26 days... But who's counting?

Obviously I am. :) The ticker on the side helps out...

(My newest preggo shot is at the bottom so you have to read ALL OF THIS to get to it!!!) (Well, now you don't because you just read that... Whatever)

So what's been going on in the Paulus household?

• Michael's flying again! He's back in Vegas and diving into the squadron. I must say that both of us love this squadron and have been warmly welcomed since day 1.
• The baby's room is almost ready! Honestly the only thing I "need" to get is a mattress cover, disposable diapers, and a few more white onesies.
• My hospital bag is packed and ready to go. If you think of anything that you, or your mom, found helpful in the hospital please let me know!
• I feel like I'm (excuse the cliche) as big as a house. Michael mischievously replies that I am a house...
• We have successfully completed the birthing class. Michael made jokes the entire time. I sure do love my husband...
• My body is getting ready for D-Day. Over the past two weeks I've been combating Braxton-Hicks contractions, lower back pain, and a general discomfort in my hips. We're almost there!!!
• As of this coming Saturday I will be full term and able to deliver at any time. Yipee!
• Otto is almost completely house-trained (finally!) He's a great dog. Darn it.
• Michael's truck has been recovered in pretty good condition - it was being sold with a few other stolen cars. Looks like it will be a little bit longer till we can get it back. We definitely need patience in dealing with the people that stole it and our insurance company... As well as trusting God for reliable transportation.

As far as prayer is concerned:

• Please pray for peace as my due date draws near
• Of course, for a smooth uninteresting labor and delivery of a healthy baby
• Wisdom for Michael and I as we step (feels more like leaping) into parenthood
• And that I would glide into this new season gracefully. It's very easy for me to be self-reliant and not trust in God or my husband. I will definitely need prayer to be grateful for the slowing down of my body due to this process. (I'm a busybody, if you couldn't tell)

For the time being, I'm trying to practice what my father-in-law has encouraged me to do: PONDER. Ponder this new season, where God has me, what changes this is going to mean, and how to live my life to the glory of the Father. It's a good encouragement.

36 weeks!

A request for prayer:

Sorry I haven't been diligent in my blogging. Here's the latest update: Gracie's in town and we're having a great time, Otto is in a testing phase (but the Lord is working on giving me patience... I wish He would hurry up, already), Michael is doing well in Albuquerque (he's flying again!), and I am still very very pregnant - going into my third trimester!!!

If you happen to think of me would you please send up a prayer to the Big Guy upstairs? I am EXHAUSTED. It's pretty normal for the pregnancy, but I don't do well with tiredness. My body is completely worn out, as are my emotions (poor Gracie and Michael!). I hardly sleep anymore at night and naps during the day have always been difficult for me. I have crying spells - and for those of you who know me well, you know that I DO NOT LIKE TO CRY. It's been pretty rough and I know it will probably get worse before it gets better.

Please know that I am doing everything I can to counteract this tiredness - walking every day, trying to lay down and rest, drinking enough water, eating well, taking vitamins, and making sure I can get at least 8 hours of sleep at night (though I wake up throughout the night).

Thank you for your prayers!!!

I'm still here...

Hey Readers,

It's been a while since I posted, sorry. Here's some updates:

Otto is just as rotten as ever and always encouraging me to grow in patience...
Michael came in last weekend and we had an awesome time!
I've started to do yoga with one of my preggo friends...
Still gaining weight (this is a miracle!)...
Baby Girl is healthy and rolling around, a lot...
I'm cleaning the house for GRACIE!!!! She's coming in on Tuesday...
We bought one of the largest baby purchases - our stroller, I love it...

Life is wonderful!

If you are wondering what you can be praying about for us:

That the rest of Michael's time in Albuquerque would go quickly and smoothly,
the pregnancy would continue to go well,
I would continue to gain weight at a healthy pace,
And that I would continue to see the Lord growing me into a mom that honors Him.

And some pregnancy pics...

We'll be "On the Road Again"

Yup. Tomorrow marks the begining of the last leg of our trip to Vegas. Below is the address to see the route we're taking.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=3837+Berkshire+Ln+Bedford+TX+76021&daddr=Ft+Bliss+El+Paso+TX+to:Luke+AFB+AZ+to:Nellis+AFB+NV&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=32.288865,-104.73624&sspn=14.4995,25.751953&ie=UTF8&ll=33.651208,-106.083984&spn=14.279497,25.751953&z=5

If you think of us, please pray for safe travel, awareness of the road, alertness, and a good attitude. :)

The first leg of the trip is baout 9 hours (Bedford, TX to El Paso, TX). The last two legs are, roughly, five hours each. That will be a nice break!

Thanks for all of your prayers and encouragements!

Vegas or Bust

:) We are officially packing up, boxing up, folding up, and putting up all of our stuff to head out tomorrow for Dallas and then on to Vegas.

I don't know if anyone has been reading the news, but the west, oddly enough has been hit with unseasonal winter weather. And it's gonna get worse.

Just our luck.

So, if you think of my hubby and I, please pray for clear, smooth, safe weather, cheerful tudes (attitudes), fun memories, and restful sleep in between.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and love! We will miss every single one of you and look forward to coming back and visiting! If you have a blog please keep updating it. If you don't and you've been contemplating it, please start one for me to see (send me the link) what's happening in your life.

If I don't post for another couple of weeks please have patience for me! I'm working on it!

My life right now...

Working,
Scraping,
Cleaning,
Scrubbing,
Caulking,
Patching,
Sweeping,
Trying to be cheerful,
Tired,
Busy,
Scheduled,
Tiny bit stressed,
Not anxious (amazingly),
Vacuuming,
Tiling,
Polishing,
...

And just feeling a little "blah" (as Bekah would put it).

I'm looking forward to this being over with. Not the whole moving, but the fixing, cleaning, etc. I'm tired. Trying to be patient. Just a little overwhelmed (not that this won't get done or can't, but that it's taking forever.)

Blah.
Blah.
Blah.

Pray for us!

If you come across this post -

Please pray for me to feel better! I feel miserable right now and I'm supposed to be getting ready to go out with Michael for the weekend. I just feel icky and I have a million things to do!

Thankfully I have the most awesomest husband in the world! He's prayed over me multiple times, got me a movie, went shopping for me, woke up in the middle of the night to turn off the fan so my throat wouldn't be as dry, cooked for me, and tried to make me laugh, as well as giving me any medication that helps me. If I feel any better it's because of Michael!

For all of my readers...

Please lift up Jen Napier in your prayers!

A Store in Prayer

I don't know how many people knew this, but Moore Expression's truck (the homeschool company that I work for) broke down within the past month. The repair would require at least an entirely new engine.

All in all, the total cost of the repairs would be upwards of $20,000! There was little chance that we could get that kind of money fast. The truck is the store's main revenue, bringing profit through homeschool conventions. We were in major need of a miracle!

Thankfully, the Lord knows all of our needs well before we know them. Mrs. Moore and I had just been talking about our circumstances. She was relaying to me that God has and always will take care of us. Every trial He puts us through is to bring Him glory and make us more into His image.

Well... what a trial!

I asked my family to pray for the store and that God would meet us in this need. Mrs. Moore had different customers praying for us as well as her care group and family. Through the whole thing I'm proud to say Mrs. Moore kept her composure and trusted solely in the Lord!

And...

He met us!!! Today we got a call from Joe saying that GM was going to completely pay for a NEW ENGINE!!!!!!! All the store would have to pay for is to put it in!

God has been, and is, so good to us! He met us in this place that we thought was a hopeless situation. He proved Himself faithful yet again.

For me, I got to see the power of prayer. I struggle having my devotions, but I really try to pray as often as possible. It's easy, though, to think that, yeah, God may hear you, but will He answer you? Will He?

YES, HE DOES!

Lord, thank you for being faithful to me. Even though I am human and forget to seek you with all of my heart, You still hear my little voice and love and take care of me. Thank you!

His grace overflows...

I am really struggling to trust in the Lord right now! I'm on a balance beam, waiting to take the next step and praying for balance. I cannot balance myself. I've tried, only to fall flat on my face and to be picked up again by the Lord.

God, I know You're in control of my life and I submit myself to You. But right now, I'm really having a hard time seeing your grace in my life. Situations keep coming up and I question my readiness to face them or I wonder if they are signs/warnings. I don't know. You are so big! You will bring me through the struggles going on in my heart. You are faithful. You are my first love.

I need You. You meet all of my needs, both physically, mentally, and, above all, spiritually. Thank You for not letting me squander in my own filth. It still amazes me how good you are to me, a sinner.

I'm a sinner who loves grace.

Butterflies

It's funny how butterflies come in all shapes and sizes. Monarchs, brown, orange, and red flying around. Big butterflies - small butterflies - blue butterflies - butterflies with spots.

But the butterflies that I'm dealing with are butterflies of anxiety... in a good way. I know that Jesus tells us to [not be] "anxious about anything, but... by prayer and petition make your requests to God," (Phili 4:6), but I have butterflies for a good cause. A friend of mine is coming home from a 6-month missions trip and I'm so excited and nervous all at the same time!

It's like you're first date. Sitting there on the sofa with your legs crossed "patiently" waiting for your date to arrive. You twiddle your fingers as you try not to plan what the night might unfold. Your hearing becomes super-charged; the fly on the wall has made three steps towards the plate of food you have laid on the counter. When is he going to be here? Why is he taking so long? He said he be here by 7:30 and it's 7:32. You try very hard to stay out of sin.

You find yourself with the age old butterflies in the stomach.

And that's my diagnosis. I've got butterflies. Big ones. Silly ones. Ones in my hand making my hand shake.

You know what's worse? These butterflies are over someone that I haven't even met before. Never. But I'm sure I will. Eventually.

She's coming home from her missions trip, and while she's been gone I have been praying for her. Praying for safety. Praying for the Lord's hand over her life. Praying for peace, joy, strength, endurance, etc. Basically, her coming home is the culmination of all of my prayers and petitions. I'm soooo excited!

I feel like I'm standing at the airport waiting to watch her walk down the airport walkway knowing that she'll be more mature, sad to leave, but joyful to come home (what a paradox there lies for missionaries). I'm holding a cluster of antique pink roses with a welcome home balloon and a gigantic smile reaching from ear-to-ear. I'd be fighting the urge to cry uncontrollably.

But I'm here. Sitting at my computer. Writing in my diary.

Just my butterflies and me.


Lord, please bring joy to K---. Let her find herself wrapped in the arms of those she loves and know that she's at home. Let her be content where you place her, be it at home, on the mission field, or with D---. Lord you know the plans you have for her. Plans to prosper her, and not to harm her. Let her find her peace in You, where ever that may lead her. And give those that she loves peace of mind and heart as they receive K--- back into their arms. Let them know that their trust and security lies in You and Your will will not be shaken. Amen.