Baby Walkup name madness!!!

We thought we would make a little game out of this baby on the way. So
if you've ever filled out a March Madness bracket than you will find
this very easy. The only difference is we have 64 names instead of
teams. There are 32 girl names and 32 boy names. So, It's game time!

We are inviting you to participate in our Baby Walkup
name madness!! We have attached a blank bracket with the 64 names we
are choosing from. On the bottom of the bracket are the game rules and
Greg's contact info for questions and/or help. The deadline for your
entry is August 10.

Every week Greg will e-mail out the updated bracket for each round up until
to the Final 4. There is a $5 buy in per bracket (that also needs to be
turned in by the August 10th deadline). Yes you can turn in multiple
brackets if you want :) The winner takes half the earnings, with the
other half going to baby Walkup. And with that being said....Let the
games begin!

If you are interested in playing this lil' game-leave a comment with your email address and I will send you the bracket :)

Sean Strickland

I've starred at this blank screen now for the last 30 minutes not knowing what to write. Then I closed out the screen and came back to this still blank screen off and on for the last 3 days. But today I realized I need to get this post written. The world is too fast for me. I've been reflecting on a Jars of Clay song that says "To love you - take my world apart, To need you - I am on my knees, To love you - take my world apart, To need you - broken on my knees". That's how I feel right now. I just want God to take my world apart. Make it stop so I can catch up. I lost a very good friend and professional mentor to a car crash last week on Wednesday. I still find I am in shock. I've been through the visitation, funeral, and worked but yet i'm still stuck not accepting whats happened. I took this picture after Sean left North Point as a tribute to him. He was the best manager I had ever had. So he was the best boss (as the coffee cup says)....



I learned a ton from Sean. The biggest thing he taught me was that we may have personality flaws but they are not flaws. They are opportunities to grow. I am not a highly relational person (just like Sean). So he taught me how to be intentional about it. He taught me practical ways to apply this to my professional and personal life. The next biggest thing he taught me was to always put your family first. He modeled this to me which made it easy to follow. Sean loved his wife, Jana and daughter, Gabi with his whole heart. And last but not least, he always made me push for more. He would never let me settle for anything. And I know that shaped the employee, wife, mom to be, and manager I am today.

I was looking through some old emails and ichats the other day and came across a few that were pretty funny and some that were really sweet. It was bittersweet for me. I will miss him immensely, but I'm so happy to know he is chilling with Jesus right now. I really wanted him to meet my child. I pictured him and Jana coming to the hospital to visit me. I had already decided my child will call him Uncle Sean. But now, I know that I can talk to my child about his/her guardian angel Uncle Sean.

Anyway, thanks to listening to me this long post. My heart is heavy and I have a lot of healing to do. I also ask that you pray for his family. The last thing I will leave you with is a newspaper article about him. Go here and read this: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/obits/stories//2009/06/07/sean_strickland_obit.html

Have a blessed day and make sure you tell the people around you that you love them. I've lived 9,901 days today. I want my days to count, because I know that God has an ordained amount of days for me. Who knows when mine or your time is up. So make your time here on earth count!

Much love, Etc (that's what Sean called me)


(Our IT team last year at our retreat)

Baby Walkup's Room

Hey friends,
I know I haven't updated in a while and I have a ton to talk about. But for now, just wanted to post some pictures of the nursery. We have finished it! Once the dresser and crib comes in, it will be complete. Anyway, enjoy the pictures :)



Here's the awesome daddy putting up the border!

The curtain and border

Glider, blanket, curtain...this is the full effect. We are just waiting on the crib and dresser to come in.

Now daddy's tired from his work so he's relaxing with baby blanket and a ninja turtle doll in our new comfy glider.

Love, Rachael

Happy Mother's Day

I got this from a friend (Lindsey) and I thought it was worthy to share with all you moms out there! Enjoy and Happy Mother's Day!!!

*****************************************************************************************

Before I was a Mom I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Spit on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night

Before I was a Mom - I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom - I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom - I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom - I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

And before I was a Grandma, I didn't know that all those "Mom" feelings more than doubled when you see that little bundle being held by "your baby"...

Send this to someone who you think is a special Mom or Grandma.

I just did.

And remember that behind every successful mother......

Is a basket of dirty laundry.

A life well spent!

I have copied this post from here-http://268generation.com/blog/2009/04/shine-your-light-and-let-the-whole-world-see/

It's just such an amazing story I have to share. If you haven't heard Louie Giglio tell Ashley's story, you've gt to. It's incredibly encouraging.
****************************************************************************************
Still Shining Brightly!



Ashley Akinns 6/21/84 - 4/29/07
She lived a life of fun and laughter and loved God in the end.

I will never forget the first time I held Ashley’s journal in my hands. Though I already had a copy that had been transcribed by her brother, Jacob, actually holding her written life’s story, captured in an everyday composition book, was something else altogether…it felt like a sacred trust.

The transcript of the journal first came from Ashley’s dad after many conversations by e-mail over months of time. This particular e-mail read in part, “So you always say you wish you had known my daughter. Well, this will help you know a little bit more about my Princess .” So I downloaded the file and quickly realized I was reading her own words, personal snapshots of her journey beginning in the fall of 2006 and continuing until the the final entry on April 28, 2007. As I read the pages I couldn’t help but weep with sadness and joy as I watched in detail as her heart began to beat with the love of God.

But holding the journal revealed so much more about her, her personality beaming through the ALL CAPS wording, multiple exclamation points, unwavering energy, humor and varied ink colors. But nothing prepared me for what I felt when I saw what followed her last recorded words. Opposite the last line of Saturday’s entry was nothing but an empty page, an inescapable affirmation that her life on earth had come to an end.

Innocently, the last words she penned after spending a weekend at home with her family were, Tomorrow I am driving back to Gainesville after church and sushi in Riverside. We are going to Sushi Cafe-

What is interesting to me is that there is no period at the end of that sentence…just a squiggly line that seems to say “To be continued” more than “The End.” The next day, a one-car collision took Ashley from those she loved. But it did not dim God’s plans for her life. No way. Ashley found life in the One who overwhelmed the grave.

So, on this day that marks her death, I’d like to share her entry from February 8, written seventeen days after she encountered the grace of God in a personal and life-altering way.

Feb 8th ‘07

I went to a Bible Study with Christa tonight and that was actually kind of fun and cool. Everyone was like hey Ashley and did not make me feel like all awkward and stuff. It was like I belonged there. They sang some songs which I did not know and everyone else did but it was cool. My favorite I came home and looked up the lyrics, here they are cause I love them. I don’t know why but I started crying when they were singing it and I just wanted to lift my hands like they did…I did not but I talked to Christa about it afterwards. She said it was just a way of worshipping God. Jesus did take me just like he found me, with all my failures and screw-ups. He loved me just like I am. He has shown me so much compassion and mercy and he LOVES me. That just blows me away, ya know…

[change to red ink]

Everyone needs compassion
A love that’s never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
A Kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

My Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as you find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King…Jesus

_____________

All I can say is wow.

Ashley, I cannot fathom the loss your family and friends carry and I know they miss you with everything within them. Yet, I can say with certainty that those lyrics you loved so much are coming true in your life today. Your Savior is shining amazingly through you!

Your friend, Louie

A BIG post...

Hello everyone,
I have so much stuff to talk about. I think it will take me a few days to write this post. I want to update my readers on a few things and also get some advice. So I hope you are ready. There's no telling how long this post will be :)

First things first, lots of things happening at work. Since December there has been a lot of change on our team. It's now April and finally no more changes. Out of the changes, we got a new team leader, lost a few team members, added a team member, and we all got more responsibility. So instead of speaking for everyone else-I'll just speak for myself. I got a promotion-basically, I replaced the person leadership promoted to be the IT Director. Now, I will be leading the support team. It's an awesome opportunity for me and I'm definitely up for the challenge. My position was replaced and the new hire starts on Wednesday next week. It will be weird for me not to serve the IT team as their assistant, but I know my replacement will do a perfect job.

Second, a few personal updates. We picked out the nursery furniture. I have pictures below. So, what do you think??? :)


And if you haven't seen what we picked out for the nursery bedding-here that is...
But I've decided the tan walls make it look more boy like. So, I'm going to paint the walls the pretty green color. I figured that can go either way better. And I do really think green is WAY BETTER than yellow :)

So what do you think???

OK, so i've updated you on work and nursery stuff. What else is there?

Lastly, I need some advice- Please comment and help me out, thanks a ton!

1-I cannot decide whether to take 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 weeks maternity leave. If the baby comes at the beginning of October, 12 weeks takes me through the rest of the year. But should I really miss that much work? We have an amazing weekday program that my lil' one will go to. Let me know your opinions, even if I don't know you-i'd really appreciate your opinion on what works for you, or what you wish you had done or hadn't done.

2-Maternity photos, to do or not to do? Whats your opinion? I have always not wanted to do them. However, i have seen some that very real cute-so now I can't decide.

3-What was your favorite part of being pregnant? I'm still struggling with stomach issues. They come and go, but it's starting to be annoying. I want to stay positive so I thought your stories would make me smile.

4-When was the first time you felt the baby move and what exactly did it feel like? Please be descriptive :) I know I should feel the babe soon, I want to know what I'm looking for!

Ok, I think thats all I have for now. Thanks for reading this long post. I have got to be better about writing. So I don;'t have massive posts like this one.

I love you all-
RW

14 weeks!!!!

So, i'm 14 weeks now and the nausea is finally gone! I'm only left with a hunger that I cant seem to feel and heartburn. But I am super blessed to have this little baby inside me! I have a ton to update you all on. But I don't have time to type it all. So stay tuned!!!

Love-RW

PS-here's some ultrasound pictures and a belly picture from last week.

I love this lil' foot picture, its so cute!!!

My belly is really popping out now! (this picture was taken the day before 14 weeks)