To my Dad

Happy Father's Day, Dad!!

I wish I could be there to hug you and look you in the eyes as I tell you how much you mean to me. Dad, I respect you and admire your faith. I have seen you walk through this year of multiplied trials with tremendous, unshakeable faith. You have been in a season much like Job, but have continued to say, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Thank you for standing fast. You have built your house on the Rock; now that the storm has come, you are withstanding the wind and the waves. Well done, Dad!

I look forward to the day when you will hear that from the One you have served here! I know such a small fraction of what you do in secret, but one day our Lord and Savior will reward you openly and you will hear him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." (When I say that I look forward to it, I don't mean I would like you to go now!! It is my preference that you stay here for a good, long time. But I do enjoy thinking about what that day will be like for you.)

I love you! I hope you enjoy this special day. It is my prayer that you can feel the love of your children through the miles: from Tennessee to Maryland.

there is more to come...

too cute

http://www.russell-life.com/2010/06/warhol-dress/

I am posting this link for one person only: Aunt Debbie.

My aunt Debbie can make anything. Debbie, finally something to do with all those old tee-shirts! I'm sure I could find a little girl willing to wear it!

I've got a baby boy too...

:-)

The end of the road

Kevin just walked out the door for his last day of class.

I am in tears.

Jake says...

Mommy, I just bewwy (very) wuv you.

Melts my heart everytime.

Ticks, Lyme, and Amoxicillin

Well, we have seen and captured ticks. The tiniest ticks I have ever seen. They were really not a lot bigger than the dots on this page. The first one was discovered on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. In Chloe's ear.

I thought it was dirt. Seriously, they are SMALL. When I couldn't just sweep it out I realized it wasn't dirt. Grabbed it with my nails and tugged. Looked closely - A TICK! What! Ticks don't come that small in North Carolina! A second later I realized I was indeed holding a blood-sucking insect in my hand so I should probably get it away from my delicious blood. I stuck it in a plastic baggy and called my husband (trying not to panic). He was very calm and so I became calm too.

I was pretty proud of myself for staying so calm. Then, Sunday evening while we were dressing her for bed, I noticed a small spot on her back. Thinking it to be a scab from Jake biting her (yes, that has happened) I called her over, just to make sure. Looked closely again - ANOTHER TICK! You have to be kidding me!! This one was embedded and required tweezers - Chloe was NOT a fan. After I freaked her out and removed the tick, I placed that one in the same plastic bag. Now, I had taped the baggy to the inside of my cabinet door for fear that I would grab that seemingly empty bag and put something in it. So, I now had a collection of ticks inside my cabinet. That is a strange feeling. Also, I was less calm now.

Talked to hubby again. Now he is up for calling the Dr. So, Monday morning we head out for our family day, and I bring along our pet ticks - just in case. Called Doctor. He said to bring them in and they would send them to the lab for testing. Cool.

Sit in waiting room.

With ticks.

So strange.

Monday night, Chloe got a fever in the night and woke up hysterical. She dreamed that spiders were in her bed and she was terrified. It was a very sad experience. Kevin and I were both up with her for an hour trying to get her to calm down. She finally did. Back to bed. Agreed to call the doctor again tomorrow.

Tuesday we called doctor again. Bring her in.

Loaded up and took her in. After much consideration (and, I believe, prayer) Doctor recommended starting a 28 day cycle of Amoxicillin. We did not have the results back on the ticks so I wondered out loud if we could wait. No. Even one week would be too long. So, with great faith in God and respect for the doctor we began the treatment.

Thursday we got the call that one tick tested positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease. I was a mess that day. I was fearful. I cried off and on until I got away to pray. I don't know much about Lyme Disease, but I know it can be devastating. I also know that we caught it very, very early and began treatment very, very early. She will likely be completely cured. It was still very hard news to take, even though I already knew in my heart it would come back positive.

That evening, Kevin came home just to allow me to pray. During that time, my dear friend, Julie Purswell, called me. She just prayed with me. She carried me before the Father and pleaded on my behalf. She prayed for Chloe. She prayed for Jake and Owen, too (they were sick with...well, let's just say they were sick and it was really gross!). She prayed over my soul - "Peace, be still." She asked God to bring peace to me.

And he did.

Peace that passes understanding.

So, today is day 21 of her treatment. She has not had antibiotics before this. She doesn't even take Tylenol. I wasn't sure what to expect. Praise God, her body seems to be handling it very well.

I can share that with a bit of humor now, but it was difficult at first. I was taught that I cannot protect my children completely. They are God's. HE looks after them and HE is able to protect them. He is interested in our good - not our comfort - our good: making us more like Christ. So, I am learning to trust him with Chloe (and Jake and Owen) and her physical well-being. I also learned that I have nothing to fear. Romans 8:28 is true: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who have been called according to his purpose.

Won't you please pray with me for Chloe? We are asking that this medicine will work and that she will be completely healed. Will you also pray for her Doctor? Dr. Niu. He is incredible. He is wise and caring and I trust him. He is caring for many children with many ailments and much worse than this. Pray that he will have much wisdom in his job as he cares for Chloe (and the other children in his practice).

I am full of faith, due in no small part to this woman and her breathtaking faith. Why should I tremble in light of all He has done?

Well, I don't know when I'll be able to post again. But I thought I would take at least a moment to tell you about Chloe.

Thank you for praying with us!

For You, Mom, on Mother's Day

Mom, what can I say? You are a woman who loves her family and who would do anything for them. You have the heart of a servant and you willingly use your gifts to do for others. I love you very much and am sad to be so far from you on this day to celebrate YOU. You gave your life away to your children for many, many years and we are better for your sacrificial love. I miss you today and wish I could be there to make you breakfast in bed and shower you with pampering!

In the spirit of this day, I will give you the only thing you've ask me for lately: pictures of the kids. In fact, I can do one better than that. How's about a video?

Mom, I love you. I am filled with gratitude for you as I think about you today!

PS. Chloe came up with that bit about you being a great mom for her mom all by herself! I thought it was perfect!

Poor Dusty Old Blog

It has been quite a while. A reflection of the busy season in which we find ourselves these days. Know that I think of you often and have blog posts in my mind. I simply lack the time to put them here...that and the fact that my pictures are spread out and this computer doesn't seem to want anymore of them. Today, however, I find myself with a strange moment of quiet and so here I am. I hope to begin posting again, if only to please my family who keeps asking questions like, "Are you ever going to post any more pictures of the kids?", "Are you planning to blog ever again?" and the like. So, I will try.

I can't make any promises.

I can try to make time. However, we are in the final month of PC and have a lot going on with end of the year stuff, finishing classes, meetings, looking ahead to life after PC, trying to get away on our own, not to mention the everyday busyness of having 3 kids. But, again, I will try!

The kids are doing great, by the way. Owen is growing like crazy, rolling over, laughing and smiling and babbling! Great fun! The other two are sweet and crazy and changing all the time. Life is full and fun and I love it!

That will have to do for now. I hear Owen. Time to get back to work!

It's official...

Owen is smiling! At 6 weeks, he started a full two weeks earlier than his big sister! I have enjoyed his smiles tremendously and thought you might too!

Saturday morning I was able to capture these smiles with my phone

just after he flashed me his first one:

My sweet baby has changed a lot. He has brought so much joy to us already! It is amazing how much you can love a person you've know for such a short time!

A blessing in a white cup

This may not look like much to you...
...but today, it was an expression of God's kindness to me. I slept very little last night and was fighting for faith before I even got out of bed. Helen Lowe posted this verse on her blog: "as your days, so shall your strength be." Deut. 33:25b. I was deeply encouraged and looked it up to see what verses followed. "There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deut. 33:26-27

What a perfect passage for this day, barely begun and already very difficult.

Then, my knight in shining armor appeared! Kevin came home with this gift! He should have been in class, I thought, but it turns out classes were delayed today. So, he spent the extra time blessing me. He said he wanted to thank me for serving all night last night. I was so moved by his thoughtfulness that I burst into tears! What kindness! When he left to head to class, I wrote this in my journal:

Every good gift comes from your hand. Kev just brought me a Misto (my drink at Starbucks)! What a thoughtful husband! What a thoughtful God! Father, I am undone at your kindness and mercy. That you, mighty God, would come to my aid in this way...Who is like God? There is NONE like our God!

Lord, may I honor you today! Be my strength. Thank you for sustaining me! Sometimes you do it through meeting me in my exhaustion and sometimes you do it through coffee!! Thank you for having mercy on me today!

Thank you for praying

I was just reading a portion of When I Don't Desire God by John Piper. If you haven't ever read this book, I highly recommend it. It was a major player in my desire to memorize Scripture and supplied the original method I used.

What I read today was a small segment on prayer; more specifically, the power of others praying for you and with you. Piper writes, "One of God's reasons for calling us to corporate prayer is given in 2 Corinthians 1:11. Paul asks for prayer for himself and gives his reason: 'You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.' When people are involved in each other's lives, more thanksgiving rises to God when any of them is blessed."

This immediately brought to mind the many, many people who prayed for Owen's December arrival. I want to take this moment to say, "Thank you!!" We received abundant blessing because you prayed AND God was more glorified because you all rejoiced and thanked Him when we were blessed. Isn't God good? He designed things to work this way. He caused us to desire Owen to be born in December. He caused us to ask others to join with us in prayer. He blessed us. All because it pleased Him to do so. There is no one like our God!

So, because of the power of our God and the way He blessed your prayers last time, we would like you to join us in praying for a house. We desire to buy a home this spring/summer and are asking God to provide a place for our family. We would like to put down roots here. We desire a home that will allow us to grow as a family, practice hospitality often, and have a renter that we could build a relationship with and involve in our family life. We are asking God for these thing, so when you think of us, please ask God on our behalf! Thank you in advance for the help!

Father, thank you for your Word and for loving to hear our prayers. You are indeed a prayer-hearing God. You call us to cast our cares on you and to present our requests to you. You know the desires of our heart and so we ask that you would provide abundantly and beyond our expectations! We pray that it would please you to do so and that YOU would be glorified!

Owie-O - 1 Month Old

Our little bundle is 1 month old today! My how time flies. I can't believe how much he has changed! Here he is on the day that Chloe and Jake met him, just 4 days after he was born:

Notice his skinny legs

Here he is at about 10 days old:

10 days after that:

Chloe loves the swirl that his hair makes.

Jenn took this picture for her:

Here is our big boy, just a few days ago. All of these pictures are amazing, but this first one is my favorite:

He has grown so much! Today, he weighs in at 8.5 pounds!! He has gained a pound and a half in just two weeks! I don't think he is going to stay pint sized much longer.

Jenn Dabb took all of these pictures (except for the first two which I think were taken by Kevin). I have many more from the most recent bunch that I will post some time soon. Thanks so much, Jenn, for capturing this precious stage for us. It goes by in a flash!

Baby O, you have already changed our lives. By God's grace and generosity, we've been able to enjoy you for one full month and pray we'll get many, many more! Your brother and sister adore you and love to shower you with kisses (you're not crazy about it). You've already gotten many nicknames: Owie-O, Baby Owie, Baby O, Sweet Owie, etc. Chloe and Jake have named all of their babies and animals Owen in honor of their favorite baby. God has used you to teach your Mama to trust Him more and to depend on Him more and to love Him more. Thank you for bringing glory to God, your Creator, by simply being a baby and doing what babies do. Your Mom and Dad are learning a lot! We love you!

Snow and Cupcakes

Today Kevin decide to take the kids out for some special Daddy time. Usually he does this on Mondays, but not this time. So, they bundled up (it is 18 degrees afterall) and headed out. Not very long after they left, I got this picture:

Yikes! It got really messy really fast! When they left, it wasn't doing anything.

Then, I got this picture:

This is Georgetown Cupcakes. Note the pink boxes; that's how I knew where they were. The original is in, you guessed it, Georgetown. This one is brand new and is closer to home (unfortunately for our waistlines) in Bethesda. Kevin LOVES these cupcakes. Chloe does too.

See how excited she is. She is one happy camper. Whenever Chloe "makes" cupcakes in her kitchen, she always says they are Georgetown Cupcakes. Daddy loves having an excuse to go. He comes out looking like a hero for taking her there AND he gets to have a cupcake!

Of course, Jake loves them too and enjoys getting to pick one out. I understand the ladies who work there gave them stickers which is a simple way to win the hearts of our (easily bought) children.

Meanwhile, I'm home with Baby O enjoying the beautiful snow fall... though I'll be happy when the rest of the family gets home safe and sound!

Janu-hairy for Gary

Apparently it is a tradition for the guys in the PC to grow their facial hair all January long. Then, on an appointed day the last week of January, they all shave into mustaches in honor of Gary Ricucci, the Director of Student Affairs and our pastor this year. We wives are not huge fans of this project, but the result sure is funny!!

Here is my sweet, humble, slightly creepy husband:

Wow. He was hard to resist this morning. Sweetheart, the 70s are calling...

He got those shoes yesterday at the Salvation Army for $5. Oh yeah baby!

Today, he will return a clean shaven man. I can't wait! But, I am glad to have these pictures!

Sweet Baby O

Kevin's parents have taken the kids for us every weekend since Owen was born. What a huge blessing! Today, I took advantage of the quiet - and safety! - to get some pictures of Baby O ...and to update this blog! Enjoy!

all of our babies have loved to be swaddled

love those lips!

i want to remember these tiny toes

hangin' out

Oh sweet Owie-O! How we have fallen for you! Your mommy and daddy and brother and sister adore you! Father, thank you for this Blessing. Thank you for allowing me to care for him and for giving me joy even in the middle of the night. You provide grace for every moment and enable me to care for 3 precious little lives. What a privilege!

Our Hospital Stay in Pictures

Baby Owen, Day 1

I love how his hand is above his head!

Great hat, ugly blanket

Naptime with Mommy

He isn't much bigger than the information booklet!

Daddy getting him dressed to go home

I think he looks happy to be leaving

I love how Kev looks at him

Kisses before heading out

First time in the carseat - not a fan...

maybe this isn't so bad after all!

The hospital lobby. It was a beautiful time to have a baby!

Owen Michael Rogers

Owen Michael Rogers

12:59am December 31, 2009

6 lbs. 1 oz.

19 inches

As I was praying the other day and thanking God for all of the circumstances surrounding Owen's birth, I was overwhelmed by God's faithfulness and his abundant blessing upon us. Then, I felt lead to look up the meaning of the name Michael. It means, "Who is like our God?" Isn't that fitting!? I was brought to tears as I realized that we had named him that before we even knew what would happen. We picked the name Owen Michael for a couple of reasons. First we decided on Michael, after Kevin's brother. We were torn for a while about the first name, but settled on Owen after Kevin was assigned to read John Owen for class. We read him together and were both affected by his writing.

It was sweet to find the meaning of his middle name after experiencing such tenderness from our Lord. Just another example of God's kindness and his attention to detail. Who is like our God?!

Father, thank you for Owen Michael. Thank you for the many ways you answered our prayers. You truly gave us the desire of our hearts. Be glorified in this boy's life. Grow him into a man who loves you and spends his life for you.

Owen's Arrival - Part 2

The rest of the story:

I'm not sure what time it was, but it was probably around 11pm, I felt a strange pop. I had no idea what it was, but it definitely felt weird. I told Kevin about it and then went back to reading. Kev started getting ready for bed while I started having stronger contractions. I decided to spend sometime praying and journaling. I began to realize that my contractions were regular. I prayed, "Father, I think I may be in labor. If I am, give me strength! Give Kev and I wisdom! Lord, fill my with a very clear awareness of your presence! I cannot do this on my own! I am fully dependent on you, Creator God. You made me for this! Be glorified tonight!" With that, I got up and began walking around. The contractions got less intense and shorter, leading me to believe they were just Braxton-Hicks. I told Kev I thought the contractions weren't regular enough to be real contractions, but he got up and started getting things together anyway. A few minutes later my water broke. Wow! That's 3 for 3! The bag of waters only breaks first in 15% of labors. I have a 100% rate! I was very grateful because that meant we would go immediately to the hospital.

We got there around midnight and were taken straight to a room - praise God! As I was walking down the hall - stopping every minute or so for a contraction - I was praising God! I was in labor and it was December! God was clearly answering the many prayers I had prayed about our December baby. I was filled with gratitude. When I got to my room I changed into the hospital gown and then got into bed. The first time they checked me, I was 7 centimeters dilated. Yes! Definitely moving at lightening speed. Now, when I was in labor with the other two, I HATED being in the bed. I was dreading it now too. However, while I was pregnant this time, I study the Bradley Method. I read two books and, honestly, wasn't sure I would actually be able to use it. I was way wrong! Laboring in bed was easier this time than when I was out of bed. Amazing. God was indeed giving me strength.

I didn't use the breathing techniques I used with Chloe and Jake. I used the Bradley Method. I concentrated on relaxing my muscles so that my contractions could do their work. With each contraction, I could feel Owen moving down. It was really incredible. They were still painful, but the pain was manageable. Very soon, I was ready to push.

Let me take a moment here to praise my husband. He has coached me through 3 natural, drug-free child births. He is amazing. With Chloe, he breathed with me through 8 hours of labor and was more exhausted than I was when she finally came. With Jake, he helped me to maintain what little focus I had. With Owen, he answered the annoying questions hospitals have to ask a woman in labor, he kept reminding me that every contraction brought us one step closer to Owen's arrival, and - what sticks out most in my mind - he reminded me of what I would need to do to push effectively. He leaned over close to me and calmly gave instructions while the doctor and nurses, whom I could see just over his shoulder, just stood by and waited patiently for him to finish. When Kev was done, the room sprang into action. It was amazing for me to see a doctor wait for a husband to direct. That is a sweet memory for me. I truly could not have given birth 3 times without drugs if Kevin had not been there to keep me focused and to tell me what to do!

So, I pushed through the first rather weak contraction. Then there was an awkwardly long break before the next one started. We laughed at the situation and then got ready for the next one. One more contraction and Owen's head came out. At this point, you are supposed to stop pushing so that the doctor can sweep out the baby's mouth. When the doctor swept Owen's mouth, he started chewing on her finger!! He was a hungry fellow! Then, one more push and he was here! 12:59 am on December 31, 2009. Our December Blessing.

Owen's Arrival - Part 1

So, I thought it was about time for me to fill you in on Owen's arrival. Here is what I looked like on Tuesday, December 29, 2009.

I had a doctor's appointment that day and I was anxious to find out if I had made any progress. On the way there I asked God for peace and for strength to trust him no matter what the doctor said. Dr. Apgar confirmed what I already suspected: no progress at all. Wow. At that point I began to accept the fact that it could be 2 weeks before we met our little guy. By God's grace, I did have peace about it. I still had faith that God could bring Owen in December and continued to ask that he would, but I was at peace with the waiting.

Kevin and I began to make New Year's Eve plans and to consider what to do with the rest of his break. Wednesday was a great day. We all slept in until 8:30! That is WAY late for Kevin and I and a little late for the kids. We made a feast for breakfast including farm fresh eggs and bacon, gravy and homemade biscuits. It was amazing! Kevin is a great cook - especially when it comes to breakfast! By the time we finished cooking, eating, and cleaning up, it was noon! We put the kids down for nap/quiet play time. Kevin and I enjoyed the quiet time and just being together. I eventually took a nap while he got in some reading. That evening we just enjoyed being together. I loved watching Kevin play with the kids. He ran around the house with them which was rewarded with screams of delight from our kids. Kevin left just before bedtime to enjoy a guy's night out with old college buddies. The kids and I snuggled up on the couch and read several books, including their bible. It was such a sweet time! After that, I tucked my little one's into bed and said goodnight. Little did we know that it was the last day we would be a family of 4!!

I camped out on the couch with a book while Kevin was gone. He had forbidden me from cleaning up the kitchen, so I was enjoying the extended time to read and rest. Kev got home around 10:30 and we continued to read. Now, here is where things begin to get interesting.

But I think I'll start a new post so this one isn't too long. I suppose you'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens!