Being Invaded

It is official: Our home now houses THREE teenagers!

This all has happened so fast. The invasion has begun. The old people are being outnumbered - but not overtaken - - YET! (Rachel takes her driving test next week - so anything could happen then. LOL)

Happy Birthday, James! We Love you.

Hard to Sit

I am still recovering from surgery. I had my one week checkup yesterday. Everything went well and the doctor told me that several tumors and multiple cysts were found when I had surgery. We did not know any of this before the surgery. All of the lab reports have shown that there was no cancer; but I am thankful that they were all able to be removed. God is so good to us to give us peace to go forward with the surgery; and then to find out how pertinent the surgery was! We are thankful.

I am trying to be good at home. I have four sets of eyes watching my every move. They seem to keep reporting me for infractions that are being committed that do not help my recovery. It is a little frustrating! It is hard to sit still!

I am working on a little sewing. I hope to have a jumper done that I have been working on for Abbey. I am getting some materials to complete a cross stitch design that I never seem to have the time to sit and finish. I also have finished a book and am working on another one. Reading is hard because I get tired so easy. In fact, I can not think of any time in my life when I have been more tired than I am now. I still can not drive and can not do stairs. I did try to manage the stairs and get a few loads of laundry in; but I was quite sore afterwards; and knew I had done too much. (A fact that my husband was more than eager to continue to explain to me!)

We have changed our phone service and done away with our land line. In so doing, we have discontinued our Internet service. We are checking on our options and hope to have something soon; but until then the library is our source for online. With that said, my Internet posts will be fewer. So, if you do not hear from me - it is just a temporary break from the action.

Just wanted to post on update on things here. Trust your summer is going well. I am looking forward to Rob taking me to the garden this evening and seeing how things are growing there. Thanks for stopping by, I am so glad you did.

Blessings,
~Martie

Recovery



Surgery went well. It took a bit longer than they had planned; but I am home and thankful for my own bed!






God is so good. I was a little nervous before the surgery. On the way to the hospital that morning I was unusually quiet. I was trying to not be uptight about it all; but in the back of my mind I was a bit afraid. Not really afraid to die, but afraid of the pain, of how long I would be down - - I guess in a nutshell I was afraid of the unknown.






The hospital check in continued to increase my nervousness. The IV got in without too much trouble - although I have a nasty bruise on my hand to prove she had to dig around quite a bit before getting into the vein. They had typed my blood the day before and that bracelet was securely placed on my wrist and my family was called back into the room after I was in bed and waiting for the doctor to come and tell me they were ready for me.






My husband walked back and told me that one of the pastors from our church was there to see me before I went into surgery. I made sure I was completely covered (funny how in those hospital gowns you never feel totally modest ) and then he came in. He told me he wanted to read me a few verses and then pray with me before I went back. He opened up his Bible and began reading out of my favorite Psalm. Now, I have never told that pastor, or any other pastor in our church what my favorite Psalm in the Bible is. He read the entire 91st Psalm to me; and with each verse I knew that it was not Pastor Gilmore reading that Psalm to me - it was God Himself reading that Psalm to me through him. It brought comfort to my heart to know that God knew what my favorite Psalm was. God knew what He wanted me to hear that morning; and through those verse God whispered peace.






It was a peace that I can not explain; but it enveloped me - so much so that God's love for me in those verses cast out all the fear I was feeling. Minutes later I was wheeled back into the operating room and there was such a peace. Nothing was bothering me - and I did not even have any drugs running through my system! :)






How precious my God is that He comes to me in times of distress and whispers peace. He sends His word to minister to my soul. I am overwhelmed by His love for me. How great is my God.






I am slowly getting back to normal. The doctor told me I lost a bit more blood than normal and so I would need to take it easy for a few days. I took my first walk today. It was good to get out into the sunshine; but I am feeling some pain now this afternoon.






While I was in surgery a friend of my passed away. She was saved and is in Heaven now. I just can't believe that she is gone. I was able to watch her funeral on line this morning. Makes you realize just how precious life is and that it is a gift.






Just wanted to pop in and say hi. Thanks for stopping by - I am so glad you did.






Blessings,



~Martie

Taught by a Bird




This past Monday I took the kids on a nature walk through the marsh close to our house. The sun was full overhead and we have the sunburns to show that there was no escaping it's rays! The map was read incorrectly and the wrong path chosen. What was supposed to be a little over one mile walk turned into close to three miles. It was a little long for Anna - but it was fun!








We heard the birds. Saw the different wild life flying overhead and watched as they went about their day in the marsh they call home. We saw several different families of Canadian Geese. Now, if you do not know me personally, you may not understand my fear of birds; but I do own an extreme paranoia of birds. (I have come to the conclusion that being chased by a turkey at a young age can mess with a person's head for the rest of her life.) Because of this fear, I have not spent a lot of time studying the habits and lifestyle of any species of birds. Canadian Geese included.








Because of my ignorance on this subject matter, I found myself fascinated with the way these birds travel in families. As we walked the trail we could see many different geese in the water. It seemed no matter how many geese there were, you could tell where they all belonged. New babies have recently been born and stay close to their mother and father. We would see two adult geese in the water and then see their young swimming nearby them in the marsh. It was great fun to see how much of a unit they were. All together.








The kids noticed it too. They pointed it out. I used it as an object lesson on unity. We walked further - saw more - and talked about how neat it was to see even nature able to understand the concept of family unit. We talked about identity. Working together. We kept walking. (remember, we were on the long trail).








We were nearing the end of our walk when we noticed two family units swimming in a fairly small area of water. One set of parents had one little baby following after them. The other family had quite a few more bringing up their parade. Seven to be exact. One of the young from the big family decided that he wanted to go and be a part of the other family. He tootled on over there to be by his 'friend'. It was then that the mother or father of the 'only child' family took over and began pecking at the stow away making him get away from his child. He pecked and he honked and he spread his wings. It was quite a show! The kids watched. We all took it in. He was telling the other kid - "this is not your family". "Get on home now". The little goose got the picture. He turned around and went on home to his family just across the way. He went to the back of the line and swam along with his other siblings. Perhaps it was just me, but I thought he even looked a little sad.








I was amazed. Amazed at how birds, who have no reasoning intelligence - only instinct - could ward off the fact that this was not how it was supposed to be. Amazed at how protective they were of their family unit. And, as I stood there, I understood the feelings of the honking parent. I have felt that was too. The need to protect the family unit. The need to make a statement that this is our family - this is the way that we are headed and we don't need someone else coming in and messing up what direction we have for our family. I stood there and felt like that goose.








Sometimes as parents we have to say enough is enough. This is how it is going to be. This is not how it is going to be. Sometimes we offend people. Sometimes there are people who don't understand. Sometimes the one's most offended are our very own children. Sometimes parents have to say, "God made us a family and we will grow, we will minister and we will live - as a family.








Sometimes we have to protect our kids against the world. We need to put up quite a stink and keep the world away from our kids. We may loose a few feathers making our territory known. Sometimes we need to protect our family from the busyness of life. It is kind of hard to be a family if we are too busy to ever be together.








Family is designed by God. Family is important enough to be protected.








So I finished my walk that day, with tired kids and with a sunburn that would keep me awake for the next three nights; but with an object lesson that seemed straight from the hand of God.








"Guard your home. It is precious."










The garden is almost planted. I have always wanted a big garden. This year we were able to obtain a plot of land set aside specifically for gardeners. The community garden allows residents to plant in a 40x40 plot. So, James and I have made it our summer project. We spent hours out there all ready; but we are starting to see rewards to our labor already popping out through the soil. It is wonderful to be out in the country air, listening to the birds sing and watching them fly overhead. It was most wonderful, however, to be spending time with James working and talking. I know that at the end of the summer I will have harvested more than just a garden. All summer on that hill I will be planting memories that we will remember, and enjoy for many years to come.




The school year is finished. Rachel is done with high school and plans are being made for her graduation. I am busy planning out our summer schedule and making outings for us to enjoy during the weeks that lay ahead. We will be focusing on the kids all increasing in their piano skills. We also are planning quite a bit of time to work together on family music. Always an adventure!






Plans also have been made to go to the park more often with the kids. I have been challenged to spend my time meeting other people from the community with the express purpose of building bridges and sharing my faith. I am convinced that building relationships is vital for the cause of Christ and motivated to add to my time more opportunities to meet people in my community who need to see Christ. I heard on the radio last week that "Christianity is making Jesus believable." How can I make Christ believable if I am never around those who need Him? I have been greatly challenged with that thought!




Rob and I have been talking a lot about the busyness of life. It gets draining running from this thing to that thing. Seems our lives have been wrapped up in so much that at times there is this feeling of foreboding that we are missing the things that our most important. Deeply this has weighed upon us and caused us reason for evaluation. I think right now we have more questions than answers; but we know this: some things need to change. Relationships are what life is all about. If our lives are too busy to build relationships with those we care about the most - then life is too busy. Period. Lots to evaluate and ponder here.




A trip to the doctor last week showed us that I needed to have surgery. Thursday I will be undergoing a pretty major surgery that we have put off for some times; but feel that we need to take care of it at this time. I will be down for a few weeks; but have enlisted the help of the older kids around the house. Meals are being made and frozen to make life a little easier during the recovery time. I am thankful that it will only require a short hospitalization; and hope to be up and running (or at least walking good) in 2-3 weeks.




So much ahead of us. So much of life being thought about and evaluated. It is shaping up to be a very profitable and building summer for our family. I am excited!




Thanks for stopping by and listening to me ramble on about life here. Trust your summer plans are coming into place.




Blessings,

~Martie

Adoption



We are out of town this weekend, up north, where my husband is preaching. Grandparents are close by by and the kids have been spilt between the the grandparent's house and the hotel. The older kids are with Nana and Papa and the younger ones are with us.






Just the four of us. Quite a rarity to have only two kids with us. With motel being our abode for the night, and only two kids for which to prep for bed and church the next day, it feels like we are on vacation or something. LOL.






We arrived at our room last night and started the bath water for one of them. Then I began my work on getting clothes pressed for the next morning. It really was work; because there were several pieces that needed to be pressed and all the hotel had to offer was a small ironing board. It brought back college memories from years ago. (College - was also up North, not too far from here, so it helped the trip down memory lane!)






Kids got baths and the two youngest got tucked into their bed for the night. It had been a long day and sleep seemed to come easily for them. I was so thankful. At the computer across the room, Rob was going over his message for the next day. I was sitting and reading some verses. It was then that I looked at the two in the bed. Still. Quiet. Sleeping. Deep, steady breaths enveloping their bodies every several seconds.






I stared at them as the slept and thought how thankful I was for them. Each of them. I thought about how blessed my life is because of the gift of them. I thought of how both of them could be somewhere else, calling someone else Mommy, holding someone else's hand as they walk outside to the park. I thought about how someone else's cheeks could be the ones being smothered with kisses and someone else's ears could be the ones hearing "I love you, Mommy."






I thought about how much God has given me in the gift of these two little ones. Adoption - such a beautiful choice. Adoption gives a child the chance at a life he or she may have never known; but it also gives a set of parents the experience of finding out their hearts can love more than they ever dreamed possible. I never knew I could love two kids this much. More than my own life. I am indeed blessed by God.