Far Above Rubies

Growing up I don't remember hearing an awful lot about allergies.  I assumed it meant someone sneezed alot when ragweed was in season.  I never understood why it was such a big deal.  That is, until Abigail, our second born, completely changed my opinion. We did what every parent does when they are first giving foods to an infant.  We introduced things one at a time, waited several days to see if it bothered their systems, and then introduced a new food a few days later.  Isabella, our first born, was a champ!  She ate everything (and I mean everything) with no issue, until constipation became a problem.  Bella would go days and days pushing with all her might to "go" without success.  As she got older, she started to refuse milk.  That's when it became apparent.  Bella had a dairy sensitivity.  Once we figured out the problem, and switched her to nondairy milk and foods, her constipation was no longer an issue. After our ex...

Yesterday, while waiting for the bus, Isabella and I were talking about what music the bus driver lets them listen to.  She often comes home singing the most recent pop songs complete with dance moves. This is the conversation my 6 year old and I had on our front porch as I sipped on my no-longer-hot coffee. "Mom, do you know Shake of Off by Taylor Swift?"   Of course I know it, I'm pretty sure everyone does.   She continued...  "You know that part where it says 'and to the fella over there with the hella good hair'?  Well, I just say "good hair" because hella is a bad word, I don't want to say bad words."  We began to talk more about hell and that it isn't so much a bad word, but that it is a real place.  A place that we should not joke about.  A place that's terrifying where Satan reigns.   And then, she surprised me again. "Satan used to be an angel and live in heaven with God, until he wanted to ...

We are three weeks away from our Disney 2015 vacation, and our house is buzzing with excitement.  It truly is one of the most magical places on earth.  Even my husband, who was once a skeptic, agrees that it's a one-of-a-kind experience! As everyone knows, Disney is expensive.  Truthfully, the cheapest thing is the hotel costs.  The food, park passes, entertainment and souvenir prices are what make it unaffordable.  So, we wanted to share some of our money saving tricks. First, find yourself a great Disney travel agent.  They are no additional cost to you, yet can save you money and a whole lot of headaches.  If you don't know one, we'll send you the contact information for Rachel, our sweet friend and travel agent. Second, decide the best time of year to travel with your family.  We always look at the crowd levels and price projections to plan our vacation around when the parks are cheapest and not as busy.  That usually me...

It's no secret that autumn is my favorite season.  There is something uniquely beautiful about fall.  I love the splashes of color, the cool breeze, and the sound of little critters preparing their homes for winter.  I love watching my children get bundled up in warm clothes to chase the falling leaves. I love turning on our living room fireplace and cuddling up with my husband under a blanket.  And, of course, I love all things apple, especially when it means I have help from my favorite little chefs. I love picking pumpkins and giving them silly faces. I love frosting cookies, playing in leaves, painting, decorating our front door, and making many other fun harvest crafts. I love our Friday Family Fun Nights where we play games, make homemade pizza and watch funny movies in the warmth of our home. I love that autumn means our anniversary (married 11 years this November) is right around the corner! ...

This December will mark four years since that dreaded diagnosis. That horrible "c" word.  The one that our world has come to recognize as destructive and deadly.  It is a word we cannot use openly in our home because it brings Bella horrible anxiety and puts our stomach in knots. It was December 16, 2011 when Dave first noticed an abnormality.  The foreshock...  On December 22, 2011, after rounds of testing and ultrasounds, and just three days before Abbi's first Christmas, we got the ground shattering news that he in fact had testicular cancer.  The quake... As the reality of  Dave's diagnosis hit us, so did the fact that our world had changed.  Many unknowns loomed  above, but one thing became very clear.  More biological children were not part of our future.  The aftershock... Sometimes it feels like I'm watching from the outside. Sometimes it feels like I'm breathing, but am I alive? I won't keep searching for ...

In the eyes of this "little" girl there are few who measure up to my dad.  He has spent my entire life serving in ministry.  First as a missionary and then as a pastor.  He is devoted to touching the lives of the people around him and to being the most godly man he can be.  However, caring for our family has always been his first priority. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21 Dad taught us through his actions what it means for a husband to be the head of the home and how a wife is to be treated. Husbands, love your wives,  just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.   He who loves his wife loves himself. Ephesians 5:25, 28 He was always gentle with Becky, Alisha and me and there is no denying his love for each one of us. Fathers, do not exasperate your children;  instead, bring them up in the training and instruction o...

From the time I was a little girl I knew two things. 1. I wanted to get married. 2. I wanted to be a mom. When I met Dave in high school I knew that we were on our way to making dream number 1 come true.  In November of 2004 it became a reality as we said "I do" and officially began our life together. While I would have loved to have had a baby immediately, we decided to wait a few years.  Dave had just finished college at RIT and I was in my senior year at Roberts Wesleyan.  We needed to have an opportunity to establish ourselves before starting a family. At the beginning of 2008 we began actively trying to get pregnant.  Month after month went by without success.  I was starting to get discouraged and we began to investigate fertility help.  It was a few weeks before that first doctors appointment to discuss our options that we found out we were having a baby!  You can imagine our delight! We decided to be "surprised" and never fou...