{Nursery Sneak Peek}

Violet is due to arrive in six weeks and her nursery is all ready for her now! Aside from washing things and actually having them in the drawers, I think I'm finished.  Of course, now there is plenty of time to clean the garage, organize the pantry, and detail my car. My poor husband...

There are a few special things about Violet's nursery that I thought I would share. If you remember This Post I did for Abigail, I have a friend that makes nursery paintings and I wanted to have one made for Violet's room.  I love that they both have something handmade from the same person.  

Emily did a fabulous job tying in the colors and details from my decor.  I absolutely love how it turned out!  Let me know if you need something special made for your nursery and I will pass along her info to you! 

Okay, the next special touch might be my favorite.  I decided I wanted to frame an old hymn for Violet and display it on her dresser.  Since we had hundreds of old hymnals in the basement of our new church, I knew I could find something that looked a little "vintage"! 

Mike and I chose " Be Thou My Vision" because the words are a beautiful testimony of our heart's desire for Violet. I can't wait to sing it over her when she is finally in my arms.  

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;

Thou my best thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, and I Thy true child,

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, or man's empty praise,

Thou mine inheritance, now and always;

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,

May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

I had so much fun getting her room ready and giving old pieces of furniture new life! Thanks to Annie Sloan chalk paint, we spent very little money buying furniture and other than her crib, I painted everything in her room!  I forgot to take a before of the old rocking chair, but I picked it up one day from Our Thrift Store in Franklin for $20.  I painted it "old white" and distressed it to match the dresser.

The dresser was special y'all!  It needed someone to rescue it from an old junk store in Columbia, Tennessee and give it a little love!  Here is the before. 

Much better!  This is also painted "old white" and distressed with 120 grit sandpaper.  I got the drawer pulls at Hobby Lobby for 1$ each.  

The tall dresser was also given a makeover.  It was something Mike brought along with him from college so I think it will be sweet to tell Violet one day that her dresser once belonged to Daddy.  Thank goodness I could make it pretty for her!  Here is the before and after.  I used Annie Sloan's "duck egg blue" for this piece and also distressed with 120 grit sandpaper.  

My last nursery project was to pick out a crib and hang paper lanterns from the ceiling.  I decided on the Jenny Lind crib because it has a vintage look to it and I have so many friends that have used this crib with their precious ones.  I have to say it was super easy to put together and I think it's beautiful!  I did learn however, that it is not easy for an eight month pregnant lady to stand on a chair and hang paper lanterns by herself.  After too many holes in the ceiling and tired legs from climbing on and off the chair, I got smarter and asked my husband to help me! Thank goodness he loves me so much!

 

I hope to enjoy these last few weeks of being pregnant and not wish them away too quickly.  Thankfully, the weather has been beautiful and we have been able to enjoy watching Abigail run through open fields and play at the park in our neighborhood.  She has been rocking her baby and giving her plenty of kisses so I know she will be a great big sister!  

{Prayer}

Have you ever felt like your prayers were silly requests before a great and powerful God?  I have.  In fact, I feel like my prayer time should only consist of deep convictions and prayers for the lost.  I am actually more comfortable praying for my husband or my family or strangers that are struggling through a medical crisis.  Scripture teaches me; however, that God desires an intimate relationship with me and that I can cast all my cares on Him, and thankfully I was reminded of that today. 

Mike and I recently made the difficult decision to give our golden retriever, Bailey, to the Middle Tennessee Golden Retriever Rescue.  I can not begin to express to you how heart broken I have been over letting my first baby go to another home.  Bailey was a Christmas present from my dad the year I graduated from PT school.  He was the perfect companion for a single lady going through her "quarter life crisis!"  Until I met my husband, it was just me and Bailey.  He was there when I got up each morning, right by my side.  He was there every evening when I came home to a quiet empty house, ready to curl up near me for the evening.  He was a constant through tough break ups and painful trials with my family.  He was a gift and he was loyal. 

{ Christmas 2003}

My sweet Bailey was such a JOY and I have incredible memories from Memphis to Nashville that I will always cherish.  It makes me smile to think back to my first date with Mike.  Bailey was right by my side as I opened my front door and Mike's expression immediately turned to surprise as he looked down at my four legged friend.  I remember he reached down to pet Bailey on the head and then immediately asked if he could wash his hands.  I decided that this guy better love my dog if we were going to consider a second date!  

It didn't take long for Bailey to win Mike over and so we began our journey together as a little family of three.   A few years into our marriage, we decided to get Bailey a friend.  We brought Miller home three years ago and instantly Bailey let us know he was not happy about the hyper puppy chewing his toys! I thought it was the perfect idea before starting a family, but little did I know Bailey liked being the center of attention...

When Abigail came along, things went down hill pretty quickly.  Bailey's level of anxiety heightened.  He began to feel more and more replaced and ultimately isolated and depressed.  I hated seeing my sweet dog struggle so much with the changes in our home, but as the reality hit me that we were about to add another baby to our once quiet house, I decided we had to give Bailey a chance to enjoy his "golden years".   

I now know that pregnant women should never have to give their dog away.  I'm sure I would have been sad to walk Bailey out my door and hand him to another owner any day, but with my elevated hormonal state, it was a tragic day I will never forget.  I began to journal and cry out to God about my broken heart.  I felt so silly asking God to provide a good owner for Bailey and to give peace to my grieving heart.  But today, He reminded me that I am his daughter and He hears all my prayers.  

" See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. "  1 John 3:1

I read back over my journal entries this morning and God had answered all my prayers about Bailey.  They weren't silly requests to Him because he loves me and desires that I tell Him about all things weighing on my heart.  

As I was thanking God for providing such a wonderful home for Bailey, his new owner actually called me.  She told me how happy Bailey was on her sixty acre farm.  She laughed as she shared with me how he loves to watch the cattle, swim in her pond, roll around in the mud, and lay under the big oak tree near her house.  Just in the short time he has been in his new home, he has been able to stop taking anxiety medication.  He is happy and well loved, and my heart is at peace.  

So if you are like me, and you sometimes think God shouldn't be bothered with the silly things that make you cry, remember that He loves you deeply and when your heart hurts, His heart hurts.  Remember that He is the one who draws us close and comforts us.  Pour your heart out to Him and know that you are His child.  

{Bailey hanging out on the farm.  September 2013}

First Day {Mother's Day Out}

Today was a big day for Abigail.  It was her first day to attend Mother's Day Out!  I did pretty good holding back my tears most of the morning as Mike and I got ready for the day.  I made breakfast and packed her bag and remembered to take a few pictures.  It wasn't until I saw the clock and started feeling a little stressed to get out the door in time that my emotions got the best of me.  Just when I was starting to rush her through breakfast, my sweet baby girl crawled in my lap with a book and smiled at me.  I am so thankful for the interruption of my rigid schedule, because taking a moment to slow down and enjoy my daughter was exactly what I needed.  

Thankfully, Abigail didn't cry when I dropped her off and actually when I picked her up she wanted to keep playing.  Her teachers told me that she had a fabulous first day and that was exactly what my heart needed to hear!  I feel so blessed that I have been able to keep Abigail at home this long, but I am really excited for her to learn and explore with new friends! 

Family pictures ~Summer 2013

My sweet little baby keeps growing like a weed and I am so thankful to get a few pictures to capture her at this stage!  She has such a sweet innocence in her eyes and I want to bottle it up and protect it forever!  

Abigail is 18 months old now and it seems like overnight she became a little tornado.  She didn't start walking until she was 15 months, but once she did she took off and hasn't slowed down since!  Mike and I quickly discovered all the weak spots of our baby proofing efforts.  I also had to learn what all moms before me have learned.  There is no such thing as a clean and tidy house anymore!  Despite my best efforts, she can have toys and tupperware in every room of our house in less than a minute.  True story. 

My nature is to constantly pick up after her and keep things in order, but thankfully pregnancy has slowed me down and I am left watching this sweet little girl explore and learn.  I love to see her take care of her baby dolls.  She strolls them around and wraps them in blankets.  She hugs them and will find random wash rags to clean their faces.  

She also loves her accessories.  She will wake up asking for her shoes or her sunglasses.  The minute those little toes touch the floor she is off to find her hat and a hair bow!  My favorite mornings are when I wake up before she does.  I will sip my coffee and enjoy the still of the day before my family wakes up.  And then I will hear sweet little feet trotting down the hallway looking for me.  She is always so excited to find me and as she quickens her pace to get to me, I watch her giggle and dance so proud of herself for knowing just where I would be.  I cherish those mornings. 

Of course, some mornings when I go into her room first she only wants Daddy. She will ask for Mike and look for him with such desperation.  It absolutely melts my heart to see her call his name and march around the house looking in all the rooms for him. 

Here are a few things Abigail is doing at 18 months old that I hope to never forget!

* Spaghetti is her favorite food
* She loves to crawl up on the couch and share cereal with me
* She is just starting to dance and when she sees people sing or play instruments she claps for them
* She can now say around 50 words 
* She knows where her nose, eyes, belly, and toes are and can point them out
* She likes to kiss you on the lips!
* She can get herself a cup and get water from the fridge
* She loves to slide!
* She has been known to take her diaper off while in her crib...and throw her poo on the floor.  Yeah. 
* She scrunches her whole face when she smiles!

Only three more months as a family of three!  I have enjoyed every second of being a mommy and I can't wait to meet Violet.  I am so anxious to see what her personality will be like.  Most of my friends with two girls have told me how completely opposite their kids were! Whether she is sweet and timid or sassy and wild, we can't wait to have her in our arms! 

Violet Anne Harder ~ 25 weeks

The Journey

Many of you have asked me how it is going in our new church building and I have to tell you, I still can't believe I get to worship my God in that pretty place! We are five years old as a church and at every point along the journey, God has placed us exactly where we needed to be and He has provided more than we could ever ask.

When I packed up my things in 2007 and moved to Nashville, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into!  I had just bought a house and I had an incredible job at one of the best Orthopaedic clinics in Tennessee.  I loved my church and my friends and I had settled myself into a pretty good life in Memphis.  If you asked me at that point, I probably would have told you I had no desire or intention to leave West Tennessee for anything!  And then I met a boy...

When I met Mike Harder, my world changed forever.  People will tell you that waiting is hard and it is.  I even read my husband's book, In Transit, before we ever went on our first date! I had been waiting on my husband for a really long time and at twenty seven years old, I had watched most of my friends get married and start having babies.  In the South, you can often feel that you missed the boat and I was frequently reminded of that as my sweet patients would ask me " Why aren't you married?  How old are you?"  But when Mike came into my life, I clearly felt the Lord leading me and things began to happen quickly.

I'm pretty sure my close friends and family thought I had lost my mind!  There was no sparkling ring on my finger, and yet I rented out my house, left my incredible job where I had made a name for myself, and moved to Nashville, Tennessee to help start a church.  I had never been a part of a church plant or stepped behind the curtain of ministry before.  I had no idea what marrying a Pastor would mean for me, but I could see God on the move and I wanted to be a part of it!

{My last night in Memphis.  Picture taken at Benihana's in East Memphis}

I am so thankful that I moved to Nashville when Green Hills Church was just a dream.  I am forever grateful that God led me here when He did so I could see all that He had planned.  I remember sitting around a conference table at the YMCA in Green Hills with twelve other people discussing vision and what it might look like to launch Green Hills Church.  So, as I stood in the back of the room for our first service in our new building, I just let the tears fly.  Of course, I can always blame it on being pregnant!  But honestly, I was overwhelmed with God's goodness and for the journey.

Our church has never been about a building and as thankful as I am for our new space, I know that it could be taken away tomorrow.  Of course, I can not express to you how excited I am to sit in a comfortable chair that doesn't hurt my back and leave my daughter in the nursery where there are doors and clean carpet!  But if you notice me crying in the back of the room, those tears are about the journey.  I am thinking back to the conference room at the YMCA, or the first time I watched God pack the walls of Cabana Restaurant with college students.  I am remembering all the places God has led us along the way and how He always whispered to my heart to trust Him.  I am thinking about how much my husband has grown as a leader and a teacher and how proud I am to be his wife.  This journey is hard at times, but it is so sweet and I am thankful for every step along the way!

{August 2012: Calvary Baptist Church hands us the keys to their building}

{Green Hills Church has a Home}

 {July 14th, 2013: Our first Sunday to worship in our new building}

Newport Beach California { Acts29 Pastors' Retreat}

This was our first year to attend the Acts29 Pastors' Retreat and we had a fabulous time in Newport Beach, California!  I am so thankful for this global network of Pastors and their wives because having community with other ministry families is something Mike and I both desire.  We feel that we are called to be a part of a church that plants other churches and right now the Acts29 Network has over 450 churches on 6 different continents which fires me up!  If you want to learn more about the network, check out THIS website. 

Our week in California was filled with sweet worship, incredible speakers, and deeper community.  It was my first time to attend a church planting retreat and I was so thankful to be able to meet other families in a similar stage of life and ministry.  I was also grateful for a little time away with my sweetheart in beautiful Southern California!  This was the view from just outside our room. 

We were able to bring miss Abigail along for the trip because child care was provided during the sessions.  She is an adaptable little trooper and even though she was completely off her schedule, she was the best little baby and we were so glad to have her with us.  

Mike and I are explorers at heart, so each time we had the afternoon off, we were out the door and on an adventure!  Our first destination was the beautiful Laguna Beach area!  We packed Abigail up in our backpack carrier and set out to walk the coastline and soak in the California sunshine.  I totally understand why people move to California and stay.  It is absolutely beautiful and the weather is amazing!  Here's our sweet little hiker happy as can be!

Our last day of the retreat was pretty special for me.  Mike watched Abigail so I could attend the Pastors' Wives Session.  I met some amazing women and I truly feel that the Lord spoke to me through them and told me a few things I needed to hear.  

My role seems to be shifting more and more because I now juggle being a mom too.  Five years ago, I was able to help set up, tear down, train volunteers, attend both services, meet new people, and disciple girls in between services.  Now...I show up with Abigail hoping to be on time!  I'm lucky if I get to engage in conversation after the service because in the back of my mind, I'm already thinking about her nap and a diaper change.  I walk past volunteers that probably don't know my name because our church is growing and I haven't had a chance to meet them yet.  As Abigail's eyes get heavier, I try to slip back into the sanctuary to give my husband a kiss and tell him I'm proud of him before I leave.  Things look different now.  I also work part-time, so my availability to meet up with young girls or attend service projects is more limited now that I am in mommy land.  

And so, just as the guilt monster found his home in my head, the Lord allowed me to hear wisdom from women who have been in my shoes and knew what I needed to hear.  So if you are a pastor's wife or a new mom who serves in your church and you are struggling to balance your new role, let me share my epic wisdom!  Your first "role" is to be a daughter of Christ.  If He is the focus of your heart, you will be able to love your husband, children, and church well.  For me, my "ministry" is to my husband and our girls.  I needed to hear that.  I needed to hear that loving Mike well and encouraging him is my primary ministry.  Leading by example in how I serve my husband and our children is my ministry.       

I walked out of our session so encouraged and so inspired that I couldn't sit still!  So we set out for Balboa Island to celebrate feeling recharged with the infamous Balboa Bar! We found the first ice cream stand on the island and enjoyed our treat as we strolled the quaint streets of this little paradise. 

Balboa Island was a two mile walk from our hotel and Abigail fell asleep on the way there, so we took our time walking around and enjoyed being tourists for the afternoon.  Bless her heart, she was a trooper!  Mike is also a trooper because I know this little peanut got heavy after a while!  As for me, it's just another Tuesday when I get out of breath walking up a hill! This four mile excursion wore my little pregnant body out, but that ice cream bar was totally worth it ya'll!

It was the perfect end to a very refreshing week in Southern California.  Thank you Newport Beach for all the sweet memories!  I think it is safe to say that we will be back!  

Rest.

Rest.  Rest is exactly what my little family needed these last two weeks and I am very grateful that we were able to take a little time off and recharge! Two weeks ago, we started our vacation in the beautiful Gulf.  I have grown up traveling to Gulf Shores in the Summer and it has been so fun making memories there throughout my lifetime. 

My little brother was able to come down for part of the trip and I was so thankful to spend time with him.  In just a few weeks, he will be off to College which seems a little crazy to me.  I am so proud of him and excited for his future!!

Veronica and Allison were also with us for part of our vacation and I can't tell you how much I love these two ladies.  Our families have taken more trips together than I can count, and I have seen Allison grow into such a beautiful young lady.  I remember hours of watching her swim to me from the ladder in this very pool when she wasn't much bigger than Abigail! And now she's all grown up!  

Abigail wasn't quite ready to float on her back or swim to the ladder, but she loved to jump in for you.  We would sit her on the side and try to count to three, but after a count of one, this is what we got!

My sweet little fish loved the water this trip and I am so glad!  She actually sat up in her pack n play each morning saying " beach, beach".  My dear husband entertained her so I could swim laps each day.  How awesome is he?!?

After about an hour at the pool each morning, we would make the trip down to the ocean where Abigail would nap in her swing, I could read and relax, and Mike could go for a run.  It was incredible.  Mike has been in a busy season of ministry selecting elders and preparing to move into our new church building.  He's also been taking care of me for the last four months while I was sick and needing extra help with Abigail.  He needed a little break and I was happy to see this smile on his handsome face! 

Our nights were also relaxing because our little person goes to bed around 7:00.  This worked out well for us since the NBA finals were on!  Veronica was also super sweet and let us go on a date our last night there!  It was amazing; I was able to eat my food hot and actually look at Mike while he was talking.  It's the little things...

I was also really excited to take Mike and Abigail to the Original Oyster House!  I remember pacing this boardwalk when I was a little girl waiting for our name to be called.  I would sit in the big chairs and swing my legs.  Dee Dee tried to keep me entertained with all the fun shops and feeding the fish around back.  Each year I got a picture with my face in the hole of the alligator board!  So of course, I had to stick Abigail up there!

Check out these curls!  Aghh, love her to pieces!  And I know where she gets them.  Her handsome daddy has the same curls!

These two are absolutely precious to watch.  Abigail loves her daddy and Mike doesn't stand a chance against her sweet little cheeks and blue eyes.  

Yeah, she looks all happy right now, but don't put that baby in the sand!  We tried a few different times thinking she would eventually warm up to the sand.  We even thought shoes might help ease her in.  That didn't happen.  Each time, we got the " landing gear" legs like this...

Maybe next time?  Bless her.  Thank you Gulf Shoes for all the memories!  We hope to see you next year!