The Uzzell Family

Geaux Tigers!

2012-01-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

We've had a week to detox from Christmas/New years, and it has been surprisingly warm! The darkness of winter is hard on me, so I've been seeing this week as a complete blessing from the Lord. We even got out yesterday for a bike ride (which we normally would not have been able to in January without freezing) and was reminded again why we don't bike ride often! Ha, it is so hilly here, that I was exhausted only after going a little while. Well, at least we tried! We want Henry to grow up in an active home, so we might have to be a little more creative with our outings, or I might just have to get into better shape:)

We have some students coming over tonight for the National Championship. I've missed having consistent interaction with students, so it will be a good way to get to know some new people and hang out. We've having chili, but maybe Cajun would have been more appropriate! Geaux Tigers!

a shameless plug

2011-12-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

Katie, my sister in law gave me a "Mama bird's nest" necklace for Christmas (that she made) and I think that it is such a cute idea! She just started an etsy account that you should check out. Message me if you are interested and I'll send you the info!

My mom's necklace (there are three of us)

Katie's necklace (she has a two year old and is pregnant)

Speaking of that two year old, here are some super cute pictures of Henry and his cousin...

(don't let the hugs, smiles, etc. fool you, they had their fare share of spats too!)

christmas with a 18 month old

2011-12-22T18:52:00.001-08:00

Normally we don't decorate for Christmas. With three families to visit and our time off before Christmas (we have Christmas conference for students soon after the 25th), we've never been around long enough to really go through the "trouble." This year, however, I really wanted to do something! Our "something" was an artificial tree that we placed on a side table so that the stinker (aka Henry) could not get to it as easily. We taught him to wave at the tree versus touch it, which has worked on our parents big trees as well!

We've already been to Hank's two families, where Henry LOVED the commotion and activity with his three cousins! South Carolina is where we currently are and are awaiting the rest of the family to get in to town.

(can you tell Henry was excited?!)

where did October go?

2011-11-13T17:23:00.000-08:00

I realize that it is the middle of November and it's a little late to be asking that question. I'm slowing coming out of the first trimester hole, and am a little shocked that Thanksgiving is NEXT week. Yep, you read that right, we are pregnant again (yay!!) We started it off with Henry and I getting a stomach virus which then lead straight into morning sickness. Hank has been awesome and has served us well, but I'm ready to get back to "normal!" All I know is that things are a lot different this time around. I have plans to be in my pregnancy jeans WAY earlier than last time not because they are super comfy but because I'm going to NEED to! I guess your body just knows what to do?

We are currently at a Crusade staff conference in Alexandria, VA. (currently, Hank is at the conference and I'm in our hotel room while Henry sleeps) I've never been here, so I'm looking forward to seeing some of the city during our free time. We're then headed to Greenville, NC and Raleigh to celebrate Thanksgiving with Hank's family.

Here are a few pictures of Henry the past month. We were able to see my dear friend, Dena on Halloween. Her cute son Luke (the lion) and Henry had a fun time roaming around in their costumes.

We've been letting Henry play outside in the morning with his Pj s on, which he certainly doesn't mind one bit!

boys

2011-09-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

I grew up with two brothers, so you would think that I would have been prepared/informed about little boys. Sometimes I just have to stop and stare at Henry in amazement as I realize just how differently we were created. I saw a link on facebook that said this

and thought "what a true statement!" Henry is definitely a dirt loving, noise making, active machine! I took a few pictures yesterday of some of Henry's favorite things to do inside (of course this doesn't even touch on the stick eating, playing in the dirt, etc. that are outside)!

I have however, decided that I want to encourage his loud, adventurous spirit and truly give him the freedom to be a boy. Hank and I have been reading Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys and I would HIGHLY recommend it. Anyone else have a good "boy" book?!

I'm so thankful for this little boy and look forward to experiencing his physical, emotional, and spiritual grow!

friends

2011-09-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Some of our best friends, Kim and Nathan came to see us this weekend. It is such an encouragement when we have visitors! Because we now live so far away from most of our friends, it is especially refreshing to see familiar faces. They were such adventurous guests, and packed in way more than most people would in the (less than) 48 hours that they were here. We discovered a really neat apple/peach orchard on Saturday, and it was awesome! Food, wine tasting, and picking your own apples are a few things that Carter Mountain Orchard provides! Henry LOVED it, so we will definitely be frequent visitors;)

Watching the Auburn game on the computer

back home-finally!

2011-08-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

This past week, we've been here

and now we are finally back home! Three months, nine cities, and 6000 miles later, we arrived in Charlottesville today. We're so thankful to be back. It's been an incredible summer, but we're ready for school to start and for life to get back to "normal!"

4 years

2011-08-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hank and I celebrate our fourth anniversary this week! I still catch myself thinking about how thankful I am that the Lord allowed me to get married, and then what a perfect match he gave me. We are so different, but I have really come to see God's wisdom in putting us together. Though not always easy, marriage has/will be one of the biggest blessings of my life. By of His grace, I pray that we celebrate many more. Oh how I long to glorify Him in it, and for Henry to see his parents love and serve each other well.

wilmington

2011-08-04T11:03:00.001-07:00

Henry is in heaven! We are visiting our friends (who have two boys and a dog) in Wilmington, NC. It's constant chaos, and Henry is loving it! We're here until Saturday and then off to the beach with Hank's family. We'll finally be home (after three months) on August 13th. Whew, we're getting tired of packing and repacking! Hank starts planning for the school year two days later. Where did the summer go?

the first of many to come?

2011-07-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Its begun. Henry chipped his tooth last night, and I can only imagine that this little "injury" is the first of many. We were thankful to get into a dentist this afternoon where we found out that the nerve was not damaged (whew). However, we are going to need to take him to a pediatric dentist to see if he can do anything about the sharp edges now on the tooth. Tonight Henry fell again and hurt his lip with that tooth (which is what we were afraid of happening), so we're thinking we need to go on and try to get it taken care of! So thankful that this isn't a big deal, but wondering how or if they can get him to sit still long enough to fix it:)

Stress reliever

2011-07-08T19:49:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, some of the staff women went to a local shop and painted pottery. I had no idea how fun it was going to be and was surprised that it was actually really relaxing and easy! How awesome to just sit there (child free), paint, and talk to friends! Hmmm, need to do it more often. I decided to go with something simple for lack of creativity:)

touch a truck

2011-07-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, a local museum had a fundraiser called "touch a truck!" It was a super clever idea and I'm thankful we were able to participate:)

glimpses of change/keeping it real

2011-07-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would have blogged a lot more about our summer project. To be honest though, I've had a hard time wanting to put up a "cute" picture about what we are "up to" when there has been so much more to our summer. In a way, I would have felt like I wasn't being honest just highlighting us or the students behind a beautiful backdrop while I was sometimes struggling with being here.

With all of my heart, I believe that students lives have been truly changed since they have been out here. A student even came to know the Lord a few weeks ago! I've seen their eyes opened to truth and their hearts softened by God's grace. It has been a joy to be a small part of their growth, but personally, this summer has been kind of hard!

The summer project schedule has really brought out a lot of my sin and selfishness. The staff work six days a week and have been out of town way more than desired. It's not real life, but it has been long enough to resent the schedule and become tired of staying in our condo with Henry while the other staff are out with the students. My heart has become discontent and even asks the question of what is my purpose in all of this. It is a total blessing to be Henry's mother, so I long to be content with exactly where God has me. I know that a lot of people are reading (and blogging about) "One Thousand Gifts," so I started reading it and making my list in hopes of greater gratitude and embracing every day even if it seems like I lived it the day before. Ann V. says that gratefulness is a learned thing, and I feel like I am just at the beginning of my journey.

I have seen glimpses of change in my heart, and have experienced the blessing of being at home with Henry when Hank gets home from work. It has also been fun to co-lead a bible study to have more contact with students and to hear first hand what they are learning. We're thankful to be in such a beautiful place, for students willing to learn, and for our job with Campus Crusade! Thanks for letting me keeping it real:)

We're here for another 12 days and then off to Fort Collins, CO for our huge staff conference!

first birthday

2011-06-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

Henry's first birthday was on Saturday, and it was such a blessing to get to celebrate with our new staff friends on Father's Day! The most memorable part of his first birthday was that he pulled a heavy landline phone (from pretty high up) onto his face and ended up with a blackish eye. It was a toss up for who was more upset (me or Henry)!

1506

2011-06-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

We are 1506 miles away from Auburn, and look what I saw at the children's museum yesterday!! War Eagle!

hike

2011-06-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hank is headed out this morning for a three day hike with two other leaders and 6 students. They will be doing 6 programs throughout their time "out there" that have to do with boundaries, bonding, and consequences and how they relate to our lives and to God.

Crested Butte

2011-06-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

What student wouldn't want to spend the summer here and learn about Jesus?! We're somewhat unpacked and Hank has already started his training. We are with some incredible staff and there are even two other one year olds that are here! It is such a blessing to have the other mothers around as well as playmates for Henry. The students arrive Saturday...

here!

2011-06-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that the plane flight is over and we are finally here! The flight with Henry was as hard as I thought it was going to be, but he did as well as a one year old could do! We're headed to Crested Butte in a couple of hours (4 hour car ride) where we will be for summer project for 5 weeks or so. As I said in an earlier posts, we look forward to keeping our supporters connected through the blog this summer.

our bags are packed...

2011-05-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

We are ready to go! Hank is left EARLY this morning to start out on his 30 plus hour journey to colorado for our summer project in Crested Butte. Henry and I will fly out on Friday morning to meet him. If you think about me, pray for grace for traveling with the little man alone:) I'm going to be using the blog to update supporters on our summer, so there will be a lot more posts about our job with Crusade. Here's some blurbs from our latest newsletter about what we be doing out there...

"Students from colleges all over the states will join us for ﬁve weeks this summer. We will pour our lives into them through discipleship, teaching, training, and outdoor adventure. Our goal is that their relationship with the Lord would grow and they would learn how to impact their peers for Christ when they return to their campuses."

"Each student will be personally discipled by staff during their time on project. They will also be meeting in small groups with
other students. Our prayer is that each student will grow in the grace and truth of the gospel through his or her interaction
with others".

"Hank will be teaching a Bible study on the Holy Spirit this summer. He’s been working hard on developing his outlines and is ready to lead! He looks forward to getting to know the guys in his group and having an inﬂuence on their lives."

"We are going to be trained as well. Every Monday, we’ll meet with other staff to learn how to better minister to students through engaging their hearts and minds. Our training will be based on the book, Changes that Heal, by Dr. Henry Cloud. His book explains how to have healthy relationships with others and becoming a mature adult."

"Hank (with other staff) will be guiding students through a series of outdoor activities. We will be doing a couple of overnight
backpacking trips, sailing, rafting the Arkansas River, and climbing! These activities act as a catalyst to engaging the students in
spiritual discussions."

My newest niece!

2011-05-07T19:02:00.001-07:00

Aren't newborns the best? Especially when they are not your own:) Don't get me wrong, I loved Henry's newborn stage, but there is something about getting to be around a newborn and not having the responsibility. Maelynn Thomas Uzzell is perfect in every way and we had a blast getting to meet her this weekend and hang out with her crazy family! Henry LOVES his cousins, Jackson and Holland, and was giddy for a lot of the weekend just getting to play with them. I'm going to hate taking him away from the chaos to go home tomorrow! Four babies three and under make for a fun packed weekend! We were so thankful to get to spend time with family.

Thompson visit

2011-05-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time with my parents last week. Henry was teething for part of it, so it was nice to have two extra pairs of hands to entertain booper and get his mind off of those darn teeth! Can you tell that "blue shirt" day was the worst? :) We tried everything to make the little guy happy. It was just one of those days that bedtime couldn't come fast enough.

grateful

2011-04-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

I had an experience last week that will forever change my life. A nineteen year old UVA student died after falling from a building on campus. The UVA community as well as our church, Trinity (where his grandparents are members) have been grieving this young man's death. His parents are strong believers and are actually missionaries in Ireland. His dad "happened" to be in the US, and he and Tommy spent his last day together. The grace that family has had has been amazing.

We were on a family walk the other day and passed a group of students/adults who were on campus putting up a memorial to Tommy. As we walked by the group, we past a woman who by the look she gave Henry, I knew who she was. It was his mother. I'll never forget that look. She looked at him with a longing for and a remembrance of her son. I gave her a small smile, and we walked on as I tried not to lose it. I grieved for her loss. I grieved for the last time they spent has a family, and for the indescribable void she must be feeling.

My son was right in front of me, and I was filled with an overwhelming since of gratefulness. I made a decision that day. I want to be grateful for every mess, early morning, frustrating day with Henry. I want to not complain about staying home and being Henry's main caregiver. I want to drink in his laugh, enjoy his different stages of growth, and teach him about Jesus. We have been blessed to have been given this responsibility, and I don't want to take every day for granted.

UVA

2011-03-16T07:03:00.001-07:00

Spring is in the air and boy has it made a huge difference in my attitude toward life in general. The Lord has also given me the gift of a neighbor/friend which has helped too:)

This past weekend, we had fun hosting our good friends, Katherine and Robert from Auburn. On Saturday, we decided to take a tour on campus to learn a little more about the history of UVA.

In case you didn't know, Thomas Jefferson founded UVA . Here is a small clip about him from Wikipedia. It's so interesting how the roots of being a university free of "religious involvement" has such an impact on a school 150+ years later.....

“After his political career, Jefferson focused on creating a university free of religious involvement, offering courses in many new areas not offered elsewhere. This would help create a more organized society, where some schools would be paid for by the general public, for the benefit of poorer Americans.

The University of Virginia was founded opened in 1825, and was Jefferson’s project. It was notable for being centered about a library rather than a church.”

^{Hank is LOVING his job working for Crusade's outdoor ministry, Lifelines! We are so thankful for that and the privilege of ministering to the students of UVA.}

a picture paints a thousand words

2011-02-22T19:04:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist posting another picture of Henry and Rigby when mom sent me this today... Oh boy, I think we are in trouble!

well, wouldn't you know

2011-02-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

Hank and I are not "pet people." I have a greater tolerance/appreciation of OTHER peoples pets than Hank, but that still isn't saying much. Well, wouldn't you know that Henry is drawn towards anything that is harry and on four legs. Rigby (my Mom and Dad's dog) was such a trouper last week. For the most part, anywhere Rigby was, Henry was army crawling as fast as he could towards her. Surely this is just a stage, right? If this keeps up, I'm afraid that our hand will someday be forced to buy one of these (dogs that is).

Winter fun

2011-01-27T06:28:00.000-08:00

Hello 2011

2011-01-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and I'm thankful to be experiencing change rather than preparing for it. Hank is loving his new job and I am... hmm well, I'm just here. I don't hate it, nor do I love it. I'm sure that will change at some point, but I think that I just need time:)

We are some what settled into our new home (we're to the left)

and have even had our first guests!

Hank and I are getting to know our way around campus by training for a 10K we're doing in April! Its no Auburn, but its a beautiful campus:) (no, Henry has not gained 20 pounds! ha, he looks huge here. it has been so cold that this is the only way that I'll get out with him for a jog.)

This 7 month dude is growing up fast! I'm so thankful for his cheerful spirit and ability to make me smile. He has a ton of energy which makes me a little nervous for when he becomes more mobile! Just in the last week he has become super clingy. Hopefully this stage or whatever it is will pass SOON!

Charlottesville is actually a pretty cool town. Please come see us!!!

**Thank you to Beth Peele for the new face lift on the blog! So thankful for her mad blog skills,creativity, and friendship:)

family family family

2010-12-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

We've been busy this week! Since last Friday, we have been in Raleigh, Greenville, and Charleston! We are blessed with a BIG family. For those of you who care (aka our family) here's some pictures from our time together!

Raleigh, NC

Henry's G-mama

Hank's mom, Sally's side of the family

Henry's great-grandmother, Gannie

Greenville, NC

Hank's Dad, Sam's side of the family

Henry's cousins, Holland (Woody)and Jackson (Buzz Lightyear). Toy Story is their favorite movie! Holland has named everyone in the family with characters from the movie. Hank, Henry, and I are the aliens:)

David, Hank's brother and Pop

Jackson and Henry were so cute together! They would growl at each other.

Henry and Bo

Charleston, SC

Henry learning how to share. (look closely and they are sharing "joseph")

Griffin and Henry with Gigi. I hate that I didn't get any pictures of Oliver and Katie! We only got to be with them for a day!

Henry and Granddaddy

the move and 5 months

2010-12-15T18:16:00.000-08:00

This past month has been crazy, thus the lack of blog posts. Also, I haven't really processed the move yet which makes me not want to say anything at all. It's no secret that saying goodbye to Auburn has been hard on me, so for this internal processor, it may take a while. There is so much to say. From our dear friends giving us a goodbye party, to the Auburn team helping us move on one end and the Lifelines team on the other, to closing up our first house where we brought our firstborn son home for the first time, a lot has gone on the past two weeks.

I feel like I'm going to learn a lot of lessons about where my identity is found. There is something about moving to a place where I don't know anyone and people don't know me that has started that ball rolling:)

The good news is that the move is over! I had been dreading saying goodbye, driving the 12+ hours with Henry, and unpacking. Two of the three are done and we are about 80% unpacked!

Henry's 6 month bd is tomorrow, so i'll post some 5 month pictures while I can:) This month he experienced his first haircut! I hated to cut it, but it HAD to be done. Notice how long it had gotten in the back.

we're here

2010-12-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

we're here ... and still alive, though buried in boxes:) When we get internet hooked up, I'll have pictures! Merry Christmas!

Dec 10th

2010-11-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

As of two days ago, we have renters for our home. It is a precious couple and their 6 month old son. We are so overwhelmed and grateful for God's provision! When they came to look at the house, they said that they wanted to be in before the holidays. My first thought was, "what constitutes as the holidays?" "Surely not Thanksgiving!" I'm grateful that the "holidays" meant Christmas:) However, they want to be in by December 10th and that is a mere four weeks away.

There are definitely mixed emotions with this date. Part of me is just so thankful that the time of waiting for the next step is over and the other part of me is really mourning the loss of Auburn. I've known for months that we would probably be moving, but to have a date makes it super real.

I was reading the book, 31 Days of Praise, and this is what a quote from an unknown author had to say,"I can be willing for You to shift me anywhere on life's checkerboard, or bury me anywhere in life's garden, gladly yielding myself for You to please Yourself with, anywhere and anyway You choose." This is a desire of my heart, that we would be so surrendered to the Lord that we would always be willing to go or stay. Because He is our dwelling place, we can be content and secure with wherever God places us, for He is our home.

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!" Romans 11:33

A few pictures from the last month!

father/son bonding in the backyard..

Henry's first time for baby food!

Henry is happiest when we are outside, so we spend a ton of time in our front yard;)

"Be at rest, O my soul"

2010-10-13T12:36:00.001-07:00

"Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you." This verse from Psalms has been playing in my head for the past couple of months. We are in transition. Its a long story, but Hank needs more physical activity in his job which is taking us away from Auburn. I thought we'd be here for a couple of years. We bought a house, had a baby, put pictures up on our walls. In our books, this is bad timing and a little crazy! But, I have to keep on reminding myself that God is in it and His timing is perfect.

so, this is where we are headed...

We are going to stay with Crusade, but will be joining a team at the University of Virginia with a college ministry called Lifelines. Lifelines is on six college campuses right now and uses the outdoors to help people grow in relationship with God, in relationships with each other, in character, and in leadership. We will be trained on the team at UVA with the hopes that we will start a Lifelines ministry in the future (a little farther south)!

Our culture is changing in that students are less likely to show up to a weekly meeting or Christian gatherings. Lifelines allows us to still focus on college students but minister to them in a way that is non-threatening and meets them where they are.

We are sad to be leaving Auburn, but we know that this is what God has called us to. I admit, I'm overwhelmed but I know that we are going to be ok:)

On another note, we've been loving the cooler weather! Every day, I try to get us out for a walk or just hanging out in the yard.

A recipe and three months

2010-09-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

I got a great new recipe from my friend, Amanda. I don't enjoy cooking. So, the top requirements of a good recipe is that it is 1. easy 2. few ingredients, and 3. guaranteed leftovers so that I don't have to cook the next night-glory! Notice that tasty doesn't even make the top three. This recipe, however, hits all three categories and it tastes REALLY good!

This is what you need..

1 package lean turkey italian sausage (hot not sweet)-i get this at kroger
1 jar julienned sundried tomatoes in oil
1-2 cans artichoke hearts, quartered
white wine (pinot grigio)
1 medium to large can chicken stock
basil and parm cheese to garnish
1 box of rigatoni pasta

pour a little of the sundried tomato oil in a pan and heat to medium high. add sausage and brown(squeeze sausage from casings and break up with a spoon in the pan). deglaze pan with a cup or so of white wine and let the alcohol simmer out. drain the sundried tomatoes and add along with drained artichoke hearts and a 1 or 2 cups of chicken stock depending on how much liquid you like for the sauce. then just let simmer on low until you are ready to serve or until the sausage is fully cooked. sometimes i add a little salt at the end if the wine makes it taste too sweet. it can even be made early and easily reheated when the pasta is ready. top with basil and parm. cheese.

*from Amanda Bowen adapted from Giada Delaurentis

Henry is three months old today. He is so big! My mom weighed him two weeks ago and he was 18 pounds, so who knows how much he weighs now! His hair just continues to get longer and longer. How young can you have your first hair cut?!

Henry's baptism

2010-09-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Henry was baptized today! We were blessed to be able to have my parents (dad did the baptism) and Hank's dad with us for the weekend.

Henry also had a great time watching football with Grandaddy,

reading with Gigi,

and hanging out with Pop.

Henry's first and last time to wear a gown. Mom got his name and date sewn on the bottom in cream as well as a cream cross at the top. I'd like to pass it down throughout the years.

I'm way behind in posts, but Hank turned 30 and I'd hate to not at least acknowledge it through a picture or two:) We were actually able to celebrate with friends on the 24th and 25th! I made Hank's grandmother, G's dirt cake (his favorite)!

Three years ago today

2010-08-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

I pledged to the Lord and Hank Uzzell to love and cherish him for the rest of my life. There are so many things that I could say, but it all comes down to being thankful for the Lord's faithfulness in our lives. "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."Lamentations 3:22-23

back in the saddle again and Ella Hulsebus!

2010-08-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

I decided that today I was going to start "getting back into shape." Easier said than done. As i was silently doing the pilates video (as to not wake Henry sleeping on the couch next to me), I was so surprised at just how out of shape I had gotten...ouch! Hopefully it will get easier as the days go on...

On a more exciting note, one of my best friends, Victoria had a little girl this morning. "Ella" was 6 pounds 11 ounces, 19 1/2 inches long! I can only imagine how tiny she was. I think Henry was that big at 30 weeks:)

Here's a few new picts of my chunky monkey

That's an "Oh Henry" bar in his hands:)

thankful

2010-07-30T12:33:00.001-07:00

I am thankful to say that his week we were at Sunset Beach with Hank's family. The trip could not have come at a better time! The walls in our house were starting to cave in around me and a trip to the beach was exactly what I needed! Granted, I didn't spend a ton of time actually ON the beach:0 But it was fun to be out of town, visit with Hank's wonderful family, and have lots of helping hands with Henry.

First time on the beach! It was a really windy day so we didn't stay out for long

Hank's brother David and sister-in-law Meri, and their two kids, Holland and Jackson and his step sister, Emily.

Henry after we took pictures

lately

2010-07-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a wonderful visit from Hank's dad and step-mom...

(Henry's new position that calms him down no matter how riled up he gets)

Other than that, I've just been doing a lot of hanging out around the house changing dirty diapers, clothes (his and mine), and getting to know our new little man:)

an addendum

2010-06-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

*I've been thinking about how easy it is to portray that life is better than it is on blogs. Just to be real, this week has been pretty hard. I love that he is here and I'm enjoying it. However, there are times that I freak out, get way too emotional, and wonder if I'm going to have enough energy to do it again the next day and the next (ha, and my mom only just left today...real life is only just now). Praise the Lord that His word says that "His grace is sufficient for me and that His power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12: 9

One week old

2010-06-25T09:51:00.001-07:00

We've had a lot going on around here. My brother (Oliver) and his wife (Katie) and son (Griffin) came to visit as well as my youngest brother, William! My parents are still here so it made for a full house. I'm so thankful and blessed that they made the long trip down to Auburn.

Henry is one week old today and am already sad that his first week is over. I'm loving the newborn stage and have decided that I never want him to grow up (not really but the hormones are talking here).

We're home!

2010-06-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

We got home yesterday and am thankful to be here (even though I still wish I could have taken home one of those nurses that would keep him at night until he was ready to eat.. brilliant). My Mom and Dad are here and I consider it the biggest blessing! I'm still moving around pretty slowly and its nice to have an experienced mother around. We love getting to know and taking care of Henry!!

I heart epidurals

2010-06-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

He's here! We are so thankful that everything went well yesterday with being induced. He's huge... we were shocked that he was 10 pounds 10 ounces, 23 inches long! I feel like he skipped the newborn stage and went straight to 2-3 months:)

We've only been able to spend about 5 minutes with him thus far. He had a temperature and some oxygen problems so they had to take him for observation throughout the night. We are hoping that he can come and hang out with us in the next hour or so!

Yesterday morning before we left for the hospital

First family pic

All my bags are packed, and i'm ready to go...

2010-06-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

I'm being induced Thursday morning at 7 a.m.! Its been a weird day of trying to enjoy our last day of "freedom" plus getting things ready for us to be gone for a couple of days. Tonight Hank and I went out to eat, visited the garden, had dessert at Snow Biz, and then ended the night with The Office reruns.

This picture was taken sometime last week... but I've gotten bigger since then. On Tuesday, the ultrasound technician predicted him to be 8 pounds, 12 ounces. If you think about it, pray for a safe delivery tomorrow!

Our first fruit!

2010-06-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

This morning, Hank's hard work in his garden came to fruition when he was able to pick the first (rather large) zucchini! May there be many more....

Only a week or so until we can have some yummy homegrown tomatoes!

June 8th

2010-06-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today is my due date! I've been looking towards this day since October 2nd when we found out that I was pregnant. Ha, well I guess the Lord (and Henry) have different plans. My doctor told us yesterday that he would induce me next Thursday (17th) if he still hasn't made his appearance. Until then, I'm here (with my expanding belly) trying to be content and enjoy the time that we have left:)

fishin

2010-05-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

I want to want to do things that Hank enjoys so that we can have activities that we do together. As an attempt, I agreed to go out to a friend's cabin to go fishing this afternoon. We actually had a really good time until it started raining! It's still a bit of a stretch for me to be outdoors, wet, fishing, and happy. Maybe that will change one day, but its baby steps for me until then. Notice that mine was definitely smaller than Hank's (still picture worthy though) and I managed to not have to touch a single fish the whole afternoon:)

nesting

2010-05-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Nothing is safe in the Uzzell household. Our garage, closets, drawers, etc. are suddenly not clean or organized enough. There is a deep satisfaction that comes with piles of things thrown or given away! We had a neighbor ask if we were moving due to the mass of stuff awaiting the garbage truck. I think that I have enough to keep me busy for the next two weeks:)

This past weekend we were able to get away to the Cunningham's parents' lake house in Macon for some sun and relaxation. It was a great break from support raising and cleaning, and it was fun to hang out with Robert and Katherine and Alley Jackson.

Auburn has been different without as many students. I've been able to see some who are still here which has been great! Hank has been busy calling and meeting with people about support as well as meeting with students. Other than that, we're just waiting for Henry's birthday!

Auburn shower!

2010-04-25T14:28:00.001-07:00

These fun ladies hosted a shower for me yesterday! It was such a blessing to celebrate with good friends, food, and gifts!

Also, it was special to have Hank's mom and sister with us for the weekend! Thank you, Sally and Emily for making the looong trip here.

Henry's room!

2010-04-23T18:38:00.001-07:00

Mom and Dad came for a week and helped us get together the baby's room! We are so thankful for them and are excited that the room is mostly done (need more things on the walls and a baby in the crib).

Mom sewed a ton! She made the curtains, two blankets, and another bed skirt to go underneath the crib. Wish I was that handy around a sewing machine:)

6 1/2 weeks to go until my due date! I'm thankful that it has been a good pregnancy thus far and I am getting more and more ready to meet him! Until then, I'll enjoy the sleep that I'm currently getting:)

highlights from EA

2010-04-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great vision trip to East Asia! Even though it was a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would post some highlights. To see why we went, see two posts below.

Seeing Hank experience Asia for the first time was so fun! It was great to see him in a place that I love. He was a trooper and definitely was indigenous for the week.

Hank learning Tai Chi when we went to class with the STINTERS (auburn alum who are there for the year).

Some of our vision trip in class

I got to spend some time with my good friend from college, Joy Jonas! She and her family of four are there for the year!

It was really great to see and hang out with good college roomates, Amy Rambo (who lives there now) and Katie Bartlett (who lives in Hong Kong)!

The college guys and Hank on the great wall.

Great Wall!

When we went to Beijing at the end of the trip, we got to hang out with our dear friends, Aaron and Hayley.

Another highlight was getting to spend time with the rest of the STINTER girls! They were very hospitable and I loved hearing how their year was going. Wish I had a picture, but its on our other computer!

back safe and sound

2010-03-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

We're back! Went to bed at 3 and woke up at 1 today... yikes! Will write more soon. Thanks for praying!

If you think about it...

2010-03-08T16:56:00.001-08:00

Pray for us next week. Hank and I are heading out of Auburn this Friday at 2 a.m. to catch a flight to East Asia for ten days. Our purpose is to take parents to see their children on STINT (year internship over there with Crusade), to take students to go and experience the ministry, and for Hank to see our partnership so that he can help recruit Auburn students to go for the summer and for the year. I'm excited for him to see and experience a place that is near and dear to my heart:) On a fun note, we have the largest group of Auburn students that we've ever had committed to serve next year on STINT!

Preparing for EA is not an easy task. We have two climates that we'll be encountering, a big bag of goodies to pack (SURPRISE! STINTERS, the neon green bag is yours) as well as breakfast food/snacks. Therefore, the baby's room looks like this...

Cliff, Balance, and Zone bars are our breakfast of choice as well as applesauce and dried fruit.

Also, for some reason, pop tarts taste SO good over there. Weird, i know, but don't judge until you've tried them in the midst of experiencing Asia land.

For those of you who are doing the math in your head, I'm 27 weeks and the doctor says I'm good to go! I'm thankful that I'm feeling well and besides needing to walk around the plane more often, staying hydrated, and being _ _ pounds heavier... it will be just be a "normal" trip to East Asia:)

excuse the excitement...

2010-02-12T10:14:00.001-08:00

But it snowed! Correct that, it is STILL snowing! We (Alabamians) don't see snow very often which means school is out and people are overly excited:) Here's a few picts of our day.

half way there

2010-01-20T10:42:00.001-08:00

20 weeks and half way there! I would love to say something about time flying and can't "hardly believe I'm this far," but to be honest I feel like I've been pregnant for forever! I'm slowing growing out of my pants and have aspirations of finding a cute (is there such a thing?) pair of maternity pants asap.

Instead of wishing the next twenty weeks away, I really want to enjoy the stage of life that God has me in as well as do things that will be harder once the baby is here. Such as... sleep in, spend lots of time with students, enjoy having Hank all to myself, and having uninterrupted quiet times. Also, in the next twenty weeks, I would like to walk more, eat less sweets (even though that is basically the only thing I crave), read "Baby Wise," and organize our closets.

We have lots to do with the nursery before he gets here. One of those things is to buy furniture.. anyone know where to buy a good crib? Auburn is lacking in furniture places, but we're headed to Atl in a couple of weeks. We recently bought bedding at Baby Gap (who knew that Gap sold bedding?) Its nice to at least have that picked out!

"Snips and snails, and puppy dog tails"

2010-01-06T15:14:00.001-08:00

That's what little BOYS are made of! Can't believe that I'm saying this, but we are having a boy! Wish you could have seen our faces when the technician told us, we were shocked! More importantly, he is healthy. We are blessed!

just call me aunt anna

2009-12-30T13:30:00.001-08:00

My nephew, Griffin, was born early Sunday morning! Hank and I were able to hang out with the new little guy and family Sunday... he's so cute!

St. John

2009-12-25T16:52:00.000-08:00

We were blessed to be able to go down to St. John during Christmas break to visit Hank's uncle and aunt. Nelson and Vicky are some of the most gracious hosts I've ever been around. Their house is beautiful and it was fun to be able to see their life in paradise.

We started our mornings like this...

And then a couple of hours later...

One afternoon, Hank and his Uncle Nelson went out scuba diving and brought back dinner!

Watching the sunset was a perfect way to end a perfect day...

This trip was probably one of our last before the baby comes, so I tried to enjoy the peace, quiet, and rest! We find out the sex January 6th!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T15:48:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Uzzell's! We're currently in South Carolina with my family but we've also been to Raleigh and St. John this holiday season (I'll post more on our tropical visit later). We've had a great time with our families. Oh how I love being home!

"But the angel said to them,"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2: 10-11

isn't the same

2009-12-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, we aren't decorating for Christmas this year . Before all of you gasp in horror (as my husband did when I told him the plan), let me explain. Most of our time off is before Christmas because of us working at Christmas conference. If we had decorated Dec. 1st, it would have been up for less than two weeks. Call me crazy, practical, or just plain cheap, but it just wasn't worth it to me. I did pull out my "Spruce Tree" candle so that at least our house would smell like Christmas. But it just isn't the same! Small price to pay to spend the holiday with our families!

its been too long

2009-11-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

Hank informed me today that it had been a month since our last post. I confess that I've been putting off posts until I could announce that we are pregnant! I'm 10 weeks today and feeling very blessed. Please pray with us for the safety of our child due June 9, 2010.

It has been such an incredible fall. I am constantly encouraged by the wonderful girls that I meet with. To watch God work in their hearts and lives makes my job feel so purposeful. I met with a girl today that is the President of one of the wildest sororities on campus. She has a heart for the Lord and for the girls in her sorority. She is reaching out to some of the girls that have been called to standards and inviting them to our Crusade meetings. We talked today about trying to start a bible study with some of them next semester. She is in an area on campus that I could never get to! Praise the Lord that she is willing to reach out to these girls.

I'm ready for Thanksgiving break! We have a staff conference in Birmingham and then we'll be headed to North Carolina for the week of Thanksgiving. Bring on sleeping in, good food (that I don't have to cook) and relaxing time with family!

Braves Game

2009-10-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

We went to a braves game a couple of weeks ago, but I just retrieved the pictures yesterday! We lost by two runs (pretty disappointing) but we still had a great time with our wonderful staff friends, Robert and Katherine Cunningham! Always good to get away for a date night!

Chattanooga Fall Retreat

2009-10-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend up in Chattanooga for our fall retreat! There were 40 students and 8 staff that packed into Northshore's youth building with blow-up mattresses, sleeping bags,etc. for a weekend of service and fun! Saturday, we split up into three service groups. My group helped put on a fire safety program with local children. A few of them were refugees from Tanzania...

Encouragment

2009-10-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

It's always encouraging in our job when we get to see life change in students. Hank and I were both surprised and encouraged when he received the following text a few days ago...

"Hank, just wanted to let you know that I just told my girlfriend that I wanted to stop having sex. I tell you this not because I want you to feel good about you knowing it, but so that you can see the effect you have on other people's lives. You are an amazing individual and I thank God for bringing you into my life. It's exactly what I needed and I hope you never give up on preaching the gospel."

I've been thinking lately, how this is the most rewarding job I've ever had. It's such a privilege to get to see firsthand the ways that God is moving in Auburn students. Please be praying that the Lord would continue to put people in our lives that are open to the gospel!

Fall

2009-09-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is almost 90 degrees outside, but it is still officially fall! I was looking at Sara Boney's blog the other day, and she mentioned that she had made her own wreath for 10 dollars. Being artistic is not one of my strong points, and Sara wrote that it wasn't hers either, so it made me think that maybe I could pull it off. Hank got the joy of going with me to Hobby Lobby (he hates that store), and $9.15 later, I had my supplies for the wreath. I think that it turned out fairly well, but notice that I didn't include a close up shot (for good reason)!

Prayer

2009-09-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will hear their land." 11 Chronicles 7: 14

We are going through the book of Acts in our weekly meeting and have been reminded of the importance of prayer in our ministry. As a result, their have been groups of people meeting at different times throughout the week to pray and ask God to move across Auburn's campus. There are different landmarks that is unique to Auburn that give us specific things to pray for....

Jordan-Hare Stadium-Pray that Auburn would be known for the spread of the Gospel more than the football program

Samford Hall-Pray for our University Leadership

Haley Center: Pray for the Auburn faculty

Upper Quad-Pray for the Freshmen class

Student Union-Pray for SGA, IFC, Panhelenic,BSU, ISO, NPHC

Auburn game

2009-09-15T19:18:00.001-07:00

We went to our first Auburn game of the season, and loved it! Our good friends, Mikelyn and Marshall gave us two tickets and we had a great time cheering on Auburn towards victory. Because it was a night game, we were able to see several more friends tailgating that afternoon. Now all we need for next week is that fall weather...

Elizabeth H., Katherine C., and me (girls on staff and great friends!)

Mikelyn B. (childhood friend, freshmen roomate, bridesmaid = really good friend )

Toomer's Corner!

New addition to the Hamiter family!

2009-09-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

Our dearest friends, Cassie and Trace (how Hank and I met) had Gray last week and we had the privilege of getting to see him on his birthday! He is perfect in every way!

Homecoming!

2009-09-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

If any of you have been to our house or talked to me about our house, more than likely you have heard me complain about our couch drama. The movers ripped our couch in the process of moving, and then took our couch to fix it...two months ago. Hank and I have spent the time since then calling the moving company and the upholsterer trying to convince them that two months to fix a small tear is ridiculous. So, you can imagine my surprise when they called me the other day to tell me that they were bringing our couch home that very day. Oh happy day!

Sorority Presidents

2009-09-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

Last night, Elizabeth and I went to a bible study that the Panhellenic president (a student in our ministry) started for sorority presidents. It was such a great example of a student taking the position where God has put her and starting a small group study. She gets our vision! Each of these presidents have influence over at least 200+ girls in their respective sororities. Because of their position, their influence in girl's lives in incredible! We were given a chance to talk and to offer different ways that we could help start spiritual movements in their sororities.

Campus Crusade is praying that this fall, we will get into every fraternity and sorority pledge class and share the gospel. We do this by giving a talk on time management and sharing our testimonies, talking on womanhood, myths about freshmen year, etc. Basically getting them to think about their spiritual life now instead of a waiting until years down the road. A lot of times the habits that freshmen have and the people that they are now is who they will be in ten years. Many freshmen believe that they can do whatever they want and it won't affect them in future years to come. Please pray with us as we are talking to so many freshmen in the following months!

Happy Birthday to Hank!

2009-08-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

Hank's 29th birthday was yesterday! I found a great ice cream cake recipe online and had fun trying it out.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/OREO-and-Fudge-Ice-Cream-Cake/Detail.aspx

We went to dinner, then had some great staff friends over to celebrate!

What a busy week!!

2009-08-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

The first week of school was crazy and fun! Our first weekly meeting was encouraging as we had a wonderful time being together in worship through singing and listening to the word. Bill Boldt, our director, talked from Acts 1:8 in our new series called "The Essence of Christianity."

One of my favorite things about our job is when students truly get the vision to have a personal ministry with wherever God has placed them. Friday, we took 41 student leaders who are committed to taking the gospel to the unreached places on campus on an overnight retreat. We had a wonderful time of vision casting, praying for Auburn University, and hanging out together. These students truly are the cream of the crop, and it is a blessing to get to work along side of them.

Ambiance for the weekly meeting needed a boost, so Elizabeth and I stayed up one night (along with Hank and Andrew) to work our magic!

our first weekly meeting

First day of school

2009-08-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful day today! This morning, our team handed out cups on the concourse to let people know when and where we hold our meetings. I thought that it was a great idea that we got from the Campus Crusade at Ole Miss. The back of the cup had the football schedule on it, so it was appealing for the students to pick one up. We handed out 1, 000 in about 45 minutes! Then, this afternoon, we had a leadership meeting for students who are interested in having a personal ministry wherever God has placed them (sorority, fraternity, classes, etc.) Most of them will do this by leading community groups (bible studies). We are praying that we would have 100 community groups started this semester.

A work in progress

2009-08-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

I had to fight my urge to only put up pictures when the house was done.. but i'm realizing that this house is going to be a work in progress for many months to come! In fact, if you have any suggestions on what we can put on the walls, etc. please let me know.

downstairs living room. there will be another couch down there (the movers ripped a hole in it and haven't brought it back yet)

hank's office downstairs

our room

2nd Anniversary

2009-08-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

Today is our second anniversary! I've been reminiscing about that weekend (the rehearsal dinner, bridesmaids luncheon, how it was the hottest day of the year). I count it a blessing that the Lord has allowed me to be married to Hank for two years. This is why..

* Hank is perfect for me! He really balances me out well.
* He is a follower of Christ. Our marriage is based on our relationship with the Lord.
* I'm thankful that we both have a desire to be in ministry full time. I can't wait to have his guys over for dinner and experience his ministry in our home.
* Hank is a ton of fun! He makes me laugh when I really need to.
* He doesn't take life as seriously as I do (which is a good thing).
* Hank is a great provider. I'm so thankful that he sees that as his job in support raising.

There are so many marriages that we look up to, and one of those is my parents whom share the same anniversary! Happy Anniversary, Dad and Mom!

Our last hoorah

2009-08-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

This past week was our last week until planning, students come, and the beginning of school. We figured there wasn't a better way to spend this week than on the Thompson family vacation in FL. We had a great time! The water was beautiful, the sun was hot, and we ate a lot of good food. As I get older, the more that I appreciate free family vacations. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Navy Blue

2009-08-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

Navy blue is the Benjamin Moore color that Oliver and Hank painted our living room. i was afraid that it might be a little too dark, but it came out nicely (in my opinion). If any one has any ideas on what to put on the walls... please let me know:) More pictures to follow of the other parts of the house.

Thank the Lord he gave me a manly man:)

2009-08-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

I've been very thankful for Hank lately. There have been so many things around our house that I wouldn't have a clue how to even start doing. Cleaning out the garage, yard work, hanging up pictures, plumbing work, and installing lights are just a few things that he has been up to. We work well together. My parents are coming tomorrow to spend the night so it has given us extra motivation to get some projects done around the house!

The joys of house ownership

2009-07-31T21:15:00.000-07:00

We had a huge blessing happen today! We were having sewer problems (there is a bigger and grosser story to that) and after we finally got someone to look at it, they concluded that it was the city's responsibility!! Within 30 minutes, the city was out here and had fixed it.. for "free." What a relief!

The next hurdle was a clogged up drain. Hank borrowed a roto rooter from our neighbor and went to work! John P was here for moral support and 30 minutes later..clean drain! Whahoo!

2009-07-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

Colorado sure is different than Alabama! Hank and I were amazed by the beautiful scenery on the way from the airport! On our day off, we drove up into the mountains towards Estes Park. We stopped by the side of the road and a nice fisherman took our picture.

Tim Keller was our highlight of the entire conference! We met in the CSU basketball gym during the morning and night sessions. There were over 5,000 people there (not including the 1, 000 kids in childcare)! It was incredible to see so many staff in one building.

Colorado

2009-07-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

We are officially starting to blog here in Colorado at our bi-annual Crusade conference. It is as beautiful here as in the postcards, and it has been a blast so far! We've heard great messages from Tim Keller, our President Steve Douglass, and many others. It has been encouraging to hear what God is doing all around the world through Campus Crusades' ministries. Hank and I both have felt priveleged to work for an organization that is intent on letting His name be known throughout the nations. Pictures to follow!