Prayers for Levi... GO GOD!

THANK YOU for your prayers! Just go ahead and give God some praise for how he answered this prayer! Dave and Anna had to take Levi to the hospital here in Cardiff this morning, they were told he would have a scan in the children's oncology department. Praise God, they did a scan and there was NO LUMP to be found! They are on their way back home right now for some much needed rest. Levi has a bladder infection and is on antibiotics. We are so thankful to the Lord for this answer! Thank you friends for praying!

UPDATE: Levi is scheduled for a scan at 12:30 local time. Please keep praying.

I just posted a story about little Levi and now he needs your prayers! We just got a text from his parents, our friends Dave and Anna- and they are in the hospital with him right now. He had some blood in his diaper and they have scanned him and found a lump on his bladder. They said it could be serious. Please pray for Levi, Dave and Anna right now. We are 6 hrs. ahead of Texas time, so you do the math wherever you are and we'll keep you updated as we know what is going on.

Thank you!

Loo, WC, Outhouse or Outdoor Potty

When we first heard that the house we were moving into had an outdoor "loo" I was not too sure what to think about it. Our landlord was going to get it back to working order, with a new toilet and sink but he was also going to ceramic tile it. I thought he must be mad! I remember telling our team leader to just tell our landlord that there was no point, he didn't need to spend the extra money on fixing up an outdoor potty. I mean, it rains a lot in Wales and it's cool most of the time, I really couldn't see any of using this outdoor toilet.

I was wrong. I'm so glad our great landlord fixed it up for us!

I love our "outdoor potty" as Cerys named it. It has really come in handy...now that Cerys is toilet trained it's really handy! When we are playing outside, it makes life so much easier! When we are getting into the car to leave and Cerys (or me) needs to make one last stop, it's so convenient. It's right off the kitchen, as you can see from the picture, and on the way to the garage, so it's perfect!

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I can't believe I just wrote a post about a toilet. But I do love it!

Oh, I forgot to mention...our landlord put a light and a heater in it! :) What more could you want? :)

Welcome Levi!

We went to visit our friends, Dave and Anna, in Pontypool. They just welcomed their little boy, Levi, into the world about a week ago. He's so cute, y'all. All 5 pounds of him! And he has more hair than Bailey. :)

We met Dave and Anna not long after moving to Pontypool in 2002. I remember our first meeting. They were engaged, and we met them over at Dave's house for dinner. I was so focused on trying to understand their strong Welsh accent, I'm sure they thought we were strange. Just fresh off the plane and so eager to work with youth, we hung out that night hearing about all they were doing. They were working with youth in town and we wanted to see how we could help them, and of course we wanted some friends. :) I remember saying "y'all" a lot and they still give me a hard time about that. But I'm Texan, and I just can't remove that word from my vocabulary. I've tried, but it just keeps coming back.

Anyway, we become friends with them and got to witness their beautiful wedding! Then, the fall of 2003 they were going to start a coffee night in town on Friday night's and asked us if we wanted to help. Of course we did! Well, if you've kept up with us since we first moved here, then you know about our near death experience one Friday night with an anti-social 18 year old. We started up this coffee night, in a local methodist church that offered the use of their building to us. We served free tea and coffee and toast. It was a warm, dry place for the youth to come on Friday night instead of hanging out under the local bridge. Which is why the were affectionately known as "the bridge crew." Not long into this, we met this 18 year old. I'll call him Bob. Bob was struggling. He was often drunk or doing drugs. It was not uncommon to find him in the corner of the church doing drugs. He was angry, and that mixed with drugs and alcohol got him in tons of trouble. But for some reason, he kept coming to the coffee night. Sometimes he was decent and actually spoke to the 4 of us, sometimes he would get mad and throw things and then thankfully storm off the grounds with whoever was brave enough to follow him. We were there every Friday night for months, and we were getting to know some of the teens (and by that I mean, they were actually starting to talk to us, not just drink their coffee and leave) and we thought we were really getting some where with them. They were shocked that we would offer free coffee and toast, much less be nice to them for no apparent reason. I learned a lot during those months, and one thing was that I thought we knew what we were doing when it came to working with youth. I mean, Marc has worked as youth interns, I grew up in a great youth group. Surely that qualifies us. Ha! But I've never met youth like this. What an eye opener. I was so sad for them, I so wanted them to know Jesus.

As months went on, I grew more and more anxious every Friday night, mainly because of Bob. I remember feeling physically sick on the drive over to the church, every Friday night. There were several times that I thought Marc and Dave were gonners! They were so good with Bob, but you just never knew when he would lose it! He was a big guy, and could have snapped them both in two. At one point we even had some locals that were big and musclular to come be our "bouncers" for a while and that seemed to help, but they could not continue to come every week. Bummer. Anyway, one night we were just chatting as usual and we heard someone yell, "Here comes Bob" and I just got weak and felt such dread come over me. It's sad that I was this scared of him, but I was. He showed up in his usual mode and things soon got out of control. I can't remember the actual events, but something happend that made Bob absolutely go baslistic and he starting thowing things and then he left. Whew. The evening came to a close, we locked ourselves in the church and were busy cleaning up and putting things away, when we heard a HUGE bang downstairs. And then we heard Bob. We just realized that he had broken through the doors that were locked, and he was in! He started screaming for us. We knew we were in trouble. Long story short, well not really short is it? We ended up locked in the kitchen, the 4 adults and a few youth that always stayed behind to help us. We called the police from our mobile and begged them to hurry. Well, Bob couldn't find us (thank you Jesus) and he left with a bang, just as he had come in. He busted a brand new boom box stereo into a THOUSAND pieces out in the car park on his way out. I'm just glad it wasn't one of us be broke!


We made it out alive, and the police finally did show up. The church asked us not to come back, and we understand. Bob did a lot of damage to that place. The sad part is that we lost touch with most of those youth and I pray that they will find Jesus soon! The good news, we formed a bond with Dave and Anna that night. We laugh about it now, and Dave still reminds me of how scared I was that night. Like I need reminding! :) We continued helping them out as much as we could with some other things they had going on and we became closer friends. When we left Pontypool in 2004, I remember seeing them at the back of the church at our little going away service and I remember feeling so strongly for them. They both have such servants' hearts and are so willing to help anyone, especially youth. We were proud to be able to serve what little we did alongside them while we were there.


They are still going strong in Pontypool and God is doing some amazing things! And all of this was just to tell you that they just welcomed their firstborn, a little Welshman. :) Y'all say a pray for them, as they enter parenthood for the first time and juggle all that they have going on! They are a dear couple. We love y'all Dave and Anna! Thanks for all you do in Pontypool, and thanks for being friends with us strange Americans. :)


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Oh me, Oh my!

UPDATE 2: Well, tonight was a tiny bit better, but she still tried to pull the same thing on us. She is using going to the potty now as her excuse to constantly get up. And when we don't let her go, since she's already been to the toilet, it's like WW3 breaks out in her room. Not cool. Anyway, I really really appreciate all the comments, and prayers. Thank you so much!

UPDATE: Thanks for the love y'all! We've just got started on another day, so we'll see how it goes. She did have some episodes of "terrible two's" but NOTHING like I've experienced last night. It was a case of, we told her something and she did not like it one bit, so she refused to stay in her bed and it all went down hill from there. I didn't know she could scream that loud for that long, so that's good to know I guess. :) Meanwhile, we have no clue how Bales slept through this, but she was sound alseep holding her stuffed lion the entire time. :)

It's 9pm and I'm sitting here at my dining room table looking at a beautiful sunset. The sky is full of pinks and blues and purples. I have candles lit and the house is quiet- except for the hum of the washing machine, oh and the muffled sound of a soccer, er, football game in the next room. Tonight didn't start out this calm.

I'm worn out.

Bailey (14 months) must be having some separation anxiety at the moment. She does not want us to be out of her sight. Very sweet, but very annoying.

Cerys (almost 3!) did something tonight she has NEVER done before, at least to this extent. Oh me, oh my! She had a full-on, loud, thrashing, throw herself on the floor, screaming fit. I have never seen anything like it, except on Super Nanny and I always thought those parents just didn't know what they were doing. That's what I get for judging. I stood outside her door at an absolute loss as to how to handle this one. Marc came up the stairs with wide eyes and I just stared back with the same look. She's asleep now, thankfully. I know she is worn out. I am worn out. I came down the stairs, sat down at this table and cried. Close to an hour she acted like this. The past week or so she has been refusing her afternoon nap- by talking, singing or getting up a thousand times, which she knows it not acceptable. She's been back-talking, and just has quite an attitude over all. I don't know what's happened to my sweet little Cerys. I hope it's a phase. Oh, I hope.

I am wondering if this is "normal." If it's not, what did I do that made her act like this? I'm always tempted to go back to her birth and the separation of her being in the SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit, same as NICU in the states) and maybe we didn't "bond", etc. Marc always brings me back to reality and helps me realize that if I buy into that lie, I will only be miserable. And he's right. He usually is. I don't mind you knowing that. Some couples joke about the other one always being right. I don't have a problem with it, he is right about most things.

Anyway, it's been quite a stressful night. I am praying tomorrow will be better. I am hoping. I am hoping we can have some wisdom in how to handle this new phase without wilting her personality. She knows what is expected of her, she knows the boundaries and I feel like this past week she is trying to test those boundaries.

It's A Mall, Y'all!

Yesterday, we ventured over to Bristol, England. It's about a 45 min. journey from our house, including crossing the Severn River. We had planned to go watch some hot air balloon's launch and then out to dinner, but that plan was foiled when we got stuck in city center with terrible traffic. It didn't help the stress levels when both girls began whining and moaning. We had exhausted the snack stash and they were desperate, as only a 2 year almost 3 year old and a 14 month can be. And the balloons ended up not launching until much later anyway because it was too windy.

But then I remembered...well, I actually never forgot...that there was a MALL in Bristol. I could never "forget" about a mall. So I calmly suggested to Marc that since the girls were starving and needed to eat RIGHT THEN, that we mosey on over to Cribbs Causeway Mall. He agreed and off we went-after we got out of the traffic. It was glorious! We parked the car and went straight to the food court. After feeding the hungry babes, we walked around to look at all the shops and then even splurged on a Starbucks treat!

And even better, the mall is even open till 9pm M-F. Now that is rare, most shops are closed pretty early, usually around 6pm every night. We felt like such rebels being at a mall, at 8pm. Marc commented on the way to the car, that apparently being at the mall on a Friday night is not the place to hang out. We looked around at the almost empty car park and he was right...not many people. We are so cool.

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He we go, crossing the Severn River!

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THE MALL!

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Yes, I know...I really took pictures of the mall. Don't judge me, I don't get out much.

A Common Thread

I was cleaning out the pile of stuff under my side of the bed when I came across an old journal that I had written in 9 years ago. Curious, I flipped through the pages and recalled some of the events and circumstances that were going on in my life at the time. I almost laughed out loud a few times at some of my prayer requests- and thought, "I was worried about that? How silly!" We had just gotten married and we were living in campus apartments while I was finishing up my last year of college, which meant student teaching was one of those semester. Oh the things I was concerned about! Ha. Of course I can say that, looking back now and knowing the outcome. I wrote many things like, "Lord, please forgive my attitude towards my husband" and "I'm so sorry Lord I have not spent time with you lately." Hmmm, I still say those things today! Some things were sad for me to read, especially some of the struggles I was dealing with. I just wish I could go back to myself at that time and tell me to chill out and enjoy life a little bit. But the common thread throughout that journal, and many others over the years, was one thing: fear.

Fear has been my companion for as long as I can remember. Certain circumstances caused great fear to rise up in me, and unfortunately I allowed them to stay too long. Some fears that I had written about 9 years ago are still some things that crop up every once in a while, even now. I have come a long way (just ask Marc) in dealing with a lot of fears, but I'm sad that I am still dealing with some. Will I ever learn?

Lately, while studying God's Word and reading in some other books the Lord has brought to my attention so many things in my thought life that are not from Him. Some things that I have thought for years- and it's like I'm suddenly realizing that I was not made to live like this. I was not made to live in the "what-if's" of life. I know this sounds silly, but it's seriously like a light bulb has gone off in my head. (haha, no blond jokes please.) and I'm starting to taste victory in areas of my life that I never thought possible. I've done Beth Moore studies for years, I think I've done all but one of them. I've heard her speak of freedom so many times before and while I could relate in some areas, in other areas of my life I wasn't sure if I would ever be free.

I like to be in control. I like to figure out my problems, then tell God how to fix them. I like to analyze every thought, feeling, whatever, till I think I have it all figured out. Then I ask God to please do something. I've come to a place in my life lately that I am not sure what my problem is...I mean, after much wasted energy on trying to figure myself out and sort it all out for God, All I can say to God is this, "I don't know, I just don't know what to tell you. I just need You. I need You, that's all."

B and Q

For some reason blogger won't let me do the & sign in the title...anyway...

Think Home Depot- B&Q is a large hardware store, and it's even orange and white like Home Depot. We stopped by B&Q tonight after dinner to look at some plants and flowers that we are looking to purchase to help the front of our house look more inviting. Our friends that lived here before planted some beautiful things, but they've died and need replacing! (sorry to our Aussie friends! :)

Anyway, I'll try and recapture what Cerys did the entire time we were in the store. She loves to talk, and all the displays of kitchens, bathrooms, tools, flowers, etc. was just too much for her!

As we were walking up to the store:
"Oh Daddy, this about to be FUUUN!"

As were walking around the store:
"Look at all dese things!"

"OH look Mommy, dat's so cute!"

"This is so fun Mommy, I want to go down der!"

"OH dose flowers are nice!"

Running and giggling- "WOW, this is fun!"

And lots more ooo's and ahhh's and shouting at the top of her lungs! But my favorite has to be as we came up to the bathroom department, with all the displays...

"Oh Mommy, look at all dose potty's!"

And we were saying things like this the whole time:
"Cerys, stay over here!"

"Cerys, use you quiet voice!"

"Sweetie, calm down, right this minute!"

"Yes, I know, I see, ya, that's nice, uhuh, hmmm, okay, ya, great!"

Who knew B&Q could be so fun!

HA!

What American accent do you have?
Your Result: The Midland

"You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.

The West

The South

Boston

North Central

The Inland North

Philadelphia

The Northeast

What American accent do you have?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I'm not sure why I found this so interesting. Sad. And yes, I sat here and said those words out loud to make sure. :) But this does confirm what people have said to me, "Where are you from, you don't have an accent!" See Dave and Anna, this is proof I don't have an accent! :)

Temptation

This post is really good, about temptation. I've been going through Beth Moore's devotional book 90 Days about David and it's been very thought provoking.

So I just thought I'd send you over there today since I've got nothing much going on here. Marc has been sick with a cold all week, the girls are restless and all I've got is pain from continually subjecting myself to Legs, Bums and Tums twice a week.

Have a great weekend!

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