Merry Christmas!

What a wonderful day!!!!

Well....I have so much to blog about. I have lots of pictures, too. Will try to update soon!!!

Until then, enjoy this day of celebration!

L.A. - Here I Come!

I am leaving Sat. morning for L.A.! Boston and London will stay here with family while I go to The Next Great American Band finale taping. Don't get me wrong....I'm excited to see Denver and will miss my kids......BUT I am really looking forward to a 4-hour flight and much needed sleep. What will I do with all the time??????

If Denver wins, he will be home sometime next week. If he doesn't, he should be coming home on Monday with me. YEAH!!!!! Our family will be back together again!!!!!!

Watch the show this Friday and VOTE!!!!

Mission Accomplished!

Boston was VERY overdue for a haircut - as a result of our horrible experience prior to London's arrival. (Read my previous blog post.) So, while my mom and dad were here, I took him over to the local Great Clips. I went prepared with an arsenal of bribes in my purse. We also stopped for a fruit smoothie and a cookie. I was ready to battle the expected screams and resistance. Praise God, he sat down and let the lady cut his hair. The only time he freaked out was when she attempted to use the shaver-machine-thingy that makes the loud buzzing noise. So, she used the scissors. While she snipped away.....Boston looked at me and said, "My hair fall down! My hair fall off my HEY-ud (head)!" I laughed ..... I know I have an accent, but I don't say "HEY-ud"!!!!!!!!

He's so cute!

Little Ears

Last night, I was feeding London in my bedroom with the door closed. Boston was running around the house playing with Granna and Papa, but decided he wanted to come in my room. He can now turn doorknobs (a recent discovery), so he was trying with all his might to open the door. Problem: it was locked. So he's fussing and grunting....trying to get the door open. Then all of the sudden he yells, "Oh crap. Open the door!" Well.....guess he's heard the word "crap." I ignored what he said; I didn't want to encourage him to say it again. I realize he could be hearing and saying much worse things, but it was a good reminder that listening ears are always there. (It was a good laugh, too!)

December 3, 2007

Super Mom Has Left the Building

By Marybeth Whalen

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

Devotion:

I just have to insert something in the midst of this busy season we call Christmas: "You can't do it all." And I don't think I can say that enough. I found this entry in my journal from years ago, and I thought you might like to read it...

Someday...

I'll remember to order those cute Christmas return address labels for my cards.

I'll bake real gingerbread houses like Martha Stewart instead of buying those cheap, cheesy kits.

I'll finish my shopping early instead of waiting to the last minute.

I'll hand make gifts for all our neighbors, teachers, postal carriers, and garbage men.

I'll wrap presents that look like the ones in the magazines, not like a kindergartner did it.

I'll actually do all those service projects that look like a worthy thing to do.

Someday... is not now.

Whatever season in life you are in this Christmas, embrace it. There will be other times to do all those things you want to do. Or not. Whatever your situation is, trust that God is sovereign and He ordained for you to be where you are at this time, for His purpose. There is something to be gained from every season in life. The trick is to find that piece of wisdom God has for you in the midst of each season.

When the angel appeared to Mary, he told her some pretty shocking news about what was going to happen to her. His message ushered her into a season in life that included confusion, rejection and some pretty extreme transition. And yet, her response was "May it be to me as you have said" (Luke 1:38).

I want Mary's reaction to be my own reaction. I want my attitude to be one of complete surrender to God's will, no matter what the circumstances. I want to be able to say with confidence "May it be to me as you have said" instead of whining to God, "Why did you let this happen to me?" like I usually do.

The first step in embracing every season is to let go of our own expectations--even when it means learning to love our limitations. Whether you are struggling with illness, or lack of energy, or a marriage situation, or money problems, or family issues--whatever it is, that is where God has you. Stop trying to be Super Mom or Super Woman and trust a super God instead.

Dear Lord, help me see You this Christmas. Help me keep my focus on You and not on my to-do list. And would you please remind me when I forget that You love me not because of what I accomplish but because I am, simply, Your child? In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:

Write down what is on your to-do list for this week. Spend time praying over that list and ask God to show you what needs to be on there and what can go. Then let go of whatever He says.

Reflections:

Why do you feel compelled to do, and do, and do? What feelings are at the root of all that striving? How can you let go of those root feelings and embrace God's unconditional love instead--knowing that He accepts you whether your house is decorated and your cards are addressed or not!

Power Verses:

Psalm 38:19, "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." (NIV)

Matthew 6:8, "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (NIV)

I Peter 3:14, "But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. 'Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.'" (NIV)

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

Related Resources:

A Recipe for Christmas Joy, E-book by Marybeth Whalen

Can Martha Have a Mary Christmas? by Brenda Poinsett

Marybeth's Blog

Balding Beauty!

At five weeks old, London is losing her brown hair! While she's balding and BEAUTIFUL, I am discovering new hair on my head - GRAY HAIR! Is this what two kids will do to you? (hee, hee)

Hi Daddy!

Thought I'd post a few more pictures for Daddy Denver. We miss you!!!

Thank You Notes

The etiquette of thank you notes......this is one of things that makes me go "hmmmmmm." You know the drill - you get a gift from someone and then you "must" send a thank you note in response to the gift. If you don't.....then you are possibly viewed as ungrateful, inconsiderate, or negligent for not sending one. Hmmmmmm.......the way I see it is that gifts should be given with nothing expected in return....even a thank you note. Not that they're a bad thing. We should definitely express our gratitude to others!!!!! There are just some situations when I don't have time to write thank you notes.....like right now. =0)

Over the past several weeks we have received MANY wonderful gifts for London and Boston. It has been such a blessing to our family. We are SOOOOOOO grateful for EVERY gift!

So.......if you've been gracious enough to bestow a gift of any kind upon our family - THANK YOU SO MUCH! You may never see a thank you note in the mail (although I will try!).....but please know that we LOVE you and THANK you!!

One Month!

Today is London's one-month birthday! Can you believe it? Some moments it feels like she was born just yesterday. And then others, it feels like it's been the longest month of my life! Wouldn't trade her for the world, though!

Thank you, God, for my two precious, healthy children! You have blessed Denver and me.

Two Steps Forward. Two Steps Back!

Well, London had two really great nights. A "great night" equals anything close to the routine of eating, diaper change, and back to sleep until she awakes on her own for the next feeding.

Then, we had two not-so-good nights. She now likes being awake from 2 am to 5 am. UGH! I know I shouldn't wish these fleeting days goodbye; she's only this small once. But, these days (very LONG days) don't feel like they're "fleeting" at all! Motherhood........

Watch and VOTE Tonight!!!

Don't forget to watch The Next Great American Band!
VOTE for DMHO!!!!!!!!!

Day or Night?

Our sweet little girl will be threes weeks old on Monday! Things are going fine -- except -- she has her days and nights mixed up. AGH! It's been a little crazy, to say the least! She wakes up every night and stays awake for many, many hours! At least she's not screaming....she's just awake. But I'm still not getting any sleep.

To all those mom's out there - any advice on how to get her sleeping patterns straightened out?????

Silly Boy

Boston is such a character. He's been a little more dramatic and figuring out creative ways to get some attention. This newborn stuff has been pretty stressful on all of us, I think. He's offered us all a little comic relief!

"Mommy, look! A hat!!!"
(That's actually the bottom to my salad spinner. So fun to watch it spin!)

While I was feeding London, Boston found a roll of toilet paper. He discovered the fun of unrolling the entire roll!

Playing in his "tent."

Check out the huge bump on his forehead! He ran right into the door frame! OUCH!

Aunt Hoo Hoo

It's been great having Aunt Hoo Hoo, otherwise known as Julie Kendall, here with us. She's been helping out the past two weeks. It's been fun for Boston and wonderful for London to meet her.

Toddler Drama

Boston is now 2 1/2 . . . and with his age comes some predictable behavior patterns. Here are a few of his favorite sayings:

-NO!
-No mommy, I do it myself!
-NO!!!!
-UHHHHHHHHHH (that would be really intense whining)
-NO!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, after a few minutes in time-out for who knows what, he wiped the tears rolling down his face while saying, "My eyes are falling out!"

Hospital Picture

Pictures!

Daddy and Boston in Mommy's recovery room. He just got his present from London!

Our family of four!

Only 1 day old! Isn't she beautiful!

Boston wearing his glasses like Granna.

London was a tomato for Halloween.

Just the three of us!

Boston and "his" London . . . before she was quarantined in my bedroom.

Would You Please . . .

PRAY for us?

After a long night . . . again . . . we headed to the Dr. for London's 1 week doctor's appointment. She is doing great! Her weight is up and her length is now 19 1/2 inches long. (They said she was 18" long at birth. Obviously, they measured her wrong! ha!)

While there, I mentioned to our pediatrician that Boston was coughing and wheezing. So he agreed to fit him in the schedule and see him right away. He listened to his chest with a concerned look on his face. Boston had to have a breathing treatment and steroids. (That was WILD! Poor guy...he was so scared.) Anyways, London and I are now quarantined to my bedroom, and Boston cannot come near her.

To be totally honest, it's been a rough couple days. Not just b/c of the normal newborn stuff.....just everything hitting at once. Thank God I have my mom and dear friend Julie (otherwise known as "Hoo Who") here to help us.

PLEASE pray that:
1) Boston gets well soon.
2) London does NOT get any form of sickness!!!!!!!!!!
3) I can find a few hours of sleep.

We're Home!

Wow...what a week! London and I came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. It was such a happy reunion with big brother Boston!

Everything went very well with the c-section delivery. This recovery has been MUCH easier than the first. I'm still slow getting around and in some pain, but doing very well. I really took advantage of the hospital nursery this time, which allowed me to get a lot of rest.

Rest.......a distant memory for now. Our first night at home was filled with watching "the daddy show" (what Boston calls The Next Great American Band). I tried voting as much as possible, but I found it difficult to feed London and push redial at the same time!! After getting Boston to bed, our night began . . . . and went on and on and on. I think I finally got to sleep around 5:30 a.m. For some reason, London decided she was going to CRY the entire night. Sure hope we don't have an encore performance tonight!

Thanks for praying for me and our family. Please keep praying! As I find a moment here and there, I will post more stories from the week and pictures of our new little girl.

This is FUNNY!

This story and picture recently showed up on a friend's blog. It's just too funny not to share. (Thanks Brea!)

So, her friend had a little going away party for a gal in their office. They called Wal-mart to order the cake. This is what they wanted on the cake:

"Best Wishes Suzanne" and underneath that write "We will miss you"

This is what they got:

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

It's Friday....and you know what that means!

WATCH -- The Next Great American Band
7:00 pm CST
FOX (Channel 6 for Nashville Comcast)

.....and VOTE!!!!!!!!!!! (Vote a million times!!!!!)

Blessings on you and the band tonight, Denver. We'll see where this path leads one week at a time!

Thank you God for the opportunity to bring you GLORY through music! It doesn't matter if we are on a stage in front of millions of people, working in an office, or changing diapers. We all have the opportunity to serve you, magnify you, and glorify you with our lives!

When it rains....it pours!

IT'S RAINING!! Really ..... there is wet stuff falling from the sky. And, it's been doing this for almost 2 whole days! It's a big deal around here. As you've probably heard, the southeast is really struggling with a major drought right now. To have wet grass, gray skies, and the occasional sprint to my car ('cause you don't want to get soaked) is actually nice!

What wasn't nice was our morning at the Bierman home! Again.....when it rains, it POURS! Denver has been gone for a while now, and things have been going smoothly. I've felt pretty good and Boston (2 1/2 years old) has been very cooperative. That is....until this morning. We had a haircut scheduled for 9:00 am and then a quick trip to Wal-mart for a cookie and visit with our fish friends in the fish tanks. (Boston loves to go see the fish!) After driving through Chick-fil-a, we arrive a few minutes late to our appointment. He freaks out....I mean FREAKS out! There I am (rather plump at the moment) with a flailing child. I'm sure I appeared to be a mean, maniac mom ... so we left and went home. No cookie. No fish! At home, B-man goes to his room - CRYING! I then discover that Bloo (our cat) had eaten some of the flowers Denver sent me and thrown up all over a chair and the floor. Okay....so I clean that up and take out the trash. While walking past my car, I hear a hissing sound. I lean down and it's coming from the tire area. UGH! So......I walk back inside and have a meltdown myself!

What a morning. So after a few tears, prayers, and phone calls to Denver and my mom......I gathered myself and re-united with my sweet little boy. We ended up eating our Chick-fil-a for lunch and, after further examination, my tire is okay!

Isn't it amazing that what seems so important (a haircut) and overwhelming (cat puke and leaky tire) in one intense moment is really not the catastrophe it appears to be. I'm so thankful for my God, family, and friends that help me refocus when I am not seeing with 20/20 vision!

FYI ... it's just sprinkling outside now. Kind of symbolic, huh?

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Baby Update

I went to the Dr. this morning for my last check-up. Looks like we're still on schedule for our little lady to be born next Monday, Oct. 29. (I am showing no signs that she's ready to escape my body!) I should be in surgery by 8:00 am. Please pray for an uneventful delivery and easy recovery!

Denver will be flying in Sunday night, with me on Monday for the delivery, and then will fly back to L.A. on the 30th to continue his work on the The Next Great American Band (assuming they don't get voted off the first week). Pray for him . . . . it's gonna be super hard on him to leave us!!!

Ned Flanders . . .WHAT???

My man does not look like Ned Flanders! (But it was a funny comment!)

Ten Years

October 19, 1997

O'Charley's restaurant.

Denver and Amy's first date.

Thank you for ten years, Denver. Love YOU!


(I drove b/c he didn't have a car! Denver didn't have a car until my dad sold him a 1980 Dodge Aspen for $1.00! Denver's car was more yellow/tan.)

What did you think?

So, what did you think of the show? I'd love to hear your comments!

Sigh of Relief

FINALLY, the premier of The Next Great American Band! We can finally talk about this part of our life!!! This has been a journey of MANY months, and we're so excited to see where the "votes" lead. Actually, we know that this entire thing rests in God's hands . . . so we can wait to see where the Lord takes DMHO and our family over the next several weeks!

Now that you know they ARE in the final 12 to compete on the show, I'll be able to share stories of how God's hand is in all this. The first story comes from the beginning when Denver sent in the audition tape. We didn't hear anything from the show until the LAST day producers were making their choices of who got an audition and who didn't. Not only did they get an audition, they were sent straight through to the Las Vegas auditions (seen tonight). WOW! God obviously wants them on the show!

Denver and the guys are now in L.A. preparing for the 1st show. Please pray for the guys! I'll try to post specific prayer requests in the few days!

By the way, check out the DMHO fan club web site.

Thanks for watching tonight!!!!!

Great American Band Audition Clips

Well.....Here's more info. on FOX's new show, The Next Great American Band! Here you will see the program schedule for the first two shows, photos, and audition video clips.

Be sure to SCROLL down this web page to the "About the Show" section. See the videos? Scroll through the different bands . . . . . Is that Denver and the Mile High Orchestra???? Make sure you watch their audition clip. More importantly, make sure watch Friday night at 7 pm on FOX!

Can't wait to share more!!!

The Next Great American Band

This is going to be a GREAT show! All I can say is PLEASE watch The Next Great American Band on FOX. It is produced by the American Idol folks and premiers with a 2 hour show this Friday Oct. 19 at 7:00 pm (central time).

PLEASE WATCH....and tell everyone you know to watch. After all...you may see someone you know! (Be sure to watch this video!!! hint, hint)


Here are some other promo videos:
FOX
American Idol (scroll down to "Top 5 Idol Videos")

Me??? A Blogger???

Well.....here I am. Never thought I'd have a blog. It's a work in progress, so come back often to see things change. Welcome to the world of "Super Amy"!