UVA vs VT

Last weekend my sister Kirsten who works for the UVA football coaching staff was gracious enough to "allow" us Tech fans into the game and we certainly saw an amazing game! Thankfully the Hokies pulled out the Victory, but all in all it was fun to be with the family - even if some of them call themselves "wahoos" :) We missed Brian though, he was working his first couple nights at the jail! :)

Here are a few shots of us before the game.

The 2 "wahoos" of the bunch - Keith and Shaun
Mike & Blakely
Tailgating

JD & Dad

Me, Mike, and Blakely

Thanksgiving Pictures

Thanksgiving 2007 was so very blessed. I thought I would share some pictures that I took as we spent the day with my (Karen's) family.

(I know the slide show is 6 minutes long - but keep watching - there are 4 fun videos of Pierce in this slide show. 1. Pierce being a total ham and entertaining us while balancing plates in his mouth. 2. Pierce enjoying his 1st Thanksgiving dinner. 3 and 4. Pierce taking a bath in Grandma's sink and trying to drink the water.) :)

Enjoy!

Blessings to all!!!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

BOUNCING BABY GIRL!!!

Last Wednesday we were so blessed to be able to have an ultrasound and see our healthy baby girl that is growing my tummy. She has been so very active, kicking, punching, and moving all the time! This ultrasound was no different, the technician was actually trying different techniques to try and get her to settle down. Looks like we are going to have an active child on our hands. Wonder where she gets that from, her mommy or her daddy?? :)

She is growing so big and I know we are bias, but she is already sooooo cute! The U/S Tech actually took about 10 pictures and told Brian to fold them up tight and not show anyone else. She said she usually only gives parents about 3 pictures, but our baby had the cutest profile, she just couldn't stop snapping images of her. We thought that was pretty funny and we already knew that God had blessed us with a beautiful baby!

I am not sure if you can read my labels - but I am pointing at her leg that kept kicking on the far left, her hand behind her head on the far right, and her mouth that kept opening and closing throughout the u/s. Also, can you spot her little button nose?

She is not only active and cute, but pretty good size too. Weighing in at just about 1 pound and measuring in the 88th percentile for fetal length. My estimated due date, based on my last period is listing as 4-5-2008, however, based on this kids measurements, my estimated due date is listed as 3-31-2008. We shall see how it goes! Maybe she will be tall like her daddy! :)

We can not express how excited we are about our little baby girl and after watching her on the screen, we just can't wait to hold her!!!

We hope that you all will continue to remember us and our growing baby in your prayers. We pray that God will continue to keep her safe, healthy, and growing in all the right ways.

Thanksgiving

"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done."
~1 Chronicles 16:8 NIV~

We are so very thankful this year and always.

Thankful for:

- Wonderful loving families
- Our health
- Our home
- Brian's job
- Each Other
- A loving father in Heaven that continues to bless us

and....

- Our very healthy, active, wiggly Baby

also...

- For the wonderful technology that allowed us to see her on the screen on Wednesday morning - and yes I said HER - ITS A WIGGLY, HEALTHY, LITTLE GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We can not express how excited we are that she is healthy and soooo cute! I will post pictures and more information about our 20 week checkup this coming week. We can not wait to hold her, love her, and raise her up to love and serve Christ in all she does! We are certainly "Blessed Beyond Measure"

We hope and pray that each of you can find many things to be thankful for this year.

Pierce on the move

I got some great videos of Pierce walking or maybe I should say "plowing" through the house!

Here they are....Enjoy!!!

Weekend with the Arnolds

This past weekend we had a wonderful opportunity to spend time in Charlottesville with Shaun, Katie, and Pierce. It was an awesome weekend of fun, family, fellowship, and relaxation. So glad we are blessed with wonderful family members and we are able to spend time together creating memories. I wish we lived a little closer though!

Here is a slide show I created from the pictures I took this weekend - of course Pierce stole the show, as always!

Memories

This week has been a tough week for me. It has also been a week full of memories. Last Saturday a dear person to both Daniel and myself went to be with the Lord - Daniel's Uncle Milton. Milton was diagnosed with liver cancer only 3 months after Daniel passed away and he put up a courageous battle for 14 months. Milton was only 57 years old and is survived by his wife of 27 years, 3 children, 1 grandchild, and many many other family members. His wife is Daniels' Aunt - Daniels', mothers', sister - did you all follow that? :) Very very special people not only in Daniel's life, but also continue to be very special to me.

It was a great loss and Uncle Milton will be missed. His earthly body was laid to rest yesterday, Wednesday, only a day after what would have been Daniel's 29th birthday. Uncle Milton was buried at the Gregory family cemetery, a place where he put many hours of hard work in to get it ready for Daniel. I am forever grateful for that. So, there both their bodies find rest after very long battles on this earth, one who created the idea of a family cemetery, and the other whose hands built it. It is continually amazing to me how God works.

It is always hard for me to go there, honestly, the family cemetery was the only "argument" Daniel and I in regard to his passing, but I am thankful that now there is a place for Milton's body to be laid to rest.

Daniel Floyd officiated the memorial service and he made an excellent point, telling the family to always remember, always share stories, and always hold on to their memories. This is something that has been important to me as well and important for healing in general. However, I am beginning to think that this week was just too hard with all the memories. My heart needs a short break.

Please keep the Trigg family and all those that love Milton and miss him in your prayers.

Here are a few pictures that I took....This is the oak tree that Daniel was persistent about being buried by - His plot faces this tree - It looks more beautiful this fall than I have ever seen it.
Daniel's (very large) :) memorial stone (with bird feeder attached). :)
Another view - you can see the wind chimes and the bird feeder in the background that I put up - Daniel loved to hear the chimes and absolutely loved to keep the birds fed. :)
Uncle Milton's plot is in the opposite corner from Daniel - there were so many beautiful flowers sent.Auntie Dale - Milton's wife told some of us to take some flowers and keep them for a little while and when we saw them, we could remember Milton. I found some purple and orange ones in the mix (Daniel's favorite colors) and I placed them on Daniel's memorial plot at my parents house. Many people may not know this, but Daniel's ashes were separated in half and the half that weren't buried in the cemetery in Spotsylvania, were buried at my parents house in Mechanicsville. There is a light that shines on Daniel's plot all night, so I placed the flowers there in remembrance of both Daniel and Uncle Milton, and I took this picture last night.
(Trust me, the words are spelled correctly on the stone - when the granite gets wet, the words fade until the stone dries, that is why it looks like "lives" is spelled wrong.)

Happy Birthday!

It is my understanding that some people don't necessarily find an important need to remember the birthday of those that have passed on before us. I on the other hand think it is an important part of the (my) healing process.

There has never been a day since Daniel has been gone that I haven't thought about him. Even if it is just a passing thought because I will see something or hear a song that reminds me of him; or the occasional thoughts that I experience, wishing I could tell him about how God has blessed me. I would love to be able to share with him the happiness I have in my life now, the joy of the little miracle growing in my belly, my schooling and how well I am succeeding in my classes, things like that. All things that I know he hoped and prayed for, for me. Aside from him being my husband, people often forget that he was my bestest friend for 6 years; when that goes away, it is easy to feel a void in your heart.

Regardless of all that though, there are a few days every year that have a special place on my calendar, today is one of those days. Today, Daniel would have turned 29 years old. His last birthday that we celebrated on this earth was so very special and I will forever be thankful for those memories.If there is anything I can share with you today, it would be to cherish every moment you are given. When you are told that your life might be cut short, everything changes. Daniel shared with me often that his prayer was to live until he was 30 years old. He wanted to hold his own child and see his younger brother and sister get married. None of these prayers were answered on this earth, but Daniel had a way of really cherishing the moments that he was given. He loved life and he was thankful for the 27 years that he did have.

I pray that we all will live life in a similar way and always be thankful for what we do have, especially those of us that are healthy, happy, and still have a chance to LIVE - No matter what age we are!

Fun, Relaxing Weekend

This past weekend was another great fun and relaxing time. Brian actually volunteered to work on Saturday at the golf shop (his old job) because the owner was going to be out of town and needed some help. I had a great day of doing some school work, watching football (yeah VT beating FSU!!!) and just being lazy around the house. When Brian returned home around 9pm we decided to hit the road and take a road trip to Mechanicsville. Brian was off work on Monday for Veteran's Day so we were excited to be able to stay in Mechanicsville longer than usual. We got there late Saturday night, and because the Tech game was at 3:30pm, Mom and Dad were just getting home as well. On Sunday morning, Brian and I decided to head up to Spotsylvania to go to my home church - LifePoint. Sunday morning service was wonderful and it was so great to see so many people that we love and that are so close to our hearts. We ended up staying around after church for over an hour talking and visiting with our friend Tammie (she is the wife of the Pastor at LifePoint) and we love her sooo much! It was a great visit and we were blessed for being there. We talked for so long, we knew we had to hurry back so we could see the Buffalo Bills "squish the fish" (as they say in Buffalo). The Bills pulled out another win down in Miami, against the Dolphins. It is always wonderful when the Bills beat Miami, so we were all excited! :)

After the game, Mom and I went to Kohl's to do some shopping for maternity shirts. Although I have been telling everyone that my belly doesn't look pregnant, I believe I have started to "pop" - I wouldn't say that I "popped" - more like, I am "popping" :) However, I did step on the scale this morning to see if any weight gain is accompanying this "popping" and to my surprise, I am exactly the same weight as I was 3 1/2 weeks ago. I guess the kid is just pushing out for some more room. :) At Kohl's we were able to find some cute shirts and then mingled into the kid section and got sucked in by all the cute outfits and amazing prices! For that reason, I can NOT wait to find out if this kid is a she or a he.After shopping we had a relaxing evening back at Mom & Dad's house, eating Mom's famous spaghetti, watching more football (ha - the Colts lost again!!!) and just hanging out. Monday morning Brian and I had to get ready to head back to the beach, although he was off work, I had to be to class by 1pm. After class, Brian and I went over to the mall and walked around (we have been trying to walk everyday - they say 20 min a day will help with labor and delivery). We decided to catch a movie at the discount theatre - only $1.50/person. We saw The Brave One with Jodie Foster. For those that have not seen it - it was very good - I highly recommend it.

All and all, it was a great weekend. I hope each of you can say the same. I really enjoyed spending the day yesterday with my Marine Corp Veteran. He believes he needs NO recognition, but I really loved having him home from work and spending quality time with him and my Mom & Dad. God continues to bless us and we are happy to honor Him and continue to remain in His blessings.

Leaving a Legacy...

This is the prayer of my heart...

I met with a professor of mine the other morning. She is writing a letter of recommendation for me as part of my portfolio and for my Teacher Certification Application. As we sat and talked the other morning she was asking me to share with her again about Daniel and his life and then how the Lord brought Brian into my life.

I sat there and went on and on (for at least 30 minutes :) with the full story of Daniel's life, the love he had, the trials and struggles he endured, and the joy and blessings he (we) received in return. I LOVE telling that story! I was able to keep my composure, which reminded me how much God has healed my heart (much thanks to Brian being in my life). I think that is the first time I have gotten through the entire testimony without getting too emotional. The biggest part I walked away with though, was not something that God had in store for me that morning necessarily, but instead, how much the story blessed and impacted the professor I was talking to. I walked away from that moment, not thinking, "oh I hope she writes a good review for me" but instead abundantly thanking God for the opportunity to share with her and for Daniel's life - His Legacy!

Truly today I am the woman that I have become because of Daniel's legacy and how he used his life and his cancer as an opportunity to not turn away from God, but to point to God and rejoice! I will be forever thankful for that, thankful that although God called Daniel home, He has given me the opportunity to LIVE and share the legacy with others. A great letter of recommendation should not be my first priority, but how I live out the legacy for God is what matters most.

As I was driving home that same morning, thinking about how many people were blessed by Daniel's life when he was here with us, and how many more are still being blessed by hearing about him; I heard this song by Nicole Nordeman on my car radio. I could not help but think that God was driving the point home into my heart even further.

The chorus of the song stuck with me the most -

"I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy"



I will be praying that we all will leave the kind of legacy that God has intended for us. Constantly blessing his name, so that when we do arrive in paradise we will hear....

"Well done good and faithful one."

Success

It is the little things in life that make the biggest difference...

Today we are 19 weeks pregnant, PRAISE GOD!
Today also marks the first time since we were 7 weeks, that I have gone a FULL WEEK without vomiting!!!! Can any of you out there understand my sheer excitement in this??? That was a total of 11 weeks straight - full of morning sickness - YUCK!!!

From week 7 until week 18 I vomited at least once every other day, if not once or twice every day. I had morning sickness last week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. But then it stopped. I am feeling successful!

Still no belly really to speak of, no real weight gain, and I haven't decided fully if the things I am feeling in my abdomen are gas bubbles or baby movements.

It doesn't matter though, the daily toilet bowl hugging has been gone for a straight 7 days!
Halleluiah!!!!

Also, in less than two weeks we find out who is swimming around down there - a he or a she - the votes are steadily coming in! :) If you have one, be sure to pass it along. :)

"Church Shopping"

I just want to post briefly and ask you all to pray for us. Since my move to VA Beach last January, Brian and I (along with Jenny, most weekends) have been "church shopping", and one would never guess that this could be such a grueling process, but it is.
With the little one on the way, knowing the importance of being fed on a weekly basis through a community of believers, and understanding the need for fellowship with other believers, it is becoming more and more tiring to attend a church and not feel led by the Spirit to go back again another week. I know it is even harder for Brian too, because with Regent, I am surrounded each day by classmates and professors who lift me up in Christ and whom I fellowship with on a weekly basis. He on the other hand, is left spiritually empty sometimes.

We are confident that when we do find the church that God wants us to be at, we will feel the Holy Spirit fill us with joy as we enter; unfortunately, that has not happened as of yet.

I am not sure if my heart is holding me back specifically, knowing what I left behind at my home church, LifePoint, and disappointed that I can't walk into a new church and automatically feel what I used to feel there. Are our expectations too high? This Sunday brought us another disappointing encounter, not feeling the Spirit as we sat in another new church.

It is our deep longing prayer that God will show us the path to where He wants us to be (soon).
We appreciate your prayers as well.

Hard Work Pays Off

I promised (a while ago) to update you all on my classes and my final grades. Well, classes ended, fall break came and went, and now we are already two weeks into the next session, where does the time go???

I am proud to announce though for the FIRST TIME EVER in my whole life I got a 4.0 last session.

My final grades were:

Philosophy - A

Economics - A

US History - A
I have awarded myself a yellow happy face sticker!!! You would never be able to guess that I plan to teach someday, would you?

I was very excited about my grades because they raised my cumulative GPA to a 3.67

I worked my butt off last session, especially through the fatigue, nausea, and vomiting of our pregnancy, hopefully I can do it again this session.

I am not sure though, I am taking New Testament and Western Civilization this session and both professors are hard-core and in my Western Civ class we only have a total of 4 grades in the grade book, making it much harder to pull off an A. If you get one B on a test your whole class average goes down. I actually took my first exam in that class yesterday and I missed 3 questions, which gave me an 88% (which is a B). :( To get an A on his exams, you can only miss 1 question. Jenny and I both are wallowing in our sorrows of getting an 88% - Hopefully though, now that we know what to expect, we will ace all the rest of his exams! :)

As for my New Testament Professor.....I just need prayer in that class!!!

The best part though, when I am finished on December 18th, I have a 3 week break - no classes, no papers, no exams, no homework!!! Praise God for that!!!

I have decided, no matter what my grades are, that will deserve another yellow happy face sticker...

Brian's New Job!!!

I am soooo proud to announce that last Thursday, Nov 1st, Brian started a new job as a Virginia Beach City Sheriff's Deputy!!! This is so very exciting for many reasons. First, this process has been as least a 6 months process and I was getting impatient thinking it would NEVER be completed. It was a process of paper work, written tests, credit checks, background checks, finger-printing, psych evaluations, physical exams, x-rays, blood work, another written test, and I am sure there are more parts and pieces that I am forgetting.
None-the-less, we were patient (Well, Brian was a lot more patient that I was!) and he was given the final written job offer last week!!! Yeah!

The job is not what people might typically assume that a Sheriff's Deputy does because in the city of VA Beach, Deputy's actually work in the jail not on patrol. Although, to be on patrol is definitely a job that Brian would like to work up to someday, and I am sure he will, he always achieves what he sets his mind to.

Currently he is in training until the 20th of November (his schedule is a wonderful 7am - 4pm, Monday through Friday). I can't tell you how much I am loving that, even though it is taking some getting used to. His schedule with Golf, Etc. was 10am - 8pm, usually Monday through Saturday, and being Store Manager he usually didn't arrive home till almost 9pm every night. What a blessing it is to have him home before the sun sets!!!! :) I love it! Also, this past weekend he was home ALL weekend! It was so nice to just relax and enjoy one another for a full two day weekend! The schedule is another great perk to this new job!

Once he finishes his "in classroom" training on the 20th he will start working at the jail, mostly guarding inmates, I am sure I will have some fun stuff to write on in the future after he starts! He will actually start out on the night shift (the shifts run for 3 months, I think), which isn't too appealing to me, but it is what it is. So he will work 5:30pm - 5:30am - and he works 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, 3 days off. He will only work 15 days out of the month, keeping him home with me (and the kid) the other 15/16 days! I like that idea!

At some point in the near future he will enter the Academy and go through a 16-20 week training (physical training and weapons/defense/etc. training) and his schedule will change back to M-F for that stint. Currently they are running and/or working out in the weight room each day. Please keep Brian in your prayers, he hates to run (I am not sure how the kid was a US Marine for 5 years)! :)

On this Thursday he goes to the jail and gets sworn in as a official Law Enforcement Officer. I am so excited for him and so proud of him! After 5 years in the Corp serving as Military Police not only in this country but also in Afghanistan and other places around the world, and attending college classes for Criminal Justice, this has always been his passion. We are confident and excited about what God has in store for us along this journey and we know that whatever it is, we will continue to be blessed. We have already seen the blessings in the benefit package alone and we are thankful that this new opportunity will give Brian more time to be at home with our little one as she/he grows. Not only that, but once I graduate (in 2 years) from Regent, the opportunities for him to transfer to another city/county will be available to us; this is another great perk, especially because we do want to get out of the congested city at some point.

Just cause I think he looks so good in uniform, I thought I would post his USMC picture! :)

Thank you for all that have been praying for us during this whole process. I will keep you up to date and maybe (if he ever lets me) sneak a picture of him in uniform and post it for all to see! :)