Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Prayer needed

*UPDATE: I ended up having to reschedule my appointment. We just had too much going on. We weren't moved out of the house when we thought we would be. So I rescheduled for Thursday August 6th. I would appreciate your prayers for that day! :)

I don't have time to really be on here, we are in the midst of moving our stuff out of our house tonight. We have to be out by the 31st, so we are crazy busy. I just have a quick prayer request. The other day while flossing, I broke part of my tooth. The tooth has given me problems for years. Anyway, after going to the dentist I found out that the tooth is pretty bad. It was filling that came out. There is quite a bit of decay on that tooth and a cavity on the one beside it. I am going in tomorrow to have it filled and have a crown put on. He also said that there is a chance that if they hit nerve that they will have to do an emergency root canal.

Honestly I don't have time to write about all my feelings about everything that has happened (gone wrong) in the past 2 weeks. I am feeling a bit discouraged. It's just bad timing. In the midst of packing, moving, cleaning I have this. God is stretching me. dental work is very expensive, I don't really care for going to the dentist (actually freak out a little at the thought) as it is. I am trying to just rely on Him though. I know He will provide, I know He will take care of me. This incident (and all the other things that have happened) did not take God by surprise...and that thought is comforting.

Please be in prayer for me tomorrow. I go in at 9 am. I am a little anxious about the whole thing. Please pray for peace of mind and also for wisdom for the Dr. And also please just pray that we can get everything packed and cleaned out of the house by Friday.

Thanks so much!

Monday, July 27, 2009

A time to laugh

We have been so blessed with a wonderful group of friends from our church. Saturday evening we got together with a few of those friends for a little fun. It was just what I needed for a little de-stressing. After non stop packing and feelings of being overwhelmed, it was so great to step back and take a break from it all for just a little bit. I haven't laughed so hard in awhile. :)

Me bowling...my highest score of the night was an 87 I think. Nicole and Jenny can correct me if I'm wrong. :)

Bill, because I think he's cute in bowling shoes (shhh, don't tell him I said that. :) )


Jenny showing us great form. LOL


Bill and Reed

After I think the 2nd game of not doing so hot, the girls and I decided to do different things for fun. One frame was for speed, one was for perfect form, one was for a certain number of pins, etc. It made the game fun and certainly gave us more to laugh about. This is Nicole bowling for form.

John


Bowling shoes are so fun and retro...and uncomfortable...and maybe even a little gross. :)


The girls. Me, Nicole, and Jenny. We may have lost to the guys but we definitely had great spirit.
What a great night! I am so thankful for laughter and for friends, and for a breath of fresh air!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

An update on Anna

An update on Anna's ears here.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Summer loves

long flowing skirts.
painted toe nails.
and.
flip flops.
to name a few. :)
What are some of yours?

Monday, July 20, 2009

Our lullaby

Every night I sing to the kids at bedtime. There is something about the act of singing that seems to just sooth the soul. There are 3 songs that we usually sing. I just love the words in all of them...all lullabies about sweet Jesus. I pray the words of the last song I sing, as they all close their eyes and drift off to sleep, will fill their minds with peace and love. I want the last words they hear to be about how much they are loved....


Today was so full and so busy for both of us
But for tonight, all those burdens can keep
Come, let sweet Jesus be the light in your darkness
And open the door to a paradise of sleep


For he grants sleep to the ones that he loves
And I live to love you as well
The last words you'll hear tonight will be, "I love you,"
For love we've been given a lifetime to tell


Your tender sadness, it touches the heart of me
Howling and scowling just make you more dear
With all this commotion, now, what could the trouble be?
For love's sake, my darling, I'll always be here


For he grants sleep to the ones that he loves
And I live to love you as well
The last words you'll hear tonight will be, "I love you,"
For love takes us all of a lifetime to tell


For he grants sleep to the ones that he loves
And I live to love you as well
The last words you'll hear tonight will be, "I love you,"
And that takes us all of a life...time...
To tell
~Song by Michael Card
From the Sleep Sound in Jesus CD

Friday, July 17, 2009

How many is too many?

One shoe.
Two shoe.
Three shoe.
Four.
plenty more not on the floor.
Yesterday one of my goals on my to do list was to sort through our HUGE box/pile of shoes on the back porch. Bill took the kids out for the afternoon, under strict orders (well not really. If you know Bill you know he would never order me to do anything. :) ) that I would do something about the massive amounts of shoes our family of 6 has. I told him that I was pretty sure that 3/4 of them were mine. To be honest I really wasn't sure how many pairs of shoes I owned until I started sorting. :) After looking through I am pretty sure that 90% are mine.

This is just a few. :)
So I counted...I think the number is somewhere around 25 pairs of shoes just for me (Shhh, don't tell Bill. Actually, I already did...he wasn't to shocked!)!! Oh My! I decided I MIGHT part with maybe 2 or 3 pairs that I don't wear all that much. :) But now that I'm looking at them, I really do like them so....I just don't know. LOL
So my question is...How many shoes is too many? Can you ever have too many? :) How many pairs do you own...HONESTLY? :) Do you even know?! I dare you to count. :)

Professional family pictures

If you get a chance and you want a sneak peek. You can head over to Pam's blog to see some of the pictures she took of us when my family was out here! I am in love with all of them. As always Pam does such an amazing job. I don't know how she did it...manage to get a picture that James was actually sitting still and looking at the camera. He was in one of those moods where he was just NOT going to do what we wanted. But, I knew that if anyone could do it, it would be Pam. :)

Thanks Pam for all your hard work! These are precious memories that you documented for us. It means more to me than I can express!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Dreams

As she rested her chin in the palms of her hands an audible sigh escaped her lips, "I can't wait until I grow up." A bird in the tree caught her attention as it hurried about to feed it's young. The girl smiled wistfully and went back to her daydream...

As a little girl I spent so much of my time dreaming of my future. I had many things I wanted to do with my life. At one stage it was to be a dancer, at another an actress. I know at one point I wanted to be a teacher like my mom. Then later a writer. Probably the strongest desire I had of all was to be a wife and mom. In some way I feel like many of the desires of my heart have been fulfilled. I took dance and gymnastics for several years. I was able to try my hand at acting in many childhood plays. I taught in different situations (although definitely not my strong suit or gift). I co. founded and co, edited a magazine for 5 years. Then after collage I got married and now have a beautiful family. I'm not telling all this to brag about what a wonderfully exciting life I've lead, that's hardly the case. I'm just focusing on the many blessings God has given me.

I feel very content being a wife and mom, but I have to admit that some days I still dream. I dream of ways that God can use my gifts and abilities outside of what I am already doing. Sometimes in the throws of motherhood it is easy to loose yourself and forget who you are. What brought this all to mind recently? A memory of a conversation.

It started in a car, with a friend, on our way to the Cheesecake factory. It was a late evening venture. A night away from our daily mommy happenings. I don't remember exactly what lead to the topic, but somehow we ended up on what our dreams and aspirations were. What would we do with our time when we didn't have little ones at home to chase and to care for on a 24/7 basis...be it that they were in school or grown. My friend admitted that she really had no idea what she wanted to do. I mulled the question over. There are lots of things that I enjoy doing that I could see myself getting involved in...when I have more time. But I had to admit that at the time I had rarely given it much thought. I was so caught up in (and enjoying, most days) taking care of my kiddos that sometimes I forgot that I was anything other then a mom. What would I do with spare time? Is there even such a thing? :) However curious a question I suddenly knew in my heart what I desired. It was like a little seed was planted that night.

It began to grow. I began to dream, like the little girl I once was staring off into the woods.

For as long as I can remember I have LOVED to take pictures. My best friend and I, as a kid were always staging "photo shoots". My dad would take me hiking as a teen just so we could capture the beauty around us on film. It is something I have never been great at, but something I enjoyed.

I decided to go back to school and take photography classes. At the time Bill had recently gotten a job that would allow me to take college classes for free. This seemed perfect...that is until he lost that job. Bummer! Oh well, I figured I would find another way to learn. During this time I purchased my first DSLR camera. I had saved for a really long time. I had consulted my friend Pam and got her opinion on cameras. She took the time to answer a lot of the questions I had about cameras and photography in general. Once I had that camera in my hand, I fell in love. :) I loved everything about it...the way it felt, the way it sounded.

One evening shortly after I had gotten my camera I got an email from Pam. She wanted to know if I would be interested in shadowing her. I was so excited! This was the opportunity that I had dreamed about. I would be able to get hands on experience. It seemed even better then going to school! :) It looked like God was working things out faster then I imagined. Would this dream of mine finally be able to become a reality?

Bill had gotten another job, we were in the process of looking at buying our first house. It seemed like things were really on the upside. That is when God decided to change our course. Seriously I was thrown for a loop, when Bill announced that God wanted us to pursue once again going to the mission field. If I can be perfectly honest here, after my initial surprise in this turn of events I felt somewhat let down. As much as I knew that God wanted for us to go into missions I was disappointed. It just seemed that God had given me a new passion and now He was asking me to give it back...to lay it down.

I came across this quote in the midst of struggling thoughts.
When I learn to say yes to God's will I am no longer preoccupied with myself, my abilities or the dreams for my life. Letting go of my dreams means my future will not be the way I always expected it to be. Only then, when I have released my death grip on what I believe God should do, the way I believe He should do it, and when I believe it should happen, am I free to fully receive what God has for me. If God calls me to put my dreams on the alter, I need to trust Him to replace them or revive them in a way that makes the original pale by comparison.
~Gary Mayes
God was calling me to put my dreams on the alter for the moment. I wrestled with this for a few months. I felt guilty that I was struggling with what seemed like such a silly thing. I mean in the grand scheme of things what's more important? Taking pictures or lost souls? I prayed that He would take my desire away. He did not. I prayed that He would help me to get excited about this new path we are headed down. Not quite yet...but getting there. What He did do however was fill me with His peace and give me a different perspective. It's not so much about what I do. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a photographer. He can be glorified through that. I could have served Him in that way if He had chosen that for me. It's simply about walking in obedience. About being willing to give up what I want. Releasing my death grip on my dreams and saying, "Yes Lord thy will be done." I truly believe he can make my original pale...like a shade of gray in an ocean of color...in comparison to the tapestry He is weaving with my life. He can revive or replace those dreams...I trust Him enough with my heart. I stand here and wait on Him to work. He knows me best. He loves me more then I can imagine. Knowing that makes it easier to let go.

It has honestly taken me MONTHS to get to this point...but I am truly at peace with what He is doing. I will go on enjoying life....taking pictures of the people and things that He has blessed me with. But my hands are going to be open and willing to serve, not holding too tightly to dreams. And who knows maybe someday He will just call me and ask me to be His photographer....in some far off beautiful place. :)

Monday, July 13, 2009

4th of July

I am a bit behind in posting these but better late then never. :)

We had a really great 4th! We spent the day with family and friends. I love how excitement just fills the day. The kids could hardly contain themselves with all the festivities of the day.
One of the benefits of where we live (right in the village) all we have to do is step out our door to see the parade, so we always have front row seats. :) This picture is of my sister in law and her husband and son.

The kiddos always plug their ears when the fire department comes by, but you know they love it! :)


Claire and her friend Chloe. They are too cute together.

Claire was so excited to get a piece of candy out of the street like the big kids. I didn't bother to fill her in on the fact that it was something that you could eat. :) She just kept proudly showing us her prize.

James.

Claire enjoyed sitting on the curb with the big kids.

After the parade we went over to our friend's house for a cookout. While there we did a few fun things. James wasn't sure what to think of the smoke bombs.


Anna and Ella doing sparklers.





And of course the highlight of the day...fireworks! We walked downtown with our friends to watch.




Hope you all enjoyed your holiday!

Updates on our girls


Just checking in to update those of you who have been praying for us, and are curious about Anna and Claire's health.

~We had Claire's Post opp appointment last week Monday. The surgeon looked at her eyes and said that everything looks great. Another surgery at this point will NOT be necessary. Praise God! There is a chance that in the future her tear ducts could start to close up again, but the chances of that happening are so small. We were very happy to hear that! :)

~Anna had her appointment with the ENT. The Dr. determined that she does need to have tubes put in. The good news in all of this is that there is no permanent hearing loss. It is all due to too much fluid in her ears. Dr. said her ear drums look good! We were able to get her scheduled to have the procedure done on July 22nd. Anna cried when she was told she has to have surgery. She is very nervous but oddly enough the thing that she is most afraid of is throwing up, and not the surgery itself. Both Ryan and Claire threw up after their surgeries. Throwing up is one of the things Anna fears most in life. Poor girl. We are doing what we can to alleviate her concerns.

Thanks so much for all of your prayers for our girls. We really appreciate it!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Anna's ears

After months of hearing problems we are taking Anna to the ENT (ear, nose, throat specialist) tomorrow morning to have her ears checked. We are hoping for some answers, and maybe even a quick resolve to have her hearing back. Please be in pray for Anna tomorrow, she is nervous that she might have to have surgery.

Thanks so much!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Day at the beach

We happened to pick the best day to go to the beach. It was warm but not too hot, and just enough sun out that it wasn't miserable. Perfect for taking pictures too. :) I am pretty sure this was the highlight of our time together. Hang on because I have a load of pictures from that day.

The water was cold so I didn't bring the kiddos swimsuits. I didn't plan on them wanting to go in...silly me. :) They loved the water and could care less that it was like ice!
Gavyn and Gregg
Claire playing with her piggies in the sand.
So interested in everything.
Laughing and enjoying themselves.
Oh I LOVE this one of my brother Matt. He really is such a cool guy...and very funny too. I love how you can see everything that is going on around him through his glasses.

Claire's and my sand covered feet. :) I also painted Claire's nails for the first time!
This was Claire's first time at the beach, and she LOVED it!
My dad. This pretty much sums up his time with us....laughing and taking it all in. He told me that he just enjoyed watching us all interact. He is such a great Papa and Dad.
Anna and her mud/sand balls.

Gage enjoyed his time in the sand...so concentrated.
Showing Papa something.
Aunt Dana and Claire.
James burying Anna.
Sweet Gavie girl, covered in sand.


My love.


Matt and Dana walking on the beach.
Our time on the beach ended as storm clouds rolled in. The sky may have been dark, but it certainly didn't dampen the mood of our time together. 3 years is much too long to go without seeing each other. We must do this again soon.

Babywearing