whilwind updates...

wow it has been quite some time since we have updated our blog... so much has changed so let me pull together a brief recap since august...

in August we had lots of excitement to add to our lives... I found out I was pregnant with our second child and a week later we went to Nashville to visit family. Phil had lined up 2 job interviews for while we were visiting and got called about a random 3rd one while we were in town... while on our way driving home from nashville on August 23rd we got a call and had 2 job offers on the table one from Lifeway's corp office and one from Avenue Bank's corp office...now let me brief you with WE WERE NOT expecting really anything to come from any of these interviews, but as you will soon see in this recap the Lord clearly had different plans for us :)


after lots and lots of prayer and negotiations Phil accepted a GREAT job at Avenue bank ( the random interview) and we were sent to move September 23rd... yes exactly a month after the offer came in... YIKES!!! thankfully we were able to rent our charleston home out within 8 days of listing it and my mom just so happen to be selling her house in Spring Hill TN that we were able to work out a great deal on... to say we are blessed is an understatement!!!

On September 14th Gentry turned ONE.... wow we have a toddler now, and I had already sent out invitations for her birthday party before all of the moving came into the picture... so 5 days before our set move date we hosted a birthday party for our sweet little girl at our very bare home... we feel truly blessed that many of our friends were able to come out and celebrate with us/ send Gentry off as one loved and blessed One year old!

moving went well and I couldn't have survived it without the help of my sweet mom and husband... you see while all of this chaos was going on... I was PUKING and puking LOTS! moving is never fun, but let me just say its even worse with morning sickness, a one year old, and a very short timeline... but with their help we managed to pull it all off!

we are now mostly settled in Nashville TN and loving it...(we still have a small amount of decorating/ unpacking to come) it has been such a blessing being so close to my family and many of my friends from college. Phil is loving his job and Gentry is truly thriving in her new found environment! and we are happy to announce we will be having ANOTHER GIRL... Greyleigh Tate Reynolds will be making her debut on April 12, 2012 via c-section and we cannot wait for her arrival!

so that should bring everyone up to speed on what has been happening with us, I apologize for the lack of updates in the past few months but as you can see we have had a lot going on

I promise to try and update more often when I am not chasing a toddler around ;)

Show us your Single Friends Kari

linking up with Kellys Kornor for show us your single friends... so i have a great single friend I want to share with you...

this little lady has all the spunk in the world and is full of fun!!!

Kari  is 28 currently lives in Nashville TN, but is originally from Sikeston MO home of the famous flying rolls at Lamberts( if you've never been GO). We met in College and became the best of friends... we were both in the same Sorority Zeta Tau Alpha, I guess you could say we were always getting in trouble pulling pranks, wait no let me rephrase that I was always getting in trouble.. she was always getting away with it ;)... 

college days

a few years after college we both found ourselves in Charleston SC where we became roommates!  I am sooooo thankful for this! we had so much fun together! The Lord has really blessed me with Kari's friendship, she is indeed a true gem... Loving, Logical, and so fun to be around!

here are some great things about Kari... She truly Loves the Lord! She is one faithful follower, and you will know that within minutes of talking to her! She loves loves loves music, which should come as no surprise why she enjoys living in Nashville TN. I always joke with her because it doesn't matter what radio station you are listening to, kari will know every word to every song :) And boy oh boy can this girl bust a move! she is a dancing machine! she is certainly fun to be around and comes equiped with witty remarks and things to make you giggle! In addition this little lady is a fantastic friend, her friendship has been a blessing to me over the years and if you knew her you would know why! she is intentional with her conversations and genuinly cares and loves people! I remember a time when we were living together and I got some rather unsettling news... in those moments her exact comment to me which I remember very well was... " don't worry you are not walking through this alone... I will be here to help pray and carry you through this" -- its friendships like that that really impact you and I can honestly say Kari has been one of them! Kari currently works in the Finance/ banking world and is a great manager with her moola! She loves kiddos and cannot wait to be a mama some day... I can already say her kids will be blessed beyond measure!

things that describe Kari:

*Fun* Honest* Genuine * Logical * Loving* Independent* Servant* Faithful* Caring* Spunky* God Fearing* Adventurous* Hilarious* Passionate* Woman of God!!

Kari will make a great wife to some lucky guy someday...Losers need not apply! this guy better be ready to have a fun filled life with lots of laugther, adventrues, concerts, and some goooooooooood cookin (she is a awesome cook) !!! And he better Love the Lord passionately!!

If you know a guy that can help continue to bring out the best in Kari then leave me a comment below :) or you can email me at crudisill@hotmail.com

Show me your single friend- Heather

Today I am Linking up with kellys korner for show us your Singles friday... 

with this being said I have a sweet single friend that I love dearly and think the world of, so the guy that marries her will have to be one GREAT guy!

Heather will more then likely kill me for this, but she loves me enough to forgive me ;)

Heather currently lives in St Louis MO but is originally from Dayton Ohio. We met in college at Union University in Jackson TN... we were both in the same sorority (Zeta Tau Alpha) where she was my big sis... I am so thankful the Lord brought her into my life for she has become one of my favorite and most cherished friends. she is a blessing not only to my life but to everyone she comes in contact with! Heather LOVES the Lord fully and challenges those around her to do the same...Her Love for the Lord Resonates by how she lives and I guess it should come as no surprise that this lady has taken her passion for the Lord and pours into high schoolers in the St Louis area. She is a K life leader and leads weekly meetings, arranges wacky fun filled events, but more importantly helps to plant the seed of eternal life in the youth of today. She is indeed wonder woman ;) or so I like to think... she is adventure oriented and a terrific friend! I am sure you can tell by the photos that she is GORGEOUS, but aside from that it is complicated to put into exact words the beauty of Heather on the inside... there is indeed no one like her and it will take a special guy to capture her heart!

what describes Heather:

Sweet* Beautiful* Loving*Servant*Creative* Compassionate* Determined* Independant*Humble*Elegant*Chanllenging* Fun* Hilarious*Passionate woman of God!!!

Heather has a way of making everyone feel special. I love getting sweet cards or messages from her just because she wanted me to know she love me!  She is intentional with her conversations and encouraging when you need it! She will indeed make a terrific wife someday, but not just for anyone... this guy better be the best of the best! a Godly leader that will love fully and live their life as a testimony, all while having fun, laughing lots, and eating a ton of veggies (shes a vegetarian). bottom line is I think the world of Heather and she needs a terrific Guy to join her on this amazing journey of life, but if he isnt a spiritual leader that knows how to laugh then don't bother, cause I won't let her date just anyone... it is my duty to be protective like that :)

if you happen to know the perfect fella for my sweet friend leave a comment below :) or you can email me at crudisill@hotmail.com

HAPPY 9 MONTHS

GENTRY,

you are a child of God...You are WONDERFULLY made,

dearly loved, and precious in his sight! Before God made you he

knew you- there is no one else like you!!!!!

we pray for you daily and love you beyond words!!!

HAPPY 9 MONTHS TO YOU!!! 

well my word it has already been 9 months

holy moly as of tomorrow I will have a 9 month old, I cannot believe it! this time has flown by and It is hard for me to come to grips with the fact that my sweet little baby is GROWING up and fast! Gentry has brought so much joy to our lives and continues to brighten each day! She is a total blessing and in this moment I cannot imagine my life without her...

here is a little scoop on our little poop!

she is a crawling machine and into everything she can get into. she is pulling up and just today helped herself to pulling up and sitting on the couch. We anticipate she will be walking within weeks since she is already standing by herself. I guess you could say she is the busiest baby on the block. this girl does not stop, but is this surprising knowing I am her mama? she is one social butterfly and LOVES other kids big and small... she is a happy happy and very smiley little girl! her favorite things to say are HEY, DADA, MAMA, BUBBA(this is her gpa), and MORE... we are just now working on sign language- please, thank you, all done and more. she loves to wave and anytime this girl hears music she is moving, I think we have a little dancer on our hands... she now loves to go shopping but I think she finds more joy in the attention she gets from fellow shoppers then the actual act of shopping itself ;) she loves to swing in her swing we bought for the porch.bath time and time at the pool are on her list of favorite moments and she can always be found close to buns and lola... she loves them and every morning when we all (me buns and lola) go in to get her from her crib she gets a huge smile and loves to wave good morning to them.. Gentry is 100% FULL of personality, she is a hoot and continues to crack me up on a daily basis... she has recently discovered some new friends that come by for a nightly visit to QUACK us up... she is obsessed with her duck buddies and waits by the front door for their arrival, this of course is hilarious to me :) I think she might be a small little thing she is just now in 6 month and sometimes 6-9 month clothes and we just graduated to size 3 diapers today...I also just noticed today we have a wee little tooth a poking through about to make its debut, but this however doesn't seem to bother her, she is much too busy getting into everything to care about a silly tooth :) she loves sweet potatoes with cinnamon and recently our new favorite is mashed up bananas and of course anything that is going in my mouth seems to be her favorite too. she loves to read books our favorites being 8 silly monkey's, and anything Dr Seuss (clearly taking after her mama)... this little lady is rarely without a bow and painted toe nails and never without bracelets! She is a fashionista in the making... aside from her bubbling personality she is a snuggler when its almost bed time... and every night she puts herself to sleep- for this I am grateful :) we have been paci free since 4 months of age and never was interested in her thumb (thank the lord)... she goes to bed at 8 and wakes up between 8 and 8:30am and still takes 2 - 2hour naps during the day... this is now about the only time I get anything done so I cherish my 4 hours of freedom :)... Gentry has perfected the art of entertaining herself... we daily have "crib time" where she will sit in her crib with 3 toys of choice and listen to some music and play... as long as there is music this little lady is happy happy! she is a jabber mouth and is always "talking" or making noises. she loves to ride in the car and is a fantastic traveler!!!she loves to do anything that involves rolling around in her stroller especially if that includes going for walks with buns and lola.... all in all I can say the Lord picked the perfect little girl to be apart of our family. we love her dearly and feel truly honored that we can call ourselves her parents, she keeps our life fun, fresh, and full of laughter and for this we are THANKFUL! We pray for her daily and delight ourselves in the little things like the giggles, grins and the overall time we get to spend with her :) 

my cute little brown eyed buggie

Thank you Lord for giving us the sweetest little lady and for hand picking her just for us, we have really enjoyed these 9 months and are excited for many more :)

big smiles

enjoying a dip in the pool

pretty in pearls

our duck friends coming to play

 

Character...

Recently I have been thinking a lot about Gentry and how to teach her about God. I know she is only 8 months old, and that it will be some time until she truly understands what he is all about, but I feel its never to early to begin planting the seeds that will someday lead her to love the Lord. I feel one of the greatest responsibilities I have as a parent is helping shape Gentry's character. when I truly think about this responsibility it makes me very nervous... that is a huge responsibility!  how I live my life, my actions, my words, my service... everything I do will help teach her about Character..this is hard to me because I feel as humans we build so much time looking toward the future and building our careers, that we forget about character being far more important... Our focus should be more on modeling ourselves after God and building our eternal character... afterall you don't take your career to heaven, but you do however take your character... So as I continue this journey of parenthood I am going to change the way I look at this life... from now on I am going to strive to model my life as a preparation for the next... my time here on earth is brief, along with it comes challenges, fun times, and lessons that produce growth-  and while I am preparing myself for eternity, in return I will be preparing Gentry not only for a relationship with God, but for her eternity too....


Lord give me the guidance to live my life as a reflection of you in everything I do!

First of Many

A year ago today I was preparing for what I knew would be the most important job in my life.... Being a MOM... looking back on it now I had no idea what this job would ential, require, and cost.... weighing in  now a year later I can tell you this job has been the hardest in my 29 years of life... it requires patience, sacrifice, time, but more importantly it has helped me find a whole new way to love... don't get me wrong, I have definitely loved... but the Love of a mother is so different, so unique, so everlasting... I know without a doubt when I look at Gentry, there is nothing she could ever do in life that would make me stop loving her the way that I do. It is indescribable... and it helps me to understand my God on a whole new level.... he loves me far more then I can ever comprehend loving Gentry!!! 


Happy Mothers Day to all the moms... May you be reminded today of the Mighty Creator who chose to give us one of the most important jobs in the world, blessing us beyond measure and giving us a mere glimps of the love he has for us.....

My oh My, this life has changed

I recall a time in my life in which I never left the house unless my hair was curled, full face of makeup, and dressed to the 9's from head to toe... now I am lucky if I can get outta the house without drool or evidence of Gentry's lunch on my blouse. I mean don't get me wrong I still present myself in a reasonable matter, but it has definitely changed...

the timeline of my life seems to blend together and currently it is hard to remember the life I once lived without Gentry in it.... it all seems to fade into the reality that I am a mom to a precious little girl and I could not be happier to call this my life! so with that being said a timeline is just that... small pieces of history that brought you to what is now your reality. I am loving my reality that is full of slobbery kisses, drool, sweet potatoes, and dirty diapers. The lord has brought me full circle in my 27(or is it 28?) years of life... the evidence of my past and the person it has made me will soon be passed on to my sweet legacy, and I hope that she will come to see the beauty of what the Lord can and will do with her life! I cannot wait to see her get out there and start living her life  putting precious memories on a mental timeline to someday pass on to the children she will raise. To say I am blessed is an understatement, I am in awe of what the Lord has given me and I am amazed that with each new day he blesses me to a whole new level! Motherhood is something that will change you that is for sure.... it will make you realize how much the Lord truly does love you when he gives you the precious gift of life and says " raise this one so that she may know me". I cannot wait for Gentry to know him, to love him and to live each day of her life for him.... Thank you Lord for this precious life you have entrusted to me, I am forever grateful and honored that you thought so highly of me to make me this sweet little girls mom that will soon lead her to you.

A new Chapter

After much prayer and talks of starting our own Small Group, we are finally doing it!!! I feel that this season of life will bring not only Growth for my husband and I,but new challenges. We are excited to see the Lord work in our lives and the lives of the people in our group. this week I have taken each day and devoted it to praying over the family of each couple, and it has really given me insight and a deeper love for each of them! I pray that the Lord will use each person in this group and that we can embrace one another, being an encouragement, and group that speaks life into our families! this weekend we will be kicking off with a Group Social Cookout at our house... I foresee much fun in our future!!! :)

Social Parade and Picnics

this is the first time I am participating in the "social parade" I always see people post about The social parade every friday, but have yet to do it myself... so here goes its time for a SOCIAL PARADE!

this week has been BEAUTIFUL out... so we have taken full advantage of the gorgouse weather here in charleston with daily picnics in our backyard... here are a few of my favorite photos from the week...

playin in my jumper while mom and dad clean out the garage

love these sweet little piggies

thanks Dad for these lashes

watching my "siblings" play

lovin on my sweet sister lola

playing with mom

extreme close up

I am excited for my weekend... 

Friday I will be having a fun evening with my hubs and my little girl

Saturday we are going to Cypress Gardens to have a picnic with 2 other couples that are friends of ours :)

Sunday I am going to meet my new sweet little niece that just arrived! I cannot wait to see her :)

hoopla hoopla for a social parade!

Parting is such sweet sorrow

Last week one of my best friends Carly who was 20 weeks pregnant found out she had lost the baby and then had to deliver it. I received a call from the hospital just before she was about to go into labor... and as soon as she said the words I just lost it... I cried and cried and cried. I feel like in times when their are no words the best this you can do is cry, so that is what I did... I sat their on the phone with my sweet friend crying... words can't even express how you feel in those moments and I knew she was about to go through something very difficult... labor is hard enough when you have a child to care for on the other end of it, but to go through labor and on the other end hold a sweet baby that never took a breath is far more difficult then I can even imagine.

shortly after our conversation I got an update that I want to share with you...

"Just wanted to give yall an update.  

I delivered a baby boy at 4:19am he was 2.9 oz and 6 in long this morning and it made it a lot more real.  We were doing ok but then at that point it hit us. This was a real precious life. We are doing great now and God has really comforted us in so many ways.  Thank you so much for your prayers and I wanted to share something pretty neat with you. After we saw the baby the nurses put together a little memory box and it inspired us to try to name this little one.  So we started looking at names and came across "Eli" which means "ascended". Before all this happened, we were gonna name it "Levi" if it was a boy but Andi never could say Levi and always called the baby in mommy's tummy "Eli".  When we came across the meaning we knew it was a special way that God was saying "I love you".  How faithful He is and we feel his presence in this rough time and really do thank you guys for your prayers."

 it is so sad to think that this sweet little boy didnt make it, but so great to know he is now wrapped in the arms of a most high God that loves him far more then anyone on earth could... and while I do so wish my friend could have had a life full of being Eli's mama, I am happy she at least got 20 weeks with him. so it is in these moments that I truly understand the phrase "parting is such sweet sorrow" because while you are sad to see him go- we are rejoicing in the fact that Eli is with his heavenly father, being loved abundantly more then we can ever imagine!

Please continue to keep Carly and her husband in your prayers! 

I got an Award!!!

here is my Award :)

I would like to take this time to Thank Nicole at thistraindoesntstop for passing along this sweet award!

 now I will pass along the award... this is how it works!

-Thank & link back to the person who gave you this award

-Share 7 things about yourself

-Award 10 recently discovered great bloggers

-Contact these bloggers and let them know about the award, and let the giver know you accept the award.

___________

So here are my 7 things!!!

1.I have lived in Tulsa OK, McKinney TX, Loveland OH, Jackson TN, Los Angeles CA, Nashville TN, and Charleston SC- so when people ask where I am from I never know what to say!

2.I am a mother of 3... but if you ask my husband he says we have 1 child and 2 dogs... i personally see them as one in the same :)

3.I love all things fall especially Ohio State Football

4.I am thankful to my husband for allowing me to stay home with our precious little girl... I love being a stay at home mama!

5.I used to work in the Fashion industry in LA a job I always thought was my dream job, but when I got it turns out it was more of a nightmare... celebrities and fashion = bad attitudes!

6. I love the lord with all my heart! he is my sole purpose for the breath that I breath!

7. I have a major spending addiction, which doesnt work so well when your husband is a saver and happens to work in finance :( long gone are the days of my shopaholic ways- bummer

And the AWARD goes to...

1. laforcebewithyou

2. trulylovelywiththelaneysisters

3. 320 sycamore

4. luckylees2b

5.  mybelleepoqueblog

6.  woodslife

7.  kopycatcrafter

8.  carolynshomework

9.  hilarysurratt

10. domestic-fashionista

YAY!!!!

Tea Parties and Tutu's

our life with Gentry gets more fun by the day! she is a hoot and keeps my laughing.... she is obsessed with her brother and sister (the dogs) and anytime she sees them she gets a big smile on her face..she loves to "pet" lola aka pull her ears.. lola is a very tolerant big sister... tummy time with lola is her favorite activity, she "talks" to lola  like shes out for a girls night.... I just love watching this and crack up. It amazes me how this sweet little girl has managed to capture the heart of not only Phil and me, but the dogs too... All is well in the reynolds home.... here are a few pictures 

nightly tea party

having some tea with lola

mom she spilled hers

lola is in a tea coma

happy little girl

she insisted on wearing her tutu...

and eating it...

Public Service Announcement for all Moms!

I have some information to distribute to all you mom's of kiddos in diapers! let me start by telling you a story...

yesterday I went to go pick up Gentry from her nap. I picked her up and wham hot sticky poop all over my hand... I looked in her crib and low and behold all over her sheets and sheet saver-- eww eww and eww... but that wasnt the worst of it.... when I went to remove her poop outfit... she had poop in her hair, in her armpits, around her neck pretty much everywhere except her diaper.... We have only had 1 blow out in her life and it was really not that bad just a tiny one... so how does this happen? welll we used Babies R us diapers.... THEY SUCK!!! i bought them around christmas when they were having a huge sale after black friday...needless to say the deal i thought was a great deal turned out to be HORRIBLE! LESSON LEARNED!!! I WILL NEVER IN MY LIFE EVER NEVER EVER BUY BABIES R US DIAPERS! I promise to stick to huggies and pampers for as long as i live!.... As far as Gentry is concerned she got her bath and is now Clean and smelling good :)

sorry you had to hear about my day full of crap (literally) but I felt it was only necessary to inform you of my extreme dislike in Babies R us diapers...

so here it is my Public Service Announcement- Do not buy Crap babies r us diapers or you will get crapped on! :)

I admit it... I'm a couponista!

This past weekend I went to Target and let me just say there were deals to be had!!!

I managed to get all this below for $26.32

there are 6 packs of stage 2 diapers (42-54count) diapers- 8.99 each
3 file folders- 1.00 each
1 large crest mouthwash- 5.04
1 pantene shampoo- 3.49
1 pantene conditioner- 3.49
1 gillette fusion shaving cream- 3.49
1 tide travel pack- .99
1 baby hoodie- 4.00
1 baby pants- 4.00

= a total of $81.44

and I got it all for $26.32

I had many many coupons and for every 3 diaper packs you bought you got a $5.00 gift card...
so I got a $10.00 gift card since i got 6

I have recently gotten into couponing alot and I am getting better and better at it! It is so fun and you really can save
a ton!

Rice Cereal....

Gentry has now had her first taste of rice cereal and I am not so sure shes a fan quite yet... infact I think we managed to get most of it all over her face and not so much down her throat... but thats ok she will get the hang of it in no time! 

Changes and 4 month check ups... dun dun dun

you guessed it, yesterday was the dreaded day for round 2 of shots... screams were heard from miles away! to say Gentry was a wee bit unhappy with our choice of activity would be an understatement... she was IRATE, but she managed to jump back into her happy self shortly after...

she now weighs 14lbs 12 oz-- (doubled from her birth weight of 7lbs 11oz)
she is now 25 and 1/4 inches long
and is in both the 75% for weight and height!

tonight we begin solids... this should be fun seeing as how she has just recently taught herself to blow spit bubbles... I forsee rice cereal making its way to my face in the near future...

its crazy how fast these 4 months have gone by... when people tell you "cherish this time they grow up so fast" they arent kidding! it seems like just a week ago we were bringing her home from the hospital and waking up around the clock to feed this baby that I felt like I was just babysitting... turns out it wasnt a babysitting job- it was permanent and I am so thankful it was... I love Gentry to pieces and fall more in love with her by the day...

the highlight of my day is the moments I see that sweet gummy smile followed by giggles - to say I am cherishing these times doesnt quite get the point across... these moments are what make me thankful that the Lord could grant me with such a sweet and precious gift! For our family- yes I hope there will be more children in our future, but there will never be another Gentry Emerson Reynolds in these precious moments because she is growing up day by day, and while I am so excited to see the future with her, its tough letting go of the past and knowing shes just gonna get bigger from here!

Gentry Day 1

Gentry 4 months later

We are BACK!!!

oops I have completely forgotten to update this... so here i am! it has been a busy and exciting 4 months in the Reynolds house.. we are loving our sweet little girl and she finds new ways to amaze me daily. she is full of life, smiles, giggles and love. I am really enjoying being home with her all the time and feel extremely blessed that I have a sweet husband that works so hard to provide for us. bottom line WE ARE GRATEFUL!!! being a mom has been a fun, exhausting, and rewarding job. she really is a easy baby! since 7 weeks old she has slept 12 hours a night, this has been a blessing to mom and of course the bags that used to be under my eyes :) I look back on the long 9 month journey that I took to get this precious gift. Its hard to remember the 22 straight weeks of puking a minimum of 6 times a day, the many sleepless nights, or the large amounts of discomfort. All i see is pure joy as I reflect on the 9 months that lead to this sweet little life. I am so thankful that the lord saw me through each of those moments and blessed me with a healthy, happy and precious little girl that I love more and more each day.

on a side note...with much thought and prayer Phil and I have decided to start moving towards trying to relocate to Nashville. Many things will need to fall into place for this to happen, but we know that if it is meant to be the Lord will open all the right doors! It will take us selling our home here in Charleston, Phil finding a great job, and us stepping out on a huge leap of faith and trusting the lord that this is what is best for our family. either way we are ready to see where this journey can take us. We are excited about the possibility of being closer to my family and the new opportunities that this can bring us.... Operation Nashville-- Underway :)