Miracle Hills Ranch, Lifelight Missouri

I finally made it through all my pictures! 

We made it to Miracle Hills Ranch Friday afternoon.  As we got out of the car there was a peace just filling the air. I immediately told Justin I wanted to go back next year!! 

We unloaded our stuff, set up our tent and headed over to the main stage to see what it was all about.  

There was a pond separating the camp area and the main stage area.  There were canoes, paddle boats and fishing. 

We didn't make it in time to hear the first two bands perform.  The first band we heard was Reilly.  They had a couple of amazing violinists.   

The main stage 

Next up was Remedy Drive.  I have heard several of their songs and was super excited to hear them sing.  After their first song I started second guessing myself.  They sounded nothing like they do on K-love!!  They have some really great songs, it's just really hard to understand the words live.

Josh Brewer (doesn't his face look like Kyle?:)) was up next and he shared his testimony and gave an alter call. 

Friday night ended with Sanctus Real.  They were by far my favorite group of the weekend, but not just because of the music they sing.  These men are following hard after God and writing about the difficult things of life they are living through and what God is teaching them. 

The lead singer Matt Hammitt has an amazing testimony about being the spiritual leader his wife needs as well as trusting in God for baby Bowen's heart.    

Last April he and his wife found out the baby they were expecting had a heart defect.  Through it all they trusted God and submitted themselves to Him.  You can read all about Baby Bowen's Heart here. (To start at the beginning click on April 2010 under previous posts) 

One thing Matt said was, "Our pain will have a purpose because of our Redeemer."

We serve an AWESOME GOD!!

Saturday morning we woke up to rain and hung out in our tent until noon. 

Thankfully we both had books and our Bibles to read! 

Once the rain stopped we ate our lunch and decided to explore more of the grounds.  There was this amazing water slide with a pool beside it. 

Some of the tents in the camping area. 

Chris August sang on Saturday.  He was a great entertainer and has some amazing songs! 

Kerrie Roberts was up next. 

Sidewalk Prophets started off the evening show. 

Leeland was next.  I had heard one of their songs on K-love, but that was all.  They are an amazing worship band.  We bought a CD and I have listened to it countless times since we've been home. 

Saturday night ended with The Afters. 

They ended the night with "Light Up The Sky" and a fireworks show.

Justin and I had a great weekend in Missouri!  God did a work in our hearts and confirmed many things for us.  It was so wonderful to get away and spend time in the presence of so many other believers! 

Taste of Home Tuesday: Cajun Potato Wedges

Ingredients
3 medium potatoes (1-1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 to 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

Directions
Cut each potato lengthwise into eight wedges; place in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning; toss to coat.

Bake at 450° for 20-25 minutes or until tender, turning once. Yield: 4 servings.
 
Our Cajun seasoning is pretty spicy, so our fries were fairly hot.  Justin called them stout, this means that my mouth was about to burn off.:)  I might try a different seasoning next time.

Doctor Visit

Yesterday Justin and I made a trip to Wichita to visit with Dr. Tatpati again. We had taken a break for several months, but decided after the last miscarriage to schedule another appointment and get a plan in place for the future. The past several visits she had prescribed fertility drugs that aide in getting pregnant but we hadn't talked much about what she could do to keep us pregnant.

The very first time we had met with her she did a ultrasound and had found a fibroid. Yesterday she decided to check to see if that had changed. Thankfully it has not, and is not in an area that will hinder a pregnancy; however, she did notice that my uterus has a very slight heart shape to it.

While I was still seeing Dr. Morgan she had suggest we have an HSG or hysterosalpingogram done. This is just an xray of the uterus where they look for blocked tubes or an abnormal shape. Dr. Tatpati said that at the time of my HSG the uterus may have been slightly tilted or that the abnormal shape is so close to normal that the Dr. didn't find it noteworthy. (it's about 2 millimeters off)

There are different degrees and names for each degree of this heart shape uterus. I cannot remember what she called them all. I do know that mine was the very least of them, not severe at all. She told us that having a heart shaped uterus is known to cause miscarriages. Normally a doctor would not be concerned with my case because it is so slight; however, because I have had numerous loses she suggested a hysteroscopy.  She wanted an "up close and personal view" to see if perhaps it has more of a heart shape in person then was showing up on the ultrasound.

The heart shape is reversible by making snips where it bows down in the middle. Dr. Tatpati strongly suggested that she take a look, and if need be, make the snips so the uterus will go back up and become flat across the top once again.

Justin and I discussed the procedure and decided to take her advice and remove one more variable from the picture. I will be having this procedure within the next few weeks.

We are excited to be moving forward again and curious to see what she finds after the procedure. Thank you so much for your prayers and continued support.

The Rare Word

Lysa Terkeurst shared on her blog this morning about "the rare word". 

Psalm 19:14

   May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight O Lord my rock and my redeemer. 

She said, "We live in a day and time where our rights sometimes take precedence over our pursuit of righteousness." 
As I continued on I came across this verse in

I Peter 4:11

Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; ... so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

I was reminded of something I heard Beth Moore speak on once in Proverbs 31: 26

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. 

Ephesians 4: 29

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

 How many times a day do I find myself uttering a compliant instead of a word that will edify or bring glory to God?  Lysa challenged herself to "find the good", to "be the woman who is lavishly expressive of that good...who rarely, rarely, rarely utters that complaint."

Chris August - Candy Wrap

Justin and I had a great time at LifeLight! I took way to many pictures and am in the process of sorting through them all. Until I get a chance to post them I wanted to share a fun rap Chris August preformed.

I don't know why this won't play.  Just click the link to you tube to watch.

LifeLight

Tomorrow morning at 5:45 Justin and I are leaving for LifeLight in Bethany Missouri!  This is a two day concert where we will get to hear several awesome groups including The Afters, Sanctus Real, Sidewalk Prophets, and Chris August!  I'm so excited!!  We are both looking forward to the time away and a chance to grow in God with thousands of other believers.  Hopefully I'll have some amazing pictures to share when we get back!

Is It Worth It??

I listened to this video on two different blogs here and here and read what the ladies had to say.  They are both in the adoption process and are listening to what this man has to say in terms of adoption.  I heard what he was saying in terms of adoption as well, I've always wanted to adopt and have a home full of children from all over the place that nobody else took the time to love, all in God's perfect timing.  However, as I listened, I realized his words could be applied to our lifestyles in general.      

How many times do we miss what God is saying because we are too concerned with our own comfort and desires?  I think a lot of us have bought into the American dream and lies of the culture more then we are aware of, simply because we were born into and have been immersed in it. What is it that you don't think you can do?  Food for thought as you go about your day.

Holy - Nichole Nordeman

This is one of my favorite songs. 
All God really wants is our heart, our whole heart.

Taste of Home Tuesday: Roasted Red Potato Salad

Ingredients
2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions
Toss potatoes with oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; place in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until tender, stirring once. Cool slightly.

For dressing, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Stir in the chilies, paprika, garlic powder and remaining salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the corn, onion, red pepper and potatoes. Add 1 cup dressing and cilantro; toss to coat (save remaining dressing for another use). Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.

These potatoes were good.  Justin will tell you not as good as cheesy potatoes, but what could ever beat cheesy potatoes??  I did  not have any smoked paprika on hand and just used the regular.  I'm curious what the other would have tasted like.  (I didn't read my recipe well enough before we went shopping...oops!)  This is a great side dish for when you're grilling.

Random

I've seen a Summer To Do List on several other blogs and thought it would be fun to try it.  I was able to fill a whole page!!  I think the designing of the page was my favorite...hopefully it will not be more fun to create then to fulfill the list.

Last night there were some crazy clouds overhead! 

We went into Papaw and Nana's last night and one of 

their "pet" frogs was hanging out in the pond. 

A couple of days ago I was outside and spotted this bird just sitting on Pop's wheat truck.  He stayed there long enough for me to head inside for the camera and come back to snap a few photos. 

This is my little Lucky.

She is starting to eat grain, grass, and alfalfa, as well as the bottle she gets fed twice a day.   

Happy Monday!!

The Best Time of the Year

There is just something about harvest that makes it one of the best times of the year.  Maybe it's the hustle and bustle of getting the wheat cut as quickly as possible, or the wind rustling through the dry heads of wheat.  Maybe it's the camaraderie of working with family and seeing everyone everyday and the laughter and joking that takes place, or the smell of wheat in the air.  Maybe it's the hauling meals to the men and then heading back to the house to start preparing the next one, or helping move the machines to the next field.  Maybe it's the night sky lit up with combine and truck lights in every direction as far as the eye can see, as farmers cut as late into the night as possible.  Maybe it's simply all of the above.  Whatever it is, it's a special time of year that started again in Pretty Prairie over a week ago.  Justin and I were down there this past weekend and were able to get in on a little bit of it.  I must say I miss the days of being out there each and everyday. 

My older brother's semi 

 The first combine he bought

 The second combine he bought

 His tractor

 The older brother

They were having some problems with the fuel tank and none of their arms were small enough to fit down into the tank, so I got to stick my arm in! 

My grandfather, uncle and older brother all work together during harvest and help each other cut the wheat. 

The older brother and uncle's combines 

Unloading on the go

My dad drove the L2 the day we were down 

I was able to ride with the brother for awhile.  Such good times!  There's nothing like bouncing along in a combine together!! 

As we were riding along my uncle came over the radio to tell us we needed to turn around and take a look at the L2.  It turns out the back axle busted.  My ride was quickly over as I became a gofer for my Dad and Husband as they fixed the axle.  It made for quite an exciting afternoon and evening, but as a result I didn't get any sunset pictures of the machines cutting.  I may just have to drive around up here and sneak some pictures of the local farmers.