Mel's birthday

I am getting out of order a little because I have some great pictures of our trip to SC over Christmas break.  But I don't want to take the time to organize all of those right now, so I am going to post my birthday pictures.  This year the kids made me breakfast and decorated the dining room with a homemade "Happy Birthday" banner, a table cloth, candles, and neatly set table.  After our usual activities of the day, David took us all out to dinner and then we went to pick out the paint for my present.  David agreed to paint the dining room for me, which has turned out to be quite a task!  We are still working on it.  We concluded our celebrations with special ice cream.  I didn't want a cake since we had had so much cake over the Christmas holidays.  Here are the pictures...

May the Force Be With You

Light  Saber Cake

Keenan's friend Garrett studying the complicated transformer directions- his idea of party fun!

Each of the kids had a battle with Darth Vader

While Garrett worked on the transformer, the other kids played with the "men stuff"

Princess Leia, also know as Iannah

Since Keenan's birthday was in December I thought I should post the pictures from his party.  We didn't take very many, but here is a small taste of his Star Wars party.

toothless

Yesterday Keenan lost his 4th tooth, the 2nd one this week!  David was at work last night and didn't know he had lost it.  His "tooth fairy" got busy with other things last night and forgot to show up.  He comes to the bathroom door this morning and says to me, "I lloked under my pillow and all I found was my tooth!"  Oops!  He doesn't really believe there is a tooth fairy, but we try to convince him for now, mostly for the sake of his younger brothers.  So I said something about the tooth fairy sometimes getting busy and he should try again tonight.  Anyway, at dinner we were talking about his missing two front teeth.  Keenan was adamant that these two wiggly things fall out on their own this time, and they did.  Both while he was eating.  David couldn't remember if he had pulled out his other two teeth and so he asked.  Keenan said "You pulled out the first one with the pliers, and the second one William (his friend) accidentally punched out!"  Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  It's true, and it will forever be burned in his memory!
I'll post a picture of his cute toothless smile soon.  My computer is not reading my photo card very consistently right now.

pictures from the Christmas Season

Abby with her ballet class before their Christmas performance

Keenan helping to decorate the tree

Nathanael

My dad with Nathanael when we were visiting SC

snow bunnies that I coaxed to go outside and play

One of our favorite family traditions is to do a "giving tree."  This year we collected stuff for an package that was sent to Sudan for persecuted Christians.  This is us with our "action pack" before we opened our own gift.

Some of the mess after presents! 

A Taste of Victory

The past few months have not been easy ones for me.  The transition with the new, somewhat fussy baby has been harder than I anticipated.  However, I'm learning to rest in God's grace for each day!  I read this verse a few weeks ago and it has blessed me and lifted my heart!  "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."  2 Corinthians 9:8  What a beautiful declaration!  God is able to give me every grace I need for every circumstance that I face so that I can excel in all things!  His grace is truly sufficient!  I am learning to rest in Him.
The following is something I wrote in my journal on Jan 11.  It summarizes some of what has been going on in my heart.
"I woke up a little frustrated yesterday morning.  The baby has not been sleeping very well and I was beginning to complain in my spirit and get grumpy before I even got out of bed.  It seems like many of the other kids are at difficult places and that makes each day so challenging.  So as I say up and nursed the baby yesterday morning, I cried out to God, saying 'Lord, I don't want to hate this life.  I don't want to go through the day wishing for something different.' I just talked to my Father, the LIVING God, about being tired and this season of my life being hard.  And I said yes to Him and His ways.  I cried out for His work in my, for His joy to sustain me, to be content in the 'now.'
And a beautiful thing happened!  I didn't find myself frustrated throughout the day.  Not at potty-training accidents, not at 4 year old tantrums, not at rowdy, cooped up boys.  Even at bedtime (with David gone all day), I was peaceful and content.  Amazing!  God is my help.  And he saw my victory!  The victory of longing for his ways, choosing to lean on Him instead of wallowing in self-pity or gritting my teeth in self-reliance.  The taste of victory is sweet!  And I want it again and again. Joy in each moment.  His Spirit instead of my flesh!"

oh so cute!!

"Keep Growing" Nathanael!  (A special friend made this shirt for Abby.)

adoring brothers and sisters the morning after Nathanael was born

 So here are pictures from the first week or so of Nathanael's life for those so eager to see them.  He is so cute, and his siblings still really enjoy him, but he is a good bit fussy.  He seems to have some digestive problems.  But we love him anyway, and know that 'this too will pass.'  And in the meantime, we keep trying to cling to God's all sufficient grace.  I don't have time for much of anything but immediate daily life, which is hard sometimes.  But we are all growing in the process of it!  Growing is never easy, but it is worth it, so we are pressing on!  Enjoy the pictures!
(p.s. Sorry for the big gap between pictures as you scroll down.  Don't know why it did that and I can't figure out how to fix it.  That gap is not there in my "create and edit" page.  uuggghhh!)

Rachel holding him about an hour after he was born

Micah examining the tiny bundle

Mom and Dad with all 6 grandkids

A sweet kiss from Silas

All in a day's work?

October 23 started like a typical day.  Enjoying the extra few minutes in my cozy bed, not having to think about school and waking up sleepy children.  Listening to boys play not-so-quietly in their room as the house wakens.  Big Saturday breakfast.  Laundry, washed and hung on the line.
David leaving for our team's cleaning at the House of Prayer.  Oh, and the not very normal contractions.  Not enough of them to make a call to the midwife, yet, but enough for us to know something was happening and today just might be the day! 
So David again leaves, cell phone close to him, just in case.  He is going to have the title on the new-to-us van transferred and make it really ours.  He wonders if he should wait on the van, but I assure him to go.  We had been praying for this van and God's provision as a family daily for over a month.  We were all rejoicing that God again proved faithful and now we have another everyday reminder of His goodness, His listening ear, His meeting of our practical needs.  David returns. 

The kids are enjoying the fall day, jumping on the trampoline, playing in the golden leaves that fell from the maple in the front yard.  I'm taking pictures and enjoying the relaxing day. 

A neighbor asks David to help with some yard work, and I tell him go ahead and do it cause this might be the day and we don't know if he'll be able to help later.  More questioning glances after the work is done.  Still the same.  Should I cook dinner?  Contractions don't stop hunger, so I pray through dinner preparations that His timing is perfect and I wait for Him.  More questions, what about Kids worship?  I'm supposed to teach.  Maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea.  Don't know when contractions will speed up and baby will likely come quickly when they do. 
David takes the kids to worship to give us some quiet.  We take a walk to see what will happen, Silas, David and I.  Oh, now they start coming more quickly and we head home.  David goes to retrieve the kids, hoping to get the boys in bed before the house becomes a bustle of activity.  I call the mid-wife and she starts her drive to our house.  Seems strange to just hang around the house and not pack a bag for an overnight stay.  Comforting to be at home.

Abby sighs that this baby may not come quickly enough for her to still keep her birthday just to herself.  A good friend arrives to keep the girls company while they wait in the new place of mom birthing at home. 
Contractions get closer and harder and I know it will not be long now.  Wow, how did it happen so quickly?   I call the midwife again, just to put some urgency in her blood.  Lying in my bed, awfully uncomfortable, but thankful.  David encouraging and staying near-by.  Birthing pool filling, but is it filling fast enough?  Midwife arrives and I am glad because it is almost time.  Warm water, husband supporting the throbbing back, a very present Life-giver giving new strength, and a tiny new life arrives in my own bedroom.  Girls rush in, wondering if its a girl or boy.  My answer, "I don't know!"  I am praising God that it is over, and that baby is safe and this miracle has happened for the sixth time in my life!  Tears flow as I hold this precious one in my arms for the first time.

Then I lift the new one up and discover he is a boy.  "God, help us!" I exclaim.  How can we possibly raise another boy?  But God knows, and God will provide, just as surely as he provided the van that very morning.  We are on a journey and trusting in His strength and His wisdom and walking in His joy and peace are essential.  We have walked so far that there is no other way.  We trust Him in a real, daily, heart-leaning way or we fail.  There is no middle ground.  It's overwhelming and joyous all at once!  It's a huge responsibility and a tremendous privilege !  And it's all in a day's work!