Happy Monday everyone! It's gray, rainy, and cold here and I don't have the energy to edit and upload the photos from the rest of our trip (soon!) so I thought I'd share a recent story that I love and treasure.
I keep meaning to share it here, so that I won't ever forget it (this blog is my brain and I would forget everything if I didn't type it here!) and I figured today would be a good time.
So I found out I was pregnant on Sadie's 7th birthday. When I saw the word "incinta" on the stick a lot of thoughts went through my mind and not all of them were pretty. "OH MY GOODNESS, A SWEET BABY!" was countered with "You are too old." "Who has FIVE kids?" and "Have you lost your MIND?" Yeah. The self-doubt reared it's ugly head. Big time.
Moments after taking the test we had to run to base to pick up some antique Italian furniture that we had won in an auction the weekend before.
One of the pieces was a beautiful double hope chest. We hadn't really looked at it or opened it, we just knew we had to have it for our family.
When we went to pick it up I was still pretty stunned. I think I was just walking around with big eyes and a smile plastered on my face.
My friend had us look it over and confirm that everything was okay and before she and Jimmy carried it to the car she opened it up to show us what was inside.
A handmade baby quilt. Made especially to go inside the chest.
I'm not even kidding.
I got goosebumps from head to toe and my eyes immediately filled with tears. Heart pounding, I looked at Jimmy and he had the biggest grin on his face. I felt the silent "We got this." pass between us and my heart was calmed.
I call those moments nudges from God. That He is in charge, despite my best "I'm in charge!" moments with my lists and my neverending multitasking.
Reminders that He has bigger, better, scarier, and more beautiful plans for us than we EVER could have imagined for ourselves.
xoxo
S
What a wonderful story! Nudges from God are wonderful, what reassurance!
Posted by: Miriam Prantner | 04/27/2015 at 06:07 AM
Beautiful Stephenie. No words, just love from Savannah. ♡♡♡♡♡
Posted by: RobynS | 04/27/2015 at 06:24 AM
Beautiful story, congratulations. :)
Posted by: Rebecca | 04/27/2015 at 06:33 AM
Beautiful!
Posted by: Lisa Chapman | 04/27/2015 at 06:35 AM
Thanks for sharing this awesome story with us!! And, yes, you got this!!! Congrats!
Posted by: Julie W. | 04/27/2015 at 06:45 AM
What a beautiful story! Congratulations again.
Posted by: Donna | 04/27/2015 at 06:46 AM
That story has given me goosebumps too. So very happy for you and your beautiful family x
Posted by: Debbie | 04/27/2015 at 07:30 AM
Thanks for sharing this story. A long-standing family friend refers to moments like these as Godincidences!
Posted by: Ruth | 04/27/2015 at 07:31 AM
LOVE!!
Posted by: Gina | 04/27/2015 at 07:35 AM
Love love love everything about this post...
Proverbs 3:5-6 -Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Posted by: Janell | 04/27/2015 at 09:03 AM
tears of JOY for you! beautiful story!
Posted by: Allison | 04/27/2015 at 09:51 AM
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story!!!
Posted by: keely | 04/27/2015 at 10:02 AM
Amazing!! So excited to see your journey as a family of seven unfold! :)
Posted by: Justine | 04/27/2015 at 10:13 AM
wow what an incredible story!!!!!
Posted by: heather | 04/27/2015 at 10:16 AM
That is wonderful! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Posted by: Heather | 04/27/2015 at 10:56 AM
just Beautiful Steph. We have been trying and praying for another baby for a few years now... It's been hard, but I hope HE has plans for another blessing for us.
Posted by: Jung A | 04/27/2015 at 11:06 AM
Sending so much love to you, precious friend.
Sent from my iPhone
Posted by: Stephanie Howell | 04/27/2015 at 11:12 AM
What a sweet story!
Posted by: Betsy Gourley | 04/27/2015 at 11:17 AM
Great story!
Posted by: young c | 04/27/2015 at 11:52 AM
LOVE this! And you are so right. Love God's subtle and not so subtle reminders that HE is in charge! (And im DYING to see that quilt and chest! Share, sister!)
Posted by: KELLY GOREE | 04/27/2015 at 12:00 PM
Love this :)
Posted by: Missy C | 04/27/2015 at 12:54 PM
Beautiful story and great reminder that God knows when we need to hear his voice and be reminded that he's "got this."
Posted by: cj | 04/27/2015 at 01:13 PM
Awesome. God is so good.
Posted by: Christine F. | 04/27/2015 at 01:15 PM
awww this is so sweet steph!
I am so happy for you guys! you got this, most definitely!
can't wait to see if a girl or a boy! I am rooting for a girl!
I always wanted 5 girls, so it would be cool for me!
We really wanted more kids, but now, I see why God didn't give us more, it
would be so hard to have more than the two I have!
xoxox
tara
Posted by: tara pakosta | 04/27/2015 at 02:19 PM
Must have been an incredible moment Stephanie, very moving. CJ xx
Posted by: CJ | 04/27/2015 at 03:20 PM
Oh WOW. Just WOW. The thing that makes me smile the most for you ... the blessing of all those siblings. When your lovelies are older, perhaps with husbands (wife?) of their own, and maybe even kiddos, they will all have such a fantastic, unbreakable bond. Not that they don't have strong bonds now .... but they will always have each other and that fills my heart with JOY for them ... and you. I treasure my own siblings so, so much. And I know that one day, yours all will too.
P.S. My best friend has six daughters. Oldest was West Point class of 2013. Youngest was born in 2012.
Posted by: Melissa | 04/27/2015 at 03:41 PM
tears…yes, a God Wink indeed! maggieb!
Posted by: Maggie Bunch | 04/27/2015 at 03:50 PM
LOVE this story!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Posted by: AngieF | 04/27/2015 at 04:09 PM
Why do we forget this sometimes? God is always in control and much wiser than any of us. This will be a blessed child because of all the love you have to give.
Posted by: Pat Cloud | 04/27/2015 at 06:25 PM
This makes my heart happy. Those peacefilled moments from above make everything better. What a wonderful story to tell your new little one in the future.
Posted by: Amanda N. | 04/27/2015 at 06:25 PM
I just love it when God does this...He's in charge, isn't He....
It would be great to keep a detailed diary on your pregnancy...the fact this is your 5th child and being a bit older...this would be a fantastic story.
Even to hear how your children are reacting to a new baby...
Posted by: Carolyn Hawkins | 04/27/2015 at 10:00 PM
Blessings hide in so many places! You are so blessed! :)
Posted by: [email protected] | 04/27/2015 at 11:14 PM
Love it. What a beautiful story!
Posted by: Charity G. | 04/28/2015 at 02:03 AM
Thanks for sharing! What a beautiful reminder that if we trust God, everything will work out. Congratulations and best wishes for a healthy pregnancy!
Posted by: Pat H | 04/28/2015 at 06:28 AM
What a great story, Stephanie! Glad you shared it here! You are blessed!
Posted by: Linda E | 04/28/2015 at 07:49 AM
I cannot tell you how much that spoke to me this morning. My eyes got misty for you guys, and then for myself. Here's to God's nudges and His tugs back to Him when we start to pull away toward all our other "stuff". Big hugs of thanks!
Posted by: Jennifer Henson | 04/28/2015 at 09:04 AM
Ah I love that - I call that a God whisper....
Posted by: Kirsten J | 04/28/2015 at 12:25 PM
I love when we get these little reminders...this one gave me goosebumps. Thanks for sharing
Posted by: Debbie D | 04/28/2015 at 07:57 PM
That is awesome...
Posted by: Christina Ankeney | 04/29/2015 at 01:05 AM
A beautiful story, Stephanie. I'm glad you shared it with us and saved it for yourself, here. Felt chills as you described what was found in your hope chest. Your life is big and so is your heart -- just the right parents and family to welcome a fifth child. I became pregnant with my one-and-only when I was a month shy of turning 36 and was thankfully blessed with a perfect pregnancy and birth. There are days when my husband (who is 8 years older than I am) and I say, "We're too old for this!," but she is keeping us both young.
Posted by: Laura | 04/30/2015 at 11:07 AM
Wow, Stephanie! What a beautiful story! It's so beautiful that it will stay with me for a long time. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Summer | 05/08/2015 at 08:26 PM
Beautiful!!
Posted by: K. Marquez | 05/09/2015 at 10:15 AM
I believe in signs, and that was a BIG ONE!
Posted by: Jill | 05/10/2015 at 01:59 AM
I'm very worried about you, it has been too long since we last heard from you!
Posted by: Dorothy | 05/12/2015 at 06:33 PM
I am so beyond excited for you and J and the girls!!! The more, the merrier! :)
Posted by: Christine | 05/13/2015 at 07:54 AM
oh my I use to follow your blog before the twins were born, and somehow with my moving house a few times I lost track of your blog, I wonderfully stumbled across your facebook page today and then thought I would pop by your blog and wow you are pregnant! :) So happy for you, Jimmy and the girls - I wish you all the very best :) So happy that I found you again :)
Posted by: Jodi Corbett | 05/20/2015 at 10:55 PM