In the early morning hours of June 4, 2012, my water broke thus sending me into labor 4 weeks early. At 3:31 P.M, almost 13 hours later, our little Jubilee Eliana was born! It was such an exciting moment. Because she was early, I felt as though I wasn't as prepared emotionally. Obvious joy and thankfulness, and a purpose I can't describe with words. I cried only tears of joy, as there wasn't much pain due to an epidural---modern medicine is something to marvel! ;)--- She came so fast, only 30 minutes of pushing! I had my mom, my sister, and DJ to help me through labor. He was a champ, not even flinching when it came time to cut the umbilical cord! I believe that fatherhood came naturally to him. I watched that night as he transformed from a man into a father. He held her so delicately yet protectively as he sang to her and whispered into her tiny, little ears how much he loved her. It was beautiful! A Kingdom transaction happened that day. A deposit onto earth, if you will. "This child we have prayed for and God answered our prayer" (1 Sam.) We weren't just responsible for ourselves anymore, God had given us this beautiful little gift. Even though bed rest was hard at times, it was so worth it in that moment!
Now flash forward! Jubilee is busy, busy, busy! I am loving being home with her! She keeps me on my toes, for sure! She is very hesitant to walk by herself, but loves to hold fingers and will go all day. We are working on stacking blocks and practice sitting in her little wooden chair from Nana and Popsie's house. She is starting to form words out of all her babbling, mostly Da-da, Ma-ma, Nen Nen (Aunt Jenny), Jo-Jo (Grandma Joan), meow, roar, and panting like a dog, to name a few :) Everyday she learns something new! We are also working on getting our bottom molars (teeth #'s 11 and 12!)! It seems they came in so fast, but not without times of whining/crying and much snuggling to be had. We just returned from our yearly girls trip to Clear Lake. This was Jubilee's first time camping and swimming in the lake. She is a little fish, even trying to go in face first! She doesn't like to play in the sand a whole lot, being dirty is not really her thing! There wasn't much relaxing trying to keep up with her, but it was a fun experience! We are so blessed to have her in our lives and thank God every day for giving her to us!
DJ is busy as always! He and his best friend, Tony, have started a painting business called S & R Painting and Staining. They are enjoying it very much and have expanded their clientele very quickly. Their goal is to run the business until the Lord brings them into what they hope to be the next phase, life coaching. This is something DJ has wanted to do for awhile and now the Lord is starting to open doors and almost daily shows him something pertaining to this passion of his! He continues to volunteer at Wind and Fire Ministries with several different programs, including the Safe Lane within Client Services (formerly known as CRTEC- Center to Restore Trafficked and Exploited Children), fund raising for the TIP-ID National Training Center building, and teaching internship classes starting in September. He has many other exciting things stirring in the pot! I have just loved watching him grow and change over the last 6 years and I'm eager to see what the Lord has next for him!
Like I said before, I am staying home with Jubilee and loving it!! Truly an amazing opportunity! We like to stay busy whether it be at home or out with others! We like to spend time playing with cousins or friends at parks and splash pads. It seems like there is always something to do! Other than being a Mommy, I participate in as much as possible with WFM. My favorite this summer has been helping with the CSA program picking vegetables in the high tunnel. I have loved learning new ways to grow and the many different varieties of vegetables. I am looking forward to expanding my horizons this fall by canning and teaching myself how to freeze, dehydrate, and juice the harvest that comes in! I'm thankful for a chance to pursue my creativity in a business with my sister in law, Danielle, as well. Combined with my love for administrating and social networking and her craftiness with a sewing machine, we formed Lily Bean: Restoring Old to New. We are looking forward to expanding from restored sweater mittens to many other crafty projects as time sees fit! Our goal is to take some product to some craft shows this fall! I also have some other adventures ahead and will share as they come about!
Thank you for sticking around and sorry again for the length of time it took to get back on here! I have really missed sharing! Blessings to each of you!
The Steens- DJ, Nicole, & Jubilee
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