Before and After Pictures

Here are some before and after pictures. The pictures were really hard to get the color to look right but you can get the idea. Scott and I really love Starbucks colors but decided that some of them were just too dark, especially since we are known to have rainy days here in Oregon. So, we went with a gold throughout the house (we figured we would bring sunshine to us:) with one red wall and a creamy white on the bottom of the walls (in the living room). We also painted a brown wall in the master bedroom and the boys room. The girls really liked the red wall so we painted their room red. The curtains were already here and probably won't stay. We plan to move tomorrow so I don't know how long it will take to get internet up and running but I'll be sure to add some people in those pictures real soon!

Our Christmas Pooh Bear

Someone in our church gave Benjamin this really cute Santa Pooh Bear outfit. He actually wore the hat the entire day!

Our New Christmas Kittens

Now that we have a barn, we needed a kitten (or two:)!

Merry CHRISTmas!

Like many of you, this past week has been so busy, too busy to even post! I've decided to use this post to catch up on the Lord's work in our life and to wish you all the very best CHRISTmas season ever! This past week, my heart has felt heights and depths that can only be found in the daily walk with our Lord! Last Sunday, we had the privilege of celebrating Benjamin River's 1st Birthday! What a joy it is to have him in our home. His smile melts our hearts and his easy going personality makes him everyone's best friend! We are so thankful for the blessing of you, our little man!

Then Monday, we were able to pick up our son Michael from the airport! It has been so fun to have him home! He has adjusted well from his life of single hood to being the oldest of a big family! All the kiddos love to crawl in his lap and we all enjoy the energy that he brings to the family, making everything fun! At our Christmas Eve service, I sang "A Baby Changes Everything" by Faith Hill. I couldn't help but think about my life, being a pregnant teen just like Mary and how that little baby did change EVERYTHING! I have hope and a beautiful son (20 years old, now) because of that Christmas baby that changed my life forever!

What fun it has been to dream about our new home. Scott gave me the best present ever in not only a new home but painting the entire interior, updating the home. We stepped out of our comfort zone this time and painted color on the walls. We were both a little nervous but really like the way it turned out! I'll be sure to post before and after pictures.

For a Christmas with a "slow start", this Christmas has been one of the most special. Our church family has gone above and beyond to bless our family this year. One morning, Scott opened his office door to find numerous presents for our family! Those presents filled our tree before we even added any of ours. Their love and support have been amazing and we are so thankful to be here! We are also so thankful for our extended family that brings a constant support and love to our family!

Sitting around the tree, making Christmas dinner for the first time completely on my own (with the help of my sweet Kaylee) and seeing the overflowing gifts for our overflowing family is almost too much to ponder in my heart. Life with a large family is very hard, I admit! It is constant work and discipline to keep the basics going. There are moments when you wonder if you're really moving forward at all. But then life slows down, like on Christmas morning, and you can see the fruit of your labor and through eyes of faith, you see the blessings for what they really are. Life is a gift and I am thankful to spend my life with those that the Lord entrusted to me. This coming August, we are excited to meet our newest blessing! Yes, we are expecting again! The family is excited, kids are overflowing with joy and Scott and I are eager to meet this new little one. We continue to walk forward in hope, faith and trust knowing that He alone is able to provide, protect and lead our family. We always appreciate your prayers and would love to hear about your family as well! We pray that you discover more of Him this CHRISTmas season!

Some Christmas Pictures...

We were so blessed this year to have some friends give us a gift certificate for a Christmas tree. Upon arriving at the tree farm, we were given the option of 7 varieties of trees. We ended up with a noble fir which is by far the nicest tree that we have ever had. But we do kind of like our "Charlie Brown" trees we've had over the years too! A hay ride took us to the spot where we found our tree. What a great memory!

Moving update

Here are some pictures of our movers! With Christmas just around the corner and our rent paid through the end of December, we decided to take advantage of an empty house and paint the interior. Since it is a mobile home, it does need some updating and this will also allow us to make it ours. We did move over some of our boxes to make room for our Christmas tree here in our rental home.

Come on over...

It's official! The loan funded, we got the keys and now...we have a home! We are excited and exhausted at the days to come:)! You all are more than welcome to come on over for some cookies and milk, that is when we get some:)!!! We are thankful and hopeful to use this property in anyway possible to bring Him glory! Thanks for your prayers!

One Step Closer

Yesterday, we were able to sign papers for our new home! This was a huge step that even Friday looked questionable. Now, we await funding which could be today, tomorrow or Thursday. We have until the 31st to be completely out of our rental home. Our hope is to keep things simple and truly remember the reason for this season as the busyness settles in! Thanks for your prayers!

Something worth waiting for...

There are two reasons that I haven't posted in the last week. One reason is because the kids have been working on a "Christmas present" for Scott and I and have banned us from looking at any pictures for the time being. The thought of just writing with no pictures seemed a bit lacking so I have just been patiently awaiting some new pictures to share.


The second reason that I have not posted is a bit more complex. New pictures aren't the only things that we have been waiting for. Last week was up and down, long and drawn out as we awaited word of any news regarding our new home that we are in the process of buying. We have had our closing extended four times in the last month and each time has left us wondering what the final outcome would be. Both Scott and I have been praying for God's confirmation on this home, hoping God will close the door if this is not the right home for our family. With Christmas quickly approaching, we have sat on the sidelines waiting for our big move before pulling out the Christmas decorations and finding our Christmas tree. Very few presents have been bought as we need to keep as much money in the account as possible to go towards closing costs. I am not sharing this to feel sorry for me, actually I have discovered some important lessons in this season of waiting.

At first, all my heart could see was what I didn't have or what I was waiting for. With each passing day, I knew that we were marching forward to a hurried, rushed holiday season when everything finally worked out and we could move forward with our normal Christmas traditions, remembering our Savior's birth. Over the weekend, I began to see things I would have never seen if things were working out exactly within my time frame. I have been waiting for "Christmas " to start once I am settled and instead discovered that celebrating the birth of Christ didn't need my permission to start.

Each year, Scott and I have tried to find new ways to worship Jesus during this busy season but this season is different...God showed us another way to worship! With my mind clear from the normal Christmas distractions, I have found Christ in the simple things like singing Christmas carols on a Sunday morning, enjoying all the Christmas decorations in the store with absolutely no agenda to buy anything, taking the time to hear people's story of pain, loss or joy during this season, driving around looking at Christmas lights as a family, and truly taking the time to enjoy things as a family because your days aren't filled with even very good traditions, keeping the hustle and bustle of this busy season away. I have learned that I don't need lights or a tree to put me in the Christmas "mood."

I really wanted my next post to about how everything finally worked out! Instead, I am writing in the waiting. Looking back, much of my life has been about waiting...waiting to find my husband, waiting for the birth of a child, waiting for news on a job, waiting to see what happens to that special friendship that I had,waiting for answered prayers, waiting for life's circumstances to work out, waiting to hear news on life or death matters. I have discovered that life is really all about waiting...the circumstances change but waiting remains the same. In this season while I await news on a home, a friend awaited news of being cancer free. In an instant, my waiting seemed easy compared to waiting to hear that the Lord is not done with you yet hear on earth.

And that reminds me of the waiting that the saints before us endured as they awaited the prophecy to be fulfilled and the birth of a Savior that would forever change the world. I think about Jesus' mother Mary as she awaited news as to if her husband Joseph would believe her of her virgin conception or divorce her, the waiting that she endured as she traveled "great" with child and then waiting for God to provide a place for her child to be born as the labor contractions persisted regardless of if there was no room in the Inn. Then the life that he would live, awaiting his impending death. And the three long days mankind endured as we awaited our lives to be forever changed by our Savior's resurrection. And now, we await His return and a life spent in Heaven with Him.

Is the waiting worth it? Reality is, we may spend a lifetime waiting, waiting for a home, a new job or even news about our health but all the waiting ended on that CHRISTmas day, many years ago. A baby had been born that would forever end our need for a Savior. On Sunday, Scott preached about the prophecies that Jesus' birth fulfilled. Amazing when you study just this! But it doesn't end there! No matter what we're waiting for, our hearts can settle knowing that the prince of peace already brought peace to our waiting hearts! Yes, we await His return but we no longer have to wait for the end play, who will win the war. We stand in victory even as we wait.

So, although, I write still waiting for news of our home to close, all that matters has already been settled. My debt has been paid and my Savior is busy preparing a forever "home" for me and for you! Now that's something worth waiting for!

More pictures of our little man...

11 Months and Counting...

Benjamin River turned 11 months on our trip. I keep telling him to slow down his growing but he's no better at obeying this than all my others! Watch out world, I'll almost one!

Wesley Ann Turns 8!

Our little Wesley Ann turned 8 at the end of our trip to Ca. I couldn't help but remember what a memorable birth we had with her. Scott and I were managing a retreat center up in the mountains of Colorado. We hosted the "Vernon Thanksgiving" that year (Scott's side of the family) with over 45 family members present. I wasn't due until December 18th so I was sure that I would be several more weeks before meeting our new blessing. However, on the last day of their stay, the labor pains came ready or not. We had our first home birth welcoming our little angel into our family with many family members still around. Unfortunately, some had to head home before her arrival. We were so thankful to have her and she has been our joy ever since. On a side note, Wesley is still doing well from her surgery. She does have some slight eye tracking issues but that's something that we can work on. Happy Birthday, Wesley Ann! You are a delight!

A Thanksgiving Memory

Thanksgiving dinner always requires lots of preparation! My Grandma made a wise comment on Wednesday evening (after a long day of cooking for our Thanksgiving dinner that would still require another long day of cooking), "All this work and cooking for only 15 minutes of enjoyment." It reminded me of the long lines at an amusement park when the ride is less than 3 minutes long:)! But, yes, it's all worth it!

On this Thanksgiving day, my mom "carved" the turkey. She did a wonderful job organizing and cooking all the wonderful food that we were soon to be thankful for! Just as we gathered to pray for our Thanksgiving meal, my mom started to giggle which turned into real laughter as she mumbled the words..."I lost my band aid!" She had just been carving the turkey and somehow lost her band aid that was on her cut finger in the process. After smelling the wonderful food for hours during the early morning preparation, we weren't about to let a little band aid keep us from enjoying a meal we were so thankful for. It wasn't long before we discovered the missing culprit in the trash right where it should be! We prayed and moved into the 15 minutes of glorious eating! But it wasn't with the absence of a few giggles and released tension from all the laughter! This is what family is all about!

The Beach

We had the privilege of meeting up with our dear friends, the Dittmanns at the beach. The camera was left in the car to protect it from all the sand but Casey did get this one picture at the end of our long day. What a memory..18 kids between our 2 families! I'm sure we were a sight to see. Thanks, Dittmanns, for making the effort to come see us!