Life is a challenging thing. It can be so blissfully wonderful and it can be so devastatingly horrible. While one might say (and I might agree) that this does create a sense of balance over a lifetime, the ups and downs are not so balancing when there are many of both within just a few short weeks. Then it becomes a roller coaster at the end of which you're simply dizzy, exhausted and sick. It's different than those ones at a fair, 'cuse you don't have seat belts.
This has been our life since just before Easter. We have been so encouraged by the response to a difficult book study with church members and then devastated by a meeting had with Jonathan where there was a sense of "you don't want to know "...or what?" if you don't do what we ask". We had the extreme high of FINALLY getting a positive pregnancy test. I was sleeping 3 hours every afternoon and was so excited to be feeling pregnant again. About two weeks later, a miscarriage was confirmed. We're all doing well at this point and moving forward.
We have our bundle of energy, Joseph, who gives us so much joy and keep us moving fast! Every day he seems to all of sudden learn new things. Two nights ago, he ran into the kitchen, opened the fridge door (never done that before) and came running back to us with an apple in his hand! He is an exceptionally polite 2 year old (if I do say so myself, due to me being a p's&q's drill sargent)--to the point that last night at 9:45pm when we said "15 more minutes then time for bed" he said "No thank you". (I'm sure some of you are thinking...2 year old going to bed at 10pm?!?! Well, he went down for a nap at 1:20pm and didn't get out of bed until almost 8:30pm..make more sense now?)
The other thing that we are VERY distracted with is that out of some of the frustration with the church, we have decided to start an evening service that is going to be very simple, but allow for many more freedoms (i.e. we don't HAVE to sing 2 songs, then a reading then 1 song, then announcements then 1 song then sermon). It's a big endeavor and Jon and I are basically tackling it alone, intentionally for a few reasons. One is so not to burden already overburdened volunteers and also to avoid a "too many hands in the pot ruins the stew" situation. This may very well mean, and so far looks like it will be, me signing/leading worship with a DVD with back tracks and Jon running the powerpoint and then we switch for his sermon. We really believe that it has lots of potential, but I do believe it will start very small. We have a few strong supporters in the church that we are trying not to depend on, but are eternally grateful for. We are set to have this new service begin this coming Sunday.
Coming up in our lives will be very busy but very promising for lots of happiness. We are having long missed company this weekend and then within 48 hours of them leaving, more company comes, for a week!!!!! My roomie's coming!! (her fiance, too) and I can't wait! I hardly ever get to see them and am so happy that they will be getting married out here next year, and we are located in a good central place for them to stay at while they nail down wedding plans. We have so many of our dearest friends that live, not just far away, but on-the-other-side-of-the country-far-away. Ugh. Now in the matter of a few days, I'll get to see 3 out of 9! I'll take it!
I know it has been so long since I posted, but now you know why. Here are a couple of new pictures. Thanks to my wonderful husband and best friend of 20+ years, Sarah, I am able to enjoy an amazing new camera that I had convinced myself we couldn't get for a long time. I'm so excited to start putting in to practice what I've been teaching myself about digital photography. We have learned so well how vital the right tools are to do something. Having had my camera broken for over a year, I'm so grateful for it!
My love.
Father's Day!
My little boy is growing up so fast!
