Christmas Letter 2011

It has been one eventful year. We have experienced some life changing events like welcoming our fourth son into our family in September. He was born at a birthing center. I had my heart set on a water birth, so that’s what we did. Click here to read his birth story. Simon has been such a blessing, and a wonderful addition to our family. Having four boys is not easy, but it sure is fun. I have a blast staying home and teaching my boys. Because we are home schooling, I am able to spend a lot of time with them. They are all wild and energetic, but what else can you expect from little boys.

Jameson is 6 and is learning things so fast. He doesn’t stop talking and asking questions. He wants to know everything. He loves to draw pictures, and make up stories.

Teagen is 3 ½ and is our resident klutz. He is always tripping or hurting himself somehow. He has a great sense of humor, and loves to build things.

Gavin is 20 months and is growing up too fast. He is talking so much and in full sentences. He is huge, tall and stocky, bigger than some 3yr olds I’ve seen. He is a great big brother. He loves the baby and even has his own baby doll he has to sleep with. (Yes, we let our boy have a doll. It’s a great way to practice being a daddy.)

Simon is 3 months and was born with red hair. None of the others had any hair for the first year and Simon has lots and it’s red. It sticks up and is so cute. He loves his brothers. They poke and pull on him and he doesn’t care. He was sick recently, and wouldn’t sleep. We had a couple weeks of no sleep, but he seems to be better now.

Another major event this year would be Scott making two trips to Haiti. He came back in February a changed man. He was baptized shortly after his return. He returned to Haiti in November, and encountered one of the poorest cities, possibly in the world. Scott has a heart for the Haitian people, and feels led to continue to serve God in Haiti.

We moved in April to an apartment closer to church. We have been really involved with Bible studies and other events. We attended a “Fundamentals of Faith” class, and also “Financial Peace University”.

In July, we had some trials. Scott lost his job. He was unemployed for three weeks, and then got a job at Chick-Fil-A. It’s a fast food restaurant, which Scott has lots of experience in. It is also a Christian organization. They are closed on Sundays. Scott has been able to spend much more time at home with the family. We had been praying for more time together, and this is how God provided it.

We took a trip to Tampa over Thanksgiving to see Scott’s family there. Everyone was there, and it was great to see them all. We had a blast just hanging out and playing cards, and swimming. The boys loved seeing their cousins.

After returning from Tampa, the transmission went out on our van. It is now fixed. There really isn’t much more to say about this. It wasn’t covered under warranty because we are not the original owners.

I am working on keeping my blog updated. I haven’t posted for a while, because I haven’t had a computer to use. The boys, though behaving very well, are sometimes destructive. There was an incident with my coffee and the laptop computer. All I can say is that now a fund is set up to buy a new computer. I do now have a temporary replacement, so please continue to check my blog for updates and pictures.

We are spending Christmas this year in Florida. We miss you all a lot, but hope to make it to Minnesota sometime in late spring or early summer. We wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

In Christ’s Love

The Foster Family

Rainbows

What are Rainbows? Wikipedia explains it here, as "an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere."

That would be the textbook definition of a rainbow. But what really is a rainbow? What does it mean?

There are songs about rainbows like, "Over the Rainbow", "Rainbow Connection", "Catch the Rainbow", and "Rainbow Eyes", just to name a few.

There are myths about rainbows like, the Pot of Gold, the Other Side as in another dimension, the Pathway to Heaven, and many more.

Today the rainbow is the symbol of diversity, and the flag of the LGBT. (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender)

I don't know about you, but every time I see a rainbow, I think about God. I think about the flood that destroyed the earth. I think about the Ark, Noah and his family, and all the animals that were spared. I remember what the Bible says about why the flood occurred, and that the rainbow is the symbol of the covenant God made to never destroy the earth with a flood again. I also think about what the earth looks like now and imagine that it is as bad or maybe even worse than it was in the days of Noah. I think about the second coming of Christ, and anxiously await His return.

I am in awe every time I see a rainbow. The beauty and the details that have to be in place for it to exist. Only God can make that happen. This also makes me think about Creation. There are so many things that prove Creation, yet some refuse to admit it. That is another post entirely though.

Genesis 9:8-17
⁸ Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: ⁹ “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, ¹⁰ and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. ¹¹ Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
¹² And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: ¹³ I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. ¹⁴ It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; ¹⁵ and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶ The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷ And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Lots to Tell

I have not been able to post for a while, due to some computer problems. Let's just say that computers don't like coffee.

This post is the first of a few that will get everyone up to date on what has been going on in our lives in the last month or two.

Scott was able to take another trip to Haiti. He was so excited to go, and upon his return couldn't stop talking about it. He went with four others from our church, and our sister church. While he was there, he visited a place called Cite Soleil. It is one of the, if not the, poorest places in the world. It is extremely dangerous, so they didn't even get out of the vehicle they were in. After their visit there they proceeded to Canaan, where they were staying. They spoke to about 40 Haitian pastors there. They also made some steaks for them, just to serve and show their love to them.

There is a link for "Never Thirst Again" to the right. Please visit that site for more information. It is a mission that some friends of ours have set up.

Click here to see the video from their visit.

The Blessing Box

I got this idea from here. What a great way to teach your kids about being thankful, and giving.

Show your children what they have to be thankful for, not what they have to have.

Day 1
One out of 5 children live in poverty lacking adequate clothing.Give 2 cents for each pair of socks, tights, or pantyhose each child has.
Day 2
Are you thankful for the gift of electricity?Give 2 cents for each light bulb in your house.
Day 3
Would you rather live in the dim light of candles?Give 2 cents for each candle in your house.
Day 4
Most of the world's population lives beyond the reach of medical care.Give 10 cents for each box of band-aids in your house. An extra dime if they are not flesh-colored.
Day 5
Are you thankful you have a roof and doors to keep out the wind and rain?Give 10 cents for each exterior door your house has.
Day 6
Are you thankful for all your clothes?Give 5 cents for each closet in your house.
Day 7
Are you glad you have indoor plumbing?Give 5 cents for every roll of TP in your house, counting all the stored away rolls.
Day 8
To people in refugee camps, even a thin sliver of soap is precious.Give 5 cents for each bar your family has--a dime for each liquid dispenser.
Day 9
Think of something nice you can do for a poor family in your community and do it today. Maybe give them some homemade bread or make something special to brighten their day.If you can't, put a dollar in the box and be exceedingly grateful for all your own blessings.
Day 10
Do you walk to town to get a bucket of water for washing, drinking, bathing or cooking? Or are you blessed with faucets that bring precious water to you?Give 10 cents for each faucet you have and don't forget the outside ones.
Day 11
Still thinking of water, how did you get clean today?Give 10 cents if you take baths, 25 cents if you take showers.
Day 12
Most of the people in this world are starving while Americans' biggest concern is being overweight.
Put in a penny for each pound your mother and father think they are overweight.

Day 13
What a blessing to be able to see and have eye doctors to help us.
Give 10 cents for each pair of glasses your family members wear--and a quarter for each pair of sunglasses.

Day 14
Many people are blind physically (as well as spiritually) and have no eye doctors to help them.
Give a quarter for each person in your house that wears contact lenses.

Day 15
Jesus loves the little children.Give thanks and a dollar for every child in your family--do a secret good deed for each of them today.
Day 16
How would you like to live in your car as some families do?Give a dime for every vehicle your family owns.
Day 17
What if you lived on the streets like so many in South America do?Give thanks for your home and give 5 cents for every pillow in your home. Don't forget the decorative ones, also.
Day 18
Epidemics often follow natural disasters.Give thanks if no one in your home has been too sick this month to work or go to school and then donate 50 cents.
Day 19
The comfort of a clean bed is an undreamed-of luxury for millions of the world's poor people.Give 5 cents for each bed in your house.
Day 20
Did a cozy blanket cover you last night?Give a penny for every blanket in your house.
Day 21
Was it cold enough to wear a coat today? Were you thankful for your coat?Give a penny for every coat, jacket, hoodie or raincoat in your house.
Day 22
In some countries of the world, most people can't read. Are you thankful you can read?Put in a penny for every book in your home.
Day 23
By now, you've started to receive Christmas cards from many loving friends and family members.Give a penny for each card and be thankful for God's love. If you haven't received any cards yet, put in a penny for each person who will be getting a card from you.
Day 24
All around the world there are people who have never seen a supermarket. Instead, they scratch out their sustenance with primitive tools.Give 5 cents for every garden tool in your garage.
Day 25
Many people in the world cook over an open fire. Aren't you glad your parents didn't send you out to chop wood this morning?Give 5 cents for every burner on your stove and a dime for every oven.
Day 26
Put in 10 cents for each gift under the tree that is for you. Or, give 10 cents for each item on your Christmas list.
Day 27
Jesus was born and died for you!Put in a dollar for every person in your home that believes in Christ!
Day 28
Unfortunately, this is the time of year in which people suffer loss in house fires.Give 10 cents for every phone in your house with which you can dial 911 in case of emergency.
Day 29
Many people in the world suffer excruciating pain from lack of dental care. Have you ever been grateful for toothbrushes?Give 5 cents for every toothbrush in your house.
Day 30
Do you own a pet?Give a quarter for each pet and say a prayer for all the children in the world who can't afford to feed themselves, let alone a pet.
Day 31
Many children in the world barely get one meal a day. How many meals did you have in the past 24 hours?Give thanks and 5 cents for each meal--10 cents for each snack.
Day 32
Would you like to have to walk to school, to church, or to the store? Most people in the world walk everywhere they go.Give 10 cents for each bike, pair of skates, skateboard or anything else that has wheels.
Day 33
"Give us this day our daily bread."Thank God for feeding you today and give a penny for every slice of bread in your house.
Day 34
Count all the cans/jars in your cupboard or pantry.Give a penny for each one of them as you thank God for the technology to can foods.
Day 35
Count all the packages of frozen foods and meat in your freezer.Thank God for refrigeration and give a penny for each you counted.
Day 36
Make a list of all the fruits and vegetables God created that you can name.Put in a penny for each one on that list.
Day 37
Many children in the world do not have a school to attend and barely learn to read or write.Give a penny for every pencil in your house.
Day 38
Most people in the world have never touched a computer.Put in 50 cents for each computer in your home, and an extra 50 cents for a scanner, 50 cents for the printer, and if you spend more than an hour each day online, give an extra dollar.
Day 39
Hold a family meeting.
Donate/give away your money!

Out Of Control

I am completely out of control. The last few days in this house have been bad. I have been running around trying to keep everything from falling apart. I have been following my boys, trying to make sure they are behaving at all times. I have been trying to keep up with laundry and dishes and routine cleaning.

I have lost it. I haven't done much of anything. I am living off of only a few hours of sleep. Simon doesn't seem to want to sleep at night. He is sleeping all day, and then up all night. I know the solution. I am supposed to keep waking him up during the day. Yea, that doesn't work. Either he doesn't wake up, or he does and screams unless I am holding him. I am really at a loss for what I need to do. I find myself taking naps with the boys just to get more than the normal 2-3 hours of sleep I get at night. There are times when I can't nap, so instead I try to catch up on housework.

I don't even want to talk about homeschooling. That is not going as planned either.

I have found myself crying because I can't handle it.

I wonder if I will ever get a break. We are driving to Tampa for Thanksgiving, to see family that is coming from Minnesota, and also family in Tampa. I am so excited, because I know I will have a break from the kids.

I feel guilty for feeling this way. I am supposed to have fun with the kids. I am supposed to enjoy all the time I spend with them. I am supposed to be in control. That power has been taken from me.

Guess who took away my power?  GOD!!!

He and I both know that I can't do it on my own. For some reason, I have been neglecting asking Him for help. I have been turning to everyone, but Him. Why? I know He is the only one that can truly help me. He is the only one that matters.

I am starting over. I know that the last few days, or weeks, may have damaged my kids precious minds and hearts. I am changing the schedule of events in this house. We are going to start the day the way the day should be started. We will all sit down and read the Bible and pray. This is the most important thing we need to do, and I have been slacking. We are going to pick a passage in the Bible to memorize. The kids love doing this, and are so good at it too. They already have quite a few verses memorized. Mostly the ones that have to do with obeying, like  Philippians 2:14 and Ephesians 6:1.

As for Simon, the only thing I can think of that will help with that situation is prayer. If I am able to be up with him all night, then I should be spending that time with Him all night. What a great opportunity for growing my relationship with Jesus. I have all this time that I am spending in a bad mood because I could be sleeping, and I am so tired, and I can't stop complaining. Instead, I am going to spend the time praying. There is so much that I could be praying for instead of complaining.

I am going to start spending time with the boys instead of letting them play on their own. They are going to have a lot less free play time, and possibly no TV time. I have been using the TV as a babysitter, and I don't want to do that anymore. If I just spend time teaching them the basics of how to be Godly men, then I won't have as many behavioral problems. Their misbehavior comes with being unsupervised.

I want my kids to have a better life than me. I want them to follow God. I want them to experience the relationship with Jesus Christ that their daddy and I have. I want them to experience it from childhood, and not go through the mess that we did. The only way for this to happen, is for God to choose them, and for them to choose God. For them to choose God, they must first know who He is. That is my part.

I am the one who is going to teach them who He is. I am so excited for this. I have so many fun ideas for teaching them all they need to know. We are going to have so much fun.

I will post more later on how everything is working with all this. In the meantime, please pray for me.

No Time

Have you ever realized how much time you don't have?

I have been running around the house the last few weeks trying to get everything done, and still have time to play. I just can't fit in my play time.

I am doing all the stuff I always did, like dishes and laundry, but now I have added more diapers to change, nursing Simon every few hours, and trying to add sleep to every available minute.

There is just no time for me to get on the internet to check email or blog. No time for sewing. No time for anything extra.

That is until now.

I am finally on a schedule.

I have my day planned down to the minute.

I used to just try to get everything done by a certain time, and throw in fun time for me wherever it would fit. Now I have my fun time planned. I worked out a schedule that is better for everyone.

The kids are still getting used to it, but we are all much happier, and the house is cleaner, and things actually get accomplished. I don't know how I ever got anything done before.

I am now a list maker and a note taker. If it's not written down, it won't get done.

This is the biggest change that happened when we went from three kids to four.

Happy Birthday Jameson

Jameson is now 6 years old. Yesterday that is. He was my first baby. Now he is so big. It is hard to believe that six years have passed since he was born.

I remember choosing his name. We chose Jameson for his first name because both Scott's dad and my dad are named James. Then we chose Joseph for his middle name because that is Scott's middle name. We liked that we could call him JJ. Turns out that we don't. We were so concerned about nick-names and what his name might be shortened to, that we wanted to choose one first. Jameson won't let anyone call him JJ except Gavin. Gavin can call him JJ because Gavin can't say Jameson yet.

We have now realized that Jameson is taking after his middle name. The Joseph from the Bible was able to interpret dreams. That is what Jameson does. (Not for real, he just thinks he can) Jameson has gone up to people and starts a conversation by telling them what they dreamed about last night.

Speaking of dreams, when Jameson wakes up in the middle of the night because of a bad dream, he no longer requests to sleep in our bed, or even in our room. He will come up to my side of the bed, and whisper "mommy" until I wake up. FREAKY! Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night from a deep sleep to see someone standing next to your bed? I know he isn't really that tall, but it's still freaky. After restarting my heart, I ask him what's wrong. He will tell me that he had a bad dream. I give him a hug. He asks me to pray with him, then says that he is fine now. He goes back to bed without any complaining or arguing. My baby is growing up.

He tries to help me with baby Simon. He doesn't like it when he cries, so he will do anything to try to make him happy, or make sure I know that Simon is crying and that I do something about it. Jameson wants so desperately to carry Simon, but I am not so sure about that one yet. Maybe with some assistance, but not alone. He can hold him while sitting on the couch for now.

Jameson loves (pretending) to read the Bible. He is not able to read yet, but he is working on it. It just hasn't clicked yet. We haven't completely fallen into a steady schedule for homeschooling yet. Things are still a little busy with the new baby, but we're getting there. Jameson does remind me all the time that we have to do school. He loves learning.

I love you Jameson. I thank God for choosing me to be your mommy. I am so blessed. Happy Birthday!

Simon David Foster

I know it took a while, but here is the birth story you have been waiting for.

It all started Wednesday morning. Because I was now 41 weeks pregnant, they wanted to do a NST and BPP on me and baby. Long boring morning waiting in a hospital. Everything went fine, and we passed with flying colors. One of the nurses monitoring the NST kept telling me that I was having contractions. I told her that I had been for a couple weeks now. They just don’t progress into anything. I finished at the hospital around 1pm, and hurried to the birthing center for my appointment there at 2pm.

When I got there, the midwife did all the normal appointment stuff, and also did an internal exam. I was still dilated, but she didn’t want to sweep the membranes. Sucky! Was the only thing going through my mind. All I wanted was to have a baby. She suggested going to a chiropractor. Maybe if I got an adjustment, then the baby would put some more pressure on my cervix. I was willing to try anything. I had never been to a chiropractor before, so I was a little nervous. Some people have told me that they are “quacks”, others swear by them. I have just never needed to go for any reason. I got adjusted. She said my hips were a little off. She could tell by the way I was walking. Interesting.

After the chiropractor, Scott and I went to Denny’s at about 6pm. By the time we were done eating and ready to leave, I could no longer walk through my contractions. I went home and tried to relax. I took a bath, I was dealing with the pain just fine. My contractions were steadily getting worse, so at about 10pm we knew it was time to let the midwife know we were on the way.

We arrived at the birthing center at 10:30pm. They filled the pool, and I got in. Around midnight, I was no longer able to be silent through the contractions. It hurt really bad. (There is just no other way to explain the pain I was in.) I wasn’t getting a complete break between the contractions anymore. They weren’t really stopping. All of a sudden, I was feeling a lot of pressure, and then felt a pop. My water broke! YAY! Then the real pain came. Scott said I was saying some weird stuff, like “I want an epidural.” “I can’t do this anymore.” I don’t remember that. I do remember when the time came to push, I didn’t want to. I tried not to. My body had other plans. I couldn’t control the pushing. It just happened. I was planning on pushing slowly so I could allow my body and skin to stretch without tearing. It happened really fast. In all of four or five pushes, he was out. Simon David Foster was born at 12:25 am on Thursday, September 8^th. I was still in awe of not having any control over the pushing. My body just took over, and my mind had nothing to say about it.

They had to tell me to pick up my baby. I guess I figured I was done. Nope, there was a baby to take care of now. I picked him up, and held him close. He had a ton of hair. He was adorable. He is my baby. I started nursing him, and he knew exactly what to do. No training necessary. He is my quick learner.

Before we got out of the water, I noticed a knot, a true knot, in the cord. That kind of scared me. I am not sure how common it is, but the midwife said that a baby was born earlier that day with a true knot in the cord too. Weird. I got out of the water, and just sat in the bed for a couple hours. I studied him and kissed him and snuggled him and nursed him. We were bonding.

I couldn’t wait anymore. I wanted to know how much he weighed. While they put him on the scale, I was cleaning all the poop off me. He had pooped and it was everywhere. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the numbers on the scale. 9lbs 14 oz. He is a big boy. Scott wanted to hold him, so I was able to take a shower and clean up. We got everything together, got Simon dressed, and were able to leave. We were home before 4:30am. Within 4 hours of giving birth, I was home with my baby.

The recovery is amazing as well.

Jameson was born in a hospital at 35 weeks weighing 6lbs 4oz. He had a broken collar bone. I tore.

Teagen was born in a hospital at 37 weeks weighing 7lbs 14oz. No broken bones. I tore.

Gavin was born in a hospital at 39 weeks weighing 8lbs 8 oz. He had a broken arm. I tore.

Simon was born in a birthing center at 41 weeks weighing 9lbs 14 oz. No broken bones. I didn’t tear.

I am still amazed at how easy everything was. The water birth was unforgettable. If God blesses me with more children, I will definitely be doing another water birth. Except next time I will do it at home.

4th Trimester

Okay, so I know there is no such thing. I am just so done being pregnant and I want to see my little boy face to face. I want to hold him in my arms and kiss him. However, I can't do that because I am still pregnant.

It all started in December. I found out I was pregnant on Christmas Day. It was more of a support thing for someone else. She wanted to take a pregnancy test, and bought a package with two in it. We agreed to both take one. I knew in the back of my mind that there was always the possibility that I could be pregnant, but I really didn't think I was.

Reasons why:
1. I was still breastfeeding #3.
2. #3 was only 8 months old. My kids are all 2 yrs apart.
3. Not sure I was ready.

God had other plans. She came out of the bathroom with a smile and said, "I'm not pregnant." I came out of the bathroom with a confused look on my face and staring at the test. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was positive.

After a few minutes, the excitement set in, and I couldn't wait to tell everyone.

I decided to give birth at a birthing center with a midwife instead of going to a hospital. We are still pretty excited about the idea of a water birth.

I was due on August 31st, and we thought that I would give birth before that because the first three were early. Well, God had other plans. Today is September 6th, and I am still pregnant.

I am finding it hard to believe, and hard to cope with. I am wondering if I am too stressed, too lazy, or just too fat. I am a little concerned about the size of baby, but praying that he will not be too big. I do hope he will be chunky though. I have never had a chunky baby. Mine have all been really skinny, and really tall. I hope this one is chunky. He did have a longer time to cook, so it's always possible.

Tomorrow morning I get to go into the hospital to have a non stress test. Purely precautionary. Tomorrow I am 41 weeks pregnant. We are almost positive that nothing is wrong. We think he is just very comfortable, and maybe he knows what is waiting for him out here. Three older brothers is a lot to handle. Tomorrow afternoon I have an appointment with the midwife, and she will attempt to sweep my membranes. Hopefully this will kick start labor, and we are praying that our new addition will be in our arms by tomorrow night.

Please pray with us that everything goes smooth, and baby is healthy.

We thank God daily for the miracle he is growing inside me.

Natural Disasters

I am struggling with the fact that I have not given birth yet. I was worried about the Hurricane Irene that was supposed to hit Florida on Thursday. If there are warnings out, then I am to go to the hospital and just sit there. I guess it's a good idea, but I had my heart set on not delivering at the hospital, so this was not good news to me.

I am planning on doing a water birth at the birthing center. I didn't want to have the hospital restricting me to laying on my back, and not walking or eating. I was so excited to have found the birthing center, and also to have all the support of my friends and family. Some were skeptical at first, but I have their full support.

Now it looks like Hurricane Irene will miss Florida. YAY!!! I am still pregnant, and waiting for my precious baby to arrive, but I am no longer bummed about the whole hospital thing. Thanks to everyone that was praying for the hurricane to shift direction and not come this way. I do want to experience my first hurricane, I know I'm crazy, but not while I am 39 weeks pregnant.

That is another thing!!! I have never been this pregnant before. Jameson was born at 35 weeks, due to my gall bladder problems. Teagen was born at 37 weeks, just made it to full term. Gavin was born at 38 almost 39 weeks. I am sitting here wondering if I will be pregnant forever. I am praying every day for him to come soon, but I always tell God that I know it's His will and He knows what's best. Sometimes, I admit, I do think I know better. Then God shows me that He is right. Lord, please just bring me a healthy baby!

After I was able to calm myself down, being extremely thankful to not have a hurricane on my doorstep, I find out there was an earthquake today. What?!? In Virginia? I had never heard of earthquakes in Virginia. Very interesting.

I have a TV, but I don't get local channels, or cable. So when I see people on facebook talking about an earthquake I was shocked. I was looking into different news web pages and couldn't find much information. I don't believe there was that much damage, if any, but still weird.

With all the "stuff" going on in the world today, I would not be surprised if Jesus came soon. I really hope He does. But, then I think of all the people I know that don't know Him. Man, I really need to open my mouth more often and spread the good news. There are some people very close to me that are not saved, and I have not even said a word to them about it. God may be waiting for me to open my big mouth for the right reason to share the Gospel with someone so that He can do what He does.

Lord help me and guide me. Only through You can I do this. Give me the strength and the courage and the words to say. Bring salvation to my loved ones. Lord, also help me to share You with those I do not love so much.

Still Pregnant

I am 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant today. I have 12 days to go until my due date. I am really hoping that the baby will come soon (like tonight). I am so excited to meet him, and would really like to not have heartburn anymore. I will be posting pictures as soon as he arrives. Please keep praying that all will go smooth with the delivery.

We are still planning on delivering at the birth center. I am really hoping for a water birth. We try to go swimming as often as we can, and I am so much more comfortable in the water.

For those of you that don't know me personally, I was in diving in high school, and practically lived in the water for seven years. I am comfortable there and would love to experience a water birth.

Jameson told me today that he doesn't want another brother. Instead he would like a sister. I told him that he should pray about it. "Maybe someday God will give you a little sister." I am not sure he liked that answer, but that's all I could say.

Gavin is going to have a hard time with the new baby. He already has a hard time sharing my attention with anyone else. He is having a really hard time with mommy not being able to pick him up all the time. He is 16 months and 28 pounds. That is just a little to much for me right now. I do snuggle with him a lot on the couch though. He seems to be crawling into my lap quite a bit. I think he knows things are about to change.

Teagen is starting to become a little rebelious. Of course he is 3 now. He is learning how to write his letters, and gets angry when I try to help him, or ask him to write other letters. He is very independent. He also wants to help all the time, but is not big enough or strong enough to do the things he wants to do.

Jameson is a huge helper. He does dishes and laundry and sweeps and so much more. The only things he doesn't do on his own yet are, cooking on the stove (he's too short) and diaper changing (he refuses). He just started taking showers every day. He wants to be like daddy. He also is wearing deoderant. He doesn't really need it, but he wants to wear it. After all, he is a big boy now. I am really looking forward to all the help he will be able to provide when the new baby comes.

I can't imagine having another blessing added to all the ones that have already been given to me. God has been so good to us. Despite all the trials we have been through lately, I am still in awe at how much he loves me. He has entrusted me with the lives of four little boys. I am responsible for teaching the and raising them to love God, their creator. At times I don't think I can do it. At other times I am so excited. Thank you so much God for my family, both biological and spiritual. Thank you God for saving me, and giving me the gift of eternal life, that I may teach my children the truth.

Work

I have been really busy lately. There is so much that has happened, and so much to share. We have been going through a little bit of a trial these last few weeks. Scott lost his job. We were devastated. We didn't know what we were going to do.
Have you ever been there? How are we going to pay rent? How are we going to buy gas for the car so he can look for a new job? There were so many thoughts that were running through my head. So many things that I was starting to worry about.

The only thing that was able to calm my nerves and my mind, was God. I knew that He had provided for our family in the past. I worried myself through trials before only to come out on the other end wondering why I spent that much energy on worrying when God had taken care of everything.

It also helped, that Scott was very calm. He was amazing. I know he probably had his worries, but he didn't show them. He was able to remain calm around me, which helped me to remain calm. We prayed. We read God's Word. We sat and talked. We became closer. In this time of trial, we have become closer to each other, and closer to God.

God had blessed us with so much. We have been striving to listen to what God wants, striving to do His will. We were not always asking for a job, but for guidance on what he wants us to do with our lives.

Scott is interested in going into ministry. He wants to go back to school. He wants to learn all he can about God, and share what he learns with the world. Ever since he went to Haiti, he feels drawn there. He plans on returning there in November, but only for a few days. He would like to extend the time spent there to a few months or longer. He would also like to take his family. We would love to go as well. Doing work for God, and sharing His love is one of those natural highs.

We are expecting a baby here in just a couple weeks, (anytime now). There is still so much to do. I still have to pack the bag. I also have an iron deficiency. I am on iron supplements along with Vitamin C to help the absorption.

We are praying that everything will go well with the delivery, as it will be at a birth center, not a hospital. I have never delivered outside a hospital before, but I am very excited about the freedom I will have to move around. Also, I am excited about not even having an option of drugs. I really don't want someone reminding me of all the pain I'm in. Instead they will be helping me overcome that pain and reminding me of the "MIRACLE" that has been blessed to us again. We are so excited to welcome boy #4.

Back to the issue of a job. I am pregnant, and tend to change subject pretty often, and also forget what I am talking about quite often, so bear with me.

We have some amazing friends that were in a trial of their own, with a place to live for about two months between apartments. God led us together, and we are now living with a total of 4 adults, and 4 children (soon to be 5 children). This is a blessing to us all. We will have some extra help with the kids after I give birth, and the company is great. It is amazing how God has provided for us all.

Talking about provision, Scott has been offered a job. The pay is not quite what he was receiving before, but it is an amazing opportunity. Chik-Fil-A! For those of you who have never heard of this company, it is a fast food restaurant that serves Chicken. Their advertisements are hilarious. It is a Christian founded business that is closed on Sundays. YAY! They are fine with Scott starting and taking time off soon when the baby comes, and also to take time off in November for the mission trip he has planned.

It has been a total of three weeks that Scott has been out of work, and that is all it took. With the unemployment rate and the amount we needed him to make for us to live on, I was surprised that he got a job so quickly. God has blessed us, and provided for us so many times. He has moved in our lives so many times. He has blessed us with the strength and the faith to endure whatever may come our way.

We thank every one of you that has prayed for us. May God bless your lives as well. We are on our way to the other side of this trial, and all I can do is thank God for it. We have learned so much.

Books

I just finished reading an amazing book, called "To Train Up A Child" by Michael and Debi Pearl. Most of what I read in this book was common sense stuff that I should have been doing anyway. The rest was some great advice, encouragement, and Bible references that I am now putting into action. Just the thought of having children that do what I ask the first time I ask is incredible.

I have always had some pet peeves with the way some children behave. One major one, is when they respond to their name being called with "What?" My kids were doing this, and I didn't like it. I think it's rather rude. My children are learning to respond with "Yes Mommy" "Yes Daddy" "I'm coming" or something similar. They are catching on to this very quickly.

That is all that I have really accomplished with training so far. I am still working on:

Whining and fussing
Obeying the first time
Sitting still in church
Being grateful / No complaining
No arguing / No talking back
Volume control

That last one is another pet peev of mine. I know my kids did not come with remote controls (though sometimes I really wish they did). I just can't figure out how they go from whispering and playing so nice and quite, to yelling and screaming and running wild. The only explanation I have, is that they are boys. This volume control thing is more of a wish than a training opportunity. I really don't think there is much, if anything, that will change it.

I loved this book.

I am planning on reading "Created To Be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl. I am told that this is a book that you have to read in parts. Meaning, that you read one chapter and take a while to ponder it. Then you read the next chapter and take a while to ponder that. I guess it isn't a good idea to just read right through this book.

I am working on changing, or training, myself. I have found that there are certain things in my life that I don't like. One of them is that I am not the best wife. I know you are all reading this thinking "Wow, she is an awsome wife and mother. How could she ever think that?" It's true though. I am not perfect. I want to honor God in everything I do, and that all starts with following his command to let my husband lead our family. I need to be his help meet, his helper.

I am really excited to read this book. I will let everyone know what I think when I am done. If I can't wait that long, I will update you along the way.

During all my reading of these great books, I am also reading the best book ever written. The Bible. I am currently reading and studying in Acts and Hebrews. I am in no way educated enough on anything in the Bible to be able to teach anyone, but I will hopefully be posting some things that stand out to me while reading the Lord's Word.

Let me know if any of you are reading anything interesting. I will need more to read soon. I am anticipating some available reading time in about a month when I will be nursing my baby.

Too Much?

There is too much going on right now.

We are preparing our home for another child, due in just a few weeks. There is cleaning to be done, clothes to be washed, a bag to be packed, a class to take, and more.

We decided not to deliver this baby at the hospital. We really wanted to do a home delivery, but decided to deliver at a birthing center instead. Maybe next time we'll do a home delivery.

Because I have never given birth outside a hospital, I am required to take a Childbirth Class. What?!?! You have got to be kidding me. I have given birth three times, and now I have to take a class. I also have to see a specific doctor just in case I have to be transferred to a hospital. Let me tell you this. If I do have to be transferred to a hospital due to complications, I don't think I will care what doctor I see.

Well, the appointment with the doctor, and the class are both set for Monday.

At the last appointment with the midwife, I was told that my baby is already head down. That was great news to hear, but I kinda figured he was because I have to push his feet away from my ribs quite often. He is however still sitting very high. That's okay though. I am only 34 weeks pregnant right now. He can wait a little longer.

I need to get either a bouncy seat or a swing. If anyone knows of one that is available for extra cheap, let me know. I am hoping to find one before I give birth. I also need to buy a breast pump. I know it is not necessary to get one, but I found it really helpful with all my other kids, that I just don't think I could do without this time. The old one doesn't work anymore and I have my heart set on the Lansinoh Affinity Dual Electric Breast Pump. The only problem is that it's a little out of my price range.

I have to pack a bag to bring with to the birth center. I am working on getting a CD made with my favorite songs. I also need to make sure I bring my Bible. I still haven't picked out an outfit for him to wear home.

I have to clean the house, which isn't different from any other day, but it does feel like it. I do however need to do a little extra laundry. I haven't even opened the bin of baby clothes to sort through. That I am planning on doing tomorrow, we'll see if it gets done.

I have been having a lot of sciatic nerve pain. There isn't much I can do about it, except sit on a heating pad for a little while. After I do that, I am able to get up and walk for about an hour. Then it's back to the heating pad. Some days are better than others, but it is getting worse. Sleeping is also a problem. I am up about 4-5 times a night just to pee. I am also not sleeping well because of the sciatic nerve.

I look forward to seeing the face of my newest little boy. We feel so blessed to be able to welcome him into our lives. Thank you Lord for another blessing.

It's been a while

It has been a while since I have written anything. I have been a little busy. There is a lot going on in my life. I will try to give you a little of everything in one post. Here goes....

My sister and her husband are adopting a little boy from Russia. They have five children now, and are very excited to add another. I personally can't wait. Lots of prayers are requested for all the final approvals, that everything will go smooth. Check out her blog, Abide in me, and I in you, to get more information, and see some pictures of her family, and the little boy they are adopting.

A family in my church is also adopting. This family is adoptin two teenage girls from Columbia. They are currently in Columbia picking up their daughters. Prayers are requested for communication, because the girls speak Spanish, and the parents are learning Spanish. Check out their blog, Adopting Older Children, for more information, and pictures.

I have started homeschooling my boys now instead of waiting until the fall. I decided to do it this way, because I am having a baby in August, and I don't want to fall too far behind. Jameson and Teagen are pretty happy about it too. They love doing school stuff. I don't have that much planned for this year as it's just Kindergarten for Jameson, and Preschool for Teagen.

The subjects we are doing are;

Bible - I am combining this with a little History. We are starting at the beginning. Genesis.

Reading - Jameson is learning how to read, and Teagen is learning his letters and sounds.

Math - Both are learning to recognize and write numbers.

Art & Science - Anatomy. We will learn about the body parts and make life size posters of ourselves.

Physical Education - We live in Florida. We will be outside daily. I will be teaching the boys different excersizes. We are also looking into swimming lessons.

Gavin has learned so much in the last couple of months. He is playing peek-a-boo. It is adorable. He is also getting into everything. He opens cupboards and pulls things out. He opens the garbage can and pulls things out. He also sneaks things into the garbage. I have pulled quite a few toys out of the garbage.

All of my boys have been sick with colds lately, but Teagen has been the worst. He has been up every night for the last week coughing. I thought it was just the cold at first, but then it was a croupy cough. I decided to make an appointment with the doctor and bring him in. We'll see what happens now. I fear he may have asthma. Will they even diagnose that at three years old?

Jameson is learning to obey the first time. He is having some difficulty with this. He is doing a lot of whining and complaining. We are working on that too. Mommy has been slacking on lots of stuff. Time to get moving.

I am planning on making meals and freezing them. This will hopefully get rid of lots of stress for that first week after the baby comes. Now I just need to figure out what I am gonna want to eat that week. ;)

Father's Day

There are so many great fathers out there. My husband, for one. I am so grateful that he is involved in our kids' lives. He loves to hang out with them. He is always looking for something fun to do with them. He will break out the legos and lay on the floor to build something with them. He runs around the park, and tries to fit in all those areas that are not made for adults. I thank my "Heavenly Father" for joining my husband and I. I love you Scott. May God continue to bless you with the love and devotion you have for children.

Another great father in my life is, of course, my own father. My father, is not just a father, he is my dad. My dad taught me many things. I will only name a few here.

He taught me what a real man should be. He lived his life treating my mom and other women with respect, and showing me what I should look for in a man of my own. I don't even want to think of where I would be today without the example and instruction my dad laid out before me in my childhood. He showed me what  a Godly relationship is.

My dad has always been a builder. He is very keen on making things. He does a great job too. I have many memories of holding boards for my dad so they wouldn't fall to the floor while he was cutting them. He was the one who taught me about measurement and fractions. I loved the time we were able to spend together while he was building something. To this day, every time I smell wood, or sawdust in particular, I think of my dad. He has made so many things that I cherish. The cradle that I rock my babies to sleep in was made by him. The rocking horse that my boys ride and pretend they are cowboys was made by him. The rack that I keep my coffee mugs on was made by him.

I remember my dad telling my sisters and I to get fire wood from the backyard for the fireplace. We all walked back there and piled some logs into our arms. There was my dad when we turned around to walk back inside. "No." he said. We were doing it wrong. We were supposed to carry the logs differently. We had to take the log by its end and carry one in each hand. I still haven't figured out exactly why he made us do it that way. All I know is that there were less spiders crawling on me.

My dad was always writing these little poems. He would write something to my mom on special occasions, or for no reason at all, just to let her know she was loved. He wrote me a note on my wedding day that I will keep forever. This is what he has passed on to me. I enjoy writing. I would always write a note to my parents to apologize to them for my bad behavior, or for whatever. I am told that they would come home from a night out, expecting to find a note from me. I wasn't always bad, I just liked to write.

Dad, you have taught me so many things, and I am going to teach my kids those same things. You have guided me in the right direction. You have encouraged me. You have corrected me. You have supported me.

I LOVE YOU DAD!!!

Thank you Lord, for placing this man in my life. Amen.

Of course, on Father's Day, we can not forget our Heavenly Father. The one who has given life to us all. The one who has saved us from our sins. The one who loved us so much, that He gave His one and only son to die on the cross, so that we might be saved. Let us not forget this tomorrow when it is no longer Fathers Day, but let us remember this every day, and give thanks to God.

Lord Change My Attitude

The women at church are doing a Bible Study called "Lord Change My Attitude". It is a great study. I am learning a lot, and applying it to my life. There have been many changes in my view of my life. Check this out.



The first part of the study = Complaining!

I never realized how much I complain. I am now aware of it though. I am working on not only noticing when I am complaining, but what I am complaining about. Is it something that really matters? Is there anything I can do to change the circumstances? If the answer to both of these is NO, then I need to drop the matter. It has been working.

I have also been working on staying positive. I would always have considered myself to be a glass is half full type of person, but recently realized that I am not. I have a hard time dealing with the little things that don't follow "MY" plans. The thing is, it is not "MY" plans that matter at all, it's "GOD'S" plans. I am always trying to take control and run my life the way God wants me to. What I need to do, is let God run my life. I need to follow where God leads. This is not easy, but nobody is perfect, right? I am trying to use the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) way of looking at things. I know it has become a cliche, but it works. We are, after all, supposed to strive to be more "Christ Like".

Here is an example.

I was at a weekly Bible study, and having a great time. I had the boys with me, and Scott was out of town working. I returned to my car after the study and proceeded to buckle the boys into their seats. While doing this, I was talking to a couple other women from church. We were all standing on the passenger side of the van talking. One of the women, started pointing at my van. I thought she was pointing at a bug or something, and was preparing to run. (I don't like bugs.) Then I realized it wasn't a bug, but my front driver's side window. The window was not where it was supposed to be. It was shattered all over the front of the van. There wasn't any glass in the back, so I didn't even realize it when buckling the boys in. I climbed back into the car to unbuckle the boys and get them out of the car. I knew it would probably take a while to deal with this problem. The boys went inside with some amazing young ladies who kept them occupied while I talked to police.

I think I may have been in a state of shock, because I didn't really even think about calling the police. I didn't really know what to do. Thankfully I had some people there that were thinking straight. It took a while for the reality of what had happened to sink in. I realized my purse was gone. (I know, I was crazy and not thinking when I decided to leave my purse in the car. But, I left it there anyway.)

When the officer arrived, I was able to talk to him without any panic or anything. I told him everything I could think of that was in my purse and wallet. There will be a report filed, and I received a case number. After talking to the officer, I was able to request fingerprinting. He seemed to think it was a waste of time, but I insisted. I just had this feeling that there would have to be fingerprints. After waiting a while, the crime scene unit arrived. The guy that dusted my van, was very helpful and informative. He was able to answer many of my questions. After he left, I had help cleaning most of the glass out of the front seat, so I could drive home.

I am very grateful for the help I received, and the prayers.

When I arrived home, I unloaded the boys and put them to bed. It was really easy to get them to fall asleep, because it was so late. I had a plastic bag taped over the window, to prevent rain getting inside. I was a little worried about my oldest, Jameson. He was asking questions about what had happened. I tried to answer them the best I could, but he has a one track mind. "Why did someone break the window? Why did they take your purse? Will they bring the purse back? Will they break the window at home?" This little boys questions are my biggest concern. He doesn't understand what happened, or why. He also has bad dreams regularly. He is the one that crawls into our bed in the middle of the night. The only solution was to explain to him that Jesus is always with him. We prayed together, and I really think he understands.

That night I checked my bank account, and found that my debit card had already been used. I talked to the bank and was able to cancel my card and order a new one. I was later able to talk to the fraud department and get my money back. I have replaced almost everything that I lost. There are a few phone numbers from business cards that I will need to collect again, but other than that, everything is replaceable. The next day, my window was replaced, and my car vacuumed. I have already purchased a new wallet, that I like even better than the old one. Everything is working out, and I have no complaints.

I was surprised at how calm I have been through this whole ordeal. I couldn't have done it without the comfort of my savior Christ Jesus. He has been my calm. Everything that happened could have been worse. The first thing that popped into my head when this happened, what that I had quite a few tracks in my purse. I was hoping and praying that whoever took it, would take the time to read them. I know it's a long shot, but God does work in mysterious ways. It is by His grace that we are saved. I pray still, that he will work on that person and speak to them and change their heart.

This is one lesson I will not soon forget. I have prayed for my enemy, willingly. I actually wanted to. There were no hidden motives. I did want my purse back, and my window fixed, but that's not why I was praying. I was praying because I knew this person didn't know Jesus like I do.

Do you know Jesus?

I can't wait to continue in the Bible study of "Lord Change My Attitude". There are more areas of my life that could use changing, and I am excited to learn more.

Mother's Day

This is not the first Mother's Day that I have been able to celebrate as a mother, but it is the first that I am celebrating with my mother 2000 miles away. This Mother's Day is different.

Today at church, there were a few people that shared why their mom's were special. All I could do was think about my mom. This is the first Mother's Day that I am not going to see my mom. I had always taken for granted the fact that I only lived a few miles from my mom. We talked on the phone every once in a while, and didn't really hang out, or see each other very often. Moving across the country has, in a weird way, brought me closer to my mom. I have talked to her on the phone more often, and gotten to know her more. I love my mom so much. I miss my mom.

When I was growing up, there were many times that I was angry with my mom. She would punish me when I needed it, and sometimes I really needed it. I always thought she was being so unfair, and I would let her know that. I remember her saying something like "just wait until you have kids." That never made any sense, until now. I now have three boys, and another boy on the way. When I have a question about any of them, whether it be behavior, health, or anything, I call my mom. Just the other night, my youngest had hives. He is allergic to something. All I could think was I need my mom. I love technology. Even though I wasn't able to run to my mom, I was able to call her and get some great advice. Thank you so much mom. I love you.

I am sorry mom, for all the times I disobeyed, and all the times I was a lot of trouble. I know there were quite a few. I came to a realization when I became a mother, that you were never trying to hinder, or hurt me, but you were loving me. You were protecting me.

You see, mothers have a very special bond with their children. They are connected. A child is completely dependent on it's mother to survive from conception to birth. After birth, a child is still dependent on it's mother, but others (like dad, we can't forget him) are there to help out. That bond that is formed between mother and child is never broken. There is an everlasting connection. This bond grows stronger throughout life. When the child is an adult, the bond is still there. I have learned this recently. The advice and just everyday conversations I have with my mother are extremely valuable to me.

God knew what he was doing when he made women. He gave women a strength endure all the joys and fears that go along with being a mom. He gave women that everlasting bond to their children. God has blessed me with my mom.

Thank you mom...
-for yelling at me when I needed it.
-for punishing me when I needed it.
-for hugging me when I needed it.
-for teaching me to sew.
-for making me clean my room.
-for loving me.
-for life.

I love you mom. You mean so much to me. I wish I could give you a hug right now.

Lord, thank you for my mom.

On My Mind

Things that are on my mind today.

-"Lord Change My Attitude" I need to do the lesson for my Bible study.

-I need to stop complaining and instead be thankful.

-Grateful my boys are singing "Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord".

-Gavin's trip to the ER last night, and what could he be allergic to? All eyes on Gavin.

-Have to make snacks for church tomorrow. What to make, what to make?

-Want to sit down, sciatic nerve is bothering me.

-Need CHOCOLATE!

-Get newspaper today to get early edition with coupons for cheaper. YAY!

-Sweep and mop tile floor. Crumbs from breakfast cereal sticking to bottom of feet. Gross!

-Why are boys so loud?

-Sleep!?!

-Train children! They are doing great with this, and I find it fun.

-What should I make for lunch?

-What should I make for dinner?

-I should really do meal planning to eliminate the last minute thinking.

These are the things running through my head right now. There are more, but I am sure you don't want to know about all of them. I was talking to Scott recently about how not fair it is that men can completely empty their minds and think about nothing. Not Fair. I will lay in bed at night, listening to Scott snoring. It's really not that bad, I just needed to show that he was sleeping. He will be sound asleep, while things race through my mind, and I end up getting up about three or four times to make sure the door is locked for the 12th time, to check on the boys and make sure they are still asleep, to write a note to myself about something that needs to be done tomorrow, and more. Does anyone else have this problem, or am I alone? I guess I shouldn't wonder why I'm so tired in the morning.

Kids Are Sponges

My kids are no different from your kids, they seem to hear everything that is said. They absorb knowledge at an amazing rate. I have started to take advantage of this amazing phenomenon by teaching them some Bible verses to memorize. What I have realized, is that they don't really need to memorize Bible verses. They are able to memorize entire chapters of the Bible. Jameson knows some of the stories with such accuracy, that he even uses some rather large words when he recites it. I love this.

Both Jameson and Teagen are able to repeat songs that we sing at church on Sundays, word for word. They will be sitting in their play room singing. They will start fighting, but it's usually over which song to sing next. Some of their favorites are "Blessed Be Your Name" and "Let It Rise".

Jameson, who is 5, is at the point where he is starting to apply the lessons from the Bible stories we read to his life. He will point things out as we go through our days that remind him a certain story. Recently, we were looking for a playground. We were driving around and found quite a few sports complexes, but we were looking for a playground. When we finally did find one, Jameson said, "God made that playground. Then He looked at it and said it was good." We had been talking about how God made everything. In a matter of hours he went from asking me if God made cars, and if God made trees, to telling me that "God made that playground."

Jameson also has some interesting questions about God. Just out of curiosity, if anyone knows how to answer a five year olds questions about God, let me know. Here are a few that we have heard recently.

How old is God?
When is God's birthday?
Does God eat?

I am so glad that almost everything that they do in work and in play brings up more questions about God. I just wish I knew the answers.

Jameson also asked God in his prayers tonight for a different Bible so he could understand the words. I told him after his prayer that to understand the words he has to learn how to read.

Done Moving

We are finally all settled into our new place. We have a few misc. boxes to unpack still, but we had an amazingly smooth move. In the past when we have moved, it was sure to take a few days or even a week at times. This time, we had everything moved in one day. Of course, this time we had quite a few extra hands to help out. Thank you so much to all the strong guys that came and donated their time and muscles to us.

Our new place is amazing. We had a few minor setbacks the first couple of days, but we are adjusting fine.

We do have an amazing array of wildlife at this new place. We have millions of mini toads. It is hard not to step on them in the grass. They are also finding a way to get inside. At least the kids are having a blast catching them. We also have some weird looking caterpillars. They are hairy and ugly. Jameson caught a few of them and is watching their life process unfold before his eyes. It is actually pretty exciting just to watch his expressions as I try to explain what is happening. Science is going to be a fun subject for school. We also have a new friend. We think it's a baby iguana. It has left a few legless frogs on our patio. The boys wanted to catch it for a pet. Scott mentioned that we should catch it too. I am not to sure about all the reptiles here, but I'm am sure that I will get used to it. We haven't named our iguana friend yet, but I will let you know when we do.

It's a .......

Don't you just love it when you are waiting to hear some news, and who ever may be delivering that news is taking their dear, sweet time? I don't. You probably don't either. Okay, here it is, plain and simple.

It's a.......

BOY!

That's right. Boy number four is on the way. No, we are not disappointed. We are very happy. I am still not sure I would know what to do with a girl. God know me best, and He knew another boy is exactly what I need right now.

Name still to be determined.

Ultrasound? and Moving!

I had an ultrasound scheduled this morning for 8:45am. I was so excited I could barely sleep all night. I am not sure why I scheduled it for so early. We live nearly an hour away from the office where the appointment was, which meant we needed to leave around 7:15am. Extra time added to account for morning rush hour traffic. I actually had to wake up my kids. Not fun. If your kids sleep past 7am, the rule is, don't wake them up. Having to wake them almost made me cry. Although, I do cry very easily these days. Hormones!

We all piled into the van, with cereal in plastic baggies for breakfast, and sippy cups full of milk. I was drinking water like you are supposed to do before an ultrasound. Drink water until you are about to explode. Then they don't let you go to the bathroom. You get to lay there, while someone is pressing on your bladder, trying not to pee.

There was no traffic. Amazing. It seems that whenever Scott and I drive somewhere together we get there in record time. When we drive separetely, Scott is stopped by lights and weird traffic, while I get the smooth drive. I'm not sure why, but it always seems to work out this way.

I keep changing the subject, sorry. Pregnancy brain is so fun. We arrived at the appointment early (about 8:30am), and had to fill out some papers, sign HIPPA forms and all that jazz. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. I was really confused as to why they were running so far behind that early in the morning. Finally at about 9:15 they called my name. I was so excited I didn't even mind that I waited so long. When we stood up, the lady who called my name gave me a really weird look and said, "You can't bring your kids back there."

I was really confused, and kind of hurt by that. This is supposed to be an extremely happy moment in your life that you should be able to share with your entire family, and I couldn't bring my kids. What? If I couldn't bring my kids, then my husband wouldn't be there either. He would have to wait there with the kids while I went in alone. When I asked her why, she told me it was because they didn't want to expose the kids to any unnecessary radiation. Now I was really confused. An ultrasound doesn't have any radiation. However, this particualar office did have other uses though. They did xrays and ct's and more. I did understand that there was radiation, but if it wasn't safe for my kids, then it wasn't safe for me either. I won't even mention how unsafe it would be for my unborn baby. Okay, I did mention it, but come on. I really hope you all agree with me on this. I really hope I was not being too picky when I told them that I was not going to have the ultrasound done there at all if it wasn't safe.

I was really bummed. We left and drove back home. Yes, I felt like we had wasted our time and gas on an appointment that we didn't really have. I really wanted to know if the baby I am carrying is a boy or girl. I really wanted to see it. I was really bummed. I cried. Yes, I am so emotional with this pregnancy it's crazy. I couldn't help it. The tears just started flowing. The boys were amazing though. They were very well behaved and listened while we were in the waiting room. They were instrumental in cheering me up in the van. Literally and vocally. They were singing almost the whole way back home. What were they singing you ask. Well of course the song we sang at church yesterday. "Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord" They are both completely tone deaf, just like their mother. That didn't matter though. I'm sure Jesus was smiling. It brought a smile to my face as well. The tears stopped, and I was able to relax. Gotta love it when it's the kids that know exactly how to calm you down.

We got home and started making phone calls to anywhere and everywhere it might be possible to get an ultrasound. Every place we called was telling us that #1. We couldn't bring the kids in with us. or #2. We couldn't get in for an appointment for a couple weeks. Finally we called the local hospital. Yes, they will allow the kids to be there. Yes, they can get me in tomorrow. YAY!!! My stress level dropped.

Then my stress level rose again. Why, you might ask. Well, we got a phone call today from the apartments we are moving into. They have an opening for us to move in. YAY!!! It's for Friday. UH OH!!! We are not packed yet. I will be spending the next couple of days doing nothing but packing. We have been telling the boys that we are moving again, for a few weeks now. We're trying to prepare them so it won't come as a surprise. They are really excited. When we told them that the big day was Friday, they made sure all their toys were picked up and put away. They didn't want to move without their toys. Adorable!

Today was a very eventful and interesting day. I will let you all know how the ultrasound and the move goes soon. I may not have time to post again for another week, but rest assured that I will be posting pics of the new place and hopefully some pics of the ultrasound.

Moving

We are moving again!!! Yes, we have moved almost every year since we got married. The reasons behind moving have been location and money. We seem to keep finding places that will save us money on either rent or gas.

"If we move closer to work, we will spend less in gas."

"If we pay less in rent, we can pay off more debt."

"If we move again, it will be into a house."

Yes, all these quotes are things we have said. None of them have come true. We still haven't fixed our credit enough to get approved for buying a house. This next move will be the 9th place we have lived in the almost 8 years we have been married. For Jameson, who is 5, this will be the 7th place he will call home. We would really like to stop all the mayhem. Although, if you ever need tips on how to pack boxes to move, or how to pack a moving truck, we are the ones to ask. We are experienced.

We are now moving again when I am pregnant, which means that I won't be able to help much. Bummer! Yes, that was sarcastic. I don't enjoy moving. It is very stressful. What I am hopeful for, is lots of strong men to help Scott. In the past he has hurt his back, due to lifting heavy stuff.

I am very grateful for this move. Our last move relocated us across the country approx. 2000 miles. This move will be approx. 40 miles. We are moving closer to our church family. We have grown close to, and love our new family. We are rather excited about this move. Many of our things can be packed easily, due to the AMAZING organizing I did on our last move. This one will be much easier.

We are currently attending classes in "Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University". We are learning a lot, and will soon be debt free and have our finances under control. We really do want this to be our last move. We would like to purchase a house in the next few years. Yes, I know the FPU program does say not to get a loan for anything. I am praying for a miraculously large amount of cash to fall in our laps. Or, maybe we will win the lottery that we never play. Or, maybe someone will just walk up to me on the street and hand me the keys to a house. I'm sorry, I got caught up in my day dreams again. We are very excited about FPU. Things are already starting to be less stressful with our finances. We are building our emergency fund, and will soon be able to smile through any financial problems that come our way.

Baptism at the Beach

In the shallow water in the Atlantic Ocean is where it took place. Scott was baptized.

Because he is such a big guy, and the water was pretty shallow where we were standing, they decided to dunk him forward. It all worked out well.

He now can celebrate another birthday.

After the baptism, Scott was playing in the water with the boys. This beach was perfect for the boys. The waves were breaking on the sandbar out a little ways, so the water here was surprisingly calm. They did go play in the waves a little too.

Gavin loved the water, which was no surprise. What was a surprise was how much fun he had in the sand. He tried to eat it at first, but soon discovered that it didn't taste very good.

He kept getting up and walking. It wasn't easy walking in the sand, but he kept trying. He did a couple face plants, but he didn't give up. He just kept getting right back up again and walking back and forth.

At this beach, there is also a play area with some fountains of fresh water. The boys had a blast here too. There were a lot of people at this beach, but we still had a blast.

Singing

Teagen wanted to sing Jesus Loves Me.

Before going to bed, we have a routine of prayers, singing, and stories. The boys really have a great time singing. They usually each get to choose a song for all of us to sing. This night, Teagen wanted to sing his favorite song.

Haiti

Haiti

by Scott

This is the group that went to Haiti from our church, along with Sister Gladys and Pastor Henry, who are the owners of the Canaan Orphanage. (Sarah, Gladys, Wayne, Micaiah, (me)Scott, Jim, Pastor Bernie, Pastor Henry)

This is Haiti! Isn't it Beautiful?

Unfortunately, this is also Haiti.

After the earthquake, there were so many left homeless. This is one of the many tent cities there.

There is still a lot of destruction.

Buildings that have been destroyed are everywhere.

I believe this is a government building. Also destroyed.

More destruction.

We took a hike up the mountains, and saw some women working.

We also saw some men working.

This is a make shift gas station.

This is a market. Just slightly different than Walmart.

These are the guys riding in the back of the truck on the way to the Canaan Orphanage from the Airport.

These are some of the children at the orphanage washing clothes, and getting their hair done.

This is one of the worship services for the kids.

Here we are again while hiking in the mountains.

These are the pastors that we were speaking to.

Listening to them sing praises to God in another language was amazing. There were no instruments, but they clapped their hands in different rhythms.

Here we are praying.

I had to throw this one in, just for fun. This little boy just touched my heart. I wish I could have taken him home with me.