So thankful....

   Today is one of my favorite days of the year--one where we can sit together as a family, often with others joining us, and reflect on one thing each that the Lord has done for us--something that we are thankful for.
I just want to say right from the start that honestly, I have had so many things this year that have wowed me, that I can simply not limit myself to a single one. I would like to share a few of them with you since I can, and perhaps a little more from my family's discussion as well today.

First of all--man, look at where we are at from last year!

   If you would have told me last Thanksgiving that we would be sitting at the table sharing an important meal with someone who was giving us such a precious gift as our birth mom is giving us, I would have thought you were out of your mind. Last year my mind was still in grief mode as I considered how many children we had lost and wondering when God was going to either close the door forever or bring more children into the family. Now here we are, only a few months away from adding two more precious girls into the family, and well into the process of "adopting" another adult sister and her little girl who will forever have a special relationship with us....you just have to shake your head at how God works, dont you? So wacky, so totally not Heather-style---which is exactly why it works SO well....
   Second, in a time where many are struggling to get by financially, where others are worrying about their jobs, homes, whatever, God has spared us...and blessed us...and provided for us.  

Glory to God for that!

   How about the freedom to worship, to raise our children to believe in Christ without fear of being beaten, thrown in jail, or killed for our faith? Though times may seem so dark around us, Jesus is our light, and He is doing some mighty things in many places throughout this world. The Holy Spirit is blowing fresh and clear through many churches, and spilling out into many communities...like ours. I am in awe of how God is showing His power over all things this year.
   More than anything, I am thankful for a husband who braves so much every day to keep a roof over our heads, food in our tummies, and the lights and heat on.
    I am thankful for a little 9 year old girl who is a sweet light of hope and promise in our life.
    I am thankful for family and friends that pray for us, and love us, surrounding us with their arms, and their prayers.
    I am thankful for the beauty in a small community that still shares cups of sugar with one another, and stops in the middle of the street while driving to talk--and everyone else just drives around them.
    I am thankful for a church that is busting through walls that Satan erects with the name of Jesus, who is more like a family than they are friends.

Honestly, my cup has run over again and again this year.

Here is a little from my family gathering today:

Annalise is thankful for "frenids"---(her way of spelling friends--guess what is going to be on next week's spelling list? LOL! ) and for "my Mom and Dad who love me so much"
Kurt is thankful for many things, and I will only name his top choice so far: "pecan pie". :0)
My mom shared that she was thankful that we lived in a country where we could go to church and worship freely still. (that is quite significant if you know my mom at all...)
Our Birth mom shared that she was thankful for family and her little girl.
Since the baby is too young to talk, but very good at eating, I think her favorite thing to be thankful for must have been the mashed potatoes. She ate more than I did, and yelled every time the spoon was not in or on its way to her mouth!
What have I learned so far this year though, that I hope to apply to this coming year?

That thankfulness is not something we should bring out on one day a year just because we have a holiday to remind us to be thankful. The Word of God tells us "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God; and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.". Simply put--being thankful is something that comes from deep inside, and should be a way of life, not a momentary emotion. When you look for your blessings, you come to expect those blessings, even if they come in packages you never really would have expected otherwise. God loves to surprise His kids, and boy has He done that around here this whole year!

I just cant wait to see what he brings in this next year! :0)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

How GREAT Is Our God!

   So, to echo a dear friend, whom I have already apologized to at least once, both privately and publicly---How GREAT is our God?
   Sad for me that I need to be reminded of that sometimes as I take my eyes off of the Creator and start looking around elsewhere for answers.
Again another beautiful answer to prayer today as we went as a family with Jennifer to the 20 week ultrasound to see those precious little twin girls show up on the screen today.
You all know the prayers that have been going up around here about the last news we have had--there was no membrane between those sweet little girls, and we were looking at some scary statistics and possibilities, Jennifer was looking at missing 10 weeks of her little girl's life as she lay in a hospital an hour from here, and we were praying we would come out of this with at least one new daughter if God would allow it.
Today. as we sat in the u/s room with Josh, the guy who has done 2 of the 3 previous ones in the last couple weeks, and with Dr Wahl, the perinatologist from Sioux Falls, we all watched the screen to see those heads come up again. Anna giggled, Kurt grins, and I gently rock Jennifer's other little one to sleep while watching the screen. Suddenly the dr jumps up and points excitedly at the screen: "there it is! There it is! Do you see it? Go back!" All of us jumped and then peered at the snowy screen (which I would like to note is much clearer than what we had when Anna was in utero--at least this one you can distinguish head from stomach and hand from umbilical cord!) A moment of silence, all of us holding our breath...and then clear and beautiful on the screen floats into view a membrane between the two girls, who have their heads together and look like they are sharing a secret in whispers.
A membrane.
Keeping apart the cords and the girls from tangling in them.
Praise....The...Lord.
Yes, I cried. Jennifer smiled. Anna was oblivious, by now having retreated into her book rather than try to figure out what she was looking at. Kurt is totally relieved.
And I am once again struck in the way God works through this whole situation.
For almost two weeks we have sat and wondered, watched Mom stress over the situation, calculated and recalculated what we can do, how much we can help, what the agency needs from us to move this whole process forward asap in case things went totally downhill.
We have prayed, and stressed, and prayed, and surrendered. Then repeated the whole process all over again.
No matter that there have been so many ultrasounds that we should have seen this by now, or that even the tech was shocked that there it was, so clear, and so obvious.
I would never....NEVER put it past God to take us right to the very edge of where we could handle things....then ask us to step off the cliff into His hands...and then show us the answer we needed once we have taken that huge step of faith. That is totally what today was about for Kurt and I, and I think for Jennifer as well. Does prayer work, or not? Does God care about little things like membranes between babies---or big things like membranes between babies?
Sure He does. Its just that His timing and mine dont always co-exist all that well, and what I think I can take, He knows I have not quite reached the end of myself to where it will all point back to giving Him the glory.
Can I make an educated guess about where this is all going to go?
I have told you all a couple of times that we feel like we are in the midst of the time where God is restoring to us the years the locusts have eaten--a year of Jubilee where things are returned to what He originally set in order all along for His people. A year of rejoicing. I dont care what the Dr's say about concerns about blood loss or Twin to Twin transfusion, or all the million things that could go wrong.
I think He will bring this pregnancy to the middle or end of March. I think we will have 2 beautiful baby girls born who are healthy, and strong, and totally unlike our other daughter in that they will be a normal (if not big) weight for twins. I would not even be surprised if God delivers them naturally and Jenn has no pain---heck I wouldnt be surprised if she woke up one morning and they just happened to be in her arms, pink and healthy at this point! Sounds nuts I know, but we are dealing with how God works--not how we work. So maybe I am a little crazy after seeing too many minutes of fuzzy ultrasound screen, or giddy with joy over how He works, but I am going on our registry and taking off everything that is related to preemies.
I think God is way bigger than I ever thought He was, until He took my hand and showed me what He is all about.
Thank you for your prayers everyone. I hope your faith is growing as strong as ours is as we go through this struggle hand in hand with you. What a GREAT God we serve!

Keeping The Ol' Ticker Going

   OK. So if you are reading this regularly, you know I don't post every single day because honestly, I am lucky to remember to brush my teeth and comb my hair every single day, so this kinda falls on the bottom of the "to-do" list more often than not.
   But occasionally something sticks in my head, and I getting a little better each time at writing it down and putting it on here--mostly for myself, but occasionally for those who like to read what I post.
   Yesterday as I was watching Landon, my "little" 12 month old that I have taken care of since his 4th week of life, something shocking occured to me. Yesterday was November 16th--not an unusual day in and of itself, but something significant to me. Landon is now just over 13 months old. (*sniff sniff*)

And our birth mom has been here for 2 weeks.

Where has that time gone?

With our birth mom it has fled quickly past as we adjust to one another, adjust to having another little one in the house full time...fled as we have been to the ER and to Dr. appointments...and occasionally stopped briefly as we have had a few shocks along the way (such as "hey its twins" or "oh no, there is no membrane between them and there are BIG risks"...just to name a few).

So here is my "cumulative effect on my brain thought" that occurred to me yesterday.

*Our twins will be here...at the latest (and for this we pray)...in no more than 15 weeks.*
   Now to some of you that may seem like a lot of time, but to this woman who looked at her beautiful little daycare guy who has grown from a tiny baby to a big toddler in what seems like the blink of an eye...gosh guys, it is going SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fast. I even called a friend and told her, who laughed and said "funny, I was just thinking about that". I am the type of person who just prays for life to go slowly so I can savor every moment. It seems like yesterday when I held my now almost 10 year old in my arms for the first time and prayed God would give her life in abundance and eventually bring her home to us...
   To put my brain thought in perspective for those of you to whom time is just something that floats along until you wake up someday old and gray......
*Thanksgiving is less than 2 of those weeks away, with Christmas only 4 weeks after that.
*Then for us comes Annalise's birthday exactly 2 weeks to the day from Christmas.
*THEN it is exactly 5 weeks (and one day) to Kurt's birthday, which, if all works out well, will be only a few days before the birth of the twins at 32 weeks into the pregnancy.
   For me, I have to be honest...although I totally trust in the Lord's guiding hand through this whole process, it would have been nice to have had a paper bag on hand to breathe slowly into. It might have stopped me from passing out and falling off the couch to realize that only those few short weeks from today there will be two more little, breathing, precious and beautiful girls being added into this family.
   My mini-panic subsided a little because I know God would not have blessed us with this situation if He did not think we were capable of this, or of loving and walking our birth mom, and her little one through it. He would not have ever even brought this situation to the place where it is now, where we can laugh and talk and play games with Jennifer daily to bring her through this time of hardship on her. He would not have chosen to miraculously give us two babies, not one, from such an unexpected place...or put them in the 1% of all twin pregnancies if He did not know we would rise to the challenge. And more than anything, He would not have daily, hourly, or moment by moment sometimes, give us the love and compassion and patience and grace to get through what is being asked of and given to us.
   Time may pass faster than we want or expect, but the joy for me now, today, is in knowing He has all my days in His hand and brings me through each one intact and looking for the next one.
   Hope you all have a blessed day as well...

Finding Accomplishment in Little Things

   I laughed today when I realized, 7 nice white ironed shirts later, that I was thrilled I had managed to accomplish everything that HAD to be done for a Monday, and now have time to do the things that WILL NEED to be done tomorrow.

   Sounds silly I know--I mean, who should jump for joy over a few ironed shirts?

   But the reality is, although my husband would never outright ask for them unless he had an important meeting with the bigwigs at his work, I know he enjoys them, and enjoys how he looks more professional in them.

SO that makes it one of those "important to do" things on my Monday list.

I    am sad to say with all the upheaval and new things happening so quickly around our house my dear hubby has gone to work a little wrinkled for a couple of weeks, no matter how quickly I whip those shirts out of the dryer and hang them up (darn wrinkles).
   Even better is the fact that the dishwasher has finally overcome the mess of dishes, I actually baked something last night for the first time in two weeks, and have now conquered the clutter in two of my five downstairs rooms. Those are all little things, I know, and to some of you they may seem silly...

but to me, it is something to rejoice about 

and be thankful to the Lord for some time to do those "little things".

   As I come closer to Thanksgiving, and think about all I can look back and say I am thankful for, my heart just overflows. It could honestly be a thousand days until that holiday, writing one thing a day, and I would still find more. I think it is just because no matter my circumstances, or my stress level, God has overflowed my cup time and time again daily as long as I am willing to look for it and thank Him. He tells us that today has enough trouble of its own, and if we look to tomorrow's--it is easy to begin to undermine your faith and shake your world more than it needs to be. I am trying to live that verse the last couple days, and have realized just how much I am a planner and focusing on tomorrow, robbing myself of today's accomplishment. I hope the Lord will help me change that in the future.
So, in 7 days, look for another post about ironed shirts, and if it isn't here, start praying! :0)

Turning Around With My Eyes Wide Open

   Good morning everyone. I don't have a lot of time this morning, but I do have a lot on my heart, and so I thought I would post as much as I could with the time that I have.
   It seems around the Estey house in the last 24 hours we have come full circle, wrapping up 10 years  and tying up the ends.
   Many of you have known us through all that time, some of you were there for us for part of it, and some of you are joining in on the end of the line.

But we are so blessed to know you and know you are praying for us.

   Our Birth Mom's news on her ultrasound was many things for us yesterday--heartbreaking, scary and overwhelming would be the first few words I would pick. But now having had a few hours to mull it around in my mind, I would also add we are just shaking our heads over how God works in our lives around here, and praying for her heart and mind and body as she faces some scary months.
   10 years ago on November 1st we were told that our precious baby, our second, would probably die, that there was something wrong, and she was much much smaller than she was supposed to be. I was put on immediate level 5 bed rest and was not allowed to get up unless I needed to go to the bathroom, and that was limited to steps from the couch to the bathroom and back.
   On November 3rd we flew in our friend and birthmom from her home state, and yesterday the 12th, she was told something very similar--she is not to do any lifting, go immediately to Level 3 bed rest and do nothing until they put her in the hospital sometime after Christmas, where she will stay until the twins are born.
   The day after Christmas 10 years ago, I went into the hospital and was able to keep the pregnancy until January 8th, when my precious one pound 4 ounce daughter joined us and started her struggle to survive.
And here we are again.
   I want to share with you that as a church, we had a women's retreat last Spring, and while I was praying and seeking the Lord I was overwhelmed with the feeling that God was going to be bringing me something that I really needed to be prayed up for, and studied up for, and living in Him daily for, because it was going to really be tough to face without those things. I have routinely thought it was perhaps doing the foster to adopt thing (which was tough), then I thought it was adopting with the risk of the birth mom changing her mind (which was really tough)....but none of those things could possibly compare with me having to re-enter that world of risk, pain, and bed rest which was one of the darkest times of my life.
    I have to be honest, I have prayed that God would remove the memory of those times from my heart and mind---I think instead He is going to heal me by taking me through it one more time, stronger, and more dependent on Him than I even was then.
   I don't know what God has planned, but I want you to know we desperately covet your prayers. We could honestly lose one or both of the twins, we could be facing another couple of years of NICU visits and some very preemie babies. We could be facing another funeral, and grieving with a mom who has blessed us with so much at this point.
   Or we could be locked in to the roller coaster, and watch God to some amazing amazing things in our lives as He continues to restore to us the years the locusts have eaten.
 I don't know what He has chosen, but I know that as Job said to his friends "Though he slay me, yet will I praise Him." that those words and those thoughts encompass my heart and my mind right now. We ask for your prayers, and thank you for all that you do in encouraging us and pointing us the right way.
I personally want to thank my dear friend Mark, for having the courage to look at me last night when I was pouring my heart out to his wife, and say kindly: "Heather, how GREAT is our God?" and that I am sorry for getting upset with him.

He was right.

**for most of the twins' pregnancy, the doctors thought they were in a single sac in the uterus, which often causes the death of one or both babies before birth due to cord entanglement. We only had about 6 weeks before they were born that we knew they were in separate sacs.

The Cat Whisperer

Ok, so here's a funny post for the day.

I am not sure where it comes in the gene pool, but my daughter has, in many ways, grown up to mimic her mother's abilities and desire to bring home anything that looks like it needs a home. When I was a child, anything that randomly looked like it needed a home or a meal would somehow get smuggled into our garage and become a part of the family for as long as I could keep it locked up. We had bunnies, birds, cats and even a dog once who lived there--until my parents would find out and make sure the poor animal excaped from my "loving" ministrations to them. The neighbors called our house the "Menangerie" because everything that squeaked, squawked, hopped, ran, or even looked remotely hungry lived at our house, along with all the other "owned pets". Honestly, it is like mother like daughter in this area...and has been for years.   
We once worried that Annalise would throw dolls around and dress up her stuffed animals instead--until she started dressing up the real ones...!  I am, however, blessed by the fact that so far all of the things that make their way here, in whatever form, have been warm and fuzzy...and eventually disappeared after a couple of days of being dressed in doll clothing.

image courtesy

However, this last week I think either something is in the air, or somehow in the cat world the message has gotten out about our daughter's desire to populate our yard with a million lost and lonely kitties, much to her parents' dismay.
A couple of days ago an adorable (and obviously well fed) black kitty showed up, was promptly named Midnight, fed, and lugged around the yard for a few hours until it decided life was easier where it came from, and removed itself.
Then yesterday, as we are all out on a walk, pushing strollers up and down hills, and showing our birth mom the town, we encountered  a small grey kitten in front of the post office. Despite forbidding my daughter to touch it, look at it, or play with it, whisper to it, smile at it, or even acknowledge it's presence, it merrily followed us home, snuggled up to our very unhappy (and already owned and licensed) cat, and got a name. It has now officially moved into the same place our "real" cat lives in, appears promptly at meals, and follows us around the town on our walks, purring the whole way. It also trips us in an effort to get picked up. As it is cute, and a "very nice cat", I guess it can stay outside. For a while.
But the final straw came today on our walk when the black cat showed up, purring, and followed us home AGAIN. We now have three kitties sitting on our step, purring, eating, getting dragged around the yard, and pretty much driving both of the parents insane. Meanwhile, our "real" kitty---Katie---is very unhappily sharing her sleeping space, her food, and her attention (not that she likes attention very much--she runs from us) with two much cuter, much smarter, and much more attached-to-us kitties.
Meanwhile, my daughter is in kitty heaven. I shudder to think what may come next, and pray, unlike the game Farmville that I used play, nothing like a pink cow, lonely black sheep, or ugly duckling shows up anytime soon, or we will be starting a farm here in the middle of town.

Anna says our home should now be called "Kitty-ville".

Will someone please shoot me?

Its All The Same

   Today, for me, worship and church had special meaning, and I wanted to share a little of it with you.
Not only was today the first time ever that I was able to stand side by side with my "baby Mamma" (as we have chosen to call her) in church, knowing she has little, if ever, entered a church before in her life...but I also had the delight of seeing her little one dance and move with all the other kids to the worship music in the back of the church. I watched the joy grow in her eyes as she watched her little one, and I was able to see her worry lines smooth a little as she realized our church was exactly as I said--laid back and loving. Even more precious was the comment she made after church on our way home. I asked her what she thought of our church, and she smiled and said "I really liked it." We have not yet talked about her going up in front of church during worship and being prayed for, but I know it is coming....and my cup overflows again. But back to my story.....
   Sometime during the worship time of the service, I happened to be standing in the back in time to see a young woman come rushing past me, head down, and tears pouring from her eyes as she left our sanctuary. I didn't even hesitate, but felt the Spirit say to me "GO!". I have had the privilege of talking with her and praying with her before on occasion...and especially of giving her hugs. She has had a lot of pain in her life, and most recently, her boyfriend died at a young age. She is surrounded by "friends" who only want her around if she is going to "do what they do" and folks--what they DO is not healthy in any way, or honoring to her.
   Anyhow, so seconds later we are in the women's bathroom where she catches sight of me in the mirror, and breaks down crying. I turned her around and to my surprise, she holds me at arms' length and shakes her head no, then chokes out---"I don't belong here, I don't even deserve to be in that church with all those people! I have screwed up so bad this time, and I know there is NO way I can get over all of this. You shouldn't even be in here with me--what does someone like me have to do with someone like you?". I stood there in shock.
   I am not someone anyone should look up to, in the first place. I have great struggles of my own, have made terrible choices of my own, and stand beside her, equal...broken but forgiven. I may sing in the worship team, I may teach Sunday School, and for whatever reason God may have given me a place where more people see me than they see those that do the necessary jobs behind the scenes, but I am just...like...her. And it was sad for me to see what she thought. The Holy Spirit reminded me of all of that in a moment...and whispered to me: she just needs to hear that she is forgiven...again and again and again.
   I wish I could paint a picture for you of that moment for both of us better than I am doing right now. Her face, laced with pain and tears, her eyes clearly reflecting whatever drugs she had been doing the night before...mine...well, I hope it was showing the compassion my heart was overflowing with. My mind crystallized that moment forever in my heart, and I clearly understood how the woman in the Bible must have felt as she stood at the well with Jesus and heard him tell her everything she had ever done.
   In that beautiful story it was not his knowledge of her life that changed her heart, it was the realization that Jesus chose to associate with her IN SPITE OF all of those things, and tell her she was forgiven--to go and sin no more.
   With this young woman, I think she had that kind of encounter this morning. I shared with her that in God's eyes, sin is sin. Every single person in this church, and every person who calls himself by the name of "Christ-follower" has sins in our lives that we are trying to overcome daily. In the eyes of God, anger, bitterness and rage are no different than doing drugs. Sin is sin is sin.
   I wish you could have seen her face. It was like seeing her mind renew with the thought breaking across it that grace is freely given and freely received. She was repentant, and she needed to see that God was still there, still holding out His hand, willing to stand before her and behind her, and to help her deal with all the addictions she is struggling with.

She needed to know that victory was hers, free for the taking.

   The end of the story is just as beautiful as the beginning for her---we went back into the church and someone made the announcement that if people wanted to come back up to the front of the church and worship or be prayed for, to come. She almost ran up there. Again, I felt the Lord say to go, and I went, and when I came up to her and stood beside her, praying for her and worshiping, she broke before the Lord and cried her heart--and her pain out. I KNOW the Lord met her there--I saw her face and her hands, and I knew He was holding her, forgiving her, and walking her through whatever is going to come next in her life.
I am not telling you this story to puff myself up and say in any way 'Look at me! Look at what I did!". Please please please take me out of the picture. I just want to ask you---when was the last time that you opened yourself up to God and He used you in such a way? Have you prayed with someone else lately who is struggling? Stood next to someone who needed a hug? Served someone that you know is overwhelmed and could just use a helping hand? When was the last time that you stepped out of your comfort zone when you heard the Spirit tell you "GO", and you went no matter the cost? Paul told us that the world would know us as 'Jesus-followers" by our love, and that would set us apart. I know from personal experience that when you walk into a church that LOVES unconditionally, you are instantly drawn in, and you just cant get enough.   
   Love will break even the hardest of hearts, or demolish the strongest of walls. I am not talking about being perfect and hiding behind our knowledge of the Bible, or counting how many butts are in the seats of your church. Those things--they matter little in the scheme that God plans life with. In rebuttal of those things man seems to think are so important: You may know little of the Word of God, but the Holy Spirit will fill you with a word of hope or encouragement from someone. And if you think you are perfect, then gosh--I'm sorry but maybe you better check your ego at the door, and ask someone to pray for you. God uses broken people so much easier than proud ones. And finally--there are some huge churches in this world--and not one butt in the seat is saved.
   What sets us apart is LOVE--true, genuine, humble, get-on-your-knees-and-hold-someone-no-matter-what-kind-of-mess-they-are-going-to-make-of-your-favorite-shirt kind of love.It is the kind of love that holds fast through the ups and downs, that preaches forgiveness to the wayward, and holds tenaciously to the truths that God has laid out for us, but gently, tenderly leads others to the cross. It is the kind of love that goes with you wherever you are--be it in church, in your home, or in a bathroom where someone's heart is breaking, and the enemy is trying to claim a life back to his way of destruction. It is a life-changing, and earth-shaking, kind of love.
The only way to get that love is by living daily way out of your comfort zone and in the love and direction of God. He fills you up, and He points you to who needs to be poured on...its that simple. As my old youth pastor once said "God will use you...just be willing, and be able (filled from your own personal time with the Lord)". Oh how that has stuck with me through the years...and served to remind me so many times...
So, can you look at yourself today and know you are living that kind of life? I hope so....because there is none better.

Our God Is An AMAZING God

   Ok, so remember my post about the roller coaster ride? Welll, I think we may have hit one of those straight runs where you are going 100 mph, but at least there are no hills or fast twisting tunnels. The last week has been a calm spot in so many ways; we have had a lot of changes, but we are already seeing the blessings in all of it.
   As I write I have an adorable 7 month old on my lap who would win any baby contest hands down. She is the cutest, and most energy-filled, little one that I have ever seen even in my many many years of caring for children. And there are the footsteps of another woman in the house as well, one who is carrying two children that are growing fast and strong.

Our Birth Mom and her little one have come to stay.

   We knew from the moment we got the call some time ago, that we wanted to offer her love, and life, and a chance to have some help when she needs it the most. We are so blessed that she accepted and now this big old house has more lovely occupants to fill its rooms, and our family is excited to have them join us and share everything with us.
   And then yesterday, I was struck again by the blessings that God lays in our lives at the most unexpected times--our birth mom jumps, then grabs my hand and places it on her stomach. A split second, and then, I could feel a little foot pushed up against the other side of her tummy. Again, it was like all the earth stopped for that split second....just like my heart. Right now Baby B is up very high, and Baby A is very low, and so we are watching her struggle to keep moving and eating and doing all the normal things. My heart goes out to her as I watch her try to get off our couches (yes, those notorious couches that everyone over the age of 50 complains suck you in and wont let you go). But she is a strong, lovely, and determined woman who is taking each day in stride...and we are thrilled to be walking in step with her...
I am just struck today more than other days what an awesome God we serve. Only HE could orchestrate this kind of a situation, be our peace, and throw in a couple cups of  patience and grace in the midst of it. Only He could answer our prayers for children from such an unexpected place, and give us an added blessing of two more people besides. Know what I mean? That cup has been overflowing for days now, and so has my thankfulness for all He has placed in our lives right now.
Please keep praying for us over the next few weeks as we get Mom settled and into appointments and other things. Pray for her little one to settle down and not be upset by all the changes. And pray for all of us as this house continues to grow by the month with more and more blessings. Sometimes I just don't think we can handle one more! Praise the Lord!

Amazing Soup....recipe to share

   Ok, so I know I posted last night and normally would be waiting a couple of days to share something else, but I just have to tell all you people out there who don't normally like butternut squash (like me) that there is something you can eat that will actually taste amazing, and you will like it!!!
   I try to use up leftovers all the time in creative ways (GOOD creative ways not like hidden in things like pudding or something). Yesterday we had butternut squash for lunch as a side dish, with company, and I am again reminded why I don't normally do that--everyone else may like it but I am choking through it so as not to seem rude to the people we are sharing our meal with. :0)
   Here is a recipe I tried last night and I tell you what--this stuff is going to be a main menu staple around here in the fall. With homemade hone-wheat bread, this is a lunchtime meal that just can not be beat.

 Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

*start with a basic roux----melt 4 TBS of butter in a pan, dice 1/2 an onion, simmer until onion is clear, whisk in 2-4TBS flour, then when bubbly add in dry milk and water to amount you want to make. Or use regular milk--it will just take longer. I made about 2 cups worth using this method.
*next add in the following: 6 chicken bullion cubes, 6 cups of water, one whole onion diced small, about 20-25 baby carrots (whole--they are sweeter than regular carrots) and 1 small to medium butternut squash that you have already baked and peeled--I cut ours in chunks and then put it in the pot.
* simmer this concoction for 2 hours until it begins to reduce, stirring occasionally with the whisk--you will see the chunks of squash start to break up--I left the lid off for the first two hours.
*then you need to puree the soup (I have a immersible blender thingie--love it and that is what I used, but a regular blender or food processor would work as well) And then let it cook for another 30  minutes or so.
*Serves 4-6 people with good appetites, fills you up if you are a person who doesnt like clear soups because they leave you hungry an hour later.
Hope you try it--I cant imagine this costs that much to make and is really really good for you health wise as well. Nice to find something I can make butternut squash into that actually tastes good and is easy to make!

Bon Appetit!

Heather

Partytime.....

   Now, being a fun-lovin' kind of gal....I have to tell you a couple of things that have really struck a chord for Christ in my heart the last couple of days. Those of you who have been around me for a while, know that it doesnt take much for me to laugh...or to cry. To be honest--as much as I would love the thrill of the game (and the chance of winning enough to keep the twins in diapers for a year) I would totally suck at poker.   

   Why would that be? Because I just could not keep a straight face, and everyone I would play with would shamelessly take advantage of the fact that I just could not keep quiet that I was about to lay down a full house and whop their tails in the next two seconds. Ask my college roomies, and Kurt who finally gave up playing cards against me in college---(sorry guys, we all change a little right?)

   And while I do my fair share of crying--especially at movies or sad commercials, it is truly one of the blessings in my life that God has surrounded me with people who make me laugh. Take my friends in my care group--what we call our small group/Bible studies in our church. A small group consisting of 3 couples, we have more fun, without drinking, smoking pot, or anything else illegal every Friday night, than probably do most people in a 10 mile radius from where we meet. We like to joke about the amount of coffee we drink, people's reactions when we tell them we go to Bible study on Fridays instead of out or to the bar, or just about anything and everything that hits our funny buttons. Sometimes I think we have so much fun we should be doing something illegal because it sure feels like it!
   This Friday was no exception--and since a couple of things have stuck on my mind for two days I just have to share them with you.
We have this dear ,dear friend (who shall remain nameless but everyone in the group will laugh when they read this) who is totally and absolutely hysterical. She is a beautiful and classic case of someone who says what they are thinking, and depending on her mood is either blowing off the fact that we are all laughing, laughing with us, or totally repentant and telling us that she needs to learn to watch what she says. She has been an instrumental part of God's plan in my life to get me over caring more what people think that what He thinks.Now--I have to tell you---I love being around her. And I can say with certainty all of us get a kick out of her (although there have been a few moments that her dear husband has turned a little red around the ears, but that just makes us laugh harder). Anyhow, sounds silly but this last Friday we women were chatting about names for the twins--Kurt and I had tossed some names around and I thought I would try them out on the girls. Somehow (and I really am not sure how) we ended up talking about the funniest last names we had ever heard...and I tell you what, I just could not stop laughing. I walked away from that night still giggling, and probably will for some time--it was one of those things that you just had to be there for.
( "This is CEO Willfart calling for"....lol)
   So from funny to serious--Saturday night we had a church alternative function for the kiddos in the community at our church, and it was wild and fun and packed. I forget every year (here's the air head part of my personality) that we end with worship and the kids love it. We hand out glow sticks (all different colors--very cool) turn off the lights, and blast the massive sound system with worship music. Kids are twirling, jumping, raising their hands, rocking out, you name it, but it is all unbridled, loud worship of the King of Kings.
   How do I tie those two very seperate incidents together in my mind? I know it sounds crazy, but while I was watching those kids dip and swirl and those glow sticks go nuts, it was if God introduced into my mind a clear picture of what Heaven was going to be like.
   Do you realize in Heaven we are going to be with our best and truest Friend? We will be surrounded by those who have shared our lives and our faith here on earth. God himself says He will wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there will be no sorrow or mourning. I am thinking of Friday night, and the joy and laughter and giggling, the closeness I have with those people, and think---

"Heaven? Heaven is going to ROCK!" 

Dont tell me that a God who created something like a platypus doesnt have an amazing sense of humor....so think of a million of your best friends...think of living the delight of being in Heaven...and think of the laughter we will share up there. Kinda mind boggling.
   But even better, think of billions of people, laughing from being free of the earthly ties that hold us down, dancing and swooping, and praising the King in the very throne room of Heaven. Think of all of the things that wear us down, drag us down, hold us down, and try to drown us here on earth just passing away, and the freedom and love and explosion of pure joy we will feel when see the Lord face to face.  In my mind I can see how God will fuse both the laughter and the beauty in the worship of His people, and folks, I tell you, that is a place I want to be. Laughing, dancing, and praising the King of Kings with an unmeasurable number of the saints of God... and no end in sight.
   Funny how I have more fun now doing things people would call "boring", than I ever did when I was doing the things people would call "exciting". Personally, I dont think there is any comparison.

Jesus wins hands down.