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