I'm back!

So, I have decided that I miss blogging, and I am back baby! I don't know exactly how often I will update, maybe once or twice a week, but I need to write!!

Friday is October 1st. Already. Amazing. I can't believe it! We will have been in Alabama for 4 months next week. I can't believe it's only been four months, but at the same time, it feels like we've been here all along. It is also just beginning to feel like fall here, a little. It's still in the 80's during the day, hot enough to swim! Love my pool!!

The kids are settled into their school routine pretty well. We are getting a handle on our schedule as well. Having a bigger house means more responsibility, but I am happy to take it on! We are both working at a thriving, busy, useful church, which means more hours spent in and out of the office, but we are humbled just to be a part of it all! Libby has begun gymnastics, and she is loving that. We have a small group meeting in our house on Monday nights, and I love having people in my home again! Gabe is in Junior Bible Quiz, and doing very well. In his first match he came in the top ten (number 9), and he has never quizzed before!!! (he is also doing 30 point questions) Gideon is just growing like a weed, and picking up the cutest southern accent around! Oh, and he loves to sing all the time now!

God has been doing so much in our lives, I don't even know where to begin. So, I will start with the amazing healing work that God has done in my body! There has been a revival happening in Mobile since July-ish. A couple of weeks ago, I was having a very tough time, both physically and emotionally, and Jon urged me to attend the service on my own. I was kinda uncomfortable with that, but we don't have our support system in place yet, so one of us could go, and the other would stay with the kids. My husband was very gracious to me that night!

Anyway, I was there, and we were in praise and worship time. The evangelist, Nathan, got up and started praying corporately for some specific needs/illnesses, and proclaimed that there was a healing anointing in the room. I didn't skip a beat, and just put my hand on the top of my head and received my healing. Nothing major or dramatic happened.....I just continued to worship. I sat for the Word and then at the end of the service I went toward the altar for more worship and prayer. Well, at the end of the evening, I realized I was dancing and moving with NO PAIN AT ALL!!! That was the first time I was ever completely pain-free in over 2 years! I can wear heels again now too!!!! :o)

Now, for the history to all of this. I had surgery on my right foot in August 2008. I had a bunion removed from my foot, and have a small screw in the joint. My foot never healed properly, and I had constant pain in my foot, and limited range of motion in my toes. I had to become very selective with the shoes I wore, and was unable to wear my beloved heels! Also, at the same time, I was dealing with pain in my back. I had been diagnosed with an inflamed sacroiliac joint, and had a steroid injection in the joint to help the pain go away. I had also been seeing a chiropractor when we were still living in PA. I had to squat down to pick anything up off the floor, instead of just bending at the waist. When we moved to AL, both of these issues began to flare up pretty badly. I was starting to have days where my foot just plain hurt, and my back almost took me out for the day. Also, I started dealing with migraines again, and hadn't had many of those in recent years.

After that night at the revival service, God completely healed me! I have not had one headache, I can bend over and touch my toes, and I can wear heels again!! I simply chose to believe and leave it in God's hands, and didn't even realize I had been healed right away!

Now, I know all of these things seem trivial to some people. I think I had disqualified myself from healing in the past by dismissing the pains I had as "not as important as a disease", but the truth is, they totally affected my life and mobility. I had days where I had to call out of work because I couldn't move or my foot hurt too bad to be on it. There were days I couldn't play with my kids because I was unable to move....it made a difference to me!

So, with all the craziness that is our life here.....I am healed and at peace, and I know that I am able to handle whatever life throws at me because my trust and my hope are in the One who is my source. My God is able!

Blog Break

Ok....I am sad to say, that as much as I enjoy my blog time, I need to hang it up for a bit. My life has quickly overtaken me, and I can't seem to keep up as well as I would like. The kids have started school, I have started work, the kids are doing Junior Bible Quiz, and kids praise team, I am hosting a small group and I am singing in the choir. I don't think I forgot anything except for PTA and trying to take care of 3 kids, a husband and a dog. So, for now, I must take a break, and try to order things so I can fit the time in. I hate to do it, but my sanity is on the line.....goodbye, for now!

God bless all of you who have taken the time out of your schedules to read my posts....

Invasion - Finally!

So, I have been not blogging a whole lot here lately. I think I need to cut back to once or twice a week. I am now working part time, the kids have all started school, and I am still on a roller coaster ride with my emotions. In all reality, we have done A LOT in the 2 months we've lived here. TWO months....that's it!! It's crazy to me that it's only been that short a time. We have dived into life here full steam ahead in that short time period.

Anyway, so Invasion week. This was a totally transforming week for me. First of all, I got recruited to help coach the softball team for Mega Sports Camp. That was so much fun! A huge stretch for me, but TONS of fun! I also enjoyed getting to know my partner in crime better....I made a new, good friend!

So, Invasion.....our church, and the teens who came from across the bay, totally touched our city, and it won't ever be the same again! Praise God! The entire week is outreach driven, focused and fueled! Topped off with amazing services in the evenings, and it made for an exhausting, transforming time in my life! I had the privilege of singing on the worship team for the services, and being able to be there for every one of them....including the one at the beach! I have never, in my entire life, seen teens go so hard after God, and serve Him with so much passion! After hearing some of their stories, I can see why they do....God has pulled them out of the pit, and they are grateful, and want the same thing for everyone they know, and don't know!

There were multiple outreaches going on around the city of Mobile for 4 days straight, and every teen was involved in every outreach, every day. It was such an awesome opportunity for them to learn to reach out to the city while they are young, so they're not as afraid to do it when they get older. Fear stops us from doing way too many things!

I need to give a shout out to my Music Man here for a second....he led youth worship, hard-core worship, for the first time ever, and he was amazing! (the only picture I have of him from that week was the beach worship, which he did not lead and I did not sing) He totally led those kids into the presence of God, and created an atmosphere that they could relate to and get lost in the presence of God in. He was awesome! (Today is also his birthday.....happy birthday honey!)

I feel like I am rambling here....my brain is short circuiting...I need to try to get some down time and then try to revisit this.....

So, I'll leave you with a snap shot of my kids on the first day of school. I feel as though I am consumed by this stark routine change....and need to come up for air! The lazy days of summer are surely over....

Meet Smooter

We adopted a new member of the family this past Wednesday. Her name is Smooter....(as in, Melanie Smooter from Sweet Home Alabama). She is such a precious puppy! We got her from the Mobile Humane Society, and it was a much harder job to pick out a puppy than I ever thought it would be....

Smooter was one of a litter of 3 that was found on the side of the road. Her brother and sister were just as adorable as she is, and equally as sweet. We chose Smooter because she has some awesome markings. I don't know how well you can see from these pictures, but she has some pink on either side of her nose, her ears are trimmed in white, she has a teardrop on the top of her head, and her spots on her back are different shades of brown.

She is only 11 weeks old, which means we are responsible for her last round of shots (yay), but we couldn't leave her and risk her being adopted by someone else! She is just too precious! As for breed, they are not 100% sure, but there is for sure some type of hound in her, and some lab. This will be the biggest dog I've ever owned one day!

So, my grandmother called me a glutton for punishment....I don't know why....we got a new puppy, my brother in law is in for a visit, the kids start school Monday, I start work (part time) Monday, and I am painting the bathroom. Why do I do these things to myself??

Birthday Month

August in our house brings lots of celebration! We have 3 August babies in our family of 5! My MusicMan is first, followed by my Gidder, and then Libby-bibby! We also entered into a church family that is full of August birthdays too!

We used to do separate parties for each August birthday, but that's just not practical anymore. So, we have changed to one blowout bash for all 3 birthday babies! (sorry MusicMan, but you're still your Mama's baby!)

This year will prove to be interesting, as far as the birthdays go. We are in a new state, with no family, and all new friends. Also, the kids start school this Monday....this will be the first year they will be in school for their birthdays. I have no idea HOW we're gonna celebrate this year! But one thing I do know, I am thankful for my August babies! I am so blessed!

Beach Day

Well....we made it to the beach! It was such an awesome day with my little family. I don't think we've ever gone to the beach before, just the 5 of us, and we had a great day! It was super-hot, another record-breaking day of heat in Alabama, but we enjoyed it so much. I was being silly in this picture, and I kinda like the way it turned out!

The kids spent a lot of time hunting for hermit crabs, and then laboring over the one they would bring home with them. I don't think I'll ever learn my lesson on that one! Then they freed all of the ones they decided not to keep. Libby made a new friend, and Jon and I got some down time. 

The water was awesome, and the fishies were swimming like crazy! We had no shark sightings, so it was a great day! 

So, hopefully tomorrow I can get some real thoughts on paper, and blog about my amazing week....and also start painting my bathroom! Hope everyone had as good a Monday as we did!

Busy, busy

Well, it looks like there's a lot of busy happening around me....but I'm getting a break here this week. I have so much to share, but I am too fried to try to do it right now. Let me get some rest at the beach tomorrow (YAY), and then I will be ready to write away!! Our church had Invasion week this past week, and I can't wait to share all about it....it's the reason I'm so tired right now, but it's such a good tired, and a city has been transformed!

Be blessed, and share with you soon!