An Attitude of Gratitude...

My verse today was 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Just thought I would share my heart.

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

We all have something in our lives...that thing that makes us think, 'if this would work out, everything would be perfect!' Of course when I read this, my mind immediately goes to the fact that I'm supposed to be thankful for my infertility. The verse is very clear, it's God's will that I be thankful in ALL circumstances of my life. It's so easy to be thankful for the good...the things that make me happy. It's not so easy when it comes to the difficult things. God wants me to praise Him for this thing that makes me cry on a daily basis...the want to conceive a child.

I can't say that I've got this down but I can say that I continue to trust God's best during this time in my life. I'm doing my best to develop an attitude of gratitude...even for the not-so-easy things, like infertility. He has taught me so much already and if He continues to make me wait for a child, I can only believe it's because He still has something to teach me in all of this.

Today, I thank Him for what He has taught me up to this point and I count my infertility as a blessing!

We've come a long way, baby. :)


Love to all,
Jill

12 years!!

Tomorrow (July 20th) is our 12th Wedding Anniversary! I can't believe it has been 12 years!! There was SO MUCH that we didn't know when we first married (19 years old) and I feel like we 'grew up together'. You still have a lot to learn about life at 19 and we learned about it together! Needless to say, it hasn't been easy to get to where we're at today *smile* but I honestly wouldn't change a thing. I'm so blessed to have him by my side.

This weekend we had 6 of our nephews and nieces in our home. At one point I was at the mall with all 6 of them and though they were a hand full (ranging in age from 2-15), I was enjoying every minute of it. I called Alex and said, "this is what our Mothers felt like with us"! (we both come from families with 6 kids) I loved waking up in the morning and hearing them all talking and laughing in the living room, I loved giving my 2 year old niece her nightly bath, I loved having 6 kids sitting around the dining room table every night, I loved picking up candy wrappers that hit the floor instead of the trashcan...I could go on and on. Thank you to my sisters for letting us 'borrow' your kids for the weekend...we loved every minute of it.

I still pray on a daily basis that God will allow us to be parents. At one point this weekend, I went into the bathroom and just cried. Children truly are a blessing from God and I pray He will bless us with a family of our own someday. Happy Anniversary babe! I love you with all my heart.

Jill

Weekend at the lake...

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy 4th!

Alex and I are heading out to the lake to stay at his parents condo for a few days. All of my in-laws will be there...they are a fun bunch, so I'm sure I will have stories to tell when I get back. :) Alex is so excited to have a few days off and to be in the water all weekend...he's like a fish. I on the other hand, enjoy being on the boat but would rather lay out by the pool (which is probably where I will be most of the time). Oh, and he's taking me to eat at Cafe Klaser tonight, which I'm most excited about!! It sits on the Little Red River and is beautiful in the evening. Whenever we go there, it brings back memories of a very special time in our lives. I have the best husband ever...love you, babe. :)

I hope all of you have a fun and safe holiday!

Love you all,

Jill