The Story of Us

Recently I found a story I wrote for our kids. It's the story of "DandL" that I wrote long before any little noodle bearing our resemblances was in existence. Realizing that the only copy of this written story could get lost someday, I'm going to share it here. But not just for that reason.

Today marks 17 years (!!) since the day Derek asked me to be his girlfriend, clarifying that he meant to ask me to be his wife when the time was right. When I told him yes, I was saying yes to forever. I had no idea the actual weight of that "yes," although I suspected it had a good amount of it. And I'm glad I didn't know. Because traversing this crazy life together with the Holy Spirit as our ultimate guide is so much sweeter. The things I would've changed had I known ahead of time would have ruined everything. Thank You, Jesus, for Your higher ways!

Without further ado (or any editing)...

The Story of Us

Once upon a time there was a wide-eyed, long-haired girl and a blonde haired, runny-nosed boy. The boy and the girl were neighbors in a place called Indiana. The boy and the girl were friends and spent their days riding big wheels and playing in the sandbox with the rest of the neighborhood boys and girls. Sometimes the boy would chase the girl all around her yard and try to steal a kiss.

1989

One terrible day, the boy's parents packed up a huge truck and took the boy far away to a place called Pennsylvania. The girl was very sad.

While the boy was in the far away place called Pennsylvania, he went to a sports camp. (This boy is very good at sports.) While at this camp he talked to an adult about Jesus Christ. The adult told him that Jesus died to take away the boy's sins and if the boy gave his life to Jesus, he would get to go to Heaven someday. So the boy prayed to Jesus with the help of the adult and from that day on began to live his life for Jesus.

Meanwhile, the girl who still lived in the place called Indiana was also learning about Jesus at church and at school. One day a few years down the road, the girl also went to a camp. (This was not a sports camp. The girl is not very good at sports.) At this camp the girl learned that she was not a very good girl and that she did not deserve to go to Heaven someday. So the girl bowed her head by herself and told Jesus she was sorry and asked Him to forgive her. Jesus did forgive her and so the girl began to live her life for Jesus.

So the boy and the girl, while very far away from each other, grew up learning more and more about Jesus and loving Him more every day. They learned more about Him by reading their Bible and going to church. They talked to Him through prayer. They showed Him they love Him by helping at church and telling their friends about Him.

The boy and the girl only saw each other a couple of times over the next 15 years! But after those fifteen years, the boy was passing through the place called Indiana with his family. He and the girl were all grown up now. They were already out of high school! They talked for a little bit, and because they were old enough, they started to like each other! Sadly, the boy had to leave again for his place called Pennsylvania.

The boy could not stop thinking about the girl so he nervously picked up the phone and called the girl's dad. He asked him if he could take the girl on a date. The girl's dad liked the boy so he said yes. Then the boy picked up the phone again, even more nervous this time, and called the girl. He asked her to go on a date with him and she said yes!

First date at the BBC banquet: 2003

So the girl drove many hours to the far away place called Pennsylvania to go on a date with the boy. She liked the boy very much. They talked about what they had been doing all those years that they were apart and learned all about how they both gave their lives to Jesus and were still living for Him.

A little while later the boy got on a place and flew way up in the sky all the way to the place called Indiana. He took the girl up to the top of a huge mountain made of sand. The boy and the girl sat down on the top of the mountain and the boy asked the girl for forever. The girl prayed and asked God if she should say yes as the boy awaited her answer. Then the girl said yes because she knew Jesus wanted them together!

July 13, 2003: The day on top of the dunes.

So the girl packed up her things and moved all the way to the far away place called Pennsylvania. Together, the boy and the girl learned more about Jesus at school and they showed Jesus that they both loved Him by helping at church together. They grew closer to Jesus and closer to each other.

Baptist Bible College 2003ish

Finally, one cool spring morning, the boy and the girl went to church as usual, but this Sunday was a very special Sunday. The boy got up in front of the whole church and then went down on one knee. He asked the girl for forever, but this time he gave her a diamond ring as a promise! She said yes!

May 1, 2005

Two days before Christmas, your mommy and daddy got married. They told all of their friends and family that they were going to stay together for as long as they lived and they were going to spend their whole lives showing Jesus that they love Him. And they lived, and continue to live, happily ever after.

December 23, 2005

So that boy and that girl want you to know all about Jesus and how He should be your whole life. Through the Bible, He tells you everything you need to know about how to live for Him. And when you give your life to Him, He puts together your love story and so someday when you are much, much older, you can tell your children a story very much like this one.

2020

Why Hiking with Kids is Worth the Headache

I feel the need to clear the air... hiking can be a headache.

We've always been the hiking kind of family. During the lockdown, we hiked in abundance. My pictures of such adventures were also in abundance. You know what else was in abundance? My annoyance.

Since I'm typically the one behind the iPhone, I don't have picture proof so you'll just have to take my word for it. I get snippy, frustrated, and sometimes loud when we're hiking with the kids.

"Hurry up!"

"We are not going that way."

"You're fine."

"Don't touch that!"

"Slow down!"

"I'm not finding you another walking stick."

"Stop hitting your sibling with your walking stick."

"No more walking sticks!"

"It's just a bee."

"Please don't grab the snake!"

"Stop fighting!"

"Keep moving!"

"No, we're not done yet. We're going to hike forever."

"Rooogeeeeeerrrr!"

In spite of all this, we really do love hiking! And have found it more than worth the headache that sometimes ensues. I feel the need to share this because I don't want all my nature-y pics to lead you to thinking that hiking is all kicks and giggles. It's important, in my opinion, to be prepared for the potential reality of hiking with kids. Personally, I have a much easier time enjoying life with my littles when I leave my rose-colored glasses at home.

Now that we have that established, let's get on to why on earth hiking is still worth the effort. I believe everyone should be hiking, especially while the kids are young. Here's why:

Hiking gleans a love of nature.

No, this does not happen immediately. And there will be some hikes that leave you feeling like nature has been ruined for everyone. Don't give up! Because each walk through the woods really is making a difference. Point out interesting things. Listen to the sounds. Let them venture and climb and touch. 

I've noticed that not only do we as a family have a stronger appreciation for nature as we hike more, we also are less fearful. The kids were literally chasing a snake the other day. Without fail, they all come home a dirty mess. Venturing off the path or following a faint deer path is their favorite. This stuff used to add to my headache, but even mama is learning and growing. It actually fills me up now to see them explore the scary and unknown... usually.

Hiking is healthy.

Nature is so stinkin' good for your health! If you are still quarantining and you're not getting outside, you are shooting yourself in the foot. Hiking is an amazing way to take advantage of the healthy benefits of getting outside. You're breathing in the miraculous properties of fresh air, soaking up all-natural vitamin D, and getting exercise that is essential for both physical and mental health. 

Let your kids take their shoes off once in awhile. Even join them! Grounding is a thing that we should all be doing. Remember! You're not hiking to be done hiking. You're hiking for the experience and all the benefits. This means take your time and let your kids linger. It's good for everyone's health!

Hiking now means easier hiking later.

Hiking with littles is hard. Straight fact. But hiking with teenagers could be just as headache-inducing, if not more so! If you put off hiking while the kids are young, all you're doing is putting off the inevitable frustration. Teenagers whine more, complain more, mope more than 5 year olds (typically). And are much harder to distract with pretty flowers and toads. If you make hiking a priority now, when your littles think climbing a tree or wading in a creek is the greatest thing ever, your future self will thank you.

Hiking doesn't involve screens.

As wonderful as technology is, I get super frustrated with how obsessive my kids can get! It's exhausting. In fact, I get super frustrated with how obsessive I can get! Hiking is an opportunity to completely leave screens at home. If you're in the habit of handing your phone over to a complaining child, first of all, STOP. Second, leave your own phone in an inside zipped pocket of your backpack where you'd have a really annoying and inconvenient time getting to it. Emergencies only! Make screens a non-option while hiking and you'll be surprised how much fun you all have! (You could go my route and not have anything on your phone your kids care about so they never ask for it. Then you can get some great pics!)

Hiking is a family affair.

We all glean the benefits. We all enjoy ourselves! (Outside of those moments...) You can't have a kid too little or too grown up for a hike (despite what they may think). And did you know that kids are much more likely to open up to you when they don't have to sit and look you in the eye? The random conversations about theology and corona and poison ivy and remember-whens we've had on our hikes are alone enough to make hiking worth all the effort.

Sure, there's headaches. But we keep going, gleaning, growing. It's worth it. I promise.

Happy Hiking!

How We Survived Washington D.C. with Kids

We have officially reached a new chapter in our lives. Our babiest is 3 and she gets to remain the babiest forever. This means that the actual baby stage of raising kids is behind us. And that Amber will forever be treated like the perfect little princess that she is.

 And this also means that we have just a tiny bit more freedom to travel!

This past Christmas we went out to PA to spend time with family. And since we were already going to be all the way out East, we couldn't resist a trip into Washington DC, which served as the kids' Christmas present.

This was not our first traveling experience with all five babes so we had a pretty good idea of what we were getting ourselves into. But Derek and I both walked away having gleaned wisdom on what to expect on such adventures in the future. It only seems like the friendly things to do to pass along some of that wisdom:

Plan, plan, plan

I am not a planner. In a perfect world of my own making, we would fly by the seat of our pants all day every day. Thankfully, my other half is significantly wiser and is a thorough planner. While my pants may work just fine as a guide if we had all the time in the world and no weary, little feet, a plan is truly your survival guide with kids.

So Derek planned out our time, where we would visit, where we would park, and how to get to each of these places. He scheduled a tour of the Capitol building (the White House is "closed" over Christmas and New Years, FYI) and knew ahead of time what to expect while there (no food or drink!). He had all the places we wanted to hit the most mapped out, with bonus things ready in case we were up for it.

Here's the thing about planning: it has to be flexible! More on that in a sec.

AirBnB will save you

Here's why: 

You'll actually get sleep because you won't all be shoved into the same tiny room.

You'll pay way less for way more.

We really hate sleeping in a hotel. As nice as a pool is (and sometimes we are willing to suffer the hotel thing just for that), sleeping 7 in one room is a nightmare. And to pay for a suite... well an AirBnB is much more economical. 

Ours was fantastic! We had an entire house to ourselves and plenty of space for all! Kitchen. Laundry. Disney+. And it cost the same as a hotel room. So you're welcome for that advice.

So will Uber

We hadn't intended to use Uber but have you ever been to DC? So.Much.Walking! By the end of the day, the littles (and the grownups) just didn't have it in them to walk all the way back to the van. We spent roughly the amount on Uber that we would have on the metro. But we got picked up where ever we wanted and brought directly to our van in record time. 

We ended up calling an Uber 3 times and every time they were super nice and professional. So much safer and less stressful than dragging the kids through the metro system in the dark of night! Which, by the way, begins around 4 in the middle of the winter.

A stroller is a MUST

You probably are aware that DC involves a lot of walking. But let me just tell you, it's more than a lot. It's more than you think. It's always more. Praise the Lord, my MIL had a double stroller that we could plop our littlest two into. And our coats and snacks and water bottles. And bags for throw-up because we happened to need those...

Throw out your expectations

We have learned this over and over since becoming parents. Things will never go as planned with kids. So we went into our trip to DC having already thrown out most of our expectations. Derek had his plan but we knew it was simply a guideline to keep our sanity. Otherwise, it was completely throw-out-able. Flexible enough to be totally different when all was said and done.

Our trip actually went mostly as planned, except...

Get rid of the rest of your expectations

We did a fraction of what we had hoped to do. In spite of PERFECT weather the entire time, there simply wasn't any way to fit everything in. And by everything, I mean the very few things we were determined to get to. 

DC cannot be done in two days. 5 kids or no kids. Can't be done.

So we were very selective about where we went, and still didn't manage all the places. I realized that I had been viewing this as a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but when I let go of that, I could let go of the rest of my expectations. Even if it was the only time we'll ever go as a whole family, I had to recognize that we weren't missing out. Quite the contrary. The entire adventure was purely gift, unmet expectations and all. And that's the perfect segue into...

Treasure your people more than the places

It would have been so easy to lose it on my kids on multiple occasions while we walked (and walked) around DC. I could have ruined the fun for us all by dwelling on the handful of things I had really wanted to do but we simply couldn't make happen. If Derek or I had started grouching about sore feet or gave in to any sort of complaining, the whole trip could have been an utter disaster. But, by the grace of God and the help of each other, we were able to (for the most part!) savor the moments with our littles. Invest in their hearts and souls more than their academic knowledge of all things DC. 

Our kids won't likely remember all the things we saw, did, and learned (I already forget half of it!), but we believe they'll be able to look back on this trip with better memories than the statues and paintings in the Capitol or the pretty First Ladies dresses or the details of the flag of Fort Henry. They'll remember being loved and treasured while learning what it means to honor and respect our great country and those who made it worthy of those things.

That was our ultimate goal, anyway, and I pray it was accomplished!

Go ahead and use this wisdom for your next trip to Washington D.C. or anywhere for that matter. Where have you traveled with kids lately?

  

Praise in the simple

It is drop-off week for Operation Christmas Child. Yesterday we dropped our box off and ever since posting a picture of our sweet babes laying hands on our box and praying for the little boy who will eventually receive it, I've felt compelled to write this post...

Because while OCC is an amazing ministry and we LOVE being a part of it every year, you don't have to be a part of it.

Because following a clever advent calendar full of daily activities and such is a beautiful way to celebrate Jesus, we don't have to do one.

Because while the elf is fun and exciting for the babes, we don't have to have one.

Because while Christmas lights hung around our windows would make this momma super happy, he doesn't have to hang them.

Because while serving at a local food pantry is an excellent opportunity, we don't have to drag our 5 littles there to add mass chaos to the whole scene.

Because while I LOVE sending and receiving Christmas cards, our bank account doesn't have to empty on the account of them.

We've tried so many different ways to make sure that this holiday season is fully focused on Jesus, family, and serving others, and have found that the simpler the better. For us. And there is so much peace with the decision to back off and simplify our praising. We've chosen what we believe to be top priority for our family and are careful to only add (or take away) what is in line with our family values in whatever season of life we are in.

I want to encourage you to do the same! As your friends post about the different things they do for the holiday season, build them up with encouragement! And be content with what God has called your family to invest time in. None of us can do it all. And no two families are the same. Relish your uniqueness!

We are going to focus on how we can best praise our Jesus this year and every year! And I'll be enjoying seeing how you all celebrate Him this year too :)

((If you are interested in packing a box for OCC, there's still plenty of time! Drop-off locations are open til Monday, and you can pack one online, too! Only if you feel so led, of course))

Our Beautiful Bookend Baby

Two weeks ago, on November 29, 2016, we were blessed with this beautiful sweet face...

Amber Louise Jacobs

Weighing in at 9lbs, 9.7ounces and measuring 21.5 inches.

Here's our birth story - 

There are two things I dread about a csection:
1. The IV
2. The spinal block

Nope, not the surgery itself. Not even the recovery. Just those two parts that involve needles that I can feel. Apparently I have difficult veins so I always end up covered in bruises. Then the spinal block is just plain scary! And this time around it was quite painful. AND it didn't work nearly as well as expected. The "pressure" was so intense it was painful and I was on edge the whole surgery just waiting for it to fail! PRAISE THE LORD it did not.

Meanwhile, my amazing doc was training a nurse on her first csection assist (you did amazing, Emily! Thank you!) and I overheard him say, "See how thin her uterus is? I can open it with my finger. This is why we do sections earlier. If we had waited another week, her uterus would have ruptured."

WHAT?!

Finally, our sweet Amber Louise was born! After 30 excruciating seconds of no breathing, she finally let out a single cry then was laid on my chest where she nursed for the rest of the surgery! Poor Derek barely got to hold her the whole first day!

Before closing me up, my doc asked us to confirm that we wanted a tubal done. After lots of prayer, a very difficult pregnancy, a scary painful surgery, and a nearly ruptured uterus, we both confidently gave the thumbs up.

Derek did get a couple minutes of snuggling Amber while I was transferred onto a different bed to be wheeled out of surgery (I could already move my toes at this point! So glad that's over!)

I was convinced that this would be the hardest recovery because I hadn't worked out in months (which was by the grace of God!! He knew that my baby was big and my uterus was weak. I'm oh so grateful for His intervention!) and because it had been such a rough pregnancy. But...

It has been the easiest recovery of all!

I credit it to my surgeon, my Plexus, and most of all my God.

So here we are, two weeks later, on our Bookend Baby's due date. We are all healthy. We are all so happy. We are all so blessed.

And Amber Louise is by far our easiest babe! She sleeps two 4-5 hour stretches every night. She eats like a champ. She is completely unfazed by the chaos that is this household. She fits right in with no effort.

I'll tell ya, there are moments when the weight of our decision to get a tubal weighs so very heavy. In fact it brings me to tears sometimes. It helps to remember the times when I was very confident of being done with pregnancy because God did make it clear. But the weight of such a huge decision... well I can't carry it alone and I'm grateful that I don't have to.

Moving into the chapter of life where baby bearing is over and it's all about baby raising is incredibly bittersweet. So I'm soaking in every last baby snuggle I possibly can and allowing myself to even get a little excited about what's next!

Stretches in my arms while I type this :) 

Happy Due Date to our precious LouLou. We adore every little thing about your sweet self!

My Why

This morning I was mulling over why I joined Plexus and decided to pursue the business side of it. It is totally and completely outside anything resembling my comfort zone to be a part of something like this. And so many times in the past when I considered joining a company like this, God always gave me a big fat NO. But over the last few months it seems God has been sorta preparing me for when Plexus showed up in my life.

I found Plexus because I was in search of the best probiotic out there. I didn't realize Plexus was it so I went a different route. Meanwhile, God was nudging my heart toward some kind of home-based business. But He was still saying no to the options I thought made the most sense. Instead, during my many middle of the night restless leg episodes, I kept thinking - "I should be taking Plexus."

Finally, I gave in with Derek's blessing, knowing that the only way we could afford supplements even just for me would be to pursue the business. And for the first time ever, after years of asking God if He wants me to be a part of this business or that business, He finally gave me a green light! It has been freeing and exciting and terrifying!

My WHY has always been (even when considering other businesses) to be able to afford to take care of my family's health. There were many times I would break down in tears telling Derek how desperately I wanted to naturally care for our family but how discouraging it was to not be able to afford it!

Because of Plexus, I now have the opportunity to afford the best supplements for my family!

Back to the mulling I was doing this morning... After time in my War Room God opened my eyes to another very important WHY:

Marie is in a ballet class with girls several years older than her at a level that is challenging to her. Dance has never been challenging to her. And making friends hasn't been difficult either. But now she's in a situation that makes her nervous, shy, and feeling insecure. She doesn't have any friends in the class and when encouraged to talk about it, she mentions how she's not sure she'll be able to keep up with the moves. She lacks the confidence to face scary and uncomfortable things.

Just like her momma.

God has called me to do something that my human nature simply doesn't want to do - leave what's comfortable to do what's right. I want to be that example for my biggest girl. I want to be able to wrap my arms around her and teach her about confidence in who she is as a Child of God, about how pursuing dreams means facing hard things, about how true joy is pushing through the hard, uncomfortable, scary to find the beauty on the other side.

Marie is my WHY.

These babes (and their dad!) are my WHY!

I'm sure as my business grows, the WHY of simply wanting to afford supplements will fade and a new WHY (pay off the house? go on vacation? grow our giving?) will take it's place. But my core WHY will always be my family.

What is your WHY for pursuing your dreams???


((Curious about Plexus?? Contact me!! I would LOVE to help you pursue your dreams!!))

Family in Photos

Family are the friends God chose for you.

This makes family relationships very important in my mind.

I am so grateful to be married to a man who recognizes the importance of family.

It is one of our passions as parents to raise our kids understanding that family is a gift from God and we are to cherish these relationships. Prioritize them even.

It is one of the many reasons we homeschool.

I've been blessed with probably the best family there is. So it really is easy for me to love and cherish my family. For that I am oh-so-grateful.

I believe having been raised to cherish family, and raising my family the same way, has and will instill this value even when it's not easy. It isn't always easy for us, but valuing my people makes it worth it.

Thank You, God, for my people, my family, my dearest friends.

We are a family of 7!

We just returned from getting to see our newest little wiggly in an ultrasound today! Beautiful, strong heartbeat and super active - praise Jesus!

Here's the answers to all your questions:

Due Date? December 13

Was this planned? Yep. Well sorta. We'd been trying for 7 months so it certainly wasn't a surprise!

How am I feeling? The feeling like death is slowly passing. The debilitating fatigue is beginning to have its manageable moments. Truly praising the Lord for those things because I really wasn't sure I'd make it there for awhile. I'm also feeling LARGE as my food aversions have been intense (oh you know, things like vegetables and meat) while my food cravings have also been stronger than ever (pizza, chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes...) Looking forward to being a WHALE in a couple of months.

What are you hoping for? A girl. Of course. We've had a girl name picked out for 6 years now and we really feel like she belongs in our family. We believe God will bless us with our Amber. But we won't have any trouble loving another toe-headed mister. But that will probably be his name... Toe-Headed Mister. 

Is this the last babe? That is the plan.

Will you have another csection? Yes. Can I just tell you, while I'm typically a more natural, organic momma, I am so grateful for csections. I've come to terms with the fact that this is what God has called me to, and without the surgeries we would not have all of our sweet babes.

Are the kids excited? Very! Kempton has declared the baby a girl from day one. Roger is a little bit of a different story. He was already giving the baby the stink eye on the ultrasound.

Feel free to ask any other questions! We are so very grateful. Children are a gift... a sweet sweet reward. We are so thankful that we get to be entrusted with the care and raising of another gift!

PA Vaca

We just returned from 2.5 weeks in Cleveland and PA. We always have so much fun out there! And we were spoiled rotten.

Here's a super quick rundown of our amazing time:

Fun with the cousins and GG...

Lots of Tyotya love...

And scooter racing...

A baseball game...

And of course basketball...

Birthday celebrations... (Tyotya, Jack, Marie, and the US of A)

Impromptu dates...

Breathtaking views...

McDade Park

Ricketts Glen

Friends...

Fireworks...

Decade celebrating...

And of course some quality Honeygram and Grandpa time!