"Check This"

A Trip to Disney World

2011-11-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

.For the last 2 years we have taken a fall trip to Disney World. At four and two the girls can only handle a few days of fun, so this year we went for two days to Magic Kingdom. We also were able to go the same weekend as the Popovich's. The fun started with dinner at T-Rex at Downtown Disney. The next day we headed to Magic Kingdom. Abigail had all of the fond memories from the year before and was so excited to see all of the character's again, especially Rapunzel. Lydia is now old enough to enjoy the whole experience and she couldn't wait to meet Mickey Mouse. She actually hugged the first Mickey Mouse she saw which just happened to be on a T-Shirt. Both of the girls had their favorite rides. Abigail loved "It's a Small World" and Lydia loved "Dumbo the Flying Elephant" (or in her words, blue elephant). The first day we were at Magic Kingdom there was a street party parade and Abigail got to dance with Donald Duck. He took her hand and had her conga with the rest of the Disney characters. Lydia was so confused why she didn't get to dance with Goofy since Abigail got to dance with Donald. In keeping with tradition, the girls each got to enjoy Mickey Mouse ears ice cream and Justin and I indulged in a Dole pineapple float. The second day, they lit up the castle with Christmas lights for the first time this holiday season. So neat! The girls loved watching. Then we stayed for the fireworks. Afterwards, we didn't even make it down Main Street before both of the girls were snoozing. We were all tired, but we had so much fun.

Watching Mom, Abigail, Torrey and Brady.

Abigail was ready to go until the first bump and jerk, and she decided that she wanted me to drive.

What a pair.

We waited an hour for this shot. Abigail might have been star struck.

Riding the Teacup Ride. Justin decided to pass.

Friends.

Two girls that love their daddy!

High fives at the parade.

One happy girl!

Lydia waiting to meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

We just watched "The Sword in the Stone." Abigail, Lydia and Brady gave it their best, but they did not pull the sword from the stone. Justin and Jay thought they should give it a shot too. No luck.

The last few months.

2011-09-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

There is so much to catchup on. Aftera long break from blogging, I

was reminded of how much our family and friends miss the updates. So, I am going to try to catch everyone up on the last few months in the Perry household. The first big news that we have to share is that we bought our first house! It was a fixer-upper to say the least and boy has it been an adventure. But, God was so faithful in His provision for us and we are finally enjoying it. Here are the before and after pictures.

Girls, girls, girls.

2010-06-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the latest pictures that my friend Susan took of our family. Thanks Susan for being so generous with your time to capture priceless memories.

Milestones.

2010-06-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

We have reached some exciting milestones! Lydia is now eating solids. Can't believe it is time for the highchair already...time flies!

Lydia also rolled over for the first time a few weeks ago. She rolled over really early on, but lost had to figure it out all over again a few months later.

Abigail never took a pacifier, or a bottle for that matter. As a result, we gave her a snuggly at 3 months. Lydia has taken to the pacifier, so we just gave her a blankie. She loves the one her Aunt Jess gave her.

Almost sitting up on our own, but in the meantime Lydia is enjoying a birds eye view in the bumbo.

Snuggling on the couch. Melt my heart.

We had a quick visit from two CLC members back from their world travels. Daniel and Kaleigh stopped in to say hi before leaving for the summer. Miss you guys!

The Fisher family made it! Abigail has 5 new friends and one new BEST friend - Amanda. So thankful that she looks up to such an awesome young lady! Jordan reading to the crew after dinner.

A church from Deland, FL, Stetson Baptist, has adopted CLC to encourage us and support us in a variety of ways. They recently hosted a block party for the Palma Ceia community.

Jackey creeps closer to 30!

2010-05-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Abigail would not tolerate tummy time. I mean screaming crying the whole time. Lydia really doesn't mind it.

Lydia having a little tummy time.

I think that Lydia is gonna love dogs like big sis.

Staring contest.

Sweet smirk!

Happy birthday! Justin took me took to Flemings for a surprise birthday dinner. What a delicious meal! Thanks Jonathan and Elaine for watching the girls.

Coffee and chocolate - what more could a girl want?

Me and my handsome hubby!

Abigail and Justin's birthday party for me. Abigail insisted we wear hats.

Abigail reading me her birthday card.

One of the many sweet surprises I received for my birthday. Thanks Stephanie for the flowers and coffee.

Busy, busy.

2010-05-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

Things have been exceptionally busy around here. But, on a quiet evening with Justin and Abigail at a baseball game I thought I would post a few recent shots of the girls. It's hard to believe that Abigail is almost 3 and Lydia is 5 months old!

Lydia actually fits in the bumbo. Abigail's thighs were too big!

Abigail's first egg hunt. Thanks Marnie, we had a blast!

And, her first time to jump on a trampoline. She loved it!

Lydia had fun too. And, she wasn't the youngest one at the party.

Abigail had to practice before the real deal.

The Fischer family came to visit & look for a house in Tampa. Abigail has made a new best friend!

What a cutie!

Granddaddy came to visit! Miss you...

Abigail's favorite spot-Chuck E Cheese

Newborn portraits of Lydia.

2010-03-04T17:26:00.001-08:00

What a cutie, huh? My dear friend, Susan, took these for us. She is an upcoming photographer in Tampa. Love her. Thanks Susan for capturing our sweet little girl so that we can always remember her this precious.

Quick Update.

2010-02-14T07:47:00.001-08:00

Bright eyed.

Gasparilla Children's Parade. Abigail and Justin trying to catch some beads.

Abigail's favorite ride at Chuck E Cheese.

Saying "Hi" to the "little girl in the tutu," as Abigail would say.

Sweet.

First trip to Chuck E Cheese.

This girl loves Barney.

Snug as a bug in a rug.

Our cute little girl.

The Perry's Minivan.

Lydia Grace.

2009-12-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

Big sister helping to feed Lydia.

And, helping burp Lydia.

Tired. But, happy.

Our little peanut.

She looks just like Abigail as a baby - just with dark hair.

Our family of four.

Hello world, I am Lydia Grace Perry.

Lots of pictures.

2009-11-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

This is a picture heavy update, and unfortunately they loaded backwards. So, starting with the most recent...

Two weeks ago, Justin, Abigail and I had a potty training week. As a reward for it being a great success we took Abigail to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. It is a non-profit organization that specializes in the rescue and release of dolphins, sea turtles and otters. Abigail was amazed to see the dolphins!

Abigail and Justin touching the sting rays.

Can you tell she REALLY liked the dolphins!

The weekend before, we celebrated our first Halloween in Tampa. Covenant Life gathered at the corner of Kate Jackson Park to pass out water and candy as well as take family portraits to serve our community. We had a HUGE turn out. We passed out over 150 waters, lots of candy, and took over 100 family portraits. It was also a great time to meet some of the families in our community!

Stephanie and Eden. Eden was a cupcake.

Here is our set-up and our team. This is the park Abigail and I go to several times a week. A fantastic gathering place.

Justin as you have rarely seen him (you can't see the tube socks).

Maris is one of the UT students that have been joining us regularly on Sunday and Wednesday nights. She dressed up as bubble gum under a shoe.

Josh Carroll as you rarely see him. Abigail still talks about how he had a funny mustache and wig.

Kaleigh, another of the UT students that has been joining us. Abigail can't get enough of her!

Our pink ballerina.

Our family pumpkin carving quickly turned into Justin and I carving the pumpkins. Our little girl didn't like the "ooey, gooies."

While confined to the house for potty training, Abigail and I made cupcakes. This is her thoroughly enjoying hers.

So, even though the average temperature is still in the mid-eighties, there have been a few days to wear long sleeves. What a cutie!

Abigail dressed up to go to the Hyde Park Fall Festival. Here she is getting her face painted-one of her favorite new things.

Daddy/daughter day to the theatre for a special kids presentation. Thanks again Kelli for the tickets.

One proud little girl just before she left on a date with her daddy.

Justin and I went to Denver for a commissioning weekend with NAMB. While we were there, we had several really fun opportunities. First, we spent Saturday night in downtown Denver. What a fun city! And, Sunday we got to visit a local church in the area and share with their high school and college students about Covenant Life and church planting.

Happy Anniversary! Justin and I spent a day at Disney World to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. How blessed I am to have spent five years with the most amazing man I know.

Family Days.

2009-09-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Friday's are Justin's day off and our family day. For our anniversary we celebrated as a family with a trip to the zoo. This week, we headed to the beach. Check it out!

We had passes to ride all of the rides, and Justin couldn't resist the log ride.

Abigail took her first pony ride and she did it "all by her big girl self" (as she would say).

And, she rode the carousel for the first time.

Our zoo allows you to be very interactive with the animals. Justin, Abigail and I all rode a camel - so fun.

Again, the zoo really allows you to interact with the animals. There are several animals that you can feed including a giraffe.

A time to celebrate!

2009-09-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Abigail's big girl room.

Abigail calls this her "pretty, pretty white big girl bed."

We still have some final touches, but here is Abigail's new room.

Can you tell that she loves her new bed. She was totally ready for this right of passage!

The Perry's and the Tucker's first Tampa Bay Buccaneers Game. Thanks Ejero!

On the sidelines before the game. We couldn't believe it!

Abigail, Max, Gabe and Noah at the Zoo. What a cute bunch.

Justin and I celebrating his birthday at GrillSmith. Yummy!

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to Justin, happy birthday to you! Make a wish.

The big 30!

In the last few weeks God has given us a lot of reasons to celebrate. Justin celebrated his 30th birthday, Covenant Life celebrated it's first corporate worship service, we all celebrated Labor Day with 16 of our family members and friends in Tampa, Abigail celebrated her graduation from the crib into her new "pretty, pretty white big girl bed", and Justin and I will celebrate our 5 wedding anniversary tomorrow. What a joy it has been to experience all of these exciting moments and many more in the Perry household. We are so grateful that we had the Tucker's the Carroll's and even my parents here to rejoice with us. Here are a few of them captured of film.

One last thing. Every Sunday morning Abigail watches a show called "Kids Time Praise." This was a song she learned from this weeks show.

Shall we go for a walk today, a walk today, a walk today. Shall we go for a walk today, to see what God has given. Oh, let us praise Him, praise Him, for everything we see. Oh, let us praise Him, praise Him, for everything He's given.

Life in Tampa.

2009-08-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

After someone asking for the password to our blog so they could update it for us, I decided that it was long overdue for an update. In moving to Tampa, I was naive to think that I would have more time to keep up with the blog here than I did in North Carolina. But, the last three months have proved me wrong. In all of the best ways, we have potentially had the busiest summer on record for our family. Here is a slide show of the happenings.

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Pictures.

2009-05-17T10:39:00.001-07:00

Good-bye to our old small group in Wake Forest.

Dinner with our landlord's, Barbara & Indrek (oh, and I can't forget Sasha).

Taking a break with Granddaddy. Justin's dad came to help us move. Can't thank him enough for all of his help.

"I'm so glad that I didn't have to load that big truck!"

Two of my favorite things: my blanket and my new water bucket.

Abigail loves to fill her bucket with water and climb in. We take her to the park almost everyday. First we swing, then we slide, and then we cool off in the fountain. It's a lot of fun and a great way to meet new friends. I have several mom's that I met at the park, and can't wait to spend time with in the coming days and weeks.

Happy Mother's Day, Mimi.

Happy Mother's Day, Mama!

My parents took us to The Florida Aquarium. Abigail had a blast. This is a shot of them watching her play in the splash park. Thanks you guys for an awesome week. We miss you already.

WOW! Look at all the fish!

The aquarium splash park.

Our bathroom.

Our bedroom. New bedding compliments of my parents.

Abigail's room.

Our side yard.

Kitchen.

Living room.

Dining room.

From the entry way.

We feel so blessed to be in our new city and in our new home. The Lord has been so gracious to us already by allowing us to meet our neighbors, workers at our local bank and several women at the park. We look forward to developing these relationships further. We are so thankful for our family that took time to get us here and settle us into our new place. It is more than we could have ever asked for and the perfect size for a family of four. (Yeap, I said four. Baby Perry will be arriving in January.)

The Lord Provides.

2009-03-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

After fifteen minutes of typing and erasing trying to articulate what the Lord has done words escape me. So, take a look at His amazing provision for our family.

Oh, and before you look. Here are a few reason's this is truly amazing.

-It's two stories. Most of the townhomes in Hyde Park/SOHO are three stories. We specifically prayed for a two story to best fit our family - PRAISE GOD!

-It's three bedroom. We prayed for a three bedroom to help accomodate family and friends that we hope will come a visit us.

-It's one street from the Tucker's. We asked that the Lord would strategically place us in the city and He chose to put us one street over from the Tucker's.

-It's less than a mile from Hyde Park Village. This will be the place of greatest impact for me (Jackey) in the community because of all of the mom's that gather here on a daily basis.

-It's already childproof. The family that owns it has a three year old, so they are reinstalling all of the gates to make sure it is safe for Abigail.

-It's strategic. Our neighbors will be two young professionals, a young family and three college students. What a great jump start on relationship building in three totally different demographics of the community. Not to mention it is centrally located to downtown and University of Tampa.

Fun in Memphis.

2009-03-10T07:09:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Memphis. We really enjoyed the time with Nana and Granddaddy (Justin's mom and dad), Mimi and Papaw (my parents), Great Nana (my grandmother), Aunt Paula, and our dear friends, April, Jayden, Katie, Daniel, Aubrey and Sloan. Thanks everyone.

I also wanted to give everyone the link to North Wake's website if you would like to hear Justin's sermon from Sunday. http://www.northwake.com/media-center

The World's Worst Blogger.

2009-03-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

I was told by an old co-worker of mine that although I am not the world's worst blogger (that title has already been claimed by her daughter), I am definately at the top of the list. Well, admitantly I am not your good old trusty blogger, but I do aim to do better. But, if I am honest, I get overwhelmed by the task of outlining all that has taken place in the last three months. So, I have decided if I ever want to begin blogging again I have to start somewhere. Well, today is somewhere.

Currently, Abigail and I are in Memphis spending time with family and friends. It is my assumption that this may be the last time we visit before we move to Tampa in May, so I had several people I really wanted to see - namely two very close friends: April and her new baby, Jayden and Katie and her new baby, Sloan. We also wanted to have some time with family, which never seems to be long enough.

While we are away, Justin is preparing for a sermon that he will preach at North Wake tomorrow morning. Our pastor has done an amazing job at not only shepharding Justin over the past four years, but also mentoring him. On several occasions, Larry has provided Justin the oppertunity to preach and teach the word, and then walk through with him ways that he can better divide and communicate the Word. It has been invaluable preparation for our future.

Abigail has grown so fast. I am amazed at her developing personality and independence. She really is a little girl now. She is so articulate, and willing to learn more words everyday. She is very maternal - her babies and her books are her favorite things to play with (Oh, except ELMO). She is still a mama's girl, but loves her daddy. And, she is all girl, but won't wear a hairbow for longer than a minute. Right now her favorite expression is to open her mouth with surprise at almost everything you say. We are in the thick of "training" and discipline, and there are times that as soon as she has done a "no no" she runs straight over to Justin or I to give us a big hug and kiss before we can repremand her. One of the cutest things she loves to do right now is pray. She pray's for her babies when they eat their "snack" and we often pray several times at a meal. When she pray's she says, "God good, amen." We hope this will be the one of the ways her little heart is softened by the holy spirit and the Lord draws her to Himself.

In ten days, Justin, Abigail and I are headed to Tampa to look for housing. This is a very exciting time for us as a family and as a church planting team. I cannot express our gratitude for Drew and Jessi. God has been so gracious to us over the past year, and one of the most tangable ways is our friendship and partnership with the Tucker's. There is more to share than I can possibly write. But, all I can say is that God has overwhelmed us with His love, His patience, His election, His sanctification, His calling, His timing, His people, and His provision. Praise be to God!

We love you all and thank you for your faithfulness to check up on us even when we are still waiting on Elmo for Christmas. Oh, and pictures will be soon to follow.

All I want for Christmas is Elmo.

2008-11-16T19:14:00.000-08:00

Abigail loves to be outside. Here are a couple of pictures taken on one of the many cool, crisp North Carolina fall days. She is reaching for the flowers on the other side of the rail. She loves to pick them and make a sniffing noise.

Here she is pushing the walker she never used. In fact, as Justin was putting it together for her, she toddled across the room for the first time to help him. The irony of parenthood.

Her expression here is so funny. This is my "I want mama" face.

The following is Abigails first time looking through the Target toy book. She loves Elmo. She has one Elmo book, but other than that I have no idea why she is so crazy about Elmo. But, as the video will show, all she wants for Christmas is Elmo.

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Fall 2008

2008-10-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

Yet another belated post. There is alot to update, so here we go.

Tampa:
Yes, we are headed to Tampa. After years of asking the Lord to "send us" we now know that He is sending us to Tampa, FL. There are so many ways that the Lord made this overwhelmingly clear, but here are just a few. UNITY. We prayed that the Lord would unify our hearts with Drew and Jessi (the couple we will be churh planting with) about where we would go. Originally we were looking up north and they were looking out west, so we knew it would TOTALLY be the Lord to unify us on a city. Well, He faithfully did that with Tampa. We all left our trip in August with an enthusiasim about the city and a longing to do ministry there. CHARACTERISTICS. Based on the type of church we wanted to plant, we asked the Lord to help us make a list of characteristics we would want the city we planted in to have. Some of those characteristics are diversity, growth, education, and need. Tampa met all of these. NEED. I reitterate this because this was a biggy for all of us. There is a huge need for churches in Tampa. In the "city" of Tampa, there are over 400,000 people and no like-minded churches. There is also a great oppertunity for Justin and Drew to start a church planting network for future church planters to have help and guidence as they begin a new work in the area. (Most large cities already have a network of church planters for new pastors to help with the start of their ministry. Tampa is the only one that we were praying about that didn't.)

Abigail:
Abigail is no longer my baby girl - she is my little girl! She is walking. She is talking. It totally blows my mind. She has about 20-25 "words" that she uses regularly. When I say words I don't mean fully constructed words. Some of them are partial, but many are fully annuciated. Some of my favorites are "Annie" (her Raggedy Ann doll), "Sasha" (our landlord's dog), "egg" (which comes out "gee"), "Yeah!", "NO!", "cracker" and "oatmeal." She is walking all over the place. In fact, we are almost running at this point. She favorite thing to do is to go see the dogs. She wakes up some mornings asking for "Sasha." She has a precious sense of humor. Like her daddy, she can be quite the show off. She is so much fun these days.

Justin & I:
Justin just finished a crazy week of finishing our support letters and preparation for preaching today at our church. (If you would like to listen to the sermon, you can go to http://www.northwake.com/) He was a faithful servant today. It was so great for me to see him use the gifts that the Lord has so graciously given him. Other than that we are just preparing in so many ways to move to Tampa in the early summer. With that in mind, I have been soaking up every moment of the beautiful fall weather we have had lately. We just returned from a week in the NC mountains. We were blessed with the oppertunity to go while the fall foliage was at it's peak - it was BEAUTIFUL! You can't help but stand in awe of our magnificent Creator when you look out over a mountainous landscape of red, orange, brown and green. We had a blast.

Finally, here are a few of the tons of pictures I had to choose from over the past couple of months. ENJOY!

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Our latest family photos.

2008-09-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

We're back.

2008-08-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

We are back in the blogging world. But, get ready – this is going to be a long one.

A lot has happened in the last month and a half since my last post. First, we took our annual vacation to Destin, FL. It was Abigail’s first time at the beach. It was so fun to watch her take it all in. She was a little hesitant at first, but eventually she had a blast playing in the sand and floating in the water. Because my dad recently started a new job, he was unable to come with us. With my dad not there and the addition of Abigail, our trip looked very different – we still had a great time with my mom. Abigail got some great Mimi time, and a cute little tan line. Every year we leave counting the days until our next trip to Destin, and this year was no different.

Second, Abigail turned one! That’s right our baby is now a little girl. Wow, how time flies. We had the privilege of hosting Justin’s mom, dad and grandmother – they came from Tennessee to enjoy the festivities. To be honest, I don’t know if we would have pulled it off without them. They were a tremendous help with Abigail while Justin and I prepared for the party. Abigail was a little timid the day of the party. She has a tendency to be shy around big crowds and new people. But, she eventually warmed up. I think the balloons were her favorite part of the whole day. She was less than enthusiastic opening her gifts. She had a small loot, so I would imagine she was overwhelmed. And, as for the cake, she went face first. Yes, that’s right. She didn’t use her hands, she just face planted into the icing over and over. When we showed her that she could use her hands, she didn’t like the sticky icing. Shortly after that she was finished with it. It made for a good laugh at least, and lots of good pictures. Oh, and to top off the day, Abigail had the rare opportunity to be serenaded by our landlord, Indrek, with his rendition of “Happy Birthday” using his nose horn.

The day after Justin’s family returned to Tennessee, Abigail and I started the day with our usual morning walk while Justin slept in. A day that started so routinely quickly changed to after a frightening phone call notifying us that my dad had been in a serious car accident. That is one of those phone calls that you always fear. It was especially hard being twelve hours away and having to wait on a phone call to hear the latest update. But, the Lord was faithful to comfort me with His presence. We arrived in Memphis early Thursday morning to see my dad for the first time. It was so hard to see the strongest man I know lying there is tremendous pain. I was thankful that despite the ventilator, he acknowledged my presence my mouthing “I love you.” Even recalling the moment I saw him for the first time, it has been amazing to watch the Lord heal his body. Here is an email that I sent from Memphis a couple days into my dad’s recovery.

I want to begin by thanking each one of you for your thoughts and prayers for my family. The Lord has been so gracious to us through His people during this difficult time. Words will never be enough to express my gratitude.

As most of you know, my dad was involved in a serious car accident last Wednesday. He was traveling to work when a car came across the median going more than 70 miles per hour and hit him on the drivers side. The first few hours after the accident were really touch and go. He had a bruised heart, so they had to shock him three times at the scene. The impact broke his shoulder, cracked his rib-cage, broke a rib, punctured his lungs, and severely damaged his spleen and kidney. It truly is the Lord's mercy that sustained his life. Over the past six days, my family and I have watched as the Lord has answered one prayer after another. Here are a few ways the Lord has humbled us by hearing the prayers of His saints:

1. The Lord protected the life of my dad and the girl in the other vehicle.

2. Despite every doctor and nurse saying that my dad's kidney was shattered and needed to be removed, the Lord allowed the kidney to continue functioning and stopped the internal bleeding without having to remove it.

3. The Lord provided a place for Justin, Abigail and I to stay 3 miles from the hospital. Our friends, Daniel and Katie Banks, opened there home to us and offered to watch Abigail so that we could make every visitation. Even better - they have a little girl two months older than Abigail. Praise the Lord for great friends that are willing to drop everything to love us with their hospitality and service.

4. The Lord provided the money to cover the cost of Justin and I's rental car through our church here in Memphis.

5. The Lord has healed my dad's body so quickly that it has not only amazed my family, but also the doctor's and nurses.

6. The Lord has been faithful to surround us with His presence and provided us with His peace.

I have clung to the Lord through prayer in a way that I have never done before in my life. By God's grace, through it all my heart has resonated with the hymn writer Thomas Chisholm.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not: As thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see: All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth. Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Amazingly, my dad was moved to a regular patient room tonight. He is tired and sore, but thankful and hopeful. Again, we appreciate all of your love and support.

Since that email there have been even more reasons to praise the Lord! Here are a few.
- My dad was moved from the Trauma unit less than a week after his accident. Much sooner that the doctor’s and nurses expected. Additionally, he was able to go home only a few days later. Originally the doctor’s said that the soonest he would be able to go home would be two weeks after the accident. Due to his progress, my dad was able to go home a week and a half after the accident.
- The Lord has made Himself known to me and my family in a new way.
- The faithfulness of the body of Christ to weep when we wept and to rejoice when we rejoiced.
- The faithfulness of the body of Christ to pray. The Lord is faithful to hear the prayers of His saints – we have seen the prayers of His people answered in the life of my dad.
- Because of the Lords provision, Justin, Abigail and I were able to spend a week in Memphis while my dad recovered in the hospital.

The Lord has been so good. This has been yet another reminder of the frailty of life. Each day is truly a gift from God – not to be taken for granted. We are so grateful for my dad’s recovery. But, we know that saving my dad’s life two weeks ago isn’t the greatest thing that He has ever done for him. The greatest thing he has ever done for him was bear his sin on the cross over 2000 years ago. My praise to the Lord would be lacking if I didn’t lift my hands in worship for the sacrifice He made that saves us from the wrath of God and gives us eternal life. What a magnificent God we serve!

Finally, we leave in a week for Tampa, FL. We would covet your prayers. We are asking that the Lord would unify our hearts about whether or not this would be the place we would plant His church, use this trip to burden our hearts for the city of Tampa, give us clear direction about which community in Tampa we would become a part of and begin our ministry, and that we would make great connections with fellow churches in the area. Be looking for an update soon.

Abigail.

2008-06-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

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Abigail is almost a year old. I can't believe it! Here are some of the latest pictures of our precious little girl.

The Seminary Graduate.

2008-06-19T17:42:00.001-07:00

This blog is long overdue. I apologize. As many of you know, Justin is now a seminary graduate. Most of you would agree that this is an outstanding accomplishment, but as his wife, I have seen the countless hours of reading, writing and studying that has brought this day to fruition. To say that I am proud is an understatement. In addition to graduating, Justin was selected to receive an award. He was given the Gary Galeoti award for Spiritual Leadership. This award is given to a senior who has excelled as both a student and a leader. I know that this was a humbling honor for Justin to receive, but one that I would say is well deserved.

Seminary has been a very sweet and fruitful season. It has been amazing to watch the Lord rekindle Justin's love for learning. He started seminary almost four years after graduating from Union. At the time, I know he felt anxious and inadequate. With a degree in hand, I think he would say he feels the same way as we look towards our future ministry. However, the Lord has been gracious to give Justin the perseverance and discipline required to complete seminary. We know He will be faithful to do the same as we anticipate all that awaits us from here.

Justin receiving his award from Dr. Nelson the Vice President of Southeastern.

My mom and dad flew in for the occasion. Justin's parents weren't able to come because his youngest sister, Stephanie, graduated from high school the day before. Yes, that makes Justin her OLD(er) brother. Congrats Steph!

My Nana was here to celebrate Justin's accomplishment too!

Many of you have heard about Drew and Jessi, the couple we will be church planting with in the next year. Well, here they are! Drew graduated the same day that Justin did with his Master of Arts in Ethics. Congrats Drew! We love you guys.

Enjoy...

2008-05-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

Family & Fun

2008-04-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

This week Abigail and I are in Memphis visiting family and friends while Justin is in Philly for a class. Here are a few pictures from our trip so far. Abigail with Granddaddy. Justin's dad, grandmother and her husband, Tommy came to visit on Tuesday.
Abigail, Granddaddy, Great Grandmother, and Great Tommy.
Abigail and Nana. Justin's mom and sister, Stephanie, came to visit on Wednesday.
Abigail and Aunt Stephanie.
Abigail has been grinding her teeth. Now, she makes the funniest face when she smiles.

The latest.

2008-03-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

Great news - we are on the mend at the Perry's house. For the first time in three weeks, we are all well. Abigail is feeling much better. Last week's cold is now a faint memory. She got her third tooth this week, and is working on a fourth. I must admit she is a trooper. I have heard horror stories about teething, and thus far it has been fairly uneventful. She is so curious these days. So much so that it is difficult to get her to eat or sleep for very long. There is WAY too much to see and do. But, she is also a lot of fun. She loves to smile and laugh. On Friday, we all went to the Raleigh farmer's market to get some fresh, locally grown produce. It was beautiful outside, so we all got out our short sleeves and sandals. (We could all use a little sun.) These are a few of the pictures we got of Abigail in our front yard before we left.

Abigail loves hats - can you tell? Justin has six weeks of class left in the semester. I can't believe that in six weeks he will be finished with seminary. It really has gone by so fast. We are still in the midst of praying about what the future holds after seminary. The Lord is really challenging our hearts with the question, "Will you really go anywhere I ask?" We would covet your prayers in this area. We want to unreservedly say, "YES." But, if we are honest there are places we have deemed either "too far" or "not far enough." Justin will be taking a trip over Spring Break to visit a city, and shadow a church planter. Right now, it looks like he is headed to Philidelphia. While Justin is gone, Abigail and I are going to Tennessee to visit family and friends. Here are a few shots of Justin and Abigail that I love.

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

He is risen. He is risen indeed! This is the great news we were greeted with this morning at North Wake's Easter worship service. And what great news it is. Today we celebrated Abigail's first Easter. I look forward to when Abigail is old enough to explain what is so amazing about the Easter holiday. But, this year, she knew something was different because she had a pretty new dress to wear to North Wake. (By the way, who instituted the "Easter Dress?") Because Justin had to work, we rushed home to have lunch and get a quick afternoon nap before he had to leave. Abigail and I spent the rest of the day with a dear friend, Jessi Tucker. I must admit, holidays make me a little homesick. But, it was so wonderful to spend Easter with a with our local church, my wonderful husband, our precious little girl, and a great friend. Here are a few pictures from the day.

This week...

2008-03-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

This week couldn't have looked more different than we expected. Justin is out of school on Easter break, and we had a list of family activites that we wanted to do each day. Tuesday night Abigail got the sniffles, and by Wednesday morning it was a full-fledged cold. (It amazes me how quickly little ones get sick.) By Thursday afternoon, Abigail had a temperature of 102 degrees. After a trip to the doctor, we discovered that she has an ear infection in her left ear. She has been the most miserable I have ever seen her. But, the good news is, she is on the mend. On the other hand, the bad news is we have been on quarentine all week, and didn't get to do one of the things on our list. "Plan B" has been to watch the NCAA basketball tournament. Justin wasn't too disappointed with "plan B." So, in the spirit of March Madness, we all filled out tournament brackets. Yes, even Abigail filled out a bracket. We gave her two toys to choose from, one representing the higher ranked team and the other representing the lower ranked team. Apparently she likes to root for the underdog. In the process of filling out her bracket, we came to the conclusion that Abigail just might be left handed. The winner of the bracket contest wins a new DVD. Let's hope I take the prize. I can only handle so many sports drama's and war movies.
Despite the cold, we have been trying to teach Abigail to wave and clap. The following video is the results of our efforts. (We could be in trouble is this is the outcome of our parenting.)

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Abigail's First Tooth.

2008-03-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

Abigail has gotten her first tooth. Unlike most babies, her first tooth came in on the top. Here are a few pictures taken to capture the first of Abigail's pearly whites.

A day in the life of Abigail.

2008-03-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

Well...we have been in a blogger's delimma. At the end of January our camera died on us. It is hard enough to be cameraless as parents, but even harder when your a blogging parent. So, after much research, and the Lord's faithful provision for even the "wants" in our life, we have a new camera. I will save the long update for later. I wanted to at least post some of the pictures I took of Abigail today. She melts my heart!

Saying goodbye to a friend.

2008-02-11T17:31:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Amber, Ellie and Isaac.

The past two weeks have been full reflection. For those who are not aware, I lost a dear friend, Amber Mathenia, in a car accident at the end of January. She was twenty-eight years old, a wife, and a mother of two. She and her husband, Anthony, were missionaries in Ethiopia and were in the states on furlow until the adoption of their second child, Isaac, was complete. It seemed that she and Anthony were starting a new season of life together with the addition of Isaac, and yet the Lord had different plans. It has been a startling reminder of the futility of life, and the urgency of the gospel. Amber was a passionate follower of Christ. There was never a time when we were together that she didn't challenge me to treasure Christ more and pursue Him with my whole heart. She loved others very well - she loved me very well. She loved me with the truth. She was always willing to encourage me in the areas of weakness in my life with a passage of scripture or a great book. As a result, I have a collection of books that mark the various seasons of my walk with the Lord. The last time that I spent a significant amount of time with Amber was a few years ago when she and April came to visit Justin and I in North Carolina. She found out that I was going through a difficult time, and insisted that she and April come to encourage me. We spent the weekend catching up, shopping, eating, sharing recipes, etc. But, mingled in it all were sweet conversations about the Lord. It was such a refreshment to my soul. Now she is face to face with Christ, whom she loved and we spoke of so often. It is still so hard to fathom. I rejoice and mourn at the same time. I am so grateful to all who have prayed for Amber's family. They are like my family. I can't imagine the loss they must feel.

Better late than never.

2008-01-31T09:59:00.001-08:00

Thought we would share some of the captured moments of Abigail's first Christmas.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2008-01-14T17:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn’t make good on my promise. It has been almost a month since I have posted an update. I have a lot of good excuses, but I won’t go to the trouble of listing them. I pray that you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This Christmas was unique for Justin and I in a lot of ways. For starters, it was Abigail’s first Christmas. As followers of Christ, Christmas is such a special holiday for us. We were so excited to share it with our little girl. Even though she is too young to understand, we still took every opportunity to explain to Abigail what Christmas is about and why we celebrate it the way we do. On Christmas Day, she indulged us by pulling the wrapping paper to help us “unwrap” her gifts. (I think she was more interested in the wrapping paper and bows than she was the gift. But, whatever brings her joy, right.) She didn’t partake of the traditional turkey and dressing with the rest of us, but she did enjoy a bowl of rice cereal. (It’s tough being a baby, isn’t it?) By the end of the day, she was exhausted. But, oh what fun we had. Secondly, Justin, Abigail and I celebrated our first Christmas in North Carolina. Typically, we travel to Tennessee for the holidays, but Justin was unable to get off work. As a result, my parents came to North Carolina to spend Christmas with us. We enjoyed all of our usual holiday traditions in a slightly smaller space. Christmas morning began with coffee and cinnamon rolls. Next, we opened gifts. And finally, we shared a delicious Christmas dinner. In the past, we would end the day with a trip to the movie theatre to catch the latest flick. Obviously that didn’t happen this year. Could you imagine a five month old at the movies after a day full of wrapping paper, bows and toys? To share in the festivities, my Nana joined us for the afternoon, and our landlords, Indrek and Barbara stopped by for dessert. It was a day filled with family and friends as we celebrated the birth of our Savior.

On New Years Eve Justin, Abigail and I left for a tour of West Tennessee. In 11 days we visited Asheville, NC, Crocket Mills, Eads, Jackson and Knoxville, TN. I am tired just thinking about it. It was a whirlwind, but so worth it. We were able to see all of our immediate family, almost all of our extended family, our pastor (Bro. Danny) and our friends Daniel and Katie Banks. Now we are back and settling back into everyday life.

What new with us? Well…

As I mentioned before, Abigail has started eating solid food. It’s not really “solid” if you ask me. Her cereal pours right off of the spoon. But, she loves it! She found her feet, and they are her new best friends. When given the opportunity, she proudly shows them off. With her new found foot fetish, she is now sitting up. Well, almost sitting up. In effort to reach her feet she figured out how to brace herself in a sitting position. I say “almost” because if she leans a little too far in any direction…down she goes. She has also learned to say “dada.” It comes out sounding more like “dadadadadadadadada,” but to us it’s all the same. Her growth continues to amaze us. The last time we checked (which was about three weeks ago) she was 19.2 pounds and 28 ¼ inches long. Praise the Lord!

Justin will start is final semester of seminary at the end of January. Until then, he is enjoying some much needed down time.

I am trying to get the house back in order after being gone for two weeks while also trying to get Abigail back in a routine.

Happy Thanksgiving.

2007-12-04T09:34:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Okay, so we're a little late. In fact, I should go ahead and wish you a Merry Christmas - but, better late than never, right? Justin, Abigail and I took our traditional trip to Gatlinburg, TN for Thanksgiving. This tradition started three years ago after my parents made the trek from Memphis to celebrate our first Thanksgiving with us in Wake Forest. After more than 24 hours in the car for a short 3-4 day visit they vowed to never do that again. So, we decided to meet half-way in Gatlinburg, TN. The first year we brought all of the ingredients needed to make a traditional, home-made Thanksgiving dinner. Needless to say, we haven't done it since. It took three or four trips to Wal-Mart, including one on Thanksgiving Day, to get everything we needed. And then... the cabin didn't have a microwave, so we had to heat the leftovers in the stove. Yuck! Since then, Thanksgiving dinner has been at the Apple Barn. It is a farmhouse restaurant that serves their meals family style. Although it pales in comparison to my mom's homemade turkey and dressing, they do serve a delicious Thanksgiving meal. Not to mention there is no clean up. Last year, while we were in Gatlinburg, Justin and I were able to surprise my parents with the news that they were going to be grandparents. This year, of course, we had the joy of celebrating Abigail's first Thanksgiving. As we went around the table and shared what we were thankful for, Abigail made everyone's list. It's amazing how such a little person can bring so much joy to the lives of those around her. We also shared that we were thankful for the gift of family and friends and the privilege of being children of God. What a blessing it is to have the promise of eternal life through the blood of Jesus Christ, but also to have abundant life filled with family and friends that love us and support us. Praise the Lord for His countless blessings. This year, Justin's family was able to join us on Friday. It was so much fun to watch Abigail enjoy time with our families. She just laughed and laughed at my mom. I am posting a video of her laughing, squealing and snorting at Justin and her Mimi. It is too cute! While we were there, Abigail learned to laugh "like a big girl", reach and grab and last but not least, she learned how to catch a cold. A few days before we left for Tennessee she had the sniffles, but by the time we got home it had turned into a full fledged cold. It was pitiful. After a few days of congestion and coughing, we went to the doctor and found out it turned into an ear infection. As a result, Abigail and I were on quarantine for about a week. The bad news is, even after 10 days of antibiotics, we are back in the same boat two weeks later. The Monday after Thanksgiving, I was at home taking care of Abigail when I get a phone call from Justin. Rarely do I hear from him at work, so I thought it was a little out of the ordinary to be getting a phone call from him. When I asked him how his night had been he replied, "I got hurt." He fell while loading crates onto his dolly and bit through his bottom lip. Thankfully the cut wasn't large enough to need stitches. He just had to wear a butterfly stitch for a couple of days and he was fine. Justin just finished the fall semester, and I am proud to say that despite being a full-time worker, dad and husband he did very well in school. Only one semester left and he will be a seminary graduate. WOW! So, that is the latest with the Perry's. I apologize for the long post. I will try to keep the blog updated more regularly so you don't get a book next time.

The latest.

2007-11-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

This is a picture that was taken at our friends Hugh & Hollie Carson's house. It appeared on their blog recently, but it was so good I wanted to share it with all of you. Hugh works at Wal-Mart with Justin, so Hollie and I get together on Monday nights. She and Hugh have a little girl Laney. I can't wait for Abigail to be mobile so that she and Laney can be playmates. Right now that are just really interested in each other.

Abigail and daddy love to watch Sunday afternoon football before Justin leaves for work. This girl is already a fan. Now we just have to teach her to say "Go Vols."

Jen Grady, a friend of mine and my replacement at in the Admissions office, made Abigail several hair bows as a baby gift. Since Abigail doesn't have any hair, we had to come up with another idea - a headband. Abigail decided to model it for us. HOW CUTE!

There are two toys that Abigail has taken to, a pink snuggle blanket and this pink baby doll. She was cuddling with her on the changing table and we just had to get a picture.

So sweet!

We didn't dress Abigail up for Halloween, but wanted her to wear this cute outfit. However, when I put it on her the pants were way too short for her. I had to take at least one picture of her in it. She matches her room decor.

I feel like it has been a while since I have posted an update, so I am not sure where to begin.

Abigail continues to amaze us each day as she grows and develops. She is such a big girl in more ways than one. We went to the doctor last week, and she is approaching 17 pounds - what a big girl! (By the way, she isn't even 4 months old. WOW!) She is getting so strong. She loves to sit up. She can sit on her own, but just for a moment. However, give her your fingers to hold on to and she will sit for ten minutes. She is so curious. She loves to look around. She will lean forward in the car seat and in the stroller to see what is passing by. She also loves to find Justin when he calls her name from across the room. Her eyes get really big and she will turn her head to find him. We love to make her laugh. I will give her lots of kisses on her neck and she will laugh until she has the hiccups. Justin will do anything, and I do mean anything, to get her to laugh. It is so fun to watch the two of them together. He loves her so much! We just graduated her into size 3 diapers, size 6-9 month clothes, and size 2 shoes. She is certainly a daddy's girl. I can't believe she is almost 4 months old! What a joy the last 4 months have been.

Justin has enjoyed the last couple of weeks with minimal responsibility at school. It has been great to get to spend the evenings with him. It has also provided the oppertunity to catch up with some friends. We are still pursuing church planting oppertunties. Please pray for us in this regard. The options seem endless. But, we know that direction will come in the Lord's timing. Right now we are looking forward to the end of the semester and time to visit family and friends in Tennessee. I know Justin is looking forward to a break from work and school. Speaking of work, he has done so well. He earned his first bonus for efficiency at work. I am so thankful for a husband that is willing to do whatever it takes to provide for his family.

This weekend was Mistletoe Market, the craft show that Tara (my former co-worker) and I were making wreaths for. We had a great time, but were a little disappointed in the turnout. We are planning to participate in the seminary craft show the first weekend in December to hopefully sell all of the wreaths that we made. I am including a couple of pictures of the wreaths that we made to give you an idea of what I have been up to.

Say Cheese...

2007-10-28T19:12:00.001-07:00

We took Abigail to have a professional portrait taken on Friday. We think that she is an extremely photogenic baby just from the pictures we have taken ourselves. Well, it was only confirmed on Friday that she is a sucker for the camera. The photographer bragged about her big, beautiful smiles. She also loved the pictures so much she ordered a copy for the studio. I think Abigail could be following in her mom and dad's footsteps - the next Little Miss Tennessee. (Can you say proud parent?)

Abigail will be fifteen weeks old this Wednesday. I can't believe it. In addition, she now weighs over 16 pounds and is at least 25 inches long (if not longer). She continues to amaze us as she learns and develops more each day. She is now "gooing" all day - especially in the car. She will "talk" to us the entire time. What can you say, "she is all girl!"

You have all heard about the precious smiles that Abigail gives us that just melt our hearts. Well, now you get to see what all of the fuss is about.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

An update on Justin.

He just finished his last big project for the semester. I know he is thankful this semester is coming to an end. While it has continued to be such a blessing to be in seminary, I can tell he is exhausted from wearing so many hats. I have to brag on him - dispite all of the respondsibility that he has taken on, he is still doing well at being a student, a worker, a dad and a husband. I am so thankful to have such an amazing husband.

An update on Jackey.

Tara and I are still working hard to finish all of our wreaths for the big craft fair the second weekend in November. I can't tell you how different it looks compared to last year. Tara was pregnant with Eden and we didn't even know Abigail was on the way. In fact, the joke was if Justin and I found out that we were pregnant during the month of November (which was not our plan) then we knew the Lord had plans for us to start a wreath making business. Well, one year later and were at it again. Our business name is "First Impressions." We pray that all of our effort won't be in vain, and that our wreaths are just as big of hit this year as they were last year. We are making 50 wreaths. Please pray that we sell out!

The sweetest sound...

2007-10-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

Milestones.

2007-10-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

No, your not crazy. This is the second post in two days. This week has been a week of milestones, and I was so excited that I couldn't wait until next week to post pictures of them all...

Abigail is now holding her head up! She and Justin had a lot of fun during tummy time the other day, and she pulled her little head right up!

This was Abigail's first attempt to sit in her Bumbo seat, and she did it! In fact, she really likes to sit up like a big girl and look around.

Fall has arrived. As many of you know, fall is my favorite time of year, and how could it not be when your little girl looks this cute in a hat!

Abigail loves to sit in our laps. She is no longer content to look at the back of the couch. As a result, she has discovered the television. I caught she and Justin watching a little football.

Abigail and I get the joy of waking Justin up in the morning. As you can see, Abigail is dressed and ready for church and Justin still has bed head.

Our first family vacation.

2007-10-16T07:08:00.001-07:00

Justin, Abigail and I just took our first family vacation to Williamsburg, VA. I must admit that I was a little nervous. You just never know what to expect with a little one. But, we had such a great time. Justin and I had to stop and laugh on several occasions at how different it is to travel with a baby. Our 3 hour road trip was more like four, and Justin has let go of his expectation of going as far as we can without a bathroom break. I think we could have made it around Colonial Williamsburg three times in the time it took us to see it once with Abigail. However, we wouldn’t have traded the experience of all three of us being together for anything. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Abigail surprised us on Tuesday by saying “ahh-goo.” Although not a “real” word, we were so excited. Justin was playing with her on her activity mat saying “ahh-goo, ahh-goo” and suddenly she replied “ahh-goo.” I wish you could have seen the look on our faces. Oh, the simple joy’s of being parents.

You would never know by her sweet smile, but Abigail has been behind bars.

A family shot outside of the Colonial Williamsburg Post Office and Printing Press.

A picture of Abigail taking a break from the stroller. This was one of many stops that we made along the way.

A picture of Justin behind the pulpit at the Presbyterian Meetinghouse.

A few additional shots of us: the three of us in the Govener's Palace Garden, Abigail and I with a street vendor, and Abigail and Dad having some hangout time.

Another trip to the pediatrician.

2007-10-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of Abigail on her activity mat. She loves the bug that is hanging down from the top of the picture. She really wants to talk to it. Lately, she will open her eyes really big, take a deep breath, open her mouth and stick out her tongue all in effort to talk to her bug, but nothing comes out.

We have started a nightly routine with Abigail. After she eats, we give her a bath, clean and ointment her neck, give her her medicine, read her a book and put her to bed. This is a picture of her right out of the bath in one of her hooded towels. She loves her baths.

Well...it's official - Abigail wins Wake Forest Pediatrics award for "best attendance." After almost a week of poor feedings and two days of fussiness, we went back to the pediatrician today. This time the diagnosis is that Abigail has "thrush." Here is a little of information about thrush for those of you, like me, that have never heard of it before.

What is thrush?
Thrush is a yeast infection that causes white patches in the mouth and on the tongue. Thrush is most common in babies and older adults, but it can occur at any age.

What causes thrush?
You get thrush when a yeast called candida, normally found on the body, grows out of control. In babies, candida causes thrush because babies' immune systems are not yet strong enough to control the growth of the yeast. Some people get thrush when they take certain medicines, such as

antibiotics.

I suspected thrush when we went to her two month check-up because it is common in babies who have been on antibiotics. But, the doctor said that it assumed it had to be reflux because Abigail didn't have the white patches in her mouth as mentioned above. However, when the symptoms returned last week while Abigail was still taking Zantac I knew that it had to be something else. I am still amazed at the discernment the Lord has given me as a mom. We haven't completely ruled out reflux. But...they are treating Abigail and I for thrush and hopefully the symptoms will subside for good. Please pray that the Lord will heal our precious little girl and restore her health completely. I praise the Lord for the doctor that we saw today, Dr. White. I have been told by several other mom's, namely Stephanie Lyon, what a great doctor she was. Well...I officially second that. She was very thorough, and down to earth. She probably asked 20 questions before starting her exam. And, she was patient to answer all of my questions (as a new mom you can imagine the list). Before I left, she gave me her pager number in case I needed her for anything or if anything changed. What a blessing!

As for Justin and I, we are looking forward to fall break. Justin has spent much of his free time preparing for the sermon tomorrow. I can't wait to just hang out with my husband all week. By the way, if you would like to get on and listen to the sermon, go to http://www.northwake.com/ and you can download tomorrow's service. Tara Jones, my former co-worker, and I will be spending the next several weeks making wreaths in preparation for a craft show in Wake Forest. She and I always seem to come up with "little projects" that become "big projects" when it is all said and done. This all started last year after we both made our wreath's for fall and were discussing how much fun we had at work one day. A year later we are making close to 50 wreath's and planning to do one of the largest craft shows in the area. We may be in over our heads.

Lastly, I want to wish my father-in-law, Charles, a happy birthday!

Surprise Visit...

2007-09-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

Abigail's visit with

Grandmother & Tommy

As you can see, we had a surprise visit from Justin's Grandmother and her husband Tommy. They were on vacation in South Carolina and called us late Thursday night to see if they could stop in on Friday. We were so glad to see them! Plus, Abigail was able to meet her Great-Grandmother and her Great-Tommy for the first time. Although the visit wore her out (she slept most of the time), she woke up just in time to get some great pictures and see them off.

All the faces of Abigail

Abigail is starting to interact with us more and more each day. Not to mention, she is becoming more fond of the camera. How many cute faces can a two and a half month old have? This week the weather has been so beautiful. Justin and I took Abigail to a park not far from our house to stroll on Thursday afternoon. I think it is going to be a regular spot for us. Justin has been quite busy with school and work, but next week is fall break. So...we are off to Williamsburg, VA. Our dear friends, Nathan and Andi, have talked about Williamsburg so much that we finally decided we had to go and see what the fuss is all about. It will be a great opportunity for us to get away, and for Justin to relax. Matt and Sarah Roger's, a couple from our small group that has moved to South Carolina, were in town this weekend. We had a reunion, of sorts, for them on Friday night so that we could all catch up. It was so good to see them. It has been difficult to watch so many of our friends graduate and leave Wake Forest. I can't believe that Justin and I will be crossing that bridge in a couple of months after he graduates in May. It's hard to believe that we have been here for three years. What a sweet season it has been. To all of the faithful Wake Forest readers - you guys are truly a blessing to Justin and I. Thanks for being our "home away from home." Justin is playing his last season of intermural football. Their team is undefeated. Abigail and I get to spend our Saturday mornings cheering on "dad" in the family cheering section. (Although, this past Saturday she was dressed in the opposing teams colors.) The cheering section used to be wives only, but just since last fall we have added four new fans - Abigail, Emma Claire, Leah and Boone. (There are three more on the way! There has to be something in the water.) Lastly, Justin will be preaching at our church this Sunday. I know he would covet your prayers over the next few days as he prepares. We will share a link to the church's website in our next post if you would like to get on and listen. We love you guys and miss you all.

Two reasons to celebrate.

2007-09-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

This week has been an eventful week. Tuesday Abigail turned two months old, and Justin and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary. Over the past few days, I have reflected on two of the most important days of my life and my immediate response is, "What a gracious God. He has not only given me the gift of eternal life, but He has also blessed me in ways I don't deserve." What a privilege it is to be a wife and a mother! I praise the Lord for Justin and Abigail, and the oppertunity I have to love and serve them daily. One of the ways we "celebrated" Abigail turning two months old was with yet another trip to the pediatrician. As I am sure you can all tell from the pictures, she is growing like a weed. They weighed and measured her at the doctor's office and she is now 13 pounds 11 ounces and almost 24 inches long. That puts her in the 95 percentile for her height and off the chart for her weight. To say the least, the doctor's are pleased with her growth. They also said that she is developing well. They want her to spend more time playing on her stomach so that she can learn to hold up the big head she inherited from her dad. But, other than that, they said that she is doing great developmentally. The only not so good news is she may have "reflux." Justin and I were shocked at the news because she is not a fussy baby, or a spitty baby. But, they said that all of the other symptoms are there. So...we are trying her on Zantac for a month to see if that makes any difference in her behavior. I am attaching some of the lastest pictures and working on a video. So... keep an eye out for that.

Lastly, Justin has spent the last few days at the Acts 29 Church Planting Boot Camp in Raleigh. It is an event that provides helpful information for individuals considering North American church planting. I think it has given him alot to think about and possibly some much needed direction about what the future holds for us in ministry. I know he is still processing all that he learned, so I will let him share more about it in a future post.

We love you all and miss you very much.

The update that you all have been waiting for...

2007-09-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Abigail is 8 weeks old! I don’t even know where to begin. Since the last post, Abigail has had an eventful few weeks. At five weeks old, we started to notice that she was not herself. After two trips to the pediatrician, we ended up in the ER. Come to find out she had a urinary tract infection. For a little one, any bacterial infection can be extremely serious. So, they decided to keep Abigail in the hospital for 48 hours to administer antibiotics and run additional tests. The hardest part for Justin and I was watching them place the IV. It took 13 attempts for them to place the IV, and the only vein in her body they could get it to tread was in her scalp. It was the most pitiful thing you have ever seen. However, we praise the Lord that all of the tests came back normal and we were able to make it home in time to celebrate Justin’s birthday. They put her on amoxicillin for 12 days, and we are happy to share that her body responded well to the antibiotics and she is now doing great! In fact, she has had several exciting “firsts” since we have come home from the hospital. Abigail is now 13.5 pounds and 24.5 inches long. As a result, she is already in 3 month clothes. Needless to say, she has her dad’s stature. She has become so much more alert. She has an array of facial expressions – our favorite it a smile that takes up her whole face. She also has a few noises that she shares with us on occasion. (However, she grunts and moans all of the time – even in her sleep.) Her favorite thing to do is play on her activity mat. She loves the lights and sounds. When we put her on it she will just kick her legs, swing her arms and grin. It has been so much fun to watch her personality develop. I think she is going to be laid back like her dad. There is rarely an occasion that she cries without reason. In fact, there have been several times that I will wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of her sucking her hand, rather than crying, to let me know that she is hungry. Last night was the first time she slept “through the night.” I am going to enjoy this stage. I can’t tell you the last time I got 7 hours of sleep. Justin has been working at Wal-Mart for 3 weeks now and is doing great! He is still adjusting to the schedule, but other than that I think he is going to like his job. It is the ideal job to have as a student – it allows him to continue to go to school full-time and still be at home with us almost all day on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We are praising the Lord for his provision! We thank all of you for your prayers and support. We will do better at posting updates. We love you all!

Justin and I have been amazed at the generosity that our friends and family have shown us during this season of life. We also have been overwhelmed at the thoughtfulness and generosity of those we have never met before - namely my mom's co-workers. These are picture's of Abigail on Sunday in one of the outfits we received from Linda, one of my mom's thoughtful co-workers.

High speed what?

2007-09-06T19:47:00.001-07:00

Ok, ok, ok....we are sorry for just now posting on our blog. Many of you have probably given up on this little blog, but do not lose heart-WE JUST GOT HIGH SPEED INTERNET! That being said, Jackey will be posting a lot more frequently with updates on Abigail. For now, enjoy some pics of her. These are not in any order so we hope this gives you a glimpse of God's grace in our lives. We love you all.

Update

2007-08-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

What an eventful last month we have had as a family! Abigail is one month old (as of Wednesday) and she is continuing her growth pace (75% in height and 70% in weight). Last night we weighed her (thanks to the scales from the Holloways) and she weighed 10 lbs and 9 ounces. We praise God for a healthy little girl! Over the past two weeks, Abigail has lost her umbilical cord, noticed her hands, pulled her hair, follows objects more, and recognizes & gazes at her mom and myself. It has been a great joy as well as a course in humility to love and care for one who is completely dependent on you for survival and well-being. We count it a blessing that God would grant us the opportunity to be parents. What a responsbility! Pray for us and with us that we would shepherd Abigail's heart to be a worshipper of God.
We have also ventured more places with her recently. Our first Wal-Mart trip (usually a minimum 2 hour affair for Jackey and I) with Abigail went great. At every whimper or movement, we were almost running down the aisle to get done quickly. She slept for most of that trip, that's right even through the fire alarm going off 3 times. I mean, who knew Wal-Mart had a fire alarm. She is loving our small group times on Thursday nights. We are thankful that she is being raised in the nurture of the local body of believers, and she confesses alot of sin during the women's accountability. Also, she experienced her first cookout this past week.
As for Jackey and I, we are continuing to adjust to this precious season of life. Classes have started for me. I'm praying that I learn how to excel in the many areas I am involved in without neglecting that which is most important (worship, husband, father, churchman, provider, student, etc). Jackey continues to amaze me with her selfless love and devotion to Abigail and myself. I thank God for my bride! She is learning to do things throughout the day as Abigail rests. In Matthew 20.20-28, Jesus is asked about greatness and prominence in His kingdom. He responds saying that greatness is found not in lording authority over another but when one serves another, as Jesus did in serving humanity by giving his life so we could be restored back to God. I have seen greatness day in and out as Jackey places Abigail and myself above herself. All to say...I have a great wife (really, in the biblical sense!). Pictures are coming soon. We are hoping to get high-speed internet at our house soon (anything must be faster than the hamster that is running our internet connection).
We love all of our family and friends and thank you for your support during this season. May God be honored in and through our family.

A growing little girl...

2007-08-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

We cannot believe it but two weeks have come and gone since the birth of Abigail. TWO WEEKS!!! How precious it has been for our family to spend so much time together, not to mention the incredible blessing of watching Abigail grow and develop. We had our two week pediatrician appointment yesterday only to discover that Abigail now weighs 8lbs 12ounces. That is correct, in 2 weeks she has gained 1lb and 2 ounces. The doctor says she is in the 75% for her height and 70% in weight. She will have the stature of her daddy it seems. Fortunately, she will have the beauty of her mother (AMEN). Here are a few pictures that we have taken over the past week or so. We hope these pictures allow you to follow her development with us. Again, we want to acknowledge that as great as the gift of this precious daughter is to us, the Giver of the gift is so much more glorious and worthy of our lives. We pray that as you witness the grace of God in our lives through Abigail that you would be drawn to this holy, majestic, and good God we serve. His death and resurrection for our sins give us a way to have a relationship with Him. He is seeking those who would lay down their lives to pursue a life of following Him. It is this life that we pray Abigail will come to experience. Enjoy the pictures....We love you all!

ABIGAIL IS HERE...amazing grace

2007-07-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

On July 18th 2007, God granted us the undeserved privilege of meeting the new addition to our family...Abigail Renee. She was born at 7:42 pm and weighed 7lbs 10ounces. She was 19.75 inches long (but looking at her father-esque feet (specifically toes) I would contend she is longer). We have attached some pictures of her out fresh out of the womb (those would be the pics with the scrunched up face), in the hopsital, and at home. So much to write about...the all-nighter before the delivery, labor and delivery, hospital stay, visits from friends and family, moments of joy as she explores her new world (not sure how far she sees, but she is exploring), moments of sadness as she cries and nothing we do seems to be helping, and the new level of appreciation and love I have for my bride. Obviously, I do not have the time to write all of this now, but in a nutshell I would like to briefly list several reasons of why I am extremely overwhelmed by the grace of God.

--His grace in sending Christ to live a sinless life, to die a sinner's death, and to raise 3 days later has made this all possible. Apart from our salvation in Christ, we would not know true joy nor would we be able to experience and give the love which Christ desires for our family to experience. His grace has truly made this experience one of the most enjoyable of our lives. As a father (and a seasoned one at that) His grace has stunned me in thinking He would give His only Son to allow a world who would despise Him to have a right relationship with God...Isaac Watts was correct, the grace of God is both amazing and a sweet sound!

--His grace in allowing me to see the birth of Abigail. God's grace was great in this moment of worship because I was able to see my wife give all she had to bring Abigail into this world. FYI-the word on the street is out...Jackey is superwoman! She pushed in labor for 11 minutes and in the words of our delivery nurse"I wish I could frame your picture because you have been the best patient I have worked with." God's grace allows me to wake up next to not only the best patient but also the best wife daily. Also when Abigail came out and cried for the first time...God's grace overwhelmed me in that the author and sustainer of life saw fit to allow her to begin her journey in becoming (we earnestly pray) a worshipper of Christ. The whole experience leaves me speechless.

--I realize this could turn into the longest post ever and some of you might be tempted to not read any more posts I leave...so this will be the last reason for today of why I have overwhelmed at the grace of God: He has given us a biological family that loves us more than we know, and they have continued to amaze us at the ways in which they love us and their new relative. In the love of our family, God's grace is abundant. He also has allowed us to be enveloped by love by the body of Christ. Our spiritual family has been an constant reminder of the abundant life found in living a life for the glory of the Lord. His grace has likewise overwhelmed us by the way our friends love us.

In summary, thank you all for the calls, emails, visits, prayer, love, and support you have shown our family during this time of transition. We count ourselves blessed to be loved by you. Continue to challenge and encourage us to pursue God more than ever so that we may be able to parent well and emulate to our little girl what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Lastly, praise be to Jesus, the author and perfector of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12.2). It is this good God who has given us this gift of grace...Abigail Renee Perry. We love you all.

Count Down to July 23

2007-07-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well, as new parents, the last couple of days have been very interesting. Not knowing what to expect, we have paid close attention to every sign that Abigail's arrival is drawing near. I have had a lot of back pain and cramping since our last doctor's visit - all of which could be signs that labor is forthcoming. However, Justin and I went for our weekly check-up yesterday, and the doctor said that I was only 1 cm dilated. She explained that most of my aches and pains can be attributed to Abigail's size (estimated at about 7 - 7 1/2 pounds) and my small stature. She also said that every thing is on schedule for me to deliver on time. So...for all of the eager grandparents reading this, I would check the travel forecast for around July 23. As a result, Justin and I will have some time to spend together before Abigail comes. As I mentioned before, tomorrow is my last day of work. So...that potentially gives Justin and I a full week to spend with each other before our lives are forever changed.

Anticipating Abigail

2007-07-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

We are exactly two weeks away from Abigails due date! Justin and I are eagerly awaiting the moment that we realize "oh, it's time to go to the hospital!" In the meantime, we are finishing the nursery and making preparations for family to visit after Abigail is born. I am currently finishing my last week of work. It seems so strange that after Friday I will not be going back to work. But...I also know that I won't be pressed to find things to keep me busy - Abigial will do a great job of that. Also, Justin and I recently had some maternity pictures taken. Here is a sampling of our favorites.

The Nursery

2007-07-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

The nursery is finished! Justin and I received the furniture last Wednesday, and by Sunday the last picture was hung. I hope that you all enjoy the pictures! We also went to the doctor today and received a good report - all is progressing as it should be. We love you guys and miss you all!

Here we go...

2007-06-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

Justin and I have decided to take the leap - we are now bloggers. Please be patient with us as we learn how to make the most out of our new blog site.

The latest. Well, we go to the doctor today for a routine check-up to make sure that Abigail and I are healthy, and that we are making the necessary progress for delivery. This will be our first visit to our new doctor's office. The practice we were going to dissolved for various reasons, and we chose to follow two of the doctor's to a new practice. The new practice is called Mid-Carolina OBGYN. It has been around for 25 years, and come's highly recommended. There are 5 doctor's already practicing there, so our prayer is that on delivery day one of the two doctor's from Women's Healthcare of Raleigh will be on call. But...the Lord knows all of the details, and we trust that His will is best.

We celebrated Justin's first Father's Day on Sunday. It's hard to believe that in less than 5 weeks we will be parents - for real! The count down begins.

On Friday, Justin finished The Runner's Camp at North Wake Church. This is the fifth camp he has directed since we have been in Wake Forest, and with the quickly approaching arrival of Abigail, it will be his last. We couldn't have asked for a better week. There were a record number of kids signed up for the camp (250), the weather was beautiful (70's and 80's) and the Lord provided all of the volunteer's needed to run the camp. So far, we have not heard how the Lord chose to use The Runner's Camp in the lives of the campers and volunteer's, but are confident in His promise to "not let His Word return void."