The Hiatus...

Sorry for the absence. I took a little hiatus from the blogging world for a couple weeks. Partially just more consumed living life than blogging about it. And partially because of the Olympics. Okay, mostly because of the Olympics. Once Jake is out for the night, we shamefully curl up on the couch and watch 3-4 hours of coverage. Okay, not shamefully - it's justified when it only happens every 4 years, right? There's just something about the Olympics. I have a serious competitive bone in me (not always my most endearing quality, I admit.) I suddenly care a whole lot about sports I normally know nothing about...simply because I want the US to win. And darn you China, how are you still in the medal count race? I still have faith we'll pull away in the end. So there you have it...my excuse for not blogging.

I know I still have several blogs to catch up on...specifically the family reunion that took place almost a month ago. It's on my list, along with several others. In case you haven't caught on to this already, there was basically no point to this post except to keep it from being two straight weeks between posts. So, to make a point...I'll include a picture of our handsome little buddy. Plus, I'm sure the grandparents are needing their fix. More to come soon.

Mommyhood Lesson #453...

I get kind of anxious on Sunday nights. Why Sunday nights, you ask? Because that means Josh goes back to work the next morning. Before you start forming your opinion about how spoiled, ungrateful, dramatic, {insert your critical thought here} I am, let me explain.

I am so very grateful that I get to stay at home with Jake. I do treasure the time I get, just him and me. I know this is a privilege. A blessing. I do see it that way. But that doesn't mean it isn't difficult. That doesn't mean it isn't draining. And that doesn't mean it isn't lonely sometimes. I admit - I really look forward to the weekends when I have Josh's help, but even more than that, his company.

At the end of June, we got to take a long vacation visiting friends in Searcy, then visiting my parents and spending time on the lake in Mountain Home. It was amazing. But (as I'm sure you can guess where I'm going with this), I started to get anxious towards the end of the trip. I knew I was going from 10 days of having lots of help and plenty of company to it just being me and Jake again. But as the Lord often does, He gave me the perfect word at the perfect time.

I borrowed a devotional from my mom while I was in MH {of which I now own a copy} and the morning before we left, I read this...

"As you get out of bed in the morning, be aware of My Presence with you. You may not be thinking clearly yet, but I am. Your early morning thoughts tend to be anxious ones until you get connected with Me. Invite Me into your thoughts by whispering My Name. Suddenly your day brightens. You cannot dread a day that is vibrant with My Presence." ...

"You cannot dread a day that is vibrant with My Presence." I know this is a basic truth, but it really hit me. How can I dread a day that I get to spend with my Savior? Why should I feel lonely when He promises me that I'm never alone? I keep repeating that statement to myself (repetition is key for this hard-headed gal), clinging to the truth in it, and it really has helped.

Okay, let's be real about it. This doesn't mean I've checked the box on this struggle and moved on. Unfortunately, I learn things the hard way most times in my life, so I have to keep reminding myself of this daily. This truth just really encouraged me, so I thought I'd share it with others. Whether it's the loneliness and monotony of being a SAHM (Stay-At-Home-Mom) or anxiety you feel about work, family, money {insert your struggle here}, invite Him in. And I mean, really invite Him in. We cannot dread a day that is vibrant with His Presence!

(In case you are curious, #453 was a number I made up. Just sounded good. But I'm sure I've learned at least that many lessons about parenting, myself, my sinful nature, my insecurities, etc. since Jake has been here. Here's to many, many more!) :)

Home Sweet K7...

So I still needed to post about our 4th of July trip up to visit kamp. I had this idea to yes, post some pics from the day's festivities, but also write a little blurb about this place that will, in its own way, always be home. I haven't written anything about kamp yet on the blog, so I figured this was the perfect opportunity. 

Then yesterday, I was catching up on some of my friends' blogs and read this post by my friend Mary. She literally pulled the idea right out of my head. Great minds think alike, right? Except she is an extremely talented writer, so she put it in the perfect words...way more beautifully than I ever could. So, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, I am stealing it right off her blog and "tweaking" it/adding to it to fit our story. No need to change perfection. :) Thanks Mary, for making this so much easier on me. And thanks for your beautiful words - you have a gift. (In case you haven't been over to her blog, she is not only a talented writer, but also a photographer. Check it out.)

It started in the summer of 2003. I even remember the exact date - May 19th. I drove out to {literally} the middle of nowhere Missouri, having no idea what I was getting myself into. I was terrified yet sure that this was where the Lord wanted me. Little did I know that K-Seven was going to be my "home" much longer than the month I first signed on for. And little did I know that it would literally change the direction of my entire future (husband and all.) :)

My summers at this camp were sweet years that I cannot put a value on. I believe that all of life is a process in making us who we are to be but I also believe some serve a greater purpose to that end. Those years and that place are more precious to me that I can express so I won’t even try. Moving to NWA over a year ago and leaving the Ozarks in the rear view was without a doubt what was next in our life. We believe that wholeheartedly and refuse to look back. However, one thing will always be true. Deep in the Ozarks, tucked away in the hills, there is a little kamp on Tablerock Lake that will always feel like home. The colors are red, blue and yellow. The houses are teepees, marked by years of kids who wanted to leave their legacy, just hoping to be remembered. The entertainment is void of iPods, Wiis, Angry Birds and Halo, replaced with bows and arrows, canoes, and slip n’ slides. The fashion trend is mis-matched and make-up less with the coolest kids wearing crazy costumes that make no sense and at the same time make perfect sense. The forecast is somewhat unpredictable except generally mornings are crisp and the evenings are thick with humidity. The relationships built are life-long, even though so little of your life is actually spent together. You’d never know that though as those few weeks/months seem to carry more weight than years anywhere else. You see in this little world, the stage is one of pure and simple joy. Laughter is the soundtrack. Smiles are the wardrobe. Children and staff are the actors. But above all, growth is the story.

It’s a place where faith is cultivated. Wounds can be mended. Fears are overcome. Comfort zones are left behind. Leaps are taken. And lives are changed. Lives like mine.

I am so very grateful for this "home" in the hills. I'm grateful for the friends and memories this place will always hold. I'm also grateful that we live close enough to visit occasionally. Though our visit on the 4th (for the K7 Leadership Reunion) was only for a few hours, it was refreshing to come home with a small taste of kamp. As our friend described it, we truly felt like kids on Christmas morning - that's how excited we were.  

 Annual 4th of July Parade

Zoey and Mo...miss them both.

Brad, Bodie, Jake, and Josh

Old and new leadership girls

 

Me and Jenni - she's a favorite. :)

 

Me with 2 of Jenni's girls - Ruby & Zoey. They're the sweetest.

 Me & Cat - another favorite.
(We were co's in TP 1 way back in the day. Maybe someday I'll bust out some old pictures on here.)

Sweet Little Laugh...

Sorry for another absence. We just got back from a family reunion in Chicago (yes, one more thing to post about...I am hoping to get caught up on all these within the week...fingers crossed.) It was such a blessing reconnecting with everyone, but we are wiped! So for now, I leave you with a quick video of Jake from a couple weeks ago. Josh has him laughing all the time. Of course, by the time I get my camera out, he isn't laughing quite as hard, but it's still precious! His belly laugh seriously makes my heart just want to explode. I. LOVE. IT. Enjoy...

Hope something made you laugh today. :)

Lake Days...

While visiting my folks in Mountain Home, we got to spend multiple days out on the lake. It was so nice, especially since it was pushing 105 most days we were there. And my mom was sweet enough to take Jake back for a nap after we were out on the boat for a couple hours so Josh and I could stay out a little longer, just the two of us. It was perfect. There's just something about being out on the lake. It's my happy place.

And I think we've passed our obsession with the water onto Jake...or so it seems so far. He loves the water and LOVED the boat. We made the mistake of letting him "drive" with Daddy within the first few minutes of our first outing and that's all he wanted to do the rest of the time. Sure wish we lived closer so we could enjoy more lake days. Thankful for the few that we had!

 

Look at that face. Pure joy.

Searcy Visit...

We spent the first 3 days of our little family get-away visiting friends in Searcy. That was over 2 weeks ago now, but I still wanted to post a few pics from our trip. We love that we have been able to maintain so many of those relationships over the years - it's hard to believe we've been gone almost 4 years now. The only complaint we have is that it's impossible to see everyone we'd like to while we are there (especially now w/ Jake.) Thankfully, a lot of the Searcy folks are crazy Razorback fans (yes, ask Josh...they are CRAZY) so they travel up for games quite often. Yay for more visits! These people really are like family - we're so thankful for the season of life we got to spend with them.

Jake and Stacy while having lunch with the Featherston's and Woodruff's. Kind of weird though that Jake was the only kid there. Times have changed!

One of my old small group girls, Laura Beth, with Jake. Beautiful girl, inside and out.

 Andrew and Jake. Pretty sure Andrew has grown like a foot every time we come back.

Trace and Jake. (Trace was the other boy name we were choosing between for Jake. We literally decided on Jake about 5 hours before he was born. Still fond of the name Trace, for obvious reasons!)

 

Susan, Jake, and Trace. LOVED our time with the Neaville's. Truly is home away from home.

 

Excited that Trace will be up here next year at the U of A. He was so great with Jake. 

  Abigail and Jake. She was two when we moved to Searcy...makes me feel old.

Hannah, Morgan, and Jake. These girls have grown up so much since we left.

 Caught a sweet moment of Jen & Jake.

 The Massey's with Jake (oh, and Drake too.) Miss all of you.

Getting closer...

Sorry for the long absence. We've been out of town on and off for the past 2 weeks, visiting friends and family in Searcy, Mtn. Home, and up at kamp. That also means I have lots of catching up to do on the blog. So my posts will be at least a week behind when they actually happened, but better late than never, right? 

Anywho...while I'm working on uploading and editing photos from the past 2 weeks, I figured I'd leave you with a quick video in the meantime. Our little man is getting so close to walking. He discovered this toy while we were visiting Nanna and Pops, and he loved it! They were kind enough to let us bring it back to our place, and he takes it all over the house. Shouldn't be too long before he's walking without it. :)