Day 17...Marriage and sanity

Tomorrow, I'll write more about the twins. But tonight I must preface their last year and tell you how grateful I am with the fact that we are still married! That may sound like a joke, but its not!

Now we've come through some challenges the first 10 years of our marriage, challenges most would have fallen away after enduring, but none so hard as the year and a half of the pregnancy and first year of the twins life. We truly felt like we were deserted. I know that sounds almost comical as we both have lovely families. And its not like the people in our lives
then are not in our lives now, most are, but God had them busy in their own lives, for in His sovereignty, He knew that in order for us to move into
His will and the next phase of
our life, He had to strip everything and everyone from
us, allowing us to depend completely on Him and each other.

There were moments after months of being up more than not at night with two fussy hungry boys, and unending days of 4 in diapers that we would, in desperation and exhaustion, look at each other and wonder if we'd make it without hurting someone.

And we did...we are alive, and happy. Happier then we have been in a long time, stronger in our relationship with God,
each other, and our children, and I am so grateful... for to us, we take the words of Pastor Timothy Keller to heart, and I'll leave you with them:

"The essence of marriage is a public, permanent, exclusive legal commitment that says:

"We're spending our life together and sharing every part of our life with each other"
Therefore the essence of true love is a commitment first-- to invest in someome else and meet their need--and a feeling second-."

I love you Babe :)

Day 16...Gloria-Grace Treasure

Gloria-Grace Treasure Victa, a true package of all three...Glory, Grace, and a sweet treasure.

Gloria was a complete bonus surprise! I was so happy with my baby Cai that I didn't even consider another, 2 boys, 2 girls what a perfect family! but God again had other plans. Her entire pregnancy was a joy, I was rarely sick, rarely tired, and her birth itself was miraculous. I had an eight hour labor and throughout the entire 480 minutes I didnt feel one bit of pain. I laughed and talked through the whole thing, and when she arrived it was after one push, and I was holding this wide eyed beauty. After a birth like that you can only say one thing, the glory of the Lord and His grace was there :)

Over the last three years, she has been Daddy's little shadow. She has him wrapped completely around her little finger, even to the point that he sacrificed some college loans to pay for a trip to see the desire of her heart, Cinderella and her castle.

When the twins arrived I was sure I was in store for some jealousy, but G-g just was like "hey, I know you two are here, but I ain't letting you take my place, I'm still the baby, I'm just a princess" lol. A princess for sure, but one who's not afraid to let her will be known. We say she has to be tough, after all she's sandwiched between FOUR boys! What else can I say? She's a grace filled glorious Little Sprite, and we are so grateful for our Treasure!

Day 15...Malacai Phillip (Happy Birtday!)

‎7 years ago around this time of year, we began trying again for a baby. Never did I think
It would be so hard. After a year, I gave up all hope thinking I was suffering from secondary infertility. People mistakenly think if you've had a baby then for that you should be grateful and that if you desire more, but can't have them, then you are seen as greedy not grieving...infertility in any form is a heartache no woman should have to bare...

Someone gave me the book "Supernatural Childbirth" by Jackie Mize. Over the next 4 children, I can safely say that the book changed my life.

The following February I discovered I was with child. I was so overjoyed. But 3 weeks after getting the plus sign, I began miscarrying.
I was heartbroken, i wanted another baby so bad, and to have lost this baby after a year and a half of trying was devastating..but again I took out the Mize book and began quoting the scriptures that blessed is the fruit of my womb and many many more. Next month I was pregnant with Malacai.

At 16 weeks and again at 30 weeks I had preterm labor and bleeding. During these scary times I'd pull out my Bible and my book and one verse I'd say over and over again:

"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith Jehovah of hosts." (Malachi 3:11 ASV)

(one interpretation of this verse, and the interpretation Jackie Mize uses is this: that the Lord is saying through his prophet Malachi, that if you are a tither he will rebuke Satan, and cause your fruit to not die, and to not come off/out early)

So during those frightening hospital visits, I quoted this scripture, for we have always been tithers and always will be...

Malacai was born healthy exactly 5 years ago today. His name means "My Messenger, and "Cai" means "rejoice"

He's all boy! He loves life and has the IQ of a 3rd grader in k-4. I wouldn't be surprised if some day he's a programmer at Apple for he's never met a game, computer, phone or iPad that he hasn't mastered yet. He keeps us laughing daily at the things thar come out of his mouth! He's bluntly honest and I could fill a book with the things he's said that make me blush haha

But when you look into his eyes you see Christ. His eyes are so full of wisdom, compassion, love, gentleness and kindness (and occasionally mischief!) 5 years later he makes us all rejoice, for he truly is a messenger to me, and I'm so grateful for him!

Day 14...Francisco Victa the Fourth (aka: COCO)

So, Coco...let's start with his Nick name. We get asked a lot, Why Coco? Well with four Francisco's and all of them still living, we felt he needed one, so we went through Nio, Franky, Francis, and when none of them fit, we said forget it and called him Francisco, but his very talkative sisters (age 3 and 2) could not pronounce it and it came out "Coco" lol. And it stuck. :)

I was so happy to have my boy after 2 girls, we were both on cloud 9, although he made his arrival 2 weeks late, and weighed in at a whopping 9lbs 15 oz! (and yes I delivered him naturally) He was so late he cooed in his hospital bassinet while meeting his Daddy. But through those first 6 months, I'd frequently hear a voice that he wouldn't be with us long, and I'd rebuke the fear and pray. I finally voiced it to my husband, and he said he also had heard that "voice"...so again we prayed.

On January 31, 2004 both of us got a terrible stomach bug, the worst we've ever had. I was recovering as Cisco was getting worse. I was finishing up nursing Coco when Cisco called me to come help him. Coco was asleep in my arms, so I placed him quickly in his swing, forgetting to buckle him in, to go help Cisco. After a few minutes I had a strong premonition to go check on him. When I did, I found that he had obviously woken up and attempted to get out of the swing, only he had a t-shirt type bib on, and as he scooted down, it caught on the swings crotch bar, hanging him. I found him lifeless, a blue ragdoll not breathing...you can imagine my complete shock and horror. I screamed to Cisco who called 911, and starting saying the name Jesus over and over. I had enough sense to start CPR, and thankfully we lived within a mile of both the local fire department as well as a small emergency room. They were in my house in 90 seconds. They saved his life (up untill our move, every time we went to that emergency room, they would ask about "their miracle child") anyways, they stabilized him, then flew him to Boston's Children's Hospital where they told us he would have brain damage from lack of oxygen. My parents and family met us there and immediately started a huge prayer chain, calling everyone who believed in the power of prayer...we spent 6 days there, our baby going from complete sedation, being told be had bleeds on tbe brain and on a respirator, being told he may not come out of it to being discarged with a perfectly healthy baby boy...can you tell we believe in the power of prayer??!

Coco is 8, and is a Daddy's mini-me. He has an amazing talent for anything athletic, and is also a great break-dancer...

We almost lost him, he could have suffered brain damage (though sometimes i do wonder-like when he was 7 and he cut his sisters beautiful blonde ringlets all off!!! What was he thinking??!! Haha) But I know God has an amazing future for him, why else would the devil try and take him out early? He's a special boy, and we are so thankful God won, he's alive and ours, and we are truly grateful

Day 13...Faith Abigail

oday is Faith's "Thankful" day ;) they are enjoying reading these themselves!

(You'll see a recurring theme over the next few days, the devil tried to destroy our seed at the beginning, for I truly believe he knows their future is so great)

So here goes...When Rhema was 4 months, we were sitting in church on a Sunday in Groveland Florida. Sis
Judy Langley began singing "Faith, faith, faith, just a little bit of faith" and I had a vision of a young girl with long black hair laying her hands on the sick and they were being healed. I remember squeezing Rhema as a confirmation that it was her, but I heard a voice say,
"no, she will also do greatness, but this one you see is another, you will have a baby girl and name her Faith, for she will increase your faith" About 3 weeks later I found that against all medical "odds" I was pregnant.

At our 20 week scan, they told me our baby girl had a growth in her brain, and that she would either be born with down syndrome or severe mental impairments. We had a follow up scan at 28 weeks, And I tell you, those were some of the hardest weeks as we waited. In our fear, we also had faith, and believed that God spoke to us about this child that we felt was supernaturally given to us.

Well, If you know Faith today, you know shes one of the brightest children, a child who at 4 was giving her Dad a discourse of why Judas betrayed Jesus and how although wrong, was part of the sovereign plan of God...I've never met a child who is so wise beyond her years, and at the same time burdened by this wisdom, this knowledge, for she takes things like world poverty and human suffering to heart. I thank the Lord for leading me to homeschool her this year, daily praying for those burdens she carries. Slowly i see her able to trust in the Lord and search her Bible (and pick her Dad's brain). As her Mom-Mom says "she's an old soul" and her Pop-Pop says "she's like talking to an adult, I can't pull one over on her like the others!!!" :)

Faith is my big helper and the twins second mommy, a blessing to us in such a tiny body (with that long black hair)...I truly believe the days are upon us where we will see her exercising those healing gifts i saw 11 years ago, for at no other time have we as a family been more hungry for the move of God, and in a place where so many others are as well...so watch out, we may just be raising the next Kathryn Kuhlman, and for being entrusted with such a girl, we are truly grateful...

Day 12...Rhema Summer

Today I'll continue my thanksgiving month with the start of each of my children beginning with the oldest, Rhema. When Cisco and I were engaged, we both had to go to that lovely pre-marriage Dr appointment, where we were both told our chances of having a baby were slim since Cisco had a severe case of the chicken pox at 19. So you can imagine my surprise when 3 months into our marriage, we discovered we were pregnant :) (miracle #1 of many...)

Cisco was convinced the baby was a boy, and even stood up in a service declaring that we would have ourselves a preacher. When I delivered, my husband and mom were both whispering "here he comes" then as she made her way earthward, the midwife declared it's not a he it's a she! We were both in love instantly, by 9 months we questioned our name choice, as "Rhema" means "spoken word" in Greek, and she was already saying words like "hi" and "bye". People in the grocery store would hear "hi" and stare in disbelief at the baby still in the infant carrier that was talking, and she hasn't stopped since!

When she was 12 months, I noticed she had a large bump on her back. I showed my mom and we were all concerned. Her pediatrician made us an appointment with a spine doctor, who told us she had a severe case of scoliosis and would need immediate disk fuzing surgery or be fitted for a brace she would wear 24 hours a day till she was 16. At that point we were too stunned (and young!) to make such a drastic decision. We asked if we could have time to pray and think about it. The Dr gave us 6 weeks. In those 6 weeks we prayed over her daily and every night as we laid her down, we believed for a miracle. After those 6 weeks, we brought her back and she had one more X-ray, the dr came in and held up the old one to the new one and just shook his head, declaring a miracle even though he was an atheist. She has had yearly check ups ever since and her spine remains perfectly straight. What an amazing God we serve!

Now at 11, she is blossoming into a beautiful young lady with a heart of compassion and a gift for hospitality. She sings like and angel and has the emotions of a...ehem...lol. I wouldn't be surprised if someday she does become that preacher after all, we love her so much, and for her we are truly grateful...

Day 11...Elf!

‎"who sent this Christmas Gram?" "what's a Christmas gram? I want one!"

Today I'm thankful that year after year Elf never disappoints haha