Time Flies By

Wow, it has been so long since my last post I am sure many have assumed that I have fallen off the face of the earth! This is not going to be a long post because I have one particular little girl that thinks my laptop is her toy and wants to play with it every time I open it up. I hope to be able to post again soon to update those of you that may not be in touch with us as often, about the last several years....

To quickly sum it up until I can go into greater detail, God has been so good to us! On July 18, 2013 we were blessed beyond measure with TWO amazingly, perfect babies!!! Grace Elizabeth Cornelius & Elijah Harris Cornelius. Jackie was the most excited to have both her parents names represented by our children and that they are going to carry on the Cornelius name! Jackie was laid off from her job of 11 years just one month after we found out we were expecting these angels, which caused us a little concern, but again God blessed us and gave her the perfect job in December 2013 which not only allowed her to be off with me during my difficult pregnancy but also to have almost 6 months at home with the twinkies (our nickname for them) before she started her new career and He provided through it all!

Ready for a Road Trip

Jackie and I decided it was time for another road trip back to North Dakota to see her family. We will leave Saturday morning and drive as far as Salt Lake City where we will spend the evening with my family and celebrate the 4th of July (a day early).

Then we will head to Sheridan, Wyoming on Sunday to stay with Jackie's sister Debbi for the second night. Hopefully we will get to see some of her kids and grandkids and even Nicole and her family as well. I know it is a bit much for one evening, but the more the merrier right? :)

Then Monday morning we will get up and drive the rest of the way into Williston, North Dakota where 2 sisters, 1 brother and many nieces and nephews live. Jackie's other sister Mary lives not too far from there in Wateford and we definitely hope to see her and her many kids and grandkids as well. Glori and Jim and Timmy will be in Williston as well that week which makes seeing the whole family complete. Other than Sheree, but we are lucky enough to have her right by us all year round!

We are both really looking forward to this trip because we have had a decent length vacation since Jackie's father passed away in March 2008 and that wasn't really what some would consider a vacation. I hope to post a few pictures and updates of the road trip as we go, but that might be hoping for too much, seeing as I haven't done that yet in the history of this blog.

Here's to hoping!

Time for Prayer

Yesterday at church we had a guest speaker that is serving as a missionary in Ghana. She shared that at the age of 9 years old God spoke to her and told her she would be a missionary in Africa! Can you imagine knowing what God has planned for you at such a young age?? I was just blown away and so amazed by this woman's testimony. She has spent a total of 36 years doing missionary work in Africa, the first 6 years in Ethiopia and the last 30 in Ghana. She works in a small village in Norther Ghana which is a 16 hour drive from where she flies to!!!

After hearing her speak I felt a very strong desire to go and join her in her missionary work. There is a need for people whether short or long time in Ghana and especially a need for work to be done with the children's ministry there. All of my life I have had a desire to do missionary work and a love of children that is completely unexplainable to some people. I don't know for sure if I am understanding this feeling completely, but I believe the Lord has put it on my heart to go to Ghana and serve the people and their children.

At first Jackie and I thought that we should both go and we would go for a year or two, but the more we have thought about it and prayed about it, we are both feeling more at peace with the idea of me just going, but for a shorter amount of time like maybe 2 to 3 months. It is still very much in the early stages of thought and prayer and the Lord may reveal to us that this is not His will for me, but we are praying very seriously about it. And we would love it if those of you that might read this would also pray about it with us.

A lot would need to happen in order for this to take place so we will know for sure whether this is the Lords will just by things falling into place. We would need to come up with the financial costs of me flying out there and living out there for 2 to 3 months as well as the financial loss we will see from me not working during that time period. That alone is enough to deter almost anyone as it is quite a bit of money, but if it is truly the Lord desire for me to go and serve His people in Ghana then it will happen.

The picture above is a picture from the website of the organization that our guest speaker serves through and the organization I would serve through as well. Doesn't that little boy just make you want to fly out there right now and give him a big hug??? What an amazing experience and journey this would be if it is the Lord's will for me to serve!

My Brother Brandon

I know it has been a while since I have posted anything and I know I still need to post about the visit from Jackie's sisters Debbie and Mary, hopefully before Glori comes out to visit later this week, but I had to take a moment and brag about my big brother!

My brother Brandon has had a love and passion for cooking for as long as I can remember. He went to the Culinary Institute of America in New York and graduated top of his class. Then he moved to Texas to work for the owner of Six Flags, Texas in one of his restaurants for many years. He has worked with several different prominent people in his career but has always had the dream of one day opening his very own restaurant....

Well, on May 2, 2010 that dream will finally become a reality. For more than a year now, my brother has been faithfully working towards getting his first restaurant up and running, with many detours and roadblocks along the way. Nothing has deterred him and I believe all those detours and road blocks have made him even more persistent to reach his goal! I am so very proud of him and excited for him to begin a new journey in his life! Congratulations Brandon!!!

Jackie and I are very much looking forward to flying out to Dallas with all of my family for the grand opening!

Family

I'm soooo excited family is coming to visit! Jackie's sisters Debbi and Mary will be flying into LAX this Friday and will be here until next Friday! We absolutely love when family comes to visit and we are able to spend time with them. Life is too short not to spend as much time with family as you can. Last time Mary came to visit was July of 2008 and Debbi hasn't made a visit in quite a few years. I love being able to spend time with sisters and enjoy all the fun stuff we end up doing while they are here.

Also, my Auntie Wendy is driving down from Utah this Friday for the long weekend and will be staying with my mom. I believe she is bringing her granddaughter with her and we will be able to have a girls days on Saturday. I don't remember the last time my Auntie Wendy came down, but it sure is nice to know that family wants to come visit!!!

And for any family out there that reads this blog... our doors are always open!!! We don't have a large house, but it is always available and open to anyone that wants to come down to California! :)

Time For Preparation

Today I received notification that I did not pass either of my CSET exams and so I must prepare to take them again on March 13th. Although I was a bit disappointed that some miracle did not take place I was very prepared to see a "Did not pass" when I received my results. I did not study for the test at all and was sure there was no way I was going to come even close to passing, but I did surprise myself and scored a 189 and a 185, a 220 was needed to pass. So, though I came close, I didn't quite do enough. This preparation will be my first true test to my attempt at no longer procrastinating!!! Hopefully I will be able to report that I had success!

On another note, since Jackie and I decided to honor the Lord with our finances He has truly given us reassurance that this is what He wants for us. We have been blessed with small little miracles that are making a major dent in our list of items to take care of and we feel His love and support in the decisions we have been making as we prepare!

God is good!

Following God's Will

This past weekend Jackie and I met with our Pastor because we felt it would be good to meet with her as we prepare to start a family of our own. Little did we know that the Lord would speak so clearly through her and our immediate plans would be changing.

In our meeting with Pastor, she shared how it is God's will that we be "financially" prepared to bring children into the world and that it is a Biblical requirement for couples to be financially prepared for children even before they get married. When we are financially unprepared we are essentially going against the will of the Lord and His blessings cannot be fully bestowed upon us. And in being financially unprepared we are allowing Satan to get a foothold in our lives as we raise children.

With Jackie and I both coming from families where money was minimal neither of us really thought about the need to be more financially prepared for our children than our parents were. We both felt our children would grow up just like us and learn the value of a dollar at a young age. We always thought we would be able to provide our children with more than our parents were financially able to provide for us, but we didn't see a need to have money put away and our finances in order before we had children. I know that may seem a little scary and naive, but we really just felt we would be able to do what we needed to, when we needed to, and that it would all work out just fine.

After meeting with Pastor we realized that not only is it wise to have your finances in order and money saved when starting a family, it is a Biblical commandment of our Lord and we always want to be following the Lord's will in all that we do. With that being said, we will be taking a break from trying to start our family until we feel that we have made the progress with our finances that the Lord would be happy with. We don't know exactly how long it will be, but we will be taking it one month at a time. Until that day, we pray that the Lord will help us be dedicated to following His commandments in all that we do so that He can bless us!

Life

Since it's been a little while since my last posts and one of my goals this year was to keep my blog updated, I figured it was time to share some things going on in our lives right now! :)

Last Friday we found out that our last insemination was not successful. So right now we prepare for another one in a few weeks. It has been hard for us accept the disappointment of no baby each month, but we completely trust that the Lord has His hands in this process and will allow it to happen when He feels the timing is right and all the details are in order. Until that time we will continue to put our trust in Him.

Yesterday I started another semester of school. I am taking a parenting in the 21st century class as well as a Calculus class. This is the first time in my college career that I am taking classes solely to take classes. Neither of the classes are required to earn my teaching credential, but I need to stay in school right now to keep my school loans in deferment. It really makes me look at school differently when I know I don't have to take these classes, it makes it hard to be excited even though I know they will both be beneficial to me and my future. I guess I am just really looking forward to a break, even though I graduated last May I haven't really taken a break from school so it doesn't feel like I am done. I know I will be done one day, just not seeing that day coming anytime soon.

It was also Jackie's birthday yesterday and because of how busy our day was we really didn't get to celebrate yesterday which was okay because we celebrated over the weekend. This past Saturday we drove out to Palm Springs and stayed at a Bed and Breakfast for the night to celebrate her birthday. We were also able to go to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse for dinner to celebrate and it was absolutely fabulous! On the way back home we stopped at the Cabazon Outlets to do a little clothes shopping and found a few good buys! All in all I think it was a pretty successful birthday celebration and a relaxing weekend.

That is about all that is going on in our lives right now, but will update again soon!

A New Beginning

Today I decided it was time to get back on the weight loss wagon. I went through a long period of just maintaining the 16 pounds I lost on weight watchers and then over the past few months have now gained 8 of those 16 back, so I felt the need to start holding myself accountable again.

A friend of mine at work is using a calorie counter online that is completely free and it has you track what you are eating everyday as well as the physical activity, if any, you are doing everyday as well. It helps you create a realistic goal for the weight you want to lose and suggests the amount of calories you should eat. It also has a section on exercise that gives you ready made exercise programs or helps you to create one specifically for you and what you like to do. It also takes into consideration any health issues you have or if you are pregnant so that you are making sure you are not hurting yourself. If anyone wants to check it out, the website is: http://caloriecount.about.com

I am very excited about the new goal and the idea of having to hold myself accountable for the food decisions I make. Yet, I can also allow myself some things by just making up for it with exercise. This is a concept I am very much familiar with, but I think I just needed to forgive myself for the past mistakes and start new!

Hopefully I will have some good reports on the progress. :)

A New Year

I was just thinking about New Year's resolutions and what my resolutions would be, if I will be able to stick to them or if I am going to make crazy ones that I know I can't stick too and I decided that instead of trying to make a bunch of resolutions for the new year, I needed to try and make some personal goals to work towards.

1) Build a stronger and more personal relationship with the Lord!

2) Show Jackie just how much I love her and how lucky I feel to have her as my life long companion!

3) Update the blog more often so that we have a record of our lives together and the joys and sorrows we experience.

4) make better decisions in my food choices.

5) Create a more physically active life for our family by setting an example and encouraging us to get up and get active.

They may seem a bit redundant, but they are the most important things in my life and they should be at the top of my list each and everyday of my life!

The Reason for the Season

Life can get so hectic and it is so easy to get wrapped up in all that happens during the Christmas season. Trying to get the perfect present for everyone and making sure that you get your Christmas cards out on time. Decorating the house and throwing the parties.

This year we are tyring to stay focused on the reason that this season is here in the first place. Jesus is the reason and without Him, we would have nothing to celebrate! The Lord is our provider and He sacrificed His son, Jesus, so that we might have the opportunity to live with Him one day. Jesus the way, the truth, and the light. No one can enter the kingdom except through Him.

As many of you know, Jackie and I began the journey to start a family earlier this year. We recently found out that this last try was unsuccessful again and it broke both of our hearts. I have struggled with feelings that maybe I am not doing what I am supposed to or that I am not worthy to have children, but the Lord makes promises and He will not break His promises no matter what! A friend of mine shared a scripture with me yesterday that gives me hope and reminds me of the promises God makes to His children.

Psalm 113:9 (NIV)
"He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children."

Both Jackie and I will keep this promise close to our hearts as we continue to try to start our family. This journey has really made me look closely at my personal relationship with the Lord and to see that He loves me no matter what and He wants to give me the desires of my heart, it will just be in His time.

Alive & Well

Hello everyone! I know it has been FOREVER since I have posted anything to my blog and there is really has been quite a bit going on, so I have no good reason not to be posting. :( I was just sitting her at work thinking how badly I want to just go home and have this week over with, so I figured, why not......let's put a post up on my blog finally. It may make some people keel over from shock! :) I have a very strong desire to get caught up on all the major events that have taken place in our lives lately so that I can keep everyone up to date on all the new events that will be taking place in the near future! I will return soon, with more pictures and stories to share but until then just know I am alive and well! :)

This is a picture of Jackie, Cole and I last year at the San Diego zoo. Just figured some people would love to see how big Cole has gotten he is bigger now than in this picture! :)

Goal Update #2

So yesterday was weigh in day and it has been 9 weeks since I started the program and I lost another 3 pounds!!!! :) So in 9 weeks I have lost a total of 14 pounds! I am very proud of myself and what I have accomplished in these last 9 weeks.

Goal Update #1

It has now been a little over a month since I started my new goal, today was my fourth weigh in. As of today I have lost 10.2 pounds and am well on my way to the ultimate goal. I am feeling pretty good about my progress even though I think deep down inside I was hoping to have better results by this point, I have to be truly happy with what I have done so far! :)

My First Mission Trip

I am leaving on Monday for my very first mission trip! I am very excited and nervous and I go out to serve the Lord in an area I have never been before. About 10 people from our little church in Westminster are flying out to New Orleans, Louisiana to serve with Samaritan's Purse rebuilding homes in the 9th ward (one of the most severely affected area of Hurricane Katrina). Now I get a bit nervous when I have to speak verbally about the Lord as I don't know my scripture very well and I fear I might not have to right words to say, but I am truly excited that I can serve the Lord with my hands. This is something that I don't have any problems doing. Growing up I was always the one that had to go outside and help my dad with the hard work and so this is something that will also remind me of my father while I serve my Heavenly Father.

As the day of departure approaches I am getting more and more excited to have this experience and help those people that need the help and please my Father. We return on Saturday the 28th and I will be posting a follow up of my trip with hopefully a few pictures of my experience! :)

The New Goal...

Okay, so I wasn't going to say anything until I had some really good news to report, but I decided if I started documenting on my blog from the near beginning I might actually hold myself a little more accountable than if I waited until I had hit a big milestone. And Jackie has practically told everyone around here already anyway soooo...

I joined weight watchers last week and had my first weigh in today. Week 1 weight loss- 3.2 pounds! It is a start and from what I hear, a decent first week. My overall goal is 50 pounds, so I am on my way!

I have to tell you right now that I won't be posting any week 2 results because as of next Monday I will be in New Orleans on a mission trip with our church! We are going to serve through Samaritans Purse to help rebuild houses for 1 week. I am so excited this is my first mission trip ever and I can't wait to go and help people! I have heard so many neat stories about experiences people have had and I am just so excited! :)

We Said Goodbye to Jonah...

Some of you might already know this information, but I decided I was finally ready to put it down on paper. On December 15, 2008 we had to make a decision to put down Jonah. He developed a cold and was not fighting it off like the other kitties were, so we took him into the vet. They gave him medication, but he just seemed to be getting worse. Our vet suggested we take him into the critical care unit and so we did, only to find out that he had an enlarged heart, 1 non working kindney, and a small stone in his bladder that could cause a blockage if not taken out. This was all on top of the fact that he had a really bad cold. The vets suggested we get him through his cold and then have surgery to remove the bladder stone and dead kidney. Then we would start him on medication for his heart and see how things went. They didn't think that he would make it more than a couple years even after all this, so we were very saddened by the news. They gave him some fluids and told us to feed him baby food through a syringe so he could get the nutrients he needed since he refused to eat. A couple days later he would still not eat and seemed to be getting worse so we took him back in and they administered some more fluids and put him in an oxygen tank to try and clear out his sinuses. We took him home only to take him back the next day to have them put a feeding tube in since he was not eating anything. We left him there intending to be back in a few hours to pick him up, but the vet called us saying they redid his blood work and he was in full renal failure. At this point there was nothing they could do for him because they could not put him under with his vitals like this. He was in pain and uncomfortable and they explained that he would not make it much longer being in full renal failure. After many tears Jackie and I decided it would be best to let him go and take away the pain. I really believe this is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do and I have had a few hard things to go through in my life. Jonah was only 3 and a half years old.

His buddy, Hannah, has not been the same since then. Ever since we brought her and her sister home almost 2 years ago, Hannah has been inseperable from Jonah. She was lost without him and would cry for him all the time. Even though it has been a few months now, just writing this has brought it all to the surface again. I know he is in a better place, but we definitely miss him very much! Goodbye Jonah

Time Sure Passes Quickly

Well, I meant to take more pictures of the house and post them to the blog shortly after my last post, but as you can see that didn't happen. We are moved in and have just a few boxes to still put away before we can say we are completely moved it. From the time we received the keys (December 18, 2008) to the day we moved in (December 27, 2008), we decided to go full force and get as much done with the house as we could! :)

We painted the living room, dining room, hallway and are working on getting the kitchen redone (we picked a yellow that was too bright and didn't do the greatest job when we painted it). We had new laminate floors and carpet installed, the plumber came out and installed a water line for the fridge as well as fixed one of the toilets and replaced the washer valves, the heating and a/c guy came out and installed a new motor blowers and well as a new pilot assembly and cleaned the heater, installed wood blinds throughout the living room dining room and kitchen and had our kitchen appliances delivered.

Since we have moved in we have had the gardener remove all the shrubbery and plants on both sides of the house in order to plant some low maintenance small bushes and flowers. We still have quite a few things we want to do before we feel satisfied, but as most of you can guess, it takes money to do these things and that is quickly dwindling.

I will try to put up a few pictures of the house this weekend with the changes we have made so far and then you can all tell me if the upgrades were worth it! :)

Our House

Well, the search is finally over! One of our many house offers was accepted Monday and we have spent the last few days doing the inspection and getting everything in order to open escrow! :)

The Lord truly had His hand in it because it is everything we were looking for and still in Old Town Orange, which is the location we ideally wanted but didn't think we could afford. Our home is a 1924 bungalow style, two bedroom, two bath with indoor laundry and a 1 car detached garage. The house sits on a corner and so there is a cute little white picket fence that surrounds it. It even has an orange tree in the backyard, but that is about all the backyard has! 

Below are the pictures that the listing had and as soon as we can get over there this weekend with a camera, I will be taking more pictures that will give a better idea of what the inside looks like! :)

The Horrocks Girls

It has become a Horrocks girls tradition to get together once a year and have a girls weekend. During the time we are together we take pictures with all us girls.

This past September we all met up in Las Vegas for a weekend filled with fun and time together just sisters and mom. We try to do dinner and have as much fun together as possible until our next get together. I thought I would share the pictures we took this year, since they are so much better than last years!

Hope you Enjoy!!!!