Play? Date?

My good friend, Brooke, and I had a nice time visiting a local pumpkin patch. Landon really enjoyed his time with Sophie. I was laughing as I looked through these pictures - it really looks like they are on a date :)

Happy 4th Birthday Samuel!

Dear Samuel,

Happy 4th Birthday in heaven sweet boy. I often wonder what it's like for you to spend every moment hand in hand with Jesus. He's here with us too, but not in the same way. I'm sure you've realized this, but where you are there is no sin, sadness, or pain. There is only joy and complete peace. Here on earth we cry tears of sadness because we miss you. I know there are no tears in heaven and I'm so glad you will never feel this kind of sadness. You probably wonder why we cry as you know all too soon we will be there together.

I often wonder what it was like for you to fall asleep here on earth and wake up to see Jesus' face. He was the first face you ever saw! That is an amazing thought. You never had to see a world that is spoiled by sin. Don't get me wrong, there are many beautiful things here too - like the ocean, the mountains, the flowers, the trees with their colorful changing leaves, and I could go on. But I'm sure even the most beautiful things here on earth don't even compare with the beauty of heaven.

God gives us little glimpses of heaven through the Bible, enough for us to know that it is an incredible place. He let us know that there is no need for the sun and the moon in heaven because His glory fills heaven with light. He let us know that nothing impure will ever enter, but only those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, those who have been cleansed by His blood. The Bible tells us there is a beautiful river as clear as crystal and that the great street in heaven is made of pure gold as clear as glass. What a perfectly beautiful place it must be! I can't wait to join you, sweet boy, there in heaven. Until then, I will miss you here.

So, today on your birthday, we will not only celebrate the brief life you had with us here, but the eternal life you have in heaven with our Lord Jesus. I love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

A Gift for Samuel

Samuel's birthday is just a couple days away. It's hard to believe he would be 4 years old. We really want Landon and Olivia to know who their older brother is. We always want Samuel to always be a part of our family.

So, we decided to go pick out a present for Samuel. We had gotten a couple of coupons for free accessories at Build-A-Bear and thought that a present from there would be perfect. We picked out a pair of shoes for "Sammy Bear" and a shirt for "bear bear" (Landon's bear from Samuel). We had a nice time as a family and it felt good to buy something as a present for our little boy in heaven.

When we got home, we said to Landon, "Let's go find Sammy bear and put his new shoes on!" Landon ran to his room and on his way shouted, "Samuel's in there!!!" with the most excitement I've seen him display in a long time. He thought he was finally going to meet his big brother. We had to explain that Samuel wasn't in there. We wish he was...

It's so hard to explain to a 2-year-old that heaven isn't somewhere that we can go visit for a day. Samuel can't come "home" to live with us here. Oh, how I wish he could...

Yet, I know that there is no better place that our little boy can be. He is in the Lord Jesus' arms. He is safe. He is perfect. He is loved. He is happy. He is worshiping our Lord.

Even though I wish I could be getting the last minute birthday plans together for our little boy and buying things that 4-year-old boys love, I know that he already has the best gift of all. An eternity with our Savior. I can't wait to join him!

Abiding in the True Vine

I have been involved in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) for almost 4 years now and I love it. This year they introduced a new study, one of Isaiah. Last week we covered Isaiah 5 and there are a few thoughts that keep coming to mind that have really challenged me to examine my heart.

Isaiah 5:1-2

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.

This vineyard was given everything it needed to bear GOOD fruit, and yet it bore fruit that was BAD. This vineyard had the best soil, a place where it would get sun and rain. The best vines were used. There was even a watchtower built in expectation of a good crop that someone would need to keep watch over in case of intruders. Yet, the vines yielded bad fruit... This doesn't make sense! Why would it yield bad fruit when it was given everything it needed to flourish and potentially bring forth some of the BEST fruit?

Then it hit home. I have been given God's perfect word. I have been given the ability to come before the Throne of Grace and bring anything before the very God of the universe. I have been given forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been given the Holy Spirit who lives in me. I have been given so much! I should bring forth GOOD fruit...

Yet, when I examine my heart, my motives are so often selfish, my attitude is so often wrong, my heart is often prideful...BAD fruit.

I produce bad fruit when I rely on myself instead of relying and abiding in Christ alone.

John 15:1-5 says,

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."

He desires and expects us to bear GOOD fruit based on what He has given to us. This is my prayer, that I would abide in the True Vine that through Him and through His pruning I would bear GOOD fruit that will last for eternity.

Menu

M: Recuperating from vacation to Topeka (we had a great time!) - pick something up...

T: Pasta Primavera with garlic bread

W: Enchiladas with chips and salsa

Th: Chicken Lo Mein

F: Chicken Alfredo Pizza

S: Oven Fried Fish with tarter sauce

S: Chili with corn bread

These verses encouraged me today to look beyond the temporal to the eternal:

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Today, I found out my sister had her second little baby go home to be with Jesus. It is hard to understand why these things happen. I was praying for a miracle. I know that the Lord has made blind men see, the mute speak, lame men walk, and brought people back from the dead. He is able, and yet he didn't. That is hard to understand. Yet, I know his love for His own is great and nothing happens outside of his control. I know that in His sovereignty He is able to turn a horrible situation into something beautiful.

But, I know her arms still ache for what would be her seven month old baby today. I know how cautiously hopeful she was when she found out she was pregnant again. I know how she wishes she could have seen that little heartbeat today and looked forward to feeling this baby move. I know she knows that her baby is with Jesus. I know she has hope to meet her two little ones one day... but her arms are still empty.

This world can be so hard. I am so thankful that it is not our home. That one day, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

(Rev. 21:4).

A passage that someone encouraged me with when we lost Samuel and one I often think of when these little ones go home to be with the Lord is Isaiah 40:11

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."

My sister, Rebekah, is a mother, she has young ones, they are just in the Lord Jesus' care. He will lead her through this trial as He cares for her young. He is a great Shepherd and loves His own.

Fanny Crosby also lost a baby, which may have inspired her to write the following hymn:

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o'ershaded,
Sweetly my soul doth rest.
Hark! 'tis a song of heaven
Borne in the sweetest voice,
Echoed by saints in spirit,
Making my heart rejoice.

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o'ershaded,
Sweetly my soul doth rest.

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world's temptations,
Sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow,
Free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials,
Only a few more tears.

Jesus, my heart's dear Refuge,
Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages
Ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience,
Wait till the night is o'er,
Wait till I see the morning
Break on the golden shore.

Goodbye Summer, Fall is Here!

We had a great summer. We stayed inside most of the time since most days you could probably fry an egg on the sidewalk, but it was nice. We really enjoyed our annual trip to the Lake of the Ozarks with my side of the family. Even though we were there for over a week, the time flew by. We rented a house on the lake. It was so nice to all be able to stay together in the same place. Landon had a blast with his cousins, aunts and uncles, and nanny and bumpa. He wanted to stay there forever!







One of Landon's favorite things to do was to go fishing on the dock with Nanny. I think he caught 4 fish while we were there! He was pretty excited about it all.



We had a fire pit and roasted marshmallows one night. I think that was Landon's first exposure of roasted marshmallows... maybe marshmallows in general. Let's just say they are now his after potty treat :)


We were sad that uncle Joshie was only able to stay for a few days. Landon is always talking about his uncle Joshie and wanting to pray for him.

On Labor Day we ventured out and had breakfast on the lake at a local restaurant. It was so nice!


So, goodbye to a great summer!

I can't believe Fall is already here. Fall is my absolute favorite season! I wish it lasted longer. I love the smells, the soups, the leaves changing colors, the fresh cool air - I love it all and it was here over night. We got dressed for church like it was another typical summer day and were we surprised that we all had to go grab jackets and change the kids into warmer clothes :) Here are a couple pictures of the kids together...




....And lastly, here is my menu for the week. I need to find some yummy fall recipes, if you have any pass them on! It is a shorter menu since we will be visiting family in Topeka this weekend - we are very excited to see everyone there!

M: Broccoli-Mushroom Penne Pasta with garlic bread and salad
T: Mexican Lasagna with chips and guacamole
W: Chicken Parmesan over spaghetti
R: Mushroom Stroganoff with a salad
F: Broccoli Cheese Soup with homemade artisan bread and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

Menu for the week and 1 Month old

Here is our menu for the week. It's been a few weeks since I've done this! It feels good to be getting back into the swing of things as Olivia gets a little more predictable.

M: Artichoke Spaghetti with Meatballs, Salad, and Garlic Bread
T: Broccoli, Rice, cheese, and Chicken casserole with salad
W: Chicken stir fry
R: BBQ Grilled Chicken, Corn, Salad
F: Homemade Pizza with salad
S: Chicken and Rice Soup with bread
S: Vegetable Beef Stew

Hopefully soon I can post about our vacation, but it's been hard to find the time! Olivia is now 1 month old. She has started smiling which is so much fun. She's sleeping pretty good, 3-4 hour stretches and gets up to eat and goes back to sleep. She likes to be held a lot which makes certain things difficult, but I don't mind. I got a Moby wrap and that really makes multitasking possible. Here's a picture of our little peanut...

Our new every day life

We are having a wonderful time adjusting to our new normal. This little girl is such a joy and we are so thankful to have her here. She has been sleeping pretty well most nights, but has occasional bad nights. She had an appointment last week and was already up to 8lb8oz and 22 3/4 inches long, so she is growing well.





I've tried to slowly get back into cooking this week and I've found it's kind of nice to escape to the kitchen. I tried these sticky buns which were really yummy (probably because of all the butter...) - they are best hot out of the oven!

A couple good friends came down to visit this past weekend and we had a great time. Landon had fun playing his his friend Uriah (or as he calls him, My-riah). The first day Landon had a few hitting issues with him, but by the next day they were running around holding hands - it was so fun to watch them.





Friday we will be leaving for our annual vacation with my side of the family. We are very excited! Lots of riding on the boat, swimming, and relaxing. We rented a big house so we can all fit. I can't wait to meet my new niece, Aubrey, who was born just 9 days before Olivia. Hopefully I can get some packing done in the midst of caring for these two kiddos.

Olivia is doing well. She had her first doctor's appointment yesterday. She was 7lb 14oz, so basically back to her birth weight. She has been a little yellowish, so they checked her bili, but I think it should be getting better in the next few days. My dad was able to come down for a long weekend, so that was a lot of fun.



My mom is still here, which has been great to catch up on rest. I know I would be exhausted without her here to help with our very busy boy. Last night he was kicking field goals in our living room...



We are enjoying every second with our precious new addition and are praising the Lord for her.

More Pictures of our Olivia

Olivia Ruth Nienhuis

3:30pm - She is here!!!

Olivia Ruth is here!! She was 7 pounds 15 ounces, 21 inches. Marcie did super! She was not able to have an epidural because she was too far along.

2:00pm

6cm, 80% effaced, consistent contractions...the Dr. thinks baby will be here in the next 2-3 hours!

12:00pm

Well, things weren't really picking up so they just started me on a low dose of pitocin. Last they checked I was 5cm and 70%, so not much change. Hopefully this will get things started...

9:15

Well, they finally got in here and broke my water. They will monitor me for about 30 minutes and then let me get up and walk around. Hope things start moving along...

D-Day!

This morning we got a call about 5:30am saying that they were really full and I may have to be rescheduled. They told us to call back at 7:30am to see what to do. I was starting to get nervous because the hospital I am delivering at, I have to have our little girl by 7:00pm in order to do a VBAC. If I am still in labor beyond that, they will do a c-section. Thankfully, they called back at 7:00am and told us that they would work something out (I love my doctor!).

So, here we are at the hospital (7:45) waiting for someone to get in here to get things started. I would appreciate prayers to have this little girl before 7:00pm, but most of all for a healthy delivery. Thank you for your prayers! We will keep you all updated.

Wednesday 8:00am

Well, got a good night's sleep. If she doesn't come today, I will be induced tomorrow (which I'm really hoping to avoid). Anyway, I won't post anything now until something happens, so if this blog doesn't say anything new, that means there is nothing new :) I would really appreciate prayers for some regular contractions to start today. Thank you!

Wednesday 12:00am

There is no real progress to update. Mom and I went to the famous outdoor Oklahoma play to try to kill some time and take my mind off things. I've had a few sporadic contractions, but stopped timing them because it gets frustrating. Anyway, we are going to bed and I will let you know if anything changes.

Tuesday - Update

***Doctor's appointment update: She said I am 70% effaced and 4-5cm dilated. She said she stirred things up really good and thinks I may go tonight! After she stepped out of the room, Landon said, "sissy can come tonight." I was like, "Yeah Landon, that would be great!" So, we will see... I will keep you all posted.

I was having a lot of contractions yesterday evening, but decided to go to bed and they went away sometime during the night. Disappointing, but oh well, we will meet her soon! Today I have my doctor's appointment and she will strip my membranes, hopefully that really gets things going. My mom is on her way down and should be here early afternoon, so we are very excited to have her here! I will update later with the doctor's report. Still hoping to go before Thursday...