Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Baby Update!

Today I am officially 2 days past my due date (December 11th)! I cannot believe how quickly this entire 9+ months has flown by....I still remember the day Cody and I found out we were pregnant and now we are days away from meeting our little lady!

Speaking of meeting her, we had a doctor's appointment yesterday. I went into the appointment a little excited, nervous, anxious....ready to hear some news (be it good or bad!). I was waiting to get called back by the nurse when I looked down and realized I was shaking! I didn't know if it was because I hadn't had lunch yet or if I was excited/nervous! Anyways, I did the routine weight check (YIKES!!) and then had my blood pressure taken. My bp has been excellent throughout the entire pregnancy, so I'm grateful it was only yesterday that we had an issue. Anyways, the doctor came in and told me it was a bit higher than normal and since I've had a little swelling, they wanted me to go downstairs to the Labor/Delivery floor to get some blood work and have a non-stress test done on the baby.

Cody and I headed down to Labor and Delivery and I'm not entirely certain I breathed the entire walk! I got to the check-in desk and Cody whispered to me "BREATHE"......I took a big deep breath and told the lady, 'sorry, i'm really nervous'!

They took us to a triage room where I was hooked up to 2 monitors and a blood pressure cuff. One of the monitors showed the baby's heart rate and the other showed if I was having any contractions. A few minutes later a lab tech came in and took lots of blood (not a fan!). After 3 hours and like 15 episodes of That 70's Show later, the doctor finally came in and said blood work came back normal and good, baby is still doing great and my blood pressure finally went down. Then, we chatted about our options.....we discussed induction and c-sections and everything in between (if you know me, you know how many questions I asked!).

Cody, myself and the doctor agreed upon inducing THursday evening at midnight (technically Friday) and starting with some natural options, then if those don't work getting Pitocin to get the ball rolling. We packed up and then headed home.....actually we stopped at the nurses station and asked if we could see an actual room because I couldn't remember what the sleeping situation was for the husband. Poor Cody has a half of a futon thingy to sleep on, but I'm hoping to pack some extra comfy stuff to make it a little more bearable for him!

All in all, I was looking back at yesterday and I'm so grateful it happened. Not that it was really a 'crash course', but it kinda took the sting off of me walking into the L&D floor when I was in labor and having no idea what to expect. Plus, it's kinda nice having some 'light at the end of the tunnel' knowing that if she doesn't come before Friday, we are inducing then. I'm thinking my baby girl might have a little bit of my 'planner personality' ;)

Lots of people have asked us 'do you need anything?' or 'how can we help?' --as of right now, we are set, but my deepest desire is for prayer. I KNOW that the Lord is in control and I've had His peace my entire pregnancy. But, yesterday, when the rubber hit the road and something was wrong, I kinda freaked out a little. So, please pray that my focus is set on Jesus, that my mind is calm and my heart is ready for this little lady to come. Pray for Cody to be calm and an excellent partner in labor, for his heart to be ready and prepared for his daughter. Pray that this will be a beautiful experience for him and I, as we welcome our 1st child into the world. Please pray that above all we have a safe and healthy delivery for mom and baby (be that any means necessary). Of course, I would love to also pray for a short, uneventful, smooth, natural delivery; so if you feel so inclined, you can toss that one up there, too! :)

We love each and every one of you so much and cannot wait to introduce our new addition to you soon!

Until then, we join you in prayer and thanksgiving of God's mighty blessings in our lives!

Merry Christmas,
LaRae

Sunday, December 4, 2011

A broken promise

Ok, well clearly I broke my 'I promise not to be vacant from here' promise, from the previous posts. I should have known I would get busy (story of my life...can I get an 'amen'??) Anyways, things are going well...today I'm officially 1 week from my due date. Boy, did this day sneak up on us! We have our Christmas tree up and decor is being finalized in the house. We even got Harper her own little pink and green tree to match her nursery :)

Hopefully, we will have a baby in the next week or two, so we can introduce you to our little lady! Until then, I hope you're enjoying the beginning of winter and more importantly, taking time each day to remember the TRUE reason for Christmas; Christ our Savior being born!

Merry Christmas!!

Love,
The Davenport's

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

EASY Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins!

I have an obsession....it's Pinterest and all things pumpkin :) So, I've decided to combine my loves and make some muffins!

I have seen a few different recipes for pumpkin muffins, homemade pumpkin cream cheese muffins and some streussel muffins, so I've combined all three to make my own!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese filled Muffins (makes 24 muffins)

Muffin:
1 box yellow cake mix (I used 'golden butter')
1 -15 oz. can 100% pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie mix)
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice



Cream Cheese filling:
1 'brick' of cream cheese (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar



Streussel Topping: (sorry no picture)

½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees--Combine cake mix, pumpkin and pie spice in a bowl until well blended, using a hand or stand mixer.
2. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar using a hand or stand mixer, set aside.
3. Combine all ingredient for topping and put into the refrigerator to get cold.
4. Line muffin tin with liners or spray with baking spray.
5. Put about 2-3 tbsp of muffin mix in each cup, not very much is needed!
6. Put a dollop of cream cheese filling on top of the pumpkin muffin mix (press into the mix, so it's not too high above the liner)
7. Sprinkle streussel topping over each muffin
8. Make at 350 degrees for about 20-25 mins or until streussel is light brown.
9. ENJOY!!




YUMMO!!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Thanksgiving Countdown!

As you've probably gathered from my previous post, I adore Thanksgiving and Christmas.....basically the season of fall until New Year's day is my absolute favorite time of the year! I love seeing family, the decorating, the Halloween fun and craziness, FOOTBALL season, then the two best holidays ever---Thanksgiving and Christmas! But, to boot, this year, we are adding our little girl to our family in between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is going to add ANOTHER fabulous holiday, for years to come!! But, I'm getting ahead of myself... since this year we will be celebrating the holidays from the comfort of our own home (I'll be about a week and a half from my due date come Thanksgiving day and the Doc says staying home is best....I'm secretly very happy!! I've ALWAYS wanted to have Thanksgiving at my house!) We will desperately miss our extended family and friends, but we are happy to open our home to some college kids and families who are, also, unable to go home for the holidays! PLUS, my parents and Cody's parents are coming in town to celebrate with us, too!!! AHHHH I'M SO EXCITED I COULD SCREAM!!!....oh wait, i just did :)

Wow, I'm wordy today! Well, enough blabbing---I'm going to start putting up decor ideas, recipes for Thanksgiving, thoughtful insights, and possibly even do a giveaway for the holidays! WHO KNOWS!?! But, I'm promising to not be vacant from here any longer :)

Let's kick off November with a DELICIOUS holiday recipe that I just made and is insanely simple and SOO YUMMY!


picture from Ourbestbites.com --I forgot to take a picture of mine!

Cinnamon Toffee Dip (adapted from ourbestbites.com)

1 8-oz. package cream cheese (you can always use light/fat-free cream cheese)
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Toffee bits (1/4 to 1/2 a bag depending on your preference)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. (about a pinch) nutmeg
Optional: chopped roasted pecans/walnuts
*I was making this for our office Halloween party, so I doubled the recipe and it still worked great!

1. Let cream cheese soften a bit, but not too much (about 10 mins on the counter)
2. Combine all ingredients, EXCEPT toffee bits and nuts (if using), with electric mixer and refrigerate
3. Before serving, add toffee bits to dip
4. To finish add a few toffee bits and roasted nuts to the top of the dip.

Serve with granny smith apple slices and homemade cinnamon chips (recipe below)

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Chips

8'' soft tortilla wraps
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
*cinnamon/sugar ratio can be altered depending on your taste preference

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

1. Either cut out pieces of tortilla with holiday cookie cutters or cut into triangles with pizza cutter (I did both and they came out really cute!)
2. Place on a cookie sheet (I used a cooking stone at first and they didn't get crispy...use a regular cookie sheet)
3. Using a pastry brush or really even your finger, brush each cut tortilla piece with melted butter
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture

Bake 10-12 minutes (check them at 9 minutes to see if they are browning) If you only have a baking stone, keep them in about 15 minutes to get them crispy.


They are DELICIOUS and go great with the dip or by themselves! Hope you all enjoy!

Happy Fall,
LaRae

Happy Halloween!


Happy Halloween from our growing family to your lovely family! We hope you each had a fun and safe holiday filled with lots of yummy goodies! Now, on to the best holidays ever...Thanksgiving and Christmas!!! WOOHOO!!

Friday, October 7, 2011

It's Fall Y'all!



I absolutely LOVE the season of fall :) There is something about the weather, college football, pumpkins, apples and cinnamon that makes me so happy! This fall is particularly exciting because it marked a few days closer to us getting to meet little Miss Harper Gray Davenport :)

Life has been so busy, I haven't even really had time to take pictures or upload any of the very few I have been able to take! But, I do have one special picture I want to share! We had an appointment today and the doctor's office let us get a 3rd trimester ultrasound and we FINALLY got a good picture of her cute little face. Cody is determined that she has my little upturned nose (poor girl!!) But, I'm hoping she gets his fabulously gorgeous and pouty lips! So, without further ado, here's our little gal....



Monday, August 8, 2011

Wait on the Lord...it's worth it!

As many know, Cody and I's relationship would have been considered 'tumultuous'. It may have been compared to a roller coaster or something similar, a time or two. All this craziness, made me depend on Jesus, like WHOA, for my trust and day-to-day sanity!

One of the verses that meant so much to me, during this time, was Psalm 130:5.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in HIS word I put my trust!"

Talk about scripture being honey to a dry and weary soul, this one did the trick every single time! Granted, I strayed from this verse and tried to take things into my own timing (I can hear faint "AMENS" from our group of friends, scattered all across the world!) But, ultimately, my heavenly Father always reminded me that His timing is perfect and best for my life.

This year, I didn't write an anniversary post. I'm not sure why and it absolutely wasn't due to lack of gratitude or love for my hubby. I think so much was going on with being pregnant and our trip to California that it just kind of got put to the side. Well, I think now is the time! I'm sure Cody is going to be embarassed by some of the details I'm going to unveil but, I just hope he sees it at 'me, being me' and striving to be authentic and real with everyone.

I just wrote on Twitter about how grateful I am for a husband who isn't perfect, but who was perfectly made for me. Our anniversary, this year, was the best example of that! This year we had just returned from a fabulous trip to California and our anniversary was the following week. I had big plans of going to a nice, fancy restaurant and eating like VACATION KINGS, one last time, before returning to our ordinary life and recipes. I made the reservation and told Cody to be ready at such and such time! For whatever reason, I felt like I really wanted to plan our anniversary night, since he is always in charge of date nights and romantic stuff! So, I picked a STEAK HOUSE (yes, men, I am a good wife) haha, just wait, it gets better!

Well, 5:00pm was just about to roll around and for whatever reason I checked our online banking account to see where we were financially....boy am I glad I did that! Our account was hit by some unforeseen charges and our account was low, like "you're kidding yourself if you're going to a nice restaurant and not washing dishes afterward" kind of low! So, I had to go home and break the news to Cody. I was so sad and mad all at once! I mainly do the finances, so I felt completely responsible for ruining our anniversary dinner!!

I walked inside the house and told him I had bad news, we aren't able to go to a nice fancy dinner tonight. I explained the situation and without skipping a beat, he said it was ok and we just got back from a fantastic vacation, so don't worry about it. (that's not verbatim, but it was something like that). After talking some more, we headed to the pantry and fridge to figure out how to make a delicious dinner from a post-vacation fridge and pantry! I must say, I'm quite impressed with our skills....actually, Cody's skills. He seriously made us the most delicious and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever had in my entire life! Seriously, I wish I could remember the non-sense that was put in that thing, because at 23 weeks pregnant, I want to replicate it!

But, seriously, that night was perfect. We stayed in, ate stuff from home and just hung out! I honestly can't remember all the details of that night, but I specifically remember us talking about how, of course, we were 'bummed we couldn't go to a nice, fancy dinner; but tonight was so fun and perfect.' We laughed, were goofy, and just enjoyed being together...I'm sure at some point during the evening we gazed romantically into each other's eyes and cartoon hearts formed above our heads :).

You know, sometimes in life things don't turn out the way you anticipate...HECK, when do things EVER turn out the way we anticipate?? But, most of the time, if we wait on the Lord, they turn out pretty incredible....not necessarily in the way we think, but in a way that is so much better. Even now, a few months later, we haven't gone to the fancy steak house, but I don't think a great steak could replace the perfect evening we had...ok, maybe Cody would disagree with that!

To my honey:
You are incredible. Each and every day I'm grateful for the path God has given us and the sweet story He allowed us to have of His grace and faithfulness. I pray that each day I can be a joy and honor to you, as you are to me. Thank you for loving me and all my flaws :)

Blessed to be your wife,
LaRae Davenport

Gratitude

In the past year, I have tried to be grateful....but, I fail miserably. But, on those days/hours/minutes/MOMENTS where I am successful, I've noticed that the Lord blesses that obedience. Honestly, if I wanted to dwell, there is plenty to complain about in life. But, if I check my perspective and realize the true blessings in my life, they out weigh the 'negatives' every single time!

Cody and I don't live an extravagant life, we are comfortable and far from poverty. But, I would find myself always finding what I was 'without'. Often times, I would complain or just have a nasty attitude towards Cody, but I realized that I needed to start taking my complaints to the Lord, first and foremost! In all reality, He is the one to change my circumstance, if that is what really needs to be corrected. Then again, it's usually my attitude that needs an 'adjustment' and He is the one to do that, as well :)

I've started to turn my 'complaining' into prayers--and honestly, my complaining has decreased significantly! It's something about talking to the Creator of the universe about how 'bad your life is' that seems to put things into perspective, huh?

Hope this helps you today, like it has me :)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

It's a.....GIRL!

This past Friday, we had a little get together with some family and friends to reveal the gender of our first little tot!

We had such a great time and are truly grateful for everyone who came to celebrate with us and rejoice in God's workmanship! In true 'gender reveal fashion' we had everyone wear pink or blue to signify their 'vote' of what the gender would be!


Team BLUE!

Team PINK!

After we had everyone enjoy some food and festivities, we headed outside to have the big REVEAL! Since Cody and I found out earlier in the day, we took the color balloons of the gender and put them in a box--we wrapped the box and then opened it and all the balloons floated up! It was quite fun!!



We are so excited and really shocked at the news of a baby girl, but we are gradually getting our head's around it! :) We are still thinking of names, so I'll let you know when we have settled on one for sure!

Thanks for all the love and well wishes, we are so grateful for those! Please be praying for us as we continue to prepare for parenthood, labor & delivery and being the parents to a little girl!

Love & Blessings,
Cody, LaRae & little baby GIRL Davenport :)

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Recent Happenings

This Friday is our appointment to find out the gender of our little dino. We're so excited, but I just hope the little tyke cooperates and isn't shy with showing us the goods, haha!

We will be SURE to let EVERYONE know when we find out :)

As far as names, we haven't settled on anything for certain, but here are some that we love!

BOYS:
Boston Cole
Hollis
Boone (but for a middle name)

GIRLS:
Harper Gray
Hollis
Abigail
Henley
Madeline

After Friday, I guess we will have to get cracking on this name stuff :)


On a non-baby note: I'm heading down to FL at the end of July (for a baby shower, haha), so prayers for safe travel are MUCH appreciated....and the intense heat down there...definitely not looking forward to that!! Also, Cody is going to start recording his album at the end of July, too, so we're very excited about beginning this new venture! Also, please pray for him and those involve, that they will make it a collaboration that's glorifying to the Lord and ultimately reflects His goodness and grace! Plus, pray for Cody choosing songs and songwriting; he's wanting to include some familiar worship songs, as well as some originals, too!

Well, that about wraps it up here! Hope everyone is staying cool and enjoying the gorgeous summer!!

Blessings,
LaRae

Monday, June 27, 2011

A cool God story

Before I became pregnant, Cody and I had discussed the possibility of having children and what that would look like in various circumstances: socially, relationally, physically and financially. Honestly, all of the other areas I was perfectly fine with the changes and had really thought about the changes. The aspect I was most 'concerned' with was financially.

So, when I did become pregnant some realities were about to start taking place! We had both discussed and desired for me to quit my job and prayed that the Lord would honor that request, but never really knew!

So, I had started crunching the numbers and began a hypothetical budget with just Cody's income... It didn't look good! We had a deficit that we had to have in order to pay our bills. It was small, but still a deficit! So, I began to pray and just give it over to the Lord. I knew He would either change something, provide in another way or simply change our hearts for me to return to work.

Going back a few months, I wrote about Cody's ordination, here. It was an awesome day that I feel God smiled on. To tie it all together, when someone is ordained they are able to claim 'clergy' status on our taxes and it changes a few things about our taxes (honestly I have no clue about the ins and outs). But, I finally got around to updating our taxes (right around the time I began praying for God to show us direction with this budget/one income stuff). Well, a few weeks went by and we didn't really talk about it anymore. But, around the end of May Cody said he got an email where his paycheck amount would change a certain amount starting the next pay period. The amount it would increase was nearly the EXACT number that we needed to have to survive on one income.

It was such a cool feeling! God had provided and had confirmed this decision we felt was from Him. To be super honest, when the discussion about going to one income began, The Lord was really working in my heart about materialism and how tightly I hold our finances. Aside from tithing, this was the largest decision (about finances) I had really just let go and let God take over. Who knows what the future will hold, but it's amazing to know that the Father has His hands wrapped all around us! So grateful to serve a might God!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Life in our House!

Well, it's been quite a while--life has taken some incredible and crazy turns, we've been so busy with the end of the semester and our College kids graduating and going on to the 'real world' and then there's the big news :)

If you read this blog, you probably already know, but Cody and I are going to be parents (pause for screams of the possible 1 person who doesn't know). Yup, it's true. Our little one is scheduled to make its appearance December 11, 2011 (12.11.11) that shouldn't be too hard to remember :)

But, more than just incubating a human, life has been so busy for us! We have been traveling to see family and friends, working our tails off towards the end of the semester and just plain BUSY!

One incredible thing that has been occurring in our home since last Thanksgiving is weight loss! Cody and I both have been really working on getting in shape and losing weight. We both packed on some pounds in college and the first few years of marriage and we knew we wanted to be healthier, especially if the Lord ever blessed us with a child. We really started back in August of 2010, but really got his tail in gear this past Thanksgiving. Pregnancy aside we both have been able to lose lots of weight--25 lbs for me and 100 lbs (and still counting) for Cody. Here's a picture from Easter.

Since then, I've gained about 7 of those lbs back with the pregnancy, but I'm still so happy that I got down 25 lbs before I actually had a reason to gain some back :)

Anyways, on to the next.... as many of you probably know, aside from the Worship Pastor, Cody is also the College Pastor at Northstar. We have had an incredible time getting to know so many amazing college students. We are surely going to miss those who just graduated, but excited that some are sticking around or coming back in the fall for jobs! A much belated, but still hearty CONGRATS to:

Emily Reed Love
Josh Wilson
Emily Bailey

We love you each so much and are so excited for God's plan for your future :)

Well, I guess on to the elephant....errr...baby, in the room....I'm pregnant! Yup, for whatever reason, God saw it fit to let Cody and I bring life into this world. Sometimes I'm still wondering if He made the right decision! But, nonetheless, we're on this train that doesn't stop until December and we're striving to enjoy every minute of it (minus the nausea, food aversions and exhaustion). I must give a shout out to my hubby--he's been seriously incredible. It's been so cool to see God begin to shape his heart and mold his character into becoming a father. He has always had such a loving, thoughtful and tender heart, but this new chapter has brought on new and incredible dimensions to our relationship. We (mostly me) are still adjusting to the idea of being a parent--so surreal! I am officially 12 weeks and 4 days...each Sunday is my 'week renewal'. So, starting Sunday I'll officially be in my 2nd trimester! Just in time for our vacation to California!!

Well, that about wraps it up--hope everyone is doing incredible and starting to enjoy the heat--oh boy, I know I am!!

Grateful,

LaRae

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

What's cookin' lately...



These are lemon cupcakes with fresh (organic) raspberry icing! I started selling them with my at-home bakery "Bloom {a cupcakery}"!

Hope this makes you anticipate the spring!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Seasons


This past week, there's been a very obvious transition from Winter to Spring (thankfully the weather cooperated with the First Day of Spring memo)! It's been so encouraging to see the changes! Aside from the typical exchange in shoe attire (HELLO, FLIP FLOPS! You have been so dearly missed!) a deeper change is occuring. I've been so aware of seasons within our lives as humans; single, married, children, empty-nesters, etc. The season we are in can be described in a few different ways, but most prominently we are labeled "Quasi-young married with no kids" (we're closer to thirty, now, so I felt obligated to write quasi-young).

I must admit, I'm so grateful for this stage. The past two years and nine months (we're 3 months away from 3 years, PEOPLE!) have taught me so much about myself and about my Lord, Jesus Christ. I have finally come to terms with the fact that I'm selfish and not as amazing of a spouse and I thought I was. I have flaws, way too many that I want to admit, and I have deep sins in my life that I never wanted to 'fess up' to. I have finally come to terms with God's plan being so much better and sweeter than I could ever imagine one of my own and I've finally begun to learn what true, deep forgiveness and grace looks like.

But, one of my absolute favorite parts of this season has been realizing that Jesus truly is my best friend and ever faithful Father. It seems so obvious and I knew it was true before, but really relishing in it and LIVING it is something completely different. I've begun to learn to worship and love on Christ, even when I don't feel like it or even when I have a million thoughts going on in my head. Laying those at His feet, KNOWING and being so utterly confident that He has them under control has given me a peace that truly passes all understanding. Seeing verses come to life within your life is astounding and amazing.

Another incredible season that I'm stuck smack in the middle of, is learning to be loved. I think once you begin to creep out of the 'honeymoon' stage of marriage, you begin to really see that this person loves you and even LIKES you for who you are. You don't have to be perfect or sweet (well, it's usually appreciated to be those things), but you can truly be yourself, in your good and bad. It really has been amazing how many times I think, "Wow, I would not be surprised if Cody threw in the towel today and did not want to be married to this monster!" His love for me has been a wonderful example of Christ's love for His bride, the Church. I am beyond grateful for his grace and love, his never ending apologies and even apologies when I should be giving them! He still has not stopped pursuing me and 'dating' me, even three years in!

Even when life is hard and even when times are tough, I am reminded that Jesus is faithful and He loves us with every ounce of His being.....He DIED for me; a concept I still have a hard time wrapping my head around, but something I'm ever so grateful for each day.

So, I guess my question for you is, what season does God have you in? How are you seeing Him work in that season and using you for His glory?

Hope y'all have a great day and enjoy some sunshine :)

In Him,
LaRae

Friday, February 18, 2011

A Chocolate Souffle Miracle

In continuation of my '27 before 27' (I may consider modifying the name, since I'm nearly half-way to 28, now! But, I wrote down some goals and started crossing them off my list...which brings me to #3 (Bake a Souffle!)

Last night I tackled #3 like a WWF wrestler and I won! #3, see ya lata!

And now the photo commentary....


I added 2 tbsp. granulated sugar with 1 tbsp. dutch process, cocoa powder and 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour...whisk that together...

It should look like this....

Now, add the cocoa mixture to 3 tbsp of low-fat chocolate milk over medium heat.... constantly stir until smooth (about 2ish minutes)


While your chocolate mixture cools (about 5 or so minutes) take the egg white of one large egg and start whisking......and keep whisking......whisk some more.....now add (gradually) a tbsp. of granulated sugar...continue the whisking......and a bit more whisking......

Until soft peaks start to form...like this....

Now, your chocolate mixture should be a bit cooler, now gradually fold in the chocolate to the egg whites. Then fill your greased ramekins half way and put in your 350 degree, pre-heated oven for 15 mins. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN, or they will fall!



TA-DA!!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Humbly Surprised

This past weekend, family and friends joined us in Blacksburg, as Cody was ordained into ministry. I'm sure some of you may be thinking, "what is that?" and to be honest, that thought crossed my mind a time or two. But, as the weeks led up to the service, I began to understand what it truly meant. To be ordained literally means to 'set apart', it's very similar to sanctification. Another aspect I thought was interesting is that it wasn't just contrived by the modern day church as some self-glorifying act. It originated in scripture, as I Timothy 4 depicts, the elders "laying hands on Timothy".

I've never seen or even been a part of an ordination service, never mind being the center of one! So, this past weekend was quite a humbling surprise. Never in my life have I had the opportunity of having hundreds of people join together and pray over me and my husband, our marriage, our ministry and glorifying God for our presence in their lives. I don't say this to brag or to even bring attention to ourselves, but I say it to bring attention to our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the days before the ordination, my time with the Lord had an overwhelming theme of grace and sacrifice. I didn't think much of it since, well, it was a devotional and that's kinda the point! But, on Sunday morning, as our church body, family and friends gathered around us and began to pray. I couldn't help but be reminded of God's grace for our lives. I was reminded of a girl who had no clue in high school, a girl who haphazardly chose University of Miami to attend and floundered. A girl who really never lived an abundant life and made so many horrible mistakes. But, a girl who then found the only real answer in life and surrendered with reckless abandon.

The feeling of gratitude cannot be explained unless you've been saved by Christ and realized your desperate need for His grace and salvation in your life. This feeling beats any high, any buzz and any adrenaline rush you'll ever know....sadly, I know! It's like your heart is so full of peace and joy and contentment that in that very moment it might just burst and you'd be 100% ok with that!



One other aspect of this weekend that really struck me was this past Saturday. Unbeknownest to me, Cody had to go through this 'interview' process and basically be asked any and all questions about his faith, theology and doctrine. I'll be honest, I was a bit frightened for him! THEN, he drops the bomb on me that "oh, and by the way, they asked that you come in for part of it, too." By the end of that sentence I think sweat beads had already started forming! I felt like I needed to get ready for the lion's den or something! Well, Saturday came and my mom's (my mom and mother.in.law) took me shopping...I was so grateful...I needed something to take my mind off the constant wondering of questions they were going to be asking! I would be lying if I said I hadn't looked up a few scriptures that morning! haha But, to my (happy) surprise, the interview ended up being a praise session for God! I think the most difficult question was "Should Northstar ordain Cody and why?" haha! just kidding! But, it was so incredible to see how God has used us in other people's lives. It honestly hasn't been ANY of our doing, He just chose to use a broken couple, trying to figure out this life together (which we wickedly fail at daily) and occasionally He has to kick us in the tail to motivate us.

This past weekend was truly a once and a lifetime experience, I mean a boy can only get ordained once! Aside from our wedding week/day, this has been one of those weekends where it was just perfect and I'll never forget it! My parents, his parents and grandparents came into town, friends who love and have been a part of our lives came to celebrate God's glory and be there with us, not to mention the weather was gorgeous {thanks God for that special touch ;) }

Words truly can not express how grateful I am for those who drove hours upon hours to be there just for a few hours, for my parents who flew in just for 3 days and for everyone at Northstar who chose to be a part of the ordination service. My heart is so grateful and glad that I have been chosen to live this life with you and seek after the Lord together!

Humbly,
LaRae

Friday, January 21, 2011

Picture Update :)


We landed in Florida and headed south to see Ashley!

We had professional pictures taken for Mom & Dad...here are some behind the scenes pictures










Outside of McGregor (my home church) on Christmas Eve

The whole fam together for the Christmas Even candlelight service

Mom & her best friend, Debbie at the annual Christmas Eve party!

Christmas morning stockings!

Representing THE Ohio State

Christmas morning is never complete without orange rolls!

Spending time at the Millage's

Ash came to visit again!

New Year's Eve--we had a delicious dinner at Shula's!

Monday, January 10, 2011

A little inspiration

Ever have one of those days where you have no idea what to make for dinner?? Or you you're just stuck in a 'chicken and asparagus for dinner' rut!? Well, you're in luck! This website, tastespotting, is amazing! I've been using it for a few years now and it never ceases to amaze me.

It has so many delicious and fabulous recipes, some I could only barely attempt at making! But, nonetheless, there are some easier ones, as well! All in all, if you need some inspiration or just want to make your mouth water ....click away!

Tastespotting: A Visual Potluck!

Happy virtual eating (and drooling),

LaRae



psst: How are we liking the new layout and design of the blog? I added a few tabs at the top and hopefully will be updating them with some new house pictures!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Happy New Year

This is going to be a boring post...I'm just warning you. I have no pictures and basically this is just an update, so here she goes! BUT, there's good news...pictures ARE coming and will be ready in a few days :) Don't you just love good news!?

Well, it's been QUITE busy at the davenport domicile, so I haven't had a second to even let everyone know what's going on! We headed south for Christmas this year (I was so over the snow!) We went to Florida to spend time with my family (we had a blast!) Then, we came home to Virginia (sadly) and Cody headed south, once again, to go to the Sugar Bowl with Jeff and Jeff's son, Sam. (MANY pictures and stories to come on that!)

Well, that's about it--I promise pictures, soon!! Let's be honest, no one wants to read how we're doing...they want to see it...they want us to show them the goods! So, I promise, I'll deliver....soon ;)

Until then,

LaRae