Where in the World Have We Been?

Here is a little hint:

This is one of my favorite times on the beach.  We were all sitting and playing in the sand.  I was blowing bubbles using the wind.  It was a time for peaceful chaos.  I loved it.

She loves to be thrown up into the air. 

 This is one of my beautiful cousins playing with Faith while on vacation.

 After a long outing on the beach, it was time for a snack.  A nap followed.



I want to praise God for allowing us to go on this trip.    It was an answer to a prayer. 

I will give you the short version (keep in mind that these things took place in about a months time):

I had a dream that our family would be going on a vacation for $280/person.

I told God, I wanted to get my prayer life in line with Shawn's.  I was feeling like I had been selfish only looking at what God wanted for our family from my point of view.

I asked Shawn what he wanted me to pray for.

Shawn wanted to go to the beach. I didn't pray for it at first, it took me a couple of days (and going to Revival at church) before I was ready to pray for it. At Revival that Evangelist said, "Pray for the impossible. (See Luke 18:27).

I decided to pray for the impossible with man.  I want to go to a spectacular beach with my dear husband.  Keep in mind that his salary meets the basic needs and wants of our household.

Frontier Airlines had a special for $8/one-way ticket from Kansas City to Houston (Galveston is only 1 hour from the airport).  With charges, taxes, and fees our tickets for 4 (because Faith is still a lap ticket for a few more months) was $114.  So we decided to go down to the Galveston area to the beach. Shawn drove the car with one of the bigs to and from because it would have cost us $600 to rent a car because of car seats and such.

Thirteen years ago Shawn and I traveled to Houston for the first time to visit MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (In April 2012, he'll be cancer free x 13 years).  Thirteen years ago, I worked for a man in Lawrence, Kansas.  I had to quit this job because we were going to be in Houston for 4 months.  This man that I worked for 13 years ago was on the flight back from Houston.  It was great catching up. 

So here is your statistical question for the day:  What is the chance out of more than 7 billion people that live on the earth that the man I worked for 13 years ago would be on the same flight back from Houston to Kansas City?

There are other details about the flight home and in what has happened in the last month that I am leaving out that still leave me in AWE of God, but those details are too personal to our family.   Let me just say that if it is God's will, we will be going to a spectacular beach.  Just the two of us. According to God's plan.

Anyway, I am going to continue to pray for the "possible with God".  I hope you will too because miracles are way better than ordinary life.

Happy November 1

Here are a few pics from Halloween and Faith being Faith.

This was before we went on a trip to see Grammy M.  She was helping me pack the cold stuff. :)

This was the best pic out of like 20. 

I have a low cabinet that I keep all of my cooking utensils (that aren't sharp) pots and pans, and plastic containers.  All of my kids have played in this cabinet.  I keep my utensils in a plastic flower pot.  She put it on her head herself.  I love the chef's hat.

 All gone.

Peek-a-boo!

Waiting patiently for their big brothers to take pictures at the Church Fall Carnival.

I hope you've enjoyed our fun.  God Bless!

Gotta Have My Coffee

 My child loves coffee -- half coffee, half milk and a little bit of sweetener.

 Cheese.

 All done.

Silly time.

Thank you Jesus for this precious gift.

Power Struggle

So much of my life and time is struggling between the powers that be -- good and evil.

A few days ago I was thinking about how I was addicted to being overcome by fear, loneliness, tiredness, hatred, and negativity.  Why are there so many bad feelings? 

So there is the choice.  Do you dwell in the negativity or do you dwell in the presence of His holiness?

I am also addicted to the Father.  He is the only one that can heal and fill.

Psalm 68:5-9
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
   is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
   he leads out the prisoners with singing;
   but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
 When you, God, went out before your people,
   when you marched through the wilderness,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
   before God, the One of Sinai,
   before God, the God of Israel.
You gave abundant showers, O God;
   you refreshed your weary inheritance.

I am weary most days these days.  I find it so amazing how God continues to be so refreshing.  The only other place I'd rather be besides home is church.  Not necessarily the building, but with fellow believers. 

I hope you are choosing to be in His presence.  You can always come spend a minute with me and we can enjoy His presence together.  God Bless!

 

2 Blue Lines

I had a dream last night that there were 2 blue lines.

At a different point in my life I would have been ecstatic, but at this point I find it terrifying.

I sure hope that dream was for someone else.

Praise God for Mundane Days

When we were waiting for Faith to come home, I had a woman comment to me that she would take the rollercoaster over the merry-go-round any day.   A few days after I read that comment, there was a woman who has a daughter that has brain cancer that posted on her blog that she can't wait to get off of that merry-go-round.  Oh, how my heart aches for her.

I praise God for mundane days.  For those days that my children and I can go outside and have no worries.  Where we can take a moment and watch while a leaf from our big trees slowly spins and floats silently to the ground.  Where I am not rushed and neither are they.

We had a bit of a scare and a not so mundane night Friday night.  All four children wanted to lay down with me in Faith's bed.  Her mattress is thankfully on the floor.  We had shut all the lights off.  Liam put his pillow next to me.  I was trying to read my Bible on my phone.  The next thing I know I hear a bump (I thought he fell off the bed, but was later told by Aiden that he jumped).   He then started crying, you know the cry where you know that they're really hurt.  So I jump up and turn on the light.  Blood is dripping out of his mouth onto him, the bed, and the floor.  I grabbed him up and ran to the bathroom.

I told Aiden to go get me some ice.

I looked in his mouth and asked him,  "Did you bite your tongue?"

Tearful, "Yes."

"Did you bite your cheek?"

"Yes."

"Did you knock your teeth out?"

"Yes."

I knew that the blood was coming from somewhere, but couldn't quite see where.   I could see there weren't any teeth out of place, no cheek bites, no tongue blood.  Of course I'm panicking.  I yelled, "Aiden, please bring me a flashlight that works."    (Guess what I want for Christmas?)

Keep in mind that Liam is my child that doesn't like to open his mouth even for brushing his teeth.  I look in the back of his mouth and there is a hole a little larger than a dime in the back of his mouth (soft pallet).  I then yell at him in my panicky mother tone, "DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN YOUR MOUTH?" 

Head nodding, "Yes."

I run into Faith's room to look at the toys on the floor and there is this plastic, molded together french fries pack with blood on it.  I was angry at the situation.  I have had a fear that Faith would get hurt somehow since she came home.  She's clumsy.  I have been telling Faith since she has been in our care to keep things out of her mouth. 

I said, "We need to go to the ER."   

When I was a little girl they had this "911" episode with this child on it where he had ran with a toothbrush and it got lodged in the back of his throat, so something like this has been a big fear since then.

So we called Aunt J and Uncle S and asked if they could take care of the 3 that weren't injured.  Thank God they live close. 

Car seats are a great invention until you want one out quickly.  Once we dropped off the kids, I sat next to Liam and held his hand.  I think he gave me more comfort than I gave him because I got car sick (luckily didn't throw up, but ill all the same).

We got to the ER and I asked the tech to give me a cold, wet wash cloth and tears start coming down my cheek because I can't handle worrying about my boy and myself at the same time.  You know mad that I'm sick and scared and trying to be the caretaker at the same time. 

They got him all checked over.  While the Doctor was looking in his mouth, I noticed there wasn't one hole, but 2.  The 2nd one was on the right side and it wasn't as bad as the left.  They took 2 xrays to make sure it hadn't gone into the sinuses (nasal cavity).    Thank God it was just a soft pallet laceration and it would heal over in a couple of days.  We are to follow up with his family Dr.

Then we went to pick up Faith at Aunt J and Uncle S because we were worried that she would be scared not waking up at home.   We left the 2 other boys there.

I praise God that it wasn't worse, and for Faith transitioning easily, and for family close by, and for cold-wet wash cloths, and for Aiden that he found a flashlight QUICKLY in the heat of the moment, and for Owen who usually takes 5 minutes to put on his shoes was in the car WAY before Mommy got there, and for the 2 older boys grabbing there jackets.

But most of all, today,  I praise God for the mundane days that He gifts us.

My Girl in Her Blue Dress (in honor of girleebird's little girl)