Highlights of 2009

#5. A trip to PA to spend time with Wil's family. It was my 1st time to visit Wil's family. A very fun trip...PLUS, we spent our 1 year wedding Anniversary there. Great memories!



#4. This memory just happened on Dec. 30th! My "little" brother proposed to his girlfriend, Natasha. He took her out on a sleigh ride and handed her a pair of gloves. Inside was a ring...and she said yes! So, another Phillips wedding is in the works for 2010! Wedding plans are in full swing...and we are LOVING every minute of it! Can't wait to watch my brother marry the love of his life!



#3. My BABY sister, Libby, married her childhood love, Isaac Michael Wendland. Funny story, When they were in 7th and 8th grade I was a young, 1st year teacher. No one told me how to set up my seating charts...so I decided to go: boy, girl, boy girl. Only with a twist. I wanted to put them by who I thought they'd be cute dating...ONLY I kept that to myself. Yep, I put Lib and Ike right beside each other...and that was the beginning of something beautiful! Their wedding was beautiful, and so is their marriage!



2. The past few years, we've all said we couldn't WAIT for "the siblings" to have babies so Christmas will be full of JOY! Oh how true it was! On Sept. 5th, my dear sister, Beka, gave birth to a little Fox. Tristan Fox is his name and what a heart-stealer he is! He LOVES his mom and in 2010 will learn to love the rest of us even more! HA! He brings such JOY to everyone that meets him. God has big things in store for him and I know he will serve the Lord all of his days! What a treasure it was to meet this little baby and fall in love all over again, each time we see him.




#1. AND the number one highlight of my year, was finding out I was pregnant with a little boy soon to be named Easton Paul Nolt. It's no secret that I had a terrible miscarriage in 2008. I spent over a month flat on my back. Heartbroken, I started this blog, just wanting to send out messages to the unknown, helping me heal my heart. In July of 2009, we found out that a baby would be born in March 2010. It was a LONG lesson to learn, but, I will never take those dark months and trade them for anything. God taught me so many lessons in the "dark" that I might not of learned them in the "light." What a JOY it is to walk by faith, facing each day with God at your side. I've treasured each day of pregnancy, the good, bad, and ugly, and wouldn't trade these past 7 months for anything! Can't wait to meet this little boy!

And, so, here we are at the close of 2009. God has blessed us in SO many ways! I can't wait to see what's in store for 2010!

Sleigh bells ring...

Today my family is going on a cutter ride!!
I'm so excited...dressing very warm! :)

Pictures to come!

Tomorrow!

TOMORROW!!!

I'm headed to....



For some after Christmas shopping....:)

TAG!

My sister Beka @ Confessions of a new mom
tagged me in this fun little game. Here are 7 things that you may not know about myself...

1. Meeting new people is very hard for me. I'm not good with "small talk" and trying to "work up" a conversation is very hard. I force myself to be outgoing when it comes to meeting new people. I do way better when I've known you awhile.

2. I'm a GET THE JOB DONE type of person. Little things like walking in to church on Sunday morning...I'd more concerned about getting to my seat than talking to people as I walk in. Sometimes I have to tell myself to slow down and enjoy the process and not just the finished project.

3. I say I love to read novels...but in reality...I haven't read a novel since I've gotten pregnant. Almost 7 months have gone by and I have LOTS of books waiting to be read.

4. Hardly anything gets passed me. Call me snoopy, or aware of my surroundings. Trust me...I noticed the Sunday Wil noticed me...and pretended not to notice. :) I've known about every surprise birthday party I've ever had. I do hate big surprises so I do have friends that hint at things and I figure it out!

5. We can't get our house ready for this baby until after Christmas. (due to the size of the house) and therefore...I'm DYING to take down my Christmas tree and start getting the house ready for baby. Trust me...Dec. 26th...the TREE WILL BE DOWN!

6. I own 10 bridesmaid's dresses. For some reason, I CAN NOT get rid of them. Over half I don't even like...and will never wear them again...but for sentimental reasons, I can't get rid of them! I've tried...and always stop myself.

7. I'm amazed at how much God blesses me. When I was 13 I needed braces. My parents could not afford them, God had someone pay for them. When I was 16, I needed a car, God had someone give me one. At 20, I needed another car, God gave me another one. He has always provided ANYTHING I need. For that I'm one blessed girl!

Names....

After months of looking up names and coming up with NEW names, and then, coming up with even NEWER names...Wil and I have COME together and decided a name for this baby boy growing inside me! I felt the need to blog how it came to being...

Before Wil and I found out we were pregnant, we had two boy names picked out that we liked. Then, when we found out we WERE pregnant, we brought in books to look for MORE names....BUT we always went back to those two names. One being Easton, and the other being Phillip. As time moved on, I realized I wanted to name our children after someone in our family, and Wil wanted to name our children "hunting" names. We both decided that we wouldn't "pick" a name until we found out if the baby was a BOY or GIRL. So the day came...when they told me it was a boy, I felt something inside of me that felt that Wil was to name this baby. So, when we got into the car, I told him that he could pick out the name. His choice. He looked at me and told me, "Let's name him Easton." And so...Easton it is.

Easton Paul Nolt...

Since then, I have fallen even MORE in love with this name. (and the baby growing inside of me!) But, I was kind of sad about the meaning of his name. FROM THE EAST or FROM THE EAST TOWN. But, in the last few weeks, God has shown me how special this name really is. God reminded me that the Wise Men were from the EAST. AND, they followed the star all the way to Baby Jesus. Just like those Wise Men, I'm to pray that my Easton, will ALWAYS follow the star...and always live for Jesus his whole life. Even if sometimes he doesn't know WHERE he is to go...just like I'm sure those Wise Men felt it was foolish some moments to be following a STAR for weeks at a time, I'm praying Easton will always follow Jesus all the days of his life. I also found it funny that where he will go to school and church is WEST of our house. AND, so, he is from the East....(kind of) in regards to the church.

I'm excited to meet this little guy. And can't wait to tell him about the Wise Men...and how they were from the East...and how they followed that star!

He's been faithful to me!

7 years ago, I graduated from North Central University. 6 quick months later, my 1st student loan was due. While writing out the check, I kind of got excited, I was living in the "real world" like an adult.

Soon, two months went by and paying the student loans were old. I remember sitting on my bed, at my Aunt Lois' house writing out my student loan check, and realizing I had about $14.00 dollars left in my account. Tears ran down my cheek as I realized that I had NO money. I cried, and cried, and cried. The stamp hardly got on the right spot due to my tears. Begging God, I prayed He'd send me money. I put my checkbook away (no need for it since 14.00 wasn't going to take you places) and still crying, I started to pray. Nothing changed. No money in the mail. No one handed me money at church the next Sunday. And slowly, the month rolled on by.

The next month came, and once again, I got out my checkbook to pay my loan. Again, just like the month before, I cried and cried when I realized I had 20.00 in my account. As I sat on my bed, I once again, cried out to God about my finances. I told Him everything...about how I had given my life to Him as a Christian School teacher and how I was making mere pennies compared to my friends in other schools. I also asked Him...IS THIS the way you are going to treat your child who has given her life to you? (I was quite worked up at this point!) AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID!

In a voice that was a peaceful as ever, He said, "Rachel, you are my child. You keep paying your bills and I will ALWAYS provide. You may not have millions in the bank, but you will always have a little portion left over. I've got everything under control. Next time you pay your loan you THANK ME that there is enough money to PAY IT!

Then, in a PS to God, I said, "Please God, help me pay them off by the time I'm 30!"

Drying my eyes, I got up...grabbed that bill and said aloud, "THANK YOU JESUS FOR ALWAYS PROVIDING!"

The years have gone by quickly. Some months quicker than others, and in those 7 years I've always had money to pay my loan. With GREAT JOY I'd write the check, because God had enough money in the bank.

TODAY was a day I'll never forget. Dec. 2nd, tonight, right before church, and 4 days before my 31 birthday, I paid off the rest of my loan. As I paid it online (life changes in 7 years!) I cried tears of JOY that not ONCE in my 7 years did God ever leave me. I NEVER thought my loans would be paid. OR, I'd be 80 before they were done...BUT, I did go back to that 24 year old girl, sitting on her bed crying out to her God about her finances. He heard me...and what an honor it is to serve HIM!

YES, I am proud that they are paid. BUT what I'm rejoicing over is God's faithfulness. It was such a hard lesson to REJOICE when the money was there...and to TRUST HIM for 7 years NOT KNOWING WHEN they would be paid off...BUT God always gives GOOD gifts to HIS children.

GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS!