The Igo Family

Adding to it all.....

2010-06-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

Well, sit down... Are you sitting???? OK....

We are expecting!
Baby #5, yes, #5, is Due in mid to late December. Tim and I have had yet another lesson in the Soverignty of God and His ways are higher than our ways. We are excited to have this blessing, and hope to be found faithful to God in parenting 5 children. Please pray for us as we prepare for this new one, continue to raise the 4 others in their various stages of life, and still be sain! God is gracious in His provision, so we trust in Him!

One year, already

2010-06-02T10:14:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated TJ's first birthday. It was a great time. We had a small party here at the house on Saturday with a barnyard theme. Farmer TJ had a great time playing, opening presents, and Oh, how he loved the cake.

This little man has been such a blessing, as all our children have been. TJ, being the only boy in the house, has brought a new element of fun and excitement. We have to think differently of how to raise a boy than our girls. We have the joyful responsibility of teaching him how to be a leader in his own home some day where with the girls we are raising them to be helpmates someday. It really is different.

We look forward to what God has in store for us in the next year with TJ and all the many new things he will do. Pray for wisdom for us both as Tim models leadership and I model being a helpmate. Oh, how we desire to fully understand our roles God has for us so that we can teach them to our children so that they may know and
understand all that God has called them to.

Gearing up for summer

2010-05-18T07:56:00.004-05:00

Another year of home schooling is complete. Praise be to God! It is only by His Grace and Mercy that this task is even possible. The girls have done very well, and are learning so much. The studies we have for them are quite challenging, requiring them to think outside the box in a lot of cases, and to apply logic to their answers rather than just memorize and recite. Brenna is headed into the 8th grade, and Taylor into the 6th. To me, that just seems impossible. It was only yesterday that they were Kara and TJ's age. It is even harder to believe that TJ will be one at the end of the month. Wow...

As Summer days are quickly approaching, I am realizing that finding time to breathe will be the challenge of the season. May has always been busy with birthdays, anniversaries, special events, graduations, and more, but it seems these days that it has extended itself into the months of June, July, and even August. It is all good though. God is teaching me that it isn't necessarily about having peace and quiet all the time, but sometimes managing chaos. Having kids in different stages of life has many blessings, but its challenges as well... Mainly logistics. I am looking forward to what this summer holds for us. Some of those things are:

Tim and I will begin teaching in Youth again. (11th and 12th grades)
Brenna will be accompanied by her Daddy for her first mission trip. Mission Arlington is the destination where they will do apartment ministry in July. (It is gonna be hot!)
Taylor will be doing choir this summer for a special music program our church is doing. She will have several practices and a day camp to attend in July.
VBS is going to be exciting this year. I am going to be the director for 2nd grade, Brenna is a helper in the pre-school area where TJ and Kara will be, and Taylor will be a student in VBS for one last year.
Somewhere in there we are trying to schedule a trip to Texas to see family and friends.

Before we can blink, August will be here and school will be back in full swing.

Playing Catch up....

2010-04-28T13:08:00.005-05:00

Needless to say, our lives have been a little bit more than busy lately. Winter has finally lifted its heavy hand upon us here in West Plains, and Spring is in full swing. Living life with an almost teen, a pre-teen, a toddler, and a baby has been incredibly challenging in so many ways, but still a blessing. I must admit that there are days when life would seem so much easier if I had two in school, one in Mother's Day Out, and only one at home to lug around, but I know that we are where God wants us to be for now, so we will continue to walk in the light that we have, trusting in Him, and counting our blessings.

We took a family road trip to Nashville, TN in early April with a family from West Plains. We had a blast! We visited several museums and parks along the way and had a great time with the Lewandowski's. We got a flat tire on the way home and had to drive 55 mph almost the entire way home. It took forever, but we got EXCELLENT gas milage!

Tim has been traveling quite a bit since his job responsibilities have shifted some. He is still doing a fantastic job, and his efforts are apparent in the companies continued growth. I know that it isn't Tim that is responsible for this, but God is , and is using him in this field to encourage and assist his fellow co-workers in growing business. Tim at the Great Wall in China, December 09
Brenna is very involved in the Youth ministry at our church and is looking forward to her summer mission trip to Arlington, Texas where they will participate in apartment ministry. She still loves tumbling, and is continuing to develop those skills. Watching her long legs flip around is quite beautiful. She has made some new buddies at our home school co-op, and is enjoying developing those friendships as well.

Taylor had oral surgery mid April, and is healing up so well. I praise God that she has recovered from this much better than I did when I had the same thing done at almost her same age. It is amazing how well she has done, and we know that is all because God heard our prayers! She LOVES tumbling, and is so athletic. She has no fear when it comes to doing the tricks, and is doing so well. She has enjoyed co-op as well, making new friends and spending time with old ones too.

Kara is.... well... Kara... she is growing so fast. Her vocabulary has gone from words and sentences to paragraphs and dissertations. She loves to play outside on her slide, blowing bubbles, and picking up rocks... yea, rocks... She is doing so well with her potty training and we hope to soon be 100% diaper free soon. She still wears them at night. She loves to be with her sisters, and loves to mother TJ. They have really started interacting more, playing together, and laughing together. That sound just melts my heart.

It is hard to believe that TJ will be one year old in a short month. He is such a joy. He says mama, dada, ba-ba, bye, hi, and has the signs down for "more" and "all done". He loves to smile, laugh, give kisses, and play. He is already "all boy", as I say, in his need to tackle, throw, and play rough. He is almost walking, and I think hasn't done so yet because he has his sisters who will pick him up when he reaches up for them.

As for summer, we don't have any specific plans yet. And I am ok with that for now. With everything that has been going on in life, it would be nice to have some down time. Reality is that I know we won't have that for many more years to come with our kiddos in 4 different directions. Until then... this is the season.

Brenna, Taylor, and Kara, April 10

"The little man" TJ Easter morning, April 2010

Long time, no blog....

2009-12-28T15:11:00.003-06:00

It has been quite a while since I have posted anything on here. And per mom's request, I am doing so now. To say it has been crazy in our lives would be an understatement. Between Tim's work, home school, church activites, tumbling, traveling, and raising 4 kids, it has been something almost non stop. The holidays have been good. Mom came back with us after Thanksgiving since Tim had a somewhat last minute trip to China the first two weeks of December. She has stayed through Christmas, and will return home to Houston on Jan. 2. I don't know what I am going to do... I have gotten very spoiled to having her here. Tim and I even had a chance to get away to St. Louis to see the Texans play the St. Louis Rams. We spent the night in downtown St. Louis. I found myself sitting, staring into space, in awe of the lack of someone to take care of or something that had to get done. It was wonderful. Thought I would include a few pictures from the holidays...

Praying that each of you has a blessed New Year and a year of seeing and savoring God like never before!

TJ is three months... where does the time go? (and other ramblings)

2009-09-01T13:09:00.004-05:00

I can't believe TJ is already 3 months old. It just seems like yesterday. Heck, it just seems like yesterday that Kara was born... I guess that is what we get for having two in 15 1/2 months... Anyway. TJ is a joy. He has been such an easy baby. He is never really fussy, and when he is, he is easily consoled. He LOVES to "talk" he just coos all the time. His simle is the most contagious thing ever. He loves his sisters so. He watches them play around the room, and loves it when they want to snuggle with him. Kara just loves to hug and kiss on him. She also thinks the needs to have a pacifier and burp rag at ALL times. Brenna is the typical "little mommy" she has been with Kara, and Taylor has really taken a liking to him too. She will actually change diapers now. (But not if it is poopy) She has a special touch with TJ. She can always make him happy. What a blessing.
Actually, God's timing is perfect. We kicked up home school to include all subjects this week, and it has been very tiring. It is His timing that I sat down to post this blog so that I could remember how blessed we are to have these children, when just a little while ago I was ready to ship a couple of them off.... :) In the grand scheme of things, God uses these kids daily to teach me more about myself, and more importantly, Him. His mercies are new everyday! Praise God. And He is mercifully teaching me patience and steadfastness in parenting.I hold fast to the verse "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." He isn't done yet.(thankfully)

A lot of catching up to do...

2009-08-01T14:43:00.003-05:00

Well we finally have internet back!!!! It has been a month without it. It has been good and bad. Good, because I have not spent a lot of time on the computer, and more time reading and studying (not to mention taking care of 4 kiddos), and bad because I have felt so disconnected from so many of my friends and the world news.

Let's see... what has happened in this past month.... Well, we are settled in our new home, and I love it. We feel so blessed. We have broken the house in with small group meetings, visits from Uncle Micah and Aunt Heather, dinner with the Hirsch family, a Birthday Party for Brenna, and last night a slumber party. Whew..... I don't think I would have had time for the internet, even if we did have it before now.

I have a ton of pictures to post, and will get that done as soon as I can.

The little man is here!

2009-06-04T08:04:00.003-05:00

On Sunday monring, May 31, at 1:26 am. God blessed us with Timothy James Igo, Jr. "T.J." He weighed 6lbs.12 oz, and was 19 in. long. He is a joy. His personality, so far, is very laid back. Brenna, Taylor, and Kara are all adjusting well and love to hold and kiss on him. Maw Maw is still here and is quickly turning TJ into a MawMaw's boy.

Tim and I are just in awe of God's blessings in our lives, and honored and challenged at the same time of the task that he has given us to raise His children for His glory. More pictures will be posted later.

update

2009-05-15T09:53:00.003-05:00

Ok, I know it has been a while since I have posted anything....Things have been a bit busy these past few weeks.

I celebrated my 34th birthday. (I got a wii and wiifit, and I love it!) We celebrated one of my BFF's 30th birthday's with a sup rise party in Branson, I went and had a mani/pedi (sat next to a very weird individual, male, in his 60's that talked without ceasing), celebrated Mother's day, had a baby shower last night. During all of this we have been moving out furniture for a garage sale and packing up things that we don't really need out until we move into the new house.

The house is coming along great. They are putting in the wood floor as I type, and then the trim, doors, cabinets and counter tops will be going in next. It is really going well, and I think it looks great. Every time we go over there, I am thankful to God for his provision for this house and how He is working everything.

Tim has been working so very hard at making sure EVERYTHING is taken care of. He has really taken on even more since I am some what limited in my energy and ability. I know he is really going to need a good rest when we get settled into the new house. He has also been very busy with work and church as well. He is currently serving on the Budget and Finance team, and is in the process of being accepted as a deacon at our church. His business is doing well in spite of the economy, and he is making sure everyone has everything they need to sell the products he is in charge of.

Brenna and Taylor have finished school. PRAISE THE LORD! We are finishing up some math before we REALLY take a break, so that they will not start next fall in the last 2/3 of something from this year. They have worked so very hard this year, and I am very pleased with their progress and achievement this year. It has been a blessing to home school them.

Kara is growing like a weed! She is talking more every day, and we have so much fun with her. Her independent personality is really coming out now, along with some very funny OCD tendencies. She loves to dance and sing and play with her big sisters. It will be interesting to see how she does when her brother arrives, as I am sure she will not really understand that she is the only one that gets held anymore. I guess it is an early opportunity to teach that love is not making much of someone, but doing what is BEST for someone.

Baby TJ is set to arrive here in the next couple of weeks. The doctor said yesterday he was pretty certain I would not make it to my original due date. I told Tim this morning that I wasn't sure it would even be two more weeks. All of it is in the Lord's timing. I guess I should pack a bag for the hospital. (even though it is about 4 blocks from our house)

I have rambled on long enough - You can see God is busy in our world, as I am sure He is in yours. Just make sure you take the time to see where He is working and thank Him for it, even if your circumstances are not that "comfortable" right now. I know I have to remind myself of that all the time. God is God all the time, and He is GOOD all the time.

The past week....in a collage

2009-04-13T15:51:00.001-05:00

Picasa is a really neat program! I have come to like it A LOT. It is easy to create and share collages, movies, and pictures. THis only took a couple of minutes to do. Believe it or not.

Holy Week - and a little bit of my ramblings

2009-04-07T10:42:00.006-05:00

I think that Easter has become my favorite holiday. It is such a joy to celebrate the Risen King! More than that, I can call Him MY KING! It is really a whirlwind of emotion week too. Thinking about the Passover and the immense honor it is to remember God's faithfulness to His people is so humbling. Remembering the pain and anguish Jesus endured on the cross as he paid the price for all men's sin is painful. Celebrating the empty tomb is an overwhelming joy. Not just these events, but their meaning and how they point to God and His character is what is really hitting me this year. God is more than good. He is more than amazing. He is more than any adjective anyone could come up with to describe His worth. It really makes me long for heaven when we will bow before our King and praise Him in all of his glory. You know, I have had some pretty amazing worship experiences in my life, and I count them as amazing blessings. But they are just a mere shadow to what is to come. I can't even fathom it! WOW!

God has been teaching Tim and I some amazing things lately, and we are so thankful for how he is revealing Himself.He has led us to cast out some idols in our house (satellite TV) and he has blessed us tremendously from that. Our family time has been so sweet lately. I feel like we are more focused on the things that really matter, eternal things, rather than just being together watching a movie. I have discovered that for us, that is not really "together time". I am so thankful to have a husband who I can see growing in the Lord and desiring that for me and the girls, and trusting in God to lead him to lead us. I am thankful that God is teaching me how to be a better "helpmate" to Tim and what being a godly woman truly is. I am thankful that I can see God working in Brenna and Taylor's lives as they learn and grow into young women, and how God is always reminding me that they are His daughters, and ours is the job to show Him to them.

We are entering into a CRAZY busy time for us. Having a baby, building a home, moving into said home, and adjusting to a family of 6! WOW... It can seem overwhelming, and I must admit, I have felt that way at times. But, God is good. He is leading and we are following Him. We are constantly reminded of our need to rest in Him, His Grace and Mercy, and His provision.

We have SO much to praise Him for!

Louisiana Vacation

2009-03-25T10:28:00.003-05:00

Last week we had the great opportunity to spend the entire week with Aunt Heather, Uncle Micah, and baby Lora in LaPlace, Louisiana while Tim had to travel to Texas on business. We had a great time! It was good to be with Heather and watch her with her first baby. We went to the French Quarter one day, to a plantation on another, and did some shopping while we were there too. We didn't go and do stuff all day every day because that is hard to do with a toddler, a newborn, and a pregnant woman, so it gave us good opportunity to just sit and talk. Taylor found a new passion while she was there too. Golf. She spent hours in the back yard hitting golf balls onto the course behind their house and into the pond. She loved it. Brenna, poor thing, fought allergies/cold symptoms while there, so she didn't go outside as much as Taylor. Our last night there, Micah and Heather treated us to a crawfish boil (YUM) where we sat and ate 20lbs of crawfish. Come to find out on Saturday morning, the mosquitoes enjoyed munching on us while we munched on crawfish. I am the only one who seems to have a ton of bites, thankfully the girls were spared. Kara even enjoyed the mudbugs with us. She and Taylor were eating them as fast as we could get them pealed. Taylor helped out as best she could with her one good hand, and discovered that she could pull the tails off and make a pile for me to finish pealing for her. It was nice to get to wear shorts and such for a bit, since we came home to chilly weather we had to put those away again for a few more days.

Kara playing in the chalk on Aunt Heather's back porch

The four girls outside Cafe Du Monde

We love beignets

Kara enjoying the warm weather!

Kara's Kazoo

2009-03-14T14:15:00.004-05:00

Kara learned to play the kazoo today. I just had to share this... it is too funny.

Firsts... the good and the bad

2009-03-10T09:40:00.004-05:00

We had a weekend of firsts in our house. On Saturday, it was SOO beautiful outside. The big girls were rollerblading on our neighbor's driveway since they are out of town and their driveway is really big. Everything was just great, then, all of the sudden... it happened. Taylor took a spill and fell on her left side. In spite of her protective gear everywhere except her wrist, she managed to get "road rash" pretty good on her left hand. Everything seemed ok, and she didn't seem to be in a lot of pain. Sacred, yes, pain, not so much. We didn't notice any abnormality in her hand, and no swelling happened that day so we thought, maybe just sprained and the scrapes. Sunday evening, the top of her little hand started swelling and she started complaining about her thumb and pointer finger hurting. We wrapped her up, gave her some Tylenol, and we went to bed. Monday morning when she woke up, it was still swollen and still painful, so Tim and I decided to have it checked out. God was so good through it all. We went to the walk-in clinic just up the road from us since our Doctor's office was slammed for the day. (They really miss RT). I prayed as we got close to the clinic, "Please God, don't let this place be packed." He is good. We literally sat in the lobby for maybe 3 minutes. They took the pictures they needed and they had the doctor on call at the main clinic (who happened to be another friend of ours) take a look. He referred us to the bone specialist, and he said he needed to see her. To make a long story shorter, by 1:00 yesterday afternoon, we had seen two docs, had x-rays, a hot pink cast, and a sucker (Taylor's favorite part of the event). We even got to come home for lunch and get a bit of school done in that time too. There are some great benefits to living in a small town.

The other fist is a short story... Kara had her first PB&J sandwich on Sunday evening. SHE LOVED IT! It may not come through on the picture so well, but she was wearing a good bit of the sandwich since she wanted to put the pieces in her mouth herself and dropped some on her shirt as well. She is talking SO much. She has her first sentence, "hold me", which she loves to say, along with a miriad of other words. She also loves to do the chicken dance! She folds her arms like wings and says "bock bock". It is really cute.

Preparing for the little guy...

2009-03-07T17:43:00.002-06:00

We have not done too much to prepare for the arrival of our little man yet, we have about 14 weeks still. We did, however, find the perfect bedding set for him while on a trip in Springfield while mom was here. I thought I would share it with all of you since it is so cute, and we are excited to be actually buying little boy stuff

Pray for the Jeter family

2009-03-05T12:24:00.002-06:00

Last night, a couple whose husband works for the Master's Craft (Tim's employer), gave birth, and lost their baby all in the same night. The baby had complications that the family knew about ahead of time, but in their belief in God and trust in Him, they continued with the pregnancy rather than terminating. Please be in prayer for the Jeter family as they deal with the loss of their child and continue to raise their two little girls. I can't even imagine the emotions they are going through, but we have witnessed them profess their trust in Christ through this, and know that His plan is greater than ours.

Happy 10th Birthday, Taylor!

2009-03-02T12:53:00.003-06:00

Saturday we celebrated Taylor's 10th birthday party with a 10 pen celebration at the local bowling alley. She invited 10 friends, but only 9 could make it. We had a good time bowling, eating, and playing games. Other than not having a voice from my allergies, it was easy too! Taylor even got 4 inches of snow on her birthday!

2009-02-26T11:24:00.000-06:00

Bible Study Magazine and Mars Hill are giving away 20 copies of Mark Driscoll’s new book, Vintage Church. Not only that, but they are also giving away five subscriptions to Bible Study Magazine and a copy of their Bible Study Library software! Enter to win on the Bible Study Magazine Mark Driscoll page, then take a look at all the cool tools they have to take your Bible study to the next level!

Birthday pictures

2009-02-19T18:36:00.004-06:00

Kara and her favorite pig, "Hamlet"Her new pig, "Homer"The little rascals from the partyShe wasn't quite sure what was happening here...
But then she figured out that cake is GOOOOOOD!!

Turning one and having fun!

2009-02-18T09:40:00.004-06:00

We celebrated our third little princess' birthday on Satuday, February 14th. We had my mom, a few friends, and "extended family" over for burgers, dogs, cake and fun. Kara enjoyed everyone here and was constantly scanning the room. She didn't seem too interested in presents until she opened the one from Uncle Michael and Aunt Holly which was her 3rd stuffed pig. Her pig collection is now complete since we have the 3 little pigs. Sunday morning she woke up and I guess decided she was done with bottles. We offered them to her on Sunday and Monday, but no interest, so we are done with those. This has been the easiest transition yet. Mom said if she potty trains as easy as coming off the bottle, we have got it made. I guess God knows how much I can handle, and he is being gracious to me knowing that another little one is on the way. I will post more party pictures later. I had camera issues, but thankfully Lynette was there with her camera to take tons of pictures. I will get those from her to share with you all.

Birthday Palooza

2009-02-10T10:57:00.003-06:00

We are gearing up for a fun filled two weeks here at our house. This week we celebrate Kara's 1st birthday on February 14th. We will have a party for her on the 13th so that we are not digging into any Valentine's Day plans for couples. We intentionally have made her birthday a separate event from Valentine's day, so there will be no heart cakes or decorations in our house for Kara's party. We want to celebrate the life God has given her, and the joy that He has given us in this first year of her life. I can't believe that it has been a year already!

Taylor's 10th birthday is at the end of this month, on the 28th. We are working on her plans for her party, and I really have to get on that. It is amazing to see what God has done in and through her in her short 10 years, and we are anxiously and hopeful for her future and His plans for her life.

The really cool thing is that mom is coming to be here for both of the girls birthday's. This is really special. We will get to have a nice long visit where we are not rushed to get all the fun and excitement in in just a few days. Pray for her as she makes the drive from Houston by herself. She will be stopping in Texarkana for the night on Wednesday, and will be here Thursday afternoon. I am sure her car will be loaded with gifts and goodies. (Who needs Santa when you have grandparents, right?)

The 2009 Ice Storm....so far

2009-01-27T09:47:00.005-06:00

So, we still have power, and as I am typing, it is sleeting pretty hard. I am thankful for power as it has helped us keep a "normal" day in getting school done. The trees are so beautiful with the ice on them, but we know that it is not good for them to be coated in ice. It really makes me think about the world and how we often see it. There are so many things out there that appear "beautiful" and are appealing, but in fact, are terrible for us. It starts out ok, but in time, it wears on us, makes us weak, and breaks us. Just as the tree limbs are beginning to do outside. It makes me think of pride, vanity, materialism, and "keeping up appearances."

I have often struggled, as I know MANY people do, with going through junk, dealing with sin or hurts, and putting on a "pretty face" so that no one will know what I am going through. It is like the trees outside. They may look beautiful, but internally, they are aching, if you will, due to the stress of the ice and cold. It is a call for me to pray for myself and for others, that when we hurt, we need not put on a front, but share our hurts first with God, our spouses/family, and friends who will love us and pray with us through those hard times. I know that when I have done this for myself, it is a lighter burden to carry.

So, as you look at these pictures from this morning, do not only admire their beauty, but pray for the transparency in your life, and the life of fellow believers that we would all share our burdens with God and each other, and in response God, and our "family" will come along side of us all and walk with us through those times.

Ultrasound results

2009-01-23T14:19:00.005-06:00

It's a boy. He looks great. Everything measures up well. He has the cutest profile.

We are a little shocked, and completely pleased.

Join us as we praise God for the gift of life!

Look who's walking!

2009-01-22T15:10:00.001-06:00

Kara has been working on this for the past few weeks, but seems to finally be confident enough to go on her own. Thought you would like to see. It is amazing how fast they grow!

Mackenzie family

2009-01-21T08:47:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, my cousin James who plays trumpet for the Washington Army Band, took part in the inauguration ceremony of our 44th president, Barak Obama. James is a WONDERFUL trumpet player, graduating from Rice University with a Master's Degree in trumpet performance. Since that time ( I was a young girl when he did that), he has played for dignitaries, officials, special ceremonies, Olympic openings, Super Bowls, and much more. I am writing this not only that you could see how proud we are of James, but even more, to pray for him and his beautiful family. In late November, his wife, Ofelia, gave birth to their second daughter Marielle who was VERY premature. She wasn't due until early February. She is getting excellent care at one of our nations best hospitals, Navy Med., in Bethesda, Maryland. Please continue to lift them up as Marielle continues to grow and strengthen. Pray for patience and perseverance for Ofelia, James, and the rest of the family as they wait patiently for Marielle to be well enough to come home.

James is the third guy from the left. The picture is better on Facebook.

James, Ofelia, "Aunt" Jennie, and Marielle

Baby, it's cold outside!

2009-01-06T14:29:00.002-06:00

Just a quick picture... this is Kara, all bundled up to go outside when it is super cold up here. Tim thought this was too cute not to take a picture. She is such a trooper. She complained when we first started doing all this when it first got cold, but now, she seems to enjoy it.

Enjoying the season

2008-12-22T14:36:00.005-06:00

We have enjoyed a little snow, some ice, and a lot of cloudy days, but are thankful for Winter, none the less. The girls (all of us actually) are really hoping for a bigger snow that is "play-worthy" to enjoy together. We went ahead and took some pictures in front of the tree to share with you.... the picture as the header is one of my favorite... the girls look so cute!

Brenna and Taylor under the tree

our two goof balls

Brenna and kara (always trying to pose for the camera)

Kara Claus

Thanksgiving Week

2008-12-04T14:12:00.006-06:00

This Thanksgiving week was FULL of actvities. We celebrated my mother's birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with our famalies. Due to hectic schedules and such, we decided to celebrate Christmas with our famalies while we were there for Thanksgiving. It was different, but a lot of fun. We spent most of the week in Alvin with my family, and headed to Tim's mom's after Thanksgiving dinner to spend the night and Friday with her. We hit the road back to West Plains EARLY Saturday morning. (Man, I think the drive gets longer each time we do it)

my mom and the girls at her birthday party/ dinner

The girls in the family wearing the Christmas hats B&T made with Aunt Holly

Brenna's favorite gift, make-up

Kara and her favorite toy - she loves to be pushed around the house on this!

Taylor opening their new travel DVD players! The old one finally died after about 5 years.

Hey, Mom! I did it!

2008-12-03T15:57:00.002-06:00

Ok, for those of you wondering what the heck is in that pot, it is my girls, (and mine) favorite dish, Chicken and Dumplings. I have watched my grandmother and mother over the years make this "simple" concauction, but have never, as of yet, made it with sucess. Well, tonight, I did it! I got it to taste like mom's! The dumplings turned out well, and the pot was FULL! (Thanks, Mom, for talking me through the dumpling mixture, yet again)

Since the weather outside is nasty, Tim is out of town, the girls and I are going to enjoy a big bowl of comfort tonight, all the while thinking of "Me-Maw" and "Maw-Maw" while we eat!

Catching up

2008-11-20T11:58:00.003-06:00

These past couple of weeks have been full of activity.

We have had fun in the leaves...

I thought our tree in Houston dropped a lot of leaves! We are surrounded by maple trees that turned a beautiful yellow and red and dropped a billion leaves. Brenna and Taylor had fun raking, playing, and even helped burn leaves. Celebrated Tim's birthday...

Tim Turned 37 years old this year. God has done, and is doing some amazing things in his life, and in ours. We are learning so much individually and together! I love my husband. He loves me and the girls so much. I am thankful for his love, hard work, and fun loving spirit!And Kara's 9 month mark...

Kara is busy crawling, pulling up, cruising along furniture, saying "da-da" and "ba-ba" quite well. She has stood some on her own, but tends to be more cautious than the other girls ever were. She weighs 16lbs, is 26 1/2 inches long, and loves to eat.

We are now preparing for our trip to Houston to celebrate Mom's birthday and Thanksgiving. We will be there for just a week, and know that it will be full lots of activity, hugs and kisses. We will have some great pictures to post after that I am sure.

So, to all of you, we extend our love and thanks for each of you! God has truly blessed us with family and friends who love Him and love us too! Happy Thanksgiving to each of you!!!

Chicago, Branson, and home again...

2008-11-03T10:38:00.005-06:00

This past week was a great, but very tiring week. The girls and I packed up and went with Tim to Chicago. Tim had a show Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We spent the day together Monday in the city and journeyed around the Navy Pier. That was a lot of fun. It was cold and cloudy that day. Tuesday and Wednesday we hung out in the burbs where we were staying. We got in sight seeing and shopping!! Thursday, the girls and I went back into the city to the Adler Planetarium. It was amazing! The girls are spending the year in Astronomy for Science, so this was a perfect place for us to go. It was such a great museum. It had tons of information, but kept everything interactive for kids. I highly reccomend this place if you ever make it to Chicago. The weather on Thursday was perfect. The museum was right on Lake Michigan.

Tim and the girls in front of Wrigley Field

The Navy Pier

B & T in front of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline

NASA's future?

Friday we headed to Branson for Tim's company retreat. The accomodations were more than wonderful! It was a relaxing end to a busy week. Brenna and Taylor got to hang out with some of their buddies that they see only once a year.

Needless to say, we are all still a little tired and working to get back into the swing of things. We are thankful for the opportunity to travel with Tim and spend all that time together! It was a lot of fun.

Taylor's new look

2008-10-23T10:14:00.002-05:00

Little Taylor had to get braces this week. Unfortunately, she inherited her mommy's teeth. Her x-ray shows a lot of teeth trying to come in and a little bitty space for them to come in to. We went for a consult on Monday, and ended up getting the braces put on Tuesday. She has been such a trooper. If you have never had braces, it is impossible to comprehend the discomfort you have at first. The sore teeth, the torn up cheeks from the brackets, the chapped lips from trying to manuver your mouth in an entirely new way since there is constantly something in there. AHHHHH... it made me ache for her. Anyway... she has been very brave, and if I do say so myself, is stinking cute with braces!

Pumpkin anyone?

2008-10-20T11:16:00.005-05:00

our three pumpkins!
kara picking a pumpkin
sporting th UT gear in MIZZOU territory just befor the horns WON!

This weekend we had our 3rd annual trip to the local pumpkin patch. The girls really enjoy going. I think their favorite thing is the animal maze. The owner takes huge round bales or hay and lines them up to make a maze. Inside the maze are different cages with different critters. (peacoks, ducks, pigs, goats, chickens)Smelly... but they enjoy it. Kara was in awe of the little goat and stood on her own for about 15 seconds without realizing she wasn't holding on to anything! It was exciting. Of course, we picked a pumpkin to bring home.

I love the fall!

2008-10-17T10:49:00.002-05:00

This has to be just about my favorite time of year. The weather is turning colder, the leaves are changing, and I just love a pot of hot soup or stew for dinner. Especially if I get couragious enough to make some homeade bread too! So... I had this idea... A soup recipe exchange.. I am going to post one of my most favorite soups every week. I challenge all of you to do the same. Between all of us blog readers, I am sure we could have a great number of yummy reicpes from this.

So... here is my first one... It is Rachel Ray's Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe... SO YUMMY!!!

Vegetable or corn oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons -- 2 turns of the pot in a slow stream
3 ears corn on the cob or 2 ears fresh-frozen cobs, defrosted
1 red bell pepper, split and seeded
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full
1 teaspoon cumin, 1/3 palm full
Salt and pepper
1 small to medium zucchini, small dice
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 to 2 chipotle in adobo peppers (medium to hot heat level), chopped -- available in small cans in Mexican and Spanish food section of market
1 can stewed tomatoes, 28 ounces
1 can tomato sauce, 8 ounces
3 cups chicken stock, available in re-sealable paper containers on soup aisle
4 cups blue corn tortilla chips, broken up into large pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Optional garnishes:
1/4 red raw onion, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley leaves
1 ripe avocado, diced and dressed with the juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions
Heat a grill pan to high and a soup pot to medium high. Drizzle oil on corn and place on grill. Add red pepper to grill with corn. Char vegetables 10 minutes, total, turning occasionally. Remove to cool, 5 minutes. Remove charred skin from the pepper.
While vegetables cook, dice chicken. Add 2 tablespoons oil to hot soup pot. Add chicken to pot. Season with poultry seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper. Lightly brown chicken on each side. Add zucchini, onions and garlic and chipotle peppers. Cook vegetables with chicken 5 to 7 minutes to soften. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock. Bring soup to a bubble, reduce heat to medium low.
Scrape corn off cob and add to soup. Chop grilled red pepper and stir into soup. Add chips to soup in handfuls and fold in. Serve soup immediately with scatter of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Top with any or all of the suggested garnishes.

ENJOY!!

Wild Turkey (not the whiskey)

2008-10-07T08:59:00.003-05:00

It rained pretty much all night last night, and still is drizzling a bit this morning. It is Fall.... Well, I look out my kitchen window this morning, and what do I see???? Wild turkeys taking a stroll through the yard.... You don't see this in the city.

This is literally right outside my back door

This is by our back fence

A breath of fresh air...

2008-09-30T10:27:00.003-05:00

My time with God lately has been SO refreshing. God has been reminding me, and revealing to me so many great things. At some point I really need to sit down and write in detail about them, but for now, I will give a glimpse of what I am learning and being reminded of.

A couple of weeks ago I read this great article from a Pastor in the Discipleship Journal. The Pastor spoke about coming to grips with his brokenness. He talked about "having it all together" and then everything crumbling around him, starting with himself. It made me think a lot about brokenness and how I need to embrace my brokenness rather than try to cover or patch up my brokenness. We all are broken, whether we like to admit it or not (that is me). It is in my brokenness that I can clearly see the strength of God. So, hear me say... "I am broken." I have hurts that sometimes are too much for me to bear. Some outside things like, missing my Father, and wanting healing for my mother. I am saddened by my own sin and the sin of the body of Christ. But I have a God who is Sovereign and bears this for me and brings me peace and comfort as He walks me through these things. Praise God for his goodness!

Often times, when I listen to other people's stories or testimonies, I find myself thinking...."man, what a dramatic testimony." This thought is due to the speaker telling of the terrible things God drew them out of (drugs, abuse, sexual immorality, etc) I compare that to my testimony of growing up in Church and not ever remembering a time in my life when I didn't know there was a God. God has reminded me this week that my testimony IS just as "dramatic" as a person who was set free from drugs and alcohol... God set me free from myself. He set me free from the tyranny of my sinful desires of self. I was, and still am, in just as much of a need of a Savior as the drug addict on the corner, or the girl who is abused.

This past Sunday, we had a GREAT sermon Dr. Stan Norman spoke on Philippians 3:8-16. He spoke about our lives and how we have so many "chairs" in them. We try to arrange them in different ways to try and deal with all of them, but it always ends in failure. Her focused on verses 12-13. "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own., because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But ONE THING I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." That is what it is about - our continual, singular, passionate pursuit of knowing and experiencing our God!!!

Ok... so this is longer than I expected. More of a preview than a glimpse of my thought process as of late....

Pray with me and think with me on these things....Tell me what God teaches and reminds you of through these things.

A little laughter...

2008-09-25T08:35:00.003-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, Kara started this new laugh.

The tooth fairy lives here...

2008-09-16T15:21:00.005-05:00

I never thought in a million years that I would have a 7 month old getting two teeth

and at the same time have a 11 year old losing them

and a 9 year old about to lose one.

I truly believe that if she, or he, were real, they would have to take up residence in our house for a while now. I just have to sit back and laugh. Only God, in His infinate wisdom would see fit to plan our family in this way. Much like the way my mother and father had theirs. My siblings are between 9 and 18 years older than I am.

I guess this is yet another one of those things that only you can understand mom!

Springfield suprise

2008-09-02T14:39:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we surprised Brenna and Taylor with a little getaway to Springfield, Missouri. We had a great time. We went to dinner, took the girls ice skating, and then as an extra bonus, went to the Springfield Cardinal's baseball game that was just down the street from the ice rink. We did all that on Friday... Saturday, we hit the mall and a few other stores to catch the big Labor Day sales. It was really nice to get away, and even more fun to surprise the girls.

Earlier in the day on Friday while we were doing school, and it was raining, Brenna commented that they had not been ice skating in so long and that they would really like to go. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying anything. I had packed their bag and hid it in our room without them even knowing, so they truly had no idea what was coming. Their faces lit up when their daddy came in and said,"Come on, lets go!"

Brenna and Taylor at the ice rink

The girls at the baseball game

Kara's new trick

God is AMAZING.

2008-08-25T10:08:00.002-05:00

I don't know if any of you have been reading the blog that I have a link to on Baby Elijah Fowler. His daddy works for the Masters Craft in Oklahoma. Elijah was born in May and at 6 1/2 weeks old, was diagnosed with cancer. His family has trusted God, prayed without ceasing, and believed that God heals, and indeed he has. Elijah no longer has to do chemo treatments, and the tumor has shrunk 64%. This is great! They will continue to have to watch closely, but God has already done a miracle in healing Elijah to this point. Join with us as we Praise God with the Fowler family for the great and mighty works of our King!!!

Too cute to pass up.

2008-08-20T10:27:00.004-05:00

Ok, this was just to adorable to leave unrecorded.

I love how she finally realizes she is being watched.

Six months and all smiles

2008-08-18T09:04:00.004-05:00

Kara turned 6 months old this past week. I can't believe it. The time has flown so quickly. So much has happened since her birth. She is truly another blessing from God.

She already causes us to praise God in so many ways. She is happy, healthy, and thriving. We praise God in the times when things aren't so happy as well. When she has a fussy time (which I have to say is not very often) we are reminded to die to self, and all of us need Jesus, including Kara.

So, at six months she is crawling, pulling up on things to a standing position, eating baby food fruit and vegetables. (She loves to eat) We even let her try a real peach. She went to town on that.

"Things that make you go hmmmm..."

2008-08-07T15:17:00.002-05:00

So the song title goes.... I am currently reading through 1 Corinthians and also doing a Precepts study on covenant. Both of which have caused my mind to spin with thoughts and questions this week. I commented to my husband about how God's word makes you think sometimes, and his response to me was " I hope it makes you think all the time." So true, dear husband... So true. And as I thought about that, it made me wonder and tremble. Sometimes as I "sit at the feet of the Lord" and study his word, do I really study to think and grow, or do I do it only out of a sense of duty. I fear that too often, and once in a lifetime is too often, I find myself in the latter situation. Don't get me wrong, the duty of studying God's word is not bad in itself, but when it is the only reason the opening of His word happens, I am sure we miss out on the blessings God has in store for us. So that has led me to pray " Lord, may I love your Word, not out of a sense of duty only, but as I study, may the "duty" be surpassed by an even greater desire to know and fear the Lord." That is just where I am this day.....

On a different note... we begin our homeschooling next week. We are all very excited about the opportunity, and anxious to see how it all works when the rubber hits the road. Pray for all of us as we begin this new chapter.

Our (quick) trip to Houston

2008-07-25T15:48:00.004-05:00

We left here from West Plains on Sunday morning, arrived in Houston, Texas just before dark.

Monday, we let Kara get a good morning nap and then headed off for some shopping. We were able to find some cute clothes for the girls, but my main mission of finding a new swim suit in all the clearance sales was a huge bust. That evening, my mom, my dear friend Leslie, my siblings and a few cousins all joined us on the Kemah boardwalk for dinner and a some rides. We ate at Salt Grass and watched the big wooden roller coaster outside the window. Needless to say, after watching the wood shift for about 2 hours, we decided to skip that one. We all enjoyed cheesecake (thanks to Holly)for Brenna's birthday dessert and then headed off to the rides. The girls two favorites are the ferris wheel and the carousel, so that is what we did.

Tuesday, we went to the beach, just us girls, joined by then Hurricane Dolly. The beach in Galveston was not too bad, but you could see the storm off the gulf and it was picking up the waves pretty good. This was the first beach trip for our girls, and they liked it a lot, except for the wind.

Wednesday, we hit the road early to come home. It was a long drive. Everyone did really well, it is just a LONG drive. We had a great time with our family and friends!

Turning 11

2008-07-18T10:27:00.004-05:00

Today, our oldest daughter, Brenna, turns 11 years old. I really can't believe that we have a child that is 11. God has blessed us with this beautiful little girl, (Little being the key word there) who has taught, and continues to teach us more of who God is through parenting. She is creative, energetic, emotional, loving, nurturing, and loves to serve. We are especially blessed because we have watched her on her journey with God by being justified and continually being sanctified, and some day, will be glorified with Him for all eternity. We love our Brenna. Today is a special day and we are treating it as such. We started out the day with chocolate chip pancakes! A day can't get much better than that according to Brenna. We will end this evening with a small birthday party for Brenna and a few of her friends. Tomorrow we will have our "family" birthday in Missouri with the Hirsch's and Reavis family. Then, on Sunday, we will head our way to Houston, Texas for a VERY quick trip to take our dogs to my sister, and we will celebrate there with my siblings and a trip to the beach. We will turn around and come home on Wednesday. I think I am tired just thinking about it all.... Happy Birthday, Brenna. We love you!

WOW! These past few days have been a blur!

2008-07-16T09:59:00.003-05:00

We moved this weekend. We are now in a lovely 3 bedroom 2 bath house with a BIG yard and wonderful shade trees. Here are some pictures...

Several of Tim's co-workers came with a 40 foot flatbed trailor attached to a big truck and got everything in one load. (minus the things we had been bringing over all week long) They started at 8: 30 ish and were done by 10 am. We spent the rest of Saturday unpacking and organizing th ings. Tim and I didn't stop until about 10 that night. Thank the Lord my mother was here to help out with entertaining the girls.

Kara had her first bowl of rice cereal last night. Needless to say, she loved it and didn't have any trouble with the spoon, as you can tell from the picture.

She also had a tea party with B and T last night. She was a little disappointed when she discovered that the tea cup didn't have anything in it.

Good thing I didn't get rid of the boxes!

2008-07-03T12:53:00.000-05:00

So, here is a testament to God's provision. Tim and I have been talking and praying about our housing situation. We know that we need to wait to buy/build a home for at least another year, but space is in short supply here where we are in our current townhome. So, as we were driving down the road after church on Sunday, we pass a house with a "for rent" sign in the front yard. A cute little white home on a nice street with lots of shade trees. So, we call the number. The landlord tells us about the house and it sounds like a great deal. We ask to see the house and schedule a time for Monday mid day. The landlord put the sign in the yard just days before we called. We look at the house, and it is just perfect for us. 3 bedrooms two bathrooms, bigger kitchen and dining room, bigger living room, and the biggest plus, a nice big yard for the kids to play in. It has hardwood floors throughout the house, too. We tell the landlord we would like to think and pray about it and would be back to him within the next day. We had to make a quick decision because he is going out of town and really wanted a tenant in by the middle of the month. Yes, we will be moved by July 15th. My mom is coming on the 9th to visit us for a bit, Brenna's birthday party it the 18th as well. Needless to say, I am using the boxes that I unpacked just about 2 months ago and we have started taking loads over to the new house. I am really getting a lot of experience packing and unpacking. Maybe I should start a business??? Anyway, we are thankful to God for His provision of a bigger place that fits our needs and even costs just a bit less!

Prayer Request

2008-06-27T10:56:00.000-05:00

We have several friends and some of Tim's co-workers and boss on a mission trip to the Balkans for the next two weeks. Please pray for them as they travel. If you want to read about it, their blog site is: http://balkansenglishcamp.blogspot.com/ and http://balkansenglishcamp.googlepages.com/

Fun Family Weekend

2008-06-24T09:41:00.001-05:00

This past weekend our Igo family weekend road trips continued. We drove to Dora, Missouri to a blueberry farm. We picked and picked, and picked some more, and ended up with 2 gallons of berries. It was a great lesson on work ethic, patience, and endurance. As our arms got tired and the day grew warmer we talked about what it must be like to farm for survival rather than for "entertainment". I think the girls grew a deeper respect for that lifestyle. After picking blueberries until our hands were blue, literally, we headed out. Tim spotted a sign for a mill down another side road, so , off we went. It was a really cute little mill. Kara slept in the car nearby while Brenna and Taylor dipped their feet in the natrual spring. The water was extremely cold, but refreshing after being so hot out in the blueberry field.

Kara went to the doctor on Friday for her 4 month checkup. She now weighs 12 lbs. She is a little ball of fire rolling, grabbing, and starting to scoot a little bit. She had a little harder time with the shots this time as she ran fever on and off for a couple of days. I can't believe how big she is getting and how fast time is flying by. We are thankful to God for her continued growth and health.

Taylor's new glasses

2008-06-13T09:12:00.001-05:00

Taylor has grown so much over the past year. It was time for a new set of specs. We had her eyes checked, and she asked us if she could pick out a different style of frame. Tim wanted her to have something bigger that would be more "fitting" for her. This is what she picked.

Doesn't she look older? I think they make her look like a teenager. They are really cute. It is amazing how fast kids grow up.

13 years... and counting

2008-06-11T09:12:00.000-05:00

Thirteen years ago yesterday I married Timothy James Igo. My dream guy and my best friend. It is amazing to look back and see what God has done over the past 13 years of our lives. We have had some really hard times, and some amazingly wonderful times. I must say I love my husband. Neither one of us is perfect, because no one is, but but as we love God we are continually growing and changing into the couple God desires us to be. We greatly desire to display the Glory of God in the union he created. Praise God for marriage!!!

Summer fun

2008-06-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

It is offically summer, the pool is open. I told the girls that this summer we wouldn't be able to spend all day at the pool like we did so many days last summer since Kara is so young and the heat would be too much. They are fine with that. They love their little sister! It has not yet hit 90 degrees here yet, so needless to say, the water in the kiddy pool here in town is still on the frigid side. (Forget that, it is stinkin' cold) Kids being as they are will sacrifice any bodliy discomfort just to have fun. As the days grow longer (and hotter) the water gets a little more comforting.

We made a family road trip this past weekend to St. Louis to pick up Daddy from the airport. We stayed downtown in a hotel where we could see the St.Louis Arch from the hotel. We went to Union Station and ate dinner at Landry's, and then went to the zoo on Saturday. The zoo in St. Louis is amazing, and FREE! It was REALLY hot and humid, so we were only there for a few hours. On our way out of town we thought... why don't we go to Sprinfield? (CRAZY) So... we did. All of that and we still made it back to Thayer, MO in time for Belle Hirch's birthday party.

We are on a roll!!!

2008-05-20T19:38:00.001-05:00

Kara started rolling over Tuesday. Ok, so this isn't the best video, but I had to get something up right away for my family to see. I can't believe she is already rolling over.

She turned 3 months old last week! Time flies!

Remembering the happy times

2008-05-16T13:08:00.000-05:00

While we were in Houston, it was important to all of us that we try to tie in some happy things for the girls so that they didn't remember this time entirely as a sad time. So, we tried to do things that PaPa liked to do with the girls to remember the happy times with him.

We went swimming at the pool there at the apartment complex where my parents had recently moved. Kara took her first dip into the pool. (with her feet only because the water was so cold). Brenna and Taylor wanted to swim at every opportunity, no matter how cold. Papa loved to watch the girls swim and splash around. The girls even talked Mama into swimming once.

We also went to the park. Papa loved to take the girls to the park and watch them play. So, I think that as the girls look back on this time of loss for us all, they will also remember the "fun" things we did while we visited.

With a heavy but greatful heart

2008-05-08T20:12:00.000-05:00

My daddy passed away May 6, around 2:00 pm. We were on the road, just entering Texarkana, Texas when it happened. Needless to say, the last 5 hours in the car were a bit rough, but a good time to cry, talk, think, and pray. I want to thank all of you for your prayers and support in this time, and for the past 6 months of Daddy's illness and hospital stays. It just amazes me the love of Christ shown to us through our brothers and sisters in Christ. Everytime I have ever gone through a rough time, I have always thanked God for being God (not always immediately because I may have reacted in the flesh), because I don't know how anyone can go through a tragedy or loss in their life without the stability of the True Rock.

So, thank you for blessing my family with your support, prayers, encouragement, hugs, tears, laughs, and love.

We love you all!

2008-05-05T13:56:00.000-05:00

Well, we are getting ready to make a trip to Houston to see my dad. He is really declining in health, and we don't know how much longer we will have him here with us. This may sound really morbid, but we have already begun preparing our hearts, and talking with the girls about "when God takes PaPa home". The opportunity to talk to Brenna and Taylor about death has been good. We have had family and friends pass through the years, but the idea of their "Papa" going home is a bit harder to swallow. We have talked about our bodies being perfected and that Papa will no longer have to take any medicine, have any pain, and best of all, he will see God face to face. We have the wonderful memories of the fun things we have done together and such.

I think the thing for me is that my Daddy will no longer be in pain. I have watched him over the past 10 years decline and have ached in my heart as he has ached in his body. One time he told me on the phone that he was afraid to die. I asked him why, and he said that he didn't want to leave mom. That made my heart melt. My parents have been married for over 50 years. They haven't all been the happiest of times (but who has a marriage that doesn't have unhappy times) but they have stuck together through it all. They have lived out "in sickness and in health", they have lost children, grandchildren, and watched friends age and pass away. They have witnessed their children marry, they have 3 beautiful granddauters, and many friends that they may not talk to everyday, but have ALWAYS been there.

I will always remember my Dad on the sidelines for me at track meets that lasted forever, him driving to different states to see me run, and the encouragement he has always given me. I will never forget how nervous he was when he walked me down the aisle at my wedding, or how excited he was to hold his first grandchild, then the second, and now the third. He has loved me, even when I know I didn't deserve it, and has taken care of me in so many different ways. I love my dad.

It hit me the other day that this trip to Houston MAY be the last time I see my dad alive. That is hard to take in. But still, there is a peace. I know that he is going home. I think that is what has gotten me through to this point in realizing that my dad is at the end of his mortal life.

OK. so this post has been a bit depressing, or whatever you want to call it. But, it has been quite therapeutic for me.

Smiles

2008-05-01T10:10:00.000-05:00

Kara has really started smiling a lot. She is such a happy baby. Rarely does she fuss. She is sleeping all night in her crib now and sharing a room with her big sister Taylor. We are blessed.

Water from the Rock

2008-04-09T15:23:00.000-05:00

As I read this story in Exodus 17, it made me think about how God gives us water from "rocks" in our lives. The Israelites were grumbling and complaining about their circumstances (granted, they were in the desert) and not having anything to drink. Moses took the people's complaint before God, in fear of his life, and asked God what to do. God, being God, leads Moses to take his staff, strike a rock, and water will come out. SO, I sit here thinking... When I am about to lose my mind with the kids, one of them will say or do something, or even smile in a way that causes me to stop and say "Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of children." Or, when you feel like nothing in your day is going right and you get a phone call from a friend, just to say "I was thinking about you..." Even better is when the hard times come, you fall on your face before God, worn out, drained, and sometimes even frustrated, and you hear Him say... " I AM" The refreshing water of our Father in heaven can be found through so many different things. All of them reflect his glory. That is water from a rock.

PRAYER

2008-04-07T08:39:00.000-05:00

I have been participating in a Bible Study at our Church on prayer. We have studied the Lord's prayer in detail, and how it is a fantastic model for our prayer lives. Through this I have realized my prayer life was in great need of a "revival". We often forget how awesome a opportunity we have to communicate with the creator of this universe. He hears our prayers even before we utter them because he knows our hearts, but to sit and speak the words (or think them in silent prayer), and agree with the King of Kings is breath taking on so many levels. I once again am reminded of this, and I am so thankful to have this privilege. It has really been impactful these past few days specifically. Our dear friends the Hirsch's have been traveling back and fourth to Springfield because Gary's sister is VERY ill, and the doctors are not hopeful that she will make it. Gary and Lynette have been asking us to pray for Jeanni's salvation. We have prayed along with them that God would even reveal Himself to Jeanni in her dreams. Low and behold, a friend of Jeanni's shared with Gary and Lynette this weekend that she and Jeanni had talked about God and a relationship with Jesus Christ a lot, and that she had prayed with Jeanni to accept Christ sometime in the past. PRAISE GOD!! Now, the Hirsch's can rest assured that if Jeanni doesn't pull through this, that she has had the ULTIMATE healing, and that she is with her King. God didn't answer the prayer we were praying to reveal Himself to her, but he revealed to Gary and Lynette that He had already called Jeanni unto Himself. Isn't God Good?!?!! Anyway... that is what I have to share today.

Time to catch up!!!

2008-04-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

It has been quite a while since I have put a post on our blog. Needless to say things have been busy. Tim has been traveling, we have had family visit, we are buying a house, and most importantly, taking care of kids. I will tell a bit of each arena here in a minute.

First of all... God is so GOOD. I am really enjoying my time with him lately. You know, sometimes spending time with God for me has been dutiful instead of joyful. Lately, there has been much joy in my time with Him. I am so thankful. I am not much of a journaler. I love to have my thoughts and prayers down, but I am not disciplined enough to do it consistantly. I want to journal, but often don't take the time to do it. Well, the other day, while waiting for my girls to get out of school, I found myself journaling for an extended period of time. Just writing and talking with God was so refreshing. It brough to mine so many things I can praise Him for, confess, and acknowledge Him in. It was great. I really need to do that more.

My sister, Marcia, came for Spring Break. I love her so much. She and I are about 9 years apart, and are total opposites. We have never had the kind of sister relationship that I see Brenna and Taylor have, but we have been there for each other through a lot of junk. We had a great visit, despite all the rain, and she was the first one in my family to see Kara. It was a special time.

Tim took his first trip away from all four of us to go to Ft. Lauderdale, FL for business. The next week . It was harder for me than any of his other trips. I really missed him. My parents were here to help out with the kids and keep me company, but I really missed my husband.

Mom and Dad were here for almost a week. My dad has aged quite a bit in the past few months as he has battled different health conditions. He still has a long way to go, and my never be back to where he was prior to this last bout of things. He is still here for a reason, and I pray that he will see what it is God wants him to see / do with the rest of his life. We had a good visit, and it was wonderful for them to have time with Brenna and Taylor, not to mention their first time with Kara. It was hard for them to leave, but we remain trusting in God that he has all of us where we are for a specific reason. He is soverign!

Brenna and Taylor are doing great. They are getting ready for the state manditory testing over the next few weeks. They are ready academically. Brenna isn't really nervous about her tests, because she has done the testing thing for 3 years now. Taylor has her first set of "state tests" this year, and comments that she is nervous about it. I keep telling her that she will do fine, and just has to trust in God and do her best effort. That is all that matters.

Through all of this year, God has been working on all of our hearts about homeschooling. Both of the girls are even keen on the idea now, and we haven't tried to "sell" them on it at all. Tim and I are still praying and seeking wisdom from God on the matter, and are woking to gain more knowledge on the process. We have been blessed these past two school years to have great teachers who, for the most part, are believers. But, we really feel that we need to take the entire responsibility of educating the children that God has blessed us with. Please pray for us as we contine to seek on this.

Kara is doing so well. She caught a cold while Tim was out of town. ( It NEVER fails, someone always gets sick when Daddy is out of town) She has bounced back pretty well after a rough few days. She is growing so fast. Her little cheeks have filled out, and keep filling. I love talking with her, and she just stares and coos along. We are so blessed to have 3 beautiful princess. We already pray for their someday husbands! May God keep them and grow them to be strong GODLY men who love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength! ( They are gonna need it)

Well.... we are buying a house. After much prayer and searching, God lead us to a wonderful home that is being built by our current landlord. He is a wonderful man and does a tremendous job building homes. We would reccomend him any time for anyone who wants a home built. We hope to close at the end of the month and get moved in early May. (Happy Birthday to me). We already are looking forward to using the house for God's glory in whatever he wants us to do with it. I will contine to post pictures as the house gets finished up, and will give a grand tour when we get moved in and settled.

That is pretty much what we have been up to. I will try and do better posting more frequently. Remember, I am not very consistant at the "journaling" thing like some of my friends.

2008-02-19T09:23:00.000-06:00

Welcome, Kara Elise Igo!
We are all so excited to announce the birth of Kara. She arrived February 14th, at 3:36 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 2 1/2 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. She is absolutely beautiful and a precious gift from God. Big sisters Brenna and Taylor love to hold and kiss on the baby whenever they can. Mommy and Daddy do too! She has been a great baby so far, and is working hard on getting her days and nights in the right order. Praise God for the gift of children and how he shows His glory in them!

2008-02-01T10:38:00.000-06:00

The past two days have been a blast- except for the fact that Tim is not here. He is out of town on business and has missed the snow with us. We will be VERY happy when he gets home tomorrow. The total snow fall was about 8 inches around here. When the girls woke up this morning, they thought it was so cool that their footprints from yesterday were covered up with new snow. Just like the new mercies of God everyday...

On the baby countdown, we are just a few weeks out from D-day. We are anxious to see the new little one God is putting into our lives and can't wait to share her with everyone.

2007-12-12T10:04:00.001-06:00

Sorry that nothing has been posted in a while. There has been a lot going on. We found out we are having a girl (again), and we are so very excited. We are on the final countdown. Eleven weeks left until D-day. We stayed in Missouri for Thanksgiving and joined our friends in Thayer for the meal. We had a good time, but missed all our family. Christmas is just around the corner, and things are buzzing with excitement. Christmas parties and programs keep us busy, but thankfully the shopping is done, and the presents are wrapped (for the most part). The pictures included are of me and Tim on his birthday, and Brenna and Taylor at Thanksgiving.

We hope and pray that each of you take time this season to remember our King who was born!

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2007-10-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

Last night we went to a local pumpkin patch. The weather was amazing and we had a great time. This was a little celebration of the end of the first nine weeks of school. Both the girls did TERRIFIC on their report cards. We are very proud of their hard work!

It's A.....

2007-10-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

Well, folks, don't know what to tell you. Doctor Watson tried very hard, but baby was breach and legs are crossed. We can't tell what we are having yet. The baby's heart rate and all the measurements were just perfect. The estimation on weight at this time is about 11 ounces. The due date is still March 1st, and everything is right where it should be. Hopefulyy we will be able to try and take a peek again in 4 weeks at our next appointment. Until then, I guess we just have to wait!

2007-10-04T13:03:00.000-05:00

Taylor ran a cross country meet at school today. She came in 3rd place of all the girls in her grade. She ran very hard!! (1/2 mile in 5:02)

2007-10-02T13:38:00.000-05:00

Here are Taylor (left) and Brenna (right) hanging out at our hotel in Poland. The trip was amazing! We spent about two weeks in South Poland in a village up in the mountians. We met a group of Russian students there for and English Camp held by Student Venture / Campus Crusade for Christ. What an amazing time. We met so many wonderful people and we miss them a lot. Brenna and Taylor traveled very well and had an amzaing time making Polish and Russian friends. We can't wait to go back, Lord willing, next summer!

Greeting

2007-10-02T12:14:00.000-05:00

Hey there everyone!

This is our attempt to keep everyone as up to date as possible on what is going on in our lives. We hope to update often, so that you can have the latest and greatest of everything. Especially pictures for our friends and family!!!

We miss all of you that are not here with us, and are praying for all of you!!!

Lots of love!
The Igos