Florida: A Sad Goodbye

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.


It wasn't in my plans to be saying goodbye right now. There is such a tension between leaving and going. We are leaving behind many friends, families, and future plans and going back to family and friends - yes, but not in the way that we would like to go back to them, and no grasp on future plans.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
 
The only grasp I have is in holding tight to seeking the Lord - that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3).
 
I know that many of you care for my family, and desire to show that you care by calling or emailing or offering to help - and for that care I am so thankful. Please understand that I cannot email everyone back or share freely what is on my heart. I would prefer also to talk to each and everyone in person. So please keep that in mind if you feel led to contact me - and please do, but I may not share over the phone or email. 
 
Thank you all for your continued prayers and may we all be blessed by the peace of God.

"Growing Beautifully"

That's what the doctor said yesterday about 3 times referring to Graham. It's a wonderful thing to have healthy children, and may I never take that fact for granted. I bless the LORD everyday for the gifts they are.
Here are Graham's stats from his 18 month physical.
He passed all of the tests for development and ranks "Actually quite high" on all counts. He's a driven little guy. He gets it done.
He was 30.2lbs putting him in the 92% for weight and 33inches in the 82% for height.
He's running, jumping, coloring, signing and talking, climbing, shooting baskets, singing, doing puzzles, and generally copying JoeAnna's every move.

He's my happy little man. I love you Graham.

New

This week been full of new, and I owe it all to Rob. Garbage disposal, toilets, bathroom light/fan, bed and sheets! Thank you thank you thank you!

Celebration: Birthdays: Shrimp

Started with Starbucks

Town of Celebration!

JoeAnna found a life-size stuffed dog to love.

I found a little girl to love :)

Endless Shrimp at Red Lobster for Aug/Sept Birthdays!

My favorite trio

The Beginning

The End (Rob & I ate a combined 131 shrimp!)

Team Thompson!

Dessert and a nap!

Sad beginning

Graham's eye and Rob's desk had a run in. I was just about to blog about our plans for today when it happened! Now I'm hoping it's all up from here! Stay tuned :)
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Climber boy!

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Graham wants to graduate!

Graham climbed up into a big chair, sat down, and said "please" (actually he signed it, but you know what I mean). So I gave him and Joe food to share together at the table. He's getting so big!
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Necklace Activity

Lady Bug Necklace JoeAnna strung by herself! Thank you grandma and papa Hemmes!

Grocery assistants :)

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Thanks again for the digital frame!

We are missing family today! The kids camped out at the digital frame for a long time "talking to their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents." We love you guys!!!
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Another trip to Downtown Disney!

August 27th - Family Trip to Downtown Disney (it had been a while, we really enjoyed ourselves. Here are a few pictures!)

Rob and the kids by the awesome dinosaurs of T-REX!

We all enjoyed treats from the candy store! (JoeAnna's lollipop didn't even lose any color, she was sick of it in less than 5 minutes...she's just not that into sweets I guess!)

Graham's first carousel ride!!!

JoeAnna named her horse "Alpha" :) and Graham's "Beta"

Looks like Graham is a pick-pocketer already!!

Woody here is completely made out of Legos - At Lego World!

It didn't matter that this dog was made out of Legos - JoeAnna loved him and named him "Alpha" and would've taken him home in a second!

Testing out my Phone's abilites

His shirt has a picture of a ferocious shark and says "always hungry" - that's right!

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Testing out the new mobile-to-blog technology. Warning: this is only a test. Beep.

Musical Graham

Singing Twinkle, Twinkle

Easy Bake Oven

Thanks to Julie Messer for giving us their Easy Bake Oven! Here is JoeAnna's first cookie: made by, frosted by, and sprinkled by JoeAnna - and eaten by her of course! :)

My Baby Girl is 3 years old today!

Right about now, three years ago, Rob and I were getting drinks and snacks at the 7-11 in Zeeland because we knew they wouldn't feed me once we were settled in our hospital room. To back up though, my water broke around 6:30am but we were not prepared at all! I was only 36 weeks and 5 days along. Her room wasn't assembled or painted...but we were beaming and so excited to meet our baby girl. She was born after 3pm and was 5lb 11oz and 17in. They put her in my arms and Rob put out his hand to touch her and she immediately grabbed his finger and wouldn't let go! We have a picture of it; it was an awesome moment for all of us. We named her JoeAnna Mae Thompson. Once while looking for names, I found that JoeAnna means "God is Forgiving" and we both thought that was a beautiful name and reminder of God's unfailing love. Also Joe Ann Shelton was an important mentor in my life! So we decided to spell her name Joe in her honor. "Mae" is my middle name, my aunt's middle name, and my maternal grandmother's name! Her name carries much significance to us.

Dear JoeAnna,

I am so privileged to be your mother. I am thankful everyday for who God made you to be. You are so unique; God has truly gifted you in special ways. Please trust me when I tell you that I want what is best for you. I promise to train you in godliness. I promise to pray for you everyday. I promise to be with you throughout your whole life - come what may, good or bad, I commit to learning from our God who is unfailing in His love.

As we celebrate your life today, I want you to know that we are celebrating God's gift and provision for us. Look to Jesus, JoeAnna, trust in Him and you will be saved.

I love you Joe-babe.

Mommy

The final night!

Tomorrow Rob and the team from Costa Rica fly home! I can't wait. Hopefully you all understand that I didn't post yesterday because I am still so sick. Boo.

I did get to place a good size book order yesterday though!! You'll have to check out my Book Blog and see what I got! A little fiction, parenting, and homeschooling - I'm super excited.

Well really we haven't been having too much fun around here without Rob and being sick and all, but it hasn't been bad at all either. Sorry I didn't post any pictures from the week on here. Some are on Facebook of our trip to the Kennedy Space Center.

What have you done this week?

Day 5: Feeling Under the Weather

As I was heading to bed last night, I couldn't get rid of my dry scratchy throat. I thought I was just super thirsty. Nope, just getting sick. Joe woke me up at 5:40am and she couldn't go back to sleep. Finally after 6am she said she really had to go to the bathroom. Come to find out she couldn't sleep because she was holding it. I felt bad making her lay down with a full blatter. So in spite of our tired start we managed to still have a good day - other than my increasingly achy throat. The kids and I took things slow today and they are already in bed, not sleeping yet, but at least in bed. :)

I'm going to turn in early myself. Have a great night everyone. Stay safe Rob. Miss you.

Prayer for Baby Kaleb

Dearest Father in Heaven,

We know that we can trust in Your unfailing love. We believe that was has and what will happen is for all our good because we trust in You. We pray now for little Kaleb as he undergoes surgery. We beg you on his behalf to be with the surgeons and the hospital staff. Please comfort Kaleb, his mommy and daddy, his grandma and grandpa, and his whole family. We look expectantly to You as our only true source of hope.

We pray with the Psalmist that you will be near to Kaleb and his family now and forever. Thank you for being a good God.

Psalm 34

NLT

1 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.

2 I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.

3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.

4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.

7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.

10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord.

12 Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous?

13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!

14 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

15 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.

16 But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth.

17 The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.

18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

19 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

20 For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!

21 Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

22 But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Day 4: Good things

Free theater day! It was a fun experience again - and this time we met up with friends! Afterwards we grabbed $1 scoops at Ben & Jerry's and then went home for lunch, naps, and down time.

Tonight when I put the kids to bed I tried a new thing - Twila Paris' lullabies for the kids to listen to as they fall asleep. (Thanks both to Jill for the awesome CD!!! And Mom and Dad Thompson for the suggestion - I think it really helped Joe.) We'll see how well it fits into our routine from now on, but I could tell it changed the atmosphere in their room right away - calm and reverent.


I appreciate all of you who are following our week and praying for us while Rob is in Costa Rica. I haven't heard much from him these past 2 days, but I know he and the team leave tomorrow for a remote island and we won't be able to talk until maybe Friday (?). I pray that as a team they are having wonderful personal and corporate communion with our awesome Saviour!!! I pray they will each come home looking more like Jesus!

Free Family Fun Camp

Our Plan for Saturday - Come and Join us!!

Day 3

What a great day. Although it started rough; Graham fell and busted his lip open. 2 big bloody holes from teeth going through... He's all swollen and bruised, and I'm trying to get used to his 3rd fall in one week - raising a boy is definitely different.

But after that drama, we went with Rasha to the Kennedy Space Center! They just launched the last shuttle from there not too long ago - Rob watched it from our driveway. We had a great time, watched an educational 3D film about the Moon, and explored. Very cool.

Then we came home, changed, ate a early dinner and went to the gym! My last free personal training season... I hope I can remember it all!!

Kids went to bed on time and without any usual fuss, and I got to Skype with Mom and Dad Thompson! But now it's time for me to retire, so "until tomorrow."

{We'll eat toast and talk about what you like to do "everyday" when you get home, Rob. Miss you. I hope to post a new video or picture soon!}

Day 2: Church and all

Sundays are big days for our family - up at the crack of dawn, and down well after dusk. Most of the time we get 3 square meals in between and then sometimes we eat things that I don't think count as food... today wasn't much different except for the food (thank you Rasha for lunch!). Even though Rob is away, the kids and I still marched on. They are doing well.

Tomorrow is another big day: we're visiting the Kennedy Space Center! I hope all of these mini adventures will help the kids gear up for the 22+ hours in the car one-way to Michigan!

Just the three of us: Day 1

So far so good. Really, it just hasn't sank in yet. It's like having a "working weekend" and we're pretty used to that. We had a nice birthday party to go to today and that was a lot of fun for the kids and me too! We came home, they got cleaned up, we all took a nap, and stayed in for the rest of the night! And I'm super glad we did because I'm beat.

I've started thinking about routes to take to travel back to MI in 13 days! I also want to finish 2 books while Rob is away. I'm about half way through each. And let's see: clean the house, start acquiring supplies for the trip to MI, go to the gym M-F, go to the theater & library, hang out with friends, and did I mention clean? Hmm... I might need to sit down and plan this out - I don't want to be so busy that I lose focus.

I'll keep you posted. Please be praying for us here and Rob there. We are so thankful for you!

Not losing a Man/Husband/Father/Friend but rather gaining a Missionary

So Rob leaves in the morning, and I have to say that I've only had small moments of panic. Let's face it, I need him. He's not an option to my life - he and I are one! But instead of focusing on all that I am (and Joe & Graham) losing, I'm choosing to put my energy into supporting this awesome ministry opportunity! True, I may not be able to talk to him at all, or Skype, or email, or text, etc... but I will constantly be connected to him through the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer. We serve such an awesome God who comforts us and never leaves us.
Let this be my reminder for the week, like many of you have told me already - "I can make it," but even more than that - I want Rob to come home to his greatest encouragers who never lost sight of the bigger picture, who prayed him through situations unknown, and who are ever more grateful to God for his presence in our lives.

Rob - I am so proud that you are setting out on this adventure - now go serve the LORD!

We made "Summer Jars"

I like scheduling/managing my time. If I could I would do the same things over and over. That's right. As much as I believed growing up that I was this wild child of my generation, I'm really not. I love creativity and expression, art and literature, growth and open-mindedness, but I like all of that to be in an organized nice little box. With a bow. :)
So for me and the kids, I have to adapt my schedule regularly. We have weekly and monthly plans that we try to be consistent with, like going to the library every week for preschool reading group. We rarely miss, but when we do it's difficult to replace it. Like I said, I'm creative but not spontaneous.
Then I found this gem to solve that "spontaneous" problem: The Summer Jar.
Better Way Mom's

But I'm also copying Jodi, because while I was breezing through my "home" on fb, I came across a great photo of cupcakes which read "Free Take One" which I later learned was an item in @JodiMichelle's Summer Jar!

Check it out! Make one for your family! Just be creative and then do what the jar says...

A lot more now

You should be seeing a lot more on the blog now - at least that's the plan! Thank you Rob!!!

The other side of town

Many of you may already know, but we've moved to the other side of town. We're on-campus at the Church! What a huge change it has been. We have had our share of new situations already and I'm sure we haven't seen it all yet. It's such a great oppurtunity and money saver, not to mention Rob no longer has a commute - so we are praising the Lord for blessing us yet again. He is so faithful! The kids just love our church and being right here has already stolen their hearts.
Thank you to those of you who've known we were transitioning for your prayers and support - we so appreciate your encouragement.
Our new mailing address is:
PO Box 450594
Kissimmee, FL 34745

Closure

(Prayer Cards found at the hospital, clicking on the image will enlarge it)

"Your presence is all the comfort and courage I need."

My parents were here last week for a visit and boy was it good to see them! This was the first time my dad has been back to Florida since his brain surgery. Back in July 2009, when we moved to Florida my parents helped us as we made the journey and shortly after arriving here my dad was rushed by ambulance to the Florida Hospital Celebration and was later transferred to the Orlando campus to be treated for a complex brain aneurysm (3 of them actually). He recovered remarkably well and quickly from major brain surgery - the incision went from ear to ear over his head. My brother and his wife drove down here to bring him and my mom home after just about a month in the hospital. After sending them back to Michigan, I struggled quietly with questions about my dad's health and regret for not being with him more (even though I saw him every day he was here).
So while they were here we made a trip to the place where he stayed for such an important time in all of our lives. The Florida Hospital Orlando, where we all (extended family included) grew in our faith and trust in Jehovah-rophe! Our God heals! It was emotional for all of us. The trip gave me that piece of the puzzle that had been missing for the past year - closure. There I was walking shoulder to shoulder with my daddy and he wasn't weak, wounded, or bandaged up. He is strong, powerful, wise, and healed. I'll never forget the hours spent there: praying, crying, laughing, playing Uno, reading the Bible, and just holding hands. Those memories now are sweet with the bitter removed since going back with him.
During that time it was providential that I was already reading through a book by Elizabeth Elliot titled "The Lord is My Shepherd" taken from Psalm 23. In the hospital they have a hallway (close to the surgical waiting room) of a shepherd and his sheep picturing the compassionate care the shepherd gives. It's such a beautiful place. I learned so much about trust and faith during that season and I'll forever be grateful for that time.

I love you, Dad.

And the sun still shines...

Most of you know that we've had an unusually sick year so far. I can't even begin to list everything that we've had to overcome, and sometimes that can really erode my spirit. This past month I've been preparing to clean out our rental house, get rid of unnecessary items, and just plain organize our life and I've had no lack of motivation.
Then I got the stomach flu along with Joe and then Graham and finally Rob too. It was so devastating. I just loathe how weak I feel with that particular sickness.
There is still so much to do and right when I thought I was going to be a wash for motivation because of recovering from sickness - I saw the light. Literally, I opened the blinds today, looked outside, and praised the Lord for the SUN! It truly is a physical source of energy! Thank you God, You are so good!

Still in boots

On her way to the pool, in boots... I'm loving it!

New Boots and Nebulizers

Yesterday we were at the mall with Nate, Joy, & William and found these cool boots on sale at a favorite store of mine (and they were cheaper than Target!) so I bought a pair for Joe...

...she hasn't stopped wearing them...

While walking her pal Louie...

While playing in the house...

And even first thing this morning while still in PJs!

Now for the nebulizer... I went to the allergist today! Hurray! They did the "blow out the candles" test on me, and I failed. So they hooked me up to a nebulizer - oh sweet loving! It was amazing how well I could breathe afterward! And then they had me do the breath test again to and I did much better (I went from 53% to 92% - I don't know exactly what that means, I just know I can think now without it hurting!)

Basically I told the doctor we just moved to this area and they smiled and nodded, as if to say, "We're so sorry, but that's normal down here."

3 prescriptions, 2 samples, and a inquiry for a nebulizer later and I'm hopeful that I won't be so light headed, breathless, and ill anymore!

Graham playing with Dad and Joe

I love how he communicates with us now! He asked Rob to play this game by doing his pointer finger and saying "baba" - so fun!

Proud to be from MI

Today I felt like showing a little MI pride while doing our errands. And it just so happened that I was stopped by a Target employee... actually she listened in on my correction of JoeAnna ("you need to listen to mommy because I want to protect you and keep you safe, if you choose to obey and listen to my voice - you will be able to choose a treat in the check-out line, if you choose to disobey and you do not listen to my voice - you will forfeit your reward and you will not get a treat in the check-out line"). She followed us a ways and then asked if we were really from MI and where; she was from MI too! She encouraged me as a mom saying it was so nice to hear a mom talking to her child that way - that we reminded her of MI just by our example.

Way to go Michiganders! We miss you!

Graham being silly...

Okay so I started to put lotion on Graham today, and he looked so surprised by it - which is when I realized that the poor child barely ever gets lotion on his skin. JoeAnna got "lotioned up" every day! Poor Graham, at least I think maybe he doesn't mind.

Also, I wanted to post this picture for 2 reasons. #1 Can someone tell me, is the faux hawk "so ten minutes ago" or can he still pull it off? And #2, yes he wears clothes everyday! I know the last 3-4 posts have shown him in only a diaper! Ahh!!

Btw, he's crawling...

Graham has been crawling for the past 3 weeks and I forgot to announce it! So sorry. He's been trying to be mobile for so long that I was sure he'd walk instead of learning to crawl, but he gave in and started crawling. You'll see in the video, those of you who remember how JoeAnna crawled, he crawls just like her! They must be related :)

Opening Easter Treats and Birthday Presents