JBPotters ...since 2003

As the saying goes, I'd say Joel is sunk!

Kate's jaundice hasn't gone away completely so we've been doing a bit of sunbathing. She didn't mind it at all until the sun got in her eyes. As you can see in one of the pics, the instinct to cover her eyes comes naturally!

Kate got her first bath yesterday. I know, I know, I'm a bad mom. I mean it's been over a week since we brought her home. Well, to my defense, I was on bed rest for a few days after returning home and just now am feeling human enough to get up and about. She is clean now and looks as cute as ever. We are loving her more every day and it's still sinking in that we have a girl!!!

Thank you for praying with us, and now rejoicing with us!
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Bethany and her best friend, Jolene (who safely arrived from Springfield MO yesterday), just left the house (6:40 am) for the hospital for Bethany's scheduled induction. They'll get her checked in and then likely into a labor and delivery room, all conveniently located literally next door, 100 yards away at Allegience Hospital.

Bethany is happy that the day has come and we had some time to pray together last night. It's such a surreal thought that today, we'll hopefully, become a family of 5. From a kids perspective, we're 3 boys and 2 girls...

Would you be praying during these next hours? Bethany didn't sleep well; between Jack's coughing (be praying as he's got a mild cold made worse by his seasonal asthma) and Kate's kicking. I think the biggest thing on her mind, is her decision to try and avoid an epidural anesthesia and she's wondering how her body will handle it. Be praying for real and felt peace.

After getting the boys checked into child care at NTBI and picking up Jack's asthma meds, I'll head over the hospital myself and occupy the waiting room for the next few hours. Be praying for me, I'm wondering who the Lord might bring in my path while I wait.

I may update facebook a bit more than this blog, so if you're looking for more up to date 'Katedates', check that.

What a word, what a life, I'm in love...(with one, and hopefully two girls by days end!)

So, many of you have been asking how I'm doing these last days of my pregnancy with Kate. I have decided to answer them in a FAQ format to cover all the bases...

Q #1 - How are you feeling?
A#1 - As you can see from the picture, I feel HUGE!!! But really I'm doing well other than just being generally uncomfortable. I have been able to nap the last few days while the boys are sleeping in the afternoon and I'm back to work in the mornings which is actually nice as i can just sit at my desk and not need to be moving all around, chasing the boys.

Q #2 - When is your due date?
A #2 - Technically, the Dr. says Jan. 28, but I say Jan. 25 and together we picked Jan. 21 as the induction date. My best friend Jolene is flying up from Missouri to be my labor coach so we got to schedule Kat'es arrival a week early to make it a little more likely Jolene can get here for it. So this Thursday it is and honestly that day can't come too soon!!! Oh to sleep again!

Q #3 - How are the boys going to handle a new sister?
A #3 - Jack's typical reply is "I can't wait for Kate to get here, I miss her but I'm not doing the diaper part!!!" Owen just lifts his shirt and says here's my baby Kate, she's kicking! I don't think he quite gets it and I think if anyone struggles with her arrival it may be him. Oh to be 2 1/2 and cease to get all the attention!

Q #4 - Will you keep working at your ministry at NTBI after Kate comes?
A #4 - Yes, I will continue my ministry there in the mornings, working for the Dean of Education as well as discipliship with student girls in the afternoons a few days a week. Kate will go to the nursery across the hall from the boys in preschool and just upstairs from my office!!

Q #5 - Well i can't think of one so I'll just say here that we would love your prayers this Thursday. I have had an epidural with both the deliveries with the boys but because anesthesia and I don't like each other so well (I get very sick from it), I am opting to go without one this time. I'm a bit nervous about that so please pray for my strength as pain and i don't like each other either :)!!! The induction will begin around 6 or 7 am on Thursday so we'll keep you posted as to when she arrives!!

4 days and counting...

Jack and Owen love to play our piano and I captured a sweet duet in progress the other day. I think with Joel as their Daddy, they are destined to be musicians. Oh and a little known fact is that I too play several less useful instruments. Anyone know how leading worship with a basoon, baritone or flute works? :)

Jack came upstairs the other day with his etchasketch in hand and proclaimed, "Mommy look, I drew a surfer"! I was amazed because this is the child who hates craft time, coloring or anything artistic. I didn't know he had it in him. But yet, he drew it all by himself without my even knowing he was doing it! Way to go Jack!

Today we woke up to a couple of inches of snow on the ground. The boys were itching to go out and play and Daddy needed to do some shoveling and well, you didn't have to twist their arms to make a snow man while they were at it! Funny enough, this morning on Playhouse Disney Agent OSO built a snow man and had the step by step process as his mission. Jack paid close attention and walked Daddy through exactly what to do. What fun!!

The boys are growing up so fast and with that process is the fun of new, bigger toys. Jack got a skateboard and skater-guy clothes, including converse high tops! He looks so big now! Owen got a wiggle bike and is in heaven. Unfortunately, there's too much snow on the ground to ride but winter will come to and end soon or well, in May!

Bekah's Fiance, Steve is from Scotland and brought Chrismas Crackers with him for us all this year. What a fun tradition!

Well although none of us got to see her face, Kate was with us! She is an active little girl, more so than the boys ever were! Bekah's roommate Kim, John and Christine, Bekah and Mom and Dad all included her in the gift giving and blessed us with gifts for Kate.

No, not their first Christmas but the first one this year. We ended up doing half of it Thursday night and the rest on Friday morning. And then we'll have our family Christmas on Christmas. I think we're gonna hear a month from now, "Mommy can we have Christmas again this week?" What a shock when they realize that Christmas only comes once a year in a normal year!

There wasn't a lack of food that weekend, even though i didn't cook everything i had planned.

The Potter Family all came together this year for Thanksgiving at our house here in Michigan. We celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday and had Christmas together on Friday. It even snowed on "Christmas" for us! We actually prayed for it!

We had a great time together cooking, eating, hanging out, eating, cooking, sleeping, hanging out, eating, eating, and eating!

Thanks M & D, J & C, and S & B - We love you! JBjok

I remember when my nephew, McGwire went through this phase of not being able to produce a regular old smile. Everytime he tried, you got this crazy face instead. Well, our own Jack has hit the same age and as you can see from the pictures, getting a good smile is nigh unto impossible. Still it was fun trying and he certainly loved being in front of the camera. What a ham bone!!

We took our Christmas pictures today and I was once again reminded why we don't do them very often. Just to get a really good family shot, we had to reset the camera like a dozen times! The boys are just so full of energy and Owen is the leader of the crazy pack! He is adorable, if I do say so myself, but oh so ornery!! There is never a dull moment with this little guy around!

I, Bethany, had the pleasure of co-planning this years Staff Christmas Party. We had a beautiful venue, yummy desserts and a great time just hanging out together for the evening. It was also the last hoorah for two staff families.

JP and Sue Marr are transitioning into fulltime ministry at their local church here in Jackson. I have known them since I arrived here at NTBI in 1995. We went through bootcamp together, and I must admit, they saved my life there! We ended up back here at NTBI, ministering together for 5 years and now have met up once again here in Jackson for the past year and a half. I will miss seeing them here but I am thankful they will be nearby. Thanks guys for your faithful service for so many years.

The other couple moving on to other ministries is Mike and Jenny Sullivan. The Sullivans have been here at NTBI for 27 years. Mike has been teaching all that time and is a student favorite! Jenny has done many ministries and they will sorely be missed. Mike has the amazing opportunity to serve on the US Executive Board at our NTM Headquarters in Florida. I know they will be a blessing there and to all the US missionaries serving with NTM. On a personal note, Mike gave me the kick in the pants I needed to make the tough decision to leave college and pursue my training with NTM back in 1995. I am so thankful he stepped out of his comfort zone and followed God's leading when he told me to stop putting it off with excuses and just take the jump. He has also been my boss for 5 1/2 of the 6 1/2 years I have served here at NTBI. I am honored to have ministered along side him and will miss them!

Joel and I had the pleasure of taking out the worship team for a dinner before the semester ended. Cody wasn't able to join us and for some reason, Casie eluded the photos but it was a fun night together and Ann Arbor looked beautiful all decked out for Christmas. Now, I know Grace looks less than enthused but in reality she had me in stiches as usual. Thanks guys for a great semester!

As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and for Jack and Owen that is so true. Daddy is very comfortable in an apron in the kitchen,especially if it has to do with making Italian Food and Coffee. Jack and Owen are learning from the best. Yes, Jack has his very own coffee pot. You pump the water from the reservoire by pushing a botton quickly and voilah! Coffee or well, water that you pretend is coffee!!!

Jack is a sucker for anyone who will play with him and Auntie Christine has got to have the award for the best play date friend!! We love our visits with J & C and are so thankful they are close by!

Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement the past few months.  Life has been interesting, difficult, encouraging, busy, unexpected and yet God remains true and faithful and my comfort and strength.  It’s been a long time in coming for me to be able to face tough situations and still be able to say that!!! 

 

My Dad’s passing, although a shock at the moment I found out has been a blessing too. He is whole again for the first time in soooo long and we are all thankful that God spared him from further suffering and frustration and took him home to Himself. He gave him a new body and mind and he is now complete in God’s presence.  I couldn’t ask for more.  I am so thankful that I was able to be home just 2 weeks before he went HOME and was able to tell him I loved him, he felt the baby kicking and I was able to just be there with mom with so many decisions to make. It’s amazing to me how looking back I can see that God knew all along that Dad wouldn’t be with us long.  What was frustrating then (not being able to figure out the best placement for Dad after leaving the hospital) proved to not be an issue as God knew exactly what Home Dad would be going to and it wasn’t any that we looked at. It was an eternal home, far better than any nursing home or care facility in this world.  Mom even had the instinct to make all the necessary ‘funeral’ arrangements before she left for California the week before Dad died.  She didn’t do it because she thought he would be dying soon, she just felt like she needed to do it then to be prepared for whatever might come.  This was so God, because Dad passed away while she was gone to Cali and when she returned, all the details were done.  No stress, just the time to process what had happened. That’s Grace!

 

God again provided amazingly for us, my immediate family, to all go home together.  The flights were great, the boys traveled well and we had a good week together with my extended family.  Dad’s service was perfect and I think it truly honored God and was a celebration of my Dad’s life rather than mourning his death. 

 

We have felt so much encouragement from friends and family and have truly seen the Body of Christ function as God intended!  His grace in our lives is so evident and I can say He has been my rock and I’ve leaned hard on Him.  Something else hit me a while back.  If God hadn’t allowed all of the circumstances of our lives in the past few years, including the incredibly hard ones like leaving Papua, leaving Indonesia, sick kids, my journey to relearn what Faith is, etc. we would have likely been out of the country when Dad passed away and I would have melted down and certainly not been able to face it all.  I would have crumbled.  BUT, in His grace, He brought us through some amazingly difficult things all preparing us so that we could trust Him during this time.  He allowed us to be home now and not have to face this from a far-away place.  I am just amazed at HIM and His grace to me. 

 

Sooo, Thank you!  Thank you for feeling this with us, for praying us through the past few years, months and days.

 

We are home now and just had a great time with Joel’s family for Thanksgiving and an early Christmas together. My mom will be here in just a few weeks for Christmas and then not too long after that, Kate will make her arrival.  I have given up on a quiet life of “normal” and resolved that God just doesn’t have that in His plans for us.  I’ll take this life though and all that comes with it as I know He is molding us into His image with every circumstance that comes our way!