Saturday, December 26, 2009

I Love My Family!


 Kyle woke up at 3:30 a.m. on christmas morning and asked me if it was mornin'time.
He was just so excited to open presents. 


I kept the wrapped presents in our bedroom away from the childrens curious little fingers.  However one day while I was doing some Christmas baking Kyle came into the kitchen and said, "Mom, I think a ghost opened one of your presents."  I said "Are you sure it was a ghost?".  With a very guilty face he replied, "yes, I think it must have been a ghost."   
 
 
When Caleb was given gifts to open he first decided that stacking the boxes like blocks would be more fun.  LOL!  We had to convince him to open them, but when he figured out what to do, he really got into tearing the paper.


 
We aren't doing the "Santa Clause Thing" with my kids.  Instead if we watch a santa movie or hear a santa story we tell them that Santa is just a fun story and not true.  However, they get inundated with the 'Santa is real' thing at school and Megan especially is getting mixed up.  A couple weeks ago Megan and I were on our way home from church and we saw a deer get hit by a snowplow truck.  Megan looked at me with questioning in her eyes and said "They are supposed to fly, mom?!".
 
I just had to post this great picture of my husband!  We've had such a wonderful Christmas this year!  I love him! :)




Friday, December 25, 2009

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!


Dear Family and Friends,                                        December 2009

    Merry Christmas!  The birth of Jesus is always an occasion to celebrate, but this year our celebration is especially joyful!  We are soaking in the moments with those we love, realizing that life is fleeting and every minute must be cherished.  We have been given the opportunity to glimpse what could have been lost, and so we have gained new appreciation for the presence of friends and family which is so easily taken for granted

    This past year has been life-changing for our little family.  In May  I  was diagnosed with liver failure and was blessed to receive a liver-transplant which has given me renewed energy and vigor.  Late this summer Thomas lost his job, but was able to find a new, better job just 3 weeks later.  We’ve been fortunate to experience God’s amazing peace and comfort through difficult times and our lives have been forever touched and changed by the love and kindness we were shown by friends, family, and even strangers. 

    But most importantly, the challenges we faced this past year have brought us closer in our relationship with our heavenly Father, who has been ever faithful through it all!  We have seen him answer prayer , experienced joy through our relationship with him when my very life seemed to be crumbling, received peace beyond understanding when things just didn’t seem to make sense, and we’ve seen him provide for our every need.  We can say with confidence that God is good and worthy of praise no matter what circumstances we may be facing.  So the birth of Christ is definitely something to celebrate, for it is because of his life and death on this earth that our family can go through what we have been through this last year and feel only grateful!

                                        Merry Christmas With Love!
                                                 Thomas & Melissa


    The skies don't seem to be as dark as usual
    The stars seem brighter then they've been before
    Deep within I feel my soul a stirring
    As though my hope has been restored
    The shepherds say they've heard the voice of angels
    Confirming rumors spread across the land
    That a child protected well from Herod's anger
    Is our Father's Son, and the son of man

    Love is raining down on the world tonight
    There's a presence here I can tell
    God is in us, God is for us, God is with us, Emmanuel
    He's the Savior we have been praying for
    In our humble hearts He will dwell
    God is in us, God is for us, God is with us, Emmanuel

    I feel compelled to tell all who will listen
    That peace on earth is not so out of reach
    If we can find grace, mercy and forgiveness
    He has come to save, He is all of these

    You're the Savior we have been praying for
    In our humble hearts You will dwell
    You are in us, You are for us, You are with us, Emmanuel
            ~God Is With Us, by Casting Crowns

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Time to Celebrate!

It's my birthday!  One more reason I love this time of year! 

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Thankful Thursday: Thankful for God's Provision!



I am thankful for God's provision!  My husband was able to shoot a small buck, which we butchered (well, Tom did the butchering) and we estimated that we got about 30 lbs of meat to fill our freezer. It would have been more, but we didn't use the front quarter of the deer because it had an old open wound and we weren't sure the meat would be safe to eat.   Tom ground about 3/4 of it, and we got several nice roasts.  God owns the cows on a thousand hills, and he owns the deer too!  So thankful he decided to give one to us this year! :)

Philippians 4:19-20 
 But my God shall supply all your need 
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
 Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. 
Amen.


To participate or read more Thankful thursday posts visit http://womentakingastand.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

It's Christmas Time In The City!

I've got Christmas carols playing on my CD player, my Christmas tree is set up and all aglow, my snowmen are out, and the lights are up on the porch.   I've got a stash of Christmas gifts under my bed waiting to be wrapped and all my baking supplies waiting to be made into delicious confections!  I've sent out my Christmas cards, and have started receiving them from friends and family.  I've got Christmas parties and the Christmas Contata, and Christmas services to attend.  Our schedule is plum filled up, and it is going to be so much fun!  Christmas has definitely arrived at our house and I LOVE it!!! I love this time of year!

So if I'm a bit lax about blogging you can be sure it is because I'm busy celebrating this wonderful time of year with my family.  But don't worry, I'll be back! :)

Letter To My Donor Family

I am sitting on my living room couch, my house is quiet, my children and husband are in bed for the night, and with a grateful heart, I think of you, the family of my angel who gave me a second chance at life. On May 27th  while still in the hospital recovering from my transplant I was able to celebrate 7 years of marriage with my husband; on June 2nd  I was here at home to celebrate my daughter’s 5th birthday; on July 14th I was here to celebrate my baby’s 1st birthday and cheer him on as he took his first steps just a few weeks later; on September 9th  I was here to hug my daughter and see her off to her first day of Kindergarten; on October 26th  I was here to celebrate my son’s 4th birthday; on November 20th I was here to celebrate my husband’s 31st birthday; and in just a few days I look forward to celebrating my 29th birthday.  Each of these occasions  are a gift from my angel donor who gave me a new liver, and words cannot express the humble gratitude that I feel at being the recipient of such a gift.

My liver failed due to a genetic disease called Wilson’s Disease.  The last few years I had sunk deeper and deeper into a sea of exhaustion, but now with my angel’s liver I feel good, I have more energy than I’ve had in years.  I’m able to truly enjoy my family and cherish the precious moments of life with them instead of trudging through each day just trying to make it from one chore to the next.  The Holidays are especially joyful for my entire family  this year as we soak in the moments spent with those we love.  We have been given the opportunity to glimpse what could have been lost and we realize that each day with our family and friends is a gift beyond value. 

Being the recipient of such a donation has been personally life-changing as well.  I do not think a person can receive something of such great value, and at such great cost to the giver without being changed; without having the insatiable desire to give back somehow. . . someway. . .

Again I thank you for this gift and I pray that you will be blessed this year as much as I have been blessed by you.

Forever grateful,