Thinking

One of my books that I'm reading in the Spring Reading Thing is A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy DeMoss. The sub-title of this book is Finding Intimacy with God Through a Daily Devotional Life. I'm laying it out here ... I really struggle with this. I'm not good at setting aside time for the Lord ... some of it is due to habits I never learned, some due to some misconceptions I have had about God ... but make no mistake, it's something I need to do. That said, I ran across this paragraph in the book that made me stop, and think, and go back and read the paragraph again, and think some more. You get the idea.

Over the years I've watched women walk through almost every conceivable ordeal, some of which have been unbelievably tragic or complex. I have prayed with friends through their struggles to cope with terminal disease, rebellious sons and daughters, abusive husbands, and torturous memories of sexual abuse. I have wept with women at the graveside of a little child, in the hospital following an accident that left their loved on on life support, and at the bedside of a husband dying from cancer.

Through those experiences I have learned a foundational truth. Whether the problem is earth-shattering or a mere blip on the radar screen of our lives, ultimately, the real issue is this: "Will I surrender to God's hand and purposes in my life?" Those who refuse to relinquish control become emotionally and spiritually bankrupt - bitter, demanding, impossible to live with. Those who say in simple surrender, "Yes, Lord," emerge from the experience spiritually rich, and their lives become a source of grace and encouragement to others who are hurting.

I am realizing that this is something that I don't know how to do and it affects everything. From my relationship with God ("ahem, fix this and this and this"), to submitting to my husband (um, no control issues there!), to fear of how I would handle some devestating tragedy in our family ... I fight surrender to God's will in so, so, so many areas.

One way that I have specifically seen this played out is in the last area that I mentioned. We have been so abudantly blessed with two healthy little girls. There is a part of me that sometimes wonders when the other shoe will drop, so to say. Will it be with this sweet baby? As if I don't know enough friends struggling in my offline-life, I've become acquainted with several women bloggers who walk this path daily: Sarah and her daughter Addison and Trish and her daughter Ashley. This morning, I read of another Mom, already dealing with her daughter heart condition, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Yet, amazingly, their writings are so full of grace and wisdom and that peace that passeth all understanding ... I am floored. I'm not saying they don't question. I'm not saying there is never anger. But these are women that have learned an amazing truth:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9

It's a good feeling to be searching the Scriptures on my own so that I can write these truths upon my heart as well.

36 weeks and then some...

Dr. appointment this morning and all went well. I'm down to weekly appointments and we even have our section date scheduled! (Still not sure if I'm not going to leave it for a surprise or not). :) I even lost 4 pounds, probably due to the little stomach virus that we suffered through as a family over the last week and a half. I guess that's one positive thing that came out of it!

Check out this fun Misty-mail that came yesterday:

Okay, I know I'm a little biased to girl stuff, but how totally cute! Thanks Misty!! :)

Menu Plan Monday - April 9

Monday: Slow-cooker Tamale Cassarole ... been trying to make this for 2-3 weeks and it's in the crockpot for dinner tonight. Probably serving with spanish rice. New recipe.
Tuesday: Aisan salad with diced chicken. (The Fresh Express bags of salad were really reduced at Kroger this morning and so I bought the 4-5 that they had left ... I'll just use one of those bags and throw some chicken in there for an easy meal).
Wednesday: Chili (in the crock)
Thursday: Charleston chops (from Saving Dinner's pork freezer meals ... new recipe), baked potatoes and more salad.
Friday: Dinner out!
Saturday: Ham and beans in the crockpot.

For more menus, visit Org Junkie!

Not much else in the way of news to report from this end. We had a wonderful and busy Easter ... it was freezing here so we bundled the girls in winter dresses for church and will have to wait a few weeks for a cute picture of them in their Easter dresses. :) Today has been nice and slow with only a trip out to get the oil changed in the car. I've been trying to rest a bit more in the afternoon when N2 is napping and N1 is having some computer time. Making myself sit with my feet up is HARD. :) (Not that I don't like sitting and reading and stuff, but it's hard to do it in the afternoons when that's my good productive time when the baby is napping). Tomorrow is our 36 week appointment and hoping to have a section date scheduled.

On tap for this week - get my hospital bag packed and ready, as well as the girls' go-to-Grandma's bags. They are both spending the night with the grandparents on Friday night ... a test-run mainly for N2 since she's never slept over with them before, and my goal is to have both their bags ready to go and then just stay there until their baby-stay. Also want to start addressing baby announcement envelopes. The baby announcement card (I think) is finally finalized and ready to go ... just need baby info now! :)

A is for age: 36
B is for beer of choice: Diet Root Beer
C is for career right now: Wife and mother
D is for your dog's name: Sam and/or Jenny. Take your pick, there are two of them.
E is for essential item you use everyday: My laptop!
F is for favorite TV show at the moment: I can't tell you the last TV show I watched. Favorite would probably be Alias or West Wing on DVD.
G is for favorite game: We don't play tons of games ... we play with the game pieces, but not according to any actual rules as of yet. :)
H is for home town: OKC, if you mean where was I born.
I is for instruments you play: Piano, acoustic guitar, flute.
J is for favorite juice: I so rarely drink juice. It's been burned into my head that those are wasted calories/sugar from my Weight Watcher days. However, I love cranberry juice with diet ginger ale.
K is for who you'd like to kiss: Any immediate family member. I like them all! But not my dogs. I don't kiss dogs.
L is for last place you ate: (I'll answer this based on yesterday). We had Easter lunch at my folks ... we were supposed to host it, but with the germs we couldn't seem to shake we decided it best to pass on the hosting duties this year.
M is for marriage: Five years in August.
N is for your full name: No thanks.
O is for overnight hospital stays: Twice (almost 3 times) for babies.
P is for people you were with today: My family and an older gentleman from church who joined us for Easter dinner.
Q is for quote: "You can do it!" (What N1 says to me all.the.time. when she is trying to convince encourage me to do something). :)
R is for biggest regret: Two at the top of my list ... not knowing or understanding the importance of daily time in the Word and prayer at a younger age ... it's such a struggle now. And that I would have practice the piano more.
S is for status: Happily married.
T is for time you woke up today: 6:30 am
U is for underwear you have on now: Uncomfortable, and that's all you'll get.
V is for vegetable you love: Lately, all about the broccoli.
W is for worst habit: Um. Too much computer time. :)
X is for x-rays you've had: Teeth, ankle (rolled it off a curb), finger (broke it playing softball), maybe a few others...
Y is for yummy food you ate today: Again, based on our yummy Easter ... it was all good. My Grandma's apricot jello salad, green bean cassarole, ham, etc.
Z is for the zodiac sign: No thanks. That creeps me out. I don't even know what mine is.

This quiz courtesy of Baseballs and Bows!

Introducing...

Moe.



Noelle has Baa.


Natalie has her elephant (however, although she loves her elephant, her blankie is her true love).

Baby #3 will have Moe. Off to pack one of them in the hospital bag so she'll be ready to go.

A New Love

Thanks to a new book that I spotted at this blog, I have a new fun project that actually keeps me awake while watching TV with Travis in the evening. :) I made this one for baby girl to see if I could pull this embroidery thing off and was pleased with the results! I need to do a better job of hiding my threads in the back, but overall, not too shabby for the first time.

Who Do You Know?

Nan has a fun linky up to participate in today ... the question is "who do you know" in blogland, and the optional tag-a-long question of who you would like to know. :-) Now Nan is a new to me blogger, however, I went to college with her husband (not a close friend, but I definitely recognized pictures of him!)

This spurs me to share a photo of my friend Leah, who is fairly new to blogging. She and I roomed together the fall semester of our senior year ... both of us social studies education majors!



I've had the privilege of meeting several bloggy friends ... most I have met through the Women at Home ministry which I've been part of for about two years now! You can see pics from a recent W@H gathering here. I think that's the third(?) time I've seen Dana, and maybe the 2nd to hook-up with Say-ruh. Lauren and I run into each other a little more often since we live in the same town, and her Dad and my Dad are photography geeks buddies and her folks go to my church. Maria and Vicki were first-time meet-ups. :) I've also met several others from Women at Home: Leann, Nattie, Becky, Jojo, Heather, Skipper, Stacey ... who am I leaving out ... I didn't realize that I'd met so many!

Then, of course, I have had the privilege of dinner with Blest when she and her family were traveling through town on their way home:



And Meredith and I have crossed paths a time or two trading tiny girl clothes and toys for busy preschoolers!

There are way too many that I would like to meet up with IRL to list them all so I won't even go there. :) (Like Cheri, Katherine, BooMama - although I really think I just want BooMama to feed me...) Really, the list is just ridiculous if I put everyone on there). :)

If you play along with this, leave your linky over at Nan's, and let me know so I can come read your post!

Spring Pictures

Some of you may remember this picture (summer 2005):



This is this summer:



And a few spring pics of my girl:

When I Grow Up

Starting a new class today from Shimelle called When I Grow Up. I so enjoyed her Christmas Journal Class that I'm back again.

Menu Plan Monday - April 2

It's a good sign that things are looking up around here when I can plan meals with real food. :-) Or maybe that's optimistic of me. Here's this week's menu and a few new dishes thrown in to test:

Monday: Ground Beef Gyros (freezer meal from Saving Dinner), leftover salad. Note: this is the second time we've had this dish, the cucumber dressing that goes with it is wonderful!
Tuesday: Potatoes and eggs (breakfast burritos), peaches
Wednesday: Slow-Cooked Tamale Cassarole, from Taste of Home's Slow Cooker Recipes, new
Thursday: Cowboy Chow, from Busy Cooks' Lowfat Cookbook, with broccoli parmesan
Friday: Pizza night
Saturday: Charleston Chops (pork freezer meal from Saving Dinner, new), baked potatoes, salad
Sunday: Easter Lunch at our home ... menu to be worked out with my Mom and sister tomorrow over lunch. Ham will be on there, along with my Mom's apricot jello salad (YUM!), my sister's green bean cassarole, and I'll probably be making homemade yeast rolls.

I'm going to try and do a bit more planning today, so I can get a few extra meals in the freezer each week pre-baby.

For more menus and meal ideas, head over to Org Junkie's!

Sunday

I'm home from church with the munchkins this morning. N1 had a restless night, and the cause of that was shared with all of that a little before 7 a.m. this morning. It's now 9:30, and both girls are napping - N2 in her crib, and N1 on the couch out here with me so I can monitor her easily and assist in any rushing to the bathroom. I didn't sleep so well last night either (I think yesterday's first day of real food was a bit much for my sensitive stomach), so I'm going to the couch and veg, maybe make a grocery list for this week, and just rest.

If you need something to read, stop over at Holly's for a great post on contentment. Pretty timely for me this a.m. Struggling with being content when I'm dying to get out of the house, and am tired of washing sheets and clothes over and over.

Things I can be thankful for:

• the fact I HAVE a washer and dryer that clean our clothes so well
• all our cloth diapers are clean as of this morning!
• for Grandparents that take the time to drop of a Dora DVD for the sick kiddo on their way to church
• that I didn't have any responsibilities at church this morning (unusual) and could stay home without have to have lots of bases covered
• God is good