some catchup stuff...

I'll just go ahead and warn ya, I'm not in the best of moods tonight. I don't believe in using pms for an excuse (when they come up with a "syndrome" for men and their moodiness that coincides with football and hunting season, then I'll start buying into the pms crap. Till then, I'll be in any kind of a mood I want to be in whenever I want to be in it and everyone else will just have to deal with it or go away!)

Nonetheless, I feel if I don't get this done, it'll just bug me that I'm behind on yet ONE MORE THING!

First, the kids made it back from their Road Rulz Mission Trip. They had a FABULOUS time. Thank you, Chris and everyone for all the wonderful things you do for our church. Yes, I'm back to calling it "my" church again. And I'm asking where God would have me serve and in what capacity. It's been made quite clear to me that my help is neither wanted nor needed in the areas where God has gifted me. So I'm trusting God is going to get very creative! Thankfully, He allows me to use those gifts elsewhere so I'm very fulfilled. I would just love to give back to my home church for how blessed I am and how blessed my children are. Yes, I'm still getting some dirty looks once in a while and some people are still just downright rude. But God is so good at reminding me to turn my other cheek as I do not live for them, I live for Him. I'll go right on doing my thing, being as gracious as I can be under the circumstances. But my focus is totally on Him. Anyway....

I'm working on a slideshow of all the pictures Kayti took during their trip. I could tell a huge difference in their personalities when they came home. I think it made them a little more grateful for the blessings in their life. Sometimes our life doesn't feel like much. But all in all, God gives us what we need when we need it and even manages to throw in a few wants as well. I've a sneaking suspicion Dylan is considering the mission field??? I think he would be awesome at it. But then again, he'll be awesome at whatever path God has planned for him.

Okay, it's time to remember an answered prayer...

When Dylan was 18 months old, we decided it was a perfect time to grow our family. So we immediately began trying to conceive our second child. Well, it wasn't as easy as it was the first time. Puzzled, my doctor ordered some tests and I will never forget the day he called and said I need to come in so we could discuss some things. My mind immediately began to think the worst. I'm going to die and not only will I not get to have another baby, I won't even get to raise the precious son I already have. I was nearly hysterical when my mother told me not to worry about something until I knew I actually had something to worry about. So I scheduled the appointment for asap and prayed. Please God, just let me live long enough to raise my son. If he's all I'm meant to have, that's fine. He's MORE than enough. I just can't stand the thought of my son growing up without a mommy (maybe that's why I have a heart for orphans, too? )

Of course, my mother was right. There wasn't THAT much to worry about. The reason I could not conceive is because I had severe hypothyroidism and that was causing me not to ovulate. In fact, they weren't even sure how I'd ever gotten pregnant with Dylan in the first place and it probably explained the miscarriage I had prior to him. I immediately started synthroid therapy as well as fertility treatments. It still would take another miscarriage and a few more years before I was finally blessed with another pregnancy. Now, I know this will sound selfish but I actually had the audacity to ask God again to please give me a little girl, since this would probably be my last baby (we were only going to have two, right? Especially since we had to work so hard for the second!) I loved (and still do, of course) my son dearly. But I wanted a little girl so Maw Maw would have someone to sew dresses for and I could buy all those cute hairbows! My family is all girls and we were anxious for another to join the sisterhood!

Well, God proved to me that no request is too big AND that He will even go above and beyond our requests! Not only have I lived to see my son almost grown (sniffle sniffle--I can't believe my babies are growing up so fast! Do I REALLY have to let him drive? lol) but I got my little girl!



And she gets even more beautiful with each passing year! Yesterday, my little blessing turned 12! Okay, God, I didn't ask for you to make them grow up so fast..can you slow the pace a bit, please?




And then God saw fit to surprise us (I mean, bless us!) with Brooke just two years later! Does He go above and beyond sometimes or what?

Yesterday, we had a "preview" celebration of Kayti's birthday by sharing some ice cream cake with our friends at our weekly Tuesday Pool Parties. I LLLOOVVEE my Tuesday pool time! The kids swim with their friends and I get to chat it up with some wonderful ladies!

This weekend, we'll be driving back to the American Girl Store in Alpharetta to eat at the bistro and bring home the latest doll, Ruthie--Kit's friend. Kit is Kayti's absolute favorite American Girl and the movie comes out next week. We are so excited!

I will share our slideshow when I get it finished, as well as a few other tidbits when I'm in better spirits.

Blessings,