mercy is 4 !!!!!

Happy Birthday
to
Mercy!!!!

All of our children are 23 months apart and younger. I always got pregnant when the toddler was around 13-15 months, somewhere in there. When Joel and Josiah were hitting that age and I was not getting pregnant, I was struggling with "maybe its over!" I remember trying to be content yet I longed to be a mommy again! The Lord showed me a verse to pray during that time of requests and waiting, Ps. 33:22, Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. So that was what I set myself to do pray and ask Him for his mercy upon my womb once again. Joel and Josaiah were 21 months old and we found out we would be expecting our 13th blessing in March 2006. What exciting news to my heart. I felt like with this verse I already had her name too if the baby was to be a girl, she would be Mercy! Shared this with Terry and he was very pleased with the idea! Later in the pregnancy we did find out we had a baby girl in the making, what a blessing in so many ways! She is our precious baby, our princess, she has everyones heart and finger and arms and can get us to do about anything......so long as its in ways of the Lord :) She is my little "bed muffin," we talk and she talks soooooo much as she lays in bed with me, she is our funny little girl and she is our strong little girl that needs direction many times but she has tears of an alligator and has a tender heart towards repentance. Our prayer is that soon the Lord will draw her and give her the gift of faith soon in her little life! It is very interesting that as I prayed and longed for her and the Lord fulfilled that desire and now 4 years have quickly gone by and the Lord has not given any more to take care of here. (We have had two miscarriages in those 4 years) I would be thrilled if we had another but I am so grateful for what the Lord has given.....13 children what a privilege!! I think Terry has more hope than me, but I kinda feel like its over, just a "feeling," but I know the Lord does "surprise" sometimes. I am really ready to get some grandchildren going, but I guess a few things have to happen first!!! :) Its a lot of work to rear children for His kingdom and I feel its the greatest honor among women. There is still lots of work even as ours are getting older, but its more "brain work" than physical work, I have lots of helpers to get jobs done, but my brain, coordinating everyone schedules, or trying to is MAJOR! I think its so much fun to have older children and to have several that are still young. May the Lord give you grace to trust Him. If I could give any advice to young couples, I would say "trust Him." I am so thankful the Lord gave Terry and I grace to fling ourselves on the truth that children are a blessing and leave the rest up to Him. After 23 years of marriage and 13 children here with us, its just and indescribable joy!!! May you sow now and in 20-23 years later, may you reap abundantly as well!!!

My little Mercy.......I love you all the way to the moon and back and never, never stop!!!!

Tiny Tea Party pictures tomorrow, you can see how late I am with this post!

Terry and the littles planted tons of potatoes today.

Its been close to 80* all day, the say we could get up to 8 inches of snow tomorrow.......unusual....hope not!!!

Guys are suppose to close on the land on Monday at 1:30 pm........Lord willin'......finally!!!!!!

a tiny peek......

So here is a "tiny" peek of the upcoming "Tiny Teacup Party" for Mercy's 4the BD tomorrow evening! She said she was going to "do good and not cry!" I hope! Sometimes little girls or even BIG girls can in seconds go from happy to sad....LOL!!!! As always for me, its fun planning a party! Yesterday I had a few things to grab for the party, like a sweet dress I found at Kohl's and all the accessories a little girl must have for a tea! I got Siah a spring colored polo shirt and I found me a necklace and a bracelet to wear as well! For today, working on the "tiny treats." The guys split up into two crews today. A blessing to have the two trucks so they can do that. Five littles are here with me, and the "middles" went skeet shootin! Later this afternoon some of Bethany's goat friends are coming for a visit to check out her goaties!

mercy......

sayings of a 3-year old:

"mommy, Miah says I am a goober!"
"I love you, mommy, all the way to moon and never, never stop!"
"I wanna snuggle with you, mommy."
" 'venture is out there!"
"I'm gonna be the same size when I get 4."
"i wanna go to heaven and see Balley!"

On Friday, our little Mercy will begin, Lord willing, her 4 th year! March 19th, 17 hours of labor (my longest,) birthed at home and our 13th blessing! Three sweet years will be behind her. Sometimes its hard to think of how she was here when Joel was here. What a big brother he was even at 2 1/2 at her birth!!!! Looking back at pictures this morning reminded me of how she has "lived" out her name in these last three years. She has been a "mercy" in my sorrow, she has been sunshine in my storm, she has been a candle in my darkness, she has brought laughter in the midst of tears, she has kept me on my toes when all I really wanted to do was "pull the covers over my head." I am so thankful for her life! I am blessed when she snuggles against my back in bed and asks me to tell her stories of Joel, I am blessed when she smothers me with "professional lip kisses, head turned side ways and all," I am blessed as I watch her sleeping and see the frizzy hair, the sprawled out arms, the rise and fall of "life" within her, I am blessed when when she talks "too big for her britches!" What a "Mercy" she has been!!!

Now to capture some of her three years.........

4 pm....thrown out!!!!!!

There was a day........say when Caleb and Daniel were about 14-16, Bethany was 12ish, Elijah was 10ish, Anna 8, Micah 6, Andrew 4, Josh 2 and preg. with Jeremiah when it was like clock work on this little farm. Take for instance on a Saturday, it was a day Terry was off and we were ALL here. We worked around the farm, repaired things if needed, garden stuff and most evenings a game of baseball, soccer, or dodge ball was happening out in this designated place from our house. We had our own team! We would come in a 4 pm, eat, get showers/baths, doing evening routines, prepare for Sunday church and would all be in bed for sure by 10pm. Clockwork, yet sad to say maybe far too rigid......yes it was as I think back. Did I even have time to stop and "smell the roses?" Doubt it!!!! I was too into schedule!!! But thankfully at the time all the children did not know other wise and they flowed with it. But NOW, wow!!!! How things have changed!!! I do like the changes, its exciting, kinda like living on the"edge!" Always going, doing and making plans....the children that is!!! For instance, last evening scenario.......in kitchen preparing our dinner which was only homemade pizza but the guys come through the door and sets himself (Caleb) in a stance and I knew by the look in his eye that something was up!! He announced that he and Daniel were going to a Thunder basketball game and was needing to leave in say 20 minutes!!! Asks if pizza is ready while I am putting all the ingredients on.......I say "not yet, it'll be at least 30 minutes." Caleb replies, "can you get one done quick?" I say, "it can only cook so fast!" Meanwhile they are gettin ready and others are scrambling around too. The guys ask Terry if he wants to go. But all day long he has been doing wiring in the new space area and its a disaster of build block foam all over the place. He decides he will go with them!!!! The reason others are scrambling is because a load of them are going to play volley ball in town. Lets see who is left here......me, Bethany, Jeremiah, Josh, Hosie, Mercy, Siah! Bethany only stays because she has a goat in labor. Pizza is grabbed up, engines started and they are off. Meanwhile its time to monitor mama goat in barn. Bethany stays up there and I check in with her by text and calls, occasionally, its so cold, I can't stand waiting up there. A little before midnight the doe pops out triplets! Terry has made it back by the birth but enroute to come back home he dropped off Caleb and Daniel at the volley ball place! Finally after midnight goats are settled in human house for the night, I head to bed! Sometime after midnight the rest of the groups arrive......never knew it. Ok, now lets move on to Saturday, today. At least I knew of two things happening today, one being Mercy, Hosanna are going to a little girls tea party and Anna is going with them to assist. Other thing is Bethany is expecting some folks from Texas to pick up a baby goat. The other things happening of the day were only rumors and I did not know of definite plans, the plans being Dave and the guys going to an auction and then Elijah and Micah going over to a friends to help work on a dirt bike after taking the girls to the tea party! SOOOOO, I do not know if your following me here in thought but the 4 pm clockwork has been thrown out the door many years ago! I guess I am just giving all you young mommies with small children a "heads up." Things will not always be mundane, routine and boring so to speak!!! I love every phase of children but I definitely like the "older child" phase. So, who knows what will be happening in a few hours, minutes, seconds at our house!!!!! I need to think of a creative motto. "Be ready" or hey help me out, give me some ideas!! Really its fun and would not want it any different!!

Plans are underway for a sweet little girls 4 year BD, Mercy! She is having a "Tiny Teacup Party." We are going to have tiny treats, tiny guests that attend and she is getting some tiny gifts. Curious???? Stay tuned until the 19th!!!! Then I have to get Andrew's 14th BD in on the 21st, his is not major, just a "happy birthday."

Hope you have a great Saturday.......maybe yours will not be so routine!!! :)

random things......

Over here there is alot of "opinion-ators!" For instance Mercy is for "Dodge, Jeremiah is 100% Ford, Josh wouldn't even think of owning a Ford!" I am for " if it has 4 wheels and if it runs, drive it!" So which one are you for?????? Lets get some opinions going in your comments for fun, tells us what you like, Dodge or Ford!!!!! Rememeber back in the fall the Lord allowed Elijah to be able to buy a Kubota tractor and yesterday he was able to buy a truck, he's got a small "fleet" going and in his new truck it has a "middle seat" and we were kinda giving him a hard time and calling it a "wife seat." Now that he's got a tractor and a truck, he needs to work on getting him some land and a _ _ _ _! But I think Elijah is not quite ready to pursue that as of yet, all in God's time!!!! We are sincerely grateful for God's answer to this prayer so specifically, I was needing and asking the Lord to have mercy and grant this, I really needed to "see Him." I know too that if it had not gone as we prayed, it was just not His will and another truck would have been had sooner or later.

Guess what?????? I get to go grocery shopping and do errands today!! Not in Elijah's truck but because of the Gibson family letting us borrow their mini van, I can have an easier time getting around than two weeks ago in the big 350. I'll be hitting the road here shortly, Lord willing! It did work out and all we "need " is for the now and not be concerned about another two weeks.

Last night Caleb was doing some of his bank work on-line and something very unusual was showing up on his account. This "price saver" kept showing up as being used on his debit card. He looked back and he found 8 times $ 19.80 had been charged out of his account over the last 4 months. Bethany looked this "price saver" up on-line and it is an identity theft thing. He is canceling his card and the bank is going to take care of the rest. Just letting you know as a warning to make sure and keep up to date on where your money is going. Kinda shocking!

It does not look like the guys are going to close today on the land. They are disappointed but knowing too, that God is in it and will happen according to His will. It has to do with the folks getting Dave's house, they needed a survey and it might even get surveyed today but the weekend will push it to likey middle of the week. Lord willing....soon!!!!

Ok, who loves craigslist???????? We have major craiglist-orators!!! I should probably have t-shirts printed for our house, "I Love Craigslist!" Just kidding!!!!! it is so funny to watch people in our family snag something up around here and put it on craiglsit. When we took the wall out, there was door and a 4 x4 foot window. Micah listed both for $35, He ended up selling the door for $30 and the window for $20. Its like a scavenger hunt and whoever finds it gets to list it and make some extra cash! Micah is the one that does it the most, he has listed mowers, deer cameras, bows and just recently a 9 foot stainless sink he sold for $300. Andrew is not far from getting "dibs" on stuff too. A few years ago, Elijah sold our old tractor for not alot less that what we paid for it. Bethany has sold some of her commercial goats on it, I have sold some furniture items, but we ahve also used it to buys lots of stuff too. Deer cameras, bows, and much more. Anyway its fun to see them "dash" around for the next item and list it and make some cash! When ever we finish tearing out the kitchen, there will probably have to be a hat and let folks draw for the item to list, we'll have cabinets, some appliances and no telling what else!!!!!

Well, better get going........have a great weekend!!! Looks like we can all go to church together!!!!