Better Late

I guess since Mara Lin's fixing to start Kindergarten (in 11 days to be exact), I should probably go ahead and post pictures of the Preschool graduation from back in May...Oops!

Here's Emily walking in a waving to me. The younger classes just came out and sang a few songs. She is normally really shy when she knows that someone is looking at her, but she really did good singing all of the songs and even doing a few motions.
Then the graduation. The kids sang a few songs and then told everyone what they wanted to be when the grow up. Mara wants to be a ballet teacher. Then they got to ring the bell. Here's Mara ringing the bell...
And yes, I might have shed a tear or two when she walked out in the graduation cap looking oh so very grown up. I'll blame it on the hormones though since I was about 36 weeks pregnant!
And of course the other two had to pose for daddy too. I love this one of Emily...very artsy!
And here's the girl who grew up over night....
Stay tuned for first day of Kindergarten pictures in eleven days!

Boo!

Scared you, didn't I?!

You thought I had forgotten the url to my blog, huh?

Let me just tell you that life is kicking my booty. We're surviving but not really having fun yet. Sam is a fabulously easy-going baby, but a 5 yr old, 4 yr old, 3 yr old, and a newborn....yep, kicking my booty!

I have lots of pictures to share from the last month that I've been gone but will save those for separate posts so it looks like I'm blogging again.

Along with life inside my own house wearing me out, our church family has been dealing with a lot lately too. My pastor's father (and close family friend) passed away about three months ago and then shortly after that, we found out a sweet, sweet close friend has colon and liver cancer and is now going through chemo. As if that's not enough, my pastor's 17-year-old son died three weeks ago from injuries sustained in a car accident.

God has showed up amazingly within our church family.

I've definitely been saddened, disappointed, and even angry at God, but I know that God's will for my life is to be sanctified, be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in ALL circumstances (1 Thes. 4:3, 5:16-18). I exist for His glory, and even though it is hard to say, my children also exist for His glory.

I hold my children up to God with open hands wanting only His glory. I definitely could not have said that three weeks ago, but seeing my pastor praise God through the pain and wanting only His glory has taught me that God was waiting on me to surrender my hold on my children. They are not mine, they're God's. My single desire for their lives is to bring glory to God!

It's so good to be back blogging...putting my thoughts on 'paper' and helping to work through them in my own head. God is good and we are immeasurably blessed!