Anniversary Time!!

Our anniversary is coming up on Monday!  Good thing I have Facebook to remind me!  :)  lol

I can't believe it has been 2 years since God made us a family.  I am continually amazed at what He can do.  When Dan and I met, I was a widow with 5 kids and he was a single dad with 1.  We had both been through difficult times and had walked through the darkness with God by our side.  I know that it is through the trials that God shows us who He is in the most amazing ways. 

Today, as I look at our sweet baby girl and hear the boys playing in the other room, I am so thankful for what God has put together.  There are times of struggle as we learn to live together and 'blend' into a family.  It isn't easy to bring so many people, with so many scars together as one.  Our family tree looks more like some kind of crazy spider web!!!  But that is how God works sometimes.  He takes the mismatched and mixed up and broken and puts them together and on the other side is a beautiful picture of His love and His grace.  It is only by trusting in Him that we can continue this journey. 

Each day I thank God for making us one.  I look forward to many more years with my best friend by my side, serving the Lord in whatever He leads us to do. 

Happy Anniversary, I love you sweetie and I am honored to be your wife. 

A Father to the Fatherless

There are some pretty awesome dads out there.  My dad for starters who has always been there for me, my brother in law, John Dupuis who is a great dad to his three girls.  Colin Ward who is an awesome dad to little Tyler, my little brother Dean who has a beautiful little girl.  But one dad stands out above the rest, in my opinion.  My husband is the greatest example of Christ's love that I have ever experienced.

 My kids had a great dad, he provided for them, loved them and cared for them.  And then, five years ago, next month, he died after a battle with brain cancer.  They littles were 4 1/2, 3 1/2 and 1. The older ones were 15 and 12.  I wasn't sure how I was going to raise these 5 children alone.  But God is faithful and He lovingly provided for us.  Every step of the way He was there with comfort and peace.  Others stepped forward to help in our time of need.  God filled the gap and was a Father to us. 

Psalm 68:5 "A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation."

And then Dan came into our lives.  He knew from the beginning that if he were to be a part of my life, he would have to be a part of their lives.  He stepped up and CHOSE to be a father to my children.  He doesn't just tolerate them but loves them actively.  Words can not express what it means to me or to them that he would be willing to take on this role.  He is the dad that doesn't have to be.  My children are blessed to have a dad here on earth and a dad in heaven. 

The beginning

July 25, 2009 God brought together two broken people and created a new family.  We are a mismatched bunch trying to work together to serve God and walk with Him.  Sometimes it's messy, sometimes it's hard but always there is love and laughter and the Grace of God.