baptized

It's been a long time coming, but I finally made the decision to be baptized at our outdoor service this year. I'm not sure why it took me 28 years to do, but I'm thankful the Lord continued to patiently wait on me and continue to encourage me in the the things that He has for me. So, among friends and family, I testified to exactly what God has done so far with this life He has blessed me with:

"My name is Kristen and I want to be baptized today because I want to be obedient to what the Lord has placed on my heart and being baptized is one of those things.

Throughout my childhood, I was raised to know Jesus. I remember as a little girl at church saying "Yes! I want to have Jesus in my heart!" I didn't fully know what that meant at age 5, but I did know that God loved me and that was a start. My parents raised me in a Christian home. We went to church every Sunday. We helped out at a homeless mens shelter, went away on weekend church retreats, and mission trips. Looking back, I could not be more thankful for this firm foundation.  I can clearly see the way this foundation saved me from the heartache I saw in others because they didn't know Jesus. It saved me from some bad decisions and things that I would have certainly regretted later.

That's not to say I was perfect and in fact I wasn't. I made my fair share of poor decisions and selfish choices; but, at the age of 19, I decided that enough was enough. At the end of my freshman year of college, I remember making that very conscious decision to make my faith my own. I decided that I would be a Christian and follow Christ because I believed it, because I wanted to, because it was truth. I made that decision because I knew that Christ had died and lived for me. I didn't believe because I had to or because someone told me to, but because it was really, truly what I believed.

Since then, the greatest gift the Lord has given me is a true, unwavering belief in who he is. He has given me an unshakable faith and has proved faithful. That has played out over the last 9 years as my relationship with the Father is ever changing as he reveals who he is to me; however, one thing that never changes is the way he faithfully walks beside me in this life. Throughout times of heartache and pain and through times of joy and blessing, Jesus is my constant. He is my comfort, strength and joy and I am blessed a thousand times over to be his daughter.

And, the Lord is not done with me yet. He continues to work on my heart, my motives, and my life. He uses people from this body (Providence), my family, my friends, my husband, and my son to show me how much grace I receive and how much he loves me. I trust and believe that until the day I am called home to heaven, he will continue to do a good work in me. Like it says in Philippians 1:6- being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

 *** Something really important and special for me was that my earthly father could baptize me in the name of my heavenly father. What an incredible blessing you are and have been on my life Dad. I love you!

So there you have it. My testimony. The day was unpredictable weather wise and so we gave our testimonies (there were 9 of us baptized on Sunday!!!) in a pavilion and then were baptized in the Brandywine. I'm so glad that I did it. So glad I can share with you exactly what God has done and is doing in my life!

contagious joy

We love to laugh around here. Life is just more fun that way. My husband makes me laugh all the time and I love that about him. Aaron makes Everett laugh daily too--- I love hearing Everett just laugh. The sound of it is just contagious joy for me. The sound of daddy and son laughing with each other is good for my soul. 

Last night, Aaron was playing with Everett while I ran into Target to grab a few things. I came out to Aaron sitting with him in the back seat and both of them laughing. Aaron videoed it because it was so cute. Everett was laughing those deep belly laughs. The kind that make you incredibly happy and full of joy yourself because he is just so happy in that moment.  I live in these moments. Like little snapshots to keep for a rainy Monday like today. Reminders of what joy looks like.

loose lips

Everett loves to kiss. He does this adorable little pout where he sticks out his bottom lip a little bit and leans in for a smooch.

He's mastered the closed mouth kiss (thank goodness) but he's been cutting teeth for the last month so they're usually wet, sloppy smooches. He humors me when I say I want another one, and another one, and another one. He tries to kiss Aunt Erika through the computer when we skype. He sticks out his pouty lip and lets the dogs kiss him. His favorite smoocher is daddy though.

I love it. He is so sweet and cute when he leans in to kiss me; however, he hasn't quite figured out that you don't kiss just anyone. He tried to kiss the waiter at Victory and the cute girls sitting at the next table, he attempted to kiss a woman at Lowe's last night, and has offered his kisses to more than one kid at church. haha. We're working on it, but either way, I'm loving those loose little lips.

A + K

It's been 5 years since I made the BEST earthly decision of my life thus far. I mean that. I couldn't have picked a better man to spend my life with. It has never been a roller coaster, but instead, constant and steady. I don't think at the young age of 23 I realized how important that decision would be, but I'm thankful that the Lord did and that he gave me Aaron.  He is my sounding board, my helper, my talk-some-sense-into-me kind of husband. The husband who does the dishes and laundry, paint and repaints again, and works incredibly hard to provide for us. The kind of man who serves others joyfully, delights in his son, and loves those around him. A husband who makes life fun and makes me laugh daily, all the while still able to have a real and deep conversation about God, our future and life.

Five years later, I am so much more in love with him than the day that we were married. I'm in love with this handsome man who lives this life with me. The man who walks beside me daily, encouraging, loving, and always laughing with me. Thank you Lord for giving me such an incredible man.

I love you Aaron!

eternity moments

A few months ago when we were out visiting my parents, my dad told me he had an "eternity moment" with Everett. I wasn't exactly sure what he meant until he explained it. He said when he went in and picked Everett up from his crib, Everett wrapped his arms around my dad and just hugged him for a few minutes. Dad said it was one of those moments that he could live in for an eternity, that he could stay in forever. I loved it and his description, and that he loves my son so much.

Today I found myself having my very own eternity moment. It was a perfect day full of fun moments and crazy water adventures with Everett. Toward the end of the day, we headed out for a ride around the lake. I was riding in the front of the boat with Everett. The wind in our faces, sun shining, and Everett leaning into me hugging me with his sweet little hands. He held my hand and lay back on my chest and it just hit me- I could do this forever. Just simply live in this moment on repeat. I am so thankful for that moment today, thankful for my little boy, and so very thankful for those eternity moments.

the year of everett...

2010 has been a pretty awesome, incredible, life changing year for us. It's funny to reflect on the year and all the ways that life is different after just 365 days. This time last year I looked like this:

large bellied, swollen ankles, and unsure of what the year would hold. Today, I can say with certainty that this was the best year of my 27 so far. It hasn't been without growing pains, learning, tears of joy and frustration; however, it has been the best. It's hard to put into words the amount of joy that Everett has brought to our family.We have learned what it means to really sacrifice for someone else, to find joy in simple everyday things, and to just truly be grateful for the Lord's blessings and provisions. Here's to hoping that 2011 will be even half as awesome.

sweet moments...

We were in the car driving to Christmas festivities with Aaron's family. We were listening to Bing Crosby Christmas, talking and planning and just enjoying these moments in between the running around and crazy-ness of the holiday festivities. Everett started babbling sweetly in the back seat and I grabbed Aaron's hand and just held it. We didn't really say anything, but I knew he was feeling exactly what I was --- that there was nothing sweeter, no where else I'd rather be, then right there in that moment with him and Everett. I could feel the urge to cry rising up in my throat, just thinking about how incredibly happy I was right then. How blessed I felt to be sharing a car and my life with these two people. I'm so thankful for moments like that: moments where my heart feels so full it might burst. Moments that I just want to freeze in time and re-live over and over. There have been so many of those sweet moments this year and I'm just so thankful for each one.