Thank you

Thank you everyone for your kind wishes for our 25th wedding anniversary. We had a simple evening out since I am supposed to be resting. It was a nice evening out for dinner at Macaroni Grill. And they gave us a free piece of cheesecake to share with yummy chocolate and caramel drizzled on and around it! Yummy.

Here you can see how much my belly has grown since my last photo. I am now 21 weeks pregnant with two sweet little girls.

God is good.
Good night!

Ange

Household of Faith: Happy Silver Anniversary John

Happy 25th Anniversary John. The last 25 years have felt more like 25 months. I want to thank you for being such a strong pillar for me over the years. And I want the world to know that we are building a household of faith. Even though many seasons have been really tough and our house has been shaken many times, the strong winds have not blown us down. Today I honor you for the wonderful husband and father you are. And I just want to say thank you. May the Lord bless you in incredible ways this coming year. And I hope that we will have at lease 25 more years together. I love you!
Ange
That beautiful day came and went like an ocean breeze. How simple yet special the entire celebration was. I will remember forever. Here I am with my lovely mother before the wedding. I wore her gorgeous wedding gown.


And here you are with you Dad and the pastor right before the wedding.

Daddy and me at the doors of the church. He was getting ready to release me to you. I remember how much he was shaking and I know I saw some tears in his eyes.

Here we are at the alter exchanging our vows. I remember it like it was yesterday!

It is official and we are filled with joy!!

I was only 19 and you were 21. The future seemed bright. Our journey had just begun.

Below is the lovely song you wrote and sang to me on our 10th anniversary. That was three years after we went through a season where we almost did not make it. But with God's grace, we made it to the other side. I will treasure the song forever. Do you remember you sang it to me again on our 11th anniversary?





HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH



And I will never forget our 13th anniversary when we sang this song together after dedicating our little Sara to the Lord. I weep every time I listen to the words.

Here we are at the start committing to each other
By His word and from our hearts
We will be a family in a house that will be a home
And with faith we'll build it strong

Chorus:
We'll build a household of faith
That together we can make
And when the strong winds blow it won't fall down
As one in Him we'll grow and the whole world will know
We are a household of faith

Now to be a family we've got to love each other
At any cost unselfishly
And our home must be a place that fully abounds with grace
A reflection of His face

Chorus

THANK YOU JOHN FOR BEING PATIENT, KIND, LONG SUFFERING,GRACIOUS,FORGIVING, PROTECTIVE,AND PERSEVERING. I TRULY AM BLESSED!

I WANT THE WHOLE WORLD TO KNOW THAT WE BUILD A HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH.

I LOVE YOU,

ANGE

I Never Stop Learning

I love to write about things that are going on in my family because recording things reminds me every time that I am not in control. Once again I recall that God has his hand on all of His children. And remembering that we never stop learning about His sufficiency and grace is an indescribable strength to my soul.

I am a woman of God. I am a wife and mother. And I love to do many other things in addition to caring for others. In having a lot of responsibilities, I sometimes tend to lean toward my own strength instead of letting go and allowing greater measures of God's grace to flow in my life.

My hope is that in some way not only will I continue to be reminded of the importance of God's grace but that encouragement will find its way to the heart of another. Not because my life is perfect and all is in order. But because a dependent heart that many times feels weak and vulnerable is a heart where God shows His might and ability. That is the place I want to always be. And if weeping a lot in the midst of my weakness and feelings of inadequacy causes Him to show more of Himself to me, then let the tears keep rolling.

Many people do not understand why my dear husband and I have opened our hearts to having so many children. To be honest, I do not understand it myself at times. But with each child God has brought our way, it has been like a stretch of stress that has enlarged our hearts and arms for more children. It is something that the logical mind cannot contain.Most of the time my brain cells cannot even wrap around it.

The other night I watch a program on the Discovery Channel about a little girl who was born with no face. She had already been through 26 surgeries and was only 5 years old. In constructing her little face, the doctors had to do a separate surgery on her back inserting some type of device to stretch the skin. This extra skin would be used to build up her cheeks helping to give her face a shape.My heart was moved by the courage and strength of this tiny girl and her family.

However, as I thought about the procedure I thought about what a great picture that is of how stress,stretching and pain can enlarge our hearts for more. I feel like God has been stretching the invisible muscles of my heart, grafting me with more of His heart, and placing greater measures of love in me that could never be my own love.

Another lesson I have learned is that loss many times causes your heart to grow larger. In 2007 we lost two babies to miscarriage. The journey of grief is a disguised gift which gives one a greater appreciation of the things that matter in this short time we have on earth. And in our case, our hearts somehow grew bigger to the point where we were willing to open our home to any children that needed one. We had been praying about becoming foster parents when we found out we were expecting the twins.

As we await the birth of two more babies around the holidays, my heart is as swollen as my belly. Yet I have doctors orders to stay off my feet. So as I rest, He shows me more of Him. And I am the student ever more. This has been my lesson in the school of life. God does not give us more based on how great we can handle it alone. He gives us more when we graduate to a higher level of leaning, depending, and running to Him. That is where He is glorified and we are empowered.This is a truth that goes ever deeper with each step we make. It is a truth we have heard.Yet it is never of substance until we live it. May I never stop being teachable and reachable from the grasp of His grace!! Maybe this all sounds "syrupy". But lets face it, the deep things of the heart are the things that beat within the chambers of the Divine Heart. The most lovely heart of all.

Two Baby Girls!!

Two days ago we found out we are having two baby girls. We were not supposed to have another sonogram until next week. However, I have not been feeling quite right the last few days. I can only stand up for short periods of time without giving out of breath. Also, there was a lot of cramping and discomfort.

Anyway, I called the Dr. and the nurse told me to go straight to the ER. The first nurse that took care of me started talking about how the babies would die if I was in labor. I just resolved to block out those voices. And you would not believe some of the comments and looks we got when we told them we were expecting twins and that they are our 12th and 13th children. A couple of women turned their noses up when they found out I was 44. Wow, the world can be so cruel.

After being at the hospital for 5 hours the doctor discharged me. I was told that I had been diagnosed with a threatened miscarriage. This was really confusing and frightening as all my tests came back great and the babies looked wonderful. The nurse was very vague and the ER doctor never came back in to explain what he meant by "threatened miscarriage." My only orders were to take it easy and call my regular OB the following day.

So I did just that. I called the doctor's office and they told me to come on in. The only doctor there was Dr. Goodman whom I had not met before. I am amazed how God sets things up by orchestrating this immediate appointment to see a humerus, gracious, laid back physician named Dr. Goodman! Get it? "GOOD MAN"!!

This elderly doctor came into the room, examined me, plopped down and just started visiting with us. I mean we had a good ole fashion visit. You know. Like in the old days when most doctors were more personal and treated you like you were a human being instead of one of the cows in the herd? He told us that he is a father of six children and that he himself was the oldest of eight siblings. We could not help but chuckle when he told us that when he was a teenager he did not appreciate all his mom went through carrying all those babies. He said he would cringe at the thought that his mother and father "did things like that." Wow we had some good laughs with Dr. Goodman!

Dr.Goodman also put to rest a lot of the fears I picked up in the emergency room on Monday. He said that the diagnosis of a threatened miscarriage was way off. He just told me I needed to stay off my feet, eat more beef, and get in a swimming pool if I can find one. Well, I can do the first two at least! He had a good time picking at me about my southern accent!

And as I rest, I can think about those two little girls playing together in my womb. They looked so sweet flipping around. They even looked like two little girls playing together as they bounced off of one another every couple of minutes as I watch them on the ultrasound! And what to name those little dolls? We have no idea!

So the journey continues as my belly is the size of a woman who is 28 weeks pregnant instead of 20. Just this morning I was asking this:Does the Lord give me more than "I" can handle? Of course He does! That way I can declare with confidence,

1. His grace is sufficient!
2. His joy is my strength!
3. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength!
4. In His presence there is fullness of joy!
5. He shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory!

And the list goes on!

Have a great day and have a good belly rolling laugh!!!!

Ange

How Good It is to Remember Continued

Well it is only 15 days away from the big Silver Wedding Anniversary. Like I said earlier, I have been visiting the past and recalling some special yet simple memories of John and me. I would say we had a very humble beginning. However, as I recollect treasures from 25 years ago, I would have to say that John and I became very good friends in our courtship. There were no cell phones for texting or computers for emailing. And since long distance phone calls were not free in 1984 those were far and few in between the times we actually saw each other.

So letter writing was our way of connecting. I miss this personal and intimate art in which our culture and time has lost. There was something special about going to my mailbox once or twice a week to find a letter from John. And the excitement of running back to my dorm room to read the letter for the second time was exhilarating since I had already read it once on the walk back. I had cute little stationary pads in my room fresh and crisp awaiting the attention of my pen. And as I look back through some of the letters now, I realize that we really encouraged each other a lot during the times we were apart. John was a junior at Clemson University. His class load was the heaviest ever and he struggled that year.Many times he became discouraged and overwhelmed.

I am so grateful we became such good friends that year before we married. And we remain great friends 25 years later. Have there been times when I felt like he was my worst enemy? Oh yes! But he really wasn't. However, we have stuck with it, supported each other, given up for one another, and kept pushing through the times when we wondered if we really would make it.

In the photo above, you will see John standing in front of a waterfall. This is White Water Falls near Clemson. S.C. John took me there on several dates. It was the first waterfall I had ever seen. We loved to go there and sit on the rocks, eat KFC and drink champagne. We would walk, walk, walk, and talk, talk, talk. Even after we were married we still enjoyed finding wooded places to take long strolls. Sometimes we would not even talk.

Another one of my favorite memories was the time John brought me to his Dad's house to cook dinner for me. He made homemade pizzas. I was impressed as he tossed the dough up into the air like a pro. After dinner, we sat in front of the fire in the living room and named the two children we thought we might have one day! We actually used those two names. Needless to say we had to come up with 7 others over the years and are getting ready to name two more babies!! Wow, I cannot help but smile so big right now! Isn't it amazing how life usually never turns out the way we plan? In God's plan, it usually is better than what we dream.

So there you have it. A few memories. Just a small peek into a love story that started 26 years ago and continues to unfold. It is so good to remember!

Happy Birthday Heather Rose!

Today we are celebrating Heather Rose and her 5th Birthday. I wanted to write a little a post about it because there is something about all of our children's birthdays that is a reminder of the Lord's goodness and kindness through the years. It is as if their very lives represent milestones or markers through seasons which symbolize great things God has done.

All of our children were born at the most "inconvenient" times! Either we did not feel prepared monetarily or we were going through some very trying times financially. We even had one child born in the midst of marital turmoil where we doubted things would work out in our relationship. Unknowingly, we named this baby Thomas. I have to giggle a little when I think of how God has pulled us through many storms and the names of our kids actually tell the story! I could write a book about them all.

Anyway, Heather is five today. Her older sister Sara had her prayer answered for baby sister 4 years and 3 little brothers later!Sara was the only girl of 6 brothers at the time. And she was right in the middle. Now I understand why she is such a strong young lady! I will never forget sitting outside in the grass when Joshua our youngest then was still a baby. Sara was 6. She looked at Joshua and asked in her "whiney" little voice, "Joshua, why couldn't you have been a girl? Just why this time you couldn't you have just been a girl?" Little Josh had no idea what his big sister was saying. He just sat in the grass pulling green blades up to his little drool moistened lips.

Less than a year later, Heather Rose was born. It was a scary time. Halfway through the pregnancy the doctors found a blockage in her intestine. I was going every week to two weeks to have it checked out via ultrasound. The doctors wanted to watch to see if the mass would dissolve. Every time I went for the sonogram, the blockage was unchanged. Every blood test under the sun was taken. We were even told that she may have to be delivered around 26 weeks. It felt like I was listening to this long list of all the things that could be wrong with her but yet there were no definite answers.All the doctors kept saying, "We'll just have to wait and see."

In looking back I remember days that were more difficult than others. Sonogram days were the most trying as I would come home from the specialist's office with the same disheartening report, "The blockage is still there. It has not changed." I would come home in tears. However, I recall little messages that kept coming to me that she was going to be okay. One afternoon, I had arrived home from the doctor's appointment in tears. The kids and I ate lunch and we continued with our daily routine. A little later, there was a knock on the door. It was the UPS delivery man. He had delivered at least 6 boxes of baby clothes ranging from sizes newborn to 12 months!

The kids and I had a blast as we sorted through all the darling little girl outfits and shoes. And most of it was actually name brand clothes! Of course big sister Sara had the best time admiring the clothes for her soon to arrive baby sister! There was another time I had come home from another disappointing doctor's visit. Again the UPS deliverer had dropped off another 7 or 8 boxes of little girl clothing ranging from sizes 18 months to 4 toddler. The clothes were coming from some old friends who live in Indiana. They had kindly offered to give us the clothing. However, they always arrived on the most difficult days.It seemed like someone was setting up a childhood wardrobe for a little girl who was not yet born! Hmmmmm, could Someone be trying to tell me something?

During the pregnancy I even had several dreams about a little girl with a big smile. And I even had a dream of a young woman in her 20's with that same big smile. Needless to say, I could not help but look up and say, "God, you gotta be trying to tell us something here!" There are many other similar events that's happened all through the nine months of pregnancy of a God who speaks and comforts in times of fear and the unknown. By the time of Heather's arrival, I was assured that no matter the outcome, that God was in control.

Heather Rose was born healthy, pink,and whole. There was no disease or abnormality. She is a strong healthy little girl with the same smile I saw in my dreams. Now how can anyone say there is no God? How can we think that the Creator of this universe does not care and is not involved in every detail of our lives? Today, we celebrate little Heather and all the precious hugs and kisses she offers each day.But most of all, we celebrate a God who is real, powerful and loving! I can hardly write without mentioning Him. He is genuine and He loves to show up in times of trouble.

We have experienced our share loss in our lives, so we have not always had happy endings. However, I can say with confidence that when I look to the hills, there is a Helper and He is God. When we call upon Him, he comes running to shelter us in the storms of life. The message was in a little girl's wardrobe!

I LOOK UP TO THE MOUNTAINS.
DOES MY STRENGTH COME FROM THE MOUNTAINS?
NO, MY STRENGTH COMES FROM GOD,
WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH AND MOUNTAINS.

HE WON'T LET YOU STUMBLE,
YOUR GUARDIAN GOD WON'T FALL ASLEEP.
NOT ON YOUR LIFE!
ISRAEL'S GUARDIAN WILL NEVER DOZE OR SLEEP!

GOD IS YOUR GUARDIAN
RIGHT AT YOUR SIDE TO PROTECT YOU.
SHIELDING YOU FROM SUNSTROKE,
SHELTERING YOU FROM MOON STROKE! (WOW I LOVE THAT!)

GOD GUARDS YOU FROM EVERY EVIL,
HE GUARDS YOUR VERY LIFE.
HE GUARDS YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE
AND WHEN YOU RETURN.
HE GUARDS YOU NOW.
HE GUARDS YOU ALWAYS.

PSALM 121 THE MESSAGE BIBLE

What Cha Been Up to?

It seems like when I call someone or write to someone I have not seen in a while, I ask this question, "What cha been up to?" I truly am interested in the details of other's lives. There are those people who like to have a one sided conversation where it is all about them. Sometimes this can be annoying. However, I try to steer away from being self focused in my relationships as well as my conversations and to be reminded that it is a lot more fulfilling to find out what others have been up to rather than ramble about myself and my life.

However, today I am going to list a few things I have been up to. If you are reading this, would you please take time to share a few things with me that you have been up to? I do not intend to get real personal here. However, I want to just share a few things that go on in the day of a life of a mom of many. Here goes.

1.Mothering. Of course this is a given. In all things and on all days I mother. Lately, I am stepping up on the delegation process as we have two babies on the way and a couple of the younger children are going to be promoted in the "chore" department. In the next few weeks, my 8 and 9 year old sons will learn the art of loading and unloading the dishwasher.

We have also been doing a lot of snuggling lately as it is monsoon season here. We are having heavy storms with intense lightening, thundering, and winds. So I have been cuddling little ones when they become timid. What a joy to snuggle these sweeties!

2. Brainstorming.I had to start a brainstorming notebook. There are always so many ideas going through my head. Some I may follow through with and actually do at some point. Some may fly right out the window. But it helps to jot these things down so my head will not be so jumbled.

3.School stuff. We home school some of our children, so I am gathering books, workbooks, chapter books, and school supplies. Lesson plans are in the works.

4. Christmas shopping. Starting early is a must. So I have made a list and doing online research for best prices. Also, I have started buying some of the gifts.

5. Writing. I write on my blogs and also on a site called Stage of Life.

6.. Art. I have been sketching. The latest sketches are templates for Christmas card collages. Hopefully I will complete some of these and have cards made from them.

7. Reading. Reading is one of my favorite pass times. Right now I am reading a fiction novel that is set in a little remote villa in Italy. I feel like I am almost there as the story is so descriptive of the landscapes, the vineyards, the culture and food. Wow, what a dream come true it would be to visit Italy!

Well, I am going to stop here. The list could go on. But I just wrote a few things that popped in my head. As you can tell everything mentioned is being done indoors! It is too hot here to go outside.

So until next time I ask, "So, what cha been up to?"

Take Care!

Ange