{iPhone Rewind} :: October

Can't he just stay little forever?

When all the furniture is out of the house and you have endless boxes with which to play...

Playing in the fields/hills of Herman Baker Park! We had to be out of the house when the house went on the market, so we got an Airbnb for the weekend and got to enjoy this fun park in Sherman.

Reading with Daddy

"Working" Haha- he really wanted to work like Daddy

We headed to Granny's to play outside while the inspector came to the house. Eli and Maddie LOVED the sand box!

Aiden was super serious about sliding

Cute girlie :)

Eli and Grandpa :)

Maddie and Grandpa :)

While we were looking at rental properties in Virginia, we definitely saw a place with a bathroom in the kitchen. The toilet was right next to the fridge...

Those darn cows were running around Melissa again...

Basically our life the last few weeks...boxes and Legos.

He's so relaxed haha.

"I want to snuggle with you, Mama." Absolutely, Baby Girl.

We got to see another hot air balloon!

Awwww.....

Vacuuming. And looking good doing it.

We're Moving to Virginia!

That's right! It still feels a little crazy to say out loud, but we are so excited for what the Lord has for us next. So let me back up a bit...

Ministry has always been on our hearts. When Mike stepped away from pastoral ministry back in 2015, we prayed that it would be just for a short while. And while 5 years isn't a super long time, it seemed longer than we had originally planned. But the Lord had so much work to do in us in those 5 years, and we can look back over all He has done and see how He was preparing us for 2020. We have been praying over the last 5 years about the right timing to jump back into the pastoral search, and for varying reasons, the Lord seemed to close all of those doors. At the beginning of the year, however, we really felt like it was finally time to jump back into the search, so that's what we did.

And then COVID hit.

And like all things in 2020, we were left hitting the pause button on most everything, wondering what the Lord was doing. We really weren't sure that a position would come this year, as so many churches have had to suspend "business as usual" and quickly adapt to all the craziness that has become 2020. I really was convinced that He wouldn't provide a pastoral position until next year. But guess what? The Lord still works and moves, even in the middle of a global pandemic! :)

Mike actually connected with this church before all of the shutdowns, and for varying reasons, each side {at the time} thought it was not a good fit. But the senior pastor and Mike really connected, and he was so kind to stay in contact with Mike in his continued search. He would check in, see how the search was going, let us know he was praying for us, and send Mike encouragement. He truly was an amazing blessing to us for several months, as Mike continued to interview with multiple churches. I even joked with Mike that maybe we would hear from them again about a job in the future...

Fast forward to August, when the senior pastor reached back out, saying he really felt the Lord asking him to include Mike in the candidate pool again. Several conversations and interviews and questions and prayers later, we are now heading to serve the Church in Virginia! Mike will be the Executive Pastor for Chantilly Bible Church, and we are so excited for all the Lord is doing there. We can already see how the Lord has been preparing Mike's skill set for this particular position, where he will be able to use both his pastoral gifting and the leadership/business skills he has developed over the past 5 years. 

This is a BIG move. We have always said that we wanted to be open-handed about where the Lord might place us. But that sounds nice and godly until you actually have to consider moving out of the only state you have ever lived in, away from family and friends, away from all things familiar. I mean, we all know how much I like adventure and risk and scary, new things, right? {If you're new here...not so much}  :)

But despite how scary a big move like this can feel at times, I have been amazed at how much peace and purpose the Lord has brought to my heart. I don't have any doubts about making this move. I mean, it has been a stretch for my Type-A brain to figure out how to pack everything up, sell our house, and move across the country...with 3 toddlers and a geriatric dog. But the Lord has already been faithful, and I trust that He is going to continue working out the details. Knowing that we will be following the Lord's leading gives me the courage to face some new, scary, exciting things coming over the next few months.

We are excited to be back in pastoral ministry, that Mike gets to use his gifts again vocationally. We are excited about the unique time in Chantilly Bible's history that we get to step in and serve. We are excited to see what the Lord has waiting for our family in Virginia....relationally, spiritually, all the fun new adventures! We are excited to be right outside of Washington, D.C. - the museums, the culture, the history. We are excited about 4 real seasons! :)  

So if you think about us, please pray for us in this transition. That the Lord would oversee and direct every step of the moving process. That the Lord would prepare our hearts and the hearts of our new church family for this new season. That the Lord would heal my body so that my health is not a hindrance in this busy, transitional season. That the Lord would use our family to serve this sweet church body and the surrounding community in a way that honors Jesus and glorifies His name. 

So here we go...off on a fun new adventure! :)

1 in 4 {and 1 in 8}

Instagram @ohinfertileme

When you scroll through my blog or my social media pages, you see pictures of my 3 kiddos. They're pretty much all I post about these days. Happy, smiling little faces; you see a content and full family. If you walk by me on the street, you may assume that the woman who has her hands full of 3 toddlers is probably a Fertile Myrtle. But unless you know our story, you can't see the years of heartache and loss that we endured to get here. You can’t see the struggle and heart-wrenching battle that brought us our precious family. That these 3 precious babies came after countless doctor appointments, disappointments, shots, prayers...and several losses. When we were walking the road of infertility and loss, I couldn’t help but look around me at how seemingly easy everyone else got pregnant. I was constantly reminded of how my body was broken and, once again, not doing what it was “supposed” to do. And when we chose to pursue Embryo Adoption, I never dreamed that we would adopt 6 embryos, only to be left empty handed and devastated.

While our losses were early, it doesn’t change the fact that we didn’t just lose a chance at getting/staying pregnant. We lost our babies. The precious little ones for whom we had desperately prayed and longed. I am so glad that we decided to try again, so grateful for our Eli, Maddie, and Aiden. But I still often think about the babies we lost. The 6 we lost in our initial adoption, and the 1 we lost between the twins and Aiden. What would they have looked like? Who would they have been? How would they have fit into our family?

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. For those of us who have experienced loss, we don’t need a day to be aware of our loss; that’s very real to us every day. But it is a chance to share our stories, talk about our losses, and honor the precious lives that we lost too soon. So today I want to say my babies’ names:

Jack and Jill- lost July 20, 2015

Amy and Noah- lost August 19, 2015

Annie and Hope- lost September 7, 2015

Connor- lost November 13, 2017

I know there are so many women grieving their babies. Some wondering if it will ever be their turn, some not understanding why this has happened again. You walk by the frazzled mama with her hands full of babies and wonder why you can’t have that. Wonder why it seems so easy for everyone else. Wish people could just stop asking when you’ll have a baby, or why you haven’t given your child a sibling yet. Wish you could forget that dreadful day “I’m sorry, but there is no heartbeat.” Feel the aching emptiness where their little body once wiggled inside. Know the devastation of holding your baby in your arms but not being able to take them home...

To these brave women, I want to say that you are loved and you are not alone. Your babies are precious and are not forgotten. No matter what stage you experienced your loss, your grief and your pain are valid, and it won't always be this hard. I don't know if it ever fully goes away, but there can be brighter days ahead. The Lord has been an incredible source of comfort and healing to me, and I pray that you can know the same. I pray that you can know the depths of His love for you, that you can experience His care and comforting presence in your own grief. 

1000 Books Before Kindergarten :: 1200!

We started picking up books at the library again, and I can't tell you how excited we {all} are about that! We were thankful for the ability to check out books online and read on my phone, but there is just something about holding an actual book in your hands. Our library offers curbside pickup, which is super helpful!

You can find the books we have already read here:

• 1-100
• 101-200
• 201-300
• 301-400
• 401-500
• 501-600
• 601-700
• 701-800
• 801-900
• 901-1,000
• 1,000-1,100

1. Harry and the Dinosaurs Make a Splash by Ian Whybrow
2. Twins by Mike Ciccotello*
3. Twindergarten by Nikki Ehrlich*
4. Hello Twins by Charlotte Voake
5. The Twins' Blanket by Hyewon Yum
6. Little Lucy Goes to School by Ilene Cooper
7. Splat the Cat and the Duck with No Quack by Rob Scotton
8. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
9. The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland*
10. Demolition by Sally Sutton*
11. Mama Loves by Molly Goode
12. The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier
13. The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
14. Tractor Mac: Tune Up by Billy Steers*
15. Hooray for Books! by Brian Won*
16. Tractor Mac: School Day by Billy Steers*
17. The Crayon Man by Natascha Biebow
18. Little Owl's Orange Scarf by Tatyana Feeney
19. Mathilda and the Orange Balloon by Randall De Seve
20. Orange Animals by Teddy Borth
21. Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss
22. Max Cleans Up by Rosemary Wells
23. The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld*
24. If Waffles Were Like Boys by Charise Mericle Harper
25. Woodpecker Wants a Waffle by Steve Breen*
26. Orange by Patricia M. Stockland
27. Nothing Rhymes with Orange by Adam Rex*
28. Who Eats Orange? by Dianne White
29. Pooh's Honey Trouble by Sara F. Miller*
30. The Nursery Rhymes of Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
31. Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett
32. Winnie-the-Pooh Tells Time by A.A. Milne*
33. Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom*
34. Follow the Monsters! by Sharon Lerner
35. Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk
36. Oh Say Can You Say? by Dr. Seuss
37. We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
38. The Adventures of Taxi Dog by Debra Barracca*
39. 5-Minute Winnie the Pooh Stories by Disney Book Group {the kids like this book, but I was pretty disappointed in the writing}
40. Cake by Sue Hendra
41. The Berenstain Bears Play a Good Game by Jan & Mike Berenstain
42. Splat the Cat Up in the Air at the Fair by Amy Hsu Lin and Rob Scotton
43. Dancing Feet! by Lindsey Craig
44. Seeds Move! by Robin Page
45. Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson
46. Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
47. The Curious Garden Peter Brown
48. How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry
49. The Great Gracie Chase by Cynthia Rylant*
50. George and Martha by James Marshall
51. Grumpy Goat by Brett Helquist
52. Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat
53. Max Has a Fish by Wiley Blevins
54. Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know by Melissa B. Kruger*
55. Arlo and the Great Big Cover-Up by Betsy Childs Howard*
56. Goldilocks and the Three Bears retold by James Marshall
57. The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock*
58. The Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt*
59. Frederick by Leo Lionni
60. Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
61. Roadwork by Sally Sutton*
62. Cheerful Chick by Martha Brockenbrough
63. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
64. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead*
65. There is an Alligator Under my Bed by Mercer Mayer
66. Acorn to Oak Tree by Rachel Tonkin
67. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman*
68. Jack and Jill and T-Ball Bill by Terry Pierce
69. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
70. Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss*
71. My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall
72. Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo by John Lithgow*
73. Zoomer by Ned Young
74. Dancing Dinos by Sally Lucas
75. Catch a Kiss by Deborah Diesen
76. Zoo-Looking by Mem Fox
77. Animal Strike at the Zoo. It's True! by Karma Wilson*
78. Dinosaur Bones by Bob Barner
79. Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth
80. Zoom! by Diane Adams
81. Zero by Kathryn Otoshi*
82. Tractor Mac Builds a Barn by Billy Steers*
83. One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies
84. Tap Tap Bang Bang by Emma Garcia*
85. I'm a Little Teapot by Moira Kemp
86. Truman by Jean Reidy*
87. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox*
88. Ten Little Toes, Two Small Feet by Kristy Dempsey
89. The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky*
90. Charlie at the Zoo by Marcus Pfister and J. Alison James
91. Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson
92. My Car by Byron Barton*
93. Cars by Patricia Hubbell, Megan Halsey, and Sean Addy*
94. The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown*
95. Bailey Goes Camping by Kevin Henkes
96. I Like My Car by Michael Robertson*
97. Edwin Speaks Up by April Stevens
98. Max the Brave by Ed Vere*
99. Bears on Chairs by Shirley Parenteau
100. What If? by Sandra Magsamen

*Some of our favorites