PRAISING GOD

I have had the great delight of watching God perform some amazing miracles this week that have truly showed me his "awesomeness". Just when we think we have been crying out unheard He delivers in such a forcible way you are knocked to your knees..face down in awe of him.

So many times we get so caught up in crying out to him that we forget to take time to just Praise him for always being Faithful. So, I am taking this blog moment to just stop and give him Praise. Praise for loving us the so unlovable, Praise for healing me and Jake (NO MONO HOORAY) and for just being the Great God he is!!!!!

My Sweet Hubby

Well, my week has been crazy. As most of you know Jake and I have been really sick. My throat has been covered with puss (gross I know). So yesterday I went back to the doctor and to my horror they think I have "Mono" UGH!!!!!!!!!!! So, I had Jake tested this morning and Praise God it was negative so his was just a virus. I get my results back this afternoon so I am praying for a miracle here. We leave Saturday for the Bahamas and I am also praying Tate does not get the virus!

I have been really stressed and overwhelmed latley. Today after another docotrs appointmen (the receptionist, who goes to our church, says she is petitioning for my own back door parking place. That I should get patient of the year)! No Joke!!!! Anyway, I am feeding "wee puppy" and the door bell rings and to my surprise I am getting flowers! I started crying (the lady probably thought what a nut...I look very scary and tired). My sweet hubby sent me flowers and they are BEAUTIFUL. I told Tate we have to call and thank Daddy. She replies "I'm not calling him he didn't send ME flowers." So like her:) Anyway here are some shots of my amazing flowers I LOVE YOU HONEY!!!!!!!!

The other picture is of Caden eating his peas. He is the messiest eater. He smiles so much the food keeps falling out!

Caden's Baptism

We Baptized sweet Caden Michael Bench on July 8, 2007. So many family and friends honored us this day by coming and pledging with us to raise caden up "in the ways he should go" until a time comes that he can make the choice to have a personal relationship with Jesus himself.

His sweet Godparents Kimmy and Ryan were there as well to stand up and pledge with us to help and keep him on the path Jesus would have him go. They are also Tate's Godparents and are a huge part of our kids lives and bless them all so very much. We love them so much!

Well, I wish I could say the day was great (it was), but Friday Kimmy and I took the kids to a bounce house (because it was that or kill them) and I was feeling a little crummy. By that night I had a low grade fever and knew I was just fighting something off. By Saturday morning my fever was up to over 102. Michael took the kids to his mom's while he had to go to work (a huge blessing thanks Mom). I was going to one of my old students wedding that night and was so bummed not to get to go. I was struggling big time and Michael wins Daddy of the Weekend Award this past weekend for sure (I love you babe). Sunday morning I wake up and have puss ALL over my throat and my fever is 103. Feeling really ready to baptize my kid to God and to top it all off (and don't get me wrong this was a huge honor and made the day way cool for us). I was giving a testimony after the baptism.

*****Sidenote: I had requested two things for this baptism: one that Lynda do it and she did (I love her and she is truly a mentor to me. She blesses me in countless ways and I adore her.) The second thing was to have the song "Sweetly Broken" by Jeremy Riddle (see Blog #1 for importance) sung and it was. To introduce the song though they asked me to give a testimony on why the song was so importnat to us HUGE HONOR!!!!!

So, you see the problem high fever puss all over throat! BUT, as always God is Good. I called my docotr Sunday morning at 7:30 and woke her up and she called in a prescription for me (I thought this was Strepp). I made it through the day, bbq dinner with family, a quick nap and I went and did the Bible Study that night for the teen girls. I am exhausted. The thing that really sucks, yes SUCKS, is that it is Tuesday I am still battling low grade fever, I still have puss all over my throat and Jake has it. His doctor informed me it is a virus (not strepp) and it will take it course. Caden had the recheck for his ears only to find out he still has a double ear infection. I realized that on the way to the docotr when he vomited his whole bottle in my car. As I was in the middle of typing this blog he vomited his last feeding. UGH!!!!!!!!!! But, he is still smiling, Jake is sleeping and Tate is at tumbling GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for the wordiness I am on serious overload. We leave for our much needed trip to the Bahama's Saturday please pray God's blanket of health over my family. In the last couple days I have watched him perform some pretty HUGE miracles that I wish I could share (have no idea why the font changed and I can't fix it...pretty though). So, I am believing in his mercies on us for health and a fun trip ahead!

The Fourth

The Fourth of July is a great day and a wonderful day to teach our kids to be so thankful we live in a free country. Our day was pretty uneventful. We were VERY lazy the first part of the day and then had an early dinner of great BBQ chicken and Ribs with my folks. YUMMY!!!! The kids got to swim at there "neighborhug" pool and they have the COOLEST splash pad. Forgot my camera and lost out on some great shots. We then headed home to a great display of fireworks (look closely to the bottom of the shots and you will see the NBC logo). I know we are losers. We cuddled on the couch with the kids and watched from inside. (Note to everyone: There should be a law forbidding fireworks past 1AM).

Lazy Summer Days

I am doing the thing Heather hates the most "multi-blogging". I am SO far behind and I am really sorry BUT since she is state-side she can't complain and I will take this time to catch up. These picks are of the kids playing with one of Jakey's new b-day toys. They had a blast and it was finally not raining HOORAY!!!!! There is only one shot of Jake becuase he HATES water in his eyes!

Boys and Their Toys

Jake got LOTS of neat boy toys for his birthday. Of his favorites: two remote control trucks. One even plays cool music "Born to be Wild". Gotta love it. The even nicer sound is Jake ramming into my walls. Yeah, love that! Every time he hits a wall (a million a day) you hear him yell "ACCIDENT MOM." I am laughing way to hard to be mad.

Even bigger news JAKE IS POTTY TRAINED!!!!!!!!!!!! He now tells us when he needs to poop and pee. I love this and am so excited PRAISE GOD! We have been praying every night for him to "God help me get on the Potty Train". So cute and he told me today "Mommy I am on the potty train". Yes we are!!!!! We are going today to buy his treat!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Jakey Boy

Jakey Boy turned the big "3" last Thursday and we had his party Friday night. The point was since we have the play set all the kids could be outside. Great thought before the monsoons of 2007 hit Texas this summer. It wasn't to bad they did get to play outside for awhile and he got some great boy goodies (needed this big time he is surrounded by pink things). He is set now with more trucks and dinosaurs than we know what to do with.

The biggest mile stone is WE ARE POTTY TRAINED HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He started this weekend telling us when he needs to potty PRAISE GOD. We are headed to the Bahama's in two weeks and I really wanted him to be able to go to the camps in the morning so I could work-out and float the lazy river in solitude and book in hand with my sister-in-law.

The pictures are of him and his "pupcakes" (he did not want a cake). Also, of him opening presents and of him and his future wife Maddie (aka Dawson and Joey to me). They are so funny and she so wears the pants in this relationship. In the one picture my mom is asking him to smile and Maddie is grabbing his face and instructin him to "mile Jakey Boy". It is so funny. The picutres at the end Tate and I went to tuck him in and he had already passed out.