Joy and her family at board meet 2002:PA Dec 17, 2002 Hey! Just had to scream it from the mountaintops...I have lost 50 pounds!!!! I have really been struggling in my weight loss, I was doing really great in the beginning and have really slacked off but I've been trying hard to get back on track and tonight I weighed in and have lost 50 pounds!!! I'm so happy for me! Now, to maintain through Christmas! LOL...I'll just have to give all my baked goods away and send with Kyle to work. Hugs all!!! Noel's birth Story I went into to the hospital on Friday because my bp was a little high agian and my amniotic fluid was measuring a little low. They watched me over the weekend and on Monday did and ultrasound and my fluid levels were a little higher but still lower than they liked so they said we could induce or stick around in the hospital...I choose induce! They moved me to Labor and Delivery that night after dinner and gave me cervadil (?) to prepare my cervix. The next morning I was maybe a 1 and 5% effaced and they started pitocin to get contractions going around 5 a.m. By about 6:30 I was 2-3 and 60-70% effaced so things were moving right along. I started feel more uncomfortable and got some pain med around 9-10. By noon that had worn off and I was about a 5. My bp was spiking during contractions so my dr came and told me they would have to put me on mag and wanted me to get an epidural because it would help with the contractions and in turn, help keep my bp down. So I did. I am not good with epidurals...it was rough and took about 4-5 tries with my son and 3 tries this time around. My dh and sister had to step out of the room for the epidural and 45 minutes later got to come back in...they almost missed all the fun. After getting my epidural going at about 12:30- I was at 7cm. Minutes later I was and 8-9 so the started prepping the room and called for the dr. They told me the babies oxegyn level had dropped and they put me on an oxygen mask. My nurse said, "Just tell us when you feel pressure." And I said I did before she left the room. It was just getting worse and worse and she said o.k. give me a little a push. I did, and then she said "Stop, don't push!" My dh and sis got back to the room and the dr got there and I pushed 3 times and she was here. The cord had gotten wrapped around her neck so that is why her oxygen level dropped. Her second apgar was a 10 and she is so healthy. I just feel so blessed. God was tottally watching out for us, she's four weeks early and not a thing is wrong with her! It's amazing. She weighed 5lbs 8 oz and was 19 inches long. She had only lost 4 oz before we came home. She is so beautiful and so healthy. Nathan is such a proud big brother too. He just loves her and is so proud of her. They told me all up and down the hospital halls he was telling everyone "Hey, want to come see my new sister? I have a new sister!" He is soooo sweet with her! Kyle, Joy, Nathan and Noel, one big happy family! :O) ~Christmas 2001~              On Tuesdays we have a short poll called "Tuesday's Twos". One of the questions was whether you had a romantic proposal.... This was Joy's story...... Well, dh was quite romantic (and sneaky). First, he had just bought a mobile home to be closer to me (I still lived at home w/ mom and dad) and I had been helping set up house. Well, he was almost unpacked, so I went over after school and cleaned up boxes and stuff and started making our "first" dinner together. He had gotten home and was cleaning and stuff too and when dinner was almost ready he went in his bedroom for a minute. I had set the table for him and yelled that dinner was ready. He told me to sit down and close my eyes. (I was thinking candles or something). I heard him come out and he said open your eyes. He had changed into dress slacks, a shirt and tie (because he said he couldn't imagine looking back and thinking he'd proposed in cut offs and a Hard Rock t-shirt) and was down on one knee in front of me with 'the ring'. I don't even remember saying yes. I only remember getting down on my knees with him crying, and hugging him and kissing him. And of course, putting that ring on my finger! It was pretty sweet. (Even though I did cook my own engagement dinner ;O) This post was moving for some members: Hey Anjie, I have to post this...Tuesday Daily Devo Check in (m) I had to because my devos today were so good. Most of you know I'm doing the Beth Moore, Jesus the One and Only bible study and we are walking through Luke. Anyway, today we studied some versus in Luke, and Matthew regarding the end times and the destruction of Jerusalem. It was such a powerful time with God for me. It wasn't even so much the bible study and the questions she posed (which were awesome by the way) but the prayer time I had afterwards. I literally found myself weeping at the feet of Jesus in prayer over my family. I felt as if, if I opened my eyes and reached up, I would touch him. It was really amazing. I know that we have been saying forever that the end is near but isn't that true. Each day is one less day we have to wait until the glorious reappearing! Everyone will know when Jesus returns. No one will be left dumbfounded reading about it in the newspapers, everyone will know. My prayer as I closed my biblestud time was to pray a hedge of protection around my children and my husband and that God would bind up satan so that he would have no power in my family. I found myself actually praying for my children and my children's children and so on. I know that may seem silly but i so desire for my family to be a legacy to God. I have so much work to do and I have failed miserably already, but isn't His mercy and grace wonderful. He can work through my failures and make them victories. Anyway. Today was such a wonderful day for me. I was able to spend over an hour at the feet of Jesus today while my little blessings napped. (And believe me this does not happen every day...hmmm God must have known we needed to talk and He had important things to share with me today and that's why Nate and Noel slept at the same time! ;O) Anyway, hope you all had an awesome day today! Hugs! Joy I'd like to share some insights I learned to the 23rd Psalm (m) We had such a wonderful weekend at the ladies retreat! I really bonded with some of the ladies from our church and had such a good time. Noel was an angel too! It was so sweet. She was the only baby in a room full of 70 women, boy was she oohhed and ahhed over. Anyway, our speaker spoke on the 23 rd Psalm and had done lots of research on it and read a book written on it from a shepherds prospective. I'd like to share some of the things she shared with us. To make it easier to read, I'll post it out section by section under this one. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did! Hugs everyone, Joy Joy's 23rd Psalm How did Joy choose her screename?... "Easy one here I'm mommy to Nathaniel Caleb Tillman. I'm thinking of chaning it to include Noel though."