Up on a pedestal

For as long as I can remember I have been star struck by celebrities! Not just the celebrities from TV and movies.... but the celebrities that came to our school from the local news station or the lead singer from a local band at a festival. I have always held them in high regard and would find myself star struck when then came to speak to our class or would sing directly to me. Disclaimer: This is my first grade self that was star struck by these personalities. 

Even in my early 30's I am still occasionally star struck by various people such as TV stars, famous authors, etc. I can remember it like it was yesterday... It was 2013. After becoming a mom to 2 babies over the past year I could FINALLY go to the Hearts at Home conference in Bloomington, IL. I had waited a long time for this opportunity. Several of my friends and mentors over the years had attended and always gushed about how amazing the weekend was. It was definitely an opportunity I wanted to take advantage of. A weekend away from my screaming colicky 4 month old daughter, my extremely needy 16 month old son, and time to just be me again while I worshiped and learned about God. It had to be the best thing ever right?! 

The morning of the conference I woke up to my alarm at 5:45, showered, and started second guessing if I should go. However I talked myself back into it and hopped into the car with 3 other girlfriends. When we arrived in the theater for the morning main session I was amazed to see all of the women who were attending this event. I didn't realize it was this big! The first session began and it featured author and speaker Jill Savage who was talking on the topic of her new book No More Perfect Moms. As soon as she began speaking on this subject the tears were unleashed. The message was so freeing for this new mom who was striving to be perfect and was failing miserably (or at least felt like she was). Throughout the day I was blessed with several workshops by many talented and knowledgable speakers/authors. Each speaker was speaking directly to my heart and soul, leaving an imprint that would change my experience as a mom forever. All of a sudden I was surrounded by new "celebrities" who I was now star struck by. Then the last speaker for the afternoon session came out --Candace Cameron Bure (DJ Tanner from Full House). Talk about a celebrity who I was totally star struck by--- I grew up on Full House and wanted to be like DJ. Now here she was in front of me speaking about Jesus!!! What an amazing opportunity! After she was done speaking I bee lined out of the session early to get in line to meet her. And then it happened.... I MET HER!!!! I don't remember what I said but I'm sure it wasn't coherent.

Meeting Candace Cameron Bure!!!

 After the conference while I was reflecting on all of the pearls of wisdom I had taken in over the day I realized while Candace Cameron Bure was the biggest celebrity there she wasn't who had the biggest impact on me. Jill Savage who I was familiar with from her brief radio spots on WCIC became the person I was most "star struck" with that day. She was a mom like me who had been through it all it seemed like. She also realized that it was ok not to be perfect - exactly what I needed to hear that day. 

I attended Hearts at Home the next year and continued to grow my list of authors I would officially be a "fangirl" of. Dr. Kathy Koch, Sara Horn, Arlene Pellicane, Julie Barnhill, Dr. Juli Slattery, Kathi Lipp, etc just to name a few. The best part of these conferences were the opportunities to talk to them. The conversations weren't long but meaningful. Each of their stories and topics were meaningful to my life and we shared the most important thing in the world in common --- Jesus Christ was King of our lives. 

Arlene Pellicane and I - North Central 2015

Sara Horn and I - North Central 2015

Julie Barnhill and I - National 2016

Kathi Lipp and I - National 2016

Fast forward to February 2015 -- I had been looking at the job opportunities at Hearts at Home for several months in case of an opening that fit with my strengths. One day I decided to fill out the application and send my resume for the Director of Staffing Position. After finishing my master's degree in Educational Administration and being a stay at home mom for a few years now I was ready to dip my toes back into the workplace. This position was appox. 10 hours a week and that sounded perfect. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would get the job!!!!! 

Talk about star struck....... I remember walking in the office for my interview ever so slightly looking around because at any moment Jill Savage may walk through (although she wasn't in the office that day). But on my first day Jill walked by my desk and said "I don't think I've met you yet... I'm Jill!" With a somewhat shaky voice I said "Hi I'm Emily and I KNOW who YOU are." I couldn't believe I was going to be working with Jill Savage - a woman who had spoken so much truth into my life. How was I going to deal with this kind of celebrity sighting on a daily basis?

Jill Savage and I at a HAH staff event

I had started working for Hearts at Home only a few weeks before their National conference. The day before leaving for conference I made my family some lemon cupcakes and posted the picture on Facebook. A few hours later Dr. Kathy Koch commented on how delicious they looked and she would like the recipe! Dr. Kathy Koch.... on my Facebook....up close and personal!!!! What was this?! I was freaking out like it was 1990 and the New Kids in the Block were in town. My husband definitely was laughing at how "fan girl" I was acting. 

Dr. Kathy Koch and I - National 2016

I was reflecting on all of this and asking myself "why do I get so giddy when I am around these people??" After pondering this question for a while I determined it was because of one reason.... the impact they made on my life has been a great one! Their truth has penetrated to deep places in my heart and their words have helped me change for the good. Someone who is open enough to deliver that message fearlessly like these women have are stamped with a "Celebrity status" in my world. They are changing the world one heart at a time through Jesus Christ's love and words. I admire the work they do and the way they do their work with such grace and love. 

Needless to say it has gotten more normal to work with Jill Savage. She is just a normal human being like the rest of us, but she has a divine purpose of writing and speaking. Dr. Kathy Koch is also human.....with an amazing gift of insight to our kids and the powerful gift of inspiring us to bring out the best in them. Do I still have an occasional fan girl moment? Yes. But I have come to realize the only person we should have on a pedestal is Jesus Christ! 

Can you imagine what kind of fan girl moment I will have when I get to meet Jesus in Heaven! He is the ultimate celebrity! The best part is we get to worship Him for eternity celebrating His awesome authority, power, and love. Jesus is someone the whole world will know someday... hopefully sooner than later. The best part is He knows my name and my heart better than any of my "celebrity" friends will! He came to die for me,  loves me regardless of my imperfections, and always has the time to listen to me. He is the PERFECT celebrity! Amen! 

Having a Pollyanna Perspective during Pumpkin Season

For the past month our family has been missing one element from it every day until late in the evening.... Chad! Chad is the head engineer at the Libby Pumpkin plant. This plant makes 80% of the pumpkin in the USA. This year they started 3 weeks early (July 28) and will try to go until the middle of November. This means that for 4 months, 7 days a week, 12-13 hours a day Chad will be at the plant. 
When I first heard about this job 2 years ago it was only a 2 1/2 month ordeal and even then I wasn't sure I liked the idea of Chad being gone every day for 2 1/2 months until 8pm at night. This year when they took on more pumpkin ground and more time I really wasn't sure at all...but we have to do what we have to do. Right?? 
So many people say "At least he has a job..." "He makes great money." Etc. Etc. Etc. While I am thankful for these things (and I truly am) I wonder constantly about the bigger picture. What are we sacrificing for the sake of America's pumpkin pies? 
We are only 4 weeks into this and Chad is exhausted. The kids miss their dad a lot and don't understand why he won't come home earlier. Chad and I are definitely not connecting as  couple because we are both too tired to do anything after the kids go to bed. We watch an episode of something on TV enjoying the quiet and then head to bed. 
While this isn't ideal I think of the sacrifices other families make when someone is in the military. They may be gone for months if not years - usually an undetermined amount of time. 
Or what about the single moms/dads that have to do all of this by themselves year round. These families are my new heroes. 
While I am trying to detour the negativity about our short term situation of Chad temporarily being gone for pumpkin seasons I have to remind myself that he is at least coming home every night. There will be a definitive end to pumpkin season. He also will be home for the holiday season which is so important to me. 
I am reminded during this seasons of themovie/book Pollyanna about the little orphan girl who moved in with her rich Aunt Polly. She brought a tired little town to life with good thoughts. She always found the good in everyone and in every situation. She even told the preacher who preached hell fire and brimstone that there were 826 "Glad texts" in the Bible. She had a different perspective on life and it spread like wildfire throughout the town. She played The Glad Game!

Sometimes we have to have a "Pollyanna Perspective" on life. We have to look for the good in every situation. There are so many good things that come out of this season of the year.....
I remember how capable I am to take care of the household, kids, etc all by myself. 
We appreciate the time when he IS home more than usual. 
I get more bonding time with the kids which I will someday miss. 
The list could go on and on.... Do I always remember these and am I always "Glad" about this season... no! There are days that are absolutely horrible. With 2 preschoolers things are hectic and there are days they just can't get along. Things don't always work out how I want and the house becomes a disaster waiting to explode. However I try to remember the good things going on in life and put on  my rose colored glasses if only for a while. 
As Abraham Lincoln said...

Do you have your "Pollyanna Perspectives" on?

This little light of mine....

This year was Jack and Lucy's first year at VBS! They were both finally old enough so every day for a week we loaded up the car and headed off to VBS to learn more about Jesus. I volunteered to head up decorations along with being a 3 year old class Shepard. We have 400 kiddos attend our VBS which is an awesome site in itself but this year I was in complete awe of how much my 3 and 4 year old absorbed. When the music began on the first morning Jack stood up and clapped (he's not much of a singer) and Lucy was bopping around to the music trying to sing along right away (she's my little Broadway star in the making). Some of the songs we learned this year was a modernized version of "This Little Light of Mine" and "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus." 

Lucy loved the music... Look at that smile!!!

Of course during the course of VBS I bought the music CD so we could continue the musical adventure in the car. The CD hasn't left my CD player because the kids love the music so much. During the week I had a chance to watch as my kiddos began to learn the message within these fun songs. Lucy had all of the words down by the end of the week but Jack still wasn't really singing them. 
Last week in the car while listening to the CD for the one millionth time I heard a new voice join in the singing.... it was Jack! He knew all of the words but he didn't want to sing until he was sure of them. Listening to both of my kids singing "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" made my mommy heart melt and I had a mommy meltdown moment. Tears of joy were streaming down my face as we were driving to our destination for the day. 
It is obvious these days that the kids are picking up so many things from Chad and I. Sometimes they just come out of nowhere. Some of the things they are picking up aren't our best traits. Lucy is picking up some habits from me that I wish she wouldn't have. She is extremely stubborn and strong-willed which while it could be a good thing, it doesn't always manifest as a good thing. Jack has a short fuse like me as well... getting angry easily. However they are picking up good things as well! Lucy has such a good heart and has a heart for people. She gets so excited about building relationships with people. She also loves singing and dancing which makes me so excited about possibly doing theater with her someday. Jack is very compassionate for things - he is so tender with his stuffed animals. He also has such a large imagination and isn't afraid to be creative.  
As I was driving and crying I began to think about our legacies. I am glad they are picking up good traits from us but the number one thing I hope to instill in both kids is a love for Jesus that surpasses all other things. I want them to have a relationship with Him that is so deep and evident.  
When I thought about Jack just starting to sing the words when he was sure of them it made me think that maybe that is how it will be about his relationship with Jesus. It may not be something that is immediate but something that he will have to become sure about. Even though I hope it is soon as possible maybe it is something that will need to take time. That way when he does choose to follow Jesus it will be a lifelong commitment. That is what I have prayed for since the day he was born....and will continue to do so until he chooses Jesus for himself! 

Meet our family!

Hello friends! Welcome to the Twice as Blessed Nest! We are a family of four from the Midwest who enjoys all that life has to offer! Before we begin I would like to share Chad and my story to show you how we got from infertility to being twice as blessed within a year! 

Chad and I met in 2007 at church. I was finally and for the first time in my life content with being single so God decided it was finally time to introduce me to the man I would spend my life with. Chad came to our church because his church of 20 people had no other young people other than his siblings. He was getting anxious to meet someone so he decided to check out our church --- and ended up sitting right behind me. During the greeting time I turned around and was surprised to see someone around my age that I didn't know. However I was bound and determined that I was going to be single for this season so I began to think of how I could set up this cute guy with my best friend... They were both tall and single so why not?! However I couldn't this thought out of the back of my head --- boy he was cute! What if.....
Chad continued to come to our church and sat with me since he now "knew" me and we began to go out to lunch afterwards. Eventually we started dating officially and the rest is history. We never had the ideal dating situation as he was working 2nd shift when we met and then moved to Michigan for a year after that. 

Our wedding day - July 25, 2009

We got married on a beautiful day in July 2009. We honeymooned in Jamaica and returned home to Chad's job changing to 3rd shift. So much for newlyweds getting used to sleeping in the same bed...


Over a year later Chad got back on 1st shift and we decided to start trying for a family. After a year and a half of trying I went on infertility medicine for 6 months which made me horribly sick. The doctor and I decided to wait for a while because IVF wasn't for us yet. We looked into adoption during the summer of 2011 and decided to get put on a list and adoption website! 

On January 22, 2012 we got a phone call during lunch after church saying there was a family that had a baby boy who was 2 days old and they had chosen us to be his parents!!! We were so excited that God had finally given us a child. So we quickly packed up the car and headed to Memphis, TN where we met our son Jack who was only 3 days old. 

Picking up Jack from Tennessee

Life as we knew it changed dramatically as it often does when children come into the picture. I quit my Special Education teaching position and became a stay at home mom. 3 months after Jack came home Chad had to work the CAT strike over 2 hours away so he was gone a lot. However the stress of not being able to have a baby and work was gone so life as we knew it was beautiful! 

One day I wasn't feeling good and thought I was coming down with the flu. Days later I still didn't feel quite right so for fun I got a pregnancy test. I took the test and unpacked groceries while waiting (I wasn't worried at all - they always turned negative). When I glanced over at the test it read POSITIVE! I didn't know what to think. Then I looked down at the sleeping baby in the swing... and I laughed. God had quite the sense of humor. We had asked him to give us a baby if it was His will. Apparently His will was 2 babies within a year! One was adopted and the other was through pregnancy. 

Pregnant....

....and Blessed!

Pregnancy with 24-7 nausea and low blood sugar is tough enough, but add a 3 month old baby you are learning to parent is extra tough. But I learned how to ask for help and somehow we managed to get through pregnancy. On January 4, 2013 Lucy was born on my 30th birthday. (I had always wanted to have kids by the time I was 30... so God definitely made sure it happened even when I was positive that it was impossible.) 

She's Here!

Lucy is born January 2013 and we are a family of 4!

We became a family of four and have felt beyond blessed. Have we loved every moment... no! Life isn't perfect and there are imperfect moments. Would we trade this life for another? No! We love our life through the ups and downs. Join us on our imperfect, roller coaster of a ride life! God Bless!