Saturday, June 19, 2010

A First Father's Day

Father's day was a memorable one for us. The last two years have been sad ones as it was a yearly reminder that my kids did not have an earthly father any longer. It still is probably a hard day for my four older children but for my two younger children it is a great day of celebration.
It is a day to thank God for giving them a new daddy...their third daddy!
Foley and Brown Sugar are blessed to have Phil in their lives...as blessed as I am.

This was Phil's first Father's Day to celebrate as a dad himself. Talk about a jump start on the whole dad thing! He went from courting me last year to having four step-children and two adopted children and....
one on the way!

We are excited to announce that I am pregnant!
My life is so unconventional!
I have always wanted to be a part of the "in" group.
I have always wanted to be like everyone else.
But, God, in His providence has chosen to use my life in a way that kinda goes against the grain, so to speak.
Instead of that perfect home where mom and dad are married for fifty odd years and have watched their children and grandchildren grow up in the same home, I have been given a life full of pain and triumph, sorrow and happiness, grief and joy.
I have enjoyed a marriage of 21 years with my late husband,
birthed four children,
adopted two children from a Country on the other side of the world,
lost the love of my life, my best friend, to death,
faced widowhood for two years,
married again six months ago,
and now we are expecting another child...
all that in the first 43 years of my life!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

~Heather



28 comments:

Jen said...

That is AWESOME!!

I knew as soon as I saw a new post that you were pregnant and I got so excited!

I love the tapestry God weaves out of our lives. Sometimes thread is pulled painfully out and new thread is put into it's place. Not better or worse, just different. It is a beautiful thing.

Congratulations!

Nan said...

Amen and amen! Thanks for making my brother a daddy! A role he has desired for as long as I can remember!

Becky said...

Oh WOW! Congratulations to you and your (expanding!) family! That is wonderful news, and such a blessing (from a long time reader, but infrequent commenter!).

Tracy M. said...

How absolutely wonderful for you and Phil!!!!!!

Congratulations!!!!!!

Crayl said...

I am coming out of lurking to say CONGRATULATIONS! With your last post I thought, "Hmmm, I wonder if she is pregnant"..
YES YOU ARE...it's such a blessing!
You are the 2nd person of "our age" to announce this week, my other friend remarried a wonderful man of God earlier this year as well. Congrats to all!! May you have a smooth and peaceful pregnancy.

Jennifer said...

Congrats to all of you!

Sh Family said...

Congratulations Heather! I pray that this pregnancy is wonderful and that this little life blesses your family in ways you've never imagined!

Majeki said...

Congratulations!!!! I will be praying for you.

I've been reading your blog for a couple of years, but I've always been a lurker.

Kimberly

Jennifer A said...

Another lurker here! Congratulations. I feel like we have a strange connection...we go to church with Zack and Jessica Madison. I couldn't believe it when I saw Zack in your all's wedding pics. What a small world! Sad to say that Zack and Jessica are moving to Mississippi any day now. Praying that you have an uneventful pregnancy! Jennfier

Cara said...

Congratulations! What a wonderful way to celebrate Father's Day! :)

Anonymous said...

My 16 year old daughter reads your blog too, and she came out to me this morning at my computer and asked me "mommy have you read Simple and Deliberate yet?" I said "umm not yet...oh wait, oh my, oh my, is Heather pregnant?!?!” *grin*.

God bless your family!

Congratulations and Praise be to God!!!

Love in Christ,
Kelly

Vanderpolclan said...

A hearty congratulations to you both. A wonderful blessing indeed.

I have been "lurking" for a while, but have been readig since just before Eric passed on. Your life is living proof that we serve an awesome God.

Cindy

Joy said...

I got goose-bumps when I read you were pregnant! I had to go back and read it again, just to be sure. So full of joy for you and Phil!

I've been watching (reading) the past two years unfold for you after reading on another Liberia blog a plea to pray for you and your family when Eric died.

Still single at 36 and still hoping for marriage to a godly man, your story has brought hope and joy to my heart...seeing the mysterious and life-giving ways that God moves in our lives.

Keep sharing stories of God's provision, blessing and beauty! Thank you!

Unknown said...

I am with Joy, I got goose-bumps, and had to re-read that you are pregnant. What an AWESOME GOD we serve!!

CONGRATULATIONS, and I will be praying that all goes well with this pregnancy.

Jonathan Hunt said...

Haaaaaa!! God is good. I knew you wrote about hoping for another child but the doubter in me wondered whether it would happen.

I'm grinning from ear to ear. God bless you all!!

Unknown said...

...aaaannnnnd the second 43 years or should we even ask?!

Every so happy for y'all and your new baby! God is soooo good!!! Blessings on your pregnancy.

Unknown said...

WOW!!!!!
…aaaannnd the second 43 years…or should we not ask???!!

Ohhhh so happy for y’all and your itty bitty one. God is sooo good!!! Blessings on your pregnancy!

Lesa said...

Congratulations!! God has such an amazing plan!

Anonymous said...

Oh how wonderful! Congratulations! You give me hope. God bless and keep you through your pregnancy!!!
~Della

Anonymous said...

Oh how wonderful! Congratulations! You give me hope. God bless and keep you through your pregnancy!!!
~Della

Kelly said...

Now that is some great news!! I am so happy for you and your family!! Woohoo for God's perfect blessings!

Mrs. S said...

As a faithful reader of your blog, I was just recently wondering if the Lord would allow you to make an annoucement such as this! Praise the Lord!!!!! What a very, very sweet gift!

All 8 of Us said...

Rejoicing with you in this newest blessing!!!
Kathi

Jennifer said...

Congrats!!!!! I'm due in November with our third. I can't wait to follow along your journey and "meet" the new addition! :)

Charlotte said...

Congratulations, Heather!

I too, am a silent lurker. We have a couple mutual friends as I live near the big town north of you. I have read your blog since before Eric died and am sorry I never commented. Watching your journey has been so encouraging to me; thanks for opening your heart to us!

Robin said...

Congratulations!!

misty said...

I have followed your blog for a while. I am so excited for you guys and I don't even know you! God bless your amazing journey!

Sherry said...

What a blessing for your family!! Congratulations on this exciting new chapter! :-)

God Bless,
Sherry