. . . just no brains for blogging

I have been operating in "survival" mode for a couple of months now . . . which means that I do what needs doing and nothing beyond. That negates blogging. But alas, I have received a loving request for an update and feel compelled to comply because I like the person who requested. ;-)

Actually, a lot has happened in a month! We're expecting our third child, though the news is well circulated by now. I'm over the shock I think. Excited. Very. :-) My grand plans of nursing a lot and introducing solids later than typical to provide "nice" recovery time between children was changed by Someone who has better plans than I.

All hope for my kidney condition to be "fixed" by preventive surgery had faded and I was left a little confused. Pain is a part of living in a fallen world and I am okay with that. But what was God saying by it? "Stop having children?" or "You can't do this without me, Allison . . . and here is a pain that makes you incapacitated just in case you start to forget?" *laughter* Luke and I weren't quite sure. We prayed about not having more children. I told Luke, "I want to be yielded to what He has for us . . . but if it was up to me I would want more . . . and more than one more." :-) From the first time that Luke and I discussed children neither of us were stuck to a number or determined to have as many as possible. :-) We simply thought that Christ should be Lord over it . . . just like everything else in our lives. So we agreed that we would delight ourselves in Him and wait for Him to take the desire for more children away if He chose to.

He did not so choose. :-) Instead He worked against the odds. It looks like I will have babies almost exactly one year apart with a mischievous two and a half year old to keep things laughable.

Hence, me living in survival mode at the beginning of this pregnancy.

I have come to believe that the art of motherhood is in learning to live happily exhausted.

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As for other fun things in life . . .

Luke and I celebrated our third anniversary. My husband is always so sweet about remembering everything and planning something for us to do. He always gives me options. He lists out ideas for the day . . . including where we would go and where we could eat out or picnics we could pack. It always takes me hours to decide what we should do. Every anniversary before we have gone to the beach. This year it won again and we took the kids with us. Charis pretty well has to go where we go and we knew Zeke would enjoy it so we loaded 'em up and had the greatest time together.

Zeke saw the ocean (for the first time since he was 2 months old) and started laughing and running toward the water. It reminded me of myself. The ocean just does that to me. It always compels me to run. To get wet. To laugh and get dirty and act like a kid. It was so fun to do it with my little boy.

It was a sweet quiet day of celebrated what God did in bringing us together. I don't think that I will ever get over how many great and awesome things the Lord did and how He glorified Himself through it all . . . not because of me but in spite of me. The beginning of our relationship through to our early marriage was the hardest time I had ever walked through. Life is never what we think it is going to be. But God does all things well.

I know that I didn't fully realize what He was giving me in Luke when we got married . . . or I may have tried to convince Luke that he could do better than me. :-) It's the little things that make me respect him and some silly things make me fall in love with him over and over again.

Like when he prays about something that I consider "small" and God always seems to show us something through it and answer his simple request. His faith is strong.

Like realizing that he really hasn't known the Lord for a long period of time but he knows way more about Scripture than I do and leads in such a real way. Not hour long devotions or pious prayers. Just a simple chapter morning and evening not because he has to but because he has a desire to please the Lord and keep his thoughts focused on truth. His consistency in coming before the Lord with me has been a rock of stability in an ever changing time.

Like never growing weary of loving a wife who is pregnant half her life and sick the rest. (Well . . . not really but it feels like it right now!) A man who comes home, sees that you are exhausted, is grateful that you got a simple dinner on the table and does the dishes for you.

Like letting me be me and smile at me when he sees my passionate and dramatic side. Encouraging me to start new things or learn whatever catches my attention.

I love that he does so many things so well. I trust him more than I trust myself to do just about everything. Even selecting my produce, flowers, and clothing. :-) He has the greatest taste.

I love the times when we are driving together and say nothing and it's okay.

I cherish the nights that we lay in bed and talk . . . and talk . . . and talk. 'Cause we are best friends and there seems to be no end to learning about each other and sharing our thoughts.

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Okay. Enough ramblings of a tired pregnant girl. :-)

Photos from Zeke's birthday and our camping trip last week will have to come later . . .