God's provisions

I am continually amazed at how God provides for us and so appreciate our friends and family. Just the other day we received a gift certificate in the mail for Publix. Matthew 6 talks about God knowing our needs and that He will provide for us and that we are not to worry. Sean and I are going through a season that God is asking us to step out in faith, out of our comfort zone, and trust in God. I am very excited to see where God is going to take us in finding new jobs, where He is taking us in the His ministry and our family. My prayer is that we wait upon Him and hear His direction, not our own.

We had a great Thanksgiving with our families! This was Hailey's second Thanksgiving but the first one that she could actually eat the Thanksgiving food. She wasn't really interested in it though. Neither at my parent's house or Sean's. The only thing she really seemed to like is my mother-in-law's cranberry salad. Oh yes... it is good! Tart and sweet all in the same bite! Hailey was gobbling that up with red chunks of cranberry all over her face. Haha. I should have gotten a picture.

At my parent's house, we talked about what we are thankful for. I am thankful for God and His love and salvation, for my husband, healthy daughter and my family. I am thankful for God's provision and His faithfulness. My husband is just amazing and I absolutely cannot imagine my life without him. He is a caring, giving, loving father and a hardworking, Godly man with integrity that leads our family in the way of the Lord. He is more than I could have ever asked for in a husband and father to my children.

We asked my sister Rachel to take some pics on Thanksgiving...










She did a great job! Thanks Rachel! :)

So excited for tomorrow!!

Woohoo!! Sean comes home tomorrow!!! Oh how I miss him! I know Hailey misses him too. The other day she went into Sean and my bedroom and peeked around the corner into the bathroom where she normally finds her daddy cleaning up after work. He wasn't there so she ran out the room and looked around.

I can't wait to hear what God did in Ecuador with this group of guys that went! My conversations with Sean have been very limited. Last I heard, over 200 people have gotten saved from the crusades they were doing!

Hailey has had a tough week. Very, very clingy and fussy. There have been moments that we have had a lot of fun though. Like tonight, we were playing with cardboard boxes and laughing. But this morning was tough. She had her first time-out. She dealt with it pretty well for not understanding what was going on.

Yesterday was tough too. I wasn't feeling to well and then Hailey started screeming and flailing herself everywhere for a very long time. Nothing I could do would make her happy. I have no idea what set her off. It was so frustrating. Some friends of Sean and mine invited Hailey and I over for dinner. I thought it would be good to get out of the house. On the way there, I looked back at her and her forehead was blotchy, eye was swollen and red, nose was red and around her mouth. It looked bad. She acted okay though. But a couple hours later, she puked. Oh it was nasty! I still am not sure exactly what was going on... maybe a reaction to something?

The heat is ridiculous down here in Fla. When it FINALLY gets cool around here, I want to try this recipe. I heard it is really yummy!

Café Mocha

1 cup of instant coffee, I like Tasters Choice best
2 cups of Nestles NESQUIK®
3 cups of Carnation Instant Milk I have tried other brands and they don't taste as well.

To make your cup of Café Mocha; boil your water, pour into your cup and add 3 tablespoons to your cup. If you have a big mug you will have to adjust the number to tablespoons you add to it. I like mine creamy.

Ecuador

Sean is in Ecuador right now!! Today is his 3rd day gone from home. Hailey and I have family staying with us which is fun to spend time with them that I normally don't get to! Please be praying for Sean as they travel about Ecuador and minister. The enemy is really trying to attack them by telling them lies. Please pray that the Holy Spirit empowers all of these guys and moves through them - all for God's glory!

The Count down....

Sean leaves in 3 days for Ecuador! I can't believe it is finally here. We have been talking and praying about it for months. I would like an itinerary so I know exactly where he is going and when but that is all up in the air. They have some places set to go on certain days but it is all subject to change. They also will be asked while they are there to make detours and go preach somewhere they hadn't planned to. This is really going to be a me trusting God thing!

We have pretty much everything Sean needs. I think he will have his bag packed by tomorrow. Wednesday morning I will drive him to Apopka to meet with all the guys going on the trip. They will leave from there and drive to Miami airport.

Sean was planning on taking his guitar with him so the guys can have devotional/worship time in the mornings but he was a little unsure about it. He was concerned that the airline may not let him carry the guitar on the plane with him but instead put it in cargo. So we thought we would put on Craigslist that we are looking for a guitar to take down there and give away to a needy church worship band. Before anyone responded, Sean found an acoustic guitar someone had given him, not expensive but in pretty good shape, that he had totally forgotten about. Next he was looking for strings and found some that he didn't know he had! WOW!!! God had it right in front of us and we didn't know it!! That is going to be so exciting for Sean to be able to give that guitar away to someone who needs it. Thank you God!!!!!

What we're up to....

I now have an official climber. Yesterday, Hailey climbed onto the couch! A week ago, she learned how to climb on Sean's and my bed. The tough part is now she has to go through the learning steps of how to get down without tumbling to the ground!

Sean is preparing to go to Ecuador. There have been some big attacks from the enemy on our family and others who have just returned from Ecuador. I know God is going to do something BIG so I am really excited. I am challenged to pray more and trust God more than I ever have before. I am also learning more about the authority God gives us over the enemy. Please join us in praying over the guys going on this trip mid October and their families.

New things Hailey is doing:

She loves stickers! She will put her fist out for you to put a sticker on it.
She will pile you up with her toys.
She dances. Stomps her feet, turns in circles, claps her hands and jiggles.
She has started to repeat words that we say.
If you ask her where her nose is, she will pinch it. :)
She eats gold fish now.
She poses for pictures with a nose crinkle and smile.



I am almost done weaning Hailey. She is down to just nursing at night. I think in a couple weeks I will be ready to go to all cow's milk. That decision doesn't come easy!!!

1st Birthday Party!

Walking, talking, clapping and diaper rash!

Hailey has her first diaper rash. I let her go around the house twice today naked (she didn't make a mess!) to let it dry out. I have been putting cream on it too. Poor baby! It looks like it hurts.

Yesterday my grandmother passed away. This was my dad's mom. Please keep my family in your prayers. It was not a surprise as she has been ill for quite a while. We will miss her. She was the glue that held my dad's side of the family together. The next few months will be challenging.

Hailey says "duck"! She was in the bathtub holding the duck and repeated after me everytime I said "duck". Then she got out of the bathtub and was playing with Skittles and she started clapping! I am SO proud!!! She walks all of the time now and long distances. She still crawls but not a lot. Her favorite thing to do right now is to put her bracelets on, grab as many toys as she can hold and walk around the house.

I think Hailey is the best baby in the whole world! She is so easy!! I am amazed at how obedient she is. Most of the time, when I say "no touch" she lets go. It really seems that she wants to please. I sure pray it stays that way!! She barely fusses and is most of the time ever so happy. I just can't complain. She has made everything so simple. We have a crazy schedule sometimes and she just goes with it.

We think Hailey is a lefty. I am. =o) Only time will tell!