Thank you

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. It's my first one officially since last year I was 8 months pregnant. But tomorrow wouldn't be a day for me if it weren't for 2 very special guys.

To my husband-
Andy thank you for giving me a chance and asking me out. Thank you for blowing me off when I said I never wanted kids and never bringing it up again. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. Thank you for loving who I was 6 years ago and helping me become the wife and mother I am today. You constantly help share the task of raising Reed and give me time to rest sans child. My life changed on september 27, 2008. Thank you!!!!

To my son-
Reed you light up me life! You have so many amazing qualities about you and you're not even a year old! You love people and life like your Daddy. You encourage and comfort in your baby way and feed off making people bust up laughing! Your laugh is contagious and your smile melts the toughest people. You have my strong determination and you never give up trying to get what you want...which means Daddy and I have to baby proof everything!! :) 6 years ago I never wanted a child and now I can't imagine my life without you. You have taught me so much about serving, loving, and living. I adore being your mommy. Thank you for changing my life again on June 21,2012!!!

Nuts and rabbit trails

Whew! Life has been nuts! Some good but some not so great nuts. See when we moved to Chattanooga our life got way better! We're happier and see God doing some neat stuff. But we have also seen/experienced more spiritual warfare than we have maybe ever in our married life! For instance, I think I wrote ab how we became a one car family on our move up here thanks to a faulty car trailer. Well, we got money from Penske for the car, and we combined that small amount with our tax refund (thanks Reed for helping out that one!) and we had just enough money to buy a decent used car - Mildred Gertrude aka Sturdy Gertie. Only problem is that Gertie decided to explode on a whim. So now we are back to one car after 3 blissful weeks of being a two car family. But! A precious family at our church has an "extra" car that we have been given access to indefinitely. See? Life knocks us down and then we see God provide in a huge way!!! It's exhausting and exhilarating to walk by faith. I'm learning this. It's tough constantly trusting without knowing the outcome, but because of the One who I trust, it's always rewarding.

I've been reading a book called The Circlemaker. It's a phenomenal book about praying specifically for things and learning how to claim the victory. That sounds a bit "name it and claim it" but it's not! Think of Joshua and Jericho. They followed the Lords command, marched around Jericho and saw God do mighty things through their simple and obedient actions. See if we pray in accordance to Gods will we will see our prayers answered! If we will pray with confidence and boldness knowing the power of the One we serve, we will see God respond in ways we couldn't have foreseen!

So I say all that to say that life is nuts and full of wonderful, frustrating, exhilarating rabbit trails right now and I'm excited about how God is working out life for my little family!

Real Beauty

You're familiar with Dove's true beauty campaign most likely. Andy just showed me this video though (click on the image) and MAN! It's some powerful stuff! Thanks to Andy, I'm now playing around with this idea in regards to a girls event in the fall for our middle school ministry.

I started thinking about how I would describe myself...30 lbs too heavy, frizzy hair, big nose, crooked smile. But really, I kind of like my curly hair, I've been told my smile brightens a room, my nose - well it is what it is, and I'm losing weight. I'm not so bad, but isn't that our first inclination? Go towards the negative when describing ourselves? But how do others perceive us? More importantly, look at how God perceives us...made in His image, unworthy yet so loved He sacrificed his Son for us.

Locusts

Joel probably isn't a book of the Bible you've poured over. Maybe it is, but if not its one you should read. In Joel 1, there is destruction promised to Israel including like 6 different kinds of locusts coming down and going crazy. But then! In chapter 2, God promises restoration and specifically restoring "the years the locusts have eaten".

The past 4 years for Andy and I were tough. Like made us want to quit ministry tough. We knew God was using it. He definitely taught us a lot about ourselves, ministry, people. It was much needed, but we were in serious drought. The locusts were coming at us from every angle. But then...

God finally called them off! He moved us away from any family, away from Andy's comfort zone, away from familiarity of any kind. He moved us to a place with a great church, great family friendly places, and great people! And it has been just what we needed! He is indeed restoring the years the locusts have eaten!!!

Like tonight, a senior adult couple from our church invited us over for dinner. I'm peopled out this week. I'm ready for peace & quiet and to just be home. But twice they've invited us over and it didn't work. Tonight was the night. We only know this couple vaguely - they sit a row or two behind us in church. So we went.

They watch their 6.5 month old grandson 3 days a week and so they had everything Reed could want! They fixed delicious food and we had a great time. She raised 3 boys so she had fun joking back and forth with Andy. It was wonderful! And best if all (to me) she collects cookbooks !!! Like has over 3 giant bookshelves dedicated to cookbooks! Like has all the southern living annual cook books dating back at least to 1971! She let me borrow one and y'all - it's marked up and post it noted!

As we were about to leave, Mr. Roger told Andy they wanted us over because they knew we moved here away from family and they wanted us to know we had people who cared nearby. I mean seriously!?!? Talk about precious! And that's what I mean-God is restoring the years!!

So if you're going through a tough drought, If you just see destruction and frustration...remember that God is faithful and He is using this in some amazing way! Just be patient. The locusts will leave and God will restore the years. And maybe he'll let you meet the coolest 70 year old couple in the process :)

Sniffles

Mommyhood is full of sniffles. Sniffles from my little guy be it colds or allergies (yay for moving to the allergy capital!!), but also sniffles from me.

Sniffles because I tear up when I think about Reed not being my little baby much longer. He's growing so fast and I love his inquisitive nature, curiosity, and joy!

Sniffles when some days I can't take the baby stage much longer! He's gaining independence and learning to "speak" for himself, and it's tough to corral this ball of energy.

Sniffles from when my baby shares his germs and I get sick - like today. I seriously need to take stock in Kleenex.

But I wouldn't trade any of these sniffles for anything in the world! I love it!

We survived

We survived Monday. We didn't thrive by any means, but we survived and some days that's the best outcome for the day. But yesterday I woke up with Ecclesiastes 3 pressing on my heart. So I read the chapter I've read many time before. For everything there is a purpose, a reason for everything under the sun. A time.... Fill in the blank - laugh, cry, dance, grieve, kill, heal, etc etc. Then the chapter ends with kind of a downer statement - but one that hit me in the face. I'm paraphrasing but basically "enjoy life now because you won't come back from the dead to enjoy life. "

So I took on yesterday (and aim to take on everyday) with that in mind. There is a time to cuddle and a time when it will end. A time to wipe off snot, drool, etc from every imaginable surface and a time to reminisce on those days. A time to work out and a time to stop and laugh with your son who things jumping jacks are really funny. A time to do push-ups and a time to once again stop and laugh with your son as he snuggles under your arm when you push up and thinks you're hugging him.

I hear it weekly from multiple sources to enjoy this time because it goes fast. I think a lot of those people saying that forgot how exhausting and intense this stage is for us newbies. However, that doesn't negate the truth in that statement. And most days I do ok with this. But ok isn't enough for me or for my precious baby boy. I must keep striving to enjoy every moment in every stage.

One of those days

Today is one of those days where I wonder if I will make it as a mother. It's one of those days where Reed seems to wonder if he'll survive as well! This little guy is such a precious SOCIAL ball of energy! However, I need to build a bookcase. So, I put Reed in his room, with all his toys. He's clean, fed, and should be fine. I'm no more than 10 feet away with only a baby gate separating us. But you would think by his screaming that he's dying.

I'm not super social. I don't thrive off people. But it appears I'm now out numbered in my own home :)

How in the world do I spend enough time with my social boy to make him happy and still get things done!?!? How do I walk the fine line of ignoring so he learns to play by himself some while still letting him know he's not alone or forgotten?