Ministry

Dustin and I have been together for almost 14 years. We dated a year, were engaged for a year and we will celebrate 12 years of marriage this June! Crazy to think it has been that long, but I can't remember him not being a part of my life, which I love!!

Literally, 2 seconds after we were married, someone in our church "volunteered" (HA!) us to start leading the youth group! I'm pretty sure we found this out (randomly) the first Sunday we were back from our honeymoon! So, Dustin and I became "youth leaders."

Some years later, Dustin was offerred a paid position as youth pastor for a little church. We thought (to ourselves) that we would give it 3 months, reevaluate and go from there. Within a month (probably not quite!) the pastor that was part of the group of elders that hired him, QUIT! Yes, QUIT! We got a call, late one Saturday night from one of the elders and he told us that the pastor was resigning the next day! WHAT??!! We weren't sure what was going to happen at that point, but we stayed at the church and ministered there for the next 5 years and were very blessed to be apart of that church!

After those 5 years, the church went in a different direction that no longer suited our family. At this point we had a sweet, little baby boy....LOGAN! Thus began the LONG, and I mean LONG, journey of finding a new church to suit our family.

We visited numerous churches and even revisited churches but we didn't feel a peace about any of them. A couple of years later and another sweet, little baby boy...LUKE, I am happy to say that we have found a church and low and behold Dustin is once again a volunteer youth pastor!

Our new church is VERY family oriented, which I love! There are many different bible studies and ministry opportunities. It is very exciting!

Yesterday, we had our first youth meeting. There were about 10 teens along with Dustin, our boys and I. Dustin wanted Logan and Luke to be there so the teens could meet them and see us as a family! Let me just say that I am not prepared for Jr. High youth! HA! They are good kids, don't get me wrong, but we have been out of the "youth" stage for almost 5 years, so it's going to take a little time to get back into the swing of things!

We are very excited to be in the ministry again and are excited to see where God leads the youth group and our family. If you think of it, please pray for our family and our new ministry and also pray for your church and the ministries there! Who doesn't need prayer, right??!!

Have a blessed week!

Hallelujah!!

HALLELUJAH!!

We've been without our computer for a couple of weeks because of virus' and come to find out a BAD hard drive! UGH! However, NOW WE HAVE IT BACK!!

I have a lot to blog about and will do so when I get more than 3 minutes to do it!

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!!

What Have I Gotten Myself InTo?

When I married my husband almost 12 years ago I was fully aware that his family are "gamers." They LOVE games...cards, board games, etc. Growing up, my family was not really into games of any kind. If two families could be complete opposites in a particular aspect...our's were.


In the beginning, I used to be very timid about playing games. You see, the family really doesn't "take it easy" on the newcomers. For instance, one time while playing cards, I cried! Yes, CRIED! I recall that I thought I had a bad hand and so I tossed my cards in when come to find out, I had a GREAT hand but didn't realize it because I was confused. Well, needless-to-say, I was the butt of the jokes that night and there was such an uproar that I left the table quietly, sat out the next game and cried! HA! I have, however, learned over the years to jab back! I now join in on the teasing of others and can take all of the teasing they dish out at me...without crying...most of the time!


The newest ADDICTION of the family is....Wii Bowling! Dustin's parents purchased a wii system for his sister's family, his brother's family and our family for CHRISTmas. Then the day after CHRISTmas his parents went out and purchased their own wii system so now we ALL have a wii system. Now, since we all have a system we decided to have a family "wii bowling league." When I say league, that is exactly what I mean...hard core!! There are written rules and regulations, team names, jackpots, etc. Dustin and I joined in on the fun of it and even have "team jerseys!"


I will NEVER forget the first night of the "league." We all went to his parent's house (after taking the boys to his brother's house where their parents paid for a babysitter to watch all of the boys!) to play and it was quite tense! The rules were in written form for us all to read. Let me say that they were VERY SPECIFIC! At this point, me, not being quite the "gamer" that they are, wanted to LEAVE! HA! However, after we got past all of the dos and don'ts and all of the tension, we enjoyed a few games of wii bowling!


This league will continue for the next few months and I am sure I will have many a story to tell about my in-laws...the GAMERS!! Seriously, I do love them and are so thankful for them. Let's just say, I hope our boys aren't quite the GAMERS that they are! HA!



**I just had Dustin read this post before I published it and he, of course, wants the boys to be like his family...GAMERS!! Oh my!!**

Give It Another Try

Happy 2010 Everyone!

I have decided to forge ahead and give my old blog another try! I can't make any promises (sound familiar...I'm sure that I've said it before!) but I am going to try and be a better blogger!

Here are a few pictures our my family from the past couple of months! We are looking foward to great things this year and pray the same for you!

One Crazy Summer!

I can't believe that Summer is almost over! Is it really the middle of August already?? Usually the end of Summer isn't such a big deal to me because I am a "Fall girl." However, at the end of this Summer my Logan is starting preschool! Oh, I don't know if I am ready for it, but I have no choice! I just keep telling myself that he will be fine and it's going to be good for him! In all reality, I KNOW that HE will be fine, but I KNOW that I won't! HA!

Another added bonus to this Summer is that Dustin has been home since the end of June. He had surgery in late July and will be home, rehabbing for another couple of weeks! While I didn't want Dustin to have have surgery, I am glad that we were able to spend the Summer together! Especially since this is our last Summer before school starts!! We have obviously stayed around home and haven't gone on a real vacation but we all have enjoyed being with one another!!

My Luke turned 2 a couple of a couple of weeks ago. We decided to have his party at the park. My boy loves sports, especially baseball. Dustin thought it would be fun to have an outdoor party at a park with a baseball diamond for the kids to play on! Sounds great and like a lot of fun...right??!! Well, it would have been great to have the party outdoors but wouldn't you know it...it POURED RAIN ALL DAY THE DAY OF HIS PARTY!!!!!!!!! We made a last minute change in location and had the big birthday party (with lots of people!) at my parent's house! We were a bit crammed but a good time was had by all! Thanks Mom and Dad for "hosting"the party!!

A few short days after Luke turned 2, I celebrated my 33rd birthday! WOW!! I was talking to Dustin and while my age keeps climbing, birthdays aren't like they used to be and I am fine with that. Once you become a mom, it's all about the kids! My main focus is making sure my boys have the time of their lives on their birthdays. My only wish or request for my birthday is to spend it with Dustin and my boys!!

Dustin always does something nice for my birthday and this year was no exception! Friday night, we went to a baseball game and had a great time! Great seats...right there in the action!! I love going to games and being a part of it!! Saturday, I, along with my parents, went and cheered on my 2 cousins who participated in the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk! What an amazing task they took on and completed!! I am so proud of them!!! Then Saturday night, I hung out with some of my friends and ended up talking for 7 hours!! Can you believe that...just talked and snacked!! We had a great time!! Sunday, I got up and relaxed a bit, cleaned the house and then Dustin and I went to some of the closing ceremonies for the Breast Cancer Walk. Then back home to an evening of family and dinner!! I had a great birthday weekend!!

That's about it for now!! We are taking it easy for the next few weeks and then Dustin goes back to work and Logan starts school! I am going to enjoy these next couple of weeks with my guys! I am so truly blessed!!

Hope you enjoyed more pictures from our Summer in this post!! The park pictures were taken by one of our friends! She did an amazing job and I love them!!

Please Pray

I have asked for prayer before, for a sweet baby named Stellan. I am begging you all to pray for him again. He is in the hospital and is not doing good at all. Please pray for him and his family. Thanks!

www.mycharmingkids.net

Surgery Day

Update: Dustin's surgery went great! We have been home since early this evening. He ate dinner, has been walking around and has been sleeping for a couple of hours. Thank you all for your prayers and keep them coming!! Now, if I could only get my boys settled down and in bed, then I can get some sleep!! HA! Have a great weekend!!
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Please pray for us today! Dustin is having surgery on his knee today. He has torn his meniscus and the Dr. is going to go in and clean it all up! Please pray that the surgery goes great (and that his nervous wife in the waiting room does well too! HA!). It is outpatient surgery so we will hopefully only be gone a few hours and then be able to come home to our family! Please also pray for his recovery that it goes great too...no complications!! Thank you all!

Summer 2009

Apparently I can promise and promise to blog more or to post pictures and I can't seem to follow through with those promises!! HA! Sorry, but I will try to make it up in this post (a little!). Where to begin...

We are enjoying our summer here in our household. We have someone here with us every day, all day, and that is Daddy! You see, my sweet husband has torn his meniscus and has been off of work for the past 3 weeks. He is having surgery next week and will be off for another 5 weeks! Crazy, I know!!

I feel very bad that he is in pain, but have enjoyed him being around the house every day! To be honest, I have taken advantage of him being home and have been able to do some things on my own...paint pottery, hang out at a friends pool, etc.! However, I know that my time away from the house (which has only been a few times, not every day!!) is about to end due to his surgery!

Now that that has been said...onto our busy week this week!

Monday, the boys and I went on a play date with my friend, Becky, from high school (she was also my maid of honor at our wedding all those years ago!) and her 2 yr old twin boys! We all had a great time! I love to see my boys interact with other children. Logan is just so caring and nurturing. He walked right alongside Becky's stroller and talked to her boys. At one point, one of the boys looked back and called out for Logan. How sweet is that! Luke enjoyed running around and playing also! We really had a great time and hope to do it again soon. Maybe even to the zoo...right Becky??!! HA!

My 3 nephews are in town this week and we have been able to spend some time with them which has been awesome! My dad and I felt courageous enough to take all 5 boys to the zoo yesterday! We had a great time! I was proud that Dad and I survived and that all the boys had fun and we returned in one piece...no injuries or major melt downs!! YEAH!

After the zoo, we all (including Dustin who was home resting his knee and my mom who was working) ended up at my parents house for dinner and more playing!

Today, we had play time and lunch here at the house and then headed over to Aunt Vickie's for swimming and dinner! The boys had a blast in the pool! Even I got in and swam a bit! Yes, I did buy a bathing suit this year for $20!! Thank you Walmart!! I have stayed away from swimming for years because of bathing suits...yuk! However, I felt guilty about not having one in order to take the boys swimming, so I caved and got one! It isn't the greatest and I may have to spend some big bucks and get one that actually works better! Oh well...A for effort...right??!!

Tonight, my two older nephews are staying the night! As I type this they are all fast asleep. To be honest, it was a lot of fun tonight at our house! Not stressful at all! It is fun to have a sleep over! After all, I am "fun Aunt Stacey" and who wouldn't want to stay at our house!!!

I just checked on the boys and I wish I could go and take a picture of the big boys sleeping but I don't want to wake them. They just look so big and cute!

Tomorrow is another fun adventure. A friend of ours is going to try and take some pictures of the 5 boys at a local park! I am praying for good weather and happy, not cranky, boys! I have a feeling I am going to have to do some MAJOR bribing!! HA!

So, enjoy the pictures, not from this week, but some from the past few months that were taken with my new camera!! YEAH!!

Hope everyone else is having a great Summer 2009!!

Hello...It's Me Stacey!!!

I can't believe it has been so long since I have blogged! The main reason is that our laptop is broken and our "big, old school" computer is not as quick or good as the laptop. However, I am sitting at the "big, old school" computer right now trying to come up with a clever post while my sweet Luke should be napping in my bed behind me. I wonder how many times I will have to tell him to stay in the bed, lay down and go to sleep!!! For all of you that know me personally, you will understand when I say that my Luke is JUST.LIKE.HIS.UNCLE.SCOTT!!! Enough said!

I am just going to write about random stuff about us in this post. Hopefully, you can all follow along!!

These days things are quite crazy here in our house. I am not complaining though. I love my life as a stay-at-home mom and love that God has blessed me with two precious little boys (who can fight like cats and dogs! HA!). I am so thankful for them (even when I am at my wits end with them like yesterday!) and cherish them so! There is nothing better than their sweet kisses and hugs! However, usually by 8 pm at night, Mommy is done! Daddy has to take over, because Mommy just needs a bit of silence!! Who knew that a 4 yr old and almost 2 yr old could be so loud!! All that to say, that being their mom is the best thing ever and I am so thankful for them!

I texted my sister-in-law, Amy, the other day and told her that basically we don't talk every day like we used to and I was being silly about stuff and she texted me back to call her. I called her back and we literally talked for 60 seconds because her boys and my boys were so loud that we couldn't hear each other on the phone! Thank God for texting! At least we can check in without having to talk on the phone!!

By the way, my sweet Logan is all signed up for preschool in the Fall. That's right! I could cry just typing about it! I just keep telling myself that it will be good for him. He will enjoy being around and playing with other children his age. But still, my baby is going to school!!! Plus while Logan is at school, Luke and I will have some together time! All in all, it will be good for us all...I think! HA!

I AM ADDICTED TO TWITTER! I know, I know. It is crazy! I love that I don't have to type a long post but can give a quick "status" update on what is going on from time to time. Plus I can do it all from my pink BlackBerry! It doesn't get better than that! HA! Oh, and I can check Facebook from the BlackBerry too! I love it! How did I ever live without it before!! HA!

We are all (me, Dustin, the boys, my parents!) going to my brother's house this weekend to celebrate my nephew Caleb's 5th birthday! It is going to be a lot of fun! My parents are going to have all 5 of their grandson's under one roof! It is going to be CRAZY, but priceless!

For the record, people have been asking Dustin and I if we are going to have another baby; if we are going to try for the girl! Here is what my response is....IF I were to get pregnant again, and that is not a given, we will most likely have another son. I think boys are all this family can produce! We have two and my brother and sister-in-law have 3! HA! Having another son would just be great! I would love to have a little girl but we will not "try again" solely for the purpose of having a little girl. IF we decide to add to our family, it will be because we want another child, either sex would be great! In saying all of that (sorry if it sounded rude, it was not intended that way!), we will NOT try to get pregnant until we have some control over Lukey!! Ha! I love my boys!

Finally, I would like to wish my wonderful husband, who so graciously and lovingly puts up with me day after day after day, a very HAPPY 11th ANNIVERSARY (early!)!! Our anniversary is this Saturday! I can't believe it has been 11 years, Babe! Thank you so much for all you do for me and the boys. You are more than I deserve (seriously) and I love you so much! I am so thankful for you and the husband and daddy you are! Love you always!

Hope everyone (basically my parents, Kate and a few others who read this!) has a great weekend. I promise to post some fun pictures (we got an awesome new camera!!) as soon as our laptop is fixed...hopefully next week (Sarah)!

Thanks for checking back in. I promise to post more often, even if it is from our old school computer!!

Happy Birthday Logan!

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY LOGAN!

Today is my first baby's 4th birthday! I am amazed that he is already 4! He is becoming quite the young man. I was telling Dustin the other night, what I difference I have seen in Logan in the past few months. His vocabulary is expanding and we are able to have complete conversations with him. He is learning to express his feelings in a better, more mature way. He is a wonderful big brother to Luke. He truly brings so much joy to our family! I love my little man so much and am so proud to be his mommy! Below are some pictures from his special day!

He chose to have lunch at Applebees for his birthday. While there Dustin, Luke and I gave him his first gift...a Thomas the Tank Engine (new!) video! He will get his other gifts at his big birthday party on Saturday!

Luke enjoyed Brother's birthday lunch too! If you are looking at his crazy hair and wondering why his mother would let his hair get so long, well you will no longer have to wonder...haircuts for both boys on Friday! HA!

Does anyone else have trouble getting their children to pose for pictures??!!

The wonderful waitresses sang "Happy Birthday" to him and brought him a birthday sundae, which he loved!!

Both sets of Grandparents along with Aunt Heather and Lyndsey came over tonight for a mini-birthday celebration! He was very excited for the cake and his favorite ice cream!

I told you he was excited!!

Of course, Luke was excited for cake and ice cream too!

Here is our birthday boy after a long but fun day! I wonder what time he will go to bed tonight after all of the sugar he ate today! Oh well, birthdays only come once a year!

Happy Birthday Logan!

Daddy, Mommy and Lukey love you very much!

Keep Praying

Please continue to pray for baby Stellan. He is going to take his first flight tomorrow to Boston. He is being transferred to another hospital. There is a lot going on with his little body and we all need to lift him (and his family) up in prayer. There are some specific ways to pray for him and (and his family) that are listed on his Mama's website. Please go there and pray, pray, pray!

Twittering!

I am joining the world of "Twitter!" If you would like to view my "tweets" go to www.twitter.com/CrazyMommy2. You have wait for my approval in order to view my tweets! We will see how it goes!

Hope you all are having a great day!

Please Pray

Once again I am asking everyone to get on their knees and pray for a precious, miracle, little baby boy named Stellan. He is in the hospital with a very high heart rate. This is a very serious condition and we all need to lift him up in prayer. Please go to his Mommy's blog to get all of the information on this sweet baby.

Thanks

Thanks God!

Do you ever have those days when you just feel out of sorts? Do you ever feel anxious or overwhelmed? This is the way that I am feeling this morning!

I was up late last night and had a hard time falling asleep once I got into bed because my mind was just running. I am a worrier. I have mentioned that before and how I am not proud of this. I know that worry does not come from God! I have personally learned that about 99% of the things I worry about, never come about!!

I tend to get worried and feel unsettled when I am not spending time in prayer or reading my Bible. I begin to live in "what if" land!

We were up early today and while the boys were eating breakfast and watching "Dora the Explorer" I felt the need to get out my Beth Moore "Breaking Free Day by Day" devotional. I opened it and began to flip to today's reading. However, I ended up looking at yesterdays reading too. Here is the verse from yesterday:

Matthew 11:28

"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

That is me!! I am weary and burdened, because of my own doing, but still! Jesus tells me that when I am feeling like this to come to Him and He will give me rest. How awesome is that! I can focus on Him and not on my worries. When I turn my focus to Him and away from my worries, I realize that the worries are wrong and only bringing harm to me.

When you really think about it, who wants to live their life in a way that is harmful. I don't want to go through my day living in "what if" land!! I want to be full of joy and happiness. When I worry about needless things, I am robbing myself of joy and happiness. See what happens when you are able to get a little rest...you are able to think more clearly!!

The thought also came to mind that I might have had a better night and morning if I would have read yesterday's passage YESTERDAY!! Hello!!

Thank you God! This is just what I needed today!!

Have a blessed day everyone!

Happy Birthday to You...

SCOTT!

Today is my little (but taller) brother's 30th birthday!

I feel so old having a brother who is 30! HA!

Scott, you are an awsome uncle, brother-in-law and an O.K. brother! Just kidding! I am very proud of you and thankful that you are my brother!

I hope that you have a great day!

Enjoy your birthday weekend!

Welcome to the 30s!

Let's Play Catch Up!

Believe it or not, every day I think about blogging the happenings of that particular day. As you can tell, I don't follow through with my thought. Then when I don't post for several days (or weeks!), I get overwhelmed with what to blog about. So, here is a bunch of random things that have gone on with us in the past few weeks!

-Dustin and I went to the funeral home to pay our respects to the family of our pediatrician that passed away. I am still shocked by this and don't know if I will ever be the same. I am confident in saying that I don't think I will ever find another pediatrician who cares about my boys the way that our pediatrician did. As Dustin and I were getting ready to leave, we stopped and talked to the nurse and she asked me how I was doing, and honestly, I was so overcome with emotion that I couldn't even speak, so we just hugged! Dustin and I said that we didn't expect that we would be this emotional about him passing and the nurse told us that she had had grown men come to her just sobbing over him. One special thing that made me emotional but also brought a smile to my face was that the family had his "doctor's coat" that he wore displayed. They had make up a shirt and tie and the coat was filled with all of his normal stuff he used! How sweet is that!

-Both Logan and Luke took turns being sick! I am praying that this is it for the winter and that we will have a happy, healthy Spring and Summer!!

-The boys, my Dad and I all went to the Henry Ford Museum and had a great time! My Dad said he hasn't been there in 40 years and it was such a joy to watch him look at everything. He would explain different things to the boys and I. The boys enjoyed going with their Papa! It was a nice afternoon for us all!

-The boys and I spent the afternoon last Friday with my parents! We shopped, had lunch and hung out at their house for a bit! I just want to say that I love the store "Children's Place." I love their "3 tee shirts for $18!" I was able to get a jump start on the boys Spring/Summer wardrobe! Mommy also bought some new Clinique make up -- love it!!

-After spending the afternoon with my parents, Dustin's whole family came over that night and I cooked! Yes, you did read that correctly...I cooked! We celebrated (a little late) the February birthdays --- Happy Belated Birthday to Aunt Heather, Uncle Ryan and Lyndsey!! Speaking of February Birthdays, I must also wish my nephew Zachery a Happy Belated 7th Birthday too!

-We topped off our busy weekend last Saturday with a trip to IKEA! I LOVE IKEA!! Let me say that again...I LOVE IKEA!! We were able to get a few things and have already planned another trip back in a few weeks! One quick story about our IKEA adventure! I was purchasing a quilt. I had seen the quilt on the upper level on a bed that was all decked out. There was a bin of the quilts by the bed, but we hadn't decided if we were going to get it at that point so I didn't pick it up. I did however look at the price. When we got downstairs where all of the "textiles" were, we picked up the quilt. I noticed that the quilt was more expensive. Then while in line, I realized that I must have picked up the "king size" instead of the "full/queen size." So, I told Dustin to go ahead and pay and just wait with the boys and I would quickly run back upstairs and switch! Let me just say that "quick run" back upstairs took about 20 - 30 minutes. There is no such thing as a "quick run" back upstairs. I never stopped moving and I swear it took me at least 20 minutes. However, that "quick run" saved me $30!!! Again, I LOVE IKEA, just in case you didn't catch that earlier!!

-Lastly, and certainly least..."The Bachelor." This is what I have to say, "are you kidding me?!" Melissa was my favorite from the beginning. I was all excited and then the Friday before the finale I read some spoilers that told what was going to happen and it did! I lost a lot of respect for that guy! I do realize that I am talking about the reality TV show "The Bachelor" but still! In saying that, I am soooo excited that Melissa is on "Dancing With the Stars!" She did really good last night and I hope she sticks around! GO MELISSA!!!

That about sums it up! Thank you for reading my rambling! Hope you all have a good week!

I've Been Tagged!

My dear friend Becka tagged me a while ago and I am just getting around to it (sorry Becka)! So, here we go!

Ten Random Adjectives That Start With The Letter C:

1. Cold

2. Cute

3. Crappy

4. Calm

5. Clammy

6. Childish

7. Crazy

8. Colorful

9. Creepy

10. Courageous

I am not going to lie...had to cheat to get a few of these!!

Enjoy your day!!

Our Pediatrician

As I was nearing my due date when I was pregnant with Logan, I began to stress about a pediatrician. I had no idea who to go to or where to even start looking for one. Let me just say now, that I feel that our pediatrician was sent to us by God! Some of you may be thinking that I am crazy, but I am not.

We met with him the week before I delivered Logan just to see his face so that when he showed up at the hospital after Logan was born, we would in fact know who he was! He was older but came very highly recommended! So, that was that! He became our pediatrician!

I am not going to pretend that our pediatrician did not stress me out COMPLETELY when Logan was 3 months old and told me he needed to see a neurologist because he couldn't hold his head up well enough at his check up! Can I just say here that Logan wanted to be held constantly the first 8 weeks of his life! I thought "tummy time" was so that his head wouldn't go flat for laying on it so much. Why would his head go flat when I was holding him all day every day! It never hit me that he needed to learn to hold his head up...build up the strength!

Obviously, Logan is fine now. There was never a problem. He was just held too much and had a big head! This whole situation taught me that our pediatrician was one who cared for my baby and would do what he thought was best. He wasn't going to take any chances with anything! I appreciate that so much as a mother. I learned that if our pediatrician wasn't concerned then I wasn't either.

Not to mention that I think the world of his nurse and office staff. They all treat my boys like they are family and I so love that! Logan and Luke like going to see everyone at the doctor's office, that is, until the shots come out! Not to mention, they all put up with me!!! I used to call the office weekly when Logan was little and used to have him in the office at least every other week. Never did they make me feel silly. Now you know if they can put up with me, they are great! (I am much better about not calling so much with Luke!!!)

When I went to take Luke for his 18 month check up we saw another doctor who was filling in for our doctor. We were told that he had to take some personal time off to deal with a matter that couldn't be put off any more. I asked a few questions but was given some vague answers. I really didn't think much of it at the time.

Well, Dustin and I found out tonight that our pediatrician passed away today after a battle with cancer. I had no idea he was battling cancer. I just feel very sad tonight. I am thankful that my boys were under his care for as long as they were. I am thankful that he cared about my boys like he did. I am saddened for all of his family, patients and their families! He will truly be missed.

Happy 100th!

Congratulations to me! This is my 100th post! I don't know whether to be excited about it or be embarrassed because it has taken me 2 1/2 years to get to my 100th post!! Either way I feel, it is still an accomplishment!


I have been thinking for the past 2 weeks what my 100th post should be about. I don't feel that it should just be a regular post. There should be something exciting about this post; a little something extra of sorts. I have thought of a million (well, not million but a lot) of different things to do and I think I have it! This post is going to be dedicated to my immediate family. They are the one's that know me most and put up with me through the good and the bad. So, family, this is for you!! (It''s a long post, but from the heart!)

Dustin: I love the fact that I don't really remember life without you. We were married at young ages and I am so thankful for that. I also love the fact that I married my first real boyfriend! We have definitely had our share of tough times and I made it through those times because of you being my strength when I was weak. We have also had a ton of great times! I am thankful for the strong, Christian man you are. You are a hard worker and you provide the best you can for our family. Thank you for that! I can't even put into words what a great "daddy" you are. I get teary-eyed when I see you playing with our boys. They love you so much and I am so thankful for you all. Thank you for loving me and putting up with me!! I am excited to see what God has in store for us and our family! I love you with all that is in me!

Logan: You are my miracle baby #1. There was a time when I never thought I would be a "Mommy" to anyone and then came the day when we found out I was pregnant with you. You are such a blessing to our family. You have open my heart in ways that I never thought possible. I love watching you learn new things every day and I especially love your hugs and kisses. I feel so privileged to be your Mommy and I will love and cherish you forever. My prayer is that you come to know Jesus as your personal Savior and that you will grow to be a strong man of God. I thank God for you every day!

Luke: You are my miracle baby #2. You are quite the adventure and I love you for that. You are truly Mommy's boy. You are such a blessing to our family! I love to watch you grow and learn new things every day. You love your brother so much and it melts my heart when you call him "brother." You have opened my heart even more and I will love and cherish you forever. My prayer is that you will come to know Jesus as your personal Savior and that you will also grow to be a strong man of God. I thank God for you every day!

Dad and Mom: Thank you so much for raising me in a loving, Christian home. I am so blessed to have been raised by two God-loving adults who cherished God as well as each other. I am also thankful that you have shown me the true meaning of marriage. There are tough time as well as easy times. You fight through the tough times together and enjoy the easy times. I love you both and appreciate you so much. I remind Dustin often how lucky he is to have you all as in-laws!Thank you for being the best grandparents to my boys! They sure do love their Grandma and Papa!

Scott: I am amazed at the man you have become. I will always think of you as the little boy who chased me around our kitchen table with a hair brush, but I am so proud of the Christian leader you are. You are amazing at what you do and God is doing amazing things through you. I can't help but tear up every time I hear you speak. I am very proud of you and am thankful for you. You are an awesome Uncle to the boys and I still am not quite sure why they love you so!! Thank you for welcoming Dustin into the family and loving him like a brother! I love you and can't wait until we live near each other again....just kidding. Don't up and move away tomorrow!!

Amy: I have always wanted a sister. I never thought that it would be you!!! HA! I remember years ago your mom saying that she couldn't believe that we are as close as we are and I agree. I am so thankful for you and the impact you have had on my life. Thank you for sharing your precious sons with me and letting me mother Zach and Caleb a bit before I got pregnant with Logan. You are such a great example of a Christian mother and I am blessed to have you. Plus, it is fun to gang up on Scott and Dustin together!!!

Zach, Caleb and Blake: I could never have imagined what being an aunt would feel like and then Zach, you were born. You truly were the apple of my eye. Even though you are big now, I will always cherish our "best friends" song. Caleb, you are my buddy. I am thankful for you and your gentleness with Luke. You keep us all laughing and I love to be around you. If you ever run for President, you've got my vote. Blake, you are the baby of the family and what a special baby you are. You are so easy going and quiet and to be honest you probably don't get the chance to be loud with all of the crazies in this family! You are such a happy boy and I look forward to teaching you the "best friends" song!

My Mother-in-Law and Father-in-Law: I am truly blessed to be your daughter-in-law. I am so thankful for you both. You have always been there for Dustin and I and the boys! We love you so much. Thank you for welcoming me into the family with open arms. I have never felt like I was just the daughter-in-law. You have always treated me like another daughter! I love you both! Also, thank you for loving the boys like you do. The sure do love their Grandma and Papa so much! Thank you for being the best grandparents!

Heather and Lyndsey: I am so thankful to have been in the family since Lyndsey was so little. Lyndsey, you are my one and only niece and I love you to pieces. Although you are mouthy at times (just like your Aunt Stacey!!) I am so proud of the teenager you have become. Thank you for playing with and loving Logan and Luke like you do! You are an awesome cousin to them. I will always remember you and Uncle D discussing "cinnamon toast" that Sunday morning when you were 5! You were and are so cute! Aunt Stacey loves you so much! Heather, I don't know that I have ever met such a strong person! You have had to deal with a lot and I am so proud of the way you have handled things! I don't think that you realize how strong you are! Thank you for always being there for me and for always treating me like your sister! You are an awesome Aunt to the boys too! They love when Aunt Heather comes over. Thank you for loving them like you do! I love you and pray that you will one day be loved and cared for by someone special, like you deserve!

Ryan, Jenn and Brock: Ryan, I was afraid of you for years!!! Don't you wish I still was?!! HA! I am so amazed that you are married and have a son!! Jenn, I am so thankful that you chose to put up with Ryan and marry him!! Seriously though, I love you and am also thankful for you both and the close relationship you have with Dustin and I. I look forward to raising our children together. Brock, you are the baby of our family and what a strong baby you are! You just couldn't wait to enter this world. You brought tears to Aunt Stacey's eyes the first time I saw you because even though you were so tiny, you were so perfect! Although you seem to like to spit up all over me, I love you and will gladly smell like spit up any time, just so I can hold you and play with you! I am excited to hear you say "Stacey" for the first time. If you could say my name before Daddy's that would be even better!! I love you Brock and am so thankful for you!

Thank you Lord for my family. Help me to never take them for granted. They are wonderful people and I am who I am because of them!

Answered Prayer

A few weeks ago I asked you all to pray for Baby Harper. Well, I am so thrilled to now say that her Mommy and Daddy took her home last night! She is well and is doing fine! There will be some extra precautions that her parents will have to take, but she is home!! Thank you all for your prayers. This little girl's life is such a testimony to the power of prayer!

I hope you all have a great weekend!