It's a wonderful life

It's Saturday afternoon. I have just spent a really relaxing day with my precious family - eating at Fuddruckers and playing at the park. Also finding out that we get some money back from the government instead of having to pay this year. Always nice. I started out this morning with some of our elders' wives and shepherds' wives at our first monthly meeting. 7:00 a.m. - I don't know if we were all awake when we arrived, but I have to say I enjoyed starting off my morning getting to spend time with these wonderful ladies. We were talking about what life-on-life discipleship relationships look like and putting out the challenge for us all to take on at least one person to mentor. The elders' wives are going to pour into the shepherds' wives and then they are going to pick some ladies out of their group to start meeting with on a regular basis also. God has already blessed our church with so many new people that we just want to be good stewards and help to grow all of them up in their faith. We are only a little over four months into the plant and I already feel so overwhelmed by the amount of people that I don't know. And those of you who know me well know that that drives me crazy to not know everyone. Keith came home last weekend after the Believe Lab, which is our membership lab, and went thru everyone who was at the lab. I was amazed that out of 17 people, I only knew 2 of them.
News on the home front - Kade is enjoying his "school," which is a two-day a week Mother's Day Out program. We have been enjoying a lot of routine lately during our weekdays, which is always good. Yesterday, I started reading the boys some of the easy word Spanish books from the library. They had fun trying to say all of their colors - anaranjado is a really fun word for the boys to try to say. Kale is climbing on EVERYTHING! Neither Kade or Kamden climbed like he does. It is normal to have to scold him on a daily basis for being on top of the kitchen table. We have so many friends to have fun playdates with during the morning times, so that is always special times. I think we're planning to go to the Austin Children's Museum this next week. And then our afternoons consist of wonderful quiet time. I have been having to take a nap when the boys do because I have been exhausted, which is weird for me in the second trimester. Usually, I have more energy than Keith would like for me to have during this time. And our nighttimes are always wonderful because daddy is home with us. Keith and I get to go on date nights every other Monday night while the boys enjoy time with their "best buddies," Henry and Eli. This past Monday, we had a romantic dinner at a local Italian restaurant, saw August Rush at the $1 movie and ended with grocery shopping - which is actually very enjoyable when I'm with Keith.
This week, I have really been meditating on Psalm 127. If we have another boy (which we'll find out next Monday, the 11th!), then we're definitely putting vs. 3-5 on his birth announcement. My only question is how many boys make up a quiver? :) But I've really been meditating on vs. 1-2. "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves." Wow. I could spend so much time worrying and striving for things to turn out just right for my family, but if it's not what the Lord wants for our family, then my striving is in vain. I so want to instead find rest in the Lord as I trust Him to work in their lives.

I'll end this long blog with a couple of our latest pics...





I thought the last two pictures of Kale were really good at showing you his personality. Lately, he has been into everything and the last picture shows him saying, "What?" to me after I called his name. He's definitely a spitfire. But oh how he makes us laugh.

I hope you are all having a restful weekend and enjoying sweet moments with your family.