Happy Birthday Baby!

Today is my youngest son's birthday. He is 7 today. That is so hard for me to believe.

We wanted him so badly and went through so much to get him here. I can't believe that it's been 7 years. When our older son was about 15 months old I was ready to have "just 1 more." I'm an only child and I really wanted 2 kids. So when my husband was finally on board (at 24 months LOL) we started trying to have another baby. We had no problems getting pregnant the first time and thought this would be a piece of cake...boy were we wrong. It took about 4 months to get pregnant and we ended up loosing that baby. It was a really tough time. My husband was overseas and I was alone, with a toddler in Alaska! The whole story is really terrible but I am willing to share with anyone that wants to know more. So the doctors told us to wait a month and we could start trying again. I got pregnant again 2 months later. We lost that baby too. We were now totally overwhelmed and didn't know what to do (Let me also mention that we were not walking with the Lord at this point, so faith wasn't there to help us through). I found out I was pregnant again 5 months later, on Christmas Eve. I remember telling my husband "if this one doesn't stick, we're done, I can't do this any more." Well if you know my younger son, you know just how stubborn he is....now you know why! He stuck LOL The pregnancy was anything but easy. I had some test results come back that were so off that the DR herself called me...Praise God our little guy was born healthy (well except for the fact that for MONTHS we thought he was deaf!)

So happy birthday baby! I don't think you will ever know just how much we wanted you!

~ “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 NLT

He is using us

It is so exciting to be used by God!
It is so scary to be used by God!
It is an honor to be used by God!

Seeing my whole family being used by God is the most amazing thing! The boys were both devastated on 'meet the teacher night.' Neither of them got the teachers they were hoping for. We went out to the truck to get the supplies we had brought after seeing what teacher they had but before heading the the classrooms. I calmly reassured them that God had it under control. We've always gotten the teacher(s) that we hoped for...not this year. God must know that we (all of us) are ready for more. Ready to be a little more out of our comfort zone. He was wonderful to allow us to stay at the same school (we have to apply every year) but He knew it was time for MORE. We have already been shown His reason for my younger one's place...we will wait on Him to reveal the reason for my older son's placement....

My hubby is being stretched too...So far from home....He is growing, stretching, learning

GOD IS SO GOOD TO US!

~ And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Acts 4:29 NLT

1st day of school

First of all, let me say that I can not believe that I have a 5th grader. It's his last year in elementary school!!!! And my baby is in 1st grade!
OK so this morning we were lucky enough to hear from my hubby. He called to wish the boys a great first day of school. They both were in tears after the call but we all needed it. I really don't like doing "Meet the Teacher" night or the 1st day of school without him. It's hard.
Well after the call, we pulled ourselves together, finished getting ready, snapped some pictures and headed off...The boys did great. Butterflies in tummies and tears in their eyes, they walked into their classrooms. I headed out to face my day. Thankfully I had a day full of laughs and friends. I couldn't have come home to this quiet house. I went to our church for a 'back to school breakfast' we stayed there until lunch time. We headed to a restaurant close by and talked and laughed and wasted the day away...My mom surprised me by taking the afternoon off. She went with me to get the boys from school and then treated us to dinner. All in all it was a good day. I love my boys and really enjoy spending time with them so back to school comes with a little bit of sadness. We will all get back into the routine of it, hopefully this will help the time fly by. Then once again our family will be whole...until the next trip....


~And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT

GOD alone should be your ROCK

God created humans for relationship. Relationships can be amazing. You can learn and grow through relationships. BUT they can also be a stumbling block ... Your #1 relationship must be with God.
When you put more time, energy, trust, (you name it) into your relationships here on earth than you do with God, things can get all up-side-down.
God is the only one that will never let you down. He always wants the BEST for you! Better than you could even ask for!
His is the only pure and true LOVE. Nobody can love you like God does!
No matter your feelings, God's word is always true! See we let our emotions guide our relationships here on earth....you can't trust your emotions. They change just like the wind. SO cling to God! He is your ROCK! He is the only rock you should have. Anchor to anything else and you're in big trouble. Put your hopes in anything/anyone else...TROUBLE!

He is our Rock, our Shield, our Strong Tower. He is so much more than I can ever put into words! I pray that each of you comes to a deeper revelation of who He is! Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty!


~The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. Psalm 18:2 NLT

S t r e t c h

So I've been praying and seeking and God is opening doors.
I'm really looking forward to the new things I will get to participate in!
Some of this will really be a stretch for me. But in the stretching there is growth.
I'm looking forward to the new connections that will come from this. I'm looking forward to learning. I'm looking forward to new perspectives, seeing things from other angles. God is popping the bubble that I've put myself in and I know that's a good thing!

~ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Changes and Choices

August is here already. Can you believe it? Where has this year gone? Where has the summer gone? School starts in just a few short weeks. This opens up a lot of my time....SO it's time to start praying and looking for what I will fill my days with. I'm excited for new opportunities to make an impact. I'm looking for doors that God will open.
Changes and choices.
Some other things in my life are feeling a bit up side down. I'll be praying and looking for doors to open here as well. I have a feeling that some big changes are coming. Change can be scary but with God ~ change can be exciting!
I'm looking forward to making the changes and choices that lie ahead!

~ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31 NLT

My 'yuck'

So in my last post I commented on how 'God can use tragedy and difficulties to draw people together. He can use the 'yuck' to help someone else. He will draw people to you that are going through 'yuck' that He already walked you through. Nobody can speak to situations like those that have already been through it.'

So I thought I would let you know some of the 'yuck' that I've been though. I hope that this helps some of you understand where I'm coming from as well as to know when you can turn to me for advice....some of this isn't YUCK, more like 'stuff'

Being an only child, having a step parent, having a significantly older parent (my dad was 20 years older than my mom), CANCER, being a military spouse, moving over seas, loosing grandparents, miscarriage, caring for an ill parent, loosing a parent, multiple deployments, I'm sure there are others but these are what I can think of for now. I'm a very open person so please come to me and we can talk about any of those listed or whatever is on your mind/heart.

**Cancer is in all caps because it is one that I've had to deal with over and over. My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer when I was in Jr High, my grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer when I was 20, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was in my mid 20s, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer when I was in my late 20s and that cancer spread to his brain and was what finally took his life.