Life at 90 mph

I'm still alive

2009-05-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Hi
Sorry the blog has become a somewhat stale. Life has definelty been going at 90 mph but it's been wonderful. Since the last blog I have been to Africa and become a foster mom to a sweet baby girl. Baby Dy came into our lives when she was 3 days old at a tiny 5lbs 6 oz. She is a point of joy and exhaustion all wrapped up in one cute little bundle.
Going to Africa was amazing. I'll post pictures soon. I was hoping the Father would instantly deliever me of my fear of flying but alas He did not, but He did go with me and kept me from totally losing it and making a fool of myself. Our time there was life changing and I would go back in a heart beat. The Missionaries Kelly and Cathy Johnson are precious people and are doing a wonderful job with the pastors there.
Tim and Nathan just left to go camping for 2 days and I am so happy they could go. Nathan was so excited to hang out with his dad.
Tim has been at District Council since Monday and I was missing him fiercly. Texting back and forth only goes so far. He wasn't suppose to get home until midnight last night but he surprised me and was home when we got home from church. I was soooo happy to see him. He was so sweet and had put beautiful long stem roses all over the house for me to find. Now that's a good man! There was also a tenderly written card and my favorite candy bar. Yes, it was gooood to have him home!!!
ANYWHOO, now I am trying to focus in and get ready for Sunday morning's service for Mother's Day. Studying God's Word is very very sweet though I have to do it between diaper changes and every 3 hour feedings and homework, laundry, supper, etc.. it's always sweet every time I open it's pages.
Life in the Suddreth home is crazy, a little topsy turvy right now, and way noisy, but I wouldn't trade places with anyone in the world.

Celebrating Gotcha Day!

2009-01-30T05:51:00.000-08:00

Here we are with Vaughn and Cindy and Amelia, celebrating the one year anniversary of Gotcha Day for their family. I discovered when we went to China to bring home Baby Amelia, that the families call the day they get their little one Gotcha Day and it is forever a very special day for them.
We went with the Reed family to a Chinese Resturant in Tampa to commemorate this wonderful day. It was the first time I've eaten Chinese since returning from China.
It is so beautiful to see how Amelia has blended into their family as though she has always been with them. She loves her mamma and baba(daddy) and she is too cute when she says Tim Tebow and does the gator chomp. I'll never forget the evening we went up to the room where we first met Amelia and how scared she was. I'll always remember Cindy holding her and with tears running down her face telling Amelia over and over how much she loved her, how much her daddy loved her and that Jesus loved her. She is a very blessed little girl.
I'm so thankful that I have a gotcha day too. The day when as a very little girl, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and He "got me" for Himself and has held me all these many years. I love that I can crawl into my Abba Father's arms and feel safe there just as Amelia does in Vaughn's arms. I remember Cindy telling Amelia over and over that she was safe now and that she would never be alone again. I feel the Father say that to me on a daily basis as well. " Janet, your safe, I'll never leave you alone".

Thank you Father for my "gotcha day" and that my life has never been the same.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2009-01-27T14:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Suddreth clan,
thanks for making us a family!
love
mom

I married my best friend.

2009-01-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Christian, Lydia, Nathan, and Abbey,

Since this blog is really for you guys to have a journal of our everyday lives, I wanted to publish one very important fact about your dad and I. We are each others best friends. Your dad is the one person I love being with more than any other in the whole world. I have amazing friends and I'll write about them someday, some of them I couldn't imagine not having in my life, but your dad is my life!! I don't mean anything unscriptural about that.Of course Christ is the center of my world, but He is for your dad too so it all complements each other. We live for Christ and for each other.

Your dad and I are not perfect. Sometimes my heart hurts for how imperfect I know we are. We both so long to be more like Christ for you guys. For our lives to lead you to Him would be our highest achievement. We lose our temper and we do grow weary in well doing sometimes. I know you have to see us in front of the church and yet you also saw us at breakfast before church and sometimes those two might not match up perfectly, but know we are trying everyday to be more like Christ.

ANYwho, back to our friendship. Your dad makes me laugh more than anyone else ever could and he makes my heart smile all day long. Yes, we have our tiffs, some are even messy, but just know this, we always come back, apologize to each other and then well, we'll tell you that part when you're a little bit older.

We love to gross you guys out by smoochin in the kitchen . You always tell us to "get a room" but we can't because you guys always come in there too!!

You fuss sometimes when we sneak away for a date or maybe even a weekend get a way, but we do that as much for you and for ourselves. We will do whatever we can to stay best friends and yes sometimes that means RUNNING AWAY FROM ALL OF YOU !!

One day when you are asking God if this is the someone He has for you, make sure that special someone is the person you enjoy being with more than anyother. The one you know your secrets are safe with. The one you can't wait to get home to. The one that protects your heart and your dreams. Make sure they're your best friend.

What I Live For

2009-01-24T19:02:00.001-08:00

Yep, these are the reasons I live for. Some would say, No, you live to please God, and you'd be exactly right. But I am pleasing Him by loving and caring for them. Do I do it perfectly, good grief No, just ask them, but I do it the best I know how, and with the Father's help, I'll live each day to do it better.

Today was a great day, we didn't go to Disney today, but I did get to go to Lowry Park Zoo with Lydia, Nathan, and Abbey. It was a gorgeous day with the most perfect weather you could ask for. We started the day off with Nathan's basketball game and his team won! Yeah! then we headed for the zoo. We spent the day with Vaughn, Cindy, and Amelia Reed, which was wonderful. I hope to post pictures of today once I can get my camera to cooperate with my computer.

Somedays this reason for living doesn't seem to be enough. I wonder if I should be doing something great to change the world, feeding the hungery,making disciples all across the land, living in a hut somewhere remote. but everytime my mind begins to wonder if what I'm living for matters, Jesus so sweetly shows me four little disciples that I am helping to shape and I realize then, I AM a world changer.

Everyone's home

2009-01-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

It's 11:10pm and now I can relax because everyone's home. We went in all different directions tonight. Tim had a school board committment, Abbey and Lydia went with P. Shelly and family to the movies, Christian went to hang out with the Finley's to get them started on their new game system and Nathan and I got to go to a birthday party for one of his friends from church.
It's nice to have social engagements that broaden your relationship horizons and we are a very social family. But, there is such a peace when everyone is back home together, teeth are brushed, prayers are said, waters for bedtime are made and we settled down for the night, as a family, as it should be.
For this I am thankful.

Goodnight John Boy!

I can't believe I'm doing this

2009-01-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

Well, here goes my attempt at personal blogging. I am not doing this necessarily for public consumption , though I'm ok if you read it. But my real inspiration comes for my sister in law Kristy's blog and the record of her life it made for her kids. I've always wanted to keep personal journals for each of my kids for their future, but was always overwhelmed at the thought of keeping up with them, especially now that's there is four of them. This way, they can have an account of our lives as a family with it's highs, lows, laughter and tears and I only write it one time. Yeah Me!
So in view of future posterity I will tell you that the highlight of my day was my pretty toes. No seriously I did something today I haven't had done in 5 years. I got a pedicure and I love my pretty toes. It wasn't' just any pedicure, it was a massage with coffee grounds and butter cream and all kinds of wonderful smelling scrubby things. Some dear friends gave it to me for my birthday and now I'm spoiled for life. I don't think Tim will mind, he liked the way it made my legs feel. hee hee
Seriously, the deeper meaning of my pretty toes is this. I LOVED BEING SPOILED. I just don't allow myself these kind of priveleges and boy have I been missing out. I'm always grocery shopping or cleaning or paying bills on my day off, but I think now, every once in a great moon(alabama for not too often), I'm going to take myself and get my toes all pretty and come home a happier more confident momma. I think my family will be glad I did.