Spilling the Beans...in More Ways Than One

so today is the day to spill the beans...in more ways than

one, really.

 i'll start with the big fun secret...that many of you have already read about

on other blogs.  the big ol' baby shower

for miss leslie (over at happily ever after--sorry i can't hyperlink it from my

couch "computer"--more on that later).  a little over a month ago i received an

e-mail from some lovely blog world friends who wanted to show the beautiful

leslie some love....via an internet baby shower.  and so the secret plotting and planning

began...the sending of lovely quilt fabric scraps from sweet Chelle...the

creating of lovely little gifts...the praying for sweet baby cade...so much

love in one secret little blog.  and

voila...last night the cat was let out of the bag as susan, a real world friend

of leslie's surprised her with the gifts and the blog site...

head on over to check out the shower and to wish leslie a happy last fwe days

or weeks of pregnancy.  while you are

there you will meet some incredible women!

www.showersofblessingforcade.blogspot.com  (i'd love to hyperlink that as well...or add

the lovely little button wendi designed...but alas, my wii internet browser

isn't that savy!).

this brings me to "secret" number two...not so much a secret, and

quite honestly not something i was sure i would put out there in

blog-land.  but the ladies over at

showers of blessings know...as do some of my other bloggity land friends...and

all of our real world friends...and to be honest, it has been heavy on my heart

to share...to simply be real with where i am right now....

i'm on the couch...on bedrest...we were blessed to be surprised with the news

that we were pregnant with our third little "yak" just a few weeks

ago.  incredibly surprised...incredibly

delighted by the news.  and then just a

week ago i started having some complications...complications that have led my

ob to put me on very strict bedrest...the kind where i am only supposed to get

up to use the facilities type bedrest.

in the past week we've run the whole gamut of emotions...hope and

trust...fear and frustration...anger...back to trust...back to fear...and on

and on.  we've had lots of time to talk,

celebrate, cry, pray and simply "be".

God is already showing us so clearly that He is Sovereignly in

control...that He is good even as we struggle with the uncertainties before

us....that He is the one who upholds us as we wait for further news.  He is teaching me to keep my eyes on His

truth and His power...to not trust in my own strength or emotions or

abilities...He is humbling us and then lifting us up in His strength.

we are praying for life...that we would meet this little one in the delivery

room in May...and yet, we are also setting our hearts on the reality that He is

God...that He is good...and that He is our Lord regardless of what He chooses

for this pregnancy.  we have already been

incredibly blessed by the love of the body of Christ...the community...our

friends and family...and even you, my blog-land friends.  we would covet your prayers in the coming

days...prayers for this baby, prayers for our faith, prayers for the witness

and testimony we will have regardless of the outcome of our ultrasound tuesday.

and that my friends brings me back to typing from my couch.  my sweet husband quickly realized that blog-land

and e-mail access might make the couch ridden days go by more quickly (since

the computer is upstairs...a trek i can only make once a day!)...and so he

figured out how to hook our wii internet browser up and a keyboard...and

voila....back in the internet business.

a big thanks to my mom who was able to come down and chase the girlies

and clean our house...my sweet friends who have offered to help at any

time...mike's parents who came by today with lunch and a wee birthday

celebration for elizabeth (who turns 3 in just 4 short days!)...and so many

other blessings along the way.  as we go

along i am keeping a journal of "thanks in the trial"...wanting to

focus on what blessings and lessons God might have for us in this

time...already its pages are filled with some sweet and incredible goodness in

the midst of some adverse times.  we

trust Him...and we pray that as we go through this we would bring glory and

honor to Him.



       much love....amanda :)