Thankful Thursday: My 2008

I probably won't remember it all, and have so much to be thankful for, but here goes:

January 2008: My cousin Jackie gives birth to a beautiful little boy and I have the pleasure of being at her beside during most of her labor and watching this angel be born. I will never, never, never forget this experience and I am so grateful to have been a part of this!

February 2008: God provided for us big time financially with our tax return. His timing is ALWAYS perfect.

March 2008: I got to do 2 things for the first time this weekend...go horseback riding and watch snow fall. And I was blessed to do it among the women of my church at a retreat. It was such a sweet weekend and I had so much fun! This was also the month that my SIL went into the hospital with a bag of broken water at only 22 weeks pregnant... seeing her determination to carry this baby through, although the doctor's said it could not happen was very inspiring, plus the silver lining in this was getting to spend over a week loving on my niece and nephews. I will never forget that week with 8 kids...it was a blast!

April 2008:This was the hardest month ever of my life, but God showed me he would never leave me and that he was there with every tear that rolled down my cheek, with every cry I belted out, with every time I curled up into the fetal position. I won't go into the details of my anguish that month, but I questioned so much about myself, so I am thankful for that experience, because it made me really stop, think, and be a better mother. We also moved up to the mountain this month and it has been such a blessing. I love it up here! Dirt road and all!

May 2008:I celebrated my 36th birthday with a surprise birthday dinner from my husband, and a birthday party given by my sweet girlfriends. I needed that, after April! Tim and I were able to go away for an anniversary weekend to a nice secluded cottage and go horseback riding again. Tim really was into the details for our 7th anniversary...we even got to go air gliding. That was amazing!!! And to end my May with a big miracle bang, my gorgeous niece, Gracen was born at 32 weeks, healthy and strong. God showed himself so much through her.

June 2008: We have our Pastor and his wife up to our mountain for dinner. It was such a great time and although I already loved them and held them in high regard, I now felt such a bond with them as well. They have been one of the biggest blessings in our life.

July 2008:My grandmother turns 94 and is an amazing health!! We get that check from the government, I forget what it was called, and buy an above ground pool. The kids LOVE it and I love watching them have so much fun.

August 2008:This month was a very defining one for me as a wife. I really had to be obedient and trust God on an issue that is one of the dearest to my heart...my womb. Tim wanted to start a new medication that would be harmful if I became pregnant. So, this would mean using birth control, which we had agreed when we got engaged we would not use. I submitted, trusting that God would take care of it all. God as always, showed himself faithful, by having my husband call me at my women's retreat and ask forgiveness. Tim is always quick to say sorry. I am extremely grateful for that quality in my husband. We shared in the joy that God was the author of our family and once again left my womb in his hands, as it should be. Being a quiver full family, is a blessing, but it is also a constant growing experience. It is about submission, and obedience, and GREAT reward when you do them.

September 2008: I was terrified to begin homeschooling a highschooler, but as with anything that you place in God's hands, he takes it and does wonders. We have an awesome month in school. God also restores, well actually I should say heals a relationship that meant so much to me. My friendship with this person has become something very beautiful and valuable in my life.

October 2008:In true form, God never waits long to bless my womb when we submit...we are pregnant for the 7th time. Tim is overjoyed and begins to ask everyone to please pray for a little girl. We have our families up to celebrate the one year anniversary of Dan and Natalie's salvation. It was such a sweet month!

November 2008:I am sick, really sick this month. But, God shows me that as much as I questioned my role as mother, that he has been working on my children through me. I see this month as one of the most fruitful because my sweet children step up and take care of me, our home, and their Daddy without being asked. Even Natalie and the kids stepped in and helped. I am so blessed.

December 2008:This has been a super great month! I am finally feeling better, we found out we are having a little girl, Tim got lots of time off work, we were able to spend Christmas with lots of family, our big screen finally got fixed, a medical concern of mine turned out to be nothing, and Tim and I have really had a chance to be like old times together. We sat one night and thought about what we had been doing different since we moved up here, because sometimes things were tense, really tense between us lately. We figured it out: We had been going on weekly dates, until we moved up here. We started doing them again, and voila, what a difference a date made!! Thank you, Jesus, for being in each detail for us this year. I thank you for each trial because they made me stronger in you, seeking you, and learning to be content in the moment, and able to see the fruit for my patience. I remember thinking exactly 1 year ago...2008 is really going to be different...it was. It was hard, it was trying, and it was the most growth I have had as a Christian as well. So, I thank my God for it ALL.

**a little shout out to our TV repair guy. He assured me that my husband's beloved big screen could be fixed. He figured out the problem and it was a $200 part. Well, needless to say, we did not have the money, so we told him we would have to wait. He then tells Tim 'Merry Christmas, my gift to you, just pay it forward.' What a sweet testament to our children that God IS in the details and He does care even about the little things, like our big screen. God used Paul to bless us and we will be paying it forward. . We have already started to think of ways...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO MY FAITHFUL READERS AND ALL YOU LURKERS, TOO!!! GOD BLESS YOUR 2009...EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM OUR GOD!

(For those of you following Stellan's progress on the prayer request, go here for his update! He is doing MUCH better, praise to God!)