Nana is the Best!!!

The kids love their Nana. They always enjoy doing special things with her. We are so blessed to have a Nana like her. Jaycee helped decorate sugar cookies and make pies, Jackson was the taste tester for the Jesus birthday cake, they made cool Christmas ornaments, she has the best toys, she makes the best floor beds (Byron and I thank you for that), the kids love for Nana to read to them. If you weren't aware there is even
"Nana's bread" for your tummies.(its cinnamon bread) Around our house if those words are spoken the kids will eat it. Do you think that would work for veggies??? We might just have to try that! Thank you Nana for making our trip such a special trip. It always feels like home when we are there!!!

NCCTK SMALL GROUP PARTY!

Monday December 20th we had a get together party with our small group from North County Christ the King. It was so much fun. Its amazing how in 5 years life can change. The small group started in January of 2006. At the time, we had Jaycee, Toby and Kelly were pregnant, and Caleb and Hannah had Aurora. Since then the group has grown a lot!!! Joel and Amy have Kaleb and Jessa. Toby and Kelly have Ella and James. Greg and Bekah have Alina and one on the way. Caleb and Hannah have Aurora, Kaina, and Trinity. Dusty and Rebecca have Isaiah and Gabriella. Ben and Jenn have Audrey and a boy on the way. We have Jaycee and Jackson. Outside of Aurora, who is now 15 1/2, the kids are 5 years old and under. It was a total blast seeing all the kids playing and laughing together! Thank you Joel and Amy for organizing the evening and letting us invade your home. It was a great evening!

Christmas Road Trip 2010

This post is so I won't forget the little details of our trip.

2500 miles Velma, OK-Bellingham, WA Left on Tuesday December 14th at Noon CST. Arrived at Nana and Papa's on December 16th around 7:30ish PST. The states we went through-Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Oregon- We stayed at Sleep Inn in Gallup, NM and Days Inn in The Woodlands, CA-

2200 +/-(my guess I haven't actually asked Byron yet) miles Bellingham, WA-Velma,OK Left on Monday December 27th at 4:30 a.m. PST arrived home on December 29th at 12:30 a.m. CST- The states we went through Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and Texas- We stayed at Best Western in Rock Springs, WY

The kids state total way surpasses Byron and mine at this age in their life! I was excited to add Wyoming to the list of states I have been to. I loved the scenery on the way home until hitting Eastern Colorado. Its flat and boring. We saw a lot of snow and a lot of beautiful mountains. I would have loved to see Ogden, UT in the daylight, but they by far blew all other cities away in Christmas lights decorations. So that was quite beautiful to see. Ogden, UT, Boise, ID, Denver, CO have made it on my list of places I could live.

The kids were absolutely amazing on the trip! We look forward to many more family road trip/vacations!

So far...

we have just been relaxing and enjoying it! The kids have had so much fun just playing at Nana and Papa's house. Today, we went to Bellingham Christ the King. It was a great service. Jackson did well sitting with us and our social butterfly, Jaycee, went to class.

Thursday night we got to meet our precious niece, Gwendolyn, for the first time. What a joy she is. All of the Lohrer cousins have grown and changed so much. Each one of them are so unique in their personalities and they are such a delight to be. Jaycee went home with the cousins Thursday night and had a splendid time.

Things we have already checked off our list of things to do, Wood's Coffee and Taco Time. I am sure that we will hit them a couple of more times while we are here. We did some shopping too today. I so love being close to places to shop. That is probably why God has us living in Velma so I won't be shopping everyday. Ha!Ha! That goes with coffee places, too. I enjoyed going to the mall this afternoon with Nana and then went shopping at Fred Meyer's with Byron tonight. I am pretty sure we are going back to the mall again in the morning!

This week will get a little more busy, but we are excited to see our friends. Tomorrow night we will be getting together with our small group from NCCTK. It will be wonderful to see everyone and their families. When the small group started Jaycee was the only child and now everyone has one, most have two, or moving towards that. Tuesday, we are spending time with the Lohrer 7. Wednesday is the get together with the Nooksack gang at Red Robin. We are very thrilled to see everyone there. Thursday we are having a Lohrer girl day! Amanda takes her girls every year down to Seattle for a girls day. She has invited Nana, Jaycee, and myself to join them. Pretty sure its going to a magical day for all of us. Christmas Eve we will have dinner at Phil and Amanda's then attend Christmas Eve service at NCCTK. Christmas Day will be at Nana and Papa's! WOOHOO!!! Busy full week with lots of time to share, love, and be thankful for all the wonderful amazing blessings God has given to us. THE BEST GIFT OF ALL IS JESUS!!!

2500 miles later...

we are in Bellingham,WA!!!! It was a great first family road trip. The kids were amazing. I can't even begin to describe how well they did. They never whined or complained. We knew that Jaycee would do well, Jackson of course was the one we were concerned about. He is very much a home body little dude and he loves to have room to play. He did great! Both kids are loving every moment already at Nana and Papa's.

We left out at Noon on Tuesday. We drove to Gallup, New Mexico. We left out at 7:00 a.m. and made it to Woodlands, California on Wednesday night. We left out of there at 4:00 a.m. arrived at Nana and Papa's at 7:00 p.m. Thursday night.

Our trip consisted of lots of music, games, leapster games, movies, snacks, and naps. The best was being able to see God's beautiful creation with our kids. They loved seeing all of the scenery. The first time Jackson saw Mt. Shasta in California he said it looked like a big pile of yogurt!!! At dark we did a lot of "I see some" which translates into Christmas lights being spotted. That was probably one of my favorite parts is just driving and seeing cities and towns bright with lights.

We are having a great relaxing day. The kids are enjoying their freedom of running up and down the stairs, playing with "new" toys, and playing outside. So thankful that we were able to make the trip and blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family to enjoy this time of year with.

Things are always changing!

We are still leaving today but have adjusted our course and have reverted back to the original route. The original route being California. Driving I-40 forever. Its worth it to get us safely to Washington. The weather doesn't play too much of a role in what we do on this route so that helps tremendously! Thanks again for your prayers. We might just be in Bellingham early on Thursday! Woohoo!!!

Quick Update!

Well, good news we are actually heading out today around Noon!!!! WOOHOO!!! After checking many different weather sites we decided that we needed an extra day to travel. That way we wouldn't hit potential hazards with weather early in the morning or late at night. The plan is to drive to Denver or Ft. Collins, Colorado today. Get up in the morning and make our way to either Boise, Idaho or Pendleton, Oregon. Then we will have a relatively short drive to Bellingham. Also, Thursday is the best weather day to cross Snoqualmie Pass. I think taking the extra day will be great for all of us. The kids are very excited as we all are. We can't wait to be in Washington Thursday afternoon!!!! Thank you to all who are praying for our travel. I am sure we will keep out status updated on Facebook. If I do get a little break to blog I will. See you all soon!!!!

The week has arrived!

In just a few short days we will embark on our first family road trip. Boy, are we ever excited. I must say though I am a little nervous to see how the kids will do on the trip. I really think they will do well, but I know it will be a very long trip for all of us, but it's totally worth it! The weather is looking like it's going to allow us to travel the shorter route. We are so very thankful for that. I am doing well with stress of getting things together. It makes it so nice knowing that we are driving. I am not worried about packing too much in a suitcase or not being allowed to take something on the plane. Even though we have a plan and schedule of how we would like things to go we aren't bound by that. It really does relieve a lot of stress.

Tonight, the kids are at my parents getting their last fix of Mam Mam and Paw Paw time before the big trip. Byron and I got the kids' leapster 2's set up and working.(They have no idea they are getting these and at some point during the trip they will get them.) We also got Byron packed and I am doing laundry. Byron and I have gone over the route on the atlas that we will be taking. We have also gathered other things up that we need and also have discussed other items to throw in for the trip. Tomorrow, I will make the final run to Wal-Mart to purchase a few last minute items. Tuesday, will be spent cleaning the dogs, the dog's room, placing all items that will be needed to take care of them out, poop scooping (my favorite ;-),packing the van and doing a quick clean of the house.

I can't believe that its been 3 years since we moved from Washington. In some ways it doesn't seem that long ago, but it does. I also can't believe that its been a year and half since we have been to Washington. We miss our family and friends like crazy. I can't tell you how thrilled we are to see you all!!! We know that we are where God wants us to be and God has done incredible things in our lives that I know wouldn't have come about if we weren't where we are right now. So very grateful that we have the means of coming back to the Pacific Northwest. We love you all so very much. We are truly blessed! See you all very soon!!!!!

*The picture above is my babies 3 years ago before we left Washington! WOW!!!!

Immanuel Baptist Christmas Program 2010!

Last night at church we had our children's Christmas program. This was our first year to participate in a Christmas program and both kids were in it. Jaycee was an angel and she sang a solo. She did amazing!!! She got up there and sang her little heart out! It was one of the most precious things I have ever seen. So thankful that God has blessed us with our sweet precious beautiful Jaycee. Our lives would not be the same if she wasn't a part of it. In the moments of her singing I saw a little girl that God has placed in her heart a love for music as well as a heart to worship her Savior. What more can a mom hope for than to have a child that wants to worship her Lord and Savior?!?! I will continue to pray that God will be Jaycee's love and joy. I pray she will have a passionate intimate relationship with her Heavenly Father. As she grows that God will give us the wisdom as her parents to help her see the talents and gifts God has given to her. Help her to use them for His glory. I pray that God will help prepare my heart for the journey that He has for Jaycee. That I will provide encouragement, support, and counsel as she discovers what God has for her life. What a joy this will be to walk this road with my daughter and how grateful I am that God has chosen me to be the one to help her. Okay, now that I can't see the screen anymore b/c of my tears I will finish up on the Christmas program.

Jackson was a brave little guy last night. He played a donkey. He was by far the cutest donkey I have ever seen. My heart overflowed with joy as my little guy pressed to stay put on the stage. Oh how great the temptation was for him to come to his momma in the crowd. He hung in there til very end. As their part of the program ended I met Jackson in our church foyer. As he saw me the tears began to pour down his little face. I grabbed him and held him close and told him how proud momma was of him. That my heart was so happy for him. That Jesus was also so proud of him for being so brave for Him. The other huge step is that Jackson did this without needing to drag his blanket along with him. We have downsized to a little square camo blanket that he can take to public places with us. Here at the house he carries that one along with 2 bigger blankets around. As the anxiety builds in Jackson he tends to chew on the corners of his blankets. Well, without anything to chew on his tongue appeared. ha!ha! It circled around his lips at least 100 times. It was the sweetest thing ever. Unfortunately now he has bright red lips that we keep doctoring with chap stick.

It was a fabulous night with our family and church family. We are so blessed to have the best teachers for our children. The teachers love God and deeply care for the children. They do a great job pouring Christ's love into our children.I am sad that my pictures didn't turn out the greatest. Well, I haven't actually loaded them on the computer, but what I did get they seem a little on the dark side. I am very handicapped in working my camera. I have tried to read the manual, but camera lingo is very foreign to my brain. My husband did an awesome job video taping, though. The kids loved coming home and watching it 3 times before they went to bed last night.

Christmas Songs-

While putting my make-up on this morning I was listening to Faith Hill's Christmas cd Joy to the World. Both kids were sitting on the bathroom counter "helping" me put my face on. The song Santa Claus is coming to town came on. The part where it says he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awake... Jaycee immediately said "he doesn't know that." I said " sweetie, you are absolutely right. Santa does not know when we are sleeping or awake nor does he know if we are good or bad, b/c the Santa this song sings about is not real." So here began in my mind a discussion took place. We do not believe in Santa Claus, at least the one the world tries to sell us on. The truth behind Santa is from a man named, Nicholas. He was a man that loved Jesus very much. He lived that out in his life. There was a family in his town that had 3 daughters. This family was so poor that their daughters would not be able to marry b/c the family did not have a dowry to give with their daughter. Nicholas had compassion for this family. One evening Nicholas came by this family's home and threw a sack full of money in the window. The family did not know where the money had come from, but were thrilled for their oldest daughter. Nicholas also provided money for the other 2 girls. The dad of the family caught Nicholas on his last delivery. Nicholas pleaded with the dad not to reveal his identity. Nicholas' identity remained a secret until his death. The story of his life was share and he became known as Saint Nicholas. I so love this story and Nicholas' love for Jesus.

Now, back to my thoughts on the song. First, as an adult I know that this is just a fun little song to sing. Knowing that Santa isn't real and so forth, but for our children who we are training in God's ways how do they see it? This song is basically teaching that Santa is a god. How has this affected our world? We as humans have our standard of what good is, right? As Christians we have our standard as what is good, right? Good is God. Good is Holy. Good is Righteous. Good is Just. Good is Perfect. We as sinners are none of these. Jesus is the ONLY ONE who has these attributes. Only through death on the cross and His resurrection are we able to be looked at in this way. Its only trusting in Jesus that restores us to right standing with God. So as humans we start to compare ourselves to one another. We will always find others who we think we are better than, right?! So when Santa decides who has been naughty or nice what is the standard? Honestly, have you ever heard of someone not getting a gift for Christmas because he was found to be naughty? Therefore, every one is good enough. So comes in the reasoning as long as I am a good enough person I will go to Heaven. Which as believers in Jesus we know that this view is wrong. If we are only looking at human standards its sometimes hard to understand this view. But, when we look at God's standard then we see we have completely fallen short of the glory of God. The only way we can look upon God is to believe in Jesus.

I am thankful that God has already began to work in Jaycee's heart to know that He is the One true God. That there is no other who knows everything. That no one compares to our God. My heart for my kids is to have a deep passionate relationship with Jesus.That as they have questions they will seek Jesus and His truth. The truth of God's Word. They will not be like the boiling frog experiment. Seeing it in my on life I believe too many Christians have fallen to this. They have not pressed in to know God and to trust Him. It has led to lies beening seen as truth. Thankfully, as Christians we have the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. We receive forgiveness and grace because of Jesus and His unconditional love for us.

These are my thoughts my convictions. I pray that my convictions will lead to repentance and to a life that is changed for the glory of God. I pray that I will not so easily sweep things under the rug or just pass them off as no big deal. I also pray that it leads freedom, freedom in Christ.

November in Review!

Really, November is almost over with?!?! This month has flown by at record speed to me. I am totally good with that. That just means we are getting oh so close for our road trip to Washington for Christmas.

November, was a busy month for us. We finished up Jaycee's first soccer season by the 2nd weekend. We had an end of the season pizza party. It was a fun first season of soccer. The girls and the parents were fabulous! Jaycee also experienced her first friend sleepover. Jaycee's best friend from church, Chloe, also played soccer with us. Chloe asked to have Jaycee stay over at her house after their last soccer game. The girls had a fantastic time. Jaycee did great and loved it! She can't wait to have Chloe come stay with us now! I woke up several times during the night to check my phone and to pray, but I did survive her being gone. She was in great care with the Robbins' family, its just hard for a momma's heart to know that we are at this stage of life already with Jaycee. The bonus is that I think I will have a longer wait with Jackson!

Thanksgiving week was lots of fun. My sister and her girls came home Tuesday afternoon. Jaycee and Jackson were pretty much at my parents the whole week. Jaycee stayed the night Tuesday night, but Jackson wanted to come home. (Now you know why I think I will have him home a little longer). Wednesday we had lunch at my parents. Michael, my new brother-in-law, arrived that afternoon. The kids were thrilled when he showed up b/c his dog, Betto, had puppies. The puppies were 2 weeks old. 5 cute chubby black and white pups to love on! They got lots of love I tell ya. Wednesday night Kiley and Keely came to our house to stay the night with us. I have the best nieces in the world. They are so sweet. They help out and they are just fun to be with. Thursday we spent all day at my grandparents' house. Thursday night the kids stayed the night at my parents. Byron, my sis, and I went to Wal-Mart at Midnight! It was quite crazy! We go for the great deals on winter coats and pjs every year. We also were able to pick up a bike for Jackson at a great price, too. Wal-Mart was packed! The electronics section was impossible to get through. So many people we in line for the 5:00 AM madness. I applaud Wal-Mart,though. They had every checkout counter open. They had associates directing you to those check outs. We got to Wal-Mart just a bit after Midnight and were back at home by 1:30 AM. Friday, we had the Sutton Family Reunion. Saturday, we cleaned the house and had friends over for the Bedlam game. (OU vs.OSU) It was a fantastic game and a great evening with friends. Yesterday, we had church and then crashed for afternoon naps.

For the next few weeks we will be preparing for our road trip. As of right now we plan on taking the route through Colorado and Utah. We are praying that the weather will be good. At first we thought we were going to take the California route. We still possibly could. Hopefully the Colorado route will work. It will save us 6-7 hours of driving which will be HUGE!!!! Either way we are looking forward to our trip. The kids are excited even though they have no clue how long we will be in the van. Looking forward to all the memories made on our first family roadtrip as well as all the memories we will make in Washington with family and friends for Christmas 2010!!!!

Abba's Hands

I am sorry that I wasn't able to find time to post everyday last week about the upcoming event, Orphan Sunday. But, I have incredible news to share. All the praise and glory goes to God the Father. I can't even begin to put into words how amazing He is. He is so faithful, good, just, loving, gracious, forgiving, and merciful. He is relentless in His pursuit of His children. I stand amazed by that.

Byron and I over the past couple of years have been seeking God. Seeking God to truly know Him and to know His heart. Its not been an easy road by any means, but I can look back really over my entire life and see God's mighty hand at work. I can't even begin to say how amazing His grace really is. Through this process God has placed a passionate desire, His desire, in our hearts. That passion is to care for the orphans. At times I think, was I really that foolish to not see that this has been God's heart from the very beginning of time?! It absolutely has been His plan from the beginning. Adoption is God's plan A! He knew when He made the world He was going to need a rescue plan, and that plan was to send His only Son, Jesus, to this earth to live a sinless life and take up on Him the sins of this world, to die on a cross, and to raise Him up to life again so we could be adopted into God's family forever!!! WOW!!! Once you get even the smallest glimpse into this picture your life changes. You immediately see how incredible the picture of adoption truly is.

For the past 4 or 5 months Byron and I along with our adult and family minister Chris and his wife Kristin, we have been working on an adoption and orphan care ministry for our church, Immanuel Baptist. This past Sunday we launched this ministry to our church. God went way beyond our expectations. We had an information meeting Sunday evening. We were planning for maybe 25-30 people. We had 65 show up. We had a sign up sheet for anyone who would like to be a part of the core group for this ministry. We had thought if we had about 8-10 that would be really good, we had 30 sign up for that. We also had about 10-12 application packets to become Foster Parents and they were all gone. AMAZING!!!

Abba's Hands ministry is a resource ministry. We are here to help in any area of adoption and orphan care. Our first step is to help in our local community with orphan care. We are currently putting together "Bags of Hope" for children who come into the foster care system. If its not hard enough to be pulled out of everything you know its to be pulled away with a trash bag to hold your belongings. No way is this okay. So we will give these "Bags of Hope" with essential items each child in need. Through our Missions ministry (which is one of the best I have ever seen) they have a great foundation already built with the youth shelter in Duncan. We hope to help there any way we can. Also, we do already have several families in our church who are foster families. We are coming along side of them to help in whatever capacity they made need. We also want to help gather information and support any families who are looking to become foster parents or want to adopt domestically and internationally. Our last area we are looking into is partnering with a church/orphanage in another country. We want to come along side of them in prayer, financial support, and also make it available for our church to actually go on mission trips to this church/orphanage and help in any way possible.

Its the beginning of something amazing, because its God's heart and His mission. We are just graciously blessed to be invited to be a part of it. We know that it is not a sprint and its a marathon, but we have the God of the impossible with us, leading us, and supplying all that we need. We will continue to be obedient and God will provide the results: lives changed for His glory!!!

(If you are on Facebook you can look for the group Abba's Hands and join. Hopefully, after the first of the year we will have a website up as well.)

Orphan Sunday-November 7th

Orphan Sunday is only 6 days away. Hopefully, this week I can post daily on what this means and what it means for Christians all around the world. I am looking forward to this Sunday. Our church will be having our 1st ever Orphan Sunday. I am so excited to see what God does in our hearts. I can't wait to see how He will lead individuals, families, and our church to care for orphans all across the world. To gain more knowledge of what takes place go to www.orphansunday.org. I will leave you today with some statistics.

*The newest and most accurate number of orphans in the world, 163 million orphans.

*40 million of these orphans are among the top 100 unreached people groups in the world. (They have no access to a Bible, or for that matter have never heard the goods news of Jesus Christ!)

*15 million orphans have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

*There are 500,000 children currently in the US foster care system. 120,000 of those children are orphans. They are available for adoption right now.

* 60 percent of the girls that age out of the US foster care system will become pregnant within 4 years.

These are only a few statistics. They also can be overwhelming. At times, we can become numb to statistics. Each number represents a child. A precious child created by God. A precious child that needs the love of a family. I do not believe that every Christian is called to adopt, but I do believe that every Christian is called to do something. I hope that this week through these posts, through Orphan Sunday, through reading Scriptures that God will convict us of our lack of responding to what His Word says in regard to the orphans. I pray that we will repent of our disobedience and ask God to do a work in our hearts and lead us to accept the invitation that He is offering us as individuals, families, and churches to be Christ's hands and feet to the 163 million orphans around the world!!!!

James 1:27- Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

DeLaugther Farm!

Two weeks ago our church had a pre-school field trip day at the DeLaugther Farm. The DeLaughter family is an amazing family. They have a heart for God and a heart for serving others. Janet(wife/mom)and I taught Summer Sonshine this year. God blessed me with a wonderful friend. She is such an encourager. Along with Zane(husband/dad)being a doctor, having an office in Duncan and in Tulsa, raising 3 girls with another baby on the way, plus building a home, and maintaining their 150+ acres of land you wouldn't think they would have much more time to do anything, but they do! During the Fall they open up their land to the community of Duncan. They have a pumpkin patch, with hay mazes, face painting, swings, train rides, hay rides, and fishing. It was lots of fun to be at the pumpkin patch with our church family. We all had a great time. The kids loved playing with their friends. It was a great day all the way around!!! Thanks Mandy, our preschool director, for planning the fun day and to the DeLaughter Family for sharing what God has given to them.

Jaycee's 1st Soccer Season!

Jaycee has 3 games left to complete her first soccer season! Byron has done a great job coaching 6 little girls. Its not been the easiest thing in the world, but I think its safe to say that he has enjoyed it.

The team color is purple and the chosen mascot is the Dragonflies. They play 3 on 3 with no goalies. They play four 8 minute quarters. Three of the girls had already played a season of soccer and the other 3 had not. Its been a huge learning experience for us as parents. I am thankful for all God has taught me this soccer season. I am proud of my little girl. She has done well for never playing soccer before. She honestly just loves being out there with her friends. She has scored one goal and also has an assist. The assist was from a corner kick. (Byron was super pumped for that one!) Of course her favorite part is after the game when the girls line up to run through the parent tunnel and also the snacks! Ha!Ha!

Enjoy the pics of our little soccer player!!!

Broken-Down House by Paul David Tripp

I just finished the above title book yesterday morning. It was a great book! So many challenging things in it as well tools to step back and examine my own life and situations. It compares the world we live in to a broken-down house. I wanted to share the last few paragraphs of the book with you. I posted it in a note on Facebook yesterday so you may have already seen it. I thought for the ones who do not use Facebook I would share it here on the blog. Also, its easier to view our blog on my phone then it is to view notes on Facebook, so I wanted to have it to where I can read it whenever I need a reminder of the greatness of my Heavenly Father!!!!

"There is never a situation, location, or relationship that you enter alone. Your Lord is not away somewhere and he never sleeps. He never greets your calls with a busy signal. He is never too tired or too busy to respond. He will never mock your ignorance or weakness, and he does not cruelly throw your failure in your face. He will never threaten that he is at the end of his rope with you. He will not grow weary of your inconsistencies, bored with your ambivalence, or irritated when once again you fall short."



"His loving face will always be toward you and, because of the cross, you will never see the back of his head. He will meet your moment-by-moment needs- providing strength from his Spirit, wisdom from his Word, resources from the body of Christ, forgiveness that is your daily need, and deliverance from constant temptation. Even the trials he sends your way will supply what you need: the character to live for him more effectively. These are all evidences of his commitment to you, that you might be who you are supposed to be and do what he has created you to do."



"This is the God of grace who calls you to resist passivity and discouragement. He calls you to fight the urge to give in or give up. He calls you to live with perseverance now and to invest wholeheartedly in what is to come. He calls you to hold firmly to the same thing believed by all the saints who have gone before us: ' that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him' (Hebrews 11:6)."

Nana and Papa's visit!

Well, its been almost a month since Nana and Papa drove out our driveway heading back to Washington. We miss them dearly. The time we spent was not quite enough time at all. Really, I don't know if we could ever get enough time together where we were satisfied. Its such a blessing to have such incredible in-laws. God has truly blessed me way beyond what I ever thought possible for our relationship to be. I do not think of them as my in-laws that is the only way to communicate to others who they are, but they are so much more. I truly feel like their daughter. They love, support, and encourage me unconditionally. Nana is one of my dearest most precious friends. I really don't think words can express how much I admire, love, and care for this amazing woman. I am so grateful for her. Praying that this doesn't happen, but if something ever did our story would be "Ruth and Naomi". Obviously, there is some difference since I do already have children, but I think you understand.

Now, let's see if I can actually remember all the things we did while they were here. This time around they were just involved in all of our activities really. We didn't have much time to go off anywhere, but we still had a great time. They arrived on Tuesday September 14th. They got to rest for a bit and then we headed off for Jaycee's soccer practice. The next 2 days were spent at home with church on Wednesday night. Friday morning the kids and I headed South to Amy and Michael's wedding. Nana and Papa went to Wichita Falls, TX to shop. It was wonderful having them at Jaycee's first soccer game on Saturday. The rest of our Saturday we played at the house and watched football. Sunday we all went to church and then came home ate pizza, napped, and watched NASCAR. On Monday, Jackson spent the day with Papa, Byron worked, and us girls had a fun day together. We went to Duncan and made all the little fun, unique stores. Moms you know the ones that I am talking about the ones you NEVER take kids into. That was quite the treat for all of us. That was also Jaycee's first time to visit the library. She LOVED it. We came home with a huge stack of books for the kids. Tuesday was a home day with soccer thrown in that evening. Wednesday was church and Nana had a private viewing of the pre-school choir that Jaycee sings in at church. It was quite the treat for Nana. Thursday we went up to Oklahoma City to the Stockyards, had lunch at Cattlemen's, and then shopped. Friday we had our own movie night watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Byron and Papa went to Velma's high school football game. Saturday we had 2 soccer games. The kids then went home with my parents. Byron, Papa, Nana, and myself went to Smokin' Joes bbq and then to the Josh Turner concert. It was a great evening! Sunday was church and then we spent the rest of the day soaking up our time with Nana and Papa. I think it was close to 1:00 am before Nana and I went to bed. We knew it would be a while before we could sit and visit face to face, so we were getting in a very good one in hope that it would hold us over until we are able to do it again! (I am already in need of another one, though!)

If you haven't heard, we are coming to Washington in December. We are road tripping!!!! We are leaving out early December 17th with plans to arrive in Washington on December 18th in the evening. We will leave Washington on December 30th. We are only 7 1/2 weeks away from departure! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hitched!

On September 17,2010 my sister married Michael Bailey! It was a great day for the wedding! A little on the warm and humid side, but we all survived. They got married in Weatherford, TX, Michael's hometown. The kids and I drove down early on Friday morning so Jaycee could be part of all the fun girlie activities.(Byron came down later with my Uncle Johnny and Aunt Retha). Jaycee got her hair all done up as well as got her finger and toe nails painted professionally! The down time between the appointments and the wedding we spent at Ma and Pa's hotel room. The wedding was simple, but beautiful! As you will see in the pictures for any of you that were at our wedding or have seen pictures, yes, my sis and I have great choices in colors. We both had black and hot pink for our wedding colors! We are gals that love black and well, hot pink looks really good with black. Jaycee and Michael's niece, Sophie, were the flower girls and Jackson was the ring bearer.Kiley and Keely were bridesmaids and Michael's 2 brothers were his groomsmen. I wasn't sure that Jackson would go along with the whole idea of being the ring bearer, but he did great! The ring bearer pillow become his "security blanket" for the evening. You couldn't get that thing away from him. He stood at the front for a few minutes then found his way to my dad's lap for the remainder of the ceremony. Everything went well.Keely read a very sweet poem that she had written herself. It made everyone a little teary-eyed. The reception was great! They had amazing food, cake, and ice cream! I am very happy that my sister found love and I hope that her and Michael have a great marriage! He's a wonderful addition to our family!!!

Little hope...

that I will ever get caught up on this blog. I do have so many stories to share with friends and family about what is going on in the lives of the Lohrer family. Every day passes without me posting anything. I really think I am going to just dedicate one night a week to staying up super late and hammering out these posts. I also want to blog because I don't want to forget these days with my children. I don't want to forget the early stages of their lives and the early stages of parenthood. I don't want to forget the everyday moments. I want us to be able to reflect and see God's grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness poured out on us. I want our kids to be able to have something tangible to share with their kids. I am going to get this blog caught up. I didn't say it was hopeless. So be on the look out for posts on Nana and Papa's visit, my sister's wedding, Jaycee's soccer season, the pumpkin patch trip, and the work that God has been doing in our hearts!!! Don't give up on me yet!!!

Life is busy!

I truly have wanted to post so much on the blog, but I have failed miserably. I keep thinking I will have time to do a detailed individual post, but let's face it, its not going to happen anytime soon.

Here is the update on the Lohrer Household.

A good friend of mine says this a lot, "Parenthood is not for the faint of heart." I absolutely agree! Its by far the most challenging, yet rewarding job ever! I love every minute of it. Until you become a parent you will never understand what truly being a parent is all about. I have a whole new appreciation for my parents. My understanding of God's grace has immensely increased. I am humbled that God has chosen me to be a mom, especially the mom to Jaycee and Jackson. I am so thankful that His grace has been sufficient through the early years of parenthood. I know His grace will be sufficient through the rest as well. I can't imagine tackling parenthood without God being my Rock, Shield, Strong Tower, and Strength. I can't imagine going through this journey without my amazingly wonderful and loving husband. Also, the support of our great families and friends.


Jaycee is growing every second of the day. I can't wait for us to hit Fall weather. She is down to very few Summer clothes that still actually fit. As of a month ago, she is 44 in tall and weighs 46 lbs. We are homeschooling Jaycee for Kindergarten. We are LOVING it!!! We just weren't ready to send her to school. Kindergarten in Oklahoma is all day everyday! We just weren't ready to venture down that road. She is also playing soccer for the first time! Byron is the coach. He is doing an amazing job with the girls. Their first game will be this coming Saturday. There are 6 girls total on the team. They play 3 on 3. Its going to be the cutest thing ever watching these girls run around on the soccer field. Jaycee will also be a Flower Girl in my sister's wedding this Friday night. So we have one busy weekend ahead of us. Jaycee is going to love being a Flower Girl. On Friday she will have her first trip to a Salon for her hair to be all done up and also to have a manicure and pedicure. Besides all of Jaycee's activities she is becoming quite the little girl. She is sweet and compassionate. She is kind and loving. She welcomes everyone with a great big beautiful smile. She is the best big sister. She is Daddy's little girl. She is Momma's little princess. She loves Jesus. She loves to sing. She loves to draw, color, and make cards for people. She loves to tell stories. She is an animal lover. Our world was greatly changed when Jaycee entered our world and we are forever grateful for the gift God has given us in Jaycee Ann.

Jackson is almost 3 1/2 years old which totally doesn't seem possible. Time has flown by with him joining our family. He is 39 in tall and weighs 36 lbs. This little guy is full of life! He keeps us on our toes at all times. He will test the waters at all times. God has given him a big personality! Once he is comfortable he let's it shine! He will do anything to get his sister to laugh, and that is his greatest joy. He adores his big sis. He would be lost without her. He is also growing up on us. His tantrums are becoming few and far between. He is still our strong-willed child, but he is starting to understand the consequences for his actions. He is all boy! He plays with cars all day everyday. He loves to be with Byron or my dad. If we are ever down around my grandparents' house and Byron and my dad are working I guarantee Jackson is right there with them. He is also into building his own pumping units. He loves when he is able to make the rounds with Byron. He really is becoming a Daddy's boy. I knew the day would come and I am thankful. He has an incredible daddy! There isn't any man better suited to teach Jackson how to grow up and become a man, husband, and father than Byron. Jackson loves all things with wheels and the bigger and louder something is the better. He plays hard and sleeps hard. He has stolen our heart a million times over. We are so thankful for the gift God has given us in Jackson Alan.

Tomorrow Andy and Marilee arrive! We are so excited! Its been a little over 5 months since we have seen each other! Extremely way too long in my books! We are thankful that they will be here for almost 2 weeks. Since they are driving down maybe we can convince them to extend their stay! In the next few weeks, I am sure I will have lots of posts to share with you if I can find the time!

Promotion Sunday!

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted in a month! I have thought many times about posting, but never sat down and took the time put my thoughts on the computer screen. At times, I so wished I had, but at other times so thankful I didn't.

This past Sunday, August 15th, we had Promotion Sunday at church. The kids moved up in their classes. Both kids did a fabulous job in transitioning. Jaycee, I didn't have any doubts that she wouldn't make the change in joy and excitement. Now, Jackson I was a little concerned, but had been preparing him for about 2 weeks that change was coming. Well, he did fabulous! Thank you, Jesus! Maturity in my little guy is definitely growing. He had a great time in his new class. Bonus, is that one of his Sunday School teachers is one of our really good friends. John is Chloe's dad which is Jaycee's best friend. So Jackson is quite comfortable being around John. Also, Jackson is getting to experience new things in class. During extended session, which means we are in "big church", he gets to watch a puppet show now. He thought that was way cool and he was able to sit by his sis during the show! Also, on Wednesdays he is a part of Preschool Choir. Now, we will have both kids on stage when we have the kids' choirs sing for the church. WOW! How fast my babies are growing! Jaycee is now in the class that is the oldest in the Preschool Department. Next year she will move upstairs to Children's Church and a GA's group. Oh my heart! I praise God for the awesome teachers and staff that we have at church that pour God's love into our children lives. As parents, we are training our children in the ways of the Lord and its a huge blessing knowing that at church you are getting that support from so many others that not only have a heart for children, but a heart for God.

Here are a few pics from Sunday morning before we left for church!

Memorizing Scripture!

No, I am not receiving anything for promoting this awesome new album, but its amazing!!! The Rizers are a part of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA. You can find them by going to the right side of my blog under the websites I love to read and click on Mark Driscoll. It will take you to the Resurgence website that has an icon for The Rizers. They have taken scriptures and put it to music. Its aimed towards kids, but it won't hurt us adults a bit. As Psalm 119:11 says, " I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" we all need scripture in our hearts. I noticed today on the Resurgence website they had a blog about memorizing scripture and how to get it started in your own home. I am also working on a scripture memory box. I am still trying to find the best way to organize it. I am trying to decide how I want to break things down into sections. Anyways, I look forward to when the kids are high schoolers and our scripture box is wore out because it has been used so much. As we memorize scriptures as a family I know that God will strengthen our walk with Him and strengthen our family bond as well. So I encourage you to get started today planting the seeds of God's word in your childrens' hearts so when they grow older they will not depart from it! Also, that your own faith in God will grow!!! What an awesome mighty God we serve!!!

Oh my heart!

Priceless in His Sight
5 Jul 2010
Ariel Allison Lawhon, She Reads Co-Director

"How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings." Psalm 36:7 (NIV)

Like many other Russian orphans, Masha was forced out of an orphanage at 15 and sent to a tech school – an underfunded holding tank for kids who learn how to lay brick or paint walls. One day, a group of professional looking, wealthy women came to the school and interviewed the girls for the best jobs in Russia. They were promised fancy clothes, expensive jewelry, and all the money they could hope for. Masha was chosen, and assumed her dreams had come true.

However, she quickly realized this dream had turned into an ugly nightmare.

She was taken to an apartment and beaten. In a matter of hours she would be entering the s*x trade. The life that loomed before her was one of forced prostitution.

This is a story that's repeated across the globe in staggering numbers. In Eastern Europe alone, 200,000 women and children are sold into slavery every year. Innocents shipped off to brothels, never reported missing and never rescued. The s*x trade is now a multi-billion dollar industry and the United States is one of the biggest consumers. I imagine Jesus weeping. We should as well.

Though some consider these women and children a commodity, something to be bought and sold, God sees their worth: priceless, cherished, beautiful. Our value as human beings is not calculated in assets or financial holdings, gender or age, or what we can bring on some shady black market auction block, but as image-bearers of God. Every human is priceless because we are formed by the hand of God for His glory, made for a purpose that was never meant to include slavery o r violation. We believe this. And we must put that faith into action.

The good news is that not every story ends in suffering. Masha, for one, escaped her terrible fate. As she waited in that apartment for a group of men to claim her, she remembered a ministry center sponsored by Children's HopeChest – an organization run by She Reads author Tom Davis. She remembered being cared for and shown the love of Christ there. Masha escaped the apartment and ran to the HopeChest Ministry Center in Kostroma where the staff immediately called the authorities and gave her protection.

Today she is safe, receiving an education, and has a future – because of the caring work of believers, believers just like you and me. There is hope for girls like Masha and there are tangible things that every believer in Christ can do to help those who are not as fortunate. Starting with prayer...

Dear Lord, would You have mercy on the countless victims who are locked a way, suffering the unspeakable? Comfort them. Redeem them. Be their hope and their ransom. But more than that, Jesus, would You show me what I can do to help? Show me how to be a voice for mercy and justice. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

She Reads author, Tom Davis, knows what it means to walk into the darkest places on earth and show mercy. His novel Priceless tells the gripping story of a young Russian girl swept into the s*x trade. The novel is this month's She Reads selection – visit the site to learn more about the novel and enter today's giveaway for coffee and a copy!

Priceless by Tom Davis

Consider sponsoring a child and help them be released from poverty through Compassion International – your sponsorship could keep them off the streets and safe from the slavery trade.

Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most by Dr. Wess Stafford

Application Steps:
Visit Tom Davis's blog, www.sheispriceless.com to learn how you can help those trapped in the s*x slave industry.

Pray that God's mercy will extend to every victim of this horrible situation.

Give to ministries that rescue women and children from the s*x trade.

Sponsor orphans in need of shelter and protection.

Get educated on the realities of the s*x slave industry.

Be vigilant to watch for victims near you – it happens in every city in the United States.

Reflections:
Does my heart break over the things that break God's heart?

Power Verses:
Isaiah 43:1, "But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.'" (NIV)


Zechariah 7:9, "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.'" (NIV)

This brings me to tears that so many young women and children are being taken advantage of, abused and mistreated. I know at times we like to play dumb and not see these things that are are so horrible happening in this world. But they most definitely are. We as believers in Christ cannot be silent anymore. We must look beyond ourselves and reach out to the hurting and the needy. One thing that will bring this home like no other (as hard as this is to imagine) picture this happening to your daughter. If you don't have a daughter then your niece or a dear friend's little girl. Oh the horror of what that would be like. I have such a hard time even going there in my mind thinking something like this could happen to Jaycee or my nieces. Also, to know what I would do to get them out of something like that. Literally, I would give my life to rescue them from that. Shouldn't we being do that for these girls? Shouldn't we be asking God how can I help rescue these girls from a life that has taken them to a feeling of utter worthlessness! Like us these girls were created in the image of God. Like us they need a Savior and Redeemer. Like us they need to be loved and restored and healed. We need to be Jesus' hands and feet to them. Pray for them and pray that God will show you what you can do to help these girls and how best to show them God's love for them. At the end of this devotional they have listed some items that can help you gain more understanding of what is happening in the s*x trade world. Also, you can google organizations that are specifically dedicated to helping these girls out. Be a voice for these girls that do not have one. Pray for them and I know our Heavenly Father will hear our prayers and answer them.

Daily Devotionals

I highly recommend signing up for Proverbs31ministries daily devotionals. You will receive a daily devotional via email Monday-Friday. They are so good! Last week God used one of them to speak directly to my heart! Last week I was struggling with some things and trying to work them all out in my head. I am not going specific here with what I was struggling with, but these issues bring me to tears most days. But, I am learning that I need to take each day as it comes. Be thankful for each day I am given and to live that day glorifying God in all that I do. I can't worry about things that are out of my control. I can't fix everything. I can't make things happen. I am learning that I must be obedient to the things God is calling me to do. Each activity throughout the day, each thought I have, or crisis I encounter I must take it before God asking Him how I can glorify Him through them. I am learning, too that God is enough. As my mom in law shared with me the other day about a bible study she is going through at church is that God has given us the best gift ever, His son Jesus Christ. Through Jesus we have the ability to have a relationship with our Maker and Creator. There is not a more precious gift ever then that.

So here is the daily devotional of last week that God used to get my attention.


Is God Enough?
2 Jul 2010
Melissa Taylor

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

Is God enough? It's a question that my life circumstances force me to keep going back to. What I've concluded is that not only is God enough, but He has to be enough. I've also concluded that it takes effort on my part to keep myself aware of this.

As a young child, I didn't realize my need for God, but I did realize that I had a need that was not fulfilled. I was sexually abused when I was seven years old. My dad left our family when I was eleven. Both circumstances left me devastated, and I didn't understand how God could bring healing at that time. I spent many years trying to heal myself and make myself feel better. Nothing worked.

As I grew older and began to move from being a Christian who simply believed to a Christian who was actively involved with Jesus, my life began to change. Because I was having conversations with Him directly and reading His Word consistently, my life was challenged. I learned that when the hard knocks came, and they would, I needed to ask myself one question in order to move on. "Is God enough?"

When a friend betrays me, is God enough? When I need to forgive someone for something that seems unforgivable, is God enough?

When my child is having issues that are out of my control, is God enough? When my marriage is on the brink of destruction, is God enough?

When I am not forgiven by another person, is God enough?

When my mother is dying of cancer, is God enough?

When others don't recognize my value, is God enough?

When I am struggling professionally, is God enough?

When someone I love uses words to hurt me, is God enough?

When I am in debt and don't know how I'll pay my bills, is God enough?

When I am reminded of something I did in the past, is God enough?

When the world is in turmoil, is God enough?

When my health is declining, is God enough?

When I am let down and disappointed in my life, is God enough?

Just last night, I sat in my room crying. Here I was again asking, "Is God enough?" I opened a box full of personalized Bible verses that someone very special gave to me. I began reading them out loud to myself. Verse by verse, I began combating the thoughts that were paralyzing me with self doubt. What I discovered is the conclusion I always come to when I ask myself "Is God enough?" Yes He is.

I could lose everything in life. There's not anything I have here on earth that is guaranteed. If I lost it all though, I'd be okay because no one can take away my identity in Christ. Whether I live in a mansion on a hill or a shack in the swamp, I have my Jesus. Whether the world is for me or against me, I have my Jesus. When I am knocked down, I get on my knees and there I find my Jesus. His Word is planted deep in my heart and I believe it all.

When life becomes more than you think you can handle, don't quit. And certainly don't believe the lies you may be entertaining in your head. Instead, ask yourself, "Is God enough for me?" The answer could change everything.

Dear Lord, help me to realize that the secret to being content in all circumstances is You. Help me to be aware of Your presence in my life at all times. In Jesus' Name, Amen.


When I ask myself this question my answer is YES GOD IS ENOUGH!!! No matter what life throws at me I know that God is enough! I am learning to trust this truth more and more every day!!!

Won't You Be My Love by Mercy Me

When you fall asleep tonight
In your warm and cozy room
Know that I'm awake
And I've got no shelter and no food

[Pre-Chorus 1:]
I am not alone
My friends are broke and lost
Looking for someone to lead them to my cross
I need your help, I need your help

[Chorus 1:]
Won't you be My voice calling
Won't you be My hands healing
Won't you be My feet walking into a broken world
Won't you be My chain-breaker
Won't you be My peacemaker
Won't you be My hope and joy
Won't you be My Love

[Verse 2:]
The other side of the world
She is just a few days old
A helpless little girl
With no family of her own

[Pre-Chorus 2:]
She is not to blame for the journey she is on
Her life is no mistake
Won't you lead her to My cross?

[Chorus 1:]
Won't you be My voice calling
Won't you be My hands healing
Won't you be My feet walking into a broken world
Won't you be My chain-breaker
Won't you be My peacemaker
Won't you be My hope and joy
Won't you be My Love

[Bridge:]
To those I call My own
To those I've set aside
As spotless without blame
The chosen ones My bride

[Chorus 2:]
We will be Your voice calling
We will be Your hands healing
We will be Your feet walking into a broken world
We will be Your chain-breaker
We will be Your peacemaker
We will be Your hope and joy
We will be Your love

I don't have much time to fully share all that my heart is saying at this moment. We are about to head out the door for our 3rd day of Vacation Bible School. As I was getting ready this morning, I was listening to Mercy Me's new cd The Generous Mr.Lovewell. This was my first time of listening to it and this song came on. I couldn't finish putting on my make-up for the tears streaming down my face. Lord, help me and help all the followers of You be Your voice calling, Your hands healing, Your feet walking, Your chain-breaker, Your peacemaker, Your hope and joy and Your love to the world around us. This will look different in each of our lives, but remember this don't let your surroundings, your family, your friends, your community, your culture stop you from being the hands and feet of Jesus. Pursue Him daily and live a life changed for the glory of God.

Show me what it means by Meredith Andrews

You don't want my perfection
All You ask of me
Is that I show up broken at Your feet
You don't want my religion
You are looking for devotion
That is more than just routine

So show me what it means

To take up my cross
And count it all as lost
All for the sake
Of knowing You
To love my enemies
And care for those in need
Show me what it means
To follow You

Have I become like the Pharisee?
Passing by the needy
While I'm speaking Jesus on my lips
Will I walk with You on raging seas?
Or will I turn away
When You want more than what I want to give

So show me what it means
What it means

To take up my cross
And count it all as lost
All for the sake
Of knowing You
To love my enemies
And care for those in need
Show me what it means
To follow You

To love as You love
And live as You lived
To never give up
On giving You my life
To love as You love
And live as You lived
To find out what it means
To be alive
To be alive

To take up my cross
And count it all as lost
All for the sake
Of knowing You
To love my enemies
And care for those in need
Show me what it means
To follow You

If you have never heard of or listened to Meredith Andrews I highly recommend that you do. Her songs are amazing. The lyrics will convict you and challenge you. Lately her 2 albums are all I listen to. I usually end up in tears at the end of each song. My heart so longs to have a deeper love for my King and Savior. My heart so longs to live passionately for my King. My heart so longs to live the way Jesus Christ did on this earth. My heart so longs to live the kind of faith that says God you are truly all I need that nothing else matters. I so desperately want to have this kind of faith and love for my King. I know its a process. That God is working in me transforming me to be the image bearer that He created me to be. As I mentioned in yesterday's post God has used several books to change our hearts. Here are a list of these books. As you read them be ready for the Holy Spirit to began a work in your heart. Its challenging, its convicting, but oh how wonderful it is to have God's peace, love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness at work in your life! I know we are just at the beginning stages of it. We battle everyday with surrendering our will to our Heavenly Father's will, but oh its so worth it. God's love truly is better than life!!!

Crazy Love and Forgotten God by Francis Chan
Radical by David Platt
Adopted for Life by Russell Moore
Don't Waste your Life by John Piper

"Only one life, 'Twill soon be past; Only what's done for Christ will last."

2 1/2 years....

is how long we have been back in Oklahoma. No, this isn't a post to announce that we are moving back to Washington or moving in general. Its a post for our family to look back upon and remember God's goodness and faithfulness. It was extremely difficult for us to leave Washington 2 1/2 years ago. As much as I love my family and had the desire of being close to them, I had really grown quite attached to all of our family and friends in Washington. God used our time in Washington to grow my relationship with Byron's family. I am super thrilled that Marilee was able to be a part of Jackson's birth. Having a home birth with Jackson was the most incredible thing ever. I LOVED it! I am thankful God allowed us to be able to have those moments to cherish. Also, the friendships that developed into deeper ones with the "Nooksack gang" as well as the friendships that blossomed from our small group from NCCTK. It was very difficult to leave so many amazing families.

Of course, in any change through life you always have your mind set on how things will go. We go about life with a plan, but when you are a follower of Christ you need to be ready for changes to be made. Our family's spiritual life has been on a journey like no other over the past 2 1/2 years with the last 6 months being the most powerful. The journey by no means has been easy. There have been many tears shed throughout. Tears of joy, tears of sadness, tears of heartache, and tears from just crying out to the Lord for His direction and plan for us. Its definitely been a struggle for us, but praise God that He has kept us as individuals, us as a couple, and us as a family in the palm of His hands. His grace has been sufficient for us and that His love for us has been unconditional. He has been faithful to see us through the changes and it has all been for His glory which is by far the best part of it all!!!

When we first moved back to Oklahoma we attended church where I grew up attending. The people are great, but it was difficult especially with 2 young children to be involved like we so desired to be involved. The driving time was 40 minutes each way. The closest friends we had from church (which they are still some of our dearest friends) Trey and Serah live 35 minutes from us. We stuck with it for a year, but felt that God was calling us away from there. It wasn't the right fit for us. So we tried a church in Duncan, which the drive was about 25 minutes from our house each way. That was really nice. We were there about 6 months, but we still didn't have that peace in our heart that this was our home church. Around the beginning of this year, God really began to stir mine and Byron's hearts. We had both come to the place that we knew we needed to come together on some things. We begin studying the Bible more, we researched things in great detail, and God used some great books to speak to our hearts as well. Through all of this God has built a firm foundation in our hearts on the grace we have received through faith in Jesus Christ. We have grown so much spiritually it can only be explained that God has been at work in our hearts. He also led us to an amazing church family at Immanuel Baptist Church in Duncan. Its a 20 minute drive from our house. The pastor and the staff are in love with God. They are pursuing Him with their whole hearts and leading the congregation to do the same. The people are caring and loving, and the messages are challenging. This is the right fit for us. The childrens' ministry is incredible. Both kids love it. God has blessed us already with some wonderful friendships. We have been there for only a short time, but we feel like its been our church family for a very long time. I am so thankful for God's faithfulness and His answers to prayer. Even though at times, I didn't think He was listening to my prayers, He was just saying "Wait my child. I hear your cry and see your heart. Its in my timing, not yours my child." How grateful I am that God's way is BEST!!! He knew exactly what we needed and even blessed us well beyond that!!!

In saying all of this, here are pictures of some of the wonderful families God has joined us with at IBC. My heart was overjoyed to witness God's answer to prayers for not only us to have such wonderful friends, but our kids to have them, too. This past Friday, myself and 3 other moms with their kids met at Haliburton Park in Duncan. It has a putt-putt golf course that we took the kids thru. After the fast and furious game of putt-putt was done we headed over to the playground area. Around 11:30 we sat down and had a picnic lunch together! It was a fabulous day with amazing moms and their babies!!! Thank you, Lord for Your goodness, kindness, love, and faithfulness. Thank you for caring for us and providing for our EVERY need!!!!








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