short and sweet

This is simply a post for my mom who is wanting to see her grandbaby while at chemo.

getting my first suntan (or lowering my billirubin)

going to get my billirubin checked.


Just snoozing this morning.

a sweet surprise

For months now I have been faithfully paying on all of our bills concerning this baby. I paid off the doctor first. Then I started paying towards the hospital. Then I found out the anesthesiologist was not covered in the $6000+ I am paying the hospital. The lady I talk to and pay via the phone at Little Rock Anesthesia is named Eva. She is super sweet and we have chatted a little each time I call and make a payment. Today she asked how much longer I had till delivery. I told her 30 days. Then I just happened to say, "So I have $400 left to pay between now and then." She then told me to wait and call her back after the baby is born and she would give me a discount. She said, "It won't be a big discount but you have been so faithful to pay along the way that I want to give you the discount." I thanked her and hung up the phone and immediately laid my head on Chip's desk and thanked God. I know Eva is sweet but that was straight from the Lord. Since May I have had moments of stress and fear and worry over all of these payments. But I have also had moments of victory where I was able to trust and just pay. I just had to post this for my own memories sake and to give God the glory.

Advent Week One

Our church posted this for week 1 of Advent. I am going to start tonight. I just wanted to post it incase anyone needed a guide. --Shelley

ADVENT WEEK ONE

Theme for the Week of November 27, 2011
Our Need for a Savior

Light the first Advent candle.

Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:7-3:7

Explanation of Scripture:
God made Adam and Eve in His image and gave them everything they needed. Adam and Eve lived happily together with God in their beautiful new home until one day they disobeyed God. Eve was deceived by God’s enemy, Satan, who disguised himself as a snake, and ate from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, which God had forbidden them to do. Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience of God was the first sin. Because of their sin, all of us now struggle with living apart from God’s plan for us and hurting other people and God’s creation. This is our sin. The only way we can overcome this sin struggle is if we are saved from it. But who will save us?

Songs: O, Come All Ye Faithful and O Little Town of Bethlehem

Family Activity:
Blow out your Advent candle and turn out the lights. As your family is sitting in the darkness, talk about when sin and darkness entered the world. Romans 3:23 tells us that we are all sinners. Therefore, we all have sin and darkness in our hearts and need to be rescued. God promised us that He would rescue us from this darkness by sending a Savior, His one and only Son. Light the Advent candle again. Light is more powerful and pierces through darkness. Read John 8:12 aloud. Ask your children who rescues us from sin and darkness.

Further Discussion Questions for Students & Adults:
Why was eating from the tree so appealing? (Adam and Eve had everything they needed).
What does this reveal about our hearts?

End with Prayer.

Thanksgiving 2011

We are thankful for God's providence, love, faithfulness and kindness in our lives, our family, a new baby and healthy kids who love one another!

We are also thankful for the food we eat only on Thanksgiving Day. Our feast consisted of Cajun injected turkey, Paula Deen's cornbread dressing (a staple in my house since 2006), mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole (with a pecan/brown sugar crust--not marshmallows), Sister Schubert's rolls, cranberry sauce and sweet tea. We were supposed to eat with some friends but Ella was running fever the past few days and complaining of a tummy ache. So, we swapped food and ate as individual families. This meant, for me, quickly getting out the table cloth and the serving pieces as well as finding the battery charger cord for my camera.

While Chip was delivering our portion of today's lunch I set the table and the kids waited "patiently" at the dining room table.

During lunch we talked about what we are thankful for and Streed recounted for us the story of Squanto that he and I read yesterday. It is an amazing story of God's soverignty and faithfulness in the midst of evil, heartache and confusion. I was amazed at how much he recalled from the book.

After lunch I was sitting with Nate as he ate cereal. He wasn't really keen on all of the "fixin's". I could have been irritated and said, "No, you had your chance to eat." Instead I decided to realize he is 3 1/2 and be thankful that he ate peas, turkey and rolls. As I sat there, I noticed the almost empty tea pitcher adorned with a fall plaid ribbon. Then I saw my Mikasa French Countryside dish and a casual ladder back dining room chair. And I just thought, I love being from the South! Some things are just Southern, which usually translates to welcoming and pretty. The kids even enjoyed watching me tie on the ribbon. They commented that I "was making everything so pretty". I am glad they can appreciate this even at their young ages.





















At lunch we talked about what all we were thankful for and Streed recounted to us the story of Squanto from a book we re-read this year. It is an amazing story of God's sovereignty in the midst of pain, heartache, confusion and trials.

this world

(this is one of those posts that is mainly for me but if it encourages you then Amen)

I am up early again. I really do like the still, quietness of the morning. And I am wide awake, so its not like I am out of be begrudgingly. I woke up to check on Nate because he has a fever and I thought I heard him. I then stirred the oatmeal that was in the crock pot. Then I went back to bed for about 60 seconds. I got out of bed because my mind was racing with what I need to buy the kids for Christmas. So, I sat down with pen and paper making a short list for each of them, things for their stockings, ideas for gifts, plus a few things that I have already bought.

I then put down my pen and grabbed my Voices from the Past devotional. This has been so great for me lately. Today was on prayer. As I then prayed, adoring God for being King of Kings and Lord of Lords as well as being my Father, I was truly humbled and grateful. So after making Christmas lists and after praying for my mom and my friend Shana with preterm triplets, my mind went straight to "This world has nothing for me..." I could not remember who sang this so I went to google and found it was one of my long lost favorite bands Caedmon's Call. The following words to the song say: And this world has everything, All that I could want and nothing that I need!

In so many ways we are beyond blessed to live in America. But in so many ways it is also a curse. Our minds are easily distracted by what we think is important and what we think we need. I will pray now for all of us desiring so much to raise our kids to Love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength that we will be able to reach their hearts with what is truly important--the things that are on God's heart!

where we are

What time is it? I think it's 6:40am. And I think I have been awake since around 4am. I don't sleep anymore. 6 hrs seems to be my limit. I am sure this is my body getting ready for baby but I still have 10 weeks! I am officially 29 weeks and she is scheduled to arrive via c-section at 39 weeks--January 12, 2012 or 1/12/12 which I think sounds like a really great day.

We are in Mobile. My mom's cancer has spread and she started radiation this week. We are not going to be able to travel anymore for a few months with the pregnancy so it was a good time to come on down and visit. Plus, Chip had to come for work, which is always nice. And since we were only 3 hours from Chip's parents, the kids are spending the weekend with them before we head back home. I don't like them being away from me for that long--3 nights is a long time! However, Robyn and I will get some one-on-one time with my mom, (I thought I was going to sleep in), Chip will watch the AL vs LSU game with some old buddies, and the kids get to see all of their grandparents which really is a treat for everyone.

27 weeks

Sporting a comfy outfit today while just being at home doing school. I thought the outfit showed off my belly quite well for a picture. I will be interested to see what I am measuring at my next appt (Oct 31). At 24 weeks I was on track. Not so sure anymore. I am "mostly" all belly. But, dang, what a big belly it is!

Philippians 4:8

At my mom's group at church we have a time of scripture meditation. This week's verse was Psalm 139:23-24---Search me O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Rather than meditate on that (rebellious) I saw Philippian 4:8 on the bag of the girl sitting in front of me. Usually when dealing with anxieties you can stop at "If anything is true..." So that is what I did and this is what I wrote. (FYI: my anxiety is in light of not having maternity insurance. This is not something we talk about but it is real and it is where we are.)

Phil 4:8
I have many anxieties on me. There is no room for anxiety if I am trusting whole heartedly in Jesus. For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans for a hope and a future. I don't know how we are going to pay for this baby. What is true? 1) I can pay what I can pay. The rest will be on a credit card. 2) It costs a significant amount. 3) We are getting a significant discount by paying cash. 4) We are having another baby. 5) I allow the strain of how to pay for it overshadow the joy she will bring. 6) I rob God the joy of this blessing. 7) I give Satan the pleasure of victory. 8) I stop this now!
Thank you Lord for the truth.

a big day

Streed is 2 weeks from being 7 years old and he lost his first tooth. He has been talking about it being loose for a few weeks now. Chip was home this morning. He and Streed decided it was time for it to come out now. It was quick and painless because it was super loose. I think it feels better now that it is out than it has felt the past few days.

Happy Monday

Ella took this picture last month. She occasionally hijacks my camera and ends up with some good shots. The pic is representative of what I am about to do. Nate is at preschool and the other two are at their co-op. This is my first Monday ever to have a day to myself at home. I am about to eat breakfast in silence. Then I will begin cleaning and straightening to music. I am looking fwd to this day. From what I figure, I will only have this luxury until mid-December when they are all out of school. By the time they all go back will be be in major baby prep-mode. So, here's to three months of Mondays where Mama can relax and regroup for the start of another busy week!