Ruby Jane Arrives Tomorrow!!

Tomorrow is the big day! Mom's C-section is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. (EST), and for sure we'll all be up long before then, waiting for Grandma to arrive and loading the suitcases into the car, all ready to go. We're unsure of how long Mom and Dad will be in the hospital (but we do know it'll be anywhere between 2-5 days). Please continue to pray for sweet Ruby Jane, that she will be strong and her lungs healthy so she and Mom can be together right after delivery. Also, please pray for strength, wisdom, guidance, and peace for the rest of us.
Thank you all so much!! I'll be keeping you guys updated. For now, how about a slew of pictures from the past eight months? :-)

Getting some practice in for the new little sister. :D

(January 2020)

Mom, Ruby Jane, and me.

(January 2020)

The first ultrasound!! <3

(July 2019)

Touching Mommy's belly. <3

(January 2020)

"It's a girl!!"

(September 2019)

Another (older) pic of Mom, Ruby Jane, and me.

(November 2019)

And, of course, my beautiful, beautiful Mama. <3

(January 2020)

Blessings,


Ellen S.

"Lord, Wherever You're Leading Me"

Ever feel like you have your future all planned out? Then, just like that, your plans crumble, and you're face-to-face with uncertainty? I'm sure we've all had those moments. 
The other night, God (once again) used my very most favorite band, Casting Crowns, to bless me . . . and this time with an old, old song that I've listened to many times before: "The Very Next Thing." Here's the line that jumped out at me, sending me scrambling for paper and a pen:

Lord, wherever You're leading me, that's where I want to be.

I wrote it out, added a favorite verse (Psalm 143:8), and hung it up on my wall to serve as a constant reminder.

He leads, I follow.

And in His presence there is fullness of joy. <3

Ten Days to Go!

My two-year-old sister wanted to feel Mommy's belly tonight, so I took the opportunity to do a quick photo shoot. Ten days to go!! :D We spent the weekend folding (and putting away!) baby clothes and installing Ruby Jane's car seat in our van. 💕

Who else is excited for the big day? *RAISES HAND* *JUMPS UP AND DOWN* I am!!! 

A "Braking" Tale (in other words, a hilarious true story you simply have to read)

A "BRAKING" TALE

By Ellen Senechal

(and yes, the events portrayed in this story really happened to the author. Today.)

Weather where I live is so cold right about now. Just yesterday we experienced snow, sleet, and a whole lot of rain. Thus, I had no what I was thinking this morning when I agreed to join my older brother on a bike ride along the main road in our neighborhood. 
I slipped on two coats, one on top the other, a pair of gloves, and my tennis shoes. That should work, I figured. One glance at my pants, however, and I knew I was running a risk. Warm and thick, these pants are my favorite for the wintertime, but they're also really long. From experience, I knew that could prove to be a problem. For a brief moment I considered changing, but then decided against it. It's too cold for capris, and I don't have any jeans.
Long, baggy pants it was then.
The ride started off pleasantly enough. My brother and I biked along the shoulder of the road, observing the people and cars that passed by. I admired the evergreens, sunny sky, and other bits and pieces of nature as we sped along. The air was cold, but refreshing. I tightened my hold around the handlebars and fought to keep up with my brother. 
It was on the way back home that it happened.
I went to push down on the right pedal . . . and realized - too late - it wouldn't budge. Correction, my foot wouldn't budge. I looked down in time to see that the cuff of my pant leg had gotten caught up in the chain protector. 
I was stuck fast.
"Connor!" I shouted, but he was too far ahead to hear me. I raised my voice. "CONNOR!" 
His head swiveled around, and he braked to a stop. "What's wrong?"
"My pants are caught on something!" I hollered. I jerked my leg, but to no avail. Then I tried to pull back on the pedals. Still nothing . . . and now I was headed right for Connor on a bike that (inconveniently) had no way to brake except through the pedals. 
I swerved to keep from hitting him and barreled on. "I can't stop! Help!"
Writing this out now, the incident seems almost funny, but at the time . . . it sure wasn't. It all happened so fast and all I could think was, Stop! STOP! I was too panicked even to pray. I mean, c'mon. I was on the main road, cars going this way and that, and here I was with my pants caught in the gears??? Oh, and great. Just when I was sure things couldn't get any worse, here came an old man and his dogs.
For sure I was gonna hit them.
Desperately, I pawed at the ground with my left foot, but I was going too fast for that to make even a bit of difference. From behind, Connor was shouting. Something about still being able to stop or . . . something. I glanced to my right. Grass. I could run into that . . .
No, it steeped too far downhill, and just beyond were mud puddles and trees. Ick.
Okay, plan B. Try again with the pant leg. I gritted my teeth and gave a violent yank. Yes! My foot was free! But now . . .
Clank, clank, clank.
I'd wrenched the chain protector out of place. Every time I turned the pedals, they collided with the protector. 
Talk about embarrassing, annoying . . . but boy, was I ever thankful to be able to stop again! 😂
And you know what? This little episode served as a reminder to me that, no matter how fast I may feel life is going, God has me. Even when I can't stop the circumstances that surround me, and I feel like I'm about to crash, He has His hands on me. No matter how crazy things become, I can rest in the knowledge that HE > i.

Blessings,

Ellen S.

More Baby Pics 💕

After posting last Wednesday, I told Mom, "You know, the picture I shared was a little old . . . We need a new one before the baby comes!" 
Today the weather was much warmer than the norm (in the mid 60's!), so I hauled Mom outside for a photo shoot. ;-) Special thanks to my awesome Daddy for taking the pictures!

Another one of Mom, Ruby Jane, and me . . . the oldest girl and the youngest. 💕

Ruby Jane, I already love you so, so much and I can't wait to see your precious face!! 💕  

19 days left to go!! Ruby Jane is expected to arrive Jan. 31st. :D :D

Update on Mom and the Baby

So, Mom had an OB appointment this morning . . . during which we all held our breath. The doctor she's used for seven of her children (including me) no longer delivers babies, and Mom met the new doc for the first time today. We weren't sure what to expect. After all, this is Mom's ninth pregnancy, and we were told the last time (with my two-year-old sister) that her uterus was thin and carrying more children would be a risky venture. We figured the new doctor would recommend putting Mom on steroids and delivering Ruby Jane at thirty-six weeks (the earliest we've ever done) to avoid the chance of her going into labor and her uterus rupturing. Mom and Dad went in today with the hope of waiting until at least the twenty-seventh of January, when Mom would be thirty-seven weeks along.
And guess what?
The delivery date has been set . . . for the thirty-first of this month!!!!!!!
This means that we're planning to deliver at thirty-eight weeks, which is going even farther than what we'd hoped for!!! Truly, God is good!! 
Thank You, Jesus!!
Please continue to pray for us, as it's important that Mom doesn't go into labor before her C-section.
For sure I'll be keeping you guys posted. ;D

Now to Him Who is able to do far more abundantly than all we can ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Jesus Christ throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. EPHESIANS 3:20-21

Mom, Ruby Jane, and me. Photo taken October 13th. <3

January-February Bible Reading Plan

I creep downstairs still wearing my pajamas. As I hug Mom good-morning and pull the sleeve of bagels from the pantry, she says, "I have something for you." 
While scrolling through her friends' IG posts, she'd found a Bible reading plan . . . with my word for the year ("endurance") stamped along the side!! I'm super excited about it and, Lord willing, will begin the challenge tomorrow. 
I encourage you all to join me! I pasted the image below; simply click on it to enlarge. Feel free to save it to your own computer or print it out to hang up by your bed (or wherever you plan to do your reading). :-) Also, if you're interested in doing a FREE study for this monthly reading plan, you can visit this site: sweettothesoul.com.

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Welcome, New Year! + December Wrap-Up (a little late)

Hey guys! How are you all? So, yes, I know I'm a bit late. I spent the month of December snapping pics and planning my wrap-up post and then . . . I got sick. Yep, for the first time in over three years I caught the flu. And believe me, when you live in a big family like I do, influenza is one of the worst things you can possibly get. I spent almost a full week in bed, alternating between Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, and Little House on the Prairie episodes and listening to music. I discovered some new Casting Crowns and Jeremy Camp songs, read and reread many stories, etc. Important thing was: stay put and don't spread the germ. Thankfully, I'm feeling much, much better now, and no one else in my family appears to have caught the nasty bug (yay!). With Mom mere weeks away from delivering (Lord willing, at this time next month, Ruby Jane will have made her appearance!), this is very important. Please pray for us!!

Okay, now that I've explained all that . . . how about a December wrap-up post? No pictures this time (maybe I'll deliver them at the end of January instead), but a few highlights:

~Book exchange

I received a good amount of participants for the exchange, and the number came out odd so I could join in, too! 

~New Casting Crowns merchandise

A Black Friday sale on the Casting Crowns site meant new shirts, a book, and an ornament for my parents and me. Hurrah!

~Christmas dinner made by yours truly

Truth be told . . . I had never made a meal for someone before in my life, and then there I was! It wasn't possible to mess up on ham, potatoes, and carrots, right? Maybe. It still turned out edible and (if I do say so myself) kind of tasty. ;-)

~Making our own loaves of sourdough bread

We bought a starter and stirred up a batch of our very own sourdough bread! Yummmmmmm. (Anyone else out there love sourdough?)

~Christmas tea parties w/ friends

~Mom had to go in for another ultrasound, and I was able to tag along and see my sister! <3

~New books

~Writing

~Trying to tell my dad that I have photographic memory and then forgetting how to pronounce the word "photographic" 

So, yep, just a few highlights. And now . . . 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I can hardly believe we've left 2019 behind and have officially entered 2020. I'm still drained from my flu, so I'm gonna link back to the post I put up last year - the first day of 2019.

Happy New Year

I have to say I'm really excited for the new year. I just know God has big plans in store! Ruby Jane is coming soon, I'm waiting for answers to certain things in my life, etc. 

I'm continuing to make writing in a journal a daily goal, and I encourage you to join me. A word to meditate on and act upon for the year is a fabulous idea, too. My word for this year is endurance. :-) Finally, to wrap this up, my top two favorite books from 2019 (both of which you simply have to read):

I can't wait to see what God does in 2020!!

A sweet New Year's reminder from Abby Hickey @ Little Birdie Blessings

What about you? Are you excited for 2020? Have you made sourdough bread? Do you ever want to? What're some of your favorite books from 2019?

Let's talk in the comments below!