First Day!

Today was the start of a new school year! 

We are so excited and so blessed to have the teachers and friends we have this year! 

God is so good. 

I can't beleive I have a first and fourth grader though!

Time is going by at lightning speed and I don't like it. 

Samuel was greeted with a hug from his favorite teacher (he had her last year too, but lucky for us she moved up to 4th) and went right in! 

Ellie Kate found her friend walking down the hall and grabbed her hands and didn't look back.  She was sooooo ready for school! 

Abigail shyly walked in and wanted nothing to do with anymore pics. 

Anna Mitchell actually is going to go two days a week starting tomorrow. 

This mama is happy for school and thankful for all the amazing teachers!

The End of Summer

This is our last week of summer and in many ways I am so glad and excited for the kids to go back to school.  And on the other hand, I am sad.  This summer has been great!  It was our very first summer in 11 years on staff with Cru to have a sabbatical summer and not have to pack up and go on a summer project. 

We did travel a good bit and do things we don't normally get to do...like do a beach vacation with my family and go see Jeff's family for several days with no agenda.  We also got so many lazy days at home.  I loved that the kids could stay up late and sleep late (if you consider 8 am late).  There were definitely some days that we did not get out of pajamas until noon! 

Samuel made some good friends in the neighborhood this summer and since the temperatures have been mild was really able to play outside quite a bit.  The big girls have played so good all summer just using their imaginations playing with their dolls and princesses most of the time. We have our share of fights and drama, but I am so thankful that my big girls are truly best friends and playmates!   And then there is Anna Mitchell.  She is my little sidekick...always needing and wanting me.  I don't remember this about the others.  She is seriously high maintenance but so much fun.  She will play some with the other kids but she rarely plays with toys and just in general doesn't seem to know what to do with herself.  She is a happy baby for the most part, but gets real fussy if she is not entertained.  Thankfully around here there is a lot of entertainment:).

Jeff enjoyed his sabbatical in May and June and got lots of refueling time in the Word and reading other books.  Then he spent most of July and early August preparing for the fall semester and all the craziness that brings!

I lost my camera battery charger and have been horrible about taking pics.  Shocking!  I just ordered a new charger so hopefully can start taking better and more pics.  I feel like this past year of our life has not been documented well...such is life in this season. 

God has used this summer to really help me trust Him more with my kids and with my ability to parent them.  There were some really good days of obedience and getting along well...but there were way too many days where my children's selfishness and self absorption was disgusting to me.  Days of complaining, and arguing, and ingratitude. There were days I thought I had it totally together and then there were days like yesterday where I had to walk out of Target with 3 screaming children and my cart full of stuff was left behind:(.  It was one of my shining moments as a mom (haha) and ohhhh so humbling.  But we had some good teaching moments and I am so thankful that God's mercies are new every morning and that His strength is perfect in my weakness! 

A few instagram pics so this post isn't totally boring....

Samuel MADE this cool cross!  He is so talented and loves building things!

Twelve Years!

Happy 12 Years to us!  That's craziness!  We sure are getting old.

August 4, 2001

I'm so thankful for Jeff and that we get to do this life of marriage and parenting together.
He truly is my best friend and partner in everything.
He leads our family so well and loves me so deeply. And I love him:)!
We mess up a lot, but honestly I love that in our years together, God has been so faithful to grow us closer and more deeply connected to each other.
I love that our calling is to serve our Lord together wherever He leads us.  
I am a very blessed woman indeed! 

12 years seems like awhile to me...yet I hope and pray we have lots lots lots more years together!  

We've lived a lot these last twelve years and I wanted to write down a few lists of "12" that are meaningful and one that's just silly.  I stole this idea from my friend Ann Marie:). 

So here goes...

Twelve Significant "Places":

1. The Norris River House {where we lived to raise support to join staff with Cru, and where we first adopted...Pepper, our cat)

2. Hattiesburg, Mississippi {we bought our first home here and it was our first assignment on staff...it was a hard 18 months but those months truly shaped us and helped us learn to depend on the Lord like never before}

3. Athens, Georgia {we spent 4 years in this special college town ministering at the University of Georgia together, we brought home our first two children to our home there, and I made my first significant friendships outside of college here}

4. Ukraine {where our first child was born and adopted from...this country will always hold a special place in our hearts}

5. Atlanta Center for Reproductive Medicine {this place is not necessarily a fun place to remember, but it is where our first born was conceived...as weird as that is, we are sooooo thankful for modern science and medicine and for all the support we received here to help us have our first biological child...a true miracle}

my embryos...these two were implanted into me in June 2006...one of them is Ellie Kate:)

6.  Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Athens {our first two children were baptized here and I grew so much in my faith during my time involved in women's bible studies}

7. Ft. Collins, Colorado {in my previous post, I mentioned that Ft Collins is one of our happy places.  We have spent 3 summers there with our family and 2 weeks there as a couple going to our staff conference at CSU...it truly is one of our favorite and most fun places to visit}

8. Tuscaloosa, Alabama {the city we attended college, met and fell in love in, the city we now call home and have brought our last two children home to, the place that has our hearts...we love this town and we love the people...could not have imagined how much the Lord would have provided for us here when we made the trek down I-20 from Georgia over 5 years ago with tears running down my cheeks because I didn't want to move.  He is so faithful!}

9. East Asia {we spent a summer here together in college and went back a few years ago with some of our Alabama students.  We love the Asian people and are so proud of all our friends who have ministered there and are continuing to minister there, sharing the gospel and their lives for the sake of the Kingdom}

10.  Trinity Presbyterian Church {our current church home for the last 5 years has been a significant area of growth for us personally and for Jeff in ministry...we are so thankful for this amazing body!}

11. The University of Alabama {it was on this campus where we both began to own our faith and fall in love with each other and with Jesus.  it is now this campus that tugs at our heart...we so desperately want the 30,000 students here to truly know and understand what it means to follow Jesus and receive the great salvation He alone offers! So many great memories have been made on that plot of land (and in that stadium)...too many to name here}

12. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta {where Samuel had many appointments, procedures, and open heart surgery in 2006...we are forever grateful for their expertise in pediatric cardiology (4th in nation) and for their amazing care of our son during such a difficult time of not knowing if his heart and lungs could be healed}

Twelve Significant "People"

1. Our parents {both sets of our parents are amazing examples to us of Christ like love, and they all serve and love our family so well...we are so grateful that both mine and Jeff's parents have both been married for over 30 years!}

2. Samuel {my heart...adopting him has been the highest honor and privalege of our lives.  we are humbled that God chose us to be his parents}

3.  Ellie Kate {my miracle...experiencing pregnancy and birth for the first time after so many years of waiting was actually not too fun...but we are oh so grateful for our modern medicine miracle girl}

4. Baby in Heaven {my loss...losing our baby at 10 weeks after our first natural pregnancy was heartbreaking and hard to understand, but going through this grief once again urged me to depend on the Lord like never before and have a bigger heart for others going through difficult times}

5. Abigail {my joy...after mourning a miscarriage and years upon years of medical treatment to get pregnant, the Lord gave us our precious laid back girl all natural!}

6. Annie {my surprise...thinking our family was complete, we had no plans to add any more kiddos, but God loves a good laugh so he gave us our spirited little baby even when we weren't necessarily wanting another one...and oh are we thrilled He did.  we couldn't imagine our family without 4 crazy kiddos!} 

7.  Randy Pope {the pastor I grew up under and who married us...but who also has greatly influenced and shaped Jeff's life as a distant mentor over the years...we are thankful for his life and leadership in the Kingdom}

8. Steve Johnson {our Cru campus pastor in college and our assistant pastor at Trinity the past 5 years...we adore Steve! He has had an invaluable influence on our lives as college students and as a family now}

9. Gary Purdy {our director/boss our first year in Athens, GA...a leader who impacted us in gospel center living and leading like no one else has}

10. Staff Teams {each year of ministry for us has brought significant changes and friendships over the years...we have valued each unique person we have been privileged to work with and love keeping up with all of them as they continue to serve the Lord wherever they are} 

11.  Our siblings and their spouses {we couldn't ask for a better brothers and sisters!  Jeff's sister, Jennifer, and Rachel's brother, Ryan (along with their spouses Buddy and Erin) have been incredible blessings to our family and lives}

12.  Friends {God has seriously blessed us with some of the most amazing friends over the years from college when we first met, to Athens, and now in Tuscaloosa...all who have pointed us to Jesus and spurred us on in our faith in so many different ways}

And now my silly list...

Twelve TV shows we've watched or been addicted too:)

1. American Idol {by far, the longest running show we have both watched and still watch...haven't missed a season yet...actually this is pretty much the only tv i watch anymore}

2. The Bachelor/Bachelorette {we only watched a few cheesy seasons of this in our early years}

3. Friends {this ended maybe our first year of marriage I think...but what a classic}

4. Alias {we watched several seasons on DVD during our month in Ukraine...thankfully we could watch like 5 episodes in a row during the times we weren't visiting Samuel}

5. Desperate Housewives {a little ashamed to admit that one...but we really did watch this one together for awhile}

6. Grey's Anatomy {we watched this for a few years until we had Abigail and then it just wasn't that important anymore}

7. Castle {a more recent favorite...we actually stopped watching it when Anna Mitchell was born because we got really far behind...maybe we can catch up someday}

8. College Game Day on ESPN {pretty much every Saturday I can remember since we've been married this has been on and I do enjoy watching what I can of it:)}

9. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition {nothing could get us choked up like Ty Pennington could and the families who needed the new homes always had the craziest stories}

10.  Modern Family {we DVR this one and certainly haven't seen every episode...but it's definitely one of those sitcoms that we like to watch when we have the time}

11. Duck Dynasty {this is more of one of Jeff's shows he likes and I will sit with him every once in awhile...i can only take so much}

12. Downton Abbey {to be fair, jeff never actually sat down and watched this with me, but it deserves a spot on the list for my complete obsession}


Well, that was a fun little trip down memory lane.  God has been so good to us in our 12 years as a married couple.  I loved looking back and remembering all the significant people and places He has put in our path.  It hasn't always been comfortable or easy, but it has been full of His faithfulness and grace towards us as we navigate this life together.  And I couldn't be more thankful!

Colorado {One of my Happy Places}

Jeff and I just returned from a week in Ft. Collins, Colorado.  Every other year, we go out there for our staff conference with Cru.  Over 6000 of our staff/missionaries go and it is a wonderful work environment:).  We get to hear from some great speakers who encourage, challenge, and motivate us in ministry.  We also get to hear from some of our national and local leaders.  It's always fun to hear what the Lord is doing around the world through Cru.  We have been on staff for 11 years and I am always amazed at this conference at all the places our organization is and all that it does through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our little slice of the pie here at Alabama has been and still is such a blessing for us to be a part of.  We love seeing God change college students lives with His gospel!  It is just such a blessing to be a missionary in Tuscaloosa both in vocation and just in life:).

In addition to our meetings, we got to enjoy amazing food and fellowship with other staff friends.  Ft. Collins has the coolest downtown and some of the best restaurants.  We thoroughly enjoyed eating pretty much every meal out.  And, I really was able to stick to my clean eating besides a few times where I indulged in my favorite pizza ever!

The best part of last week was that we got to go alone.  Our parents gave us a wonderful gift in taking care of our wild bunch.  My parents had the first part of the week and Jeff's parents had the second half.  I'm almost positive they will never say yes to doing something like this again though! HAHA!  They had an interesting week full of high fever, bike wreck, stray kitten showing up and staying, lost tooth, rash breakout, late bedtimes, early wakeups, and much much more.  I think it felt like things went crazy when we left, but we realized that nope...that is just our normal.  Life with 4 children is never boring and never really that easy...especially if you aren't used to the craziness!  Anyway, we are soooo indebted and thankful to our rock star parents who took care of our crew so well! 

It was honestly the BEST WEEK.  I got time to myself (even went and got a pedi/mani), time with my husband, and time with great friends...most of which centered around amazing food:)!  It was the perfect time away and now we come home rejuvenated and ready to start a new school year!

Here are some pics from the week (all from my phone and instagram)...

 

 

bowling with some friends

I worked out some at the CSU rec center!

We stayed with Paige and her family.  She is one of our involved students at Bama and we love her!  Summer nights in Colorado are so nice and cool.  We enjoyed sitting on their patio one night by the fire just chatting! 

 

sunset at Horsetooth Reservoir

In Process

I think I've mentioned this before, but with every baby, at about the year mark, I begin to come up for air and out of the fog.  This time was no different and so about 7 months ago I began to come up for breath and began a journey that I've shared about with eating clean and working out and finally losing all my baby weight.  What I haven't talked about is the spiritual awakening and renewal that the Lord has been so gracious to bestow on me as well.  I truly am a firm believer that our bodies and souls are very intertwined and so as I began to make changes in my body and for my health, my soul began to crave more of Jesus.  As I saw discipline forming in my life with eating and exercise, the Holy Spirit began to move in me and urge me to discipline myself in the word of God and begin meeting regularly with my Savior again.  And oh how good it has been.  I tell people all the time lately that I feel better than ever!  And it's not just my weight loss and eating clean...its my spiritual health as well.  My heart longs for Jesus and to know Him more than it has in awhile.  I am ever more aware of my sin and the ways that I fail everyday to honor him.  It's a tricky place to be sometimes...but the simple truth is I need Jesus.  I need time with Him, reading His word and praying.  So, if I need Jesus then why is it so hard for me to truly want others to know Him too?  To know the salvation He alone offers.  To know the peace and comfort and security of eternal life.

This is where I've been camping out the last few months.  Mostly it started with reading through Acts and also reading David Platt's Follow Me.  Talk about convicting.

If I truly believe the above verse (and I do with my whole being), then why is the following verse not very true of my life...

FOR WE CANNOT BUT SPEAK OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD.  ACTS 1:20

The disciples saw their teacher die and then raise from the dead. 

They saw Him perform miracles.
He changed their lives and they understood He was the promised Savior.
And so, they could not help but tell about Him and spread the good news!

I have become all too comfortable keeping that news to myself.
I mean, technically, I am a full time missionary although I get the privilege of staying home with my kids too...and this is still such a struggle.
I have become complacent and comfortable with being a spectator of Christianity for the most part.
I really have become convicted that this is not right.

On the one hand, I don't want to be typical
but on the other hand I truly love my comfortable suburban life.
I want to be fully surrendered to following Jesus and being His disciple...and yet all too often I am lured into thinking life is about me.
I am quiet, a little shy, and evangelism is not a natural gift. 
YET, my heart is becoming more and more enamored with my Savior, and I pray that as my affections for Him are stirred and my understanding of what it means to follow Him expands, that I will be obedient and not be able to help but speak of Him to a watching and dying world.

I want to love others in word and deed.
My Jesus has done amazing things for me.
 I want others to know Him and experience Him like I have.

So, I'm in process. 
In process of knowing Jesus more and in process of learning how to daily make Him known.  I want to have gospel eyes and gospel words and weave them into everyday life with those around me.  David Platt calls it weaving gospel threads into every aspect of your life (family, work, play, etc).
And most importantly, I want to weave gospel story threads into my home and into my interactions with my children.  Ellie Kate and Samuel have both decided to trust and follow Jesus as their Savior.  I want them (and the other two little ones) more than anything to understand it's so much more than just believing...it's complete surrender and letting Him saturate every aspect of their lives so that they can share it with others. 
Being in process is a struggle. 
It's a struggle because I am sinful and I need grace every day.  And I need the Holy Spirit to help me live out my calling and convictions as a daughter and ambassador of the King!
Thankfully He is faithful and He will accomplish His purpose in me and through me as long as I have open hands and an open heart.
So I'm okay with being in process and I think it's good to struggle and constantly examine myself in light of the Word and in light of what Jesus has called me to as His follower.  


"For the last 2000 years, God has willed to draw people to Himself
 through the proclamation of His word
by the power of His spirit, 
and He simply calls each of us to do the same today.
And when we are faithful to obey His will, He will show Himself faithful to bless His word. "
-David Platt Follow Me

"I used to think being a believer was enough, but now I know
 Jesus wants us to participate,
no matter what condition we're in." 
-Bob Goff Love Does