Preparation

Thankful

We spent the day with my brother-in-law's family in Clanton. We have been doing this for over ten years now and it is a very special tradition. Little B was a trooper. We got there a little late to make sure she got a good morning nap b/c I knew it would be hard to let her nap there. And it was, but she was perfect. She even munched on pine straw on the hayride like a good little farmer. We have so much to be thankful for this year. I can't believe that last Thanksgiving I was 6 months pregnant and had no idea what Bennett would look like or how she would be. What a difference a year makes and I am so thankful for her and for all the joy she has brought to our lives. Next Thanksgiving I will also have a 4 month old and I am ready to see this little life and I thank God already for this incredible blessing.

My family as the sun was setting on the hayride.

Bennett with her cousins.

Bennett and Daddy enjoying a hayride.

Bennett and Mommy doing the same thing.

She looks so big in this picture. I cannot believe how much older she looks.

The four grandaughters enjoying their first Thanksgiving all together.

Farewell Concert

Last Thursday night we had a farewell concert for Rob. We showed a lot of classic videos and had an amazing night of worship. It is pointless for me to attempt to write down how much the night meant to us. It was the culmination of 8 years of ministry and it could not have been a more meaningful night for us. Someone might have wondered why we had such a big fuss for someone who took a new job. After all, people leave church staffs all the time. But it was more than that and it's hard to explain why everyone wanted to have the concert to say good-bye.

When John Schmidt started the Contemporary Worship Service, he did so in a small sanctuary with a handful of volunteers and a congregation of about 50. When Rob came on board the two of them grew a service into what it is today with years of hard work, prayer, laughs, and focus. The main reason for starting this service was to present the gospel in a fresh and innovative way to those who wouldn't normally come to church.

Over the years Rob and John along with others such as myself, Cyndi Lombardi, and Shane Segars have had quite a ride seeing the service grow into what it is today-with a typical Sunday attendance of about 2000. We have had many joys and many tears as we have seen people come to know Christ. So, Thursday night wasn't just a send off for two staff people, but rather a celebration of how far we have come from those days in the East Sanctuary and a celebration of all the Lord has done through us as we strive to do His will.

I know a lot of people are excited about the changes that are coming to our worship service. I fully recognize that it's time to see what God has in store next as He takes the service in a new direction. I pray that the service continues to fulfill its original purpose of reaching Non-Christians while taking those who are already in a relationship with the Lord to a deeper and more personal level.

I for one, count it as a privilege to have worked alongside Rob and John for so many years. The team we put in place have not only been my co-workers, but some of my dearest friends. I cannot tell you how many late nights we have spent working on videos, brainstorming sermon series, practicing skits, going over sermon points, working on music, and painting sets. I don't think it has really hit me yet that we are leaving. That service will always have a piece of my heart and if I had any small part in anyone coming to know Christ either for the first time or though a re-dedication, or even just a deeper walk with Him, then there is nothing more I can ask.

Here are a few pictures from Thursday night. I hope everyone there knows how much we appreciate them coming and how much we will miss our Frazer family.

A Shot of the stage from the back of the house

I don't know what we are going to do without Shane. I don't think anybody could ask for a truer friend.

Rob leading worship for one of the last times

Being in ministry with Shane and John has truly been an honor

Saying good-bye

Bennett wanted to come onstage to thank everyone for being so good to her parents

Differences between 7 and 8 months

7 month old- baby lays contentedly on floor while you dress her
8 month old- dressing baby is like wrestling an alligator

7 month old- baby lays in crib and calls out for you when she wakes up
8 month old- baby tries to scale the crib and yells as you find her on the other side of the crib about halfway up and inches from making a jail break

7 month old- cuddles with you while you read books
8 month old- nose dives out of your lap while trying to eat the book

7 month old- waits patiently in high chair for you to clean her face after eating
8 month old- knows exactly what Mom is doing and does NOT want that cold paper towel on her face, and so screams so you won't come near her with that cleaning apparatus

7 month old- loves to giggle at dogs
8 month old- loves to pull dogs ears and yell at them

7 month old- plays happily with toys by herself
8 month old- climbs over toys to find the most dangerous object in house

7 month old- tricks Mom and Dad into thinking parenting is really easy
8 month old- makes Mom and Dad think they should have waited a little longer before having a second.

who else...

...besides me read a chapter of "What to Expect the First Year" and "What to Expect when You're Expecting" last night?

Oh, yeah, and in the craziness of the whole baby/move thing, I forgot to mention that little B is crawling! Everywhere. And she likes the sharp edges of furniture that I can't cover up because we are showing our house. But don't worry. I watch her like a hawk. Except when I'm blogging. So I should probably go now.

We saw the heartbeat

Surprised? Me too. Shocked? Right there with you. Thrilled for us? So am I. Let's just say that I didn't quite think I had enough change going on in my life and I decided to throw in some more, just for good measure.

We have another little one on the way and are expecting an early July arrival. The siblings will be 16 months apart. And I will need a lot of medication. We have known for several weeks, but it is still kind of scary to announce this to the world. However, after seeing the little heartbeat today we feel better about sharing the news. It took us over a year to have Bennett with several bumps along the way, so this next one was "planned," but with the thought it would take as long as it did to have Bennett. Nope. It didn't.

So, here I go again. For those of you that don't know I had a very complicated pregnancy with Bennett. So I am currently on three progesterone pills a day, 2 shots of blood thinners every day, two pre-natal vitamins, one dose of baby aspirin, and a partridge in a pear tree.

But isn't God amazing?

It's getting hectic

I realized that I hadn't really posted anything about our move since our big announcement. I think I am still in denial. I look at all of the cardboard boxes in my house and think, "Hmmm... why are these strange things cluttering up my dining room?" and then it hits me- oh yeah. I am moving halfway across the country in a few weeks. I think I trick myself into forgetting so I won't be a big ball of mush 24/7. Who else besides me walks around their house and cries when they see the hardware on their kitchen cabinets? I will be in the best mood and then I will see something like that and I will burst into tears remembering how excited Rob and I were picking those out when we built our house. Truly pathetic.

Rob is leaving in 2 weeks. We planned his going away concert today and it was so incredibly sentimental. We were in John's office and we were trying to narrow down which videos to show. Every one of them made us reminisce for 10 minutes. I can't begin to write how much we are going to miss John and the Contemporary Service. For those of you reading this that don't know, the going away concert will be a week from tonight at 6:00pm in Wesley Hall. I really hope you can make it. It is going to be a wonderful night.

But anyway, we are just in the final stages. Finishing up wedding videos, packing the house, trying to grab those last dinners out with close friends, tying up loose ends at the church, praying non-stop for our house to sell, and trying to get Bennett well from the RSV virus.

Speaking of which, she is crying right now with her little chest rattling so I think my little girl needs me to get off the computer and hold her. Keep us in your prayers and we'll keep you posted as we wind things down here in Montgomery.

A Thousand Questions

This is a Willow Creek video we showed in all of our services a few months ago. If you have a few minutes, please watch. I cannot tell you how much this video speaks to me.

10-0, baby!

Roll Tide, Roll!!

Shopping for Christmas

So many options

Enjoy it while we can

WE'RE NUMBER ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For now. And I couldn't be more excited. I was at the game that pushed us to number 1. Well, Texas Tech beating Texas is really what did it, but I was at the 'Bama game on Saturday and we still thrashed Ark. State 35-0. It was truly glorious. Gotta run now. I am beginning my preparations for LSU on Saturday which amount to wringing my hands nervously, avoiding all commentators, and buying Golden Flake potato chips because I am told they are good luck.

John Parker- can you please not make the sidelines your favorite receivers next week? Thanks.

Me with Lenore and Samuel. Grabbin' lunch before the game

Touchdown. Again. Awesome. I don't know how a feather duster got in my shot, but it did.

See you next week, Cody. We need you!

Jenelle and I had amazing seats- just a few rows up from the sidelines.

ROLL TIDE!

Tricked Out

Here she is in all her glory. The cutest lion I have ever seen. And I mean that. We practiced her roar all day yesterday, but mainly she just smiled and looked very confused. Her cousin, otherwise known as an Alabama cheerleader came down to party with us. She took care of her "bestest cousin for-evah" all night long

We had a few friends over last night and we trick or treated with the best of them. We also ate way too much and played wii in the backyard on a giant sheet, despite it being way too cold to do so. Here are a few of the costumes that made their way into our home.

Here we are finding the houses with the best candy. I think I see a queen, a shepherd, and who knows what else

Bob the Builder thought about challenging Goliath to a battle. He soon realized that he needed to find another option.
Jim, Pam, and Dwight showed up, but it really isn't a party without Michael Scott, so I'm not sure if it counts.

Here are some students from Hogwarts, but again- No Dumbledore, no party.

Scariest. Costume. Ever.

And finally, our first Halloween as a family. Since little B was a lion, we had to go as a witch and a wardrobe. Naturally.