July's Jollity

I know what you're thinking. Jollity? Really? Is that even a word? Well, yes it is. So is 'jollification', 'jocularity', and 'junketing'. Trying to come up with yet ANOTHER alliterated blog post title was more stress than I needed today, so give me a little credit.

July was filled with 13 different house guests, a national holiday, and regular old life with two year old triplets. So much busyness! So much continual change! So much fun!  

Fourth of July weekend was spent with Rob's sister and family from Ohio.

Cow Appreciation Night at Chick-Fil-A

Family Night at Rock River Rapids

Griffen & Rhys go to Jr. Camp

And in regular life....

We got rid of the high chairs this month, giving me this new view each evening at dinner.

Keira has emptied about 5 packs of wipes so far this month.

She has also emptied some diaper rash cream in an effort to be a hair stylist.

One Wednesday evening at church proved to be a comedy of errors, when Keira soaked through her shorts, and daddy ripped his pants and forgot his baseball cleats for the church softball game. 

These little blessings sure do keep me moving, but they also keep me smiling.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, 

those who build it labor in vain....

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord."

(Psalm 127:1, 3)

NEW SONG PUBLISHED - On Paths To Answered Prayer

I can remember the single darkest day of my life. Our family had endured an extended season of loss and suffering. I was laying on my bathroom floor one Saturday morning in November just sobbing when out of the blue I received a phone call from an acquaintance at church. Susan and I knew each other casually, but that day she called to ask if we could get together that week for coffee. In my weakened emotional state, I muttered, "How about right now?" One hour later, I was sitting across from Susan in our local Village Inn restaurant unloading my life story.

"Where does the pastor's wife go when she doubts the goodness of God?"
"What do I do when everything in my theology clashes with my reality?"
"Does prayer really work?"

That day, something very special happened. Susan enlisted in my spiritual battle with me. Just weeks later, it was Susan who cooked and delivered the entire Thanksgiving feast to the family I so suddenly regretted inviting. In my season of sorrow, I had no more energy to entertain. It was Susan who sent me some of the most thoughtful gifts I had ever received - a box of kleenex with the words, "He will wipe every tear from their eye"; a pillow with the words, "He gives His beloved sleep"; a glass bottle with the words, "He puts all your tears in a bottle." But above all these tangible acts of love, Susan faithfully began praying for me.

As the weeks and months passed by, I soon learned that Susan faced her own spiritual battles. In her late 30's, she had long desired a husband and children. Despite years of faithfully pleading with God, He seemed to remain distant and uncaring. It was now my time to take up her spiritual battle with her.

Along our journey together, we discovered some beautiful truths about God. In His power and compassion, God surprised me with triplets - a gift far beyond anything I could have imagined. And God also blessed Susan. At age 39, she walked down the aisle at her wedding. I wrote and dedicated this song to her as a wedding present. It truly bears witness to the many lessons we learned along our paths to answered prayer.

Click the link to listen to a demo recording - On Paths To Answered Prayer.

June's Journey

In a nutshell, here was June's journey.

We finneshd skool!!!

No one is happier than this momma/teacher!

The outdoor fun began.

Vacation Bible School

Basketball Camp for Griffen, Rhys, and Dad

There were moments I though about laying down to relax....

And I tried to have a logical conversation with this goofball about why he does, indeed, need to eat his peaches.....no matter what they may look like.

I discovered a few surprise selfies on the tablet. 

And, of course, there was Fathers Day! I sure do love these people!!!

And these final pictures just help lower my blood pressure a bit after a long day.

I realize more and more just how blessed I really am. Even in our recent miscarriages, I have discovered so very much to be thankful for. For example, the journeys to each of my children have been filled with nothing but JOY. I am learning that is not the case for everyone. From the moment we received the news, to their gender reveals, to bringing them into our home - these have been the highlights of my married life. On top of that, in spite of the fact that four of my five kids were born between 31-34 weeks gestation, they are all perfectly healthy! But above all, God has taught us so many invaluable lessons about His plans, His provision, and His miraculous power. 

"O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come."  
(Psalms 71:17-18)  

No Regrets

Late this afternoon, I received a call from Dr. Keenan with the results from my second pregnancy blood test. Unfortunately, my hcg levels dropped to 6. While these little lives did indeed implant and try to grow, God had other plans for them. While we would have welcomed and loved two more, they now join our 7 others who are safe in the arms of Jesus. What a wonderful place to be!

While there is a measure of sadness, we have so very much to be thankful for.

1. That this journey is over. There is great relief that comes with tossing out all the needles and meds! I have literally been on hormone supplements for almost three years now. My body is quite ready to get back to normal. And after 8 adoption home studies and the emotional roller coaster that comes with all the unknowns, we are grateful to put this piece to rest.

2. The five precious blessing we have!!! If you would have asked me at any point in my pre-married life what I hoped for in my family, I would have always responded, "four little boys." Yup, believe it or not, that was my dream early on. God not only granted this desire, but added the cherry on top when He also gave us a little girl.

3. A clear conscience. We knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God wanted us to go back and get our remaining sibling embryo's. Even though they will not be in our earthly arms, we know that we did the right thing. Nothing compares to a clear conscience.

And so, this chapter of our lives comes to a close. We have NO REGRETS.

The Results Are In

Today I went to the clinic and had my first pregnancy blood test. The results came back at 48. While this is a definite confirmation of pregnancy, the number is lower than normal. They were hoping to see a beta of around 100. A healthy pregnancy cannot be totally ruled out just yet, but there are definitely concerns. I will go back on Monday for a second test that should hopefully provide more answers. Until then, we continue to wait....