Happy 2nd Birthday Harrison!

Harrison at the park on his birthday

Saturday, the 5th, was Harrison's 2nd birthday.  I can't believe he's already 2.  Time goes by so quickly!  I'm so glad that I'm able to be home now with all the boys so that I can soak up their childhoods before they are gone.

Around noon on Saturday, Harrison's Nana (my mom) and Papa Jim (her husband) came over from their camping spot in Branson to spend the afternoon with us.  We loaded up our bikes and the trailer and headed to Nathaniel Greene/Close Memorial Park, which isn't far from our house.  It's a great park that has paved paths for walking or riding, a small playground and several beautiful gardens to explore.  There is a small lake with ducks to feed as well as a small creek that the boys love to "skip" rocks in.  We spent about three hours riding and playing before we headed home.  I took the camera, hoping to get some good pictures of the boys.  They weren't extremely cooperative.

Park Pictures

On Sunday, we had Nana and Papa Jim along with Aunt Katie (my sister) and AnnaJo (my niece), Papa Rod (my dad) and Uncle Terry (my younger brother).  We had a birthday lunch Sunday afternoon before we had birthday cake and opened presents.

I made his train cake and we blew up a few balloons for the kids to play with.   He loved his gifts which were a new scooter, a car hauler with cars to haul, a couple new shirts, his first "Build A Bear" monkey, and a bike trailer to ride in.  He had a great day with all his family here to spoil him and his favorite girl, "Jo", to play with.

Party Pics

Blogs For A Cause

As I've been reading several adoption blogs, I've come across several really cute ones designed by Blogs For A Cause. Nikki is offering a special for the month of September. You can read about it here.

I've been so inspired by young women like this who are dedicating their young lives to helping others! If I were without the responsibilities of my own kiddos, I would want to be like these gals. In fact, if I could figure out a way to do it now with my family, I would.

Check out what Katie is doing in Uganda here. Katie is amazing! She is only about 20 years old and has changed so many lives. She is the mother of 13 girls! 13!! And that's only what she does when she's home!

Sophie's story is incredible, too. It's here.

Renee is also in Uganda, feeding hundreds of people each week. One person - feeding hundreds. I want to be one person like that. Her blog is here.

I am SO blessed by an AMAZING, INCREDIBLE God!! I truly believe that He expects me to use it for His good, to bless others. Doug and I have both changed so much over the past year. We are so very different than we were even such a short time ago. We both believe that God has a purpose and plan for our marriage and for our family. It is our intention to live our lives differently than we ever have. I hope that will be evident to you as the days and weeks pass.

I am more excited about my God and my life than I have ever been and I am anxiously waiting and praying to see where He leads. I'm preparing for an adventure and I can't wait! Stay tuned!

House Pictures

View of dining area from living room.

Living room. The door to the left goes out onto the covered deck. There is a window to the right of the fireplace and the ceilings are vaulted.

The kitchen. There is a large pantry just to the left, which separates the kitchen from the living room. There is also a door to the garage and the laundry to the left.

This is the playhouse in the backyard. We're going to put the slide in so that the boys can will slide off their deck.

The back of the house from the ground behind the pool. The yard is really sloped, which will be a project in the years to come.

The entryway. The frog isn't there any more, it belonged to the previous owner. We may re-do the pond/fountain and will add some colorful flowers next summer. The boys want fish. Not too sure about that yet.

The entryway and stairwell from the living room.

We still have a lot of things on the "To Do" list, but nothing is so important that it has to be done right away. We have already built a fence around the small deck that is attached to the pool. I do need to paint a bathroom and have plans of painting the boys' room and a wall in the kitchen. That will all get worked in as we can get it done, since school is starting.

Grandparents

Harrison and his great-grandma, Treva Hammond, when he was just home from the hospital.

Papa Rod with Carter and Harrison. Carter was 2 1/2 and Harrison was just a few months old. Carter had used a permanent marker and put "make-up" on.

Nana and Carter "camping" in her bedroom - and Sadee, too, of course. Carter has his favorite, the firetruck blankey. They're laying on a quilt that my great-grandma, Anne Tannehill, made.

Jackson and Doug's dad, Papa Lee.

I just read an article on another blog (here) about grandparents. It made me think of my own grandparents and my parents, who are now grandparenting my own sons. My sons and I are all very blessed.

I've been so blessed with wonderful grandparents of my own, that I adore and miss very much. They are such an important part of my life and who I have become. If I had a wish or two to be granted, one would definately be to have them back so they could see me now and meet their great- and great-great grandsons. I am fortunate to have one grandmother with me still, which I am so thankful for. I have great childhood memories of all of them. I can't imagine growing up without them.

Now, my sons are enjoying those same types of things with my parents. Because we live in different towns now, they have opportunities to spend days at a time with them, which is such a grand adventure for the boys. I know they are making memories they will treasure forever.

This past week, Jackson and Carter spent four nights with my mom and her husband, Jim. Nana and Papa Jim took them camping in St. James two nights. Some of the highlights were Carter falling off a merry-go-round, which he deemed "awesome". Jackson rode his bike into the river, where it got a good washing. Oh.. and at the end of one day, when Carter's legs were hurting (which they often do...that's another story), he came to Nana crying and said, "They hurt so bad that if you don't do something, I'm going to have to hop on one leg tomorrow." Well, I'm not sure Carter will remember that, but I don't think Nana is going to forget anytime soon.

Toward the end of last month, we spent a week in West Plains. The kids had a great time at Papa Rod's house riding four-wheelers and doing things that they can only do with Papa. Great-Grandma Hammond played catch with them in the shade under the walnut tree behind her store. They rode Uncle Homer's tractor and played in the loft of his barn.

We are so blessed. I can't imagine not having this family. I didn't ask for my place in this family and this time. I didn't earn them. God put me here, and I am so thankful. It's unfathomable to me, that there are people in this nation and all over the world who have no one. James 1:27 (NIV) says this:

²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

I hope that one day, God will look at my life and deem that my religion was pure. I am so blessed.

Home Sweet Home

What a week! I am still tired and trying to recover from all the loading, unloading, unpacking and organizing. We've been in the new house a week now and we are very happy with our purchase. I still have a lot of organizing to do, although I think most everything is unpacked now.

As far as the house goes, it is the nicest home we've had. It's about 3500 sq. ft. of living space. The basement is finished, which is a huge blessing. My office, homeschool space, play area, family room, bathroom #3 and a huge storage room are all in the basement. The main level is pretty standard - 3 bedroom and 2 bathrooms. The living room is large and open to the dining area, which is off the kitchen. I have tons of cabinets and counter space, which I love. There is a huge pantry with room for our dry goods, cookbooks and small appliances. I even have a few cabinets that are still empty after everything has been put away. There is extra storage space all over the house, which is great. The only thing I don't like is that my washer and dryer are in a closet off the kitchen.

The back yard is pretty sloped, which isn't great, but the kids don't care. It has a nice above-ground pool they are pretty focused on. There is a playhouse, too, with a deck and some neat hiding places. There are three decks on the back of the house, which is nice and will hopefully be put to use for lots of BBQs and family gatherings.

There is still a ton of decorating to do. Since our basement is finished and so big, we put most of our "old" stuff down there. That means there are empty spaces upstairs that need to be filled. That's ok, though, I don't mind shopping! :) It will get finished over time and will be a fun treasure hunt.

My camera battery charger and card reader slipped through my fingers during the move. I've located the charger, but my card reader ended up at my Dad's house in West Plains. I'll post pictures of the house when I get the reader back, which will hopefully be over the weekend.

Is This For Real? Praise God, Yes!

Truthfully, I wasn't sure if anyone except my very few followers was really reading this blog or not until a few days ago. I figured it didn't really matter, though, since the process of writing it has been rewarding and therapeutic for me. After a visit with a wonderful friend and a conversation with my sister, I realized that there are readers who aren't "followers" and a few of you are wondering what in the world has happened in the past few months and if this stuff I'm writing about my marriage and family is real or not.

1st - I want to thank all of you (you know who you are) who have been so supportive of me - my whole life, really - but specifically over the past year. I'm so blessed! Blessed with wonderful family and a ton of friends who, even if we are absent from each other for a time, are part of my life in such an important way. Thank you so much for being who you are in my life. I believe with all of my heart that God put each of you in my life for a reason, and I am so very blessed and thankful. The last year has been hard, but I have learned so much about myself and my relationship with the Lord and just how much He loves me and my family.

2nd - Yes, all I've posted is true. I know that many of you were surprised a year ago when I left Doug. And, you are surprised now, that we have decided to stay together. Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are. This is not where I thought I would be 8 or 9 months ago. I'm shocked at how God has moved and changed us. If you knew all the details, you would be amazed, too.

Now, I'm not saying that it's all "peachy" and things are perfect. That wouldn't be true. However, I truly am amazed at how God has answered prayers. Specifically. All the details. Not every single little whiney thing I've asked, but He has provided provision, peace, and guidance at every turn. Because of that, I have more peace than I may have ever had about my life, my relationship with Him, my marriage and my family. This really is all in the palm of God's hands, and that's enough for me.

3rd - Believe it or not, Doug and I are right where God wants us to be right now. I believe with all my heart that even in my leaving, I was following God's plan. I was scared when I left, but left knowing I was doing what God wanted me to do at that time. I know what the Bible says about divorce and I never felt peaceful about it, but I also didn't feel peaceful about our life together. I constantly prayed that He would intervene SOMEHOW and make it right...make it what He wanted this life to be, or that He would change me and my heart so I could be at peace with the life I had. He did a little of both. The relationship is different. I am different.

4th - One of the miracles I mentioned before is that God spoke. Here's what happened. I was in a new church, having felt led to leave the church I was already involved in (with praise and worship, no less, which wasn't easy to leave). The very first Sunday morning I was there, there was a message in tongues. Sidenote: If you haven't experienced that or don't believe in it, that's ok. I understand the reservation. I, however, have had a very positive and rewarding experience and believe that this in one way God speaks to His people.

So, the interpretation was something to this effect, "I will take care of you, if you will let me. You don't need anyone except me. I love you. You are my child and I will take care of you, but you have to let me." At that point, it was very affirming to what my spirit was leaning toward, but my intellect was very scared of....letting go and letting God take care of it.

That night, in a prayer service at the same church, I was praying and felt the "whispers" of the Holy Spirit. I've only one other time in my life felt that God spoke directly to me, but He did that night. He told me that if I would obey Him, he would bless my family and give me the desires of my heart. The key about that, is that He also began to change the desires of my heart and to put things back into perspective....His perspective.

He also made it very clear to me that my marriage was about more than just Doug & I and the family we have now. He has a purpose and a plan for our marriage and our family. We have a job to do for His kingdom that will make a difference in eternity. This is bigger than my happiness or Doug's or even the boys'. It's about giving our lives to Christ and following wherever He leads. I pray with all my heart that my boys will see, someday, that the most important thing they can do is lay down their selfish desires and do what God calls them to do. I want to do that in my own life, so that they will see the rewards. After all, we all know that we teach by modeling the behavior we want them to learn.

Before we left that night (I had invited Doug to come, which was another miracle in itself), a lady who had never met us before stopped us and said, "I don't know what your circumstances are, but I feel led to tell you that God wants you two to look at each other with new eyes of love. He loves you and wants you to know that you can look at each other differently than you have before."

5th - Hang on, and watch what God is going to do. I am excited about what's happened, because God has shown Himself so vividly. I know He is working and moving in our lives and I'm so anxious to see what is coming next. It's fun to be in the middle of where He wants you to be! It's truly miraculous and better than I could've ever hoped for. I do believe that Doug and I have work to do for Christ. We both, after much prayer, believe that it involves children. I'm not sure exactly how or where or when, but that's ok. It will happen when it's time and just how He wants it to be. We are reading and praying and learning about the orphans of the world. There is no shortage of scripture that says we are to take care of the orphans and widows. You'll be seeing more about what I'm learning in the days and weeks to come. I've just finished reading a couple books that were terrific. I'd recommend them anyone. Scared by Tom Davis and Adopted For Life by Russell Moore.

Please continue to keep Doug & I in your prayers. We are closing on the new house Wednesday morning. Most everything is packed and ready. I'll post pictures as soon as the camera and equipment are unpacked and set up.

Verse For The Day: Jeremiah 29:11 ...I know the plans I have for you. ..plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.

Sunday Sentiments - Miracles & Moving

I'm taking a break from packing and cleaning, thinking back over the events of the past year. God is truly amazing! I knew that miracles can happen, because I'd seen them in other people's lives. Now, I know they happen because I've seen them in my own.

I'm packing our things so that our family (Doug, me and the kids) can move into our new house in a week or so. A year ago, I was unpacking our things (me and the kids) here in this house, which belongs to a friend of mine, trying to sort out whether I had a family or not. It's obviously a very long story that I won't get to the details of now. There are tremendous blessings in the details, though, which I intend to share later as the time seems right.

Suffice it to say, that I have been blessed over the past year to see God truly work miracles in our lives. I'm excited about what our future holds now, which is so much different than what I was feeling a year ago. God is so good and so faithful! I'm amazed.

I do want to share the details one day, in hopes that they will be a blessing for someone and hopefully a blessing to God by giving Him the glory for each thing. Here's a short, simple list. I'm hoping the list will help me remember and keep me focused.

• After being home with the kids for several years, I HAPPEN UPON a job, which means I have to move from West Plains to Springfield (100 miles away +/-).
• A home for the kids and I to live in COMES TO US. Our neighbors are wonderful and so loving toward the kids and me.
• Doug moves to Springfield a few weeks later because of a PROMOTION.
• I find a wonderful church home in Republic Assembly and get ASKED to help with Praise & Worship.
• I start teaching and FIND a wonderful friend, who has just been through a divorce.
• I file for divorce, which leads to much CONVERSATION between Doug & I.
• A friend comes to visit for a few days, when a lot of my "issues" are REVEALED.
• I am LED to quit one small group and join another, where I hear about National Institute of Marriage.
• Court date draws near (4 days away) and I GIVE Doug 40 days to "do something". (No, I hadn't seen the Fireproof movie)
• He MAKES RESERVATIONS for a 4-day intensive at NIM and makes arrangements for kids.
• 5 couples from across the nation and Canada MEET in Branson, MO, and share their lives.
• I'm LED to try a new church, closer to our neighborhood where God SPEAKS the first day I'm there.
• God SPEAKS again, in the 2nd service, which I've INVITED Doug to come to, also.
• We STEP OUT in faith and choose to commit to our family staying together, whatever that looks like as we walk "through the wilderness".

So, today, I am packing again and wondering what the next year will hold. I'm certain that God is working and that as we obey Him, our family will be blessed. It's exciting to be excited again about life and the future. I'm amazed by God's goodness and faithfulness when I'm so lost and uncertain.

I'll post pictures of the new house when we get there. It's getting hectic here as boxes are piling up. I'm sure the computer will be packed at some point, so it may be a while before I post again.

This verse was a blessing to me this morning:

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Food & Fun Friday

I realized this morning as I was catching up on my blog list and finding great new ones, that I had forgotten my Food & Fun Friday post. I have a good excuse, though. We definately had a fun Friday, as we were going full-speed from the time we opened our eyes.

We had great friends from out of town spend the night Thursday night. Carter had gone camping with his Nana in Branson, after we spent the afternoon in Silver Dollar City with said friends. So, Friday morning we woke with company, but minus Carter. When the friends left mid-morning, the remaining boys and I headed back to Branson to reclaim our Carter.

We ended up going back to Silver Dollar City with Nana. We spent the entire afternoon riding and eating (which completes the Food & Fun theme for the day - lol) before we headed back to Nana's camper. Doug drove down after he was off work and played a round of putt putt with the kids after dinner.

However, our plans to reclaim Carter were blundered when both older boys wanted to camp instead of come home with mom and dad. So, Harrison came home with us and we will hopefully reclaim Jackson and Carter this afternoon. I'm thinking that after today, Nana will see to it that I have my sons back.

So, we had a Friday full of fun and lots of good food!

The menu plan for next week looks very similar to last week's plan. Because Doug showed up at the beginning of last week with several steaks that I wasn't planning on, we grilled those and ate leftovers a few times. Most of the groceries I bought for last week are still in the fridge or pantry. I'll just have to restock the milk, bread, eggs and butter.

The Widhalm Mission Statement

I've seen over the past several months, several bloggers (sorry I didn't keep track of blogs to give credit to) with family mission statements. I thought this was a great idea. A mission statement helps define your purpose and those things you wish to be intentional about achieving. I love the idea of having a family mission statement to give that clarity to our family lives as well. Our statement is very general and we'll be writing down more specific goals within each area in the days ahead.

We are getting ready to move into a different home and I would like to come up with a way to incorporate our mission statement or some of the scripture references into the decor somehow. We'll see what happens with that after the boxes are unpacked. If you have any ideas, let me know!

The Widhalm Family Mission Statement

We believe that our purpose as a family is to lead a quiet life as we follow Christ, take care of our family and serve others. We will accomplish this by:

• valuing the Bible and our relationship with Christ as our guiding principals
• making our home a place of love, service, and growth
• interacting with each other in a spirit of love and forgiveness
• being diligent in our effort to serve others

Scripture References:

1 Thess 4:11 & 12 ...and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

Romans 15:5-6 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galations 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness.

Matthew 18:21-22 The Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”