HE is faithful!

I was so encouraged by my time in God's Word this morning that I just had to share!

2 Timothy 2:13 says "if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown himself."
Romans 3:3 says "What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true and every man a liar.

Thank goodness that HE IS FAITHFUL no matter what I am!!! Lord, help me overcome my unbelief (and this my prayer for you today too)!

Spring Break

Well, it's spring break...and it actually feels like spring outside! I'm looking forward to a week of fun and also accomplishing the many things that have been being put off since Christmas break. Piles of stuff that keep getting bigger, Maggie's babybook, ordering prints of my last 6 months of photos, and cleaning out Brett's closet  (that one has been put off for 2 years - well actually, I left it for him to do because I thought he would like to choose what to get rid of, but he hasn't done it so I'm going to - I was told if I get rid of the 'sacred shirt' there would be serious repercussions - I ain't scared of him though...:)!

My kiddos are working hard at the moment to finish up all their chores so they can head outside and then they are begging for so wii-time (Mario) later today. Honestly they get more exercise playing wii Mario than they do playing wii tennis...it's HILARIOUS to watch them - every time they make their 'guy' jump they also jump and they are constantly swinging their arms around as they navigate through each level! So funny! I've had to ban them from the furniture while playing wii cause I found them standing and JUMPING on my couch!!! That is a big-time 'NO' in our home!

Well, I guess I'd better stop typing cause there is fun to be had (and work to do)! Have a great day!

Hmmmm....it's the weekend

Well, I don't have any profound thoughts or funny stories this morning. But I'm in a 'mood' so I thought maybe I should type as I eat my bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios...yum.

Weekends at the Curry house have a few different 'looks'.  Look #1 - an overstuffed closet - you open the door and get knocked off your feet by all the stuff that flies out (a good example of one of these would be last weekend when we had Awanas Olympics all day followed by a birthday party then on Sunday we had church, lunch, a short rest time at home, then back to church for a meeting after dropping the kids off at Awanas at a different church - Whew - I was ready for Monday so I could relax a bit!).  Look #2 - a very organized closet - you open the door and immediately find just what you were looking for and it feels good ( a good example of this would be...well...actually...I can't think of even one since we've had children - ok, who am I kidding...I can't think of one even before we had kids!).  Look #3 - a closet where everything fits, but barely - you open the door, move a few things, and finally find what you were hoping you hadn't throw away or lost completely (this would describe most weekends here - not nearly as orderly and productive as this TypeA mama would like, but we fit most of the 'important' stuff in and haven't completely lost our sense of adventure or our sanity.....yet).

 So that's me this morning...trying to remember what the 'important' stuff is and trying NOT to get frustrated over MY 'important' stuff that once again isn't going to get completely done...if any at all. Maybe I'll just skip the cleaning all together and work on Maggie's Baby book that has not even a single word written in it yet. :(  And order pictures to put it in (I have taken them, just not ordered prints). And play with my big kids. Those are the 'important' things in life...not the dirty floors or the still huge pile of laundry that I just couldn't get done yesterday...right? But what is clean to wear to church tomorrow...?

P.S. - Maggie slept from 12-6 IN HER OWN BED! I should feel so well rested and be in a great mood! Come on coffee, do your job!

Molly Faith

At this moment 3 years ago I was lying in my bed snuggling with my brand new baby girl! Molly Faith has been such a joy and a blessing to us. Also a reason for much laughter! She'll do about anything for a laugh and loves to entertain her siblings...especially during their school time (to my dismay and sometimes utter frustration!)! Everyone thought that she would be a boy so when she was a girl I was in shock...and completely delighted (I had wanted a girl...obviously God had placed that desire in my heart:)! Molly was a big-time mama's girl up until about 5 months ago when Maggie was born...Molly has since become quite attached to her Daddy as well. :) Her nickname is Moo - shortened from Moody - a more fitting nickname has never been placed on a baby I'm sure! She could go from a smile to a scowl in a few short seconds (starting at a very young age) and did often...it was hilarious! Thankfully most of her scowls are reserved for her joking now. :)


What an honor to be called Mama by this sweet little girl. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for her future! I love you my little Molly Moo - keep smiling!

So of course this morning started off with our traditional chocolate chip pancake Birthday breakfast (with candles & singing too of course) followed by presents from Brett & I and siblings. We're playing around the house for now and next on the agenda is lunch at McD (healthy, I know:) and playing in the PlayPlace with her siblings and her best friend, Landon (her cousin whom she adores)! Then tonight cupcakes with all of our Life Group friends. I LOVE birthdays - celebrating the day I became a mama (to each one of my babies) is so much fun!!!  :) :) :)  

A New Day

I went to bed feeling discouraged and defeated. Life in general has just been overwhelming lately...I'm not complaining, just being honest.  So this morning I woke up to a text of encouragement from a sweet friend and then when I opened my Bible (intending to turn to Romans 5 - a passage recommended by my texting friend) it fell open to Psalm 91. I decided to read that first and BOY was I blessed! I love how God speaks so personally to each one of us. I've read Psalm 91 over and over in the past and it has always been a great passage, but today it was a note of encouragement straight from my God's heart to my own.  I hope you'll take the time to read it...it may not speak to you today like it did to me, but maybe God will put someone on your heart that needs to hear those words as I did....

Psalm 91 (NKJV)

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.  A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.   Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.  Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.

Psalm 91

I hope this spoke peace to your soul as it did to mine. Have a great day today and remember that His mercies are new every morning! :)

A year to remember...

One year ago today is a day that I will never forget. I received news that would forever change my life...especially the following year! Another little Curry was on the way!!! We were surprised, but thrilled nonetheless! D-day was marked on the calendar as October 23rd, all the siblings were excited (except Molly...she was pretty sure she was the baby), and Brett & I were amazed that God had decided to trust us with another sweet blessing.  On March 31st I had concerning symptoms and was sent in the next day for an ultrasound. I can't even explain the relief (and tears) that washed over my heart when we saw that little heart beating...baby was alive and well, but surrounded by a very large placental lake. Because of this I was put on moderate bed rest (which means I didn't have to be in bed, but I had to sit all the time & I wasn't allowed to lift anything ) for one month (for a mother of 4 young children that is a monumental assignment!). That was the longest and hardest month of my life - I'm not a sitter, I'm a doer. Thank goodness for great friends though!!! Within 12 hours of the news my dear friend/sister Meagan had organized a month of meals, house cleaning, and childcare for our family! Even as I type tears of gratitude fill my eyes...we would have been in such a mess (literally:) if we hadn't had so many people willing to bring meals, scrub toilets, wash & fold laundry, and care for our kiddos. I am SO thankful for all that helped out! :)  At the end of the month I had another ultrasound which showed that not much had changed. My midwife said that obviously all the sitting hadn't helped the placental lake to reabsorb so she allowed me to be up and around. Still no lifting or heavy/hard work though. The biggest concern at that point was preterm labor and/or a very small baby. Week after week passed and each ultrasound showed baby thriving but little to no change in the size of the lake. Each time I saw/heard that little thump thump of baby's heart or felt baby move within me I thanked God for another day another moment with this precious baby. Once we passed 23 weeks (that's when baby is viable outside the womb) my goal was 36 weeks which is how far along I would have to be to follow through with our plans for a home birth. September 25th, 2010 was a day of celebration for me - I had a healthy, growing baby and I had reached 36 weeks! The lake was still present, but no longer a concern! At 34 weeks Brett asked the tech to tell him the baby's gender, but I DID NOT want to know so he kept it a secret. :)  On Saturday, October 9th I woke up around 8 and went downstairs. My parents were coming over to make breakfast for the kids and Brett & I...or so I thought. :) We were all standing around the kitchen talking while my dad made breakfast when we hear a commotion in my front yard and our name being called through a bullhorn. I hesitantly opened the front door (I was, after all, still in my pjs - thankfully they matched and were decent!) to find most of our life group plus a few extras standing on my front lawn. They were there to do some very long overdue and much needed yard work (you would have to see pics or have been here to understand how badly it was needed)! My first contraction came about 5 minutes before I opened the front door. :)  I told no one (except Brett of course) for quite a while. But my mom, sister, and those friends who knew me best knew what was going on just by watching me. At noon I texted the midwife to let her know what was going on. She gave me very specific instructions on when to call back (my last labor/birth had been only 3 1/2 hours & the midwife barely made it in time to deliver). At 2:09 I called her and she headed this way (from Webb City - about an hour away). I went to my room and prepared everything for the coming delivery. The midwife arrived around 3:30 and at 4:45 precious Maggie Hope (our 4th girl!) entered the room surrounded by those who loved her the most (and the sound of the power washer still going in the front yard!)! She was healthy and beautiful and oh so loved. We had been concerned for months about a preemie, but Maggie was 8 lbs 3 oz - our biggest baby yet! What a testimony of God's faithfulness to His children - not only was she not a preemie, she was big for a Curry baby! The last 4 months have gone by so quickly and with so much joy. Each of our children are a blessing and bring joy to us! Yes, there are many difficult & overwhelming days that I wonder how I will survive, but His mercies are new every morning and for that I am eternally grateful!

So that is the last year in a nutshell. I woke up this morning thinking about it and just had to get my thoughts out of my head and onto paper...uh...digitally speaking.  It's been an emotional rollercoaster, but the ups make the downs tolerable.  At the moment Maggie is sleeping in her swing and I can't help but look at her every few minutes and thank God for our sweet baby girl - how differently things could have been if not for God's protection over her.

Oh, and our yard looks amazing! I'm looking forward to spring weather so I can sit on the front porch again and enjoy the view. We have the World's Best Friends!

It's Valentine's Day!!!

Last night as Brett & I sat making our construction paper valentines (I'm sure it was quite a picture...both of us using kid scissors...him sitting at my desk and me squished into Emma's...cutting paper hearts...HA!) I so enjoyed writing a sweet note to each of my kiddos. And the thought came to mind - why do I only do this once a year? I should be doing it once week!  A sweet note left on their pillow or on their desk. Just a few words to let them know that I love them and I'm proud of them and I'm so glad that God picked me to be their mama. So that's my newest goal for this year (I'm attempting one-at-a-time bite-sized goals this year:) - I want to write each of my kiddos a note once a week. I think this will change my perspective of them and their perspective of me. :) And a change in perspective is always good! 

Tonight for Family Night at my parent's we're having a Valentine Party! We're ALL (adults included) making valentine bags and handing out valentines to each other. We're eating dessert first and we'll all get bags full of candy, valentines, and special treats (just like we did in 1st grade:), and the kids will each get a balloon too! I don't remember the last time I was so excited about V-Day!  

So...those are my thoughts for this morning. I might have more later though...there are alot of things swirling around in my head today...