the umsteads

Sunday, September 11, 2011

THE BIG SURPRISE

Some of you have been waiting for…

I had mentioned when I returned from Maine Dave/Daddy had a big surprise for us. The Sunday before we left we took Grandma Valerie, Dave’s mom, out to lunch for her birthday. She had never been to Ikea, so the four of us walked off our lunch browsing the furniture. When Henry saw one of the kid’s rooms set up, he ran into it and said, “Henry’s room.” Well, here is the result of that statement.

His words became a reality when daddy spent Thursday night (the night before our return) purchasing and setting his room up.

Now, the walls still need to be painted and we need to get the wall hangings rearranged. I must say that I was in complete shock when I saw it. Dave did such a fantastic job!!

And the icing on the cake is Henry has slept in his room on his big boy bed every night but one since we returned – we returned 9 days ago. What a big boy!!

I didn’t take photos of the lighting, but Dave also got a moon light that goes under his canopy on the wall, so we can read books and a sun light over his overhead light. So cute and such a wonderful father.

10 Years

As we look back over 10 years, we can marvel at how much our lives have changed. I was in Bible College, working full time, wasn’t married, no kids and just returning from a missions trip to Ukraine. My life has changed so much. Isn’t it more amazing how much our lives can change in a second? The birth of a child, an unexpected gift or promotion, a phone with news of the sudden death of a brother, or, for all of us in different ways Tuesday, September 11, 2001. I am sure you remember exactly where you were. I was at work sitting at my desk. My friend Sarah Hallett called me or I called her and turned on the news (I was in a classroom and had a TV). I remember staring at the TV in shock wondering what was going to happen next. Thinking maybe it was an accident until the second plane hit. Shock. Shock. The only word to describe such a state. The other trainers gathered in the other training room and I remember the secretary making light of the situation and wanting to literally take her down for letting those precious innocent people die in vain in her mind. Then I sent an email to a friend in Ukraine asking them to pray because our country was at war. Wow. It was intense and I was only in Baltimore County. Not in the Pentagon, not on a plane and not in NYC. I can’t even imagine. My heart goes out to those who lost someone on that day. My heart goes out to the mothers and fathers who have left little children to go fight across the ocean for our freedom. All of those who have sacrificed in some way for our country. My late brother spent years fighting the war on terror in the middle east and central Asia. I thank him and everyone else. Most of all, I thank God that through all of this tragedy He never changes and continues to have plan for our lives even if it doesn’t add up to what we had in mind. His love is so great and I can see His mercies even in the midst of travesty.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

The Wiegand's: LaPoshStyle.

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A LITTLE UPDATE

hmmm…. so much to tell and never can remember what to say once I am here.

I am reading a new book by George Muller – Answers to Prayer. The first chapter was an overview on the power of prayer, the second chapter on the first point which is adoration and the third chapter is on repentance. Both the adoration chapter and the repentance chapter are VERY convicting. I know that I lack, and I am pretty sure it’s an epidemic with modern day Christianity, reverence and respect for the holiness, power and perfectness of the Almighty Creator of the Universe. Living in familiarity is part of the old nature that we live in and think it’s okay to lack a healthy fear of God. God is very loving. Who else but God sent His only Son to pay for MY sins. Who else but God draws me with cords of love. But just like Isaiah in Isaiah Chapter 6, I need to continue in humility and on my face to ask God for a revelation of His holiness so I can be undone in His presence. As Paul writes so clearly in Romans chapter 7, what we want to do, we do not and what we don’t want to do, we do. The struggle between the old and the new natures. We are new creations in 1 Cor 5:17 but can choose to live in our old nature. So often we live most of our time in the old nature and even go before God in that nature and without any weight of our sin. We excuse behaviors that are clearly not godly and in the next breath pray to a holy God. Very convicting. And maybe, just maybe a reason some of our prayers are not answered. It’s not the failures that grieve the Holy Spirit, it’s the lack of repentance and continuing in our old nature. We just can’t have communion with God in that state. I can’t and you can’t. Very convicting.

So, what else is going on? I just sold my third piece of furniture. A big thanks to Johnny and Stacey who let me use their space and Johnny who helped me tremendously with this piece.

linking -

http://minivandiva.blogspot.com/2011/09/its-god-thing-weekend-link-up_09.html

Henry

Henry is growing and changing by leaps and bounds. His latest is that he is scared of everything. Well, he’s always had a healthy fear of many things, but now he vocalizes it quite clearly. “I scared, momma.” “Henry scared.”

He’s madly in love with his father and I couldn’t ask for a better one for him!

Friday, September 9, 2011

MAINE AND BABY STELLA

As I mentioned in previous posts, Henry and I recently returned from a trip to Maine to visit my family thanks to my mom who let us use her time share. Above is a picture of Henry with my Grampa. Henry loves Grampa Pease and loved being at the fair so much (thanks to Grampa Pease) that he refused you leave. You can tell he wasn’t very happy with me in this photo.

My sister Jana just had her second child almost 13 years apart. Jana is in the blue and my sister Tia is in the brown holding baby Stella. Henry is my child aka the ghetto child because he had a blow out at the Windsor Fair and I actually had to wash his shorts out in the sink there!!

If Jana didn’t give birth to this little nugget, you would never know she was related. She looks JUST like her daddy Eric.

Here she is sleeping in her aunt Therese’s (Tia’s) arms.

My beautiful sisters Jana and Tia. And Precious Stella.

Jana, Eric, Hana and Stella have quite the pad on Norton’s Pond in Lincolnville, Maine.

When I told Henry we were leaving, he said goodbye to me and sat next to Tia.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

My Polish Great Grandmother Bernice

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Inspiration–Outdoor Rooms

What’s the sense in planning an outdoor room now? In many parts of the country, it’s just becoming bearable to be outside for long periods of time and you can find many items on sale this time of year! Enjoy!