Diesel's BIRTH-day!!

Diesel Eugene Whitaker

Born July 18, 2014, 3:04 a.m.

OU Children's Hospital

7 lbs, 15 ounces

21 inches long

I got to the hospital around 3 p.m. on the 17th.  (My judge was at a judicial conference, so I had those days off, which was perfect because Kristin had asked if I could take pictures!)  

 They began inducing labor around 11 a.m.

 Al giving me the evil eye. lol  But he cooperated with all my pictures that day! :)

 Frankie's dad, Frankie, Kristin, Al, Charlene, and Hillary! 

(...and Anthony's Build-a-Bear)

 Al, Mom, and Frankie!

I'd decided not to get a cake bc Kristin has been staying off sweets for the baby for so long, but when I mentioned that, she said, "Oh, I can have it after he's here - that'd be awesome!" lol  So Mom brought a cake and some cupcakes up for us! :)

 Dinner of champions! lol

We all guessed the time of his birth -- the latest guess (Frankie's) was 8:45 and even the nurse said we could have a baby in our arms by 8 p.m.  She didn't actually start pushing until 9:45!

Me and April (Kristin's good friend) waiting outside the hospital room.  Kristin told everyone to make themselves comfortable in the waiting room bc she thought the pushing could take a while (she was right - she pushed for FOUR HOURS!! - with a one hour break after the first two, so really just three hours, but still pretty rough) - then the nurse added, "She said everyone but the girl with the camera." lol  So I waited right by the door, listening to what little I could hear, afraid to go to the bathroom or anything bc I might miss the moment!  We were all thankful when they gave her an hour to rest! lol

 Finally, they decided to do a C-Section!  Frankie doesn't do well with needles and blood and such, so Charlene went back to the surgery room with her.  Here she is all ready to go! :)

 An AWESOME nurse asked if anyone had gone back to take pictures, then offered to use my good camera and get some photos in the OR.  I showed her how to use it and told her she "couldn't take too many!"  So thankful for that - yay, God!

Here's one of the first pics she got of baby Diesel!!  Lots of hair! :)

 Precious.

Footprint time!

 First pic of Diesel with his mom!  (And his grandma Charlene holding him! =)

 Love this.

 Cuteness.

 All of this makes me so happy I could cry... When Anthony was born, they didn't get to hold him or celebrate.  He wasn't breathing well, his arm was broken, he was over a month premature, and his heart and kidneys were in trouble... they carted him immediately to the NICU and Kristin and Frankie didn't get to hold him for the first TEN DAYS.  So I loved seeing them get those sacred, joy-filled moments right away with Diesel, a very healthy baby boy!! 

 This was part of what we did as we waited during her surgery... we all guessed too heavy!

 First pic with his daddy holding him!

Frankie got choked up as he said, "I'm just so happy to have a baby again!"  Everyone else got teary-eyed as well.

 My card, book for footprints, and birthday cake for Diesel!  (Which was basically breakfast by the time we had some.)

His Grandpa holding him for the first time.  I'd never talked to him much before, but Frankie's dad was pretty funny!  Lots of memorable conversations and laughter and increasingly comfortable silences when you're all waiting together in the same room for 12 hours! :)

 Aunt Heather getting to hold her new nephew!

Cell phone pic as Frankie was holding him!

 Cell phone pic of Heather and Diesel! :)

Frankie snapped a picture of me holding him! :)  He had his little eyes open a lot, which reminded me of Kyndal Faith!

Precious, and very worth the wait!!

MM ~ Wilson Wedding!!

{So I've been asking Chet and Karli to post their wedding pictures on FB, mostly because I need a few for my scrapbook, and Chet finally said, "Here, this'll be easier!" and gave me the flashdrive from their photographer with over 2,000 wedding pics on it!  YAY!! lol  I so loved looking through them all.  And now I feel that a Memory Monday post is in order, even though I wasn't actually there for the behind the scenes stuff... these pictures deserve to be shared!}

It was a gorgeous wedding and reception at the Oklahoma Golf Club -- this shows the beautiful decor, tasty wedding and groom's cake, one of the signs I made, and I absolutely LOVE the rings picture!!  #copyingitwhenigetmarried

*Dear Future Husband, take note - I really, really love this!!  Three mini-gifts with cards + a Bible with her new name monogrammed and a long letter from Chettles, all given before they saw each other on the morning of their wedding!  #fantasticidea

Pre-wedding prayer -- I love that Chet is peeking in the right corner pic. :)  And I love the veil pic of Karli -- the sun is just perfect!  #beautiful

Getting ready for the big day!  With help from the moms and the wedding party!  Again, loving the right corner pic. :)  #confusedchettles

All of this makes me want an outdoor wedding.  Very pretty.  Love the communion/prayer pic, and LOVE the pic of Chet right when they opened the doors for Karli to walk down the aisle!! #sohappy

Wedding Party pics!  Love them all.  Especially love that the guys naturally form a "W" for Wilson!  #twothumbsup

The Reception ~ Michael and Tamara's toasts, first dance, father/daughter dance, mother/son dance, and cutting the cake!!  #songfromtangled :)

Group shot of everyone on the dance floor after the reception!! =)  I'm in the pink and turquoise behind Laura Allison.  They asked everyone to take one step to the left, then to the right, then started the music up with that "everybody clap your hands" song right after this shot!  #brilliantwaytogeteveryonedancing

Dancing, limbo, & sparklers send-off! =)  #sadimissedthesendoff  #stupidjunebugattackingme

And finally, such pretty pics on the right with the sunset behind them!  And I adore the "Just Married" pic on the left!!!  #socute  #greatphotographer

Okay, I feel much better having shared those! lol

Happy Monday! =)

WWW

We say things like, “God knows I desire to… get married and have kids, or to buy this house, or to work for this company… so since I’m His child and I love Him, He’ll bring those things to me.” [I’m not saying that won’t happen; but I don’t believe that’s what God intended in that verse.] “We see God as a means to an end, rather than the end itself… the assistant to our life, versus God AS our life.” –John Eldredge 
So true, and so sad. So I started thinking about it...

What are the true, deepest desires of my heart??

• To be loved and desired for who I am, for my heart; not for anything shallow.
• To listen closely and truly connect with the love, pain, and purpose of someone's heart.
• To be seen and known and heard… someone who delights in every detail of my life.
• PASSION… pure, exploding passion; a fire that can’t be put out!!
• Pleasure, joy, laughter, and happiness!
• Companionship, someone to laugh with, to walk with me through life!
• Someone who sees my full potential even when I’m far from living it out.
• Harmony and peace that stays strong even through hard times.
• To be encouraged, for someone to build me up and push me toward my dreams.
• Someone who never gives up on me and never allows me to settle for less than my best!
• To be so deeply in love with someone that I forget all about myself and my own needs and concentrate fully on pleasing that person!
• Security… knowing the other person is loyal and will never leave, that my needs will be noticed and provided for, and that my heart can truly rest and be at peace.
• To be fought for, pursued, desired!
• To be completely forgiven for all I’ve done wrong, to let go of all guilt and shame, to be given a clean slate.
• FREEDOM -- from guilt, from strongholds, from worry, etc.
• A reason to hope for restoration and healing!!
• Someone who takes it personally when I’m being hurt or attacked, and vows to be my vindicator… someone who is passionate about justice everywhere!
• To overflow with love to a point where I can’t keep quiet about it!
• Someone to make me feel whole and "complete me." =)
• Purpose… to feel valued and needed, to serve a role no one else can fill
• To worship something with my whole heart, with every fiber of my being!
• Guidance from someone wiser… not to be dominated, but to have direction from someone I trust!
• Perfection… nothing less.
• Adventure and excitement, someone with a hint of mystery...
• Everlasting love -- no sad ending, no fear of goodbye, no walking away, no disaster and heartbreak. Just deep, secure, eternal, passionate love!

How completely absurd for me to think I could ever find all this in a man. (Or a best friend.)  Even when people come close, it is never enough, and it rarely lasts. Only God. ONLY GOD.  When I make HIM the first priority, the highest delight and desire of my heart, He Himself will fulfill every desire I just mentioned and more! That’s what that verse means. Why are we so quick to look for anything but God to meet our desires? “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”

The desires that seem impossible are there for a reason. We don't have to give up hope on finding this... all these things are available, not through God, but IN GOD. Refuse to settle for anything less than DEPTH, PASSION, EXCITEMENT, and LOVE IN ITS TRUEST FORM!!

(Excerpt from 2008 post.)

Hope and Grace

1. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."  ~1 Peter 1:13
2. 
   

Hope:  "Fix your hope completely" on God's grace -- the grace that guarantees our total restoration and the restoration of all creation when Jesus finally returns (may it be soon)!  My hope is not "fixed" there.  I do genuinely hope for that and have a great deal of hope through that promise, but in day-to-day life, my hope is often placed in other relationships with people who are flawed and as likely to disappoint me as I am to disappoint them.  It's an exhausting way to live.  So I need this reminder often - my hope should be fixed in God and in His grace that WILL restore all Christians and their friendships and family relationships to what God created them to be.  The love, delight, compassion, strength, joy, goodness, kindness, and connection that our hearts so long for -- it is coming -- our relationships with God and those we love will be fully restored!!  Creation will also be renewed and restored, full of beauty and vibrant color and life without any fear of pain or death. And the coming Kingdom of Christ is worth celebrating and hoping in - all day, every day!!!  May God's Kingdom come, and may His will be done here on earth as it is in heaven!!

Grace:  I've been thinking about this a lot lately.  God's grace is ever-present.  His love and His grace are always NOW!   He weeps with us when we weep and celebrates with us when we're happy; He does not minimize or dismiss our suffering!  His grace is sufficient for my present needs and abundant in my present reality.  Yes, His grace covers my past failures and will cover all that lies ahead, but "today's trouble is enough for today."  When I dwell on the past or worry over the future, His grace is not felt in that because it is not the current reality.  But when something major changes, in that exact moment and the days when I truly need help and comfort, His grace is always enough.

1. 
   
2. "He gives us more grace as our burdens grow greater,
   He sends us more strength as our labors increase;
   To added afflictions, He adds to His mercy.
   To multiplied trials, He multiplies peace.
3. When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
   When our strength has failed but the day is half done,
   When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
   Our Father’s full giving has only begun.
4. Fear not that your need will exceed His provision;
   Our God ever yearns His resources to share.
   Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
   The Father both you and your load will upbear.
5. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
   His power no boundary known unto men;
   For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
   He gives, and He gives, and He gives once again."
6. ~Hymn by Annie Flint

Happy Birthday, America! :)

It was a happy and memorable 4th of July with the fam -- being an aunt is so much fun!

Since I'm tired and ridiculously sunburned, I'm just gonna let the pictures speak for themselves!

THANKFUL THURSDAY! (67)

Today, I'm thanking God for...

1.  The life and freedom and authority that belong to me through Christ!!  (Those are 3 things I'm embracing this year, so only 27 to go in JEM's challenge. lol jk, I've really done several already - but I do need to pick up speed.)
2.  Summer fun and happy, just-the-right-amount-of-warm days and pool parties with friends and family!  (...but not thankful for the horseflies - it's possible that I said a regrettable word when I realized 3 were on my T-shirt as I was drying off - before jumping right back into the pool. lol)

3.  That I can tell and feel it that God is working and healing me!  I really enjoyed reminiscing and going through literally thousands of pictures from 2009-today to create new scrapbooks.  I didn't feel sad or upset or pressured to disconnect from all the memories with my best friend through the majority of that time.  It was good and good for me, and I'm thankful for that!
*Sidenote: This picture always cracks me up - Carterman serenading Rach and Josh during her baby shower... Rach's 'thrilled' expression and Carter's head being tilted like he's really getting into it make me laugh! lol  

4.  For half-year resolutions, aka setting new goals on July 1st!  (Also, thankful that July 1st was a good day all around.)  And for fun friends who cheer me on in my goals!!

5.  For two silly puppies that make every day just a little more fun and eventful! :)

5.  Getting to work with Lauralai Allison - and take random work pics of each other on felony Tuesday! :)  I do believe this is the only shot I have of myself on my machine, so yay for at least having one before I leave! lol

6.  Laughing, happy babies - especially my adorable one and only niece, Missy K!! =)

(Preciousness!)

7.  Your prayers!!  "For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance." ~Philippians 1:19  (I know I have friends and family who pray for me faithfully, and I can feel God working in my heart right now, so I'm especially thankful for that!)

Song of the Week = Brighter than the Sun (by Colbie Caillat)
So happy and summery! :)


*Today = exactly 6 years of writing and connecting through this blog. So happy blogiversary day to me!  ;-)
And Happy 4th to all of you tomorrow!!