Can't Believe it is July!!

It has been forever since I have blogged!! Alot has gone on since then..

This summer has been busy! Julian played baseball and Aaron coached him. They finished in 3rd place. And Julian is playing in the all star game on Monday. This was Carlee's first year playing T Ball. She had alot of fun. She isn't real sure if she wants to play again next year or not. And for Gavin, we are just trying to potty train. He is tough!

In the beginning of June, Aaron and I went to FL with Jeremy and Aubrey (no kids) for 9 days. It was so nice. I was worried about how I would do without the kids, but I did pretty good. :) It was so nice just waking up when we wanted and coming and going when we pleased not having to pack up cups and snacks and strollers and so on. And Jeremy and Aubrey were so fun to be with. We get along so well. The 18 hour drive was terrible though. So long and Aubrey and I got car sick. Thank God for Dramamine!
While we were there we were on the beach everyday. I got a pretty nice tan, which has since then gone. And I got sun poisoning and Aaron got really burned. It felt so good to relax on the beach.
We also went kayaking. That was fun. I stepped way out of the box with that one. Especially since I don't know how to swim and I am afraid of the water for the most part. We saw dolphins and sting rays and alot of cool shells. It was a great experience. Although I am not sure if I would do it again. :)
But I would definitely love to go to FL again on a trip with no kids... it was good for Aaron and my relationship. We didn't argue once.. it was great!

And I finished the 10 week Beth Moore Bible study I was doing with some women from our church. It was wonderful! She taught us 5 important statements.. here they are:
1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things thru Christ.
5. God's word is alive and active in me.
The study was on Believing God. I reccommend it to you all.

As for me.. I am doing ok. I still struggle some days with things. But I am trying to work thru them with God by my side. God has been so good to me and my family. If it weren't for Him and my good friends I am not sure what I would do. God has brought some really special people into my life. I think he knows that I don't have alot of really close family, so he brought me great Godly friends. When I am struggling and having a bad night, I can call on friends and a few family members to help me and I am so thankful for that. God is so Good!
I am still praying for Aaron's salvation, please help me pray about this. I long for the day that he will be the spiritual leader of our family. He has been really tired and working so much. I just wish something would happen with his job that he wouldn't have to work 2-3 jobs.

Anyways.. that is all for now. Please continue to pray for us.

Praise God

Well, again it has been a while. Life gets pretty hectic in the spring and summer for us. Julian is in baseball, Aaron coaches it and Carlee is in T ball. Also, I am doing a women's Bible study on Mondays and babysitting on Tuesdays and working the other days.. whew...

I am loving this study on Mondays. Beth Moore is so energetic and she gets me pumped to do the homework. Yes, there is homework with it. It is not bad though. And only 5 days worth. And God is definitely talking to me thru this study. I was going over homework from last week and this is what I really got from it...
In Psalm 139 it talks about God creating us. And Beth said this... God knew us when he made us in our mothers womb. And God knew our mother intimately enough to choose her womb for the place where He would fearfully and wonderfully fashion us. God hid us in a blanket of soft tissue and bid our heart to beat. For many days He alone knew we existed. We were His secret. God's own skillful hands knit us together. Doesn't this make you feel so special?? It does me. And I also know that He made us for a reason. So my prayer is "God, what did you make me to do?"

I also need to praise God because if you remember, I have a friend who had a baby in her 23rd week of pregnancy. His name is Aiden. He was only a pound. And I know that God is keeping him in His hands. He is up to 4 pounds now!!! Thank you Lord.

I had a garage sale this past weekend. We made about 300 dollars. It went really well.
Also, the 23rd was Carlee's birthday. She is 6 now. And she got to go in to my work and have a little spa day. She got a manicure, pedicure, a haircut and style and her makeup done. She was so excited. And now she has a shorter bob. She looks older. She is such a blessing to us. I am thankful God chose us to be her parents. Even when she is acting like a 16 year old mouthy girl. :)

Well, that is all I have time for, for now...

Been a long time

Wow. So much has happened since my last post. I have been busy!
Where do I start???

Carlee's leg is not better so we have decided to go to Indy to Riley. That will be on May 12. Please keep her in your prayers. She starts T Ball this year. And her birthday is next week. She will be 6. I can't believe it!
Gavin is doing good. He went potty in the potty for the first time last SAt. I am so proud of him. He has gone more than once in the potty every day since. Yeah!!
Julian is good. Starting baseball soon.
Aaron's back is still a mess, but he is excited about baseball. He is coaching Julian again this year. So we will be at the baseball field alot this summer. It will be fun.
I have started a Women's bible study at my church every monday. It is going well. I enjoy it. And also Aaron and I are going to parenting classes our church is holding. It is 4 days. Last night was the first night. It is wonderful so far. So much good info and advice. I have been waiting for this for a long time. Since parenting does not come with a handbook, this is the next best thing! :)

Aaron and I are still planning our Florida trip with no kids in June. We will be gone 9 days. I have never left the kids that long. But I am excited. It will be good for Aaron and me. It is really cheap for us to go since Aubrey's grandma has a condo there. (We are going with our friends Jeremy and Aubrey.)

I have gained about 8 pounds back since my big weight loss. I have to lose 10 pounds now before our trip. Ugh!

Well, that is all for now!

sickness

Ok, well I am so ready for our family to be well. With no one sick for a while. Here is what has been going on..
Aaron was out of town for the weekend. He left on Friday and came back on Sunday night. I missed him terribly. But when he came back he had no voice and his throat was hurting. That is continuing on through today.
Today I did something I never thought I would have to do. I guess I never really thought about it to be honest. Gavin has to get a stool study done. So yep I had to collect his poop today. I had to line his diaper with plastic wrap and collect it in 4 different containers. I thought that I had a strong, at least not weak, stomach. But with the smell and the scooping it in the containers, I was gagging. I tried hard not to, I tried to hold it back, so my eyes just watered and prayed to God for strength. The reason he is getting this done is because he has had diarreah for the past 3-4 weeks. It is very watery and he is not eating. At least he is drinking though. I feel so bad for him. He can't sit on his bottom right now. Poor guy. Please keep him in your prayers.
He is so cute lately.. He is still saying "I love you mommy" every 5 minutes. Especially when he gets in trouble. And he is getting so smart.
Carlee is doing good in school. She is learning math. And she knows 26 word wall words. I am so proud of her. She still has those spots on her leg. We are trying to decide what to do. Please keep her in your prayers.
Julian is doing good too. We have 6th grade orientation next Monday. I can't believe we will have a middle schooler. Time goes by so fast. He is in Fame in 2 weeks too. For band and choir.
I am still working on myself. I am reading Love Dare still. It is taking me longer than I thought. I am such a slacker sometimes. And I am starting a women's Bible study for the book of Proverbs too. I am just starting it. I walked about 2 miles today. It was good. I hope the weather continues to get better so I can continue to walk. And I am going to try to start up a diet again. Not to lose a whole lot more, just to stay on track.
Well, that is all for now..

Sacrifice

Well, I continue to be touched by they book Love Dare. It is primarily to help with my marriage. But I am using it in all my relationships.
The chapter I just read was about sacrificing. It starts out with the verse 1 John 3:16 HCSB. He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down or lives for our brothers. Then it goes on to say that we are quick to sulk when we are the ones who feel deprived or unappreciated. And when life is difficult for us we notice. But do we for our spouse? Or for anyone else?? We just notice when they complain. And then too often we say they are getting on our nerves, or we are tired of hearing them complain. But then when we complain we expect people to feel bad for us.. this is not fair.. right?? But when love is at work It sees the weight beginning to pile up and it steps in to help. Love makes sacrifices. Jesus loved us before we ever knew him. He sacrificed his own life for us. We should be able to Love our spouse and friends enough to help and listen. Jesus taught us that the evidence of love is found in seeing a need in others and doing all we can to satisfy it. Matt. 25:35
So, I am really enjoying this book. I will probably go back thru and read it again.
Life in general is going ok with me. Last week I went to the Dr. for my sinuses and my ears. I found out that tubes in my ears were swollen shut and I had fluid and air bubbles behind my ear drums. So they put me on steroids and a decongestant. It has helped. But I can say I do not like how they made me feel.
Aaron and I have come to an understanding or an agreement I guess you could say, on video games. We have come up with days and times. It is working out so far. Thank the Lord. His job is in jeopardy. Please help me pray that if he loses it that God will send him a different one.
I am meeting some new people at a church meeting I go to every Tues. I am so glad that God sent them my way. I am just thankful for all my friends. I know that God has put us together. I need my friends for encouragement and to have fun with and to walk thru this journey called life together..
The kids are good. Gavin is learning new words and new things every day. He is so smart. And he is so polite. He is still always saying thank you. I love it. Carlee is doing good in school. Her word wall words are coming along and she is learning math. She loves to tell us her math problems. They are working on addition right now. And Julian is doing good. He is learning that homework is getting harder and harder and he gets more every year. He is not real happy about that.
Well, that is all I have for now. I have to get ready for work...

Encouragement

Well, I have been continuing to read the Love Dare book. Also I go to a church meeting on Tuesday evenings and the topic was encouragement last night. Then when I got home and read the Love Dare the topic in the book was "Love Encourages".
We all need encouragement. I believe that God put us here on the earth to help each other out and live for Him. It is much easier of a journey for us when we can do it Together. I appreciate everyone in my life and the encouragement they give to me.
The book had some interesting points. Remember that this is for marriage more than friendship, but I think we can take from this book for our marriage and friendships. Here are a few things I took from this chapter...
"We go into marriage expecting our mate to fulfill our hopes and to make us happy. But this is an impossible order for our spouse to fill. The higher your expectations, the more likely your spouse will fail you and cause you frustration." I realized that my expectations for people are too high sometimes, especially for my hubby. I am working on this...
Then the book goes on to say "You must choose to live my encouragement rather than by expectations..... (marriage) is a unique friendship designed by God himself where 2 people live together in flawed imperfection but deal with it by encouraging each other, not discouraging....The bible says to Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble (Is 35:3) and Encourage one another and build up one another... Encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone (1 Thes. f:11, 14)"
This really hits home with me.. I hope it helps you too. :)

Venting..

Well, I am going to use this as my venting session this time. I usually don't do this on here.. but here it goes..
I have had a bad week.
Aaron and I are struggling with the video game issue and parenting and everything really. I mean, I really wish parenting came with a book, a guide. Especially step parenting. It is so tough. I just am not sure what to do right now. I feel like anytime he gets punished he goes to his mom to get him out of it, you know. That is hard. Please pray for us. I am sure it is hard for Julian too. Especially with such a big difference in rules.
Then we have Carlee who I am trying to get her mouth and attitude under control.
And Gavin is now sleeping in his big boy bed. I am amazed. The first night was terrible, but now he is doing so good with it. I will post pics later. And he is in Julian's room now. Which at first Julian was upset that he had to share. But I told him that alot of kids have to share and that there is no other option. And that sometimes family members have to sacrifice things.. And then the next night he said he really liked sharing with Gavin. So we will see....
And I am really working on my relationship with God. I really need Him. And I am glad he is always there to hear me and be there for me. Sometimes it is hard for me to pray and read my Bible like I should. It is so hard to fathom that He always hears me and knows my problems. Isn't that hard to grasp? I mean, he knows us better than anyone. He knows how many hairs are on our heads. So of course He cares about us and what we are going through. Even when it doesn't seem like it.. And I can tell everyone else this, it is just hard to realize it myself sometimes. I am still working on my anger. I get angry easily sometimes.. I was raised by a yelling family. And it is hard for me to not yell sometimes.. but I am human. And I will continue to work on this. Please pray for me on this issue.
On a good note... Aaron and I have a sitter for Valentines Day. Not sure what we are doing, but it will be nice to get away.
We are also working on setting up our vacation.. We might be going to FL with no kids. This is scarey for me, but I know it will be good for Aaron and I. I have just never left my kids for a week. We will see if it works out..
Well, that is all for now.

Updates

Well, again it has been a while.....

I am still reading Love Dare. I have to be honest.. I have not been reading it every day like I should. But I just read the Love vs Lust chapter. It was interesting. I will share a little of it...
The book says that it is time to expose lust for what it really is... a misguided thirst for satisfaction that only God can fulfill. Lust is like a warning light on the dashboard of your heart, alerting you to the fact that you are not allowing God's love to fill you. When your eyes and heart are on Him, your actions will lead you to lasting joy, not to endless cycles of regret and condemnation...
wow.. right..

And Gavin's vocabulary is getting so big. And I love what he has been saying.. multiple times a day he will come up to me and say... "Mommy, I lub you.." I Love it! And I am trying to get him to start potty training... this, he is not a fan of. The other day I said "Gav, do you want to go sit on the potty?" and he says "uhm no thanks." Well, alright then... at least he is polite. :)
We are battling another ear infection right now and a bad runny nose and cough.

Carlee is wanting to start swimming again. I am hoping to get her in a class for that. And Kindergarten is going well. She likes it, at least when I can get her moving out the door in the morning. She takes after her mother, and she is not a morning person. This makes mornings tough, for both of us. We are working on her Word wall words. She has not done well, until I put a chart up and we put stars by the words as she learns to read them, and then I take her to the dollar tree for every 10 words. So far she knows 17.. this has really helped.

Julian fractured his finger in Basketball. And he is doing really well in school. He is such a smart kid. And he is getting ready for baseball season. He is not so hard to get moving in the morning. He usually gets up and gets moving... at least he is easy.

Aaron is still working a ton. He is stressed too. So this makes it hard for us to get along.. he is tired, stressed and overworked.. I am tired stressed and grumpy.. ugh. His way of de-stressing is playing his video games, which stresses me more.. not a good combo. But we are trying to work that out..

I went to see my friends baby that was born at 23 weeks. He is so little. He is only a pound. I have never seen a baby so small. But he is so cute. Please keep him in your prayers. And his parents need prayer too, to stay strong.

Aaron and I are trying to decide if we can take a vacation with no kids this year. We will see. I think it would be good for us... I will talk more about it if we decide to do it...

I have been doing really well at trying to keep myself out of that "dark place". I mean in dealing with my anxiety and panic issues. I am so thankful to my friends that have helped me through... and I have been talking more to my aunt and my sisters too. That is good. I really long to be close to other women. I think because I grew up without my real mom. And it was hard for my step mom to be real close to me because of other issues.

Anyways.. I guess that is all for now..

Well, we have all been sick for the last 2 weeks. First it started out with Carlee and Aaron getting the stomach flu and then I caught a touch of it. Then Carlee and Gavin got pink eye and ear infections. And I have double ear infections and a cold and of course the cold sore that goes along with being sick for me. Yuck!! But we are all getting better.

Some good news... Aaron is getting better health insurance, which is a huge deal! Our goal for this year is to get out of medical debt. And I just thank God for us getting better insurance! Now hopefully his business will pick up so he can actually work a full 8 hour day instead of 5-6... one thing at a time though. :)

I am still reading The Love Dare. And there have been a few things that I want to share from it. In one of the chapters it says
"He (God) was willing to love you even though you didn't deserve it, even when you didn't love back. He was able to see all your flaws and imperfections and still choose to love you. His love made the greatest sacrifice to meet your greatest need. As a result you are able by His grace to walk in the fullness and blessing of His love. Now and forever.
This means you now share this same love with your spouse. You can love even when you're not loved in return. You can see all their flaws and imperfections and still choose to love. "
This hit home. Sometimes it is hard to choose to love with all the flaws... but look what Jesus did for us when we didn't love him back and with our flaws. Love is a choice. Wow.

Well, that is all for now. I have to get ready to pick up Carlee from school.

Happenings...

Well, today Aaron and Carlee both got sick. I sent them upstairs to rest in our bed. I am just hoping the rest of us don't catch it.

I stopped by my sisters house yesterday. I got to see both of my great nephews. They are adorable. Then I talked to my aunt for a while. It was a nice conversation. I haven't talked to her in a while. She is my real mom's sister. We talked about the things I have been dealing with. Come to find out she deals with some of the same issues. And we talked about my mom and growing up without her. It was nice to get things out and off my chest. And then we talked about our relationships with God. And how he helps us. I am so glad that I have Him in my life. And I like the person that I have become with his help. I have changed because of Him. And I am glad I am teaching my kids about him and his love and how to pray. Carlee and I pray together every night before bed. She asks God to help her not have bad dreams. And then she prays for her Daddy and his back aches.. I love that.

Then today we went to Gavin's Pulmonologist. We got good news that he sounds great and that we don't need to see him again unless he starts having problems again. I thank God for that. No more cardiologist and no more pulmonologist.

Our new years Goal is to get out of medical debt and try saving more money. That way Aaron can stop working 3 jobs. I really hope this happens. Please help me pray for my kids to stay healthy.

Now I am starting to plan the trip to Indy in August for Women of Faith. I love going to that. I am so excited!

Please continue to keep me and my family in your prayers.....