Dear God

Dear God,

He is so little. I will never understand why some people are born with broken bodies while the rest of us enjoy the freedom of properly functioning ones. It hurts so much to see him suffer. How do I trade places? Why can't I take on the broken body for him? The pain of watching him struggle is unbearable at times but what is worse is knowing I am helpless in taking it from him.

When does our mountain move, our storm stop raging, and the sails fill with wind again? I know you are there and I know you are good, but this doesn't feel good. I believe you can speak a single word from your lips and make this all go away. I trust your ways are pure and I know you hold our future but what about today. 

Today hurts.  

Patiently, we wait for your plan to be revealed and your work to be made clear. I know that greatness waits for him on the other side of this journey but right now I can't see it through the raging storm.

Where are your angel armies? We have surrendered all to you and we humbly wait.
You are God, even the wind obeys your command. Yet you choose to let it swirl.

And somehow in the midst of this place I find peace, the peace needed to wait on your timing because I know you are never late.

With all of my pain and with all of my desires I still speak through the storm and say, 

Not my will but yours be done. 

Words that cannot yet leave my lips but are spoken to you through the voice of my heart. I don't know how to face tomorrow without you and I accept the peace that comes with knowing you are already there. 

This is my child whom you created. Although, it is hard to conceive I know you love him deeper than I ever could and that his suffering must bring you great pain.

We are ready Lord and we eagerly await you. 

Sincerely,
Your Child

Dear June 30, 2015,

Although you are completely unaware of it, you were 12 years in the making, our goal date and the passing of one journey into the next.

Today is the day that we have fixed our eyes upon for years, watching, waiting, and sometimes feeling as though you would never come at all... and yet here you are!

12 years ago my wonderful husband came to me and said, "What would you say if I told you I thought God was calling me to be a doctor?"

Those words were the first steps in our long journey of faith... a journey that produced many struggles, storms and sacrifices... but the blessings always far out weighed them all. 

I realize that there may be those that question our use of the word, "called."  It requires a belief in a creator that is bigger than ourselves, a belief that something has the ability and the power to call us out of our own desires.

The Bible tells the history of many ordinary people like Moses, Daniel and David who were called to do extraordinary things. Their lives serve as examples, reminding us of God's desire to use the unlikely to do the likely. Why? Because it allows the world to see that He is the one who is truly in control. 

Being "called" doesn't mean you are better or more loved than another person, only that you are willing to allow God to use you. When my husband surrendered his own will, trading his badge for a stethoscope, he walked away from 14 years of  hard work. He gave up his career, his comfort, and financial security in order to follow a call . 

Our calling is not unlike so many others where God has chosen to take an unqualified man and make him qualified. 

God's power has been more than evident throughout our journey. We cannot help be give Him the glory for our success, which was made possible only through the countless miracles He provided; like the knock at our door, the miracle at midnight, and the click of a mouse.





Every step of our journey has been taken only after praying, fasting and asking God to only open the doors that would lead us to His will. Although, our faith has been tested many times we have always focused our eyes on God, seeking His guidance and accepting His restoring peace. 

So welcome June 30, 2015, we've been waiting for you. Today we will walk out of this journey and into the next, excited to see what wonderful things God has in store for our little brood.

My prayer for our lives is that we will always serve as light into this world, revealing God's love for ALL of His children.

15 Years Ago

15 years ago I walked through a door and down an isle, looked into his eyes and said I do.

So what was I saying I Do to...

* To years of unconditional love

* To days filled with "for better and worse"

* To fear followed by peace

* To knowing that I would never face the trials of this world without a loving shoulder to comfort me

* To unexplainable joy in the midst of struggles

* To days filled with beautiful chaos

* To a man that loves his family more than life itself and has dedicated his very existence to being the best husband and father anyone could ever hope for

                            .... That's what I Do means! 

And even in the tremendous bliss of that moment, on that day, I couldn't fully comprehend the vast capabilities of our love or how deeply I would come to depend on it.

I am so blessed to walk beside him through this life. Together we face the challenges of each day with hope and faith, strengthening each other against the relentless storms that pass our way. We know God has purposefully placed this family together for a greater purpose than we could imagine. Anxiously, we await His timing in revealing all that He has planned for the products of our extraordinary love.

Todd, you exemplify what the true measure of a man is for our sons and set the bar high for the future spouses of our daughters. 

I love you more than I ever dreamed possible. Thank you for being our everything.

Happy Anniversary Honey!

                  So His Horse Wasn't White

When Life Gives You Lemons....

What do you do when life gives you lemons.......  well you build a fort in your living room of course.  It seems lately that we have had more than a fair share of disappointments but my crew handles it like champs.  I am so proud of this little gang that I have been blessed with and so it stands to reason that they should be rewarded.  

There are few things that could be classified as more fun to a group little people than a giant fort in the living room.   Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when the thought of cleaning up this montrosity would have halted the  fun  and  the opportunity  for making a new memory.  I am so glad that I am no longer that stick in the mud. 

mean really, there's only so many times in your life when camping out on the hard floor in the living room beneath a countless amount of blankets sounds like fun.  So tonight we camp...... because it's a lot more fun that wallowing in disappointment!!!

I have to admit it that it turned out  to be an extremely awsome fort!

John 16:22

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.                                      

Reflections of the Shadows

It is so easy to only focus my reflections on the peeks in my life, the times when all is well and life is easy.  It is far more enjoyable to pretend that nothing bad ever happens and that my road to the present has only been filled with smiles and giggles.  But if I don't take the time to record the valleys I will miss out on being able to fully appreciate those coveted peeks... the times when the sun shines brightly on my little world.

It isn't easy moving through these present days but I get to make a choice....either sercome to my circumstance or fight through giving the best of me to those that count on it most.

Recently, there have been many disappointments that I have had to accept but each one has helped me realize something... I have been trying to get through this alone.  After repetitively asking God to change the situation, it finally hit me....maybe it isn't the situation that needs to change....maybe it is ME.

I want to be the person that God has created me to be, but first I must remain fully surrendered to His will. What if this bump in my road is SUPPOSE to be here.... perhaps it isn't so much a challenge as it is an opportunity to mold me back into the shape I was intended to be.  This world has a way of chiseling away my heavenly shape and leaving me looking different than God had intended.  I will choose to feel the pain of being reshaped once again... so I won't miss out on what God has planned.

Now... I am praying for a change in ME and that I will have strength to take on each day no matter what it holds.  I hope that every shadow in my life brings me closer to God and that I embrace each as an opportunity to become the beautiful creation that HE envisioned when he breathed life into me.

"God meets you where you are but never leaves you there" Rev. Jack Graham

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

A Day In The Life...

So I decided it might be fun to record the events of an entire day in our wonderful little life.  I mostly decided to do this because I want to be able to look back one day and remember our perfect little chaos, as I sit in my quite home longing for the sound of little voices.

Here is your "this may be really boring to everyone else" warning label!

May 16, 2013

5:00 AM  ~ Wake to make a special birthday surprise for Todd, Monkey Bread......yum! (He leaves for work at 5:30)

5:15 AM ~ Todd tells me something is cooking..... I informed him it was his birthday breakfast and assume that he ate it before leaving for work.

7:30 AM ~ Feed little bullfrog...again (we are at every two hours again since he can't have solids).

8:00 AM ~ Get the rest of the gang going and eating.  That's when I realized that the birthday boy never ate his special breakfast that I made just for him...... at 5:00 in the morning.

8:10 AM ~ Text birthday boy to question him about not eating his special breakfast.....that I made for him at 5:00 in the morning.  He said that he didn't know that I was finished with it.  Huh............ so much for the special breakfast....the kids and I enjoyed it!

8:30 ~ Pass out all medicines to four of the five children (Reese is the only one not on anything at the moment).

9:00 AM ~ Have the older kids start some of their school work because we have to leave early today for an appointment.

9:30 AM ~ Begin getting ALL of the kids and myself ready for the dentist appointment, this includes dressing everyone, brush all butterflies hair and both bullfrogs as well, inspect all teeth, find shoes, and nurse littlest bullfrog (this is usually where we do our morning devotions, but I failed at this task this morning.)

10:25 AM ~ Leave for the dentist office

10:45 AM ~ Realized while sitting in the dentist office that the two little butterflies are suppose to have their yearly eye exam tomorrow.  Without hesitation I call to cancel the appointment because we are thankfully still outside of the 24 hr cancellation window.  I just can't seem to muster the strength for another appointment...we have had one everyday this week and another one tomorrow!

12:00 PM ~ We leave the dentist's office with out a single cavity, once again!!  Wooo Hooo!
We head on over to Wal-Mart to get some food for daddy's birthday dinner and to look for protective eye gear so that my big bullfrog will be able to play in his soccer game later today.

12:30 PM ~ Still walking through the store with one five year old screaming she is starving.  We decided to buy daddy a new "cheep" wedding ring since he has lost the last two.

1:30 PM ~ Finally we make it home with five very hungry children. We all work together to get groceries unloaded, lunches made and baby fed (well that last one was all mine).

1:45 PM ~ Another round of medicine for T.C.'s eye.

2:00 PM ~ Little ones are down for naps and I start to clean up lunch (with the help of my big kids) and get ready to make daddy's special ice-cream cookie sandwiches.

2:20 PM ~ Littlest bullfrog decides he doesn't want an afternoon nap today, so big bullfrog tries to entertain him while my biggest butterfly and I make cookies.

3:30 PM ~ Start to make daddy's special dinner... clams in red sauce over linguine and bruschetta.

4:40 PM ~ Start the search for soccer gear for my three little players.....shin guards, soccer socks, soccer shorts and t-shirts.....and of course soccer cleats (which are never where they left them).

5:00 PM ~ We head out the door once again.

5:30 PM ~  Time for game number 1, my middle butterfly scored three goals, yeah!!

6:30 PM ~ My two oldest are excited and on the field for their highly anticipated game.....when lightening strikes in the distance.  Sadly, their game was cancelled.

7:00 PM ~ We head back home to get things ready for the birthday boy (who still hasn't left work yet.....ugh)

7:20 PM ~ Home again....( we all run as fast as we can to keep from getting soaked in the torrential downpour) Then time to feed little bullfrog again (and boy was he starving by this point and not afraid to let us know it, looks like he is starting to back off of his every two hour feeds...thank you sweet little man).

7:35 PM ~ Back in the kitchen to get dinner ready and help the butterflies make a happy birthday daddy pennant to hang up for the big party.

8:15 PM ~ The man of the hour finally arrives and the kids hide and turn out the lights to surprise him (it never occurred to them that there were actually suppose to be people in the house and therefore the lack of lights was a dead give-a-way to their plan).

8:30 PM ~ After jumping and yelling surprise and scaring daddy (wink...wink), we all sat down to eat a "better late than never" dinner.

9:00 PM ~ Bring out the gifts and present him with his giant ice-cream cookie sandwich and then we proceeded to, against all better judgment, allow the little ones to have half of an ice-cream cookie sandwich.

9:10 PM ~ Daddy hugs the middle butterfly and realize that she is wet around the bottom area.... upon questioning, that started out with, "Daddy will you be mad at me if I tell you this?", and followed with a confession of peeing in the corner while waiting to yell surprise to daddy.  Hum.....sure glad daddy discovered the wet pants!

9:11 PM ~ I promptly get up and go to the site of the crime and clean up the mess.....really??  In her defenses she just didn't want to miss out on yelling surprise (wish I would have know that little pause in the fun would have been well worth it

  

9:15 PM ~ Daddy reads our devotion while the kids eat their birthday yummies.

9:30 PM ~ Last rounds of medications for the day, teeth brushed, and off to bed!  I begin the dinner clean up and straighten the living room as well.  Time to start a load of laundry in attempt to diminish the growing mountain.

10:00 PM ~ The littlest bullfrog is fed and drifting off to sweet dream land.

10:15 PM ~ The whole house is deafeningly quiet.

10:30 PM ~ I sit down at my computer to write this blog and contemplate the punishment that I will receive in the morning for allowing my little ones to have such a late night.  I am also painfully aware that we have another appointment at 9:30 AM and I don't have anyone to watch my butterflies, nor have I even begun to prepare their clothes for the outing.  Looks like my day isn't over just yet!

And believe it or not I really wouldn't trade it for the world....

11:00 PM ~ Looks like it's time to get back to work....lol!

Philippians 4:13

¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

How I Do What I Do

Probably the most frequently offered statement that I receive is, "I don't know how you do it!"

Well the truth is I just do what everyone else does.  I do the same thing that those who have only one or two children do.... I just do it five times over!

I think that all good parents do the same thing.... We do the best we can.  My bucket list may look a little different than yours but in the end our goal is the same, to love the little blessing that we have been given the best way we can.  The rewards are plentiful and they far out way the sacrifices.

I admit at the end of everyday I lay my head on my pillow as soon as I possibly can, and most nights it doesn't stay there very long....but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.  We aren't all called to have large families but that's okay.  Isn't it wonderful to live in a world that offers us room to be different from each other in that way.   Our families may not look the same but we all as parents have the same job.... we must do our very best for our little ones.   So regardless of how many little ones we have, the responsibilities are still the same.  And against popular belief... you really don't have to have a proportional arm to child ratio to give them what they need, since what they need most comes from your heart.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Walking Through The Fog

May 2012

Well I guess you could say that I have spent the past few months walking around in a fog.  It is a surreal feeling when you spend countless years working towards something and then suddenly there it is standing in front of you.  It was almost as if I never thought it would get here so I stopped looking for it and almost didn't recognize it once it arrived.

Standing there under the shade of the huge white tent I watched as 12 years of hard work was acknowledged.  I was proud yet numb....I know that doesn't make much sense but the truth is the fog had set in around me,  I was trying to convince myself that we had finally reached the unreachable.  So much hard work went into to getting to here that I almost didn't know how to shut off that survival mode to enjoy the it.  We have been walking towards this moment for so long that I almost didn't recognize it when we walked through it!

It is still slowly becoming a reality for me.  There are countless moments when we will look at each other and say...."We really did it, didn't we?"  We also reflect on the difficulties and struggles with an almost fondness.  It's true....even those very difficult and dark times somehow bring us joy in our reflection.  Maybe because we realize now that through it all we did it together, we struggled...together, prayed...together, and we made our own joy when it seemed there was none.  We looked forward to every opportunity to be together because it brought us such comfort in the difficult days.  These years have taught us so much about what is truly important in life...and for that I am grateful.

The fog is beginning to lift as the reality of our new today begins.  We have enjoyed many weeks of freedom with Todd and as residency takes off, we realize once again what a wonderful gift we have been given.  I have no doubt that this adventure will too have it's hardships but like before we will pull together and find joy in every opportunity.

Romans 1:16-17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith  as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

The Journey Through The Storm

If you have checked out my post about Our Story: Video, then you have a pretty clear picture of the highlights of our journey.  But in order for you to get the full picture you need the rest of the story.  


God didn't just start waving a magic wand in our lives and create wondrous miracles, there was a process of transformation that had to take place in us before we ever saw the glory of God!  We started praying and fasting, seeking God's guidance and then we waited.  It was during those periods of wait that we learned that in order for God to move mountains in our lives we had to put down the shovel and quit trying to dig ourselves out.






The funny thing about telling God that you want His will for you life..... you have to let go of the reigns and take a back seat.  This wasn't easy for either Todd or me,  but we truly wanted to see what God could do with our lives... if He was the one running the show.  We realized early on that His plan would be far bigger and better than anything that we could imagine for ourselves.


I have learned to ask God to never let me pray a prayer that is to small.  I can't think as big as He can or plan in the same beautiful details that He does.  So I have a choice, 
 to control it all and do it my way.... and settle 
or
let Him lead...by pushing, pulling, and stretching me to my full potential.

But what you need to know most about our miracle filled journey is that the pushing, pulling, and stretching part.... had a tendency to hurt, a lot!  Unfortunately, in order for us to be the people that God could lead, we needed to be changed and  transformed....
and it was very uncomfortable at times!


During our journey we have had to make choices and sacrifices in order to travel on the path that God has led us.  We were scared and confused at times praying that we were making the choices that were of His will.  We cried out when things got difficult and at times we couldn't hear God through the storm.   We hung on to the promise that He would remain faithful to us, but He required the same of us.


We always prayed for doors that weren't His will to be closed, but sometimes it seemed as if the windows were closed as well and nothing but darkness surrounded us.  
We looked to His word for light
 and reflected on all that He had done to get us to were we where.





We came through the storm because we never took our eyes off of the one leading us.  Yes, we have seen many miracles, but we have seen them because we put aside our own desires to seek God's will, because we knew that that is where we would find our true happiness.  













We saw miracles because we expected them and we never stopped looking for them.




Wen your will for yourself... matches God's will for you, 
you are guaranteed to see miracles!

Our Story: Video

Recently we were asked to share our story in a video for Southridge Church, it was such a humbling honor to be used by God in this way.  However, the sharing part is hard, not that we aren't excited about the way He is working in our lives but because we fear that we won't be able to do justice to the story.


We always knew that God was going have us tell this amazing story of the miracles that He has provided, but we couldn't have imagined the timing.
Not only is Todd's BIG test this week but we will also be submitting his applications to the residency programs. We have already been praising God for what He is going to do in both of these areas, but having the opportunity to reflect on these miracle right now has given us even more peace.


What an amazing way for us to remember not only what God has done for us to get us here but to also be encouraged for what He is ABOUT to do in our lives.  God  has provided for us in ways that we could have never imagined, it  is such a privilege to give the glory back to Him in this way and at this time in our journey.  Once again we are so humbled by our God's faithfulness!


Here is the video that was made by our friend Jason Scott for Southridge Church and used in last Sunday's service.

http://southridge.org/content.cfm?id=317&download_id=25#attached_content


To listen to the entire sermon on The Power of Pray by V.P. Palmer click the podcast link below.
http://southridge.org/content.cfm?id=213&content_id=23

A Badge for A Stethoscope

When you take a family of five (which has recently increased to six) and elect to leave behind all reasonable sources of income and walk down a path of uncertainty, I think it safe to say that you have made a leap of faith!  And now that is exactly what we live by...... Faith!

I have married an extremely humble man, it's one of many characters that attracted me to him.   However, it is that same trait that almost cost me the opportunity to witness what would turn out to be one of my greatest blessings.  When my husband was leaving his career as a Charleston Police Officer after fourteen years, they had a retirement lunch for him.  He told me that there was no need for me to come because it was just going to be a few people, nothing really special.  I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to be there and one day while intercepting a call from one of his coworkers, that feeling was confirmed.  I never told him that I was planning on attending...he can't stand to be fussed over and REALLY (to put it mildly) dreads the idea of being the center of attention.  I had asked his dad to come with me and later wished that we would had made arrangements for his mother to come as well.  Still we were envisioning only a few people and "nothing really special"!

When we walked into the restaurant I found myself in a room filled with about 50 people!  My husband, smiling sheepishly, greeted me with a hug and whispered in my ear, "I am so glad that you are here."  I knew that he was struggling with being the star of this party but he was also humbled by the many people that came to see him off.  As I sat and listened to these men and women talk about their memories of my husband and the way that he impacted their lives, my heart swelled with pride.  I loved hearing these stories about the person that I think so highly of and I couldn't help but be moved to tears.

I am so blessed to have a husband that would leave everything that he had worked so hard for, so that he could follow the path that God chose for him.  This was no easy decision for him, he had built a life and a career.  However, we knew that whatever the Lord had chosen for us would be better than anything that
we could ever desire for ourselves.

Where a badge use to hang, now hangs a stethoscope.  Both were created to help people and both have been worn by a man
 that desperately wants to follow a God that is so much bigger than we could ever imagine!

I am so proud of you honey!

2 years, 8 months, & 27 days into our "new" journey..... so far!

A Knock at the Door

When the dust settled and we had completely come to terms with the idea that life was about change, we began to compose a list of tasks.  There was so much to do to get from where we were... to where we needed to be.  Todd had to be in Lewisburg and settled by the beginning of August, which meant we had a lot to figure out in a short amount of time!!

How would we afford to live?
Believe it or not we were never concerned about our finances.  Most people may not understand this, but we always knew that if God was going to get us into medical school... then He would find the means to provide for us financially.  Now, I am a worrier by nature and to be honest with you I can always find something to provide me with the opportunity (unfortunately).   Even now when I type these words I can't believe how much peace we have always had about our financial state.  Our situation has never made sense on paper but we never doubted that God would provide for us.  I distinctly remember my first phone conversation with the financial aid department at the school.  The very sweet voice on the other end said, "The money you receive is only calculated for the student, there is not an allotment given for families."  She asked me how many children we had (at the time it was 2 and one on the way).  She hesitated for a moment and then said, "Well, I don't know of any family making it on this money with more than one child."  Amazingly enough her words still didn't shake the peace that we felt.  Todd and I still laugh about that conversation, apparently someone forgot to tell God that we wouldn't be able to survive on that money.

Where would we live?
There was the matter of our home to deal with.  We had spent years trying to renovate it, however there was still work to be done before it would be ready to put on the market.  We began to wonder if there was enough time to get it sold before Todd needed to be in Lewisburg.  So once again we decided that this matter was much to big for us to handle and we prayerfully turned it over to God.  To be honest I was relieved that it would be His concern and not ours anymore.

On a beautiful Saturday in February there was a knock at our door.  Todd answered it and was greeted by our neighbor that lived two house down from us.   Much to Todd's surprise our neighbor asked him if he had time to talk.  The two of them spent about an hour in front of our house talking.....I know this because my curiosity was just about to kill me!  When Todd finally came in the house I was anxiously waiting to hear what the conversation was about (this was not a neighbor that we had a close relationship with).  I will never forget what Todd said next, "Honey, you are never going to believe this....he wanted to know if we would like to sell our house."   Now, what makes this story even more of a miracle is that we hadn't even put our house on the market yet (nor did we have a sign in our yard).  Todd gave him a price that would not only cover what we had put into our home, but it would also allow us to be completely debt free!  Our neighbor excepted without hesitation or even coming into our home.  It turns out God is a really, really good Realtor...not to mention He's free!

Not only did God sell our very old home but he built us a brand new one on a large one acer lot.  This was a desire of mine that I thought I was giving up by agreeing to follow His plan (you only have to a renovate a house once to realize you never want to do it again).   Yet once again God had faithfully answered another prayer.  I had pleaded with Him to protect our children from having to make significant sacrifices on this journey.  I feared that we would be spending a large chunk of their childhood cramped up in a two bedroom apartment with no room for them to run and play.  But God answered our prayers in His amazing fashion, surpassing any desire that we could have had for ourselves!

A short time ago I read these words, "God not only gives you what you need..... but sometimes He also gives you what you want."  It turns out that we had enough money from the sale of our home to take our children on a much deserved trip to Disney World during the first year of school.

God has provided for us in ways that I couldn't even have imagined and I am so grateful.  We live a very blessed and comfortable life and it is all because we believe in a power that is far greater than our own.

With a Click of the Mouse!

On a snowy November morning in 2008 Todd set out for a day that we weren't sure would ever arrive.  It was the interview of a lifetime, or so it felt like, he was scheduled to go before the panel at 2:00 PM (this time is significant later in the story).  The roads were so bad it took him twice as long to get to Lewisburg as it should have, but obviously rescheduling was not an option!

Earlier that month, out of faith we decided to register Todd for a class that he would only need if he was accepted into medical school, otherwise it would have just been a waste of money.  He was told that the class was full but he could be placed on a waiting list, but not to get his hopes up.  So we just prayed that God would work it out if He saw fit.

The day of the interview was a difficult one for me because I was left to watch the clock wondering how things were going.  I had committed myself to "pray him through the day," it was the only thing I could control and the only way I could help him.  I noticed the clock turn 2:00 and as I began to pray for him the phone rang.  I debated whether I should keep praying or answer it, my curiosity won out. When I picked up the phone I saw that it was a call from WV State University.  The voice on the other end said "I am calling to inform you that Todd has been accepted into our class for next semester," (the class he only needed if he got into med. school).  I knew in that moment that we had just received another one of our divine confirmations.

Weeks were passing as we waited for "the answer", this was the BIG DOOR!  We were now standing at the fork in the road that we had anxiously waited for.  Years of wanting to know what our future would hold was now upon us, we would finally know one way or the other what direction our lives were about to take.

 January 2009

We began to live and die by the click of the mouse.  Believe it or not you are notified of your acceptance through the computer first and then by letter.  Multiple times a day for weeks we would check his account for the words "Admission Accepted" or "Denied Acceptance."  I can still remember the feeling in my stomach every time we got ready to click the mouse to access his page. We were never sure when it would be "The Click," the moment that could redirect the rest of our lives and the lives of our children.

Todd was at work and I was home alone with kids.  I just wanted to take a quick peek, it couldn't hurt... I was confident that it wasn't going to reveal anything, just like the hundreds of times before.  But suddenly before me were the words "Admission Accepted," I felt my knees go weak and a thousand thoughts raced through my mind.  Life as we knew it had just ended and everything was about to change.  I think in the back of my mind I was still waiting on God to shut this door and move us on to a different plan (a simpler plan), but He chose this one.  This was such a bitter sweet moment for me, years of work and money had paid off, yet the change that laid before us was so overwhelming.

So I sat there, alone with God praising Him for His faithfulness and pleading with Him for strength.....

Flashback from Shutterfly

Score   

October 14, 2008

Todd Christopher scored three times in his game today.  I am not sure if it was because all of his practicing finally paid off or because Todd promised McDonalds if he scored a goal.  Whichever the case may be we are still very proud of him.

Pictures   

October 18, 2008

We went to Droop Mountain today to take some fall pictures. What an amazing view! The kids had a great time playing in the leaves and on the playground (which is what I used to bribe them through the pictures). It isn’t until I looked at the photos that I truly realized just how big they are getting.

Tests   

October 29, 2008

Well, we are in the middle of another round of tests (these are very stressful times for us). During test times Todd is gone a lot more and the kids get a lot less daddy time, which means mama is on fulltime duty. I know this is only temporary and we will get through it, but it is hard to watch Todd sacrifice so much of a "normal life" so he can study non-stop. He is going to take off a little time on Friday to go trick-or-treating with the kids, which should be a lot of fun. If we have learned anything it is to appreciate every moment we can share together no matter how big or small.

We are defiantly feeling the prayers so please keep them coming!

Funny  

October 29, 2008

Todd Christopher informed me the other day that he was going to be a school bus driver when he grows up (this comes after a recent field trip). He said that he was going to take kids to school in the morning and then go to his other job, building rockets during the afternoon, until it was time to pick up the children from school. Although it is interesting to say the least, I am thrilled that he at least has some ambition.

Homesick   

November 15, 2008

I realized something after this trip back to Charleston; I am more homesick than I realized. Don't get me wrong I love Lewisburg and our new house but there is something to be said for familiar faces and places. I didn't even realize that I was missing my old routines until I had a small taste of them again. We have so many wonderful memories back there and I guess they all came flooding back at once (triggering a small emotional awakening or breakdown whatever you want to call it). I am better now; maybe I just needed to have a moment!

Believe it or not Addyson will be a year old this Tuesday. To think that a whole year has passed since she was born just amazes me.

Please keep sending us your comments we love hearing from everyone!

Little Match Makers   

December 6, 2008

So tonight our little darlings decided to create a surprise for their mommy and daddy. They worked for at least two hours on setting up a restaurant in the girls bedroom. They made menus and signs (arrows lining the hallway directing us to their room). Finally, I asked them what they were doing and they said "making dinner for you and daddy so you can have a date." If that isn't the sweetest thing I don't know what is.... When Todd came in from studying they ushered us to the room where they had set a table for us with plates, silverware, and even a centerpiece (from Kayla’s princess tea party set). The closet was the restaurant’s kitchen where they prepared the food. The event came complete with a choreographed show to entertain us while we ate. I am so blessed to have such wonderful children! I think I will cherish this evening for the rest of my life.

I think Todd would agree that this was the best date we ever had!!!