Give Thanks!

This verse does not say to give thanks in some things or to give thanks only when something good happens. It says to give thanks in EVERYTHING! Even when something bad happens you can still find something to be thankful for.

My family has had a rough 2-3 weeks. We all passed around the stomach flu and upon getting better from that we all passed around a really nasty head cold. Caleb has been the sickest out of all of us! As hard as it is to watch my child suffer, I found myself thanking God that these sicknesses are only temporary. Caleb will be okay. These sickness are not a permanent disease that could eventually take his life.

And my house... yes, it is a terrible mess. Being sick for 2 weeks kind of lets your house fall apart. But I can and will be thankful for the mess and the heaping piles of dirty laundry. Do you know why? Because the messy house and the huge piles of laundry means that I have a family. I have a husband and three wonderful children and I consider myself EXTREMELY blessed. Without them I could have a clean home and a lot less laundry, but what would be the fun in that? I would much rather have a messy home and share my life with these four wonderful people.

So no matter what is happening right now in your life, look for the silver lining and thank God in EVERYTHING.

"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
I Thessalonians 5:18

Smiling Caleb

Today Caleb smiled a lot for a really long time. He had been smiling a few grins every now and then over the last couple of weeks, but today he was really smiling! I just love that toothless baby grin, don't you?

Caleb is 6.5 weeks old!

Caleb is already 6.5 weeks old! He is a big boy, weighing in at 13 pounds 7 ounces. He is officially wearing 6-9 month clothing too! He is not really chubby, just long like his daddy.

Big Brother Kissing Little Brother

Carole Just Loves Her Baby Brother

The Three Siblings

Handsome Boy

Merry Christmas!!

Baby Boy Has Arrived!!

Caleb Michael made his appearance on Sunday, December 13th, at 4:25pm. He weighed 8lbs 14oz. and was 21 and 1/4 inches long. He had a rough first week of life being under a bili-blanket for jaundice, but now he is on the road to recovery. He has been putting on a lot of weight and is already well over 9lbs!

Proud siblings and Grandma

Proud Mommy


We have so much to be thankful for. Caleb is here, he is healthy, and now we can just settle in for a relaxing Christmas. We are extremely grateful to my parents who have been here helping us out tremendously since Caleb's arrival. They plan on leaving on the 26th and then Phil's parents will be arriving to take over. :) It has been a challenge adjusting to 3 children's needs especially since Andrew is on Christmas break.

Here is our first family photo together. Merry Christmas everyone!

And yes, I am aware that I need to change my blog title. :)
Maybe someday when life settles down. Ha!

October Update

Once again it has been a long time since I've updated this blog. I've probably lost all of my readers! :0)

I am now 32 weeks pregnant and very anxious to meet our little boy. I've had some complications and preterm labor is still a possibility. We are praying that he stays in until I am at least 36 weeks.

Here I am with my 32 week load. :O)

These ultrasound pictures are from when I was 31 weeks.
He looks like he is going to be quite the cute little guy!

About 3 weeks ago our pediatrician's office had a fall costume party. The kids sure had a lot of fun. They even got to have their faces painted. As soon as we got home Carole wanted hers immediately washed off. She didn't like the way it felt.




And now for the latest news. We had Andrew's first Parent/ Teacher Conference last night. We are so pleased at how well he is doing. His teacher said he is a very smart boy and has met the kindergarten expectations above and beyond. She said his greatest downfall is staying on task but he is improving. She also mentioned his favorite class is music. He loves to sing! The music teacher is very impressed with him. We are so proud of our special boy!

About a week and a half ago Carole came to me holding her throat saying her mouth really, really hurt. I also noticed she was struggling breath too. I got the flash light and looked into her mouth and was astonished at what I saw! Her tonsils were so swollen they were touching each other! I ended up taking her to the ER that night because we all know that if our kids are going to get really sick they usually tend to wait until the weekend or a late evening. :o) They put her on an antibiotic and said she had acute tonsillitis. Three days later she was not getting any better. Her breathing was getting worse. So I took her back in and they ended up putting her on a steroid to get the swelling to go down. All I have to say is that a 3 year old and steroids are not a good mix. She turned into a wild and crazy girl but the swelling did go down. Our pediatrician then referred us to an Ear Nose Throat Specialist to determine whether or not a tonsillectomy would be needed. He took one look at her throat and said that she would never get rid of the infection in her tonsils. The infection is so deep that no matter how much antibiotic they give her, it will never really go away. So Carole is scheduled to have a tonsillectomy next Tuesday, November 3. We are praying that she stays healthy until then so we don't have to postpone the surgery. We need to get this done and her healed before baby boy decides to make his arrival!

So now you are all caught up with us for now. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers! Life sure has been interesting this year but God has been with us EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!!! He will never leave us or forsake us. Thank you, God!

IT'S A BOY!

I had my 20 week ultrasound this past Thursday and we found out that we will be having a boy! Here is the proof. This is an ultrasound shot of his legs spread. :)
Note: These are scanned copies of the ultrasound pictures, so I realize the quality is poor.

These are his little feet.

And this is a shot of his head and spine.

These last two are 3-D ultrasound pictures of his face.

We can't wait to meet our newest addition! :)

Fun at the local County Fair

Yesterday we took the kids to the local county fair. This was their first time to ever go to a county fair. Of course the highlight was the farm animals! :) There were cows, chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, pigs, and sheep. They were surprisingly very understanding when we told them that we didn't have any money to ride on any rides. My outrageous medical bills are starting to trickle in, so we are having to be very careful with our money.

Here are some pictures of the kids enjoying some of the animals.

That little lamb loved Carole. He even gave her a kiss a few times. :)

I think they were most impressed by the very big mama pig. She had her piglets with her too.

A fun time was had by all! Now Carole wants a bunny and Andrew wants a pig.
Sorry kids, I think we will remain pet free. :)

Still Alive

Wow! A lot has happened since I last posted. I had to go in a few times for IV hydration and the third time I went in I was admitted to the hospital. There I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. After trying many different medications I am now able to actually eat and drink and keep it down. I think I am finally past going in for IV's. I still vomit once a day and feel nauseated 24 hours a day, but at least I don't have to be in the hospital. I am now entering my 15th week of pregnancy and I am officially out of the first trimester.

Thank you all so much for your prayers. Keep them coming. This has been hard on all of us but we know it will be worth it all in the end. Phil has been awesome through all of this. I love him so much! I know this has been taking a toll on him.

While I was very sick, my wonderful mother-in-law drove out here to help us out. When she arrived she entered a VERY messy house. The floors had not be swept or vacuumed for weeks. The kitchen looked like a tornado went through it and there were toys EVERYWHERE! She just rolled up her sleeves and got right to work cooking and cleaning. She was such a lifesaver!!!! Thank you so much, Mama, for everything you did! We love you and really appreciate what you did.

After staying a week and helping out it was apparent that I was not getting any better. She had to get home to her family. She very bravely loaded up both of the kids and took them home with her. My parents live only two hours from my in-laws so they came and got Andrew. It was decided that each child would spend 1.5 weeks with each set of grandparents. It was really good for the kids to have that special one on one time with their grandparents. And it was really good for me to have three weeks of rest. It was during that time I was experimenting with different meds trying to find what would work best. One of the meds I tried made me so tired and I ended up sleeping the days away. So it was good that the kids were getting taken care of elsewhere.

A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO MY PARENTS AND PHIL'S PARENTS!! We appreciate everything you all have done for us during this time. We are so blessed to have such wonderful parents who dropped a lot to help us. We love you!

Well, now the kids are home and getting back into the swing of things. It has been a huge adjustment for all of us, but with God's help we will make it. We are hopeful that the further along I get the better I will feel. We are certainly praying that way. Only 25 weeks to go. :)

Here are a few fun pictures of the kids. Andrew bought a slip and slide with his money that he earned working at Papa and Nana's house. They got to enjoy it yesterday for the first time.

And here is proof that I am still alive. My little girl still is able to make me smile. She likes taking care of mommy and the baby. :)

The Secret Is Out

I know some of you are thinking, "Secret? What secret?"
Some of you know this and some of you don't.

*deep breath*

I am 6.5 weeks pregnant. Surprise!!! Back in March God laid it on our hearts to have another child. It was neat to see how God brought both me and Phil to the same page on this issue. We were ready to let go and let God. Since it took us nearly 5 years to conceive Carole, we didn't figure it would be in the too near future. We decided that if God really wanted us to have another He would open up my womb and make it so. Well... He must have really wanted us to have another because it sure didn't take long. :o) Phil and I are shocked and amazed at God's goodness. What a precious gift He has given us again! My due date is Decemeber 24th, so Christmas is going to be extra special and busy this year!

Please be in prayer for me. As with my last pregnancy I am VERY sick. Yesterday I could not keep anything down and was about to go into the hospital for an IV. My new OB, whom I have not even met yet, called in a prescription for me that stopped the continuous vomiting. Therefore I was saved from the hospital trip. I am still very sick. I have already lost 8lbs. So please pray that I will feel better soon. I need to start gaining weight, not losing it.

I do need to say this. I have a WONDERFUL husband. I love you, Phil!! He has been taking such good care of me and the kids. Not only has he had to be Mr. Mom but he has also had to prepare meals. Food and me just don't get along. So please keep him in your prayers as he balances his responsibilities here at home as well as at the church.

Thank you in advance for your prayers!

A New/Old Swingset, Two Injuries, Easter, and More

Wow! Once again, it has been a long time since I have posted. A lot has happened.

A New/Old Swing Set
One day I noticed the field across the street from our house had an old swing set in it. We inquired of the owners and they let us have it. Now the kids can enjoy playing in their own yard! I guess I don't really have a good picture of the swing set because this is the kid's favorite ride on it. They tend to fight over it even though two can ride it. :)


Two Injuries
Since my last post each child has had an injury. First of all, Carole decided to test to see if the burners on the stove were really hot. Her daddy told her not to touch, but when he turned his back she tested them out. The result... a very burned palm on her hand. I don't think she will ever EVER touch the stove top again. It is interesting how kids always have to learn the hard way.

The second injury was Andrew. It happened last Saturday the day before Easter. We were at the park (which is about a block from our house) and he was climbing and fell off backwards about 5 feet. The result... his teeth went completely through his lower lip. I have never seen so much blood in my life!!! Here he is on Easter Sunday unable to smile at all. You can see the holes in his lower lip. The poor boy was miserable that day, but by Monday he was pretty much back to normal. I am amazed at how quickly kids can bounce back from something like that.

Easter
On Saturday, before Andrew's injury, we dyed eggs. Andrew did the dying and Carole decorated with stickers.

Here are the kids on Easter morning.

Poor Andrew. :(

An Important Decision
It was after supper this past Tuesday night when we were having family devotions, and Andrew asked why we don't let him have communion. Phil had his illustrated Bible out and he was going through it explaining the pictures of Adam and Eve and them sinning and being sent away from the garden. So he explained how sin is in our hearts and because of that God has to send us away. Phil then explained heaven and hell. He told Andrew that because of the bad things we do, God sent His one and only Son to earth to die on the cross for our sins but then was raised from the dead. All he had to do was believe that. This time we could really sense God helping Andrew focus and stay concentrated on what was being said.

Our boy then made up a prayer in his own words: "Jesus I need you to wash all my sins away", and since then he has been telling everyone, "This is my born-again birthday and Jesus washed all my sins away!" And now he is praying for his 3-year old sister to become a Christian too. He has been so different since then too. Very respectful and obedient which was NEVER an easy task for him. Last night he told me that he is being good now because Jesus changed his heart. :)

Baby Bunnies and An Awesome Phone Call
Yesterday it was SO beautiful out. Sunny and about 68 degrees. Perfect weather to be cleaning out the dead growth in the numerous flower beds around the parsonage. While I was raking out one of the several beds, little gray things shot out from underneath my rake. I screamed! At first glance I thought they were mice but after surviving my shock I noticed that I had upset a nest of baby bunnies. The poor things were running around the whole yard. Carole noticed and began to chase them while joyfully squealing "baby bunnies!"

While all this was happening my cell phone rang in my pocket. It was Carole's allergist informing me that her blood tests were back from Mayo Clinic and that they found 0% peanut allergy in her blood. Praise the Lord! He was stumped as well and said he wanted to consult with a few of his colleagues to see what the next plan of action should be. He thought that we should probably have a skin test done next. Then if that comes back negative she will have completely outgrown the peanut allergy!!

When I got off of the phone I quickly told Carole we were going to the park. I wanted to distract her from the poor bunnies. When we arrived home about 45 minutes later, the poor bunnies were still scattered throughout the yard shivering. I had Phil take the kids in the house while I tried to reconstruct their nest. Then I went on a bunny hunt and found 5 little bunnies and placed them back into their nest. I don't know if they will live or not, but at least I tried. I told Phil that I probably should have killed them since they will probably be responsible for eating my garden this summer. But what can I say, I have a soft heart, and they were SO cute!!!!