Your Going To Miss This

About a month ago I heard this song by Trace Adkins on the country music station. Of course, me being pregnant and able to cry at the drop of a hat (one time, while I was pregnant with this baby, I could not stop crying which is a crazy feeling not being able to control your emotions...that only happened one time praise God), I cried when I heard this song. It is a good reminder for me to be still and enjoy the season of life God has me in. For me, I always struggle with patience...I wanted to hurry and get married, have kids, and now I want Jackson to hurry up and speak sentences to me.

Enjoy the lyrics, and enjoy the season of life God has you in, because you will probably miss it (I already miss Jackson being a baby and he was just a baby a year ago)

She was staring out the window of their SUV
Complaning, saying "I can't wait to turn 18"
She said "I'll make my own money, and I'll make my own rules"
Mamma put the car in park out there in front of the school
Then she kissed her head and said "I was just like you"

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In a one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by
He tells her "It's a nice place"
She says "It'll do for now"
Starts talking about babies and buying a house
Daddy shakes his head and says "Baby, just slow down"

Cause you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Five years later there's a plumber workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin', one kid's screamin'
And she keeps apologizin'
He says "They don't bother me.
I've got 2 babies of my own.
One's 36, one's 23.
Huh, it's hard to believe, but...

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"

Video of Jackson playing at Funzone

We had another great preschool playdate with First Baptist Preschool ministry at the Funzone in Irmo last Friday. Jackson had a really great time. He even went on the giant slide and got into a big bouncing basketball court (if you are ever near Irmo, this is a great and fun place to go with your kids...I think it is $6 for toddlers and $8 for children...no charge for adults - and do not forget to bring your child's socks!). This is video of him in the toddler room going down a "toddler roller coaster." Fun times!

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

Isaiah

In the last month or so I have been reading through Isaiah while doing my yearly Bible reading plan. I have read through Isaiah before, but I have forgotten what a wonderful book of the Bible it is. Not only does Isaiah have rich descriptions that foreshadow Jesus, some of the most beautiful and encouraging passages in all of Scripture are between its pages.

Also, when I went out to One Day in 2003 many of the speakers preached from Isaiah and I have that marked in my Bible. One Day is where God clearly called me into ministry before Charlie and I were engaged. God used the One Day Conference to change the entire course of my life, and I am so blessed because of it!

Isaiah 26: A Song of Praise

vs 3 You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind in steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal
He humbles those who dwell on high,
he lays the lofty city low;

vs. 8 Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,
we wait for you;
your name and renown
are the desires of our hearts

Right now, I am just so thankful - thankful for a healthy baby in my womb. Also, very thankful to see weekly children come to know Christ as their Savior and Lord or to watch life change happen in their lives (and their parents lives) as they trust in Him. We are so blessed.

My prayer is that we continue to walk in the ways of His laws and that I can learn to wait on him (He can teach me supernatural patience that I just do not have). I really want God's glory to be the desire of my heart and His glory to be the focus of our days. Are we really focused on God's glory - or our own glory? It really is all about what our hearts and our minds are focused on. I know that God works all things out for our good and His glory for those who love Him. Praise God!

Controversial Topic: Are Vaccinations Really Safe?

Over on the Prayer of Hannah's blog they are discussing if vaccinations are really safe for our children. Can they cause autism? The information out there all seems to contradict each other if you ask me. All I know is that I felt uneasy when Jackson was nine months old and the doctors wanted to give Jackson four shots (which contain small amounts of viruses, etc) all at one time. Can a nine month old baby really handle that many shots at one time? Jackson ran a high fever after these shots and acted like he was very sick for a day. When we were growing up they had half of the amount of vaccinations and I do not think they would dream of giving a baby four shots at one time.

Do you allow your pediatrician to give your baby up to four or five shots at a time? Our new pediatrician, "Palmetto Pediatrics," has only given Jackson two vaccinations at a time in the short time we have been going to them. Have y'all educated yourselves about vaccinations and read any good books on the topic such as The Vaccine Book? Also, why do all we hear about is boys getting autism from these shots?

I would love to hear from you...I really feel uneducated on this topic!

Video of Abigail's Heart Beat

Video of Abigail in the Womb

This time during the ultrasound they copied everything on a CD-R and they were even able to get some video on there. This video is only 3 seconds long so if you blink you might miss it. They have come a long way in just a 2 short years! I forgot to mention yesterday that she stuck her tongue out at us a couple times during the ultrasound...hilarious.

We are Having A . . .

In case you could not read the ultrasound, we are having a GIRL! I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am also very shocked. Do not buy the intelligender test, it was wrong! The ultrasound tech asked us how much we spent on that test and that was the first clue that she was a girl. She said she was 100 percent sure it was a girl since her legs were open so well. Her heart beat was 149 which is still pretty low for a girl. More importantly, she looks perfectly healthy and my blood pressure was perfect and I am not having blood pressure issues anymore.

When she said it was a girl, I cried because I was so happy just like with Jackson (I really wanted a boy to be our first child). The ultrasound tech had to go get me tissues and I was crying saying my dad was right. God had given my dad so many signs it was a girl. Even after I did that test, he would ask me how Abigail was doing. Also, on the way to the ultrasound appointment this morning, Charlie heard some country song about giving birth to a baby girl and he thought that it might be a sign. Crazy! I cannot wait to go buy bows and dresses! Her name will probably be Abigail Easterlin Wallace and we will call her Abby. In seminary, I did a paper on Abigail who is in Bible and I just knew if I ever have a girl that is what I wanted to name her (my mom's name is Gail so she was partly be named after her). The name Abigail means "father's joy" which is perfect. Ah! I am still shocked writing this. I have not been sick at all and I have felt exactly the same way I did with Jackson. God is so good and gets all the glory!

Jackson Got to Particapte in VBS

Our preschool coordinator was so great to move a couple of the older 1's (whose parents were working VBS) to the 2 year old room so they could learn some of the material. Jackson also got to go outside for the first time and play with the wheel toys which he loved. However, he got pretty tired and even feel asleep on some of the adults' laps some days (he is not used to 4 hours of activity time in the morning). Everyday, they sent home material he learned and one day they had a great song that yall can teach your toddler.

Here is the song:

Thank You, God, for Jesus

Sing the words below to the tune "Are You Sleeping?"

Here the good news; Here the good news:
Jesus was born; Jesus was born.
Thank You God, for Jesus; Thank You, God, for Jesus.
Thank You, God; Thank You, God.

Overall, VBS went better than we could ever have imagined it going. We had so many great teachers and God gets all the glory. I think Charlie said there were definitely 30 decisions made for Christ..that is amazing.

Jackson's One and Only First Cousin

Last weekend we got to go to dinner with Charlie's sister. She has a little boy, Jake, who is about 2 years older than Jackson and they only live 8 minutes away from us! So far, this is Jackson's only first cousin. They had a blast playing together.

I know it will be hard at first, but our next baby will be about the same age difference as Jake and Jackson are. I know the older they get the closer they will become. We are so blessed to have them living so close to us!

I find out Monday morning at 8 am what the gender is of the baby. We have the big ultrasound that day, and I am praying that we he does not close his legs! I am 85 percent sure it is a boy, but I will be very happy either way...we are just praying for a healthy baby.

Major Decisions Made Today at VBS!

Today, Charlie gave a time of response and I think there were 35 or so decisions made today. Out of our 4th grade girls group we had 7 raise their hands that they were ready to make a decision to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

I got the privilege of counselling the 7 girls, and 4 girls were definitely ready to accept Christ. God is so good! One girl was not sure and then after our Bible study time she came to me with tears in her eyes saying she had just accepted Christ. I really saw a dramatic change in her from Monday to today in her attitude and everything. It was unbelievable to watch someone be transformed right before my eyes.

Thank you for your prayers! God is really moving in the children's hearts this week!

Banna Pudding Receipe (yes this is still my blog)

Last weekend we went over to Charlie's sister's house for a cookout. I have been craving banana pudding so I offered to make some for everyone. I really enjoy cooking when making it for more than 1 person. If you know me or this blog at all, you know I am not a good cook and have struggled in this area. Charlie stepped in and helped me during the middle of making it and he came up with all these creative things to do (the teacher in him coming out) by mixing the banana's together and coming up with this beautiful design. God knew I needed a husband who was gifted in this area and I am so blessed.

Here is the recipe:

• 8 Large Bananas
• 1 5 oz box of instant vanilla pudding
• 1 8 oz carton of sour cream
• 1 large carton of whipped topping

• Mix pudding and mix sour cream and 1/2 whipped topping. Layer pudding bananas and wafers in a 9 X 13 dish. Top the remaining of the whipped cream on top.

Pray for our VBS!

Our Vacation Bible School is this week and we are so excited about what all God is going to do! I am feeling a little overwhelmed because I am teaching 4th grade Sunday School this Sunday and next and then teaching 4th grade boys and girls all next week (Our VBS is from 9-12 pm).

Pray that:

• Teachers can have enough time to prepare and figure out everything. I love Lifeway's VBS, the music is phenomenal, but the directions for the teachers are very involved and just very complicated in certain sections. I taught 5 year olds last year and it was not nearly as involved. Preparing for Sunday School today seemed like a breeze compared to trying to figure everything out for VBS. I am praying that they simplify things for next year.
• Children are clearly presented the Gospel and that Satan and his demons do not cause distractions.
  
• That children make the most important decision of their lives, to follow Christ. Pray that they will be rescued from this world of darkness and come to have a relationship with Jesus.
  
• That Satan and his demons do not attack the Wallace house this week. Last year we had the fire in the middle of VBS...being in children's ministry this is probably the most important life changing, eternal, week for the children's ministry. I have been having some blood pressure issues so just pray that it continues to be stable for next week.

We are so excited that we have 215 children signed up already and many of them are not First Baptist members. Thank you for your prayers that these children's lives will be forever changed!

Video of Our Zoo Trip

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Fun at the Zoo!

We went to the zoo this morning with a group from First Baptist. Ashley, the Preschool coordinator, has organized many great "Preschool Playdates" for this summer and we had a great turnout this morning (I think around 30 people). Jackson loves the zoo and it really did not get hot until around lunch time.

4th of July Weekend Pictures!

We had a great 4th of July weekend in Spartanburg! Grand bought Jackson a kid size putter and we took him out to the putting green for the first time. He did surprisingly well. He loves watching golf and he knew immediately that the ball went in the hole and picked up the ball and put it in the hole. He seemed to really enjoy the whole experience. It was so great to see my sister, and celebrate Gigi's birthday.

I had a major allergy attack Friday night unfortunately. I have found out recently that nasonex is a category C drug for pregnancy and I am not taking it right now. There has been no birth defects in babies, but there has been low birth weight and birth defects in mice that were tested (I do not think they have tested pregnant women with it yet). I really do not like to take any medication during pregnancy, you just never know the effects. So, I am just taking claritin and Benadryl as needed. Just wanted pregnant ladies out there to know the dangers of this drug while pregnant since it is a steroid.

Some Major Praises!

With Me:

• I am feeling so much better now that the doctor said it was ok for me to take Nasonex for my sinuses. If God ever blesses me with another child, I hope I read this post and know that it is safe for me to take Nasonex when I am pregnant. I have not had a sneezing attack in almost a week! I was not able to do much of anything because I was constantly sneezing. I was even waking up in the middle of the night sneezing. God is so good! Even if I just feel this good for 5 days, I am thankful!
• We bought a blood pressure machine (a very cheap one) and my blood pressure has been normal
• I have been actually cooking. Saturday night a cooked Party Chicken. It was so good and saved us major money because we mad 2 meals out of it

Here is the recipe:

• 6 Boneless Chicken Breast
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 “…”of mushroom soup
• 2 cups of Sour Cream
• 1 package of dried beef
• 6 slices of bacon
• Ball up chicken-wrap dried beef around-wrap bacon around with toothpick- Cook for 2 hours Pour soup over rice. *First you mix the cream of chicken soup and mushroom soup and sour cream together in a bowl and spread it out on a the bottom of casserole dish. We like to mix the soup with rice 10 minute instant rice (the ones that come in the bags)
• I also cooked Hamburger Helper one night and Charlie and I made egg salad for sandwiches (he is a much better cook than I am)
• Finally, I am still able to do my Body Step and Body Combat classes. It is getting harder ever week, but I am feeling so great! I am in great shape unlike when I was pregnant with Jackson

With Jackson

· Jackson is doing so well! Pray that he does not get Charlie’s sinus infection. When Charlie had a fever and we did not know it, he picked up Jackson.

· Jackson goes to bed at 8:30 and sleeps till 7:45 am. I feel like a new woman!

· He was a ham at the Celebration Liberty pageant. He went up in the parade with the preschoolers during the 7:30 pm performances (Charlie carried him in). With Jackson’s personality we knew he would either love it or hate it (and be scared with 4,000 people clapping) and cry. He loved being on stage and he just happened to be in the center of the stage, then on cue he waved his flag clapped his hands and cheered. I think he thought everyone was there to clap for him. He was hilarious. I got it on video but I had to use my video camera to zoom in since I was in the back of the room. I usually take video with my camera but I cannot zoom in with the video. I have no idea how to upload the video from my video camera on the web. I have to download some software that I have tried once but it did not work. Does anyone know how to upload videos from their video camera? Unless I get some help, unfortunately there will be no video of Jackson at the Celebration Liberty Performance. It happened so fast I did not even get any pictures.

· Jackson’s ears are all cleared up now! He is still only saying about 10 to 15 words, which is a little frustrating but I know boys are not as verbal as girls. He can build tiny blocks up to the ceiling and is advance when it comes to his motor skills, but he is still speaking his own language. The doctor is not concerned about it at all. He understands everything we say, and when we ask him to go get something for us he always does. The doctor said it is more important that he understands what we are saying.

· We are going to Spartanburg for the 4^th of the July so be on the look out for some much needed pictures! I am so excited about seeing my sister, I have not seen her in forever.