A Home Full of Joy!

  This week our home has been full of rejoicing one big constant party and celebration. We have  received close to 200 messages of congratulations some of the most loving encouraging emails ever.  I laugh at myself for being nervous to announce I was pregnant. The Lord just took that fear and showed me how happy and loving those in our lives are.

Chris and Miranda  know we are bubbling up with inner joy – praising God for blessing you with two babies and praising God for YOU!   They will be blessed with the best parents!   We ‘all’  are over the top excited and thanking God – for HIS blessing upon your family and it in turn blesses everyone  - US FOR SURE!

 

When I heard the news – I right away – wished you were close by -  back on our street.   We shared the news at our bible study group last night;  lots of excitement  and more prayer for these precious gifts.

 

We  are now – praying for a healthy pregnancy and for all your family;  including your brothers.   If you have something specific for us to pray about please pass that on and or if you have ‘any’ desires/needs – I would love to help if I can in any way.

This is another..

 Congratulations! I just heard the news - not only are you being blessed with another baby, BUT TWO! How wonderful is that!! So happy for you guys. These babies will be welcomed into one of the most loving, nurturing and Christ-centered homes I know of. How blessed you are, and how blessed they are, too! Praying things go well during your final 4(?) months of pregnancy.

 Of all the big questions we keep getting over and over and over.. is " What will you guys do for a vehicle?" or "I guess it's time for a new van!"  I can not even count how many times this has been said.   I just want to keep reminding those that we serve a Heavenly Father that LOVES US and wants to lavish GOOD things on his children. He knows what is needed! He alone is our great provider. I say this to remind you all that we are not worried about the days to come!!! We laugh at the days to come, we rejoice in HIS provisions! We refuse to sit in "What ifs" because when you live there you miss out on all that He has given.

                                                                REJOICE WITH US!

 

The BEST NEWS!!!

Seriously look at that sweet little face. Baby A

Baby B little face. I am in love.

I am sure you can guess what this is~ ! What an amazing day! I am in awe -tears stream down my face you can't wipe the smile off. God is so good! 

My sweet children prayed for two things last year - twins and that I would have a pain free pregnancy and God heard us!

Around 16 weeks, I felt heavy not so much in size but I would roll over in bed and the weight was different. At my 19 week appointment I asked my midwife if she thought I was big and sure enough I was measuring well above the 20 week mark..  She had a listen at the heart beat on the right side and a beautiful strong happy baby at 150. She then moved to left and again a heart beat 150. She was hesitant to confirm twins because the heart beats were the same so she recommend I do the U/S which I normally refuse.  Two of the longest weeks ever waiting for the day to come.

 The story is kind of funny, I had a pretty good hunch it was twins from the beginning because I bled so much.  So I go into my U/S and I have student tech for the first 30 mins she keeps a poker face the whole time.And this point I am trying to come to terms that I am HUGE and it will all be OK.  Not as much as a hint she stops and says " Ok baby's heart beat is 144, I am going to go get my supervisor so she can check over my measurements.  Supervisor comes in fiddles around and says " I guess we should tell you there is TWO BABIES in there" I SCREAMED!!!!! "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! THANK YOU JESUS, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!" at this point Chris and the kids are in the waiting room I thought for sure they heard me.  Then tech says "OK we are going to need  about 1.5-2 hrs. to measure these 2 do you want me to go tell your husband?" I said yes but not the kids I want them all in the room.  She goes out  asks Chris to come into another room and says "Everything is fine, but you should go take the kids for a walk because it going to take a while to measure your two babies" Chris was just BEAMING! He said it was so hard to keep a straight face to the kids. 

After they were all done measuring the babies they called in the family and I almost yelled "guess" and 7 voices said "twins" at the same time. The tech was awesome let us watch these gifts for a bit. They are facing each other so it was just beautiful to see these limbs everywhere.  I AM BLESSED!! I PRAISE GOD for what he has given us!  Ahhhhh TWINS!

Weekend Away

Spent the weekend at the cabin.. so relaxing - building memories with family. The children played, ate great food, and I had two 3 hours naps! I came home feeling refreshed for the coming week.

You know it does not matter how many times you get to do this, the wonder than another soul is being knit inside continues to keep you amazed.

Summer/pregnancy update

                               My older four children have been sleeping outside for the last week,  it really excites me they are claiming their territory.  This is their yard, not the bears, cougars, coyotes etc.!! Such a huge step in overcoming fear!  On the weekend Chris slept out there with all the little ones. They just thought it was the greatest thing ever a camp-out with Daddy!

                                         We have been busy, water park trips, indoor playgrounds where it's nice and air-conditioned, big kids have been dropped off at the pool while I shopped, dinners with friends, and birthday parties.

 My sister and I met at the park earlier this week, she is due with her 7th baby any-day now. Can you believe there is going to be 15 children between the two of us?

I am 22 weeks now and feel amazing, those who have read my blog would know that I didn't have the easiest pregnancies and suffered from extreme PSD pain. I would be completely frustrated, I didn't understand why when I was so willing for my body to be used by HIM did it have to be so hard?  It wasn't until my last baby was 2 that I could see God didn't think we had to be this raving success with no trials we just needed to be faithful to what He has called us to and that he would provide the strength for each step of the way. And He did!  The most comforting revelation for me was that God fully accepts all my feelings and that He wants me to bring it all to Him, He understands and accepts me  just as I am.  When I was pregnant with Hannah, I cried out to Him just as a child would with "It's not fair!!"  That pregnancy continued in pain until she was delivered, but he heard my cry!  This is the first pregnancy since my 1st where I have been pain free!! Everyday I praise Him for every day I can walk. And even if it doesn't last the whole time 22 weeks of no pain has been such a blessing and I am so thankful!

Sabbath Rest

       We began observing the 7th day Sabbath from Friday at sundown to Saturday at Sundown after we read the Scriptures thoroughly and repeatedly and could not find anywhere where the Sabbath was changed to Sunday.. The more we read the Scriptures it seemed as if a veil was being lifted from our eyes. 
This was a complete letting go for us, Saturday has always been our "work bee" day, when the yard got mowed the laundry got caught up. Chris had a side job he did early Saturday mornings and he would rotate the children taking them for breakfast, it was a sacrifice that we had to make that we trust God will bless.
Friday has been spent preparing food for the Sabbath getting laundry caught up and getting the house spic and span for the coming day.

I will say it's been hard to stop and slow down, we have spent this time watching teachings online and talking, napping, playing games with the children.   Our hearts desire it to fully submit to our Heavenly Father . What convicted us most was that we whole heartily obeyed all other 9 commandments but not the fourth?  We were able to make so many excuses of why it could never work.

The Old Testament law was "fulfilled" by Christ (meaning that He kept it fully). The Sabbath law was part of the Ten Commandments given to Moses, not part of the ceremonial laws given to the Jews alone. The Ten Commanments are the basis for the moral law that all men are to live by not just those that are believers. I can not see anywhere in the new testament where we are given permission to disregard any of this moral code. What I do see is Jesus taught us how to fully keep it in spirit and truth, not just as an outward form.

Deuteronomy 30:11-20

¹¹ Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. ¹² It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” ¹⁴ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
¹⁵ See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. ¹⁶ For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
¹⁷ But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, ¹⁸ I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Ezekiel 20
19 I am
יהוה
your Elohim; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
20 And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you,
that ye may know that I am
יהוה
your Elohim.

The Long Days of Summer..

There is something so leisurely, so relaxed... making the long days welcome.

                                                    We are relishing in it.  Glorying in it.

Some days really productive, others quite lazy.

The busy season of harvest and schooling will soon be upon us,

 so for now, 

every moment of these summer days

 is to be enjoyed to the fullest.

 These long relaxing days by the pool gives me lots of time to read and pray. I have been thinking about our next "school year" coming up and my vision for what way I want to go, I am thinking more about guarding that door of sin, seeking wisdom so we can prevent the creeping mold of sin from growing. Seeking to not go through the doors of folly; and not desiring to be guests in the homes of those where sin is blazing at the front door. Keeping a home centered heart, building hearts and relationship with in our walls. Keeping our attitude one that will lay down ones life for each other.

 

Chris has been taking the children out on the lake in the evenings.

Sometimes slowing down, saying no to good things, but distracting things, 

and focusing in on our loving Heavenly Father, 

our home,

and our family 

is what is needed to restore and recharge a weary or overwhelmed soul. 

Sometimes,

if you slow down and listen, 

you can hear Father calling you to simplify, 

purify your priorities, 

and turn your heart towards home.