Hoovers in the Heartland: April 2011

Friday, April 29, 2011

My Heart's True Desire

Friends this is going to be a hard post for me. Mentally, Spiritually, and Emotionally. I am going to share with you from the bottom of my heart, my true heart's desire. I am already tearing up as I type these first few sentences.

First let me tell you what I believe,

I believe that God is the one true living God, infinite, all-knowing, perfect in all His attributes, One in essence, eternally existing in 3 persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
and
I believe that the Bible is God's word, truth without any mixture of error, totally sufficient, and completely authoritative for matters of life and faith. So when He says, "I have plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future," (Jer. 29:11) He means it, He has perfect plans for each one of us.

The problem is......

This is where I have my downfall, you see, I have had my own plans. Plans that CJ and I talked about before we were engaged or married. I have had for the longest time a desire in my heart, that I believe He put there, to not work outside of the home once I had children. To some that may sound like torture, but to me it sound glorious. I feel that if God has blessed my life with something so precious as another human being, then of course I need to be there and make sure that this life is brought up in the word, the way He intended.

So this is where I am stuck, these ~~are~~ were my plans, but I also feel that He is the one who put that desire into my heart. So I am torn, is it really His plans or are they mine? Could it be both?

And after the Hubs and I sat down and talked about our finances we realized that right now it is not feasible for me to not work, I had hopes of going part time to where I would only have to work 2 days a week, but that is not going to happen either. I was crushed.

I have been praying really hard about having peace about this, and thankfully God has granted me that peace. I am not as anxious or worried about our financial situation and trying to squeeze and stretch every penny. And He has definitely answered our prayers through my sweet Mother-in-love who is going to come to our home and keep Hudson on the days I have to work. This means he will get to stay on his routine, sleep in his own bed, I won't have to worry about a daycare worker just putting him in a corner or in a swing and forgetting about him because his sweet Lolly will I am sure never take her eyes off of him, I don't have to worry about some stranger not caring if his milk is warm enough or if they even know what to do with breast milk, and more importantly I won't have to worry about his safety because again he will be with his Lolly! Thank you Jesus for all the worries and fears you have taken off this child of yours through this amazing woman who gave birth to the man you planned for me to be with!

On that note I must say that it is still a struggle for me at times, like when I began typing this blog, not to be heartbroken that I will not be the one taking care of my precious baby boy every day. Even though it is his Lolly, I am his mommy, and well I just don't think you can ever replace a mother. So friends all of this was to say, please pray with me for continued peace about my job situation after Hudson makes his big debut. I have a great job, and I do feel like God put me in that place for a reason, I was just hoping to fulfill His plans for me there before our son came into this world. And if it is in God's future plans for me to be able to stay at home more with our sweet baby that He will show us what to do and how to better use His money.

To God be the Glory in any situation that He gives to me, may my life glorify Him and tell others of His great works, that my friends is what my heart's true desire is.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Really?!

Okay just a pre-warning, this is a mini vent post. Sometimes I just need to get things off my chest and this has been bothering me.

I am NOT asking you to do it. I am NOT asking you to try. I am not saying you are weak because you didn't do it. I am not asking for a response from you at all, except for maybe if you are my dear friend or family member because I need your support.

These are the thoughts that go through my head after every time I tell someone I plan on trying natural childbirth, i.e. forgo an epidural. You simply asked, and I gave you my honest answer. It is something that I want to try. I have a desire in my heart to TRY. I am not saying that absolutely not, I am not going to have something help me get through the pain. I am just saying I want to try. It is something that I have thought about for a while.

And I don't need your rudeness, "Oh you won't be able to do that," well thanks for your opinion but I don't want it.

"Well you are going to change your mind," well again, thanks for your negativity, but I didn't ask your opinion.

"Why would you want to do that, I had one and my delivery was perfect, I felt so good," well I am glad that you had a positive birth experience, but that was YOUR experience and I feel I have the right to try my labor and delivery the way I want to.

As the time gets closer to deliver this precious gift God is going to loan CJ and I, I get asked more often how I plan on delivering and I get these remarks back from every single person. I can honestly say only a few people, well actually only 2 and both of these had natural childbirth, people have given me words of encouragement. Maybe it's because they have done it and know that it is physically possible, or maybe because they don't want to hurt my feelings, but whatever their reason I wish that everyone else who thinks it's even their business to ask would do the same. Lift me up with words of encouragement, tell me that you are praying for a safe and healthy momma and baby, give me a hug and say nothing if that's what you need to do, just please please please

Keep YOUR negativity to YOURSELF!

Okay, mini-vent over. But seriously, why are people so rude?

Monday, April 25, 2011

Forgiven

We are forgiven, because he suffered and died on the cross. He payed our debt, so that we could live in Heaven with Him and the Father for eternity. I am thankful because I am forgiven. I am loved. I am wanted. Even if I was the only person on the face of the planet who needed a savior, He would have come for me. That is not something I can wrap my head around very easily, but I know He doesn't expect me to be able to understand, He just wants me to trust in Him.

We went to Athens for the weekend to spend time with our families, rejoice in the resurrection of our Savior and to celebrate the birth of my sweet husband! Here are some pictures from this weekend.

Allie Cakes making her own place to sit at the fish fry.

This reminds me of the song my Johnny Diaz, "Beauty of the Cross"

Me and Lenzi Lou! She is a big LA girl now

Having tons of fun as you can see!

Carrie Jo and Karis

The cross hanging in the sanctuary

The finished cross outside

My amazing but super silly husband and his yummy carrot cake!

Lolly got this from Fresh, in Tyler, boy was it yummy!

Sweet Brock, our oldest nephew

Ready to get out of her chair, she's so sassy

Getting ready to go hunt eggs!!

Look at the load he got! And he found the Golden Egg!!

He and the Hubs, and Hudson of course :)

All finished getting ready to see what kind of goodies they snatched up

Loving her new sunglasses, we loving to chew on them

1st time in the swimming pool, she is having a ball!

I wish I would have video taped this, she was loving the pool, good thing they have a fence around it!

Oh and we went to our childbirth class this weekend. We had a good time and it just made us even more excited and anxious to meet our sweet little boy!

One more month down

Well one more month down with only 2 more to go! Here's what's happened since I have last posted,

Week 26

Week 27

Week 28

And Week 29 is obviously a few days late, sorry, we had a busy weekend!

Everything is going great, I am feeling great and Hudson is moving around like crazy! We are almost in the single digits for weeks left, eek! Please pray that my nerves stay at bay and that we have a safe labor and delivery.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Sad Day

This morning started off great, I was off work so I got to sleep in (wahoo) and the weather is amazing which allowed me to sit on my back porch (which is where I am still at) and have my alone time with Christ. But then I got sad news, my sweet friend Natalie (whom I would have to say is one of the most special, loving, caring, Christ like women that I know) called and asked if she could bring me her almost brand spankin new pump she is going to let me borrow. I said of course and she said she would be right over. Now the sweet Kidd family only lives one street over from us so it takes about 2 minutes to walk from her house to ours, I heard her knock on the door and headed inside to answer it. Her sweet face was there smiling back at me, with her most precious 3 year old daughter Madi. Although it hadn't struck me yet I remembered while on the phone Natalie said they were cleaning out the garage, and then it hit. You see Natalie had mentioned the week before that Jared was up for a promotion at work, but was not going to be considered for it unless they lived closer to his office. So cleaning out the garage was code for, we're moving. So I got up the nerve and asked, so y'all are cleaning out the garage. She said yes, the relator was coming over tomorrow to look at the house and take pictures. My heart sank.

Natalie said that it was the best thing for their family, she is a stay at home mom and this economy has not been nice to any of us. It would def. help them save money on gas, and would allow Jared to be considered for this promotion or any future promotion. My selfish thoughts were in high gear, but who am I going to hang out with? Who will I share struggles and praises with? Who will be there to walk with to church? Natalie was there for me during a very ugly part of my life. She loved on me and my husband and prayed to the Father on our behalf. She is one of my best friends, period. She is the type of Christian woman I want to surround myself with, and now she is leaving me.

After she left I have to admit, I cried. Selfish tears yes I know, but then I thought about the time with our Father that I had just had. I read about His selfless sacrifice, the ultimate price for our sins. Dying on the cross for me a sinner, who deserves death and all that it would bring, and still he chose to die for me. This is the kind of selflessness Natalie is showing her husband, although neither one wants to move or thought they would for 30 years (her words not mine). She knows that this is the best thing for her family, for her husband, for his career, and she is choosing not be sad and sulk, but to happy and excited for the future. And I know that I would do the exact same thing for my husband, for his career, and for our family. So I prayed and I will continue to pray, for His comfort, for His will to be done, for the perfect plans He has made for our lives.

Abba, Father, Lord, I thank you for the friendship you have given me and CJ with the Kidds. I thank you for their faithfulness to you, and for the example they are being to others. I thank you for the commitment to trust in you and your word. Father I pray that this move will be pleasing to You, that You will be glorified from it. Keep you hand over the their family and bless their lives through this move. Help them find a new church home where they can grow and help others to grow just as they have done here. Keep them safe and close to Your heart. Amen.

We love you Jared, Natalie, and Madi!

Natalie and Madi Christmas 2009

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Getting Ready for Baby H

First let me start with a 25 week picture, well this is about 25 weeks and 3 days but close enough

A word for the wise or at least people who don't want to be perceived as rude,

Questions or statements you never say to a pregnant woman:

1. "Wow you are really big, how far along are you again.?"

2. "You look bigger than ___ weeks, is your baby measuring big?"

3. "Oh my goodness, it's going to be any day now isn't it?"

4. "You must be retaining water because you look bigger than ___ weeks"

Yes, these are all statements or questions that I have had people tell me. And they are lucky that I am a Christian woman who is good at holding her tongue, because I think some woman would have let them have it.

On a brighter note, we are getting ready for Hudson's arrival and along with that comes getting his room ready. CJ and I decided we were going to go with a Dr. Seuss theme for his room, and CJ agreed to paint it. It turned out even better than I had imagined, my hubby is talented at so many things. I am the luckiest woman in the world, sorry ladies.

CJ finished the upper portion! I love the blue we chose!

Isn't it so stinkin cute!

I absolutely love it!! CJ did an amazing job and I can't wait to start decorating!

And speaking of decorating our sweet friend Cricket is a beautiful woman and so sweetly agreed to paint some pictures for Hudson's room. She free handed all of these and is working on a Horton!

These have since had ribbon put on the back of them, I will post pictures as soon we actually get them hung!

Professional Pictures

Well I skipped blogging about week 23, oops. But I was just so excited to post pictures that a dear friend, Steve Gowan, took of us at 24 weeks. He is an amazing man with a heart for Christ and we had so much fun letting him take our pictures!

I love this one!!

This is probably my favorite!!!

We had an amazing time and Steve took beautiful pictures! Thank you LeAnna and Steve for helping us capture these memories on film!

What's in a name

What do you ask is in a name? Well everything! It's hard to pick a name for someone you have never met, but we have done it and here it is!

Yep, his name is going to be Hudson Shaw Hoover!

My My how time flies!

I can't believe it has now been over a year since our family was blessed with my precious niece Allie Joy! It seems like only yesterday...it was snowing and my sister and I were running all around Tyler trying to find a bow (yea yea, I bet you would have never guessed) for this sweet baby girl to wear home. We found one, and were off to the hospital. My momma meet us there and I remember the butterflies I had in my tummy as we walked toward her hospital room. I was so excited to see this baby girl that had already taken over my sister's heart. When they wheeled her into the room she simply took my breath away. My sister was glowing and I could see that God placed this sweet baby here on earth to be loved by our family. She was so tiny at 5 lbs. 14 oz, she was definitely much smaller than her big brothers Brock and Brant, and she had the prettiest skin.

And now, well she is 1 year old!!! (well since I am so late posting this she is drawing close to the 14 month old mark!) We celebrated this event with a Hungry Caterpillar Birthday, and Allie had a fabulous time playing with all of her little friends!