We had such a great December! So many needs were met, and we had so many things given to us. Christmas Day we had a nice, relaxing Saturday. The kids woke up late and put a movie in to watch, letting Caleb and me sleep in until 10! Then we just relaxed all day and got some things done. A very nice family in our home church wanted to be a blessing for us and bought all of the kids gifts that they wanted! Noah got a green light saber, which lights up and makes noises. Kayla got an art set complete with markers, colored pencils, crayons, glue, paper, art notebooks, and it all came in a neat little carry case. We went to the library and got some "how to draw" books for kids and the kids went crazy, drawing everything they could! It was fun to see them create pictures and have fun with it. Lela got her most treasured possession, a ladybug pillow pet. She had actually been saving her birthday money, hoping to buy one when she earned a few more dollars. So when I asked her what she would buy instead she said, "A dolphin pillow pet!" Kids, I guess they're never satisfied. Anna got a magnetic doodle pad and she loves to draw circles or cover the whole thing with black, and then erase it. She always says "Ooohh...." when she erases it. So cute!
The work here is going well. The Flairtys left for warmer weather after Christmas so Caleb has been painting by himself and with others who come when they have time off. They are also trying to get all of the lights installed and got a good share of that done today. Another man from our group is coming in Friday to start on the tile.
Please pray for Holly Newkirk, the Pastor's wife. She has contracted some kind of illness that has left her legs and upper body numb and without strength. Her skin is also extremely sensitive to touch, like when a limb falls asleep and gets tingly when you try to move it. Only it's all over her body. She is at the hospital in Wichita and they're waiting for test results from a spinal tap to decide what exactly is wrong. They've narrowed it down to three things through some different tests. Please pray that whatever is wrong, is something that is treatable in Kansas, and she won't have to be sent away from her family! She has started physical therapy and it's going well, please pray that she can continue to get feeling and strength back into her legs.
Since not a whole lot has happened to report I thought I'd share some funny things the kids have done or said.
Anna is getting very verbal and says cute stuff all of the time. Her favorite words are: quit, don't, thank you, what doing (what are you doing?), chocolate, juice,no want it (don't want it), daddy, eat. She's also very good at saying the kids' names. If she gets hit, touched, or her toys fall she automatically yells at Noah! Everything is his fault in her eyes.She will also repeat any phrase the kids say!
When Lela unwrapped her pillow pet she ran into her room and announced to her dolls and animals: "This is our new friend, ladybug. She's a pillow pet!" and then her dolls responded with a "Yay! We like her!" She has adjusted well to the stuffed family.
Kayla recently came up to me, with her hair lifts off her neck and said "Look mom, I'm getting a mole like you! I'm becoming a laaaady!"
I'm sure there's a lot more, but that's what I could think of right now! We're leaving here on January 17th or 18th, and we will be home until I'm recovered from the baby.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
November Update, and some December
November just flew by! We started out the month by visiting my parents in Iowa for a week. We had a blast, and mom and I were able to get some sewing projects done. My nephew Jacob also stayed with us for a few days, and he and Noah holed themselves up in a room playing with Lego's! Noah enjoyed the boy time. We went back to Anthony for a week, and then packed up and went home to Mustang for Thanksgiving. We were there for almost three weeks getting some things done. Caleb and his brother Josh were able to get the storage building boarded up and ready for winter, then they transferred our stuff out of the bus (Praise God!) and into the building. Caleb was able to do some repair plumbing work for a widow in our church that had bought a house. We also were able to get a cd recorded! 7 of the songs are Caleb singing with me playing the piano, and 5 are of the Quartet singing which is Caleb, Josh, Rochelle, and Andrea. We should have the cd available at the beginning of the year, please pray that we can get the money together to pay for the printing and wrapping.
We have been blessed immensely these last two months! We were able to buy a van for exactly the amount we had in our savings! We have been praying and looking for a minivan that has low miles, good engine, and will be able to travel where we need to. We were able to buy a '96 Ford Windstar from an elderly lady in our church that didn't feel safe driving anymore. It had 86,000 miles and was very well taken care of. We hadn't told anyone (except our Pastor) how much money we had to buy a minivan, but she called and quoted the exact amount that we had. We knew it was from the Lord. We have also had winter coats given to us for the kids, and money provided to buy new ones. The church in Anthony surprised us with gifts on Sunday. They bought Caleb a tripod for his leveling laser, and they gave me a Visa gift card! I was able to buy a new maternity winter coat, something I really needed. They also surprised me (and the other women in our group) with a very thoughtful gift basket which included good-smelling soaps and lotion, a robe, blanket, chocolate, flannel sheets, and other goodies. What a blessing! The church here has been overwhelming to us in meeting our needs.
The building project is going along smoothly. The walls are up, drywalled, taped and mudded. Now the men are painting and when that is finished, Caleb will begin laying tile. He got the electrical all finished so he's relieved about that! We will be here until January 17th, then we're heading home to have this baby! My due date is February 17th so we wanted to be home in plenty of time. We might even be able to come home a week earlier to go to the Heartland Home Missions Conference but that depends on how much work is left here, since that is our first priority. Hope you all are having a safe pre-winter and are enjoying your time with family! God bless!
We have been blessed immensely these last two months! We were able to buy a van for exactly the amount we had in our savings! We have been praying and looking for a minivan that has low miles, good engine, and will be able to travel where we need to. We were able to buy a '96 Ford Windstar from an elderly lady in our church that didn't feel safe driving anymore. It had 86,000 miles and was very well taken care of. We hadn't told anyone (except our Pastor) how much money we had to buy a minivan, but she called and quoted the exact amount that we had. We knew it was from the Lord. We have also had winter coats given to us for the kids, and money provided to buy new ones. The church in Anthony surprised us with gifts on Sunday. They bought Caleb a tripod for his leveling laser, and they gave me a Visa gift card! I was able to buy a new maternity winter coat, something I really needed. They also surprised me (and the other women in our group) with a very thoughtful gift basket which included good-smelling soaps and lotion, a robe, blanket, chocolate, flannel sheets, and other goodies. What a blessing! The church here has been overwhelming to us in meeting our needs.
The building project is going along smoothly. The walls are up, drywalled, taped and mudded. Now the men are painting and when that is finished, Caleb will begin laying tile. He got the electrical all finished so he's relieved about that! We will be here until January 17th, then we're heading home to have this baby! My due date is February 17th so we wanted to be home in plenty of time. We might even be able to come home a week earlier to go to the Heartland Home Missions Conference but that depends on how much work is left here, since that is our first priority. Hope you all are having a safe pre-winter and are enjoying your time with family! God bless!
Monday, October 25, 2010
October Update! :)
You know you don't update the blog enough when your browser history doesn't recognize the blog address when you type it in. Just one more thing I need to remember!
We found out we're having another girl! Noah was terribly upset but I think he's used to the idea now. We don't really know what to think. It's always hard for me to imagine another baby in our family, even when we only had Noah and we were expecting Kayla. After every child we have I feel "done" and can't imagine having more!
These last two weeks have been super busy. Last week we were in a wonderful Missions Conference at Anchor Baptist Church in Andover, KS with Bro. Dodd. We've been there twice before and really feel a part of the church. We get along great with the Ivey's, and always have a great time! It was a long drive back and forth but we survived.
This past week we were in Battlefield, MO at Wilson Creek Baptist Church with Bro. Moody. They have an annual Home Missions Conference and they raise support for church planters and other home missionaries. I believe there were around 40 church planters/home missionaries and over $45,000 was raised! It was an amazing meeting and you could really feel the Lord moving. The church is amazing and so giving, taking care of our every need. You can really tell they love missionaries and want to serve as much as they can.
On our way to the church we blew a tire on the trailer. Thankfully it was on the inside so it didn't do any real damage. We were given money to replace that tire and buy four more! So we now have new tires on the trailer plus a new spare. That is a big relief!
As most everyone knows, we have been "borrowing" this trailer with the intent to eventually take over the payments when we had raised enough support. We were contacted and asked if we could take over the payments now, for a few reasons. There was no way we could afford so we just prayed and trusted the Lord. Our church was approved to take over the loan and also the church has worked out a way to meet the payments! What a huge blessing, we are so thankful for our church and their love and support for us. We don't know how we would make it without them.
We still need to raise some more support, so please pray that we can share our burden with more churches and see the support come in! Tomorrow we are leaving to go back to Anthony, KS. There is still a lot of work that needs done, but the end is in sight! Our future is still undecided. We might go to Arizona, we might stay in Anthony until it's time to have the baby, we might go somewhere else, we don't really know. At least I don't! We're just trying to take it one job at a time. All I know is that we will be back in Mustang, OK by the middle of January.
We found out we're having another girl! Noah was terribly upset but I think he's used to the idea now. We don't really know what to think. It's always hard for me to imagine another baby in our family, even when we only had Noah and we were expecting Kayla. After every child we have I feel "done" and can't imagine having more!
These last two weeks have been super busy. Last week we were in a wonderful Missions Conference at Anchor Baptist Church in Andover, KS with Bro. Dodd. We've been there twice before and really feel a part of the church. We get along great with the Ivey's, and always have a great time! It was a long drive back and forth but we survived.
This past week we were in Battlefield, MO at Wilson Creek Baptist Church with Bro. Moody. They have an annual Home Missions Conference and they raise support for church planters and other home missionaries. I believe there were around 40 church planters/home missionaries and over $45,000 was raised! It was an amazing meeting and you could really feel the Lord moving. The church is amazing and so giving, taking care of our every need. You can really tell they love missionaries and want to serve as much as they can.
On our way to the church we blew a tire on the trailer. Thankfully it was on the inside so it didn't do any real damage. We were given money to replace that tire and buy four more! So we now have new tires on the trailer plus a new spare. That is a big relief!
As most everyone knows, we have been "borrowing" this trailer with the intent to eventually take over the payments when we had raised enough support. We were contacted and asked if we could take over the payments now, for a few reasons. There was no way we could afford so we just prayed and trusted the Lord. Our church was approved to take over the loan and also the church has worked out a way to meet the payments! What a huge blessing, we are so thankful for our church and their love and support for us. We don't know how we would make it without them.
We still need to raise some more support, so please pray that we can share our burden with more churches and see the support come in! Tomorrow we are leaving to go back to Anthony, KS. There is still a lot of work that needs done, but the end is in sight! Our future is still undecided. We might go to Arizona, we might stay in Anthony until it's time to have the baby, we might go somewhere else, we don't really know. At least I don't! We're just trying to take it one job at a time. All I know is that we will be back in Mustang, OK by the middle of January.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
September Update!
Since it seems I only update once a month, I'll just call this my September update!
The building is going well. Caleb has gotten all of the plumbing done, so it's ready for drywall. We've had a few teams come back to Anthony so work is progressing smoothly again. Caleb is working on the soffetts on the outside of the building, as well as stringing electrical lines for lights in the auditorium. The men are putting in the baptistry, and there are some other various things to finsih before all of the drywalling can be done, in two weeks
The kids are really enjoying school! It's going well and we can get most subjects done in the morning, saving the more in-depth ones for the afternoon, like Science and Heritage Studies. We alternate days for those so it isn't overwhelming. Kayla still thinks 1st grade is better than Kindergarten but she said yesterday that I'm a boring teacher. I suppose I should try to work on that!
The weather is still warm, although not in the 100's. Our trailer still gets warm in the afternoon but not stifling like it used to!
We were able to go home to Mustang, OK for our church's revival and had a wonderful time! The Spirit was definitely moving during the services and the Lord spoke to many people about revival in their lives. Ours included! The Nelson family came to sing and they are always a blessing. Check out their website . If they are singing at a church in your area, it would benefit to go hear them sing! Bro. Steve Johnson, Pastor in Aurora, CO preached the revival for us and he used simple illustrations that really drove his point home! It is always nice to be home and see friends and family, and to revive!
Well I am 19 weeks pregnant now and we should find out of Monday whether we're having a boy or a girl! We are excited and nervous. Noah is very worried it isn't a boy, he even mentioned selling the baby if it's a girl! I reminded him how upset he was when we found out Anna was a girl, but now he loves her and plays with her all of the time. He paused to think about that and then said, "Yeah, but I don't think I could love TWO baby girls!"
The building is going well. Caleb has gotten all of the plumbing done, so it's ready for drywall. We've had a few teams come back to Anthony so work is progressing smoothly again. Caleb is working on the soffetts on the outside of the building, as well as stringing electrical lines for lights in the auditorium. The men are putting in the baptistry, and there are some other various things to finsih before all of the drywalling can be done, in two weeks
The kids are really enjoying school! It's going well and we can get most subjects done in the morning, saving the more in-depth ones for the afternoon, like Science and Heritage Studies. We alternate days for those so it isn't overwhelming. Kayla still thinks 1st grade is better than Kindergarten but she said yesterday that I'm a boring teacher. I suppose I should try to work on that!
The weather is still warm, although not in the 100's. Our trailer still gets warm in the afternoon but not stifling like it used to!
We were able to go home to Mustang, OK for our church's revival and had a wonderful time! The Spirit was definitely moving during the services and the Lord spoke to many people about revival in their lives. Ours included! The Nelson family came to sing and they are always a blessing. Check out their website . If they are singing at a church in your area, it would benefit to go hear them sing! Bro. Steve Johnson, Pastor in Aurora, CO preached the revival for us and he used simple illustrations that really drove his point home! It is always nice to be home and see friends and family, and to revive!
Well I am 19 weeks pregnant now and we should find out of Monday whether we're having a boy or a girl! We are excited and nervous. Noah is very worried it isn't a boy, he even mentioned selling the baby if it's a girl! I reminded him how upset he was when we found out Anna was a girl, but now he loves her and plays with her all of the time. He paused to think about that and then said, "Yeah, but I don't think I could love TWO baby girls!"
Friday, August 27, 2010
Ready for Fall!
We are ready for Fall around here. The temperature has cooled and we're able to leave the windows open for most of the day, just using the a/c in the afternoon. We even used the oven to make dinner one night! I had to stop and remember how to light it.
We are also ready to start school! I have Kayla and Lela's school work but I am *patiently* waiting for Noah's to come in. At the end of this past school year I really felt like we needed to try a different curriculum. The one we were using was good for traveling and with a new baby, and it worked well for us. But I felt like we needed to try soemthing a little bit more challenging this year. So I prayed about it, looked at a lot of different curriculums, talked to my mom (who is a homeschool expert), and talked to other homeschool moms to see what they use and what works for them. Finally I decided that I would like to use Bob Jones Press. That's what I mainly used growing up so I'm familiar with it and we've been given a few workbooks in the past that the kids really enjoyed. The only problem was, it's really expensive!! Well I decided to trust the Lord and "prepare for rain" so I planned what I would need for the kids, watched ebay auctions and searched Amazon to see what things were selling for. I ordered a free catalog from the company and memorized it! Then just as I knew He would, the Lord provided the money to buy the curriculum AND I found amazing deals for everything we need! I was able to buy full curriculum sets for Kayla and Noah for less than it would cost to buy JUST Kayla's straight from the company. What a blessing! So right now we're just waiting for Noah's to come in, hopefully we will start on August 31st.
We have a few prayer requests, if you could please remember them:
* That we would get more supporting churches so we can officially "buy" this trailer from the Means family, if it's the Lord's will
* For Caleb to be able to accomplish a lot with the building. There's been a few setbacks so the work has been slow, but praise the Lord, he is almost done with the plumbing in the walls!
* The new baby, pray that he/she will be healthy and the Lord will provide for financial needs.
We have had many blessings, the Lord has taken care of us in mighty ways! We have had a few churches take us on for support. Also I am starting to feel a lot better with my pregnancy, I just get sick mostly in the evenings or if I don't eat.
Thank you for the prayers!
We are also ready to start school! I have Kayla and Lela's school work but I am *patiently* waiting for Noah's to come in. At the end of this past school year I really felt like we needed to try a different curriculum. The one we were using was good for traveling and with a new baby, and it worked well for us. But I felt like we needed to try soemthing a little bit more challenging this year. So I prayed about it, looked at a lot of different curriculums, talked to my mom (who is a homeschool expert), and talked to other homeschool moms to see what they use and what works for them. Finally I decided that I would like to use Bob Jones Press. That's what I mainly used growing up so I'm familiar with it and we've been given a few workbooks in the past that the kids really enjoyed. The only problem was, it's really expensive!! Well I decided to trust the Lord and "prepare for rain" so I planned what I would need for the kids, watched ebay auctions and searched Amazon to see what things were selling for. I ordered a free catalog from the company and memorized it! Then just as I knew He would, the Lord provided the money to buy the curriculum AND I found amazing deals for everything we need! I was able to buy full curriculum sets for Kayla and Noah for less than it would cost to buy JUST Kayla's straight from the company. What a blessing! So right now we're just waiting for Noah's to come in, hopefully we will start on August 31st.
We have a few prayer requests, if you could please remember them:
* That we would get more supporting churches so we can officially "buy" this trailer from the Means family, if it's the Lord's will
* For Caleb to be able to accomplish a lot with the building. There's been a few setbacks so the work has been slow, but praise the Lord, he is almost done with the plumbing in the walls!
* The new baby, pray that he/she will be healthy and the Lord will provide for financial needs.
We have had many blessings, the Lord has taken care of us in mighty ways! We have had a few churches take us on for support. Also I am starting to feel a lot better with my pregnancy, I just get sick mostly in the evenings or if I don't eat.
Thank you for the prayers!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
hot, Hot, HOT!!
It is SO hot! That's all I can think about! It's hot when I wake up, it's hot at lunchtime, it's hot in the afternoon, and it's hot at night! HOT!! And it's just now August!
Not many exciting things have happened this last month. The kids and I had a great time at my parents' house in Iowa and did not want to come back, but Caleb wouldn't stop whining so we came back anyway. Turns out he doesn't like the peace and quiet as much as he thought! I am still pretty sick with this baby but I seem to be handling it better and better. I just have to remember my limitations and not fight what my body is telling me. The building is going slow, but steady. I would post some update pictures but everything they're doing is "behind the scenes" and doesn't make a big enough difference to matter! But it's all necessary work.
Anna is walking like a champ now and is cutting more teeth than ever. She has 9 teeth now! The kids are exciting to start school again, our start date is August 17th. I was able to get Kayla 1st grade curriculum from Bob Jones Press for a very good price and my parents were very kind to help out in purchasing it! She looks at the workbooks every day and begs me to let her start! I want to get Noah his 3rd grade stuff from BJP also but I don't know if we'll be able to this year. There are some good deals on Ebay that I'm watching, and if it's the Lord's will, I know He'll provide. I just have to be patient and trust His workings. Lela will be doing preschool again so she's excited too!
I recently was hired by an online newspaper to write articles for them. I am the West Oklahoma City Pregnancy Examiner, officially! I write 2-3 articles a week relating to pregnancy and get paid by how many views my articles get, how long they're read, and if people subscribe. So please check it out!! I left my computer at my parents' house and just got it back this weekend, so I'm trying to play catch-up and get going on that again. The link is: West Oklahoma City Pregnancy Examiner
I can't think of much else that's going on. We're going to Oklahoma next week for our church's VBS. Please pray about our financial situation with this pregnancy. We feel led to not use government assistance, and we are members of Samaritan Ministries (bill share group), but the doctor and hospital aren't cooperating and would rather try to convince me why I should just use SoonerCare than actually get me a quote so I can start seeing a doctor. We want to trust the Lord and depend on Him for this one!
Not many exciting things have happened this last month. The kids and I had a great time at my parents' house in Iowa and did not want to come back, but Caleb wouldn't stop whining so we came back anyway. Turns out he doesn't like the peace and quiet as much as he thought! I am still pretty sick with this baby but I seem to be handling it better and better. I just have to remember my limitations and not fight what my body is telling me. The building is going slow, but steady. I would post some update pictures but everything they're doing is "behind the scenes" and doesn't make a big enough difference to matter! But it's all necessary work.
Anna is walking like a champ now and is cutting more teeth than ever. She has 9 teeth now! The kids are exciting to start school again, our start date is August 17th. I was able to get Kayla 1st grade curriculum from Bob Jones Press for a very good price and my parents were very kind to help out in purchasing it! She looks at the workbooks every day and begs me to let her start! I want to get Noah his 3rd grade stuff from BJP also but I don't know if we'll be able to this year. There are some good deals on Ebay that I'm watching, and if it's the Lord's will, I know He'll provide. I just have to be patient and trust His workings. Lela will be doing preschool again so she's excited too!
I recently was hired by an online newspaper to write articles for them. I am the West Oklahoma City Pregnancy Examiner, officially! I write 2-3 articles a week relating to pregnancy and get paid by how many views my articles get, how long they're read, and if people subscribe. So please check it out!! I left my computer at my parents' house and just got it back this weekend, so I'm trying to play catch-up and get going on that again. The link is: West Oklahoma City Pregnancy Examiner
I can't think of much else that's going on. We're going to Oklahoma next week for our church's VBS. Please pray about our financial situation with this pregnancy. We feel led to not use government assistance, and we are members of Samaritan Ministries (bill share group), but the doctor and hospital aren't cooperating and would rather try to convince me why I should just use SoonerCare than actually get me a quote so I can start seeing a doctor. We want to trust the Lord and depend on Him for this one!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
It's Been a While!
I didn't realize how long it had been since I've posted a blog. Wow! A lot has happened too. First and most importantly, we found out we're going to have another baby! Probably the end of February sometime. We're all pretty excited. Pray for Noah, that either it's a boy or he'll still be alive if it's a girl. He said if we have another girl he just might die! Kayla also informed me that when I have this baby she will get to take care of Anna ALL BY HER SELF! So I might just take her up on that offer. Lela is more excited about this baby than she was for Anna. Probably because she knows what to expect and she's a little bit older now, she can appreciate what is coming.
Another exciting this is that I got a job! I applied for an article with an online newspaper, examiner.com. I got the West Oklahoma City Pregnancy Examiner position. So I write three or more articles a week relating to pregnancy. It's been pretty easy coming up with topics! You can see my profile page here. Please stop by and browse some articles! You can subscribe to my column and get an email update whenever a new article is posted. I've always loved english and writing, and had dreams of writing some day, and so this job is almost a dream come true. It doesn't pay much yet. I get paid depending on how many people view my articles, how long they view them, and how many people subscribe. So until I get a following I won't make very much.
We are still in Anthony, Kansas and still loving it. It is forever HOT and we are always trying to come up with new ways to stay cool. The kids' new favorite way is to turn on the hose and soak themselves. I tell them to go for it, but they can't come inside until they're dry! The building is going slow, but they're getting stuff done. The walls are mostly up, and most of the windows are in. Caleb is starting to put plumbing in the walls so he's excited to be back with the plumbing again.
The kids and I will be going to see my parents in Iowa for a week. We have plans of going to train museums, a drag race, a water park, Kayla is going to learn how to sew, and the kids have major plans of running around crazy!
Another exciting this is that I got a job! I applied for an article with an online newspaper, examiner.com. I got the West Oklahoma City Pregnancy Examiner position. So I write three or more articles a week relating to pregnancy. It's been pretty easy coming up with topics! You can see my profile page here. Please stop by and browse some articles! You can subscribe to my column and get an email update whenever a new article is posted. I've always loved english and writing, and had dreams of writing some day, and so this job is almost a dream come true. It doesn't pay much yet. I get paid depending on how many people view my articles, how long they view them, and how many people subscribe. So until I get a following I won't make very much.
We are still in Anthony, Kansas and still loving it. It is forever HOT and we are always trying to come up with new ways to stay cool. The kids' new favorite way is to turn on the hose and soak themselves. I tell them to go for it, but they can't come inside until they're dry! The building is going slow, but they're getting stuff done. The walls are mostly up, and most of the windows are in. Caleb is starting to put plumbing in the walls so he's excited to be back with the plumbing again.
The kids and I will be going to see my parents in Iowa for a week. We have plans of going to train museums, a drag race, a water park, Kayla is going to learn how to sew, and the kids have major plans of running around crazy!
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