God's Mysterious Ways

This past week has been a sad week. A young boy (14) with autism that I used to look after passed away this past Wednesday. It was through his passing that I discovered the impact I had. It is so awesome when God allows you the privilege of knowing here on earth the difference you made in someone's life. Here's what I mean:
I looked after Sam when he was 8 & 9 years old. One of our favorite things to do was sing. He would sing "O Canada," Rod Stewart songs, the alphabet. I decided to teach him to sing "Jesus Loves Me." He would always make me smile when we would sing this song because instead of singing "Yes, Jesus loves me," he would sing, "Yes, Jesus loves SLEEP!" because that's what he was hearing. I didn't have a lot of contact with Sam and his mom after he was 10. I didn't look after him anymore, but I would see them around town at times and we would always speak.
My pastor was the one who did the funeral and he called me Saturday night to see if I would sing the song "Jesus Loves Me" at the funeral. He told me that Sam's mom, Liz, didn't know how Sam knew the song, but that he always sang it. I told my pastor the story of how I taught him and how he would sing it. He shared that story with Liz and she asked me if I would share the story before I sang.
Monday afternoon was the funeral. I got up and shared the story and barely made my way through one verse and the chorus of the song. After the funeral, I spoke with Liz and she thanked me for sharing and said that it had made the funeral complete. Sam's father, Bernie, who I had never met before, hugged me and said that he wouldn't have been able to make it through the funeral if I hadn't shared.
I share this story not to bring glory to myself but to thank God for allowing me to know here on earth the impact I was able to have on three people. Who knew that the simplistic song "Jesus Loves Me" would have such an awesome effect? I thank God for choosing me to be a "balm" to some broken hearts. Please pray for Liz and for Bernie and all the extended family as they go through this hard time.

Jesus loves me, this I know

For the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak but He is strong!

Yes, Jesus loves me

Yes, Jesus loves me

Yes, Jesus loves me

The Bible tells me so!

Baby Names

OK. New question. We don't know the sex of the baby, but we need to think of names. We have a girl's name, but we just cannot agree on a boy's name. I know we still have 4 and a half months left to go, but really, that's not a very long time! Any boy name suggestions?

Finally, a belly picture.

Well, folks, here it is... my belly picture. I didn't realize that I look this big, but I know I'm only going to get bigger :)

Introducing for the first time ... Baby Crousse!

Well, today we had our first ultrasound. Isn't technology great?! The first picture is a regular picture of the baby. The second one is a 3-D picture of the baby snuggling into mommy's belly. The baby was very uncooperative today - by the end of the ultrasound, he/she had turned totally face-down so we could only see the back of his/her head. The little stinker! I must say, though, there's nothing more "bonding" between a mommy and her unborn baby than seeing what's growing inside! Robert, being a tech guy, was enthralled with the cool technology, while emotional, hormone-raging mommy just laid there and cried like a, well, an emotional, hormone-raging mommy!

Hockey Night in Canada

OK. This post is for my hubby. His job involves operating audio-visual equipment at different meetings and so he has seen/heard/met some pretty interesting people such as Bill Clinton, Paul Gross (remember Due South T.V. show?), and just yesterday he met Ron McLean (Hockey Night in Canada with Don Cherry) for the second time. Here's a picture of Robert, Ron, and some other tech guys he works with. Robert is the one on the far left in the light blue dress shirt and for those of you who don't know (or can't figure it out!), Ron is the one in the suit in the middle.

My Second Posting

Don't worry. Eventually I will come up with more interesting titles!

One of the most common type of questions I've been getting is about my husband. Well, don't worry, Jon, I married a good Baptist boy. His name is Robert Crousse and he is from Fredericton, NB. Some of you may remember me telling a story about a guy who wouldn't help me and Jenny move into our apartment because it was his "looking for a wife day!" I have learned to never say never because God has a great sense of humor. This "doofus" that I wanted nothing to do with is now my husband of almost 3 years whom I love with all my heart. I never imagined that I would end up with a man who is a foot taller (well, that part's not hard to accomplish!) and almost 3 times my weight (well, before the baby took over my body!). But, he loves the Lord, loves children, and loves me... what else could I ask for?

Some thoughts on pregnancy:

1. No matter how long you stare at the positive sign on the stick, IT WON'T GO AWAY!

2. As exciting as expecting a baby is, there's nothing more depressing than the first day you put on a pair of pants that used to be too big and the button won't even reach the button hole. On the flip side: SHOPPING SPREE!

3. As most of you know, I'm not a very touchy-feely person with people I don't really know. However, once the belly starts to pop, it is apparently an open invitation for everyone - including perfect strangers - to come and rub it.

4. It's a great way to turn an already wonderful husband into an even more wonderful servant!! Just kidding! Robert has been amazing ever since we first found out we were expecting.

Survey: Should Robert and I find out the sex of the baby or not?

Can't wait to get your replies!