It's Been A Long Time...

Hello! Sorry for the hiatus. I don't even have a valid excuse, so I'm not going to try. I have some news.

My husband, Derek, has myelofibrosis. Which to put it simply is a blood disease that has turned his bone marrow fibrous. He is in need of a bone marrow transplant.

Now for the good news! His brother is a perfect match! Praise God!

We will be leaving for Seattle on May 4th for 4 months to start the treatment and transplant process. He will need to get chemo for 6 days and then they will give him the transplant.

My wonderful sister Sarah has graciously agreed to let my mom and my kids move into her house for 4 months while we are gone. My wonderful Mother has agreed to watch my 3 kids while we are gone for 4 months. God has blessed me with such wonderful family. I have also found a temporary home for my dogs. God has provided for details that seem small, but are in fact big for me.

I can't describe the ache in my heart when I think about leaving my precious kids. If you could pray for me, I'd appreciate it.

I will keep you updated on the progress of everything!

I get my laptop on Monday! I'm very excited. I'm kind of an electronics junkie. I've really missed this blog! Well that's all for now my 3 readers.

God bless!

Finally...

Here are pictures of Asher's 1st birthday party (almost 2 months late).


Bob the Tomato cake


Larry the Cucumber cake.


Blowing his candle out


Asher Eating cake


Asher eating some more cake



Megan (sister) and Ashley


Megan, Sarah (sister), and Me


Josh (my BIL) and Brenna (my niece)

My mom and Alison (niece)


Jerry (my BIL) and Alison

A Great Day For Up

I'm not feeling all that well today and I was throwing a pity party for myself. I was doing great while attending my selfish, sinful gathering.

Then Derek came home to tell me he got his first sale! He was so excited and I for him/us. I praised God (not like I should have though because I was busy attending my party).

Later, Derek and I were at lunch and I hear "Mom, I pooped in the toilet!" (We've been potty training this weekend) I reluctantly left my lunch not expecting much because let's face sometimes 3 year olds don't always tell the whole truth.

But he had indeed pooped in the toilet! He was playing and had to go. So he left what he was doing and sat on the toilet! I was so proud.

God is the best party crasher. And I'm glad!

I Don't Like It When...

When I get the giggles at the most inappropriate times. Like say during worship at Ladies' Bible Study.

I couldn't control myself and Sarah wasn't helping. Every time I looked at her I was sent into another round of laughter. You know the kind, you try to be quiet, but it's impossible. Your shoulders shake uncontrollably and you cry.

It took a while for me to regain control, but I felt really bad about it after.

(note to self: next time I mess up on a song, don't look at Sarah)

Wal*Mart Is Good For Interesting Encounters

Interesting conversation at Wal*Mart yesterday. Well, it was kinda funny in a rude way I guess. I was coming out of an aisle and a lady was going up the aisle:

Lady: Are all these kids yours?

Me: Yes, they are 1, 2, and 3.

(She then said something about a granddaughter I couldn't understand)

Lady: Guess you forgot about birth control, ha ha ha. (she actually laughed)

I just walked away, I didn't know what to say. People always pity me and tell me how hard my life must be. I reassure them that I LOVE how close my kids are and we have a blast. I wouldn't trade my kids' ages for anything.

Overhaul

I'm doing an overhaul of the current way I do things at home. My kids are misbehaving and I'm not happy. The joy of being a stay at home mother and wife is gone from my heart. This all has to do with me. My kids are feeding off of my behavior, in order for change to happen in my children's lives it has to first happen in my life. I got some Godly council and I'm really excited about where these changes will take us. I made a house rules chart and taped it low on my fridge. My kids can't read yet, but I read the rules to them and I'm hoping that seeing the chart will remind them of the rules I set. There are only 4 on there, but they are big ones. The rest of the rules pretty much fall into the 4 categories. I'm praying that the Lord restores the joy of being a wife and mother. Here is the list I taped on my fridge:

Anderson House Rules

1. No hitting, biting, pushing, punching etc…

“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:18

2. Listen and Obey with a joyful heart

“Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord” Colossians 3:20

3. No jumping, standing, or crawling on the furniture

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” James 1:17

4. Put God First!

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Beauty

What is beauty? Is it merely defined as something that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye? I think this is probably the easiest and quickest definition. There is also the saying ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’.

What about a newborn baby? Or an elderly couple who still have eyes only for each other after 50 years of marriage? The person who stops to serve a complete stranger? Or a Savior willingly giving His life for His creation? These are all demonstrations of true beauty in action. Not the aesthetically pleasing kind, but the innocent, selfless, and truly magnificent kind.

Some people strive their entire lives to become beautiful. It can even be paid for. This beauty, however, is temporary.

True beauty can only be attained when we allow the grace of God to work itself in our lives. When we surrender all control we think we have and give it all to God, we truly become a beautiful masterpiece. A masterpiece created and someday finished by the One who started it all, the one and only Creator of the universe.

“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” (Psalm 90:17)