A testimony. A resource. A memoir.

T oday BJ and I became the proud owners of this darling little home!! We started looking for houses the very beginning of January, and well before February is even off of the calendar, we are HOME OWNERS!! We are SO excited for this new transition (in the midst of an even bigger transition).... We now are suburbians.... we our residents of the Town of Coppell! We are so excited because the neighborhood couldn't be more perfect for us... SAFE, young families, one high school (so far), and tons of parks! And my best pal Minpop lives a mile away... Woot Woot Mindy! (haha!) We will post pictures of the inside of the house soon... and when I say soon, don't hold your breath. Soon may be sometime in the coming months... stay posted! The Lord is so gracious to us and we feel honored to bring Baby Rector home here later this summer!!

This week people finally started to notice Baby Rector... I feel like I have been pregnant for so long, it is nice to finally have people agree that they SEE the baby bump!! For the most part, it has been a relatively uneventful week... I have felt the "flutters" maybe once or twice more, but again, very briefly. The most exciting thing to note is that we started packing! Our apartment is full of boxes and packing supplies and if you ask me, it is a complete mess. We are so excited to start this next chapter in our lives, so the mess is worth it... in other news, most exciting to me, my cravings have returned to normal (for the most part!). When this pregnancy began, we knew something was up, because as you can see about a week ago I ate my first hot dog in about 15 years. But I am proud to proclaim that I now am back to craving my usual: fruit and cottage cheese for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and chicken with vegetables for dinner (ok, so I still add a lot of snacks and t...

Wired for Intimacy T his was a post on a religious related blog I look at from time to time. It just so happens that I was having a conversation with a colleague very recently that incorporated all this and more. Intimacy on every level is an important concern for married couples. I thought that what this post revealed was a good book for couples to look into reading and if nothing more to have a conversation about the struggle and it defeats and victories in marriage. This is one, primary/major, place that Satan swiftly with shredding results cuts marriages up. Expectations can be communicated and resolved, this has longer and deeper wounds than many men and women know or give credit. The opening paragraph truly speaks volumes to the roaring lion seeking those to destroy. And when I say destroy, this morning it has a very new and different ring in my ears. After so many conversations and such long anguish myself with the difficulties of the christian life being destroyed never seemed ...

So Valentines Day has come and gone, and I forgot to mention that while BJ and I decided not to exchange gifts due to our upcoming vacation to Hawaii , he did do something quite darling and blog worthy. About a week before Valentines Day I was getting my hair cut (finally!) at an early morning appointment. I have changed salons one million times, so BJ was curious where I was going this time. I let him know I was heading to Osgood O'Neil in Snider Plaza, thinking that would be the end of the discussion... So I am about halfway through my haircut, and in walks BJ... I am stationed right by the door, so I immediately saw him but he acted like he didn't know me. He is holding this little flower and once he got to my chair he said: "I have a Special Delivery for a Mrs. Karen Rector... I was told to read the card aloud: Because every day could be Valentines Day with you... (now kiss her) Ma'am, the card says that I am supposed to Kiss you now." He then proceeds to giv...

So we are officially 4 months pregnant this week! I can hardly believe it - well, in some ways I can when I think back to how sick I was for the first three months, but in all honestly, I cannot believe I am writing today about being 16 weeks pregnant... at some level, this is all still VERY surreal. What an amazing week... while reading some pregnancy books, I discovered that beginning the 16th week, mom's can begin to feel the baby move. When I woke up on Saturday morning, I had a mild case of the butterflies (it literally felt like little flutters in my stomach!). It only lasted but a few moments, but it was such a fun, amazing experience!! On Saturday, Grandma Dot, Aunt Katie and I started shopping for the nursery... since our little pumpkin is going to be a surprise, we were shopping for both a girl and a boy! While shopping, we randomly came across the most amazing, antique crib (Dot found it!) and we all new it was just perfect... so thank you Grandma and Grandpa Gross for b...

So there have been some recent happenings that have confirmed overwhelmingly that I am my father's daughter. For the most part, I truly am blessed to say that I take after him... I mean: 1. He did pass his name on to me... - James Michael Gross / Karen Michael Rector 2. We both have a ridiculous sense of humor... meaning he tells awful jokes and I laugh. 3. We both are probably the loudest people you will ever meet... if you are in a room with both of us, watch out (that really goes for my brother Ben and sister Katie, too). 4. We both have a personal, passionate relationship with Christ... I can honestly say mine has been greatly shaped by the pursuit I have observed my dad, and mom, have towards the Lord. 5. We are both cheap... now I don't mean cheap in a negative way at all. I mean that we both really enjoy managing money, SAVING it for bigger purchases rather that spending it frivolously on "junk" we probably don't need (I have my mom to spoil me for those th...

T hat's right friends - we are packing our bags and taking a little BABYMOON next month. BJ surprised me last week and had this little ditty all worked out... ...In fact I did work out all the details, only to rework them a week later after the final go-ahead from Karen. Her rationale was appreciated and wise, albeit not well recieved at first. I called her the fun-killer. Ironic I know... "I'm a fun girl!" her famous self proclamation. (this portion written by BJ) N ot going to lie - when BJ first told me about this trip I was a little stressed (it's the planner and realist in me)... I mean, our life is crazy - and obviously finances are about to go haywire when we get into our new house and bring baby home... but as a good reminder, I have been brought back down to earth in realizing that there will ALWAYS be an excuse, we have more freedom now then we probably will ever again and God has ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS been our Faithful provider... we have the funds, so i...