Clearing Dust

I wasn't planning on blogging but "new post" button looked tempting.

To God be the glory great things HE has done. Looking back at my life on this blog; what a life time ago it seems.

We have three little princesses now and one little prince. I am overflowing with thankfulness I get to stay home and teach and love these little babies and young children. Some days it's extraordinarily hard. Some days it's purely amazing.

I have a few more gray hairs now. I hope that means I'm getting wiser.

Little Lydia and Miss Joanna

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14

Flood and Fire

About three months after Joanna was born we were escaping a smoky building and watched our house burn. 

5 days after Lydia arrived we woke up to 6+ inches of water draining into our house. We ended up with 3 feet which destroyed most of our furniture and lots of other things. 

Wonderfully thankful all the babies were safe and we did not get hurt leaving the house. We had a nice walk through waist deep water and then a climb over a fence. 

Clean up/demo was intense for the remainder of the week. Seth is back to work this week and we're just waiting for the place to dry before we can do anything more. I guess we're are "homeless" for the second time in our married life. We have been taken in by family which is a blessing. Hoping this week will bring some news of some temporary shelter. 

Sample of the destruction the flood left behind.

Thanks for praying for us during this very stressful time.

Oh and a few more baby photos...which I finally got to work on today. 

Joanna is adjusting to being a big sister and Lydia is being an awesome sleeper. That makes mommy happy. :)

You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.   

Hebrews 10:34

(That's a comfort. It's just stuff.)

Happy Birthday

Lydia Jean Hollis

7 lb 15 oz

21 inches long

April 25, 2014

Down to the Wire

We're coming down to the wire. Only 3 1/2 weeks until baby Hollis #2 is due. 

As long as I keep up my water intake all is well. :) Looking forward to getting all the preparations finished. So much to do!

Joanna likes to hug and kiss the baby bump at various times. She "talks" about how the baby will drink milk but Joanna will eat pizza. :D I think she will be a great big sister. 

Here she is with the beautiful azalea bush out by our driveway. The rain has since pulled off a lot of flowers so we're glad we got this shot when we did. 

 

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

Sickies

So, I guess the new look for the blog passes readership approval? Didn't realize changing the format would bring back the comments option. GREAT! Think I'd like to tweak the header bar in the future.


We had two sickos in the house last night. Hubby was vomiting every hour and poor Joanna has not thrown up but has other symptoms. She looks on the mend though and the vomiting has halted.

Phew.

Winter Bloom

Home Again

We're back from our trip north. I don't really have much to say except it was a GREAT trip and totally orchestrated by God. Who would have known we would have been there just in time to see Papa, be there for his death/funeral and also get a few extra days to finish up the projects that were lingering after the very busy funeral week. (Extra days thanks to the weather!)  

   When planning this trip we had no idea.

God knows all thing! 

(These grow in the yard of the house we rent.)

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36     a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

Matthew 10:34-35 NIV

It is Not Death to Die

We played this at Papa's memorial service.

Remembering Papa

It's hard to put into words what I want to say. I have a heart full of thankfulness. I'm thankful for my grandfather's life and example and thankful I could be near when he left this earth for his heavenly home Saturday morning, February 1st.  

I'm thankful for being able to share Joanna with him again. God worked our visit north right around this and I can be here to help my mom. 

There is a hole in all our hearts and we miss him. 

His obituary was published here.

   We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away 

    from the body and at home with the Lord.

    2 Corinthians 5:8 NIV

North Visit Part 4

Uncle time...

Uncle "Veevee" teaching the proper way to eat supper.

North Visit part 3

So I've had so many babysitters at hand it's much easier to start a task and finish. Also, having a sewing machine within arms reach has been very nice. :)

Thank you to the lady on this blog for the free instructions to make some cute shoes. I made a few flops before this pair...

So much fun! Joanna liked them, too. 

North Visit Part 2

SNOW! 

Joanna was delighted to see all the snow this morning when we woke up and promptly wanted to go "out." 

Eventually we did. 

The delight must have worn off because she looks so serious in this photo. :)

So much beauty in God's creation. 

Visiting the semi-frozen north Part 1

Enjoying our visit up north a whole lot....

We got here right in time for the January thaw. Practically all the snow that was here when we arrived melted but now it's snowing again! :) So pretty. 

I took photos of Joanna with the snow but only on the phone camera. Still need to move those photos over to the computer. 

Travel by air with a toddler was challenging but we made it in one piece. Though next time a do believe and a rolling carry-on and stroller will make my life 10 times easier. Thanks to the two nice guys who carried our (very heavy) carry-on two different times. That was so helpful.  

24 weeks

Wow. 24 weeks along. Already? Last time I knew to the minute (ok, not exactly) how far along I was. I keep having to refer to the marked calendar for this new blessing #2. Looking forward to our first midwife visit this afternoon and then heading north Wednesday for a visit to my parents for them to see Joanna. 

So excited about the new baby. Boy, girl? 

Who will he/she look like or take after? What natural skills will this child have? What will the child grow to be?

Even as I look forward, this child will most likely never meet my grandfather who is bedridden and dying. Our singing trips were a highlight and something for him to look forward to. With that gone I think he's lost the will to live.
~

[ Be Holy ] Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 
1 Peter 1:13 NIV

New Year Dawning....

Goodbye, 2013. 

I have mixed feelings about this. Goodbye sounds nice because I know I won't have to relive painful times. Goodbye sounds bad because I will never be able to go back and change anything that happened and live in that time again. Sure, life wan't perfect but going from being able to give back and contribute to feeling like I've joined the rat race is not a pleasant sensation. 

How to survive is the game. 

And, it breaks my heart. 

~

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble 

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 32:7

Flowers in December

Yes, I live on another planet! 

Flowers in December?? 

The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.

Psalm 103:6

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times; 

  his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 

My soul makes its boast in the Lord; 

  let the humble hear and be glad. 

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, 

  and let us exalt his name together!

I sought the Lord, and he answered me 

  and delivered me from all my fears. 

Those who look to him are radiant, 

  and their faces shall never be ashamed. 

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him 

  and saved him out of all his troubles. 

The angel of the Lord encamps 

  around those who fear him, and delivers them. 

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! 

  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 

Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, 

  for those who fear him have no lack! 

The young lions suffer want and hunger; 

  but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 

Come, O children, listen to me; 

  I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 

What man is there who desires life 

  and loves many days, that he may see good? 

Keep your tongue from evil 

  and your lips from speaking deceit. 

Turn away from evil and do good; 

  seek peace and pursue it. 

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous 

  and his ears toward their cry. 

The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, 

  to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears 

  and delivers them out of all their troubles. 

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted 

  and saves the crushed in spirit. 

Big Sister

Joanna is getting so BIG and grown up. She's learning how to say please, and can say several other words words like up, happy, mommy, daddy, knee, and out. She brought me some fuzz off her stuffed butterfly and said "puhpuh" (this means purple) and it was purple. Totally shocked me by knowing what sound "M" makes. She's actually listening to me! :)

Like, how did all this growing up happen? Did I blink or something?

Feeling Hollis Baby #2 a lot recently having fun inside flailing and stretching those arms and legs. So precious.

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Life Changes Again

Life is seasons. I don't understand all of them or why they happen. I do know that God loves me and cares no matter how out of control the world around me is. When the safe haven of a home or spouse evaporates you question....why? A lot of us have asked the "Why?" question. My situation is not the worst ever, and so many are in daily turmoil over circumstances or life that was beyond their control. My problems seem huge until I look around me. But, none the less, they tower even as they are dwarfed. 

I know God's Word is true and I can not let go. Jesus, be my strong anchor when I feel weak and like giving in. And, at times I do. Wouldn't life be simpler without conviction? Wouldn't it be easier if we just magically transformed into a people pleasers? Just blend in and be someone else! Don't worry about holding out for an impossible ideal. 

Maybe the above is more a journal entry but I feel some of this needs to be public. The closing of our public singing ministry was and still is a heavy weight for me. I had absolutely no desire to stop and way it was ended was deeply painful and hurtful. But, it was my marriage or music. I'm trusting and praying and that's all I can do now. My hands are tied and continue to be. 

In mid-October Seth, Joanna and I moved to Foley, Alabama. This change has been traumatic for a lot of us. People said I'd learn things about me. Mostly it's just a lot more work for me. :) I am learning things about myself though, too. I thought I knew how to cook a hamburger. As I was fanning the smoke away from the detector at lunch today I questioned that skill. ;) I know how to drive much better on a four lane highway and how to reach in the backseat to pacify an impatient toddler with crackers. 

1 year ago today our house burned down. It amazes me how much has gone on this last year. Unexpected hardships, unexpected blessings. This is a blessing to be alive and thank God for this grace. May we continue on being what God wants us to be and living only for Him in the strength He gives. 

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV