ch-ch-ch-changes!

We are experiencing several changes at our house right now.  For one, yesterday we started the process of refinancing.  That's some fun stuff, let me tell you!  Actually, I am very thankful for a husband who is willing to figure all of that out and get the ball rolling.  I wouldn't get past the "thinking about it" stage!  Can you believe, though, by refinancing, we will be paying less per month for 15 years than we are right now for 30??  That's crazy!  I'd like to keep all that extra money, thank you!

David has also been working really hard to get the outside of our home looking decent.  We decided after 5 years of being here, we should probably repaint the windows, mulch the landscaping, trim the bushes, etc.  He's doing a great job!

Here's another change: my children are learning to be more self-sufficient.  Not necessarily because they want to, but because lately if they want something, they either have to be very patient or to get it themselves.  I simply have been too sick.  With "morning sickness", that is :-)

Sweet baby Julia helping her sick mommy with cleaning

A bit of a story goes with this one.

David's brother Jeff and his wife Courtney, along with David and myself, came up with this awesome plan.  We would hold off on any babies for about a year, so that we could take a trip to Florida next April and Courtney and I would be pregnant at the time.  We were pretty excited about it.

But God started placing all these "circumstances" in my path as He showed me that my plan (as usual) is not His.  I kept on hearing radio program after radio program that talked about babies.  Sanctity of life.  Women who wanted to be pregnant and couldn't do so.  And the list goes on.  It seemed like everytime I turned on my radio for at least a month's time, another of these programs would be on.

I was really struggling with this, wondering if it wasn't all part of God's plan for me to hear those programs.  Finally, at the end of March, I was really down about it and David could tell.  I finally explained to him what was going on, and he said he'd been having the same conviction that maybe our "baby plan" wasn't perfect.  We decided to see how God would work.

I got sick about a week later. 

I must have already been pregnant!  With Samuel, we were so new at everything - married less than a year when we found out we were expecting him.  With Julia, I was so full of resentment that I couldn't enjoy my pregnancy or even her as a baby for way too long.  With this one, I have peace. 

Here's the funny part.  The day after we got a positive test, Jeff and Courtney called.  They had the same story as us - becoming convicted about their plan and then getting pregnant right away after deciding to surrender to God's best for them!  We didn't tell them for 2 more weeks - that was pure torture!  I wanted to share with Courtney so badly my excitement for both of us, but we wanted to wait until we could tell them in person.  It was worth the wait!  And to think, we were both a bit nervous that the other would be upset for ruining the "plan"!

So here's the official announcement.  Baby #3 is due on or around December 11th, just about a week after my sister-in-law is due.  We couldn't be happier!

Which brings me to another change . . . adding a bedroom so we have a place for Baby to sleep!  I'm sure there will be plenty more posts on that subject!