Need prayers!

OK. I am desperate and I need your prayers. As most of you know, Mike has been TDY in Arkansas for two weeks. We are in the middle of a move living out of suitcases while staying with my in-laws. And now all five kids are sick! My youngest, Bryan, was taken to the ER on Sunday because he was having coughing fits that lasted over 30 minutes and included him coughing so hard that he vomited three times. Turned out that cough medicine was not working because he had an upper respiratory infection. He is now doing much better, still coughing some, but much, much better. However, last night Alaizha went to bed early with a 103.5 temp. And then all three girls woke up coughing and with fevers. Eli is coughing, but no fever yet. I am trying to get the base clinic to see us, give me advice, anything that will stop whatever is taking over my family.

To add the madness, Mike started his drive home today and didn't even make it out of the city. He is in the car shop trying to figure out what is wrong with the truck and how long it will take to fix.

Please pray for us!!! I don't know what else to do. I'm praying that I can post some better news in a few days. Thanks for being there with me.

Melissa

The beginning of December brings...

It is hard to believe that three weeks has past since my last update and I feel like that was just yesterday. Boy, time flies when you are busy.

We finally moved out of our house the last week of November and our renters took over on the first of December. That us such a huge sense of relief for us to have someone taking care of our home.

Our family was then blessed to spend Thanksgiving in College Station with my parents, my sister from Florida and my sister from Arizona and their families. We just relaxed - no moving, no cleaning (well, a little), no organizing piles... And we ate!

We came back to Del Rio refreshed and ready to spend the next few weeks unsettled and as guests in my in-laws home. Thank God for them and thier generosity! And their babysitting. The picture above is our last date night out on Friday when we attended our squadron Christmas party. I wanted to go out Texas style!

Lastly, Mike left today for Arkansas to begin training on Wednesday. He is going to get us our new address and secure our temporary house for early January just in time for the girls to go back to school. We should hopefully only be seperated for two weeks. It is still tough though being without Mike. Thanks for the continued prayers through this long transition. We are enjoying it.

In God's Grace,
Melissa

Moving Day Has Arrived

Praise the Lord, He provided renters for our home. The first people to inquire about our house saw it and called within a few hours to say they wanted to rent. That was last Monday (9 days ago). This past Monday we got confirmation that movers would be coming on Tuesday, the next day! So needless to say, my world (my home) has been turned upside down and inside out in less than 48 hours. I would compare this move to ripping a bandaid off. If it is going to happen, just do it fast.

So where are we going to live now, you ask? Mike's parents have graciously opened thier home to us. We will be with them for about three weeks, two of which Mike will be in training. We'll stay in Del Rio through Christmas, then head up to Arkansas by the New Year where we will live in a full furnished three-bedroom TLF (temporary living facility-small house) on base. They even said I could bring my cat. ; ) And the school will be walking distance for the girls. Isn't God good? And to think I was sweating the details.

Thanks for praying for us through this move. We still have 7 more months to go before we finish and appreciate any continued prayers. We are greatful for those who are "living" this with us. Enjoy the before and after pics of the move. ; )
Me stressed! Me relaxed!

The boys room before... and after.

The dining room before... and after.

The living room before... and after.

Good buy stuff. See you in 7 months, God willing.

Officially move in December

Mike and I were able to make some definitive decisions this week regarding our upcoming move. The first major thing will be movers coming to pack up our home the first week of December. Then Mike will leave on the 7th for Little Rock, Arkasas to start his training while I stay with the kids and finish out school 'til the holiday break. He'll come back here for Christmas with his parents and then the whole family will move to Little Rock the last week of December. We put our name on the base TLF waiting list which is a fully furnished three bedroom house. We won't have to set up or close any utility accounts, we'll be walking distance to the school on base, and they will let me bring our cat. God is slowly showing us He is providing our every need. And now we are waiting to see what He will do with our house... still looking for renters or buyers.

So that is the most current update on our end. In the meantime, I am relishing every last moment of our time here. I am really going to miss the people here - my church family, my women's Biblestudy, my neighbors, and my friends. God has really blessed us here. Thank you, LORD!

Cardboard Box Maze

Last night, for Halloween, our church sponsored a Fun Fall Festival. Mike came up with the idea of creating a "Cardboard Box Maze" three years ago. This is this year's edition! We all had a blast putting it together over several hours.

The Fun Fall Festival turned out to be a great outreach to our community. It provided a safe and fun place for lots of children to play in activities, get free candy, and earn prizes. This is one of the many things I will miss about our church when I leave. Maybe I can convince our next church to do something similar... God willing. ; ) Happy late Holloween and welcome to November!

Goodbye to Cali!

Within the last few weeks, Mike and I noticed that our cat, Cali, had isolated herself from us. We first became aware that she was getting sick. However, when she began refusing her favorite soft cat food, we knew something was wrong. I started to keep an eye on her realizing she was not playing with us, keeping us company, or greeting us anymore. We finally decided this morning to take her to the vet.
I went in with her thinking that I would walk out with some meds that would make her feel better in a few days. What I got instead was the notification that her liver had failed and she was close to dying. My heart just cried out in disbelief. This is my cat that is only four years old, was with me when we brought our girls home from Ukraine, gave us Sumy (our other cat which is her daughter) by giving birth on my bed, sat on the porch with me, sat near me in the morning while I drank coffee and had my quiet times... Now I was being told that she was fatally ill.
I have never had to put an animal to sleep. I couldn't understand how the vet knew she was sick when she was still walking around - not eating, sleeping, drinking, or using the litterbox though. Mike and I had to put her first and think of her best interests. He asked me, "Can you sleep tonight now that you know how much pain she is going through?" No, I could not! But then, how do I tell the children? We decided to wait until they got home from school and let them say goodbye. Of course, our two oldest daughters took it very hard. It is one thing to grieve for yourself and another to watch your children grieve. There is so little that can be done to console them over a lost "family member" like her. We let them talk to her by themselves, take pictures, and say goodbye. Then we took her back to the vet for the hardest part.
Since we are selling our house, a dear friend of mine allowed us to bury Cali on her property near some water where some other animals are buried. Only God knows why he took her so soon. Only God knows where pets go after they die here. That is a question my daughters are still pondering. But I go to the words that comforted and are still comforting me... "Not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from the will of the father" (Matt. 10:29). God knew Cali was leaving our home today. And He is comforting all of us through it. "Surely I am with you always..." (Matt. 28:20).

Trip to Big Bend

Mike and I took all the kids on a camping trip to Big Bend this weekend. We had a blast while physically exerting ourselves and seeing God's beautiful creation. There are some pics attached that show the breathtaking scenery as well as one of God's very friendly creatures.

The scenic view is from the top of Emory Peak which is a 9 mile roundtrip hike. It is well worth it, but not for little ones. Luckily, one of our frinds stayed behind with our three little ones so both Mike and I could go up with Stasia and Dasha.

Here is our friendly skunk. She decided to join the adult converstation after we got all the kids down.

I would have pet her, if I didn't think she would

spray me. ; )

Stasia slightly sprained her ankle and Dasha hurt her knee,

so Bryan, Eli, and Alaizha did

a smaller hike with me right before we left.

Thanks also for praying about our move stuff. We are still progressing with Mike's plans to leave for Arkansas on 7 Dec. We are leaving our house situation to God to see which one comes first, a buyer or a renter. We are open either way. God has not left us yet, nor will He leave us now. I am confident of that!

Melissa