The Game of Life...

    So it appears we landed on... "Have a baby" in the game of life and we're thoroughly excited for his/her arrival in early September of this year. We werent planning on it or not planning on it, we were just open to whatever happened, and well, it happened ; ) We found out over Christmas break while we were down in Virginia at Daniel's parents cabin, and turns out we were already about three or four weeks along at that poing, so yup, its a honeymoon baby or just a bit "post honeymoon" ; ) We're super stoked and at the same time are just trying to enjoy "life as we know it", making the most of everyday we get to spend with just the two of us. We don't plan on finding out whether the baby is a boy or a girl, we figure it can let us know when its ready, a.k.a. born ; ) We'll keep you all updated on the pregnancy/ news/ etc.

     All that to say, life is amazing and God blows my mind everyday with how in control he is, even when we're feeling out of control. To think that in the past 6 months my life went from one path to a completely different path... at least as far as my "planning" was concerned, and not only am I now married to someone I barely knew 6 months ago, but we're living in an entirely new place, new jobs, making new friends, new church, and now going to add a new member to our family. Phew... listing it out makes it seem even more insane, but in all sincerity the fact that everything is going so smoothly, that there have been no major hitches, no major battles, that God has given us the strength and joy to walk through all of this calmly with his peace, makes it all make complete and total sense for us. I couldnt be happier... not to say that life is perfect, just to say life is good, life is overflowing with love, that everyday we get through the challenges and the fun of it, makes me overwhelmingly happy and grateful... and the one I'm grateful to is my Lord, Jesus. Who I would be without him reaching out for me some 9 years ago is an entirely different story in itself, but there is no way I would ever want to go back to that moment and make a decision not to follow Him and his will for my life. It is Him who carried me through this far and the only one I know I can lean on for the remainder of my days. All the adventures, the excitement, the joy, the tears, and the pain, have all been pieces of a puzzle, steps in a journey, and I couldnt be more anxious for each new day to come, yet content to immerse myself in the beauty of the here and now.

        My hope is to continue to grow, to not become complacent with the way I am or the way the world is, to long and work for growth and change in both myself and the world. To become each day a better wife and friend to my husband, putting him before myself, learning to love him more selflessly. To prepare myself as much as I can, although I know there is much I wont be able to learn without doing, in becoming a mother to my growing baby. Finally, to be a trustworthy and selfless friend, always willing to help and to give of myself.  I know with Gods help and consistency on my part, I can grow a bit more everyday. Consider this my "End of February New Years Resolution"