Are you Ready for some GATOR FOOTBALL???

Every Saturday regardless of what we have going on the boys in my house prepare for Gator Football. Noah puts his Tebow jersey on the second he gets out of bed and Cubbie gets his on right after. They give me crap for not wearing mine... however, if I could fit it over my stomach I might just join in on the fun.





Can you think of anything better to do on a Saturday then play on your mac wrapped in a gator blanket watching ESPN... GO GATORS!

39 weeks 2 days

Well we just had another Dr appt and we are hoping this was our last appointment. Today was the first time that Dr. P said I look like I am getting ready to have a baby. He said he has had his doubts wondering if I would ever get ready but my cervix IS softening and thinning. He said he could feel the baby's head and I am starting to dilate. He did say he thinks I will be able to start labor naturally but doesn't think it will be within the next week. He said I will see you all next week. So I am praying, walking, drinking rasberry tea, and taking all measures I can to help move this along to start labor sooner than next week. Keep praying and I will keep you all posted. On the up side he said mom and baby both look perfect!

Noah and I are getting so anxious to meet Alethia Grace. Every night Noah talks to her and tells her all kinds of things but recently it has been "all babies want to get borned" a Juno shout out to any fans out there. He tells her how much better life will be outside than inside and how he can't wait to play with her. So Allie belle... come on girl :)

I made my first hairbow :)

As most of you know Allie has more clothes than one girl can handle. I have been wanting to get some matching bows to go with these outfits. I was not sure what I wanted so I decided to play with some ribbon I had around the house and well below is my first masterpiece. I had a lot of fun doing it...even though it is not close to being professional quality. Hopefully this will give me something creative to do to keep my mind off how bad I am ready to have this baby :)

38.5 Week Update

Thursdays are inevitably Dr Apt days at our house. It has just become part of our routine. So Thursday we went in for another one of these appointments. This time I was a little annoyed cause they have a new nurse that was "training" and when she went to do my weight she totally read it wrong. I didn't realize this until we were about to leave... but there is NO WAY I gained 3 lbs this past week. Plus she could never get the thing to balance so I think she just guessed. We will be looking into that next week for sure. When I got home and weighed myself she was off by 2.5 lbs so needless to say I was annoyed. However, that should have been a sign of what was to come.. we got all strapped down for a NST and today Allie decided she doesn't like taking NST's anymore. They put the heart monitor on my stomach and she began to kick it. It was hilarious. Over and over probably 40-50 times she kicked in the same spot right underneath the heart monitor. You could actually see it move and you could hear the thud on the speaker. I couldn't stop laughing. I told Dr. P that he would not even believe me cause I had to push the button what seemed like a billion times. His only comment was " wow that is an active baby, we like those active babies". Well I think I have a bruise on the inside of my stomach from this active baby cause every time she hits that spot it is very painful.

Anyways. Still no progress. Dr. P had said he wanted to induce me the week of the 28th but I told him I wasn't comfortable with that decision. I have a hard time forcing my body into labor right around my due date. I think we can wait it out a little longer. He said that he doesn't want me to go more than a week late so we agreed that we would consider inducing the week of the 5th if she doesn't come on her own before then. I just want to give this girl the time she needs to come when she wants to. Don't get me wrong... I am READY to have this baby. There was a part of me going ok lets get her out on the 28th but deep down I wasn't comfortable with that decision and I think giving her a week past my due date will help her progress the way she needs to. So I am still walking and trying everything I know to do to keep things progressing and earnestly praying that I don't have to wait until the week of the 5th to have a baby. Come on Allie belle we are SO ready to meet you!

37.5 Week Update

So we are just less than 2.5 weeks till my due date and I am starting to get that desperate feeling of someone get this thing out of me. I think if I really thought it was only 2.5 weeks left I could deal but the fact the my doc keeps telling me you are going to be late does not get me through the rough nights and extremely aching back. However, last Thursday we did have a dr. appt. and there was progress. NST's are still looking good... I had 0 weight gain for the first time in like 9 months... and well I drank a lot of water the night before so my pee was nice and clear. All good things. When he came in to check on progress he said that the cervix is just starting to soften, she is at a +1 in the pelvic station, and I have thinned the equivalent of a dimple. He has made it clear that he does not want me to go super late (my mom was 2 weeks late with me) and he thinks I am showing signs of a similar outcome. We are taking it a week at a time and hoping there is more progress next week. I have also read a few things about primrose oil on the internet... has anyone used this for helping "ripen" the cervix and seen success? I am continuing to pray that she comes around her due date so I don't have to deal with the pressure of other methods.... here is to hoping!

36 Week Update

Well today was not my favorite day at the doctor. It started out pretty normal... hop on the scale... did you bring in your pee?... take the blood pressure and then get me all set up for the NST. All of that went fine. Then Dr. P comes in and checks me to see if there is any progress. He informs me that there is NO progress. I ask him if this is normal for 36 weeks. He says he is not worried but that as of right now it looks like I am not going to make my due date and that I will MOST likely be late. I had prepared myself for being pregnant 4 more weeks but more than that was pushing it. I was a little discouraged by this but I am not going to stay there. Babies come when they are good and ready to come and we will just have to wait on her timing. However, Allie this family is always early to everything. So you better get with the program.

I am also now taking suggestions to help "prepare" my body to be ready for labor. Anything that can help in these next 4 weeks I am willing to try...

Today is D Day

I can vividly remember sitting at our home in Eldorado IL on December 31st 2006 and having an in depth conversation with my husband about a stirring in his heart. That was the first conversation we had really had about church planting. I knew that night that God had called my husband to something bigger than us and something amazing. From that night I have never doubted the call that God has placed on our lives to reach a city, though at the time we weren't for sure where that city would be. From then we have walked probably one of the toughest roads we could have ever imagined. We have moved from the only thing we ever knew as a married couple, from a church that loved and supported us to a world we were completely foreign to. We faced loosing jobs, working anywhere we could to make ends meet, 4 moves in 4 years, living with parents, loosing a parent, struggling to have the children we so desperately wanted. This road has not been easy but the point of this post is not to glorify the hardship but to glorify the Lord who has walked with us and guided us through it all.

Tonight at 6pm August Gate Church launches in Soulard. I am so excited for this night but I am even more proud of my husband. I have watched God transform him into an amazing preacher, leader, teacher, and pastor. I have seen the awesome man of God he is first hand and I am utterly amazed. Noah I am so proud of you. I am proud to call you my husband, my pastor, my lover, and my best friend. May you never loose sight of the call that the Lord has placed on our lives. I couldn't be more excited to be walking this path with you. May God be glorified in it all! Now lets go transform this city with the gospel.

35 Week Update

So yesterday was another doc appointment. We have passed the 35 week mark and now have less than 5 weeks till our due date. This is totally crazy to me. I know so many women get to this point and they are just ready to have the baby... don't get me wrong I am ready to have this baby but I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Seriously these last 8+ months have been a total blur and I am left feeling like there is so much to still be done before she can come. So I guess I am not at that desperation stage saying someone get this baby out of me just yet. I have hit the uncomfortable stage. Sleeping has become a total nightmare and my lower back hurts pretty much 24/7 but it is all TOTALLY worth it.

At our appointment it was pretty routine. Another NST..totally normal and everything else looks great. He said baby is "in position" but there is no progress towards dilation at this point. I had been assuming that she had dropped a little bit as I am feeling some intense pressure in my pelvic bones and when I squat I feel like she might fall out. Sorry if that is TMI :) So all in all a good day and we will visit Dr. P next Thursday for our next appointment...

34 Week update and I am so behind

Last thursday was our 34 week appointment. We had another non stress test and Dr. Pignotti noted that he has never had anyone complete NST's faster than us. That is right my little girl already scoring through the roof on tests. This is a good thing considering her daddy would expect nothing less :). The fact of the matter is Allie moves A LOT! So as soon as they hook that heart monitor up to me I am constantly pushing that little button to say she is moving. According to Pignotti a baby that moves a lot is a good sign of a healthy baby... however, I wonder what this means when she is outside the womb... I am sure this is something we are unable to prepare for. Oh world are you ready for Alethia Grace Oldham? I doubt it. In other news my doctor said that my cervix is getting soft which is right on target for where we need to be right now. We have another appointment this thursday and I will try to post sooner.

In other news, I have pics from Florida and my Sheridan Hills shower that I will try to post either later this evening or tomorrow. I am really trying to get caught up...bear with me :)

33 Week Update and Happy Birthday Betsy!

Today I went back for my 33 week appointment. This time Dr. Pignotti was much more positive. He did have a non stress test done and plans to do one weekly from now on. He says she moves a lot which is GREAT and that things could not be more perfect. He said my blood pressure is perfect, weight gain is perfect and the results of the non stress test were perfect. So I am a happy girl. Apparently Allie is just going to be a little girl and as long as she is totally healthy I am ok with that. Till next Thursday we will go back from another non stress test and appointment. I will keep you posted :)

Also, I want to say Happy Birthday to my amazing sister in law- Betsy. Check out her blog at nateandbetsyoldham.blogspot.com. I am so thankful to have such an awesome sister in law. I love you girl and hope that you have an AMAZING day with your family.

32 Week Update

On Monday of this past week I had my 32 week appointment which included an ultrasound. They said that all of Allie's organs look good and she is head down... so lets pray she stays that way. They also said that she is 3lbs. 10 oz. after speaking with the doctor he said this is on the smaller side for a baby at 32 weeks. Apparently it is in the lower 25%. Dr. Pignotti did not seem too worried about this but has decided to start weekly non stress tests to make sure she is getting enough oxygen and growing properly. Needless to say this makes me slightly nervous. I know that God is totally in control and deep down I know that she is going to be ok, but I am fighting that slight anxiety that is sitting in my stomach everytime I think about it. So be praying that Allie gains her 1/2 lb per week for the remaining 8 weeks and we will have a healthy 7lb 10oz baby. Also pray that I keep my sanity. I am so ready to see her and hold her where I know she is healthy.

Allie's Room Updated

This past week my mom has been in STL to help me get Allie's room ready for her upcoming arrival. I wanted to post a few pics since everyone is so anxious to see the masterpiece we created.


My mom actually made the curtains to match the crib bedding as well as the other bed. They are SO cute.
Dresser/ Changing table and crib... love that furniture :)
Here is the other bed that she will eventually grow into.
This is as you enter the room
I had to take a picture of this girls closet. She seriously has more clothes that I do, she also has more shoes that I do. WOW! I am set on clothes from newborn to 24 months and she isn't even here yet.

Not only did we organize the nursery and the bathroom we also made a blanket, a dress, and 2 skirts for Allie belle. I don't have pics of the dress yet (I forgot to take one and I am now in FL) but I will post pics of the other stuff when I get home.

Showers and More

So I know it has been forever since I updated this blog. I have been getting all kinds of emails and questions about when I will update with pics from my showers and pics of Allie's room. I want you all to know I am working on it and I plan to have all the pics you could ever want in the next few days. The truth is last weekend was a crazy weekend and this whole past week has been jam packed from morning till evening with all sorts of activities. My mom has been in town since last friday (the 24th) so we have been doing lots to get ready for the arrival of Allie belle. The room is now complete, I have started washing the smaller clothes, bibs, receiving blankets, sheets, towels, etc. I want to say thank you to everyone who came or played a role in my showers. I enjoyed seeing everyone who I hadn't seen in a long time. Here are a few pics from my Illinois shower... enjoy :)

Here is Brooke playing one of the games... she was a trooper!
Me and my mom with Laura Winkleman and Brooke. It had been so long since we had seen Laura we were so excited she could come and we could catch up.
HK was my helper for the day. She handed me presents and she did a great job of not trying to help me open them. (I wouldn't have minded the help but mommy said no, so she did a great job of obeying)
Krystal, Me and Brooke. Miss you girls
Me with Noah's Grandma

Betsy, Me, Beka, and Rachel... love you girls :)
My mom, Me, Brooke, and her mom Beth. We enjoyed getting to spend some quality time with them. It has been WAY too long.

Betsy thank you so much for throwing an amazing shower. I appreciate every little detail that went in to making it such a success. I am so thankful to have you as a sister in law. I couldn't ask for a better one.
Me with my niece HK or Hallie Kate. She is always the life of the party. She is smiling sweet because mommy asked her to. I love you HK can't wait for you to meet and be able to play with Allie.

I also had a shower that my mom's side of my family threw for me here in the St Louis area. Thank you Aunt Janet, Katie, and Andrea for all of your hard work! This shower was more intimate but equally as fun. Some how I let the entire day get away from me without taking any pictures of anything! Not sure what I was thinking. As most of you already know my mom's side of the family gave me my beautiful crib so I can't wait to post pictures of the completed room. Soon and very soon!

Thank you to all for showering Allie and me. I appreciate your love and support. Now it is time to meet this little girl :) only 8 weeks to go.

Happy Birthday Mom

There aren't many days that go by that I do not talk to my mom on the phone. In fact there aren't many days that go by that I don't talk to my mom multiple times throughout the day. Today is my mom's birthday and I am so grateful of the amazing relationship that we have. I can only hope that one day my daughter and I will have a similar relationship. My mom has sacrificed a lot to make sure that I always had what I needed and often what I wanted. I am so grateful to have a role model and picture of who Jesus is and his sacrificial love for us in my mom. Tomorrow my mom will be in STL to help me get ready for Allie belle. Mom I can't wait to hang out with you. I love you. Happy Birthday!

Noah eats Dog Ice cream....yes I am for real.

The beginning of Pregnancy Pics...

Yesterday KellyBeth met us at our place to take Pregnancy Pics or "Belly Pics" as I had been calling them. I have posted a few that she sent to me to preview. There are SEVERAL more that I will get later and post when I get them but thought you all might enjoy a sneak peak.




She also took some pics for Noah to put together a bio to send to churches that he speaks at. He informed me that morning that he was a frowning pastor or a serious pastor. Basically he meant he didn't want to be smiling in his bio pic. However, I think KB captured Noah perfect in this picture. I love your smile baby :)

Also...funny story. The night before I was trying to figure out what I was going to wear... not that I have many options. I had said something to Noah about trying to figure out what we would wear and he quickly replies "Does it really matter... your shirt is going to be up the whole time it is not like anyone will see what you are wearing". I had a good laugh. I guess that is what I get for calling them Belly pics. There were no bare belly pics... sorry.

29 week update and a crazy weekend

This past weekend we have been going going going... I feel like we haven't stopped to breathe. Friday I had a doctors appointment in the morning. I am 29 weeks so this means I now have to start going every 2 weeks. Allie's heartbeat was strong, he said everything looked good with her. However, I am low on iron and platelets, something he didn't seem to concerned about but said we would monitor over the next couple visits. I now get to take an extra iron pill every day...yippie! I have also started experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. This may be partly due to the fact that Noah and I are so busy but my doctor confirmed that yes that is what they are and as long as I am not having 4+ an hour I am ok... :) After that we went shopping for food for us as well as the cook out we were hosting for our launch team on Sunday.

Saturday we went to Belleville for Ryan Neal and Emily Goldman's wedding. I had never been to a Catholic wedding before and it was quite the experience. The Cathederal was beautiful. We stayed for the reception so we didn't get home till later than we originally planned. Congratulations Ryan and Emily... We are so glad we got to be a part of your special day!!

The next morning came early as we had to leave the house by 9 to drive to Litchfield for a 10am service at FBC Litchfield. This was Josh's last sunday there and they were doing a commissioning service for them and for August Gate. They are planning to be on of our supporting churches. After that we all stayed as they had lunch provided for us and then went to Josh's Ordination service at 3pm. As you can probably guess I was totally exhausted at this point. Noah gave the charge at the ordination service and did an amazing job as always :) However, this time I noticed something different. From the time Noah started speaking till the time he was done Allie did not stop moving. I am not exaggerating. These were not small movements it was like she was doing somersaults are something. So apparently Allie Belle likes to hear her daddy preach... she better... she is going to hear a lot of it in her life time.

After the service we made the hour drive home and everyone came over to our house to grill out and have a big celebration meal. We had a blast with the group just being together, sharing stories, experiences, and laughs. Everyone left by 9pm and Noah and I crashed.

The weekend wore me out, but that is why I am thankful for Mondays where I can just rest. Thank you Jesus!

The joys of living alone...

Now that Noah and I are in our new place we have re discovered why married people like living by themselves. There is a reason you don't live with your parents or friends when you are married. Glad we FINALLY figured it out! HA. It is amazing how much we enjoy being at home these days and just being together. We have recently made a few much needed purchases...i.e a grill, patio/ deck furniture and a mattress for Allie Belle. We decided that last night was the night for the grill's maiden voyage and boy was our dinner AWESOME! All but the steaks were purchased at the Soulard Farmer's Market earlier in the day....YUM :)




While Noah was being the master chef on the grill I made chocolate covered strawberries for dessert (i got the strawberries at the farmer's market earlier that day). AMAZING.




Baby I am enjoying living with just you, at least for 11 more weeks :) I love you!

Blast from the Past

The past week we were able to spend some quality time with our great friends Kevin and Crystal and their 3 beautiful boys...Carter, Cooper, and Keller. I didn't bring my camera along but wanted to put up this video of one of the many quality times we hung out together when we lived in FL. This is a documentary of Noah's first diaper changing experience. Carter who is then about 1 1/2 was the Ginny Pig. This video makes me laugh everytime I watch it. Enjoy :)

Living in the City and Allie's Room Part 2

For the past week Noah and I have been living full time at our place in the city. Our final move is this coming Friday but we love our new place so much we stay down here all the time. The only issue is we are still without internet so I feel SO behind. After a long fought battle with Charter we have decided to switch to AT&T so hopefully we will have internet sometime this week. In the mean time Noah and I frequent STL Bread Co. to get our internet fix. This coming week is also my last week at CEF. The commute back to St Charles is too far and with Allie-belle coming in September it is time to hang up my working hat.

This weekend Brie came over to help start making Allie's room adorable. Here is the beginning works of what will be her room. I am so excited with how it is turning out. Now I can't wait for my mom to get here with the bedding and finish the rest of the decor. Thanks Brie! You truly are gifted.

Allie's Room

We got the crib together! I am so excited this crib is beautiful. However, I need some help. I am trying to figure out how to lay out the room and since we are keeping a queen bed in there as well as the crib and dresser there is not a lot of options. I have posted the 2 that I am considering below and would like some feedback on where I should place all the furniture. Some of you may be thinking this isn't a big deal yet, I can always change it later. Well the issue is I am going to be painting things on the wall (flowers, grass, lady bugs, etc.) and I want to know where I should paint. So what do you think?

This past weekend...

Noah and I are back in St Charles after another amazing weekend down in the city. We are so ready to be in our place. I was looking so forward to this weekend because I knew we had a lot to do. We planned to paint one day, help a couple move, and put Allie-belle's crib together. Thursday night Noah and I planned to put the crib together thanks to my moms side of the family who bought the crib I really wanted but knew I couldn't afford. The whole thing was quite and ordeal first of all my aunt had to drive all the way to fairview heights from West County to pay for the crib and then she couldn't fit it in her car so Josh had to pick it up from the store on his way to work. So there we were thursday evening both very excited to put together this beautiful bed for our baby girl. We got everything out of the box and to step #2 and realized that we were missing some major pieces. So that was the end of putting the crib together. We have to wait till the other pieces come in the mail. Oh well. Here is what it looks like online. I will take more pictures once we get it put together.

Friday we had a doctors appointment. Everything is still looking great. Dr. Pignotti is always SO enthusiastic about how great both Allie and I are doing. When he went to check her heart beat he had some trouble finding it. At first this totally scared me but he quickly re-assured me that the reason he was having trouble is because she wouldn't stop moving. He said he would get it and then it would be faint. So apparently we have one active little female on our hands...oh boy!

Later that day we set out to paint our condo. Noah was not excited about painting but since he is an amazing husband and knew I needed paint to help make this place home he painted. Not only did he help me but he did most of it himself, as I wasn't much help taking frequent long breaks to get out of the fume infested room. I forgot to take a pic this weekend but I am SO happy how it turned out. Will post a pic soon.

On Saturday we got to meet an amazing couple who just moved to the area. Our meeting was totally a God thing. He (Matt) just finished Seminary in New Orleans and is moving here to get a second masters from UMSL in Philosophy. They know absolutly no one in St Louis and through a mutual aquaintance and the power of facebook we were able to hook up and help them get in to their new place. We also had dinner with them that night. I look forward to God's plans for us in the future. I think this may have been the start of an amazing friendship. Welcome to STL Flummers!

June Update

We’re moving...again
Yep, that’s right. The Oldham’s are once again in the midst
of a move. This will be the fourth time in less than four
years! Our moves have ranged from everything from the
unknown, to despair, to hope. But I would have to say that
this is the greatest move I have ever been a part of. This
move means more than a change in location. It means more
than a new job, a new place to live, and new neighbors to
meet. This move is all about the Gospel.
More than ever before, the vision that God has given us is
clear. We know exactly what God is calling us to do and that
is precisely why we are moving. See, there is this principle
in missions that is well understood by foreign missionaries.
It is called indigenous church planting. It means that people
that live in and are a part of a community have a much
greater possibility of reaching that community that those
who are considered “outsiders.”
If we truly want to reach the city of St. Louis with the
Gospel, we have to be a part of the city of St. Louis. We
have to live there, eat there, shop there, and have
community there. Pray for us as we make this transition.
And pray for our furniture as it is going to need divine
intervention to be usable after this many moves!

Allie Grace in on her way!
There are a few rare moments in life that steal your breath away and leave you in awe at the majesty and mystery of God. I had one of those moments a few weeks ago. As we were lying in bed about to go to sleep, Heather placed my hand on her belly and within a few moments I felt Allie kick! You hear about this happening, you see it on movies and ABC afterschool specials; it is one of those “facts of life” that just happen. But in that moment, I felt as though my heart stopped. I was literally speechless because I had no language to describe the wonder that I was feeling. All I could do was laugh. None of us really knows what is going on in the minds of babies in the womb.

Scripture tells us that John leapt in his mother’s womb when Mary came near Elizabeth. What’s up with that? Every night, whether I place my hand on Heather’s belly or not, I pray for our little girl. I ask God to watch over His handiwork. I also ask Jesus to call Allie at a young age, to allow her to be a young woman that fears the Lord and loves and lives the Gospel. I’m going to be a first-time father. And I know that I have so much to learn...but one thing I know for sure...Allie Grace Oldham is on her way...you better get ready world!

Preview Service
On May 31st we hosted the first preview service of August
Gate. What is a preview service you might ask? It is an
opportunity for people to get a feel for what weekly worship
will look like at August Gate. Every church is distinct in
style, methodology and community. Our preview services
are a chance for those we meet and share the vision with to
come see what we are talking about.
It is also an opportunity for us to work out the kinks in what
we are doing. For some on our launch team, working with a
church plant is a brand new idea. Serving in a church plant
is much different than serving at an existing church. I was
incredibly encouraged to see our whole crew stepping up to
help set up, tear down, welcome people and participate in
worship.
We had about 60 people attend. A few were family who
came from Illinois to support us (thanks!). Several were our
launch team. But we had a few people that we had either
met once or had just connected with through the internet or
on the street who came to check things out.
If you would like to check out the audio for the preview
service or any of our launch team meetings...just go to
http://www.augustgate.com/.

Prayer...
There are several things that you can be praying about.
1. Location
2. Walk-a-thon
3. Fund-raising
4. Networking
Many of you have been praying for a few months about our
location situation. We were graciously given the opportunity to use a building that is owned by another church for our preview service. We have been praying for a long while and are still
praying about our relationship with this specific church. At this time, things do not look possible for us to partner with them under their terms and still be able to fulfill the vision God has
given for August Gate as a new church plant reaching the city of St. Louis.
But God has not left us without options. We have met with the
local Lutheran church and we will find out this week if they will
allow us to rent the use of their fellowship hall on a weekly
basis. Things look very good so please help us pray it through.
Over the next few months, we have three goals as a launch
team. First, we need to grow together as a more cohesive unit
and in number. Next, we want to let as many people in our
area of St. Louis know about the mission and vision of August
Gate. Thirdly, we want to build a good name in our
communities. Due to the creativity of a couple people on our
launch team we are planning a Walk-a-thon for September
12th to be held in Soulard to help accomplish all of these
goals. The event will raise money for both August Gate as well
as the Children’s Miracle Network who gives funds to both of
the children’s hospitals in St. Louis. Please pray for this event
and for Heather as she will be one of the two people spearheading
the operation.
Please be in prayer about our fund-raising efforts. We still
have several needs that need to be met. Check out the fundraising
section for more details.
Finally, a huge area for needed prayer is that of networking.
Those of you who have been involved in church leadership
know the struggle that church politics can be. Our prayer is
this: that God would lead us to the group or groups that will
help us in the areas of financial support, emotional support,
vision, mission, and resources. I have so many conversations
and meetings set up over this issue that I am getting dizzy.
Pray for focus, clarity, and divine guidance as we seek to
make partnerships with churches, networks, and associations
that God would have us join with.

Fund Raising...
As always, we want to start off by saying a big “thank
you” to all of you who have decided to give to August
Gate these next twelve months. God is using you to
take the Gospel to the city of St. Louis.
Several people have asked how they can help in
specific ways. Below is a list of specific items that we
will need in the next few months prior to our launch.

• Projector
• Serial Cable (150 ft)
• Rear Projection Screen and frame
• Cables for sound system
• Sound board and snake
• Carpets for stage area
• Carpets for children’s area
• Stands for speakers and backdrop
• Pipe and drape for backdrop
• Sheets for décor and connection table
• Lights
• Black extension cords
• Signage
• Promotional material
• Bibles
  

Because we will be renting space and will not have
our own building for storage we may also need the
following.

• Storage trailer
• Wheeled travel cases for equipment

We know this is a huge list and many of the items
are big items. Believe me, we know! An option is if
you or the churches you attend have any of these
items in good condition that they would be willing to
give away or sell at a discounted price.
If you aren’t an itemized person, good old fashioned
monthly support is still very welcomed.
All your gifts will be tax deductible. As God leads and
you decide to give please let us know by emailing
noah@augustgate.com.

HK and Uncle Noah

Friday we went to Eldorado for Hallie Kate's 3rd Birthday Party on Saturday. Since Betsy, HK, and Nolan were already in town we decided to go hang out with them for the evening. HK and uncle Noah picked up where they left off with acting out Zacchaeus this time in a real tree. Noah is loving spending this quality time with HK I think it is makeing him get more and more excited about the days when he will be able to play with Allie-belle.
Here is Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree.


Noah asked HK if she knew how to climb the mokey bars and she said "no. Im sorry". This is her favorite phrase these days. If you ask her to do something and she doesn't want to do it she quickly responds with no...im sorry. It is actually really funny. When Noah asked her if he could teach her she seemed intrigued. So here she is learning to climb the monkey bars. Hopefully she wont try to climb them without help anytime soon.


The real reason HK wanted to go to the swingset to play was to swing. She loved running into the swing and swinging on her tummy. Here is Uncle Noah pushing HK on the swing.
HK loves her bubba. Anytime I am loving on him she feels the need to come over and get in on the action. I was able to snap a quick picture while they were both looking at me, right before Nolan got frustrated because she was loving him a little too tight.
After Dinner HK and Uncle Noah played outside for a while:

Later that evening HK asked Uncle Noah to dance with her. Here is the infamous Paso Doble Face

I grabbed my camera and switched to video mode to capture the majority of the event. Check it out.


Uncle Noah and HK finishing up a long evening watching all the Veggie Tales Silly Songs while Betsy and I prepare food for her party. I think they were both pretty tired after playing so hard.

4 Years!

Yesterday was Noah and my 4th Anniversary. I knew the day that I married him that I was so in love with him that I couldn't imagine my life without him. I had no idea how my love would grow over the years, how much I would love, respect, trust, value, believe in, and be proud of my husband only 4 years from the day I committed to be with him till death parts us. In this 4 years God has grown our marriage in ways that were not always easy. We have walked through leaving his home church and our first church together, 5 moves, loosing jobs, working at Cracker Barrel and Walmart to make ends meet, living with parents, loosing a parent, struggling with infertility, not being able to sell a house, living with 2 relative strangers, living off of support, and the beginings of planting a church. These 4 years have not been easy but I value the lessons they have taught me and the strength they have brought to my marriage. Noah you are my best friend, my biggest fan, my pastor, my confidont, my provider, my refuge, my strength, my spiritual leader, the father of my daughter and truly the love of my life. I can't wait to explore the future with you. I can now say with confidence that we can walk through anything together. I am so thankful for you. I love you more than ice cream.

Our first Preview Service

I am so behind on my posts for this past week. SO much is going on and it seems almost impossible to keep up but at the same time I want to make sure that I get everything on here so bare with me. I will eventually get it all.

May 31st was our first preview service for August Gate. Things went extremely well. We met at the Jesus Church in Soulard at 11am and we had about 60 people in attendance. You can check out Noah's teaching on the link in the upper right hand corner. Thanks to Kelly Beth I have a couple of pictures from the event (my camera battery died literally the second I turned it on). I was trying to post them tonight but apparently I am on an extremely slow internet connection so I will update once we get back to St. Louis. We are currently at Noah's dads house in Eldorado ready to celebrate my neice Hallie Kate's 3rd Birthday tomorrow.

We are also in the process of moving from St Charles to our new condo in Lafayette Square. We were able to stay down there earlier in the week. Even on an air mattress I wanted to be there more than our house in St Charles. Noah and I are both ready to make this move and be in the city full time. Continue to be praying for this move to be easy and smooth. I am so anxious to be down there but am trying so hard to finish strong and finish well where God has placed us in the mean time.

Check out a few pictures from today thanks to KBK photography!

Noah and me at 23 weeks.



HK didn't want her picture taken by KB but she got one of her smiling anyway!

The Zoo

Friday Nate, Betsy, HK and Nolan came up to STL to visit and we went to the zoo. This was the first time Noah and I have been to the zoo since we have been back to STL and it was a beautiful day for it. The zoo is a totally different experience with a 3 year old. Everything is more exciting.



Quick into the trip HK conned Uncle Noah to let her ride on his shoulders. Here she is looking at the elephants in amazement.

After Noah couldn't take her on his shoulders anymore he decided to take a stab at pushing the stroller. Better get in some good practice Uncle Noah September will be here before you know it.

Betsy and HK looking at the Tigers.

HK and the penguins. She was very excited to see the penguins.

Riding the carousel. When HK saw the carousel she wanted to ride. She wanted to get on it right away. Waiting in line was a bit of a foreign concept.

I think this might have been her favrite part of the whole day... the fake seals. She loved them and didn't want to stop playing with them. Here she is kissing the fake seal.

I was trying to get her to take a pic with the boys. She didn't want to cooperate at all. It was the end of a LONG day.

Two very tired kiddos.

Walking back to the car hand in hand with daddy and uncle noah. Who knew the zoo was such a fun place to go. We are so lucky to have a free zoo here in STL. The day was beautiful and we all had a blast.