Grace is getting ready to graduate kindergarten. She loves school so much! She loves her teacher, loves reading, making up stories, art class, music, making new friends....everything! She is my little princess!
Riley is getting ready to start school next fall but doesn't seem that enthused about it. He loves to play outside and climb trees!
Elijah is a little cuddlebug! He likes to do whatever everyone else is doing. If I'm cooking he wants to help and is really good at it! He peels the garlic, or puts the chopped veggies in a bowl. He especially likes to help when mommy makes cakes or cookies! He 's the official frosting taste tester!
Jonathan is now a year and a half old and copying everything! He's taking it all in and learning so much! He only says a few words but signs please, thank-you and all done! He runs everywhere and likes to do whatever his brothers are doing!
Jonathan and I are getting ready for a trip to Oregon. Grandpa Childers, who came up to visit last summer has passed away and we are going down for the memorial. Going to be a hard trip but it will be nice to see all the extended family down there.
This whole trip is such a testament to what God can do. I am amazed at His goodness.
When I got the call that my grandfather had passed away I was right in the middle of a migraine. It wasn't until the day after that I could fully process the information and begin to make sense of it. He wasn't in poor health, although 87, he still lived on his own, drove on his own, and took care of himself. I still spoke to him every few months. His hearing was failing and he didn't like to wear his hearing aides (stubborn Childers trait) so whenever he would call I would have to speak very loudly and clearly. His death came as quite a shock. I know he wouldn't live forever but somewhere inside I guess I never expected him to die. The world without Grandpa was so different. He was always full of life and joy! He was larger than life when I was a kid. He would always want to teach his grandchildren something. I loved him very much!! You could tell he enjoyed his grandchildren! He loved being a grandpa!
In the next few days talks of a memorial in the coming month began swirling. My dad obviously was going and honestly it never crossed my mind to go. With a family of 6 it wasn't in our budget to just pick up at a moments notice and fly off to Oregon! I was sad and would love to go but knew it just wasn't in the cards. Or so I thought!
More and more talks of the funeral and it was made mention that I should be there. I am the eldest grandchild and if anything I should be there for my father. Losing a parent is very difficult and he would appreciate me being there. We looked at our finances again and figure I could come up with some of the money for a ticket but not all. We prayed about it and I remember speaking to my Aunt and said "If God wants me down there He'll provide a way." I still wasn't putting too much hope in going. It was a long shot.
Short by about $300 I decided to see if I could raise the money by doing a few cakes. I put an ad out on Facebook for Easter cakes. $20 could buy you an Easter basket cake that included Egg shaped cupcakes on top. Honestly, I only expected to get about 5 or 6 orders, totaling $100. I had planned on selling some stuff on craig's list as well.
After only two hours I had received 15 orders!! I could not believe it. This meant that I could now afford a ticket. Oddly enough, 15 cakes equaled the $300 I was short. Praise God!! I was rejoicing because it looked like I was going! I was so excited! I started frantically getting organized and began the daunting task of making 15 cakes in the two days before Easter! I wasn't sure how I was going to do it but put all my faith in the Lord and knew that if He had provided me the means to go to Oregon, he would equally equip me with the energy and help I needed to accomplish this task!
I began plugging away in the kitchen and enlisted the help of my mother who baked a few cakes in her oven down the street. I was still singing praises and amazed at how God provided. I though He was done.
As cakes were coming out of the oven I received a few more orders. Then an email from an old friend. He said he could not order a cake but would like to offer me airmiles for my ticket. I began balling my eyes out! I called him to make sure I was reading his email right! I was humbled beyond belief!! This not only meant that I now had a ticket, paid in full, but now spending money as well for my trip! I could not believe it!! When God blesses he blesses abundantly!! It didn't even end there!! I cried the whole day. As people began picking up their cakes they paid me more that what I had asked! Some people gave $25, some $30, some even $45! I felt so blessed beyond all measure!! It really seemed like God was raining down blessings on me. I could not handle it!! I remember asking God to stop because I felt he'd done enough! I felt silly in doing so but I couldn't stop crying! I ever really expected to go!
Somehow I ended up with 20 cake orders over the Easter weekend and managed to get them all baked, decorated and delivered before Easter Sunday! I did have some help from some friends who lovingly strung the licorice handles and some who watched the children while I plugged away at the cakes.
The next day I sighed a huge sigh of relief and was still in utter amazement at His provisions!
While in line at a coffee stand the manager of the neighboring car wash walked over and said he had just made some repairs and needed a car to go through to make sure it worked! I started crying again! Yes, it was only a free car wash but I felt so spoiled!! I didn't need it at all! I felt so overwhelmed with gifts at this point!
I am still trying to take it all in. God obviously wants me to go to Oregon and I feel so blessed that I get to go! I am excited to see what He has in store for us. Jonathan and I will be making the trip. Richard will be staying home with the other three. I look forward to blogging about the amazing trip that God gave me!
We are hoping this opportunity opens some doors for our family. I would love to be around the extended family down there and expose the children to more culture. We love what Oregon has to offer. Alaska is so far away from everything and we are tired of the snow!! God is in control and I know His hand is on us! I have never felt more loved!!
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