Wow, friends, it's been too long!

Hi there, stranger(s)!

Here is a little update. it's been far too long with way too much excitement. As you know, we did have our first craft fair. The day began very windy and ended sunny with a ton of wind! But what you might not know was... that we made a "emergency" trip to the doctor and the ER. In one day!!!

Wednesday, April 6th both Bentley and Marseille had accidents. Marseille bit through the skin under her lip and Bentley hit his head on the coffee table. Marseille's skin was glued back together and Bentley ended up with three stitches in his forehead. What a day!

It started off like every other Wednesday, which is cleaning day. Just as I was preparing lunch, I heard a scream and walked into the room to see Marseille's mouth covered it blood and all swollen. Poor girl. I cleaned her up and she kept sucking on the swollen part in her mouth which kept making it bleed in the front. After a couple of phone calls, I took her to the doctor. He glued it and said that it would scar. It's tiny so eventually you won't be able to see it.

So, we get back home and finish cleaning. I got a phone call that the host home for cg has a sick child. As easily as my kids get sick, I opted not to go, but said that I could host it here since the house was clean. I found a dessert mix in my pantry and put it together. By the time the dessert was done and we were done with dinner, the ladies began to arrive. As, I was still cleaning up Bentley was talking to some of the ladies and he bent down to get a toy and slipped (I'm going by his story) and hit the coffee table leg. He must have hit it just right, the force of the hit popped his forehead open. Upon scooping him up, I knew we were going to have to get stitches. He was so brave and did so well. The Dr. was amazed that they didn't have to have a nurse hold him down as she put the stitches in. They gave him a race car that he is mighty proud of.

Thursday was Danny's birthday. I made him Shrimp and Chroizo. Then for dessert, we had rice crispy treats and ice cream. Bentley thought that was a lot of fun! One more year for Danny and he will be 30! After all the excitement of the day before it was very laid back.

On Friday, Bentley had a three year old check up and everything is looking good for him :)

Saturday, was a crazy. My friend's George and Danielle got married :) Early that morning, I got a call saying that the bride's dress was too big. She ended up bringing it over and I fixed it. I was a mess until she got here, trying to figure out ideas on how to fix it without having to sew it. I ended up having to sew it! After they left, I followed them because I was helping with the bridesmaids dresses. Whew! It was a lot of work, but it was worth it because the couple is happily married :)

Sunday, we had mini-cg and that was relaxing!

Monday, I prepared for the craft fair.

Tuesday, the kids had their ultrasounds. They did extremely well for having to fast. We won't have results until the beginning of May.

Wednesday, Bentley ended up throwing up in the car after our first errand, which lead to another unusual Wednesday. Right before Danny left for cg the kids got into Vaseline. I couldn't help but laugh! Thankfully we got everything cleaned up, I just couldn't believe all the strange things that kept happening! Wednesday is the day that I want to get things done and God keeps showing me that there is more at stake than my to-do list.

Thursday, Bentley ended up sick so we took it easy.

Friday, I ran errands like a mad woman trying to get everything ready. Thankfully, my mother in law was here to help me with the kids and getting last minute details done! She ended up taking them to her house so they could get rest while we had our busy Saturday! Thanks Mom!!

Saturday, we didn't have a great turn out to our craft fair, but I did sell some stuff and got some orders. I was pleased. This is the first time I've ever done something like this so it was good for me :) I have plenty of alterations to keep me busy, plus these orders on top of that!

While I was at the craft fair, Danny had band practice. I love having the band over at our house. I love hearing them practice and prepare to serve our church :)

After that, we got to go on a date night. It's been a long, long time!! We went to Trio a great dinner and Luna Rosa for gelato! Along with the great food, we had great conversation. It was a very refreshing time!

Sunday, we had an amazing, I mean AMAZING message, given to us. More on that later... that's just how important it was to me. Then we headed to pick up the kiddos from their grandparents house!

It's been a fun, crazy, busy month, but isn't that life?! I cannot believe that this month is more that half over!

Busy hands + lots of fruit!!

I can easily say that the days have been busy, but I don't know what we've doing! Busy in a good way, not stressful busy, but everyday has enough in it.

The kids are growing up. It's so fun to see them interact and pretend together. Their favorite things to do are have tea parties together and watch the Backyardigans. (thanks Mom -- I can now sing the theme song and do the dance!) I am grateful that they enjoy being with one another.

It's fun to hear Bentley talk about his memories-- he remembers A LOT!! and Marseille sing her songs. They both love, love, love music and to dance to it.

Here is a little video of Bentley, he thinks he's Italian!

I can't believe how much Marseille is growing up. She doesn't have much to say yet. I can't wait to hear all that goes on in her mind, because I know that it's a lot!

I have been given many opportunities to sew and do work for others and I'm sure that takes up a lot of the day too! I'm extremely excited and nervous about the upcoming craft fair. More information to come about that :) But here are some of the things that I have been working on for that!!

My headbands, I've been working on my logo and came up with a different variation to the one seen in the picture :)

Handwritten signs. This one if filled with poetry about love.

Here are a close up of the words.

Oh, I also have been having fun in the kitchen. On Monday, I practiced making sushi so I could show Kelli how to make it. I actually made it with the rice on the outside, which I was extremely proud of :) That's the way I prefer to eat it. It's just avocado, carrot and cucumber because that is what I had on hand. I plan to experiment some more with making different types of sushi... I'll leave it at that! Mwah haa haa!

And I made a pizza pot pie -- from no recipe that we all really enjoyed. It stemmed from not really wanting to make what was planned. It doesn't have cheese because of Marseille, but none of us seemed to miss it!

But even more exciting than all of the things that my hands are accomplishing, are the things that are going on in my heart. I am full of joy and peace as I am learning to love God and his word!

If you are interested in reading about what it going on please read on! Otherwise, thanks for stopping by!

I am currently reading the book of Leviticus, Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris -- excellent read and Practicing Hospitality by Pat Ennis and Lisa Tatlock -- sadly, I'm on the last chapter!! God has show himself in every book!!

This is a entry in my journal from last week:

God has been a work in me so greatly that I feel like I’m bursting at the seams. About three weeks ago, it dawned on me that the God of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Moses speaks to me. Directly to me. I was completely overwhelmed. What an amazing truth!! But over the past two months, God has been showing me that he cares for me personally. He is not the mysterious orb I made him out to be. He cares for me, loves me and wants a relationship with me. To many, that might seem like a duh, but it has just recently been awakened in my heart and I AM SO GRATEFUL!!

At the beginning of the year, God told me — because he speaks to me personally!!– that he was going to teach me about his love. While reading Jesus Speaking to Your Sorrows, I realized that I didn’t understand God’s love at all. I felt grace and mercy but never love. I never related to God as my father. In fact, I was always weired out when people called him Daddy. I was not on a personal level with God. God has continually and consistently EVERYDAY been showing me his love. Again three weeks ago, the same day that God revealed himself to me, during worship, completely overwhelmed by His presence, in the midst of tears I said, “I love you God”. I was taken aback by the words realizing that I had never really said them like that before. Sure, I love you God because of what you did for me, but never because I was truly in love with God because he was God.

The Jesus Storybook Bible, the children's bible we read to the kids, has been a very effective tool for my sanctification. This year, I felt lead to only study the Old Testament — just seeing how faithful and loving God is to his wandering people. Well, I just started Leviticus the first day of March and I was really crying out to God to help me understand the connection between Jesus and these on going sacrifices. And He has. Through his revelation, he has brought about scripture from the NT to connect with what I’m reading!!

Yesterday’s readings and scripture references:
And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. – Leviticus 1.9

For we are the aroma of Christ (our sacrifice) to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing –2Corinthians 2.15

You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. – Leviticus 2:13

You are the salt for the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? – Matthew 5:13

And today, I read Leviticus 3 and 4 and while praying for a connection, I wrote down words from the OT sacrifices that describe Jesus – Sin offering, peace offering, blood poured out, without blemish, atonement for him for his sins and he shall be forgiven. Then looked to find a connection in the NT and I did a perfect connection in Hebrews 9:14, 26 and 10:1-18. Hebrews is the very book that we will be studying after Genesis!! EEK!! It’s so exciting to see God revealing himself to me in soo, soooo, soooooo many ways!!

God has been faithfully revealing himself to me day after day in Leviticus! I really am bursting at the seams.

If you made it this far, I am thankful and amazed that you would take the time to read about my journey into godliness. Thank you!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

is what I have been up to. The weather has been unseasonable warm and so the kids and I are taking advantage of the sunshine!

Last weekend was a big weekend for us. We had band practice and dinner club. It is quickly becoming my favorite week in the month! I love having the band in our home, and I love hanging out with friends. It's busy, but I love it.

Other than that, I have been cleaning the house consistently, spending time reading and praying consistently, working out... almost consistently. Growth... imagine that! This season has been pretty low key. Woo hoo!

I just finished some wedding invitations for a dear family friend and I'm doing all the alterations for the wedding party. FuN! And with all the babies being born I've been/will be working on baby stuff.

What's even more exciting is I going to be apart of a craft fair!! I can't believe it, so I will be busy making stuff for that too :) I'll seriously keep you posted, because I want you to come if you can!

Anyway... I'll be posting a more "serious" post sometime this weekend. God has been stirring a lot in my heart and I want to document it legibly!

Here are some pictures of my new do and the kiddles :)

Sunshine + no pants = boo boo

I asked her to put the mustache on, she ate it!

He likes the mustache because he is "Master of Disguise, Bentley"
My new do - I love it, it is very me :) When I look it the mirror I see me again!

Creepy... i'm sending it away as fast as I can!

I asked to take her picture and she said no and ran away...

We went on a backyard adventure to the moon and picked up "moon rocks."

We'll, that's all folks!

Keeping you posted...

Ha, sorry it's been so long... I have written out what I want to update, just haven't had a good hour to sit down and do it! Hopefully today will be that day :) Just as a teaser....

In just a couple hours 16" will be gone :)

That means no more pulling ridiculously long hairs out of everything-- and I mean everything!

Hummm... I'm out of titles

Time for catch up! Pardon the very long post!!

Many of you know that I went to FL a week and a half ago to help out with my sweet sister in law's wedding... so we'll start there!

November 4th - Steve and Meghann arrive with the girls for our trek down to FL. Danny and Steve hung out here until the following Thursday, while Meghann and I took all 5 of our kids to FL.

November 5th - My mom picked up Bentley and Marseille for a fun filled week of Disney, the beach and the space shuttle. Meghann and I set up for the party and had SO much fun hanging out and shopping! That evening was Amy's special shower and bachelorette sleep over! That evening I became slap happy and did not stop giggling the entire trip... and I mean that :)

November 6th - Went for a 4mile run with Amy and Meghann and actually kept up with them, a major feat for me :) We hung out and planned out a couple of days for the up coming week.

November 7th - Attended Metro Life Church. Benny Phillips, one of that pastors, gave me a book and told me that he would like me to start reading it, and the very next day, this book become a huge blessing. Isn't God so kind!

November 8th - On Friday, Danny told me the that the Bentley and Marseille's Dr.s left messages at the house to schedule some immediate appointments due to their bloodwork. So, I scrambled to call them and after some confusion, I was able to make the appointment for the Monday that we got back from FL. I was really struggling because the nurses wouldn't tell me what was wrong and I was trying to keep myself together because I didn't want to have to tell everyone that we were going to have to leave before the wedding and I really didn't want to distract from Kaleb and Amy's day, but most of all I was anxious to know what was wrong with my children! Thankfully, I submitted to Benny's insistence that I read this book and I did. I sobbed over the pages. I couldn't believe that God ordained Benny to give me a book about Jesus speaking into my sorrow and to know that he identifies with the loneliness that comes with it. It's a great book even though I read it through tears. Anyway, the results were Marseille have very low iron and Bentley has very low vitamin D.

The week of the wedding was a blurr... but I will try and keep it simpler:

November 9th and 10th - saw Kaleb and Amy's apartment, got everything ready- boxing up stuff, folding, gluing, showing people what to set up, etc.

November 11th- SPA day!! We had lovely hot stone leg messages and our nails done. The boys arrived and we had the last supper!

November 12th-Bridesmaid Luncheon, decorated church building, wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner

November 13th- Wedding Day!! Walked 4 miles in the morning, with Mom R, Amy and Meghann.

November 14th - HOME!!!

It was a busy week, I fought a UTI the whole trip, but I didn't end up having to go to the dr :)

November 15th- Marseille is considered anemic because her iron is so low and she has blood in her stools (not visible). Marseille's iron levels were perfect at her 12 month appointment and now are very low and the only thing that has changed was her drinking milk instead of nursing. So, the Ped. wanted to get the opinion of the GI to see if it could be a milk protein allergy.

November 16th- Marseille 15 month wellness check - has not gained any weight and is now on the supplemental drink that Bentley was on. Also the GI did agree with the Ped. that Marseille's anemia is connected to a milk protein allergy.

November 17th - Pick up supplemental drink samples from the GI and grocery shopping!

November 18th - Finally back to normal!

November 19th - Physical Therapy

November 20th-21st - Stuck around the house, changed over the children's clothes (blah! what an overwhelming job) and went to church meeting :)

November 22- Last physical therapy!! Date Night with Danny :)

I have to be honest I am growing very weary. Weary of appointments, thinking, praying, asking. It's hard to wait, and not see the fruit of being obedient. But God has been so faithful, he has put so many people along my path esp. during my trip, that have encouraged my soul. I received a letter in the mail from a dear friend in FL and I was strengthened by her care and encouragement! Here is a song that has brought many tears and great encouragement to me this week:

Here are the words, if you don't have time to listen:

Verse 1
Out of the depths, O Lord, I cry to You
When I am tempted to despair
Though I might fail to trust Your promises
You never fail to hear my prayer
And if You judged my sin
Id never stand again
But I see mercy in Your hands

Chorus
So more than watchmen for the morning
I will wait for You, my God
When my fears come with no warning
In Your Word Ill put my trust
And when the harvest time is over
And I still see no fruit
I will wait
I will wait
For You

Verse 2
The secret mysteries belong to You
We only know what You reveal
And all my questions that are unresolved
Dont change the wisdom of Your will
In every trial and loss
My hope is in the cross
Where Your compassions never fail

Bob Kauflin © 2008
Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

AH, it almost been a month!!

Whew! I can't believe it's already October!! Well, in a couple of days anyway!! Yay, the beginning of that wonderful month is marked by my birthday!! I love birthdays!

Well, here is the down and dirty!

-Had a successful trip to FL to help Amy with her wedding!

- Danny's parents trip was shortened to to well problems :(

-We had a great vacation in Charleston -- it went by too fast

-Marseille is walking- a whole 2 months earlier than when Bentley started walking!!

-My physical therapy is going great. It's hard and I am sore!! I might be completely done by late October!

-I started receiving donations for the PKD Foundation! Please donate here!!

-I've been making different photo shoot props for Naisang Photography :)

-I helped Amy with her wedding invites :)

-My bridesmaid dress was ordered, and came it, but it doesn't fit :( After a long chain of emails with the company and a final decision from the bride, they are going back to China!

- Started to potty train Bentley... didn't go so well!

- I cooked a 5 course French meal complete with Escargot and Boeuf Bourguignon and it was delicious!!

- I received BOTH volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking for my birthday!! Which I was completely shocked by and am so excited to start cooking from!!!

-Danny gave me a French rolling pin and a little ice cream scoop for cookies and such!! I'm really excited that I will have the correct rolling pin to make croissants!!

-Tomorrow is Bentley and Marseille's Dr. appointment, hopefully their blood pressure medication is kicking in!

And so that has been our life for the past month! Sprinkled with sickness here and there. Poor Bentley every time he gets a little cold, he has to do breathing treatments :( Right now he is still in the middle of one!

Posting Frenzy Complete!

4 posts completed tonight. I just need to talk about our trip to FL and then I think I will be caught up! So night night! It's 11:20pm and wwwaaaayyyy past my bedtime!

Posting Frenzy

Okay, it's 9:30pm and everyone is once again sick and asleep but me. So what do you do you play catch up. I'm going to try and catch up the past few months.
Sick... sick... sick some more and sick again. Okay, you're all caught up! Well, I guess I'll fill in the gaps!

November:
Amy (Danny's sister) came into town. We had a great long weekend with her!

Mini Care Group- cancelled due to lack of communication on all parts... I cried James -- salt in the wound! This is the delicious cake that everyone missed out on. It was a really involved cake too. I learned a lot from it! Too bad the trash saw more of the cake than we did :) I'm not bitter!

Learning time! Bentley did this while I baked...

this for care group:

Marseille 4 months old... so cute!

THANKSGIVING: Cooking, Go Carts, Fireworks, Food, and Fun all wrapped into one weekend!







December contained: our 4th wedding anniversary, a trip to Steve and Meghann's to celebrate Christmas, Bentley's therapy party, Danny's Christmas party, Christmas, Christmas dinner with Philip and Ashley, all laced with sickness.
Sweet feet:

Bentley wearing my beret!

Bentley and his therapist

Look Ashley is cooking!

Our Christmas dinner!

Oops... that's supposed to be a cement mixer!

She's already into chocolate!

Sick babies



So that was November and December. Let's see if I can get January together too!

6 Week Check-Up

This morning, I had my six week postpartum check up. Every thing went well. My tear is pretty much completely healed, and I have no more bleeding! YAY! I asked my Dr. to check my abs for Diastasis recti -- the separation of your ab muscles. To both of our surprise my separation is only 1 cm! Which means I am totally clear to workout and get back to normal life. The Dr. was very surprised that the separation wasn't worse since I have had two babies that are close together. Over all it was a quick, and relatively painless visit :)

I can't believe that it has already been six weeks since Marseille was born. Time is going by quickly. I'm sad that she has already caught a cold, but I guess that is life! She's doing well other than that. I'm just thankful for the 5 hour chunks that she sleeps at night.

Bentley is doing well, dispite his cold too. He is beginning to be himself again. Though we have begun to see changes in him because he realizes that he is not getting as much attention as he would like. The result is his is extra whiney. I've begun to cut out his morning nap. Some might say that is crazy right now since I need the extra rest, but he needs time alone with me. When I do this I notice that he doesn't whine as much when I am occupied with Marseille's needs. Lately, I have been letting him paint and reading a lot of books with him. He loves books. Or we will just sit down on the couch and watch Cars together. He especially likes that!

Other than them being sick, everything is going pretty smoothly. I'm just excited to be able to get running again, and this time Danny wants to run with me :)