My sis-in-law came from Arkansas with her kids, one being our new niece, and we met them at Chuckie Cheese on a very rainy Atlanta day. Boo had a great time with his cousins and these are just a few shots to show you how sweet they are.

No, not twins, but my Boo with Peanut and Lydia (I think they are 2 weeks apart).Caleb, Joshua and Boo

Doesn’t Jeremy look good holding a little girl??

Nana and Papa with just a handful of grandkids…

Enjoy!

Karen

We went for our family photo this past week, in time for Christmas holidays and since I haven’t gotten Boo’s picture taken since his 3rd birthday, I figured he could shine his winning smile and boy did he ever! Jeremy was blown away, since after all, he only saw the pictures from his last photo session…not the actual child blowing me away with every tilted head and crooked little smile. Whew…3 1/2 years is so little time, but sometimes feels like an eternity.

So, here are just a few of his precious moments…

We could not have planned that any better…his jumping out of the tree was NOT PLANNED, he just did it and she captured it. It was hilarious!

With the white background it’s hard to tell, but his hair tells you that boy is mid-air.

Awww, now that’s my cutie boy.

And this would be one of our family shots. It became more sentimental to me when I realized that it would be our last family photo of just three.

SAY WHAT?

You read that right, we are EXPECTING A BABY!!! I have included the countdown calendar and will move it to top in a few days. We are due mid-July and very very excited. Boo is thrilled and he really wanted a brother AND a sister, but we got confirmation that there is only 1 sac in there, much to his dismay. He said at first that the baby was growing in my heart (isn’t that sweet????), but now it’s in my belly. I have been dealing with high blood pressure for a few months now, so I need to keep my pressure down so I can carry the baby to close to full term. I will see a specialist because of the blood pressure, but we are not worried. God, in His inifite timing and perfect plan has granted us this…we are beyond grateful and marvel at His awesome ways.

In Christ-

Karen

Boo went to Grandma’s yesterday to spend the day. Jeremy had to be “in-house” this week and we had no one to keep the little man. Luckily, the grandma came to our rescue! She picked him up at the church and then we went and got him last night. I called to check on him and her during the day…she says he talks big. I agreed. She says he looks taller. I agreed with that too. He is just growing up so fast.
Grandma Land is filled with many things, but two things are for sure…the lay of the land is all for him and the dog, Buzz, is his best friend. He is a big helper, taking trash cans back to the house, getting the mail, and always willing to walk with her when she takes Buzz for a walk. She sets up a pool for him to play and he smells like suntan lotion when I get there. He sure does love his grandma.
The last few weeks he has had some incredible time with his grandparents…I am so thankful for their willingness to take Boo and love and nuture him. They may not do everything like Jeremy and I do, but it’s okay; it’s the priceless moments that help mold who Boo is. Two more weeks till Papaw comes and spends a few days with us too!!! We are headed to the Braves game!!
His memory is growing and being filled with memories of the last year – Disney, Busch Gardens, and even most recently he is recalling the time he spent with Nana and Papa to us. He knows 8 scriptures very well and told me all about Jonah and the whale from reading a book the other day. He blows my mind.
Happy Saturday to all!
–Karen

Oh my gracious! It’s AUGUST 1st! PEOPLE! PEOPLE! Do you know what this means???? IT’S BIRTHDAY MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Crowd goes wild! Ballons and streamers EVERYWHERE! And this year, I am excited to say, I will be 30!!!! WAHHOO! Not that I think anything great comes with 30, except more wisdom than the previous year, but I enjoy birthdays…can you tell? Really? You can tell? hm…

Attention Family: In honor of birthday month, I will be accepting cards, gifts, flowers, notes, money, mail, email, blog love, etc. beginning today and ending on the 31st. Even though my actual birthday is before the 31st, I will still accept some lateness from the fam….it’s a gene we can’t control.

Show the Love: I have lots of friends, some of them have blogs, that have birthdays also…so, I would enjoy it if you would show them some bloggy love this month, too.

Mandy – she is a wise, dear friend of mine who lives in Texas. She is due to have her third child in about a month and she needs to blog more.

D – he has a real name, but that’s what his name is for this summer.

Laura – She is my brilliant/wisest sister-in-law and I love her dearly.

Meg – My neice Meg, who is Laura’s daughter.

LeRay – friend and wife to a pastor, who just got in to blogging – you sent her some bloggy love a few weeks back through Thankful Thursday. Her son was born on her birthday!

Jim – my father in law; my neice (his granddaughter) was born on his birthday!

Michelle – a long time friend with twin girls and a little boy – her birthday is between mine and Jeremy’s.

Kim – friend of mine with two little girls – they just moved to Alabama…:(

and lest I forget, my beloved, Jeremy, his birthday is 5 days before mine.
If you are an August baby, leave a comment and I will be glad to send the blogosphere, or the 10 people who actually read this, over to your blog!

Additions 8/2: Terri – She is one of my favorite people in bloggy land!!! Her and her family are in the final stages of adopting a little girl from China! Praise the Lord! And guess what – TODAY, 8/2 is her BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday to us! Happy Birthday to us! Happy Birthday to UUUUSSSS! Happy Birthday to us!

Love,
Karen

Been out of touch, but all for good reason…been on “vacation” from the grind and from the Boo. I only worked three days last week, so I was writing my Thankful Thursday from my own room! Thursday was nice! We worked out with a trainer at our apartment complex – that was not the nice part. I didn’t eat breakfast, so it didn’t start out so good. After an apple it got better, but after finding out the cost I fell into much nausea again. We agreed to discuss it and we would let them know.
After that, we drove up to Helen, GA. Nice drive from our place and we managed to dodge most of the rain. We watch several people make fudge and candy apples and walked around looking at all the nick-nacks. We drove up to Unicoi Lodge and scoped it out…I recalled a retreat I went to there years ago, and Jeremy and I just enjoyed being with one another, talking and sharing and laughing – lots of laughter. He took me to eat at a new seafood place near Lake Lanier park and it was yummy.
Frida we started our day at the driving range. Hubby got a new driver and wanted to try it out. I brought a book to enjoy, but managed to hit a few balls myself. I am still learning. We then drove and made a huge decision to join a fitness club. We liked the place, knew some friends went there, and took the plunge. This wasn’t a spur of the moment decision; it’s been a long time coming. I went to another appt on Tuesday where my BP was still high…it’s not just stress…it’s LIFE CHANGE and it needs to happen soon or I won’t be around to see my child grow up. That might sounds drastic, but it’s truth, and I am up to admitting that I need help, so that’s why we joined the fitness club. We each have our first appointments on Monday evening.
We topped Friday night off at Stoney River Steakhouse. We didn’t gorge ourselves, because, you know, the fitness club, but we did have a great meal.
Saturday, our actual anniversary, was spent going to get the BOO BEAR! We met at a 1/2 way point, had lunch, and then brought our Boo home. He looks so much taller and talks some mature. Oh my heavens…I just missed him sooooo much! I did enjoy the time with Jeremy as well, so maybe in a few months he can go back and spend some time. My sister-in-law wants him now and she didn’t get that much time with him…:) He had a great week! We had a great week! Till next time….

AHHHHHH!
Did you hear that?
Yeah, me too.
Nothing. You could hear a pin drop in this place! No little man…you hear ME??? NO LITTLE MAN!
Boo is enrolled at Camp Nana and Papa this week. I said goobye to him last night really when I put him to bed, but managed to sneak into his room this morning (early!) and kiss him and tell him I loved him. He will be there till Saturday. Nana and Papa will take such good care of him – I know this, because my in-laws raised 5 kids. I wasn’t sure who was more excited – Boo or Nana! He will get to see his cousins and auntie too, I think. Praise God for family.

How am I? I doing okay, but like I said you could hear a pin drop! Jeremy is at a meeting and I am home just relaxing, cathing up with old friends and all of their kids and family. So, we are newlyweds this week…and did I mention, this weekend will mark SIX YEARS for this Greer family. Hard to believe that much time has passed and that we used to live in Texas for a brief stint of our marriage. We are taking some time off later in the week to spend with each other and get away from the grind of life. The Do Not Disturb sign will be up come Thursday.

On another note, my replacement at work started today. Hip Hip Hooray!!! I love her dearly and pray that she stays a long time there…I have three weeks to take my brain out, dump all the work info and put it in her brain. Wish my luck!

Resting in Him-
Karen

I am organizing my pictures this morning, so I figure it’s probably time I post some! I think I promised Boo’s birthday pics back in April/May, so I will start with those first. Enjoy the plethora of photos!! I have loaded them to slide.com because it will automatically scroll through them for you.

The next is our vacation to Florida…

I hope you enjoyed the pictures! Have a blessed weekend! Jeremy preaches this Sunday!

In His Hands-

Karen

Oh my blazes…it’s h.o.t. here! Like I didn’t expect that… Just checking in with you all and hoping to find you all well. It’s nice here – the weather is good with the occasional shower, although, that’s only rumor, since I haven’t actaully seen one for myself. Close though.
Father’s Day was event-filled at Weeki Wachee/Buccaneer Bay with my family – fun was had by all and the Mermaid show proved itself well to my son. He loved the ice cold natural spring water and the kiddie pool. Rock On Buc Bay! It’s been a long time, but it proved worthy. Today it’s playdates and golfing for the little man and tomorrow…well, we head to the jungles of Africa – okay, not really, but at Busch Gardens, it will give him just a tad glimpse as to what his daddy is experiencing while there.
Speaking of Jeremy – he made his way back to the village which is their headquarters – they have been traveling to different villages testing the water and they will begin their trek back to the main city tomrrow morning. We now talk in days as to when he will be home. Please pray for his trip back to be uneventful.

Much love to you all-

Karen

It’s THE week.

You know the one…the one that you kindly refer to 6 months from now as “that week.” I know that’s what this week will turn into for me. Although, it just occured to me that’s a great header for a chapter in my book. Hm…see THE week can be curse or blessing, however you are choosing to view it.
I currently am choosing to view THE week as a blessing…life happens, ministry does as well, and so, we press on.

Yesterday Jeremy left for Africa. I will tell you which country after he gets home. He’s there. It’s exciting and Boo and I got to take him to the airport. Big planes, a trip by Grandma’s office (she was bored!) and two slushies later, we were home chillin’ out. Now, Boo is incredible. One on one that kid is the total polar opposite of the kid who plays his mom and dad against each other every moment of every other day. It’s night and day. He obeys. He talks nice. He loves on me. He takes a bath. He goes to bed on time. It’s glorious. The same thing happens when I am out for a night or at meetings or the boys are having quality bonding time…he thrives on one on one time. So, I suffice to say, although Jeremy is gone for the next 16 days, I will be enjoying the little man in my house.

This is just the first part.

Wednesday my grandmother passed away. She was the wife of my grandfather, who passed away in February. My Mema was some woman. She told me the story of how they met all those years ago and it seemed she hadn’t lost that love for my grandfather. She birthed my father and his three sisters, all three years apart from each other, and managed to run a fort (with a nanny) while my grandfather played professional baseball. A lot can be said of her, but none more valuable than how great her cooking was. In fact, the first thing I did when we arrived for my grandfather’s memorial in February was go to the cabinet where I believed the recipe box was held. I was right on the first try and spent a few minutes just thumbing through it…remembering all the hours of the day she would spend in the kitchen. I said before that’s where the heart of our family is. The last several years have been rough, as we watched this strong woman’s body begin to deteriorate. My last incredible memory with her was in July of 2000. Jeremy and I took a trip to FL to meet my family, as he was about to head off to seminary. As we were getting ready to have our meal, my family asked Jeremy to pray. We all held hands and he prayed. After we said Amen, my Mema let go of my hand and walked to Jeremy and kissed him on the cheek. I got teary and my other family stood there in awe. It was the most incredible sight. I know she liked him…and that told all of us that she approved.
Alzheimer’s began to take it’s toll on her and her manageable life began to slip away. My family placed her in a nursing care facility when my grandfather could not longer take care of her fully. It has been the saddest years watching those things take place, and in this moment, I will choose to not remember those times. I choose to remember her the way she was so many years ago and I hope that my cousins will be able to do the same. They aren’t as old and didn’t get the days to see her in her prime…but I tell you something, it doesn’t matter if she wasn’t always nice, she took care of her family the only way she knew how. I have already missed her for so long now. I hate that she doesn’t know I married an incredible man and that I was so blessed to give her a great-grandson. I know she would have just ate him up!!

All of the emotion of that is starting to get to me.

I am having some issues with some things, so I made an appointment to see my doctor. As I arrive this morning, I am feeling joyful, which is nothing out of the ordinary, and the nurse proceeds to be tell me my blood pressure is 140/100. Now, I know what you are thinking…how in the world have I not had a heart attack. Yeah, I know. When she said those numbers, I was a little nervous too…so I finished my appt and went to the lab to give them my blood. I spoke to my friend, Alicia, and my mom before coming to work. I am really not stressed out….although, if you made it this far in my blog today, you might be second guessing that. But seriously, I don’t feel stressed out. For real! I am not having anxiety or any feelings of being overly stressed. So, I am going to take it easy tonight and the weekend and see what the future holds. Please don’t worry, just pray.

That was the last part.

Here I am in THE week. The week I will look back on and say, “whew, I made it through…look at all that God did.” God’s hand has never been more gracious than in the last 48 hours.
“The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him…” (Exodus 15:2)

In His Hands-
Karen

Today was all about making memories. It’s these kinds of memories you want him to think about years from now and look back and say, “Remember when…”

We all ventured to the golf tournament today! Boo was originally supposed to go to school while Jeremy and I went. After thinking about it, we knew he would probably just love it there, so we decided to take him with us…taking the chance that if he so even sneezed at the wrong time, we could possibly be kicked out of the tournament!

We parked, rode the bus to the country club, which turned out to be an adventure in itself. I mean, the kid loves anything that’s different and new to him, so riding a huge bus was like, awesome! We get there, walk to the 18th green and watch a few batch of players come through. Then we walked back to the 17th, since their green is great for spectators. We told Boo the rules – when they put the signs up (Hush, Y’all) you have to be quiet. He did pretty good, and learned to say “In the Hole! In the Hole!” really loud after the guys putt the ball. It was classic. Some of the players liked it so much they gave their golf balls to him after they putt…now, that’s classic. He was so tickled and excited and it seemed to make the players excited too. One guy even stopped us hours later to ask us if he still had the ball…of course! He loves golf! So, that’s our family today, making memories for a lifetime.

Love,
Karen