What we've been up to!

Summer has once again flown by.

This blog is going to be a compilation of what is going on as of late, and nothing will flow or make sense. ;)  

We are settling into our home slower than planned, as we dealt with a water leak that postponed painting - and that postponed hanging stuff on the walls - but we are glad to make this our home regardless.  

We love the Lubbock area and have enjoyed play dates with friends and everywhere we need to be within a 15 minute drive.

I am hoping to have the master bedroom and bathroom, Grey’s bedroom and the laundry area painted by the end of this month.  In September, an amazing friend from Shanty 2 Chic will be gifting us with some beautiful furniture (more to come on this ridiculously kind gift), so we will have everything ready to host guests by football season!  (Come stay with us anytime really!  We don’t need a dining table to have you over!)

My 30th birthday was the best birthday I have ever had.  My sister and I celebrated our birthday by meeting in Abilene and taking the cousins to the zoo and the Grace Museum.  It was a perfect start to this decade.  

We’ve also done some traveling this summer!  We had a great time at our good friends’ Brittney and Danny’s gorgeous wedding two weeks ago in Brookshire.  Grey was a flower girl, and I was Britt’s matron of honor, so we loved getting to be a part of such a special wedding.  I have never, ever had so much fun at a wedding, and danced so much in all my life (probably combined).  My feet are still thanking me.  

This past weekend I once again traveled to the Houston area for our annual Hope Mommies Planning Retreat.  Hope Mommies is a tremendous blessing in my life, and humbling to be a part of.  It is almost surreal to think that a little less than 3 years ago I met Erin (mommy to Gwendolyn, Holden’s friend in heaven), and just a few days ago I was sitting across from her, as she set huge goals to follow the Lord’s calling in her life for Hope Mommies.  I am leading the Hope Box portion of the ministry, which I am grateful to be a part of.  I am always humbled to help provide these boxes to grieving moms.

Since life wasn’t busy enough, I recently decided to start selling Nerium as a way to supplement our income.  It has really been one of the best decisions I have ever made.   I am hoping to earn my Lexus by the end of September (at the latest).  Nerium may be our answer to prayers for financially allowing us to adopt one day. 

Other exciting news for me: I will start teaching the early reading program at Trinity Christian School this semester!  I get to co-teach the 3 and 4 year-olds alongside the best teacher I have ever met, so it is a dream come true.   Grey will attend Trinity Learning Center on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, where she will learn about our Savior while playing with friends.  This is such a huge blessing for our family, and one I had prayed for ever since Grey was born.  Grey will still be with me most of the time, but she will get the opportunity to learn from Godly teachers and interact with children two days a week, while I help our family financially.  We both need this!

Grey’s updates:

Our big girl is 16 months old.  She is spirited, opinionated (who did she get that from?), smart (we are biased), active and loving. 

Her latest obsessions include her turquoise jellies (those are shoes for any of you who are not parents of young daughters) – which means we may have breakdowns when we are asked to wear different shoes, “playing” the piano (we were gifted a lovely antique piano that is perfect to learn on!), iPhones and all electronics, chairs of all types, running, coloring with chalk, animals, cleaning (she loves to sweep and use wipies to clean any surface), her baby doll and doll stroller, anything with lids, water, swimming, baths, taking apart anything she can get her hands on and anything forbidden…of course. J  She is a toddler in every sense of the word.  It's almost bittersweet how much she has grown up these past few months.  Sigh.

Her favorite foods are tomatoes, raisins, French fries, frozen waffles (unthawed), eggs, chicken, raspberries, green beans, legumes of all types and broccoli.  Oh and chocolate.  But what girl doesn’t like chocolate?

She adores other children and always wants to hug and kiss her friends.  She mimics anything older kids are doing, including talking.  [She still doesn’t talk much to us, so we think she is saving it up for long sentences soon.]   

One of our favorite things she is doing lately is singing.  She may not be able to say the lyrics, but she can completely follow most songs by humming (and it’s in tune)!  Chet loves this, and plays her favorite musicians for her all the time.

My brother and his family will be flying in from California, and staying with us TOMORROW through next Tuesday.  Our sister and her family will also be staying with us from Thursday through Sunday, so we get to all be together.  I am ever so excited that this has been able to happen every year; definitely a great tradition!  We love to have the cousins together, and enjoy catching up in person.  This is also the first time for us to meet Levi, so I am counting down the hours! 

Being August, I can’t help but mention Holden’s 3^rd birthday coming up.  I have had a heavy heart more than I thought I would lately.  Getting to see Grey as a toddler makes miss him incredibly.  There will truly never be a day that he isn’t missed in our family though, so I try to remember that as this month has made me long for him even more.  I have such a desire for heaven.  

3 years.  Wow.  Hard to type.

We are planning a special family day to celebrate Holden’s third year in Glory, that will allow Grey to do something to honor her brother by serving others.  

I hope to upload some photos SOON from our crazy summer.  We are grateful to wake up each day saved by Jesus' grace and so very blessed.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.  
Romans 12:6-8