Weekly update: God is So Good!

Remember the things I said I was praying for a couple posts ago? Well guess we got yesterday......

A 15 passenger van! And some good friends along the way! God just brought this whole thing about in an amazing way.

A few months ago I became friends with a lady on facebook through a cloth diapering group. I didn't even realize until a couple weeks ago that she lived near me. I saw this van on Craigslist and mentioned it to Kevin a few times but he was not interested in getting anything at the time. But I just kept going back to it and looking at it and finally emailed the seller to ask for pictures. When she got the email she realized it was me and that we were facebook friends!

I showed Kevin the pictures and asked him how we would go about buying from an owner and how we could sell our van ourselves. He was kind of joking when he said, "If you can sell our van on Craigslist, we can get it." Well, you know I went straight over to the computer and listed it!

I soon had several people interested in it and an offer on it, but my friends selling the other van had the best offer for us! They offered to do an even trade, our van for their van. I could hardly believe it. I was just standing back watching God do all this!

A couple days later we were meeting in a parking lot exchanging vans! I still cannot believe that it is ours. I just keep looking at it and thanking God for this amazing gift!

And what is even better is that through all this I have gained a wonderful friend. It's so amazing how God brought her into my life by "chance" through Facebook. She has been such an encouragement to me. God is so good.

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11 This is the verse I read a couple weeks ago that led me to really lay my requests before God, and He really did prove Himself!

In other news, we will finally be moving into our house in a week. I am SO ready to be HOME. We've been here over a month and I am starting to feel so restless. We are all together and it's a great place, but it's just not home. I am looking so forward to settling in and making a new home for us.

Also, my husband made Tech Sgt. in the Air Force, which is great news for us! The odds of making it are not very high, but he worked so hard and he made it. I'm so proud of him. I am blessed to have such a good husband, so faithful and such a wonderful provider. God has used him to help make all my dreams come true. I'm feeling very undeservedly blessed today!

Finally Home

I thought I'd check in and give a little update on what is going on with us lately.

Kevin returned from his 15-month-long absence on May 14 and almost immediately after that things kicked into gear for us to relocate from Tennessee to Illinois. It is always so exciting moving to a whole new place. It feels like a fresh clean start.

We arrived at our new base in Illinois on May 25. Since then God has made His presence in our lives amazingly clear by answering one prayer after another. I prayed that He would lead us to the perfect house He had for us. We found the one the first day. I won't know what to do with all the space I will have! It is 3 times as big as the biggest house we've ever had! I'm just in awe of how God has blessed us. Our house has every single thing on my wish list (I NEVER thought I'd get EVERYTHING on it!): 4 big bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a large master suite with a walk-in closet and a big tub, a second living room which can be a school room, a large kitchen (which we bought new appliances and an island for), a gas fireplace, a basement, a big yard (which we will be fencing in almost right away), room for both sets of washers and dryers. If you know what I'm used to, you'll understand why I feel so overwhelmingly blessed! Our house is like a mansion to me! We don't get to move into it until next month. Until then we're very comfortable in temporary military housing, but still impatiently waiting to finally get to go home!

I prayed God would lead us to a great church. It was the first one we visited. We haven't even visited another one! It is an amazing wonderful church, better than I could have even imagined.

I prayed that I would at least like this area a little since we will likely be here a while. I more than like it--I LOVE it! It has everything I could want and more. It's perfect (ok, other than the lack of mountains and rolling hills) and I'm thrilled to be settling here for a good while. I also love the base. It has so much more to offer than our base in Montana and is so much nicer.

We are doing great adjusting to having a husband and daddy around again. Yes, it is a big adjustment and we've had our struggles, but we love having him home again. It's so comforting to have such a normal feel to our days, looking forward to daddy coming home every evening and spending the weekends with him. It feels like HOME again.

I'm still praying for a big van that we can all fit in, a great group of friends, and maybe a few more babies to fill the seats of that big van. But I have plenty of time to wait for those answers ;) God is in control and He is so GOOD!

The Story of Us

For Valentine's Day, I am remembering the story of us....

I was 18 years old, going to college and working full time at Long John Silver's. He was 20 and working selling Kirby vacuum cleaners. One day he was working in my town (an hour away from where he lived) and stopped for lunch at the Long John Silver's drive-thru. I saw him at the window from across the room and there was an instant reaction in my mind..."I'm going to marry him." We exchanged glances, or maybe long stares, before he got his food and drove away. I couldn't get him off my mind after that.

About an hour later, guess who comes walking through the door. My heart was racing--I just knew he was going to talk to me. But, no. He asked my co-worker for directions to Wal-Mart, cast a quick glance in my direction, and left again. I was so disappointed.

Then maybe another hour later, guess who! This time he ordered a fish sandwich, sat down and ate it while I anxiously waited for him to finally come talk to me. I just knew what he kept coming back for! But again, he left.

After that I thought about that guy every single day. I watched the door, waiting for him to walk though it because I just knew he would come back. I had no doubt. It was just a matter of when.

That day came only a week later. He came in for lunch during a busy time at Long John's. I was very busy working, but my mind was on the cute guy sitting by the window. Then, after the crowds had died down, I looked over and saw him standing at the counter looking at me. Nervously, I walked over and he said what I knew he would say, "Can I call you sometime?" Yes! Of course! I tried not to act too excited as I wrote down my name and phone number. He handed me his: Kevin Thomas. What a perfect name. When I read it, it sounded like home.

A few days later my phone finally rang. It was him. He told me that he had been thinking of me since the first time he saw me and a song was what gave him the courage to finally come back and talk to me. And he sang it to me. The first time we ever talked, he sang to me! He sang this song, which became our song:

Once in Lifetime Love

Girl I know you don't really know me
Still I want you to listen closely
This might sound crazy
But after all isn't love like that
I would be crazy to let this moment pass

What if I don't say what's on my mind
And you walk away
I might live out my life
And never feel this way
What if you are the one
That I'm meant to love
What if tonight is the night
What if once in a lifetime love
Don't come twice

Girl take a chance, time is unfolding
We could be blessed without even knowing
Just for a minute
Close your eyes and don't take another breath
'Cause what if you miss it
And it never comes again

What if you don't say what's on your mind
And I walk away
You might live out your life
And never feel this way
What if I am the one
That you're meant to love
And what if tonight is the night
What if once in a lifetime love
Don't come twice

I don't wanna wake up by myself
Years from now wishin'
That I'd told you what I felt
Your eyes are a window to your soul
If you don't open up
I may never know

What if we don't say what's on our minds
And we walk away
We might live out our lives
And never feel this way
What if I am the one
And you are the one
What if tonight is the night
What if once in a lifetime love
Don't come twice

Listen to this song here.

Well, as you can imagine I absolutely melted. It felt like a dream. I still knew I was going to marry him and as I got to know him, I knew it more and more.

Six months to the day of our first date, he put a beautiful engagement ring on my finger. And five months after that, on May 5, 2001, we began our adventure together as husband and wife. Almost ten years and six children later, I can honestly say I love him more than I ever have. It hasn't been a fairy tale--we still have our ups and downs, but looking at the big picture I can see how much we have grown and how it's getting better and better with every year. The past ten years really have been an adventure and I can't wait to see what the next ten years hold for us.

And the name Kevin Thomas still sounds like home. I love you, Kevin. Happy Valentine's Day.

My Kids

I haven't blogged in so long, I thought I would give a quick update on each of my children. They are all growing up so fast! It makes me sad, but at the same time, I wouldn't trade who they are now for their younger selves either. They are each so unique and fun--it is such a joy to watch each of them develop into their own person with their own personalities and interests!

Justin is 8 now. He has always seemed so much older than he really is. He's so mature and smart and will do anything for you. I don't know what I would do without him. He is such an amazing help to me and never once have I gotten the impression that he resents a single thing he's asked to do. On the contrary, he's on the lookout for how he can help and wants to be a help. He just has that giving spirit. He's very into sports and video games, and although he wouldn't admit it, sometimes I find him hiding in a corner with a book too.

David turned 6 in February. He is the one who broke his arm and currently sports a cool blue cast. He broke it when he fell from a tree and that statement tells a lot about him. He is adventurous and brave. He'll try anything once. He's also the one who brings in various bugs and crawly things to show me. He recently decided to keep a caterpillar for a pet in a jar and although he supplied little Bob with an assortment of grass and leaves, he didn't last the night. David was pretty upset that Bob would never be a butterfly and now lets all the bugs live outside where they belong.

Isaiah is 4 and he is such a sweet little guy. He has always been very quiet, but I can tell a lot is going on in behind those blue eyes. He has the sweetest smile and a little dimple in each cheek. He loves to do school with his big brothers and has successfully worked his way though his preschool workbooks, but after a while he is just more interested in playing superheroes or building a robot out of Duplos.

Zachary is 2, but will be 3 next month. Zachary--oh Zachary! He is the child God gave me after I pridefully thought "I can do this mothering thing. It's not so hard! This child-training thing is easy!" When God heard that, He laughed and sent Zachary to teach me a lesson! Oh my, this child is a handful all on his own. He gets into everything and is mean just for the sake of meanness, is so strong-will that he laughs in the face of discipline, and is not scared of anything! He has the bumps, bruises, scars, and injured teeth to prove it. One minute he makes me tear out my hair and then next he's running to me with his arms open, saying just "Mommy!" just for the sake of saying it. And he is so sweet with his little sister and brother. There aren't many 2-year-olds out there that have both a little sister and a little brother, but he got the job and he's good at it. He might terrorize his older brothers, but you better not mess with the little ones with him around.

Cara Grace, my little princess and one and only baby girl, is already 18 months old. Oh she is a sweetheart and melts my heart all day long. I am so sad to realize how her babyness is slowly slipping away and she is becoming a big girl. She still sucks her thumb and has to have her blankie to do so. She has her big brothers wrapped around her little finger and they spoil her rotten. If Cara wants it, Cara gets it. They beg me to buy her what she wants in the store so that she won't cry. She was a daddy's girl before he left, and even though he's been gone three months, she still cries out "Daddy!" when she sees him on the webcam or hears his voice on the phone. She hasn't forgotten him at all.

Tyson is 2 months old. Already my tiny newborn is gone, but now I have a sweet baby who looks at me so adoringly and giggles and coos when I talk to him. He is such a sweet spirited baby! He sleeps all night, which I don't strive for, but I don't argue with either! He prefers his own bed but occasionally will sleep in with me in the mornings. He loves each one of his brothers and sister. It is amazing how even a baby knows his family. He sits in his swing and just watches everything that is going on like it is so captivating. Although he was born with hair, he is now quite bald except for one thick and long patch of hair right on his crown that I like to call his toupee. He is such a cutie!

Of course I believe that children are blessings whether you have 1 or 20, but I have to say that the more I have, the more blessed I feel! Each one that comes along is just so precious and so unique and brings something special to the family that only he could bring. The dynamics of a large family day to day is just an amazing thing--it is so hard for me to describe, I think only you mothers of large families will understand what I'm trying to say. It is hard to imagine when you haven't been there, but it just works. Children ARE a blessing from the Lord. The fruit of the womb IS a reward. Happy IS the man that has his quiver full of them! I just love my children so much it hurts. I feel so undeserving of them. They are amazing.

He who began a good work in me...

Recently several people have encouraged me to blog. Blogging has been the furthest thing from my mind lately, but maybe it is just the outlet I need and will motivate me. The past six months of my life have been nothing short of a whirlwind and the past two and half months have been the hardest of my life.

It has been difficult adjusting to a new home, a new baby, and a new life without daddy. Emotionally it has been more than I can bear, but by God's grace I am starting to see the sun again. I don't know how I could have made it through any of this without Him. His presence and His Word have been the only thing sustaining me. He has taught me the true meaning of joy.

On top of the emotional side of it, we seem to have been slammed with physical affliction. We've had severe sinus infections, strep throat (one at a time), stomach flus, ear infections. Justin's tonsil stones got bad again and we had to visit the ENT. Zachary had a scary accident that miraculously only required stitches. David fell and broke his arm so badly it required surgery. The doctors and hospitals here already know us by name.

Tyson seemed to have colic for a few weeks, but praise the Lord he doens't do that at all anymore. I was so afraid we would be going through that for three or four months. But now he goes to sleep around 9 or 10 at night and sleeps till 8 or 9 in the morning! He prefers his own bed and these long sleeping hours are not always the best thing for a nursing mother! But I'll take that discomfort if it means I get to sleep.

My marriage has been going through the ultimate test with this separation. I never thought my heart could stand the things it has gone through.

So I kinda feel like Job and I must admit that I haven't handled it all as well as he did. There have been nights where I have wanted to curse God and die as Mrs. Job suggested. But He is faithful even when I am not. His Word and His promises are life to me. I know I will emerge from this season stronger than ever.

Thank you so much for your encouragement and your prayers. Whenever I see that people actually read this and care, I am blown away. Right now I don't even feel like that same person who wrote this blog. And if you were with me way back in the Xanga days, I don't even recognize that girl! But you know what--I don't want to stay the same. I'm not who I was ten years ago and I hope that ten years from now I will not be who I am today. I want to keep growing in the Lord and changing for the better. I want to keep learning and becoming. I don't want to be that proverbial leopard who can't change his spots. I want to be a butterfly.

Big changes ahead--sooner or later

Well, we have now been here in Montana for four years. We've had 2 babies here, three homes, and lots of growing experiences. It has been an adventure to say the least! And now we finally know when this chapter in our life will come to an end--well, kinda.

One of two things will be happening in our future. The first possibility is that Kevin will be accepted to go to school to become an officer in the Air Force. This will be great for our family because it will mean a significant increase in income and more opportunities for Kevin. He is very unhappy with his job and his station right now, so he is ready for this change. However, the odds are against this happening because Kevin tells me that only 18% of those applying will be selected. But if it does, he would be going to officer training school about a year from now for 12 weeks, and after that we would all be moving somewhere else. This is good, but it is still a wait and we would be here another year.

If this does not happen, there will be even bigger changes for us. Around the end of December we would all be leaving Montana to go back home to Tennessee where the children and I will stay while Kevin goes to Korea for a year. Yes, a year! When he returned, we would be moving to Shaw AFB in Sumter, SC, only a little over 4 hours from home. It would be so hard for all of us to be away from him for a year, but at the same time it will be nice to be home and out of here! And then it will be wonderful to be stationed so close to home when he gets back. So that would be a bittersweet possibility.

At this point, both possibilities are equal in pros and cons. If he goes to officer school, we will only be separated 12 weeks, but we will be waiting around here for at least another year and then might be just as far away from home at our next base. None of us can stand that thought!
But if he goes to Korea, we will be separated for a year, plus the worrying about him being in KOREA, but we will be home and then stationed closer to home. We are all excited about that prospect. Even poor little Justin can't decide which one he wants to happen--as much as we love Kevin and don't want him to leave, we want to go home!!

So we'll find out next month what's going to happen. I know that whatever happens is what God has planned for us, so I can't wait to find out what it is!