Jack - Jack attack !!!

Here it is, finely, a photo of my grandson Jack. Sorry it took so long for me to get an uploaded photo, but it was worth the wait right? LOL In this pic he is a month old and about 9lbs. Both him and his mom are doing well and thriving. I believe she is enjoying motherhood more them she thought she would. After my trip up there I have few worries, she is a great mom! That is Jack's great grandma holding him in the photo. Makes me a little sad, wish I was there to hold him all the time. But we all have our paths to walk and sometimes they are different then the rest of our loved ones. I am looking forword to his visit this summer, and know the times going to fly.

Speaking of flying, my older kids came home two days ago! Got many big hugs from them. Guess it's true, absences does make the heart grow fonder. Or at least makes you aprieciate your mom more when with grandma and grandpa for a week! LOL I know they had a wonderful time, they talk alot about Hoover Dam and Mt. Charleston, but I also hear alot about how they had to follow grandpa and grandma's rules and how they told the kids we do things the wrong way. Big sigh. At first I was hurt by this, but after praying and talking to my husband I am getting a better grasp of this. I am learning this is typical of most parental relationships. I also already knew they didn't agree with our home schooling among other things. In a nut shell they think we are nice but miss guided. I have to remind myself daily that the road to God is narrow and less traveled. Jesus told the us to expect ridicule and persacution for our obdiece to Him. I just finished reading an excellent book by Jerry B. Jenkins on this very subject, so that was excellent timing. I had the book since last Oct. but just started reading it last week. God's time. My montra is becoming, "the majority oppinion is not necessarily God's". I still firmly believe my choices and way of life are what God wants for my family. Now I need to learn how to convey this in a christian way to others so that I may lead by example.

Blessings, Beth Ann

Free time?

Happy early Valentines day everyone!

Well I put my two middle children on a plan for the first time yesterday, and sent them off to Las Vegas to spend a week with their grandparents. First time for many things: them flying, them flying by themselves, first time being to Nevada. So they are one up on their old Mom - LOL I have never flown or been to Nevada. It was a hard thing for me to do believe it or not. Many people think all parents can't wait to get rid of the children for any reason. That has never been the case for me. I am extremly close to all my children and never feel quiet "right" with them gone. Guess that is why we are so succesful with home schooling. They will only be gone for eight days, so yesterday at the airport wasn't as bad as when I say goodbye to my oldes knowing it will be at least 6 months before we see each other again.

Now if I had a dime for everyone who has said to me, "what are you going to do with all that free time since you won't be home schooling"... LOL I always remind them I still have 2-two year olds at home, what free time? My own DH asked me this and when I replied that I will probably just finish all the projects I never seem to have time for while doing school, he replied that it seemed such a shame ! He wanted me to do something fun and exciting for myself I guess. Many people don't understand that all my fun/exciting time is with my family! I guess that is why we are able to get along well enough to RV on a regular bases. I do however give myself me/quiet time (with DH help). This usualy includes going upstairs to my room, which is such a cozy haven with the small twinkle lights on my angle wreath, the warm walls my DH painted for me, my comfy glide rocker and stoole. I have coffee (since I am still looking for a nice tea set), read, stitch or just watch Rachael Ray or the News depending on the time of day. Just an hour up there can help me decompress and help me get through the afternoon/dinner rush. Thought those only happened at restaurants? Well in a household of 6 with the youngest being 2 year old twin tyrants... LOL Gets a little hectic and LOUD around here. Some days I can't even hear myself going quietly insane.

Speaking of DH, he is making me a special early Valentine dinner tonight since we will be at church tomorrow night - awwwwwwwww! He is so excited about this, just like a little kid or maybe when we first dated. With the big ones in NV, we will have the whole downstairs to ourselves while the twins are snuggled up cozy in the nursery upstairs. Could this mean dancing in my future?

We are still experiencing a valley in our life right now and still are in need of your prayers. DH is still looking for work, going on may interviews, but most people are waiting closer to spring to hire. We are also getting no unemployment yet, seems like his ex employer is fighting this, and still calling it a "suspension" . It has been almost a month now with no income coming in, and we have just about used up all our resources. Starting to look a little bleak now, but we know God will provide for us if we are faithful. I am determined to not act like Sarah in the book of Genisis, trying to help God along by jumping in to give husband my help when God already said he would provide. It would be the same as telling Him that I lack faith in Him and His promises.

Just keeping all updated and in our prayers.
Blessings, Beth Ann

I'm bacccccccccccccccck - LOL

I am looking at my recent trip to MI as a pilgramige, and our trip back as nothing less then a mircle.

I feel my trip to be with my oldest DD during the birth of her first child and my first grandchild was a mission God sent me on. I needed to see how she lived, who she was with these people she lived, and that she was basicly "OK". I guess it is a mom thing, but I am grateful God lite a fire under me and made it possible for me to be there and experince her life and to not let her down, when so many have in her very short life.

So first off, I missed the birth by 12 hours due that she had to have an emergency C-section as the baby was breech. Second, my wonderful Emma Elizabeth was actualy Jack Edward! They told us for 6 months it was a going to be a girl, and hundreds of pink dollars latter they pulled out a healthy baby boy! LOL Cia La Vie - Thats LIfe
Mom and baby are duing fine and everyone bonded and had a great time. The younger kids loved being with their big sis during this special time, and it made my heart swell to have all 5 of my children under one roof again. We even got to squeeze in some snowmobiling time before we left. The average temp the whole time we were there was 10 degree's.........Brrrrrrrrrrr.

Now our trip home was an incrediable test in faith, patients, and love.

First we got a late start due that our tow dolly had a flat and had to have that fixed on a Sunday morning in small town northern MI. Then we were doing well until we started running into some bad weather north of Lansing. Quicker then you can say, "should we pull over?", we lost controll of our SUV which was towing my DH chevy pick-up truck. I remember looking out the windshield as we became airborn and thinking to myself that we were going to roll. I braced myself as my DH yelled for everyone to hold on to something, and started to pray. We landed with a dull thud upright in a mud bog in the median. - PRAISE THE LORD!!! I was sitting there thinking, "that wasn't so bad", when a gental man who stopped to help asked us how the heck did we manage not to roll; since from his view of the accident that is what should have happened. I lost it and started to cry. Well the police got us a tow truck and that driver wanted to know where we were headed. When we told him the Nashville area he asked , "why the heck you facing north then"?

Well the truck had come up off the dolly and was sitting on the Durango hitch, which mad us thankful that the whole truck and dolly didn't fly all the way lose and land on top of us. We are also extreamly thankful that niether of our airbags deployed. Everyone of us, six in all, and all three vehicals were mostly alright. The car dolly was whacked a little, so after being towed out we had to find an AutoZone to fix it before we could tow again. They had to pull each item out seperatly from the mud, and that is expensive. When we told the tow guy we only had X amount of money to get home he only charged us half price. I want to believe it was because he knew we were Christians and not because he already had 3 more calls the same as ours to answer.

So a 16 hour trip took us over 21 hours, we arrived home at almost 6 a.m. the next day. My husband hadn't slept in 2 days due to driving up to MI to join us. So he called into work that day. Unfortunaly he had called into work the MOnday before because the U joints fell out of his truck on the way home from MI that week as well, and missed 2 days of sleep also. And since he missed the first MOnday of the month as well due to court over our child support from my ex, that ment he hand't worked a whole week the month of January. They fired him.
So we are duing much praying and soul searching. My DH used to work two jobs before the twins were born, one at the boat factory and the other at the AutoZone. They are building two new ones in M'boro and many of the employees are jumping ship to work at the new stores that are closer to them. So my DH is up for managment at his old store, which is also the closest one to us. We should know by next week. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you much, and remember that God is always with you.

Blessings, Beth Ann