the sudan fam

thankfulness

2011-12-20T08:18:00.002-06:00

so i realize that thanksgiving is over, but i never did a post about the things i am thankful for right now. it doesn't have to be thanksgiving time to warrant a post of the things i am thankful for, right? right. in fact, i should probably be cultivating a life a thanks more on a regular basis, so here it goes...

things i am thankful for in this season of life:

- roof over our heads

- Advent family time with hal and jas

- hallie's little breaths and heartbeats

- the smell of a real christmas tree

- food in the pantry

- deliriously laughing with j

- coffee and seasonal creamers (i.e. pumpkin spice and cinnamon sugar cookie)

- friends/family who desire to spend time with my baby!

- hallie's little smiles and screeches (i've determined these little screech noises is her form of laughter for the time being)

- a hard working husband

- a healthy baby

- God's pursuit of me

- new cars that aren't dysfunctional

- surprise engagements (welcome to the family, Alejandro!)

- free diapers from friends :)

- friends who persevere in Christ through difficult times....this encourages my faith.

what are you thankful for? it doesn't have to be "thanksgiving" or even the holidays to dwell on these things....

4 months!

2011-12-05T14:19:00.003-06:00

baby girl turned 4 months on saturday! big girl! she is as cute as ever and every day with her is such a joy to us. she truly is a gift from God and i was just reflecting this morning how i should not take my days with her for granted, especially as i get closer to working part time in the near future (probably). she is so much fun and just smiles up a storm and makes the cutest coo'ing noises and squeaks you ever heard. her new thing is munching on her hands and standing on her little feet. and the other day she was just staring at her feet for the longest time and it looks like she's getting closer to munching on those little feet soon, too. she loves facing the world and observing everything and it seems like she enjoying less and less being held in the crook of my arm. sad...because this means she is getting bigger!

this thanksgiving was a first for hallie...a first thanksgiving, but also a first plane ride. she did great! i rode back from Georgia to Dallas by myself with her and she had 1 intense cry session that probably lasted 4 minutes or so and then she was out. and the Lord was so good to put me next to a sweet mom/grandma who, in the midst of hallie's crying sesh, just kept saying, "she's so sweet". thank you, lord! :)

at hallie's recent 4 month appointment she weighed 11 lbs 11 oz (20%) and 24 1/2 inches (60ish%). the doctor was pleased, so we will just keep doing what we're doing! :) she also handled her shots much better this time around i thought. she is a little trooper! here is our little love bug recently...

life through iphone pictures...

2011-11-16T09:25:00.004-06:00

if you have instagram or facebook...you've probably already seen these, but that's ok. my sweet friends, Ashley and Katherine, came this past weekend. we've been friends since junior high and we've been through thick and thin, forreal. you can see these two lovely ladies in the photo below. what a blessing it is to have friends spend time and money to come visit me and my baby! i can't express how much i love them coming down and loving on hallie.

hi 6 am.

reppin' detroit...jason's favorite city. our sweet friend who lives there got hal this shirt.

dear friends.

obvi....2 of these were free! although i think my new sweets obsession is shifting from sprinkles to the chickfila peppermint chocolate chip milkshake. just as unhealthy :)

enjoying the pretty leaves on a walk...

good morning, big eyes!

don't make me nap, pleaseeeeeee

3 months!

2011-11-08T16:58:00.004-06:00

well little miss hallie turned 3 months on november 3rd! big girl! her newest talents are rolling over (as you have seen by the video we posted) and blowing bubbles. she is smiling all the time, which just melts our hearts. we've been trying to get in the habit of reading to her. she seems to like it and it's a fun thing to do before bed time as well. we still can't really decide who she looks like. i guess she's a combo of the both of us (duh!). but i feel like she is always changing, so we will see. sometimes, when she wakes up from a nap, i feel like she grew an inch, i swear. her naps are hit or miss. some days she naps great and other days she goes on nap strike! but thankfully she sleeps well at night! although this whole fall back deal has thrown her off a bit.

sweet hallie-- we love you! enjoy some pics! :)

oh wait, this is me when i was a kiddo...any resemblance?

our little baylor fan!

stylin' in her polka dot skirt!

big yawn!

hello 3 months! you came along quickly!

Our little rolly poly...

2011-11-02T17:27:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, Hallie decided to surprise us by rolling over! Ever since then she rolls over almost every time we do tummy time. It is so cute and makes us so proud. Sweet Hal will be 3 months tomorrow...hard to believe! Here is a video Jason took of Hallie displaying her new found talent today... :)

2 months!

2011-10-17T13:14:00.005-05:00

Hallie turned 2 months on October 3rd! Here are some pics documenting this month! Because Hallie was a month early, the dr said she is developmentally like a 1 month old. We are hoping she catches up in the next couple of months, so in the mean time we are trying to help her catch up! I am the regulator of tummy time and she is not the biggest fan of that! She seems to be getting better at going to sleep on her own (sometimes) and she is smiling more, which is super fun for Jas and I! Enjoy!

A day in the life....

2011-10-07T08:21:00.006-05:00

of Hallie Sudan. Life as she sees it...

hanging out in my bumbo chair...

getting licked by this guy...

cuddling with mimi...

kisses from mama....

being subjected to picture taking with mom...

crying...

learning new things....

cuddling with dad....

sleeping in my crib...

Lately!

2011-09-14T09:58:00.005-05:00

So I've discovered it is harder than I thought to do lots of extra things when your baby is a newborn. And by "extra," I don't even mean that much extra. Examples of extra include: reading, uploading photos, responding to emails, blogging, laundry, organizing the nursery, writing thank you's, sending birth announcements...and so forth. When Hallie sleeps, I usually try to brush my teeth, wash my face, put some make up on, shower, or eat. I'd heard that you don't have as much time as you think you will to do other stuff...but now I believe it! Anyways, all that to say, here are some recent pics of sweet Hallie! We went to Houston this past weekend to introduce her to my family and it was great! It is so fun to hear all your friends and family dote over your little one. I mean, I think she is the cutest thing ever (obviously), but it is fun when other agree with you! :) enjoy!

Betrothed...

2011-08-30T15:52:00.004-05:00

It's true, Hallie has been betrothed...to my friend Heather's son who was born yesterday. His name is Asher Everett Pirtle and he is adorbs. He and Hallie met today for the first time. I got her all dressed up and it looks like from the picture that she caught his attention (see last photo)!

Congrats Steven and Heather! Heather labored naturally for 16 hours! She is a beast (I mean that in the best way possible) and little Asher finally arrived yesterday at 6:13 pm weighing in at 7 lbs 7 oz. It looks like he and Hallie are similar sizes! :) can't wait to have many play dates in our future!

Hallie's Birth Story

2011-08-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

I wanted to write this story out before I forget the little details… so here is the story of how Hallie Jane Sudan entered the world.

Hallie wasn’t due to arrive until September 3^rd…labor day weekend. But the day after I hit the 35 week mark in my pregnancy I thought I experienced what might have been my water breaking. It scared me and my usual tendency is to brush these little worries off, but this time I felt it was better safe than sorry to call my dr’s office…at 5:30 in the morning. Sorry to the on call doc! The dr urged me to come to L & D at Baylor to get checked out. Much to our surprise, when they checked me, I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Did I mention that Hallie’s due date wasn’t for another 5 weeks? They ran a test to determine if my water had broken and they found that it had not. But it appeared that I might be headed in the direction of having this baby earlier than anticipated. They monitored my contractions on the computer and I was having them, but I couldn’t feel them. They sent us home and it wasn’t until later on that day that I began to feel some minor cramping and contractions. They were nothing to write home about, but I began to wonder if this baby was truly going to make an early appearance? It is not completely uncommon to remain at 3 cm dilated for a while in pregnancy. Anyways, when evening came along I felt that the contractions were getting closer and this scared me. I was not ready to have the baby and felt somewhat unprepared physically and mentally. Plus I wanted little Hallie to be safe. Once again, just to be on the safe side we went back to labor and delivery because I knew that if I were going to have our little girl, I wanted to do it right since she would be considered late pre term and I didn’t want to risk anything. I was still at 3 cm dilation, but was almost completely effaced. They gave me some shots in my arm to try to stop the contractions and then sent me home again. The contractions did stop temporarily until the next day.

I had a dr’s appointment the next day where they didn’t check me because they didn’t want to stir anything up, so they basically sent me home saying call if the contractions got to 5 minutes apart for at least one hour. Okie dokie…. I thought. At this point, there isn’t really anything they do to prevent labor. If she had been several weeks earlier than perhaps more intervention would have taken place. So I didn’t go to work because I knew I needed to rest and see if the contractions would go away. So all throughout Monday and Tuesday I rested at home trying to do as little as possible, which was hard considering we weren’t ready for her arrival at all! Thankfully my parents were in town over the weekend and went on Sunday to buy the basics that I needed if she were going to come early. Thanks mom and dad!

So the contractions continued. I tracked them on a handy dandy app on my phone called the “Contraction Master” and I didn’t really see this alleged pattern they speak of, the 5-1-1 pattern. There would be times when I would have several contractions 7 minutes apart and then they would stop for a good 20-25 minutes. I was so confused… so I just kept hanging out laboring at home. It wasn’t until Wednesday morning when I was trying to take a nap that I passed a blood clot, which caused me to call the doctor to see what I should do. I was trying to call and get through to a live person when the doctors office was calling me with test results from Monday. Awesome, so I clicked over and told them the situation. They told me to come in. May I remind you, Jason is working and in Lewisville. So I call him and let him know I was going in and that I would keep him updated. My dear friend, Heather, had just texted me so I called her when I was driving to Dr. Crochet’s office to let her know the deal. She is an L & D nurse and also pregnant and she was due 11 days before me, so we have shared many a pregnancy question/experience with one another through out the last 9 months. She said she wanted to meet me at the office since she was just around the corner at her chiropractor’s office. I said she didn’t have to, but that she could if she wanted. Shoot, I am so glad she did! As I was driving the contractions were getting stronger and I was thinking to myself…it’s probably not the best idea to be driving right now, but I didn’t have any other option to get there quickly. So I get to Dr. Crochet’s office and as I am in the waiting room I am consistently having contractions that are pretty close together. They were becoming more painful and I was finding it hard to breath and talk during them, so I did my best not to be awkward during that 10-minute wait in the waiting room to be seen by the dr. I get in the room with Dr. Crochet (and Heather) and she checked me and informed me that my water had been prematurely broken and I had been leaking. She also said that I was 6 cm dilated and I needed to head to L & D pronto! At that moment the rest of my water broke and I realized that sweet Hallie was coming TODAY. Holy moly. This was happening…and Jason was in Lewisville. Did I mention that?

Now my goal for labor was to try to tackle this all natural. No epidural. I had “prepared” by reading books and I also had hired a doula for support during the labor process. From Sunday to the “delivery day” (Wednesday) I had been having contractions off and on, so I hadn’t really realized that I had done so much laboring at home and didn’t realize how much progress I was making. So when I found out I was 6 cm dilated, I realized all those restless nights had not been pointless! Heather called my doula and she was helping with another patient’s labor and was not going to be able to help me during my labor, so she told me I would be getting one of her back ups. But really Heather was more of a doula since she was there the whole time. She gave Jas and I some different ideas to try to cope with the contractions and reminded me to take long deep breaths, which really helped.

Once we go to L & D they had to give me antibiotics since my water bag had torn and an infection was possible since we weren’t sure how long my water bag had been broken. But I continued to labor at L & D and the contractions were definitely much stronger once my water fully broke. I just remember trying my hardest to relax during each contraction and practicing deep breathing really did help. Jason got to L & D about 30 minutes after I got there and was such a great support. He held my hand and let me squeeze as hard as I could during each contraction. He told me believed in me. He was simply present and engaged…just like I needed him to be. For a while I was just laying on the bed enduring each contraction and waiting for the next to come. I knew I wouldn’t last if I just continued to lie there, especially if I was going to be laboring for hours and hours. So I had to do something different. I tried to walk around the room in between contractions and stood up and had my arms around Jas during each contraction, which for me was the best position to labor in (I hated the bouncy ball). This was so much better than laying on the bed. I think gravity did it’s magic and that helped Hallie to come even faster because once I got up off the bed and labored standing up, it seemed like it was no time until we began pushing. I probably labored for about 1 ½ hours in L & D before I was 10 cm and ready to push. Oh yea, the back up doula did arrive at some point towards the end of my contractions in what seemed like during the transition phase (which is the worst part, so I guess that was good timing). She helped relieving some pressure off of my hips during the contractions and also helped with breastfeeding afterwards. But I think next time I will go without the doula if I have the potential to have another quick labor like this one.

OK, so now it’s push time. My doctor arrived and was really helpful during this whole process. I started pushing at 2:09 pm and pushed through several contractions. Dr. Crochet gave great direction and I pushed with all my might and energy. I was much noisier during this part than I thought I would be, but I also don’t think I have ever put so much energy into one thing in my whole life. At 2:19pm, after one last push, we heard the sweet, loud cry of our baby girl, 5 pounds, 13 ounces of pure joy. They put her on my chest and I just remember seeing her open eyes and feeling her warm slippery skin on mine. And then she peed everywhere! But I couldn’t believe she was here…and in my arms. I didn’t cry, but was just overwhelmed with energy and disbelief that all of this had just happened. Just that morning I had spoken with my boss at work about how I really wanted to return to work the next week if I wasn’t contracting anymore. And then, here I was with our firstborn in my arms. And praise God she was healthy! I looked up at Jason and he had tears in his eyes and it was such a sweet moment! I hope these memories stay fresh in my mind as long as possible and I hope writing all of this out helps me to remember as well. They took Hallie away to check her out and made sure she was doing well (they had the NICU team there in case she needed it) and she was just a pure champ—Thank you Lord! She had great APGAR scores and I was able to get her back to breastfeed and bond some more with her. I also dominated some chik-fil-a nuggets, fries, and coke shortly afterwards.

I am so thankful for this birth experience. I am thankful that Hallie was healthy even though she was a month early. I am thankful that she did not get an infection despite my water breaking early. I’m thankful Jason made it in time! I’m thankful this all occurred during the day and I was able to have my dr (not an on-call doc) deliver Hallie. I am thankful family and friends came to visit us. I am thankful I was able, by God’s grace, to deliver her naturally and feel fully present during the whole process. Overall, during the active labor phase, I feel that my body really told me what to do. I learned that I have to pay attention to it and let it lead it will do what it was made to do. When it was time to push it felt natural like that was the next step that should have taken place. Having said all that, I am grateful for an uncomplicated birth, which made all of that easier and possible.

Also, my tips to pregnant women getting ready for labor…you might not know if your water has broken. People kept telling me “Oh, you’ll definitely know because it will be a huge gush of water.” But that didn’t happen for me until the dr actually broke my water. And then secondly, you might not have contractions every 5 minutes apart for 1 hour. Just saying…If I had waited til I got to that point, who knows where Hallie might have been born? At home in the bathtub or in the back seat of our car?

So there you have it…that is how Hallie Jane Sudan entered the world. She is a little fire cracker and a fighter and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for her. It is my prayer that she will be a lover of Him, a women fears Him, and one who brings joy and light to those around her. We love you, sweet Hal!

First Two Weeks of Life...

2011-08-19T11:09:00.007-05:00

Little Hallie (pronounced Hallie with a short A-- like Halle Berry) has been such a joy these past two weeks! Sorry to neglect the blog, but learning how to care for an infant is pretty time consuming, I will say that! :) so here are just a few photos from her first two weeks of life. I have also been working on her birth story and I will post it when I am done. Not that yall are dying to read it, but really I just wanted to write it out for my own sake, so I don't forget the little details of that important day!

in her bassinet

sleeping beauty :)

EK and Hallie! so cute!

poppee and hallie!

her first bath!

little wet and soapy babies are the cutest!

tummy time...dad is good at implementing this with her

itty bitty hands

we've had such great support from friends and family!

World.... Meet Hallie Jane!

2011-08-07T15:19:00.006-05:00

Well, as of August 3rd at 2:19 p.m. Alex and I became parents to a beautiful 5 lb 13 oz litle girl, Hallie Jane Sudan. Alex completely dominated the labor and delivery, God was very gracious to her and us. She started pushing at 2:09 and at 2:19 our baby girl came out to greet us with a sweet cry. Here are a few photos of Hallie Jane.

Alex and Hallie had great nurses......

Elise

and

Heather

Alex and Hallie also had a great OBGYN Dr. Crochet

Along with our new arrival, Hallie, we are bringing her to our first home....

the weekend!

2011-05-30T22:09:00.005-05:00

sooooo grateful for the 3 day weekend! we had a great weekend at the lake house friday through sunday (and have no pictures to document- so we tried to make up for it today...) and today, jas and i spent the day relaxing and running a few errands. it was a great day! come along to see what the day entailed...

the day started off here...at the village with some reading and fetching with the spud

hallie jamming out to the i pod....she was kicking when i put it on...i hope they were kicks of enjoyment...

then on to explore at this place....a new favorite for me.

trying to keep up with pregnancy belly documentation (26 weeks)...haven't been very good at this thus far...

jas enjoying some reading....

and then the reading, without fail, always turns to this...nap time.

so that was the day in a nutshell...not really, but those are the things i documented. now i get to go to the dentist tomorrow! wait, i really am excited, it's been way too long and i need to take care of business! i have been saying i was going to go to the dentist since october. woo hoo! i'm thinking i have cavities...but we will see. maybe it won't be as fun as i think it's going to be...dang it. anyway, happy memorial day!!

baby girl sudie

2011-05-17T19:01:00.002-05:00

i know, i know...i'm late and slow as usual. but it was obviously time to post the last sono pics of our baby girl. oh yea, we're having a GIRL!!! we are so excited to meet this precious little one! jason has already started to day dream about setting up a comfy pallet of blankets and pillows on the floor and watching cinderella with me and our girl. isn't that adorable? i think so...

so there she is...i like the top photo because her little mouth is open. and then her little button nose is just so cute...now on to the wonder and guessing, who will she look like? i'm guessing she'll have brown hair and brown/green eyes...but that's all i got! i just love to think about her and her fast approaching arrival...time has flown by during this pregnancy! im 24 weeks and before i know it i'll be in the 3rd trimester and then she'll be almost here! i'm trying to relish and enjoy each little step, which i didn't feel like i was doing well the last few months simply due an insane schedule and lack of time/energy. so i'm grateful for a bit of respite now that i can take the time to journal, read about childbirth, and daydream about our babe.

enjoy! :) happy tuesday!

the grandmother

2011-05-06T21:49:00.005-05:00

my grandmother on my dad's side passed away last tuesday, the 26th of april. her name was malinda, but everyone called her lyndy. i get my middle name from her. after learning of her death, i was able to recount a plethora of fun memories with her. so i felt a blog was in order to honor her as my grandmother. i say grandmother because that's what she preferred to be called...and not just grandmother, but the grandmother. if you called her granny or grandma or any other name she would raise her hand and threaten to slap you. it's true. she was hilarious and feisty. i have a lot of fond memories with her from my childhood and i am grateful for that. her death was one that was "expected" (if you can really expect death) and she is in a much better place as she did know the lord. she had gone down hill and had not been herself for over a year...

i wanted to share some of my memories with the grandmother, so that you could get a glimpse of what it was like to be her granddaughter

-after taking baths at her house, she always powdered out hinnies(sp?) with baby powder
-her amazing chocolate cake
-coke floats at her house with vanilla bean ice cream
-the grandmother's smell...which some how infiltrated the left overs she sent you home with. you just have to experience this one on your own (which you can at my parents house because all of her stuff smells like her still)
-she shaved her legs every day (more often than i did or still do...not bad for an old lady!)
- her penciled in eyebrows
-her many night gowns that she put on at 4 pm because she went to be so early!
- her long nails that gave the best back scratches ever (don't joke with her that they are fake- she will retaliate!)
- back to school shopping and lunch at la madeline afterwards (and she would always give me a $5 bill just because)
- clinique make up for christmas every year (including the free gift and make up bag)
-sunday afternoons at the grandmother...naps on her couch

and those are just a few of the memories i have with her. she was awesome and i hope that i can pass on fun and meaningful memories to my grandchildren if the lord wills! we were able to attend her memorial service in houston this week and it was nice to see so many people come out and remember her life. thank you for her life, lord, and thank you that she is with you in a completely restored and renewed body...no longer suffering!!

he is ALIVE!

2011-04-23T09:57:00.002-05:00

happy easter weekend! i hope you all are making the time to reflect on the importance of this weekend for us as christians (if you are a follower of christ).

isaiah 53:5-6
but he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed
all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one-- to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

and while he are all guilty of crucifying christ, he has given us forgiveness of our sins and a hope... "he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of jesus christ from the dead...1 peter 1:3

and i've seen so much evidence that christ is alive and moving around me, around my friends, family, community and so on.... he is ALIVE! let's celebrate and give him glory!!

i thought this video/song was appropriate. gotta love john mark mcmillan....

Preggers!

2011-03-14T17:42:00.004-05:00

remember when I didn't blog for a really long time.... (you might be thinking, which time?), but it's mainly due to me and jas being preggers!!! these last 2 1/2 months haven't been my most energetic (not to mention the nausea) and blogging just wasn't on the agenda. but I did want to announce it on the blog that jas and i are expecting a little one on September 3rd! we are so thankful and grateful to God for this little life in me. i'ts crazy to think there are two heartbeats going on inside my body right now. but we are just praising God our Creator-the Creator to this little babe being knitted and formed in my womb.

Here are some photos below....the first two are from the night we found out, which was Dec 27th. i took a pregnancy test at a dairy queen in madisonville, tx when we were on our way home from from visiting my parents in houston. it went a little something like this-i had the pregnancy test...and couldnt wait anymore and of course a blizzard is always a good excuse to stop, right? a blzzard and a positive pregnancy test would be the best combo one could order at DQ! so i ran to the bathroom with the pregnancy test in hand (more like in my purse so it wouldn't be obvi to the post-church lunch DQ customers) and had to be super accurate with my one pregnancy test (TMI?) and quick...because there were two ladies waiting behind me! anyway, i did what i needed to do and then washed my hands trying to get out of the bathroom quickly and not really looking at it because in all honesty I really didn't think it was going to be positive. and then i glanced at it to throw it away and then ta-da! there it was...a little positive sign. so then im sort of dizzy and leave the bathroom thinking for sure my face would give it away to jason. and i met him in parking lot and told him the news! baby sudan on the way! we celebrated with a chocolate dipped cone (for Jas) and a butterfinger blizzard for prego. needless to say--who knew that DQ would be such a memorable place for us?!

the last photo is the sono pic from 10 weeks! our next sono will be the 19 week gender appt, which will be in about one month. we are so excited to find out the gender and give the little guy/girl a name!! if you ever think about us, please pray our baby. it has been my prayer thus far that this baby would be a light in the darkness...a light in a dark world that would shine and exude the love of Christ to all who know him/her. please pray this with us. thank you!! :)

the civil wars

2011-02-02T18:53:00.002-06:00

jason and i are suckers for girl/guy duo's...maybe it is because we secretly wish we could write songs and be a legit guy/girl duo. but we first got stuck on the swell season...saw them in concert a couple of years ago and we were hooked. now our new fave is the civil wars. i'd heard of their name before, but for whatever reason the name made me think they were some genre of music i wouldn't like. so i never tried them out. thankfully, jason's little sis suggested them and now (after one day) we are hooked! their new CD just came out yesterday- Barton Hollow. please enjoy this music video from you tube (it's from their previous EP). this song is beautiful...a great little tune to enjoy if you are stuck inside because of all this ice cold weather!

The Pancho Challenge

2011-01-04T15:31:00.003-06:00

I talked to Alex, my wife, on the phone just before lunch and I told her I was craving Panchos and needed to make a Panchos stop. So, I did, off 183 East in Euless, TX. And I must say the 2nd time was just as good as the 1st
A few weeks back I issued the challenge to visit your local Panchos Mexican Buffet, fill your tray with tasty Mexican food and raise the flag.
So, I wanted to hear from you all that took my challenge and accomplished it. What did you think of Panchos Tasty Mexican Buffet? (I would add tasty in the title if it were my restaraunt)

For those not stepping up to the challenge, this is my encouragement, my nudge to do so.....and let me know.

Spurgeon on the Trinity

2011-01-02T17:51:00.002-06:00

Over the past year I have heard many pastors encourage people to read books written by men who were dead. Authors such as C.S Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, Martin Luther, etc. A couple of months ago I was in my parents den looking through some of their books and I found "Spurgeon on the Holy Spirit", so I borrowed it and have been reading it for a month now. It is small (page number wise) but extremely thick (depth wise). In the 4th Chapter: Personality of the Holy Spirit, Spurgeon mentions the importance of the Trinity in the Gospel.
"A Gospel without the Trinity! It is a pyramid built upon its apex. A Gospel without the Trinity! It is a rope of sand that cannot hold together. A Gospel without the Trinity! Then, indeed, Satan can overturn it. But give me a Gospel with the Trinity, and the might of hell cannot prevail against it. No man can anymore overthrow it than a bubble could split a rock, or a feather break a mountain in two."

I will post more and more quotes, as I come upon them.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-12-29T17:03:00.002-06:00

Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year from the Sudans!

(this one was our christmas card)

JAson's little sister, Mary Beth, took these photos to help us with our Christmas card this year! Isn't she talented? Check out her tumblr at www.marybethsudan.tumblr.com thank you mary b!!

26th birthday and our midget tree

2010-12-13T20:06:00.005-06:00

I'm not going to apologize for my lack of blogging...sometimes, there are just thoughts and ideas that are better left off the blog and more for a face to face conversation over coffee or tea. but other blog-worthy news... I just celebrated my 26th birthday on Saturday! i love birthdays and jas and family & friends made it really special, so thanks for the birthday wishes! It's crazy to think that I am close to 30 than 20 now....but I welcome this next year with anticipation and waiting to see what God has in store.

I also wanted to post a little picture of our little, midget Christmas tree. this will be our first christmas in the Marable's back house and space is limited. But even though we don't have much space, we didn't want to completely nix the Christmas tree this year, so here is our little guy (see below). He only cost $20 from home depot. He was kind of deformed, so we trimmed him up a bit, although he still has quite the awkward shape. we like him that way though. anyways, I'm hoping that this year I can shop for some Christmas ornaments after Christmas because there are always really good sales and our ornaments are lacking. what is everyone's favorite store to shop for Christmas ornaments...just looking for suggestions.

Happy monday!!

jury duty

2010-11-21T21:33:00.003-06:00

several weeks ago i received my first jury summons in the mail. dallas county was requesting that i take the day off work to wait around hours upon hours at frank crowley court house for the possibility that i might make it on a real life jury panel. welp, turns out i am good juror material because i was one of the 12 out of the 65 that was selected to be on the jury. did i mention it was for a murder trial?? yes, it was for a murder trial.

so there i was....and once the judge read the indictment, i had to ask myself, can i do this? can i be fair and impartial based on the evidence presented? what a responsibility and weighty role to take on. what if the defendant isn't guilty and we give him 40 years or even worse- life? what if he is truly guilty, but there isn't enough evidence to prove it?? what about justice then? these were all questions i was asking myself while sitting in that terribly hard wooden bench in the 1st criminal district room. but deep down, i did feel that i could do this task through God's wisdom and i felt that if i was selected, it was simply God's sovereignty that i be put on that panel. soo are you wondering what happened??

so last monday, after much prayer, i returned to frank crowley to report to the jury room to begin the trial. of course, i hit traffic and was the last juror there, but it didn't matter...everyone was waiting for the trial to begin and it was a busy day in the court room. about 45 minutes later the judge came in and told us that the defendant and the state had come to an agreement and that the defendant plead out. yep....no trial and no jury needed. so he goes on to tell us that he got 31 years in prison for this brutal stabbing. the judge explained that this often happens once the jury is selected because it puts the pressure on the defendant and his attorney and forces them to come to an agreement that may be a better punishment than what a jury would give. so i guess they felt that 31 years in prison was a fair and just punishment for the crime. it's possible we could have given him more...but i guess we'll never know. do you think 31 years in prison is a fair punishment? how do you determine how many years is appropriate for a murder?? ...(you can read the details of the crime at the link below...it's a really sad story).

so that was my jury duty experience. i will say that i learned a lot about how the justice system works. and it really hit me that average joe people serve as jurors, then given the evidence and the rule of law....they decide the fate and punishment of others (you could argue that the individual committing the crime decided their fate, but you get what i'm saying...). it's really a crazy idea, but it also makes sense. it made me thankful to be a part of a justice system where the people actually have a say. i know there are lots of flaws to it, but i do think having a jury is a legitimate set up and i am glad i was able to serve in the way that i did. plus, i made a whopping $46 for my day and a half served....extra spending money for clothes thanks to Dallas county. anyways, thanks for reading.... and here is the article below if you want to read it.

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/10/man-accused-in-fatal-stabbing.html

Da Bears

2010-11-13T09:44:00.001-06:00

So i think I need to let Jas take over this blog...he's been a pretty successful blogger on every entry he has written. i love that man.

in other news....we are getting ready to leave for Waco to go to the A&M v. Baylor football game! this morning I was taking a shower and mentally preparing for the game (I know, I sound like a freak)....it's an important one. I hope we win!!!!!

SIC EM BEARS!!!!!!!!!!!

Long Lost Love

2010-11-11T21:15:00.004-06:00

Go back 15 years or so with me.......as kids in the Sudan family whenever your birthday came around, not only did you get shotgun in the car all day but you got to pick any restaurant of your choice for lunch and dinner. Wendy's for lunch, Panchos Mexican Buffet for dinner. Those were my choices.

The other day I actually had cash in my wallet (usually we use the card) and I told Alex that I wanted to treat myself with a special lunch after I had finished working for the day (I do home inspections for vacant homes in the DFW area). I had been talking about it for awhile and had not gone since I was a kid, so around 2:00 p.m today I pulled into the Panchos Mexican Buffet parking lot in Euless, TX got out of my car and walked up to the buffet line, ordered enchiladas, flautas, and tacos, sat down at the table in front of the flag (mexican flag that you raise when you need service) and had a delicious lunch. After living in Dallas, I have become a Tex-Mex snob with the likes of Chuy's and Glorias, and to tell you the truth if felt great going back to my roots and eating at Panchos. And I am serious when I say, it really was a great meal.

So, I issue the challenge.....whenever you see a Panchos on the side of the road, stop in and raise the flag.

Brooke Fraser

2010-11-01T20:59:00.002-05:00

So, it's official...i love Brooke Fraser. I've always known this, but she came out with a new album on Oct 12th and can i just stay that it is the best, most genius album. every song is so good...the lyrics are deep and creative. and the sounds are whimsical. can you tell i liker her music? :) i love jamming to her songs in the car, in my office, getting ready in the morning. i love the album, too, because there are slow thoughtful songs and really fun upbeat ones...anyways, i wanted to share that if you don't have her album, you should go out (or get on i-tunes) and buy it. you won't regret it. you should buy it and support her...and not burn it. it's that good. worth every pretty penny. so enjoy the music video! also, i will be seeing her in person at the house of blues in dallas on november 12th...i'll keep you posted on how great the show is!!

bad blogger

2010-10-16T15:38:00.003-05:00

i know...i've been a bad blogger. i've neglected our blog lately and i guess the only excuse i have is that things have been pretty busy over here on the work front and when work gets busy i guess i kind of lose interest in blogging. but i have been meaning to post some pictures from a recent weekend trip we took to denver, co to visit some friends who recently moved there. we went at the end of september to visit our good friend, Erick and Brooke Frazier, and we had a really good time and are thankful they hosted us for the weekend! here are the pics!

Happy Birthday to.....SPUD!

2010-09-18T08:03:00.004-05:00

That's right! today our little guy is 2 years old today! call me silly for being excited for his bday...I have no shame. It's not like im throwing him a birthday party with cake and ice cream...just remembering his little birthday. So here are some pics to celebrate Spud's two years! Go Spud- you're the cutest and cuddliest pup i've ever owned! seriously....he's a big cuddler. ok enough...now on to the pics.

Anni Pics!

2010-09-11T12:44:00.004-05:00

soo jas and i celebrated our 3 year anniversary last month! we were actually in town this year for our anniversary, so that was nice. it was on a wednesday night, so wednesday i gave jas my presents and we went to dinner at breadwinner's...see photos below. they are in chronological order (which took me some time to do, cause blogger is weird and always uploads them backwards...moving forward). I made jas a photo album on shutterfly and it documented these last three years in photos. it was really fun to make and it was so fun to flip through it together and laugh and remember the last few years. i also asked jason's friend to write him an encouragement letter (words of affirmation is his love language, for sure) and he really enjoyed reading those...so thank you to those him took the time to write him one! :) and jason's gift to me was some sweet letters and the promise that we could get a new mattress soon! woot! i've been asking for this...

then, that weekend jason had planned a night at a local bed and breakfast (i almost said bread and breakfast, ha) and we went out to dinner on sat night at grimaldi's for pizza and then went to la duni for some major sweetness. we should have only ordered one dessert, but we ordered two. check out the quattro leches cake... i coud barely finish half of it. but i highly recommend la duni for those of you out there who have a serious sweet tooth. anyway, we finished the evening by watching dear john back at the bed & breakfast...not that we really wanted to watch that movie, but it was all the redbox had. terrible movie...don't see it. so there you have it! our anni in a nut shell. here are the photos to document. jas and i are trying to be better about taking pictures....enjoy!

don't mind that authentic ethiopian spear in the background....where do you store something like that!?

cue corny solo pictures here.... its like we were back on our honeymoon.

cookin' and a workin'

2010-08-29T16:58:00.004-05:00

ok you guys...i am in a rut. a dinner makin rut. i started working almost three months ago, and since then, the number of times i make dinner on a weekly basis went down to about, ummm one time?? i know, its pretty sad. jas has started to wonder when i would come back to life in kitchen. hasn't happened yet. i do like to cook, but the spark has kind of died because when i come home from work i don't feel like scrounging up something creative or tasty. i'd like to eat something tasty, but i just want it to sort of appear on the table on its own. not very realistic, i know.

i think part of the problem lies in my lack of planning for my weekly grocery trips. i end up buying all snack food...yogurt, granola, doritos (jas), double stuff oreos (jas), fruit, and then i forget i am supposed to make meals and not just have food for our every day lunches. got any tips for this??

so tonight i made enchiladas...they are in the oven as we speak. perhaps we'll have some leftovers for lunch or dinner this week? but even still, we're talking left overs here... so my question to you is this-- anyone have any simple, yet fun and tasty recipes that want to pass along from one working girl to another?? help a sister out!

3 years!!

2010-08-18T21:26:00.002-05:00

can't believe we got married three years ago today! happy anniversary to my main man!!

and happy anniversary to my parents, good 'ol mark and tamra parks, who also got married on this same day, 31 years ago!!

Home Group!

2010-08-14T11:04:00.003-05:00

Jas and I are so blessed by the Biblical community we are apart of. Jason always says that our home group is "stacked"...which makes me laugh cause I'm like "can you say that??" But it is pretty true... we've been a group since Dec 2008 and it is has been such a journey and joy to walk with everyone along the way. Nate and Andrea, a couple in our group, have been engaged for about a year & finally got married a couple of weeks ago. We all went to the wedding and it was SO FUN. So here are some pics of home group at the wedding... i love these people!!

Prayer

2010-08-08T15:12:00.002-05:00

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. -- Joseph Scriven

the topic of prayer is one that has been on my heart lately and it just so happens that Matt also preached on it today at church. i love when the Lord is leading you in a direction and it just continually comes up so that you are forced to think/meditate on it...especially when in your flesh you'd rather just push it aside. anyway, since May i have been reading Desiring God by John Piper. i just felt that it was about time i tried to tackle that big ol' book and i finished it today. woot woot! even though there are several appendices so i don't really feel finished....this book has challenged me big time in a lot of different ways, but especially in the area of prayer. i think a lot of the time i do not take prayer as seriously because i'm aware of how deeply i need Him. or things get so busy at work, i don't take a minute to breathe and consider God and what He is saying or trying to teach me. i know i am missing out on a deeper joy and satisfaction in Christ....

at the end of the chapter on prayer, john piper ends by exhorting the reader to make a plan to pray. he uses the comparison that we do not just get up one day and take a vacation, but we plan it way in advance and then make it happen. this idea has stuck with me and it is so true. i am a sucker for practicals, too....so i always needs a good practical application to help me out. so i need to be more serious about making prayer a priority and making a plan of action!

and then from the sermon today--two of the things that stuck out to me from Matt's sermon is 1.) we don't pray like we are at war...and as much as we can deny that statement, we are at war, we just don't view life through that lens, ** insert conviction here!** and then 2.) God asks us to give him no rest when it comes to praying and seeking him. This is from Isaiah 62 (which is one of my fave chapters in Isaiah, btw)...verse 6 says

"on your walls, o jerusalem, i have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. you who put the Lord in remembrance; take no rest and GIVE HIM NO REST until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth."

God wants us to be petitioning him day and night...he does not ask that we leave him alone so he can take a nap or watch the football game. i love this....

sooo all this to say, i hope you are encouraged to spend time to pray today...and to make it more of your spiritual disciplines consistently. i also pray that you don't feel shame or guilt because of your lack of prayer. i know i was feeling this way and I feel like that guilt and shame is one way the enemy could prevent me/you from engaging God in prayer. welp, there's my little tid bit...thanks for reading! have a good week! :)

Happy Birthday Dad

2010-07-29T23:59:00.000-05:00

What greater joy to a father

That a son should heed his instruction

What greater joy to a son

Than to receive praise from his father

Dad, when finding the best words to write to or encourage you, its simple I look to Proverbs. For what does Solomon say time and time again, “Hear, my son, your fathers instruction. And be attentive, that you may gain insight.” Prov. 4:1 For, my boast about you, is in your wisdom, your insight.

So, where do I go? Where should I search?

Dad would you show me

Do I run or do I fall prostrate at His feet?

Lead, I will follow

Dad, I have followed your lead. You have spoken of a God and have lived for a God that has consumed your heart; that has transformed your life. “ I have taught you the way of wisdom. I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered. And if you run, you will not stumble.” Prov. 4:11-12

Can I trust Him? Is He worth it?

He is worthy, Holy, the Giver of life, Sovereign King of the nations

Trust Him

Dad, you have placed your trust in Him. It is evident that Christ is everything to you. Your life is marked by the Gospel. It is evident, it truly is. You have led and we have followed in your footsteps. He has become treasured in your children’s eyes. And He will be treasured in your grandchildren’s eyes. It is evident that He is worthy to follow. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.” Prov. 4:23-25

Happy Birthday Dad, 55 years have passed, so much life still to be lived. You are leaving a legacy; the work is not yet finished. I am proud to call you my father and honored to be your brother. My hope is that you will prayerfully examine this next season of life and be led to sprint after Christ, that you would find Him even more precious and worthy.

New Journey

2010-07-18T21:19:00.002-05:00

July 2nd was my last day at Southwest Alliance of Asset Managers a marketing and management contractor for the Dept. of HUD. A place that I had been working for the past 3 years since graduating from Baylor. I had developed a lot of friendships at work over the past 3 years and will greatly miss working/seeing them on a daily basis. So, for the past 2 weeks I have been unemployed I have been lounging, running errands, inspecting homes (side job), and visiting with friends and family. I really could get used to this not working schedule.....actually when I was a kid, I would always tell my parents that I wanted to stay home while "the wife" worked.

So, I quit my job to fully pursue firefighting. Alex, has been so encouraging during this firefighter journey. I may have quit the firefighter pursuit a while ago if it hadn't been for her support. For the next few months, Alex will be bringing in the bacon, while I am in school. My vacation has come to an end, tomorrow, July 19th I will start the Desoto Fire Academy. I have been pursuing firefighting for the past couple of years and it has turned out to be a lot more competitive career to jump into than I originally had thought. I have been unsuccessful getting hired on with several departments the past couple of years, so I have been attempting to make myself more hirable. In March I completed my EMT-Basic course, which all firefighters have to be, and now I have enrolled into a fire academy, to become a certified firefighter. This program will end in November and we will see how it helps getting me onto a fire department.

I will keep fellow bloggers posted on the new journey.

Pro Active??

2010-07-12T21:09:00.002-05:00

So we've all seen the ads....Jenna Fischer (Pam from the office) & Jessica Simpson singing the praises of the acne treatment- Pro Active. my question is...does it REALLY work??i asked myself this same question freshman year of college, and guess what happened??? i got the worst acne ive ever had in my whole life. what?? so i didn't/don't believe you Jenna Fischer. But for whatever reason...i got the itch to try it again recently, so i bought it (they also promise a 100% money back guarantee). well, one week in and my face is itching like crazy. but is a pimple-free face worth it?? i havent decided yet. its not that i have severe acne or anything. i just get the random break outs. so i have taken a before and will take an after picture when im finished...just to document whether all these commercials are boloney. and i will send it in to get my money back if it doesn't work!! so here are the before pictures...and you can't even really see my zits, so its not a great "before" picture, but here i am no make-up and all....here's to my experiment with Pro Active.

to be continued....

orlando

2010-06-20T13:26:00.004-05:00

so i recently went to orlando (winter park) with my parents and nephew for my cousin's high school graduation! the trip was totally unexpected (i knew i was going a week before) and was really fun! my nephew is 5 years old now and getting so big!! he says the funniest things. also, we shared a room the whole week...shared a trundle bed and i gave him baby tickles to get him to go to sleep, it was a really sweet time. here are some photos!

at tyhoon lagoon!

during splash mountain...look at his face! actually, all of our faces are pretty priceless....

after the buzz light year ride...

playing at cocoa beach

finally employed!

2010-06-15T17:28:00.003-05:00

thank you, Jesus!! i feel like i've been waiting for this moment for two years! don't get me wrong, i loved school...the learning, the flexible schedule, the internship experiences and so on. but i am so thankful to have a job and be a "professional" now! yesterday was my first day as an LMSW at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children! woot woot! this hospital is so neat and i am excited about the children and families i will be helping out there! this hospital will be 90 years old next year and no child or family has ever had to pay a bill for any of the services or surgeries performed! kind of hard to believe...especially when many of the customized prosthetic limbs for the kiddos cost thousands and thousands of dollars. anyways, i will keep you updated on this journey, but just wanted to praise God for a job, his provision, and new learning experiences! below is a really great video of the types of patients that are served at scottish rite...the little girl is SO cute!

http://www.tsrhc.org/video-emily.htm

Dup dominates Denver!

2010-05-24T16:21:00.004-05:00

That's right...DUP took over Denver last weekend. You may be asking yourself what DUP is? Well, simply put, we are just a group of former college roommates at Baylor, but it is so much more than that! Anyways, we've been pretty good about seeing each other in the post-graduation days. But some of us have moved away to different parts of the US. Two of us are in Dallas, three in Waco, one in Austin, one in NYC, and one in Denver. Back in January the idea was proposed for ALL of us to go and surprise Kate (who lives in Denver). It was hard to find a weekend that worked for everyone. In fact, it was pretty difficult and took a ton of group facebook messages in secret to coordinate it. I had been looking forward to this trip all semester long and I am so sad that it is over now. But it was SO fun and Kate was completely surprised! Ahhh, it was awesome!! Kate definitely shed some tears as we surprised her at breakfast all sporting DUP shirts! We did a lot of walking and enjoying the weather, went to a farmer's market and ate really good food, went to Red Rocks, and just chatted and caught up. It was really good...reunion ideas for next year are already being brainstormed....how about a DUP cruise next year?!?! Yes please...

Graduation Day!!!

2010-05-14T07:39:00.006-05:00

Congratulations Alex Melinda Sudan! You are now a graduate of the UTA Masters Social Work Program! Way to go. One of Alex's sweet statements she says frequently is "Jas, aren't you proud of me?".......YOU BET I AM, I am so proud of you! Alex has worked so hard the past 2 years traveling to Arlington for class, taking many tests, writing extremely long papers, completing a couple internships, and dominating a licensing exam.
Before I met Alex, I really don't think I ever gave a second thought to social work agencies, due to my own selfishness and ignorance. Now, I realize the importance and necessity of them. It has been really fun to watch Alex develop such a heart for those that are seen as social outcasts, physically or verbally abused, mentally unstable, etc. It takes unique men and women to work in this sector of society, and I am very thankful for them.
Once again CONGRATULATIONS Alex! You are going to make an incredible social worker.

Healthy Morning Muffins

2010-05-11T18:39:00.002-05:00

Hey guys! here is the tasty recipe I mentioned in the last post. they are called "healthy morning muffins" and they are simple and yummy for breakfast. i got the recipe from an every day food (which i finally subscribed to recently--woot!)...sometimes, on sundays i like to make muffins or scones for the upcoming week's breakfast. cereal just get boring sometimes...so enjoy! the recipe came from a lady named Fawn Dixon from Fairbanks, Alaska...

Healthy Morning Muffins

nonstick spray
1 1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/2 C. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 C. raisins
3 tbsp. EVOO
1 lg. egg
1/3 C. skim milk
4 medium carrots
1 medium ripe banana

1.) preheat oven to 400 degrees. coat a 12 cup muffin pan with spray. in a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt until there are no lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots, and banana and stir until blended.
2.) fill each muffin cup with 1/4 c. batter. bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 23 to 25 mins. serve muffin warm or at room temperature (to store, keep in air tight container, up to 3 days).

they are really good warm with butter on them...perhaps with some eggs and a good ol cup of joe in the morning.

freeeeedom (said in william wallace's braveheart voice)!

2010-05-06T15:04:00.005-05:00

this is what i am feeling right now...(actually, feelin' a little tired and like i need a nap), but i am totally free!! no more school! no more internship hours! i graduate next friday!! can you tell im excited? i finished my 500 hours at parkland yesterday and now i am just relaxing and applying for jobs until graduation. my family is coming in, which i am excited about, too. i know i have been neglecting this blog a bit, but perhaps with this new found freedom i will get up to blogging-speed. ive had a few things ive wanted to post, so we will see where the wind takes me. in other news, my camera broke...it lasted me a good 5 or 6 years, but now i don't have a super great camera to take pictures and post on here...so my i phone will have to do for now. i made some really great breakfast muffins the other day and i will post the recipe soon....very easy to make, and they're healthy and tasty, too.

also, i have to give a shout out to the j bird--i am so grateful to have gone through this program with the hubs supporting me...without his hard work and dedication i would not have been able to finish the MSSW program in two years. i love you, jas! im looking forward to working so that you can pursue your fire fighting goals more aggressively!

Date Nights

2010-04-16T16:28:00.004-05:00

Jas and I try to be very intentional on having date nights...we try to do it once a week (i think that was one of our 2010 goals...). but sometimes its difficult to make an official date night every week, especially when the weekends are busy. last weekend jas and i went to our beloved Chuy's and ordered the same thing we do everytime...we split the "as big as yo face" burrito with roasted chicken and queso sauce on top. you should definitely order it some time because it is delicious. but you'll have to split it cause that mug is huge. after dinner, jas took me on a romantic walk in highland park on lakeside dr where there are huge mansions and a little river. the houses around there are ridiculous, but what was really nice was the blooming flowers and the weather was perfect. pics from the night...

so the moral of the story is...go on a date! the end!

Hummingbird Cake

2010-04-10T14:19:00.002-05:00

Now that it is officially spring time, its time to make spring time food...like Hummingbird cake. No, this cake is not made of hummingbird (corny joke, i know). I think it is named that because it is like nectar that hummingbirds enjoy...but thats just my theory. i made hummingbird cake for easter and i think it came out pretty good. it is really sweet and rich, so one piece is almost too much or just right, depending on the size of your sweet tooth. i finished a whole piece myself :) Here is the recipe below...its really easy and tasty, so be inspired! Make it for someone special in your life!

Humingbird Cake
Adapted from a recipe by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins (originally printed in “Southern Living,” Feb. 1978)

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 cups chopped pecans, divided
2 chopped bananas
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans, or spray them with a nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add eggs, oil and vanilla; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Stir in pineapple, 1 cup chopped pecans and bananas.
4. Spoon batter into prepared cake pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool immediately. When the cakes are completely cooled, spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with 1 cup chopped pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 pounds powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Eisley

2010-03-17T15:08:00.002-05:00

this is why i still love Eisley...even after all these years. stacy has such a beautiful voice....i wouldn't mind taking voice lessons from her. enjoy this video!

hello spring!

2010-03-16T17:31:00.002-05:00

i don't know why i chose that last blog background....gew. i had to change it...to something more spring-y. anyways...

we haven't blogged in forever for a few reasons. reason number one being we haven't had internet for a while because we moved! so we've been busy doing that, too. packing, unpacking, getting settled in and so on. sooo we will blog on that soon, but i just had to change our background cause i realized how ugly it was..that is all.

happy tuesday!

Hebrews 10

2010-02-15T21:19:00.002-06:00

"therefore, brothers since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. " Hebrews 10 19-23

im encouraged by this scripture tonight...i feel like it speaks for itself. i am grateful for the confidence to approach christ, solely because of what HE has done. i am grateful for being cleansed through HIS blood. and i am so grateful that HE is faithful and His promises are eternal and true. I have no choice but to confess my hope in HIS saving power and grace!!

2010 so far...

2010-02-05T08:23:00.002-06:00

this year is starting off as a busy one! its not too busy on the weekends, which is really nice. but its the week days that are a bit hectic for us. for those of you who don't know, Jas started EMT school back in November. he goes to class every monday and wednesday night right after work til 10 pm. he has a really long day! so usually on those days i dont really see him cause i go to bed early (now that im "working"). the class ends on march 29th, so its getting close to finishing but buts still almost 8 more weeks of not seeing him much on the evenings. on tuesdays, we have homegroup, which is awesome! but mostly our thoughts, prayers, and conversations are geared towards homegroup and not much else on tuesday evenings. so thursdays are usually glorious for us...we eat dinner togther, we watch our fave tv shows (usually at amy and blake's), and just enjoy being together. its really nice to be able to catch up on the week! sometimes ill be like...".oh yea, on monday i meant to tell you...blah blah blah" since we don't get much time to catch up.

as for me, i just started my field placement at parkland hospital in dallas...which is the county hospital where JFK died. it is one crazy place! i am trying to decide whether or not i could see myself practicing social work in the medical field. so far its been a bit overwhelming at times, but i do like it for the most part. i am working there 36 hours a week...non paid, too! bummer....but i will be graduating in may and hopefully will be employed soon after, Lord willing! but thankfully i have fridays off...which is why i am blogging right now! so anyways, if you think about us ever...please pray for endurance and strength in the Lord to finish up this season of life by abiding and hoping in Christ and his love and power. thank you! until next time...

Ft. Worth Zoo Trip

2010-01-23T14:11:00.006-06:00

So a while back Jas and I went to the Ft. Worth Zoo....We had heard good things about it and thought it would be a fun date idea since we don't make it out to Ft. Worth much. But the sweet thing about this date was that it was a gift from our home group!!! Yea....we pretty much have the best and sweetest home group ever!! They gave me and Jas a check and told us to go on a date night AND they also wrote us encouraging cards and make a little booklet out of it. It was so thoughtful and really meant a lot to us. We feel so honored and humbled to be leading this group. Love you guys so much!! So here are some pics from our date night that was a gift from HG!!

We started the date at Einstein's for some good breakfast carbs!

We drove to Ft. Worth jamming to the Swell Season's Strict Joy album...easily the best of 2010 in mi opinion.

Jas...monkeying around. waaaa waaaa.

my shirt matched the flamingos

in case you can't tell, that is a kangaroo

Aslan!!

its hot in these rhinos...(quote that movie)

Then we finished off the night at dinner at the Reata in downtown ft. worth

date nights= lots of solo photo ops

roof top dining!

Spud the Bud

2010-01-18T18:02:00.005-06:00

Just wanted to post some cute pictures we have of our little dude....I'm trying to start the new year off strong in the blogosphere-even if it is just pictures of our dog! enjoy!

Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya...

2010-01-12T11:28:00.005-06:00

OK, so maybe we didn't go to Aruba, but we did just get back from our cruise in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica. Thanks to my sweet, sweet parents who treated us to this wonderful vacation! Now its back to reality. I keep wondering when Leonardo (our room attendant who cleaned and made our bed everyday) is going to knock on our door and offer to help with the cooking and cleaning! The trip was really relaxing and was filled with lots of eating, laying on the beach, exploring, sleeping, reading, and drinking fruity drinks. It should be a yearly practice to take a relaxing trip like that...

We got back Sunday afternoon, and Monday I was at the grocery store stocking up on food and back to vacuuming and cleaning. It is good to be back home though and we are ready to start this new year! Jason went back to work and school, but I am still waiting to start my internship, so I still have a little more time off. I am not exactly sure when I am going to start. I was hoping to start on Monday, but I don't know if that is going to happen or not. I think I am ready to get back into the groove and get started on my 500 hours so that I can graduate in May!!! I just applied for graduation yesterday, too. That was weird, but exciting!! So here are some pics from the trip for your viewing pleasure...

Last Post of 2009!

2009-12-31T09:02:00.002-06:00

isn't jas the sweetest with those random posts on the blog?? thanks for the birthday wishes...

anyways, we had a great christmas this year! it was pretty relaxing, which is always a nice thing during the holidays. we went to waco to spend it with Jason's fam. the weekend consisted of lounging around and talking, cooking, eating, watching two alien-ish movies (district 9 & avatar, both of which are good in two very different ways...), went to the christmas eve service, read the Word and then role played the different prophets who foretold of Christ's coming (thanks to Artie!), played with nieces and nephews galore. it was pretty wonderful.

heres our little fam on Christmas day...Spud and all!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year! today is new years eve! can't believe it is about to be 2010! jas and i will be starting the new year off right by taking a cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel with my family! its for my grandmas 80th birthday! but we get to go, too! hello beauty and hello tan! and then it is back to reality for us...love you all and have a great new year!!

Happy 25th Sweet Al!

2009-12-11T02:19:00.002-06:00

Well, today December 11th 2009 my wonderful wife turns 25 years old. What I really want to do is tell the whole world what a incredible woman I have married, what I want to do is pour courage into my wife, what I want to do is let her know that I am a better man because of her, I love God more deeply because of her. What I want to do is to tell of her incredible gifts, that of shepherding, befriending, studying, singing, loving, etc. What I want to do is speak of her beauty, not that of the outside (which no one can hold a candle too) but that of the heart. What I could do is go on and on about this woman. Spending four years of my life (2 married) with this woman would be satisfying enough yet it is just the beginning.
Safe to say, I am biased in my love for Alex. Therefore, I have gathered thoughts of Alex from her closest and dearest friends and family. So, lets hear what her friends and family think of her. Alex you are: sincere, hilarious, compassionate, real, inspirational, listener, lover, genuine, loving wife/daughter/sister/friend, mature, honest, authentic, loyal, trustworthy, friendly, faithful, etc and the list goes on.
Now, as a husband and best friend I could look at this list of characteristics of Alex and be as proud of her as any husband could be for his wife. Yet, none of those mean anything if it was not for a certain relationship. You see, the reason I love Alex so much, is because she does not seek out these many things, she seeks one thing. Alex has been captivated by the love of Jesus. Alex has seen her depravity, she has understood her wickedness, and found that no matter how hard she works at it; she could never earn the love of God. Thankfully, God in his goodness made a way, a way for sinners to be reconciled to the Father. You see if it were by works, Alex could find a lot to boast about in man’s eyes (the list above), but these good works do not cover her abundant sin. Praise God, that there is One, Jesus Christ, who took up humanity, yet still maintaining deity, bore the weight of sin for mankind on the cross, died and rose again, that we might not receive the punishment of God’s wrath, but if we believe that this act, this death and resurrection would wash our sins/filth as white as snow so that we could be seen as pure in the sight of God.
You see this is what Alex wants; this is what her life is about. Jesus. That is what her pursuit is and that is why I love her beyond measure. So, lets celebrate Alex’s life, her 25 years, and worship God for all that he has done and look forward to all He will do.
Alex, my sweet wife. I love you and am so thankful for you.

Houston Bound

2009-11-25T16:12:00.002-06:00

Heading to Houston (in about 30 mins!) to see these people!! woo hoo!!

Hope you all have a great thanksgiving!!!

the vamps come out at night...

2009-11-16T19:08:00.004-06:00

OK, so this week is super busy (so much so that I should not be posting right now), but I had a friend (Brooke! shout out!) inform me that November is national blogging month apparently. And while I don't have time to blog every day, I am trying to blog more than normal...which still isn't saying much. OK, so I'm not going to post any recent photos today....but l do have some photos from BU homecoming and from a date Jas and I took to the Ft. Worth Zoo (thanks to home group!). Sooo watch out.

OK, so what I really want to say is that the 2nd installment from the Twilight saga, New Moon, comes out this week!!! I don't care how dorky this sounds, but I bought tickets 2 months ahead of time because CNN scared me into thinking that it was going to sell out way far in advance. So just to be safe....bought the tickets 2 months early, which is a little dramatic, I'll admit. Anyways, Jas, my sister, and I are going to the midnight showing on Thursday night!! I can't wait! I hope it is not a disappointment. Check it out!

Berlin Wall

2009-11-09T12:27:00.008-06:00

Today is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. When I heard that on the radio, I remembered how I visited Berlin back in 2006 when I studied abroad in Europe. It was cool to see a physical piece of such a significant point in history...I don't actually remember the fall of the Berlin wall because I was only 5 years old...but later learned about it in college. Here are some photos from my trip to Berlin...

Halloween 2009!

2009-11-03T16:35:00.008-06:00

So this years Halloween was a bit of a flop...well sort of. Jason and I spent about an hour at a local thrift store trying to come up with some creative halloween costume ideas. We didn't want to spend a lot of money on a silly costume, but apparently we aren't very creative. We couldn't come up with any costume ideas. All I could come up with was me being Kimmy Gibbler (which someone actually told me I looked like her once....sweet...sense the sarcasm) and Jason was going to be Screech. So we bought some dorky clothes to attempt to be these characters...but honestly, we just weren't feeling it. Plus, the denim overall shorts outfit I bought barely fit me. So it just made me want to hit the gym instead of enjoy a fatty bag of halloween candy. So we ended up not using the clothes we bought (wasting money....always good for the budget) and didn't dress up. We went to a friends house to celebrate her birthday, which was really fun. So it wasn't actually a flop...just not very festive, which I am ok with.

Kimmy Gibbler- FAIL

Screech- FAIL

Even though we might have failed this year...Spud didn't! you bet your bottom dollar that Spud got a costume! This was his first time to dress up since we didn't get him last year until the end of November. So he was a mail man this halloween! Talk about cute...I mean, I know if you don't have a dog, you probably don't care...but seriously, you can't deny his little face. Wouldn't you want this guy to deliver your mail?? I think so...

look at his little mail man butt....

what a good sport!

Beyonce Clown

2009-10-13T15:13:00.002-05:00

Please enjoy this video on this rainy Tuesday....I seriously laughed so hard when I first saw it. Thanks to DUP for continuously showing me hilarious videos. I don't know where you guys always end up finding these....

Hold Me Now

2009-10-05T12:40:00.003-05:00

Do I really long for Christ to return right now? Am I really ready to spend eternity with Him? These are things I have been thinking about lately...and I think, if I answer these questions honestly, my answer isn't usually a yes. But shouldn't it be? The Lord has been showing me the importance of genuinely longing for His return. It makes the things of this world much less important and the eternal things that do matter much more urgent. What if I did die today and had to give an account of my life? How would that change the way I lived on a daily basis? I think these are important questions to ask.

I was introduced to this song in June this year and it continues to minister to me more and more every time I listen to it. When I read these lyrics, it reminds me why I do desire to be in His perfect presence and in a restored new heaven and earth. First, as Jas and I have experienced sickness and disease in our family this last year, when I think about the absence of sickness and suffering, I am comforted and grateful. It truly is such a powerful concept to fully grasp. Next, the fact that we will be completely healed and whole spiritually as well...is pretty unbelievable. And last, can you imagine a world without war and violence? Without famine and starvation? It is hard to imagine because we hear about these difficult things every day on the news. It is quite unfathomable. So, thinking about an eternity that is completely focused on Christ and that is without the sin and pain of this world, it gives me great joy...

So, as you read these lyrics today, I hope that you are encouraged and spurred on to long to be with our Great King.
Here is a link to the video on you tube, also...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GH-AkJDkNE

Hold Me Now
By: Hillsong

On that day when I see
All that You have for me
When I see You face to face
There surrounded by Your grace

All my fear is swept away
In the light of your embrace
When Your love is all I need
And forever I am free

Where the streets are made of gold
In Your presence healed and whole
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone

No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

In this life I will stand
Through my joy and my pain
Knowing there's a greater day
There's a hope that never fails

When Your name is lifted high
And forever praises rise
For the glory of Your Name
I'm believing for the day

When the wars and violence cease
All creation lives in peace
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone

No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness, no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name

No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

Washington...a month later.

2009-09-28T13:16:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to post some of our photos from our Washington trip that we took in August....it was over a month ago, but the photos are still pretty, so they still count, right? May I just reiterate that I love the state of Washington...Jas and I both do. From the pics, you will see why! enjoy!

NEXT, not NOW

2009-09-10T22:42:00.005-05:00

Life is full of pleasures, but temporary ones. As I was mowing my grandpa's yard this afternoon (something I look forward to weekly), I finally hit that point of the summer when I began to feel the excitement of a freshly cut lawn fade. If you know me, you know that whenever Spring arrives, I get an itch and the only cure is yard work. What I love about mowing is: a good mower, sharp blade, the smell of gas, the sound of the weed-eater, the feel of rocks slapping your skin as you cut a clean edge (for some reason I really do) and the opportunity to just be alone and think.
So, today as I was thinking about my fading joy of mowing, I began to dig at the root of that thought. And what I found, was that all pleasure outside of Christ is unfulfilling and temporary. How often are we looking forward to what is next? I know I always do and I am always disappointed because it never fully satisfies.
As a family, my parents took us to Washington state last month and I tell you what, I had been looking forward to that trip since the beginning of February. August finally came around. When we arrived, I was amazed, I had never seen so much green in one place, it was majestic. I had never been surrounded by such creation in my entire life (check Alex's facebook for pictures). I love the mountains, the waterfalls, the snow capped peaks, green meadows, glacier lakes, wildlife, hiking, etc. But, after being there several days, I began to grow numb to this beauty, the majesty of the mountains began to look normal/ even mundane (which it truly was not). On some of our hikes I would get lose in my thoughts about what is after this vacation, instead of living in the moment. I hated that feeling.
We see this in every stage of life. I can't wait till high school, college, first job, marriage, more money, house, new job, kids, etc. We are always looking forward to the next stage of life. We find pleasure in the next and not the now. We want something more. We try to fill this void in our hearts with worldly pleasures, as if they would sustain us. Alcoholics want more and more alcohol, potheads want more and more, millionaires want to be billionaires, and on and on it goes.
This tragedy can even take place in our walks with Christ. We tend to think that we have experienced all that He has to offer. The mountain top experience was nice, but is that it? We have nailed down our moral checklist, what else is left?
But, WAIT, in Christ there is more......and it sustains. There is One who can fulfill, He is the Sustainer of life, the Creator, Savior, the Prince of Peace. Have you truly meditated on all the attributes of God and become satisfied? A.W Tozer says that "God being infinite, must possess attributes about which we can know nothing" Frederick Faber says that He is a "God of a thousand attributes". What does that mean? We will always have a new attribute of God that we can ascribe to His name and worship Him for. No matter what our Christian maturity level may be, we will never be able to study all of God's attributes, we will never find the mystery of God mundane. He is far more miraculous, glorious, and mysterious than we can imagine. This relationship cannot become dull and mundane. How does Christs work on the cross become ordinary? For we were dead in our sin and trespasses and Christ took them, not holding them against us, and died upon the cross. And what happened next?.....He rose....we rose. We were dead but now we are alive, we were blind but now we see, Christ is alive and we are alive in Christ.
We cannot be a people who seek the pleasures of this world, BUT a people who are fully satisfied in Christ. These were just some of my mowing thoughts.

hey-o

2009-08-12T11:26:00.002-05:00

...don't know if you guys remember me...I'm Alex- the founder of this blog. Jason has been the primary blogger as of late. And I have just been enjoying my sweet little summer life. For some reason, I just haven't felt the need to blog, but maybe I am back in action. We shall see. I am currently sitting at home enjoying a turkey sandwich (duh), wheat thins, and grapes. It's a tasty lunch. I don't have much to do today or this week for that matter because summer school ended on Monday! Sweet!! I have a two week break before the fall starts back up, and I am going to enjoy every bit of my time off...mainly because we are about to take a week long family vacation to Washington state. But you guys went there last year, you say? Yes, Jas and I did, but this time it is the whole Sudan fam...babies included. It is going to be BOMB. I will finally get to experience the infamous Sudan hiking that I have heard so much about. I will take plenty of pics and post them for sure! So lets see, what has happened this summer that is worth noting...

-made the switch from PC to Mac.
-got new bangs.
-lost Spud at the lakehouse....and then found him again (thank you Jesus).
-jas started a Bible study with some Liberians kiddos.
-finished summer school (2 more semesters to go!)
-went to the batting cages for the first time since 1991.
-rekindled my determination to save money through couponing.
-still waiting on the fire department.

It has been a nice summer and I am grateful for it! I also can't wait for football season! I have high hopes in Robert Griffin!! Bowl game this year, perhaps?? Also, Jas and I will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary on August 18th! We will be in Washington on the actual day, but we are having dinner at my fave restaurant, Tillman's Roadhouse on Friday before we leave! I can't believe we have been married for 2 years! It has been so fun and rewarding in so many different ways. And I am excited for this next year! Anyways, time for me to go be productive. Look for some pics from the Washington trip soon!

Blog dedication, Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-07-29T21:51:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday Dad! So, I thought that writing a blog dedicated to you would be a perfect birthday gift. Fellow bloggers, you see my dad, he loves the blog world and is a frequent blogger, kind of hip...I know.
Dad, I am so thankful for you. I am thankful for the loving, encouraging father that you have been to your children. I am thankful for the way that you love mom. I am thankful that you are an overcomer in Christ Jesus (heart surgery). I am thankful for the way you have held the Sudan family together.
Now, since I have never owned a camera, I did not get a chance to place pictures up of us, but one thing I wanted to do was place courage into your heart. I wish that I could really explain to you the man that I see when I look at you. You have been the most influential person in my life. You have taught me how to be a man. You are a humble servant, a leader, a prayer warrior, a loving father, an encouraging friend, etc. Most importantly your life has been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ and that has affected every area of your life including the way that you lead and love your family.
I love you dad and hope that you have a Happy 54th Birthday!.

hi-yah OnGuard

2009-07-14T17:53:00.002-05:00

What a difficult calling....love your wife as Christ loves the church? Husbands, we have quoted this verse time and time again, implemented it in our vows, and even tattooed it on our hearts, yet, do we really understand the depth and sacrifice of this calling? How serious are we taking the commands of God?
Marriage is a beautiful and sacred covenant, sought after and longed for by single men and women all over the world, especially among believers. Is it the sex, the love, the fellowship, the title, the safety, or the respect that draws people to this covenant? I know that many of those attributes really pulled me towards marriage. Now, being a seasoned veteran of marriage (not even 2 years) I have come to the realization that there is much more to marriage than the safe/happy list above. Another realization that I have recently faced is that, Christian marriage is under attack by the enemy. I believe that as husbands and wives we are in a constant battle for our marriages and the sanctity of marriage must be fought for....so be on-guard!
Why is that? When you break it down, what is marriage? I find from Scripture and from my 2 years of experience, marriage is complicated...it is more than living together, more than sex, more than happy lives together. Marriage is a relationship in which we must die daily to the selfishness and pride we are so accustomed too and lovingly serve and respect our spouse. No wonder this covenant is constantly under attack by the enemy, a relationship in which you are to put your spouses needs before yourself. A relationship that displays the gospel message (Christ's love for His bride, the church), a relationship in which this gospel message can be lived out daily by husbands and wives. Marriage can be a very powerful evangelical tool. When we exam Christ and His relationship and love for the church we see.....Christ forfeiting His throne in heaven for a short time to take on flesh and become like us. (spouses we must constantly be forfeiting our pleasures and comforts for the other)...Christ loves us while we our still sinners. (spouses- confess and forgive each others sins, spur one another on in love)....Christ prayed for us. (spouses pray for each other, fervently)...Christ came not to be served but to serve (spouses serve one another daily)...Christ pursues us (husbands pursue your bride, keep the flowers fresh and wives put courage into your husbands)...Christ leads us. (husbands lead your wives with wisdom and humility)...Christ has been faithful to us (spouses remain faithful to one another).
Marriage is beautiful, precious, powerful, yet daily under attack. As believers we must fight for the sanctity of marriage....be on-guard.

J

Little Duncan- aka: Peanut

2009-06-23T15:21:00.005-05:00

So a new little addition to the family was born last thursday...his name is Duncan and he is a little cutie-pie. We have been calling him peanut though because he is so small and itty bitty. He was born on Thursday, June 18 at 5:08 pm at 6 lbs 6 oz. I need to get more pictures....because these below are the ones taken right after he was born and you can't see his face very well, but they will do for now! Enjoy!

Schlitterbahn-bahn-bahn

2009-06-15T14:41:00.009-05:00

yep...thats right, we recently went to Schlitterbahn with my family and it was AWESOME. Here are some pictures from the weekend...

Mmmm dippin dots!

Goofy Ashtin

Good Ol' Mark and Tamra

The Gristmill in Gruene, TX

kiddie area for Ashtin

The crew...minus my dad.

Me and the J-bird

Boycott "Orphan"

2009-06-03T19:42:00.002-05:00

I am posting to inform those reading this to boycott a film coming out called "Orphan". I'm sure not many of you would probably see the movie anyways, but spread the word and tell people not to support this film. It carries an intense negative message regarding adoption- especially the adoption of older children. Having worked with abused and negelcted children that are currently available for adoption, this movie breaks my heart. Adoptions allow for beautiful opportunities for children and families to experience the fullness of life that Christ has given us on this earth. I have met and loved many beautiful children in the foster care system that have been through more than most adults have experienced in 50 years, and these children are NOT damaged goods,thank you very much Warner Brothers. Sorry, I am getting worked up, I'll shut up now. You can read about the film below...

Info from Forever Families:
There is a horror film being released on July 24, called Orphan, about a family who adopts an older girl who "is not what she appears to be." The film is currently being promoted, and the trailer is available at http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com The adoption message is extremely negative, and plays into the stereotypes of adopted children, particularly older children, as damaged.

Though we have not been able to preview the entire movie, the trailer leads us to believe the movie will send a horrific message about adoption. The adoption community is protesting the release of the film. We urge you to contact the makers of the film, as well as your local movie theater chains, with your concerns. Contact information:

Warner Bros.
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522
818-954-6000

Silver Pictures
4000 Warner Blvd. 90
Burbank, CA 91522-0001
818-954-4490

Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016
212-484-8000

Proud Wife

2009-05-29T16:38:00.004-05:00

That's my hubby...being a cute uncle (to his new little niece, Emery). I must say that I am a proud wife. Jas has many characteristics that I admire and I just wanted to focus on one today that I have been thinking about lately. This characteristic is Jason's generosity. Jason is generous towards others in many ways-- with his time, with our money, with his giftings. I admire this about him and it challenges me, too. It's funny how often times our spouses giftings may be one of the other spouses weaknesses...and God uses that to challenge, sharpen, and teach us in marriage. I feel that sometimes I prefer to choose when I would like to be generous and what I don't want to. And it is often Jason's inclination to share generously with others. So I just wanted to throw that out there...brag on my man for a bit :)

Also, in other news-- Jas took his physical agility test this morning at 7 am and did great! The applicants are supposed to finish by 10 minutes and 20 seconds with no errors and Jas finished in 8 minutes and 12 seconds! We are excited to move on to the next phase of the fire fighting application process. We will continue to keep you guys posted on the journey.

A weekend away...

2009-05-22T14:35:00.006-05:00

Thats what Jas and I did last weekend...took a break. a little retreat, if you will. we went to Galveston and enjoyed playing at the beach, going out to eat, sleeping in, and watchng movies. We stayed at the Hotel Galvez too, which was a bonus. I love its historical-ness. It was built in 1910...pretty cool. Anyways, Here are some photos from the weekend. I must admit that we did get a bit sunburned...we were only out at the beach for 3 to 4 hours, but I am awesome and didn't wear sunscreen (and basically haven't been outside since our honeymoon nearly 2 years ago) and Jason put two blobs of sunscreen on his shoulders. this resulted in having the white shoulder pad look. pretty cute. enjoy! happy memorial day weekend!

Mom!

2009-05-10T09:19:00.005-05:00

This blog is dedicated to my mom! Happy mother's day! If you don't know my mom, let me introduce you to Tamra Parks...

This picture reveals where I get my weirdness/goofiness from...thanks mom and dad

This was when we were in Paris together

I just wanted to give a shout out to my mom on Mother's day so that others in the blogging world would know how great she is! My mom is wise, generous, loving, gives good back /ear scratches, is a good grandmother, and so much more! I will finally get to see her(and my dad) next weekend, and I am excited about giving her gift to her then! Mom, I love you and happy mother's day!!!

Emery Kate Marable!

2009-04-30T20:12:00.003-05:00

I am proud to introduce the newest member of the Marable family...Emery Kate Marable! She was born on Monday night at 9:27 pm! Isn't she so sweet?! This is my first niece (I have 2 nephews) and I am excited to experience being an aunt to a girl! If you want to see more pictures...check out http://abouttheogdens.blogspot.com (Christy's blog). I'm sure there will be more pictures in the future! :)

Whoa...

2009-04-22T10:47:00.002-05:00

ok, is this background too much/too springy? its spring time and i felt the need to change it up! plus i do like the aqua color. let me know if it is completely hideous...

I don't have too much going on at the internship today, so i thought i would do a quick blog. i am hungry for lunch already and it is 10:49 am. fun stuff. anyways, this week has been a bit of a beat down school wise for me. but praise the Lord yesterday is over! i turned a fatty research paper and had to present it yesterday and then i had a big research exam, which i feel like i did pretty decent on. now i just have 3 more papers, two more presentations, and about 115 more hours at my internship 'til i am finished on May 15th! i will have a good two 1/2 week break until summer school starts, so i know i will enjoy that time!

in fire fighting news....jason passed the civil service exam for DFD and will be taking another test (the accuplacer) on Saturday at 3:30 pm! please pray for him! this is step number 2 in the process...so it is exciting to move on and hopefully he will continue on through the process! On my way to work today I saw the firefighters out on the streets with their boots doing their annual "put money in my boot" deal (i dont actually know what it is called)and i was imagining Jas doing that. he looked cute out there...in my head. ok well thats all folks. i should probably go do something productive now...love!

The Office Musical

2009-04-17T13:42:00.002-05:00

In honor of the wonderful show "The Office"...I found this video quite funny, but maybe its only funny to fans of the show. Oh well, enjoy!

Hand of God?

2009-04-14T11:43:00.002-05:00

Check this out...cnn had this article online of this image NASA took from a telescope. It resembles a hand reaching across space. I saw it and I was like, "Dude, God's creation is ridiculous!" So I just wanted to share...

The article stated..."The finger-like structures are apparently caused by 'energizing knots of material in a neighboring gas cloud,' "NASA says. I mean...I just say God is pretty creative and awesome, and knows that He is doing...

Neutered...ouch!

2009-04-10T09:02:00.009-05:00

Our little pup got neutered yesterday...poor thing. he is 7 months old now, so it was time. He is wearing one of those cone things and he looks hilarious. he keeps running into the wall or various objects because he just doesn't quite get that this cone is attached to his body. he even tries to sleep on our chest and his big ol cone is all up in our face and the poor little guy just doesn't get why he can't stay there. anyways, he is the cutest and i hope you enjoy the pics...

thank you...

2009-04-03T14:54:00.005-05:00

Just want to say thanks to everyone for the support and prayers this past week with Jason's Dad emergency surgery that took place this past Tuesday. It has been a bit of a whirlwind, to say the least, but overall I have to say that GOD IS GOOD! I am so thankful to God for his provision, even when it is confusing and difficult. Who knew that Artie Sudan- healthy runner and athlete- would need to undergo bypass surgery...and not only that, but need 6 of them! People keep asking "Golly! How many are there??" I'm still wondering about that...All I know is that God sustained him and allowed him to get the help that he needed just in time. And I know that the Sudan family will be forever grateful to God for this.

People are also asking about why he had clogged arteries and what not. Like i really can understand all that...I am in graduate school for social work not med school. But from what people are saying it is mainly due to the type of cholesterol one has(which i think is genetic). There are different types(fluffy, medium, & tiny--i am not making this up), and some tend to be more susceptible to clogging in the arteries. I'm sure Dr. Sudan will read this and correct me(which i fully welcome). And while there are risk factors, such as smoking and poor diet, for heart disease...it's mainly genetic.

Anyways, I just wanted to send out a thank you to everyone who prayed...the Body of Christ is amazing! We had people praying from all over the world- from Bolivia to South Africa. But mainly, I just want to give God all the glory for what He has done...for his healing power and divine providence!! Thank you, Lord!!

Almost April...

2009-03-23T17:44:00.002-05:00

I can't believe March is soon coming to a close. it kind of freaks me out when I think about how fast this semester/2009 has flown by so far. I counted today...only 6 more weeks of one class and 7 more weeks of my other two. actually, when i type that out it seems a little longer, but thats ok. but im technically only done with 56% of my internship hours...yes, i calculated my hours into a percentage! i need get moving. only 200 or so more hours to go...that sounds depressing when i think of it like that. ok, well this section is boring...moving on.

this is just kind of a rambling blog today, but i mainly wanted to let everyone know that Jas is taking the civil service exam on Thursday morning! this is just the first major step in the Dallas fire department application process that is almost a year long ordeal. but please pray that he would do well! if he passes he moves on the next thingy...and we just want to move on through each process til he gets to be a fire fighter! thanks for praying! we will keep you posted!!

Lukewarmness

2009-03-11T09:38:00.005-05:00

So I have been studying Revelation as I lead our girls time at small group. Here are some things God is teaching me...

Revelation starts off with letters to the angels of the 7 churches. The 7 letters to the churches are really neat & scary, but also beneficial to study as an individual and as a member of Christ's body. I know a lot of people are familiar with the letter to Laodicea and the idea of lukewarm water)and Jesus spitting you out)....but I thought John Piper's words on lukewarmness were penetrating and powerful.

"The essence of lukewarmness is the statement, "I need nothing." The lukewarm are spiritually self-satisfied. To find out whether you are among that number, don't look into your head to see if you think that you are needy; rather, look at your prayer life. It doesn't matter what we think in our head, the test of whether we are in bondage to spiritual self-satisfaction is how earnest and frequent and extended our prayers for change are. Do you seek the Lord earnestly and often in secret for deeper knowledge of Christ, for greater earnestness in prayer, for more boldness in witness, for sweeter joy in the Holy Spirit, for deeper sorrow for sin, for warmer compassion for the lost, for more divine power to love? Or is the coolness and perfunctoriness of your prayer life exhibit that you are spiritually self-satisfied and lukewarm? " (to see the whole article go to this link- http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ScriptureIndex/17/373_How_to_Buy_Gold_When_Youre_Broke/ )

That statement really got me thinking. I hope it stirs your heart as well.

One thing that I think really shows Gods character in all of these letters is that he gave warnings to the churches. He could have easily, with one flick of the wrist, blown them all to smithereens. But instead he gave his churches the chance to repent...to turn away from their sin and iniquity. He did not have to do this, but by his great mercy, he did. I love that character of the Lord....his great mercy. It really is great when we think about our sin and depravity. Anyways, hope this encourages you today. Have a happy monday!

Valentine's Weekend!

2009-02-26T16:12:00.008-06:00

Jason and I had a GREAT Valentine's Day this year! You must be thinking it involved roses and mushy love letters...but nay, this year it was about basketball and friends! Jason and I took our good friends, Tim and Jaya, to good ol' Waco to go to a Baylor Basketball game. The only weekend that worked out for all of us was Valentine's, and it was so fun!! Baylor played A&M...and we won! Good thing we went to this game because the other games before and after this one have been a big disappointment. What happened this season?? Thats a whole different story....But, the weekend with Tim and Jaya went like this. We ate big, juicy burgers at Kitoks, walked on Baylor campus, went to Dr. Pepper museum and devoured floats & shakes, then went to common grounds for more tasty treats, and then off to the basketball game! It was fun to be able to spend time with the Birdwell's because they are moving to Austin in May to plant a church, so our time with them is limited! We will miss them very much, but are excited for God's plans for them...which includes the arrival of a little baby girl in May, also! wahoo!! ok, here are some pics from the weekend!!

Tim and Jason at the Dr. Pepper Museum!

The Birdwell's...being Birdwells!

Jason and I

Cute!

I thought Tim would want me to post this one...This is Tim and Jaya with Antwone Wright, who plays for the mavs! He was at the game because he played for A&M!

Anyways, thanks to the Birdwell's for coming to the game with us! Hopefully we can do it again some day!!

Alex's Top 5 Ideal Travel Spots in the World

2009-02-16T13:18:00.012-06:00

I love to dream about places in the world that I have never been to and may never have the chance to see in my lifetime. If I was a trust fund baby...then I would definitely use some of that money to travel the world. And ever since Jas and I got married, I love to think about how much fun we would have experiencing different people, sights, foods, languages...etc. So I have compiled a list of the top 5 places I want to go in my life. Who knows if we will actually set foot in any of these places...so in the mean time I will dream.

-- Africa...anywhere in this continent, just get me to Africa in my lifetime.

-- Jerusalem...I really want to make this one happen.

-- The Patagonia in South America...hello hiking and beauty.

-- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...the exoticness is calling me.

-- Turkey...its my favorite food. no, but seriously, I want to go here. i've been so close, but didn't quite make it over the Aegean Sea.

What are your top 5???

Moroccan Meal for Two

2009-02-10T10:20:00.004-06:00

I saw this recipe in Women's Health a while back and it intrigued me because it was Moroccan. Jason went to Morocco a few years back and it was one of his favorite mission trips and he brings it up all the time...so I wanted to make a Moroccan meal. Anyways, it turned out pretty good. So here it is

Moroccan Stewed Chicken
1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
1 large zucchini, cut into cubes
1 can (16 oz) garbanzo beans
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomotoes (i used organic)
1/2 tbs. olive oil
1 c. chicken stock or water (i used chicken stock)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp gorund cinnamon
chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

- Place oil in large saute pan or wide pot over medium heat.
- Season chicken with salt and black pepper and cook in pan until browned, 2 to 3 mins. per side. Add zucchini and continue cooking, stirring often.
- When zucchini pieces have browned lightly, add garbanzo beans(drained), tomatoes chicken stock, cayenne, cumin, and cinnamon. Turn heat to low and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, 10 to 15 mins. Seasons to taste with more salt and pepper; garnish with chopped cilantro.

**Now I have a grocery budget, and I don't like buying spices that I probably use for only one meal, so I nixed the cayenne pepper, cilantro, cinnamon, and cumin...which might have made this meal less moroccan. haha i dont know. i added garlic when i was cooking the chicken and that was my added flavor. Overall, it was pretty good, but i think it would be good with the cayenne pepper and cumin. I also made couscous...the boxed Far East brand...which was easy to make and was tasty.

Mars Hill

2009-02-04T08:19:00.006-06:00

I was reading in Acts 17 yesterday and I was reminded of my time in Greece back in 2006. I had the privelege to live in the Netherlands for a few months and study abroad. We traveled through out Europe, and Athens, Greece was one of our stops. Visiting the Acropolis was such a memorable time for me. Especially standing on top of Mars Hill, which is where Paul preached to the Athenians in Acts 17. This is where Paul said these words to the philosophers and idol worshipers who had an altar dedicated to "the unknown god"... "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything."
This scripture is a good reminder to me and I was encouraged by it yesterday. I hope it speaks to you too. Here are some pics from Greece...

Mars Hill...the big rock that all the people are standing on.

Me standing on Mars Hill...not the most attractive picture, but im ok with that.

new style

2009-01-28T13:38:00.003-06:00

new year, new style, new background. just keeping you guys on your toes...also, please take note of spud on the side. so cute!

today is day #2 of "everything is canceled" day. yesterday school was canceled! score. tuesday's are my long days from 2 pm to 9 pm...so i was glad about that. but today CDM was closed so I couldn't go to my internship! i need every hour i can get, so i was secretly disappointed because 8 hours is a lot to miss. so i decided to make some cookies today instead. they are called chocolate crinkle cookies. i am pretty excited about them. the dough is in the fridge right now and will be for a few more hours before i bake them! i will take pics and post the recipe if they turn out good! i have been wanting to make them for a while, so that is why i am so excited about a silly batch of cookies. until next time...

baby its cold outside

2009-01-26T16:17:00.003-06:00

hello world! ***insert apology here for not having blogged lately*** life has been busy these days. so busy that i am now finding the time to blog...at my internship though. shhh, don't tell anyone.

hope you are all well and that the holidays was a great time to enjoy some time off, family, friends, etc. i know i did. and i have been thinking about how awesome my semester/schedule was last fall. i only had classes two days a week. now i have that, plus my field placement three days a week. im not complaining...but i dont think i realized how wonderful my schedule was last semester. i am excited though to learn and be out in the field more as opposed to just strictly classroom time. i know i blogged earlier that i had been placed at Central Dallas Ministries...but CDM is huge and they do so much, so more specifically I am working in a program called Destination Home. It is a housing program funded by HUD that provides permanent housing to chroincally homeless and disabled people. I am meeting some great people that are living in the properties here and I have a feeling that I am going to learn a great deal about homelessness. so i am excited about that aspect of it! i'll keep you posted on my learning process...

also, jas has officially applied to Dallas Fire Department and Mesquite FD. he is excited about getting this process started because he has known since July that he wanted to become a fire fighter...and now that application process has finally started! please pray that he will continue to excel through the process!

welp...i gotta run and hit up the grocery store. pantry's empty. stay warm today. drink a little hot chocolate and cozy up with your dog or loved one...or both!

happy monday!

Last pictures of 2008!

2009-01-02T09:27:00.005-06:00

The Parks Family on Christmas Eve

The Parks sisters and their dogs

Parks Sisters

Me and Jas

Our little Spud contemplating the deeper things in life

Sorry Dr. Sudan...Spud ate the aloe plant you got us...

More to come later, but I wanted to post some pictures before they got outdated...but Happy New Years!! I am excited about 2009!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-21T13:33:00.008-06:00

well hello...i must say it feels like i haven't blogged in a while. the reason is because we have been busy(but who isn't) and also because i haven't felt like it. It's Christmas time and I have felt like doing other things. Since the last post this is what has happened....

- I turned 24.
- We went to New York and walked 500 miles (like the song) while we were there.
- Started leading a homegroup.
- I finished my first semester of grad school.
- I started a mini-mester for school to get 3 hours credit.
- Had the annual Sudan Christmas cookie decorating contest(which Jason and I did not win).
- Jason went on a 24 hour long shift with a firefighter for the Ft. Worth FD.
- Had lunch with an Iraqi family for a good 2 1/2 hours.

I guess thats about it that is worth noting. December has been quite the busy month. But I am so excited to go home to Houston to be with my family to celebrate Jesus! With all this business, I feel like I truly had been distracted from the reason why this time is so great! Jesus...that's why. I know we hear it all the time... "Jesus is the reason for the season" and it sounds corny, but it is so true. The cold weather, the candles, the sweets, the snow(or not), the music, time with family...none of it compares to Jesus and the freedom that he brought when he came into this world. I hope all of you have a great Christmas and I pray that you feel God's nearness and love this season! Here are some pictures from some events mentioned above for your viewing pleasure...

Powerful Testimony!

2008-12-05T17:51:00.005-06:00

Today I discovered a website-- www.Iamsecond.com. It is awesome. I found a video from a former member of the band called Korn. I remember hearing a long time ago that one of the band members became a Christian, but I was never sure if it was true, and frankly, it was hard to believe considering the music that Korn created. Anyways, this video tells his story about his encounter with God. Oh my, I cried. It is awesome how God revealed his love to this guy, Brian. I mean, I was crying when I watched the video. I hope it blesses you today and reminds you of the love of the Father. PLEASE watch the video. The link is below...I still haven't figure out how to post a video directly on the blog, so just copy and past the link into a new broswer. Enjoy!

http://www.iamsecond.com/#/seconds/Brian_Welch

Our first child (aka- a new dog!!)

2008-11-22T15:31:00.004-06:00

Hey guys! Here is the newest addition to the family!!! He is a cockapoo (cocker spaniel/poodle). He is adorable and I can already tell (from the 4 hours I've known him) that he is a people dog. He likes being around us and now I think I will feel really guilty if/when I leave him here alone. We'll see how that goes. Oh yea, his name is Spud! Isn't he so cute?! You should come by and meet him! We'll keep you posted on life as a parent! Haha!

DUP reunion!

2008-11-18T19:25:00.008-06:00

For those of you who don't know what the DUP is, let me tell you! The DUP (which is short for duplex) is a group of college roommates that lived together on 11th street in Waco! But there is so much more to it than just roommate-ship. It cannot be explained with words...only experienced. OK that sounds really weird, but it's the truth. Anyways, we had a DUP reunion in Waco this past weekend and everyone was there but Rachel--who is interning with IJM in Bolivia right now, so her absence was excused. (DUP reunion 2009 Rachel??)Kate came down from Colorado, and it was so fun to have her back in Texas! Enjoy some pictures from the weekend! Also, Jas and I are getting a dog this weekend-- stay tuned for PICS! I am so excited!

I love Homemade Pizza

2008-11-13T15:44:00.003-06:00

Actually, I just love pizza in general. But I really enjoy homemade pizza because it is fun when you can make the pizza yourself. Now, I have in no way perfected my pizza making skills, but I did want to share a recipe that has become a common meal at the Sudan apartment. I also like to take pictures of food...so that is why I have a photo of the pizza. Strange? Perhaps, but thats ok. Here is the recipe for the dough (because once you make the dough, duh, you can put whatever you want on it silly.)

Whole Wheat and Honey Pizza Dough

INGREDIENTS
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 TBS. of Olive oil (or however much it takes to make the dough "work")

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl combine flour, wheat germ and salt. Make a well in the middle and add honey, olive oil, and yeast mixture. Stir well to combine. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for a few minutes(10-30 minutes...depends how much time you have).
Roll dough on a floured pizza pan and poke a few holes in it with a fork.
Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until desired crispiness is achieved.
Put desired toppings on the dough and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or til it is done.

*Sometimes when I make the dough, it gets crumbly for some unknown reason, but if you put more olive oil in it that usually helps. If anyone can fix this crumbly problem, let me know.

Enjoy!!!

New friends

2008-11-11T16:31:00.002-06:00

As some of you know, Jason and I live in an apartment in Dallas where a lot of refugees from all around the world are resettled. About 800 to 1,000 are resettled in the Vickery Meadows area of Dallas each year. We've lived here since August and we've slowly seen several Iraqi (and some SouthEast Asian) families move in around us. There are always some really loud soccer games going on outside our balcony. Its awesome...we've really come to love living here at the Biltmore.

Anyways, today on our way to doing laundry we met two Iraqi guys named Thouray and Akil. Jason and I met Thouray about a week or two ago while he was playing soccer. He was so nice and eager to make friends. He knocked on our door about a week ago looking for Jason and he wasn't here. Since then, we had been trying to keep our eye out for him since we didn't know exactly what apartment # he lived in. On our way to the laundry room we saw him and he yelled out at us. He told us that this was his apartment and he invited us in. We sat down and got to know Thouray and Akil a little bit while the laundry was in the wash. They offered us drinks and we just talked-- as much as we could. Thouray just arrived in the US two weeks ago and Akil just one week ago. Akil didn't know much English, but Thouray knows enough to carry on a conversation. It was fun to get to know these guys and here a bit about them. They really seem eager to make friends and said they haven't met many Americans yet.

Please pray for Akil and Thouray. We are excited to get to know them more and to show the love of Christ with them by serving them in any way that we can. I have been praying to encounter refugees and that God would provide creative ways to serve them here, so if you could pray that too that would be awesome! Jason and I really want to have them over for dinner to show them some good American or Tex Mex food. So will see what happens!!

El Presidente

2008-11-04T17:47:00.003-06:00

Jas and I went to Waco this weekend for Baylor's homecoming and we went to our old church in Waco. He had a great sermon on the election of our future president. I thought I would share (for those of you who didn't hear the sermon) as it won't be long until we know who was won this whole deal...

The sermon really focused on what WE need to do as believers...how we should respond and how we should live our lives. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

No matter what happens tonight (or whenever they figure out who the new president will be), does not change what we as follower's of Christ should be doing. We must continue to pray, humbly seek God, and repent of our sins. This is the calling we have received...and if we are faithful to submit and obey, He has promised us that he will heal our land. So tonight, let's cling to those promises. Whether McCain or Obama wins the race, we know that ultimately our hope comes from our merciful and loving Father and not the Presidential figure. That's a good thing...

30 Million a week!

2008-10-24T08:17:00.004-05:00

I saw this video of Campbell Brown on CNN about McCain and Obama's negative campaign ads. I'm just saying...I like her way of thinking. And I don't think her idea is all that crazy. I think we'd all benefit from not hearing or watching anymore negative ads this election season....check the video out!

John 15

2008-10-18T09:34:00.004-05:00

John 15 (the vine and the branches) is one of my favorite metaphors in the gospels. what a creative and truthful way to illustrate the Christian's relationship with Jesus! i resonate with what the scriptures say about abiding in Jesus. i wouldn't be able to follow Him if i didn't (or He didn't allow me to) abide...this world is too dark, too sinful. I was going to try to break down this scripture and what not, but who am I kdding, I am no Matt Chandler! Instead , I found this poem in one of my books. This poem sums it up nicely, way better than I can say... sorry it's kind of long, but stick with it! It's good!

Only a Branch

'Tis only a little Branch,

A thing so fragile and weak,

But that little Branch hath a message true

To give, could it only speak.

"I'm only a little Branch,

I live by a life not mine,

For the sap that flows through my tendrils small

Is the life-blood of the Vine.

"No power indeed have I

The fruit of myself to bear,

But since I'm part of the living Vine,

Its fruitfulness I share.

"Dost though ask how I abide?

How this life I can maintain?--

I ambound to the Vine by life's strong band,

And Ionly need remain.

"Where first my life was given,

In the spot where I am set,

Upborne and upheld as the days go by,

By the stem which bears me yet.

"I fear not the days to come,

I dwell not upon the past,

As moment by moment I draw a life,

Which for evermore Shall last.

"I bask in the sun's bright beams,

Which the sweetness fills my fruit,

Yet I own not the clusters hanging there,

For they all come from the root."

A life which is not my own,

But another's life in me:

This, this is the message the Branch would speak,

A message to thee and me.

Oh, struggle not to "abide,"

Nor labor to "bring forth fruit,"

But let Jesus unite thee to Himself,

As the Vine's Branch to the root.

So simple, so deep, so strong

That union with Him shall be:

His life shall forever replace thine own,

And His love shall flow through thee;

For His Spirit's fruit is love,

And love shall thy life become,

And for evermore on His heart of love

Thy spirit shall have her home.

-- Freda Hanbury

I hope you are encouraged and thankful for this beautiful picture of our relationship with Christ!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars!

2008-10-17T18:53:00.003-05:00

OK, if any of you people are fans of sweets and/or cheesecake, you will love this recipe (Thank you, Duff)! It is amazing! It is just as wonderful as the name sounds. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

crust
1 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (4 oz) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

dough
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

filling
10 oz cream cheese, at room temp
1/4 cup sugar
1 lg egg, at room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup semisweet choc chips

make the crust -position a rack in the middle of the oven to 325 degrees. butter a 9 inch square baking pan and line the pan with a piece of parchment paper that is long enough to extend over two opposite sides of the pan. butter the paper.

in a medium bowl, stir the crumbs and melted butter together until the crumbs are evenly moistened. stir in the chocolate chips.
press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. bake for 6 minutes. transfer the pan to a wire rack. leave the oven on.

make the dough- in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. decrease the speed to low and add the flour, mixing it just to incorporate it. stir in the chocolate chips. set aside. (FYI- the "dough" will be crumbly with a different texture than normal cookie dough, just go with it. feel free to ball up the crumby mixture and just throw it on top of the cream cheese layer).

make the filling-in a large bowl, using clean beaters, beat the cream cheese and sugar on low speed just until smooth. mix in the egg and vanilla, beating just to blend them in. pour the cheesecake batter into the crust. drop teaspoonfuls of the cookie dough over the top of the batter. bake until the top feels dry and firm and looks set if given a gentle shake, about 30 minutes. transfer the pan to a wire rack.
put the third of a cup chocolate chips in a small heat proof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler); the water should not touch the bowl. stir until the chocolate chips and melted and smooth.use a teaspoon to gently drizzle thin lines of melted chocolate over the top of the bars. cool the bars completely in the pan, about one hour. the chocolate topping will be set when the bars are cool.

loosen the sides of the bars form the unlined sides of the pan and use the ends of the paper to lift the bars from the pan. use a large knife to cute the bars into 16 pieces, wiping the knife clean as needed and slide the bars off the foil. the bars can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. serve cold or at room temp. (they are stiffer and more "bar" like when cold, just pointing out the obvious).

Viola!

improvement

2008-10-16T16:39:00.003-05:00

hey, my back is slowly feeling very better! thanks for those who prayed. It still hurts when I twist, but hopefully that will eventually go away. ok, enough about the back...thats a boring topic, but i did like the pic I posted....a bearded stick man.

anyways, i just made chicken tetrazzini. i hope it turns out tastey. I have been enjoying my days off when i don't have school(i.e-today). thats usually when i attempt to make a good dinner. and then i can usually take the day slow and study leisurely. this will change next semester when i take 14 hours with an internship. i just found out i have been assigned to intern at Dallas Central Ministries. Check out their website. (http://www.centraldallasministries.org/), but i have to have an interview and after that it should be official...unless the interview goes horribly wrong. I am pretty excited about it though! i'm sure i will learn a lot.

well, i hope everyone has a nice "fall" day today! happy birthday to my little sister, Whitney! She turned 20 yesterday! weird....

random ailments

2008-10-10T08:06:00.002-05:00

That is the story of my life...random ailments. for now, my random injury is a hurt back. i've never had back pain, and i hope i don't even again after this deal is over. please pray for my back if you think about it. it hurts and it's really annoying/frustrating. i am going to try to get in to see a dr today if possible, but im not sure, so it would be awesome if it would just get better on its own. so if you think about it at all...pray! thanks!

my best friends wedding!

2008-10-06T20:01:00.008-05:00

let me start off by showing you some of Ike's left overs in my home town. Jas and I went home(my home) this past weekend to visit my parents and to go to my best friends wedding. i took the pictures on a sail boat...because Ashley's wedding was on a sail boat, so i got a good view. please take note of the big yacht merged between these two houses. boy was that a sight. even though its been three weeks since the hurricane, its going to take a while to get things back to where they should be-aka: no boats in peoples yards. Also, i took a picture of the Aquarium restaurant--where Jas and I had our rehearsal dinner. it was flooded, but i heard that Kemah is working very hard to get the board walk up and running again. it will probably be a few months though. the depressing pictures are first, but then I am ending with the lovely, fun ones from Ashley and Kyle's wedding. it was at sunrise on a sailboat(with a pirates flag, argggh) in Kemah. we left the dock at 6:30 am. it will probably be the earliest wedding i've ever been to. but it was so special and i am so glad i was there! blessings to the newly united Evan's family!

the swell season!

2008-10-02T13:54:00.005-05:00

Jason and I went to see the Swell Season (aka- Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) at the Palladium Ballroom on Monday. It was really fun to go to a concert together. And Jas and I really like the move "Once" and so it was awesome to see those two really talented muscicians share the stage. they were jiving....jas and i secretly sang/played and recorded "falling slowly" on my camera once. it was hiliarious. we were saying that we should have put it on you tube. oh my, that would be embarassing. but seriously, we should probably start a husband-wife band. would you come to one of our concerts?? OK, well i did record glen hansard singing one of the songs and the video is below. i love it when he gets really intense/screams. its awesome. anyways, enjoy!

adoption: think about it!

2008-09-16T17:00:00.002-05:00

I know most people that read our blog probably aren't in the life stage of adopting children, but hey thats ok. there are thousands of children in texas that need permanent adoptive homes. i used to be the caseworker for several wonderful kiddos that need homes! feel free to visit http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Adoption_and_Foster_Care/ to scan through the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange for foster kiddos around the state that need homes. Even if you don't want to adopt, be aware of the need...so you can share it with others who might be interested. I am writing on this subject because three sweet children were on the tv show titled "A child to love" and I wanted to share it with you guys. Please visit http://www.the33tv.com/pages/achildtolove to go to the right and click on 9/15: Makayla, Kindall and Randall.

There are thousands of other kids just like Makayla, Randall, and Kindall that need homes!