A blessed life

I would not be suprised it tomorrow morning I wake up and I am a shade of orange. WHY? you ask. Well let's just say...I really don't want to see another PUMPKIN ROLL for a very long time. The last few years some people at my work have paid me to make them Pumpkin Rolls for the their Thanksgiving Holiday. This year I made 6 for people at work and with tips made $54!!! Plus I made 3 for my Thanksgiving meals. And I had 1 mess up. SO if your counting that is 10 pumpkin rolls!!! (For those who don't know what a pumpkin roll is. It is basically pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing rolled up "jelly roll" style) I am at present sitting on my couch with my aching feet propped up on my laundry basket, that has laundry I need to fold but I am putting it off for the moment, and resting in the fact that for 2 weeks I don't have to make another "roll". (a lady at work tried a piece of rolls and decided she wanted one. So I told her give me 2 weeks and I will bring one in. And another lady wants one a Christmas.) So other than makeing Sweet potato Casserole for my mom and dad's dinner on Saturday I am done Cooking!!!!! YEA!!!!!!

Of lately my pregnancy is going pretty well. I have had few cravings. Here is one thing that was on the list for 2 weeks. Chicken salad....I got the bright idea to make a melt out of it. So I put some salad and some cheese on a tortilla. Buttered the outside of the tortilla and put it one my "george forman" grill. (love that thing) The result was pretty tasty. Now the thought of Chicken salad, kind of turns my stomache.

People have been so sweet in asking about the baby and some even getting gifts for the baby too. Our church family is so excited about the new little one. Except for baby Jonathan Robbins who was only there for a few months, this church has not had a little baby for a long time. So they are anxious. One dear lady, Rosie, who has also predicted that I am having a boy, brought me these gifts a few Sundays ago. I love them both. Let's just say Jonathan is putting stock in her prediction and never ceases to reminde me, that Rosie is a wonderful Christian and has a close walk with God sooooo she must know what it is. I keep telling Jonathan, We'll see!!!!

By the way the ornament is 2 snowmen building another snowman in between them and it says "Baby on the way" (to cute I love it!!!)

Here I am at 13 weeks.

I am pretty happy...I have only lost weight not gained. But I also have not been able to eat much due to be so queasy pretty much all the time. It has eased off.....and I hope it will continue. Although I think I could handle haveing a smaller appetite, for much of the pregnancy.

Last Friday, Jon and I got to go to the Doctor togather. (the Lord worked that out...I was so afraid he wouldnt get to go.) We got to hear the heartbeat for the 1st time. It is strong and healthy says the doctor. It was so amazing. God certainly was just great when He created humans....it is just awsome how the humane body can "house" a growing being. And how each part knows just when to grow at just the perfect time. How can anyone NOT believe in GOD? The developement of a child just proves it.

I also got to go to Mom and dads last weekend and spend time with them. (Jon and his brother Steve were going to the IU and Purdue game on Sat.) Mom and I headed out Saturday morning for Castleton to do alot of shopping. (the 13 week pic was taken in Moms living room) We had a ton of fun. (love you mama, I look forward to many more shopping trips.) I also got some cute maternity shirts. And mom got me a cute one for Christmas.

How could I have a post with out a picture of my beautiful niece. We are getting our Family pictures with my mom and dad, Brandon and Justin and Tasha and Maddie. So I will have more to post later. Here are a few of my wonderful blessings.

I am so thankful for Salvation

I am thankful for my wonderful husband

I am thankful for this wonderful Gift growing inside me

I am thankful for a wonderful Dad and mom and 2 great brothers

a sis-in-law who is truly my friend and a great niece.

I am thankful for wonderful in-laws, brother-in-law and cute and fun nephew

and all the extra family that goes with it.

Also my extended family is the BEST!!!!! I LOVE ALL OF YOU.

I have been blessed with many wonderful friends

Jenn, Leah, Tess, Caroline, Regi I would be lost without you!!! I love you guys.

And even if I didn't mention your name I just am so greatful for you.


And I close with a darling pic of Maddie and Papaw!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL, MAY ALL YOUR DAYS BE BLESSED

weekend with Maddie

I couldn't wait to get home from work friday...not long after I did Justin, Tasha and 6 week old Madelynn showed up to spend the WHOLE weekend with us. I had so much fun...spoiling, cuddling and taking care of Maddie.

Maddie and her 1st Teddy Bear. (we made it for her on our vacation at Build-a-bear)

She has her daddy's feet


She is smiling so big!!!!

Precious little girl

Sleepy little girl

Just beautiful

I got a little carried away with the pictures.

I think my favorite moment all weekend was Sunday afternoon I told Tasha she could keep her Pack-n-play in the living room and I would watch her. I was taking my nap on the couch. Well I rocked her for awhile and it hit me that...in just a few months I am going to be holding my own blessing in my arms. And what a responsibility my hubby and I will have to teach, take care of , and love this little one with everything that is in us. I, in all my prego hormones, began to cry, and thank God for this blessing. Also later she woke up so I decided to pull her on the couch with me and we both ended up falling asleep. Jonathan came in and woke us up. Even though she is just my niece...it was so nice to be able to practice a bit.

She loves her "aunt Nella" Except when she has out her camera!!! LOL

My first dolly from Nana and Papaw

Gas prices are our latest excitement!!!!

Alot has happenend in the last few weeks to make me realize just how fragile life is. How we need to take advantage of moments we have to let people know we care. Sadness has filled my heart and tears have flowed down my cheeks as I try to sort out how God's perfect will can be played out in our lives. I know He is God...and his way's are perfect...but it doesn't mean we as humans will always understand. I have learned at those moments to cry out to Jesus and beg Him to stay close to me....for I need to feel his arms around me. And pray that I can use this trial to draw me closer to Him and make me a better Christian. And I pray for healing to come to the other persons involved.

IN OTHER NEWS

Christmas has come to INDIANAPOLIS

Octobers last standing Ovation

On Oct 31 I headed to Muncie, Ind for one of our Outlook Makeover fundraisers. We had a BARNFEST....it was $5.00 at the door and you got all you could eat Hotdogs (donated by Wal-mart) Chili with the fixins (donated by Steak-n-Shake) Chips and Brownies and cookies (donated by our church people) and plenty of pop and water. And when it got later we had S'mores!!! We also had games set up for the kids....they could go "fishin' for treats" , throw a ping-pong ball into a cup and win a prize, and I think they also had bobbing for apples. (Lacy's brother Brent, well his girlfriend loves working with kids and she set up and ran all the kids games. For the adults they had several games of cornhole, darts, they had a basketball hoop game set up, and a skee-ball type game set up too. Also a table with lots of board and card games like Skip-bo, Uno, Jenga, and Scrabble. It was a fun night and we ended up earning about $200. Thank the Lord. It was late going home...but I had a trusty carmate Liz Poe. (since Jon had to work early the next day he stayed home)

Krista, Me and Lacy

Our warm bonfire. Liz and I set outside for awhile and I got to enjoy one of God's MOST BEAUTIFUL creations..... (besides a newborn baby) a star filled sky!!! I told Liz something like: isn't it amazing that a God who took time to set each star in place and cares to let them to shine every night... and as little as they seem to us....they are actually very big creations. And we seem very small but GOD cares about us. The stars are just beautiful to me. It may seem strange to you that I go on about it. But I live 10 min outside of the city and it is VERY RARE that I get to enjoy a star filled sky. So I try to take it in when I can.

Grandma Crabtree was a pro at cornhole!!!!

All our wonderful food. Chili and hotdogs on a cold night and sitting in a dusty barn just somehow taste totaly amazing!!!!!



Along with the barnfest on Oct 31...we had revival all that week. Bro. Larry Grile spoke and the Spurgeons and Barricks where the singers. God was there is such a real way. Bro. Grile spoke out of Exodus 12. Saying our Saved experience is coming out of Egypt...and our Holiness experience is walking into Cannan. He made it so practical and attainable. This is a area in my life that I have struggled with so bad. I give up over and over again. But I again commited my life totaly to God in the way of Holiness. And I know if I goof up , I can back up and say sorry and continue on my journey. Bro. Grile said, "don't throw in the towel...thank God for the ground you have covered, back up and say your sorry and continue on your journey." DUH!!! why could I not see that before? I get the fact that you shouldn't make the same mistake over and over...otherwise you might need to dig alot deeper. I hope you get what I am saying. I just am so glad for God's peace in my heart. Also the singer were really good. We had alot of different arrangements of songs and music. They played the saw, which the kids just loved. Also they played the bass, guitar, mandolin and violin. I enjoyed playing my violin with their son Aaron. All in all I believe I sat in God presence all week.

Nov 1, we had Jesse Hales over for dinner and then he went to church with us too. We had alot of fun catching up even more. In December he heads back home and then in Jan. he heads to HAITI. God has brought Jesse thru alot of things, but is leading him into His plan. Here is the true Jesse posing silly with his Carmen Gia. (which on a side note he REALLY wants to sell....so anyone interested PLEASE let me know and I can hook you up with him)

Another thing that has come into my life is one of my Jr. Church girls has decided she wants to play the violin. She is only 4 years old...and her violin is about 2 times the size she needs. I had told her grandparents, that bought it for her, that she really needed a smaller one...but I would work with her. At the present she is proping it up on her knee and bowing across. I have got her to bow in the correct place and she is slowly getting the hang of having to press her fingers down on the strings. But she doesn't have a hope of getting it under her chin and holding it up and bowing correctly for at least a few years. I am NOT an accomplished voilinist myself. I can play and i know my strings and can read music...but i am not a music teacher. But her grandparents are happy that she is just playing. As is the rest of the church. She is just a doll and even Bro.Grile mentioned how cute she was sitting by me. Lily is a special little girl.

Dear Jesus, Help me as I am an example and teacher to these little ones. I feel very unworthy to be the vessel that they see...but yet so blessed!