That first summer...

With the birthday fast approaching, I am posting some pictures from the first year

Paige and Peyton~Happy 4th of July!

Peyton Paige

Peyton with Brad and Paige with Gary after a softball game

Old pictures on display..

Paige in Daddy's hat, Peyton got his coat~almost 3 yrs old

Paiger

Peyton with attitude

This has become one of my favorite songs to listen to in the car. It is a great worship song. The kids and I sing along. It is just a reminder that I need to praise God for the gift of salvation every day. This should be more important than presenting my requests. I love how it starts out. I don't know what God's plans are, but I do know that what He has already done for me.

My Savior, My God

I am not skilled to understand

What God has willed, what God has planned

I only know at His right hand

Stands one who is my Savior

I take Him at His word and deed

Christ died to save: this I read

And in my heart I find a need

Of Him to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on high

And come for sinful man to die

You count it strange, so once did I

Before I knew my Savior

chorus

My Savior Loves, my Savior lives

My Savior’s always there for me

My God: He was, my God: He is

My God is always gonna be

Yes, living, dying: let me bring

My strength, my solace from the spring:That He who lives to be my king

Once died to be my Savior

repeat chorus

Written by: Aaron Shust/Dorothy Greenwell

This song can be found at Greatworshipsongs.com

Snowed in...or not??

click on image to go to Web album

Mom and Dad braved the snow to get to us today. Quite literally, in fact. The county only clears my road so far. You can see behind them a small path consisting of only the tracks the neighbor made this morning. Dad was fearful that he would get stuck, making getting home next to impossible, so they parked back at the mailboxes. I looked out the window in time to see Mom kinda fall over in the snow. What a sight! Here they are in a place that isn't so deep. We got my Ford Expedition out of the garage while they were here, and that thing ROCKS! Dad moved it up and down the driveway a few times, and took it to my snowy road. So when they were ready to leave, I drove them back to where they were parked. I couldn't believe how well the roads were cleared up to that point. Apparently, the 4 families that live beyond the mailboxes are totally on their own! Seems a bit strange, since I know I pay a ton in property taxes! Anyway, for the first time in the 4 years that I have had my Expedition, I know that I was completely relying on the 4wd.

Snow..snow...snow...

Well, the good news is that we have heat now. A.J., who works on AC and furnaces faced the snow to come to my house and fix the problem that was causing my house temperature to drop lower and lower. He and his employee had to walk from our mailbox to get to the house. I don't like to walk to the mailbox in GOOD weather! I am so thankful for the people from the church who make themselves available to help us.

Here is a picture of the view from the front porch today. I will try to wander outside to take some pics that show our impressive snow falls tommorrow.

Brrrr..cold

Forgive me if my typing is bad, but my hands are a bit cold! The furnace in my house is not working and I am waiting on someone to come a fix it. They are closing the roads in our county-but loading Ella and the (still sick) girls up in my 4wd is sounding pretty good right now! I am reading a book by Charles Stanley. "The Source of my Strength." I am reading the chapter on dealing with fear and anxiety. How appropriate right now. I have shed more tears over my fears over the past two days, and not having heat right now doesn't help much. However, I am believing God for his Sovereignty. There is a reason that The girls and I are in a cold house. I have at times questioned God, and at times thanked Him for our circumstances. You never know what God is using to teach and change us. Stanley says "You may go through difficulty, harship, or trial-but as long as you are anchored to Him, you will have hope."

Happy Birthday Jo Jo!

Josiah- Peyton and Paige and I are SO looking forward to you coming to see us! A foot of snow is falling right now so that there will be some snow left to play in when you get here! We hope you have a great day. Hard to believe that you are FIVE!

A very pensive Josiah.

A happy morning

Ready for church

Seven years ago this week, I was in the hospital, awaiting the birth of my twins. It was still much too early for them to be born, and we were trusting God daily for their health and growth. God was faithful. A thought to ponder for me is, even if the outcome hadn't been perfect healthy children, God is still faithful. We rarely get a full picture of God's plan and purpose, but we can be sure that He loves us with "unfailing love." I have been reading in the Psalms alot lately, and it seems that David is forever referring to God's unfailing love. During that time seven years ago, my good friend Charity printed a verse on pretty paper and framed it. She brought it to me in the hospital to remind me of what kind of God we really have. Looking back, we have both been through so much since then, we had no idea how much God intended to show us in tover the years. That frame matched my bathroom decor, so it has remained visible in my house. I was cleaning yesterday (I do that occasionally) and took the time to read the verse. I am encouraged and uplifted that a verse that was true for me then, is still true for me today.

Be Merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamaties have passed by.

Psalm 57:1

Today, when I was again cleaning, I came accross a piece of scrap paper from a drawer. The sentences on it hit me in the gut with pain at first, but as I looked at them closer, I was reminded of how much hope I truly have for the future. I was reminded of how God is STILL the God of impossible situations. In the meantime, however, I must trust God, and take cover from the storms in God's perfect hiding place.

5 little stones....

I can't recommend this book enough. I have just finished chapter 19, which goes back and looks again at David's battle with Goliath. Lucado challenges us to not give up, to "face your giants by facing God first." He contends that David chose 5 stones for a reason. We can let them represent reminders.
1. The stone of the past: "A good memory makes heroes. a bad memory makes wimps." "
Write today's worries in sand. Chisel yesterday's victories in stone. "Remember His marvelos works which He has done (I Chron 16:12)
2. The stone of Prayer: "Peace is promised to the one who fixes thoughts and desires on the King."
When David soaked his mind in GOd, he stood. When he didn't, he flopped. "God will keep him in perfect peace, whose thoughts are fixed on Him (Isaiah 26:3).
3. The stone of priority: Highest priority=God's reputation. Use the Goliaths in our lives to "show God off." Lucado suggests that we should welcome our trials because it gives God a chance to show His strenght and His grace.
4: The stone of Passion: David ran toward, not away from Goliath. We should do the same.
David lobotomized the giant because he emphasized the Lord.
5. The Stone of Persistence: Never Give up! "Imitate him (David). Never give up. One prayer might not be enough. One apology might not do it. One day or month of resolve might not suffice. You may get knocked down a time or two...but don't quit. Keep loading the rocks. Keep swinging the sling."

For a review of the book, check out the link on the right under "books I am reading."

Pretty girls on a Snowy day

Peyton, Paige and Ella, all in their furry hooded vests

My girls are almost 7 years old. We are less than 3 weeks from the big day. This is about the time I always seen to remember back on those days seven years ago. Reading about Brad and Jen's new introduction into the world of the NICU definitely reminds me of that bittersweet time. I am sure that over the next few weeks I will be posting some of my memories. Today, I can look at how beautiful and healthy my babies are and marvel and what God has done in their lives already. It makes it just a bit easier to trust God for them daily now.

 

Yesterday, I had Isaiah and Elijah for a few hours, don't Elijah and Peyton look like forces to be reckoned with??

Here is the actual "View from Baltic Drive" today

 

Reading frenzy

I is cold and snowing outside...Kid has a cough, dog has allergies...my thoughts turn to READING! So I decided to rework my blog and add my reading list. I am also taking a big plunge. I am going to start a ....novel! It has been awhile, I will let you all know how it goes. Anyway, I did my current reading list. I also decided to throw in a best of 2006 list. The only problem is, I couldn't get that list to publish! So right now, it looks like I am reading a TON of books right now. In actuality, all the books after Priolo were 2006 (and maybe a bit before). I am also going to put together a "best books ever" list, but I want to give that some thought, even though a few 'flew' off my bookshelf at me! (I hope no one is offended by Nancy Drew or Archie Comics ;)

but God....yet God

Lucado has gotten to the end of David's life in his book "Facing Your Giants." David is sharing with his people that he had "intended" to build the temple for the Ark of the Covenant. (taken from ! Chron 28). The temple did not get built under David's leadership because he got a "red light" from God. I Chron 28 goes on to tell how God was forbidding David from building the temple as a consequence for his sin. The temple would be built by Solomon instead. David had intended "but God..." God had different plans. Many could tell their story of how they had plans or preparations made. Maybe for a job, a ministry, a marriage, or a family...then came the "but God..." The question is, "what do you do with the 'but God' moments in life?" How do we respond when God's plans and our plans don't match up? We could look at David's life, and see how he responded. In I Chronicles 28, we see how David followed up with a "yet God." David shared how he was actually blessed to have been chosen to be the king. He wasn't focusing on what God hadn't allowed, but what God had allowed in his life. Lucado pointed out that David's "but God" became a "yet God." Lucado finishes the chapter by saying, "Who's to say yours won't become the same?"

An encouragement to keep on keeping promises.

I am still plugging through Max Lucado's "Facing Your Giants" and while I have a book "on deck" to read, I would love to hear from anyone their recommended reading. In the meantime, I will again post what I am learning from this great book. First of all, the chapter is called "tough promises," so I knew that the subject matter might be, well, tough. The entire book is about the life of David. David is now king, and he remembers a promise he made to his best friend, Jonathon. In 1 Samuel 20, the story of a covenant between David and Jonathon is told. David vowed, at that time, to keep his covenant, even with Jonathon's family, should he die. The covenant was the "covenant of friendship." David found Jonathon's son, Mephibosheth (now why didn't Jen and Brad use that name for one of their boys?). This boy was lame from being injured while escaping the attack that killed Jonathon and Saul. He was just a child, and David brough him to the palace and cared for him. In later years, Meph sides with the enemy during a rebellion led by David's son, Absolom. David gets this story from a servant namd Ziba. When David sees Meph again, he insists that he was not truly siding against him, that Ziba abandoned him. Lucado explains that David didn't question him further, the truth didn't matter, because the was going to take him back anyway. Why? because "God sets the standard for covenant keeping." Deuteronomy 7:9 reminds us that God keeps His covenants.

Your eternal life is covenant caused, covenant secured, and covenant based....God keeps His promises. Shouldn't God's promis-keeping inspire yours? ...Looming in your past is a promise you made. May I urge you to do all you can to keep it?...Why should you? SO you can understand the depths of God's love. When you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does for you. ...when you do what is right, even when you have been done wrong..you do what God does every single moment...When you love liars, cheaters and heartbreakers, are you not doing what God has done for us? Pay attention to and take notes on your struggles. God invites you to understand His love...Illustrate stubborn love. Incarnate fidelity. God is giving you a Mephibosheth-size chance to show your children...what real love does.

Max Lucado "Facing your giants"

More family album-taken at Upward Basketball

Nathan-sober, then grinning for the camera

 

Peyton standing TALL!

Peyton did great on defense today. She was making it pretty tough for her man to get a shot off. I wish I had photos of her and Brooke, because things got a bit physical between the cousins. It was pretty funny to sit next to Brad with his sister (Brooke's mom) on the other side and have them coaching their girls against each other!

Peyton all ladylike on the bench next to Coach Fye

Giving the camera a grin

Peyton is the only ponytail out there in this pic

 

Basketball Paige

We had another exciting week of Upward basketball. Aunt Jame got some good action shots of Paige

Paige and Lydia, who's guarding who??

Paige and Lydia again

Well, what do you know, Paige and....Lydia! At least they were getting the hang of who they were supposed to be guarding!

Paige counting out her change post game to cousin Nathan

 

A BIG night out....or maybe a couple of crazy women??

Over the past few days, during my phone conversations with Steph, I have been starting to sense that she desperately needed to get out of the house. After a very short attempt at getting a sitter, we decided to head to Champaign with the kids. We didn't get started til about 6:30 because of my "on call" schedule at work, and we had to meet a lady about a Guinnea Pig (don't ask). Anyway, by the time we sat down to eat, we were all wishing we had stayed in D-ville, and ordered pizza for the kids! The food at Ruby Tuesday's was quite good, but the tired and hungry kids on the 8 degree night just took away from the whole "getting out of the house" scenerio. Their food took a while to come, so Paige at about every third bite of my salad, and Peyton decided she like my soup. I got a really yummy strawberry lemonade, but Paige stole a great deal of that, too. We finally ended up at Pet Smart about 12 minutes before it closed. Any idea how rough it is to take 4 kids into Pet smart, and only have 12 minutes to look around.
Some one liners heard were:
"I'm very hungry."
"I have to go potty."
"Stop kicking the seat!"
"This is like Animal Planet." (that was said at Pet Smart, but it could have applied to about every place we took the kids ;)

Isaiah and Steph

Paige finishing off my lemonade

me (looking pretty frazzled) Peyton Elijah and Paige

 

A week in the life...

Paige plays in PE class on Tuesday

Peyton peeks in the door from getting a drink in PE
class on Tuesday

The girls are learning how to take Ella out, here is Peyton trying it out

Paige and Peyton playing in their "fort" during the step aerobics class this am

 

Big day for triplet (quad) update!

Please be in prayer for Brad and Jen today! It is a big day, as it will be decided it the quads are ready to be born. Jen will be undergoing an amniocentisis to make this determination. I also know that Jen has been increasingly uncomfortable and dealing with pain in her stretching ligaments. You can link to her blog by clicking here. I don't know if Brad will blog today, but if he does, please post that you are praying for them.

have you declared your iniquity today??

I am sure that Peyton would be thrilled that I am posting her prayers, but I am counting on NO ONE telling her;) Wednesday morning, when we were starting school, Peyton agreed to pray before we got started. I wrote this down right after she prayed, so that I would remember, here goes.......for my mommy that she will declare her iniquity to God, and for daddy, that he will declare his iniquity to God, and for us to do the same... I know that the rest of her prayer was equally heart felt, but I was SO blown away when she said that. We have been learning a verse a week for school. We read it, discuss what it means. The girls write it, and they get credit when they recite it at the end of the week. Each week, we add another verse, and continue to work on the old ones. A recent verse was For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. Psalm 38:18. Now, we discusses what this verse meant, and what iniquity means, so I am not suprised that she understood that word, but to pray in for other people, and have it in correct context was impressive to me. I don't believe that she has ever heard me pray about "iniquity" specifically. At any rate, I was touched and as usual, convicted by the words of my own child. Peyton is someone who I ask to pray for me, in the moment, on a regular basis. She doesn't have to know exactly why I need the prayer. Often times, she is so insightful, that she really knows anyway. These little girls are SO precious and a neat gift from God. I am truly thankful for them.

I had someone tell me just yesterday that my girls were smart and beautiful, and that Brad and I had done a good job with them. I don't know that I think that is true. I think that God is growing them, and HE is doing a great job with them. Occasionally He uses one of us for that, but mostly, the work is done despite how we may mess up. Oh, I still feel that their spiritual, academic, physical, social, etc.. future will be affected by our parenting choices, the choices they see us make, and the environment we raise them in. However, nothing will reach them that doesn't go through the filter of God's perfect will. When I am anxious, and think ahead too much, I am being challenged that I forfeit God's grace. Now why in the world would I choose to live in anxiety and fear over circumstances that I am powerless to change, when instead I could be living in God's grace on a day by day basis???

I am still reading Max Lucado's "Facing Your Giants." I have refrained from blogging many quotes from this good book. I was reading this morning from the chapter where Lucado describes how David grieved over the deaths of Saul and Jonathon. Lucado quoted verse 4 from the following passage in Ecclesiates. I was interested in it, so I read the whole chapter in a few different translations. The entire chapter spoke to me, but I highlighted the verses that I gleaned the most from. It is hard to accept that sorrow is a good thing. God is teaching us in our sorrows. Solomon is telling us that it isn't for the best to wish for "the good old days."

Ecclesiastes 7 (New International Version)
1 A good name is better than fine perfume,

and the day of death better than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning

than to go to a house of feasting,

for death is the destiny of every man;

the living should take this to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,

because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke

than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,

so is the laughter of fools.

This too is meaningless.
7 Extortion turns a wise man into a fool,

and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning,

and patience is better than pride.
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,

for anger resides in the lap of fools.
10 Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?"

For it is not wise to ask such questions.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing

and benefits those who see the sun.
12 Wisdom is a shelter

as money is a shelter,

but the advantage of knowledge is this:

that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.
13 Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten

what he has made crooked?
14 When times are good, be happy;

but when times are bad, consider:

God has made the one

as well as the other.

Therefore, a man cannot discover

anything about his future.
15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:

a righteous man perishing in his righteousness,

and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
16 Do not be overrighteous,

neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overwicked,

and do not be a fool— why die before your time?
18 It is good to grasp the one

and not let go of the other.

The man who fears God will avoid all extremes . [a]
19 Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful

than ten rulers in a city.
20 There is not a righteous man on earth

who does what is right and never sins.
21 Do not pay attention to every word people say,

or you may hear your servant cursing you-
22 for you know in your heart

that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said,

"I am determined to be wise"— but this was beyond me.
24 Whatever wisdom may be,

it is far off and most profound— who can discover it?
25 So I turned my mind to understand,

to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things

and to understand the stupidity of wickedness

and the madness of folly.
26 I find more bitter than death

the woman who is a snare,

whose heart is a trap

and whose hands are chains.

The man who pleases God will escape her,

but the sinner she will ensnare.
27 "Look," says the Teacher, [b] "this is what I have discovered:

"Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things-
28 while I was still searching

but not finding—

I found one upright man among a thousand,

but not one upright woman among them all.
29 This only have I found:

God made mankind upright,

but men have gone in search of many schemes."

I am very thankful for Peyton and Paige's two grandmothers! I love my mom and my mother-in-law very much and so do P & P. Grammy (my mom on the left) has been keeping the girls almost every weekend while I work. This past Saturday night, they stayed with Nana (Brad's mom). I can always count on them to be loved, cared for, and have a great time when they are in the care of the grandparents.

Below, the girls are glad to be home again from the long weekend, and hanging out with Ella, who they missed very much!