birthday surprises

look what i can do mommy

toby is so good with the kids

sweet kisses from a sweet brother

my little valentines

fun in the tub

thanks for my book grandma & grandpa bowler

Cody surprised me a week before my birthday and said he wanted to celebrate early! He dropped me off at Maurices and told me I could spend up to $300! I didn't end up spending that much but it was a real treat to get to shop without the kids. After that he brought me my favorite sandwich from the Breadboard and we drove up to Billings. I did a little more clothes shopping and then we came back to Cody. We went to dinner at a place we hadn't tried before called the Rib and Chop House. After enjoying a yummy meal we headed home where I opened up presents. It was a fun weekend! I turned 27 on the 20th and Cody took us out to an Italian restaurant in town. They brought out a yummy ice cream pie at the end of our meal and Samuel blew out the candle. :) I am very thankful that the Lord has blessed me with 27 years of life. I am also thankful for my loving husband and two beautiful children. I look forward to what the Lord has in store for us this year.

Samuel likes playing with the kids at Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). We go on Thursdays and his teacher said he answers a lot of the questions after the bible story. Samuel loves to have books read to him. He also likes to use his imagination and is able to play by himself for a while with his animals and cars. He likes making up stories and he likes to make up songs while playing his guitar.

Abigail turned 7 months on the 26th. It feels like she is growing up so fast. Here are some things she liked doing this month:

crawling everywhere

pulling herself up to stand

playing with Toby and Samuel

squealing

saying dada!

splashing in the bath tub

climbing up steps

sucking her thumb

playing in Toby's water dish when Mama wasn't looking :)

Hungry

I want to be hungry for more of God. But there are some things in my life that want to pull me away from that desire. When I feast on the things of this world, be it media, movies, books, t.v., facebook, etc...I find my hunger for God lessens. I feel like I get fat on these other things in my life. Sometimes to the point where they become idols. And when I walk away from them I realize they are not able to fill the hunger pains that are inside. The only One who can fulfill my hunger is Jesus.

"One of the greatest uses for Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time." -John Piper

Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' (Matthew 22:37-39)

When I pour my time and energy into the things I listed above can I really do what the Lord has called me to do. I'm not saying that all forms of entertainment are bad. I think these things can be used for good. I have been convicted by the Holy Spirit to cut back on these things in my life, so I can make more room for Him.

I heard this verse the other day and it struck me:

"I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." Job 23:13

Do I treasure God's word more than food? I want my answer to be yes. I'm realizing how many times I check my email each day versus opening my Bible. Or how many times I check my facebook versus waiting on the Lord and seeking His face. I am waiting, checking, wondering when I will receive my awaited answer. Now I can see how much time I was wasting with these. How much time I could have been waiting on the Lord, seeking His face and reading His word. Communing with Him. Getting to know Him better. Receiving an answer from Him.

I like the following quote by Bill Johnson. He is the pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California:

"In the physical we become hungry by not eating. In the spiritual we become hungry by eating God's word. Eat (read) God's word and get in His presence and you will become hungry for more of Him."

It think it's time for me to turn off some distractions.

It's time for me to feast on His word.

It's time for me to wait for His voice.

It's time for me to set certain things aside for something greater.

Someone more powerful.

Someone more satifying.

I feel like He's drawn a line in the sand and is asking me to cross it and follow Him. I ask myself, "Am I willing to leave these things behind for Him?" He longs to be with me. And He longs to be with you also. He's waiting for us. He's hungry for us.

Will we be hungry for Him too?

Firsts

January has brought many firsts for us. Abigail started eating baby food, had her two front bottom teeth come in and she started crawling two weeks ago! We gave Samuel a bike with training wheels for his birthday. He has had the opportunity to ride it on a few days when it wasn't too cold out. Samuel has been doing really well using the potty! :) He now only wears a diaper for his afternoon nap and at night. We are so proud of what of big boy he is becoming!

mmmm...rice cereal

best buds

Samuel 3 years, Abigail 6 months

At Abigail's 6 month check up she weighed 16.5 pounds and was 26 inches long. She has gained 10 pounds since she was born. Here are some things Abigail liked this month:

crawling

finding Toby's toys and chewing on them

finding Toby's dog food and playing in it

eating her favorite baby food: squash

sitting up without support

sucking her thumb

kicking her legs when she's excited

making different sounds like: squeals, laughing, raspberries and buh, buh,buh...

big eater

on the move

Psalm 65:11 You Crown the year with Your goodness. And Your paths drip with abundance

What happens when you travel to a foreign land (Cody, Wyoming) with no money, no place to dwell, a pregnant wife, a 2 year old son, and all you have is a promise from God and faith?

You get to experience the wild, ineffable, love of God!

This is a re-cap of our experience of God's paths dripping with abundance in 2010:

. We were given over $4,000 through different people at different times.

. For three months we were afforded the opportunity to live in a newer 5th wheel trailer for free (after sleeping in the car for 2 weeks).

. A place to rent in the valley of Cody, Wyoming surrounded by the breathtaking mountains.

. Everything a home could need was given to us the day we moved in; kitchen supplies, couches, beds, linens, etc...

. I was given 3 raises in one year.

. I was given a promotion at work.

. A wardrobe of like-new maternity clothes was given to Jessica.

. Over a years supply of clothes for both Abigail and Samuel.

. We were given one of the most wonderful dogs in the world, "Toby." After we picked him up from the shelter we found out his name means God is good!

. We have been abundantly blessed with the reception of Abigail Grace-Ann (Pure Joy).

. After a previous c-section Jessica was able to have Abigail naturally.

. God made a way for us to go to Chicago for Heather and Jay's wedding, California for Thanksgiving, and Missouri for Christmas.

. Jessica was on the worship team at church and was given the opportunity to lead worship for a ministry that provides food for low-income families once a week.

. We were given a van and the title is in our name.

. Our children have both been used in amazing ways in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit.

. Jessica and myself have had more of the manifest presence of Jesus in this last year than all of the years of our lives combined.

. We have had multiple days and nights of outrageous laughing in the joy of the Lord. In many ways He has used this to rescue us at different times.

. Two separate people have told me in the last year that I am the most blessed person they have met in their lifetime.

We can do nothing without Christ, but in and through Him we experience and radiate the Glory of God.

What are you thankful for?

It's a Wonderful Life

We had a wonderful time with my family in Missouri for Christmas. We flew out of Billings, MT and the children did great traveling. Our time together flew by, but I guess that's why people say, "time flies when you are having fun." Here are some of the highlights from our trip...

Heather and Jay had a friend sketch this for us for Christmas. I love it!

We played Family Feud: guys vs. girls...the girls won :)

My beautiful sister, Heather is 27 weeks pregnant!

Making sugar cookies

5 months

Abigail is 5 months now. It seems like she has started doing so many new things over the past few weeks. Here are some things she likes:

reaching for her toes

sucking her thumb

sticking out her tongue

rolling across the room

toys that squeak

laying on her back & kicking her legs

sitting up longer without help

getting up on her hands & knees

watching Samuel

petting Toby

Abigail had a lot to say during Christmas dinner

Dream

Have you ever had dreams or aspirations? Is there something in your life that makes you feel alive when you do it? I hope the answer to these questions is yes. I believe that God places dreams and aspirations in us for a purpose. He gives us gifts and talents to bring Him pleasure. And what makes me feel the most alive is singing. I'm reminded of a quote from the movie Chariots of Fire based on the life of Eric Liddell. In the movie Eric says,

"I believe that God made me for a purpose...but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel HIS pleasure!"

I love to sing because when I sing to God I feel His pleasure and His presence. It's the most wonderful feeling I have ever experienced. I would sing all day long if I could. My dream is to be in full time ministry as a worship leader, traveling and sharing the gospel where the Lord would lead. And I would love to be with orphans. Loving those that are often forgotten by man, but never forsaken by God. I want to see lives changed for the King. I want to see souls won and set for eternity with my Lord.

The Lord reminded me a week ago that there is a time and a season for everything. That He finds pleasure in me when I sing. And He also finds pleasure in me when I take care of my children and cook meals for my family. He likes it when I share Jesus with someone I meet at the store. He delights in me when I clean the house and call a friend on the phone and encourage them. He likes it when I talk with Him throughout my day. He delights in me every moment. And He knows that I have dreams and aspirations. And He gave them to me for a purpose.

His plans for our lives are so much bigger then we could ever hope for or imagine. And if I strive in my own strength to make my dreams come true then I may miss what He had in store for me.

God is helping me to be content to set certain gifts on the shelf at present for the sake of my family. He is teaching me that He is more interested in what I am than in what I do. ~Sandra K. Strubhar

I write all of this in hopes that it would encourage you to keep dreaming. And continue enjoying His presence while you allow Him to take care of the rest.

And then there was a van...

Before we left to see Cody's family in California a friend from our church said something to Cody. She said, "I just have this feeling that you will be coming back with a vehicle." Then Cody remembered a dream he had a couple months ago. In the dream he was picking out a van. For those that don't know we have been borrowing a Geo Metro from our landlords for a few months now. We have been praying and trying to save up money to buy our own vehicle. So when our friend made this statement we were excited at the possibly of what God might have in store for us.

While heading back to Cody from the Denver airport we stopped at a gas station just before sunset. After getting gas Cody went to turn on the headlights and realized they would not turn on. So, Cody called a friend of ours from Missouri to see if he could help him. Our friend said he had had a dream the night before about us and had been praying for us that day. While in prayer he had this feeling that we might be on the side of the road somewhere. It was comforting to know that the Lord had someone interceding for us ahead of time. We ended up staying at a hotel that night in Glendo, WY and headed to Cody the next morning. About 5 minutes from home I got a phone call from my friend Laura who is from Cody. She said she felt the Lord leading her to give us her van! It is a '93 Dodge Grand Caravan ES. It has been sitting in her driveway and has had people offer to buy it, but she never felt led to sell it. It's in great condition and it is the perfect size for our family! I am in awe once again with the Lord. He provides in His perfect timing.

"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him." Lam. 3:25

Thanksgiving

Our journey to go visit Cody's family for Thanksgiving began with a drive to Boulder, Co. We drove to Boulder on Friday, November 19th and stayed the night with my sister and brother in law. It was fun to be with them for the evening and they made yummy chicken and dumpling soup for dinner. It was also fun for me to see my sister with her baby bump. That's right, she's about 23 weeks pregnant. I am so happy she gets to have the experience of pregnancy and motherhood. I'm also pretty excited to become an aunt! Heather took us to the airport the next morning. And we were headed for Placerville, Ca. We had a great time with Cody's family. Cody's dad has 8 brother's and sister's. Since Thanksgiving is the only time many of them are able to be together during the year they had a lot planned. Here are some highlights from the week:

Flying on Southwest Airlines

Celebrating Samuel's 3rd birthday (Dec.14) early

Samuel wearing the hat and scarf Grandma Laurie made for him

All dressed up for Thanksgiving day

Aunt Ashley and Abigail having fun bowling

Samuel went fishing for the first time with Grandpa John and Cody. He caught a German Brown Trout. It was15 inches long!

Playing the guitar Grandma & Grandpa got him for Christmas

Celebrating Cody's birthday (Dec.28) early

4 months

Thanks for the cute outfit Aunt Vicky!

Thanks for the lady bug toy Grandpa & Grandma Morris!

Abigail had her4 month check up on Thursday. She weighed 14.9 pounds and was 24 3/8 inches long!

Here are some things she likes:

reaching for and grabbing things

putting anything in her mouth and chewing on it

drooling a lot

sitting up in her chair

smiling often

laughing and smiling at her brother when he talks to her or roars like a lion

laughing when you tickle her

laying on her tummy and pushing herself up with her hands

rolling from her tummy to her back

standing with help

blowing bubbles