Merry Christmas

Last night we celebrated Christmas with Jeremy's family.

It was a nice time shared together.

It seems like each Christmas there is a little bit more to celebrate with each other.

One year it was praying for Gail and her fight with breast cancer.

Then it was rejoicing at the birth of Emma.

And this year it was celebrating the fact that Dewayne's skin cancer was found and was able to be removed.

Please pray for him as he is facing another reconstruction surgery here in the new year.

Each year spent with loved ones is something to celebrate. For you never know what a year may bring.

We will be spending the rest of today with my family.

I hope you have a blessed Christmas.

(I couldn't decide which picture to use. I liked both of them....I think that by this last picture, Emma was done and ready for a nap.)

A night for cookies

I have wanted....for a while to make cookies with the kids. But we'll....with life happening, well it's been hard to find the time.

Finally I decided that I would just have to make the time.

I had to shut my eyes to the dishes in the sink, the laundry that needed to be folded, and the house that needed to be picked up. I don't know about you....but I like to cook and bake in relative cleanliness.

Anyway.... I am glad that I made the time and if you read my Facebook status....well.... I didn't even fall asleep in the cookie dough. Bonus!!! ;)

This is what baby girl decided to do while we were making cookies. I wonder if she will pull an Uncle Jeff and open up all the presents??

Anyway.... Take some time this year to spend with the ones you love. Make memories.

I hate making titles....

Happy Sunday!

We have had a busy day. Good, but busy day.

I still have 6 loads of laundry to do. And it's 9:35. I don't think it will get done before I go to bed.

I made a new-er recipe tonight for dinner.

It was a chicken dish. Pretty good.

Well....J and I liked it. The kids....well....not so much.

We raked leaves this afternoon.

And when I say we, I mean Jeremy and the kids.

SOMEONE had to stay inside and watch Emma, who refused to take a nap.

We actually had her outside for a little bit, but it was too chilly for her.

Emma is forever enthralled with the kids.

I love to see her watch them.

I just got done eating a delicious piece of pumpkin pie. Homemade of course by yours truly.

It was still warm, and the cool whip kinda melted off of it.

heaven

I love this picture of Maddie with Emma.

LoVe It.

Is anyone else ignoring the fact that Christmas is coming quickly?

But before Christmas......

and after Thanksgiving......

someone turns 1.

Happy 11 month bday Emma girl.

It. has. gone. to. fast.

A sweeter child there never was.

Mother/daughter banquet 2012

Friday night we had our annual mother/daughter banquet....ladies tea....whatever you want to call it...

It was on a friday night this year instead of the traditional saturday afternoon, and I really liked it.

I was in charge of the cooking part this year and was quite nervous about it. Thankfully everything turned out just fine.

Beth was able to help me cook and I am so thankful for that.

We had a lot of fun together.

The theme was China and beyond. It was a story of Amy Carmichael. We had Chinese food for the meal.

We made sweet and sour chicken, rice and sauteed vegetables.

A lady in our church brought this little dress and Emma was able to wear it.

She looked so cute in it.

It was nice to have family there....

I am blessed to have a great family on my side of the family and also on my husbands side.

I think at this point of the night, Emma was like....get me out of this goofy dress and into my comfy pjs.

It was also nice to have my friends there....minus Lorrie.....which was my fault...I didn't even think to invite her. SoRrY Lorrie......

We were practicing our karate.

and of course..... our charlies angels.....

cuz....

can't you see that we look just like them???  ;)

And....

the best news of the night.....

Emma didn't cry on the way to church or on the way home!!!!!

That was the best gift ever.........

Emma's Dedication

Sunday night we had a dedication service for Emma at church.

It was such a sweet time.

I am so thankful to all the friends and family that were able to attend. It meant so very much to me.

Jeremy's Dad read some scripture.

Psalm 127:3-5
³Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
⁴As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
⁵Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

My Dad gave a testimony and a  prayer of Dedication.

And Uncle Kelvin (our Pastor) read some scripture and gave a prayer of Dedication.

Luke 1:5-14
⁵THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
⁷And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
⁸And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
⁹According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
¹¹And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
¹²And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
¹³But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
¹⁴And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.


Emma Elisabeth......what a complete joy she is to me.

I really honestly never thought we would have another baby.

Jeremy and I tried for 7 years to have a baby. 7 long years. 7 years full of trusting in God and knowing that is way is perfect. Years of trusting that whether we would have a baby, God was good. And if he decided to not give us another child, that God was still good.

Writing about this isn't easy for me. It all sounds so perfect now that she is here. But the truth of the matter is that there were many, many months of tears and heartbreak and begging and pleading.

Many months of begging God to take the desire from me. That if he wouldn't fulfill this desire, that he would give me peace about not having a baby. That he would take the desire from me and that he would fill the empty space in my heart.

I know it sounds silly to have felt like that,  because I already had 2 children. 2 beautiful children. But still....I felt like something was missing, that it just wasn't complete yet....does that make any sense??

These years of....I don't know what to call it.....infertility....not God's timing?? were not easy for me to talk about. A few close friends knew. Some would see tears. Some would just hear my heart.

There was a Sunday in particular, where I really thought I was pregnant. I was a week late.
I was an emotional basket case.

We were late for sunday school and standing in the foyer, just Jeremy and I. His cousin Lindsie had just had a baby, and the I heard the baby crying in the room next to us.

When I heard that little baby crying I lost it. I felt....I know it sounds stupid, but I felt like a baby was crying out to me.

That morning Kelvin preached out of Luke. I don't remember much about the sermon,

But I remember these 2 verses...

¹³But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
¹⁴And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

I felt like God himself was speaking to me. Could I dare open my heart up to a promise of another child??

I knew then, that if we would have another baby, that I would give that baby back to God. He will use this baby as he deems fit.

 For God had heard my cry.

There were many mornings spent sitting in my chair in the living room, and so many mornings, during the waiting game of wondering if this month we would be pregnant.... with tears streaming down my face, I would feel the presence of God right there with me.

And I knew......

I KNEW GOD TO BE A COMFORTER.

and

A HEALER OF BROKEN AND HURTING HEARTS.

To know that about my God, was worth the wait.

I don't know if I can quite put into words what I felt that morning  when I found out I was pregnant.

What pure and utter shock.

What pure and utter J.o.Y.

And now she is here.

God's timing is always the best timing. I can see that.

God has showed himself faithful to me time and time again.

And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

My cup runneth over.

Time to say goodbye....

2 weeks can be eternity, or they can just fly by. These past 2 weeks have flown by. I have so looked forward to Christmas vacation this year. Not just to have 2 weeks off of school ( which I won't complain about!! ) But no, this year was special. Jonathan and Melanie came home. How I have missed them.

2 weeks came.....and 2 weeks went.

Sunday came and it was time to say goodbye. I promised myself that I wasn't going to cry like a baby. And I didn't. Or haven't. :) I didn't cry while I said goodbye. But once I got in the van to go home, I cried. And I cry now. There is such a void felt when your family isn't whole. And having that family present for a while makes the void even greater when they leave again.

We pray for Jonathan and Melanie every day on the way to school. The kids have even gotten in the habit when it is their turn to pray to mention them. We pray for safety, wisdom and direction in their lives. We pray for them to stay strong and united together. We pray that God will meet their every need. And now we especially pray for Melanie as she is pregnant. We pray for extra strength and comfort for her.

I am so grateful for the time that God gave us all this Christmas. I really do feel like special memories have been made. Time was freely given and smiles and laughter were shared. It was wonderful.

(I can no longer say that I haven't cried like a baby) :0)




I cannot wait till we can see you again. Maybe this time it will be me flying to Hawaii!!