Heading to the Hospital

This is the last picture of me with this little one on the inside. We are heading to the hospital this morning for induction. I am a little sad because I was so hoping to go into labor on my own, but I know the Lord is with us regardless, and soon we will meet this sweet little one and it won't really matter so much how he or she got here, right? Thank you for your prayers today, and I hope to be back soon sharing lots of pictures of little E.!

You Know What's on My Mind

I'm sitting here tooling around online during my Mommy Break. Keely makes this happen by preparing lunch for the kids each day. Love that! :) I thought this was an interesting look at popular baby names recently and over the past century or so. Here's a look at different facts about fertility in the U.S. (Be warned that some of the ads here are a bit immodest...)

We are plugging away at school today and looking forward to my parents' arrival tomorrow. Hope your week's going great!

Christmas pics and The Next Big Thing...

Noah loves his Legos!

Keely models one of her new tops and scarves, smartly paired with pj bottoms. :)

Lily received the doll from us, and the matching nightgown set from her Nana. So cute!

Rowan wanted the 'brown' doll for an adopted sister for her other doll. We all agreed that she was lovely with her dark curls.

Annes loves all things princess!

Daddy looks sleepy...I wonder why?

Sam looks on as Annes plays with his new toy.

This r/c Lightning McQueen has been pretty much all Joe's played with lately!

Can you tell I really like Sarah Groves? I still haven't really gotten to listen to this CD yet, though. Soon....

And now, with Christmas and New Year's over, we're looking forward to the next big thing....or should I say very little thing? Sometime in the next two or three weeks, we'll be meeting our new little baby boy or girl. I'm so excited!!

Let's Try This Again...

Ahhh. We have emerged from the virus relay here at the Dennis home. Everyone took the baton except hardy little Rowan. We're hoping that we are finished with it!

1. Lily and Rowan were able to take a trip to West Virginia last week with my parents, and they had a great time. It was their first 'big girl' thing to do by themselves, I think. I was pleasantly surprised that they seemed to get along swimmingly, as those two can sometimes clash. (If you know us in real life, you are snickering right now at that understatement!) I missed them, and I love the spice that each child's personality adds to our family. It was strange to set the table for seven instead of nine. Glad they're home.

2. I'm reading a very moving book right now: Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. It's a bit graphic in parts, but fascinating as well. Fitting for (around) Veteran's Day. War is so ugly, and I hope my sons never have to partake in one.

3. I can hardly believe that I have only about nine weeks to go in this pregnancy! This is the first time that I actually feel that it's gone fast. I'm enjoying all the kicking and elbowing and tap dancing on my bladder, and imagining who this little one will be. We have our names, for a boy and a girl. All I'll say is that they both start with an 'E'. And, I picked up a pack of newborn diapers the other day. I couldn't wait to get home to pull one out and marvel at how little it was! The girls all oohed and ahhhed and squealed with me, which made it even more fun. :)

4. This weekend Kevin and I were able to attend a marriage conference at our church. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Ever heard of nouthetic counseling? I hadn't either until a couple of years ago. I am so delighted and excited to know that there is a movement made up of Christian counselors who reject the worldly psychology that conflicts with God's word. Over the years I've heard several Christian women talk about how they need more than a 'couple of Bible verses thrown at them' to really deal with problems. This attitude has always grieved me because either we believe that God's Word is powerful, active, and sufficient, or we don't. Not everything is a 'disorder'. Sometimes--often--it's just called sin.

5. Oops. I stepped onto my soapbox! I was going to link to the sessions we heard about marriage by Dr. George Scipione. He's very entertaining and lively to listen to, as well as full of good solid wisdom straight from the Bible. Aww, rats. They aren't on Sermon Audio yet! Here's a link to his other stuff, though. I'll check back later and update when the conference is loaded.

6. Kevin just put a Ron Paul bumper sticker on our van. I'm not sold on all of his opinions, but I do think he makes the most sense. He's so un-politician-y. I feel queasy when some of the other slick guys talk. Blech. Substance, please? I'm dying for substance after 3 years of President Obama.

7. We're still renting our friends' house, and occasionally showing it for them. We keep an eye on the listings, too, and occasionally go check out a property. So far, we haven't found the right place. Several factors will have to converge (price, enough property, not too far from church/Kevin's work, house that will fit us and not need too much major work), so we are trusting the Lord to show us when and where to go. We aren't discontent, but are very much looking forward to a quiet place in the country, with a few chickens, dogs, and cats. :)

Say 'hi' if you have a minute! I love to hear from you!

Baby Faith

This morning, I woke up and thought to myself, "Wow. I feel kinda normal." It's exciting to think that my morning sickness may be beginning to lighten up. It has been a real struggle to keep up with things....okay, to be honest, I just haven't been keeping up with things, and I'm ready to take care of my family well again. We've had sandwiches for dinner more times than I'd like to admit, and I've spent lots of time laying in bed because of nausea or exhaustion. It's been forever since I've read bedtime stories to my little ones because I've been just trying to get everyone to bed so I can go lie down (or throw up). So, though it's great to know my body is growing this little one as it should, I'm so ready to be there for my husband and kids again! I'm also grateful that my worst sickness has coincided with our annual June break from school. And, providentially, I didn't sign up to do anything for our church's VBS that's too labor-intensive. I can show up and hold babies and play with toddlers in the nursery just fine!

Don't you love a baby with a farmer's tan?

Sam had fun at VBS today

When we found out about this new little one, I was happy, but also struggled mightily with feelings of fear. I wondered how I would do it....eight children? Can I do it? Can I homeschool them all and do a good job? Can I be a good Mom to so many? I knew that I was not trusting the Lord enough, that I needed to cast my worries and fears on Him. I prayed a lot, but the feelings still remained, and I felt overwhelmed with the future.

Because of a past problem with a pregnancy, my doctor ordered a sonogram for me right away. When I saw that little person that God is knitting together, and that tiny, tiny little heart beating away, tears streamed down my face. This is a little person that God has entrusted to our care. God will supply all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus!

Just today a kind friend was listening to me talk about my struggle with fear, and she offered "God will not give us more than we can handle." Though I completely understand her intention with this comment--that God won't forsake us--I wonder if I really agree with that statement. Sometimes I think God does give us more than we can handle. We come to the end of our strength when faced with sickness, or the death of a loved one, or heartache over relationships. We can't understand why we struggle or suffer, and all we can do is cry out to Him daily, asking Him to carry us, to work His will through our weakness. And He supplies all our needs. He handles our cares. He gives strength. We are weak but He is strong. We don't handle it. He does.

What a beautiful mystery. The God who made all things condescends to care for His children, to not only supply our needs in the midst of life's difficulties, but also to use those hard things to benefit us.

So, I'm praising God that He is bringing me out of fear of the future, and growing my faith in Him and His good plan. I'm sure I will struggle again--again and again. But I know my Heavenly Father is steadfast and faithful. I may well have more than I can handle, but I know He won't forsake me.

The Rest of the Story

Well, last time I mentioned that I haven't felt like blogging much lately. Well...there's another reason I haven't felt like blogging....

or getting out of bed...

or drinking coffee...

or cooking and smelling those cooking smells....

did you guess it?

There's a tiny, precious, little person who's been making me quite sick and tired. I'm not holding a grudge, though. I'm looking forward to meeting him in about 7 months, and all will be forgiven when I kiss those baby toes.

Our New Little Guy

Welcome to the world, Samuel Lamar!

January 9, 2010 12:28 p.m. 8 lbs, 7 oz

A Watched Belly Never...Well..You Know

Still. Here. Trying to be patient! I think it was a mistake to cease and desist with school because I feel like an absolute slug as I sit and wait and waste time waiting for my body to kick into gear. My fabulous Mom is here and is completely spoiling me...but the time is crawling! It doesn't help that we've had the coldest temps here in 20 years and roads are bad so we're pretty much stuck at home.

Okay. No more bellyachin'!

Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We Need Some Help!

Here I am, days away from delivering my baby, and we have no girl's name picked out! We have our boy name ready to go, but we cannot find a girl name that we agree on and are excited about.

Here are our 'rules':

• Each of our children's first names begins with a different letter. So, that means no names beginning with K, N, L, R, J, or A.
• Names that end in an 's' sound don't go well with our last name....Kinda like 'Candissss Dennissss'. :)
• We like girl names that are a bit unusual, but not too weird. Our boys have Biblical names, including the new name we've chosen if this baby is a boy.

Any ideas?

Bittersweet

This morning Annesley came toddling into my room, clutching her baby-of-the-moment and a doll pillow and blanket. 'Night-night', she said to me, indicating that I was to swaddle the doll for her. I did it as she watched attentively, no doubt making sure I was careful. I handed the bundle back to her and she tenderly planted a slobbery kiss on her baby's head.

I suddenly felt a sense of sadness, realizing that Annesley will only be my 'baby' for a few more weeks. Of course my love for her will not lessen, but once there is a smaller baby, that sense of protectiveness and tenderness moms have for their tiniest one will be transferred. Annesley will suddenly seem much more grown-up; a sturdy two-year-old who will dwarf a newborn. I'll have to watch out for the new baby when she comes near, as she'll try to 'love' him a little too much. She'll now have a sibling who is more vulnerable than she is.

So, it's bittersweet. So much of motherhood it, isn't it? As much as you try to enjoy your children, it's never enough, it seems. The messes and noises and fights and sleepless nights blur your vision.

And they grow in the midst of it all.

Lord, help me to treasure these last few weeks before our family dynamic changes. Help me not to miss these moments with my little ones because I'm focusing on the discomforts of late pregnancy and my desire for it to be over. Keep my vision clear and my heart tuned to all Your many blessings.

Thailand Update

It's cool to get to ride in the back of Arlang's truck in the middle of traffic!

Well, Keels and Kevin are safely in Thailand. They arrived Sunday after their 24-hour flight(s). I finally was able to Skype with them tonight, and it was so good to see their faces! The kids were thrilled as well. Annesley was sitting in my lap during out conversation, and she would periodically smile and scream with joy at getting to see Daddy's face! I think it was good for us all after almost four days with very little contact.

Keely said that her impression of Bangkok was that it was HOT, and that all the Buddhist temples and statues were sad. I'm sure it must be a sobering experience to see so many thousands of people openly worshiping false gods. They were able to tour a temple and also the home of Jim Thompson while they were there. The rest of their time in Thailand will be spent in Chang Rai (though I think they'll visit the zoo in Chang Mai with the children from CFPM). Keely seemed to be loving the kids and having a great time playing with them.

The kids and I are doing great. My Mom has been here since before Thanksgiving spoiling me completely. She works circles around me and is taking care of her baby (me!) and her grandbabies! She is such a blessing and example to me and the kids with her servant's heart and cheerful attitude.

In other news--baby news: I'm into my final five weeks of pregnancy now. It's hard to believe that we'll be cuddling a tiny new person very shortly. I'm getting so excited to meet him or her and to NOT be pregnant any more. :) I know, I know...It's a wonderful blessing to experience. However, at 35 weeks you're just really ready to wear a belt again, be able to shave your legs without grunting, and not have to eat Tums like candy.

Can I get an amen?

Thanks to all of you who have been and continue to pray for Kevin and Keely. I'll share more pictures as I get them.

Nesting!

Well, I've got about nine weeks to go before the baby comes, and suddenly this morning I started feeling motivated to tackle the dust den, a.k.a.: my bedroom. It started innocently enough with vacuuming the blinds, then I saw how yucky the windows were, then the corners...and, come to think of it, I didn't think I'd ever polished my furniture before. Hmmm. We actually had some orange-y stuff hiding in a cabinet to do the job with. Before poor Noah knew what hit him, I had pulled him away from the computer where he was working on his math lesson, and I put him to work pulling things out from under my bed and vacuuming under there, too. He wasn't too happy about it, but he complied.
Not sure what my next project will be, but for today, I'm putting up the cleaning stuff. I do have some painting I'd like to do while my Mom is here in December, but other than that....we'll see if the nesting bug bites again. :)

Candice and Kevin Plus Seven

Our neighborhood garage sale is serious business. We actually took Thursday off of school so we could scour our area for bargains. The kids and I had a great time looking and scoring great deals and getting fresh air and exercise. I found tons of baby clothes.

Not for Annesley.

For our new baby. Yes, that's right! God has blessed us with another little one to debut in January!

I've been praying for some time that if God wanted us to have another child, that He would either give Kevin excitement about the idea, or just 'make it happen.' (Isn't it funny how we give God multiple choices sometimes in our prayers...Like He has to choose one?) In His gracious and wonderful way, He's done both.

Last month, Kevin came to me and said that he really would like to have another baby, but that he'd like to wait til next year. I was excited to hear that, of course, and it made perfect sense to wait since we're planning a trip to Thailand in December (Kevin, Keely, and I). It was a bit shocking to find out two weeks ago that God had also opted to grant choice 'b', too! And though the timing is a bit of a surprise, we are thrilled and humbled that we'll be entrusted with another little 'arrow' to train up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Pray for us, will you? For safety for this little one, and for physical strength for Kevin and me. We find ourselves tired quite often, and we want to be good stewards of these children in the face of limitations on our physical and emotional energy. I have to admit that I've struggled with fear a little since we found out about this baby.

Can I really handle this?
Can I homeschool them all?
Are you sure you want to give us another one, Lord?

I hear God answer me through His Word:

My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness.

I can't handle this on my own, nor will I do it all perfectly. I know God will give me grace for each day, and that is more than enough.

Psalm 127:3

Oh, and one more thing: You girls whom I was chatting with at co-op a couple of weeks ago, in the nursery? About how effective natural family planning is?

Forget what I said. :)