Some things I picked up at at Publix...

I know I haven't posted any shopping trips in quite a while, but this one is SO blog-worthy!

GET IT?











If you don't, here's another hint: approximately March 9, 2011, the Spaid family will gain another teeny-tiny member.

I could fill a book with all that has happened in our journey to conceive another child in the past three years, and all that the Lord has worked in my and Tyler's lives to get to this point. But suffice it to say, we stopped trying to have another biological child in May and were about to start the adoption process, and now we're pregnant.

The quantity of Scripture that have flooded my mind in the past 26 hours is astounding, but one of my favorites is still Psalm 139.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

The Lord Almighty knew how long it would take, He knew I needed to come to the end of myself and my working & doing to rely on Him alone. So here I am, still a little confused because it seemed so clear to Tyler and I that we were going to expand our family via adoption, but yet so incredibly thankful that God would see fit to open my womb once more.

Maggie is so very excited to be a big sister! She can barely stop talking about it. It is so sweet!

HOW I TOLD TYLER: I realized Sunday afternoon (4th of July) after my nap that I was 5 days late, that I had indigestion (which I never get except when I was pregnant with Maggie), and some other signs that made me think I should probably take a pregnancy test. So I did, and the little pink positive sign popped right up!!! Still in shock, I realized I needed to tell Tyler right away.

He was outside washing the cars... I went to the garage and went over to look in the bag of fireworks he bought for that evening and popped the test in there without him seeing, then rummaged through the bag talking about all the things in there that I liked, then tricked him into thinking there was something funny in the bag, like a bug. Well, he came over and looked in, and freaked out a little bit. It took a little bit of convincing and staring at the test to believe me when I told him. Then we stood in the garage and cried.

We found out we were pregnant with Maggie on Memorial Day, and now baby #2 on the 4th of July. We have quite a patriotic baby theme going on here!

So, that's my big news! Praise the Lord!

Anniversary and Father's Day

This year our 11th anniversary fell the day before Father's Day. So we celebrated our anniversary Saturday by shipping Maggie off to our friends, went out for some good coffee and a fabulous gourmet dinner, and came home to an empty house in the middle of the night. Even though we had to be up early on Sunday, it was nice to wake up (just this once) without Maggie crawling all over us.

Father's Day after church we bought some BBQ chicken for lunch, Tyler got to relax the whole afternoon, and for dinner we went to Percy Priest for some swimming and a picnic dinner with fancy sandwiches. Then once we got home he got to relax some more. Did I take pictures of any of our fun times? No, I did not. I don't know what my problem was! But I will say it was a great weekend.

Maggie's First Vacation Bible School Week

This year Maggie got to go to VBS instead of playing the nursery while I volunteered. She had so much fun! I was able to get a couple of pictures of her from the event photos.

Working on crafts.
Playing games.
Standing in line with Zayli. This day was crazy hair day - all Maggie would let me do was put a bunch of clips in her hair. Zayli had a pig tail and a bun.
Can you see Maggie on the side of the photo. It was crazy hat day. She had her bike helmet with a monkey on it, but she didn't want to wear it.
And one of the stations in the preschool department was "dramatic play" and here Maggie and Zayli are pretending to be verterinarians for a sick giraffe.

Another First: Wasp Sting

Friday night we went to Tyler's boss's house for a pool party. After dinner Tyler took Maggie over to the playground. Minutes later, Tyler comes hustling back carrying a poor, bawling little Maggie. She got stung by a red wasp. Pitiful!There was a LOT of crying. So sad!!!
You can see the sting really well here. I was afraid it would hurt for several days, but when she woke up the next morning, all the pain was gone. So very thankful!
And, happier times about an hour before:
Can you tell that Tyler is actually paler than Maggie?

Sometimes Important Dates Get Missed...

Not only did I forget the day until we were literally getting in bed that night, but I forgot to post it, too!

May 29, 2010, we reached our "Half Our Lives" anniversary. 16 years ago, when we were both 16, Tyler asked me to "go out with him" (such a Casanova with his words!) while driving in his camaro and the rest is history.

I praise the Lord for His plan for our lives, individually and as a couple. I am so very thankful to have been paired with Tyler at a young age, and to have been fairly certain, even back then, that we would get married and live happily ever after.

In celebration of our mile marker, I post again our Junior year Homecoming dance pictures (just 5 months from when we started "going out").

The Guardian

A lot of you know already, but after Maggie got lost on the cruise, she has become incredibly insecure about being apart from us. Like I can't even go upstairs without giving her a detailed description of which room I am going to and what I will be doing there and for how long. Not kidding. Really. Even at bedtime she gets worked up if we are not going to stay upstairs. Guess what helped her feel safe and secure at bedtime? Puntzel, the giant stuffed tiger. Puntzel stays on her bed all the time now, often collecting stuffed animals in his curled up arms, and Maggie does much better at night. The best part is when other people go in Maggie's room - he always gives people a start! Ha ha!

Got to see Uncle Zach

My brother, Zach, has been working for a military contractor in Kuwait for the past year. He came home for vacation at the beginning of May and Maggie and I were able to come home for a quick visit.

Walking to the car at the airport. (My mom had neck surgery about a month before, and had to wear this crazy brace all the time!)
My (step)dad has taken up playing the bass in his old age. He's putting on a concert here with friend Janet. It was a lot of fun, and some revenge for all the years he made me whip out my saxophone and play concerts when friends and family stopped in. maggie insisted in staying up to watch the whole thing.
Halfway through the night Maggie decided she'd had enough of not being the center of attention, and proceeded to sing several songs to Janet. Here's part of one of them:

We also drove up to see more of my family. Classy at dinner. This is Maggie, Grandma Margaret, Uncle Dick, cousin Brady and brother Zach.
Maggie and her Grandma Margaret.
It was a quick trip, but fun.

Nashville Flood

Here are some of the pictures I took during the flood as I tried to get home that Saturday from our annual women's church retreat. I didn't make it home, but i got to see a lot of the flash-flooding firsthand.

You can just make out a white-sided building on the right side of the picture. It was a small hispanic church that was completely ruined. They are meeting on the lawn right now as they try to rebuild.
This is Mill Creek. The wast was about a foot high over the road. Normally this creek is just a trickle.
The grocery store where I shop. The water was just about up to the loading dock.
The parking lot of our church. Luckily we did not sustain any damage.
This is a road close to our old house. That is the roof of a car stuck in the middle of that pond!

Getting Caught Up

Took this picture the day before the flood here in Nashville. It was a beautiful Friday! My friend, Kara, made this tutu for Maggie afer I suggested the color combination. You can visit her shop at www.hopseydaisy.com.
(Mom, I loaded this full-size, so if you click it then you can copy and print).

Rodeo Day 2010

Thursday was Rodeo Day at Mother's Day Out. All the kids get to have a pony ride and there is a Rodeo carnival in the gym. Super fun!!! Shirley (the MDO director) has me take the photos of all the kids on the pony for keepsakes for the parents (they go in cute little "wanted" posters). Here's Maggie on the horse.
Doing the cowboy boot relay. She couldn't quite get the hang of the big boots at first.
Sack race!
Her class.