It's All About Love!

I have to admit, today has been a bad day. I've been trying not to complain, but I've been so sick last night and today that I'm having a hard time with that. But, despite feeling crummy, I managed to get in some Bible reading today. I love that when I read the Scriptures, even ones I've read or heard over and over, I can see things in a new light.

Today I read in Matthew 5. Jesus had just finished sharing the Beatitudes, then in verses 38-42 He talks about the old law that said, "An eye for an eye." He says here, "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also."

Then it gets even tougher in verse 43:" You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you...therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

I've read those verses before, but today I was thinking as I read them about how easy it is to love our neighbor or our brothers and sisters when that love is reciprocated, but an enemy? That's a whole different story! And Jesus didn't just say tolerate them; He said to LOVE them. I don't think I have many enemies, but I have been perhaps unfairly treated before, or talked about, or hurt. There have been folks who haven't treated well family members of mine or other people I care about. But the only thing I can control is my response. If Jesus said to love, then I'm sure if we put our faith in Him, He will give us that ability. What will separate a true Christian from the world is our ability to show Christ's love in spite of how we're treated. Like the verse says, if we do that, we can be perfect just like our Heavenly Father, for He has loved us before we ever loved Him. Sometimes I feel quite unlovable, but God in his infinite mercy never stops loving me! I pray that the Lord can open my eyes to the areas in my life where I need to respond in a more Christ-like way.

If you happen to be reading this, I would also appreciate your prayers that the Lord will give me strength to get through this sickness. I know I'm not the only woman to go through pregnancy sickness, but I'm having a hard time with it. Thanks!

Until next time,
Bethany

It's Just One of Those Days...

Today was one of those days where I didn't even get dressed until 3:30 p.m. These days seem to be happening more frequently. Don't judge me; at least I actually did get dressed for a few hours today! :)

Bryson and I made three pans of fudge. I folded three loads of laundry. I felt so proud of myself for accomplishing these tasks that I ordered Papa John's pizza for dinner! Again, don't judge. At least I got one with lots of veggies on it.

The pregnancy nausea and total lack of energy has set in, along with a ridiculously round belly for only 9 weeks. I guess on number three, my body is just saying, "Oh yeah. Here we go again. I'll just go ahead and pop out there like I know I'm gonna have to do eventually."

Christmas is only a few days away, and I'm hosting the Hoskins' family Christmas Eve get-together, so I'm trying to pace myself and slowly get the things done that I need to do (thus the 3 pans of fudge I made today). In my typical OCD way, I even made a list Saturday outlining each day with things I need to do. Phillip laughs at me, but I'm a goal-setter and a list-maker. Even more so now, I need a list to keep me moving. Yesterday, grocery shopping was on my list. So, I dutifully made my way to Kroger. I was actually feeling pretty good prior to going, but the longer I shopped, the worse I started to feel. My stomach suddenly felt empty, and when my belly gets empty, the nausea gets SO much worse. So what does the crazy pregnant lady do? I go to the deli and order an 8 pc. fried chicken dinner (because I wanted hot food), checked out as quickly as possible, and then as soon as I got Avery and my groceries loaded in the van, I dug into my chicken. I ate the biggest piece in there, and it was delicious! Then I drove home, and told Phillip what I did. Of course, he laughed at me like I'm insane. Maybe I kind of am.

I love Christmas time, but this year I'm kind of feeling like, enough already. Let's get this over with and move on. Yikes, I sound like Scrooge. However, I am looking forward to the excited looks on the kids' faces and spending time with family. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Not sure if I'll write again before Christmas, so I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! May God bless you and yours!

A Few of My Favorite Things

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens..."

While I like that song, I just have to disagree with the lyrics. Really?? Whiskers and kettles aren't what make me smile. Yeah, I get it; the theme of the song is that it's the ordinary, everyday things that make our lives full and wonderful, and with that, I can agree!!
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Brothers who love each other more than anything in the world.

Big cheesy grins from my three favorite guys.

Bryson's amazement at the beautiful snow.

Avery's new trick...sticking his thumbs in his ears :).


Bryson doing so well in his Christmas program and his excited waves to us in the audience every few minutes.

These are a few of my favorite things!! I know it doesn't rhyme, but at least it makes a lot more sense.

My Pregnancy Grumblings

"If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all." That is the motto I was raised to adhere to and also explains why I haven't blogged lately.

It took about a week for the shock to wear off about our pregnancy news. During that time I had slight moments of nausea. Let me just tell you, they have gone from slight to severe and almost constant. Last Sunday morning was the first day I woke up feeling really yucky, and as I rolled over to sit up, I was like, "Yep. This is it. This is what I remember feeling and why I vowed to never have another baby." It seems like each day the nausea is getting stronger, and it seems to be most severe at night, which means I get very little sleep. It also means that I have a bag of chips and glass of lemonade on my table by my bed for a middle-of-the night snack to attempt to relieve the nausea. I have gained ten pounds already from sick-eating, because unfortunately, eating is the only thing I have found to take the edge off. I eat when I don't feel hungry and food doesn't even sound good. I don't remember it being this bad with my last two, definitely not Avery.

Another thing is that my life cannot revolve around this pregnancy. I now have two little boys that require lots of attention, so even though I don't feel like it, in a few minutes they'll be up needing breakfast, changed, and gotten off to preschool. I'd rather just lay on the couch under a warm blanket, but that just isn't an option. Phillip has been sympathetic, but he works third shift and sleeps through the day, so there's only so much he can do. I'm already becoming more of a homebody than ever. The last two nights Phillip has taken Bryson and gone out to a viewing, a church-working, and a graduation party, and I have stayed home on the couch. Somehow I must muster up the energy to finish my Christmas shopping. This is a bad time of year to feel terrible. I need to clean my house for company, go grocery shopping for baking, actually do some baking, wrap presents, attend school programs, and the list continues. We also need to take a trip to KY for a family Christmas, and the mere thought of getting into a vehicle and riding that long makes my stomach heave.

I'm having my first ultrasound tomorrow, and then am scheduled for another one in January to measure the neck and check for abnormalities like Avery. I'll feel SO much better when I'm told everything looks normal. That should also be around the time when the nausea is starting to ease some. So, I just must keep my thoughts focused on the future and getting through this rough patch.

I guess I've done enough complaining for one post. I will try not to make it a habit!!

Baby on the Way!!

I just want to share some exciting news! We found out yesterday that we're going to be having another baby in July. If you happen to be reading this, you may be like some others who gasp in shock and then tell us we will have our hands full. And we know we will. Or others who think that having another baby when we have two pretty high maintenance kids already is irresponsible. But we hope you all will just be happy for us and pray that the Lord will bless us with a healthy baby. That is our greatest desire right now.

I guess we have something else to add to our list of reasons to be thankful this holiday season!!

God Bless,
Bethany

Giving Thanks

This is the time of year that we officially set aside to give thanks for our blessings. I try to be thankful everyday, but on Thanksgiving Day, we make more of an effort to be with some of the people that we're so blessed to have in our lives and offer thanks together. If anything, this year I have learned that life is so fragile, that a good day can become a bad one so quickly, and that we must cherish the time we have with our loved ones. I, like many others, have an abundance of things to be thankful for!

First, I'm thankful for my little family: Phillip, Bryson, and Avery. We're an interesting group, that's for sure. We all have our flaws and imperfections, but we love each other more than life! I'm beyond blessed to be able to stay home with my boys.

Secondly, I'm thankful for my extended family and in-laws. What an amazing support system I have! And I have two sisters that are my best friends in the world. I don't want to take any of them for granted; I only wish we were able to spend more time together. Right now we're all healthy, and that is a HUGE blessing!

Next, I'm thankful for my husband's job! Security is a high priority for me. Phillip's job loss over the summer hit me hard, more emotionally than financially because I am such a worry-wart. Of course, God took care of us. But I'm so thankful that he is employed and has good insurance, which is so important with a kid like Avery.

I'm also thankful for our home, which my husband has so beautifully remodeled. And our automobiles...even the minivan :).

I guess those are all of the "big" things, but I'm thankful for all the "smaller" less typical things as well. I have a great part-time job that allows me to teach a couple nights a week when I want; Avery has made some progress developmentally - not much - but some; Bryson is thriving in preschool and becoming such a sweet little boy; our church has had a lot of great services lately; although I don't get to spend much time with them, I have many great friends. Most of all, I'm thankful for salvation and God's mercy!

I could write the world's longest blog ever by continuing to list my blessings, but I guess I'll stop. May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
~Bethany

These Are the Days

These are the days where a good night's rest is no longer in my vocabulary, nor is it an expectation, and my house is never quite clean even though it seems I clean up an awful lot of messes.

These are the days when I hardly recognize the woman with the dark circles and tired skin staring at me in the mirror, and where I spend my time comparing prices on grocery items rather than browsing a clothing store...and my wardrobe will vouch for that!

These are the days when I feel like a circus act juggling appointments and busy schedules, like a failure when my overactive four-year-old misbehaves, and completely helpless when Avery is sick.

These are the days when my back aches from all the tugging and lifting of my son with special needs, and my bath time is usually interrupted by a little red-head shouting, "Mom-mmmyyyy!"

These are the days when we do a lot more eating at home than we used to, and we choose our restaurants by their child-friendliness.

These are the days when I feel like my brain has turned to mush from spending the majority of my time interacting with toddlers, and I only dream of spending quality time with my husband.

But these are the days when I realize time is going by way too fast, and if I could only slow it down, I would, and I can't help but feel pride and unexplainable love looking into my two little boys' eyes.

These are the days when my college degrees and career mean absolutely nothing in comparison with spending time with my children, and living on a tight budget is a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

These are the days when sticky hugs and drool-ly kisses make my heart melt, when conversations with Bryson make me laugh, and seeing Avery's perfectly innocent smile and hand claps make me want to scoop him up and never put him down.

These are the days when I have developed an even deeper love for my husband as the father of my children.

These are the days that will become memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life, and I know that what I will remember won't be the sleepless nights, out-of-style clothing, and tight budget. I am BLESSED beyond imagination to get to spend this time of my life with the precious family that God has given me!