Two Week Review

We have entered into our third week of parenting two, and thus I figured a review would be in order. The great news is that we have had a lot of help so far. My mother was here the first week with us as we transitioned from the hospital to the house. She was a major asset to us! She cooked, she cleaned, she washed, she changed diapers, she held the babies, etc. We then had three days between helpers before Deborahs aunt Pat and cousin Allison came into town from Colorado. Allison was here for four days, and Aunt pat is staying here till this Saturday. They, too, have been so helpful to us. Allison is a pediatric nurse and Pat is a retired physical therapist, so Allie was our doctor on demand and Pat has massaged out all of our stress!

The boys have been wonderful. Fields had his first fever of his life last week, and the jury is still out as to whether it was more traumatic for him or for us! It turned out to be a case of Rosiola. The great news about Fields is this: He adores Cannon! There is not a waking hour that goes by where Fields is not kissing, hugging, patting, or rubbing on Cannon (especially his ear). Cannon has hung in there with all of the 'affection' from his big brother. He is sleeping very well for a two week old, and he eats a lot as well. He really has been as 'easy' baby, especially since he never cries! Of course, he can let it out when we change him and our hands are cold, but in all honesty, he is pretty chilled out for a newborn.

Deborah is, as always, handling things beautifully. With the help that we have had, she has taken the chance to rest at times during the day, and most nights, Cannon does not keep us up much at all. Wesley is on Christmas break, which gives me the opportunity to be at home right now with everyone. We are looking forward to our first Christmas as a family of four!

Enjoy a few new pictures!

clay for the kirklands

Introducing Mr. cannon asher kirkland

Today, cannon asher kirkland was born at 2:10 pm! He weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces, was 20 1/2 inches long, with dark hair, great skin tone, and brownish eyes. Deborah did INCREDIBLY well - the whole process from water breaking to cannon was forty minutes and four big pushes! Fields adores him already. Much, much more will come in the near future, but I am too freakin tired to do any more!

clay for the kirklands

Graduation Celebration

Well, you should all know by now that Deborah is incredible! Here is another example of her awesomeness: Last Friday, I finished my last seminary class! After 5 busy years, Deborah wanted to do something special for me as a celebration. She went straight to the sweetspot of my heart: FOOD!

I am a real food snob - if it bothers you, blame my parents because they raised me to be that way. I grew up eating at some of the best restaurants in the southeast. So, now, my passion for good food and the culinary arts are still as strong as ever. Here in Athens, we have some really wonderful restaurants, with 5 and 10 being the premier restaurant in this city. Hugh Acheson is the head chef there, and he is AMAZING. He won best new chef from Food and Wine among other things.

We have eaten at 5 and 10 a few times to celebrate our anniversary, and each time it gets better. I was able to meet Hugh at Deborah's cousins wedding two summers ago when he catered the reception - it was a great experience.

So, Deborah pulled off a big surprise and had Hugh Acheson come to our house last night and cook for us!!!!!!!!! When he came to the door, I was so confused to see Hugh with a bunch on cooking supplies! He spent 2 hours in my kitchen, using my cookware, cleaning all of the dishes he used, serving us at the table, and talking our heads off about the restaurant business, cooking secrets, and funny stories about our kids.

It was probably the coolest thing that anyone has ever done for me! I was so incredibly blessed, and I believe that I had a perma-smile on my face the whole night. I woke up this morning still thinking about the experience. Below is what was on the menu:

- Spinach salad with grilled pear, maytag blue cheese, walnuts, and shallot-thyme vinaigrette

- Tomato and bread soup with homemade pimento cheese grilled cheese sandwich

- Poached beef eye of ribeye with shitake mushroom duxelle, broccoli gratin, and simple jus

- Peach cobbler with homemade peach ice cream

Wesley is BACK!!!!!

Hey everyone - Let me first answer a question from the fan mail: "Clay, your blog is so totally boss. Can you please let me know why you have not been writing during the past month? I heard that you fast a lot - are you fasting blogging?"

No, I have not been on a blog 'fast.'

OK, so now that the fans are satisfied, let me give you an update on our ministry. We had our first wesley of the school year this past Wednesday. We are meeting this year in a large room in the new student center that is called, Tate 2 (since the original student center is called the 'Tate Center'). Tate 2 is located right in the middle of campus beside the stadium, and it is a perfect location for students who live both on and off campus to congregate.

We had been spending the majority of our time the past few weeks getting ready to load in our sound and lights, but two days before our service, we found out that we were going to be able to use the stage, lights, and sound that had been set up for the Kellie Pickler concert!!! As you look at the pics below, you will notice how 'professional' it appears. We certainly were blessed by it all, but this week we will be back to normal - Wesley level sound and lights, which is on a campus ministry budget level!

The night of the service, students started pouring in from everywhere once we opened the doors. Having been here for quite some time, both Deborah and I know that the first night is always the biggest. But, despite our prior experiences, it never gets old to see students hungry to meet with the Lord after being away from Wesley all summer. The crowds kept growing and growing till we were bulging out of every side of our new room! The front 'mosh pit' and all of the open areas in the back were jammed tightly. We are not sure of the exact number, but we do know that there were well over one thousand students there since we nearly had one thousand seats placed in the room.

We are geared up for an incredible year. Our staff is the largest we have ever had at Wesley, and thus far they have been amazingly willing to serve others and pursue the Lord eagerly. The student leadership team this year had an incredible retreat just before the school year began, and all of us could tell that as a corporate body, our leaders are going to go for it all this year. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel and have toward the Lord for all that He has already done and is doing at Wesley this year. We will be sure to keep you posted.

clay for the kirklands

Season of BUSY

Hey Everyone - we have reached that time of year again where everything in our lives moves into hyper-speed for a while. In the next month, we have our 8th anniversary, Fields' first birthday, Intern Training for 53 young men and women who will comprise our intern staff this year, The first Wesley service of the new school year, my last final ever for seminary, the results of Deborah's licensure process, and much, much, more!

As you can see from the pictures down below, this season is making us T-I-R-E-D!! We would LOVE your prayers for grace and strength!

Thanks,

Clay for the Kirklands

this is the process of Fields waking up from a late morning nap!!!!!!!!!!!!

Drum roll please...

And the verdict is:

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!

Due date is 12.5.09 and everything looked perfectly perfect on the ultrasound today!

clay for the growing kirkland family

BIG week for us...

This Thursday, we will hopefully be able to tell whether we are having a boy or a girl this winter! We actually were planning to find out a few weeks ago, but our doctor had two women go into labor while we were waiting for him to see us! So, we rescheduled for this Thursday - we will certainly post the results when we have them...

In other news, we attended the Madison Sunflower Festival this weekend, and it was the first mini-horse ride for Fields! He is really, really close to walking - he can stand alone but gets pretty shaky when he tries to move forward. Usually, he just plops down without trying!

Below are some pics from the festival....Enjoy!

clay for the Kirklands

Summer Update

Hey everyone - we are smack dab in the middle of summer in Athens, and it is H-O-T! I wanted to give a quick update on things going on in the crazy lives of the Kirklands:

Fields - He is cruising around all of our furniture and putting everything possible in his mouth. His new trick to to show everyone how 'big' he is by raising his hands to the sky! We have been trying to teach him how to wave bye-bye and recognize us with the words he says constantly, 'momma' and 'dadda.'

Deborah - She is at the very end of her first trimester, and while the morning sickness (which actually lasts all the waking day) has subsided slightly, it still can rear its nasty little head at any moment. This go around has been MUCH more difficult than the first with sickness and fatigue. We are all hoping that this will go away, though, like it did around this time of the last pregnancy. Despite all of this, Deborah is still a glowing mother-to-be!

Clay - I am in the process of finishing the work for the class that I attended two weeks ago in Orlando, beginning the work for the online class that started this week (and will run through August), planning for intern training and the upcoming school year, and taking care of my sick wife and crazy (in a good way) son! My last final of my 5 year seminary career is AUGUST 28th! Hallelujah, the end is near!

So, that is us in three paragraphs...


till next blog,

clay for the kirklands

Suffering in Orlando

By my title, some might think that it is nearly impossible to suffer in 'sunny Orlando.' Believe me, things are so bad here - my class is not terribly boring, I finish this one and then its down to the one online class this summer before I graduate, etc. However, this class, which I needed for graduation, happened to fall on the same week that we do the Kirkland Family vacation in Amelia Island!!!!! So, while I am sitting in a classroom for 8 hours a day, my family is sitting at the pool/beach for 8 hours a day.

The fortunate part is that I was able to be there for a few days with them. My class didnt start till Tuesday, and everyone gathered in Amelia on Saturday. Deborah, Fields, and I also had the chance to go to St. Simons for two days with some good friends last week. Thus, I had a bit of a vacation, but it still is tough knowing what I am missing!

Below are some pictures of the family beach trip. Fields, just so you know, LOVES THE WATER! Pool and ocean are welcoming to our little man. Also, Deborah texted me today and told me that she felt the baby kick this morning!!!!

clay for the kirklands

Update

Hey everyone - We have wrapped up the school year now at Wesley, even though the summer is one of the busiest times as we attempt to get ready for the upcoming school year! The summer break works out well for us so that we can have the opportunity to get regrouped and planned up for August.

This next year should be VERY interesting! For the past three years, we have had 38 interns - which is a lot. For the 2009-2010 school year, we currently have 52, thats right, FIFTY TWO, interns for next year!!!! Therefore, I am the process of figuring out what to do with so many people! The good news is that Daniel Simmons has come on as a director who will assist me with staff development. This is a major answer to prayer for me, as all of what we try to accomplish and provide for our interns is too much for one person to pull off! So, Daniel could not have come at a better time - God has great timing!!!!

We ended the year with incredible blessings and favor from the Lord. Our students really stepped up and went after God in some amazing ways, so much so that it is difficult to remember a more fruitful semester. We saw students lives literally change in the course of a service or outreach, and we are still hearing reports of what the Lord did through other students and Wesley events. He is worthy of much praise and thanks....

On the family front, Deborah is desperately hoping that the first trimester will come and go quickly! With Fields, her sickness stopped as the second trimester began, so we are praying that the same will be true with this pregnancy. I have one more week of school for this semester, and then the FINAL SUMMER SEMESTER BEGINS!!!!!! I take an intensive class during the last week of May and a thru session online class that ends in August. At that point, I will be finished! AMEN!

Fields has four teeth now, and he is 'cruising' around the couch and coffee table! His new tricks include making funny noises with his hand in his mouth, holding his hands out like he does not know what is going on when we ask him a question, and showing us how big he is by raising his hands up in the air. His hair has begun to lay down a bit more these days, which is sad for us but good news for some other family members who were not fans of the spiked look. He is simply amazing, and he constantly reminds us of the goodness of God.

We hope and pray all is well with each of you....

clay for the Kirklands

SUPER GREAT NEWS

Hey everyone - DEBORAH IS PREGNANT AGAIN!!!! We are completely thrilled by the news we got a few weeks ago! In December of 2008, Deborah had an apple-sized cyst removed from her right ovary. We consulted with the obgyn, and he encouraged us to pursue pregnancy again after she recovered from the surgery if we were comfortable with that. He is an amazing Christian man, and we really trust his counsel.
Neither Deborah nor I had a real grid as to how long it would take for us to get pregnant. In fact, it was not promised to us that it would happen again. The first time we tried, it took three years, so we were PLEASANTLY surprised when after three months Deborah had a positive result of a pregnancy test at the beginning of this month!
The due date for 'baby kirkland' is December 5th, 2009. Deborah, Fields, and I could not be more grateful to Jesus for this new gift in our lives....He is good.

clay for the kirklands

Ticket Time!

Today I purchased tickets to see U2 perform in atlanta later this year! If you did not know, I am a massive fan of u2. This is will be the fourth time that I will have attended their concert, and it will be Deborah's second time.

Just wanted everyone to know that despite the fact that my allergies are making my body miserable, my heart is happy thinking about u2 in october!

clay

Ministry Update

The month of April is one of the most important for us here at the UGA Wesley Foundation. For it is during this month that we have next year's Intern and Leadership sign-ups. If you do not know, our leaders are the students who participate in and lead so much of the ministry that takes place at Wesley. Our interns give leadership and oversight to all of our ministry areas. We would not have the ministry that we have today if not for the dozens of interns and hundreds of leaders.

So, I would love for you to put us on our prayer list this month. Please ask the Lord to build our ministry according to HIS goodwill and pleasure. Since I am the director over the Internship, I could use your prayers as well as I meet with potential interns and seek to discern what is best for us next year.

Thank you in advance for your prayers!

clay for the Kirklands

SPRING BREAK 09

One of the benefits of working at a campus ministry (and there are many) is the holiday schedule. So, last week was spring break for the students - that means, it was also spring break for us! Deborah, Fields, and I had a brilliant week! We went to a lake house for a few days to relax, took a two days trips (Greenville, SC and Chimney Rock, NC), and did some major cleaning/rearranging at our house. It was a blast, and we were very thankful for the time to get some things accomplished!

On a personal note, I registered for what should be my LAST TWO CLASSES OF SEMINARY!!!!! Praise Jesus!! Do not get me wrong, I have appreciated all that I have learned and gained through Asbury, but on the other side of things - well, it has been 5 full years already! If everything is set and goes through as planned, I should graduate in August!

Life is good for the Kirklands - Fields is working his way through teething pretty well, Deborah and I are doing well, and the weather in Athens is finally making a turn for the better. Spring time here is quite delightful!

Here are some pics to give you a visual for a spring break...


clay for the Kirklands

CAR update

So, we first of all appreciate your prayers and advice during our car fiasco. The Lord was gracious, and our 4-runner was fixed for us by Deborahs dad! We will still be in the market for a newer car soon, but it is nice not having to use someone else's car!

CARS

We are now in the market for another car. The 4-runner needs a new head gasket, and we dont think that its worth the money or trouble to keep fixing it. So, some friends of ours have generously allowed us to borrow one of their cars while we try to find a replacement. We would love your prayers and insider tips during this process!

clay for the kirklands

MUSH!!!

Today, Deborah and I made Fields' baby food, which can only be described as, 'mush.' The recipe? Ah, yes, of course you want to know. It's simple, really - English peas, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, bananas, prunes, apple sauce, oat cereal, and a heavy duty food processor! It's organic (yes, we have drunk the kool-aid), and it is very cost efficient. In one hour, we had two weeks of the mush and saved many dollar bills. Best of all...HE LOVES IT!!!!!! He can't get enough, and his body illustrates his passion for it with many, many rolls of skin!

Below are a few pics for your viewing pleasure.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY,

clay for the kirklands

A Special Day

So, here is some random info for everyone about our lives right now:

- I failed on my first blogger new years resolution, but at least I have 11 more months to do better.

- Today marks Fields' 6 month birthday! We are shocked at how fast the time has gone...amazing. He is growing up - weighs in at almost 18 pounds and has a lot of hair that sticks up everywhere!

- All three of us have been battling a nasty cold. It started with Fields, then Deborah, and now I am bringing up the rear. I am at home right now instead of work because of it.

- This month at Wesley is called FUNBRUARY or FUN FEBRUARY. We had noticed in the past that February was always a difficult month for a lot of our interns and students - no real holidays, cold, dreary, lots of sickness, etc. So, last year we declared that February was going to be FUN! We had such a great response from it, that it has become a permanent feature to our intern year. Today, the whole staff went to see the groundhog wake up at the Athens Zoo! Throughout the month, we will have raffles, contests, random games and prizes, and themes for our interns to enjoy. I will send some pictures later in the month of some of the things that we have come up with!

- Deborah continues to be the incredible wife, mother, counselor, Wesley Director, friend, and powerhouse that she has always been! Juggling Fields and me is tough enough, but when you add in two part time jobs as well, it is crazy for her! She counsels on Mondays and Wednesdays, Disciples Wesley girls on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and we usually meet for some pre-marital sessions with Wesley folks on Fridays. Busy, Busy, Busy...

- I am counting down till August - four more classes, and then I am a graduate of Asbury!


Clay for the Kirklands

Dang!

Well, so far I have not done too well on my new year's resolutions. My activator (strengthsfinder reference) gave me all kind of ideas, but so far I have not followed through! I still have two days in January, so I have the opportunity to make three total posts during this month!

I just spent a week in Orlando at an intensive seminary class, and I have a small break between the J-term and my spring classes. ONLY FOUR MORE AND I WILL BE A SEMINARY GRADUATE!!!!!! I can taste that sweetness of not having books, papers, and deadlines looming over me - five years is a long time to wear that yoke!

Wesley has started back and we have returned to having our services in our building. Last semester was great at the Classic Center, but we are back home and loving it. We turn the prayer chapel into an overflow room where we have live worship and a piped in video feed of Bob preaching. It has gone really well the past three weeks. Our hope is to rent a room in the New student center that will be more convenient to our students and less of a financial burden on our ministry.

OK...Fields is crying....

Till tomorrow,

Clay for the Kirklands

New Year Brings New Things

Happy New Year! Tis the season for resolutions, and since I am an activator (strengthsfinder refererence), below you will find a few of my 'blog' resolutions....

- I am going to blog more than once a month

- I will respond to other people's blogs (do unto others...)

- Our blog will be more diverse. We are moving toward a more electronic update style of communication with our supporters, so I plan to add much more content about Wesley and our ministry.

- More pictures of Fields (he is changing so fast!)

- I will learn how to 'spruce' up the layout of our page


More than likely, I will need some accountability in order to achieve these lofty goals!

clay for the kirklands