Fake Smiles, Fake Tears, and Snow Days.....

Our sweet Will is getting bigger and SMARTER. He knows what he wants, and he is quickly figuring out how he THINKS he is going to get it. In a matter of minutes Will was fake cheesing for the camera to making horrifically sad faces because he didn't get his way. Will only made these faces if he knew we were watching. HILARIOUS. I probably encouraged it by taking pictures, but I just couldn't resist.



Here's the sweet, fake smile:).
















Oh, how I love this sweet, little face. I must say, I enjoy his fake smiling MUCH more than the whining and crying we got just a few minutes later.



I don't know what set him off. He isn't talking quite yet, so his form of telling us what he wants is crying and whining........Here is the face we see, but ONLY if he knows we're watching.

Could life be any harder for this guy?! This picture makes me laugh E.V.E.R.Y time I look at it.

Will is an outdoor-loving baby. I can't wait for it to be warm so we can actually spend some time outside. He LOVED the snow we got the other day. We didn't last long outside because he didn't have the proper snow gear, but he was TICKED when I brought him inside. I mean full on tantrum.

Here he is just admiring the snow. What a pretty boy.

Most of the pictures I took were of his back because he was on the move. He didn't want me to help him walk or get him to stop. Independence, here we come.

The gloves kept falling off- one of the reasons we went in, but that didn't stop this boy. Does it get any cuter??

Becoming Uncomfortable......

Justin and I came to Bellevue just as the church was about to start reading the NIV Chronological Bible together. I have to tell you, it was one of the aspects about Bellevue that has excited me the most. Not only is the church reading the Bible together, but everything that is happening is surrounding this reading. Brother Steve, the pastor, is preaching from a segment of the previous week's reading, life groups, or small groups, are doing inductive Bible studies, and journals are provided for individual daily journaling. I have been so, so blessed the last two Sundays as the word of God is preached from what I have read in the last week. What a blessing to know a body of believers are all on the same page gleaning different truths from the Bible. There is an excitement in the room and a truly anointed time of encouragement and worship.

Today's message was about Learning to Listen to God's Voice, and it couldn't have been more appropriate for the season of life we are in. In Genesis, Abram is called by God to go to Canaan- to leave everything he knew and loved and enter the place God had called him to. Abram listened to God and because of this, he was blessed. It was a great reminder of how to listen for God's prompting in our lives and the consequences of not being in tune to what the Lord is saying. Brother Steve said something today, and it really hit me upside the head. He said that God is not concerned with making us comfortable in life; His concern is that we are in His will and furthering the kingdom.

Just yesterday I was having a nice little pity party for myself- how I missed our family, our friends, how I missed just knowing people when I walk into a place. It was a pretty good pity party if I do say so myself. Oh, how I was put in my place today-- in a good way :). I am so grateful that God speaks through pastors to illuminate truths that I so often overlook.

Genesis 12:1-3 "The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and to to the land I will show you. 'I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'"



Justin and I do feel that God moved us to Bellevue and that we are being obedient in following His will, but it also made me realize that we have moved 5 hours south of where we're from. We still have a great place to live, safety, warmth...you get the point. Last week we had missionaries from Turkey who came to speak at the college and singles ministry who are risking everything to spread the gospel. I am still comfortable; they are not. I have my safety and freedom; they do not. I have been challenged and broken about what we're going to do to become uncomfortable for the gospel. Scary and exciting. Who am I going to bless with the blessings that God has given me? My head is swimming, and I am beyond ready to see all the great things God is going to do in the Year of the Bible!

A Little Bit of Catching UP

I have A LOT of catching up to do! MANY changes have occurred since the last time this loser blogger updated back in AUGUST. I am going to be brief about everything because there is just sooooo much. This also may be random:) Hopefully when I start blogging regularly, it will be easier to organize everything!
After much prayer, God called the Paslay family to Memphis to serve at Bellevue Baptist. We are finally feeling settled and are starting to get plugged in. I can't wait to share what God is doing here in Memphis.

I took the picture above with Will the night before we left for Memphis. Justin took a lot of time to create the mural, so I wanted to make sure we got a picture of our sweet Will under it. Justin and I were having a hard time deciding between 2 different names for Will- William James or Luke Thomas; we were stuck. One Sunday a pastor named Vance Pittman, who was a guest speaker at CPH, opened his sermon with his favorite quotation from a philosopher named William James. Justin and I immediately looked at each other when he read it and just knew that was our son's name. The quotation was perfect for the way we feel and pray for Will. It is our prayer for Will that he will live his life for the Lord and will do AMAZING things in HIS name. That what he does for the Lord will far out last his own life. This mural is what I miss most about our home. I am VERY grateful for how the Lord has provided a place to live in this move, but I will be glad when we sell our home and get settled into one here!

About a week and a half after we moved to Memphis, we celebrated Will's first birthday. Justin's parents and brother as well as my sister and brother and sister-in-law were able to make their first trip to Memphis. It was a great time, and we were sooooo grateful our family took the time to come for the big day.

Will got many great presents and was sooooo curious about everything he opened. He is getting to be so fun!

I had to include this picture of how Will drinks a bottle. We have had SO much trouble with Will drinking anything, so we have really catered to what he wants to get him to drink. I will blog another time about our journey with Will's drinking issues. He likes to watch Elmo, or anything like that, while sitting there. AND, he will play with your eye lashes. Will doesn't have a comfort blanky or lovie; he has eye lashes. Weird and cute at the same time:) Thanks, Aunt Chelsea, for offering your eye lashes for this bottle!

Here is the man rocking his new tennis shoes from Uncle Drew checking out another cool toy he received.

All the LOOT. We are so GRATEFUL Will is loved by so many:)

Mimi, Pop, and Uncle Drew on the birthday. For some reason I don't have a group picture OR a picture of Justin, Will, and I. I guess we will have more birthdays! I'm pretty sure his Aunt Chelsea has some I can get.

.SWITCHING TO CHRISTMAS.

Although this is technically Will's second Christmas, it was Will's first Christmas home with us. We had a blast. Will was a little under the weather with a stomach bug, but he did great!

Daddy and Will on Christmas Eve at my parent's house. Will didn't have a shirt on b/c he had thrown up on his earlier, and Mom of the Year here didn't have an extra. He didn't mind showing off his cutie bod!

Uncle Charles and Will playing. They are only 4 years apart, and I know they are going to be best buddies. Here was the first time they were legitimately playing. It was sweet.

Will and I opening presents on Christmas Eve. This was BEFORE he lost his shirt:)

MIMI, Justin's mom, showing Will all his great Christmas presents Christmas morning.

What do you do with your brand new Elmo??? Of course, put it in your mouth to test it out:)


.AND NOW RANDOM.

I took this picture of Will the other day, and I LOVE it. I know he has a funny little face going on, but I think he looks so much like his Daddy in the eyes here. He is just the sweetest little thing. I am LOVING staying home with him and am so grateful for the opportunity! He is my little buddy.

Lastly, to confuse everyone I have met at Bellevue, and so that no one, including my son, will recognize me, I dyed my hair brown. Ha. That was not my intention; I was just really ready for a change, but that has been the result. I finally feel like I'm looking at myself now and like the change! We'll see how long it lasts.

Well, that is just a QUICK update on some of the big events the Paslay family has had since moving. I am going to really try and stay on top of blogging now that we are away from family and many friends. AND because I am a SAHM (stay at home mom) and I should...I said should.....have time to get blogging accomplished. Ha!