Taking Ownership of the Home

We will be signing the closing papers on Monday, March 19th at around 3:00 pm. They will then hand us the keys and we will not be returning to the hotel. We can hardly wait. The ABF trailer will be arriving on Thursday so I did some preplanning on staying in the home without beds, etc... I bought a featherbed and a good, air mattress for $50 a few weeks ago for Matthew and I to sleep on for a few days. The kids can sleep on the floor as the downstairs is carpeted on a nice, thick pad underneath. I bought some comforters and blankets at the Goodwill as well and a couple of towels for showers. We can live a few days without furniture, etc... We will just be so happy to be in our home and then to have a little time to plan where to put things. Once we get settled, I will post some pictures of the home and area. And I did find my camera that I thought I had lost in Arizona, so I'll be posting many more pictures of our travels here, later. Then it will be back to the twins since that is really all we think and talk about all day. : ) My next appointment will be April 9th, just a day before I turn 42. Since I'll be 18 weeks then, I guess we will find out the gender of our twins. They are still growing as I can feel them up to my naval now. Maybe next week I will start feeling their little kicks. Anyways, back to the house... we will be in on Monday. I'm sure it will feel like a mansion compared to the adjoining rooms here at the motel. I can't wait to take a nice bath and cook our first meal in the home. We are picking up a $25 table that comes with 4 chairs tomorrow for the children to eat on for a few days. These little expenses are still so much cheaper than paying for 2 rooms a night. Our journey is almost over. We are so glad to be out of Washington State. It is so much better here in so many ways that are important to us. Thank You Lord.

We are Having Identical Twins!!

We found out Friday morning that we are having twins. We are feeling Gods' showers of blessings right now. We are so grateful and excited, but not too surprised either. The Lord has been preparing us for this for a few years. Let me go back; First, God has placed a desire for twins in our hearts several years ago. Each pregnancy I would have a growing desire to have twins. A couple of years ago I finally prayed for twins and recently prayed fervently for twins again. My husband has prayed for twins as well. Second, He has prepared us for twins. He has put on my heart for a couple of years how to handle twins.... little things such as having them on the same schedule with regards to eating, sleeping, changing and more. It will be a bit regulated but that's how it's been with the more recent children and it has worked very well for us and them.

My first signs of having twins... At only 8 weeks pregnant I was having a few ligament pains. These don't usually come upon me until 15+ weeks. There have been occasions where I would get such a ravenous desire for food that it was nearly unbearable. Many times we were on the road and I would just have to bear it out. Recently I thought I could feel the top of my uterus nearing closer and closer to my naval (where I would measure closer to 18 weeks). I felt the Lord telling me to wait 2 more weeks and then check again at 13 weeks. This I did and went crying to my husband in fear and joy that I really thought we were going to have twins.

To add another dimension to this story.... we were seriously considering buying a cow that is ready to calf in May from the people we are buying the home with. What better situation could we have with the cow already there familiar with it's home, it has birthed before and was known to be very gentle. We were going to meet with Nicole at the home on Friday at 10:30 to see if this cow could be handled for milking in a few months. Well, on Thursday I found that things were looking pretty possible towards having twins so I made an appointment for an ultrasound instead. We knew that if I was pregnant with twins, we would not be having the time for a milker cow. : ) So, no cow - just the twins.

I took the girls with me to the ultrasound appointment and saw the two babies right away. I asked excitedly, "Are there two in there"? "Are there two in there?" They would not answer right away but when they did and shared that there were two, I started weeping with joy... a little too long for their liking I think. : ) It was such a beautiful feeling I had of motherly protection seeing two babies in there. There is more value of life in there with two.

I found that they share the same placenta and this is why they are identical. But, this also poses some pretty high risks as well such as developing "Twin to Twin Transfusion", where their blood crosses to each other through a place in the placenta or vessels. This could cause death to either or both of them and quickly. They will be doing ultrasounds on the little ones every 2 weeks after week 24 to ensure that this is not happening and to take measures if necessary if it is. Also because they share the same placenta, one could get most of the nutrients and blood to the point of having too high of blood pressure and too much weight and the other too little weight with possibilities of heart developmental problems, etc.... Yes, this all sounds terrible but we are not going to concern ourselves with this too much for now. It is all in God's hands and only He can bring forth both of them or one of them if He chooses. We will take it day by day and week by week. We are so grateful for this blessing, every time I go to the store I have a big smile and feel like I am carrying such a wonderful secret that I can't wait to tell. We thank You Lord and ask You to keep Your protective and loving hand upon these children in the womb whom You have created. May You bring them forth and make them prosperous in You Lord that all can see that You are upon them. Let them suffer for good and not partake of the worldly pleasures of sin for a season (Heb 11:25). Let their lives be for others as Yours was Oh Lord. We thank Thee Lord God Almighty for what You have done and what You will do. Amen