ipad 2 giveaway...

Okay, so I'm not giving an ipad away (sorry), but my dear friend Katie is! Katie and Ryan Enns are friends and fellow believers that are part of our Providence family. They have this incredible desire to adopt a little girl from Congo. So, in an effort to help them get started, there is a giveaway going on. Click over to their blog and enter! Not only will you get the chance to win a sweet new ipad, but you also have the opportunity to come alongside them and help them fulfill this desire to adopt! I'll be back this weekend with some major living room updates - oh word.

living room sneak peek

Here's a little sneak peek at the pillows and curtains my mom and I made this week. Okay, so Jan made most of them, I did a little pinning (which I'm terrible at), ironing, and snapping on some grommets. It was definitely a labor of love at points, but I couldn't be happier with the outcome- curtains especially! I can't wait to see them up at the house along with some other projects that Aaron took care of while I was in the burgh this week! Stay tuned for lots of living room/house project updates next week. For now, here's my mom's handiwork and a new pattern I found to change up the look a little. (I'm still searching for the perfect olive green or mustard yellow to complete the pillow ensemble.)  Whoop whoop!

ahh summer, how i love thee

bittersweet

That was today. I have been anticipating this day for the last 15 months. The day that would finally be my last as a teacher and the end of being a working mama. And while I am full of joy for this next chapter, I couldn't help but be sad to leave Downingtown. In fact, I was a blubbery mess this morning. Amidst cleaning out my desk and writing thank yous to the many people that I have come to know and love, I couldn't get the lump out of my throat. Saying goodbye to the school that made me a teacher and that gave me the opportunity to teach and invest in the lives of over 500 kids was hard. It was weird to leave something that I love so much and had worked so hard to become. I went to lunch with friends from the social studies department and then ran a few errands with Sara. Missy texted to tell me that she was hanging out with my friend Carla and to pick up Everett over there. I pulled up to the house and saw a few cars of friends that I recognized. My mind was kind of a blur and I was in my own little world as I walked around the back of the house. Kids were playing and I assumed they were having some kind of Providence (my church) mom's gathering. I walked through the doors and there were 10 of my friends yelling surprise! I cried. My sweet friends threw me a surprise party to celebrate my "retirement" and new career. It was such a blessing, so unexpected. I felt so loved.

So, today was bittersweet. There were lots of tears and moments of pure happiness with the realization that Everett is my only job from here on out. And, I'm thankful for 5 years in a career that I have loved and that has made it hard to leave.

buddies

Everett and Nolan. Nolan and Everett. These boys love each other, partially because they've been subjected to hanging out regularly because their parents want to! As they've grown, the boys have started playing and interacting and loving each other.  It's so fun to watch!  Saturday we were hanging out with the Lusby's at my in-laws pool. We got a one year update pic to compare to our pictures from last year. It's crazy how quickly these two have grown from tiny babies to crazy toddlers. Yeay for great friends and especially for great friends with a great kid! 

sometimes you just have to stop and play in the puddles

Sometimes I have to stop myself --- stop myself from saying no Everett, you'll get dirty. Sometimes it'd just be easier to tell him no because I don't want to clean up the mess afterwards. But, at the end of the day, I want to be a mom who seized those opportunities, a mom who played and laughed and got dirty with my kid, a mom who took the time to enjoy these fleeting moments. So we did. We got dirty and wet, but it was well worth the smile on his face and his squeals of laughter. It's a good reminder for me that in the busyness of life sometimes you just have to stop and play in the puddles.

mothers day- take 2

A year ago I had a tiny little two month old. This year I have a running, laughing, wild 14 month old. It's crazy how much has changed about Everett--- his looks and all the things he can do and eat, and yet there's so much that remains the same... his sweet smile, his happy attitude, and the JOY and the fullness he brings to my heart. There are so many blessings in life, but one of the greatest is being this little boys mom! 

sometimes there just aren't enough rocks...

I've been feeling like that this past week. Really just struggling with the loss of Luke and just how unfair and terrible it feels. I've been searching the scriptures for comfort, for answers. I know that my words are nothing more than nice words, but that scripture can bring comfort and life and joy back to Sara and Keith. I find that the Psalms bring so much comfort and peace. Psalm 40 in particular is my prayer for them:

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned and heard my cry. 
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand. 
He put a new song in my mouth, 
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord. 


I am praying with confidence, knowing that the Lord will pull them out of their hurt and despair, He will be their solid ground to stand on, and eventually He will give them joy in their hearts. I know that the Lord uses his people to tell the message of his love and redemption, and I believe that He will do that through the faith of Sara and Keith. Please continue to pray for healing in their hearts, peace with unanswed questions, and comfort for each moment.

Remembering Luke

Sara Thomas is one of my best friends. Her and I have shared life together the last four years. It was an instant friendship based on our love for Jesus and teaching high school kids. We work together in the same department, teach the same course, share materials and lunches and rides to school.  There have been plenty of weekend grad classes, morning coffee runs and shopping trips. We've been there with each other for her wedding and the birth of both of our boys. And on Tuesday, I was with my dear friend when her baby boy went to heaven.

There aren't any words to describe the grief and pain that I feel for my sweet friend. I can't pretend to even understand how she's feeling. The only thing I do know and cling to is a sovereign, faithful God. God didn't create us to experience death, death is here because of sin. No wonder it doesn't make sense and is seemingly impossible to deal with. I know that Christ is mourning with Sara and Keith. In all of this, I am 100% sure that the Lord will stand by Sara and Keith and give them what they need to make it through the next hours, weeks, and months. Pray with me for Sara, Keith and their families. Pray for peace and comfort and for the reminder that there is hope because Jesus not only lived this life and understands our hurts, but also because he died and took on our sins for the redemption of mankind.

I love you Sara Thomas and I loved your little boy.

sun and seventies. finally.

Today was an absolutely beautiful day. Sunny and warm... heck it felt balmy after 5 months of cold temps! We decided to get out and enjoy the warm weather before the rain starts up tomorrow. The doggies needed a good walk and we wanted to try out Everett's sweet new wagon. Mimi and Pop-pop, Aunt Erika, and Aunt Kelsey got him an awesome radio flyer wagon. It's like the cadillac of wagons. It has two flip up seats with straps (which we NEED since Everett doesn't sit still or stay in one place unless tied down), cup holders, and room for two. Everett ended up loving it! We walked for 45 minutes and not once did he do anything but smile, babble, and squeal! I'm looking forward to many nights this summer on long walks with my little fam ...

a little unsure at first...

 getting excited!

 smiling at daddy

 watching the cars go by while we wait to cross route 10



Thanks Mimi, Pop-pop, Aunt Erika, and Aunt Kelsey! I love it!!!