Terrible 2's renamed Bipolar 2's??? (and some more summer fun)

As most of you parents will share these sentiments, I will start by saying that I absolutely adore my daughter. Her individual spirit. Her laugh. Her joy for life. Her love of reading. I could go on.

We've reached a junction in her life that is commonly referred to as the "Terrible 2's." Doesn't that have a negative connotation? Sure, but it has been widely accepted as a rite of passage in a restrospectively laughable way.

I want to propose something--perhaps with even more of a negative connotation, but I hope equally laughable.

I think Addison has entered into the "Bipolar 2's."

Let me explain. She goes from one extreme behavior to another. Adorable to deplorable. Thankfully, mostly adorable, but the contrast is striking.

85-95% of the time, her adorable behavior, curiosity about life, body of knowledge, developing vocabulary and imagination is absolutely delightful. She can make me laugh and smile more than any person I know. She can cuddle and make me feel so loved. Basically, most of the time, I want to bottle up this little individual, squeeze her cheeks, and gush (even though, as a rule, I. Do. Not. Gush. Period.)

The other percent of the time, it's as if some force has entered her that is completely inexplicable. She can go from 0-90 with no warning or obvious stimulant and completely. melt. down. She will exert her strong will and collapse in defeat when she is corrected.

As a parent, I'm left scouring my books, praying for patience, asking for guidance. What do you do? How do you curtail the behavior without crushing the spirit? I know and have read most of the answers to these questions, but you still stop and ask. Most of the time I have to stifle a laugh. Ignoring usually works best. Last night, I just threw my hands in the air as we were just "THAT family."

Man, I love that girl.

Here are some recent pictures of our latest summer adventure. We enjoyed a poolside evening at Richland with great company and great food. Of course, I forgot my camera, so these pictures are courtesy of Lindsay. (Sidenote: Right before dinner, someone "tossed their cookies" in the pool, so afterwards we enjoyed some sprinkler fun.)

As most of you parents will share these sentiments, I will start by saying that I absolutely adore my daughter. Her individual spirit. Her laugh. Her joy for life. Her love of reading. I could go on.

We've reached a junction in her life that is commonly referred to as the "Terrible 2's." Doesn't that have a negative connotation? Sure, but it has been widely accepted as a rite of passage in a restrospectively laughable way.

I want to propose something--perhaps with even more of a negative connotation, but I hope equally laughable.

I think Addison has entered into the "Bipolar 2's."

Let me explain. She goes from one extreme behavior to another. Adorable to deplorable. Thankfully, mostly adorable, but the contrast is striking.

85-95% of the time, her adorable behavior, curiosity about life, body of knowledge, developing vocabulary and imagination is absolutely delightful. She can make me laugh and smile more than any person I know. She can cuddle and make me feel so loved. Basically, most of the time, I want to bottle up this little individual, squeeze her cheeks, and gush (even though, as a rule, I. Do. Not. Gush. Period.)

The other percent of the time, it's as if some force has entered her that is completely inexplicable. She can go from 0-90 with no warning or obvious stimulant and completely. melt. down. She will exert her strong will and collapse in defeat when she is corrected.

As a parent, I'm left scouring my books, praying for patience, asking for guidance. What do you do? How do you curtail the behavior without crushing the spirit? I know and have read most of the answers to these questions, but you still stop and ask. Most of the time I have to stifle a laugh. Ignoring usually works best. Last night, I just threw my hands in the air as we were just "THAT family."

Man, I love that girl.

Here are some recent pictures of our latest summer adventure. We enjoyed a poolside evening at Richland with great company and great food. Of course, I forgot my camera, so these pictures are courtesy of Lindsay. (Sidenote: Right before dinner, someone "tossed their cookies" in the pool, so afterwards we enjoyed some sprinkler fun.)

This and That... thanks to the GOD OF HOPE (and where else I've been writing)

Whoa, when I logged into this thing, I couldn't believe my last post was June 24. That is not being true to my summer blogger self... I feel overwhelmed to recap the last month of summer, but I'm going to put together a slideshow at some point.

More importantly, I guess I've just been caught up in living in the moment. Something I seem to often take for granted. I usually look too far ahead of me and miss things along the way. We've had a busy yet fulfilling summer as a family--and while reality is deep-seeded within us, we've been trying to approach each day as its own entity, asking God for our daily bread and trying intentionally to celebrate something each day in this life we've been given.

We've vacationed--our last time as a family of 3. We've played. We've talked, you know really talked. We've hoped and dreamed. We've read and written. We've adventured. We've fallen to our knees in prayer, and we have laughed (and even cried) our hearts out. I love my little family.

In a conversation with a friend this summer, I came back to one of my old favorite verses, one that I used to inscribe on every card I ever wrote anyone. It has been a rich morsel to my soul:

" May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
~Romans 15:13

Until I have time to catch up on this thing in words and pictures, I'll direct you over here where I've written a "guest post." Holly asked me to write from the perspective of a working mom about balancing work and family. It was an interesting assignment that made me take a closer look at my life and what I do. Balance? Is there such a thing? Most of the time I think all of us are trying to make it day-to-day. The harsh reality is that we cannot be all things to all people all the time--perfectly. So we look at our lives, make decisions, and do the best with what we've been given. Through my stint as a mom, God has definitely been teaching me to rely on Him every step on the way, and He's the one who gently reminds me, when things get topsy-turvy, to seek Him for balance. When I was writing this post, I got long-winded, but when speaking [writing] from my heart, I realized that my heart was long-winded. If you have the time and interest, pop on over to the Mom-tage to see what's going on.

Whoa, when I logged into this thing, I couldn't believe my last post was June 24. That is not being true to my summer blogger self... I feel overwhelmed to recap the last month of summer, but I'm going to put together a slideshow at some point.

More importantly, I guess I've just been caught up in living in the moment. Something I seem to often take for granted. I usually look too far ahead of me and miss things along the way. We've had a busy yet fulfilling summer as a family--and while reality is deep-seeded within us, we've been trying to approach each day as its own entity, asking God for our daily bread and trying intentionally to celebrate something each day in this life we've been given.

We've vacationed--our last time as a family of 3. We've played. We've talked, you know really talked. We've hoped and dreamed. We've read and written. We've adventured. We've fallen to our knees in prayer, and we have laughed (and even cried) our hearts out. I love my little family.

In a conversation with a friend this summer, I came back to one of my old favorite verses, one that I used to inscribe on every card I ever wrote anyone. It has been a rich morsel to my soul:

" May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
~Romans 15:13

Until I have time to catch up on this thing in words and pictures, I'll direct you over here where I've written a "guest post." Holly asked me to write from the perspective of a working mom about balancing work and family. It was an interesting assignment that made me take a closer look at my life and what I do. Balance? Is there such a thing? Most of the time I think all of us are trying to make it day-to-day. The harsh reality is that we cannot be all things to all people all the time--perfectly. So we look at our lives, make decisions, and do the best with what we've been given. Through my stint as a mom, God has definitely been teaching me to rely on Him every step on the way, and He's the one who gently reminds me, when things get topsy-turvy, to seek Him for balance. When I was writing this post, I got long-winded, but when speaking [writing] from my heart, I realized that my heart was long-winded. If you have the time and interest, pop on over to the Mom-tage to see what's going on.

God Gives You What You Need...

We are so excited about welcoming

another baby GIRL

in early November.

ANSLEY CAROLINA

sure will be lucky to have Addison as her big sister.

Yesterday was the big ultrasound day, and my heart was filled with all of the hopes, dreams, fears, and anxiety that comes with seeing your baby for the first time. In my experiences with friends and family, I have learned to not take anything for granted--especially the health of a precious child in the womb. Unfortunately, and ashamedly, I am usually distracted by fear in the preceding days. Thankfully, this time, with the Lord's help, I was better able to submit those thoughts to Him. It was still a long few days before... :)

I know that people say things and throw preferential desires out there, but at the core of every mother's, every parent's desire is the simple prayer for a healthy child. I truly believe this. My prayer during this pregnancy has been for another healthy child and for God to give Addison the sibling that she needs as well as the child that he chooses for Patrick and me to raise to glorify Him.

All I have known as an individual is the joy of having a sister, a built-in playmate/best friend. I adore my sis, and I knew that I would love for Addison to get to experience that same joy. On my husband's side, he had the experience of both a brother and a sister, and I wistfully desired that for Addison too. We do not know what the final picture of our earthly family will look like, and we try to approach our growing family blessing by blessing. God graciously blessed us with Addison, and he found favor with us in blessing us with this second child.

I cannot express the overwhelming joy that came when we saw our daughter on that screen yesterday. The same joy that I know would have been there if we were seeing a son. However, with this joy came an unbelievable sense of peace that THIS is the child that God chose for us. He is so good.

So, now comes the fun part of officially preparing for baby Ansley. A couple of weeks ago we confirmed her name selection. Lying in bed one night feeling the baby move, Patrick said, "Kris, this baby needs a name." What followed was a fun and agreeable discussion. We love A names for little girls, and Ansley was one that we had thrown out there when naming Addison. Carolina is special to us for several reasons. I lived in Charleston the summer after my sophomore year of college with 3 of my high school best friends. It was a transforming, magical experience. Sounds dramatic, I know, but I learned a lot about what I wanted my life to be like while living there. It is also special to Patrick and me as a couple because it is where we spent our 6 month honeymoon vacation. Thirdly, when Patrick was traveling for work last summer, he spent 18 weeks in North Carolina. Addison took her first plane ride with me to visit her daddy there, and we made such special memories. We are excited to give our daughter this name. We also love that our girls will have the same initials. Plus, English teachers and alliteration go hand in hand. (We equally loved our boy name too, but this now just feels so right!)

I have loved Addison's nursery, and I am excited that with just a few minor changes, I can turn it into Ansley's nursery. Now, I also have the go-ahead and freedom to plunge full-force into decorating Addison's big-girl room! It's off to a cute start.

In addition to decorating, Patrick and I have some reading to do. I'm starting my mother's day gift from my mom, Bringing up Girls. Patrick is rereading Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters. We are humbled and honored that God has entrusted us with daughters to raise.

We are just giddy with excitement, and we hope we cherish these 4+ months of waiting and preparing.

P.S. Little Ansley was a WILD CHILD. She hardly stopped moving, and she's already long. Her legs were measuring late October!!! November 8th is my due date, but my c-section has not been scheduled yet.

Thanks for all of your prayers and encouragement.

We are so excited about welcoming

another baby GIRL

in early November.

ANSLEY CAROLINA

sure will be lucky to have Addison as her big sister.

Yesterday was the big ultrasound day, and my heart was filled with all of the hopes, dreams, fears, and anxiety that comes with seeing your baby for the first time. In my experiences with friends and family, I have learned to not take anything for granted--especially the health of a precious child in the womb. Unfortunately, and ashamedly, I am usually distracted by fear in the preceding days. Thankfully, this time, with the Lord's help, I was better able to submit those thoughts to Him. It was still a long few days before... :)

I know that people say things and throw preferential desires out there, but at the core of every mother's, every parent's desire is the simple prayer for a healthy child. I truly believe this. My prayer during this pregnancy has been for another healthy child and for God to give Addison the sibling that she needs as well as the child that he chooses for Patrick and me to raise to glorify Him.

All I have known as an individual is the joy of having a sister, a built-in playmate/best friend. I adore my sis, and I knew that I would love for Addison to get to experience that same joy. On my husband's side, he had the experience of both a brother and a sister, and I wistfully desired that for Addison too. We do not know what the final picture of our earthly family will look like, and we try to approach our growing family blessing by blessing. God graciously blessed us with Addison, and he found favor with us in blessing us with this second child.

I cannot express the overwhelming joy that came when we saw our daughter on that screen yesterday. The same joy that I know would have been there if we were seeing a son. However, with this joy came an unbelievable sense of peace that THIS is the child that God chose for us. He is so good.

So, now comes the fun part of officially preparing for baby Ansley. A couple of weeks ago we confirmed her name selection. Lying in bed one night feeling the baby move, Patrick said, "Kris, this baby needs a name." What followed was a fun and agreeable discussion. We love A names for little girls, and Ansley was one that we had thrown out there when naming Addison. Carolina is special to us for several reasons. I lived in Charleston the summer after my sophomore year of college with 3 of my high school best friends. It was a transforming, magical experience. Sounds dramatic, I know, but I learned a lot about what I wanted my life to be like while living there. It is also special to Patrick and me as a couple because it is where we spent our 6 month honeymoon vacation. Thirdly, when Patrick was traveling for work last summer, he spent 18 weeks in North Carolina. Addison took her first plane ride with me to visit her daddy there, and we made such special memories. We are excited to give our daughter this name. We also love that our girls will have the same initials. Plus, English teachers and alliteration go hand in hand. (We equally loved our boy name too, but this now just feels so right!)

I have loved Addison's nursery, and I am excited that with just a few minor changes, I can turn it into Ansley's nursery. Now, I also have the go-ahead and freedom to plunge full-force into decorating Addison's big-girl room! It's off to a cute start.

In addition to decorating, Patrick and I have some reading to do. I'm starting my mother's day gift from my mom, Bringing up Girls. Patrick is rereading Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters. We are humbled and honored that God has entrusted us with daughters to raise.

We are just giddy with excitement, and we hope we cherish these 4+ months of waiting and preparing.

P.S. Little Ansley was a WILD CHILD. She hardly stopped moving, and she's already long. Her legs were measuring late October!!! November 8th is my due date, but my c-section has not been scheduled yet.

Thanks for all of your prayers and encouragement.

TV or no TV in the bedroom...? question of the week

This is not my bedroom... sigh. I do love interior brick walls anywhere in a home though. Rather, this photo came from an entry on Belle Maison.

We are currently thinking about striking our tv watching for the summer. (which in our definition means not being glued to it--read: our DVR--for hours on end. every. night. We are fine with the occasional Dora or Sesame Street for Addison and will still "hulu" Friday Night Lights, of course. And the background noise of The Today Show or Sports Center will not hinder our focus. I know, I know, exceptions, exceptions... For us, this is still a sacrifice.)

What lead to this decision was our overdose of shows this past year and feeling so stressed out to catch up on our DVR all the time that there was no time left for our other forms of entertainment: reading, listening to music, TALKING...

For us, watching some tv is a form of bonding--we claim that we got engaged to 24; we watched the 1st season of LOST during a mutual sickness that left us couchbound during the first few months of marriage; we both love college football and basketball; the Masters (Mickelson's first win) was the first thing we ever saw on HD.

Our discipline has been compromised, and we have decided--rather impulsively although hopefully wisely--that we would go to the other extreme and cancel our HD package. Yep. We are back to basic cable. We made this decision in an attempt to simplify our lives, change some saving/spending plans we have, and make time for more meaningful kinds of entertainment. When Football Season rolls around and Fall premieres start, we may be singing a different tune.

We recently rearranged our living room when we received a new-to-us leather chair and ottomon, and we have found ourselves enjoying this room that we've dubbed "The Cove" more this week than we have in the 3 years we have lived here. Our nice tvs are upstairs in the Rec Room and in our bedroom. We've thought about selling the tv we have in here, but we are sitting on it for a little bit... so many changes so fast. :)

That said, it leads me to the question I'm now contemplating...

Should we keep our tv in the bedroom or remove it?

I like it for the following reasons:
1)I like to listen to/watch the weather, news, Today Show while I get ready in the mornings.
2) I LOVE to fall asleep to movies.

I think we should move it for other reasons:
1) I fall asleep while watch our DVR'ed shows (not an issue anymore) and then am stressed to catch up the next day.
2) If I don't fall asleep, I (and Patrick) stay up WAY too late.

I've read articles here about healthy marriages and bedroom tvs and here about Feng Shui. I've thought through the logistics of our home's layout and where I picture us spending our time once Addison moves to her "big girl" room (right next to the rec/play room). Now I'm just sitting on it some more. I'd welcome any thoughts/opinions/ideas.

Otherwise, we've had a pretty low key week--pool and playground Monday, storytime with Addison and Savannah on Tuesday with the afternoon spent helping out Linds with Sawyer and housework, my 18 wk checkup Wednesday and lunch with Patrick, the zoo yesterday with Lia and her girls, and local errands and relaxing today. We're trying to plan a getaway at the end of summer to use some free airline tickets and celebrate our upcoming 5th anniversary, but we're running out of luck and time with flights and ideas. Here are some pics from the zoo:

This is not my bedroom... sigh. I do love interior brick walls anywhere in a home though. Rather, this photo came from an entry on Belle Maison.

We are currently thinking about striking our tv watching for the summer. (which in our definition means not being glued to it--read: our DVR--for hours on end. every. night. We are fine with the occasional Dora or Sesame Street for Addison and will still "hulu" Friday Night Lights, of course. And the background noise of The Today Show or Sports Center will not hinder our focus. I know, I know, exceptions, exceptions... For us, this is still a sacrifice.)

What lead to this decision was our overdose of shows this past year and feeling so stressed out to catch up on our DVR all the time that there was no time left for our other forms of entertainment: reading, listening to music, TALKING...

For us, watching some tv is a form of bonding--we claim that we got engaged to 24; we watched the 1st season of LOST during a mutual sickness that left us couchbound during the first few months of marriage; we both love college football and basketball; the Masters (Mickelson's first win) was the first thing we ever saw on HD.

Our discipline has been compromised, and we have decided--rather impulsively although hopefully wisely--that we would go to the other extreme and cancel our HD package. Yep. We are back to basic cable. We made this decision in an attempt to simplify our lives, change some saving/spending plans we have, and make time for more meaningful kinds of entertainment. When Football Season rolls around and Fall premieres start, we may be singing a different tune.

We recently rearranged our living room when we received a new-to-us leather chair and ottomon, and we have found ourselves enjoying this room that we've dubbed "The Cove" more this week than we have in the 3 years we have lived here. Our nice tvs are upstairs in the Rec Room and in our bedroom. We've thought about selling the tv we have in here, but we are sitting on it for a little bit... so many changes so fast. :)

That said, it leads me to the question I'm now contemplating...

Should we keep our tv in the bedroom or remove it?

I like it for the following reasons:
1)I like to listen to/watch the weather, news, Today Show while I get ready in the mornings.
2) I LOVE to fall asleep to movies.

I think we should move it for other reasons:
1) I fall asleep while watch our DVR'ed shows (not an issue anymore) and then am stressed to catch up the next day.
2) If I don't fall asleep, I (and Patrick) stay up WAY too late.

I've read articles here about healthy marriages and bedroom tvs and here about Feng Shui. I've thought through the logistics of our home's layout and where I picture us spending our time once Addison moves to her "big girl" room (right next to the rec/play room). Now I'm just sitting on it some more. I'd welcome any thoughts/opinions/ideas.

Otherwise, we've had a pretty low key week--pool and playground Monday, storytime with Addison and Savannah on Tuesday with the afternoon spent helping out Linds with Sawyer and housework, my 18 wk checkup Wednesday and lunch with Patrick, the zoo yesterday with Lia and her girls, and local errands and relaxing today. We're trying to plan a getaway at the end of summer to use some free airline tickets and celebrate our upcoming 5th anniversary, but we're running out of luck and time with flights and ideas. Here are some pics from the zoo:

Church hunting

For the first time in either of our lives, Patrick and I are searching for a new church home. We grew up going to church with our parents, followed by attending church in our respective college towns, and then spent a combined 7 years in church employment. Now we have moved to a new/old town, and we must choose a place of community worship.

We thought this would be a fun, engaging, investigative process. While some of these elements have existed, it has proved a more daunting quest than we had anticipated. It's hard.

One reason it is hard is because we are programmed through our years in ministry to look for and notice certain things. Because we have sometimes known too much about the behind the scenes stuff, we are analyzing and questioning motives, agendas, and wondering about each church's "end game." We're not removed enough to really buy into much. In moments where we catch ourselves doing these things, we are embarrassed at how cynical we must have become, and we wonder if we need some more time to de-funk.

Another reason it is hard is because if we were to write down a list of what we were looking for in a church, it would include all of the things that we LOVED about our former church(es) and be the complete antithesis of the things that we LOATHED about these same churches. Are we ridiculous to believe that some such church exists? Ummm, yeah!

We are trying to readjust and relearn how God has gifted us and think through how we might use those gifts in a new place. Would we help with the youth ministry, inner city ministry, college ministry, Hispanic ministry, all of the above? In the churches that we are considering, are there such ministries in place, or would we have the passion, resolve, healing, and strength to begin one of these groups?

We are sorely missing our Lifegroup--which we essentially considered our "church." While special, new, fresh relationships are certainly exciting to think about, we know that we will not (nor do we desire to) replicate those special relationships formed from our "house church" in Montgomery.

So, our status at this point: We have visited 6 different churches. 6 Sundays=6 churches... It is really hard to wake up every Sunday morning and go to a different place. Yesterday we took an indigestion-induced break and just sort of regrouped. We have decided to pick one and visit it for about a month--try a Sunday school class, visit a small group, investigate ministries, talk with elders, still fly under the radar a bit, and then see if it is a good fit for us...

We are thankful for this time period because we know that God has strengthened our individual and combined relationships with him, and it has also reminded us and reignited in us a desire to be a part of a community of believers. We'll see where the journey takes us.

For the first time in either of our lives, Patrick and I are searching for a new church home. We grew up going to church with our parents, followed by attending church in our respective college towns, and then spent a combined 7 years in church employment. Now we have moved to a new/old town, and we must choose a place of community worship.

We thought this would be a fun, engaging, investigative process. While some of these elements have existed, it has proved a more daunting quest than we had anticipated. It's hard.

One reason it is hard is because we are programmed through our years in ministry to look for and notice certain things. Because we have sometimes known too much about the behind the scenes stuff, we are analyzing and questioning motives, agendas, and wondering about each church's "end game." We're not removed enough to really buy into much. In moments where we catch ourselves doing these things, we are embarrassed at how cynical we must have become, and we wonder if we need some more time to de-funk.

Another reason it is hard is because if we were to write down a list of what we were looking for in a church, it would include all of the things that we LOVED about our former church(es) and be the complete antithesis of the things that we LOATHED about these same churches. Are we ridiculous to believe that some such church exists? Ummm, yeah!

We are trying to readjust and relearn how God has gifted us and think through how we might use those gifts in a new place. Would we help with the youth ministry, inner city ministry, college ministry, Hispanic ministry, all of the above? In the churches that we are considering, are there such ministries in place, or would we have the passion, resolve, healing, and strength to begin one of these groups?

We are sorely missing our Lifegroup--which we essentially considered our "church." While special, new, fresh relationships are certainly exciting to think about, we know that we will not (nor do we desire to) replicate those special relationships formed from our "house church" in Montgomery.

So, our status at this point: We have visited 6 different churches. 6 Sundays=6 churches... It is really hard to wake up every Sunday morning and go to a different place. Yesterday we took an indigestion-induced break and just sort of regrouped. We have decided to pick one and visit it for about a month--try a Sunday school class, visit a small group, investigate ministries, talk with elders, still fly under the radar a bit, and then see if it is a good fit for us...

We are thankful for this time period because we know that God has strengthened our individual and combined relationships with him, and it has also reminded us and reignited in us a desire to be a part of a community of believers. We'll see where the journey takes us.

little here... little there...

I haven't had much to say this week. It seems like a lot has happened, but I've been too tired to even try to articulate it here on this blog... So, here is my week in a list.

1. Research Papers completed!!! This has been a major highlight of my week. Toward the end, the grading went faster because the papers were worse. Sad, but true.
2. Personal/Mental health day... I took Wednesday off because I couldn't deal with the jungle 5 whole days this week. It was a great day that started off with a rainy morning spent reading in the bed, a lunch date with Patrick, Mother's Day card and gift shopping, and a rainiy afternoon at Starbucks... grading research papers...
3. Babies Galore!!! First 3 new expectant mothers... now 4 new little friends! Amy Hall Reynolds is now the proud mother of Rylee Grace Reynolds; Katie Stewart Holliday gave "little Robert" a little sister, Lillian Louise Holliday (Lilly); Jennifer Corwin Brewer gave birth to little Davis Brewer; and my sweet little Shar'keia gave birth to a sweet little girl with a full head of hair! Plus, we had a baby shower for a teacher at school... babies, babies, babies!
4. I did something I never thought I would do... (see #3) I went to visit one of my 17-year-old students at the hospital after giving birth. Sweet Shar'keia, who is not only my student but also my wonderful teacher's aide, had a baby girl Thursday afternoon. I took her some "Baby's first books" to the hospital and was greeted by a room full of young women and babies. She was adorable... She will be a wonderful mother... I pray for her and that her life will be blessed. She has taken a rough path, but she is smart and kind and motivated. Her mother made me cry.
5. Read three books: A Moveable Feast, White Hot, and Promise Me. I'm currently zipping through Annie Freemen's Fabulous Traveling Funeral. Good stuff.
6. Visited the Adullum House. Last night our LIFEgroup went to the Adullum House, an orphanage/foster home that cares for children whose mothers are in Tutwiler Prison. There are 26 kids there. Last night, we cleaned the rooms and bathrooms, did laundry, and held babies. The older kids were out on a "field trip," so we had the 9 youngest to play with, feed bottles, and burp. It was truly humbling.
7. Slept in. After falling asleep last night on Kevin and Britani's floor, this morning Patrick and I slept LATE. We woke to a rainy Saturday morning, and we have just enjoyed our day together. What a blessing!

Next week my main goal is to live out my faith. I felt negative last week. Tired. Drained. I pray that my joy will shine through this upcoming week to everyone I come across. God has been good to me. I need to remember that.

I haven't had much to say this week. It seems like a lot has happened, but I've been too tired to even try to articulate it here on this blog... So, here is my week in a list.

1. Research Papers completed!!! This has been a major highlight of my week. Toward the end, the grading went faster because the papers were worse. Sad, but true.
2. Personal/Mental health day... I took Wednesday off because I couldn't deal with the jungle 5 whole days this week. It was a great day that started off with a rainy morning spent reading in the bed, a lunch date with Patrick, Mother's Day card and gift shopping, and a rainiy afternoon at Starbucks... grading research papers...
3. Babies Galore!!! First 3 new expectant mothers... now 4 new little friends! Amy Hall Reynolds is now the proud mother of Rylee Grace Reynolds; Katie Stewart Holliday gave "little Robert" a little sister, Lillian Louise Holliday (Lilly); Jennifer Corwin Brewer gave birth to little Davis Brewer; and my sweet little Shar'keia gave birth to a sweet little girl with a full head of hair! Plus, we had a baby shower for a teacher at school... babies, babies, babies!
4. I did something I never thought I would do... (see #3) I went to visit one of my 17-year-old students at the hospital after giving birth. Sweet Shar'keia, who is not only my student but also my wonderful teacher's aide, had a baby girl Thursday afternoon. I took her some "Baby's first books" to the hospital and was greeted by a room full of young women and babies. She was adorable... She will be a wonderful mother... I pray for her and that her life will be blessed. She has taken a rough path, but she is smart and kind and motivated. Her mother made me cry.
5. Read three books: A Moveable Feast, White Hot, and Promise Me. I'm currently zipping through Annie Freemen's Fabulous Traveling Funeral. Good stuff.
6. Visited the Adullum House. Last night our LIFEgroup went to the Adullum House, an orphanage/foster home that cares for children whose mothers are in Tutwiler Prison. There are 26 kids there. Last night, we cleaned the rooms and bathrooms, did laundry, and held babies. The older kids were out on a "field trip," so we had the 9 youngest to play with, feed bottles, and burp. It was truly humbling.
7. Slept in. After falling asleep last night on Kevin and Britani's floor, this morning Patrick and I slept LATE. We woke to a rainy Saturday morning, and we have just enjoyed our day together. What a blessing!

Next week my main goal is to live out my faith. I felt negative last week. Tired. Drained. I pray that my joy will shine through this upcoming week to everyone I come across. God has been good to me. I need to remember that.