Our day at Memorial Stadium!

My brother Jeff was in town and mentioned that maybe we should go down to Lincoln and check out the sports facilities. They allow the public to walk through certain areas on a self-guided tour. We took the older three boys with us and headed out! The boys and my brother graciously let me know that I was not wearing Husker Red but in fact I had on Oklahoma Red! So I was out of place all day! After a great dinner at Runza in Lincoln we headed down the street to Memorial Stadium!



We proceeded to go through a self guided tour of the Stadium. We walked around took some photos and were able to go in the SE gate to go in and see the field and while in the lobby the team was walking through the hall from practice to dinner.
The Linebackers coach Mike Ekeler stopped to say hi to the boys. After a bit of small talk he said "Hey guys, wanna see where my kids' favorite spot in the stadium is?" of course the kids said "yes". So he took us up the elevator to the 6th floor in the press box! We took a couple pics and he let the boys yell "Go Big Red" through the stadium microphone! Too cool!!



He then said "wanna see my kids' second favorite place'? Of course, Yeah!! So he then led us down to the field and said "Now boys... you can't walk on the field....you have to RUN"!!!! So we proceeded through the tunnel walk and the kids ran down the field to the end zone! We took pictures on the huskers' bench, at mid field, and captured the view of the stadium from the field!!







On the way down to the field Mike had grabbed a couple of Sharpies from the front desk and gave them to the boys. He told them that the whole team would be walking past from the practice field through the stadium in to the cafeteria for dinner and we could get some autographs!! The kids' (and my brother's) eyes were huge with delight!! So after we played on the field we were able to meet a lot of the team and some of the coaches including Mike Ekeler-Linebackers Coach, Ron Brown-Tight End Coach, James Dobson-Head Strength Coach, and Bo Pelini-Head Coach! God had it perfectly planned that the boys would each bring a Husker hat and each of them different!! So we got out the Sharpies and the team was extremely gracious to delay their yummy smelling dinner to sign the boys' hats!! Some of which include Alex Henery, Roy Helu Jr., Adi Kunalic, Zac Lee, Ndamukong Suh, and to top it all off Bo Pelini. Their hats are covered and they were so excited to have been able to have this kind of access! We were bummed we didn't get a pic of them with Mike who was so kind to give the boys a look around! Thank You Mike and all the Nebraska Cornhuskers for giving my boys and experience they'll never forget!!!

An Extra Digit!

Looking up at daddy!


Braden at 7 months

I'm a little late on this one but we have had a busy time lately!!

We have an added digit to our family! It is bitter~sweet for me to announce that Braden is now 10 years old! And he couldn't be more excited about hitting the big 1-0 milestone!! I'm so thankful to God for his gift of Braden to our family! It's sad and also scary to think our time with him in our house, under our authority and influence, is half over. It seems just like yesterday we were finding out our first baby was a boy!! We were thrilled! Both of us wanted a boy first to protect his little sister that we thought for sure would be next. But God (i love those two words!) had in His plans to give us two more boys after Braden before we'd get a girl!

During the latter half of pregnancy I was having Braxton Hicks Contractions and terrible back pain. I remember having to go to the physical therapist to learn some exercises and stretches to try to alleviate the pain. They gave me this belt that put pressure on my sacrum to try to help the bones stay inline. Due to a hormone that's released when you're pregnant your ligaments soften and allow the joints in your body to become loose, for obvious reasons. Well it was so bad in my back that at times when I'd step my back couldn't support me and my leg would collapse. I only had one incident in a parking lot where I twisted my ankle a bit, other than that it was just painful. So nearing the end of my pregnancy I was READY to be done. As I mentioned I was having contractions and about 3 1/2weeks before my due date I was having them about every 3-5minutes. We decided we should go to the hospital and see if this was it! Once we arrived they started an IV before they even checked me. The nurse that was trying to get my IV in wasn't doing very well. She kept poking me and couldn't get it in. Then I started bleeding a lot and turned pale. I remember Ben running to get a wet washcloth for my forehead and I just laid back and tried to snap out of it! Such a wierd feeling. So after all that they checked me, I hadn't changed from my appt and didn't change the few hours I was in the hospital so they sent me home. Ugghh! All that pokin' for nothin'! So a week and a half goes by and on Labor Day (of all days) I go into labor (real labor). I had some contractions all day off and on and at around 8:30 we decide to go into the hospital. I was contracting but not progressing too quicklly so they broke my water and promptly had an epidural soon after. It didn't take so well, so I could feel pain on one side but not the other. The anesthesiologist had to come back in and re-place my epidural. After that I could feel nothing and it was only about a half-hour from then that I was complete and ready to push. Thankfully I only had to push through a few contractions (9minutes) and he was born. At 6lb 10oz(almost our littlest) our firstborn, was here!! We were thrilled and enjoyed showing off our new gift to family and friends!!

It was on 9-9-99 when we walked out of the hospital with our new little one, and I remember thinking "how could they just let us walk out of here, we don't know anything about a tiny baby" We were on our own and so excited about the journey of parenting that lay before us! Oh what a journey it's been! The joy that comes with parenting is indescribable and the struggle to be self-sacrificing is well, still a struggle. I love my Braden and all the gifts that came after him and am ever grateful that God has called me to be their mother!

Braden and his best bud and cousin!

Wordless Wednesday

Blogging from Word

Hello all this is a test. I'm writing in Microsoft Word to see if the blog program works on here!

10 reasons why believing in the Sovereignty of God matters!

Rebuilding Some Basics of Bethlehem: 10 Reasons Why Believing in the Sovereignty of God Matters

Download:

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By John Piper September 16, 2009

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What we mean by the sovereignty of God is captured in paragraph 3.2 of The Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith. The dozens of biblical passages used to support this paragraph are found in the online version.

3.2 We believe that God upholds and governs all things—from galaxies to subatomic particles, from the forces of nature to the movements of nations, and from the public plans of politicians to the secret acts of solitary persons—all in accord with His eternal, all-wise purposes to glorify Himself, yet in such a way that He never sins, nor ever condemns a person unjustly; but that His ordaining and governing all things is compatible with the moral accountability of all persons created in His image.

Why does it matter whether we believe this? Ten reasons.

1. The good news of God’s substituting his Son for us on the cross depends on it.

“Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” (Acts 4:27­-28)

2. The perseverance of the saints in the fear of God depends on it.

“I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” (Jeremiah 32:40)

3. Progress in holiness now, and the final perfecting of the saints in the end, depends on it.

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

“But you have come to Mount Zion . . . and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.” (Hebrews 12:22-23)

4. The assurance of God’s final triumph over all natural and supernatural evil depends on it.

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” (Isaiah 46:9­-10)

5. The comfort that there is a wise and loving purpose in all our calamities and loses, and that God will work all things together for our good, depends on it.

“Though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love. . . . Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?” (Lamentations 3:32-38)

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 50:20)

6. The hope that God will give life to the spiritually dead depends on it.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

7. Well-grounded expectation of answered prayer depends on it.

“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” (Romans 10:1)

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. . . . For the promise is for . . . everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:38-39)

8. Boldness in the face of seeming hopeless defeat depends on it.

“Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.” (2 Samuel 10:12)

“Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.” (2 Chronicles 32:7)

9. Seeing and savoring the revelation of the fullness of God’s glory depends on it.

“But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ . . . What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power . . . [acted] in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy?” (Romans 9:20-23)

10. Praise that matches the fullness of God’s power, wisdom, and grace depends on it.

“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. . . . We will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalm 115:3, 18)

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.” (Psalm 96:4)

The doctrine of God’s sovereignty is an anchor for the troubled soul, a hope for the praying heart, a stability for fragile faith, a confidence in pursuing the lost, a guarantee of Christ’s atonement, a high mystery to keep us humble, and a solid ground for all praise. And oh so much more. O Lord, turn this truth for the triumph of your saving and sanctifying grace.

Confident and comforted with you,

Pastor John

Original Article Here

Wordless Wednesday

Free book offer

Grace To You has yet another free book offer! Just click on the link and if you're not on their mailing list you can request your free book. If you are on their mailing list your free book offer will be in the mail in September! If you are able to donate they encourage that but it times are hard they do a wonderful job of serving the body with free books! We received the first volume of this book as a gift when we visited Grace Community Church while on vacation last May!

Wordless Wednesday

Ethan's six!

Ethan Kyle Russell

Ethan - 1 day old

I love my Ethan!! I can hardly believe he's 6!! He is our middle child and it seems like only yesterday when we found out I was pregnant with him! It was Dec 3, 2002. Gabe (#2) was 7 months when we found out! We of course were thrilled and I was terribly sick so I was convinced he was a girl. We already had two boys so this had to be a girl right??!! Well at our twenty week ultrasound we had mixed feelings about finding out the sex. Ben wanted to know and I didn't. So our brilliant idea was to have them put the ultrasound photos in an envelope and then Ben could look if he wanted but I wouldn't have to!! Well that lasted about an hour!!! Ben looked first then about an hour later I couldn't take it anymore I peeked and saw that our third baby was going to be a boy! I was trying not to be disappointed as I was hoping for a girl but how could I be, God was giving us the gift of a growing healthy boy, and I cannot imagine not having him here now!!

Look at those lashes and the clown lips from a fudge pop!

If you read Gabe's birthday post in May you would know that I had wanted to deliver him with no medication. Well it didn't take long for me to ask for pain relief! I had thought about it a little during this pregnancy but it wasn't until "labor" day was getting closer that I really thought about it! Somewhere around 31 weeks I had made the 'decision' to go natural. I called a new friend who I'd talked to a bit before about it and she gave me some information. So I had two months to figure out how to do this. I read info on Lamaze and also the Bradley method. The more I read the more determined I got to do this! Yikes! I decided to go with the methods described in the Bradley method, they seemed the most natural. For the last couple of months I was having MANY contractions, even very consistent contractions for 2 or 3 days straight at times. I thought for sure I was going to have him early. At my 37wk appt I was only dilated 1cm, which is good at this stage of the game! At each subsequent weekly appt I was another cm dilated so by the time I hit 40wks (Fri Aug 8th) I was dilated to a 4! I was SURE now that I would have him in a matter of hours. I mean how long can a pregnant woman go being so far along? Appearantly a little while longer :-( Since I had past my due date my Dr wanted me to come in twice a week for a stress test on the baby. So on Tues the next week (no baby yet) I went in for my first stress test. A bit nervous I lay on the chair they put the straps around my HUGE belly and listen for his heartbeat.

That's a chicken nugget under his head!

His heartbeat was steady, he must have been sleeping because he wasn't moving at the moment and you could tell when he was awake! Well they put this little buzzer thing on the bottom of my belly gave it a little buzz and he jumped inside me! They then were monitoring his hb and they said his heartbeat was a little abnormal! Well Yeah, you just buzzed the poor little guy out of a nice peaceful nap! They had me go to the hospital to be monitored for a bit longer but by the time we got there he was relaxed, heartbeat was normal, and I didn't have to be induced! (My ultimate fear was to be induced and then not be able to go natural, I wasn't sure if I could even do it on my own w/o induction). So of course the next couple of days I was dreading going back to get another test done on Friday(41wk appt). I went in for my appt, she checked me and I was a 5!! I couldn't believe it, 5! Why was my body not going into labor yet? I think because of the fact I was dilated so much they decided not to do another stress test! YEAH!! We were all convinced I'd be in labor in a couple of hours! NOPE! I was contracting but no different than the previous few months!

Then while climbing into bed at 11:30pm on Sun Aug 17th my water broke!! Excited and a little frightened we called my step-mom to come stay with Braden and Gabe and headed to the hospital. We arrived there around 1am and things went pretty quickly after that. A friend of mine met us at the hospital when we arrived. I remember getting on the birth ball and NOT wanting to get off! I had to have pressure on my lower back the whole time! (thanks Christie) And my poor husband was holding my legs up a couple inches while I was on the ball and each time he moved it killed so he had to hold me really still which I know wasn't easy!! I could feel immense pressure and did not want to get off the ball, I knew it was close. Well I got up and on the bed between contractions and that was it! Only one or two more contractions and I was pushing. A couple contractions of pushing and here he was Ethan Kyle Russell 8lb15oz and I felt every ounce!! WOW what a relief!! By God's grace I did it with out them even having to stick a needle in me!! We were so filled with joy and ready to get on with life we left the hospital the next day!! That was 2192 days ago and we are still filled with joy over the gift of Ethan! He always makes us smile with his great facial expressions and witty remarks! It's never a dull moment with him around! We are praying for many more days with him!! We Love You Ethan!!!

Our new life with 3 boys!!

Kindergarten graduation!!


Silly boy!!


Put-Put with daddy!

Salvation by John MacArthur and Kirk Cameron

A great explanation of the gospel of Jesus! I was lost and He found ME!!! Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Wordless Wednesday!!!

Scenic drive!

Watch out below!!
Seriously it was a little scary when I looked up!!

³For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
⁴In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.

⁵The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
⁶Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
⁷For he is our God,
Psalm 95:3-7a