Say yes to VBS

This year we did Saddle Ridge Ranch VBS and Bethesda and had a blast! JR was the MC and was definitely in his element ha... even doing a rap that went something like this....

"Everybody say yea yea yea yea yea to the vvvbs"

My sweet friend Meredith and I taught the kindergarten class. With 16 little crazy kids... it made for a lot of fun :)

Griffin loved all of the music and danced and clapped along!!

He and Heather posing on the horse

8 week update

Here is the infamous first belly shot picture at 8 weeks (we will still go with that for now). It is crazy because I really do feel like I am already starting to show a bit! They say with your second you do, and I am agreeing at this point since I already have a pouch ha :) I feel like I did with Griffin at 12 weeks already!!!

I have been really tired the last week or so and have to make sure that I keep food in me or I get naseau but other than that nothing! I am so thankful and have no complaints!!! Very happy for the confirmation... your mind always wanders if you can really trust those home pregnancy tests ha!

Meeting the new baby!

Today we had our pregnancy confirmation appointment with Dr. Holton. We are so sad that he is no longer delivering so we will be looking for a new doctor this time, however it was great to see him again!

We did indeed find a baby and got to hear the heartbeat! The baby was hugging against my wall and therefore we couldnt get as good of a measurement as we wished BUT he said everything looked healthy. From what he could see he said I was measuring 7 weeks (a week behind my LMP) and the heartbeat was 120 bpm. But again... he said we shouldnt commit to that just yet.

We will go to our new doctor in the next few weeks and have another ultrasound which will be better since the baby will already double in size by then :)

It was really sweet to see Griffin in there with me and funny because he was not sure what to do with me laying on the table so he kept reaching for me to try and hug me and get me up.... he was concerned ha!

Happy Father's Day DADDY!

If you read my previous post then you already know that this Father's Day was pretty special to us since JR found out he is now a Daddy of TWO! But it is also very special because he has now been a father over a year and I have been able to watch him grow in so many ways. I am incredibly grateful that our children have a earthly father who loves his Heavenly Father and points us to Jesus. JR is a man after God's own heart and lives that out daily and therefore teaches Griffin without saying a word. He takes being a father very seriously and understands that he cannot do it on his own.

Griffin already ADORES JR and I pray that he will always be his hero. I am so thankful to have such a man of integrity to go through this journey of parenthood with and I am forever grateful for the unconditional love he gives Griffin and I.

People told me that after having kids, I would see a different side to my husband. And I would probably fall in love with him more. They were right. Parenthood has been so good for JR and me. It has been so cool to see JR be a daddy to Griffin. He is so, so good to him. He takes time to play. To tell him he loves him. To count to ten with him. To teach him his ABC's. To read. To act silly. To hug and kiss him constantly. To let him know every day that he loves him.

We had a very relaxed day today, at the request of Daddy. He enjoyed doing nothing all day except napping,snuggling and playing with his little boy.

At church this morning, this song was sang and I thought it was perfect:

I want to be just like you by Phillips Craig & Dean

He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug

He calls me Dad and I call him Bub

With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh He snuggles up close and says,

I want to be like you

I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight

Trippin' over the toys as I turn out the light

And I whisper a prayer that someday he'll see

He's got a father in God 'cause he's seen Jesus in me Lord,

I want to be just like You

'Cause he wants to be just like me

I want to be a holy example

For his innocent eyes to see

Help me be a living Bible,

Lord That my little boy can read

I want to be just like You

'Cause he wants to be like me

Got to admit I've got so far to go

Make so many mistakes and I'm sure that You know

Sometimes it seems no matter how hard I try

With all the pressures in life I just can't get it all right

But I'm trying so hard to learn from the best

Being patient and kind, filled with Your tenderness

'Cause I know that he'll learn from the things that he sees

And the Jesus he finds will be the Jesus in me

Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall

But it's only 'cause I'm learning from the best Father of them all

Happy Father's Day my love! You are the best Daddy I could ever ask for for our kids :)

Isham Family of FOUR!

Surprise Surprise! We are now the Isham family of FOUR! We were definitely in shock when we found out today, June 10th that we were expecting again... but God had it planned all along and His plan is best :)

We had always said we wanted the kids to be 2 years apart. I am due February 7th (unofficially) and so that puts them 22 months apart.. just shy of our plan ha! It was very surprising to us that we got pregnant immediately this go around because it took us over 6 months with Griffin. But NONETHELESS... Griffin is going to be a BIG BROTHER and we couldn't be happier!

Here is a little video I put together of how we shared the news with our friends and family:

Congrats Moose!

Mason graduated from Oak Ridge High School and we were so thankful to be able to be there to help him celebrate!! He will be heading to Tennessee Tech on a golf scholarship in August. I am so proud of you bro!!!!

House for Sale!

Our house is officially on the market! If you or anyone you know is looking for a home in Wake Forest let us know!!! We truly have loved it here but now hope to move closer to our church.

Please be praying for us that we sell quickly :)

click to enlarge

Photography Fun!

I had the priviledge of taking pictures of the beautiful Lindsey and her groom to be Nate. Lindsey and I have known each other for several years because she is the daughter of our former pastor. They have since moved away but we have remained very close... and therefore I had told her I would do anything I could to help her with her upcoming wedding.

Well believe it or not she asked me to take her engagement pictures. Although I am not in ANY way a professional.. I always dream of being one... So this was SO fun for me! They are the cutest couple and we had tons of fun :)

This one is extra special because this is the spot they will say "I do!" in August!!!

The newest graduate!

My brother Tyler graduated from UT!!! I am so incredibly proud of him and was so happy to be able to watch him walk across that stage! Crazy to me that I did the very same thing 5 years ago... FYI Tyler, a lot changes in 5 years :)

The best news of all is that TVA offered him a job in electrical engineering and he will start in a few weeks!!! God has truly blessed Tyler with the brains and now a wonderful job. All of his hard work over the past 6 years had now paid off!!

with his girlfriend Cara

with Mimi and Potts


Gibson gang

Griffin crew

This picture just makes me smile! Uncle Tyler the graduate and the future UT graduate Griffin. Well someone will have to carry on the family tradition :)

So proud of you brother! And its great to be a TN Vol!!

I LOVE being a MOM!

We had an unexpected trip to Tennessee this weekend and I was thankful to get to have a surprise time with my mom for Mother's Day. I love anytime I get with her and especially now seeing her with Griffin, its a true joy of mine.

On this Mother's Day, I cant help but just say I LOVE BEING A MOM! This has no doubt been the best year of my life. Griffin is truly a blessing to me. I had always dreamed of being a mom ever since I can remember but there is no way I could have ever imagined it to be this wonderful. In the same way it is also harder than I could have imagined. The sleepless nights, stinky diapers, total change of YOUR schedule and learning how selfish you really are..... all for the greater joy that just a simple smile that he gives me.

Another major thing I realize this year on Mother's Day is how much my mom has done for me. I now understand her so much better ha! For all the reasons mentioned above, knowing that she has loved me unconditionally for 27 years now AND that she was a single mom for many of those years to 3 of us... all just makes me say WOW! She is an incredible mother and I am forever grateful for her.

Lastly, and most importantly, looking back on this first year of being a parent and knowing how much I love my son makes me in awe at how much my Heavenly Father loves me. If I can love Griffin this much just after one year, and He has chosen to give me this perfect gift as a blessing in this life, AND he invented love and has loved me since the world began... Man that is crazy!! I truly love being a mom, no doubt, but in all honesty there are many times when I say, "Lord, I'm not so sure I can do this." It has only been a year and He has taught me so much through it. I have so much more to learn about being a mom, and still even more to realize the depth of God's love for me.

I found this on my friend's blog and wanted to share it because it reminds me how thankful I am to be a mom:

"The job of motherhood feels so vast, and frightening, and unending. I am called to raise these children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and yet there are days that I can't seem to get out of my pajamas much less lead them in a time of prayer. I think anyone could endure the temper tantrums of a small child or the rebellion of a teenager or the constant needs of another if they lasted just one day. But the truth is that these things are the stuff of daily life. And when I am honest with myself, they grind down the rough edges of this woman. Because parenting can not be all about me when diapers must be changed, noses wiped and beds made. In those moments I force myself to take a deep breath and thank God for this season of life. These children. The privilege of wiping noses and bottoms and countertops. A privilege many women would love to have, but don't. I remind myself that the days are long but the years are short. And one day I will look in the rear-view mirror and see empty seats. The cup that is overflowing right now will slowly drain. The stretch marks will fade. And I will find that a new set of daily struggles has overtaken me. When that day comes I will find the strength to face them as well because God gives the grace, daily."
Written by Ariel Allison Lawhon - Proverbs 31 Ministries

Happy Mother's Day to all of you other moms out there. Those that have loved me as their own daughter and those that I dont even know. AND especially to you Momma- I love you! Have a WONDERFUL day celebrating the joy of motherhood!