Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011!!!!

Wow, what amazing time in our lives!!!! 2010 brought about many changes in our lives. We continue to face many things daily, some easy and some challenging ones, but with God's grace we face them with our heads held high.

2010 brought us to our 19th wedding anniversary, how on Earth did that happen??? Seems just yesterday we were newlyweds!!!!! Praising God for the wonderful covenant of marriage and the challenges that accompany it. Emerald graduated from being homeschooled. A bittersweet time for all of us!! She started at Evagel University in August, a private Christian college that God has allowed her to attend!! She is thriving and doing well and is looking forward to returning after Christmas break. She also pulled a fast one and turned 18 on us this year!!!! How in the world did time go fast?? I all did was blink and she was an amazing young woman before my eyes!!!!! We thank God for her and her determination every day of our lives!!!

Nathaniel turned 14 and continues to amaze and challenge us daily!!! He definitely keeps us hopping and on our game. He is truly a gift from God and we are blessed to call him ours.

Noah turned 12, even though he keeps telling me he is only 11. lol He is our child of fearing nothing. In addition to his second year of dance, he loves to be outside and playing most of the time.

Rebekkah, ah sweet Rebekkah. LOL Our baby turned nine but seems to be going on 29 in her attitude and abilities. She made dance team this year, an accomplishment she has worked hard for!!

William and I continue to thank God for these beautiful children we have been given to care for until Jesus return. We feel honored and priviledged for this opportunity. We continue to homeschool, well William does that, and I am blessed to still have ajob to go to daily.

2010 was also full of challenges, whether it was facing situations with the kids that were more than we humanly could face, surgery for me, finding out the return of cancer in William's mom or just day to day life. We continue to handle them gracefully, with God holding us up in His everlasting arms!!!

As a facebook friend of mine posted this week, for 2011 I won't make resolutions but have expectations!!! Expectations of miraculous things to come. Expectations of being able to handle life's obstacles with poise and grace. With God ALL things are possible.

So goodbye 2010 and hello 2011!!!

Trying times

OK, so life is a bowl of "issues" everyday, but recently Satan has been on the prowl in the Farley house. He is rearing his ugly head at every turn. Maybe because I am off on medical leave, maybe because Emerald is gone to college, maybe because.....oh I don't know, maybe because I am human, I have been more easily convinced that Satan wants to condemn all I say and do. *sigh* I know that this is not what God wants for us, He wants us to be victorious!! I am just truly struggling these days to keep treading water and keep my head above to keep from feeling like I am drowning. I continue to leave on Jesus' loving arms and rebuke Satan's attacks, but would truly appreciate any and all prayers for us right now.

Been a while..

I have not fallen off the face of the earth, contrary to popular belief!!! lol Life is keeping me busy, in one form or another. Since August we have: moved Emerald to college, moved to a new home, continue to homeschool the other three kids, I worked and worked some more. Last week I had surgery and am trying to adjust to this thing called.....resting. lol I never knew what just rest meant. It is a hard thing for someone who is used to working all the time to do. lol I am learning slowly though, I have about enough energy for one outing a day( church, doctor's appt, picking up my paycheck stub) then I am shot. *Never* in my life did I think that this would be an issue for me. Praising God for the wonders he does for and through me on a daily basis. This has been a reminder that through God ALL things are possible.

While I am learning this rest thing, I am soooooo enjoying being around my babies who are home. I have helped with their school work, at their request, daily. I truly feel blessed to be in a position to have them home with me(sure do miss Em though.) They are some of the best medicine a mama could ask for during the recovery phase after surgery!!! William is amazing too, always has been for nearing in on TWENTY years!!! He is almost like the mother hen. lol

Friends and family have kept the food coming, so we are not starving(not that that was ever a fear around our house) and feel blessed and loved like never before. We love all of you very much!!!! Until next time........

A new day

Today I will be heading to the hospital for surgery. Please pray for God's guidance and direction for the doctors today!!!

August 13, 2010

Amongst many things, Noah's birthday party tonight, eye doctor appt times six this morning, arriving at the DMV only to find out I am now required to present my birth certificate to renew my driver's license, I am turning another year older today, Friday the 13th of August. lol While many people shy away from celebrating and rejoicing in another year here, I count it a blessing to celebrate another year. I was not alwys so upbeat about birthdays, but in 2001 I lost my dear uncle to staph infection after a successful stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma, Uncle Roger only got 46 burthdays. Ever since then, I count it a blessing to be blessed with yet another birthday. Thank you Lord for letting me celebrate another year with my family, to love on my kids, husband and anyone who comes my way. While life is nothing short of chaotic 99% of the time, I am blessed beyond measure and praise God daily for holding my hand through this journey here on earth. I praise him for carrying me when I feel I can not go another step, HE is there picking me up, dusting me off and loving on me like no other. Thank you Lord for blessing me more than I deserve. Most of all thank you for loving me even though I am far from perfect and fail You daily. I am truly blessed beyond any measure my pea brain could fathom!!!!

Randon thoughts...

While I don't fancy myself a bible scholar nor an eloquent writer, I feel led to share some thoughts tonight. While I have been having some issues lately, simple health issues, while I was out mowing tonight I felt God speak to my heart. I have been having a pity party, of sorts, while I muddle through these issues. Feeling sorry for myself, because I am on antibiotics *again*, because I feel like I am working all the time and going nowhere fast at my job, because I am preparing to send Emerald to college next month, because I struggle dealing with Nathaniel and his Asperger Syndrome, because Noah inadvertently makes me feel bad because he never sees me, because Rebekkah makes me feel unappreciated and because I feel I let William down since I seem to be too busy to do the "wife and mother" things I NEED to be doing at home. OK, I realize that was a huge run on sentence but you get my drift, I am feeling sorry for myself. Tonight as I was mowing though God spoke to me and showed me a few things, gave me some things to think about during my "me" time behind the mower.

So, here goes.....while I am dealing with many, many things right now. While I feel like my plate is full to overflowing and more keeps getting heaped on. I am NOT watching in a hospital as my child struggles for their very life, after undergoing a major medical "experimental treatment" for a health issue, I am blessed to have my children all living here under my roof (until Emerald leaves for college next month), I am blessed to have a loving husband still with me after nearly TWENTY years, I am not jobless nor homeless nor starving. He reminded me that no matter how "rough" things may get it is He who is carrying me through, I am not doing this on my own, I am no where near capable of doing this job alone, I need HIM to get me through. When I feel like life is more than I can bear, when I feel like screaming and crying, when I feel like having a pity party for myself, that I am blessed beyond measure. That He allows me to struggle through and it is He who gives me the strength to make it through every day. He is watching me to see my response to the things that come my way, am I going to run away from Him or *to* Him?? While it seems like the "duh factor" should take over, it is ultimately a choice, my choice, to lean on Him. To let Him carry my through each day.

Congratulations if you made it this far in my rambling. I truly have been remiss in keeping this blog updated. I am working lots of hours, doing lots of massages, getting paperwork stuff together for Emerald to head to college in August but all excuses aside I promise to try and keep updates coming in a timely fashion.

Praising God through the good times and the bad. Thanking Him for opening the eyes of my heart and my mind tonight, reminding me that He is in control of every moment of my life!!!

Michelle

Alive and kicking..

We are alive and kicking in KC. Been way too long since I posted but life is incredibly crazy and busy for us. Getting Emerald ready for college, how did *that* happen, she was just a baby wasn't she??? The rest of us are busy doing many things too. God is good to us and we are praising him for all we are blessed with every day!!! Will post more updated pics soon.

Michelle