Burke/Henderson Reunion

On August 17th, Adam and Lisa celebrated their 7th Anniversary by flying to California for 10 days of fun. We were elated to host them for a couple of days and to give them a little taste of our life out here. From Muir Woods, San Francisco, and the Santa Cruz Wineries to Napa, Tahoe, and Reno, they got to see so much while they were here. The best part for us was sharing Christ-centered conversations while walking the Dish, sipping wine (or tea) at Savannah Chanelle Vineyards, and eating dinners with the Burkes and with friends every night.

We feel truly blessed to have such wonderful family and we enjoyed every minute of our time with Adam and Lisa.

Denton Baby Shower

The weekend before Bryan's last week of work at Weil, Mom and Lisa threw a shower for us at Lisa's house. It was ridiculously fun to share time with family friends that we haven't seen in a while and with bosom friends who made the trek from all over the state. Thank you all for coming and for showering us with so many little blessings.

Thank you, sister and mom, for throwing such a perfect shower. The quiche, the cake, and the chocolate-covered strawberries were delectable. We are constantly reminded of how it takes a village to raise a child, and we are truly grateful for all the sweet conversations that we had and for all the goodies that we were able to bring home. We praise the Lord for this event.

We also had a semi-formal for Bryan's work that weekend and had a BLAST at Casino Night!

Baby Bump

I have been receiving a lot of flak for not having any belly pics up. So, here is the beginning of the "Belly Progression Chart." The first picture is at 11 weeks and the second is last week - at 28 weeks. We've come to love this big bump and we are constantly fascinated by the kicks, rolls, and bounces that take place just under the surface of it. We praise the Lord for an active little girl who is constantly reminding us of her status, which is usually "up-and-at-em!"

The Boo and the Bug Grow Up

July was a big month for the Burke ladies: Jacey-boo turned 4 on the 4th of July and Lizzy-bug turned 1 on July 22nd. So, what better way to celebrate them than by having a joint birthday party at the water park?

On July 26th, Lisa threw a darling party complete with cupcakes, pizza, and lots of kiddos at Water Works. Everyone had a blast - including "Uncle Bryan" and "Aunt Carrie," who floated the lazy river with a fearlessly water-diving Lizzy-bug. Dad even flew in from Florida to surprise the girlies (and mostly to surprise Lisa) for the weekend. It was so fun to see Lisa's reaction to his being there, to spend sweet time with him on Sunday, and to show him my ever-growing belly that he feared he might miss. Thanks, Dad, for coming to Dallas. You truly are the best!

How cute are these little Water Babies...

And look at my darling with Miles. (After seeing this picture, I am no longer offended that Miles calls me "Bryan")...

When thunder closed down the water park, we moved the party to Lisa's. Can you guess which gift was Jace's favorite? Lizzy, on the other hand, couldn't have cared less about her precious outfit. After a long swim in the Lazy River, all she wanted was a place to lay her head. Poor thing...

The First Blog is the Hardest

So... We're pregnant! We're sorry that it has taken so long to finally post something, but the last 5 months of pregnancy have been a beautiful whirlwind for us both. After finding out we were pregnant in late February, it was off to Scotland for Spring Break and for a wonderful last trip overseas before babies. And while the first trimester was less than friendly to Mama Henderson, the second trimester started about 9 weeks ago and life has been less-nauseating ever since!

In fact, we were able to make the annual trip to Artesia for the 4th of July and to enjoy a lovely shower that some of our dear family friends put on for us. From smock dresses and bows to pacifiers and teethers, all of the gifts were darling and were a reflection of a generosity that we were humbled to be the recipients of. Thank you all for the precious and useful gifts and also for the delicious cake and hors d'oeuvres! Mom, dad, and Baby Henderson all felt so loved and blessed by the event, and we look forward to bringing our little girl back to Artesia soon.

Here are some pictures from the shower...

Then, on the way home, we were able to ride with our good friends Paul and Stephanie and their son, Wesley. We drove directly under a tornado (albeit a small one), but the back row wasn't fazed...

We're Preggers!

When we found out we were pregnant only 1 week before mom came to visit, we knew we had to tell her in a fun way and in person. So, we had Lisa send a "gift for Bryan" with mom. Since Lisa couldn't join us for this year's March visit (and since Lisa strategically left a sad message on my phone saying how much she missed us), I told mom that I wanted to send her a video of Bryan opening the gift.

The gift... a "Pregnant Wife's Slave" t-shirt that spoke for itself...