Preparing the Butterfly

Meet Sir N the star of this blog. His name means

One who is asked of the Lord and Brings much joy

Our journey to receiving the news of his pregnancy was a very long nine years on the roller coaster of hope and disappointment. In fact two weeks before our positive pregnancy test I had given up on the idea of having any more children and decided that this was it the Lord had decided our family was complete with two children.

This little man has been an amazing blessing in our lives and has brought each and every one of us smiles. His name is just how we felt when we were blessed with the news of his impending arrival in our family.  He makes my heart melt and shows me what unconditional love looks like every day.

More hope . . . 
During my pregnancy I experienced so many highs the main one being:  we are going to have the large family we always wanted. After he was born I relaxed and spent so much time waiting each month for a sign of another I didn't fully immerse myself in enjoying the one in my arms. One year, two years, three years . . . went by.
Finally one beautiful Sunday morning in Spring - two little blue lines appeared. Joy! Excitement! Anticipation of another little person to love hold and cherish. Morning sickness, yes all is well.
In a twinkling it all changed with the words "I'm sorry Mrs R ....." tears, grief and a little boy who told me to tell Jesus to put the baby back!
Sir N faithfully prayed every night for three years. One night two beautiful brown eyes looked at me and said there is no point in praying Jesus does not hear.  My heart broke. What do I say ?
So far it's been five very long years of secondary infertility and failed IVF cycles. Feeling like everyone was pregnant BUT me. . .

Looking back
Having two teens means that I have learned not to think too far into the future as sometimes the dreams are met with closed doors and you need to find new hope for your butterfly or just when you anticipate having another five or six years you find that you need to let go and watch your butterfly find itself.

Source: Pinterest

In the Future
I am learning ever so slowly to appreciate the today's because they are ever so fleeting. My heart still longs and the conflict rages within. Conflict between being fully satisfied and wanting just one more chance. I'm learning to look at the little butterfly growing in front of me and appreciate him. I am so grateful to Susan for encouraging me to look at my child and see him for the person he is.  I'm learning to look to the One Who created him and ask "Lord just how should I prepare this butterfly ?"

I would like to encourage you to enjoy your butterflies.  Enjoy each one in their individuality. Enjoy them for their differences.  

Blessings
Chareen

During the month of May I would like to introduce each of my children to you.

Releasing Butterflies this May
Hoping for the Butterfly - Mr T
Anticipating the Butterfly - Miss J
Preparing the Butterfly  - Sir N

--ooOoo--

May is Ichthyosis Awareness Month. I will be partaking in a month long blog hop in honor of Peter and other children with Ichthyosis. Release the butterflies is more than about children with a rare skin disorder it's about each and every one of our children.

Susan will be having a weekly link up.  Please join me in celebrating each and every child and just how special they truly are.

Here is Susan's Schedule
Links will be added here as the posts go live.
Release the Butterflies Posts:

1. Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Susan  Embrace the Wild Child, Release the Butterflies
Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Turtle...
Lisa All the Same and Yet Different
2. Wednesday, May 15, 2013
   Susan Giving the Butterfly Time to Emerge
   Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Bug...
3. Wednesday, May 22, 2013
   Susan Hold Onto Your Butterflies, but not too tightly
4. Wednesday, May 29, 2013
   Susan The Butterfly’s Dazzling Colors Dance in the Sunlight
   Nicole Releasing the Butterflies Wrap Up

Giveaways this week

1. Ticket to the Ultimate Homeschool Expo (open Worldwide) ends (6/2) ($89 value) (ends 6/2)

Freebies

1. Preschool Butterfly Printables Pack
2. FREE Math Mystery E-book for Primary Grades  
3. Free Two-Sided, Full-Color Addition and Subtraction Cards!
4. FREE Printable Butterfly Notecards

Anticipating the Butterfly

Meet my daughter whose name means

Beautiful Anointed one who is a gift of the Lord

On this blog she is known as Miss J.  We received confirmation of our pregnancy two days after Christmas 18 years ago.  We had a wonderful pregnancy.  Our journey to finding Miss J's name was an interesting one. I was pregnant with two of my friends and we lived in a rural farming community. We had a name chosen for a girl during our first pregnancy it was Sarah J******.  Paul had been praying that we have a daughter and we looked forward to calling her Princess.

Five months into our pregnancy my friend birthed a beautiful daughter and called her - Sarah.  At the time we were living in a rural community. Normally when you live in a rural community it's for a life time and I felt we needed to choose a new name for a girl because if our daughters were going to be in the same class I did not want them to have the same names.  After much prayer and name book searching we found a new name.  Jessica Anne.  Three months later my second friend birthed her first born and named her - Jessica Anne.  We were surprised.  We still felt we wanted a unique name for our baby if it was a daughter.

Four weeks later we were still searching for a name when I went into labour at four am. We had not settled on a name. As I laboured we searched for a name.  Paul read out names and we discussed them. One of the things I really wanted in names for our children was that they would be a blessing every time we spoke to our children. An hour before her birth we settled on her names.

Anticipation
One of the things we do as parents when we are pregnant is we have this deep sense of expectation and anticipation for our children. We dream of a life of possibility. When I began homeschooling there was an added sense of anticipation of what we would do in the high school years

One of the things I did not expect was how quickly things change. One moment I thought we had another three years of home schooling followed by a few years of tertiary education and the next it all changed.  An opportunity came up for Miss J to attend college at 15 and study towards her Cert III in Children's Services.  Miss J graduated in January last year. Has since worked full time and moved out of home six months ago.

The teen years hold so many possibilities for us and for our children.

Hold on lightly
Today Susan's words spoke to my heart -

Perhaps the hardest part is 

letting them be, 

letting them become, 

and releasing them to God’s Will. 

Come what may.

This is the hardest part of all Mom's in their journeys as Mothers.

I would like to encourage you mom's with little ones enjoy each moment time is short.  To you Mom's of middle year children treasure the exploring, the moment you have now is fleeting.

To you Mom's of the teen look at these years with the anticipation of seeing His perfect plan for your child unfold, hold on lightly and release them to find who the Father has made them to be. They are created in His image and not the image of your dreams.


And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. Philippians 1:6

May you be blessed as you step back and anticipate seeing the fullness of His plan unfold before you for your children.

Blessings
Chareen

During the month of May I would like to introduce each of my children to you.

• 8 May - Releasing Butterflies this May
• 15 May - Hoping for the Butterfly - Mr T
• 22 May - Anticipating the Butterfly - Miss J
• 29 May - Preparing the Butterfly  - Sir N

--ooOoo--

May is Ichthyosis Awareness Month. I will be partaking in a month long blog hop in honor of Peter and other children with Ichthyosis. Release the butterflies is more than about children with a rare skin disorder it's about each and every one of our children.

Susan will be having a weekly link up.  Please join me in celebrating each and every child and just how special they truly are.

Here is Susan's Schedule
Links will be added here as the posts go live.
Release the Butterflies Posts:

1. Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Susan  Embrace the Wild Child, Release the Butterflies
Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Turtle...
Lisa All the Same and Yet Different
2. Wednesday, May 15, 2013
   Susan Giving the Butterfly Time to Emerge
   Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Bug...
3. Wednesday, May 22, 2013
   Susan Hold Onto Your Butterflies, but not too tightly
4. Wednesday, May 29, 2013
   Susan

Giveaways

1. Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids Bundle (ends 5/12)
2. Character Trails, a Review and Giveaway! (ends 5/19)
3. My Memories Suite Bundle Giveaway! (ends 5/26)
4. Monday, May 27, 2013

Freebies

1. Thursday, May 9, 2013
   Preschool Butterfly Printables Pack
2. Thursday, May 16, 2013
   FREE Math Mystery E-book for Primary Grades
   Free Two-Sided, Full-Color Addition and Subtraction Cards!
3. Thursday, May 23, 2013

Hoping for the Butterfly - Mr T

Meet my first born whose name means  

"A gift of the Lord who brings Him much honor."

On this blog he is known as Mr T, his story begins 20 years ago.  We received news of our pregnancy during the week of our first wedding anniversary.   

I was around six month pregnant and teased my husband that I hoped he had bought me a 21st birthday gift. His reply was to lean over rub my pregnant roundness smile at me and say "Sure here it is . . . " I just laughed at him because I was due on the first of July.  Three weeks before my 21st.

Long story short I developed Bells' Palsy went into hospital to be induced and came home still pregnant. God's ways are higher than ours.Well the due date came and went, so did one week, two weeks and then the third week of July arrived. 5 am on the 22 July my time arrived and that afternoon on my 21st birthday God gave me an eternal birthday gift.  A beautiful living breathing 4.25 kg (9.25 lb) healthy first born son.

Our journey together consisted of three eye operations (Strabismus Surgerys) on both eyes {one at 9 months one at 11 months and one at 3 and a half years}, two immigrations and home schooling.


Broken and missed dreams
Our journey through the teen years has seen many doors close for Mr T

• On the day he went for his interview to join the Air force he learned that the day before the Australian government had altered the criteria and he could no longer join because he is not an Australian citizen.
• He started his second job and two months into his work he slipped and fell. Thought he had not hurt himself.  No paperwork was done.  Little did we know that he had ruptured a disc in his spine that would require Lumbar Discectomy spinal surgery six weeks later and close his dream of becoming an IT technician.
• It took him over a year to recover.
• Last year Mr T developed a mystery numbness in his legs which led to him being in hospital for a week and has him now walking with the support of a crutch and a year long journey of not being able to obtain paid employment.  No options for government support due to us being New Zealand citizens living in Australia.  
• He applied for a student loan and had that door close because he is not an Australian citizen.

Watching my son walk this journey has been heart breaking. I would like to thank Susan for challenging me to look at him and see the butterfly in the cocoon I need to look at him as my Heavenly Father does.  This is His child and He says of this child

My Responsibility
My role now is to allow the butterfly to finish growing in the cocoon of the Lord's time.  He is able to do more than I could ever hope or dream.  I need to allow God's perfect timing. The Lord will release this butterfly (my son) from his cocoon in His perfect time and place.

Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; 

He is our Help and our Shield.  

Psalm 33:20

I would like to encourage any of you with a teen in your care that does not seem to be finding themselves or too many doors seem to close for them that the Lord has a plan and a hope for them.  In the flesh we may  despair and wonder but in His care we have a hope and a future for their final outcome.  He loves them and knows the plans for their future.

Blessings
Chareen

During the month of May I would like to introduce each of my children to you.

• 8 May - Releasing Butterflies this May
• 15 May - Hoping for the Butterfly - Mr T
• 22 May - Anticipating the Butterfly - Miss J
• 29 May - Preparing the Butterfly  - Sir N

--ooOoo--

May is Ichthyosis Awareness Month. I will be partaking in a month long blog hop in honor of Peter and other children with Ichthyosis. Release the butterflies is more than about children with a rare skin disorder it's about each and every one of our children.

Susan will be having a weekly link up.  Please join me in celebrating each and every child and just how special they truly are.

Here is Susan's Schedule
Links will be added here as the posts go live.
Release the Butterflies Posts:

1. Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Susan  Embrace the Wild Child, Release the Butterflies
Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Turtle...
Lisa All the Same and Yet Different
2. Wednesday, May 15, 2013
   Susan Giving the Butterfly Time to Emerge
   Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Bug...
3. Wednesday, May 22, 2013
4. Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Giveaways

1. Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids Bundle (ends 5/12)
2. Character Trails, a Review and Giveaway! (ends 5/19)
3. Monday, May 20, 2013
4. Monday, May 27, 2013

Freebies

1. Thursday, May 9, 2013 Preschool Butterfly Printables Pack
2. Thursday, May 16, 2013
3. Thursday, May 23, 2013

Releasing Butterflies this May

On Saturday Susan launched Ichthyosis Awareness Month with an amazing post about who our children are.  Susan's son Peter is more than his skin condition he is an intelligent, creative funny little boy.  He needs to be seen for who he is.  The FIRST foundation symbol is a butterfly and is the inspiration for the theme this month. Susan says: "I’ve always loved that image, that of a child being freed from a “cocoon” that keeps him from being seen in all his splendor as the wonderful child of God he is."

Paul and I have been blessed with three children.  Starting next Wednesday during the month of May I would like to introduce each of my children to you.

• 8 May - Releasing Butterflies this May
• 15 May - Hoping for the Butterfly - Mr T
• 22 May - Anticipating the Butterfly - Miss J
• 29 May - Preparing the Butterfly  - Sir N

This past weekend I was at Crop 4 a Cause and was touched by this statement

I would encourage you to take some time over the next week and look, really look at each of your children and appreciate them for who they are right now.  Not whom they could be.  Look at them and ask the Lord to help you see that child the way He sees them.

I pray the Lord will fill your week ahead with the wonder of each of the children He has placed in your care.

Blessings
Chareen

--ooOoo--

May is Ichthyosis Awareness Month. I will be partaking in a month long blog hop in honor of Peter and other children with Ichthyosis. Release the butterflies is more than about children with a rare skin disorder it's about each and every one of our children.

Susan will be having a weekly link up.  Please join me in celebrating each and every child and just how special they truly are.

Here is Susan's Schedule
Links will be added here as the posts go live.
Release the Butterflies Posts:

1. Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Susan  Embrace the Wild Child, Release the Butterflies
Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Turtle...
Lisa All the Same and Yet Different
2. Wednesday, May 15, 2013
3. Wednesday, May 22, 2013
4. Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Giveaways

1. Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids Bundle (ends 5/12)
2. Monday, May 13, 2013
3. Monday, May 20, 2013
4. Monday, May 27, 2013

Freebies

1. Thursday, May 9, 2013