Wednesday, August 15, 2012

We are homeless!

Those words sound great!!  We have FINALLY sold the house....signed, sealed and delivered to the new owners!  Closing went well today and we thank each of you who prayed tirelessly during this process.  What a great load has been lifted and now we get to start looking for a permanent residence here.  We look forward to what God has in store for us. Our desire is for several acres of land with a pond/creek on it, a big enough home for a growing family, preferably not seen from the road (wooded lot perimeter) but a cleared lot around the house for the kids to play, level enough for a big garden and roomy enough for lots of foul (ducks, chickens, geese)......maybe a goat or two :)

God has been so good to us....He continues to bless us and take care of us!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Monday, August 13, 2012

4 months

Our girl is 4 months old already!!  She is getting more vocal, loves 'talking' and smiling at daddy (I think we have a daddy's girl), she is starting to lift her upper body on her arms, has discovered her hands and loves gumming her fingers, still no teeth despite all the drooling, loves being held and carried, she's laughed a couple times so far, and loves her older siblings!!  Here are a few pics from this weekend (since we had the youngest two most times, I only have pics of them....the older ones were with Nana and Grandpa)







Sunday, August 12, 2012

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

We are home again....after an unexpected trip down south.  We unfortunately had some issues with the house that had to be dealt with before closing (which is this Wednesday!!).  Tomorrow is the final walk-through for the buyers, so we just wait (and pray) all goes well.  The last couple weeks have been quite stressful but we're so excited to be nearing the end of our housing adventure.  Hopefully looking for a home here will not be as strenuous :)
Well....off to bed!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Busy weekend

What a busy weekend we had!  We made a trip down south to load and bring back the rest of our household items.  The house down there is now completely empty and our house here is bursting at the seams!!  We can not get into our garage or room downstairs.  I have one tiny pathway to the laundry room.  Our livingroom is very overcrowded (our dining room table is under the couch with the legs off!!)  The closing date is set for August 15th..  The buyers have a final walk through, so hopefully nothing will pop up to delay closing in any way.
Although the weekend was busy, we managed to get in a little visiting time.  Baby girl was able to meet her great grandparents.  The cousins were able to spend some time together.  We were able to see some of our church 'family' when they came over to help load the van (yes, they still feel like family even though we have been gone for almost one year now!!)
When we arrived back home, we had a good crowd from church to help unload for us.  It is such a blessing to leave a church where the members feel like family, to finding another church with the same great group of families that you bond with instantly.  We didn't know how difficult it would be to find a church with the same family feeling and 'love'....but God, in His goodness, directed us to the very church we needed!!
Now, after we take a breath, we will start to seriously look for a permanent home here.  We have laid out our desires before God and wait on Him to show us where He wants us!

God has been so good to us.  We see so much of His handiwork throughout this entire process (especially over the past year and a half).  We could tell you time and time again how God has worked so many details out (and many at the very last minute!!) but it was always His timing that we waited for and had to trust He would work all things out.  Hubby and I have grown so much throughout this experience.  God brings things in our lives to show us our need for Him, and to help mold us more like Him.  I'm so thankful for my Heavenly Father, His love for me, His mercy and blessings He continually showers our family with.  We are so truly blessed :)

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Chick-fil-a appreciation day

Have you heard all the talk about the Chick-fil-a restaurant?  The founder, Dan Cathy, has made public statements in support of marriage as one man- one woman.  He stated  "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit," Cathy said. "We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that." 

Former GOP presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum encouraged people to show their support for Chick-fil-A by buying food there Wednesday, August 1. Huckabee dubbed the day "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day"  



Boston Mayor Thomas Menino told the Boston Herald last week he doesn't want Chick-fil-A in his city. He has said "Chick-fil-A doesn't belong in Boston. You can't have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population,".
Menino also wrote to the company, urging Chick-fil-A officials to "back out of your plans to locate in Boston."  


Philadelphia City Councilman James Kenney sent a letter to Cathy, telling him to "take a hike and take your intolerance with you" and vowing to introduce a resolution at the next council meeting condemning the company.


And Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said "Chick-fil-A's values are not Chicago values."

Here are a few pictures that have been posted today from people waiting in lines at Chick-fil-a.  Makes you smile :)
 

From Ken Ham's facebook page

From J. Smith in South Carolina

From S. Lindsey

From Dr. James Dobson's photos in Florida

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

pics

Here are some updated photos :)





Monday, July 16, 2012

House Update and pics

So far, the inspection has gone through and we are getting some repairs done, we are still waiting to hear about the appraisal.  Closing may happen earlier than expected because both parties want to close early!  We will be heading down south soon to pack up the rest of our things.  We will be so glad to have this all done and out of the way.  Then house hunting will begin here.

Here are some recent pics of the kids taken just before church yesterday.  If you could remember to keep a lady from our church in prayer....she was bit by a brown recluse spider last week.  If you google brown recluse spider bite, you will see how dangerous this situation can be....nasty necrosis (breaking down of the tissue) can happen from the venom.  So far the redness has spread all down her arm and continues to spread.  I know she would appreciate prayers on her behalf!!



Sunday, July 8, 2012

Birthday

Our boy turned 7 today!!  Oh, kids grow up way too fast.  We had planned on getting together with family so I was going to do a big doghouse cake...but the kids got sick and our trip was cancelled, so he had to settle for simple cake.  And since I haven't posted pics of our girl lately here are several.....







Thursday, July 5, 2012

Plans change :(

How did we spend our 4th of July?  Not like we planned!  We have 2 sick kids with fevers and we're waiting for it to go through the rest of the household.  Praying baby wont get it!!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Praise!

Well, after much prayer and waiting (10 months!) we have a signed contract on our house back home!!  The house inspection is this Saturday and there are still things that could go wrong so please continue to pray with us that all will go well and we will sell our house!
Praise God for His continued goodness...........

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Natural remedy blog

I've added a new blog to my blog list along the lefthand side.
http://www.jillshomeremedies.blogspot.com/
She lists natural remedies for all sorts of things and I want to keep it handy.  You should watch her recent video about a plant that grows in your yard that can be used to draw out the poison of bee/wasp stings, snake and spider bites.  How cool!!

VIDEO:  http://www.amothersheritage.com/2012/06/26/home-remedy-for-wasp-and-bee-stings/

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Comparison

It's a grainy photo but here is our 4yr old and baby girl.
See any similarities??

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Our favorite independent reading books













Circle C Beginnings
Andi series for ages 6-8 by Susan K. Marlow
http://www.andiandtaffy.com/
The adventures of a young girl named Andi and her horse Taffy.


















Circle C Adventures
Andi series for ages 8-12 by Susan K. Marlow
http://www.circlecadventures.com/Books.html
The adventures of 13 yr old Andi and her horse Taffy in the Old West during the 1880's.
















Cul-de-sac kids by Beverly Lewis for ages 7-11
http://www.christianbook.com/cul-de-sac-kids-volumes-1/beverly-lewis/9781556618048/pd/52804?product_redirect=1&Ntt=52804&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP
The kids on the cul-de-sac at Blossom Hill Lane encounter realistic (and funny!) predicaments that point to Jesus as the ultimate mystery-solver.











Viking Quest Series by Lois Walfrid Johnson for ages 10-14
http://www.lwjbooks.com/viking.html
Book #1 : In one harrowing day, Viking raiders capture Bree and her brother Devin and take them from their home in Ireland. After the young Viking prince Mikkel sets Devin free on the Irish coast far from home, Bree and Devin embark on separate journeys to courage. Readers will be captivated by the unfolding drama as Bree sails to Norway on the Viking ship and Devin travels the dangerous road home. They both must trust their all-powerful God in the midst of difficult situations

*We buy all our books from www.cbd.com because of cheaper prices and fast shipping

Monday, June 18, 2012

Updates

Today we took baby girl for her 2 month check up.  She is now over 11 lbs and has grown a couple inches!  She had some shots today and is quite a cranky girl tonight.  Other than that, she is doing really well and is a happy girl.

Saturday night we learned that one of hubby's friends (his boss at his old job) had passed away from a long battle with cystic fibrosis.  He is now with his Savior but will be dearly missed.

We had a good Father's Day and got together in the evening with a family that works with hubby (some fellow Canadians!).  The kids had such fun and we had some good fellowship with them.

School is going well and we are starting to get into a routine.  My children are devouring books!!!  Our 6 year old has started the Cul-de-sac kids series and has read the first 5 books in just 4 days.  Our 9 year old has started the Viking Series by Lois Walfrid Johnson and is loving them!  She reads me bits and pieces of the book and I love the God-centered writing.  I'll write a post soon listing the books series our kids have liked.....I'm so thankful they enjoy reading so much!!

If you still haven't watched the video in my last post I encourage you to do so!!!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Mouk tribe video

We as a family watched this powerful video tonight from New Tribes Missions. It is about the Mouk Tribe in Papua New Guinea. It will bring tears to your eyes as you witness true conversion among these tribal people!

 If you want a solid, biblical curriculum to teach your children, get their resources!  Their approach is to teach the scriptures starting with Genesis to Christ. They teach who God is. They go chronologically through the Old Testament showing the need for a blood sacrifice. Then they present Christ as that sacrifice!

I purchased mine just before we moved and it is still packed away. I can't wait to get it out and start teaching the kids from it!! Here's the link http://www.ntmbooks.com/childrens_firm_foundations_set?category_id=5

To watch the video on a bigger screen dimension go here http://vimeo.com/9329683

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Monday, June 11, 2012

Random pics

big sister now


















matching dresses












my aunt gave me this outfit!!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

pics

love those smiles


big smile...but we lost her neck!
8 weeks old today!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Beautiful

Too precious for words.....

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Love this group!!

This is our favorite singing group. They are the Galkin family. Their new CD just came out this month. Can't wait to get it!!!  Check out their website at http://www.galkins.org/

Friday, June 1, 2012

Catching a smile

Trying to catch a smile.....7 weeks old.