Mary Heflich

This is my Nanny - isn't she precious! She is 89 years old (almost 90) and she's in her last days of hospice here in Hot Springs, AR. Please pray for her and our family as we help her transition from this world to the next.

John 14:1-7
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

The Lord is my Shepherd

My grandmother's favorite verse is Psalm 23. She's 4 foot 10 inches and she's a devote Catholic. She knows more prayers than you and can also cook better than you. She thinks the internet is a facade and that technology is a joke. She loves animals and feeds the birds regularly. There is nothing that can get her off schedule, so don't call her past 9pm because that is bedtime.

Jonathan and I are hanging out in hospice with my grandmother, Mary, and my family this weekend. Today, Mary is enjoying the scriptures that we are reading to her, especially Psalm 23. Yesterday, she told us that she is ready to be with Jesus and now we are just enjoying her presence as she enjoys us. We've been telling stories all day and saying prayers out loud. She loves it when we talk to her. Her eyelids are the only things that move, but we can understand what she is trying to tell us.

I am so thankful that Mary knows Jesus. There is no greater comfort at death than to know the Lord as your Savior. I'm so excited for the amazing things that she will see soon, but also sad to see her go. Thank you Lord for sweet last moments!

Call your parents and grandparents today :)

Baby Lauren, Day 1

Today was Courtney's birthday and Lauren's 1st full day of LIFE! She was looking extra precious today with her cute outfit and bow. Here's some pics of the day...

My precious nieces! Hannah has her "CHEESE" down and Lauren looks like a babydoll! I promise she is real :)

Uncle J!

Tiny Toes!!!!

Debbie and Alvin with baby Lauren

Courtney being a seasoned mother of TWO

The WILD CHILD! Hannah is almost two and showing signs already! Attention span is about 10 seconds if you are lucky... and she's off!

Welcome Lauren Kate!!!

Our baby niece arrived today, Lauren Kate Alban! Courtney gave birth like a champion and delivered a healthy 7 lbs. 11 ounce baby girl. She is so tiny and so precious! What a blessing to have two wonderful nieces.

Lauren spent a little time in the NICU today to help with her breathing, but she is doing great now. It's rough coming into this world!

Here are a few pics from the day:

44 days in!!

Jonathan and I have been married now for 44 days! I wanted to show some snapshots of what we have been up to in our 1st months of marriage.....

We have cleaned and shuffled our junk around about a dozen times! Although it's still a work in progress, here are some of the fruits of our labor...

Our humble home @ 10114 Champa Drive. We love this cozy place :)

My craft room started as a crap room :( ...

But slowly it is turning into a great place for me to work! I painted a light green stripe on the walls and added IKEA storage towers (missing a set of doors still). We plan on getting 2 new desks to have our office / work area. I am loving this room so far and have spent hours sewing! I think we might have to add a TV to this room to keep me entertained though! Our bathroom was the first thing I worked on. We painted the walls a pretty lavender color and I painted a scripture over the shower. We updated our shower head and added a vanity mirror to the wall. I love this bathroom now and its the only room that is complete so far! We are definitely still working on the bedroom. We've painted the walls, added furniture, drapes, and a rug. We just bought our headboard, so it will be here soon. The decor is still a debate - J doesn't like my milk glass so we'll have to compromise on something. We're still missing some personal touches...

Flowers from my husband :)

And of course we aren't the only ones getting married this summer! We've been to two wedding and have another one coming in just a few weeks.

My 14 month check-up was all clear :) I had an MRI on my leg and chest x-ray. I'll see Dr. Casas again in 3 months. I hate going to these check-ups and Jonathan can testify that I'm always a little stressed during this time, but I'm so thankful that God is continuing to protect me! Go to my old blog for my cancer story...

July 4th! We had lots of friends over to watch fireworks. There is a great lookout spot just down the street where we can see multiple shows at one time over the city. 14 ladies and 4 dudes :) Earlier that day we went to the Wade's for swimming and a cookout.

Birthdays! Mine is June 27th, J's is July 10th, and Courtney's (J's sister) is on July 16th. We celebrated with Jonathan's family at Benihana. We had some great b-day dessert!

J's mom, Debbie, with our niece Hannah - Hannah is getting so big and she'll be a big sister in just a few days. Courtney is waiting for baby Lauren to come, as is the fam! We're so excited for another niece!!

This past week I worked some volleyball camps at Bishop Lynch High School. It was so much fun to coach and help the girls. I lead the strength and conditioning drills for the HS camp and I am still sore from the workouts! I miss volleyball so much :(

I'm still looking for a job, but have found little things here and there to get some extra cash. I'm working on building an inventory to start an online store and will be marketing to local boutiques soon. Jonathan is in the summer season with the Mavericks and working hard to sell those tickets! The Mavericks have been making lots of trades, so hopefully they'll have a great season.

We are waiting for our niece, Lauren Kate Alban, to be born and are so excited to meet her!

It is HOT here. This must be one of the warmest summers we have seen in a while. The pools are like bath tubs and the electric bills are getting high! I love the summer time, but this is way too hot!

Harry Potter 6 comes out this week. I am so thankful that I married a man who understands and appreciates this awesome book/movie series. We had a Harry Potter marathon last night and we are excited for the 6th movie!!