There are times in life when things are tough. We are often hit with curveballs and are forced to face things that we would much rather not. I'm not sure exactly what verse or scripture says this, but I know that the Bible says to write down the things that Lord does for you so that you can look back on them and be encouraged.
As I remember back to this date exactly a year, I am reminded of how God has blessed my family and provided for us in the midst of a very scary, uncertain time. To sumarize, I was newly pregnant with Adrienne and I started to have some bleeding that morning. After crying and worrying and being very afraid, we went to the doctor only to find her precious heart beating. I'll never get that miraculous moment because through the fear, my faith was greatly increased.
I am so thankful for Adrienne and that she is here safely... Through it all!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
"Leaving it Up to God"
I just watched the TLC showing of Anna and Josh Duggar's baby being born. It was a beautiful birth... The kind of birth that I have always wanted, actually, and it was great to watch.
Prior to the baby's birth in the episode the couple was asked how many children they wanted to have and they said, "We're leaving it up to God." Here's my deal... I know that God is sovereign and His will will be done. I absolutely believe that and I'm not trying to dispute that in any way, shape, or form. However, can we take that sovereignty one step too far and not think for ourselves? Here are a couple of examples- If we believe that God will protect us while we're riding in the car, then why do we wear seat belts? If we believe that God will provide for our needs, why do we save and/or make money? If we believe that God already knows who will accept Him or not, then why do we witness? If we believe that our health is in God's hands, why do we see doctors? Those are all comical thoughts, right? Why do some say that with birth control though?
I am not ridiculing the Duggar's (or anyone else with large families) but I'm just questioning the whole train of thinking. I, for one, absolutely believe in birth control and I don't think that by taking it that I am telling God to butt out of my family planning. John and I are praying about our family size and we are willing to be done having babies but we are also willing to have more kids if that's God's plan. In my eyes, not using any form of birth control is doing it completely backwards.
Don't get me wrong, large families are great. I don't think that it's wrong to have lots and lot of kids... I just don't think that there should be any pressure (religious or otherwise) to make lots of babies. Those who opt to plan their families this way are not more holy than me and I am no holier than them for my point of view.
The bottom line is that yes, God is sovereign, but also, He made us to be intellectual, emotional, and thinking beings. I entrust my family size to Him completely and I submit wholeheartedly to His guidance. While I'm "leaving it up to God," I'm also going to apply some practical thinking and, for the time being, delay the growth of my family!
Prior to the baby's birth in the episode the couple was asked how many children they wanted to have and they said, "We're leaving it up to God." Here's my deal... I know that God is sovereign and His will will be done. I absolutely believe that and I'm not trying to dispute that in any way, shape, or form. However, can we take that sovereignty one step too far and not think for ourselves? Here are a couple of examples- If we believe that God will protect us while we're riding in the car, then why do we wear seat belts? If we believe that God will provide for our needs, why do we save and/or make money? If we believe that God already knows who will accept Him or not, then why do we witness? If we believe that our health is in God's hands, why do we see doctors? Those are all comical thoughts, right? Why do some say that with birth control though?
I am not ridiculing the Duggar's (or anyone else with large families) but I'm just questioning the whole train of thinking. I, for one, absolutely believe in birth control and I don't think that by taking it that I am telling God to butt out of my family planning. John and I are praying about our family size and we are willing to be done having babies but we are also willing to have more kids if that's God's plan. In my eyes, not using any form of birth control is doing it completely backwards.
Don't get me wrong, large families are great. I don't think that it's wrong to have lots and lot of kids... I just don't think that there should be any pressure (religious or otherwise) to make lots of babies. Those who opt to plan their families this way are not more holy than me and I am no holier than them for my point of view.
The bottom line is that yes, God is sovereign, but also, He made us to be intellectual, emotional, and thinking beings. I entrust my family size to Him completely and I submit wholeheartedly to His guidance. While I'm "leaving it up to God," I'm also going to apply some practical thinking and, for the time being, delay the growth of my family!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Apples Galore!
John's mom has been buying me tons and tons of apples lately. We love to eat them plain or with peanut butter (Brooke's favorite) or to make homemade applesauce, but mostly, I love to bake with them! I find that the fact that they rot is my motivation because I do NOT want to waste them.
The first thing I "mastered" this year was homemade apple pie. I had always wanted to learn how to make homemade pies but I assumed that it would be too hard for me. I was wrong! Believe it or not, I'm semi-decent at making them and they actually look kind of pretty when I'm done with them! I love to make pies for our home because John loves them but I also have like to bake pies to bless others. My mom works full time and was having dinner company the other night. To relieve the burden from her, I delivered a warm baked apple pie for her and her company. I have also baked for some neighbors that we have and they seem to appreciate my efforts!
After making apple pies got a little old, I started to move on to apple dumplings. I really love making these because they require you to measure and be precise... Which is again, something that I never thought I could do. Now that I've made them a couple of times, they're effortless and I LOVE making them!
A couple of weeks ago I made apple crisp for one of John's co-workers. I had said on Facebook that I was making apple crisp and this guy and his wife both said it was their favorite so the next day I dropped some off on their doorstep. It gave me so much joy to actually be able to do something nice for these people!
Tonight I made homemade cinnamon apple muffins. Patty (John's mom) makes them all the time and they are to die for. I am still amazed at how easy they were and how delicious they taste. I also brought some of those over to the neighbors and was very proud.
Sometimes I feel like as a stay-at-home-mom that I can't do much to bless others or like I'm so busy with my girls that I'm not much help to anyone, but little things like baking have helped me realize that I'm not useless. I intend and hope to continue to reach out of my comfort zone to find projects like this around the home. What's next... Knitting? That just might be stretching it!
The first thing I "mastered" this year was homemade apple pie. I had always wanted to learn how to make homemade pies but I assumed that it would be too hard for me. I was wrong! Believe it or not, I'm semi-decent at making them and they actually look kind of pretty when I'm done with them! I love to make pies for our home because John loves them but I also have like to bake pies to bless others. My mom works full time and was having dinner company the other night. To relieve the burden from her, I delivered a warm baked apple pie for her and her company. I have also baked for some neighbors that we have and they seem to appreciate my efforts!
After making apple pies got a little old, I started to move on to apple dumplings. I really love making these because they require you to measure and be precise... Which is again, something that I never thought I could do. Now that I've made them a couple of times, they're effortless and I LOVE making them!
A couple of weeks ago I made apple crisp for one of John's co-workers. I had said on Facebook that I was making apple crisp and this guy and his wife both said it was their favorite so the next day I dropped some off on their doorstep. It gave me so much joy to actually be able to do something nice for these people!
Tonight I made homemade cinnamon apple muffins. Patty (John's mom) makes them all the time and they are to die for. I am still amazed at how easy they were and how delicious they taste. I also brought some of those over to the neighbors and was very proud.
Sometimes I feel like as a stay-at-home-mom that I can't do much to bless others or like I'm so busy with my girls that I'm not much help to anyone, but little things like baking have helped me realize that I'm not useless. I intend and hope to continue to reach out of my comfort zone to find projects like this around the home. What's next... Knitting? That just might be stretching it!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Just Some Thoughts...
Everyday before heading into work, my husband puts on a bulletproof vest. He also straps to him an enormous gun belt that holds an asp, a gun, extra bullets, hand-cuffs, and a flashlight. As I look at him in all of his official police officer attire, part of me cringes because I'm afraid of what his job could possibly entail, but mostly, I'm proud.
As soon as John leaves, I pray for his safety and ask that God would protect him from all of the dangerous things that he may encounter. Then, I send him a text message telling him just how much I love him and how I hope that his night goes great. The most important part of our "goodbye ritual" is that we never leave an argument on the table and we always let our last words be words of love and kindness.
Throughout John's evening at work, it seems as though I rarely hear from him. He tries to call as much as he can to check in on us and to tell me that he loves me but mostly, he's busy pursuing criminals, pulling over vehicles, answering complaints, etc. My husband often drives at fast speeds, goes into the homes of absolute strangers, and encounters uncertain situations. There are extended times when I cannot get in touch with him and I wonder if everything really is okay with him but I try to not let my mind wander. It is not healthy for me to think those thoughts.
I try so hard to stand by my husband courageously and act like the dangers of his job don't kill me at times... But they do. I try to act like I'm full of faith in God and like I truly believe that my husband's safety is in His hands... But I don't always. I try to pretend like his job is not dangerous... But it is.
It's hard for me to handle and accept that John's job may require him to give his life for another and it scares me to death to know that to adequately support my husband is to "approve" of that. Really though, I'm in awe of my husband's positive attitude towards his job and it amazes me to watch him.
Sometimes I wonder why God didn't call John to be an accountant or an office manager or a teacher or a computer technician or... Anything else! But, this is what John feels as though he is being called to do with his life and I am slowly learning to let go of him and realize that his safety is not my responsibilities. It's God's! Something tells me that it won't always be easy to trust in this area but I have a lifetime of learning ahead!
As soon as John leaves, I pray for his safety and ask that God would protect him from all of the dangerous things that he may encounter. Then, I send him a text message telling him just how much I love him and how I hope that his night goes great. The most important part of our "goodbye ritual" is that we never leave an argument on the table and we always let our last words be words of love and kindness.
Throughout John's evening at work, it seems as though I rarely hear from him. He tries to call as much as he can to check in on us and to tell me that he loves me but mostly, he's busy pursuing criminals, pulling over vehicles, answering complaints, etc. My husband often drives at fast speeds, goes into the homes of absolute strangers, and encounters uncertain situations. There are extended times when I cannot get in touch with him and I wonder if everything really is okay with him but I try to not let my mind wander. It is not healthy for me to think those thoughts.
I try so hard to stand by my husband courageously and act like the dangers of his job don't kill me at times... But they do. I try to act like I'm full of faith in God and like I truly believe that my husband's safety is in His hands... But I don't always. I try to pretend like his job is not dangerous... But it is.
It's hard for me to handle and accept that John's job may require him to give his life for another and it scares me to death to know that to adequately support my husband is to "approve" of that. Really though, I'm in awe of my husband's positive attitude towards his job and it amazes me to watch him.
Sometimes I wonder why God didn't call John to be an accountant or an office manager or a teacher or a computer technician or... Anything else! But, this is what John feels as though he is being called to do with his life and I am slowly learning to let go of him and realize that his safety is not my responsibilities. It's God's! Something tells me that it won't always be easy to trust in this area but I have a lifetime of learning ahead!
Friday, October 9, 2009
4 Kids- Aged 3 and Under
My sister and her husband had a wedding to go to tonight and my parents, who usually help out with babysitting duties, are away on their anniversary trip to Seattle. My brother and his wife were also invited to the same wedding, making them unavailable to babysit, so I volunteered to watch my niece, Jenna, and nephew, Nathan. I knew in my head that it would really be a big undertaking but I decided that it would be fine. John was initially supposed to help me but when his schedule got switched up, he no longer had this date off. Thankfully, my trusty sister-in-law, Sarah, came over to help me out. Boy, she was a lifesaver!
Let's face it, when you have a 3 year old, a 2.5 year old, a 10 month old, and a 4 month old all together under one roof, it's going to be crazy no matter how you slice it. Even though each kid was truly at their very best tonight, it was still pretty hectic around here! The kids were dropped off at around 3 and I had a nice snack waiting for them... Sliced apples with peanut butter to dip it in. Jenna just had plain apples and cheerios because she's still too young for the peanut butter. Anyways, that was a great way to kick off our time together because it occupied the kids for a while!
After snack time, the kids played and played and played some more. I must say, they all interacted really well together and there were only a few quarrels between the oldest two... Brooke and Nathan. Everyone shared great and the babies were just awesome and content the whole time! We had a super kid friendly dinner of chicken nuggets, french fries and green beans and all of them devoured it! YAY!! I think Jenna had THREE chicken nuggets and tons and tons of green beans. I love a baby who likes to be fed:-) Lol
Bath time was really another one of those activities that was my saving grace because it occupied the three older kids for a good while. They all had so much fun splashing and playing together and truthfully, I was just happy to have them all contained in such a small space!!
Bedtime was going awesome. Perfectly smooth and wonderful, actually. Adrienne had fallen asleep and Jenna followed shortly behind her. To wind down the big kids I had a movie night planned- We made popcorn, drank juice boxes, each kid had one thing of Smarties, and we snuggled up in my bed to a Christmas movie (it's never too early)! Then... Jenna decided to wake up. The rest of the night was history from there... She was bright eyed and wide awake until her mommy and daddy came at 10:30. Thankfully, all of the other kids slept great, though! Actually, I was able to spend some rare hours of alone time with my precious niece that I wouldn't have ordinarily been able to enjoy.
The night really couldn't have gone any better! I'm so blessed to have 4 wonderful babies in my life to make me smile and laugh constantly. As wonderful as they are, I'm wiped out so I'm going to put my feet up and rest now! Goodnight, world!
Let's face it, when you have a 3 year old, a 2.5 year old, a 10 month old, and a 4 month old all together under one roof, it's going to be crazy no matter how you slice it. Even though each kid was truly at their very best tonight, it was still pretty hectic around here! The kids were dropped off at around 3 and I had a nice snack waiting for them... Sliced apples with peanut butter to dip it in. Jenna just had plain apples and cheerios because she's still too young for the peanut butter. Anyways, that was a great way to kick off our time together because it occupied the kids for a while!
After snack time, the kids played and played and played some more. I must say, they all interacted really well together and there were only a few quarrels between the oldest two... Brooke and Nathan. Everyone shared great and the babies were just awesome and content the whole time! We had a super kid friendly dinner of chicken nuggets, french fries and green beans and all of them devoured it! YAY!! I think Jenna had THREE chicken nuggets and tons and tons of green beans. I love a baby who likes to be fed:-) Lol
Bath time was really another one of those activities that was my saving grace because it occupied the three older kids for a good while. They all had so much fun splashing and playing together and truthfully, I was just happy to have them all contained in such a small space!!
Bedtime was going awesome. Perfectly smooth and wonderful, actually. Adrienne had fallen asleep and Jenna followed shortly behind her. To wind down the big kids I had a movie night planned- We made popcorn, drank juice boxes, each kid had one thing of Smarties, and we snuggled up in my bed to a Christmas movie (it's never too early)! Then... Jenna decided to wake up. The rest of the night was history from there... She was bright eyed and wide awake until her mommy and daddy came at 10:30. Thankfully, all of the other kids slept great, though! Actually, I was able to spend some rare hours of alone time with my precious niece that I wouldn't have ordinarily been able to enjoy.
The night really couldn't have gone any better! I'm so blessed to have 4 wonderful babies in my life to make me smile and laugh constantly. As wonderful as they are, I'm wiped out so I'm going to put my feet up and rest now! Goodnight, world!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
More Sickness:-(
We cannot seem to stay healthy over here. It's getting old very quickly! I have a nasty case of asthma as it is so whenever I get a cold or a cough, it's bad. It almost always turns into a respiratory infection or bronchitis and it takes a lot for me to get over it.
After coughing for weeks and constantly reaching for my rescue inhaler to be able to catch my breath, it all came to a head on Monday night. John was at work and I had just put Adrienne to bed. Brooke was in the tub when my sister, Alison, called and I could hardly talk to her without having to take a breath every few seconds. She was concerned but I hung up the phone with her and took a breathing treatment, in hopes of some relief. I hardly even noticed a difference after taking the treatment.
A few minutes later John stopped by to grab some dinner and at that point, I was dizzy, my fingers were tingling, and breathing was extremely painful. He was the only car on the road at that time so he couldn't leave work to take care of me. Luckily, his mom had just stopped in to drop something off at our house and she was able to watch Brooke for me so I could go to the emergency room. John's mom called my sister and my mom to take me to the hospital. One of them was going to stay here with Adrienne so she could sleep but we didn't know how long I would be and we didn't want her to wake up hungry... Especially since I had no milk in the freezer or anything.
After getting to the hospital, they injected me with a steroid shot and then gave me three breathing treatments in an hour. I left the hospital about 2 hours later feeling like a completely new woman. They said it was bronchitis, and like I said, that coupled with asthma is rough.. Especially when you're an idiot and you let it go untreated for so long! I'm on an oral steroid and an antibiotic now to continue to fight this and I'm so thankful to have my lungs almost back to normal!
On top of my issues, Brooke has a nasty, nasty cough and runny nose and all of that. Luckily, she's acting more like herself today, which is great. Hopefully the cough continues to disappear so she can sleep more soundly. She's been coughing a lot at night.
John called in to work for the first time last night because he was running a fever, had a throbbing headache, and was achy all over. It sounds a lot like the flu so we were kind of nervous about that. He still doesn't feel great but he's going to go to work tonight. I hate having him sick but I LOVE having him home.
Hopefully Adrienne stays healthy and we all start to feel "normal" again. If not, it's going to be a LONG, LONG winter. Wish us luck!
After coughing for weeks and constantly reaching for my rescue inhaler to be able to catch my breath, it all came to a head on Monday night. John was at work and I had just put Adrienne to bed. Brooke was in the tub when my sister, Alison, called and I could hardly talk to her without having to take a breath every few seconds. She was concerned but I hung up the phone with her and took a breathing treatment, in hopes of some relief. I hardly even noticed a difference after taking the treatment.
A few minutes later John stopped by to grab some dinner and at that point, I was dizzy, my fingers were tingling, and breathing was extremely painful. He was the only car on the road at that time so he couldn't leave work to take care of me. Luckily, his mom had just stopped in to drop something off at our house and she was able to watch Brooke for me so I could go to the emergency room. John's mom called my sister and my mom to take me to the hospital. One of them was going to stay here with Adrienne so she could sleep but we didn't know how long I would be and we didn't want her to wake up hungry... Especially since I had no milk in the freezer or anything.
After getting to the hospital, they injected me with a steroid shot and then gave me three breathing treatments in an hour. I left the hospital about 2 hours later feeling like a completely new woman. They said it was bronchitis, and like I said, that coupled with asthma is rough.. Especially when you're an idiot and you let it go untreated for so long! I'm on an oral steroid and an antibiotic now to continue to fight this and I'm so thankful to have my lungs almost back to normal!
On top of my issues, Brooke has a nasty, nasty cough and runny nose and all of that. Luckily, she's acting more like herself today, which is great. Hopefully the cough continues to disappear so she can sleep more soundly. She's been coughing a lot at night.
John called in to work for the first time last night because he was running a fever, had a throbbing headache, and was achy all over. It sounds a lot like the flu so we were kind of nervous about that. He still doesn't feel great but he's going to go to work tonight. I hate having him sick but I LOVE having him home.
Hopefully Adrienne stays healthy and we all start to feel "normal" again. If not, it's going to be a LONG, LONG winter. Wish us luck!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Pumpkin Farm!!
Today we took the girls to the pumpkin farm and had a wonderful time. We look forward to going there very Fall and we always enjoy ourselves so much when we go. The weather was absolutely perfect today, too. There was just a nip in there but it wasn't freezing. I'm all about that!
Brooke got to feed goats, baby pigs, and bunnies and she really got a kick out of it. She's hilarious because she's petrified of hay so any time she had to go remotely near it she would cringe. She's such a girly girl. What can I say?
Adrienne was her happy, content self the whole time and just took it all in. She's at that stage now where she stares at a certain object and if you move her, she'll do whatever it takes to not take her eyes off of it. I love watching the world through her eyes (and Brooke's, for that matter)! I'm really looking forward to next year because she'll most likely be running all around by then. I can't wait for that!
Brooke picked out her annual pumpkin for herself and then she picked out Adrienne a tiny, tiny one. It's funny because if you look at our front steps there's this enormous pumpkin next to a tiny pumpkin that's like the size of an apple. It's the thought that counts, right? Lol! As for me, I got all of my gourdes and pretty corn to decorate my house with. Things are looking pretty festive around here, I must say.
It was an overall great day! Now it's time to unwind with my husband and watch a movie. Happy Fall, everyone!
Brooke got to feed goats, baby pigs, and bunnies and she really got a kick out of it. She's hilarious because she's petrified of hay so any time she had to go remotely near it she would cringe. She's such a girly girl. What can I say?
Adrienne was her happy, content self the whole time and just took it all in. She's at that stage now where she stares at a certain object and if you move her, she'll do whatever it takes to not take her eyes off of it. I love watching the world through her eyes (and Brooke's, for that matter)! I'm really looking forward to next year because she'll most likely be running all around by then. I can't wait for that!
Brooke picked out her annual pumpkin for herself and then she picked out Adrienne a tiny, tiny one. It's funny because if you look at our front steps there's this enormous pumpkin next to a tiny pumpkin that's like the size of an apple. It's the thought that counts, right? Lol! As for me, I got all of my gourdes and pretty corn to decorate my house with. Things are looking pretty festive around here, I must say.
It was an overall great day! Now it's time to unwind with my husband and watch a movie. Happy Fall, everyone!
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