Don't even have the words....

Well, my intention for today was to post a prayer request for my sweet college roommate Allison. She's a friend that sticks closer than a brother! She married her husband Paul eight years ago and they have struggled with infertility the majority of that time. They both love kids and had planned on having a houseful!! And believe me, if you met Alli you'd see why! She acts just like a kid too and is just a blast! Kids ALWAYS have fun when they're with Allison! Anyhow, they tried having kiddos on their own and just weren't able to get pregnant. Then she tried several fertility helps to no avail, so they decided to try IVF. They went through two IVFs without a baby. The doctors told them they probably wouldn't be able to have children, but God knew better! They tried one final time and Ava and Isabel came to be! They are now almost three years old and are just little stinkers!!

Here's a picture of Allison (prego with Ava and Isabel and holding little Brookie), our other roommate Tuyet (pronounced Thea) with her little Olivia, and me (holding Bubba and with Eva in the tummy).



And here's a picture of Allison now with her two little miracles!



Shortly after having those two cuties, she and Paul began trying to have more because they knew it might take awhile. Again, they weren't able to get pregnant on their own. And again, they've been through two cycles of IVF that were unsuccessful. But week before last, they went through it again, knowing this would be the final time they could try. I knew Alli had her appointment tomorrow at the Clinic for her serum HCG, but when I opened up my email a few minutes ago, this is what I found and I cried like a baby!!



Aunt Amy is just overjoyed!! It is exciting when anyone becomes pregnant, because God has created a new little life! But it is just overwhelming when someone who has tried for so long becomes pregnant. God is so good, and it is amazing to see how He works everything in His time!

Every time Paul and Alli have been through IVF, the doctors haven't been very optimistic. They always gave them the 'percentage chance' of their becoming pregnant. And I love what they've said through every one....."Our God is greater than any percentage". And He is!

Congratulations Allison! Praying for you, sweet friend!

Junk n Stuff

I've recently started reading Tip Junkie's blog and let me tell you.....she's hosting some great giveaways for the next 12 days!! It's called the Mom-Preneur Shopathon and she's giving away two prizes every day......and they're sure to be good ones too!

Run on over there and check it out!

If your grandma has ever burped in your ear......

you might be a redneck.

My in-laws are about as country as country can get (git). They're a husband/wife truck driving team and make East to West Coast runs in their "Brooks & Dunn" model rig. :) My mother-in-law takes great pride in how she decorates the inside of that thing....lots of flowers and lace -- exactly what you'd expect to find a tractor-trailer, right? But, honestly, they're the most kind and generous people I've ever met. They'd give up anything they have for someone else. I'm fortunate to have such sweet in-laws.

Anyhow, our neighbor sometimes takes Noah to school, along with her little boy. She called me last week to tell me about a conversation they had in the car. She said they were talking about grandparents and little Noah said, "Yeah, I have a grandma and she's really fun. She likes to pretend to whisper in my ear and then she burps really loud." My neighbor was dying laughing when she called and she was like, "He's joking, right?"

Uh, no. 'Fraid not.

If you're ever driving on the interstate and you see a Brooks & Dunn truck with an angel on the top alongside the words "Heaven Bound", just give 'em the honking signal and their truck'll play a little Amazing Grace for ya! And tell em Amy sent ya!

God Bless America, Land That I Love

Well, election day is over and I must say that my heart has been heavy. But then I just read this.
And hardly anyone can say things better than Beth Moore.

Although my vote didn't turn out the way I had hoped, it's still my duty to support and pray for our President and our great Nation and to unite with others for the cause of Christ.

To be a light for Him in this world.

To do otherwise would be just what Satan would hope for, as Beth said so well.

Today, I was thinking what a great nation we live in that we are able to vote for the candidate we choose, and for that vote to be counted fairly. Many people throughout the world do not have that opportunity.

And I'm also grateful, although I may not agree with some of the things he supports, that our nation has moved past prejudices of the past to elect an African-American leader. I pray that this Presidency will bring people of all colors together, because each of us was created in His image.

I'm continuing to pray that God will bless the United States of America as only He can...........

Change....it is a comin

It's 2:30 am on the eve of Election Day and I've been awake for two hours now. I simply cannot sleep. Never before have I had so much on my mind. My heart is in constant prayer for the choices that will be made tomorrow (today).
I have not slept well since last Thursday. If you read this, you've seen my posts on 40 Days for Life, the pro-life campaign that's taking hold across our nation. I have prayed outside an abortion clinic before, but never when it was open. Last Thursday was my first time, and my life has been forever changed.
I witnessed countless numbers of cars drive by the clinic multiple times before they got up enough nerve to enter the driveway. Once in the driveway, you could hear the conflict going on in the cars, and it took one mom 20 minutes to get out. As cars pulled in the driveway, and as people opened their doors and got out, we began to lovingly say to them, "Please don't kill your baby.....come talk to us......your baby's heart is beating, please let it live." And, while I was there, everyone kept on going into the abortion clinic.
On Sunday, our group was so extremely fortunate to meet Kim, a mom whose third child, sweet little Emily, has Down Syndrome. She told us about being counseled that it was okay to abort her baby because of the diagnosis, but praise God Emily was there with us on Sunday, just as beautiful as could be! She had become particularly active in the pro-life movement after having Emily. At the closing vigil, another prayer volunteer who worked near the clinic told a story about Kim. Because of her work's proximity, she was able to walk to the abortion clinic to pray during her lunch every day. She said she would never forget the day she walked around the corner and saw Kim's hands raised in the air, and she was saying "Praise the Lord!!!" She had just counseled a mom who had decided to keep her baby. That was the first of two saves that day. Kim said her pastor asked her, "How did it feel to be a part of saving two babies lives?" Her answer was, "it made me sick to my stomach, because I saw how many babies weren't saved that day." And I've pretty much felt the same way since last Thursday.
And if this election goes as the media predicts that it will, many more lives will be lost. Senator Ob@ma has said that one of the first things he will do as President will be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, preventing governmental interference in a woman's right to choose to terminate at any point in her pregnancy. This means a woman can legally have an abortion up until the moment that baby is born. And Obama isn't for the Born Alive Protection Act either, which would require the baby to be kept alive if something goes wrong and the baby doesn't die as a result of the abortion. Basically, it would just be left to die.
Oh, friends, what is wrong with our nation when we are more concerned with the economy than we are with human life? When we worry more about our retirement portfolios than we do about a baby in the womb? I believe the economic downturn in our country is directly related to our moral downturn. People want to live their own way without consequence. And so, come tomorrow, the election will go one of two ways......one way will promote a more liberal way of life, one in which we're able to live our lives just the way we want without repercussion and the other way will be that which hopefully will return our nation to the ideals it was founded on by its Creator. No candidate and no party is perfect and neither am I, but I believe we should vote for the candidate whose stances most closely line up with standards outlined in Scripture.
I am thankful that God's hand is on this election and that He is in control and whichever candidate is elected, it will be no surprise to Him. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands!

Halloween Ghosts

Here are my cute little Halloween ghosts!! :)

The first grade at Noah's school is having their own little fall festival tomorrow, and I signed up to bring enough leaf cookies for the entire first grade. Well, there's no way to make leaf cookies except roll them and cut them out. So, last night Noah, Brooke, & I started on our first few batches. Can you tell what their favorite part was? The flour, of course! They helped me put colored sprinkles on the first batch and while I was getting the second batch ready, just look what they got into! At first, it was fairly mild (above picture), but then I took a little break to play on my iPod for a minute, turned around and saw this! Of course, my little sensitive Brookie started crying because I was dying laughing (see pic below). There was flour EVERYWHERE!!! You can see it in the floor behind them. It was all over the entire kitchen and then there was a flour trail to the bathroom where they tried to wash off a bit. It was one of those times where you really want to get mad, but you just can't because it's so funny!

Her shirt was dark brown and she had on dark denim jeans. Hope this stuff will all wash out! It took forever just to get it all out of their hair! And now I have three more batches to make tonight....just when I got it all cleaned up!

Who wouldn't love those little faces?

Also yesterday, Brooke had laid down to pout about something on the green rug in front of the fridge and all of the sudden I heard her just start crying. Guess what had happened? Her earring had gotten hooked on a loop of the rug and she couldn't raise up without that rug being hooked on her ear! That is SO Brooke - if something random's going to happen, then it'll surely happen to her.

Speaking of random, I think I just keep rambling from subject to subject, so I guess I'll close. :)

Happy Fall y'all!

40 Days for Life - Take 2

I received this story yesterday in my daily email during the 40
Days for Life campaign. You simply must read it! I can only
imagine being there as this played out. Just a testimony that
God puts people right where He wants them at just the right
moment!

Unexpected joy arrived one evening at the 40 Days for
Life vigil outside the Planned Parenthood location in
Sioux City, Iowa as people gathered to pray.

A bus from Michigan broke down at the fast food
restaurant right across the street. The bus was
carrying a Christian drama team -- including 13
children with disabilities. The assistant director
saw the vigil across the street, so he walked over
and started asking questions.

Stormy, one of the vigil participants, had a bunch of
questions for him as well. When she found out who
they were and what they did, she asked if they would
put on a play -- right then and there.

"They did! Right there, facing Planned Parenthood,
these special kids and friends re-enacted the Passion
of Christ," Mary reports. "The young man who
portrayed Jesus had Down syndrome. He stretched out
his arms and 'hung on the cross.' "

The assistant director said he cries every time he
watches the kids do this play. "It might have
something to do with the actor playing Jesus," she
said, "who gets so emotional that he can't stop
crying."

Before they left from their home town of Holland,
Michigan, their principal had told them that he
didn't know when or where, but he just had a feeling
they would hold one additional performance at a time
and place that was not listed on their original
schedule.

"We are sure glad it was here," said Mary. "They were
terrific and they were so pleased to perform for
people who respect all life. Their replacement bus
arrived just after the kids were able to receive lots
of applause and thanks and a 40 Days for Life
bracelet."

The death of the innocent Lord and Savior -- staged
in front of Planned Parenthood, an organization
responsible for ending hundreds of thousands of
innocent lives every year; performed by special needs
children, upon whom the abortion industry has
declared open season -- how powerful!

There is indeed joy. And there is indeed hope.

Lord, I ask that you continue to work through this campaign. Work through the hearts of the abortion providers, work through the hearts of those that are seeking abortion, but Lord, most of all, work through the heart of ME. Help me to show mercy every time it's needed...just as it has been shown to me. Put me in the path of those who may feel that abortion is the only way out of their situation, Lord. Thank you for the many women who chose not to abort, even though it seemed abortion would be the easy answer. Lord, I have no doubt that once their precious children were born they were so thankful they had not! I am so burdened about our nation now, Lord. It seems that many times, those who are 'for' the murder of these innocent children are also for "saving the Earth." Oh, Lord, how mixed up we are when the environment becomes more important than human life! God, bring us back to You. You are the Creator of life, the Source of life, and the Giver of eternal life. Thank you for that, Father. Help me to live for You and let everything I do be a reflection of Your love. Amen.