To go or not to go....

This week has been a whirlwind. Sunday night, we got a phone call that a good friend (who we were meeting for the first part of our vacation) is really sick and unable to go so we were going to need to change our plans. Although we were really sad about noit seeing their family, we knew that our plans were fairly flexible and we could rearrange our visit.

However Monday morning, we took our van in to have what we thought would be 1 part replaced and it ended up costing a LOT more than we had planned....because of more problems. I guess that is life with an old vehicle. Sigh.

Then...we get the dreaded phone call that the house we are in the process of buying did not assess for enough to get the mortgage we needed. We wouldn't know for a week or so what would be happening with that and we were originally scheduled to close before July 15th.

Ok Lord...what are you trying to do to us?!?!? haha

I just kept on praying and asking the Lord to make it clear whether He was trying to stop us from leaving or if these were just stumbing blocks that were being placed in our way to keep us from a MUCH needed time away as a family.

The devotional that I read that morning from Proverbs 31 ministries was literally titled "What to do When Life becomes turbulent?"

These are the reflect and respond questions from that devotional:

1. Am I shrinking back in fear and discouragement or am I drawing closer to God’s presence? 
2. Do I really believe God is in control of this situation? 
3. Am I going to worry or trust God — believing He will get me through this? 
4. How can I look for God’s goodness and glory in the midst of my challenge? 

I guess it could not have been better timed because my normally anxious self was very calm throughout the day and I just kept on feeling like we were supposed to go on this vacation.
We hadn't been away from home as a family for over 2 years and just really felt like our kids needed that time away from the chaos with us.

Well....it worked out. We realize whether we are home or not, we cannot control the situation with the house. We need to let God be in control of whether we should be in that home or not.  Our vacation was not going to be expensive in the first place because we are staying with different poeple at their houses for all but 2 nights and I had already gotten great deals on hotel rooms that had been paid for months ago.

So...tomorrow mid morning, we shall head out, Lord willing!

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Life Changers

I have been terrible about writing lately...I can't seem to find time to do it even though I blog in my head all of the time.

Oh Well.

Lately, we have had a lot of life changers going on so I will give you the quick run down.

First off, we are expecting our FIFTH child this November! That's right...we are going from a large, yet fairly normal, family to a "who on earth would have that many kids?" family. We love it and couldn't be happier. We are just praying that our baby to be is healthy and strong.

Because I am 35 (and unashamed of my age) I qualified for some free testing early on to find out the gender....the first test said boy...the second said girl....so I guess we will still have to wait and see with the ultrasound, though, my inkling is that it will be our 4th daughter. Poor Levi. haha.

Here IT is....

NEXT...

We are in the process of buying a house that we should close on in about a month. This is extrememely exciting to me because it has the space that I feel we really need and can live with for a long time to come....it will also put an end (hopefully) to our moving...at least for a while. This will be our 8th move in  8 years...but it will finally be ours!

But it's scary.

We thought we would wait another year before buying but it all seems to be working out now....so we are scraping our pennies and retuing cans and bottles to make it happen. haha.....ok...it's not quite that bad.

We are, however, praying that our van can make it though a few more months. It has a LOT of issues but we really cannot get a newer one until AFTER we settle into the house.

So, we will have faith that if this is truly what the Lord wants for us, it will happen without too many glitches!

So there it is!

We are going on a 10 day vacation next week and it is my goal to write almost every day about the memories we are making so .....here's hoping that happens :)

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My Allergy Miracle

I have so many things jumbled up in my head to write about but I only have a minute right now and just have to share something that has compltely changed my future with horrible allergies.

As most of you have read and seen, I started using doTERRA essential oils back in July and have found that they have really helped our family. They are awesome. It sounds fake. It's not. I can certainly tell you more specifics about them if you want but that is not the point of my post.

In January, I started using the Lifelong Vitality Supplements. People raved aboutt them and because I sell the products now, I felt that I should at least try them (there is a 30 day money back guarantee on this product so I didn't feel there was much risk involved). Within about 3 weeks of starting them, I felt completely different. More energy, more stable emotionally and it seemed that my allergies were better....but it was winter which is not the worst time for allergies, so I really wasn't sure if that was just a fluke.

Well....Easter Sunday was my test. Every Easter, I joke that our church tries to kill me. I am horribly allergic to all of the Easter Flowers, as beautiul as they are, and usually end up with a migraine by the time we leave church...in addition to not being able to breathe!

This year, I didn't take anything. Nothing. I didn't drug myself up with all kinds of allergy medicine. I didn't even bring it with me.

I was fine. No symptoms. I sang in the choir and was even able to sit in the front row (closest to the flowers) without being bothered even a little bit.

Now....I cannot say that the supplements have healed me. (The FDA would remove this post). But I will say, that is the only thing that has changed.

I feel like shouting this from the mountaintops because I am FREEEEEEEEE!!!! I feel like for the first time in many many years, I will be able to enjoy playing outside with my kids this spring/summer and not just be tormented with terrible sinus infections from my allergies.

I have to be careful of how I word things and what exactly I say on here but I would LOVE to share more info with anyone interested.

I mean...who doesn't want more energy, less pain and to feel just healthier overall?!?!

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She's three!!!

Happy Birthday to our 3 year old....Janessa Faith.

 Her life started with my most horrendous pregnancy yet, followed by a pretty terrible delivery. (labor was fine...delivery....not so much). 

She was born on my cousin David's 14th Birthday and he was so happy about that, he even came to see her in the hospital! We still do big family parties for the kids so here the "then and now" picture.

Shortly after she was born it was discovered that she had a cleft palate which was repaired right before she turned one...at which point she also had ear tubes put in because until that point, she could barely hear due to fluid.

He life started in kind of a whirlwind and although she was our easiest baby for the first year...she has since become a very....um....energetic?  young lady! We should have known by her hair as a baby!!

She only naps a couple of times a week for me now (despite my NEED for her to nap every day!!) Recently...I put her down for a nap in Keira's bed (because she shares a room with Levi, I separate them at nap time)...I went to check on her a while later and she wasn't there. I searched the house top to bottom and couldn't find her anywhere. I finally found her on my bed behind a huge pillow and pile of laundry I inteded to fold later. Keep in mind we took the pacifier away months ago so I am now sure where she found one! 

When she woke up, she said "ha ha ha ha ha...I twicked you and moved to mommy's bed!" She keeps me on my toes even when she's sleeping.The thought did cross my mind that if I let her have the binky back, she might take more naps!!

For anyone out there that has seen the Despicable Me movies, we liken Janessa to being our little minion....and oh how she loves the minions!

Janessa is the first one to get up every morning...she seems to sense when I am about to get up "early" to have some alone mommy quiet time and manages to wake up 5 minutes prior to that every. single.day. haha. We have already had two family parties for her and so this morning when I said. "Happy Bithday sweetie!" she replied, "My Birfday Again?" haha. I love her.

Here is the cake from one of her family parties this weekend (a friend made it...she makes awesome cakes!! check out her facebook page here!)

It really depicts who Janessa is right now....her "minion" personality...always busy...always looking for something to do or get into...not always choosing the best way to do it....mixed with her girly princess side. She loves to act out the movie Frozen and does so on a daily basis. 

She so wants to be like her sisters but doesn't always know the right way to get their attention if you know what I mean! Same goes for her little brother. 

She is smart and funny and mischeivous and sweet. She is my most exhausting child but brings me so much laughter and joy at the same time. She wants to "help" me with EVERYTHING which in the future I think will be awesome....right now...well...I'm learning patience.

Her laugh is contagious.

Her immediate future could include more surgeries...more ear tubes, possilbe removal of adenoids....possible other cleft palate anomalies stuff....we shall see! 

I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for this little girl.

Have a happy year being 3 my baby girl!

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