Thanksgiving

Our weekend is usually our cleaning time....organizing, rearranging, vaccuming, dusting. Today as I clean, I thank God for the stove I can wipe crusted egg off of, for the floor I have as I clean up spilled juice, the mirror covered in fingerprints, the playroom that is scattered with an over abuncance of toys....
We have not been able to get the images and stories out of minds about the tornadoes and devastation that so many folks have experienced. I have been following Kelly's blog for over 2 years now, and to know her house is totally gone, her neighbors house destroyed and a father/husband has died leaving behind a wife and 13 children....to hear that good friends of ours had debris in their yard (so close but God saw fit to spare them).
It sure brings reality to light, how attached we are to the things of this world, to know that life is so precious and at any moment it can change.
I thank you Lord for the continued protection and safety you give our family, how you watch over us and guide us, how you love and care for us. Thank you for your continued blessings that we so easily take for granted so often. Help me not to grumble and complain at circumstances that are uncomfortable to me. Please keep my eyes and my focus on you!

God's hand of safety

Tonight was one of those experiences that you can only say 'it was only because of God'!! As we headed home from Prayer Meeting, I noticed very irratic headlights coming towards us, accelerating as it went. The truck veered off onto the grass, back onto the road, onto the grass and then right for us. It is the moment you tense up and think 'here it comes' and brace yourself. It was only God's hand of protection that we did not get hit. The truck ended up in the forest and we called 911. Hubby ran out to help the driver, who was a young girl, and I sat in the van shaking and praying and praising God for his protection. The vehicle in front of us also stopped to help the young girl before the police arrived. The driver was visibly shaken and crying and saying "I almost hit a van". Hubby piped in "that would have been us". The other driver couldn't believe she missed us. I don't know what was the cause (she states she was hydroplaning because of the rain) but I thank God for watching over us.

My year in review

Sitting here thinking back throughout 2010 brings much to my mind. I have changed in many ways. I have experienced much and grown in many different ways which has brought me excitement and peace.

I look back on our school year as a homeschooled family. I have absolutely LOVED this year more than all the rest so far. I had read a quote from someone earlier this year that said Christian homes that homeschool incorporate biblical truths into their teaching and call it 'Christian education'. That was the way I was doing it! This person pointed out that our goal should be the other way around....We teach the Bible and incorporate educational skills (reading, math, etc) into our Bible teaching. That really struck me!! I was very focused on the next test, the grades, the accomplishments that proved I was doing a good job as a teacher. I made sure our subjects were always Bible based, but focused much on the progress being made. I took a big step back and re-evaluated our year ahead. I gradually changed my thinking and approach to school and felt such a joy and peace in my teaching. Our emphasis changed from academics to growing in the Lord, learning how to study God's Word, how to pray, who is this Almighty Holy God we serve..... We started learning Bible Greek as a family which has been such a fun experience for all of us! Our devotion time grew to a deeper more intimate time together....we moved from bedtime devotions where children's minds were wandering, to fellowshipping together after supper, at the table, where they concentrated and were more interactive. I have seen growth in our children spiritually which is exciting. Our daughter and I have been doing a bible study in Revelation which we are both enjoying so much! We both look forward to these series of studies to do together, and the opportunity I get to share with her all about the greatness of our God.

I look at myself and how much I have changed through this year. I felt I was just 'floating' along in my Christian life, reaching out to God in my spare moments of a hectic, busy life with 4 children. I clung to truths that I had grown up with but never really ventured out to study for myself. I came to a point where I needed to start digging and allow God to lead me through His Word and teach me. It has been such an exciting journey so far!! I have a joy like I have never felt before. My eyes are being opened to wonderful things that have brought me such peace and contentment. I have such a longing to see my Saviour like I never have before. I have such wonderful moments with my Lord when I am alone. I want to learn more....to understand as much as I can about His Sovereignty, His Holiness.

I look at my family, how we have grown in number! How blessed we have been with our baby girl this year. There was a time when I never thought children were going to be possible for us. The longing and desire I had to be a mother. The road has not been easy but ooohhh how rewarding!! They are all such a blessing to us and more than I could have ever prayed for! We give God our family to multiply as He sees fit. May each child He grants us bring glory to His name!! I have seen such growth in my husband during the year. His leadership growing stronger and his desire to see each of us grow spiritually. He loves me with an indescribable love. I can not put into words how he makes me feel to be his wife. He loves me through Christ...that's all I can say!

We have had such a blessed year. God has met our every need. We give Him all the glory for what He is accomplishing in and through us.

She's ONE!

I know it gets repetative BUT....how fast has this year gone!! I can't believe she is already a year old. Thinking back to this time last year is so special, not only because God gave us another beautiful blessing in our daughter, but how He orchestrated His plan for insurance, her birth, employment for hubby. What a time of growing and learning!

Here are some pics from today. Happy Birthday baby girl!

I'm thankful for....

This being the week of Thanksgiving, Pastor wanted us to write what we are thankful for from A-Z. It was actually a lot of fun! Here was my list.

Answered prayer
Ben, my husband, partner, friend , and love
Christian birthday (31 years)
Date nights with hubby
Everything chocolate
Family and friendships
God's Holy Word
Homeschooling
In-laws that love me like their own
Jesus Christ, my Saviour
Kailey, Kyle, Kaleb, Ksena my 4 beautiful blessings
Laughter from my children
Music that lifts the soul
Needs met
Opportunities to share God's love with others
Pastor and his wife
Quiet moments to talk with the Lord
Reedeming Love
Snuggling with my hubby
Trips to Canada to be with my family
Unconditional love of my heavenly Father
Vehicle that runs well
Women in my life who encourage me
Xtra hugs and kisses from my kids
Year full of God's wonderful blessings
Zero-calorie treats (oopss..that's just wishful thinking!)

Home

Hubby is doing well and everything went smoothly. We had a safe drive to and from (2 hour drive there and back) and baby girl did well throughout the day. Hubby was 50% closed up and is breathing much better now. The next few days he will deal with some swelling in the airway but after about a week, he'll really see a difference in breathing. God gave us safety on the roads and worked all things out when our battery died (on the way home). When we left the hospital, the van didn't crank up the first time. I thought that was odd. When we stopped at a gas station we couldn't get it cranked at all. I prayed immediately that God would send the right people to help us. As soon as I did, a sheriff pulls in right beside us *smile*. Two gentlemen helped us get the van started again and we were off to get a new battery! All in all, it was a good day and we are glad to be home! Thank you for your prayers :)

Hugs

You know those days when your kids keep coming back to you for a hug throughout the day. I guess they need that 'extra' reassurance that you are there. I had a day like that yesterday with my heavenly Father. Many times I went to Him, asking for that bit of 'extra' reassurance as I wade my way through a struggle of the day. I needed and asked Him to reveal Himself to me in a special way. And then the moment comes.....and you stop and sit and cry, thanking God for the extra hug that day that you needed. I love those moments. I am humbled that God does that for me when I need it. Such a loving Father, to take the time to give me those extra hugs of encouragement. I love you Lord.

Today

Here's a pic before heading off to church. This gives me so much to be thankful for!

God's goodness through neighbors

We went for our evening walk around the block tonight. Half way around, one of our friendly neighbors stopped us and took us through his garden and let the kids pick vegetables to their hearts content!! He let us fill up a bucket of tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and gave us some beans that have already been picked, cut and frozen. The kids loved it!

Our daughter was baking again today. She made some dark chocolate fudge cake cookies. They are soooo tempting but I'm sticking to my 'diet' of no sugar! (Ok...so I had to try ONE but that was it :)

And here are some more of baby girl. I never get tired of taking their pictures!

Encouraging week

We had a great Thanksgiving, and a full day today. Off for another appointment tomorrow for monitoring. On Wednesday I have my ultrasound which should tell us if I'm headed for a C-section or just the induction. Still praying and trying to get this little one to turn around. I have no clue what position she is in right now. Sometimes her hiccups are really really low....other times they are at the top. I can't believe she still has enough room to move around so much!!

We were able to share tonight at church how God worked out our insurance issues. It was such an encouragement not only to us, but I believe to so many at church, to see how God worked! Many ladies came to me with tears in their eyes at our news. So many have been praying about this situation, and many people's faith was increased through God's working on our behalf. It is such a wonderful feeling to have so many people invested in our life, who get on their knees for us, who are concerned for us. We have so much love and support and I thank you all for your Christ-like love for our family!

This past week I also had my Christian birthday :) The Lord has continually made Himself more and more real to me throughout the years. He has shown me such a great love and has blessed me all throughout my life. I am so thankful that He died for me on the cross. How hard life would be to face all these struggles and situations without the knowledge that God is in control and cares for me!

11 years of love

Today we celebrate 11 years of marriage! How quickly it has gone by and how much we have experienced together. When God is the center of your marriage....life together is wonderful despite the trails and heartaches that come our way. Our God has blessed us tremendously and we have seen his hand in all areas of our lives even from the very beginning! I love telling people how we met because it was only of the Lord that hubby and I came together. I was living in Canada and he was here in the States. His great grandfather lived in the same city as I did, and on occassion hubby's grandpa and grandma would come up to Canada to check on him. While visiting they would attend our church and we got to know this sweet couple. On one visit, hubby's grandpa asked for our (my siblings and myself) email addresses to maybe start a friendship with his grandson back home in the States. Well, the emails between his grandson and I soon became a daily thing which led to phone calls, and then the big 'meeting' :) I can still remember when hubby called asked if he could come meet me in person. We already knew there was a very strong connection between us over the months we had communicted by phone and email. We shared so many similar things especially our love for Christ. We had so many of the same convictions and desires, and when that part of your life lines up so beautifully with someone else, it's an exciting feeling!!! Our first visit together was absolutely amazing. We talked about every aspect of our lives including what we saw for our future. It didn't take long for me to feel that this was definitely of the Lord and that this could possibly be my future unfolding before me. Our next visit together was me travelling to the United States to visit him and his family. Within the year we were engaged and married the following year.

I love our story because it wasn't me seeking a mate nor hubby seeking someone....it was the Lord bringing us together. If young people are patient and wait for the Lord's leading, they will see some amazing things happen!! All too often we try to accomplish things in our own strength and marriage is definitely not on of those areas you want to be making decisions without going to God first!! I can remember those tearful prayers when it came to decisions about marrying hubby.....I wanted to be with him more than anything but I knew that I shouldn't be the one making the decision....I needed God's assurance. I didn't want to hear this may not be the right one for me but better to be in the Lord's will than make decisions on my own. What a joy it was to see that God wanted us together....and what a joy it is to see all that God has done for us and given to us over these last 11 years!!!! It's a beautiful thing :)

I love you babe.....and I thank God for you!

Great night!!!

(*picture taken on daddy's phone at the hospital when we finally got back to see her in recovery)

She had a much better night last night....praise the Lord!! She slept real well....in fact a little too well. It was hard waking her up for her fluids and medicine :) She had a good bit of energy throughout the day yesterday and her appetite is increasing. Right now she gets very hungry but nothing appeals to her. She did manage to eat about 2 eggs yesterday which made me happy! So far it has just been ice cream, popsicles and jello so I was glad she got some good nutrition in her. Hopefully today will be an even bigger improvement. We are also trying to space her pain medication out a bit more. Tomorrow we will be able to alternate the narcotic and try Tylenol every other dose. I took a peek in her throat and it looks like the tonsils are healing up really well. It's amazing what a big area it covers!! Thank you all so much for your prayers. She's coming along really well....we always know when she's feeling good throughout the day because she gets so chatty :)
Now as long as I can get rid of this headache....I think we are in store for a good day :)

Sweet sound!

It's already been more than what I expected! We will definitely need your prayers over the next week as she continues her recovery. It is so painful to see her wake up at night crying loudly because it is so painful to swallow. It makes it worse when she throws up after her medicine and I know there isn't enough in her system to get through the next 4 hours. God is so good though!! He brought her through surgery fine and I can see how she is trying so hard to be brave through it all.

Our day started very early yesterday at 3:30am. Check-in was at 7am and it was a 2 hour drive to the hospital. After dropping the boys off at Nana and Grandpa's house we set off in the dark and our chatterbox kept us smiling the whole way. This girl can talk forever with a quick breath between each thought :) She was still so excited to see her doctor and get the procedure done while I was dreading the thought of seeing her whisked away! After we were registered and she changed into her robe, she was given a teddy bear which she named 'Andrew' after a good friend :) Then they gave some 'sleepy juice' to help calm and relax her before heading to the operating room, so I was able to sit with her, stroke her hair, rub her feet and sing songs to her that I sang to her as a baby. She enjoyed that!!

The procedure itself did not take very long. The doctor came out to the waiting area with 2 thumbs up. I was glad to see him! He explained what he did and he himself was amazed....she had 'huge' adenoids as he put it....completely taking up her nasal cavitiy and her tonsils were more extensive that what he thought. He said tonsils are like belly buttons. You can have innies or outies. Our daughter has been blessed with BOTH which he said is unusual. Her 'outie' tonsils were very large taking up much of the room in the back of her throat, but her 'innie' tonsils were growing deep into her neck!!! He said there was alot of work done and she would be in alot of pain. When we were able to go back and see her, it was so pitiful.....she was curled up in a ball under some blankets sleeping and it just kicked me right into protective mode. I started talking to her and she started crying which made me want to cry!! It took awhile for her to wake up from the anesthesia and she slept for most of the day and evening. It's been a challenge to get her to drink her fluids every hour, or to get anything into her. On top of the throat pain she has stomach pain and lots of nausea. Medicine time is not fun....she hates the taste and it upsets her stomach but she's already thrown up a few times which led to a horrible 4 hours of pain.....what we do now is give her a mouthful of ice cream, some medicine, we pray and I sit holding her very still for about 20mins until the medicine has a chance to get in her system.

The best part of it all........her VOICE!!!! It is like she has been living with someone pinching her nose all these years. I can't believe how nasally she sounded. I smile everytime I hear her talk now....she has such a sweet voice. It is so different :) Last night around 3am she finally woke up for awhile and we laid in bed talking to each other. It was so special .... I just love her so much.

God is good. He protected her through surgery and just the fact that He brought this problem to our attention to get it fixed...which could have been really bad if left untreated. We would ask for continued prayer during her recovery. The worst is yet to come we have been told. Day 4-8 is suppose to be really bad when the scabbing starts to heal etc. I would also ask that you pray for her appetite/fluid intake, medicine time and especially night time. Thank you to all who have kept her in your prayers and us :) I've been really struggling with feeling faintish and nauseous with the lack of sleep but God will see us through!!

Our family....divided!

We went for our ultrasound today! Our family is officially divided :)
God has graciously given us a baby girl....expected arrival, Mid-December.
Our daughter has not stopped jumping and smiling since she found out! Everything looks well with baby, my blood pressure came down some...still slightly elevated but better than last month! I am also off the baby aspirin now...no blood clot was found.
We are praising God for his goodness....I thank God for answering the desires of my heart. I was tearing up in the office during the ultrasound just thinking about how God CONTINUES to bless and give us our desires although we are so undeserving!
Thank you Lord for your awesome goodness....and for this precious little one!

Stretching the dollar

Today we needed to go buy some bulletins (we do the bulletins at church) because our stock had run out, so we headed to the Christian book store. The lowest price we ever get bulletins for is $7.50 - $8.00. We got up to the counter and it rung up for $1.80!!!! The cashier was surprised because items will usually have a sticker on it for clearance. So that was a nice surprise!!!
Then we went to check out our new Dollar Tree that has just opened up close to home. I loved it!!! We picked up 2-1 shampoo, hand soap, toothbrushes, and some school supplies all for $1.00 each. Our daughter has just finished learning about Noah Webster (we were studying Connecticut where he was from) and we needed to get a dictionary. We picked up a dictionary for $1.00!!! The nice part is it is right beside our Wal-Mart so we will be able to visit there often and save on the necessities!!
And we are thankful today because hubby received his first paycheck since the end of May. I think that made him feel good :) He said he was really enjoying working from home and I have been enjoying him being around to help when I need him! He has been such a sweetheart these last few days. He helped me catch up with all the laundry, he's vacuumed and tidied and organized, and yesterday he was on his hands and knees washing the hardwood floor!! OOOOHHHH what a man! (Side note: I didn't ask him to do any of it!!) Thank you babe! I love you!

Praising Him

I woke up this morning congested....couldn't breath....listening to the sounds of hacking coughs through the house....and I am praising God!! I don't know if I'm speaking too early yet or not but God has protected me and 'baby' from this fever. Everyone in our household at one time or another through this horrible 'virus/bacteria' thing has had a fever of at least 102. I have been coughed and sneezed upon, I have rocked and cuddled with little ones who could not sleep through the night during their fever....there was no way of escaping this thing that was running through the household. BUT I know God heard every one of your prayers and ours and has seen fit to protect me and 'baby' by only being hit with this nasty cold. I thank each and every one of you who so diligently prayed for our family and continues to hold us in your prayers. It is so uplifting and encouraging when you 'see' answers to prayer. Knowing that our loving God hears us and answers, grants our pleas to Him, although we are undeserving. Oh how He loves us!!!! Every answer to prayer just gets me more and more giddy. What an affirmation to my weak spirit, that God is so very real. Thank you Lord for your constant protection, love, and goodness you continue to give. I am so grateful and so humbled. I love you Lord!

Your cheque is in the mail

Hubby went out to get the mail and we were delighted to see that he WAS approved for unemployment and was paid for the weeks he was out of work! What an answer to prayer!! That will certainly help with the surgery bills coming soon :)

A quick update on all the sick ones here....our daughter still had a high fever last night of 103. This was the 3rd night but we think it has finally broke. I checked on her through the night and she was pretty sweaty. It is low grade throughout the day so I'm hoping this is the end for her. Hubby is starting to feel better but has had an awful sinus infection and earache. He seems to be improving today. All of them are sounding like barking seals though. This cough is deep in the chest and they sound pitiful. I feel very anxious right now and am checking my temperature throughout the day. My head is starting to feel a little weird but I'm wondering if it is more from worry than anything else :) I am praying that God will protect me from this fever.

Here is something for you music lovers! I've watched this several times and just love it. I love how he really gets into the music and you can see the emotion coming through him while he is playing the piano. I love that feeling when I'm playing a piece at the piano. You can check out his website at Jon Schmidt

Family

Families come in many different forms. We have our immediate family, spouse and children....we have our extended family - parents, siblings, in laws, grandparents......and if you have the priveldge of being apart of a loving group of fellow believers - you have a church family. Our church family was used to provide us a most special blessing tonight.
We had a fellowship after the evening service tonight, something that is not unusual. It was like all other socials where we eat and have fellowship with one another. But then....everyone started gathering in the auditorium which was a little unusual. Did I miss that there was a meeting or something tonight???? I thought I'd go grab a few more bites to keep our littlest one occupied while 'whatever' was about to happen.....but before I could sit down our pastor called hubby and I up to the front. My eyes just bugged open!! Gulp....what was going on??? Our church family has known about our need and wanted to extended us their love and support. We received several bags of groceries, gift cards to grocery stores and financial gifts. OOOOHHHH I cried :)
Why does my Heavenly Father love me so?? He knows me inside out and yet He still loves me, He still blesses me, and He continues to give me the desires of my heart. I don't deserve it!!! I know I don't deserve it....and He knows I'm going to fail Him again in some shape or form tomorrow and yet He lovingly blesses me so tremendously today despite that fact. I cry just thinking about it.

It's hard to put in words....I don't know what to say except 'Thank you God!' All glory belongs to you!

P.S. As we left tonight, some joked with us and said 'Now you can turn on the air conditioning!!!" The pregnant woman will be happy once more :)

Special people

We are blessed with very special people in our lives. God continues to use these special people to meet our needs. Again, we praise God for the blessings He has sent our way. We have received groceries, a financial gift, and even a membership to Price Costco (something I have wanted!) We have had our tank filled with gas on many occassions, our meals taken care of while we were away (for surgery, etc)......and I have to praise God and thank Him for taking care of us - not only during this difficult time, but all during my Christian walk with Him.
Hubby and I have become very aware of some particular things. It helps so much to understand a persons situation when you've gone through it. Hubby can relate to many people about physical trials since he has gone through his ordeal for 3 years now. It's more than just saying "I'll pray for you and your healing.' It's an understanding (or close to it) of the anxieties, fears, nervousness, that one may encounter when facing a surgery or doctors visit. Going through this layoff has shown us how we can better relate to someone who may encounter financial needs or live on a very tight budget. When the opportunity arises, and God lays it on your heart, we can pick up a few extra items at the store, or send a gift card along with a note of encouragement that our God will provide!!
Yes, we have been very blessed with special people who love us and have serving hearts for our Lord. I have been very humbled through this process, very thankful for God's continuous provision, have developed a deeper love and appreciation for those who want to serve God by helping others (even when they themselves are on a strict budget!!), and have had my faith increased. It makes me want to please my Lord all the more.

One answered prayer!

We went to hubby's appointment today for his throat. He can tell he is about 40% closed up and thinks he can last another 2 months before surgery. His surgery's are actually starting to get farther and farther apart! He was going every 3 months but this last surgery lasted him 8 months! Anyway...on to the good part of today!!
We sat in the room with the nurse as she asked us the normal prep questions before seeing the doctor. We explained to her that hubby has unfortunately been off his medicine since the beginning of the year because of financial reasons. His meds are $300 a month and we just weren't able to afford them but I told her to go and write up a prescription anyway for us (because hubby's health is just too important to be missing his medicine like that). She told us out of all the samples their office gets, they are flooded with this particular medicine he needs. She has so many samples of it she went and gave us a whole month's worth and told us to call each month and she would mail us some....FREE!!!!!!!! I almost started crying right there on the spot!! I keep reassuring myself the Lord will provide for us during this time of lay off and finding a new job, but WOW!
It doesn't stop there though....he went in for his check up with the doctor and although he is closing back up again, his throat looked really good! No inflammation or white spots that a usual active larynx shows. The doctor told us he has no explanation....hubby should be on the medicine but because everything looks really great, he can stay off it for now!
So, not only do we thank God for His provision of this medication for free when we need it, but we thank God that hubby doesn't even need to be on it right now!
It was just a really encouraging day for me.....now off to take a nap :)