After a two-month (plus) “sabbatical”, I wonder…is it worth trying to start again? This blog and I…our relationship is anything but consistent. Yet it sticks around. Thanks, DRRF, thanks for providing a blank page for me even when I forget to write.  I’d promise to be more faithful, but we both know it would be pie-crust (easy to make, easy to crumble).  I’d try to fill in the gaps of time, but where would I even begin.  I know you’ll forgive me.  And if even if you don’t…that’s the beauty of this relationship, it continues anyway.

So, here we go.  I promise to post more pictures, funny stories, and antics soon, but first I need to set the stage a bit for a big change you’ll see on this little piece of the web.

Exactly one week after my last post, I had an awesome weekend at the beach with some lovely ladies.  Sadly, I carried my camera everywhere and took exactly zero pictures.  You’ll have to believe me that it was a perfect 3 1/2 days, celebrating one of my favorite people in the whole world and her upcoming marriage.  There was lots of laying around at the spa, laying around on the beach, laying around by the pool…mixed with some shopping, a couple of great runs, and too much good food.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet and visit with different pieces of the bride-to-be’s world(s).  It was a wonderful way to learn more about someone I already dearly loved.  I came home thoroughly rested and rejuvenated. 

And its a good thing, because the day after I came home, life around our house changed drastically.  Monday was a normal MMM (more later about the “National Pi Day” that we celebrated) and the kids went down for great naps.  Over the course of the next few hours, something RRL and I could not have foreseen began unfolding in a miraculous way.  Here is a little piece of the email I sent the next day…

While the events of the last 24 hours were not even on our radar screen, we know that all along the Lord has been paving a path for these events. RRL and I have felt very strongly over the last couple of months that the Lord was “preparing” us. While that was just as ambiguous to us as it sounds and left more questions than answers, the result was that we have been in a season of growing closer to each other and closer to the Lord. We have confided this in a few close friends and as a result, know that others have been praying for us…even before we really knew what they were praying for.  Yesterday the “what we were preparing for” fell in our laps in the form of three adorable siblings, the children of RRL’s stepsister. A, age 3 (three weeks older than Cbug), C, age 2 (6months older than Lou) and baby B (10 months).

We don’t really know how long our family will include our sweet nephews and niece, but for awhile at least it will change the photos and stories you see here quite a bit (obviously).  Our daily family tasks take on a whole new adventure-like-quality when handling them with six small children.  Its really hilarious, actually.  Can’t wait to give you a glimpse.  For now, though, here’s a picture to fool you into thinking we’ve got it all together (after all, it is my blog).

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Life with six kids is anything but easy.  Its full of blessings in the form of tons of sticky kisses and lots of dog-pile-like hugs, but there have definitely been times it when it has been completely exhausting.  We continue, though, to experience that same sense that I wrote about in those very first days.  We still believe that He prepared us for this path.  He’s asking us to walk through something we didn’t choose, but He’s walking ahead of us, behind us, and right beside us.  Sometimes His presence is in the stillness of naptime, the peace of children playing together, or the sweet conversations I get to have with my husband after all 6 kids are in bed.  But sometimes its more tangible.  Many times, He’s walking with us in the form of His people.  People that are meeting so many of our needs, before we even know how to ask.

Here’s another email excerpt
“I am not exaggerating when I say that every single time we get to the point of being at our wits end, help arrives. There was one point this week that help was walking in our door with arm loads of groceries, at the same moment that help was walking out of our door after dropping off 3 of the children. We feel so loved. So blessed. Not alone.
I keep thinking about the following verses in Nehemiah, chapter 4. The building of the wall is well underway, yet threat of the enemy seems imminent. In order to complete the work they were called to, the people couldn’t just huddle together waiting for an attack. Instead they had a plan…
19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
Thank you for being the kind of friends that, no matter how spread out we are, no matter how many different paths of service He may lead us to, we know we can be JOINED at the sounding of a trumpet (or email or blog). We’ve seen this first hand as we’ve felt surrounded in presence and in prayer and as we watch what God is doing.”

We know He is at work and feel privileged to have a front-row-seat.

I know this is long, just wanted to document a small piece of our current lives.  And it seemed a bit abrupt to just show up in Deep Rolling Right Field, and not at least explain why the pictures include six children instead of three.  So there you have it.  Hope to be back soon…but no promises.

ABL

The incredible-six split up for Easter, some of  us heading to Nashville and some heading to Denton…but everyone heading to do something they love best, VISIT GRANDPARENTS!

But first, we couldn’t miss the school Easter egg hunt.  Another fun memory at our little preschool.

 
And then some of us “hunted” again in Nashville.

But eggs weren’t the only treasures we found while we were there.

One of my favorite treasures was lots of time together. 
Snuggles. 

Walks to the park.

 
And playing in some of my favorite childhood spots.

And, if that weren’t enough…
I also got to spend much of the weekend celebrating another beloved treasure. 
I’ve loved this beautiful bride for longer than I can remember.
The four of us have more memories together, covering a broader scope of life, than I do with just about anyone else I can think of.  Such a blessing to be able to add this day to that list of treasured-memories!

Indeed, I’d say our Easter “hunting” was VERY successful!
ABL

First, sorry for creating any impression that “tomorrow” meant “first thing tomorrow morning”.  I didn’t intend to leave you hanging when I started the project last night.  I just got sleepy and the blog post got long, so I broke it up.

Ok, without further ado, back to my journal entry…

I called my mom and told her I said “no” (I was overcome as soon as I heard her voice and I think she thought RRL was dead or something because all I could get out at first was “RRL…he…RRL…and I… ) and RRL called my roommates, who were waiting with the Willises and other friends for us to come home with exciting news.

My mom was really encouraging.  She just listened as I sobbed and then she calmed me down.  She never told me I was wrong or making a bad decision.  She just told me to look at RRL.  To forget everything else and look at him.  When I did, the Lord filled me with an amazing love and a complete assurance about wanting to spend my life with him. (I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I can still vividly remember that moment- I still clearly remember the visions of our future family that flooded me in that instant.)

We never made it to Nashville (because it was so late by this point) but lots of other good things came out of the way things happened. (But we did head to Dallas to celebrate with all of RRL’s family and my Momma flew in that weekend so I could celebrate with her, too).  For one, as I already mentioned, my roommates were all there when I said YES and it was amazing to get to share that moment with them.  Secondly, we got to have some time with Dr. and Mrs. Willis by ourselves.  They had gone home and gone to bed and I think we quite surprised them when we showed up on their doorsteps in the middle of the night, but they never let on.  If we had gone back to my house where everyone was waiting, we would have only seen them in the crowd.  Instead, though, we went to their house and had a very special time of prayer with them.  During this time of prayer, Dr Willis encouraged us to really think about the spiritual battle of the night, the implications of Satan’s attack and the Lord’s conquering powers.  He is incredibly wise, so gentle and loving in his encouragement.  The biggest blessing that came out of saying “no” is that I won’t ever wonder if saying “yes” was the right thing.  I have a confidence in our union and I feel the Lord’s presence in our relationship in a new way.

And that’s where the journal version ends.  I love that I documented what I thought to be the biggest blessing at that time…only one month after it happened.  I should have known that the blessings were really just beginning.  Our marriage has not been perfect, sometimes far from it.  RRL has always said that he believes the marriages of Ministers are attacked in a unique way because of their visibility to other vulnerable marriages.  I think he’s right.  We’ve seen it.  And this night didn’t free us from further attacks or struggles.  But I will say it did uniquely prepare us for our marriage.   If even for an hour, we faced what looking into the future as individuals would look like and we made a decision that the road ahead looked better (MUCH BETTER) knowing we would travel it together.  We prayed that we would be stronger in ministry together than we could be individually (thank you, J.Reese), and we’ve continued to hold that as the standard for the health of our marriage.  We also gained a glimpse into the ways Satan attacks and manipulates our emotions.  While he is NOT the victor (praise the Lord), he is also not a force to face naively.  This is why I find myself weeping in prayer for the Lord to save the marriages of those we love.  Its so much more than just praying that He won’t let them get divorced, that He won’t allow their families to be torn apart.  Its a prayer for the victory we believe in to come quickly and thoroughly. 

alternatively titled “Why do I leave the house?”

We had a great morning with a college friend and her kids.  It is always amazing to catch up with old friends and hear about the ways the Lord is working in the lives of those we love.  I’m thankful for her encouragement and the way she openly shares about what she is learning and the ways that she is growing.  So excited about where the Lord is taking their family right now!

ANYWAY- we met at a JumpZone kind of in between our two houses so the kids could play.  Its a cool place with lots of fun inflatables and I liked that it was all in one room so there wasn’t much fear of kids wandering off somewhere (I thought).  I knew to keep a close eye on Cbug (I’ve referenced his amazing disappearing skills before) and Lou stayed pretty close so I always knew where she was, too.  I wasn’t worried about KJ at all.  He ran between obstacle courses, doesn’t really need help and wouldn’t wander off too far without telling me (again- so I thought).

About an hour into our fun, KJ came to find me (he had been checking in every so often) and this time he had white icing all over his face.  Right behind him came the owner of the establishment, bearing KJ’s party treat bag.  No, we were not there for a birthday party.  We were just there for open play.  But KJ found a way to join a party anyway.  VERY IMPRESSIVE as it required putting his shoes back on, following a little crowd to a party room away from the main room, and being “checked in” by the staff who had a list of names of kids that were invited to the party.  He apparently stayed at the party long enough to sing to the birthday boy with the other guests, eat his cake, drink his juice box, and collect his party bag before politely asking “Where is my mom?”  It wasn’t until then that anyone even realized that he wasn’t an invited guest. 

AHHHHH PARTY CRASHER! 

I was H-O-R-R-I-F-I-E-D and embarrassed, of course.  I mean, obviously if he had time to eat cake he had been out of my sight for awhile without me even noticing.  Awesome, ABL, awesome.  I couldn’t believe it.  I made him go back and apologize to the mom, return the party bag (which they insisted that we keep) and thank them for being such good hosts (even to the crashers).  He cried and cried he was so embarrassed and we had a long talk about not going anywhere with strangers- even if they have cake.  Maybe especially if they have cake. 

He said “they told me I just had to put my shoes on and I could go in”.  Fair enough, but from now on, please don’t go to ANY PARTIES without your Momma.  EVER.  And yes, that same rule will apply when you are a teenager, thankyouverymuch.

ABL

 ate a great meal (which for the kids meant a few bits of sustenance and then plenty of dessert), and had lots of FUN with some of our favorite people, Aunt B and

Oh, and don’t forget, Lou got her first “shooting” lesson.  I mean, it was just what she needed to round out her day of rocking babies, cooking in her kitchen, and having tea parties, right?  At least she is wearing a bow while doing it.  Goodness.

ABL

While I do love to be in our little home for Christmas Eve/Day, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without at least some time in Nashville.

We’ll enjoy celebrating with extended family, continuing years of tradition with a holiday meal at Mrs Bobo’s boarding house.

 

We started our Christmas celebrations off in an incredible way!  While we were in VA for my cousin’s wedding (#4 for the year for our kids to participate in) we got to go to Christmas Village at Busch Gardens.  It was SO very cold, but it was a Christmas wonderland and we all loved being with our family and watching our kids eyes dance in the lights of Christmas.

Some that were cute and silly… 

       Some that were downright CREEPY…