Our Third Anniversary... Through Adam's Lens

I am fortunate for many reasons to be married to my precious husband. He is a man earnestly seeking the heart of Christ, committed to growth in our marriage, he bears a tender and loving heart, he serves others as Christ would... and he is a true artist. There are times that I am awe struck at the simplistic beauty of the story he is able to tell through the lens of his camera. 

So, dear ones, here is the complete story of our third anniversary as seen through my husband's skilled eye. No words - for you will experience the true emotion, I am sure. 

Beatrice, may you know no day without beauty. I love you, my sweet girl. 

May Fourth Two-Thousand and Ten - Baby Barnes Revealed

This day, our anniversary, has been redeemed. And what a glorious day it has been. My husband said it best earlier this evening, "I wish we could repeat this day all over again." For those familiar with our story, this is a reason for rejoicing in and of itself! 

We have spent the day reveling in dreams of our child and celebrating this new season with friends and family. We have been surrounded by an outpouring of love, and we acknowledge with full hearts that we are truly blessed. 

I'll not hold you in suspense any longer, for I know the true reason most of you are reading this tonight. I'll write a more detailed story soon. 

Here is the short & sweet version. 

We arrived... full of expectation...

We thoroughly enjoyed every tiny moment of our hour long ultrasound, but most especially the words, 

Words cannot express our excitement, for this precious, "bringer of joy". Again, I'll write more on the meaning and significance of this name soon.

After leaving the hospital we spent lunch with my family and the afternoon marveling at all that God had done. 

To close this magnificent day we asked several dear friends to join us for a Cake & Coffee Celebration to reveal our secret. 

Adam had previously prepared two handmade cakes, one pink - one blue, frosting the outsides white. We reveled our baby's gender by slicing into the "pink" cake and serving a piece for all to see. 

The excitement was explosive! 

We asked if everyone would join us for a photo outside, and they kindly obliged. I am in love with the excitement in every smile. 

We might not have made it through the darkest of hours without the beautiful friends pictured above. So from the bottom of my heart I thank you. You have walked beside us when few would. We love you so. 

These photos are just a small sampling of those captured today. We were so grateful to have a dear friend, (or two), around to take the ones above, but Adam has had his camera as well all day, so I'll share a more complete story with you later. 

In closing I would love to share a verse that has been so dear to me, and which a precious friend framed for me tonight. 

"Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him."

1 Samuel 1:26-27 

Praise the Lord for His redeeming power!

Something's Coming, Something Good, If I Can Wait...

Oh, goodness! I might burst from expectation.

I am marveling in the words of the hymn Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, originally written in 1680 by Joachim Neander. Yet, how prevelant these words are to my heart today. Here is a recording by the Passion Worship Band, that is on repeat as I write this.

The second verse, my favorite, states:

Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth,

Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!

Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been

Granted in what He ordaineth?

I want to scream, "Yes, yes, I see!" He has sustained and He has so gently granted our desire for this precious baby! Hallelujah! 

And this final verse I just want to shout from the mountain tops:

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.


Tomorrow morning at 9am we will go in for our ultrasound. Up to this point we have not seen our baby, and the expectation is not unlike that of three years ago, as I anxiously awaited my marriage to my husband. I praise the Lord for him. Never would I have imagined the years that lay ahead. Never would I have asked for the pain and the trials, but in His sovereignty he has sustained us. He created the perfect mate for me, and for that I rejoice.


So, will we have a...

or a...

Oh, Lord, I pray only for a healthy baby. I pray that he or she would be sensitive to Your voice and obedient to Your call. May his or her life be filled with joy!


Here are some photos of my belly today at 18 & 1/2 weeks. I wanted to capture this day, the day before we knew anything more about this dear little one.

It has been such a joy to see your votes for boy or girl! The "poll" for Beatrice or Weston will close in the morning. Thank you for taking time to participate in our lives. We love you and thank the Lord for you.

A Third Anniversary Present

I confirmed with our midwife this morning that we will have our ultrasound on our third anniversary - Tuesday, May 4th, 2010!

I cannot begin to describe my excitement.

Our anniversary, May 4th, many would expect to be a most treasured day; yet instead it has held many mixed memories. While I rejoice that on that day I married "bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh" I cannot separate that joy from the memory of my precious mother being wheeled in right before the ceremony and wheeled out before the reception began, a mere fragment of her radiant self remaining.

Through counseling we have grieved that day. We have come to understand that perhaps it was not as much a celebration as it was a gift. A gift to a woman wholly deserving of that most spectacular day. Her one request of us before her death was to see us married; and praise the Lord in heaven that we were able to fulfill her dream.

All that said - each year as the day marks it's presence, we are conflicted as we try to celebrate. So this year, we have decided to make this day less about our wedding three years ago, and more about the fruit of our marriage, and the sovereignty of a merciful Father.

We hope to celebrate with close friends Tuesday evening. Marking the beginning of a new "Expectant" season of living. A season full of life, hope, and joy.

I stumbled upon the song to the right today as I was doing other things. It does a beautiful job describing the love for the growing baby inside me.

I've also put up a "poll" for your guess as to whether our baby is a boy or a girl! Enjoy.