Update...

Sorry it has been SO long since we have posted anything. Living life and being busy with my little man has been great and not very boring, which is why I am just now updating!!! Don't worry, this is not the only thing I have neglected. I also just realized that I have over a thousand pictures on my camera that I still have not uploaded (man that is going to take forever!!).

So this blog will be short with just a few updates, and when I get done uploading ALL my pictures I will post some on here. Things sure have changed in these last several months!!!

The MOST EXCITING thing happening in our lives right now is my little man using the big boy potty!!!! I am SO very proud of him for doing this!! He has realized and knows that he loves school and wants to go be with his friends. We have talked about it and doing school work at home with mom just is not appealing to him. So we starting looking into preschools. He got SO excited when we talked to him about it and the possibility of being in class with his dear friend Gabby!!!! In order to go to school he MUST be potty trained!!! So we are trying!!!

There is nothing sweeter in the world that hearing my son get so excited and yelling "Yeah!! I did it!!!" Hoping to get some pictures of his excited face in the next couple of days.

What is new in your lives?!??!?!

The struggles of a Chiari Family

In 2003 we found out that my mom had a rare birth defect called Arnold Chiari Malformation (aka Chiari). Chiari causes alot of symptoms that can be a challenge to get through at times. Even though my mom was literally close to death, many people wouldn't have known she was sick by the way she acted. She is one tough cookie and the person I learned how to be a strong woman from!

As a junior and senior in High School I had a very hard time dealing with this all. I was the oldest one at home during this time and had to basically take care of EVERYTHING. I would take care of all the chores at home, my brother and sister, my mom, and still go to school and try to be a "normal" teenager. I know alot of people say that if it wasn't for their relationship with God they wouldn't have made it through...but honestly I think that if God was not a part of my life at that point I NEVER would have made it through. God placed so many encouraging people in my life right when I needed them to get over the next mountain.

Some of the symptoms that my mom had included losing her memory, not being able to get up to walk to the bathroom, losing the feeling in her arms, severe headaches, temporary blindness, and many more that I am sure she never told us. At the end of 2003 she was taking around 16 or more Ibuprofen a day to deal with the pay...however, it didn't even touch it. At that point we weren't sure what was going to happen and it became more clear than ever before that prayer was the only thing I could do. Now, keep in mind that I was still a pretty new Christian. I had given my life to God in June of 2003. In November of 2003 my mom gave her life to God and things really started to change in her life too!
It was still very difficult to remain focused on God in everything. I can remember wanting to just run away and not deal with anything at one point. It was after I had been sitting with my mom and she looked at me and told me she couldn't remember my name. My heart just broke but knew that it wasn't my mom saying that, it was this monster known as Chiari.
During all of this she continued to try to find out more information and a doctor that could "fix" this. We learned that there was a neurosurgeon in another state that could do surgery!!! However, it would not cure her of anything. Once she had surgery there was always a possibility that she would need it again. March 2004 my mom and dad traveled to have her surgery. They were gone for what seemed like a lifetime. About a week after her surgery she was safely home for us to take care of. While she was gone the surgeon told my parents that if she wouldn't have had the surgery she wouldn't have survived much longer (I never knew that until yesterday).

It has been about seven years and the symptoms have been coming back for sometime now with some new ones as well. The most recent one is her having uncontrollable gasps. She will be sitting in the middle of church and gasp for no reason. I'm sure many people don't know why she does it or what is wrong. If I wouldn't have told B he would have thought that she was gasping at J for something that he did.
February 8th she finally was able to get into the neurosurgeon in Louisville. They are currently running some tests on her to see exactly where the problem is this time. As our family continues to deal with the struggles that will come from this we ask that you pray. PRAY HARD!!! No, there is nothing else that we need right now. We need prayer for strength, prayer for wisdom, and prayer for healing.

3.5 down 86.5 to go!!!!

Wow it has been a few months since I posted anything! Life sure has been one big adventure, especially with Christmas coming up!!!

Christmas is in just a few weeks! As we all know, but maybe don't acknowledge...most of the weight we put on in a year is around the holidays. Eighty percent of the weight americans gain throughout the year occurs in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's!!! (per the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development). This means that if someone gained weight gradually over several years, they've put the bulk of their weight on during this time!!!! More than half of American adults are overweight!!!! Well with this news I decided to do something about it!!

My mother-in-law joined the Metabolic Research Center (MRC) in Columbus, IN. She started a week or so before Thanksgiving day. As I started to notice a difference in her I became curious. On Black Friday we went and got me signed up at the MRC!!! Since starting two weeks ago I have lost 3.5 pounds (that I know of)!!! I have weighed in two times and will go again on Monday. Not only am I losing pounds and hopefully inches, I have noticed my engery levels have changed. For once I feel like I can tackle this weight problem and desire to eat whatever I want!!! For any of you that know me, I LOVE to bake!! Which on a diet could really become a problem. I love the smell of brownies in the oven, of all the ingredients when making homemade buttercream icing for a cake! It is a simple joy of mine!!! Since starting this diet I have noticed that my cravings have almost completely disappeared!!! I don't feel like I have to munch all day long, and I feel like I am putting my own physical needs first for a change. Along with this my husband has been very supportive and is eating only the things that I am allowed to have!! It also helps that he is doing a Biggest Loser contest at work and wants to win! Since the beginning of November B has lost roughly 25 pounds and keeps losing!!! I am VERY proud of him!!! It has also helped J to eat better as well!!! With me not munching all day, J doesn't either! What a huge change this has already made in my family in just the two weeks we have been doing it!!!

I am looking forward to being able to wear super cute clothes again and never be this size for the rest of my life!!! By September I have a feeling I won't even recognize myself!!! It makes me VERY excited!!!!

If you decide this is something for you, go look into it!! If you do, let them know that you are a friend of mine! They like to know how people came to hear about them!!!

...Bump...

Well, these past few days and weeks we have been going non-stop working with the church and trying to enjoy the beautiful weather, getting things done outside around the house. As we were going about our crazy life we didn't think about the fact that I was "late". When I sat down and started thinking about it I realized that there was a possibility I was roughly 7weeks pregnant. Of course this wasn't part of our plan so to speak. We figured J would closer to 2 before we started trying, and we just kept praying that our plans and God's plans for our lives lined up. I had taken two pregnancy tests that showed up negative so I was giving up on taking another one for now. I knew that when I was pregnant with J for the first seven weeks I tested negative with the at home tests and that could be happening again. I knew that we were pregnant though because I was feeling somewhat the same way I did when I was pregnant the first time. We didn't say anything to anyone because we wanted to make sure that we were 100% sure before we shared the good news!
This past weekend was a very busy weekend. B and I did get a date night on Friday and then I worked on a cake later that night for Saturday. The next morning we woke up early and went yard saling (I know it is so old person-like, but we love that time together doing nothing!). When we got home we had to rush like crazy for B to get to the church to work and for me to get on the road to deliver the cake and get to a bridal shower. Friday night I started have these light pains and thought nothing of it, I just kept going like I always do. Saturday I started to notice some more pains and "spotting". I knew this wasn't normal. I tried not to think about it too much. But as the day went on the pains were stronger and the spotting turned to excessive bleeding and I started to pass blood clots. I knew this was really bad, but still didn't want to think about it. Sunday afternoon after small groups one of the families asked how I was feeling (since we had talked to them about what was going on before) and he confirmed my thoughts...it was a miscarriage. I trust this person since they are a doctor. When we left there we just kept going non-stop until about 9:30ish when it finally hit we lost a baby. I couldn't help but to be in tears over this. It has been a very hard couple of days. I know that God has a reason for everything he does, but it doesn't make it any easier at this moment.
Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days so far. B was gone to Holiday World with the youth and J and I stayed home. I kept feeling the whole day like it was just a bad dream, but my heart was just so broken I knew it was real. Today has been a little better for me, and I think it is because I had all day yesterday to cry it out. B is having a very difficult day today agian. Yesterday he couldn't talk on the phone to me without crying and today he is having a very stressful day at work and started crying the second he got on the phone with me during his lunch break. I don't think B realized how much he wanted another baby until all this happened.

Please be praying for us during this difficult time. We know that it is just another bump in the road and God will see us through it. We trust that He will never put on us more than we can handle!!!

Radical

Lately B and I have been reading two different books, but both about becoming more radical in your walk with God. As I have been reading I am realizing what being a true follower of Christ actually looks like. It is leaving behind security, convenience, money, and family for Him. I am supposed to abandon everything for the gospel. I am SUPPOSED to take up my cross DAILY.
There are people who have to hide just to be able to study the bible or to pray, but they do it because they are excited about what God wants to show them. They sit for hours studying and praying knowing that their lives are in danger, but if they don't learn they will never be able to tell others about how amazing our God really is.

Then there are those who must walk long distances just to get to a church and sit on hard floors with no AC, and no amazing band for worship because they are excited to be able to worship our creator. While we are here in the comfortable United States getting ready for church. We put on our nice clothes, drive our expensive cars to a multi-million dollar building with AC and cushioned seats, to listen to an amazing praise band and a pastor for about an hour and then it is back to our "normal" lives of watching t.v. and being comfortable. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our church family and the people who lead us in worship and who teach us, but are we too comfortable to see God doing something, anything in the lost and dying world around us?!??!

As I have been sitting and trying to digest all of this I am learning that this is not something I have done. Let's be real, we all get caught up in our daily lives of being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, church goer, etc. and in the process are focusing on ourselves. Why does it have to be this way?

I sit here and think about the 4.5 billion people (roughly) who have never heard the gospel. Those 4.5 billion people who are seperated from God in their sin and if nothing changes in their hearts will be spending an eternity in hell. While I am here serving my own selfish needs.

God has really been trying to show me that I need to be more intentional about everything that I do. What am I doing to impact the people around me? What does it really mean to impact someone?

impact=a forcible contact between two things

In the book that I am reading, the author was talking to a young man and asked him how he was going to impact the world. He said," I am going to make disciples of all nations." The author asked, "So you are going to impact the world by making disciples of all nations?" "Why not?"

I pray that I can get to this point...why not? Do I believe that in obeying Jesus' command to make disciples that I will impact the world? Do I trust the my God and savior will provide and equip me with everything I need to impact the world with his love and mercy and grace? Like Jesus, all I need to do is revolutionize the hearts of a few people and they will impact the world.

The way that B and I plan to do this....
We have been praying and talking about the city park. The farmers market is there on Saturday mornings and ther are always people flooding that area of the town. We know that some way or another we are supposed to start there. We are supposed to build relations with the people who are going to that area and start pouring into them. Please be in prayer with us as God shows us what exactly we are supposed to do. God has laid the burden on our hearts and now we must be obedient in fulfilling his call.

It is a challenge to become Radical in all that we do, but man is it life changing for everyone involved! Praying that you too will become radical in your walk with God!!!

Birthday fun!!!

Monkey celebrated his 1st Birthday!!!

We went to Hubers Farm to eat with my family. He loved the amazing food there.

We really enjoyed watching him make faces as we gave him new foods to try!

After dinner we went outside to walk around and watch the animals...

He also got to pick an apple off a tree!






Here we are watching Monkey getting excited about feeding the ducks and fish.

He LOVES his daddy SO much!!

They ALWAYS have alot of fun together!

On July 4th we had his party!

He loved all of his gifts!...
Even the clothes!!!

When I tried to take this shirt from him he screamed!!

BUT his favorite part of all....

The boy LOVES chocolate!!!


It was kind of hard for mommy and daddy. But Monkey gets more fun with each day!!! We are excited to watch him become a young man!

Burnt up Motor

Sorry it has been a while since we have posted anything. Life has been a little crazy for us.

For those of you who have been praying about B's trip to Haiti, it was cancelled. The group is going to Puerto Rico instead and B decided to not participate. His heart is with Haiti and would love to one day go. Our church will be planning a trip there sometime in January or February, so hopefully we will be able to go then.

Little Monkey is getting big, and I can't believe that we will be celebrating his 1st birthday this weekend! (will post pictures later!)

As for me I am trying to be the woman God has called me to be. Trying to be a godly wife and mother to the best of my ability, but realizing that I cannot do it on my own. Trying to do the daily housework and duties of being a mom has been a challenge lately. Monkey is into everything and undoes anything I am working on.

Just when I think I am doing good and things are back in order something like my vacuum motor burns up! As I was vacuuming in my room one day a sock got sucked up (it was under the edge of the bed and I didn't see it). The vacuum started acting all crazy so I turned it off. Immediatley there was a HORRIBLE smell that filled the room. It was so bad I thought for sure that I would vomit everywhere. We had to put the vacuum outside just to get the smell out of the house! At first I was a little irritated, but then God, being who he is, used this moment as a lesson in my life.

We are like the vacuum going about doing our work, then Satan puts a "sock" in our way to prevent us from doing the rest of our task. There are some days that our motors burn up and there is no way we will be functional for a few days. Or maybe there is a horrible smell coming from us that causes others to not want to be around us. Either way we are no longer able to do what we were made to do.
For some this might sound crazy, but this is the way that God shows me different things that might need working on in my life.

Being a stay-at-home-mom there is always something that could cause me to not want to finish my task or that Satan may use to prevent me from being the woman God calls me to be.
As difficult as it may be sometimes I am realizing that I am more blessed than I could have ever imagined. I wouldn't want it to be any other way!!! I am learning to have joy even when things like my vacuum blows up, the toilet seat breaks, a dish breaks, my kid busts his mouth, etc. The only reason I can have joy is because I know that there is something much bigger than just a vacuum, there is a lesson, but only IF I seek God.