Please welcome with me Staci who I have thankfully met thanks to the delightful little social media world. I met Staci on twitter & hopefully will see meet her in real life! I bumped up her post because I want you to take a look at her life especially in regards to her passion to raise awareness for Childhood cancer. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness & Staci has a passion to share this with those she comes in contact with.
Howdy from a Texas gal! My name is Staci from
7 on a Shoestring and I am delighted to be guest posting on Jana’s blog today! My husband, Colby {SuperDad}, and I were high school sweethearts and began dating the summer between my Junior and Senior year. He was 15 and I was 16 years old. We have been together for over 20 years and will celebrate our 17th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday {9.17.11}. Together we have 5 children, 4 girls and 1 lone prince.
“Pepper” is our oldest and my “parenting guinea pig.” I tell her to be patient with us because we are learning as we go with her. She and I are experiencing several things together for the first time. We are very good friends and talk about {almost} everything. This often upsets her friends, but I am grateful for the relationship we have. Although, we also know when I have to put the friendship aside and be just the parent. She respects that well. Pepper looks a lot like I did at her age, yet has a much more outgoing personality. She will celebrate her 16th birthday on September 21st {she came 1 year and 4 days after we were married} and we are in the middle of planning her Sweet 16 for October 1st.
“Jake” is our lone prince. I always tell him that he is going to make an amazing husband and father. With 4 sisters, he has no choice but to know the “ins-and-outs” of girls. He and Pepper are the best of friends and one of his biggest fears is watching his sister head to college in the next year or two. He is afraid she will forget about him. Jake is sensitive to others and loves to entertain and laugh. He just turned 14 this past June and is a “momma’s boy.” We have homeschooled both Pepper and Jake for 9 years now, Jake is a Sophomore and Pepper will be accelerating her Jr/Sr year to graduate in May 2012.
“JJ” is my 7 year old mini-me. She and I started a blog {Just Pushing a Pencil} for her this past summer and she enjoys posting on it. She is incredibly smart and enjoys reading as much as I do. Due to her need for a strict routine and constant busyness, we decided public school was the right option for her. I believe she will be my “natural-born” leader and will make a difference everywhere she goes. Just recently she asked me how she could raise money on her blog to give to a family in need so they can go on a vacation. I adore the way she thinks and pray that she continues to have a servant’s heart.
And then there is our family “Princess.” I always tell my husband that God is laughing at me because He has given me 4 girls who love to dress up, wear make-up, and walk around in heels. I do none of the aforementioned. Princess is our most girly. She wants to be a dancer and is always twirling around the house. Playing “dress up” is a daily routine and she adores anything pink or glittery. Although our biggest cuddler, she can also be our most high maintenance. She will be 6 next month and is having the time of her life in Kindergarten this year!
Finally, there is my “Monkey.” Monkey had quite the testimony before she was ever born and I know that God has mighty plans for her life. There were too many amazing circumstances for us to “get her here” that I believe God has a bigger plan. Even though she just turned 2 this past weekend {9.10.11}, she will always be my baby. She is our 5th and final child and I am fine with her being a baby a bit longer. We just began potty training her last week {the other girls were done by 21 months} and her vocabulary is not as extensive as the other 4 at her age. But, I am simply grateful for her and am able to find delight in the little things in her life as well as my own. She warms our hearts every day and makes our family complete.
I pray a hedge of protection over my children daily but have learned that we must be open to God’s will in our lives as well as those of our children. They are only ours for a season… on loan from our Savior… and at some point they must return. Some go home sooner than others and I was shown that this past year through a good friend of mine. A friend and neighbor a street over from us was told in October 2010 that her 5 year old son, Caleb, had an inoperable brain tumor. The statistics were against him from the beginning but he fought with all he had. He praised Jesus every step of the way and was ready to walk the streets of gold when he succumbed to this dreadful disease this past March. Walking this journey with his mom and dad opened my eyes to the world of childhood cancer. As a parent we never want to imagine our children being diagnosed with any illness, let alone cancer. Sadly, 46 children a day are told they have cancer. 7 children a day die from it. Caleb was one of those and this month, in his memory, I have dedicated my blog to raising awareness as part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Donations fund research and research is the answer to finding a cure. Please stop by my blog for more information on Childhood Cancer Awareness… or just to find out more about my family and I.
Be sure to leave some love especially some Congratulations on 17 years of marriage this coming Saturday! Congratulations Staci & Colby!! Not to mention a Happy Birthday for Pepper & Monkey! What an exciting month this is!
Pin It
So while I am ecstatic about my new journey as a mom, a little piece of me will miss this place. A little piece of me will miss using my creativity to further His work. A little piece of me will miss these women (my co-workers) who I have grown so close to. A little piece of me will miss the tedious tasks that make me want to scream. But a huge piece of me can't wait to hold my sweet little girl in my arms and be part of her life in a special way!
