Hello Again!

Hello! Well, I'm so thankful we took a computer/TV break - it was so needed! I feel like I pulled my head out of the clouds and I hope never to go back there!

I'm telling you, if you are experiencing sibling rivalry in your home, pull the TV plug! The first few days were ROUGH - we all were squabbling (me included) - but then after a few days, the quiet and peace in our home, even between the kids, was so awesome! Perfect, of course not - there were still minor and infrequent arguments - but so, SO much better!

Last week we enjoyed having my husband home. We planned a stay-cation, and good thing we did, as all (but Daddy) came down with a horrible cold - any cold in the summer is horrible and is so rough on your body and this was no exception! It was good to just rest (and Daddy was able to get many things done he'd been trying to for a while now). We also took day trips and had a lot of fun doing that. Over the long Labor Day weekend we went camping at a Christian Campground and had a great time. From what we understand, during season, the days are filled with teaching on top of the fellowship, but that isn't the case on Labor Day weekend at all! It is pure fellowship and rest time. Sunday morning one of our Pastor's gave a great message at the lake on the campground, but otherwise, it was just filled with fun and fellowship. We plan on making this an annual event.

Of course this week, like most, we started school. My little man started first grade! He's adjusting fine, but Mommy and Daddy are having a rougher time of it. Why does time go by so fast? I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. I miss him, and continue to keep the whole schooling matter in prayer. Its not a Christian/public school thing for me at all. Personally I went to Christian school, and while I know my parents were positively doing what they believed in their hearts was the best for us, I'm not sure it had any impact on my spiritual life today. So, having my children go to Christian school I know without a doubt is not the answer to what I'm feeling and praying about. Its more of having a hard time understanding if having our children away from us for hours at a time all day, every day is the best for them at all! My husband and I are still bringing the matter before God. I'm thankful for our school, its a wonderful school, filled with very caring and devoted teachers. So I'm not afraid of anything happening or anything like that. In otherwords, there is no urgency to yank him out. Its a deeper issue that we are praying about. One that no article or person can help us out with. We've read it all, and now its purely an issue between us and God.

Anyway, here is a most handsome picture of my son and another beauty of all my kids on O's first day of school (by the way, his shirt says, "My Dad's the Man!" Dontcha love it?)

Next week, our middle son, will be going to a program two mornings a week at a great Baptist church around the corner. A precious program it is. Once my oldest was off to school, I started processing the fact that C is starting :( The Lord is my Comforter and I've been leaning heavily on Him as one should anyway (but tend not to when times are fine). I've read and re-read I Samuel chapters 1 and 2 where Hannah gives Samuel to the Lord by sending him to live with the priest Eli. The verse of dedication for all our children has been I Samuel 1:27-28 where Hannah explains she prayed for this child and now for the rest of his life he will be given to the Lord (I prayed my whole life to be married and have children). Although that was the verse we prayed for our children when they were born, its not something I have honestly done as completely as I believe the Lord wants. I hold on tight to MY kids.

I've read a little of Shepherding a Child's Heart this summer (see my side bar), and one thing Mr. Tripp explains that I wholeheartedly agree with is that too often parents think (me 100% included) is that if they do everything perfectly, and provide the perfect environment and do everything absolutely right that they will breed perfect children (I'm summarizing as I did the verses in I Samuel above). I have honestly thought that all these years. So as I attempt to provide perfection (impossible!) I haven't concentrated and paid attention to my children's hearts. I'm noticing especially in my oldest that as I talk to him and get to know him and all his fears, dreams, hopes, etc., that he is becoming more and more tender. When you are a drill sergeant expecting perfection at home (because after all that will breed perfection later- haha!), kids (and husbands) tend to close up - and that is not right. Thankfully, as always, the Lord is revealing much to me for which I'm so thankful!

In sadder news, O's asthma has been upgraded to "moderate to severe." He's on all sorts of meds to get it under control. Oh its so tough on this Mama (more so emotionally, but even just with my patience! The one med (which is only prescribed for 5 days, thank the Lord!) is making him a crazy child! He is eating us out of house and home, and he just generally has "ants in the pants.") I felt like "mother of the year" as our doctor gave me the serious talk that I so desperately needed. You see, when O was first diagnosed with asthma, around 2 years old, they said it was mild and that he'd probably outgrow it. So year after year, we've danced around it, not taking it seriously enough apparently. We would put him on meds when it became a little bit bad. Well, O masks his symptoms so well, that to me and others, he seems, well fine! But inside its bad. In fact, the only reason we were at the doctor's was for his 6 year old well checkup, he wasn't sick or anything. The doctor listened to his lungs, and became angry on O's behalf - in other words, he said, "this kid should not be like this! We need to make him feel better!" He then gave me the reality talk that if we keep fooling around and don't really get on top of preventing the attacks (that is the key with asthma we are learning), that in a few years it will be life threatening. With all these attacks and just general wheezing that he most likely experiences often, scar tissue can be building up. So here we are - one of his main triggers is his allergies, and in a few moments, we will be going to start his allergy shots. Poor kid. I know how much they help as I had them as a teen. I no longer even have trouble with my allergies. The allergist said that the shots will improve his allergies by at least 60% and his asthma by 40%. That will be wonderful! We still pray that as he grows bigger (and his air passages grow bigger with him) that he will outgrow the asthma completely. We pray too for complete healing by our Great Physician. Asthma is not a fun road, but I'm thankful its manageable, if we do this right. A little update: apparently, if you are having problems with your asthma as O is this week, they will not give you allergy shots. Of course this makes sense but I didn't think of it until we were there and they told me! They do not want to give you a shot of the allergen when that is what sets your asthma off. Doh!

Well, hope this fall is going well for you. Of course as most Septembers are it is hotter than it has been all summer! The pools are closed, so what is this pregnant Mama doing? Staying in the AC of course!

Oh! I can't believe I forgot to say something so important!!!!!! We changed our minds and found out that we are having a.......actually, let me tell you the whole story ;)

First of all, you have to know that I'm a good week or two further than the calendar says I am. Lets just say all things weren't typical around the time I believe I became pregnant, so I'm not surprised that I'm further along. My babies haven't been that monstrous in size, so I believe that I truly am further along. At my 20 week checkup (which I was really almost 21.5 weeks), I asked "so when do I get my ultrasound?" Well, turns out the best time to get it is between 18-22 weeks (after that the baby can get so big that its difficult to see what you need to on the ultrasound). My midwife said, "you should get it very soon :)" So this was a Wednesday, and they called the ultrasound place and had an opening the next morning. Well, because of the timing, it would have been difficult to get childcare that quickly (I was tempted to bring the kids, but just in case something was wrong, I decided I didn't want them there, in case I received heartbreaking news or something). So my husband stayed home with the kids. As I was there, I changed my mind, like I said, but I KNEW that I wanted to find out the same time as my husband. So she wrote it on a little paper, and put it in an envelope. On the way home, I had this idea to let our oldest son open it and read it to us. That was SO fun! Well, curious to know what our son read?







IT'S A GIRL!


We are so excited! Two "big" boys and two "little" girls. Thank you Jesus for these blessings!



Have a wonderful weekend!