THe StOrY

I have been wanting to post about this for over a year and a half. Little did I know, God had more to add to the story; more than I ever could have imagined. In fact, it probably really wouldn't have been a story if I had had it my way. But I loooove the story now. Oh, the lessons God has taught me over the last year and a half.

To start, I have Poly cystic Ovary Syndrome which basically means your ovaries produce cysts instead of doing what they are supposed to do. I was diagnosed just before becoming pregnant with Garyn. I started a medicine to just regulate my cycle and stop the cysts. After being told all the infertility issues that typically go along with it, Tyler and I decided to not prevent and became pregnant with Garyn a month after starting the medicine. Needless to say, we were a little shocked and wasn't expecting it to be so easy!

Fast forward 2 years or so......we decided to start trying for number 2. Quickly, we saw those infertility problems we thought weren't going to effect us. God, as well, showed us we were not in control. When a year passed, we started some fertility drugs. At the same time, God continually reminded us that He was going to bless us on His time. One particular sermon a few months ago, showed us that God can choose to eliminate all other possibilities for something to happen other than himself to receive full glory. After church, we both said that could be what God was doing with us. The doctors were telling me they didn't understand why the fertility medicines weren't making me ovulate {I say doctors because 3 months into the fertility drugs my main doctor sent me to a fertility doctor} Out of the seven months I took the fertility drugs that are supposed to make you ovulate, I only ovulated twice.

By the time, I took the medicine the seventh time, I was frustrated, hurt, depressed at times, and feeling God didn't want me to take the medicine anymore. I was putting too much faith in the medicine and not enough in Him. Even though, I knew God was ultimately the decider, I just felt the medicine should at least make me ovulate and was mad at when it didn't. My Honduras trip was the beginning of an eye opening experience God was about to take me through.

To make a long story (and a little-too-much-information-story) short: when I arrived in Honduras, I realized I needed my medicine while also discovering I once again was not pregnant (it was not a daily med, just certain days of the month). Unlike normal, I wasn't upset; didn't cry or get mad. I felt at peace. I can't explain it but I trully felt God take the burden off my heart and allowed me to let it go. I also took it as a sign that God obviously didn't want me to take the medicine. There was no way to call Tyler, no way to go to Walgreens......no way I was going to be able to take the medicine that month. The whole week, I felt comforted the few times I thought about it that no matter what happened, I was going to be just fine. In fact, being there with all the orphans made me feel so selfish for being caught up in my own misery the months prior.

A month later, I took a test and was completely shocked! Although, I felt God had intervened in me not taking the medicine; I thought that was the lesson to be learned. Trust God and start being content in His will. However, I was blessed in the process with a positive test. Four positives actually! I had taken so many that showed negative, that I just couldn't believe I finally had a positive!

Tyler and I had said the whole month, "Wouldn't it be crazy if this were the month I got pregnant?" We knew God would want us to tell the story to never forget what He had done for us. And it's not crazy, it's God. He can do anything, even after the doctors are speechless and don't know why the medicines aren't working. Even after you have spent 19 months trying to get pregnant with no reaults. ( I know so many more have tried much longer than this, and I feel for them or you. ) Now, He has all the glory for this child growing inside me. He eliminated any other possible reason for me to become pregnant.

So I tell you this story with great excitement and great praise to God. I hope you can see what He has taught us and apply it to your own circumstances that you may be facing. It has been a journey for sure, but I would rather not have it be any other way than God's way.

Today, I am 9 weeks & 2 days and was able to see the baby's heart beat and even movement! I realize I have a long way to go (31 weeks to be exact) but I feel God will help me through the next chapters of this story. I just have to remember this journey!

And Jesus looking on them said, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27

Cool Giveaway..

I usually don't post others giveaways but I thought this one was great and I personally know the giver and she's great too!

So if you want to get some free fall earrings go to the Ooey Gooey Daily News and enter! The winner will be picked this Friday, the 17th.

The earrings are from an Etsy store and are handmade!

September goals

SO I am far behind in blogging...I feel. I think of great things to blog about then never find the time to do it! I still love my goals and like to have them on my blog if only for myself to stay accountable.

August was about half way done, I blogged on most of my accomplishments here and here....

September (whats left of it)

Fun:

Continue having the football players dinner and bible study.....this has become a Tuesday regular and we

      feel blessed to be able to do it and they don't want us to stop. We have even been asked to do it during

       baseball season. (BTW have I mentioned Tyler is now the assistant baseball coach?)

Go on a date night- Didn't get to do this in August, the fall is busy for us, so its even more important

Attend all football games!

Sunday School party/meeting at our house

DIY/Home:

Finish the basement bathroom and blog Progress 2

Start on the upstairs bathroom

Change plants that have died out for new fall ones!

Craft:

Playdoh party....again

Fill empty picture frames and hang them

Label things around the house for Garyn to learn the words

Cooking:

Freezer cooking day!

Cook more.....we have been eating out or eating pre-prepared meals a lot lately

Cleaning:

Finish tidying purple bedroom

Get back into a cleaning schedule

Clean up laundry room

Progress Part 1

Here is some progress we have been making at our house. You know we have been working on the basement for awhile now.......well we finally have it more livable......

Garyn's 2nd (yes second) playroom downstairs

The Before....drab no color or organization

The After.........much more colorful and usable

The horse to the left was Tyler's and Garyn loves it. I like it but wish it wasn't so big!

I still have some pictures to hang and toys to transfer from upstairs but it has come along quite well!

Next is our living room. I don't have a before.....

Our new loveseat, couch, end table, center table and rug!

The new couch reclines on both ends, we mix and matched to get a good deal and to get the reclining feature!

Also, notice the red wall.....it was a khaki color like the rest of the room

And this is my photo collage from my goals....

I have been wanting to get this pictures up for a while and am glad to finally do it!

More to come!

Summer: It's over?

 I think it has hit me that summer is over.

Football's first game is this week; Garyn starts Mother's Day Out tomorrow;

I start Bible study tomorrow........

The only area that hasn't changed is the weather! Man, it's still HOT!

Well I wanted to post some summer photos that I haven't yet to remember all the great moments.... 

Won't forget the beginning of the summer started with Six Flags!

Lots of water Fun!

So much yummy Ice Cream!

~All Boy~

New fascination with Toy Story with the release of the new movie

Will never forget my wonderful trip to Honduras!

Can we say guitar fan......

Garyn became a golf fan, too!

Garyn really has his favorite buds now...

He can drive! oh no!

Great 4th!

Beach fun

 

Daddy spent so much time writing his paper this summer, he often forgot to shave!

And last but not least, Wii games are still in high priority!

(In fact, while I am writing this Garyn is playing)

The summer went by so fast, but it was a lot of fun!

Got fruit?

My garden has come along and produced some fruit for me. Although, I have learned some lessons from it this year.

If you remember, Tyler really didn't want me to do one this year mainly because he didn't want to work at getting the soil ready, plant, and then it all die because I am not the best gardener. I was determined though, and set out to find a closer spot to the house and a smaller one. I attempted to use some concrete borders we already had to make a raised bed. He helped me get the soil in it and weed killer. Then I planted.

I had six plants (squash, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers and 2 tomato plants).

Well I had a couple squash sprout then some cucumber. And I had one pepper spring forth.

But then the tomato plants grew and grew. Along with some type of bugs, the tomato plants killed off the other plants! I am getting 2-3 tomatoes a week from the massive things. Pretty much every green limb you see stems fro the 2 tomato plants. I still have some pepper buds but everything else has died off.

{notice, too, that my concrete borders are pitiful now}

This is the brown remains of the squash and cucumber plants.

So I have learned lessons this year. Not just physical gardening lessons but spiritual ones, too.

1. The garden was too small or I was trying to fit too much in. (I am wondering why I planted 2 tomato plants since I am the only one that eats them......?)

2. Stake, Stake, Stake!!

3. Need some type of bug killer

4. Weed preventer and wet newspaper work great! (that was my biggest problem last year)

5. Space things out better

Now spiritually, I can't help but notice how these lessons can apply.

1. How often do we try to fit too much into one day or our schedules. For me, I tend to half do things and forget the important aspects cause I have so much I want to do or have planned.

2. We all need support; God, Jesus, Holy Spirit and great family and friends are the best support. I often think I can do everything on my own and then get overwhelmed and accomplish very little.

3. Bugs = Satan in my gardening parable. Satan so often kills every lead we make in trying to serve Christ because we let him. Tyler and I frequently talk about how we feel attacked just when we are trying to focus on being a better Christian.

4. Pertaining to #3, we need to prevent and prepare for those attacks Satan uses. Reading the word; focusing on listening and praying to God; "weeding" out the unimportant events we fill our lives with; taking steps of faith instead of hiding in fear.........These are all ways to be one step ahead of Satan and be walking with God instead.

5. Space things out better---that is an understatement for me. I want everything done now, just so I can plan something to do next week. When in reality, God wants us to worry about today only. I need to be conscience of how much I am trying to fit into my daily life.

Jesus says, "I am the true vine, My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit." John 15:1-2, 5, 8

I want to bear fruit, not be taken away. Pruning is ok, we all need it. I have already been pruning at myself. The lessons God has taught me (as stated above) have helped me to inventory whether or not I am bearing fruit. Some things in my inventory do nothing to bear fruit for God's kingdom. I aim to weed those out so that the branches I do have that have potential to bear fruit can produce.

So, Got fruit??

August Goals

I know we are a week into the month already but I still would like to have some goals for the other 3 weeks!

Fun:
Go swimming once a week
Invite some friends over for dinner
take Garyn to Sprayground
Have a date night with my hubby!
Feed the football defensive players one night (this is actually fun although it probably fits better under cooking)

DIY/Home:
Paint the end table (explanation later)
Keep my gardens and plants alive!
Paint downstairs some
Paint the living room wall completed today!

Craft:
Have a playdoh day with Garyn ( I am always reluctant to get this out...)
Frame and hang picture collage

Cooking:
Freezer day! (didn't accomplish in July, must do this month!)
eat at home all but 3 meals a week....includes lunches

Cleaning:
Clean floors downstairs
Straighten extra bedroom

Reading:
Continue "Don't make me count to three"---I know its been like 3 months but I haven't had much reading time and I really do want to finish it!

Read Garyn a Bible story at breakfast or lunch daily (summer got us off schedule with this)