Thursday, September 27, 2007

The Everyday, and the not so everyday




Everyday I feed the kids lunch. You know the routine. What would you like for lunch? They answer and you get busy making it. Today I decided to give the girls yogurt. I don't give it to them often, I am sure you can see why.... Piper will have nothing of me feeding it to her so it gets everywhere! I am not sure the pics even do it justice. And she wants two cartons of yogurt, not just one. And yes, she eats all of both. But half of a carton is on her bib. Then once she is done she makes a face mask out of it. I am sure that is good for your skin. So straight from the table to the bath...

The not so everyday happened yesterday though. I took Gracie to the Dr cause I thought she was getting a UTI. False alarm though, thankfully. I asked Lauren if she would keep Piper since I wasn't sure how it would go getting a urine sample from Gracie:) As we were waiting I thought, "This sure is easier with an almost four year old. She sits and waits patiently on the Dr!) Then Gracie and I had the greatest conversation while we were waiting. She was asking me about Heaven and what it would be like if I went there. I told her if I went there she wouldn't ever see me again, that is unless she became a believer. She said "Is heaven far?" So I was able to share the gospel with her! Then she was quickly off talking about all the paintings on the walls. But I was grateful for the chance to plant that seed. Thank you Lord. These are the things I wished happened everyday! They could happen more if I was more purposeful and asked God for these tender moments.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Amanda and Joey's wedding



Here are the other pics!

Gracie was so cute. She danced the entire night! Here she is doing "Shout"

And there's all of us with the bride and groom:)

Amanda and Joey's Wedding



Love this pic!

Amanda looked stunning!! But then again, she usually does:)
Abbie caught the bouquet!
Well, we had a wonderful weekend at the wedding of my childhood friend, Mandy. It was beautiful and we had soooo much fun! I had the honor of standing by her as she made her vows to her new hubby! Amanda and I have known each other since 8th grade. You could say she was a first friend of sorts. The first friend I ever had that wasn't born here:) (I know that's hard for all you Yankees to believe but back then there wasn't an influx of people, at least in my little world:))) We met on the softball field. And a great friendship began. Not only for the two of us, but for our families as well. We spent Christmas Eve at their house for years. Awwwh I sure do miss that.

Mandy and I don't get to see each other as much as I would like but we can always pick up where we left off. Congratulations Girl!!! I love you!!! Hope you are having a great time in St Lucia.
I'll have to add another post to get all the pics on here.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

La La and the Baby

La La went to the Dr today and had her first ultrasound. Everything is looking good! She is 8 weeks with the little peanut. Those pics of the baby never cease to amaze me. God is so incredible. Here is this tiny little creation, doesn't even have arms and legs yet, and in nine months it will be a masterpiece! Handcrafted by the One who says we are fearfully and wonderfully made! Yes, there is only one in there. Bummer. Although Lauren is not sad about that at all:) Meemaw was hoping for two boys at once. Lord, please give this poor woman a great grandson before she dies!! She's a prayin!
She is a little queasy with this pregnancy. She was really sick with Tristen, throwing up too. So she got some good ole Zofran today.
I am in a wedding this weekend. My dear friend Mandy from middleschool is getting married. So I will post pics afterwards. Have a great weekend everyone!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Girlie is gettin Big!



Today was Piper's 18 month check-up. She is doing well, Weighing in at 24 lbs 3 ounces and 32 inches tall. Can you believe that she is only in the 50th percentile for weight? What do kids in the 100th percentile look like??? Gees. I mean she has all kinds of fat rolls!! Don't get me wrong, I love each and every one of them but whew, the 100th percentile, poor kid. And her height is 50-75th percentile. And well, our kids have small heads. What can I say? She is only the 25-50th percentile for head circumference.
At our office they give you a form to fill out for well visits that asks you questions about your child like, "Are you concerned with the way they use their arms and legs," etc... Usually I just fill it out as quick as I can just to get done. No, No, No I circle all the way down the paper. But today I was pricked in my heart as I circled each "no". I was so grateful to God that I didn't have to circle any "yes'" I had to stop and thank Him for this healthy, thriving child he has given me. Thank you Lord!
I can't believe she is already 18 months old. It has flown by.

Monday, September 17, 2007

As for me and my house...

Joshua says... "Choose this day whom you will serve.... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." As I was praying this morning, the Lord placed this verse on my heart. So I sat down to ponder it for my devotion. What does that really look like these days Lord? Not even 30 seconds after I opened my Bible to actually look at the verse in Joshua, Piper was screaming in her bed for the third time since 6 am! So off I went to console her. I got a moment of cuddle time in the rocking chair and then it was apparent she was up for good. So I came down the steps with her and here stands Gracie. So, both kids up, an hour early!! The morning progressed and not smoothly. The girls were complaining, disobeying, etc... But I was able to ponder how the Lord would have my house serve Him. I started singing to Piper and Gracie, the gospel song. They were really into it. (I am certain it wasn't anything to do with my angelic voice) Then I asked them if we could pray. I knew in order to serve the Lord today I was going to need His help.
Obviously serving the Lord today was not about having a long quiet time. It was about approaching the throne of grace as I went about the day. It was caring for my family by giving them clean clothes and taking the girls outside to play on this gorgeous day. It is about gently correcting them when they disobey and pleading with the Lord to help me with my anger. And this afternoon and evening, I have confidence that the Lord will show me how to continue helping my house serve the Lord.
The people answered Joshua, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt.." Amen brothers, Amen

Friday, September 14, 2007

Happy Birthday



Happy, Happy Birthday Jeremy!! Today is Jeremy's 31st Birthday:)

It has been such a privilege to walk this journey of life with you! Jeremiah 32:27 says "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?" This has been your motto for the past year. You have sought to trust the Lord to do all things through you and for you and our family. You have such a hefty load, yet you bear it with much grace. You are such an example to me. When noone else thought it was a good idea to remodel our current home you said, "Nothing is too hard for the Lord, He can make it happen." And He sure did. You were faithful to trust Him and He gave you a beautiful home for our family. Most people would never consider developing a piece of land for their dear friends, yet you have taken the challenge. Why? Because nothing is too hard for the Lord!

Thank you for the way you have led our family through the many trials. You are my hero. As I lie in bed with a migraine I often think about how grateful I am for you. What would I do without you by my side? You care for me and the girls so well, especially when I am sick. Often you have to come home from work and cook dinner and watch the girls while I go to bed. But you do it cheerfully. And when I tell you I feel guilty for feeling bad, you reassure me that you "signed up for this." Thank you so much my love. Thank you for your servants heart.

I love you Jeremy and I look forward to how God is drawing us closer to one another and closer to Him day by day. I can't wait to see the fruit of your faithfulness to trust in the Lord when the going gets tough. Whether the fruit is seen here or not until we reach heaven, I will be there to cheer you on and testify in your honor.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Lori





Hey all! I have been reminded to day of the steadfast love of the Lord. That He is in complete comtrol of everything! I was able to watch Macy this morning, my friend Lori's little girl. Why, so Lori could go to yet another ultrasound appt. She has to go twice a week to get checked. Lori is pregant with twins!! Two baby girls. This pregnancy has come with many trials though. The twins are monochorionic, meaning they are identical and they share the same placenta. That comes with a huge host of complications. So far Baby A is doing really well and Baby B has blood pressure issues but is still growing. Praise God. She is 25 weeks now and the Drs are astounded. They never thought she would make it this far. Especially Baby B. But our kind, loving God has seen fit to preserve the lives of these babies for now and to comfort Lori. She has been sick the whole pregnancy and very uncomfortable. The sacs are filled with so much fluid, it's like she's 36 weeks! But she is enduring with much grace. Wanna hear what they told her this morning? The Drs are baffled because their are no documented cases of monochorionic twins with amniotic sacs like this. They aren't sure what is going on. They keep thinking they are missing something, like genetic defects or something. BUT we know that it is our Great God who is preserving these babies against all odds.


All that to say, the reason I wanted to write this post is because Lori has been such an example of someone who is trusting the Lord with all her heart and soul. Week after week her emails point to the One who is in control and there is no complaining. All I see is gratefulness for the girls and a deep confidence that God knows exactly what He is doing. There hasn't been any wavering from this! And ya'll there is plenty of room to fear! Lori, well done! Thank you for pointing us all to the One who holds us in the palm of His hand. I can't wait to meet the two little girls that He has so fearfully and wonderfully made:)


If you think of her please pray. For the health of the babies and for Lori's discomfort. Pray that they can make it to at least 28 weeks. It's day by day right now. Please pray for Joe. He is doing all the household chores on top of his full time job. He pretty much cares for Macy solely in the evenings, when Lori's pain is the worst. This is one Godly man!! And please pray for a mother's helper for her!


To God be the glory!!


Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Update On Health

Gotta post quickly, it's bedtime! Gotta be able to get up and sit at Jesus' feet:)
I went to the neurologist again today and it went well. She is having me try one other natural medicine to stop the migraines before moving to a daily preventative. That was encouraging. And she had talked to me before about how taking too much Imitrex (what I take when I actually get a migraine) can give me more headaches. So when I asked her about that she decided to take me off the Imitrex and put me on another med to take once the migraines hit. One that will not allow rebound headaches because it stays in your system longer. So other than that she told me to hang in there. I go back in two months.
Also, I had a long talk with Dr Hager on Friday and he and his wife are supposed to be really diligent with trying to figure out my headaches over the next few weeks. I told him something has to change! There is some new research out so we are looking in to that. I go to him on Friday.
Hopefully the migraines will stop soon. But if they don't may the Lord give me strength and joy in the midst of these circumstances! I will be sitting at His feet alot:) Good night.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Sitting at Jesus' Feet

Do you sit there often? I mean, really. Do you sit at Jesus' feet often? I know I have struggled with this more than ever before since my second little one was born. She is 18 months old now and I am still not adjusted. Sound familiar? I am letting circumstances get in my way of having time with my Jesus. I have been passionate about my devotion to the Lord since my conversion. Quiet times were just natural for me by God's grace. I loved this time with Him and had it very consistently. That is until Piper came along, and alot of health issues. But that isn't good enough for me. I don't want to let my circumstances get in the way any longer. I want to have my passion back. The past few weeks have been much better by God's grace! I love meeting with the Lord, especially in the morning. Want to hear something precious? Gracie has been getting up a little earlier than usual and she has been doing her "QT" with me. She gets her bible and journal and sits right with me quietly. It is my most favorite time of the day. When I put her to bed at night she says, "Mommy, you'll be up in the morning?" Talk about accountability!! But I also find that I need to sit at Jesus' feet throughout the day. The days are tough at home with two little ones and I really struggle with anger. So I must be at Jesus' feet confessing and praying all day long.
I read this today- Jesus is talking to Mary and Martha and Martha is upset Mary isn't helping her. "He addressed her: "Martha, Martha, ...you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her" "Jesus reminded Martha that Mary had made a choice to cultivate her realtionship with the Master." Good stuff, huh? I only need one thing. Why do I think sleep or my to do list are more important that sittin at Jesus' feet. Lord, help me to choose You.
May we all be encouraged to sit with Mary, at Jesus' feet.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Our Home



This is the front door, floor needed replacing


More on the land and God's gift...


After we sold our house and purchased the land, we moved in with my parents for four months. During this time we had to completely redo the inside of the house that is on the land. It is where we were going to call home for a few years so it needed to be livable. We knew it needed work but boy were we in for it once we got in there and started looking. All the floors were molded and rotten. We replaced all the subflooring on the first floor and all the sheetrock on the bottom half of the walls. The house was completely gutted. We had to rewire the HVAC and alot of the electrical. So we have a new home basically! Thanks to Jeremy and his dad, Papa Ron. We still have alot to do, another lesson in patience for me! The pics don't do it justice, but here is our humble abode:)
I can't find my really good pics so these will have to do for now.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Signed, Sealed, Delivered



Hooray!! We have approval for our land finally! It has taken us two years from the desire to purchase the land to now having approval to build on it. So it has been a loooooong process. Can you tell that God has been teaching me much about patience the past few years? Really this land is a gift from the Lord. We desired to purchase it two years ago. We went back and forth with realtors and the family and couldn't come to an agreement. Then one day Jeremy drove by and noticed the for sale sign was not in the yard.We didn't know what happened so he stopped by and talked to the owner. He ended up having a nice long conversation with him and finding out he was a believer. They prayed together and Jeremy came home. A few weeks later he called Mr Lienghot to see how he was doing. Mr Lienghot asked if we were still interested in the land. And we said yes. A few weeks later we met with him and his wife and came to an agreement. We purchased it last August, after selling our house. God was soooo good. Then we moved in, in November. Since then we have been working on having the land rezoned and getting approval from the town for all kinds of things. It has taken way longer than we expected, but it is God's time we are on, right? So today, we got our last stamp of approval! We still have some work to do before the houses go up but we are much closer! Jeremy has a vision for a community where we all love and serve God while raising our families for His glory. We are really looking forward to seeing this become a reality. Please pray for us if you think about it. Jeremy is doing an incredible amount of work on top of his fulltime job to see this come to fruition. I am so grateful for Him and the heart God has given him for others:) So here is our beautiful land. It will be more beautiful when it is filled with families who are working together with us for the Lord!
There will be more posts on the land...

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Do you see it?




Do you see it? Look closely. It's laminate!!!!! I know, you are asking, what is so exciting about laminate? Well let me just explain. We have been waiting on this for 10 months! When we first moved in we didn't even have a kitchen. No cabinets, sink, stove, nothing. It was quite interesting for about a month. Then we got appliances, and eventually cabinets. But we couldn't get our bar done. There were a series of complications that let to the wait but it's all over now! I learned alot about myelf through all this. How I like nice things, like order, and have an idol of material things. God has been faithful to help me be patient and it was worth the wait. It's so weird not to be looking at plain ole wood anymore! I am grateful:) Here are the girls playing play-doh on their new laminate. The cute red head is Molly, my mother's helper. Marge, I even rotated the pics for you, aren't you proud!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

The Bradford Store

Okay here they are. Read previous post for explanation:)



Piper and Mortimar

The Bradford Store

We had quite a fun morning! We finally made the trip out to the Bradford Store! Grier and Kim, the owners are dear friends of our family and they have sent food for me through my dad, but I never made it out there myself, until today that is. I have one word-Adorable!!! I love it! It is just the neatest little slice of heaven. You have to go if you've never been. And they love kids too. There's even a little area where they can color and build with blocks. They have all kinds of produce, all locally grown and some organic. They also have things like butter and goat cheese. So here are some pics. Enjoy! Okay it won't let me post the pics so I will try again in a minute to add pics.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day everyone!! I hope you had a fun filled day with family and friends. We sure did! Well, I wish I had pics to show you but...yep batteries were dead on the camera. Hate it when that happens! So anyway, we went to the corn maize this morning and then cooked out with friends.
On another note, I would like to ask for prayer when you think of it. I have been battling migraine headaches since I was 10 years old. In the past few months they have gotten really bad, I am having up to three a week. As many of you know I have tried lots of different docs to try to get rid of them-the natural to the traditional. But there hasn't been much progress yet. And I have taken so much migraine medicine that the neurologist thinks I am having rebound migraines. I am only supposed to take 8 Imitrex pills a month and I am taking well over that, which causes even more migrianes. Yeah, I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. So I am faced with some choices. My neurologist wants to put me on a preventative med called Topamax. It's an antiseizure med but they have seen really good results with migraines. The flip side, it has really bad side effects. Or I can keep going as I am and continue to give the natural doc more time. But something has to change! The past two weeks I have been having symptoms for a few days after the migraines which have kept me pretty useless as far as my family goes! Pray for Jeremy as well.
Now with all that being said. I do realize that God may choose not to heal me. And I want to be at peace with that. For I know that He uses all things for my good! I love this quote "God has planned, has a purpose for, and is in complete control of every aspect of His creation, both good and bad, including our individual lives. He does this in such a way that He never authors or approves of sin or relieves man of his responsibility by violating His will. He does all for His glory and all He does in relation to those whom He chooses and loves is for their good."
Doesn't it make you long for heaven?