Memorial Day weekend

 Corn husking and lake swimming

Joel turns 2

 Charles birthday was on Monday and he just turned two. it was memorial day, so we went to a little parade honoring veterans and then went to the park for a little bit. I was hosting a staff dinner in the evening so big brother Jeremiah made his birthday cake all by himself. He did a great job I'm even making a road and putting trucks and tractors on it, some of Joel's favorite things.Joel is growing up to be a cute little boy. He loves balls and trucks and tractors and buses. He often runs to the window and points out all the buses and trucks and cars. He loves to keep up with everyone else and wants to be outside. He loves to play in the dirt and loves tractors. we are so thankful for this busy little boy. We are working hard on the command come in the season and working on Joel obeying mommy's word.

Gettysburg

 What a beautiful day to visit Gettysburg with my college roomie Sara and watch the video at the cyclorama and also drive through some of the battlefields and visit devil's den as well as little round top and climb on lots of rocks and see cannons!!!  It brought back lots of childhood memories and PA is one beautiful state!!!  We even had Hosses for dinner, brings back memories.

Rehearsal

Girls Tea Day!

 Yesterday, we drove through beautiful country to a Tea house.  It truly was a refreshing day and the drive through beautiful rolling hills and farmland refreshed me!  We got our nails done and enjoyed time together.

Mother's Day

 Mother's Day 2019. The Weekend turn out completely different than I had expected. The day was much harder than I anticipated. Mother's Day this year consisted of taking care of a very sick almost two year old oh, I'm being coughed on, cleaning up messes oh, barely getting to church to teach and running a sick baby home. I am so thankful for the many gifts that God has given me and my kids and yet I have to admit on Sunday I was struggling with the hardness of motherhood. Friday night when I was up with Joel who had croup and was wheezing and coughing I kept thinking of John Piper sermon, motherhood is a call to suffer. And yet, though it may be a different suffering then persecuted believers around the world are facing, it is a stripping of self and self reliance and something that makes me depend on God more. Motherhood.  is not an easy calling but I feel like above all things it is one that has sanctified me the most. God has used it repeatedly to reveal the idols of self in my heart and desires that I want above God. And so for that I am thankful that God continues even this weekend to use it to strip away things and make me more like Christ. I am so grateful for the work God has called me and I continued to be reminded and need reminded that he is at work and helping me with a high calling to Shepherd my kids and raise them to know Christ.I do have a deep-seated burden for moms that we would see our role as Kingdom builders and not insignificant in the kingdom of God. A few years ago, I was reading a book called The Invisible Woman and was reminded again of how we are building little cathedrals. We may not see the effect of our work for years to come or we may never see it but God sees and he is helping us build a build little cathedrals to the glory of God.

The country

He went over to a friend's house that has a lovely Creek in a pool and the kids enjoy preaching as well as climbing their big pine trees. Jeremiah keeps talking about climbing those trees.