Our Christmas Picture

I love getting a good picture of my kids.....not sure this is one of them, but its the best we have! Every year its the same thing, I warn them ahead of time, we complain, we balk, we complain some more and then the day is here. So this year I tried making it easier, usually I tell that what color to wear, etc this time I only prefaced it with..please comb your hair. Our main problem this year was a crabby almost two year old, who had fallen asleep in the car and wanted nothing to do with sitting for a photo...especially without his pacifier that he gets only when he sleeps! So we had to try a few "different" things! This was the big hit, because I was standing on a chair and Papa was standing beside me acting goofy! That of course would have been the picture to have. Of course when I told my all and almost grown kids to lay on the floor...they wanted to cry and you would have thought they would need a pacifier....but because they are such good sports and because Christian was going with it, they went along. So Merry Christmas once again...another "photo shoot" is done!!!! Yeah!

Wishing everyone a wonderful blessed Thanksgiving! Hoping you are all enjoying your family and friends...and remembering ALL the awesome blessings we recieve everyday from our Heavenly Father!

Our 1st Special Needs Respite Day

Well after a year of planning and organizing, we finally kicked off our 1st Buddies Plus Respite Program. Our Special Needs Ministry has just gotten up and running, full force. Praise God, what amazing things He is doing in our ministry. At this time we have 7 kids who are able to attend Sunday School every week, with their Buddy, a one-on-one friend and assistant who is there not only for the child but for their family also. So on Saturday we saw another area of ministry starting to take form. We provide a respite program for our special needs kids and their siblings, parents were able to drop their children off from 1:00 - 4:00 and then enjoy whatever they chose off campus. Some parents did shopping while we heard a few others who chose a long uninterrupted nap. We are planning on making this a quarterly program, for the time being. And since our 1st one went off without a hitch, we are planning on inviting other area churches to join us....and then opening it to our community. We believe that God has big plans for this program....and that we commit this program to glorify His Name! Here are a few pictures from the day!

I was truly blessed by this day and all the children who attended!

Prayer Request

*UPDATE* My mom is still in need of your prayers. She struggled through her surgery, getting sick on the anesthetic and the pain relievers they were giving her. It has been a slow road, full of pain with not much comfort. She said that she never dreamt that it would be SO painful, and that each day she tries to get through 10 minutes at a time. So please continue to keep her in your prayers. Thank you so much sisters!











Please pray for my mom, Mary who is having a total knee replacement on Tuesday. She has had a lot of back and knee pain for months, probably years, and finally they are doing a knee replacement. As time has gone on she has a hard time walking or getting up and down. So I'm praying that this surgery will help her to be pain free and able to enjoy her life more.

My mom and I have always had a special relationship. One of my biggest "God moments" was when God provided for both of us. I was living out of town, when circumstances lead to my husband and I moving our family back to my home town. We were very excited about being back near my family. We had only been back for two weeks when I received a phone call telling me, my mom had had a seizure and they had found a brain tumor. The day before my mom's seizure my in-laws had called and said they were driving over to visit...they were actually in Chicago, only a hour away..they thought they would surprise us! Well, they ended up staying for quite awhile and they helped take care of our kids, made meals, cleaned and helped us finish unpacking...so that I could be with my mom and my family. I still often remember this time and it always touches my heart that my God would provide for me in such an obvious way. He is in control of our everything. I love that He can orchestrate such amazing plans.

So, as my mom heads back to surgery I am reminded of all He does for us. Please lift her, her surgery, and her recovery up to the Lord. I love that we can come to our sisters in Christ....our sisters in blog land...and know that they will lift up our prayers and concerns. Thank you so much!