Visit with Aunt Audie...

Aunt Audie stopped by for a visit on her way home to Foley. Michaela and I had a great time. Michaela got her first set of fashion jewelry and was a big fan from the first time she sported the set. Thanks Aunt Audie for a fun time and for my presents!!!

Congrats Kelly!

We are so proud of Kelly for getting her masters at New Orleans Theological Seminary. Her and David have worked really hard! They had to move due to Hurricane Katrina where they lost much, including Kelly's car at the time. They stuck it out though, and for that we are proud! :)

We went down to New Orleans and had a great time! We ate at some wonderful restaurants and got a nightly Starbucks fix, due to the fact that David works there. Props to David! I am so blessed to have become a part of such a wonderful family. They are wonderful to both Michaela and I.

Quick Catch Up Time...

Dad and Chris went pheasant hunting in Iowa back in November. They had a great time and killed a few! I have to say, I didn't know how beautiful those birds are. The tail feathers are gorgeous.
Grammy has spent quite a bit of time hanging out here over the past several weeks off and on. It is always such a treat to have her around. Michaela really thinks so!
Here is a group pic at Erika's wedding. There aren't any opportunities for many of these now that we all live in different places!

Well, a lot of time has passed since I last posted. I guess we have just been busy. I am sure that everyone knows how this time of the year is. It is great, but just a little faster paced. We went home (FOley) for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time. I got to shop till I dropped, so that was a lot of fun! Chris and dad basically just did there own thing and all us girls got to spend some time together.

This past weekend, we went to New Orleans to see Kelly graduate from New Orleans Seminary. We had a great time. I will post more on that soon~

Michaela is growing fast and it is just getting more and more fun. I am really excited about Christmas this year. She will really enjoy herself. Especially because we will spend lots of time with family!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas! It is my goal to just be relaxed and enjoy myself. It is so easy to get stressed this time of the year. Find a good book and read over the holidays! That is one of my fav things to do!
Talk to everyone soon!

Life is precious!

Well, Michaela has moved up in life. She has a box! Why buy toys when you can make them even more happy with a cardboard box? I just want to say that God is too good to me. Take a few moments and ponder the blessings that are showered out from our Lord. It can be overwhelming at times. Even through trials, God always manages to work through us in a way that is incomprehensible. He is a faithful God!

Have a wonderful day.

Just some pics.

Pumpkin Patch!

Chris, Michaela, and I went to the pumpkin patch in Hamilton on Saturday! We had a great time. The weather was beautiful, which was an added bonus. Michaela especially loved the wagon ride! We are going to carve our pumpkin tonight! I will post pics of that later. Life has been absolutely wonderful here lately! Michaela is more of a blessing each day. We couldn't ask for more. I can't help but wonder if God has another one in our future! For all of you prayer warriors out there, please pray that there is another miracle in store for us. I know though that GOd's timing is always perfect.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Tah Tah for now~!

So much fun!

I just thought these were some cute pics. Michaela wanted me to put that headband around her head tonight. She thought she looked so cool. She pulled it off every few minutes and then would bring it back to me to put on. You would think it was Easter time because she was all about walking around with her basket picking things up. So fun! Everyone have a great week!

Michaela and her rocking chair!

We have discovered that Michaela loves to climb on things. She loves climbing in and out of her rocking chair that Grandma Becky painted for her. It was actually Chris' when he was a little boy. She climbs in, rocks a little, and climbs out. This goes on for quite a while before she wears herself slap out! I am so proud of her little sweater in the above pics. Her GG Jessie knitted it for her before she was born. I am so glad that she will get plenty of use out of it this fall and winter. Grandpa Bob bought her the other sleep outfit. It says NEtJets on it and has little airplanes on the jacket and the onesie! Thanks gramps!

Well, Michaela is officially walking more than she is crawling. I think she has figured out that it hurts her knees much less, and she just looks so darn cute doing it. As a matter of fact, I believe that walking has been the only way of getting from place to place that she has used today! I will talk to you all soon.

BYE the way, the womens conference I attended last weekend was unbelievable! I urge you to go next year if you are in or near the Jackson area. It was an Extraordinary Women conference. Also, if you have not heard, the new Point of Grace CD is awesome!!! I never thought I would ever say that b/c I got a little tired of them through the years, but this newest one is by far their best one yet. (In my opinion) You can go on the Point of Grace website to get a taste of that as well. I will talk to you all soon. Have a fab day!

Just a few ramblings...

Well, we have had a really great past week! Chris' ten year high school reunion was this past weekend and we had a fun time! He was able to see people he hadn't seen in a really long time. I enjoyed meeting many of them as well. It is so unreal that it has been 10 years since we have graduated high school! WOW!
Michaela is doing lots of firsts these days! She started standing up in the middle of the floor when she was about 10.5 months old, so we thought walking was soon at hand. Think again. It wasn't until two months later that she started full out walking around. About a week or two ago she started walking about 5-10 steps at a time. Now she is a pro at this walking thing. It is so exciting to see her learn and experience new things! I love being a mommy! ME want more!!!! :) She is also talking a lot more. It is so fun to be able to tell her to go get her baby, bunny, or whatever and see her go directly to it and bring it to me. It is so amazing that although they cannot verbalize a ton of things at this stage, they know exactly what we are telling them to do. It reminds me of what a responsibility we have as parents to be an example in word and deed. They pick up on more than we realize!
I do not currently have any pictures to upload at the moment. I will post some as soon as I get around to putting them on the computer!
Oh yeah! I am attending a conference this week in Jackson. I am so excited! Chris will have Michaela Friday and Saturday, so it will be an adventure for him as well. I am looking forward to seeing what the Lord will do at this conference!
Nothing but love~!

What a Crazy Few Weeks!

Michaela likes to get in her pool anytime. Even when fully clothed! I love the ghetto bootie in this picture. It is amazing how much a diaper can absorb!
She is all about mommies sunglasses now. I think she thinks she looks cool.
It is a treat when mommy actually gives in and lets Michaela see the cell phone. She really thinks she is hot stuff then!
Well, it has been a while. First of all, my wonderful mother was here with us for a week after Michaela's birthday. It was an absolute joy to have her here. I just wish my family lived closer. Michaela had a blast with Grammy too! The weekend after Michaela's bday, mom stayed with her for a night while Chris and I went over to B'ham for a night. That was the first night I had away from Michaela, so although it was very wierd and I thought about her very often, it was a treat for Chris and I to be able to get away and relax! Thanks mommy, your the best.

Michaela got her shots right after her birthday and they did not go over well. She has never really had any type of reaction before, so this was all new to me. It took her a good week to start feeling herself again. I am just thankful that there is only one more round left for a long while! At her year checkup, everything looked great. She weighed 20 lb 10 oz and is 30 inches tall. It is amazing how much they grow in the first year.

Michaela is still not full out walking, but as close as you can get. Seven steps is the most I have seen her take at one time before realizing she gets places faster crawling. It is amazing to me that she loves to pick up heavy things and stand dancing like a maniac, yet she still has no real desire to take this walking thing to the next level. It will come at the right time though.

Well there is a lot more to share but I will do this at a later date! I have too much to do today, although I would love to share my life story on here. I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful rest of the week. Remember, life is precious, life is sweet...

Happy Birthday Michaela!

Our little angel one year ago!

She was a little timid eating her first birthday cake!
Michaela loves her new car. BEEP BEEP!

I can't believe our sweetie is already a year old. We had a birthday celebration for her on Saturday. I think she had a great time although she had no clue what the big fuss was over. It has been a year with millions of blessings. She has so richly blessed our lives. Time really does fly by!

It was great to have a lot of my family in town for the big day. We are so proud to have such a loving and supportive family, whether they were able to make it or not! Thanks to all of you who made it to this special day.

I look forward to what God will do in the coming year. Every day just gets more fun.

Michaela Camille Clardy...Mommy and Daddy's Miracle

2 Corinthians 12:9“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Isn’t it amazing to know that God wants to be a part of each and every one of our lives? He is not a God that just sits back and enjoys the show. He is a God who deeply cares for us and wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives. The reality of this truth became clear to me about five years ago. I was diagnosed with stage 4 (most severe) endometriosis. The doctor who initially saw me wanted to do an immediate surgery to remove the massive cysts that I had developed. God had other plans though. I was referred to a specialist in Mobile to get a second opinion. This simple act of wisdom (on behalf of loved ones concern) was the hand of God directing me on the path that He would use to protect me and my future of having a child. It was clearly evident that this doctor was the man for the job. He scheduled me for the first of which would later be two laparoscopic surgeries. Going into the first surgery, there was much uncertainty. The prognosis did not look good according to what could be seen by the ultrasounds. The doctor was very straight forward in telling me the worst case scenario, which could mean a hysterectomy. I will never forget being back in the prep room on the morning of the procedure. The following verse is a perfect picture of what I felt…”And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 I had an overwhelming sense of peace that God was going to take care of me, no matter the outcome. If I came out of surgery without a hope of bearing children one day, that was OK. God had great things in store for me. He knows better than I do of what is best for me. So many times, we want to control what happens in our lives. If God is your Lord, then you soon realize that He knows what is best for you. He can see your innermost thoughts, He knows the future, He loves you more than anyone, and everything we have is His anyhow. True faith is trusting God and accepting whatever His answer is, even if it is not the answer that we may be hoping for! No matter what we are handed in life, we can praise God and find joy in what he has blessed us with.

On that day, a miracle was witnessed. The doctor could not have been more happy with the results. Don’t get me wrong, I was really messed up, but there were so many things to be thankful for. Without getting too technical, the most fragile parts that are needed to conceive were miraculously untouched by the endometriosis that had basically destroyed everything around it.

Let me add a short side note! My wonderful husband Chris (only a boyfriend at the time) stood by me through all of this. As a matter of fact, a few weeks after the first surgery he asked me to marry him. He didn’t have a clue whether I would ever be able to bear children, but he loved me more than that. In the midst of it all, God gave me a treasure that would never be doubted. The love Chris showed for me is the love that God shows for us everyday. God loves us, broken parts and all!

After another surgery (a little over a month before I would be married), things still looked better than could be expected. The odds of me becoming pregnant without aggressive medical intervention were still bleak, but my motto by that time had taken root. God isn’t bound by science. We all know that He raised a man from the dead and He allowed Abraham and Sarah (both as old as the hills) to be with child. “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20 Now, I want you to know, I was not Miss Strong Woman of Faith all of the time. There were times that I found myself doubting that God would ever allow me to have a child. Satan really tries to attack God’s children. Sadly enough, I let him take a hold of my thoughts from time to time. God is bigger than that though. It wasn’t a situation in which I was dwelling on whether God would give me a child or not. It was a situation in which I needed to be willing to say, “God, whatever You provide, I will praise you!” Child or not, You are to be praised.”

Well, it is not hard to figure out what happened. After unsuccessfully getting pregnant for over a year, we consulted with our doctor about the next step. He gave us information on our options. The only options that would still only give us about a 10% chance of getting pregnant and keeping the baby. Well, after months of prayer over what step we were to take next, I got an answer. I remember feeling a peace about doing nothing for a while. I knew that the options available were wonderful options in which one day we might follow through with. I just knew that the timing was not right.

You will not believe what happened! About two weeks later, I found out that I was pregnant. Chris was so shocked that he tried to calm me down from getting too excited. He didn’t want to see me get disappointed yet again. Well, I called my nurse in Mobile and she warned me of the likelihood of loosing the child. We knew that God would carry us through whatever happened. I was just so pumped and overwhelmed to know that I was pregnant. God worked beyond what doctors can explain. He had performed a miracle in our lives. What would follow the next nine months was a healthy pregnancy with an active baby growing.

On September 8th, our perfect miracle, Michaela Camille, was born. There were several complications, which landed Michaela in ICU for a week, but God once again proved that His hand was on the situation. She improved with flying colors and left the hospital as healthy as any other baby. She has blessed our lives this past year beyond comprehension. When I hold her, I am reminded each time of God’s presence in our lives. He blessed our lives so richly with a child, but also gave us grace in which we will never comprehend. We didn’t deserve this gift, but we are so grateful that the Lord chose us to raise Michaela. I can’t wait to tell her about the above story. I want to glorify God in what He has done for the rest of my days. We desire for many more little miracles, so we will see if God has any more great plans for a bigger family. Thanks to all of you who were consistent in lifting us up through the hard times. Your prayers were felt and I firmly believe that God honored them. We love you all and look forward to seeing what God will do in your lives. He is waiting for your surrender, and the rest will be history!

“And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27

“For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him.” I Samuel 1:27

Everyday Blessings

It is so hard to get a family picture these days. We have to work with what we've got!
"Don't even think about getting any of my mac and cheese!"
"I have to pull out every book and CD to see which one I want to listen to or read! Then you can clean it up mama!"

Isn't it a fun game to try to figure out what they are thinking? Many times they will let you know... whether it be by a little pout of the lip or a loud noise departing from their mouth or even a giggle that may make you want to eat them all up! Life is fun! I never have to look for anything to do. As a matter of fact, I have to dig for time to do absolutely nothing. Life is precious. Don't take a moment for granted. I am speaking to those of you who may be childless or have several little kiddos! There is joy to be found in all of life's circumstances.

Side note: It is raining cats and dogs outside! Yee haw! I am ready to see some green grass! Thank heavens for rain.

Anyways, life has been great this past week or so. God has really shown me so much. I many times go through a spell where things seem to be just happening, and then the Lord reminds me to see each day as a blessing and live it to its fullest. So, whether I am mopping the floor, or just plain hanging out with my family, I am happy!

So many things have been happening with Michaela here lately. She took her first step a few nights ago. She still is not walking, but I have a feeling that the time is not far away. We have discovered that the child is indeed an eater. She loves just about everything. Hmm. Like okra, cabbage, grean beans, broccoli, and many other things. She is down to one bottle a day, and honestly couldn't even care less about that. So, I have started giving her some whole milk. She loves it so far. I just hope her tummy loves it as well. We shall see. It is amazing how much she has started talking in the last few weeks. She has always been a babbler, but now she is actually attaching words to the same things over and over again. She says: daddy, mama, juice, thanks, dog, and duck. There is also still a whole lot of babblin' going on.

Well, I hope all of you that read this have a blessed day. It is so great to be able to keep up with you without seeing you. Although we don't all have the luxury of being together often, just knowing how all of you are doing brings a smile to my face.

Tah Tah for now!

P.S. Here is a great website. www.etsy.com It has all sorts of handmade things to buy! I love it.

Trip to Foley!!!

These pics were taken by my friends, the Trehernes. They are good friends of ours and actually did our wedding pics! Thank you Patrick and Sharlene!
Peek a Boo!

Grandpa, the human motor boat!

We just got back from Foley last night. We had a great time visiting my family. We did a little bit of everything. Of course, the women had to do some shopping. I was excited because we were able to go to Fairhope on Thursday and do some shopping around. I always enjoy all of the cute shops. There are also some really good eating places! We also took Michaela swimming. Last night we celebrated my grandmother's and my birthday! Dad boiled some shrimp and crab legs. Let me tell you, it was FINE! Michaela loved the crab. I was leary to give her some because one of my grandmothers has a severe allergy to shell fish. Michaela apparently does not have any allergy though, because she ate it like a champ and had no adverse affects. Expensive taste my darling!

Chris is in the process of learning how to fly a tail dragger plane. My dad has a small plane that we like to fly in when in Foley. Chris has everything down except for the landing thing. I will post a picture of the plane and him flying it when I get a pic. Above are some pics that we took when out of town.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Does anyone remember a time when it was this hot? I about die everytime I leave the house. This is a shoutout for all of you strong men who work out in the heat! You are all the "MAN!" My husband is included in this group of troopers. Luckily, Chris has not had a whole lot going on to keep him outside this past week. I am just thankful that I was 8 months pregnant this time LAST year! I feel like a cooped up hermit these past few days. It doesn't even feel good to go swimming because the water is as hot as my bath water. So, off to Leigh Mall (if you call it that) to stroll around Michaela and get her out. Luckily there are not many stores that will tempt me to spend too much money! Now, if I lived in Tupelo... well then we may have a problem.

Since I don't have any recent pics to post today, I shall fill you in on Chris and all of his ventures. He is currently developing a subdivision here in Columbus. It has always been a dream of his to build houses and develop a subdivision. After years of praying, God made it clear that he had opened a door for this to happen a little over a year ago. Well, it has been a whirlwind ever since. He will hopefully have 5-6 houses finished soon after the new year. God has really blessed us in this endeavor. SO, if you or anyone you know is looking for a house or someone to build a house, give us a holla! You can go to http://www.newhomebuilding.net/ to see a little of what he does. He is currently the featured contractor on the website!

Going back to the heat. Everyone stay inside. Thank God everyday for air conditioning. If you get bored, give me a call. I am all about finding something to do out of the heat, and I need a good buddy to save my sanity! Love you all! See you perhaps on a day where it is 99 degrees or less! Tah Tah for now!

Just some pics.

Here are some new random pics. I promise my child is not always going around in a diaper. She is just at her funniest before and after her bath. Plus, she likes to get around in just a diaper. She feels more free! Ha.

I am in the process of planning her one year birthday. Does anyone have any great ideas? I am up for any suggestions.

For all of you going back to school, my prayers are with you. Give all of those kids some lovin! I miss my little crazies! Teachers are the best!