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
Miriam Prantner says
What a wonderful story! Nudges from God are wonderful, what reassurance!
RobynS says
Beautiful Stephenie. No words, just love from Savannah. ♡♡♡♡♡
Rebecca says
Beautiful story, congratulations. 🙂
Lisa Chapman says
Beautiful!
Julie W. says
Thanks for sharing this awesome story with us!! And, yes, you got this!!! Congrats!
Donna says
What a beautiful story! Congratulations again.
Debbie says
That story has given me goosebumps too. So very happy for you and your beautiful family x
Ruth says
Thanks for sharing this story. A long-standing family friend refers to moments like these as Godincidences!
Gina says
LOVE!!
Janell says
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.
Allison says
tears of JOY for you! beautiful story!
keely says
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story!!!
Justine says
Amazing!! So excited to see your journey as a family of seven unfold! 🙂
heather says
wow what an incredible story!!!!!
Heather says
That is wonderful! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Jung A says
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.
Stephanie Howell says
Sending so much love to you, precious friend.
Sent from my iPhone
Betsy Gourley says
What a sweet story!
young c says
Great story!
KELLY GOREE says
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!)
Missy C says
Love this 🙂
cj says
Beautiful story and great reminder that God knows when we need to hear his voice and be reminded that he’s “got this.”
Christine F. says
Awesome. God is so good.
tara pakosta says
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
CJ says
Must have been an incredible moment Stephanie, very moving. CJ xx
Melissa says
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.
Maggie Bunch says
tears…yes, a God Wink indeed! maggieb!
AngieF says
LOVE this story!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Pat Cloud says
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.
Amanda N. says
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.
Carolyn Hawkins says
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…
Katie.bartlett02@gmail.com says
Blessings hide in so many places! You are so blessed! 🙂
Charity G. says
Love it. What a beautiful story!
Pat H says
Thanks for sharing! What a beautiful reminder that if we trust God, everything will work out. Congratulations and best wishes for a healthy pregnancy!
Linda E says
What a great story, Stephanie! Glad you shared it here! You are blessed!
Jennifer Henson says
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!
Kirsten J says
Ah I love that – I call that a God whisper….
Debbie D says
I love when we get these little reminders…this one gave me goosebumps. Thanks for sharing
Christina Ankeney says
That is awesome…
Laura says
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.
Summer says
Wow, Stephanie! What a beautiful story! It’s so beautiful that it will stay with me for a long time. Thank you for sharing.
K. Marquez says
Beautiful!!
Jill says
I believe in signs, and that was a BIG ONE!
Dorothy says
I’m very worried about you, it has been too long since we last heard from you!
Christine says
I am so beyond excited for you and J and the girls!!! The more, the merrier! 🙂
Jodi Corbett says
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 🙂