Be.

Wow. Seriously. It's been four months since I've last updated this thing regarding my life today (the postings titled "Chapters" are just me recording my past, hoping I'll catch up to my today soon.) I hope this blog isn't boring. I feel like I have to catch up so much that I can't truly engage myself. I'll be impressed if you survive this entire thing.

Hmmm. The last time I wrote we were sitting around the table in Sioux Center, IA wondering where we were going to live in two weeks. We had no home. And my 3 year old daughter said, "Buckle your seatbelts everyone! Jesus is driving!" My husband saracastically replied (while rolling his eyes), "He sure is Kasiah, He sure is."

Since August, we were delivered more manna from heaven. A complete stranger heard of our need and called us. "I have a 5 bed, 2 bath house only ten years old. You can live in it for free. Just pay utilities."

Seriously?! Who gets to live in gorgeous homes for free as often as this?! And yet, why am I surprised? Just a few nights ago when Jeremy and I were praying, begging God to give us direction, I prayed, "Well gee, God. How about you just provide yet another home free of rent?"

He did.

I think sometimes He wonders, "Girl, if you would just ask you'd be blown away by the gifts you have not received."

O.k. so here we were. Still dealing with the shocking pregnancy that threw our "planned out lives" for a complete loop. I'm in my 3rd trimester and we're moving a 2nd time in 4 months. Jeremy is still attempting his construction business to provide. I'm still staying at home (and loving it). We move to the country into a farm house near Alcester, SD (a.k.a. Little House on the Prairie)...

We have no idea how long we will be in this home. All we know is that it's FREE. The closest WalMart is 35 minutes away. I don't love this. Not one bit.

November rolls around, Kasiah turns 4. She starts pre-school in Alcester. Weird. I don't know a single soul. Yet, two days a week I bring her, knowing she needs an "out" from just "Mommy and Dyson" world. Along with Kasiah turning 4, this little baby inside of me is getting ready to come out. My gut still says she's a girl from that initial roast beef sandwhich craving back in April... oh, and Jeremy's strange dream that we had a girl (before I knew I was prego).

Sure enough... on Wednesday morning, November 25th at 10:22a.m., we had a girl!

We named her Adalie Faith (pro-noucned Ah-duh-lee). Her name means "God is my refuge". She weighed only 1 ounce bigger than her sister Kasiah.... 8lbs 13 oz at 5 days early. She measured the exact same... 22 inches long!

She is perfect during the day but a devil child in the evening. :) Just when I finally get some adult time when Jeremy comes home, she decides she's going to be demanding... often not going to bed until 1:30am! Sex?! Hmmm. My heart goes out to Jer. It really does. My friend called it Duty Sex during this season of our life. I get that... but Jeremy hates duty sex. He's so kind.

On top of this adjustment, my husband has been faced with the challenge by our pastor to consider a ministry in Fargo. Long story. I'm too exhausted right now to go there. But I will say that since, I have never seen Jeremy in such a spiritual state of warfare since the affair. I love it and hate it at the same time.

So that's where we are at.... living in the middle of nowhere, doing our local errands 45 minutes away, attending a church we love a different 45 minutes away, while barely surviving financially. Jeremy is doing everything he can while construction is non-existant during this snow filled winter (My car is completey buried and farm roofs are caving in)... everything from hauling manure to washing it off of hog confinements. Not the most glorious jobs - especially for 10 bucks an hour. But at least he's finding jobs!!

My sister and friend said to me today that we need to be sure we don't try too hard to discover the direction God wants us to go.. and what we are to do. Sometimes our focus is so much on what we need to do for God, that we forget to just love God.

Maybe that's why we are here, in the middle of nowhere, with anything as much as a WalMart 30 minutes away... to teach us to just "be." I was asked when I see adults during the week. I replied, "On Sundays. I love Sundays. And if Adalie allows me, I get to be with my husband at night."

So until next time, enjoy the pictures below! There are a ton of them.. to catch up! This blog feels pretty "blah" to me. Not a lot of pizzaz or passion. I think because the place I'm in right now feels a bit blah.... just living one day at a time raising children which consists of spills, spankings and splattered paint, as well as hugs, kisses and laughter.

May God protect my husband as he battles with the warfare surrending him right now. I believe with all my heart God is calling him into full-time ministry and Satan is pretty pissed about it. For now, my focus is to be the best wife and mom God wants me to be.... and other than that, well, to simply just be.

Kasiah got a kitty for her birthday.



This says it all.

36 weeks I believe.

Looking for deer antlers in the woods.

39 weeks I think.

Daddy teaching Dyson how to pee like a man!

Waiting and waiting. I came in dilated at a 3 and was fed pitosin the entire day. At the end of the day, I was still only dilated at a 3. Yes, I cried!

Welcome to this world, little girl!

Daddy rocks at changing diapers!

Adalie. 1 week old.

Adalie. 1 month old on Christmas day!