The Bowman Family

Avery's 1st Video

2009-06-05T22:18:00.003-05:00

Addition Successful

2009-04-18T11:50:00.006-05:00

Welcome with us Avery Marie Bowman born Friday, April 17th at 8:09a at St. Johns in St. Louis, Missouri. A very healthy 7lbs. 12oz and 21 in. long and perfectly adorable.

Ashley and Avery are doing great after this planned C-section. To avoid the high likely hood of another emergency C we went with the hospital's advice to plan this one. It has been a great experience and we couldn't be happier with both mom and baby healthy!

The hospital staff has been amazing and we are thankful for the prayers and well wishes from all our friends and family. Ashley's parents David and Gwenda are helping out a ton with taking care of Clay through the weekend. We are looking forward to bringing Avery home this Monday as all things continue to go well!

Big Brother Clay came by to see the new addition and did great. They exchanged presents: Clay got Avery a stuffed bear and Avery got clay a few new books and "Space Buddies" the movie. Unsolicited Clay asked, "Can I hold her, can Avery sit on my lap and watch Space Buddies?"

I am blessed,

Jason

What's that noise??

2008-08-04T15:18:00.003-05:00

I can't believe the end of summer is approaching. We leave for our last trip of the summer on Thursday. We will be visiting Jason's family as well as fundraising for The New Life Project! I am very excited for the trip, especially escaping these hot summer temps! In fact, I just checked the forecast out, and it looks like I may need to pull out the winter clothes! We are beginning to feel more settled in St. Louis and still looking forward to the re-launch of New Life Community Church on September 7. We closed on our house in Springfield, which means we can begin looking for one here which is exciting! Clay is doing great, but has finally decided he is going to show his parents what being two is all about. For the most part, he is still a very sweet well-mannered two year old. But, the other weekend when my parents came to visit, I got to be the parent that had to literally carry my screaming, kicking child out of the mall. Why was he screaming? Honestly, I have no idea. It all started when I told him it was time to go from the playland at the mall. But, then it just started escalating into such a tantrum that I don't even think he knew why he was throwing it. I hope this is not the startof the terrible twos. On the other spectrum he is as curious as ever right now. We jokingly call him Curious George. His favorite question to ask right now and he literally asks it at least twenty times a day is, "What's that noise?" He has the best hearing of anyone I've met. Half the time I don't know what noise he is referring to until I listen closely to see what noise he is hearing. He is just so curious! His newest fun thing to do at home is pile all of the cushions off the couch on the floor, stand on top of the couch and jump off. I just know he is going to break an arm because he rarely falls on top of the cushions, but Jason has assured me that I am just overly worried:) He is so much fun right now. I really love this age and it is so fun this summer to be able to do so many fun things with him! We are really looking forward to our upcoming trip! We will have to post pics soon!

101 Things every St. Louisan Must Do!

2008-07-12T14:39:00.002-05:00

Well, we are well on our way of accomplishing the 101 things every St. Louis Must Do, which was posted in the St. Louis magazine May 2008. Since we arrived we have accomplished 3 and this weekend alone we completed 3 more. For me, growing up in Springfield, it is amazing that there really are 101 amazing things to do in one city. It is still dawning on me how fun it is to live in a big city. Last night we went with friends to The Hill, which is the Italian district here full of restaurants on every corner with amazing Italian food. It was amazing. We then drove to Ted Drewes, which is famous for their custard. When we pulled up, the place was FULL of people standing around and in line for this custard. I have to be honest maybe I got my hopes up too high, but I was not that impressed with the custard. However, somehow they are so famous that people are willing to wait in huge lines to get some. Today, we went to Grant's Farm, which is owned by Budweiser, and has a tram ride where you can see several animals and a lot of interactive areas where the kids can pet/feed different animals. We have had a great family weekend with a lot of needed rest built in!! I love these kind of weekends!!

Real quick I have to share some Clay stories as well! It is interesting for me to raise a boy since I have only one sister and was raised around mostly girls even in my extended family. It is so interesting to me to watch him play, knowing that as I girl I would never have thought to play in that manner. Of course, I was definitely a girlie girl when I was little:) For example, the other morning I decided I would be a "creative" mom and build him a fort in our living room with sheets and everything. I was so proud and so excited for him to see this fun thing I had built for us to play under. Notice I said under:) Well, Clay had a different idea. He immediately thought I had built something for him to jump on top of. Needless to say, my effort quickly turned into a huge mess of sheets and pillows in our living room. At least he is creative!! My other favorite story of the week happened last night outside of the restaurant in The Hill. Clay had been given a string on a balloon from one of the waiters. He was playing really nicely with it until all of our friends came outside to meet us. He then shifted into show off mode and started shaking his balloon and dancing around saying and I quote, "Shake Your Body! Shake Your Body!" Where does this kid get this stuff? Of course there were lots of jokes about him being a pastor's kid and yelling Shake Your Body, but honestly I love his enthusiasm for life!! He has his toddler moments, but for the most part he makes everything so fun because he is so energetic about everything!! He is such a blessing!

Way too precious!

2008-07-09T19:10:00.002-05:00

Monday night Jason and I took Clay to the pool here at our complex. It is something that we try to do often and although it takes Clay awhile to warm up to the idea, he usually loves splashing int he water. Then, he always wants out and wrapped in a towel with a snack and his juice. We left the pool Monday night and had just pulled out of the parking lot when Clay says, "That was so much fun! That was so much fun! Thanks Dad. Thanks Mom. Thanks for taking me to the pool!" Jason and I just kind of looked at each other in pleasant surprise. I am not sure if Clay at the age of two knows how much those words mean to us unsolicited like that, but they mean the world to us. I think we might have to take him to the pool every night!:)

It's Been Way Too Long!!!!

2008-07-06T18:13:00.004-05:00

Well, I hate that blogging has become a thing of the past now. But, moving/transition has prevented me from writing as much as I would have liked too. It is a crazy thing because while we were moving I wanted to write to catch everyone up on the adventure, but finding the time to write was a different story. We arrived in St. Louis on May 6, and I wish I could say we are all settled in. Actually, there have been a few bumps in the road that honestly at times made me want to forget what God had called us to do and turn around and head back "home." We knew going into this adventure that God had called us to something that would be difficult, but we had no idea what we were going to face once we arrived to the house we were suppose to live in on the church campus. The house had been vacant for a year. It is an older house, but we came to St. Louis the two weekends before arrival to clean, paint, and renovate, and it turned out looking fairly good. However, after we arrived I saw more bugs than I ever care to see again. We thought it was strange but not a huge deal. However, we hired an exterminator to check it out and spray. What he found is honestly my worst nightmare: a bad case of brown recluse spiders!! I had a very hard time sleeping the night we found that out, but he told us he would treat them and get rid of them. Well, unfortunately, the case of spiders was even more severe than the exterminator first thought. After giving the exterminators and ourselves time to rid the house of the brown recluse and getting expert advice on the matter, we decided it was not in our best interest to stay in the house. We found a huge one right under Clay's bed and that is what did us in. It is a long story but basically we were told it would be very hard to get rid of them for a long time, so after moving in with a wonderful family in the church, we finally found an apartment and moved in! I actually kind of like apartment living right now. I am sure I will be ready for a house soon, but we found a great apartment here and it is kind of like living on a resort for a few months...lush green landscaping, 2 swimming pools, workout facility, tennis, basketball....it is fun! So, things are looking up for the Bowman family! We are getting settled in our apartment, our house in Springfield just sold, the church plant is going great, and we really like the West County area of St. Louis. I will share more details regarding all of that another time. Before this blog turns into a novel, I wanted to share a few recent pics of Clay. He turned 2 years old on June 21 and we had his party at Chuck E Cheese's. Several people from the church and my parents celebrated with him and he had a blast. We also got some recent pics taken at Portrait innovations here. And Chrissy next time I write I will follow up on your tag.

March events with the Bowman Family

2008-04-10T14:18:00.005-05:00

As you know, things are a little crazy for us right now with the move approaching. So, blogging has become something that get left out of my schedule right now. However, for those of you who have asked me for updates, I thought for sake of time I would list off a few of the fun events over the last month!

*My parents paid for the whole family to spend an extended weekend at Tan-tar-a, a resort on Lake of the Ozarks. The weather could not have been better, and the break was well needed and a lot of fun! I will post pics soon.

*Through the help of friends and family we got our house ready to sell and on the market in record time. Thanks everyone who helped make this possible!! It has been on the market for a week with great interest, but no offers yet. We are praying an offer comes in soon:)

*Clay had a wonderful time at our church's Easter egg hunt. Here are a few pics...

*However, he was sick with a fever on Easter. So, we both wore are Easter outfits last Sunday:) I will have to post pics soon. He looked adorable!!

*Clay is now counting to 12. It completely took me by surprise. I mean I count things with him a lot, but he has never appeared to show much interest in my little education game. About a month ago, I picked Clay up for my parents house and my mom told me he counted to 10 for her. ( I can't tell you how many firsts have happened at my parents house:) The next day I was carrying Clay down the hall and he started counting to 10 for me. Then this week he added 11 & 12. It is so fun to see him grow!

*Clay has also started calling me Ashley and Jason...Jason, instead of Mom and Dad. I thought this was a teenage thing:)

*Despite the busyness, we are having an amazing month. The Lord has been truly faithful through this transition. We also have created a website for those who are interested in hearing more about where we are going and what we are doing. Check it out:

http://www.thenewlifeproject.com/

We will continue to keep everyone posted on our upcoming move and transition!

Happy Brithday Jason!!

2008-04-02T23:04:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to my amazing husband and Clay's amazing Daddy! Things have been a little crazy with our move approaching, but Love I want you to know how much you mean to me and how thankful I am for your birth! You are incredible and I am so proud of you! I am the luckiest woman on earth! I love you!

Ashley and Clay

I have slacked on blogging lately due to the craziness, but I hope to update everyone soon with pictures on the latest adventures of Clay and The New Life Project.

The Big News!

2008-03-23T15:40:00.002-05:00

And so the transition begins...Two weeks ago Jason put in our resignation to Evangel Temple where we have thoroughly enjoyed our position as college/young adult pastors for the last four years. The Lord has truly blessed the college and young adult ministry at Evangel Temple, and we are going to immensely miss everyone in the Springfield area, especially my family! However, we are excited about our new opportunity in Chesterfield, MO (West County area of St. Louis). While we are very passionate about investing into the lives of college students and young adults, we have also had a stirring in our hearts to plant a church for many years. We have investigated potential opportunities through the years, but have always felt a continued calling to the college and young adults at Evangel Temple. However, last fall we were presented with an opportunity in St. Louis that we are very excited about. Through different events we began to realize a need in St. Louis(unknown to us) for churches focusing on relevant outreach. An opportunity presented itself to pioneer a church revitalization project on Clayton Road, in Chesterfield, MO, called New Life Community Church. The current congregation of approximately 20 people are ready and willing to embrace the potential future with us. So, on Sunday, March 9 seven members of New Life unanimously voted us in as Lead pastors! Our resignation will be in effect May 5, which allows us some time to transition at Evangel Temple as well as prepare ourselves for the move. So, right now we are busy transitioning at Evangel Temple, preparing for the church plant/revitalization in West County and preparing our house to sell. We hope to have it on the market this week! We will continue to keep you updated on this endeavor and are asking for your prayers as we transition.

When it rains, it pours!

2008-03-06T10:03:00.002-06:00

It seems that when it rains it pours...and last week was one of those weeks for my side of the family. We have been praying for my grandpa (Dad's dad) for over a year because he has been diagnosed with a progressive form of throat cancer. Well, last week my Great Aunt (Dad's Aunt) was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She had surgery to remove the cancer, but the Dr.'s were unable to get it all. My Mom's Dad was also admitted into the hospital last week because he has been very weak and the Dr.'s are not sure why. Our family could definitely use your prayers!
~A

What a joy to be Clay's mother!!

2008-02-28T13:17:00.003-06:00

It is a true joy to be Clay's mother. He is growing so fast and learning so quickly. I have to say I love this stage!! This last weekend we went to see my sister in St. Louis. Clay adores his Aunt Andrea, or "Anya", which is Clay's version. He was so excited to be with her that he literally did not stop playing and running for one second while we were there. He has definitely become our avid runner. He just runs and runs around our house, particularly around our living room couch singing and talking. Jason counted the other day and he ran over 43 laps around our living room. We both are curious how many miles that is. His joy for running even won a gentleman's heart while at Panera this weekend. While I was ordering Clay was literally running back and forth behind me (thankfully Panera was pretty empty that day). A man came up and starting running with him, which of course made Clay smile and laugh. Clay is also becoming an avid prayer warrior to the delight of Jason and I. Several times a day he will stop and bow his head, mention people's names, say amen, and then he is off to playing again. A few days ago, I really believe he was being led by the Spirit. We went to visit my Great Aunt in the hospital who has been diagnosed with cancer and not given very much hope. Without being told Clay started walking around her hospital room praying for her. It brought tears to my eyes. He has also learned the combination of "thank you" and "you're welcome" this week. So, anytime I give him something he asked for he responds, "Thank you. You're Welcome." :) But, probably my favorite activity of the week, is Tuesday night he came up with the "Goodbye. Kiss" game. He had his toy shopping cart and would tell Jason and I "Goodbye." and "Kiss" and would run over and give us a kiss on the lips. Then, he would walk down the hall and come back and do it all over again. I think he kissed me over a dozen times, which melts my heart. I know everyone is not as fortunate to have the gift of a child, and I never want to take these days for granted!

What a GREAT day!

2008-02-22T23:22:00.002-06:00

Today has been a great day! After literally three weeks of being stuck in the house because of the horrible flu epidemic, we are all feeling good and well! Praise God! This morning I went to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), and it was wonderful to be back. This is my second year to be involved, and this year, I have had the privilege of serving on the steering committee. Being involved in MOPS has literally been a God-sent. Jason and I laugh that it has saved our marriage:) Last year, I was hesitant to get involved because Jason has Fridays off, and I cherish his days off. But, he actually talked me into going and again I have a wonderful and thoughtful husband. As much as I love every minute I get to share with Jason, I know I am benefiting even greater by spending two hours on Friday mornings sharing my Mom experiences with other Moms who have been there..done that. I love the discussion and prayer time. And, Jason gets to have a Daddy/son day, which they love! After MOPS, we were able to go on a much awaited date night. We went to a newer restaurant based on a recommendation and it was wonderful! For those Springfieldians, we went to "Touch". They have an early menu where you can each pick an appetizer, main course and dessert for a decent price. The food was excellent, but my favorite part was the live jazz music playing. It was perfect!! I love date nights!

Poor Clay!

2008-02-19T10:39:00.002-06:00

This have been a difficult two weeks for the Bowman family, but things are beginning to look up. It all started two weeks ago when Jason and I were on our way to dinner for a date night and I began shivering and could not get warm. This night began a long two weeks of the flu for each of us and we are still recovering. First me, then Jason, now Clay. We took all of the precautions to avoid getting sick, but this time it hit us hard. This is Clay's first time to really get sick, but poor guy it hit him the hardest. Although the nurses kept telling me not to worry...he probably just has a bad virus, this time Daddy's intuition was correct. So, even though his fever was gone yesterday morning, Jason talked me into taking him to the doctor, and sure enough he has a slight case of pneumonia. Thank you to Daddy's intuition!! The doctor said he does not have a serious case and with a week's worth of antibiotics he should be good to go. I am relieved to say the least that we caught it early!! So, I am hoping that within a week this sickness plague will be over. I know we are all ready to get back in somewhat of a routine and get out of the house!! These weeks have really given me a heart for those parents that are faced everyday with with a child who has a lingering illness. It has really challenged Jason and I just to have a family sick going on three weeks. But the Lord is faithful, and I believe gave Jason wisdom yesterday. Hopefully, we are on the road to full recovery very soon!!
~A

Thank you to my wonderful husband!!

2008-02-13T15:34:00.002-06:00

Today did not start off the greatest. As many of you know, I was sick all last week with the flu and Jason has been sick all weekend and just went back to work today. So, with sickness and the ice storm mentioned earlier let's just say I have not been out of the house (except for a short time on our retreat this weekend where I spent most of in bed) since last Monday. Can anyone say cabin fever!!! I was so ecstatic to get out of the house today, since everyone was feeling better and the roads were better. Then, I discovered as poor Clay woke up this morning that he had a 100.1 fever and the same cough that Jason and I had. When I thought nothing could go worse, our power went out. (I should mention our satellite has been down for two days.) Usually, when Clay is sick he wants to curl up on the couch and watch Veggie Tales or Blue's Clues, but with no power and a very sick child I was feeling a little overwhelmed to say the least. But, what can I say super Daddy saved the day!!! The Lord knew I needed a little encouragement. My wonderful husband took time out of his very busy day to go by me dinner, rent five of Clay's favorite movies/shows, and come home to make me a Caramel Macchiato. I savored every last drop of my espresso and was very thankful for my husband as Clay got a big smile on his face (the first smile all day) while dancing around with a video in each hand. In the meantime not only did our power come back on, but so did our satellite. Its amazing how much joy a simple act of kindness from my husband brought to Clay and I. Thank you Jason...you are the best Daddy and husband. I am so thankful the Lord brought us together! We love you very much!!

the Chronicles of Springfieldia

2008-02-12T18:39:00.000-06:00

"Rumor has it Aslan is on the move. . . "

Once again, Springfield is reminescent of pre-Aslan Narnia. While it doesn't seem to be as severe as last year, this year we did lose some branches:( They will make for a good marshmallow roasting fire once the chimnea thaws this Spring.

We also are suffering from the flu-season. also known as the "dreaded mahochis" So, after a few days of fever and lots of rest we are all a bit stir crazy! Clay has rearranged our house and ALL of his toys. Clay has also found a new abililty to climb anything and everything!!

Last weekend we had the distinct privilage to lead about 135 amazing young adults from all over the country and world in a fantastic weekend retreat. At our 4th annual winter retreat we were challenged by the faith journey of Abraham and how even "insignificant steps" can be powerful fullfillment of prophecy and life purpose. We also had a great time connecting socially and enjoyed our corperate worship times. The annual event has grown to be a highlight of our year.

2008-02-04T22:42:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to show off a few pics I took tonight. First, in our backyard playing in some leaves. Clay loves playing outside. His contagious laughter was heard throughout the backyard when he found the pile of leaves that had conveinentlty blown out of the dormant flower bed where I had so neatly piled them weeks ago. Did I mention it was 70 degrees outside! Yes, 2 days after the last pictures where we had 3 inches of Snow in the same backyard! Only in Missouri, tomorrow they are forcasting severe storms, and then Wednesday Snow, but this weekend we might go to the lake!

After our expedition and a delicous dinner prepared by Momma, we headed to the Gym. The Gym has quickly become a favorite for both Daddy and Clay, and it gives Mom a break too. Tonight we practiced a little tripple threat position and the bounce pass. Okay, we really just chaced balls around the floor and kept Clay from running into a girls volleyball practice. However, they keep the rims extra low for a children's league on Monday nights, so with a little help from Daddy we were able to practice slam dunks, which Clay adorably calls "Boom Shocka." The Children's league makes for a great time to play on the sidelines and Clay loves watching the other older kids play. Clay can do whatever he wants when he grows up, until then he will play basketball. Really though, he loves it!

Yay for Snow!!

2008-02-01T21:47:00.000-06:00

We didn't get the 5-10 inches of snow as promised, but Clay had a lot of fun with the 3 that we did get. And although the snow at our house was all melted by the time Daddy got home today, Grandma's house still had enough to have fun in! Yay for snow days!

Working out with Clay...Hmmm...

2008-01-29T15:59:00.000-06:00

Some of you know that one of my New Year's resolutions is to get back into shape (Isn't it everyone's:) My friends warned me that having a baby totally changes your body shape. It's true!! So, I have been trying to figure out how to fit a workout schedule into my day with Clay. He won't stay in childcare at the gym, so that is not a option. So, my first attempt was to get up before he woke at 8AM and workout. Mission destroyed... Clay immediately started waking up at 6AM. Mission #2 I decided I would workout during his nap time..seriously the first day I attempted this was the first day he decided he would fight taking any kind of nap. So, today I gave in and determined I would attempt to workout with him. Hmmm At first, he thought it was fun and even cheered me on. But, after thirty minutes of Clay yelling, 'MOM" "MOM", spilling coffee all over the coffee table, falling and "bonking" his head, and stealing the stability ball from me so he could play with this big fun ball, I was left staring at the workout video laughing in desperation and wondering if I could get in shape just having the workout video on:)
Ironically, I have the motivation to try it again tomorrow...

Favorite Clay story of the Week

2008-01-27T22:25:00.001-06:00

Clay LOVES nutrigrain bars!! He is constantly asking for a "bar" "bar" "bar". So, I was not surprised at all one morning this week when he was carrying around a half eaten nutrigrain bar. However, the normalcy of the situation soon disappeared when my husband came around the corner and asked "Where did he get that bar?" This surprised me because I had not given him one...and he certainly had not gotten it himself (they are located on purpose on the very top shelf). After both looking confused and trying to figure out if we should both be concerned or just go on with our day...my husband asked Clay "Where did you get that?" Clay proudly took Daddy to none other than the THE BATHROOM TRASH and sure enough there was the wrapper!! (I had thrown away a half eaten bar I found the day before in our bathroom trash and Clay had found it). GROSS!!! By this point the bar had been eaten, and we were left realizing that at this point what was done was done. I guess the lesson learned here is never throw away your child's favorite snack in the trash...they will find it!

Get to know Jason Bowman . . .

2008-01-27T21:48:00.000-06:00

I was born outside the small town of Tenino approximately 20m south of Olympia, WA on April 2, 1977. Born and raised on Skookumchuck River Road I enjoyed dirt-bike riding, 4-wheelin, and excellent fishing. I still love to fish, but enjoy our suburban life today. Because of my height of 6'7" and love for athletics I received a basketball scholarship to a local Junior College. After one year I dropped out of school as drug/alcohol abuse began to destroy my life. You can see my story of dramatic life change at http://www.nothingstoohardforgod.org/ Looking back I thank God for grace and a loving family. Today, I still thank God for grace and a loving family. Ashley is the love of my life, my best friend and an amazing mother to Clay. I'm a graduate of Central Bible College and the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. I've taught at Evangel University's theology department, and am currently the National Young Adult Ministry Coordinator for the Assemblies of God. My primary work responsibilities are as the Pastor of Young Adults at Evangel Temple Christian Center where we have served since August of 2004. We enjoy the opportunity to encourage young adults to know Christ and impact our culture.
My favorite things include Ashley and Clay. We have a great time together and it is so fun to watch Clay grow. The first year was difficult, difficult like we didn't sleep 4 hours in a row for the entire year, no joke. So, now that Clay is sleeping and subsequently we are too, well, life is good.
We look forward to sharing our life and adventures with you!

Get to Know Ashley Bowman...

2008-01-26T19:17:00.001-06:00

I was born in Springfield, MO on January 9, 1980. I was blessed to be raised by a wonderful family who loves the Lord with all their heart! I am a graduate of Kickapoo High School '98, Southwest Baptist University '01 with a BA in Psychology/Sociology, and Evangel University '04 with a MS in Clinical Psychology. (That's the boring stuff.) I met my amazing husband, Jason, at church the summer before beginning grad school. He proposed on Mt. Rainer and we were married January 3, 2004. Marriage is hard work, but wonderful!! In August 2004, we accepted our current position as College/Young Adult Pastors at Evangel Temple and LOVE IT!! Jason also is the National Young Adults Ministry Coordinator for the A/G. He works very hard so I can stay at home with our adorable son, Clay, born June 21, 2006. As many of you know we had a very challenging first year with him (I wish I would have known about blogging last year:) but after his 1st birthday everything radically changed and I am absolutely loving this stage. I hope to keep you entertained with many fun stories. Besides spending time with the Lord and my family, I also enjoy the great outdoors, water skiing, home decorating, and sleeping;). I am looking foward to our new blog.

Welcome to the Bowman Family Blog

2008-01-26T18:19:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Bowman Family Blog! We are very excited about this new addition to our family. We are hoping that this will be a wonderful way for our family and friends, especially those far away, to keep up with the Bowman family "adventures." And yes, most of those adventures include the crazy and fun times of raising our one-year-old son, Clay. ENJOY!!