July came. Went.

It’s almost embarrassing to admit how often I dream of summer during the rest of the year. It’s probably not a good thing . . . a sure sign of a lack of contentment. But I just love being outside with my children . . . all of us getting delightfully dirty, wet, or both.

I have become a daily park person. I know everyone who goes there with any regularity. They no longer gasp when my 18 month old fireball climbs to the top of the large slide without me hovering over her. Those who are seeing us for the first time inevitably jump up or look at me like I don’t have a clue. I suppose you could label me as one of “those” park moms. Yes, my children climb up the slide if no one else is waiting at the top. Maybe it’s because I’m a mom in my early twenties and well . . . I still want to climb up the slide too. And I do. We race. We play hide n’ seek in the woods and I try not to laugh out loud as I peek from behind my hiding spot while Zeke and Charis walk hand in hand trying to find me and Eden.  

Ah! Little Eden. She is the best baby. She cries seldom. I never knew they came this sweet. She’s learning all the time. Grabbing onto things . . . “talking” to me and looking intently while I talk to her. She just hangs out and goes with the flow. She weighs more at five months than either Zeke or Charis did. It’s so much fun to learn as I go . . . hopefully each baby is a little healthier than the last because of good habits formed or things learned. I really want to push through more with nursing longer unlike I did with Charis. Drinking crazy amounts of liquid is required, and some herbs along the way too, but it’s best for her and me and just a matter of making small changes that “stick.”

Luke and I had a sweet anniversary celebration. He came home with the most beautiful red roses. Charis carried them into me. They were as tall as she is and it looked so funny and sweet with her little blonde head poking around the corner to go find me. We played with the kiddos outside while everyone enjoyed ice cream bars . . . then the kiddos had fun with grandpa and grandma while Luke and I went on a date. I had so much fun just being with him.

I feel like this last year of marriage has been better than the three years before put together. We work, communicate and read each other more naturally now. I have learned a lot. The Lord has convicted me of much. He has given me wisdom and opened my eyes to truths that have set me free. Being the kind of wife that He tells me to be doesn’t have anything to do with my salvation (I can disobey and His grace is still the same. My name is still written in heaven). But obeying His Word makes this life so sweet! He is gracious and full of wisdom. His ways work . . . in every culture, family and situation. Only the true God of heaven could give instruction like that. The truth of His Word leaves me in awe of Him.

I am thankful that my parents had enough confidence in the Lord to let their 18 year old daughter get married . . . and really let her go without trying to control her life afterwards. Thank you, mom and dad! Thank you for giving me hope by encouraging purity in the light of marriage. When I was 16, I remember so clearly my mom saying, “If the right guy comes along I’d be ok with you being a relationship. You’re ready for marriage.” Maybe she was kicking herself later for that . . . I don’t know. J This wave of delayed marriage (in the church and outside of the church) is so frustrating . . . so different than God’s design. Of course, young marriage is not for everyone. I’m glad that my husband didn’t get married young . . . I wasn’t ready for him when he was twenty and I was five! J I am beyond grateful that I get to be married to him. I got the absolute best when I got him. He is so balanced. Stable. Way intelligent. Creative. A lover of God. A hard worker. Fun to be around. When I said this all at 18 everyone just thought I was a little girl infatuated. But alas, he really is wonderful. I think so even more now than I did at the beginning.


Zeke’s birthday was at the end of July.  Three years went by way fast . . . I so love this little boy. He is tender and creative. He’s all boy but not in a shoot em’ up kind of way. He’s more the one to design and build. Like his daddy. Boy would I be happy if he grew up to be like my loving, tender, compassionate . . . yet “strong leader” husband. Zeke was really obsessed with screw drivers and screws for a while. He spotted everything around the house that had a screw in it to unscrew and see how it all went together. Light switch covers (we put the kibosh on that oneJ), kick plates under exterior doors, any electronic device that uses batteries, the strollers  . . . I never realized how much of our things contain screws. His new obsession is the snails that live outside at the end of our driveway . . . now affectionately known as “Goldie” and “David.”

Trying to light the candles outside in the wind. Zeke decides to help out. :-)

This little boy really makes me smile. I am forever finding him singing. He sings to Eden so sweetly and all on his own with no prompting on my part. He’ll snuggle and share his blanket with her.

Zeke was very insistent on having a “blue doggy cake” for his birthday party. No problem . . . until I read this article on food dyes. Yuk! Knowledge is so very inconvenient at times. So I placed an order for a natural food dye. It came a couple days before his party . . . in black. I tried to convince him that he really wanted a black dog cake . . . Luke even got creative and talked about how cool a black dog with blue eyes would be. That one got him. He said he was fine with the black dog with blue eyes. Until the next morning. Then it was the insistent, “No, blue one!” hahaha. It was funny. Grandma pulled through for him and went to a local health store . . . they had natural food dyes. So blue it was. It looked more like a bear than a dog to me but my husband insisted that I go to bed and stop working on it! *smiles* I’m glad someone has some sense around here.             
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
Summarizing an entire month in a single post is probably a little unproductive, eh? Oh well, I’ll go back and read it someday and remember what these days were like. They are good.

So good.