Infant loss and Awareness day

Please take a moment and say a prayer for all the little ones that were gone too soon. This is always a day that brings up so much in my mind. I miss not being able to see Mackenzie grow up but know that she is tucked in safe with the angels.

Lots going on here......... Over the last weekend we went as a whole Family to Cedar Point. My Mom and Dad, Brother with his wife and their kiddos, and the whole crew from our house. We had a blast, it was much more crowded than the last time we tried a fall trip but fun was had by all. The boys rode their first REAL rollercoasters. The jury is still our for Taylor, his little eyes and face were about to pop during the first ride. That was the last real rollercoaster for him for the day. Loagn did a bit better but we added the intensity with each one and he got through 4 of them. Cedar Point is a great place to go for thrill rides with 17 coasters and tons of speed rides it was voted vbest thrill park on the planet 10 years running. This time of year you also get the spooky stuff...... haunted houses gouls after dark and such. Tiffany about took my arm off dragging me through the haunted woods! Although this stuff scares her to death she can't seem to stay away from it.

Time for change......

It is quickly becoming one of my favorite times of the year. Right before my eyes the cool green canvas outside is becoming brilliant shades of red and gold. Living in Ohio is not one of the most beautiful states for mountains. What IS beautiful is the 4 very distinct seasons that we have. When it is time for a change in season it is really a lift to my spirits. I love the new life and growth outside in the spring, the hot sunny summers, the cool crisp autumn, and even the cold frozen winters...(okay well I like those from inside the house with a roaring fire to keep us warm). But I do love to be able to marvel at the chages that we have.

With those changes also come the fall and Halloween decorating, pumpkins, cider, and changing leaves. Taylor has been asking... no scratch that.... nagging to try on and play in his new costume since we bought it at 90% off last November! Today I relented and let him put on his new Ninja outfit. HE is so excited. Logan is not as over the top but he also is checking out the costume from the back of the closet. I also bought Kendall's outfit last year, well we bought 2. They were really marked down and I got different sizes so she will either be a witch or a snuggly animal.

We just got back from a trip to Georgia for the South East Regional Llama show and boy was it a long way!!! We drove thinking that it would give us more time and flexibility in what we took. It was Kendall's first trip with Daddy, so far my Mom has went along to take care of her on these trips. I think they got along very well and she traveled very well for a 13 month old. It was about 10 hours in the car, we tried to work it around her sleeping schedule. The strange thing was while down there for the southern half of Tennesse and the Nrthern half of Georgia there was NO gas! The news said that 1 out of 10 stations was the average of stations that had any. People were trying to keep their tanks from running empty, it was really eerie and sad. It made us realize how all of this "real" world could crumble in a matter of days without something like that. Thankfully God's grace is much deeper than the surface security that we all seem to cling to.

Back soon...............

Ike in Ohio?!?!

Well, it has been longer than I would have liked in getting back to the blog. This starting back at school month has been a long one. In the middle just when you think you have it all under control God zaps you. Why is it that every once in awhile I seem to be plugging along forgeting to check in with the Big Guy, take my concenrs and problems to him??? Well hurrican Ike gave our area a wake-up call last week. There are still many homes that have no power 9 days later. Thankfully we were only out of power for a short time (30+ hours) and the foods didn't thaw and the water tanks for the stock didn't dry up. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the fmailies that this weather has affected.

Keep praying for little Stellan, his heart issues are not over. He is fighting but he is needing our prayers. Pray for his Mom and Dad too. The pain in knowing that you are caring a child that is life threateningly ill is so hard. Also, keep my dear sweet friend in your prayers that is dealing with "coming to Jesus" again and the hardships her family is going through during the journey. Life is so good and so often we don't take the time we need to to feed "in the word". My walk right now has me "hungry" in a way that I have never been. God is speaking to me and my life is a roller coaster. Please let me dicern this information and put it to God's glory.

Also, please someone give me the answer to this one. I ordered from a website, no paypal available. I ordered a VERY special gift for my Dear friend Nancy. A twin angel suncatcher for her daughter. Nancy's sweet babies went to be with Jesus last month and I wanted to give Isabel this to hang in her bedroom window. Problem is they ordered it, sent me a confirmation, charged my credit card, and then disapeared. Well, the site is still there but no contact from my e-mail or phone inquiries. What do I do????? It just makes me so mad!!!! I would have paid more for the item,........ I just wanted it to help mend a little girls heart.

hugs...............

Kids say the darndest things................

I have always told myself I need a pad and paper to write down all the quips that my kids have come up with through the years. The boys went to Tiffany's boyfriends softball game the other night and the boys were in rare form. They were very well-behaved but the comments that kept innocently coming out of Taylor's little mouth were pretty funny..... like loudly saying "Why can't those guys catch the Ball" or "Wow, I bet THAT guy can't run very fast". I on the other hand wanted to. Then Logan at one point in the game all the sudden yells FIRE!!!!! Loudly and honestly.... "I see smoke". Well, the guy in the second row that had lit a cigarette probably got a real chuckle. But some of the people seemed a bit annoyed. What can you do we live in a smoke free zone.

We are almost ready for picture time again. Kendall needs her 1 year picture and the boys need their yearly shots. Our trouble right now is since we wanted these to be outside pictures we need a dry sunny day. Not so easy with so much hurricane activity. Not that we are anywhere near the REAL hurricane areas but we get the risidual rain. I have been praying for the families that have been in hurricane paths this last few weeks.

off to pay bills.............. what a way to spend a Saturday night!

Just too special for earth.

Today has been an emotionally draining day for me. As you see by my hurried and not so pretty post from yesterday, my dear friend Nancy had been in the hospital with her twin yet-to-be-born daughters in peril. Even through the prayers from every corner of the earth her sweet babies were delivered and went straight on up to heaven at 22 weeks and 1 day.

The sorrow I feel for Nancy her husband and their daughter is engulfing me. Her contractions broke through all meds and the babies were delivered. I am in awe of all that Nancy did to give these little girls the best chance. She had been in bed half upside down for weeks. She would have done it for months if she could have. The love of a Mother to her babies is an incredible thing. God gave us such capacity to love and nurture, and such depth of sorrow when we loose our children. Her babies were born still so they didn't struggle, she has great peace in that. She and her husband got to hold, cuddle the girls, and have them blessed. Those were all important to her and blessings that she will cling to in the days ahead. They are grieving for babies that should be tucked away safe growing and meeting them in November.

I feel angry that these tiny lives loved and wanted so much are taken so soon. I know that they are "better off" in heaven........ but their broken families are in such pain. I know for us when we lost Mackenzie I felt like the world had just fell apart. I couldn't understand how any good could ever come from me loosing my baby. Now, although I still would love to have her here with us I can see that she has made a difference in many lives and without loosing her we would have never had Kendall. So I have to wait awhile to hold her in my arms but she will always be my daughter. Anyway, I guess the long and short of it is those sweet babies were here for only a moment.

I feel so broken for Nancy and her family, but I know that they will all be together again, they were just too special for earth.

Please pray and pass the word

I am trying to get as many people as I can to be praying for my friend Nancy. I belong to a board of infertility women. Nancy has had so many trials on the way to bringing her 2nd baby into the world. She and her husband have a beautiful little 7 year old girl. She has longed to add a sibling for Isabela. Nancy had a miscarraige a little over a year ago and then with much prayer and help she got pregnant with twin girls. Everyone was so excited and thankful for her pregnancy. At 17 weeks she started to have problems. She was initially put on bedrest and then admitted to the hospital. Over the last couple days she has had increased problems and last night at 22 weeks the water of one of the babies has broken. They have named the babies Lucy and Georgia, as you can imagine they are terrified and heartbroken. The doctors are not giving much hope but I know that God can turn this all around if he chooses. We are praying for grace and his will, praying for a bit more time and the ability to accept what God does ultimately choose. They are so close to viability, please give these babies strength.

I feel helpless for them and have been building a prayer life everywhere I can.

thank you so much............................ your sister in Christ

Wow! Wrap your head around this one...

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind". Romans 12:2

Wow! Boy is this one for me. I have been searching for a verse that I can work on and put to use. I kept waiting for prompting in some direction. I thought maybe it would be a verse on judging. I have a real habit of being full of advice for others and not always be able to see the log in my own eye. But this is the one that jumped off the page and called to me.

I have been trying real hard to put my faith where my mouth is lately. With the help of Joyce Meyer ( no not in person, I watch her everyday now) I have learned that being a Christian is a call to action. My Christian life seemed to be great, I had ask God into my life years ago. I went to church almost every Sunday, Listened patiently to my boys as they pray at night, I also prayed every night before bed, didn't drink, smoke, swear. Gosh I thought I must have it all together. WRONG! My walk with Christ was a surface walk, not an intimate relationship with Christ. I am called to continue to read and pray, spread the gospel, and talk to God all day long. I should be a reflection of his behavior, everyday all the time. People should be able to see God in me. I should be able to see the joy in everyday. Well, gosh how can I do that if I live "as the world lives"? Instead of blindly foolowing along with the world I need to use God's rules and life as my meter. I know better and now with this verse I will do better.

Things are starting to pop around here! Next week is a big birthday week at our house. Kendall will be 1 on the 13th, Tim will be (hmmmm older) on the 14th, and Taylor will be 6 on the 16th. We are having a big party to celebrate on Saturday. I was hoping the sunroom would be done and we could have our party there but we are a long way from that so we will be in the house.

Praying and praising God everyday............