It's a BOY!!!

Hello All,
well - we found out yesterday at our BIG ultrasound appointment that we're expecting a BOY!!!

Here's a picture of the "money shot."

More to come, but wanted to share the news! Thanks for your continued prayers for us.

Here is a link to more photos on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94212&id=583982705&l=573ef8b385

Baby Estes - 12 Weeks!

We went to Kaiser yesterday for our 12 week appointment to see Baby Estes! It was so exciting to see that it has grown SO much in 4 weeks since the last time we saw it. It defiantly looks like a baby now. We saw its head, arms, legs and torso and butt. We saw the two hemispheres of the brain too. We saw and heard its little heart beating again...strong! The baby is about 3 inches long now and about the size of an apricot, only not completely round. And it weighs about 1 oz.!

It was quite the wiggler which was SO fun to see! Here are some pictures.

Here is the baby's face on the left. Sort of looks like an alien, but it's OUR alien!

Here is the back of the baby's head on the left and its butt is on the lower right.

Here is the back of the baby's head on the left and its butt on the upper right. Sort of like its twisting its torso.

Our next appointment is two weeks before Christmas and won't be an ultrasound. (I'm very sad about this.) We had thought we could find out the gender at that time, but looks like we'll have to wait until the beginning of January instead. Oh well.

I had thought that by knowing if it was a boy or a girl would help me start to bond with the baby more. But since it's not going to happen until later, I'll have to trust that God will help me bond in other ways. I am just thankful that the baby is continuing to grow at a healthy rate and that I have stayed healthy too.

I haven't had any major "morning sickness" which has been SUCH a blessing! My only really bothersome symptom has been exhaustion. For about a good month or two I had to come home from work and get directly in bed for a nap. It was hard to stay awake at work and sometimes I even used my 1/2 hour lunch break for a nap in my car! I am pleased to say that even though I haven't had a nap in a week now, I'm still tired, but not as bad.

I have been struggling as to when to buy my first maternity clothes. I'm down to about two or three pairs of pants that I can still wear. (Sometimes with the button UNdone, but still getting away with it.) I will probably have to bite the bullet and get at least one or two pairs of maternity pants pretty soon. But that is to be expected I guess.

We are constantly amazed and thankful for all the changes happening to my body because of this little one. We are excited for its development and thrilled when we get to see it on screen. Thank you for continuing to pray for us. We'll keep you updated!

!!!NEWS!!!

So, once again I have dropped off the face of the Earth and neglected my blogging. But we have WONDERFUL NEWS...we're expecting!!! I'm 10 weeks along now and Baby Estes is due to arrive in the middle of May 2010!!!
Here is our most recent ultrasound picture at 8 weeks. We have another appointment in about two weeks and hopefully will be able to see a more defined figure of the baby.

It is so amazing to feel the new changes in my body and yes, to even enjoy the spurts of sickness or discomfort knowing that this is something we've prayed for. We would appreciate your prayers as we progress in this pregnancy and await our precious little one! God is good, and we are SO thankful!

News!

Wow, I just realized I haven't blogged in a while! Well, our lives have been so full to joy this summer. We moved into our first home last weekend and I have been blessed with a new job! The Lord is awesome and I am SO enjoying seeing Him work in our lives. I am also excited to report that I have also lost a total of 26 pounds since the begining of April and am looking forward to the next 20 pounds!.

Our 5 Year Anniversary!

Thank you LORD for blessing me with 5 years of marriage to Steven Estes. I have strived to be the Godly wife you have called me to be. To be supporting and encouraging, to pray for him daily (sometimes more,) to protect and honor him and to LOVE him unconditionally! I look forward to what the next 5, 10, even 50 years will bring us!

Steven and I spent our anniversary date at the Clovis Farmer's Market with our good friends, the Alejo's! We had a great time taking part in our town's culture and festivities and best of all, being together!

The Mr. and Mrs.


Steven eating some of Fresno State University's premium ice cream!
(Ray and Alicia Alejo in the back right.)


Logan Alejo (Ray and Alicia's 3-year-old.)

Hats off to the Graduate!

Our second big event for June was the graduation of our cousin Joy from Chino Hills High School!

Joy is one of my favorite cousins and I remember when she was BORN!!! Wow, that's weird to say!

Steven and I were able to make a day-trip to SoCal for her ceremony and some family time on Wednesday. We rode with my parents, brother and grandparents. (Yes - all in the same car!)

We left at 7:30am and didn't get back to our home until about 12:30am that night...but Joy was worth it! I love that girl.

Joy in her Cap and Gown at the house.


Our row of family at the graduation.


All the graduates and confetti.


Joy hugging her hunky friend Connor.


The beautiful Joy Bells!


My brother Daniel and Joy's brother (my cousin) Josiah. I think they're only 6-mo apart and best of friends.


The graduate hugging her Mom (Aunt Kathy) and sister Claire.


The grandparents, my Dad and Uncle Paul waiting at the restaurant.


Joy displaying the Coach-inspired purse we gave her.

Matt and Charlissa's Wedding

Our first of many June committments has come and gone already.

Matt and Charlissa Strong tied the knot on Saturday, June 6th in Paso Robles, CA. It was a beautiful ceremony and reception. Charlissa and I lived together my first (and only) year at Fresno Pacific in 2002-2003. Matt attended FPU as well and time-over-time, they fell out of touch, fell back into touch and then in love!

Tis the Season!

For WEDDINGS, GRADUATIONS, BBQ'S & BIRTHDAYS!!!!

This is definitely the time of year when EVERYBODY's schedules fill up to the brim with fun and exciting milestones and family get-togethers.

Just on our calendar we have:

• Matt & Charlissa's wedding this Saturday, June 6th in Paso Robles,
• a Women's Ministry meeting at church on Sunday morning, June 7th and
• Jill's bridal shower that same afternoon,
• my cousin Joy's high school graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 10th in Chino Hills (SoCal,)
• our 5 year wedding anniversary on Friday, June 12th,
• my Uncle Nathan's 50th birthday celebration on Saturday, June 13th in Bakersfield,
• Tim and Jill's wedding (and rehearsal too) on Saturday, June 20th and
• my Great Aunt Dorthy and Great Uncle Mark's 50th Wedding Anniversary party in Bass Lake on Saturday, June 27th!!!
  

Wow, that made my head spin a little, how 'bout YOU!?!?

And those are just the things I know about! There most likely will be more coming, I'm sure!

Needless to say, not only do we get to attend some wonderful celebrations, and do lots of traveling, but we get to spend time with dear family and friends that are such a blessing to our lives! What a wonderful time of year~

Many pictures to come!

Mother's Day 2009

This Mother's Day we hosted a full meal get-together for our immediate family at my parents' house in Sanger. Next year we can host at our own house, but our current house is too small for the whole family!

Steven BBQ'd his usual Tri Tip and some yummy salmon and veggies on the grill. (he's SO good at this!) I made stuffed mushrooms, a green salad, rice pilaf, cheesy cornbread muffins. We had angel food cake, and strawberries for dessert (my mother-in-law's fav.)

My brother Daniel helped me SO much! He set the table, helped make and bake the muffins and helped clean up afterwards. Such a trooper! We gave Debby a photo collage of our Estes family members in a frame and embellished with some scrapping materials. My mom got a new pair of summer pj's in blue (her fav color.) And I spent most of this past National Scrapbooking Day making a special book for my Grandma Alvera. Pictures of her and Grandpa, each of their sons and their wives, all of the married grandchildren and their spouses, the rest of the grandchildren and their great-grandson Clayton got his own page too! She really loved it. I never realized before, but Steven and I are the oldest grandchildren on all sides that are in the immediate area, so it has been our pleasure to coordinate/host Mother's Day for each family every year and we were so glad to have both the Estes and Schletewitz families together this year!

Female Family Felowship

Throughout the year many churches host various Women's Ministry events for their ladies and each of my family's churches are the same.

I have had the pleasure of attending two Women's Tea/Luncheon/Brunch events in the last month.

In April I attended a Ladies Luncheon at my Mom's church: Sierra View Community Church in Sanger, CA. The speaker at this event was a long-time friend of my in-law's family and the men of SVCC were dressed up and functioned as our wait-staff for the day. SO lovely to not have to get your own drink! Today I attended a Ladies Brunch and Fashion Show at my Grandmother's church: Salem Evangelical Free Church in Sanger, CA. The theme was "Recycled and Re-used." All the tables were decorated with either antique dishware and such, or items found at thrift stores and/or discount stores (like Dollar Tree.) The Fashion Show was a showcase of complete outfits purchased at thrift stores; ALL for $13.00 and UNDER!!! Really creative and quite impressive! They had raffle prizes for the women AND for the young ladies and little girls, I thought that was quite special to include the little ones too! I was so blessed to be able to spend time at each of these events with my Mom and BOTH of my Grandmothers. I treasure those times as we all get older.

Swallows - a - Pleanty!

So the staff at work got this email message from our Vice Chancellor yesterday:

"As you may know, Cliff Swallows have selected the Willow International Center as a nesting place as over 40 nests have been constructed to date. The federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and the California Fish and Game Code Section 3800 protect the nests once they have been constructed and eggs laid. As a result of the constructed nests located above the southeast entrance to the Academic Center One building, we are closing this entrance to incoming traffic. The doors will still be used in case of an emergency.

We will do everything we can to try to keep the entrances and nesting areas clean until the migration of the swallows occurs in the next few weeks. Please contact Darren Cousineau, SCCCD Director of Environmental Health and Safety, or Janell Mendoza if you have any questions.

Thank you."

Apparently the birds that aren't extinct are in need of protection too. Here is a picture of some of their many nests on the East side of our campus building...right above my office window. Lots of chirping goin on lately too.

Did you miss me?!

Wow I have been OUT OF TOUCH for a while! Sorry about that. There has been LOTS going on in life and I haven't gotten around to blogging about it. I must commend my sister-in-law, Beth, for her blogging though. Even with 6 kids she keeps up with it! Wow right?!

So, let's see...

I guess the biggest news is that we found a house! The Lord has really been at work in this process and Steven and I feel SO blessed that He has found us a house that will provide for ALL of our needs.

We had been having issues with our Realtor and finally decided to start working with a different one (recommended to us by Paul and Megan.) Colleen (the new Realtor) is wonderful! She came over to meet us and listened to our wants, dislikes and concerns and wrote everything down. Afterwards, she asked if she could pray for us and we were just SO impressed and blessed by that. We knew she was the ONE! After getting to know us a little bit more, she mentioned that she had some long-time friends in Clovis that wanted to sell their house, but didn't want to list it in this market. They had prayed that if God was calling them to sell and move, then He would bring them a buyer. We agreed to look at it (just for the heck of it) and LOVED it! We told Colleen that she could let the family know what our offer would be and they countered a little and we accepted! The other family was so thankful to know that we were Believers and that their home would be a dwelling place for the Lord even after they were gone. We also feel more at peace about this house knowing that they are Believers as well.

So, escrow opened on Thursday, April 30th and we will have our Home Inspection this Thursday, May 7th. I'll be sure to take some good pictures and post them here for you to see! The family is now actively looking for a new home to buy, but we have agreed that they will rent the house back from us for a couple months to give them some more time. This works great for us too since we would like to finish school this semester and then work on our existing house and have time to pack before we move.

The Lord has been SO good and we feel so blessed and excited about this new chapter in our life. Steven told me last night that for our 5-year anniversary (June 12th) that he is going to buy me a house! I like it! :)

Stress is my middle name.

I have been so STRESSED lately. I feel like it's becoming my middle name these days. I even had a wonderful birthday two weeks ago and haven't had it together to post pictures and blog about it yet! Ugh.

I am taking 14 units this semester while working part time and trying to maintain my marriage and social life. I thought that after five years of not being a full time student that I could handle it now that I was more mature, but turns out, I'm in over my head.

I'm not sorry that I enrolled in 14 units, I'm just sorry that I don't have the discipline that a good student needs to accomplish this amount of course work. I'm taking Math-101, PoliSci-2, Music Appriciation (online) and 3 units of work experience.

My math class was my least favorite going into this semster mostly because I've NEVER been good at math and I HAVE to pass this class to get my AA Degree at the end of this semester. Turns out, I'm doing much better in the class than I had expected, which is a HUGE blessing. I failed my first test but since then I've gotten "B's" or better. Last test I got a 96%!!! That is so rare for me, but I'm thankful! Plus, the instructor will drop our lowest test score or give us the option to not take the final.

PoliSci has been fun. I enjoy the teaching style of my professor, and she is not only knowledgable of her field, she is a practicing attourney too, so we're learning a lot of the "law" that goes behind our politics. Class discussion is great! Can't you just see me in the middle of a debate on anything?!

My music appreciation class is the one I was most looking forward to, and has been the biggest dissapointment and cause of my stress this semester. The instructor has a completely UNREALISTIC expectation of how much homework is appropriate for a 3-unit class and several of the students in the class are frustrated because we're trying so hard to succeed and are not seeing the grade-results we are hoping for. I am actually in the middle of a "formal complaint" process with the Dean of Instruction about this class. Hopefully we can see a change for the better before the end of the semester.

Apart from all the school drama/stress, there is the usual work hours, worship team volunteering and various social events; baby showers, lunch dates with girlfriends, etc. AND we have been working with a realtor to look into buying a home. So, on the 1 day a week that Steven and I both have off, we are trying to find our next home. Hasn't happened yet, but we're sure that God has a place for us somewhere and we will just be faithful in prayer until He reveals it to us.

If you happen to read this blog, or just think about us from time to time, here is a perfect example of how you can be praying for me, and for Steven and I both. Thanks dear ones!

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

A RECIPE EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW:

The most dangerous cake recipe

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

a small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

EAT! (this can easily serve 2 people, TRUST me!)

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

(thanks to Keirsten Craig for sending me this MOST helpful information!)

The Biggest Loser!

So, I've been determined to lose some weight lately. With wanting to have a baby soon and knowing that I have Thyroid problems, my body had begun to show me that it's not going to be easy for me to maintain a healthy weight after I have a baby, so I thought I better start NOW! I've purchased The Biggest Loser - Cardio Workout DVD from Target and have been successfully training with Bob for an entire week now. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself. I can feel the sleepy muscles inside me waking up and I'm excited to say that I feel GOOD! Well, the second and third day I didn't feel so good, but now I do. So, if any of you three-or-so people that read this blog happen to be wondering about my progress, don't hesitate to ask me about it. I'd welcome the accountability. Lovingly of course. Anyway, my goal right now is to be able to wear a sleeveless dress for a couple of weddings I'll be attending in June. We'll see~

In Honor of V-Day!

In honor of the upcoming Valentines Day, I would like to introduce to you...the LOVE of my life!

Steven Nahum Estes is my wonderful husband. I am sure many of you have heard the story of how we met and how we got set up by his parents and all that, but you may not know much about HIM.

Steven is the most intelligent person I know. I mean, honestly, he knows SO much. He calls it "useless knowledge" because he will inevitably know something about any sort of conversation happening near him and is an expert in many areas. He is currently a Chemistry major at Fresno State University and plans to attend pharmacology school to earn a doctorate of Pharmacy (Pharm.D degree.)

He can take a computer apart and put it back together again, and I've seen him do it! He can tile floors, he can cook, he is a fisherman, he can change the oil and the brakes on either one of our cars, he made my corsage for our high school prom as well as many other weddings, he is better at loading the dishwasher than I am, he's a WONDERFUL BBQ'er, he's very handy and can fix most anything, he cuts his own hair and he's a musician.

Steven can competently play: the bass guitar, trombone, French horn, banjo, accordion, guitar, piano, and the harmonica.

Apart from his impressive credentials listed above, Steven is no doubt a HANDSOME man. He is blond and has blue eyes. I always liked his eyebrows; they are so perfectly proportionate to his eyes. I also love his earlobes. They are so soft and although he doesn't like it when I touch them, I still do it! Recently he decided to grow a goatee. I never thought I would like facial hair on my husband, but turns out that I DO! So, he then proceeded to grow a full beard! I like it too, but if he decides to shave, then I'd like him to keep the goatee. It makes him look older, more distinguished. I have always loved the shape of his hands too. It is amazing to me that my hand fits so perfectly inside his. I'm sure God made us that way on purpose too. I love that he is comfortable. We can lay on the couch together and cuddle and he's just so comfortable! He has pretty skinny legs compared to the rest of him, but they are SO strong! HE is so strong. I sometimes tell him that he's better looking now, than when I first met him, and the truth is, I am attracted to him and love every bit of him.

He is loving and kind. He has a very long "fuse" and can put up with my quirks for a LONG time, but he is patient and forgiving too. He is compassionate and loyal. He is hard-working and has an exceptional work ethic. His co-workers and friends look to him for leadership and guidance. He is responsible and he willingly provides for his family. He loves children and they love him. He is sometimes attracted to the children at our campus' Child Development program who are disabled. He has befriended a little boy with Downs Syndrome and loves to pay special attention to him. He goes out of his way to play with these, and many other children, who might not otherwise get the attention. His nieces and nephews are so special to him. He loves to teach them new things and spend quality time with each of them. I am so anxious for us to have children of our own because I KNOW Steven will make an amazing dad!

Above all else, my husband is a wonderful man of God. It was always clear to me that he had a relationship with God and that it was very important to him. Just because he was raised in a Christian home and is a pastor's son, doesn't automatically mean he would have been a Christian. Steven chose to love the Lord and walk in faith of God's plan for his life and because of this, I am truly blessed. My husband prays with me every night before we go to bed and that has been such a HUGE blessing to me. I am so proud to have a husband who is not afraid to pray out loud and especially to lead his wife in prayer. It is truly amazing what God can do in the life of this man.

So, this Valentines Day, I will remember all the reasons why I am so incredibly thankful for my husband. This is just a short testament to how wonderful he is and I want each of you to think of your spouse and recall the wonders of what makes that person so special and such a blessing to your life.

Happy Valentines Day!

In Loving Memory of (Great Uncle) Ed Miller

Today, with family and friends, we celebrated the life of our wonderful Great Uncle Ed Miller. Ed is married to Barbara, my grandmother Alvera's younger sister. Uncle Ed was one of our favorite people in the family. He always had a great sense of humor and loved to joke with us every time we were together. He was also one of few people in our extended family that really went out of his way to welcome (my husband) Steven into the family when we got engaged and married. His wonderful smile and great joke-ster attitude were a joy to be around, but his love for the Lord was also evident in his every-day life and that is such a testimony to be proud of.

Uncle Ed and Aunt Barbara were involved in an automobile accident this past August 2008 on their way to Oregon. Uncle Ed was driving and was very tired, he nodded off for a second and when he woke up, he over corrected the car and it drove onto an embankment on the side of the road and he died instantly. Aunt Barbara's injuries were extensive and her recovery took months. Though it was hard hearing of the loss of Uncle Ed, we felt at peace knowing that he was in Heaven and that he was in no pain. We are thankful to still have Aunt Barbara with us and today she was recovered and looked lovely. She smiled, socialized and hugged everyone and was just so thankful to have her husband's life celebrated with the people that matter most to her.

The Bill Seaberg Trio sang several lovely numbers: Great Uncle Bill and Aunt Linda Seabert (my grandmother's youngest sister) and Great Aunt Dorothy (grandmother's other sister,) Grandpa Clayton Schletewitz offered a powerful prayer, 3 of the 4 Lehman sisters singing, the 4 Lehman sisters all together, Steven, my dad Mark, grandpa and my brother Daniel afterwards, and us at the dinner celebration after the service.