This Boy I Love

playing with cousins Nathan and Maggie:
Well, Jonah is growing into quite the sweet big brother. Life with him right now is really fun! He's fascinated with animals still, but here in the last few weeks, he's not been playing with them imaginatively like he had been doing every day for months and months. He's super interested in learning about them though. As we're nearing his fourth birthday, I'm really seeing pieces of the fun to come! I think I'm going to like age four! He's been really sweet lately. Once he got past the three and a half mark, things have been going a lot smoother. I definitely think his temper is his biggest issue, but, thankfully, we've been seeing it come out less often the last few months. That's not to say it doesn't still come out at times! But less often is great with me. The Lord knows I've needed some glimpses into the fruit of training, and there have been some great glimpses here recently! Earlier this week, as I was buckling his carseat, he reached out and hugged my neck and said, "I love you, Princess Mommy." I almost died. I'm so in love.

I told Joel this week that I'm just now starting to feel like a mother of two. Not that this past year hasn't had its share of parenting craziness. It has. But Parker is just now on the verge of being a real little person in our family! Up until now, her needs have been those basic babycare needs. Now her personality will be blooming, and we'll be gaining insights into what her strengths and weaknesses are and where she'll need the most direction. It's hitting me now that I have TWO hearts to shepherd! Two little people to not just keep alive but really parent. It's going to be so interesting around here in the coming months! But I really am excited about it. And to see how Jonah and Parker's relationship grows through these months of learning to really live and play together and get along. It will surely have its bumps, but I'm ready!

This weekend is the big weekend - my cousin Lacey's wedding. It's busy around these parts. The festivities will not only be physically exhausting on all four of us, but it is very emotional for me too. These weeks leading up to it have been tiring, but they have been a joy as well. I've been so grateful to have a place in this wedding, to love on my cousin and serve her as best I can. It really has been a pleasure. But I think we might be crashing this time next week! My biggest concerns are that I don't cry my head off up on stage during the ceremony and that Jonah goes down the aisle like he's supposed to without causing a disturbance of any kind. He will be with his cousins. And he will have a bell in hand. That's enough to terrify me. This would not be a good week for anybody in our family to get sick either, so I'm really praying against that. Below is a picture of me and Lacey at a wonderful, fun shower for her and Ben last weekend in Athens, and the other picture is of the ugliest, tastiest cupcakes I made for a lingerie shower I hosted for her a couple of weeks ago.



On a different note, our family mission trip to Mexico has been cancelled due to the violence that's threatening and victimizing many along the border. While I trust God's involvement in this and am grateful for my babies to be protected from the danger, it is rather disappointing. It's a hard thing for me to grapple with - when you experience God leading you down a path only to find the road ends sooner than you expected. I know He knows the reason, and that's good enough for me. But I can't say I'm not sad about how things worked out. I'm definitely disappointed here.