Changes

My little family of 5 will be making some changes. Over the next year we have big decisions to make and we would love to have your prayers and support. We are not sure what is going to happen, but we know God is in control :)  If and when we have more to share, you know I will!! but for now, keep praying!

Here are a few pictures to hold you over:

Our Grandma Dollie, Paige and Ethan. Grandma Dollie is recovering from Colon Cancer surgery- and is currently going through chemo treatments. We just spent the weekend with her in Liberal.

This is Grandma Dollie with my mother accepting a plaque for my Grandpa's contributions to the Liberal Barbershop Quartet :)

My siblings and I with our Granny Sue-who also lives in Liberal.

Ethan and Paige at Dorthy's House in Liberal.

Being a mother

I love being a mom. I just do. I have wanted to be a mom since as long as I can remember. We had our first child, Ethan, in 2006. Kinsey came in 2008 and Macie in 2010. They were all born by Csection and all within 3 years. We made the decision while pregnant with Macie- that she would be our last. The decision was mostly financial - since we really want to afford to do fun things with our children. The second reason, was health. Since I had 3 csections and they were taking a little toll on my body! Im sure I probably could have handled another. My mom knows a woman that had 7 csections!! ouch!

With that said, Im a little sad. Now is the time we would be trying for another baby. I don't really have the baby fever crazies like I got with the other 2 though. And I am not completely sure I am 'yearning' for another baby. Im not sure what it is. Maybe just the mourning of my pregnant self.  I think I could have had 5 or 6 kids and I would have been happy :) I keep seeing pregnant women and friends and wishing it was me. But then I think about it, and Im glad it isn't! lol. What a mix of emotions. Its a lot different then when Kinsey was 10 months old and I HAD to have another baby. We weren't actively trying when we got pregnant with her though- not yet. God has his own plan for that. I had surgery and it got my ovulation off a bit- so my planning wasn't on target. oops! And then I found out I was pregnant the same day I found out my grandfather passed away. All in God's Timing. :)

I would love to adopt later and add to our little family- but for now, Im loving and enjoying the 3 children God blessed us with!

Decisons about schooling

I have a great dilema right now. Where will Ethan go to Kindergarten? I have one year to be certain, and I know its going to fly by so quickly. Im really trying hard not to decide... but have recently realized, I do need to make a decision. The most ideal scenario for us would be to move to a rural area with a small town feel and good schools. We were both raised in smaller towns and we want the same for our kids.

Right now where we live- the best option would be to homeschool. Ethan is currently in preschool at a local church and will go there in the fall for Pre- K. Kinsey will go next spring to the same school for her preschool. But come Fall 2012 Ethan will be ready for all day Kindergarten and thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach. ALL DAY!!!?? wow. So what do I do? Wichita schools are not an option. Maybe for Kindergarten sure, but after that. No. So we need to just go ahead and do whatever it is what plan to do now, so we don't have to move him in and out of different school districts.

We do love this house, and if it wasn't for the schooling we would probably stay for the next 5 years. Our long term goal is to be in the country with acreage. If we can do that in the next year great! but our house isn't ready for the market and we don't know where we want to go quite yet. What a mess. Prayers would be appreciated as we make these important decisions.

Family Life- Weekend to Remeber

Devan and I had the privelege to attend the Weekend to Remember conference at the Hyatt this weekend.  My mother took our little bitty for the weekend and Aunt Candace took the older two. We are so grateful for their help this past weekend. Without them, it would not have been possible!

There were several key messages at this conference, the ones that stick out in my mind are:

- When Couple's fail to grasp God's perspective on difficulties and problems, the result is isolation.

- ...let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. James 1:19

- Couples who value children as a gift from God can experience the blessing of a godly legacy.
.. this was especially good for us. As we tend to get wrapped up in the 'obligations' that comes with being parents. We get too focused on the routine of things and it can become overwhelming. We need to just relax and see our children as gifts from our wonderful God.

- To truly experience oneness in marriage, we must first experience the power that comes from oneness with God.

-Remember- Your mate is not your enemy.

-Resolving conflict requires forgiveness.
---We can choose to respond to hurt and insult with a blessing.
---Resolving conflict is essential to achieving oneness in marriage.

-God created the man to be the LEADER in marriage. And it is the woman's job to make sure she is being the helper. She is to 'expand the original' by supporting his role as leader.

- The wife needs to have an 'attitude of Unconditional respect' for her husband.

- It may not be your 'season' in life to have 'extra time' for yourself. The extra time you do have, needs to be with the lord. Your season for 'me time' may come later in your life.

-A supportive wife trusts her husband to make decisions even if they are sometimes wrong (from your perspective), trusting that God can correct him and change him.

- We need to be Intentionally Teaching our children. "She models Godly womanhood, knowing that her children are always watching". Life is caught more then taught.

Ethusiastic Encouragement leads to Authentic Unity.

Overall it was a great weekend. We had some challenging moments, but we were able to overcome, grow, and re-center our lives.  Take a look at this site- http://www.familymatters.net/  the main speaker that was amazing with words is part of that company. He also wrote- Grace Based Parenting. Tim Kimmel.