Life with the Penicks

October Catch up: Rogers Homecoming Parade

2011-11-12T05:32:00.001-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since I posted....October is always super busy b/c it's the midpoint in the semester. Retreats, football games, and students activities make Cole's schedule hectic and can make me a little tired when I have to be home alone some nights. In early October, we went up to Rogers where my parents live to the Rogers H.S. homecoming parade. What is better than a parade to entertain kids...it's free, it's outside, and there is candy! I made Charlotte a "Go Mounties" onesie to wear and we headed up to meet Mom and Dad (or Donnie and Pawpaw to Charlotte)for the Parade. Charlotte had a great time people watching and Mom and Dad had a great time showing off Lil' Bit. Going to parades is one of my favorite memories growing up. Since my dad was a band director so we went to lots of parades and watched the band march by. I'm so excited to get to make those memories with Charlotte now. Being a mom is the best! My apologies that the pictures are in the reverse order.....

This is after the parade....it wore her out:)

Donnie and Pawpaw

Mama, PawPaw and Charlotte

My dad isn't a proud grandpa at all:)

Go Band!

Soup Weather!

2011-09-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

I love fall...it is absolutely my favorite season! If I could have gotten married in the fall, I probably would have:) The cool, crisp mornings with the mild days make my heart happy! The best thing about fall are all the recipes I get to bring back out. We eat lots of soups and stews in the fall and winter and I have found a new favorite: Chicken Tortilla. I think what makes this recipe is the enchilada sauce and topping it with fresh avocado. I also subbed a can of rotel for the mashed whole tomatoes, added a can of black beans, and put in a can of corn instead of frozen. I think that's why this recipe is a keeper; you can do whatever you want with it! So yummy! I did mine in the crockpot and it turned out great! MMMmmm Good!

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups water 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 bay leaf 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 7 corn tortillas vegetable oil Directions1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. 2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). 3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. 4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

A Weighty Issue

2011-09-26T04:09:00.000-07:00

I am trying with this blog to present life and all the things surrounding it in its true light. I need to be better about letting people see the real me, instead of the girl trying desperately to keep it all together. This post is a reflection of my true fallen and real self. Life has been a joy being a mom. I love being at home and I love my baby girl. One thing has been keeping me down....or up rather. My weight loss after having baby Penick has come to a screeching halt and will not budge. I realize this is normal to hold on to some extra weight while breastfeeding, but it is seriously depressing stepping on that bathroom scale and realizing no matter what I do, i will not be able to change this until next June when my baby turns 1(my plan is to try to nurse that long). I have tried running, eating less, eating more....and nothing works. This weight issue probaby wouldn't be half as depressing if I didn't know that my mom, who only gained 17 lbs. with me, immeadiately went down to her pre-pregnancy weight and fit right back into her clothes. Apparently, that skipped my DNA. I am not trying to use this to whine, so if it has come across that way, I apologize. I would like to know if anyone else has had this issue and what happened in your experience. I think I feel like people are snickering behind my back about how I look now. Is this normal? Has anyone else had these experiences? This is one post I would love lots of comments on....let me know what you think:)

Extreme Couponing

2011-09-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I woke up to find an envelope on my bedside table with my name on it....obviously written in my husband's handwriting. I opened up the envelope where I found a bundle of coupons made by my sweet spouse. These coupons are to be cashed in for family time, alone time, etc. I was so surprised and blessed by this sweet and simple gift. I can't wait to cash in my first one! Which one should I use first?

It's Greek to Me!

2011-09-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

I have a new fave breakfast...greek yogurt and granola. It is soooo good! Greek yogurt is supposed to be better for you...it's got less sugar, more protein, and a bit of a strong flavor. Less sugar and more protein is always good, especially if you are a nursing mama! I would suggest eating a flavored variety if you want to try it; the plain was a little much for me the first time. I like granola better with this than with milk. My personal favorite is the dannon oikos rasberry flavor. Try it and see if you like it! Yogurt wishes and granola dreams to all of you!

To write...or not to write....

2011-09-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not writing lately. In my postpartum state, I'm having trouble deciding wht to put on here. What do people really want to know and what is just mindless chatter or whining..or wanting to look cool....so I've just froze and done nothing. I'll try to figure out with trial and error. But I know posting pics of my baby is always is a win.

Sounds and Smiles

2011-08-23T07:17:00.001-07:00

Two of the milestones that you are supposed to see around six weeks to eight weeks are smiling and cooing. While we were out of town (look for the story on our vacation in the next post), baby girl started smiling for us, and not just because she had gas. Is there anything more precious than seeing your baby smile at you? It makes those long nights seem like nothing! The cooing followed a week after that and it looks like we have a talker on our hands:) I know it will keep getting better, but I am loving this stage. Here are some pictures of her smiling...however almost all are blurry. Still haven't mastered the trick of catching her at the right moment.

Loss of control

2011-07-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

So, I have a confession to make...as a former teacher and a fairly organized person, I like to be in control...I love making lists and doing things to make my family's life run more easily. I loved the nesting phase of my pregnancy b/c my house was so organized and clean. And then came baby, and the Lord decided to teach me a lesson of dependence. I am in control of nothing...my energy level, my baby's moods, my emotions, my body, my appetite; it is all out of my hands. I really thought that after two weeks, I would have gotten into the swing of things, but as we head into the fourth of week of life with baby I feel like I am slowly returning back to normal, and that normal is not the normal I knew before. I think like with many other things, I want to get this right the first time, and if I can't I get frustrated. The Lord continues to show that He is ultimately in control. So even if my sweet baby girl hasn't learned how to sleep through the night, my God is still all powerful and knows what I need before I ask. The lesson in faith continues day by day....everyday brings a chance to learn more reliance on the Lord instead of my own strength. More updates soon:)

A Baby Story

2011-07-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

We have celebrated one week of time with Charlotte. She is so sweet and good most of the time; the only time she gets really fussy is when she is hungry...she takes after her mama in that way. It's been great to have Cole home this week and have together time, just the three of us.

I thought I would take the chance to tell you about our baby's arrival. Last week, I was involved in a elementary music workshop for four days. Even though I won't be teaching next year, I still have to keep up my professional development if I want to keep my license current. I wasn't going to do the workshop, but I had a very good friend who convinced me that it would be better for me to get more professional development hours instead of staying at home, waiting for Charlotte's arrival. So I went to the first two days of the workshop. The morning of the third day was going involve a lot of movement activities...nothing that hard core, but movement nonetheless. The workshop was at the U of A. I joked with some friends, one of whom was due a week before me, that all the movement would put us into labor that night. Well, I got my wish; while at lunch in the union, my water broke. I felt like I was in a sitcom. So few women actually have their water break at all let alone in a public place. Three of my music teacher friends sprung into action...two walked me to go get my stuff from the band building and the other went and got her car. I called Cole and had him meet us at the BCM on the U of A campus.

Cole and I then hightailed it to the clinic to make sure it was my water that broke, with a short stop at home to grab our hospital bags. When we got to the clinic, I was checked by the nurse practicioner, who said it was definately my water that broke and that I was dialated to a three...I had been a one on Monday. We were then taken downstairs where the hospital actually is....our hospital is a women's clinic and hospital in one. We were put in triage b/c the hospital was CRAZY busy. Not long after I got hooked up to the monitor I started having contractions. At first, I told the nurse that I wasn't sure about getting an epidural. I really wanted to experience natural labor if I could stand it, but an hour later I was singing a different tune. I told the nurse I wanted an epidural. Not long after that, I started getting sick, b/c I had just finished eating lunch before my water broke. It was miserable trying to relax your body for a contraction, but being in so much pain that you can't help but tense up b/c you're about to be sick to your stomach. The clinic was so packed that we didn't get into a room until 4...and by that point I was dialated to a 4.

Luckily, an hour later I got an epidural, about 5 o'clock. By this time I was dilated to a 5. After I got the epidural, they went ahead and put me on pictocin to help along my labor. Everything before the epidural is fuzzy, but after the epidural, life was good. I will definately do it again the next time we have a baby. The pain was just too much for my body to handle. My parents arrived shortly before the epidural (poor them) and Cole's parents arrived shortly after. After the epidural, we just relaxed until 7. The doctor came in and said i was at a 9...and we would start pushing in the next hour. We kicked everyone out of the room at about 7:30 so I could get some rest. That half hour was so precious for me and Cole. We went through some psalms and prayed together for the birth of our baby and for wisdom on how to be good parents. At 8:15 we started pushing and by 8:48 we had a baby!!!

We are so blessed by Charlotte already. You know when your mom tells you "you'll understand when you have your own children." She was so right! First of all, the gospel has become so much clearer. I wouldn't give my daughter as a sacrifice for anyone, so it is so much more powerful when I think about the sacrifice God made in giving his ONLY son. Charlotte depends on me and Cole for everything. Sometimes she doesn't like what we do, like changing her clothes or her diaper, but it's necessary for her to be healthy. So much of the time we time, I act like Charlotte. I cry and complain b/c I don't want to experience momentary discomfort. But God, in his sovreignty, knows what I need...more than I could ever know. What a lesson that I know I will keep learning through the years.

Nesting=craft projects

2011-06-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

Did you go through the nesting instinct when you were pregnant? I would say for me it has been one of the more intense symptoms of the last part of pregnancy...forget about braxton hicks. I was officially done with school on Wednesday and proceeded to make an UBER-long list of to-do's to keep myself busy over the next couple of days. Can I just tell you that half of that list got done on Thursday, which is ridiculous! But, I did get some really cute craft ideas done for Baby Penick's room. The first project involved taking embroidery hoops and painting them white, then placing three different, but coordinating fabrics in the hoops and then hanging them on the wall. It turned out so cute, I may have to make some to put in our bedroom as well. The second project was shelf with hanging pegs that I painted bright pink first. Then, I went over the pink with a bit of white paint and sanded down the whole thing with a little bit of sand paper to make it look worn. I love this crafting stuff! Better enjoy this energy while I can, because in a few weeks, a little one will be taking up all of it. I included some of my other creations for Baby Penick's room from earlier in my nesting phase. Hope it inspires you to get creative yourself.

Lasagna made easy....

2011-06-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Lasagna, but I hate the amount and time and the amount of dishes it takes to make it. Imagine my surprise the other day when I ran across this website called "The Girl Who Ate Everything" (a girl after my own heart). One of the recipes on her blog is a crockpot lasagna...and you don't even have to boil the noodles. It turned out good, except for the cheese layer that was a little dry, but I think I needed to use two eggs instead of one in that layer. Go check it out for yourself, and be free to make lasagna without the burden of all the dishes. Here's the link: http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/easy-crockpot-lasagna-recipe/2/

32 Weeks (almost 33) and Counting!

2011-05-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

32 weeks....in 8 weeks I will be a mom. Isn't that crazy to think about? Something will happen in the next 8 weeks that will change my life forvever....I will be responsible for someone else, for her every need. That is a huge responsibility. But honestly, I am so ready in the sense of being ready to meet my baby. I know that I don't know everything about how to be a mom and I will need lots of help from the Lord to learn, but my heart aches to see this baby and hold her and kiss her. I hope to enjoy the end of one phase of my life as I look expectantly to the next one! Hope you all have a blessed week!

32 Week Belly!!! Almost there!

Praises!!!!

2011-05-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

God is so good...and i don't just mean in the generic sense of the term. He is so good to give us blessings that we don't even ask for. At our 20 week ultrasound, everything looked good, but there were a couple of small things that the doctor wanted to keep an eye on. He told us our biggest worry was still finding a name for our baby girl. One concern was that one of baby girl's kidneys was bigger than the other, not by much, but still something they wanted to watch. Another concern was a muscle or something that they could see on her heart which was unusual to be able to see...also explained as a minor concern. To be honest, I didn't give it another thought until today's ultrasound. As the doctor looked over our ultrasound pictures everything was NORMAL or GONE...his words, not mine. Isn't God good to bless us with that kind of reassurance even after he has already blessed us with peace of mind over the problem in the first place. He is so good to give us abundantly more than what we ask.

Baby Shower #1

2011-04-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't written in awhile. It's been a crazy busy month and will continue to be probably until school gets out. Two weeks ago I had baby shower #1 put on by some sweet ladies from our church, University Baptist Church. I don't think I could have planned a better shower than what they planned for me. First of all, it was the most gorgeous spring day. I commented as I came into the house that I hoped somebody was getting married that day, because it just seemed like a good day for celebrating. Secondly, my hostesses did an amazing job with the food and decorations; the food part is especially important to a pregnant lady. And I was absolutely blown away by the number of people who came. I felt so blessed and so humbled by the love and generousity people have shown us since we found out we were pregnant. It makes me hope that I am showing that same kind of love and support to those around me not only in times of celebration, but also in times of trial. I was especially blessed by the college students who showed up. Our students lead such full lives and for them to take time out of their busy schedule to come to a baby shower blessed my heart. I so love the opportunity that God has given us in Fayetteville to minister to students and I am looking forward to being more involved in ministry after Baby Penick comes. I was so blessed by this shower; it was a great time to visit and catch up with friends and family and what more could you ask for than that!

Silly Me!

2011-03-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week Cole was out of town with a group of international college students for a spring break trip while I was at home. Most of the time I would accompany him on college ministry trips, but due to the 10 (yes, that's right 10!) snow days we had this year, my school district decided to help ease the burden of making up the days by using the Monday and Tuesday of Spring Break. So, I stayed...no big deal, until Tuesday night when I started cramping, which shouldn't be a big deal, but it seemed like a bigger deal since Cole wasn't home. I called Cole and a close friend for thoughts on what to do, drank a big glass of water and went to bed. I woke up the next morning still cramping. This woulnd't be any big deal, except I have had several friends who have gone into premature labor...and those stories stuck with me. Fast forward to middle of the morning, I called the doctor and went in only to find out everything was fine except for a urinary tract infection. Made me feel a little silly, but I guess it was worth the peace of mind. I'm wondering if I will ever figure out what is normal during pregnancy...One thing is sure though, I'm glad I have the Lord to guide my head and my heart when I know both of them a deceitful. Praise God that he has the wisdom to make me a good Mom and wife and that I don't have to walk this journey alone!

Am I walking the talk?

2011-03-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

So, as I was singing this morning in the band for our college worship service, the Lord really convicted me of how the words I was singing and the actions of the previous days had not been adding up. For those of you who don't know, I have a huge ESL project that is due April 1st. This project is to show the results of what I have learned and implemented from my ESL academy that I did last summer. As I was singing this morning of God's love being enough, I realized that I have not been living this out in my attitude toward this project. Number one, I have been trying to do this in my own strength...and number two, I am treating this project like it has some bearing on eternity (a little dramatic sounding, I know...but it's truth). I do know that God placed the desire to go to ESL academy for a reason and I want to work on this project as unto the Lord...but regardless of the grade I get on this project I have to keep in perspective that this "suffering" that I think I'm going through right now is nothing compared to Christ's sacrifice on the cross. If I get an "A" on this project or fail it miserably does not change the status of my relationship with the Father....it might change the way some people look at me, but then again I can't serve two masters. I have to trust that all the difficulties and challenges that seem to overwhelm me right now have been allowed or put in place by the Father to refine me into who he needs me to be. I pray that my actions and attitude over the next couple of weeks would reflect who I am in Him rather than who I am in me.

Laura Story - Blessings

2011-03-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

Hope this song blesses you like it did me!

Hard Choices, Right Choices

2011-03-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

So, I made the official announcement this week at school that I will not be coming back next year to teach. I first met with both of my principals to let them know of my decision. I think they thought something was seriously wrong with me, because I couldn't even tell them what I was wanting to talk about before I burst into tears....I know...I never cry right;) Cole and I have been planning on me staying at home with our children since we got married. I think in my plan, though, I thought that would be a year or two longer. I have been so blessed by my co-workers and students that the decision to leave became a very difficult one. But sometimes we have to let go of the current blessing to go forward to the next blessing God has for us. I am excited to stay at home next year, and I know that God will use the things I have learned as a teacher to change the world for Him, but outside of a classroom setting. This verse really seems to sum up what the Lord is doing:

Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

God bless! Have a great weekend!

It's A Girl!!!

2011-02-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

So as most of you probably have heard or seen on facebook, we are having a little girl. Her name is going to be Charlotte Lynn. There was some debate about the name...I didn't care as long as I liked, but Cole wanted the name to be meaningful and tied to their faith. So, Charlotte is for Lottie Moon the famous missionary to China, and Lynn for Cole's boss and mentor at the BCM, Lynn Loyd. It's wonderful to know and call her by name and get to pray for her by name now. So, now all the fun begins....and I've already found the bedding I like...what do you think?

Belly Pics

2011-02-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

So here are some belly pics...I think the timeline is 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, and 17 weeks. It's been frustrating for me b/c I am really anxious to show, but I still feel pudgy instead of pregnant. It's silly I know...and soon I'll be showing enough that everyone will know. Only two more weeks until we find out what it is!!!!

Cole's Spring Break

2010-03-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know, Cole is currently in North Africa with a group from our church. Please be in prayer as they try to make contact with the "B" people. We are looking at adopting them as our people group. He will be back this Sunday. Thanks for the prayers!

Snow Days!

2010-01-23T04:41:00.000-08:00

Cole headed to Passion, a college conference in Atalanta, New Year's Day. While he was gone our house got cleaned and I got lots of work done for the upcoming school week. Mother Nature had other plans! We ended up with very cold temperatures and wintry weather that got us out of school for another week. Here are some shots of the snow from our apartment.

18 months!

2010-01-23T04:34:00.000-08:00

So going off some advice we got in premartial counseling, Cole and I go on a date every six months (we go more than every six months...this date has a more intenional purpose). Anyways, the purpose of the date is to talk about our marriage openly and honestly and set goals for the next six months. We were in Tulsa and took the opportunity to just hang out together in the city. We went to Zio's for lunch and then went shopping. I'm so proud to have such an amazing husband and one so willing to talk about our marriage.

Christmas Catch-up

2010-01-23T04:26:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted last. We had a wonderful Christmas in Tulsa with Cole's family. Apparently we were really good this year beacause Cole got a set a golf clubs and I got a sewing machine. And on top of everything we had a huge snowstorm that hit Christmas Eve...the first blizzard in Oklahoma state history! We even got a chance to go sledding a couple days after Christmas!

First Turkey!

2009-12-22T14:51:00.001-08:00

So I (Caroline) feel like I have made a big step toward being a good cook! I attempted my first turkey. We had a small group of students coming over from church and I offered to cook a Thanksgiving style meal, which had to include a turkey! So after some advice from my mother-in-law this is what I came out with. Judge for yourself and don't feel bad if your mouth waters ;)

BCM Christmas Banquet 2009

2009-12-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

This year, the BCM did something different for their banquet; all the money we paid for tickets went toward missions. It's amazing to think that they money we paid put someone on a plane for east Asia and they are there right now sharing God's love with people who have never heard the name of Jesus. Please be in prayer for the students who are in East Asia and North Africa this break. They are learning the true meaning of Christmas this year!

My classroom and some of my students

2009-11-07T05:26:00.000-08:00

I started teaching this year at George Elementary School in Springdale, AR. I teach general music to Kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a great job and I love everything I get to do. I have an honor choir and a small drumline that performs at character assemblies. My kids keep me laughing and smiling even on days that are hard. Here are some pics of my classroom and some of my students.

Family Reunion

2009-11-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

Back at the beginning of October Cole and I traveled to El Dorado, AR for a family reunion on for my Mom's side of the family. We really enjoyed spending time with extended family that we don't get to see that often. We ate lots of good food and shared lots of laughs.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

UBC Fall Retreat

2009-11-07T04:49:00.001-08:00

This year for retreat, the college ministry at our church decided to go to Castle Bluff, a retreat center that is about an hour and a half east of Fayetteville. We divided students into teams for a competition that lasted the entire retreat and on Saturday after lunch, used the facility's zip line and climbing and repelling walls for a little recreation. The retreat commenced with us stopping on the way back for catfish at the Kings River store just outside Kingston, AR.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Halloween

2009-11-07T04:24:00.000-08:00

At UBC where we go to church, the college ministry started a Halloween tradition about four years ago which became a really big hit. We have a costume contest called the Runway where people come and strut their stuff in their costume down a real runway. It's so much fun and the costumes get better and more creative each year. The first place winner this year was a chinese dragon. Cole went as sleeping beauty for the first half of the night and as a snowglobe the second half of the night. The snowglobe suit was built out of plastic trash bags and he attached a small air pump on the inside to keep it inflated. He then made himself look like a snowman so when he got inside his "globe" he looked like a snowman inside of it. I went a little more simple and made a snow white costume and yes I did have 7 dwarfs to go with me.

Fall Pictures

2009-11-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Recently, we had a student from the BCM take pictures of us on Old Main lawn. She's a budding photographer and we figured we would give her some practice! Enjoy the pictures!

Bikes Blues and BBQ

2009-09-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Last night, Cole and I took one of my best friends, Ravonne to Bikes, Blues, and BBQ. We mostly ate really good food (talking about the taste here, and not the health), listened to the bands, and looked at the bikes. The food made a great photo op.

80's skate night!

2009-09-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

So last week after a round of the flu and a very hard day at school for me, I went along with Cole and the college students at our church to the Springdale skating rink. We had an 80's skate party where all the students had to dress in 80's style clothing to go skating. We had a blast skating to great hits like "Living on a Prayer."

Update for the past month and a half

2009-09-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

So, there have been a lot of changes for the Penicks in the last month. First of all, sorry I haven't posted. Problems with both computers and internet has limited my ability to post. Anyways, Cole and I have moved apartments from a one bedroom to and two bedroom. I'm not sure how we fit all of that stuff in that small apartment...by God's grace I guess! Also, if you haven't heard, I did get the job in Springdale that I interviewed for in July. It is such a blessing to be in the school you want to be in!!!! We have started another school year meeting new freshman at the U of A and hope for another fantastic year of ministering to college students for the glory of our heavenly father. We are so excited to see what God does this year and how he continues to transform us for his will. More posts soon!

Prayer Request

2009-07-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

For all of you who read here, please be praying for us. On Thursday, I (Caroline) have an interview for a music teacher job in Springdale. It says in the bible that where two or three come together in His name, that God comes and dwells there with those lifting up his name. Please pray around 10:30 Thursday morning for the interview to go well. We have been waiting for a year on a full time teaching job and we are hoping this will be the end to the search. Please pray for protection, that the enemy will not have a foothold on me or anyone else involved in this process. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world and we are going to continue to stand on this promise regardless of what happens! Our God is a sovreign God who does everything in his timing. We would covet your prayers over the next couple of days. God Bless!

Happy 1st Anniversary!

2009-07-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

Cole and I celebrated our first anniversary on June 28th. We kind of took a different approach to celebrating due to our crammed schedule (welcome to college ministry). Cole made me breakfast in bed on the Friday before our anniversary and announced he had cancelled all my meetings for the day (i.e. breakfast with a friend, lunch with another, and dinner w/ a couple from our church). We got in the car for the surprise trip and ended up in Sequoyah state park outside of Talequah, OK. The plan was to camp, but after a rather warm picnic in 100 degree temps, we decided maybe we should re-plan our trip. We found a hotel after a long search (apparently Talequah is the garden spot of Oklahoma) and had a great dinner at a place called Sam and Ella's chicken palace (say the name really fast to get the joke). We went to the hotel and sat in air conditioning and enjoyed being together. Sometimes its the simple things that mean the most. The next morning we packed up and went to the Illnois river with a group of students and got a little sunburned. On Sunday, we came home from church and went to go see "Up"; fantastic flick by the way! Then, we went home, made steak with all the fixins, and ate cake and ice cream to finish up the night. It was a great start to many more anniversaries. I'm so proud of the man I married, and how God uses both of us in the others life to be remade into the image of Christ daily.

Trying to figure out where we are headed

Still thinking.........And Cole giving me no hints.

Sequoyah State Park
At Sam and Ella'sOn our way to float the river. Happy Anniversary!

Thailand Pictures

2009-07-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

Thailand pics

2009-07-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone. Sorry it has taken me so long to post. We pretty much hit the ground running once we got back stateside, so needless to say I haven't had a lot of time to update this blog. Cole and I are pretty much caught up on sleep and our stomachs have adjusted back to American food...took a couple of days and a bottle of pepto bismol to get us there. Anyways, here are some of our pictures from our trip. God continues to teach us a lot even after we are home. Please continue to pray for our team: Austin (Cole's brother), Tyler, Emily, Kayla, and Kasey. We got an update from Austin this morning. They are more than halfway done with this trip and have just finished putting on an English camp. They had many good conversations with students this weekend. Pray that this would go beyond questions about God to how to have a relationship with Him. Pray that they fell the weight of their sin and their need of a Savior to redeem them. I'm currently loading the rest of the pictures onto a picasa web album. I'll put the address up as soon as I am done. Love to all of you! By the way the picture next to this is me and Cole in the back of a tuk-tuk...it's a motorcycle cart thing that they use for transportation in the city. It was really fun!

Heading home!!!

2009-06-18T07:35:00.001-07:00

Hey, everyone! We are headed home; actually we are sitting in the Hong Kong airport as we speak. We will arrive back in Little Rock on Friday morning around eight and then we will drive home to Fayetteville. Please continue to pray for our safety and rest as we make the long journey home. We are excited to get to post pictures and talk to people face to face about what we experienced. Love to all of you!

Thailand Update

2009-06-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

We have finally gotten used to things here in Thailand just in time to come home on Thursday ;) We love the work we have gotten to do here mostly because it's so like what we do in Fayetteville but instead we are working with Thai students instead of Americans. During the week, our team goes to the university to meet students and to teach English. We stay on campus from 10 to around 4 and then invite students to come to dinner with us or do some sort of activity with us that night. Friday nights are spent at the Baptist Students Center where we have an hour and a half of activities for college students and then join and larger group of people (all ages) for a program called Friday Night Live. They have worship, a game, and then a short devotional from one of the English teachers who work there. Not only to people get to hear and practice their English, but they also hear the gospel. Saturdays are reserved for more touristy activities. This weekend Cole and I went with a Thai believer to The Grand Palace while our team got some extra rest Saturday morning. It was like something out of "The King and I." When we get back and post pictures you will be able to see the detail and beauty of this palace, both of which, by the way, are very important in Thai culture. We got to see artifacts from the royal family and the system of money from past to present. We then rode and boat taxi and a tuk-tuk (I'll show you pics later of this...kind of hard to explain) to get to where our team would meet us. We got lunch and then went to the largest weekend market in all of Asia!!! Everything from snakes to thai silk was sold there and for awesome prices if you consider that we get 32 American dollars for one baht. We spent an hour and a half there....not nearly long enough! It was my favorite place to go so far. And the students that were with us were so helpful to bargain with merchants and to tell us what was good quality and what wasn't. Cole got to speak at the afternoon service at church and I got to sing with the worship band. It was amazing to get to see how Thais worship....even without Christ Thais are so much more giving and willing to serve than many other people....but with Christ their heart is transformed into something so much closer to the image of Christ...much closer than I am. We fly out Thursday afternoon and will arrive Friday morning back in Little Rock. Please pray for energy for our final days here...that we will not ease up on our ministry. Pray for safe travels as we fly home and pray that we will recover quickly from jet lag upon return. Thank you for all your prayers and support....pictures and more detailed posts soon to follow!!!!! Love, Love!

Thailand, so far!

2009-06-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone! This is going to be a short post about what our trip has been like so far. We got into Bangkok Friday morning around 10:30 Bangkok time. We are staying in a small furnished apartment. It is very hot and humid here and we have to drown ourselves with water to not get dehydrated. We walk a lot of the time and sweat the rest....but it's not that bad. Our apartment has air conditioning and so do the malls, where, just like in America, college students hang out. Culture shock hasn't been horrible b/c there are lots of western things here (McDonalds, Starbucks, Peanut Butter). That will make the trip easier on the team that we are leaving behind to work when we come home on the 19th. We went to church today at the Thai Baptist Church here and it was really cool! We got to hear the Thai believers sing the same songs we do in their language, and we sang in ours....but we all serve the same God! Amazing isn't it! We went to the park after church and played ultimate frisbee and then went to the mall to eat dinner. Tomorrow is our first day on campus. Be praying for us to have boldness to reach out to Thai students who want to learn English and to take it even farther by eventually sharing the gospel. Our team is doing great and they are going to do a fantastic job this summer! The food here is awesome...obviously lots of rice and noodles. We have already learned how to say not spicy in Thai to save our taste buds! I'm excited to get to do this with Cole and to get outside of my comfort zone for a while. I don't want to be a spoiled American who takes what God has blessed me with for granted. I also want my heart to be broken for someone other than myself. God is continually showing me how selfish and me-centered I am. I know that all this is to make me more into the image of Christ and less like me. I'm updating this from an internet cafe, so it may be a couple of days until I get to do this again....until then!

This is BASEBALL!

2009-05-31T15:08:00.001-07:00

There is nothing better than going to a baseball game. Last night, we went our first Naturals game, and even though they lost, we loved it! Enjoy some pictures from the game..

What time is it? Summertime!!!!!!!!

2009-05-31T14:50:00.000-07:00

Being in college ministry is bittersweet sometimes, especially as the year draws to a close. It's always exciting to look towards the fall, but losing seniors is always tough. We had a couple of students at the BCM who were upperclassmen that stuck around for a couple of days after finals were over. So we all went out to the park for kind of a last "hurrah" before they all went their seperate ways. We met up at Gulley Park, played with the frisbee and on the playground, and then headed to Mexico Viejo for a late dinner. It was a great end to the school year, but a great start to the summer. I mostly got pics of the girls and me....sorry men!

Joy and Natalie skipping in the park

The Girls!!!

"Caroline, can you hear me?"

"Hello...can you hear me now?"

"Come on ride the train."

We'll miss you Nat-face....congrats on graduating!

Another forgotten post: Nashville trip

2009-05-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

About four days after we got back from Chicago, we went to another conference in Nashville with the Baptist Collegiate Ministry( Cole works for them too!). This conference, called the Summit, is put on by Lifeway, and is specifically for college ministers. Not only did we get to brainstorm with other people doing what we do, but I also got a huge surprise after our first session: Our friends, the Haleys, that live way out in L.A. were also at the conference. Cole had known the whole time and kept it a secret since the middle of March. It was so sweet to hang out with them since we don't get to very often. As you can see by our pictures, we also took them for a Sonic run because they don't have them in California....can you imagine? Yikes!

Forgotten post: Chicago Trip

2009-05-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

At the end of April, Cole and I along with some of the staff from University Baptist Church (where Cole works in the college ministry), went to Chicago for the Gospel Coalition Conference. We had some big name speakers like John Piper and D.A. Carson. It was so amazing to get to spend time with some friends and be among people whose passion is spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. As you can see from our pics, we also had some time to take in some of Chicago. The pizza was the best in the world! We also had time to go to a Cubs game...it was so fun! For anyone else that grew up watcing the sitcom "Perfect Strangers," there was always a part in the opening credits that showed them in front of the Wrigley Park sign. It was a huge thrill to get to take a picture in front of it. We had a great time in the windy city (which totally lives up to it's name) and would love to go back again soon.

View of skyline from the end of Navy Pier

Skyline of Chicago

Navy Pier

Smile!

Go Cubs! Beat the Reds!

The Famous Sign!!!!!!!

Our sweet friend, Becca, who works with Cole

This is Stephen, Cole's boss, and the college pastor.
You can see why college students love him.

This is the holy cow at Harey Carey's, a restaurant in Chicago.

Us with the Harey Carey Bust.........

Chicago style pizza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In all of it's saucy, cheesy, glory!!!!!

Excited for PIZZA!

Mission Trip

2009-05-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry i haven't posted in a while... tomorrow I'll put up posts about our trips we took the end of April and beginning of May. But for today, I wanted to let you guys know that Cole and I are headed to Thailand next Wednesday, June 3rd. We will be gone for two weeks (until the 19th) to set up a team of college students who will stay for the rest of the summer. We will be working to teach English and establish relationships with Thai college students. We hope and pray that this will allow our team to connect these students with believers in the area. Please be in prayer that we will see amazing things while we are there and that our minds will be opened to see how big our world really is and how much work is yet to be done to spread the gospel to every tribe, tongue and nation.

Spring Break

2009-03-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

This year for spring break Cole and I were asked to lead a group from the BCM to Beach Reach in South Padre, TX. This is a ministry opportunity where students go down and offer free van rides and free pancakes to spring breakers in order to have a chance to show them the love of Christ and sometimes get to share the gospel with them. We had an amazing crew of around 20. The Lord really honored all of our prayers and gave us an amazing week of watching him do things through us. We saw two people come to Christ in our vans and even gave one girl a ride home to Austin as we were coming back. We had one of our girls get baptized in the ocean while many Spring Breakers looked on. The amazing thing is that at the end of the week all of the Spring Breakers refer to us as the "Jesus People." What an amazing thing that they know who we arealigned with. To Him be the glory forever and ever!

Valentines Day

2009-03-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

So.....I haven't posted in a while; it's a busy month people. Actually the rest of the school year is going to fly with all Cole and I have going. We have two conferences almost back to back at the end April. Anyways, all that to say, we are your typical family...BUSY! But we took time out of our busy ministry filled lives to have a fun valentines day. Cole kept it all a surprise. Earlier in the day, Cole made me pick out three outfits, one casual, one business casual, and one dressy. I came home to find only my casual outfit there. Cole then started our date with handing me a GPS. We had certain points we had to find all throughout our date to find our destination. Our first point led us to our bikes on the bike trail near our house. We then rode our bikes to our car farther down on the trail. The next point is this amazing restaurant in Fayetteville called Mama Deans. It is some of the best soul food besides what I had from my parents growing up. And it is authentic. We visited a couple of more points before being led to the Walton Arts Center to go to a jazz trio concert. It was an incredible night. What a great start to Valentines days as a married couple.

Super Bowl XLIII UBC Style

2009-02-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

So, last year the college staff at UBC decided to go all out for their Super Bowl party. As many other events they have thrown, this is becoming a tradition for the college ministry. We take all the chairs out of the Chapel of the Dove (where the college ministry meets) and we put out a ton of props, everything from a turf field to stadium lights and bleachers. This year things were complicated by the ice storm and the fact that we had to have the main church service in the chapel instead of the sanctuary b/c of heat issues. But God is good.... we were able to pull off the same magnitude of setup that we had last year...even with all the setbacks. So much fun!

Ice Storm 2009

2009-02-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

As most of you probably know...or experienced...we had a major ice storm in Fayetteville last week. They are saying this is the worst ice storm to hit Arkansas in state history. We lost power on Tuesday and had to go camp out at the BCM where Cole works. They had a fireplace and a gas stove and oven. After two days of "playing pioneer", the romance of the ice storm begin to melt away. The damage to campus was pretty bad, especially Old Main lawn. But we had a great time hanging out with college students and sitting by the fire. It was awesome to get to interact with people without the invastion of the TV or the Wii. Here are some pictures I took from around campus.

Christmas in Tulsa

2008-12-30T11:14:00.000-08:00

Bikes!!!!!

Luke is a lumberjack for Christmas.

Ewww....Express!

Awesome earrings!

There real diamonds!?

Hmmm....

Christmas Morning!

We had so much fun in Tulsa with Cole's family. We had lots of food and got some great presents. Hope you all were blessed with the knowledge of a Savior who has come to set us free. Be blessed in the New Year!

BCM Christmas Banquet

2008-12-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

The BCM Christmas banquet is the night after fireside impact..talk about a long week! We used the fellowship hall at University Baptist Church. The dinner was provided by AQ chicken. We also had a blast making our own banquet CD. Each table got to pick a song and sing it in front of the whole group while we recorded it to put on a CD that they could pick up later. After dinner, we headed back to the BCM for karaoke and let me tell you we have some HAMS in the BCM.

Fireside Impact

2008-12-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

Cole works for the BCM here at the Univeristy of Arkansas. It is a long standing tradition that the last impact of the fall semester be held downstairs in the BCM by the fireplace. The whole BCM is decorated by students who also provide snacks and hot drinks during the event. We sit around, hear the Christmas story from Luke, and sing praises to the Savior whom this season is about. You can tell by the pictures we had a great time during this cozy evening.

O Christmas Tree!!!

2008-12-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

So, on our way home from Thanksgiving, we stopped in Tulsa to see Cole's parents. While there, we got our Christmas tree at a tree farm just up the road from their house. It was a blast. We had cider while everyone took a turn cutting down the tree. Cole's brother, Luke, even decided to get a bit "wrapped up" in everything. A great time was had by all!

Long time no see!!

2008-12-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. My digital camera died and I had to wait until now to post. My wonderful husband got me a new camera for Christmas and I got it the day after Thanksgiving. We spent our Thanksgiving with my mom's extended family outside of Donaldson, AR. We spend the day at a cabin in the woods with no electricity or runnning water. We all spend the night at a hotel in town and then go back out again on Friday to "play pilgrims" some more. Enjoy!

Arkansas vs. Alabama

2008-09-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

We were so blessed today to recieve free tickets to the game even though we lost...bummer. But it was a perfect day for football. We especially enjoyed watching the band perform the thriller dance at halftime. Coming soon...Arkansas vs. Florida :)

UBC Fall Retreat

2008-09-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, the college ministry at our church went on fall retreat. We went to a campground out at Beaver Lake and enjoyed an awesome weekend. It started out a little wet and a little cool, but ended up being beautiful on Saturday. Cole designed and made a giant inflatible slip n' slide that was a huge hit. It was an awesome time to fellowship and have fun as we get to know the new students that are coming to be a part of our ministry.

Honeymoon Pictures

2008-09-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

Hey! I thought I would post some pics up from our honeymoon. We went to sunny San Diego, CA. We ate lots of great food, saw amazing sites, and got lots of good rest from 6 months of wedding planning. We went to the zoo, ate in Little Italy, visited the gas lamp district, and went to both Coronado and La Jolla to go to the beach. Enjoy!

Forgot the link....duh!

2008-08-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

http://picasaweb.google.com/caromarlow/WeddingPictures

Viewing wedding pictures

2008-08-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone. If you are not on facebook and would like to look at our wedding pictures, follow the link below to our picasa web album. Enjoy!!!!!

Wedding Pictures

2008-08-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

We know everyone is anxious to see our wedding pictures. However, if we put all 250 up right now, you would get bored looking at this page that long and it would probably cause eye strain. So for now, we will put up a few of our favorites. Love to all!!!!!

Welcome and Hello!!!!

2008-08-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys! We thought this would be a great way to keep in touch with each other even though miles seperate us. Just so you are caught up with us, Cole is working at the BCM as the assistant director and at UBC as the men's discipleship coordinator. I am going to be working as a substitute teacher as soon as school gets under way. More to come soon!!!!!!!