URGENT Prayer Requests:

The holiday season as wonderful as it is when it comes to being with family and friends, remembering that very first Christmas, does have some difficult times for some families that have been struggling a bit throughout the year. Please pray for these following families as they are leaning not on their own understanding, but God's.

MckMama and family: As many of you may remember her son, Stellan, had heart failure while he was still in utero. He was born healthy and has a great 8 weeks, but now he is battling a SEVERE case of RSV. He is on the edge of needing to put on a ventilator and is in the Pediatric ICU for the next 7-10 days! Will you please pray with me for Stellan's healing, especially tonight, and that he would not need to be put on a ventilator to help him breathe.

The Riggs Family: Abby is about to turn a sweet 4 years old is battling leukemia. This girl is a fighter, but her fight is long from being over and she continues to have SEVER side effects from her chemo treatments. The next few rounds are going to be the roughest on her little body. (I just realized today that Perryn is just over a year older than Abby.) Please pray for her healing and that she will be able to tolerate the chemo.

Chad and Nicole: I recently found Nicole's blog through my friend Laura over at String of Pearls. Their baby Dylan was born yesterday with Trisomy 18 and lived a perfect 7 hours. Please pray for their healing during this time of grief that they are experiencing. Please pray for the hands of God to be on them right now.

The Burrell Family: Many of you may remember that my first String of Pearls order was for this sweet and precious family as they celebrated the life of their precious little girl, Savannah. I check in on Christina every so often, and she is really struggling with not having her baby here with her right now. She trusts in God, but He is feeling far away from her right now. Please pray for this family as they continue to work through their grief!!

Thank you so much for praying for these families.

Merry Christmas

I hope each and everyone had a great Christmas with your families. This one was special to be able to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my grandparents. We enjoyed a fun day of opening presents, visiting with family, and remembering the birth of Jesus. We did, however, have some sad parts to today....Gabe had to work a 12 hour shift (so we haven't seen him since yesterday), AND Teagan has been sick most of the day. He had some moments of having fun and not feeling bad, but that was when he was loaded up on Advil. Bless his little heart he got REALLY sick right as I was trying to load up the truck to come home. So I had to stop that and Grandma and I had to clean him up a bit!! Looks like I'm calling the doctor tomorrow and not going to work...

Have a great holiday weekend...

Life...

So, when I wrote my last post I had just accepted a Full Time teaching position teaching 3 and 4 year olds!! Well, to say that our life has been turned upside down from that decision would be an understatement. The children and are I still trying to get into a good routine. This week was the first time we made it for ALL five days of preschool!!! We are going for 3 and 1/2 this week and then we are are off the next week to move.

Now the move...where to start there. I think we have a total of 15 boxes packed. I feel it's very DIFFICULT to notice that we are moving!! Our apartment looks like the Tazmanian Devil lives here, which adds to my stress. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect a perfect house, but I HATE living with 'pathways' and always stepping over stuff!! I am trying to figure out a way to hire 2-3 packers for 2-3 hours on Jan 2 so that EVERYTHING is in a box in time for the OFFICIAL move, even though we get our keys on the 31st.

Work...feels like the honeymoon period is over and the gratefullness that was felt for taking this very DIFFICULT class is gone. There are days where I feel like NOTHING is going right; however, I seem to be the only one that thinks that. I am not sure if that is good or not. I am finding myself climbing in bed around 8:30pm and asleep by 9ish, which is leaving little time to do any cards which in turn makes me sad. I know that once we get into a really good groove, I should be able to pick back up with my cards. I am not being able to go running, which I was just getting into a good routine with before I started working. I am so tired by Saturday, that we usually take that day as our Sabbath and just hang out; however, that means that we have A LOT to do on Sunday....which means that I should wrap this up.

Please pray for us. We have been able to get into a good groove during the week, I moved bedtime up to 7:30 instead of 8, I am still getting to have snuggle time with one child each night, but our weekends don't have a good groove. We just need to continue to see and feel God's grace on us right now. Thanks.

An update and a VERY worthy raffle!!

So, it's been a bit busy around this week as I took on a FULL time position with the Preschool that I have been working as a Substitute for. God's hands have been ALL over this job and He made it CRYSTAL clear that He wanted me to go full time. I am going to be able to still take a week off and a few days to move to our new apartment, but the BEST part is that we can STILL go help with the Food Pantry in Giddings EVERY month!! God is SO GOOD!!

We are continuing to praise His name this Holiday season as we look for the REAL meaning of Christmas. It's about helping those in need, supporting worthy causes, and it's about JESUS. For that I am going to start posting (as much as I can) some worthy causes that we are supporting this Christmas whether we do it monetarily or through prayer. The first one is CLOSE to my heart as I work with one of the beneficiary's side by side to help families who all of the sudden have had the hope taken out of their pregnancies.

MckMama is hosting a raffle over on her blog to help 3 special charities, String of Pearls, No Hands but Ours, and The Elison Project. I am COMPLETELY amazed that right now the raffle has earned over $9600!!! I think it might be because the item everyone is trying win is a Cannon Digital Camera with a lens, bag, and strap. Please head over the MckMama's blog to check out the raffle and enter in for a chance to win, but more importantly to support these great causes this holiday season!!!

Advent Conspiracy

So, I have had many people send me to this website already in the last few weeks, and I feel that it is important for me to share it with you. We have made our Christmas gifts for the last several years, and will continue to do so this year. I let Perryn choose what kind of gift to make and we go from there. In a selfish way, we always used the extra money we saved by making gifts, and getting more gifts for our kids. Well, this year, I think we will use the money that we are saving to get our children 1 or 2 gifts and then giving the rest to 5for50, 50000shoes.com, or The Capital Area Food Bank. This will be part of our new family traditions that I am looking forward to starting with our family this year. I challenge you to do the same. Please watch this movie and remember you can help someone too.

A Small Fryday Giveaway

So, I have been following this sweet family for a few months, and I enjoy seeing what MckMama is up to everyday. She is the one that introduced me to String of Pearls. (As many of you know, I have partnered up with String of Pearls with my card business to bless the families.) Well, she is hosting a giveaway to benefit String of Pearls. The fun part, is that she has already said that if she wins the Divine Caroline award at the end of November that she will donate those proceeds to String of Pearls. Please go check out what MckMama is up to these days and help support String of Pearls at the same time. Thanks.

Here is the card that I was able to make for a String of Pearls family just a few weeks ago.

Since we are home bound today...

We are home bound today due to Teagan got EXTREMELY sick last night. I don't deal with bodily fluids very well (unless we are potty training). I am good with cleaning the child up NOT the other furniture or clothing that gets messed up while the child is getting sick. Luckily Gabe was at the end of his shift and he was able to come home about 30 min early!!

Anyways, we are NOT going anywhere today, and I am pretty sure we aren't going anywhere tomorrow either. If that's the case, I may try move some appointments around in order to work all 3 days next week...that's neither here nor there at this point....Anyways, I am going to try to catch up on housework, cards, and the blog....so far I have 1 out of 3. Here are some pictures from the last month or so. I can't find the card with the Halloween and Pumpkin patch pictures on it. (My Flower Mound friends...Please TAKE every advantage of that GREAT pumpkin patch up there....I REALLY MISS it. ) Now for the fun stuff!!

Who knew a bathtub could be fun to play in WITHOUT any water in it?

Perryn, Madeline, and Lilly in Granddad's tree (M and L's granddad.)

One of the butterflies that we were able to release!!

We surprised Pawpaw for his birthday and went bowling with him!!

Perryn, Madeline, Lilly, Teagan, and Will in the tree...just missing Baby Thomas...Wendi, I guess we should have figured out a way to 'strap' him to the tree!! LOL

Perryn is just not so comfortable up there, but she really enjoyed climbing that tree.

Overwhelmed

Fair warning: This is going to be a "GET REAL" post!!

So, many of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook know that I have taken on a J.O.B part time with a Private Preschool here it the Austin/Round Rock area. I am substituting 3-4 days a week. Let me start from the beginning....

About 2 weeks ago, I began putting in applications around town for a teaching position or childcare position of some kind. After meeting with a mortgage planner, we figured we needed to have some supplemental income to help us get the down payment we need to buy a house as well as help to fix our credit from when Gabe lost his job several years back. So, I started putting in applications. I went for an interview at the Preschool where they hired me as a part time sub right on the spot...I began orientation the next day, it was HORRIBLE. I left the children in the preschool that is right across from our apt and headed ACROSS town. I CRIED the whole way to orientation and then throughout. It was rough. Perryn and Teagan did fine....

I worked ALL day Wed and Thursday, we went to Giddings for Food Pantry on Friday, stayed the night because I was way too tired to drive home. Hung out at home on Sunday, but still had to run to the grocery store and do the house cleaning. I worked ALL day yesterday, half a day today, I'm off tomorrow, working ALL day Thurs and Fri this week.

I am debating about going FULL time because I love the 'idea' of my own class; however, I've got a good deal going right now, where I only pay $5 per child per day for preschool. IF I go full time, then I would have to pay tuition which in turn would be around $1100 for both kids...yikes. I have turned into a single parent on the days that I work because we are up and gone first thing in the morning and Gabe gets home after we are all in bed. We get to see him on the weekends ONLY. For the SECOND week in a row, I do not have my Bible study lesson completed!! I am beginning to fall behind on my card orders as well....

I know that this is all coming across as whining and complaining, and maybe that's what it is, but this is hard. God asked me to give Him everything and when I do, it all seems to fall apart. I HATE not having control. I am not sure if I am going to need to give up my Bible study or not, but I know that if I can't keep up then I need to give my spot to someone else who can....I am getting home late and I am so tired that I can't get any work done on my cards, but Gabe is being a hero and supportive and helping me out on that as much as he can.

The kids seem to be doing ok with the adjustment. Perryn tells me she doesn't like school because they make her lay down and rest for 2 hours...HOWEVER, when she falls asleep, then she has a VERY HARD time going to sleep at bedtime...(she's still awake at 11pm). She is writing more words at school on paper, and Teagan came home for the second day in a row with the SAME pants on!! We are all just really very tired. I am struggling with disciplining since I have been gone all day, I don't want to be grumpy when I am home with them...it's a battle within me and with them...I don't want them to lose the respect and what we work on with being obedient with us.

To top ALL things off, we are moving in less than 45 days, and I haven't even begun to pack!!! Please just pray for us and the transition that we are currently in, pray for guidance as to what I need to do about my Bible Study, please pray that I don't lose what I have accomplished so far with my Card Business. Please pray that I continue to let God be in control and not me. Thanks so much for listening....I feel better being able to get everything 'off my chest'.

String of Pearls prayers

UPDATE: I have posted the announcements that I made for this family on my Card Blog. Please go check them out!

For those of you who have been following my business, you know that I teamed up with an organization called String of Pearls a couple months back. I have been working on a set of announcements for a family that was praying that their daughter would make it to term, but knew that God always had a plan for them. I got word tonight, that their daughter, Savannah, was born unexpectedly today. Please pray for this family as Savannah came 4 months early and because of her condition, joined Jesus today as well. Her mom, Christina is seriously ill. I am hoping to get her announcements in the mail by Friday. You can check in on this family here. Thanks.

Final update on Amy's virtual baby shower!!

I just thought you would like to know how Amy's virtual baby shower turned out. Here's the post from Angel's blog about it!! I couldn't have said it better and I am happy that we were able to help a little!

The final check is in the mail for Amy and her precious family!!!!!!!!!! Amy's Virtual Baby Shower was an overwhelming success and I have all of you to thank for that! I am so blessed that we were able to help her to welcome 5 new sweeties into their family. Are you ready for the final number????

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

We raised

$1,396 dollars!!!!!!!!!!

That is on top of gift certificates and gifts that were sent directly to the family. YOU ARE AMAZING!! What a way to be the hands and feet of Christ to these sweet little pumpkins. The preparations are well under way to get ready for her five new children to join them.... They are using this money to buy beds and car seats and clothes and all kinds of goodies!

I have more good news too! Amy's blog is now open to the public. She made it private for awhile since sweet Kaden's adoption was not final. Now that he is official you are all welcome to go check out her awesome blog....

buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com

We will all get to follow along and watch how this family gets ready to go from a family with 7 kids to a family with 12! What an adventure! THANK YOU ALL! I am truly touched by your generosity and I can't get Amy to quit crying about it whenever we talk about it. She is not hard-as-nails tough like I am! ;0) Hugs and happiness, Angel

On the mend...

Well, after 2 trips to the doctor, $150 doctor costs and medicine, breathing treatments 2-3 times a day, and several sleepless night, the children are FINALLY on the mend!! We did have some coughing last night, but for the most part, everyone got to sleep!!

I am not going to lie, but this has been a rough few days! Limits and patience has been tested, but all in all, we have survived. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for healing at our house.

We are sick....

The kids are sick this week...Teagan has had some 'extra' challenges to potty training this week, but he sure is a trooper and only had a few accidents. He had some fever yesterday too. Perryn woke up this morning with a nice barking cough and a 101 fever...Both kids are now on breathing treatments twice a day for a while....Please pray for their healing...Gabe had a root canal today plus his shoulder still bothers him quite a bit, me, I'm just really tired!!

Please go check out Angel's blog. I have been praying for Abby for sometime now and I can't even imagine what all her family is going through. I think we will be making a care package and grabbing a hat for her this weekend. Thanks.

Adoption musings by a 4 yr old!!

So, we came to Giddings today after the Pumpkin Patch in Elgin. We picked my dad up at his house and then headed to the bank and to lunch. After we left the bank I was telling him about Amy adopting 5 siblings and how much I admire her!! Here is the conversation that Perryn had with her Big Daddy!!

Perryn: Big Daddy, you need a adopt some children.
BD: Well can I just adopt you?

P: No, because I already have a family.
BD: Then who do I need to adopt?

P: Orphans that live in orphanages in China or Africa.

BD: Really well, do I have to love them, feed them, and take care of them?

P: Yes. Your good at that.
BD: Do I love you and take care of you?

P: Yes.

BD: So do you think that I have enough practice to adopt a child?

P: Yes.

BD: Where will they sleep?

P:In my spend the night room with me. I think you should adopt 64 or 25 children. Maybe as many as you can.

My dad and I are smiling really big trying not to laugh! I think Perryn would love to have a big family like Amy!!

BABY SHOWER!!

So, I have been following Amy for several months now and just love how she has surrendered her ENTIRE LIFE to God and how He is using her and blessing her and her family's socks off. The question was asked this week in our lecture at BSF "Are we willing to give up what it would truly cost to be used by God?" I couldn't answer that question on Wed, and right now I feel God speaking to me and asking some VERY hard questions. Amy has, she knows what it is truly costing to give everything up to be used by God, and I am truly in awe of her! I pray that, I too, one day can be standing in a position to say, "Yes, I have surrendered EVERYTHING TO GOD.

As many of you know, I give 30% of ALL of my sales to the Red Letters Campaign to help them with the "Launch Ethiopia Project" to get orphans and orphanages sponsored in that country. Well, for the month of October, my 30% will be going to Amy's baby shower as she and her family welcome 5 new children into her home in the next few weeks. This is a great time to order Christmas Cards since we have just a couple of months before it gets here. I am working on a small wait list, but it's not too long. Please help me help Amy as she needs to get LOTS of things to welcome these cuties into her home!! To place an order head over to my card site.

If you would rather just make a donation to Amy's virtual baby shower, please go here. The following is a post from my buddy, Angel's blog to let you know exactly what we are doing for Amy and her family. Please read on and help us at least praying for all the details to fall into place as smoothly as possible!! Thanks and big hugs to you all.

Some blogger buddies and I are hosting a virtual baby shower for my friend Amy. YOU are invited. If you would like to participate or help host the shower then read away! We are glad you came. :0) Amy could really use our help and support. I hope we can all let her know how much we care.

-

My dear friend Amy is expecting 5 babies.... Yes you read that correctly. FIVE! Nope- no typos. She is expecting 5!!! The due date is projected to be 4-6 weeks from today and she just found out she was going to have 5 more babies 2 days ago. :0) AMAZING! You think THAT is amazing??? Wait till you hear this...

she already has 7 children at home. Oh yeah. Now we are talking. Now she will add 5 more beautiful babies to their family.

Now this family needs 5 more beds, 5 more car seats, 5 more dressers, 5 more seats at the table, clothes for 5 more, etc. etc. And no, they have no idea what they are going to drive! The new kiddo's are a sibling group of five coming to them through the foster system -but they are no longer foster children because this precious family is adopting them. They are ages 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.

Recently I blogged about my visit with Amy and her precious family here and here. Here is some of what I said about her...... Next it was off to see my dear friend Amy. Amy is one of the best things that has happened from my blog adventure. Amy started following my blog back when I was in process with Zoe. She had 4 tummy kids and 1 adoption under her belt at that point.

She basically liked my blog cause she thought I was fun and a maybe just a little CRAZY cause I was adopting older..... UNTIL...... God told her she should adopt an older child. LOL!!! So she e-mailed me and an amazing friendship was born.

She went on to adopt the wonderful Mya and now sweet K. I, of course, have added Zoe and Kaiya. This year I got to go on an amazing mission trip to Eagle's Nest Orphanage in Guatemala with her.I just love this lady. I KNOW God sent her to me! She is such a support to me. I learn so much from Amy. I truly admire the way she parents her children. She is a Proverbs 31 type of woman. I was in awe spending the night in her home. She has 7 children and her home is peaceful and fun and pleasant. Her children are so sweet! They are amazing.

SO THAT'S MY FRIEND AMY!!!! The number of children blessed to have her as a mother are now 12!

Not everyone has the gifts to mother 12 children. Not everyone can be a teacher or president or run a bulldozer. We all have certain skills. Amy has the skills to have a large family. God has gifted her with 12... Twelve children who are loved and safe and happy together.

12 is a good number... don't you think? After knowing Amy I know this is her gift- being a mother.

Some people don't like twelve. They say it's too many. I celebrate that Amy has such a grace and courage in the gifts God has given her. I celebrate the lives she has changed by surrendering her own life to serve others.

12 is great! 12 can be handy!

What would she ever cut out to make her life easier?

Is there anything or anyone she would leave out? Heaven forbid!

Life isn't always easy-

it can even get down right messy!

What makes it worth living???

Looking back and seeing this.....
Looking out on a field and seeing this.... Soooo I think for Amy.... 12 is AWESOME!
So, Amy and crew, the next time some sad little person asks you WHY you would EVER want to adopt 5 more kids...

You just say, "Look, for us it's not about more kids."
"For us it's about more people to love!"
Plus tell em' to hush up or they will have to deal with me. Ya' KNOW how tough I am! ;0)

I know that not everyone celebrates our adoptions the same way they do pregnancies. I know some people don't see the 12th child the same way they saw the first. We KNOW that's not at all God's view. God celebrated each of your babies before the world began. We know that and we are REJOICING with you and with them. I can hardly wait to meet them.

So for everyone who wants to celebrate with Amy would you consider donating a gift of money to help them get started with these 5 new kids? I have placed a Pay Pal donate button on the top right hand corner of my blog. It's SUPER easy. Just push the donate now button. I will send every penny I collect to Amy.

I considered a gift card or buying gifts but I know that Amy is so thrifty that she will make the money go farther than I ever could! Let's help them out! Thanks for coming to our virtual shower. Make sure you leave Amy a comment below to give her new kiddos a shout out!

Hugs, Angel

PS Please feel free to spread the word on your blog and use this post in part or in whole. You can help host our virtual baby shower!

Check out Holly's blog. She is my co-host and started the idea of getting this going ASAP.... Precious! Thank you for helping me get this together Holly.

Accident prone???

Or is Teagan getting us ready for a ER visit soon?? This is what happens when a child wearing crocks running DOWN a hill looks like after he falls!! The bump that you notice on the right side of his face (looking at him) happened at the park YESTERDAY!!!