Accepted Compuware's Offer

This might seem a shock to some of you, but yesterday I accepted a job offer with Compuware located in Nashville, TN. I will be doing contract work with other companies and Compuware will manage my work. The contract, with American Healthways, that I want needs me as soon as possible, so I put in my 2 week notice today and I will start on November 14th.

When we drove down to Nashville for my job interview, we also looked at houses in the area. As a result, we started paperwork on a house in the Riverwalk community that is being built and will be completed in March. The neighborhood has a pool and a neat walking path that parallels the river circling the community. Since it’s early in the building process we are able to upgrade some features of the plan to fit our needs. The house is actually in the same neighborhood as Andrea's Paternal Aunt and Grandparents. Since Andrea is a full-time mother, it will be nice to have family in the neighborhood as Abby grows up. My Paternal Uncle and Aunt ( John and Susan Manor ) also live in the Nashville area and Andrea's parents live 2 hours away in Jackson, TN.

Although this is exciting and great news, it is also scary and sad. Not only are these very big changes, but we are also leaving a lot of great family, friends, and our church here in Arkansas. We have grown to love you all so much on a personal and spiritual level. We will miss you all tremendously!

Remember to keep in touch and check out my blog on a regular basis! I plan to keep it up to date.

Chris Tomlin Indescribable Tour

Along with what seemed thousands of other people, Andrea and I attended the Chris Tomlin Indescribable Tour ( with Matt Redman and Louie Giglio ) at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock.

While we were there we ran into several people from our past ( member's from Coventant Fellowship and Little Rock Church ) and present ( member's from CrossWalk Family of God ).

The event was much more than a concert. All of the lyrics were displayed on the overhead screen which allowed for audience participation. It was really more of a worship time than anything else. I really enjoyed Louie Giglio's message during the middle of the night. He had a great way of expressing the vastness of God and how we are very tiny specks in comparison to Him. He had some great insights into that concept that I had not thought of before.

I want to thank BJ and Carina Arnold for taking care of Abby while we attended the Indescribable Tour. We have some very great and giving friends and the Arnolds are definitely on the top of the list. Thank you again!

Of Mice & Men

As the second installment in our season pass to The Rep Theatre, we saw Of Mice & Men.

Andrea's oldest sister, Alissa Brandon, babysat Abby while we went to the production. Our seats were much better this time.

The play was well performed and had a powerful ending. We enjoyed ourselves very much and we appreciate Alissa taking care of Abby while we were out.

Since we have seen several different plays, it is really neat to see some of the same actors perform. There are some very talented actors at The Rep Theatre and Murray's Dinner Playhouse.

Homemade Baby Food

Andrea's oldest sister, Alissa Brandon, came to visit for several days. She helped take care of Abby and made homemade baby food with Andrea ( as seen in the picture ).

It was nice to have Alissa around. Andrea and Alissa had fun together going on errands, getting massages, and other activities throughout the weekend.

I am thankful that Alissa was able to come. She was able to give Andrea the rest that she needed. Thank you very much Alissa, and you too Mike for letting her come and taking care of the boys while she was here!

Abby @ 2 Months

Believe it or not, Abby is 2 months old today.

She can lift her head up ( as seen in this picture ), she can stabilize her head when propped up, she smiles and coos, and she can even sleep through the night ( a huge plus )!

Abby has her 2 month pediatrician appointment tomorrow. I am going to take off work for the day. In addition to Abby's appointment it is also Andrea's birthday! When Cari Harris found out that it was Andrea's birthday, she offered to baby-sit so that we can go out on a date. Cari is very sweet for thinking of us and babysitting. Thank you Cari!

Father-in-Law's Award

On October 3rd, 2005 ( during Freed-Hardeman University's appreciation to Fine Arts Week ) John Hall, my Father-in-Law, was awarded the "Fine Arts Service Award".

John Hall was responsible for starting the Madrigal Singers ( later to be known as The A Cappella Singers ) in 1970. Over the years The A Cappella Singers broke ground by traveling around the United States and overseas ( Ireland, Scotland, England, Romania, Hungary, Belgium, France, and Italy ). Besides their global presence, they were invited to sing in Washington D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival, the National Christmas Pagent of Peace, the Fourth of July Celebration on the Mall.

In addition to The A Cappella Singers, John Hall pioneered the FHU radio station ( WFHU ), the Student Alumni Association, and produced FHU's very first Makin' Music show. All of these ventures are now a huge part of FHU's culture and identity.

John is blessed with having great vision and energy. He is able to clearly share his vision with others and get them excited too. In the words of his loving wife, "He has a great faith in the abilities of others to excel when they buy into a dream."

John has left very large footprints at FHU that will remain for generations to come. Not only has he impacted FHU, but more importantly, through his Christian service and servant leadership he has instilled a love of the Lord in his children and family.

Little Rock AFB Air Show

This weekend Andrea, Abby, and I had a blast at the Little Rock AFB Air Show.

We went with some friends ( Brandon, Hannah, and Will Siegel ) from Church, CrossWalk Family of God.
During that time we saw many different great performances by the Thunderbirds, the Red Baron Pizza Squadron, the 82nd Airborne Paratrooper Drop, and many more! We were able to see many of the aircraft displayed on the flight line such as the C-5 Glaxay, the F-16 Falcon, and the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber.

Overall, we stayed at the Airshow for about 5 hours. The weather was great and the Airshow was awesome! We had such a great time that we are looking forward to going again next year!

For more pictures visit my Little Rock AFB Air Show Yahoo! Photo Album.

Paternal Grandparents' Award

My paternal Grandparent's, Curtis and Nell Manor, were honored at Harding Unversity's 82nd Lectureship with the "Distinguished Christian Service Award".

The award reads, "In recognition of Curtis and Nell Manor for 61 years of marriage and for more than 60 years of full-time preaching; for Nell's work as a wife and mother, Bible school teacher, and speaker for women's groups; for Curtis' biblical scholarship and authorship of Christian prose and poetry; for his contributions as a song leader and storyteller; for his work in religious radio; for his support and encouragement of Christian education; and for his dedication to the unity of the body of Christ."

I am glad to have experienced this honor with my Grandparents. I am very proud of them both. They have set the standard very high and they are a great example for our family.

For more pictures visit my Paternal Grandparents' Award Yahoo! Photo Album.

Abby's First Smile

It finally happened... Abby smiled!

Yes, she has smiled previously, but it was more a result of a tummy issue rather than actual amusement. This time, however, it more was more than that!

Andrea and I took turns blowing on Abby's tummy, making funny noises, and zerberting her. Some combination of these things caused Abby to respond several times with a smile.

I tried to capture some of her smiles with a camera, but the timing was difficult. However, after numerous pictures I managed to get a couple good shots and this is one of them.

Abby's Scrapbook

Andrea has been working on a mini scrapbook of Abby for both of our parents. I have been scanning the results of her pages as she completes them. I will continue to add pages to the online album as they get finished.

Andrea is a very talented Stampin' Up demonstrator and has made hundreds of cards and scrapbook pages over the past few years.

Andrea has the gift of encouragement, which can be seen through the meaningful cards and scrapbooks that she makes and gives away. I am very proud of her gift and talent to encourage.

First Church Service

We had our first Sunday morning Bible class and worship service at CrossWalk Family of God since Abby was born.

It was very good to be back among our Church family again and to study and worship alongside them.

As you can see in the picture, Abby got all dressed up ( with the help of Andrea ) for the occasion. I might be slightly biased, but I think she looks beautiful, don't you agree?

Steel Magnolias

Andrea and I had our first date since Abby's birth.

We ate lunch at Macaroni Grill in West Little Rock and then went to watch "Steel Magnolias" at the The Rep ( Arkansas Repertory Theatre ).

Andrea's parents are visiting in town this weekend so they were able to help baby-sit Abby, a task which they thoroughly enjoyed.

Andrea and I enjoyed our time so much that we bought a 2005-2006 Season Subscription for The Rep. We look forward to many more special dates in the future.

Men's Fraternity III

Men's Fraternity III has started again!

I have been to all three Men's Fraternity courses and they have all dramatically changed my life as a Christian man. As a result of these classes I have learned the definition of true manhood and how to be a better Christian man in my home and work.

To learn more about what Men's Fraternity is, please visit their website. There is a lot of great material available online.

I highly encourage any of you men who are in the Little Rock area to seriously consider joining the 500 or so men that meet on Wednesday mornings at the Fellowship Bible Church! The lesson material is only $10, which is a very small price to pay for a large return of investment.

If you are interested in going, let me know. It’s not too late to start. The semester has just begun!

Nephew Curtis

My sister, Cyndi, just had a baby boy!

His full name is Curtis Dale Alesso ( Curtis is my grandfather's name and Dale is my father's name ).

He was born September 15, 2005 at 2:35 A.M. weighting in at 6 pounds 3 ounces and laying 19 inches long.

This is Cyndi and Casey's third child, but their first baby boy. They are sooo excited.

For more pictures visit my Curtis Alesso Yahoo! Photo Album.

First Family Outing

We had our first family outing since Abby's arrival.

The Young Adult Marrieds ( YAMs ) from our Church met at the Caldwell's house for a Mexcian Fiesta. It felt good to get out of the house as a family and to be amoung a great group of friends. Dan and Lisa Caldwell hosted the event and they also facilitated a version of The Newlywed Game. We all had a blast eating and laughing the night away.

It was a lot more planning than I thought to take Abby out. In the end, most everything went smoothly. Abby slept most of the time on the way to and during the party. You won't see Andrea, Abby, or me in the picture. Andrea is holding Abby off to the left and I am taking the picture, but really... we were there :)

Abby's First Bottle

Last night was my first all night position on baby duty.

Up to this point, Andrea has been very sweet and understanding by taking care of night duty so that I can have ample sleep for my first work week at Perks.

Now that the weekend has approached I can take over the night duty for Friday and Saturday night. This not only should enable Andrea to get more uninterrupted sleep so that she can be better rested, but it is a great opportunity for me to have bonding time with Abby.

We were a little concerned that Abby might not take the bottle, but she latched on with ease and is eating like a pro.

After experiencing my first all night baby duty I want to brag on my wife for a minute. I am very impressed at Andrea's motherly skills. I am amazed at her patience with Abby. I am overjoyed to watch her sing songs and play with Abby. I am touched by how gentle she is with Abby. I am comforted that Abby is in great hands during the day. I am blessed to have a wonderful wife and beautiful daughter.

Bye Bye Bili Blanket

Abby had another Pediatrician appointment today. Her bilirubin levels measured 15, which is low enough to take her out of the Bili Blanket. If you think about it, Abby had that blanket on for over half her life!

We are very relieved that the Jaundice is going away. It is nice to be free and take Abby to any room of our house. The Bili Blanket had previously confined Abby to her room.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Praise God!

Abby is Jaundiced

Ever since we have come home from the hospital Abby has been somewhat Jaundice. Her levels weren't high enough to keep her in the hospital, but our Pediatrician wanted us to make a Monday appointment instead of the normal 1 week appointment.

Her levels were high enough on Monday that our Doctor wanted Abby to wear a Bili Blanket for several days. We went to the Doctor's office on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to get Abby's levels checked. Her levels are still borderline, so she is supposed to continue to wear the Bili Blanket until at least Friday when we have our next appointment. Wearing the Bili Blanket is not only uncomfortable for Abby, but it is restrictive to our mobility and also emotionally taxing on us.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

Last Day at Acxiom

Today is my last day of work at Acxiom. I turned in my letter of resignation two weeks ago. I have been offered a Software Developer position with Perks.

I have enjoyed working with Acxiom for the past 3 years. I've developed a lot of great relationships and I will miss many of the people there.

I think this new opportunity at Perks will re-enable me to develop using ASP.NET ( which I really enjoy ) and will also provide me with ample opportunities to lead.

As you might have noticed with my last blog entry, I am in the middle of two extreme life changes ( having a baby and staring a new job ).

These big changes remind me of the time when I graduated Harding University, got married to Andrea at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ, and started working for ALLTEL all within a one month's period.

In light of these changes, please keep our family in your prayers. Thanks.

Abby's Birth

Today is the day we have been waiting for. Abigail Marie Manor has arrived.

Minutes after midnight Andrea's water broke while we were asleep in bed. We headed to Saint Vincent Doctor's hospital around 1:00 AM and eventually at 4:17 PM Andrea delivered our first child. Abby was born at 6 pounds 11 ounces and 19 1/4 inches long.

As you might expect, we are very excited and tired! We appreciate all of the visits, e-mails, and calls that you all have made. Please excuse us if we don't get to answer every one of them immediately.

At this point, I'm sure you are wanting to see some pictures of Abby.

For more pictures visit my Abby's Birth Yahoo! Photo Album