A Word in Pictures :: New

This month's theme for our blog circle is NEW. At the beginning of the month I really wanted to do something creative with it, but as the month went on I lost all motivation. And decided to take an easy way instead. So for starters I decided to do something new and post unedited (except the B&W one) pictures only from my phone and simply share with you some of our new experiences this month. I was surprised actually how many new things happen in such a short time and I had to cut a lot out (even though this is a really long post!) It was fun to see how my life isn't the same 'ol- same 'ol like it feels sometimes. :)

    For starters I have really loved the new growth that comes with having some warm weather

    Which includes getting to experience new summer activities and this big boy is anxious to try new things and I
    am learning a new way of doing parks with a three month old.

    I have also started working more intentionally on letters with Aiden. One letter each week. He has done really
    well!

   In Gavin's world the newest best thing is sitting up (not by himself yet). This kid always wants to see what is 

   going on and be a part of it! He is also starting to wiggle and move his body like crazy. He also has the most 

   adorable laugh, he certainly has a way of lifting my spirits!

    Also, we have finally forsaken the swing and aim for naps in the crib, no matter how short they may be!

    As a family we have been doing fun things together and every time is so special to me, I love it so much and 

    look forward to the things we will do the rest of the summer! This month we went to the circus! 

   For me some new things have involved my newest obsession (yes that is the right word) with homemade iced coffee. I made some following this recipe from Pioneer Woman and enjoy it every single day!

    New recipes- homemade Chik-Fil-A sandwiches were so yummy!

    My newest frustration in life would be the fact that my washing machine doesn't spin. Needless to say my dryer 

    runs almost all day long. Looking forward to getting that figured out. :)

    My friend, Joy, and I have been reading this book together and it has been awesome. I am realizing a 

    lot of new things about myself and things that need to change. So thankful for this!

Pre Mid-Life Crisis

So last night as I was not sleeping I was thinking. Dan had asked me to think of where I would like to be in five years, so I was thinking about that and I realized some things. First of all, I will be 31- almost 32, Aiden will be 7, Gavin will be 5 and we hope to have another child, although we don't know what God has planned for us. :) When I think 5 years, it doesn't seem too far away or like much will be different, but oh my goodness so much will change from now till then. So I had a mini-freak out moment, like "I don't know how to have a 7 year old, can't life stop for sometime so I can catch my breath".

There is so much that Dan and I would like to accomplish in this life, but sometimes I feel like it takes all my strength to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies. So how in the world do I handle it all? I obviously don't have all the answers, but when I take the time to think about it I always come up with the same answer. God and people. A while ago Dan and I were talking about what we would be sad about if we were to leave this life early and every single one of my answers centered around one thing: people. Dan, the boys, my family & friends. I would be sad that I would miss out on life with them. So I want to live that way now. 

There is no greater gift that we could give our boys then to walk closely with Jesus. We could be dirt poor, never get to do anything fun and we could still live an amazing life as we walked with Jesus and showed them how to love and know Him. Now, we are not dirt poor and already our life is so good, we have been blessed beyond measure in so many ways. The best thing I can devote my life to is my relationship with Christ and that is a worthy life because it will pour out into the people around me. 

In closing, yes I have a list of where I want to be in five years, a lot of them are goals like being in a new house, traveling...etc. And they are good goals, good things to accomplish, but what I need to make myself remember is what is most important is God and people. 

These three people are worth all I can give them! 

Dependent

As a mom I am regularly faced with fear about my children. For me it normally comes in the form of losing one of them or something happening to either Dan or I. This fear will attack at random times but also when I am going to be away from them for a period of time. All logic seems to be thrown out the window when my mind is attacked with this fear. 

Thankfully I am not alone and have a God who loves my boys more than I do and who is good. There are some areas of life where we feel we have some control over and there are other areas where we are brought to the realization that we don't have the control. This is one of those areas. I cannot promise or ensure the safety of my children. Now obviously I make decisions that promote their well being and not be stupid, but when it comes down to it our lives are in God's hands. 

Now even this realization doesn't make it easy to let go of the fear and even though I am writing this it still has a small hold on my heart. 1 Peter 5.7 says "Cast all your anxieties on him, for He cares for you". I can't imagine dealing with this fear without God, I would be a wreck because there would be no one to hold it for me. I can cast, get rid of, my fears to God and He wants to take them. He WANTS me to be dependent on Him, trust Him and be at peace. 

I read John Piper's devo app regularly and I opened it today hoping it would be something about fear and it was! It was different than I would have expected, but I think that was better. One thing that stood out to me was "God will gladly receive anything from us that shows our dependence and His all-sufficiency". 

I feel like this fear might be a regular theme in my life, I will always want to protect my kids from all hurt. But there is SOMEONE who wants to carry that burden for me, who holds the world in His hands and who loves us all very much. He is my Savior, my Rock, my Redeemer. And because of Jesus taking my sin on me I have that relationship with the God of the Universe and He makes all this possible. 

God is good, God is good, God is good. 

Gavin :: Three Months

I cannot believe this little guy is three months already! Wasn't it just last week that I was dying for labor to start. He is such a joy and we are so thankful he is apart of our family. He already adds so much! And how can you not love his smile and his chunk. :) Thank you to my mom for her help and I hope you enjoy his three month photos!

Maxwell John

It was my joy and privilege to photograph this sweet couple as they waited for their baby boy and then to get to meet little MJ. He is small and adorable and I couldn't be more excited for them as they begin this journey of parenting. Congrats to you all and I cannot wait for our little boys to play with each other!