It might be 25 below . . .

If you fingers stick to the mail box.

If you run the heat all day and can't get the house above 66.

If your kitchen pipes freeze.

If your mail box freezes shut.

If you can see your breath inside the house.

If your car requires an extension cord to start.

If your daughters lips are turning blue because she took her socks off in the house.

If stepping outside literally takes your breath away.

If the wipes you left in the car are now a frozen unusable block.

If your windshield wipers freeze to the windshield.

It's been a little different than Arizona =) But we like it here. =)

Up North

Wow, it's been a whirlwind of a few weeks. We arrived here Nov 13th safe and sound. Mike's parents were so glad to see their girls and meet the newest one finally. They met us at the airport with so many sweet gifts to brave to cold air outside. Mike was still driving and he and my dad made it here the next morning. We unloaded the Uhaul and Mike showered and took off for work even though he had been up driving all night. The next few days were a blur of, "yes, I have that, I just don't know where yet" and "um, I think there are clean socks in that pile" and "Which one is crying?" but we made it here and I enjoyed showing my parents around town. Had a great Sunday at chruch http://www.emmanuelbible.org/ and am really excited about getting involved here. People are friendly, teaching is great, they have nursery!!!! Wooo Hoooo!!!

Three days after arriving we had our Grand Opening at the store. Just to give you a little picture. At openening we had 45 employees with less than 2 days training. Our opening week was the 3rd largest in Little Caesars history. We had people lined up out the door from our store past 3 others stores in the strip mall to albertsons front door. Mike worked 134 hours that week. Getting home at 4am, showering, sleeping 2 hours and back by 7. Grand Opening night he didn't sleep, just showered and went right back (second night of the week he missed sleeping). By now we have over 100 employees and some how still can't stay staffed. amazing how many people want a job but just can't work! =) We're doing the business of 4 average stores each day so it's busy but we've ordered extra equipment and supplies and are getting more efficient. Still learning how to handle things like scheduling and employee issues. We are so thankful for the work. It's been a long wait.

At home it's been a little different. Quiet as far as people go. Lots of training issues with Charlize the first week. Seeing some real fruit the last few days (saying, "Okay mommy" "please" "thank you" without prompting) Michaela is doing well. Slept 7 hours straight one time a few nights ago. Hope that starts to be the norm soon. I get internet at home in a week. Shang-hi'd Larry's lap top today and found health ins. and car ins. during nap time. Phew! Charlize has had a nasty cold that has been keeping us away from church and friends. Praying this will clear up real soon so I can start to make friendships. It's been a long two weeks of only 5 minutes a day of adult interaction. The guys are on a rotating schedule by now. Larry opens and Mike closes. So he goes in around noon and gets home between 1 and 2am usually. then sleeps till work the next day. It's been a challenge to try to keep the house quiet and our room off limits all morning but I think after he gets rested up we'll be able to have some good family time in the morning. It's going to require some creativity on my part to change my schedule so this time is used best.

So much more to say but I need to be dilligent with the rest of life. Thanks for all who have been checking in. I get internet next Friday and will answer back then.

2 Weeks and on the road again

Well, we made it to our 2 week check ups today. Michaela made it above her birth weight of 8, 1 all the way to 8lbs 10oz and 21inches. Everything else looks good. I'm doing great, no pain, lifting things again and I lost all the baby weight from Michaela and Charlize!!!! Wooohoooo!!! Now I just have all the wedding weight . . . . =) We're so thankful for both of our "little blessings" and the health God has blessed them with.

The house is packed and we get the Uhaul tomorrow. Time to hit the road!

Charlize has been a crack up lately too.

Today:
Mommy: Charlize, look, who's this?
Charlize: Baby Disher
Mommy: Yep, baby sister. What's her name?
Charlize: Two

Our Other "Baby"

http://www.kfbb.com/news/local/69710987.html?video=YHI&t=a

Here's a link to a local news station reporting on our store. One week from today we will be open! It's strange to think that we started talking about Little Caesars as a possibility the day before we found out Michaela was on the way and now their beginnings are only 3 weeks apart. What a year! =)

We are in the thick of packing and cleaning right now and drive/fly out Friday. Please pray for Charlize to cooperate on the plane. My mom does a great job but she can be a handful on planes.

First Sight

This was the first time Charlize saw Michaela. I thought she was saying "Jammies" but aparently she thought her sister was good to eat. "Nummies". =)

This was about 5am on day 2 or 3, I can't remember.

Going Home

Proud Daddy


Cutest in the nursery

It feels so good to hold you Michaela!

Big adoring Sister

Charlize showing "gentle"

Sung as a Bug in a Rug

Charlize "smiling" for Daddy

What a great experience we had at the Prescott hospitol. The staff was really amazing. Unlike our first experience these nurses didn't expect Michaela to be text book. When she didn't feed on a consistent schedule they said, "oh don't worry, it will come. Her numbers are fine, just give her time to rest." They only came in once a night for pills and vitals. This really helped in our recovery. On Wed Michaela went from 5am to 3pm without eating. I was getting really concerned about this as well as mucus problems. We fianlly decided to get her stomach pumped. More commonly necessary with c-section babies. As soon as we did this she realized she was hungry because her stomach wasn't full of mucus and she ate like a champ. Thank you, Lord! She's done well ever since. We were able to leave Thurs morning and had our first dr apt today. 7lbs 5oz and growing. She's quite the sleeper for now and I'm thankful. It's good to be home but I'm needing the reminder to take it slow. Grandma and Daddy are doing a great job with Hurricane Charlie so I can rest a lot. We're just so thankful to be home and healthy. Thank you to all who have prayed us through this season in life. We're grateful.

Happy Birthday Peanut!!

That's right, Charlize is 2 today. What an amazing 2 years it's been. We love our little social butterfly. She doesn't know a stranger and loves everyone she meets. She's become so flexible in being in different places. Her vocab is exploding. She used a 6 word sentence today. She definately gives us a run for our money in training. Doing the same thing over and over after being told, "no". Takes a lot of patience and persistence but we're hopeful that the results of obedience will come. Speaking of training, she cannot get enough of "potty training". Several times after only a minute out of site I've found her with clothes and diaper off climbing onto the toilet. Hmmm, it'd be great if she would chose to do this when she actually needs to go, not right after. =) But glad she's interested. Think we'll start more after the move.

Our best present was getting Daddy home. He got here Sat and Grandma came today! We met some friends at a park to celebrate the big day. It's kinda neat to be able to celebrate our last day with only one daughter. We can't wait for the second one but are so thankful and have enjoyed every day with Charlize. Sunday I was reminded of the importance of talking to and teaching even the little ones. Last week as we drove away from church I pointed up at the lit up cross and told Charlize that symbol was there to remind us of Jesus. This week, after 7 days of not bringing up the topic, like usual as we left the parking lot Charlize called out, "Bye, church, bye toys." and then looked up at the cross, "Bye Jesus". It's amazing what sticks.

37 weeks

Just a few catch up pics. Friends at the womens retreat with Grace Bible, a trip to the prescott zoo with Heidi and Noah where Charlize hit it off with a badger. And our pastors wife recovering from a broken foot. Charlize always hitches a ride when she can.

I'm over 37 weeks now. Up 19 lbs. thought my iron was low because of fatigue and ice craving but turns out it's at a 12 so no problems there. New symptoms are right hand going numb at night, pain around incision and fatigue. Doc says these are all normal and will pass. I have one last apt. and then am scheduled for the 27th. Please be praying for Mike. He got his yearly head stuff which always includes a nasty caugh that lingers. I don't know what the rules are for going into the OR if you are sick. Praying that he will be all better by then. I have a lot going on next week and am thankful for that.

Whoa Nelly!

This is actually our other truck "Midge" but Mike and Charlize have been spending many an hour in the garage working on "Nelly", Mike's truck from highschool. Charlize loves working with Daddy. She hands him tools wether he needs them or not and he gives her stickers. (squares of duct tape)

Last week I came out side and found Mike on his back on the red dolly you can see here under the truck. Charlize had crawled underneath the lifted pick up and was sitting on his stomach playing with a wrench. Ha! She was so at home.

After getting the truck finished and getting a go ahead from Little Caesars, Mike took off for Montana yesterday. It took him 25 1/2 hours which he of course did straight through. He had some bad weather around southern Montana. Snow storm with little visibility but God was good and he made it safely. We were glad to find everything in order in our rental house and no flooding as there have been water issues in the past. We're gonna miss him again but thankful that we are able to get things going. He will be there for 3 weeks.

He will be flying home on the 25th, we celebrate Charlize's b-day on the 26th and then Vernadine is scheduled for the 27th. It's gonna be a busy week! =) We can't wait.

But He Gives a Greater Grace

In catching up with friends lately I've been burdened that I not just update details but that I pass on the bigger picture of God's hand working in and through us to glorify His name. Since December of last year we've lived in 5 temporary places not counting hotels. All the while living out of a suitcase with no permanent employment going on 8 months now. We've had a pregnancy that we couldn't find health insurance for until I was 4 months along. We've had unexpected bills, 3 months of living in different states than each other which meant loneliness for Mike and the struggles of single parenting for me. And yet in everything God's grace has abounded. We've never missed a meal, always had a roof over our heads, been able to pay every bill as it came and more importantly our hearts and souls have been blessed by a God who knows and cares not only for us but for His own glory and using our lives to bring it about.

Most of this is regurgitation from recent sermons God has placed us in front of.
What is God's grace? The children of Israel have just been saved out of Egypt and have nothing to eat in the wilderness. Exodus 16: 4,5 "Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. It will come about on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." God commanded the Israelites to only gather what they needed for THAT day except for the Sabbath. Following this showed faith on the people's part. Faith that they believed the next day the manna would again appear to provide for their needs. On the 6th day a double portion was to be taken as there would be none provided on the Sabbath. Now vs 29, "See, the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day." So the people rested on the seventh day. Although the restrictions of the Sabbath are not the same today for the church the concept remains. God is the giver of all things in our lives. He gives the grace that we need for that day and that day only. If He gives us a situation where we need more; then more will be given. God gave the sabbath with it's restrictions; He provided two days of food.

This went on for 40 years. That's a long time! Why? Deut 8:2,3 "You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."

The Israelites were not left in the wilderness because God dropped the ball or didn't have a plan. Part was punishment, part was to test their hearts and then to teach them that their sustenance does not come from bread (Ex 16:3 what the people were accustomed to in Egypt and complained that they no longer had) but from God's mouth. He speaks and their needs are met. ie: I was accustomed to a paycheck every other week. That was what provided for my needs. I'm learning that God is not bound by direct deposit in providing for us.

I also think it's interesting that God took them into the wilderness to teach this lesson. Wilderness: associated with drought, no distractions, no comfort zones. Hosea talks of this too in the redemption of the harlot wife. Hosea 2:14,15. "Therefore (because she followed her lovers and forgot God) behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her. Then I will give her her vineyards from there . . . " God takes this "woman" out of the land flowing with milk and honey and from the wilderness gives her vineyards. Why? Because only God could provide a vineyard in those conditions. A vineyard in the Promised Land doesn't scream His glory.

II Cor 12:9,10, "And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may richly dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, the I am strong."

God's grace is sufficient, not over abundant; sufficient. He provides what we need just for the moment or the day. That's why we are commanded not to borrow tomorrow's worries because that grace has not been given yet. That's tomorrow's manna. See Piper for more on that one. We had a job this year that we thought would provide 3 to 4 months of savings. I think the words actually came out of our mouths, "This will be a good buffer in case we don't get more manna, I mean work." After some unexpected bills it ended up that we broke even with no savings. But God provided every penny for every bill. How arrogant our feeble hearts to trust only in the security of a savings account rather than for God to take care of tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, those aren't bad. Our problem was where the trust was placed. "For Christ's sake". This is the benefit in these times. Sulking and worrying doesn't change the circumstance it simply robs us of a chance to be well content and God from receiving glory that is due Him.

James 4:1-10 The idea that we can be adulteresses toward God when we lust after the world and it's friendship rather than submitting to Him. vs 6 He gives grace to the humble. vs 8 He draws near to those to draw near to Him. What a comfort.

I Tim 6:6-12 how much more is gained in our walks when it is accompanied by contentment. (which by the way is a choice, not a feeling). vs 10 notice, having money not an issue. Loving it; longing for it is the issue. Where is your hope lying? In chariots or in the Lord our God.

Can I encourage you today? How is God revealing His glory in your life? Are you sharing it with others so they see His name displayed? Or is it stopping with you?