Our Anniversary Weekend & Its a _________!!!!

This weekend was so much fun. Nick is one amazing husband. As busy people, our ideal get away would be relaxing, which it was very much! We went downtown Houston and stayed at the Magnolia Hotel. The Magnolia is the hotel we stayed at on our wedding night so it was special to go back there. We didn't really get to enjoy the hotel last year as our flight left very early the next morning, so it was nice to explore and enjoy the Magnolia. Nick had a weekend of memories planned out for us. We did things that we had done while we were dating. On Friday night we went and ate at the Aquarium for dinner, Saturday we ate at Chuy's for lunch, went to the movie, and then ate at Birraporeti's on Saturday evening. We did a lot of eating, can you tell? All of these places are special to us in different ways so we were reminising all weekend. It was so much fun. The best part was that it was super relaxing and it was just us. It kind of felt like we were in a different town and it just felt good to "get away" from life's craziness and enjoy spending time together. Thank you Nick - it was amazing and I LOVE you!!!



Now for the part I know you all are waiting for me to share. :) Yesterday, we went to the doctor and got to see our baby moving, punching, and kicking around on the ultrasound machine. It was so amazing to see how big the baby has gotten since our last ultrasound which was nearly 2 1/2 months ago. We also found out that we need to start thinking PINK, because we are having a baby GIRL!!! We could not be happier for this exciting news. Our precious little girl is healthy and growing beautifully, praise the Lord! He is so good and we are so blessed for this little miracle. Here are some sweet pictures of our little Mini Vann!

Our Very First Anniversary!!

I am so excited today! I woke up with a smile on my face because today is the day Nick and I start our anniversary fun weekend!! I can't believe it has been a whole year...well almost, Sunday is the official day, but WOW! This past year has flown by so fast. It has been amazing! I absolutely love marriage and especially because I am married to Nick! He is so wonderful and everyday I love him more and more. So this weekend Nick has planned a surprise weekend away just for us. If you know Nick well, you know that he's not very good at keeping secrets. He knows this and will admit this to you. But, he has been so good at not telling me anything. I'm very proud of him. I LOVE surprises!! So I was told to pack every type of shoe I own...I assume that means, tennis shoes, dress shoes, flip flops, casual shoes...I will need a bag just for shoes. Who knows where we are going - and honestly as long as I am with Nick it doesn't matter to me. At 2 I am going to pick up our wedding cake replica. When we moved to Sugar Land our cake topper got ruined because I think we moved on the hottest day of this entire year! But, that's ok - I think fresh cake will be much better anyway.
Also, stay tuned...............MONDAY is a special extension of our anniversary weekend as it is one of our big exciting baby days! We find out if we are having a boy or girl!!! We will keep you updated as we can't wait to find out and tell you all! This has been an exciting baby week too as I ordered our baby furniture yesterday. Here is a picture of it.



Well, I will definately let you all know how the weekend went when we get back! I'm off to packing :)

~Carissa

Here Ya Go Belly Stalkers!!

OK so, Here is the picture that all you belly stalkers have been waiting for!! There is an ever-so-slight baby bump!

However, we have learned not to underestimate our little one because he/she has been very active in his/her mommies belly. He/she plays most of the day and Nick is even able to feel he/she sometimes. Very Exciting! Hope everyone is doing Wonderful and enjoying the Holiday Season!

Vann Update!

It has been a VERY fun couple of weeks. Carissa has been feeling 100% better which is wonderful! Mini is getting SO big! For all of you that have been wanting belly shots, there is not much of a belly to see! We will post some though! OK so here is a little update on some of the things that we are most excited about!!

1. Mini is developing wonderfully according to our doctor. I still feel like it is a boy and Carissa is undecided. Here is what baby-gaga.com says about our little one:
Your nearly four-inch long gymnast is happily mobile inside your womb and if you're really lucky, you’ll notice a point when your sneezing, coughing or laughing results in a little kick here or a poke there. Still, many women don't feel anything until the 17th week or later. Although the poking and kicking isn't very charming during sleeping hours, it’s a good sign as it means your baby is actually reacting to outside events. Yay! You’ve got yourself one active healthy baby! Their little elbows and knees are bending more freely this week and their little legs are finally growing longer than their arms and getting pumped up for prenatal Richard Simmons. Many of their major organ systems are increasing in capacity—particularly that amazing tiny heart and complex circulation system, which is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day, and will increase to a very impressive 200 quarts per day by the end of the pregnancy. As far as hair goes, we’ve got some new scalp patterns beginning to develop on the head, although actual head hair is not yet present.
YAY so EXCITING!!! Here is a picture:



2. We FINALLY got our wedding video!! WAHOO.. It is incredible and we are SOO excited about it. There were so many things that we had forgotten and didn't even know about. I'm sure some of you married people can attest to that. Anyways it is about 1.5 hrs and I think we have watched it like 4 times now. It is beyond just a video of a wedding, it is incredibly entertaining, more like a movie.. SOO COOL!

3. We went to an adoption fair in Sugar Land. Carissa and I have felt strongly about adoption before we were even married. My passion for adoption started my Senior year of High School when I went to Uganda. Seeing all the orphans and knowing that all they needed was someone to love them, broke my heart. Thankfully we do not have fertility problems but I can't help but think that we could love an adopted child just as much as a biological one and how great it would be to give a child in need, love and a family. I knew that one day I would adopt and how wonderful it has been to have gone to Living Hope where adoption is SO prevalent. God is awesome and has got Carissa and I very excited about adopting children. The adoption fair focused on Domestic and International adoption. Both would be wonderful and I CANT wait to see what God has instore for us.

4. We had to say Goodbye to a WONDERFUL family, the Estes. They left today (Sunday) to begin their mission in Tunisia. They are truly a God Fearing Family dedicated to making His name known. They have the most adorable baby boy, Jude. We are sad to see them go but so excited to see how God is going to use them. They are truly a blessing.



Well thats about it for now. If you have any baby name suggestions we would love to hear them! Also, I have come to find out that a bunch of people read this thing so comment why dont ya.

Mark Driscoll's Video on Joel Osteen

Hey bloggers, i stumbled upon this video on a friends blog. Would LOVE to hear your comments!!-nv

God Is AWESOME!

Our Baby is growing SO much. Here is one of the latest pictures, I think at 9 weeks.


According to Baby Center this is where the baby is at in its development:
Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. His ;) hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under his gums, and some of his bones are beginning to harden.
He's already busy kicking and stretching, and his tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as his body grows and becomes more developed and functional.

Isn't that so exciting?

Well life has been a little crazy at the Vann Household. Carissa has been EXTREMELY sick the last 7 weeks. However, i think we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. These last months have proved to be an incredible challenge for both of us. Besides having constant pregnancy nausea and bad acid reflux she also came down with Bronchitis which has lasted about 3 weeks now and still not over it but getting better! Thank you to all of our amazing friends that have been praying for us. A special thanks to Carissa's mom, she has practically lived at our house during the "bad" days, taking care of Carissa and taking her to Dr. Appts. Also, the Bacak family is an amazing God send. Not only has Rusty been able to give us meds. and expert advice without having to go to a Dr. but Jenn has been through exactly what Carissa has been through if not worse. Thank you, ya'll have been a true blessing from God!

Anyways, this incredible song from Natalie Grant has been an inspiration for both Carissa and I and we wanted to share it with ya'll if you haven't heard it. Here are the words and also the link to the only place where you can listen to it online (that i can find).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mZMiDASqMc

It's hard to stand on shifting sand
It's hard to shine in the shadows of the night
You can't be free if you don't reach for help
You cant love if you dont love yourself

There is hope when my faith runs out
Cause I'm in better hands now

It's like the sun is shining when the rain is pouring down
It's like my soul is flying though my feet are on the ground
So take this heart of mine there's no doubt
I'm in better hands now

I am strong all because of you
I stand in awe of every mountain that you move
Oh I am changed, yesterday is gone
I am safe from this moment on

There's no fear when the night comes 'round
]
I'm in better hands now

It's like the sun is shining when the rain is pouring down
It's like my soul is flying though my feet are on the ground
So take this heart of mine there's no doubt
I'm in better hands now

It's like the sun is shining when the rain is pouring down
It's like my soul is flying though my feet are on the ground
Its like the world is silent though I know it isnt true
Its like the breath of Jesus is right here in this room

So take this heart of mine there's no doubt
I'm in better hands now
I'm in better hands now

What an amazing song, God is SOO good.

Anyone have any ideas on what sex the baby is going to be? Let us know! I think a boy!!-Nick Vann

Baby Update!

Well, we are officially 2 months along. I can't believe the baby will be here in just 7 short months. Here is the new picture of Mini Vann.




I had my last appt. in College Station last Tuesday. My Mom drove me in because I wasn't feeling that great. Aren't Mom's the best!!! We stopped by the Bacak's and saw sweet Emma on her birthday. Here are some shots of the 7 year-old!! Happy Birthday BEAUTIFUL!!










Anyway...the baby is doing great. We got to see it's little heart beating on the ultrasound screen. It was amazing! One of the coolest things yet! I thought I could sit there and watch it all day. I am so glad we saw it's little heartbeat beacause it made me feel better about being sick all the time. I don't have a lot of nice things to say about morning sickness. Except...why do they call it "morning" sickness anyway - it happens ALL day long!! Thankfully I have an amazing Mom who has come over twice and taken care of me - and thank goodness for the gift of medicine. The Dr. prescibed me some meds and they have helped tremendously!! You know Nick would love it if I told this story...so I was watching TV while I was sick and I thought to myself, "If I see another smiling pregnant lady I WILL throw this remote at the TV!! - I mean how can you be happy at a time like this - I am MISERABLE!!" I didn't ever actually throw it I just thought I was going to. Lukily I feel better and like a normal person so hopefully I don't go attacking any pregnant women. Well we truly appreciate all of your sweet comments and we promise to keep everyone updated. Thanks for praying too :)

Love,
Carissa

Something Beautiful

This is our first official announcement about some new, exciting (and surprising) things going on with the Vann's. Last week we found out we are PREGNANT. Can you believe it?? Neither can we! It has been so exciting and crazy around here this past week. We told our families and they are so happy for us. We are still in shock, but after yesterday I think it finally sunk in for both of us. Yesterday was my first Dr. appointment in College Station. (Due to some insurance stuff, my first two visits are in College Station.) So, I drove in from Sugar Land and Jenn Bacak went with me. It was so great having her there with me (Nick couldn't go because he had to work). The visit went great. The Dr. asked me a lot questions and then she did an ultrasound. Before the ultrasound she said I was probably about 7 weeks along, but when she did the ultrasound she figured out we are only about 4.5 weeks pregnant. So crazy!! We are so excited and could not be happier for our little "Mini" Vann. God has blessed us with something so beautiful! I will go back in two weeks and we will hear a little heartbeat. Here is our little peanut. The dark spot on the left is the little Vann.



Me and Jenn before the appt.



Thanks for all of you who are praying for us and are sharing in our exciting news.

Love,
Carissa

Buy Shoes Save Lives--- Get EXCITED LADIES!!!

At Church today an amazing family that live in the Middle East spoke about their ministry there, how God called them to Iraq and how God was using them to show the love of Christ to the Iraqi people. I was truly blown away by the things God is doing through them. One of the ministries they have started is called Buy Shoes Save Lives. Jeremy and his team buy these shoes in Iraq and sell them online.All the profits go to help fund one of their ministries which provides heart surgeries for children in the middle east, an AMAZING cause! This business will also help them to be able to stay in the middle east through a work visa if they are able to show that the business is successful. Honestly, Carissa and I were unable to buy our pair today because they are $100 a piece BUT as soon as I get my paycheck it will undoubtedly be the first purchase we make. Jeremy said that 60-70% of the cost goes straight to the Heart Surgeries, which they have a waiting list for, and the rest goes to pay for the shoes. So not only is the money helping Children get heart surgeries but it is also helping Iraqi families. Today as i taught the Youth we discussed a verse in James, James 1:27 which says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and blameless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." I know that most of these children are probably not orphans; however, they are in need and I know that Jeremy and His team are explaining that they money they have received to help the children is a gift from God. I cant help but thank how much God has blessed Carissa and I with GREAT jobs, a home and much more but i also know that none of it is ours it is ALL Gods and I am so thankful he has entrused us with it. I am beyond honored to be able to bless other with what God has blessed us with. Jeremy and his team have set up a website for Buy Shoes Save Lives and they also have a blog where you can check them out. Please consider saving some money up to help bless this ministry and remember we are only caretakers of the money and provisions God has blessed us with and we are to use it to bless others and bring glory to God!

A new apartment, new jobs, new church and…a new do

Thanks for all of you who have been praying for us and our move. This has been an exciting time for us. When we walked into our apartment for the first time we were so excited. It was beautiful! As soon as I am done fixing it up I will post some pictures. Nick started his job at GBI, Inc. last Thursday as a surveyor and so far he likes it. I am loving life right now, partly because my job is wife and nanny. Every morning I wake up with Nick (ps…that’s early 5:30) and I get to make him breakfast and pack his lunch, but most importantly I get to pray over his day! Then I go back to sleep, wake up and do wifely duties and…two days a week I get to nanny for Robbie and Liz Seay. I absolutely love it!! Their kids are amazing and so much fun and I love getting to help Liz. She is so sweet and I am enjoying so much getting to know her and I can see a wonderful friendship ahead. Yesterday the kids and I were playing in the backyard and we saw a frog. Ethan wanted to capture it, but he wanted me to do it. If you know me very well I defiantly don’t like to touch or be near little creatures or bugs. But, we had so much fun trying to get it. We were all out there screaming and laughing every time it would hop. Little Ezra didn’t really know what we were screaming about (he’s at that fearless age) but just did what we did – he ran around the backyard flopping his arms and screaming. It was adorable. Once we caught the frog I asked Ethan what we should name and he came up with “Cokie Floatie.” It was awesome. So I have a really great job! We also have decided on a church, which is so exciting to us. After leaving Living Hope we felt like we would never find a church we liked as much as LHBC, and we probably won’t, but this church is so great. It fairly new and there’s a lot of growth yet to be done, but we love the idea that we can be a part of that. We have a deep desire to see this church grow and because of our “training” if you will at Living Hope, we are going to be committed members and see this thing through. It’s called Trinity Baptist Church, so in case you want to remember them in your prayers.
Here is a picture of what I did today…



I cut my hair!!! Can you believe it. I am such a spaz about my hair always having to be long, but I figured since it grew so fast it was no big deal. I kinda wanted something new anyway. But don’t worry, it’s not permanent, I WILL be growing it back out. I miss my long hair, but I am enjoying this short do.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and we miss all of our amazing College Station friends.

Carissa

Leaving a Legacy...

Sorry we haven’t updated our blog in a while. We have been pretty busy these past two weeks trying to get settled in our new apartment and start our new jobs. But, I wanted to share with you a little about my amazing Grandmother, June Day. She went to be with Jesus on July 31st. She lived an amazing life and left a legacy that has challenged us to be more like her. We went to San Angelo, TX for her funeral about two weeks ago and it was so neat to hear all the stories from all the family about her. There were funny stories, serious stories and tears. They were tears of sorrow, but also tears of joy. She had been ill for a while and we knew this was for the best, but sad because I lost my Grandmother. What I remember most about my Grandmother is her sweetness. Every time I saw her she always was there with a sweet hug and kiss. One thing that my Aunt told me at the funeral was that Grandmother always talked about me like I was a queen, and that she was always so proud of me. Even though we never lived in the same town, I always felt close to her. She always called me to see how I was doing, and never forgot a birthday. She was a wonderful woman of God who lived a life everyday just like Christ. She served him in everything she did. She was awesome! I miss her. I love her!! As I was driving in my car the other day I heard the song “Legacy” by Nichole Nordeman and it made me remember my Grandmother and challenged me.


I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...

Thanks for all of you who prayed for her and our family during this time. If you wouldn’t mind, keep praying for my Papaw. Pray because he is still hurting from this loss and pray that he will be surrounded by friends and family to ease his loneliness. Thank you!

Love,
Carissa

Finally in Sugar Land

We made it to Sugar Land!! As some of you know, these past two weeks have been somewhat hectic. Last Tuesday we moved out of our apartment in College Station and into our new apartment in Sugar Land all in one day. We then drove to San Angelo for my grandmother's funeral (more on that later). We made it back to Houston on Friday and have been busy decorating, shopping for furniture, and today I am hanging out with the Seay kids! We are so sorry we haven't updated our blog in forever. We won't have internet at our apartment until Friday so I will update you then. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week :)

Love,
Carissa

South Padre Fun...

We are having a blast in South Padre! It has been so relaxing and fun. Awesome trips to the beach, building sand castles, swimming, cooking, and playing games with The Mosiers and The Bacaks has kept us busy, but I am learning so much from Jenn. It's amazing how great of a Mom she is. I am realizing through this trip the main reason why God placed the Bacak's in our lives. I have pictured exactly what I imagine I would want to be as a Mom, and now I see that Jenn is what I could only hope to be. She is so patient, and in times where I could see myself screaming, she doesn't at all. It's so awesome and I'm so blessed to know the Bacak's. God gave me an AMAZING Mom who I learned so much from for 23 years who I am still learning from. So, when God blesses us with children I know we are going to have great role models. (If you can't tell I'm definately ready for children)

Anyway...back to the trip. Today was a great day! Jenn, Erin, Treston, and I hung out at the house and watched movies, ordered pizza and played with Treston, while the boys and Emma went to Schliterbahn. The kids (and by kids I include Nick and Matt) had a super time at the water park. Nick and Matt are so cute with the kids. My favorite parts is seeing them take Emma out in the waves of the ocean, and play hide and go seek with them EVERY night!! What great husbands and one day Dad's we have Erin.

Here is a picture of sweet Jax playing in the ocean! We are pros at "Oh Simmer My Timmers." Erin and I love to sing it with him - and we love to sing it when he's not around. We just looooove him!!!

And by the way Emma is a fantastic sand castle builder. Such a beautiful little girl!

Yesterday I was walking along the beach picking up seashells and Justus came running up and wanted to help me. It was so cute. Everytime he would bend down, his little britches would come down and show his little brown bootie. It was adorable.

Tomorrow we are taking "family" photos! It's also our official last day of the trip, but not to worry - we decided it is going to be annual! Anyway....when we get more pictures we will post. Hope everyone is having an awesome week!

-Carissa

WE ARE GODPARENTS!!

Wow!! Godparents...it kind of makes me excited a little to be a "parent". As most of you know I'm definately ready for kids, but being a godparent is so special. When Jenn and Rusty asked us to be godparents, I was extremely excited, but I will admit I didn't really know what that meant...so I did a little research. "A godparent is to look after the childs religious path"..."Godparent means a sponsor, and in the history of the church godparents also promised to bring the child up in the Christian faith." Well, Jenn and Rusty do an amazing job in raising their beautiful children as unto the Lord...so Nick and I decided that for us, godparent means prayer warrior! Our role is to pray for this little guy everyday of his life. Baby Treston, we will be there for you no matter what - all your sweet little life. We will pray for your adoption, salvation, your wife, your family and your amazing future (and everything in between)! We love this family so much and know that Treston is truly blessed to be in their home. We love you T-Bear!!

-Carissa