pink//

Now it's pink!!!! Bet you thought the gender of the baby changed!!! Hahaha!!! Nope, he is still a he!!! But we do have some pink over here!!!! It's the "pink" eye!!! Several have had it, now Mercy has it and a bad case!!! She doesn't do well with sickness! Some are still sick and have lingering coughs! It's gone through all 11 of us so I think it has done its job and can move on now! I haven't been to church in 3 Sunday's.... we have been sick for a month! I guess I can say I'm grateful because last year we were not sick and I can't even remember when we had sickness. Andrew is doing much better. He still is taking it easy. *Hopefully* Monday we can carry on with normally stuff around here!!


Have a blessed Sunday!!

blue//

I had a hunch!! It's a BOY!!! We are sooo excited for Caleb and Kristen!!! Of course with 9 boys, I couldn't be happier!! Boys just make a momma's heart throb!! Having 9 boys has been an experience of a lifetime!! I have loved their adventures, their very lovable hearts, their raspy little voices, their little minds that want to explore! Lots of aunts and uncles to show him about farm life, dirt, dump trucks, tree swings, forts and fishing and all the animals!!

We can't wait for you to get here!!!!

time for tea.....

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.


a few weeks ago, this scripture came to
mind as I was thinking about Hosannas birthday! "Time" there is a time for everything. A time to die, a time to
mourn, a time to dance and celebrate. So with that in mind, it's time to celebrate with a tea party!!

I have always had a table for all the desserts but wanted to do something different and vintage looking! I found a photo of a similar shelf on pinterest and ask terry of he could build it and he and josh came through for me!!! I love it!! Course it doesn't go with anything in our house so I will use it for parties and such and I guess Hosanna will have a new piece of furniture for her playhouse!!!

Course cupcakes, sugar cookies are a must! They are just so "happy!!" cake pops and a BIG cake had to be squeezed in as well!!! I love the light, soft pinks for the tea party!! So sweet!!!

All of the white curtain things are the Dollar Tree plastic table cloths!!!! Yay for cheap!! The bunny and stuffed bears were Joel's!

It was a special day for Hosanna!!! She is so sweet to tell me thank you many times for all the work!! I love making it special for her and remembering Joel!!

Thank you for praying for us today!!

Lots of photos!!!!!

heaven, hospitals and birthdays

Six years ago today Joel got to see Jesus!! The older I get, I look forward to it more and more!! Missing him, remembering, him, still loving him!!

Also today Hosanna is 11 years old!! She is having a very happy day! Starting off with doughnuts!!!

ALSO.....Andrew was admitted into the hospital yesterday afternoon because of 106 temp after a doctors appointment! He has peneuomia We have all been soooo sick! Micah somehow has escaped it all! I hope his dooms day doesn't hit!! Anyway, Andrew is much better today! We are hoping after the Dr looks at another X-ray he will come home today and be on antibiotics and breathing treatments!

It's been a draining day BUT Lord willing we are going to celebrate with parties and sweet things today for hosie and remembering Joel!!!

Pray for us....


Andrew got home this evening!!! Lotsa rest for him!!!!!

garden 2013

Ground breaking for the 2013 garden year!!!! Three little entrepreneurs have joined the gardening ranks and have plots they will manage and work themselves and then take their produce to Farmers Market this Spring! Hosanna, Josiah and Mercy!! The first of Feb. will be the beginning of seeds to go in the ground! As always, we look forward to the Lord growing our garden and bringing rain!! Josh and Jeremiah are looking into more of wood working things to take!! We'll let ya know what their product will be!! Hahaha!!!!

Monday will hold a new chapter for Elijah! He will begin his new job working for the railroad out of Enid Oklahoma as a conductor! He does have training for several months but then it's on the train he'll go!! Terry will greatly miss his skills and abilities with the construction business. It really has been amazing how the Lord provided and how out of 60 applicants that Elijah and 14 others were chosen.

Have a great weekend!!

little project

Well, we have had the sickness strike! Coughs, colds, and colds a d coughs! BUT we are kicking its tail!! Hahah!!! I hate winter! Today I told the kids to #1 go jump on the trampoline and #2 get some vit.D!!!! At least we have nice weather and blue skies!

Working on a little project this week/today! When I have to be crafty, I can be crafty!! personally I don't like being crafty! I will show it off next week!!!

Happy Thursday!!!

happy monday

"A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted." glad we could my friend, Natalee!!!!

Deliverence.

“If I could tell the world just one thing it would be we're all okay, and not to worry cause worry is wasteful and useless in times like these. I won't be made useless, wont be idle with despair, I will gather myself around my faith, lights the darkness most fear.”

On January 10, 2007 we had to go to battle for our sons physical life. That day a Doctor took us to court to try to make us unplug Joel from life support, meaning he would just lay there and starve to death. The devils agenda is to steal, kill and destroy. I became very aware of it that day. As a parent, something rises within that will take you to the uttermost to "save" your child, whether its a battle with a Doctor, the enemy himself, or with whomever stands in the way. Joel did stay hooked up, he finally did recieve nourishment, he did get care......but it was not from doctors, his dad and I took care of him and one very kind nurse. I never ever wanted to have to "battle" for a child's life again.......

In August 2012, about 4 months ago, we were gonna have to do it again. It too was a physical battle but also a spiritual battle. The devil was seeking to "try" to steal, kill and destroy again. It was with our second born.Without going into all the details, several things began to expand to bigger things in his life and it just kept spinning downward. He was in Maryland, I was here. Phone calls after phone calls. Trying to encourage, trying to make connections for meetings. Me not sleeping, him not sleeping. Talking to people that were around him, trying to evaluate everything from 1000's of miles away. More and more phone calls turned into "please come home, we can figure it out!" him trying to overcome, trying to fight, yet the enemy was just weakening him more and more. I could hardly take the hopless statements in our conversations. I tried to be brave for him on the phone, yet when I hung up, I almost felt as hopeless as he. Its one of the times in my life that i wanted to fast forward, get to the end and we were just at the beginning. By the 3rd week of SEPTEMBER he was home. I was so scared, afraid for him. I didnt want him to be alone. Terry and I had no idea what to do, where to start for help. But I knew he was home and I had that mothers instinct that "home" was the place to be and start. I tried to just start with getting a routine going. Work, come home from work, fellowship with family or friends. From the outside, little would have been known, but on the inside, it was turmoil, hopelessness, no motivation, his will to live was gone. I was devastated to see him like this. Many many conversations, many many tears, many encouraging words, many words of trying to share truth but it was all falling into the dark pit that he was in. Depression is violent. Somehow I could "feel" with him from what I felt after Joel died. It was like I was here but not here. It was like I couldn't feel anymore. Though I lived in the daylight, I felt like I was being consumed by darkness. It was the enemy. Telling me lies, filling my mind with hopelessness. My very own second born son was feeling the very same things. Terry's source of prayer was definetly one of the mightiest weapons to slay the darkness that was pulling our son into its lasting pit but sometimes I felt like we had to do more to help. What????? The talks, conversations ended with blank stares. Somewhere way down in there was my son, but right now the devil had him in chains. Chains of doubt, of no confidence, he was paralyzed in his abilities, he saw nothing about his life that was worth going on for. After some time and things were not changing, and talking with a couple different people who had been in depression before, some suggestions were made and we thought we might better seek a doctors help. Calls and appointments were made. Calls and appointments were cancelled! I just hated the thought. I just kept thinking, time, time will surely begin its work soon. I know for me, the "time" and chains of the darkness after Joel died was a few weeks short of a year. For me, it was like a new day when I woke up one day. I wanted to live now. I didn't know if it would happen like that for him or not. I just kept praying that for him,. I kept praying that God would lift him out of the mirey clay. His siblings rallied around with encouragement, with hopefulness, with fellowship. The little ones loved on him, asked him to do things with him. Many dear friends were behind the scenes praying. Time was possibly beginning to be on our side. The blank stares and hollowness in the eyes were beginning to show something. Time was proving it self. But really it was God, it was prayer, it was Jesus delivering, helping, restoring.

We praise God for what He has done. As I look back, I had no idea how all this was gonna get better, get fixed, or how deliverance and help would come. God at times uses many "means" to accomplish His will and purposes. I do know that throughout the conversations that he and I had, one in-particular, as we stood on the front porch, and when he said, "mom, I don't know how to get outta this. As I stood beside a six foot man, with hopelessness to live and tears on his cheeks, I could no longer take him in my lap, pat his back, tell him it was all gonna be ok, because I didn't even know it myself. We desperately needed Gods arm of deliverance. God did use "time" to bring help and healing. He did use "home." He did use prayers. The Lord has delivered. Daniel is refueled, rejuvenated, ready for ALL of life that God has for him! We praise the Lord for all he has done.

These verses are becoming very meaningful to me. "time!" there are times and seasons. A time to die. Time to heal. Time is what was key for Daniel.

Only a few weeks until Hosanna's birthday which is also Joel's heaven day. I always try to figure out a way to remember and celebrate both events. .....and as in the past 5 years, God ALWAYS comes through with a creative idea. Theses verses are the inspiration of the theme I hope to do that with. A time to dance and laugh as we celebrate the 23rd. A Time For _____! (I'll leave a little mystery to it)

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

I had no idea if I would ever share this situation. I didn't know what the outcome would be. I asked Daniel if I could and I praise God that I can. Thank you to our pastor and his lovely wife who "felt" with us/with Daniel, thank you to a special friend in MD, who talked me through some of the things I didn't understand about depression.....because she knew. Thank you....Jesus most of all.

never doubt, never fear that He will NOT help.....

a new name....

There's a new name written down in glory and it's Mercy's......

A few weeks ago Mercy invited Jesus into heart. She has been inquiring a long time but you know sometimes it's hard to tell. But like the scripture says the Spirit moves and works in ways we can not see. Jesus says to let the little children come. She followed the Lord in baptism today at our church. She was very very excited and as the Pastor asked her a few questions prior to the service, she answered like it was just "old hat." ......like please, I know that I know!!!!! Hahaha!!!! Childlike faith is so simple. May we all return to just that. I think we adults make life to complicated. So, rejoice with us!!! We are so thankful that God has granted grace and mercy to each of our children. A parents greatest and most desiring prayer.....not for wealth, beauty, success, or fame but just knowing Jesus and living for him all their days! Imy prayer extends beyond MY birth children but that God would grant faith to all those that are yet to come through our children. And like the missionary to China prayed, that faith would be given to them until the appearing of Jesus Christ. (that would cover every grandchild terry and I have even after we are gone) :))))))))))

Praise God for his mercies upon us.....

happy saturday!

Saturday's are good, but definetly not a "break" for me! Hmmmm...... I don't seem to get a break!!! {except when I'm asleep} like the scripture says, "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few!" there seems to be no way to fix the situation! BUT I do feel like I have a routine of how it can all get done. Oh well,it only has to do with cleaning and cooking! AND it must be accomplished!

Have a great Saturday!!!!

TGIF

Happy Friday!!! Glad its here!!!!! I'm ready!!!

the 3rd

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

I wasnt going to write anything of the "day 6 years ago today!!" BUT when I snapped this photo this morning, it told my story!! And like always God ALWAYS meets me where my emotions are and shows me Himself in ways that I would never dream. After 6 years, sometimes I fear that God will forget the pain that I still feel. BUT through a simple photo God reminded me that HE has not forgotten and that His Presence is still very real to something that happened 6 years ago tonight at midnight!! After 6 years, it's still unclear, puzzling!!! BUT one day I will know with perfect clarity!!! I'm so thankful for that hope and anticipation!!! I can't wait to know!! Soooooo I was so blessed and comforted that on a day of hard remembrances, God remembered!!

Thank you Jesus that you never tire of hurting hearts, questioning minds, souls that wish it was different!!!

the new year!

I would say, we brought it in right!!!!!! #ontopoftableconcert

2013

It's here!!!