Dance

Let them praise His name with dancing...Psalm 149:3

We've been extremely busy the past month as it's DANCE contest season. I'm pressed for time but wanted to share some pics from our last few weekends!

Kylyn and Mia dance three different times throughout the contest...which means 6 costume changes for mom to manage. We usually get there really early and since I'm a morning person (not!) I enjoy every moment of the day....and am still smiling during the awards that usually start 14 hours after we get there.
I'm blessed that the girls enjoy these events and am thankful that they are involved in the dance team.
Hopefully I'll carve out time to make it back to provide an update on everything else going on with us. For now...I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Tyler is 9!!!

I have to start by wishing my sweet son a Happy Birthday.
My dearest Tyler....it’s hard to swallow that you are 9 years old today. It just seems like yesterday that you entered into this world. You were such an easy baby to delivery and boy was I in for a surprise once we got home. I never imagined how different you would be from your sister. Because she slept 6 hours at night when she was two weeks old, I just assumed you would too! I assumed because she loved to breastfeed….you would follow her routine. No sir…mom had to rent a pump from the hospital and feed the breast milk to you from a bottle for 4 months. You weren’t having anything to do with latching on. (You still remain stubborn today)

I was in such a stressful place in my life at that time and went through many days that I didn’t want to put my feet on the floor to start the day. Your smiling face made getting out of bed each morning worth it all. It still does. I am so proud of the wonderful child that you have become. I’m proud to hear your prayers to God each night, to hear the compassion as you pray for those in need. I love that you genuinely care about your friends and you have the desire to carry the burdens of those that you love. I love that you love with everything that you have.

I am so proud to have you call me mom each day. I love you, Tyler! Happy 9th Birthday!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
To quickly catch up from my unplanned “blogging break”….We had a great Christmas which included several wonderful days of family time. Gabe and I were both able to take off two weeks from work and be home with the kids and had such a great time just being with each other. For the first time in a very long time….we put the blackberry’s down…stayed off the work laptops and put our jobs on the back burner so that we could enjoy the time with family.
January quickly came and went and I’m in awe that we are at the start of February. We have started to kick off planning, registration and meeting for our fall baseball season. We’ve had a record number of players register this season…close to 500 boys and girls. We are getting excited about our opening day parade and activities….I’ll post more on that later.

Last but not least, God is doing some amazing things in my life. Those of you, who “know” me outside of this blog, know that I’m a pretty private person and struggle with sharing below the surface unless I’ve established trust. Because historically, I have been through situations where someone I thought I knew….wasn’t that person. Someone who claimed to “love” me…didn’t even know what love meant. I’ve had a broken marriage, broken friendships and several other situations provoke me to build a wall of defense around me. God is really dealing with me and teaching me so much about who I really am and what trusting really means. So please be patient with me….I am getting there. I am in a place today where I can testify that His Grace….is enough and that He can and will carry me through.

Thanks to all of you who have “checked” in on me. Thank you for checking back for an update….and continuing to do so when there was no update here for so many weeks. I hope to get better at not only updating more frequently but also trusting and sharing!

I'm alive and still here.....

Okay...no excuses...we've been busy but I've just not made time to post here. I've been around and had plenty to write about but just now making it here.

We have been going through a series at church "30 Days to Live" and I have so much to share with you about how that short 5 week series has changed my life. I'm in the process of finishing that post and will have it here soon as I'd love to share how God is working in my life. It's been difficult for me to put this into a format that I can express here....as I'm a pretty personal person. It's tough for me to really "share" but I'm slowing learning to do so.

For now....the pictures of my "projects that I've been working on". I've finished painting all of the kids rooms now and plan to start working downstairs real soon.

I still need to get good pics of Kylyn's and Tyler's room but for now I'll give you a glance at Mia's dance room. I dreamed this up (with the help of a dear friend) before we moved in 18 months ago but it took me awhile to find the time to complete it.

Here are a few shots....

view from her vanity area....(I even made the light)

view from her door way....(threw the curtains together too)

and of course her dancing mirror....
Now until I get the pics of the other kids rooms up I thought I'd give you a glance at the downstairs and the touch of Christmas that has arrived.

Those of you who know me well know that I LOVE everything about this season....LOVE the time I get to take off from work and spend with the kids....LOVE shopping for that perfect gift...and most of all LOVE that we are able to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Many of our decorations have been in the family for years. The red ceramic stocking above was made for me when I was 4 years old....

and many pieces were just added to our family this year....

The dining room below will hopefully have COLOR on the walls before our Christmas guests arrive....

a glimpse of our tree below...

This little guy was part of my husband's family growing up....

a snapshot of our staircase below...

and last but certainly not least...

My snowman collection shelf means the most to me. Gabe's grandmother "Ma" went home to be with Jesus less than two short years after Mia's birth. We all know she's in a much better place but the holiday season makes our heart hurt wishing we could have had more time with her. The picture in the frame is of her holding Mia the day she was born. All of the snowmen decorations that we have belonged to her and hold a special place in our home during this season. We only wish she could be here to enjoy them with us.

Lastly....... (I'm sorry this post is all over the place)

Thanks to those of you who have written to make sure I was doing okay. Thanks for coming back here to check for new post and letting me know you cared. I believe that God put you in my life for a reason...because I have needed your thoughts and prayers.

I can't go into detail here just yet as there are many unknowns still (and my oldest daughter loves to read my post.)

There has been something uncovered in a recent screening test that requires further testing. Please pray for my healing. I'd be willing to share the details via email...otherwise hope to post an update here within the next few weeks that contains a positive outcome.

You hold my every moment

You calm my raging seas

You walk with me through fire

And heal all my disease

I believe You're my Healer

I believe You are all I need

I believe You're my Portion

I believe You're more than enough for me

Jesus You're all I need

Nothing is impossible for You

You hold my world in Your hands

I promise not to stay away so long next time....I'll finish up the pictures soon and be back with more details.

Catching Up...

I feel terrible I haven't been here to update in awhile. I've been around....spent TOO much time reading so many other blogs. I've been busy with getting Ty's room finished (I painted a mural on two of his walls....pics to follow soon), getting things in order to list on ebay (I'm thinking of giving up this hobby but not until I get the rest of this junk out of our home), and attempting to care of my grandmother.

My grandmother moved in with us shortly after we closed on this house and moved in ourselves. She was in a situation where she needed our help and in return for her living here she planned to provide after school care to the kids. The plan was to only employee a summer nanny and then allow her to take over during the school year. This summer she started having many health problems....and long story short we are still in the process of getting things under control. We had a trip to the ER last Sunday...she was admitted and then released a day later. We now have home health and PT coming here three days a week which has been a really big help.
Anyway...if you wouldn't mind adding her to your prayer list we would greatly appreciate it.

So...there you have it. All of my excuses for not updating my blog before now. The kids had a blast trick or treating. I finally sent it (candy) all with Gabe to work this morning...as I've done nothing but eat it every day...all day (sweets are my weakness). I'm glad to report...the temptation has been officially removed from the home :)!!
I thought I'd share a few pics of the kids on Halloween. Hope you enjoy!

Rockstar Diva Mia


Tinkerbell Ky

Football Player Ty





Have a blessed week!!

Our visit from sweet Baby Charlotte

For those of you who know me well…know that I would LOVE to have more children if I could. The girls would LOVE to have a baby brother or sister around. I can’t physically have more but have prayed over other options. Gabe thinks I’m crazy and believes three is enough. Things wouldn’t work out right now with my travel schedule the way it is….but who knows what the future may hold.....

So…the girls and I were blessed with the presence of sweet little Charlotte on Saturday. I politely informed her mom that she needed a date night with her hubby….which was a great excuse for me to get the baby. Having Charlotte over allows be to treat the baby fever somewhat….she’s such a doll. SHE is growing up entirely TOO fast!!!

Last time we had her over she was so tiny…and this weekend we were feeding her from a spoon. Gabe and Ty went to the Stars game so the girls and I got Charlotte all to ourselves for a few hours. You can visit her mom’s site to see MUCH better pictures (as she’s blessed with the skill of photography) but I wanted to share the pics we took.

But first….I can’t believe MY baby is reading to baby Charlotte. The lighting is bad but wanted to share…. (pause the music below before playing)

and here are some pics of our sweet time together....

As you can see, my girls are in love and enjoyed every minute of having her around.

Thanks, Allison for sharing your sweetheart with us!!!

Kylyn

I’ve posted something special about both Tyler and Mia…so figured I owed my oldest angel the honor of her very own post.

She reminds me so much of me as a child…it is scary. If fact….I often recall one of my mothers phrases “When you grow up and have your own daughter you’ll understand….”
- why you can’t sleepover at “just anyone’s” house
- why it’s important to be in church every Sunday
- why you can’t watch rated PG 13 movies

- why you can't listen to "that" music
- why you have a bedtime
- why you have to eat breakfast
- why you can’t wear your shorts “that” short
- these rules that you think are crazy will all make sense

I hate to admit it (especially since I know she’s reading this right now) BUT was mom ever right?
It was only a very short time after God gave me Ky that I was able to quickly understand all of the above…and more.

Kylyn loves school so much that she studies just for the sake of studying. She loves to read….and can get through a book just as quickly as I can (and comprehend it all).
She dances on a competitive team, loves to play on the computer and spend time running errands with me.

This weekend she attended her first JBQ (Jr. Bible Quiz) meet. She’s been going to JBQ study group for 2 hours every Sunday afternoon and really enjoys it. They learn over 600 Bible facts and memorize 100 or more verses.

This was my first JBQ event and I was in awe. The questions that these kids are answering amaze me. This is a great …for kids that have the “competitive” nature about them and the desire to learn God’s word. Here are some of some of the quiz questions they answered this weekend:

Q: How do we know we can resist temptation?

A: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Q: Quote the verse of Philippians that tells us what we should think about.

A: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Q: In the Parable of the Sower, to what four kinds of people did Jesus compare the soils?
A: Those who allow Satan to steal the Word; those who deny Christ when persecuted; those who allow worldly things to dominate their lives; those who receive the gospel and share it with others

Q: According to Romans chapter eight, what things cannot separate us from God's love?
A: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 8:38,39

I know you are thinking..."These seem pretty common"... BUT imagine 6-10 year old children answering these questions in a quiz environment. Throughout the course of the season, they learn 600 + of these.

When they buzz in to answer a quotation question, it must be quoted exactly as found in the scripture in order for them to gain the points for their team. Ky was a little intimidated at first but eventually warmed up...buzzed in and starting earning points for her team. It was really an amazing event.
I am so proud of my oldest daughter. Proud that she has the desire to learn God's word and hold it in her heart.

Ky, thank you for making me so proud. I am blessed to have you as a daughter and cherish the moments I am given with you. I love you.

Update

I've gotten several emails the past few days concerning my last post. I am so very sorry that I'm just coming back to post an update.

It is with great sadness that I update you that Isaac Timothy is no longer with us here on earth. Stacy gave her sweet son to Jesus just 16 short minutes after she gave birth to him. She had 16 sweet precious minutes to enjoy him here on earth.

Please remember her in your prayers. You can read more about her journey here.

Pray, Pray, Pray

I mentioned this in my previous post but wanted to post it again. I have 100 or so readers a day here...not sure who you are BUT I figured since you are here 100 more prayers will help.

Please view Stacy's blog for the full story but long story short....she has less than 24 hours before she is scheduled to deliver sweet Isaac. She has lovingly carried Isaac with the knowledge that unless God performs a miracle he will join Jesus in heaven shortly after birth.
I've included her specific request below in case you don't have time to visit her site.
Thanks in advance for taking the time to lift Stacy up in prayer.

Below are her requests:
1. For a miracle... we know that it's not too late, and that God had the power to heal Isaac should that be His will. Please don't stop asking.
2. For His peace that surpasses understanding... there's a lot we don't understand about all of this; but we desire to rest in the peace of the truth of who God is.
3. For strength... just getting through our days at work has become a pretty laborious task.
4. For my body to continue to cooperate with this medicine and not go into labor prior to October 7.
5. For my fears to be calmed about having a c-section.
6. For the doctors, nurses, and hospital staff that will be working with us... that they may see Christ through our choices, through our love for Isaac, and through our love for each other.
7. For the doctors performing the c-section... that they would be able to navigate this more "complicated" procedure in a way that would be as pain-free as possible for Isaac and that wouldn't put my body or health in jeopardy in any way.
8. For Spencer... that God would strength and uphold him as he continues to comfort and support me.
9. For our parents and siblings... they, too, are experiencing a loss.
10. For the details we're trying to work on regarding a burial service and a memorial service for Isaac... that the details would come together and they would both honor Isaac and bring glory to God.
11. For the details we're working on with our church regarding having a playground built in Isaac's honor
12. For a good night's sleep each night, and particularly the night of October 6.
13. For God to carry us and make His presence very real to us in the weeks and months to come.

Baseball Update

As promised a few post ago...I've found the pics from Tyler's first year of baseball. 4 1/2 Years ago he started hitting off of a tee and today....he's our pitcher, catcher and whatever other position Coach (dad) requests that he play.

Enjoy them while you can as they grow up TOO fast!!!!

Answered Prayer

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

Psalm 40:1

This week has been busy but a week that I can say I've been blessed beyond words. I'm not able to go into many details at this time...but will as soon as I can...I promise! Because I would love to share what God has done for our family. At this time, I can just say that He has answered a prayer that we have prayed for many years. To be more specific a situation that we have been dealing with for 6 years has finally been addressed. I will be honest and say that there were days, weeks, and even months that I grew weary of my prayer for His help. Things with this situation would get much better...and the worse again and there were days that I just accepted things for what they were and lost hope that they would ever change.
This week, on Thursday, October 2nd, God allowed our "situation" to be resolved. In an attempt to avoid sharing further details right now...I will say God is merciful. Thank you, Lord! Thank you!

What I can share here is the amazing Word that was delivered through our pastor last Sunday.

Pastor Bryan reminded us of the times that we have lost something but don't really miss it until we NEED it. This one hit home for me because the two examples he used were car keys and our check card. Both of which I misplace quite often. In fact, just that week I had decided to start leaving my keys in the console of my car (in the garage of course) so that I wouldn't have to spend 5 minutes every time we were ready to leave looking for them. I do the same with my check card...leave it in the back pocket of my jeans, a different pocket in my purse, my office drawer...you get the picture. Back to the Biblical point...we often misplace things and don't really miss them until the moment that we need them. In fact, we don't even know they are lost until the very moment that we need them.
How often in my life have I had this approach with God? I've always known He is there for me but why should it take a bad day or even worse a tragedy for me to NEED Him. After all, don't we always Need Him?
It's ever too often that I get caught up in our to-do list for the day and forget to slow down and listen to God?
Take the challenge with me to SLOW DOWN and LISTEN to God.

I have a special request that I'd like to share here:
I would like to ask that you remember Stacy and her family in your prayers over the next few days. On Tuesday, her little Isaac will join us here on earth. She is not sure how long her blessing will be here before becoming an angel. Please pray that if it's His will, Stacy will witness a miracle. Pray for her husband, Spencer, as they attempt to comfort each other through this time.

Have a great weekend!

My Pitcher

I LOVE BASEBALL! Many parents find this sport boring but not me! I loved watching my brother play growing up...and then loved it so much in High School I decided to earn my PE credit by becoming the team statistician. This of course had NOTHING to do with being able to travel around with the team and go to all of their events. I wasn't attracted to any of those stinky ball players :)! HA! Really though...I do love it.

Tyler started his 6th season of baseball a few weeks ago. Saturday was our 2nd game of this fall season. Gabe decided to put the boys in fall ball this year since they are moving up to a new division in the spring (kid pitch). I've heard from other parents that this first season can be a dangerous one for all...since the batters often get hit by the pitcher. Ty normally plays catcher and really enjoys it. The boys (dad and Ty) had been telling me all week that Ty was going to pitch this week. I just blew them off because I really didn't know that Ty had it in him. I also knew Gabe wouldn't put him out there until he was really ready and from what little I had seen in the backyard....he wasn't there yet. (Guess that's what I get for missing practices)

So...after the 3rd inning...off came the catchers equipment......and Ty took the mound. For whatever reason...I felt as if I was going to vomit. My baby....who seems like just yesterday was hitting a ball off of a tee and barely knowing which direction to run once he did....was about to pitch!

I think he felt like he was going to vomit as well by the looks of his face. I'd never EVER seen him so focused. I don't know that I've ever seen such a serious...intense look on his face.

He successfully pitched the whole inning and even managed to throw a few strike outs AND as you can see below...finally relaxed a bit and put that smile I normally always see back on his face.

While I'm so proud of my pitcher...I'm also saddened that he's where he is. They just grow up TOO darn fast. I wish I could find pictures of his first season to show how much he's grown. I'll go on a search for them and eventually will post them here for you.

Tyler, mom is so very proud of you and loves you more than words can express!

Mia

Mia- July 2008

I've had this post on my heart for some time now. Actually...before I even started the blog. I knew I needed to share it here. As much as I’d like to put it out of my memory…I can’t and I won’t. I am reminded daily of the happenings I will tell you about below.

We decided to take the family to Cancun this year for our summer vacation. We traveled there with another family and had started planning it 6 months before. This was Mia’s first trip to a real “beach” and she loved it. The beach was beautiful. On day 2, we finally left our comfy spot at the pool and ventured out to the beach.

Mia had such a blast playing in the waves (as you can see above). She’d let them hit her ankles and then fall into the sand as if they had knocked her over. I spent the majority of our vacation taking pictures (obviously).
The older kids were having a blast attempting to build a sandcastle, Dad was helping pack sand…and I of course was busy snapping pictures. I sat down for a brief second to change the batteries in my camera. Bear with me here as my memory of the next five minutes is clouded as things happened so fast. None of us are sure how many seconds or minutes my “brief second” really was. When I sat down….Mia was here…..

The next thing I remember….Tyler yells “Mom/Dad….Mia is gone”.



Mia was gone.

That beautiful ocean was no longer beautiful to us.

I can remember Gabe running into the water…me not knowing if he saw Mia or was just searching.
I couldn’t move….I can remember praying “dear God, NO! NO! NO! I WILL NOT give her up!”

He quickly returned with our angel….she was shaking…scared…I couldn’t let go of her. I could only sit there with her in my arms and cry with her.
Needless to say….we didn’t swim in the ocean for the remainder of the vacation.

The following day both of the girls and I were walking to kids club. I was a little nervous about leaving Mia. The water park wasn’t any deeper than her ankles (with no waves) but the happenings the day before left me terrified. Ky could sense I was nervous as I was telling her that she was big sis and really needed to stay with Mia at all times. They both really wanted to go for the craft time but I more than anything wanted them with me.

Ky calmly said, “Mom…please don’t take this the wrong way but you know that if God is ready to take Mia and it’s her time….there is nothing that we can do to stop it”. ?!?!?!

What did my 10 year old just say to me??? As tears began to flow I had no words to respond. Luckily, my dear friend Emily later explained to Ky about our choices and that we can make choices that sometimes lead to consequences that aren’t always welcome. Thank you, Emily! I was speechless. ….We moved past all of this and did make the best of the remainder of our time together in Mexico.

When we finally returned to Dallas I was so grateful to bring our three children safely home with us. I couldn’t wait until Sunday came so that I could be in God’s house and THANK HIM that I still had my babies. We were running a little late so I asked Gabe to check the kids in so I could go save a seat. I needed to be there that day…more than any other…and wanted to be as close to the front as I could.

I quickly made my way in and landed on the 4th row. The earlier service had run long so this one still had a few minutes before starting. The moment I sat down the presence of the Holy Spirit overwhelmed me. I uncontrollably gasped for air. I began to deeply breathe…to take in His presence.

We began to move into worship and then into Pastor Bryan’s sermon, “YES, Lord!”

I’m thinking… “Oh goodness…I just yelled NO! NO! NO! to God less than a week ago….here we go....” I knew right then....this sermon was written for me :) He began to speak out of Matthew 9…about faith and trust. About trusting God when He’s leading us but our path isn’t clear. I took three things from that service:

1) I can’t move to the next place God want me to be without leaving where I am today (this one is a BIG challenge to me….I don’t like change)

2) I have to leave what is secure to move to the next level

3) When God gives me an opportunity… I don’t have forever to seize it.

Long story short...I took God’s challenge that morning….I renewed my faith and committed to move to the next level with Him.

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee;
Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.


Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise;
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

I can tell you that today…I’m still amazed. I’m amazed by the God we serve. I’ve followed so many other journeys of mom’s who weren’t able to keep their blessings. Honestly, I do ask Him at times. “God, why me? Why am I so special to you?”
I told you earlier of the grief I often carry for Angie. And then there is Sumi. She lost her dear Jenna to a drowning accident.

Thank you Lord for the blessings you have given me! You never cease to amaze me.

If you made it this far with me…thank you for letting me share with you.
You see...Mia has this special gift...she is the master at pushing mommy's "buttons". But now what were previously my hot spots...are not longer hot spots. I am thankful for every moment with my Mia...even if she's attempting to aggravate me. God allowed me to keep my Mia here with me on earth ...and I must enjoy every moment of my time with her.
-Tiffany

He knows the plans that He has for us. They are all to prosper us and not to harm us.
(Jeremiah 29:11)

Thank you, Angie!

Okay…so I made it back in less than a week this time (barely)! Kids are still loving school, the new nanny and their time at home on the weekends. Our weeknights stay busy with homework, baseball practice and competition dance practice.

As promised in my first post, I’ve got lots to “catch up” on. I’ll start by sharing a little about what led me to the blog world. I started lurking on several others blogs about a year or so ago. I’ve followed many others journey’s through life, learned about their families, and even got to “know” some well enough to feel connected. Sounds strange…I know.

So, one of my many sleepless nights I somehow stumbled upon THIS blog site (BUT WAIT!!! Don’t link there yet….or you won’t come back) :)
I spent the following 3 ½ hours starting at the beginning of her story. 3 ½ LONG hours weeping, questioning God, praying, dazed and confused as to why something so tragic could happen to such an amazing family. A family that seemed so dedicated to Him. But what left me even more confused was the fact that this family continued to praise Him…if fact….seemed to clearly understand God’s plan and praised Him for it. I can’t begin to put into words the emotion that this story has brought to me.

Unfortunately, the following morning I had a 6 am flight to catch and would be away from my family for a few nights. I’ve traveled so much for work this year that I’m now platinum status on AA so being away has just become part of our “routine”. Gabe becomes an amazing “Mr. Mom” when I travel and keeps the kids so entertained they don’t think twice about me being gone. But this trip was different. My heart was heavy with grief for Angie. Years ago I could relate to Angie and her fear of flying but nowadays for me it’s just as common as driving. Again, this flight was different. My heart was full of fear. I was at a place in my life that I had just started to work to rebuild my relationship with God. If this could happen to someone so committed to Him….??? You get the point.

Needless to say…I had lots to say to God over the course of the next several weeks. I checked Angie’s site daily as I began to learn so much from her. After “getting to know” her a little better it became apparent while her relationship with God was strong she still had days of anger, hurt, and mourning.

I could continue for hours sharing with you all that I’ve learned from her but I’ll let you read her families story for yourself. She is truly blessed with communicating and I couldn’t begin to retell her story as she did. If you’re pressed for time at least watch THIS amazing video that tells her story.

So rewind many years…..Long story shortened a bit, I gave my life to Jesus as a child and experienced my childhood as a growing Christian with a strong foundation at home. I loved to be in church, learn more about Him and surround myself by others who felt the same way. I vowed to continue in my faith and planned to only grow closer to him. I also prayed about my choices and mostly made the choices that seemed to honor Him. Never did I imagine things would be any different for me. I dreamed of going to college, meeting a strong Christian man, starting a family and living happily ever after. Well…those of you who know me know that things didn’t exactly work out that way. As I moved away from the strong foundation I grew up in I quickly began to drift away from God.

So here I am 13 year later….returned home from my trip….kids safely in bed. Angie had recommended a few different versions of the Bible that she enjoys so I picked one of them up at Mardel’s. Still carrying grief for her sweet soul…I prayed and prayed and prayed. I began to study God’s word. I looked forward to that evening time after the kids were in bed and I could have quiet time. We had recently started attending a local church as a family….I counted down the days until Sunday came. One evening I began reading in I John. I quickly began to remember the words that I once memorized…at one point I could recite the whole book (yes…I know it’s only 5 chapters).

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” I John 1:9

There is was….in black and white. It was there, that night, which it became reality to me that the forgiving God I knew as a child is the same forgiving God today. Yes, I made poor choices. After all I’ve been divorced. God wanted to forgive me for straying away and making choices in life that did not honor him. I just needed to ASK.
I’ve been through so many battles over the last several years…all in which I knew God was there for me but my relationship wasn’t where it really needed to be. I didn’t truly trust Him…I didn’t give it all to Him….I tried to keep it in and handle it all on my own.

Thank you God for not giving up on me. Thank you for allowing me to remarry and trusting me with my three precious blessings. Thank you for the wisdom and courage that you give me to be the mom that I need to be.

Lastly, back to the reason for this post THANK YOU ANGIE!!!
Thank you for opening your heart…
For sharing your life with so many….
For your willingness to let us into a space that is so private.
For your faith in HIM.

Your precious Audrey Caroline will never be forgotten because of the time you have taken to use her life to lead others to HIM.

First Day of School (two weeks later)

I started this blog almost two weeks ago with the intent of posting daily or at least every other day…funny huh!
I’m a faithful reader of many other blogs that do a much better job of keeping up than I have so far. Hopefully I will get better at it as time goes. I have thought through several different entries just haven't carved out the time to get them here yet.

So, the first day of school came and YES mom was a bit emotional but not until they were all dropped off. Tyler and Mia started the year at a new elementary school that was just built in our neighborhood. Many of the teachers from their school last year are on staff there which made the transition easier. Kylyn started intermediate school this year and loves it. She was a little worried about adjusting into lockers and class change but has done great. We are fortunate that they have good teachers this year (so far). That’s always the scariest part of starting a new year for them and more so for me. Since Gabe and I both work full time we elected several years ago that rather than sending the kids to daycare or in home care we would hire someone to keep the kids in our home. Our nanny searches are never easy and take a lot of time and energy. We have an extensive application that they usually fill out and they are also requested to sign a release which gives us permission to run a background check and driving history. All that must be done before they are even invited for an interview. We invest a lot into the search as we trust this person with our most important possessions. But yet when it comes to sending them to school….all we have is prayer. We must trust that God is in control and will protect our children when we can not be around to do so.

We must trust that the school district put the time/energy into finding good teachers. It doesn’t always work out that way. For the most part we’ve been fortunate with the exception of our 4th grade teacher last year…and we’ll just say we are grateful that is behind us. They have all three adjusted well to our school year routine of bedtimes and early morning starts. Their summer nanny moved back to college and we were fortunate to quickly fine a great part time nanny. She was referred to us by our pastor’s wife and her family is very involved in our church….so that helped with the comfort level right away. SO....things are off to a good start this school year. I quickly snapped a few photos as we were headed out the first day. It makes me sad that they are growing up so fast!

May you have a blessed week!!