New Adventure...

You know those life changes that happen the kind that you never might of considered.
Our life change began almost 3 years ago we left our home church been there 7 years as youth leaders.With no reason at all for leaving just felt like it was time for our family not knowing where we would go or attend. Then we found our new church home it felt like this is where we were supposed to be our church home surrounded with loving people accepting us. T.y and I got plugged in right away with the church the people our pastor and his wife. Growing relationships with some amazing people that will be life long. All of you have kept up with us on our crazy life Journey. A calling to Love the orphans and to fully live out for God. We have lost friends, relationships along the way life change isn't always easy for people to accept. Tyler and I have both lived in the same town our  our whole lives with never leaving or planning of moving in sight. A small town where you know everyone and they know you well at least they think they do.
ALL Grand parents in 10 minutes driving range. A support system from our family and some friends  to help out with our kids. 3 years ago we went to visit some good friends of ours and didn't understand why they moved and we spent a couple days with them and on the way home Ty and I both felt like is our hometown where we are going to raise our family forever? And you know what the answer was no and we wanted to see what  God had for us.

                                      So the news is The NAPIER'S are MOVING!!!!
                                        

Tyler was offered a great job , that's right a whole different world from our small town that we are not used to. We have been blessed with  Tyler's job he has worked hard for his way up and has been there 12 years. Leaving a job is never easy especially if you like where you work and he truly does. Then you ask yourselves why would you want to move with a great job and all your family is here? Well why not? We decided we can't let comfort stop us from fulfilling a dream because it will. We have wrestled all of that all the reasons not to do it but it is a dream of ours to be able to move and Tyler will start at a great new job also.  The craziest part is it isn't even more money its actually less but here is the biggest ticker, he will just be a 8-4:30 m-f guy. These past 12 years he has worked every other weekend and been on call. There have been sometimes where he gets called out at all the wrong times but it is just what came with the job. I know there are jobs where that's just how it is but he has put himself out there for the opportunity and he wont be doing that. We don't even know what that is like to have him home on the weekends knowing he wont have to go into work.

 Our lives are beginning to change once again and we are excited scared all of it.I mean we know everyone in this little town well just about. We are embarking on a journey of not knowing anyone yes a small handful of people but that's it.No one will know our story who we are just that we will be new and you know what I really like that.  My girls will be the new kids at school making friends. CHANGE is good, our family will have to rely on each other more than we ever have.Leaving what you only know is not easy. Having to tell close friends and family was hard but having their support is even better.



Now is the time where I am pleading to you for prayer. Our boys adoption is not final and we don't have any clue right now when it will be. There is an appeal in the case that we are waiting on and it is holding the whole process back and this isn't a good thing at all. We could take the boys with us unadopted but will have to start the whole process over there and that is a long process to do over. So after praying and really talking about it. We decided that Tyler will go and the kids and I are staying back for right now.I know it is going to be hard he is going to live with our friends who are totally blessing us by letting him stay there. . We are praying so hard that the appeal is heard before he leaves.  Then we will  know when we can start the adoption process. Ty will come home home every 2 weeks it is a 7 hour drive.We know this is only temporary and are going to make the best of it. Please pray with us on this appeal to be denied and the process getting started we could be waiting for who knows how long they can't give us any answers where the appeal is at in the case. Also please pray  for this Mama and her six kiddos that I can do my best and I am grateful to all my help.       
               I wanted to end with this I think sometimes we stop Dreaming because we feel like it could never be possible but don't stop dreaming God gives you the desires of your heart maybe not exactly how you want but he does. God has always been faithful through our whole journey even in the deepest pits.
                                                    We are going out on faith and trusting in him.

                                                 I encourage you to read Psalms 37: 3-4

                            I could put it down but look it up spend some time in it.

 I hope it  can be encouraging to you today

Hume Lake Marriage retreat fro the weekend...

The beginning of this year we had talked with some friends about going to the upcoming Marriage Retreat at Hume Lake. Well a little after that Ty received an email from his long time friend from there asking if we would like to come as Host couples. Ty and I were thrilled and said yes we would love too.

After rearranging all of our kiddos and you know this is a lot, we were able to have a weekend together in Hume. P.s we couldn't of done it with all the help from our friends and family.

So off we went excited about the weekend and having time together in the car, a rental car mind you. If you know us we have a tiny dinker kia that would probably blow up heading up the huge mountain drive. I probably could get a big Amen from all the couples with kiddos who think alone time in the car is AMAZING... Just the time to be able to talk and be engaged in on another and road snacks is a huge plus that you don't have to share. 

 

As we got into Hume we were greeted with aroma of strong smelling Pine trees you can't buy that from scentsy its just truly one of Gods gifts. We were part of a Host team that mean's for us to greet couples as they arrive, golf cart them around. Ty was in when they said we get a golf cart for the weekend,although they gave him an electric one he has a past at hume..lol

We helped with setting up tearing down and however they needed us. It was not work at all just pure Joy to be there. Ty and I ate lunch at there famous snack shop in front of lake and was greeted by an Bald eagle flying around the lake it was breath taking. Never in my life have i seen an eagle only at the zoo.

Hume goes above and beyond they are such a blessing to  Marriages and helping couples to see that God can redeem a marriage. As you check in there were roses for the men to give to there wives and chocolate covered strawberries while you register, HELLO speaking to the ladies with that stuff.

The food was amazing that's all I felt we did was eat. Our friend Chucks wife Sara and her friends did amazing at decorating and putting so much thought into it. They had a smore bar, fresh chocolate chip cookies with ice cold milk at night under white lights with the lake behind you.  I could go on about the white candle lit dinner but you get it.

Saturday night we were greeted with an amazing hail storm while we ate dinner in the hall with huge glass windows looking at the lake. It was absolutely amazing just like a reminder that these mountains and lakes we created by HIM and he was there for sure.

There were couples of all ages young and old there was a couple that just had been married 3 months and another 49 years. Ty and I soaked up everything we could from the speakers, worshiping together during chapel. Ty and I were able to spend quality time together and with some truly great friends of ours. 

This weekend truly helped us see how far we come in our marriage.

 If you don't know Ty and I got married at 19

3 weeks after I graduated  high school.  We were young and not in love with each other like we do now we were in love with the idea of getting married but had no clue what we were walking into. I was a complete mess having to deal with emotional issues from my childhood. A past that Tyler had no clue about. Ty was not  a confident husband and didn't know how to deal with me. If God wasn't BOTH of our focus we would not be here. We have truly grown up with each other falling in love with one another while married I know backwards but that's the truth.

It was emotional for me at times sharing our story with other couples because during this time God helped me see what we have been through and  have overcome and that was so rewarding.

 I always thought Ty was someone who saved me from my crazy life but I now know God placed him in my life as a partner to become closer to God.  

Ty and I are very passionate about marriage and believing in it. We have mentored some young couples along the way because we have been there done that we don't have all the answers all we can do is talk of life experiences and boy do I wish we had that when we were getting married.  

All this to say we aren't perfect but we both want this marriage to be the best it can be and blessed by God. 

 If you are able to ever go to Hume Lakes marriage retreat you will be blessed by it. 

Plus  there is no cell service or internet even better right? 

 

 

 

 

Not letting the Past scar me for the Furture...

2 years ago we started the adoption process changing our lives forever. Saying yes to a calling to love the ORPHANS.

Oh how these 2 years have left some pretty harsh unknowns to what we thought would have turned out different. I mean if you think about it we all like to plan out our lives and how we think they should go. We say we want what God has for our lives and surrender but when things don't go as planned, Then what? Loosing our first placement in adoption rocked our worlds we were so new to the system and no clue. We thought what did we just get our self's into? WE say yes to taking in a child to have them taken. Then we recover, only to find out we are getting two more little boys. Scared not knowing what could happen these boys became apart of our family.


Again us planning what we thought was best, never knowing what God always did the worst day happened.One year ago August 4th we walked two boys into a car to a social worker who would forever take them away. That day is always fresh in mind and so is of my girls who to this day don't forget one single detail. We miss those boys so much it hurts yes this family still aches for them. Sometimes my girls have some pretty bad crying episodes and we all cry. Grieving is hard.

Yet we move on because we TRUST HIS PLANS  . 6 months ago our lives once again changed when 3 little people came adding 6 to the mix. Everyone is still adjusting our girls love the boys.
I my self still struggling with this major change into what I thought Mothering would be. Sometimes I can't believe that I myself have 6 kids and God is entrusting them to me, I let him down on a daily basis.  It is hard work rehabbing 3 boys into a so called normal environment I cry usually once a week to my self and beg God to help me. HE works on me daily and I'm defiantly a piece of work. I think back when it all started  it was easy with 4 it was easy with 5 and now it is going to get there one day but with adoption there is a 6 month- hard hump you have t get over and we are in it. Just recently our  family has heard more news about our future and our lives and loosing Hope real fast is so easy. When you haven't experienced it yet and are still holding on you get weak. Yet God will give you little glimmers of hope along the way even if you don't think they are. Yes this life we chose to live is hard but living a life full frontal of truth for God is hard. If it were easy everyone would do it everyone would like you which is definitely not the case for this family. But we do it for HIM. Recently I was shown that HE has to be enough even when things don't go our way. Trust me I have been struggling with this only to get bad news after bad news.


Then God leaves me those glimmers of HOPE because HE is enough.... This verse has been showing up to me at all different times and I wanted to share it with you.

                           For Nothing will Be Impossible with GOD
                                                 LUKE 1:37


I wish one year ago I could of known how it would have all turned out but that wasn't for me to know. I am finding out all the thing about myself that I need to fix and it isn't pretty but what I am learning is surrendering my life means ALL of it not just some of it...


                                         MY Mama heart has been filled with 9 loving souls.
                              Sometimes doors have to close for others to open even if that
                                 means a couple get slammed on you along the way...

 

       

Summer as a Family of 8

  Hello everyone I have surely missed blogging and keeping in touch with you all.

  Hope your Summer was eventful, relaxing all at the same time.

 Here is a little recap of what our Summer was like...

Faith got Braces.

 

                                                            Went camping to Carpenteria

                                                             Won my first 5K

                                                            The boys lost their fear of swimming

                                                                Girls had their dance recidal

                                                          Our Sweet Lola turned 4

                                                                  We celebrated our 12 year

                                                                Spent a week at the Beach House

                                                           We grew out of our Home and Moved

                                                         Went to our First Dodger Game

                                                          Wen Camping to Leo Carillo

We definitely had a eventful summer and with 6 kiddos kind of backwards I know. But with having the six we didn't let that stop us. Sure it was chaotic and a lot of work, it was all worth it because we created MEMORIES as a FAMILY. I think Moving topped the whole cake I mean who does that? We do that's who! Us Napier's sure do live a full blown circus. I must say that moving into our new home in 3 days that should be world record right? Or our OCD really got the best of us..lol This year our anniversary trip was the most special trip we have ever been on. The time we surely did not take for granted at all. I woke up one morning on our trip so excited because I knew we had 3 full days to ourselves. We are so thankful to everyone that helped us with that. Watching six kiddos is work so splitting them up between family was perfect 3 and 3.
                      This summer we dealt with set backs to our adoption and it was a very hard time but we TRUST GOD in all of it.Again our girls truly showed us during that hard time what really is important. Our family likes the summer but cant handle no structure. Our kiddos thrive off structure so does this MAMA.. Changes are happening for this family and we are adapting and trusting the whole way. I am happy to be back blogging and  having the summer with the family. I have so many stories and thoughts to share. Glad to be back.
                                                                                  Much Love...
 

RECKLESS

 I have wanted to share about my tattoo that I got a couple months back. I know I don't have to  explain or share why I got it but to me it means a lot to me.

People having tattoos makes me curious of why they got them and what they mean to them. You may see someone who looks like they would never have one and then find out they do and it's hiding. Trust me when you look at me you might think she is conservative and would never get a tattoo! I truly felt strong about this marking on my arm because that's what it is a a MARK  that means something in my life. Living recklessly, not about not following rules and doing what I want but living that way for GOD.  To take out all my comforts and my fears and not worry about consequences that might get in the way. So I decided my arm where more people would see it and my self but something someone would hopefully ask me aout and I can share it with them.
Seriously taking a look at me I am far from the cool factor I mean I have six kids and am on way to a passenger van. But this tattoo took me out of my comfort zone something I never thought I would do. I always thought about it  I wouldn't do it. I would think of me at my daughters' weddings in my Mom of the Bride dress with tattoos on my arms and it didn't seem pleasant, but it all changed. 
This MARK will forever be apart of me faded even wrinkly but it means my whole being in life that this life is for God and I will put my best to live that way. The verse Ephesians 2:10, yes it doesn't say anything about being Reckless but the verse fit so well in this mission that we are living and got me through a lot it seemed best fitting.

                   For we are God's handwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God      prepared in advance in advance for us to do.

If you truly belive in him and TRUST him what you go out to do for him will turn out well even if you think it isn't. I am living proof of that.  Now this post isn't on here to say you have to go get a tattoo to make reminders in your life. This one is just one of my MARKS that will be a daily reminder. And  it looks tough right???...lol

Why Date Your Spouse?

 What does dating your spouse look like? Sounds crazy because you are already married, it shouldn't be crazy at all. Hopefully dating your spouse is something you already do or plan to do when you are married.

 Now Ty and I's life has changed over these past few months adding more to our family meaning we are taken over by children.

Our everyday life is soaked up by 6 little people who need us for different reasons.

Having children when you are married will change a whole bunch of things to your marriage.

Now do you remember you and your spouse before you guys were married?

Oh all the work that you went through to impress the other one with the way you looked, the things you would say! The many dates you two went on together and enjoyed each other because during that time things may have been a little simpler. Now I know some people before they get married might already have children who are brought into the relationship in the beginning, that is fine you two still dated.

We go on the dates because we want to be with that other person and do something together what ever it may be on your date.

As marriage and having kids go on, the changes happen. Now what started just as you two has blossomed to a family 1, 2 or 3 or more kiddos. Then the focus changes on what used to be to your spouse now to other things.

Now I don't come from parents who have been married 20 plus years, my parents are divorced and both have remarried one more than once. So my up bringing isn't what has showed me how important marriage is. God has taken the reigns on that one and my husband. I am as guilty as any Mom when putting my kiddos before my husband. I have learned a lot in these couple years having multiple kids. We have learned real fast that our focus changes in  a second if we are both not on the same page. Meaning our kids will come first before our marriage if we lose focus.

So that is what brought me to the question Why date your spouse?

Because it started with you two first!!!!!

You and your spouse are who  carry this legacy through your family. 

Our kids feed off of our moods and if it is off with your spouse it is off through everyone.

I see way too many marriages put there kids before themselves because of feeling guilty.

Feeling guilty only tells your kids that you love them first before your spouse.

Too truthful maybe, but it is true. I am guilty of this at a time or two.

I have learned that by putting my kids before my husband makes a wedge for both of us and that is wrong. 

So here are some things we have come up with to not loose focus on US.

Dates will happen every other weekend and we are so thankful for our new babysitter.

Praying more together

Devotions together.

Making it a priority putting our dates in the budget because you know we have 6 kids and we have to pay our sitter well...lol

If you don't make something a priority it wont happen. Your spouse should be a priority. 

Say "YES" more often ladies... you know to what :)

I can tell you from experience that when things are in line with us the house is in line too.

I know as Moms sometimes we get caught up in Mom too much before we get caught up in being wife. Ladies if your husband isn't planning the date then you plan it. 

Trust me he won't be sad when you have a babysitter lined up and are all dressed up for him.

  When your kids leave the nest your spouse is still there.

Build that relationship because when its just you two you don't want to be strangers.

 

 

 

My First 5k

Trying something you have always been afraid of makes a big difference.
 I was that girl that always said " I can't run its to hard".

 Until the beginning of this year when I decided I was in bad shape and the loss of the boys caused me to gain unnecessary weight from stress eating. I didn't want to keep feeling tired and eating horrible. I took being small for granted and treated my body like crud. Everyone my whole life has told me how little I am or was but on the inside and the outside felt different. So I tried a program called Insanity it kicked my butt. I did the program for the 30 days and got into some great shape but I couldn't watch a video everyday. So I thought I would try running my first run was a half of mile and it felt like 100. The next day I went a little farther and everyday after that.

Realizing I was truly enjoying running weird I know but I do. Until the day I reached 2 miles I literally jumped up and down and Ty was so excited for me. Ty has been my biggest fan he works so close to home so I have been able to go when he comes home for lunch. Him being that close has been a huge help to me being able to run. Also friends and family have taken time to watch the kiddos so I could go run and still do. I have always seen people running marathons 5k and never thought it would be for me. That all changed when my sister in Law and I both signed up for our first 5k. We ran the super hero run supporting Casa who court appointed workers for young kids in the  foster system. Sissy and I aka (Sara) were both so excited and nervous for the run not only because it was our first run but it was up hill. We did the run we both rocked it, there is nothing like running with people for a cause it is the most adrenaline rush ever. Running to the end of the top of the hill to the finish line I cried. Seeing all the family there cheering you on is such a rush. During my whole journey with working out and running I have always admired a friend who has worked really hard to where she is. She didn't settle with being the way she was. Her name is Elisha and if know her already or haven't met her she will make you want to change. Her excitement and attitude towards a healthier life style is contagious. She has been a huge encouragement to me with running and working out. She does laugh at me I know because I have 6 kids she thinks I am crazy. It can be done with 6 kids I am a testament to that I know my husband works close but even if he didn't I would go when I could.Ask to ask that friend family member to watch your kiddos for that 30 minutes or less. I'm telling you people who see you wanting to be healthier and live that way won't say no in being there to help you achieve that.  You have to really want something to do it. Elisha has a blog  www.runelisharun.blogsot.com you can go visit her and see her transformation and what she is up to. Writing this blog isn't to point out what you aren't doing but to encourage you to what you can be doing. I challenge you this week with great weather to eat new healthy thing you haven't wanted to try. Go on a run,walk do some exercises I promise you, you won't regret it . Just think that run, walk or exercise you are already way ahead of that one person who is on the couch. Your body will thank you for it.
At 30 years old I am in the best shape of my life and I know my kids and husband thank me for it, I have way more energy and my moods are so much better and I'm not too tired for them.
Keep me posted and let me know what you tried you can't do anything wrong if you try.