The Bit of Paradise



It looks like moving is in our near future.  With our new baby coming, we just don't know how to make our home work anymore.  We've been here for almost 10 years.  A whole lot of memories have been made.  One kid has been here 10 of his 12 years, another all of his life minus 5 weeks, and another his entire life.  Depending on the timing, we don't even know if the next child will be brought to this home or another.  Bittersweet for sure.  Doesn't help that I am emotional from pregnancy on top of it all!  Ha!

 

These pictures are a few of the sites that I will sorely miss.  Eric's grandparents owned the home before us and his grandad did an amazing job of making the place a tiny paradise.  It took me years to figure it out, but there is something almost always in bloom around here.  Even in the snow!

 

The beautiful site has been a gift for sure, since I don't have a green thumb.  In fact, I am so bad at landscaping that I am pretty sure my thumbs are colorless!  When something always comes back in full color and bloom, I just thank God cause it is a gift totally undeserved!

 

We'll probably put the sweet home on the market after Christmas.  If you know anyone in need of a centrally located home with a great price and huge backyard, send them our way!

 

I am going to go find some tissues now.  sniff.

 



Just one way...

This is just one way to give during the Christmas season.  Christ came to give all and it humbles me so much that he allows us to give to others.  This is one of our favorite things to do as a family...sit down and read the catalog out loud.  We love to let the need of others soak up into our boys' ears and hearts.  We need them to know how blessed they are.  We need them to feel compassion and be moved to action.  This catalog provides an easy way to do that for them. You can view it online or request a copy to be mailed to your home. And for the record, I can't get through the catalog every year without bawling my eyes out.

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/gift_catalog/?&utm_source=GiftCatalog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=gc12

It is the Samaritan's purse catalog.  Each boy gets to pick out something they want to give towards.  It always delights my heart to see them do this, because it always lines up with who God has created them to be.  {Don't you know our animal lover had to give a goat...}

I know your heart is overflowing with gratitude this season like mine.  Pray and let the overflow spill into whatever God leads you to!

Gender Reveal Party!

 

Our first gender reveal party!  What a fun way to tell people in person!  We sent out invites, telling everyone to wear the color they represented...either Team Pink or Team Blue!  We served pink snacks and blue snacks...to each team.  We had a sweet tree decorated with pink and blue ornaments, ultrasounds, and baby pics of Eric and me. 

 

The only thing I would do differently is fly out of town family in and buy a larger home so I could invite more people! 

 



It totally made my day when baby (boy) Ty showed up totally representing Team Pink!

 Everyone getting ready for the big announcement...we decided to open a gift that would reveal the gender.

It's a....BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 We had a drawing from the names in the Team Blue bucket...Luke won a gift card to Target and then sweetly handed it over to his wife. (Cause let's face it, girls love Target and boys could care less.)

I've got all my boys represented by the cupcakes...my cup runneth over...with testosterone...ha!

Thank you, Lord, for this sweet boy you are gifting us with.  We believe you have set him apart and have special plans for his life.  We can't wait to see what You have dreamed up! {Now, if you could just help us with a name, Jesus!}

Cream of What??

This baby likes its grapefruit juice, cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, and big fat hamburgers...specifically from David's.

Cream of what-the-heck soup.  That is all I am saying. Pregnancy has taken over my mind and taste buds.  A true invasion, it has been.

Let's see, since we last chatted, I had the stomach bug.  Eric was out of town, so I packed the boys a bag, set it outside, and pretty much told my sweet inlaws to keep them til I was in the clear. It was the nastiest bug I have had in a long time.  I lost three pounds in one day. Now normally, this would be cause for excessive celebration, but it made me a tad nervous due to little bit.  I couldn't hold anything down whatsoever.

Apparently, the aversion to pregnancy multivitamins is never going to go away.  I tried to get one down yesterday.  I tipped the water bottle up, spewed water up my face, into my hair, and all over the counter.  I still haven't found that blasted horse pill.  I spent the next few minutes reapplying all my makeup as my face was dripping with black mascara.

Pregnancy makes for great storytelling.  You know, when you aren't sobbing due to hormones, nausea, and exhaustion.

And will someone please tell me why I think every.single.pregnant.woman out there is simply adorable but I can't stand to look at myself!??  I haven't taken a single preggo pic yet!

Photography has exploded!  Everyone wants Christmas pics, so November is always my busiest month...which makes my kids happy since they figure it helps the Christmas gift buying budget.

We are turning in our Operation Christmas Child boxes tomorrow!  We are going to the church tomorrow night to help collect others' boxes.  It is always one of our most precious family memories...packing them, letting the kids pray over them, and then packing them into huge cardboard boxes at the church.  If you haven't packed a box yet, there is time!  The boxes aren't due til Sunday or you can always go online and give towards the shipping of the boxes.  What a simple and yet profound way to get the gospel message into the hands of sweet children...all created in God's image and in need of a Savior.

Well, we find out the gender of the baby next Monday!  The kids will be out of school, so they can join in on the celebration!!!  Taking all guesses...GO!  Are you Team Pink or Team Blue?

Oh, baby is now fluttering around all the time and says hello!

Oh, and here is Sam's latest prayer:

Dear God, thank you for giving me a baby sister.
Dear God, please let it be a baby sister.
Dear God, if it isn't a baby sister, then please turn it into one.
Amen.

Let's just say he is the captain of Team Pink.

Halloween

I almost peed my pants this year.  I really did.  I made sure to use the restroom before we went prowling through the neighborhood, but a block over, I knew I was in trouble.  My only consolation was that I was going to highly tax my kids in candy for walking with them.  Since they are older, they like to go longer and farther.  I kind of started making them sprint in between houses.

 

Well, this year, we have Cade the basketball star, Sam, "Obi -Wan Kenobi," and Eli, who was either Squanto the Indian or Daniel Boone, depending on the moment.  Halloween is just too short to narrow it down to one character, anyway.  Joining them in the first pic is their sweet bud, Kamryn, who was a little kitten.

 

Now, where are those Junior Mints my bladder earned?

 

State of the Union: A Call to Intercession

Political girl, I am not.  I am more comfortable talking about spiritual things.  But, sometimes, they have to mix.

Things are heavy on my heart, this week before the election.  People are out voting.  Our city is boasting a turnout of 10,000 or more already.  This is exciting!  We live in a free nation and we shouldn't assume that if we don't vote, people will hear our voices.

Did you know that the first mention of the word "prophet" in the bible is in reference to Abraham?  The context is that Abraham will pray for Abimelech, that God will turn around the curse of the empty wombs.  So, the very first mention of a prophet is someone that will turn away from their selfishness and apathy and intercede or pray on behalf of others.  Abraham wasn't even acting very wisely in this story, and yet God called him to pray.

I believe that as God's children, we can all act out our role as prophets through intercession.

Our nation needs it like never before, but most of us have our heads stuck in the ground like fearful ostriches that have forgotten they are the largest of their kind.

You are a child of God.  Your prayers mean something.  Don't let Satan tempt you towards apathy.  Don't believe that you aren't a powerful new creation with the holy living Spirit of the One True God inside of you.  Don't succumb to the lie that says you are powerless in this culture we find ourselves.

Our nation is in need of an awakening of sorts.  We need Jesus and we need him desperately.  Did you know that John Wesley preached before he realized he needed a personal, saving relationship with Jesus Christ?  He realized that faith in Christ is all that matters and God used him in a very powerful way.  The English church refused to let him preach once he came to this truth, so he started what was called open air sermons.  Lives were changed, thanks to the true gospel.

The idea of an "Awakening" implies a slumber or passivity during secular or less religious times.  {Wikipedia} We have grown accustomed to sin being painted all over the TV screens.  Last night, we had to tell Cade he wasn't allowed to watch one of his favorite shows anymore.  What started out as an OK show has now pushed the boundaries, testing how many viewers will keep watching no matter what they throw our way.  We are in a deep slumber, remaining passive in areas that used to perhaps make our skin crawl.

If God's own people won't stand for righteousness, then we are a country without hope.

I got to view the movie, 2016: Obama's America, last weekend.  Not the political type, I wasn't sure I wanted to waste my Friday night on a documentary.  But, it turned out to be the best thing as it showed me who Obama was as a child.  It brought him back to humanity for me, showing me that without a father, there are wounds that will display itself in various ways.  Perhaps for Obama, he always wanted the approval and love of an absent father which is why he adopted his methods of anti-colonialism (bring in wealth to the colonies that used to be run by other countries) and the removal of superpowers.  In light of this, it would make sense why he has the vision to decrease our military, allow our debt to get out of control, reduce our nukes by half, and not allow certain jobs like drilling in our nation. I don't say any of this to bash our President.  I believe his position of authority is God-ordained. 

God says that if we don't have wisdom, we can pray and He will be happy to give it!  I think this can apply to how to vote, as well.

In the meantime, let's get on our knees, knowing that God hears our prayers.

Because of God inside, you are more powerful than you know.  Don't just let your voting voice be heard.  Let your prayers be heard as well...the one who holds all things together...His ears are wide open.

"The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry." Psalm 34:15

12 weeks

Long time no blog!  I think I am turning the corner on feeling so icky, so praise the Lord!  We got to go see baby on the big screen (ultrasound) yesterday.  My heart was just so giddy as we were waiting.  I am so thankful for a bit of technology that has given me a tiny peek into our babies when they are inside developing.  It makes me that much more thankful for God knitting them together!

Here is our little bit!

 

Can you make out the torso, head, eyes, nose, mouth, etc.?  See its little hand and fingers up by its face?  So precious!  In another pic, you can see both of its hands up by its face, cradling it.  ahhh!

 

We showed the boys the pic and Eli saw it all immediately.  I am surprised he hasn't named this child, because he has an imaginative knack for that kind of thing.  He carries cotton balls around in his pocket that he names for crying out loud.  And just this morning, he showed be a whole new "language" he created where each letter of the alphabet has a symbol he made up.  He is just creative, I am telling you!

 

Instead, Sam has been the one to name this baby, lol.  He only calls it a girl and only calls "her" Millie.  He has been so sweet to me and to my belly.  He praises me for getting bigger...as if I have anything to do with it.  He insists he is having a sister.  Amelia (my sister) asked him what he would do if he had a baby brother.  He quickly replied that he would punch him in the face and stick him back into my belly.

 

whoa.

 

Our doctor got a look at the "area" yesterday...and before I even knew what he was doing, he gave a guess.  But, then he totally regressed and said it was way too early to tell.  If the baby cooperates, then we can find out the next time, which is Nov. 19th.  The boys will be out of school for Thanksgiving break, so it will be fun to let them come with us and join the fun!

 

{God, I am telling you that you have the heart of a seven year old boy to contend with who has prayed for a baby sister for years.  That's all I am saying...}

 

I was struck today while reading Psalm 139. 

 

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

 

The ESV notes say that the Hebrew for wonderfully made is "niple'ti" which means to be fearfully set apart.  It is the same thing as God setting apart his people and making a distinction between those that are his and those that are not. It says, "the faithful person singing this, who in the OT would be the child of faithful parents, can affirm that God set his special love upon him from the earliest stages of his personal life."

 

Goodness, I only have a glimpse of this baby.  I don't know its gender, its name, or what it will look like.  God, on the other hand, has set this child apart, sees its substance, has all of its days written in a book, and has already fashioned what it will be.  (Fashioned:  yatsar, to squeeze into shape, mold as a potter, or determine.)

 

He is the potter.  I am simply housing the clay.

 

Parenthood might be more simple if we saw this amazing sovereignty in the everyday lives of our children.

 

I see it if I look closely.  Cade, Eli, and Sam couldn't be more differently wired than if they had each come from different parents.  They have different giftings, different looks, different likes, and different bents.  When I peer closely, I can see how God has fashioned (molded, determined) them each to be something unique and all for His glory.

 

It will be fun to see what He dreamed up regarding this child.

 

We welcome your plan, Lord.

Zuppa Toscana, BABY!

Make the soup.  Eat.  Refill bowl.  Eat again.  Say, "My, how I am glad fall is upon us." 

http://www.annies-eats.com/2009/10/15/zuppa-toscana/

1.  Don't be afraid of the cream.  You need the dairy and the soup needs the cream.
2.  I reduced the red pepper flakes to 1/4 tsp. to keep it mild enough for the boys.
3.  There is something addictive about this soup.  Maybe it is the cream.  :)
4.  It is 8:39 am and I am trying to hold myself off from going to fix a huge bowl.
5.  There is a nice printable version on the link
6.  Happy fall, ya'll

A New Day

Sometimes you just need the dawn of a new day to hit.  And fast. 

That is what I was feeling yesterday.  It was my worst day of feeling sick and awful.  Every few minutes, I was gagging and making the dreaded vomiting sound.  The boys would look at me with tenderness and ask if I was OK.

I told them I felt pretty bad, but I was going to be alright.  Eli wanted to know if I did this while carrying all of them.  I think it was going to break his heart to think he might have done this to me!   I told them I felt bad with them, but nothing like how I am feeling now.  I think that made them feel a little better.

Being pregnant while having older kids has been both better and worse.  You don't have to do quite as much for them, so the fact they can bathe themselves, etc. has been nice.  The flip side is that they are involved in more activities, so I have to be out late (as in 7:30/8...and yes, that is LATE, ha!)  at night, so I am worn out and miserable every evening.  I don't seem to have time to take naps, so at about the six o clock hour, I am ready to either go postal or just sit down in a heap of tears and saltines.

When Eric travels, it is all just magnified.

All that said, I am so excited that God is giving us another baby!  The babyhood and small child phase goes so quickly and I feel blessed to get to experience it all again.  We prayed to have this child and we know it is a gift right from His hand.  But, that doesn't keep me from praying that the "12" week brings a little healing magic with it!

Today has been much better.  My mother in law made an emergency trip to the store for saltines for me.  Bless her soul.

The cup of coffee I allowed myself brought a new lease on life!

The windows are open and candles lit.  My sweet group of bible study gals came and blessed me with what God showed them about Sarai listening to her authority, Abram.  Life has just been better today.  And, I have the joy of knowing my sister is coming to see me this weekend!

Thank you, Lord, for your mercies that are new every morning.

Here is a pic from the internet that shows how big our baby is!

Soccer Champ!

Been so busy around here...we squeezed 5 soccer games in this weekend for Eli, but the end result was winning the tournament...way to go team "Argentina!" In the last game, Eli played either goalie or back defender the whole time.  I almost had a coronary cause I am a tad competitive.  But, he did AWESOME and only gave up one goal. 

{thank you Kiki for the pics!}

Baby Ty!

Our sweet friends, Erica and Andy had their first baby today!  Welcome Ty James....perfect in every way!  Erica did way-amazing.  I think she is superwoman.  She came to the hospital around 11 and had him at 3:11.  Ummm, that is pretty awesome for your first kid! Congrats guys! According to Sam, now you get to raise him!  :)

This last pic is of Ty next to Andy's baby picture.  hmmmm....someone may look like his Daddy!