Goodbye 2010!

On one hand, I've never been so glad to see a year end! On the other, God has really been evident in our lives and that is an awesome thing to be a part of. 2010 has really been a roller coaster, but we are on the upswing and life is very good! Our trials and joys were big this year, but God is even bigger and for that, I'm so very thankful.

• We've had to endure some trials that I never thought we'd have to go through, and that was unbelievably scary.
  
• We've had people turn their backs on us (so called friends), and that was unbelievably lonely and hurtful.
  
• The ministry that we had loved for 12 years came to a screeching halt, and we mourned that for a good while.
  
• We were without our own home for almost 4 months.

But it is so much better to focus on the things that GOD has done during those trials! We are on the other side and while I still look back and cry. I'm glad to say that it is not daily anymore. And the tears are not always tears of sorrow and sadness. I have tears well up when I think of all that HE has done. It is hard not to! God took care of us. He always does, but through these trials, God held us and just took us from one point to another (even when we couldn't think straight). He provided!

2010 has been full of blessings:

• We bought a new home. After 16 years of marriage, we finally were able to buy a home!
  
• We found a new church home and we are teaching again. The atmosphere is different than any I've ever been a part of and it is just what we needed when we needed it. I've learned so much the past few months.
  
• Jamie got a new job that he loves. It was provided so that Jamie never really missed a week of work! How amazing is that!
  
• My kids are thriving in homeschool! It is a lot of work, but it is worth it. It is a growing passion of mine and something that I take very seriously in my life. I'm back to teaching in a way that I never thought I would be. I think I've learned just as much as the kids.
  

We are in many different places than we were at the beginning of the year. I never suspected most of these changes, but what sweet surprises God had in store for us. I ponder the things that happened to us in 2010 and I know that God took us there to bring us here. I think sometimes we have to endure the storm to appreciate the rainbow at the end.

With all that said, I welcome 2011 in our lives! Whatever it brings, I know that God will be by our side.

Christmas 2010!

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. It is unbelievable to me how quickly time passes! I think my kids got many things they wanted and many other things that were surprises to them. One of their favorite things they received was their first pet! They got a Hamster cage, a gift card to Pet Smart, and a note from Santa explaining the whole thing.

We spent Christmas Eve at home focusing on Jesus, watching The Nativity Story (LOVE this movie!), and eating fondue. Fondue became our new tradition when we moved to Owensboro. When you are not "local" to family, you are forced to begin your own traditions. You know what? I really enjoy our low-key Christmas Eve that is focused on Christ and each other. It is my favorite day of the year!

Of course, Christmas morning with 4 kids is always fun. I love watching their faces brighten as they shake the boxes and realize that what is inside is possibly exactly what they asked for. It is so magical and amazing when you are a child! I love the bedhead and jammies on Christmas morning pictures!


Here is Jamie playing "Just Dance" on the Wii. He was so proud that he beat them. Typical Daddy from my experience! I'm so glad you feel great about yourself beating a 4 year old:-)
And, I got new slippers and the kids got Bendaroos. Need I say more?
So, today we went to the mall with money burning in our pockets. We explained to them that they really got plenty of toys and that they may buy other things with their money if they wish. I thought it was really funny that my kids were walking around the mall perfectly happy to buy clothes and such. Micah even said, "I really like this new outfit! Is that weird?" I told him that it certainly wasn't. I explained to him that in a few years, all he'll be wanting for Christmas is shoes, clothes, music, and electronics. My kids are growing up!

We went to the Pet Smart and loaded up on Hamster supplies and picked out our newest little family member. It was hard to get a good picture, because he was exploring his new home. He is very cute, I must say. He is "Robo Hamster" and suppose to be about 3 inches long. He is TEENY. He looks like a little ball when he is wadded up asleep. We got a male, so we are certain that we won't wake up and have more hamsters. His name is "Nibble"
Jamie is off this week and now that Christmas is over, we can relax and just enjoy one another. I love his new job! It has many perks!

Christmas Came Early in the Hughes House!

Ok, so this has nothing to do with Christmas, but it sure did make my day! We've been staring at this monstrosity of a chandelier since August. It is huge and tacky and horribly dated. I'm sure it was rocking in 1972, but that sure was a long time ago and it was time for an update. And, really, I just don't see how this very formal "fancy" chandelier ever went in an eat-in kitchen, but I digress. Here it is:

It kind of reminds me of some kind of sea creature or something. It also had pineapples in the middle of it. It is just wrong in so many ways!

Here is the nice fresh update! My wonderful husband put it up yesterday. So much better and updated!



I think I stared at it all day yesterday! It is so much better in so many ways including the light it puts off! I love seeing our home transform!

Today, my kids are watching Santa across the globe on the Norad Radar. So much fun and educational too. We are resting a bit right now and tonight we are having our annual fondue dipping fun! I'm so thankful to be spending our first Christmas in our new home! Jamie is off until January 3rd and my kids are full of excitement. Life doesn't get much better!

School Happenings

I finally got a bulletin board for our school room. I painted the frame with leftover door paint and we made a little craft yesterday. It is amazing how cute toilet paper rolls and baby socks can turn out! They had fun making these little carolers and snowmen. I've had fun watching them have fun:-)

We are on a 2 week break to enjoy Christmas. We are officially halfway through the year. I had a bit of a chuckle the other day when there was a snow day around here. No more getting an automated phone call at 5:30 in the morning to tell us that school is closed. No more snow days for us, but on the flip side, the weather sure will be pretty in May!

Jamie works 2 days next week and has class Monday night and then will be off until 2011. I'm looking forward to a blessed 2 weeks with my family!

Back in the Saddle

Jamie and I are going to be teaching the 1st-3rd grade Sunday School starting this week I think. We have spent the last 7 months just going to adult classes, taking a backseat, and being fed for a while. It had been a long time and it has been really nice. We didn't want (or even need) to jump right into a teaching or leadership position as soon as we moved. It has been a time to recoup, refresh, heal, forgive, rest, and move forward.

I'm finally getting into a "good" place with everything that happened last spring. I think we've dealt (or are dealing) with it as best as we can, and God has just been so incredibly good to us through this entire process. We sort of jumped out of an airplane without a chute in April, but he flew right along with us showering us with blessings abound. That part is impossible to deny. We were let down by this world, but God never let us down! What Satan meant to claim for his side, God reclaimed for us and has given us so much.

Maybe it took all those other churches, ministry experiences, and people (those that loved us and those that didn't) to bring us exactly where we are now. I don't know. Our church is probably the way I've craved church for years, but never quite found it. I also understand that it probably wouldn't fit some people and I'm OK with that too. It takes all Christians working together to reach others for Christ (which is the goal anyways)...not just a church that fits a particular mold.

We left Owensboro with us both teaching 2 classes that never got completed by us, so it has been a while since we've been in the teacher's chair in church. It'll be different and it has been several years since I've taught little ones in SS. Jamie has never taught little ones in SS. He has taught little ones, but not in that setting. It is a very energetic group and a growing group of kids. God made each one of those kids very unique for his purpose and I know that being their teacher will bless us more than it will them.

Random Things About Me

I love:

• Listening to my kids play when they don't know I'm listening
• My children quoting scripture
• Teaching
• Painted Toenails
• Cuddling on the couch after a long day
• Hearing Jamie's car pull in the driveway
• A clean house
• My fenced in yard
  
• Pondering things that Bro. Rusty (our pastor) has said all week
• Jamie waking me up in the morning (it was the other way around for YEARS!)
• Watching my kids sleep
• Looking at old pictures
• A good cry when I need one
• Christmas Eve
  
• Warm spring days
• Going to get my haircut
• Sweet tea
• Cuddling up with a good book on a rainy day (it has been a while!)
• Kissing a new baby's head
• Red front doors
• Kissing my kids goodnight
• Learning something new
• Inside jokes (as long as I'm on the inside)
• Getting a personal email
• Listening to the rain
• Cookies
• Flip-Flops
• Organizing
  

I don't love:

• Cold weather
• Kids fighting
• Jamie working late
• Peeling wallpaper
• Never getting a break
• Unsolicited advice
• Wearing glasses/contacts every second of the day
  
• Arrogance
• People cracking jokes about my name, family size, or homeschool
  
• When someone touches my nose or eyebrows
• Shopping of any kind
• Barking dogs at 2am
• Getting up early
• Gossip
• Legalism in church
• Going to the doctor, dentist, etc
• Wal-Mart
• Being late
• Being the center of attention
• Laundry
• Cleaning the kitchen (the never ending job)
• Shaking hands
  
• Moving!!!!!
• Politics
• Door-to-door salesmen
• Sleep deprivation
• Whiny kids
• Tickling

Sesame Street Live

We spent the past Thanksgiving weekend being very busy. That is pretty typical, isn't it? We had 3 Thanksgiving meals, Black Friday Shopping, putting up our Christmas decor, and Sesame Street Live. Paw Paw got us the tickets for the show and it was very cute. Chloe was at the perfect age to really enjoy it the most, because she thinks they are all "real" and to her, she is seeing "stars". The others enjoyed it as well, but you just lose part of the magic when you realize that it is simply people dressed up as your favorite character and they aren't really alive.

The show was very well done and moved quickly with a lot of action to keep the little ones interested. I'm glad that they got to go though and these are things they'll remember always. Who knows, Micah may be participating in something like this one day since he has the acting bug.

I am embarrassed to have 4 kids and admit that I had no clue who that girl character was with the glasses and backpack though. Where did she come from? We don't really watch that much TV anymore, so I guess I'm losing touch.

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

This year we have so much to be thankful to God for! He has been there for us when it literally seemed that the entire world was against us. He has been a friend to us, a provider, a shoulder to cry on, and so much more! We have been blessed beyond measure...more than any of us ever deserve.

• We are now home owners to a real brick house for the first time ever! This was a nice little surprise in God's plans.
  
• We are homeschooling and loving it! I never thought I'd be doing this, but I'm so thankful God called us to do this. It is an amazing journey! I'm just sorry I didn't discover it sooner, but at least I can appreciate it more having been on the other side.
  
• We found a church home that is unlike any other we've ever been a part of, but completely perfect for us! I can't wait to see what God has up his sleeve for the future of this newer church.
• Jamie has a new job. It is a ministry that is different than he has had in the past. It is a shift in our lives that we weren't expecting, but a very sweet change.
  
• Jamie began graduate school. It is trying, but I am thankful. God gave him a job at the university, so now his education is FREE! Professor Hughes....sort of has a ring to it, don't you think;-)
• My children are oh so special in my life. My life would not be complete without them. They can always seem to brighten a down day.
  
• My husband is the love of my life this side of heaven. We have shared tears and laughter this year (sometimes at the same time), and I wouldn't want to go through this life with anybody else by my side.
  
• I'm forever thankful for Jesus dying for my sins. Without him life would be pretty bleak and hopeless.
  

I could go on an on. I think one reason God allows the disappointments, hurts, and hard times in life is so that we can fully appreciate his love, provision, and blessings. 2010 has been a series of mountains and valleys, but God has been there by our sides the whole time.

Last night we had a turkey dinner a couple of days early in the Hughes house;-)

It is a turkey made of fruit and cheese and a cornucopia of veggies. The kids loved it and I love that we could do a craft that I didn't have to store or feel guilty for throwing away. They gobbled them up!

Kids are Thankful!

Abbi and Hannah are in this cute video from our church. It is so precious to see the things that children are thankful for. Lately in our mission stories, we've been learning how Americans are very blessed to have freedom of worship and to be able to own Bibles. Just a little disclaimer so you know where Abbi's comment was coming from:-)

Our First Santa Sighting of the Season

I always shop in the Murray Wal-Mart on Thursday afternoon. It is just the girls and me since Micah is in drama class. Well, last week, we saw a gentleman that was a little chubby, had a white beard, glasses, red shirt, and boots. Well, you can imagine Chloe's delight at seeing "Santa" in the store. I just played along and told her that he must be scoping thing out and making sure all the kids were being good. That was that...

Until today! Same time, same place, and there he was again. Again, he had on red. I saw him from afar, but didn't mention it, because Chloe has embarrassed me 1 too many times by blurting out whatever is in her brain. You never know how one will take to being compared to Santa.

Well, there we stood in the yogurt aisle and I hear her exclaim, "SANTA!" and he was literally within feet of me. He was standing right behind me. I'm thinking, "Great, how am I going to explain my way out of this one." Much to my delight he turned around and said, "Have you been good this year?" Chloe nodded with her mouth gapping open as if she had just had a celebrity sighting. He said, "Be sure to be good to your sisters too". Again, she nodded. He went on about his business and we went on about ours.

She has chattered about seeing "Santa" all evening. It was such a sweet innocent moment and it made Chloe's evening! I love this time of year with my kids. It is so magical! Sometime along the way, I think teens/adults lose that magical feeling. When you have kids, you get to live vicariously through them and the way they view the world. Christmas is full of magic, wonder, and amazement. Today in Wal-Mart I got to have a little bit of what it would be like to be 4 again.

I love being a mommy!

A Very Productive Weekend

Saturday we went to Lowes "Build and Grow" workshop for the first time. I've seen the sign a million times, but it always slipped my mind until I saw the sign again. But, we finally remembered. Or rather, the kids remembered! It was a lot of fun though and I think we'll return. I love to find good quality FREE things for the kids to participate in.


We came home from Lowes and I unboxed books all afternoon into the newly completed school room. I thought I was finished once only to discover 2 more huge boxes! So, I think by the time my children are grown, we'll have ourselves a little library. They have had a ball, because they have not seen many of their books since April. They have played in our new room all weekend. My girls love to play school anyway, so it is now the new favorite spot in the house!

Here is a new school area. I'm so thrilled! God gave us just enough house for our needs and this ended up just being a bonus.

Before:

After:

The ottoman that is sitting there doesn't match. I need to get something to throw over it or make a cover. It works for now. I do need some bulletin boards and a calendar and those kinds of things too. The walls are a khaki/grey color, and that is hard to tell in a picture.



I also painted my front door during this process. It went from white to red. Abbi took this picture for me just now. It has a bit of a glare on it and I hadn't the heart to tell her, so I'll post her photography anyways:-)

God must be teaching us patience!

I think that 2010 could be the year of "patience" for us. I'm not sure we've always done so great at it. I've been a frazzled mess at times, I'll admit. There are moments where I just wonder what in the world, but then later it doesn't seem so bad after all.

You see, we had plan of what needed to be done in this house in a particular order. The order was intended to get us set up in an organized manner again and make life as normal as possible as quickly as possible. It was a no brainer to do the bedrooms first. We needed our areas to put our clothes and belongings and a comfortable place to sleep. Then we had bathroom #1 incident where Chloe got the carpet wet and it had to be removed a little sooner than expected. It was only a small bump and didn't really take that much time to throw together in the grand scheme of things.

Well, we are working on the school room and the next thing on the agenda was suppose to be the living area/kitchen. I knew it was going to be a big project, but figured it would be great to get it out of the way for the holidays and then worry about the utility room/bathroom #2 area after things had settled after Christmas.

Well, we got another unexpected change of plans when the toilet overflowed and the flooring had to be removed. Jamie worked most of the day in the bathroom chipping away old floor and getting the area prepped while I layed the floors in the school room.

So, now, the bathroom got bumped up to the top of the list and we are back to living in the brown cave for a bit longer. I'm NOT starting another project during the holidays (it is too busy and too fun of a month to miss out on ), so the area I'm most excited about getting complete will (once again) be put off to Lord only knows when. I say that because...hello!?! I can't ventilate this flooring in the winter. It isn't like heat doesn't cost enough already for it to fly out the window (literally).

So, I guess I'll be stripping wallpaper by week's end for the last time. Seems like they did not paint or prime the walls before they put the wallpaper on, so it'll be another "fun" job, but at least there isn't as much since it is only half a wall. My goal is 2-3 weeks again and then I'm setting my paintbrush down to enjoy December and what it means to our family.

I was so mad about this the other day. MY plans had been rearranged. MY comforts had been put off. MY schedule had been all messed up. Now that I've had a couple of days to mull it over in my mind, I don't really care so much. Who really cares in the grand scheme of life. None of this really makes a difference. Sure I was disappointed, but it'll get done. It just won't be when we WANT it done. I'm going to use the "off" time to get the garage arranged and organized. I still have boxes out there, but many are filled with books which will go in the school room.

Our patience has been tested once again. Sometimes I don't feel like I have very much patience, but with God's help and persistence, I'm getting there one step at a time.

And to add insult to injury, I just spilled half of the stain I had left. I barely thought I had enough anyways. I thought it would never come off my skin! So, off to the store I go...AGAIN! Patience, patience, patience!

GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

Life just has a way of throwing you some curve balls, doesn't it? Jamie is with MCU tonight at a concert. It was one of his job "perks" and I'm glad he got to go. I had a busy day, but was planning on starting on the floor in the room we painted (which looks fabulous by the way).

We had a toilet issue today. I don't think it is anything major, but it was wanting to back up a bit and I thought I had fixed it. Well, apparently not! I hear the scream of death from the bathroom and Micah had overflowed the toilet. Well, this is the bathroom that still has carpet and is little, so it was basically a swimming pool in there (thankfully no #2!). So, I call Jamie all in a panic, and started ripping carpet out (WAY earlier than I wanted to), and cut myself somewhere along the way and blood was dripping everywhere, which made me even more mad.

So, I'm sitting in a messy wet bathroom floor with a bleeding finger and crying my eyes out. I just felt so frustrated and alone at that moment.

Which brings me to my next frustrating point. I was not planning on doing that bathroom until after the holidays. We are anxious to get our living area done, but we decided to do the other rooms to get our lives in some kind organized sense. I wanted to get the living area done, then put a tree up and chill out for a month or 2 and enjoy life and my home. I guess that won't be happening!! I suppose the next 2-3 weeks will be sucked up with me doing the bathroom and by then I won't have time to mess with the main area. That makes me want to cry some more. I suppose I'm not in any kind of race, but still!

Mommy Brag Time!!!

I just have to brag a little bit. Chloe is reading! She is 4 and she is reading! I don't know why that amazes me, but it sort of does. Now, of course, it is the controlled beginning level reading, but that is the first step. I wasn't even going to start this until next school year, but when she started writing words on her own, I figured she was ready and she obviously was. We'll go at the speed she needs, but so far she is picking things up and doing very well.

We are 1/3 of the way through the school year, and this homeschooling thing has just been such an amazing blessing in our lives. I cannot even begin to describe, honestly. I really wish I had "discovered" it sooner, but we live and learn in this life, I suppose. My kids are learning so much and the best thing (to me) is that they still get to play and be kids during the day! They play outside daily and that was something that they honestly didn't get when they were in regular school. Their self esteem is soaring, because they see where they are successful and if they don't "get" something right away, we work through them together until they do rather than moving on and them being left in the dust.

I know that people don't understand homeschooling as a whole, and I have to say that I was one of those people not long ago. It was scary to take the leap last March, but once I did, God has really cleared the path and shown me many things. It has become a passion of mine and something that will continue on in the Hughes house. You know you are hooked when you are only 1/3 of the way through the school year and already looking how at you'll tweak things for next year:-)

My little ghosts and goblins

Halloween 2010 was really fun. We able to go around to the family and the kids got loaded down with the good candy (lots of chocolate). We did miss one house, but their vehicle was gone and lights were off. So, if you didn't see us that doesn't mean we didn't try:-)

It was such a nice day to just spend with the kids though. Micah even commented about how fun it was this year getting to go around to people that we know, which we had missed the 2 previous years. The also took their India mission collection box and got some more donations, so I think that we'll have a nice donation to send in at the end of the week. Yay!

Hannah the Witch:

Micah the Vampire:

Abbi the "Spa Girl":

Chloe as Minnie Mouse:

Here are a couple of pictures from Abbi's birthday that I am belated in posting. She got her first locket, which she has worn every day, I believe and a Zooble. If you don't know what that is, you probably will. Apparently the makers of Bakugan have come out with a girl version. I have to admit, they are pretty cute little creatures. Jamie is wanting to "gamble" and load up on them in hopes that they will be the "hot item" for Christmas.



On the home front, we finally got the wallpaper removed and the carpet went out last night. I'm hoping to get the trim painted tonight, but we'll see. At least we are on our way and we should be moved in there in 2 weeks. I'm so excited!

On another note, what is with people going door to door trying to sell me stuff, convince me that their way to heaven is "better", and trying to get me to vote for their candidate. I feel like putting a sign on the door that quotes Jack Nicholson from the movie, As Good As It Gets. He said, "Go sell crazy somewhere else, we're all stocked up here." It is worse than it was in Owensboro and it was BAD there! I love my neighborhood, but darn solicitors....leave me alone!

Karate Kid

Last weekend we bought the new Karate Kid movie. It is a good family movie and even though it was a "remake" of the original, it was different enough that it wasn't too bothersome to me as a fan of the original. They kept some of the common threads and themes, but much was different, which was probably pretty smart of the movie makers. Some movies just can't be "remade." It was cute though and the kids enjoyed it. Will Smith's son is very talented, especially for his age. He probably has a pretty big future ahead of him if he wants it and doesn't screw his life up along the way like many of these child stars. But, I digress...

Sunday, I looked and all 3 of the original Karate Kid movies were on "play now" off of Netflix, so we had us a little Karate Kid marathon and finally finished up on Monday. It brought back a lot of old memories watching the original. The music was terrible, the clothing is awful, but the story is still very heartwarming and endearing.

Abbi is now obsessed with them. I don't let them watch TV every day anymore, but she asks me daily if she can watch Karate Kid. She has now watched the original twice and the new one 1 1/2 times (my fault...I made them go to bed). It is so funny. Even at 9 years old, she thinks that both of them are very "cute" and I think that is part of her wanting to watch it (much like my sister and I in the 80's!). I won't tell her that the original Karate kid is almost 50 now and old enough to be her grandpa!

Today we are getting this wallpaper off. I may be up until the wee hours of the morning, but it is coming off! The border is lifting MUCH easier. I admit that I didn't really mess with it for a few days this week. I was so tired of it! I really want to paint this week!!!!!!!

It is also trick or treat night . It is the first time that we have gotten to trick or treat with family in 3 years, so that will be fun.

Abbi is 9!!

The week I had Abbi I just felt "off." I don't know another way to describe it. I had funny backaches that would come and go, false labor (typical for me), and just didn't feel like myself. I chalked it up to being 34-35 weeks pregnant and didn't think that much of it.

I went in for a doctor's appointment on that Friday and Jamie had joined me, which was not typical at that time (his work schedule was crazy and I had a toddler). I told the doctor of the things that had been going on and he checked things out. He even said, "don't worry, I'm sure there is nothing going on yet." I can still remember looking up at him and all of a sudden his face fell and he said, "or maybe not...you are 4cm dilated." If I had been a couple of weeks further, this would be good news, but since I was only 35 weeks, then it wasn't such great news and I remember just being afraid. He followed the statement with, "you need to be admitted to the hospital right away."

All I could think of was how it was too soon. I felt very unprepared and didn't know what to expect. I also had a birthday party planned for Micah the next day to celebrate him turning 2 years old that week, which was quickly cancelled.

The doctor had explained that at this stage, they didn't really want women having the baby, but they wouldn't stop it either. They also wouldn't do anything to progress things along unless we were at the point of no return. Ideally, I would be put on strict bed rest for a week to let her lungs develop a bit more.

He came back in that evening, and I was already dilated another centimeter without really having any pain that is was out of the ordinary. Even the nurses the stumped. Nothing was picking up on the monitor to speak of....just those weird back pains that I had been having, which I guess was back labor, but it should have still been coming around the front? My body is nuts (I learned that the first time though).

So, instead of going home, I was stuck in the hospital for the night in hopes to keep her in. In the middle of the night I knew labor had truly kicked in. The contractions were bearable, but regular and picking up on the monitor and we got zero sleep that night. At that point I was being fed antibiotics (3 rounds of it) since things were happening early.

Sure enough, I was about 6.5 cm in the morning and about 9am they broke my water, because I was at the point of no return. I was having a baby whether the we were ready or not.

She was born right after noon and it was an easy delivery. She was 5# 8oz and the nurses lifted her up after her birth for me to kiss her on the head, but she was quickly whisked away. There was no moment of holding her. Jamie followed her out and came back to report that she was OK, but things were a bit bumpy at the moment and that they might like that for a while.

As soon as they'd let me I got up and went down to see my baby. She was beautiful and so tiny! She had tubes and wires hooked up and was under the hood for oxygen. They had a nurse that watched her 24/7. She was not breathing properly, and that was scary. She had a seizure that same night and I remember standing there just crying and feeling so helpless and wondering if she would be OK. My baby girl was born sick. As a mother you get all kinds of "guilt" anyways, but I had the preemie guilt and feeling like I (my body) had failed her in some way.

We waited around all week and she finally turned a corner and around 4 days old we could at least hold her for short periods of time. It was bliss! I had waited 8 months to hold her and while I may not have gotten my "moment" at birth, I was finally getting to hold her. The problem was that she was also very happy to be next to me too, because she would fall asleep when I held her almost instantaneously and her breathing would get "lazy" too. I think we spent the entire day taking turns holding her and then putting her back in for her dose of oxygen. She was finally coming along. She was able to come home at a week old, which I still consider a miracle.

Abbi made me a mommy of 2. She was my first little girl. She made Micah a big brother, and even at 2 years old, he was so fascinated with her. She is a very special young lady with loads of talent. I'm so blessed to have her in my life and I know that God is going to do special things through her.

Today we had a "low-key" homeschool day and we have had a lot of fun! We made these crafts. Aren't they cute?

There isn't a "but" in the Bible

How many times do we read our Bible and try to justify doing the opposite? It seems that we try to fit Christ into our lives rather than having our lives fit into Christ's standards. There is a big difference there. How many times do we tell God, "but...." when we are presented with a Biblical truth? I think we do it more than we realize. Sometimes I know God has to just shake His head in the way that we justify ourselves and wiggle out the parts of the Bible that aren't comfortable. It is to be expected, I suppose, because we are human and was born into a sinful nature and the world is so corrupt that sometimes the definition of right and wrong can be clouded and we are often deceived. Even Adam and Eve tried to justify and point fingers when they were guilty.

We see the world around us and we say, "well we aren't as bad as that guy over there" but in reality, we are all filthy rags and our litmus test is the Bible. If you are not representing the Bible, then we are not representing Christ. Period.

And I thought about all the instances that I have said, "but" over the years. Was I really representing Christ during those times? I can't help but think about the missionaries around the world that risk their lives on a daily basis and here we sit in the Bible belt where it should be "easy" to show people God's love, but we are often presented with fear. Fear of what? Sometimes physical fear and sometimes just social fear.

God has placed Jamie and me in a very unique county. It is a county that is very diverse and eclectic in culture, religion, and income. I go out shopping and I see people that don't look like me, speak my language, or worship my God. It reminds me a lot of when I was a student at MSU and there was many people that weren't like me. I even worked with a young lady from Hungary. I think about her sometimes and where she may have ended up. I remember her saying to me that she was afraid to die. I never told her about Jesus. I didn't know Jesus as my savior at that time, but I still wonder about her and if she is afraid to die. I hope not.

You don't have to go to a foreign land to be a missionary and representative of Christ. I want to represent Christ wherever I am and to whomever I'm around. I don't want to tell God "but," I want to do what the Bible tells me, because it is the truth. No amount of justifying is going to change God and what he expects of us.

Ghandi said it best when he said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians." I love my brothers/sisters in Christ, but I also love my brothers/sisters that are outside of Christ, because he died for them and loves them too.

Micah's birthday, New bathroom, and Last day of Soccer 2010

Micah had a great birthday. In fact, we are still celebrating tonight for Micah and Abbi combined by grilling, going out for dessert, and getting a new Wii game to play as a family. We've had a busy day, but it has been good. This was the girls' last soccer game of the season. Hannah won her first game and scored 2 points, so we were glad her team could go out on a high note. Abbi's team maintained their undefeated status and the weather was perfect soccer weather. She took cupcakes with witch fingers on them for her team in an early celebration of her 9th birthday next week. It was a good season and they had a ball!

We completed our bathroom project finally. It seems like it took forever, because it was not a priority and the girls and I are glad to have back our big bathroom and all its counterspace. It will make getting ready for church so much faster in the morning! As you can see, we went all out "girl" since we had to deal with the pinkish fixtures and it was going to be for us girls anyways. But, it ended up being a fun room and the girls loved it!

Here is the before:


And the after:


I did the paper floors, stripped wallpaper and painted, painted the cabinets, added new knobs, and new curtains.