The Night Watches

get yourself ready, because this is a long post. complete with loads of pictures too! a little over one month ago, my sweet Jack turned 3. I think I have said this many times over the past year, but one year ago, seems like a very long time ago. Three years ago, well that seems like another lifetime. I know that we are a completely different family than we were when we were waiting for this precious gift to arrive. My easiest pregnancy and delivery, and my most chill baby too. So much like his daddy, in his disposition, to the shape of his eyes, the way he takes things in stride. This time one year ago, he was hardly talking, why talk when Tyler would do such a good job of it for you?! But now, the funny things he says! He was born the day after Thanksgiving, and what thanksgiving we give to the Lord for the precious gift of his sweet life. How can a mother find words to clearly express the impact her child has had on her, even a child of only 3 years. From the beginning,...

No, the move didn't kill me... I am still here, alive and well! Actually, living a pretty blessed life. The move however, has changed how I am living life these days, and have little to no time to sit at the computer and blog! But here I am, sitting down... ignoring the laundry for a few minutes, the dishes in the sink, and the crumbs on the floor... I think an update is way over due! To recap the past month, well would be a very long post. I am not sure the poor readers of this neglected blog would enjoy all of that! So I will do my best to be brief: - We moved to VA October 9, and were thrilled to be here. We had tons of help, and are pretty much settled already into the house. Boxes are the enemy! So our goal in the first few weeks was to empty as many as possible! We generally, sit in the various rooms and marvel at the gift this home has already and continues to be to us. - The first night the kids came home, Sunday, Jack spiked a fever and Jordan spent 6 hours with him in the...

God certainly loves to surprise and delight us, doesn't he? We have been waiting on Him for a while now, hoping our insurance situation would somehow get worked out so that we could start to look for a home to rent in Arlington. Looking back on the last time we were going to try to get a house and the Lord shut that door, we are just filled with gratefulness that is was not our will, but God's will that was accomplished for us. What a mess it would have been to try to move down to Arlington a month or two ago! This past Tuesday, Jordan was talking with our insurance company, and trying to figure some things out with them, when we found out that in fact, our carrier provides insurance coverage to the region of Northern VA in addition to Maryland! This came as quite a shock to both of us, and we were delighted to discover that we could indeed start the house hunt up again! The beginnings of the hunt were not showing to be too exciting. I found a few on craigslist worth taki...

Oh I love my sweet little Dylan boy... He is such a cutie pie, and he keeps me running around after him. With three teeth, and a fourth on its way, this little rascal is done with baby food, almost altogether. He sees mac n' cheese, he wants it. If his brothers are eating something, so must he! He is also chasing after them all day, joining in the wrestling and tickling, he is a speedster when it comes to getting places. I often loose track of where he is, because he is gone so quickly. And yes, the boy loves to climb the stairs. I have no idea what kind of man he will become, but it is certain God has gifted him in unique ways, and it will be a joy to watch those gifts develop and grow as he gets older. But for now, I am a busy mommy to a rascal of a boy. I love every minute of it.

I have been asked many times, what are you reading these days? Over the past 8 months or so, I have been reading and re-reading and devouring this book. Be Still My Soul by Nancy Guthrie was a gift to me from a dear friend, and what a gift it has been to me. I cannot, simply cannot recommend it enough. It is a collection from 25 different authors on the topic of suffering and pain, with the preface by Guthrie (who lost two children in their infancy). The writers within the covers of this book have become dear friends to me, many of whom I had never read of and a few I had never heard of, but now feel I can go to at any time and come away refreshed, re-focused, full of faith, and more in love with my God. This book has been a tremendous means of grace to me, and I am so grateful to have been "introduced to the friends" contained within its pages. I have posted some quotes on facebook that have meant a lot to me as I have been reading it, and as I now am reading through it fo...

Ahhh, I miss the beach! Have we really already been home only a week and a half? The sound of the crashing waves seems such a distant memory already! Although this vacation was quite different for us and more difficult than the many years past for many reasons, the beach days could not have been more amazing and memorable. Couple perfect weather, kids who love playing all day, a group of people just happy to be together, and joy from the Lord for the gift each day was... it was a wonderful vacation. I wanted to take tons of pictures, but when you have a baby who knows no fear, and is crawling headlong into the ocean, stuffing handful after handful of sand in his mouth... and two big boys that want to play hard all day... there was very little sitting down time, and less time to hold a camera and a baby... but oh so worth every moment with my boys. Here are a few shots of those precious memories and sweet beach days...