Trailblazing!

The last week or so of sub-30-degree weather has left both Zayne and I with more than a slight case of cabin fever and so we decided to go spend a few hours at our favorite local neighborhood playground, Shamrock Park.




After more than a few trips climbing the stairs and sliding down the incredibly exciting spiral slide we decided to go explore a little and walked the dangerous and exotic jungle trails down the winding creek through the park: forging rapids, dodging poisonous plants and escaping from man-eating dogs down unforged paths.

Well...it seemed that way to the 18-month-old mind at least!

What's This White Stuff?

Being from Texas, and being 18 months old, the experience of wet, cold, white stuff falling from the sky was a completely new one! It didn't take our little mountain man long to adjust, though, as he was beating on the doors and windows all morning wanting out (even though it was about 15 degrees outside) and was not interested in being bundled up in coats, hats and gloves once he got out there! This little bear wrestler wanted the full experience. He wanted to get his hands wet and a little muddy as he communed with nature (i.e. - ate snow off of the branches in the back yard!) and I'm convinced more and more each day that he's as ready as I am for that move to God's country (aka - Alaska!)

The Wonderful World of Sleep

Sleep -

Seems like it should be a simple enough thing to deal with. I mean, how tough can it be? You're tired, you go to bed. You sleep. You wake up. You get out of bed and go on with life. Easy! Right?

Please...Nothing could be further from the truth...

For the last few months, I've been noticing and increasing amount of stress stemming from the subject of sleep: when to sleep; when not to sleep; how much sleep is enough sleep? how much sleep is too much? Of course, I've really got no one to blame for this dilemma but myself. After all, here I sit, a 29 year-old borderline insomniac (who prefers early mornings to late nights) having just taken a job with split shifts that run until 3am on weekends with a beautiful pregnant wife who would LOVE to sleep AT LEAST 18 hours a day and a 18 month-old who, well, I think the following picture taken during what was supposed to be nap time a few days ago pretty well sums up his feelings about sleep.

The Gift of Prophecy?

"So, am I ready for that second kid? I think I am, but you'll have to ask Valerie!"

The previous quote, taken from my post almost 2 months ago, almost makes me question whether I had been either spending a little too much time preparing for Dr. Currid's Old Testament Prophets class this past semester, had been given the Spiritual gift of Prophecy, or if I just happened to take after a broken clock (which, after all, is right twice a day!).

Well, I'm fairly sure Dr. Currid would tell you that I DIDN'T overwork myself preparing for his class to the point that the gift of the OT prophets would have rubbed off on me, and I'm also convinced that the sign gifts such as prophecy have ceased since I'm not receiving any new inspired word from the Lord...so, I guess that leaves me with only one option as to how I happened to know that Valerie was actually pregnant with our second child as I wrote those words, considering whether or not I was prepared to handle another "little Hilliard"!

We received the news several weeks ago that as of next July we'll be adding the newest member to our family. Valerie is now about 12 weeks and everything seems to be going great with our newest little gift from God! With all that we've been through with our past pregnancies, we definitely appreciate all of your continued prayers that God would protect and sustain that which He has begun as we look forward with great joy and expectation to the arrival of our newest addition to our family.

Psalm 139:13-16

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.