear infections and it is time to figure out the cause and solution. We have been praying and will continue to pray that your little ears will stop getting infected, but we need to take steps so that we can stop giving you antibiotics every month.

I love you, Judson Hunter and I wish I could hold on to this precious time. . and that you would stay this age forever! I know that you will continue to grow and we pray that you will be the man God wants you to be. Our prayer for you has always been to love Him with all of your heart and live for Him without regrets

Happy Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day to the love of my life!
I am married to one of the best dad’s in the whole world. He loves his family and he loves being a dad. He truly enjoys every minute. He sings silly songs and has silly nicknames for the kids that make them laugh. Most importantly, he loves his boys and wants to see them love Jesus more than anything else.

Jim, thank you for your faith and how important it is to you to share it with me and the kids. Thank you for loving us in so many ways. Thank you for coming home everyday always ready to play “dead gorilla ,“roll them up”, have devotions with our children, or just enjoy a nice afternoon in the water. Thank you….

Yes, we did get Jim a tie this year, BUT he also got two suits and a shirt. He wore one to church today and I must say that he is a fine looking man! **we took pictures, but they didn’t look so hot***


Happy Father’s Day to my Dad
Thank you for always loving me, your princess. Thanks for being such a great listener. I have always been able to talk to you and I always knew that you would lend an ear whenever I needed to talk. You have always worked so hard to give me everything I need and just about everything I wanted. Bad thing or not, I was spoiled. At least I recognize it, right? Thanks for the past three years. I am so glad that you are apart of our life. My boys love Papa Wayne.

Happy Father’s Day to Benny (a.k.a Mr. Brown)
Thanks for all of you love, support, and encouragement through the years. You are a great step-dad and I am thankful you are in my life. Thank you for your advice and your willingness to serve others. Thank you for investing my family. We love you, Sweet Papa.

Happy Father’s Day to Mr. Sonny
Thank you for your son. I want to say thank you for the teaching him to be a godly man, to love his wife and family, to work hard, and most of all thanks for teaching him to love Jesus. Thank you for loving my children and being such a great Big Buddy.

Awww! Isn’t she cute…….Oh no!

At my 20 week ultrasound we saw sweet Anna Kate doing this:

If you can’t tell what she is doing take a good look at this picture:

I have been waiting for 2 months to see if Anna Kate would really live up to her ultrasound pictures. Well, this morning I woke up and I saw my precious little girl sucking away. I snapped a quick picture because it was cute and I wanted a memory, but she will be sleeping with mittens on from this point forward. I don’t want a thumb sucker. I know many of you think “no big deal”, but it is a big deal to me. I was a thumb sucker and I don’t want to go through what my parents went through.

The Many Faces of Anna Kate

I can’t believe Anna Kate is two months old today. She is growing to fast. I am trying to cherish every single moment, but the days continue to come and go so much more quickly than I remember with the boys. My life is so busy with three little ones, but I know that very soon I will wake up missing these chaotic days and wanting them back.

These are the many faces of Anna Kate…




Bottles

I wanted to give you some information that I have been looking at the past few days. You may already know all of this but if not I just wanted to inform you.

I read this website the other day and on May 29 they were discussing BPA free bottles. Apparently, the concern with BPA (bisphenol-A) in the plastics used in many bottles and sippy cups. I returned my bottles at Babies R Us this morning and bought Dr. Browns 3 Pack Polypropylene Bottles – 8 Oz. They return them without any questions asked. Be sure to call before going. They are selling them as fast as they get them in.

I have used Dr. Brown’s bottles for both of the boys and I love them. Dr. Brown’s supposedly has the highest levels of BPA leaching when heated. I don’t heat them when I use formula, but with breast milk you have to heat them and that is when the leaching supposedly takes place. “According to Babies R Us website – they are transitioning to BPA only products by the end of 2008! You can do a quick google search to learn more about the dangers of BPA. For a list of bottles that do NOT contain BPA, check this out. Most mainstream bottles (Avent and Dr. Browns) DO contain BPA.”

An Awesome Prayer

Sunday at church Anna Kate received a precious gift. It was a Raggedy Ann doll. I haven’t seen one of those in years. It is hard to believe I have a girl and she has a doll.

When I opened the card there was a heart-shaped piece of paper inside with a note to Anna Kate. This is what it said:

Anna Katherine,
Sweet Baby girl…
I pray that from the beginning you will have a heart that is tender toward God; a heart that beats to please Him. That early on your hands won’t hesitate to lift toward heaven in praise and worship of God. And as you grow up, that they will be used to reach out and comfort those who are hurting and help those in need. May the first step you take be one of many on the path that God has planned and laid out before you. And ultimately, may your countenance reflect a young lady who has come to know and love her Savior, Jesus Christ LORD. God bless and keep you.

Jim and I both had tears in our eyes. What a blessing to know that people love and care about our children enough to pray this kind of pray for them. We are humbled.

God is Here!!!

Update on Anna Kate

Anna Kate is 7 weeks old and she is so precious. She is sleeping and eating well. We made it through the first growth spurt and I am still nursing. Yippie! For those of you that know me, the sixth week has always been the beginning of the end of my nursing experiences.

With all the sleepless nights and tiring days, I quickly begin to anticipate the first smiles. Each smile melts my heart. Anna Kate started smiling about two weeks ago, but this is the first time we were able to capture them with the camera. I just thought I would share a few of Anna Kate’s smiles. Hopefully, they will bring a smile to your face.