Saturday is MOVING day!

Ok, so we've slowly been moving in some of the smaller things already, but Saturday is our "big" move day where the beds, dressers, and heavy stuff goes to the new house. I've neglected to take pictures, but it is looking great!!! The hardwood floors have just transformed the place, and we think it is so cozy now. Steve has been changing out light fixtures this week and doing some last minute stuff. Then, once we are in, there will be a constant flow of projects to be done. But... at least we are ready to move!!!

I'll try to post pictures soon, but please understand that we are a little busy right now :oP

I'm now just 6 days from being considered "full term" with baby Chaille. I'm HUGE and feeling a little awkward. But, this past week I've been energized to some extent. I think God is taking care of me, as He knows that we need to be productive in order to be moved before she is born! Plus, God ALWAYS takes care of me :) I'm confident of that!

I had an awesome "mini-shower" with some friends and family last Sunday. Let's just say that Chaille will be sporting some adorable outfits and accessories! I can't wait to play dress-up! I'm praying that she has some hair for her bows! If not, I have had heartburn for nothing :o) As you can tell I'm getting excited, but definitely not rushing her arrival. She'll be here soon no matter what!

Well, I'll be back ASAP with pictures and further updates. Bye for now...

Keepin on...

Whew... life is a whirlwind right now. I'm praying myself through one challenge at a time, and God has been Faithful!!! The boys and Steve have all been sick with colds. My dad called us the "Barker" family because everyone has been coughing so much! Slowly we are getting better, but I must say that this bug has been long lasting.

The house is back on our radar and the floors are in the process of being installed. Steve has made this a priority this week, and we are hoping to be ready to move in the next week or two. It really depends on so many factors, so we aren't setting an exact date for the move. Soon...

I'm just trying to get back on track. I'm getting bigger and bigger and slower and slower, which makes it harder and harder to accomplish all that I need to get done. I'm working on taking in one task at a time, and praying for God to make up for where I fall short. I hope to come back and update with some news of great progress and a move, but for now I must get busy while the boys are napping (or laying down coughing anyway....)

P.S. Steve works his last shift day on Thursday. Next Monday is his first "official" day in his new position!

Heaven is sweeter....

My good friend Rachel told me once that "heaven gets a little sweeter every time we lose someone we love." Well heaven got a little sweeter for us on Tuesday. Our precious niece Megan was released from her earthly suffering and is now dancing with Jesus! As many have described to me, this time is bittersweet. Our grief is overwhelming at times, but we can rejoice in the fact that Megan is resting comfortably with God! Her 8 years of life were not in vain, as so many lives have been touched because of Megan. We will miss her so much. Thank you, God, for the time we had with her!

DANCE, Megan, DANCE!!! I can't wait to see you twirl your beautiful dress!

Catching up...

Wow! Life seems to get away from us lately. I have good intentions of updating this blog more often, but sometimes you just can't!

Please keep praying for Megan! She is in so much pain right now, and we pray that God will grant her peace and rest. May the remainder of her days be peaceful, and soon she will be dancing with Jesus! That is her biggest wish! Megan is so precious and we are so very proud of her strength through the pain. She can be lying in bed saying "ow!" and in the same minute blowing someone kisses goodbye. Bless her heart! We love you Megs!

This week we have had a couple of beautiful days, and were blessed with the chance to get outdoors and enjoy them. Here are some pictures of the boys playing at the park:

Can you believe how big Avery is??? Wow! And he starts t-ball practice Tuesday! He's so excited!!!!

Silas is so happy! He LOVES the outdoors and climbing on everything!

My baby is growing so fast! He loves to slide. I climb up behind him and then Avery catches him at the bottom. Avery takes good care of Nolan!

We took some time before one of our many trips to Home Depot to spend time riding bikes in the driveway. Nolan doesn't "ride" but uses his feet to walk his "bike" down the driveway. Avery needed some help remembering how to ride without training wheels, so Daddy helped. Here are some pictures of the boys riding:

And finally, the house progress. I didn't take pictures upstairs as we still having painting to do and there is tape everywhere. But I did get some pictures post painting and pre flooring. Steve has begun laying the hardwood, so it won't be long and I'll add pictures with the new floors too! Enjoy the progress pictures (sorry it took so long!):

This is a view of the master bedroom from the living room. It is a beautiful shade of blue, but it is hard to tell from this picture.

The kitchen. It is so dirty right now, but why clean it yet? We've been using the counters as our "catch all" area!

The living room from the kitchen. We have lots of trim work to do after the flooring is installed, but you can get an idea anyway!

The dining room. All of the boxes in the pictures contain hardwood flooring. Steve has 900 square feet of it to put down!!!


These pictures only provide a small glimpse of what we have been up to. We just sort of "go with the flow" lately as it is the best way to accomplish all that needs to be done for us in the next 6 weeks! I'm trying hard not to overdo it, and just allowing myself to do the best I can!

Through it all, the kids have been so wonderful. They have been very resilient and accomodating lately. I think they are so special! And so understanding! I'm proud of ALL of my boys!!!

Megan Nichole

Megan is our 8 year old niece. She is the daughter of Steve's sister, Suzanne and her husband Scott. Megan has a younger sister, Hannah, who is two. Megan's life has been a true miracle from the start, and I know that God gave us Megan for a reason! She's the sweetest most loving little girl!

Megan has Cerebral Palsy and Metabolic Mitochondrial Disorder. She suffers from seizures, and has been having them severely lately. Megan's body is becoming weak and she is having trouble managing the pain that she is in. The family could greatly use prayer as Megan's health is currently fading. God has a plan for her, and we just pray for comfort for both Megan and the rest of the family! He will give them the strength to face whatever challenges lie ahead.

Friends and family, please pray for sweet Megan. Pray that God will take away her pain and that she will be happy and healthy again, whether that be here in this world or in heaven with Him! God Bless Megan!

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/meganmiller

Busy Week!

This week we saw a lot of progress on the house. Steve was able to work several days and I even helped some! We are finished painting with the exception of a few ceilings and some trim. When we get all the tape down I will add some pictures. Soon though, really soon!

After the last bit of painting is done, Steve will start on putting in the hardwood floors. Almost 900 square feet of new flooring! I'm excited about it! But it means much more hard work for my devoted husband. He's been so busy in every way lately but he just keeps on giving and never complains. I'm so proud of him!!!

Today the boys and I have taken a day off. Avery is finished with school for the year because of our upcoming move. So we don't even have to prepare for school (of course this would be spring break anyway.) I'm a little sore from working on the house, so we've been home playing, doing laundry, and even packing a few boxes. I'm going to be doing much more of that as our move is sneaking up on us.

Chaille is getting SO big. She's up under my ribs already! And she moves all the time to let me know she is fine. I see the doctor tomorrow and don't anticipate any concerns.

Hopefully I will be back soon with those pictures!
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Painting week!

After much preparation, the house is finally to the point where we can begin painting! We ended up doing much more extensive work than originally planned. The whole house will have to be primered first, but I can't wait to see the place transform! Check back soon for some in progress pictures!
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I GET IT!

The other day I was laying in bed and the boys woke up WAY too early. (Well in my opinion, it was too early!) Anyway I laid there thinking, "great, now I have to get up." So I get up and within minutes I realized that Avery was in a really grumpy mood. I immediately addressed his behavior and told him that he had a negative attitude. "Drop the attitude NOW!" was the choice phrase I used.

That exact moment is one that I'm not sure I'll ever forget. Thankfully it was God who spoke to my heart instead of my 5 year old calling me out! God told me in that instant "Why don't you drop YOUR attitude! If you weren't in such a bad mood, Avery wouldn't be acting this way!"

...WOW! I heard it loud and clear! This attitude, this "have to do" attitude, this sense of obligation was wrong and I knew it. God reminded me in that instant that my life, and these children are not obligations. They are blessings and I GET to enjoy them. And in that moment I vowed to always view life as a privilege and not an obligation! How embarrassing to take for granted a Blessing bestowed to me by God Himself!!!!

I've always tried to blame my mood and my attitude on outside influences. I'm just tired. I'm pregnant and have 3 children to care for. I've got so much on my plate. The list goes on. But the truth is, no matter what the circumstances are, I GET to choose my attitude. It isn't easy to change completely overnight, but what I felt God tell me that way has really stuck with me!

Since that day, I never wake up saying that I HAVE to do anything. I wake up Praising God that I GET to have another day with my 3 wonderful, loving, healthy children. No matter how early it is, it isn't too early to GET to take advantage of the opportunity to love them and spend time with them. However, there is a point where it will be too late! How sad that I might have missed it!

Another Monkey

Lately Nolan has begun climbing onto everything. I found it funny at first that he was not brave enough to walk, but he'd climb with reckless abandon! Well, today, we experienced a first. I tried to put him down for a morning nap. He wasn't having it! He stood in his bed and cried (more like screamed!) I had no more than made it back into the kitchen, when I heard a loud "thump" and then... SILENCE!!!

You can imagine that in my mind, I was thinking the worst. I dropped everything and RAN into his room. He had climbed/fallen out of bed. And he was fine and happy. He was free. He hadn't hurt himself at all. And he had broken out of jail!

It should be an interesting nap time this afternoon. I may have to stand outside his door until he is safely asleep! :)

So... I guess it is now time to add Nolan to the list of monkeys in this house!

Working boys!