2012

I haven't written in a long time. Well there is a reason behind it. Much has happened. We have two additions to our family. Evelyn Colleen was born November 25,2011. She weighed 8lbs 8oz and 20 1/4 inches long. We also, just a few weeks ago found out we have a son. His name is Forrest, hopefully we'll be changing that here soon. He doesn't like his name, mainly because he was named after his alleged father, long story, sad story. He was born November 17, 2000. Yeah, I have new born baby and also find out I have an 11 year old son. Trust me, I'm over whelmed. But you know God is in control, He's already walked my life, He knows what I can handle and can't handle. Although I feel as if my walls are caving in and the room is getting smaller by the minute. God always rescues me when I call His name. ALWAYS! I just need to reach out and ask, and ask and ask, and ask. I don't have any pictures of Forrest but here are some of Evie Bug :)

Talking to Uncle Henny at Christmas time. Only a month old

Taking a bath at grandma's. 1 month

Watching momma bake Christmas goodies at Grandma's. 1 month

3 month pictures that aunty sissy took :)


She's my serious girl :)

I know that blurb was very short but to the point. I guess you can say there's been a lot going on in the Bigelow house hold, but God knows best. This whole situation with our son is definitely stretching our limits. The only thing that has kept me from depression right now is Jesus Christ and my daughter. I know that sounds so odd to say, because I am not one to 'get depressed'. But this has been a spiritual battle. Really it has. Chris has had to face his past. This time when this boy was conceived was the WORST time in Chris's life. And now he has to not only face it but put it to bed. Which has been a very good thing but also the hardest. It's amazing how God works. He answers your prayers in the oddest ways. But all things work together for good. If we TRUST. That is one thing I have been struggling with. TRUST. God I TRUST YOU. The devotion 'Jesus calling', which I highly recommend, has been such a blessing. It talks about trusting and coming into Jesus's presence. Keeping our FOCUS ON HIM and not our problems. But laying at His feet and walking away.

20 Week Ultrasound/ Furniture Project

Our 20 week Ultrasound appointment was the 30th of June, I know I'm a little late but here is 1 of 3 pictures I was able to have!







The baby is stretching it's toes in the air. :)


The doctor's appointment went really well. As soon as the tech put the reciever on my belly, the baby was active as ever. He had hiccups, you could see the little belly moving alot! It was cute :) (I'm not saying 'he' because we know the sex, I just don't like saying 'it'). Then she stretched her legs, yawned, sucked fluid, put his thumb up to his mouth. It was wonderful. I have know idea how anyone could not believe in Christ after seeing that! What a miracle. We watched the 4 heart ventricals working properly, pumping blood. Looked at the stomach, everything looked good. We saw all his bones, ribs, vertebrae's. It was truly amazing. What technology can do is just beyond me!! The tech said it's growing faster than the gestational age, so a week or more ahead, which either means a change in due date or I'm having a GOLIATH baby! Aahhh!! But as long as we're healthy and normal, I'm sure God has already taken care of that and know's what my body can and can't handle.

Just in the last 2 weeks or so, the movements of the baby have grown alot!! Even to waking me up in the middle of the night! Now, I'm only 22 weeks, which is almost 6 mo. It suprises me how much movement I feel this early.This child is definatly not behaving like me, it's a Chris baby! Mom's always told me I was the snuggly, quiet child in the womb. At one point they thought I was dead, because I NEVER MOVED! SO I have a pretty good feeling she's taking after her daddy :) WE're nervous and excited all at the same time, things are starting to be more real with baby movements and baby stuff starting to fill our home. Last month, mom, sissy and I drove to Hillsboro to pick up a baby crib/dresser, I had purchased off of craigslist. The couple that had it painted it, and did a CRAPPY job. Luckily, I have a very GIFTED sister who loves paint projects and right now we are antiqueing it, if that's the correct word.

This is similiar to the finish on the crib/ dresser after it is done.

My sister re-did some of her furniture and it turned out amazing. She has a knack for these things and is very talented, so she offered to do it. I'm going to do my best to help her, but knowing her and her perfection, she'll let me hold the tools! lol I'm really excited to see how it all turns out! It will be the most unique nurery furniture ever!

WE'll be sure to take pictures, before and after!!

Baby News

This was our first appointment and ultrasound picture :)

Today is 17 weeks and 5 days. It feels like yesterday when I took my two pregnancy tests and just about passed out! This baby will be such a blessing, not only to us but for us :) The more time passes, the more I do get excited. I can't remember if I announced it but Yes we are having a baby! November 19th. When Chris and I bought our house this last December, we decided we would try after a year of living in the new home. Well, I guess our plans are not God's, of course. Our other 'plan' was for Chris to be at least 30 and for me 25. I'll be 25 3 weeks after baby Big will be born. God has perfect timing in everything. November is a fabulous time for us to have a child, it's my down time (hopefully the shop will sell before) and his off season from mowing. So we'll have lots of family time. Summers and fall are always VERY busy around our home. God is so perfect in all things :)



Right now the coffee shop is for sale. It's bittersweet to me. We go through life thinking that our jobs/careers define our lives, yes in some ways they do, but not completely. I desire to have my children help define my life, not my career. But this Coffee shop has been such a blessing to me in so many ways. It's almost hard to let go. I pray the right person buys it and takes off with the shop. Have it be a blessing to them as it was for me. Lately, I have been having a hard time getting excited about the baby, only because of the coffee shop. It's a very big commitment to be a dedicated mommy, even bigger if you are running a business front full time!! I trust God's timing on this completely. We are to live by FAITH not sight.

New Home

WOW it's been along time since I blogged :( Well much has happend. Since August of 2009 we had been on a serious hunt to buy a house, we found one, put an offer on it (short sale). It failed to be accepted by the bank. We attempted again in Feb 2010, failed again. They told us, 'buy it on the courthouse steps', blah blah, blah blah. Well, we never gave up, November 1, 2010 it was sold back to the bank in forclosure, our anniversary!! Well there was alot of stress between then and December 28th (the day we closed). But that is history, we are now settled in our lovely home. Hopefully before summer we'll host an open house, but we have a lot of TLC to put into our home. It wasn't lived in for 2 1/2 years, gutters need cleaning, needs new paint, ect.

Nothing else is really new other than our home. Work is good, staying busy with that, Chris and life. :)

Books to consider

A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to start getting into reading again. I'm not the best reader but I enjoy it, especially since it is winter time I have more time to read. So there are two books that I have picked up but I will talk about Shattered Silence first. This book is written by the oldest daughter of 'The Happy Face Killer'. Just knowing that kind of sends you chills but the book is a great read. She goes through her life from the beginning. The first chapter will put you to tears, well it did me. She talks about her precious kittens she has and how she loves to mother them and take care of them. A few pages into it she tells of how her father hates cats and loves to torture them. Now, not only does he like to inflict pain on the kittens, he does it in front of his children. WOW red flag!! For these four kittens she has ,he ends up hanging them up on a clothes line until they die. Now not only is that cold but it's the fact that this frantic 5 year old is clinging to her mother begging her to stop daddy from hurting 'my babies'. This book is, yes, heartbreaking but ends with triumph over fear and a broken heart.

The Blue Bottle Club is a FABULOUS book. A+. It's a story about a reporter who has a story she pursues about these 4 friends who leave behind in a blue bottle their dreams. The reason behind the reporter finding this bottle is the city had condemed the house the bottle was found in and was being torn down. She saved the bottle and began her search for the 4 friends. It's a great great story. I would highly recommend it.

Ok so in conclusion about my new book adventure, I bought another one to read. Costco is a great place to buy books for discount!!!! ANY ways the new book is

I'll be sure to let you know how the book goes!!!! I heard it was a book about Laura Bush and her life but in a novel sense instead of autobiography!? Not sure we'll see!

Coming Soon....

.....November 1, 2009, which not only happens to be the first day of Winter Sunday Market, but our first anniversary. Wow, almost a year?
There are these ladies who come in about 3 times a week, give or take, they both are married and know Chris and I. On Tuesday, Cori, one of the ladies, mentioned to me, 'Someones anniversary is coming up'. My first thought, 'wow that long already?' But my response was, 'Yeah, I know'. Pretty pathetic, I KNOW! Both Jen and Cori were talking about what they did for their first anniversaries and blah blah blah...O.K. so the events that are taking place on Sunday, November 1, 2009: first day of winter sunday market which means I am working (11am-4pm), and Chris's working as well, GAY! Now to explain what our plans are going to be. For our wedding gift from David and Heidi Fasteband (Chris's boss), they gave us a $250 gift certificate to Shelter Cove in Cresent Lake, OR. Which is to be used for our 1st anniversary. Here's another, POOP. We are unable to get work off until DECEMBER! So for Chris's work schedule his first weekend available is not until December 11th-13th, and for me, well none. From November 1-December 20th, Sundays, we will be open because the winter sunday market is being held in the same building that my coffee shop is in. I am pretty much booked every weekend until 2010! For our solution, since everyone has left and gone to college and I have no one to work, December 11th-13th will hopefully end up working. Shasia said she will we on winter break by then and told me she will work!! I am not sure about Henry's schedule but maybe we'll squeeze him in too! So our plans for November 1, 2009: if Chris is not working nights, go to dinner somewhere nice. Even though we will not be able to celebrate on the actual day, we will be together and celebrate in our own way! LOVE YOU GOOB!

Life, Love, Happiness

The more I am being committed to God, the more I see His perfect timing of everything. It's so amazing to see how important my job as a wife really is. Not only do I need to take care of home, obviously, but be in constant prayer for everything. Lately there has been so many blessings taking place and I believe it's all because of my relationship with Jesus flourishing and growing! In these past two months Chris and I have grown so incredibly close to each other, in a way I can't even begin to describe. Chris and I have completely broken ourselves in humility toward each other and to Christ. To be painfully honest and come together in love and friendship. I see troubled marriages around me and it hurts. Couples getting married for the wrong reasons, years and years of thinking someone else is the bad guy when in reality it's you the whole time, or couples who can't put down themselves to truly figure a way to communicate. It's hurtful to me, because no one should give up. I feel like a little high school girl sometimes with the way I feel towards my marriage. It sounds so silly but our infatuation has turned into LOVE, true love. Deep down intimate committed love for each other. I love you, Chris Bigelow, now and forever!