A Time for Our Story

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,  does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1Cor. 13:4-7


Thirteen years ago today, Ben and I started dating! It sounds like a long time yet feels like it was just yesterday. Since this marks a special moment in our lives I thought I'd share our story...and even if no one else is interested, at least our kids will enjoy this someday! We always joke that anytime anything significant is going on in our lives we have extreme weather and it's kinda been true. Ben and I had been friends for a couple years before we started dating. His best friend, is my cousin, and that is how we met. The day I knew he was the man I was going to marry was when at a get together at a friends house he saw I was sitting on the floor and he offered me his comfortable chair...he didn't have to do that since tons of other people were sitting on the floor but that gesture showed me what a gentlemen he was and how different from the rest he was. I was smitten! About a year after that happened he showed up at my apt. after work one summer day. I was sleeping but he told my roommate to wake me up. He told me he wanted to show me something and could we go for a ride. It was pouring rain outside. He drives to a park and stops the car and tells me there is something in the trunk he wants to show me. (the fact that I actually got out shows how much I trusted him...because lets face it....that sounds a little creepy, haha) He opens the trunk and in it is a single rose. Then the rest is history. Most of our dating relationship was long distance as he was in school in Texas and I was in Maine. So we had lots of time to talk on the phone and write letters and emails. We each have a binder full of the letters we wrote each other during those 2 years. Three years after we started dating, we got married. In January. On the worst snow storm of the year. We were supposed to have 150 guests but because the storm was so big and was all over the state of Maine through to MA only about 50 were able to come. You would think this would have bothered me but really it didn't. The only thing I cared about that day was marrying Ben and I did! I still feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have been the one God choose for him. We've had an awesome 13 years with lots of blessings. 

A Time for Summer:Camping, New Additions and a Pig Roast!!

Summer here in Maine (this part anyway) has been beautiful. We've had such great weather so far. My only complaint is how fast it is going...why is it summer is always the fastest and winter seems to take forever? We just don't have time to fit in everything we want to do. We did take 4 days to go camping with friends up at Glen Ellis Campground and had such a great time. It was a really nice campground, so nice in fact that Ben and I joked about how living where we do is more wilderness than that campground was! But there was a lot for the kids to do and it was right on the river which was great to swim in and very cold. Perfect for a pregnant lady dying in the 90+ degree weather we had while we were there. 
Pretty much our whole summer has been consumed with finishing our addition. Not that we haven't done plenty of entertaining and spending time with our friends but we made a point this winter to set aside as many weekends as possible to be home working. I look at the finished work and am every day amazed. You know how sometimes you do something and you have to sit back and wonder, "how did that even happen?" or "where did the money come from to do it?". I've had a lot of those moments regarding this project. It was really important to us that we not go into debt for this so really our thought was we'll do what we can, little by little, and patiently wait till it's complete. I honestly thought it would be 10 years before we were able to have our new bedroom! God has been so good, and I am so thankful. I'm thankful for God's provision to keep us out of debt, I'm thankful for the helpers Ben had because he never could have done it in this little time without help, and I'm thankful for a wise husband who made very good decisions along the way and worked so hard. He puts in long days as it is, and just our home with 5 kids is a lot, then to work till 10/11 at night on the addition when he is up at 4:30 every day was amazing to me. But we now have a new living room...something we never really had because the space we had was a dining/sitting area and it wasn't very big. This new room is perfect for all the entertaining we do and the kids love it too. And a new bedroom, which we didn't know we would need so badly....but God knew! Now the girls will have a room big enough for them to grow into and I'm really excited to start painting and setting it all up. The only thing left to do is get some closet organizing done, which will be makeshift for now and we'll complete it the way we want it at a later time. Then the bathroom. The plumbing is all there we just need to buy a pump (or something, haha) and a shower but that project will wait  for a later time too. Then this winter Ben can putter around with trimming up the doors and windows. Have I mentioned how thankful I am??? 
So with so much work to do inside our outside has suffered. I
love working in my gardens and being outside but this summer has been different in that I haven't had a lot of time or strength to do it. It's been a harder pregnancy than I usually have so that has been hard to get used to. But like I keep saying, you can't do it all when you are raising a family and this summer the yard is one of those things that I've had to say, "I can't do it this year". 
Next on our agenda is serving a week at Camp Good News. The kids are really excited about it. Ben will be a counselor in the cabin with the older two boys and I am going to be the "Kickapoo" counselor with the younger 3 and any other staff kids that are there that week. We know it will be a hard week but also a blessing. We're thankful for the opportunity to serve in this way and look forward to our first year serving this way as the first of many years to come. We are also excited that others from our church are going this year too! Then when we return we have our 1st Annual Pig Roast on Pork St. to get ready for. It may sound strange but I am SO excited! I've been asking Ben if we can do this for years now and he finally said yes! I grew up having a pig roast at my grandparents camp every summer around the 4th and it was my favorite thing all summer. While my dad was here last month we went and ordered our pig and he'll be ready for us labor day weekend. My dad is bringing down the pig roaster and will cook it up for us. I can't wait!

Then before we know it, the kids are in school again. Gabe just turned 5 last week so he's going to be going off with Noah and Owen this year. We don't know who his teacher is going to be yet but we're really hoping he has the same one Noah and Owen had because she's just fantastic! Then soccer for the 3 older boys and the baby arrives!!! Crazy that Tess' arrival is only 3 months away...

A Time to Suffer?

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

~II Timothy 3:12

The verse above has been a very one sobering one to me the past couple of days. Sunday we had one of the missionary families our church supports present their ministry in Papua New Guinea. During the challenge the husband made a comment in reference to this verse that if you are in the Lord's will it is normal to face suffering and persecution. He was speaking from his own experience with suffering, which they have handled so gracefully. That statement never left my mind and when we got home I asked Ben what he thought about that in reference to our own lives. I was in a place where I didn't really know what to think because I was familiar with this verse and believe it to be true and I also feel that as a family, Ben and I are in the Lord's will and have heart's that are ready to be used at any moment for anything He asks of us yet I don't feel I have had any suffering or persecution. I mean yes, when I made the choice to become a Christian I did lose some friends. But to consider that persecution...no! Have we faced some difficult moments in our lives, yes, but to consider that real suffering like some face...no! Ben shared a different opinion. While he agreed that yes, we are in the Lord's will and "living godly in Christ Jesus" he disagreed that we have not had suffering or persecution. It strikes me as funny that two people who are living the same marriage and raising the same family, living the same life have such opposite perspectives. Maybe it all comes down to ones own assessment of what suffering and persecution actually is...so then you really would have differing perspectives?
 Late last evening I was reading an email update on a man who I've never met but his grandfather was a member of our church who passed away a few years ago. This man has been battling cancer for 16 years and he and his wife just celebrated 16 years of marriage. Did the same thing strike you as it did me when you read that. For their entire marriage this woman's husband has been sick and battling cancer. For their daughter's entire life she has known her dad to be sick. Do I suffer? NO!! It's when I read stories like this that I ask God, "why have you allowed us to have such an easy life, when we are so undeserving?" I am not begging God to suffer but it does make me stop and be incredibly thankful for the life He has allowed us to have. And what is even more incredible is to read these stories and see the joy of the Lord these individuals have through their suffering. They are not bitter toward God but rather praising Him! It is such a blessing to see and an encouragement that IF God chooses to send us down some of those difficult paths, HE WILL provide us with the grace to get through it. The saying, "The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you." is so true and evident in the lives of some, including the missionary family we had on Sunday.
So this week I am so incredibly thankful for the life and family God has given us and the blessings that have come with it and I have been challenged to live a life that is even more "Godly in Christ Jesus" because even if we are in the will of God there is always more we can be doing for Him. Take the time to read the stories of the families I put links to. I guarantee you it will bless your heart and cause you be thankful.

A Time for Cats: Here we go Again!

Remember last year when I posted about our adopted family of cats? Well of the 3 babies born that year, one survived and has been with us ever since. We named it Muffin. This grayish black cat in the picture, we thought was the dad, but were surprised to find out it's actually the mom. She had babies in our wood pile this year so now we have 2 more mouths to feed! At this rate we may find ourselves on a cat plantation. 



The kittens (there are 2 of them) are already big enough to be coming up on the deck and eating like the bigger cats. They are the cutest kittens ever, way cuter than last years batch! There's an all black one and a black and white one. The kids have had a lot of fun watching them play and visit with us. They are very comfortable living on our property and hanging out on the deck but we have yet to be able to get close to them.  They run away when we open the door. But they know exactly when meal time is at our house and are here, rain or shine! These are the kind of pets I can handle in this season of life. The kids get to feed them and watch them play but I don't have to deal with house training or them bringing in ticks or fleas. It's the perfect arrangement...unless I find out these two kittens are girls! 

A Time to put the Supermom Myth to Rest

I can do all things through Christ who stengthens me.

~Philippians 4:13

In trying to find new and creative activities to keep the kids and I stay busy over summer vacation I came across this blog that had some cute ideas. As I was reading a little bit about the mom behind the blog she had this quote from another mom and called it the "supermom disclaimer" and it reads as follows:

"Doing projects with your kids is NOT what makes someone a good mom! I just happen to find doing crafts with my kids one of my favorite things to do! But many moms don't. That's OKAY. Some of the best moms I know don't enjoy it either. Big deal! They are still amazing moms."
She went on to say in response to that quote:

"I've come to realize that no matter how creative, how fun, how organized, how crafty, etc....
I may be, there is always going to be a mom somewhere in the world who is more anything & everything --- than little ol' me."

And I couldn't have said it better. I have often been given the compliment of "supermom" and while it's a really nice compliment it also makes me feel like a fraud because the last thing I feel like is a supermom. I look around me and see so many amazing moms that I admire, who are so talented and it really makes me feel inadequate. Do you ever feel that way?

 Well one thing I know for sure is that God has made each of us differently with our own set of abilities, strengths, talents, gifts, weaknesses, etc. so that our parenting is going to be so different. While there are the moms that make all their food and clothing and toys from scratch and stay away from modern medicine and know what each and every herb's name and function are there are also the moms who take their kids hiking and camping and to the beach every weekend and do all the yardwork and love gardening and exercise 8 days a week. There are the moms who are more comfortable at home and fill their children's minds with information & books, they homeschool and always have just the right thing to say for any given situation and know all the greatest games and crafts to do with their kids. Then you have the working mom who is also raising kids and on the PTO and lets her kids do any activity their little heart desires because she doesn't think twice about being on the road all day, who also throws the biggest and best birthday parties, and is the first to volunteer in the classroom or for the fundraiser. Or maybe you are like me and you are none of these but rather a modge podge of each, a little of this a little of that and hoping you don't mess up too much along the way. I admire moms who sew because I can't. I admire moms who have a technical mind to build things because I don't. I admire moms who are creative and have the best birthday party themes and ideas and make it so fun for the kids because I struggle to pull this off.Then I realize that even if I could do many of the things that I admire in others it doesn't mean I would have time to do them because with 5 kids and one on the way things are busy here and I have to be very organized with my time if I want to get anything done. In this season of my life there is very little room for "extras". Maybe that is one thing you admire about me, I don't know. I am organized, I can say that, and it is something that comes naturally to me and I believe it's a gift I've been given of God. Good thing too because when Ben and I started out on this journey we never thought we'd be having our 6th baby. But God knew, because He knows everything and over the years He has helped me to develop the skills I would need to handle a family of this size. And He's still teaching and molding me because I have not arrived. I am daily finding my "superpowers" in God's power. My strength and ability to function comes from Him. I find it in His word, which refuels me every day and I find it in the power of prayer, knowing that with each joy, trial, and challenge He is right there waiting for me to cry out to Him or praise Him, whichever the moment requires. Without God I could not face each day with the joy and peace and willingness to raise the family I have. My human flesh is too weak. So if that is what makes me a "supermom" then okay, I guess I am, but I'm only super in God's power....Praise the Lord I have it available to me.

So the next time you find yourself comparing your self to other moms, or judging other moms for not raising her kids the same way you are or finding the same joy and excitement you are while doing it, remember that you can only "do things through Christ" because He is the source of our ability, strength and power,and He alone gives peace and joy whether you believe it or not. Do what I do and try to find within yourself the gifts and abilities God has given you and realize those are the exact things God wanted you to have and all you'll need to do what He's asked of you... He is not asking you to be like "so and so" He's asking you to be who He created you to be. And if you find season's in life where you have time to learn some new skills well then that's just an added bonus! But know that God's intent was for all of us to be supermoms, we just need to know where to go to get our power!

A Time to Reveal the Gender

He has made everything beautiful in his time; also

he hath set the world in their hearts... ~Ecc. 3:11

Ben and I came to an arrangement on the name. We could not agree on the same name for either gender. I really had my heart set on Tess for a girl and he really wanted John for a boy. So I suggested that if it is a girl, I get to name her Tess and if it is a boy he would get to name him John and he agreed. 

So come on or around Oct. 24 this is what our family will look like:

If you can't read the cards well the name is Tess. We found out today that we are having a girl and while any healthy baby was a welcome addition to our family we couldn't be more thrilled that Jena is going to have a sister! We will name her Tess Lucille after my grandmother. It makes me so happy to have the chance to honor her this way. 

***A little background on these cards...I found them at a little shop on River St. in Savannah when I was just there. Usually I see stuff like this and barely even glance because they never have our kids names, not all of them anyway. When I happened upon "Jena" and it was spelled the same way we spell our Jena's name I knew it was worth the effort to try and find all our names. And I did. I just love these cards and plan to frame them and hang them up in our new living room once the addition is finished. 

A Time for a Vacation

Joyce & Dave's pool/pool house

At approximately 2:30am on Tuesday morning I will be leaving my home, heading to the bus station that will take me to Boston so I can catch my flight to Georgia at 7am. I am so excited! 


Ben offered to take a week off from work using some comp time he had earned from a trip he took earlier this winter so I could go visit my aunt & uncle. He is actually really looking forward to having this time to spend with the kids and I'm really looking forward to some time to just relax. And this is pool  is where I plan to spend a lot of my time! Believe me when I say this is not something I am taking for granted. I know exactly how lucky I am to have a husband who would take on something like this. A time of refreshing is so important for everyone but especially during the season of child rearing. These are some of the most exhausting and challenging years and I'm thankful to have a husband who understands that and is willing to allow me this time.


If you think of us in the next 8 days, say some prayers for Ben that things would go smoothly for him at home and this extra time he has with the kids would be a blessing and pray for me that my travel would go well. I've never flown alone so I'm really nervous about it.