Monday, October 31, 2011

Playing catch up--Maja's visit!

So it's been a while.  We have been busy I guess.  SO what have we been up to since Mimi's visit?  Well...life.  And, on Wednesday last week, our dear friend, Maja flew up to see us and also go to a math convention thingy.  We had all day Wed. to hang with her, so Sarah Kate decided we should go to the zoo first thing. 

On Thursday and Friday, Maja was at the conference, but we ate dinner together and hung out each night.  On Friday night, I had a girl's night here after SK went to bed and we enjoyed some chocolate fondue and watched the Cardinal (our home team!) win the world series.  Fun night!  Sat. morning we took Maja to the arch and enjoyed lunch at the Ole Spaghetti Factory before taking her back to the airport.  It was so much fun to have her here.  I miss her already :(





Next blog needs to be about our day yesterday!  We got to go downtown and celebrate with thousands of other fans the world series win by the Cardinals.   That blog will hopefully come soon, along with a Halloween post with pictures of our "Rapunzel".

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Mimi's visit!

We had my mom up last weekend for a visit and had a blast.  The weather was lovely and we had lots of fun doing some outdoor fally kinds of things.  So let the pictures begin :)

We asked SK what she would like to do for dinner on Thursday night (Mimi's first night here) and she requested the "Horsey park" and a picnic.  We had a fun windy time eating our picnic and taking a stroll around the pond and seeing the horses.


Friday we didn't get any pictures, but had fun making homemade pizzas for dinner and Michael and I going out later that night to the Sandra McCracken concert.  Then, Sat. morning we got up and headed out to Soulard Market (as pictured above and below).  We got some yummy veggies and fruits!



 Then after the market, we headed to Eckert's farm for apple picking and pumpkins.  SK showed Mimi how to pick a good apple (since it was Mimi's first time to go apple pickin').


Daddy and SK were on a hunt for one to eat (this is after eating about 4 apples herself :))
**And later that night we cooked up some of those yummy veggies from the market and made an apple pie from our freshly picked apples.  Yum!

Then it was on to the pumpkin patch.  SK was almost more interested in playing in the dirt then actually picing a pumpkin, but she had a blast.

SK's idea to take a photo moment :)



SK's choice for a pumpkin :)  Just her size!




 On Sunday after church, we headed to St. Charles (about 15-20 minutes away) for lunch and to show Mimi what a fun little town it is.  We had lunch at the great little restaurant where there was outdoor seating and even a little waterfall/pond thing to entertain children :)
And one last picture Monday morning before SK headed to school and Mimi had to go back to Alabama.
We had a fun weekend, Mimi!



Sunday, October 9, 2011

Hot Air Balloons and Pumpkins

What do hot air balloons and pumkins have in common, you might ask?  Nothing.  Except for they are two things that I have wanted to blog about and haven't had time to.  I actually took pictures, which hasn't happened too much lately. 

A couple weeks ago (ok, so more like a month ago...) we went with some friends to Forest Park, which is this awesome place where all of the museums and zoo and such are.  They were having the annual Hot Air Balloon Race.  You can go on Friday night before the race and see all of the ballloons light up and see them up closely, but we weren't able to make it to that (maybe next year?).  On Sat. (which we did make it to) they race.  So we went with a few friends to the top of Art Hill (where the art museum is) and watched the balloons take off.  We weren't very close, but it was fun to watch the balloons from a distance.  SK had a blast playing with friends more than watching the balloons I think :)


Now to the pumpkins.  We went this last week with some friends on a playdate to one of the pumpkin patches.  It seems like there are so many great pumpkin patches and fun fall activities here in St. Louis.  It is getting me very excited for fall.  We went on a weekday morning, so when we got there, we were almost the only ones there.  We played on the playground area, saw the animals and walked through the pumpkin patch.  SK ended up selecting a white pumpkin that we could paint (which we haven't done yet, but will soon!)




Okay, so there is a picture full blog, finally right :)  We have had a nice weekend too.  I had Friday off of work, so got to enjoy the morning with my girl and then Michael sent me off for the afternoon to have some "me" time, which was so lovely.  Then, Friday night we got to have a date while SK played at the Log cabin (free childcare on campus).   Yesterday, was a big lazy.  As in I stayed in my pj's till 1:00 p.m.  Yep.  I cleaned the house a bit and SK played with friends and Michael worked on a paper that is due this week.  We had a Professor and his family over last night for dinner which was so fun. It has been so awesome to get to know the professors here and know that they really do want to get to know their students and hang out outside the classroom.  And me to get to know their wives.  They have 4 children and their daughters are big into ballet, so we got to talk ballet a lot, which I loved.
Alright, I think that catches me up somewhat with the blogging.  Hope everyone has a blessed Sunday.  I am looking forward to worship this morning.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Encouraged

After my last post, I have had much encouraging words from friends.  Thank you.  As much as I don't want to see others go through similar problems, it is encouraging to not be in it alone.  Please know that I pray for you.  I appreciate you sharing yourselves with me too. 
At church on Sunday, I was encouraged by this scripture:

"Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink (or when/if you will get pregnant), nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life (or control the amount of children we have or when we have them)?  And why are you anxious about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6: 25-33

It is hard to not be anxious about wanting more children.  But we can and should rest in the fact that God knows our hearts.  He loves us.  He loves us more than we could ever imagine.  He has a plan and it will be beautiful.  It will and does look very different than my plans, but He is good and is working through this.  We have to trust, as hard as it is each day.  I have to preach the gospel to myself each day and remind myself of these truths.  I was thankful on Sunday to have this reminder.  I hope it encourages you today like it has for me this week.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

No time...

Been a while.  Sorry.  I have not been motivated to blog lately.  Busy, I guess.  Everytime I think about something to blog about, I forget what it was by the time I actually get on the computer.  So let me think...an update on things for us.
School is going well for Michael.  Starting to get busy with lots of reading and such, but good.
My job is going well.
SK. Oh me.  She had a fever virus last weekend and it was no fun at all.  We had big plans for the weekend and ended up in seclusion instead.  We had signed up for parent's night out (free childcare on campus for parents to get some date time), and didn't get to do that.  We were supposed to go to a seminary picnic and instead had a picnic in our living room floor.  She is all better now, so that is good.  We have been struggling with control though.  She has become more and more strong willed lately.  I think she is just testing the waters with what she can control in her life.  We are learning how to parent this issue.  It is hard. 
We are still dealing with infertility.  I don't want to harp on this, but oh well.  If this is the place where I "lay it all out there", this is reality for us.  I want to be real and be open with what we are facing for many reasons.  I want and need prayers.  Desperately.  I want others that are going through this to know they aren't alone and that we do have a hope, not a hope in one day gettting pregnant (although that would be nice...), but a hope in Jesus Christ and his return and for heaven where there will be no more suffering or pain.  I don't like this.  I know there are others that read this blog (that is if anyone actually looks at this blog anymore given the fact that I barely blog anymore....) that are suffering in similar situations.  Know that I pray for you.  The Lord has allowed this to be a part of my story for His purposes, though I might not agree or completely understand, He does know.  He does love me.  He does care and feel this pain with me. 
Infertility.  I never thought I would be here.  I never thought this would be the path for our family.  I had other plans.  It is such a roller coaster that I can't find the escape button for.  I wish I could just get off for a break at least, but I can't.  Each month there are flips and huge hills and falls.  I try to not get my hopes up each month, but somehow I do.  I think, maybe I am....maybe this is the month.  I think of different ways to tell family and friends our good news.  I have come up with a multitude of scenarios of how we would announce....only to find out that we weren't actually pregnant.  I have gotten my hopes up almost every single month only to reach the down fall of the roller coaster and not be. 
Last month I finally decided I need to get some things checked.  In talking with my doctor (who, praise the Lord, is a believer and actually a member of the church we attend here and an incredible man) we came to the conclusion that I am not even ovulating.  I don't know why, or if there is even a reason.  Pray for us.  As we make decisions.  As we look for the Lord's guidance through all of this. 
I don't know what the Lord is doing, but He does have a plan. 
I went to a baby shower this morning.  Livng on campus there are lots and lots of babies and pregnancies to celebrate.  This shower was for the newest babies that have been born (5 total).  I want to be excited for these families.  It is hard to not be jealous though.  It is hard to just truly be happy for them.  Now that isn't to say that I am not happy for them at all, I am.  I know these babies are such a blessing.  But this is hard for me.  I have tried to figure out how to answer the question of "So do y'all want more children?"  I want to be real and honest, but I also don't want to be all "woa is me.."  about it either.
Adoption is still being explored.  I have talked with an agency that I really like.  We would love to start that process now except for the complication of our situation being in seminary.  Finances are more complicated (and slim...).  We will see.  We are praying.  I wish we could go ahead with it soon, but we will wait for the Lord's timing.  Maybe it will be soon, or maybe it will be when we finish here at seminary.  I am excited about it either way though. 
So there is your update.  Sometimes I think all I do is whine.  I try not.  This is just the real me right now.  I know the Lord will use this time (both the time in seminary and the time of infertility) for His glory, at least that is my prayer.  And I hope that this is at least somewhat of an encouragement to someone.  It might not lift your spirits if you are in this same situation, but I do find it comforting when I know that I am not on this road alone.
I will leave you with this scripture that has been an encouragement to me this week:
"I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in Him.  Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit." 
--Romans 15:13

I hope to have pictures next time...I know Grandparent's are gonna start spanking me if I don't :)