Lots of Prayer

This week has been filled with so much prayer already... so many things calling for our attention to step before the throne of Jesus.

• My Dad is still in need of a job. Mom and Dad's situation has begun to change day by day. Sometimes, for the better, sometimes for the worse. They are both in need of the hope, wisdom and peace of Jesus. And Dad still needs a job!
• Luke's sister, Emily, is very very ill and in the hospital in GR. She is awaiting a news of when her brain surgery will take place. Please pray for her husband, Dan, her family, and the doctors. You can read more on Luke and Lacey's Blog.
• My friend's daughter, Rylee, who is 2 has had a recent health scare. Please keep Rylee and her mom and dad in your prayers for continued healing.

First Smiles

This week our baby has started smiling more and more. Almost the exact timing that Finnegan did too :) She's also sleeping more and more. She will be 8 weeks old tomorrow and this week she slept 7.5 hours TWICE!! Oh, what a blessing that is!! She is still a daudler when she eats... 2 ounces here, 2 ounces there... But this morning (after sleeping 7 hours) she took 6 ounces in 30 minutes!! I was very surprised!!

Her cardiologist appointment was last week, and she did very well during all of the tests. It was found that she does have a heart murmur, but it is nothing to worry about and the doctor believes that she'll grow out of it, as I did mine. On Wednesday, Nov 25th, is her scheduled procedure to remove the skin tag/tumor on her eye. I will keep you posted on how she does then!

Eight Years Ago Today...

Suicide is an ugly beast... And for some reason, he is running rampant through the lives of my family and my friends. Eight years ago today, he almost claimed victim of a dear friend of mine, my room-mate at the time. He taunts immediate and extended family members. He thinks he can walk in and make decisions and take their lives.

I am fortunate, unlike some that I know, that he has never actually succeeded in the lives of those that I love. The attempts are heartbreaking and stay with you forever. But God will continue to claim victory over him, as He is the only one to provide peace, strength and wisdom in tough times.

Suicide, you thought you reigned over her but Christ won. You think you will have no problem winning him over because you keep whispering in his ear. Christ is more powerful than your lies and deception. For years, you've spoken lies to this one and that one... but NO MORE. You have NO power in the lives of my friends and family!! We cling to the Old Rugged Cross and it's everlasting power.

Living with Less??

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a note on FB about some changes that might be waiting for our family. Those things are yet to make themselves completely clear to us, but an opportunity has risen for our family of four to transfer back to the east coast for my husband's job. This possibility holds many promises for us, and while all of the details have not been decided on and all of the questions have yet to be answered, we've begun to play around with the idea, given the information that we do have...

One of the options presented was for us to simply transfer for a short and definite amount of time, meaning that we wouldn't sell our home here in WA, but find someone to live in it while we were gone and rent an apartment in our new city. That got me thinking... how cool would that be? We would only be allowed to move a small amount of our belongings, not every ounce of what we have. So what would I take? I can't take all my kitchen gear, or ALL the kids toys, what would I take... Then it got me thinking, there are plenty of things that we have that we don't need.

How cool would it be to live with just the necessities? Not all the other junk that collects dust that we feel we MUST have. So, I've been sort of on a mission the last few days to go through those extra spaces in our home and get rid of the old stuff, either donate or toss things that we don't use and don't need. Why do we have all of this storage space in our house, and yet, never touch the things that are in them? Because we think we might need them "one day"?? I know I will never live in a spotless house, or a house without knick-knacks. But could I live with less... junk... less stuff? Could we live without those things that cludder our spare places and make us realize that we simply have not just enough but really have too much?

Thank you Veterans!!

Thank you to the Veterans who have served, currently serve and will serve to protect my freedom in our country.

• My Papa Bill - William Hargraves, served in Korean War
• Crystal Wilkinson - my niece - Active Duty
• Morgan Wilkinson - my niece - Active Duty currently stationed in Iraq
• Michaun McComsey - previous co-worker - Air Force
• Steven Frank - friend -Died in Iraq in 2005
• Jesse McCoullough - CU Alum - Active Duty stationed in WA
• Dan Kersey -CU Alum - Active Duty stationed in WA
• Rachel Miller - Church Friend - Active Duty stationed in Iraq
• Ron Corbeille - Church Friend - Served in WWII

Mommy Self-Esteem

Oh, Gals... It's no joke that self-esteem isn't my most treasured virtue. However, I find that having positive "mommy self-esteem" is even harder on some days. Am I really raising my child right? Am I giving him enough love with enough instruction? Am I being too rough on him? So many times I find myself questioning my abilities and feeling that I just fall short. And just as I rebound with positive feelings and move in a good direction, I get set back again. And I feel that it's just confirming my original feelings! GRRR.... Anyone else feel like this?

Perhaps it is just a side effect of being a made-mommy, and not a born-mommy.

H1N1??

Ok, Mommies - Are you giving (or have you given) your children the H1N1 vaccine? Will you be getting one yourselves?

I went for my 6 week check up at the OB today, and they were offering the vaccine to pregnant and post-partum patients. I had no idea I would be eligible, let alone, available to get one. I'd gone back and forth whether I would get one if I had the ability, and just didn't know. But today, I had the opportunity to get one, and did... I'm pretty ok with my position, because my doctor really wanted me to get it. I even posed the question to him that if he had a daughter who'd just given birth or was pregnant, if he'd press her to get it. He emphatically told me "yes". So, I was ok with it. I still am not sure if we'll have Finnegan get it if it becomes available to him...

What are your thoughts, mommies??