No Surgery Today

Elizabeth was feeling better last night, so the doctor said let's try to do the surgery. We got up this morning, got ready and the vomiting started again. (sorry for the nasty details)

Anyway, the surgery's been postponed.

Prayer Request

Pray for our sweet little girl Elizabeth Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. She is scheduled to have her tonsils removed, however she came down with a stomach virus Christmas Eve. We are meeting with the surgeon in the morning to try to determine if she's healthy enough to have the surgery.

Pray for wisdom for us and the surgeon and that if the surgery does happen that all goes well and that she has a quick recovery!

Thanks so much!

Merry Christmas

We want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! We didn't send cards this year. In some ways it was an attempt to simplify our December, but it was also a sacrifice on some level. We have always sent Christmas cards, but this year we decided to put the money we'd invest in purchasing cards and buying stamps towards something else. We have decided to sponsor a sweet little girl in Nicaragua named Sandra. She is 7 years old and is new at the orphanage. You can visit the Chosen Children website for more information or to sponsor a child in 2009. This orphanage is run completely on child sponsorships, so they try to get 11 sponsorships per child to better support this orphanage.

Family News:
Our lives are good. We just returned from a fabulous trip to Disney. It was a great way to celebrate Christmas and time with family.

Stephen is in 3rd grade and loves history and science. Matthew is in 1st grade and loves math and girls. Elizabeth is in kindergarten and she's just there for the relationships. She's all about her friends.

Derek and I continue to try to balance work, church, family, etc., but we have no complaints. God has been so good and faithful to us! We love living in Tennessee and being close to family. We love our church and our church family. I went to Zambia this past summer and had the trip of a lifetime. God softened my heart in an incredible way for orphans. Derek traveled to Nicaragua for the 3rd year and his heart is united with the Nicaraguans. He will be returning to Nicaragua in May for another mission trip. God is teaching both Derek and I a lot about freedom in Christ as we sit under the teaching of Dr. Neil Anderson. Galatians 5:1 says "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." As we celebrate the coming of our Savior, let us be reminded that He came to give us life and life more abundantly. We can live in freedom because Christ came to set us free, not just free from death, but free from the chains of this world and Satan. May we live 2009 in complete freedom and obedience to Christ!

Thank you for the many cards and updates we've received already. As a family, we will pick at least a card a day and pray for your family beginning January 1st.

Merry Christmas! May Jesus become real to you in everyday life and be all that your family needs in 2009!

It's Worth It

So, we have been gone for 7 days. We totally disconnected...no internet, no email which is huge for Derek and me. So, if you posted some huge bloggy news while I was gone, please send me an email, otherwise I just won't know.

Where were we? We were at the happiest place on earth. While there Derek says, "If this is the happiest place on earth then why are all these kids crying and all the parents frustrated?" Here's why, because Disney has marketing geniuses working for them. Seriously though, we had a great time with only a few meltdowns. Elizabeth melted down on day 1 because we made her ride Expedition Everest (roller coaster). We made the decision that we would not make her ride Tower of Terror. Our plans were to make them ride everything at least once. That plan went out the door day 1. Anyway, Matthew melted down about the weather. "It's too hot. It's too cold." It was never just right for Matthew. Stephen had a meltdown declaring, "Why is nobody being nice to me?" To which I had absolutely no mercy, because we were at Disney World on his birthday so "nobody" is surely too strong of a word especially when at least 25 people wished him a happy birthday! I had a meltdown because I had shin splints on day 2 of the trip. Derek doesn't have meltdowns. He's steady Eddie and even Steven...seriously!

Now, this is what my Tuesday will involve.

This is what 7 days of laundry for a family of five looks like...and I've done 3 loads already!

But let me tell you, it's worth it. Sunny 85 degree weather for a week. Magical family memories that will last a lifetime. It's why we spend the money every year to return to sunny Disney World. We love it! We already can't wait to go back!

Pictures coming soon....

Friday News

No school today because of snow! Did we sleep in? Oh, until about 6:15.

Elizabeth dropped a metal stocking holder on her toe this afternoon and the nail pretty much popped right off. Yuck! Praise the Lord Derek was home to administer first aid. I am so incredibly queasy when it comes to blood or dangling toe nails. Today we had both.

We are praying that her toe is not broken and that her nail will grow back!

Enjoy the pictures!

All I Want For Christmas...

It's Cold!

Any of you that know me well know that I do not like cold weather. So many were excited about possible snow today, but I know that with snow comes very cold weather. I know some of you are surprised because after all I am a Michigan girl, but my body prefers much warmer weather...like 78 or 80! Since winter has officially arrived in Tennessee (we had snow flurries today), I will spend the next 2-3 months with a very cold nose, cold fingers and cold toes. Even right now in my 72 degree house, my feet are freezing.

This morning though as I thanked God for so many things, I thanked him for our house and for heat. There are memories etched in my mind from Africa and then these pictures from Derek's trip to Nicaragua. Take a minute to look at them.

We live in abundance! We are so blessed!! We are richer than millions of people around the world, simply because we have a house.

Derek was able to help build a "plastic house" for this family. It's not much, but it's better than some. They were also able to build a bed for them, so that they wouldn't have to sleep on the mud floor.