New Season

New seasons are always exciting.  The Lord is beginning a new season in our life... 

We will be moving to New Hampshire in the next couple of weeks to begin pastoring a church there.

We are excited and looking forward to how the Lord will use our family in the North.

I will be back to normal blogging in a week or two!

Trips

We have been to Birmingham to visit with our families and then we went to New Hampshire for several days.  It has been a busy time, but lots of fun.  I'm not on my computer, so this is a short post with just a couple of pictures.  I will be back with more details and pictures soon!

Abby, Mom, Anna Claire, and Kyndal

LOVE this picture!  Having some fun at the beach!

Swimming

Lately we have been doing lots of swimming.  We went with Nina and Lexie on Tuesday.  After being there for about an hour, a nasty storm started brewing.  Wednesday morning we went with Lisa, Blaire, Abigail, and Jadyn.  Abigail and Jadyn are 2 of 4 children and their family are missionaries in Jordan.  They are here on furlow.  They are a precious family.

Anna Claire loves the water now!

Abby, Blaire, Kyndal, and Abigail

Jadyn and Anna Claire!  (Jadyn loved playing with AC and AC loved her too)

When you ask her if she wants to go swimming, she says wa-wa over and over, it's so cute!

Tuesday night, Craig made some home made ice cream and Anna Claire got her own bowl and she was hilarious to watch once it was all gone.  She was trying to get every last drop!

Thoughts

I went to a Ladies Praise Night Monday night at a church here in town.  Mark Hall, lead singer of Casting Crowns was singing.  He is the son of the Music Minister at that church.  It was a good time.

During the concert and afterwards I was thinking about how events like that might encourage people spiritually.  For some ladies, they are single, single parents, the spiritual leader for their family, or the only spiritually person in the family.  We all come from different walks of life, non better than others, just different.

I was raised in a Christian home, my mom was the spiritual leader for as long as I can remember.  My parents divorced when I was 14 and that was Very difficult to go through for many years.  With time, maturing, but most of all God, I grew and learned so much about relationships.  I was blessed to grow up in the home I did, and SO very thankful.  I would say I lived a pretty sheltered life.  I think in some ways that is good and some ways not so much.  Being around things (what we would think of as bad things) helps you learn to have more compassion for folks.  I've learned to have lots of compassion, but always growing in this area.

My point here is that in thinking about those things last night, the Lord revealed to me so clearly, that I am truly blessed beyond words with the man He has placed in my life as my husband, pastor, preacher, father of my children, and spiritual leader.  I see in others how hard, difficult, and lonely it can be to long for a husband who desires spiritual things. Of course, as everyone, we have difficult times, but I'm so thankful that Craig truly seeks to walk closer with Jesus every single day.  What a blessing, may I never take it for granted!

Excited to spend the evening in fellowship with other ladies!

Blessings

She said her bear wanted some juice too!

Putting on a show for us on the 4th!

Too precious!  Memories I never want to forget!

Shelling peas!

A night golf lesson in the front yard with Daddy!

Beware of Anna Claire if there are any markers or crayons around!

She will write on anything and everything!

There are some days when being a mom is exhausting, or overwhelming, or just plain hard, but ALWAYS a blessing.  I love these girls and I love my God even more for allowing me the privilege to be their mom. 

4th of July Fun

We went to some sweet folks house to spend the day at the pool with friends.  It was a good time!  Anna Claire finally decided to try out the pool and she actually really liked it!  Funny girl.  We had church service last night and after that we went to watch fireworks that were suppose to begin at 9 pm.  So at 9:15 we decided to leave because there were no fireworks.  They started shooting them at 9:18, so we only saw a few.  O well, AC was getting really tired anyways and we beat the traffic!!!

Craig chillin!

Not too sure about the pool just yet!

Sweet Kyndal Beth

Sweet Abby Hannah

Splashing

She needed a juice break out in that heat!!!

Daddy with his girls!

Very thankful to all the men and women who serve our country well and to their families who make such sacrifices.  Most thankful for Jesus Christ who paid the ultimate sacrifice on the Cross!

Fun in the Ham

We got to have some fun with cousins while in the Ham last week.  We met up with the Little's for lunch, some park time, which didn't last to terribly long because it was terribly HOT, and Yogurt Mountain.  The big girls went back home with them for the afternoon to play.  It was all alot of fun and nice to get to visit with everyone.

This is a really nice park, but the equipment was too hot to play on!

Take 1

Take 2, good enough!

This is the part at YoMo where everyone was probably wishing we would leave!!!

Welcome Baby Maddox

My sister gave birth to her sweet baby boy on Wednesday afternoon after a short (very long for her) delivery.  Her epidural didn't work after the third try.  Same happened when she had her daughter.  Maddox came quickly though.  He is just so precious and a good baby.  We were so happy to get to go and visit for a couple of days.

The beautiful mommy!

The Big sister, Marley!  She did tell me I could take him home with me.  Later she changed her mind and said I could have him during the day, but they needed him at night!!!  Funny girl!

Miller, family of 4!!!

Mommy and her babies!!!  What a blessing:)