Thanks for Your Prayers

Thank you for visiting Mark's CaringBridge sight! Currently Mark is feeling well and he and Anna are being cared for by their families. On Wednesday they will meet with a neurosurgeon and, Lord willing, he will have surgery within a week. Please continue to pray for him and Anna, and for their children. More than anything they desire that the Lord be glorified through their lives! The Lord has been ministering to Anna through this verse and she asked that it be included in the journal.

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deers; He makes me tread on my high places." Habakkuk 3:17-19 

Brain Tumor

Mark Gronotte (33) had migraines and blurred vision for a few weeks, but with the busyness of moving into a new (older) home, he didn't think much of it. His Optometrist sent him to the ER where he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Mark and Anna have been married for almost four years and are blessed with a sweet little girl - M, a precious foster son - J, and are very pregnant with Baby O. This is a total shock to us, but not a surprise to God.

Road Trip Home

The Gronotte's left very early in the morning to make the long trip home.  They ran into awful construction and their travel time was much longer than it should have been and Sweet M caught a tummy bug.  It was a long long trip home, but thankfully God protected their family the entire way!

Cousin Time

Mark and Anna headed home a day earlier than planned so they could stay a night in Memphis and break up the trip a little bit.  Mark wasn’t feeling very well.  As worn as they were they made time to eat dinner with the family at Fuddruckers in Grapevine.  It was a wild and crazy time.  We were oblivious to everyone in the restaurant we were just so thrilled to be together.   

The little boy cousins had an awesome time entertaining sweet J (11 month son/foster child) and he flashed so many smiles at them it was precious.  Bennett fed J a bite of green beans.  Each of the boys took turns holding J for a brief moment and they’ll never forget it.  Magical.  M (2 year old little girl) took just a few minutes to warm up and as soon as her eyes caught sight of the cookies she was totally comfortable.  The girl cousins played with three little stuffed animal puppies.  M’s favorite was Biscuit.   Belle told M that she was very pretty and that she loved her hair.  M repeated back, ‘Yes, M is very pretty!’  We have been giggling over that sweet exchange for days now.  We partied for two hours and then hugged and said our good byes. 

Christmas

Anna's side of the family celebrated Christmas at Nana and Poppy's house. 

Road Trip

Anna on Facebook, ‘Ready to see Texas family!! :) Road Trip!’ --- Too many hours later --- It was a long trip and little videos along the way didn’t convince M that long road trips are fun.  J was turned backwards and handled the trip a little better.  He has such an easygoing disposition. 

Date

Anna on Facebook, ‘Hot date tonight with my man! Majorly needed and majorly thankful!’

New House

Anna on Facebook, ‘First night in our new home=success! So thankful for a relaxing morning with my precious family! Now on to more unpacking! Praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow!!!’

Closing On Their First Home

God did the impossible today!  He sold Anna and Mark's first home.  Just after getting married they bought an inner city home so that they could minister to the lost and hurting in their city.  They loved on all of their neighbors, hosted baby showers for neighbors, prayed for their neighbors, studied God's word with neighbors, and brought their neighbors to church with them. 

Around Thanksgiving they placed their home on the market.  As gorgeous as their home was...both sets of families doubted it would sell because of the location.  God had a plan and they were listening with faith.  On December 4th, they closed on their first home and spent the next two weeks as nomads bouncing from friends house to friends house...craving the day they would close on their new home.  

Before closing, they had already arranged to host two families in December.