2011...

It has been so long since I have blogged! Not really sure why? Our 2011 has been an interesting year to say the least. God brought us through a whole new world of challenges and blessings!

*For starters we sold the only home our family has had together and moved to a new area for the wonderful neighborhood and schools...
*GI issues for me that after 3 months ended with surgery to remove my Gall Bladder
*After months of misdiagnosed illness, my Mother-in-law was diagnosed with Lymphoma, what a journey that road has been, we are Praising God that after chemo there is no sign of the Lymphoma any more!!! We saw how family can come together and form a bond we didn't know existed until pushed to the limits.
*My sister had her precious baby girl Lacey that we all adore to pieces!!
*We have experienced nightly wake-ups from our 6 year old that after trying everything we can think of will still NOT end which has led to a grouchy mommy, Kaylee, and daddy on numerous occasions
*Got to experience the magic of Disney World through the eyes of my precious little girl!
*Mark underwent a total thyroidectomy after years of problems

So many life changing events took place in one short year. I kinda felt whip-lashed as we came into a new year. Running at full speed was no doubt exhausting. As soon as Mark recovered from his surgery, we both felt such a peace and calmness come over us as we started a new year.

In light of all the past year has brought us I am reminded by humility that I am not the Planner here. I would have forgone "lots" of what happened this past year...it wasn't in my hopes and dreams of "2011". I was reading James 4 recently and was extremely humbled by what it said...

Warning about self confidence
13 Look here you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog-it's here a little while, then it's gone. 15 What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

Wow, how often do I plan my future with no regard to God? Especially when it came to having children? I planned exactly how many kids I wanted and I did not hold onto those plans loosely. How much harder was this journey for me because of the crushing pain of my plans being thwarted? I am thankful to share that I have been forgiven of this "boasting." I know that it is good to plan ahead and to make goals, even when it comes to family size, but simply adding "If God wills it" to the beginning of each goal is more wise in the end.

I can say with confidence that I am thankful that He is my planner...After all He knows all the details and brings on so many more blessings than I would be able to plan-up on my own!

Our life Lately

It has been forever since I've written. Life has been busy, like everyone else. Lot's of changes going on around here. After 7 long months of cleaning the house for showings, we have finally sold the
house, yippee!! Of course we only have 1 1/2 weeks to be out! We will be living with Mark's parents who so generously opened their home to us for a little over a month until our new house is ready.
Kaylee is sooo excited to get to see her Grammy and Papa so often!
So I am knee deep in packing and organizing all of our stuff. After living here 7 1/2 years, it will
be bittersweet to leave our home. Kaylee is getting a little sad to leave her room full of colorful squares that Mommy painted on 2 different occasions. She even asked if she could have the same paint job in her new room! I'm not that crazy!

We are thanking God for the opportunity He has given us to build a home in a great area of Cincinnati. We have been watching the whole process over the last several months. We had an idea to write scripture in each room of the house on the wooden beams according to what we hope to accomplish for the Lord there....then we prayed over each room in the house. Here are a few pictures...

Disney Pics

Our trip from last month!

Here are some photos from our trip in April to Clearwater...Disney pics still to come.
We had such a nice relaxing time to regroup after a crazy month in Cincinnati!

I have a new niece!!!!

This is my newest niece Lasea Grace Woller...born on March 31, weighing 8 lbs 1 oz!
She is so very precious and we are all Praising God for a healthy addition to our family.
Proud parents are my sister Nicki and her husband Nate! Kaylee is in love and wants to see her all the time. Here are some photos of our little "Lacey Gracey."

Psalm 139

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, If I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I Praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden form You when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are Your thoughts , O God!
How vast the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you." (1-18)

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts." (23)


Life has tossed us a few curve balls this past month. It is so nice to be reminded that God
knows our every anxious thought! And that He alone has each of our days numbered. Through all the hard stuff in life, He is what makes it worth every day!

Thanking God today for good gifts, healing, and vacations! We are headed to the magical place
of Disney World this week with our precious little girl! We will post pictures soon!

Recovering

So surgery was this past Tuesday. Everything went so well. The nurses were wonderful, the doctors too! I had a very good experience overall. And my incision is amazing, no stitches, no steri strips, no dressing...just a slightly goofy looking belly button and some super glue!
Yesterday was a hard day with lots of pain. My wonderful friends and family have been taking Kay, which is a huge blessing. She seems to be more needy when I am down and out. But overall we are doing great! My mom is coming for a few days and I am soooo looking forward to her being here.
Our big prayer is that my sister would keep her baby nestled inside her until I am fully recovered so I can hop in the car and drive to Columbus as soon as she makes her debut!
Thanks for all the prayers and love! I can't wait to eat fats again...