A Long Overdue Blog

Oh my gosh, this blog of mine is so neglected! I can’t begin to count the many times I’ve sat down to type out my thoughts, but have been too tired or distracted or busy. No matter. I’ll catch up my avid blog-followers (I dream there are many, but oh how few of you there are) on the past few months of my life as I enjoy the therapy that comes in wordsmithing.

So my life can be summed up in one word: pregnant. Seeing that I’m growing a person in my body – a real life human being – all I can do is think about the baby.

Today, I’m 26 weeks along. For those of you who find it hard to divide by fours (which was one of the harder multiples, in my opinion), I’m a little more than 6 months along. And in those 6 months, I’ve gained a whopping 25 pounds. I’m a small girl and tend to be a bit of a lightweight (i.e. wimp), so you better believe I’m quite excited. However, my child is only a pound-and-a-half of that. So I like to think the rest is all muscle… as I bite into this delicious coconut chocolate truffle.

In November, we found out we’re having a little girl and we’ve named her Hannah Riley. It’s pretty surreal that we’re having a child… until she gives me a good kick to let me know, “Hey, this is pretty real, Mom!”

I’m so thankful that this pregnancy has been so smooth and that Hannah is growing and healthy. Chris is pretty happy, too, that the hormones haven’t made me into some crazy woman. I’ve had a few emotional moments, which are actually pretty funny, but perhaps we’ll save those for another time. He and Hannah have bonded as he has discovered how to press on my belly certain ways to get her to kick back. He’s such a great daddy already.

Here is a picture of Hannah’s face in a 3D sonogram we had last month.

And here are a few pictures for you to see the progress of my expanding waistline. (I actually didn’t start looking pregnant in the least until about 19 weeks, so that’s where the pictures will really start.) I'll try to remember to add more.

6 Weeks. I had no clue.

19 weeks.

20 weeks. The shirt did not split. I swear it came like that!

24 weeks.

Big News!

So it's been over a month since my last blog. I've had so much on my mind, I couldn't sort it into words. I can barely do so now, so I'll simply say that we've recently found out we're expecting our first child! I am eleven-and-a-half weeks along, and Baby Freeman is growing like crazy. My pants barely fit me, and when I'm actually awake and do have an appetite, I eat everything in sight! Chris has been incredible, catering to my every whim and craving, barely flinching through my crazy mood swings. Here's a picture of the baby. My doctor showed us a healthy heartbeat, straight spine and little kicks. Quite amazing! God is good.

The Yokes On You

Simon Says. I don't know about you, but I was no champ when it came to playing Simon Says. After about five or six commands into the game, you would typically find me out on the sidelines. There were so many commands and twists. "Simon says, 'Sit down.' Simon says, 'Stand up.' Simon says, 'Sit down.' 'Stand up.'" Simon, I could never keep up with all you wanted me to do!

So today I write a little more about obeying commands. By the way, if there's one thing that you may not know about me is that I tend to be a bit nerdy (OK, a lot nerdy) and just eat up all of the historical facts of other societies, their politics and their culture. But particularly, the Jewish culture intrigues me most, though I wouldn't claim to be an expect about it. But here's something interesting that I have learned and think you'll appreciate, too (maybe).


Back in the B.C., ancient Jewish rabbis would pray through and pour over God's word, which at this time were the first five books of our Bible. He would then interpret what God was saying through the scriptures and then help the people understand it, as well. A rabbi's interpretation of the scriptures is called his yoke, which also included his insights into holy living. These insights were generally conveyed through lists of do's and don'ts. When the people decided to follow a rabbi - called taking up his yoke - it meant that they would dedicate their lives to following his teachings and obeying the rabbi's do's and don'ts.

Most people don't realize this, but the disciples looked to Jesus as their rabbi. They not only followed after Him, but they took up His yoke and committed their lives to trusting Him. Jesus made an incredible claim about his yoke. He said that it was easy. (I once confused this in my mind with an egg yolk and always envisioned bacon and eggs over easy. Don't be confused. It's totally not the same thing.)

What does that mean - that His yoke is easy?

The yoke of Jesus was simple: love God and love others. He said that He didn't come to do away with all of the laws, but to fulfill them. We don't have to carry the burden of upholding lists and lists of laws because it's all fulfilled when we love God and others. Think about it. When you love God, you won't sin against Him or His people. In fact, you love His people. You're compelled. You can't help it. You don't have to think about it. When you love His people, you won't hate or steal or cheat. Instead, you see people as He sees them and you'll want to be kind and generous to them.

Do you ever get tired of trying and failing to be a good person? As I discussed yesterday, there's nothing good in and of ourselves. For anyone who is tired or frustrated of trying to be a good person, this is for you. Give up. You'll only grow weary of all the trying. And love God. You'll find yourself acting differently and seeing others in a whole new light. You'll stop acting so much like yourself and acting more as Jesus would.

I leave you with this:

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Not Tall Enough To Ride

Do you remember those signs at Six Flags or Disney (if you were lucky enough to go) that indicated how tall you had to be to ride a roller coaster? If you didn't measure up, you couldn't ride. Do you know that my Dad stretched every inch out of me and my sister? He was so ready to have roller coaster buddies that as soon as we were 36 inches, my little body was strapped into some of the biggest roller coasters in Texas. Of course, I was just as glad for the day I measured up, too.

Have you ever thought about how you measure up to God's standards? It took me a long time to realize that no matter how hard I tried, though I'm a Christian, I'll never live perfectly. You see, there's this standard of righteousness that you and I cannot live up to on our own accord. For example. Think about the Ten Commandments. This was the Law that God gave to show people how to live a holy life. Have you ever broken any of them? Well let's take a look at a few and see how we measure up.

God says don't murder.

Easy. You've never killed anyone! But wait, Jesus said that if you've ever hated anyone, it's as if you've murdered them.

God says you shouldn't commit adultery.

So you say, "I've never once cheated on my spouse," or "I'm not even married!" Jesus said that if you've ever once lusted after anyone, you've already committed adultery in your heart.

God says that you shouldn't steal.

You're no thief! Well, at least not with anything significant. But his commandment doesn't talk about how big the offense has to be before we've broken the law. Stealing is stealing.

So at this point, if you're like me, you're a thieving murdering cheater.

Romans 3:23 says that everyone has sinned and falls short of God's perfection. When I read this, I think DUH! There's nothing in my body or my mind that feels even remotely perfect. But then again I'm quite amazed - there are some seemingly perfect people out there and even they don't quite measure up.

So when we measure ourselves up against God's commandments - His Law - we realize that no one is perfect. No one measures up to God in and of themselves. But, here's the good news that has inspired me so much lately. When you become a Christian - meaning you allow God to rule over every part of your life - God sees us as He sees His Son: perfect.

For anyone who has ever felt like they just didn't amount to much or just couldn't measure up, this is for you.

Love!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Check out my, Mom! Do I have great genes, or what??

My Mom is awesome. Everyone who meets her thinks she's such a blast to be around. And she's one of the most generous people you'll ever meet. Growing up, if I thought her shampoo smelled better than mine, she'd just give it to me. Ladies, that's saying a lot, isn't it? Now that I'm older, I appreciate the way she goes over and beyond for people. She never expects a thank you. She's merely satisfied in knowing that the people around her are taken care of. She truly exhibits a servant's heart.

Some of my favorite Mom phrases:

"Don't call me 'dude'."

Everyone was "dude" in the 90's.

"There's no crying in Mom's."

A League of Their Own. Hello?!

"Can you cut me a sliver of cake?

Who says sliver? My mom, that's who!

"Your face will stay like that."

And it really did.

"Are you wearing that?"

The answer was always yes.

"Come hold your sister's hands and tell her you're sorry."

So what if we were in high school. It worked.

I love you, Mom! I couldn't tell you enough.

What's a Kritty Krub?

I moved to Louisiana the summer after my freshman year of college to work as a church youth intern. Looking back, I can't believe I moved away to another state to go work in a town where I knew no one. I moved in with a family I had never met. There were no college kids where I lived, either, so I was either mentored or I was mentoring. Feeling a certain calling, I ventured to Benton, Louisiana. And what started off as just a summer job ended up becoming a year-and-a-half adventure. In that time, I learned a lot about myself, who God is and how His people are called to love deeply. And I developed one of the coolest friendships.

My first and closest friend there was a 15-year-old girl named Christie Tubbs, a.k.a. Kritty Krub. Despite a four year age difference, we clicked immediately. And she quickly became my loyal sidekick -- I couldn't shake her even if I had wanted to. I could tell you some fun stories about this girl and some of the great moments we've shared. She's one of those kind of friends you make that you'll know the rest of your life. But what I'd love more than anything, though, is for the world to experience an ounce of faith this girl possesses. She moves mountains. It hasn't always been the case, though.

One of the hardest parts of leaving Louisiana was saying goodbye to my dear friend. We've kept in touch through the years, but never enough to satisfy close friends or to sustain a deep friendship -- that is until recently as we pick up where we left off. Over the five years that have passed, Christie hit a rough patch. And after only recently being pulled out of the crap called her life, she received disturbing news on her birthday -- she's got cancer.

Now 23 years old, Christie has Hodgkin's Lymphoma. In a nutshell, this is a cancer that affects your lymphatic system. The good news is that it's not in her bone marrow. The doctor's say it's Stage 2. Christie says, "God's bigger than cancer." It's kind of ironic to me how she's been the comforter to me and everyone else around her. And moreover, her faith is incredible. She's an absolute inspiration. It all goes to show that God's glory is displayed no matter what -- despite our circumstances, despite who we are.

I'm blogging about her because she's a huge part of my life, and I'd just like my friends and family to pray for her and her family. She starts chemotherapy next week, and her strength is going to be shot. So start praying for peace, patience and strength -- all of which come only through relying on God.

I also invite you to check out her blog as she writes about what she's going through. I hope you'll be as inspired as I am.

http://christieblogsalot.blogspot.com/

Love and Peace!

My MeeMaw is the Bomb

This May I was compelled to participate in the Komen Race for the Cure. Breast cancer treatment and care is something that has come to mean a lot to me, especially since it hits so close to home. My MeeMaw, Jean Teague, is a breast cancer survivor of almost 20 years. So this year she and I signed up to walk a mile at the Komen Race. It's one of my favorite days. I admire my MeeMaw a lot. She's a sweet and incredibly strong woman. I mean, you would have to be to raise my Dad. :) Well anyway, here are a few pictures. Next year, I invite you to join our team.

A Warm Welcome

My brother-in-law and sister-and-law, Dave and Kristy, make beautiful people. I met my sweet nephew this week, and you can see for yourself how cute he is. And you can also see what great big sisters he has. As excited as I was to meet him, I think the feeling was mutual as Andrew greeted me with a very warm welcome and peed on me. :) Welcome to this world, little dude!

Andrew

Sydney and Andrew

Kayden and Andrew

Who Do I Think I Am

Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ya12I036lg

Kinda cool, huh?

R.C. Sproul writes, "Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God."

I'm as guilty as the next person of becoming bogged down by the stresses of this world. I need reminders like this to wake up and realize there's more to this life than meets the eye. I hope you're as inspired as I am to more than merely walk through life, but to truly live, of which only comes through knowing God.

Update On My Nephew

Andrew's coming home tomorrow! I'm pumped to meet him and hope to post more pictures later this week.

Colorado Vacation

We spent last week in Ouray (sounds like "Hooray!" with a silent H), Colorado. I like to think that God intended to give us a glimpse of heaven when He created Ouray! So for five days we hiked and Jeep'd and four-wheeled ourselves up and down and through the San Juan mountain range. (Yup, PawPaw. I said four-wheeled. It was the first time since our New Mexico trip.)

Words can't describe how great our vacation was. It was amazing just to be away from all the busyness and in the midst of such raw beauty. Thank you Webb family for such an incredible experience!

Brief Update On Andrew

Please continue to pray for our newborn nephew, Andrew. His little
lungs are still having a hard time and he was sent to the neonatal
intensive care unit in Longview. We expect him to strengthen up in no
time, but there are always risks and your prayers are very important.
Pray not only for him and his doctors, but also for his parents, James
and Kristy Freeman. Pray for peace of mind and comfort for them.

Thanks in advance for the prayers and I'll keep you posted.

Love.
Randi

Meet My New Nephew

JAMES ANDREW HAMMOND FREEMAN

My nephew, who will go by Andrew, was born Wednesday, July 9 weighing in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measuring 20 inches long from head to toe. He was born a few weeks early and his little lungs are working overtime right now. He's on oxygen, antibiotics, IV fluids and there's a possibility that he'll need to stay in a neonatal intensive care unit if his lungs don't strengthen by Friday. So please be prayerful for our little guy until he is strong enough to come home.

Here are a few more pictures of my strapping nephew with his family.

Big sisters Kayden (4) and Sydney (5) are so proud of their baby brother.

Mom and Dad after a hard day's work. Congrats, Dave and Kristy!

Share the Wealth

I learned this week that $1 provides one year of clean water for an African. Talk about stretching your dollars! I can't think of too much I can do with a dollar. I mean, for a dollar I could buy a bottle of water and that could quench my thirst for an afternoon. But quench someone's thirst for a year with buck - that's amazing.

If you're like me, you've flipped straight through those infomercials about the poor and hungry folks in Africa. Those kids with the swollen bellies kill me every time, so I change the channel. Out of site. Out of mind. Right?

But the truth is millions of Africans lack access to clean water. What access some villages do have requires women and children to travel miles to carry home heavy gallons of diseased water. And since 80 percent of all deaths in developing countries are caused by water-borne illnesses, people there with HIV/AIDS must have clean water to survive.

I don't know about you, but I can't think of a time in my life that I didn't have access to water. And I've certainly never had to drink dirty water. That's why it's always been hard for me to identify with this sort of need. But now that I have the facts, I can't help but respond.

So obviously I'm quite inspired about doing my part in overcoming social injustices, both at home and abroad. And while I don't necessarily plan to sell all of my things and live like a hermit, I think it's important to share the wealth. There are many people and organizations that will lay the guilt on thick, which totally turns me off and is quite generally ineffective. But when our motivation is love for God and others, people become more important than the things of this world.

I encourage you to follow this link and learn more. Blood:Water Mission seeks to provide clean blood and water to a country that is often forgotten - Africa. Share the wealth, friends!

Love.

Randi

Maturity vs. Culturing

Like a delicious wedge of cheese, I think we have better taste with age. I don't taste better, but I find myself liking grownup things. You know what I'm saying.

For instance, my hair looks strikingly different now that I'm older. I've outgrown the shortish tousled hippy haircut that most college girls get their freshman year as if the lack of hair will help advance them into adulthood and distinguish them from their formative high school years.






Here's my new haircut. It's more "tasteful", and my mom likes it. :) Of course I can never fix it the same way as the stylist, so enjoy the cheesy picture.

What've You Done At Work This Week?

I flew in a helicopter.

Here's where I work: Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics.

Here's Front Street. It was a beautiful day for flying!

Free Rice

A friend reminded me of this cool site today. Check this out if you haven't already.

http://www.freerice.com/

I think we can all agree that there are people in the world less fortunate than we are. I don't know about you, but I've never truly starved. I've never gone without. In 2000, I spent two weeks in Santa Lucia, Guatemala teaching children English. To this day I'm still impacted. I saw children without proper access to medical care. I saw women sweep the dirt floors of their small metal huts. I smelled the raw waste of a village without proper sewage.

Although I've seen poverty with my own eyes, I tend to overlook it here in my own community at times... or most of the time. I don't realize if I head north from my office building and cross the railroad tracks, there are families who can't afford to manage their health. They can't afford the repairs or utilities on their homes. And their clothes are someone else's hand-me-downs.

If you think about it, there's no one else who loves us quite like ourselves. Really, think about it! If you're cold, you're grabbing a sweater. If you're thirsty, you're going to get a drink. If you cut your finger, where does it go? In your mouth! We take such wonderful care of ourselves without hesitation. And there's nothing wrong with that whatsoever. Please do take care of yourself! This illustration just magnifies Jesus' command to love others as we love ourselves.

I care for myself so intuitively, yet I easily turn a blind eye to the folks across the railroad tracks. As I'm inspired to reach out and love on the people around me that are in need, I hope you'll be inspired, as well. There are great places to get involved in reaching out to your community. Find them! You can do so in many ways, whether physically or financially. You'll find that in doing so, you're utterly fulfilled.

Here are pictures from Chris' recent trip to Florianopolis, Brazil. While this may be one of the most wealthiest parts of the country, the village Chris' team ministered to is considered to be a 3rd world slum and is ignored by the people in surrounding cities. The scenario hits close to home for me. (The children there are beautiful! Chris tried to bring a few home.)

My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad!

It's common knowledge that my Dad gets cooler by the day. But in case you didn't know, last weekend he completed a 40 mile bike race. My dad. The biker. I'm so proud. :)

Glow-In-The-Dark Paint and Other Thoughts

Many of you know that Chris and I are in ministry. I thought you might like to see some of our college students. These girls are the handful that I spend time with every week. I think I learn more from them about God and life than I could possibly teach them.

One of the things we encourage in our students is to be real and honest with themselves, others and God, and these girls get it! When we're humble enough to be honest with ourselves, we no longer feel the need to hide behind facades. When we feel confident to be ourselves, we can be honest with others and experience strong, healthy relationships with the people around us. And when we're real with God about what we're thinking or how we're feeling, we experience an intimate relationship with the Lord.

If you ever get the chance, read any Psalm and you'll read how real King David was. Considered to be a man after God's own heart, David held nothing back as he asked big questions regarding his circumstances. He would make his despair known to God and unabashedly wonder aloud what the Lord's motive was. But at the end of every Psalm, David would recall how God had never failed him even in the darkest of times. His despair would turn into amazement of how good his Lord was. Being real with God, who knows exactly how we feel anyway, changed David's perspective on life and created a more intimate relationship between them.

During the school year, I meet with these girls once a week and we talk about life. I am priveleged to watch this awesome process work within them as they become real with themselves, others and God. Futhermore, they encourage it in me, as well.

I hope you're experiencing fulfilling and meaningful relationships. I believe it's the most important pursuit in life.

Love.
Randi

P.S. We all look like we're ready for war in this picture because we were playing glow-in-the-dark ultimate frisbee. We painted ourselves with glow-in-the-dark paint, wore the cool lighted necklaces and had one of the coolest nights playing Ultimate.

Creature of Habit

I don't know if you're like me, but I tend to be set in my ways. Most days for lunch, I like to enjoy a microwaveable bowl of Campbell's Select Mexican Style Chicken Tortilla Soup with cheddar goldfish.

I like to think the fish swim. Look carefully. Some of them have smiley faces. Has anyone else thought that it's a little bizarre that they're happy despite the fact that they're about to be eaten?

This week I've been inspired to make the most of my situations. Rather than complain about my circumstances, thus bringing others down, I can be appreciative and humble and simply make the best of things I cannot change. Like my smiley fish. He could be really down about his circumstances, you know, being eaten and all. But I like to think he's just happy to be drinking in my delicious soup.

As I'm inspired by the little things in life to be joyful, I hope you'll be inspired to have joy, too.

Love.

Randi

Cornbread!!

So our computer has this cool feature that allows you to take pictures and record videos with different effects. Well, Chris made a little video. Enjoy my funny husband. :) I'm glad he's not a trucker.

Happy Father's Day

Terry Teague is one of the greatest men I know. He is genuine and tenderhearted. Dad is wise and very practical. He's a hard-worker who has sacrificed to provide for his family. And you should know that if he ever picks on you, it's just his way of showing you he loves you tremendously. Among the many lessons he taught me and my sister, he raised us to love deeply, be respectful, think for ourselves and to set goals.

Dad was out-numbered with three women in the household, and he managed to survive. (But we should pause for a moment of silence and pay homage to his lost hair.) Thankfully, Dad now has two sons to help bring hormonal balance to the Teague family.

I'm very blessed to have a wonderful Father. My Dad's love reminds me of how much God, my heavenly Father, loves me. I love you, Dad!

Jim Freeman is one of the other greatest men I know. Though he is not my natural father, I love and respect my father-in-law more than I can express. When I married his son over four years ago, I didn't quite know what to make of Jim. He seemed so serious and stern. But as I've gotten to know him better through the years, I realize that Chris inherits much of his humor, love for made up languages and strict adherence to schedules from his father. Jim is respected by many and is a great example of what a father should be. I couldn't be more blessed to have him for a father-in-law.

Happy Father's Day!

Music Therapy

Research shows that music has the greatest ability to stimulate the brain more than anything else the body can sense, which is why many hospitals use music therapy on brain trauma patients to help them recover.

You don't have to suffer a massive head injury, though, to experience the therapy that a good song can bring. Any one song has the power to conjure up feelings and experiences from your past, all of which shaped you into the person you are today. It can remind you of when you overcame a dark period in life. It can flash you back to one of your happiest times. And I think it's important we always remember where we've come from and understand how blessed we truly are.

For me, anytime I hear Johnny Cash, I recollect waking up to the smell of coffee at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning at MeeMaw and PawPaw's house, who happen to be two heroes of mine.

I become giddy when I hear The Beatles "Twist and Shout". I remember being six-years-old and dancing like a maniac with my mom, dad and Gina in the living room on 22o Ivy Street. Like my parents did, I plan to teach my kids the valuable lesson that sometimes life just calls for a little bun-shaking.

Boyz II Men reminds me of middle school awkwardness and makes me grateful that my braces are gone and no one can ever ground me again.

My heart sinks a little when I hear the first few lines of "1979" by Smashing Pumpkins as I recall a dark time in high school when I felt more alone than I can describe. But by the end of the song, as Billy Corrigan sings louder and the tempo increases and the guitars drive harder and the drums roll faster, I'm reminded of a few new friends who loved me unconditionally and walked with me as I found meaning for my life.

And every time I hear U2's Bono sing "Where The Streets Have No Name", I'm reminded that I am a totally different person than I used to be, that I have so much to live and die for, and that God loves me tremendously.

Anything by Nickel Creek takes me back to when Chris and I started dating. I recall how we wore out every single one of their CDs as we listened to them everywhere we drove. Twice we've given each other concert tickets as birthday presents. We even played one of their songs at our wedding. And it was a bittersweet day as Chris and I attended their last concert last November.

When you think about it, it's amazing how different songs can conjure up old memories. It's good to remember where we've come from and the events that have shaped us. When our mind's eye is fixed on the many ways we've been blessed, it radically impacts the way we go through life.

As I'm challenged to remember where I've come from and where I'm going in life, I challenge you likewise. Maybe start by popping in an old CD. For some of you, turn the dial on your new iPod. And others may need to revert back to the old, what do you call them, record players? After all, couldn't we all use a little music therapy?

Love.

Randi

My Love

Chris and I married four years, five months and five days ago. There is a lot of love and tons of laughter in our household. For the last three years or so, I've worked in hospital marketing and public relations, and he has served on staff at our church as the college pastor. While we stay incredibly busy, we work hard to protect our marriage by carving time out of the week to spend quality time together.

I adore my husband. He's kind and funny and easy on the eyes. Chris is an extraordinary musician -- the kind that can pick up any instrument and learn it in a snap. The kind that makes you sick! And it only makes sense that he should marry a girl that loves music. Any chance we get, we try to get out and hear live music. We're also big movie people. Netflix has revolutionized our lives by giving us access to a lot of the independent movies that never made it to our theaters. And we're like big kids by the very fact we like to play outside as much as possible. In fact, we have the opportunity to spend a week in Colorado this summer, and we're looking forward to it so much. There's no one in the world that I would have more fun with than Chris.

In our four years of marriage, the two of us have gone through a lot and made quite a few tough decisions, all of which has grown us closer together. One of our favorite books, Ephesians, describes how husbands need his wife's respect and how wives need her husband to cherish her. Above all else, heeding these words of wisdom, prayer and loving each other unconditionally as God does is what keeps our marriage healthy, especially when we're faced with challenging times. I'm glad Chris and I found each other. I couldn't imagine going through life without him.

My New Brother

Family and Friends - meet Colin Fambrough.

He and my sister Gina went on their first date and then married in a matter of mere months. And I tell him often that while I've never approved of any man to be worthy to marry my sister, I feel as if I've hit the brother-in-law jackpot with Colin. For those of you who have never had the chance to meet him, I want to take a moment to tell you a little about Colin. First off, you should know he absolutely adores Gina. Colin is a leader, he has integrity and he just makes you laugh. While he's famous for his NASCAR tire-changing skills, you would be even more impressed with his warmth and consideration for people. Chris and I have known Colin for years. And though I would have never guessed that he would end up in my family, I couldn't be more amazed! We're blessed to have you, Colin!

My First Blog

As life goes on, we grow up, move on and away, and I find it to be more important than ever to preserve and reconnect relationships. I've said for a while that I would start a blog but have put it off for, oh say, a year. There's just a lot of pressure when it comes to blogging! What will I write? Who would read it? Will my words matter or float off into the oblivion that is Cyberspace?

Well, no matter. Here it goes -- my attempt to stay connected through my first blog. I hope to keep you posted on what's happening in the Freeman household and share with you what I learn through life's journey. I firmly believe that we were never intended to go through life alone. So I look forward to experiencing it all with you. Bookmark my page, friends!

Love.

Randi

P.S. Chris is giddy as I blog. He won't even read my draft until it's posted. I like my husband. He's my biggest fan, and I must say - it's mutual. :)