Happy Birthday!

 

 

 

Nine years ago on December 28th Kaitlyn Irene entered our lives -- NINE DAYS LATE!
She was ironically due on our One year anniversary.
I honestly cannot say we were 'excited' about our upcoming arrival, it wasn't the way it was 'supposed' to be. There were many things we thought we 'lost' when we found out about the new life that would be joining us, dreams we thought were for the best.

BUT, as soon as we took one look at that beautiful little girl that God so GRACIOUSLY gifted to us, it all became clear. THIS WAS IT! THIS was THE path we were supposed to be on. Forget all that other stuff we thought we were missing out on, this was it! Life's greatest adventure. The opportunity to shape a life for Him.

She has brought us SO much joy over the last nine years that to think of life happening any differently for us would just be emptiness. We are so thankful that God thought us worthy enough to take care of this precious young lady. She continues to grow into a young lady after God's own heart and we could not be prouder!

Let is snow...OK, THAT'S ENOUGH!

 

 

 

Here are some pictures from our snowstorms. Yup, more than one! We got about a foot of snow on Friday night, our anniversary -- which was great, we had the resturant and movie theater to ourselves. Then we got over a foot last night.
Jeff waited until the snow was done before attempting to snowblow the driveway, but by then, the snow was almost over top of the snowblower in the front and OVER the snowblower in the back of the house!

The first picture shows our backyard -- there's a retaining wall back there -- somewhere!
The second picture shows how high the snow comes up to our front porch -- it's level!!
The last picture is where the snow comes to our dining room window -- it is almost level!

Hey, I wanted a white Christmas. I guess it's true, be careful what you wish for!!!

10 Years Already??

 

 

That just doesn't seem possible! But, it is true, 10 years ago today Jeff and I were married.
What do I remember about that day?

I remember being told the District Superintendent who was supposed to perform our ceremony may not be there, his son's house caught on fire the night before. But, very calmly I asked my Grandfather if he would stand-in if necessary, he graciously agreed.

I remember my cousin, Rachelle, being there. It was the first time I had seen her since we were little girls. It was such a special day because she was there.

I remember sitting and getting my hair done in the church nursery and watching Veggie Tales, yes, you read that right!

I remember a special moment with Jeff's mom when she gave me the handmade wedding album, it was very special and very beautiful.

I remember my mom putting on my veil and how excited and overcome with joy she looked.

I remember my sister bursting in to tears because my dad told her he loved her...just before she walked down the aisle as my maid of honor.

I remember Jeff's face when he saw me walk through the doors and the overwhelming love I felt for him at that moment.

I remember my dad's kiss he gave to me before he 'gave me away.'

I remember my dearest friends in the world - Adam, Alison, and Janel singing to us the songs we picked out ('Household of Faith' and 'If you could see what I see'). How true they were then and how true they still are.

I remember Jeff kissing me at the wrong time...we were supposed to light the unity candle...oh well, had to kiss again!

I remember the wedding party holding up cards with numbers on it, representing how well we kissed at our reception.

I remember all the guys in the wedding party with their sunglasses on.

I remember the wonderful slideshow my mom and Jeff's mom put together...lots of funny pictures!

I remember Jeff and I both had lots of hair! Mine is now short, Jeff's is now gone!

I remember my car and what my 'friends' did to it! :) Just kidding, it was great!

I remember wondering what the future held for us, what God's plan for us was.

Over all, I remember just how special the day was and how having our dearest friends and family there made it even more special.

Now, 10 years later, our lives look nothing like that WE had thought and planned, but I wouldn't change any of it for the world. What we have done and been through has only made us stronger, made our love stronger, and made us who we are today. Sure, there were times, even recently that we didn't know what God was up to. But, He has always been faithful to us and never let us walk through those times alone.
We are so excited to see where God will lead us next. These last 10 years have been such a wonderful journey and I can only imagine what the next 10 will be like. What ever comes, it will be much more fun with Jeff by my side!

(check out the blog about Hannah's birthday, I found some old pictures of her I scanned.)

Ice Storm Damage

Here are the pictures I promised...as you can see we had some damage here, downed trees, etc. Luckily our house and fence are still in tact. The only thing we have to show for it is fire wood :)

 

 

 

 

What a difference a week makes!

Well, after over 106 hours, we are finally home and WITH power!!
What an ordeal! Luckily, mom and dad live within driving distance, so we had an unexpected visit with them in NY for almost 5 days! We had a great time together and helped Nana put up her tree.
All in all it was just a bother to pack up and leave, but everyone is safe, no trees fell on the house, and now we are home from a surprise vacation!
I have pictures and will put them up later.

Picture Perfect

 

 

 

 

We used to always go and get professional pictures of the kids taken at Christmas and Easter, but last year, for whatever reason, we decided to take them ourselves. The pictures came out so good last year, we did it again this year...and once again, we got some GREAT pictures!

We hope you enjoy these pictures and we hope you are enjoying this blessed Advent season. May we truly understand and realize that God IS with us!

Why can't we just be honest??

I have been thinking about this topic for a long time. Wondering why we as Christians can't be open and honest with each other about what is going on in our lives. Are we afraid to be vunlerable? Are we afraid someone will see who we REALLY are? Are we afraid someone might criticize us or disagree with us? Do you know what I have to say to that??? WHO CARES! BE HONEST! God has called us to live and worship in 'spirit and in TRUTH.' We ask someone 'how are you?' but, do we REALLY want to know the REAL answer?? Do we have the time to actually listen to the hurt people are going through, do we want to?? We give pat answers to the 'how are you question', but I think we are missing out! I think we are missing out on the chance God put someone in our path to lift us up, or we miss out on lifting someone up. We are here to be here for each other. This is not a 'go it alone' life! There is too much joy and too many blessings in sharing life with each other, yeah, sometimes you have to go through the muck, but think about the beauty on the other side!

So, here it goes. It's time to be honest...

I’ve been really down lately because of my back and actually spent the entire Christmas musical Friday night in the back row, bawling! It was no fun! I’ve just had enough and want to know when my miracle will come. People keep coming up to me and telling me these stories of others who had back issues and then ‘it was a miracle’ they were better….well, where’s mine? Not that I am expecting a miracle, one would be nice, but I’m not expecting one…and it’s not that I don’t believe they happen, they do, I've seen them first hand! I think for some reason God is choosing the long way around for me to teach me something or maybe to teach others something through me…I don’t know why, but for some reason my answer is not ‘no’, just ‘not now.’ That is a hard place to be in. One that really tests your faith! It tests WHO you say you are and WHAT you say you believe in. I do have to admit there have been times I’ve wondered if it is all worth it. Is it worth it to pray to a God that seems not to answer?? The answer to that is a resounding YES!! Even though He may be silent, He is ALWAYS there! He is walking beside me, sometimes carrying me…I may not always see Him or feel Him, but to doubt Him would be the end of ME. You know, I believe God is a God that is big enough to handle our doubt, He knows we’re doubting, we can’t hide that from Him, just be honest and let Him show you Himself, which He will do, in time. So, that is where I am now. Trusting in a God I can’t see or ‘feel’ right now, and knowing that I can have peace and joy even though the situation SUCKS! He is faithful and no matter how hard Satan tries to bring me down, I will come out of this stronger and victorious and will see the blessing in the thorn!!! AMEN!

So, why don't we decide to truly be real with each other? And what better time to do that than Christmas! Declare that GOD is TRULY with us, and that we have the opportunity to be His hands, His feet and His voice to others that are in need and hurting.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Make a Smilebox greeting

6 Years Ago Today

 

 

 

 

It does not seem possible that 6 years have passed. It seems too fast.
6 years ago today Hannah Grace entered our lives. She came into the world, just like she lives it, with much drama! (sometimes the drama is a good thing!)
On Monday, November 18, 2002 I had a routine prenatal check-up. At that appointment the doctor noticed I was measuring too large for how far along I was. I believe I was measuring 41 weeks at 37 weeks. They decided to order another ultrasound. Wednesday, November 20, 2002 I went to my doctor's office for my ultrasound. It was quiet in the room, too quiet. The technician then asked us to wait while she spoke to the doctor. We waited for what seemed like hours and KNEW there was bad news...we could just feel it. The doctor came around the corner, one I had never met, and asked us to come with him. He then gave us the news. They believed Hannah had something called Duodinal Atresia, bascially meaning her stomach was not attached to her intestines. He said with this condition comes many other conditions. They were sending us to see a specialist the next day so someone could properly explain to us what was wrong with our baby and what to expect. We were devastated! The only thing we knew to do was pray, so pray we did. We prayed a lot!! My parents came to up so they could go with us to the appointment, they didn't want us hearing the news alone. God knew what he was doing!! At 5:30am on Thursday, November 21, 2002 my water broke (2 1/2 weeks early)! We were so scared. We hadn't seen the doctor yet, we didn't know what to expect or what was going on. At that point, we had to be ready for what ever happened. Hannah was born that afternoon, with much drama in the delivery room! Besides Jeff and I there were 8 other people in the room watching Hannah be born. She was 8lbs. 9oz. when she was born (2 1/2 weeks early!!) and she would need that weight for what would come. I had about 10 minutes with my baby before they rushed her off to the NICU. After they x-rayed her abdomen they brought her back to me and said 'we do NOT know what is wrong, but there IS something wrong. Where do you want to send her?' SEND HER??? We had to choose, Boston or Lebanon. We chose Lebanon only because we figured there would be less traffic going back and forth. So, Jeff wheeled me down to the NICU to say good-bye to my baby. Here she was only a few hours old and they were taking her from me. It was the most HORRIBLE feeling in the world. I sat in the NICU and watched them buckle her in to the isolette. The transport nurse said 'I'll take good care of her, I promise' and then they left. I said good-bye to Jeff next, he would follow the ambulance, the hospital needed a parent there to sign papers. There I sat, alone, no baby, no husband, not knowing what was going to happen. Jeff called at 10pm that evening and said the doctors ran all kinds of tests, did x-rays, ultrasounds, etc. and found out it was NOT Duodinal Atresia after all. PRAISE GOD!! Before he even told me what it was, I KNEW she was going to be ok. Hannah had a baseball sized cyst on her left ovary. When they did the prenatal ultrasound what they were seeing was the cyst, not a space between the stomach and intestine. When Hannah was 24 hours old she underwent surgery to remove the cyst and the surgeon attmpted to repair her little ovary.
Have you ever REALLY experienced God's peace??? I have. It was AMAZING, during this whole ordeal, never ONCE did I worry, sure I was scared for my child and what might happen, but it was not worry. It is really hard to explain, but through it all there was such a heavenly peace that I had never known before. It was only by God's grace and strength that we made it through that difficult time.
Now, life for Hannah hasn't been sunshine and roses since then, she's had other surgeries, other illnesses, allergies, and an immune defeciency, but she has to be the happiest child ever. She does not let anything get her down. She just keeps plugging forward. She has a flare for the dramatic (which would probably be an understatement)...who wouldn't after all she's been through! But, the thing that gets me is that she has a relationship with God like noone else I know. She KNOWS Him in such a special way. I believe that is because HE was there every step of the way holding on to her when I couldn't.
Until she is older and we find out if her ovary will be functional, the only thing left behind to remind us of what happened is a 2 inch scar on her abdomen (which went from one side to the other at birth) which she affectionately calls her 'BABY LINE.' Other than that scar, you would never know all the things she went through in her tiny life.
We are SO grateful and SO thankful to God for all He has done in Hannah's life and for the plan He has in store for her. He has AMAZING things planned for her!!! She is our Thanksgiving miracle and we are so very grateful.
HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY HANNAH GRACE...WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Our little Cub turns 3!! (double post)

WOW! That is hard to believe, but our little Cubby is THREE YEARS OLD!
I felt really bad that we were not able to do the usual party for him, but since I injured my back I haven't been up to doing much at all. But, my parents did come up and we had a special celebration anyway...then, yesterday, on his actual birthday we had another celebration with Grammie. All in all, I think he had a VERY happy birthday!
Oh, and yes, he is QUITE the ham!!

Fun in the Fall

 

Well, as it stands my kids are STILL horrified of Halloween. All of the spooky things send them running for the nearest rock to hide under. So, we generally take them to the church Fall Festival so they can have some dress-up fun, then on Halloween we head to Pastor Geoff's house and the Scalera's house for some non-scary fun. This year the girls wanted to hand out candy and actually this is the first year since we moved to our house we actually have KIDS on our street besides our own. So, I agreed. But, they didn't just want to hand out candy, they wanted to be a witness, so they found a neat poem and made little pumpkin buckets with a poem about being a light for Christ. I was very proud of them! Unfortunately, only one little girl came to the door...they were very excited to hand her a bucket with candy, but they were a little disappointed they didn't get to hand out all of the buckets. Still, I told them God was proud of them and so were we! Our little missionaries have decided that Pike ST is their mission field...HOW COOL IS THAT!?!?!? and I wonder, what would happen if we all took their initative -- the desire to win their street for Christ? What would the world look like?? I wonder if that is why Christ said we need to come as little children...they get it, fully and completely and don't care what anyone else thinks! What would happen if we had the same conviction? I believe we could change the world, one neighbor at a time! I am just glad I get to go along with my children for the ride!

2 weeks down...LITERALLY!

I told myself I was going to push through the pain to update you on our lives.

These last 2 1/2 weeks have been a real trial and struggle. I have injured my back in a major way...no surgery in my future, yet. It all started with a sneeze...deja vu from when my water broke with Kaitlyn, but with a sneeze came a pop and the most intense pain I have EVER felt. Now, mind you, I have had 3 children and have known pain, but NEVER anything like THIS!!!

A trip to the ER and 2 class 3 narcotics later and I was stuck in bed. Well, the drugs not only took away my pain, but made me quite uneasy, so I stopped those quickly and just went to motrin and call my chiropractor. Well, besides my SI joint being locked out of place my spine is now straight where it is supposed to be curved, my pelvis is curved when it is supposed to be straight, my pelvis is tilted, and my L4 and L5 verts are degenerating! I am only 30, soon to be 31 years old and my back is giving out on me. The doctor said to expect it to take 4 to six 6 weeks until we are out of CRISIS MODE and can start my recovery!!!

I am 2 1/2 weeks in and still in pain. I cannot sit for any length of time. I went out to dinner with the girls for my mental sanity, but set myself back 3 days as far as my pain goes.

Have you ever tried to care for 3 kids from bed?? Have you ever had to look at your 2 year old crying and knowing you cannot pick him up to console him?? Have you ever had to homeschool 2 kids from your bed??

We have NO family around so it has been such a struggle to keep things going. Jeff goes in to work when he can and comes running home when the pain gets to be too much for me to handle. The house is disgusting, there's no time for Jeff to clean it between taking care of the kids and learning how to cook. At some point we just said 'forget it' when it comes to the house. The only way it's going to get clean is when my back gets better or by some miracle we win the lottery and a housekeeper! (too bad we don't play!)

This is SO hard and all I want is to be better...NOW! I know God has a purpose and a plan for this, but I just don't see it. Although we have seen that HE knew what He was doing b/c we certainly could not have afforeded to send the kids to school if I was out on disability...and how long would a company REALLY keep my job for me if there is NO WAY to know WHEN I would be coming back??

Well, must go lay down again, but if you think of it, pray for us! We could really use God's touch -- for healing, for mental clarity, for my emotional state, for family togetherness...for God to really use this time to bring us closer, not only to Him, but to each other.

2 weeks down...

Well, we are officially done with our 2nd week of school.
I would have to say things are going rather well! I think I was/am a little surprised by that!

Kaitlyn is really coming along in her curriculum, it is really challenging her, which is something she needed. Right now she is working on double-digit multiplication...unfortunately we are learning the hard way that she never really learned her multiplication tables in 3rd grade which is making this a little difficult at times. (she has been caught writing it all out...25*5 to her is 25 + 25 +25, etc...can't do multiplication that way!) We are beefing up the review as division starts next week and as we all know...if you can't multiply, you can't divide!

Hannah is doing SURPRISINGLY well. I was really worried about her. The curriculum I am using has her starting cursive. Now, if any of you have seen Hannah's printing you would know that it is not the most lovely in the world (trying to be nice). She has taken to cursive like a fish to water!! Her cursive is BEAUTIFUL!! After only 2weeks her writing looks like she's been writing in cursive her entire life! (no kidding, I'll have to scan a sheet to prove it!)

Caleb is also enjoying 'school'. I really think he likes being home. He had a rough year in daycare. He is enjoying the time he gets to spend with his sisters and his new toy box that only comes out during school time. There are all kinds of cool things in the box. He has done a couple of pages out of his number book, but doesn't seem interested being able to tell the difference between a 1 and a 2...no big deal, he'll get it! Right now he's just enjoying the company.

Labor Day Weekend

We had a FANTASIC Labor Day weekend! It all started with a visit from Nana and PapPap. The kids always have so much fun when they are here...the kids are sad they can only stay a day, but PapPap has to get back to his church. Sunday we spent the day at church, grilling, going to the grocery store, and spending time playing Wii. On Monday we headed to the Museum of Science in Boston. We have a membership, so it is an awesome FREE day! We packed our lunch, had some fun in the Discovery Center before heading to the Omni theatre. We still had free tickets, so we saw the newest film, Wild Ocean. Everyone enjoyed it, although Caleb spent the entire time with his hands over his ears :)
We then went to different exhibits -- we saw and did things we had never done before...that's what is great about that place! You can spend HOURS there and not see everything! After a couple of hours in the museum we headed for a walk down the Charles River (mom and dad's favorite pre-marriage walk -- free dates!). While on our walk we stopped at a great park along the river and let the kids roam free. After our trip to the park, we headed to the Cambridgeside Galleria for dinner and a little shopping....and I mean a 'little' shopping...Jeff bought a $5 dollar t-shirt at Old Navy :)
Once our feet were completely screaming at us we walked back to the museum, paid for our parking and headed home. Caleb did not last long in the car before he was OUT! It was a long day, but a FUN day! (and a CHEAP day!! only paid for dinner and parking...can't beat that!!!!)

BIG changes in our house!

 

 

 

For those of you that DON'T know,I resigned from my Kindergarten teaching position. We were unsure of where God would lead next, would I find another job, would we be able to afford to send the girls back to their Christian school we loved...but, as we had prayed, God made it CRYSTAL clear that HOME is where I am to be. Not only as a stay-at-home mom, but as a homeschooling mom!
We started on Monday and are having a GREAT time!! Now, ask us how we are doing come November or December :)

Above are some pictures from our first week of homeschooling! Everyone went outside to help Kaitlyn observe the plants and animals in our backyard. What fun we had! But, whatever you do, don't lift up any logs around the girls...too many bugs, lots of screams :)

Trying to catch up....

 

 

 

 

Well, shortly after our return from the Mediterranean we headed to Delaware to Ron and Wendy's house. We went to surprise Jeff's mom on her 60th birthday. WE PULLED IT OFF!! She was SO surprised, yes, there were tears involved. We had a great time together, although it was MUCH too short! Above are just some of the pictures from our fun weekend!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!