Conaway Family

Guess what...

2010-06-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

I'm NOT in labor!! But I am completely okay with that! I am currently 3 days past my due date but it is not horrible. My body is just not ready and neither is Baby Conaway. As I sit and play the waiting game I thought I should take this time to update and catch you all up on stuff and just blog about random things!

Pregnancy:

As far as the pregnancy goes, let me share a few thoughts...I always had thought that pregnancy is a beautiful thing created by our Creator! And it truly is! How God creates our bodies to grow and birth babies is just simply amazing! I always thought I would be one of those to absolutely LOVE being pregnant...I like being pregnant but not sure I LOVE it - I LOVE what it is giving me and Jeff and that is Baby Conaway. Pregnancy is just different. Beautiful but different.

I am overjoyed to be carrying a child of God and forever thankful he has entrusted me to be this child's mommy. I decided early on that if God ever gave Jeff and I the ability to conceive children I would do my best to stay healthy and continue my workout routine etc. So, naturally once we found out we were expecting (I was training for a half marathon, but Dr. thought I didn't need to continue the training but I could continue running), I continued with my running and weight routines which made me feel good about my growing body. However, I must say for someone who has struggled with an eating disorder it has been difficult to watch my body change in this way. I have trusted God! I know that sounds silly because this is one time in a woman's life it's perfectly acceptable to be bigger. But this has been the biggest struggle. People think just because you were fit before that they can jokingly now call you fat and chubby and whatever else suits them. I have just silently prayed for those people. Anyway, I have had very little to truly complain about throughout this pregnancy and I praise God for that! There have only been mild discomforts even though I was on bedrest for two weeks! A few of those mild discomforts have been...experiencing pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands and currently lower back pain. I have been blessed throughout this pregnancy because God has been so faithful!

I am trusting in God's timing for the birth of our daughter. Lots of people think I am nuts to not want to be induced! I don't! I am content with waiting until my daughter and my body are ready for this process. I do not want to disturb the way or time in which God has already planned for her birthday! I am excited to meet her! So excited! I can't wait to see who she will look more like and to see if she will have dark hair or red hair after my beloved Grandma and my dad! I have lots of excitement and nervous anxiety about the birth and being a mom! It is my desire to bring my child into this world with as little medication as possible! The ultimate goal is drug free! We covet your prayers in this area for strength and perseverance!! God is faithful! I'll let you know how this all goes after it's all over with!

Funny story - yesterday while on our way to church I told Jeff the plan for a quick get-a-way if my water were to break while at church and he replied with this, "Okay, well uh are you wearing a diaper or anything?" Oh I died with laughter...I said "no, did you want me to?" He followed with "don't you think it would have been a good idea?" He is so funny!!

Baby Showers:

All I can say is that we have been blessed by so many people and never knew that many people cared for us so much and wanted to help invest in the life of our little girl! We were blessed with six baby showers and received so many precious and practical things...Jeff's favorite is the diapers! He said that is less we have to buy...funny thing is that he doesn't go buy the stuff from grocery store anyway! Funny! I love everything and am so thankful for the many blessings!

Nursery:

The nursery is COMPLETE!!! Finally everything is finished! And it turned out just how I wanted it! Check out the sneak peek, let me know what you think! This photo is without the wall decor because my parents have my camera attachment to upload the rest of the photos! Will do that soon!

Coaching Staff:

The GCT coaching staff has had a few additions for the upcoming football season! We are thrilled to bring in more coaches to add to the talent that is currently on the coaching staff! The four guys that have been hired, I feel like, are going to fit in perfectly with the rest of the coaching staff! Jeff is thrilled to get these young energetic coaches in to bring a new dynamic to the team. During the month of May, three of the coaches lived with us which was pretty fun but weird since I am pregnant. Let's just say, that's a quick way to get to know new coaching staff. It worked out well though.

I am truly sad to say that one of my dearest friends has moved to Arizona! I was hoping that I would have my baby before Kristin & Jason left Arkansas, but it didn't happen! I am just going to have to make a trip to visit! The great thing is that her mom & dad still live in my hometown and maybe we can see each other during holidays! I am happy for them for the great opportunities they are experiencing and that Kristin will be close to Stacy (her sister)! I am a bit jealous too because it sounds like a really cool place to live!

Well, next time I post it will be about Baby Conaway's birthday!!

Getting close...

2010-04-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

We are getting so close to the day we will meet our baby girl! We are currently 8 weeks and 2 days away! I can't believe I am this far along. I often look down at my belly in disbelief!

A lot has happened since the last post...at 22 weeks I was put on 2 weeks bed rest to prevent labor. And a week after being taken off bed rest I came down with the stomach bug and a severe bladder infection and ended up in the hospital for a day! And I have been constantly sick and stopped up the whole pregnancy; however we are so thankful for all of it & trust God in & through it all. Also, we found out my sister is also going to be having a baby in September which we are thrilled about! Our kids will grow up together! She finds out this week what she is having!

We had our first baby shower in Springdale, hosted by some very sweet dear friends! And it was so great to see so many familiar faces we had not seen in a very long time! Jeff actually stayed for the shower to visit. Since he stayed my friend Blaire took a few photos of us that really turned out great! Here are a few of my favorites! And some from the shower.

We are blessed to have such great friends all over Arkansas!

Our next shower is in Paragould this weekend! Really excited about it all! I will post photos of nursery soon - still working on the finishing touches.

Until next time! Which I hope to be sooner than later!

Baby Gender Reveal

2010-02-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

So I know I am so far behind with this blog and I have a lot to catch you all up on...

First off, on Feb. 11th Jeff & I had an ultrasound to find out the sex of our sweet baby. We went but we did not find out that day! We waited until the next day to find out with family and friends! It was so much fun - so here is how we did it!

I took an envelope to the ultrasound technician and asked her not to tell us the sex of the baby but to put the evidence (pictures) in the envelope for us. So, she did just that! Prior to that Thursday I had my friends and co-workers at school agree fill cupcakes with pink or blue icing then ice the top of them for me. I made the cupcakes Thursday night and placed a hole large enough for that oh so sweet pink or blue icing!

I decorated everything pink & blue and had a ton of fun doing it! I began to get a little anxious as I was decorating but mostly excited!

I had invited our families and a few friends over for the big baby gender reveal!

I asked those attending the get together to wear pink or blue so we know what their guess was! It worked out perfectly! Here are the groups of pink and blue.

Then once all arrived Friday evening Jeff & I stood in front of everyone and bit into our cupcakes to find out our baby's gender! My heart was pounding... here is us just before then moments after...

Jeff was super fast and found out first. I wanted to make sure I bit into the cupcake far enough to find out...I think I nearly bit too far into it! I had a mouthful & Jeff's reaction was priceless! We both were convinced it was a boy until we looked at the cupcakes and saw that it's a ...GIRL!!

It was such a fun way to find out with everyone what this little bundle of joy is! Our families really enjoyed it & our friends did too. No one could believe that we had enough willpower to not look inside that envelope! I sealed the envelope and wrote over the seal "Baby Conaway" so that I would know if Jeff tampered with it! But we were very busy moving on Thursday after the appointment & that kept us busy until the party on Friday! It was a busy few days that's for sure!

Until next time - which I hope to be sooner than later! I have a little more time on my hands now! I will explain that in another post!

Love,

Melissa

What's been goin on!

2010-01-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

Alright! So a lot have happened since the last post, so I must catch you guys up on everything without making this post way too long!

First off - Jeff & his team won in the first round of playoffs! This was a big deal - it has never been done in the school's history of GCT football! Our first game was in Magnolia which was forever away but we came away with such an exciting victory and had an amazing fan base that traveled with us!
The second round of playoffs unfortunately did not have the same outcome! And ended up being a crazy night because as my family & I drove down to Monticello in Jeff's truck, so we could all ride together, we managed to hit a deer on the way home. But then Jeff got to stay the weekend with me at my parent's house so that was a good thing. This loss was very hard to take though. At least Monticello went on to win the state championship!
On December 19th 2009 I graduated with a Master's degree in Communication Disorders. This was a very big deal to me and I am so thankful God gave me the opportunity and ability to go back to school and get my masters! God has been faithful! My close friends & family planned a surprise bash for me which made me feel so special - thanks to everyone who helped!

And on December 21, 2009 I was officially hired at the Brookland School district as a Speech-language Pathologist! God is faithful!

And the biggest deal that has gone on since the last post is that we found out we will be welcoming a little baby into the world in late June! We found out in October and kept it quiet from public for a while to get to our first doctor appointment. In the mean time we told our families! And they have been beyond excited! Again, God is faithful!

So I am sure you are curious as to how we told our families. Here's the story...

I guess I should start with Jeff... I took a test on a Thursday morning and was in disbelief, so I waited and said absolutely nothing to him and hid the test. Then I took another one Friday morning. Just in case the test was positive I went ahead Thursday afternoon and bought a picture frame that said daddy on it with scripture and a baby pillow that has a cross on it that says "bless this child." Friday morning I took the test and it was of course positive. I decided since he had a big game that night against a really tough team I needed to go ahead and share the news with him. So I called him into the kitchen and told him I had a "good luck" gift for the big game for him! (Side note - earlier this same week we found out our friends Josh & Kate were expecting their 3rd child) So he opened his gift and said "why did you give me a gift for Josh?" I said, no it's for you... he said "for real" He was excited and told me "congratulations" I just laughed because he was pretty much speechless and was unsure of what to say! He was thrilled and still is! He will be one amazing dad!

The day after we found out we were pregnant Jeff wanted to immediately tell his family; therefore I had no time to plan! Jeff's sister, who just had a baby last June, was over and so was little Harleigh. We put Harleigh in Jeff's lap and I took a picture. Then his mom said "Jeff now don't you need one of those!" and so we ran with that line and I said "Yeah, I think it's June when he will have one!" Allison was just walking out the door to go run and heard me say that but thought if it's what she thought Jeff's mom would run out and get her before she left. Vicki(Jeff's mom) sat in disbelief, like - did I hear her right!?! And so all she could say was "really?" "are you kidding?" Then Allison finished her run and I told her I wanted to show her what I gave Jeff on Friday as his "good luck" present before the big game he had...she immediately said "dad, you're gonna be a dad! I knew that what you were trying to say when I walked out but was sure if that's what it was someone would have come to get me! This makes my day" They were all so excited, and there was still another sister of Jeff's to tell. Becky was at home and we all loaded up and went to her house! She thought something bad had happened; and we told her she was going to be an aunt again! She didn't know if it were me or Allison! It was great! She teared up and we all screamed and laughed!

After that - it was going to be a couple of weeks before we saw my family again, so we decided to wait to tell them in person! They met us in Batesville for our football game and I was just praying we won - and we did. It was a big win that put us in the playoffs. So after the game Jeff got in the vehicle with me, Beth, Mom & Dad. I handed them all bags that were the same size just different color and told them we bought them a gift for making playoffs! They totally bought it. I counted to three and they opened up the bags! Inside dad's bag was a picture frame that says best grandpa ever with a picture of a sonogram I printed off the Internet & inserted, inside mom's bag was a picture frame that says look who loves grandma and inside Beth's bag was a little tile that said Aunt's are the coolest. They opened up the bags and screamed then jumped out of the car and gave hugs! It was priceless!

Below are a few pictures from the baby reveal!
The above photo is the photo I took of Jeff & Harleigh the day we told his family!

The last four photos are the photos from the night of the reveal to my family! Can't you tell they were so excited!?!

Coming up next... the Gender Reveal!!!! We will find out Feb. 11th!

God is faithful even when I am not! Thank you God for all the blessings you have trusted me with! I am thankful!

Eagles

2009-11-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

Our GCT Eagles are currently sitting at 8-2 and have made it to the playoffs for the first time in 18 years! I am so proud of my husband and his coaching staff for all they have done to change this program and change people's hearts about football in Paragould.

Since the last post we won 2 of the last 3 games. The last game was the big game with our crosstown rivals the Paragould Rams. There is a Bell trophy that is won at this game and is passed back and forth between the two schools...the game has been named Battle for the Bell. We won the BELL and I have one happy husband!

This week we are traveling a great distance to play Magnolia in our first round of playoffs! I am excited about traveling because I get to go home and see my family and my Grandpa is really excited to get to come too! He is very supportive of Jeff and loves the fact I married a Football Coach! I love it too Grandpa!!!

Just a quick recap on what the coaching staff has done in the past couple of years...

2 years ago GCT football held a record of 0-10 (future was not looking so bright for the program, this was the season prior to Jeff being hired)

Last year GCT Football finished the season with a 4-6 record.

This season thus far we are at 8-2 and pray and are believing in more victories!

I hope there are more people in Paragould and all over Arkansas that believe in GCT Football again!

Needless to say but things are really exciting in our house right now!!!

Until next time...

Updated 10.22.09, sorry so late

2009-10-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Lots has happened since the last post and yes I still don't have photos up yet and it is just due to my pure laziness....but hey, I deserve to be lazy every now and then. Everyone does!

Alright, I am praising God for so many things that He has continued to bless me with.
First of all - I passed COMPS & the SLP Praxis tests! And will get to graduate in December!!! Since joining our church in Paragould, I have been praying for God to bring us a Worship Pastor who would not put his will before the will of God and lead us in Spirit filled worship! Last Sunday night our church welcomed Rob & Tunrade Schumann into our church family for this role. Jeff & I are beyond excited about this answered prayer! And our Greene County Tech Eagles are currently sitting at 6-1 with a big game tomorrow against West Helena! I am trusting in God for a BIG win for our program! It has been since 1990 since the Eagles have been 6-1! I am thrilled that God is showing Jeff the fruits of his labor! He is working so hard to take this team and program to a new height; however, He & I both know it is impossible without God!

I am staying very busy myself, with clinic being everyday I often come home exhausted and do not want to do anything. I am praying for God's guidance in finding a job close to where we live and praying that it will be a perfect fit. I want to love what I do and where I work! Most of all I want it to be a ministry! I have a heart for children and want to invest in their lives!

God is most definitely at work in our lives right now and I feel His presence more than ever! Praise Him! I am just so thankful to finally know my school is almost over with and I won't have that burden any longer. God is Good - and Faithful Always!

I have thought about not blogging anymore because I am clearly terrible at it and only do it every once in a while. So, let me know if there are actually any readers out there. If so I will be better and updating more often!

The time has come

2009-09-13T19:56:00.001-07:00

Well, it's here...this is what I have been waiting for...the biggest test of my life and there are so many emotions running through me tonight that I could not help but to blog about them! I have one test down and one really long and big test to go (Monday & Tuesday).

I am feeling a lot of tightness in my chest with an overwhelming urge that tears are quickly on their way...tears of fear, anxiety and relief that it is almost over! Then I feel confident that I have studied and studied and have been responsible about time and effort put in; then I think will I remember it all and then the overwhelming urge to vomit comes over me! I am so ready for Tuesday to be over with! However, I am more nervous for next week when the results sit in my mailbox at school with my name on them...all I will have to do is open that envelope and I am praying it will say "congratulations, you have passed"!!! However, I will praise God regardless! He knows what is best for me and has it all planned out! Praise the Lord! I trust fully in Him; then my flesh and worldly ways make me worry about the unknown! For those of you who know me... you know I like to be in control of EVERYTHING! So, not having control kills me! However, I am trusting in God!

I am slowly feeling my blood pressure go down but my heart is still pounding out of my chest!

Lord be with me and my classmates tomorrow; please give us the ability to retain all that we have learned and studied and may we honor you and give you ALL the Honor & Glory!

ALRIGHT - BACK TO STUDYING!!!

And by the way the Eagles are 2-0!! Go GCT Eagles! Proud of you guys!

Normal Life

2009-09-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

What's that? A normal life is what I cannot wait to have after all these tests are over!

I am praying for perseverance through this next week! I truly cannot make it through these tests without Christ's hand guiding me and helping me to retain all the information I have been putting in my brain! It is no doubt a stressful time but I feel God's presence and His calming spirit with me.

On a GREAT note, GCT won their first game last Friday against our biggest rivalry (Paragould High). I was a nervous wreck but we pulled it off and it has made for a great weekend and a happy husband! Praise the Lord!

I am currently taking a study break and daydreaming what life will be like after these two tests are over with! Things I can't wait to do...to get back in the gym and hit it hardcore, work on my resume and begin job interviews, watch lots and lots of football with my husband on the weekends without a test or paper looming over my head, Sleep good again (this includes Sunday afternoon naps), be a better blogger and go on a vacation at some point! These are just a few things I am looking forward to and thought I would share them!

Well long enough study break! I will post football photos from the first two games soon. I say from the first two games because I will most likely not be back on here until after my tests are finished! If you by chance think of me randomly next Saturday the 12th or the following Monday or Tuesday the 14th & 15th, would you please say a small prayer for me! Thanks in advance!

UPDATES from a crazy busy girl!!!

2009-08-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I told you guys I would do my best to update this more but the truth is there has not been any time for it! And I couldn't post any photos because I left my camera at Jeff's aunt's house!

I am finishing up clinic III practicum as I type! Today is the last day for the semester! So, that means that studying has to be taken to a new level as soon as my final is over with!

The dates are official: SLP version of Praxis is on Sept. 12th (in the middle of football season) & COMPS are Sept. 14th & 15th! My level of anxiety is as high as it has ever been!

Since the last post -

Andrew Jordan (former Shiloh football player) has moved in with us and was Jeff's intern for the summer and well he just moved out last weekend! Sad day! He was so much help!

We had a baby shower for my sister-n-law Allison and a few short weeks later Harleigh arrived!!

I tortured my Macey Girl with some tissue paper! She couldn't remove it so she just gave up and decided to pout; hoping someone would have compassion and remove it from her collar!

I finally am OLD and turned 26...spent time with the family and pigged out on my favorite dessert!!! One vanilla ice cream scoop with hot chocolate sauce drizzled on top from Outback!

July 4th we had a baby shower for Jeff's cousin who is adopting a baby from over seas! It was a surprise and they were so much fun - they enjoyed all the goodies they received. They are going to name him Knox and his middle name will be Daniel-Wu (Daniel after his dad and Wu is currently part of his name that is part of his culture)! Soooo cute!

Our great friend SARAH SLOCUM won Miss Arkansas!!!! Our family was there to cheer her on and were able to witness the whole thing! It was so sweet!

And we celebrated my dad's birthday the day after Sarah Won! I don't have photos of the celebration because I did not have my camera!! They are on dad's camera and I will post as soon as I get them! We enjoyed time together in Hot Springs! I love being with my family! They are very special people and I thank God for them!!!

Jeff and I recently celebrated 6 wonderful years of marriage in July! We spent a weekend in Memphis and it was truly special! He is such a kind, compassionate and loving husband for which I am thankful for!

After tomorrow I will have a few weeks off but not really! I will be studying for 10 or more hours each day in preparation for the upcoming tests in September! I am not looking forward to it but I am ready to be finished and to detox my body from all caffeine that I have taken in while in grad school!

I am looking forward to new adventures in my life and the upcoming football season!

GOD IS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!

'Tis the season to be busy...

2009-06-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

It has been such a long time since my last post, which has become a recurring theme with me blogging! I am so very sorry! Life has definitely been super busy and it is only going to get worse before it gets better. But that is the life of a graduate student who is also a wife and lives with the in-laws and works at a health club in what very little spare time I have.

Since the last post here is what all has gone on!

1. Finished my Clinical II practicum, which was so much fun!
2. Kristin & Jason got married (see photos below). It was such a beautiful affair!
3. I went to an awesome Women's conference in Branson with some really great ladies from our church!

4. One of Jeff's former Shiloh students moved in with us (in Jeff's mom's house) to help intern for the summer.
5. We FINALLY moved out of our house! It was so sad! We had some awesome help from some really awesome friends. And we have a really super awesome friend renting our house! God is sooooooo Good!!!
6. I started back summer school and my Clinical III practicum! It has been super hairy so far!
7. My pregnant sister-n-law Allison and her 14 month old Dallas have been living with ALL of us for the past few weeks while her hubby worked to put a murderer behind bars!!

8. We threw a baby shower for my sis-n-law Allison; Harleigh will arrive on June 17th! Crazy!
9. And I have started studying for COMPS!

I need a vacation people!!! I am sure I have left something out! I always do! The baby shower pictures will have to wait until next time!

Lingerie Party

2009-03-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

Since this is Kristin's wedding week I thought this post would be appropriate!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of co-hosting a Lingerie shower with my friend Sarah for my friend Kristin! We ended up having so much fun and silly me only took a few pictures of the decorations and didn't have my camera handy for snapping a few photos of Kristin opening her gifts! But that is pretty personal ...not sure she would have wanted me to show you what she may wear on her honeymoon anyway!

These were the invitations I made for the event with the help of my amazing bow tying friend Amy C. Thanks Amy!!

Above are the cookies I made for the occasion! They turned out better than I thought they would at the expense of my mixer (RIP)!

This shower was so much fun planning! I am so excited to see Kristin & Jason say "I do" this Saturday! She will be such a beautiful bride!

UPDATE on my cousin Bill: It has been confirmed that his cancer is in a Stage 3 at least (possibly a Stage 4)! His surgery is scheduled for April 6th! Please continue to pray for him, doctors & his family!

Blessings to you all this week!!!

Please Pray!!!!!

2009-03-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hey friends!!! It is with a heavy heart I ask you to pray for my cousin Bill! He & his family are in great need of any and all prayers possible.

Bill is my cousin Michelle's husband. They are a young couple that live in Jonesboro...they have three children. Their oldest Meghan just got married this year,Halie is in high school and the youngest Hanna is in jr. high. Bill has just been diagnosed with colon cancer and is in Houston undergoing many tests! They are trying to figure out how far the cancer has spread and now are concerned with the pancreas! Bill & Michelle are strong and they are trusting in God for a complete recovery as am I!

Below is a photo of a portion of our family this past Thanksgiving. Their family is the first four people on the bottom row from the left-hand side. (Bill, Halie, Michelle & Hanna...Meghan not in photo)

I know there are some mighty prayer warriors that read this blog and I ask you to please pray for Bill, his family & the doctors that are taking care of him!

I want my cousins to be able to experience more of this life with their father...to seek him for advice, to have him walk them down the isle and to just be able to give him hugs and kisses! I am a daddy's girl & know how special even a motorcycle ride with your dad can be and still enjoy those welcome home hugs when I visit!

So, THANK YOU for praying for Bill! Even if it is small...thank you! God knows what he needs, he just wants us to ask and seek Him!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!!!!!!!!

Lots of catching up to do!

2009-03-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

I know, I know! It has been a while since the last blog...and lots have happened since then!

That serious ice storm we were supposed to get...we got and it was indeed serious! We were without power for 48 hours which is a blessing compared to some. We had between 14 & 17 people at my mother-n-law's house sleeping and roughing it! As well as three dogs at one point! It was interesting, to say the least! My sister-n-law, husband and baby just moved here one day before it all hit and they were supposed to be staying with his mom until their house sells...well they ended up with us for 12 days...that is as long as they were without power & water since they have well water! So, needless to say that ice storm threw off my schedule and am still not sure I am back to myself 100%! This has taught me that I do not want to live out in a rural area and I don't want too many trees!

Since then I have been overwhelmed with school - this semester seems to be a weird one. I am enjoying my clinic placement just not enjoying classes very much! And I feel behind because I should already be studying for comps and well that hasn't happened yet! OH my I am sooooo ready to graduate and be a normal adult!

A few weekends ago I did have the opportunity to go visit my Grandpa for his 85th birthday! He is one amazing, godly man! I look up to him so much! He is special, his take on life is incredible and I aspire to be like him!

I have been in Sheridan the past three weekends! (Ashley Scott, Jeff & I passed you and Joe while we were in town on Saturday! You were yawning! ha!) The first of the three was Grandpa's birthday, the second was Kristin Freeman's wedding shower weekend extravaganza and last weekend our GCT basketball team was in the State Championship game so we stayed the night with mom & dad to keep from making in an all day Saturday trip! It sure has been nice getting to spend that time with my family! They are truly a blessing to me and I love seeing them every chance I am afforded!

Next weekend we are headed to Springdale for a bitter-sweet trip! The exciting part is that I am throwing Kristin Freeman a lingerie shower! I am so excited about this cause it will be so much fun! The sad part is that we will be moving most of our belongings from our home to prepare for some close friends to rent it! I sure miss that house and the memories we have had building, decorating and living in it! While building that house we were able to paint scripture on the floor (before the floor was laid) of each room; specific scripture and we walked room to room praying over that house and our lives in that house. I will always cling to our memories there and in Springdale. That is where Jeff and I grew so much in our marriage and really began our lives together. We moved to Springdale in the first six months of our marriage! I cannot believe that this July we will celebrate 6 years of marriage! Wow! Below is a photo of our Second home in Springdale!

Time sure does fly!

Until next time, Be blessed!

Fever (not to worry though)

2009-01-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

Due to some serious ice storm we are supposed to be getting this evening through Wednesday morning, my class this evening was canceled...so I decided I would do a little blogging!

I have been praying for so many friends that are pregnant right now or just have had a baby or giving baby showers; that one can't help but get THE BABY FEVER! It is crazy how many people I know that are growing or starting their families! It is so much fun to see what my friends kids turn out like and to hold them and all...that is until they spit up...then I am done. I get this overwhelming urge to throw up as well. The urge is almost unbearable (lots of gagging takes place in those moments)! This confirms how unready I really am for kiddos!

Getting the baby fever just makes me sit and think what if and all that jazz...then reality hits.........I'm in grad school and living with my mother & father-n-law!!!!!!! So, obviously not a good time right now!

However, I can't wait to be a mom! It is exciting to dream about feeling life inside me, hearing the baby cry and know what to do, to think about what their first words will be and see their face as they explore life, to hear he/she sing praises to Jesus, to hear them pray to ask Jesus to save them, to teach them how to serve Jesus, to take them to their first day of school, to make craft projects with them and to hear their sweet little voices say I love you mommy & daddy...I can't wait! One of these days (when I'm out of school) I want to experience these things. It is something that I never thought I was made for but God has placed that desire so strongly in my heart that I know he created me to be a mommy!

My prayer now, for the future is that God would create me to be more like a Proverbs 31 woman and more like Him! That I will have a quiet, soft spirit; one that seeks HIS face daily and has an abundance of FAITH even on the hard days this earth brings! I want to be spiritually prepared to be the best mommy I could ever be and show my children what it means to LOVE & SERVE our MIGHTY GOD! I want to be the salt & the light for those I come in contact with every day! I have so far to go with my spiritual condition; however, God is working in me NOW! I am so excited to see what all God is going to do through me this year! I am also praying to be more mindful of those around me who do not know Jesus & His amazing love for them!

Let me hear from you, tell me if you have the fever or if your pregnant or have been tell me about your experiences being pregnant! This will be fun!

I guess I should say all of this has come about because two of my very best friends are pregnant right now...one just called last week to tell me she is pregnant and my sister-n-law is preggo as well as being surrounded by women in our Sunday school class that are pregnant or have had a baby within the last 4 or 5 months. Oh and two of my cousins are pregnant too! I think I'm just at the age when everyone is having babies! haha! It is pretty comical! So, you can't blame me right!??

I have such a busy week ahead of me, but I hope to be able to post some photos this week to recap our Holidays.

Blessings to ALL of you this week!!

Hairstyle

2009-01-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

Alright all my fellow bloggers! I need some help! I have looked and looked for something, anything to give me a different look and am not having any luck.

I have a hair appointment set up for Wednesday and I need a new style! Every time I go, I chicken out on doing something different!

I need some suggestions! Remember, I cannot go too short (makes my face look fat) or too funky (I have to put my hair in a pony tail when I run)!

So, any suggestions would be helpful! I am counting on a few of you to really help me out!

Photo Tag Survey: Thanks Ashley!

2009-01-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Ashley inspired me to do this! I was so curious what would come up if I did this....

1. Go to Google.
2. Do an Image search for your answer to each question
3. Pick a picture off the first page of images that best answers the question
Here are my results:

1. What am I doing right now?

~Procrastinating a research paper that is due Friday morning!

2. My Age: Sadly it's 25! Half way to 50!

3. My First Name: Melissa

4. My Middle Name: Kay! This is a 55 year-old track start named Kay!

5. Last Name: Conaway! This guy has the same name as my hubby, but he is crazy!

6. My Maiden Name: Jones! This is a photo of my dad's favorite movie series!

7. Favorite Food: Fruit

8. Bad Habit: Sleeping In! Love doing this!!!

9. Past Pet: Snickers Sr. & Snickers Jr.

10. Grandma's Name: Imogene! She was much prettier than this one!

11. Past Love: Marching on the Henderson St. Bass Drum line!

12. First Job: Mazzio's Pizza Waitress

13. Favorite Place: The beach for sure!!!

14. If I went back to school I would be....wait I am back in school and I'm gonna be a SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST! No picture necessary here!!

15. If I could visit any place in the world it would be: Hawaii!!!

Hope you enjoyed! Just a little procrastinating on my part that I will soon regret later on!

2009-01-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

God has been so good to us and faithful to us in 2008!
Here is a recap!

1. We had the opportunity to start the year off in New York City! This was amazing, but freezing!
2. Jeff was hired as the Head Football Coach at Greene County Tech High School in his hometown.
3. I was accepted into the graduate program at ASU & started school in the summer.
4. After many sleepless and tearful nights I managed to come away with all A's my first two semesters.
5. I feel I have made my lifestyle a lot healthier over the last year.
6. We were excited to welcome our nephew Dallas into the world & to find out he is going to be a big brother!
7. Found a Bible believing Church & great group of friends there!
8. Found a small part time job I enjoy at the health club here.
9. Our house hasn't sold, yet God still has provided some friends to rent it.
10. Our marriage has been forced to grow stronger through Christ.
11. We celebrated 5 years of marriage in July.
12. Jeff had a great start to his coaching career!
13. Jeff was named the COACH OF THE YEAR for Northeast AR!
14. We have an amazing family that loves us and helps us out when we need it.
15. Last but not least my faith has grown so much over the last year!

Things I want for 2009:
1. To be more disciplined in my walk with Christ and spending more time in the Word!
2. I want Not to waste my time so much with TV & worldly things
3. Encourage others and lift them up in anyway I can
4. Finish Grad school with a 4.0
5. Graduate in December then go on vacation
6. Have a job lined up for January of 2010
7. Want to lose 5 lbs
8. Cheer my husband's football team on to 10 or more victories
9. I want to be a servant
10. Print photos off that currently set on my desktop
11. Begin & finish Jeff's scrapbook
12. Go shopping and find some sweet deals on a lot of things
13. I want to pride myself in finding and cooking healthy meals for my family
14. I want to be a lot healthier
15. I want to exemplify the Fruits of the Spirit!

Happy New year to my Friends and Family ~ if any of you are reading this! I am sure I have lost many readers due to my neglect of this blog lately! I do have lots of holiday photos I will put up soon!
Love & miss you all!
Melissa

Lessons Learned

2008-10-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately our GCT Golden Eagles have lost the past three games, but to some very good teams! (We are praying for a big win tonight over a really great team!) Losing is definitely not fun; however, I believe God teaches us so much through loss (regardless of what kind of loss it is). A few weeks ago Jeff was broken and I was as well. I began praying that God would do something incredible and unspeakable through all this and to heal my husband's heart! He did!

Jeff wrote the following and shared it with his players, coaches and since then it has been spread around the town and state touching lives for Christ! Kids & others have come to Christ because of what he shared! Read with an open heart! It is some good stuff! It is long, but please read it!

Lessons Learned
GCT Football 2008

I love the game of football because it teaches us so much about life. The following is a list of just a few lessons that I believe football can teach us.

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:2-4

1. In life, you will face many great trials or storms; much greater than the storms we face in the game of football. How you respond to the storms of life will define you as a person. How do you or how will you respond when you face a storm? Do you breakdown and self-destruct? Do you act out of fear, do you panic? Do you harm those around you with your words and actions? How will you respond to a storm in your marriage someday, your family, your career? Matthew 7:24-27 tells us the difference between building your foundation on the sand and building your foundation on the rock. “Falling down is not failure; not getting back up is failure.” “Adversity doesn’t teach character; adversity reveals character flaws.” Mike Ditka Chicago Bears

Natalie Grant “I Will Not Be Moved”
I will fall down, I will stumble, but I will not be moved.
I will make mistakes, I will have heartache, but I will not be moved.
On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand;
I will not be moved.

2. Football teaches us about humility. During seasons of success, we sometimes become proud and complacent. We tend to begin “going through the motions” and we believe that we cannot fall. Things become boring and dry. We become vulnerable. Then we are defeated. Life is very much the same way. We often fall when we lose our passion. We lose our desire to succeed. We become tired, bored, and passionless. King David made the biggest mistake of his life during such a time (2 Samuel 11). When we become too relaxed, our weaknesses are revealed. We become a target of defeat. You’ve heard the expression, “pride comes before the fall” and it is so true. Proverbs 18:12 says, “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but before honor comes humility.” It is just as important to correctly manage success as it is to handle defeat. Sometimes, both can be equally challenging.

3. Football teaches us the importance of friendships and family. Friday night we as coaches spent time praying together. We prayed for healing because we were broken. We prayed that you guys would also be healed and built back up even stronger. There is great power in friendships and family. Are you building friendships? Are you learning how to work together as a team and a family? Life is all about relationships. You must learn to work with those around you. You must learn to lift each other up during the good times and the bad. You must stop picking on each other, laughing at each other, stealing from one another, fighting, running to be first in line, creating cliques and not allowing others in your circle of friends. Who are you investing in? Are you anyone’s hero? In order to succeed in this game, we must be a family and we must put others before ourselves. If we put ourselves first, the team will suffer. The same is true in life! When you place yourself first in any relationship, the results will be destruction.

4. Football teaches us how to prepare for the test. Victories in football (and in life) are won in the preparation. Proverbs 10: 4 says, “Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring riches.” Proverbs 12:14 says, “The work of a man’s hands will reward him.” And, Proverbs 14:23 states that “There is profit in all hard work, but endless talk leads only to poverty.” How are you preparing for each game? Are you giving your all in practice? Are you mentally preparing for each opponent? Are you physically preparing through intense practices? Even more, how are you preparing for you future? Are you gaining knowledge in the classroom or are you simply going through the motions? Are you studying and applying yourself to receive an education or are you spending time being lazy? How prepared will you be for your career? What are you doing to prepare for your wife someday? Are you filling your mind and heart with junk or will you commit to purity? How are you preparing to be a father someday? Will you be a leader in your household or will your family resent your leadership? Are you leading on this football team? Again, football can teach us so many things that will prepare us for future success. Please try to learn these valuable lessons now. It is better to learn them now than to experience defeat later in life.

5. I also believe that football can teach us a valuable lesson about defeat. We will certainly fall down in life and, as we did Friday, we will stumble in the game of football. However, it is how we respond to adversity that will make or break us. It is my goal to have the same mindset that Paul had when he wrote, “…forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead. I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:13-14

What lessons will you learn this week? It is up to each of us to decide how we will respond to adversity. It is through adversity that our true character will be clearly seen by others. We have 3 weeks left in the regular season. Our goal of making the playoffs for the first time in 17 years is very attainable. If we can unite as a team and bring intensity to practice, we will achieve our goal. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your activities to the Lord and your plans will be achieved.” I am going to commit these last weeks to the Lord. I am willing to give my very best so that we can be successful. My prayer is that each of you will follow my leadership by doing the same. Together we can do something special! Many times we have very little control of the outcome of a football game. However, you can control how you develop into a man of character and integrity.

I love you all,
Coach Conaway
GCT Football
Proverbs 16:3

And this is the man I am married to! Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!

A little catching up to do...

2008-10-16T21:53:00.001-07:00

Alright, so after checking a few blogs today I have decided to partake in the little blog posting that my friend Charity inspired me to do...along with my friends Ashley & Kristin! I love catching up with people and checking in on my friends, so here it goes for all of you who enjoy doing the same...

What I've been up to lately:

Trying to sell about 500 t-shirts that sit in my mother-n-law's kitchen area that say something about GCT football! I have to say they are pretty darn cute!
Taking classes & staying up till 2am studying!
Giving speech therapy!
Cheering for Jeff's football team! They are doing so awesome!
Making myself go to the gym.
Trying not to speed to & from school everyday (to save on gas $ & to avoid a ticket).
Being suckered into being the Chair & C0-Chair of a committee for NSSLHA.
And trying not to be so up tight and give it all to God!

What I am looking forward to:

Our upcoming football games & hopefully playoff games!
My family coming up this weekend.
Selling our house!
A break from school.
The lovely fall weather & the leaves changing.
The rest of my life with my husband! He's the man!
The day I don't depend on caffeine!! - will that ever go away?
One day-- becoming a mom, but currently enjoy my furry little girl!
Saturday afternoons watching college football with Jeff! And going to A-State games!

Things I am EXCITED about!

Growing closer in my walk with God & my husband!
The fact that after two & a half years I get a fall & winter break! AWESOME!
The direction our church is moving in.
Thanksgiving & Christmas and what they mean!
I only have six more weeks of class till Christmas break!
That I am in grad school trying to better our future.
That this time next year I will know if I passed comps & will hopefully be actively searching for a job. And plan to NEVER go back to school again! Sorry, I don't think I will be getting my doctorate.
Seeing my friend Melissa Swain tomorrow morning and her little man!

Things I try not to think about, BUT often pray about!

Our house will sell in Springdale!
Health Insurance & what we should do.
Not having a paycheck.
The election!
Taking care of my body & being healthy
Bills! Boo!!!

That is it - boring I know! I am sure there is more but I am tired! I have two of my first visitors from Springdale coming to visit me in the morning so I'd better go! I would love to know how you all are doing, drop me a note!

Love & Miss you ALL!!!

Pictures from our past couple of conference games!!

2008-10-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

A future GCT Cheerleader! This is my niece Hannah!

This is Jeff after our first conference win against Forrest City! He was soaked!

Jeff coaching up the team and congratulating them after another win at Wynne!

GCT Golden Eagles!!!

2008-10-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

Well, they did it again! Another win Friday night against Wynne Yellowjackets makes 4 in a row! The last time GCT beat the Wynne Yellowjackets was in 1995, so this was a big win! Our current record is 4-1! Which is incredible! Some big things are happening over here and that is because God is blessing us! We give Him ALL the glory for what he is doing and are so thankful!

We have some really big & fast opponents coming up starting with Blytheville next week! We are praying for all our players to be healthy for that game, be 100% and to play to the very best of their ability!

I will post pictures from the last few games as soon as I have an opportunity. Most likely it will be Monday!

Thank you for your well wishes & prayers! We love you guys!

I've Been Tagged...

2008-09-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by my friend Kate!

So here goes nothing...

1. I am a perfectionist & health enthusiast

2. I went to college on a band scholarship at Henderson State University. Played the Bass Drum during marching season and Trombone during concert season!

3. I enjoy cheering way too much and too loud at my husband's football games! They might as well stick me in the eagle costume!

4. I absolutely love being a Coach's wife! And I love football! And think my husband is one of the best coaches!

5. My husband wants four kids! I tell him let's have one then talk about the experience!!

6. I am blessed with the greatest In-Laws in the world! Seriously, that is not sarcastic either! My Mother-in-Law is like a friend and my sister-n-laws are like my sister!!

7. I am constantly trying to figure out how to get in shape.

I am tagging my friends Ashley Scott, Tracy Purdy, Kristin Freeman, Kristen Nelson, Charity Murdock, & Alicia! Their links are on the page!

Pageants & Names (quick f.ball update)

2008-09-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

I believe everyone is entitled to name their children what they would like. I believe unique names are a good thing for the most part. And I understand a parent's desire to change the spelling of their child's name if it is a popular name they have chosen! More power to these parents!

This past Saturday was mine, my mom and sister's fourth year at directing the Timberfest Pageant in Sheridan! Just a small festival pageant, but it is loads of fun and not to mention loads of work!

It never fails, every year we have people complain that we mispronounced their name or a child's name. And while our emcee was changing clothes to entertain the crowd, I took over the emceeing for one group! I was thinking fine, this will be great! I love talking to audiences and love to emcee...so no big deal! I glanced over the names of the girls in the group to make sure I could say their names and I guess I didn't look close enough. As I was announcing each contestant I found one name that I had no idea how to say! Oh, goodness! And I discovered I had no clue what this child's name was immediately after I announced her number for her to come out on stage and it went something like this...

"Contestant # 5"........................................??????????????? ( I turned to my sister and she had no idea of what to say and we were both speechless), then I turned to the little girl who is standing on stage wondering what is going on and said "Sweet heart, I am sorry I do not know how to pronounce your name!" She yelled from across the stage Mikayla!!! Oh, yes Mikayla! Really...

Oh, goodness how stupid of me right! Well, it looked like Michaela so I said Michael - a. I felt terrible; however, I blame this parent for this goof up! I understand the desire to spell your child's name differently, I do! However, when your child is in a pageant or anything else to where their name has to be read by a stranger over a sound system -- it is best to just spell it the normal way or what would be easiest for the person emceeing! Our poor emcee also did this with a parent's name. The name was spelled Charla so that is what she said "CHarla." Well, the mom was irate backstage because it should have been pronounced Sharla! Now who's fault is that!

Moral of the story is - when your name or your child's name is being announced somewhere by someone you don't know. Spell the name how it should look in a normal way or how it should SOUND! Then everyone is happy!

Football update - We won our first conference game on Friday night against a very good and fast Forrest City team! Jeff was drenched after the game and it wasn't sweat! The boys got him good! There is a big excitement in the town of Paragould about this football team and it is fun to see! Thanks for all your prayers! We play a very good Wynne football team this Friday!

A bunch of useless ramblings...

2008-09-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

As a graduate student I am constantly exercising my brain so hard and every now and then I have a moment to just think of crazy things...I think they are crazy because I don't have time to be thinking about them. But another fellow grad student and I got to chatting about the things that we do that are so much alike and she is just like me! It is scary! Below are a few of the crazy things I have realized make me a crazy Type A personality!

As far as driving goes...I like it fast and furious! I have a need for speed, I feel like driving slow is a waste of time!

And I do not like to waste time! Unless I PLAN to waste time! I know, it doesn't make sense!

I'm not good with spur-of-the moment things, but am trying to get better! I feel like if it can be helped and you spring something on someone it is just rude. My dad always had a saying in our house, when my mom lost her keys or just couldn't locate them before the minute she had to be flying out the door...."poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part" and I love that saying! Ha!

I have recently discovered that earplugs are amazing!!!!!!! For tests especially; however, I feel the need to sniff a lot when I have them in my ears! While testing the smallest things will drive me nuts; such as others sniffing, writing, tapping, breathing and the list goes on! I know it is ridiculous! That is my sister's fault!

I love sleeping in and taking Sunday afternoon naps!

No one does things like I want them done! This may be read as selfish; but I think I'm just crazy and my dad taught me this trait! If you want it done right, do it yourself!

I can't wait to have kids and I CAN wait all at the same time! I am scared for my life to change so drastically. I have seen so many friends go through this process and I just feel like the first 6 weeks are the most unglamorous! I would like to think that I can handle this whole process and not miss a beat! For instance, just have a child without all the medication and feel okay after the labor process is over and once released from the hospital be able to run with no problems and fit back into pre-pregnancy clothes and not to mention get the same amount of sleep! But I just have a feeling that if God chooses to bless us with children that he will teach me a thing or to about my Type-A personality! But at least you know some of the things I will be praying for along the way! Haha!

I know I am getting older and older because I find more things to be Type A about. I just wish I could go back to the carefree days of childhood.
That's it for tonight; just a bunch of useless ramblings. Trying to use my brain in a different way other than for school and therapy alone!

Oh and by the way, our GCT Golden Eagles brought home another win Friday night!

First 2 Games of GCT!!!!

2008-09-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

Game One Photos!!! This was the biggest crowd in school history! It was intense!!

2008-09-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

Praise the LORD -- What a team!!!

After losing our first game, our Greene County Tech Golden Eagles won big on Friday night against Highland! The final score was 53-21! The team played so well and it was very exciting and emotional to watch! For a moment, I felt as though we were watching the Shiloh Saints play!

There is nothing like seeing your husband do what he loves to do and be rewarded for all his hard work and those other coaches who put in so many hours to be successful! The guys were so excited and the fans were too! God bless our cheerleaders because they do numerous amounts of push-ups every time we score and I know they are super sore still today from Friday!

I don't have the ability to post pictures tonight but I will do that at some point tomorrow in the midst of what will be one of the longest days of my life! Nothing big, just lots of school stuff! My day will begin with lots of hearing screenings (at least 50) at an elementary school at 8am, then off to give an evaluation, then two therapy sessions and finally class until 9pm! So, at some point I will post so photos from our first two football games of the season!

Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes throughout these past few months! We feel them! We still need prayer for our house to sell!
Thank you for all your support!

Back to School!

2008-08-25T19:53:00.001-07:00

I just got home from one of the longest days! It was my first day back to school for my second semester of graduate school! Did you catch all that? Ha!

I knew I had to give this day to God before starting it or I knew I would come home in tears! It most definitely was a trying day and will prove to be one heck of a semester! With every day of grad school that passes I feel as though I have accomplished something! I know I'm one day closer to a paycheck and that is great to think about and I actually made it through the day. The great thing about getting my masters now is that I'm older and don't let myself freak out about too many things (only a few, and tears are a must when I am frustrated)! I just know I have to get it done and it will eventually get done! So, today I reminded myself that it will get done when I was given all my clinic assignments for the semester. I only have three clients but I will have some very long Mondays and weeks ahead of me. Mondays: I leave for school at 10am then don't get home till 10pm!

But God is good!

I have to admit I am totally looking forward to fall and Christmas break! It has been such a long time since I have been on a school schedule it is going to be nice!

God continues to be faithful! I have been praying specifically for some things and He is starting to unfold things in His timing! His timing is the key! Ha! Things never happen when I want it to but it is always perfect!

Soooo, this journey God has me on in this life is getting better and more interesting everyday! I am thankful for so many things and God is soooooo good!

Football Season + Grad School = Busy, Busy

2008-08-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

I get it, I totally get it! Why God has placed or has yet to place certain things in my life. He is calling me to a closer walk and I am humbled by the journey he has me on right now! I feel as though my spirit is unsettled and I desire so much more from my relationship with Christ! I love being in a place like this!

I have fully realized this past weekend how sad I am to leave Northwest Arkansas (friends, Shiloh & our home) but how excited I am for what God is doing in Northeast Arkansas! I knew when I married a coach our lives would not be settled in one place for very long; just kinda goes with the territory! But I love being a coach's wife! It keeps me young and well keeps our schedule full! I also love the influence Jeff has on so many people.

At this point, lots of things are happening! I have finished my first semester of Graduate school with a 4.0! Yay God!! And am moving into next semester with the same prayer that God would show me favor in my studies! Jeff is really gearing up for football! It is so exciting! I am praying for things that Paragould people don't believe will happen just so we can say - God did it! I am also praying that God would show Jeff favor with the kids, coaches and community!

Oh man, I can't forget! It seems like every where I turn the women I meet or are friends with in NWA are pregnant or just had a baby or have a whole litter of kids! Ha! It is bizarre, I'm not sure if it is the fact that I am now at an age that people typically start having kids or what! Sure makes Jeff and I feel a bit out of place! Our new small group has five pregnant ladies and everyone else has kids! Jeff and I were laughing this past Sunday because everyone else was going on about life before kids and we gave each other the knuckle bump (like- yea, it's sweet)!! Ha! Everyone laughed, but I believe that God will bless our lives with children one day! And that will be a sweet day and a sweet time in our lives! However, I am a bit scared of the process, personally! But know that if you are a friend of mine and are pregnant, I am praying for you and your baby!

Sorry it has been so long since the last post! And sorry this is so long! I will try and post pictures soon!
With Love,
Melissa

God's Plan!!! Amazing Stuff!!

2008-07-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! That is all I can say at the way God works!

Our journey into head coaching and graduate school has been great but stressful none the less! God has continued to sustain us in ways never imagined. I am in awe of the work he is doing in our lives and the ways he is using us!

This past weekend we were back in good 'ole Northwest Arkansas! It was a refreshment for the both of us to see so many people who were encouraging us in this journey God has us on (I would also call it a mission). Ever since Jeff has moved here God has been using him in the community and with our football team! Well, while in NWA this weekend he had about 21 players that came with him to the 7 on 7 tournament. Jeff had his team stay in the 24-7 building of First Baptist. Shawn Smith spoke to the team on Thursday night and Michael Guyer spoke to them on Friday night! There were 7 boys among that group of 21 who prayed to receive Christ this weekend!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah! God continues to confirm to us that we are where he wants us!

I just can't get over God's goodness! Takes my breath away!

It was great to see my many friends this weekend! I hold you all close to my heart and love you guys! May God do something great in your lives this week!

Comes around about ONCE a month

2008-07-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Conaways!!

I am sorry to all my friends and family who constantly check my blog only to be let down because nothing new has been going on worth blogging... well I am here to tell you there have been plenty of things worthy of posting here; however, I have been completely and utterly exhausted from school and the hours I continuously put in. It is never ending! The work is rediculous but will make me stronger. I am always writing some sort of paper, usually! That is probably the main reason this is neglected!

As, I write this blog I sit in bed in our home in Springdale! Jeff and I are over here for the weekend because he brought his team to a 7 on 7 competition to get them as much experience with the new offense as possible! I tell you, this day has been long, overwhelming and exciting all at the same time! Long because I woke up around 5:30 am and I am still up writing this, overwhelming because I came back to my home that is still for sale and it is bittersweet, and exciting because Jeff and I have been able to already see so many people who we have missed and have gotten to catch up...oh and exciting because it's time for some FOOTBALL!!!

I love being a coach's wife and everything that goes with it. I love that these kids keep me feeling young even when I am not! I love encouraging kids to better their lives and strive for something, I love most of all the influence my husband has on his football players! I thank God daily for what a Godly influential man he has placed in my life! Saturday Jeff and I will be celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary! We will celebrate with football, but it is celebrating and that's all that matters! These have been the best 5 years of my life and it has only seemed to get better. With every new adventure God continues to bless our marriage and our lives! So, with that I say to Jeff...I LOVE YOU AND AM MORE THANKFUL FOR YOU EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Just another note on our house: The house is being shown again Sunday July 13 at 11:30am! If you think of it or just after reading this, we would appreciate a short prayer asking God to sell our house soon! And that these people are the buyers for this house! Thanks again for all your prayers, concern and support!

We love you all and are thankful for you!

It's been a while!!

2008-06-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

I know that is has been over a month since my last post! I am so sorry! A lot has happened in this past month to keep me very busy!

For starters, I moved around the first of May! We are still praying that our house will sell and are currently living with Jeff's mom! That is going really well! She is a very gracious woman and I am thankful for her willingness to letting us stay! We also, have a new newphew...Dallas Weston Hitt! He's the cutest cowboy I have ever seen!!!

Secondly, we have been gearing up for all the football stuff coming up... we had our first fundraiser and that turned out to be rather successful, had the spring game and getting ready for the summer schedule! Their first 7 on 7 is this weekend! Fingers crossed! Some exciting things have been going on and Jeff is very encouraged about what's to come in the future! Below are a few photos from our Spring Game! Go Eagles!!!

And lastly, I started school on May 28th! And oh man has it been difficult! Just getting back into the swing of things and conditioning my mind and body on waking up at 5am just to go to class! The work load expected is unreal! I have so much to do and am just really not sure of how they want it done! But God is great and faithful in sustaining my energy and mental focus! I also could not have been blessed anymore than I am with better professors and cohorts! We have such a great group of girls in the first year graduate group! Everyone has been so helpful! I know this year and a half will go by quickly but will be so hard; I keep telling myself that I won't be happy with what I do in life until I finish this degree! So, I keep on keeping on!

To add to the stress level of this past week...my car decides to breakdown or I should say overheat and well there goes a bunch of money fixing it! Jeff was great in taking that stress away from me and dealing with it all himself! I am so thankful for his understanding of my stress with school!

Hope this has caught you up on the Conaways as of late...enough procrastinating for me...gotta get to work!!!

Moving very soon!

2008-04-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

The time has come for me to pack my things and be with my husband! This week will be my last week here. We will have to come back when the house sells but other than that we will be calling a new place home! I will be heading out of town the weekend of May 1-3.

Things are coming together really well in Paragould for both Jeff and I:

Jeff has a lot of exciting things going on with the football program. He is cleaning things up and perfecting some things that needed his hand in them. He finally has a desk and computer and we are getting ready to kick off our first fundraiser for the Greene County Tech Football program!

I met with the director of the Communication Disorders program at ASU this past Tuesday and realized just how tough this venture will be. God has answered prayer for providing for my tuition for graduate school. And I praise HIM for that! God has continued to show Himself faithful!

We have found a great group of faithful friends that we enjoy so much! Jeff and I are still praying about what church to call home. I have not had the opportunity to visit with Jeff as much as I would like.

Our house has been shown a few times over the past couple of weeks but no offers yet! We know God will sell this house! We are trusting in Him!

I have to say that our time in Northwest Arkansas was a blessing in every way possible! We are so thankful for the people who have touched, blessed and poured into our lives while we were here. We loved the opportunities we had to minister to the students of Shiloh Christian and First Baptist Church, Springdale. We know that God used our time in NWA as a time to grow us and prepare us for the ministry that is to come! I certainly thought that my last week in Northwest AR would be easier than I am finding it to be, due to me having more time to say 'good-bye.' It is mighty hard!

So, we will say it is not 'good-bye' but "UNTIL NEXT TIME!"

Biggest Loser

2008-04-14T17:37:00.001-07:00

I am such a fan of the TV show called The Biggest Loser! I love that this show is about people trying to better themselves and realizing their struggle with weight has gotten out of hand! Most of these people who go on this show could qualify for gastric bypass surgery and they choose to lose the weight the natural way!

The LIVE season Finale is on Tuesday night at 7pm. My favorite contestant on the show is Ali! She has lost 99lbs and looks incredible! I hope she wins! You should watch to see these people's before and afters, they are truly amazing and should inspire you.

These people inspire and motivate me to take care of myself. One of my biggest fears in life is not being healthy and gaining a bunch of weight. I have always been driven to take care of myself whether that is eating right or working out; it is a priority in my life. When I watch The Biggest Loser and I see how hard these people are training in the gym it makes me reflect on my workouts and that I can always push myself harder. Seriously if these people, who have lost more weight than I even weigh, can workout that hard I should be able to!

I firmly believe that you should take care of yourself! If not for you, do it for the PEOPLE who LOVE you!

So here are a few tips on taking care of yourself:

1. Do some sort of cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 min. 5 times a week. - That is bare minimum! Weight training is great to incorporate with cardio for ultimate fat burning!

2. Eat 6 small meals a day: really it is 3 meals and 3 snacks. The more often you eat, the more your metabolism speeds up.

3. Eat Breakfast! Many people don't understand why breakfast is important...When you sleep, your metabolism slows down. So, eating breakfast jump starts your day and will speed up your metabolism to burn more calories during that day. Not eating breakfast will keep your metabolism slow from the night before and you will probably end up binge eating or over eating at a meal or find your self mindless eating and you will burn fewer calories in that day.

4. Drink some Green Tea! Green Tea has a lot of antioxidants in it that are great for your body and will also give your metabolism a boost. White Tea is great too!

5. Eat a clean diet six days a week and give yourself a CHEAT day! There is a book about eating a clean diet - let me know if you are interested and I will email you the name of it! Basically don't over do it on Sodium or Sugar intake, eat red meat once a week, watch out for the bad fat and carbs, eat green food, eat lean protein. Stop eating fast food! (My view on fast food changed after watching the movie called 'Supersize Me' a documentary by Morgan Spurlock - you should watch it). Giving yourself a cheat day will give you something to look forward to and will make up for any lack of calories your body got throughout the week.

6. Figure out good healthier options for the things you love to eat!

7. Get your family, Spouse or significant other involved in your journey and be commited!

There are many more but I will stop at that! I could go on for days!

Please watch The Biggest Loser tomorrow night at 7pm on NBC and be inspired to change your life!

I will leave you with an inspirational picture! Haha!! Love you guys!

My Personality: Sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it!

2008-04-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

I am what you would call a type-A personality! I love to plan things out and have a plan-A and a Plan-B,C & D! Seriously, it is that bad! I am trying to be a bit more relaxed but I find it impossible at times! I plan out what I will eat and when I will eat it, when I workout and plan my months out well in advance. Not too good at spur-of-the-moment things; they tend to really upset me! I am having one of those moments right now. And I am trying to win the battle! Writing about it makes me feel as though I am making some progress.

Simply put, I like to be in CONTROL!!! I find my days are wasted if I do not make a list of things I want or need to do in a day. So, I am most definitely in love with routine and work really well when I am in a good one. The days I am experiencing right now are very relaxing as I am not working and get to workout whenever and however long I want; however, they are driving me crazy as well. Because there is NO routine really. I know that I need the rest I am getting because the next phase of my life is going to be so busy. I am thankful to God for this sabbatical I am on. But Lord help me through this battle of my personality!

A bit of everything and a PRAYER Request!

2008-04-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to catch everyone up on our lives as of late!

Jeff was on Spring Break this past week and had a chance to come back in town and visit me and a number of other people who also missed him! That was so nice just to have him back here one last time before we are truly gone from NWA. It was bitter sweet! It was a fabulous weekend and the moment he left on Sunday was so emotional for me! I was terribly upset! This time away from one another is getting harder and harder! So, I am asking everyone to pray that our house sells before I start graduate school on May 28th! I know that it is God's will for us to move to Paragould and for me to be with my husband so this house has to sell! It was shown on Sunday night and on Monday afternoon during the monsoon! The buyers on Sunday found a house they liked better and I have not heard back from the people that came on Monday.

My sister also came to see me before Jeff came and we had some great sister time! She is my best friend and truly an angel. I took her to Carrabbas for dinner one night - she enjoyed it so much that she told me she felt sorry for me moving to Paragould! I just laughed! She is so funny!

One last thing! I got a chance to talk to the head of the Communication Disorders program yesterday and he is such an encouraging man! He makes me even more excited to start school again! Who knew I would be excited to go to school!! And when checking my email today it hit me that I am really doing this - I am really going back to school!! Which has been a dream of mine and a prayer of mine for so long! So, I opened my email and found one email entitled "To: MCD Class of 2009" -- That is ME!! Another emotional moment! I am so thankful to God for this opportunity; it is a true blessing that I am going back to school! God is so awesome ALL the time! Not just in the good times but also in the hard times! God is faithful and I am thankful that I am HIS child!

Baby Sitter for HIRE!!

2008-03-12T09:23:00.001-07:00

Alright! So, I had the chance to babysit a really cute little boy last night named Jet! It was so much fun! We played outside chasing each other, digging in the dirt (we even found Mr. Worm) and climbed a mountain of rocks!

I keep telling people that I am a really great baby sitter and they should spread the word that I am looking for work! So, for all of you out there with kiddos or with friends that have kiddos in the NWA area let them know I'm great and they need a date night! Ha!! Seriously though, I am available most of the time! I know - it's a bit sad!

So, I'll leave you with this...Hire me for all your babysitting needs!

Beautiful

2008-03-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

Golly Jeepers...it is a BEAUTIFUL day! As I was laying on a pallet I made out in the backyard this morning I was reminded of how beautiful God is! And how beautiful the things he has made are! I am so thankful for those little reminders God puts in our lives from time to time!

I was taken back to childhood while laying outside! This weather reminds me of the pilgrim days! Yes, my friend and I used to play like we were pilgrims out in her yard when the weather was nice like this! It was so much fun! We dressed up in little outfits, grabbed some blankets and some sheets and headed to the creek. I loved the imagination I had as a kid! I wonder where that went off to?!? Those were the good ole' days, nothing to worry about except if my play outfit was realistic enough! Haha!

On another note, I am still here in Springdale waiting on the house to sell! Jeff is in Paragould and is missing me and me missing him! The past couple of nights I have been scared for whatever reason and so I have stayed up till 1am ish! I think God knows how bad we miss each other and is trying to get me to just go! So, I am going this weekend; not for good just for a visit! I know God will be faithful in selling our house but I am asking for everyone to please pray that is happens sooner rather than later! I start school on May 28th and don't want to have to worry about this house!

Okay - one more thing and I will leave it for today!! I am trying to gather a list of places I want or need to eat at before officially leaving Northwest AR for Northeast AR! A few on the list right now are Hugos, Pesto Cafe, Bordinos and Emilas! Let me know of your favorites or ones you think I ought to go to before heading out!

It's Official!!!! YAY!!!

2008-03-04T11:34:00.001-08:00

It’s official! I am going to graduate school! How scary is that! I got the letter in the mail confirming that I have been accepted into the Master of Communication Disorders program at Arkansas State University.

I had Jeff on the phone with me Thursday night as I returned from the gym and was so nervous to open the letter for fear of rejection! I finally opened it and screamed so loud…Jeff assumed that was a good thing! Needless to say I am so excited! I have waited on this opportunity for two years and am sure that this has been in God’s plans from the beginning of the drama with all the schools I have attended.

I have an abundance of very mixed emotions underneath the load of excitement that I am carrying! Just wondering what it’s all going to be like, if I will still be in love with and passionate about this field, wondering if I will be a good student and wanting to be one of the very best they have, hoping I am still good at therapy and the list just goes on! But I pray that as God has blessed me with this opportunity he will soothe my anxiety about so much! He doesn’t give us something we can’t handle - so I know I am going to tackle this challenge and do my very best! I know this is my calling in life! And if I can be half the speech language pathologist that Nancy Hardman and Carol Morgan are then I will call myself a success! Those two OBU professors have been an inspiration to me and invested so much in me and I am thankful to God for them! And for this new adventure that I am on! Graduation should be December of 2009!

Transition!

2008-02-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

Well, since there seems to be so much transition in our lives right now I decided to start a blog since we are moving away from some very special people in our lives (the Shiloh Family)! Everyone else is doing it - so why not!

For those of you who haven't heard, Jeff accepted a head coaching job at his alma matter in Paragould, AR (this is 20 min. north of Jonesboro)! He has already moved and begun the journey of building a great program! I am still living in Springdale until our house sells and am just driving back and forth to see my husband! I have a lot of time on my hands since I really don't have a job other than selling real estate which you can hardly call a job since it is so slow! So, I am up for some baby sitting gigs!

I am excited about this journey we are on and our new ministry! I am also excited because I am applying for graduate school at Arkansas State University! I should know by the 29th of this month or so if I am accepted or not! This is a bit scary for me but I am trusting God's plans and know that if for some reason I am not accepted this is not my calling and God has bigger, better things for me!

I have been over here in Paragould since Monday afternoon and already miss everyone in NWA! Luckily I will be back in NWA soon!

Here are some photos from the Greene County Tech press conference!