Thankful For the Good and Not So Good........

Wow! It has been a bit since I have blogged!! This year has gone by so fast. It seems like we have just moved in our new home when in reality its been almost six months. And no, I have not unpacked every box. I know that is surprising to you. What this has revealed to me is that we can live with a lot less than we have to be quite honest. There are boxes in our garage that I am sure have something in them that I thought I needed at one time. I spent some time out in the garage today going through boxes and thinking to myself that I wish I could have a yard sale in December!

 I have so much to be thankful for this season. This last year has been such a year of transition for the family. Our family has learned a lot about one another and how we handle the stress that life hands out. Our family is changing, but in a good way. We are learning to give back and to reach out to those who are in need. Our church has been a big part of that. Yet another thing for which I am thankful every day. Through church we have made some great friends and are growing closer to the Lord through them. Of course we are always thankful for the good that is brought our way, but what about the not so good? I am thankful for the fact that the position I moved to Nashville for changed dramatically. However I did not think it would be that way, but the Lord blesses even through the storms of life. I am getting more time at home with my on call position which means more time with my family. There are always things that happen that we say to God, "Is this really happening?" But He always know what is best even when we do not understand His plan at the time. November is a very special month for our family. Five years ago this November, Jeff and I should have had another blessing. God had another plan. A plan that I still do not understand entirely. Our baby that was due in November 2006 was delivered stillborn at 17 weeks. A very dark time for all of us. We named him Jonathan, we had the pleasure of holding him and getting the sweetest handprints and footprints. I was not thankful for that experience at all until some time later, much later. Even now, I wonder what he would have been like and looked like. The peace is that I know I will see him one day and he will know me. I am thankful for that difficult time as it brought me closer to God and a chance to have a peace during such a dark time that only He can give. I have been able to minister to others that have gone through similar experiences and hope that one day I can start some sort of ministry that would be comforting to others going through such difficult times.

Ok I will end on a happy note! Here are some of the many things I am thankful for: Jesus, without Him, how lost I would be, a wonderful husband that puts up with my crazy self, a little girl who sings most of what she says, a son that has a soft heart for others, a job that I am passionate about and so many other things!!!

So, praise Him in the storms and on the sunny days. Be thankful in all things.

Counting the days.......

Well we have bought a house!!! This is the actual photo not a just a picture of someone else's house somewhere else. The waiting is killing me. I have been inside this house enough that I have claimed it as my own. I would move in tomorrow. But we have to wait on petty details such as closing on our other house in Jackson, inspections, and such! So every day we are still in the apartment I think of reasons to never want to live in an apartment again. Here are just a few: hearing your neighbors toilet flush or clothes washing, if you come in after nine pm, there will not be a parking space close to where you live, too many folks in that tiny of a space is a recipe for disaster, etc. I have looked at the house we are buying, thinking of what I want to put where, what colors I want to paint what rooms, thinking of places I can hide where no one will think to look and so on! AND that God of ours is so funny! His timing was perfect and when a house that we liked about 3 months ago sold, He told me that He had something better. He was right, of course. Since we have moved to Nashville, I have learned a lot about trust. It was sort of forced on me but never the less, I have learned and have enjoyed seeing God work in the various areas of our life. God is still working and I claim Jeremiah 29:11 daily, knowing that He has plans for me and my family.

The kids are ecstatic as you can probably imagine. Claire cried because we can't move right now! When I told her in would probably be about another month, the meltdown started. Jacob is planning a sleepover all ready. Jeff is, well in typical Jeff fashion is in banker mode and just trying to get all the paperwork done and submitted. And I in my typical Merri fashion is foreseeing all the friends we can entertain and all the rooms we can paint! I am already deciding where each Christmas tree can go. I am so glad Jeff is the grounded member of this team. Someone needs to be for sure. He keeps us all on track when at times I tend to derail!

Pray that all goes well from here. As more things get finalized I will try to post more pictures. And we get moved in, you are all invited over!! (All two of you that read this blog

CSI: Mt. Juliet

Right or wrong, my 6 year old daughter likes to watch CSI. She gets totally interested in what is going on and who did what. When we lived in Jackson we caught her walking around the house with a camera around her neck and a ball cap on. When I asked what she was doing, she said,"I am a CSI agent." I told my husband to hide the Q-tips or she may start swabbing us for DNA. The child has been asking for a CSI kit since Christmas. Well she got one for her birthday. Her and her brother Jacob set up a crime scene with tape and all. Collected my fingerprints off of a glass and obtained my fingerprints for their files. My sweet son listed me as 5'5" and 135 lbs! That was the best part of the whole crime! Anyway they found me guilty for the murder of Baby Diego. Do not worry. This was just a training exercise for them and Baby Diego is alive and well.  I have personally always been interested in forensics. At one point even looked into getting my masters degree in forensic nursing. I guess the love for catching the bad guy and trying to put pieces of the puzzle together has rubbed off on Claire. My favorite books are by Ted Dekker, Jefferson Bass, James Patterson, and Patricia Cornwell. My husband thinks that I have a very dark side and is scared to sleep too soundly! I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Dr. Bill Bass. The Body Farm in Knoxville was his idea. To place bodies in various places, trunks of car, water, in the woods, etc and see how they decompose. His research helps determine how long someone has been deceased for the most part and he has helped to train other law enforcement how to collect evidence which in turn helps to catch more criminals. Anyway, meeting him was the highlight of my year. How cool would it have been to spend just one day with him? Most of you are thinking that is the farthest thing from cool and I completely understand that. Anyway if you happen to visit our sweet home, watch out. I have two children that will have you confessing to something you did not even know you did!