Life with a one month old..... life is good (and SO different!!)

 Our sweet Laney is a month old today.  I'm not sure where the time goes.  She is the sweetest little girl.  I could sit and hold her all the time.  She is growing!!  She has gone from 6lbs 10oz to 8lbs 4oz. Lots of her newborn outfits are getting too small!!  She has gone from eating 2 ounces every three hours to 41/2 ounces every three hours.  She kicks and moves her arms constantly.  Laney is also starting to become more alert.  She is starting to focus more.   She is a strong little girl.  She has been trying to hold her head up since we brought her home.  I must say, she is getting better at that~ by no means is she in control of her head but she tries.  She makes lots of crazy noises and makes hilarious faces with her lips. We have changed her formula several times because of crying and stomach cramps.  She seems to be doing better on soy milk. We hope she will continue to improve.  She loves her paci when she is sleepy and hungry.  I am trying to get her to love her lovey.  She likes to lay on her stomach (only napping with us watching) and lying on our chest.  We are trying to start some traditions with Laney.  Every night we give her a bedtime bottle, swaddle her, and read her a bible story and pray with her.  I hope we can continue to do this before she goes to bed every night.  We want her to hear both of us praying for her and telling her the great stories from the bible.  Here is her one month picture.  We are so proud to call her our daughter.  She is perfect in everyway (in our eyes).  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gifts!!!

Surprise..... we are a family of THREE!!!!!

Well it has been a while since I have been on here I know!!!  I can honestly say that the last month has been awesome!!!  Most of you know that we are now parents to sweet Laney Marie!!  I will post that story later.  It is one of the most obvious God stories in my life so far.  Stay tuned for the story.  We certainly have SEEN God at work in our lives.  His timing is perfect.  The last month has been AWESOME, rewarding, hard, busy..... the list could go on and on.  Just wanted to post some pictures of when we first brought Laney home.  Our families are in love with her.  She is going to be so spoiled.  We have had countless visits, calls, texts, emails, cards and prayers.  We have truly felt that our friends and family are genuine in their joy for us.  There have been lots of tears shed over this precious little angel and her story.  We are overjoyed to bring her home and are humbled to be able to raise her. We are also honored to tell her the wonderful story of how God brought her to us!! Emma and Evan didn't know what to do with Laney at first.  I will never forget Evan's face.  He starred at her for the longest time!!  Emma wants to stuff her paci in her mouth.  She is a little mama.  Then the big cousins came to visit.  Gray was out of the car and in the kitchen before the car ever stopped moving.  She is obsessed with babies.  She was ready to take on all the responsibilities of a mother.  Let me just say.... she is pretty good with her to only be in the third grade.  She has been practicing on her baby dolls for a while now.  Both Emma and Gray both changed their baby's name to Laney!  I am so glad that they all have a cousin now.  It won't be too long and we will have another cousin in the family (sweet baby Reid)!!  It was so much fun to send out a massive text to all our friends and family.  My phone has died several times~ it was on overtime with all the texts and phone calls that were going through. 

After lots of waiting...... our families finally get to meet Laney!! It feels good to be a family of three!!

God is good!  His faithfulness endures forever!!!  Until next time!!

It's been a year........

Oh my, I can't believe that I am posting about our one year anniversary of waiting!! I really didn't think we would have to wait this long as we were going through this same process a year ago.  BUT- here we are.   On March 31st we had our home study update.  We have gone through a few workers since we have gotten on board with Bethany.  We started out with Jeanette, who was so sweet and we really liked her.  She completed our initial home study.  We got a notice from her that she was leaving.  Then we received word that Sheri was going to be working with us.  We spoke with Sheri but never got to meet her.  Not too long after that, Sherri was leaving.  So our update home study was completed by Tricia.  We were so blessed by her.  She stayed at our house for about 2 hours.  Our initial home study didn't last that long.  I guess we didn't really know what to expect therefore, we didn't have much to say or ask- just excited.  Tricia made us feel so confident.  We (mainly me) have worried a lot about the choices we have made over the last year.  You may not be aware of how all this works.  We made a profile book that is at the four Bethany offices and the expectant mothers choose us.  Well if there are any red flags that the mother wants the awaiting families to be aware of..... Then she might choose to  send out a recruitment email.  This is where you read a brief summary of the situation and respond if you are okay and willing to adopt that child even with the circumstances.  Most of the time you have 2-3 days to respond.  It is so hard to respond to those emails,  usually we have known right off in our heart if we were or were not ok with the situation but it is still very hard to not respond.  I always question the decisions that we make.  The what ifs set in and I worry... Because I certainly don't want to miss out on what God has planned  for us.  Thank goodness for Matt.  He is the one with the backbone who has to remind me that we made decisions about what we were ok with and what we we're not ok with in the beginning.  With all that said......... My main point is- this is hard and Tricia made me feel so much better.  So at the beginning of this process last year, God really showed me to seek him and let him handle all the details of the adoption.  So I planned to serve him and wait on him to act.  I can say that this last year has been one of the most rewarding as far as my walk with him.  I am at a place I have never been before.  He has spoken to me in so many ways and I have felt him alive through my bible so much that I can't even began to explain how awesome it is.  Last summer I started a bible study at my house.  This has been such a blessing to me.  I have learned so much from the ladies at church.  One of the gifts god has given me is hospitality and opening up my home to study his word has been a fun experience.  We have just recently started a new study and God linked our ladies with some of my good friends at another church.  So they have joined us and it is so much fun to talk, fellowship, and connect with other ladies through bible study.  I am excited to see what God has in store for us.  We have almost outgrown my house but I love it!  I have also experienced God through the woman's ministry at church.  We usually plan a women's entreat every year at the cove. This year, we decided to do a mini retreat at our church.  I was in charge of decorating the tables for the event.  It was a lot of work..... But so much fun and boy did I learn a lot from other women at my church who led the sessions.  I am so fortunate to be a part of  what God is doing at church.  I also am on the pastor search committee.  Talk about a daunting task!!!!!  I have also had the great privilege to serve alongside some of the most knowledgeable and faithful people I have ever met.  We have had the privilege of seeing God at work in so many ways.  We are still early in the process but feel God at work.  Three Sundays ago, we finished up a series on prayer.  Since we had be doing a prayer series, we spent the last portion of our time just praying.  One of the ladies, prayed on our behalf (crying and pleading ) for The Lord to bring us a baby.  I felt that she truly was sharing in our pain.  It was such an awesome experience  to known that we have so many people praying for us.  I get regular texts that remind me that we are being prayed for.  So as you can see, God has given me lots of opportunity to serve him.... And the best way I have served him through all of that is getting in his word and talking with him on a daily basis.  If you don't have a quiet time... I highly encourage it!!!  So as we continue to wait..... My prayer is that my face will shine bright with God's glory!  I pray that I will come into his presence daily and that my face will continue to radiate his light.  I read about Moses and the Ten Commandments and how his face would glow after he had been in the presence of God.  BUT-  he had to veil his face because the glow would start to go away.  Thank goodness for the new covenant that Jesus provided for us and the opportunity I have daily to come into the HIS presence.
 "And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of The Lord .  And as the Spirit of The Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more."  2 Corinthians 3:18  I am ready for a baby but I am so thankful for the waiting.  God has taught me more in this time of waiting than I could have ever imagined.  It is my prayer that even when we do get a precious baby that I will continue to love and serve Him with all my heart, mind, and soul!  Thank you God for all your gifts.  You knew just what I needed.  I pray that I will continue to draw close to you.  I want to leave a legacy behind that leads others to you~ especially my baby.  Please help me to stay focused!

HOLA, Nigaragua

As I am blogging tonight, I am sitting in my den all by my lonesome.  The last couple of days have been crazy.  God has been at work in our lives and so has the devil.  Matt was supposed to leave to go to Nicaragua early Saturday morning (1:00 am) for a mission trip.  Last week, we were so busy preparing for him to leave.   He and two friends from church were going with a group from Georgia.  We went to several prayer times and had lots of people pray over us.  Thank goodness they did.  Well..... Friday morning, Matt woke up with an awful virus.  Matt never gets sick!!! So he pondered all day, Do I go or not???  He was left with the thoughts of flying, being in a foreign country, not having the comforts of our home, not knowing what he would have to eat, the list went on and on.  So as the day went on and he wasn't feeling any better, Matt decided that he wouldn't go.  He was upset and I was sad.  As Matt made the phone calls~ I began to pray that God would tell us HIS will.  I didn't want him to miss out on what God had in store for him, but if it wasn't God's will for him to go, then I certainly didn't want him there.  Anyway, as Matt slept and was in and out.  I opened my bible to the place where we had left off.  I begin to read Romans 10.  This is what I read right after I had just spent time praying for God's will to be revealed.  "But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him?  And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?  And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?  That is what the scriptures mean when they say "How Beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10: 14-15   Coincidence?  I don't think so! 

As I continued to read this passage over and over, I knew what God's will was.  I read it to Matt.  He drifted back to sleep, not really wanting to hear that he was going to Nicaragua.  It was 12:00 now and Matt's friends continued to text him to make sure he wasn't feeling up to going.  Anyway, he continued to say I just don't think I can go.  Finally, I asked him if he heard what I had read, I reread it, and then he decided he probably should go.  So he started to get the remainder of his things packed.  He looked awful!  I packed him some chicken noodle soup, some Sprite, and he was ready.  We said a prayer and I cried the entire time.  Then he left.

Then fear struck..... he can't go.... he is sick.... what if this happens.... what if that happens.  I cried and cried.  I just didn't want him to be miserable.  I wanted to go get him and bring him back home.  So I told you that God was at work, but I also believe the devil was working overtime to get Matt to stay behind.  I am so glad he went.  I have gotten to talk to him each night.  He is feeling better and is glad that he went.  This experience just reminded me that even though trusting God is sometimes hard (especially when you think of the what ifs) he has our best interest in mind.  I am glad we let go our plans and embraced God's plan.  I am thankful again, that God spoke to us clearly.  It is good to know that God hears our prayers and works on our behalf.  I can't wait to hear the stories that Matt will have. Please pray for the remainder of Matt's trip and that he will have safe travels coming him.   Stay tuned...for the rest of the story!

Happy Valentine's Day

I saw this in my drafts.... I had never posted!  Oh well, I am still thankful for all the love!!
 Just couldn't delete.

I guess Love is in the air:)  This morning, I was on facebook and everyone was dedicating their posts to their wonderful husbands and sweet kids and talking about how much they love and how blessed they are.  Yes husbands and children are such a wonderful blessing.  Yes I love my husband, but all I have been able to think about is the love that Jesus has for us!  I guess since I have been in Romans and reading about the wonderful gift  we can receive by believing in Jesus Christ (even though we are so undeserving) this concept is more on my mind than ever!  As I went for my walk  today, I had my ipod playing and the song "Forever Reign" came on.  The words struck me like they never had before.  "Oh I'm running to your arms, I'm running to your arms.  The riches of our love will always be enough... then it goes onto to say.....My heart will sing, no other name, Jesus!!  I almost got teary eyed.  It just reminded me, that no matter what~ I will have Jesus (his love IS enough)!!  I have so much to be thankful for.  I have the love of Christ!! I am forgiven!!  I have eternal life!!!!  I have a wonderful husband!!!  I have an awesome family!!!!  I have great friends!!!  So on this Valentine's, I am celebrating the fact that I have the love of Christ that will last for all eternity!!
I hope you will find this verse as encouraging as I do.  It is my all time favorite and so appropriate for Valentines!! This is Paul's prayer for other believers and it is my prayer for myself and others

"And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God." 

Ephesians 3:17-19

 

Let it SNOW, let it Snow, let it SNOW.....

Wow is just about all I can say for the last 3 days.  It has been a long time since we have had a snow like the one we witnessed this week.  It was wonderful.  I found myself waking up early even though there was no reason for me to get up.  I got up just to look outside!! Matt and I had such a fun time together.  We went on numerous four wheeler rides, ate a lot, and watched lots of TV.  Then on Thursday we went to Marcie and Justin's to play with Emma and Evan.  Emma was not a fan of being pulled behind the four wheeler.  She did help to pack snow on our snowman.  We had a great time with them.  I was reading in the book of Psalm on Tuesday morning (I wish I could enjoy my coffee and have my quiet time every morning at such a slow pace).  This is the verse that I read...... I can't think of a more appropriate verse as I watched the huge snowflakes falling!!!!

  "The heavens tell of the glory of God.  The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship" 

Psalm 19:1 

 Enjoy the snow pictures!!

Amos had to get his paws wiped before he was able to come in.  He has gotten into the routine since we have had so many cold nights lately.

Ready to face the wind on the four wheeler

Scary possessed giant snowman. 

Deck PaRtY coming soon!!

Well..... As I sit here waiting for the snow.... I figured this would be a perfect time to update you on our projects around the house.  At our old house, our yard looked so pretty.  It was just like I wanted it.  I love spending time outside and our yard is hardly what I would like for it to be at our house now.  We have planted shrubs in the front yard and laid some sod since we moved in and it looks a lot better.  BUT.... our backyard is in dire need of some help.  We started with the half of a barn/lean to that was there.  We knocked down the lean to, painted the barn, and Matt added the other side of the barn to make it look better.  I must say, it looks a lot better than it did.  Just recently we had a friend build us a deck.  Matt usually is the one who does our projects around the house, but it would have taken him a lot longer working on the weekends and after work.  So it is finished now.  I am excited to be able to enjoy it.  We have our furniture on it from our old house, but I can't wait to add some flowers and other seating in place of our chewed up rocking chairs (Thanks Cash).  Now we have a place to sit outside.  I'm looking forward to a few deck parties.  Here are a few pictures. Right now I am going to enjoy the snow.... but I look forward to spring and summer where I can enjoy relaxing outside!

 

We also have been painting our upstairs bedroom.  We have done a lot of work downstairs, but haven't touched the upstairs.  It still looks like 1960's /70's up there.  We want our guest bedroom upstairs and our  nursery downstairs with our room. So Matt has been working hard to repair the walls and get the upstairs bedroom painted.  Now all we have to do is move the furniture and then we will have an empty room downstairs that we can begin to paint to prepare for our little one.  Hopefully it won't be too much longer.  We have been waiting almost a year  (in April)~ we pray nightly that God will answer our prayers in his time, but I want to be ready when we finally get "the call". I think the bedroom looks so much better, you can't really appreciate it as much without seeing the before.

 

Not the best picture- I tried to do a panoramic view of the room.  Sorry- but you get the idea.

 For now,  I plan on getting some fun snow pictures, eating some yummy beef stew, and possibly watching a movie tonight! I love cold snowy days!  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!