Together

My family is back together! Adam is home and we are all together again! It is so nice to have "normal" back for a little while. I think normal is actually not-so-normal but I'm just going to enjoy it!
We got home Friday night and had dinner with Adams family to catch up on the 2 weeks we've all been apart. In that time we had all been out of town to some capacity and had a lot to talk about!
I am very blessed by the family I married into. My dad always told me that you marry a family,not just a person. I am so thankful for the family I have acquired with Adam! My father and mother in-law are so great. Truly. They have been above-and-behind helpful from the very first day of our relationship! They love me and the boys so fiercely. My sister-in-law is better than I could've ever created on my own. I never had a sister-and neither did she- but we've got one now and it's pretty fabulous! :) "Mimi" is great. We have similar love languages, personality types, and communication styles which has come in handy multiple times when learning how to deal with my new family. :) Adam always says that he is thankful that we get along-but wishes sometimes that it wasn't SO well because sometimes we gang up on him! :) Today is her 25th birthday! I'm excited to celebrate her later today (much later considering its 3:30 am as I write this)!
Saturday consisted of all sorts of fun for us! We had the Potters over to swim and eat lunch. The kids were so fun at the pool. Matthew now can swim and jump in all on his own all over the pool with the help of his floaties! I'm still not sure how he is getting so big so fast. Part of me wishes I had documented it all but I decided to enjoy the moment and have mental pictures of it all. This was the last day we were gonna have with Potters pre-Naples so I just wanted to soak it up!
That night Adam and I were able to attend the USA Men's National Team VS. Scotland soccer game! It was so fun. That was the first time for Adam and I to be out without the boys. USA dominated the game and we had a WONDERFUL time with friends. So thank you so much to the friends who made the night possible-and for the many laughs-especially in the terrible traffic on the way home!! :) It was good for my heart (and sanity)!



Sunday was so strange only having church in the morning and no other commitments. It was VERY enjoyable though. We spends the afternoon at a graduation party and then just hanging out. We got to go to a friends house for dinner that night. We has good food, and stayed up way past our bedtime playing monopoly deal (which would've been a blast if someone other than Adam would've won every single time)! :)
Monday was Memorial Day. Adam didn't have work, and the most surprising thing was-HE DIDN'T HAVE AN EVENT! We got to spend the day as a family AGAIN! All of this was so good after being apart for 2 weeks!
I'm so thankful and grateful for the men and women who have served our country to give me the freedoms I enjoy. They have come at a high price for so many. My grandpa is a veteran and I know his daily life is very much effected still by his time from being in the service. I'm thankful for his sacrifice. I am saddened to think of all the values I hold that seem to be fading from our country and I pray that as these soldiers continue to fight for freedom that we would use that for the greatest good...
For Memorial Day weekend in Florida we had a hurricane. It was not bad at all (at least as far as we experienced) but it did rain A LOT. So in the morning on Saturday we needed some indoor entertainment. Off to the mall for fountain-penny throwing we went! It was a good couple hours of entertainment that involved staying out of the weather. We got home just as another bucket of rain fell out of the sky!
The Harby's came for lunch. It is hard to believe the last hurricane days we had were 4 years ago! We spend them at the Harby's house playing Settler's of Catan. We each had new puppies running around. Annie will be 4 next Monday! Crazy how time flies!
I spent the afternoon cooking in preparation for having Adam's summer interns for dinner (and one of their families). We had a great time visiting with them. I'm NOT looking forward to how much Adam will be gone and busy this summer-but I AM excited about spending time with Laura & Nate!




I also sneaked in some snuggle time with Andrew! :)

Later on today Peyton will be coming by to play for the last time as a Jacksonvillian. I know Matthew probably doesn't understand what her moving means but it makes me SO VERY SAD!
Kristen's friendship to me has many times kept me sane in the journey through motherhood. I appreciate her encouragement, her failures (it's good to know others mess up once in a while too), her perspective, her ability to get Matthew to eat whatever she has (no matter what it is he will try it for Kristen!), and the way she pursues me as a friend.
Matthew and Peyton really do love each other. The way their faces light up when they see each other, and the hugs they share are so sweet. Matthew talks about Peyton and her mommy and daddy everyday. There is going to be a huge hole in our lives with them gone. I am already jealous of the people that will get to be their friends and see them on a daily basis in their new home! I WILL be taking lots of pictures of their last play date! So you can expect to see those later...

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Home Sweet Home

We are out at the airport watching more planes take off and land. The sound of a helio makes my heart feel at ease. Growing up across the street from the airport in Indonesia and hearing Helios take off and land all day long make it a sound that is wonderful to my ears! I'm so glad Matthew loves it too.



This morning Andrew was full of heart-melting smiles. And just when I thought it couldn't get any sweeter-Matthew came in and snuggled with his brother!






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Surviving the Weekend

I made it! I survived the Potters going away party. I survived packing Sunday afternoon, going to the beach baptism, leaving straight from the beach and going to SC and now arriving in NC.
The Potters going away party was fabulous and sad all at the same time! Our theme was to welcome them to Naples. Home of the old, rich, retiree. I think we did a pretty good job! Haha. We had a time of sharing stories about the Potters and prayer. There were tears but many more laughs!! I'm sure you can see why!




Just a few shots of the party.




We are some good looking old people!
The rest of these pictures are courtesy of Christi Galy.




The old lady hosts of the party




Livin' the dream




"WELCOME TO NAPLES!!"




Did I mention that they didn't know there was a theme?!




We are blessed with great friends!




Adam took care of Matthew in the morning while we set up. When they arrived at the party Matthew was dressed up too!! I couldn't stop laughing. He looked like he was straight out of Gilligan's Island!




Best Friends...








Story time...




Prayer time...




Adam got to go with Matthew on the boat :)




Sweet friends-you are going to be missed!
On Sunday after church we cleaned up the house and packed then headed out to the beach baptism.
Every single time I've been to a beach baptism our church has had-the waves have been outrageous! This time was no different! I'm happy to still have Adam with us! (slightly joking)
Our wonderful "daughter" Lauren got baptized. Lauren was in my small group when she was in high school. Adam and I both became very close with her and consider her family. She attends college in town and we couldn't be more thrilled about it because we get to see her all the time!!
I am so proud of Lauren. She has grown up a lot over the past few years. Lauren loves Jesus with all of her heart. She aims to please HIM in everything she does and she shines HIM everywhere she goes. I have seen her be such a blessing in her friends lives, to her junior high small group of girls, to her co-workers, and to my family. Matthew LOVES "Ra-Ra" and gets excited whenever he sees her! I am so privileged to have had Lauren placed in my small group and then to have that relationship develop into such a beautiful friendship.
Getting to listen to Lauren give her sweet, vulnerable, and honest testimony in front of so many others was so exciting! Adam had the privilege of baptizing her.
I'm so excited to see how God uses Ra-Ra to change the world for the glory of HIS name! We love you Lauren...
After the baptism we piled in the car and drove to SC. We arrived at midnight and my mom met us and stayed the night with us in the alumni center at CIU. I felt very old as I realized I've been out of college for 4 years and I now have 2 kids. I don't so much fit in on campus anymore! Where does time go?!
Monday morning we left Adam at CIU and drive with my mom to their house in NC. I'm so excited to spend the week here with my family.
Yesterday we went up to see then"pwanes" fly-as Matthew says. He is obsessed with planes in the sky but I thought it would be fun to have him see them take off and land. He describes the landings as "crash ka-booms" so I'm not sure that's good :) but he really enjoyed it!



While we were there he saw a memorial plaque that looked like a podium so he insisted on "teach Bible." We all had a good giggle from that!



Andrew has been his amazing little baby-self this whole time. :) Just a little picture of him...He's soooo long!



This morning everyone got to sleep which was lovely! I prepared dinner early so that my mom and I can scrapbook during the boys nap time today. Now Matthew and I are enjoying outside while Andrew snoozes away.



I'm very much looking forward to this week. I just wish Adam could be here with us!
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Grateful

As I have been on my own this week-Matthew has decided to make it difficult. I was feeling very worn down from the constant discipline that was having to happen. On Thursday I read in Proverbs 22:15 "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him." This verse went through my head all day! I was telling my mom that I was looking for surrounding verses or footnotes that would tell me how long it was going to take to drive it far from him! :) It was a hard day-but the truth of that verse kept me consistent in my discipline of Matthew. There was a sweet moment of the day that I did capture a picture of. We were all snuggled together watching Veggie Tales-Matthew loves to hold hands when he's watching tv. I love it!




Friday I prayed for energy. Adam was coming home-but not until dinner time and I needed a little something extra to get me through. The verse that I prayed all Thursday night was, Lamentations 3:21-23, "This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." And God was faithful-Matthew was the most obedient he had been all week on Friday! It was a LONG day waiting for Adam to get home but it was a good one. I am SO thankful.



We played outside with the water table-well more in the puddle than anything! :)





He also enjoyed chillin' in his lawn chair for a while. :)

Matthew woke up from his nap and was in hysterics because he wanted to see daddy-but daddy wasn't home yet. All he wanted me to do was hold him. We ended up waiting outside for about 15-20 minutes after his nap for daddy. He did not want to wait inside-he was much too excited for that. Only he kept crying because he wanted to see Adam so bad! It was very sweet- and stressful at the same time. I was having to get really creative to fill those LONG 20 minutes of waiting!

Finally Adam got home and Matthew was squealing with joy! :) I'm glad his daddy is back home. It's not the same or good without him here!
We spent the evening having friends over for dinner-and making preparations for a party we have tomorrow. A sad party. The Potter's going away party. :(

Peyton is Matthew's best friend and she is moving away at the end of the month.



Peyton's parents happen to also be our good friends too. :/ I am SO sad that they are leaving! I'm sure today (it is the wee hours of it) is going to be filled with laughter and tears. I'm so very grateful for what the Potter's have meant in our lives and am going to miss their presence here in Jacksonville. Hopefully there will be lots of visits made and our friendship will continue to develop across the distance. Wow-my heart is filled with sadness... Hopefully I'm not a hot mess all day!
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Blessed

First I wanted to post a picture of my little boy napping yesterday. I realized yesterday that I hadn't let Andrew nap on me recently and those days will soon be gone so I took the afternoon nap time to snuggle! It was fabulous!




Ok- as for today... I felt like a failure of a mom this morning as Matthew seemed to be wildly out of control. In spite of that I had to go to the store so off we went-hoping there would be good behavior. And...there was! In 2 hours I got to Costco AND Publix. IN THE RAIN!! And Andrew didn't have to eat until we got home. Then I felt like super mom. :) I think Matthew was a little overwhelmed with how many times I praised him for being so good at the store! Hopefully he gets the point that good behavior makes me happy.

Tonight I got more goodness poured into my heart. Over the past year I have been in a small group with 4 wonderful women and 2 mentors. It is the first small group I have ever been a part of and I couldn't have asked for a better one! Each of us are at different stages of life. It ranges from little ones to grandma-and someone at each stage in between. We had our final meeting tonight. It was a comfortable and safe place as usual-but it was also a little sad tonight. We are going to continue on as a discipleship group-but our 3 mentors will not be with us anymore.

I have learned so much from each of these women over the last year. I have learned how to be a part of a real group of women that struggle, celebrate, and are learning right along with me. These women are willing to carry each others burdens in prayer. They continually remind me of what God's word has to say about what is happening in my life. They also are living proof that toddlerhood is survivable! :) I have been so blessed by these unlikely yet wonderful friendships I have formed! I am going to miss them so much over the summer while we aren't meeting. Ladies-if you ever see this-I am thankful beyond words for you and I love you. God has been gracious to me in the provision of you in my life.

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Moon Shine Down

When Matthew was born someone gave us the book The Moon Shines Down. It is by the same person that wrote Goodnight Moon. The pictures in it are beautiful!
Recently that has been his favorite book-we read it at least 4 times a day. I have it memorized and so does he. I love to stop reading and hear him finish the sentence for me. :)
Of course that was his choice before bed tonight, "Moon Shine Down"- so we all piled in the chair to read. All on his own Matthew held Andrews hand-the WHOLE time. It was so sweet to me! He loves his brother so much-I love watching it. I hope that it continues throughout their lives!




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Snapshots of my day

A few pictures from my Mother's Day...





Adam and I promising to raise Andrew according to God's word. Doug prayed for him. What a blessing.




I got a FABULOUS gift from the boys in my life- a bracelet! I love it! So far I have a heart charm that says MOM and two little boys that say BROTHERS on the bottom of it. My wonderful husband brought me flowers. I always enjoy flowers but these are going to be extra appreciated because he left today for 5 days! And finally...I got to take a wonderful nap. Matthew and Andrew did too. It was so refreshing!



Since I am a single mom this week I am going to have to be wise and efficient with my time! So-my first way of doing that was to have the boys take a bath together for the first time instead of trying to find time for 2 separate baths. It was a success! I'm excited for the day that the boys will have fun playing together in the bath! Matthew had fun splashing and Andrew survived. I think I've bought myself a few extra minutes in a day...

As you can see-I had a great day!

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