Friday, October 1, 2010

What's gotten into me??

Wow, I thought I was officially done blogging, but here I am.... randomly posting. So much is going on, life is happening at full speed 'round here, can't keep up!!! I hope I get enough pics to remind the girls of how much fun we have someday, because I'm not going to get it all into words!


Adara will be ONE in 11 days.... please someone, slow time down!!!! She is standing on her own, but does NOT take steps unless she is holding on to someone or something. She waves and says hi. Says hello with a phone up to her ear, back of head, or neck. Says mama and da of course. Still a blondie!!! We attempted one year pics, she would NOT cooperate!! We'll try again next week maybe.


Aspen is ALWAYS cracking us up! Everything is "cool" right now. She is extremely moody - it NEVER fails I always pick the wrong spoon to give her.... we go through 3 or 4 at least to find the one she prefers for that particular meal. She is a paci thief. She peed on a pumpkin at Ettienes.... sorry to anyone who bought one from there.... you will never know if it was yours!


Ava is attending kindergarten at home this year... it has been quite the adjustment for our little social butterfly. It is so good and so hard all at the same time. We have art class on Monday afternoons, gymnastics on Tuesdays, and PE on Fridays. She has met many new friends who also homeschool, but still struggles with not going to "the real school". Sweetheart, this was a hard decision for your mama, but we are doing what we feel is best, and we have prayed about it MUCH!! It wasn't too hard for daddy... he's all about it! You LOVE all the reading we do. I love not having to pry out of you all you did at school.... I know because I did it with you! As I'm writing this Ava and her daddy are sound asleep in the backyard in our new 6 person tent.... moving on up..... filled up our 4 person one!


Well, there is NO way to catch up on photos, so I'll just pic some recent ones from our adventures!
Crazy girl Ava... we had a free evening - THANK YOU JESUS - so we did some exploring!




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Sunday, May 9, 2010

5th bday and soap

Adara is entered in the Right To Life Baby Contest on their website www.daviesscountyrtl.com. You can still enter your little one ages 0 to 3!!! Check it out!!

Well, I never got around to posting pics of Ava's 5th birthday party which was mainly Fancy Nancy with a little princess thrown in!!! That's what she wanted! I was so proud of her, she made a lot of the decor herself (with help from mom) from ideas in her Fancy Nancy Tea Party book. We had a great time and a BEAUTIFUL cake made by Steph Willis/Custom Cakery!! Thanks again Steph!! I gave her free reign because we couldn't decide on a cake... turned out perfect, and yummy!!!

The party goers..... poor Isaac.....I hope he wasn't scarred for life by being the only boy!!

Not sure what happened with this teeny tiny pic... it was so cute!! darn it

Also, I'm going to host a Pure Hearts and Clean Hands Soap Company "home show" on Thursday night. I dislike hosting parties and I don't want anyone to feel obligated to come, BUT, the reason I'm having it is not for free stuff for me but I want to share it with YOU!! I really like everything that I have been using... the bath soap, laundry detergent, oil for my face. I am in the "transition" period with my hair and the shampoo bar, but i'm gonna stick it out. Anyway, excema on Adara's face has almost completely gone away, the bumps on my girls arms and legs are MUCH better... and they smell great!!! Plus the main reason is there are none of the harmful and toxic chemicals found in the commercial baby soaps, not to mention the adult stuff!! Not to mention it is very affordable and Adam and Heather live and make their products in Odon. They seem to be awesome people! So there is my schpeel (not sure how you spell that!) ... come check it out Thursday night May 13th at 630pm, kids and husbands welcome if you want to bring them along! If you don't know where I live you can message me with your email!


Here is their webpage: http://www.phcnaturalsoap.


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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Please read this

I felt compelled to share this journal entry from our friend Cindy who we worked withnwhile we were in India a few years ago. Nathanial is going there for a few weeks in June. We have the money that he will need for the trip, but are going to try to raise some money to help with the needs of these people. We are going to try to have a yard sale in 2 weeks and maybe add a bake sale along with that. All of the money will be going directly to help the people. If anyone has anything they would like to donate to the sale or would like to make a donation you can leave a comment with your email or contact me another way. Please take the time to read it... it is very moving.

I saw hunger. Its real. Its destructive. It's a daily threat.
Yesterday, I was in our community visiting some people. I saw hunger. The struggle to defeat it. The fight against it. What is my job here? How can I come alongside my dear friends, who day by day battle against hunger?
I met Asa and her three children under age six. They were fighting hunger. Asa looked thinner then before. She's been working manual labor to pay her rent. She carries cement all day long. She can't weigh more than 90 pounds herself. Her landlord takes all her salary. There's not much left to buy food for her small children. Her husband has been away for three months. He sold her brother's rickshaw, then gambled away the money from the sale. Now he can't be there, until he earns enough to pay his debts. Meanwhile, his wife struggles to survive. Her children are hungry. Eat nutritious food, we say. Eat lentils every day, and enough vegetables. Easier said then done. Many times they survive on only rice and salt. How can I help them?
Later, I met Zakir's wife. They sell fish. She told me yesterday their fish didn't sell. Its now starting to spoil, no one will buy it. If our fish doesn't sell, how will we buy more, how will we eat today? She doesn't know. Maybe they won't eat. They have three daughters all under age 11. The little one is quite malnourished. Add oil to her rice each day, I say. Oil costs money. She can't add something she can't buy. She knows Jesus and is his follower. She told me, “I'll go home and pray and ask God to help us.” Father, will you please help them? How can I help them?
Yesterday, I met Ruby and Naresh. As always, they made tea, and he offered me and my friends a homemade ice cream bar that they sell in the hot season. He has a cart he pushes around and sells ice cream he has made. I was worried about if it was made with clean water, but I ate it anyhow. Their hospitality amazes me. They struggle to survive. Will enough people want ice cream today? Still, we brought them the gospel, and I've never gone to their home when they haven't made me tea- sharing the little that they have with us. Milk and sugar cost money. They always give us biscuits too. Their generosity and gratefulness put me to shame. They truly are like the widow, who give out of their need, not their excess. Father, would you please provide for them? Would you please multiply their resources? Is there some way you want me to help them?
They sell their girls into prostitution and their boys into endentured labor sweatshops. Why? They are hungry. They have no choices. When the battle against hunger, threatens to overwhelm, they figure its better they be a prostitute than die of hunger. Its better they work without pay (child slaves) than that they die without food.
I need staff. I need people who will come and help me come alongside these dear ones in their fight against hunger. So many children die of hunger related problems. Every day. Every three seconds a child dies of hunger related illnesses. Oh God, please don't let them die. It's preventable. We can stop this! But I need help. I need people who can come and create jobs and small businesses here. I need people who know how to start small income generating businesses. I even have money for this, but no time, no people to do this. I need new staff who can come and help with self help groups, encouraging and teaching women how to earn income. So their children won't be hungry. I need people who can help men create simple business plans. Disciple and train.
The harvest is ripe, the laborers are needed. People are dying from hunger here. Will someone respond? How can I respond?
----
I went yesterday and delivered some oil, some lentils, some bananas to one of these families. A small act of kindness. Oh that God would do miracles of provision for them! He is the same God who fed the five thousand from loaves and fishes. He is the same God who provided for the widow when she collected oil containers from her neighbors and her oil didnt run out until they were all full. I'd love to see our believers pray over their rice and see it multiply.
Be blessed! Thanks for your prayers and support of what we are doing here.
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Monday, April 5, 2010

What a night!

Well... where to start.... I'm gonna have to make this short. Ava gave Aspen a haircut Monday night while I was sitting on the back porch with Adara. At first I didn't know whether to be mad or sad.... as this was Aspen Grace's first haircut!!! I decided on sad, and then it was even a little funny, although I won't let Ava know that!!! Thanks to Meghan, Aspen is styling now! Tuesday was Ava's 5th birthday! Happy Birthday sweetheart! You have forever changed our lives and we love you, now and forever!


One rotton girl!!




Aspen getting her hair "fixed".
Ava and friends.

The fam...Easter 2010. Thanks to Mandi for the awesome bows-delivered at 10pm Saturday night just because she knew I wouldn't get any myself! What a great friend!


Dare-Bear is rolling over (finally!), eating some cereal, and getting better at sitting up! She is almost 6 months old.

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Saturday, March 13, 2010

Come check it out!


Many of you know Amber Cook... she is hosting a Pure Hearts and Clean Hands Soap Company home show this coming Monday, March 15th at the Cherry Ghost Coffee House at 6pm. It is located on the corner of Main St and Hwy 57 here in Washington. I'm excited to see all they have to offer so I wanted to share with all of you! The couple who owns the company are from Odon and make everything at their house. I've liked what I've seen so far! Their website is: www.phcnaturalsoap.com if you want to check it out for yourself! They offer natural soap & shampoo, simply Earth mineral cosmetics, lotion bars, deodorants, lip butters, toothpaste, dead sea bath salts, massage oils, bug repellant and more... Hope to see some of you there!




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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Adara Hope - 4months

Boo... our computer is broken again, so no pics of our little Dare-Bear... but I just wanted to record our latest well-visit info. Adara had her 4 month check up on 2/10 and she weighed in at 14lbs 7oz!! That puts here in the 75th percentile! (I actually thought she'd be bigger then that!) She was 24.25 inches long. Perfectly healthy, praise the Lord! And now we have cream that is clearing up the rough patch on her face, so all is WONDERFUL! She is so smiley and laughing all the time..... and last night she slept 10 hours straight! She is so good to her mommy!

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

Time for some catching up!

I can't believe tomorrow is Monday again! I love my job, but more and more it seems that I cannot do all the things I would like to do and work those 2 days!! That seems absurd, I still have 5 days off every week!! I've been in the cooking mood and that takes a LOT of time! But Nathanial is with me and has helped a TON! The other night we made a great new mac-n-cheese with veggies and chicken... it was great and the kiddo's actually liked it as well! Then Nathanial made pretzels last night while I helped make a snail with the girls' new "bendaroos". (However you spell that!) Today Nathanial whipped up a bunch of whole wheat bread dough for bread bowls sometime this week! We ate at Panera on Saturday... and are now craving good bread!! We have been enjoying each other so much.... but my goodness my girls are just growing so fast! I want to savor each moment with them, and at the same time reach out to those all around us that are hurting, and spend time with our friends, and cook, and keep my house decently clean, and decorate (I'll be surprised if the decorating EVER gets done!!)....... geez, can you see why I feel like I don't have time to work!!! Some friends of ours, Shane and Michelle, and going to have an especially tough week. Please keep them in your prayers if you don't mind. The Lord has been doing an awesome work in them, but this week is going to be so hard. My goodness, while your at it, pray for some sunshine!!!! My mood needs it!!!
Aspen had her 2 year well-visit last week. She HATED seeing the Dr. even though he is so great with our girls! She didn't want to get weighed even... screamed and screamed through most of the visit! We did finally get her weight... 28lbs. She was near the 90th % for height and just over 50% for weight. Well proportioned and very healthy! I figured, but heck, if insurance will pay for the visit, why not go?? She hadn't been to the Dr. in 6 months probably... knock on wood...




Believe it or not, the Rainey's have been getting a little crafty!!! Fun times!




Here's my little puppy, she's got herself tied up to the crib with a scarf!



Adara has been stealing our hearts with her beautiful smile and giggles!
The girls hung out with Aunt Shelli while we did some shopping... dress up is what they love!!!
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