Hold High The Name

It’s the holiday season, filled with fun, family, and for many- great family traditions. The hubs and I have talked for years about our childhood traditions and those we wanted to incorporate into our family. One of the big things we decided was to rotate Christmas giving between every odd and even year. Therefore, every even year we would do the traditional Christmas of giving gifts to all our family and friends and then every odd year we could save all the money we would have used for gifts and donate it towards the needs of a charity or another family that may be in need. Although we don’t have little ones yet, we decided early that we wanted our children to understand the true spirit of Christmas and the importance of giving to others.

Well, this was our first odd year and we were excited to see what opportunity we could find to give to. Needless to say, with the need as it is in our society, it didn’t take long. We were fortunate enough this year to spread Christmas to 4 different families which included 7 children and 3 adults. Now, the fun for us was taking the list we had been given and actually finding those things in the store. Clearly it was evident that we didn’t have kids- lol, but looking was great fun. After loading up our buggy with coats, hats, shoes, clothing, cleaning items, and the all important toys- we were satisfied with the gifts we were sure these families would enjoy. We prayed that God would bless each person and although for some we would never meet them or see them putting their gifts to use, we knew God would and that gave us comfort.

After delivering all the gifts earlier this month- we haven’t thought much about gifts again. Our families knew the situation and we weren’t even expecting to get gifts from them, but family will be family and many still gave us sweet gifts. However, we were given one gift that not only shocked us (me into tears of course), but also reminded us that God is always at work. One of the members from the Xi Beta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the local undergraduate chapter, called me to say he wanted to stop by and drop something off for me. After coming by the house he handed me a card and we chatted about his semester and his future plans. He simply said, we wanted to get you something and we hope you like it. I placed it on my card tree and waited until Christmas to open it.

To our surprise, we opened a card to find 2 checks and a sweet note that said “We hope this helps you both on your journey to starting a family. God Bless.” I still get choked up thinking about it! In all our giving to other people, these young men thought of us, and not in a small way, and gave such a sweet gift to our family. Now, being me, I cried for a long time- for one I thought of the selfless act these young men had just given and then I thought about the prayer the hubs and I had just been saying- after finding out the cost of the IVF treatments, we simply said “God you know our situation and if this is what you want for us, we know that you will open doors and provide the money..” Those two checks spoke volumes to us of the power and presence of our Great God!

So, to the brothers of Xi Beta, you will never know how much you mean to us and to all those who continue to lift us in prayer we thank you- God hears your prayers. 2012 will be wonderful all along our Anderson Adventure.

A $6000 dream

Well, we had our much anticipated appointment in Mobile with our fertility specialist. As always, they were wonderful. This was actually the first time the hubs was able to join me in one of these appointments. In the past we have had to go individually to our appointments, so it was fun to spend the day with him.

Nonetheless, our appointment went well- with a Valium and Lortab down the hatch, let’s just say it made for an interesting morning for me. After getting all settled we met with the doctor who did a hysteroscopy to take a closer look at the polyps he thought were coming back. True to form there was one that had come back on my left side large enough to block the view of the left tube.  So, needless to say we left his office with a new surgery date set to repeat the same procedure I had done back in March- another D and C in January.

Another interesting part of our visit was the meetings we had with all the IVF nurses. Who knew so many people were involved in the process. As I've mentioned before, the doctors have said that IVF is likely our only option of conception. Now, the wonderful thing about IVF is that they actually give you options- options that range anywhere from $12- 23,000. Yes…you read those numbers right and the best part about it is that insurance doesn’t cover any of that cost- except maybe the medication, but of course that isn’t included in the quote and you still have to cover the copays.

Now, they did talk to us about a program they refer to as a donor program. In this case, we would be helped while at the same time helping someone else. What the program offers is for another woman who may be having trouble producing to cover the cost of my IVF while I agree to donate to her conception journey as well. She would cover the cost of everything except roughly $6000 which we would be responsible for. It was so much to think about and we are still slightly overwhelmed.

However, on the way home we had the most riveting conversation about everything we had been through during the day and there was one thing that really stood out to us…nothing was lining up. We laughed and wondered if God was having a chuckle with us about all that He was already doing. For one, we have been waiting for months to get the hubs ABI/FBI clearance papers back to move forward with foster/adoption- mind you its his 3^rd one, so it was technically an update and should have come back before mine. Secondly, we left the doctor with the notion that the surgery would be on the 5^th of January, only to be told that it was moved to much later in the month. Third, the only “option” we’ve been presented with sits with a price tag that we don’t financially know if we can take on considering there is no guarantee for success. We thought about everything and laughed because the only thing we can hold on to is that He is moving all the pieces to fit right in the spot He’s already planned. He’s closing doors just to make room for the one’s He’s already opened up.

So, with so much on our minds, we just ask that you continue to pray for us to be patient, to watch prayerfully as God moves in our lives, that He provide the $6000 if IVF is the option He desires, and that we continue to grow in His love along our Anderson Adventure.

May the love of the Father, the peace of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit be with each of you in 2012

20 months and counting...

So I’ve realized that the blog has been sitting here growing cobwebs from my lack of mental input. Sadly though, even now there isn’t too much to add, but I’ll try a quick wrap up.

Our Thanksgiving was nice- fun times house hopping with family. Fortunately, we didn’t overdo it at the table and could really enjoy the time with family instead of wanting to nap the afternoon away.  With all the sales starting so early, we did decide to do a little Thanksgiving Day/Black Friday shopping- who knew standing in line at a furniture store at 4am could be so much “fun”. Needless to say, we didn’t get the items we went for. When there are only 25 in the store and you end up being numbers 28 and 29…what can you do but smile. We were able to get some of our other goodies though. From Thanksgiving we were able to get the house all decked out for Christmas. Actually, I think we had the tree up a little before Thanksgiving, but who’s counting.

We are still prayerfully walking in our journey. We have submitted all our paper work for foster care/adoption, but we are still waiting on our clearance. Oddly, my paper work has come back from FBI/ABI (of which our caseworker said was the fastest she has ever received one back), but the hubs- not so much. So we have to wait for his clearance before we can move forward with classes. Also, it looks like the dreaded Polyps have returned and a nice trip to Mobile will be in order to visit our fertility specialist. From the last convo, I think they want to run more test and have pitched the idea of having to go back in and repeat the surgery my GYN did in March. For that, I’ll keep you updated.

 So as we joyfully enter into month 20 of our journey, we ask for your prayers along our Anderson Adventure

Lab Coats and Mustard Seeds

Well, Monday brought the much anticipated doctor’s appointment with the reproductive fertility specialist. As you know we have been walking along our conception journey now for 18 months (October’s cycle will make 19) and have taken our max 6 months of Clomid. I’ve had surgery, ultrasounds, blood work and the hubs has endured the same. All signs were showing green lights, but nothing was taking shape.

After filling out a short narrative for both the hubs and myself, I made it to Montgomery where I would meet my specialist who drove up from Mobile to see me. As with any doctors visit, he was running about 30 minutes behind- which only gave me more time to allow my mind to wonder. Finally, he made it and we went back into his office to chat. He laughed and complimented me on how organized I had all of our lab results from previous doctors. After sifting through everything- he adjusted his glasses (classic doctor move) and started talking to me about his findings. Although he was very polite and warm- he didn’t beat around the bush and laid things out for me. Due to a mild/moderate case of endometriosis on my part and a substantial male factor on the hubs part- he politely told me that our chances to naturally conceive were extremely low. He said he wasn’t God, so he couldn’t say they were impossible, but that they were very unlikely.

Now, at that moment my heart sank and I fought like crazy to hold back the water works. I did good- for a while- and then just apologized and allowed myself a few rounds of tears. Here is where things got interesting. At this point the doctor went on to talk about some more test he wanted to have done to the hubs and gave me the names of a few doctors to contact. He resumed the conversation by saying “but here is the good news”….. we spent the next portion of our visit talking about IVF- of which he says will likely be the only way we conceive. He told me about the FSH shots, the retrieval, the specimens, everything (even the estimated $13,000 price tag for each session). Then he said, “now the great thing about IVF is that it only takes 1 swimmer to make things work….” As he continued to talk my mind drifted to something completely different- Matthew 17:20 "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." Now, I don’t know if the resolve in my face changed or if the Holy Spirit took over, but the next thing the doctor said was “ Now, I know we are in the south and as a big Bible belt area- most people turn to their faith to see them through these decisions”….

With his words I almost had to have a praise break (lol) because I thought to myself- Jesus said faith as small as A mustard seed ( not a pack, not a hand full, but a single tiny seed) you could move mountains; and here this doctor reassured me by saying we only needed A single swimmer for conception to work. Now, IVF is probably not an option in the near future for us because insurance does not cover it and we really don’t have that kind of money lying around to drop on the blink of an eye. However, I realized it takes A single swimmer to make this work- my single mustard seed of faith. Usually when I leave the office I just feel torn and depleted, but on Monday as I sat in my car I felt the Holy Spirit say “just wait on me”.

So, for every person carrying their SINGLE mustard seed of faith on our behalf we say thank you. We ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers as we continue the paper work for adoption and foster care, and that God will bless our baby and their birth mother, and that He will provide the provisions ($$) needed for his blessings to prevail- all along our Anderson Adventure.

Away with words

                                        Step 2 complete!

Someone wasnt thrilled to take pictures in the jail....but ohh well...LOL

Prayer and Petition

Wow… It’s actually October…AND on top of that its half way over- this year has really flown by.
We have enjoyed the thrills and chills that this month has provided, but as all fall seasons we have been wrapped in the great fun of football season! No pull or push for one team in particular- just the fun of the game.

We have also been in great prayer about a few other things this month will bring. For one, after 6 rounds of fertility medication, surgery, countless trips to the doctor, blood samples, specimens, and everything else- I have my long awaited appointment with the reproductive fertility specialist. Our doctor will be traveling from Mobile and I’ll have the appointment at my GYN’s office in Montgomery. I’m excited about the options he may provide.

The other big thing this month brings is something we have been in prayer about for a while and even now are still being prayerful about- we are going to start the paper work for foster/adoption care. We know that we meet the qualifications to foster a child and we pray that this may open doors to us we didn’t know were available. My heart’s desire since I was little was to adopt- I would often tell my grandma that I wanted to “have 4 babies and adopt 2- because I needed an even number when we all went to Disney World…” From then, although the reasoning was off, until now- my desire has always been to adopt children. So we are prayerfully going to follow this dream and we pray that God leads us in everything and shows us exactly what His desire is.

So as we lift our hearts in prayer we ask that you do as well, as we continue along our Anderson Adventure.

not much to say...

Dr. visit yesterday- 18 months of trying, still seeing polyps, debating on another surgery, taking 6th and last month of Clomid, being referred to a specialist, 2^nd dream of a little baby girl. Hmm…

Short and Simple

Today’s post is short and simple. I just watched a Joel Osteen ministry episode and it was much needed. The message was simple and the analogy was perfect: In our homes we may decide to set our thermostat to 73 degrees, the temperature in the house however may be 78. We know that although we can’t feel or see the change immediately, the temperature is dropping to meet our need. The same thing works with Christ. Although we can’t always see him working we have to readjust our mental thermostat to know that the change is coming. We have to know (have faith) that He is already working out a great and wonderful temperature change in our lives.

Why is this so wonderful you ask? This month has been mentally tough. I had my first major breakdown with the hubby dealing with our journey. I have been seeking God for guidance to fight off this spirit of defeat that the enemy is trying to offer, but it’s been so tough. After almost a year and a half I think I finally hit that point when you mentally give up and don’t feel you can do anymore. It hit and it hit hard. So, please join me in prayer that the spirit of Christ engulfs me and this deafening agony of defeat be removed. Continue to lift us up as we recharge our faith along our Anderson Adventure.

Chasing the wind…

As many know, I've been doing a lot of heavy reading these days. So far this summer, I can say I have 7 books under my belt...working on the 8^th. My Nook Color has been a wonderful addition to the excitement. One book I've really dived into this year was my Bible. Now, don’t get me wrong, I read my bible all the time before, but this year I decided to pick it back up and really read- from the start. So since my Bible reading journey started- I am proud that I have now reached Isaiah. With all my reading there have been a great deal of he begat, he begat…but all in all I've really learned a lot.

Last month while in Proverbs towards the mid to end of the book, I noticed that Solomon ended most chapters by saying that such things were like “chasing the wind”. The first few times, I thought it was interesting and then the more I saw it the more I really started to think about it… what things in life am I wasting time on, like “chasing the wind”. Of course, the first things that came to mind were our conception journey. I thought of all the prescriptions, the surgery, the doctor’s visits- everything -and I thought am I just chasing the wind? I thought about our 15 month journey, starting our 16^th month on a new and increased dosage of fertility medications (we’re now on round 4- 3 months at 50mg and now 100mg) the doctor visit the hubby went to and those still scheduled - and I thought are these things the wind?

We know that God is all things and provides all things, we’ve spent a few nights in tears and prayer seeking God for answers, but the same thing continues to come to mind- Gods timing is different from ours- He has a reason. Is it a hard pill to swallow- yes, but that’s where our faith kicks in.

So, we’ve been a little MIA these past few months, but we are still here, still seeking Christ, and still walking along our conception journey. Continue to lift us in prayer as we seek God’s will for us and our precious miracle along our Anderson Adventure.

One year down, A lifetime to go

It would seem, I'm a few blogs behind on my Saturday updates. But I must say, we have been very busy. For one, we celebrated our 1 year anniversary on the 14^th. To kick off the big celebration, we took a trip to the “happiest place on earth”- Disney World! We had so much fun! It was great to be out of the office, but it was even better to spend so much time with the hubby. We ate a lot, saw amazing shows, rode a few rides, and walked a lot- did I mention how much walking we did?!? Disney was a great place to break in my Reebok Runtones… yea, my legs were feeling it! All in all though it was great! So here’s to a lifetime of memories with my best friend along our Anderson Adventure

Yes, there's more chunk and God is still good!

Ever have those days when you could really stand to not have someone tell you something negative about yourself that you already know? Like the fact for me that I have gained weight. Why yes, I do realize that I have gained a bit of weight, but I also know that I have had 3 surgeries in the past 3 years, less than or about a year from one another- one of which was this February. I also understand that I can’t control the weight gain (the surgeon and endocrinologist have explained this to me) I also understand that I am trying with what I can to control it. So, with all that said, a simple “Why hello, you look nice today” would seem so much better than “what are you doing these days? I see you’ve gained a lot of weight” But she wasn’t the first and I'm sure she wont be the last, so I did what I always do- I smiled and carried on a short conversation before turning to walk away and again feel the shame and hurt that this weight has caused me.

However, something was different today- today I turned around and for a short second I did feel that hurt and shame, but this time, instead of allowing it to take control, I said something I should have been saying the entire time “God is still good! Thank you Jesus!”  My devotional this morning was about this same thing simply praising God for the big and the small and being content with those things.

This is especially prudent for me today since this morning’s gift proves another round of Clomid will be in order. Could I have been sad, yes! Could I have cried and been heart broken, yes! Yes, yes, and yes to every possible emotion I could have felt today, but why.


Yes, I could have felt sorry for myself and I could have felt disappointed that my prayers had not prevented this relapse in time. I could have felt angry that yet another month would be withheld from nurturing my miracle. And I could have felt bad because I knew I may not handle it well. All I COULD have done was feel, letting my emotions spread out and lay claim over every aspect of my day, but why; When Gods promises are so abundant and real. Why allow the enemy to steal my joy? Why, allow the DELAY to claim DENIAL? “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” John 14:1 (NLT)


All these things I could have felt this morning and after being told how fat I was- but MY God loves me and my extra pounds with a love unlike anything else. He is only building in me something so great, that I may not even be ready, and so His timing will prevail. So for that, I give Him the praise.


As we continue along our Anderson Adventure, we pray Gods will be done and His name be praised!

In His Sanctuary

I realized today it’s been a while since I actually took the time to blog. I’ve had plenty of days where things have happened and I've said to myself “man, I should blog about this…” but then the day goes on and poof, the idea slips away. Nonetheless, here I am a few Saturdays behind.

Things are going well these days. The hubby and I have been doing A LOT of yard work. Even our neighbors have told us how great things are looking. And my dear husband has done an amazing job with our yard. I’m going to post pictures of what our yard looked like before and what it currently looks like, you will be amazed. No, it wasn’t an overnight project, but with about a years time we’ve been able to do so much. I love how it went from “my husband” to “we”… I provided cold water, support, holding bags, and directing (directing is a hard job and someone has to do it) lol.

Our lives have been richly blessed too. We had a great talk the other day about our first year of marriage and all the changes that have taken place and all the things we want to see for our future. It’s so great to actually have someone that you can sit and talk to about all that life brings. True friendship, communication and companionship- tokens to great marriage. Of course we stand in awe of all that God has in store for the rest of our lives.

Our miracle journey is being enriched too. As I’ve mentioned, I finished my first round of Clomid and will go back to the doctor on Monday for blood work, just to ensure that the medication did what it was suppose to do and if not, potentially get the milligrams increased in the next prescription. Giving up charting for lent has actually been a good thing. I haven’t thought so much about the situation and I've really just enjoyed praying and trusting God for our Miracle.  In His sanctuary. That’s what I remind myself. There is love, peace, joy, hope, grace, forgiveness, and miracles in His sanctuary. Having the ability to find rest in that place has been wonderful as well.

While we patiently wait in His special place we’ll continue along our Anderson Adventure

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Every now and then you have those days. Those days when things seem to always go right, the ones when things all seem to go wrong, the days you think about something you’ve tried to push away, and those days when things just..well..are. Today is one of those days. I've been so proud of myself that I've been able to truly let go of some things (like taking my temp every morning and charting my bbt- all for lent) and have faith that God will work things out. Then out of the blue today, I've just had that feeling of …well…why! I’ve seen so many baby updates from friends, late pregnancy tid bits from friends getting ready to pop, congrats from people finding out what they’re having, promises of spoiling little ones that will soon be here, mothers playfully (I hope) complaining about things their kids are doing—and so much of me wants to just scream WHY. The great part is I’m not allowing myself to question God nor am I allowing myself to be down about it.

Eujon and I had a conversation the other day and he reminded me that God is already doing so much in our home- “we aren’t wanting for anything” he said. We can pack up now and go on a mini vacation if we wanted, we could go and buy a massive flat screen tv (of which he really wants..lol), we can eat out, grill out, or go out when and where we want. He reminded me that some people wish they could do that. Some people are searching for the money, the ability, and the babysitter to just have a night to themselves. For the moment I was calmed by his words, but then today came along and I still wanted to ask that one question…

Honestly, I think this is just that step you go through with any new task. Like when you are trying to diet and you do so well, but that one day comes along when you feel you could and should eat anything you want because nothings really going to change. Then the next day you’re proud that you didn’t give in to the pint of ice cream and you continue on your journey. Maybe today is just that day for me and these feeling are my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. Although I really want to grab a spoon and dig in, I've got to pull through these feelings and know the results will come and they’ll be well worth it.

As always, with prayers, patients and positivity we continue our journey in the  Anderson Adventure

Houston, we’re clear for take off!

Well, with surgery last week, I didn’t get a chance to do my usual Saturday blog update. Nonetheless, here we are with 2 weeks’ worth of info.  Surgery went well. Other than getting there super early and dealing with the arctic temperatures that hospitals have, I must say that everything was smooth sailing. I had to ask questions the next day because the drugs left me completely out of it- looking back its pretty funny, but I really have no clue about most of it..lol

I went back to the doctor a week later, this past Thursday, to have my stitches removed. I must say that I was convinced I was going to pass out and be readmitted to the hospital from their removal. Needless to say, I didn’t pass out and their removal wasn’t as bad as I had set my mind up to be. Micah, my nurse, is awesome! Well, being that I was drug free this go-round, I made sure to ask all my questions to the doctor. Here’s the great news- he said that they did remove the few polyps that were in my uterus lining and after the HSG test (the dye they flush through your tubes), I’m happy to report that both my tubes are open and flowing freely! Now, the silly part about this is that my doctor has now started me on my first round of Clomid- a fertility drug. The hubby and I picked up my first dose today from the pharmacy and both got tickled with the statement “using this medicine may result in multiple pregnancies (twins etc.). Be sure you have discussed this possibility with your doctor”…I was met with the hubby saying “discuss with your doctor, shouldn’t you consult with your husband?!”…I had to laugh! He’s so funny! So, he has now been consulted and in about a week I’ll start the new medication and who knows…we may soon have really BIG news to report..lol!

Also, while I’ve been moving around the house pretty slowly from surgery I've spent a lot of time working with the embroidery. I must say, it’s so much fun to put those creative juices to flow and think of cute new projects. I’ve thought of all the people I know with little ones, and I’ve been busy making little outfits for them. Here are some that I have made in the past few days. The great part is, by the time we have kids I should be a master at this and our kids will have tons! Well, enjoy the designs and clear the runway as we take off to the Clomid journey of our Anderson Adventure!

And so the countdown begins...

Well, I first want to say that this wonderful weather is something amazing! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the warm breeze feels wonderful! God is awesome! I wanted to give a brief update to so many things. First, my wonderful hubby took me on a great beach getaway to Destin this past weekend – just to clear my head and relax for a little while. Boy was it much needed and much appreciated! This was a great way to get my mind off of everything going on this week. Yes, this is the big week for surgery. It’s funny because this will be the “minor” of the 3 I’ve had, but for some reason this one is weighing more. This is another step in our miracle journey.

One of the last few posts I made talked about the surgery and everything I had to look forward to. After I made that post, my sweet sorority sister posted this poem as a means to encourage me. This speaks volumes to me every time I read it. I cry a little, I’m pushed a little, and I'm brought to a place of prayer and thanksgiving! I wanted to share it with everyone and again ask for your continued prayers through surgery and all along our Anderson Adventure.

I Will Be A Wonderful Mother - Author Unknown


There are women who become mothers without effort, without thought, without patience or loss,
and though they are good mothers and love their children, I know that I will be better.

I will be better not because of genetics or money or because I have read more books, but because I have struggled and toiled for this child.

I have longed and waited. I have cried and prayed. I have endured and planned over and over again.

Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.

I will notice everything about my child.

I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore, and discover.

I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.

I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold, and feed him and that I will not cry tears of another broken dream.

My dream will be crying for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child.

Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to, I will not be careless with my love.

I will be a better mother for all that I have endured.

I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend, and sister because I have known pain.

I know disillusionment, as I have been betrayed by my own body. I have been tried by fire and hell that many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.

I have prevailed. I have succeeded. I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort.

I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs. I listen.

And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely.

I have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth when life is beyond hard.

I have learned a compassion that only comes by walking in those shoes.

I have learned to appreciate life.

Yes, I will be a wonderful mother.

Nobody said it would be easy .. Lol

So in my last post I mentioned getting a new sewing/ embroidery machine. Now this is no venture I want to profit from, just some time to have fun and make stuff. I say that because I think you really have to be good at something before- to me-you venture off into a business. Reminds me of my photography- every first session of a certain kind I did for free. My first limelight, wedding, family .. Everything! I had to make sure what I was doing was going to be good because it wouldn't be right to charge people and waist their time. Now a few years later Grayscale is really booming. Nonetheless I go back to embroidery. Nobody said it would be easy. After bobbin not winding, thread breaking, poking myself with the seam ripper, deciding to change the valentines shirt- all the fun stuff-I finally figured it out last night..2 shirts down and I'm on a roll.

Under construction

This morning Eujon and I had a silly conversation about me being under construction. We laughed because I explained that in about 2 weeks- I’ll be having another minor out patient operation. We’re hoping this will be a fix for some of the conception issues we’ve been facing. We’re trying to be as optimistic about this as possible, but let’s face it, going under and being cut is no fun whether major or minor; nonetheless, we move forward in our miracle making journey.

Another thing I’m venturing into these days is sewing and embroidery. I had this random desire one day to pick up on the one thing that my granny did so well. So, I purchased a machine and I’ve already started work on a couple of projects. I’ll have to post pictures once they’re done. Eujon laughs at me, but hey- a girl has to keep herself busy. I’ve threatened him and told him I was going to monogram all his shirts with EA and hearts.

Well, I’ll be posting more pictures of my new projects once I’m done. Keep praying for us on our Anderson Adventure.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart

Delight is defined as something that gives great pleasure-How wonderful it is to know that we can find great pleasure in our God. For me, that pleasure is much needed. As I’ve mentioned before we are still walking along our conception journey.  After yet another doctor’s appointment, it appears that I will again have a spring fling with surgery later in February. Considering that this will be the 3^rd surgery I’ve had in three years (Adrenal Gland in 09, Gallbladder in 10), but the first related to our quest,  I can’t say that it’s the highlight of the month, but if this will move us closer I’m willing to go through it.

I've wondered a lot of things in the past few months, but I still find myself remembering that He will give me the desires of my heart. In the past few months, weeks, and days even- I’ve shared in great joy with friends who have announced their pregnancy, made milestones in their pregnancy, or even given birth to sweet little angels. However, I know the joy that I have for them and the prayers that I shower them with is yet another step in becoming stronger in my own journey.

Who we are we can’t suppress and if, only for a short while, the maternal instinct within me would slow down I think this wouldn’t be all that bad; however, it’s there and I'm pushed forward. So, again we ask for your prayers as we continue along our journey of life in our Anderson Adventure.

Dr. King believed in turning on a light

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., birthday. A day that is hopefully recognized by all of Americans. We remember the struggle that blacks had for civil rights and how he helped lead the movement with others. Now we all know that Dr. King wasn't the only one that contributed, but his leadership was very significant in the fight for our rights.

Today, I think about his quote about darkness trying to cast out darkness and I started to think; is that not what we are foolishly doing now? Now, I don't try to get into too much politics because I believe that whomever's in office should not totally affect the way you live, but for the past few years, I've noticed a cetain change.

I'm not talking of the "change" that Obama has spoken of, but change in our country. To me, it seems as if we have almost forgotten about King's teachings and we are headed the wrong way. We are fighting 'darkness with darkness", and I know that this isn't going to get us anywhere.

My explanation for my thought is due to the fact that I see a world that is at a standstill and the only way it moves is if something negative is brought forth to make a move. I barely watch television (besides Sports) because everything is so negative. It's as if the media turns people against each other, and we are forgetting the main point, utimately forgetting ourselves.

Now the problem I'm seeing right now, is knowing that I can disagree with someone and his/her ideas and actions. However, that doesn't mean I cannot work with, and/or respect them. Politics have become a joke and the sides of Democrat and Republican has become absurd with finding ways to damage the other party. What we forgot is that we are still one country, and what we do or decide will not only affect us, but generations after us. To me, I feel like some people are saying "screw what could happen later, but I'm concerned about myself and right now".

Negative and bad content can be turned into chaos through the media because of how easy they can sway your thoughts. As long as our country is portrayed as being down and falling (darkness) and media or other powerful individuals continue to speak on growing negativity (darkness), then we will remain down and continue to fall as a country. Now that doesn't mean simply lie and say everything is fine and peachy, yet, speak on the progression, and take time to be part of that movement.

So if Dr. King was alive today (something we always say), I couldn't say if he would be upset or concerned with what is going on. Instead, I do know he would still be working. He would be working to continue equality; he would still speak of peace and nonviolence; he would speak on importance of education; he would continue to love the next man as himself.

So, I would say, let's continue what Dr. Martin Luther King would be doing right now. Let's bring in the light to drive out darkness. Let's take time to listen to each other and realize that we are all different and have different views. The main goal should be how my goals can coincide with yours and how yours can with mine. Don't disrespect anyone and try to take good out of any situation. That will get us back on the right track.

What are you bringing into the New Year?

2010 is done. It’s in the bag. It’s now called history. It’s time to wipe the slate clean. But can we really do that? Most people look at the New Year as a fresh start. In all honesty, I believe it is a new beginning. However, I look at it a little differently than some. To me, I think about the past year first. I acknowledge everything I did, what I went through, whether good or bad, to set myself for the new year. Once I get all of this into my mind, then I welcome the present. See, you have to learn from your history. Understanding, that coming into a new year without acknowledging your previous year, and not learning from it, will just hinder your objectives for present, then the future.

You have to know what you did wrong, what you did right; what worked for you and what didn’t work in order to move on into a new year. In my case, I have some things I’m bringing into the new year. I now have a partner in crime, my wife, who I love dearly with all my heart. I have family and friends who I love and cherish. I have elevated myself in my career which will assist in financial stability. Most importantly, I have God, because without Him, none of this would be possible.

So now that I know this, I can start my New Year. I can list goals and dreams and begin. I can start with a full head of steam. I can embark on this journey of life. So what did you bring?

Did you see God today?

I saw this on TV at some point and decided to give myself the challenge this year of asking myself one question at the end of the day: How did you see God today?

This week, I can think of so many things:

 I remember getting the call about the Goshen player down. I hung the phone up and began to intercede on her behalf, I saw God bring her back to life.

I can think of the student that was so discouraged in getting her schedule for the spring. I saw God when she sat in my office

I can think of “the man with the golden voice, Ted Williams”, who even after the drugs and alcohol believed in miracles. I saw God’s forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

There are so many more, I could go on, but challenge yourself this year. How did you see God today?

Live. Love. Laugh

Live. This week we’ve faced great adversity. From the young basketball player collapsing at Goshen to the death of Mr. Terrell. One thing we can be assured is that God is always in control. This month is especially difficult for me because a year ago, on the 30^th, my sweet grandma passed away from pancreatic cancer. The great thing of it all is that you truly find strength during times like these; you simply cling tighter to the awesome hand of God.

Love. For some who may know and others just learning- We are really trying to expand the depths of our little Anderson clan. For the past 9 months we, or maybe I should say I (lol), have battled the blues of conception. You often think that once you’re married that one thing will come easy- for us, its been a slow road. No, 9 months isn’t long- but in knowing me and my desire to be a mother, you can only imagine the wait. Eujon has been amazing in trying to keep my spirits up and with countless trips to the doctor – one just this week- we may soon be learning more about our journey. Often, as in our case,  there are small stumbling blocks along the path, but in knowing more than anything that you have so many things to be grateful for- you find reasons to smile.  So, as we continue in our miracle making journey we just ask that you keep us in your prayers. Eujon always reminds me “when the time is right, God will make it happen”. This morning I found great comfort in my devotional.  Isaiah 45:2-3 “I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stor

ed in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord”. I couldn’t help but smile when I thought to myself just how personal the Word of God really is. I must admit, I laughed to myself knowing God will work it all out, to bring us our little treasure and riches! Patience is key.

Laugh. I once heard that you can always tell the depth of a couples love simply in how often they laugh. Well in knowing us, you have to know there is a great deal of love. I’m so happy to have someone in my life to truly help me laugh the cares of the world away. Laughter is great medicine. We shouldn’t take ourselves so serious and thanks to Eujon there is humor in most things. Between he and Rocco- our house stays eventful. 

So, keep us lifted in prayer as we continue our conception journey and our life in the Anderson Adventure!

It's a new dawn! It's a new day! And I'm feeling good!

Happy New Year! I've spent the morning looking around the internet and realized that I should start a blog. I know nothing about blogging, but figured I would give it a try. I feel this will be a great way to keep friends and family updated on so many things that are going on with us. So, with that said, welcome to The Andersons Adeventure!