Beautiful Blessings

"We Owned the Night"

2012-02-27T09:44:00.005-05:00

Last night I went to an AWESOME concert......

Lady Antebellum

Darius Rucker

and David Nail

......and it was so good! I have seen Lady A before and they are just getting better and better. I have never seen Darius, or "Hootie" as some of you may know him, or David Nail but I really like both of them and they really rocked it! It was so nice for myself and 3 other close friend and moms to get out of the house and have a little fun! It was great and I am looking forward to our next concert!

I am so thankful for a husband who stay home with the kids while his "wild" wife goes out to a concert! Trust me, I am the least "wild" wife out there! Haha!

Bad moments do not mean you are a bad Mom

2012-02-13T09:08:00.004-05:00

Calleigh and I have such personality clashes...and it is because we have the same personality. Persistant, strong-willed, and they are the same.....both of us! I had this same issue with my dad when I was younger. Of course, as I got older(like college) we did not fight as much and we "grew out" of it. I love my dad, always have and always will, but we have the same personality so more times than I would like to admit we fought. Over the silliest things. Mostly homework and boyfriends, but now that I look back, I realize that if we would have put some of that time into not fighting life would have been so much easier. That is the approach I am TRYING to take with my girls. Calleigh and I fight more than her and Andrew. And I know it is for the same reason, we are just alike. Sometimes I just walk away and let Andrew take care of whatever issue is melt-down worthy.....and that works. Other times we just start laughing at each other, and sometimes we both have yelling, crying fights....both of us crying and yelling. Then I have that moment of "I am such a bad mom" and "Why are we doing this" and I always feel bad when it is over. And she is only 3(almost 4) so I know we have more of this ahead of us. Sometimes I just feel like a bad Mom like the time it was book order day and I forgot to bring it with us(luckily, the let me bring it the next day). Sometimes we fight over coat sleeves, what pajamas that we are wearing that night, and about brushing teeth. Chances are that Addie will be the same too. Payback says my dad. But today, a friend posted this and I want to share it. I am not a bad mom. I love those girls with all that I have. I prayed for them and God blessed me so much! But maybe there is someone else out there who needs this like I did.

Bad Moments Don’t Make Bad Moms
Lysa TerKeurst

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

Do you ever feel like the ping pong ball in a heated match bouncing between feeling like a good mom to a bad mom?

I volunteer to keep the class guinea pig over spring break much to my daughter’s delight. After all, we have a hamster we adore so we’re highly qualified… GOOD MOM!

Two weeks before spring break our pet hamster has an accident and makes an early exit from this world. I get a letter from the principal informing me after hearing about our unfortunate hamster situation, we are unfit class guinea pig babysitters… BAD MOM!

I delight the teacher by showing up on time to read to the class… GOOD MOM!

That same day I get an e-mail from a teacher listing three parents who haven’t turned in permission slips and I’m on the list for all the world to see… BAD MOM!

I make sure my kids pack something healthy for lunch… GOOD MOM!

The schedule falls apart and I feed them sugary cereal for dinner… BAD MOM!

I so desperately want to be a good mom. And sometimes I feel like I am, when life is clicking along with good attitudes, healthy hamsters, turned in permission slips, and a pot roast for dinner. But let’s be honest. The days where everything turns out right and there’s a pot roast on the table are sometimes few and far between. And I find myself feeling like a failure. Have you ever been there?

The other day I was processing these things with my friend, Renee, when a strange theme seemed to arise. I just started laughing. I told Renee that many of my days tell the same story… I was on the verge of a breakdown and then I spent some time with Jesus and He made things better.

Renee quipped back, “Well, isn’t that where most of us live?”

Not that we’re on the edge of a breakdown, but we live in a place of utter dependence on God. I know I live in constant need of His love, encouragement, wisdom, perspective, strength, patience and grace.

Anything I do right as a mom is because of my constant dialogs with God. I’ve learned to talk with Him in honest plain language and say things like, “Hey God, I feel like a bad mom because I snapped at my kids. But my circumstances don’t define me, right? You do. So, I’m receiving Your grace and letting go of those feelings pulling me down. Please help me.”

I must remember the truth of today’s promise in Ephesians 2:4-5, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

God’s grace is always willing to step in. Not that it excuses me from being more patient, organized or responsible. But it reminds me, “Lysa, you are doing better than you think you are. My love for you is great! Stop bouncing from feeling good to bad to good to bad. In the good times, rejoice and thank Me. In the not so good times, call out to Me quickly.”

With God we’re never a bad mom. We might be having a bad moment… or two… or seventeen. But a few bad moments do not define us.

God’s grace is there to cover us. Teach us. And even in the middle of a bad moment, interrupt us, redirect us and change me.

Forgiveness is there.

Love is there.

A second chance is there. And another one after that.

You are a good mom my friend…even if, like me, you’ve had a few bad moments… you are the exact mom God knew these children needed. Let’s live in that truth today.

And who cares if we are labeled unfit to watch the class guinea pig? As I stepped back from the situation I realized that saved us from some undue stress anyhow. Smiles.

Dear Lord, I know that only You can fill me. I am thankful Your grace is always there to cover me, especially on my tough mom days. Help me to stop bouncing from feeling good to bad. Teach me, redirect me and change me today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

I am thankful that God gives us second chances and forgives us for bad moments.

Here it to admitting my faults and being forgiven, not fighting(as much, because realistically, I can not guarantee we will never fight) and trying my best to be better than I am. Not only a better mom, but a better wife, co-worker, employee, child, and example.

post signature

Blessed

2012-02-07T10:30:00.002-05:00

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

As I was uploading some pictures yesterday I realized just how lucky I am. I have a wonderful husband who loves me so much and two of the sweetest girls I could ever imagine. I love them so much and wonder how I got so lucky.....God is so amazing and beside giving me salvation he has blessed me with these wonderful people who I can say are MY family! I love them so much and just wanted to show you my family of 4......Blessed is a word that does not even begin to describe how lucky I am and how I am feeling!

All she wants to do is dance.......

2012-02-06T10:19:00.003-05:00

Calleigh started dance classes in September.....and she loves them! Recently, her dance class danced at a local Boy's Varsity Basketball game during half time.........I am planning on posting the video I took later today or tomorrow, but here is a little sneak peak of a few pictures! Enjoy!

David Nail - Let It Rain

2012-01-18T08:57:00.001-05:00

As you may have noticed, I have a new blog design......cute, huh? Jenissa over at Once Upon a Blog designed it for me.......I love it!

Over the last couple of years I have began to like singer David Nail. He is great. Some songs you may know are "Red Light" and "Let it rain". Here is the video to let it rain......enjoy!

Christmas Recap and Much more

2012-01-10T14:16:00.003-05:00

Well, Christmas has come and gone once again and things are so busy with us.....does it ever slow down? The girls both had a wonderful Christmas! As did Mommy and Daddy. Calleigh got an American girl doll, a Leap Pad, some clothes, and new dance outfit and much more! Addie got some dolls, clothes, and an American Girl bitty baby! They both also got some new decorations for their rooms. Andrew and I got a Wii, money, and clothes. I bought him a new jacket and he got me a Kindle Fire and I AM IN LOVE WITH IT!!!!

My blog is going through a little construction and I am so excited about the changes that are coming......I have seen a sneak peek and I love it! Jenissa is doing a great job and I can not wait to share it with all of you!

For 2012 Andrew and I have started a few things(not resolutions so much) and they are going well. We have started a new budget and hopefully by 2016 we will have all of our debt cleared....some student loans included. All we should be paying by then will be our monthly bills and that will be glorious. We are going to start saving for a new truck for him and also save for our future home! And that makes me super happy. We have a few more updates that we would like to do to our house, then live in it for 5-7 more years and then build and make the move and that's GREAT news! We have also been eating our meals at the table as a family. I know that does not sound like something we should just now be doing, however, Calleigh has a little table and chairs she like to eat at and Andrew and I just always ate in the living room. We decided that we both always ate at the table when we were younger and we wanted to start doing that with the girls. We have also been playing Wii together as a family almost every night and it is a fun way for us to all spend some quality time together. Andrew and I are going to try to go on a date every month....just the two of us......so let's pray that these things continue to happen!

I have also started reading a lot more(now that I have the Kindle) like I used to. I have also began to lose some weight and I would like to continue to do that.

Life is good at the Wibbeler household........SUPER BUSY, but good! I hope to post some pictures of my sweet girls soon!

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-15T13:42:00.005-05:00

So, I have not been on here much but here a few updates. On December 1, Addie learned to sit up unassisted and roll from her belly to her back. She went the get her shots and to the doctor today for her 6 month well baby checkup. She weights 19.09 pounds, is 27 inches long, and her head circumference is 17 inches. She is doing great! Just perfect!

My blog is under construction as Jennisa at Once Upon a Blog is working to make it beautiful and add both of my girls to it, not just one.

We wanted to take time to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Want some inspiration?

2011-12-08T16:10:00.002-05:00

As Andrew and I were watching TV the other day, we once again saw this speech by Jimmy V. If you don't know who he is, go to www.jimmyv.org and check him out. He was an amazing man. We were watching the speech and it was so inspirational.It is long, but so worht it. From a man who knew he was going to die. Wow. Here it is:

Thank you, Thank you very much. Thank you. That’s the lowest I’ve ever seen Dick Vitale since the owner of the Detroit Pistons called him in and told him he should go into broadcasting.

The I can’t tell you what an honor it is, to even be mentioned in the same breath with Arthur Ashe. This is something I certainly will treasure forever. But, as it was said on the tape, and I also don’t have one of those things going with the cue cards, so I’m going to speak longer than anybody else has spoken tonight. That’s the way it goes. Time is very precious to me. I don’t know how much I have left and I have some things that I would like to say. Hopefully, at the end, I will have said something that will be important to other people too.

But, I can’t help it. Now I’m fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how’s your day, and nothing is changed for me. As Dick said, I’m a very emotional and passionate man. I can’t help it. That’s being the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano. It comes with the territory. We hug, we kiss, we love. When people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it’s the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.

I rode on the plane up today with Mike Krzyzewski, my good friend and wonderful coach. People don’t realize he’s ten times a better person than he is a coach, and we know he’s a great coach. He’s meant a lot to me in these last five or six months with my battle. But when I look at Mike, I think, we competed against each other as players. I coached against him for fifteen years, and I always have to think about what’s important in life to me are these three things. Where you started, where you are and where you’re going to be. Those are the three things that I try to do every day. When I think about getting up and giving a speech, I can’t help it. I have to remember the first speech I ever gave.

I was coaching at Rutgers University, that was my first job, oh that’s wonderful (reaction to applause), and I was the freshman coach. That’s when freshmen played on freshman teams, and I was so fired up about my first job. I see Lou Holtz here. Coach Holtz, who doesn’t like the very first job you had? The very first time you stood in the locker room to give a pep talk. That’s a special place, the locker room, for a coach to give a talk. So my idol as a coach was Vince Lombardi, and I read this book called “Commitment To Excellence” by Vince Lombardi. And in the book, Lombardi talked about the fist time he spoke before his Green Bay Packers team in the locker room, and they were perennial losers. I’m reading this and Lombardi said he was thinking should it be a long talk, or a short talk? But he wanted it to be emotional, so it would be brief. So here’s what I did. Normally you get in the locker room, I don’t know, twenty-five minutes, a half hour before the team takes the field, you do your little x and o’s, and then you give the great Knute Rockne talk. We all do. Speech number eight-four. You pull them right out, you get ready. You get your squad ready. Well, this is the first one I ever gave and I read this thing. Lombardi, what he said was he didn’t go in, he waited. His team wondering, where is he? Where is this great coach? He’s not there. Ten minutes he’s still not there. Three minutes before they could take the field Lombardi comes in, bangs the door open, and I think you all remember what great presence he had, great presence. He walked in and he walked back and forth, like this, just walked, staring at the players. He said, “All eyes on me.” I’m reading this in this book. I’m getting this picture of Lombardi before his first game and he said “Gentlemen, we will be successful this year, if you can focus on three things, and three things only. Your family, your religion and the Green Bay Packers.” They knocked the walls down and the rest was history. I said, that’s beautiful. I’m going to do that. Your family, your religion and Rutgers basketball. That’s it. I had it. Listen, I’m twenty-one years old. The kids I’m coaching are nineteen, and I’m going to be the greatest coach in the world, the next Lombardi. I’m practicing outside of the locker room and the managers tell me you got to go in. Not yet, not yet, family, religion, Rutgers Basketball. All eyes on me. I got it, I got it. Then finally he said, three minutes, I said fine. True story. I go to knock the doors open just like Lombardi. Boom! They don’t open. I almost broke my arm. Now I was down, the players were looking. Help the coach out, help him out. Now I did like Lombardi, I walked back and forth, and I was going like that with my arm getting the feeling back in it. Finally I said, “Gentlemen, all eyes on me.” These kids wanted to play, they’re nineteen. “Let’s go,” I said. “Gentlemen, we’ll be successful this year if you can focus on three things, and three things only. Your family, your religion and the Green Bay Packers,” I told them. I did that. I remember that. I remember where I came from.

It’s so important to know where you are. I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. You have to be willing to work for it.

I talked about my family, my family’s so important. People think I have courage. The courage in my family are my wife Pam, my three daughters, here, Nicole, Jamie, LeeAnn, my mom, who’s right here too. That screen is flashing up there thirty seconds like I care about that screen right now, huh? I got tumors all over my body. I’m worried about some guy in the back going thirty seconds? You got a lot, hey va fa napoli, buddy. You got a lot.
I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you’re emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm,” to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.

Now I look at where I am now and I know what I want to do. What I would like to be able to do is spend whatever time I have left and to give, and maybe, some hope to others. Arthur Ashe Foundation is a wonderful thing, and AIDS, the amount of money pouring in for AIDS is not enough, but is significant. But if I told you it’s ten times the amount that goes in for cancer research. I also told you that five hundred thousand people will die this year of cancer. I also tell you that one in every four will be afflicted with this disease, and yet somehow, we seem to have put it in a little bit of the background. I want to bring it back on the front table. We need your help. I need your help. We need money for research. It may not save my life. It may save my children’s lives. It may save someone you love. And ESPN has been so kind to support me in this endeavor and allow me to announce tonight, that with ESPN’s support, which means what? Their money and their dollars and they’re helping me-we are starting the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. And its motto is “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.” That’s what I’m going to try to do every minute that I have left. I will thank God for the day and the moment I have. If you see me, smile and give me a hug. That’s important to me too. But try if you can to support, whether it’s AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper and might actually be cured of this dreaded disease. I can’t thank ESPN enough for allowing this to happen. I’m going to work as hard as I can for cancer research and hopefully, maybe, we’ll have some cures and some breakthroughs. I’d like to think, I’m going to fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the Arthur Ashe recipient. I want to give it next year!

I know, I gotta go, I gotta go, and I got one last thing and I said it before, and I want to say it again. Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.

I thank you and God bless you all.

As I re-read it, I realize what courage that took and how strong he really was. I looked more into him and he really was an amazing person. How can you not be inspired by that?

Addie is getting a tooth and pictures!

2011-11-08T14:08:00.002-05:00

Last night at Andrew's school they had a Preview Night. This is where they introduce the basketball teams, the cheerleaders, and the dance team. They have a chili supper before hand. It is just a fun night with fun events and a little scrimmage to show you how the teams are going to look this year. It was fun and about 15 minutes in Addie grabbed my hand and stuck it in her mouth. Nothing new, as she is in the "Chewing" stage and she sticks everything in her mouth......however this time, I felt some little points and realized she is getting her fist tooth! She is getting so big which makes me sad but she is so fun and I love having two beautiful girls!

I posted some pics yesterday, but if you would like to see more here is the link:

http://samd9865.zenfolio.com/p194045469

They turned out great and I really like all of them!

Changes and pictures

2011-11-07T15:09:00.004-05:00

After thinking about it, I am going to postpone the Life 365 until January 1. That way I can follow the calendar year and be right on track.

Over the weekend, we had a close family friend take some pics of the girls mostly for Christmas cards, are here are a few for a sneak peak.....TOO CUTE!

I love the last one of them looking at each other for Christmas card and I love collage because it is so true to form!

Life 365

2011-10-18T13:55:00.003-04:00

So today I decided that I don't want to miss anything the girls are doing and I need a way to document the moments that are happening right before my very eyes.......which leads to my next project. It's called Life 365. It starts tonight. What's the deal? Well, each day you take a picture of something that happened on that day. The next day, you blog about it. Sounds simple enough....right? Now I just have to remember to take a picture each and every day. And I will not be able to blog on the weekends since we do not have Internet at home, but I will play catch-up on Mondays. I'm excited about this. I am going to do this. Listen to me talking myself into it. I feel like I sometimes miss out on things I need to document and what better way than this? Let's go for it!

Addie rolled over!!!! She is eating cereal too!!!!

2011-10-07T10:45:00.005-04:00

Addie rolled over for the first time Wednesday, October 5! Yeah for my big girl! She is 19 weeks old and so wonderful! She is full of smiles and laughs. I took her to the doctor last Friday and she is 26 inches long and her weight is 17 pounds! She is such a blessing and so wonderful and I love her so much!!!!
Here is a picture of Addie eating cereal one of the first times and she loves it! Calleigh is such a big helper!
I love these girls so much.........who knew you could love two little people so much!

It's been a while..........

2011-10-04T11:48:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since my last post. Our lives have been swamped for the last two months. We are making a lot of adjustments. Calleigh is now in preschool 3 days a week and dance class one day a week. Andrew has taken on some new duties at work, so he now not only teaches math he is also the assistant athletic director and is now also the Dean of Students at his school(which is like the Vice Principal!) I have started my new job. I have been here for about 6 weeks and I can say that I am truly blessed to be here. The pay was a nice increase, but I am doing what I went to school for. I am busy all the time, I hardly have any down time, things are different each day, and I love it! Addison is growing like a weed! She is 4 1/2 months and height is 26 inches and weight is 17 lbs! She is beautiful and I love her so much! She is a sweet baby and has made our family of four complete!

I am realizing more and more that I am very blessed to have the life that the Lord has given me. If not for him, our prayers would not have been answered. He gave Andrew and I each other, 2 beautiful girls who are healthy, jobs that we like, and a good life together. In September we celebrated our 6th Anniversary! I look back on the past few years and see that even when I did not know what God's plan was he was busy building me up to this point. I prayed for a good change in our life and when he gave us Addison he also gave us other job opportunities. I prayed for the for a long time and he told me to wait......even though I waited, it was impatiently. Just another lesson he is teaching me. It's all about him and his timing. It always has been. I just have to learn to get out of the way and let God do the work. It is not him that is in the way, it's me.

I will get a post up soon with updated pictures and from this point on I will do my best to post at least 2-3 times a week!

Kid Friendly Jokes

2011-08-10T10:05:00.002-04:00

Calleigh is going to start pre-school on Tuesday and I am a nervous wreck! We have been having a fun time and she loves to tell jokes so I decided to look up some good kid friendly jokes for her. They are cute, so I thought I would share for any of you who like good clean jokes!

What do you call cheese that's not yours? Nacho Cheese!

Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 8 9!

Why did the girl smear peanut butter on the road? To go with the traffic jam!

Why do bananas have to put on sunscreen before they go to the beach? Because they might peel!

How do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie in it!

Why was Tigger looking in the toilet? He was trying to find Pooh!

What did the mushroom say to the fungus? You're a fun guy(fungi)!

And Calleigh's favorite:

Knock, Knock......Who's there......Orange.......Orange Who?......Orange you glad I didn't say banana?!?

For some reason she thinks that is the funnies thing she has ever heard, she is so silly!

A lot has been going on since I went on Maternity leave and we have had a lot of changes. I plan on doing a LARGE post on our summer and all that has been going on since I have been gone VERY SOON!

Meet Addison Grace

2011-06-12T19:28:00.005-04:00

It has been a while since my last post, and here is the reason;

Meet Addison Grace Wibbeler

Mommy and Addie ready to leave the hospital

Big Sister Calleigh and Little Sister Addie

Calleigh is doing so good with her and she loves her so much! Calleigh is such a big helper! We are all making the adjustment from a family of three to a family of four but it is going very smoothly and we are loving every minute of it! We could not be any more blessed or ask for anything more!

Post 200 and One Week

2011-05-17T12:31:00.006-04:00

This is post # 200 and I can not believe that I have been blogging for 3 years now. I started this blog when Calleigh was born so that not only I can track her growing and changes but also for family who do not live around us.

Calleigh has been this light of our lives for 3 years now and it is crazy for me to think that in just one short week we will have another little light in our lives. Addison will be here next Tuesday and Calleigh is nothing short of excited! She told me last night that she wanted to just reach in my belly and get her out! She talks about her all the time and I know that Calleigh is going to be such a great big sister! She has been working on her potty training(pray for us!) and she seems to be doing rather well with it. By no means are we accident free or are we completely trained but we are getting there one step at a time! I am glad that she is getting it!

Andrew has done things that I am so thankful for and I can not believe how blessed I am to have such a wonderful and loving husband. He has been taking care of the dishes, laundry, and other household chores for me. This past weekend he even shampooed all of the carpets in the house because he knew how bad that I wanted them done and he wanted them to be clean for Addie when she comes home. He had also been cooking meals at night and even fixing my plate and bringing it to me because I have been tired after work. The love he has shown for me is unbelievable and indescribable. I am thankful for the person I married and the wonderful man that he is. I could never tell him enough how much he means to me. We are anxiously looking forward to being in the room together when our second little girl enters into this world! We are also looking forward to seeing the look on Calleigh's face when she sees Addie for the first time. It is amazing that God has blessed us with the wonderful job of watching and raising these precious, amazing little girls until they while they and we are alive here on this earth. There is no other job that I take more seriously than being their Mommy and being the wife to the wonderful man he gave me as a husband!

I got a phone call today on my way to work and it made me tear up a bit. It was Calleigh's future preschool calling to confirm that we are still wanting her to attend there and that she had been accepted. It is one of the best preschools in the area and I am excited that she got in! She has been on the waiting list since she was 2 weeks old(yeah, a little early, but it sure did pay off!) It made me realize that my baby girl is no longer a baby, she is getting big so fast and if I am tearing up already I know this means I will be a complete disaster on her first day! I know that I will be "that mom".......the one who takes a ton of pictures and cries after she goes into the building or I leave and she can't see me anymore! I know that this is going to be great for her, but my baby is getting too big too fast!

Well, I am getting ready to go off to lunch. Church league softball starts tonight so we are ready for that...........GO HOLLAND METHODIST!!!! I just wanted to do a little updating before I forget all the the things I wanted to make sure that I get down! Have a great week!

13 days and Matthew 14:27

2011-05-11T09:44:00.005-04:00

13 days........that's how long we have until my scheduled C-Section. When you say it in the form of days it sounds so close. We have not had any more episodes since May 1 and I am really holding out that things are going to be fine and we will have out sweet baby girl here on May 24th like she is supposed to be!

Calleigh is getting very excited and asking every day when "her" Addison is going to be here. I know that she is going to be a great big sister!

Andrew and I have gotten a LOT of work done around the house in the last couple of weeks....just trying to get those finishing touches in before the big day is here! We are almost done working with the landscaping. I am VERY hopeful that when I come home from the hospital that it will all be done waiting for me to see! (I will post pictures of the progress soon!)

Up to this point I have known that I am having another C-Section, but I am a lot more nervous this time. With Calleigh, she was my first and she was an emergency, so things we all new to me and went by so fast. This time, I have been thinking about what is going to happen and it is making me a little nervous. I am the ultimate planner, but knowing ahead of schedule this time is really taking a toll on my emotions. I have been thinking about it a lot more than I did with Calleigh and I am just really nervous for some reason. I know that I have a WONDERFUL doctor who I trust completely and I know that he always makes the correct decision about what it the best for me and the baby! I know that it is just a minor surgery where I am awake and Andrew is right there with me the whole time, but I am still nervous about the surgery in general. I know that I will have the great physician right there with me and that I am in his hands and he will never let go. This past week at church Josh (my pastor) talked about how we need to have courage because God is with us.

Matthew 14:27 says "But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid."

Then we sand the song by Matthew Redman called "You never let go". After hearing that scripture and singing that song I knew God was talking right to me. I know that he will be with me through it all and he will never let go. What a relief it was to know that when I am nervous and anxious he is right there holding my hand and showing me that I have nothing to be worried about. I am not going to say that I am worry free, because I am not good at letting go completely, but I am not as afraid as I once was. It's all because of Jesus.

Playing in the mud puddles!!!

2011-05-04T10:34:00.002-04:00

Last night we decided to go outside and Calleigh just happened, with Daddy's help, to find the biggest mud puddle in our yard! She had a great time!

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T13:53:00.004-04:00

These are just a few pictures from our Easter. The Easter Bunny came to our house on Saturday night since he had so many stops to make on Easter Morning! (And since we had to get ready for church in a hurry this year!) We had fun dying eggs! She had a good time finding eggs in our house, since it has not stopped raining for days!

We are very blessed, especially this year! We are having this little one VERY soon and God has blessed us tons! Hope that you have a wonderful Easter also!

How Great Thou Art

2011-04-26T13:52:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to share this, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I've been gone for a while........

2011-04-21T16:03:00.008-04:00

So, I have been gone for about 3 weeks....sorry. With Addison coming so soon we are trying to get things ready! We have been having some pretty bad storms here also. This past Tuesday we had a MAJOR storm and we are pretty sure that a tornado touched down right around my parents house. The roof on their barn was torn off, they had many trees down, but we are thankful that no one was hurt and their house is fine. God is good. Everything is fixable. Praise the Lord.

A little update on Addie: She is growing like a weed! And if you ask me she looks just like her big sister, but with a lot of hair! Calleigh did not have much hair, but Addie already has 1/2 inch! No wonder I have such heartburn!

She is about a week and a half ahead of schedule and I am feeling it! I have started having contractions, which I did not have with Calleigh since she was an emergency C-Section. I am feeling a LOT of pressure and getting a little uncomfortable. I am not freaking out though, I am pretty calm about everything. I am excited to meet our new little princess! And my oldest princess is getting excited to meet her sister! She is going to be such a helper and that makes Mommy very happy!!!!

Calleigh had an excellent birthday! Here are some pictures from her 3rd birthday party!

She got a lot of nice things including her very own TV for her bedroom! She has really taken to potty training and even though she has had a few accidents we are very proud of her!

We recently had maternity pictures taken.....we bought a package that includes Maternity, Newborn, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year. Calleigh can be included in all of the pictures, we can have family pictures taken each time, and we got a really good deal that we are very pleased with. We have viewed the pictures and they are great, when we have permission we will share them with you!

I only have about 1 month left until my life changes for the better once again! I am so excited but so busy getting ready for her at home and getting my work ready for me to be gone for Maternity leave, which I am very blessed to have.......from May 23 until August 15......as long as everything goes as planned! I work at such a wonderful place where it is also partially paid!

I have been thinking a lot about so many things; it is crazy the things you think about when you can't sleep at night. I think about how thankful that I am that I am married to Andrew. We have such a wonderful marriage. We have been through so much with each other and it has only made us stronger. I heard a song thing morning on my way to work and I got teary thinking about how great he is. The song is called "Love Don't Run" bu Steve Holy. Sometimes, like any couple, we have disagreements that do not last long at all, but I always think back to the night, October 4th, when I had some blood and though I was losing the baby, he held me while cried, and when I heard these lyrics, I though of him:

"love don't run, love don't hide,

it won't turn away or back down from a fight baby,

i'm right here, and i ain't goin' anywhere love's too tough,

won't give up, no not on us baby, love don't run "

I am so lucky to have him in my life. He is such a great husband and an even better father to our girls!

With Easter coming, I think about of how easy it would have been for Jesus to get down off of the cross, but he didn't. He died for our sins. So, in a way, he could have ran too, but he didn't. Isn't that amazing? What kind of love that is! I am so thankful to be saved by the blood that spilled from that cross. And even more importantly, I am so thankful that he rose from that tomb!

I hope you have a great Easter! Remember what he did and is still doing for you.

Could be the best. movie. ever!

2011-03-23T16:19:00.000-04:00

I want to see this movie so bad! Does it not look so awesome?

What has been happening with us

2011-03-14T11:11:00.003-04:00

We have been very busy lately! With Addison's arrival coming very soon we have been very busy! Last week I had spring break so I did have to be at the office, but there were not students here so I focused on getting things ready for my maternity leave. Since I will be off for 3 months(Yeah!) I am trying to leave things ready for the people in my office. I did my best to focus on that and getting things ready for spring time!

Baby Addison is growing like a weed! She is kicking all the time and is a very active little girl! Here are a few updates on her:

Here is a update on what's happening with Addison:
I'm 29 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 29 weeks and 1 day

Size of baby: Addison is the size of squash and now almost 3 pounds!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained I know, but I have not checked for a while!

Maternity Clothes: A good mix of both maternity and my regular clothes!

Gender:It's a girl! Addison Grace Wibbeler

Movement: She is a crazy mover! She's all over the place!

Sleep: My sleep went from good to bad like the snap of a finger.

I get up almost every hour to go to the bathroom and sleeping is not so easy anymore!

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and rough housing with Calleigh!

Cravings: Salty foods, BBQ chips, pickles, chocolate(which I normally do not like!)

Symptoms: Lots of movement when I am still and showing for sure!

Best Moment this week: Going to the doctor on Thursday for our 30 week appointment and know that her arrival is getting a LOT closer!

Andrew had his final AAU basketball tourney to coach this year over the weekend and the team did fairly well.........they came in 3rd! The weather was nice between game so we came home and played withe Callleigh outside! She has a blast and it was fun for us to all be outside together! Here are a few pics of her and her daddy outside!

So busy but such a fun week! Looking forward to the weeks ahead. We have Andrew's birthday in a few weeks and then Calleigh's birthday and her party. My birthday is the next week and I hope by then to have Addison's room all ready! I have to pack my bag for the hospital too! Lots to do and I am running out of time! YIKES!!!!!

Have a good week!

Day 8: A picture that makes you laugh

2011-03-14T11:04:00.003-04:00

Here are three pictures that make me laugh:

This was so funny! It was one of the first times we let her eat spaghetti all by herself! The cheesy smile on her face tells you how much fun she had and just how much she really like spaghetti! It is one of her favorite foods!

During the summer, I took Calleigh outside to play while Andrew was mowing. She decided to mow just like Daddy was mowing and it was so cute to watch her mow the yard right along with him!

She found this toy at a softball game. One of her little friends had brought it along and she fell in love! It was so cute to see her waving at me as she was cruising along!

I forgot to mention that I had a week of spring break and would be on a mini vacation! But no worries, I am back and continuing on the 30 days of blogging!

Day 7: A picture of your most treasured items

2011-03-03T11:53:00.013-05:00

Day 7: A picture of your most treasured items. My most treasured items are

My family

and my wedding rings!

(Nice swollen pregnant fingers and all! Haha!)

Another thing that I treasure the most but I forgot to take a picture of is a blanket that my grandma made for me when I was a very little girl. Since she and my grandpa had my mom at such an older age(they were in their mid 40's and instead of being pregnant she thought she was going though menopause!!!) my grandma made the blanket for my mom to save for me as a wedding present when I got married. I am so thankful that she thought of doing something like this for me. It was such a shock when I was at my bridal shower and read a card that said it was from her. It is just an old quilt, but it is so warm and I love it so much!

We had a doctor's appointment for Addison today and everything looks great! She is measuring right on track, my weight gain is right on track, and he heart beat is at 167! Healthy girl makes me a happy Mom! I am so lucky to have such a wonderful, healthy family and so thankful that God has blessed me so much!

Andrew came home yesterday and told me that some of the kids from his school googled our names and found my blog. My blog is mostly for personal reasons and it helps me keep track of what is going on in our everyday lives, kinda like a digital scrapbook. It was also started for our family who lives away from the area. It is nice for them to see pictures of what is going on and to read about what we are doing. However, with that being said, if you just like to read our blog or you are one of the WC students feel free to read all you want! I hope it helps you understand that we are just an ordinary family, nothing special, but you also understand how important God is in our lives. He has walked with us for such a long time, been there when we needed him, and is there for us no matter what. I just pray that you also have a wonderful relationship with our Lord and if you don't or you have any questions, I will do my best to try and answer them! Happy Reading!

Day 6: A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

2011-03-02T10:53:00.003-05:00

Today's theme in the 30 day photo challenge is "a picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day". Well here you go:

There is no one that I would want to trade places with. I love the life that the Lord has blessed me with. I know that some may have more money or glamore in their life but my life is perfect just the way it is. I have a wonderful family, a husband who loves me, a little girl who is the light of my life, and another little angel on the way. I have a Lord who died on the cross for me, parents who taught me so much about life and who love me unconditionally, friends who always know what I need to hear, and a job that I enjoy. If you look at this picture of me and my girls(Addison is obvious in this one!) ask yourself if you were me, would you want to be anyone else? I didn't think so! Have a blessed Wednesday!

(P.S. If you are wondering why I have not posted for a few days here is the reason. I work M-F and only have Internet access on those days. We decided that since Andrew and I both have Internet at work we did not need it at home. It is nice that way because we do not have a bill and no Internet to occupy us! We had any extended break from work last week, which was nice, and then had a unexpected day off because of some terrible storms that ripped through our area. Lots in the area did not have power and we have a few confirmed tornado's within a few minutes of my house. I am very thankful that we did not have any damage to our home and that no one was hurt! Praise the Lord! )

Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory

2011-02-23T10:34:00.005-05:00

Our Wedding Day

The first time I saw Calleigh right after she was born

The day we found out Calleigh was going to be a big sister

Without words, you can just look and see why these are my favorite memories. I am looking forward to when we can add Addison to these! I am blessed beyond words to have all three of these blessings in my life!

Day 4: A picture of your night

2011-02-22T16:56:00.006-05:00

My nights usually consist of the following:

I get off work and drive home to Calleigh and Andrew or if Andrew has something going on that night, I go and pick Calleigh up from my Mom and Dad's house. We go home, eat supper, play outside(if it is warm enough)

or inside(if it is windy or cooler outside).

Then we get ready,

take a bath,

eat some snacks(cause I am pregnant after all!) and go to sleep. That is what happened at the Wibbeler house on a normal night!!!

There are nights when we got to a basketball game and get home late, or we go shopping on hang out with friends and then we also get home a little later.

Day 3: A picture of the cast from your favorite show

2011-02-21T09:55:00.007-05:00

Grey's Anatomy

General Hospital

The Bachelor/The Bachelorette

These are my favorite three TV Shows. I love them all! I have NEVER missed a single episode of any Bachelor/Bachelorette since it started! And I am not ashamed to admit that!

Some other shows that I also really enjoy watching are Castle, Hawaii 5-0, CSI: New York, CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Miami, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, and Army Wives! I occasionally also enjoy watching Dancing with the Stars(from time to time), American Idol(auditions only), and if I am bored House Hunters and Say Yes to the Dress!

What kind of TV shows do you enjoy watching?

Here is a update on what's happening with Addison:

I'm 26 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 26 weeks and 1 day

Size of baby: Addison is the size of eggplant and now almost 2 pounds!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 14lbs.

Maternity Clothes: A good mix of both maternity and my regular clothes!

Gender:It's a girl! Addison Grace Wibbeler

Movement: She is a crazy mover! She's all over the place!

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty good! I am very tired most nights, so sleep is easy for me!

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and rough housing with Calleigh!

Cravings: Salty foods, BBQ chips, pickles, chocolate(which I normally do not like!)

Symptoms: Lots of movement when I am still and showing for sure!

Best Moment this week: Beginning to get her room ready and my surprise present from my wonderful co-workers...the Vera Bradley Baby Bag in the Folkloric pattern! PERFECT!!!!

We had a wonderful weekend. Friday night we went to Menard's and bought some shelving and then went to eat, Saturday we hung the shelves and cleaned out Addison's room(now all we have to do is paint!) and went to the last WC home basketball game and on Sunday we spent the afternoon with each other, watching TV and movies and just enjoying the day as a family! It was so much fun! For Valentine's Day last week Andrew bought me this

and it so special to me. There was a time when I did not even know if we could have any children and now we have one special blessing here and another on the way! My heart is so full of love and happiness. I have been blessed with a wonderful life and never want to take that for granted! Hope you all have a great week! Happy President's Day!

Day 2: A picture of you and the person you have been the closest with the longest

2011-02-18T10:09:00.003-05:00

So, today is a picture of you and the person you have been the closest with the longest. This is an older picture from my wedding day, September 17, 2005. After my parents and Andrew, Andrea is the person I am the closest with. She has been my best friend since our first day of college. Ironically, we have known each other since 6th grade. We had lockers side by side (since our last names were Hays and Harvey) but the only words that were ever spoken were "Hi". We had different groups of friends, were in different classes, and did not involved ourselves with the same groups and clubs in school. We even sat side-by-side on graduation day.

When we got to college, our lives changed completely. On the first day we found each other in the commons area, not knowing anyone else, decided to eat lunch together. And from that day forward we have been inseparable. Our lives have followed the same path. We both went 4 years in college together, graduated, got engaged within 6 months of each other(to best friends none the less), got married within 9 months of each other, both searched for the perfect SUV, then hers was stolen a few months after she got it, I got mine, and 4 months later it burned in a fire, then both found out we were expecting with 5 months of each other and had beautiful little girls. Now, she had her second and I am having my second(both little girls again).

She is the best friend I could have ever asked for. She is there when I need her and our lives are totally in sync with each other. Our husbands are still best friends who coach basketball together, our daughters love playing together, and we have the best times together. We both have a love for the Lord, that has grown over time together as well. I am thankful to have her to pray with and talk to. She truly is the epitome of what a best friend should be and I am so thankful that God blessed me with her as my best friend. She means the world to me.

And all of the reasons above are the reason that she is the person I have been the closest with the longest outside of my family.

Day 1: A picture of yourself with ten facts!

2011-02-17T15:45:00.005-05:00

Day 1: A picture of yourself with ten facts:

1. My favorite color is pink. Any shade. I love it!

2. My birthday is April 5.

3. I hate anything fried. I do my best to totally skip fried foods at all expenses.

4. I collect Willow Tree Angels and Figurines.

5. I hate having socks on my feet and love getting pedicures!

6. I have done almost everything in the order I always wanted to: graduate high school, go to college, graduate college, get married, get a good job, buy a house, buy a car, get my master’s degree, have a baby, have another baby……….the only things that might be left are have another baby (possibly), go on a vacation to Disney with my girls and Drew, and go on an anniversary trip with my husband.

7. I have a wonderful relationship with Jesus. I was saved when I was 17 years old, baptized when I was 22 years old, and recently recommitted myself to the Lord once again when I was 26. I have done so much better at stepping out of my comfort zone and letting him lead me.

8. I love to cook. I am actually going to make some freezer meals this weekend for when Addison comes in May!

9. I do not like chocolate (unless I am pregnant!!!)

10. I used to love to shop and spend money, but now the only people I shop for are Andrew, Calleigh, and Addison. Sure would be nice to win a shopping spree for just me!!! My shopping consist of scrapbooking items and groceries. I am also now shopping for a new blog look if anyone has any ideas!

30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-02-17T12:40:00.002-05:00

I have decided to do soemthing fun that will keep me up to date with my blog. It is called the 30 day picture challenge. Here is a list of the days and what you do on each day. I plan on starting tomorrow. Keep your eyes open, you may learn a thing or two. And feel free to do it with me!

Hw many people have you shared the Gospel with?

2011-02-15T10:31:00.002-05:00

I can only imagine...

Heaven as written by a 17 Year Old Boy

This is excellent and really gets you thinking about what will happen in Heaven.
17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class. The subject was what Heaven was like. "I wowed 'em," he later told his father, Bruce. "It's a killer. It's the bomb. It's the best thing I ever wrote." It also was the last.

Brian's parents had forgotten about the essay when a cousin found it while cleaning out the teenager's locker at Teays Valley High School in Pickaway County. Brian had been dead only hours, but his parents desperately wanted every piece of his life near them, notes from classmates and teachers, and his homework. Only two months before, he had hand-written the essay about encountering Jesus in a file room full of cards detailing every moment of the teen's life. But it was only after Brian's death that Beth and Bruce Moore realized that their son had described his view of heaven.

It makes such an impact that people want to share it. "You feel like you are there," Mr. Moore said.. Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted. The Moore 's framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. "I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it," Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death. "I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll see him.Here is Brian's essay entitled:

" The Room.."
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings.

As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I have liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I have betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed at."Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've yelled at my brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents Often there were many more cards than expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived.Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.When I pulled out the file marked "TV Shows I have watched," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards... But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes.. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes.

Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him... His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, and so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

If you feel the same way forward it to as many people as you can so the love of Jesus will touch their lives also. My "People I shared the gospel with" file just got bigger, how about yours?

I just wanted to share this. I have seen it before, but this time it really sunk in and made me think. I hope you too choose to share this!

It's been a while...............

2011-02-14T09:41:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything. With the death of my Uncle, Andrew basketball games finally wrapping up (they won their tourney!!!), his Athletic Director supervising duties coming to a major slow down, getting ready for Addison's arrival, and spending time with Calleigh, thing have been very busy and out of control! But things are slowing down for us and we are VERY thankful!

Here is a little pregnancy update:

*Baby's now the size of an eggplant!

*This week, your baby weighs about a pound and a half, and is about the length of a small cantaloupe.

*Reach for the stars! When you're 25 weeks pregnant, your baby's hands are fully developed. She even can make a fist.

*The nerve connections in her hands continue to develop.

My dad has been going to church and that is such an answer to a prayer! I am thankful that a positive thing from my Uncle's passing is that my dad is really looking at himself and making some changes! Keep praying and now we are praising him for what he has done thus far.

On Saturday, Andrew and I went out for our Valentin's Day date. We went to Fazzoli's and then to the movies to see Just Go With It, and it was a really good movie. We were just excited to get to spend some alone time together. Tonight we are eating dinner at home and spending the evening together as a family. Just Andrew, Calleigh, Addison (who is making her presence very well known with her kicks!) and me. There is nothing more that I could ask for!

I will try to do a better job of keeping this update from now on!!! Happy Valentine's Day!

Restoration

2011-01-24T14:51:00.002-05:00

I have had a hard weekend. On Saturday Night, my mom called and said my Uncle was very sick and the ambulance was on the way. He was not responding to anyone and had just before been talking to my aunt. One of the last things he said to her was that he was going to see his brothers. The ambulance rushed him to the hospital and decided he needed more help than the hospital could provide so they sent him on to a bigger hospital in Louisville. Once he got to Louisville there was nothing that he could do. They put him on life support until my cousin could get there to say goodbye. After saying her goodbyes they took my Uncle off of life support and a few hours later he left his earth to spend his eternal life with our heavenly father.

Although I am sad that I will never see my Uncle living again, I know that he is living with Jesus. He loved God so much and had such a passion for the Lord. Everyone that you talk to says he much he will be missed and what a Godly man he was. He greeted everyone at church with a smile and when he said "Good morning" or "Glad to see you" he meant every word of it. He was a deacon at our church and will be missed by so many. Every Sunday at testimony time he would stand up first and say" I just want to stand up and say that I love the Lord and all the blessings he has given me and my family." It was that simple. And when you think about it, it really is that simple.

Uncle Jim was more than an uncle to me. He showed me how to love the Lord. He showed me how to love others. He was a great man and no one else can take his place. He was not only my uncle, but also my God Father. He always strived for me to know God. And I know that he wanted that for everyone he knew. And I do know God and love him so much. My uncle showed me how to do that. He will be missed but how awesome is it to think that right now, this very moment, he is hanging out with God. How cool is that? If I am a betting person, I am sure that God has appointed him the head greeter at the gates and when I get there it's nice to know he will be there for me!

Josh Hamilton: I am Second

2011-01-24T14:44:00.000-05:00

Josh Hamilton: I am Second

I am a few days behind, please excused my absence, but an Unlce that I am very close to passed away this weekend. As sad as I am, I know that he is in heaven rejoicing with our heavenly father!

Praise the Lord for Salvation!

Brian Welch: I am Second

2011-01-20T10:18:00.000-05:00

Brian Welch: I am Second

I have decided to further my commitment into learning my purpose. I have signed up and have now began the 22 day challenge. Step one: Watch this video and understand his story, the challenge, share it. I am sharing it with you. Have a blessed day!

I Am Second-Randy Moore

2011-01-18T11:37:00.000-05:00

Week 21 Update and I am Second

2011-01-18T11:18:00.004-05:00

I'm 21 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 21 weeks and 2 days

Size of baby: Addison is the size of a banana and now weighs a pound!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 12lbs.

Maternity Clothes: A good mix of both maternity and my regular clothes!

Gender:It's a girl! Addison Grace Wibbeler

Movement: I felt Addison move on Wednesday of last week

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty good! I am very tired most nights, so sleep is easy for me!

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and rough housing with Calleigh!

Cravings: Salty foods, BBQ chips, pickles

Symptoms: Lots of movement when I am still and showing for sure!

Best Moment this week: Feeling her move for the first time!

Recently I was talking to my mom and she told me about a website she heard about on the news. Randy Moore is a local new anchor here where we live. Most people here know his story. If you don't here is you chance. He has given his heart over to the Lord and now is associated with a group called "I am Second" Here is the description on what it is....in a nutshell:

Inspiring the Revolution of Second.

I am Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and
for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your
next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide
insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are
stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive
lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and
have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be
Second.

You are here for a reason. We all have needs and could use some help. Talk to us. Call,
chat, or email. 24 hours a day.

Go a step further, talk with the people in your life. Spread the revolution of
Second. Share the videos with friends. Start an I am Second Group in your
neighborhood, workplace, or school. Click on Get Involved to find help getting
your group started.

Or you can join an I am Second Group already meeting. Check out Find an I am Second
Group. Volunteer at concerts. Serve through I am Second community service
events. Organize your own I am Second events. Sign up for an I am Second
Expedition to help people in other countries. Check out Get Involved for
opportunities. Connect with us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

I am Second is designed to help people discover their purpose in life. Have you discovered yours?

Therefore, I have decided to keep not only myself but also you inspired I am going to post a video story at least once a week. The first one will be of Randy Moore. This is a challenge to all of you......have you found your purpose in life? Or do you need to look deeper? I am not saying I am perfect and I have a lot of searching and connecting to do, so please know that I am on this journey with you. Praying for answers. Seeking the complete truth. The video will be loaded above.

Daybook for Today........

2011-01-07T11:46:00.004-05:00

Daybook....

FOR TODAY....January 7, 2011

Outside my window....It is snowing outside, it's beautiful, but I wish that I was home snuggling with Calleigh and watching TV

I am wearing......jeans, a long sleeved shirt and a sweater and boots!

I am creating........some post for my blog. With Christmas break, I am a couple of weeks behind!

I am going........to lunch shortly, what should I eat?

I am reading......nothing right now, but hoping to start the new Nicholas Sparks book soon!

I am hoping.......that I make it home ok today, the roads were a little slick on the way here and it has just kept on snowing!

I am hearing........Ace of Base from the other of office, takes me back to my childhood!

Around the house.......my house is picked up at home.....needs a little cleaning, but it is in pretty good shape!

One of my favorite things........knowing that my family is healthy and happy! Calleigh is a sweet, growing girl, I have a wonderful husband who sacrifices so much for us and puts us ahead of him, and now we have a sweet baby girl, Addison Grace on the way and I can not wait to meet her in May!

A few plans for the weekend......We are planning to make a run to Rural King, Wal-Mart, and the Hospital for some pregnancy blood work!

A picture to share........We had a wonderful and blessed Christmas, the last as just a family of three, but we are looking forward to what the new year has in store for us! We have a lot of prayers right now, but we know that things are going to happen for us in God's timing!

It's a..........

2011-01-07T11:20:00.007-05:00

GIRL!!!!!

Miss Addison Grace Wibbeler will be born on May 24!

We are very excited to know that

she is doing great and is do healthy!

What a blessing!

I'm 19 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 Weeks and 5 days

Size of baby: Addison is the size of a small cantaloupe

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 8lbs.

Maternity Clothes: A good mix of both maternity and my regular clothes!

Gender:It's a girl! Addison Grace Wibbeler

Movement: I have not felt any movement yet but I know it is coming soon!

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty good! At 8 weeks with Calleigh I had moved to
the couch and as of right now I am still in the bed and sleeping perfect!

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and rough housing with Calleigh!

Cravings: Celery, Pickles, and BBQChips

Symptoms: Not a whole lot, no movement yet, but I have started showing!!!

Best Moment this week: Going to the doctor and seeing our little angel moving around!
What a feeling to see that little life inside you and know that it is doing well!

16 Weeks

2010-12-14T16:39:00.002-05:00

Baby's now the size of an avocado! Watch what you say...tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean she can now pick up your voice. A few more minuscule changes: Eyebrows, lashes, and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming.

Thanks to increasing blood flow, it's time for some major cash and prizes. Enjoy quick-growing hair and nails, smooth and firm skin, and a healthy glow. One bit of bad news -- your eyes might be feeling a little dry these days.

Things are going well, I am feeling good, and Calleigh is running around so happy! In just a few days, she gets to stay home with Mommy for 2 and a half weeks! And Mommy is SOOO Happy about this! Off to watch Daddy coach basketball! I hope to do a post about Christmas and Calleigh tomorrow!

15 Weeks, 4 days

2010-12-09T14:59:00.003-05:00

I'm 15 weeks!
Pregnancy Highlights:

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 15 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby #2 is the size of a naval orange

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 2lbs.

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants

(and sometimes I can still wear mine!)

but everything else is regular.

Gender:We will find out on January 6, just 4 more weeks!!!

Movement: I have not felt any movement yet but I know it is coming soon!

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty good! At 8 weeks with Calleigh I had moved to

the couch and as of right now I am still in the bed and sleeping perfect!

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and rough housing with Calleigh!

Cravings: Celery, Pickles, and Chips

Symptoms: Not a whole lot, no movement yet, but I have started showing!!!

Best Moment this week: Going to the doctor and seeing our little angel moving around!

What a feeling to see that little life inside you and know that it is doing well!

All aboard the Polar Express!!!

2010-12-06T10:14:00.006-05:00

On Sunday evening, Andrew, Calleigh, my Parents and I all took a train ride on the Polar Express. We waitied outside in the cold as we were getting ready to board the traing and it was snowing and it was PERFECT!!! After we boarded the train, we all got comfortable, and in a matter of moments the fun began! Here is a video of Calleigh when the train started moving:

As were were moving the narrator began reading the story of the Polar Express to the children. The conductor then began walking down the aisle punching tickets just like on the movie.
When we got to the section in the book where they talk about the kids having hot chocolate and drinks the conductor yells "Who's thirsty?!?" and all of the kids were so excited. The "elves" on the traing then passed out hot chocolate to everyone and then passed out red and green sugar cookies.

The narrator then began reading the rest of the story. Our train passed through a tunnel and all of the elves told us to make sure and look to the right as soon as we got out of the tunnel because we were almost to the North Pole! As soon as we got the the North Pole, Calleigh was busy looking out the window for Santa! As soon as we saw him her eyes lit up like I have never seen before and she was yelling Santa Claus! It was a moment that I will never forget! He boarded the train with us and gave each child a silver bell, just like out of the movie! Then the children danced up and down the aisles with the elves and each child had their picture taken with Santa and the elves! Calleigh had such a good time, as did I! It is such a blessing as a parent to see the excitement on your childs face when these moments happen!

Letter from Santa

2010-12-02T17:15:00.000-05:00

Letter From Santa Just for Calleigh Elizabeth Wibbeler

Week 14

2010-12-01T17:12:00.003-05:00

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

That's all for now......hope to do a longer, better post with pictures soon! Have a great evening!

Week 13

2010-11-22T09:34:00.003-05:00

Baby's now the size of a peach!Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords...savor this, their nonfunctional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with his head now only one third the size of his body. And intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy -- much more convenient.

Just a quick update.........I will be blogging more later!

Week 12, Sleep Training, and Christmas Shopping

2010-11-18T09:37:00.006-05:00

First trimester: Check! The nausea, fatigue, mood swings, and bathroom dashes should soon fade, but (sorry!) headaches and dizziness will probably get more intense. The good news: You're about to embark on the second trimester, when mood and energy levels generally peak.

As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of her systems are fully formed.

We had a Dr. apt. last week and our Dr. tried to find a heartbeat from the outside. After only being able to find my heartbeat he decided that he wanted to do an ultrasound to see the baby. He told us to wait just a moment and he would get the ultrasound tech and be right back. As we were waiting, we looked at each other and somehow knew things were alright. I was not nervous, mostly because this had happened with Calleigh but also because I knew this was out of my hands and God was with me. I had such a peacefully feeling and Andrew and I looked at each other and said "things are ok". At that moment, our ultrasound teach came in, told us she was ready for us and escorted us to the ultrasound room. As soon as she got on my belly our little bean was SUPER BUSY moving around everywhere! The heartbeat was a steady 189 and things looked great! Just like we knew they were going to be. We go back to the doctor on December 9th. We will once again get to see out little angel! In January we will be finding out what the baby is and we plan on taking Calleigh to that appointment.

Over the past few days we have been working on getting Calleigh to fall asleep on her own. I know, most of you have children who have already conquered this but I did not mind holding her until she feel asleep. But recently Calleigh has decided that she does not want to go to sleep at all. We decided to try the Ferber method. We brushed our teeth together, we unmade her bed together, we got her a glass of water, explained what was going to happen, tucked her in, shut the door and left. It was AWFUL........she yelled and cried for a good 15 minutes and then out of nowhere she realized that she knew how to open the door. Out she walked with a big smile on her face. Andrew took her back into her room and just as he shut the door she walked out again. I took her back in and tried again and she followed me out quickly. We decided this was obviously not going to work, so Andrew laid down beside her until she fell asleep and then he came to bed. Last night, he also laid with her and then came to bed. We plan on continuing this and moving away from her each time until we are out of the room completely. Do any of you have any other suggestions? We could use all of the help we could get!!!

We went Christmas shopping and I am almost done....like thisclose! I have a few more small items to pick up but I am about 90% done! Yeah! How are you doing on your Christmas shopping?

I am so excited to put up my Christmas decorations next week and celebrate Thanksgiving with my wonderful family!

Pregnancy Freakout

2010-11-11T15:56:00.002-05:00

I am having a minor freak out today, I know this is silly, but sometimes I think I am just going crazy! For so long it was me and just me. I have no siblings and had no one to share my life with. Then for a long time it was me and Andrew. We had freedom to do what we wanted, when we wanted, how we wanted and it was great. Then we had Calleigh and things changed but were able to focus all of our attention on her. She is the center of our world. She has every one's attention all of the time. Our lives are going to change drastically again in a matter of months. I know that I have enough love for two kids, but sometimes I question myself. Am I going to be a good mom to two babies? Do I really have enough love? Am I going to make someone feel neglected? What am I going to do with two kids, I am just one person? These are just a few questions that I already know that answers to but sometimes I freak out a little bit and think what if I fail?

The biggest things in my life are God and my family. I never want to let either of them down. I know I have enough love for tons of kids. I know that I will be the best mom I can be to both of them. I will do my best to never make anyone in my family feel neglected. I am just one person, but God never gives us more than we can handle and if he though I could not handle this he would not give it to me.

Is this normal or do you all think I am crazy? Am I just worrying too much about something that I should not be? Oh, I can't wait for these crazy feelings to go away!

On a lighter note, baby Wibbeler is excellent! We went to the doctor this morning and the baby was all over the place...jumping, moving, kicking.....it was so great to see! The heartbeat was up to 189 today! Things look great and I could not be more happy! Thanks for the prayers!

Calleigh, Baby, and Shopping

2010-11-10T16:22:00.005-05:00

I had a good friend, Jaime, send me this picture that she took of Calleigh and I trick-or-treating. It is impossible to ever explain how much you love your child. It is something you both feel, something that is irreplaceable, something that no one else can feel, and something that can not be explained, it just has to be felt. I heard a quote once that says "Our love is like the wind, we can not see it, but we can feel it and we know it is there". I hope that Calleigh always knows that I love her so much and no matter what she does in life that will never change. She is my first little baby, my girl, and there is nothing in this world that would ever change the bond we have with each other. This picture means the world to me and I just wanted to share a little about it.

Tomorrow is the day we go to the doctor again. We get to hear this little one's heartbeat again and I am so excited. It is so hard the first few months to have no clue what is going on in there and doctor's appointments calm my anxiety.

I am doing something this coming weekend that I normally do not do and I am really excited about it........I am going on an all day shopping trip. I have my list of what I am buying for all of my family ready and I am more than ready to get the shopping out of the way. I am not a shopper. I do like to go and browse but I am not one to go out on Black Friday and fight people for presents......It's just not worth it to me. I know there are many of you out there who love and crave that, but I am not one of those people. I crave family time and I am not a fighter so if someone else wants a present that bad they can have it! But I do hope to have 90% of my presents by Saturday evening. And there is no one else that I would rather go with than my momma. She gets me completely, we like the same things, and she feels the same way I do so it is perfect!

Now I need to get some work done! Happy Wednesday everyone!!!!

Week 11 and Happenings in our world

2010-11-08T09:58:00.002-05:00

We are getting closer to getting past the first trimester.......what a sigh of relief! Here is what is going on this week:

Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through it. But fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds, and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future.

We have been so buys the past few weeks. With deer and basketball seasons in full swing family time is a little hard to come by right now. Andrew teaches all day and the goes to practice. If he is not practicing he is deer hunting. Calleigh and I are spending a lot of time together in the evenings and that is nice but I am already looking forward to February when deer season is over and basketball season is wrapping up.

We get to go to the doctor on Thursday and hear our sweet little baby's heartbeat....and I can't wait! It is such weight off my shoulders when I get to go to the doctor these first few months. I know before long the appointments will get closer and closer and I will get to feel the baby moving but right now I have to put my trust in God and know that everything is in his hands and he will take care of us.

Happy Halloween and Week 10

2010-11-01T10:19:00.005-04:00

With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will start working too.)

Now on to my other baby......Calleigh was a baker for Halloween! She was such a sweet little Trick-or-Treater!

We had such a good time this year with Calleigh. She knew how to say "Trick-or-Treat" and "Happy Halloween"! She knew exactly what was going to happen when we went to each place and she was so excited when we got to a new house! I love her so much and I am so proud to be her mommy! She makes me so happy! I did realize that this is the last year we will have just one Trick-or-Treater!

Week 9 and Calleigh at the Pumpkin Fest

2010-10-25T10:19:00.006-04:00

Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like... well... a baby!

Last weekend we went to the annual Pumpkin Fest at my husband's aunt and uncle's house. Here are a few pictures from many of the things that we did that day: Painted Pumpkins, went on a hay ride, had a marshmallow fight, and ate some really good food!!!

We had a lot of fun that day! Calleigh has been sick with a cold for about a week and she just can't seem to shake it! We have been pumping her full of good healthy foods and some meds to take away the congested feeling. Andrew has been busy hunting deer and gets started this week with basketball practice. We are looking at a couple of busy months ahead! I am working like crazy, getting things caught up, and feeling pretty well. I am glad that so far with this pregnancy I have been nothing more than a little tired. Here's to a busy week and hope for a good week!

Week 8

2010-10-18T17:22:00.002-04:00

So here are some of the stats on the baby:

Your baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though you can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.

I am feeling well and things are going smooth so far! Keep us all in your prayers!

My best friend is also being induced in the morning with her second child so keep her in your prayers also!

Giveaway

2010-10-13T10:28:00.005-04:00

Lindsey over at A Work in Progress is having an awesome giveaway, just in time for cookin' some chili! Go check it out!

Tuesday's List-Crock Pot Meals

2010-10-13T10:08:00.005-04:00

Our family has little time to prepare meals so out Crock Pot gets used a lot! I am always looking for new recipes, so I decided to share a few of our favorites and I got some new ideas!

(1) Crock Pot Meatloaf

Andrew LOVES meatloaf and I am not the biggest fan. However, I decided to try this just for him, and it was actually pretty good. Below is the recipe.

What you need:

2 lbs of ground chuck

2 eggs

2/3 quick cooking oats

1 pkg dry french onion soup

1 cup of ketchup(reserve 1/2 c. for topping)

What you do:

Combine and mix ingredients in a bowl. Spray your crock pot with Pam. Form your mixture into a loaf and place in crock pot. Top with remaining ketchup. Cover and cook on low for 6 1/2 hours. Let cool somewhat before removing from crock pot. Enjoy!

(2) Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna is a new favorite in our home! It is so easy to make and so yummy! Enjoy!

What you need:

2-4 boneless chicken breast

1 box of traditional lasagna noodles

1 jar of prepared pasta sauce

1 c. buffalo wing sauce

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 15 oz. Ricotta cheese

2 c. shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese blend

1/4 c water

What you do:

The night before, we need to put your chicken in a crock pot and let it cook overnight.The next morning, drain all the water off and chop the chicken into small pieces. This recipe is designed for a 5 qt. crock pot, if you are not using one, cut back on your ingredients.In a large bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, pasta sauce, and 1 c buffalo wing sauce. Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of your crock pot, cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. You'll have to break them to get a proper fit. Add a smear(a spoonful or 2) on top of the noodles. Add a layer of the bell peppers. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded of cheese. Repeat layers until you run our of ingredients. Put 1/4 c of water into your empty pasta sauce and shake the jar, then pour the mixture over the entire lasagna. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. When cooking time is complete, unplug and take off the lid of the crock pot. Let is sit for 20 minutes before cutting into it or it will fall apart.

If you do not have time to cook this in a crock pot, you can cook the chicken and when you get home in the evening, follow the same directions and using the same ingredients except exchange traditional lasagna noodles for over ready ones and bake it on 350 degrees for 1.5-2.5 hours. Let it set for 10 minutes out of the oven before cutting to prevent it falling apart.

There you go......such a fast and easy way to make a good meal! Go check out the others......it's well worth your time! Enjoy!

Pregnancy News

2010-10-11T11:39:00.003-04:00

So, here is the scoop on our very welcomed surprise!

We have wanted and have been trying to have a baby for about 10 months. I finally decided that when God was ready he would give us a baby. Was I disappointed......of course. But I know that in God's perfect time he would give us another child, whether it was naturally or through adoption. Andrew and I had a talk on the Friday before and we decided that maybe God was holding out for several different reasons. Then on Sunday I had a talk with my mom and she reassured me that it was ok if we were only able to have one baby. And I was ok with that. I had accepted that. I have a WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL little girl who has already blessed my life in so many ways. I had let Go.

Then on Sunday night I was trying to figure out when things should start happening. And I was over.....way over my days. On my way to work on Monday I decided to stop and buy a test. I took that test in the very same stall I took the test with Calleigh. And I could not believe what was right in front of me. I called Andrew right away and he was in total shock also. We decided to wait a week so that we could tell our close family and friends. We told everyone that week and that weekend we had a big scare.

****This part is a little graphic so don't read the next paragraph is you have a weak stomach***

I woke up on Sunday morning around 4 to use the bathroom and when I did so there was blood. Not gushing or anything just like that, just evidence of it. Andrew got up, took me to the ER. They took some blood and did a pelvic exam. The doctor we had seemed to think everything was going to be alright. He said if I was having a miscarriage there would be more blood and when he did my exam he said there was something that would be open and when he checked it was closed. I was not having any cramping, which is a good thing. They said they think it was just something that happen and not to be too worried. My doctor was contacted by the ER doctor and said for me to do more blood work today so I went Tuesday morning and had them done.They schedueled appointment for last Thursday for an ultrasound and Dr. Beckman said we would go over my blood results then. If things go as planned, my blood work should show an increase in numbers and the ultrasound should show our sweet little baby. I know that no matter what happens things will be ok and I do feel like things are fine. I have not had any more bleeding since that morning and I have not had any cramps. The ER doc also told us that 50% of women have random bleeding during pregnancy.

I went to church that morning when we got home, and somehow God knew just what I needed. I was listening to the sermon and started thumbing through my Bible and stopped here:

2 Kings 4:26

“Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?”

“Everything is all right,” she said.

It’s nice to know that I have God on my side. And I do feel like it’s all going to be all right.

I got a call on Tuesday evening that my blood work had come in and my numbers went up, they actually almost doubled! I went to the doctor on Thursday and we got to see our sweet little baby. Things are fine. I am still not completely out of the woods, but things are looking so much better. Dr. Beckman told me that when something like this happens 95% of people go on to have healthy babies.

I have an appointment this Thursday again, so please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I know that God has big plans and he is walking with me thorough this whole journey.

As of right now:

Baby stats:

I will add pictures next week. I am feeling super blessed right now. It's still hard to believe.

Calleigh's News

2010-10-11T09:25:00.002-04:00

In May, Calleigh will be a big sister! She just wanted to share her news with everyone! We are all super excited! God is SOOO good!

To make you smile

2010-09-24T13:50:00.000-04:00

Smores and more

2010-09-24T11:11:00.003-04:00

Calleigh had smores for the first time a couple of weeks ago and she LOVED them. We has a small campfire on Labor Day with my parents where we roasted hot dogs, made smores,took a little tour of their pumpkin patch and a "hay ride"(minus the hay cause Calleigh and I are allergic) with Andrew pulling us on the 4-wheeler! It was a fun night, here is a slide show!

I have had a couple of hard weeks. Work has been busy, we are trying to do some updates around the house, and Andrew has been working a lot of athletic events. I have been praying a lot lately. I am praying for Andrew and I and our finances, I am praying for several people, but most importantly I have been praying for a baby. I have been through so many emotions with this. I have been optimistic, pessimistic, felt like a failure, felt like its' not time, leaned on God, prayed to God, and tried to remain faithful that he has a plan and sees the bigger picture for us. It's hard to go up and down, day in and day out on this emotional rollarcoaster. I know that I have to stay strong and God will do what is best when he feels it is best.

Andrew and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on the 17th of this month. We celebrated by going out to Olive Garden and to Coldstone Creamery. We skipped the gifts this year as we are trying to pay off some debt, but I could not have asked for a better night than what we had together. Even though sometimes things seem to be over whelming, Drew is always there...he is my rock. I am thankful for that. I love him, I love Calleigh, and I do love the life that we have.

I do think that there are stages in our lives, we expect them, we know things will not always be perfect.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What does the worker gain from his toil?
I have seen the burden God has laid on men.
He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Through this, I have learned there is a time for everything. When God says it is our time, he will give us what we ask of him. So far he has made everything beautiful and I know that he will continue to make the rest of our lives beautiful too.

At church on Sunday, we sang a new song. It touched my heart and I hope it touches your heart too. No matter what happens, I will praise him. Look it up. It's worth your time. I KNOW you will like it. (Justin Rizzo, "I will Praise You")

Happy 5th Anniversary

2010-09-17T09:46:00.036-04:00

Five years ago today I married that man who I love with all of my heart. I married my best friend. I married a man that I love more now that I ever imagined possible. I married the man who makes me laugh everyday. I married the best father I know. I love you Andrew, you make me the happiest person in the whole world. Without you in my life I'd be lost. You are my rock and always are there to catch me when I fall and hold me up. I'm so proud to say I am your wife....Mrs. Andrew Wibbeler! :-) I am thankful that not only do we hold each other up but that we have God to lean on whenever we need him.

Matthew West says it best:

"Hold you up"

Love is a blessing, Love is a vow

Love is the reason we're standing here now

The future before us, tomorrow is untold

But Love is the promise that whatever it holds

I will hold you, I will hold you upI will hold you, I will hold you up So give me your bad day, Give me your fearBring all your burdens, just lay them down here Cause I'm not gonna leave you, when your world becomes a war

I'm staying in the trenches, cause you're worth fighting for

Cause I will hold you, I will hold you up

And I will hold you, I will hold you up
And I will hold you up in victory

Watch your light outshine the stars

And when you're breaking down and weary

Just be weary in my arms There will be trials, There will be tests
As hard as I'm trying for you, I'm human at best
But baby don't worry, should you start to fall
Just cling to the one Love that's bigger than us all
He will hold you, He will hold you up
I know that He will hold you, He will hold you, He will hold you up

He will hold you, I know I know I know, He will hold you UP.

I love you Andrew,

Happy 5th Anniversary!

Fridays Fave Five

2010-09-03T10:25:00.007-04:00

So I filled this out on Friday and for some reason it did not post....so here it is today! Today(as in last Friday!) I am taking part in Friday's Fave Five. Today I am going to tell you five of my favorite things about Fall. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love so many thing about fall.

1. Fall leaves

Watching the leaves change colors and watching the leaves fall from the trees is such a wonderful display of God's work. Feelings the cool air blow while I am outside with Calleigh and Drew makes me smile. I LOVE hearing the leaves crunch as you walk across them and this year I am looking forward to getting to pile up leaves and jump in them with Calleigh!

2. Pumpkin Patches

In my opinion, there is nothing better than going to a pumpkin patch and picking out your very own pumpkin. I am looking forward to taking Calleigh this year. Not only is it such a fun place, it is a great photo opportunity! Watching Calleigh paint her pumpkin is year is going to be so fun! I know that she is going to have a blast!

3. Campfires and Smores

Does this really need an explanation? Roasting hotdogs, marshmellows, and most importantly making smores. Drinking some hot apple cider right along with it is making my mouth water already! YUMMY!!!!

4. Sweaters and hoodies

There is not feeling like the one who you pull on a sweater or hoodie. The warmth that you feel is just great..........ahhh. With the weather being cool tonight, I might just slip on my hoodie and jeans and spend the evening outside with my family!

5. The Smells of Fall

From the smell of the leaves to the smell of apple cider, it is all such a wonderful smell. I would just like to grab it all, put it is a container, and have it all the time. I love walking outside and smelling burning leaves, pumpkin pie, apple cider, marshmellows......it's just great! And carmel apples........YUMMY!!!!!

What do you LOVE about Fall?

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-08-31T13:25:00.006-04:00

Busy is EXACTLY what we have been for the past month. August started out a little slower than normal, but no worries because it has more than made up for that . The second week in August Andrew started school again. He is busy teaching Algebra, Algebra II, Pre-Calc and Calc. He is also busy with Athletic Directing. I began training Resident Directors and Resident Assistants mid August, had new student move in, began registration, a second job, and a few little fix it jobs at the house. We have also re-done Calleigh's room to give her a big girl bed and a new barbie doll house, a new Sunday School teacher for the Toddlers and Two's class at church and currently in the process of being the leader for the float for the local parade. It's almost time to catch my breath.........but that does not come until mid-September. Here is a few pictures of Calleigh's new room:

Over the past few months we have decided to try a new budget system, and although it takes a LOT of discipline, we are making our way just fine. The second job was something that I only do for four hours on Saturday, but it's fun, it's extra money, and I like it! I was stressing myself out majorly about what God has in store and I prayed for God to life those worries off of me. Ever since then I have had such a peace, it's like nothing else I have ever felt, and It's AWESOME!!! I know that he is walking with me to get our finances in order and when the time is right he is going to give us another baby. And even though it is not my time, I really am ok with that. Andrew and I have always had a good, loving and strong marriage but lately thing have been better than ever, and I know that it's all because I gave my worries to God. I feel like such a different person. It's amazing what this freedom feels like!

Just for fun, Calleigh feel asleep eating lasagna the other night at dinner and I could not help but to take a picture.......Too funny and Too cute!

Wedding and VBS

2010-08-06T14:47:00.008-04:00

Life at the Wibbeler house had been VERY busy lately. We were gone to Tennessee last week for my brother-in-law's wedding. We had a BBQ one night with both families, the next day was golf for the men and pedicures and manicures for the woman and well as the bridal luncheon and that night was rehearsal, that next day was the wedding, and then we came home Sunday. Andrew and Calleigh were in the wedding(Best Man and Flower Girl) and I got to help a little behind the scenes. I got Calleigh down the aisle then helped the bride get her dress all ready to go see her groom. I had the honor of praying for the bridesmaids, the mothers and most importantly for the bride. I was very honored that my sister-in-law, Nancy, asked me to do that. God is such an important part of Andrew and I's marriage and I know that Kevin and Nancy are going to have such a great life together and they always have God on the side. What a wonderful way to start a marriage!

Here are three pictures of Calleigh in her Flower girl dress from the wedding!

Waiting for cake...the best part! Yummy!

Posing on stage!

The Flower girl doing her duty.....throwing the petals!

When we got home we had Vacation Bible School that night and we have been there every night this week. The closing program is tonight. It was so much fun to see how much fun the kids had and how much they love the Lord. There is nothing better, in my opinion, than seeing the Lord at work, and boy was he busy this week! Here is a video of my little one last night singing the theme song.

She makes me so proud when she knows who Jesus is, when she says her prayers, and when we read bible stories I know that she is understanding who the Lord is and what he is doing and has done for us. I hope that through Andrew and I she sees how much the Lord loves her. He has blessed us so much and does so each and every day! Well, Let the Vast Voyage begin......off to the closing Bible School Program! Have a great weekend everyone!

Header Update and Pictures!

2010-07-15T12:58:00.005-04:00

Erin at Designer Blogs updated my header with new pictures of Andrew, Calleigh and I and I love it! If you need a blog design or just a header, go and check her out! Her link is in the sidebar to the right at the bottom, or you can just click here!

Here are a few updated pics of our weekend! "J", a second cousin to Calleigh, turned one and we had some fun at his birthday party. He was not feeling well, but his Older sister "E" and Calleigh had a blast on the slip and slide. We did not know there was going to be a slip and slide, so we did not pack a swimsuit for Calleigh. Luckily, "E" is just one year older so we just borrow a t-shirt from her! Here are some pictures!

The girls had a great time! This weekend is going to be very busy. Andrew's cousin is getting married on Saturday which means we have a busy day and then we have a lot of work to do this weekend around our house. We the last softball game of the regular season tonight, tomorrow night is work night at our house, Saturday is full of wedding things, and Sunday it is Calleigh and Mommy day as Daddy is going to St. Louis with his Uncle and Grandpa to watch the Cardinals play! Then back to work on Monday!

God in the most unexpected places

2010-07-14T12:10:00.004-04:00

Sometimes when we least expect it but need it the most, God shows up in the most unexpected places. I went to the dentist this morning for my 6-month cleaning and I was a little nervous this time. I usually am just fine. I have good teeth normally do not need anything out the ordinary done. Today, I went in and was thrown off. The dental hygienist who usually cleans my teeth was busy today helping with a surgery. A new lady, who we'll call "L" called my name. As I followed her back to her room, I wondered how this would go, how long had she been doing this, is she going to make my teeth hurt, and so on. When we got back to her room I notice some pictures of her children, all grown, 1 boy and 2 girls. She talked about her two girls and I told her about Calleigh. She read on my chart that I was taking prenatal vitamins and asked if we were trying for another baby. I explained that it took 19 months with Calleigh and we had been trying for a while. I also told her that I was going to have some test ran in a couple of days to see if I might be having some fertility problems again. She proceeded to clean my teeth and then she paged the dentist. We talked about my husbands family and she knew some of them and we talked about what a small world it really is.

When the dentist came into the room to take a look at my teeth, she was there with us. Dr. T has been a friend of my parents for a long time. I grew up with his wife. She as 10 years older than me and she was always like the big sister I never had. Jody and I were very close and we still are. She actually is the one referred me to Dr. Beckman, who is my OBGYN. She was the one who helped me get ready for my wedding and did my makeup. Needless to say, we are close and have been for a while. Dr. T told me that my teeth look good and then asked how everything was going with our family. I told him about Andrew, Calleigh and with trying to have another baby and everything else is going on with our life. He told me that he and Jody would pray for us. Then L, who had been my hygienist, also said she would pray for us. She told me when it was God's timing that he would give me a baby. She told me that it's his will. He gives and takes away. Then she got teary-eyed and told me about how she had a son who had passed away 10 years ago unexpectedly. She told me they only planned on having two children and then she was surprised with three. She said it was not their plan, but she was ok with it. Then she told me how God gave her three because her daughters would needed other when their brother passed away. And she was right. I never expected to be an only child, but I am. I never have wanted Calleigh to be an only child, but as of right now, she is and if and when it's God's will, he will give her a sibling.

It's nice to know that no matter where you are, God is there with you. He is in the most unexpected places. He is teaching me to trust him unconditionally and know it is his will and his time, not mine.

Calleigh's First Trip to the Zoo and Chuck E. Cheese

2010-07-07T10:56:00.006-04:00

We took Calleigh to the Zoo for the first time this past Saturday. She had a great time with Mommy, Daddy, Nana and Papaw. She LOVES animals and it was nice to relax and walk around with her. It was not to awful hot, which was nice. Her favorite animals were the Tiger, the Giraffes, and the Turtles. She LOVES turtles! After the Zoo we headed over to Chuck E. Cheese. The pizza and breadsticks were delicious and she had a great time playing with all of the toys and games!

Blogging Day of Silence for Cohen

2010-07-01T11:22:00.002-04:00

I will not be blogging. Instead I will be participating in this:

What: Moment of Silence for Cohen

When: Thursday July 1st from midnight to 11:59 pm.

How: Bloggers participating will post the Cohen banner (below) or simply post Cohen’s name in large letters on their blog.

Why: July 1st Megan and Brent will be holding Cohen’s memorial service. The moment of silence is an opportunity for Megan’s blog community to stand behind her and support her on this difficult day. Linking up will give Megan a chance to see the support at a glance.

Participating bloggers can Link Up on July 1st at Send Love To Cohen. Will you join me and help spread the word?

Quote of the Day and a small update

2010-06-29T10:16:00.005-04:00

Today when I was reading some other blogs, I found this on another blogger's page. I really made me stop and think. Most of the things in my life have fallen in place just like I had planned. I graduated high school, went to college, made lifetime friends, met a sweet guy, got engaged, graduated college, got married and have a wonderful job. We then got a puppy, got a house, bought our first car together, and then life threw me a wrench. We tried, and tried, and tried, and tried to have a baby. We decided it was time to go to the doctor. He fixed my problems and three months later we found out we were expecting. Finally. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would have fertility problems. I never thought that when we decided to try and have a baby it would take 19 months. I never thought I would be in that same place again, but here I am today. Trying, and trying, and trying. I had my whole life planned out, how many kids we wanted to have, how far apart they would be and now that plan has changed a little bit. God has blessed me with a great life, a great husband who loves me and a little girl who loves me. I have family who loves me. I have a God who loves me.....and because he loves me I know everything will be ok. He let me follow my plan and then he decided it was time to follow his. Right now, I am learning that it is not my plan, but it is his. It is not my time, it is his. It has been very hard for me, the control freak, to let go and let God. But I am. I know that if and when he is ready for us to have another child he'll give us one. Not when I am ready or think I am, but when he is ready. He knows who that little one is already and when he is ready for that sweet angel to be born then he will give us a baby!

I am also letting go of jobs. I know that Andrew will find the perfect job for him when the time is right. He will be a great Principal someday. But this is also God's timing, not ours. So I have to learn to let go...

I will get a post up soon with some pictures of my family. Sorry I have not blogged for so long, but I will get another up soon...I've been busy. Very Busy.

Calleigh and her boots!

2010-05-21T13:00:00.001-04:00

Show us where you live: My Town

2010-05-21T10:04:00.011-04:00

This week on Kelly's Korner the focus is on where you live, your town. We live in a very small town. All we have is a gas station, a grocery store, a pizza shop, and a liquor store.....oh, but we do have an AWESOME Library! Calleigh loves going there! We have at least 10 churches in our little town and one elementary school. This is where I grew up. I love it here. The closest Wal-Mart is 30 minutes away. The biggest town is Evansville and it take about 45 minutes to get there. To some of you that may be an inconvenience, but to me that is home and I love it! Andrew and I moved to a larger town, not huge, but larger and it was a nightmare for us. We started looking immediately for a house in the country. It's simple, but we could not imagine anything else. We love out life. We have a little garden on one side of the house. On the other side we have a swing set for Calleigh. I have a swing under two shade trees on the side of the house We can look across the road to a field a see many different kinds of wildlife standing in the field each and every day. It's wonderful! Since I do not have anything to show you from my hometown, I thought I'd share some local attractions that we enjoy each year.

Spring Mill State Park

About Spring Mill:
Immerse yourself in history by taking a step back in time to the early 1860’s.
Various interpreters will be on hand during your visit as you take a leisurely stroll through our historic district and view over 20 log cabin structures dating back to the early 1800’s.
Interact with our interpreters as they go about “their daily chores”. Throughout the season “chores” may include rope-making, candle-dipping, blacksmithing, gardening, and weaving.
The showcase of the Pioneer Village is the Grist Mill. This limestone mill is an original structure that was built in 1817 and still grinds corn to this day. Water flowing out of Hamer Cave pours over the enormous water wheel and drives the gears that spin the grindstones.

Marengo Cave

About Marengo Cave:
Two kids. An unexplored world.

The year is 1883. Two children are about to make the discovery of their lifetime - a never before seen world waits for them beneath the quiet little town of Marengo.

September 6, 1883 -Early afternoon- 15-year-old Blanche Hiestand, a cook at Marengo Academy, overheard some of the schoolboys making plans to explore a deep sinkhole located near the school.Blanche decided to beat them to it! She excitedly ran home after work and recruited her eleven-year-old brother, Orris. They grabbed some candles and snuck out of the house.Blanche and Orris quickly hiked up the hill past the cemetery by the church. They found the sinkhole, surrounded by a grove of trees, and climbed to the bottom.
Cool air steamed out of the small opening. Lighting their candles, the pair peered inside. Ignoring the darkness and the mud, Blanche squeezed into the hole. Soon she called up to Orris, "Come on in!"Together Blanche and Orris crawled down the steep, slippery slope. They found themselves in a large chamber that appeared to continue in several directions. They heard water falling and saw formations in the distance. Though awed by the beauty of their discovery, their flickering candles caused their courage to ebb. The pair decided to turn back. The slimy, cold mud made climbing out much harder. Blanche and Orris safely reached the top. The late summer sun felt good on their skin as the two siblings, now covered with mud, headed home. The original land owner was notified of the cave's discovery a few days later and the cave was immediately opened to the public for tours.

Mesker Park Zoo

About the Zoo:

Exciting things are happening at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden. Situated on 50-scenic acres of rolling hills on Evansville’s northwest side, this Zoo is home to over 700 animals from around the globe. While visiting, you will navigate the Zoo’s geographically grouped and realistically themed regions including South America, North America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Throughout the Zoo, thousands of exotic and regional botanic species adorn hillsides and animal exhibits. You will be in awe as you explore AMAZONIA, Forest of Riches, our newest world-class South American exhibit. We encourage you to take a moment to browse our website and learn more about our animal collection, educations programs, mission, and special events. Or better yet, plan your next family adventure at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden and see for yourself what all the excitement is about!

These are just a few of the places we like to go. Spring Mill State Park is about a 45 minute drive from our house, Marengo Cave is about 1 hours from our house, and Mesker Park Zoo is about 40 minutes from our house. We like having many things around our house within driving distance. So, you have not seen my hometown, but you have seen what we like to do around our home!

Top 2 Tuesday.......To do before you die.

2010-05-18T09:57:00.014-04:00

Today's Top 2 Tuesday is 2 things to do before you die. My top 2 are:

1. Be able to quit my job and be a stay at home mommy to four kids

......yes, we want 4!!!!

We have the blue prints already put together for our house

and we have land, now we just need to build our house!

This is my perfect life!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

2. My number two is to go back to

Hawaii and take Andrew,since he has never been, go on a anniversary trip to Bora Bora,

where we wanted to go on our honeymoon, and and Take Calleigh(and our other children) to

Disney World and stay in the castle!

Women's Daybook

2010-05-17T14:23:00.004-04:00

FOR TODAY

Write up and publish your journal page using the questions/picture ideas I have listed below into your blog entry. Be as descriptive as you can!

Outside my window...there is a bird walking down the sidewalk into a puddle

I am thinking...about what I am going to fix for supper tonight? Any suggestions?

I am thankful for...my wonderful husband Andrew and the sweetest, greatest blessing we have, little Calleigh Elizabeth

From the kitchen...I know there are dishes to be done..it's his turn!

I am wearing...a grey blouse and black pants with black sandles and lots of jewlery

I am creating...a list of books to read to Calleigh this summer...any suggestions? I have a good list going!

I am going...home in about 2.5 hours!!!!

I am reading...different blogs right now, but planning on starting the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury

I am hoping...that Andrew gets a public teaching job this summer and then we can work on expanding our little family :)

I am hearing...music by the Fray right now......it's just what I wanted to listen to..perfect!

Around the house...I have a lot of work to do to get ready for my yard sale!

One of my favorite things...is flowers...love this time of year!

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Tues-Softball, Thurs-Softball, Saturday-Cardinals game, Sunday-Church!!!

Have a great week everyone!

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-11T15:33:00.007-04:00

My Mothers Day was perfect. It went just like I wanted it to. Andrew let me sleep in a little bit, when I got up Calleigh brought me not one, but 2 mother's day cards that she had made for me. One she made at my mom's house. It had a pic of her in the middle and she had colored around the edges of it. She also has a fascination with flowers so she picks them all of the time. My mom had dried and glued some of the flowers to the paper. It was perfect. The second card was one she made with Andrew at our house. It said Happy Mother's Day on the front and he wrote me a little message from Calleigh saying that she was glad the she was "stuck" with my as her mom. It also said that if anyone asked her to trade moms she say "nope". Two of her favorite words are stuck and nope, so it was perfect! We ate breakfast and we were off to church.

Church was perfect also. I have been praying a lot lately, for many different things that are going on in our life right now and I just went the the altar and poured my worries and heart to the Lord and he just listened. My mom came up and prayed with me. If that was the only thing I had gotten for Mother's Day my day would have been complete. The extra thing I got at that service was to see my dad at church with my mom. I know that the knows the Lord, but I pray for him to have a closer relationship with the Lord, and he is slowly coming around, and for that I am thankful.
After church we went to a gathering for Andrew's dads side of the family. That was fun and it was nice to see everyone. That evening we had our mom's, my dad, and Andrew's step-dad over to our house. This has become a tradition ever since we have moved into our house. We grilled out and had homemade ice cream and it was great! The night ended with Calleigh bringing me 3 pink roses, one for each year we have celebrated Mother's Day together, and it was the sweetest thing I have ever seen her do. She went outside with my mom and came walking back in the house with the flowers in her hand saying "Mama" and handed them to me. It is a moment I will never, ever forget. All in all, this Mother's Day was perfect!

Andrew and I are going through a lot right now and if you are reading this and you believe in the power of prayer please take a second to pray for us. Andrew has a very important job interview on Wednesday, he is having an issue with on of his Masters classes, we are slowly working on becoming financially free of debt, and trying desperately to have another baby. Our marriage is stronger than ever and we are working on this all together, but we are a little stressed right now. Just remember us when you are praying. God brought us to it and he will walk with us as we get through it. He is always there for us, and he's counting on me and I'm counting on him too! He never lets me down, I just have to learn it's his timing and his plan, not mine.

What's been going on?

2010-05-03T14:40:00.007-04:00

So many new things have been going on at the Wibbeler house. We have been enjoying the warm weather outside. Calleigh loves to play outside and her new favorite thing is taking a ride on the lawnmower with daddy. At the beginning of April we started the month with Calleigh's second birthday. It's crazy that my sweet little girl is now 2. I still can't believe that just two short years ago Andrew and I were just that, the two of us. Sometimes I question what we did with ourselves with all of that free time. Throughout the month we have had my birthday, WC prom, sports, Andrew's turkey hunting, Andrew's brother moving home(well not home, but closer to home, at least in the same state now), and my school coming to an end. I am now in the summer session, so work is slow, but I am getting a lot done.

We are have a lot that we are praying for right now. Andrew is and has been applying for many jobs at different places as well as myself. We are just waiting for God to led us where he wants us and to let us know what he wants us to do. We are also praying for a second baby. It's stresses me out some times when I think of it. I question whether or not it will happen. I want so badly to have another child but yet I am so scared it will not happen. I always get my hopes built up and I am let down. It took so long with Calleigh and I am thankful for God's timing. I know that if and when he allows us to have another child it will be the perfect time just like it was with Calleigh. He blessed us with her and she is the best gift we have ever been given.

Andrew will be out of school in a month and he has the whole summer with Calleigh. I am excited for that also because he usually brings her down to my job to see me and spend lunch together. Here at my work we start getting off work 30 minutes early and although it does not seem like much, 30 minutes is quite a difference. Andrew starts softball soon and we are looking forward to that. It is nice to see friends who we only see each summer. Not a lot of exciting news, but something just to hold you over for right now. Here are some recent pictures. Enjoy!

Calleigh and her flowers

Calleigh after her lawn mower ride

Calleigh and Daddy and his turkey!

Food for Thought..Are YOU Jesus?

2010-04-20T10:31:00.000-04:00

Excuse me, Are you Jesus?

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding. ALL BUT ONE !!! He paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, 'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?' She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.'

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister....' He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, 'Are you Jesus?' He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: 'Are you Jesus?' Do people mistake you for Jesus?

That's our Destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.

KNOWING HIM IS MORE THAN SIMPLY QUOTING SCRIPTURE AND GOING TO CHURCH. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

Please share this..... Sometimes we just take things for granted, when we really need to be sharing what we know...Thanks

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

TOO MANY CHRISTIANS ARE NO LONGER FISHERS OF MEN BUT KEEPERS OF THE AQUARIUM

Calleigh's 2nd Birthday!

2010-04-08T13:02:00.003-04:00

Here is a photo collage from Calleigh's 2nd Birthday party!

I can't believe that my girl is 2 already! Yikes! I am so thankful for the wonderful little girl that God has blessed me with!

Do you know the books of the Bible?

2010-04-08T10:21:00.003-04:00

Here is a little test for you. Our precher sent this out in our newsletter and I had a good time with my co-workers finding all of the books....it's a lot of fun, Good luck! Here is the paragraph:

Can you find the names of 25 books of the Bible in this paragraph? This is a most remarkable puzzle. Someone found it in the seat pocket on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping himself occupied for hours. One man from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his johnboat. Roy Clark studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Victs mentioned it in her column once. One woman judges the job to be so involving, she brews a cup of tea to her calm her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot…that’s a fact. Some people will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. The truth is, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or scholar to see some of them at the worst. Something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have. Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation may help; books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers. And punctuation or spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete. Remember, there are 25 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph.

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T10:13:00.011-04:00

We had a great Easter with Calleigh. She really got into hunting eggs this year! We hunted eggs at Papaw Jon and Gram Gram's church last weekend and then our church, Nana and Paw's house, Great Grandpa Dennis' house, and Aunt Beth and Uncle Earl's house that evening.......yes, that is 5 Easter eggs hunts. She also got 4 easter baskets: 1 from the Easter Bunny at our house, then one each from each set of grandparents. Can we say a little spoiled? It was so fun and we can't wait until next Easter!

We hope that you had a Happy Easter!

Calleigh is 2!

2010-04-01T09:57:00.006-04:00

Calleigh is two today and I can't believe it! Where in the world has the time gone? Here is a preview of where we have been in the last two years:

April 1, 2008

9:26 PM

April 1, 2009

She is such a blessing in our lives and I am so thankful each and every day that she is just what we always wanted and that God has blessed out lives so much! I can't wait to eat lunch with her and spend the day running around in the yard with her celebrating her special day!

Calleigh Elizabeth, you may not be able to read this now but when you do I want you to know just how much I love and cherish you. You are the biggest blessing that I have ever been given and I am so thankful for the wonderful little girl that you are! When I dreamed of my child you are exactly what I always wanted, plus so much more! I can't wait for all of the times that are ahead! Thank you for being the light of my life and making my dreams of being a mommy come true! I love you baby girl!

Tomorrow I plan to post more pictures of our day together and then more pictures from her party which is this weekend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALLEIGH ELIZABETH WIBBELER!!!!!!!!!!

Our Gatlinburg Vacation

2010-03-12T13:39:00.004-05:00

We just went on a family vacation with Andrew's family. We went to Gatlinburg from March 5-March 9. We went to the aquarium and Calleigh had such a great time!

We also went to went to the Comedy Barn one night, Smokey Mountain Knife works, and some outlet malls and we had such a good time! Here is picture of the ladies!

My girl

2010-02-23T11:23:00.004-05:00

Crockpot Meatloaf and exciting news!

2010-02-18T10:37:00.003-05:00

So, Andrew and I are still trying different things from our new cook book. Andrew LOVES meatloaf and I am not the biggest fan. However, I decided to try this just for him, and it was actually pretty good. Below is the recipe.

Crockpot Meatloaf

2 lbs of ground chuck

2 eggs

2/3 quick cooking oats

1 pkg dry french onion soup

1 cup of ketchup(reserve 1/2 c. for topping)

Combine and mix ingredients in a bowl. Spray your crockpot with Pam. Form your mixture into a loaf and place in crockpot. Top with remaining ketchup. Cover and cook on low for 6 1/2 hours. Let cool somewhat before removing from crockpot. Enjoy!

We ate this with Over Roasted Potatoes. All you do with that is cute up potatoes into cubes and follow the directions on the back of the onion soup box. Just a little olive oil and the mix, bake, and they are so good! We also had rolls and green beans and it was so good! You can't beat a good home cooked meal that did not take long to cook and was not very hard either!

My best friend called yesterday to let me know she just found out that she is expecting her second child! It was a surprise, but they are very excited none the less. I am excited for them too!

Valentine's Day and "Where is your...."

2010-02-16T16:27:00.011-05:00

We have recently been working with Calleigh to teach her where different things are on her body. She can now identify her eyes, nose, mouth, ears, head, and belly. Here is video that shows her showing me where the different parts are.

Here are a few pictures from this weekend we took. These pictures are from Valentine's Day night!

Mommy and Calleigh

Calleigh and Daddy

Mommy and Calleigh(taking pics of ourselves)

We spent time together for Valentine's Day and it was really fun! We had a meal at home and exchanged presents before church. Andrew got me a new Willow Tree angel and I love her so much!

Here is Calleigh in her church clothes, looking super cute in her sweater dress, tights, boots, necklace, and bow! I love her so much!

With Papaw Jon and Cousin Ally

After a short nap

I am so blessed to have a great family and a sweet little girl! Life could not be any better for me, God has blessed my life with so much love! I hope that you had a great Valentine's Day too!

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

2010-02-11T13:54:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Andrew and I had crockpot buffalo chicken lasagna. I posted as my facebook status.."can't wait home to eat crockpot buffalo chicken lasagna..." and so many of my friends asked for the recipe. So here it is.....

Ingredients:
2-4 boneless chicken breast
1 box of traditional lasagna noodles
1 jar of prepared pasta sauce
1 c. buffalo wing sauce
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 15 oz. Ricotta cheese
2 c. shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese blend
1/4 c water

The night before, we need to put your chicken in a crockpot and let it cook overnight. The next morning, drain all the water off and chop the chicken into small pieces.

This recipe is designed for a 5 qt. crockpot, if you are not using one, cut back on your ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, pasta sauce, and 1 c buffalo wing sauce. Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of your crockpot, cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. You'll have to break them to get a proper fit. Add a smear(a spoonful or 2) on top of the noodles. Add a layer of the bell peppers. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded of cheese. Repeat layers until you run our of ingredients. Put 1/4 c of water into your empty pasta sauce and shake the jar, then pour the mixture over the entire lasagna. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. When cooking time is complete, unplug and take off the lid of the crockpot. Let is sit for 20 minutes before cutting into it or it will fall apart.

If you do not have time to cook this in a crockpot, you can cook the chicken and when you get home in the evening, follow the same directions and using the same ingredients except exchange traditional lasagna noodles for over ready ones and bake it on 350 degrees for 1.5-2.5 hours. Let it set for 10 minutes out of the oven before cutting to prevent it falling apart.

I hope you enjoy it and if you have any questions, please contact me and I'll help you out! Let me know if you like it!

Update of our life.......Post to follow SOON!!!!

2010-01-26T17:12:00.003-05:00

2010-01-14T18:03:00.001-05:00

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Calleigh playing in the snow for the first time!

2010-01-11T14:35:00.006-05:00

Here is a link to see a photo book of Calleigh in the snow:

View Sample Photo Books Create your own Photo Book

And here is a slideshow:

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Calleigh loves Spaghetti!!

2010-01-05T12:31:00.008-05:00

So, over break we gave Calleigh spaghetti and she loved it! Have a look!

Wait mom, I am not done yet!

This is so good!

Just one more noodle!

That was sooooo good!
As you can see, she at it all and loved every bit of it......then we went straight to the shower!!!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T12:29:00.000-05:00

Santa left a special message for Calleigh!!!!

2009-12-18T11:24:00.001-05:00

Calleigh has a special message from Santa...go check it out and make one for the little ones in your life too! So cute!

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/48f9a2f2bd6eb4084cd8797da1e9e29c

Sometimes God throws a wrench in your plans.....

2009-12-16T15:04:00.002-05:00

Andrew and I were talking the other night about how our life was. We both were talking about how lucky we were and what a great life we hve. Then, we got to talking about what we had planned for our lives before we met each other. Andrew had planned to graduate and live the bachelor life for a while and I had other plans as well.

In high school I took many business classes and decided that was what I wanted to do. I had big plans of going to college and getting my degree then moving to the a smaller city(such as Louisville) for a few years and then heading off to a larger city(such as New York) and be a working girl, living the single life all on my own. I wanted a loft apartment with all modern things inside, a little Yorkie named Bella to greet me and sleep with me at night, and plans to be out on the town with my girls every night of the week. I saw myself dating different guys for a while while waiting for my M.r Right to come along. I was just sure that he would be Mr. Suave with a good job in a firm of some sort and buy me fancy things and take me out to eat all of the time. Picture me being Kate Hudson in "How to lose a guy in 10 days" ........that was my vision for a long time. Then Spring 2003 came rollin' around.

In had been single for a while and prayed for God to give me a good guy to "date". Someone who wanted to have fun, dressed and looked presentable, had a good background and family, and was a Christian. And just like that Andrew dropped into my life. We had such a good time together and our first date was that February. September 2004 my life changed paths when he proposed. And September 2005 I became Mrs. Andrew Wibbeler. God had different plans. And my life took a completely different path than I had planned.

My life is better than I had ever pictured. Instead of jogging around Central Park I run around my yard chasing my sweet little girl. Instead of shopping at Bloomingdale's I enjoy Wal-Mart and on special occasions, Eastland Mall. Instead of fancy restaurants with top chefs I have a wonderful evening meals at Candace's Kitchen prepared by Andrew and myself. Instead of drinks with the girls late at night I enjoy my women's gatherings with the great ladies from Mt. Pisgah G.B. Church.

I once saw myself on the fast track to a big and fancy job. Now I hope to someday see myself at home with my 3-4 kids playing in the yard and Andrew and I sitting on our porch in our rocking chairs. Sometimes, God throws a wrench in our plans........the old go up in smoke and the new are laid out in his time for you to see. I can't imagine my plan being any different or better than what I have right now. However, I do hope that I can have one short vacation in New York......maybe Andrew will take me to Central Park to go ice skating at Christmas and later we can stroll on down to F. A. O. Schwartz to buy presents for our kids! Maybe if I am really lucky he will also sneak in a trip to Tiffany and Company and a Broadway play! A girl can always dream!

2009-12-16T15:03:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Show us where you live: Christmas Edition

2009-12-07T11:51:00.006-05:00

Show us where you live: Christmas Edition was last Friday and I forgot to take pictures last week, so here it is, better late than never! Enjoy......'tis the season!

This is our Christmas Tree, in the foyer so that you can see it as you enter the house and Calleigh can not get to it and pull all of the ornaments off!
This is one of the ornaments I made for our family and friends last year and I had an extra left so I made one for us too!

This is one of the ornaments that is on the tree. I have a country themed tree and country themed ornaments . Below is another.

Below you will see Calleigh's ornaments. The first one is from last Christmas and the one below it is the new one for this year!
This is the ornament for this year! It plays music from the back and all! I love it so much! And the little girl even has red hair!

This is the snowman and the large candy cane that is sitting beside the tree and if you look close you can see the snow on the ground outside!!!

This is the Nativity Scene that is on the bar in kitchen. Andrew and I bought this our first Christmas in our house and we hope that it will be passed down to our kids!

This is the Christmas tree that is on the table in the kitchen. I love how it looks snowed on and has the antique candy canes and stockings on it! Just the right size for my table!

Here is the mantle with all the stockings just waiting for Santa to fill them with goodies!

These are the three Christmas trees in the living room with red and green polka dots on them and the lights are multi colored. They are up a little high so that they can be seem from outside.

This is the baby Nativity scene in Calleigh's room. We got this for Calleigh last year so that we could teach her about the story of Jesus and that he is the reason for the season! This is the smore tree in Calleigh's room, just a little fun for her!

I hope you enjoyed seeing our Christmas decorations! Merry Christmas to everyone!

For her Nana!!!

2009-12-03T12:07:00.002-05:00

Scrapbooking Ideas Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

src="http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z78/mikerin3/Candace%20Wibbeler/signaturecopy-3.png"/>

Christmas Pictures Sneak Peek

2009-12-03T11:58:00.002-05:00

Digital Scrapbooking Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T17:31:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to take a minute and wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for and am very blessed! Have a great weekend and have fun with your families and friends!

I am now married to Mr. Clean!

2009-11-17T09:49:00.003-05:00

We had such a great weekend! Friday night Calleigh stayed with Andrew's mom. That night, we decided to cut Andrew's hair. I have been cutting Andrew's hair for a long time now. We invested in some clippers and now you can add hair cutting master do my list......or maybe not!!

We dropped Calleigh off with his mom and we came back home. We got out the clippers and Andrew setup a stool and got everything ready, or so I thought. He told me he was ready and we went out in the garage together. We were talking about our plans for the next day and Christmas and such. Andrew sat down, we kept talking, I grabbed the clippers and did my first swipe at his hair. WHOOPS! Little did I know that he did not put the guard on the clippers, he thought I would see it and put it on there. I was so into our conversation when he said he had set it all up and was ready, I thought he meant COMPLETELY ready, which he was not.......so, now, his hair is gone. There was no fixing or turning back at this point. We both laughed hysterically until we were crying and not breathing and I was one of the greatest moments. I will never, and I mean never, forget that night and that moment. After that we were talking about how great it is to be married to your best friend and how when things like that happen we don't get mad at each other, we just laugh. And that was one more reminder for me why I married him. He did not get mad at me when I messed up his hair, and even though I felt horrible,we laughed. It makes me smile to know that when we are old, we will still look back on this occasion and laugh just like we did that night. I am truly blessed to have married my very best friend.

The rest of our weekend was great too! Andrew killed a 9-point buck on opening morning of gun season. He was so excited and secretly I was too! I love the look on his face and the excitement in his voice when he finally kills a deer. Plus, he still hunts, but he is home more now that the buck is out of the way! He will still go out and kill a few does, but I am ok with that! We do use it just like we do hamburger and it saves us money and is healthier than other meats.

I had a jewelry meeting on Saturday morning. For those of you who do not know I am now selling Premier Designs Jewelry to make some extra cash! If anyone wants to have a party or place an individual order please contact me! You can earn lots of FREE jewelry!!!!!

Saturday night we were off to Huntingburg after Andrew's cousin Zeth also killed a buck. On Sunday we slept in a little and did some things around the house. The big highlight for us was that night, when the Colts beat the Patriots 35-34!!!!!!!

We have a busy week ahead with Thanksgiving just around the corner. We have family coming in staying at our house, so I have a lot of cleaning and buying to do!!!!

Hope you are having a great week!

Calleigh and her Great Grandparents

2009-11-03T10:37:00.004-05:00

Here is a collage of Calleigh and her Great Grandparents at Halloween. From Left to right we have Great Grandma and Grandpa Wibbeler, Great Grandpa Balsmeyer, and Great Grandma Hays. They all love her so much and you can tell that she loves them too!

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

"Trick the Halls"

2009-10-30T14:09:00.004-04:00

Calleigh gets to go Trick or Treating three times this year. Last night she went to "Trick the Halls" at Oakland City University(which is where I work) and went to the dorms which were decorated for Halloween and the kids all handed out candy that was donated from area businesses. Here is a collage that I made from last night.

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

She is also going to go tonight to see Andrew's family in Holland/Huntingburg and tomorrow night she is going to see my family at home around Winslow/Petersburg! I hope to make a page from every night!

Until next time, Happy Halloween everyone!!!!!