A month in review...April

I usually like to write (alot) about our activities and our family memories...but the last month has been a blur. Moving in about 1 month ago and having no internet, left little to no time to write, but I did manage to take pictures...SO here is month in review in photos! Me & my dear friend Lynn at Table Rock Lake
Our kids (John Michael, Isabelle, & Alek) who were pumped to be on vacation. Kevin & I decided that after the year we had and the crazy March the kids put up with that they deserved a treat. So I asked Lynn & Alek to join us at Silver Dollar City! I didn't tell the kids until the day we left. They were SO surprised & excited. We had the best weather & the park was empty of roller coaster riders...so we just got on & off as often as we wanted to. It was a perfect girls/kids trip for all! We had a blast!

The kids are laughing so hard because a Kill Deer Bird is dive bombing them while I was taking their pic...we discovered that the next with her eggs was about 1 foot from where I had told them to stand. The mama was just protecting her babies....

It's a good thing Lynn likes rollercoasters . . . Isabelle would have been riding alone. Actually besides the 1 man behind them, they were riding ALONE!!!

JM & Isabelle - green shirts

Isabelle met a girl named "Clover" on this ride & they "talked" the whole ride. I don't know if they even knew that they were on a ride. It was hilarious.

Miss Lynn & Isabelle on the barn swing - 4 times I think. (They are in the 1st 2 seats!)

Our hotel had free paddle boats - we were the only ones riding those too. Hotel was empty!

My latest family fun idea...Rainbow cupcakes

We stirred & stirred to make all our colors...the cupcakes became too full so we made a cake instead.

Isabelle's soccer debut...

The Nursery Open House...Isabelle selling her cards.

Our new greenhouse & fountains.

My dad came hunting at our house...Kevin helped call in his 1st turkey. He calls himself the "one shot wonder." One turkey, one shot, perfect!

We headed to KC for fun family & friend time & managed to squeeze in a HUGE garage sale.

Isabelle's 2 friends came to visit her...she was pumped.

Myah, Isabelle, and Natalie

John Michael and his buddy Tyler

I am thankful to be in our home. I am thankful for friends & family. I am thankful for our church fmaily. I am thankful for all of God's many blessings. I can't wait to see all God has in store for the next month.

Quick Update...

We are moved into the house, but definitely NOT settled...please pray for peace & resolution as we have some unresolved issues that need to be addressed. All in God's time! We do not have internet at our house so I have to go somewhere to be able to check email, etc. so feel free to call if you want to chat, as it could be a week or more before I check email or blog comments. Here are a few picks from the last week:

JM seeing his b-day present from all his grandparents...is he excited or what?

This is hanging on the kids patio on the concrete wall right outside his bedroom window!

The night we moved in, the kids were up 'til 11pm arranging their rooms. Isabelle kept asking "Mom, are we really staying here tonight? Are we hear for good?" After I said "yes", she would say "I like hearing you say that!" It was really cute! Much to do, but the kids are adjusting well!

God's Love Part 4 His Hands & Feet

Have you ever wondered what it's like to see God's hands and feet in action...we have seen it and experienced it in HUGE ways in the last 2 weeks. Since our builder walked out on us, we have had 25 different people come to our home, some from 8 hrs. away (thanks Uncle Bob & Aunt Paulette), to help us get the interior finished. We are so grateful for each person who gave up their time to serve in our home. We have finished the interior as far as what we can do...the plumber, electrician, and cabinet guy have minor things to finish up...after which we'll be ready to think about moving in!! Still lots to do on the outside, but that can be done over time! We are so very tired this weekend, but so thankful for God's sustaining strength to get us through these last 2 weeks. Today, we are watching in snow...a blizzard they say. We'll see how much snow we end up with, 3-4 inches have already fallen. It is a very heavy, wet snow. The weather makes it very easy to simply sit and rest! We need it! (I'll post pics next week!)

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HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY JOHN MICHAEL!!!

On 3/16 our big boy turned 6! What a day he had...

a bagel & apple cider doughnut made breakfast a real treat!

Grandma covered the fridge with a pic from each of his b-days...what fun to look back at.
Blue Wii Remote from mom & dad!! SURPRISE!!!
Isabelle gave JM this Double Shooter Nerf Gun - she was so excited to give him this present. She wanted to give it to him as soon as he woke up on his b-day. Her joy & excitement was so fun to watch all day! She could hardly handle how slow he was opening the gift!

He requested homemade pizza for his b-day dinner...he also had his friend Sadie over to celebrate with him. She is the daughter of one of Kevin's childhood friends.

God's Love Part 3 - Times of Refreshing

"With my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations." Psalms 89:1b

For the last few days, this exact scripture has appeared in my personal reading times, an online devotional I receive, and a book I'm reading. I clearly heard God telling me that I need to use my mouth to speak forth His faithfulness in my life. (Even as I prepare to type the next sentence, I find myself stuck for words.)

Simply put, there has never been a time God has not been faithful to me. It is who He is. He is FAITHFUL! He knew me before I was even conceived and because of His faithfulness to me He chose my parents, where I would live, who I would marry, and what children He would entrust to my care. Is that not mindboggling to think about??? I'm speechless.

About 3 weeks ago, I was priveleged to attend a women's retreat with very dear friends. I knew in my heart when I was asked to attend that I was supposed to be there, but I also knew that it was not great timing with our house project in full swing. Regardless, Kevin & I both felt I was to sign up & attend. The retreat was entitled "Loving Well" a Beth Moore Retreat. I assumed that I would simply learn to love others better than I was currently attempting to do. But, I had NO idea what God had in store for me - His FAITHFUL LOVE!

Driving to the retreat with 3 sweet friends, the question was asked "What are your expectations for this weekend?" My heart quickened immediately - I didn't want to answer as the tears hovered so close to the surface. I didn't want them to know how tired, broken, and weary I was. I was trying very hard to "keep the face" on - you know what I mean! I had absolutely no expectations since I didn't even know exactly what the retreat was about. I just knew that I needed to "retreat" from my circumstances so that I could be refreshed. And I honestly didn't know how much I needed to be refreshed.

If you read these posts with any regularity, you know that we are building a house. What you don't know is that it hasn't been an easy process at all. We have had many difficulties. We have been cheated, slandered, and treated unfairly. The stress of building a house coupled with these challenges has proven to test my endurance, perseverance, and faith. Physically my body had hit a wall by the time I was driving to this retreat & I was slowly crumbling. I shared with several people "I want to crawl in a hole right now. I am tired of thinking, doing, & being. Come get me when it's all over." I felt like I did immediately following the break-in of our home (which was exactly one year ago today) numb, shocked, and in a fog.

So arriving at the retreat, I was ready to lay in my bed & simply rest! The retreat was about loving others well, but the reason God had brought me there came out very clearly in the first few sessions. Here are a few notes I took:

"I cannot love others well, unless I am receiving God's love well. I cannot love well, until I feel well loved. I have to be absolutely convinced that I am well loved by GOD!!! When God is showing His love to me, do I recognize it? Do I experience it in my spiritual gut? If God's love is getting into my heart, it would be getting out to others! God's love is not something I just feel, it is WHO GOD IS! God's love is perfect."



Then the part that hit me like a ton of bricks:

"To the degree that I battle insecurity and anxiety means that I am NOT letting God's love reach it's goal in my life! I am not mature in God's love (how God loves us) if I am wrought with anxiety or insecurity. It is unbelief in God, His love, and His power. Unbelief is rooted in Pride." OUCH!!!!


Finally:

"How challenged is God to love me? Does He look at me and say 'I love you, but you are not open to receive it in your heart.' I am to LET GO and sit in His lap, His lap of JOY because God rejoices over me, He sings over me with His love."

To say that the last 18 months of my life have been filled with insecurity and anxiety may be an understatement. I have faced many challenges that I didn't know I could make it through. Because of the "stress", I haven't given myself time to let go and be refreshed by the one person who loves me more than I can possibly imagine, God! He is so faithful to love me, yet I have been missing it!

My big "aha moment" came when I realized that God is always loving me, but I am not very good at receiving it. I have known my whole life that "God is love", but at this retreat, God saturated me with His love so deeply that I experienced it in my heart in a new way. It's easy to know in your head that God loves you, but you have to receive it in your heart. When you do - it changes your life! I learned alot about loving others at this retreat, but God wanted me to learn to STOP, LET GO, and LET HIM LOVE ON ME!!! What a special gift!

Do you need a time of refreshing with the Lord? Do you need to STOP, LET GO, and ALLOW HIM TO LOVE YOU?? Do it!! NOW! Don't go another day without letting Him love on you. Allow yourself to receive it. It is absolutely wonderful. As you allow Him to love you, you will find that you can love others as He calls you to! LOVE WELL! Be refreshed! ....

GOD IS LOVE!

House Update #2

Pink did NOT stay the color of our living room/kitchen...that was the tinited primer - whoever heard of such a thing! It is great stuff!!! Here are the pics from final colors while the paint was still drying."Sierra Redwood"
"Dormer Brown"
Our room - "Edamame"

Closet under the stairs "Dormer Brown"

Isabelle's Room - "Bamboo Shoot" (this doesn't do the color justice - it is SO pretty!)

John Michael's room - "Poolhouse"

House Updates

I must interrupt my God's love posts (I have 2 more!) with some much needed updates on our house. Things are moving along quickly now. Here are photos to show the progress.Kevin ready to paint, paint, paint!!
The stone is finished!
JM LOVES to vacuum! Such a great helper.

The finished fireplace . . . we love it!!
Isnt' this ceiling awesome!!!

The tile was laid today! YIPEE!! They'll be back monday to do the grout. I love it with our dark brown walls!
Yes . . . we have now painted the living room/kitchen pepto bismol pink!
the whole family gets in the act!

Sweet Isabelle wanted to help so bad. Unfortunately we all forgot she's allergic to latex & we were using latex paint - so LET THE ITCHING BEGIN. I couldn't get her home & in the shower fast enough!!! No more painting for her!