Blessing Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday weekend. We played with family, spread some bark chips around our yard, and ate--a lot. Yesterday was so hard to get back into school, but hoping by tomorrow we'll be done for the year (please oh please!)...and right now I've got a big ol' pot of coffee brewing, my praise and worship playing, and I'm ready to count some blessings. Hope you'll join me:)

~Beyond thankful for those who have fought for my freedom. It is something I am daily thankful for. 

~Thankful for another year of successful homeschooling.

~Blessed by my neighbor who brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers in all shades of pink.

~Blessed by time with my family this weekend...it is wonderful (and yes, sometimes crazy) to live all so close.

~Blessed that I am able to walk, talk, eat, smile....health is an amazing blessing.

And for those of you who prayed with me for Amanda last week, I want to share an update from her mother Nancy. Prayer is an amazing thing...our God is amazing and ever so faithful:

Three areas I have been asking God for are her smile, speech and swallow to be restored. We are seeing such progress in all of those areas just in the last 48 hours. It started with Ben being able to have a 30 minute conversation with two days ago and now she is able to speak in full complete and intricate sentences. Her words are understandable although her is still weakened in strength (this will come !) When Rae and Mike Hyatt came to see her last night she was not just talking- but speaking scripture and declaring the word of God over her life and her baby! 

We got her laughing yesterday over some crazy antic of her dad (surprised anyone?) and her SMILE is so much better... only a little more to and it will be 100%. Such improvement over the last two days!! 

Her swallow is also greatly improved.She has working on some ice chips and is able to keep them completely in her mouth, chew and swallow all of the liquid. This is the first step in being able to transition off the feeding tube to solid liquids. No vomiting of late either. 

Everyday OB comes into check on baby's heartbeat. On Saturday "he" wasn't coming out to play and did not want to allow us to find him, but yesterday after a little hide and seek Terry and I were able to hear a good strong heartbeat from the littlest Ippel. precious! 

She is missing her kids terribly and wants to see them. Please pray their hearts to be prepared, grace to cover and the right timing. i told her let us know when she is ready and we will make that happen (she said NOW) ... I said would you like to see them 2 at a time.... vehemently shook her head no and firmly held up four fingers... all of them she replied! 

Pray for continued grace to carry Ben, wisdom for those of us who are caring for the kids so we can be consistant and (try) to fill her shoes (impossible) for this season. 

We are so grateful for all are bringing meals and helping in other ways. So many have brought random things that have been such a blessing- unasked for but exactly what God guided them to bring. 

thankful.

That was shared on Monday. By last night, her feeding tube came out! She's bending her leg, working on getting dressed, taking steps, smiling & laughing...please continue to pray.

And keep working on that memory verse. One more week!


But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,

And He who formed you, O Israel,

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name; you are Mine! (Isaiah 43:1)