thoughts of the day:

sometimes we feel disappointed in ourselves
in friends
in family
we put hope in things, in people,

we look for love but we don't get quenched
we search...
we long...
we hope...
we fall....
there are great people who are precious to us
but sometimes we feel loneliness, weakness, helplessness
and then we look up- we hear the praises to God, King of Glory
King of Glory because glory belongs to Him
He is the one unchanging one
Jesus- the same yesterday, today and forever
my hope.
though the world may fade away before me
Jesus will be there
His Word, his promises stand
and it is comforting
it gets me through the confusion, the pain, the messed up ness of me
i may give up on me
but Jesus will never give up on me
or you.
leaving the 99 righteous sheep to look for the
1 lost, lonely, messed up one
he puts us on his shoulders and carries us home
where there is rejoicing
how
how can it be
why
why would God love the broken and pathetic and sinful?
But he does.
he is abundant, overflowing with light, power, grace, glory, knowledge, love
God is love
Praise God
Holy, perfect, all-knowing yet forgiving, choosing to give us victory
in every situation
Wanting to be more like Jesus

I read this at a Christian Parenting site...

Building Your Family

One of the first things that this passage states is that in order to be a woman of virtue, she must marry the right man. In fact, it states in verse 23 that "Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land." (NIV) When you want to be a Proverbs 31 mother, you must build your family by marrying a respected and hard working man. If you are unmarried, or marry a man that does not respect himself and his family, then certainly the household and the children will suffer.

Part of becoming a good mother, according to this Bible passage, is to start by finding a man that you respect and one that respects you in return. This also means that you must be committed to each other and committed to raising your family.

Trust and Obey God

The next step in becoming a Proverbs 31 mother is to trust and obey the Word of God. God will grant you the tools and wisdom you need to raise a good family, if you trust in Him. Verse 30 of the passage states, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a women who fears the Lord is to be praised." (NIV). When you read this Scripture, you should understand that you must have faith in God, but so must your children and your spouse. Teach your family about sin and how to live a good life. You must raise your children in the way of the Lord in order to become a Proverbs 31 mother.

Provide For Your Family

You will also want to learn how to provide for your family. While this can mean providing financial support, it also means emotional support and giving your family the necessities of life. The passage states in Verse 15, "She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls." (NIV). While not many would take this literally (you probably would not get up every morning at dark or buy a vineyard), it tells you that you must be prepared to work hard to provide for your family. Whether it is working at a job, cooking meals, or raising your children, this is a part of your life that will make you a virtuous mother.

I am so happy I found this and read it (can't remember where). I have been battling whether I should be working or not, as I am sure every mother does, and I decided today that I AM doing it for the right reasons. Homeschooling and SAHM's are not for every woman and I should not be ashamed that I need to help my family financially. :) I feel much better, after reading the bible and finding some passages that God spoke to me through.

We are having beautiful breakthroughs with Connor lately. I am so glad! He was being such a little pistol this past week at school, always talking during class and always forgetting his manners. God has really helped us through this, and I couldn't be more thankful. :)

Hope you all have a blessed week, thanks for stopping by!

Ali

Have you ever thought to yourself, WHERE DID MY LIFE GO?

I do, almost every day.

UNTIL NOW.

I have to stop thinking this way. I have had issues deciding what it is I am doing that is making such a difference in the world. I work a job that doesn't extend it's hand further than the automotive industry, and although I absolutely LOVE my job and the people I work with and for, I have to wonder, is this what God wants me to do?

My son is starting kindergarden in LESS THAN A MONTH. :o Wasn't it just yester-year that he was BORN? Wasn't it just a few MONTHS ago when I first held him in my arms and sang You Are My Sunshine to him for the very first time?? I mean, I could have bet I just yesterday taught him his A,B,C's! NOW he is in KINDERGARDEN? :/  I am battling the feelings of a mother losing her son, but I shouldnt look at it that way. I am beginning to realize this is his first step into manhood, and this is a GREAT thing!

TOMORROW-LAND, here we come! =]

My lost days are slowly becoming wonderful memories, I just have to open my mind and heart. God has been helping our family grow into something spectacular- all in His name! It is GLORIOUS!

I want to start blogging on here again. I miss everyone to pieces.

I love you all.

In Him,

Ali

What a trying few months. I have not had time to even clear my head, let alone write a blog! :) Time to go to work again, lol!

Hope every has a blessed, BEAUTIFUL day ahead of them!

Love,

Ali

I AM LOVING THIS JOB! It is taking awhile to adjust to cleaning at night, and getting it all done in two hours before derek gets home, BUT LOVING IT SO MUCH!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!

The wonderous Menu plans for next week have arrived!

MONDAY

Breakfast- Muffin, Fresh Peaches, Milk.

Lunch- Chicken Patty on Bread, Corn, mixed fruit.

Dinner- Ham Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Buttermilk Biscuits, & Fresh Peach Slices

TUESDAY

Breakfast- Pancakes.

Lunch- Hot Dog on Bun, French Fries, Apple & Peanut Butter.

Snack- Boiled Egg and Yogurt.

Dinner- Mexican Pizza, Asparagus.

WEDNESDAY

 Breakfast- Dry cereal and fruit.

Lunch- French Toast, Applesauce, 100% Juice.

Dinner- Cheeseburger Soup, French Bread Loaf, Fresh Pineapple.

THURSDAY

Breakfast- 1 Egg & Fruit, with Toast.

Lunch- Ham & Cheese Sandwiches w/ Carrots & Celery.

Snack- Animal Crackers and Juice.

Dinner- Ham & Cheese Wraps w/ Fresh Fruits.

FRIDAY

Breakfast- Cinnamon Rolls

Lunch- Pizza, Left-overs with it....etc!

Dinner- PIZZA! Yep! You heard me! PIZZZZZZA!!!!!!!!! haha!

I have really enjoyed being a SAHM for the past...year or more? I have had a few side jobs, but have been home with Connor. Has it really almost been 2 years?  I have enjoyed every last minute of it.

We are tired. We are tired of scraping for money. We know it was our own choice to buy this big beautiful country home on 2.5 acres of land, when we could have just rented an apt or stayed living at mom’s for a few years...we know all of this, but that doesn’t stop the pain and worry of financial burden. We love our home, and are so proud of ourselves that we were not afraid when we commited to this life long goal. I have been told before that I sghould not complain about money since it was our "choice" that we bought this house. Al though I agree with that, it WAS our choice  ...Well, I have to debate a little. (I know, I know, here we go again, right? haha!)

Couldn’t you go as far to say, then, with that logic, that it was that "someone’s" own choice to have a child? Yet they continue to complain about the child and their lives. Wasn’t it their own choice to get married? Yet they continue to complain about their husbands. Wasn’t it their choice to become friends with someone? Yet they continue to complain about the choice they made.

Do you get my point?

If people can complain about that stuff, then why, oh why, can’t I complain about my monthly bills? I wouldn’t even really call it complaining. More like worrying. I have come to realize (from a GREAT friend!! THANKS!) that worrying does no good. So from here on out I choose not to worry. I choose to put my life in God’s hands and will, and to let all my insecurities go. This is not to say, thoguh, that I will never complain again, because even God knows this isn’t so.  But I will TRY now. =] Part of this decision has to do with bettering our life. Sure, we could sell our house and move into an apt or back to mom’s, but then what would we be teaching Connor? To give up when the going gets rough? NO WAY! Not us, not today!

We want to instill in him a strong sense of commitment and hard work.

So...I will, at this time, give up the luxuries of staying at home all day and become a new employee somewhere to save up money, and/or pay down on the house quicker. In the long run it will be okay, Connor is just starting Kindergarten, he will be at school the majority of the day anyway, the house will stay clean, I will keep up with my daily bible reading, and will still have dinner on the table by 5 (or whenever Derek gets off work).

I think I found a place. I had an interview this morning, and it went really well. It is LITERALLY five minutes from our home, and an easy going place. I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS! I will get to use my creative genious and create a new website for them.

So many things are coming together and Derek and I have only one person to thank:

Thank You God!!!!!

 My husband helped without fail this weekend so my house is all picked up, the kids are fed, enjoying their day already. I did another load of laundry and straightened up the mud room this morning. IThe dogs "did their thing" without hesitation, FOR ONCE! It just was a joyous morning to tell you the truth. =] I needed one of those refreshing days where everything goes smoothly and operates nicely!

Now I am just waiting on my friend to bring her girls over so I can read some stories to them, color, play, etc!

I have a job interview in the morning, for a local company, the owner is a good friend of my husband's. Pay is between 9 & 11 an hour, perfect range for us. I would be out of there by 3pm every day, which is PERFECT considering Connor will be in school all day. =] I just feel like God is throwing bits and pieces of my life in order, and it is all coming together so peacefully now.

I don't really WANT to go back to work, I want to stay home and be a full time homemaker, so I hope that no one judges me on that account.  I'm sure nobody will, it's just that in order to give my family a life, and have more children and not get into debt, this is what the Lord is telling me through scripture and prayer. I dont expect anyone to understand, hehe, just doing what needs to be done for my family. I will still keep up with the home and will continue to have dinner on the table by the time husband gets home. You can bet on that! :)

LOVE IT.

It will be a great day.

 I can feel it. HERE COMES THE SUN!

Thought I'd give everyone a taste of things the Trier household eats. =]

Have fun reading, and I will post next weeks as well. We hardly ever eat the same thing twice in one month, but let's see how close we get. LOL

Love ya'll! 

MENU PLAN FOR 17TH-23RD:

(I don't give the kiddo's snack on minday, Wednesday or Friday since the preschool provides them)

MONDAY

Breakfast- Baked Oatmeal.

Lunch- Grilled Cheese, Chicken Soup (homemade), Applesauce, Milk.

Dinner- Meat Loaf, Asparagus, Baked Taters, and Pumpkin Bread.

TUESDAY

Breakfast-Pancakes.

Lunch- Chicx Nuggets, Green Beans, Mandarin Oranges.

Snack- Boiled Egg and Yogurt.

Dinner- Black Bean Soup w/ French Loaf Bread & Bowl of Fruit.

WEDNESDAY

 Breakfast- Dry cereal and fruit.

Lunch- Scrambeled Eggs w/ Cheese, Fruit, Toast.

Dinner- Tatertot Caserole, Green Beans.

THURSDAY

Breakfast- Mini Bagel/Egg Sandwich.

Lunch- Ham Lettuce & Cheese Sandwiches w/ Carrots & Celery.

Snack- Wheat Thin Crackers and Cheese.

Dinner- Homemade Mac & Cheese, Bread & Butter, Corn.

FRIDAY

Breakfast- Wheat Toast w/ Peanut Butter, Piece of Fruit.

Lunch- Corn Dogs, Left Over Mac & Cheese, & celery w/ Peanut Butter.

Dinner- Shrimp Pasta, Mixed Veggies, & Homemade Banana Bread.

According to Dr. Gary Chapman unhappiness in relationships is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our partner's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others. Dr. Chapman's divides love languages into five categories: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch!

And according to statistics, approximately 90% of existing couples don't share the same primary love language! So if you're lost, dazed & confused in your relationships, I suggest you read on!

In the beginning of mine and Derek's relationship, one of my wond-a-ful friends suggested I read The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman. Well... this book, and his philosophy, gave me a framework for everything I already knew, but after I read it I hopefully would have an effective way to express everything. I think we all have "emotional languages"  which we communicate w/, and these are so strong that they can silence many other forms of language over a period of time. An emotional language is powerful because it speaks to our heart, soul and it converses with our passions as well as our fears. These are the intimate places where we dream, and where we are most vulnerable.

Now one, or up to two of these can be our main emotional languages. I'll give you an example; my husband is a "touch!" kinda guy. So whilst I was telling him how great he was, how much I loved him, and that I needed him to know what a great father and husband he is (which he appreciates regardless), and trying to impress him by doing great things for him like cleaning the house, making his bed, or folding his boxers... I wasn't getting very far. As a matter of fact, my words of affirmation and acts of kindness/service was smothering him...you see.. my primary languages are acts of service and words of affirmation! Things were definitely clicking between us, but we started to understand that as loud as we spoke or acted, we just couldn't understand what eachother was trying to say.

So I did the exercise of discovering his main emotional language, and that's when the magic started to happen! We have been getting better and better, and this is already a year later. Much progress,  yet still so much further to go! =]

The beauty of love languages is the basic fact that they don't only apply to romantic relationships. They apply to business, family and friendships as well! It is always tough, as I was talking to a great friend of mine yesterday, to figure out what those love languages are. We tend to want to do for our friends, what we would want done to us, and that just doesnt always satisfy the friends as well as it would you, if it were done for you. Get my point?

=]

A Couple Songs I love:

Rush of Fools, When Our Hearts Sing:

You are more than what we can sing
You are God and nothing we bring
Is fit for a King
So, search us and know deep in our souls
We praise You

You are infinite worth
When we’ve not the words
Our hearts will sing
We are here on the earth
And somehow we‘re heard
When our hearts sing to You

You are more than words on our lips
We are poor, with nothing to give
But, we want to bring
More than the song we sing to praise You, we praise You

You are infinite worth
When we’ve not the words
Our hearts will sing
We are here on the earth
And somehow we‘re heard
When our hearts sing to You

It’s You we engage
It’s You we embrace
When our hearts sing

You are infinite worth
When we’ve not the words
Our hearts will sing
We are here on the earth
And somehow we‘re heard
When our hearts sing to You

We are here on the earth
And somehowwe're heard
When our hearts sing to you

It’s You we engage
It’s You we embrace
When our hearts sing

You are infinite worth
When we’ve not the words
Our hearts will sing
We are here on the earth
And somehow we‘re heard
When our hearts sing to You

Point of Grace, How You Live

Wake up to the sunlight
With your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want
But want what you have
And don't spend your life lookin' back

Chorus:
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
Cuz it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

Verse 2:
So go to the ballgames
And go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don't run from the truth
'Cause you can't get away
Just face it and you'll be okay

Chorus:
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

Bridge:
Oh wherever you are and wherever you've been
Now is the time to begin

Verse 3:
So give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
E'en when you don't think that you can
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with yourself
'Cause in the end there's nobody else

Chorus
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

Britt Nicole, Set The World On Fire

I wanna set the world on fire
Until it's burning bright for You
It's everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?

[CHORUS]
I, I am small but
You, You are big enough
I, I am weak but
You, You are strong enough to
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I can not do
Nothing I cannot do

I wanna feed the hungry children
And reach across the farthest land
And tell the broken there is healing
And mercy in the Father's hands

[CHORUS]

Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I cannot do
Nothing I cannot do

My hands my feet
My everything
My life, my love
Lord, use me

I wanna set the world on fire
I wanna set the world on fire, yeah

Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I cannot do
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
There's nothing I can't do
Nothing I can't do

I'm gonna set the world on fire
Set the world on fire

Mandisa, Steal My Joy

I look at my life
And I still can't believe it
How did I make it
To where I stand now?
You don't understand
I was up against the whole world
And all I could feel was it breaking me down
But out of a hopeless situation
There came a song of redemption

Life may push my heart to the limit
But I won't let go
Of the joy in my soul
�Cause everything can change in a minute
And the world may try
But they're never gonna steal my joy

So get up, stand up
And rise above it
If every plan
That you've made goes so wrong
You don't have to give in to the struggle
You may be down
But don't stay there for long
In every hopeless situation
There is a song of redemption

The world may say
You're never gonna make it
The world may say
You're not strong enough to take it
But I don't care
�Cause the joy of the Lord is real
And they're never gonna steal my joy

Mandisa, God Speaking

Have you ever heard a love song
That set your spirit free
Have you ever watched a sunrise
And felt you could not breathe
What if it's Him
What if it's God speaking
Have you ever cried a tear that
You could not explain
Have you ever met a stranger
That already knew your name
What if it's Him
What if it's God speaking

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough
He'll do and He'll use
Whatever He wants to
To tell us I love you

Have you ever lost a loved one
Who you thought should still be here
Do you know what it feels like
To be tangled up in fear
What if He's somehow involved
What if He's speaking through it all

His ways are higher
His ways are better
Though sometimes strange
What could be stranger
Than God in a manger

God is speaking
I love you

I am slowly learning the concept of being organized. :) Number one, I had all my priorities off. My first prioritiy is always my husband and son, obviously. When husband leaves for work, though, it is just the kids and I! I have a schedule going for the kids, which is amazing, and working out nicely. So while they are in their quiet play time, or small craft time, I simply clean. I do all this in the morning, to get it all out of the way, then the afternoon (nap/school time) is all mine for the taking, I can read, get on the internet, talk on the phone, text someone, whatever! I never did this before. Before it was all about the internet first, then cleaning later...so then the whole morning I was worrying about cleaning, etc. Now its all done by a certain time and I FEEL GOOD!!!! =]

This whole feeling good thing is really working for me. I am happy and care-free! I AM LOVING IT!

I hope you all have figured out a system to where you are meeting the needs of your family AND yourself!

I have been studying Romans lately.

Some things that have impacted my life, that might impact yours are listed in this blog. I found them all over the internet, and from scripture and placed it together for ya. Enjoy!

(Focusing mainly on Romans 12)

Let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.

 
If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else;

 if you help, just help, don't take over;

 if you teach, stick to your teaching;

if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy;

 if you're put in charge, don't manipulate;

if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond;

if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them.

 Keep a smile on your face.

My friends are awesome! For those of you who had the time to write me an email with inspiring words (or a text- thanks for that too!)

THANK YOU!

Here is what I got today so far:

The Road Less Traveled
by Kit McCallum
How often we must bear the challenges of life;
The endless roller coaster between happiness and sorrow;
The constant ups and downs of daily strife.
And always the question remains .... why?

Life is not an easy road for most;
It twists and turns with many forks in the road,
Although always, and inevitably, we are given a choice ...

Do we turn to the right ... or the left?
Do we take the high road ... or the low road?
Do we take the easy path ... or the difficult one?

Decisions are not easy for those struggling for direction ...
And sometimes the many choices and signs become overwhelming.

While standing at a crossroads in life,
The urge is to take the most comfortable path;
The road with least resistance ...
The shortest or most traveled route.

And yet, if we've been down that comfortable road before;
Have gleaned its lessons in life, and learned from our experiences;

Do we yet again follow the known?
Or does our destiny lie in another direction?

The fear of the road less traveled is tangible and all too real;
It manifests itself in many ways,
And tends to cloud the issues that might otherwise be clear.

It is in these times of confusion,
That we must seek peace and solitude;

Time to contemplate on our life,
Our experiences and our choices past;
Time to look back, and reflect on what we have learned
Without fear or confusion.

For only each of us knows our own personal thoughts;
Our unique past and personal history;
The experiences that brought us to the crossroads we now face.

We can always learn a small degree from others experiences,
And yet ... no one person can walk in our shoes,
Others know not, the trials and tribulations faced in private ...

For each is individual ... unique ... and personal.

And that is why ... while standing at a crossroads,
Only "we" can formulate the decision for ourselves;
The true direction that lies within;
The choices we must deliberate on with clarity and wisdom.

For it is only through personal reflection,
That we can now choose our destiny;
... Our next adventure;
... And the future we will embrace.

&

Another amazing friend, text me and asked me for three awesome words, to which I replied with: Hope, Grace, & Faith, & my friend came up with this:

"I hope that through grace I won't waiver in my faith!" 

&

Yet another friend, who knows I love sunsets and sunrises, emailed me this:

The scent of the ocean 
clings in the air. 
The mist on my face 
leaves a salty taste in my mouth. 
The breeze plays with my hair, 
and cools my skin. 

A flock of seagulls fly overhead, 
carefree and peaceful. 
"Please, take me with you, 
I want to be free." 

The waves break on the shore 
A calming, soothing lullaby 
of life's eternal ebb and flow. 
I listen entranced by this ancient song, 
healing the soul with its primeval melody. 

The warmth of the day 
slowly fades.  
I watch the glow descent from the sky 

As colors change  
from golden yellow 
to sanguine pink  
and finally healing violet. 

The last rays reach across the water 
to touch my heart 
and restore my spirit. 

God remembers me. 

I am renewed, strengthened 
able to face another day.

&

Then there is this!!!!!:

You always listen to your inner voice, Al, and follow it's wisdom and you soemtimes stumble and fall short, but in the end you know what is best for you.

You always try to talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. I have seen this with my own eyes!

You always think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best- and you deserve nothing less. 

You definitely care about the happiness and success of other people in your life and offer them all the help and encouragement they need. Ive seen this recently involving your friends with things they were doing that were not good for them. YOu only want to see them happy & healthy, Al. And they know that. I've never seen anyone as much of a go-getter as you!

Ya need to forget your past mistakes and focus on your successes -- encouraging yourself to greater things in the future. 

As far as I can tell you always do your best so you can be proud, and so that God can be proud of you...and you have helped a lot of people (including me) understand God and stuff. Im not there like you yet, but almost! And I know Im not the only one, cause Ive talked to people about it!

When you help someone you ask nothing in return, and you will receive your reward ten times over. Love you!

----------------------------------------------------------

Aw! Life is so great. I have amazing people in it to remind me when I fall, that life isn't made of whines or cries, that we are to remain strong and faithful through even the darkest of times.

God is so good. =]

So far today, no progress. I am procrastinating. I have an entire bathroom to clean, and three loads of laundry to put away, all clean. I have the living room to dust, and clean windows and tv. I have the computer room to clean. It smells like the dogs peed in here, but I can't trace the smell location, it's driving me INSANE. I am just not motivated at all today. Haven't been in a week! :/

I will get myself there. I am so energetic, don't know what my deal is.

How was your weekend? No one ever reads these, but still wondering all the same! LOL

My sister in law left for a hair show, won't be back til 9pm. It is very lonely here today, the kids all conked out on me, none of them got a good night of rest for some reason. It's crazy! They are laying together on the couch at the moment. It's nice. I won't let them sleep much longer, but it's nice none the less!

It's been a very relaxing morning.

Good morning fellow bloggers!

How are you all doing today? Don't be shy, I truly want to know!

I got a message this morning, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  For those of you who do not know, my brother, Matt, is in the United States Navy and is currently training active duty to go to Iraq. He is in Washington at the moment, and has 420 days to serve once over there. He is basically in a lock-down situation, no freedom, just like boot camp was. He is allowed to use his cell phone at night for awhile, and has access to internet for a few minutes every night, but other than that no freedom. On top of all that, his cell phone broke last week and he has no way to contact his wife other than to  use his buddies' cell phones. Thank God for sweet accomodations! =] So his wife, Kara, has been sick for a little over a week now, but no fever and such like the flu going around. Just throwing up occasionally, and feeling yucky sometimes....everyone kept telling her she was pregnant, including me, but no one knew for usre, including her. She took a test last night and it confirmed what we had all been feeling: SHE IS PREGNANT WITH MY NIECE OR NEPHEW! My FIRST one to be exact! =] Wow, what a blessing. She is worried about Matt being gone that long, but I told her there are ways to work around it, and she has family and friends to care for her as well. =] I mean...WOW!!!! =]

She hasn't told any of her family yet, and it is kinda under wraps, but no one on Homestead knows anyone I know, so I figured it would be okay to praise God about this one here. =] Everyone I know on my myspace, friends and family, don't know yet.

YAY!

Love, Ali

I'm starting anew- FRESH! =] How is everyone doing? Going to catch up on everyone's blogs this week! Have a great weekend! Love, Ali