Happy Valentines Day!

Eric and I got to celebrate Valentines Day (and being pregnant) on Friday night!  Eric's brother Sean and his wife had a great idea that they would keep our kids Friday night for us to go out and we would keep theirs on Saturday night so they could go out.  It worked out great! 

We went and ate dinner at Baker Peters.  It was very good.....except for the fact that we didn't have reservations and had to sit upstairs near the cigar bar.  It smelt awful....however the steak was amazing! 

After that we saw Valentine's Day-- it was really good!  We had a great night.

Saturday night we kept Kellen, Wyatt and Elliott.  The kids had a blast playing and were sooo good.

Sunday Eric was in a skit at Church.....he did an amazing job and was so funny. 

After Church we went and ate at PF Changs for Kellen's birthday and Valentine's Day.  We LOVE PF Changs!  They were so good to us too....we got free appetizers and desserts!  YUM!

Then we went to Church Sunday night for our Sunday school class.  We are doing a DVD series called "Laugh your way to a better marriage"---and it is HILARIOUS!! 

The boys told us "Happy Balentine's Day" at least 100 times!  It was a great weekend....

FINALLY!!!

So.....I was driving this morning to get bloodwork done to find out if I am pregnant.  I was praying and listening to my Kari Jobe CD and I looked over and saw this old semi.  One the back of it....it had one word.  It was a really strange word to be on the back of a semi.  It said..............................................

Finally!

I stared at it for a few seconds.....and decided that it was a word from God for me.  Of course it was....why else would that word be on the back of that truck today?.....definitely for me.  God was telling me that finally this long fertility journey is over. 

I just knew I was pregnant.......and I was right. 

I

AM

  PREGNANT!

I don't want anyone to be mistaken and think that I am pregnant because of my fertiity Doctor.  God works THROUGH Doctors and that is exactly what happened.  He worked through my Doctor and is blessing Eric and I with a 3rd miracle!  If you recall....from what my Doctor said my chances were not good. 

I am so grateful to everyone who has prayed us through this difficult time.  Infertility is NO joke....it is emotionally, financially and physically draining.  Every time that I was discouraged....God laid me on someone's heart and I got a call, a text or an email.  THANK YOU!!!! 

All of your prayers and mine were answered today!  Thank you Jesus!

"Theres a bug in my throat!"

This is how our morning went.......
5:45 am--Nolen comes into our room crying. 
He says "Theres a bug in my throat and its stinging me...its biting me, pray for my throat Daddy." 
To which Eric replies (half asleep), "Theres pee in your throat?" 
Then I chime in...."No....PRAY for his throat".
So Eric says..."God, I pray for Nolen's bug in his throat....heal him right now.  Amen."  Then Eric says..."Ok...you are good to go.  Go back to your bed now."
And off Nolen goes back to his bed. 

6:00 am--Nolen comes back in our room crying.  "Mommy there is a bug in my throat and its biting me.  I need to frow (throw) up!"
Eric:  "Ok Nolen....go and throw up in the toilet and when you are done...go back to your bed." 
Nolen: (crying) "Ok Daddy".  He then goes in to the bathroom and gags and carries on for a few minutes and goes and gets back in his bed.  On a side note....Nolen has a VERY sensitive gag reflex and says he needs to throw up A LOT...but rarely actually does. 
After a few minutes of crying Eric went in Nolen's room and laid down with him. 

6:30 am--Eric and Nolen come back to our bed.....Nolen still whining.  Nolen goes to the toilet a few more times and gags....gets in the bed, whines some more and tells us about the bug in his throat until 7:20 when the alarm went off. 

So....what was bothering him?  Apparently, he had a sore throat because once he ate breakfast he FINALLY stopped and said the bug was gone.  FUN TIMES!!!

I believe in miracles.....

Most of you know about my Niece Ayla.  I had requested prayer for her a few weeks ago.  She was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when she was born and her whole life is a miracle.  She spent the first few months of her life in the hospital and has endured 3 surgeries.  A few weeks back we thought she may have yet another surgery in her near future for a blockage.  She was transferred to Shands and responded to treatment and her blockage did not require surgery!  A miracle in the form of good ole constipation!!!!
Let's face it....the economy is not great and Eric is a builder.  So....budgeting is very important for us!  We have had to be very smart with our money and with all this fertility stuff---lets just say it has been rough.  To make a VERY long story short.....we finally got a contract on Eric's house!!!!  The way it all came about is nothing short of a miracle.  At Church on Sunday we took communion and our Pastor said three different prayers....if you felt like you needed prayer in one of those areas then you were to stand for that prayer.  Obviously, I stood for physical healing-DUH!  We also stood for a financial need.  Eric really felt like God spoke to him during that prayer and told him to expect a call on the following day about his house.  It happened and he showed them the home Monday night!  They LOVE it and signed the contract last night!  We KNOW that God sent a buyer for that house....and the timing was perfect.
So....we KNOW that miracles happen and we are hoping and praying for another miracle this month!  We already have 2 amazing miracles named Gavin and Nolen....whats one more right???  Thanks for the prayers....keep 'em coming!

More snow--yay!

Last week was LLLOOOONNNGGG.  Sunday afternoon Nolen started running a fever and so I took him to the Doctor on Monday.  He had a double ear infection (1 was really bad), a sinus infection and an awful sounding cough. 

Gavin started running a fever Monday night and so I took him to the Doctor Wednesday....he also had a sinus infection and a bad cough. 

Thursday morning I woke up feeling pretty bad.....then Eric.  You get the picture.  Back to the Doctor on Friday for Nolen's 3 year well child (a little late) and more rX for Gavin. 

So....Friday it started snowing and we couldn't really go anywhere.  We were home for an entire week except to go to the Doctor and we were about to lose our minds. 

We did get the boys out for a little while on Saturday to play in the snow. 

He looks like he is up to something....

Gavin was really into helping build the snowman.

Nolen throwing snow..

Nolen can't resist eating snow...

Daddy and his boys...

Snowman and crazy Daddy

Basketball!

Gavin is playing basketball.  It is Upward Basketball through our church--which is a MUCH different experience than flag football.  Daddy is coaching and Gavin wouldn't have it any other way.  They learn a bible verse each week and if they have it memorized the next week...they get a star.  Wow...kids have great memories--Gavin can remember almost every verse since week 1 and Nolen even knows a couple of them too!!

He had his first game a few weeks back and it was not so good.  As soon as he walked into the gym and saw all those people...he decided he wasn't playing.  He said it was because he knew that I would take pictures and because he didn't want all those parents to be watching him!  AAAHHHH...he is so my child.  He is worried about what people think about him.  Noooooo....I want him to not care what anyone things....like his Daddy.  He did not play....not one second of the whole game.  Lets just say that it was not a good day in the Gifford household.

This was Gavin at the first game......

And....this is Gavin at his 2nd game....quite a difference!!  We threatened encouraged him and told him that he would have much more fun if he played and that his team mates needed him.  He played and he did great....he even got a basket!

On a side note....I am pretty sure that who ever started Upward is a Gator fan.  All the uniforms are Gator colors....goes perfectly with Eric's Gator hat.  LOVE it!