Sledding Fun

Well last night Jeff and I went to bed at midnight and woke up to 8 fresh inches of snow. It looked so beautiful when we woke up at 8:30 am!! We were quite blessed to have to kids who slept in till 8:30, ok so Caroline woke up at 3 but went back to sleep after her feeding till 8:30. After church we went to the sledding hill for Matthew's first sledding experience! He loved it. Actually he loved playing in the snow in our yard and then screamed his head off the whole way to the hill! Then cried the whole way home and when we finally brought Rosey cheek boy in after an hour and a half outside. I brought Caroline with us b/c I wanted to document the whole thing, she was less than thrilled! Oh well, fresh air does a body good! :)

Here are some pics! Also some pics of Matthew and Caroline and the BUMBO Seat! So cool, we love it!

SS

Praise!!

Last night Josh moved his hands!! Praise God!!! I invite anyone who reads my blog and doesn't know the Josh update website its www.greenhouseministries.org! Check it out, so inspirational!! I feel like nothing else is worth writing about. I literally am praying for them all day and even am woken at night to continue. Please add your prayers to mine! Its so cool to me how the Holy Spirit is convicting thousands!! of people to do the same thing!! God loves us so much!!
I am going to post some pics of Matthew and Caroline soon. Caroline is now sitting in her bumbo seat alot!!
S

Wow

I just read the lastest updates on Josh and can barely breathe, I am in such awe of that family, especially Josh. He is taking this latest tragedy with such steadfast conviction of faith. I don't know Josh at all. Jeff and I started going to LCC right when he and Shelly left to start Greenhouse. But, I feel through Shelly's blog and her comments on my blog and relationships with people at LCC that I know a little bit about him through their stories of him...what a true example of how to live and walk the Christian faith.

I have written so many blogs on how afraid I am of situations like what has occured to the Bucks happening to me. In fact, I have wasted a lot of time worrying. Reading what Josh had to say about how he feels about what happened and his response is so encouraging and convicting. How weak is my faith if I don't believe that. I am studying Romans in BSF right now and wouldn't you know that Monday night we talked about suffering and how its all for the good and glory of Christ. How we can't always understand why some families have to suffer more, we will find out in the eternal life what it all was for. One of the study exercises was to write Romans 8:38-39 over with what we fear. I wrote, " For I am convinced that not even losing Matthew, Caroline or Jeff, can seperate us from his love. Death can't and life can't The angels won't and all the powers of hell itself can not keep God's love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tommorrow or where we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean-nothing will ever be able to seperate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us."

I believe that and know that its making my relationship with Christ as strong as I can make it !That is the only thing that will see me or any of us through this life!

S

Power of Prayer

Hi
I continue to always be in awe of God...as my last post told you, Josh Buck, the old youth pastor at our church was in a serious diving accident in Mexico on Thursday. He was taken to Miami and had emergency surgery on Friday night. He was on a ventiliator and the doctors said it would be about 10 days until he got off it, only 2 days later he is off! PRAISE GOD!! We has a prayer vigil Friday night and again tonight in his honor. Tonight was so powerful to witness and truly feel God's prescence in the sanctuary. You knew that He heard our prayers and each person in that room believes fully that Josh will make a 100% recovery and God's power to accomplish that.

Last night Jeff and I had to go to a party for a friend of ours who finished his MBA. I was talking about Josh with my friend who is an ER doctor and she was greatly encouraged by what I had to told her about his progress. I then said, "We just have to keep praying and have faith that God will heal him" She looked at me kind of weirdly and said, " I think that God dosen't ever say This person will die or this person will be paralayzed, I think life just happens and its how you respond that shows your faith. I then asked, "So you don't think God hears and answers prayers?" She said no. I walked away feeling so badly for her, what a scary world it would be if I believed that our God didn't care about and hear and answer each and every prayer that is spoken to him!

I believe that Josh Buck will regain 100% of his faculities! I believe that our God that is capable of creating this amazing world can accomplish anything! I can't wait to tell my friend of Josh's recovery and glorify and praise God for what He accomplished!

S

Pray!!

Please pray for Josh Buck and his family. Josh was in a diving accident in Mexico on Thursday and is in Miami, Florida. He is on a ventilator and the extent of his injuries aren't yet known. Also, his wife Shelly is pregnant with a son, who is due in June, they also have a son, Noah and daughter Zoe. Please pray that God would heal him and comfort his entire family and especially Josh and Shelly.

S

I love my hubby!

I am really missing Jeff on the nights that he works! I am so thankful for all he does to help me with the kids, the house and how we know each other better than anyone else. Its funny when were watching tv, I can almost guarentee what he will say in any given situation. Especially if its a political commercial or report on the news. Usually I look at him and say, "Shush, I know what your going to say..." He just laughs! I was thinking of a David Grey song that I love that says that everyday is incomplete until he walks until the room and everytime I am talking to you its always over too soon. That is how I always felt when I liked/stalked:) him! I am so glad to say 10 years later I pretty much always feel like that. Not that I always show him that, I defintely can take him for granted. I am working on that!

I am excited for the weekend, my friend Beth is coming into town from Chicago tommorrow night and spending the night and Saturday with us. Then Sat night, Jeff and I are going out to a party for a friend of ours who just graduated the U of M MBA program. We are going to see several couples we haven't seen in awhile!

In a completly unrelated topic, I really think I want a third child! Jeff thinks I am nuts, but when I think about our family I think of us a family with 3 kids! So my question to you fellow bloggers is "How do you know when your done?" I hope none of you say just leave it up to GOd in the birth control department! Jeffy don't play that game:)

SUE

True to God!

Hi

I am annoyed right now and feel like what I am feeling I need to express. So watch out, usually when I feel this way I sleep on it and it comes out a lot less harsh!

I am tired of not sticking up for Christ. I don't enough with my friends who aren't Christians. I think I kind of do it because I don't want to seem pushy or have arguments everytime we have conversations but the thing is that its a huge part of me and I am not going to bite my tongue anymore.

I think this is all steming from a girls weekend I have coming up in a few weekends. Its in Chicago again and will heavily involve alcohol. I am fine with being around people who drink but I hate that I care if people will judge me for not getting wasted. Maybe that is the consequence I must endure for all the crappy choices I have previously made! Lately I feel like alot of my life is living with consequences of past decisions. Like, my friends, don't get me wrong, I have some wonderful friends from my past that are strong Christians and its great having them. I also have new friends who I can talk with. But, they don't have the same past as I do so we don't have that in common.

One prime example of this in my life is that I don't share this blog with everyone. Mostly I don't to non Christians...why? This is me or isn't it. I guess that is the real question. I think for the most part it is, but sometimes its more new sue than old sue and I am afraid that old Sue friends will be like, old Sue thinks new Sue can do no wrong. I guess I will have to take that chance because new Sue is here to stay!! And believe me new Sue screws up all the time, but she is sober! :)

S

Colic

Ok, I admit it, Caroline is colicky! I have really struggled with defining her with that but as I type this email I am thinking about the rough events of the day. She has a cold, nothing major but she's definetly uncomfortable. She has been alternating between 10-20 minute sleeping jags and then full blown screaming all day. To make matters a little more stressful, Jeff works every Saturday now doing taxes. Thankfully Jessica my niece came over and that made the day a little less crazy but when Jeff came home I was so glad to see him. I even convinced him that if we took the plies of cans in our garage back tommorrow that maybe we could get dinner out tonight! He said yes, I think he knew its been a rough week! Poor little girl!!

Now its four hours later and wouldn't you know it that little Miss Squeak has been sleeping since 4:30!! She woke up to eat and basically slept through it and me changing her into her pj's! She was laying on my lap peacefully for like an hour. Maybe she's just particular! I was watching this cheesy Lifetime movie called, "Mom at Sixteen" about a teenager who has a baby and her mom moves them to a new town and they pretend its the mom's baby and then she ends up giving him to her health teacher who struggles with infertility. TOTAL LIFETIME! But, one line in there struck me, they show the little boy at five at the end and they ask him why his birth mom is special to him and he says in a cute 5 year old voice,"Because I am the only one that has heard what my mommy's heart sounds like from the inside" I thought that was so special, sappy but special. I have been reading a book to Matthew by Barbara Kingsbury called, Let me Hold on Longer, TOTALLY BUY IT!! It talks about how life goes by so fast and you never really know when the "lasts" are happening with your kids as much as their firsts, how true! I always tear up at the end b/c it talks about the little boy growing up and going to college...Matthew always looks at me like if he could speak in sentences he would say, "Mom your a freak" :) Seriously though,great book!

They grow up so fast

Wow, Caroline will be three months on the 12th....I can't believe it! She is so much better with the Zantac. She really must have been in pain. She is so smiley lately...when I go get her from her swing or crib she is gets a glimpse of me and is all smiles....priceless! Matthew is being such a sweetie lately too. He went to the toddler room on Sunday and they have a little Bible lesson. Jeff and I were in the nursery working and we could see him sitting on the little chairs listening. It was so cute!

Tonight I went back to Bible Study Fellowship. It was good to be back. I ran into some of the girls from my group last year, we had a really close bond. We were cracking ourselves up right when the lecture portion began and this lady sitting in front of us totally reprimanded us..brought me right back to high school. The funniest part was that we are all "Princess Bride" movie fans and when the lady yelled at us last year for similiar antics, I quoted the scary witch in Princess Bride who yells, "Boo, Boo, Boo" to Robin Wright's character. So today, I simply wrote BOO in my journal and were all hysterical once again. Not very BSFey or nice but really funny. I hope some of you who read this have seen it or your thinking...WHAT?

Here are some pics of my big girl and her brother. The one of her in the car seat with the stoic face seems to say to me .."Mom what the heck! Am I ever allowed out of here? " Maybe someday when her crazy brother stops trying to shove cereal down her throat!! Seriously, I turned my back for like a minute and he had a honeycomb in her MOUTH!! Ahhh

Sue

Acid Reflux Baby

Poor Caroline has been definetively diagnosed with acid reflux. I took her in for a barium swollow test on Tuesday and she indeed has a signifigant reflux. So, she will be taking Zantac three times a day. I hope it helps, she has been a real bear lately. Just gets herself screaming and its sounds so pathetic. Its funny how I don't want people to think she is fussy.I don't know why I care. I mean, to me she only screams like that when her reflux is bad or if she is constipated, which is also often. I feel like if you had to take a poo really bad and your esophagus was burning with acid, and you couldn't talk and tell anyone, you'd cry too! I am glad its nothing too serious and hopefully the Zantac will ease her discomfort!

S

Resolutions

Yes, the dreaded word!! I was thinking back over the year and thinking what shall I doom myself to fail at?? That is how I feel about resolutions! Mine has been for as long as I can remember to lose weight. Some years I accomplish it here and there. Five pounds up, five pounds down mostly since Jeff and I have been married. But, this year I really am determined to let God have control of this issue. I haven't ever fully given it to Him, hence the failure at attempting to do it myself!

Last year, I was pretty into it, until I found out I was pregnant then I was like, "Forget it!!" So this year, I am joining Weight Watchers and working out at home. A gym membership isn't in the budget, by the way that is Jeff's resolution, we are staying on the BUDGET!! Plus, with Matthew and Caroline its hard to find time to go and Jeff is working three nights a week in addition to his regular job so no time for him to watch the kids. This means me getting my catucus out of bed early and getting walking or doing the Biggest Loser workout DVD. But,it also means, going to prayers or the Bible when I feel like eating and I know I shouldn't. I have tried this before and it totally works, but you have to DO IT! I am starting back to BSF this Monday and looking forward to that. Routines are great for me!

We did massive orgnanization and cleaning today. Jeff organized our Master bedroom closet, it looks so good! When he sets his mind to cleaning, he is incredible, too bad it doesn't happen alot!:( I am giving away alot of my old clothes. They are outdated and don't fit! I also went through the kids closets. Would you believe Miss Caroline has already outgrown an entire moving box full of clothes? Its really amazing how much she is growing. She is already out of some 6month stuff!! My sister bought her the cutest outfit and I couldn't even get the pants over her chubby little knees! Oh well, Grandma Betsy keeps her styling and profiling! I also took down the bassinet today. I was a little teary,I must admit! I keep having thoughts of a third. Jeff vetoes this but I say I am the president of family planning and he is Chief Financial Officer and that position doesn't allow for vetoeing! He said that as CFO, its his duty to inform me that if we don't pay off our debts, baby #3 isn't financially possible! Those darn accountants!

We better getting working on those resolutions!

S