Update

I've been browsing this blog on and off all morning. I love looking back at life. These kids grow and change every day. Where have I been these last 6 months. Why have I not posted anything. What happened to project 365.

Oh, I know. We sold our cute but small for a family of 7 house and built another house that can actually fit all these growing kiddos. That has been exhausting, time consuming, emotional, overwhelming, did I already say exhausting, etc, etc..

Even though we've been in our new home for a month now, I still feel like I'm catching my breath. I'm still unpacking boxes. And I have NO intention of moving for a very, very long time.

This is the first Saturday in a few weeks that we haven't had visitors or something to do. It's our first Saturday to relax and get some projects done and spend time as a family.

Picnic time with Rose.

Assembling a new dresser.

She's enjoying the new bed in her new room. :)

Painting Project

Scary..

Update

Sorry for the weird formatting issues.  I'll work on that soon.

I have not written an update in a very long time.  A lot has happened so far this year
but I just haven't had the words or inspiration to sit and write.

This year started with Bobby and our friend, Tim,
beginning a prayer class at Fellowship Church Southwest in Austin.
The class has been going well!  You can listen to recordings of the class here.

Bobby had to take a few weeks off in the middle of the class to handle family situations.
His father unexpectedly passed away this February in New Mexico.
We are all very saddened by this loss.  Bobby's dad was a brilliant man!
You can read his obituary here.  We had a trip planned to visit him this summer.
We are still going to follow through on that, it will be sad to not see him though.

Homeschooling has been tough.    Maybe I'm dealing with burnout.
I know this will be worth the sacrifice in the long run but I have a hard time
keeping myself encouraged.  I'm very grateful the older girls are going
to OneDay Academy though!

I'm not going to go on the India mission trip I wrote about in December.
Right now is not a good time to leave Bobby alone with the kids for 10 days.
I did get my passport and some other little things paid by donations
from photoshoots.  I'll have to post pictures of all the shoots I did.  I had a lot of
fun with it just got really overloaded with editing.  I can be indecisive when
picking my favorite photos.

Speaking of photos our family just got some professional pictures taken. I'm
usually the one taking pictures so it was weird to be on the other side of the camera.
I can't wait to see them!

update

It's been awhile since I've written much. Everytime I sit down to write, my mind goes blank. So this was my post on facebook earlier, "I just heard this song for the first time and it's the cry of my heart right now. I'm so tired of "stuff". I feel my heart getting dull. I recently told Bobby to quit his job so we can sell everything and just go, be free, move wherever. Sigh.. but this is the season to "fight the good fight" (1 Tim 6:12), dig in and reject the stuff of this world. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" 1Cor 3:17"

Update

Today I sat and deleted over 900 unread emails, the majority of them being junk or spam. I don't know how I get so many random junk emails. I "unsubscribed" myself from many that I don't remember ever "subscribing" to. Anyway, I write that because I am behind on way so many things.. One of them being pictures! It's been a month since I posted pictures and that's not because I haven't been taking them, oh I have pictures! I've just been taking a break from sorting and editing them. A reason for the lack of desire to finish them is due to a photo shoot I did for a lady last month. I did this for free thinking it would be a great learning experience since I'm not a professional photographer. Well it was a learning experience all right. Next time someone I don't know asks me to take pictures for them I will charge something. I love photography and don't want people to ruin it for me!
This year has been a quiet one as far as writing goes. Overall it's been a difficult year. Life with 5 kiddos, 10 and under, is pretty busy. Date nights are few and far between. Homeschool is a challenge some days. Our church situation was a MESS. But I feel like breakthrough is coming! A friend from our old church, New Hope, asked Bobby to help him lead a prayer class at Fellowship Church in a few months. So we checked out the church and have been attending for the last two months. We are really enjoying it and the new people we have met! Two weekends ago, I went on a women's retreat for two nights out in the tiny town of Giddings. I had a wonderfully refreshing time! One afternoon I spent playing like a kid, I climbed a 40 ft. rock wall, ziplined, ziplined into the lake, slid into the lake on an inflatable bouncy slide, swam in a pool, went on a waterslide (like one at an amusement park), floated on a lazy river, and drove off diving boards!! I really needed that as well as all the personal prayer time and encouragement from the speaker. I'm very grateful for refreshment! The speaker encouraged us to write more, so I hope to follow through on that!

From left to right: the bottom of the climbing wall, top of the zipline looking at the poles we're going to, and a lady in the orange to show how high up we were.

All of our rooms were decorated according to each month of the year, I was in the September cabin with three other girls. I really liked the colors of this room!  I did not like the scorpion that my very pregnant roommate killed, it was trying to crawl out of the bathroom sink drain...

This was the room, June, and my FAVORITE of all the rooms!!! I would love to decorate the girls room like this!

Update

Yay, I finally caught up on pictures!  I had so many computer problems and not enough time to upload them on the blog!  I had to use flickr instead of my normal photobucket to get them on here and I wasn't able to caption them in the correct area so they are all captionless..sorry!

One day soon I will catch up on writing too!

go away..

"Don't ask me another question, don't tell me who did something wrong, just go play out back, I NEED some quiet!" Those were my words to my kids a few minutes ago. I have been so overwhelmed lately and today just seemed to top it off. Not sure how to pinpoint what it is exactly. I'm still wrestling with food allergies. My eyesight is getting SO bad, doing any reading is becoming quite a challenge. And I'm always tired. Homeschooling 5 children is hard. Some days I don't want to do it, I would rather place what has been given to me (my kids) into someone else's care (school) so I can "do my thing".
I sat down with my bad mood, Bible, and Josh Garrels playing in the background (go download his cd it's free and just AWESOME!!!)
I started reading and came across something I had written in my Bible. It was a quote from Jason Upton, "Don't you know. You're a word from heaven." Wow. Thank you, Lord, for grounding me fast. This life is not about me. I have a specific purpose that only I can fulfill. I cannot give in to my flesh or give up. Yes, I need quiet but not so I can escape everything, I need quiet so I can be filled with "wisdom that passes all understanding" and continue this journey with perserverance.
I was left with this phrase-
Don't listen to what the world and others are telling you, do what you know is right for you and your family. Do all you can to fulfill your purpose, you don't have to be like everyone else.

"At the end of my life I want it said of me, 'She endured as seeing Him who is invisible' (Heb 11:27b)" Misty Edwards

Ministry Update

I haven't updated on ministry in a long time due to us not knowing what was going on or what we were doing.  Our church, New Hope, recently went through some major changes and we were very serious about leaving and finding a new church but felt the Lord telling us to press through the difficult and uncertain times.  Our pastor has stepped down for a season (he may or may not return) and the elder is filling in until a final decision is made on what to do, which should be made by the end of this month.
We haven't been doing the college ministry for a few months now.  Ministry, work and family life were too much so we needed a little time to rest and focus on what is important to us, being family.   Now that we have had time to rest and wait on the Lord, we see there might be an opportunity to finally start some form of prayer ministry.  Please be praying that the Lord's will would be done and that all obstacles would be removed.  Our hearts desire has been to start a prayer ministry, that is why we went to IHOP and did the training program in 2007.  Since the training program life has been challenging and we've hit so many road blocks, which has been quite discouraging but we are finally starting to see a glimmer of hope in starting something at our church.  That glimmer of hope is a huge praise because when we first moved down to the Austin area our church was NOT for a prayer ministry. It's hard to go so many years with no one really supporting what's on your heart...
Thanks for praying! We appreciate it!

There is a mighty lot of difference between saying prayers and praying. --John G. Lake

Some people pray just to pray and some people pray to know God. --Andrew Murray

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?-- Corrie Ten Boom

Is the Son of God praying in me, or am I dictating to Him?....Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God. If the Son of God is formed in us by regeneration, He will press forward in front of our common sense and change our attitude to the things about which we pray. --Oswald Chambers

Do you know what prayer is? It is not begging God for this and that. The first thing we have to do is to get you beggars to quit begging until a little faith moves in your souls. --John G. Lake

If God will do whatever He wishes, regardless of whether we pray or not, then we do not need to pray at all, and the Lord's instructions on praying for the Kingdom and the Will are superfluous. But the truth is that God waits for a Remnant to rise up and to pray in agreement with His Purpose before He does anything - He will do nothing apart from the Church. Apart from HIM, we CAN do nothing; apart from US, He WILL do nothing –Chip Brogden

6

Today was a long and exhausting day so creativity was set on the back burner.  The day started with a dentist appointment in downtown Austin at 8am.  I read an article a few months ago that I need to find but Austin was listed #3 out of all the cities in the U.S. for worst traffic. :-/  Traffic was horrible but I passed a beautiful sunrise over the lake just before my exit. I wanted to turn around to try and snap a picture but knowing how slow my dental office is, I needed to make it there early or risk waiting forever.   I arrived early only to wait an hour in order to be informed that the crown they were going to put on me was lost in the mail somewhere.  Really?? This is the second visit to get this crown put on... The first time I went in the color was too yellow.  I don't mind having a crown that is too white but one that is too yellow?  Hopefully they will find the corrected crown in the mail soon!!

We have a friend, Landon, visiting us from Colorado and are enjoying our time with him.  We drove down to San Antonio in the afternoon to look at some model homes and drove by Canyon Lake.  All in all the day was fun just a bit busy.

1.6.2012 - Boys with toys..

D loves having Landon around! :)

writing assignments

A few months ago, Bobby and I were talking through how I could improve my writing because I want to advance my communication skills.  One suggestion was to give myself writing assignments on whatever topic I chose.  Another was to copy literature out of a book, which is how many learned in older days.  Either way, I hope to increase my writing this year!

(using our KIND coffee mug from Estes Park, CO)

Update

I'm tired. I néed to finish laundry and pack and...the list goes on and on. This week has been really hard for me. I know these are the times we grow the most but they are never easy. In 10 years the kids will be 18,17,15,13 and 12 and there will be a whole different set of challenges to face. I want to enjoy these moments when my kids want to snuggle up with me and talk and ask me to make up a silly stories. I don't want to get bogged down and grow weary in this race. I don't want the challenges of head lice or my 3 yr old stopping using the toilet get to me so much. And mostly, I don't want my ideal of 'perfection' get to me.
We're taking the college/career group to the Onething conference this weekend and I'm super excited about that!! I need some refreshing! And also excited about the group we're taking and praying the Lord would encounter them in a new and mighty way. So if you think about us please pray this trip would be a great time of refreshing and renewal. Thanks!

Errors and All

I've been thinking about writing this post for awhile but my problem with writing is that I get so hung up on proper grammar/sentence structure that I don't finish writing out my thoughts. And not to mention the format of the blog is driving me crazy, it wasn't always this way. I can't get the spaces how I want them after I hit the publish button. Not sure if it's just me that's having these problems. Maybe I'll change the format of the blog, but I like the mountain background with the rain drops... These are the things I get hung up on. I need to learn from my husband who can type out a 2 page paper in a few minutes. So here it goes, errors and all. I wrote about a trip to the passion conference, here. and how I feel the Lord is wanting me to open up and share what He's put in me. I've been wrestling with it a ton. I'd much rather post a picture, it requires much less of me.. As soon as I'm in a group setting I close myself off from communicating. Yesterday morning was a great example, I got to our college/career group Sunday school class a few minutes early and another student was already there. They asked how I was doing, I opened up and shared my frustration of Sunday morning church and a few other things. As soon as class started I felt the switch from fiery and passionate dim down and silence overtook me. It's a frustrating point to be at. Sunday church was a struggle to get through but the end revelatory point both Bobby and I took was about loving your neighbor as yourself. You love yourself right? We're called to love others as we love ourselves. Probably a duh moment for most people but it hit us in a new and different way. I started to think about my actual neighbors, I probably know them better than most people in our church and not because we talk everyday but because we are doing life next door to each other. I don't know intimate details about them but I know enough to know their basic likes and dislikes which is more than I know about most people in our church. We've been tired of Sunday morning church for a long time but are at the point of not knowing what to do. Our desire is to be surrounded by a community of believers who do life together but until that happens Bobby and I have to press in together with what we have. I'm grateful for him as my husband, who continually pushes and challenges me and doesn't tell me the things I want to hear but the things I need to hear. -----That is how we are called to love our neighbors.--- Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are profuse." (ASV) "Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy [are] deceitful." (KJV) "The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy." Brenton Greek Septuagint (LXX, Restored Names) So here's to me being more transparent. I'm not liking how hard I've become because I'm tired of people (Christian believers) letting me down. I miss being at IHOP-KC. I miss "weird" people who are sold out for the Lord and will do ANYTHING for him, like sell everything and move in an instant because the Lord was leading them. I miss people who are blown by the wind. John 3:8 "The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit." I want to be around people who are full of Faith and will stir up my Faith. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Heb 11:6) I want to be surrounded by people who are not content with settling for less but want more of the deep things of the Lord and who live out Matthew 5-7 and Romans 9-11.

Weekend Trip

My weekend trip to Kansas City, MO to visit IHOP-KC. I flew into KC around 10:30am on Sat. I rented a car (got a free upgrade!) and then headed straight for the prayer room. Walking into the prayer room was exhilarating, here is the set when I walked in. I stayed for 3 1/2 hours then went to find and check into the hotel. Grabbed some food because I realized at 4pm that I had only eaten a fried egg that my hubby made me before we drove to the airport. Next stop was to visit some friends who were Bobby and my prayer partners while we were interns there. I enjoyed catching up with them, seeing how much their boy had grown and meeting the new little one. Next stop was the Saturday night service, which was packed and I stood or sat on the floor for most of it. Shelley Hundley gave such a great word that hit me where I'm at, it was about prayer being labor and how not to give up no matter what "good" excuses you might have. Click here to watch it, this service has a Korean translator. To end the night I stopped at walmart to grab some toothpaste and other things I wasn't sure if I could fly with. I bought some microwave popcorn, fruit and brown rice chips since I remembered I didn't eat much. Back at the hotel I realized there wasn't a microwave. That was the only let down of the trip. No popcorn..
The next morning, Sunday, Bobby texted me that J threw up in the car on the way to church then later D was next. :(
I met up with one of the old youth from our Colorado youth group to give him a few things, I included the unused popcorn b/c I didn't have space to take it home. I was encouraged to see him and the church he's doing college/worship ministry at. I drove back to IHOP for the Sunday morning service, here. Then back to the prayer room after stopping in the cafe and bookstore. The sets were Audra Lynn and Bob Powers. Bob Powers had a chorus of, "in the end it's only You that matters." Wow! What you can't see from watching the video is the power behind that statement and the unity of everyone in the room, we were louder than the speakers. Truly amazing! You can watch the videos and find me ;)~
Anyway, these times were wonderful and I did NOT want to leave. My intention of this trip was to find that place of intimacy with the Lord that I've been missing. I found it and didn't want to leave. But I was missing my family at this point and wanted to get back to my husband.
Returned the rental car and waited for my flight. Right before I was about to board I thought I recognized a girl from church so I tapped her on the shoulder and sure enough it was here and we were on the same flight back to TX! The flight wasn't full so I sat next to her. That was fun! She teaches T and K's Sunday school class. I said bye to her after we got to the front of the airport and found Bobby. I got in the van and gave him some CD's I got for him and he told me to listen to what CD was playing . He wrote and recorded me a song over the weekend despite being sick and having sick kids. I was amazed! Completely speechless. I am so blessed to have this man as my husband!!! What a great way to end a great weekend!!

I pulled the key out of the ignition and thought I did something wrong.
Where's the silver part?? Ah. Technolodgy..

From left to right, the prayer room, higher grounds coffee/cafe, then the bookstore.
Sorry it's not zoomed in more. This was from my phone.

The signs make it easier to find.
You wouldn't expect to find IHOP in an old strip mall.
Look at all that snow they still have after a warm week!

The street inbetween the prayer room and our old house :)
We used to walk when the weather was good.

Our old house! It's a duplex.

The girls liked this picture and remembering the house.

Trip and update

My kind husband is watching all the kids alone while I take a weekend trip to Kansas City to go to IHOP for a weekend of prayer and visit some old friends! I'm very excited about it! Pray that my hubby will survive ;)

Oh and thank you for praying for my pregnant friend with a blood clot!! The doctors were amazed that it went away unexplained!! Awesome! The Lord is the one who heals!

The college group is coming over tonight for our discipleship/ prayer night. They are growing in the Lord and that is encouraging!

Don't worry about the pictures while I'm gone. I've already uploaded them!!

Update

I have quite a few drafts of new blog posts needing to be finished and posted...maybe I'll get to them soon, I'd rather just type up a general update on life this cold and windy winter day. We are definatley feeling "cabin fever" or the "winter blues". This February has been particularly cold! Even the dog is going a little stir crazy, chewing on everything in sight. I read in a homeschool magazine that most people give up homeschooling during this time of the year when things are extremely challenging. But to remember spring is right around the corner and those long hot summer days will be here (huge smile)! I guess I've adjusted to TX weather.

Adoption- All our information is in to the attorney we are just waiting for her to finalize everything and set a court date. I think we will feel quite a relief once that is done. We will still have another long and crazy process until she's a US citizen but we'll figure that out after we have the adoption completed.

Homeschool- We are still studying Native Americans and all of us (myself included) are really enjoying that! Today during Math time, K (6) was answering all the problems right away and T (8) said, "How do you answer these so fast, you aren't in 3rd grade." I'm trying to encourage each one's strengths and work on their weaknesses. D joined in with some math flash cards and we used cubes for him to count with. And the little two, well I try to keep them busy.

Well, hubby made it home early! Gotta enjoy that time!

update

Today is the first day of winter and it feels like spring outside. The high is supposed to be in the 80's. When the weather is this warm, it's difficult to believe it's almost Christmas even though our tree has been up all month. Speaking of Christmas trees... Last week we finished The Sign of the Beaver, which was a story about a white boy and an American Indian boy becoming friends in the 1700's. We've enjoyed studying how the Indians would not waste ANYTHING. Now days it's a common practice to throw away anything extra, especially food, and not think twice about doing so. My eight year old is very much into recycling, reusing and composting. She asked the question about Christmas trees, "The Indians wouldn't cut down a tree, use it for a month and then throw it away. Why do we? Does God want us to?" Wow. I have never pondered that before. Maybe it's time to get an artificial tree.

We received a letter last night that Obama passed a bill in early December that will help the Haitian children who were paroled out of Haiti after the earthquake, which was Rose. We will receive further info later but that was exciting to hear they are going to help, because adopting a non-US citizen is causing much confusion to everyone we talk to.

Thinking back on this year I do have to say that this has been the hardest year we've faced. Last year was hard financially but this year has been hard physically and spiritually. Also harder than having 4 babies 5 and under...
I never knew that having two little ones 11 months apart would be such a challenge! Rose was 14 months old and JoJo was 25 months old when we brought her home to live with us last February. When birthing your own child there is an ample amount of time to adjust. You have 9 months of pregnancy, then you bring home a baby who mostly sleeps all day for a few months and a sleeping baby isn't very challenging to a two year old. Jojo felt threatened with Rose and immediately they both learned how to fight over me. If I have one in my lap I better make room for both of them. If time were turned back I would do it all over again because I love them and they are worth it. I'm not complaining. I am being real though, and this has been hard. A verse that has been resounding in my mind is
2 Cor 4:17, " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Whatever trials we face, and they will vary from each person, we need to remember the Lord is working through us, training us to become more like Him. We need to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him, Matt 16:24-27 says, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul. Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."

Justin Rizzo from IHOP-KC "Are you sowing to the spirit or sowing to the flesh? You're doing one or the other all the time" Based off of Gal 6:8

Be encouraged and allow the joy of the Lord to fill you today!

Update

Sorry for the lack of updates. I haven't been feeling the best lately. I went to a few doctors and everything seems fine... I've been SO tired and everyone has giving the explanation of - "Well, you have 5 children." Thanks! I enjoy paying people money for them to tell me that.
I've been taking a lot of vitamins and herbs and finally seem to have a little more energy :)
Ok, enough said. I'll post some pictures of our thanksgiving with our families!

naptime

The little two are down for a nap, meaning I have a few minutes!! So here's an update on life recently.
Co-op - Well as much as I hate to say it, I had to stop organizing everything so therefore we stopped meeting together. I can see myself doing something like that later in life but right now with 5 kids 8 and under it was just too much to organize on my own. We are adjusting into our home routine again and enjoying that!
House- We painted pretty quickly after we moved in but I haven't had the desire to hang up anything. Just last week someone just gave us a really nice leather sectional! I have finally (after 4 months) pulled out the decorations! Kinda feels cozy now :)
Adoption- We are still in process of adopting. We are needing $2,000 for our next fee soon! Praying that in! Rose is doing so well!! I can't believe she's been here 6.5 months :) She is SO precious!!
Kids- They are all growing up so much! The older girls amazing me all the time. I can still picture their baby faces. :( I don't want them to grow up but I know they have to. T's in 3rd grade and K's in 1st. They are very smart and unique in their own ways. D is also very smart and enjoys drawing and tracing. I'm working with the little two on potty training... one day we won't have to buy diapers!!!
Bobby- He's enjoying his office job, which is weird! I know he misses working in a ministry position, we're just waiting on the Lord for the right timing.
Me- What about me? Haha.. In the busyness of it all, I am doing well. I'm enjoying being at home again, rather than 3 days a week at the co-op. I like to do things well, so when I have too much going on and doing a poor job at most things, that weighs heavy on me. I'm trying to simplify and donate extra things around the house we don't use or need. We'd like to turn the garage into a play room at some point but before we can even consider that, the garage has to be cleaned out...fun. I'm slowly making progress on my teeth! I've gotten two root canals w/ crowns and two fillings done so far. I only have four more visits, woo hoo! I've started reading the Bible in 90 days and really enjoying that!
Well, my time is up! Have a blessed day!!

update

I need to update! August is almost here!! That means school will start up soon. Too much to do....

I started a Twitter for Bobby- @holyfear. Mine is @stacynjohnson. For those interested.

I had a blog design on here that I liked but it disappeared. :( Time to update it again!

June or July?

Today is the 20th of July. This month has flown by and I keep thinking it's June. Maybe that's a sign we've been busy. I want to sit down and write about all the things the Lord's doing but that will have to wait until I have more time. I do want to say we are encouraged with our new church. Bobby gave the message this past Sunday and it was great! I've never seen him so free to speak what's on his heart without any worry of being offensive. I'll leave you with that! ;-)
Have a great day. You are the beloved one of our Almighty Creator! His delight is in you!

Date Night

For my birthday Bobby told me he was taking me on a date and that he had already found a babysitter. I was excited! Then he told me we were going to The Melting Pot!!! Our date was last Saturday and had a very enjoyable time. It was our 4th opportunity to go there and I think the best! This time I wasn't pregnant, nor did I have a nursing baby with me nor one waiting at home for me. We sat in a small L shaped booth and he ordered roses that were waiting on the table. Our time together was so wonderful!

Since out time out we've been reminiscing on our dating time period and the first time we remembered seeing each other. Hehe. Fun times! We are so grateful for each others love and friendship even after all these years :-)

I love you Bobby! Thank you for your love! No one makes me laugh and smile like you do! :-) By grace may we continue this journey of life with the Lord strong and unified!