Big News!

As many of you know if you've been reading this blog, I was accepted a year ago into a midwife-training program that trains midwives on the mission field. Mercy Maternity Center is the school's charity-based birthing center that serves thousands of impoverished women each year.

We have gone back and forth trying to listen to God's voice and see if this is where He wants our family to go for 2 1/2 years for mission work. After a year of praying, the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit continues to whisper "go." Because our God is all-loving, always faithful and because He holds our future in His hands, we want to follow Him where He is leading and we are beginning this journey of moving to the Philippines to serve the poor in Davao City.

This is so exciting and so scary at the same time! So many thoughts and emotions run through my mind. It is very hard to think about leaving our family and close friends behind for 2.5 years. I am finding many words of comfort from His precious Word and also while reading a biography of Amy Carmichael's life. She was a missionary to India in the late 1800's/early 1900's and her life work was rescuing and caring for children who had been trapped in temple prostitution. When God called her to be a missionary she wrote a long letter to her mother. This is one of my favorite quotes from the letter:

"Many difficulties have risen in my mind; they seem very great, the "crooked places" seem very crooked. But it seems to me that all He asks is that we should take the one step He shows us, and in simplest, most practical trust leave all results to Him."

So, that's what we're trying to do. Just simply take the next step that He shows us and leave all the results to Him. If He is the one calling us to go, then He will make a way for it to happen. :-) We'll keep you updated :-)

Happy New Year!

Making Gingerbread Men

The girls wanted to help me make gingerbread men the other day. Kyla did a great job stirring and then Avery decided to give it a try...

Avery had so much fun and then the spatula went way up in the air along with a ton of flour which landed on Kyla of course, as you can see!


We all had a great laugh... it was so hillarious!

A spring december day

Our girls are just not getting outside enough for free play and time to explore nature. It's really hard to want to bundle two kiddos up when it's very cold outside only have them tell you after 5 minutes that they want to go back inside! I'm such a wimp when it comes to the cold and lately the mornings have been in the lower 30's and the afternoons haven't been much more than 40 degrees....if that.

Yesterday and today we were blessed with some very warm weather for December. Today was kind of rainy and overcast, but it got up to 70 degrees. After the girls woke up from their naps we went down to a little creek in our neighborhood which is behind the playground. There were lots of rocks, sticks, leaves, dirt and mud. The girls had a blast!

The sticks became fishing poles, the leaves became fish swimming in the water, and the big rocks became their house. Avery giggled with delight as she sunk her foot in the mud and then watched it come out all sticky. Kyla spent most of her time gathering different sticks and using them to catch "fish".

I think it's their new favorite place to go...they had so much fun!

Creating an Advent Tradition

Last night Pete and I were talking about what we want our children to remember about Christmas. So, beginning one week late we are going to start celebrating the season of Advent by lighting candles representing hope, peace, joy, love and then finally the Christ candle on Christmas.
On another blog I even read how there are even Advent spirals that you walk around which represents the journey Mary took as she carried baby Jesus inside her womb. Children walk around holding candles and when they get to the center of the spiral, they place their candles on a piece of wood. I thought that sounded so meaningful and something that would definitely leave lasting impression in a child's mind.
The last thing we want is our children to think Christmas is about getting toys. I will be the first to admit it is fun to buy the girls toys. A few good quality toys that spark the imagination can become heirlooms handed down the generations. Handmade toys are great or toys that are made from workers who get paid a fair wage. What saddens my heart about the season is the commercialism. I will never understand how people wait in long lines to save money on gifts on black friday. It is so sad to read the story of the Walmart employee that was trampled to death in Manhattan. And, then another story of someone who was killed at Toys R us on black friday. Someone's life was taken away and all because of a bunch of people wanting to be first and hurrying to buy the latest plasma-screen TV or iPod.
Could you even imagine if everyone just slowed down and spent more time with their family baking Christmas cookies as their gifts for friends and neighbors? What if everyone turned off the television so all of the ads for toys and various gadgets were not being thrown in their faces?

In the mornings we get our little nativity set down and I tell the girls the Christmas story as best as I can so they will understand. I asked Kyla why do we give a gift at Christmas time? And she said "because the wise men brought gifts to Jesus when He was a born baby."

So, that's what it's about.

May you enjoy your family traditions this Christmas, and enjoy creating new ones!

"Look what I made!"

I saw on another mom's homeschool blog some of these very easy button ornaments she made with her kids. So, Kyla made one today and had the best time threading the buttons on the wire!

Then we finished it off with a sparkling bow and ta-da!
A pretty ornament for the tree!

Kyla is a Poet

On our long drive to Richmond, VA for thanksgiving we were listening to Christmas carols on the radio. Both of our girls are loving Christmas carols and are picking up the words very fast!

Kyla told us while we were driving, "Mommy and Daddy?" she asked, "Yes, Kyla?". "When I listen to Christmas songs my heart feels like snow."

Do we have a young poet in our family? :-)

Sister Love

"Mommy, I'm Mary and this is baby Jesus."

I had two Marys in my house today :-)

And this is baby Jesus!

My Utmost for His Highest

Every now and then I read from "My Utmost for His Highest". I wanted to share a quote that spoke to me today about obeying God.

"...God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God's will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power."

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised." Hebrews 10:35,36