Monday, April 28, 2008

Another trip to the hospital...

Friday night, we noticed Carters tummy looking quite bloated and hard. He was crying b/c of pain, and the dr had been checking Alli's tummy to make sure it wasn't getting hard. So...I was cautious and took Carter to the ER on Friday night. They did blood work and he was rolling back and forth in pain...nothing would comfort him. I felt so sorry for the little guy, when all of the sudden...I started to smell a dirty diaper comin! (go ahead and laugh now...I started cracking up too)...he had a huge diaper and lots of gas...and when I got him cleaned up...he was running around the ER. The dr/nurses thought he was a new boy. I couldn't believe it. I was praising God and laughing...all at once!
It was snowing up here this past weekend. I don't think it matters that May is this week...
Saturday we took a day trip to Duluth and enjoyed the malls/walmart/arbys, etc...and while we were just about 25 minutes away from Ely, the wind was whipping the snow so hard that we couldn't tell where the road began! So, we had to turn around and spend the night in Virginia.
Sunday we were going to try Babbit Baptist, but that didn't happen...so maybe next week!
Today we had another dr appointment to double check Alli...and they gave us the thumbs up!
I just started the chapter of John today...and have been in a state of sorrow/diligent prayer. I am just persistantly asking God to sell our house...learning as I go. Do I covet? Do I love the things of the world? It's all going to pass away...I know God's plan is perfect...I just keep praying that I will give God the glory when our house sells and if he chooses not to sell it! I had a great conversation with Shannon Fure today...she said "faith is believing that God will take care of you, no matter if it's the way I have been asking, or if God chooses another route, whether it be foreclosure or something else. Just believe that God will take care of you"...what a refreshing thought.
I felt like I should be reading Psalms when David was in anquish over some of his circumstances though, instead of reading John...:)

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Trip to the cities, hospital, dr, bathroom, etc!

WHEW! I can't believe it's been a full week since my last post...
We headed back to the cities Friday afternoon and on the way, Alli started vomitting. She must have done that about 10 different times...thankfully we only had 1 more hour to go. We ended up throwing away her car seat, stripping her down and shifting everyone's seating. We thought maybe she was carsick, b/c she had just had a bottle in the car. But, we quickly realized when we got to Jack and Nancy's...it wasn't carsickness...the kids didn't want to eat their dinner. And just as the adults started to eat, Carter threw up all over me...GROSS!!! Than, Sydney kept saying she was sick too...I didn't know if it was true sickness or "sympathy sickness"...I felt fine, or so I thought....Sure, enough Sydney started throwing up too...Than, they all got diarreah on top of it. And, they wanted to drink liquids, which made everything worse! So...all night long Mark and I were up with one kid, who was either: throwing up or had a dirty diaper!
Saturday morning I was hoping it was a 24 hour bug and it was done...but no...they kept all their symptoms going.
Poor grandma and grandpa! They won't let us visit again!:)
Saturday night, I made a cake that was from a cookbook I got at the library. It took 2 hours! It looked so pretty with Coconut pressed on the outside of the buttercream frosting and the raspberry layered lemon/type cake!
Well, you guessed it! Sunday morning all the adults started getting queesy stomaches!
Sunday night, we headed back to Ely. I had a bucket in the front seat....Alli cried for 75% of the way back ...Carter couldn't stop asking for "mommy" and was crying...we were all going crazy! Mark had to pull over so I could "toss my cookies" and he pulled over to change some more smelly diapers...we thought for sure, we would blow a tire and hit a deer, the way our night was going...but, thankfully the Lord should us some mercy and guided us safely home!
When we arrived, I lost everything, and was exhausted...than in the middle of the night Mark did too...and Carter and Alli was sick again...she was becoming lethargic, which concerned me...so I made a dr apointment right away Monday morning. When I arrived (barely) they said she needed to be admitted to the hospital to get an iv so she wasn't so dehydrated! Seriously, I thought...I am suppose to pick up Sprite, crackers and popsicles for the sick ones at home (including me!)...Change of plans! So, I am at the hospital, and Mark was at home with the crying others...asking for "mommy"...he ended up putting them in the stroller and walking up to the hospital b/c I took the only car we have right now! I took Carter in to the dr as well, b/c he was acting the same way as Alli...By the end of the evening...Carter and Alli and I slept at the hospital and Mark took Sydney home, to peaceful rest!
The next day Mark had to be back at work. So, I had all 3 with me in the hospital room (boy was that fun :() They did xrays on Alli's tummy and did blood work on her as well...thankfully they all came back normal, and released us around lunch time.
She has had dr appointments everyday since to check her weight to see if she has improved. She has been losing weight, but her alertness is better and so we just keep offering her food and liquids...and celebrate when she wants it...so please pray for her to get better quickly! Pray for Carter too...he is still struggling with this bug as well!
I have been "knocking, seeking" the Lord so our house will sell. And he gave me Luke 17 today...if you keep asking persistantly God will answer quickly. So, I asked God to set up a showing soon, b/c your Word says it...and it was so neat, around 5 tonight I got a call saying their is a request for a showing of our house tomorrow morning! Please pray with us consistantly about this issues. God will answer prayer. We need to have faith, and know that God is just and will do more than I can ever ask or think!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

MOPS

This morning the kids and I walked to MOPS...it was about 1.3 miles...they did great.
MOPS was so refreshing this morning. We talked alot about how we need to be hospitable (did I spell that right?)...Do people feel at home at your house? Are you always cleaning before they come? Can you be spontaneous? Do you really stop what you are doing when your guests are over and meet their needs? Really listening? It was sure a challenge. I thought back to Martha and Mary today when I read the Bible...I am more Martha than Mary. I want to be busy doing, and everyone to notice, rather than being quiet and listening to what I can learn. God help me there!
Sydney had a little girl come to play with her today and than, Paula and the kids and I walked to the "Ely Feed & Seed" to check out the plants...I made some beef stew, and I think we are going to just relax around home tonight...b/c we are coming home tomorrow (as long as there is no blizzard :))
Also, I have been struggling with wondering how to pray about the sale of our house. I wanted to keep praying that it sells, but yet be submissive to what God is trying to teach us and miss the lesson he has for us. I have tried to confess everything, thinking if I can just be "perfect" God will say "ok, now you are good, so I will sell your house"...and it was so neat, I was reading Luke 11 today and it was the "writing on the wall" I needed! God told the story about a friend asking another friend for 3 loaves of bread in the middle of the night...he was rejected b/c it was too late and they had already gone to bed. So God says...he wasn't given bread b/c of his friendship...the friend just kept knocking, and knocking and knocking, until the friend gave in and gave him what he asked for. What a simple lesson! Seek, and you will find, knock and the door shall be open unto you! Perserverance!!!!!!! So please pray with me, for the sale of our house!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Sad

We found out recently that Brenda and Kirk had a miscarriage!
Also, my girlfriend Amy was pregnant and had a miscarriage this week :(!
They both are planning on trying in the summer...so they are resting on God and looking forward to the future!
Keep them in your prayers. They both seem to be ok with everything knowing, God's will be done.
Today we had a playdate with Sydney and Gavin (Sydney is 4 and Gavin is 2), so it worked out perfectly. Their mom is Kristi, and she is pregnant due in June with surprise #3!
It was great to see Sydney dressing up with girly things and not "hunting" or "fighting off bad guys" for a change!
Tomorrow morning is MOPS...and we are going to try and walk their! I think it's about 1.2 miles away...my poor kids!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

I will survive!

Well...we survived...last week we got whipping winds/a little bit of snow. There were blizzard warnings for the whole northland region! We decided to not make the trip down to Audrey's wedding (Mark's cousin), the weather radio said "if travel is necessary...be sure to have your survival kit". Seriously? That is crazy!
So, Friday night we met Paul and Matthew and their kids at Pizza Hut, they came back to our place and chatted and played Nintendo! It was fun fellowshiping!
Saturday we slept in, and dropped garbage at the dump and recycled our stuff...we drove around and had dinner at the GEL.
Sunday we checked out Ely Baptist again. We enjoyed it much more this time. They now have an intern pastor until they get a permament replacement.
Sunday afternoon was nap time! And than we walked around and played ninetendo and watched movies.
Yesterday was a good day, we got to take a long walk during the day and hit the grocery store quickly after Mark got off work (our grocery store closes at 7pm!!!).
Today we had ECFE...it was about birds...so the kids made some art projects and played. Tonight we are meeting Paula and Matthew and are walking to a lake and letting the kids play at the playground.
I have been reading Power of a praying Wife...and if you haven't read it...I ENCOURAGE you too!!! It will help you with your daily walk with God...and than your next priority...your husband!
Well...weather is looking in the upper 40-60's this week, so hopefully we won't be swept away by the floods of 3 feet melting snow...keep in touch!

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Another Blizzard is on the way...

You would think this was a long April Fool's Day joke...but it's not!
We are getting another blizzard come Thursday evening-Saturday morning...we are getting high winds and significant snow fall!
Today we watched Micah and Ana (Paula, my new friend here in Ely's kids). they were fun to have around, my kids really miss having playdates...so we "smothered" them.
I made homemade chicken noodle soup Monday, and boy was it good...Grandma's cooking is always the best, and it lasted for 3 days straight! Mark is glad it's gone now...no more soup for a while.
We are itching to get outside, but Cater's boots are soaked from laying in the puddles...so we have to wait...b/c of the snow fall, we still don't have satellite, so no tv...but we are getting better at nintendo! :)
We are still hoping to head to the cities for that wedding, unless it's crazy snow...and than we will stay back...
I forgot to post the april fools day joke ely played on everyone. They posted signs that stated "keep ely in mn, say no to canada"...there were signs EVERYWHERE last Tuesday...the word spread fast, it was on the news in the cities, national news and even someone in Ubikistan called our mayor to try and "buy ely"...the chamber of commerce here, recently hired a new marketing firm to try and stir up new tourism in the area, and they definitely did their job. NO Ely is not getting bought by Canada...we are staying right here...and hope you come up too!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Seriously, is it Spring?

Let me tell you! Whatever happened to Spring? It has been snowing since Saturday night, and it is suppose to continue until tomorrow sometime! They said we had about 2 feet as of Last night...and it looks like 3-4 feet of snow out there right now! Our van is stuck in our parking space, when we got grocery's yesterday we had to put them in a SLED to transfer them to our apartment!!! Churches were canceled yesterday. Business' were closed today, the post office said they were going to try and get mail out, but if your walkway or sidewalk wasn't shoveled, they weren't going to bother. I thought it was suppose to be Spring?
We had a great time Friday night at the VCC (vermillion community college) play! South Pacific was great. The kids did good with Bill and Dorene and they volunteered to watch the kids again soon for us. We will take them up on that!
Saturday we drove to Grand Marias, it was so nice, it was 40's, none of were wearing coats. We ate pizza at Sven and Ole's and walked the boardwalk area...looked for moose, in vain. But we did see a couple of coyote's and deer.
Tomorrow is ECFE (maybe, pending weather), and I am going to make a day trip to Virginia to get the glass fixed on our van windshield. Friday we are heading to the BIG CITIES for a wedding...yeah!
I have been reading in Matthew the past couple of weeks and learned a few things that I must have ignored in Bible class: Jesus fed 4,000 people and at another time 5,000 people...I just thought he did that one time...also, I wasn't familiar with transfiguration, and didn't realize that Moses and Elijiah actually met with Jesus and a couple of his disciples when they were praying. Also, his parables are so applicable and easy to understand and apply it to explain eternity and how to treat people. I think the Religious leaders did us a favor trying to "trick Jesus" into saying something that could get him put to death...
I was talking to Melanie about her church and her pastor was witnessing to a fellow and said...I am not religious, and don't like "religious people"...in fact, it was "religious people" who tried to put Jesus to death!....interesting?
Have a good week, and if you want to fire up the snowmobile...head north!

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Rain Boots

Well, I think Rain Boots are top of the list to buy next time we hit the cities! I took the kids to the park yesterday and the water puddles came up to Carter's knees! He was a little stinker of course and jumped right in! This is the second time he has done that, he is a magnet for water puddles...
I met Paula and her two kids there and than we headed back to her place to dry off.
We were invited to go out to the play "South Pacific" tomorrow night and are going with 3 other couples. Mark's co worker and her husband volunteered to watch the kids.
Today was MOPS and we did scrapbooking, it was so fun!
We have story time here at the library tomorrow morning...
Hope all is well with you...keep in touch.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Sunday fun

We enjoyed the Ely Gospel Tabernacle on Sunday. The music worship part was a blessing. The "tab" wasn't the church for us however. I didn't like the part that the pastor was praying for all the churches in the local area who didn't have pastors to get them (he prayed for lutherans, catholic, baptist, etc...). I felt as though, we were praying for them to be "lead astray". They believe in a personal relationship with Christ, but I think the lines of "accepting everyone and everything" and not "offending anyone" were issues they blurred my standards on. I think that if you are of Christ, you will offend some people. You will suffer for Christ (in a very small way).
Anyways...Sunday we were going to go out with some people, but we didn't connect, so we ended up driving around later on and going out to eat ourselves...We probably saw a dozen deer over by the lake. It's fun to see.
Monday was a good day. The kids and I went to an ECFE Gym night where they played with lots of kids in a gym. We also hit the library to get some new books (I swear we read about an hour a day).
Today I had a follow up check up with the dr. All is good.
Tonight, Sydney and Mark have a date night, so I better get off the computer so they can go to the GEL.
We are planning on going out to eat and see a play with some people in town Friday night. Just feeling guilt-free about leaving the kids...is the hardest for me. And, meeting new people. We won't know the couples we are going with (except one)
Wednesday looks like a playdate with Paula and her two kids, and Thursday is MOPS! YEAH! Well...hopefully I can update soon! Have a great week...and keep praying our house to sell!

About Me

I am a wife and mother of three beautful children. I like to keep busy up here in Ely, since there isn't much to do. Sydney is in preschool, and I take the kids to ECFE every week. I am starting a ladies bible study 2 times a month and am also leading another bible study, twice a month. We love hiking, boating, fishing and going on dates together...we love our new life up here in Ely!