Surprised in 2012

I've been feeling introspective and thankful lately for lots of things that have happened this year, especially for the surprising things. Here's a list of 'em:

• We had to replace our Buick after wrecking it, and found a new (used) car, a Subaru Outback, which has been such a blessing...except for the few times it's needed repairs, although even those could be considered blessings since having it repaired means AJ gets to spend some quality time with Brian, our trustworthy Subaru Outback expert, who happens to be one of AJ's close friends. (See? Another example of how Jesus takes our sad circumstances and makes them beautiful.)

•We moved into a new home, a house we're renting with our friends Tia & Stephanie. It's got a spacious kitchen/dining area, a fenced backyard, space for a garden (hope to grow in that area this next year), and it's just a block away from the church where AJ works. This means he can come home for lunch and we can walk to church. It has been a tremendous blessing for our family!

•We found out we're having a baby GIRL in the spring! I was convinced we were going to have a boy, but I should never trust my inklings in this situation because I've been wrong both times! I must say, we're thrilled about welcoming a girl into this family, and I'm in the middle of purging excess stuff to make room for her. Gotta have space for all the shoes, right?

•Finally, a welcome surprise was the news that my in-laws are going to be moving to our area to pastor the church I attended in college!! We're going to have family living close by, something we've never experienced in all our (four) married years. It's been hard but good to be so far away from family because it caused AJ and me to depend on God, each other, and our church family from the beginning of our life together. Change is exciting, though! I am already feeling the benefits of this blessing, knowing that when baby girl arrives, Ransom will have grandparents to stay with when I'm in the hospital. How comforting to know we will have them close by and that our kids will grow up with family near by, something I have hoped for!

It's been a good year, and I'm looking forward to the new things to come. We have so much to be thankful for!

Happy New Year!

Camping

Last week we went camping with the youth group about church. AJ organized everything and he did all of the cooking too! It was a blast, and Ransom do so well. There was a mad Midwest-style thunderstorm our first night out and the little boy slept straight through it, though his parents has a bit of insomnia. :)

Late Tuesday Night

Tuesday nights are band practice nights for AJ, girls Small group night for me. After the girls leave and I put Ransom to bed, I am able to indulge in a little quiet time until AJ comes home. Some nights this means baking projects, reading, bubble baths, movie (or the Mary Tyler Moore Show) watching, or art making (tonight's activity for me).
Earlier tonight I felt defeated, ineffective for Jesus, doubtful that my life was making any difference, especially in my role as AJ's ministry partner and as an older sister/friend/encourager/mentor for the girls in the youth group. In the moment of texting my sister about my insecurities, one of the girls unexpectedly knocked on the door, arriving for small group. She brought me a latte...a soy lavender latte, which she remembered was a favorite of mine. Wow. Holy shark bait, Batman! I felt known and loved, not just by her, but by my faithful, oh so on time God.
Side notes:
::my mama and daddy left Saturday and we had a delightful time with them
::last week I went strawberry picking three times (with Jamie and mum and dad) and it was splendid...how many more trips can I get in, I wonder...
::Girls group tonight went well, and I feel like I am getting to know these girls better
::AJ and I are reading "Parenting by the Book" together do we can get some biblical wisdom on the terrific twos that Ransom will be entering into soon
::I let Ransom play with my color swatches tonight and he made a game out of sliding them through his baby gate, and I slid them through the other side, creating a repetitive game :)
::AJ is continuing to enjoy cooking shows (watching Master Chef and checking out Jamie Oliver cookbooks are fuel for the fire) and has plans to make brioche, ketchup, and ravioli soon...he started making pasta from scratch this weekend
::I yearn to be more effective for Jesus, even in my often isolated life at home with a baby, and am struggling to understand how it can work...I must not (as Liz said) belittle this calling to be at home with him, because this is kingdom work too

Strawberry Picking

My mama and daddy are in town. We were able to spend Fathers Day with my dad (the first time in years for me)! Yesterday they were able to visit church with us and hear Andrew lead worship, meet our friends, and have lunch with our honorary Poet family.
This morning we did some serious strawberry picking. Dad carried Ransom in the backpack and Ransom chatted happily from there while we picked. When we had filled our containers I let Ransom roam in the patch a little while and when he grasped the concept of picking berries, there was no stopping him! Dirt, bruised berries and stems didn't interfere with his snacking! :)

Celebrating Life: AJ turns 26

Yesterday I threw a surprise birthday party for AJ's 26th. It worked! He had no clue! There were a few girls over from our youth group for our regularly scheduled small group, so it seemed like a normal night until people started arriving, and we rearranged the furniture to accommodate the crowd in our little apartment, and snacks food and Martinelli's started appearing. He had no idea (a big success, I tell you)!
There was a cheese ball and baked Alaska for my dairy deprived husband and his friends. And the look on his face as I brought him baked Alaska with a candle in it with everyone singing makes me think he knows he's loved. Oh, good.
I don't have a single picture from the party. Instead I took pictures of snapshots of little AJ that I decorated with. I love the one of him in his little suit, the one with his cute double chin grin, the one with his dad baptizing him.
Happy birthday Andrew. I love you!

Who's that boy?

This week we cut off all Ransom's hair. The curls at the back of his neck and the problematic hair in his eyes are gone, and I'm left thinking, Who is that kid?!

Before:

 After:

I do love seeing his forehead now. There were expressions we were missing out on because his hair covered his eyebrows. And I like seeing his very boyish hairline. 

He looks like a mini version of AJ with my eyes and with chubby cheeks! :)

Beauty and the First Lady

Politics aside, I have a heart for the First Lady, Michelle Obama. It's not just because of the pretty dresses she wears, the importance she places on military families, good nutrition, and exercise. It pleases my romantic sensibilities whenever I see a picture of her with her husband and they're holding hands; I want their marriage to succeed. Something tugs at my heart when I think of her and her family of four. I see pictures of them dressed up and going to church and my heart hopes, but at the same time sinks. I want faith in Jesus to be real for them, not a veneer to impress potential voters, which is what I fear might be happening. I want a Jesus revelation to move the hearts and actions of the President and his Lady, not political game strategies. But I don't know the hearts of Barak and Michelle. What I see isn't the whole picture. So, I'm reminded to pray for them, something I don't do often enough.
Jesus, please stir things up in the Obama family. Place strategic relationships in their lives. Protect them, and let them know it is you who watches over them, who gives them breath and life. When they get dressed up and go to church, make it a physical representation of their desire to bring their best to you, to offer themselves to you as living sacrifices, doing the good works you prepared in advance for them to do. I pray for Damascus road experiences for both Barak and Michelle, and that you will open their eyes to see your plans at work. Let them align themselves with your plans, Jesus, not their own, not a political party. Bring people in their lives who are true friends to encourage them and to challenge them, who will stick with them when things are messy. Let them be dazzled by you, Jesus, not by big names, big money, big titles. Make their desire be to honor you.
God, may the glimpses of beauty I see in the First Lady become more frequent, coming from a deepening love for Jesus and a desire to let it be unto her according to Your will.
Your ways are higher than ours. Amen!

(Picture found at: http://mrs-o.com/newdata/2009/2/25/isnt-she-lovely.html )