Happy Monday! (Baby Update)

Hey there!

Today I had another Dr appointment!  She said I was "softening" but still not dilated past 1cm.  Frustrating!  So tomorrow I have a non stress test to make sure the baby is doing well and then I go in to be induced Friday morning if she has not arrived yet!  I'm frustrated because I feel like my body is not cooperating but at the same time I know that it is what it is and it's going to be just fine.

Today after my appointment I decided I needed to stay busy.  (I was pretty sore so I wanted to keep moving - otherwise I get cranky and even more sore.)  I rearranged the girls' room...again.

That is from the door...to the left is the dresser and on the other side of that is the closet door.  The blur in the middle, that is my super active 2 year old :)  I think it looks funny how high up all the wall decals are - but as Grace got bigger I had to move them higher or she would pull them off the wall.  Ah well! :)  Can't wait for them both to be here!

So anyway, if you are a pray-er, pray that this baby arrives when she is good and ready - hopefully before Friday so we don't have to deal with induction, but either way prayers are appreciated!

Elizabeth

Funny Friday :)

This Friday started out not so funny - but a look back on the week was definitely worth it!

- My kiddo is making me laugh.  When I put her in her seat at the table now she grabs my hand...and if I don't pray she does - with a very loud AMEN.  She prayed while coloring in her chair today too.

- Of course the picture above made me chuckle.  A little Pepsi throne.  Of course the guy you can't see in the picture staring at me like I was nuts because I was laughing and taking her picture was golden too.

- My child now likes to say "OW" loudly and randomly...until you ask if she is ok.  Then she says "I fine."  Repeat every 5 minutes.

- Yahoo reminded me my husband's birthday was on Tuesday.  I'm a woman, we don't forget these things.

- Facebook post from my 13 year old sister in law:
Hey im really thinkin that the baby is gonna come 2 maro night or tonight\ early morning

My response:
It is not nice to tease Beth...Beth is very hormonal - just ask Aaron!

Thankfuls Redone

I was having a heck of a time coming up with 10 things to be thankful for yesterday.  I went to bed thinking, I'll need to redo those tomorrow.  I woke up thinking - I never want to leave my bed, my body HURTS.  But...here are my new thankfuls.

1) I AM thankful for 41 weeks of healthy pregnancy.  Although I would have like to met her by now, I know people who struggle with getting/staying pregnant and while I'm not a huge fan of the process I would like to think I wouldn't take this little life for granted.

2) I am thankful for my two friends who are pregnant and due in February and April.  I'm also thankful for my friend who is currently 33 weeks and so far has managed to keep her blood pressure under control and the baby in - we are praying for AT LEAST one more week but hopefully more!

3) I am thankful for simple gifts.  I love how some one's face lights up when you do something for them that isn't even a big deal but they like it anyway.  I have a couple projects to work on soon and pass on to people, just because it's fun.

4) I am thankful that my little girl is getting more and more verbal.  It is getting so much easier to understand what she wants/needs and that makes life MUCH less complicated.

5) I am thankful that my daughter imitates.  It is a reminder to be on my best behavior - it also warms my heart when SHE grabs my hand before meals to pray and gives a loud AMEN at the end!

6) I am thankful for family and friends who have remained "on call" for a few weeks now and are ready to spring into action when this baby gets here!

7) I am thankful for my husband who has a birthday coming up on Tuesday.  I love my man!

8) I am thankful for my new chores list, my Christmas list that is started (the buying one not the "I want" one) and the little things that I have gotten done to pass the time!

9) I am thankful for healthy meals for my kiddo!  I have been making a concentrated effort to make sure she is eating well lately.  She downed some eggs yesterday, I was so proud.  Usually she is not a fan of meat!

10) I am thankful for the Lord and how He gives us strength for each day.

If you have thankfuls, link up here:

Thankful Thursdays Top Ten #21

I am thankful for....

1) 41 weeks of healthy pregnancy and knowledge that she won't "let" me go past 42 weeks so I'm having a kid in the next 7 days.  And with hub's birthday on Tuesday there is a good chance if we do induce they might share a birthday...we shall see!  (I told him it was up to him if she gave me the option)

2) A friend who has been able to keep her baby in so far - she has really high blood pressure and has been in the hospital for 3 weeks...she needs to keep her daughter in for one more week before the doctors feel it's "safe" enough.  Here is hoping for longer just so her daughter has more time to mature!

3) Two super close friends who are pregnant and expecting in February and April!  Woohoo!

4) Friends that let me whine :)

5) My sweet girl.  Even though she refused to nap this morning and is napping now (which probably means a late bedtime), she is still a sweetie pie and I'm proud of her!

6) Christmas presents!  Yes, I HAVE started Christmas shopping!  I got my mother in law something and something for my sister - so pumped!

7) The challenge to come up with 10 things to be thankful for - apparently I'm having a hard time with this today.

8) All the pictures I have of my kiddo.  I was just looking through all her pictures on Facebook and was glad I captured the memories!  What a sweet girl!

9) Projects that continue to move forward - and God giving me the people I need to finish them.  I love people that are creative or talented in all those ways that I'm not!  :)

10) Ice cubes.  Stupid I know.  Terrible for my teeth I know...but so fun to chew on!

Laughs!

That just made me laugh really hard - straight down shot at my stomach...can you guess where baby is?

The Waiting Game

I always pride myself in not being whiny...I'm just glad ya'll don't live with me!  Ha!  I think I do pretty well until I have a surge of hormones.  I was talking to God last night - discussing why I felt so "done" and getting His opinion on it. I really do think it is just hormones which isn't really an excuse to go crazy!

So today my resolve was to pretend I wasn't pregnant and waiting, go about my normal life and get some stuff done!  So far, fairly productive.  I got a lot of work stuff done during nap time.  I started my Christmas list to buy for people (I have two people done already!) and got my house chores list updated to include bathing the new baby and her laundry day and exercise...I also took dusting off because, lets face it, I ignore it every week anyway :)

Yesterday I got to give the hooded towels I'd been working on to Stephanie - totally pumped.  They were a good learning project but it was fun to work on them!  I think today I might bake some cookies to give away (because I certainly don't need to gain any more weight!) and possibly a couple other small projects.  I also have 200+ newsletters to stuff for work so assuming my back doesn't give out on me I'll probably do that with a movie tonight!

Anyway, my encouragement for anyone waiting on a baby - just go on with life, otherwise you'll go CRAZY! :)

Elizabeth

Life Update: 40 weeks +4

Hey all!

I just thought I'd post a quick update.  I'm probably going to be slacking in my blog duties here soon (although I may overload blogger with pictures so we'll see!).  I am 40 weeks +4 today so hopefully this kiddo will get here soon.  I have a doctor appointment in an hour and a half so we'll see what she says!  Some random thoughts...

- I am SO not a good secret keeper.  I cannot wait to share this kid's name!

- I am re-thinking how I pray for my daughters.  I usually pray for safety and security...all those good mom things, but I was thinking about things like "to know and love the Lord"...I want them to LOVE Him - really love Him, not just tell me they do.  I want them to be usable for His kingdom and I know that doesn't always mean safety and security.  I think I have to let go a little so that He can do His thing without my interference.

- I am ready to work on a new life schedule.  Of course for the next six weeks until we get in a baby routine it won't really matter but I'm thinking including things like "plan meals" and "work out" would be a positive step for me and our family. 

- I finished my sewing project!  I made a hair wrap towel for one of my big kids, super pumped about that. I told her we were going to call it a practice run since I mis-marked the inside of it and it's not the greatest quality towel but it should work for now.  AND I finished up hooded towels for Stephanie's kids...again, a learning process and not great quality towels but should work for awhile and I'll make them better ones next time I see wonderful fluffy towels on sale!

I'll try to keep you posted on this kiddo being born, but Facebook is probably going to be the best bet there! :) 

Elizabeth

Funny Friday: On Saturday

Oh my kid cracks me up.

- Yesterday she stuck her finger in her mouth and got it COMPLETELY covered in spit.  (She's talented right?)  Then gets real close to me, sticks her finger by my face and goes "Want some?...Want some?"  I was laughing SOOOO hard so she just kept asking!

- My doctor told me there are no terminally pregnant women.

- This is a "will be funny someday".  I think I'm going nuts.  Pretty much every night I think I'm having some contractions (and to my credit I probably am) but I feel like I never remember what they really feel like or what my body is going to do.  So literally my text message to my husband last night was:
"Feels like some contractions...also feel like I'm maybe imagining things lol - its nuts.  Even if real plenty of time"  (he was at work) Followed by:
"Apparently I'm crazy. Gonna head to bed.  I love you."

- On Wednesday night (?) Grace and I had mother/daughter insomnia and were both up until about 3am.  Quite frustrating when ya know she is still going to get up early in the morning (she got up at 10, proved me wrong!).  But I was listening to her jabber in her bed to Elmo.  She is polite even when she is crazy tired... "jabber jabber jabber jabber THANK YOU jabber jabber jabber jabber THANK YOU!..."  So funny!

- I am absolutely convinced (ok, not absolutely) no one ever goes into labor during the day so all day I try to live my normal life and every night I sit around thinking "will it be tonight?  will we need to go in tonight???"

- So more of a cute than a funny: My kiddo (almost 2) and I were eating breakfast and I tickled her.  But she reached out quite insistantly that I hold her hand....then tucked her little chin down to her chest and said all whisper-y "blah blah blah blah blah a-MEN".  LOVE IT!

Alrighty, I'm off to eat breakfast and take the kiddo to the park I think...I'm going to walk this kiddo out today!  (Which I've been saying for a week now but whatever!)

Thankful Thursday Top Ten #20

I am thankful for...

1) 40 weeks (today!) of healthy pregnancy.  This one has been "easier" than my first and I'm looking forward to meeting my little girl - hopefully soon ;)

2) A very patient husband.  In my head I know going for walks, bouncing on the exercise ball and bouncing around like a crazy person won't REALLY help with anything, but it makes me feel proactive.  He's been nice about it :)

3) Friends to keep me distracted and spend time with.  I love having people stop by to visit and chat.  (I'm gonna miss Morgan when she moves back to BG on Friday!)

4)  A clean-ish office!  My office finally got picked up and it looks so much better.  I think while Grace naps today I'm going to try to clean up our bedroom...and nap, we were both up till about 3am.  Mother-Daughter insomnia, delightful.  (I got our bedroom and my bathroom cleaned today!  Woohoo.  I also got a couple naps in thanks again to my wonderful hubby.  I love it when Dr's orders are "rest")

5) Baby clothes!  Someone my mom works with is giving me a bag of baby clothes.  We still have everything from Grace but can ya turn down free baby clothes?  Anything we won't use we'll save for friends with babies or donate!  (I received the bag after I wrote this - not only are they baby clothes we'll use they are ADORABLE!)

6) A restful week (except for last night).  I've had plenty of down time this week which I'm a little hesitant about because I feel lazy but thankful for because I know the crazy is coming!

7) My little girl!  I think I could put her on here EVERY week.  She is doing some crazy separation anxiety with me these days and it makes me sad.  Huge crocodile tears if I leave her...if she leaves me (to go to my parents house or whatever) no problems...if I leave her end of the world!  She is super sweet...I wonder if she knows baby is coming.

8) Beth Moore conference!  I feel like I'm still processing but I had a great time and really loved getting to see her live!

9) Friends that answer questions like "So I'm super dizzy, is that normal"...Doctors office said I'm fine :)

10) My awesome new bag!  I got a sweet bag this morning with my last name embroidered on it and I can't wait to use it!  Morgan gets me the best bags that I use ALL THE TIME!

Memorization

After the Beth Moore conference I determined I needed to spend more time memorizing God's word.  After all, how am I supposed to live it if I don't know it?  So my first chunk (which seems fitting for this phase of my life) is:

Philippians 4:4-8
⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

This section (esp 6-7) was featured in a series of books I read recently - The Yada Yada House of Hope series by Neta Jackson.  I really enjoyed the books.  I hate when I read books and the theology is just a little screwy for me but I've never had that problem with these ones.  (I recently read one about a Christian soap opera star which just seemed weird to me...I didn't read past the first couple chapters so I have no idea how her theology turned out).

Someone also posed a question on Facebook, oh Facebook, about if it is more important to understand Biblical doctrine or follow Jesus in the way we live.  I guess I feel like the two are mutually exclusive.  If you don't know Biblical doctrine can we really follow Jesus in how we live?  (And I'm not saying be able to give a reference for every verse you know or have a discussion about how many points of Calvinism you agree with...just the basic stuff at least).  Something to think about since it ties back to scripture memorization (or just reading!). 

Hold me accountable people - lets get some scripture memorized!

Elizabeth

What's Another Week?

Yesterday was not a great day.  I had a doctor appointment at 3pm and she basically said the baby is going to stay in for awhile - tough luck.  She said I was not inducible at this point (which I'm not even past my due date so I wouldn't opt for that right now regardless) and she'd see me in a week.  I left her office ready to start crying.  I was SOOOO bummed!  Actually, I really wanted to have the baby today so both my girls would have 16th birthdays (August and September 16th) but that's minor I suppose!  I talked to a few friends who talked me down, drank a (decaf) frappachino, ate a scone and went for a long walk (a girl can try!).  After ice cream and game night with my Bible study girls I felt better.

Today has been GLORIOUS!  I was so sore last night when I went to bed but woke up feeling pretty darn good!  Grace was up during the night which is always a little frustrating then, but means she'll sleep in :)  We got out of bed at 9:15.  After doing some chores we ate breakfast together at the table then I let her watch Blues Clues (which she says all little-kid-ish and does the hand thing that they do and it is just too darn cute!) while I showered.  Then we ran to Wal-Mart where I spent too much money but yes, I did need two new shirts, she needed a dress and of course all the other random things.  :)  I also got steak for me and hubs for dinner. 

I feel 100% rested, my new To Do List is almost completed (I just need to spend 15 minutes organizing and sweeping my bedroom) and I'm good to go!  I feel like today has been slow, easy and productive.  I also have a couple lovely ladies who are going to take over some of my work stuff to thank for that - they're working on it now so that they know what to expect while I'm still available...leaving me free to write very detailed "this is how I spent my day" blog posts :)

My plan for the rest of the day: feed the kiddo, go for a walk, make homemade chicken nuggets, steak dinner with the hubs, sew, White Collar! :)

Simple Sundays: How to NOT Go Crazy Waiting For Baby

I am trying really hard to be patient.  I feel like with Grace I needed every moment (and probably those extra 5 days) to prepare to meet her.  With this baby girl it hurts to put pants on and my body is sore so I'm ready for her to come out! :D

Sooo here are my tips:

1) Get a SERIES of books...read them.  Neta Jackson wrote the Yada Yada Prayer Group series which was really good and followed it up with the Yada Yada House of Hope series.  I read all four of the new series, plus another series of three books about something different and a couple other random "Christian" chick-lit books in there.

2) Make a To Do list...do it.  I have one thing left on my infamous to-do list.  It requires heavy lifting and moving of furniture so it's not going to get done before baby is here but all the other things on my list have been checked off!

3) Get out of town...no really.  I went to Columbus for the weekend for a Beth Moore conference as previously mentioned.  It was a wonderful event AND served as a great "anxious for baby" distraction.  I was close enough to home that I wasn't nervous about getting back if we needed to (although my friend Morgan and the people we went with did not share my calm).

4) Start a project...attempt to finish it.  I am working on a sewing project for a friend's kiddos.  I'd love to get done before the kid comes out but because it requires setting up in the kitchen and moving everything out there it is going pretty slowly.  Ah well :)

5) Enjoy the day...get outside!  Today is BEAUTIFUL.  Hubs and I are going to a park later, gonna walk this kiddo out! :)


Really I think it is knowing that God's timing is best and just relaxing that makes the process easier, but I have a bad memory sometimes :)

Beth Moore Notes

I got to go see Beth Moore in Columbus the past two days.  What an amazing speaker and woman she is!  I love how transparent she is with her life.  I feel like I always waver in painting the great image and really letting my guard come down and showing people what is really going on in my crazy brain.  I think God is really working on showing me the right balance of those things.  Her word for the weekend was PREPARE and I have a lot of re-processing to do.

Some things I took away from it that I'll probably expand on later:

1) Scripture Memorization
2) My prayers for my daughters...what they should be and what they should NOT be
3) Being PREPARED for what He has PREPARED for me to do...meeting Him in preparation and getting busy

I also had some new ideas for my Princess girls, some things I want to re-look at with how I study the Bible and just some random thoughts that need more fleshing out.

Morgan, my dear friend, bought me a ticket AND drove me up there - she is pretty much amazing.  I gotta say, that was a great car ride, fantastic conversation and a delightful weekend.  I am blessed to have such awesome friends!

Some of these ladies were as bad as the teens at our teen center when we get a really popular band in!  Oh my goodness they were starstruck!  She was a great speaker though and I can understand it! :)



Thankful Thursday Top Ten #19

This has been a hard, crazy hormonal, lots going on, family tragedy type week.  BUT in the midst of all that, it STILL seems fairly easy to find 10 things to be thankful for.

1. I am thankful for 39 weeks of pregnancy and 1 (or less than 1, or up to 3) left!  I cannot wait to meet this little girl although I still have a hard time wrapping my head around TWO kids!

2. I am thankful that despite hardship, tears, questions and uncertainty God is still God.  I know He has the power to heal and transform and that I DON'T have to understand it.  Praise the Lord for that!

3. I am thankful for my sweet little girl.  She is getting more and more little kid-ish every day and much less like a baby.  She now apologizes to me when she falls down or hurts herself...no idea why.  It's cute though.  I also love waking up to mommy?...mommy?  MOMMY!  on the monitor :)

4. I am thankful for my husband.  He works really hard to do everything he needs to for our family, the ministry and himself.  I'm proud of him and I'm not sure I tell him that enough!

5. I am thankful for good friends who are willing to help out with personal and ministry things at a moments notice.  I simply pray that they know they can count on me in the same ways.

6. I am thankful for being in the serious planning stages for our next Princess Program!  I'll post more later but it is a 15ish week Bible study focused on teen girl issues.  Such an amazing time!

7. I am thankful for women who get worked up about the same things I do! Lets feed those kids, give them hugs, love on them and tell them they are worthwhile!!

8. I am thankful for conversations like these:
Me - Is it bad that all I want to do is go to bed?
Hubs - You're 9 months pregnant...I think that's fine.

Me - So what should we get Grace for her birthday?
Hubs - Ummm, a little sister?

9. I am thankful that I get to go with my good friend Morgan to hear Beth Moore speak tomorrow!  (Assuming this kid stays in!)  Sooooo pumped!

10. I am thankful that despite my hormones and getting in my own way, I know that God loves me and at the end of the day I am HIS and that is what counts.

Link up with your thanksfuls here (or leave them in the comments!)

To Do List Tuesday: Update

Today was a lot of fun!  I got up at 6:30 with Grace (not so much fun)...put her to bed at 10am and took a nap.  Then I decided that when she woke up at 12 I didn't want to be stuck in the house with her for the next 8 hours so I called my good friend Stephanie who agreed to meet me with her kids at the children's museum.  We spent three hours there letting them run around and play with different things.  That was our first time going and I really enjoyed it!  (Good thing we went too because apparently when they turn 2 you have to pay for their admission so we beat that by a month!)

On the way home I realized 1) I was very hungry and 2) nothing in my house sounded good.  So I called my dad up and we went out to dinner.  He's going to be out of town for a week so it was good to see him before he left.  Then I got...one...thing on my to do list done.  But overall have accomplished a lot this week.  I have to say - posting an actual picture of my To Do list on here made me feel very accountable to ya'll to get it done!  Here is where I'm at:

Washing the carpets: NOT DONE...and I don't wanna!  I saw an ad today for someone to come in and do them for not too much...I'm debating using my time tomorrow to just do it or to convince Hubs to let someone else do it (although kinda seems like a waste of money...but....)  

Car Cleaned: DONE!  I took the sweeper out today and got all the junk out of it (including the tub of raisins that was dumped just today!

Laundry: Washed, folded, put away!

Thrift Store: Stuff sent!

Repack Hospital Bag: Mission Accomplished!

Bathroom: Done! (I HATE cleaning bathrooms!!)

Kid Clothes Closet: DONE!

Lamp In Hallway: Let there be light!

Office/Bedroom Swept: Not done...mainly because in order to do that I have to locate my office floor first...we'll get there :)

Also accomplished are the extra projects I added including sorting Grace's shoes, Changing the vac bag and a couple other things. 

Special Project for 5 of my favorite kiddos (including my two): not done...pictures to come soon, don't know if their momma reads this or not so no details at this point :)

So we are done to TWO things on the to-do list and a sewing project that has no real due date so I'm liking it!

Funny Friday: My Crazy Kid

My kid cracks me up!  Yesterday I was cleaning the bathroom (only three things left on the to-do list!!) after she went to bed.  But she did NOT want to go to sleep...so she watched me from under her bedroom door.  Crazy kid.

And of course play time is not complete without a dispersal of blocks ALL around the living room...

And just for good measure, me in my daughter's sunglasses:



Thankful Thursdays Top Ten #18

Hey there!

I was in my car listening to K-Love today and heard a song about doing everything we do for HIS glory!  Love it!  That was a good mood picker-uper!

1) I am thankful for 38 weeks of healthy pregnancy, 2 weeks till my due date and my baby girl who could arrive at ANY time!  Cannot wait to meet her! 

2) I am thankful for Stephanie who has miss Grace today to play with her three kids!  As we all know I have a list of things to get done and hopefully will accomplish some of them today, all my work stuff and MAYBE squeeze in a nap.  I also have a project I want to get done for her kids and my kids but I'm guessing that won't be today.

3) I was told I was "really cute pregnant" today...while I was walking out of the fabric store...by some 20-30 year old lady in a car.  Thanks I think?  It surprised me and made me laugh at how slow we are to compliment others sometimes.  Thanks for noticing! :)

4) I am thankful that our family ministry update finally went out but I still need to figure out ways to get the word out about what we do and why to people we don't already know.  Prayer...lots of prayer!

5) I am thankful that my kiddo is such a good sleeper!  She does really well in her big girl bed, I am SO proud of her!  She also usually sleeps in really well...except today she got up before 7am.  Fortunately Hubs got up with her...unfortunately I forgot he had to be at work early so I woke up to the text message of "I have to leave for work, Grace is watching Sesame Street"...she was fine of course but I felt bad that he left for work before I got out of bed!

6) I am thankful for time with my husband and daughter.  We spent Tuesday night out together and then Hubs and I went on a date last night.  (Mama DiSalvos is seriously the best Italian food EVER)  He is so much fun to be around and watching him with our little girl is delightful.

7) I am thankful for all the ways my friends have shown love lately - from keeping me company while Hubs is at work, watching my kiddo so I can focus on some other stuff that needs to get done, baking me happy birthday treats to just letting me talk and laughing with me over silly stuff.  I love them!

8) I am thankful for 27 years of life!  I had a birthday last weekend and I got to celebrate with my Grandpa who has a birthday the same day.  I have learned so much and am excited to see what the next 27 years hold! 

9) I am thankful for Beth Moore - I just finished her Paul Bible study.  I learned a lot about him - he makes more sense to me now!  I am also thankful for websites where I can find new Bible studies to do for awhile.  (I want to find a new book similar to the one I finished...but I want to do something other than Beth Moore so I don't get in a rut)

10) I am thankful for God's provision for friends...one is pregnant with twins - one is pregnant and will be in the hospital for at least the next 4 weeks because of high blood pressure, but she is being taken care of and it is under control (her first baby) - two are completely trusting God with His timing and it is a JOY to see and be a part of - - I am blessed by these lovely women!

Got some thankfuls?  Link up!

  

(And I'm thankful this is my 100th blog post!)

Family Ministry Update Letter

"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." 1 Thessalonians 2:8

 Dear Lovely Blog Reader,

Aaron and I are headed into a busy season in our lives and I wanted to send out a quick family and ministry update to all those who have supported and encouraged us over the years.  We are thankful that God is continuing to work through and around us in very real ways and excited that we get to be a part of it!  I enclosed a pack of hot chocolate mix and I was wondering if one morning, as you sip that (or your beverage of choice) if you could pray for us!  And to return the favor, I have your name written on a pack of hot chocolate mix at my house so one morning I will spend some time in prayer for you and your family as well!

Aaron and I recently talked about the life we have been called to and it is not an easy one.  We are fully aware that there will be heartache and trouble along the road.  We have known teens that died in car accidents, consoled teens whose friends have committed suicide and helped teens deal with the pain of relationships that have broken their spirits.  We work with young girls who are pregnant and need to know that someone still loves them since their boyfriends, families and friends have turned their backs.  We get 2am phone calls from kids who don’t know where else to turn.  We have even had teens live in our home short term because their parents were more interested in drugs and alcohol then they were in their children.  We see firsthand the pain and torment that a lot of these teens face every day and praise the Lord we are there to offer them the hope we have found in Christ Jesus.  We are thankful that five teens have recently accepted Christ and already this year the ministry has been involved in the baptisms of 70 teens!

Please pray with us that we can continue in this life to which we have been called.

As some of you know, Aaron and I are working toward our goal to raise 100% of our own mission support so that we are not drawing from the general fund of Harvest Youth Ministries.  Currently 98.5% of donations go directly into supporting our programming but as we are able to raise our own support more programs such as retreats, more Bible studies and events will be offered.  Right now we are at 24.8% of our support for the first six months of this year; however some of those are one time gifts that will not be duplicated in upcoming months.  We have been given the deadline of January 1, 2012 to raise at least 50% of our monthly support.  In order to meet this goal we are asking once again for our family and friends to prayerfully consider their support.  If you already donate to the ministry or to our family’s goal we are grateful and appreciate your sacrifice on our behalf.  If you don’t and would like to, we would love to have your support.  We also covet your prayers and encouragement as we continue on this journey.  If you know of anyone who loves teens and ministry that would possibly like to get involved we ask that you please pass our information along!  We cannot meet this goal without help.

It is intimidating to me to have the responsibility to get the word out and ask people for their help, but we feel that we have been called to a life of ministry and as the Bible says “And how can they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:15).

Again, I look forward to drinking my packs of hot chocolate and praying for you and your family over the coming months.  We will send updates on our progress in all of these areas in the coming months.  You can visit our family’s ministry page at www.harvestyouth.org/aaronandelizabeth.htm and we again we are always thankful if you are able to tell even one friend about our ministry and ask them to pray for us as well.

With Love,

Aaron, Elizabeth, Grace and Baby J

Harvest Youth Ministries is an IRS approved 501 (c) 3 organization and all donations are tax deductible.
To make a donation, you can use the enclosed envelope writing our names somewhere on the envelope or check.  You can also go to our family website (www.harvestyouth.org/aaronandelizabeth.htm)  to set up a monthly donation via paypal. 

Some Updates:
- Baby Girl is due August 18^th and we are looking forward to meeting her and introducing her to you!
- Grace turns two on September 16^th!  We cannot believe how fast the time has gone!
- Aaron is currently working to find a new location for Harvest Thrift Store.  In September our current building will be bulldozed to expand the neighboring McDonalds so we are prayerfully looking for the building that will house this part of the ministry next.
- I am beginning the planning stages of our next Princess Program which will start up again this fall!  It is always a thrill to get a new group of ladies in our small group setting!
- The Attic is doing well. 

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Please visit www.harvestyouth.org/aaronandelizabeth.htm for information on how to donate.

Even if you don't make a donation, if you set some time aside to pray for our family please let me know and I'll set some time aside to specifically pray for yours!

If there is ANYONE you know that has a heart for teens PLEASE pass our information along.  We need to get the word out about what we do and why we do it and we can't do that without your help!!

To Do List Tuesday

So as a follow up to yesterday, I thought I'd call this one To Do List Tuesday...I feel like my To Do list NEVER gets finished! But of course the goal is to finish the list before I finish the chart...

See how few spots are left?!?  (And for those that don't know what I'm talking about, that is my count down to due date chart.)  Anyway, most of the stuff on my list just takes some time and attention.  I finished FIVE of them yesterday!  I gotta say though, I'm not super pumped about the rest of them. 

Washing the carpets isn't hard in and of itself but the kitchen table has to move to get it done right.  (Maybe I should tell hubs I want Stanley Steamer for my birthday!) 

The car needs to have all the junk removed, not just gathered and be swept. 

Laundry isn't hard for me to wash and fold...but for some reason I have an aversion to putting it away...to the point that it seems like we are used to living out of baskets.  I've failed as a wife :)  (Not really, hubs doesn't care as long as he has clean clothes and they are folded!) 

I have a PILE of stuff to take to the thrift store.  You wouldn't think this was a problem since my husband goes there EVERY DAY but I either don't remember or he already has stuff to take with him. 

During the weekend my eyes were bugging me so I dug my glasses out of my hospital bag so everything is sitting AROUND the bag instead of in it.  Ugh. 

Bathrooms are the worst possible thing to clean (ok, not really).  I don't wanna!! :) 

And finally, the closet where I store all my kid's clothes that she is not currently wearing needs some attention.  I had to dig stuff out yesterday and realized I need a strong organizational/space saving guru to come help me get this organized so I can get to what I need easily.  Essentially I have one tub for every clothing size and then toys that are too old/young for my kid.  It needs help!

I also need to put a lamp in the hallway upstairs...there is no light up there and before baby is here it'd probably be good to come up with a way to NOT fall down the stairs. (Not that I have, but why risk it?!?)

So, I'm off...between this list of personal To Do's and my list of work To Do's I may never leave my house again...except to go to the thrift store and clean out my car of course! :)

Elizabeth

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It is now 10:34, 1 hour and 30 minutes since my original post.  I have since added 5 things to the to do list and finally gotten the thrift store stuff out of the house.  Hubs says I'm nesting :)

Update 2 7:37pm: I have put the lamp in the upstairs hallway and am ONE load of laundry away from being done!  One blanket, 3 pairs of hub's shorts and it is all washed, folded and PUT AWAY!  

It's been awhile...

It's been awhile...mainly because it has been busy around here.  And when it isn't busy, I just want to sit and do nothing.  :)  Yep, I'm at THAT stage of pregnancy.  I wish I had a little more "nesting" instinct going on...then maybe Morgan wouldn't have made fun of my to-do list...

I mean, I did "sorta" clean out the car...what's wrong with that?  I also had a birthday this past weekend.  I'm now 27 years old - 27!  Every year for our birthdays my dad sends my sister and I flowers.  It is the ONLY day of the year that I answer the door if I'm not expecting someone...and usually I sprint to the door!  Stop and smell the flowers...

So pretty!  Speaking of pretty, I love this kid...I'm not sure if you caught on to that by now!

And one last picture, this is my Grandpa and me on Saturday...he turned 84 and I turned 27...I love sharing a birthday with this man and all the delightful things he has taught me over the years!

OK, I lied, one more...this is how I started my day (well, it was noon but I figure my day doesn't start until Grace is down for a nap and I can actually accomplish something)

More to come...I will do my BEST to be more faithful! :)

Elizabeth